Throughout the ages, many avatāras - divinely inspired teachers and incarnations of God - have appeared in the world, but none has ever distributed spiritual love as freely as the Golden Avatāra, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu (Mahāprabhu means the Great Master) appeared in Bengal, India, in 1486, and He lived for 48 years, yet he began a revolution in spiritual consciousness that has profoundly affected the lives of millions. Renowned as a great saint even in His youth, Lord Caitanya left His family at the age of 24 to teach the forgotten essence of the ancient Vedic wisdom throughout India. Although He Himself was a fully renounced mystic, He taught how one can act in spiritual consciousness even within ones own occupation and social affairs. Thus, His teachings, although timeless, bear special relevance for todays world. He taught a practical process that anyone can perform to directly feel the ecstacy of pure love of God. This book tells about the extraordinary life of this great saint and explains the essence of His teachings.
His Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (अभय चरणारविन्द भक्तिवेदान्त स्वामी प्रभुपाद)was born as Abhay Charan De on 1 September 1896 in Calcutta, India.
He first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent devotional scholar and the founder of sixty-four branches of Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad, he became his formally initiated disciple.
At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine.
In the last ten years of his life, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe twelve times on lecture tours that have took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
In history, we read that so many people who ruled the regions, initiated policies for people or against some people, increased or decreased tax, killed many people for the throne and so on. But, The chaitanya Mahaprabhu spread LOVE and how to love Bhagwan. He condemned orthodox caste system and firmly believed the true service for Bhagwan came from the heart of the people. He spread Hari-nama sankirtana, the recommended process of the devotional service in this age of kali. A very short book to read about Him.
It is a brief synopsis of Lord Chaitanya. The letter af th eff beginning by AC Bhaktivendata Swami Prabhupada is very interesting and enlightening. The key is to read this with a accepting, authoritative spirit. Chaitanya has much of same qualifications as Jesus