Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 149

Love for Krsna is like that between mother and child

Here there are many mothers sitting, and the natural affection for the child and the child’s complete dependence on the mother’s mercy is visible. There is no need of explanation. That is natural. If the mother is taking care of the child, it is not artificial. And if the child is feeling uncomfort without being on the lap of the mother, that is also natural. This is called avikaritvam, natural affection between the mother and the son. Similarly, we have got our natural affection for Krsna. As the mother and the child has got natural affection, similarly, with Bhagavan we have got natural affection. Bhagavan has got natural affection for us, and we have got also natural affection for Bhagavan.

Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.22 – December 31, 1974, Bombay

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At the end of life

When flying an airplane, one cannot take care of other planes. Everyone has to take care of his own plane, and if there is any danger, no other plane can help another in that condition. Similarly, at the end of life, when one has to go back home, back to Godhead, everyone has to take care of himself without help rendered by another. The help is, however, offered on the ground before flying in space. Similarly, the spiritual master, the father, the mother, the relatives, the husband and others can all render help during one’s lifetime, but while crossing the sea one has to take care of himself and utilize the instructions formerly received.

Srila Prabhupada — Srimad Bhagavatam 1.15.50, Purport

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Family life and Krsna consciousness

As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection. But when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them. The best process for making the home pleasant is Krsna consciousness. If one is in full Krsna consciousness, he can make his home very happy, because this process of Krsna consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krsna, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy. One should train the members of his family in this way. The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Krsna consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned. One must sacrifice everything to realize or serve Krsna, just as Arjuna did. Arjuna did not want to kill his family members, but when he understood that these family members were impediments to his Krsna realization, he accepted the instruction of Krsna and fought and killed them. In all cases, one should be detached from the happiness and distress of family life, because in this world one can never be fully happy or fully miserable.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bg 13.8-12

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Demons drilling oil

The floating of the planets in the weightless air is due to the inner constitution of the globes, and the modernized drilling of the earth to exploit oil from within is a sort of disturbance by the modern demons and can result in a greatly harmful reaction to the floating condition of the earth.

Srila Prabhupada; SB 2.7.1, purport

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The perfection of chanting

So harer nama, not other name, only harer nama. Yatha harer nama-padair udahrtaih. “Simply once chanting.” Uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam. The purification of chanting harer nama [Cc Adi 17.21] means as soon as you chant the holy name of Krsna, immediately you will see the form of Krsna, you will realize the qualities of Krsna, you will immediately remember the pastimes of Krsna. That is pure chanting of Hare Krsna mantra.

That is the commented by Srila Jiva Gosvami, that a pure devotee who chants Hare Krsna mantra, immediately all these — nama, rupa, guna, lila, parikara, vasistha… Simply by chanting name you will feel the form of Krsna: “Here is Krsna.” Nama, rupa, guna: “Here are the qualities. Oh, Krsna is so qualified. He is so kind. He is so magnanimous.” So many qualities you will remember. Nama, rupa, guna, lila: then His pastimes. “Oh, Krsna instructed Arjuna. Krsna played with His cowherd boys. Krsna had very nice talks with the gopis, with His mother, Yasoda.” These things will be remembered. That is factual perfection of chanting.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11 — January 16, 1971, Allahabad

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Krsna consciousness in Vrndavana

You will find in Vrndavana still — still you will find — people are all automatically Krsna conscious. Eighty-four, curasi krosa, about 160 miles’ area. So they are Krsna conscious naturally. And if you go to Vrndavana, this area, wherever you go, you will feel Krsna consciousness. So the example of purity is still there. And what to speak of in the original Vrndavana?

So from Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find the vrndavana-lila — the cowherds boys and the cows, the calves, the trees, the plants, the flowers, the water. The description is there that everyone is Krsna conscious. They do not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do not know it; neither they care to know it. What is Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is Brahman, what is Paramatma, they do not care to know these things. But they have unalloyed, unflinching love for Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness. Yasodamayi is seeing wonderful things in Krsna, but she never thinks that “Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.” She thinks that “Krsna is my child. This wonderful thing has happened due to Providence.” She thinks that “The Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth, is different, and here Krsna is my child.”

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.22 — December 31, 1974, Bombay

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First symptoms of a guru

Therefore, the guru is always engaged in chanting. Mahaprabhoh kirtana-nrtya-gita — chanting and dancing. Unless he performs it himself, how can he teach his disciples? So his first symptom is that he will give you such instructions that immediately you will feel relief from all anxiety, and his second symptom is that he is always personally engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord and dancing.

From “Journey of Self Discovery” 4.2: The Bona Fide Spiritual Master

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Killing demons is nice, like rasa-lila

Some sahajiyas think that “Krsna’s rasa-lila is very nice, but Krsna’s fighting with the demons and killing of the demons, that is not very nice.” But they do not know the Absolute Truth, that Krsna is as good in any circumstances, either He is enjoying the company of the gopis or He is killing the demons. That is the Absolute Truth. So these things should be understood. So any kind of lila, yad uttamasloka-gunanu, lila, any kind of Krsna’s activities, if you remember by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then you are liberated. Immediately you are liberated, from the authoritative description of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11 — January 16, 1971, Allahabad

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Einstein, Hitler, and Bhagavad-gita

Now, here is a book, Bhagavad-gita. Now, apart from other books, other knowledge which He imparted to other…, now, here is a book which was imparted to Arjuna. Now, it is so, the depth of knowledge…, that people are still considering, great, great scholars. We are not reading, but Dr. Radhakrishnan, one of the greatest scholars of the world-now he is the president of India — he is discussing. Professor Einstein, he was living here in America. He was a German Jew, and I think he was living in America. He was a great student of this Bhagavad-gita. Hitler. Hitler was a great student of Bhagavad-gita. And there were many scholars still reading Bhagavad-gita, trying to understand. Just see what best depth of knowledge He has given. It is made by Krsna. So in knowledge, in wealth, in strength, in beauty, and in everything He was opulent. Therefore He is Bhagavan. You cannot accept any ordinary man as Bhagavan. So therefore Bhagavan.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on BG 2.7-11 — New York, March 2, 1966

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Contaminated association, contaminated food

Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 6.278

TRANSLATION When one eats food offered by a materialistic man, one’s mind becomes contaminated, and when the mind is contaminated, one is unable to think of Krsna properly.

PURPORT Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura suggests that people who are materialistically inclined and sahajiyas, or so-called Vaisnavas who take everything very casually, are both visayis, or materialists. Eating food offered by them causes contamination, and as a result of such contamination, even a serious devotee becomes like a materialistic man. There are six kinds of association “giving charity, accepting charity, accepting food, offering food, talking confidentially and inquiring confidentially”. One should very carefully avoid associating with both the sahajiyas, who are sometimes known as ‘Vaisnavas’, and the non-Vaisnavas, or avaisnavas. Their association changes the transcendental devotional service of Lord Krsna into sense gratification, and when sense gratification enters the mind of a devotee, he is contaminated. The materialistic person who aspires after sense gratification cannot properly think of Krsna.

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