Srila Prabhupada presents the glories of Sri Gadadhara Pandita
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
gadādhara-paṇḍitādi–prabhura nija-śakti
Srila Prabhupada glorifies the unique position of Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakur
Disappearance day of Sri Vrindavana dasa Thakura,
April 21, 2017 Thursday
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s birth Continue reading
SP explains that a human who cannot control his senses is an animal
June 11 1974 Paris
Prabhupāda: Yes. Śakuni, yes. They’re vultures, and their civilization is vulture-eater. The animal-eaters, they’re like jackals, vultures, dogs. They’re similar to these animals, the animal-eaters. It is not human food.Here is human food. Here is civilized food, human food. Let them learn it. Uncivilized, vultures, rākṣasas, and they’re leaders. Therefore, I say all fourth-class men, they are leaders. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. We require first-class men to lead. We are first-class men. Take our advice, and then everything will be all right. We are creating first-class men. What is the use of fourth-class men leading? All fourth-class men. If I say so frankly, people will be very angry. All fourth-class men. Basically, they’re all fourth-class men. … So the human being, having higher intelligence, they should learn how to control the senses. This is human life. Human life means controlling. I give this example. Just like in the… In your country, there is no such shop. In our country, the confectioner’s shop is on the roadside, very nice. You have seen in India. They have prepared very nice, nice preparation and exhibited. People come and purchase. So animals, cows, as soon as they take some opportunity, they push their head and take something. Get away.
Now, the animal, the cow is passing, and a human being is also passing. But the human being, although he’s hungry, he likes to take some of the preparation, but he’ll not do like that animal. He knows that “I have no money. So I shall have to restrain my tongue.” That is human being.
SP sums up why original iskcon was destroyed and how it will be saved
“There are two verses in the Canaka Sloka how a family or an institution can be glorified or burned into ashes by one person. The Canaka Pandit says that if there is one tree in the forest producing nice aromatic flower,[Srila Prabhupada] that one tree can glorify the whole forest by the flavor of its flower. Similarly if there is one tree in whose cavity there is a little fire, that one tree can burn into ashes the whole forest. So this simile is applicable anywhere. In a family if there is one good boy, he can glorify the whole family and similarly if there is bad boy he can turn the whole family into ashes. Similarly in this institution if there is a bad disciple he can burn the whole institution into ashes.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to Bali Mardan, August 25, 1970)
But the good news is this:
Oct 30 1976 letter-
They are now feeling the weight of this movement. Formerly they thought these people come and go, but now they see we are staying. Now we have set fire. It will go on, it cannot be stopped. You can bring big, big fire brigades but the fire will act. The brainwash books are already there. Even if they stop externally,internally it will go on. Our first class campaign is book distribution. Go house to house. The real fighting is now. Krsna will give you all protection. So, chant Hare Krsna and fight.
Formerly the cheating and criminal leaders of Iskcon thought the “ritviks’ would come and go, even banned some of us from our spiritual masters temples, but now they see we are not only staying but increasing in numbers and that the vast majority of devotees in and out of iskcon want Prabhupadas Original books, not the changed ones ! And this totally infuriates them, but they can do nothing about it. Prabhupada once said the temples may come and go, but these books will remain and do everything!
The fire will act internally as Srila Prabhuapda mentions above. You cannot kill desire- by a fire brigade or managerial repression. As the general mass of devotees wake up, they will see what happened to the Original Hare Krsna Movement and what is now being done to correct all the problems.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
Devotee Association is the only way to advance
1. April 28 1969 —The Power of Liberation comes by the association of devotees
Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram. If you accept this way of life, then your spiritual life will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ [SB 5.5.2].
Vimukteḥ means… Vimukti. Mukti means liberation, and, adding the word, vi… Vi means specifically liberation. …So mahat-sevāṁ dvāram, if you associate with great souls… Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to produce some great souls. If people get opportunity to associate with great souls, then automatically his path of liberation will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ [SB 5.5.2]. And tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you associate with persons who are simply interested in sense gratification, then you must know that your door for going into the darkest region of ignorance is open. Two doors: one door to the path of liberation, and one door to the path of darkest region of ignorance.
