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Who can see God and why we don’t—SP

December 18, 2022 in Articles

SB 6.4.24-As the sense objects [form, taste, touch, smell and sound] cannot understand how the senses perceive them, so the conditioned soul, although residing in his body along with the Supersoul, cannot understand how the supreme spiritual person, the master of the material creation, directs his senses. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that Supreme Person, who is the supreme controller.
PURPORT-… The conditioned soul has desires, and the Supreme Soul fulfills them, but the conditioned soul is unable to see the Supreme Soul.
SB 6.24.26 purport….There are two stages of God realization. One is called sujñeyam, or very easily understood (generally by mental speculation), and the other is called durjñeyam, understood only with difficulty. Paramātmā realization and Brahman realization are considered sujñeyam, but realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is durjñeyam. As described here, one attains the ultimate realization of the Personality of Godhead when one gives up the activities of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing—or, in other words, when mental speculation stops.
….Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.234)1.2.234] as long as one is situated in duality, on the sensual platform, gross or subtle, realization of the original Personality of Godhead is impossible. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ: but when one engages his senses in the service of the Lord—specifically, when one engages the tongue in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and tasting only Kṛṣṇa prasāda with a spirit of service—the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed.
SB 6.24.27-28-… so those who are actually advanced in consciousness—in other words, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious—can find the Supersoul, who by His own spiritual potency is situated within the heart. …. The Supersoul is realized when one is eager for liberation from the unlimited varieties of material life.
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram
“One can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.”
Thus although the subject matter is durvijñeyam, extremely difficult to understand, it becomes easy if one follows the prescribed method. Coming in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is possible through pure devotional service, which begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. In this regard, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.8.5): praviṣṭaḥ karṇa-randhreṇa svānāṁ bhāva-saroruham. The process of hearing and chanting enters the core of the heart, and in this way one becomes a pure devotee. By continuing this process, one comes to the stage of transcendental love, and then he appreciates the transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, a pure devotee, by devotional service, is able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead despite many material impediments, which are all various energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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Appreciations by SP for his disciples value

December 16, 2022 in Articles

June 5 1976 conversations LA
Rādhāvallabha: If he gets a book in an unusual place, they always say, “You people are everywhere.”
Rāmeśvara: When we tell the public that we only have maybe ten thousand devotees, they are very surprised there are so few Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, because they see us everywhere.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Therefore we’re the most enthusiastic missionaries in the world.
Prabhupāda: [break]...say that all the ten thousand devotees, each of them is a moon, not a star.
Devotees: Jaya!
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And you are the sun, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We are just reflecting your light.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: [break] …do the work of many stars.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Ekaś candras tamo hanti. Stars, they cannot do anything; they simply glitter, that’s all. Glow-worms.
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Hare Krsna -Just to put this into perspective about how Srila Prabhupada valued and describes all his 10,000 disciples as moons and not stars, please consider just a few letters he wrote of appreciation.
Aug 17 1969
 You write that you have desire to avail of my association again, but why do you forget that you are always in association with me? When you are helping my missionary activities I am always thinking of you and you are always thinking of me. That is real association. Just like I always think of my Guru Maharaja every moment, although He is not physically present, and because I am trying to serve Him to my best capacity, I am sure He is helping me by His spiritual blessings. So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association. So try to preach this Krishna Consciousness Movement amongst the hippies there, and simply induce them to chant Hare Krishna. If they kindly join in chanting Hare Krishna, that will make our movement successful. Then gradually make them more and more advanced by participating in Love Feasts and ceremonies, like Janmastami and Rathayatra. Then everything will go smoothly. The only thing wanted is that we should work very sincerely, with full faith in Krishna and the Spiritual Master. Then all help will come automatically.
 
Feb 22 1970 letter
You are doing so much for fulfilling the desire of my Spiritual Master so you are indirectly the representative of my Guru Maharaja. He has been helping me in this matter by sending so many young boys and girls, otherwise who would help me in this mission while I came here empty handed and without any friend. I can only pray to Krsna to take care of you, otherwise I cannot repay your sincere service in my mission.

