Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 52

Rama-lila — pitiable or ecstasy?

An apparently pitiable condition in devotional service may appear distressing to the inexperienced student, but the feelings of the devotee in this pitiable condition are considered to be ecstatic by expert devotees. For example, the subject matter of the Ramayana is sometimes considered pitiable and distressing to the heart, but actually that is not the fact. The Ramayana narrates how Lord Rama was sent to the forest by His father just when He was going to be enthroned. After Lord Rama’s departure, Maharaja Dasaratha, His father, died. In the forest His wife, Sitadevi, was kidnapped by Ravana, and there was a great war. When Sitadevi was finally delivered from the clutches of Ravana, Ravana’s whole family and kingdom, and Ravana himself, were vanquished. When Sitadevi came home she was tried by fire, and after some days she was again banished to the forest. All of these subjects in the Ramayana seem very pitiable, and they may appear very distressing to the reciter, but actually they are not. Otherwise, why would Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Ramacandra, read daily about the activities of Lord Ramacandra, as described in the Ramayana itself? The fact is that in any of the above-mentioned twelve transcendental humors of devotional service, everything is transcendentally pleasing.

From The Nectar of Devotion, by Srila Prabhupada

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Vibhisana came to Ramacandra

We have to live with devotees. Why I left my family? Because they were not devotees. Therefore I come. Otherwise, in old age, I would have been comfortable. No. We should not live with the nondevotees, may be family men or anyone. Just like Maharaja Vibhisana: because his brother was not devotee, he left him. Left him. He came to Ramacandra.

Srila Prabhupada; Morning Walk – December 5, 1973, Los Angeles

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Rama and Varnasrama-dharma

They sometimes use “Rama-rajya party,” but without Rama. This is their policy. Where is that Rama? When Lord Ramacandra returned from the forest, His brother, Bharata, was ruling as a saintly person. But as soon as the eldest brother came back, he entreated that “Now You sit down on the throne.” But He first of all tested what kind of people in generally there are in the Ayodhya. So when He understood that all the citizens, they are strictly following the varnasrama-dharma, then He agreed to accept the throne.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.28 — November 15, 1976, Vrndavana

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Spoiling the Hindu religion?

The present so-called Hindu religion, being predominantly conducted by the Mayavada philosophy, has become a hodgepodge institution of various concocted ideas. Mayavadis greatly fear the Krsna consciousness movement and accuse it of spoiling the Hindu religion because it accepts people from all parts of the world and all religious sects and scientifically engages them in the daiva-varnasrama-dharma. As we have explained several times, however, we find no such word as “Hindu” in the Vedic literature. The word most probably came from Afghanistan, a predominantly Muslim country, and originally referred to a pass in Afghanistan known as Hindukush, which is still a part of a trade route between India and various Muslim countries. The actual Vedic system of religion is called varnasrama-dharma.

Srila Prabhupada, CC Adi 12.73 ppt.

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Who to vote for

Because of the importance of the Krsna consciousness movement, people should be Krsna conscious and should not vote for anyone who is not Krsna conscious. Then there will be actual peace and prosperity in the state. When a Vaisnava sees mismanagement in the government, he feels great compassion in his heart and tries his best to purify the situation by spreading the Hare Krsna movement.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 6.2.3, purport

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Illicit sex, extremely sinful

The sexual urge is so strong that sometimes a man indulges in sexual relations with a cow, or a woman indulges in sexual relations with a dog. Such men and women are put into the hell known as Vajrakantaka-salmali. The Krsna consciousness movement forbids illicit sex. From the description of these verses, we can understand what an extremely sinful act illicit sex is. Sometimes people disbelieve these descriptions of hell, but whether one believes or not, everything must be carried out by the laws of nature, which no one can avoid.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 5.26.21, ppt

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Reading: a pleasing tapasya

If you simply take little trouble to understand Krsna . . . That tapasya is required: to read Krsna’s instruction, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and try to understand Krsna. Because that tapasya, if you take little painful . . . It is not painful. It is very pleasing. But we avoid it. We think it is painful. ‘Ah! Who is going to read books? We are meant for selling books, not for reading books.’ This is not good. We should read also. That is tapasya. Don’t think that simply our books are meant for selling. No. It is meant for reading also. If we read regularly, at least two hours, three hours, that is tapasya.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture, Sri Vrndavana Dhama, October 20th, 1976

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Beat the atheists with shoes

When a person is fool number one, beat him. That’s all. Tulasi dasa has said, dhol gunar sudra pasu nari, ei saba sasana ke adhikari. Dhol, drum, you have to bring it to the tune by beating, “tung, tung.” Gunar. Gunar means fool person. Pasu, animal. Dhol, gunar, pasu, sudra, and nari, woman. They should be punished to bring them into order. Ei saba sasana ke adhikari. Otherwise they will spoil. A barking dog, you cannot pacify him, “My dear dog, don’t bark.” It will disturb him: “No!” Dhol gunar sudra pasu nari, ei saba sasana ke adhikari. So anyone who is denying the existence of God, he is a rascal number one and beat him with shoes. Bas. He is being beaten with shoes by nature.

Srila Prabhupada, Room conversation, April 19, 1977, Bombay

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Stop demonism

Svarupa Damodara: They want to stop spread of communism.

Prabhupada: Yes. Similarly, now America has to do the same thing to stop demonism. Then your nation will be leader. You understand; you have trust in God. Now it is your business to trust in real God and work for Him. You cannot… I have explained already. You cannot stop communism. You have to stop demonism. That is your real business. Communism is another type of demonism. So if you remain a demon, so what is the use of stopping another demonism?

Morning Walk — December 13, 1973, Los Angeles

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Spiritual connection

Always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me, I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gaurasundara, November 13, 1969

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