Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 93

More dangerous than a snake

A snake can be charmed by herbs and mantra, but the man, envious, cannot be. Therefore he’s more dangerous than the snake.

Srila Prabhupada/ Morning Walk Conversation — January 25, 1977, Puri

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The test of bhakti

Unless one becomes detestful of this material world, it is to be understood that he has not yet entered in the spiritual understanding. This is the test of bhakti. If one has entered the domain of devotional service, this material world will be not at all tasteful for him.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.15 — Mayapur, February 22, 1976

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Teacher and cheater

A cheater is taking the place of teacher. Therefore the whole world is degraded. You can cheat others that “I am in dress of a devotee, so I am…” What is your character? What is your actual value? That has to be judged.
That is called bona fide teacher.

Srila Prabhupada — January 17, 1974, Hawaii

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Massaging the father

An old father required massaging so all the children wanted to serve the father. The father divided the right and left portion of his body to be served by the children. Later along with the service, there was some quarrel between the children, and they were competing by hitting the parts of the father which was assigned to the opposing party. So the father said that you are hitting my different parts due to your opposition to one another, but I am therefore dying. If there is any misunderstanding, it will be solved when I am present there in April. In the meantime, please live peacefully, and things may go on as it is going on.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Rayarama — Los Angeles 20 February, 1969

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Modern education

There was no university. The university was in the cottage-Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva was writing  all the Puranas in a cottage. So university was there. Who can produce such literature as Vyasadeva has given? From any angle of vision, from literary point of view, from philosophical point of view-everything, so perfect, every literature, Mahabharata, Puranas and Vedanta-Veda-vyasa, he has given. So there was no need of university. It required clear brain. That was to be done by the brahminical qualifications: samo damo titiksa arjava, jnanam-vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava… [Bg. 18.42].

Where is that education? This education, technical education, how you can very nicely hammer, this will not solve the problem. They have no science, no knowledge about understanding tatha dehantara, the very first instruction of Bhagavad-gita. They are so rascals, and they are proud of their education, their universities. This is going on.

Srila Prabhupada, speaking on February 2, 1977

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Keep on going, despite opposition

You can do all kinds of opposition, but we shall go forward. The caravan will pass. You may bark.” So take all these things as Krsna’s mercies and engage more enthusiastically. Why should we be defeated?

Srila Prabhupada, Conversation on 1976 Book Scores — January 16, 1977, Calcutta

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Real master — Nityananda

Narottama dasa Thakura has used very strong word. “Anyone who has no connection with Nityananda Prabhu, he’s a pasu.” Sei pasu. He’s a pasu, means animal. So animal, how one animal can get happiness? That is not possible. The dog, from the childhood he’s searching after food, searching after food, and cannot get food. Unless a dog has got a master, he’s street dog and he’s always unhappy. So better to become a dog of Nityananda Prabhu.

Then we shall be happy. Instead of becoming dog of so many other people… Everyone is dog. Everyone is searching after to serve a master. But none of them are satisfied because that is false master. You take real master — Nityananda Prabhu — you’ll be happy.

Srila Prabhupada speaking on Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s Avirbhava Appearance Day February 2, 1977, Bhubaneswar

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Royal animals

“In the Kali-yuga the population is just a royal edition of the animals.”

Srila Prabhupada, SB 1.3.43 Purport

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Bhagavad-gita is not rubbish like newspapers

Vyasadeva was not an ordinary fiction writer. Anyone can write any nonsense. Formerly, no book will be accepted unless it is written by liberated soul. That was the system. No other man will dare to write any book, neither his book will be accepted in society. Only Vedic literature and literature produced out of Vedic knowledge. That is book. Otherwise, what are these books? These fictions and novels are not books; they are rubbish. Actually they are rubbish. Don’t you see? The newspaper, it is published after spending so much money. Every day, the newspaper proprietors are paying to the news collectors, to the photographers, to the staff, to the establishment huge amount of money and producing newspaper, say, fifty pages or twenty-five pages, and throwing in the street. Nobody cares for it. Because everyone knows what is the value of this news. Nobody is taking care. “Oh, here is a newspaper behind which there is so much expenditure.” “Oh, here is one. Let me take it.” Everyone kicks it. You see? You see practically. Huge bundles of newspapers, nobody cares for it. That means actually this literature has no value. No value. Simply they are wasting their time, producing such nonsense literature. Even if it has got any value, the newspaper boys throws early in the morning. At ten o’clock it has no more value. That’s all. Finished all value. Whatever value was there, that finished by ten o’clock. So Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita is not a literature like that. Can you give any evidence, any book written five thousand years ago is still being read with still greater veneration, with greater respect, with greater attention. Is there any book in the world? Find out. Not a single book you’ll find. You cannot trace out of any book written, say, thousand years or two thousand years ago. But here is a book which was spoken five thousand years ago; still, all over the world…

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.26 — Los Angeles, December 6, 1968

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Gossip

Your suggestion that the devotees visiting Vrindaban engage in preaching and chanting and not in gossiping is very good. We have sacrificed our life for Krsna’s service, where is there scope for sleeping and gossiping? You can see in my example, not a single moment is wasted.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Gurudasa — Calcutta 5 February, 1977

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