28 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Interview with Srila Prabhupada, Newton Minnow
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, btg vol.1 no.56, interview with His Divine Grace, Krsna, Lord Caitanya, Newton Minnow, prabhupada, surcharged with bliss, television, tv interview, vast wasteland
Transcendental Broadcast
A television interview with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Excerpted from ‘Back To Godhead’ magazine, 1973, Vol. 1 No. 56
Newton Minnow, former director of the FCC, described the world of TV viewing as a “vast wasteland.” But when a pure devotee of Krsna (God) appears on television, the whole performance becomes surcharged with bliss. When television, with its complex technological set-up for reproducing a picture in thousands of TV sets, is used by a pure devotee for the purpose of glorification of the Supreme Lord, it becomes spiritualized. Whoever sees and hears a pure devotee talking about the nature of God and the eternal soul becomes liberated from all misery.
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21 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Buddha, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vegetarianism
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, animal sacrifices, Anjana, buddha, Gaya, God, incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Buddha, moral discipline, nonviolence, prabhupada, Vedas
click on image to enlarge
For some reason, I have always been attracted to Buddha since my early childhood. Later in my life as I turned 18, I also became interested in vegetarianism, which peaked my interest in spiritual life as well. So it was, I began the practice of yoga and meditation. It is interesting to note that later (age 21) when I became a Hare Krishna devotee, was when my actual education in Lord Buddha began. We share with you two select verses from the Srimad Bhagavatam describing the mission of Lord Buddha.
The mission of Lord Buddha was to save people from the abominable activity of animal killing and to save the poor animals from being unnecessarily killed.
Lord Buddha, a powerful incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, appeared in the province of Gayā (Bihar) as the son of Añjana, and he preached his own conception of nonviolence and deprecated even the animal sacrifices sanctioned in the Vedas. At the time when Lord Buddha appeared, the people in general were atheistic and preferred animal flesh to anything else. On the plea of Vedic sacrifice, every place was practically turned into a slaughterhouse, and animal killing was indulged in unrestrictedly. Lord Buddha preached nonviolence, taking pity on the poor animals. He preached that he did not believe in the tenets of the Vedas and stressed the adverse psychological effects incurred by animal killing. Less intelligent men of the age of Kali, who had no faith in God, followed his principle, and for the time being they were trained in moral discipline and nonviolence, the preliminary steps for proceeding further on the path of God realization. He deluded the atheists because such atheists who followed his principles did not believe in God, but they kept their absolute faith in Lord Buddha, who himself was the incarnation of God. Thus the faithless people were made to believe in God in the form of Lord Buddha. That was the mercy of Lord Buddha: he made the faithless faithful to him.
Select verses: More
28 Aug 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Vyas-puja
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance day of spiritual master, disciple, guru, most blessed day, om ajnana, prabhupada, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Vyasa Puja, Vyasasan das
The Most Blessed Event: Sri Vyasa-puja
by Vyasasan das
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
On this most blessed and auspicious day, the celebration of your appearance; Sri Vyasa-puja
Please let me offer my respectful obeisances:
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, for you have opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
It is impossible to guarantee the authenticity of the emotions of a conditioned soul such as myself, but I think that I can honestly say, that in this lifetime, I have never loved anyone more than I love you.
And what is this love?
This love is simply the realization that in this life you are my dear most friend, my ever well wisher, my teacher and spiritual master, and above all my constant companion.
Yes my constant companion.
People, friends, family, loved ones have come and gone throughout the course of my life, but you have remained the one constant in my entire adult life.
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28 Aug 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Festivals, Janmastami, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Gaurasundara, govindam adi-purusam, Hamsaduta, Hasn, Janmastami, krishna's birthday, Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Krsna's appearance day, Lord Sri Krsna, Mukunda, prabhupada, Pradyumna, Yamuna devi
click on image to enlarge
Today, being Janmastami, we thought we should include a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada on Janmastami. The following lecture given on August 16, 1968, in Montreal Canada, is very sweet and reminiscent of how this society grew in a very personal and organic way. With Srila Prabhupada inviting his students and guests to speak on their realizations of Krsna, and Krsna Consciousness.
