Monthly Archives: February 2018

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by Yasoda nandana dasa

Very strange and curious things

February 23, 2018 in Articles, Haripada dasa by Yasoda nandana dasa

Very strange and curious things, by Javier Figuerola or Haripada dasa
In this life I have seen very strange and curious things, I am going to share some of them.
I heard a news that several countries have made a giant device that costs 8 billion euros to launch it into space, what a strange and curious thing, here on Earth there are so many people who are dying of hunger and these people to satisfy the caprice of scientists spend 8 billion euros.
 There are many women who enthusiastically go to countries where children are starving, and what a strange and curious thing, and those same women when they get pregnant kill their children through abortion.
And the strangest and most curious thing is that people who have a lot of money build big houses, have nice cars, a bank account with many numbers, etc., they think that they will never die and that they will live here eternally, but we can forget that we have to die, but death does not forget, death always arrives at its right moment. Once Srila Prabhupada was talking to some theologians and telling them that God or Krishna will come in the form of death and take away everything, now understand God ?, Materialists and atheists experience God or Krishna at the time of death , and the devotees of God or Krishna experience God or Krishna at every moment of their lives through devotional service to God or Krishna and His devotees.

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by Damaghosa dasa

If you love these material things then you should know you are not in love with God-SP

February 19, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Honolulu, January 20, 1974)
 
“If you love these material things, then you should know that you are not in love with God. If you are in love with God, then you’ll forget material love. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, love of Godhead, the symptom is that he’s no more in love with material things. That is the test. You cannot… Just like you cannot love two persons. That is divided. One love concentrated, that is perfect love. Similarly, another example is given that we are all hankering after love. Because we do not find whom to love, therefore we place our love even cats and dogs. We love a dog. Anyone who has no other object to love — no children, no family, no wife — all right, keep a cat, keep a dog. But love is there. 
So that love is deserved for Krishna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So more we learn how to love the Supreme Lord, that is perfection of life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. And what kind of love? Ahaituky apratihatā: that love is not motivated, that ‘I want this thing; therefore I shall love.’ Here in this material world the so-called love, lust, is motivated: ‘I’ll get so much sense gratification; therefore I love a boy or a girl.’ That is not love; that is lust. Love means without any motive. Without any motive. Ahaitukī. And that, that love cannot be checked by any material impediments. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā samprasīdati (SB 1.2.6). If you can reach that love of Godhead, then you’ll feel, ‘Oh, I am so fortunate.’ Otherwise we remain unfortunate. So love is there everywhere. Even in cats’ and dogs’ love there is love. But the perfection is when you actually find out the person to love and you actually do it, that is perfection.“
 
june 27 1976 New Vrndavana
When I was in India I heard it that if you go to see an important businessman, his secretary, while talking with that man, the secretary gives you a card that “This Mr. such and such cannot spare more than two minutes.” Is it a fact? Huh? Anyway, we should not waste our time, either you act materially or spiritually. But materially we have no business, although we have taken it the material business as very important and spiritual business has no meaning. This is the sum and substance of modern civilization. But so far we are concerned, not only we, everyone, the human life is only meant for spiritual purpose. Not for material purpose.

Today we have so many devotees who have opinions different than those of the founder of this Hare Krsna Movement, Srila Prabhupada. Some may say it wasn’t Prabhupada who began this movement, it was Sri Caitanya and all others in the param para. Of course Sri Caitanya began this movement in the modern age and Srila Prabhupada and no other , was the only one who took it out of India, and spread it worldwide. He is the one who is directly empowered at present, by the Supreme Lord and the param para, to spread the chanting and the philosophy behind how to chant and how to work in this world. If anybody has a problem with that, then they are simply envious of Srila Prabhupada. Let them go out and do what he did in 12 years, or even more.

