Hare Krishna Society

When Prabhupada came to the west, so many devotees and others were confused and polluted by this impersonalism theory-its all one, you and I are god, etc, etc. This thinking pervaded peoples consciousness-especially among the younger generation. In this conversation he , sometimes with humor, invalidates these illusions and with logic establishes the Vedic conclusion-Krsna is God and we are all His parts and parcels.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

Sept 13 1`975 Vrndavnana

Dhṛṣṭaketu: They say when you become liberated then you become…, then you pervade everywhere. It’s just that… They say that just now, in this position…

Prabhupāda: So when you will be liberated? What is the standard of liberation?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: By performing austerities, by studying the…

Prabhupāda: That’s all right. What is the standard?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: When I merge, when I lose my identity, when I don’t…

Prabhupāda: That means you forget. You forget everything. Then how you will be liberated? Whatever little consciousness was there, that is finished. Then how you become liberated? Whatever you had, that is also finished. Eh? Then how you become liberated?

Harikeśa: But what we are forgetting is just illusion anyway.

Prabhupāda: That is liberation. Then I kill you, you forget everything—liberation. (laughter) What is the meaning of liberation? They do not know even the meaning of liberation.

Harikeśa: To get rid of all these miseries.

Prabhupāda: That you can do. I can kill you; you get rid of all miseries. Finished. You are finished; your miseries are finished. That’s all.

Brahmānanda: It doesn’t matter whether you live or you die because it is all one.

Prabhupāda: Well, let me kill you. That’s all right. It will be great beneficial to you.

Indian man (1): To my opinion, we are more liberated in… (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Your opinion, my opinion. We have to consider the fact. (Vraja-vasi passes by, singing) This is jīvan ko sabadiya tomara. This is surrender, that he is singing, jīvan ko sabadiya: “When I surrender unto Your lotus feet.” That is surrender. This is liberation. Just like the child fully surrendered to the parent, he is liberated. He has no anxiety. He is confident “My parents are there. Whatever he’ll do, that’s all right for me.” That is liberation.

Indian man (1): We can become free from all anxieties.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is liberation. If you are filled up with anxieties where is your liberation? That is not liberation.

Dhṛṣṭaketu: They will also say that this condition of being one with the Supreme is also…

Prabhupāda: How you become one? If Kṛṣṇa or the consciousness is there but you lose your consciousness, why you become one?

Harikeśa: Well, it’s not exactly that we lose consciousness but we merge into the supreme consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Supreme consciousness?

Harikeśa: Then we become God.

Prabhupāda: No. You cannot. Then why you are different now?

Harikeśa: It’s my līlā. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Then if it is līlā, then why you are undergoing austerity? That is also līlā. If it is līlā, then why you are trying to get out of it by practicing austerity?

Harikeśa: Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva performed austerity.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Harikeśa: Ṛṣabhadeva, he performed austerity.

Prabhupāda: No, what…? I do not follow what you say.

Brahmānanda: He’s saying that Ṛṣabhadeva performed austerity, so therefore I am performing austerity.

Prabhupāda: You are performing but what is Ṛṣabhadeva’s position?

Brahmānanda: He never claimed to merge with the supreme consciousness.

Dhanañjaya: But the whole thing is that the supreme consciousness is unembodied and we are embodied right now. So when we attain supreme consciousness we also become unembodied.

Prabhupāda: How you become embodied if you are supreme? Who made you embodied if you are supreme? Then who made you embodied, he is supreme. You are not supreme. You did not like to be embodied; therefore you are trying to be bodyless. But who made you embodied? Then that he or she is supreme. You are not supreme.

Dhṛṣṭaketu: I put myself in this condition so that I can enjoy getting out of it.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: I put myself in this condition of illusion so that I can enjoy being liberated.

Prabhupāda: And so you put yourself to be kicked by me and enjoy. Just test what is the enjoyment of being kicked.

Dhanañjaya: But without pain how can you experience pleasure?

Prabhupāda: You get this experience, how it is pleasure? I kick and you enjoy?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: The idea is that after experiencing the suffering of this material world then liberation will be very…

Prabhupāda: Why there is suffering, material? You are supreme; why it is suffering for you?

Dhṛṣṭaketu: Well, so that when I…

Prabhupāda: So, there is no “so that.” Why you are suffering?

Brahmānanda: It’s suffering only for those…

Prabhupāda: If it is your līlā, then you are suffering. What is this nonsense of “my līlā.” Suffering?

