— Introduction —

by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

This book is not meant for the faithless materialist. Only those who have developed unflinching faith in Lord Caitanya and in the process of chanting the holy name are eligible candidates to hear the topics discussed in this book. Amongst the different levels of sadhana-bhakti, he who is convinced that all perfections are obtained by chanting the holy name alone is the topmost sadhaka or practitioner. Lord Caitanya has personally instructed this lesson in His Sri Siksastaka. He ordained Srila Haridasa Thakura as the namacarya or spiritual authority on the subject of chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Scrutinizing research of authorized texts has yielded the following facts regarding Srila HaridasaThakura's life: He was born into a Muslim family living in a village called Budham, near Vanagram in West Bengal. At a very early age, his previous births' spiritual proclivity began to manifest; he took up devotional activities and renounced home and family. He built a small

What about the seer? What about you? This is the crux of the matter. Even if scientists can determine how electrochemical impulses translate into such varying forms as a golden sunset, a red truck, or a flower, the main question still remains: Where is the self who is looking at those forms and images? What is this self made of? In what part of the body or brain is it? In other words: What is your essence, and where are you?
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shack in the forest of Benapol and embarked upon a program of intense chanting and meditation. Some mischievious men were hindering his bhajana there, so he left his shack and and took sanctuary on the banks of the river Ganges. In another incident he was disturbed by unscrupulous men, who sent a young to make him break his spiritual vows. But Srila Haridasa Thakura's chanting had a purifying effect on her; she became a devotee, giving up her old ways. Srila Haridasa Thakura initiated her into harinama, and settling her in his shack in Benapol, he left that area.

Walking along the banks of the Ganges immersed in chanting the holy name, he eventually arrived at Srila Yadunandana Acarya's house in Saptagram. He began to frequent the courts of