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by Damaghosa dasa

I am independent, I can do whatever I want-this is a madman talking

February 19, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

SB 7.2.57 purport-
Yamarāja once asked Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, “What is the most wonderful thing within this world?” Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira replied (Mahābhārata, Vana–parva313.116):

 Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment,but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonderful thing in this world.Everyone has to die because everyone is fully under the control of material nature, yet everyone thinks that he is independent, that whatever he likes he can do, that he will never meet death but live forever, and so on. So-called scientists are making various plans by which living entities in the future can live forever, but while they are thus pursuing such scientific knowledge, Yamarāja, in due course of time, will take them away from their business of so-called research.
SB class-Jan 3, 1974 LA
The modern civilization, rascal civilization, they do not know how to utilize life. So many days, so many hours, they are simply wasting, simply wasting. It is said that the sunrise and sunset, during this period, the sun’s business is to take away the duration of our life, sunrise and sunset. That means twelve hours or thirteen hours which is gone between the sunrise and sunset…This sun’s business is to take away the portion, the fixed up duration of life which I have been given. That is, some of it, is taken away. The same example. Just like you have got a fixed balance in the bank. If you draw even ten pence, ten shillings, that means it is taken away. You have to replace it. But replacing is not possible. Bank balance you can replace. But the balance… Suppose you have passed… I have passed… Suppose if I live for eighty years or ninety years or hundred years. So this seventy-eight years is already taken away. It cannot be replaced. You cannot make the bank balance or the duration of…, again complete. That is not possible. This is plain fact.
Therefore here it is said that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they must weigh, measure every moment, “Whether this moment has been spent without Kṛṣṇa consciousness?” That is the criterion. Avyartha-kālatvam [Cc. Madhya 23.18-19], nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. This is the test of advanced Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rūpa Gosvāmī gives, avyartha-kālatvam. Avyartha-kālatvam means “Whether my time has been spent uselessly?” One should be alert. “Whether my time has been used, has been uselessly spent by talking nonsense?

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by Yasoda nandana dasa

Srila Prabhupada honors Sri Jagannatha dasa Babaji tirobhava tithi [disappearance day] – Friday, February 16, 2018 = Mayapura India time

February 17, 2018 in Articles, Padmapani Dasa, Yasoda nandana Dasa by Yasoda nandana dasa

Sri Jagannatha dasa Babaji tirobhva tithi [disappearance day] – Friday, February 16, 2018 = Mayapura India time

compiled by Padmapani dasa and  Yasoda nandana dasa
THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION
Compiled by Padmapani dasa
 
.Honoring Srila Jagannatha das Babaji

gauravirbhava-bhumes tvam
nirdesta saj-jana-priyah
vaisnava-sarvabhaumah
sri-jagannathaya te namah
 
“I offer my respectful obeisances to Jagannatha das Babaji, who is respected by the entire Vaisnava community and who discovered the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.”   (Srila Jagannatha Pranati)
 
Srila Jagannatha das Babaji, the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, confirmed Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s discovery of the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. Upon arriving at the birthplace, Jagannatha das Babaji, though blind and crippled, leaped high into the air and began chanting the names of Krishna and dancing.
___________________________________________________
Srila Prabhupada explains the glorious position of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji.
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
 

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He is the life of those devotees who strictly follow in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī are the two principal followers of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, who acted as the most confidential servitor of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Viśvambhara in His early life. A direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The author of Śrī Caitanya–caritāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, stands as the direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.
 
The direct disciple of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī was Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, who accepted Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī as his servitor. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura accepted Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who initiated Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who in turn initiated Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, the spiritual master of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, the divine master of our humble self. Read the rest of this entry →

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by Damaghosa dasa

Nothing is necessary-just Krsna–SP

February 13, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Nothing is Necessary-just Krsna–
(Below we see how Srila Prabhupada explains the defects in out thinking process where we “think” so many things are “necessary”)
1.)July 14 1975 Philadelphia
Ravīndra-svarūpa: What is the advantage of a tree, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: You see how they are standing there for five thousand years. You cannot do it. You cannot do it even for five minutes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually the trees are absolutely necessary for the survival of animals.
Prabhupāda: That is another thing. We say nothing is necessary, simply Kṛṣṇa is necessary. That is material conception: “This is necessary. This is necessary.” But Kṛṣṇa says, “Nothing is necessary.” Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. You are simply planning and becoming entangled with so-called “necessary.“
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But that is on the spiritual platform.
Prabhupāda: You can create spiritual platform immediately. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān [Bg. 14.26]. If you fully engage yourself in devotional service, immediately you are above this material conception.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the concept that the three modes of material nature, they’re working all species, so it’s not the…
Prabhupāda: They are directing. Just like in the jail there are different departmental management, similarly, this management is required because you are in the jail. If you don’t go to jail, the management may be closed. But you are thinking, “If I do not go to jail, how it will exist?” That is your business, say that “If we all become liberated, how this world will go on?” They say like that, as if it is very necessary.
(In this conversation below Srila Prabhupada explains to an Indian man who is also on the mental platform that there is only one thing that is really important or necessary-Surrender.)
 