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The Ethics of Canakya Pandit

December 16, 2022 in Articles

Ethics from Canakya pandit slokas
 
ch 1 verse 16–One must accept nectar from the midst of poison, gold even from an impure place, good instructions from a low class person and a jewel even from a girl from a wicked family”
 
Note-I have always liked this sloka because it tells us to be intelligent enough to be able to see what is truth and what is not truth. What is beneficial and what is not beneficial. To accept what is favorable for Krsna seva and not reject it because it seems unpalatable to our so called “understanding”. Or it comes in a package we are not comfortable with?
There are so many different people, devotees and situations that demands we use intelligence in every case to understand what can be used and how to engage it for Krsna’s service. And even to be able to recognize it when in front of us. Just like one simple example-that bum that came into the early NYC temple storefront and offered a roll of toilet paper to Srila Prabhupada-and Prabhupada accepted it. Who of us could do that or would most of us just recoil at the site (and smell) of such a person what to speak of accepting toilet paper? So  realizations and benefits to many come to those who keep their minds and eyes open.

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devotees tell SP amazing book dist stories

December 13, 2022 in Articles

Hare Krsna-below is a few amazing stories the devotees told Srila Prabhupada of how  his books were changing  peoples lives. 
For some reasons, certain devotees don’t even like to hear devotees names who later on became infamous instead of famous. Personally, if it is connected with sankirtan book distribution, I love to hear them.  Who among us is 100% pure anyway? The last one I knew, left our mortal vision 45 years ago.
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Please consider some of the wisdom of Canakya pandit whom Srila Prabhupada often quoted.
 Ethical aphorisms from Canakya pandit 
ch 1 verse 16–One must accept nectar from the midst of poison, gold even from an impure place, good instructions from a low class person and a jewel even from a girl from a wicked family”
ch 3 verse 5-Therefore a man of ambitions gathers high minded gentlemen around him because they never leave their associates either in the days of progress or a downfall
ch 5 verse 19-It is the power of truth which is the basis for this earth. It is the power of truth which allows the sun to radiate heat and life energy throughout four billion miles of the Brahmanda. It is the power of truth  by which the air blows. Only  by observing the truth by the tongue, eyes, mind, every thought word, and deed unfailingly, do the desired results come. What more to say: everything is based on truth throughout the ten directions in the fourteen worlds.
 
damaghosa das
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June 5 1976 LA conversations
Dānavīr: Śrīla Prabhupāda, there was one boy who just joined a few months ago, and he had been reading your books, and he came to join the temple. He had graduated from college and he’s been to law school, and we found out after some time that his father, his name was Dr. Royal McClain, he was a very, very big preacher in the South, and he had his own television program.
Rāmeśvara: Christian. His father was the biggest Christian preacher in the South, he had his own TV show. Very big preacher, very strict Christian, and his son joined our movement. So the father calls up the son, “How could you desert our religion and join this Kṛṣṇa movement?” So…. (laughter)
Dānavīr: He explained how he was actually feeling real love of God now for the first time in his life.
Rāmeśvara: He convinced his father that he should stay in our movement.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Recently, in New York, my parents came to visit me. You know they…. Actually they didn’t come to see me, they came to the restaurant, but I happened to be there. (Prabhupāda laughs) So, ah, they related a very unusual incident that one of their friends is a lawyer in New York. So they were having dinner with him the other day, and he mentioned that recently he had gone to Las Vegas for a vacation. In Las Vegas there are many gambling casinos. So when he was about to depart on the plane, one of his friends gave him a five dollar bill and told him that “In order that your gambling to be fortunate, the first good person you see there, you give this five dollar bill to him, and it will automatically bring you good luck.” So the man went to Las Vegas, and when he got out at the airport, one of our devotees approached him, and this gentleman happens to be a lawyer who’s fighting against us to keep us out of the New York airport, he’s representing the airline company. So he didn’t know it was one of our devotees because they were in the regular clothes, civilian clothes. So the devotee said, “Please, we’re doing good work, educating people, you kindly give a donation.” So the man thought: “Well, my friend gave me this,” he gave him five dollars, and naturally, the devotee gave him a book. So the man didn’t look at it, but he went into the taxi, the lawyer, and then when he looked he realized-(laughter) he was supporting the enemy. And another incident they related is that they go on vacation to South America. So there were in the Amazon, in the jungle, in the Amazon…
Hṛdayānanda: Oh, I heard this when I…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: …and they, right in the middle of the jungle, suddenly the devotees were there. (laughter) Hṛdayānanda’s men were there preaching, and they said they could not imagine that they were in this most unusual place, no one was around, but suddenly the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees were. (laughter)