Brahmānanda: The suffering is only for those who haven’t…, who don’t understand that they are supreme.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Brahmānanda: Those who don’t understand, they are the ones who suffer, but I don’t suffer.

Prabhupāda: So it is better to remain in that ignorance. Just like the hogs and dogs, they do not understand that this is suffering. But we can understand that this is suffering.

Brahmānanda: Yes. To be a dog, that’s all right because the dog doesn’t suffer. He is enjoying.

Prabhupāda: No, no, why you are doing austerity? Remain as dog and cat. Therefore you are mūḍha. You do not know what is suffering, what is enjoyment. Mūḍho nābhijānāti mam ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Therefore one who is intelligent, jñāni, bahūnām jan… After suffering in this way and talking all nonsense, when he comes to the real knowledge, then he surrenders. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān maṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is knowledge.

Indian man (1): Kamādinaṁ katīna katidha palita durnideśaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Ah. When he comes to this awareness, that “I have simply suffered and I wanted to maintain myself by jugglery of words,” then he comes to the real knowledge.

Dhṛṣṭaketu: So the Māyāvādīs’ philosophy is actually the supreme illusion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden. Māyāvādī-bhāṣya sunile haya sarva nasa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]. One is finished if he follows the Māyāvāda philosophy. He is doomed. He will never be able to accept the real philosophy. He will be absorbed in that false philosophy. This is Māyāvādī’s position. Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. They are aparādhī, offender. Therefore they shall remain perpetually in ignorance and think himself, “I am God.” This is Māyāvādī’s position. Vivekānanda preached openly that “Why you are thinking that you are sinful? You are God.” He preached like that.

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Madhya 16.64–-“Do not come to Jagannātha Purī every year, but stay in Bengal and fulfill My desire.”

PURPORT-The mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to spread the only medicine effective in this fallen age of Kali-the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Following the orders of His mother, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was residing at Jagannātha Purī, and the devotees were coming to see Him. However, the Lord felt that this message must be spread very elaborately in Bengal, and in His absence there was not a second person capable of doing it. Consequently the Lord requested Nityānanda Prabhu to stay there and broadcast the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord also entrusted a similar preaching responsibility to Rūpa and Sanātana. Nityānanda Prabhu was requested not to come every year to Jagannātha Purī, although seeing Lord Jagannātha greatly benefits everyone. Does this mean that the Lord was refusing Nityānanda Prabhu a fortunate opportunity? No. One who is a faithful servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must execute His order, even if one has to sacrifice going to Jagannātha Purī to see Lord Jagannātha there. In other words, it is a greater fortune to carry out Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s order than to satisfy one’s senses by seeing Lord Jagannātha.

Preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult throughout the world is more important than staying in Vṛndāvana or Jagannātha Purī for one’s own personal satisfaction. Spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission; therefore His sincere devotees must carry out His desire. pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

The devotees of Lord Caitanya must preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every village and town in the world. That will satisfy the Lord. It is not that one should act whimsically for his own personal satisfaction. This order comes down through the paramparā system, and the spiritual master presents these orders to the disciple so that he can spread the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is the duty of every disciple to carry out the order of the bona fide spiritual master and spread Lord Caitanya’s message all over the world.

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Aug 27 1975 Vrndavna

French devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is there some worship of God in the animal kingdom?

Prabhupāda: No. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Harikeśa: Hut hut hut hut!

Prabhupāda: “Hut” will not do.

Brahmānanda: Stick will do.

Prabhupāda: At least show. [break] Trees and other lower animals, they are abiding by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is worship.

Brahmānanda: But is it voluntary or involuntary?

Prabhupāda: By force. By force now this tree is standing. He has to stand up here. It cannot move an inch.

Brahmānanda: Is that considered worship?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is.

Akṣayānanda: Indirect worship.

Prabhupāda: …indirect worship, abiding. Just like you don’t worship the government, revolt. But when you are put into jail you have to worship the government.

Akṣayānanda: We don’t worship, yet we don’t break the law.

Prabhupāda: You cannot break the law. Outside you break law. That you can do. But when you are put into jail, then you cannot. And jail means unless the government finds that you are now obedient to the government laws... (dog growling and barking)

Brahmānanda: Hut!

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This Sudarshan cakra sila was given to me by Sukadev das shown below-and whose separation from I am not feeling any happiness…..

The qualities of one engaged in the service of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu-such as reputation, austerities, penances and knowledge-are not to be compared to the good qualities of others. Such is the perfection of a devotee always engaged in the service of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Madshya 8,248–Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?” Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “Apart from separation from the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, I know of no unbearable unhappiness.”

