Srila Prabhupada - Vedic Teachings

  For someone who looks beyond the surface, it is clear that the ISKCON movement has failed (false guru system, gurukula abuses, exploitation, etc.), but the movement fulfilled its mission during Srila Prabhupada's physical presence because complete knowledge was transmitted to the world through Srila Prabhupada's books. However, in a changing world, there are things that need to be adapted to change and things that do not. Among these, we can highlight, for example, that the woman – man or wife - husband (guru) relationships and roles that existed in the old days have changed, but also that today, everyone in society is considered a sudra. To what extent does the Ritvik movement take into account the changes taking place in the world and in society? Is it permissible to ask the question: if Srila Prabhupada were here today in his physical body, would he change anything? Would the correct answer be to change nothing? Even if we don't know the perfect answer, we do know that...

  Upendra: Prabhupāda, sometimes there may be differences between what is love of Godhead between Christian and Moslem, Moslem and Buddhist, Buddhist, Hindu. They may quarrel at what is love of Godhead. Prabhupāda: The quarrel, they, those who are not in love of Godhead, they must quarrel. That is the... Because they are cats and dogs. You cannot expect any peaceful condition between cats and dogs. They will fight. So whatever they may be, so long they are fighting, that means they are not on the perfectional stage. Where is the fighting? If you love God, then you love everyone. That is the sign. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). After attaining the stage of equality, then you can enter into the realm of loving God. Before that, you have to pass. Just like before entering law college you have to become graduate, similarly, before entering the realm of devotional service you have to realize that all living entities are on the same platform. That is reali...

  "The Supreme Lord is cognizant and all-powerful, and by His causeless mercy He empowers a living entity to receive His mercy. Being under the spell of conditional life, people in general are averse to rendering devotional service and practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In fact, most people are unaware of the principal teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness regarding one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ultimate goal of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Nor are people aware of the process by which one can return to the spiritual world. Because these important subject matters are unknown to the conditioned soul, Lord Caitanya, out of His causeless mercy, instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī in the principles of devotional service. Later, for the good of the people in general, Rūpa Gosvāmī distributed this information of the science of devotional service.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya,  TLC 1: Teachings to Rupa Gosvami )

  "Although Jaḍa Bharata was forced to carry the palanquin, he did not give up his sympathetic feelings toward the poor ants passing on the road. A devotee of the Lord does not forget his devotional service and other favorable activities, even when he is in a most distressful condition. Jaḍa Bharata was a qualified brāhmaṇa, highly elevated in spiritual knowledge, yet he was forced to carry the palanquin. He did not mind this, but while walking on the road, he could not forget his duty to avoid killing even an ant. A Vaiṣṇava is never envious or unnecessarily violent. There were many ants on the path, but Jaḍa Bharata took care by looking ahead three feet. When the ants were no longer in his way, he would place his foot on the ground. A Vaiṣṇava is always very kind at heart to all living entities. In His sāṅkhya-yoga, Lord Kapiladeva explains: suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Living entities assume different bodily forms. Those who are not Vaiṣṇavas consider only human society worthy of the...

  "There is no mechanical process to see the form of the Lord. It completely depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. We cannot demand the Lord to be present before our vision, just as we cannot demand the sun to rise whenever we like. The sun rises out of his own accord; so also the Lord is pleased to be present out of His causeless mercy. One should simply await the opportune moment and go on discharging his prescribed duty in devotional service of the Lord. Nārada Muni thought that the Lord could be seen again by the same mechanical process which was successful in the first attempt, but in spite of his utmost endeavor he could not make the second attempt successful. The Lord is completely independent of all obligations. He can simply be bound up by the tie of unalloyed devotion. Nor is He visible or perceivable by our material senses. When He pleases, being satisfied with the sincere attempt of devotional service depending completely on the mercy of the Lord, then He may be ...

  “The pseudo religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of philanthropic activities disguised as religious principles. By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative ācāryas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession. They ignore the Vedic injunction ācāryopāsana-"One must worship the ācārya"-and Kṛṣṇa's statement in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.2) evaṁparamparā-prāptam, "This supreme science of God is received through the disciplic succession." Instead, to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called ācāryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the ācāryas. These rogues are the mos...

  "There are many devotees; they're illiterate practically. They do not know what is Vedānta-sūtra. But still, by their sincere devotional service they're very much elevated. What to speak of others, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, he was illiterate. He could not sign even his name. But he was so spiritually elevated that my spiritual master, who was the topmost scholar of his time, he accepted him as spiritual master. What is the reason? The reason is that this transcendental science does not depend on academic qualification. It is, it is not that because one is very, academically very qualified, he'll become a devotee. No. The secret is... That is given in the Vedic literatures: [SB 5.18.12] yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā No: yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ [ŚU 6.23] The transcendental knowledge becomes revealed. To whom it becomes revealed? It becomes r...