Srila Prabhupada explains that the Lord deputes some of His devotees to remodel the fallen condition of human society:
“…When there are too many asuras in the world, then it becomes a hell for those who are devotees of the Lord. Due to the growth of the asuras, the mass of people who are generally devoted to the Lord by nature and the pure devotees of the Lord, including the demigods in higher planets, pray to the Lord for relief, and the Lord either descends personally from His abode or deputes some of His devotees to remodel the fallen condition of human society, or even animal society. Such disruptions take place not only in human society but also among animals, birds or other living beings, including the demigods in the higher planets…” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.50]
This is a verse from Brahma-samhita in which the incarnation of Lord Ramacandra is described. Ramadi. Not only Rama, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the Supreme Lord it is not possible to count. But out of them, the principal names are mentioned in the sastras. Therefore, it is said ramadi. Ramadi means Rama and also other, many incarnations. And they are existing. Not that one incarnation appeared and it is finished. No. Not like that. Just like Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet, say millions of years before. He appeared in the Treta-yuga. Treta-yuga means… We have passed only five thousand years of this age, Kali-yuga. Before that, there was Dvapara-yuga. Dvapara-yuga means 800,000 years. And before that, there was Treta-yuga, which continued for twelve hundred thousands of years. That means at least two million years before Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet.
Hare Krishna — I wrote this more than ten years ago but it now seems much more relevant than ever before.
Nuclear War Survival Tips By Narasimha das
Like death itself, no one likes to talk about nuclear war. We prefer to avoid this line of thinking. But although we tend to ignore the possibility of nuclear holocaust, that doesn’t make the problem go away. As death is certain, war is certain. In a nuclear-armed world, nuclear war is certain. Just because we have somehow avoided it since 1945 doesn’t mean it won’t happen again. But we hate to admit this danger due to its ghastly implications and our feelings of helplessness. A responsible person makes preparations for many kinds of dangers but avoids the thought of nuclear war due to feelings of fatalistic helplessness. There is no need to remain helpless and hapless in the face of this growing danger. Hiding our heads in sand is no solution. Education and positive action, on the other hand, can help assure us that death, although certain, will come naturally in our old age and not in a ghastly and untimely way through nuclear holocaust. The first step toward a safer future is education. We need to dispel the myths surrounding ideas of nuclear war. In this regard ignorance and apathy are very dangerous. Twelve Myths of Nuclear Warfare Below, I have briefly summarized twelve prominent myths regarding the probable cause and effects of a nuclear world war. Continue reading →
Vedic Perspectives Economics of Atheism vs. Economics of Eden By Narasimha das
Economics of Atheism Modern economic theories are based almost entirely on the principles of what I call “the economics of atheism”. This economic theory has evolved from a concocted pseudo-science that defies common sense logic and many natural laws. It teaches that a healthy economy requires constant growth. The slowing of economic growth is seen as a dangerous sign of a coming “recession” or “depression”. A recession or depression, they believe, will bring poverty and severe challenges for workers and businessmen alike. Therefore, mainstream economists generally believe that the first goal for a nation or society is steady economic growth by any and every means possible—despite the risks of war and environmental catastrophe. True believers in the “economics of atheism” promote the political idea that elite humans have the right to exploit the planet’s resources, including all animals and people, for their business enterprises– even if such enterprises are proven to contaminate or pollute people, air, sky, water, and land. Business and political leaders who always prioritize money and power pursue goals of constant economic growth even when it is proven that such growth is detrimental to the environment and people in general. Continue reading →
by Haripada dasa Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada always said that in this world of ignorance, which is contrary to serving God or Krishna, full of trials and tribulations, only patience, humility and respect for others are our friends to do devotional service to God or Krishna and His representatives. Regarding patience, I am very clear that only people who live in the mode of goodness can have it. People who live in the modes of passion and ignorance cannot be patient. Also Srila Prabhupada talks about this quality in the Nectar of Instruction, verse 3:
These activities must be executed with patience. One should not be impatient in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Indeed, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started single-handedly, and in the beginning there was no response, but because we continued to execute our devotional activities with patience, people gradually began to understand the importance of this movement, and now they are eagerly participating. One should not be impatient in discharging devotional service, but should take instructions from the spiritual master and execute them with patience, depending on the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. The successful execution of Kṛṣṇa conscious activities requires both patience and confidence. [Nectar of Instruction verse 3]
On humility, Srila Prabhupada says in Bhagavad-gita 13.8 that humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. Another point is that although one can do wonderful things to please God or Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, one understands that this is all purely the mercy of God or Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. About respect, there is a very beautiful verse in the Srimad Bhagavatam, 5.5.26. This verse was spoken by the incarnation of Krishna called Risabadeva to his children:
“My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity—be he moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer respect to all of them at every moment. In this way, you offer respect to Me.” [Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.26]
I have gathered the following which are very potent quotes from Srila Prabhupada which should act as warnings to us all. When something goes wrong with your car and the red lights start flashing, you know it is time to stop and carefully check things out. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada has given us all warning signs for the sincere and serious devotees to watch out for in our devotional lives. These instructions by Srila Prabhupada act as beacons for us to check out individually and as a whole whether our movement is on the right track or not.
