09 Feb 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Diksha, Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada Conversations, Srila Prabhupada vani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, bona fide spiritual master, disciple, disciplic succession, discipline in devotional service, Guru & Disciple, His Divine Grace, krsna consciousness, quotes by Srila Prabhupada, spiritual master and disciple, Srila Prabhupada
The following is an article that was sent to me through email sometime back. I just recently got a chance to read it in full. There are many very good quotes by Srila Prabhupada, on the matter of accepting a bona fide spiritual master. I did some slight editing (highlighting) but all the notes and comments are by the author.
Srila Prabhupada’s Diksa
by Vidura Mahatma dasa
In order to attain the highest perfection of life one must approach a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession from Lord Krishna Himself. The self-realized spiritual master is able to present the real conclusions of Krishna’s instructions in a way that can be understood and executed as applicable to this day and age. This is the special purpose and great need of accepting a bona fide spiritual master. The rare opportunity to approach a bona fide, self-realized spiritual master coming in the authorized chain of disciplic succession is available to everyone today and is indeed intended for everyone [in every town and village] to take advantage of, owing to the mercy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Readers will find this composition instrumental in ascertaining the philosophical basis of taking shelter of Srila Prabhupada – the current approachable link in the disciplic succession – by adhering to the principles and instructions given in his books. The execution of Srila Prabhupada’s discipline will surely elevate one to the perfectional stage of life leading back home, back to Godhead.
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30 Jan 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Vishnujana Swami, Visnujana Swami
Tags: chanting, chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krsna Book, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, missionary success, Srila Prabhupada, Visnujana Maharaja, Visnujana Swami
…I have got confidence in you because Krishna has given you special talent for chanting Hare Krishna Mantra. When you were chanting in L.A. temple in the evenings, or in the mornings, I enjoyed your chanting so nicely that I thought myself immediately carried to Vaikuntha. So I am always thankful to you for your activities in announcing the interest of our mission. Thank you very much. Most probably when I return to L.A. I may call you back just to hear your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra.
…So take advantage and enchant those who are coming by your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. You will be victorious. And try to introduce our books there and it will be a great missionary success. One Krishna book sold means we go forward one step in our Krishna Consciousness. We should always remember this. (Letter to Visnujana Swami April 4, 1971)
This morning as I was reading some letters by Srila Prabhupada, this letter to Visnujana Swami really touched my heart. “My Dear Son, Visnujana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings.” Srila Prabhupada was so sweet in his dealings with his disciples, particularly those who took the mission seriously.
Full letter More
06 Jan 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada Conversations, Visakha devi dasi
Tags: Back to Godhead Magazine, feasting and festivities, God consciousness, ISKCON center, Krsna, Krsna conscious philosophy, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visakha devi dasi
click on images to enlarge
I have always enjoyed going back in time and re-reading the old Back to Godhead Magazines. This one was from 1974 and chronicles the arrival of Srila Prabhupada.
The Arrival of a Pure Devotee
by Visakha-devi dasi
New York: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder and spiritual master of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), stopped here for a few days recently as part of his continuing tour of ISKCON centers around the world. At JFK International Airport, as more than one hundred disciples royally greeted him and curious reporters thronged around him, Srila Prabhupada explained, in clear language and with fixed conviction, the Krsna conscious philosophy of a God-centered society in which “everything animate and inanimate is recognized to be controlled and owned by the Lord.”
“Will this solve the energy crisis?” one reporter asked. “Yes, why not?” Srila Prabhupada immediately responded. “The only lack in the world today is the lack of God consciousness.”
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09 Dec 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Festivals, Lectures, Uncategorized
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, earth mother, festival lectures, krsna consciousness, mother gives life, New York Rathayatra, Ratha Yatra Festival, Srila Prabhupada
The theory of overpopulation was explained by Srila Prabhupada at the famous New York Ratha-yatra festival in 1976. I remember clearly, We were at the park, in one of the worlds largest cities, sourounded by thousands of people, and Srila Prabhupada was speaking about how Krsna is feeding the world…
…God is father, supreme father of everyone. If we simply study this verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, that the mother nature is the mother of all living entities and God is the supreme father of everyone… We can study these two lines very carefully. On the earth we can see so many living entities are coming out, beginning from the grass, then so many insects, reptiles, big trees, then animals, birds, beasts, then human beings. They are all coming from the earth, and they are living at the expense of earth. The earth is supplying food to everyone. As the mother gives life or maintains the child by the milk of her breast, similarly, the earth mother is maintaining all different types of living entities. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and the earth, mother earth is supplying food. There are thousands of elephants in the African jungle, they are also being supplied with food. And within your room in a hole there are thousands of ants, they are also being supplied food by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the philosophy is that we should not be disturbed by the so-called theory of over-population. If God can feed elephants, why he cannot feed you? You do not eat like the elephant. So this theory, that there is a shortage of food or overpopulation, we do not accept it. God is so powerful that He can feed everyone without any difficulty. Simply we are mismanaging. Otherwise there is no difficulty.
