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Envy

26 May 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: atheist, Bible, christianity, envy, envy-of-god, faith, God, Jesus, Srila Prabhupada

This morning, for some reason I was thinking about envy, and how it is the enemy of the soul. Srila Prabhupada once described the Atheist as someone who is so envious of God, that they deny His existence. (ie. don’t believe in God)

I did a search on Vanipedia search and came up with just a few of the many things Srila Prabhupada had to say about envy.

The venomous snake. I mean, by nature they are so angry and so envious that they feel pleasure if somebody is bitten and immediately die. That is their nature.

And the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that a person who has envious nature, he’s more dangerous than the serpent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has enunciated that sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ (Cāṇakya Paṇḍita). There are two envious creatures: one is the snake, and another, a man envious, unnecessarily envious of others. So sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. That man, envious, he’s dangerous, more dangerous than the snake. Why more dangerous? Now, mantrauśādhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate. You can subdue a snake by herbs and by chanting particular type of mantra. There are many snake charmers in India, by mantra they can charm the snakes.

But a person who is envious, you cannot pacify him in any way. Therefore sarpaḥ krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. Just like Jesus Christ was crucified by some envious persons. Even the Roman judge denied that “This man should not be . . . there is no such fault.” But because they were envious, they were persistent, “Yes, he should be crucified.”

Learning How to See God

28 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhagavad-gita, bhakti yoga, Bible, christianity, faith, God, Krishna, Krsna, perfection of yoga, seeing-god, spirituality, Srimad Bhagavatam, yoga

click on images to enlarge

“One has to qualify himself to see and understand God, and that process of qualification is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By engaging ourselves in God’s service, we become qualified to see God. Otherwise it is not possible.“

“One cannot understand the form, name, quality, or paraphernalia of God with one’s material senses.” (Cc Madya 17.136)

Just as God is eternal, we are also eternal, and when we establish our eternal relationship with the supreme, complete eternal, we realize our eternality.

Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

God is the supreme living entity among all living entities, the supreme eternal among all eternals. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by purification of the senses, this knowledge will be realized, and we will come to see God.

The following post is Chapter 3 from the book “The Path to Perfection” which gives some instruction on Seeing God (Krsna) and on the yoga system.

Easter Sunday

20 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bible, Christ, Easter Sunday, faith, God, Jesus, Krishna, Krsna, salvation

Today as most of the Western World celebrates Easter Sunday, we thought we word honor the life of Lord Jesus Christ with some select writings by our spiritual master A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that any bona fide preacher of God consciousness must have the qualities of titikṣā (tolerance) and karuṇā (compassion). In the character of Lord Jesus Christ we find both these qualities. He was so tolerant that even while he was being crucified, he didn’t condemn anyone. And he was so compassionate that he prayed to God to forgive the very persons who were trying to kill him. (Of course, they could not actually kill him. But they were thinking that he could be killed, so they were committing a great offense.) As Christ was being crucified he prayed, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they are doing.”

…Of course, the message that Christ preached was just according to his particular time, place, and country, and just suited for a particular group of people. But certainly he is the representative of God. Therefore we adore Lord Jesus Christ and offer our obeisances to him.

Once, in Melbourne, a group of Christian ministers came to visit me. They asked, “What is your idea of Jesus Christ?” I told them, “He is our guru. He is preaching God consciousness, so he is our spiritual master.” The ministers very much appreciated that.

Actually, anyone who is preaching God’s glories must be accepted as a guru. Jesus Christ is one such great personality. We should not think of him as an ordinary human being. The scriptures say that anyone who considers the spiritual master to be an ordinary man has a hellish mentality. If Jesus Christ were an ordinary man, then he could not have delivered God consciousness. (Science of Self Realization, Chapter 4, “Understanding Krsna and Christ)

Full Chapter

The Appearance of Lord Nityananda

10 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Uncategorized Tags: appearance day of Lord Nityananda, Bible, God, Krishna, Lord Nityananda, Nityananda, Srila Prabhupada

Today we celebrate the Appearance of Lord Nityananda with a few select verses from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi Lila Chapter 5, entitled “The Glories of Lord Nityananda Balarama”.

“Let me offer my obeisances to Lord Śrī Nityānanda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose opulence is wonderful and unlimited. By His will, even a fool can understand His identity.” (Adi 5.1)

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balarāma is His second body.” (Adi 5.4)

“That original Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in Navadvīpa as Lord Caitanya, and Balarāma appeared with Him as Lord Nityānanda.” (Adi 5.6)

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Ādi-līlā, Chapter 5, Text 1-12

The Blazing Fire of Material Existence

11 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Bhagavad-gita, Bible, california-fires, chant Hare Krishna, Kali-yuga, Krishna, material-exestince, nature, samsara, spirituality

I am so saddened by the news coming out of California. Such a tragic loss for so many. Beautiful homes and forests, lives lost, lives disrupted. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the utter devastation.

