Bhakti Cards
A cycle of four decks · Bhakti Cards
Rāya Rāmānanda Saṃvāda meditation deck
The dialogue of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya — a ladder of questions on the highest goal and the means to reach it, rung by rung upward.
52 meditation cards · japa  —  52 of 52 ready

Mahāprabhu's conversation with Rāmānanda Rāya as a ladder: rung by rung from outer duty to the sweetest love. Four decks following the parts of the conversation; the first 42 cards are written and open here.

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Deck 1
Sādhyera nirṇaya
Ascertaining the Goal
From the question of life's goal through the rungs of rejection to pure devotion and the rasas of service
prabhu kahe, — «paḍa śloka sādhyera nirṇaya» · ЧЧ Мадхья 8.57
I
The Question of the Goal and Sādhya-sāra
3/3
25By the mercy of Guru and Gaurāṅga, sit on the bank of the Godāvarī and overhear their conversationприглашение★★ready ▸ 01About life's goal you answer with a verse of scriptureпрамана★★★ready ▸ 26Fix your vision on the sādhya and live by that conviction from todayрешимость★★★ready ▸
II
The Ladder of Rejection
4/4
02The first answer — do your duty. Mahāprabhu rejects it in one word: 'this is external'различение★★ready ▸ 27Even everything you do, offered to Kṛṣṇa, is still externalразличение★★ready ▸ 03Śaraṇāgati is a doorway you walk throughпорог★★ready ▸ 28On the path of knowledge there is peace but no serviceразличение★★ready ▸
III
Śuddha-bhakti
4/4
29Give up the effort to know — live on what you hear from the lips of the sādhusпрамана★★★ready ▸ 04For the first time Mahāprabhu accepts: 'eho haya' — this is pure sādhanaсадхана★★ready ▸ 30Karma and jñāna ascend by one's own strength; bhakti descends of itselfповорот★★★ready ▸ 05The servant's joy flows from his Master — circumstances do not shake itопора★★ready ▸
IV
The Rasas: Dāsya, Sakhya, Vātsalya
5/5
31A kiṅkara is one who has a question instead of a name: what may I do for You?садхана★★ready ▸ 06'Eho uttama': here 'topmost' is heard for the first time — the conversation has entered Vrajaповорот★★★ready ▸ 32In friendship both sides love with one and the same loveтаттва★★ready ▸ 33What did Nanda and Yaśodā earn, that the Lord drinks the milk of her breast?изумление★★★ready ▸ 07A mother's rope bound the One whom nothing can bindлила★★★ready ▸
Deck 2
Sarva-sādhya-sāra
The Essence of All Goals
Gopī-prema, the glory of Kṛṣṇa the Rasarāja, and the stages of bhāva up to the jīva's entry through sakhīs and mañjarīs
rāya kahe, — «kāntā-prema sarva-sādhya-sāra» · ЧЧ Мадхья 8.79
V
Gopī-prema and Kāma
1/1
34Desire for one's own pleasure is lust; desire to give Him happiness is premaразличение★★★ready ▸
VI
The Glory of the Gopīs
4/4
35Kṛṣṇa admits a debt He has nothing to repay withраса★★★ready ▸ 10Kṛṣṇa lectures the gopīs on Vedic morality, every word of it double-edgedлила★★ready ▸ 38"The embrace of the rāsa dance was given neither to Lakṣmī nor to the queens of Dvārakā"мера★★★ready ▸ 36The Vedas took up the gopīs' vision to touch that same nectarпрамана★★★ready ▸
VII
Kṛṣṇa, the Rasarāja
6/6