…So today is that auspicious day, Janmāṣṭamī, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathurā. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathurā. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathurā is still existing and it is eternally existing. Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā in His maternal uncle’s house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see.
So anyway, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. Now Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Divyam means “not ordinary.” It should not be understood just like we take our birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take his birth like us.
…So we shall invite today to speak about Kṛṣṇa from our students, as well as all the members who are present here. So I shall request Janārdana to speak something about his realization of Kṛṣṇa. (pause) All right. Let him speak.
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19 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Diksha, Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Parampara System, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Rakshana das, Siksa, Vidura das
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bona fide spiritual master, Guru Issue, Initiation, Iskcon, prabhupada, prabhupadanugas, Rakshana das, Sampradaya sun, spiritual master, transparent medium, Vidhura das, Vraja Vilasa
As always in our ISKCON Society, since the departure of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, there is an ongoing discussion, debate, and, or, argument on the guru issue. No doubt finding a qualified spiritual master is of utmost importance as is outlined in Easy Journey to Other Planets:
1. The serious candidate must accept a bona fide spiritual master in order to be trained scientifically. Because the senses are material, it is not at all possible to realize the Transcendence by them. Therefore the senses have to be spiritualized by the prescribed method under the direction of the spiritual master.
2. When the student has chosen a bona fide spiritual master, he must take the proper initiation from him. This marks the beginning of spiritual training.
3. The candidate must be prepared to satisfy the spiritual master in every way. A bona fide spiritual master who is fully cognizant of the methods of spiritual science, learned in the spiritual scriptures such as the Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Upaniṣads, and who is also a realized soul who has made a tangible connection with the Supreme Lord, is the transparent medium by which the willing candidate is led to the path of the Vaikuṇṭhas. The spiritual master must be satisfied in all respects, because simply by his good wishes a candidate can make wonderful progress along the path.
Recently I have been following on the Sampradaya Sun a slew of posts by Vraja Vilasa Prabhu:
Which were in response to the article by Rakshana Prabhu (which we also posted here):
The Transmission of Transcendental Sound
Followed by his reply:
Surround Sound and the Big Mrdanga
Then of course there was a rebuttal post by Vidura Prabhu in response to Vraja Vilasa Prabhu’s; “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right”, which was not posted on the Sampradaya Sun, but rather by the Prabhupanuga pages and which we (for the sake of disclosure) will post here. This is a very nice assortment of quotes, for instance…
“Krishna and his representative are the same. Similarly, the spiritual master can be present wherever the disciple wants. A spiritual master is the principle, not the body.” (Letter to Malati, 28/5/68)
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15 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Avatara, chanting Hare Krishna, Hare, Hare Krishna, Krishna, lecture on the maha-mantra, Maha Mantra, mantra, mantra meditation, prabhupada, Prabhupada Lecture, Rama, sound incarnation, Srila Prabhupada, swami, transcendental sound
So this sound, this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord.
Lecture on Maha-mantra
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Recorded September 8th, 1966, New York
Prabhupada: Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth. Just try to understand what is incarnation. Incarnation means… The Sanskrit word is avatara, and that is translated into English as “incarnation.” Of course, the root meaning of incarnation I cannot exactly explain to you, but the root meaning of the… (aside:) The root meaning of avatara is “which comes from the transcendental sky, the spiritual sky to the material sky.” That is called avatara. Avatarana. Avatarana. Just like… Avatarana means “coming from up to down.” That is called avatarana. And avatara is understood that when God or His bona fide representative comes from that sky to this material plane, that is called avatara.
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10 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Lectures
Tags: brahman, dvija, golokera prema-dhana, Hayagriva, Jaya Gopala, krsna consciousness, Madhudvisa, prabhupada, sabda-brahma, sound vibration, sound-brahma, Virabhadra
This is a very nice, intimate, lecture on the Bhagavad-gita, given by Srila Prabhupada in the early days. He is obviously in a very good mood, and is challenging his students to use their intelligence.
