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And yet another iskcon story of 8 bricks short of a full load

May 17, 2022 in Articles

Here is yet another story of 8 bricks short of a full load in iskcon-and they have no idea where these “bricks” can be found anymore
September 21, 2021 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa
Dear Anuttama dasa(Iskcon communications minister)
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Recently I received news that iskcon is now holding and giving guru seminar classes for its “gurus”. Just when I thought it could not get any worse, and now this new bit of more bad news and concocted philosophy from the GBC of Iskcon.
Anybody who has read Srila Prabhupadas books even at a cursory level, will understand that he tells us and shows us from the sastra (scriptures) that a bona fide spiritual master is no less than a liberated soul and has been deputed by the Supreme Lord to take disciples.
What does it take to be a liberated soul? That is explained in the scriptures as one who is free from the four defects-imperfect senses, illusions, making mistakes and the propensity to cheat.
So unless one possesses these basic four items, he cannot be a liberated soul, which means he cannot give perfect knowledge, nor can he even save himself, what to speak of others. And then to give diksa-initiation as a spiritual master, one must also be a pure devotee of the Lord on top of that, which Krsna tells us in His Bhagavad Gita is very very rare to find such a mahatma.
BG 7.14 purport....Another meaning of guṇa is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself-he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Kṛṣṇa, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature.
And yet in iskcon it has now become their common practice to even arrogantly admit it is not they who are releasing/liberating their so called disciples from birth and death but it is Srila Prabhupada himself.
So any reasonably intelligent person would then ask, what do we need these people for if they admit they are not liberated and furthermore and worse still, cannot free their so called disciples from the cycle of birth and death?
Reasonable question, right? Not for these people in iskcon who have lost all their intelligence that Prabhupada originally gave to them. Here is how that happened...
SB 4.22 Translation-–When one deviates from his original consciousness, he loses the capacity to remember his previous position or recognize his present one. When remembrance is lost, all knowledge acquired is based on a false foundation. When this occurs, learned scholars consider that the soul is lost.
This verse from Srimad Bhagavatam clearly gives us the answer why people concoct the original philosophy of Krsna Consciousness as given by Srila Prabhupada in his original books. It is because they have deviated in so many ways from the original consciousness and siddhanta as given by Prabhupada. Before Prabhupada came, very very few in the world had a clue as to what was religion, what was liberation, and more importantly who was a bona fide guru. Then Prabhupadas books came out, and we could then understand who was Krsna and what was all the rest—better know as illusion or Maya.
So now getting to the good part- here is what Anuttama das the director of Communications in Iskcon says about his guru seminars.

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RITVIK-SHOWN AND EXPLAINED

May 17, 2022 in Articles

Hare Krsna
Dandavats. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Below is a link to the video recording of the initiation ceremony which was officiated by Yasoda nandana Prabhu that occurred on May 15, 2022 for the following devotees:
  • Bhatin Girlie (Philippines)
  • Bhakta Jonathan (USA)
  • Bhaktin Adina (USA)
  • Bhakta Gianpietro (India)
  • Bhakta Vittorio (Italy)
  • Bhakta Gian Franco (Italy)
  • Jagannath Prasada Dasa (Philippines)
Your servant,
Navadvipa dasa

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Hare Krsna -below we have a few articles and video clips which clearly show the Ritvik system of initiations is still going on and how these are authorized and sanctioned by Srila Prabhupada

damaghosa das
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1.How to  become a present day disciple of SP

2. How to  understand WHO to approach for Transcendence

3.Indradyumna swamis lecture version vs Srila Prabhupada

4.iskcons  Communication minister Anuttama das explains why his gurus need a guru training  seminar

5.Another ritvik  ceremony and why it is authorized to be done

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This is an intelligent question-SP

May 13, 2022 in Articles

KB 1-29  Introduction to Rasa dance

….Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard Śukadeva Gosvāmī explain the situation of the gopīs who assembled with Kṛṣṇa in the rāsa dance. When he heard that some of the gopīs, simply by concentrating on Kṛṣṇa as their paramour, became freed from all contamination of material birth and death, he said, “The gopīs did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They accepted Him as a beautiful boy and considered Him to be their paramour. So how was it possible for them to get freed from the material condition just by thinking of a paramour?” One should consider here that Kṛṣṇa and ordinary living beings are qualitatively one. The ordinary living beings, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, are also Brahman, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme–Parabrahman. The question is, if it is possible for the devotee to get free from the material, contaminated stage simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then why not others who are also thinking of someone? If one is thinking of a husband or son, or if anyone at all is thinking of another living entity, since all living entities are also Brahman, then why are they not all freed from the contaminated stage of material nature? This is a very intelligent question, because the atheists are always imitating Kṛṣṇa. (or Srila Prabhupada) In these days of Kaliyuga, there are many rascals who think themselves to be as great as Kṛṣṇa (or Srila Prabhupada)and who cheat people into believing that thinking of them is as good as thinking of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (Or Srila Prabhupada)
Parīkṣit Mahārāja, apprehending the dangerous condition of blind followers of demonic imitators, therefore asked this question, and fortunately it is recorded in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to warn innocent people that thinking of an ordinary man and thinking of Kṛṣṇa are not the same.
 
Some Conclusions–I was reading this pastime today and this part  struck me as very important for in so many places in the books we see Prabhupada warning us also  about  the many cheaters that seem to flourish in the world today.
 
 SB 2.9.8 purport…
There is no difference between the Lord and sound vibration coming from Him, even though He is not personally present. The best way of understanding is to accept such divine instruction, and Brahmā, the prime spiritual master of everyone, is the living example of this process of receiving transcendental knowledge. The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā or any revealed scripture in the world is never to be accepted as an ordinary mundane sound without transcendental potency.