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28 Nov 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arsha Prayoga, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Book Changes, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Lectures, Uncategorized
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arsha Prayoga, as it is, Bhagavad Gita, bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, book changes, no change, original books, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books, Srimad Bhagavatam
…
…That is the gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not give you anything which is not in the śāstra. He’s ācārya, although He’s God Himself. He can make śāstra. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, that is śāstra. But still, because He’s playing the part of ācārya, He immediately gives Vedic evidences. That is the way of ācārya. Ācāryas will never say, “I think.” “It is in my opinion.” No. Such things are not accepted. No personal opinion. It must be supported by Vedic evidences. That is called paramparā system, genuine system of understanding. As Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. No change. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. We have no power to change. Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? I am a third-class man, and if I change the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? That is going on. Therefore it is practically… You have got experience that there are hundreds of Bhagavad-gītā editions in the Western countries, but because we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, our sale is better than all others. There is a report from the trade manager of Macmillan. He says, “While other editions are dwindling, going down, this edition is coming up.” They published our, this present enlarged edition of Bhagavad-gītā, fifty thousand in the month of August. They are going to print again, second edition, August, September, October. So the reason is that if we present things as they are, it will be accepted. Without any adulteration. Sometimes, you know, people say that I have done miracles. They say everywhere. But I do not know anything, miracles or magic. If there is any miracle, that miracle is that we present things as they are. That’s all. Without any adulteration. So that should be the principle. Present as it is. It will be accepted.
excerpted from a lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.11 Vrindavan India October 22, 1972
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10 Nov 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, back to Godhead, dvapara-yuga, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, hearing and chanting, Kali-yuga, satya-yuga, sravanam kirtanam, Srila Prabhupada, temple worship, The Real Peace Formula, Treta-yuga
Latley I have been reading some of Srila Prabhupada’s early Essays & Articles, as can be found at Prabhupada Books. The following “The Real Peace Formula” is an example of his early writting.
The Real Peace Formula
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
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22 Sep 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada vani, Srila Prabhupada's Books
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, books by Srila Prabhupada, hearing through reading, read my books, Srila Prabhupada, Vidura Mahatma dasa
The following is a collection of quotes by Srila Prabhupada on the subject of reading his books. This is just an excerpt from a larger file entitled “A Spiritual Approach” by Vidura Mahatma dasa, which can be found at the end of this post.
The importance of Srila Prabhupada’s books upon humanity can not be over stressed! Thus it is with pleasure we repeat some of these quotes on hearing through reading.
“These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing.” (Letter 19/10/74)
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14 Sep 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Darwin, The Journey of Self, Theory of Evolution
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Darwin, Darwin's theory, evolutionists, imformation of the soul, soul, Srila Prabhupada, The Journey of Self, theory of evolution, transmigrating from one body to another
The other day a devotee friend was asking me if Srila Prabhupada had ever discussed with his disciples the topic of Dinosaurs. “That is a good question, I am not really sure”, I replied. So I went to Prabhupada Books and did a search. Sure enough there was some discussion about the theory of evolution and the dinosaur. We share with you one such conversation.
The Journey of Self
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 7
Evolution in Fact and Fantasy
Los Angeles, June 1972: Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that Darwin’s theory of evolution is inconclusive and illogical. But Darwin’s is not the only theory of evolution. The Vedas explain that an evolutionary process governs the progress of the soul. “We accept evolution,” Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “but not that the forms of the species are changing. The bodies are all already there, but the soul is evolving by changing bodies and by transmigrating from one body to another…. The defect of the evolutionists is that they have no information of the soul.”
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19 Aug 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Journey to America, The Jaladuta Diary
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jaladuta, Jaladuta Diary, journey to america, Scindia steamship Co. Sumatee Morarji, Srila Prabhupada, the jaladuta
This morning we share with you the Prabhupada_Jaladuta-Diary as a free pdf download you can read online or save to your computer. Below is a brief description of Srila Prabhupada’s Journey to America.
Journey to America
A few days before his sixty-ninth birthday, Srila Prabhupada set out for America. He got a free ticket to travel to New York from the proprietor of Scindia Steamship Company, Smt. Sumatee Morarji. He was the only passenger on board that small weathered cargo ship named Jaladuta. In his possession were a suitcase, an umbrella, a supply of dry cereal, about seven dollar’s worth of Indian currency (approximately Rupees Forty) and several boxes of books.
