Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 84

What is given by God is also God

What I am doing, it was all taught in our childhood by our parents, my family. We were taught, “There is a grain of rice on the ground, and if it is touched by your feet, you should pick up the grain and touch on your head.” This was our training. The idea behind — that the grain of rice is not man-made; it is sent by God. “O God, give us our daily bread.” So here is the bread. It is God’s mercy. Just see how idea, great idea. What is given by God, that is also God. This is God consciousness. You are asking God’s mercy, so God’s mercy is also God, the Absolute. So how can you disrespect a thing which is given by God? You cannot produce rice. You cannot produce bread. It is given by God. Everything.

Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation — June 29, 1974, Melbourne

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The best use of this bad bargain

Devotional service must continue under all circumstances. This material body is actually a bad bargain because it is prone to suffer, but we must make the best use of this bad bargain. That means to always be engaged in the service of Krishna without fail.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Viruha — Vrindaban 19 April, 1975

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Real enjoyment

We, the living entities, are meant for enjoyment, but we are seeking enjoyment in a false place — in an illusion. We are like the desert animals who run after water in a mirage and eventually die of thirst. They cannot relieve their thirst with such illusory water. Similarly, we are trying to manufacture many things to satisfy our thirst for enjoyment, but we are being baffled at every turn because material existence is an illusion. Therefore real intelligence means to inquire, “Where is the reality? Where is the eternal substance behind the illusion?” If we can find that out, we can experience real enjoyment.

Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk Conversation: April 28, 1973

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Personal ambition

These two things are always side by side — Maya and Krsna — Krsna is service and Maya is sense gratification. Our duty is therefore to be very very careful. The poison is personal ambition.

 Srila Prabhupada — Letter to Satyabhama, November 1, 1970

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No loneliness in Krsna consciousness

Feelings of loneliness are simply temporary manifestations due to past conditioning.We should try to concentrate our attention to our eternal friendship with Krishna.

 Srila Prabhupada; letter to Kulasekhara, November 2, 1969

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Fools try to please Krsna directly

Your next question is, should we love Krishna or love the spiritual master: You cannot go to Krishna directly, loving Him. It is common sense that if Krishna is the object of your love, His pet dog is also the object of your love. Friends meet friends and if the friend is with his dog the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not? So the man becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country. The conclusion is this: Without pleasing the spiritual master he cannot please Krishna. If anyone tries to please Krishna directly, he’s fool number one.

From a letter by Srila Prabhupada to Tusta Krsna — Ahmedabad 14 December, 1972

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Not thinking oneself to be a pure devotee

A pure devotee always thinks himself as not-devotee.  That is a good attitude.  If one thinks he is big devotee that is not good, thinking that he is first degree.  We should not be puffed up, a devotee avoids it, remaining always in the second degree.  A dog is a faithful servant. To become lowest dog is to become on the highest platform of service.  Krsna has given everyone something extraordinary and to serve Krsna with one’s extraordinary talent means successful life.

Srila Prabhupada. Letter to Sukadeva, March 17, 1973

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Beginning the drinking business

Madhudvisa: He wants to know how in the beginning, when we are starting to engage in Krsna consciousness, or devotional service to God, can you develop enthusiasm and sincerity.

Prabhupada: Yes. The thing is that if you want to become a drunkard, you mix with the people who drinks. Then you drink little, little, little. Then you become a big drunkard. Similarly, if you have got little sense that “I shall understand what is God,” this very much qualification, if anyone only wants sincerely that “I will understand what is God,” then your drinking business begins immediately.

Then if you continue, then as the drunkard becomes big drunkard, you become a big devotee. The beginning is that you must be little anxious that “How I can understand God?” This is the qualification. That’s all. And if you are serious, then God is within you, He will give you intelligence. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: tesam nityabhiyuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam buddhi-yogam dadami tam [Bg. 10.10].

When God sees that you are sincere, He is within you, He will dictate, “You do like this, you do like this,” and you will make advance.

Srila Prabhupada, Talk on Bhagavad-gita 3.27 at Town Hall — June 27, 1974,
Melbourne

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Godhead

It is very now popular to become God. We are God. That’s all right. But the Godhead, He is Godhead. Therefore we use the word “Godhead,” “back to Godhead,” not “back to God.” That God is everyone. That’s a fact. Just like there are clerks and head clerk in the office. There are many clerks, hundreds of clerks, but one of them is the head clerk. Similarly, the atheistic persons, they are declaring themselves as God. We accept that we are all god — not theoretically; practically. God means controller. So everyone controls. So in that sense everyone is god. Everyone is opulent. In his relative position, everyone is opulent. I have got one thousand, you have got ten thousand, he has got hundred thousand. But we have got something. So in that way everyone is opulent; everyone is god. I control my children, my family. Or bigger than me, my boss, he controls a big establishment, a factory, big factory. And similarly, the president, he controls the state. So relatively, everyone is controller, god; but he is not supreme controller. That is not possible. Supreme controller is Krsna. Isvarah-paramah-krsnah [Bs 5.1].

From a lecture by Srila Prabhupada on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15-17

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Higher than philosophy

Philosophy is the highest, but even higher than philosophy is the practice of philosophy.So if you simply remain pure, your preaching will have effect.

Srila Prabhupada; Letter to Brihaspati, November 15, 1971

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