Author: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

  1. Demonic life and its consequences

    In the Vedic culture, those who are meat-eaters, they have been advised that "Don't eat meat purchased from the slaughterhouse or from the market." Actually, this system was never current anywhere, all over the world, that to maintain slaughterhouse. This is latest invention. We talk with sometimes with Christian gentlemen, and when we inquire that "Lord Christ says
  2. Chanting Hare Krsna and chanting Coca-Cola

    In Bombay there is a so-called rascal, he says, "The chanting of Hare Krsna mantra and chanting of Coca-Cola is the same." He is such a rascal. He does not know that this is not a vibration of this material world. But one who has no knowledge, they think that "What is the meaning of this chant, 'Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna'?" But they can practically see that we can go on
  3. Sri Ramanujacarya’s teachings re life’s goal

    Sri Ramanujacarya states in the Vedartha-sangraha that devotional service is naturally very dear to the living entity. Indeed, it is life's goal. This devotional service is supreme knowledge, or Krsna consciousness, and it brings detachment from all material activity. In the transcendental position, a living being can perfectly acknowledge the superiority of serving the Supreme Lord.
  4. Darwin’s theory: you have not improved over the monkeys

    From your example, it appears Americans are not fools. Try to convert them. Tell them that "You are not fools. Why you are becoming fools?" Darwin's theory is that his forefather is monkey, so how he has become tiger? Through meat-eating. Why they are meat-eating? Monkey doesn't. Then you are not really self-realized. Rascal! When you are born [laughs], you are begotten by the dog or tiger, not by monkey.
  5. Things are going on without Gandhi

    When Gandhi attained independence, I requested him in a letter, "Mahatma Gandhi, now you started your struggle with the Britishers, that they should go and Indians should have their independence. Now you have attained independence and Britishers have gone. Now you preach Bhagavad-gita. You have got some influence. You are known throughout the whole world a very great saintly person, and you also pose yourself that you are a great scholar of Bhagavad-gita. Why don't you take up Bhagavad-gita...
  6. A devotee’s only profession

    From SB 6.5.14 purport, by Srila Prabhupada: Karmis change their professions at any moment, but a Krsna conscious person does not change his profession, for his only profession is to attract the attention of Krsna by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and living a very simple life, without following daily changes of fashion.
  7. Fifty Years to Finish Srimad-Bhagavatam

    I am very much stressing at this point that all of my students shall be very much conversant with the philosophy of Krsna consciousness, and that they should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles. We are holding our morning class in Los Angeles in the temple and I am speaking from 7 to 8 am, and the process is that we are...
  8. Devotees can obtain anything

    Everyone in this material world is attempting to acquire riches to satisfy the senses. Actually no one cares for anything other than acquiring material possessions and maintaining them. The wealthy are generally accepted as the most important personalities in this material world, but when we compare a material man of wealth to one wealthy in devotional service to Radha and Krsna, the latter is found to be the greatest capitalist. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.39.2):
  9. Reading, a simple tapasya

    Divyam is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: janma karma ca divyam me [Bg. 4.9]. If you simply take little trouble to understand Krsna... That tapasya required: to read Krsna's instruction, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and try to understand Krsna. Because that tapasya, if you take little painful... It is not painful; it is very pleasing. But we avoid it. We think it is painful: "Ah! Who is going to read books? We are meant for selling books, not for reading books." This...
  10. Machines, motorcars, and skyscrapers, but still barbarian

    Prabhupada: Our first necessity is food and clothing. So that can be done anywhere: you grow your food and grow your cloth, the material necessities. And you can have a small cottage. We should always remember that we are not materialists. We are not going to pompous show that "I have got this material possession." That is not our business. But because we have got this body, that is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. We need something to...