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14 Jul 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotee Bussiness's, Krishna Store, Lectures, Sankirtan, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhagavad-gita classes, krishna book dictation, Krishna Store, krishnastore.com, morning walk conversations, nectar of devotion classes, Prabhupada Ultimate Audio Collection, room conversations, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada Kirtan and Bhajan Collection, Srimad Bhagavatam classes
Prabhupada Ultimate Audio Collection (8 DVD-ROM Set)
This link appeared in my mailbox this morning from; Krishna Store.com I am always glad to promote Srila Prabhupada, encourage others to listen to his lectures and read his books, as well as help other devotees in spreading this message. So it is with pleasure we share with you the above link, and hope you will visit Krishna Store.
A beautiful 8 DVD-ROM Boxed Set containing over 1,200 hours of Prabhupada’s lectures, classes, morning walks, room conversations, and discussions with more than 100 hours of kirtans and bhajans in high quality 128 Kb/sec MP3 Format.
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08 Jul 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Madhava Smullen, People
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, eternal relationship, guru, Iskcon, New Vrindaban, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's forth visit to new vrindaban, The Hare Krishna Movement
click on image to enlarge
An Eternal Relationship
Prabhupada’s Fourth Visit to New Vrindaban
(written by Madhava Smullen, archival aesearch by Chaitanya Mangala)
Thank you to Madhava Smullen and Caitanya Mangala prabhus. They are trying to re-create the history on New Vrindaban. The fact that they have focused their writing around the time frame of Srila Prabhupada’s visit there makes it noteworthy.
June 21st, 1976 was a normal day at the Pittsburgh International airport until a group of Krishna devotees from New Vrindaban, dressed in an odd combination of dhotis or saris with large rubber farm boots, appeared. Commuters stared open-mouthed as the fifty-strong crew exploded into a cacophonous burst of chanting, mridanga drums, and gongs in front of the arrival gate.
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05 Jun 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Chanting Hare Krishna, Devotee's, Hansadutta das, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Mantra Meditation
Tags: books by Srila Prabhupada, chanting, chanting Hare Krishna, Handadutta das, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, holy name of Krsna, mantra meditation, philosophy of Krsna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada
I have been going through my older files of late, and ran across this fine article posted by Hansadutta Prabhu some years ago on his site Krsna World.
Although Srila Prabhupada wrote many books, he one day asked me, “So why did I write all these books?” I said, “So we can know the philosophy, learn the philosophy.” He said, “No, the purpose of all these books is to convince you to chant the holy name of Krishna.”
The Holy Name Is All There Is
by Hansadutta das
Chanting is exactly like the simple method of inhaling and exhaling. Although it seems like a very simple act, it is nevertheless the essence of the whole thing. Without that inhaling and exhaling, none of the other activities can take place. We also understand that no one simply inhales and exhales, but all the other activities are supportive of the inhaling and exhaling.
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29 May 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement
Tags: Allen Ginsberg, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Hare Krishna Movement, Jack Kerouac, Janis Joplin and Big Brother, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, Owsley Stanley, prabhupada, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Srila Prabhupada, the Hell's Angels, The Peace Formula, The Yoga of Love, Timothy Leary
My dear friend from the Prabhupada Connection, Padmpani Prabhu, sent me the following post in my mail box the other day and gave me his permission to post it. So with great pleasure we are posting it here.. Please, if you havn’t already, check out his famous site The Prabhupada Connection
Whatever Happened to the Revolution?
For many of us who came of age in the Sixties and Seventies, the counterculture and its promise of an alternative society based on love and peace was an important part of our lives. Art, music, poetry, philosophy, ecology and human rights were just a few of the buzzwords floating through the collective psyche of the Sixties generation. Revolution was in the air. “The establishment” was doomed and soon to be replaced with a kinder, gentler society. Peace would reign supreme and all peoples of the world would unite and be free from the chains of oppression. Or so we thought.
At the time, it appeared that massive cultural changes were about to sweep away the capitalist system (or the “military industrial complex,” as we used to call it). Every day there was a new victory for change. Underground newspapers proliferated, broadcasting the latest progress reports: the sit-ins, the love-ins, the be-ins, the antiwar and civil rights demonstrations, the Democratic National Convention of 1968, the Chicago Seven Trial, Woodstock, etc. Something was happening here, and it was big.
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05 May 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada vani, Srila Prabhupada's Books
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, direct association, Mahesh Raja das, prabhupada vani, reading srila prabhupada's books, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books, vani, vapu
Sometime back I saw this article on the Prabhupada News website that I saved to my files because it is a good assortment of quotes.
You Can Directly Associate With Srila Prabhupada by Reading His Books
compiled by Mahesh Raja
…. it is described here that ONE HAS TO ASSOCIATE WITH LIBERATED PERSONS NOT DIRECTLY, PHYSICALLY, BUT BY UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC, THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE. (Srimad-Bhagavatam – 3.31.48 Purport)
Prabhupada: JUST FOLLOW HIS ORDER. SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ALONG WITH YOU BY HIS WORDS. Just like my spiritual master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words. (Lecture – London, August 18, 1971)
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