Hare Krishna Society

March 9 1975 London interview

Prabhupāda: …he did not like to kill his cousin-brother. He said that “Even they usurp my kingdom, I do not wish to kill them.” So this affection, this bodily affection, was not very much approved by Kṛṣṇa. He said that “You are talking like a non-Āryan.” Anārya-juṣṭam. Anārya. “The Āryan, they do not think like that.” Another place He says that “You are giving consideration on the body, but any learned man does not refer to body, either dead or alive. They, learned man, will give stress on the moving force of the body.” So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means basically on the moving force of the body.

Reporter: The moving force of…?

Prabhupāda: Of the body. Just like you are moving, I am moving. As soon as the moving force, whatever it is, is gone, then your body is a lump of matter, my body is a lump of matter.

Reporter: Have you had any difficulty in bringing this, which seems to have originated in India, into the West?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Haṁsadūta: Have we found any problems or difficulty is bringing this teaching, which appears to have originated in India, to the West? Have we found any problem?

Prabhupāda: No, there cannot be any problem. Just like I am speaking to you. If you are sane man, you will have to admit this. The mistake you will have to admit, if you are a sane man. If you are something else, then you will not admit the mistake.

Reporter: Uh huh. But…

Prabhupāda: Now, the mistake is… You are talking with me; I am talking with you. Your body is there, my body. But which is important? Your body is important, or the force which is talking, that is important? Which is important?

Reporter: The force.

Prabhupāda: Just see. So who is giving? Where is the educational institution to give lesson about this living force? Is there any education all over the world?

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Brahmānanda: …Calcutta, on the Maidan, there’s that big building, that big memorial. Is that…

Prabhupāda: Oh, Victoria Memorial.

Brahmānanda: That was built for, the king when he was coming?

Prabhupāda: No, that was built in memory of Victoria. It was done, imitating the Taj Mahal. It took twenty years. Sir Rajendranath Mukherjee of Martin Company, he took the contract. And after finishing, he got this title, “Sir.” And when it was being constructed, I went to the top by crossing the scaffolding.

Brahmānanda: So you must have been very brave.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am still brave. (laughter) Otherwise how could I come alone to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am still brave.

Devotees: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: Some astrologer told that “This boy, for executing his purpose, he will enter into the fire.” Yes. [break] …recently, in our Bombay affair, it was fight with the fire. Is it not?

Brahmānanda: Yes. Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: And we have come out victorious.

Brahmānanda: Yes. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So much obstacle, still going on. Now the governor is cornered.

Brahmānanda: The governor of Maharastra.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Bombay. If he says yes, that is also dangerous; if he says no, that is also dangerous. [break]

Brahmānanda: We do not really understand how demoniac, how calculating, our leaders are.

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Feb 21 1975 Caracas

Prabhupāda: University education is simply to learn some art, materialistic art. It is not education. Education is different. Education is brahma-vidyā, self-realization. Therefore in politics the so-called leader, because there is no standard, they change government, revolution. Why? From nature’s study we can see one tree is producing a particular type of fruit and flower. There is no revolution. It is standard. But these people, because they have no standard, they change every moment, every year. Nature’s way—the sun is rising from the eastern side—that is standard. (chuckles) These rascals, they will say, “Let the sun rise from the north.” It is childish, simply childish. “Eastern philosophers, Western…” What is this philosophy? Philosophy is philosophy. Why they talk of Eastern, Western?” Eastern sun, Western sun.” Sun is always Eastern, never Western. How one can say, “Western sun?” [break] Just see. It is in the water, but the water is not over it. If the water increases, it also increases. See? There is no water on the leaf. Here you see. The water must be always down. [break] …falling from the top of the Sumeru Hill, a big tree, and the juice, after falling down, turns into a river of mango juice. And the blackberries, they are just like the body of elephant and small seed. They also turn into river, Jambu-nada. And the both sides of the river, being moistened by the juice and dried by air and interacted by the sunshine, it becomes gold. And that gold is used for the denizens of heaven for their ornaments, helmets, bracelet, belt. Where is gold here? Paper. They cannot make even gold coins. They are reducing into poverty. In our childhood we have seen gold coin currency, silver coin. And now there is no such thing. Plastic. Paper and plastic. This is their advancement. Yes, it is a nice garden.

