The Life & Times of Lord Caitanya

“India’s Spiritual Renaissance: The life and times of Lord Chaitanya is an excellent synopsis of the career and teachings of one of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders, based on traditional devotional biographies and supplemented by the views of modern scholars. The author has added a further dimension by weaving into his narrative the insights of contemporary Western devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu…The result is a very accessible introduction to Chaitanya and his message that should inspire readers to explore the rich resources so temptingly summarized in this volume.”

From high in the snowy Himalayas, the sacred River Ganges flows across the plains of Indian for almost 2,000 miles before it reaches the town of Navadvip (Mayapur), in west Bengal. Some 500 years ago, in this simple village atmosphere, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Mahaprabhu means “The Great Master”) taught the forgotten essence of ancient Vedic wisdom – the timeless and universal message of love of God, revealing its most profound dimension.

Although unfamiliar in he West, Lord Chaitanya is known to the people of India as the child prodigy who casually defeated India’s most prominent scholars; the young revolutionary who organized India’s first civil disobedience movement; the social reformer who laid bare the blind rigidity of the Hindu caste system; the humble ascetic to who common people, religion us leaders, and even kings surrendered their lives; and, above all, they know Lord Chaitanya as the Golden Avatar, the predicted incarnation of God who inaugurated the sankirtan movement and emphasized the meditative process of chanting the holy names.

By this simple process, Lord Chaitanya taught, one can revive one’s innate spiritual consciousness regardless of occupation or situation in life. Thus, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s timeless message bears special relevance for today’s world, where work – a – day life leaves little time for spiritual pursuits. India’s Spiritual Renaissance: The Life and Times of Lord Chaitanya serves the dual purpose of conveying the life of this most important religious reformer in chronological sequence (thus putting it into historical perspective) and showing the practical application of the non – sectarian process he lovingly bestowed upon the world.