Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 3

Right time, right place, Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Prabhupada:  …paper it was published that “Swami Bhaktivedanta has come in the right time.” And what is that?

Satsvarupa: Yes, in a number of articles, the writer notes that Prabhupada came at a perfect time in history, and went to the right place, the lower East Side of New York, and then again in Haight Ashbury, just when the hippie movement was big but they were looking for spiritual life. That is a historical expert move that you made.

Morning Walk — June 20, 1974, Germany

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This is love

What is the symptom of love? The symptom, the prime symptom, most important symptom of love, is that the devotee wants to see that his Lord’s name, fame, etc. become widespread. He wants to see that “My Lord’s name be known everywhere.” This is love. If I love somebody, I want to see that his glories are spread all over the world. And Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah: anyone who preaches His glories, nobody is dearer to Him than that person.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 – September 4, 1972, New Vrindavan

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Civilization: envious neighbors zooming around

Krsna’s stock is never exhausted. We must simply become obedient to Him, and the supply will be there. Therefore a Krsna conscious person has no economic problem; everything is sufficiently supplied by Krsna. In Los Angeles the neighbors of our temple are sometimes very envious. “You do not work,” they say to our Krsna conscious devotees. “You have no anxiety. You have four cars. You are eating so nicely. How is that?” Actually, they are right. Somehow or other we are getting everything we need, and we have no problems, for if one simply becomes a sincere servant of Krsna, everything is provided. They are envious of us because we do not work but still we have so much. But why don’t they come join us? That they will not do. “Come with us,” we say. “Chant Hare Krsna.” “No, no, no. That I cannot do.” “All right. Then work with your trucks.” By zooming around in their cars and trucks, they have made their own lives dangerous, and they have created danger for others also. At any moment there may be an accident. But they say that this is civilization. Nonsense. This is not civilization. Civilization means calmness, prosperity, and santi, peace. In peace and prosperity one should be Krsna conscious always.

Srila Prabhupada, in TQK 4: Approaching Krsna, the All-pervading Truth

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Dina-dayadri Mata’s first impression of Srila Prabhupada

I remember going into his room and sitting down. I couldn’t understand hardly anything he said at that time. So what he said I couldn’t tell you [chuckles] but, but my impression of him, just looking at him, that just by looking at him I could tell here was a person that knows  he is not his body. That’s the impression I had the first time I was face-to-face with him. That he was completely off of the bodily platform.

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Churchianity

If we do not follow strictly our regulative principles, routine work, then the whole scheme will be failure. Then, instead of Christianity it will be “churchianity.” Everywhere this churchianity is going on. And the real aim is how to enjoy sense, under different cover. That is going on all over the world. Therefore it has come to that Rajneesh. Ramakrishna Mission, Rajneesh Mission. Vivekananda has given, preached, “Yes. Yata mata tata patha”; Rajneesh also, a mata. They have got also followers. Everyone can manufacture his own way of religion.

Srila Prabhupada – Room Conversation – September 19, 1973, Bombay

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Aryan, perfect civilization, very much eager to satisfy Krsna

The members of human society who strictly follow the principles of bhagavata-dharma and live according to the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are called Aryans or arya. A civilization of Aryans who strictly follow the instructions of the Lord and never deviate from those instructions is perfect. Such civilized men do not discriminate between trees, animals, human beings and other living entities. Panditah sama-darsinah: [Bg. 5.18] because they are completely educated in Krsna consciousness, they see all living beings equally. Aryans do not kill even a small plant unnecessarily, not to speak of cutting trees for sense gratification. At the present moment, throughout the world, killing is prominent. Men are killing trees, they are killing animals, and they are killing other human beings also, all for sense gratification. This is not an Aryan civilization. As stated here, sthira-cara-sattva-kadambesv aprthag-dhiyah. The word aprthag-dhiyah indicates that Aryans do not distinguish between lower and higher grades of life. All life should be protected. All living beings have a right to live, even the trees and plants. This is the basic principle of an Aryan civilization. Apart from the lower living entities, those who have come to the platform of human civilization should be divided into a society of brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. The brahmanas should follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as stated in the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures. The criterion must be guna and karma. In other words, one should acquire the qualities of a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra and act accordingly. This is the civilization accepted by the Aryans. Why do they accept it? They accept it because they are very much eager to satisfy Krsna. This is perfect civilization.

Srila Prabhupada SB 6.16.43, Purport

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Authorized & unauthorized sastric commentaries

At present there are many commentaries on the revealed scriptures, but most of them are not in the line of disciplic succession coming from Srila Vyasadeva, who originally taught the Vedic wisdom. The final, most perfect and sublime work of Srila Vyasadeva is Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the authorized commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. There is also Bhagavad-gita, which is spoken by the Lord Himself and which was recorded by Vyasadeva. These are the most important revealed scriptures, and any commentary which contradicts the principles of the Gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam is unauthorized. There is complete agreement amongst the Upanisads, Vedanta, the Vedas, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and no one should try to reach any conclusion about the Vedas without receiving instructions from members of Vyasadeva’s disciplic succession, or at least from those who believe in the Personality of Godhead and His diverse energies.

Srila Prabhupada Sri Isopanisad Mantra 6 purport

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The special advantage of Kali-yuga

One can go to the supreme planet (param vrajet) simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. This is especially meant for the people of this age (kaler dosa-nidhe). It is the special advantage of this age that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra one can become purified of all material contamination and return home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt about this.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 4.29.48

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Giving the Western people knowledge by books

The Krsna consciousness movement is very eager to present Vedic literature in modern languages, especially Western languages such as English, French and German. The leaders of the Western world, the Americans and Europeans, have become the idols of modern civilization because the Western people are very sophisticated in temporary activities for the advancement of material civilization. A sane man, however, can see that all such grand activities, although perhaps very important for temporary life, have nothing to do with eternal life. The entire world is imitating the materialistic civilization of the West, and therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is very much interested in giving the Western people knowledge by translating the original Sanskrit Vedic literatures into Western languages.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.5.18

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Srila Haridasa Thakura saves from female allurement

A grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasi and brahmacari should be very careful when associating with women. One is forbidden to sit down in a solitary place even with one’s mother, sister or daughter. In our Krsna consciousness movement it has been very difficult to disassociate ourselves from women in our society, especially in Western countries. We are therefore sometimes criticized, but nonetheless we are trying to give everyone a chance to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and thus advance spiritually. If we stick to the principle of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra offenselessly, then, by the grace of Srila Haridasa Thakura, we may be saved from the allurement of women. However, if we are not very strict in chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, we may at any time fall victim to women.

Srila Prabhupada SB 5.6.3, ppt.

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