Forgetting God

Vamanadev: What of the Gurus who claim to be God?
Prabhupada: What if I say I am president Nixon? Would you accept me? Just tell me why not?
Vamanadev: You don't have the characteristics.
Prabhupada: That means you are not insane. (Prabhupada says approvingly). But If I say I am God and you accept me, can you begin to imagine such insantity? One man claims He is God and another man accepts him to be God.

Carlos(A guest): Are we all not one?
Prabhupada: That is a different thing. Are you one with President Nixon?
Carlos: Yes. He's a human being.
Prabhupada: That he may be. As human beings you have so much in common, but still you cannot say that you are president Nixon. In so many qualities, we are one with God but we aren't God. Those who do not how great God is, try to claim His greatness. This is insanity.
Carlos: Yes
Prabhupada: Insanity means forgetting God. Forgetting God means material consciousness, maya. When a man is insane, his condition is considered abnormal. Maya is abnormal departure from our original Krishna Consciousness. In maya, we falsely think we are independant. But really, who's independant?
Kirtananda: No more than proprietorship.
Prabhupada: So these are all false claims. The only real problem is, 'How can I best serve Krishna?' and Krishna is so kind that He says, Just chant Hare Krishna. That's all.

Srila Prabhupada Conversations from Hare Krishna Explosion :: 1968

Who is Krishna?

Columbus Reporter: Are you buddhist?

Prabhupada: Buddhist and Mayavadi philosophies externally deny the existence of God. One says there is no God and other says God is formless or impersonal, but we Vaisnava devotees are personal. We serve the person Krishna and by this we are eternal gainers. Service, as you know, it is not a very pleasant thing in this world, but service to Krishna is different. If you render Him service, you'll be satisfied, Krishna will be satisfied, everyone will be satisfied.

Reporter: Who is this Krishna?

Prabhupada: By Krishna, we refer to God, Bhagavan, The Supreme Person. This Bhagavad Gita is most important. You should read it carefully. We dont have to speculate or read hundreds of books. If we understand just this one book, we understand everything. Give up your mental specualtion. The laws of material nature are kicking us at every moment and we are not the ultimate Supreme Person. So just try to hear about the Supreme from the right source.

Hare Krishna Explosion Ch16: Krishna the flower bearing spring

First Requirement is Sincerity

Srila Prabhupada: Because you are sincere, Krishna is giving you all facilities. The first requirement is sincerity to become the Lord's servant. We don't have to go far. Once qualified, we can talk to the Lord from within. The Lord is beyond our sensual perception, but He can reveal Himself to us. If you are a true lover of Godhead, you can see God everywhere, in your heart and also on the outside. But the Lord reveals Himself only through the bhakti-yoga process.

Hare Krishna Explosion Ch16: Krishna - the flower bearing spring

Maya seen as Krishna's smile!

"... It's easier to renounce what you have never tasted. Once you are habituated to intoxication, gambling, illicit sex or meat-eating, or whatever, it is very difficult to give it up. Habits are hard to break. The urge for sense enjoyment is the very cause of our conditioning. We forget that pur real enjoyment is in serving Krishna and in being enjoyed by Him. In ignorance, we become addicted to so many undesirable things.

But even addicted, you reach a point where you see that there's no happiness in sense gratification. Frustrated by maya, you turn to Krishna. But that is nota desirable road. Best is to never forget Krishna for a moment.

However, Miss Maya is so strong. When she sees you trying to become Krsna Conscious, she will knock you down. She is so strong and we are so weak. Like fire and butter. We should never think that we are stronger than Maya. We have only one recourse - Hare Krishna. When Mayadevi attacks, we must cry, 'Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, please save me.' Since only Krishna is stronger than Maya, only Krishna can protect us. When the pure devotee conquers Krishna through love, then Mayadevi stands before the devotee and says, 'How may I serve you?' Only then does maya cease to be a foe. Only then is Maya seen as Krishna's smile..."

- Srila Prabhupada in a conversation with Disciples
(Hare Krishna Explosion Chapter 9: Mad after Krishna)

“O Lord of the Universe, kindly be visible unto me”

This is Lord Krishna as He is worhsipped in the great temple of Jagannath puri, Orissa. There He resides with His sister Subhadra and brother Balarama.

One kIng Indradyumna of Puri, had commissioned Vishvakarma, the master sculptor who worked for the demigods, to carve him statues of Lord Krishna, His brother Balarama and sister Subhadra. Vishvakarma agreed on one condition: that he would be allowed to complete his work in seclusion. No was to look at the deities before They were completed; if They were seen before completion, he would quit work altogether.

When the king agreed, the sculptor began his work behind closed doors. Months passes, years passed but Vishvakarma did not finish the work. Finally, after waiting for son long, the King one day burst into Vishvakarma’s room and as per Vishvakarma’s word, He vanished immediately, leaving three uncompleted statues in the center of the room. Although unfinished, the statues were so esteemed by the King that he has Them placed in the temple and worshipped them opulently.

Every year the Lord leaves the temple for the beach and in Jagannath Puri there is a great procession. When Lord Chaitanya first walked into the temple and saw Lord Jagannath, He said, ‘O here is Krishna.’ and feel down in a trance of ecstacy and did not come out for days.’

Lord Jagannath has special benefits: His compassion extends even to those addicted to bar and brothel, and His worship does not entail all the elaborate strictures of Deity worship.

Prabhupada teaches us a new mantra especially for Lord Jagannath:

Jagannath swamin nayana patha gami bhavatume – “Lord of the Universe, kindly be visible unto me”

 - Srila Prabhupada to disciples

(Hare Krishna Explosion Chapter 8: Flowers for Lord Jagannath)

Material achievements are like play toys.

