Prabhupada on Christ

[theist]

Prabhupada wrote:

 

"A devotee of Krsna is friendly to everyone. Therefore it is said here that he has no enemy (nirvairaù). How is this? A devotee situated in Krsna consciousness knows that only devotional service to Krsna can relieve a person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this, and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Krsna consciousness, into human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for spreading God consciousness. Of course, it would be superficial to understand that he was killed. Similarly, in India also there are many examples, such as Thäkura Haridäsa and Prahläda Mahäräja. Why such risk? Because they wanted to spread Krsna consciousness, and it is difficult. A Krsna conscious person knows that if a man is suffering it is due to his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna. Therefore, the highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one's neighbor from all material problems. In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Krsna is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body." Bg 11.55 purport.

[theist]

"One who is not a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord Krsna is not completely cleansed in the heart. But a perfectly cleansed person never quits the devotional service of the Lord. In discharging such devotional service, as ordered by Brahmäji to Närada in the preaching of Srimad-Bhägavatam, sometimes a representative of the Lord engaged in preaching work meets various so-called difficulties. This was exhibited by Lord Nityänanda when He delivered the two fallen souls Jagäi and Mädhäi, and similarly Lord Jesus Christ was crucified by the nonbelievers. But such difficulties are very gladly suffered by the devotees in preaching because in such activities, although apparently very severe, the devotees of the Lord feel transcendental pleasure because the Lord is satisfied." SB 2.8

[theist]

TRANSLATION 3.25.21

The symptoms of a sädhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.

 

PURPORT

A sädhu, as described above, is a devotee of the Lord. His concern, therefore, is to enlighten people in devotional service to the Lord. That is his mercy. He knows that without devotional service to the Lord, human life is spoiled. A devotee travels all over the country, from door to door, preaching, Be Krsna conscious. Be a devotee of Lord Krsna. Don't spoil your life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities. Human life is meant for self-realization, or Krsna consciousness. These are the preachings of a sädhu. He is not satisfied with his own liberation. He always thinks about others. He is the most compassionate personality towards all the fallen souls. One of his qualifications, therefore, is käruëika, great mercy to the fallen souls. While engaged in preaching work, he has to meet with so many opposing elements, and therefore the sädhu, or devotee of the Lord, has to be very tolerant. Someone may ill-treat him because the conditioned souls are not prepared to receive the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. They do not like it; that is their disease. The sädhu has the thankless task of impressing upon them the importance of devotional service. Sometimes devotees are personally attacked with violence. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridäsa Thäkura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces, and Lord Caitanya's principal assistant, Nityänanda, was violently attacked by Jagäi and Mädhäi. But still they were tolerant because their mission was to deliver the fallen souls. One of the qualifications of a sädhu is that he is very tolerant and is merciful to all fallen souls. He is merciful because he is the well-wisher of all living entities. SB 3.25.21 pur

[theist]

TRANSLATION SB 4.6.47

Persons who observe everything with differentiation, who are simply attached to fruitive activities, who are mean minded, who are always pained to see the flourishing condition of others and who thus give distress to them by uttering harsh and piercing words have already been killed by providence. Thus there is no need for them to be killed again by an exalted personality like you.

 

PURPORT

Persons who are materialistic and always engaged in fruitive activities for material profit cannot endure seeing the flourishing life of others. Except for a few persons in Krsna consciousness, the entire world is full of such envious persons, who are perpetually full of anxieties because they are attached to the material body and are without self-realization. Since their hearts are always filled with anxiety, it is understood that they have already been killed by providence. Thus Lord Siva, as a self-realized Vaisnava, was advised not to kill Dakña. A Vaisnava is described as para-duùkha-duùkhé because although he is never distressed in any condition of life, he is distressed to see others in a distressed condition. Vaisnavas, therefore, should not try to kill by any action of the body or mind, but should try to revive the Krsna consciousness of others out of compassion for them. The Krsna consciousness movement has been started to deliver the envious persons of the world from the clutches of mäyä, and even though devotees are sometimes put into trouble, they push on the Krsna consciousness movement in all tolerance. Lord Caitanya advises:

tåëäd api sunécena

taror api sahiñëunä

amäninä mänadena

kértanéyaù sadä hariù

[Cc. Ädi 17.31]

One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. ln such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. (Siksästaka 3)

A Vaisnava should follow the examples of such Vaisnavas as Haridäsa Thäkura, Nityänanda Prabhu and also Lord Jesus Christ. There is no need to kill anyone who has already been killed. But it should be noted herewith that a Vaisnava should not tolerate the blaspheming of Vishnu or Vaisnavas, although he should tolerate personal insults to himself.

