Author: Vrindavanachandra Das

In the beginning he [Arjuna] was not in agreement with Krsna. He made so many arguments with Krsna against fighting. And at the end, he agreed. "Yes," he said. He became a yes man. So we have to become a yes man to the Supreme Lord. That's all. That is the perfection of our spiritual life. Now we are all "no men." God says this, I say "no." Stubborn. I say, "no." Now simply we have to say "yes"....

We are trying, even our Krsna consciousness mission, we are trying to awaken. Still they are so unfortunate they cannot give up sense gratification. So unfortunate. Condemned, unfortunate. Repeatedly we are spending our gallons of blood -- "Don't do this" - still they are doing. Cannot give up even sleeping. So condemned. Kali-yuga. Mandah sumanda-matayah.

One who is engaged in devotional service has not the least fear in material existence. This is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone. One who knows this secret is actually educated, and one thus educated can become the spiritual master of the world. One who is an actually bona fide spiritual master, representative of Krsna, is not different from Krsna.

Neither spiritual retreats, churches, mosques, temples, karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dry empirical philosophy, nor imitation devotees can save humanity from the jaws of death. They are inadequate for purifying the consciousness because what they offer as spiritual succor is limited by their sectarian vision, a set of do's and don'ts, and a rigid approach that simply further entangle humanity in the material energy.

Yesterday we learned from Bhagavad-gita soul's position is sarva-gatah. Soul can go anywhere. That is, it has got the freedom. Those who are spiritually advanced by yogic mystic power, they can also move anywhere he likes. Anima, laghima siddhi. There are still yogis in India who early in the morning takes bath in four dhamas: Hardwar, Jagannatha Puri, Ramesvaram, and Dvaraka. There are still yogis.

O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.

Only by Srila Prabhupada's compassion, intelligence, and complete surrender to the will of Krsna were Westerners able to receive the rare gift of Krsna consciousness. Thus Srila Prabhupada's contribution, proves that he was empowered by God to spread love of God all over the world. Such a unique world-teacher is not to be replaced.

I remember in the airport after the ecstatic greeting and kirtan there were some reporters there, and this reporter kept asking Srila Prabhupada when it was that he realized God. Srila Prabhupada, as we know, would never ever put himself forward or take credit. He was always a humble servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the most intimate devotees of Krishna.

"I had a dream that Vaikuntha men came to take me. They were all white men with shaven heads." Quoted in Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, Vol. 6, Chapter 8, "I Have Done My Part."

Just as Krsna does not take a step away from Vrndavana, Krsna's devotee also does not like to leave Vrndavana. However, when he has to tend to Krsna's business, he leaves Vrndavana. After finishing his mission, a pure devotee returns home, back to Vrndavana, back to Godhead.

In India I lived in Vrndavana, and now I am in America, but this does not mean that I am out of Vrndavana, because if I think of Krsna always, then I'm always in Vrndavana, regardless of the material designation. Krsna consciousness means that one always lives with Krsna on that spiritual planet, Goloka Vrndavana, and that one is simply waiting to give up this material body.

Na hi gopyam hi sadhunam: "Sadhu, those who are saintly person, for them there is no secret." There is no secret. There is no privacy. A sadhu has no privacy. Just now in our ordinary social affairs, there is difference between private life and his public life. Now, if somebody is teacher... Now, he is very good teacher, he can explain very nicely a subject matter, but his private life is not very good, then he is not a...