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That means you do not understand what is spiritual life.–SP

December 10, 2022 in Articles

June 3 1976 conversations LA

 Bharadvāja: Śrīla Prabhupāda, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is considered to be the watering process, and sometimes from chanting, the weeds, from watering, the weeds also grow along with devotional service—the weeds of different desires. I don’t understand how it is possible that from chanting that these weeds grow.
Prabhupāda: Chanting is purifying all material desires. It will take, gradually. Ceto-darpaṇa–mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you are chanting without any offense, then your heart will be cleansed of all material contamination. Harer nāma [Cc. Ādi 17.21].
Bharadvāja: So pulling out the weeds means avoiding the offenses in chanting the holy name.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So long we’ll have material desires, we’ll have to accept a material body and fulfill the desires.
Mahendra: Sometimes, although a devotee understands that he must take birth again if he does not, if he is not strict, he thinks, “Oh, it is so difficult to be strict. Maybe I’ll just take it easy and remain engaged in devotional service, then I’ll take another birth as a devotee and maybe next time I’ll finish up my business.”

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Accountability– according to Srila Prabhupada

December 10, 2022 in Articles

Hare Krsna
I am presently reading about how Srila Prabhupada wanted a bona fide accounting system implemented in all his temples. One reason was for governmental accountability, another reason public trust, and finally, to stop whimsical spending.
 
Some may not think these topics important, but anyone who has any business sense knows these things are very important. What to speak of taking care of all of Krsna’s “business”
When you read how things were done or not done, we can understand just in this one way, what to speak of many others, that how so many deviations entered into Prabhupadas movement. Disobedience to the order of guru.
 
I even one time had the temple treasurer and VP tell me…”you know Damaghosa, you make the money and I spend it”. At that time I was sankirtan leader so my responsibility was getting and keeping the sankirtan devotees fired up-so that our accountant could “spend the money”. He later took off with the TP’s wife and later still, ended up in prison for selling drugs.
Or as SP once reportedly said, we have to make advancement –sometimes in spite of the devotees !
 
Chant Hare Krsna and BE Happy !!
damaghosa das
 
BG 3.7 purport…A householder can also reach this destination by regulated service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For self-realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed in the śāstras, and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and in that way make progress. Such a sincere person who follows this method is far better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who meditates only for the sake of making a living.
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Sept 26 1971 letter

Both in Calcutta and in Bombay there is discrepancy in accounts. You wanted to check them by auditors but so far I know the auditors will not pass any account not supported by regular vouchers. For all expenditures there must be regular vouchers. Here last night I was talking with one Mr. Patel at whose house we are staying now. He said that even for travelling expenses, the auditor requires vouchers in which the taxi cab number is also required to be mentioned. The auditor does not accept any expenditure without proper voucher. If the expenditure is not supported by proper voucher, the amount is debited to the personal account.
 

