Prabhupada tells a cartoon story
June 22, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
June 22, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
June 22, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
681110SB.LA Lectures
Similarly, the scriptures, the sages, the saintly persons, the
devotees, the representative of Krsna, God, they’re very much anxious
to take us back to Godhead, back to home. That is nihsreyasaya. That
is the ultimate benediction. To be enamored by the
temporary society, friendship and love. And it has become a thankless
task for the saintly persons, devotees of God, to drag them: “Oh,
please come here. Please chant Hare Krsna. Please be Krsna conscious.
Please be God conscious.” Nobody likes it. They think it botheration,
“Why Swamiji comes here and bothers us?” But it has become the
business. Therefore the qualification of a saintly person is
titiksava, very tolerant, very tolerant. Just like Lord Jesus Christ,
he was crucified. Still, he was so tolerant he, at the time of
crucification, he’s praying to God, “My Lord, these people do not know
what they are doing. Please forgive them.” Just see how much tolerant.
Titiksava. This is the first qualification of saintly person or God’s
servant or God’s son. Very tolerant. They have to push on their Krsna
conscious movement or God conscious movement through so many odds.
attracted with playthings.
741114SB.BOM Lectures
This is the statement of sastra, that with our these blunt material
senses it is not possible to appreciate or to understand
sri-krsna-namadi, Krsna, His name, His form, His quality, His
pastimes, His paraphernalia, His abode, so many things. Krsna is not
alone, but Krsna begins from the name. Then there is form. Generally,
for the beginners, neophytes, these two things are essential: to hear
the name, to hear the qualities, and see the form of the Lord, to
offer worship. That is the instruction of Krsna personally. Man-mana
bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru.
741114SB.BOM Lectures
It is no longer possible to revive the perfect system, varnasrama.
Although we are trying to revive, it is not possible. It is very
difficult. People are so fallen. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy
upadrutah. They are so disturbed, manda-bhagyah, unfortunate, and
upadrutah, always disturbed. Especially anavrsti, durbhiksa and
kara-pidita. The people of the Kali-yuga will be very much, I mean to
say, harassed by these three things. There will be no rainfall, and…
There will be no rainfall, and there, food scarcity and taxation by
government, income tax. Income tax is to plunder. If you have got some
money, this is the means. So this is all stated in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam. ..Recently we have seen one big industrialist, he has committed
suicide. So people will do that. They’ll be so much harassed. This is
Kali-yuga.
741114SB.BOM Lectures
all sinful reaction of life. So you may say that “It will take some
time. If I have to get free from sinful reaction, then I’ll have to
take some time.” Krsna says, “No, no time. Immediately.”
“I will immediately do that. You just do this business. Surrender unto
Me, and I take guarantee.” Then your life begins.
■TLK Vs 17 Self-realization means seeing one’s proper identity as the
infinitesimal jiva. At the present moment, we are seeing the body, but
this is not our proper identity. We have no vision of the real person
occupying the body. The first lesson we receive from ▼Bhagavad-gita
(2.13) informs us that the body and the owner of the body are
different. When we can understand that we are not the body, that is
the beginning of self-realization, and that is called the brahma-bhuta
stage. Aham brahmasmi. I am not this material body, but spirit soul.
741118SB.BOM Lectures
it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve
Krsna, or we do not serve Krsna, we serve… Serving we are. That is a
fact. We cannot become master. Nobody… Can anyone say that he is
master? He’s not serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That’s a fact.
Either you are serving your family or society or country or office or
so many service. If anyone hasn’t got to serve anything, then he picks
up a master, a cat and dog, and serves him. Because service is my
nature. But we are missing where to put the service. That is Krsna.
741119SB.BOM Lectures
Bhakti means spiritual activities. There is activity… It is
not… The Mayavadi philosophers, they think that “Stop material
activities.” Brahma satyam jagan mithya. “Why you are engaged…” The
Buddhist philosophy also, they say nirvana, “Stop this material life.”
The Buddhist philosophers, they do not give more information. “We are
suffering on account of this material combination.” That is their
philosophy. Because this body is nothing but combination of earth,
water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and ego, so if you separate it,
let the earth go to the earth, let water go to the water, let fire go
to the fire, then you become zero. If you dismantle just like we
dismantle some house, so there are so many things coming out. So let
the doors be taken, somebody windows, somebody the bricks, somebody
and…, rubbish somebody. Then there is no house, zero. This is called
nirvana theory. No more existence. We are suffering pains and
pleasure… Pains. There is no pleasure. Pleasure means accepting
another type of pain. I am suffering… Just like there is boil on
your body. This is suffering. And to cure it, another suffering,
surgical operation. So it is going on like that. Actually, there is no
pleasure. There is only pain.
So the Buddhist theory is to dismantle this construction, and then
there is no more sense of pains and… The Mayavadi theory also like
that, that “Activities, because they are material activities,
therefore there are sufferings. So the material activities, they are
false. You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no
more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization…” Their
example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into
the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound:
“bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud.” And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled
up, there is no, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and
other…, they’re only means. So when one is completely Brahman
realized, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns.
Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Mayavada theory
is almost practically the same. They are saying, “Make it zero,” and
they are saying, “It is mithya, false. Stop it.” Brahma satyam, brahma
satyam jagan… Brahma satya means Brahman realization, “I am Brahman.
I am the same Supreme… So ‘ham.” But that will not help you. That is
simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktya bhagavaty akhilatmani.
741120SB.BOM Lectures
So if we actually want to be free from the bondage of material
existence… Bhutva bhutva praliyate… A common sense. Because we
have lost our common sense. Suppose we are sitting here. If somebody
says, “Now get out! Sit down he… Sit down here.” And again, a half
an hour, if he says, “No, no, come here.” So shall I like it? “No, I
am not sitting here. I’ll go.” Similarly, here the life is, the
materialistic way of life means bhutva bhutva praliyate. You accept
one body, you’ll not be allowed to remain in that body permanently.