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You dont need a “living guru” to understand Prabhupadas books-SP

May 12, 2022 in Articles

Note-Below we have one conversations where Srila Prabhupada destroys the iskcon myth that you need a “living guru” to explain his books. These people seem to mistakenly think nobody can understand Prabhupadas book unless you go thru them.
 
May 21 1975 Melbourne
Madhudviṣa: ...cannot become a medical practitioner by simply reading the books. He must study under a medical practitioner. So in the case of your books, is it possible to become a devotee without actually having personal association with you? Just by reading your books?
Prabhupāda: No, it is not that you have to associate with the author. But one who knows, if you cannot understand you have to take lesson from him. Not necessarily that you have to contact with the author always.
Devotee: Just like the textbooks are not written by the teachers; they’re written by other professors.
Devotee: Usually you don’t even meet the author.
Prabhupāda: Simply one who knows the subject matter, he can explain.
Madhudviṣa: But can your, would your purports, would that serve as explanation besides…
Prabhupāda: No, no, anyone who knows the subject matter, he will be able to explain. Not necessarily the author is required to be present there. [break] …to study from a medical man, I never said you have to study from the author. Or one who understood the author’s purpose. Just like we are explaining Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Not that one has to learn directly from Kṛṣṇa. One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, from him. That is paramparā system.

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There are 2 ways of living-the karmis way and the devotees way-SP

May 10, 2022 in Articles

May 14 1975 Perth

 
Justin Murphy: …America has Comalco and Alcoa, two very large international groups, have large interests in the bauxite in the hills around Perth. They are out to make money. They’re in it to return money to their shareholders in America.

Prabhupāda: But therefore, there are two ways of living. One way of living is called material enjoyment, or sense enjoyment. This is one way of life. In Sanskrit it is called pravṛtti–mārga, “How to enjoy more, more, more, more, more.” This is called pravṛtti–mārga. That is going on. The whole… At the present moment the whole civilization, throughout the whole world—everyone is trying to get more money. More money means more sense enjoyment. More money means more sense enjoyment. This is called pravṛtti–mārga.

Justin Murphy: Well, maybe less enjoyment but more possessions.

Prabhupāda: No, enjoyment in this way of life more sense enjoyment, you will never be able to enjoy or happiness. That is not possible. That is the nature’s way. (Aside:) You can close the door. If you simply want to enjoy, you can enjoy. But you will create more miseries. So this is one way of life, that you enjoy your senses and create more miseries. This is one way of life. And if you want to decrease your miseries, then there is another life, which is called simple life. Simple life means you produce your food and you produce your cloth so you dress yourself nicely, you eat, yourself, nicely, keep yourself fit and glorify the Lord. This is one way of life. And the other way of life, that “We don’t care for the Lord. Let us enjoy the senses to the topmost capacity and be happy…” So this way of life will never make you happy. You will simply go on struggling. This is one way of life. Another way of life, that the human life is meant for God realization…

That is Vedānta philosophy. Athāto brahma jijnāsā. Now, by evolutionary process, we have come to the human form of life, and it is meant for asking, “What is my constitutional position? Am I this body, or I am something else?” The dogs, he cannot put this inquiry. A dog, he thinks that he is dog, that’s all. He is jumping, he is barking, and eating, sleeping, and having sex. That’s all. If I ask one dog, “Please sit down. Hear Bhagavad-gītā,” it is not possible. But you are human being, if I ask you, “Mr. such and such, sit down, hear from the Bhagavad-gītā,” you can do that. First of all we must know the difference between dog and me. The dog is incapable to understand Bhagavad-gītā. But human being… Just like we are selling this book in the Western countries, many millions of copies, because they are human being. We are not selling among the cats and dogs.
 

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Some inconceivable aspects of the soul and Supersoul

May 10, 2022 in Articles

Hare Krsna-
For those who care and still have imagination and ability to inquire, we have arranged some things from Srila Prabhupadas  books which describe that which is not describable but is in fact inconceivable.
 
damaghosa das
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Inconceivable things in the spiritual world-
 
Just for teasers, here is some of what you will find below…when our body is completely spiritualized it can and will act just like Krsnas-He/and we can eat thru his eyes, feet, ears, 
etc/our spiritual body can become grass, a tree or whatever we want, and still return to the original human like form/ Gadadhara das– is the luster of Srimati Radharanis body and Gadadhara pandit is the incarnation of Radha Herself/ trees in the spiritual world can move from one place to another/and Arjuna and Devahuti remain in the material world to assist Krsna with His pastimes  and they can expand themselves in unlimited bodies in unlimited universes to do so…….and more

Adi 5.22 purport
In the Vaikuṇṭhas there are airplanes, but they make no tumultuous sounds. Material airplanes are not at all safe: they can fall down and crash at any time, for matter is imperfect in every respect. In the spiritual sky, however, the airplanes are also spiritual, and they are spiritually brilliant and bright. These airplanes do not fly business executives, politicians or planning commissions as passengers, nor do they carry cargo or postal bags, for these are all unknown there. These planes are for pleasure trips only, and the residents of Vaikuṇṭha fly in them with their heavenly, beautiful, fairylike consorts. Therefore these airplanes, full of residentsof Vaikuṇṭha, both male and female, increase the beauty of the spiritual sky. We cannot imagine how beautiful they are, but their beauty may be compared to the clouds in the sky accompanied by silver branches of electric lightning. The spiritual sky of Vaikuṇṭhaloka is always decorated in this way.
The bestial civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing and sense-gratifying has misled modern man into forgetting how powerful a soul he has. As we have already described, the soul is a spiritual spark many, many times more illuminating, dazzling and powerful than the sun, moon or electricity. Human life is spoiled when man does not realize his real identity with his soul. LordCaitanya appeared with Lord Nityānanda to save man from this type of misleading civilization.
 