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Deity worship and hearing-side by side–SP

December 9, 2022 in Articles

April 22 1976 Melbourne
Brian Singer: Do you find that in the translation from the thoughts and the Sanskrit to the English words, then from the English words to the mass of the people’s heads, do you find that there is much loss?
Prabhupāda: No, if you have grasped the thought, that you can express in any language. But if you cannot grasp the thought, then you cannot express. So the…. Our translation is that we have to receive the thoughts as it is by the paramparā system. Therefore it is presented so nicely, and people like it. It is…. It is the value of the subject matter. That we have to receive from authorities. Just like any scientific book, say medical science. You cannot understand medical science by reading the books. It must be received through a medical man. Then it will be clear. Therefore the paramparā system…. Arjuna said, evaṁ paramparā… Kṛṣṇa said, evaṁ paramparā–prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Everything is paramparā. If you receive the knowledge from the authority, then you are in perfect knowledge, simply by…, not by reading the books. Therefore our method is to accept the perfect guru to understand the subject matter. But still, if one reads the books as it is from authorities, there is chance of understanding. Real thing is training. So our institution is training, not only training, full knowledge, practical and theoretical. That is real scientific. If you give up one side, then you can give up the theoretical side, but practical side you cannot give up. Then you’ll never come. The two sides, practical and theoretical…. So that is real scientific knowledge. So two sides are presented in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and they are being thoroughly trained up. (pause) Take prasādam. (end)
 
DEITY WORSHIP-THE MOST VALUABLE BENEDICTION GIVEN BY THE LORD TO NEOPHYTES
Lecture NY sept 18 1966
So in my childhood, when I was five or six years old, I requested my father that “Father, give me this Deity. I shall worship.” So father purchased for me little Krishna, Radha, and he gave me, and I was imitating. Whatever foodstuff I was getting, I was offering to Krishna and eating. In this way I got my life developed. And there was a temple in our neighbourhood.So I was seeing the Krishna deity. Oh, I was thinking…..I still remember. I was standing for hours together. 

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Preach or in a few years all gone-and some other reasons too

December 4, 2022 in Articles

Preach or few years-all gone !!
Dec 12 1973 LA
So we have to take the responsibility to understand who is actually a pure devotee and what is our duty to the people in general, and then you make advancement. Then you become madhyama-adhikārī. Madhyama-adhikārī, advanced devotee. Just like these people, either in India or here, they remain simply churchianity, going to the church without any understanding. Therefore it is failing. It is now… Churches are being closed. Similarly, if you do not keep yourself fit to preach, then your temples will be all closed in due course of time. Without preaching, you’ll not feel enthused to continue the temple worship. And without temple worship, you cannot keep yourself pure and clean. The two things must go on, parallel. Then there is success. In modern time, either Hindus, Muslim or Christian, because in these places there is no teaching of philosophy, therefore they are closing, either mosque or temple or church. They will close.
Prajāpati: They can show no good result for their activities.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is preaching. Therefore we are writing so many books. Unless we take care of the books and preach and read ourself, understand the philosophy, this Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within few years. Because there will be no life. How long one can artificially go on, “Hare Kṛṣṇa! Haribol!” That will be artificial, no life.
 
So what happened to all the beautiful but very run down temples in Vrndavana??

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To hear from a pure devotee is the best process-SP

December 2, 2022 in Articles

SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM 8 CHAPTER 16 TEXT  61
ta eva niyamāḥ sākṣāt
ta eva ca yamottamāḥ
tapo dānaṁ vrataṁ yajno
yena tuṣyaty adhokṣajaḥTRANSLATION-This is the best process for pleasing the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Adhokṣaja. It is the best of all regulative principles, the best austerity, the best process of giving charity, and the best process of sacrifice.


