Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 26

The definition of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement

Sankirtana is the process of going to a place, sitting down, chanting the Holy Names, and attracting others to come and chant the Holy Names. Then when the others were practiced in chanting the Holy Names enough to go out on their own, you move on to another place and chant the Holy Names. [Srila Prabhupada] said that this was the definition of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement. Going, chanting Hare Krsna, attracting others, training them up, and then moving on to another place.

Yamuna Devi  1.132

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Governments run by low-grade men

In the modern setup of the democratic states, the people themselves are fallen to the qualities of the sudras or less, and the government is run by a representative of theirs who has not been trained according to the scriptural mode of administrative education. Thus the whole atmosphere is surcharged with sudra qualities, manifested by lust and avarice. Such administrators quarrel every day among themselves. The cabinet of ministers changes often due to party and group selfishness. Everyone wants to exploit the state resources till he dies. No one retires from political life unless forced to do so. How can such low-grade men do good to the people? The result is corruption, intrigue and hypocrisy. They should learn from the Srimad-Bhagavatam how ideal the administrators must be before they can be given charge of different posts.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.12.18

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Gaza, Ukraine wars, LA fires — Krsna conscious perspective

Krsna conscious means completely free from all sinful activities. As soon as there is complete eradication of sinful activities in the state, then there will be no more war, pestilence, famine or natural disturbances.

Since the leaders of society have a poor fund of knowledge and the citizens in general are rogues and thieves, there cannot be an auspicious situation for human society. At the present moment the whole world is full of such an incompatible combination of state and citizens, and therefore there is constant tension, war and anxiety as an inevitable result of such social conditions.

Extracts from Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 4.20.14

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Who needs a wife?

To maintain such a life of strict vigilance, one needs encouragement from his wife. In the varnasrama-dharma system, certain classes, such as the brahmanas and sannyasis, do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Ksatriyas and grhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of their wives in order to execute their duties. Indeed, a grhastha or ksatriya cannot properly execute his responsibilities without the association of his wife. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally admitted that a grhastha must live with a wife. Ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives to encourage them in discharging the duties of government. The association of a good wife is necessary in a life of karma and political affairs. To execute his duties properly, therefore, Maharaja Priyavrata took advantage of his good wife Barhismati, who was always very expert in pleasing her great husband by properly dressing herself, smiling, and exhibiting her feminine bodily features.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 5.1.29

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Everyone can become cent per cent devotees

Ramesvara: It seems that if one day the Krsna conscious movement has actually achieved some powerful position in America…

Prabhupada: That we want.

Ramesvara: …we will have to tolerate all these things-cinema, nightclubs. How can we close all these things? The people want these things.

Prabhupada: No. If you educate people, if you give them better enjoyment, they’ll give up.

Ramesvara: Very gradual.

Prabhupada: Just like our men. They are not after cinema or brothel house or restaurants. It requires education.

Hari-sauri: We have to make them devotees.

Ramesvara: But can all the masses of people become devotees?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes, cent per cent devotees, by this process: ask them to chant and take prasada.

Jagadisa: People in general are very much inclined to accept whoever their leader is if they feel happy. So if we give them kirtana and prasadam, if their economic needs are met, then how can they avoid? Economic needs are the main thing. That’s why they…

Prabhupada: If they can eat nicely and they have no complaint for living conditions, they will become.

Ramesvara: But they will not give up sex life.

Prabhupada: No, no. I don’t say that you give up sex life.

Ramesvara: That means that they want to have nice clothing and cars for sex. As soon as there is sex, then they want so many other things to make it more attractive.

Prabhupada: Not necessarily. Not necessarily. Formerly there was sex life. They’re thinking like that, “We require,” naturally. First of all they’ll be… If they advance in Krsna consciousness, they will stop sex life. Yad-avadhi mama cetah krsna… If they’re really Krsna conscious, they’ll have no more taste for sex life. That is…

Hari-sauri: But that position is not very easily attainable.

Prabhupada: No, that is not easy. Therefore we say, “Restrict this.” And this will be possible if he follows our program.

January 11, 1977

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My God does not accept bribes

Sridhara Swami remembers:

There is a very famous temple in Tirupati, the Balaji temple. And everybody knows that if you have some work to be done, you can go there and offer a donation to Balaji and you get some result. So Mr. Mohatta, one of the League of Devotees members who donated to Prabhupada in Bombay, told us that in 1925 Tirupati Balaji was just a small temple, not very important, and not many people knew about it. But the pujaris started spreading the rumors that if you give to Balaji you will get double back. So within a few years people used to go there, and fifty percent of the people would get what they were asking for; they probably would have got it anyway. But still they got it, and they began to tell others about it. And fifty percent who didn’t get it went away quietly, you know, nice temple and that’s all. So in that way the opulence of the temple grew and grew and grew, until today. They have one crown, among many dresses and crowns, that they put on Balaji, which is worth about seven million dollars.

So Mr. Mohatta was telling Prabhupada that we should start spreading rumors about Radha-Rasabihari, and Prabhupada said, “My God does not accept bribes.”

Adbhuta Hari Dasa, The Jolly Swami, p. 1208-1209

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The spiritual master is not alone

The spiritual master is never without his followers, so to serve the spiritual master also means to be the servant of his disciples. When you want to serve the king, you must also serve his minister, secretary, and everyone who serves him. And to serve his servants may please him more than to serve the king personally. So the spiritual master is not alone. He is always with his entourage. We are not impersonalists. We take care of every part of the whole, as much as one should take care of his hat as well as his shoes.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Sivananda, 23 Jan 1969

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Only some are fortunate to get a bona fide spiritual master

Devotee (1): Most of the people are still ignoring God. They are so weak-willed. They are so weak-willed that they are easily swayed by, you know, when somebody comes and claims that…

Prabhupada: Well, if one is weak, he may be infected by some disease. It requires some resisting power. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that, your answer, so “Only the fortunate person, they can get the shelter of bona fide spiritual master.” Kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc Madhya 19.151]. Not all; kona. Kona means some.

Devotee (1): Some, yes. Kona bhagyavan…

Prabhupada: Jiva. So as there are bhagyavan — somebody is rich, somebody is poor; this is also due to fortune or misfortune — similarly, if one is spiritually fortunate he gets a bona fide spiritual master.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples — February 12, 1975, Mexico

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How to achieve Krsna’s lotus feet

tate krsna bhaje, kare gurura sevana
maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana

“If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord and simultaneously carries out the orders of his spiritual master and serves him, he can get out of the clutches of maya and become eligible for shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet.”

Srila Prabhupada’s rendering of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.25

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Use Balaji’s income for Krsna consciousness

In India, Tirupati, I think that Deity is richer than many kings in the world. Daily, 100,000 rupees, not less, daily. [break] …few kings who has got so much money? If you organize, you can take the whole income for cause of Krsna consciousness, if you are really organized.

Srila Prabhupada > Morning Walk — March 15, 1975, Tehran

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