Hare Krishna Society

108 Quotes from Srila Prabhupada on Spreading the importance

of the Original 1972 authorized Bhagavad Gita As It Is

compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa

The authorized edition of Bhagavad-gita will help to stop the terrible cheating of ‘gurus’ and ‘yogis’ who are false and unauthorized.[Letter to: Svarupa, Ranadhira, Mayapur-3 February, 1976 Los Angeles]

Hare Krishna.

This article has many quotes that contain the importance of reading the Gita “AS IT IS”, ways of receiving the transcendental instructions, how the Gita has been taken as a way for unscrupulous men to advertise their dubious philosophies, etc.

ISKCON has started to defame the Macmillan Gita in various ways, some even call it a “Mayavadi edition” and commit the greatest offense. They have forcefully tried to put down those who try to preach through the original Macmillan GIta and have made attempts to even destroy its glory.

Therefore, this article addresses all these issues directly from Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental quotes which should convince the readers about the excellency of the original Bhagavad GIta.

The quote below gives an irrefutable proof where the original Gita is reviewed by Dr. Vajpayee.
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Hare Krsna-Below we have several quotes about the benefit of devotee association and what happens if we do NOT have it.

Prabhupada also explains how associating with him thru his books, and who never sees him physically– is just as good.

He also explains how we never compromise-but at the same time we do not make enemies-that is called tactics

He also likes the Lords prayer given by the Christians regarding the Holy Name

damaghosa das

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June 11 1974 Paris

Paramahaṁsa: My question is: A pure devotee, when he comments Bhagavad-gītā, someone who never sees him physically, but he just comes in contact with his commentary, explanation, is this the same thing?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can associate with Kṛṣṇa by reading Bhagavad-gītā. And these saintly persons, they have given their explanations, comments. So where is the difficulty? Everyone is helping you.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: You’ve said that the Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa’s mind.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His mind. Why do you say like that? This is material conception, the soul is different from body, the mind is different from soul. But Kṛṣṇa has no such difference. Therefore He’s called absolute. Advaya-jñāna. His mind and Kṛṣṇa are the same. Kṛṣṇa and His name is the same. Kṛṣṇa and His words are the same. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. Jesus Christ simply said that “Hallowed be Thy name.” That means there is name. Now the question is why he did not say or utter the name? Now, there is already name. Why should he utter?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Right.

Prabhupāda: There is already name, Kṛṣṇa. So why should he utter?

Paramahaṁsa: Is that why Christ didn’t utter the name of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: No, he said, “Hallowed be Thy name. Hallowed be Thy name.” So there is name already. That means he gave you chance to find out the name. And as he came to India, so you come to India and you’ll get the name.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He was helping to lay the foundation for saṅkīrtana movement.

Prabhupāda: Yes. “Hallowed be Thy name.” Yes. This is a chance for others to think, “Hallowed be Thy name.” The name is glorified. “So where the name is glorified? Find out.”

Bhagavān: I think we can turn around, this way.

Devotee: Let’s go up by the river.

Bhagavān: Well, we have to go all the way round the lake to get to the car again.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Nitāi: Did you want to know where that was, “Hallowed be Thy name.”?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Nitāi: Were you asking where that was from?

Prabhupāda: No, you said. Somebody said it is, Christ said…

Nitāi: That’s in what they call the Lord’s Prayer, which was given by Christ himself. All the Catholics say that daily.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Nitāi: The Catholics repeat that prayer daily.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Nitāi: The Lord’s Prayer.

Prabhupāda: What is that prayer?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: One devotee, he asked to Christ, “How should I pray?”

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He said, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever.”