(SPL to Saradiya, 12th December 1968)-“To answer your second question, you should know that Arjuna and Kunti-devi are not in Krsnaloka. They are eternally associated with Krsna only in the material world. Just like Krsna is always in the spiritual world so similarly He is always in the material world and His pastimes are going on there also. In the material world, Krsna also has eternal associates, such as Arjuna and Kunti-devi. There is a difference between the body and soul of Arjuna and Kunti-devi. But although Arjuna is with Krsna in innumerable different material universes at one time, still there is only one spirit soul who is Arjuna. This spirit soul expands into many different bodies and thus you can understand that there are also incarnations of devotees as well as incarnations of Krsna. This is the power of the spirit soul, that it is unlimited. Such conception cannot be understood while one is still in the conditioned state.”
KB 1-13-Therefore in order to satisfy the mothers of His friends as well as to convince Brahmā of the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, He immediately expanded Himself as the cowherd boys and calves. In the Vedas it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself in so many living entities by His energy. Therefore it was not very difficult for Him to expand Himself again into so many boys and calves. He expanded Himself to become exactly like the boys, who were of all different features, facial and bodily construction, and who were different in their clothing and ornaments and in their behavior and personal activities. In other words, everyone has different tastes; being individual soul, each person has entirely different activities and behavior.Yet Kṛṣṇa exactly expanded Himself into all the different positions of the individual boys. He also became the calves, who were also of different sizes, colors, activities, etc. This was possible because everything is an expansion of Kṛṣṇa’s energy. 
 
ADI 9.32 purport
It is our experience in the material world that trees stand in one place, but in the spiritual world a tree can go from one place to another. Therefore everything in the spiritual world is called alaukika, uncommon or transcendental. Another feature of such a tree is that it can act universally. In the material world the roots of a tree go deep within the earth to gather food, but in the spiritual world the twigs, branches and leaves of the upper portion of the tree can act like the roots.
 
ADI 10.53 purport
Śrīla Gadādhara dāsa was known as an inhabitant of this village (eṅḍiyādaha-vāsī gadādhara dāsa). The Bhakti-ratnākara (Seventh Wave), informs us that after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Gadādhara dāsa came from Navadvīpa to Katwa. Thereafter he came to Eṅḍiyādaha and resided there.
He is stated to be the luster of the body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, just as Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī is an incarnation of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sometimes explained to be rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita, or characterized by the emotions and bodily luster of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Gadādhara dāsa is this dyuti, or luster.
 

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If you simply try to understand Krsna you go back home–SP

May 10, 2022 in Articles

May 28 1975 Honolulu
 
Devotee (2): …follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness very strictly and very seriously like, say, for the rest of our lives, is there a chance that we’ll be able to see Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in this life?
Prabhupāda: Certainly. You read Bhagavad-gītā?
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: So there is stated, “If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you go back to home.” Janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. That is stated. If you simply understand how Kṛṣṇa takes birth, how He goes away, why does He come, what is His mission, these things, if you can understand, then you are a fit candidate to go back to home. So that is explained everything in the Bhagavad-gītā. You try to understand. Then you are guaranteed. Where is the difficulty? And if you think, “Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary man like us,” then finished. Then do not understand Kṛṣṇa. If you simply accept this word faithfully, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], “Everything is Kṛṣṇa,” then your knowledge is perfect.
Devotee (3): Even if we don’t understand Kṛṣṇa completely… Even if we don’t understand Kṛṣṇa completely, if we just…
Prabhupāda: This is complete understanding, that “Everything is Kṛṣṇa.” That’s all. That is a fact. Everything is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in this material world everyone knows everything is the sunshine. Due to the sunshine, everything is coming. That’s a fact. Science…
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Dovetailing our  professional  work for the satisfaction of God and pleasing the Lord is as good as being bald headed and working full time for Krsna

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It is misunderstanding NOT to read other Acaryas books-SP

May 2, 2022 in Articles

May 13 1975

Amogha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are distributing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you explain that it’s best to start from the beginning and go gradually. So…
Prabhupāda: No, anywhere you can see.
Amogha: So we can distribute any canto.
Paramahaṁsa: Usually what happens is a person who gets, say, the Second or Third or Fourth Canto, if he reads that, then he will want to start from the beginning, and he’ll buy the First Canto.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, even if he does not read the First Canto, wherever he will read, he will get benefit. Sugar candy you taste from anywhere it is sweet. (long silence)
Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I remember once I heard a tape where you told us that we should not try to read the books of previous ācāryas.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Amogha: That we should not try to read Bhaktivinoda’s books or earlier books of other, all ācāryas. So I was just wondering…
Prabhupāda: I never said that.
Amogha: You didn’t say that? Oh.
Prabhupāda: How is that?
Amogha: I thought you said that we should not read the previous ācāryas’ books.
Prabhupāda: No, you should read.
Amogha: We should.
Prabhupāda: It is misunderstanding.
Paramahaṁsa: I think maybe he was thinking that there was some things about some of the Gauḍīya Maṭha books.
Prabhupāda: Maybe.
Paramahaṁsa: And sometimes you said that better not to…, better to read your books.
Amogha: When the devotees went to India this year, they said that Acyutānanda Swami very…, chastised them that “You should never… If I catch any of you buying Bhaktisiddhānta’s books from Gauḍīya Maṭha then I will take it away,” something like this.
Paramahaṁsa: Yeah, that was, the reason was because of, he didn’t want the devotees going to Gauḍīya Maṭha. But there’s nothing wrong with the idea of studying the previous ācāryas’ books.
Prabhupāda: No. Who said? That is wrong. We are following previous ācāryas. I never said that.
Paramahaṁsa: All of your commentaries are coming from the previous ācāryas.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Jayadharma: But that wouldn’t mean that we should keep all the previous ācāryas’ books and only read them.
Prabhupāda: That is already there. You first of all assimilate what you have got. You simply pile up books and do not read—what is the use?
Jayadharma: First of all we must read all your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Paramahaṁsa: Practically speaking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are giving us the essence of all the previous ācāryas’ books in your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. [break]
 
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Sudama: She wants to know actually that should they just have the chanting without reading your books or without instruction or following the program.