PURPORT-The Supreme Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66):
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” Unless one pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to His demand, no good result will come from any of his actions.
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.” (Bhāg. 1.2.8) If one is not interested in satisfying Lord Viṣṇu, Vāsudeva, all his so-called auspicious activities are fruitless. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jnānā vicetasaḥ: [Bg. 9.12] because he is bewildered, he is baffled in his hopes, baffled in his activities, and baffled in his knowledge. In this regard, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī remarks, napuṁsakam anapuṁsakenety-ādinaikatvam. One cannot equate the potent and the impotent. Among modern Māyāvādīs it has become fashionable to say that whatever one does or whatever path one follows is all right. But these are all foolish statements. Here it is forcefully affirmed that this is the only method for success in life. Īśvara-tarpaṇaṁ vinā sarvam eva viphalam. Unless Lord Viṣṇu is satisfied, all of one’s pious activities, ritualistic ceremonies and yajnas are simply for show and have no value. Unfortunately, foolish people do not know the secret of success. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know that real self-interest ends in pleasing Lord Viṣṇu.
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Antya 5.9–“I see that you have acquired a taste for hearing talks regarding Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are extremely fortunate. Not only you but anyone who has awakened such a taste is considered most fortunate.
Antya 5.10--“A person who properly performs his regulative duties according to varṇa and āśrama but does not develop his dormant attachment for Kṛṣṇa or awaken his taste to hear and chant about Kṛṣṇa is certainly laboring fruitlessly.’ “
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Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.1-2 — Columbus, May 9, 1969 : 690509BG.COL :
Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, this message of Bhagavad-gītā is hari-kathā. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that to “Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear.” Why? Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā.Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, “Oh, milk is very nice,” no. Because it is touched by the serpent’s lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding. 
SB 4.31.24 purport-Here it is seen that by hearing the glories of the Lord from a realized devotee the Pracetās easily attained strong attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then, meditating on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord at the end of their lives, they advanced to the ultimate goal, Viṣṇuloka. It is sure and certain that anyone who always hears the glories of the Lord and thinks of His lotus feet will reach that supreme destination.
SB 4.31.28 purport-This is a sign of associating with great devotees. A devotee takes instructions from a liberated soul and is thus overwhelmed by ecstasy from transcendental pleasure.

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2 things formerly all brahmanas knew about-SP

December 1, 2022 in Articles

SB class 1.2.5 NV purport….

So kuṇape tri-dhātuke, these things are manufactured by three dhātus, elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu. Kapha mucus, pitta bile, and air. These things manufacturing. These things are going on. After eating, these three things are being manufactured, and if they are in adjustment, parallel, then body is healthy, and if there is more or less, then there is disease. Well, according to the Āyur-vedic—that is also Veda–āyur means span of life, and Veda means knowledge. That is called Āyur-veda. So this Vedic knowledge of the span of life is very simple. They don’t require pathological laboratory, clinic, no. They require simply to study these three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu. And they, their science is to feel the pulse. You know, every one of you, that the pulse is moving tick, tick, tick, tick, like this. So they know the science: by feeling the beating of the pulse, they can understand what is the position of these three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu. And by that position, constellation, they… In the Āyur-veda, śāstra veda, there are, the symptoms, with the… These veins are moving like this, heart is moving like this, beating like this, then the position is this. As soon as they understand the position is this, they verify the symptoms. They enquire from the patient, “Do you feel like this? Do you feel like this?” If he says, “Yes,” then it is confirmed. The inner things, how the pulse is beating, and the symptoms are confirmed, then the medicine is ready. Immediately take the medicine. Where is (indistinct).

Formerly every brāhmaṇa used to learn these two sciences, Āyur-veda and Jyotir–veda. Jyotir–veda means astronomy…, astrology not astronomy. Because any other, the less intelligent than brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, the śūdras, they would need the brāhmaṇas for health and future. Everyone is very inquisitive to learn what is future, what is going to happen next, and everyone is concerned with the health. So brāhmaṇas, they would simply advise about health and the future, so that is their profession and people give them eatables, cloth, so they have nothing to do for working outside. Anyway this is a long story. So this body is a bag of the three elements, yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. (baby cries) That baby. So Bhāgavata says yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, I am not this body. This is a vehicle. Just like we ride on a car, drive car, so I am not this car. Similarly, this is a yantra, car, mechanical car. Kṛṣṇa or God has given me this car, I wanted it. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva–bhūtānāṁ hṛd–deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. “My dear Arjuna, the Lord as Paramātmā is sitting in everyone’s heart,” bhrāmayan sarva–bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61], “and He is giving chance to the living entity to travel, to wander,” sarva–bhūtāni, “all over the universe.” Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā, riding on a car, driving a car given by the material nature. So actual our position is that I am soul, I have been given a nice car—it is not a nice car but as soon as we get a car, however rotten it may be, we think that it is very nice, (laughter) and identify with that car. “I have got this car, I have got that car.” One forgets if one drives a very costly car, he forgets himself that he is a poor man. He thinks that “I am this car.” This is identification.

