Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 43

Why one should come to Krsna consciousness

A devotee of Krsna should free himself from the clutches of maya, and he should also be compassionate to all others suffering in those clutches. The activities of the Krsna consciousness movement are meant not only for oneself but for others also. This is the perfection of Krsna consciousness. One who is interested only in his own salvation is not as advanced in Krsna consciousness as one who feels compassion for others and who therefore propagates Krsna consciousness. Such an advanced devotee will never fall down, for Krsna will give him special protection. That is the sum and substance of the Krsna consciousness movement. Everyone is like a plaything in the hands of the illusory energy and is acting as she dictates. One should come to Krsna consciousness to release oneself and others from this bondage.

Srila Prabhupada, A Second Chance ch. 18

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Material love

Loving affairs in the material world: they are only shadows or reflections of the real love with Krishna. If you love Krishna in any capacity, you shall never be frustrated because everything in Krishna is perfect, eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Kancanbala — Los Angeles 14 January, 1968

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Divorce is animalism

Yogesvara: So here’s a practical problem. People would be interested to know our position on divorce. Here in Rome they just passed a divorce law.

Prabhupada: That is also animalism. Just like a dog having sex intercourse with another female dog, and another, another, another. It is also animalism. So that is your decision. They are animals, and different way they are coming to be naked animal, that’s all. The divorce is also dog’s business. Dog is having sex intercourse with this female dog and another, another, another, another. It is animalism, that’s all.

Yogesvara: But people are objecting, that “If we cannot get divorced, then we are forced to live with each other even if we hate each other.”

Prabhupada: But hate each other, that’s all right. We say what is the use of your sexual intercourse? That is animalism. You avoid it. Our Vedic civilization is to avoid it. Therefore they remain brahmacari, naisthika-brahmacari, no sexual intercourse in the whole life. That is perfection.

Yogesvara: But that’s not possible for the mass of people.

Prabhupada: No, why not possible? We have got so many. Just like Sukadeva Gosvami: he remained completely brahmacari, although naked he is, even he is. He doesn’t require, and neither he is agitated. Just like when he was passing, the girls were taking bath. They did not take care, because they knew that he is not at all affected by any woman. And when his father was going, they covered. So father inquired, Vyasadeva, a personality like Vyasadeva, said, “Why you covered? I am old man, and my young son, he was passing naked.” They said that “He is paramahamsa. He has no agitation of the mind. But you are grhastha. You live with woman. You have got distinction, man and woman.”

So this is civilization. What is the use of sex life? It is simply entanglement. Therefore, at the last stage, one is supposed to become sannyasi. What is sannyasi? Vanaprastha, sannyasi, brahmacari — no sex life. Out of the three…, four different status of life, the brahmacari has no sex life, the vanaprastha has no sex life, the sannyasi has no sex life. Only the grhastha. That means it is prohibitory. It is allowed — it is a simply concession to the person who cannot remain without sex life. It is simply a concession. Otherwise, according to Vedic civilization, there is no need of sex life. Because it is entanglement, simply entanglement. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham [SB 7.9.45].

Morning Walk — May 28, 1974, Rome

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Mayavadis cannot appreciate Krsna consciousness

Foolish Mayavadis, not knowing that the Krsna consciousness movement is based on a solid philosophy of transcendental science, superficially conclude that those who dance and chant do not have philosophical knowledge.

Those who are Krsna conscious actually have full knowledge of the essence of Vedanta philosophy, for they study the real commentary on the Vedanta philosophy, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and follow the actual words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as found in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. After understanding the Bhagavata philosophy, or bhagavata-dharma, they become fully spiritually conscious or Krsna conscious, and therefore their chanting and dancing is not material but is on the spiritual platform. Although everyone admires the ecstatic chanting and dancing of the devotees, who are therefore popularly known as “the Hare Krsna people,” Mayavadis cannot appreciate these activities because of their poor fund of knowledge.

Srila Prabhupada, CC Adi 7.42, ppt.

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Two things for perfection

If by the tongue you chant Hare Krsna mantra, and by the tongue you taste prasadam, you will be perfect, simply by executing these two things.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 1.10 — 12 July, 1973

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Becoming a guru by chanting

A bona fide spiritual master chants the holy names Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and the transcendental sound vibration enters the ear of the disciple, and if the disciple follows in the footsteps of his spiritual master and chants the holy name with equal respect, this chanting constitutes worship of the transcendental name. When the transcendental name is worshiped by the devotee, the name Himself spreads His glories within the heart of the devotee. When the devotee is perfectly qualified in chanting the transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master and to deliver all the people of the world.