1. Do not create your own process for worshipping Deities
“The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the Deities. So don’t ask any more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that’s all…”
– Srila Prabhupada in a letter to Dhruvananda, Bombay 4 January, 1973
2. Do not bring personal motivation
“In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.”
– Srila Prabhupada in a letter to Isana and Vibhavati 21 September, 1970, Calcutta
Srila Prabhupāda: Today is the second day of Lord Caitanya’s birth ceremony. The Lord has appeared yesterday, 4th March. Not exactly 4th March. It is called, according to Vedic calendar, Gaura pūrṇimā, the full moon day of the month of Phālguna. Phālguna means up to 15th March. From 15th February to 14th March is the month of Phālguna according to Bengali calendar. And on the month of Phālguna, the full moon day, the full moon night is the appearance, or tithi, or occasion, for Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya appeared on the phālguni pūrṇimā. Pūrṇimā means full moon, and phālguni means the month which is called Phālguna, which is calculated from 15th February to 14th March.
So, after the appearance of Lord Caitanya, there was great ceremony. All the inhabitants of Navadvīpa, His father, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s father, was not very rich man but was very respectable brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa community, especially in those days, five hundred years ago, the brāhmaṇa community, as a community, they were not very rich because they did not care for material opulence. That is the specific quality of brāhmaṇas. There are four classes of men all over the world. [break] …people, they are interested for success of this human form of life. They are called brāhmaṇas. And the next class of men, they are interested for political power, next important class. First important class is called who are seeking success of the human form of life, and the next class, they are seeking success to become very rich within this material world by political power. Another next class is trying to be successful by material opulence, by earning money, the mercantile community. First class, second class, third class. They are third class. And the fourth-class men, they are called śūdras. That means they have no other ambition than to fill up their belly also. That’s all. They have no intelligence to become brāhmaṇa, neither to become kṣatriya, administrator, or to occupy political powers; neither they have energy to become very rich businessmen or industrialists. Therefore, they are called fourth-class men.
“… So Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna, “Don’t excuse this rascal brahma-bandhu. Don’t excuse.” This is Kṛṣṇa’s advice. But it does not mean that we can do anything and everything under the pretext of Kṛṣṇa’s advice. You must be first of all a confidential friend or servant of Kṛṣṇa. You must receive direct order from Kṛṣṇa. Then you can do it. Otherwise not. Otherwise not. Under the pretext that “Kṛṣṇa said,” “My spiritual master has said,” “Prabhupāda has said,” we manufacture something. Don’t do that. Unless you are directly ordered, you cannot do at least such things as to chastise a brahma-bandhu. This should not be done. Here is direct order” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.34-35 Vrndāvana, September 28
Srila Prabhupada explained that His Guru Maharaja never appointed anybody as acarya.
Sripad Madhavendra Puri Tirobhava tithi [Disappearance day ]- Saturday, March 4, 2023[Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time] Srila Prabhupada explains the exalted position
of Madhavendra Puri in the Gaudiya Sampradaya compiled by Damaghosa dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa
By Haripada dasa Srila Prabhupada always said that the devotee must be serious and sincere in his Krishna consciousness practices. This also applies to others; serious and sincere means that one does not deceive himself or others. In others In other words, one is not a hypocrite. We in a practical way show Srila Prabhupada and God or Krishna that we are serious and sincere when we practice verses 2 and 3 of the Nectar of Instruction. There it is said that when someone becomes too entangled in the following six activities, their devotional service is ruined:
eating more than necessary, or accumulating more funds than required;
trying too hard for worldly things that are too hard to get;
talking unnecessarily about worldly subjects;
following the rules and regulations of the scriptures solely to follow them and not to advance spiritually, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically;
associating with people of worldly inclinations who are not interested in cultivating Kṛishna consciousness; and
