Author: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

  1. Bhagavad-gita for the benefit of all

    Bhagavad-gita is not a book on bhakti-yoga for a person only, individual. No. It is meant for the whole mass of people, the whole human society, the leader of the human society or the leader of the family. Everyone should understand Bhagavad-gita very nicely and distribute the knowledge to his subordinates. The father should know the purport of Bhagavad-gita and
  2. Get out of the family life created by illusion

    Grhastha refers to one who lives with family, wife and children, but whose real purpose of living is to develop Krsna consciousness. One is therefore advised to become a grhastha and not a grhamedhi. The grhastha's concern is to get out of the family life created by illusion and enter into real family life with Krsna, whereas the grhamedhi s business is to repeatedly
  3. No Krishna cartoons

    The point is that these drawings should be realistic. Not that you make Krishna a cartoon character and therefore laughing stock. And hippy ideas shouldn't be used either. Whatever technique is there, make it realistic. That will be nice. From Srila Prabhupada's letter to Madhusudana — London 18 August, 1971
  4. First job of GBC

    You mention you like to speak now very often, but the first business should be to preach to the devotees. It is better to maintain a devotee than to try to convince others to become devotees. It is the duty of the GBC to maintain the devotees, keep them in the highest standard of Krishna Consciousness, and give them all good instruction, and let them go out and preach
  5. Grow more food, rascal!

    Practically we see, with the advancement Kali-yuga, people are forgetting his relationship with Krsna, and the price of commodity and the food grains, the price is increasing. They cannot eat sufficiently. So many people are dying of starvation. If they cannot eat, how they will live? Therefore Krsna gives His instruction. He's the supreme ruler. He gives this order:
  6. Kirtana: better not to use new melodies

    In 1969, Vishnujan and Naranarayana were prominent Sankirtan leaders in Los Angeles. They got the idea that Sankirtan could use some new, 'catchy' melodies. They composed some that they thought would work very well chanted in the streets. Prabhupada graciously agreed that they could sing them for him. He smiled and looking on with approval as they chanted their new
  7. Kalyana Dasa’s siddha-svarupa

    Kalyana Dasa, a second-initiated Bengali devotee who lived outside the temple and worked as an insurance agent and school teacher, came to Mayapur to see Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada asked him about his spiritual life and also inquired about his wife and children. It was a sweet, warm exchange. Then Kalyana asked, "Srila Prabhupada, what is my siddha-svarupa?" What
  8. Brain-damaging education

    Modern education means to finish their brain. To make him more and more illiterate. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, jada-vidya saba mayara vaibhava. This education is the expansion of maya. How it helps us? There is no question of help. It binds you more and more in material life. You are already illusioned, and it will create more illusion, so that you will be bound up
  9. Drink milk, not blood – and protect cows

    One who takes to Krsna consciousness seriously and perfectly, he must be very, very intelligent." Dull brain cannot accept it. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. So we have to make our brain very clean. And for that purpose you require to drink not very much — at least one pound or half-pound milk daily. That is essential. But no meat-eating.
  10. The most painful experience

    When Lord Caitanya asked Ramananda Raya what is the most painful experience in human society, Ramananda Raya replied that separation from a pure devotee is the most painful experience. In other words, when there is no devotee of the Lord present, there is great suffering in society, and association with other people becomes painful. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.30.6–7) it