Prabhupāda: Very nice prayer. Very nice prayer. (pause)

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: This is vandanam. Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Nitāi: Śrīla Prabhupāda, is there some gradual development in all those nine processes of devotional service, beginning from hearing?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. This chanting and hearing should be in the association of devotees. First of all, one must have faith that chanting is good. Then he should chant in the society of the devotees. Then it will develop. He can chant anywhere. But if he chants along… Therefore saṅkīrtana. Bahubhir milita. Many devotees, chanting together, that is called saṅkīrtana. So one, our movement is saṅkīrtana movement, many devotees together would chant the holy name of God. Then it is very quickly successful. Just like a person who comes to our center in the association of the devotees, after few weeks, he also becomes devotee. Quickly. And there are many others, they are seeing that there is a group like this, but because they do not come, they do not understand. Therefore the quick development process is to execute devotional service in the association of devotees, sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83].

sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga—sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya [Cc. Madhya 22.54]

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that sādhu-saṅga, association of devotees, is very, very important. Even for a moment, if there is association, he immediately comes to the path of perfection. (pause) So if you actually remain a sādhu, devotee, then anyone who will come with your association, he’ll be perfect by association. Means, this process of perfection will begin immediately.

Paramahaṁsa: Our position in preaching should be to encourage people in all respects to associate with us.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: That means sometimes we might have to compromise in certain ways.

Prabhupāda: Why compromise? You don’t compromise. Then you associate with him. If you make compromise, then you associate with him. Then gradually you’ll also go down. When we, when we see some person, we do not associate with him, but we give him chance to associate with me. Why you should make compromise? What is the reason? If you know something positively, why should you make compromise? When people come to talk with me, see me, I don’t make any compromise. Do I make any compromise?

Devotees: No.

Prabhupāda: Then why shall we make compromise? That gentleman, Mr. Herbert, Gene Herbert, he said that “It has taken eighteen years to write these books.” I said, “Still, there are so many mistakes.” Immediately I said. And he could not say anything. Do you remember that?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Immediately I said, “Yes, you have labored eighteen years. Still, there are so many mistakes.”

Nitāi: Anyone else would have said, “Oh! Very nice.”

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Eh? I did not say.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He said that morning “What can we do, Prabhupāda?” He said, “What can we do? If we do not compromise, we will make enemies.”

Prabhupāda: No, you’ll not compromise; at the same time, you’ll not make enemies. That is tactics. If you make enemies, then what is your tactics? You must speak the truth; at the same time he’ll not be displeased. That is tactics. If you can defeat him by your argument, then he’ll not be displeased. After all, everyone is human being. If you can find out his defect, why he shall be enemy? Therefore, it is said, “You better make a reasonable man an enemy, but don’t make a friend fool.” You don’t make friendship with a fool, but if a man is intelligent, better make him an enemy. Because, because he’s intelligent, although he’s an enemy, he’ll not do any harm. Because intelligent. But a fool, he may pose himself as friend, and he can do anything which is very harmful.

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What does it mean to be Krsna Conscious??- a pop quiz by SP

Dec 10 1975 Vrndavana conversation-–

Hare Krsna-below is a very nice conversation where Srila Prabhupada sets us straight about what it means to be Krsna or God Conscious. If any of us were there during this pop quiz session, then I am sure many other answers could have been given and maybe even one may have been correct.

One amazing quality of Srila Prabhupada was his ability to make seemingly complex things very easy to understand. We make things difficult, and the bona fide spiritual master makes it all clear-if we are willing to continually hear in a submissive mood from him

damaghosa das

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Viśāla: I remember over five years ago you telling me about, “If you read the first nine cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.” Would you kindly tell me what does it mean to be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: What do you understand, fully Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Viśāla: What does it mean to be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: No, what you mean, first of all let me know.

Harikeśa: What do you think fully Kṛṣṇa concious means? You tell Prabhupāda.

Viśāla: It’s to see Kṛṣṇa face to face?

Prabhupāda: That means Kṛṣṇa conscious? Everyone is seeing Kṛṣṇa face to face. When you go to the temple Kṛṣṇa is there, and you are seeing. Does it mean everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Viśāla: No.

Prabhupāda: Then what is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Indian man: Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54].

Prabhupāda: Hm, that is part of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, brahṁabhūtaḥ. Real Kṛṣṇa consciousness is: “Kṛṣṇa is master, I am servant.” This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Viśāla: To understand that you’re the servant and Kṛṣṇa is the master. I see.

Prabhupāda: When you fully understand, that is your Kṛṣṇa… That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. [break] So long you think that “I can also become like Kṛṣṇa,” then you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Viśāla: In other words, if you still have material desires you can’t be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Make all your material desires zero.

