Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 208

Full satisfaction

He assures Arjuna in the Sixth Chap…, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah: “You just try to achieve that thing which achieving you will be no more aspiring for achieving anything more.” That is Krsna.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.37 — Bombay, December 6, 1974

Everything we have should be used for Krishna…

We should use our tongue to speak of Krishna and to eat food properly prepared and offered to Krishna. We should use our eyes to look at pictures of Krishna, and our ears to hear a master speak of Krishna. We can use our feet to walk to Krishna’s temple, and our hands to hold the broom that sweeps the temple floor. We can use our nose to smell flowers offered to Krishna. We can use our genitals to produce children whom we will raise in Krishna-consciousness. Even if we cannot follow these suggestions, we can always chant, “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.” We must divert the mind from its material engagements and put it into Krishna-consciousness.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Notes transcribed by Woomapati Das Brahmachary (Wallac Sheffey) From lectures given on Sept. 5th and 17th, 1966. BTG 1.1, 1966.

Practical formula for full success

We are trying — this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose — that stop sinful activities and hear Krsna and accept Him as He is saying. Then your life is successful. That’s all. Very simple thing. And those who are adopting this ways, this process of life, is becoming successful practically. There is no doubt about it. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. Asamsayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in full, not partial.

Srila Prabhupada — April 14, 1975, Hyderabad

The goal of life for every living being

His existence can be realized by one who has the single qualification of submissiveness and who thereby becomes a surrendered soul. The development of submissiveness is the cause of proportionate spiritual realization, by which one can ultimately meet the Supreme Lord in person, as a man meets another man face to face.

Because of his development of transcendental attachment for the Supreme Lord, a surrendered soul feels the presence of his beloved everywhere, and all his senses are engaged in the loving service of the Lord. His eyes are engaged in seeing the beautiful couple Sri Radha and Krsna sitting on a decorated throne beneath a desire tree in the transcendental land of Vrndavana. His nose is engaged in smelling the spiritual aroma of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, his ears are engaged in hearing messages from Vaikuntha, and his hands embrace the lotus feet of the Lord and His associates. Thus the Lord is manifested to a pure devotee from within and without. This is one of the mysteries of the devotional relationship in which a devotee and the Lord are bound by a tie of spontaneous love. To achieve this love should be the goal of life for every living being.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to CC Adi 1.55

Difference between human and animal

As from wood, fire can be manifested, or as butter can be churned out of milk, so also the presence of the Lord as Paramatma can be felt by the process of legitimate hearing and chanting of the transcendental subjects which are especially treated in the Vedic literatures like the Upanisads and Vedanta. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the bona fide explanation of these Vedic literatures. The Lord can be realized through the aural reception of the transcendental message, and that is the only way to experience the transcendental subject. As fire is kindled from wood by another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another divine grace. His Divine Grace the spiritual master can kindle the spiritual firefrom the woodlike living entity by imparting proper spiritual messages
injected through the receptive ear. Therefore one is required to approach
the proper spiritual master with receptive ears only, and thus divine
existence is gradually realized. The difference between animality and
humanity lies in this process only. A human being can hear properly, whereas an animal cannot.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.2.32

Benefits of reading Krsna book

It is said in the Bhagavad-gita that even a little effort expended on the path of Krsna consciousness can save one from the greatest danger. Hundreds of thousands of examples can be cited of people who have escaped the greatest dangers of life due to a slight advancement in Krsna consciousness. We therefore request everyone to take advantage of this great transcendental literary work. One will find that by reading one page after another, an immense treasure of knowledge in art, science, literature, philosophy and religion will be revealed, and ultimately, by reading this one book, Krsna, love of Godhead will fructify.

From the preface to Srila Prabhupada’s “Krsna” book

Refrain from useless, nonsensical talk

The conclusion is that only when we talk about devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead can we refrain from useless, nonsensical talk. We should always endeavor to use our speaking power solely for the purpose of realizing Krsna consciousness.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Nectar of Instruction, verse 1

Everything must be done for Him only

Do whatever you like or whatever may be easier for you to do, eat whatever you may eat, sacrifice whatever you can sacrifice, give whatever you may give in charity, and do whatever you may undertake in penance, but everything must be done for Him only. If you do business or if you accept some employment, do so on behalf of the Lord. Whatever you may eat, you may offer the same to the Lord and be assured that He will return the food after eating it Himself. He is the complete whole, and therefore whatever He may eat as offered by the devotee is accepted because of the devotee’s love, but again it is returned as prasada for the devotee so that he can be happy by eating. In other words, be a servant of God and live peacefully in that consciousness, ultimately returning home, back to Godhead.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 2.9.36

The highest benediction to the human society

this movement, we are giving the highest benediction to the human society. They are becoming Vaisnava. There is great necessity of Vaisnava at the present moment because everyone has become sudras. Kalau sudra sambhava. And because it is, everywhere the sudras are there, how there can be peace? They do not know. They have no brain how to make the society peaceful and prosperous. They are sudras. They have no intelligence. There is necessity of creating brahmanas and Vaisnava. This movement is meant for that purpose. So be careful. Don’t be turned again to sudra and mlecchas. Go on making progress to become pure Vaisnava. Then your life is successful and you’ll give the best service to the human society.

(Srila Prabhupada; Initiation Lecture Excerpt — London, September 7, 1971)

The secret of success

The secret of success will depend on yourself keeping on the spiritual strength by regularly chanting and following the regulative principles, and side by side you have to act on preaching the gospel, and it will go on without any impediment.

(From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Citsukhananda — Los Angeles 12 March 1970)