Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 114

We are not for this so-called democracy

We don’t very much like this so-called democracy. What is the value of this democracy? All fools and rascals. They vote another fool and rascal, and he becomes prime minister, or this or that. Just like… In so many cases. That is not good for the people. We are not for this so-called democracy because they are not trained. If the king is trained… That was the system of monarchy.

Srila Prabhupada, Lecture on BG 1.31 — London, July 24, 1973

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First one must control the tongue

Because of the greed for tongue the whole world is going on; all the work in the world is going on because of the greed for the tongue. Some places have restaurant, some have tea, somewhere bidis, somewhere cigarettes, somewhere there is meat eating and intoxication and what is there, this tongue, everything is because of this tongue. If you can control your tongue and engage it in God’s service, then you can see God. This is the instruction in the scriptures. First one must control the tongue.

Srila Prabhupada — March 22, 1975, Calcutta

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Distributing books & reading books

The German sankirtan party had a real energy, they were a powerful team, and there they were in front of Prabhupada and and Srila Prabhupada said, “So, what is the main thing?” and many of them put up their hands, “Book distribution, Srila Prabhupada!” Prabhupada said, “No – what is the main thing?” They became a little taken aback and some suggested, “Preaching, Srila Prabhupada!,” “Chanting!,” a few suggestions were made, but they were all taken aback that book distribution was not the main thing. Then Prabhupada said, “The main thing is you must read these books! I have written these books for you!” And Prabhupada mentioned that it will not be very good if you go out distributing books and people ask you, “What is this book about?” and you say “I do not know, but it is a very good book and you should take it.”

Bhakti Caitanya Swami, Srila Prabhupada Memories #73

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The purpose of temples

Temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come and learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with God.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 9.2 — 8 March, 1972

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Pleasing Krsna’s senses

You are always engaged in the Deity worship. Bring nice cloth. Instead of dressing yourself with nice cloth, dress Krsna with nice cloth. Then your desire for dressing nicely will vanish. Param drstva nivartate [Bg 2.59]. Bhakta is satisfied when Krsna is very nicely dressed. He doesn’t care for his own dress. Therefore this colorful life is diminishing. Here we are trying to become very nicely dressed, to be attractive by others. But when one becomes a Vaisnava, he is no more interested in this colorful life. But he is interested in the colorful life of Krsna. He is interested, param drstva nivartate. He is satisfied.

Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau. When he, the devotee, sees that Krsna is very nicely dressed, Krsna is very nicely ornamented with garland, with jewels, sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana, daily changing, and the temple is very cleansed, and Krsna is offered catur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada, carvya, cosya, lehya, peya, varieties of prasadam, his life becomes happy in that way — not by enjoying them, but offering to Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.5 – December 17, 1974, Bombay

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Chanting appeals to the heart immediately

Amogha: In Sydney, the city council once tried to stop us, legally, from chanting in the street. First they arrested us two years ago, but then they spent many dollars of tax money to prepare a case for the court, and they didn’t even tell us. They had the court session, and the judge ruled that “This Hare Krsna chanting in the streets is very… It adds color to the city.”

Prabhupada: Eh?

Amogha: The judge said, “This adds color to the city and is not illegal. Why you are saying this is illegal? This is their right. And it makes the city more colorful.”

Prabhupada: Nice judge. God gave him sense.

Amogha: Yes. So actually many people like to see the chanting now. Usually, we go downtown, a big party on Friday and Saturday nights, when they have late-night shopping and movies, and many people clap, and they dance a little bit. Sometimes mocking, but also you can see they’re affected. And usually if we stop in front of the cinema and chant there, fifty or more people, they just stop and they stare, and they can’t think of anything else. They just watch and watch and watch. They seem to be fascinated by the sound of Krsna’s name.

Prabhupada: There is natural tendency to hear. Artificially they stopped. Nitya siddha krsna bhakti. It appeals to the heart immediately. Unless he is too much sinful, it will appeal immediately.

Morning Walk Conversation on Beach — May 9, 1975, Perth

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Powerful dust

naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-‘bhisekam
niskincananam na vrnita yavat

Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.

Srila Prabhupada’s translaion of SB 7.5.32

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The central point of Bhagavad-gita

Reporter (1): I wonder if I could ask you first of all to tell me what is the central point of the teaching of Bhagavad-gita?

Prabhupada: Central point is to understand God.

Conversation, 12 Sep 1973

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Male and female roles in a farm community

Here in this spot, New Vrindavan, the woman’s business will be to take care of the children, cooking, cleansing, and churning butter. [laughter] And those who have the knowledge of typing can help in typing also. No other hard work. That’s all. This is for woman.

And for men, hard work, field work, taking care of the cows, of the animals, to go to collect wood, to construct building. In this way cooperate. The girls who are here, they should prepare nice prasadam so that the boys, in time, they can get their prasadam timely. This is the duty. And they must be given timely breakfast, lunch prasadam. They will work hard. And the churning business is for the girls. That will keep your health very nice.

Srila Prabhupada/ Initiation Lecture — June 22, 1969, New Vrindavan

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Rascal Darwin

Tamala Krsna: That’s what makes your books so unique: that others might have had some scholarly knowledge, but you have so much experience and realization packed into those books that it’s so appealing, the scholars
delight in reading the purports.

Prabhupada: Scholars theorize. I say practical. Scholars want to show how much their imaginative power is strong. That’s all. And they all speak nonsense — Ramakrishna. And my point of view is how to give people practical hints so that they may be raised from this rotten condition.

Satadhanya: You are compassionate.

Prabhupada: Yes. I have done on reality. I want to establish reality, not imagination. What is the use of giving some imaginative idea, just like this rascal Darwin? Everything rascal. No practical value. And he has written volumes of books, and people are accepting, “From monkey, man has come.” But monkey is there; man is there. Where monkey is extinct? The whole theory is absolutely bogus, and people have accepted it. I never believed that.

Conversations — June 28, 1977, Vrndavana

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