Srila Prabhupada, Teachings of Lord Caitanya ch. 18

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Removing the bodily concept of life

That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, that “Your position is that you are not this body. Your position is that you are the proprietor of the body; you are spirit soul.” So if people are not educated on this understanding that the soul is different from body, that is… The beginning of education is wrong. Therefore whatever further advancement of so-called education is wrong, because the basic principle is wrong. So the Krsna consciousness movement means they want to educate people, rectifying the basic principle of misconception: “I am body.” “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am fat,” “I am thin,” “I am black,” “I am white”—all bodily conception. This has to be removed first of all. So the sastra says that if one is in the bodily concept of life, then he is no more better than an animal. No better than an animal. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13], we have discussed many times. This bodily concept of life should be first of all removed. We must be enlightened. Otherwise, if we act on the bodily concept of life, then not bhadrani, not auspicious, everything is inauspicious.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.44 — July 25, 1975, Los Angeles

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Have faith in sastra or get out

From Srutakirti Prabhu’s memoir:

I was rubbing his back vigorously and he inquired, “So, we have to accept the sastra. Sastra is our mother. If you want to know who your father is, you have to know from your mother. Is that right?” I immediately agreed.

Then he asked, “What do the scientists say about that?” I was alone and Srila Prabhupada was engaging me in a mock debate. I thought for a moment, not nearly long enough, and responded. “Well Prabhupada, the mother is there, but you have to accept that she is telling you the truth when she says that this person is your father.” Much to my surprise Srila Prabhupada became very upset with me. He shouted, “If you do not accept that is the truth, then what are you doing here? If you do not accept the sastra, then why are you here?” I had no idea what I did wrong. I thought I was playing the devil’s advocate. I quickly confirmed saying, “I accept Prabhupada!” He emphatically said, “Yes, you must accept! If you do not accept you have no business here. This Krsna consciousness is there. We must have faith. If there is no faith, then what are you doing here?”

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Changing the chaotic condition of the world

By the regular performance of yajna, the equal distribution of wealth and the restriction of sense gratification, the entire world will be made peaceful and prosperous. As already mentioned, in this age of Kali the simple performance of sankirtana-yajna — the holding of festivals as initiated by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness — should be introduced in every town and village. Intelligent men should encourage the performance of sankirtana-yajna by their personal behavior. This means that they should follow the process of austerity by restricting themselves from illicit sex life, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. If the intelligent men, or the brahmanas of society, would follow the rules and regulations, certainly the entire face of this present world, which is in such chaotic condition, would change, and people would be happy and prosperous.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.18.13, ppt.

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In the Vedic system, woman is always subordinate

Natural position is that the wife is under or subordinate to the husband. At least that is the Vedic conception. Therefore woman places herself in the position of dasi, dasi, maidservant. Even the queens of Krsna, when… You will find in the Bhagavata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, when there was talking between the queens and Draupadi at Kuruksetra on some festival, that women, mixing together, they talk about their marriage, about their family, about their husband, so they were also talking. So Draupadi was asking the queens of Krsna how they were married. Because in each time Krsna had to fight to get the wife. That is the ksatriya principle. Without fight, there is no marriage. There must be some fight. And after killing the opposing party, their blood is taken and smeared over it. This is red vermilion. Now it can be purchased. [laughter] There is no fight. You can purchase, two paisa, that’s all. But formerly a ksatriya must fight, and there were many opposing princes, and the victorious prince must kill or at least get some blood from the body, and as victorious, the wife will be smeared.

Anyway, so the point is that even the queens of Krsna, they are not ordinary woman; very exalted. So they were giving their acquaintances to Draupadi, “In this way I became a maidservant of Krsna.” You will find this in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Even the queens… Every queen possessed a big, palatial building, and all the palaces were made of first-class marble, and the furnitures were made of ivory, and the beddings, and the within the room, there was no need of electrical bulb; they are set up with jewels, and they would throw the focus of light. And there was garden, parijata flower. You will find all these things in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. And each queen had ten sons. And the sons were also married; they had sons. In this way, very, very opulent. But still, they were placing themself in the position of maidservant. They were also king’s daughter, not ordinary being. So that is the Vedic conception. Of course, I do not know what is the practice here, but in Bengal this is the practice. When the son goes to marry to the bride’s house, it is a custom. The mother asks the son, “My dear son, where you are going?” So the bridegroom answers, “I am going to bring one maidservant for you.” This is the system.

So the Vedic…, according to the Vedic system, there is no equal right of the man and woman. The woman is always subordinate. That is the Manu-samhita law. Na stri svatantryam arhati. A woman does not require, does not desire, to get independence. That is good for them. If the woman remains under the protection — in young age under father, when he [she] is child; when he [she] is young, under the protection of husband; and when she is old, under the protection of elderly children — that is their very safe position. Just like Kunti. Kunti was not ordinary woman; still, she kept herself under the protection of the five sons. The sons were going to forest. Kunti was not asked to go to the forest, but because she took it to be protected by the sons, she also went to the forest. Just like Sita-devi. Sita, she was also king’s daughter. When Ramacandra was going to the forest, Ramacandra did not ask also; neither Sita was asked by her father-in-law to go to the forest. But she preferred to go with Ramacandra just to be protected by Him. This is the system.

Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.8 – December 20, 1974, Bombay

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