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bona fide versus bogus

November 28, 2022 in Articles

SB 8.16.24–Śrī Kaśyapa Muni said: When I desired offspring, I placed inquiries before Lord Brahmā, who is born from a lotus flower. Now I shall explain to you the same process Lord Brahmā instructed me, by which Keśava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.

PURPORT-Here the process of devotional service is further explained. Kaśyapa Muni wanted to instruct Aditi in the same process recommended to him by Brahmā for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is valuable. The guru does not manufacture a new process to instruct the disciple. The disciple receives from the guru an authorized process received by the guru from his guru. This is called the system of disciplic succession (evaṁ paramparā-prāptaṁ imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]). This is the bona fide Vedic system of receiving the process of devotional service, by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. Therefore, to approach a bona fide guru, or spiritual master, is essential. The bona fide spiritual master is he who has received the mercy of his guru, who in turn is bona fide because he has received the mercy of his guru. This is called the paramparā system. Unless one follows this paramparā system, the mantra one receives will be chanted for no purpose. Nowadays there are so many rascal gurus who manufacture their mantras as a process for material advancement, not spiritual advancement. Still, the mantra cannot be successful if it is manufactured. Mantras and the process of devotional service have special power, provided they are received from the authorized person.
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Oct 27 1972 Vrndavana
Brahmā is the greatest personality within this universe, and he has got his sampradāya which is known as Brahma–sampradāya. Similarly Lord Śiva has also a sampradāya which is called Rudra–sampradāya. Similarly, Nārada-Pa�carātra, Kumāra–sampradāya. So follow the sampradāya. Sampradāya vihīnā te mantrās te viphalaṁ matāḥ. If you do not follow any bona fide sampradāya, then your path of spiritual advancement will be baffled. You will simply waste your time. Viphalaṁ matāḥ. So we should follow the footsteps of great ācāryas. Then our progress is positive. There is no fear.
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                                 Deity worship-bona fide and bogus

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SP explains universal makeup and asks some tough questions

November 25, 2022 in Articles

March 18 1976 morning walk Mayapura

Prabhupāda: So why the moon is, particularly rises from the eastern side? The moon, according to the...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Scientists.

Prabhupāda: The moon is going round like this. So why the moon is rising from the eastern side? It is going around. Why it appears from the eastern side?

Devotee: They say because the earth is spinning on an axis.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Pa�ca-draviḍa: ‘Cause the earth is turning.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That’s a very good question. (laughter)

Gurudāsa: What’s the answer, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: So you answer. He has understood.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: According to Bhāgavatam, the moon is not going around the earth. It is revolving around Mount Sumeru. Isn’t it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. According Bhāgavata, that is a different thing. But this…

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But why the moon should simply follow that same pattern…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: …going east to west, east to west? Why not…?

Bhavānanda: Random.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At random. Sometimes rising from the south.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes, perhaps, from the north.

Haṁsadūta: Well, they say it has a fixed orbit around the earth.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Haṁsadūta: It has a fixed orbit around the earth.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who fixed the orbit?

Jayatīrtha: Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chance.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Chance.

Prabhupāda: And the sun is also rising from the east. But sun is fixed up, and the moon is moving. So why they are coming from the same side?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Wonderful question. These are wonderful things.