Prabhupada: But that chanting must be pure. Your guru is writing books. If you think, “There is no necessity of reading books,” that is guror avajna. Do you means to say I am writing these books whole night for selling and making money? What, do you think like that?
(Bhagavad-gita Lecture 17.1-3  — Honolulu, July 4, 1974)

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Where does this term-Krsna Consciousness” come from?

April 30, 2022 in Articles

April 12 1975 Hyderabad
 
And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. There is no difficulty to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not at all. But people will not take it, that is the difficulty. They will argue simply. Kūṭaka. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta, where is the argument against it? You are saying that, they may not think of Kṛṣṇa, they may not say about Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. This is argument, this is not philosophy. Philosophy is there, direct, you should do like this, that’s all. You do it and get the results. You go to purchase something, the price is fixed, you pay the price and take it. Where is argument? If you are, if you serious about that thing, you may pay price and take it away. That is the advice of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti rasa-bhāvitā-mati kriyatāṁ yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate. If you can purchase somewhere the thinking of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bhakti rasa-bhāvitā mati. That is, we have translated into “Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.” If you can purchase this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, somewhere, immediately purchase it. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti rasa-bhāvita-mati, kriyatām, just purchase, yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate, if it is available somewhere. And if I have to purchase, then what price? Tatra laulyam ekaṁ mūlam. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ labhyate. If you want what is the price, he says the price is your eagerness. And that eagerness to obtain it, takes many millions of births. Why you want Kṛṣṇa? Just like the other day I said that if one has seen Kṛṣṇa, he will become mad after Kṛṣṇa. That is the sign. These boys are certified in their own country by the Christian priests that “These boys are our boys, they will never come into church, they are never interested about God, and now they are mad after God. What is this?” Because that is the price only to purchase Kṛṣṇa. To mad after Him. 
 
Some Conclusions–This term “Krsna Consciousness” that we all use daily and other millions as well world over-where did it come from? 
I asked this question some 50 years ago and finally I have found the answer. You wont see it translated as such in any  mantra of Srila Prabhupadas books, and yet here it is, the explanation given by Our Acarya himself.
Human life is meant to inquire and if remain eager to ask questions, which are unlimited in scope, then eventually we will get them all answered. It just may take a while
So when foolish devotees want to remove Srila Prabhupada from his own iskcon, this is exactly like taking the foundation out from under a huge building-and then expecting things to go on nicely.
Image result for picture of man cutting a branch from a tree he is sitting on
 
Members of the Foundation or Tree branch removal experts company–All of the GBC, Sastric advisory committee, Jayadvaita, the book changer, those who advocate changes of all kinds, all those posing as bona fide  gurus without authorization, women gurus, no objection elected gurus, unauthorized deity worship, no kirtan standards  anymore, demigod worship, car pujas, taking all of Prabhupadas books out of his temples and replacing with bogus gurus books,  and on and on……
And is it any wonder Prabhupada tells us all these people will be going to some hellish planet upon death? Its all there in his books-if we read them
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das

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Therefore to distribute knowledge is the best welfare activities,-SP

April 28, 2022 in Articles

April 7 1975 Mayapura
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that the children in the West, in the materialistic culture, they become hippies. They’ll say that at least they’ve had the choice, at least they were given…
Prabhupāda: Again, again you are bringing the same question, Eastern-Western.
Rāmeśvara: Materialistic.
Prabhupāda: Materialistic means that is the ultimate end of materialistic life. Because they want new pleasure, new pleasure, new pleasure, so sometimes this, sometimes that… Sometimes they think the civilized way is better; sometimes the uncivilized way is better. That’s all, this way and that way. That is called punaḥ punaś ca… And then you’ll take again to civilized way of… I think some of the hippies are taking now. Yes. Because the same example, stool, this side or that side, it is stool. So these materialistic persons, they are trying to change from this side to that side, but it is stool. That is the… That they do not know. They are accepting stool as something very sublime, and therefore they are trying to change the position, sometimes this side, sometimes that side. Hitvā anyathā rūpam. This is anyathā rūpam, means a living being. Being spiritual, his business is spiritual, but he has accepted material as the platform of his happiness. That is his fault. So material thing, either this side or that side, it is material. Bhoga-tyāga. So therefore he is not happy. And we are trying to give him spiritual platform for happiness. That is real happiness. But he is so much attached to the material happiness that he cannot believe that there can be any happiness beyond this range. That is his ignorance, mūḍha. Therefore we call them mūḍha, rascals. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, “When you become spiritually realized, then prasannātmā, happiness.” Otherwise it is not possible. Material thing, you take this side or that side—there is no question of happiness. When you become brahma-bhūtaḥ, spiritually realized, then there is happiness, prasannātmā, immediately. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu [Bg. 18.54]. That is the…
Satsvarūpa: But should this be forced on people if they don’t want it?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Satsvarūpa: If a large section of the people don’t want spiritual life, that’s their…
Prabhupāda: No, you cannot force. That is not possible, because he has got independence. You cannot force. You can simply give him knowledge. Therefore to distribute knowledge is the best welfare activities, not this material so-called happiness, daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva and this… They have got that. That will not make them happy. If you give them knowledge, then they will be really benefited. Otherwise not.
Brahmānanda: How do we give knowledge to the common masses of people?
Prabhupāda: Yes, by saṅkīrtana. By hearing, hearing, hearing—this is a medicinal process—the heart will be cleansed and they will take up the knowledge. Now the heart is unclean, so he cannot take up. So this is the medicine. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer… [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra wherever possible, and whoever will hear, he will gradually become cleansed.

