Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 60

Contaminated and qualified brahmanas

Unless one is a fully qualified brahmana, he cannot advance in the spiritual science. A real brahmana is never envious of Vaisnavas. If he is, he is considered an imperfect neophyte. Impersonalist brahmanas are always opposed to Vaisnava principles. They are envious of Vaisnavas because they do not know the goal of life. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. However, when a brahmana becomes a Vaisnava, there is no duality. If a brahmana does not become a Vaisnava, he certainly falls down from the brahmana platform. This is confirmed in  Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.3): na bhajanty avajananti sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah.

We can actually see that in this Age of Kali many so-called brahmanas are envious of Vaisnavas. The Kali-contaminated brahmanas consider Deity worship to be imaginative: arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. Such a contaminated brahmana may superficially imagine a form of the Lord, but actually he considers the Deity in the temple to be made of stone or wood. Similarly, such a contaminated brahmana considers the guru to be an ordinary human being, and he objects when a Vaisnava is created by the Krsna consciousness movement. Many so-called brahmanas attempt to fight us, saying, “How can you create a brahmana out of a European or American? A brahmana can be born only in a brahmana family.” They do not consider that this is never stated in any revealed scripture. Lord Krsna specifically states in the Bhagavad-gita (4.13), catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah: “According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.”

Thus a brahmana is not a result of the caste system. He becomes a brahmana only by qualification. Similarly, a Vaisnava does not belong to a particular caste; rather, his designation is determined by the rendering of devotional service.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to CC Madhya 15.277

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You must finish sixteen rounds a day

Once at a lecture in the temple room in Los Angeles in 1970, just after moving into the building, Srila Prabhupada asked the assembled devotees, “Is anyone not chanting sixteen rounds? ” Only one boy raised his hand. It was Bhakta dasa. Prabhupada said, “You are not finishing sixteen rounds? ” “Well, Srila Prabhupada,” he said, “I’ve been working until late at night and only sleeping four hours, so I haven’t had time to finish.” Srila Prabhupada replied strongly, “Then sleep only two hours, but you must finish sixteen rounds a day.”

From Prabhupada Nectar by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

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Associate with persons on equal level or with the same understanng

A devotee … should also make friendship with persons who are on an equal level with himself or who have the same understanding that he does. For a devotee, there is no point in making friendships with ordinary persons; he should make friendship with other devotees so that by discussing among themselves, they may elevate one another on the path of spiritual understanding. This is called ista-gosthi.

In Bhagavad-gita there is reference to bodhayantah parasparam, “discussing among themselves.” Generally pure devotees utilize their valuable time in chanting and discussing various activities of Lord Krsna or Lord Caitanya amongst themselves. There are innumerable books, such as the puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and Upanisads, which contain countless subjects for discussion among two devotees or more. Friendship should be cemented between persons with mutual interests and understanding.

Such persons are said to be sva jati, “of the same caste.” The devotee should avoid a person whose character is not fixed in the standard understanding; even though he may be a Vaisnava, or a devotee of Krsna, if his character is not correctly representative, then he should be avoided. One should steadily control the senses and the mind and strictly follow the rules and regulations, and he should make friendship with persons of the same standard.

Srila Prabhupada, SB 3.29.17, purport

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Austerities for the body

The Supreme Godhead here explains the different kinds of austerity and penance. First He explains the austerities and penances practiced by the body. One should offer, or learn to offer, respect to God or to the demigods, the perfect, qualified brahmanas and the spiritual master and superiors like father, mother or any person who is conversant with Vedic knowledge. These should be given proper respect. One should practice cleansing oneself externally and internally, and he should learn to become simple in behavior. He should not do anything which is not sanctioned by the scriptural injunctions.  He should not indulge in sex outside of married life, for sex is sanctioned in the scripture only in marriage, not otherwise. This is called celibacy. These are penances and austerities as far as the body is concerned.

Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bg 17.14

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The real thing is bhakti

Any language, you should submit, and you should feel that, that “I am worthless. My Guru Maharaja has given this chance to serve Krsna, to offer Krsna… My Lord, I am worthless. I have no capacity to serve You. But on the order of my Guru Maharaja, I am trying to serve You. Please do not take any offense. Accept whatever I can do. That’s all. That is my request.” That mantra is sufficient. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna never said that “One who offers Me with Sanskrit mantra.” Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Real thing is bhakti, feeling: “How to serve Krsna? How to please Him?” That is wanted. Not to see that you are a very good scholar in speaking in Sanskrit or English or… That is not… Always feel that “I am worthless, but I have been, by the grace of my Guru Maharaja, I have been given the chance. So kindly accept whatever little service I can give. I am offensive. So kindly excuse me.” In this way be humble, meek, and offer your feeling, and Krsna will be satisfied. Not that you have to show how you can speak in Sanskrit language.

Srila Prabhupada — Conversation with Devotees — Hyderabad, April 12, 1975

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Devotional service is greater than God

How Krsna becomes attracted by the devotional service of His devotees is described by Narada in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Seventh Canto, Tenth Chapter, 37th verse. There Narada addresses King Yudhisthira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlada Maharaja. A devotee always appreciates the qualities of other devotees.” … So that was the position of the Pandavas; although Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the greatest among all greats, He remained with those royal brothers, being attracted by their devotion, by their friendship and by their love. That is the proof of how great this process of devotional service is. It can attract even the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God is great, but devotional service is greater than God because it attracts Him.

Srila Prabhupada, Nectar of Devotion ch. 1

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Not by our endeavor alone we can understand Krsna

The process of understanding Krsna is sevonmukha — by rendering service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Realization of Vasudeva is possible by rendering service, beginning with the tongue. The tongue has two functions — to vibrate and to taste. So if one repeatedly hears and vibrates the Hare Krsna mantra and tastes prasada, food offered to Krsna, by this very simple method one will realize Vasudeva, Krsna. Krsna will reveal Himself. It is not that by our endeavor alone we can understand Krsna, but our endeavor in loving service will make us qualified, and then Krsna will reveal Himself (svayam eva sphuraty ada?).

Srila Prabhupada – Teachings of Queen Kunti – ‘Approaching Krsna, the All Pervading Truth’, Ch 4

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The transcendental situation

The next question concerns the dealings of a transcendentally situated person. The materially situated person is affected by so-called honor and dishonor offered to the body, but the transcendentally situated person is not affected by such false honor and dishonor. He performs his duty in Krsna consciousness and does not mind whether a man honors or dishonors him. He accepts things that are favorable for his duty in Krsna consciousness, otherwise he has no necessity of anything material, either a stone or gold. He takes everyone as his dear friend who helps him in his execution of Krsna consciousness, and he does not hate his so-called enemy. He is equally disposed and sees everything on an equal level because he knows perfectly well that he has nothing to do with material existence. Social and political issues do not affect him, because he knows the situation of temporary upheavals and disturbances. He does not attempt anything for his own sake. He can attempt anything for Krsna, but for his personal self he does not attempt anything. By such behavior one becomes actually transcendentally situated.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bg 14.25

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Disrespect of others nullifies service to the deity

Real love and devotion is accepted by the Lord. Many valuable foodstuffs may be presented to a person, but if the person is not hungry, all such offerings are useless for him. Similarly, we may offer many valuable items to the Deity, but if we have no real sense of devotion and no real sense of the Lord’s presence everywhere, then we are lacking in devotional service; in such a state of ignorance, we cannot offer anything acceptable to the Lord.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 3.29.24

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Principles of religion are not dogmas and formulas

Behavior (following regulative principles) not theoretical knowledge — is paramount for the aspiring spiritualist:

The principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness… may be followed by the follower of any faith. … The Bhagavatam religion urges following the principles of religion. The principles of religion are not the dogmas or regulative principles of a certain faith. Such regulative principles may be different in terms of the time and place concerned. One has to see whether the aims of religion have been achieved. Sticking to the dogmas and formulas without attaining the real principles is not good.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 1.17.32

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