THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE GURU MUST BE ACCEPTED AS ONE’S LIFE AND SOUL

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

We have to receive mercy both from the spiritual master and Krishna. We cannot jump over to Krishna. That is another nonsense. We must approach Krishna through guru. That is paramparā system. Krishna is not so cheap thing that you can jump over. Somebody says, “Oh, why shall I accept guru? I can approach Krishna directly.” No. Krishna does not accept such…

Mad-bhaktah pūjābhyadhikah: Krishna says that “First of all you become devotee of My devotee.” Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsah: “I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna [Cc. Madhya 13.80].” This is called paramparā system. You have to learn how to become servant of the servant of Krishna. The more you become in the lower position—servant, servant, servant, servant, servant, hundreds times servant, servant—then more you are advanced. Here in this material world everyone is trying to be master of the master. Just opposite. And the spiritual world, the endeavor is to become servant’s servant. This is the secret.

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REAL YOGA MEANS LOVING VĀSUDEVA BHAGAVĀN

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

If you place your loving tendency to Vāsudeva, then vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ. This can be done perfectly by bhakti-yoga, not by any other system. There are different yoga systems. Everything is mixed up with a little bhakti like karma-yoga, jnāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga.. But the real yoga means loving Vāsudeva, Bhagavān. Therefore Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gita, yogināṁ api sarveṣāṁ [Bg. 6.47]. In all other yoga systems there is little tinge of vāsudeva-bhakti, but not cent percent pure. It is mixed, miśrā-bhakti. Miśrā-bhakti will not be immediately fruitful. It will take a long, long time. Bahūnām janmanām ante jnānavān mām prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Everything, there is some bhakti-yoga, but if it is not pure, then it will take very, very, very, very long time.

Bhagavan Vāsudeva Krishna – the son of Vasudeva

Bahūnām janmanām: One janma (birth) means hundreds of years. We are not talking of any other janma. Even human form of life. Because those who are advanced in spiritual life, there is every possibility for getting next life a human being. Otherwise nobody knows. Those who are ignorant, they do not know that there will be change of body: tathā dehāntara prāptir. That is a fact. But those who are in the sattva-guṇa, they are sure to get next life in the human society. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. śucīnāṁ means pure brāhmaṇa, and śrīmatāṁ means very rich vaiśya or kṣatriya. Kings and mercantile communities are rich, or śrīmat. Śrī means opulence, and mat means “one who has”. Śrīmatām.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOING TO THE HEAVENLY PLANETS AND GOING TO KRISHNA’S PLANET

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

If you want to go to the higher planetary systems by pious activities, then you can go there, yānti deva-vratā devān. You can go to the planet where Lord Brahma lives or where Indra lives or Chandra lives. Through the modern process, you can go to the moon planet by taking a sputnik or jet. But by (the sputnik or jet) you can go – whether you can go or not, that is up to you (to believe) – but you cannot stay there. That is not possible.

Krishna tends the cows in His Supreme Abode, Goloka Vrindavan

If you want to stay there, then yānti deva-vratā devān. You have to prepare yourself by worshiping that particular deva, or deity, demigod; then you will be admitted. Just like if you want to go to a foreign country you have to take the permission of the immigration department, visa, then you can go. If that law is there in this planet, why not for other planets? How can you go abruptly, by force? That is not possible. Yānti deva-vratā devān. You have to prepare yourself to go.

You can go there, but after this life. If you are sufficiently prepared to enter that particular type of planet, you can go there. Similarly, you can go to the planet where Krishna lives. Mad-yājino ‘pi yānti mām [Bg. 9.25]. So what is the difference between going to the higher planetary systems, heavenly planet, and going to the planet where Krishna lives?

WAS KRISHNA BORN, AND IF SO, WHERE?

Answer By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Yes, Krishna was born, but you have to know how Krishna is born. That is your intelligence. Just like sun is born every morning. There is no sun now, but in the morning we will see sun and from the eastern side. So do you think that eastern side is the mother of sun? Because sun is born from the eastern side, you can take it for granted that eastern side is the mother of sun. Similarly, Krishna appears in similar way, but that does not mean that He is born. That is stated in the Fourth Chapter, Bhagavad-gita: janma karma me divyam yo jānāti tattvatah: “Anyone who understands in truth how I take My birth, how I work, how I am transcendental…” Simply by knowing these three things—how Krishna is born, and how does He work and what is His actual position—the result is tyaktvā deham punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: [Bg. 4.9] “My dear Arjuna, simply knowing these three things, one comes to Me after quitting this material body.” Punar janma naiti: “He never again comes back to…” That means, in other words, if you can understand the birth of Krishna, then you will stop your any more birth. You will be free from this birth and death. So try to understand how Krishna takes His birth.

WHAT IS YAGNA AND WHICH PROCESS IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A YAGNA?

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

According to Vedic injunctions, a fire sacrifice is held in order to give food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the names of the different demigods. While performing a fire sacrifice, one pronounces the word svāhā in mantras such as indrāya svāhā and ādityāya svāhā. These mantras are uttered to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead through demigods such as Indra and Āditya, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead says:

ONE GETS LIBERATED WHEN ONE IS FREE FROM SENSE GRATIFICATION

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

If you come here and dance and chant or ring the bell or anything about the ārātrika, if you see  anything you do, that is your permanent credit. Therefore, for the common man, this chance is given. This temple is meant for that purpose – that people will come to see the Deity.