Viśāla: Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. You should only desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. [break] …clear or not?

Viśāla: Very clear. Thank you very much.

Harikeśa: What if a person doesn’t desire material enjoyment, but still, there is so much dirt?

Prabhupāda: Hm? Who is that person who has no material desires?

Harikeśa: A person really wants to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, but somehow or another, so much dirts gets in the way.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dirt means it is not yet zero. I said that all material desires should be made zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11].

Harikeśa: As soon as the desires completely change, then everything else is purified.

Prabhupāda: Yes. As Arjuna said, kariṣye vacana tava, naṣṭo mohaḥ: “Now my illusion is over. I agree to act as you say.” This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Naṣṭo moha smṛtir labdh tvat prasādān madhusūdana. [break] The moha is there. Moha means these desires are illusion, like dreaming. In dream we see so many things. They are all false. In dreaming I am seeing that somebody is coming to kill me but there is nobody, but still, I am dreaming. This is called moha. So when one is free from moha, then he’s Kṛṣṇa conscious. The whole material world is going on under such illusion. Therefore it is called māyā. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you.

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May 27 1974 Rome. Conversations

Bhagavān: But my question is, if the community produces… Some class of men produce vegetables and grains, some class produce cows, some class produce clothes, some class produce necessities for building. How are these things distributed equally?

Prabhupāda: Because we are community, we shall distribute whatever necessity for everyone.

Bhagavān: They will come and say, “I need this much cloth, I need this much milk.”

Prabhupāda: No, this much cloth… But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you will be satisfied with the minimum necessities of life. That is natural. You won’t demand.

Yogeśvara: So actually such a program can only be successful proportionately with the rise of Kṛṣṇa consciousness of the people.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the main basic principle. Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you arrange like this, that will never be successful.

NOTE-Above Srila Prabhupada explains that we must take to rural life to solve so many problems-but this is only possible if the devotees are Krsna Conscious, not otherwise. If simple living high thinking is actually done, then this rural program will be successful. Its the change in city consciousness to village Krsna consciousness that will make it work and not otherwise.

Yogeśvara: They won’t be satisfied.

Prabhupāda: No.

Bhagavān: The kṣatriyas make sure that people are correct, acting correctly, that no one is taking more than what they need?

Prabhupāda: Naturally he will do. If you make him Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he attends the Kṛṣṇa conscious program, naturally he will do. Svāmin kṛtārtho ‘smi. That is the progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He will be satisfied in any condition of life. That is progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He doesn’t require anything artificially. His main necessity is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if his attention is diverted in that way, these things will be not important.

NOTE-So in the above Prabhupada tells us that our life must be streamlined to making our lives successful by adopting simple living-and not just as a slogan but actually have that mindset.

Yogeśvara: So then we should begin our rural communities like New Vrindaban, and then by training up people in the cities, we can send them gradually…

Prabhupāda: There will be no city. We don’t want cities.

Bhagavān: What about our city temples?

Prabhupāda: No, no. For the time it may go on. But as we make progress, there will be no necessity. City means… For the present we have got. Because the city is there, we are there. But suppose the city is closed. We shall be there? If the city is closed, you still will be there?

NOTE-As predicted by Prabhupada the cities will eventually close or made impossible for normal humans to live in as we are seeing today. Homelessness, drug abuse everywhere, crimes up everywhere, and now add the so called covid pandemic to this already nasty situation where more dead bodies will be showing up due to this poison so called –“vax”.

So the best advice, if you can do it, is to get out now before it gets only worse than it is today. Even on the so called mainline news today they showed thousands of protesters and Canadian truckers with their massive trucks, flood into Ottawa the capitol city of Canada, and refuse to leave -blocking the streets there with their trucks. This is huge but shows the volatility of human society today and also around the world. And then we have the Ukraine and that war which is about to begin. This is just the beginning….

