Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 53

How to handle complaints against oneself

Regarding the complaints against yourself you have mentioned, I do not find any complaints. But even if there should be such complaints, you must remain pure, and automatically the complaints will vanish. And, if there is any truth in the complaints, you should rectify and be purified.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Sudama — Bombay 2 December, 1974

The post How to handle complaints against oneself appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Do everything carefully, don’t hurt sentiments

I have seen the agenda of your president’s meeting. This is nice. One thing should be followed, however, as your countrymen are more or less independent spirited and lovers of democracy. So everything should be done very carefully so that their sentiments may not be hurt. According to Sanskrit moral principles, everything has to be acted, taking consideration of the place, audience and time.

Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Tamala Krsna — Tittenhurst 13 October, 1969

The post Do everything carefully, don’t hurt sentiments appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Even the Spiritual Master sees his disciples as “prabhu”

A spiritual master takes his disciples as his spiritual master. That is the position. He thinks that “Krsna has sent me so many spiritual master.” He does not think himself as spiritual master; he thinks himself their servant. Because they have to be trained. Krsna has appointed him to train them. Therefore he thinks himself as the servant of the disciples. This is the position. So when one is advanced, he can see the importance of devotee.

Advanced devotee never disobey or disrespect another devotee. Disrespect to another devotee is a great offense, vaisnava-aparadha. Vaisnava-aparadha is very serious offense. Therefore we teach to address amongst the devotees, “Prabhu,” “Prabhu,” “Such and such Prabhu.” This should not be simply spoken by the lips; it should be realized. Everyone should think other devotee as his prabhu, master, not he should try to become master.

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena…

Manadena. We should be always ready to offer respect to all, not only devotees, but everyone. Everyone.

Because every living entity is originally a devotee of Krsna. But circumstantially, being covered by the coat of maya, he’s playing like demon. But his original nature is a devotee of Krsna. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsnera dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. Everyone is eternally servant of Krsna. But being influenced by maya, when he gets this body, given by maya… Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. [Bg 3.27] When he’s conducted by the three gunas of maya, he thinks himself otherwise. He thinks himself independent of Krsna. But actually, nobody is independent of Krsna.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on The Nectar of Devotion – October 23, 1972, Vrndavana

The post Even the Spiritual Master sees his disciples as “prabhu” appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Victory for a woman

SB 9.3.10

TRANSLATION

Cyavana Muni was very irritable, but since Sukanya had gotten him as her husband, she dealt with him carefully, according to his mood. Knowing his mind, she performed service to him without being bewildered.

PURPORT

This is an indication of the relationship between husband and wife. A great personality like Cyavana Muni has the temperament of always wanting to be in a superior position. Such a person cannot submit to anyone. Therefore, Cyavana Muni had an irritable temperament. His wife, Sukanya, could understand his attitude, and under the circumstances she treated him accordingly. If any wife wants to be happy with her husband, she must try to understand her husband’s temperament and please him. This is victory for a woman. Even in the dealings of Lord Krsna with His different queens, it has been seen that although the queens were the daughters of great kings, they placed themselves before Lord Krsna as His maidservants. However great a woman may be, she must place herself before her husband in this way; that is to say, she must be ready to carry out her husband’s orders and please him in all circumstances. Then her life will be successful. When the wife becomes as irritable as the husband, their life at home is sure to be disturbed or ultimately completely broken. In the modern day, the wife is never submissive, and therefore home life is broken even by slight incidents. Either the wife or the husband may take advantage of the divorce laws. According to the Vedic law, however, there is no such thing as divorce laws, and a woman must be trained to be submissive to the will of her husband. Westerners contend that this is a slave mentality for the wife, but factually it is not; it is the tactic by which a woman can conquer the heart of her husband, however irritable or cruel he may be. In this case we clearly see that although Cyavana Muni was not young but indeed old enough to be Sukanya’s grandfather and was also very irritable, Sukanya, the beautiful young daughter of a king, submitted herself to her old husband and tried to please him in all respects. Thus she was a faithful and chaste wife.