Purport-Concerning this, the Lord states in the Vedic literature:

mām anārādhya duḥkhārtaḥ kuṭumbāsakta-mānasaḥ sat-saṅga-rahito martyo

vṛddha-sevā-paricyutaḥ “A person who does not worship Me, who is unduly attached to family and who does not stick to devotional service must be considered a most unhappy person. Similarly, one who does not associate with Vaiṣṇavas, or who does not render service to his superior, is also a most unhappy person.“

There is also a statement given in the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.51): sva-jīvanādhikaṁ prārthyaṁ śrī-viṣṇu-jana-saṅgataḥ vicchedena kṣaṇaṁ cātra na sukhāṁśaṁ labhāmahe

“[King Yudhiṣṭhira said:] ‘Out of all kinds of desirable things experienced in the life of a living entity, association with the devotees of the Lord is the greatest. When we are separated from a devotee even for a moment, we cannot enjoy happiness.’ “

this picture taken one summer at our ashram- during Janmastami festival time-as you can see the two of us enjoyed a very “hands on” relationship !!

So to make a solution we must approach Kṛṣṇa as guru, or Kṛṣṇa’s representative. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s representative… In, they are the same.
Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By pleasing guru, you can please Kṛṣṇa. EVEN KRSNA IS NOT PLEASED, IF THE GURU IS PLEASED , KRSNA HAS TO BE PLEASED. Because he’s representative.
Suppose you have given somebody power of attorney to do some business. So after finishing the business, if you see the paper, not very favorable, it has not been done very nicely, still you have to accept. Because your representative has signed it. Yes. Therefore yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. KRSNA NOT SATISFIED, BUT IF YOUR GURU IS SATISFIED, THEN KRSNA MUST BE SATISFIED. THIS IS KRSNA’S OBLIGATION. Because He has sent representative. Kṛṣṇa has… ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān [SB 11.17.27]. Kṛṣṇa says: “ācārya, that is I am.” Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit. “Never try to neglect ācārya. Nāvamanyeta. Neither think of ācārya as ordinary person. Vedic injunction is one must approach understand all this subject matter.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/bg/13/1-2/paris/august/10/1973

Madhya 15 .169–“Whosever welfare you desire immediately becomes a Vaiṣṇava, and Kṛṣṇa delivers all Vaiṣṇavas from the reactions of their past sinful activities.

PURPORT-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu here informed Vāsudeva Datta that since Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, He can immediately deliver all conditioned souls from material existence. In essence, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You desire the liberation of all kinds of living entities without discrimination. You are very anxious for their good fortune, and I say that simply by your prayer all living entities within the universe can be liberated.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/15/169

Madhya 15.179–“If a person possessing millions of wish-fulfilling cows loses one she-goat, he does not consider the loss. Kṛṣṇa owns all six opulences in full. If the entire material energy is destroyed, what does He lose?”

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, in clarifying verses 171-179, states that the meaning of these stanzas is very simple but that the purport is a little difficult to understand. Generally, conditioned souls forget Kṛṣṇa when they are enticed by the material, external energy. Consequently they are called kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha-bereft of their relationship with Kṛṣṇa. When such a living entity comes under the jurisdiction of the material energy, he is sent into one of the innumerable material universes created by the material energy to give a chance to conditioned souls to enjoy their desires in the material world. Being very eager to enjoy the fruits of their activities, conditioned souls become involved in the actions and reactions of material life. Consequently one has to enjoy and suffer the results of karma. However, if a conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the karma of his pious and impious activities is completely destroyed. Simply by becoming a devotee, one is bereft of all the reactions of karma. Similarly, simply by the desire of a devotee, a conditioned soul can attain liberation and transcend the results of karma. If everyone is liberated in this way, one may conclude that according to the sweet will of the devotee, the material world exists or does not exist. Ultimately, however, it is not the sweet will of the devotee but the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who, if He so desires, can completely annihilate the material creation. There is no loss on His part. The owner of millions of cows does not consider the loss of one she-goat. Similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of both material and spiritual universes. The material world constitutes only one-fourth of His creative energy. If, according to the desire of the devotee, the Lord completely destroys the creation, He is so opulent that He will not mind the loss. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/15/179

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Subject: Extensive collection of BTG Magazine Ads of Bhagavad Gita As It Is (1972 Edition) to spread its glories

Extensive collection of BTG Magazine Ads

of Bhagavad Gita As It Is (1972 Edition) to spread its glories

Hare Krishna, Dandavat pranams and all glories to His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and all Vaisnavas.