You must have to give it up. Again accept another body. Again you have
to give it up. What is this business? But they are so rascal, they do
not know that how much miserable condition we are in. We are simply
accepting one body and again… Bhutva bhutva praliyate. Tyaktva
deham. We are… We do not know that “I am not this body.”
darkness. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri… They are taking this body as
themselves. There are so many things… So Krsna consciousness
movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we
therefore request everyone to take advantage. Now, Krsna consciousness
means… The simple thing is that you chant Hare Krsna. But if you
think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to
understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have
got books. Learn it. Two ways. We have got three dozen books like
(sic:) you. You cannot finish it even in your whole life. Come on.
Hare Krsna. Two things are there. Take advantage, any one of them, and
be liberated.
Thank you very much. (end)
741122SB.BOM Lectures
.. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is the
preliminary study of spiritual life. If you can understand
Bhagavad-gita, then you can begin Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you have not
understood Bhagavad-gita, it is useless. You cannot understand
Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Just like Bhagavad-gita ends with the assertion of the Lord:
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. Sarva-dharman. We
have created so many dharmas. But dharma cannot be so many. Dharma is
one. Or religious system… What is that, religious system? The all
religious system, the author of religion, author of religion… Just
like author of law is government, similarly author of religion is God,
Krsna. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam. You cannot manufacture
dharma, just like you cannot manufacture law at your home. That will
be not feasible. That will be not useful for anyone. You can make
thousands of laws: “I think this should be done…” That is the
fashion now. Everyone thinks in his own way. That is not philosophy.
That is not law: “I think…” “We think…” No. You cannot think. What
is your value? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. How you
can think perfect things? No, that is not possible. Therefore we have
to…You have to take knowledge from the tattva-darsi, one who has seen the
truth. Otherwise, you’ll be frustrated. Similarly religion. Religion
you cannot manufacture: “This is our religion. This is this religion,
that religion, that religion.” So that is not religion. Religion is
this: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. Mayy ananyena
bhavena bhaktim. This is religion. Anything else, that is cheating.
That is not religion.
Therefore if one can understand Bhagavad-gita perfectly and he
takes to this system of religion, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam
saranam vraja, then he can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because where
Bhagavad-gita is ended, Srimad-Bhagavatam begins from that point.
741122SB.BOM Lectures
.. Just like in Bengal, C.R.Das, he had fifty thousand rupees’
income in those days, and he gave up everything and joined Gandhi’s
movement. He died within one year, because he could not tolerate. So
without spiritual engagement, one cannot give up this material
engagement. That is the real fact. One must… Tyaktva turnam
asesa-mandala-pati… They gave up this material enjoyment. That’s all
right. How they lived? Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau
muhuh. They dipped into the ocean of the transcendental loving affairs
of the gopis with Krsna. That was their asset. Therefore they lived
very peacefully and very happily.
So we have to… We, we cannot simply give up. As it is said that
tyakta-karmanah, give up everyone, engagement, and
tyakta-svajana-bandhavah,… You’ll become mad if you give up all
these things, unless you have got staunch faith in Krsna. Then you
cannot give up. It is not possible. Param drstva nivartate. If you
find Krsna’s association is so nice, then you can very easily give up
your opulent position, svajana, bandhavah, family, business and
everything. If you… That requires sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga, to
associate with sadhu, devotees. Then you can develop such thing when
day will come you’ll be able to give up everything and you become
liberated person, quite fit for going back to home, back to Godhead.
Unless you are completely free… If you have got a tinge of
attachment for material enjoyment, Krsna will give you chance: “All
right, you enjoy. You enjoy, to the fullest extent.” Because we have
come to this material world for enjoying sense gratification.
741123SB.BOM Lectures
Generally, people, they are suffering. There is nobody in the
world, those who are materially engaged, can say boldly that “I am not
suffering.” Is there anybody? I challenge anyone. Can anyone say that
“I am not suffering”? So everyone must be suffering. Now, why these
Anacin tablets are advertised, “pain-killer”? Because they are
suffering. And not in this country, but in the Western countries,
America, one takes at least one dozen tablet daily for mitigating
suffering–tranquilizer, this, that, so many. They are advertised, and
they take. At last, for sleeping. Because they are more advanced. We
are less advanced; therefore we are satisfied only one tablet, Anacin.
(laughter) But they are not satisfied with one tablet. They have
dozens of tablet. I have seen it. It is advertised in the subway
trains. So many tablets are advertised. Suffering must be there.
Anyone who has got this material body has accepted suffering. That’s a
fact. But foolish people, they cannot understand. He thinks, “I am got
very fatty and beautiful body.” He is satisfied…
So one has to… Tapanti vividhas tapah. Vividhah, multi. Vividhah
means many. Tapanti vividhas tapa na etan mad-gata-cetasah. Those who
are Krsna conscious, they… We cannot say that they are not
suffering. They are suffering, but no so acutely. They know. Therefore
we have begun this sadhu’s symptoms, titiksavah, tolerant. Everyone is
tolerant. One has to tolerate. But a sadhu’s toleration and ordinary
man’s toleration is different. Sadhu’s toleration is not so acute
because a sadhu knows that he is not this body. There is a Bengali
Vaisnava song, deha-smrti nahi yara, samsara-bandhana kahan tara. If
we understand properly that “I am not this body,” then, although there
is suffering, you will not feel very much, although we are now
absorbed with this body, bodily sufferings are there. Just like the
example that you have got a car, and there is some accident. So one
who is too much absorbed with the thought that “This is my car” or “I
am car,” he suffers more. But if one knows that “I am not this car.
