Srila Prabhupada Decided to Try the Impossible
On 2 March 1975 I had the unlimited good fortune to be sitting at the lotus feet of my most beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, on the most auspicious occasion of the appearance day of his beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami. In his lecture Srila Prabhupada emanated from his lotus mouth a most wonderful lecture. When Srila Prabhupada said that was going to try do to the impossible, to introduce Krishna consciousness in the Western world I loudly said "Jaya" because I understood that because Srila Prabhupada had tried for the impossible this is how we had been saved. When I said "Jaya" the whole room full of devotees then also said "Jaya."Here is a portion of that super ecstatic lecture:
Srila Prabhupada: So when I was seventy years old I decided, "Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Maharaja. And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was not very much hopeful because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and Western culture. I came... When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that "I have come here. I do not know what is the purpose because how the people will accept this movement? They are differently educated, and as soon as I will say, 'So, my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and no intoxication and gambling,' they will say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Because that was the experience of one of my Godbrother. He went to London, and he had the opportunity to talk with one big man, Marquis of Zetland. Marquis of Zetland was formerly governor of Bengal. At that time I was student. He was Scotsman, and I was student of the Scottish Churches' College. So he came to see our college, and he was standing in front of me in the second-year class. So he was very nice, good gentleman. So he proposed to my Godbrother, "Whether you can make me a brahmana?" So my Godbrother proposed, "Yes, we can make anyone brahmana provided you follow this principle: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." So that Lord Zetland immediately replied, "Impossible." (laughter) So I was thinking that "I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me try."
Sankarshan Das: Jaya!
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupada: So now, by the grace of Krishna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu and in the presence of my Guru Maharaja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahäprabhu you are chanting Hare Krishna mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So my Guru Maharaja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits.
----------- end of lecture excerpt------
Click here for an audio version of the above.
Let us all remember how kind it was of Srila Prabhupada to try for the impossible. Srila Prabhupada ordered us to deliver the world. So let us all now try for the impossible!
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Is its okay to have desires?
My Dear Devotee,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Bhakti means we increase our desires. Bezos, is one of the world's wealthiest people possessing almost $200 billion, which is only a very small fraction of the world's wealth (1/2 of a percent). Our desire is engage all the world's wealth, $40 Trillion, in Krishna's service. This is 200 times greater than the wealth of Bezos.
There is a law of attraction in bhakti which may be compared to the law of gravitation in the physical sciences. According to this law, bhakti attracts Krishna as a magnet attracts a piece of iron. So Krishna says,
nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu
vā tattat tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ.
“I live neither in My celestial abode nor in the heart of the yogis, but I go and sit wherever My bhaktas sing.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
And again:
anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyetyāṅghri-reṇubhiḥ.
“I walk on the heels of My bhaktas so that I may be purified by the dust of their feet.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 11.14.16)
I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Srila Prabhupada: So when I was seventy years old I decided, "Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Maharaja. And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was not very much hopeful because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and Western culture. I came... When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that "I have come here. I do not know what is the purpose because how the people will accept this movement? They are differently educated, and as soon as I will say, 'So, my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and no intoxication and gambling,' they will say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Because that was the experience of one of my Godbrother. He went to London, and he had the opportunity to talk with one big man, Marquis of Zetland. Marquis of Zetland was formerly governor of Bengal. At that time I was student. He was Scotsman, and I was student of the Scottish Churches' College. So he came to see our college, and he was standing in front of me in the second-year class. So he was very nice, good gentleman. So he proposed to my Godbrother, "Whether you can make me a brahmana?" So my Godbrother proposed, "Yes, we can make anyone brahmana provided you follow this principle: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." So that Lord Zetland immediately replied, "Impossible." (laughter) So I was thinking that "I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me try."
Sankarshan Das: Jaya!
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupada: So now, by the grace of Krishna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu and in the presence of my Guru Maharaja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahäprabhu you are chanting Hare Krishna mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So my Guru Maharaja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits.
----------- end of lecture excerpt------
Click here for an audio version of the above.
Let us all remember how kind it was of Srila Prabhupada to try for the impossible. Srila Prabhupada ordered us to deliver the world. So let us all now try for the impossible!
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Srila Prabhupada in Atlanta
Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom
Question: Is Okay to Have Desires?
We are always taught that our desires and needs are nothing but human weaknesses. We are taught that we should offer everything in Krishna's service and free ourselves from our human desires. But now I often find myself in a dilemma. What does Bhagwat mean when it talks about the 'law of attraction'?Is its okay to have desires?
Answer: We Desire the Whole World
From: ISKCON Austin, Texas USAMy Dear Devotee,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Bhakti means we increase our desires. Bezos, is one of the world's wealthiest people possessing almost $200 billion, which is only a very small fraction of the world's wealth (1/2 of a percent). Our desire is engage all the world's wealth, $40 Trillion, in Krishna's service. This is 200 times greater than the wealth of Bezos.
There is a law of attraction in bhakti which may be compared to the law of gravitation in the physical sciences. According to this law, bhakti attracts Krishna as a magnet attracts a piece of iron. So Krishna says,
nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu
vā tattat tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ.
“I live neither in My celestial abode nor in the heart of the yogis, but I go and sit wherever My bhaktas sing.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
And again:
anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyetyāṅghri-reṇubhiḥ.
“I walk on the heels of My bhaktas so that I may be purified by the dust of their feet.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 11.14.16)
I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ordered his disciples to become gurus and deliver the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari has taken this order very seriously and is thus accepting disciples all over the world and has dedicated himself fully to the mission of making the entire world Krishna conscious as soon as possible. He requests your help in this world deliverance mission.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari email: sd@worldleader.com
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
World Deliverance Mission
ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ordered his disciples to become gurus and deliver the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari has taken this order very seriously and is thus accepting disciples all over the world and has dedicated himself fully to the mission of making the entire world Krishna conscious as soon as possible. He requests your help in this world deliverance mission.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari email: sd@worldleader.com
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