Someone said 'well! If I want to love Krishna why does it depend on Krishna? I should be able to love Him whether He gives His blessings or not. That's up to me.' But actually love of Krishna does depend upon Him, it's His causeless mercy

During HH Bhakti-tirtha Maharaja's Vyasa-puja in Mayapur the following lecture was played during the Srimad-Bhagavatam class

Prabhupada often refers to this process as 'the science of Krishna consciousness'. He would argue many times like this, it's a science, its not a theory, its not just some belief but you test it

When one is strongly fixed in devotional service and free from all material attachment, uncontaminated by the material modes of nature, he becomes fit to return home, back to Godhead

Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached Krishna consciousness and big big scholars accepted. It is very hard for common man to understand Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because He is covered avatara, 'channa' avatara. But by the help of this description we can understand Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself

This temple of the Vedic Planetarium it is not a planetarium, its not a planetarium, it is the fifth canto, its the Bhagavatam, it’s the Bhagavatam. It is actually, its not about the planetarium, its about the Bhagavatam. It is the temple which makes the Bhagavatam.

So even 5000 years ago and in fact history goes way back when this Sivaratri festival celebrations started

Why, someone please explain to me the arrogance of the modern materialist, why everything is subordinate to my perception. If I can't see it, if I can't smell it, if I can't chop it into tiny pieces, if I cannot control and manipulate it, then it doesn't exist. Why? Please tell me why there can't be higher beings

So our acaryas of course have said that though the 10th canto is actually the essence of the Bhagavatam, it’s about Krsna directly, and His pastimes and His qualities and therefore it’s ultimately the most attractive thing, still we cannot reject the subject matter of the other cantos

One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a guru, one should not become a husband, one should not become a worshipable demigod and one should not become a father and mother unless one is prepared to deliver one's disciples or followers from the path of repeated birth and death

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told that one cannot understand the truth or the essence of the religious principles by all sorts of argumentations and discussions, even by extensive study of the Vedas or any other means, except to follow in the footsteps on the progressive path of the great souls

In Srila Prabhupada's teachings, just like in this verse and specifically Srila Prabhupada's purport again the importance is being emphasized 'to cooperate' but we have to do it! We have to learn how to do it. And it is so exciting that I think it is for the first time in history of ISKCON that leading senior members of this movement, GBC members, gurus, sannyasis, senior devotees they all came together

I only desire that you all continue singing the deeds of Lord Visnu let my consciousness be absorbed in Krsna, and if you will do that, if you will pour the nectar of Krsna katha in my ears the externals of what is going on, whether it be a snake bird or whatever, I don't care

Today we are going to discuss about a person Bhagavata HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Today is his divine appearance day that's why we have selected a special verse to discuss about

One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod

We see here, as we said this is all the context of ultimately of strategic planning really, and the strategic planning endeavor of the GBC body, that we want to develop the Krishna consciousness movement in more strategic, systematic and intelligent Krishna conscious ways so that everything increases very positively including the preaching as such

And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them

The politician or, what is called, leaders, andha, they will promise you that "You will be happy in this way. You give me vote, and I shall bring heaven for you, and let me become minister. That is... You simply wait, and as soon as I become a minister and president, I will give you such and such benefit."

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love

The situation in Navadvip and the whole of India that time was that people were religious but they were not spiritual. They were religious just to show on the outside but actually they did not know the purpose of religion. People spent a lot to marry off their daughter, to put on a big show to show that they were very religious. One such wealthy had no more daughters to marry off then he married a female cat or a female dog or some demigod. So this was not even in scripture. Marriage is for human beings. Like that they were doing all sorts of bogus religious activities just to show off

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also notes that the word druta-cittah or "with a melted heart," indicates that one's heart, melted by the fire of anxiety to see the Lord, becomes like Jambunadi, a river of roseapple juice. The acarya further points out, nama-kirtanasya sarvotkarsam: the present and previous verse clearly distinguish the exalted position of sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23], chanting and hearing the name and glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

So there are many lessons we have to learn but most of all we have to see Srila Prabhupada and then how to see Krishna. Then how to see our self and then how to see others? When we see properly we are not going anywhere. We are going to stay in Iskcon and dedicate our whole life without any regrets

So even pious people approach God with this idea, "Please God make me happy in this world. Let me be comfortable. Let me enjoy family, society and love and I will be pious. I will obey You and will try to serve You." So this religion is materially motivated and it is condemned in the Bhagavatam as a cheating religion

If you understand and if you have some sense of gratitude to the spiritual master, if we have some little sense of gratitude then we should try to repay that debt. How to repay that debt? Did he say that we have to put ourselves through so much suffering or give so much money or do something we can't do? No. He said that, "Just try to preach as i am doing. Try to help others."

So this is the mood of our acarya. One devotee said, "Prabhupada I feel so sorry for these people sometimes." Prabhupada said, "Why just sometimes?" The pure devotee's heart is always like nectar. It is always flowing. So our problems are solved. Trying to enjoy in this material world is petty, pale and pathetic. We have the answer. We have our assurances. We have seen it with our own eyes. We have seen so many devotees transcend very difficult positions what to speak of our founder acarya

Here's one thing. Iskcon is what Prabhupada had to do to make Bhagavatam happen. It wasn't enough that he brought the books. He also had to create the authorised hearers. Then with Prabhupada as the authorised speaker and people in Iskcon as the authorised hearers then Bhagavatam can happen. It can take place

Somehow or the other as conditioned living entities we hope, with our conditioning of thinking that, we are the Supreme Lord we hope to be victorious all the time. We kind of count on it. It is the subconscious mentality of every living entity. We just want to be victorious and when something goes wrong in our life we immediately become dejected and because it always goes wrong then we are always dejected

