Essential Vaishnava Teachings: The Path of Pure Devotion

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How do I know and serve my guru? How do I relate to other gurus and their disciples? What is the dharma that we follow? What are the impediments to service? What is our shelter? What should we meditate on while chanting? These and many other important ques- tions are answered conclusively and authoritatively by Swami B. B. Bodhayan, current acarya of the Gopinath Gaudiya Math.

Born into a Vaishnava family, the author served his guru, Srila B. P. Puri Goswami Thakur, with unwavering faith for decades, and has studied and realized the essential teachings of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. With clarity, humility, and precision, Swami Bodhayan explains the most basic and yet profound issues which, when understood, can imbue the sincere student with the confidence and focus needed to make steady progress on the path of bhakti.

For many years, in the course of my travels and discourses I have repeatedly been requested to compile a simple book to address our basic teachings in an accessible manner for aspiring students. While I feel most unqualified for such an undertaking, due to the sincere request of the Vaisnavas I felt duty-bound to take up this task.

What follows are the teachings of our sampradaya (lineage) as I have heard them from my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Gosvami Thakura, our sastra, and our guruvarga. I have endeavored to faithfully represent our siddhanta without changing or concocting any point contained herein.

In today's world it has become commonplace that many basic points of philosophy are being debated that were never in contention at the time of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura when he founded the Gaudiya Matha, or His Divine Grace Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, discoverer of Lord Caitanya's birthplace (Yoga-pitha temple), in his many writings and publications.