2.)Jan 8 1977 Bombay
Indian man: Second thing is…
Prabhupāda: No, first of all you understand this. Then bring second thing. That you have no duty. Your only duty is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. That is your only duty. But because you are under the mental platform, you are creating duties, so but that also must be finished after certain age. That is compulsory, that “You are very good, responsible man. All right, do your duty up to this. No more duty. No more duty.” So this “duty, no duty,” this is our creation. We are under fully control of the nature. But we have created our mental concoction: “This is duty. This is good. This is bad.” That is our mano-dharma. Real dharma is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. And everything is mano-dharma, mental creation. Therefore the Bhāgavata in the beginning it is said that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra: [SB 1.1.2] “This false dharma is rejected.” These are all false dharmas. Real dharma is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. But it takes time. Therefore sat-saṅga is required. But actually real dharma is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and do everything…
(So in the above two conversations Srila Prabhupada has established that unless and until we surrender to God, Krsna then we are operating on the bodily or mental platform with -”this is my duty , that is my duty, etc”. But as he also mentions, this surrender business takes time and is helped by the association of devotees.)

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by Yasoda nandana dasa

Sri Isvara puri Tirobhava Tithi (Disappearance day) Monday, February 12, 2018 [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time]

February 12, 2018 in Yasoda nandana Dasa by Yasoda nandana dasa

 Sri Isvara puri Tirobhava Tithi (Disappearance day)
Monday, February 12, 2018 [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time]

Srila Prabhupada glorifies Sri Isvara Puri
compiled by Yasodanandana dasa

Srila Prabhupada describes the authorized Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya disciplic succession though Sri Isvara Puri
Letters : 1968 Correspondence : February : Letter to: Upendra — Los Angeles 13 February, 1968 : 68-02-13 :

There are four Sampradayas from the beginning of the creation. One is called Brahma Sampradaya, and is coming down by disciplic succession from Brahma; another Sampradaya is coming down from Laksmi, called Sri Sampradaya; another is coming down from the Kumaras, they are known as Nimbarka Sampradaya; another Sampradaya is coming from Lord Siva, Rudra Sampradaya or Viṣṇu Svāmī. These are four bona fide Sampradayas that are accepted by the bona fide spiritualists. The Impersonalist Sampradaya is not original neither the Impersonalist Sampradaya or party can help us. At the present moment there are so many Sampradayas, but we have to test them about their method of disciplic understanding. Anyway, all the four Sampradayas above mentioned, they are after worshiping the Supreme Lord Visnu, in His different Expansions, and some of them are in favor of worshiping Radha Krishna. In the later age the Brahma Sampradaya was handed down though Madhva Acarya; in this Madhva Acarya disciplic succession came Isvara Puri. This Isvara Puri was accepted as Spiritual Master of Lord Caitanya. Therefore, we being in disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we are known as the Madhva Sampradaya. And because Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal, which country is called Gaudadesa, our Sampradaya party is known as Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. But all these Sampradayas are non-different from one another because they believe and worship the Supreme Lord. Any other Sampradaya who are Impersonalist or voidist or nondevotee, they are rejected by us.

My Guru Maharaja was in the 10th generation from Lord Caitanya. We are 11th from Lord Caitanya. The disciplic succession is as follows: 1. Sri Krishna, 2. Brahma, 3. Narada, 4. Vyasa, 5. Madhva, 6. Padmanabha, 7. Nrihari, 8. Madhava, 9. Akshobhya, 10. Jayatirtha, 11. Jnanasindhu, 12. Purusottama, 13. Vidyanidhi, 14. Rajendra, 15. Jayadharma, 16. Purusottama, 17. Vyasatirtha, 18. Laksmipati, 19. Madhavendra Puri, 20. Isvara Puri (Advaita, Nityananda) 21. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, 22. (Svarupa, Sanatana) Rupa, 23.(Jiva) Raghunath, 24. Krishna dasa, 25. Narottama, 26. Visvanatha, 27. (Baladeva.) Jagannatha, 28. (Bhaktivinode) Gaura-kisora, 29. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Sri Barshabhanavidayitadas, 30. Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta.

