Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 14

“My devotee never perishes”

Devotees generally do not fall down, but if circumstantially they do, the Lord, because of their strong attachment to Him, gives them protection in all circumstances. Thus even if devotees fall down, they are still strong enough to traverse the heads of their enemies. We have actually seen that our Krsna consciousness movement has many opponents, such as the “deprogrammers,” who instituted a strong legal case against the devotees. We thought that this case would take a long time to settle, but because the devotees were protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we unexpectedly won the case in one day. Thus a case that was expected to continue for years was settled in a day because of the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has promised in Bhagavad-gita (9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: “O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”

Srila Prabhupada SB 10.2.33, ppt.

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The best process for purifying the mass mind

In this age the spiritual revolution was recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He demonstrated that the Yuga Dharma for this age is the Sankirtana chanting of the holy names. If we want the degraded mass of people to be elevated, we must stop their sinful activity. To stop sinful activity one must purify the mind and the best process for purifying the mass mind is the chanting of the maha mantra Hare Krishna. This can be done in public where everyone has a chance to hear and be purified. We experience that people are becoming more friendly and helping our movement in America simply because we are performing this sankirtana yajna. I hope you can understand this. This movement is authorized and confirmed by great acaryas as well as the sastras and also by Lord Caitanya Himself Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, non different from Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Swami Jara Kumar — Vrindaban 20 August, 1974

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Vaisnava-aparadha dangerous for advanced devotees also

According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, there are two kinds of impediments to devotional service. The first is an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava. This is called vaisnava-aparadha. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu warned His devotees not to commit vaisnava-aparadha, which He described as the mad elephant offense. When a mad elephant enters a beautiful garden, it destroys everything, leaving a barren field. Similarly, the power of vaisnava-aparadha is so great that even an advanced devotee becomes almost devoid of his spiritual assets if he commits it. Since Krsna consciousness is eternal, it cannot be destroyed altogether, but advancement may be checked for the time being.

Srila Prabhupada; Srimad Bhagavatam 5.1.5 purport

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No need to go to the barber

Ramesvara: Many people think that if you become a Hare Krsna you have to shave your head.

Prabhupada: That is very good.

Ramesvara: But it scares them and it keeps them from joining us.

Prabhupada: No, you save so much barbers’ expenses. (laughter)

January 11, 1977

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What Srila Prabhupada wants & doesn’t want

That is nice that you are distributing many books. I do not want money, or buildings or anything else, I simply want to see that my books are being distributed and because you are doing that I am quite happy.

Letter to Prahladananda, 28 August, 1973

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Preaching is effective if religious principles are followed

To speak frankly, I find it difficult to find even one real Christian. The so-called Christians do not abide by the Bible’s order. One of the ten commandments in the Bible is, “Thou shalt not kill.” But where is that Christian who does not kill by eating the flesh of the cow? The process of chanting the Lord’s holy name and distributing prasada will be effective if carried out by persons who are actually practicing religion. My disciples are trained to strictly follow religious principles, and therefore their chanting of the holy name of God is different from others’. Theirs is not simply a rubber-stamped position. They have realized the purifying power of the holy name through practice.

If you are not a true Christian, then your preaching will not be effective. And because we are strictly following religious principles, our preaching will be effective in spreading God consciousness.

From The Science of Self-Realization by Srila Prabhupada

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Imagined meanings of Bhagavad-gita

When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru (BG 18.65) — “Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me” — they comment that it is not Krsna to whom we must surrender. Thus they derive imaginary meanings from Bhagavad-gita. The Krsna consciousness movement, however, strictly follows bhagavata-dharma, the instructions of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam for the complete welfare of human society. One who misinterprets Bhagavad-gita, twisting out some meaning for his sense gratification, is a non-Aryan. Therefore commentaries on Bhagavad-gita by such persons should be immediately rejected.

Srila Prabhupada SB 6.16.43, Purport

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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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