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” You are not transcendental. You are trying to be transcendental.”-SP

April 25, 2022 in Articles

May 11 1975 Perth
Devotee (1): So if we as devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are transcendental to these modes, does that mean that we can…
Prabhupāda: You are not transcendental. You are trying to be transcendental. You should always remember that “We are trying to be transcendental.” When you are actually on transcendental state, you will not be affected by any modes of material nature. Therefore you should be very cautious and careful. Just like on the sea, you are in the boat. You are transcendental. But the boat may can merge into the water any moment unless you are very carefully plying it. At any moment. You are not in the water, you are safe on the boat, but if you do not carefully ply your boat, then you can fall down at any moment. The comparison is given, nṛ-deham ādyam sulabhaṁ sudurlabhaṁ. Sulabhaṁ. This human form of body is just like a very nice boat to cross over this ocean of ignorance, and the guru is the pilot or the captain. And the śāstras are favorable wind. Just like if you are going this direction, if the wind is blowing this…, then automatically your boat is pushed. And behind the boat, what is called, the boat, that thing? He takes the…
Amogha: The oar, rudder…
Srutakirti: The oarsman. Oarsmen.
Prabhupāda: Oarsman, all of them are. Chief?
Amogha: The steersman or the pilot?
Prabhupāda: Yes, the chief man. So the guru is there. He is the chief man, giving direction, or the captain. And others are plying, and the boat is also strong, and the wind is also favorable. In this circumstances, if you cannot cross, then you make suicide. The śāstras are there. That is favorable wind. You get the way. And the spiritual master is directing, “Do like this.” And you have got a nice boat and you are plying. Now cross over. Very big ocean in the material world. Just see the sky, how big it is. So we have to cross this material sky, penetrate the covering, then go to the spiritual sky. Then you are safe. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ ‘vyakto ‘vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. That place, even after destruction of this whole material world, that is safe. So we have to go there, plying the boat. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, “You rascal, give up everything. Surrender unto Me. And surrender unto Me. Follow My instruction as I have given. Then you are safe.” But that they will not do. They will try to cheat Kṛṣṇa by interpretation, “This means this. This means that.” That they will do, these rascals, big, big rascals. Kṛṣṇa says something, and they will misinterpret. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, and Dr. Radhakrishnan says, “No, no, it is not to the Kṛṣṇa person.” Just see how misleading these rascals. Why you should interpret upon Kṛṣṇa’s word? If you have got your own philosophy, you write another book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gītā? This is their cheating. Bhagavad-gītā is a popular book. Gandhi also took Bhagavad-gītā for his political diplomacy. This is going on. And they’ll never agree to accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They’ll never agree. The other day I was there in Kurukṣetra. They have got their own plan-mānava-dharma, this dharma, that dharma. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: [Bg. 18.66] “You give up all these. Kick out all this so-called rascaldom. You just surrender unto Me.” That they will not do. Except this, everything which is going on in the name of religion, that is cheating. Everyone is misinterpret… Just like Christians, they have misinterpreted: “Kill means murder. It is meant for man.” That means they are making their own lusty desires fulfilled in the name of Bible, that’s all. Everyone is doing like that. They are changing. Mass opinion is now homosex. They are passing abortion. They are passing… What is this? This is their business. For fulfillment of their lusty desires and greediness, they are bringing the authority of Bible, Bhagavad-gītā. This is going on in the name of religion.

Dec 7 1973 LA
Here is a rascal
Prabhupāda: Therefore they are rascals. Rascal means that however kick him on his face, still, he’ll insist. That is rascal. Rascal means that.

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you cannot use something if you cannot make it-vedic saying