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Why we dont eat eggs—SP

November 25, 2022 in Articles

WHY WE DONT EAT EGGS–SP
 
Lots of peas and zucchini coming in now-who needs eggs?
June 23 1975 LA conversation with Dr John Mize
John Mize: The question has been asked about the unfertilized eggs, why they should not be eaten.
Prabhupāda: Unfertilized, but there is potency of fertilization. You check the progress of one living entity coming out of it.
John Mize: Once the egg is laid, there is no chance for it to be fertilized.
Prabhupāda: No, egg is… The living entity is already there. Just like a woman is pregnant means the living entity is already there. So as soon as there is egg, the living entity is already there. It is taking time to come out. Just in the womb of the mother, the child is taking time to grow and become fit to come out.
John Mize: True, but the egg in the mother has been fertilized by the male sperm, whereas the egg laid by a chicken was not fertilized…
Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. They have got that potency. There are four kinds of birth: from the egg, from the vegetable, from fermentation, and from embryo. So from any of these four kinds of sources the living entity come out. Aṇḍa-ja, udbij-ja, jaraya-ja, and sveda-ja, the Sanskrit name. Sveda-ja, simply by perspiration. Just like unclean bed they produce bugs. The man gets perspiration, bad perspiration, and in contact with air, with this perspiration, the living entity comes. That is bug. This is called sveda-ja, “out of perspiration.” Your coat, shirt, if you don’t cleanse, or your body is unclean, you will find so many moths within the shirt. How it is coming? From the perspiration, bad perspiration, bad smell. Not that every time the male female combination required. There are other sources also.
Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, that is called spontaneous generation and scientists have so-called proven that that cannot occur. It’s called a folk myth or something like this, folklore, that birth can take place without the male and female union.
Prabhupāda: No. How it is coming from the bed, unclean bed. How it is coming the grass? They are also living entity. The seeds are already there. They are like egg. And as soon as there is watering then it is fructified and it comes. Similarly, the egg…, fermentation, what is called, fermentation?
John Mize: Fertilization.
Prabhupāda: Fertilization. Not fertilize. The birds sit on the egg.
John Mize: Incubation.
Prabhupāda: Incubation, yes. They are artificially incubating, and the chickens are coming from the egg.
John Mize: If it’s been fertilized.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, not fertilized. They are keeping in certain temperature.
John Mize: It has to have both, fertilization and incubation.
Prabhupāda: Both?
John Mize: Both. The egg cannot become a chicken unless it has been fertilized.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, that… It is coming out of that egg, so there is life. We do not recommend, prohibition of eggs because living entity. It is not very good food. It agitates the senses. Therefore we prohibit. Yes?
Some Conclusions—Srila Prabhupada gives 4 reasons why we don’t eat eggs

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No more desire for material enjoyment…he is fit for sannyasa–SP

