1. Advanced civilization means varnasrama

    A civilization in which the people do not know how the representative of Narada and Krsna should be respected, how society should be formed and how one should advance in Krsna consciousness — a society concerned only with manufacturing new cars and new skyscrapers every year and then breaking them to pieces and making new ones — may be technologically advanced, but it
  2. Grhasthas must find some time for hearing

    The human form of life is meant for liberation, but unfortunately, due to the influence of Kali-yuga, every day the grhasthas are working hard like asses. Early in the morning they rise and travel even a hundred miles away to earn bread. Especially in the Western countries, I have seen that people awaken at five o'clock to go to offices and factories to earn their
  3. Turning dust into coin

    Bengali saying, dhula mati bhatte kare mata[?]: "They are catching dust and it is turning into coin." This proverb is there, dhula mati bhatte kare mato. He is thinking that "I am taking some dust, but when it is in hand, it is coin." That is good time. And when it is bad time, if you catch coin and when it is in your hand, it is dust. We should think that time may
  4. Love means open-heartedness

    Love means two persons, there is exchange. Giving something, taking something, feeding something and to eat something, and speaking everything, no secrecy, and to know everything of the other person. When these things are transacted, then there is love. Dadati pratigrhnati bhunkte bhojayate caiva guhyam akhyati prcchati. If I love you and I have got some secrecy, I
  5. Take birth in India, then go back to Godhead

    Srutakirti: The other day you said that Govinda dasi, she had asked you if in general that we would have to take birth in India before going back home, and you said yes. So we were wondering [laughter] how that's possible that we have to take birth in India. Because we see that they're not very strict Vaisnavas there. Prabhupada: The land is there. Just like this
  6. Five hours temple classes daily

    Along with the Deity worship in this temple, hold classes at least five hours. As in the schools and colleges there are regular classes, forty-five minutes' class, then five or ten minutes' recess, again forty-five minutes' class, in this way, so we have got enough subject matter to study, and if we study all these books, to finish them it will take at least
  7. The criterion of civilization

    This attachment, karmanubaddha, for this material world, everyone is busy — we have discussed many times — from morning till late at night, and night also, they are busy. Big, big factories, they are working day and night, one shift, other shift. That has become the criterion of civilization. Formerly it was less, because this ugra-karma... These factories means
  8. Factory working is most demonic

    Prabhupada: ...their own food, it takes working eight hours for three months. So three months, if they work hard — hard means eight hours, not more than — then the whole year's provision is there. Siddha-svarupa: Yes. Simply they have to harvest time, maybe two hours a day. Farming or being in the countryside also seems to be... In itself, working in the countryside
  9. Useless and bona fide parents

    In regard to the instructions of the father and mother, it may be said that every living entity, including even the insignificant cats, dogs and serpents, takes birth of a father and mother. Therefore, getting a material father and mother is not a problem. In every form of life, birth after birth, the living entity gets a father and mother. In human society, however
  10. Srila Prabhupada in a lengthy talk about womens’ dress, hair, etc.

    Prabhupada: The lusty desire is so prominent that whenever they will get some opportunity. Therefore it is ordered that you should not remain alone even with your sister, with your daughter, with your mother — and what to speak of others. Sastra says, matra svasra duhitra va naviviktasano bhavet [SB 9.19.17]: "Don't keep yourself alone even with your mother or sister
  11. The only movement

    Because people are suffering for want of this knowledge, therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is the only movement — I can declare very proudly — which can actually do some benefit to the human society. It is the only movement. All other, bogus movements, I declare. Let them come and study the sastras and decide for themselves. They're all cheating