Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 36

For Durga-puja

During the morning walk on April 4, Prabhupada noticed a Durga temple and went a little out of his way to take darsana of Katyayani, the goddess Durga. Prabhupada offered his dandavats and began glorifying her: srstisthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka, chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga. This verse describes Durga as the Lord’s shadow potency. One can worship her, Prabhupada explained, to gain admission to Krsna’s service.

Jayadvaita Swami: Prabhupada had tears in his eyes as he spoke: “We are glorifying Durga, but not in the way the materialists do — ‘Give me this. Give me that’ — but like the gopis. They were praying to Durga: ‘You are always carrying out the orders of Krsna, so you are very dear to Krsna. Therefore please give us your blessings so that we can have Krsna as our husband.'”

From “Festivals” by Lokanatha Swami; p. 191

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The real principle of religion

We are trying to convince everyone that the devotional service of the Lord is enjoined in every scripture. If a person is religious, he must accept the supreme authority of the Lord, become His devotee and try to love Him. This is the real principle of religion. It does not matter whether one is Christian, Muslim, or whatever. He simply must accept the sublime position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and render service unto Him. It is not a question of being Christian, Muslim, or Hindu. One should be purely religious and freed from all these material designations. In this way one can learn the art of devotional service. This argument appeals to all intelligent men.

Srila Prabhupada; Cc 2.25.20, purport

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Oct 9 John Lennon

Born: 9 October 1940, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Assassinated: 8 December 1980

Mr. John Lennon is anxious for peace in the world, so also is everyone anxious for peace in the world, but it should be known how that peace can be attained. If we keep the human society as it is, there is no possibility of peace. It is not a question of simply accepting God as the center of everything and peace will be achieved, but the question is how to live in God. Mr. Lennon wants to stop war, but the war is the creation of different politicians. So unless on the summit of administration there are actually Krishna Conscious men, we cannot stop war. Therefore people in general must understand the importance of Krishna Consciousness, and they must in this democratic day send their real representatives who can make right decisions whether there should be war or no war.

Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Vibhavati — New Vrindaban 12 June, 1969

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Offenseless chanting will be successful

It is very much encouraging to me to hear of so many activities of performing kirtana there. Kirtana is the universal principle, therefore, if you chant Hare Krishna offenselessly, that is to say, avoiding the 10 kinds of offenses, the vibration is sure to act. And anywhere this vibration is made, it will be liked because it is done on the spiritual platform. And on the spiritual platform, there will be certainly agreement. So long one is on the material platform, there is no agreement. So our movement is directly taken to the spiritual platform. So do it nicely, offenselessly, and it will be successful anywhere.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gurudasa — Los Angeles 14 December, 1968

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The Panca-tattva taste and distribute transcendental love of Krsna

The characteristics of Krsna are understood to be a storehouse of transcendental love. Although that storehouse of love certainly came with Krsna when He was present, it was sealed. But when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came with His associates of the Panca-tattva, they broke the seal and plundered the storehouse to taste transcendental love of Krsna. The more they tasted it, the more their thirst for it grew. Sri Panca-tattva themselves danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink nectarean love of Godhead. They danced, cried, laughed, and chanted like madmen, and in this way they distributed love of Godhead. In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Panca-tattva distributed love of Godhead. Although the members of the Panca-tattva plundered the storehouse of love of Godhead and ate and distributed its contents, there was no scarcity, for this wonderful storehouse is so complete that as the love is distributed, the supply increases hundreds of times.

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 7.21–24, translation by Srila Prabhupada

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Deity worship is recommended, but chanting comes first

In this age, chanting of Hare Krsna Mantra is the prime business of the devotee, and preaching of this Hare Krsna Mantra by outdoor Sankirtana and propagation of literature is our more important business. Side by side, Deity worship is recommended, but when there is a question of accepting one of them, we shall prefer to accept chanting of Hare Krsna Mantra first.

Srila Prabhupada,Letter, 5 Sep 1969

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Contradictory attitude

The difficulty is that the people in this country want to continue their practice of sense gratification, and at the same time they want to become transcendentally advanced. This is quite contradictory.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Hayagriva, 14 Jun 1968, Montreal

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Even a dog can chant

Rupanuga Prabhu: Prabhupada produced an album, titled Krishna Consciousness, which was really definitive. It was made for everyone. On the album Srila Prabhupada mentions, “Even a dog can chant.” Just before that time, we were walking with Srila Prabhupada on a morning walk in the area looking for a possible new and bigger temple. While we were walking along and chanting japa, we started having a kirtan. A little dog came out of nowhere and started walking along with us and yipping, “Yip, yip, yip, yip,” chanting in his own way. And that’s why Srila Prabhupada talked about that dog, “Even a dog can chant.”

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Materialists are like madmen

Anyone who is not a devotee of the Lord, he is, his whole life, in trouble. He is, he has no value. When he is condemned so much, duskrtinah, mudhah, naradhama, mayayapahrta, what can he be? So condemned. Most mischievous, a rascal, ass, lowest of the mankind. And so he has passed so many degrees, and mayayapahrta-jnanah — finished. He is so condemned. So anyone who has no knowledge about this Krsna consciousness, we don’t give any position. Any position. It is not possible. Visaje payane jnane. When a man becomes mad, court position, he may be high-court judge, but because he has become mad, he has no position. He’s useless. You may say that he is a high-court judge. Now that’s all right, but in his present position, because he is mad: no value.

Srila Prabhupada — February 2, 1977, Bhubaneswar

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Gandhi’s spiritual asset

Ambassador: How did you feel about Gandhiji spiritually?

Prabhupada: He was a good gentleman, that’s all. He had no spiritual asset.

Room Conversation with Canadian Ambassador to Iran — March 13, 1975

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