Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 187
July 6, 2020
Book distribution advice
That is the real preaching, selling books. Who can speak better than the books? At least whoever buys, he will look over. If you have to sell books, do it by hook or by crook. The real preaching is selling books. You should know the tactic how to sell without irritating. What your lecture will do for three minutes, but if he reads one page his life may be turned. We don’t want to irritate anyone, however. If he goes away by your aggressive tactics, then you are nonsense and it is your failure. Neither you could sell a book, neither he would remain. But if he buys a book that is the real successful preaching. That is the certificate of my Guru Maharaja, if someone, brahmacari, would sell a one paise magazine, if one of our brahmacaris would go and sell a few copies, he would be very very glad and say “Oh, you are so nice!” So distribution of literature is our real preaching. Now if you cannot handle the matter nicely, that is your fault. But the success of your preaching will be substantiated by how many books are sold. Anything you want to sell, you have to a little canvass, so he gives some money for the service of Krsna. That is his good luck and he gets the chance to read some transcendental knowledge. But if you only irritate and he goes away, that is your less intelligence.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Bali-mardana — Los Angeles 30 September, 1972
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July 4, 2020
Real profit of life
(From Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival Lecture on Farm — May 25, 1975, Hawaii)
I am very glad that you are living here. So kindly stick to this place and make an ideal island so that others may see also. Plain living, high thinking. Produce your own food; keep cows, milk. If there is food grain and milk there is no necessities. And you can produce your cloth also if you produce cotton. And we are trying in Mayapura to produce our own cloth. So we require our own cloth, own food, and time saved for advancing in Krsna consciousness. That is required. That is actual civilization. This is not civilization; this is demonic civilization. So although you are all European and American, these things are practically…, you are not accustomed. But if you develop this kind of civilization — plain living and high thinking — save time for advancing Krsna consciousness, that is real profit of life.
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Most important for spiritual realization
I know that if you maintain the association of devotees your life will be happy and perfect. That is the version of the sastra that the most important thing for spiritual realization is the company of realized souls or pure devotees of the Lord.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Tribhuvanatha — 18 July, 1970
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July 2, 2020
Tulsi!
I am so glad to hear how nicely Tulsi is growing. That is the sign of substantial devotional service. Every center should be encouraged to grow Tulsi. If there is any impediment in growing Tulsi, that means that devotional service is defective.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gaura Hari — 9 July, 1971
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Our real dress
Dress has to be accepted according to the taste of others and foodstuffs are to be accepted according to the eater’s taste. So if you think this kind of dress will attract more people, you can dress yourself in that manner. But our real dress is the tilaka and sikha.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Raktak — London, 25 September, 1969
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July 1, 2020
motto
Keep your health in good condition and work very hard for Krishna. That is our motto of life.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Rayarama — Hawaii 6 March, 1969
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June 30, 2020
Why there is constant strife, war and enmity
A demoniac person believes in the strength of his personal work, not in the law of karma. According to the law of karma, a man takes his birth in a high family, or becomes rich, or very well educated, or very beautiful because of good work in the past. The demoniac think that all these things are accidental and due to the strength of one’s personal ability. They do not sense any arrangement behind all the varieties of people, beauty and education. Anyone who comes into competition with such a demoniac man is his enemy. There are many demoniac people, and each is enemy to the others. This enmity becomes more and more deep — between persons, then between families, then between societies, and at last between nations. Therefore there is constant strife, war and enmity all over the world.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to BG 16.6
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June 29, 2020
To train a new man
And it is very encouraging to hear that so many new devotees are coming. That is an indication of your sincerity. The more sincere you are in pushing this movement forward, so Krishna will reciprocate and send you many new devotees. Thank you very much. So give them protection and instruct them so that they may not go away. We recruit devotees with great difficulty. So they must be well-treated. New men may not always behave so nicely but we must be tolerant. To train a new man is like training a wild animal to be a pet. Just like the tiger is trained in the circus and later on they are dancing to the tune of the master. So the point being stressed is training. A preacher should always be tolerant.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gaura Hari — 9 July, 1971
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June 28, 2020
Cheaters as teachers
A cheater is taking the place of teacher. Therefore the whole world is degraded. You can cheat others that “I am in dress of a devotee, so I am…” What is your character? What is your actual value? That has to be judged. That is called a bona fide teacher.
Srila Prabhupada, Questions and Answers — January 17, 1974, Hawaii
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June 27, 2020
Preaching more important than temples
In this age, it is more important to create devotees than to construct temples. My Guru Maharaja advised me to give more stress on literary work such as publishing books and magazines in Krsna consciousness, and temple opening is a secondary consideration. I am just trying to open some temples in the Western countries because there are none. Neither it is recommended in the scriptures to give more stress on temple building. The best thing is in this age to propagate this sankirtana movement.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gopala Krsna — 16 March, 1969
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