All right, there is some accident. It can be repaired or it can be…
That doesn’t matter.” It is a question of absorption of the thought.
741123SB.BOM Lectures
So this devotional service, this line of action, is so nice that if
we practice, if we make advance, then even in this material world,
staying, there will be no more suffering. That is called jivan mukta.
Jivan mukta means although he is in this body, but he is not suffering
the bodily miserable condition. It is a question of (sic:) absorption
of thought. I have read in some paper that Mr. Stalin, the communist
leader, he had to undergo a surgical operation of operating on the
belly. But doctor wanted to, what is called, chloroform, but he said,
“No, there is no need. You can go on with your operation.” So even in
ordinary life it is possible. Because the mind is absorbed in a
different way, even a surgical operation does not disturb a man.
Similarly, what to speak of spiritual life, if your mind is always
absorbed in Krsna thought, Krsna consciousness… That is stated
mad-gata-cetasah, always thinking of Krsna. And Krsna advises also.
What is His advice? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru:
“You always think of Me.”
►741124SB.BOM Lectures
This was the beginning, how to become uncontaminated. We have got some
attachment to the material modes of nature. That is the cause of our
bondage. Now, if we want to be free from this bondage, uncontaminated,
then the same attachment should be transferred to the sadhu. Sa eva
sadhusu krtah, the same attachment. Everyone has got attachment.
Nobody is free of attachment. The Mayavadi philosophy, they say that
attachment zero.” This is also a little advancement, but it is not
possible to make our attachment zero. That is not possible. Therefore
Bhagavan says in the Bhagavad…, param drstva nivartate. Just like a
child has got attachment for playing, and gradually, his attachment
should be transferred for reading, going to school, education. But if
you stop his attachment, then he will become mad. You must give
something. Param drstva nivartate. Just like we … given up
meat-eating. So you must give something more palatable. Then
detachment will be possible. First of all nullify the attachment, and
then give him better attachment. Then he will forget. Param drstva
nivartate. You cannot force a living entity by force. Gradually… The
same example: a child has got attachment, but by some system, its
attachment is turned over.
So similarly, our consciousness is there. Somehow or other, it is
now contaminated. So gradually, this contaminated consciousness has to
be purified, and then Krsna consciousness automatically will arise,
will be awakened, because the Krsna consciousness is original
consciousness. Somehow or other, it is now covered by material
attachment. So how to give up this material attachment and become
attached to Krsna, developing Krsna attachment? The process is
sadhu-sanga..
741124SB.BOM Lectures
There is an instance
during Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s time. Devotees from Bengal were going to
see Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and on the way a dog also began to follow
them. So the leader of the party, Sivananda Sena, he was also giving
food, prasadam, to the dog, and they had to cross one river, and the
boatman would not take the dog. Sivananda Sena paid him some more
money, that “You take the dog.” This is Vaisnava, that “This dog has
taken our company. He is going with us. How I can leave him behind?”
So he paid more money: “Please take this dog.” This is called suhrdah
sarva-dehinam. And the dog was emancipated. He went to Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, and he was sitting as dog, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was
eating something and throwing it to the dog. In this way, the dog got
Vaikuntha. This is Krsna consciousness movement, that this
consciousness, this sympathy for everyone, can dispatch even a dog to
Vaikuntha. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam.
June 20, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
SB Vol 6
720619SB.LA Lectures
So altogether, it is a city of fifty thousand population, but there
are five thousand temples, Krsna. All Radha-Krsna. So this is a
chance, that “Come to Vrndavana, and wherever you go, you see
Radha-Krsna. That will make your life successful.” By seeing, seeing,
Radha-Krsna, Radha-Krsna, seeing, seeing, you’ll get an impression.
And if you continue… The inhabitants of Vrndavana, you’ll find if,
when you go there, that in the morning and evening, all of them, they
are going different temples and seeing the Deity Radha-Krsna. So there
is no need of education, there is no need of philosophy, there is no
need of science. Simply if you visit temples of Visnu, then your life
is successful. This is the Krsna consciousness process. Simply if you
move to the temple and see with your eyes; very simple process. Our,
this Krsna consciousness program is so simple, at the same time
sublime, that you become liberated at the end. Tyaktva deham punar
janma naiti. If you simply think of Krsna in that way.
720618SB.LA Lectures
Distress and happiness, they’re already destined, according to our
body. We have discussed this point. Take, for example, you American
boys and girls, you have got a body, by your previous activities. So
your standard of living is better than other country. So actually I
see that even if you go outside your country, your standard of living
is maintained. Because you have got already the body. Deha-yogena
dehinam.
720620SB.LA Lectures
There were many poets and writers used to come and visit
Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was at Jagannatha Puri, and they would
present some writings, but these writings would not be presented
before Caitanya Mahaprabhu unless it was sanctioned by His secretary
Svarupa Damodara. That was the system. So one brahmana, he wrote one
poetry that… The purport of the poetry was that “Jagannatha is
Krsna. But He cannot move. He’s wooden Krsna. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu
is also Krsna, but He is moving Krsna.” That means he distinguished
between Jagannatha and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So this is not siddhanta.
This is not conclusion of the sastra. Sastra conclusion is: the
Deity and Krsna, the same. There is no difference. We have many times
explained this. Deity, the worshipful Deity in the temple, is not
different from Krsna. So Svarupa Damodara did not approve of the
poetry to be presented to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At that time, he
chastised him that “You do not know the conclusion, and you dare to
write some poetry. Don’t do this.”
720622SB.LA Lectures
Prabhupada: So here is one word, “steel-framed.” Nowadays, the medical
science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is
making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also,
there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad
asma-saram hrdayam batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt
very easily, similarly, anyone’s heart which does not change after
chanting Hare Krsna mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that
it is steel-framed, made of stone or iron. Actually, harinama… Harer
nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. It is especially meant for
cleansing the heart. That every… All misconception is within our
heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that “I am this body.”
