Hare Krsna-
So today Nov 16, 2019 in USA there is much concern by the common man over President Trump and his behind the scenes dealing with his political adversaries, whom he would like to eliminate in the next Presidential election. So he has gone to the corrupt Ukrainian government officials to tried to bribe them into investigating his democartic rivals activities and try to influence the next election in his favor. Otherwise Trump will not release 400 million dollars in military aid to this government. And this is just the tip of the devious iceberg or current world wide governments.
Srila Prabhupada let one of his disciples try out politics in Atlanta Georgia some time ago, but then told him to just forget it because as everyone knows, politics is always a corrupt and back biting business and not meant for those souls who want to go back to Godhead.
Better to keep our minds focused on the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna-that will ensure us a brighter future, something the politicians can never deliver to anybody.
damaghosa das
Canakya pandit tells us to never trust women, politicians and those with long nails. And he also says, that is we don’t take good advice then we will perish soon…….
June 14 1974 Paris
Devotee: But isn’t that not good because the politicians nowadays, when they are running their campaign, they say so many lies and everything to the public, that “When I am elected I will do this and I will do that,” and they do so many… They pay off so many people in order that they can become elected. So always the good persons are… I guess they also have to cheat in order to get in position, but usually the…
Prabhupāda: Therefore we have stopped our political activities. It is not good. It will be hampering to our spiritual understanding.
Devotee: Because we will also have to do that.
Prabhupāda: If you want to dance, you cannot be shy. There is a Bengali proverb, nate vase guṇṭhana tana (?). You understand Bengali? No. That, “When you are going to dance… A girl, or a lady is supposed to dance in the platform, in the stage, and when she came, she saw thousands of people. Then she drew her veil, what is called, guṇṭhana, became little ashamed. So you are going to dance. What is the use of veiling yourself?” So similarly, when one takes part in politics, if you don’t take all the tactics of politics, then you cannot gain ground.
Devotee: But more and more the people, especially in America, they are seeing how these politicians are cheating. Because every year, in every campaign, the same politician is saying, “I will do this, I will do that,” and when he gets into office, he never does anything. But maybe now this time, when our Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees are running and they are showing the people what rascals… Just like Balavanta on TV, he was saying “How can these people be leader, when they are themselves permitting slaughter, drinking, smoking, having illicit sex life.”
Prabhupāda: That is a fact. That is a fact. But why the leader? The public also drinks. They also encourage slaughterhouse. So if you say to the public that they cannot be leader, then there is no leader. They cannot find out any leader. The public will understand that “I also eat meat, I also drink, do the same thing. Why the leader should be something, saintly person? After all, he is our leader. So we are of the same character. So why the leader should be something different?” They cannot understand it.
Devotee: Therefore we must cheat.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose I am thief and somebody accuses you that “He is a thief.” So I don’t take it seriously because I know, “I am also thief.” Means these appeal, that does not appeal because “It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss.” If everyone is thief, if you point out somebody that “He is thief, he cannot be trusted,” then he knows that “I am also thief. It is not a big problem. I am also thief.” Unless the whole public is sinless, he cannot appreciate a sinless leader. Care care mastado bhāi (?). This is natural. If I am thief, so what is the use of accusing you by other, “He is also thief.” You’ll take that “We all are thieves, all cousin brothers; so why this man should be only accused?”
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is it not a vicious circle, though. Without a pure leader, they cannot be pure themselves.
Prabhupāda: But they cannot understand. The vicious circle, they will not be able to understand. Because he is also vicious.
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Nov 14 1972 lecture…
Prabhupada….You have selected Lenin as your leader, or master, and we have selected Kṛṣṇa as our leader, master. So on the principle, where is difference?” The professor could not answer.
So the professor could not answer, but he was impressed, that actually what is this meaning of Communism? You simply change of, change of master. That’s all. And this is going on. All political leaders, they are going from one political leader to another. And he’s exploiting. That’s all. He, he is giving some manifesto that “If you give me vote, then I shall make you overnight a king.” All false propaganda. And these rascals gives him vote and he again remains the same servant. That’s all. There is a Bengali song: tabe kali tomāra baḍa saba bala ke kare āpanāra karma phala yadi phalebi āmāra(?). So if I remain the same servant, then why shall I vote to you? You cannot make me master. But my desire is that I shall become master. That is called illusion. Because I’m not master. I cannot become master. I have to remain servant. I am flattering some men: “Please make me master. Please make me master.” That is my position. This political party, that political party.
Therefore the sane man, one who has got good brain, su-medhas… Su-medhas and alpa-medhas. Medhas means brain substance. Su-medhasaḥ. Su-medhasaḥ. There is a word, the su-medhasaḥ. They… Yes. Saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. Su-medhasaḥ. And there is another word: alpa-medhasaḥ. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg. 7.23]. Su-medhasaḥ means good brain, and alpa-medhas means rascal, less brain substance. Sometimes we say, chastise, that “Your brain, your, this skull, filled up with cow dung. There is no brain substance.” So those whose brains are filled up with cow dung, they want to exploit this material world. It is impossible. It is not possible. Under certain pleas only, that “This political party will give you better chance for exploiting.” But you cannot do that. It is not possible. This is called māyā. In illusion, I’m thinking, “If I make certain more progress…” We see, in America, they’re increasing the number of motorcars and the problem is road. One flyway above another flyway, another another. The flyway construction is going on perpetually. Is it not? And this is called advancement. The rascals do not know that “I am simply laboring, laboring, laboring. Where is the stoppage of laboring? “ No. That you cannot stop. Your progress means you simply work hard. And because you are illusioned, that hard-working, you are thinking progress, happiness. That’s all. This is called māyā. He is working just like an ass. The ass, ass, ass is working whole day and night for the washerman for a morsel of grass. But ass, why it is called ass? He can, the ass can have grasses anywhere, but he, for that, he’s working very hard for the washerman. Therefore he’s ass. He has no sense that “Why I shall work for this washerman so hard? I can get this morsel of grass anywhere.” But he’ll work.
So ass politician, ass family man, ass community leader. So… All asses, mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. All asses. They’ll not surrender to Kṛṣṇa to get relief. They’ll work like ass. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. They have no brain, alpa-medhasaḥ. No brain substance. Filled up with cow dung. And those who have got real brain, then, for them it is recommended: saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
[SB 11.5.32]
Oh, one who has got brain, he catches Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam, always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. And simply worship by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is brain substance. All cow dung.
Thank you very much. (end)
Today’s darshan of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai