Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 200
February 24, 2020
Loneliness
Feelings of loneliness are simply temporary manifestations due to past conditioning, and we should try to concentrate our attention to our eternal friendship with Krishna.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Kulasekhara — Tittenhurst 2 November, 1969
February 23, 2020
Bees and flies
The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee is this, just like the bee and the fly: the bee always is attracted by the honey and flies go to the open sores. So the devotee is only attracted by the good qualities in other people and does not see their faults.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to: Badarinarayana — Delhi 7 November, 1971
February 22, 2020
Vani and vapu
There are two ways of association — by vani and by vapu. Vani means words and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vani, continues to exist eternally.
Srila Prabhupada, 10 November 1974, Cc Concluding Words
February 21, 2020
For Siva-ratri
Lord Siva is not connected with anyone, nor is anyone his enemy. Since he is one of the three controllers of the universal affairs, he is equal to everyone. His greatness is incomparable because he is a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said that among all the devotees of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Siva is the greatest. Thus the remnants of foodstuff left by him are accepted by other devotees as maha-prasada, or great spiritual foodstuff. The remnants of foodstuff offered to Lord Krsna are called prasada, but when the same prasada is eaten by a great devotee like Lord Siva, it is called maha-prasada. Lord Siva is so great that he does not care for the material prosperity for which every one of us is so eager. Parvati, who is the powerful material nature personified, is under his full control as his wife, yet he does not use her even to build a residential house. He prefers to remain without shelter, and his great wife also agrees to live with him humbly. People in general worship goddess Durga, the wife of Lord Siva, for material prosperity, but Lord Siva engages her in his service without material desire. He simply advises his great wife that of all kinds of worship, the worship of Visnu is the highest, and greater than that is the worship of a great devotee or anything in relation with Visnu.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 3.14.26
One whose entire life and soul dedicated to Krishna’s service
If one renders even a small amount of sincere devotional service, Krishna becomes obliged to elevate such person; and what to speak of one whose entire life and soul has been dedicated to Krishna’s service.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to: Harer Nama — London 6 November, 1969
February 19, 2020
I have nothing to do with this material world
Everyone is struggling to gain something which he does not possess, and he’s lamenting for something which he has lost. But when he realizes himself that “I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose; I have nothing to do with this material world,” that is called brahma-bhutah. That is Brahman realization.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.30 — Vrndavana, November 9, 1972
February 18, 2020
Mayapur is the best place in the universe
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the land of Bharata-varsa, specifically in Bengal, in the district of Nadia, where Navadvipa is situated. It is therefore to be concluded, as stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, that within this universe this earth is the best planet and that on this planet the land of Bharata-varsa is the best; in the land of Bharatavarsa, Bengal is still better, in Bengal the district of Nadia is still better, and in Nadia the best place is Navadvipa because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared there to inaugurate the performance of the sacrifice of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. The sastras recommend:
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by His very confidential associates such as Sri Nityananda, Sri Gadadhara and Sri Advaita and by many devotees like Srivasa. They are always engaged in chanting the name of the Lord and are always describing Lord Krsna. Therefore this is the best among all the places in the universe. The Krsna consciousness movement has established its center in Mayapur, the birthsite of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to give men the great opportunity to go there and perform a constant festival of sankirtana-yajna, as recommended herein (yajnesa-makha mahotsavah), and to distribute prasada to millions of hungry people hankering for spiritual emancipation. This is the mission of the Krsna consciousness movement. Caitanya-bhagavata confirms this as follows: “One should not desire to be elevated even to a place in the heavenly planetary systems if it has no propaganda to expand the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no trace of Vaisnavas, pure devotees of the Lord, and no festivals for spreading Krsna consciousness. It would be better to live perpetually cramped within the airtight bag of a mother’s womb, where one can at least remember the lotus feet of the Lord, than to live in a place where there is no opportunity to remember His lotus feet. I pray not to be allowed to take birth in such a condemned place.” Similarly, in Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the inaugurator of the sankirtana movement, anyone who performs sankirtana to please the Lord is very, very glorious.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 5.19.24
February 17, 2020
Coming back to health
Just like a diseased person, the more he comes back to his health it becomes pleasing more and more; similarly, the more we come to Krishna Consciousness, certainly it will be pleasing, because Krishna is the Reservoir of all pleasure.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Umapati — London 8 November, 1969
February 16, 2020
We are not concerned with past misunderstandings
Your description of past incidents may be forgotten. We are not concerned with past misunderstandings; we are concerned only with progressive service to Krsna.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Govinda — Bombay 5 November, 1970
February 15, 2020
Living and working as a brahmana
One must not only have the qualities of a brahmana, but one should also work as a brahmana, for one’s qualities are tested by his work. If one is a qualified engineer but simply sits down at home and does not work, what is his value? Similarly, unless one works as a brahmana, there is no value to his simply saying, “I am a brahmana.” One must therefore work as a brahmana by fully engaging in the service of Param Brahman, Krsna, the Supreme Brahman.
From: Krsna Consciousness, the Matchless Gift, by Srila Prabhupada