That is the beginning of all misconception. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu
says, ceto-darpana-marjanam. So as you go on chanting, gradually the
heart will be cleansed, and you’ll be able to understand that you are
not this body.
… So this verse suggests that if a person is chanting Hare Krsna
mantra, but his eyes are not tearful or there is no ecstatic shivering
of the body, then that means he’s not coming to the perfectional
point.
So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra without offense, according
to, and observing the regulative principles and numerical strength …
Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. The Gosvamis, in Vrndavana, they
used to chant keeping in numerical strength. They were all liberated
persons; still, for teaching us an example, they also used to chant
keeping a numerical strength. Haridasa Thakura, he used to chant Hare
Krsna mantra keeping a numerical strength–300,000 times. 300,000
times. So our prescription is only 25,000. Not 100,000. So it is not
very difficult; it takes utmost 2 hours. We can find out, out of 24
hours, 2 hours. We can find out time. So if we actually follow the
rules and regulations and chant Hare Krsna mantra, then these symptoms
will come. Netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah. When this comes then you
know that “I am coming to perfection.” And if it is not coming, then
it is to be understood the heart is steel-framed. Steel-framed. So it
is steel only. Stone. Stone, if we keep our heart stone or
steel-framed, then it cannot be melted. This… These symptoms mean
heart is melting or changing…
… Now anyone is manufacturing
his own way of self realization, and there are rascals who are
supporting, that “Everyone, we are independent. We can find out our
own way of worship.” But Rupa Gosvami says, “This is simply creating
disturbance.” That is very natural to understand. Suppose here, in our
temple, we have got some regulative principles. But if everyone says
that “I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity,” then what
will be the condition?
It will be simply pandemonium. You see? So that is going on.
…authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There
is example that inIndiathere is a tree, sagu, sagu(?) tree. I do not
know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean
to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little
jerking. Sagu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind
tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So
our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take
shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sagu tree. The tamarind tree
is Vedic instruction, infallible, without any mistake
.. Even if you say “primitive,” the primitive life is very nice.
Primitive life means simple life. Keeping pace with the nature’s law.
It is very nice. Primitive life … It gives you anxiety-free life,
and therefore, even if you take it as primitive, the saintly persons,
sages, they used to live long, long years, and their brain was so
sharp, because they were taking natural food, fruits, grains, and milk
that helps to develop human brain for understanding subtle subject
matter. So even Vyasadeva… You have seen the picture of Vyasadeva.
He’s writing books just near a cottage only. But he’s writing. Nobody
can create such literature. But he was leading very simple life, in a
cottage. Even, say, 2,000 years ago or little more, there was Canakya
Pandita. Canakya Pandita, he was a brahmana, but great politician. His
politics are studied even now in M.A. class. And because he was a
great politician, diplomat, under his name in ourIndia, inNew Delhi,
the capital, there is a neighborhood which is called Canakya Puri, and
all the foreign embassies are there.
720624SB.LA Lectures
Prabhupada: So it takes not more than five minutes. If you practice,
then you become learned scholars, simply by chanting these mantras,
and the translation, transcendental vibration, will keep you fit for
spiritual advancement. Every verse in Vedic literatures, especially
Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are not ordinary sounds.
Simply if you chant the mantras, you become purified. Srnvatam
sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Punya-sravana-kirtanah.
Simply by hearing and chanting you become pious.
Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Even you don’t understand the meaning, the
very sound vibration will help you.
…parampara system. The parampara system means… Just like we claim
parampara system from Krsna. So whatever Krsna says or He said 5,000
years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called parampara
system. Not that “The world has changed. Scientific advancement is
very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way.” This is
all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They
are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niscayam
atmanah.
If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take
lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen.
Jnaninas tattva-darsinah. Just like here it is tattva-niscayam
atmanah. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth,
realized the truth. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. That is
guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth?
Through the parampara system. Krsna said this, and then Brahma said
the same thing, then Narada said the same thing, Vyasadeva said the
same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvacarya, Madhavendra
Puri, Isvara Puri, Lord Caitanya, Sad-gosvami, Krsnadasa Kaviraja
Gosvami, Srinivasa Acarya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura. In this way. Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Gaura Kisora
dasa Babaji, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Then we are speaking. The same
thing. Not that “Because we are modernized… Your modern science has
changed.” Nothing has changed.-
►720624SB.LA Lectures
Jnana and tattva-darsi. Simply jnani, simply a-b-c-d knowledge,
academic education will not help. You must be jnani, at the same time,
tattva-darsi. That tattva-darsana cannot be possible by mental
speculation.
720627SB.LA Lectures
very hard, and I shall get so much wealth, and for this purpose I can
go to church and temple. If God gives me millions of dollars, then I
am ready to go there.” So real purpose is sense gratification. “If I
take to religious principles, then I’ll get more money without any
hard work, and if I get more money, then I’ll be able to satisfy my
senses.” This is called dharmartha-kama. And there is another stage,
which is called moksa, liberation. So people are not interested for
liberation. They want to become religious for material benefits. But
that is not the real purpose of life. Material benefit, you cannot get
more than what you are destined to have; that is already fixed up.
According to your body… You get the body. We get different types of
body, and according to the body, our material sufferings and enjoyment
are fixed up, already. You cannot have more or less. Otherwise…
you’ll see, one man is working so hard, day and night, and he could
hardly maintain himself or his family. And another man, he’s going to
the market, sits down for one hour, and earns 100,000 dollars,
immediately. You can see. Simply by touching the phone, he simply
asks, “What is the rate of this? What is the rate of that?” and he
makes one transaction, and immediately he gets one thousand dollars.