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“Your next question about free will, whether we have it or not? If one is not intelligent enough for making decisions, then all decisions shall be sanctioned by the spiritual master. Neophyte means no independent decision, no free will, that means surrender. Just like a small child can only eat such things which are sanctioned by his parents, not by his own discretion. Free will is that when the controller says do this, you can your free will to do it or not to do it. You have got the power to not do.

iti te jnanam akhyatam, guhyad guhyataram maya

vimrsyaitad asesna, yathecchasi tatha kuru

‘Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge.Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.’ (B.G. 18.65) Krsna asks: ‘Have you decided to fight?’ ‘Yes, I have decided to follow Your order. ’This is free will.”

(SPL to Yajnesvara, January 2nd, 1972)

Note-so we can see the actual freedom to act depends upon ones surrender to the spiritual master. If one is a neophyte, then there is no free will.

Why not?

Because we are just like a child who has no intelligence to make his own decisions. So a child puts his hand into fire not knowing it will burn him. Similarly the neophyte devotee does not have sufficient intelligence to make the correct decisions. This is called faith.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

June 4 1974 Geneva conversations

Prabhupāda: So people are so degraded, and there is no education, and there are so-called leaders. They are themselves degraded, they are themselves blind. So what is the position of the present society? It is very precarious condition. Therefore, at the end of Kali–yuga, people will be more and more, more and more degraded. There will be no more preaching. Kṛṣṇa will come as Kalki avatāra, simply killing, simply killing. That’s all, finished.

Prof. Regamay: But they have still four thousand years of Kali–yuga.

Prabhupāda: Not four thousand, 400,000. So here the time is coming. And now the partial killing is going on. You drop this… The atom bomb is ready. You have got, I have got. I drop on you, and you drop on me. Both of us, we finish. This is going to be happening. People are so degraded. So unless one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of being saved. There is example, that grinding mill… You know, grinding mill?

Prof. Regamay: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and the grains are put within it and they are all smashed. But one grain who takes shelter of the center, the pivot, it is not smashed. Similarly the modern civilization is such that everyone will be smashed. And one takes the central point shelter, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will not be. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. So best thing is to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and save yourself. Save means… This is saving, if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma… Kṛṣṇa appears, disappears. Kṛṣṇa works here also, in the battlefield or in other field. Kṛṣṇa has a whole activity. You study Kṛṣṇa Book, beginning from the birth up to the point of His leaving this world. Full of activities. Not that because He is God, He is sitting one place. No. Full of activities in all different spheres of life. Art, philosophy, politics, sociology, military arts—everything complete. That is Kṛṣṇa.

..”other than Lord Caitanya nobody can save you…”

By Balarama dasa [Australia]

Hare Krsna Prabhus,

I was privately with Venu Gopal prabhu the day before he left his body and he said to me, “there’s no way I want to stop off at the heavenly planets… I want to go straight back to Krsnaloka”. No sightseeing *‘tourists’ as Srila Prabhupada says in this class. Praying that we all have that strength.

Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ

Yfs, Bal.

Bhagavad-gītā 2.23–24

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BBTI Editor defends cutting off 22 pages from Srila Prabhupada’s Perfect Questions Perfect Answers book as a “good deed”

Hare Krsna. All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The changes in many of Sria Prabhupada’s books have been exposed for a long time. One of the most horrific of these stands out as the “Perfect Questions Perfect Answers” book. Here is the link that lists the major changes that resulted in cutting off about 22 pages from the book. https://bookchanges.com/iskcon-perfect-questions-perfect-answers-book-changes/
When we question the editors to give an explanation for their outrageous activities, they respond with self-appreciation and use Srila Prabhupada’s name in their defense. Let us analyze how the BBTI editor has defended his statement of cutting off 22 pages as a “good deed”. This report can be found on the BBT’s facebook page in the link that follows: https://www.facebook.com/bbtedit

A report from Ranjit das, BBTI:
No good deed goes uncriticized.

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May 30 1974 Rome conversations

Prabhupada:Next question is “How one can become interested in the spirit soul or Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How?” This is the position. They cannot. So next proposal is, “How they can be?” Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ spṛśaty anartha…, yad-arthagamam, niṣkiñcanānām, pāda–rajo-‘bhiṣekam.

