Srila Prabhupada Quote of the Day:
August 22,1968, Montreal, Que. courtesy Nityananda Rama Prabhu
Letter to Brahmananda
"Actually we the Krishna Conscious people are soldiers of the Lord, or Arms of the Lord, and because we are energy at the same time, because all living entities are energy of the Lord, so energy is always kept on the left side. As you have seen, Radharani is also on the left side of the Lord, and similarly, Laksmiji is also kept on the left side of the Lord, so we are also marginal energy, not exactly like Radharani or Laksmiji, but we are superior energy than matter, or material energy, so we should keep ourself always on the left side of the Lord, and let us act as His Arms, or army."
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the Hare Krsna Movement, Jagad Vaisnava Guru, prophesied by Lokanatha Goswami five hundred years ago, and reiterated by Sril Bhaktivinode Thakura 175 years ago, instructed in his mission by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharajah Thakura Prabhupada of Navadvipa and Jagannatha Puri, our Srila Prabhupada is the prophesied "Senapati Bhakta" of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
From a letter written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati :
Saraswati !
People of this world who are proud of their own aristocratic birth attack the pure vaisnava… Thus they commit offences. The solution to the problem is to establish the order of daiva-varnasrama-dharma - something you started doing; you should know that to be the real service to the Vaisnava. Because pure devotional conclusions are not being preached, all kinds of superstition and bad concepts are being called devotion by such pseudo sampradayas as sahajiya and ativadi.
Please always crush these ant-devotional concepts by preaching pure devotional conclusion and by setting an example… Please try very hard to make sure that the service to sri mayapur will become a permanent thing. The real service to Sri Mayapur can be done by acquiring printing presses, distributing devotional books, and sankirtana - preaching.
If one takes time to examine a little of the lives of the members of this sanga, one will find extremely rare and precious persons; revolutionary martyrs, living saints, sincere determined neophytes, truly learned sages, white-magicians, loving mothers, hard working devoted fathers, renunciants of great character, Rupanugas, Prabhupadanugas, self-realized spiritualists, Krsna's soldiers, ardent mystics, elevated yogis, artistic visionaries, liberated souls, Vaisnava sannyasis and vanaprasthas, brahmacaries and grhastas, pure religionists: Pure Vaisnava Devotees. I am very very fortunate to have your associations, and I beg a little dust from each and every one. Please forgive me for my offenses, kindly excercise your trnad api sunicena, tolerance, and mercifully please bless me, by wishing upon me purest chanting of the Holy Names. My obeisances to you all, the assembled Vaisnavas !
Hare Krsna!
Bg. 9.16-22.
"But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the offering."
"I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable om. I am also the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas."
"I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed."
"O Arjuna, I give heat, and I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me."
"Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on the pious, heavenly planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights."
"When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death."
"But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."
"Just like my Spiritual Master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words." (-Srila Prabhupada, 8/18/1971)
HE REASONS ILL, WHO TELLS THAT VAISNAVAS DIE,
WHEN THOU ART LIVING STILL, IN SOUND.
THE VAISNAVAS DIE , TO LIVE !
AND LIVING, TRY TO SPREAD A HOLY LIFE AROUND.
.... SRILA BHAKTIVINODE THAKURA.
"I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize." His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada(Interview, July 16th, 1975, Berkeley, California
If we observe the real situation of the world around us, we can gain insight into what is the best direction for people to go; science or spiritual knowledge. A system of thought that correlates or explains more of what we can observe around us would, by Occam’s razor alone, have to be taken as more correct or true. And we also take it as a given that by following our own essential natures and thus a system of thought most akin to that nature, we will be most satisfied and happy.
At a basic physical level, gravity and the other forces of nature have no meaning except in realationship to things other than themselves. The law of Gravity, for example, must have an object, such as a planet, upon which to act. So the basic laws have their existence only in relation to there being an “other” to interact with.
Even at a molecular level, we observe that molecules have a built-in capacity to interact with each other systematically, such as covalence. They come complete with exact laws of such exchange, that we call physical chemistry.
At a higher level of complexity, trees, as soon as there is a little light, spring forth leaves to absorb the required energy to live. They later produce shade and food etc. for other living things. The trees’ essential nature is to seek exchanges of energy, and to give services to others.
Whether gross matter, subtle laws, or living things, all exchange with each other to have their meanings. More complex organized states of matter, called life, especially at human level, tend to enhance the science of exchanges constantly to perfect their services and the pleasure derived therefrom.