Śrutakīrti: Yes. [break]

Hṛdayānanda: Things are very rapidly reducing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There will be no rice, no wheat, no sugar, no fruits, gradually. So much sinful activities, they must be punished like that. [break]

Hṛdayānanda: …a question from the lawyer?

Prabhupāda: Hm, don’t come near. What is that?

Hṛdayānanda: He wanted to know what is the relation between the Vedic culture of India and the cultures that originally were in Latin America. There seemed to be some similarity, cultures such as the different Indian cultures.

Prabhupāda: Formerly the whole world was Vedic culture. They have deteriorated, and India a simply glimpse is maintained still. And everywhere it is lost.

Hṛdayānanda: You said that by committing sinful activities one has to be punished by the laws of nature. So if one is repentant is he still punished?

Prabhupāda: Yes, provided he is actually repentant.

Hṛdayānanda: Then he is not punished?

Prabhupāda: Punished, but short cut. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. That is for the devotees, not for the nondevotee. Nondevotee must be punished. [break]

Hṛdayānanda: …ask a lot that if there could be a Kṛṣṇa conscious society, would this mean to stop the industry and technology?

Prabhupāda: Industry, technology you can continue, but practically it has no use. [break] Just like there is the bench, you can sit down on the ground, and to sit down little comfortably you manufacture the bench. So for sitting down, you can utilize the ground, but you are unnecessarily wasting your time and manufacturing… This is industry. [break] …philosophy is that we have to save time for becoming fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our necessity. And if we divert our energy for sitting down comfortably, then time is wasted. That… There is natural mattress, and there is a natural pillow, so why should you manufacture pillow and mattress? This is Sukadeva Gosvāmī. And there is natural food, fruits. So… And if you want still nice home, go to the cave. It is already made. Why should you waste your time? This is the Bhāgavata philosophy. But they are wasting time simply how to live in nice apartment, how to manufacture nice mattress, pillow. This is… So the whole philosophy is: save your time and make your life perfect within this short duration of life which you have obtained in this human form of life. Durlabhaṁ manusaṁ janma. It is very rarely you have got. Utilize it. And if you don’t utilize, if you waste your time in these bodily comforts and next life you become a cat and dog, then what is the benefit? They do not understand this. [break]

Hṛdayānanda: …sometimes they raise… Just like you pointed out in the preface of the Bhāgavatam that we’re no longer in the Dark Ages in the sense that previously there was no communication due to the geographical boundaries and that even though other forms of technology may be useless, at least it’s very beneficial to have different forms of communication such as telephone, telegraph, things like this, television. This is actually necessary.

Prabhupāda: But that you can utilize for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not for sense gratification. That is the defect. They are simply wasting time in sense gratification. If the telephone and the telegraph, television is used for propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is all right. But they are not doing that. We are utilizing the modern press facilities for printing Vedic scriptures. But they are utilizing the press for sex literature, Freud’s philosophy. [break]

Hṛdayānanda: ...policy towards the problem of overpopulation and food shortage in the world now when the world leaders are not willing to do anything? What is our policy towards these problems?

Prabhupāda: Produce food. But you are producing bolts and nuts. You eat them. Motor tire, you are producing motor tire, bolts and nuts. You eat it. (Hṛdayānanda translates into Spanish) (laughter) The energy is spoiled, creating problem. Everyone is engaged in manufacturing motor parts.

Guest: (Hṛdayānanda translates) He’s saying that he himself is involved with political leaders, and he said he’s found that they’re completely unwilling. They don’t want to hear anything about the solution, and they’re completely stuck to their own way. So what can ISKCON do…?

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June 13 1974 Paris

Prabhupāda: What do you understand by the word “māyā”?

Yogeśvara: That which is not.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Things which we place value on that have no relation to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: The māyā is explained very nicely in the Bhāgavata, yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ. Just like sun is reflected in the water, and the light is reflected again on the wall. This is the exact explanation of māyā. Reality, this material world, the man who manufactured all these things, nobody knows where he has gone, but these things are taken as reality. This will be also finished. It will remain as relics, as Rome, relics, but when it was…, the houses were prepared with great enthusiasm as reality. And now it is as relics. So the energy expended for manufacturing those house, that is also māyā, and now they are being visited as relics. That is also māyā. So all these things are māyāra vaibhava, expansion of māyā. So if somebody says that you don’t appreciate these things? No, we appreciate, very much appreciate intelligence. But if you, for this appreciation, if you forget, then it is māyā. Forget Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Then it is māyā. Otherwise, it is reality. If they would have installed Deity worship in these buildings, how much nice it would have been. People chanting, dancing, and taking prasādam, twenty-four hours. Then it is no more māyā. It is reality. Such big, big, nice houses, they should have been places of worshiping Kṛṣṇa. But they’re worshiping bones, keeping some dead bones, and…..