43Hidden away, Kṛṣṇa was secretly worshipping the gopīs' premaлила★★★ready ▸ 44The gopīs put Kṛṣṇa on trial — and He won, proving their love the greaterмера★★ready ▸ 45Kṛṣṇa, still untired, looks at the exhausted Rādhikā with eyes of compassionраса★★★ready ▸ 46The verse on Kṛṣṇa's submission to the gopīs keeps the word "almost"прамана★★★ready ▸ 47Kṛṣṇa wins the gopīs by tricks: a boatman's toll, a rescue from a beast He played Himselfлила★★ready ▸ 48To the returning Kṛṣṇa's silent plea for forgiveness Rādhikā answers with refusalлила★★★ready ▸
VIII
The Stages of Bhāva and Mahābhāva
2/2
37"Her bhāva can be felt as a wave — the bhāva itself can never be owned"различение★★ready ▸ 11In separation Rādhā sees a meeting; in His lap she weeps over separationраса★★★ready ▸
IX
Sakhīs and Mañjarīs — the Jīva's Entry
4/4
08The sakhī's happiness is to unite Him with Rādhā — ten million times more happiness than being embraced by Himпрайоджана★★★ready ▸ 09One enters this līlā by the mercy of the sakhīs, under their shelterсадхана★★★ready ▸ 14Rādhikā is the creeper of prema, the sakhīs her leaves and flowers — the water goes to the rootтаттва★★★ready ▸ 23Accept the mood of the gopīs and remember the pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa day and nightсадхана★★★ready ▸
Deck 3
Rasa-rāja Mahābhāva
Two Forms Become One
Rādhā as the heart of the peak, the hidden tattva of Gaurāṅga, and its crown in rāgānugā
«rasa-rāja», «mahābhāva» — dui eka rūpa · ЧЧ Мадхья 8.282
X
The Heart of the Peak — Rādhā
8/8
12Their separation is a firefly beside the wildfire of hersмера★★ready ▸ 40"Even millions of offenses — I would still forgive Him"прощение★★ready ▸ 39"For the mañjarīs, love for Rādhikā is always greater than love for Krishna"таттва★★★ready ▸ 41"Trace any energy back to its ultimate source — there is Rādhā"таттва★★★ready ▸ 13She awakens in Kṛṣṇa desires He never had, and fulfills them tooтаттва★★★ready ▸ 42"The sakhīs are the movements of her heart, taken form"лила★★★ready ▸ 15Kṛṣṇa jokes: every one of My avatāras serves Rādhikā's beautyлила★★ready ▸ 18"He is not the lover, I am not the beloved": Cupid ground two minds into oneраса★★★ready ▸
XI
The Hidden Tattva
3/3
16Every avatāra comes from Kṛṣṇa — He is the original svayaṁ-rūpaпрамана★★★ready ▸ 17In Vṛndāvana it is Kṛṣṇa Himself who shoots the arrows — the ever-fresh Cupidлила★★★ready ▸ 19The rāsa-līlā begins of itself: Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa and the sakhīs are the toy that prema winds upтаттва★★★ready ▸
XII
The Crown — Gaura-tattva
3/3
20Kṛṣṇa becomes Caitanya to know Rādhikā's love from the insideтаттва★★★ready ▸ 21A golden radiance covers the dark body, and Rāmānanda asks for the truth without concealmentдаршан★★★ready ▸ 22Mahāprabhu is golden through and through — by Rādhikā's touchтаттва★★★ready ▸
Deck 4
Viśvāsa kari' śuna
Hear with Faith
Guru, harikathā, humility and the Name — what surrounds the conversation and leads the listener to the dhāma
viśvāsa kari' śuna, tarka nā kariha citte · ЧЧ Мадхья 8.308
14
Guru and Paramparā
1/1
49The guru is one who knows Kṛṣṇa-tattva, whatever his varṇa or āśramaпрамана★★★ready ▸
15
Hearing Harikathā
1/1
24"Leave your service and live with Me in Purī for life"прощание★★ready ▸
18
Discerning the Goals
1/1
50The richest of all is the one who has love for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇaпрамана★★★ready ▸
19
Separation and Dhāma
2/2
51The heaviest of all sufferings is separation from Kṛṣṇa's devoteeраса★★★ready ▸ 52Consciousness steeped in the rasa of bhakti: buy it wherever it is found; the only price is greedпрамана★★★ready ▸