A brahmacari, from the very beginning of his life, he is trained to act only for guru. That is brahmacari. It is enjoined that a brahmacari live at the shelter, at the care of guru just like a menial servant. Krsna also, although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He was living as […]

To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Krsna, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take […]

Real bhakti is raganuga-bhakti. This raganuga-bhakti, we have to come after surpassing the vaidhi-bhakti [regulative process]. In the material world, if we do not try to make further and further progress in devotional service, if we are simply sticking to the sastric [scriptural] regulation process and do not try to go beyond that… The sastric […]

Where is happiness? Within the womb there was unhappiness, packed-up. When he comes down there is unhappiness. Then go to school, take education, appear for examination — that is unhappiness. Then grow up, then engage in some earning money — that is unhappiness. Then maintain your children, and that is unhappiness. Where is happiness, rascals? […]

Don’t spoil your children. The modern educational system without any knowledge of Bhagavan, I may tell you frankly, not only in India, everywhere, they are practically slaughterhouse. Because in our country, it is a different thing; at least we have got the Vedic culture at home if it is not in the schools. But in […]

They were never autocratic monarchs. The scriptures like Manu-samhita and other authorized books of the great sages were guiding principles for ruling the subjects, and there was no need for less intelligent persons to manufacture a code of law in the name of democracy. The less intelligent mass of people have very little knowledge of […]

As your production is there, give me twenty-five percent. I’ll give you protection.” That is ksatriya business. Brahmana’s business: teaching. And vaisya: till the field, agriculture, get your food. Now, where is dependence? Only a sudra, he cannot take up all these things. “Give me some service, sir. Give me some service.” In the modern […]

In so-called civilized society there is sometimes agitation against cruelty to animals, but at the same time regular slaughterhouses are always maintained. A Vaisnava is not like that. A Vaisnava can never support animal slaughter or even give pain to any living entity. Srila Prabhupada, Nectar of Devotion

A Vaisnava strictly follows this principle of being humbler than the grass and more tolerant than a tree, expecting no honor from others but offering honor to everyone. In this way, a Vaisnava is simply interested in chanting about the Supreme Personality of Godhead and glorifying Him. Haridasa Thakura epitomized this foremost order of Vaisnavism. […]

Srila Prabhupada was giving a talk on Srimad Bhagavatam and was pointing to a painting that was in the temple room of SrimatiRadharani offering Tulasi leaves to the lotus feet of Krsna and some gopis in the background, looking through the trees.  So Srila Prabhupada pointed, saying, “Radharani is worshipping the feet of Krsna, and […]

You mentioned that your pathway has become filled with stumbling blocks, but there are no stumbling blocks, I can kick out all those stumbling blocks immediately, provided you accept my guidance. With one stroke of my kick I can kick out all stumbling blocks. From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Krsna dasa — 9 September, 1972

Krsna is very much anxious because we are suffering and we are sons of Krsna; we are part and parcel of Krsna. He is unhappy to see that you are suffering. That is natural. If the son is suffering from ailment, the father also suffers: “How the son will be cured?” The son may not […]