Why Are All These Devotees Smiling???

krsna · January 27, 2008

yogesh · January 27, 2008

Sirla Prabhupada had a way of saying things which could bring a smile to the most serious looking person.

I am sure some of the senior devotees who were close to Sirla Prabhupada can share some of these moments with us unfortunate folks.

Hare Krsna/Krishna

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Samia · January 27, 2008

Wouldn`t you be

suchandra · January 28, 2008

Could be they knew already that they're better off and wouldn't end like lots of rank&file devotees who surrendered everything up to completion of one's university degree, heirship etc. to make ISKCON what it is today, but ended up at Southern California Shanty Town also known as "Tent City".

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Murali_Mohan_das · January 31, 2008

Really? You know of a lot of homeless former ISKCON devotees?

Could be they knew already that they're better off and wouldn't end like lots of rank&file devotees who surrendered everything up to completion of one's university degree, heirship etc. to make ISKCON what it is today, but ended up at Southern California Shanty Town also known as "Tent City".

suchandra · January 31, 2008

Thanks for reading attentively - this is of course meant as an analogy of those who are no more members of the Vaishnava community. Lord Caitanya instructed that His followers should set up communities of sadhusanga. In that sense, those who live on their own without being embedded into the family of Vaishnavas are so to speak "homeless".

'sadhu-sanga', 'sadhu-sanga' - sarva-sastre kaya

lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya

"The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success."

(Caitanya-Caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.54)

Without sadhu-sanga can one advance in Krsna consciousness?

Satsvarupa: Lord Caitanya, when Ramananda Raya brought this up He said it was not possible in this age to introduce this.

Prabhupada: Yes. Not... He did not say possible. Iha bahya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was interested only on the spiritual platform. He had no idea of material side. He rejected material side.

Satsvarupa: But don't we do that also?

Prabhupada: No. Our position is different. We are trying to implement Krishna consciousness in everything. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally took sannyasa. He rejected completely material. Niskincana. But we are not going to be niskincana. We are trying to cement the troubled position of the... That is also in the prescription of Bhagavad-gita. We are not rejecting the whole society. Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected everything, iha bahya. Rejected meaning, "I do not take much interest in this." Bahya. "It is external." He was simply interested in the internal, the spiritual. But our duty is that we shall arrange the external affairs also so nicely that one day they will come to the spiritual platform very easily, paving the way. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, personality like that, they have nothing to do with this material world. But we are preaching. We are preaching. Therefore we must pave the situation in such a way that gradually they will be promoted to the spiritual plane, which is not required.

Satsvarupa: Varnashrama is not required.

Prabhupada: Not required. Caitanya Mahaprabhu denied, "I am not brahmana, I am not kshatriya, I am not this, I am not this." He rejected. But in the Bhagavad-gita, the catur-varnyam maya srstam. So we are preaching Krishna consciousness. It must be done.

Hari-sauri: But in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's practical preaching He only induced them to chant.

Prabhupada: That is not possible for ordinary man.

Hari-sauri: What, to simply induce people to chant?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Hari-sauri: He only introduced just the chanting.

Prabhupada: But who will chant? Who'll chant?

Satsvarupa: But if they won't chant, then neither will they train up in the varnashrama. That's the easiest.

Prabhupada: The chanting will be there, but you cannot expect that people will chant like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They cannot even chant sixteen rounds and these rascals are going to be Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Satsvarupa: No. But if they at least will chant and take some prasada...

Prabhupada: Chanting will go on. That is not stopped. But at the same time the varnashrama-dharma must be established to make the way easy.

Hari-sauri: Well, at least my own understanding was that the chanting was introduced in the age of Kali because varnashrama is not possible.

Prabhupada: Because it will cleanse the mind. Chanting will not stop.

Hari-sauri: So therefore the chanting was introduced to replace all of the systems of varnashrama and like that.

Prabhupada: Yes, it can replace, but who is going to replace it? The... People are not so advanced. If you imitate Haridasa Thakura to chant, it is not possible.

Satsvarupa: We tell them go on with your job but chant also.

Prabhupada: Yes. Thakaha apanara kaje, Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Apanara kaja ki. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended, sthane sthitah. And if they do not remain in the sthana, then the sahajiya's chanting will come. Just like the sahajiyas also have got the beads and..., but they have got three dozen women. This kind of chanting will go on. Just like our (name withheld). He was not fit for sannyasa but he was given sannyasa. And five women he was attached, and he disclosed. Therefore varnashrama-dharma is required. Simply show-bottle will not do. So the varnashrama-dharma should be introduced all over the world, and...

Satsvarupa: Introduced starting with ISKCON community?

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. Brahmana, kshatriyas. There must be regular education.

Hari-sauri: But in our community, if the..., being as we're training up as Vaishnavas...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hari-sauri: ...then how will we be able to make divisions in our society?

Prabhupada: Vaishnava is not so easy. The varnashrama-dharma should be established to become a Vaishnava. It is not so easy to become Vaishnava.

Hari-sauri: No, it's not a cheap thing.

Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore this should be made. Vaishnava, to become Vaishnava, is not so easy. If Vaishnava, to become Vaishnava is so easy, why so many fall down, fall down? It is not easy. The sannyasa is for the highest qualified brahmana. And simply by dressing like a Vaishnava, that is... fall down.