Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 87
April 28, 2023
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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April 26, 2023
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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April 25, 2023
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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April 23, 2023
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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April 22, 2023
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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April 21, 2023
We can’t hide from the Lord
A good citizen knows what is lawful work and what is unlawful work. You can hide yourself from the eyes of the police, man-made law, but it is not possible to hide yourself from the eyes of the Supreme. That is not possible, because the Supreme is sitting within your heart.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 4.17 — Bombay, April 6, 1974
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April 20, 2023
Proper utilization of time
We take a newspaper and we read what the politician says, what so many nonsense things. We waste our time. Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. We should increase our taste for hearing and chanting about Visnu, Krsna.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24 — Vrndavana, March 31, 1976
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April 19, 2023
Success and failure
If you are steady either in success of failure, that is called yoga. That is called yoga.” Don’t mind for the success or failure. Do act on behalf of the Supreme Lord. And if you are steady in that position, then your working in
spiritual platform is successful.
From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.48-49 — New York, April 1, 1966
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April 18, 2023
Caring for sick devotees
One of the symptoms of a devotee is that he is kind, so if our Godbrother becomes ill it is our duty to help him get the proper medicine and treatment so that he can recover. There is no question of ill treating of our own Godbrothers simply because they are sick, nor should you allow such neglect to go on. So long we have this material body there will be sickness, but we have to remain on the transcendental platform nevertheless.
From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Sukadeva — Bombay 5 April, 1974
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