Srila Prabhupada's Quote Of The Day

Topic

August 2

This body is made of material nature, and we are within this body. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. So long we have got this body, material body, we must be unhappy. First of all, we must try to understand why we are unhappy. We are unhappy because we are in this material body. What is that unhappiness? It is ending in four principles, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9]. To take birth and again to die, and so long we live we must suffer from some disease, and we must become old. Plain truth.

Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 4.10, Vrndavana, August 2, 1974

August 1

That is the difference between animal and man. A child can control so many calves. Krsna was doing that. One stick in the hand of a child can control fifty cows. The child is controller of many cows; a man is controller of many children. In this way, controller, controller, controller, over, over, over... When there is final controller, that is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Brahma-samhita 5.1: "The Supreme Lord is Krsna."]. This is the definition of Krsna: "The final controller."

Walk around New Talavana Farm, New Orleans, August 1, 1975

July 31

Our life is very short. The Krsna consciousness movement is not meant for fulfilling one's personal ambition, but it is a serious movement for the whole world. I am therefore going to the Eastern hemisphere, beginning from Japan. We are going four in a party and all of us are Sannyasis. In this old age I am going with this party just to set an example to my disciples who have taken recently the Sannyas order. I think Brahmananda Swami, Gargamuni Swami, Visnujana Swami, Kirtanananda Swami and Subala Swami, all of them, two in a party assisted by other Brahmacaris should form separate Sankirtana Parties and travel all over Europe, America and Canada.

Letter to Satsvarupa, 31 July, 1970

July 30

The idea is that those who will later on accept service, they cannot be accepted by us for schooling, we cannot help them. They must be the sons of rich and important men who will not be taking education simply to use it for eating and sleeping. They should be taught just to do like the elders, that is, rise early, cleanse, attend mangal arati, read our literatures, chant, go for sankirtana, like that, and besides that, a little ABC, mathematics, geography, history, that's all. And teach the small children to play Krishna games: one child is a cow, another is cowherd boy, they go to the forest, there are demons there, Krishna kills the demons, like that; in this way, let the children play Krishna games, then attend arati, then learn some ABC, then play some more, have kirtana, little ABC, and by keeping them always diversified they shall not lose interest and will keep their attention always focused around Krishna.

Letter to Giriraja, 30 July, 1972

July 29

In case you do not like this arrangement then you may keep the temple as your private property and as my disciple I will give you guidance. But you may not use the ISKCON name to collect funds or to take loans. In this connection until this matter is resolved no loan may be taken from the bank or elsewhere and all collections in the name of ISKCON, must stop. If you desire to keep the temple as private property then Upendra das may return to Hawaii and ISKCON Fiji may be dissolved. If you want to consider this project as an ISKCON project then you must abide by the orders and direction of the GBC, which you do not like to do. Now whatever you like let me know.

Letter to Vasudeva das, 29 July, 1976

July 28

You are exactly correct when you write that Krishna has benedicted you with a first class husband. In Vedic society no girl was allowed to remain independent and unmarried. Independence for women means they become like prostitutes, struggling to capture some man who will take care of her. In this way the so called independent woman has to work very hard to make herself attractive by artificially wearing cosmetics - mini skirts and so many other things.

Letter to Naiskarmi devi dasi, 28 July, 1973

July 27

So that is the position. They cannot understand that by serving Krsna, we become healthy or in our normal position. This is called ignorance. Somebody is trying to forget Him, somebody is trying to become equal with Him. This business is going on. And nobody is submitting that "My Lord, I forgot my service. From this day, I become again Your servant. Please give me protection."

Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 1.37-39, London, 27 July, 1973

July 25

Preaching is the most important business. Although my personal service is also important, the preaching work comes first. I want everyone of our men to become first class preachers.

Letter to Pusta Krsna Maharaja, 25 July, 1976

July 24

In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that the only way of not coming back to the material world is to be promoted to the spiritual planets. For the impersonalists there is no such assurance of not falling down in the whole Vedic literature. The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete. A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the Kingdom of Maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindaban. From the Brahmajyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets, and it is clearly stated in the Bhagavatam that such souls fall down: patanty adha.

Letter to Rupanuga, 24 July, 1969

July 23

So far these plays are concerned, they are not meant for ordinary people and if they laugh, then that is a great offense. Just like in your play "Putana Killed'' there was so much laughing. So these plays are not meant for the public showing unless they are very nicely done. The audience must give grave attention. If they laugh, that is the greatest offense. Lord Caitanya never played before ordinary men. Only before devotees.

Letter to Vrndavana Candra, 23 July, 1971

Pages