2.Dec 7 1973 LA- Perfection is serving Krsna with devotees, not alone
But think of Kṛṣṇa, is it very difficult task? Very simple, very easy, even a child can do it. Here is Kṛṣṇa. You can think of. So you go on thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, you will be attached. You will be attached. You will be attached. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. And thinking of Kṛṣṇa in association of the devotees. Not alone, then you will go to hell. Alone will not do. Association is so strong that anyone who is coming to our association, we…, not that we are everyone teaching, but by association, he wants to become devotee. By association, automatically. So the association is so powerful. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,he is praying, “My dear Lord, this is my ambition, birth after birth.” What is that? “That to be engaged in the service of the ācārya guru, and in the association of devotees. This is perfection.” Janame janame haya ei: “This is my desire. I don’t want to stop my birth, but simply I want that I may take birth—it doesn’t matter—but bhakta-sane vāsa, let me live with the devotees.” That is the…Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says,he says that “If I forget You and take by birth as Lord Brahmā, I don’t want it. I don’t want it.” What is the use of taking a birth like Brahmā? “But I shall like to take my birth as even a small insignificant insect, where a devotee is there.” This is the ambition of devotee. . So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that “I will not prefer a birth like Brahmā if I forget You. But I will prefer to become an insect if I remain with Your devotee.” Because if one remains with a devotee, he will not forget Kṛṣṇa. That is the advantage
“There is no healing in this material world”–SP
Hare Krsna
Below is a conversation by Srila Prabhupada with a scientist who has a hard time understanding that there is no healing possible in this material world. Unless one understands that any so called “advancement” we make here, be it healing or whatever, is only temporary and not really solving our real problem, then we will continue to remain within the confines of samsara, or repeated birth death old age and disease. How can you be really “healed” if these problems persist -life after life? Making our plans for solving disease, old age or even death are like moving a load of rocks from one shoulder to the other shoulder and then thinking, “ahh now my left shoulder, without the rocks feels much better ! ” This is insanity and why Srila Prabhupada tells us that no sane man can live here in this world. The problem is-unless one is somewhat Krsna Conscious, he or she cannot even understand that this place is meant for suffering. It is a prison house not a vacation resort
damaghosa das
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BG 2.51 purport–Owing to ignorance, one does not know that this material world is a miserable place where there are dangers at every step. Out of ignorance only, less intelligent persons try to adjust to the situation by fruitive activities, thinking that resultant actions will make them happy. They do not know that no kind of material body anywhere within the universe can give life without miseries.
BG 5.2 purport-Fruitive activities (seeking sense gratification) are cause for material bondage. As long as one is engaged in activities aimed at improving the standard of bodily comfort, one is sure to transmigrate to different types of bodies, thereby continuing material bondage perpetually.
BG 6.42 purport-Unless we have a pessimistic view of this material life, considering the distresses of birth, death, old age and disease, there is no impetus for our making advancement in spiritual life.
(The three above statements may seem all very negative, but unless we come to the mode of goodness,by following the prescription of the Acaryas, we will still see this world as a place for our “enjoyment” and thereby not solve life’s problems.)
Conversation with Robert Gouiran Nuclear Physicist European Research center
June 5th 1974 Geneva
Robert Gouiran: May I ask you what do you think about possibility of healing?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Yogeśvara: Healing.
Prabhupāda: Healing? Where is healing? You are dying, and where is the healing?
Robert Gouiran: You don’t think that people could have a gift for healing?
Prabhupāda: There is no healing in the material world. There is disease always. There is no question of healing. Their healing is temporary. I am suffering from some disease. You give me some medicine. Does it mean that there will be no more disease? You heal that temporary disease. Again another disease. So where is the healing? So this is to be thought, that… Healing, that is the problem. There is no healing. There is always disease, this disease or that disease. If you prefer this disease heal, you are cured, and there will be no more disease, then you are profited. Another disease. You heal this, another disease. You heal this, another disease.
Our Eternal Enemy-Lust
Hare Krsna-Below we have parts of a lecture by Srila Prabhupada where he nicely explains how this world of lust/desire works-thru the demigods, whose favor one can only get if Krsna Himself is pleased with them. Ultimately everything comes from God-so the conclusion should be, as Krsna gives to us in His Bhagavad Gita and just to save time – surrender to Him because nothing else here will satisfy us. And we cannot surrender to Him, unless we have love for Him.
He also gives a nice list of various lusty desires from various types of people, including lord Indra. Unless we thoroughly understand how a materialistic person thinks, then we cannot understand how a pure devotee maha bhagavat will think. To solve a problem we first have to define that problem-which in this/our case is lusty consciousness, and then figure out, thru Prabhupadas instructions, how to purify ourselves of it. Therefore his books are so necessary to free ourselves from the illusionary energy.
damaghosa das
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LA May 22 1972-[SB 2.3.3]
Somebody is wanting wealth, somebody is wanting beauty, somebody is wanting strength, somebody something else. All these are…the beginning from brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. And ultimately, they want to merge into the brahmajyoti. So up to that point, everything that we want—that is material—and that is lust. Therefore it is said kāma. The…just the opposite word of kāma is prema, love.
