Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 37

The only way to save the world

It is enjoined in the sastras that intelligent men in this age will take to the sankirtana movement, and by so doing they shall worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Caitanya, whose bodily complexion is golden and who is always accompanied by His confidential devotees to preach this Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. In its present condition, the world can only be saved by introducing this sankirtana, this Krsna consciousness movement.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.18.8, ppt.

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Associate with Krsna via this movement

In the present age, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to inaugurate the Hare Krsna movement. At the present time, in Kali-yuga, people are extremely sinful and bad (manda). They have no idea of spiritual life and are misusing the benefits of the human form to live like cats and dogs. Under these circumstances Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has inaugurated the Hare Krsna movement, which is not different from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one associates with this movement, he directly associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People should take advantage of the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra and thus gain relief from all the problems created in this age of Kali.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 9.24.56

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The spiritual method of producing grains

When there is a scarcity of grain, the government should follow the methods prescribed in the sastra and approved by the acaryas; thus there will be a sufficient production of grains, and food scarcity and famine can be checked. Bhagavad-gita recommends that we perform yajna, sacrifices. By the performance of yajna, sufficient clouds gather in the sky, and when there are sufficient clouds, there is also sufficient rainfall. In this way agricultural matters are taken care of. When there is sufficient grain production, the general populace eats the grains, and animals like cows, goats and other domestic animals eat the grasses and grains also. According to this arrangement, human beings should perform the sacrifices recommended in the sastras, and if they do so there will no longer be food scarcity. In Kali-yuga, the only sacrifice recommended is sankirtana-yajna. In this verse there are two significant words: yogena, “by the approved method,” and drstena, “as exemplified by the former acaryas.” One is mistaken if he thinks that by applying modern machines such as tractors, grains can be produced. If one goes to a desert and uses a tractor, there is still no possibility of producing grains. We may adopt various means, but it is essential to know that the planet earth will stop producing grains if sacrifices are not performed. The earth has already explained that because nondevotees are enjoying the production of food, she has reserved food seeds for the performance of sacrifice. Now, of course, atheists will not believe in this spiritual method of producing grains, but whether they believe or not, the fact remains that we are not independent to produce grain by mechanical means.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.18.8, ppt

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If you kill, you must be killed

You don’t require to be sent to the slaughterhouse. You’ll make yourм slaughterhouse at home. You’ll kill your own child. Abortion. This is nature’s law. What are these children being killed? They are these meat-eaters. They enjoyed. Now they are being killed by the mother. They do not know how nature is working. You must be killed. If you kill, you must beм killed.

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation — June 11, 1974, Paris

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Pariksit, an ideal king, representative of the Supreme Lord

Pariksit Maharaja was an ideal king and householder because he was a devotee of the Personality of Godhead. A devotee of the Lord automatically has all good qualifications. And the Emperor was a typical example of this. Personally he had no attachment for all the worldly opulences in his possession. But since he was king for the all-around welfare of his citizens, he was always busy in the welfare work of the public, not only for this life, but also for the next. He would not allow slaughterhouses or killing of cows. He was not a foolish and partial administrator who would arrange for the protection of one living being and allow another to be killed. Because he was a devotee of the Lord, he knew perfectly well how to conduct his administration for everyone’s happiness-men, animals, plants and all living creatures. He was not selfishly interested. Selfishness is either self-centered or self-extended. He was neither. His interest was to please the Supreme Truth, Personality of Godhead. The king is the representative of the Supreme Lord, and therefore the king’s interest must be identical with that of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord wants all living beings to be obedient to Him and thereby become happy. Therefore the king’s interest is to guide all subjects back to the kingdom of God.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 1.4.12, Purport

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Dangerous scholarship

I am also practically finding that if any of our students artificially try to become scholars by associating with unwanted persons they become victimized, for a little learning is dangerous, especially for the Westerners. I am practically seeing that as soon as they begin to learn a little sanskrit immediately they feel that they have become more than their guru and then the policy is kill guru and be killed himself.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Dixit — Vrindaban 18 September, 1976

