Hare Krishna Society

Feb 28 1975 Atlanta

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, suppose that they acknowledge the fact that they do not know, but they challenge, “How do you know what you believe is right?”

Prabhupāda: Because I have approached the Supreme, the supreme brain, Kṛṣṇa. He is the perfect person in knowledge.Aiśvaryasya, jñāna. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. He knows everything. He is conducting nature. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ suyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kālacakro. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. So we know from the perfect. Therefore my knowledge is perfect. I am not perfect; that’s a fact. But my knowledge is perfect. Just like I am not an electrician. But the electrician has told me that “You push this button. There will be light.” So I am doing that. What is the use of becoming electrician? I want light, and the electrician told me, “Just push this button.” I am doing that, and light is there. That’s all. You cannot say, “You are not a electrician. How you can say the light…?” And I know from the perfect person, and it is acting. This is our position. It doesn’t require that I will have to become electrician. The electrician has told that “You push this button,” and there is light. That’s all. Does it require that I will have to become a electrician to conduct this light?

Rūpānuga: No, it simply requires that one listen and take instructions.

Prabhupāda: That’s all. Therefore śruti, Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhi… [MU 1.2.12]. Hear from the guru and do it. That’s all.

guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya…Now, what is that song? Who knows this song, śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma **?

Nitai:guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya,ār nā koriho mane āśā

Prabhupāda: Koriho mane āśā. Do not try to research anything. That is final.

ar na koriho mane āśā.

If the guru is perfect, your knowledge is perfect. And how guru becomes perfect? He has heard from his guru. That’s all.Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāhu [Bg. 4.1]. This is paramparā system. You hear... Just like Lord Brahmā heard from Kṛṣṇa, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He gave the knowledge to Brahmā. Brahmā distributed the knowledge. Therefore Vedic knowledge is perfect. The Vedic knowledge comes from the Supreme Person. Vedāham. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛt cāham [Bg. 15.15]. So Vedic knowledge is coming from Kṛṣṇa, and it is received by Brahmā, and then Nārada receives. Then Vyāsadeva receives. Then he gives us all these Vedic literature. We understand. That’s all. It is not by so-called rascal’s research. Research means they are rascal. That’s all.

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Hare Krsna-Below we have 4 sequential purports from Srimad Bhagavatam where Srila Prabhupada explains the potency of serving and feeding the Brahmanas and Vaisnavas.

SB 4.21.37 purport… In addition to all these qualifications, when one fully engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava. Pṛthu Mahārāja warns his citizens who are actually engaged in the devotional service of the Lord to take care against offenses to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. Offenses at their lotus feet are so destructive that even the descendants of Yadu who were born in the family of Lord Kṛṣṇa were destroyed due to offenses at their feet. The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot tolerate any offense at the lotus feet of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. Sometimes, due to their powerful positions, princes or government servants neglect the position of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, not knowing that because of their offense they will be ruined..

SB 4.21.38 purport-The Supreme Person is described herein as brahmaṇya-deva. Brahmaṇya refers to the brāhmaṇas, the Vaiṣṇavas or the brahminical culture, and deva means “worshipable Lord.” Therefore unless one is on the transcendental platform of being a Vaiṣṇava or on the highest platform of material goodness (as a brāhmaṇa), he cannot appreciate the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the lower stages of ignorance and passion, it is difficult to appreciate or understand the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Lord is described herein as the worshipable Deity for persons in brahminical and Vaiṣṇava culture.namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65)

Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the prime protector of brahminical culture and the cow. Without knowing and respecting these, one cannot realize the science of God, and without this knowledge, any welfare activities or humanitarian propaganda cannot be successful. The Lord is puruṣa, or the supreme enjoyer. Not only is He the enjoyer when He appears as a manifested incarnation, but He is the enjoyer since time immemorial, from the very beginning (purātanaḥ), and eternally (nityam). Yac-caraṇābhivandanāt: Pṛthu Mahārāja said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead attained this opulence of eternal fame simply by worshiping the lotus feet of the brāhmaṇas. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the Lord does not need to work to achieve material gain. Since He is perpetually supremely perfect, He does not need to obtain anything, but still it is said that He obtained His opulences by worshiping the lotus feet of the brāhmaṇas. These are His exemplary actions. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was in Dvārakā, He offered His respects by bowing down at the lotus feet of Nārada. When Sudāmā Vipra came to His house, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally washed his feet and gave him a seat on His personal bed. Although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa offered His respects to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and Kuntī. The Lord’s exemplary behavior is to teach us.We should learn from His personal behavior how to give protection to the cow, how to cultivate brahminical qualities and how to respect the brāhmaṇas and the Vaiṣṇavas. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (3.21), yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ: “If the leading personalities behave in a certain manner, others follow them automatically.” Who can be more of a leading personality than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose behavior could be more exemplary? It is not that He needed to do all these things to acquire material gain, but all of these acts were performed just to teach us how to behave in this material world.

SB 4.21.39 purport...It is said that the Lord is most pleased when He sees one engage in the service of His devotee. He does not need any service from anyone because He is complete, but it is in our own interest to offer all kinds of services to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These services can be offered to the Supreme Person not directly but through the service of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā, which means that unless one serves the Vaiṣṇavas and brāhmaṇas, one cannot get liberation from the material clutches.

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“So Kṛṣṇa worship is so easy, universal. Other worshiping method you have to collect so many things, then you can worship. Or you must have temple, you must have church, you must have worshiping place. But Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. And you can collect this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam (leaf, flower, fruit) anywhere. You can worship Kṛṣṇa anywhere. But you have to learn how to worship. What is that learning? Bhaktyā. That is the method. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Thispatraṁ puṣpam is not important thing. The important thing is bhakti, devotion. That is wanted. Without bhakti, if you offer Kṛṣṇa very big plate, Kṛṣṇa is not hungry to take your food. He’ll not accept it. He’ll not accept anything if you do not offer with your love, bhaktyā, love and serving spirit: ‘My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are so opulent. I have nothing to offer You because You have got everything. But I have tried to collect these things to my best power, so I am offering You. Kindly take it.’ This is mantra. This is mantra.

Don’t require much mantra. That meekness, that humbleness: ‘Kṛṣṇa, I am most insignificant. I have nothing to give You, neither You are very much hungry or You have to take… You have got many, many…’Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). Kṛṣṇa is served by the goddess of fortune—not one; many millions. Here we are praying to goddess of fortune, ‘My dear goddess of fortune, kindly give me little fortune. I am very poor.’ That is our position. We are praying. But Kṛṣṇa’s position is that lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. The goddess of fortune is praying Kṛṣṇa—just like thegopīs, they are all goddess of fortune—’Kṛṣṇa, kindly take little service from me.’ This is the position.

So why Kṛṣṇa will come to you, take your foodstuff? Because Kṛṣṇa wants that you surrender. That is required. That is required. Therefore we should serve Kṛṣṇa, because without bhakti… Many times Kṛṣṇa has said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55): simply through bhakti. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by your so-called scholarship, scientific knowledge and speculation. These are all useless, nonsense things. You cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Bhaktyā, ‘Simply by devotional service one can understand Me.’ Bhakti means serving, service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When you become in service attitude, just to serve Kṛṣṇa with humble attitude, with devotion, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal. Otherwise you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. If you think that ‘I am very rich man. I can offer Kṛṣṇa so many things, nice dress, nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa now is within my grip,’ no. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap.”

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, December 13, 1973)

Compiled by Padmapani das

compliments vedaveda.com

Morning Walk—December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Bali Mardana: If someone is actually sincere, can he be cheated or will he always get a bona fide guru?

Prabhupāda: No, if he is sincere he’ll get. Yes. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Guru and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within you. As soon as He sees that you are sincere, He’ll give you the right person.

Bali Mardana: So if you are not completely sincere, you might get a Guru Maharaji.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bali Mardana: If you’re not completely sincere, you might get someone else.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you want to be cheated, you go to the cheater. That’s all. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Kṛṣṇa is intelligent, superintelligent. If you are a cheater, He’ll cheat you. He’ll cheat you. First-class cheat, Kṛṣṇa. But if you’re actually sincere, then He’ll give you the right thing. That is stated in the Bhag…, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: [Bg. 15.15] “Everything is coming from Me: smṛtiḥ, remembrance, and forgetfulness.” If you are a cheater, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence, you’ll forget Kṛṣṇa forever.

