Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 203
January 24, 2020
Governing principle
The governing principle for our activity should be to do what is favorable for pleasing Krishna.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Lalita Kumar, Jambavati — Vrindaban, 27 November, 1971
January 23, 2020
Just get out. Don’t talk. Get out
One may accumulate a large bank balance or an expensive home, a wife, children, and so many amenities, and he may think, “I am living very peacefully,” but at any day he may be told, “Please get out.”
“Why?” he will ask. “It is my house, and it is paid for. I have money and a job and responsibilities. Why should I get out?”
“Just get out. Don’t talk. Get out.”
On that day a man sees God. “Oh, I did not believe in God,” he may think. “But now here is God finishing off everything.” Thus it is said that the demoniac recognize Krsna as death, for it is at that time that He takes everything away from them.
From: Krsna Consciousness, the Matchless Gift, by Srila Prabhupada
January 22, 2020
Fate-changing
Fate can be changed by Krsna consciousness. Krsna says, “I shall give you protection from all the resultant action of your sinful life.” That is fate changed. If you don’t surrender to Krsna, then you have to suffer or enjoy the actions of your fruitive activities. But when you surrender to Krsna, He takes charge of squaring up all your sinful activities and their reaction. Surrender to Krsna; then your fate is changed.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1 — Delhi, November 28, 1975
January 21, 2020
Doctors
Svarupa Damodara: I have many medical friends. They frankly admit that oftentimes they kill the patients in the name of treating. It turns out that it was their own medicine that they gave.
Prabhupada: Yes. Recently that Dalmia secretary… What is his name?
Tamala Krsna: Hitsaran Sharma.
Prabhupada: In pathology his prescription was replaced by another
Tamala Krsna: I don’t follow. Recently whose?
Upendra: His prescription was replaced by another.
Prabhupada: He had some trouble.
Tamala Krsna: Hitsaran.
Prabhupada: So, what is called? Pathology?
Tamala Krsna: Pathology? No.
Prabhupada: No, laboratory testing?
Tamala Krsna: What’s laboratory test called?
Svarupa Damodara: Pathology?
Bhavananda: Yes.
Prabhupada: So his case was transferred to another.
Tamala Krsna: [laughs] Oh, boy.
Svarupa Damodara: One after another.
Bhavananda: Mixed up.
Tamala Krsna: No, mixed up. His diagnosis was given to someone else. They made a mistake, and then they treated the other person.
Svarupa Damodara: Oh!
Prabhupada: And he was being treated as tuberculosis.
Svarupa Damodara: Oh, boy.
Adi-kesava: Sometimes they make the operations, and they leave the knife in, and they sew the knife up inside after they make an operation. Or the scissors. They take some clamps and they sew them inside the wound. And then the man says, “Oh, I have a pain in my side.” And they say, “Oh, new disease,” and they make another operation and take out the clamps or the knife.
Svarupa Damodara: Sometimes they only depend on machines, these medical doctors. That’s why he’s mentioning about x-ray. Through these machines you cannot tell the correct diagnosis.
Prabhupada: I have got many experiences in my family life. One servant, Kashiram.
Svarupa Damodara: Kashiram.
Prabhupada: Yes, his name was Kashiram. So he was howling, howling. So we took him to the hospital, and so many student doctors surrounded. They diagnosed something, strangulation or something like that.
Tamala Krsna: Strangulation.
Prabhupada: Yes. Then they were prepared to surgical operation. Then another experienced doctor came. He said, “Let us wait today.” So he was kept in the hospital, and we came back. That Kashiram… Another friend, servant of the neighborhood, and so he said, “Babaji, he has drunk little.”
Tamala Krsna: He got a little drunk.
