Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 192

Devotional service must continue under all circumstances

This body belongs to Krishna and therefore we must always keep it in healthy condition to the best of our ability, but if due to some past sinful activities, we are suffering some bodily miseries we should not become discouraged. Devotional service must continue under all circumstances. This material body is actually a bad bargain because it is prone to suffer, but we must make the best use of this bad bargain. That means to always be engaged in the service of Krishna without fail.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Viruha — Vrindaban 19 April, 1975

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Why are you asking about spiritual desires?

*Jnana das aka Nemi Maharaj:*  In Africa I had the most interaction with Prabhupada than anywhere else because there weren’t many devotees there at that time. I went on the morning walks with him a couple of times, and after class I would ask a question because I heard that he was happy when we asked intelligent questions. One time I asked about spiritual desires, and he said, “Why are you asking about spiritual desires when your heart is full of material desires?”

Selection from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint” Volume 5 by Siddhanta das

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Sex life is meant only for begetting Krsna conscious children

Another significant point of this verse is that one has to observe the prescribed rules and regulations. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, yuktahara-viharasya. When one engages in devotional service in Krsna consciousness, he still has to eat, sleep, defend and mate because these are necessities of the body. But he performs such activities in a regulated way. He has to eat krsna-prasada. He has to sleep according to regulated principles. The principle is to reduce the duration of sleep and to reduce eating, taking only what is needed to keep the body fit. In short, the goal is spiritual advancement, not sense gratification. Similarly, sex life must be reduced. Sex life is meant only for begetting Krsna conscious children. Otherwise, there is no necessity for sex life. Nothing is prohibited, but everything is made yukta, regulated, with the higher purpose always in mind. By following all these rules and regulations of living, one becomes purified, and all misconceptions due to ignorance become nil. It is specifically mentioned here that the causes of material entanglement are completely vanquished.

Srila Prabhupada — SB 3.33.26, purport

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All Glories to the assembled devotees

My dear boys and girls, you are working so hard for broadcasting the glories of Lord Krishna’s lotus feet and thus my Guru Maharaja will be so pleased upon you. Certainly my Guru Maharaja will bestow His blessings thousand times more than me and that is my satisfaction. All Glories to the assembled devotees.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Boys and girls — Los Angeles 20 March, 1973

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A Krsna-bhakta is never vanquished

Hamsaduta: I think all of us had thought when you called us to India, “Now we will have to starve.” So we came, and there is so much to eat.

Revatinandana: When we left New York City, the last Sunday, Rsi-kumara cooked a tremendous feast. So we ate until we couldn’t move, ’cause we thought it was our last feast. We thought there’d never be any more prasadam. [laughter] Now we have to…

Prabhupada: There was a famine in India in 1942, big famine. I particularly inquired among the disciples of my Guru Maharaja, and even the remote village, they said that “We have no difficulty.” No. And another, there was a havoc, earthquake, in Bihar sometime in 1933 or that… And one of our Godbrother, Mr. Munshi Chatterjee, when he heard that quarter is completely demolished, so he was in the office. He was thinking, “What shall I do by going home? There is no more home. Everything is…” Then he said, “Let me go and see.” And when he came there, only his house was left. Only his house. All house dismantled. The only. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg 9.31]. That we have seen in many instances. Krsna-bhakta is never vanquished.

Devotee: Yes. We were thinking that he was getting special protection from the Lord.

Prabhupada: That is a fact. So be sincere, do your duty. You will never be in trouble. Never.

Room Conversation — December 11, 1970, Indore

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The greatest scientist

Krishna can change anything, therefore we worship Him as the greatest scientist. If a man knows swimming he can stay up. So if this much power has a man, what to speak of God. So we see that Ramacandra has the art how to make stones float. It is a question of knowing the art. Art means the display of intellectual energy. Everywhere we can see intelligence in everything, so the Lord knows the art of everything, so He can change anything, we cannot.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Rupanuga — Tokyo 3 May, 1972

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The demons should be careful

At the present moment throughout the entire world, the atheists are extremely numerous. Thus the material world is becoming more and more godless, and consequently everything is in a disturbed condition. If this continues, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will certainly take action, as He did in the case of the demon Hiranyakasipu. The demons should therefore be careful and curtail their godless civilization. Otherwise they are doomed. The godless civilization can be destroyed at any moment.

Extracts from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.8.31) purport

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Srila Prabhupada wanted lions

I wish that every one of you should be Lion’s descendant. Our Lord Krishna assumed the form of Lion & killed the atheist, Hiranyakasipu, & by disciplic succession we shall also kill all impersonalist atheist. Absolutely there is no Krishna Consciousness for the impersonalist.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Madhusudana — Navadvipa 2 November, 1967

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Hiranyakasipu, Mother Yasoda, and the nails of Krsna

Hiranyakasipu was so powerful that even the demigods were afraid of him. And Krsna took away everything in a second by the nails. Tava nakha kara-kamala vare nakham adbhuta-srngam. Wonderful nails. He wanted to be secure: “I’ll not die this way. I’ll not die that way.” But he forgot to say that “I’ll not die by the nails.” He did not think that one can be killed by the nails. So all his formula that he would not be killed by this way, this way, this way… But he forgot this. [laughs]

Even Mother Yasoda. She was trying to bind Krsna, and at the end, at the time of knotting, there was two fingers scarcity. So our intelligence is like that. However I may be intelligent, however I may to cheat Krsna, at least, little difference. He never thought, “I’ll be killed by the nails, not by any atomic bomb.” He thought simply atom bomb can kill. He never thought that Krsna can kill even by nails. Angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti [Bs 5.32]. He can do everything. But he wanted to be cheap God, to surpass… But it could not be done. This is the asura. Asuram bhavam asritah. And the asuras… Mayayapahrta-jnanah [Bg 7.15].

They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by maya. They are called Mayavadis. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Krsna says, “These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away.” Just like Hiranyakasipu devised means that “Indirectly I shall be immortal. I shall not die in daytime. I shall not die in night. I shall not die in water. I shall not die in land. I shall not die in the sky. No animal can kill me. No demigod can kill me. No weapon can kill me.” So on, so many… Brahma says, “All right.” But he never agreed to give him immortality. But he wanted to cheat Brahma, that “Indirectly, by the negative way, I have taken everything. So I am immortal.” This is called mudha. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg 7.15]. He does not know that Krsna’s intelligence is always, at least, one inch greater than him, anyone.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.20 – November 20, 1974, Bombay

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Prahlada’s full ecstasy

Prahlada Maharaja sometimes felt that the Lord was far away from him and therefore called Him loudly. When he saw that the Lord was before him, he was fully jubilant. Sometimes, thinking himself one with the Supreme, he imitated the Lord’s pastimes, and in separation from the Lord he would sometimes show symptoms of madness.

As a child cries when left by his mother, when Prahlada Maharaja felt that the Lord was away from him he began to cry (nadati). Again, a devotee like Prahlada sometimes sees that the Lord is coming from a long distance to pacify him, like a mother responding to a child, saying, “My dear child, do not cry. I am coming.” Then the devotee, without being ashamed due to his surroundings and circumstances, begins to dance, thinking, “Here is my Lord! My Lord is coming!” Thus the devotee, in full ecstasy, sometimes imitates the pastimes of the Lord, just as the cowherd boys used to imitate the behavior of the jungle animals. However, he does not actually become the Lord. Prahlada Maharaja achieved the spiritual ecstasies described herein by his advancement in spiritual understanding.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 7.4.40

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