…Vīrabhadra: And my fourth and last question is, are you in this world?
Prabhupāda: Hm? (laughter)
Vīrabhadra: Are you in this world?
Prabhupāda: I am?
Vīrabhadra: Are you in this world? I mean you, are you…?
Prabhupāda: I’m not in this world, yes.
Vīrabhadra: You’re not in this world.
Prabhupāda: No.
Jaya-gopāla: I thought I heard it said that you are in this world without being a part of it. You are in the world without being a part of it, being a part of it, like the lotus flower which floats on the water.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the way. That is the way of understanding. Just like I am in America. It is very easy to understand. I am not adopting any ways of life as the Americans do. So I am not in America. Not only myself, all my disciples who are following me, they are also not Americans. They’re different from American behavior, American ways of life. In that sense I’m not in America. I am in Vṛndāvana because wherever I go in my apartment or in my temple I live with Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I don’t accept any consciousness of America. And I teach my disciples also to take to that consciousness. So one who takes to that consciousness, he is also not in America, not in this world. It is… I have given this example many times. Just like a king and a bug is sitting on the same throne. The bug is biting and the king is ruling. It is not that because the bug is there on the throne, he is king, or the king is sitting with the bug, he is bug. Why this difference? Difference of consciousness. The king knows his duty. He is working in his duty; therefore he’s king. And the bug knows his business, to bite; therefore he’s bug. But sitting on the same place. But because due to different consciousness, one is bug, one is king. So if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you don’t belong to this world. You are no more bug, you are king. Change this consciousness. Even apparently you may seem to remain with the bug, you are no more bug. Is it clear?
Lecture on Bhagavad-gītā 2.46-62
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Recorded December 16, 1968, Los Angeles
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04 Mar 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Lectures, Nectar of Devotion
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Acyutananda das, ceto-darpana-marjanam, chanting Hare Krishna, cleansing the heart, Europeans and Americans, Nectar of Devotion, prabhupada, sankirtan, sri krishna sankirtan, Sri-krsna-sankirtan, Srila Prabhupada
click on image to enlarge
…Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a fact in everyone’s heart. It is already there. Otherwise how these Europeans and Americans, they’re taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously? So it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was there already. By the process of hearing… As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam is so auspicious that the chanting of this mantra awakens the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the more your heart becomes cleansed. These are the statements given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There cannot be any defect. My statement may be defective, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s statement cannot be defective, because He is in the transcendental platform. He is transcendence Himself. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmine. He’s Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He has appeared in the form of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Therefore, whatever He says, that is fact. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more we hear the vibration, the transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, without any offense… Even with, mixed with offense… There are three stages of chanting this vibration: offensive chanting, and almost offenseless chanting, and offenseless chanting. Offensive chanting may give you material pains and pleasures, and almost offenseless will give you liberation, will place you in the transcendental platform. And when it is offenseless, then immediately you’ll invoke love of God, Kṛṣṇa-prema. So even in offensive stage, if you go on chanting and try to be, try to become safe from offensive condition… Daśa-vidhā-nāma, ten kinds of offenses, if we avoid, that is the process of auspicity. But even we are not in the platform of offenseless chanting, still, we must go on chanting. It will gradually make our heart cleansed and we’ll be offenseless. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is required. That is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam.
So here, Rūpa Gosvāmī says auspicity means that which spreads for everyone, in all parts of the world. That is auspicity. Not partial. In politics or sociology or humanitarian activities, there is partiality for a certain section of human being, or certain section of living beings. But this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, awakening Kṛṣṇa consc…, dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is meant for all living entities. Even birds, beasts, insects, they can also awaken. This is the recommendation of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that if we chant loudly, the trees will hear, the birds will hear, the insect will hear, and they will be liberated. That is the statement of Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and awakening of dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the auspicious activities, welfare activities, for every living entity all over the world.
