Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 23

Devotees must preach

When a person actually revives his consciousness with thoughts of Krsna by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he revives his spiritual life and becomes addicted to the service of the Lord. Only then can he act as an acarya. In other words, everyone should engage in preaching, following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this way one will be very much appreciated by Lord Krsna and will quickly be recognized by Him. Actually a devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must engage in preaching in order to increase the followers of the Lord. By thus preaching actual Vedic knowledge all over the world, one will benefit all mankind.

Srila Prabhupada, Cc. Madhya 7.153 ppt.

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30 general principles for all human beings

These are the general principles to be followed by all human beings: truthfulness, mercy, austerity (observing fasts on certain days of the month), bathing twice a day, tolerance, discrimination between right and wrong, control of the mind, control of the senses, nonviolence, celibacy, charity, reading of scripture, simplicity, satisfaction, rendering service to saintly persons, gradually taking leave of unnecessary engagements, observing the futility of the unnecessary activities of human society, remaining silent and grave and avoiding unnecessary talk, considering whether one is the body or the soul, distributing food equally to all living entities (both men and animals), seeing every soul (especially in the human form) as a part of the Supreme Lord, hearing about the activities and instructions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who is the shelter of the saintly persons), chanting about these activities and instructions, always remembering these activities and instructions, trying to render service, performing worship, offering obeisances, becoming a servant, becoming a friend, and surrendering one’s whole self. O King Yudhisthira, these thirty qualifications must be acquired in the human form of life. Simply by acquiring these qualifications, one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

A human being must be trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, he is not even a human being. Then, among such qualified persons, the varnasrama process should be introduced. The whole purpose of this system is to create good population. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, when women are polluted the populace is varna-sankara, and when the varna-sankara population increases, the situation of the entire world becomes hellish.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 7.11.8–12, text, & SB 7.11.13, ppt.

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada said, part 2

If to carry out the command of the Vaisnava guru I have to be arrogant or brutish, or suffer eternal perdition, I am prepared to welcome such eternal damnation and even sign a contract to that effect. I will not listen to the words of malicious persons in lieu of the command of sri-gurudeva. I will dissipate with indomitable courage and conviction the currents of thought of the rest of the world, relying on the strength derived from the lotus feet of sri-gurudeva. I confess to this arrogance.

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada said, part 1

The Krsna of genuine Krsna-kirtana is not the imagined “Krsna” attempted to be imprisoned by the hybrid ideologies of feeble mankind, the “Krsna” conceived as a historical figure, or an allegorical or mythological “Krsna”; nor the “Krsna” of the prakrta-sahajiyas or materially lusty persons; nor the “Krsna” portrayed by mundane artists or of those in the grip of liberal doctrines; nor the “Krsna” of the clay-brained; nor the “Krsna” taken as fuel supply for any personal inclination. Such maya-mixed “Krsnas” are not the Krsna of Krsna-sankirtana. When a famous novelist described Krsna-caritra (The life story of Krsna), how gushily the New Bengal youth proclaimed it at every street corner and marketplace!  When Krsna-caritra was first published, from every mouth, both young and old, was heard, “Now there is fresh light on the character of Krsna!” There was so much discussion on the “Krsna of Mahabharata” and the “Krsna of Srimad-Bhagavatam,” and so on. But our Krsna is not a “Krsna” to be measured by clay-brains and placed in a box. Our Krsna is Sri Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive, and Sri means the supremely beautiful, whom only Krsna has the power to attract.

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Remaining strong in Krsna consciousness

Just maintain our strong position of purity of routine work and preach and distribute literature, that’s all.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Giriraja, 28 December, 1971

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Fame in Krishna consciousness

You ask about the desire for fame. Fame is a material desire, but to desire fame in Krishna Consciousness is not bad. If you think that people may know me as a great devotee of Krishna, that they may acknowledge me a nice devotee of Krishna, that is not at all bad. But even one is highly elevated in Krishna Consciousness he should not think himself a great devotee, he should think himself always humble.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Upendra – Los Angeles 13 November, 1968

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Devotional service is not mundane

In our preaching work, we deal with so much property and money and so many books bought and sold, but because these dealings all pertain to the Krsna consciousness movement, they should never be considered material. That one is absorbed in thoughts of such management does not mean that he is outside of Krsna consciousness. If one rigidly observes the regulative principle of chanting sixteen rounds of the maha-mantra every day, his dealings with the material world for the sake of spreading the Krsna consciousness movement are not different from the spiritual cultivation of Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.16.3 purport

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All this planet was known as Bharatavarsa

The advanced people, they were Aryans, arya. Aryans means advanced. So the Indo-European stock, they are also Aryans. They came from Central India, Central Asia, and some of them went to Indian side. That is the history. The Caspian, Caspian Sea, that was the place of Kasyapa Muni. Kasyapa. From Kasyapa the Caspian has come. Just like formerly the capital of Afghanistan was known as Gandhar. Now it has become Kandahar. So by historical references, it will be ascertained that the whole, this planet was known as Bharatavarsa. What is now India is now known Bharatavarsa, but formerly the whole planet was known as Bharatavarsa.

Srila Prabhupada, Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.45, Los Angeles, on May 7th, 1973

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Education, family, tradition, nationality won’t help—only Nityananda

Every one of us, as living entity, we are searching after pleasure. But the pleasure which we are seeking, that is flickering, temporary. That is not pleasure. Real pleasure is nityananda, eternal pleasure. So anyone who has no contact with Nityananda, it is to be understood that his life is spoiled.

se sambandha nahi ja’r, brtha janma gelo ta’r, sei pasu boro duracar

Narottama dasa Thakura uses here very harsh word. He says that such human being is an animal, an uncontrollable animal. As there are some animals that cannot be tamed, so anyone who has not contacted Nityananda, he should be considered as an untamed animal. Sei pasu boro duracar. Why? Because nitai na bolilo mukhe: “He never uttered the holy name of Nityananda.” And majilo samsara-sukhe, “and become merged into this material happiness.” Vidya-kule ki koribe tar. “That nonsense does not know that what will his education and family and tradition and nationality will help him?” These things cannot help him. These are all temporary things. Simply, if we want eternal pleasure, we must contact Nityananda. Vidya-kule ki koribe tar. Vidya means education, and kula means family, nationality. So we may have a very nice family connection or we may have very nice national prestige, but after ending this body, these things will not help me. I’ll carry my work with me, and according to that work, I shall have to accept by force another type of body. It may be something other than human body. So these things cannot protect us or give us the real pleasure.

Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s  Appearance Day, Nitai-Pada-Kamala Purport, Los Angeles, January 31, 1969

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Guru Nityananda

Lord Nityananda is guru. He can instruct us, but ultimately it depends on the disciple. A doctor may say, ‘Do this,’ ‘Do not do this,’ but if the patient does not follow the prescription, what is the result? Similarly, Nityananda Prabhu will hear the prayer of an insincere rascal, if that rascal actually wants to change his condition. One must agree not to be a rascal any more, then his rascaldom can be reformed. Jagai and Madhai begged the Lord for His mercy and they were prototype rascals, drunkards and debauchees. Lord Caitanya told them ‘First you stop your nonsense activities, then I will accept you.’ So a rascal may be accepted provided he agrees to stop his nonsenses. Otherwise, how can one expect to be reformed if he does not agree or like to be reformed? To be reformed, he must agree to the reforming process.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Rudra, 9th March, 1970)

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