Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 17

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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Everyone should glorify Lord Krsna by chanting

In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Vyasadeva offered his respectful obeisances to the Supreme Truth, Vasudeva, Krsna. After that he taught his son, Sukadeva Gosvami, to preach Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is in this connection that Sukadeva Gosvami glorifies the Lord as jayati. Following in the footsteps of Srila Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami and all the acaryas in disciplic succession, the whole population of the world should glorify Lord Krsna, and for their best interest they should take to this Krsna consciousness movement. The process is easy and helpful. It is simply to chant the maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

From Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Srila Prabhupada

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No question of divorce

What is this nonsense, divorce? There is no such thing in the Vedic civilization, divorce. You must accept whatever God has given you as husband or wife, you must. They had no thinking even, idea of divorce. One may not agree with the husband. That is natural. Sometimes we do not agree. But there is no question of divorce.

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation, July 7, 1976, Baltimore

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Blind, atheistic, sinful leaders

People in general are misled by blind leaders. The leaders of human society — the politicians, philosophers and scientists — are blind because they are not Krsna conscious. According to Bhagavad-gita, because they are bereft of all factual knowledge due to their atheistic way of life, they are actually sinful rascals and are the lowest among men.

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta jnana-
asuram bhavam asritah

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 7.15)

Such people never surrender to Krsna, and they oppose the endeavor of those who wish to take Krsna’s shelter. When such atheists become leaders of society, the entire atmosphere is surcharged with nescience. In such a condition, people do not become very enthusiastic to receive this Krsna consciousness movement, just as a diseased person suffering from jaundice does not relish the taste of sugar candy.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to NoI Verse 7

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Convince the intelligent class of men

As for your training in theology, if you simply present some of the popular western points of view of theology and then point by point you may defeat them or expose them as speculators who are simply misleading the innocent public, and that will be a very nice service, because when intelligent people begin to understand our philosophy and theology, that it is the Absolute Truth and that if anyone become Krishna Conscious, that is the highest perfection of understanding philosophy, then our Krishna Consciousness Movement will advance very quickly because everyone like the common people respect the opinions of intelligent scholars. So if you work in this way to convince the intelligent class of men, that will be very great service and also the proper use of your educational training. Thank you very much for helping me in this way.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Prajapati — 25 February, 1972

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