Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 16

What Srila Prabhupada wants apart from his spiritual movement

Yes, farm-opening, that is good idea. Apart from my Krishna Consciousness spiritual movement I want this — that people may not move from the villages to the town. Krishna Himself was a villager — He did not move to the town. He went to Dvaraka, but Vasudeva is everywhere; Krishna and Balaram like Vrindaban, so Vrindaban means village. Vasudeva is everywhere, but Krishna personally is in Vrindaban.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Bahulasva das, 29 September, 1976

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Better than worship of the Lord is worship of the Lord’s devotee

In the Padma Purana, there is a nice statement praising the service of the Vaisnavas or devotees. In that scripture Lord Siva tells Parvati, “My dear Parvati, there are different methods of worship, and out of all such methods the worship of the Supreme Person is considered to be the highest. But even higher than the worship of the Lord is the worship of the Lord’s devotees.”

From The Nectar of Devotion by Srila Prabhupada

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The most sublime religion for this age

The Hare Krsna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanisad, where it is said:

hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare

itisodasakam namnam
kali -kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah
sarva-vedesu drsyate

“After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krsna.”

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 3.40

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Why there are different types of religion

Any messenger, any incarnation, saktyavesa-avatara, teaches according to the time and circumstance: desa, kala, patra. That they do not consider. Therefore other groups beyond the Vedic group, they come forward to compete with the Vedic group without knowing their own position. That is their defect. Always remember this: the teacher is M.A., but the students are not competent to take instruction of him. Therefore you find different types of religion.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture, 27 Dec 1970, Surat

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Sridhara Swami remembers a thief

A Bengali boy came to the temple in the early days. He was an excellent cook; I think his name was Kunjabihari, something like that. Prabhupada commented that he cooked just like Radharani. But then, after some time, when he got inside, he got the confidence of the people and ran away with a relatively large sum of money at the time. Then Prabhupada said that sometimes Krsna sends people to steal from Him so that He can punish them by putting them deeper in the modes of material nature. In other words, that’s what they deserve, and Krsna gives them the opportunity to achieve that. So we were thinking; “Oh, we lost the money.” But Prabhupada was seeing, how . . .

Adbhuta Hari Dasa, The Jolly Swami, p. 1086

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Five days to spread Krsna consciousness worldwide

The Krsna consciousness movement has spread all over the world within a very short time (within five years), and mundane people are very astonished at this. However, by the grace of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we understand that everything is possible by the grace of Krsna. Why does Krsna have to take five years? In five days He can spread His name and fame all over the world like wildfire. Those who have faith and devotion to Krsna can understand that these things happen so wonderfully by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are simply the instruments. In the fierce Battle of Kuruksetra, Arjuna was victorious within eighteen days simply because Krsna’s grace was on his side.

Srila Prabhupada, Cc. Madhya 4.79 purport

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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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