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Srila Prabhupada in America: You are never alone

A Vaisnava is never alone. When I first came to the United States I was seemingly alone for one year. But I never felt alone. I always felt the presence of my Guru Maharaja. Myself, I was cooking, I was printing books, I was selling books, everything seemingly alone. But I did not lose my determination. Actually you should know this, you are never alone.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Trivikrama — Bombay 27 December, 1974

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Promise and become perfect

If you make it a promise, that “I shall not talk anything except Krsna’s message,” and if you promise that “I shall not take anything which is not offered to Krsna,” these two things, this prasadam and chanting, will make you perfect to understand Krsna.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.33 — November 20, 1976, Vrndavana

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Chanting manifests lila

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc Antya 20.21], life should be so moulded that this kirtana will go on twenty-four hours.

Even you are engaged in your occupational duties if you practice it. It will go on twenty-four hours and when you are advanced in practice as soon as you chant the Hare Krsna mantra immediately the Krsna with all His paraphernalia. Krsna does not mean alone, just like when we speak, “The king is coming,” that does not mean king is coming alone. He is coming, his private secretary is coming, his etikong [?] is coming, his military secretary is carrying on, so many people are coming. Similarly Krsna those who are impersonalists, voidists, for them Krsna has nothing to do. But actually those who are devotees of Krsna as soon as they chant this word, “Krsna” or, “Rama,” immediately all Krsna’s paraphernalia becomes manifest.

Just like it is stated in the Brahma-samhita [Bs 5.29]:

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Krsna means Krsna, immediately Krsna’s Vrndavana-lila, Krsna’s Dvaraka-lila, Krsna’s Mathura-lila, immediately becomes in rememberence. Krsna who is fighting with such-and-such demons, Krsna is playing with His cowherd boyfriends, Krsna is dancing with the gopis. Krsna is speaking with His mother, Krsna is joking with His friends, Krsna is taking the cows to the pasturing grounds there He is taking bath in the… So many things will come in your mind. So these descriptions are there in the Krsna. So actually one who is advanced in Krsna consciousness, simply by chanting one word, “Krsna,” so many things will come — harer muhuh: and this remembering of Krsna’s pastimes when you are accustomed. Then even when you are sleeping you will think of Krsna — harer muhuh. That is perfection of Krsna consciousness. Not a second, not a moment he is without Krsna consciousness. That is recommended here: srnvatam grnatam viryany uddamani, because when you are thinking of Krsna everything is profoundly uddamani — encouraged. Krsna is engaged in fighting with the demons, how He is saving his friends in the forest fire, everything is. How He has lifted the Govardhan hill. All endeavors are uncommon in the human society, they are very interesting especially to the devotees.

Yatha sujataya bhaktya: but these things happen when you are developed in devotional service — bhaktya. Just like you can imagine that if you have got profound love for a person, either for your children or for your wife, then you’ll always think of them. You can not be without thinking of them for a second, this is practice only. So if we transfer this power of thinking to Krsna, that is our perfection of life. We are thinking, we can not stay without thinking for a moment but if we think Krsna and His pastimes then our life is perfect, that is Krsna consciousness. Yatha sujataya bhaktya: but this situation is possible by advanced devotional service — sujataya bhaktya. Suddhyet: that means so long we are thinking of Krsna and His pastimes we are being purified, purified. If you can not think then you must hear therefore this is the opportunity. In a temple or in a place, institute like this where there is always something Krsna business. So from morning to night something is going on about Krsna so by association one becomes purified.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.32-33 February 23, 1971, Gorakhpur

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Loving everyone by chanting

When one becomes Krsna conscious, he loves everyone. If you chant loudly Hare Krsna, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he’ll be delivered, because it is spiritual vibration.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on The Nectar of Devotion — Bombay, January 4, 1973

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