Hare Krishna Society

Pop quiz question at the end…..

SB 2.10.8 purport…

All the controlling deities like Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva are different manifestations of the Paramātmā feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who exhibits himself in such manners by entering into each and every universe generated from Him. But still apparently there are divisions of the controller and controlled. For example, in the food-controlling department the controller of food is a person made of the same ingredients as the person who is controlled. Similarly, each and every individual in the material world is controlled by the higher demigods. For example, we have our senses, but the senses are controlled by superior controlling deities. We cannot see without light, and the supreme controller of light is the sun. The sun-god is in the sun planet, and we, the individual human beings or any other being on this earth, are all controlled by the sun-god as far as our eyes are concerned. Similarly, all the senses we have are controlled by the superior demigods, who are also as much living entities as we are, but one is empowered while the other is controlled. The controlled living entity is called the adhyātmic person, and the controller is called the adhidaivic person. All these positions in the material world are due to different fruitive activities. Any individual living being can become the sun-god or even Brahmā or any other god in the upper planetary system by a higher grade of pious work, and similarly one becomes controlled by the higher demigods by lower grades of fruitive activities. So every individual living entity is subject to the supreme control of the Paramātmā, who puts everyone in different positions of the controller and the controlled.

That which distinguishes the controller and controlled, i.e. the material body, is called the adhibhautic puruṣa. The body is sometimes called puruṣa, as confirmed in the Vedas in the following hymn: sa vā eṣa puruṣo ‘nna-rasamayaḥ. This body is called the anna-rasa embodiment. This body depends on food. The living entity which is embodied does not eat anything, however, because the owner is spirit in essence. The material body requires replacement of matter for the wearing and tearing of the mechanical body. Therefore the distinction between the individual living entity and controlling planetary deities is in the anna-rasamaya body. The sun may have a gigantic body, and the man may have a smaller body, but all these visible bodies are made of matter; nonetheless, the sun-god and the individual person, who are related as the controller and the controlled, are the same spiritual parts and parcels of the Supreme Being, and it is the Supreme Being who places different parts and parcels in different positions. And thus the conclusion is that the Supreme Person is the shelter of all.

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Work for Krsna/God, otherwise He will have no time for us at all

SB 2.9.34–O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.

PURPORT–

In the previous verse it has already been concluded that in any stage of the cosmic manifestation-its appearance, its sustenance, its growth, its interactions of different energies, its deterioration and its disappearance-all has its basic relation with the existence of the Personality of Godhead. And as such, whenever there is forgetfulness of this prime relation with the Lord, and whenever things are accepted as real without being related to the Lord, that conception is called a product of the illusory energy of the Lord. Because nothing can exist without the Lord, it should be known that the illusory energy is also an energy of the Lord. The right conclusion of dovetailing everything in relationship with the Lord is called yoga-māyā, or the energy of union, and the wrong conception of detaching a thing from its relationship with the Lord is called the Lord’s daivī māyā, or mahā-māyā. Both the māyās also have connections with the Lord because nothing can exist without being related to Him. As such, the wrong conception of detaching relationships from the Lord is not false but illusory.

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Mayapur, June 17, 1973)

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us, provided we are also ready to cooperate with Him. If we cooperate with Him, what Kṛṣṇa desires, if we want to do little, immediately Kṛṣṇa will help you. If you work one percent, Kṛṣṇa will help you ten percent. Again if you work one percent, Kṛṣṇa will help you another ten percent. But the cent percent credit you get, by the help of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam (BG 10.10). If you are engaged satatam, twenty-four hours, without any other engagement, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), giving up all other nonsense business… Sarva-dharmān. Simply if you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s business, prīti-pūrvakam, with love. Not as hackneyed: ‘Ah, here is a duty, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. All right, Harekṛṣṇaharekṛṣṇaharekṛṣṇa…” (chants very quickly and indistinctly) Not like that. With prīti, with love. Chant every name, ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa,’ and hear. Here is Kṛṣṇa; here is Rādhārāṇī. That kind of chanting, quality. Not ‘Harekṛṣṇahare kṛṣṇakṛṣṇakṛṣṇaharehare…’ Not like that. Not like that. Prīti.