June 12 1974 Paris

Paramahaṁsa: People are believing that at the end of life, there’s just death. So why worry about anything else? Therefore we should just enjoy right now.

Prabhupāda: That is the difference between you and animal. The animal is in the slaughterhouse. He’s not worried. But why you are worried. Suppose if you are brought in the slaughterhouse, and if you know that you’ll be slaughtered, are you not worried? An animal is not worried. He’s eating grass. That’s all. So that is the difference between animal and man. If you are not worried, then you are animal. That’s all.

Bhagavān: You once said that human life is pessimistic.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dissatisfaction. If you are not worried, that means you are animal. You are not human being.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is that like Prahlāda Mahārāja’s prayer when he saw Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva and he said, “I am not afraid of Your ferocious form, but I am afraid of this material world of saṁsāra.”

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. He has given nice reference. A devotee, although sees God in His lion feature, and very ferocious, he knows He is God. “He’s my Lord.” But this so-called advancement of material civilization is the greatest enemy. That is not… Material civilization is very, very backward position. Māyā-mohita. He’ll be captivated by the so-called stones and bricks, and he’ll forget God. That is the disease of the western world. They are very much fond of these stones and bricks, and therefore they have no knowledge about God. This electricity, the electrons, the radio, this, everything machine and stones. They have got, forgotten God. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. The more you materially advance, you forget God. So human life is meant for reviving our relationship with God, but if you forget God, then what kind of civilization it is? You are forgetting your real business.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Some people use the argument, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that by this advancement of technology, it will free us to think of philosophical.

Prabhupāda: They will free us. They will free us. Oh, that will never come. That will never come. Therefore they are called bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are captivated by the external feature, and one who is leading them, he’s also blind, and one who is following, he’s also blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te ‘pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know that material laws are so strong that they are not free to do anything.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: They are thinking that the technology will free them.

Prabhupāda: Eh? No. No.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: The technology cannot…?

Prabhupāda: It will bind them.

Bhagavān: It simply creates newer problems.

Prabhupāda: That’s all.

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March 4 1974 Dallas

Viṣṇujana: Prabhupāda? But they argue that if God wanted us to wear clothes He would have made us with clothes. But He made us without clothes, so…

Prabhupāda: The thing is that here material world means that whatever you want, you have to work for it. That is material world. Things are there, but you have to work for it. In the spiritual world there is no need of working. You get all necessities. That is the difference.

Viṣṇujana: Yeah, we could say, “If God wanted you to have food, then He would have made you with food too.” (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Viṣṇujana: They say, “If God wanted us to have clothes, that He would have made us with clothes.” So if He wanted you to have food, then He would have made you with food. Why do you have to go out and get your food? Similarly, you have to go out and get your clothes.

Prabhupāda: No, this is called… What is the definition in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa?

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā avidyā-karma-samjñānya

tṛtīya śaktir iṣyate [Cc. Madhya 6.154]

The three divisions of God’s energies. One energy is His spiritual energy; another energy—these living entities, they are also spiritual; another energy—material energy, where there is ignorance and work. That is material energy. In the material energy everyone is ignorant and they have to work. Karma. Karma means working. Avidyā-karma-samjñānya tṛtīya. So here you have to work. Without working, you cannot get your… The things are ready, but you will have to work. So they have increased the working capability. That is civilization. Just like in the prisonhouse you have to work. Eh? So they think this working is civilization. This is avidya. So therefore they have created more work. From early morning, five o’clock, till ten o’clock, simply working. They do not know that “This working is our punishment.” But because ignorant, they think that “Working is life.” This is called ignorance. He does not know, “This working is my punishment. How to get out of this work?” No. To increase the work more, complicate, that is civilization. This is called avidyā. Avidyā-karma-samjñānya.

