Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 150

Conquer by chanting

Visnujana: How will it be possible, Prabhupada, for a man whose mind is clouded to constantly chant Hare Krsna? A man who’s always thinking thoughts about family, friends and country, nation?

Prabhupada: Yes. Think of; at the same time, chant. Two things will go on, and this will conquer. [chuckling] As maya is forcing you to drag you from this Krsna consciousness, you also force maya by chanting Hare Krsna. There is fight. And maya will go away.

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg 7.14]

This maya is very strong. She’ll force you to entice you to other path. But if you be not strong, if you chant loudly… Just like Haridasa Thakura was chanting, and maya could not victimize him. You know that? What was his stand? Simply chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Maya could not entice. Maya failed. Maya became his disciple; he did not become maya’s disciple. This is tug of war.

So don’t be afraid of maya. Simply enhance chanting and you’ll be conqueror. That’s all. Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. We are not afraid of maya, because Krsna is there. Yes. Krsna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg 9.31]: “You just declare, ‘My devotee will never be vanquished by maya.’ ” Maya cannot do anything. Simply you have to become strong. And what is that strength? Chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, loudly.

(December 23, 1968, Los Angeles)

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How can we accept that they have gone to the Moon?

What is the proof that they have gone to the Moon? Why they are not now utilizing it, and they simply remain quiet? They have simply squandered so much money but there is no proof that they went. A foolish man squanders and does nothing and still we are to believe that they are scientists? According to the Bhagavad-gita, yanti deva vrta devan… without the necessary qualification, namely visa, etc., one cannot even go to another country what to speak of another planet, and the Moon planet, Candraloka, being a heavenly planet, how can we accept that they have gone to the Moon? Our point is that they are accepting foolish men as scientists.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Purusottama, Los Angeles, June 4, 1976

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Determined not to create a cumbersome life

An intelligent man in human society should make his own program of activities very simple. If there are suggestions from his friends, children, parents, brothers or anyone else, he should externally agree, saying, “Yes, that is all right,” but internally he should be determined not to create a cumbersome life in which the purpose of life will not be fulfilled.

Srila Prabhupada/ SB. 7.14.6, purport

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Jagannatha prasada nectar

The most important word in these verses is maha-gunam, indicating that the brahmanas were offered very palatable food of exalted quality. Such palatable dishes were generally prepared with two things, namely food grains and milk products.

Still today in India, from these two things, namely food grains and milk, hundreds and thousands of varieties of food are prepared, and then they are offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Even today in Jagannatha-ksetra and other big temples, very palatable dishes are offered to the deity, and prasada is distributed profusely. Cooked by first-class brahmanas with expert knowledge and then distributed to the public, this prasada is also a blessing from the brahmanas or Vaisnavas. There are four kinds of prasada (catur-vidha). Salty, sweet, sour, and pungent tastes are made with different types of spices, and the food is prepared in four divisions, called carvya, cusya, lehya, and peya-prasada that is chewed, prasada that is licked, prasada tasted with the tongue, and prasada that is drunk. Thus there are many varieties of prasada, prepared very nicely with grains and ghee, offered to the deity, and distributed to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas and then to the general public. This is the way of human society.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.7.12-15

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Save yourself, save others

Be strong so that you may not be rascal, and then you can do; others you can check. Otherwise, it will be impossible. How it is possible? A man is
drowning. If you are strong enough, you can save him. But if you also become drowned, then how you’ll save him? So the everything is there. Save yourself, save others. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. First of all save yourself; then try to save others. Or both things can go on simultaneously.

Srila Prabhupada — February 14, 1977, Mayapur

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Sacrifice everything and chant this mantra and go to Krsna

Because it is Kali-yuga, nobody is reading, cultivating Vedic mantras. So in this age, this mantra is called maha-mantra, chant Hare Krsna. That’s all. All Vedic mantras are now gone to hell. Nobody can properly chant Vedic mantras and take the benefit out of it. But this mantra, any way you chant, neglectfully or properly, chant Hare Krsna and the result is there. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative, kalau, in this age. So the Vedic mantra is now gone. This is also Vedic mantra, but this is Vedic maha-mantra, the greatest of all mantras. Yes. So sacrifice everything and chant this mantra and go to Krsna, back to Godhead.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.13-17 — Los Angeles, November 29, 1968

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Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s life, a good example

Krsna consciousness movement does not mean that you give up your occupational duty, give up your home, give up your family. No. There are many grhastas, as we have got. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a grhasta. He did not give up his home, nor neither his job. He was a magistrate, government official. But he became a great devotee, by culture. What is that culture? Krsna-katha. Simply he was coming from his office, at say 5:30 in the evening, and immediately he would eat food and go to his room and sleep. And then he will rise up at three or five and begin writing books. So he gave us so many nice books, Caitanya Siksamrta especially, and many song books in Bengali, in Hindi, some of them in Sanskrit. So he was in this way engaged. So if one wants to serve Krsna, so Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s life is good example.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18 — July 19, 1974, New Vrindaban

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Humble attitude

You have signed your name as Krishna das naradhama, but actually, one who is Krishna das is Narottama. But a Krishna das can deliver all naradhamas. I am always very much pleased with your humble attitude, and a Vaisnava devotee of Lord Caitanya always thinks himself as naradhama, the lowest of mankind; although he is narottama, the best of the mankind.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Krsna dasa — 25 December, 1969

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Modern civilization smashes all except devotees

Unless one takes to Krsna consciousness, there is no possibility of being saved. There is example, that grinding mill, the grains are put within it, and they are all smashed. But one grain who takes shelter of the center, the pivot, it is not smashed. Similarly, the modern civilization is such that everyone will be smashed. And one takes the central point shelter, Krsna consciousness, he will not be.

Srila Prabhupada; Room Conversation with Prof. Regamay – June 4, 1974, Geneva

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Enthusiasm and patience

“In this life I must fulfill my mission of Krsna consciousness.” That is called utsaha. Dhairya. Don’t be agitated because it is not giving result immediately. Just patiently go on working.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 4.21 – Bombay, April 10, 1974

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