November 20, 2022 in Articles

Feb 26 1976 Mayapura Conversations
 
Prabhupāda: …no more desire of material enjoyment he is fit for sannyāsa. Anyone who sees: “Oh, this car is very nice. This beautiful wife is very… A very beautiful woman is very nice,” he should not think of taking sannyāsa. Viṣa-bhakṣaṇād apy asādhu: “Such desires is most abominable, more than taking poison.” To commit suicide by taking poison is most abominable thing, because he’s going to be a ghost. He’ll be punished to become a ghost, those who commit suicide. Or, if one is suddenly killed and he has so many desires, he becomes ghost. Therefore viṣa-bhakṣaṇa, taking poison, and die untimely, is most abominable, or commit suicide. By the material law also, to attempt to commit suicide is criminal. You know that?
Devotees: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is criminal. (Bengali) If you take s annyāsa… Just like there are so many sannyāsīs, for filling up the belly. Wherever you go they give some alms. But in…, outside India, who cares for the sannyāsī? Then why you should be eager to take sannyāsa and cheat yourself? You cannot cheat others, but you can cheat yourself.
Hṛdayānanda: Outside India a sannyāsī will starve.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) So I do not know why our disciples are so anxious to take sannyāsa, at least those who are outside. Everyone comes: “Give me sannyāsa.” What is the idea?
Jayapatākā: Freedom from authority.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Eh? Who cares him, for authority.
Jayapatākā: No, they, they don’t want to take order as brahmacārī. If they’re sannyāsī they think they can do as they feel.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They all want to become leaders.
Prabhupāda: So what kind of leader? If you cannot lead others, what kind of leader?
Jayapatākā: That’s why a brahmacārī should…
Prabhupāda: If you mislead them, if you mislead them, then what is the use of taking leadership?
Jayapatākā: That’s why that system where a brahmacārī is recommended for one year and then he proves himself by doing some extraordinary preaching work is a very good system. Otherwise, anyone just comes and by pressurizing and begging and pleading, then they try to take sannyāsa. Then they don’t stay to the path.
Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa means ultimate success, because this human life is meant for becoming disgusted with this material life: “No more.” Material life means to take a body and enjoy this material āhāra-nidrā, sleeping twenty-four hours, eating like elephant, and sex life like a monkey, these animals. This is material life, eating, sleeping, mating, and always afraid of. This is material life. And human life means to take freedom from these four things: no more afraid, no more sex, no more hankering after eating or sleeping. That is success. Everyone… You’ll see in the sparrow in the morning. They’re enjoying sex. So this is material life: eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. And spiritual life means to become free from all this nonsense. That is spiritual life. They do not know what is spiritual life. The whole world, they do not know what is spiritual life. This is spiritual life, to become free from these four abominable things.
Hṛdayānanda: They are trying to increase these four things.
Prabhupāda: That means cheating themselves. What is the use of taking sannyāsa and cheat yourself? Material life means punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30], repeatedly doing the same thing. Either as human being or as monkey or as a small ant or the demigods, but doing the business is the same, four things: eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. In different scale, doing the same business. Therefore it is called punaḥ punaḥ, “again and again,” carvita-carvaṇānām, “chewing the chewed.” If one is sober, he thinks that “These four business, I have done many, many lives, as sparrow, or as jackal, or as demigod, and I have got this human form. Again I am doing this? So what is benefit of this human form of life?” This is sense. “I got this valuable life, and I am still doing the same thing as dogs and cats and sparrows? Then what is the difference between me and the dogs?” That is sense. “What is my better engagement?” That better engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then his life is successful. Otherwise what is the use of…? Again become a sparrow. Again wait for millions of years to come by evolutionary process to the human form of life. You see? This is going on. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram [SB 7.5.30]. Because they cannot control the sense, they are going in the darkest part of this material existence.
Dayānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it seems that in youth the desire to enjoy is so much stronger than in old age.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Dayānanda: It seems that in youth it is, the desire to enjoy is stronger than in old age.
Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. An old man is still stronger, but instruments are finished. He cannot enjoy. But the desire is there. You don’t think that old man has got less desire than the young man. He has got the desire, but his instrument is finished.

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yogis stool passing and fly pasting stories by SP

November 19, 2022 in Articles

Dec 7 1975 conversations Vrndavana
Prabhupāda: Yes. On the other land. Make a shed immediately and keep some cows. And Viśvambhara, he is experienced. He will help. [break] …necessary vairāgya, there is no need. We don’t approve that. Yuktāhāra-vihāras ca. What you require for keeping health but not to eat too much. But what is absolutely required must be done.
Aksayānanda: I heard that if you pass stool more than once a day you become a bhogī? You are called a bhogī?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Aksayānanda: Does that mean a serious devotee should only pass stool once a day?
Prabhupāda: Don’t artificially do that. (laughter) First of all become yogi. Then do it.
Aksayānanda: Yes. Of course, it can only be done by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, but one should at least try for that.
Prabhupāda:HareKṛṣṇa. Jaya. Don’t try for passing stool once. (laughter) That does not make you a yogi.
Bhavananda: Yogināmapisarveṣāṁmad-gatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47].
Prabhupāda: Antara… Yes. That makes you yogi, not by passing stool. (laughter) HareKṛṣṇa. [break] Huh?

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