Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 51

Old age makes devotees happy

Jara, the effect of old age, does not harass a devotee. This is because a devotee follows the instructions and the determination of Narada Muni. All devotees are in the disciplic succession stemming from Narada Muni because they worship the Deity according to Narada Muni’s direction, namely the Narada-pancaratra, or the pancaratrika-vidhi. A devotee follows the principles of pancaratrika-vidhi as well as bhagavata-vidhi. Bhagavata-vidhi includes preaching work — sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23] — the hearing and chanting of the glories of Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The pancaratrika-vidhi includes arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam. Because a devotee rigidly follows the instructions of Narada Muni, he has no fear of old age, disease or death. Apparently a devotee may grow old, but he is not subjected to the symptoms of defeat experienced by a common man in old age. Consequently, old age does not make a devotee fearful of death, as a common man is fearful of death. When jara, or old age, takes shelter of a devotee, Kalakanya diminishes the devotee’s fear. A devotee knows that after death he is going back home, back to Godhead; therefore he has no fear of death. Thus instead of depressing a devotee, advanced age helps him become fearless and thus happy.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.27.24, purport

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Kings & citizens

It is the duty of the king or the government to insure that the people observe the social order and that they are also employed in their respective occupational duties. In modern times, since the protection of the government or the king has been withdrawn, social order has practically collapsed. No one knows who is a brahmana, who is a ksatriya, who is a vaisya or who is a sudra, and people claim to belong to a particular social order by birthright only. It is the duty of the government to reestablish social order in terms of occupational duties and the modes of material nature, for that will make the entire world population actually civilized. If it does not observe the institutional functions of the four social orders, human society is no better than animal society in which there is never tranquillity, peace and prosperity but only chaos and confusion. Maharaja Prthu, as an ideal king, strictly observed the maintenance of the Vedic social order. Prajayate iti praja. The word praja refers to one who takes birth. Therefore Prthu Maharaja guaranteed protection for prajanam — all living entities who took birth in his kingdom. Praja refers not only to human beings but also to animals, trees and every other living entity. It is the duty of the king to give all living entities protection and food. The fools and rascals of modern society have no knowledge of the extent of the responsibility of the government. Animals are also citizens of the land in which they happen to be born, and they also have the right to continue their existence at the cost of the Supreme Lord. The disturbance of the animal population by wholesale slaughter produces a catastrophic future reaction for the butcher, his land and his government.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.21.22, Purport

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Those conducting the movement must be very well-behaved

Those who are conducting this movement, they must be very well-behaved. Nobody can find out any fault. That is susilah. The behavior should be so nice. That is the test of how you have become Krsna conscious. That is the test. Spotless … Sadhu. A saintly person is friend to everyone. He does not create an enemy but these demons, rascals, out of their envy they become our enemy. Otherwise our process is not to make an enemy. We invite everyone, ‘Please come here, take prasadam, chant Hare Krsna, dance and go home.’ Where is enmity? But still they’ll become enemy. That is the world. But if he lives with the sadhavah, susilah, and follows the rule and regulations, then he also becomes sadhavah. So the Krsna consciousness movement is simply giving chance to people without discrimination, ‘Please come. Become narayana-parayana, devotee, and automatically you’ll become susilah and sadhu.’ Therefore this path is the best way of advancing in our life and go back home, back to Godhead.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on SB 6.1.17, Honolulu, May 17, 1976

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Why Hanuman is worshiped

Gandhi used to say that he believes in Gita and Gita gives him solace in difficult times and so on, so on. But has he ever preached about Krsna? Tilok has ever preached about Krsna? Radhakrishnan has ever preached Krsna? Nobody. Their policy is take Sita and kill Rama. Ravana’s policy. Take away Sita. Take away Gita and kill Krsna. So Ravana’s policy will never be successful. Ravana’s policy means he will be destroyed. You cannot do any harm to Rama, but he will be destroyed. This policy, that take Sita and kill Rama, means he will destroy himself. So this is going on. Take Gita and kill Krsna. This will destroy the whole thing, this Ravana’s policy. And Hanuman’s policy, somehow or other rescue Sita and get her seated by the side of Rama. Therefore he’s worshiped, Vajrangaji. That is the difference between Ravana’s policy. Sita is the via media. But one is trying to bring back Sita and seat her by the side of Rama, and another is trying to take away Sita and kill Rama. This wrong policy will not save us. We have to accept the instruction of Gita and accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord. Then everything will be all right.

Srila Prabhupada — August 22, 1976, Hyderabad

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Hanuman’s perfection by serving Rama

The nine devotional process and how, by each process, one becomes perfect. Just like Pariksit Maharaja, simply hearing, and Sukadeva Gosvami, simply chanting, reciting Bhagavatam. So both of them got salvation. Laksmi, she is simply pada-sevanam, giving massage to the lotus feet of the Lord. Arjuna simply made friendship with Krsna. Hanuman simply worked as a hard servant.

