Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 6

For Janmastami — feeling pain, Krsna comes

If there is little pain in the finger, I become so much disturbed because I have got intimate connection with this finger. Similarly, we have got intimate connection with Krsna, and we are fallen. Therefore Krsna also feels little pain, and therefore He comes down. Krsna is feeling pain. So you become Krsna conscious. Then Krsna will feel pleasure.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.7 — 24  April, 1975

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We should agree to Krsna’s desires

It is our choice whether we want to become a devotee or whether we want to remain a demon. That is my choice. Krsna says that “You give up this demonic engagement and surrender to Me.” That is Krsna’s desire. But if you do not agree with Krsna’s desire, if you want to enjoy your own desire, then also, Krsna is also pleased, He will supply you the necessities. But that is not very good. We should agree to Krsna’s desires. We should not allow our desires, demonic desires, to grow. That is called tapasya. Our desires we should sacrifice. That is called sacrifice. We should only accept Krsna’s desire. That is the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna’s desire was not to fight, but Krsna’s desire was to fight – just the opposite. Arjuna ultimately agreed to Krsna’s desire: “Yes,” karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]: “Yes, I will act according to Your desire.” That is bhakti.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.4 — January 30, 1975, Honolulu

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Krishna gives power to preach

Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach the holy name of the Lord. Krishna bhakti vina nahe nama pracarana. So without getting the power of attorney… Just like even one is qualified lawyer, he must get the power of attorney from the client, then he can speak. That is the law. Similarly, without being endowed with the power of attorney from Krishna, it is not possible to preach.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on CC Madhya 20.105, New York, 11 July 1976

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When women are not subordinate to men

Female Reporter: What happens when women are not subordinate to men?

Prabhupada: Then there is disruption. There is disruption, social disruption. If the woman does not become subordinate to man, then there is social disruption. Therefore, in the western countries there are so many divorce cases because the woman does not agree to become subordinate to man. That is the cause.

Television Interview, July 9, 1975, Chicago, USA

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The superexcellence of this Krsna consciousness movement

Religion means to love God, and that means you must know who God is. There is no alternative. You must know the person who is God. Then you can have loving exchanges with Him. That we are teaching. We are asking our disciples to rise early in the morning and offer mangala arati, then bhoga arati, to the Lord in His form as the Deity in the temple. Are we such fools and rascals that we are wasting time worshiping a “doll”? Sometimes people think like that. But that is not a fact. When you enter the temple, you know definitely, “Here is Krsna. He is God, and we must love Him like this.” That is the superexcellence of this Krsna consciousness movement. We do everything definitely, on the positive platform.

From Civilization & Transendence, by Srila Prabhupada

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Take the spiritual elevator

The general progress of yoga is gradual. First one practices karma-yoga, which refers to ordinary, fruitive activity. Ordinary activities include sinful activities, but karma-yoga excludes such activities. Karma-yoga refers only to good, pious activities, or those actions which are prescribed. After performing karma-yoga, one comes to the platform of jnana-yoga, knowledge. From the platform of knowledge, one attains to this astanga-yoga, the eightfold yoga system—dhyana, dharana, pranayama, asana, etc.—and from astanga-yoga, as one concentrates on Visnu, one comes to the point of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is the perfectional stage, and if one practices Krsna consciousness, one attains this stage from the very beginning. That is the direct route. If one practices jnana-yoga and thinks that he has attained the ultimate, he is mistaken. He has to make further progress. If we are on a staircase and have to reach the top floor, which is the hundredth floor, we are mistaken if we think we have arrived when we are on the thirtieth floor. As stated before, the whole yoga system may be likened to a staircase, connecting or linking us to God. In order to attain the ultimate, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we must go to the highest platform, and that is bhakti-yoga.

But why walk up all these steps if we have a chance to take an elevator? By means of an elevator, we can reach the top in a matter of seconds. Bhakti-yoga is this elevator, the direct process by which we can reach the top in a matter of seconds. We can go step by step, following all the other yoga systems, or we can go directly. Since in this Age of Kali-yuga people have short life spans and are always disturbed and anxious, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by His causeless mercy, has given us the elevator by which we can come immediately to the platform of bhakti-yoga. That direct means is the chanting of Hare Krsna, and that is the special gift of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore Rupa Gosvami offers respects to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te: [Cc Madhya 19.53] “Oh, You are the most munificent incarnation because You are directly giving love of Krsna. To attain pure love of Krsna, one has to pass through so many stages of yoga, but You are giving this love directly. Therefore You are the most munificent.”

From The Path of Perfection by Srila Prabhupada

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Asking for Krishna’s special favor and mercy

Krishna may be prayed that I am unwilling to become Krishna Conscious, so you can force me to become so. You put me under certain circumstances so that I may be forced to accept Krishna Consciousness. You can pray like that. It is Krishna’s special favor and mercy that He sometimes forces a devotee to surrender fully to Him.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Upendra – 13 November, 1968

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Krsna and Balarama in Vrndavana

Krsna and Balarama, while tending the cows with the cowherd boys, appeared just like actors going to play on a dramatic stage. Krsna was dressed in glowing garments of yellow, Balarama in blue, and They held new twigs of mango tree, peacock feathers and bunches of flowers in Their hands. Dressed with garlands of lotus flowers, They were sometimes singing very sweetly among Their friends.

From Srila Prabhupada’s “Krsna Book” chapter 21: The Gopis Attracted by the Flute

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Glories & misfortune of India

India is meant for para-upakara, not for exploiting others. That is not India’s business. That may be for the fools and rascals in other countries, but India is dedicated. Therefore in India Krsna comes, in India Lord Ramacandra comes. But they have now taken it very cheaply. All rascals and fools and rogues, they are claiming that “I am Krsna. I am Rama.” They have taken because India has fallen. Because there is no brahminical culture, they cannot understand, these rascals, that the fools and rascals, they are claiming to be Krsna. Krsna is so cheap? No. That is our misfortune, that instead of Krsna, we are accepting some imitation, rogue Krsna. This is our misfortune. But we should not do that.

Srila Prabhupada/ Talk on Bhagavad-gita 4.14 – April 3, 1974, Bombay

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Strong arguments to defeat atheists

Atheists may be very expert in mental speculation and may be so-called great philosophers, but they can be defeated by a Vaisnava firmly situated in his conviction and God consciousness. Following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the preachers engaged in the service of ISKCON should be very expert in putting forward strong arguments and defeating all types of atheists.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Cc Madhya 9.51

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