And this man is working hard, day and night, he could not get even two
sufficient meals.
.. So therefore, the conclusion is that so far material comforts are concerned, you cannot
get more. Or less. You will get. It is already fixed up. Deha-yogena
dehinam. Sukham aindriyakam daitya deha-yogena dehinam, sarvatra
labhyate… eh? Yatha duhkham ayatnatah. Prahlada Maharaja says.
Sarvatra labhyate. So far material comfort is concerned, what you are
destined to get, you’ll get it, in wherever you may live. It doesn’t
matter. Your allotment is already there. That is your body.
750210SB.LA Lectures
the Western countries all these philosophers… The Darwin’s theory…
He cannot give any reasonable cause. Some theory: “It may be, perhaps,
for millions of years there was no…” Speculate. And he admits that
“Whatever I am presenting, it is all my speculation.” We have seen his
letter, some, from 150 years ago. He wrote a letter to a friend. He
admitted that “Whatever I am presenting, that is speculation.” But
science is not speculation. Science cannot be speculation. That is not
science. “Two plus two equal to four”–this is science. And if you
speculate–“Two plus two equal to five” or “Two plus two equal to
three”–that is not science.
720420SB.TOK Lectures
Prabhupada: No, this same verse. Practice it. In this way you practice
one mantra daily. Each mantra will purify you hundred yards daily. Go
forward. These mantras are very powerful, given by Vyasadeva Gosvami,
vibrated. And spoken by… Suka-mukhad drava-samyutamrtam. That is
explained in the beginning. Just like a ripened fruit in the tree is
already very sweet, and if it is touched by the beak of the parrot, it
becomes sweeter. These are natural course. If the parrot touches the
fruit, he cuts little by his beak, beak. Beak, you call beak? Then it
becomes still sweeter. Suka-mukhad drava-samyutam. Similarly,
Srimad-Bhagavatam is already sublime, transcendental. And when it is
spoken through the mouth of Sukadeva Gosvami, it becomes still sweet,
just like the fruit. The parrot is also called suka. It is called
suka-paksi, suka bird. So this comparison is given.
…And if we chant that… Just like you are chanting
so many songs, similarly, if we chant one or two verses of
Srimad-Bhagavatam, that will make you very quickly advanced for
spiritual realization. We are therefore taking so much trouble to get
this transliteration, the meaning, so that the reader may take
advanced step, full advantage of the mantra. It is not that to show
some scholarship, that “I know so much Sanskrit.” No. It is just
offered with humility to learn the mantra because one who will chant
the mantra… They are all transcendental vibration. Just Hare Krsna
mantra… This is maha-mantra, but they are also mantras, all the
verses from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, spoken by Krsna, spoken
by… Bhagavata also, spoken by Krsna. Vyasadeva is incarnation of
Krsna. They’re also mantras, infallible instructions. So try to get it
by heart, chanting. Either you chant by seeing the book or get it by
heart, it is all the same. But try to chant one, two slokas daily.
Chant.
720420SB.TOK Lectures
next. Come here. So you have to study like that. So many slokas, I am
taking so much labor. If you do not read it carefully… It is not for
that I am making business, for selling only, and not for my students.
You must all read like this, practice. Why so much trouble is being
taken, word to word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant
this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. And wherever
you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh,
you’ll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he’ll
actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so
offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra.
720420SB.TOK Lectures
Karandhara: “Now the next question will automatically be made as to
why the Lord influences the living entity to such consciousness and
forgetfulness. The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every
living entity be engaged in his pure consciousness as the part and
parcel of the Lord, and thus be engaged in loving service of the Lord
as he is constitutionally made. But because the living entity is
partially independent also, he may not be willing to serve the Lord,
but may try to become independent as the Lord is. The whole nondevotee
class of living entities are all desirous of becoming equally as
powerful as the Lord, although they are not fit to become so. The
living entities are…”
.. So the yogic siddhis… So Krsna gives him some power of
yogic siddhi and he thinks that “I have become God,” and some
flatterers, they also think, “Oh, you are God.” The same dream. And as
soon as death comes, everything finished, your Godhood and everything
finished. Now becomes doghood, come to the stage of doghood. Again,
another dream: “I am dog.” First of all “I am God,” then next stage,
“I am dog.” This is going on. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura said,
keno mayar bose jaccho bhese’: “Why you are being washed away by the
waves of maya? Just fix up. Stand up.” Jiv krsna-das ei viswas korle
to ar duhkho nai. You simply remain fixed up on this standpoint, that,
“I am eternal servant of Krsna.” Then there is no more dream. And if
you allow yourself to be washed away, Krsna gives you facility, “All
right, come on. Be washed away.” Then?
.. Therefore the first sinful will of the
living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the
Lord is that the living entity forgets his actual life and thus dreams
of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The child
cries to have the moon from the mother and the mother gives the child
a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the shadow of
the moon. Similarly the crying child of the Lord is given over to the
shadow of the material world to lord it over as a karmi and to give
this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages
are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the
history when the living entity desired this, but the fact is that as
soon as he desired such, he was put under the control of atma-maya by
the direction of the Lord. Therefore the living entity in his material
condition is dreaming falsely that this is ‘mine’ and this is ‘I.’ The
dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as ‘I’
or falsely thinks that he is the lord and that everything in
connection with the material body is ‘mine.’
Prabhupada: So as soon as you understand that “This is not… I am not
in contact with tiger. It is all a dream,” then you are delivered.
Similarly, as soon as you understand, “All this material condition of
life we are simply dreaming; I am actually servant of Krsna,” then you
are liberated. That is Krsna conscious. If you keep in Krsna
consciousness, that “I am eternal servant of Krsna,” then you are
liberated. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaa kalpate, Krsna says.