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27 Feb 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness, Kulashekara das, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement
Tags: Billy Preston, Colin Jury, George Harrison, john & Yoko, John Lennon, kirtan at Georges house, Kulasekhara das, mantra meditation, prabhupada, Radha Krishna Temple, Shyamasundar, tablas, Tittenhurst, TM, Yamuna devi, yoga
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Srila Prabhupada’s England Visit
by Kulashekara Das
The journey with Swami Prabhupada has been the most satisfying aspect of my life. His values of life has given a new dimension to the world and has helped people in all the facets of life.
Advent
In the late 1960’s I first came in contact with practitioners of the Vaishnava tradition. Several American disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had arrived in the UK to establish a Radha Krishna Temple.
I was quite impressed with the depth of Vedic philosophy and especially with the chanting of the Holy Names of God. Almost overnight I quit my entire Rock n Roll lifestyle and my job and began my life as a Brahmachari. I soon found myself living at John & Yoko Lennon’s eighty plus acre estate – “Tittenhurst” and ended up staying there for six months.
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24 Sep 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Book Changes, Book Distribution, Madhudvisa das
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, BBT, book changes, Book Distribution, free download, Madhuvisa das, original 1974 sri caitanya-caritamrta, pdf, prabhupada, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupad
With great pleasure we are forwarding this download information on the seventeen volumes of Srila Prabhupada’s original 1974 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, which we have Madhudvisa Prabhu to thank for making them available on digital PDF. For a free download please visit Krishna.org
Original Sri Caitanya-caritamrta PDF Downloads
By Sriman Madhudvisa Prabhu
Srila Prabhupada stressed so much to Radhavallabha Prabhu, the production manager at the BBT when Sri Caitanya-caritamrta was first printed, that once this book was printed they could not change anything. Of course Prabhupada did not want changes made to any of his books but he very strongly forbade the BBT from making any changes at all to his Caitanya-caritamrta once it was printed. Prabhupada forced them to print it very quickly and they wanted to add new paintings and ‘finish’ paintings that were already in the book after it was printed… Mithiladhisa Prabhu, a friend of Radhaballabha, relates the situation as follows:
“Soon after the intense marathon for completing the publication of Caitanya Caritamrita, Radhaballabha Prabhu approached Srila Prabhupada and mentioned that the artists are now completing the paintings in preparation for the second printing. To this, Srila Prabhupada replied “No changes”. A further attempt was made to explain, stating that there were to be no actual changes, but that the same painting would simply be completed because there was insufficient time during the marathon, and that the paintings were actually published in an unfinished state. Srila Prabhupada replied to him again, “NO changes”.
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18 Sep 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Health, Practicing Krishna Consciousness at Home, Prasadam, Vegetarian Cooking, Vegetarian Recipies, Vegetarianism
Tags: hare krishna cookbook, hare krishna cooking, health consciousness, Krishna, prabhupada, practicing krishna consciousness at home, Srila Prabhupada, standard devotee diet, vegetarian cooking, vegetarian recipies, vegetarianism
Once when Srila Prabhupada saw what was being served to the devotees, lavishly prepared multi-course lunches, he told the managers that it was too opulent. He said we should eat simply during the week with rice, dhal, chapatis and a little subji and once a week on the Sunday love feasts we could be more lavish. Today with more of us becoming Health Conscious, it is good to remember the very simple devotee diet that was recommended to us so long ago.
Standard Devotee Diet
Srila Prabhupada recommended a standard diet for the devotees, and instructed that all of the temples should follow it every day. That menu follows:
BREAKFAST:
Simple farina cereal with nuts and raisins
Milk (steaming hot), or yogurt in the summertime
Chick peas (raw, soaked overnight)
Ginger root (raw)
Oranges, apples and/or bananas
LUNCH:
Rice
Chapatis
Dal made with freshly ground ginger root and freshly ground spices
Subji made with ghee, freshly ground ginger root and freshly ground spices
BEFORE TAKING REST:
Milk (steaming hot)
Bananas
For a free download of the Hare Krishna Cookbook on pdf More
17 Sep 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Back to Godhead, Dr. O.B.L Kapoor, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, dr. kapoor, Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor, hari sauri das, prabhupada, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada
A godbrother of Srila Prabhupada’s remembers their early friendship and their meeting again after many years.
Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor: I didn’t know much about his household affairs, because we met mostly at the matha in the evening. He had a shop. He sold medicines, and he also manufactured them. Once he manufactured a tonic, and he gave it to me.
I said, “That’s nice, this gift of yours. I must accept it. But I wish you would give me the tonic which you yourself take the tonic of Krsna-prema [love of Krsna].”
He said, “I don’t have that tonic. But I have the formula.”
I said, “Oh, wonderful! If it is not a secret, tell me what the formula is.”
He said, “No, it is not a secret at all:
trnad api sunicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih*
This is the formula, and I am going to preach it all over the world.”
*”One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In that way one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” (Siksastaka 3)
At that time I couldn’t recognize the significance of his words, but he was going to preach it all over the world. I thought it was just a casual statement. But now I look back, and I can see that he was even then thinking and planning to preach all over the world, which he did.
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05 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahma-nistham, disciple, guru, guru disciple, lectures by His Divine Grace, lectures on Srimad Bhagavatam, parampara system, prabhupada, proper guru, spiritual master, submissively hear
… Guru means heavy, heavy with knowledge…”who has heard from the paramparā system.” and “He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Brahma-niṣṭham. He has no other business. This is two qualifications. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No. Simply he must hear from the authority.
Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.4
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, November 4, 1974
Nitāi: “Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyāsadeva. Thus being encouraged, Maitreya, pleased by Vidura’s inquiry about transcendental knowledge, spoke as follows.”
Prabhupada:
dvaipāyana-sakhas tv evaṁ
maitreyo bhagavāṁs tathā
prāhedaṁ viduraṁ prīta
ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ
[SB 3.25.4]
So this is the process of getting knowledge, to approach the proper person, guru, and submissively hear from him about transcendental knowledge. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Don’t try to receive spiritual knowledge or transcendental knowledge very cheaply. Although it is very easy, there is no difficulty, but the process must be known. Just like any machine—we have got experience—just like sometimes our typewriter machine or this dictaphone does not work. So if we go to the proper person, who knows the work, he immediately tightens one screw or changes something; it works. The process we must know. So if I go to a pān-wala for repairing my machine, that will be not good. He does not know the process. He may know to…, how to make pān, biḍi; but doesn’t matter, he does not know how to repair a machine.
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26 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Guru & Disciple, Spiritual Master
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bona fide guru, disciple, disciplic succession, God, guru, guru disciple relationship, material world, prabhupada, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
The bona fide guru will simply present what the supreme guru, God, says in bona fide scripture. A guru cannot change the message of the disciplic succession.
The guru’s business is to bring his disciples from darkness to light.
The guru’s business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not suffering. That is not possible. In this material world, there are three kinds of suffering; adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika. These are miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities and from the forces of nature. We may suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities-from ants or mosquitoes or flies-or we may suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood. There may be excessive heat or excessive cold. So many types of suffering are imposed by nature. Thus there are three types of miseries within the material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them. No one can say that he is completely free from suffering.
Guru-Disciple Relationship
The Guru – Guide to the Spiritual World
from the Bhakta Handbook
On hearing the word guru, we tend to envision a caricature like image: a bizarre-looking old fellow with a long, stringy beard and flowing robes, meditating on distant, esoteric truths. Or we think of a cosmic con man cashing in on young seekers’ spiritual gullibility. But what really is a guru? What does he know that we don’t? How does he enlighten us?
In a talk given in England in 1973, Srila Prabhupada provides some enlightening answers.
