Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 63

Follow the ideal of Christ

Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: [Cc. Madhya 17.186] “We have simply to see that great personalities, as they have taken up, we have to follow. That’s all.” Just like in your Christian religion you may not understand all the Biblical injunctions or you may not have the time, but you’ll simply, if you follow the ideal life of Lord Jesus Christ, then you get the same result. Similarly, the Muhammadans, if they follow the ideal life of Muhammad, Hazrat Muhammad, so they get the result.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.12 — New York, March 7, 1966

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When Krsna-katha becomes poison

Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden strictly, that avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam-hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam [Padma Purana]: “Don’t hear from the professional men who are not situated in the Vaisnava behavior.” One must be…, behavior in Vaisnava. Sadacara-sampannah. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has warned that “Don’t mix it with Vaisnava who is not well trained up, well behaved.” You can offer him respect. A Vaisnava offers respect even to the ant. That is another thing. But he has warned, “Don’t mix with them, these professional, so-called Vaisnava, sahajiyas.” This is warned. Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam puta-hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam: “You should not hear.” “Eh? What is the wrong there? The Krsna-katha is there.” No, Krsna-katha is there just like milk is there, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is no more to be taken. It has become poison.

Srila Prabhupada; lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.28 – Mayapur, March 6, 1976

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We all have to personally decide to surrender to Krsna

It is all individual. One has to take it seriously, personally, that “Krsna wants, so I’ll surrender. Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], so I’ll do it.” Not that “When my father will do, then I shall do,” or “My husband will do, then I shall do,” or “My wife will do.” No. It is all individual. It is all individual. And there is no restraint. There is no restraint. Ahaituky apratihata. If you want to surrender to Krsna, nobody can check you.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.24 — September 21, 1976, Vrndavana

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Behavior of a devotee

A devotee must execute his prescribed duties, which are glorious, without material profit.  Without excessive violence, one should regularly perform one’s devotional activities.

The devotee should regularly see My statues in the temple, touch My lotus feet and offer worshipable paraphernalia and prayer.  He should see in the spirit of renunciation, from the mode of goodness, and see every living entity as spiritual.

The pure devotee should execute devotional service by giving the greatest respect to the spiritual master and the acaryas. He should be compassionate to the poor and make friendship with persons who are his equals, but all his activities should be executed under regulation and with control of the senses.

A devotee should always try to hear about spiritual matters and should always utilise his time in chanting the holy name of the Lord.  His behaviour should always be straightforward and simple, and although he is not envious but friendly to everyone, he should avoid the company of person who are not spiritually advanced.

Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.15-18

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Useless muscle building

Do you think that because you are very strong and stout, a big wrestler with muscles, you’ll live? No. For Yamaraja there is no consideration that “Here is a weak person, lean and thin, and here is a very strong person; therefore the strong person should be left over and the lean and thin will be taken to Yamaraja.” No. When the time will come, the lean and thin may be spared, but the strong man may be immediately taken. So this rascaldom, that by exercise… People are very much attached to the body. We have seen everywhere, especially in European, they are very much attached to make the body stout and strong. And in the morning you’ll find… Here also you’ll find. They’re running to make the body str…, as if the strong body will save him from death. This is rascaldom. Therefore pramatta. Crazy. We do not say that you remain very weak and lean and thin. No. You should maintain this body properly, but not that that is my only business, how to maintain this body.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.36-37 — September 29, 1976, Vrndavana

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Decorations of a dead body

bhagavad-bhakti-hinasya
jatih sastram japas tapah
apranasyaiva dehasya
mandanam loka-ranjanam

If one is born in a high family like that of a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya but is not a devotee of the Lord, all his good qualifications as a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya are null and void. Indeed, they are considered decorations of a dead body.

From Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya. Quoted in SB 7.9.10 purport by Srila Prabhupada

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The secret of surrendering to Krishna

If there is some discrepancy anywhere, some non-cooperation, fighting, or if the work is slow or not to the standard, it is to be supposed that the person or persons in charge are not very much attached to Krishna. That means they will discriminate: my engagement is not good, other’s engagement is good, like that. They do not know the secret of surrendering to Krishna. Such surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna’s plan, that whatever is meant to be, I am doing that, so let me do it with my full attention to every detail, let me become absorbed in such service, never mind what it is, but let all other considerations be forgotten and only my desire to do the thing best for Krishna’s alone pleasure be my motive. That is advanced stage of understanding devotional service or Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada — Letter, December 19, 1972

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The beauty and mystery of devotional service

The Lord can award anyone and everyone liberation (mukti) from the bondage of material existence, yet He rarely awards the privilege of love of Godhead, as confirmed by Narada (muktim dadhati karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam). This transcendental devotional service of the Lord is so wonderful that the occupation keeps the deserving devotee always rapt in psychological activities, without deviation from the absolute touch. Thus love of Godhead, developed in the heart of the devotee, is a great mystery. Brahmaji previously told Narada that the desires of Brahmaji are never unfulfilled because he is always absorbed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord; nor has he any desire in his heart save and except the transcendental service of the Lord. That is the beauty and mystery of the process of bhakti-yoga. As the Lord’s desire is infallible because He is acyuta, similarly the desires of the devotees in the transcendental service of the Lord are also acyuta, infallible. This is very difficult, however, for the layman to understand without knowledge of the mystery of devotional service, as it is very difficult to know the potency of touchstone. As touchstone is rarely found, a pure devotee of the Lord is also rarely to be seen, even amongst millions of liberated souls (kotisv api mahamune). Out of all kinds of perfections attained by the process of knowledge, yoga perfection in devotional service is the highest of all and the most mysterious also, even more mysterious than the eight kinds of mystic perfection attained by the process of yogic performances. In the Bhagavad-gita (18.64) the Lord therefore advised Arjuna about this bhakti-yoga: sarva-guhyatamam bhuyah, srnu me paramam vacah  “Just hear from Me again about the most confidential part of the instructions in Bhagavad-gita.”

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 2.9.35

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Krsna is not a marble statue

Krsna is present here in this temple. This temple is meant for this purpose, that you come here, see Krsna and become attached to Him. Then you will see Him twenty-four hours. This is the process. Not that, I have several times explained, that this Krsna is marble statue. No. This is naraki-buddhih. Arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati buddhir, naraki buddhih. Naraki buddhih. This is warned. Krsna is here. Krsna is here in the temple, but He has come mercifully to be seen by you. Otherwise you are blind; you cannot see Krsna. But He has appeared as arca-vigraha so that… You are accustomed to see wood and stone, so He appears in your visible form, but He is Krsna. You will understand He is Krsna present when you have got enough love for Him.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.26 — November 13, 1976, Vrndavana

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Surrender unto Krsna

BG 18.66
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me

Purport: (…) According to the devotional process, one should simply accept such religious principles that will lead ultimately to the devotional service of the Lord. One may perform a particular occupational duty according to his position in the social order, but if by executing his duty one does not come to the point of Krsna consciousness, all his activities are in vain.

Anything that does not lead to the perfectional stage of Krsna consciousness should be avoided. One should be confident that in all circumstances Krsna will protect him from all difficulties. There is no need of thinking how one should keep the body and soul together. Krsna will see to that. One should always think himself helpless and should consider Krsna the only basis for his progress in life. As soon as one seriously engages himself in devotional service to the Lord in full Krsna consciousness, at once he becomes freed from all contamination of material nature. There are different processes of religion and purificatory processes by cultivation of knowledge, meditation in the mystic yoga system, etc., but one who surrenders unto Krsna does not have to execute so many methods.

Srila Prabhupada

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