Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 86

Hearing the vibration of Hare Krishna

Hearing the vibration of Hare Krishna automatically reminds one of Krishna’s Pastimes. So both of them arise simultaneously in the mind when one is sincerely chanting. So you cannot make any distinction between listening to the sound and thinking of the Pastimes. But the process is to hear, and then Krishna’s Pastimes, Form, Qualities, etc. will automatically come to mind: That is very nice.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Satsvarupa — New York 10 April, 1969

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, so this point should be very carefully observed, then you will advance very quickly to the perfectional stage of Krishna Consciousness.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Kancanbala — Los Angeles 20 April, 1970

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Shedding three tons of blood

They have forgotten Krsna, they have forgotten God, and I am trying to make them Krsna conscious. It is a very difficult job. I have to shed my blood three tons before I make one convinced in Krsna consciousness. That is my experience. I have to talk with him, especially these Europeans and Americans. They do not accept anything so blindly.

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation — April 18, 1972, Hong Kong

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Asirvada (blessing)

All these men, they simply want asirvada. They don’t want Krsna. They want asirvada so that their nefarious activities may continue peacefully. The difficulty is sometimes Krsna’s asirvada may be just the opposite. Krsna will take away. So at that time they become atheist.

Srila Prabhupada — Tokyo, April 25, 1972

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Om

Om is formless but Krsna has got beautiful form, enjoying. And we are addicted to beautiful form. Why something which is not beautiful? Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, “I am omkara.” So in one sense omkara and Krsna the same. But I can see Krsna very beautiful and so many things, but I do not see in omkara that thing. Therefore my preference should be to Krsna.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3 — Boston, May 4, 1968

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Meat eating

When I eat meat, mamsa, it means, “This animal also will eat me again.” You cannot escape this. “Life for life.” That is the law everywhere. If you have murdered somebody, you must be killed also. So you can escape the so-called state laws, but you cannot escape the laws of the material nature.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.52 — Vrndavana, April 7, 1976

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No question of force if love is there

I can only suggest, and wherever possible that can be applied, but I do not force anyone. After all, you are only working so hard to please Krsna only out of love for me, so there can be no question of force if love is there. We should not ever try to force anyone or reduce our Society to an impersonal business exchange, this will kill everything. Our only purpose in every endeavor is simply to make advancement in spiritual life or in pleasing Krsna.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Bhakta dasa — 9 April, 1972

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Why do we need temples?

Krsna is living everywhere — that is, that is the vision of the higher devotees. Actually He’s living, but still, because we are in the lower condition, we should know that here is Krsna in the temple. Krsna is everywhere, but for us, because we have no such vision to see Krsna anywhere and everywhere, therefore we should come here in the temple and see Krsna, “Here is Krsna. Krsna has kindly appeared here in a manner in which I can see Him. That is Krsna’s mercy.” That is temple.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.37 — Los Angeles, April 29, 1973

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Seeing a hill, seeing the Absolute Truth

At Tirupati, there are so many hills. From the distant place, your vision is not clear. You simply see something like cloudy, the same mountain. But if you make little further progress, you see the same mountain or hill greenish. And if you actually go in the same hill, you will find there are so many animals, so many men and so many houses. So object is the same, but from different angle vision, it appears differently. Similarly, unless one can understand Krsna perfectly, he realizes the Absolute Truth as impersonal, nirakara Brahman.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.11 — Tirupati, April 26, 1974

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Our only request

Our only request is that if you want happiness, if you want to prosper, make your life successful, you must read Bhagavad-gita thoroughly, as it is, as Krsna says. Don’t try to misinterpret.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 4.13 — Bombay, April 2, 1974

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