Our tendency is not to work but get things. Therefore he has asked that question. Because he has to get cloth by working, therefore he asking, “Why God has not created?” That means tendency is not to work. That is spiritual tendency. Everything, necessities, automatically available. That is our… Therefore as soon as one man becomes rich, he does not work. He gets his thing by working others. The tendency is there, to retire from work. They go to a solitary place. They retire. They do not go out. Weekly, at least, they want to stop worker, working. So why this tendency? He does not want to die. He does not want to work. This is spiritual. Why man should work like… Therefore real civilization is that minimize work. Minimize work, save time, and go back to your spiritual life. That is civilization. And this is not civilization, to get the necessities of life, sense gratification, and work like hog and dog. That is condemned. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭan kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. This human life is not meant for working so hard for sense gratification which are done by the dogs and hogs. Human life is meant: tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed [SB 5.5.1]. Human life is for tapasya. Why tapasya? Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed: their existence will be purified. Then you will get unlimited pleasure. Yato brahma-saukhyam anantam. We are seeking after unlimited pleasure. So that is not possible in this material life. And we are thinking, “By working very hard, like hogs and dogs, we will get happiness.” This is… The dogs and hogs, they work day and night for searching out where is stool, and as soon as he gets stool, he becomes very strong and stout. Then sex. Never mind, the mother, sister, daughter. This is hog life. Therefore this particular animal has been… Kaṣṭan kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. Viḍ-bhujāṁ means this hog, stool-eater. So this human life is not meant for imitating the stool-eater hogs. This is in the Bhāgavata. But they have imitated this, “We shall work. Work like hard work, hoglike, and there is no discrimination of food. All sorts of nonsense we shall eat, and in this way we shall get strong and have sex life. Never mind whether he is mother, sister, or daughter. It doesn’t matter.” This is the modern civilization. And that is warned in the Bhāgavata, “No, this is not life.” But this has become actually the life, modern civilized life. Therefore it is called avidya, not education, contra-education. [break] …says, make life very comfortable. Just produce little food grains, and there are fruits. Even if you don’t produce food grain, you can live on fruits and milk. No. The milk source? Cut down their throat, cows, and eat the meat. There is no need of food grain or fruit. This is civilization. And thus becoming duṣkṛtina, all the brain is being utilized for sinful life. Duṣkṛtina means intelligence applied for sinful life. Kṛti, kṛti means meritorious. But their merit has been applied for acting sinfully. Therefore they are called duṣkṛtina. [break] “…

Devotee: Is it all right to… You mentioned that to work hard is like… Because we’re in the material world we have to work, this is the condemnation…

Prabhupāda: No, no. You have to work, but minimize work.

Devotee: I was wondering if it was all right to work hard for Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. To minimize this material work means the energy should be employed for Kṛṣṇa. Minimize work this, means this side, material side. And save time and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. That is the principle. And if you are busy from the early morning to go to the working place and up to ten o’clock, then where you get for chanting, time? So therefore you save time from material activities and engage it for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is life.

Some Conclusions—I think the thing that caught my attention the most was this statement by Srila Prabhupada-

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Lokanātha: …five thousand years back, until now, there’s only thirty ācāryas…

Prabhupada:Chain is broken when there are false spiritual masters. Otherwise it is not broken. Chain is broken if a so-called spiritual master speaks something manufactured. Then the chain is broken. Otherwise chain is not broken.

Morning Walk — September 2, 1976, New Delhi

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Srila Prabhupada says, ”One must behave that “I belong to this disciplic succession. I must keep myself fit for the post. Keeps that tradition.”…………

Prabhupada: Well, everyone is in a bona fide disciplic succession provided he keeps that tradition. Keeps that tradition. One must behave that “I belong to this disciplic succession. I must keep myself fit for the post.” Then it is all right. If he deviates, then he deviates the disciplic succession. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says frankly that… This is disciplic succession: “Just carry out My order.” Then you are in disciplic succession. If you do not keep yourself in the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then simply by becoming disciple you are not in the disciplic succession. This is disciplic succession. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said this clearly, “Whomever you meet, you only speak what Krsna has instructed.” Then you are disciplic succession. It doesn’t matter what you are and where you are. It doesn’t matter. This is disciplic succession. And if you think, “Now I am initiated, I am now liberated. I have no other business,” then you are not in the disciplic succession. You must preach. That is disciplic succession.

