Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 30

Bhagavad-gita in universities

Please try to introduce the reading of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is in your university where you shall be teaching. I understand that some rubbish commentaries upon Bhagavad-gita are allowed to be studied in every university, so if you can replace our Bhagavad-gita As It Is it will be a great advancement for our missionary activities, and people will thereby be benefited.

Srila Prabhupada, letter to Rupanuga — Los Angeles 15 January, 1969

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Einstein, Hitler, Moslems, read Gita

Now Krsna gave us a little knowledge, which is known as Bhagavad-gita, and five thousand years ago this knowledge was given, but is still going on, all over the world. In our movement we sell Bhagavad-gita the most. Is it not? We sell our Bhagavad-gita As It Is everywhere and in large number. Because it is full knowledge, not partial. Everything is complete. Can you show any book in the world which has so much sale and which is so much perfect? There is no book. And I am not…, because we are Krsna devotees we are eulogizing like that, but any scholar, any philosopher, any scientist will say like that: “Oh, there is no comparison of this book.” I do not know exactly, but one gentleman told me that Professor Einstein, he was also reading Bhagavad-gita daily. Hitler was reading. Such, such big, big men. But I know many scholars, even Muhammadans, they also read Bhagavad-gita.

Srila Prabhupada; Lecture on SB 1.9.3 — Los Angeles, May 17, 1973

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Use your American and European brains to increase

I especially want that my books and literatures should be distributed profusely, but so far I understand this is not being done very perfectly. So I want that you all my students shall very vigorously try for this book distribution. Do not hesitate to use your American and European brains to increase, that is Krishna’s special gift to you, now use it. Any activity which will please Krishna should be accepted favorably, this is our guiding principle. Now apply it in this way, by doing everything and anything for spreading this Krishna Conscious literature, and this is really pleasing to Krishna, know it for certain.

Srila Prabhupada; letter to Kirtiraja, November 1971 Vrindaban

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Book distribution is very pleasing to Krsna

I am very pleased to see how nice the book distribution is increasing in Germany. Give those two boys who have done so nicely my thanks. Krishna will bless them: ye yatha mam prapdayante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Krsna becomes more and more pleased by seeing the increment of book distribution. Devotional service is absolute but one who preaches His message becomes very dear to Lord Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada, letter to Jayatirtha – Vrindavan 27 October, 1976

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Srila Prabhupada’s life and soul

Book distribution is the most important task in our society. Therefore I am giving so much stress and I am working so hard on this. Because this is my life and soul according to the order of my Guru Maharaja. And by his grace it is to some extent successful. And I took it seriously. I take it seriously still now. That is my life and soul. I never tried in India to construct big temples or even in your country we didn’t. I never tried. But I was selling personally books. That is the history. Sometimes they are criticizing, “What kind of sannyasi? He is doing book business.” (laughs)

Room Conversation – December 31, 1976, Bombay

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The loudest mrdanga ever

There is no comparison. There is no literature throughout the universe like Srimad-Bhagavatam. There is no comparison. There is no competition. Every word is for the good of the human society. Every word, each and every word. Therefore we stress so much in the book distribution. Somehow or other, if the book goes in one hand, he will be benefited. At least he will see, “Oh, they have taken so much price. Let me see what is there.” If he reads one sloka, his life will be successful. If one sloka, one word. This is such nice things. Therefore we are stressing so much, “Please distribute book, distribute book, distribute book.” A greater mrdanga. We are chanting, playing our mrdanga. It is heard within this room or little more. But this mrdanga will go home to home, country to country, community to community, this mrdanga.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.8 – Los Angeles, January 5, 1974

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Our most important activity

Distribution of books and magazines is our most important activity. Without books, our preaching has no solid basis.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Cyavana – Bombay, 26 December, 1971

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One must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master

tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
[SB 11.3.21]

“Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.”

Cited in Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.14.41

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Our first duty; chanting is the easy method of self-realization

Our first duty is to worship Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We keep the Deity. In the first we offer our obeisances to Caitanya Mahaprabhu along with His associate, and then, Guru-Gauranga… Then we offer Radha-Krsna or Jagannatha. So because this is the process of Kali-yuga, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah, if you perform this sankirtana, simply this process, as many times as possible before Lord Caitanya, then your success is guaranteed. You don’t require anything else. This is recommended: yajnaih sankirtanaih prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah. So those who are intelligent, they catch up this easy method of self-realization. The more you chant, then the cleansing process of the heart goes on very nicely. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This is recommended. Ceto-darp… This is the first, because our spiritual life does not begin unless ceto-darpana-marjanam, unless the mirror of the heart is cleansed. But this is the easiest process. If you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra in ecstasy, the first benefit will be that your heart will be cleansed. Then you can see what is your position, what you are, what is your business.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.10 — June 23, 1975, Los Angeles

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Krishna gives what we want

If we want Krsna, He will give us a chance to have Him, and if we don’t want Krsna, He will give us a chance to forget Him. If we want to enjoy life forgetting Krsna, forgetting God, Krsna will give us all facility so that we can forget, but if we want to enjoy life in Krsna consciousness, Krsna will give us the chance to make progress.

From Krsna consciousness, the Matchless Gift by Srila Prabhupada

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