The post Victory for a woman appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Srila Prabhupada wanted to be free to write

I think from now on the GBC men may be consulted in all such matters of temple management and affairs. I have given them everything, so they shall be able to answer all questions, and if they cannot answer from their experience, then I have given answer in my books — and still if they cannot answer, they may ask me. But now we are expanding very rapidly with so many centers throughout the world, and every day I am receiving not less than ten to fifteen important letters. I am always very much encouraged to hear from my disciples and to reply them, but now I am old man and I have inclination for philosophy and translating, and if all day and night I am reading and answering and signing letters then I cannot utilize this, the fag end of my life, to give you so many nice literatures like the Vedas, Upanisads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other books in our own Gaudiya line, like Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Visvanatha Cakravarti and others. So if the GBC which I have appointed for this task will kindly now assist me in this way, by handling very expertly and with all good consideration all matters of managing, I shall devote my full time to giving you further nice books.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Kirtika — Calcutta 16 February, 1972

The post Srila Prabhupada wanted to be free to write appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

The real Vedic system: varnasrama

Simply by acting in devotional service, bhagavata dharma, anyone can be raised to the highest position. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira sumbha yavanah khasadayah ye ‘nye ca papa (SB 2.4.18). Papa, these are papa.

Papa means very abominable life. Even they can be raised to the highest perfection. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah (BG 9.32). The papa-yoni. Papa-yoni, there are different types of papa-yoni. Except civilized human being, advanced human being, those who are called Aryan. Aryan means those who are advanced. Below that position they are all papa-yoni. In the Aryan civilization there is a system of four divisions of social order and four division of spiritual order. Social order is brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. And spiritual order: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Therefore what is going on at the present moment as Hindu… This word you won’t find in the Vedic literature. Varnasrama. This is real Vedic system, varnasrama. And human life begins when one observes the varnasrama regulations. Varnasrama. Human life means to elevate oneself to spiritual consciousness or God consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada; Lecture on SB 7.6.3 — Toronto, June 19, 1976

The post The real Vedic system: varnasrama appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Chanting to cure diseases

One bearded sadhu said that he had been holding meetings throughout Bombay and teaching people to cure their diseases by chanting God’s names. Thousands of people were attending, and many were getting cured. He suggested that there could be some cooperation between himself and Prabhupada — that together they could hold massive meetings for chanting Hare Krishna, whereby many more people would benefit. “I am gathering people together, and you are gathering people,” he said. “I am getting people to chant God’s name, and you are getting people to chant. We should cooperate.” “No,” Prabhupada replied. “This is against our principles. The name of God is God Himself, and we are God’s servants. We do not use the holy name of God for our sense gratification or material purposes. We chant the holy name without any personal ambition, simply to glorify and serve the holy name. So, we cannot participate in any such program.”

From Giriraj Swami’s book, I’ll Build You a Temple

The post Chanting to cure diseases appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

A Vaisnava king to solve all problems of satanic government

When a Vaisnava king like Dhruva Maharaja is the head of the government of the entire world, the world is so happy that it is not possible to imagine or describe. Even now, if people would all become Krsna conscious, the democratic government of the present day would be exactly like the kingdom of heaven. If all people became Krsna conscious they would vote for persons of the category of Dhruva Maharaja. If the post of chief executive were occupied by such a Vaisnava, all the problems of satanic government would be solved. The youthful generation of the present day is very enthusiastic in trying to overthrow the government in different parts of the world. But unless people are Krsna conscious like Dhruva Maharaja, there will be no appreciable changes in government because people who hanker to attain political position by hook or by crook cannot think of the welfare of the people. They are only busy to keep their position of prestige and monetary gain. They have very little time to think of the welfare of the citizens.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 4.9.66, Purport

The post A Vaisnava king to solve all problems of satanic government appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Modern girls are all rubbish

Bhagavan: Our women are so qualified in so many ways, but these girls who simply work in the city can do nothing. They can’t cook, they can’t clean, they can’t sew.

Prabhupada: All rubbish. These modern girls, they are all rubbish. Therefore they are simply used for sex satisfaction. Topless, bottomless.

Morning Walk Conversation – May 1, 1974, Bombay

The post Modern girls are all rubbish appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Dictatorship is coming

Now, by the laws of nature, the time is coming when dictatorship will put the citizens into more and more difficulty. If the king or dictator individually, or the members of the government collectively, cannot maintain the state or kingdom according to the rules of Manu-samhita, certainly their government will not endure.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 8.1.7, Purport

The post Dictatorship is coming appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.