— March 9, 1974, Mayapur

“When someone heard the chanting of the holy name from the mouth of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and someone else heard this chanting from that second person, and someone again heard this chanting from the third person, everyone in all countries became a Vaishnava through such disciplic succession. Thus everyone chanted the holy name of Krishna and Hari, and they danced, cried and smiled.” “…If one is a pure devotee, hundreds and thousands of men can be purified by this vibration. When a pure devotee chants offenselessly, another person will become a Vaisnava, and from him another Vaishnava will emerge. This is the parampara system.” (Cc. Madhya, 17.48-49)

Feb 16 1971 Gorakpur

When you hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Actually, when you are reading Kṛṣṇa book, Kṛṣṇa is fighting with demons, that is also His pastime. So Kṛṣṇa is present. So you should be very attentive and worship this hearing. Unless we come to this point, there is lack of realization what is Kṛṣṇa.

Aug 1967 letter Satsvarupa Hansadutta

….Your appreciation of my Spiritual Master is very commendable. One who understands and appreciates the disciplic succession is certainly advanced, and we should always be very careful to give full respect to those who have so carefully handled this Divine Fruit of transcendental knowledge before us. Even a slight change will spoil it. That is why I have always been so careful to give you only those things which I have heard from my Guru Maharaja

July 4 1974 Honolulu

Sudāmā: The question also is there: the authority is the spiritual master, but the via media to the spiritual master… The difference between, like we were discussing in the automobile of śikṣā and dīkṣā-guru.

Prabhupāda: Then so śikṣā and dīkṣā-guru… A śikṣā-guru who instructs against the instruction of spiritual, he is not a śikṣā guru. He is a demon. Śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru means… Sometimes a dīkṣā-guru is not present always. Therefore one can take learning, instruction, from an advanced devotee. That is called the śikṣā-guru. Śikṣā-guru does not mean he is speaking something against the teachings of the dīkṣā-guru. He is not a śikṣā-guru. He is a rascal.

Woman Devotee: People are instructing with these sessions?

Prabhupāda: (Ignoring question) Because that is offense. Guror avajñā. First offense is guror avajñā, defying the authority of guru. This is the first offense. So one who is offensive, how he can make advance in chanting? He cannot make. Then everything is finished in the beginning. Guror avajñā. Everything is there. If one is disobeying the spiritual master, he cannot remain in the pure status of life. He cannot be śikṣā-guru or anything else. He is finished, immediately. Guror avajñā śruti-śāstra-nindanam, nāmno balād yasya hi... You do not study all these things. You become initiated. There are ten kinds of offenses. Do you have any regard for these things or not? You must avoid these ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to disobey the orders of guru. That is first offense. So if you are offensive, how you can become advanced by chanting? That is also not possible.

Some Conclusions--We can clearly see from the above few quotes that one must NOT deviate one inch from what the param para system says. Prabhupada has said he only gave to us what he heard from his own guru. No alterations no concoctions, no speculations no subractions. As it is-thats all.

Otherwise when you hand down a fruit from a tree and it gets mishandled and mangled along the way-how is this praam para? No sane man will buy a mangled fruit.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

LET US HUMBLY FOLLOW IN HIS DIVINE FOOTSTEPS

July 2 1974 Melbourne

Madhudviṣa: His question is… He is… This boy is Yugoslavian, Yugoslavian, and he has done some translating of your Īśopaniṣad into Yugoslavian. So he is wondering is it possible to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Yugoslavia?

Prabhupāda: Everywhere possible.

Madhudviṣa: And in other Russian… But these countries are all under Communist rule. It is very difficult in those countries.

Prabhupāda: Not difficult. Nothing is difficult. For the time being it is difficult but in due course of time it will be very easy. Now who knew that in Europe and America or all over the world, Hare Kṛṣṇa will go on? Bon Mahārāja left the field; others left the field. You see? Other swamis came. They talked all nonsense, yoga, this and that, nose pressing, eyes pressing—all finished. Now Hare Kṛṣṇa is going on. Now people, the nose-presser and eyes-presser, they are no more important. Is it not? Eh? Now our men go and challenge these rascals. And in New York they did it, huh?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And they are afraid of our troops. (laughter) They are afraid.

Madhudviṣa: One of those nose-pressers, he once was speaking, and he said, “These Hare Kṛṣṇa people, they like me very much. They always come to my lectures and they sell all the books, all their books, and then they go away before I start to talk.”

Prabhupāda: “You go on pressing your nose. We make our business and go away.” (laughter)

Madhudviṣa: He was speaking like that because our men go into the lecture dressed in disguise, plain clothes, and we are going in the audience selling books to everyone. They all get the book, and then, when he begins to speak, then we all turn around and go out.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they did it in the Guru Maharaji’s camp also. Hundreds of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is sold.

