Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 118

May 31, 2022

Temples as oases

These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Ksirodakasayi — Calcutta 29 January, 1973

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Published on May 31, 2022 21:09

Mayavadis in the dress of Vaisnavas

So you should be very, very careful. Don’t go to hear any Mayavadi. There are many Mayavadis in the dress of Vaisnavas.

Srila Prabhupada – Lecture – Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.8 – September 7, 1976, Vrndavana

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Published on May 31, 2022 01:01

May 30, 2022

Better quality by Krsna consciousness

One has got the particular type of body by nature’s arrangement according to the quality. If you want to change him to the better quality, then you have to accept this Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada – Lecture – Bhagavad-gita 18.41 – September 7, 1973, Stockholm

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Published on May 30, 2022 00:10

May 28, 2022

More sinful than pious men

Only five thousand years we have passed, and the number of sinful men is already greater — three-fourth’s sinful men, one-fourth pious men — and it will increase, and gradually it will become zero.

And the total duration of life of Kali-yuga is 432,000’s of years. That means there is a balance of 427,000’s of years to finish this Kali-yuga. And gradually, with the advancement of Kali-yuga, people’s duration of life, memory, mercifulness, religious propensities, in this way eight items — they are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam — will reduce. We can see practically at the present moment, people are not very strong in body. They are lean and thin. And not only in India — we are poverty-stricken — but in Europe, America, also I see. The Europeans and Americans are no more as tall men or very stout men, very… So reducing their bodily strength and memory. That is also fact. We cannot memorize very sharply. People are becoming more and more dull. No more very brilliant scholars are coming out, philosophers, mathematicians. And duration of life, everyone knows it is reducing. In India the average duration of life is thirty years. So this will reduce. And dharma, sense of religiosity, that will also reduce and become more and more punishable by the Yamaraja. Yamaraja is there.

Srila Prabhupada – Lecture – Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.3 – September 7, 1976, Vrndavana

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Published on May 28, 2022 23:00

May 27, 2022

Chanting for show never yields the success of chanting

It is to be understood that when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted and danced, He did so by the influence of the pleasure potency of the spiritual world. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never considered the holy name of the Lord to be a material vibration, nor does any pure devotee mistake the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra to be a material musical manifestation. Lord Caitanya never tried to be the master of the holy name; rather He taught us how to be servants of the holy name. If one chants the holy name of the Lord just to make a show, not knowing the secret of success, he may increase his bile secretion, but he will never attain perfection in chanting the holy name.

Srila Prabhupada – Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 7.95-96 Purport

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Published on May 27, 2022 21:01

What benefit does Nehru derive now?

These rascals, simply for maya-sukha, temporary happiness, they are busy, always running here and there for constructing hundred and fifty-stories’ house, and bring your money for that. Very busy, very busy. Just like Mr. Birla, he’s always busy, [he] cannot see [you]. They do not know that “What happiness I am creating?” Just at the end of my life [indistinct]. As soon as I close my eyes and I go away from this body, all these things that I have created will be finished. I cannot remember, you cannot remember what was in your past life. But you are eternal, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg 2.13].

So suppose I was a king in my last life, I was another Birla, or Birla’s servant. Suppose I was Jawaharlal Nehru, or Gandhi. So what benefit I am deriving now? Who is respecting me as Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru? Even I do not know that my photograph or statue is being worshiped. I do not know that. Such foolish persons. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato. Simply for illusory happiness you have created gigantic show of civilization and advancement of material life.

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation regarding philosopher Kierkegaard.

Nehru died: 27 May 1964.

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Published on May 27, 2022 10:03

May 25, 2022

Material world: no peace

As the forest fire automatically takes place, nobody goes to set fire, similarly, in this material world, even if you try to live very peacefully and without quarreling with any other man, the place is such nuisance that you’ll not be able to live in peace anywhere, anywhere within this universe.

Srila Prabhupada – Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 6.11-21 – September 7, 1972, New Vrndavana

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Published on May 25, 2022 23:29

May 24, 2022

Even the lion has to work for his food

Lion is supposed to be the king of the forest. Still, he has to work. It is not that a lion will sleep, and some animal will come, “My dear lion, please open your mouth. I shall enter.'”

Srila Prabhupada – Lecture – Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.9 – September 7, 1973, Stockholm

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Published on May 24, 2022 23:01

May 23, 2022

Be satisfied with nature’s gift

Be satisfied with nature’s gift. Nature will give you so many things. Krsna has given you food grains, fruits, milk. You don’t require to eat meat and open slaughterhouses. Be satisfied with, as Krsna is satisfied: patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26].

Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Bhagavad-gita 4.19 — April 8, 1974, Bombay

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Published on May 23, 2022 23:32

May 22, 2022

Be peaceful, sober, and consider the value of life

There are 8,400,000’s of forms, material body. It is not spoken for them, but nrloke, one who has got this body, material body, as human being, for him it is not good to work so hard like hogs and pigs and asses simply for sense gratification, kastan kaman. Why one should? You should be peaceful. You should be sober. You should think what is the value of life.

Srila Prabhupada/ Talk on Bhagavad-gita 4.19 — April 8, 1974, Bombay

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Published on May 22, 2022 20:22