Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 132
January 11, 2022
Don’t waste time
Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values. Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17 Purport)
That is advised by Rupa Gosvami. Avyartha kalatvam. Vyartha means spoiling. Avyartha means not spoiling. Avyartha kala. He should be always conscious that “I am not wasting my time.”
(Morning Walk — January 5, 1974, Los Angeles)
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January 9, 2022
Philanthropic and altruistic activities
When one assumes a role in goodness by starting philanthropic and altruistic activities, such activities become impediments on the path of devotional service.
Srila Prabhupada — SB 7.15 Summary
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Disagreement between devotees
Because we are all individuals sometimes there is disagreement between devotees. When non-devotees quarrel they cannot stop and end up killing each other. But the devotees’ disagreement does not last long because they patch it up for Krsna’s sake, because they are all working for the same end — Krsna’s service.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to: Bhumata — Calcutta 10 March, 1973
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January 8, 2022
Laws of a demonic society
People have become so degraded in this age that on the one hand they restrict polygamy and on the other hand they hunt for women in so many ways.
Many business concerns publicly advertise that topless girls are available in this club or in that shop. Thus women have become instruments of sense enjoyment in modern society. The Vedas enjoin, however, that if a man has the propensity to enjoy more than one wife – as is sometimes the propensity for men in the higher social order, such as the brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaisyas, and even sometimes the sudras – he is allowed to marry more than one wife. Marriage means taking complete charge of a woman and living peacefully without debauchery. At the present moment, however, debauchery is unrestricted. Nonetheless, society makes a law that one should not marry more than one wife. This is typical of a demoniac society.
Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.26.6, purport
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January 7, 2022
Putting on Srila Prabhupada’s slippers
(Written by Pyari-mohana dasa )
Once in Brooklyn, N.Y., at your Henry St. temple, I had the opportunity to see you and to hear from you. What a fortunate day in my life! You were sitting on the vyasasana in the small temple room, and the temple room was packed with devotees. I was standing outside the door with my eyes watching you and my ears hearing you. A devotee then handed me your slippers and instructed me to put them on your lotus feet when you came out of the temple room. What a fortunate day in my life!
Having your slippers in my hands, I became proud, thinking of how I tell the devotees of the personal service I rendered. I then began to pray to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada to help me put on your slippers without making any mistakes. I understood my false pride could cause something to go wrong. I prayed to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta because you taught us that the grandfather is more lenient than the father. What a fortunate day in my life!
Class ended, you walked out the door, I was nervous and knelt down with your slippers in my hands a few inches from the floor. What a fortunate day in my life! I was waiting for you to lift your feet one at a time so I could put your slippers on. You waited for me to put your slippers down on the floor so you could slip your feet into them. Finally I realized what a fool I was, and put your slippers on the floor. You put your feet into them and walked away. I offered my obeisances and never wanted to get up again. I felt this was the most unfortunate day in my life.
I pray to you, Srila Prabhupada, that I may someday become qualified to put your slippers on your lotus feet without becoming puffed-up.
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January 5, 2022
Don’t blame Macaulay
Dr. Patel: I think the greatest damage done to this civilization of Aryans of India was by Macaulay, who introduced the British system of education.
Prabhupada: But why you accepted that? [laughter] Why you accepted? Then why don’t you accept? You should have refused.
Dr. Patel: Well, we were not there to refuse. We came afterwards. Our forefathers gave us…
Prabhupada: No, you can… Just like they [Western devotees] are reforming. Their forefathers were drunkards, woman-hunters, [laughter] and they are reformed, the great-grandchildren. And we old men, we cannot do that.
Dr. Patel: I talk of Macaulay…
Prabhupada: Macaulay may mislead you. Why you should believe?
Dr. Patel: He has misled our forefathers.
Prabhupada: No, why you should be misled?
Dr. Patel: Now we are going to lead them. Are you not leading them?
Prabhupada: Yes. Your forefathers might have been misled, but why you will commit the same mistake again?