Srila Prabhupada describes the exalted position of Isvara Puri

tad vidhehi namas tubhyaṁ

karmasv īḍyātma-śaktiṣu

yat kṛtveha yaśo viṣvag

amutra ca bhaved gatiḥ

SYNONYMS

tat—that; vidhehi—give direction; namaḥ—my obeisances; tubhyam—unto you; karmasu—in duties; īḍya—O worshipful one; ātma-śaktiṣu—within our working capacity; yat—which; kṛtvā—doing; iha—in this world; yaśaḥ—fame; viṣvak—everywhere; amutra—in the next world; ca—and; bhavet—it should be; gatiḥ—progress.

O worshipful one, please give us your direction for the execution of duty within our working capacity so that we can follow it for fame in this life and progress in the next.

Purport

Brahmā is the direct recipient of Vedic knowledge from the Personality of Godhead, and anyone discharging his entrusted duties in disciplic succession from Brahmā is sure to gain fame in this life and salvation in the next. The disciplic succession from Brahmā is called the Brahma-sampradāya, and it descends as follows: Brahmā, Nārada, Vyāsa, Madhva Muni (Pūrṇaprajña), Padmanābha, Nṛhari, Mādhava, Akṣobhya, Jayatīrtha, Jñānasindhu, Dayānidhi, Vidyānidhi, Rājendra, Jayadharma, Puruṣottama, Brahmaṇyatīrtha, Vyāsatīrtha, Lakṣmīpati, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and others, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Gosvāmī, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

This line of disciplic succession from Brahmā is spiritual, whereas the genealogical succession from Manu is material, but both are on the progressive march towards the same goal of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 3: “The Status Quo” : SB 3.13: The Appearance of Lord Varaha : SB 3.13.8 : Read the rest of this entry →

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by Damaghosa dasa

Everyone can attain that Bhava stage.There is a process–SP

February 10, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Dec 8 1973 LA lecture-
Everyone can attain that bhāva stage. There is process. This process is described by Rūpa Gosvāmī how to come to the bhāva stage. Bhāva stage means just prior to perfection. One must come to the bhāva stage, next stage is perfection. Next stage is full perfection. So how to come to this bhāva stage, that is Rūpa Gosvāmī has described, ādau śraddhā. First of all little faith. Just like many outsider also come here, “What these people are doing, these Kṛṣṇa consciousness men? So let us see.” So śraddhā. That is called śraddhā. Śraddhā, real śraddhā means complete faith….That is beginning of śraddhā. If you have got still doubt, then you have not come to the stage of śraddhā even. Superfluous. You may come, but when you actually believe that “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if I engage myself in Kṛṣṇa’s service, I am perfect”—two things—that is śraddhā. And the more you increase this śraddhā you become advanced. The beginning is this śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā.
So how this śraddhā, this faith can be increased? Sādhu-saṅga . If you keep yourself associated with the devotees, then this śraddhā can be increased. If you simply believe, “Yes, Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality,” but you do not live with the sādhus or devotee, then it will drop. It will finish.So just to keep the standard, the temperature right, you must keep always yourself warm. If you go away, then your (indistinct) is gone. Again you become cold. You see. This is the process. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Everything is perfect. The first thing is that you must believe that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yes. And to keep this faith strong and going on, you must keep association with devotees. Otherwise whatever little faith you got, it will be lost. It become again under the clutches of māyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. And if you actually associate with sādhu, then the next stage is bhajana-kriyā, initiation, how to worship Kṛṣṇa. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you are actually engaged in devotional service, anartha, which are not required, things will vanish. Just like we ask our students, “No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating.” Simply by hearing it you cannot follow it. It is not possible. If you make bhajana-kriyā, if you’re actually following—chanting sixteen rounds—then you can follow the others. Otherwise, if you are spiritually weak, you cannot. The government is spending so much money to stop this intoxication, LSD, in your country. They’re all failure. But here, with our pure association, a person can give up immediately. Just see how much the association is strong. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu…, bhajana-kriyā [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Anartha.
Then after one is free from these sinful activities, then he comes to the understanding stage. So long one is sinful, he has no possibility of understanding. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful activities, anta-gatam, finished, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām.And how you can become free from sinful activities unless you act piously? Because we must have some engagement. If you have no pious engagement, then you cannot become free from sinful activities. You must act. If you do not act piously, then you must act viciously. This is the way. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they simply wants to stop impious activities. But they do not engage themselves in pious activities. Therefore they fail. They fail. You must have side by side. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. If you get something better, then you can give up inferior. But if you do not get better, you cannot give up the inferior. That is not possible.

