Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 13

Guru—very great responsibility

Is there any science that gives us the knowledge by which we may become immortal? Yes, we may become immortal, but not in the material sense. We cannot receive this knowledge in so-called universities. However, there is knowledge contained in the Vedic scriptures by which we may become immortal. That immortality is our better position. No more birth, no more death, no more old age, no more disease. Thus the guru takes on a very great responsibility. He must guide his disciple and enable him to become an eligible candidate for the perfect position — immortality. The guru must be competent to lead his disciple back home, back to Godhead.

From The Science of Self-Realization by Srila Prabhupada

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Chanting the holy name purifies

The age we live in is called Kali-yuga, the age of forgetting God. It is an age of misunderstanding and quarrel, and the people’s hearts are filled with dirty things. But God is so powerful that if we chant His holy name we become purified, just as my disciples have become purified of their bad habits. Our movement is based on this principle of chanting the holy name of God. We give everyone the opportunity, without any distinction. They can come to our temple, chant the Hare Krsna mantra, take a little prasada as refreshment, and gradually become purified.

From The Science of Self-Realization by Srila Prabhupada

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Democracy is useless

Srila Prabhupada: There is no question of minority. Support the right person. Krsna supported Maharaja Yudhisthira in place of Duryodhana. So formerly it was monarchy. That is perfect politics. This democracy is useless. It has proved. One man, the king, he should be properly educated how to rule, what is the aim of ruling, how the people will be, I mean to say, culturally elevated, what is that culture. (break) There was a consulting board of learned brahmanas and saintly persons. They would advise the monarch how to rule.

Morning Walk – March 7, 1974, Mayapura

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Our material situation

We must understand that we are all born rascals and fools and that we have to be enlightened. We have to receive knowledge to make our lives perfect. If we do not perfect our lives, we are defeated. What is this defeat? The struggle for existence. We are trying to obtain a better life, to attain a superior position, and for this we are struggling very hard. But we do not know what a superior position actually is.

Whatever position we have in this material world must be given up. We may have a good position or a bad position; in any case, we cannot remain here. We may earn millions of dollars and think, “Now I am in a good position,” but a little dysentery or cholera will finish our position. If the bank fails, our position is gone. So actually there is no good position in this material world. It is a farce. Those who try to attain a better position in the material world are ultimately defeated because there is no better position.

From The Science of Self-Realization by Srila Prabhupada

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First-class religion

Love of Godhead is dormant in everyone. Simply we have to awaken. That process which awakens very quickly is first-class religion.

Srila Prabhupada Conversation, 24 May 1974

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Approved intoxication for devotees

The book distribution in Los Angeles during the six day period is transcendental samadhi. They are working in trance, not on the material platform. No common man can work so hard, it is not possible. Working without sleep means no death. Sleeping is dead condition. “Jiv jago, jiva jago, gauracanda bole, kota nidra yao maya-pisacira kole.” Your book distribution is really intoxication.

(Srila Prabhupada; letter to Ramesvara, 12 January, 1976)

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The defect in householder life

Householder is not bad. That is not condemned. Real thing condemned: apasyatam atma-tattvam. That is condemned. Because they do not know what is the aim of life. That is missing. All these people… Ask anybody that “What is the aim of your life?” Nobody… Nobody will be able to say. Any householder, any businessman, ask. They will simply say that “It is my duty to earn money. It is my duty to maintain my children, to give them education, to give them good opportunity for prospective life. And if I have got little more money, then I can give in charity to the poor man, daridra-narayana.” These are their program. But nobody knows the necessity of liberating the soul which is conditioned by this material covering. Nobody knows. That you will find. Nobody knows. Big, big professors, big, big… They simply say that “Yes…” If you ask, “Why you are constructing some big, big scheme?” “Oh, for the future generation. That’s all,” they will reply. Nobody will reply… Nobody knows about the necessity of the soul. That is the important point. Apasyatam atma-tattvam. Nobody knows. Nobody has any vision of the atma-tattva. Simply they are talking superfluously. This is the defect.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.3 – March 18, 1974, Vrndavana

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Unpopular but unstoppable

The Krsna consciousness movement is not very popular with the karmis because this movement recommends that one refrain from illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. These are restrictions that karmis very much dislike. Nonetheless, in the presence of so many enemies, this movement is progressing, going forward without impediments. If the devotees continue to spread this movement, dedicating life and soul to the lotus feet of Krsna, no one will be able to check it. The movement will go forward without limits. Chant Hare Krsna!

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 8.5.47

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How dormant love for Krsna is awakened

Because the living entities are minute, atomic parts and parcels of the Lord, devotional service is already present within them in a dormant condition. Devotional service begins with sravanam kirtanam [SB 7.5.23], hearing and chanting. When a man is sleeping, he can be awakened by sound vibration; therefore every conditioned soul should be given the chance to hear the Hare Krsna mantra chanted by a pure Vaisnava. One who hears the Hare Krsna mantra thus vibrated is awakened to spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness. In this way one’s mind gradually becomes purified, as stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12]). When the mind is purified, the senses are also purified. Instead of using the senses for sense gratification, the awakened devotee employs the senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. This is the process by which dormant love for Krsna is awakened.

Srila Prabhupada Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.105 purport

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This is not good civilization

Srila Prabhupada: You are so civilized. You are still in the crude form of human being, just like in the jungles, the aborigines, the Africans, they do not know how to develop civilization – crude methods, eating the animals. That also, they are not so uncivilized that they keep slaughterhouses. You are so uncivilized that you are keeping slaughterhouses, regularly. These Africans and other jungle people they eat meat, but they directly kill. They have no such civilization as to maintain a slaughterhouse. The tigers eat meat, but they do not keep a slaughterhouse. And you are civilized. You are keeping slaughterhouse. Why should you keep? The government shouldn’t allow you to keep slaughterhouses. If anyone wants to eat meat, let them eat like tigers and others. Individually, kill one animal – a lower animal, not cows. This should be the government law. You can kill one insignificant animal, like pigs or goats. It has not very much use. You kill it in your home, before your children and family, and eat. The government may not have any objection. But why should you maintain slaughterhouses? So the agriculturist and the mercantile men, they should produce enough food, give protection to the cows, and if there is excess, sell it. Where there is not enough food grain produced you can make business. That is the instruction given in Bhagavad-gita, krsi-go-raksya vanijyam (BG 18.44). That is really needed. Nobody is interested. Everyone comes to the city, the mercantile class. They are doing business, big, big skyscraper building, and they have artificial money, paper. And instead of eating food grains they are maintaining slaughterhouses. This is not good civilization. Hare Krsna.

Morning Walk – May 10, 1975, Perth

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