Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Hare Krishna Society

The inhabitants of the village brought to the Deity of Gopāla as much food grains, ghee, yogurt and milk as they had in their village.

PURPORT-Anna, ghṛta, dadhi and dugdha are food grains, ghee, yogurt and milk. Actually these are the basis of all food. Vegetables and fruits are subsidiary. Hundreds and thousands of preparations can be made out of grains, vegetables, ghee, milk and yogurt. The food offered to Gopāla in the Annakūṭa ceremony contained only these five ingredients. Only demoniac people are attracted to other types of food, which we will not even mention in this connection. We should understand that in order to prepare nutritious food, we require only grains, ghee, yogurt and milk. We cannot offer anything else to the Deity. The Vaiṣṇava, the perfect human being, does not accept anything not offered to the Deity. People are often frustrated with national food policies, but from the Vedic scriptures we find that if there are sufficient cows and grains, the entire food problem is solved. The vaiśyas (people engaged in agriculture and commerce) are therefore recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā to produce grains and give protection to cows. Cows are the most important animal because they produce the miracle food, milk, from which we can prepare ghee and yogurt.The perfection of human civilization depends on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which recommends Deity worship. Preparations made from vegetables, grains, milk, ghee and yogurt are offered to the Deity and then distributed. Here we can see the difference between the East and the West. The people who came to see the Deity of Gopāla brought all kinds of food to offer the Deity. They brought all the food they had in stock, and they came before the Deity not only to accept prasāda for themselves but to distribute it to others. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement vigorously approves this practice of preparing food, offering it to the Deity and distributing it to the general population. This activity should be extended universally to stop sinful eating habits as well as other behavior befitting only demons. A demoniac civilization will never bring peace within the world. Since eating is the first necessity in human society, those engaged in solving the problems of preparing and distributing food should take lessons from Mādhavendra Purī and execute the Annakūṭa ceremony. When the people take to eating only prasāda offered to the Deity, all the demons will be turned into Vaiṣṇavas. When the people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be so also. A Kṛṣṇa conscious man is always a very liberal well-wisher of everyone. When such men head the government, the people will certainly be sinless. They will no longer be disturbing demons. It is then and then only that a peaceful condition can prevail in society.Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/4/93

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Feb 3 1975 morning walk Honolulu
Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Preaching, preaching, you will become perfect preacher. Preach only what you have heard from Kṛṣṇa and guru, that’s all.Don’t add and subtract. Then you are secure. And if you add some concoction, just like somebody says that “I may do whatever I like independently. If I chant, then everything is all right,” this is nonsense addition. It is not the fact. That is the danger. Some inexperienced man, he introduces some concoction. Sometimes they say, “Prabhupāda said it.” [laughs] More misleading.Devotee: That’s become so common.Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees chanting japa] 

Note-today, some 44 years after Srila Prabhupada has passed on, who can count all the deviations in and around the Hare Krsna Movement? When Bhaktivinode thakur was present he counted only  some 13 apa-sampradayas of the sahajiyas during his time. So now 44 years have passed since Prabhupada was here with us to stop concoctions and deviations.If you talk to a 100 different devotees today chances are good you will get around 100 different “opinions” regarding something about Krsna, the gopis, past acaryas, guru tattva, deity worship, how to chant in kirtans, how to offer bhoga,etc.
But for the sincere and serious devotee, there is only ONE opinion to follow. How does one know that one opinion and why should there only be one opinion? He or she must find it in the sastra presented to us by the shaktesvara avatara for this age-Srila Prabhupada. We all can say and do what we want or think, but in the end, the opinion which matters is only that which comes from the cent percent liberated soul . Prabhupada once said unless there is a standard understanding, then everything else is contradiction. Its not that all paths lead to the same destination.
March 28 1975 mayapuraDon’t adulterate—”I think,” “In my opinion.” These nonsense things should be given up. We should always be aware that we are insignificant creature. Our opinion and thinking has no value. This should be the first principle