The following link contains a collection of many advertisements of Original Bhagavad Gita As It Is(1972) that appeared in BTG Magazines in the 1970s.

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:ccafded7-ecf3-4bd5-8d29-d5f80976ed6c

This collection is presented to glorify the Original Macmillan Edition(Complete 1972 Edition) that Srila Prabhupada gave 100s of lectures from and always wanted to print it in large numbers.

All these advertisements can be used by the book distributors who want this original edition to be restored to distribute to all sections of people.

A quote below gives a proper proof where the original Gita is reviewed by Dr. Vajpayee.

“The reviews have very much encouraged me. Especially those of Prof. Bhatt and Prof. Vajpeye. I have personally written a letter of thanks to Dr. Bhatt, that he has so much encouraged me. Dr. Vajpeye’s review we are going to print and widely distribute, especially in Bombay and Madras, where there is so much propaganda from these bogus gurus and yogis. He has got practical experience of how they are cheating the innocent people in foreign countries and he has written; “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]”

Srila Prabhupada explains the potency of Macmillan edition – “We present it exactly as it is; without any additions or subtractions. That is perfect in every way and THEREFORE IT IS ACTUALLY HAVING A TREMENDOUS EFFECT ALL OVER THE WORLD. “

75-03-14 Letter: Mr. Dennany

“You mentioned in your letter that you had read many other Bhagavad-gitas before you read mine and that none of them revealed as much to you as Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The reason is because we do not change the actual meaning of the gita at all. MANY OTHER COMMENTATORS DUE TO POOR FUND OF KNOWLEDGE TAMPER WITH THE LINES OF BAHGAVAD-GITA AND TWIST THE MEANING FOR THEIR PERSONAL MOTIVES, BUT WE DO NOT DO LIKE THAT. We present it exactly as it is; without any additions or subtractions. That is perfect in every way and THEREFORE IT IS ACTUALLY HAVING A TREMENDOUS EFFECT ALL OVER THE WORLD. The original words of Lord Krishna have unrivalled potency and anyone who is fortunate enough to hear those words and tries to apply them to his life becomes perfect.”

Srila Prabhupada proves that Macmillan edition fulfills the want of the Gita received in the Parampara system

Please find a wonderful quote below that proves that the 1972 Macmillan edition of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is fulfills the want of an edition that is in the line of disciplic succession.

Purport from Chapter 4: Transcendental Knowledge,Verse 2, Bhagavad Gita As It is,1972 original unrevised Macmillan Edition:

“There are innumerable interpretations rendered by different mundane scholars, but almost all of them do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, although they make a good business on the words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This spirit is demonic, because demons do not believe in God but simply enjoy the property of the Supreme. Since there is a great need of an edition of the Gītā in English, as it is received by the paramparā (disciplic succession) system, an attempt is made herewith to fulfill this great want. Bhagavad-gītā—accepted as it is—is a great boon to humanity; but if it is accepted as a treatise of philosophical speculations, it is simply a waste of time.“

The above quote “an attempt is made herewith to fulfill this great want” proves that this Macmillan edition fulfills the great want of the edition of Bhagavad Gita in English that’s received by Parampara as it is.

Also the quote “Bhagavad-gita—accepted as it is—is a great boon to humanity” explains everything.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69): “One who is doing this humble service of preaching work, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody is dearer than him to Me.” So if you want to become recognized by Kṛṣṇa very quickly, you take up this process of becoming spiritual master, present the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, your life is perfect.

[Lecture Festival Appearance Day, Sri Vyasa-puja – London,22nd August,1973]

Hare Krsna-Just for historical sake here is a picture (below) I took of our TSKP Gaura Nitai deities back in 1974

We had Them tied with ribbon to the back wall of a wooden box about 3 foot square. This box stayed in our sankirtan van all the time. The beads I bought at some local fabric store and basically glued together some very simple “outfits”. We used to do book distribution 7 days a week, but after months of that I told the sankirtan leader I wanted to “stay back”, on sunday, cook a feast for The Lordships and the devotees AND make some new outfit since everything was pretty spartan in those days. The fan backdrop was supplied by our Seattle Wa home temple pujari.

SB 3.19.24 purport….

