Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 121

Cleopatra and the Gopis

Cleopatra. You have heard the Grecian history. She was very beautiful, and she conquered many great warriors. So beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. To conquer God is bhakti. If you are advanced in devotional service, then you can conquer God. Just like the gopis.

Srila Prabhupada, Lecture — Los Angeles, February 2, 1968

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Bringing the human race back to sanity

At the present moment, the word “religion” is being sacrificed on the altar of materialistic tendencies. The human race is more concerned now with subject matters related to eating, sleeping, defending, and gratifying the senses, much as are the lower animals. The general tendency is to avoid transcendental subject matters as far as possible or, in any case, not to go into the details.

Even the biggest political leaders have been heard to say that the hungry man or woman finds no meaning in God and religion. People in general, under the leadership of such materialistic men, are gradually descending to the status of lower animals, devoid of all transcendental realization, knowing nothing beyond their material bodies and the material world.

It is therefore necessary at the present moment to understand something about absolute knowledge if we want to bring the human race back to sanity. Thus intelligent persons or leaders of men should not devote their energies only for worldly betterment in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending, and gratifying the material senses. Leaders who think a hungry man or woman has no use for God and religion should be told emphatically that no man or woman in the world is not hungry-and that it is precisely the hungry man or woman who has to understand the meaning of God and religion, now more than ever.

(Srila Prabhupada; Message of Godhead, introduction)

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Errors to be rectified with cool head

Something has dropped in the water, in the river. You cannot see the things dropped within the river by agitating the water. Just stand still for some times. As soon as the water is settled up, you’ll see things as they are. So as soon as our enthusiasm is agitated, it is better to sit down in any temple suitable and chant Hare Krishna. There is no question of being disappointed.

After all, we commit so many mistakes. That is human nature. To err is human. That is not fault. But try to rectify with cool head

Srila Prabhupada; lecture, January 27, 1973

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Knowledge

The “knowledge” of the common man is always in the mode of darkness or ignorance because every living entity in conditional life is born into the mode of ignorance. One who does not develop knowledge through the authorities or scriptural injunctions has knowledge that is limited to the body. He is not concerned about acting in terms of the directions of scripture. For him God is money, and knowledge means the satisfaction of bodily demands. Such knowledge has no connection with the Absolute Truth. It is more or less like the knowledge of the ordinary animals: the knowledge of eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. Such knowledge is described here as the product of the mode of darkness. In other words, knowledge concerning the spirit soul beyond this body is called knowledge in the mode of goodness, knowledge producing many theories and doctrines by dint of mundane logic and mental speculation is the product of the mode of passion, and knowledge concerned only with keeping the body comfortable is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

Srila Prabhupada, Bg 18.22, purport

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Real deliverance from suffering

CC Adi 17.49, purport:

The deliverance of the fallen does not consist of curing their bodily diseases, although it is also a fact that when a man is delivered from the material clutches his material bodily diseases are automatically cured. Gopala Capala simply wanted to be delivered from the bodily sufferings of leprosy, but Sri Caitanya, although accepting his sincere appeal, wanted to inform him of the real cause of suffering.

CC Adi 17.50, translation:

Hearing this, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared greatly angry, and in that angry mood He spoke some words chastising him.

CC Adi 17.51:

“O sinful person, envious of pure devotees, I shall not deliver you! Rather, I shall have you bitten by these germs for many millions of years.

Purport: We should note herein that all our sufferings in this material world, especially from disease, are due to our past sinful activities. And of all sinful activities, actions directed against a pure devotee out of sheer envy are considered extremely severe. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted Gopala Capala to understand the cause of his suffering. Any person who disturbs a pure devotee engaged in broadcasting the holy name of the Lord is certainly punished like Gopala Capala. This is the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As we shall see, one who offends a pure devotee can never satisfy Caitanya Mahaprabhu unless and until he sincerely regrets his offense and thus rectifies it.

Srila Prabhupada, CC Adi 17.49-51

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From whom to accept advice?

Unless one can find a person transcendental to the four basic defects, one should not accept advice and become a victim of the material condition. The best process is to take the advice and instructions of Sri Krsna or His bona fide representative.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB  5.14.26 P

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Boil the milk now

“… you must encourage the students to read our books throughout the day as much as possible, and give them all good advice how to understand the books, and inspire them to study the things from every point of view.

In this way, by constantly engaging our tongues in the service of the Lord, either by discussing His philosophy or by chanting Hare Krishna, the truth is that Krishna Himself will reveal Himself to us and we shall understand how to do everything properly.

Now we have got so many students and so many temples but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way that we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk.

Better to boil the milk now very vigorously and make it thick and sweet. That is the best process. So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so many ways instruct them in the right propositions.”

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Hamsaduta, Los Angeles, 22 June, 1972

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Following the footsteps of the acaryas

Tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. Let us follow the footprints of the acaryas, Gosvamis, and live together as sincere, serious devotees. Then our life is successful. It is not very difficult. Bhakta-sane vasa. Tandera carane. We should live together as devotee and follow the footprints of the acaryas. Don’t manufacture concoction. Then it will be spoiled. Simply try to follow. They will protect. They’ll give protection.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on The Nectar of Devotion – November 13, 1972, Vrndavana

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Civilization, religion, animalism, & communism

In the civilized human society there is some system of religion. So that system of religion means try to understand God. Religion means the law given by God. So civilized human beings, they are trying to understand God and His laws. That is called religion. Now the difference between dog and me is that I can try to understand what is God, what is my position; the dog cannot understand. Dog means the animals. They cannot understand. So that is the difference between a human being and a dog. If we give up religion or the method to understand God and our relationship with Him, then we will remain dog. Then we remain dog. We are not human being. So at the present moment the so-called human society, civilized human society, is giving up the conception of God, understanding God, especially the Communist party. They are openly declaring that “We don’t believe in God.” But those who are not Communists, they, lip sympathy, they say that “Yes, we believe in God,” but actually they do not believe.

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation with Journalist — May 19, 1975, Melbourne

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A simple method to realize God

Without much bother, if one simply keeps a picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at home and chants Hare Krsna, then one will realize God. Anyone can adopt this simple method. There is no expenditure, there is no tax, nor is there any need to build a very big church or temple. Anyone, anywhere, can sit down on the road or beneath a tree and chant the Hare Krsna mantra and worship God.Srila Prabhupada, quoted in

The Science of Self-realization ch.5b: The Incarnation of Love of God

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