Prabhupada: So I said, “Don’t … There are so many doctors…” And next morning he came back and said, “The doctor said, ‘You are all right. You can
go.’ “
Tamala Krsna: He was just drunk from liquor. [laughter]
Svarupa Damodara: I had a similar story. It is my own personal experience. In 1974 I came here in India. I got malaria in the United States in summer 1975. Then temperature was very high. I went to the Baptist Hospital in Atlanta. They thought it was a virus, viral infection. They couldn’t diagnose. Then they gave some medicine, and then I went. But it started again the following day, then I went to another doctor. He could not diagnose. So they gave me glucose injection, a big bottle, thinking that was a strange viral infection. So about six, seven doctors, they couldn’t diagnose for three-four days. Then one day there was a doctor who came from Vietnam, he had some experience in tropical disease. So he thought it might be malarial fever. Then, after that, I was surrounded by many doctors thinking that it was a strange disease before, but they diagnosed… But it was not right. They did all the wrong medicine, thinking it was a viral infection.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Svarupa Damodara: This is in America, just two years ago.
Tamala Krsna: I told you the story of my father recently, Srila Prabhupada, how he had the arthritis in the hip, so they gave him a new hip. Then it moved to the other hip, and they replaced the other hip. So after eight weeks he was in the bed in the hospital, and then they said, “Now you can try to walk.” So they gave him crutches, and they stood him up, and after eight weeks of all these operations, as soon as he stood up he had a heart attack and died right on the spot. They were very sure. “Now you’re all right,” they told him.
Pancadravida: My great-uncle, he had tonsillitis, so he went to a friend who was a doctor, and the friend said, “That’s all right. We’ll operate, and I will not charge you anything.” So he went into the hospital, and in the operation the doctor dropped a scalpel, and after that… He was very big, and he became very small, never could eat again.
Room Conversation — October 22, 1977, Vrndavana
January 19, 2020
What to do with a million dollars
If one has a million dollars, he should not keep it, but, as long as it is within his jurisdiction, he should spend it for Krsna. Money or energy is properly utilized when it is directed to Krsna.
As soon as one quits his body, all his monetary resources and everything else that he has collected in connection with his body is finished, for the spirit soul transmigrates to another body, and one does not know where the money which he earned in his previous body is being kept or how it is being spent. A person may leave the world declaring how the money should be spent by his sons or heirs, but even if one leaves millions of dollars, in his next life he has no claim to it. Therefore as long as it is in one’s hand, it is better to spend it for a good purpose. If one spends it for bad purposes, he becomes entangled, but if he spends it for good purposes, he gets good in return.
From: “Krsna Consciousness, the Matchless Gift,” by Srila Prabhupada
January 18, 2020
Don’t become hippies again
With folded hands I request you, don’t you become hippies again by growing hair. Keep your head cleansed at least once in a month. That is my request. Neither I can chastise you. I am also old man; you are young men.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.3 — Vrndavana, November 25, 1976
Krsna’s favor can turn into maya
Everything belongs to Krsna. So by His favor we get opulence, riches, but when we are opulent we forget Krsna, because maya is very strong.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.14.14 — November 16, 1971, Delhi
January 17, 2020
Ugly and useless
When we keep our association with Krishna every activity is proper and liberating but if we should dissociate ourselves from the Lord’s Mercy then like a hand which is severed from the body we become ugly and useless.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Hrsikesa — Los Angeles 26 November, 1968
January 16, 2020
Successful life
What is this successful life? I have got so many students. They are well-qualified. When they work, they have to work so hard, they go at six o’clock to the working and comes again at six o’clock, all day, tired. They lost all vitality, all sense. Is that successful life, simply for one morsel of food, working so hard? And unless one works so hard, he cannot eat. We have created a civilization that one must earn thousands of dollars, then he can live like a gentleman. Is that successful life? And for earning that thousands of dollars he has to work so hard, just like animal, beast. No. That is not successful life. Successful life is that, that we should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk.
(Srila Prabhupada, lecture, Mar 23, 1969)
January 15, 2020
How to be be never disturbed
We are neither renouncer nor enjoyer, we are simply servitor of Krishna. Please follow this principle and you will be never disturbed in any frightened condition offered by the maya.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gargamuni — Los Angeles 22 November, 1968
