Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 46

Seek the association of pure devotees

What is the secret of hearing and chanting? A professional speaker cannot impress transcendental ecstasy within the heart of the listeners. However, when a realized soul who is engaged in the service of the Lord is speaking, he has the potency to inject spiritual life within the audience. One should, therefore, seek the association of such pure unalloyed devotees, and by such association and service a neophyte devotee will certainly develop attachment, love and devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada; Nectar of Devotion Chapter 17

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Please, get up, get up, get up

Our only aim is how to preach Krsna consciousness. The Vaisnava’s business is para-duhkha-duhkhi. Para means others, and duhkha means unhappy. So Vaisnava personally has no unhappiness, because Vaisnava is under the protection of Krsna. So there is no question of unhappiness for a Vaisnava. But Vaisnava is unhappy by seeing others suffering. Para-duhkha-duhkhi. That is the definition of Vaisnava. Try to do some good to others, because they are suffering on account of ignorance. Lokasya ajanatah, they do not know what is the aim of life, living like animals. So the Vedic mantra is, uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibhodata. The same Vedic mantra is sung by Bhaktivinode Thakura, jiv jago, jiv jago. So we have to awaken them. They are sleeping under the spell of maya, and forgotten his real identity, and suffering-not only this life, life after lifetime. If he does not awake, that is his misfortune, but our duty is, “Please, get up, get up, get up.”

Srila Prabhupada,  June 20,  1975

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Life on other planets

Prabhupada: In the sun planet, in the moon planet, there are also human beings like us, and they are called devas because they are high, intellectual. They are all very powerful than ourself, and they have got different bodies with different power and everything. Otherwise, there is no question… Even great scientists like Dr. Meghnad Saha in India, he, he said that there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there is no life. How can you? Just like because you have not seen India you cannot say, “Oh, there, there is no living being. It is vacant.” So these people are going to the moon planet. They are saying it is full of dust, it is full of clay, or something like that. All these foolishness. You see? That means they have not reached. Outside they take some photo and they come out.

Woman: They announced today on the radio they’ve seen a lot of flying saucers.

Prabhupada: Yes. Let them talk all nonsense. But we have got information that this moon planet is a very nice planet, you see, and the inhabitants there, they are very intelligent, and the people who perform pious work here in this planet, they are promoted, promoted to the moon planet. And it is very cold also. Just like your European countries and American countries because, due to… You have come from America. America, European countries, people are accustomed to drink because due to the cold climate. Indians are not accustomed. But your drinking is necessary thing in Europe. Similarly, this moon planet is so cold that they live by drinking soma-rasa. There is a kind of liquor which is called soma-rasa. Yes. Soma-rasa. Soma-rasa. Soma-rasa, here, it is described in Ayur-veda. That soma-rasa preparation is there. If anyone can prepare that soma-rasa, and anyone can drink that soma-rasa, he becomes immortal. That means his duration of life increases. Increases. So anyway, these descriptions are there. So there are intelligent living beings there also.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.12 – March 9, 1966, New
York

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Angry parents

This mentality of Prajapati Daksa still continues even today. When young boys join the Krsna consciousness movement, their fathers and so-called guardians are very angry at the propounder of the Krsna consciousness movement because they think that their sons have been unnecessarily induced to deprive themselves of the material enjoyments of eating, drinking and merrymaking. Karmis, fruitive workers, think that one should fully enjoy his present life in this material world and also perform some pious activities to be promoted to higher planetary systems for further enjoyment in the next life. A yogi, however, especially a bhakti-yogi, is callous to the opinions of this material world.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 6.5.58

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Equal rights for women is maya

Just like a male and female. That movement is very strong now in America. The female wants to become male, or equal rights. This is maya. How woman can become in equal with man? Of course, we are not going to study the social welfare activities or something like that, but purusa and prakrti, they are different. Purusa means enjoyer, and prakrti means enjoyed.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.55 – August 13, 1975, London

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Bhakti, like a mango, is always good

Mango is so nice, either ripened or unripened, it is always good. And that goodness may be tasted by different types of men. But mango is always good. Mango is mango, “King of all fruits.” So devotional service is king of all processes of God realization. That is its position always, either ripened or
unripe.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.16-17 — 10 February, 1971

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Rules for chanting

Why not follow strictly? It is very simple. Chant Hare Krishna mantra. Because in the beginning we have no attachment for Hare Krishna mantra therefore the stricture is that you must chant so many beads. So, so long we haven’t got natural aptitude, natural affection for chanting Hare Krishna. We must follow these rules. But when you actually become experienced and advanced in Krsna consciousness then for a moment you cannot remain without chanting Hare Krishna. But so long we don’t come to that stage we must strictly follow to chant the 16 rounds.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.16-19 December 11, 1970, Bombay

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Foolish persons forgetting the laws of nature

The attraction for material enjoyment is due to an increase of the mode of passion. A person in the material world, when favored by the material opulence of riches, generally becomes addicted to three things — intoxication, sex and gambling. Materially opulent men, being puffed up with the accumulation of wealth, also become so merciless that they indulge in killing animals by opening slaughterhouses. And they think that they themselves will never die. Such foolish persons, forgetting the laws of nature, become overly infatuated with the body.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book, chapter 10

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All the demons will be finished

So these rascals are going on. So it is very difficult to preach Krishna consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 1.8.34, Los Angeles, April 26, 1973

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Why change the government without a better replacement?

I am not talking of any government. We are not in politics. We are talking of preaching. Why this government should you try to change? Where is the better replacement? First of all find out the better replacement. Then you talk of changing. Where is the better replacement? To replace one rascal with another, that is not… Now democratic government, if the people become Krsna conscious, then naturally their leader will be Krsna conscious. So automatically it will change. There is no question of violence. What is the use? Now, suppose by violence you become the president of the United States. Will you be able to do something?

Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk — December 30, 1973, Los Angeles

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