Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 316
November 2, 2012
Rascal presidents, rascal voters
Nowadays, unqualified men have taken the presidential post. And although
they may pose themselves as very religious, they are simply rascals. Why?
Because under their noses thousands of cows are being killed, while they
collect a good salary. Any leader who is at all religious should resign his
post in protest if cow slaughter goes on under his rule. Since people do not
know that these administrators are rascals, they are suffering. And the
people are also rascals because they are voting for these bigger rascals.
Quoted in “Beyond Illusion and Doubt” and “The Journey of Self-Discovery”
they may pose themselves as very religious, they are simply rascals. Why?
Because under their noses thousands of cows are being killed, while they
collect a good salary. Any leader who is at all religious should resign his
post in protest if cow slaughter goes on under his rule. Since people do not
know that these administrators are rascals, they are suffering. And the
people are also rascals because they are voting for these bigger rascals.
Quoted in “Beyond Illusion and Doubt” and “The Journey of Self-Discovery”
November 1, 2012
India and America, no difference
Prabhupada: When I was in India I was thinking of America something
wonderful.Now I see here there is not at all any difference. The only
difference is that you people are fair complexioned, your bodies are white
and they are colored or they are not so white. But there are white men also.
In India you’ll find varieties of color, beginning from this American,
European color down to the black negro color. You find in India. We have so
many colors. And actually I give you my frank admission that when I was in
India I was thinking the Americans may be of different type of people or
they may be thinking in otherwise. They may be… So, so many differences.
But here I see there is no difference at all. No difference at all. Only
some bodily features. Even I study the pigeons, I see, oh, this same pigeons
are here, what, playing just like Indian pigeons. Even I see the sparrow. So
there is no difference.
Woman: There is.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Woman: There is. Besides the sparrows, the other birds, as a rule, here in
America are bigger than the birds in Europe.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Woman: The same kind of bird are bigger here.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I admit that. I admit that. They are
stout and strong. They are stout and strong. Yes. The squirrel, I see. I saw
the squirrel in the park. Oh, they are also bigger.
Woman: They are bigger.
Prabhupada: They are bigger. That is also natural. You see. Just like in
African people. They are taller. They are taller than the Aryan people, even
in your, this black negroes, they are taller than American people. So there
is little difference of course. That is all right. But on the primary facie,
prima facie, there is no difference.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.12 — New York, March 9, 1966
wonderful.Now I see here there is not at all any difference. The only
difference is that you people are fair complexioned, your bodies are white
and they are colored or they are not so white. But there are white men also.
In India you’ll find varieties of color, beginning from this American,
European color down to the black negro color. You find in India. We have so
many colors. And actually I give you my frank admission that when I was in
India I was thinking the Americans may be of different type of people or
they may be thinking in otherwise. They may be… So, so many differences.
But here I see there is no difference at all. No difference at all. Only
some bodily features. Even I study the pigeons, I see, oh, this same pigeons
are here, what, playing just like Indian pigeons. Even I see the sparrow. So
there is no difference.
Woman: There is.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Woman: There is. Besides the sparrows, the other birds, as a rule, here in
America are bigger than the birds in Europe.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Woman: The same kind of bird are bigger here.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I admit that. I admit that. They are
stout and strong. They are stout and strong. Yes. The squirrel, I see. I saw
the squirrel in the park. Oh, they are also bigger.
Woman: They are bigger.
Prabhupada: They are bigger. That is also natural. You see. Just like in
African people. They are taller. They are taller than the Aryan people, even
in your, this black negroes, they are taller than American people. So there
is little difference of course. That is all right. But on the primary facie,
prima facie, there is no difference.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.12 — New York, March 9, 1966
Vedanga, Vedavit, Kavi
[B]Where:[/B] Denver, USA[BR]
[B]When:[/B] 3 Sep 12[BR]
[B]Scripture:[/B] Visnu Sahasranama Verse 14[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] English
[CUT]
Download Vedanga, Vedavit, Kavi
[B]When:[/B] 3 Sep 12[BR]
[B]Scripture:[/B] Visnu Sahasranama Verse 14[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] English
[CUT]
Download Vedanga, Vedavit, Kavi
October 31, 2012
democratic government
In democratic government at the present moment all kinds of fools and
rascals are making decisions. But what can they do? What is the result of
their legislation? They enact something today just to whimsically repeal it
tomorrow. One political party utilizes a country for one purpose, and the
next moment another political party forms a different type of government and
nullifies all the laws and regulations. This process of chewing the chewed
(punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]) will never make human society
happy. In order to make all human society happy and prosperous, we should
accept the standard methods given by liberated persons.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.18.4
rascals are making decisions. But what can they do? What is the result of
their legislation? They enact something today just to whimsically repeal it
tomorrow. One political party utilizes a country for one purpose, and the
next moment another political party forms a different type of government and
nullifies all the laws and regulations. This process of chewing the chewed
(punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]) will never make human society
happy. In order to make all human society happy and prosperous, we should
accept the standard methods given by liberated persons.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.18.4
First Lesson in Spirituality; Defining Spirit
[B]Where:[/B] Denver, USA[BR]
[B]When:[/B] 2 Sep 12[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] English
[CUT]
Download First Lesson in Spirituality; Defining Spirit
[B]When:[/B] 2 Sep 12[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] English
[CUT]
Download First Lesson in Spirituality; Defining Spirit
October 29, 2012
Points for Indira Gandhi
16 August, 1975
Bombay
POINTS TO BE PRESENTED TO PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI
1. As it is stated on our letterhead, the Krishna consciousness movement is
for the whole human society for reviving its God consciousness. “mamai-vamse
jiva loke/ jiva bhutah sanatanah. Bg. 7:15. The living entity and God are
intimately related as the part and the whole.
