Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 339
June 16, 2012
Eternally Liberated and Eternally Bonded
Question:
If all souls have free will and they are all Krishna's creation, why has Krishna made certain souls eternally liberated and the remaining souls eternally bonded?
Download Eternally Liberated and Eternally Bonded
If all souls have free will and they are all Krishna's creation, why has Krishna made certain souls eternally liberated and the remaining souls eternally bonded?
Download Eternally Liberated and Eternally Bonded
June 15, 2012
How to know if an activity is right or wrong
Devotee (1): If someone has a desire to do something so that…
Prabhupada: Do something for Krsna?
Devotee (1): For Krsna. But he begins to realize it’s still tinged with a
lot of personal gratification…
Prabhupada: Therefore he should consult spiritual master. The guide is
there. Then it is all right. He should take sanction from Krsna or Krsna’s
representative. If he wants to do something, that’s good, but whether that
doing is right or wrong you have to know it from Krsna or His
representative.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15 — Auckland, February 22, 1973
Prabhupada: Do something for Krsna?
Devotee (1): For Krsna. But he begins to realize it’s still tinged with a
lot of personal gratification…
Prabhupada: Therefore he should consult spiritual master. The guide is
there. Then it is all right. He should take sanction from Krsna or Krsna’s
representative. If he wants to do something, that’s good, but whether that
doing is right or wrong you have to know it from Krsna or His
representative.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15 — Auckland, February 22, 1973
reaction to animal killing
People do not know that because of killing innocent animals they themselves
will have to suffer severe reactions from material nature. Any country where
people indulge in unnecessary killing of animals will have to suffer from
wars and pestilence imposed by material nature.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 7.15.24
will have to suffer severe reactions from material nature. Any country where
people indulge in unnecessary killing of animals will have to suffer from
wars and pestilence imposed by material nature.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 7.15.24
Srila Prabhupada on Vedic culture, by Srutakirti Prabhu
One day in the Spring of 1973 Srila Prabhupada was walking around in his
quarters, in New Dwarka, chanting Japa. I was arranging things on his desk.
He was looking out the window onto the street. He was watching a young boy
and girl who were talking to one another. “Young boys and girls,” he said.
“Now a boy, he sees a young girl and he wants to do something. He thinks, ‘I
want to be with her.’ He’ll go up to her and say, ‘What are you doing? Do
you want don’t to go out on a date?’
I had to smile. When Srila Prabhupada told a story it was often like a play.
He would assume the role of the characters he was representing. Hearing
Srila Prabhupada speaking like a young boy asking a girl out on a date was
certainly amusing to hear. At the same time it was very instructive.
He continued, “When I was young the same desires were there. The desires
haven’t changed. We also had desires like that. You see a girl. You become
attracted. But the culture was there. The Vedic culture was so strict you
wouldn’t even look at her, what to speak of talking to her or making some
proposition. Everything was the same, except the culture. Now, there is no
culture. You just go up to a girl and say anything you want. The desires are
always there, like this young boy and girl, but a boy could never approach a
girl to speak to her. It was unheard of. You wouldn’t think of doing it.”
He looked at me and continued, “When I was a young boy sometimes my mother
would go and spend some time with her lady friend who lived just across the
street. My mother did not even walk across the street by herself. A
carriage would pick her up at our home and take her across the street to her
friend’s house. This was the Vedic culture. Now there is no culture.”
your servant, Srutakirti das
quarters, in New Dwarka, chanting Japa. I was arranging things on his desk.
He was looking out the window onto the street. He was watching a young boy
and girl who were talking to one another. “Young boys and girls,” he said.
“Now a boy, he sees a young girl and he wants to do something. He thinks, ‘I
want to be with her.’ He’ll go up to her and say, ‘What are you doing? Do
you want don’t to go out on a date?’
I had to smile. When Srila Prabhupada told a story it was often like a play.
He would assume the role of the characters he was representing. Hearing
Srila Prabhupada speaking like a young boy asking a girl out on a date was
certainly amusing to hear. At the same time it was very instructive.