By His inconceivable potency the Lord can become the universal form, as explained in Bhagavad-gītā, and at the same time He can remain within the box of His devotees as their worshipable Deity. There are many devotees who keep a statue of the Lord in a small box and carry it with them everywhere; every morning they worship the Lord in the box. The Supreme Lord, Keśava, or the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is not bound by any measurement of our calculation. He can remain with His devotee in any suitable form, yet He is unapproachable by any amount of demoniac activities.

Note–When we got sent to us from the LA BBT warehouse the SB part 3– this above purport

appeared in it and it made us very enlivened because Srila Prabhupada, our guru, was telling us in that purport how some devotees were doing– what we were already doing. So we knew we were on the right course of bhakti yoga. And this purport confirmed it.

And here below, some 47 years later is our Deities today with 26 different very opulent outfits along with many jewelry pieces made mostly by my wife and a little by myself. Personally, I don’t think most of the outfits they make in India can compare to these.,as I have seen both. Ours are made of mostly of silk, and some cotton or linen-no polyester or other synthetic materials. Natural fabric “breathes” whereas synthetic ones just make you perspire.

DEITY WORSHIP-THE MOST VALUABLE BENEDICTION

GIVEN BY THE LORD TO NEOPHYTES

SB 4.30.27 purport–Deity worship in the form of temple worship is themost valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.

SB 7.14.39-TRANSLATION–My dear King, when great sages and saintly persons saw mutually disrespectful dealings at the beginning of Tretā-yuga, Deity worship in the temple was introduced with all paraphernalia.

NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501

Without worshiping the arca-vigraha, the form or Deity of the Lord,

one cannot understand such literature as Bhagavad-gita and

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

751030SB.NAI Lectures 223477/530501

So the temple worship is essential. So those who are against temple

worship, Deity worship, they are not very intelligent class of men,

foolish, mudha. NoD 35 Neutral Love of God 175614/530501

When we have lost that loving feeling

760924SB.VRN–
If we think that “Here is a stone statue,” then it will not prolong many days. It will not… Galagraha. No more vigraha, but galagraha. Suppose I have established this temple. Now under my direction, my disciples are worshiping vigraha. Vigraha means the form of the Lord, rūpa. But if there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden, that “Our rascal Guru Mahārāja established this temple, and we have to worship, early rise in the morning, all botheration.”This will be… That is called galagraha, a burden, “He has left with us a burden.” This is the risk. Then this, such a big temple will be mismanaged, and you’ll find that “This is breaking” and “This is unclean,” and there is no attention. This will be our… That is called galagraha. “The rascal has given us a burden.”

Lecture NY sept 18 1966

So in my childhood, when I was five or six years old, I requested my father that “Father, give me this Deity. I shall worship.” So father purchased for me little Krishna, Radha, and he gave me, and I was imitating. Whatever foodstuff I was getting, I was offering to Krishna and eating. In this way I got my life developed. And there was a temple in our neighbourhood.So I was seeing the Krishna deity. Oh, I was thinking…..I still remember. I was standing for hours together.

SB 4.30.27 Purport-The form of the Lord as worshiped in the temples is called arca-vigraha or arcāvatāra, the worshipable form, the Deity incarnation. This facility is offered to neophyte devoteesso that they can see the real form of the Lord face to face and offer their respectful obeisances and sacrifices in the form of arcā.Through such facilities the neophytes gradually invoke their original Kṛṣṇaconsciousness. Deity worship in the form of temple worship is themost valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple.

Srila Prabhupada speaks out- “So all my disciples are expected
to become siksa-guru on my order, not by his own order.”

Indian lady: Can the death of a spiritual master take to us, or I can get… Is that spiritual master still guiding after the death? (?)
Srila Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is guiding us, similarly, spiritual master will guide. We are being guided by Kṛṣṇa, by the Bhagavad-gītā. Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, so-called… Kṛṣṇa is present always. But even if we say that Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is non different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s… Here form, the same. It is not that we are making show of offering Kṛṣṇa some food. No, we are offering directly to Kṛṣṇa and He’s eating. Kṛṣṇa being absolute, He can perform through anything provided we are sincere and serious. All right. (Srila Prabhupada’s Lecture on the Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur London, September 3, 1971)

Gopala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, I am just trying to clarify — I don’t want to offend anyone — but no disciple of yours should call himself diksa-guru or siksa-guru. Am I right?
Srila Prabhupada:..” Well, everyone is engaged to become siksa-guru, but one should become perfect. The attempt is — what is called? — probationer. When probationer period is finished, then he is naturally, automatically, bona fide guru. Not in the probationer period. That is immature attempt. That will failure. Amara ajnaya [Cc. Madhya 7.128], Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: “By My order.” So all my disciples are expected to become siksa-guru on my order, not by his own order.” That is meaning I am giving sannyasa, I am sending you to different places, so this means that you have to carry out the order of the guru very strictly; then you become mature. Otherwise it will be artificial attempt, and that kind of guru will not help.”(Srila Prabhupada’s room conversation May 30 1976 Honolulu, Hawaii.)

