Srila Prabhupada Answers My Question

On 2 March 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia USA I was doubly blessed with the greatest good fortune of being in the divine presence of Srila Prabhupada along with the special mercy of being able to ask him a question and receive an answer immediately back from him. My question and his answer is given below:

Sankarshan Das: Prabhupada, before this movement came here we were so caught up in sinful activities. How is it that we were so fortunate to be blessed with this great Hare Krishna movement?

Prabhupada: It is Krishna's mercy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to give you. Now He has come here. You take advantage of it. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is kind to everyone. He has no discrimination that this cult should be spread only in India or amongst the Hindus or amongst the brahmanas. No. He wanted to spread this movement to all living being. Never mind. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. So now He has come. If you want, accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order, "Simply chant Hare Krishna." That is sufficient. But if you want to know more, further, through philosophy, through science, we have got already thirty or fifty books. Read them. Everything is there. Either you accept directly, or if you want to accept through science, through philosophy, through knowledge, there are books. Both ways, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is ready to help you. Now you take advantage of it. And we are glad that you are taking advantage. Now some of you, they have already joined. And in the educational institution, universities, they are also very much appreciative of our literature. So gradually it will be appreciated. But the sooner you take advantage of it is better.

Srila Prabhupada in Atlanta---March 1975

Srila Prabhupada in Atlanta---March 1975

Video For the Day: Prabhupada's Los Angeles Quarters

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Loving Guru and Vaisnavas

Srila Gurudeva, we know that we should repose our love in Krishna. Does giving love to Krishna mean to love one's spiritual master and the Vaisnavas? And love means to serve them?

Does love for Vaisnavas mean not having any ill feeling for any Vaisnava? We may like someone more than the other, and we may not know many devotees. So our liking from one Vaisnava to the other varies. So how is that reflected in our love for Krishna?

Thank you
Your insignificant servant
Lila Manjari devi dasi

Answer: Real Meaning of Loving Krishna

Yes, loving Krishna means loving Krishna and His devotees. It does not mean loving Krishna alone because Krishna says that if you don’t love His devotees, you don’t love Him. Therefore the devotee loves his guru and the devotees as a natural part of loving Krishna. It is just like watering the root of a tree. When you water the root of a tree, the leaves and branches are automatically watered. Similarly, when you genuinely love Krishna, you automatically love your guru and the devotees. If your love is genuine for your guru, Krishna, and Vaisnavas, you will naturally take great pleasure in serving them, because a service attitude is the symptom of real love. If there is no service attitude, there is no real love.

Yes, real love means having no ill feelings. While it is natural that you will have stronger feelings for certain devotees with whom you regularly associate, still you must not harbor any ill feelings towards those devotees with whom you are not closely associated. Don’t hold grudges. It will fill your heart with smudges.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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