"They are modelled after real things. but they are just imitations. A little girl may spend hours imagining that her doll house is real, but it is still a toy all the time. Krishna has impregnated this material world with spiritual sparks, ourselves. And we are little children playing with toys, and Krishna is a kind father allowing us to play to our hearts' content. The material body comes into being, and it grows, leaves some by-prodycts, gets older, dwindles and vanishes. And this process is repeated over and over. But to avoid all this suffering, we must return to Krishna, to reality. Illusion is always strong and is saying, 'Look here! Enjoy. You are God! Why do you worship.?'

We are in the reflection and are being baffled. There is a saying, 'I thought I was building my cottage safely, but it was burnt to ashes.' Whatever we do here is patchwork. Where can you get happiness? Whatever material thing you will get will eventually vanish. So this sense of temporary nature of things should come to us.."

- Srila Prabhupada (Hare Krishna Explosion Ch6 Pg 114)

Why can't I see Krishna even after Chanting?

Hayagriva Das writes that although I have been chanting for long, the cosmos has not unfolded psychedelically before me. What have I done wrong? Why haven't I seen that apocalyptic vision witnessed by Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra?



According to Prabhupada, Sri Krishna revealed this form to Arjuna as a special favour. What Arjuna saw of course is beyond description and human imagination. He saw the entire creation contained in the Lord's body. The pure devotees however are not eager to see this form. Devotees prefer the two-armed form of Krishna as a cowherd boy. The virat-svarupa is exhibited to materialistic men who can be impressed only by the might and opulence of the Supreme.

So, I finally gather the courage to approach Prabhupada and ask, "Why can't I see Krishna as Arjuna saw Him on the battlefield"?

"You can" Swamiji says. "This is the process, chanting Hare Krishna." "I've been chanting Hare Krishna for more than four months now, but still I don't see that universal form with all the heads and arms. What am I doing wrong."? I complain.

Swamaiji looks for a moment and hands me the manuscripts of his recent translations of the elevanth chapter verses. I read:

"O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours. If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that unlimited universal Self." (Gita 11.3-4)

"There" Swamiji says. "If You think I am able to behold Your cosmic form." So what does that mean?
I look at the verse and think deeply again and feel stupid again.

"It means Lord Krishna is the best judge, So Arjuna leaves it to Him." I say.

"Yes, that is the process. Arjuna was a great warrior and a great devotee of Krishna, He didn't want to see that virat-svarupa for his personal benefit. He was asking on behalf of the materialists. Yet he says to Krishna that 'If You think I am able'. This is the attitude we should have. What do you think?"

"I don't think I am ready" I say.



"Yes. my spiritual master used to say, 'Don't work hard to try to see God, but work in such a way that God wants to see you.' So we should just go on with our chanting, and see Krishna in our service. Carry on with devotional service sincerely, and everything will come in time."

- Hare Krishna Explosion Ch6: Back to Godhead

 

Mother Cow

November 7 1966: In delhi, 200000 hindus riot, demanding an immediate ban on government cow slaughter.

"The government is atheistic" Prabhupada comments, "but you can see that the people are protesting. The know that go-mata, mother cow is beloved of Krishna and therefore sacred."

Prabhupada outlines a letter to The Times of India, and sites Vedic injunctions against cow slaughter, pointing that the cow is one of man's mothers, representative of the earth.

"There a very severe reactions awaiting all of them." Prabhupada comments. "Cattlemen, cow butchers, transporters, restaurant owners and consumers. Even the dishwasher."

From the Hare Krishna Explosion Chap 5 by Hayagriva Das

Krishna Consciousness means coming out of the Comfort Zone

Do you think of returning to Vrindavan? Rayarama asks Srila Prabhupada


(Srila Prabhupada in His room at Radha Damodar Temple, Vrindavan)

Srila Prabhupada: "My heart is always hankering after that Vrindavan. Even though I am sitting in New York a magnificent city, I shall be very happy to return to my Vrindavan, that sacred place. Of course, if someone asks, "Why are you here?' I must say that it is my duty. I have brought some message for you people. My Guru maharaja ordered me, 'Whatever you have learned, whatever knowledge you have, you should go to the western countries and distribute it.' If I go and sit down in Vrindavan, I will be very comfortable there and have no anxiety. But I have taken these risks in old age because I am duty bound. In spite of all inconveniences, one has to execute his duty. This is the basic principle for advancement in spiritual knowledge.

If we think of Krishna, we are always in Vrindavan. Krishna consciousness means living with Krishna in that spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindavan. You simply have to wait to give up the body. That is the process.



Ananya cetah satatam yo mam smarati nityasah - For one who remembers Krishna constantly, Krishna becomes purchased. The greatest most valuable thing, becomes easily available. Why?
Tasyaham sulabhah partha nitya yukta yoginah - Beacuse My devotee is continually engaged in Bhakti Yoga, I am easily available.

Ofcourse you may think sometimes it is not that easy, but sometimes when the moon is covered by clouds, we think it is not there because everything is dark. But when the clouds pass, we see that the moon has been there all the time, shining in all its brightness. This Krishna Consciousness movement is that benediction moon, shining through the clouds of Kali-Yuga.

- The Hare Krishna Explosion Chapter 5

Pleasure and Pain

Walking down the road, a man sees some stool and the stool is soft, and he thinks, "This is nasty." And a little further down the road, he again sees stool, but it has been in the sun for sometime, and becuase it is hard, the man thinks, " This is good." - But he does not stop to consider that hard or soft, stool is stool.

Pleasure or pain - they are the same.

In this material world, pleasure is simply hard stool. But we are thinking it is so nice.

- Srila Prabhupada to Brahmananda (Hare Krishna Explosion)