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Living Alone

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Because we are infinitesimal, we should concentrate our mind on the infinite Supreme Self. In order to do this we should live alone, and “living alone” means that we should not live with those who are not Krishna conscious. Ideally, this means that one should live in a secluded place, like a forest or a jungle, but in this age such a secluded place is very difficult to find. Therefore “secluded place” refers to that place where God consciousness is taught. (Path of Perfection chapter 3)

Regarding your question about living alone, living alone is a general tendency for a person who wants to get disassociated from the materialistic persons. That is also recommended by the Goswamis in their instructions. It is better to remain alone than to mix with materialistic persons. But this is not applicable when we have the opportunity to get the association of pure devotees. Our program is negative and positive simultaneously. We want to negate the materialistic side and make positive the spiritual side. It is not one sided. If you have no positive standing, negating only will not make you successful. Therefore, it is better to remain positively within the society of pure devotees. That is also recommended by the Goswamis. One should be occupied in activities in the modes of goodness and associate with spiritualistic persons. That will make one’s advancement very quick. (Letter to Sivananda dated 11 November 1968)

Prabhupada: In Delhi, when I was vānaprastha, I was alone. But my paper was going on, “Back to Godhead”. I was alone. I was doing everything — editing, selling, collecting, cooking.

Hari-sauri: There were no godbrothers helping you?

Prabhupada: I did not take their help. They wanted to, but I did not like it.

Hari-sauri: Did you ever think at that time that you would be able to expand or…

Prabhupada: It was a struggle at that time. I lived with some of my godbrothers, but I did not like it, and I left their temple and I was living alone. … When I was living alone and doing everything, it was not unpleasant. It was very nice. Even my son came to live with me. I said, “No, you don’t.” My family sent him to go and live with me. He came twice, thrice. I asked him, “If you want to live with me, then you have to live with me as sannyāsī, brahmacārī.”

(Conversation in Vrindavan on 3 October 1976)

So far as you are concerned, I do not think living alone in Honolulu will be very good. If there is possibility of your living in the temple along with the other devotees, then live there. Otherwise you may also return, either to Los Angeles or San Francisco. You can work anywhere

because you have got abilities, and from anywhere you can start for Tokyo. So for going to Tokyo it is not very much necessary that you have to remain in Honolulu alone. I do not advise any of my disciples to live alone; that is not good. (Letter to Sudama dated 20 May 1969)

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1.) Conversation 760530R1: HONOLULU 30 May 1976

“So all my disciples are expected to become śikṣā-guru on my order…”

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am just trying to clarify—I don’t want to offend anyone—but no disciple of yours should call himself dīkṣā-guru or śikṣā-guru. Am I right?

Prabhupāda: Well, everyone is engaged to become śikṣā-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. Āmāra ājsāya (CC Madhya 7.128), Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: “By My order.” So all my disciples are expected to become śikṣā-guru on my order, not by his own order. That is meaning I am giving sannyāsa, 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. Just like there are so many gurus and avatāras and yogīs are coming. For time being there is some culture(?), and what is the effect? Just like this… What is that?

Devotee: Guru Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Guru Mahārāja is later than that. Before that?

Devotees: Maharishi Yogi!

Prabhupāda: So what is the effect?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No one talks of him now.

Rāmeśvara: No. He is making big business.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rāmeśvara: He has made his guru into guru business, big business. His men go to the college wearing tie and suit, and they initiate the students for one hundred dollars. He is making millions of dollars by cheating, and making it into a big business. He gets one hundred dollars, and he gives them a special mantra, which is just one line of…

Prabhupāda: That he was giving beginning by thirty-five dollars. Now he has made it one hundred?

Devotees: Inflation! (laughter)

Devotee: The cost of being a guru has gone up. (laughter)

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Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
Glories to Prabhupada

We continue to read at breakfast time the book entitled “Brahmana and Vaisnava” by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj. It is a most excellent treatise on the finer distinctions of bhakti and helps us understand more clearly, what went wrong with the Hare Krsna Movement.
Let me relay a few of his words below…..

“Those who traverse the descending process are qualified to reach the Absolute Truth. But since those who traverse the ascending process have accepted the external ascending path to reach the undisputed destination, they have become eager to minimize the glories of the Absolute Truth. As a result, even though they proudly advertise their faith in the Vedas, their actual intention is to disregard the Vedas. This is clearly understood….”