Dr. Wolfe: Śrīla Prabhupāda, so it is so, “Birds of a feather flock together.” The cheaters flock together.

Prabhupāda: Yes. “Birds of the same feather flock together.”

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Below is a comment made by one prominent leader…..

Yes, but even in ISKCON they are chanting from Prabhupada’s books and hear his kirtans, bhajans, follow his instructions to some degree, and thus they are benefitted somewhat in spite of their misleaders. I myself served under these misleaders who had hijacked the mission for many years, yet I know that I made advanacement in that time, because I was hearing from Srila Prabhupada and following his instructions. It is not all black and white.

So this devotee leader above says you can make advancement even while serving under bogus gurus-which he agrees are “bogus-but here is what our spiritual master tells us (and there is many more quotes along this line of thought)

1. Honolulu july 4 1974-

Sudāmā: There also is the position of or some question is raised as to how to actually follow the authority. What is the authority between…?

Prabhupāda: Authority is your spiritual master. You do not know who is authority? Why this question is there? If one is initiated, then he accepted the authority. And if he does not follow the instruction of spiritual master, he is a rascal. He is defying the authority. That’s all.

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

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

Because that is offense. Guror avajñā. First offense is guror avajñā, defying the authority of guru. This is the first offense. So one who is offensive, how he can make advance in chanting? He cannot make. Then everything is finished in the beginning

(In the above quote Srila Prabhupada tells us that if somebody says anything different than his initiating guru, then he is a demon and everything is finished-even in the beginning of this offense, what to speak of later)

So one may argue , that since his bogus guru JPS was most of the time absent, this means that most of the time he was doing some “service” without JPS’s being there. He was thinking that just because JPS was not physically there it means he was making “advancement”. So here this concept of physicality again comes into our view, that you “need” a living guru to instruct and guide us. But it is not the physicality of a bona fide guru being present that determines our service to be spiritual, but our surrender to his instructions that makes our activity spiritual. Therefore since he was following a bogus persons authority, all his activities either when JPS was present or not present, were useless. On principle, all our activities are supposed to approved and guided by guru, whether he is present or not. Therefore the conclusion should be that if one is “surrendered” to some rascal, then ALL his activites are useless and that is why Srila Prabhupada tells us that BOTH the bogus guru AND his followers are all going to hell. (see the 4 quotes below)

Prabhupada above tells us that “everything is finished, in the beginning”–

He also says “So if you are offensive, how you can become advanced? That is not possible.

2.Oct 6 1967 letter

Kirtanananda may be eager to address in the Harvard university but recently he has lost his link on account of disobedience. You sing every day morning that by the mercy of the Spiritual master one can please the Lord and one who has not pleased the spiritual master cannot have any access in the realm of Krishna Consciousness. Very recently Kirtanananda has developed a different consciousness of maya which is called misuse of one’s minute independence offered by Krishna. By misuse of one’s independence one at once becomes a victim of maya and thus he loses all importance in Krishna Consciousness. So it is my definite opinion that his lecture anywhere now will bear no spiritual sequence. He must rectify his mistake before he can play in our Society any important role. By lips he says that he is a surrendered soul but by action he is thinking differently.

Comment-here again above Srila Prabhupada is telling us that once one become disobedient– you lose your “link”

And once this link is gone, then anything he or she may do, after this loss, is misuse of independence and useless for any spiritual activity. Seems very clear to me. It is all about obedience-totally, to guru which determines advancement and where we are headed in the near future. Maybe people are confusing improvement of material well being, with spiritual advancement.

Below we have 4 quotes about the destination of one who follows bogus gurus-both guru and disciple go to hell !!

So if you consider making advancement in “hell”, good, then go for it.

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Sri Abhirama Thakura Tirobhava tithi [disappearance day], Friday, April 26, 2010 (Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata bhumi time]

compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa

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SB 4.20.25 purport...A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord, taking shelter of His lotus feet, and therefore he has a direct connection with the saffron mercy-particles that are strewn over the lotus feet of the Lord. Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything.

