Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 81

Demonism

Say about 1945, so in front of my house there was an old man. So as neighbor, we had very good talks always. So as soon as I say “Bhagavan,” he will be angry. “God.” So one day he said, “Why you always say ‘Bhagavan, God’?” Just see, an old man, and still he is such a rascal. He did not like. That is called demonism.

Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk — June 19, 1974, Germany

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Become an animal of Krsna

Suppose this life I am human being; next life I may not be human being. This statement was not liked by the newspaper man. [laughing] He was told that next life you can become animal, so he has published in my name, “The svami can become animal.” Also the svami can become also animal. The so-called svami, they will become animal. [laughter] So that is not wrong. But we devotees not afraid of becoming animal. Our only ambition is that we become Krsna conscious. So the animals, the cows and calves, who are Krsna conscious… You have seen the picture of Krsna? Yes. So better we shall become animal of Krsna. So there is nothing wrong. Even if we become an animal of Krsna, that is also very worthy. That is not ordinary thing. Krsna is embracing. Krsna… You see the picture. Krsna is embracing. Surabhir abhipalayantam. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Krsna always tends the cows. His name is cowherd boy. To become animal of Krsna is a great, great fortune. It is not ordinary thing. Any associate of Krsna, either His cowherd boyfriends or calf or cows, or the Vrndavana trees, plants, flowers or water, they are all devotees of Krsna. They like to serve Krsna in different capacities. Somebody is serving Krsna as animal. Somebody is serving Krsna as fruits and flowers, as tree, as Yamuna water, or the beautiful cowherds men and damsels or Krsna’s father and mother, so many with Krsna. Krsna is not imperson. So He has got so many lovers. Krsna also loves them. So Krsna’s another name is pasu-pala, pasu-pala-pankaja. He is, mean, tender of the animals. Surabhir abhipalayantam. He takes pleasure in tending the cows, surabhi. These are surabhi cows, not these ordinary cows. Surabhi cows. Surabhi cows means you can milk the cow as many times as you like and as much milk as you like. That is surabhi.

Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1-5 — June 26, 1974, Melbourne

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Krsna’s slap

A devotee does not take suffering seriously. Tat te ‘nukampam susumiksamanah [SB 10.14.8]. A devotee thinks, “It is the favor of Krsna that He has put me into suffering.” They never see suffering as suffering. It is favor of Krsna. That is devotee’s vision. [break] It is exactly like a son who knows his father well. If the father slaps, the son never protests. He knows that “It is good for me.” Similarly, a devotee never is disturbed when there is suffering given by Krsna. The karmi is different. The karmi is suffering… He is suffering just like criminal is suffering. A criminal is given slap by the police. That slap and the father is giving slap, that slap is different. Although it looks the same thing, but there is a great difference.

Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk — May 1, 1974, Bombay

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You are not Krsna

Umapati: [rephrasing question from devotee] The question was that Krsna had said that He would not take part in the Battle of Kuruksetra, but later on He did. So He had actually changed His word. So does the devotee also sometimes do that — say one thing but later on change his mind?

Prabhupada: You are not Krsna. [laughing] You are servant of Krsna. Don’t try to imitate the master. That is folly. You are servant, you remain always servant. Don’t try to imitate the master. Krsna has lifted the hill. Can you do that [laughing] by imitation? Don’t try to imitate. Follow His instruction. That is wanted. Krsna can do anything. He is God.

Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Bhagavad-gita 15.15 — August 5, 1976, New Mayapur

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Qualifications of a spiritual leader

So far as being leader is concerned, leader means spiritually not materially. This you should understand very clearly. If spiritual potency and strength is there, then material intelligence will automatically follow. We must have a solid foundation of chanting and following the regulative principles. Then one is fit to lead others. I hope you will understand this point.

Srila Prabhupada; letter, 6 Sep 1974

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Sex, intoxication, and gambling

Every educational or progressive method has got do’s and do not’s. So the asuras, they do not know what they should do and what they should not do. That is asura. And a devotee, he knows what to do and what not to do. There is no illicit sex. That is “do not.” But there is “do” also, that “If you want sex life, then get yourself married according to religious principle and get a wife and beget nice children.” That is “do.” And “No illicit sex,” that is “do not.” Side by side. “You do not take intoxicants” — that is “do not.” But “You take Krsna prasadam and be intoxicated with Krsna’s love” — that is “do.” Similarly, “You do not indulge in gambling,” but “You indulge in gambling.” What is that gambling? That gambling is “Dedicate your life to Krsna and see the result.” That is also gambling. That is also gambling, because everyone is engaged in his own business, but if he’s advised, “You give up this business. You take to this Krsna business,” that is also gambling, because he does not know what will happen.

Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Bhagavad-gita 2.39 — September 12, 1973, London

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Mistakes in devotional service

Visvambhara: Why is it sometimes if we are sincerely trying to serve Krsna we still make mistakes? We make in our service some mistakes.

Prabhupada: You must always remember that service means by the order of the master. So if you should always be ready to take order from the master, there will be no mistake.

Devotee: So that would mean that all mistakes come from the false ego?

Prabhupada: Yes. When you disobey the order of master, that is mistake.

(August 5, 1976, New Mayapur)

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Free will

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada? Why God gave to man free will if He knew the man would fall down in the material world?

Prabhupada: If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must be, must have free will. But don’t misuse your free will. But don’t try to become stone. That is not life.

Talk on Bhagavad-gita 15.15 — August 5, 1976, New Mayapur

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Become a man of knowledge

Satsvarupa: Some people say they don’t like to talk to Hare Krsna people because we’re like that. We always say we know everything about everything.

Prabhupada: Yes, we know everything. That’s a fact.

Satsvarupa: They resent it, and they say, “Oh, you people, we can’t talk with you.”

Prabhupada: You may resent, but we know everything. That is a fact. [chuckles]

Satsvarupa: So how do we deal with that attitude, if they’re turned away by our…?

Prabhupada: No, no. He’s a rascal. How we can…? We know everything, and he denies. Then what is the use of talking with him and waste your time? Let him know everything. We have nothing…, no business.

Satsvarupa: We can’t compromise and just say that we don’t know.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Satsvarupa: What does he…

Prabhupada: No, no. How you can…? You know everything. How you can say, “I don’t know”? [laughs]

Satsvarupa: Yes.

Prabhupada: You do not know practically that. You must be also a man of knowledge. Otherwise, you cannot say. You cannot be…, falsely say that “Yes, I know.” You must know. Then you say. But if you think that you do not know, don’t say foolishly like that. Then you’ll be slapped. You must know also. So how do you know? The next question will be, “How do you know everything?”

Satsvarupa: It’s not that I am great, but it’s the authority of my spiritual master and the sastras.

Prabhupada: Yes. Or Krsna. Krsna is great. So I am talking of what Krsna has said. Therefore I am great, I am knowing everything. It is not that I know everything. I do not know anything, but I, I am surrendered to a person who knows everything. Therefore I know everything. I take my knowledge from Him. So you should think how much knowledge you have assimilated. The knowledge is there, guru-krsna. Guru is there. Krsna is there. So we have to take advantage of guru and Krsna, sad-dharma-prccha, ask him, and become man of knowledge. Then you can say. If you simply think that “I have my guru, and there is Krsna. Now I am perfect,” no. You should ask and know. You must be man of knowledge. Then you can say, “Yes, I know everything.” Diksa. Diksa, initiation, diksa. This Sanskrit word, diksa, means divya-jnanam ksipayati: to ask from spiritual master with service and surrender the transcendental knowledge. The more you ask, you become a man of knowledge. Then you can challenge, “Yes, I know everything.” [japa] Actually, you know everything. Just like when I speak, I immediately ask reference from Bhagavad-gita, and we stop the man’s argument. So if you become well conversed with the whole Bhagavad-gita, then you have full knowledge. There is no need of saying that “I do not know.” You’ll become full knowledge, man of knowledge. But you must study.

Morning Walk — June 11, 1974, Paris

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Ratha-yatra: the emotional process of taking Krsna back to Vrndavana

The gopis are always liberated souls because they are fully in Krsna consciousness. They only pretended to be entangled in household affairs in Vrndavana. Because of their separation from Krsna, He might have asked them to return with Him to His capital city, Dvaraka. But the inhabitants of Vrndavana, the gopis, were not interested in the idea of going with Krsna to Dvaraka. They wanted to remain busy in Vrndavana and thus feel the presence of Krsna in every step of their lives. They immediately invited Krsna to come back to Vrndavana. This transcendental emotional existence of the gopis is the basic principle of Lord Caitanya’s teaching. The Ratha-yatra festival observed by Lord Caitanya is the emotional process of taking Krsna back to Vrndavana. Srimati Radharani refused to go with Krsna to Dvaraka to enjoy His company in the atmosphere of royal opulence, for She wanted to enjoy His company in the original Vrndavana atmosphere. Lord Krsna, being profoundly attached to the gopis, never goes away from Vrndavana, and the gopis and other residents of Vrndavana remain fully satisfied in Krsna consciousness.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book ch. 82: Lord Krsna and Balarama Meet the Inhabitants of Vrndavana

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