Satsvarūpa: Thousands.

Prabhupāda: Thousands. So we take advantage of this meeting. We do our business and go away. And they have no books. They have simply that pressing of nose, that’s all, nothing else. They have no philosophy, nothing of the sort. What they will write? They have no philosophy. Simply cheat that “Press your nose; you get Bhagavān.” That’s all. And people think, “It is so easy. Why shall I go to Bhaktivedanta Swami? Let me go to this Guru Mahārāja.” They think like that. And some of our men, feeling too much pressure, they go away. But here there is nothing cheap, that simply by pressing nose and eyes and you become God. Don’t make compromise. This principle must be observed. Then you’ll remain strong. As soon as you make compromise, then it is finished.

50 years-finished–

May 15 1973 Cheviot hills LA morning walk talks

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sajana Toshani (18.2.13-14)

“After the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, those faithful to Him kept apart from non devotees, to avoid contamination. Seeing this, the personality of Kali sent his representatives in disguise to pollute the Vaisnava sampradaya. Posing as Vaisnavas, they spread their wicked doctrines, and appeared so intelligent and devoted that only pure devotees could detect their real identity. “

(Which Srila Prabhupada has so kindly pointed out in his talks and books-for our benefit-but if we dont read or hear them-then what??)

Śrī Guru-Tattva and the Secret of Dīkṣā (By: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda)

Sri Guru Tattva and the Secret of Diksa (Part 3)

Rajen Babu:Isn’t the kanistha-adhikari qualified to give initiation into the mantra?

Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada: Where is the kanishtha-adhikari coming from? Who gave him the adhikara?A kanishtha-adhikari can never become a guru.

Rajen Babu: Can a madhyama-adhikari give diksa?

Prabhupada: He can only perform theinitial dutiesof diksa.It is the uttama adhikari maha-bhagavata Vaisnava who is actually the diksa-guru. There are two types of Vaisnavas – the ragatmika and the raganuga. Those who are from the eternal realm offer service to Sri Krsna directly. These ragatmikas serve Sri Varshabhanavi and Her direct expansions. Those who perform direct service to the ragatmikas and take shelter in them through the performance of smarana are raganugas. These are spiritual gurus.

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I was just reading the following few pages today in the Make Vrndavana booklet comprised entirely of conversations with Srila Prabhupada.

The below four quotes are only within a few pages of this book. There is so much information in Prabhupadas statements. These are about guru tattva… Please read .

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

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1) 750203mw.haw Conversations 371399/530501
Prabhupada: Sarva-sastre kaya, lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi
haya. For me, personally, I had the opportunity to talk with my
spiritual master not more than ten times in my whole life, not more.
It may be less than that. But I tried to follow his instruction,
that’s all, although I was a grhastha.

———————-

So in the above statement by Srila Prabhupada we hear him saying he was with or heard his guru maharaj not more than ten times, maybe less than ten times..

So how was Srila Prabhupada getting instructions (DAILY) from his guru? Over a span of many years (he met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj around 1920, and he passed away in 1935. So over the course of 15 years he was with him less than 10 times. So if you want to average it out, to less than once a year assuming ten meetings of the two personalities. So in those few short times, he got some instructions, the main one we know was “if you get money print books”, and the other one was “preach to the english speaking people of the world, it will do good to you and them”. And I am sure there were a few more..

So my point here is this: How was Srila Prabhupada getting daily instruction, guidance, inspiration, etc from a guru he only met less than once a year?? Could you even run a mundane family/business/temple on one instruction a year? No of course not. It takes thousands…

And the instructions Prabhupada told us he got were mainly only the above two? Hardly much information for starting a world wide organization one would think? Where did all the extreme details about Krsna Consciousness come from that you will find in Srila Prabhupadas books ?? Did he just pull these out of the air? Concoct them?
And what about getting guidance AFTER Bhaktisiddhanta maharaj left his body?This is when he wrote his books.

Everyone knows, Prabhupadas books and purports are his “devotional ecstasies” and they came from Lord Krsna thru the mercy of his guru maharaj Bhaktisiddhanta Maharj-WHOM HE ONLY MET LESS THAN ONCE A YEAR.

So this whole idea of needing a “LIVING GURU” is rubbish.

What is “living” is not the physcial body

but the spiritual/vani/instructions which comes thru that body.

