Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 107

Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban

If you seriously want to convert this new spot as New Vrindaban, I shall advise you not to make it very much modernized. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. Not to make it too much luxurious as generally Europeans and Americans are accustomed. Better to live there without modern amenities. But to live a natural healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved…Actually, joyful life is on the spiritual platform, therefore we should try to save our valuable time from material activities and engage them for Krishna Consciousness. But at the same time, because we have to keep our body and soul together to execute our mission, we must have sufficient (not extravagant) food to eat, and that will be supplied by grains, fruits, and milk. So if you can develop this place to that ideal life and the residents become ideal Krishna Conscious men, in that part of your country, I think not only many philosophically minded people will be attracted, but they will be benefited also. The basic principle of our life in Vrindaban will be cow keeping. If we can keep cows sufficiently and grow our necessary foodstuffs, then we shall show a new way of life to your countrymen completely spiritual life in healthy atmosphere in divine consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada; Letter, 14 Jun 1968

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Spiritual education and foolish talking

Unless there is spiritual education, unless one is spiritually enlightened, you have to undergo the process of birth, death, old age and disease. You may talk very highly and foolishly, but the process of nature, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9], that you cannot stop. Therefore any education which does not give enlightenment on the subject matter of how to stop death, they are all foolish talking.

Srila Prabhupada; lecture, 25 Jul 1975

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The greatest scientist

Krishna can change anything, therefore we worship Him as the greatest Scientist. If a man knows swimming he can stay up. So if this much power has a man, what to speak of God. So we see that Ramacandra has the art how to make stones float. It is a question of knowing the art. Art means the display of intellectual energy. Everywhere we can see intelligence in everything, so the Lord knows the art of everything, so He can change anything, we cannot.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Rupanuga — Tokyo 3 May, 1972

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Going forward

Aryan means going forward. And what is the destination of going forward? The destination is to understand the original cause of creation, God.

Srila Prabhupada, Lecture on BG 16.7 – Tokyo, January 27, 1975

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Piety in America

I always said that “You are so much graced by God in so many ways.” At least, preliminary condition for being in touch with God is there. Because Krsna says, catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino ‘rjuna [Bg. 7.16]. So they are taking to Krsna consciousness. That means they are pious. And the result of sukrti, piety, is janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. Janma, to take birth, to take birth in nice family. And aisvarya, riches. And education, and beauty. All these four things are in America. There every boy, every girl is nicely educated, qualified, artist. Therefore they are taking to Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada; Conversation, 20 Feb 1974

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Srila Prabhupada’s “impossible” success in America

God, by His different energy He does something which is impossible to be done. Take for example myself. I went to United States, unknown country, without any friend, without any hope, simply on theory [chuckles] that “I shall go and preach there,” and with this expectation also, that “As soon as I shall ask them to give up all these habits, they will ask me to go away.” [laughs] So in the face of so many odds and uncertainty, I went there, simply depending on my spiritual master and Krsna, with this hope only, that “If there is desire, everything can be done. But otherwise there is no hope. I am going there, hopeless, just to make an experiment. My other Godbrothers, they failed. All right, Guru Maharaja asked me. In the beginning I did not do. Let me do it in this old age.” So it became surprisingly success. Business started with forty rupees, and now we have got four crores. Where is that business in the material world, that a man started business with forty rupees and he has got four crores within ten years? Not only money but also fame, respect.

Srila Prabhupada; Room Conversation — October 17, 1975, Johannesburg

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Krsna consciousness: completely new in the Western world

This line of thought, namely Krsna Consciousness or God-consciousness, is completely new in the Western world or throughout the whole world. People in general have got somewhat a vague idea of God consciousness. When I first went to your country in New York, I found everyone imbibed with the idea that God is dead. Now gradually people are understanding that God is not only not dead, but He is factually present with us at every moment. If we have the necessary qualification, to see God eye-to-eye is quite possible.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to: Madhukantha — Bombay 16 November, 1970

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We want that these demonic communists should be finished

But they are uncompromising. The communists, they, they are staunch enemy of the capitalist. Their whole philosophy is against God and against capitalism. So if America becomes Krsna conscious and fights, they have got strength plus God’s blessing. They’ll come out victorious. Fight is going on. We cannot stop. But if the American people take to Krsna consciousness and fight with the communist, they’ll come out victorious. Then the menace of communistic movement will stop. And we want that. We want that these demonic communists should be finished.

Srila Prabhupada/ Room Conversation — April 4, 1975, Mayapur

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Krsna consciousness is compulsory; study these books

Foolish persons do not know how risky life is here if one does not follow the instructions of Krsna. The Krsna consciousness movement, therefore, has been started so that by practicing Krsna consciousness one can avoid the risky life of this material existence. There is no question of accepting or not accepting Krsna consciousness. It is not optional; it is compulsory. If we do not take to Krsna consciousness, our life is very risky. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Therefore, to learn how to become free from the miserable condition of material existence, Bhagavad-gita As It Is is the preliminary study. Then, if one understands Bhagavad-gita, one can proceed to Srimad-Bhagavatam, and if one advances further, one may study Caitanya-caritamrta. We are therefore presenting these invaluable books to the whole world so that people may study them and be happy, being delivered from miserable conditional life.

Srila Prabhupada; SB 10.8.49 purport

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More money, more anxiety

“We shall improve our economic condition for more and more sense gratification.” And that is the mistake. People are trying for that. Kamasya nendriya-pritir jivo jiveta yavata [SB 1.2.10]. Yavad artha-prayojanam. Whatever money is required for maintaining, that’s all. And as soon as we increase the so-called standard of happiness by sense gratification, then there is trouble. That is going on all over the world. They want money. They’re not satisfied. “More money. More money. More money.” Why more money?

If you can live comfortably with certain amount of money, be satisfied in that way. Why more? Unnecessary, and increase anxiety. Live very comfortably and be advanced in Krsna consciousness. That is required.

Srila Prabhupada/ Room Conversation with Vrindavan De – July 6, 1977, Vrndavana

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