How many times have we seen clear distortions to the words and instructions over the past 35 years of Srila Prabhupada? Something as simple as offering bhoga is now totally the opposite to what he taught to us, in practically ALL of his temples!

And this has all come about because certain leading devotees accept the ascending process of mental speculation instead of total acceptance of the descending process of words coming straight from Prabhupada himself.

Srila Prabhupada once said the difference between the so called scientists and us is that we use the descending process and they use the ascending process. So these so called devotees have come under the spell of Maya and are now using her methods instead of her masters.

“Whenever the sages gave explanations on the Vedas that were contrary to the actual purport of the Vedas, differences in their respective realizations arose. On the ascending path, one sage attacks another sage and tries to establish his own opinion.

In the descending path, however, there is no such outrage or drawback. The varieties that are perceived are all used in the service of the nondual Personality of Godhead; one does not become puffed up or averse to Hari….”

When one loses perception and rememberance of his eternal position, namely being a humble servant of his spiritual master, he can no longer speak rightly because his speech is now dictated by Maya, not God or Guru. When this illusion takes over, one cant even perceive his present position since his original position has already been lost.

Due to enviousness and an intense hankering for sense gratification these people are impelled by sinful desires to remove their own spiritual guide from his rightful position as sole Acarya of his own temples and they then concoct opinions which differ from their own spiritual masters.

All this is due to offenses committed against him by refusing to obey his commands to us all. They have no respect, basically, due to excessive pride and envy of the exhalted position of a Paramahamsa pure devotee of the Lord.

And the proof they are wrong is that they continually contradict themselves and one another and have continued to do so– for 40 years now.!!!

On the other hand the Prabhupadanugas have held fast to one conclusion since Prabhupada departed. That conclusion is this –He, Srila Prabhupada is the current, and living Acarya who is fully competent to deliver the entire world back to home back to Godhead thru his voluminous instructions, conversations, books, lectures and murti form. One definition of a bona fide guru (and devotee) is that he is brahma nistham–FIXED, he doesn’t change his opinion year to year !!

“…Wherever respect for the spiritual master has been diminished, the ascending process , in the form of disobeying the spiritual master, has simply created a perverted mentality of vivarta vada, or the Mayavada theory of illusion, filled with pride and nourished by the four defects like committing mistakes and being illusioned. This diseased mentality eventually turns into a mine of licentiousness….”

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Hare Krsna-below are some very interesting points by Srila Prabhupada where he explains some points about sankirtan “techniques” as well as spending more on your Deities when income is available, and when donations for a spiritual group become Karma and not Akarma.
dd
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1.)31 December, 1972
My dear Bali Mardan,
… I note also that your expenses have remained almost constant for so many months, except for the money paid to book fund, which is increasing more and more, so that is the best system: pay to the books fund larger and larger sums, keep other expenses constant as much as possible or reduce. But one thing is, you were spending $900 monthly for deity expenses, and still you are spending $900, so if total income is increasing more than double, why not increase also expense for the deity? We may spend anything and everything for the deity, as long as there is no scarcity, and by that lavish spending to glorify Radha and Krsna, they will become very much pleased upon you and bless you more and more.
So far the Macmillan business, as soon as you have got any information, you may send me. Yes, if it is enhancing our distribution of books to wear warm clothes like coat-pants in winter, I have no objection, you may wear them. Of course we may take money for Krsna using any method of beg, borrow and steal, but more advanced understanding of Krsna consciousness process is that by telling the truth in a very palatable way, that is the most successful system. Your mentioning Bangladesh feeding of refugees, of course we are feeding sometimes the local inhabitants, up to 1,000 persons on some occasions, but there is no organized program of feeding the refugees at Mayapur. In fact, so far I have seen, all the refugees from Nadia District have gone back to Bangladesh, there are no more refugee camps. So it will not be the truth to say to people like that, but I have no objection if they give more hearing such thing. Let them say, who will check us? We may tell any damn thing to induce people to give us money on Krsna’s behalf, that is not the point. The point is that by saying lies, the less advanced neophyte devotees may become entangled or disturbed in their minds by it. Of course by their collecting more money and giving to Krsna, He will relieve them of all anxiety of telling lies. But not everyone is able to catch the big fish without themselves becoming wet. I am convinced that if you simply glorify Krsna and our books in the best descriptive manner, that anyone and everyone, no matter even atheist or otherwise, they can be convinced to purchase. Of course that is a great art and not everyone can do it, but gradually by practice of preaching in this way, striving to so much present a wonderful picture of our books to the people, gradually you will master the trick how to do it. Being the senior devotee there, you may give the younger students all good instruction and advice how to do this, but not for any reason shall we decrease the book sales and collection monthly over some small lying about Bangladesh or other things.