Immediately brahma-bhutah. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na
kanksati. He has no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samah sarvesu
bhutesu. He can see everyone on equal vision. Because he knows, “Here
is also another living entity.” He is not a Chinaman. He is a part and
parcel of God. He is not a Christian. He is not a Hindu. He is simply
thinking like that. So give him Krsna consciousness. That is real
benefit, to bring him to the original position. Yes?
.. Trivikrama: This feeling that we have, that we are fallen, that we are
very fallen…
Prabhupada: That is also illusion. That is also illusion. You are
fallen means you have got some certain desires except service of
Krsna. Therefore the conclusion is that if you keep yourself tightly
in Krsna’s service, there is no question of falling down or there is
no question of maya. You see?
Devotee: Even at that state, still the body is affected by the modes
of nature. We are experiencing desires.
Prabhupada: You are not experiencing. Your body is experiencing. You
are feeling cold due to this body. You are not feeling cold. You are
not feeling cold.
Devotee: But I think I am feeling cold.
Prabhupada: You are thinking. That is illusion. That is illusion.
Devotee: So rise above that.
Prabhupada: Yes. But not artificially, but this is the fact. You have
to gradually rise to that platform. The fact is this. Just like when
you are feverish, actually you are healthy, but it has come. So in the
feverish condition you are thinking, “I am now feverish.” But this
feverish will not, condition, will not stay. You will come to the
…these are coming and going. So if there is some feeling of pain and
pleasure, simply just tolerate it, but don’t be absorbed in that
thought. That’s all. Therefore titiksava. The first symptoms of a
saintly person is titiksava, tolerant. Tolerant. So go on reading, go
on understanding. Everything will be clear
720404SB.MEL Lectures
In this way, when we think that we are servant of the
servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna, that is our
perfection. Otherwise, even if we think that “I am not brahmana. I
have got sacred thread. I am very clean. I am taking bath.” That is
required, of course, because if you are actually servant of servant of
Krsna, then these qualities will be there as subordinate.
Just like when you have earned 100,000’s of dollars, it is not that
the ten dollar is not there. Ten dollar is there, but it is not very
important. Similarly, to become a servant of the servant of servant of
Krsna means that the brahminical qualification which is worth ten
dollars, that must be also there. But even at that stage, if your ten
dollar quality is lacking, then you cannot become proud of becoming
the servant of the servant. You cannot become proud of possessing
100,000’s of dollars if you cannot pay ten dollars. Do you follow? If
you say, “Now I am in possession of 100,000’s of dollars,” and if I
ask, “Give me ten dollars.” “No. I haven’t got.” So similarly, if you
actually have become transcendental servant of Krsna, if the qualities
of brahmana is lacking, then you are not perfect. The brahminical
qualification must be there. Then you are falsely possessing. If you
falsely say that “I possess 100,000 dollars,” and if I ask, “Give me
ten dollars.” “No. I…” This is false prestige. So these ten dollars
will not serve my purpose. I will have to acquire 100,000 dollars.
That is Vaisnava qualification. But when we are actually in possession
of 100,000 dollars, you must be able to pay ten dollars. You cannot
say, “No. I haven’t got ten dollars.” Then we are falsely advertising
that you have got 100,000.
So the conclusion is the expert manager, the bank manager, so, if
some man in the establishment, is absent, he can do the work
immediately because he has learned all the things. Bank manager
becomes from the lower clerk. When I was manager in Bose’s laboratory
there was a strike. So there was no packer. So I asked all the clerks
to, “Come on. Let us pack.” As soon as we begin packing, the strike
was broken. So a man claiming to be in the high position, he must be
expert in everything. He must be expert in everything. So therefore a
Vaisnava is called daksa, expert. Expert. So our, this Krsna
consciousness movement being the highest, topmost quality, so in case
we require to do the work, some lower quality, we cannot say that “I
do not know.” We must do it.
720404SB.MEL Lectures
Anyone who is not Krsna conscious, he
is a rascal. We accept him. He may be very big man, but a very big
means means amongst the rascals, another set of rascals, because they
are also under the influence of maya. Just like in the society of
asses, one ass is singing. (Imitates ass noise.) They ass feeling,
“Oh, how nicely he is singing.” (laughter) All asses. One ass is
singing, and they appreciate. “Oh, great singer.” And you are all,
“Stop it! Stop it! Please stop it! Stop it. Stop it.” This is going
on. So all these leaders, all these rascals, they are all rascals. At
least you must know. You may behave gentlemanly. That is your duty.
But you should know that he is a rascal number one.
720405SB.MEL Lectures
the association with the modes of material nature, we are getting
different types of body. And according to different types of body, we
are developing different types of consciousness. Is it very difficult
to understand? But when we transcend this bodily concept of life, then
we come to the one standard consciousness. That is Krsna
consciousness. That is Krsna consciousness. Try to understand. If
there is any difficulty, ask. It is very important. Why there are
different consciousness? Everyone could take up this Krsna
consciousness. But they cannot take it because they have got bodily
concept of life. And body means association with the modes of material
nature in a different way. Try to understand. Is there any question on
this point? Say it clearly. If you have understood, explain. It is
very important point…
… There is sometimes question, “How one who lived in association with
Krsna, how he fell down?” Generally those who are living with Krsna or
Vaikuntha, they never fall down. But those who are in the effulgence
of Krsna, in the impersonal Brahman, they fall down. Because it is the
propensity of the living entity to enjoy. But one cannot enjoy; there
is no ananda. Those who are merging in the Brahman effulgence, they
are getting the department of eternity. The Brahman is sac-cid-ananda.
So they are simply accepting sad-amsa. Sad-amsa means only eternity.
Just like if you are asked to sit down in a place eternally, no, it
will be impossible. You must desire a change, variety, because we are
living entities, living beings. So therefore our Vaisnava philosophy
has varieties of enjoyment.
