Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 49

Modern education and the doggish mentality

Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master. After finishing a so-called education, the so-called educated persons move like dogs from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 2.3.19

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Animal-killing: the center of modern civilization

Modern civilization is centered around animal-killing. Karmis are advertising that without eating meat, their vitamin value or vitality will be reduced; so to keep oneself fit to work hard, one must eat meat, and to digest meat, one must drink liquor, and to keep the balance of drinking wine and eating meat, one must have sufficient sexual intercourse to keep fit to work very hard like an ass.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 4.27.11

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Monarchy or democracy, the same corruption

Dhruva Maharaja, as an ideal king, practically emptied his treasury by giving charity. A king is not meant simply to realize taxes from the citizens and accumulate wealth to spend in sense gratification. World monarchy has failed ever since kings began to satisfy their personal senses with the taxes accumulated from the citizens. Of course, whether the system is monarchy or democracy, the same corruption is still going on.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.12.10, Purport

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Different parties, same problems

At the present moment there are different parties in the democratic government, but everyone is busy trying to keep his post or trying to keep his political party in power. The politicians have very little time to think of the welfare of the citizens, whom they oppress with heavy taxes in the form of income tax, sales tax and many other taxes — people sometimes have eighty to ninety percent of their income taken away, and these taxes are lavishly spent for the high salaries drawn by the officers and rulers. Formerly, the taxes accumulated from the citizens were spent for performing great sacrifices as enjoined in the Vedic literature.

Srila Prabhupada SB 4.12.10, Purport

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Association with advanced devotees is always essential

The root cause of devotional service to Lord Krsna is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Krsna awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 22.83

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Thieving government is punishment for a godless civilization

They will snatch your money by force. You cannot say anything. That is punishment. Godless civilization, that is punishment, that your own government will snatch, by force, take away all your hard labor accumulation, by taxation. That is written in Srimad-Bhagavatam. You cannot fight. You will be harassed in so many ways you will become mad. Acchinna-dara-dravina yasyanti giri-kananam [SB 12.2.8]. Hopelessly they will leave hearth and home and go to the forest. This godless civilization will be punished like that. That day is coming like that. Nobody will be peaceful. They will be mad. Just like when a man becomes mad, he commits suicide, he blows off his head. There will be no rain — this is one punishment — and scarcity of food and heavy taxation by government. They are all mentioned. What more suffering you want?

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation – August 11, 1976, Tehran

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Srila Prabhupada’s mission, approved by Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya: [Cc. 1.8.128] “Anyone who knows the science of Krsna, he can become guru.” That is our mission. That is not my mission; that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. So it doesn’t matter you Europeans, Americans although not born in brahmana family. It doesn’t matter. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s approval. If you try to understand the science of Krsna, then, and if you behave properly, you can teach about Krsna all over your country, all over the world. That is my mission. And that is approved by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Try to understand the science of Krsna. Then you will be able to preach nicely and people will be benefited.

Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, 1 Jun 1975

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Provision for eating beef

When the cow is dead, you dig, or put it within the…. Or take it. No, nobody will object. In India, that is the system. When the cow is dead, there is a class, they are called cobblers, camara. They are informed and they’ll come. They’ll take it. And they’ll eat the flesh and take the skin, and tan it in their own method, and then prepare shoes. They sell it in the market. So without any price, they get the skin, they eat the flesh. So nobody is harmed. From economic point of view, it is very good. So why you are killing and maintaining so big, big slaughterhouse? Let everyone maintain the cows for taking milk. And when it dies, you take it, you meat-eaters. Make that arrangement.

Srila Prabhupada, Garden Conversation — June 14, 1976, Detroit

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The defect of democracy

Suppose if a people in general, they are not advanced, by their votes, somebody is elected, he may not be also advanced. That is the defect of democracy. Mass of people, they are not advanced.

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway — July 23, 1973, London

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First America, then the world

If somehow or other we can convince the majority of the United States population to take to Krsna Consciousness then the whole world will become Krsna Conscious. This is a fact. The United States is the leader of all other nations. You simply educate the people in this Krsna Conscious philosophy and then there will be no difficulty in capturing the government.

Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Rupanuga — Bombay 18 December, 1974

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