Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 83

The disease is strong so the medication must be strong

In 1975 in the summer when Srila Prabhupada came, there was a small house program at one of the Indian congregational member’s home. During that time, my father was sitting right next to Srila Prabhupada. And at the end of the talk, Srila Prabhupada asked my father, “why do you think that they don’t come to the temple or participate in the harinamas (he heard that there are 40 or 50 thousand Indians in the Charlotte area). And my father said, “Well Srila Prabhupada I think it’s because there is a lot of discrimination.” At that time there was a lot of discrimination against the Indians. They were called Pakis and they would say Paki go home. So my father said that he felt that people were afraid to dress in dhoti, kurta, and saris, chant out in the streets in a forceful way, and also be of colour. So that will just aggravate the situation. So he said, “Prabhupada I think it will be better if people dressed in regular Western clothes and not be so pushy like our preaching, and then may be people would come. Srila Prabhupada said (and I am paraphrasing), “the disease is strong so the medication must be strong. So we can’t compromise there.”

Madhurya-lila Dasi. Prabhupada memories, 94. 52.11-53.59. Video by Siddhanta Prabhu.

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Where is the difficulty?

What Krsna says, that is not at all difficult. Even a child can perform. What Krsna said? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Very simple thing. Krsna says, “Always think of Me.” What is the difficulty? Even a child can think of Krsna. If he goes to the temple and if he understands from his parents that “Here is the Deity, Krsna,” it impresses. He understands, “Here is Krsna,” because he is simple. So he can also think of Krsna: “I went to the temple. I saw Krsna very nicely dressed, very nicely decorated. Very nice foodstuff was offered, and I got the prasadam.” Where is the difficulty? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. And if you go regularly to see Krsna in the temple and to remember Him, then you become a bhakta. It doesn’t require that you have to pass M.A. examination to become a bhakta, or you have to become a very learned scholar. But because that is the end of knowledge. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15].

Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3-4 — March 29, 1977, Bombay

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Srila Prabhupada’s lecture — like an atom bomb

Prabhupada: People are in darkness. To keep them like dogs, hogs, camels, and take vote from them and become a leader… Nobody protested that we call all the men dogs, hogs, camels. Nobody came forward, that “You are using very strong words.” It’s a fact.

Gopala Krsna: They agree.

Hrdayananda: They were applauding your lecture last night.

Prabhupada: Our Tamala Krsna appreciated very much.

Hrdayananda: Tamala Krsna?

Tamala Krsna: I loved that lecture.

Hrdayananda: It was wonderful last night.

Tamala Krsna: I told Prabhupada the lecture was like atom bomb.

(March 22, 1977, Bombay)

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The most important thing in life

Lady: What is the most important thing in life?

Prabhupada: To understand yourself. If you misidentify yourself that you are this body, then you are finished. Our most important… Athato brahma jijnasa. The question should be, “What I am? Am I this body or something else?” That is most important thing. That is the beginning of Vedanta-sutra knowledge, athato brahma jijnasa. The animals cannot ask “Whether I am dog or I am something else?” And if the man is kept into darkness, that he has no question, “Whether I am this or that?” then he is animal. So the most important thing according to our Vedic culture is to understand oneself, “What I am.”

(March 23, 1977, Bombay)

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A very happy process

The process of devotional service is a very happy one (su-sukham). Why? Devotional service consists of sravanam kirtanam visnoh,  so one can simply hear the chanting of the glories of the Lord or can attend philosophical lectures on transcendental knowledge given by authorized acaryas. Simply by sitting, one can learn; then one can eat the remnants of the food offered to God, nice palatable dishes. In every state devotional service is joyful.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bg 9.2

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Punishment byKrsna is His mercy

…to become angry by Krsna is auspicious, auspicious. It is a very nice verse. “It is very auspicious that You have become angry upon him.” He is getting salvation. The punishment of Krsna, one has to execute many pious activities in his past life just to get the punishment of Krsna. And what to speak of love of Krsna, how much pious activities one has to do? If for being punished by Krsna one has to undergo lots of pious activities in the past life, then just see, to be loved by Krsna, how much one has to undergo pious activities? Krta-punya-punjah.

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

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Unlimited followers in the US

Press man: Do you know how many followers there are in the United States now?

Prabhupada: Unlimited. [devotees roar] Some of them admit and some of them do not admit. That’s all. [laughter] Everyone is eternally servant of God, but some of them admit and some of them do not admit. That is the difficulty.

Srila Prabhupada, Ratha-yatra Address and Press Conference — July 5, 1970, San Francisco

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Professional Bhagavata reciters; better slow but sure

Without understanding, if you follow like a storm, that is no use. That is no use. Slow, but sure. Go slow… And that is the defect in the modern. If somebody can recite Bhagavad-gita like storm, it is to be understood he has perfected himself. No. Let him explain at least one word of Bhagavad-gita. That is wanted. Slow, but sure. That is going on. The professional Bhagavata reciters, they jump over Krsna’s rasa-lila. The rascal does not explain the first line of Bhagavad-gi…, Bhagavatam, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. It requires many years to understand that one word, janmady asya yata, and he jumps over: “Bhagavata recitation means rasa-lila.” That is going on. That has spoiled the whole atmosphere.

Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk — April 4, 1974, Bombay

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Fill up your belly and you’ll be infected

We are giving you prasadam. And that is fact, that by eating, eating, eating, eating, you one day will become Krsna conscious. Simply by eating. Because you are so dull, you cannot understand the philosophy. You know the belly like the animals. So therefore we are giving facility, “All right, fill up your belly, fill up your belly. And you’ll be infected.” As you take foodstuff from a infected area, you become infected with some disease, so this is Krsna infected, prasadam. You take it, and one day you’ll be diseased with Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation — April 30, 1976, Fiji

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Always busy in Krsna consciousness

Every disciple should always remain busy in some work for Krishna. We shall not allow to remain vacant our mind, and if the mind is always filled up with Krishna Consciousness activities, there is no chance of Maya to sit on the mind and force us to act under her spell.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Mukunda — Allston, Mass 6 May, 1968

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