If we proceed, we will find that this is a universal law, the “science” or art of exchange; which we may call “service”, ie a voluntary exchange of energy etc. to the benefit of the exchangers. It is universally and unerringly the case that living things exchange services to survive. The study of biology confirms that, but does not satisfactorily nor in systematic coherent depth explain the motivation nor the varieties and richness of experiences that are generated in the hearts of the living entities as a result of exchanging these devotional services.
Science as a philosophy does not address devotional service exchange as a principle law. Nor does it address devotional service, or the heart and intent of exchanges, such as between the soul principle and the Source principle, whose chacteristics are understood only by one who understands and has fully imbibed the concepts and varieties and reality of Love Divine.
The Sri Isopanisad says that from the complete whole Source, complete individual sub-units emanate. Torah says as above so below. So we can gain knowledge of the sarva karana karanam, the cause of all causes, by observing the universal characteristics of the world around us, as it will necessarily resemble the Source in many ways. The Source, then would seem to incorporate the need for interactions, ie. devotional exchanges, at a fundamental level, as we see such exchange as universal among all things!
We can observe that individuals following the principles given as spiritual, can and do attain to levels of happiness and devotional service unexperienced by those who will not. This demonstrates that a level of knowledge obtained via devotional services, a higher level of the universally observed phenomenon of exchange, which incorporate notions of love and beauty, can elevate one to a level of happiness otherwise unobtainable.
The literatures of the Rupanuga Vaisnava sect’s Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, such as the Nectar of Devotion, decribe in great detail the eternal and principle realities of the highest manifestations of the universal law of exchanges or service.
Such spiritual systems of life are held dear by several billions of humans, whether we speak of this country or that, suggestive that spiritual knolwedge is natural and indeed essential to life, wheras only a handful understand science ; it is elitist and conditional.
Lord Jesus, for example, demonstrated will to sacrifice for others, so this attainment is life promoting itself even to the extent of self sacrifice, a seeming contradiction, but readily understandable if you take it that spiritual life is of a higher plane. There are countless other examples, some greater, some lesser.
As science does not have knowledge of these universal principles, it is less likely to make humans happy, and therefore must be taken as a tool, not as a life-guiding philosophy.
Tamoharadasa v. (ACBSP) / Thomas Garden, MSc.
"Just like my Spiritual Master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words." (-Srila Prabhupada, 8/18/1971)
HE REASONS ILL, WHO TELLS THAT VAISNAVAS DIE,
WHEN THOU ART LIVING STILL, IN SOUND.
THE VAISNAVAS DIE , TO LIVE !
AND LIVING, TRY TO SPREAD A HOLY LIFE AROUND.
.... SRILA BHAKTIVINODE THAKURA.
"I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize." His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada(Interview, July 16th, 1975, Berkeley, California
“...in His army, to win the war with Maya and establish Krishna Consciousness as the perfect way of life for every living entity.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 15/11/1971)
Pr
Krsna means all-attractive. so come in contact with Him and through His devotees, and you will find Love, that is sure. There is a natural attraction, as we are all pure spirit. No artificial systems to memorize needed, but bhakti culture which nurtures the creeper of bhakti, that is wanted.
abhupada-centred Harmony!
In a July 9, 1971 letter to Umapati Das, Srila Prabhupada wrote:
"GBC members are simply to see that things are going on. Other centers have got president, secretary, etc. and they are managing separately. That is the formula. So how is it that the GBC are the final authority? They are simply to examine that things are going on nicely, that is all."
“GBC men should not dictate very much, simply supervise and see that the standards are maintained.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 14th, 1972)
“What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by GBC? So for the time being, let the GBC activities be suspended until I thoroughly revise the whole procedure.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, April 11th, 1972)
“I made the GBC to give me relief, but if you do like this, then where is the relief. It is anxiety for me. This is the difficulty, that as soon as one gets power, he becomes whimsical and spoils everything.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 12th, 1974 )
“I am training some of my experienced disciples how to manage after my departure. So if instead of taking the training, if in my lifetime you people say I am the Lord of all I survey, that is dangerous conspiracy.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 8th, 1974)
“But the difficulty is that our GBC men are falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will fall down. That is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so flickering then what to speak of the others. Unless this problem is solved whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful. “
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 16th, 1974)
“The GBC should all be the instructor (siksa) gurus. I am the initiator (diksa) guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.”(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 4th, 1975)
“The GBC (Governing Body Commission) has been established by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to represent Him in carrying out the responsibility of managing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of which He is the Founder-Acarya and supreme authority. The GBC accepts as its life and soul His divine instructions and recognizes that it is completely dependent on His mercy in all respects. The GBC has no other function or purpose other than to execute the instructions so kindly given by His Divine Grace and preserve and spread his Teachings to the world in their pure form.”;(GBC Resolution No.1, 1975)
“Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 10th, 1975)
"It is now evident that some of our top men are very much ambitious and there has been so many fall-downs.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 27th, 1975)
"Our mission is to serve bhakta-visesa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru—gurusu nara-matih. That is the material disease.”( Srila Prabhupada Conversation, April 20th, 1977)
Divine Yuga Avatara Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Thakura Bhaktivinode, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami, told in Divine Prophesy, and sent us our Great General ! Senapati Bhakta ! HDG Jagad-Guru Srila Prabhupada , perfect servant of Srimati Radharani and Her Divine Associates of Sri Goloka, Sridhama Mayapura, and Sri Sri Jagannatha Puri / Bhubaneswara dhamas.