Regarding that building in Manhattan, of course we are not very much mad after big buildings, so long there is enough space for our devotees so they may be able to carry on their preaching work, but if you can get such building as you are describing in the midtown area costing between $1-1.6 million, oh, that will be your greatest achievement in Krsna consciousness. Such building being our world headquarters of ISKCON, would facilitate our preaching expansion work all over the world. So far money is concerned, you are saving roundabout $30,000 per month, so go on saving like this, and even it takes a few more months to raise the down payment for such expensive building, never mind, a few months’ delay is not much. But the point is that Krsna is now giving freely so much money, why He can’t increase that amount more and more? I don’t think there will be any difficulty to raise the money for down payment, you will be successful under any circumstance, of that I am certain. But I want to keep my bond of $80,000 to be spent for books for India, that is my final decision.

Hoping this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
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2.)When all our senses are engaged-then we can do anything for Krsna
Lectures Los Angeles, May 6, 1973 : 730506SB.LA :

So that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to dovetail everything in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Make Kṛṣṇa center, and all your activities will be spiritual. That is distinction. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. As soon as anything is done for Kṛṣṇa, the bhakti… So the beginning you cannot do so, that anything you can dovetail. No. In the beginning you have to learn first of all how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You are, we are in the training period. We are in the training period.We should not imitate: “Oh, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was ordered to speak lies, so let us go on speaking all lies.” No, not that. You cannot do so. First of all, be trained up. For being trained up, you have to follow the regulative principles, the orders of spiritual master. In this way,sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234].When your all parts of your limbs will be engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], in this way when you are actually advanced, then whatever you do in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is good.
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SB 2.9.1-Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. That relationship is just like a dreamer’s seeing his own body working.

PURPORT-Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s question as to how a living entity began his material life, although he is apart from the material body and mind, is perfectly answered. The spirit soul is distinct from the material conception of his life, but he is absorbed in such a material conception because of being influenced by the external energy of the Lord, called ātma-māyā. This has already been explained in the First Canto in connection with Vyāsadeva’s realization of the Supreme Lord and His external energy. The external energy is controlled by the Lord, and the living entities are controlled by the external energy-by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state, he is subordinate to the will of the Lord in being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā(15.15) also the same thing is confirmed; the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity, and all the living entity’s consciousness and forgetfulness are influenced by the Lord.

Now the next question automatically made will be why the Lord influences the living entity to such consciousness and forgetfulness. The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every living entity be in his pure consciousness as a part and parcel of the Lord and thus be engaged in the loving service of the Lord as he is constitutionally made; but because the living entity is partially independent also, he may not be willing to serve the Lord, but may try to become as independent as the Lord is. All the nondevotee living entities are desirous of becoming equally as powerful as the Lord, although they are not fit to become so. The living entities are illusioned by the will of the Lord because they wanted to become like Him. Like a person who thinks of becoming a king without possessing the necessary qualification, when the living entity desires to become the Lord Himself, he is put in a condition of dreaming that he is a king. Therefore the first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the living entity forget his factual life and thus dream of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The child cries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the reflection of the moon. Similarly, the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the material world, to lord it over as karmī and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this. But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of ātma-māyā by the direction of the Lord. Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is “mine” and this is “I.” The dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as “I” or falsely thinks that he is the Lord and that everything in connection with that material body is “mine.” Thus only in dream does the misconception of “I” and “mine” persist life after life. This continues life after life, as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of his identity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord.

In his pure consciousness, however, there is no such misconceived dream, and in that pure conscious state the living entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but that he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendental love.