[theist]

PURPORT

A devotee or saintly person should not be dreadful to others, nor should anyone be a source of dread to him. If one treats others with nonenmity, then no one will become his enemy. There is the example, however, of Jesus Christ, who had enemies, and they crucified him. The demonic are always present, and they find fault even in saintly persons. But a saintly person never becomes angry, even if there is very great provocation. SB 4.11.32

[Guest guest]

He talked about Jesus in such a way to appeal to the Christian west.

He also said Africans were to be slaves.

Women have smaller brains than men.

We never landed on the moon.

etc.

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Your logic is self contradictory. On one hand you claim Srila Prabhupada spoke to satisfy one group (christians), yet the other statements you attribute to him will not satisfy any of the connected groups (africans, women,etc.).

 

[Guest guest]

I just showing some the things he said are pretty off the wall.

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

No, actually you attempted to make a logical conclusion as to the reason why Prabhupada said what he said:

 

 

He talked about Jesus in such a way to appeal to the Christian west.

 

 

But that stance didn't hold up to the rest of your post, as you showed Prabhupada said things which would not appeal to certain audiences. In other words, he was not just speaking to satisfy everyone around him. When he said Christ was a pure devotee, it wasn't to attract Christians, but rather because he truly believed Christ was a pure devotee of God.

[Guest guest]

And your drawing your own conclusions.

If he said a few other false things.

Then that might also be.

Notice there i did not say is, but it is possible.

[theist]

Ms. Nixon: What is the difference between Krsna consciousness and Christ consciousness?

Srila Prabhupäda: Christ consciousness is also Krsna consciousness, but because at present people do not follow the rules and regulations of Christianity—the commandments of Jesus Christ—they do not come to the standard of God consciousness.

[theist]

Krsna, Christos, Christ

In 1974, near ISKCON's center in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, Srila Prabhupäda and several of his disciples took a morning walk with father Emmanuel Jungclaussen, a Benedictine monk from Niederalteich Monastery. Noticing that Srila Prabhupäda was carrying meditation beads similar to the rosary, Father Emmanuel explained that he also chanted a constant prayer:Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful unto us. The following conversation ensued.

 

Srila Prabhupäda: What is the meaning of the word Christ?

 

Father Emmanuel: Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning the anointed one.

 

Srila Prabhupäda: Christos is the Greek version of the word Krsna.

 

Father Emmanuel: This is very interesting.

 

Srila Prabhupäda: When an Indian person calls on Krsna, he often says,Krsta. Krsta is a Sanskrit word meaning attraction. So when we address God as Christ,Krsta, or Krsna, we indicate the same all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Jesus said, Our Father, who an in heaven, sanctified be Thy name, that name of God was Krsta or Krsna. Do you agree?

 

Father Emmanuel: I think Jesus, as the son of God, has revealed to us the actual name of God: Christ. We can call God Father, but if we want to address Him by His actual name, we have to say Christ.

 

Srila Prabhupäda: Yes.Christ is another way of saying Krsta, and Krsta is another way of pronouncing Krsna, the name of God. Jesus said that one should glorify the name of God, but yesterday I heard one theologian say that God has no name that we can call Him only Father. A son may call his father Father, but the father also has a specific name. Similarly, God is the general name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose specific name is Krsna. Therefore whether you call God Christ,Krsta, or Krsna, ultimately you are addressing the same Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Father Emmanuel: Yes, if we speak of God's actual name, then we must say,Christos. In our religion, we have the Trinity: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe we can know the name of God only by revelation from the Son of God. Jesus Christ revealed the name of the father, and therefore we take the name Christ as the revealed name of God.

 

Srila Prabhupäda: Actually, it doesn't matter Krsna or Christ the name is the same.

[syama]

There are numerous quotes from Srila Prabhupada on christ that leave the impression that Prabhupada saw jesus as a pure representitive of God.

Admittedly he did use time place circumstance preaching techniques that often involved christianity but the overall impression is that of great respect and admiration for Christ by HDG Srila Prabhupada.

[shvu]

 

 

Prabhupada says...

 

When an Indian person calls on Krsna, he often says,Krsta

 

 

I never heard of any Indian calling Krishna as Krsta. There is no reason for anyone to be doing that unless he has trouble with his pronunciation.

[Guest guest]

krsta=krishan