…make money. Now, if you simply take it formally… Hayagriva has taken
the formality. We have to keep some cows. Never mind we are to take
payment from others. That is not cow protection. Cow protection means
just like Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is tending
the cows. He is going, taking the cows personally from His royal
palace going to the forest whole day, working there. Is it not,
cowherds boy? And taken some little fruit, mother, whatever mother has
given. They are playing that. So this is cow protection, not that
“Somebody will give money and we shall keep some third class cows and
feed there and become cow protector.” We must tend the cows very
nicely so that they give us sufficient milk. And with that milk we
shall live. “No, because we are giving protection to cow, you send
money for the cows and the cow protectors, and earn money there and
give us money. We shall eat nicely and sleep.” As soon as this
practice is going on, then next will be: “Give me some LSD, give me
something else.” This will go on. We don’t want that.
June 17, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
I would personally suggest the government. They never go to jail.
June 10, 2012 in Articles, Devaki nandana Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa
Dear Rocana Prabhu (Sampradaya Sun Staff,etc)
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
In your recent article on June 7th 2012 “Hare Krishna Society and the Company They Keep” on http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/
For your kind information, dear Rocana Prabhu, and the protection of your own spiritual life creeper (Bhakti lata bija), in order that you will not keep making so many unnecessary dangerous offences, please understand that the person who is mentioned in the article BIF, Sakshi Gopal das Blaspheme Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita as “Sakshi Gopal’s close associate and chief right(wrong) hand man” is NOT Jitarati Prabhu, but Shyamasundara das, the Australian devotee, first initiated by Uncle Bhavananda, then by UncleJagdish, and now defacto by Sakshi Gopal.
It is Shyamasundara das who has all along been supporting Sakshi Gopal in his direct blasphemy of Srila Prabhupada, Krsna and scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita by Srila Prabhupada and theSrimad Bhagavatam, in his article “Grand Theft Atma” which you can find here and in his website you can find two further articles titled “Elephant In the Room” and “Sex Drugs and Syphillis”
Rocana Prabhu, you yourself are also familiar with the above mentioned blasphemous articles written by Sakshi Gopal, but what you are ignorant of (or at least pretend to be ignorant of ) is that the editing, proof reading, responsibility for publishing, and follow up of responses to these blasphemous articles was all along done by Shyamasundara das who is the right hand man of Sakshi Gopal das, and who unfortunately aided and abetted Sakshi in his many heinous offences against Srila Prabhupada, Krsna and the Sastras.
Thus you, Rocana Prabhu, have knowingly/unknowingly supported these two dangerous blasphemous personalities all along, and to add salt to the injury, you have now falsely implicated an innocent devotee Jitarati Prabhu as being the person who was involved with Sakshi’s blasphemous articles. Again please note for the record and for maintainance of the truth, that Jitarati Prabhu did NOT have anything to do AT ALL with Sakshi Gopal and Shymasundara on these articles. Indeed Jitarati Prabhu had long distanced himself from Sakshi’s and Shyamasundar’s association since around 2007,even from the investigation of the Poison issue (which they had initially worked on together with someother devotees).
Quite the contrary and indeed completely opposite to what you claim about Jitarati Prabhu being involved in Sakshi’s blasphemous articles, it was Jitarati Prabhu, myself and a few other devotees who decided to response to Sakshi Gopal das’s blasphemous articles, and thus we in turn submitted to you the article BIF, Sakshi Gopal das Blaspheme Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita which you published in your website. We had mentioned the authors name in plurals “BY: A GROUP OF SRILA PRABHUPADA DISCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS” because we knew of your constant long allergy to us Rtvik devotees. We felt that if we had put our direct personal names, you would never bother to publish our article, as you had done with so many Rtvik devotees in the past when they submitted you their articles. In any case the article was a combined effort of a few devotees of which myself, and Jitarati Prabhu was a few amongst of, to counteract Sakshi and Shyamasundar’s blasphemy.
This silly and unecessary allergy of yours to us Rtvik devotees regardless ofwhether we are from the West Coast, East Coast, North Coast, South Coast, or from any part of the world should be completely given up by your good self, as it is only back firing on you. This is evidenced, because you have put your foot in your mouth by making these false and silly statements in public that Jitarati Prabhu was involved with Saksi’s blasphemous articles on Srila Prabhupada and Krsna. You have been caught red-handed with your hands stuck viciously in the cookie jar. Anyone who knows Jitarati Prabhu personally can see clearly what a total fool you have made of yourself, along of course with your foolishly concocted ‘Sampradaya Acarya ‘ philosophy which you have been preaching for so many years to so many devotees, but which till this day, only you can understand.
Indeed Rocana Prabhu , your pattern since these many years has always been to jump and seize on the slightest opportunity that you can get to put down the Rtvik devotees. This fact is shown in your latest article where you not only find fault with Jitarati Prabhu, but also Yasoda nandana Prabhu, Puranjana Prabhu, other West Coast Rtviks, and Madhu Pandit Prabhu in India who has accomplished so much in the field of preaching Srila Prabhupad’s teachings. Indeed these accomplishments would take you a few million lifetimes just to comphrehend. This is because you always fear and see these Rtvik devotees as a threat to your bogus ‘Sampradaya Acarya’ philosophy which again, only you can understand, or to be fair to you, one more person can understand, namely the alien PhantomGuru hiding in the alien ship patiently waiting one day to be anointed by you to save Iskcon and destroy the Rtviks. Please see below this letter to you the actual proof for yoursatisfaction to understand that it was actually Shymasundara das who is Sakshi Gopal’s right hand man by reading his e mail sent to me on Nov 17th 2011. This wasin response to my initial e mail to him and concern about Sakshi’s first blasphemous article “Grand Theft Atma”. Anyone can see how foolishly enthusiastic Shyamasundara is in his defense of Sakshi. My second e mail which is much longer is also available below the first one and where you will find myself chastising Shyamasundara das for his crazy comments and defence of Sakshi Gopal’s blasphemy.