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SB 2.8.16 purport…

The very idea of the scientific divisions of four classes of human society and four orders of life is also inquired about herewith on the basis of individual personal quality. The four divisions are exactly like the four divisions of one’s personal body. The parts and parcels of the body are nondifferent from the body, but by themselves they are only parts. That is the significance of the whole scientific system of four castes and four social orders. The value of such scientific divisions of human society can be ascertained only in terms of the proportionate development of devotional service to the Lord.

July 21 1975 SF

Nārāyaṇa: So those disciples who don’t have opportunity to see you or speak with you…

Prabhupāda: That he was speaking, vāṇī and vapuḥ. Even if you don’t see his body, you take his word, vāṇī.

Nārāyaṇa: But how do they know they’re pleasing you, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: If you actually follow the words of guru, that means he is pleased. And if you do not follow, how he can be pleased?

Sudāmā: Not only that, but your mercy is spread everywhere, and if we take advantage, you told us once, then we will feel the result.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayādvaita: And if we have faith in what the guru says, then automatically we’ll do that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My Guru Mahārāja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vāṇī. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vāṇī, then you are getting help.

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Everyone can see God

Journey of self discovery book chapt 2 by Srila Prabhupada-

Srila Prabhupada:People sometimes ask, “Have you seen God?” or “Can you show me God?” Sometimes we meet these questions. So the answer is “Yes, I am seeing God. You can also see God; everyone can see God. But you must have the qualification.” Suppose something is wrong with a motorcar; it is not running. Everyone is seeing it, but a mechanic sees it differently. He’s qualified to see it with greater understanding. So he replaces some missing part, and immediately the car runs. But although for seeing a machine we require so much qualification, we want to see God without any qualification. Just see the folly! People are such rascals, they are such fools, that they want to see God with their imagined qualifications.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ: [Bg. 7.25] “I am not exposed to everyone. My energy, yogamāyā, is covering Me from their vision.” So how can you see God? But this rascaldom is going on—this “Can you show me God?” “Have you seen God?” God has become just like a plaything, so that cheaters advertise some ordinary man by saying, “Here is God. Here is an incarnation of God.”

Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Sinful rascals, fools, the lowest of mankind—they inquire like that: “Can you show me God?” What qualification have you acquired by which you can see God? Here is the qualification: tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. One must first of all be faithful (śraddadhāna). One must actually be very much eager to see God. …..

There is a story in this connection. It is very instructive, so try to hear. One professional reciter was publicly reciting the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he was describing that Kṛṣṇa is very highly decorated with all kinds of jewels when He goes to tend the cows in the forest. So, there was a thief in that meeting, and he thought, “Why not go to Vṛndāvana and plunder this boy? He’s in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take all the jewels.” This was his intention. So he was serious. “I must find that boy,” he thought. “Then in one night I shall become a millionaire.”

The thief’s qualification was his feeling: “I must see Kṛṣṇa! I must see Kṛṣṇa!” That anxiety, that eagerness, made it possible for him to actually see Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. He saw Kṛṣṇa in just the same way as the Bhāgavatam reader had described. Then the thief said, “Oh, You are such a nice boy, Kṛṣṇa.” He began to flatter Him; he thought that by flattering Him he would easily take all the jewels. Then he proposed his real business: “May I take some of these ornaments? You are so rich.”

“No, no, no,” said Kṛṣṇa. “My mother will be angry! I cannot give them away.” Kṛṣṇa was playing just like a child.

So the thief became more and more eager for Kṛṣṇa to give Him the jewels, but by Kṛṣṇa’s association he was becoming purified. Then at last Kṛṣṇa said, “All right, you can take them.” Then the thief became a devotee immediately, because by Kṛṣṇa’s association he had been completely purified. So somehow or other you should come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. Then you’ll be purified.

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Hare Krishna Society

“The living entity which is embodied does not eat anything”–SP

Work for Krsna/God, otherwise He will have no time for us at all

I do not advise any of my disciples to live alone; that is not good.

3 random quotes-which are very important…..

In the book “Brahmana-Vaisnava”, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Maharaja explains what went wrong with the Hare Krsna Movenment

When, if at all, is it permissible to “lie” for Krsna??See what SP says….

The Dream Life of us conditioned souls so nicely explained by Srila Prabhupada and Srila Vyasadeva

Varnasharma can be understood” in proportion to our development in devotional service”–SP

How do we know we are pleasing Srila Prabhupada if we never saw him?

Everyone can See God–SP class