April 23, 2022 in Articles

May 14 1975 Perth
 
Śrutakīrti: He’s drawing a big salary for studying. He’s getting a big research salary.
Paramahaṁsa: And he’s teaching others how to study the problems, but there’s no solution.
Amogha: They have no solution actually.
Prabhupāda: The solution is there. They won’t take it. Solution is there, that everyone produce your own food. There is so much land; utilize it. The solution is there. No. They want to sit down on the table, chair, in a very nice compartment, and making solution. They won’t go.
Amogha: He was saying that your solution was too simple. He said that people will not accept it because it is too simple.
Prabhupāda: That is his ignorance. They will say it is primitive. That is the only solution. According to the Vedic system, you cannot use anything which you cannot produce. Suppose this we are using, but according the Vedic system we should not use it because I cannot produce it. Then the whole solution is there. Nobody will manufacture this because there will be no customer. If I refuse this use of this machine, thinking that “I cannot produce it; I should not use it,” then where is the customer? The so-called industry will automatically stop, and he has to go to the village outlying.
Paramahaṁsa: Some of the orthodox hippies have this philosophy, and they reject all machines and things that they cannot make themselves.
Prabhupāda: That is natural. That is natural. It is good. But they are not led by good leader. Otherwise next alternative is this, that you have to give up this artificial way of civilization. Now this land is vacant. We can produce so much food grains if it is utilized. Fruits, flower, vegetables, grains—we can produce. This land is very good land for producing potato, watermelon, this. Very good land. But who is doing that? This is the suitable land for producing watermelon. And watermelon is such a nice thing, and potato. You boil potato and take watermelon, you have full nourishment are supplied. Very innocent and simple food.
Note-But as he said, they will not accept this method for living-It is TOO simple Now see Prabhupada’s analysis of why people, including devotees wont accept this simple living high thinking model….
May 12 1975 Perth
He says he just wished to meet you. Perhaps I should read a verse. Should I read a verse?
Prabhupāda: No. Our viewpoint is that in the material world, who has accepted this material body—anyone, but we specially take the human society—they require treatment, everyone. Everyone is mentally diseased, and therefore he is unhappy. Everyone. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahād-guṇa [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who has no sense of God consciousness, he is diseased mentally. He requires treatment. The whole human society, especially at the present moment, they have given up God consciousness. They are not interested. That is their disease. And everyone requires treatment. So the whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the mass treatment of the materialistic persons who are mentally diseased. That is our proposition. It is… In India there was a case. A man committed murder, and he pleaded in the court that… His pleader, his lawyer, pleaded that he was mad at that time. We also accept unless one becomes mad, one cannot commit murder or suicide. So the civil surgeon was brought to give evidence whether this man is actually mad. The civil surgeon said that “So far my experience is concerned—I have treated so many persons—in my opinion everyone is mad. So if on account of madness one should be excused from the law, then it is Your Honor’s discretion, but so far I have studied, more or less, everyone is mad.” Similarly, our study is that unless one is mad, he cannot remain in this material world. So everyone is mentally diseased, and they are concocting their ideas, different ideas. And they are overlapping, my idea, your idea overlapping. Therefore there is clash, unhappiness, violence, individually, socially, familywise, nationwise. This is going on. Therefore everyone requires a treatment, psychiatrist’s treatment. And the best treatment is to induce a person to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything will be all right. Otherwise, a person who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious, he is basically a mad man and requires treatment. (pause) Ghostly haunted man… You have experienced ghostly haunted man?
Paramahaṁsa: In Woodsaw (?) there was a ghost. In St. Kilda the devotees used to think there was a ghost, but not a man who was called…
Prabhupāda: There is ghost. And sometimes ghost attacks a man. Because he has no material body, he wants to act through other’s body. So the man who is attacked, he forgets himself, and he speaks and walks according to the dictation of the ghost. That is called ghostly haunted man.
Śrutakīrti: What is the significance of… What is this?
Prabhupāda: He talks nonsense. Suppose his father comes before him, he calls him by ill names, like that. He talks nonsense. So anyone who is too much materially affected, he also talks nonsense. Anartha upāsamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The treatment is bhakti-yoga. That we are teaching. Without any exception, we accept everyone a patient for psychiatric treatment. He has this book?
Paramahaṁsa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then all other books we can show him.
Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, does the soul, the ghost, enter into the other man’s body? The soul is occupying one body, and the ghost, as another soul, does he enter that body? There’s two souls in the one body?
Prabhupāda: Not exactly enters, but he catches the body. But because the ghost has no gross body—he has got his subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego—you cannot see him, how he has attacked that body. You cannot see the body of mind, intelligence. You know I have got my mind; I know you have got your mind. But you do not see my mind; I do not see your mind. So ghost is within the subtle body: mind, intelligence, and ego. So with that subtle body, he attacks the man, but you cannot see. He does not enter into him. The enter is the soul within the body. Therefore sometimes ghost is walking in the room. We cannot see. But he takes away something. We see that the thing is going away. (laughter) Because you cannot see his gross body. And because he hasn’t got gross body, he can move very swiftly. Now he is here; he can go ten miles away immediately. But there is ghost. And they attack specially woman.
Paramahaṁsa: Is that because the women are weaker?
Prabhupāda: No. Woman is attractive for any man, even in ghostly life. The other day, who was telling that a big poet of India, he said that “God’s most wonderful creation is woman’s body”?
Śrutakīrti: I think Brahmānanda Mahārāja mentioned? Acyutānanda.
Prabhupāda: So, everyone is attracted with the woman’s body. In your country I have seen the advertisement: “bottomless,” “topless…” That is the material attraction. Everyone is in this material world on account of attachment. And similarly, for woman, the man’s body is beautiful. So in this way both of them are attached to one another. That is the basic principle of material life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham [SB 7.9.45]. They become attached. On account of sex life, they become more attached, and therefore both of them remain almost perpetually in this material world, and to satisfy different desires they transmigrate from one body to another. And on account of accepting this material body, there is always miserable condition. Therefore everyone requires the psychiatric treatment so that the mind may be transferred from matter to spirit soul. Then he will be cured. The disease is of the mind. Harāv abhaktasy kuto mahād-guṇa mano-rathena. Everyone is riding on the chariot of mind. And the mind is taking him here and there, here… And the yoga practice is also treatment. This is also yoga, bhakti-yoga, and this ordinary haṭha-yoga, that is also treatment of the mind. Treatment of mind means controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ. Mind is the leader of the senses. So if the treatment of the mind is done properly, then the senses work properly. The example is the madman. Because the madman’s mind is not controlled, he is acting in a way—people say, “Here is a madman.” So everyone is more or less a madman in this material world, or, in other words, you can say anyone who is in the material world, he is a madman. He requires treatment. Just like anyone who is in the prison house, it is to be accepted that he is a criminal. Without any study, without any exception we can accept all the prisoners as criminals. [break] …gradually appreciate. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This treatment is in the beginning just cleansing the mirror of the heart. That is the treatment. Just like a mirror, when it is overcast with dust, it requires cleansing. So the mental mirror is covered with material dust. So it has to be cleansed. That is the treatment. And when it is cleansed, you can see your real face in the mirror. Similarly, as soon as our heart disease, contaminated by the modes of material nature, is cleansed, you can understand what is your real position. That is the success of psychiatric treatment. One comes to know, “What I am.” Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: “I am spirit soul; I am not this body.” That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. He becomes immediately happy. And happiness means na śocati na kāṅkṣati: “He does not lament, neither he desires.” Our present disease is we hanker after things which we do not possess, and when that thing is lost, we lament. So hankering and lamenting. So when one is cleansed in the heart, he has no more hankering or desire. This is the symptom. And samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu: “Then he becomes equal to everyone.” Everyone means every living being, man and animal, trees, plants, lower or higher. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Then he enters into the sphere of devotional service. This is the symptom. Then he is perfectly in his original position. Then he is happy. Just like a diseased man. So long the disease is there, he is unhappy. And as soon as the disease is cured, he will be happy. So this material disease, as soon as it is cured, one becomes happy, because he is, by constitution, spiritual being. People have no knowledge even, his…, even about his spiritual identity. Therefore they are unhappy.
March 26 1975 Mayapura
What is that implication? Implication is that your sinful life will get you next body which is also sinful. And again you suffer. Suffering there is. As soon as you get material body, there is suffering. It may be a king’s body or it may be a cobbler’s body, it doesn’t matter, the suffering is there. But because these people are māyayāpahṛtajānā, they are accepting suffering as pleasure. This is called māyā. He’s suffering, but he is thinking it is a good pleasure. Just like the pig. He’s eating stool, and he’s thinking he’s enjoying life. This is called ignorant. He does not know that he’s suffering. Māyā has given his body to suffer, but even in the pig’s body, he’s thinking that is enjoying life. This is called māyā. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg. 7.13]. This is called illusion. Illusion. Everyone in this material world, they are suffering in different grades. Just like in the prison house there are different grades of prisoner: first class, second class, third class. But first-class prisoner thinks they are enjoying life, that is ignorance. He should know that he’s in the prison house. In the prison house where is there enjoyment? It is all suffering. Maybe first-class suffering, (laughter) but it is suffering. So they are all in the darkness, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu appeared to dissipate, tamo-nudau, to dissipate this darkness of the whole human society. That is Their kindness. They are…
 