For a conditioned soul, therefore, it is very important to hear from the mouth of a pure devotee, who is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord without any material desire, speculative knowledge or contamination of the modes of material nature.

SB 2.9.8 purport...One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to receive the sound from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane manufactured sound has no potency, and as such, seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency. One should be qualified enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by fortunate chance if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed

SB 3.26.30-Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence.

PURPORT-Doubt is one of the important functions of intelligence; blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. Therefore the word saṁśaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But doubting is not very favorable when information is received from the proper source. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that doubting the words of the authority is the cause of destruction.

As described in the Patañjali yoga system, pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smṛtyaḥ. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are. By intelligence only can one understand whether or not he is the body. The study to determine whether one’s identity is spiritual or material begins in doubt. When one is able to analyze his actual position, the false identification with the body is detected. This is viparyāsa. When false identification is detected, then real identification can be understood. Real understanding is described here as niścayaḥ, or proved experimental knowledge. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. By experimental or proved knowledge, one can understand that he is not the body but spirit soul.

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Conv june 23 1976 NVRN
Devotee (4): The difficulty is that we cannot understand, we cannot feel what pleases Kṛṣṇa now, yet we can feel what pleases us, and that is the difficulty?

Prabhupāda: You have no feeling, that everyone knows. Therefore you have to carry out the order of spiritual master, that’s all.

Devotee (1) : If we try to please Kṛṣṇa with all of our service and activities, that automatically brings pleasure to the self?

Prabhupāda: You cannot please Kṛṣṇa directly. You please your spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. If you want to please directly Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible. That is concoction You cannot please. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **.

You have to please your spiritual master, then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased.

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Bombay Dec 4 1974 lecture

Somebody was talking that “Your Deity is just like trying to talk with me.” Prasanna-vaktra Yes. He is here to talk with you, but He is waiting whether you’re interested to talk with Him. That’s all. Kṛṣṇa says that teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prti-pūrvakam, bddhi-yogaṁ adāmi tam [Bg. 10.10]. He talks, but with whom? Teṣāṁsatata-yuktānām. One who is twenty-four hours engaged with love and faith in the service of the Lord. To whom? Just like if you want to talk with some big man, then you must have qualification. Is it possible that if you want to talkwith the big man here, immediately you like? No. You cannot talk. Youmust be fit to talkwith him. Similarly,Kṛṣṇa is ready to talk with you. He has come. He has descended in arcā-mūrti to talk with you, to be visible by you. Now you make yourself ready and fit to talk with Kṛṣṇa. Then He will exchange conversation. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. This is possible.

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 the most 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.

“OF SEASONS I AM FLOWER BEARING SPRING”….

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1.)The question may be raised that if the living entity has to act as the superintendent of the activities of the bodily combination, then how can he be indifferent to the activities of the body?

2.)The question may be raised here that if everyone engaged in spiritual activities to attain salvation and became indifferent to the activities of the material world, then how could things as they are go on? And if things are to go on as they ought to, how can a head of state be indifferent to such activities

These two very important questions are answered below by Srila Prabhupada, and when we understand those answers and act in such a way, that state of consciousness is called Samadhi.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

SB 4.20.11 purport...Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā that the body, made of the gross physical elements (earth, water, fire, air and sky) and the subtle elements (mind, intelligence and ego), is completely different from the soul proper. One should therefore not be disturbed by the action and reaction of these eight gross and subtle material elements. The practical process to attain this stage of indifference is to execute devotional service. Only one who constantly engages in devotional service twenty-four hours a day can be indifferent to the action and reaction of the external body. When a man is absorbed in a particular thought, he does not hear or see any external activities, even though they are enacted in his presence. Similarly, those who are fully absorbed in devotional service do not care what is going on with the external body. That status is called samādhi. One who is actually situated in samādhi is understood to be a first-class yogī.

SB 20.12 purport–The question may be raised that if the living entity has to act as the superintendent of the activities of the bodily combination, then how can he be indifferent to the activities of the body? The answer is given here: these activities are completely different from the activities of the spirit soul of the living entity. A crude example can be given in this connection. A businessman riding in a motorcar sits in the car, supervises its running and advises the driver. He knows how much gasoline is used up, and he knows everything about the car, but still he is apart from the car and is more concerned with his business. Even while riding in the car, he thinks of his business and his office. He has no connection with the car, although he is sitting there. As the businessman is always absorbed in thoughts of his business, so the living entity can be absorbed in thoughts of rendering loving service to the Lord. Then it will be possible to remain separate from the activities of the material body. This position of neutrality can be possible only for a devotee.