2. We are preaching this philosophy on the basis of the Bhagavad-gita As It
Is without any interpretation. This is a cultural and educational movement
to understand what we are, what is God, and what is our relationship and how
to act upon it.
3. The basic principle is that people must eat sumptuously and be free from
all anxieties to cultivate his spiritual identity and his relationship with
God. We invite everyone without any discrimination of caste, creed, and
nationality, and factually within our Society there are members from all
parts of the world, Europe, America, Africa, etc.
4. In India we have got special interest to distribute prasad to the half
fed or hungry population. For this purpose we are getting money from America
and we are getting goods from Australia also. We have got already 6 or 7
centers in India and we are distributing prasad in all centers.
5. The young Indian men are not joining our movement. So for conducting all
this business we require 50-100 men, foreigners who are trained up. We have
no business to take part in politics. We are bringing money from our country
outside India. Practically we do not eat by spending India’s money. We are
therefore requesting to allow our men to work on this mission to distribute
prasad without any expenditure from India’s side. Even for our own
subsistence we shall bring money from abroad, and the bank will certify.
6. If we take to politics we can be asked to leave, but we are only
interested in this movement of welfare activities. On this basis we ask for
50-100 men.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Indira Gandhi, 20 August, 1975
Indira Gandhi died Oct. 31, 1984
Bombay
POINTS TO BE PRESENTED TO PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI
1. As it is stated on our letterhead, the Krishna consciousness movement is
for the whole human society for reviving its God consciousness. “mamai-vamse
jiva loke/ jiva bhutah sanatanah. Bg. 7:15. The living entity and God are
intimately related as the part and the whole.
2. We are preaching this philosophy on the basis of the Bhagavad-gita As It
Is without any interpretation. This is a cultural and educational movement
to understand what we are, what is God, and what is our relationship and how
to act upon it.
3. The basic principle is that people must eat sumptuously and be free from
all anxieties to cultivate his spiritual identity and his relationship with
God. We invite everyone without any discrimination of caste, creed, and
nationality, and factually within our Society there are members from all
parts of the world, Europe, America, Africa, etc.
4. In India we have got special interest to distribute prasad to the half
fed or hungry population. For this purpose we are getting money from America
and we are getting goods from Australia also. We have got already 6 or 7
centers in India and we are distributing prasad in all centers.
5. The young Indian men are not joining our movement. So for conducting all
this business we require 50-100 men, foreigners who are trained up. We have
no business to take part in politics. We are bringing money from our country
outside India. Practically we do not eat by spending India’s money. We are
therefore requesting to allow our men to work on this mission to distribute
prasad without any expenditure from India’s side. Even for our own
subsistence we shall bring money from abroad, and the bank will certify.
6. If we take to politics we can be asked to leave, but we are only
interested in this movement of welfare activities. On this basis we ask for
50-100 men.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Indira Gandhi, 20 August, 1975
Indira Gandhi died Oct. 31, 1984
Maha-tapa, Sarvagah, Sarvavit, Bhanuh, Vishvaksena
[B]Where:[/B] Denver, USA[BR]
[B]When:[/B] 1 Sep 12[BR]
[B]Scripture:[/B] Visnu Sahasranama Verse 13-14
[B]Language:[/B] English
[CUT]
Download Maha-tapa Sarvagah Sarvavit Bhanuh Vishvaksena
[B]When:[/B] 1 Sep 12[BR]
[B]Scripture:[/B] Visnu Sahasranama Verse 13-14
[B]Language:[/B] English
[CUT]
Download Maha-tapa Sarvagah Sarvavit Bhanuh Vishvaksena
October 28, 2012
“Three Ways to Fly”
By Suresvara Prabhu; from Srila Prabhupada Tributes 2012
Like sage Narada, Srila Prabhupada was continually flying everywhere to
rescue fallen souls. That’s why, for most of us diksa disciples, many of our
encounters with His Divine Grace were at airports. My first darsana had
happened at Detroit’s Metro Airport, my second at Dallas’s Love Field.
