Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 15

Gurukula to teach only Krishna consciousness

As soon as possible we should open our own school and teach children KC through English medium, that is one of our programs. Our school will not be government recognized because we cannot follow the government syllabus. We want to teach only Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Giriraja — 12 April, 1972

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Reasons for not understanding the philosophy of Krsna consciousness

Persons who are always planning to do harm to other living entities are not eligible to understand Krsna consciousness and cannot enter into the realm of transcendental loving service to the Lord. Also, there are so-called disciples who become submissive to a spiritual master most artificially, with an ulterior motive. They also cannot understand what Krsna consciousness or devotional service is. Persons who, due to being initiated by another sect of religious faith, do not find devotional service as the common platform for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also cannot understand Krsna consciousness. We have experience that some students come to join us, but because of being biased in some particular type of faith, they leave our camp and become lost in the wilderness. Actually, Krsna consciousness is not a sectarian religious faith; it is a teaching process for understanding the Supreme Lord and our relationship with Him. Anyone can join this movement without prejudice, but unfortunately there are persons who feel differently. It is better, therefore, not to instruct the science of Krsna consciousness to such persons.

Generally, materialistic persons are after some name, fame and material gain, so if someone takes to Krsna consciousness for these reasons, he will never be able to understand this philosophy. Such persons take to religious principles as a social decoration. They admit themselves into some cultural institution for the sake of name only, especially in this age. Such persons also cannot understand the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. Even if one is not greedy for material possessions but is too attached to family life, he also cannot understand Krsna consciousness. Superficially, such persons are not very greedy for material possessions, but they are too attached to wife, children and family improvement. When a person is not contaminated by the above-mentioned faults yet at the ultimate issue is not interested in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or if he is a nondevotee, he also cannot understand the philosophy of Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 3.32.40, ppt

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Government help for mass sankirtana will change society

If the governmental authorities give us some facilities, then we can hold mass sankirtana. Then, without a doubt, the whole society will change. You should give us the facility to chant the holy name of God and distribute prasada. Then there will be a tremendous change in the population. I came alone from India, and now I have many followers. What did I do? I asked them to sit down and chant the Hare Krsna mantra, and afterward I distributed a little prasada. If this is done on a mass scale, the entire society will become very pleasing. This is a fact.

From The Science of Self-Realization by Srila Prabhupada

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Plans of atheists are smashed to dust

Material energy is very powerful, and the atheist, due to his godless temperament, cannot know how it works; nor can he know the plan of the Supreme Lord. Under illusion and the modes of passion and ignorance, all his plans are baffled, as in the case of Hiranyakasipu and Ravana, whose plans were smashed to dust although they were both materially learned as scientists, philosophers, administrators and educators.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bg 7.15

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How Prahlada, son of a demon, became famous

The beauty of the Lord is that the devotees who are connected with His activities are also glorified. Arjuna, Prahlada, Janaka Maharaja, Bali Maharaja and many other devotees were not even in the renounced order of life, but were householders. Some of them, such as Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, were born of demoniac families. Prahlada Maharaja’s father was a demon, and Bali Maharaja was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja, but still they have become famous because of their association with the Lord. Anyone who is eternally associated with the Lord is glorified with the Lord. The conclusion is that a perfect yogi should always be accustomed to seeing the form of the Lord, and unless the mind is fixed in that way, he should continue practicing yoga.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 3.28.18, purport

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Srila Prabhupada instructs Jayananda Prabhu

I’ve nothing new to instruct you, the same old instruction namely constant chanting and attentively hearing the transcendental vibration Hare Krishna is the only process for self realization in this age.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Jayananda, 29 September, 1967

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Perfection by varnasrama

If one’s position is ascertained by a bona fide spiritual master and one is properly trained to engage in the service of Lord Visnu according to the four social divisions [brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra] and the four spiritual divisions [brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa], one’s life becomes perfect.

From Srila Prabhupada’s translation of SB 5.19.19

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God consciousness everywhere

The citizens of the state must give in charity up to fifty percent of their income for the purpose of creating a spiritual atmosphere in the state or in human society, both individually and collectively. They should preach the principles of Bhagavatam by (a) karma-yoga, or doing everything for the satisfaction of the Lord, (b) regular hearing of the Srimad-Bhagavatam from authorized persons or realized souls, (c) chanting of the glories of the Lord congregationally at home or at places of worship, (d) rendering all kinds of service to bhagavatas engaged in preaching Srimad-Bhagavatam and (e) residing in a place where the atmosphere is saturated with God consciousness. If the state is regulated by the above process, naturally there will be God consciousness everywhere.

Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.38 purport

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Srila Prabhupada on the Importance of Varnasrama-dharma

Abhirama dasa: “I was personally present on two occasions when Srila Prabhupada spoke about how important establishing varnasrama was to him. Both times were in the summer of 1977, in Prabhupada’s room in Vrndavana, before he left to go to London. At the time, Tamala Krsna Goswami was Srila Prabhupada’s personal secretary, and I his assistant. I was also Prabhupada’s nurse. “The first time, several devotees were with Srila Prabhupada. We knew that his health was getting weaker. He was talking to the devotees about his imminent departure. ‘I have no lamentation,’ Prabhupada said. He paused for a few seconds, and then he said, ‘No, I have one lamentation.’ A devotee asked, ‘Because you have not finished translating the Srimad Bhagavatam?’ Prabhupada replied, ‘No, that I have not established varnasrama.’

“On the next occasion, some time later, I was with Srila Prabhupada in his room when he made the statement, ‘Fifty percent of my work is not complete because I have not established varnasrama.'”

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Parents sometimes dislike our movement

Sometimes a saintly person is misunderstood by grhasthas, especially when he instructs their young sons to accept Krsna consciousness. Generally a grhastha thinks that unless one enters grhastha life he cannot properly enter the renounced order. If a young man immediately adopts the path of the renounced order in accordance with the instructions of Narada or a member of his disciplic succession, his parents become very angry. This same phenomenon is occurring in our Krsna consciousness movement because we are instructing all the young boys in the Western countries to follow the path of renunciation. We allow grhastha life, but a grhastha also follows the path of renunciation. Even a grhastha has to give up so many bad habits that his parents think his life has been practically destroyed. We allow no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication, and consequently the parents wonder how, if there are so many no’s, one’s life can be positive. In the Western countries especially, these four prohibited activities practically constitute the life and soul of the modern population. Therefore parents sometimes dislike our movement, just as Prajapati Daksa disliked the activities of Narada and accused Narada of dishonesty. Nevertheless, although parents may be angry at us, we must perform our duty without hesitation because we are in the disciplic succession from Narada Muni.

Srila Prabhupada,SB 6.5.36, ppt.

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