The word baddha-sauhṛdāḥ—“bound in friendship”—is particularly used here. Karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs cannot be bound in devotional service. Karmīs fully engage in the activities of the body. Their aim of life is to give comfort to the body only. Jñānīs try to get out of entanglement by philosophical speculation, but they have no standing in the liberated position. Because they do not take shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down from the exalted position of Brahman realization. Yogīs also have a bodily concept of life—they think that they can achieve something spiritual by exercising the body through dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma, etc. A devotee’s position is always transcendental because of his intimate relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, to remain always aloof from the actions and reactions of the body and engage in one’s real occupation, namely rendering service to the Lord, can be possible only for devotees.

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Action in freedom- has meaning

Songs Purport to Gay Gaura Madhur Sware 251005/530501

So Bhaktivinode Thakura advises, “Never mind, you are in distress

or happiness, but go on chanting this maha-mantra.” Maya-jale baddha

ho’ye, acho miche kaja lo’ye. You are entrapped by the network of

illusory energy, maya-jale baddha ho’ye, just like the fisherman

catches from the sea all kinds of creatures within the network.

Similarly we are also within the net of illusory energy, and because

we have no freedom, therefore all our activities are useless. Action

in freedom has got some meaning, but when we are not free within the

clutches of Maya, within the network of maya, then our so-called

freedom has no value. Therefore, whatever we are doing is simply

defeat. Without knowing our constitutional position, if you are forced

to do something by the pressure of the illusory energy, it is simply

useless waste of time. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “Now you

have got full consciousness in the human form of life. So just chant

Hare Krsna, Radha-Madhava, all these names. There is no loss or great

profit.” Jivana hoilo sesa, na bhajile hrsikesa. Now gradually

everyone is on the verge of death, noody can say that, “I shall

remain, I shall stay for more hundred years.” No, any moment we can

die. Therefore, he advises jivana hoilo sesa: “Our life is at end at

any moment, and we could not serve Hrsikesa, Krsna.

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How a liberated soul’s body is controlled by the Lord Himself and not material nature

SB3.33.27-Situated in eternal trance and freed from illusion impelled by the modes of material nature, she forgot her material body, just as one forgets his different bodies in a dream.

PURPORT-A great Vaiṣṇava said that he who has no remembrance of his body is not bound to material existence. As long as we are conscious of our bodily existence, it is to be understood that we are living conditionally, under the three modes of material nature. When one forgets his bodily existence, his conditional, material life is over. This forgetfulness is actually possible when we engage our senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.In the conditional state, one engages his senses as a member of a family or as a member of a society or country. But when one forgets all such membership in material circumstances and realizes that he is an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, that is actual forgetfulness of material existence.

This forgetfulness actually occurs when one renders service unto the Lord. A devotee no longer works with the body for sense gratification with family, society, country, humanity and so on. He simply works for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A devotee always merges in transcendental happiness, and therefore he has no experience of material distresses. This transcendental happiness is called eternal bliss. According to the opinion of devotees, constant remembrance of the Supreme Lord is called samādhi, or trance. If one is constantly in trance, there is no possibility of his being attacked or even touched by the modes of material nature. As soon as one is freed from the contamination of the three material modes, he no longer has to take birth to transmigrate from one form to another in this material world.

SB 3.33.29-Because she was always absorbed in the thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she was not aware that her hair was sometimes loosened or her garments were disarrayed.

PURPORT-In this verse the word daiva-guptam, “protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” is very significant. Once one surrenders unto the service of the Supreme Lord, the Lord takes charge of the maintenance of the devotee’s body, and there is no need of anxiety for its protection. It is said in the Second Chapter, Second Canto, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that afully surrendered soul has no anxiety about the maintenance of his body. The Supreme Lord takes care of the maintenance of innumerable species of bodies; therefore, one who fully engages in His service will not go unprotected by the Supreme Lord. Devahūti was naturally unmindful of the protection of her body, which was being taken care of by the Supreme Person.

