1. How devotees see suffering

    Prabhupada: Yes, it is because he is always free. Why do you make Krsna dependent on your so-called goodwill, that “Krsna must give me always pleasure”? This is sense gratification. This is sense gratification, that you approach Krsna for your comfort, sense gratification. That is not bhakti. That is sense gratification. Prahlada Maharaja was given […]
  2. Bloop

    Swamiji’s lectures often included the metaphor of falling back into the material illusory ocean or maya. He would gesture as if throwing a stone. One day Vince got confused and yelled, “I don’t get it. It’s just another religion, another sectarian cult.” He stomped out of the temple. Brahmananda and I looked at each other, […]
  3. Spiritual life: no envy

    Unity is possible on the spiritual platform, not on the material platform. Material platform means “I am envious of you; you are envious of me.” Matsarata. Matsarata means matsarata para utkarsah asahanam[?]: when I cannot tolerate other increasing in opulence, I become envious. This is material life. Spiritual life is different. Spiritual life means if […]
  4. Thief population will starve

    A huge arrangement exists for the production of large-scale industrial and agricultural products, but all these products are meant for sense gratification. Therefore despite such productive capacities there is scarcity because the world’s population is full of thieves. The word cori-bhute indicates that the population has turned to thievery. According to Vedic understanding, men are […]
  5. Advice to preachers

    Our principle should be to speak strictly according to the Bhagavatam. No change. Then you will be successful. And to understand this, one should be given chance: chant Hare Krsna as much as you can. No argument. That’s all. And preacher should behave himself exactly what he speaks. Apani acari prabhu jivere sikhaya. First of […]
  6. Vaisnava dress is necessary

    Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Then preksaniya, “He is worth seeing.” We are accustomed to see so many things. That is our bondage. Aksnoh phalam. If by the eyes you see the Deity, the Vaisnavas… The Vaisnavas, with tilaka, with kunti, with chanting beads, as soon as you see… […]
  7. Health

    Guest (2): What is the importance of health in life, and how does Guruji advise people to maintain health, and how does it connect to your mission? Prabhupada: Where is health? First of all you have to understand that however healthy you may be, you must die. What problem you have solved? Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9], […]
  8. Switching off & on a fan

    “Your sinful karma is like a revolving fan,” Swamiji explains. “By chanting Hare Krishna, you turn it off. The fan may still revolve for a while afterbeing turned off, but since it is getting no more juice, it will soon stop.” “When it stops, does it stop for good?” someone asks. “You know where the […]
  9. Vaisnava preachers are harassed

    It is said that in the Kali-yuga if one cannot spend money in court, one cannot get justice. Indeed, in courts of justice it is often found that magistrates are bribed for favorable judgments. Sometimes religious men who preach the Krsna consciousness movement for the benefit of the entire populace are arrested and harassed by […]
  10. United Nations of criminals

    There is another story. A group of thieves stolen some things, and when they were dividing, one of them: ‘Kindly, morally divide. Morally divide. Honestly divide.’ The thing is taken dishonestly, and they are dividing honestly. This is going on, whole world. Everything is taken dishonestly, and when there is question of division, the United […]
  11. Lessons from world history

    If we study the history of the world, we see that it is simply a history of struggle. Mankind attempts to relieve its miserable condition, but it simply brings about another miserable condition. As we try to overcome one problem, another problem arises. Our determination to renounce our association with this material world is called […]