Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 9

Vedic culture contrasted with with modern civilization

Vedic society is based on the principle of love — between husband and wife, father and son, the king and the citizens, and so on. Civilization must be founded on love, not law. By law you cannot make a person love you. First he must love you, then he will gladly follow your law.

Modern civilization lacks this basis of love, so everything is superficial and false. But if devotion to Krsna is made the basic principle, then people will be happy.

BTG 11-01, 1976

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Rukmini drives the chariot

It was here one evening as you [Srila Prabhupada] sat in that garden that you revealed to the devotees as amazing detail of Krsna’s and Rukmini’s pastime — a detail that had not been published in Krsna book. You explained to the amazed devotees how when Krsna snatched away Princess Rukmini in the presence of Sisupala and others, she had grabbed the reins of the horses and actually driven the chariot as Krsna picked up His bow and arrows and defeated the opposing princes.

From Dallas Vyasa-puja offering 1990

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Srila Prabhupada prays to not fall down!

One time, maybe in the early 1970’s, when the movement was starting to spread a bit, Prabhupada was with some disciples in his room in Los Angeles. The temple was big and opulent, for those days. And Govinda Dasi had made Prabhupada a coat with peackock feather tassles to tighten its hood, and someone had given Prabhupada a gold lame bead bag.

Prabhupada said, “Now we are getting so many things. So I’m just praying to Krsna that I may not fall down.”

From BTG #25-06, 1991

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Krsna’s things must be used in the service of Krsna

One should not give up anything which can be utilized in the service of the Lord. That is a secret of devotional service. Anything that can be utilized in advancing Krsna consciousness and devotional service should be accepted. For instance, we are using many machines for the advancement of our present Krsna consciousness movement, machines like typewriters, dictaphones, tape recorders, microphones and airplanes. Sometimes people ask us, “Why are you utilizing material products if you condemn the advancement of material civilization?” But actually we do not condemn. We simply ask people to do whatever they are doing in Krsna consciousness. This is the same principle on which, in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna advised Arjuna to utilize his fighting abilities in devotional service. Similarly, we are utilizing these machines for Krsna’s service. With such sentiment for Krsna, or Krsna consciousness, we can accept everything. If the typewriter can be utilized for advancing our Krsna consciousness movement, we must accept it. Similarly, the dictaphone or any other machine must be used. Our vision is that Krsna is everything. Krsna is the cause and effect, and nothing belongs to us. Krsna’s things must be used in the service of Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 14

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Women

Radhavallabha: In one BTG article, you described increase in women population as a natural disaster.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Radhavallabha: So when one woman read this article, she became very angry. She came back and was very angry.

Prabhupada: She may be angry. She is woman and man. Actually this is physiological. If a man is too much addicted to sex life, he’ll become impotent, and if he begets child, it will be a girl. With no potency to give birth to a male child. That requires potency.

Hamsaduta: When we were going around in London making life members, I noticed that in so many families, all the children are girls.

Prabhupada: Yes. The whole world is full of girls, girl children. Why? There is no potency. Potency finished. Or impotent. And if you keep one boy brahmacari, no sex life, and get him married, the first child must be a boy, must be, without any doubt.

Lokanatha: That means, then, woman is more potent than…

Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Yes. The Ayur-vedic formula is that when there is discharge, woman’s discharge, more, means girl, and man’s discharge, more, means boy. This is physiological.

Morning Walk, March 19, 1976, Mayapura

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Be prepared to accept cutting words

If one is intelligent he will associate with those who are trying to elevate themselves to the platform of self-realization through one of the various forms of yoga. The result will be that those who are sadhu, or realized, will be able to sever their attachment to this material affection. Because Arjuna is attracted to things that are impeding the execution of his own duty, Krsna severs these things. To cut something, a sharp instrument is required; and to cut the mind from its attachments, sharp words are often required. The sadhu or teacher shows no mercy in using sharp words to sever the student’s mind from material attractions. By speaking the truth uncompromisingly, he is able to sever the bondage. For example, at the very beginning of Bhagavad-gita Krsna speaks sharply to Arjuna by telling him that although he speaks like a learned man, he is actually fool number one. If we actually want detachment from this material world, we should be prepared to accept such cutting words from the spiritual master. Compromise and flattery have no effect where strong words are required.

From The Perfection of Yoga by Srila Prabhupada

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Counteracting the contaminations of Kali-yuga

In the Kali-santarana Upanisad it is stated:

hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam
kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah
sarva-vedesu drsyate

“The sixteen words – Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – are especially meant for counteracting the contaminations of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of Kali, there is no alternative but the chanting of these sixteen words.”

From TheTeachings of Lord Caitanya by Srila Prabhupada

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Hitler’s misunderstanding of “Aryan”

Human being means when he’s civilized, cultured, then he’s human being. If he’s not civilized, if he’s not cultured, simply having two hands, he’s animal.

So that culture begins, civilized, in the Aryan families. Therefore they are called Aryans, “advanced.” Aryan means advanced. People want to group themselves in the Aryan family. Just like Hitler, he declared himself only, “The Germans are only Aryans, and Jews are not Aryans,” like that. You can manufacture. But real Aryan means one who is advanced in spiritual consciousness. He is Aryan. Not a class of men. Aryan means he’s advanced in spiritual consciousness. The Aryan civilization is so eulogized because in
the Aryan civilization there was Vedic culture. That is Aryan.

Srila Prabhupada; Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 – Los Angeles, December 4, 1973

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Why sell the books?

Carol Jarvis: If you want your thoughts to be passed on to other people, why do you sell the books and make money out of them?

Prabhupada: Otherwise you’ll not read it. If I give you free, then you’ll think, “Ah, this is something nonsense. They are giving free.”

Carol Jarvis: Not necessarily give them free, but perhaps sell them for a price that pays for the cost of producing them.

Prabhupada: So when they pay for it… When they pay for it, they will try to see, “What these books are saying? Let me see.” And if you get free, then you may keep it in your rack for hundreds of years. So that is not the… But after all, we have to print these books, so who will pay for that? We have no money.

Room Conversation & TV Interview with Mike Barron and Carol Jarvis – April 20, 1976, Melbourne

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ara na kariha mane asa

Finally, we came to Bombay and Prabhupada happened to be there, and there was one life member who knew me from before and was donating some property in Hyderabad. Prabhupada very much needed somebody to manage the temple in Hyderabad. I was enjoying my sannyasa, traveling and preaching; I even had plans now to go to the West and go temple to temple. So when I went to see Prabhupada, he said, “So Sridhar Maharaja, you will go to Hyderabad to be the president there.” I said, “But, Prabhupada, I was just planning to go traveling and preaching.” Prabhupada didn’t say anything; he just looked at me. Then afterwards I felt very bad that Prabhupada had asked me to do something and I refused. So the next day I went back and said, “Prabhupada, should I go to Hyderabad?” He said, “Yes, you go.”

Told by ISKCON’s Sridhara Swami from “The Jolly Swami” by Adbhuta Hari Dasa

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