Dr. Patel: Now we have improved upon the mistake and we are leading them, and we will lead them.
Prabhupada: No, that is not the fact. These boys, European, American boys, they were misled from the very beginning of their life, but how they are improving in spiritual consciousness? The thing is, we are not prepared to take up our own culture.
Morning Walk — November 3, 1975, Bombay
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January 4, 2022
Reject this or that
Either you have to reject Krsna’s word or you have to reject all this so-called scientific research. But we are pledged to Krsna consciousness. We cannot reject Krsna’s word.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.35 – October 15, 1974, Mayapur
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Less than animalistic civilization
These rascals should understand that they have created problem on account of their animalistic, less than animalistic civilization. There is no limit of sense gratification. The sense gratification, homosex, they are supporting. Just see. Just see. At least, in animal society there is no homosex. They have created homosex, and that is being passed by the priest, the religious heads. You know that?
Srila Prabhupada, Conversation, August 25, 1971, London
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January 3, 2022
Who can be guru?
One who has understood thoroughly Krsna as the supreme controller, he is guru. He is guru. Otherwise one cannot be guru. Yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. Who can [be] guru? Guru is not artificial thing, “Guru Maharaja,” “this Maharaja…,” no. One who has firmly understood that Krsna is the original cause of everything, He is the Supreme Person — nobody can remove him from that firm convictional position — then he is guru. Otherwise he is not guru. Guru is not so easy thing. Budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8]. One who has understood Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, the supreme maintainer, the Supreme Person, everything, only one, vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19] — that is guru. But otherwise, he is not guru, one who has not understood Krsna.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms, yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. One who has understood Krsna as the supreme controller, the Supreme Person, the supreme maintainer, and everything the supreme, ultimate, then he can become guru. Otherwise, don’t try to become guru. Impersonalists, half-understood, partial-understood, he cannot become guru. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s formula. Therefore first of all try to understand Krsna. You will understand in such a way that you can refute all others’ argument, all others’ opposition. There are so many opposing elements. Then you are guru. Otherwise you cannot become a guru. Guru is not so teeny thing or trifle thing that everyone becomes Guru Maharaja. No. That is not guru.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.8 — January 28, 1975, Tokyo
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January 2, 2022
Appreciation of the activities of devotees is the sign of devotee
That is the sign of devotee: appreciation (of) the activities of devotee. This appreciation means a devotee who is actually freed from all contamination, he does not find any fault with other devotee. That is the sign. He does not think himself that he is bigger devotee or greater devotee than others. He thinks himself as the lowest of all. As Caitanya, as Caitanya-caritamrta author, Kaviraja Gosvami, says, purisera kita haite muni se lagistha: “I am lower than the insect within the stool.” Jagai-madhai haite se muni papistha: “I am greater sinner than Jagai and Madhai.” Mora nama yei laya tara punya ksaya: “Anyone who takes my name, immediately, all the result of his pious activities becomes vanquished.” He’s placing like that. Because it is not imitation or any bluff. He’s… Any devotee who’s actually advanced, he feels like that. Just like great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say that “I have simply collected a few grains of sand in the ocean of knowledge.” Yes. He used to say. And actually, that is the fact. Everything is unlimited. So nobody should be proud falsely that he has become a great devotee. Everyone should be very humble.
trnad api sunicena / taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena / kirtaniyah sada harih
If one thinks that he has become very advanced in devotion, then that is very dangerous. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasana: “My spiritual master saw Me a great fool. Therefore he has chastised Me, that ‘Don’t try to read the Vedanta. Chant Hare Krsna.’ ” He presented Himself like that. Is Caitanya Mahaprabhu murkha? But that is the conception, advanced devotee. They never think that they are very highly advanced devotees. What is advanced devotee? What devotion we can offer to Krsna? He’s unlimited. He’s kindly accepting our little service. That’s all. Don’t be proud of becoming a great devotee. That is the cause of falldown.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on The Nectar of Devotion, Vrndavana, November 11, 1972
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