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by Damaghosa dasa

philosophy discussions with Srila Prabhupada

February 7, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Discussion with Srila Prabhupada about the philosopher John Stuart Mill pg 708 Vol #6-
 
Śyāmasundara: But how do we determine that God is the cause behind everything?
Prabhupāda: Because then we know that God is the ultimate pusher, the pushing begins from there. So it may come through various agents. Just like one railway wagon is pushed by the engines, and it strikes another wagon and that is also pushed; another wagon, and that is pushed, that is also pushed. Similarly, the original pusher is the engine. Our study is like that, that the original, sa aikṣata, saaikṣata… These are the Vedic… He glanced over, He desired; immediately there was creation. Therefore the original pusher is God, Kṛṣṇa. Now, how it is happening, that we cannot see. Just like same example, the wagon is already pushed, it is coming automatically. A child sees, “Oh, this wagon is coming automatically, and it caught another wagon, and it is now moved.” He sees the (effect). But he did not see that ultimately there was a big engine that has pushed it.
Śyāmasundara: If we see a phenomenon like the rain falling or anything, and we want to apply the test that will prove that God is the cause of that phenomenon, what test do we apply?
Prabhupāda: The śāstras, the Vedic literature is there, the Upaniṣads are there, books are there, śāstra cakṣuṣa. You have to see it through the śāstras. That is the injunction. You cannot see directly. You have to see śāstra cakṣuṣa. Your eyes, they are defective. Just like if you read astrology, astronomy, then you can understand what is the actual volume or the bulk of the sun, but by your eyes you are seeing just a disc. So all your senses are defective. So directly seeing or perceiving or tasting has no value, because these are all defective. So we have to, it is said, you should see through śāstras, through authoritative instruction.

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by Damaghosa dasa

What is the most valuable benediction and greatest danger to devotees

February 6, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

1.) SB 4.30.27 purport–Deity worship in the form of temple worship is the most valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.
2.) Jan 4 1973 letter-The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities. So don’t ask any more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that’s all
3.) NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501
Without worshiping the arca-vigraha, the form or Deity of the Lord,
one cannot understand such literature as Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad-Bhagavatam.  

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by Damaghosa dasa

The Power of Krsna Prasadam

February 2, 2018 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

june 18 1972
Prabhupāda: Yes. This bow down… Even the children, they are imitating, bowing down, but it has got the effect. Not that the children, they have no seriousness about… Seriousness or no seriousness, simply if he bows down, he gets the result. He gets the… Dancing, he’s dancing. He’s getting the result. He’s becoming a devotee. This is called ajñāta–sukṛti. These are the statements in Bhakti–rasām… Nectar of Devotion. You’ll find. The temple is meant for giving chances to the nondevotees. Some way or other, if he comes in the temple, bows down, and dances with us, takes the prasādam, takes caraṇāmṛta, that means he is becoming spiritually advanced. Therefore this is a chance. And actually, our Society is giving this chance. 
 Jan 19 1974 Hawaii
Bali–mardana: I believe I’ve heard you said in other lectures that a person who takes prasādam, even a plant or a…, any kind of living entity who takes prasādam or hears the name, that it will come back at least to human form of life. Is that correct?
Prabhupāda: No, if he’s devotee, then he’ll come. But this taking of prasādam, or hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasādam not as ordinary prasādam, foodstuff, he believes that “This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God,” if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed. If he takes the prasādam as ordinary food, “All right, these people are distributing, prasā… Let me take it. It is very tasteful,” that will give him chance to accept prasādam next, next, next… In this way, one day he’ll come to the point that “This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff.” Then he’ll… There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that “This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Kṛṣṇa’s remnant of…” Therefore, he understands Kṛṣṇa. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma–karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice.
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