“Vibration, what we have heard from the spiritual master-that is living”-lecture 1/13/69LA

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2) 750203mw.haw Conversations 371412/530501
Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by
reading your books.
Prabhupada: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required.
Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn’t matter. You
are secure. Follow the instruction. Then you are secure anywhere. It
doesn’t matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Maharaja not
more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a
grhastha, I never lived with the Matha, in the temple. It is
practical. So many Godbrothers recommended that “He should be in
charge in this Bombay temple, this, that, that…” Guru Maharaja said,
“Yes, better he lives outside. That is good, and he will do what is
needed in due course of time.”
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupada: He said like that. I could not understand at that time
what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.
Yasodanandana: I think you have done this in grand style.
Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupada! Haribol!

………………..

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SB 3.29.22–One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes.

PURPORT-It is stated clearly herein that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His plenary expansion of Supersoul, is present in all living entities. The living entities have 8,400,000 different kinds of bodies, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is living in every body both as the individual soul and as the Supersoul. Since the individual soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, in that sense the Lord is living in every body, and, as Supersoul, the Lord is also present as a witness. In both cases the presence of God in every living entity is essential. Therefore persons who profess to belong to some religious sect but who do not feel the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living entity, and everywhere else, are in the mode of ignorance.

If, without this preliminary knowledge of the Lord’s omnipresence, one simply attaches himself to the rituals in a temple, church or mosque, it is as if he were offering butter into ashes rather than into the fire. One offers sacrifices by pouring clarified butter into a fire and chanting Vedic mantras, but even if there are Vedic mantras and all conditions are favorable, if the clarified butter is poured on ashes, then such a sacrifice will be useless. In other words, a devotee should not ignore any living entity. The devotee must know that in every living entity, however insignificant he may be, even in an ant, God is present, and therefore every living entity should be kindly treated and should not be subjected to any violence. In modern civilized society, slaughterhouses are regularly maintained and supported by a certain type of religious principle. But without knowledge of the presence of God in every living entity, any so-called advancement of human civilization, either spiritual or material, is to be understood as being in the mode of ignorance.

SB 3.29.33-One who offers Me respect but is envious of the bodies of others and is therefore a separatist never attains peace of mind, because of his inimical behavior towards other living entities.

PURPORT-In this verse, two phrases, bhūteṣu baddha-vairasya (“inimical towards others”) and dviṣataḥ para-kāye (“envious of another’s body”), are significant. One who is envious of or inimical towards others never experiences any happiness. A devotee’s vision, therefore, must be perfect. He should ignore bodily distinctions and should see only the presence of the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and the Lord Himself in His plenary expansion as Supersoul. That is the vision of a pure devotee. The bodily expression of a particular type of living entity is always ignored by the devotee.

It is expressed herein that the Lord is always eager to deliver the conditioned souls, who have been encaged within material bodies. Devotees are expected to carry the message or desire of the Lord to such conditioned souls and enlighten them with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus they may be elevated to transcendental, spiritual life, and the mission of their lives will be successful. Of course this is not possible for living entities who are lower than human beings, but in human society it is feasible that all living entities can be enlightened with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even living entities who are lower than human can be raised to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by other methods. For example, Śivānanda Sena, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, delivered a dog by feeding him prasāda. Distribution of prasāda, or remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord, even to the ignorant masses of people and to animals, gives such living entities the chance for elevation to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Factually it happened that the same dog, when met by Lord Caitanya at Purī, was liberated from the material condition.

It is especially mentioned here that a devotee must be free from all violence (jīvāhiṁsā). Lord Caitanya has recommended that a devotee not commit violence to any living entity. Sometimes the question is raised that since vegetables also have life and devotees take vegetable foodstuffs, isn’t that violence? Firstly, however, taking some leaves, twigs or fruit from a tree or plant does not kill the plant. Besides that, jīvāhiṁsā means that since every living entity has to pass through a particular type of body according to his past karma, although every living entity is eternal, he should not be disturbed in his gradual evolution. A devotee has to execute the principles of devotional service exactly as they are, and he must know that however insignificant a living entity may be, the Lord is present within him. A devotee must realize this universal presence of the Lord.

SB 3.29.24—My dear Mother, even if he worships with proper rituals and paraphernalia, a person who is ignorant of My presence in all living entities never pleases Me by the worship of My Deities in the temple.