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18 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lectures, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caitanya Caritamrta, Krsna, krsnera svarupa ananta, Lord Caitanya, Mad. 20.146-151, photo by Gurudas, prabhupada, Prabhupada lectures, transcendental forms of Krsna, Vedas, Vedic knowledge points to Krishna
“Vedic Knowledge Points To Krsna”
Lecture on Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 20.146-151
New York, December 3, 1966
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
mukhya-gauna-vrtti, kimva anvaya-vyatireke
vedera pratijna kevala kahaye krsnake
So Lord Caitanya says, “You study Vedas in any way, directly, indirectly. In whatever way you like you study Vedas, but the ultimate objective is Krsna.”
Now, Caitanya, Lord Caitanya, is describing about the various forms of Krsna. This is very important subject. How Krsna is all-pervading, He is describing.
krsnera svarupa-ananta, vaibhava-apara
cic-chakti, maya-sakti, jiva-sakti ara
Krsnera svarupa ananta. The transcendental forms of Krsna, innumerable, vaibhava, and His opulence, that is also innumerable. Nobody can estimate. How many forms are there of Krsna or how much opulent He is, nobody can estimate; nobody can measure. This is inconceivable. The first proposition. Cic-chakti maya-sakti jiva-sakti ara. And His potencies are also unlimited, out of which, three potencies are generally accepted: cit-sakti, spiritual potency; material potency; and marginal potency. These three potencies I have described many times. Cit-sakti, the spiritual potency, is a manifestation of the spiritual world, and material potency is a manifestation of this material world, and the marginal potency, we are, we living entities. We are marginal potency. Why it is marginal? Because although we belong to the spiritual potency, but we have got tendency to come into contact of this material potency. Therefore it is called marginal, “this way or that way.” That a slight independence which is there in every living entity, he can use that, and he may select either to live in the spiritual potency or in the material potency. Therefore the living entities are called marginal potency. So parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Although the energies of the Supreme Lord are innumerable — nobody can count or measure — but they are divided into three.
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15 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhagavata, Book Bhagavata, Devotee Bhagavata, Krishna, Lord Siva, maya, Parvati, prabhupada, Pradyumna, SB 1.2.18, Siva Purana
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…So Krsna and maya are side by side. As soon as you forget Krsna, or as soon as you want to utilize Krsna for your sense gratification, it is immediately maya, darkness. And as soon as you want to serve Krsna, immediately it is light. So if we keep ourself on this side, light side, always serving Krsna, then there is no possibility of our being in contact with maya.
“The Choice; Krishna Or Maya”
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18
August 21, 1972, Los Angeles
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
[SB 1.2.18]
Translation: “By regularly hearing the Bhagavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.”
Prabhupada: So here it is said bhagavata-sevaya, not bhagavan-sevaya. Bhagavan is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and bhagavata means in relation with Bhagavan, who has got relationship with Bhagavan. So here it is recommended bhagavata-sevaya, not bhagavan-sevaya. The idea is that you cannot approach Bhagavan, God, directly. That is not possible. First of all, you have to serve bhagavata, the devotee bhagavata.
There are two kinds of bhagavata: book bhagavata and devotee bhagavata. So in the Siva Purana, there was a question by Parvati to Lord Siva. Lord Siva and Parvati, husband and wife. Parvati means the material nature. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. Durga-devi. Durga-devi is in charge of this material world. It is called durga, durga, just like fort. And the superintendent of this fort is Durga. You cannot go out of this fort; you are imprisoned. So such Durga-devi, who is so powerful energy — she can create, annihilate, maintain, srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana — she is always sitting by the side of her husband, Lord Siva, and questioning about spiritual enquiries. Just see. Such powerful deity is also ignorant about spiritual life. So the husband, Lord Siva, is Vaisnava, and she’s always asking, and sitting down underneath a bael tree. She can create so many universes, but for her, no building; only underneath a tree.
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03 May 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, adhibhautic, adhidaivic, adhyatmic, happiness, Jaya Gopala, lecture by Prabhupada, Madhudvisa, material comforts, material conditional life, material world, miseries, prabhupada, relief from distress, Tamal Krishna, Visnujana
…So sufferings are always there. But we are trying to adjust by patchwork. Sufferings are always there. Everyone is trying to get out of sufferings, that is a fact. The whole struggle for existence is to get out of the suffering. But there are different kinds of prescription… But according to Krishna consciousness movement, you can get out of all sufferings if you simply change your consciousness, that’s all. That is Krishna consciousness.