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Madhya 3.96–When the rice thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu touched His body, Advaita Ācārya thought Himself purified by the touch of remnants thrown by Paramahaṁsa Nityānanda. Therefore He began dancing

.PURPORT-The word avadhūta refers to one above all rules and regulations. Sometimes, not observing all the rules and regulations of a sannyāsī, Nityānanda Prabhu exhibited the behavior of a mad avadhūta. He threw the remnants of food on the ground, and some of these remnants touched the body of Advaita Ācārya. Advaita Ācārya accepted this happily because He presented Himself as a member of the community of smārta-brāhmaṇas. By touching the remnants of food thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya immediately felt Himself purified of all smārta contamination. The remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava are called mahā-mahā-prasāda. This is completely spiritual and is identified with Lord Viṣṇu. Such remnants are not ordinary. The spiritual master is to be considered on the stage of paramahaṁsa and beyond the jurisdiction of the varṇāśrama institution. The remnants of food left by the spiritual master and similar paramahaṁsas or pure Vaiṣṇavas are purifying. When an ordinary person touches such prasāda, his mind is purified, and his mind is raised to the status of a pure brāhmaṇa.The behavior and statements of Advaita Ācārya are meant for the understanding of ordinary people who are unaware of the strength of spiritual values, not knowing the potency of food left by the bona fide spiritual master and pure Vaiṣṇavas.

Madhya 3.98–“To make Me a madman like Yourself, You have thrown the remnants of Your food at Me. You did not even fear the fact that I am a brāhmaṇa.”

PURPORT-The words āpanāra sama indicate that Advaita Ācārya considered Himself to belong to the smārta-brāhmaṇas, and He considered Nityānanda Prabhu to be on the transcendental stage with pure Vaiṣṇavas. Lord Nityānanda gave Advaita Ācārya His remnants to situate Him on the same platform and make Him a pure unalloyed Vaiṣṇava or paramahaṁsa. Advaita Ācārya’s statement indicates that a paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava is transcendentally situated. A pure Vaiṣṇava is not subject to the rules and regulations of the smārta-brāhmaṇas. That was the reason for Advaita Ācārya’s stating, āpanāra sama more karibāra tare: “to raise Me to Your own standard.” A pure Vaiṣṇava, or a person on the paramahaṁsa stage, accepts the remnants of food (mahā-prasāda) as spiritual. He does not consider it to be material or sense gratificatory. He accepts mahā-prasāda not as ordinary dāl and rice but as spiritual substance. To say nothing of the remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava, prasāda is never polluted even if it is touched by the mouth of a caṇḍāla. Indeed, it retains its spiritual value. Therefore by eating or touching such mahā-prasāda, a brāhmaṇa is not degraded. There is no question of being polluted by touching the remnants of such food. Actually, by eating such mahā-prasāda, one is freed from all the contaminations of the material condition. That is the verdict of the śāstra.

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This is another amusing pastime between Lord Caitanya and Advaita Acarya over amounts of prasadam one can eat.  Also some good tips by Srila Prabhupada are given about new preps devotees can make for their Deities.  

Madhya 3.38–Advaita Ācārya said, “You have been fasting continuously for three days in Your ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa. I therefore invite You to My home, where You may kindly take Your alms. Come with Me to My residence.”
Madhya 3.39–Advaita Prabhu continued, “At My home I have just cooked one palmful of rice. The vegetables are always very simple. There is no luxurious cooking-simply a little liquid vegetable and spinach.”

Madhya 3.42––All the prepared food was divided into three equal parts. One part was arranged on a metal plate for offering to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya 3.43–Of the three divisions, one was arranged on a metal plate, and the other two were arranged on plantain leaves. These leaves were not bifurcated, and they were taken from a banana tree that held at least thirty-two bunches of bananas. The two plates were filled very nicely with the kinds of food described below.

Madhya 3.44-The cooked rice was a stack of very fine grains nicely cooked, and in the middle was yellow clarified butter from the milk of cows. Surrounding the stack of rice were pots made of the skins of banana trees, and in these pots were varieties of vegetables and mung dāl.

Madhya 3.45–Among the cooked vegetables were paṭolas, squash, mānakacu and a salad made with pieces of ginger and various types of spinach.
Madhya 3.46–There was sukhta, bitter melon mixed with all kinds of vegetables, defying the taste of nectar. There were five types of bitter and pungent sukhtas.
Madhya 3.47–Amongst the various vegetables were newly grown leaves of nimba trees fried with eggplant. The fruit known as paṭola was fried with phulabaḍi, a kind of dāl preparation first mashed and then dried in the sun. There was also a preparation known as kuṣmāṇḍa-mānacāki.

PURPORT-We request our editors of cook books to add all these nice preparations described by the experienced author Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī.

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—————————————————————————Reporter (1): Why have you written Bhagavad-gītā as it really is? Why?

Prabhupāda: As it is, because there are many foolish rascals, they interpret unnecessarily. Just like Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is a place in India, still existing. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). The meaning is clear, that “Kurukṣetra is a religious place and there, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus, they assembled together for fighting.” But many so-called leaders, political leaders, scholars, they have interpreted, “Kurukṣetra means the body.”
[Interviews with Macmillan and various English Reporters — September 12, 1973, London]
———————————————————————-
Entire interview below:(Interview at Macmillan with various English Reporters and (25:10) Professor Gombrich)

(much background noise throughout)

Prabhupāda: I have no spoon.

Haṁsadūta: Someone’s bringing it. Mukunda’s bringing it.

Prabhupāda: Where is? Give me little water.

Revatīnandana: Pardon me?

Prabhupāda: Water.

Monday, January 11, 2021 (Mayapur, West Bengal, Bharata Bbhumi time)
Sri Mahesa Pandita Tirobhava tithi (disappearance day)
Sri Uddharana datta Thakura Tirobhava tithi
Compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa and Damaghosa dasa

Srila Prabhupada expains the glories to Sri Mahesa Pandita

jagadīśa paṇḍita, āra hiraṇya mahāśaya

yāre kṛpā kaila bālye prabhu dayāmaya

SYNONYMS

jagadīśa paṇḍita—of the name Jagadīśa Paṇḍita; āra—and; hiraṇya—of the name Hiraṇya; mahāśaya—great personality; yāre—unto whom; kṛpā—mercy; kaila—showed; bālye—in childhood; prabhu—the Lord; dayāmaya—merciful.

TRANSLATION

The thirty-first branch was Jagadīśa Paṇḍita, and the thirty-second was Hiraṇya Mahāśaya, unto whom Lord Caitanya in His childhood showed His causeless mercy.

Srila Prabhupada explains the glories of Sri Devananda Pandita
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa

bhāgavatī devānanda vakreśvara-kṛpāte

bhāgavatera bhakti-artha pāila prabhu haite

SYNONYMS

bhāgavatī devānanda—Devānanda, who used to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; vakreśvara-kṛpāte—by the mercy of Vakreśvara; bhāgavatera—of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; bhakti-artha—the bhakti interpretation; pāila—got; prabhu haite—from the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada: Service is the constant companion of the living being
and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being.

When Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the svarupa of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarupa or constitutional position of the living being is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we analyze this statement of Lord Caitanya, we can easily see that every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to another living being. A living being serves other living beings in two capacities. By doing so, the living entity enjoys life. The lower animals serve human beings as servants serve their master. A serves B master, B serves C master and C serves D master and so on. Under these circumstances, we can see that one friend serves another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of living beings to the activity of service. The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes, thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist serves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being.  [Introduction to Bhagavad Gita As It Is,1972 Edition]

Gita Jayanti Special -108 Quotes on Spreading the importance

 of the Original 1972 authorized Bhagavad Gita As It Is

(The authorized edition of Bhagavad-gita will help to stop the terrible cheating of ‘gurus’ and ‘yogis’ who are false and unauthorized.)

