Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 105
October 11, 2022
Making people into controllers of God
He’s the supreme controller, but He is controlled by His devotee, Srimati Radharani. He is controlled. So it is not to be easily understood what is the pastimes between… But Krsna is willingly agreed to be controlled by His devotee. That is Krsna’s nature. Just like Mother Yasoda. Mother Yasoda is controlling Krsna, binding Him: “You are very naughty? I will bind You.” Mother Yasoda has a stick, and Krsna is crying. Krsna is crying. These things you study. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Kunti’s prayer, how she is appreciating that “My dear Krsna, You are the Supreme. But when under the stick of Mother Yasoda You are crying, that scene I want to see.” So Krsna is so bhakta-vatsala that He is the supreme controller. But a devotee like Mother Yasoda, a devotee like Radharani, devotees like gopis, devotees like the cowherds boy, they can control Krsna. That is Vrndavana life. So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to take you there. The foolish persons, they are being deviated. They do not know what is the value of this Krsna consciousness movement. They are trying to give the human society the topmost benefit, position. They don’t want to become one with God, but they are giving the right to control God. This is Krsna consciousness movement. What is the use of becoming one with God? Nobody can become. But Krsna is willing to be controlled by the devotee. This is Krsna consciousness movement.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.52 — August 5, 1975, Detroit
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October 9, 2022
KARTTIKA/Living in Mathura
In the Padma Purana there is a statement about the importance of living at holy places like Mathura or Dvaraka. It is stated there, “To travel to different places of pilgrimage means to attain emancipation from material bondage. This emancipation, however, is not the highest perfectional stage. After attaining this liberated stage, one has to become engaged in devotional service to the Lord. After attainment of the brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20] [liberation] stage, one can further advance to engagement in devotional service. So this attainment of transcendental loving devotional service to the Lord is the goal of life, and it can be achieved very easily for one who lives in Mathura-mandala even for a few seconds.”
From “The Nectar of Devotion” by Srila Prabhupada, ch. 13
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October 8, 2022
Initiation, 4 regs, 16 rounds, going BTG
Indian: Initiated devotee, and he follows those four regulative principles and chants sixteen rounds, will he go back to Godhead?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Mam evaisyasi asamsaya. Krsna says. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru mam evaisyasi asamsaya [Bg. 18.65]. Asamsaya, without any doubt.
Indian: But by taking initiation, will that speed up the process?
Prabhupada: Yes.
(Morning Walk — June 18, 1976, Toronto)
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Completely controlled householder
A householder may have wife, may have sex life, but that is for having children only, that’s all. A householder does not mean he gets license to legalize prostitution. That is not householder. Householder can simply have sex life to beget nice child, that’s all, no more. That is householder life; completely controlled. Householder does not mean whenever he has got this machine and he can use it. No.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 6.46-47 — Los Angeles, February 21, 1969
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October 7, 2022
A great army of heroes for Lord Caitanya
Anyone who is a sincere devotee of Krishna and who is rendering service by preaching His message is to be considered as hero. So you are all heroes of your country and your humanity. Hero means someone who others want to follow as example of the best type of person. So you all become like that, perfect examples of Krishna Consciousness heroes and heroines, and preach the message exactly as I have taught it to you very seriously and being fully convinced, and others will automatically come forward and join us. We shall all be like one great army of heroes for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Visakha — Mexico City 6 June, 1972
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October 6, 2022
Qualities of Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami
Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami supplied all the ornaments of the Govinda Deity. He never talked of nonsense or worldly matters but always engaged in hearing about Krsna twenty-four hours a day. He never cared to hear blasphemy of a Vaisnava. Even when there were points to be criticized, he used to say that since all the Vaisnavas were engaged in the service of the Lord, he did not mind their faults.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to CC Adi 10.158
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October 4, 2022
Why Ravana is considered a raksasa
Ravana was so devotee of Lord Siva that he was cutting his head and offering to the deity. So why he is called raksasa, not a saintly person? What is the reason? In Delhi have seen Rama-lila, the effigy of Ravana is beaten with shoes sometimes. But actually he was a great devotee of Lord Siva. Everyone knows. And he was so big devotee that Lord Siva gave him all benedictions: “Whatever you wanted.” So why this Ravana is described in the sastra as raksasa? Why he is not described as a saintly person? He was a brahmana by birth. He was born of a brahmana father, and he was great student of Vedas.
Materially he was very opulent so that he could control even the demigods. He was so powerful. Still, with all this qualification, why he is described as raksasa?
He is not a devotee of the Lord [Krsna]. That is our criterion. Anyone who is not a devotee, whatever he may be… He may be very, very big or so-called saintly, but according to the description of the sastras, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15].
Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk — April 10, 1974, Bombay
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October 3, 2022
Farm: plain living and high thinking
On the farm project you should try to become self-sufficient in food grains, milk, vegetables and so on. You may live very nicely, be healthy, and chant ‘Hare Krishna’. You do yourself, and teach others. That is success. We have full facility there for plain living and high thinking. We do not very much appreciate city life which is full of so many obnoxious things. It is very good that you are not keeping machines this year. Try to avoid machines as far as possible.
From a letter by Srila Prabhupada to Tusta Krsna — December 21, 76
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October 2, 2022
All distresses in the material world are due to extravagance
In the material world, all distresses are due to extravagance. One acquires money extravagantly and also spends it extravagantly. Such activities are sinful. All property belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all living beings, who are sons of the Supreme Lord, have the right to use the Supreme Father’s property, but one cannot take more than necessary. This principle should especially be followed by brahmanas and sannyasis who live at the cost of others.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 8.19.17
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October 1, 2022
For Durga-puja
Cc Madhya 21.53
TRANSLATION
The abode of the external energy is called Devi-dhama, and its inhabitants are the conditioned souls. It is there that the material energy, Durga, resides with many opulent maidservants.
PURPORT
Because he wants to enjoy the material energy, the conditioned soul is allowed to reside in Devi-dhama, the external energy, where goddess Durga carries out the orders of the Supreme Lord as His maidservant. The material energy is called jagal-laksmi because she protects the bewildered conditioned souls. Goddess Durga is therefore known as the material mother, and Lord Siva, her husband, is known as the material father. Goddess Durga is so named because this material world is like a big fort where the conditioned soul is placed under her care. For material facilities, the conditioned soul tries to please goddess Durga, and mother Durga supplies all kinds of material facilities. Because of this, the conditioned souls are allured and do not wish to leave the external energy. Consequently they are continuously making plans to live here peacefully and happily. Such is the material world.
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