This morning as I was singing the morning prayers:

.samsara-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
tranayakarunakarunya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyana-guṇārṇavasya
vandegurohsri-caraṇāravindam

“The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as the cloud pours water on the forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.” (Śrī Gurvaṣṭakam, Verse 1)

I was again reminded of the California Fires and how this material world is often compared to a forest fire in Srila Prabhupada’s books. From the small paperback book entitled “Elevation to Krsna Consciousness” we read:

This material world is often compared to a forest fire which takes place automatically. No one wants a forest fire, but there is often lightning, or carelessness, or friction, or whatever, and the fire immediately takes place. Similarly, this material world is beset with a blazing fire of problems. Everyone wants to live here peacefully, but situations develop in such a way that this is not possible for anyone. We struggle very hard to adjust things in so many ways, but nature’s laws are so cruel and dangerous that in spite of our hopes and plans the blazing fire of the problems of material existence continues.

Mothers Day, Seven Mothers

12 May 2024 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bible, christianity, God, Krishna, Mothers Day, Seven Mothers, spiritual master, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

Here in the West Mothers Day is being celebrated; a day to honor our Mothers.

…According to scriptures also, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brāhmaṇa, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers.

Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swaim Prabhupada
from Canto 1, Chapter 11, Text 28-

Seven Mothers

praviṣṭas tu gṛhaṁ pitroḥ
pariṣvaktaḥ sva-mātṛbhiḥ
vavande śirasā sapta
devakī-pramukhā mudā

praviṣṭaḥ—after entering; tu—but; gṛham—houses; pitroḥ—of the father; pariṣvaktaḥ—embraced; sva-mātṛbhiḥ—by His own mothers; vavande—offered obeisances; śirasā—His head; sapta—seven; devakī—Devakī; pramukhā—headed by; mudā—gladly.

After entering the house of His father, He was embraced by the mothers present, and the Lord offered His obeisances unto them by placing His head at their feet. The mothers were headed by Devakī [His real mother].

It appears that Vasudeva, the father of Lord Kṛṣṇa, had completely separate residential quarters where he lived with his eighteen wives, out of whom Śrīmatī Devakī is the real mother of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But in spite of this, all other stepmothers were equally affectionate to Him, as will be evident from the following verse. Lord Kṛṣṇa also did not distinguish His real mother from His stepmothers, and He equally offered His obeisances unto all the wives of Vasudeva present on the occasion. According to scriptures also, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brāhmaṇa, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers. Even by this injunction of the śāstras, the stepmother, who is the wife of the father, is also as good as the mother because the father is also one of the spiritual masters. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the universe, plays the part of an ideal son just to teach others how to treat their stepmothers.

tāḥ putram aṅkam āropya
sneha-snuta-payodharāḥ
harṣa-vihvalitātmānaḥ
siṣicur netrajair jalaiḥ

tāḥ—all of them; putram—the son; aṅkam—the lap; āropya—having placed on; sneha-snuta—moistened by affection; payodharāḥ—breasts filled up; harṣa—delight; vihvalita-ātmānaḥ—overwhelmed by; siṣicuḥ—wet; netrajaiḥ—from the eyes; jalaiḥ—water.

The mothers, after embracing their son, sat Him on their laps. Due to pure affection, milk sprang from their breasts. They were overwhelmed with delight, and the tears from their eyes wetted the Lord.

When Lord Kṛṣṇa was at Vṛndāvana even the cows would become moistened by affection towards Him, and He would draw milk from the nipples of every affectionate living being, so what to speak of the stepmothers who were already as good as His own mother.

Conversartion with John Lennon, Yoko Ono and George Harrison at Tittenhurst, England

09 May 2015 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Conversation with Srila Prabhupada, George Harrison, John Lennon, Yoko Ono Tags: 690911rc.lon, and George Harrison at Tittenhurst, Bible, Conversation With John Lennon, George Harrison, John Lennon, Mukunda, prabhupada, Sanskrit, yoko ono

Conversartion with John Lennon, Yoko Ono and George Harrison at Tittenhurst, England

Prabhupāda: Would you like to record or not?

George Harrison: Don’t mind.

Prabhupāda: Give this garland.

Śyāmasundara: Haribol.

George Harrison: Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: This Kṛṣṇa’s blessings.

George Harrison: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There is a verse in Bhagavad-gītā,

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
itaras tad anuvartate
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
BG 3.21

In the Beginning Was the Word

30 May 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, Bible, gospel according to Saint John, Hare Krishna, In The Begining Was the Word, mantra, Prabhupada Lecture, sound, sound is the origin of all creation, the Word, vibration of transcendental sound, Word was with God

…”In the beginning was the Word.” This indicates that before creation, transcendental sound existed. That word or transcendental sound is not like material sound, for if we associate with the transcendental sound Hare Krsna, we become purified and thus become transcendental. To give a crude example, if we put an iron rod into a fire, it will gradually become warmer and warmer until it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it will no longer be iron; it will be fire. How has it become fire? By association with the fire. Therefore if you simply keep yourself in touch with God through the transcendental sound, gradually you will become godly, and as soon as you become godly, you will become the same in quality as God full in riches, full in power, full in knowledge and everything else. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, “Don’t keep yourself in darkness. Come to the light.”

In the Beginning Was the Word
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
From Back to Godhead Magazine 1975 Vol. 10, No. 1

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly participating in this sankirtana movement, which is a movement for the vibration of transcendental sound. Sound is the origin of all creation. That is admitted in the Bible also. We are reading a passage from the Bible:

[A disciple reads] The Gospel According to Saint John. Chapter 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”