SB 3.33.37-The description of the dealings of Kapiladeva and His mother is very confidential, and anyone who hears or reads this narration becomes a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is carried by Garuḍa, and he thereafter enters into the abode of the Supreme Lord to engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

PURPORT-The narration of Kapiladeva and His mother, Devahūti, is so perfect and transcendental that even if one only hears or reads this description, he achieves the highest perfectional goal of life, for he engages in the loving service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no doubt that Devahūti, who had the Supreme Lord as her son and who followed the instructions of Kapiladeva so nicely, attained the highest perfection of human life.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Thirty-third Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Activities of Kapila.”

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Śrīla Prabhupāda first published this essay in India, in the old tabloid version of his then-fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead (November 20, 1958). It contains the unforgettable story of “liquid beauty,” in which Śrīla Prabhupāda dramatically exposes the underlying principle of human sexuality. This illuminating exposition on the nature of truth and beauty is timeless and startlingly relevant for those in search of the “inner self.”

There may sometimes be arguments about whether “truth” and “beauty” are compatible terms. One would willingly agree to express the truth, one might say, but since truth is not always beautiful—indeed, it is frequently rather startling and unpleasant—how is one to express truth and beauty at the same time?

In reply, we may inform all concerned that “truth” and “beauty” are compatible terms. Indeed, we may emphatically assert that the actual truth, which is absolute, is always beautiful. The truth is so beautiful that it attracts everyone, including the truth itself. Truth is so beautiful that many sages, saints, and devotees have left everything for the sake of truth. Mahatma Gandhi, an idol of the modern world, dedicated his life to experimenting with truth, and all his activities were aimed toward truth only.

Why only Mahatma Gandhi? Every one of us has the urge to search for truth alone, for the truth is not only beautiful but also all-powerful, all-resourceful, all-famous, all-renounced, and all-knowledgeable.

Unfortunately, people have no information of the actual truth. Indeed, 99.9 percent of men in all walks of life are pursuing untruth only, in the name of truth. We are actually attracted by the beauty of truth, but since time immemorial we have been habituated to love of untruth appearing like truth. Therefore, to the mundaner “truth” and “beauty” are incompatible terms. The mundane truth and beauty may be explained as follows.

Once a man who was very powerful and strongly built but whose character was very doubtful fell in love with a beautiful girl. The girl was not only beautiful in appearance but also saintly in character, and as such she did not like the man’s advances. The man, however, was insistent because of his lustful desires, and therefore the girl requested him to wait only seven days, and she set a time after that when he could meet her. The man agreed, and with high expectations he began waiting for the appointed time.

The saintly girl, however, in order to manifest the real beauty of absolute truth, adopted a method very instructive. She took very strong doses of laxatives and purgatives, and for seven days she continually passed loose stool and vomited all that she ate. Moreover, she stored all the loose stool and vomit in suitable pots. As a result of the purgatives, the so-called beautiful girl became lean and thin like a skeleton, her complexion turned blackish, and her beautiful eyes sank into the sockets of her skull. Thus at the appointed hour she waited anxiously to receive the eager man.

The man appeared on the scene well dressed and well behaved and asked the ugly girl he found waiting there about the beautiful girl he was to meet. The man could not recognize the girl he saw as the same beautiful girl for whom he was asking; indeed, although she repeatedly asserted her identity, because of her pitiable condition he was unable to recognize her.

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Hare Krishna Society

Research is a waste of time-just accept the Acaryas words as they are

One must serve and feed the brahmanas/Vaisnavas to attain self satisfaction-then liberation will come–SP

“So Krsna Worship is easy, universal” -SP

If we are sincere we will get a bona fide guru-if we are not sincere, we will get cheated-SP

Sri Abhirama Thakura Tirobhava tithi [disappearance day], Friday, April 26, 2010 (Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata bhumi time]

hearing from right source gives liberation-hearing from unauthorized source has no potency–SP

The most valuable benediction for devotees–Deity worship

Lessons from SB about how to act without Karma-for both leaders and family men

Action in freedom has meaning-Otherwise we are caught up in the illusory energy of God

Truth and Beauty-an essay by SP