BACK TO GODHEAD ORIGINAL SCANS FROM 1944-1977
[Srila Prabhupada – “BTG is my life and soul. Please therefore try to distribute BTG as many as it is possible.“(Letter to Gurudasa — Los Angeles 16 April, 1970)]

Hare Krishna. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and all Vaisnavas.

The following link contains the nectar of all available scans of the Back to Godhead Magazine from 1944-77.

There are a total of 141 scanned files in the drive with 100s of interesting and transcendental articles written by Srila Prabhupada.

Please click the link below to access the scanned copies: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NPfgrqxyrcT1CIEfoNM8WRgcpbbrON7E?usp=sharing

Some quotes below emphasize how dear was the BTG Magazine to Srila Prabhupada and how important it is for all of us to study thoroughly again and again. Therefore, all the devotees are requested to receive all the nectarean benefits of all these 141 copies and distribute them to everyone.

BTG is my life and soul. Please therefore try to distribute BTG as many as it is possible. I started this magazine in 1947 in my householder life. I was spending Rs. 300 to 400 at the time ($300 to 400 in your exchange), and I was distributing this magazine without any consideration how much I was getting in return. Practically the whole money was spent without any return. But ten years after, from 1954 to 1959, the struggle was very hard because at that time I had no money and alone I was editing, publishing, and securing money for publication. So it was a great struggle. My ambition was that I would publish BTG in huge quantity so that people may understand transcendental blessings of Lord Caitanya.

[Letter to Gurudasa — Los Angeles 16 April, 1970]

Please accept my blessings. I have not heard anything from you in long time what is the situation with publication of our Back To Godhead. So I am anxious to know when it will be again published, and if it can be regularly printed, even on our mimeograph machine. It is too much important that it must be distributed regularly, as it is the backbone of our mission. So, even it is not printed very expensively and highly, still, it must be distributed even in mimeograph copy. And then in future we can print it very nicely, when there is the money there to do it. So please see to it, and please let me know the position by return of post as soon as possible.

[Letter to Rayarama — Montreal 8 June, 1968]

Please therefore save them from the great falldown. Believe me or not, I have got the clue of going “Back to Godhead” just after leaving my present material body and in order to take along with me all my contemporary men and women of the world, I have started my paper “Back to Godhead” as one of the means to the way.

Please do not think of me as an wonderful or a mad man when I say that I shall go “Back to Godhead” after leaving my present material body! It is quite possible for everyone and all of us.

[Letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Indian Union — Delhi 21 November, 1956]

I am very glad to learn that S.F. Temple is doing very nicely in the street Sankirtana with transcendental plays. And your BTG sales are very encouraging to me. I have heard from Gargamuni that you are ordering 20,000 issues of BTG and this is very good news. Selling BTG means that our movement is increasing and our philosophy is being appreciated.

[Letter to Madhudvisa — Los Angeles 14 February, 1970]

You should take BTG as your life and soul. Your work for BTG is first and foremost above all. If you do not find any time for other things, there is no objection, but I want to see that you make BTG a successful magazine like Life magazine or Illustrated Weekly of India. I am very much ambitious of the progress of the paper, and you can use your discretion how to do it.

[Letter to Rayarama — San Francisco, March 23, 1968

Hare Krishna Society

SP discusses the fallacies of impersonalism, mayavadis, etc in a humorous way

One who is situated in the disciplic succession can be understood by the result of his activities-SP

Is there some worship of God in the animal kingdom??

When we are separated from a devotee even for a moment, we cannot enjoy happiness.’-SP

EVEN KRSNA IS NOT PLEASED, IF THE GURU IS PLEASED , KRSNA HAS TO BE PLEASED

I am praying for everyone. That is my business. Otherwise why I have come here?–SP

Extensive collection of BTG Magazine Ads of Bhagavad Gita As It Is (1972 Edition) to spread its glories

Our progression of deity worship 1974–2021

Srila Prabhupada speaks – “So all my disciples are expected to become siksa-guru on my order, not by his own order.”

BACK TO GODHEAD ORIGINAL SCANS FROM 1944-1977