Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 106

Attachment means bondage

Sometimes a person, the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as serpent, sometimes as dog, sometimes as tree. Being too much attached to the possession, they cannot get better life. And sometimes we can get the body of a hog and monkey in Vrndavana also.

Srila Prabhupada, speaking in Vrindavan, November 3, 1972

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Escape from anxiety

Material existence is always full of anxiety. People are always trying to find many ways to mitigate anxiety, but because they are not guided by a real leader, they try to forget material anxiety through drink and sex indulgence. Foolish people do not know that by attempting to escape anxiety by drink and sex, they simply increase their duration of material life. It is not possible to escape material anxiety in this way.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 4.28.27

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There is no beauty to compare with that of Krsna

The body of Krsna, the ocean of the eternal beauty of youth, can be seen to move in waves of beauty, and there is a whirlwind at the sound of His flute. Those waves and that whirlwind make the hearts of the gopis flutter like dry leaves on trees, and when those leaves fall down at Krsna’s lotus feet, they can never rise up again. There is no beauty to compare with that of Krsna, who is the origin of Narayana and all other incarnations, for no one possesses beauty equal to or greater than Krsna’s. Otherwise, why would the goddess of fortune, the constant companion of Narayana, give up His association and engage herself in penance to gain the association of Krsna? Such is the superexcellent beauty of Krsna, the everlasting mine of all beauty. It is from that beauty that all other beautiful things emanate.

From Teachings of Lord Caitanya, by Srila Prabhupada

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Mudhas: “In the future”

They are very much proud of their scientific advancement. Everything see, the flowers and leaves, so artistically, beautifully manufactured that simply by seeing them you’ll feel pleased. How the man can manufacture it? And still they are denying the existence of God and taking all the credit. How foolish they are. Mudha. [laughter] Yes. Yes, they have been described as mudha. Now, we are appreciating immediately Krsna’s craftsmanship, artistic sense, and we are glorifying. So that should be done by everyone. But the mudhas, they will not do that. They’ll explain away. They’ll never admit God’s hand, intelligence, brain is there. They’ll never admit. Neither they will explain how it is. They know it, how it is done. It has been done, or it is being done by somebody. That they do not know, who is that somebody. And when we say it is Krsna — Krsna says, “It is I am” — they’ll not agree. This is their position. They do not know who is that somebody, and when we say, “Here is that somebody,” they’ll not believe it. This is mudha.

The mudha cannot explain all…, and at the same time, will not accept the real thing. That is mudha. Mudha means rascal. And they will set aside the thing, “Yes, scientifically we are searching. In future we shall be able.” And when that future will come? Past, present and future, the future will become past also. Just like tomorrow, 29th June, this is future. Now, day after tomorrow, it will be past. [laughter] So if you are talking of future, but where is the history…? In the history the future is past. This is common sense.

So therefore they have discovered this nonsense ad infinitum, that future will never come. And they still, they will set aside the business to some future and take the credit. Yes. “In future we shall be able to do it.” And that future will never come, and still, they will take the credit.

[laughter] Just see. Therefore mudha. This is the explanation of mudha. It is just like somebody offered you a post-dated check, and then he wants to clear his debt. Suppose I am debtor by hundreds of dollars to you. I give you a post-dated check, and still I say, “Now I am clear of your debt.” And that post-dated check will never be paid. This is their theory. Na mam prapadyante mudhah duskrtino naradhamah [Bg. 7.15].

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation — June 29, 1974, Melbourne

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Everything for Krsna

Some way or other, let us always discuss about Krsna. That should be the life of Krsna conscious people. So this is life of Krsna, worshiping Krsna in the temple, to sell Krsna’s books, Bhagavad-gita, to think of Krsna — Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna — to eat krsna-prasadam, to take all risk for Krsna, to do work for Krsna, as Arjuna, to fight for Krsna. He did not like to fight, but for Krsna’s sake he fought. So fight for Krsna, work for Krsna, think of Krsna, eat krsna-prasadam, talk of Krsna, read for Krsna. So Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna. This is life. This is Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada /Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1-5 — June 26, 1974, Melbourne

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Our whole philosophy: chant!

We are recommending, according to Vedic scripture, that in this age one should simply chant the holy name of God. We are chanting that: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Rama and Krsna, they are the name of God. And Hara is the energy of God. So we are chanting “Krsna,” or “God,” along with His energy. He has got two energies — spiritual energy and material energy. So at the present moment we are under the jurisdiction of material energy. So we are praying to Krsna, “Kindly transfer me from the service of material energy to the service of spiritual energy.”

This is our whole philosophy. Hare Krsna movement means, “O the energy of God and O God, Krsna, please engage me in Your service.”

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation with Benedictine Monk Pater Emmanuel, June 22, 1974, Germany

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Krsna consciousness means busy for Krsna

We do not allow any lazy man. He must be engaged. That is Krsna consciousness movement. That is Krsna’s order. Niyatam kuru karma. Arjuna was refusing to fight. He was trying to be a nonviolent gentleman. Krsna did not allow him. “No, no, you cannot do that. That is your weakness.” Kutas tva kasmalam idam visame sam…: “You are proving yourself rascal. It is anarya-justam. This kind of proposal is for the anarya, uncivilized man. Don’t do that.” That is Krsna’s… So don’t think that Krsna consciousness movement, those who are Krsna conscious, they’ll become lazy and imitate Haridasa Thakura. That is not Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness means, as Krsna instructs, you must be very, very busy, twenty-four hours. That is Krsna consciousness. Not to become a lazy fellow, eat and sleep. No.

Srila Prabhupada, lecture, 21 Sep 1976

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Seek the shelter of a great soul

Because the common man is unable to control the senses and the mind, it is his duty to seek the shelter of a great soul or a great devotee of the Lord and just try to please him. That will make his life perfect. A common man cannot rise to the topmost stage of spiritual perfection simply by following the rituals and religious principles. He has to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and work under his direction faithfully and sincerely; then he becomes perfect, without a doubt.

(Srila Prabhupada; Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.22.6, Purport)

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How a grhastha can be more than a brahmacari

A brahmacari is good for living a life of celibacy, but a person who can live a life of celibacy in the presence of a beautiful and obliging wife is more than a brahmacari.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Hamsaduta — Los Angeles 12 January, 1968

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Why the world is suffering; thorough overhaul is required

Tripurari: I think there is more animal slaughter in Argentina than anywhere in the world.

Prabhupada: Most sinful.

Adi-kesava: That is the national industry there, cattle slaughter.

Prabhupada: It has become national industry in Africa also.

Hari-sauri: And Australia…

Prabhupada: Australia.

Hari-sauri: …New Zealand.

Prabhupada: Therefore the world is suffering, so much sinful activities. The greatest sinful activity is cow slaughter, and they are committing. They do not know what will be the result. Such brain, stool, stool-bound brain. Thorough overhaul is required. That we are doing. Otherwise the stool cannot be cleansed.

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation — February 19, 1977, Mayapur

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