From Bhagavan Krsner Pada Padme Prarthana, circa 1500 A.D. by Srila Locana dasa Thakura Goswami, contemporary and Gaudiya Vaisnava historian/biographer of Sri Krsna Caitanya; courtesy B. Radha Govinda Swami (ACBSP);
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu bol :
"yadi papi cadi dharma dure dese yaya mora senapati bhakta yaibe tathaya"
"If some sinful people escape ( His sankirtana movement ) and giving up religious principles go to far off countries, then My Senapati Bhakta ( Great General amongst the devotees, Srila Prabhupada ! ), will come at that time to give them Krsna consciousness."
The temple is a place not for eating and sleeping, but as a base from which we send out our soldiers to fight with maya.”(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 3/8/1973)
Divine Yuga Avatara Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Thakura Bhaktivinode, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami, told in Divine Prophesy, and sent us our Great General ! Senapati Bhakta ! HDG Jagad-Guru Srila Prabhupada , perfect servant of Srimati Radharani and Her Divine Associates of Sri Goloka, Sridhama Mayapura, and Sri Sri Jagannatha Puri / Bhubaneswara dhamas.
From Bhagavan Krsner Pada Padme Prarthana, circa 1500 A.D. by Srila Locana dasa Thakura Goswami, contemporary and Gaudiya Vaisnava historian/biographer of Sri Krsna Caitanya; courtesy B. Radha Govinda Swami (ACBSP);
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu bol :
"yadi papi cadi dharma dure dese yaya mora senapati bhakta yaibe tathaya"
"If some sinful people escape ( His sankirtana movement ) and giving up religious principles go to far off countries, then My Senapati Bhakta ( Great General amongst the devotees ), will come at that time to give them Krsna consciousness.".
The temple is a place not for eating and sleeping, but as a base from which we send out our soldiers to fight with maya.”(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 3/8/1973)
Because you are very sincere and enthusiastic boy, and very intelligent also, Krishna has given you this position of leadership in His army, to win the war with Maya and establish Krishna Consciousness as the perfect way of life for every living entity.”(Srila Prabhupada Letter, 15/11/1971)
Syamasundara: ‘And by putting out this book, The Origin of Species, they at once did away with God to be able to… After that Nietzsche, another philosopher who said, “God is dead,” he made that statement first, right after Darwin’s book came out: “God is dead.”" Srila Prabhupada: “So we have to fight against all these nonsense philosophers.”(Discussions with Syamasundara Das)
And we have to fight them. We can not stay silent in the name of “peace” or “co-existence”. Srila Prabhupada: “So we have to fight against all this nonsense. Nonsense scientists, nonsense religionists. What do you think? It is not easy-going, sleeping business. We have to fight with so many demons. [...] As all our Godbrothers are doing. They have got a little temple, and a few devotees go and beg rice and cook it and eat and sleep, that’s all.” Pusta Krishna: “Like being dead almost.”
Srila Prabhupada: “No fighting spirit.”(Room Conversation, 2/7/1976Glories to Bhadrasena Maharajah!
"By the mercy of the Guru even a dumb man can become a great speaker, and even a lame man can cross mountains."
"All my disciples will take the legacy. If you want, you can also take it. Sacrifice everything. I, one, may soon pass away. But they are hundreds, and this movement will increase. It is not that I give an order, 'Here is the next leader.' Anyone who follows the previous leadership is the leader.... All of my disciples are leaders, as much as they follow purely. If you want to follow, you can also lead. But you don't want to follow. Leader means one who is a first class disciple. Evam param parapraptam. One who is following is perfect."
(Srila Prabhupada, Back to Godhead magazine, Vol. 13, No. 1-2)
courtesy RMdd
Hare Krsna! Be Blessed!
Bg. 9.16-22.
"But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the offering."
"I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable om. I am also the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas."
"I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed."
"O Arjuna, I give heat, and I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me."
"Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on the pious, heavenly planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights."
"When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death."
"But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."
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