Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 207

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s gift

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami followed strictly Rupa Gosvami. Just like Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami introduced that a sannyasi should go for begging alms in motorcar. In motorcar! They should live in palatial buildings. Now if in this age if we follow that rupanuga . . . Srila Rupa Gosvami used to live underneath a tree, and if we say “Now we shall also imitate…”

Just like there are many babajis in Vrndavana, they are imitating, a small loincloth but doing all nonsense. So imitation is not required. Real thing is required. How, what is the purpose of Gosvami? They say that yena tena prakarena manah krsne. Somehow or other first of all engage him in Krsna consciousness. That is my Guru Maharaja’s gift. He first of all started that there is no need of going to Vrndavana and imitate the Gosvamis. Live in big, big cities, in big, big palatial houses, but preach Krsna consciousness. People may understand. Give chance to the people how they will understand Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture, March 1972, Calcutta

AC Dasa asks Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati a question

When our spiritual master was physically present, we asked him whether renounced order of sannyasa is nice or householder life is nice. So Guru Maharaja replied that “We are going to enter into the household of Krsna. What we have got to do with renouncement?”

Srila Prabhupada lecture, January 22, 1969

Two methods to control the mind

There is one easy weapon with which the mind can be conquered — neglect. The mind is always telling us to do this or that; therefore we should be very expert in disobeying the mind’s orders. Gradually the mind should be trained to obey the orders of the soul. It is not that one should obey the orders of the mind. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say that to control the mind one should beat it with shoes many times just after awakening and again before going to sleep. In this way one can control the mind. This is the instruction of all the sastras. If one does not do so, one is doomed to follow the dictations of the mind. Another bona fide process is to abide strictly by the orders of the spiritual master and engage in the Lord’s service. Then the mind will be automatically controlled.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 5.11.17

Giving a chance

Our propagation for opening different centers is for this purpose, that we give chance. This is our duty. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Krsna also recommended this process, that if you give chance to the people to understand the real knowledge from the Bhagavad-gita. Now it remains to the people to accept it or not accept it. That is his choice. But our duty is… Just like representative of a business firm, he goes from door to door, from shop to shop, that “Here is a thing we are selling, and this is such and such.” Now, it does not mean that wherever the representative will go the things will be sold. No. That is not expected. But maybe somebody may come and take to such transaction maybe seriously. But we cannot expect that everyone will understand the science of Krsna consciousness. It is not for ordinary man, not for the proud man, especially, who is thinking that “I am God.” It is for the humble and meek who can actually submit to a God-realized person and receive knowledge from him.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 13.6-7 — October 25, 1968, Montreal

Abominable Kali-yuga — don’t come back — Srila Prabhupada stunned

Very, very abominable condition in this age of Kali. Very, very. It is the beginning of Kali. Now we have to pass through 427,000’s of years. Kali-yuga will make progress in that way. And people are now practicing eating their children, and at the end of Kali there will be no food available. They’ll have to eat the children, just like the snakes do. The snake eat their own children. There are many animals — they eat their own children.

So don’t try to repeat your birth again and again in this Kali-yuga. It will be not very happy life. Better sacrifice everything in this life and be fully Krsna conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don’t wait for the next life. This is very seriously repeated, that “This life I shall finish my Krsna consciousness business,” and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that Krsna consciousness business means to understand Krsna rightly. And He’s explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the Krsna consciousness business? If Krsna is explaining Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Krsna is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is sending His representative acarya to teach you, and Krsna is within yourself trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge — He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Krsna consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Krsna conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity.

[At this point, Srila Prabhupada became stunned in ecstasy and the lecture
ended.]

(Lecture on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.13 — April 6, 1975,
Mayapur)

Devotees are more kind than Krsna

Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste
valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bg 3.29

Our only motto

Actually these books are the foundation stone of our movement. Whatever we are is resting on these books, so far reading them and distributing them.
This should be our only motto.

(From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Hrdayananda — Bombay 31 October, 1974)

Arjuna’s correct understanding of Bhagavad-gita

The right understanding of Bhagavad-gita is Arjuna’s understanding. In other words, Arjuna came to the conclusion that he must perform his occupational duty, not as a material obligation, for reasons of wife, family, friends, reputation, professional integrity, like that–no. Rather he must conduct the functions of his station of life only as a devotional service performed for Krsna. That means that devotional service is what is important, not my occupational duty. But it does not mean that because occupation duty is not the real consideration, that I should give it up and do something else, thinking that devotional service may be carried on under whatever circumstances which I may whimsically decide. Krsna recommended Arjuna to remain as he was, not to disrupt the order of society and go against his own nature just for convenience sake. Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another. Rather our devotion is the important factor, so what does it matter what I am doing so long my work and energy are completely devoted to Krsna?

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Madhukara, 4 January, 1973

Preach Bhagavad-gita

When Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], He does not say only to Arjuna; He says to everyone. So that is Krsna’s desire, and if you want to serve Krsna, to fulfill His desire, that means you canvass everyone to surrender to Krsna. This is preaching. Krsna wants it. It is declared. So your business is to satisfy Krsna. So do it. Why don’t you do it?

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.27 — January 4, 1975, Bombay

Prediction for ISKCON, based on Bhagavad-gita preaching

(The following was written by Srila Prabhupada in India, before ISKCON’s
founding.)

The promulgation of the Bhagavad-gita’s knowledge on a worldwide scale will establish a foundation upon which the edifice of the science of love of God will be constructed. This edifice will be the repository of the sublime treasure of devotional service as taught by Lord Caitanya in Kali-yuga, and it will serve as a shining monument to the transcendental endeavors of the Lord’s pure devotees.

Srila Prabhupada; RTW 5.1: The Highest Use of Intelligence