It was September 1972. After Prabhupada’s American Airlines jet touched down
on the tarmac, we ushered him into the airport’s VIP room for a press
conference. Quickly Prabhupada mounted a makeshift vyasasana and, without
any preliminaries, announced: “So, there are three ways to fly”
A well-dressed reporter from the Dallas Morning News stood next to me
holding a notepad, her pen poised to catch Prabhupada’s next words: “Mantra,
pigeon, and machine. ”
To Prabhupada’s serious disciples, this kind of pronouncement, however
exotic, sounded simply wonderful. And absolutely true. But to a snappy
reporter like the lady standing next to me, it was grist for the evening
paper. Sensing a story, she carefully spelled Prabhupada’s words on her pad:
m-a-n-t-r-a, p-i-g-e-o-n, m-a-c-h-i-n-e.
“Formerly, ” Prabhupada continued, “certain kinds of pigeons were trained to
carry people from one place to another. And mantra, simply by vibrating a
certain mantra, yogi could dip into the Ganges and travel thousands of miles
in a moment. ”
Suddenly the reporter interrupted with a question: “Were these ways of
flying more efficient than today’s jumbo jets?”
“Oh yes,” Prabhupada replied, “for one thing, there were no,” Prabhupada
leaned off-mike and asked, “How you say – jackhighs?”
“Highjacks, Prabhupada, highjacks. ”
As Prabhupada was aware from the news, a Palestinian terrorist group had
just murdered all of Israel’s Olympic athletes at the Games in Munich and
highjacked a passenger plane to get away, the first “skyjacking” ever.
Prabhupada leaned back into the microphone and declared: “Yes, there were no
highjacks. ”
Not to be dismissed, the reporter took her best shot: “Well, Swami, if you
know all these ways to fly, then why did you fly American Airlines today to
Dallas?”
Without missing a beat, Prabhupada smiled with charming eyes: “To be one
with you. ”
Disarmed, the lady turned to me and loudly whispered, “I like that man!”
Pointed questions, perfect answers.
Fly us home, Srila Prabhupada, on the wings of your blessed mission to bring
everyone back to wonderful Krsna.
Praying for a pointed smack from your cane, I remain
Your aspiring servant,
Suresvara Dasa
Like sage Narada, Srila Prabhupada was continually flying everywhere to
rescue fallen souls. That’s why, for most of us diksa disciples, many of our
encounters with His Divine Grace were at airports. My first darsana had
happened at Detroit’s Metro Airport, my second at Dallas’s Love Field.
It was September 1972. After Prabhupada’s American Airlines jet touched down
on the tarmac, we ushered him into the airport’s VIP room for a press
conference. Quickly Prabhupada mounted a makeshift vyasasana and, without
any preliminaries, announced: “So, there are three ways to fly”
A well-dressed reporter from the Dallas Morning News stood next to me
holding a notepad, her pen poised to catch Prabhupada’s next words: “Mantra,
pigeon, and machine. ”
To Prabhupada’s serious disciples, this kind of pronouncement, however
exotic, sounded simply wonderful. And absolutely true. But to a snappy
reporter like the lady standing next to me, it was grist for the evening
paper. Sensing a story, she carefully spelled Prabhupada’s words on her pad:
m-a-n-t-r-a, p-i-g-e-o-n, m-a-c-h-i-n-e.
“Formerly, ” Prabhupada continued, “certain kinds of pigeons were trained to
carry people from one place to another. And mantra, simply by vibrating a
certain mantra, yogi could dip into the Ganges and travel thousands of miles
in a moment. ”
Suddenly the reporter interrupted with a question: “Were these ways of
flying more efficient than today’s jumbo jets?”
“Oh yes,” Prabhupada replied, “for one thing, there were no,” Prabhupada
leaned off-mike and asked, “How you say – jackhighs?”
“Highjacks, Prabhupada, highjacks. ”
As Prabhupada was aware from the news, a Palestinian terrorist group had
just murdered all of Israel’s Olympic athletes at the Games in Munich and
highjacked a passenger plane to get away, the first “skyjacking” ever.
Prabhupada leaned back into the microphone and declared: “Yes, there were no
highjacks. ”
Not to be dismissed, the reporter took her best shot: “Well, Swami, if you
know all these ways to fly, then why did you fly American Airlines today to
Dallas?”
Without missing a beat, Prabhupada smiled with charming eyes: “To be one
with you. ”
Disarmed, the lady turned to me and loudly whispered, “I like that man!”
Pointed questions, perfect answers.
Fly us home, Srila Prabhupada, on the wings of your blessed mission to bring
everyone back to wonderful Krsna.
Praying for a pointed smack from your cane, I remain
Your aspiring servant,
Suresvara Dasa
varnasrama needed; not so easy to be a Vaisnava
Vaisnava is not so easy. The varnasrama-dharma should be established to
become a Vaisnava. It is not so easy to become Vaisnava. [Conversation,
February 1977]
become a Vaisnava. It is not so easy to become Vaisnava. [Conversation,
February 1977]
October 26, 2012
Attachment for chanting comes from reading
…one must read Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and with scrutiny to gradually
become attached to the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 7.73
become attached to the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 7.73