PURPORT-There are sixty-four different prescriptions for worship of the Deity in the temple. There are many items offered to the Deity, some valuable and some less valuable. It is prescribed in Bhagavad-gītā: “If a devotee offers Me a small flower, a leaf, some water or a little fruit, I will accept it.” The real purpose is to exhibit one’s loving devotion to the Lord; the offerings themselves are secondary. If one has not developed loving devotion to the Lord and simply offers many kinds of foodstuffs, fruits and flowers without real devotion, the offering will not be accepted by the Lord. We cannot bribe the Personality of Godhead. He is so great that our bribery has no value. Nor has He any scarcity; since He is full in Himself, what can we offer Him? Everything is produced by Him. We simply offer to show our love and gratitude to the Lord.

This gratitude and love for God is exhibited by a pure devotee, who knows that the Lord lives in every living entity. As such, temple worship necessarily includes distribution of prasāda. It is not that one should create a temple in his private apartment or private room, offer something to the Lord, and then eat. Of course, that is better than simply cooking foodstuffs and eating without understanding one’s relationship with the Supreme Lord; people who act in this manner are just like animals. But the devotee who wants to elevate himself to the higher level of understanding must know that the Lord is present in every living entity, and, as stated in the previous verse, one should be compassionate to other living entities. A devotee should worship the Supreme Lord, be friendly to persons who are on the same level and be compassionate to the ignorant. One should exhibit his compassion for ignorant living entities by distributing prasāda. Distribution of prasāda to the ignorant masses of people is essential for persons who make offerings to the Personality of Godhead.

Real love and devotion is accepted by the Lord. Many valuable foodstuffs may be presented to a person, but if the person is not hungry, all such offerings are useless for him. Similarly, we may offer many valuable items to the Deity, but if we have no real sense of devotion and no real sense of the Lord’s presence everywhere, then we are lacking in devotional service; in such a state of ignorance, we cannot offer anything acceptable to the Lord.

300 births to understand sex life is abominable

OCT 18 1975 JOHANESBURG

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So with their advancement of knowledge…

Prabhupāda: What is the advancement of knowledge?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are increasing sex life, and actually the advancement of knowledge should be decreasing sex life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They do not know what is knowledge. The knowledge means sex life. That is their knowledge. Advancement of knowledge means how to enjoy sex life, how to take shelter of abortion, child-killing, and then contraceptive method—whole thing on the basis of sex life. That’s all. They do not know except these things. They know there is botheration after sex life, but they cannot give it up. Therefore all these arrangements: take contraceptive, kill child, and what… That means the whole thing is based on sex life. That’s all. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Is that pleasure? They think it is pleasure to unite the urinals. (laughter) And this is pleasure, a standard of pleasure most third class, fourth class. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi sukhaṁ tuccham: very abominable. Tuccham, the śāstra says, “most abominable.” And they take it pleasure, and they make arrangement for this. When the dog enjoys sex life… Therefore they are allowed to do it on the street. People can see it. Is that very nice scene? The same thing is done by the human being, and they are taking: “This is all, everything.” This is basic principle of their happiness. That’s all. Mohinī, mohinī. This is captivation. And nature has made the woman’s face so attractive, beautiful, their breast, their hips, attractive, their sound, talking, singing, all very attractive, walking, and now they are dressing naked. They are showing simply the vagina, all other parts of the body clothed. This is going on. Whole thing is based on sex life, and that is tuccham, most abominable. Prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ. It will take three hundred times births to understand that this sex life is abominable. Therefore it is bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. Not that immediately, simply by hearing our Bhagavad-gita lecture, they will give it up. It will take many, many births to understand. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante.

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Hare Krishna Society

Religion is one, we are all servants of Krsna-SP

Prabhupada describes the current world situation

Oil your own machine–SP

SP defines Maya and who is our greatest enemy

The tendency NOT to work is spiritual–SP

The divine disciplic succession-SP explains

Lokanātha: …five thousand years back, until now, there’s only thirty ācāryas…

Prabhupada:Chain is broken when there are false spiritual masters. Otherwise it is not broken. Chain is broken if a so-called spiritual master speaks something manufactured. Then the chain is broken. Otherwise chain is not broken.

Morning Walk — September 2, 1976, New Delhi

SP on preaching in Russia and the world situation at present

How the personality of Kali infiltrated the Vaisnava sampradayas

We don’t need physical presence !–SP

Advanced-or still neophytes?? You decide