Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 124
April 1, 2022
The central point of Bhagavad-gita
A living entity is happily the part and parcel of the Lord, and thus his natural function is to render immediate service to the Lord. By the spell of illusion one tries to be happy by serving his personal sense gratification in different forms which will never make him happy. Instead of satisfying his own personal material senses, he has to satisfy the senses of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life. The Lord wants this, and He demands it. One has to understand this central point of Bhagavad-gita. Our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching the whole world this central point, and because we are not polluting the theme of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, anyone seriously interested in deriving benefit by studying the Bhagavad-gita must take help from the Krsna consciousness movement for practical understanding of Bhagavad-gita under the direct guidance of the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada; Bg preface
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March 31, 2022
Srimad-Bhagavatam: each and every verse — transcendental
Discuss Bhagavatam daily, as much as possible. Everything will be clarified. Because Bhagavata is the essence. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. And vyasadeva-krta. Kim anyaih sastraih. When he’s self-realized, he made this. Maha-muni-krte. The more we read Srimad-Bhagavatam, the knowledge becomes clarified. Each and every verse — transcendental.
Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation — October 21, 1977, Vrndavana
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March 29, 2022
Srila Prabhupada on gurukula education
Teach him Sanskrit and English and let him read our books. Then perfect knowledge. He doesn’t require to go to school. And so far mathematics and history concerned, everyone knows. Two plus two equal to four, it doesn’t require much education. Even illiterate man who has never gone to school, he can also count. “How much money you are giving me?” He doesn’t want to be cheated.
Morning Walk — June 11, 1974, Paris
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Determined to live simply
An intelligent man in human society should make his own program of activities very simple. If there are suggestions from his friends, children, parents, brothers or anyone else, he should externally agree, saying, “Yes, that is all right,” but internally he should be determined not to create a cumbersome life in which the purpose of life will not be fulfilled.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 7.14.16 (Ideal Family Life)
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March 28, 2022
Let all be one
Let there be one mantra for the whole world — the maha-mantra: In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world — Bhagavad-gita. And let there be one God only for the whole world — Sri Krsna. And one mantra only — Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only — the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As It Is Intro
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March 26, 2022
A matter of great regret in India
Here we have got, in India especially, so nice literature, Vedic literature. Essence of Vedic literature — Nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam [SB 1.1.3]. It is recommended that nigama means Vedas. Nigama is compared with a tree. Nigama-kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means desire tree. From the Vedas you can take all kinds of education, knowledge. Therefore it is called kalpa-taru. So as of the tree there are fruits and ripened fruit… Just like mango tree. There are fruits, green mango and ripened mango. The ripened mango is very interesting. So Srimad-Bhagavatam is the ripened mango of the desire tree of Vedic knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam suka-mukhat. And everyone knows that the…, if the ripe fruit in the tree is tasted by the parrot, it becomes twice tasteful. So Sukadeva Gosvami, suka-paksi. Suka means parrot. He’s speaking. Suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam, pibata bhuvi bhavukah rasam alayam [SB 1.1.3]. These are the recommendation. So people are not interested. It is a great regret, matter of regret, that in India, where these literatures are available, where the sages and saintly persons left for us such nice literature, vidya-bhagavatavadhi, the limit of all education, they are not interested. They are interested in some other, Marx literatures, Karl Marx literature, not Bhagavatam. This is the India’s misfortune.
Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.12 – November 12, 1974, Bombay
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The spiritual value of varnasrama-dharma
In Bg 2.31, purport, Srila Prabhupada refers to “varnasrama-dharma, or man’s steppingstone for spiritual understanding.”
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March 24, 2022
Be happy with the dealings of the Lord
Devotees should always be happy with all the dealings of their master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee may be put into difficulty or opulence, but he should accept both as gifts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and jubilantly engage in the service of the Lord in all circumstances.
Srila Prabhupada, CC Adi 12.37, ppt.
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The real thing is bhakti, feelingi feeling oneself worthless
Srila Prabhupada:
You should submit, and you should feel that, that “I am worthless. My Guru Maharaja has given this chance to serve Krsna, to offer Krsna… My Lord, I am worthless. I have no capacity to serve You. But on the order of my Guru
Maharaja, I am trying to serve You. Please do not take any offense. Accept whatever I can do. That’s all. That is my request.” That mantra is sufficient. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna never said that “One who offers Me with Sanskrit mantra.” Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Real thing is bhakti, feeling: “How to serve Krsna? How to please Him?” That is wanted. Not to see that you are a very good scholar in speaking in Sanskrit or English or… That is not… Always feel that “I am worthless, but I have been, by the grace of my Guru Maharaja, I have been given the chance. So kindly accept whatever little service I can give. I am offensive. So kindly excuse me.” In this way be humble, meek, and offer your feeling, and Krsna will be satisfied. Not that you have to show how you can speak in Sanskrit language.
Conversation with Devotees — Hyderabad, April 12, 1975
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March 22, 2022
Always think that our service is not complete
Never think that service is perfect. That will keep you in the perfect stage. Yes. We should always think that our service is not complete. Yes. That is very nice. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that… He said that “My dear friends, please take it from Me that I have not a pinch of faith in Krsna. If you say that why I am crying, the answer is that just to make a show that I am great devotee. Actually, I have not a pinch of love for Krsna. This crying is simply My show, makeshow.”
Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, Seattle, September 27, 1968
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