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Giving 50% and Bhakti is not for the ordinary man-SP

April 18, 2022 in Articles

Hare Krsna
*.The first part of this article shows the principle of giving 50% of ones income to the society for Krsna Conscious purposes. And if one cannot do this he is disobeying the guru. And as a result his outside work is “un authorized”
 
*.Then Srila Prabhupada paints a picture thru letters of his sanctioning mariage-but one must be prepared to give 50% of his income to the society. And later on, for this topic, he seemed so disgusted with his disciples who could not seem to remain “married” due to their restlessness, that he would no longer sanction marriage within iskcon
‘
*.Finally we have one conversation where Prabhupada is explaining this principle of 50% income giving, which is just karma yoga, which is done BEFORE bhakti yoga..
 
Note-It is ironic that this principle of giving our hard earned money to the bona fide guru/brahmanas /Vaisnavas has all but been forgotten these days. And yet this is only karma yoga which is prior to bhakti yoga.
 
Hare Krsna–There is much more to be shown but I am trying to keep this brief….
damaghosa das
——————–
 
FEB 3 1975 Hawaii
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, where does someone derive his authority…
Prabhupāda: The guru is authority.
Devotee (1): No, I know, but for his actions other than just following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. He does so many other things during the day. Where does he derive his authority if he’s not, let’s say, living in the temple?
Prabhupāda: I do not follow. The authority is guru. You have accepted.
Bali Mardana: For everything.
Jayatīrtha: Say I have some outside job, I’m living outside, but I’m not giving 50% of my income. So then that work that I’m doing, is it actually under the authority of the guru?
Prabhupāda: Then you are not following the instruction of guru. That is plain fact.
Jayatīrtha: So that means that whole activity during the day, working, that means I am not following the instruction of the guru. It’s unauthorized activity.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you don’t follow the instruction of guru, then you are fallen down immediately. That is the way. Otherwise why you sing, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. It is my duty to satisfy guru. Otherwise I am nowhere. So if you prefer to be nowhere, then you disobey as you like. But if you want to be steady in your position, then you have to follow strictly the instruction of guru.
Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by reading your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn’t matter. You are secure. Follow the instruction. Then you are secure anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Mahārāja not more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a gṛhastha, I never lived with the Maṭha, in the temple. It is practical. So many Godbrothers recommended that “He should be in charge in this Bombay temple, this, that, that…” Guru Mahārāja said, “Yes, better he lives outside. That is good, and he will do what is needed in due course of time.”
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupāda: He said like that. I could not understand at that time what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.
Yaśodānandana: I think you have done this in grand style.
Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupāda! Haribol!
Prabhupāda: Yes, done grand style because I strictly follow the instruction of my Guru Mahārāja, that’s all. Otherwise I have no strength. I have not played any magic. Did I? Any gold manufacturing? (laughter) Still, I have got better disciples than the gold-manufacturing guru.