Srila Prabhupada offering “aratrika”, a ceremony for showing respect and veneration to the Supreme Lord  

The Deity is Krishna. Don’t think otherwise. Krishna has agreed to be dressed by you. If you think of Krishna, about His virāt-rūpa (universal form), you will fail to

OFFERING NICE FOOD STUFFS TO KRISHNA IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

You must have sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating—but as far as you can maintain your body very nicely. Not that voluntarily you shall starve. No.

Just like these boys and girls, we are not starving. But our eating krsna-prasādam means just to live nicely for executing Krishna consciousness. We are not meant for going to the cinema or for other sense gratification purposes, but because we have got this body, there is no question that we shall stop eating.

Hare Krishna devotees honouring prasadam, food which is first offered to Krishna

We eat prasādam, krsna -prasādam, and that is very palatable. Krishna should be offered first class preparations because Krishna is the Supreme Lord. But if we don’t have money to supply Him nice things, then Krishna will be satisfied, as Krishna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Krishna wants that you offer Him something with devotional love, that’s all.

Krishna is not hungry. Krishna is ātmārāma. He is self-sufficient. He does not require (anything from us). He is producing food for us. That’s a fact. We get so many fruits and flowers. We don’t manufacture it in the factory; neither it is possible. It is manufactured by Krishna. Raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoh [Bg. 7.8]. By the action of His different energies these things are produced. For whom are these things are produced? “For Krishna?” No. “For us.”

USE YOUR MONEY PROPERLY – Part II: DON’T BUILD A SKYSCRAPER, BUILD A TEMPLE INSTEAD

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIRST PART 

That is Vedic civilization – if money comes, you don’t hate it. Welcome it. But it should be used properly. That is proper use. If you use your money properly, then you make your path parapavarga, clear. And if you misuse your money, then you become again entangled in the 8,400,000’s of species of life. Therefore, as recommended here: nārthasya dharmai-kāntasya. [This recommendation is for the] dharmaikāntasya – not for the irreligious demons, but for those, who are actually religious, dharmaikāntasya. Your money should not be free, should not be spent unnecessarily for sense gratification. Formerly, this was the civilization in India.

The Radha Madan-mohan Temple in Vrindavana. It was established 500 years ago by Srila Sanatana Goswa

We see so many big, big temples in South India, and in other places also, such as Vrindavana, but especially in South India. At the present moment, it is not possible to construct such huge, expensive temples. But actually, they were done by rich kings, rich mercantile people. That Madana-mohana temple (in Vrindavana) was constructed by a Sindhi merchant. He approached Sanātana Goswāmi, who was sitting underneath the tree, and his Madana-mohana was hanging in the tree.

Inquisitive Persons like to Hear about Krishna because they know it is Beneficial

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

apasyatam atma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2): Those who are ignorant of the atma-tattvam, they indulge in nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va (SB 2.1.3). This is their night’s business. And what is the day’s business? Diva carthehaya rajan: During daytime, “Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? Go here, go there, go there, go… All right, take money. Then how to utilize it?” Now, kutumba-bharanena va. ‘Then go to the shop. Purchase this thing for my wife, for my children, for this, for that.” So money earned and spent. And in the night: sleeping and mating. Then where is your time for cultivating Krsna consciousness? This is the position.

Those who are blind, who do not know what is the value of this life, this human form of life, they are busy in these things. Apasyatam atma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). But actually, this life is meant for understanding atma-tattvam (nature of the soul). Athato brahma jijnasa. This life is not meant for living like cats and dogs: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is all cats’ and dogs’ business. Therefore those who are engaged only in these businesses:

IF YOU GIVE CHARITY TO KRISHNA, YOU CAN PURCHASE KRISHNA

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

As soon as you have got money. Best thing is, as soon as you get money, immediately you spend it for Krishna. Tyāgena means charity. Not that you starve. No. You keep yourself fit to execute Krishna consciousness, but don’t keep much money. Immediately give in charity to Krishna. Krishna can take your charity as much as you can give.

Just like Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja, he secured the whole three worlds. He became the master of the three worlds, i.e. the upper planetary system, lower planetary system, middle planets. But he was a devotee also. Therefore Krishna came to him as Vāmana.

Lord Vamana, the dwarf incarnation of Krishna

chalayasi vikramane balim adbhuta vāmana

pada-nakha-nīra-janita-jana-pāvana

keśava dhrta vāmana śarīra

jaya jagadīśa hare

So, because he was very proud of his possession, therefore Vāmanadeva came to Bali Mahārāja: “Mahārāja, you are ksatriya. I have heard that you are very charitable. If you can give me a little land?” So Bali Mahārāja was very much pleased: “Yes, I will give You. How much land do You want?” ‘Now, three feet.’ “Three feet? For this you have come to me?” ‘Yes, yes.’ So, “All right, I will give you three feet.”

So by one feet He covered the whole sky, and the other feet, he covered the whole lower planetary system. So Bali Mahārāja understood that what kind of beggar is He. (laughter) Yes. So Vāmanadeva said, “My dear Bali Mahārāja, you promised three feet, but by two feet you have finished all your possession. So what about the other feet?”