[SB 7.5.32]

“Their attention cannot be converted or turned towards the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa who acts very wonderfully.” Anartha apagamaḥ: “And all these misconcepts of life becomes vanquished.” How it can be? Now, “So long one does not touch his head to the dust of a devotee of the Lord who is niṣkiñcana, who has nothing to do with this material world, that devotee, who is simply interested in Kṛṣṇa.” If one has got the opportunity of touching his head to the lotus feet, to the dust of the lotus feet of such a great devotee, then it is possible. Otherwise, it is not. Niṣkiñcana, mahīyasāṁ pāda–rajo ‘bhiṣekam. ….

Satsvarūpa: The pure devotee gives the chance to everyone, but only a few approach. So still the question is how can they become interested in the pure devotee?

Prabhupāda: No, this is the…, that you do it. If they do not do it, then who will come? This declaration is there, that “If you do this, then you can be interested.” But if you do not, then you go on with your own business. A similar… The same things Kṛṣṇa, sarva–dharmān parit… mām ekam. Kṛṣṇa is demanding that you do it, “Surrender unto Me.” The śāstra also says, “Surrender unto the representative of Kṛṣṇa,” mahīyasām. But if they do not do, what can be done? Just see this sparrow. The sex is always accompanying, any time ready. The pigeons, any time ready. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. That is the only attachment for this material world, viṣaya. Whole world is fighting for this viṣaya. “I must have nice eating, I must have nice sleeping, I must have very good sex, and I should be defended by bank balance, by military soldiers, by police force, by atomic weapons.” This is going on. Defense. Rascal does not understand that “In spite of all these things, I will have to change the body, and the same thing will be available again, in a different way.” This intoxication, cigarettes. The ant, the small ant, they are very fond of intoxication. You know that? As soon as there is information, “On the top of the skyscraper building, there is a grain of sugar,” they will go. (laughing) Because sugar contains intoxication. The wine is made from sugar, molasses. It has got the intoxication. You keep a grain of sugar there, and there will be hundreds and thousands… (laughter) Gold rush. Study. You see what is the difference of this civilization and the ant civilization, dog civilization, cat civilization. No difference. It is in the simply formation only.

“Minimum words maximum solution”-All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Everyone’s friend, by Haripada dasa

Hare Krishna, I lovingly and confidently share a paragraph from a small book by Srila Prabhupada entitled Meditation and Superconsciousness:
We are looking for a friend to provide us with peace and quiet. That friend is Krishna, God. Just make friends with Him, and you will find that the whole world will become your friend. Since God is situated in everyone’s heart, if you make friends with God, He will instruct everyone inwardly to treat you friendly. One who befriends the chief of police receives certain benefits. If you make friends with the president of the country, everyone will be your friend, since everyone is subordinate to the president. If you want something from an official, you just have to call the president and he will tell him: “Okay, help this man,” and so everything is resolved. Just try to befriend God, and everyone else will become your friends. All people will become peaceful if they understand this beautiful truth, that God is the friend of all and that He is the supreme owner. Lord Chaitanya also explains this.
By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna I have been from 1984 to 2011 distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, I will have spoken face to face with more than 4 million people, in this transcendental activity one experiences that Krishna is the supreme controller and that one is his loving servant, in Guatemala twice Lord Nrisimhadeva saved my life, Srila Prabhupada always said that we should pray to Lord Nrisimhadeva for protection and blessings to be able to preach. Wherever you go you will see selfishness, hypocrisy and fighting, but as Srila Prabhupada says in this paragraph that all people will become peaceful if they understand this beautiful truth, that God is the friend of all and that He is the supreme owner. Lord Chaitanya also explains this.

Hare Krishna Society

108 Quotes from Srila Prabhupada on Spreading the importance of the Original 1972 authorized Bhagavad Gita As It Is

Association with Srila Prabhupada and his disciples

What does it mean-to be Krsna Conscious? SP explains in this pop quiz

Prabhupada explains who is qualified to live on farms and grow our own food

Free will-what is it??-SP explains

But one grain who takes shelter of the center, the pivot, it is not smashed.-SP

“That should be your endeavour”!

BBTI Editor defends cutting off 22 pages from Srila Prabhupada’s Perfect Questions Perfect Answers book as a “good deed”

minimum words maximun solution–SP

Everyone’s friend