In keeping with the theme of the ILS, the International Leadership Sanga, I was requested to speak on the character of a leader. I selected a verse which epitomizes the mood of a leader, namely the bearer of the will and the instructions of those more elevated than oneself

Prabhupada told us emphatically, "Don't make the same mistake that my god brothers made after Guru Maharaj's disappearance. Guru Maharaj told them to come and manage the society through a governing body. They did not. They rather appointed an acarya. When the acarya fell down, the whole structure collapsed." Then he said, "Don't make the same mistake." And we can see about thirty-five years after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance Iskcon is not only there but Iskcon is growing, Iskcon is expanding, Iskcon is becoming more and more wonderfully established in this planet

So Krishna is the ideal leader because He meets everybody's expectations. Whatever you can imagine is in Krishna - everything wonderful. That is of course in the Nectar of Devotion. Rupa Goswami gives sixty-four qualities of Krishna. Of course He has four special qualities but even the fifty qualities are very wonderful. We don't expect to find all these fifty in any of our leaders in the modern world or whatever. We don't find all of those fifty qualities which should be there in a good jiva

Srila Prabhupada endured heart attacks, sea sickness, strokes, poverty to begin this movement what to speak of after people like us started to become devotees, what he had to tolerate! He gave his life. He told us that he had shed buckets of blood for every devotee. He said that in the spirit of how important it is to take care of each other and to honor and respect each other

One thing is that Prabhupada wanted the devotees to attend the regular Gaura-purnima festival every year. One of the GBC's said, "Prabhupada (At that time it cost $500. Now it is more expensive.)Each year thousands of devotees go and they pay $500 each. That is $500 000. We could build a temple. (In those days.)" Prabhupada said, "Yes. The devotees eat so much [Laughter] If they didn't eat we could have so much money. [Laughter] The GBC shut up

That if one is chanting the holy name, they are taking shelter of the real shelter and we should appreciate that and we should respect that. That is how we take shelter of them. Even if they are not following very strictly still in our heart we have to appreciate that here is Krishna's servant, somehow or the other by good fortune they are taking that much shelter of Krishna and I should appreciate them for doing it

Srila Prabhupada is saying that the artificial arrangement of divorce system is not approved in the Vedic sastras. It is not a flat outright saying but i think it is very serious and very important as far as serving the Absolute Truth is concerned this principle which is enunciating the Absolute Truth cannot be violated. So it has to be understood in proper perspective. Many times we say that time, place and circumstances - change the rule. Rule cannot be changed. Application can be changed. The rule cannot be violated

Narottama Dasa Thakura appeared in Kheturi which I believe is in current day Bangaldesh. Eventually in his late youth or so he went to Vrindavan and in Vrindavan he met Srila Jiva Goswami and took shelter of him. Then he met Srila Lokanath Goswami and was very deeply struck by the character of Lokanath Goswami and his standards as a devotee and just who he was as a devotee

It is like in the 1920's in the United States of America. At the end of the 1920's there was a huge crisis economically and practically the whole country went down. And people who had fortunes lost everything practically overnight. And it is reported that many people were jumping out of windows committing suicide simply for something that really - a devotee understands what the value of such things is

Our proposition is to the Ramanujacarya followers because they are very, very strong, especially in South India they are prominent, purifying all of the world actually. It is mentioned in the Bhagavatam that when pure devotees appear in South India they then maintain the pure principles of bhakti.

May Sri Nityananda Rama be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Naga and the Visnus who lie on the Karana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions

I committed offences on every level - minor, medium and major. The only way that I got over them was just to be very humble - just to be aware of the fact that I have done something wrong and apologise and then work to rectify that so that it didn't happen again

This chapter is entitled, 'Maharaj Prthu's Going Back Home.' There are numerous such examples mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam of such glorious departures. Prthu Maharaja himself, a saktyaves-avatara who was endowed with praja palana-sakti - the power to maintain the praja of the citizens has made his life perfect and is headed back to the spiritual world

So this is one of the two verses which are used in the beginning of Caitanya-caritamrta by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami to introduce us to Advaita Acarya. The chapter then goes on to explain how Advaita Acarya is the second branch of the tree of Caitanya Mahaprabhu - the first branch of course being Lord Nityananda and the main trunk being Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

In order to get to Vaikunthaloka the verse is saying only persons who constantly engage in the welfare activities can reach the Vaikuntha planets. We have to reach some understanding what it means to reach Vaikuntha. First of all you can perform austerities and penances, you can go but in Vaikuntha and also Vraj you must actually have the invitation of a devotee

Persons who are peaceful, equipoised, cleansed and purified, and who know the art of pleasing all other living entities, keep friendship only with devotees of the Lord; they alone can very easily achieve the perfection of going back home, back to Godhead

We are all swimming upstream. Everybody else in this world is going down, down, down. If they don't take up Krishna consciousness, take advantage of the opportunity Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement Srila Prabhupada said that one will not get another opportunity for millions of kalpas

I was explaining and emphasizing in the class, respect, amanina manadena. Respect is one of the most important aspects of a gentleman. Ladies know that because they open the door for you. That is respect. Our mothers know that we respect them so they feel more protective. If someone is respectful he will become honored

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said to chant 64 rounds but Srila Prabhupada said only sixteen rounds. How it is possible that by chanting sixteen round one can return back to Godhead? But Srila Prabhupada gave us guarantee. He told us, "I am not cheating."

Therefore we should genuinely desire to go back to Godhead to get out of this material world. Krishna promises that, "Having once come to that abode of Mine you will not return here again."

So in this way we see throughout the Vedic literatures there are so many examples which tell us how to prepare to leave our bodies very blissfully while meditating upon the lotus feet of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava. But as I said it doesn't happen by our own endeavor