He doesn’t know what He is… “Lord Ramacandra wants it.” Then it is done. Jump over. He does not know any philosophy. He has got bodily strength, so whatever Ramacandra says, he’ll do. He was asked to bring that medicine for Laksmana. He did not know where to find it: “Take this whole mountain.” [laughter] That is Hanuman. He was not intelligent. “Fight! We have to fight with Ravana. Then block his whole city by throwing stones and trees and dirt.” Everything became blocked; they could not move. So in one side he is born of animal life, he had no higher intelligence, but his staunch desire, that “I shall serve Lord Ramacandra…” By that. Only this desire made him perfect. Dasyam. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. So smaranam. Prahlada Maharaja, five-years-old boy, how he could protest against such a powerful demon father? He was simply thinking of Krsna: “All right, my father is punishing me. What can I do?” Simply absorbed, smaranam.

Srila Prabhupada — January 13, 1977, Allahabad

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Chanting — a very nice process

Chanting will force the mind upon Him. Krsna sound will by force. Chanting is so nice. And this is the practical yoga in this age. You cannot meditate. Your mind is so disturbed, you cannot concentrate your mind. Therefore chant, and by the sound vibration, it will forcibly enter it into your mind. Even if you don’t want Krsna, Krsna will enter within your mind. By force. [laughter] This is the easiest process. You don’t require to endeavor. Krsna is coming. [laughter] [Prabhupada laughs] It is very nice process. This is recommended, therefore, for this age.

And others also will be benefited. You chant loudly. Others who are not accustomed, they will also. Just like on the street, in the park, they say “Hare Krsna!” How they have learned? By hearing this chanting. That’s all. Sometimes the children, as soon as they see us, they say “Oh, Hare Krsna!” In Montreal the children, when I was walking on the street, all the children, the shopkeepers, the storekeepers, they will say “Hare Krsna!”

Srila Prabhupada, Lecture — October 18, 1968, Seattle

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Srila Prabhupada’s program to reinstate varnasrama-dharma

My next program is to reinstate the Vedic divisions in society as recommended in the Bhagavad-gita:

catur varnyam maya srstam/ guna karma vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam/ viddhy akartaram avyayam
[Bg 4.13]

Without this division there cannot be any systematic peaceful running of human activities. There must be a very intelligent class to guide the whole population with brahminical qualifications. There must be a class of people to give protection to the people at the time of danger and ordinarily to maintain peace and order, the ksatriyas. There must be a section to produce food and grains sumptuously for feeding both animals and humans without discrimination. Especially cows must be protected by this class. The meat eater class may not be encouraged but if they are stubbornly attached they can eat hogs and dogs or goats or lambs under certain conditions only, but not by maintaining slaughterhouses. Then human society will be very peaceful and everyone engaged in employment without producing any idle brains which only are devils workshops. If England and America as well as France and Germany can understand this philosophy there will be great theistic revolution which will counteract the atheistic philosophy of Marxism.

From a letter by Srila Prabhupada to Syamasundara — Bombay 1 April, 1974

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Invite all the world to live with us

If you simply boil little milk and little grain, whole day, so much sweet rice, you take — bas. You don’t require any more. And if you add little apples and fruits, oh, it is heavenly. Your whole day free from any food anxiety, and you can work. And you can work. You can chant Hare Krsna. Make this ideal life here. America has got good potency. We have got so much land here. We can have hundreds of New Vrindabans or farms like that. And people will be happy. And invite all the world, “Please come and live with us. Why you are suffering congestion, overpopulation? Welcome here. Chant Hare Krsna.”

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation, 28 June 1976

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Do not elect rascals and fools

According to Vedic civilization, in a monarchy the king is advised by saintly persons and sages. By taking their advice, he can become the greatest executive power, and everyone in his kingdom will be happy, peaceful and prosperous. The great kings were very responsible in taking the instructions given by great saintly personalities. The kings used to accept the instructions given by great sages like Parasara, Vyasadeva, Narada, Devala, and Asita. In other words, they would first accept the authority of saintly persons and then execute their monarchical power. Unfortunately, in the present Age of Kali, the head of government does not follow the instructions given by the saintly persons; therefore neither the citizens nor the men of government are very happy. Their duration of life is shortened, and almost everyone is wretched and bereft of bodily strength and spiritual power. If citizens want to be happy and prosperous in this democratic age, they should not elect rascals and fools who have no respect for saintly persons.

Srila Prabhupada, SB. 4.14.14 Purport

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The only safety in a nasty world

It is a nasty world. The only safety is to take shelter of Rama.

Srila Prabhupada – October 16, 1977, Vrndavana

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