Hare Krishna. On the occasion of Gita Jayanti, an article that aims at re-establishing the Original Bhagavad Gita that is written by Srila Prabhupada. This article has many quotes that contain the importance of reading the Gita “AS IT IS”, ways of receiving the transcendental instructions, how the Gita has been taken as a way for unscrupulous men to advertise their dubious philosophies, etc.

Please find a link to a Google drive with Srila Prabhupada’s first edition unrevised, non adulterated, original books.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nHm72gVwAeei95WDkSLf2aw5x-jRXDoF?usp=sharing

CULTIVATING FEELINGS OF SEPARATION

By isana dasa

In the 34^th chapter of the Krishna Book, entitled The Gopis Feelings of Separation, Srila Prabhupada writes:

When Kṛṣṇa went to the forest with His cowherd boyfriends and cows, the gopīs did not physically take part, but their hearts went with Him. And because their hearts went, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation.

This is Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental poetry.  The gopis did not physically take part.  They could not walk to the forest along with Krishna and His cowherd boyfriends; but their hearts went with Him.   This is a lovely image.  As Krishna and His friends walked into the forest, the hearts of the gopis moved with Krishna, side by side.  And in this way, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation.

Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out – “The guru must be situated on

the topmost platform of devotional service. “When one has attained the topmost position of mahā-bhāgavata, he is to be accepted as a guru
and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru

guru-lakṣaṇa, śiṣya-lakṣaṇa, doṅhāra parīkṣaṇa
sevya–bhagavān, sarva-mantra-vicāraṇa

SYNONYMS

guru-lakṣaṇa—the symptoms of a bona fide spiritual master; śiṣya-lakṣaṇa—the symptoms of a bona fide disciple; doṅhāra—of both; parīkṣaṇa—the testing; sevya-bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshipable; sarva-mantra-vicāraṇa—consideration of the different types of mantras.

TRANSLATION

“In your book there should be the characteristics of the bona fide guru and the bona fide disciple. Then, before accepting a spiritual master, one can be assured of the spiritual master’s position. Similarly, the spiritual master can also be assured of the disciple’s position. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, should be described as the worshipable object, and you should consider the bīja-mantra for the worship of Kṛṣṇa, Rāma or any other expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 PURPORT

This is another amusing pastime between Lord Caitanya and Advaita Acarya over amounts of prasadam one can eat.  Also some good tips by Srila Prabhupada are given about new preps devotees can make for their Deities.  

Madhya 3.38–Advaita Ācārya said, “You have been fasting continuously for three days in Your ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa. I therefore invite You to My home, where You may kindly take Your alms. Come with Me to My residence.”
Madhya 3.39–Advaita Prabhu continued, “At My home I have just cooked one palmful of rice. The vegetables are always very simple. There is no luxurious cooking-simply a little liquid vegetable and spinach.”
Madhya 3.42––All the prepared food was divided into three equal parts. One part was arranged on a metal plate for offering to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Madhya 3.43–Of the three divisions, one was arranged on a metal plate, and the other two were arranged on plantain leaves. These leaves were not bifurcated, and they were taken from a banana tree that held at least thirty-two bunches of bananas. The two plates were filled very nicely with the kinds of food described below.
Maedhya 3.44-The cooked rice was a stack of very fine grains nicely cooked, and in the middle was yellow clarified butter from the milk of cows. Surrounding the stack of rice were pots made of the skins of banana trees, and in these pots were varieties of vegetables and mung dāl.
Madhya 3.45–Among the cooked vegetables were paṭolas, squash, mānakacu and a salad made with pieces of ginger and various types of spinach.
Madhya 3.46–There was sukhta, bitter melon mixed with all kinds of vegetables, defying the taste of nectar. There were five types of bitter and pungent sukhtas.
Madhya 3.47–Amongst the various vegetables were newly grown leaves of nimba trees fried with eggplant. The fruit known as paṭola was fried with phulabaḍi, a kind of dāl preparation first mashed and then dried in the sun. There was also a preparation known as kuṣmāṇḍa-mānacāki.PURPORT-We request our editors of cook books to add all these nice preparations described by the experienced author Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī.

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