February 2016 – Light of Godhead

Serving dog instead of serving God

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Swami Invites the Hippies

As they passed the shuffleboard courts and the old men playing checkers, Prabhupāda stopped and turned to the boys. “Just see,” he said. “Old people in this country do not know what to do. So they play like children, wasting their last days, which should be meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their children are grown and gone away, so this is a natural time for spiritual cultivation. But no. They get some cat or dog, and instead of serving God, they serve dog. It is most unfortunate. But they will not listen. Their

light-of-godhead2016-02-29T23:28:28+00:00February 29th, 2016|Categories: Krsna consciousness, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada|Tags: Dog, No wasting time, Old men, youth|

Tiny experience

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: SB 6.1.1-2, Melbourne, May 22, 1975

Devotee: “It says in the scriptures that Lord Brahma rides on a swan. Do we take this to mean it’s a real swan, or is it symbolic?”
Prabhupada: “Not symbolic, it is fact. Why do you say symbolic?”
Devotee: “Because it’s rather unusual.”
Prabhupada: “Unusual? What experience have you got? (laughter) You have no experience. Have you got experience of other planetary systems, what is there? Your experience is very tiny. So you should not calculate Brahma’s life and other things by your tiny experience…Your experience is nothing. Therefore, you have to

light-of-godhead2016-02-18T22:23:31+00:00February 18th, 2016|Categories: Brahma, Krsna, Transcendental knowledge|Tags: Swan|

Living with Krsna

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Make Sure To Pass That Final Examination At Death

Satatam means anywhere and anytime. Just like my residence is at Vrndavana. That is the place of Krsna, when Krsna advented Himself He was there. So now I am in America, in your country, but that does not mean that out of Vrndavana. Because if I think of Krsna always, so it is as good as I am in India. In Vrndavana, I am as good as in New York, in this apartment. The consciousness is there. So Krsna consciousness means you already live with Krsna in

light-of-godhead2016-02-18T22:14:25+00:00February 18th, 2016|Categories: Krsna, Remembering, Vrndavana|

Wherever you are there is Vrindavan

Speakar: Srila Prabhupada
Source: On the Bowery

His duty, whether on the fourteenth floor of a Riverside Drive apartment building or in a corner of a Bowery loft, was to establish Kṛṣṇa consciousness as the prime necessity for all humanity. He went on with his translating and with his constant vision of a Kṛṣṇa temple in New York City. Because his consciousness was absorbed in Kṛṣṇa’s universal mission, he did not depend on his surroundings for shelter. Home for him was not a matter of bricks and wood, but of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa in every circumstance. As Prabhupāda

light-of-godhead2018-09-21T15:59:10+00:00February 18th, 2016|Categories: Material modes, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Vaikuntha, Vrndavana|Tags: Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta|

Seeing everything as Krsna’s energy

Speaker: Radhanath Swami
Source: Servant of the Servant

One time in Mayapura big big leaders of ISKCON were giving presentations, Prabhupada looked at the open field and pointed his cane and said “can’t you see”. They were puzzled, again he raised his voice and said “can’t you see”. Devotees thought may be Prabhupada is seeing Radha Krsna dancing and they were supposed to see. Again Prabhupada said “can’t you see”, then later Prabhupada walked into the middle of the field and stopped a leaking water faucet. He said “it is Krsna’s energy, we should not waste it”. He paused

light-of-godhead2016-02-25T19:15:06+00:00February 12th, 2016|Categories: Krsna consciousness, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada|Tags: Leaking faucet, Mayapura|

Seperation from Krsna

Speaker: Indradyumna Swami
Source: Indradyumna Swami with Srila Prabhupada

Indradyumna Swami: “Srila Prabhupada you’ve mentioned several times in recent lectures that a pure devotee can see Krsna everywhere – that He’s never out of your vision. And at the same time in Siksastakam prayers Lord Chaitanya explains that, Govinda, I am feeling Your separation to be 12 years of more. I am feeling vacant in His absence.’ Could you explain this?”
Srila Prabhupada: “Yes. He’s playing how you can become mad without seeing Krsna. That is higher stage. It cannot be explained. But when you gradually go higher you’ll

light-of-godhead2018-02-20T20:31:37+00:00February 9th, 2016|Categories: Indradyumna Swami, Lord Caitanya, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Prema|Tags: Siksastakam|

I live to be corrected

Speaker: Vaisesika Prabhu
Source: HG Vaisesika Prabhu (SB 6.4.5)

One of the great lessons of the material world is sensitivity training. The question is always, “Well, how do you like it?” The devotee has a mantra. I learned this mantra recently and I’m going to pass it on to you. It will change your life forever if you use this mantra. Should I say what it is?
“I live to be corrected.” Everyone please repeat. Now the next time you have an argument with your spouse or significant other, try this mantra and see how it works. The point is

light-of-godhead2016-02-08T19:02:28+00:00February 8th, 2016|Categories: Empathy, Sadhana-bhakti|Tags: Refinement|

Vasudeva is everything but everything is not Vasudeva

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Ford is car but car is not Ford

God, by His plenary expansion, He is situated everywhere. Therefore, His name is Vasudeva. Now Vasudeva is the origin of everything. So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah (Bg. 7.19). Anyone who has understood that everything, whatever we see, that is Vasudeva… But we should always remember that Vasudeva is everything; still, everything is not Vasudeva. Just like in a big factory. In your country or in America that Ford, Mr. Ford,

light-of-godhead2016-02-08T05:08:35+00:00February 5th, 2016|Categories: Acintya bedabedha tattva, Analogies, Vasudeva|Tags: Ford|

Process of receiving transcendental knowledge

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Relatively Dirty Or Absolutely Clean

We receive knowledge from the authority. Everyone receives knowledge from the authority, but general authority, and our process of accepting authority is little different. Our process of accepting one authority means he is also accepting his previous authority. One cannot be authority self-made. That is not possible. Then it is imperfect. I have given this example many times, that a child learns from his father. The child asks the father, “Father, what is this machine?” and the father says, “My dear child,

light-of-godhead2016-02-08T05:00:10+00:00February 5th, 2016|Categories: Analogies, Transcendental knowledge|Tags: Authority, Child, Microphone|