In any case you are only servant
Lecture given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Seattle, September 27, 1968
So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Brahma-samhita: “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord”]. In this material world everyone is trying to get happiness and to get relief from distress. Two things are going on, attempt. There are different processes. Material process is completely absurd. That is already proved. No amount of material comforts or happiness, so-called happiness, can give us the actual happiness that we are hankering. That is not possible. Then there are different other processes also.
There are three kinds of miseries due to our material conditional life: adhyatmic, adhibhautic, adhidaivic. Adhyatmic means pertaining to the body and to the mind. Just like when there is some disarrangement of the different functions of metabolism within this body, we get fever, we get some pain, headache—so many things—so these miseries are called adhyatmic, pertaining to the body. And another part of this adhyatmic misery is due to the mind.
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22 Feb 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhagavad-gita, Book Changes, Devotee's, Satyaraja das
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Allen Ginsberg, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Brahmananda das, Bruce Scharf, Macmillan Edition, prabhupada, Rayarama das, Satyaraja das, Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita
To purchase a copy of the original 1972 Macmillan Edition of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is, click on image to visit online store
The surprising events surrounding the initial publication of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
The Macmillan Miracle
By Sriman Satyaraja Prabhu
The Bhagavad-gita was important to Srila Prabhupada. He saw it as the perfect book to convey Krishna consciousness, as it consists of the Lord’s own words and His interactions with His loving devotee. In 1939, just seven years after Prabhupada was initiated by his spiritual master, he wrote a lengthy introduction to the book in English, presaging his full translation and commentary, which appeared soon after he began his mission in the West.
When Prabhupada arrived in New York in 1965, he gave priority to his work on the Gita. In India he had already completed a translation, spanning well over a thousand pages, but it was stolen. In March 1966, Prabhupada was adjusting to life in the Western world when he met with another loss: his typewriter, cassette recorder, and several books were taken from him. But he was resilient and determined to complete his work. In 1967 he finished the new manuscript, again over a thousand pages, and resolved to get a major publisher so that his message would be heard throughout the world.
At the time, Allen Ginsberg, famous poet of the Beat Generation, was visiting the New York temple, and he was enjoying a friendly relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Since Ginsberg was an experienced published author, Prabhupada asked him to show the manuscript to his benefactors, which Ginsberg did. But they were unimpressed, claiming the book had little commercial value.
Prabhupada then gave the manuscript to Rayarama Dasa, an early disciple with some experience in the publishing world. Rayarama, too, was unsuccessful in his attempts, his contacts explaining their hesitation in much the same way that Ginsberg’s did.
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07 Feb 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Hansadutta das, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: hansadutta das, Iskcon, Krishna, philosophy, prabhupada, science of self reasization, Srila Prabhupada, Varnashrama Dharma
Prabhupada, Man of God
By Sriman Hansadutta Prabhu
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is respectfully called “Srila Prabhupada”, or “spiritual master at whose feet all others bow down”. Who was he really? What did he accomplish?
Five thousand years ago, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, descended to re-establish the principles of religion. At that time, Vedic culture was dying all around the world, being ruled by demonic kings. After Krishna left this world, a rapid decline in the principles of Varnashrama Dharma ensued.
Before the appearance of Srila Prabhupada, Vedic culture existed only in very small pockets in India. We must truly understand what Srila Prabhupada actually achieved in the span of about 10 years. He took THE highest spiritual culture, THE highest philosophy and THE highest science of self-realization, and successfully brought it to the West, which had no spiritual culture, no philosophy and no science of the soul. He started a worldwide revolution in religion by humbly teaching tens of thousands of fallen, sinful, lusty and degraded persons the essence of Vedic culture: pure love of God.
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