So in the material world there cannot be prema. Prema means love. The prema is only possible in the spiritual world. Here, what is going on as love, that is not love, that is lust. A boy loves a girl, a girl loves a boy. That is not love, that is lust. As soon as there is some disturbance in lusty affair, they divorce. So therefore that is not love. So we should note it, that so-called love is bogus in this material world. Love cannot be possible. This very word love, prema, is specially reserved for Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s preaching, that the highest perfection of life is to evoke one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.
The love is there. It is reserved for Kṛṣṇa, but due to our foolishness, we are distributing that love in so many ways, up to the dog. This is called illusion. We do not know where to apply love. If you see, all these words [in the sloka] is touched with the word kāma, kāma. Kāma means lust. There is no question of love.And love … Prema and kāma is described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. What is prema and what is… prema and kāma. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāra bali kāma [Cc. Ādi 4.165]. Kāma. What is lust? Ātmendriya-prīti, to satisfy one’s own senses. That is kāma. Here, a boy and girl love. They say “love,” but no, it is not love. The boy wants to satisfy his senses, and the girl wants to satisfy her senses. That’s all. Therefore, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā. Everyone is trying to satisfy her own senses. That is kāma. Lust. And then, what is prema? Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare prema nāma. When the same propensity is transferred for satisfying Kṛṣṇa’s senses…
No Compromise–SP
Hare Krsna-below we have two separate items about not compromising our principles, just to gain popularity or use the “go along-to get along” principle. Srila Prabhupada is quite adamant about sticking to our philosophy whether the general masses of people like it or not. After all, if we actually believe all our informations are coming from a bona fide spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession from the Supreme Lord since time immemorial, then where is the doubt or lack of faith in his words? He also makes a point about tactics, and how each of us has to learn how to convince others on the basis of intelligence or reason and at the same time not make enemies, which is as we all should know, a great art.
damaghosa das
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June 11 1974 Paris-conversations
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.
Paramahaṁsa: So we should be able to see the quality of man we are preaching to.
Prabhupāda: Yes, you have to make him intelligent. Everyone is fool, mūḍha. Everyone within this material world is supposed to be a fool. Because everyone is thinking, “I am this body.” So he’s fool. “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am German,” “I am Frenchman,” “I am this,” “I am that.” What is the difference? A cat is thinking, “I’m cat.” A dog is thinking, “I am dog.” So if somebody thinks that, in relationship with the body, “I am Frenchman,” “I am Englishman,” “I am…”, then where is the difference between the cat and the dog? He’s thinking himself as this body. Therefore everyone is thinking, at least in this modern world, the so-called nationalism, everyone is thinking, “I am Englishman,” “I am Frenchman,” “I am Indian,” “I am this,” “black,” “white.” So everyone is fool. Is it not? Yes. He’s thinking in a way what he is not. Therefore he’s a fool. All these big, big political leaders, Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill, and in Europe , they fought with this consciousness, “I am Englishman,” “I am German,” “I am Frenchman.” That’s all. Even the big, big leaders, they are fools. And what to speak of common men?
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Only the materialist sees a difference between Heaven and Hell
Hare Krsna-In the below one purport we find an immense wealth of useful information.First of all he tells us that for actual cent percent devotees, there is no need to fear any place, even hellish places. Secondly Srila Prabhupada tells us that in even heaven or hell there is no engagement in the Lords service-and yet many if not most pious people would like to go to “heaven”. And why is that? Because there is no engagement in the Lords service but only immense sense enjoyment. The third part Prabhupada explains that there is no difference seen for a devotee between heaven and hell and what is seen as a difference is only the vision of materialistic people. And lastly, Srila Prabhupada tells us that if we go on chanting Hare Krsna maha mantra we will never be unhappy.
damaghosa das
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SB 3.15.49 purport-
The four sages now offer their humility to the Personality of Godhead because of their having been haughty in cursing two other devotees of the Lord. Jaya and Vijaya, the two doorkeepers who checked them from entering the Vaikuṇṭha planet, were certainly offenders, but as Vaiṣṇavas, the four sages should not have cursed them in anger. After the incident, they became conscious that they had done wrong by cursing the devotees of the Lord, and they prayed to the Lord that even in the hellish condition of life their minds might not be distracted from the engagement of service to the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Those who are devotees of the Lord are not afraid of any condition of life, provided there is constant engagement in the service of the Lord. It is said of the nārāyaṇa-para, or those who are devotees of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, na kutaścana bibhyati (Bhāg. 6.17.28). They are not afraid of entering a hellish condition, for since they are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, heaven or hell is the same for them. In material life both heaven and hell are one and the same because they are material; in either place there is no engagement in the Lord’s service. Therefore those who are engaged in the service of the Lord see no distinction between heaven and hell; it is only the materialists who prefer one to the other.
