Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 169

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always present

…His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vani, his words. … I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words.

Srila Prabhupada; Cc Antya, Concluding Words

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Rules, regs, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami

Of course, there are some rules and regulations for chanting, but in the beginning we haven’t got to observe those rules and regulation at the present. First of all let us have the taste for chanting; then we shall be little careful that the rules and regulations are followed….Rules and regulations are …subordinate thing. Just like you enter into an office. You are appointed in some office to work. So on the very day, you do not know all the rules and regulations. But because you do not know all the rules and regulations, that does not mean that you cannot be appointed. First of all let yourself be appointed. Now, working, working, yourself you will know that rules and regulations: “This is the rule, and this is the regulation.” Just like in my life, I will say one instance. When I met my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, so as a gentleman meets as a gentleman, so he was sitting in a couch like that. So, and I also sat down on that very couch. I did not know that what are the rules and regulations. Now, when I saw that his other disciples are coming, and they are sitting down, [laughs] so I thought to myself, “Oh, I have done this wrong. I should not have sat with His Divine Grace.” So of course, I did not get down immediately, but I took it, and from next day I did not sit. So rules and regulations automatically were taught. That rules and regulations is not very important….The thing is that we must take up. The first rules and regulation is that we must have some attachment for this. Attachment for this. Then, automatically, rules and regulation we shall learn. There will be no difficulty.

[Srila Prabhupada; 8 September, 1966]

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Happy New Year for everyone

One’s main purpose in human life should be to purify his existence and achieve liberation. As long as one has a material body, one is understood to be impure. In such an impure, material condition, one cannot enjoy a truly blissful life, although everyone seeks it. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.5.1) says, tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyet: one must perform tapasya, austerity, to purify his existence in order to come to the spiritual platform. The tapasya of chanting and glorifying the name, fame and attributes of the Lord is a very easy purifying process by which everyone can be happy. Therefore everyone who desires the ultimate cleansing of his heart must adopt this process. Other processes, such as karma, jnana and yoga, cannot cleanse the heart absolutely.
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From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 6.2.12

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Coping with disturbing situations

Do your best to serve Krishna and he will give you required intelligence to cope with disturbing situations.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Jayagovinda — 15 September, 1967

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Live very peacefully, as Krsna shows

So if you can stick to this village life and be satisfied whatever you produce… You can produce your necessities; there is no difficulty. If we keep cows and grow food grains, fruits, vegetables, then we can live very peacefully like that. There is no need of going to the city. That is the plan of God, Krsna. Krsna personally exhibited. Vrndavana is village; it is not city.

(Srila Prabhupada; May 25, 1975)

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Work sincerely, Krishna will provide

We have to work sincerely, and because Krishna is in everyone’s heart, there will be no difficulty to have the necessary facilities.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Satsvarupa — 14 September, 1969

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Fortunate children

I am sure that to have such nice parents who are devotees of Lord Krishna, your child Nandini is very, very fortunate. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna instructs us that for one to be born in the family of devotees means that such person was the most pious of all living entities. So raise Nandini very carefully in Krishna Consciousness, and surely Krishna will bestow all blessings upon you and your family.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Balai Dasi — 21 July, 1969

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A condemned civilization

Any civilization not based on brahminical culture or guided by brahmanas is certainly a condemned civilization. Presently human civilization is based on sense gratification, and consequently more and more people are becoming addicted to different types of things. No one respects brahminical culture. Demoniac civilization is attached to ugra-karma, horrible activities, and big industries are created to satisfy unfathomable lusty desires.

Srila Prabhupada; Purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.23

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Bhagavad-gita: don’t think Arjuna was fortunate, we are not

The name Krsna, and Krsna person, there is no difference. There is no difference. You don’t think that “Arjuna was fortunate to receive instruction of Krsna directly, but we are unfortunate. We are not in the presence of Krsna.” No, no, no, no. That is a, our mistake. Krsna is present by the sound representation. Because God is Absolute, therefore there is no difference.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17 — New York, May 25, 1966

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Bhagavad-gita and Srila Prabhupada’s fifteen children

The other day Paul was speaking that somebody has informed that I have got fifteen children. Now, I do not know how one can understand that I have got fifteen children. I never told in this meeting, but he told me that somebody told him I have got fifteen children. This is misunderstanding. He asked me, “Swamiji, how many children you have got?” I told him I have got at home three boys and two girls. And he told me that “I understood that you have got fifteen children.” Anyway, if you want to know about me, then you must know from me. That is authentic. That is authentic. Or from a confidential person who is in confidence of me. Similarly, if you want to know Krsna, then here is Bhagavad-gita, spoken by Krsna Himself.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 3.17-20 — New York, May 27, 1966

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