He continued, “When I was young the same desires were there. The desires
haven’t changed. We also had desires like that. You see a girl. You become
attracted. But the culture was there. The Vedic culture was so strict you
wouldn’t even look at her, what to speak of talking to her or making some
proposition. Everything was the same, except the culture. Now, there is no
culture. You just go up to a girl and say anything you want. The desires are
always there, like this young boy and girl, but a boy could never approach a
girl to speak to her. It was unheard of. You wouldn’t think of doing it.”
He looked at me and continued, “When I was a young boy sometimes my mother
would go and spend some time with her lady friend who lived just across the
street. My mother did not even walk across the street by herself. A
carriage would pick her up at our home and take her across the street to her
friend’s house. This was the Vedic culture. Now there is no culture.”
your servant, Srutakirti das
Bhakti-kutir ka Uddesya
[B]Where:[/B] Sanquelim, Goa, India[BR]
[B]When:[/B] 24 Jan 12[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] Hindi[BR]
[CUT]
Download Bhakti-kutir Ka Uddesya
[B]When:[/B] 24 Jan 12[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] Hindi[BR]
[CUT]
Download Bhakti-kutir Ka Uddesya
June 13, 2012
Srila Prabhupada: a very good investment for his disciples
…after you had traveled around the world a dozen times, opened scores of
temples, initiated thousands of disciples, preached on a scale unprecedented
in the history of the world, when you were presented with an opulent plate
of prasadam you commented, “I am now an old man. I have no appetite and I
have no teeth.” Then you considered further, “No eating, I sleep very
little, and I work all day and night. Minimal cost and maximum labor; very
good investment for my disciples.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Badrinarayan dasa
temples, initiated thousands of disciples, preached on a scale unprecedented
in the history of the world, when you were presented with an opulent plate
of prasadam you commented, “I am now an old man. I have no appetite and I
have no teeth.” Then you considered further, “No eating, I sleep very
little, and I work all day and night. Minimal cost and maximum labor; very
good investment for my disciples.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Badrinarayan dasa
June 11, 2012
the greatest Vaisnava
Na calati bhagavat-padaravindal lavanimisardham api sa vaisnavagryah: “A
person who does not move from the lotus feet of the Lord even for a moment
or a second is to be considered the greatest of all Vaisnavas.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 2.9.36
person who does not move from the lotus feet of the Lord even for a moment
or a second is to be considered the greatest of all Vaisnavas.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 2.9.36
How to Recognize Advanced Devotees with Pure Motives?
Question:
How to recognize who is chanting the holy name purely (eg. bhajans) since we don't know how this devotee acts in his private life? Is it a good sign that while hearing our attention to hear the holy name increases as well as our desire to chant more? I am hankering to associate with advanced devotees with pure motives, but it is so difficult for a fallen soul like me to distinguish properly. Sometimes I consider a certain devotee pure or serious but then hear of some "skeletons in his closet" so I became somewhat discouraged.
Download How to Recognize Advanced Devotees with Pure Motives?
How to recognize who is chanting the holy name purely (eg. bhajans) since we don't know how this devotee acts in his private life? Is it a good sign that while hearing our attention to hear the holy name increases as well as our desire to chant more? I am hankering to associate with advanced devotees with pure motives, but it is so difficult for a fallen soul like me to distinguish properly. Sometimes I consider a certain devotee pure or serious but then hear of some "skeletons in his closet" so I became somewhat discouraged.
Download How to Recognize Advanced Devotees with Pure Motives?
How ISKCON Can Overcome Institutional Dangers
[B]Where:[/B] Belgaum, Karnataka, India[BR]
[B]When:[/B] 22 Jan 12[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] English[BR]
[CUT]
Download How ISKCON Can Overcome Institutional Dangers
[B]When:[/B] 22 Jan 12[BR]
[B]Language:[/B] English[BR]
[CUT]
Download How ISKCON Can Overcome Institutional Dangers
June 10, 2012
Devotees have eyes of discrimination
The devotees, they have got such eyes to see that they can immediately
discriminate who is a fool, who is learned.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10 and Talk — Los Angeles, November
25, 1968
discriminate who is a fool, who is learned.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10 and Talk — Los Angeles, November
25, 1968
