Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 21

Emergency need to train new brahmanas

Sometimes brahmanas protest against our Krsna consciousness movement for creating brahmanas from Europeans, or, in other words, from mlecchas and yavanas. This movement, however, is here supported in Srimad-Bhagavatam. At the present moment, society is in a chaotic condition, and everyone has given up the cultivation of spiritual life, which is especially meant for the brahmanas. Because spiritual culture has been stopped all over the world, there is now an emergency, and therefore it is now time to train those who are considered lower and condemned, so that they may become brahmanas and take up the work of spiritual progress. The spiritual progress of human society has been stopped, and this should be considered an emergency. Here is solid support from Narada Muni of the movement known as Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 7.11.17, ppt.

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The cannon to drive away maya

Hare Krsna mantra is like a big cannon. Go and sound this cannon so everyone can hear it, and it will drive away maya.

From Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta

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Academic careers & bhakti

It is not a fact that only one who diligently pursues an academic career can become a devotee. Even with no academic career, if one has full faith in the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he develops in spiritual life and real knowledge of the Vedas. The example of Maharaja Khatvanga confirms this. One who surrenders is understood to have learned the subject matter of the Vedas very nicely. One who adopts this Vedic process of surrender learns devotional service and is certainly successful. One who is very proud, however, is unable to surrender either to the spiritual master or to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he cannot understand the essence of any Vedic literature. Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 11.11.18) declares:

sabda-brahmani nisnato na nisnayat pare yadi
sramas tasya srama-phalo hy adhenum iva raksatah

“If one is learned in the Vedic literature but is not a devotee of Lord Visnu, his work is a useless waste of labor, just like the keeping of a cow that does not give milk.”

Anyone who does not follow the surrendering process but is simply interested in an academic career cannot make any advancement. His profit is only his labor for nothing. If one is expert in the study of the Vedas but does not surrender to a spiritual master or Visnu, all his cultivation of knowledge is but a waste of time and labor.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to CC Adi 17.257

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Preach to the submissive, not fools

Don’t waste your time with fools You can take it for granted that nondevotee class who is not in Krishna Conciousness as we are teaching are all great fools never mind how ever they may advertise themselves as meditators, yogis, philosophers, religionists, and so on. We are presenting a scientific program of God Conciousness on the basis of the highest authority, Bhagavad-gita. For a preacher there are four principles to be followed. One, he must be fully surrendered to Krishna. Two, intimately in friendly relationship with devotees trying to elevate conditioned living entities to Krishna Conciousness and rejecting the nondevotee class. So if you find a nondevotee eager to listen submissively you can show your mercy to elevate him to Krishna Conciousness, but a nondevotee who is already poisoned by the serpent of the demon class swami or yogi is very difficult to be dealt with, so the best thing is to reject them and not waste time for their elevation; but a person who is willing to hear us submissively must be given chance to understand the philosophy of Krishna Conciousness.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gurudasa — 24 February, 1968

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Preach, become successful in spiritual life

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains in his Anubhasya, “A person who has attracted the attention of the spiritual master by his sincere service likes to dance and chant with similarly developed Krsna conscious devotees. The spiritual master authorizes such a devotee to deliver fallen souls in all parts of the world. Those who are not advanced prefer to chant the Hare Krsna mantra in a solitary place.” Such activities constitute, in the language of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, a type of cheating process in the sense that they imitate the activities of exalted personalities like Haridasa Thakura. One should not attempt to imitate such exalted devotees. Rather, everyone should endeavor to preach the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in all parts of the world and thus become successful in spiritual life. One who is not very expert in preaching may chant in a secluded place, avoiding bad association, but for one who is actually advanced, preaching and meeting people who are not engaged in devotional service are not disadvantages. A devotee gives the nondevotees his association but is not affected by their misbehavior. Thus by the activities of a pure devotee even those who are bereft of love of Godhead get a chance to become devotees of the Lord one day. In this connection Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura advises that one discuss the verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam, naitat samacarej jatu manasapi hy anisvarah (10.33.31) and the following verse in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu:

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, 1.2.255

One should not imitate the activities of great personalities. One should be detached from material enjoyment and should accept everything in connection with Krsna’s service.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Cc Adi 7.92

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Varnasrama for fulfilling the mission of human life

Modern society does not aim at fulfilling the mission of human life, which is to go back home, back to Godhead. To fulfill this mission, the system of varna and asrama must be followed. When the system is followed rigidly and consciously, it fulfills this mission, but when followed indirectly, without the guidance of superior authority, it simply creates a disturbing condition in human society, and there is no peace and prosperity.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book ch. 80: The Meeting of Lord Krsna with Sudama Brahmana

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The fruit of devotional service

To a devotee who is thus engaged in Krsna consciousness the Lord is very, very kind. In spite of all difficulties, he is eventually placed in the transcendental abode, or Krsnaloka. He is guaranteed entrance there; there is no doubt about it. In that supreme abode, there is no change; everything is eternal, imperishable, and full of knowledge.

Srila Prabhupada; Bg 18.56 purport

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Our eternal indebtedness

Cc Adi 1.48 TRANSLATION by Srila Prabhupada

“O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahma, for You appear in two features — externally as the acarya and internally as the Supersoul — to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.”

PURPORT
This verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.6) was spoken by Sri Uddhava after he heard from Sri Krsna all necessary instructions about yoga.

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Your name is Sridhara Dasa Brahmacari

When he [Srila Prabhupada] called me up for the initiation, he called my name, John. And again here I was — it was the time he was giving me my beads, but I was almost frozen with fear. So I went up and he said, “So? You are brahmacari?” I didn’t know what to do; I just offered my obeisances and somebody shook me: “Prabhupada is talking to you.” Then I sat up. Prabhupada told me, “Don’t worry; it’s OK.” Then he said, “So you know the mantras?” You know, I was supposed to say, “No illicit sex, no intoxication . . .” I said, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna . . . (laughter) I completely blew it all the way around. Then he gave me the name, Sridhar dasa Brahmacari.

Told by ISKCON’s Sridhara Swami, From “The Jolly Swami” by Adbhuta Hari Dasa

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Puppet heads of state

The modern elected executive head of a state is just like a puppet because he has no kingly power. Even if he is enlightened like Maharaja Yudhisthira, he cannot do anything out of his own good will due to his constitutional position. Therefore, there are so many states over the earth quarreling because of ideological differences or other selfish motives. But a king like Maharaja Yudhisthira had no ideology of his own. He had but to follow the instructions of the infallible Lord and the Lord’s representative, an authorized agent like Bhismadeva. It is instructed in the sastras that one should follow the great authorities and the infallible Lord without any personal motive or manufactured ideology. Therefore, it was possible for Maharaja Yudhisthira to rule the whole world, including the seas, because the principles were infallible and universally applicable to everyone. The conception of one world state can only be fulfilled if we can follow the infallible authority. An imperfect human being cannot create an ideology acceptable to everyone. Only the perfect and infallible can create a program which is applicable at every place and can be followed by all in the world. It is the person who rules, and not the impersonal government. If the person is perfect, the government is perfect. If the person is a fool, the government is a fool’s paradise. That is the law of nature. There are so many stories of imperfect kings or executive heads. Therefore, the executive head must be a trained person like Maharaja Yudhisthira, and he must have the full autocratic power to rule over the world. The conception of a world state can take shape only under the regime of a perfect king like Maharaja Yudhisthira. The world was happy in those days because there were kings like Maharaja Yudhisthira to rule over the world.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.10.3

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