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The power of sound vibration

April 12, 2022 in Articles

March 14 1975 Iran
Prabhupāda: Whole world, whole universe, they are made of these five elements.
Atreya Ṛṣi: All the creation, the material creation, is made of five elements.
Yoga student: What is the fifth besides earth, air, fire and water?
Prabhupāda: Ether.
Yoga student: Ether. How does ether distinguish…
Prabhupāda:
Yoga student: How is ether distinct from air?
Prabhupāda: Ether you cannot feel touch. Air you can feel touch.
Parivrājakācārya: Based on the sense perception. On this planet, the bodies are made of earth. But there are other places, other planets, where the physical body is composed of a different combination. So one is predominantly air, another can be fire, another water, ether.
Yoga student: But is ether a gross element as well?
Atreya Ṛṣi: Ether is space.
Prabhupāda: Yes, space.
Yoga student: So in that sense it’s a gross element.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Parivrājakācārya: It’s perceivable by the senses as sound.
Yoga student: As sound.
Prabhupāda: Ether is perceived by sound, air is perceived by touch. Then… Ether, air… Then fire you can see by vision. And then next, water, you can taste, and the earth you can smell. These five senses are there to appreciate these five kinds of elements. All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]
 
Aug 21 1973 london
Just like electricity is everywhere, electrons. One who can tackle the electrons, they can talk without any direct connection by electronic method, thousand thousand miles away. Just like radio message, television message. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also everywhere. Just like the waves of sound wave is going on. As soon as you produce, I produce one sound, immediately within a second the sound goes round the earth seven times. So if a material thing has got so much power, just think how much power God has got. 

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How to understand WHO to approach for Transcendence-SP

April 12, 2022 in Articles

Feb 19 1975 Caracas
Prabhupāda: No, we must first of all understand that our senses are imperfect. Just like we are sitting in this room. We have got our eyes, but we cannot see what is there, going on, beyond this wall. The sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and we are seeing just like a disc. So the eyelid is just near the eyes, but we cannot see what is the eyelids. If the light is off, we cannot see. So we can see under certain condition. Then what is the value of our seeing? If we, even if we manufacture telescope, that is also manufactured by the imperfect senses, so it is also not perfect. So anything understood by manipulating our imperfect senses, that is not real knowledge. So our process of understanding real knowledge is to take it from the person who has the real knowledge. Just like if we contemplate or speculate who is my father, it is never possible to understand who is my father. But if we receive the words from mother that “Here is your father,” that is perfect. Therefore the process of knowledge should be not to speculate but to receive it from the perfect person. If we receive knowledge from a mental speculator, that is not perfect knowledge.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): What would be the mechanism or process to get this perfect knowledge and to purify our senses?
Prabhupāda: First of all we have to accept this truth, that perfect knowledge can be received from the perfect person. Just like I have given the example, who is my father. You can understand it from the perfect person, mother. If somebody speculates, “This gentleman may be your father, this gentleman may be your father,” that is not perfect knowledge. The perfect knowledge is with the mother. Mother says, “Here is your father.” That is perfect knowledge. Just like, therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,
tad viddhi praṇipātena (aside:) Find out
Now, what is the meaning of tattva-darśinaḥ?
Hṛdayānanda: “The seers of the truth.”
Prabhupāda: Yes. You have to… Just like mother has seen the father. So her knowledge is perfect. But I have not seen my father. Because before my birth there was father, I do not know who is my father. The mother has seen the father. So you have to approach such a person who has seen the truth. That is the way of… Now you have to find out a person who has seen the transcendence and receive knowledge of transcendence from him. Then it is perfect.
Professor: (Spanish) What I mean is that, you know. We are all imperfect because we are imperfect. Right? So how can a master, a person who really understands or who claims to really understand be able to know perfection, to see the truth, how can he with his imperfect senses…
Prabhupāda: You are right, you are right.
Professor: …know the real truth.
Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore I say…
Professor: How can I get with my imperfect senses the perfection brought by the master?
Prabhupāda: The same example. Just like the mother has seen the father, and the mother says not only to her son but other gentleman that “Here is the father of the son.” So the other gentleman who has not seen the father but on the verification by the mother, he accepts the real thing. Hearing from the perfect is also perfect. If I get the chance of hearing from the perfect, then I may not be perfect, but because I have heard from the perfect, what I say, that is perfect.
Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He’s saying that he accepts that we can receive perfect knowledge, but then because I am imperfect I make an imperfect interpretation.
Prabhupāda: No, you are not allowed interpretation. As soon as you interpret, you become imperfect. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don’t interpret. Before this, all these rascals were simply interpreting and spoiling the whole thing. So this is the fact.
Professor: So what you really are asking for is blind faith.
Prabhupāda: Not blind faith. Perfect man is perfect. Unless you understand that he is perfect, don’t hear from him. That is blind. Without knowing that he is perfect, if you hear, that is your imperfectness. Why should you try to hear from a person whom you do not know perfectly well that he is perfect?
Hṛdayānanda: Can I translate that?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you hear blindly, that is your imperfectness. You must be first of all convinced that. “The person from whom I am hearing, he is perfect.” Then your knowledge is perfect.
Professor: That conviction is not the product of reasoning.
Prabhupāda: It is not convention. It is not convention. It is actually knowing that “I have approached this perfect man.” Just like the same example: if you approach the mother of the son, she is the perfect to know the father, and if you have known from the mother that “This boy’s father is this gentleman,” that knowledge is perfect. Even though you have not seen while the father was begotten, giving birth, it doesn’t matter. But because you have heard from the mother—she is perfect—therefore your knowledge received from her is perfect. Therefore it is written, tattva-darśibhiḥ, “who has seen the truth.” So you have to approach such person who has seen the truth.
Professor: Well, that brings that to my original question again. How do I know who is perfect?
Prabhupāda: That is another thing, that you have to search out such person. Otherwise your knowledge is imperfect. Now that question will be: “How to find out such person?” The next question will be. But unless you approach such perfect person, you cannot have perfect knowledge. That is a fact. Therefore the conclusion is that we should not speculate about perfect knowledge, but we should try to approach the perfect person and receive knowledge from him. This is the conclusion.

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