What is a brahmana? Someone who is intelligent, happy and without anxiety
If we propose-Become first class truthful man-they will all laugh–primitive ideas…
Nov 6 1976 discussion with a philosopher in Vrndavana
Prabhupāda: And if I teach that “I’ll teach you how to become truthful,” they will laugh. People will say, “Can anyone exist nowadays, simply becoming truthful?” Then damaḥ, self-controlled. If I say, “Come here. I shall teach you how to control your senses,” he will laugh, that “What is this nonsense? We shall enjoy life and shall control senses?” This is the description of the first-class man, śamo damas titikṣā ārjava, saralatā, simplicity. No one is prepared to become first-class man. They will laugh. These are all primitive ideas..
Brahmana will never speak a lie
Sept 2 1973 London--…..The brāhmaṇas should be taught how to become truthful, first of all.A brāhmaṇa will never speak lie, at any cost. It is stated that even if his enemy inquires something confidential from him, he’ll say, “Yes, this is my position.” This is truthfulness. He’ll not even, I mean to say, guile, against his enemy. He should be truthful. Even kṣatriyas, they are also truthful men. Truthfulness is so valuable. That makes one powerful brāhmaṇa. Satyam.
Brahmana never accepts a salary
SSR ch 6-discussion with Professor Kotofsky
…In India, schoolchildren are taught Cāṇakya Paṇḍita’s instructions. Although he was the prime minister, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita maintained his brāhmaṇa spirit; he did not accept any salary. If a brāhmaṇa accepts a salary, it is understood that he has become a dog. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Brahmana is the head of society because he has a good brain substance
Journey self discovery perspectives on science and philosophy ch 7-
Śyāmasundara: The communists—and even to a certain extent the capitalists—believe that service for the production of goods is the only real service. Therefore they condemn us because we are not producing anything tangible.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: How can they condemn us? We are giving service to humanity by teaching the highest knowledge. A high court judge does not produce any grains in the field. He sits in a chair and gets $25,000 or $30,000. Does that mean he is not rendering any service? Of course he is. The theory that unless one performs manual labor in the factory or the fields he is not doing service would simply give credit to the peasant and the worker. It is a peasant philosophy.
There is a story about a king and his prime minister. Once the king’s salaried workers complained, “We are actually working, and this minister is doing nothing, yet you are paying him such a large salary. Why is that?” The king then called his minister in and also had someone bring in an elephant. “Please take this elephant and weigh it,” the king said to his workers. The workers took the elephant to all the markets, but they could not find a scale large enough to weigh the animal. When they returned to the palace the king asked, “What happened?” One of the workers answered, “Sir, we could not find a scale large enough to weigh the elephant.” Then the king addressed his prime minister, “Will you please weigh this elephant?” “Yes, sir,” said the prime minister, and he took the elephant away. He returned within a few minutes and said, “It weighs 11,650 pounds.” All the workers were astonished. “How did you weigh the elephant so quickly?” one of them asked. “Did you find some very large scale?” The minister replied, “No. It is impossible to weigh an elephant on a scale. I went to the river, took the elephant on a boat, and noted the watermark. After taking the elephant off the boat, I put weights in the boat until the same watermark was reached. Then I had the elephant’s weight.” The king said to his workers, “Now do you see the difference?” One who has intelligence has strength, not the fools and the rascals. Marx and his followers are simply fools and rascals. We don’t take advice from them; we take advice from Kṛṣṇa or His representative.
“Primitive ” life means good brain substance, long living and without anxiety
LA June 22 1972
The, some rascals, scholars, so-called, they say, “These Vedas, these mantras, are some primitive. Now we are advanced. We shall create our own mantra.” You see? This is going on. The primitive… Primitive, we have to study. Primitive means very, very old. So whether in the days gone by, people were actually happy or now they are happy?
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 Vyāsadeva… You have seen the picture of Vyāsadeva. 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 Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was a brāhmaṇa, 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 our India, in New Delhi, the capital, there is a neighborhood which is called Cāṇakya Purī, and all the foreign embassies are there.
People will say this primitive life is not as good as working day and night in modern hellish cities
March 4 1974 Mayapur
People, conditioned soul, means they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they are suffering, that’s a fact. Tri-tāpa yantana, adhibhautika. But because they are illusioned, they are thinking, “We are enjoying.” This is called illusion. They are suffering, working day and night like an ass, and still, he’s thinking that he’s very happy. But he does not know that there is a life where there is no such thing as to work hard. Just like Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s associates in Vṛndāvana, they are jolly, tending their cows, getting milk in the village, sufficient food, dancing with the gopīs. That is life. No mill, no slaughterhouse, no motorcar. You see? No skyscraper building. Here see. So this is another philosophy, another philosophy: simple life,simple life with Kṛṣṇa. Simple life we can live still, but we do not agree. If we live simple life, people will criticize, “Oh, this is primitive, primitive. What you have made advancement?” But they have no sense.