June 10, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
June 10, 2012 in Articles, Narasimha Dasa by Nityananda Rama dasa
What is the Hare Krishna Society?
In the early days of Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the West, some ISKCON leaders wanted to install teletype machines in all the temples, but Srila Prabhupada did not approve of the idea. He expressed concern that his neophyte students would use the machines for politics and gossip and thus waste time.
”…The installing of telex communications for our main temples is not required. Then they will gossip more through the telex….” Srila Prabhupada letter, February 5, 1977
Today it is practically seen that many ignorant persons posing as preachers hide behind their computer screens and spread unfounded allegations against devotees or try to raise doubts about the activities and purposes of bona fide sangas of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples. Those with a political agenda, and other ignorant or malicious persons, sometimes spread false allegations about Srila Prabhupada’s faithful disciples and thus commit the offense know as sadhu-ninda. Sadhu-ninda can quickly ruin one’s forward progress in devotional service. By hearing malicious rumors about disciples of Srila Prabhupada and by accepting and tolerating such nonsense without challenge or protest, internet surfers and sufferers may disrupt their forward progress on the path of bhakti-yoga.
“…Anyone who is a bona fide preacher of the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be respectful to the real devotees of Lord Caitanya; one should not be envious, considering one preacher to be very great and another to be very lowly. This is a material distinction and has no place on the platform of spiritual activities…”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition Adi 10.7 :
“… If a Vaiṣṇava, by the mercy of the Lord, is empowered by Him to distribute the Lord’s holy name all over the world, other Vaiṣṇavas become very joyful-that is, if they are truly Vaiṣṇavas. One who is envious of the success of a Vaiṣṇava is certainly not a Vaiṣṇava himself, but an ordinary mundane man. Envy and jealousy are manifested by mundane people, not by Vaiṣṇavas. Why should a Vaiṣṇava be envious of another Vaiṣṇava who is successful in spreading the holy name of the Lord? An actual Vaiṣṇava is very pleased to accept another Vaiṣṇava who is bestowing the Lord’s mercy. A mundane person in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava should not be respected but rejected. This is enjoined in the śāstra (upekṣā). The word upekṣā means neglect. One should neglect an envious person. A preacher’s duty is to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make friendships with Vaiṣṇavas, show mercy to the innocent and reject or neglect those who are envious or jealous. There are many jealous people in the dress of Vaiṣṇavas in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and they should be completely neglected. There is no need to serve a jealous person who is in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava. When Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava sevā nistāra payeche kebā, he is indicating an actual Vaiṣṇava, not an envious or jealous person in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava…”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – Madhya-lila 1.218
Over the years, a few antagonistic persons have tried to malign the Hare Krishna Society for ridiculous and selfish reasons. Some persons have apparently felt slighted by HKS because of our strict policy to ignore the various vitiated “iskcon” groups, the various members associated with these groups, senior devotees who are still confused about Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, and other misguided persons associated with various other groups, such as branches of the former Gaudiya matha. (See references below.)
We also tend to avoid persons who are obsessed with the idea of trying to reform corporate iskcon’s clerics. We also avoid those who want to advertise and exaggerate the alleged faults of specific devotees, particularly those who are unpretentious preachers who know the siddhanta. Because we refrain from involvement in drawn out, rambling discussions on the internet with persons who are misguided or antagonistic, some devotees feel slighted. (See references below.) We feel the best way to deal with various misguided persons is to teach the truth about Srila Prabhupada and His instructions. If we attack something, we attack the sin and the sinful idea rather than all the individual sinners. We generally avoid discussing individuals—unless we are forced to do so. We have enough to do to explain the fundamentals of Krishna consciousness to innocent devotees who have been misled by bogus preachers.
“…If one hears the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with this faith, he can be freed from his envious position. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for such nonenvious persons (nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām)….”
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 9.362 :
Our positive agenda is to preach the glories of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada and the bona fide parampara. In the course of preaching correctly about the mission and teachings of the Krishna consciousness movement all opposing elements are defeated naturally. It is not HKS policy to attack and expose individual leaders for their sinful secret lives and extravagance. This is not practical. Nor is it advised in shastra to chase after and try to reform unrepentant deviants. We naturally expose obvious deviations in siddhanta and sadhana by preaching the truth. (See references below.)
HKS generally avoids direct confrontation with the fallen branches of iskcon. Some persons criticize us for 1) not attacking iskcon, 2) attacking iskcon, 3) not being under a gbc, 4) not supporting devotees who attack iskcon leaders, 5) supporting those who attack Iskcon leaders, 6) creating an organization separate from iskcon, and so on. (See references.)
June 3, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
Tags: Damaghosa, Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, Surrender
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May 31, 2012 in Articles, Damaghosa Dasa by Damaghosa dasa
A jobless man applied for the position of ‘office boy’ at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. ‘You are employed’ he said. Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start.
The man replied ‘But I don’t have a computer, neither an email’. ‘I’m sorry’, said the HR manager. If you don’t have an email that means you don’t exist. And who doesn’t exist, can’t have the job.’
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate.
He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with $60.
The man realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.
5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US. He started to plan his family’s future, and decided to have a life insurance.
He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his email. The man replied, ‘I don’t have an email.’
The broker answered curiously, ‘You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been If you had an e mail?!!’ The man thought for a while and replied, ‘Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!’
Below is some spring pictures right now of the garden fields and basically getting it all ready
Tags: Damaghosa, farming, self sufficient, Srila Prabhupada, varnashrama
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