Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 123

The purpose of a temple

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 — Calcutta, March 8, 1972

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Hearing Rama-katha

O King Pariksit,anyone who aurally receives the narrations concerning the characteristics of Lord Ramacandra’s pastimes will ultimately be freed from the disease of envy and thus be liberated from the bondage of fruitive activities.

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of SB 9.11.23, text

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Real Ramayana

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the ripe, mature fruit of the Vedic knowledge, and Tulsidas’s Ramayana (Ramacharitmanasa) is but a partial representative of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The real Ramayana is Valmiki’s Ramayana. Tulsidas was a devotee of Lord Rama and he has given his thoughts in his book Ramayana. But the real original thoughts and ideas are in Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Srila Prabhupada, Letter to: Professor Kotovsky — Moscow 24 June, 1971

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A disciple’s duty

It is the duty of the disciple that even the spiritual master, or senior acarya, they agree to be defeated, it is the duty of the disciple to see that his spiritual master and superior is not defeated.

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation — March 11, 1972, Vrndavana

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Seek the mercy

This is called vyavasayatmika buddhih. I may be quite incomplete. It doesn’t matter. But if I try to follow the words of my Guru Maharaja, then I become complete. This is the secret. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. If one has strong faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as much faith in the guru, yatha deve tatha gurau, then the revealed scriptures become manifest. It is not the education. It is not the scholarship. It is faith in Krsna and guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija. Not by education, not by scholarship, never says. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, guru-krsna-krpaya, by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Krsna. It is a question of mercy. It is not a question of scholarship or opulence or richness. No. The whole bhakti-marga depends on the mercy of the Lord. So we have to seek the mercy.

From a lecture by Srila Prabhupada, on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.30, Los Angeles, December 8, 1973

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Why having a bona fide spiritual master is essential

Therefore having a bona fide spiritual master and serving him and pleasing him and getting his mercy is essential. Otherwise there can be no advancement in Krishna consciousness. And unless the spiritual master is a pure devotee of Krishna then he has no potency to give you Krishna. He is simply a cheating rascal. So in fact above all the rules and regulations and offenses I have mentioned the most important thing, the essential thing, which is required if you want to come to the stage of purely chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is you must have a bona fide spiritual master who is a pure devotee of Krishna. Without having a bona fide spiritual master you can chant Hare Krishna forever but you will not be able to advance because Krishna does not reveal Himself in this way. He only reveals Himself to those devotees who surrender to and serve and please His pure devotees.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to London disciples, July 1969

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The beginning of human civilization

Human civilization begins from the stage of varnasrama-dharma.

Srila Prabhupada, Bg 2.31, purport

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This temple is Vaikuntha

As soon as you offer yourself to be enjoyed by Krsna as servant, according to His order you serve, then immediately you are in the spiritual world. So you can become in the material world or spiritual world, as you desire. As you desire. If you want to remain in the spiritual world, this temple is the spiritual world. We are not living in Melbourne. This temple is not Melbourne. It is Vaikuntha. It is Vrndavana. So if you stick to this temple service, Krsna’s service, then you are not in this material world.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 13.22-24 — 25 June, 1974

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Five items: four regulative principles and sixteen rounds

Prabhupada: …five items: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating, and chant sixteen rounds. Is it very difficult task?

Hamsaduta: No.

Prabhupada: And why people do not take it?

Hamsaduta: They are just foolish.

Prabhupada: If by following these five principles one can be saved from all problems of life… Still, people will not take it. [chuckles] Just see, strong maya. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14].

Morning Walk — June 19, 1974, Germany

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The spiritual master’s qualification

Everyone is being misled by blind leaders, but the spiritual master opens the eyes. His qualification is that ee puts things as they are. If you get a bonafide spiritual master, then you get God. Then by his satisfaction, God becomes satisfied immediately. By his dissatisfaction, everything is finished.

Srila Prabhupada, quoted in a letter from Aravinda to Satsvarupa, 28 Nov 1970

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