Wednesday 4 July 2012

Srila Prabhupada: How to live in this world while chanting Hare Krishna - Part 1

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Compiled by Dama Ghosha Dasa (Seattle, USA)
The following is a very informative conversation on a morning walk in Rome, Italy with Srila Prabhupada about a very important topic - HOW SHOULD THE DEVOTEES LIVE IN THE WORLD WHILE THEY CHANT HARE KRISHNA?
We will go down through it making comments at various places...
Conversations, May 27, 1974, Rome
              
Prabhupada: So we can discuss some of the problems, about the problems. Discuss what are the problems.
Bhagavan: Now? We shall discuss now?
Prabhupada: Yes. We are going to solve all problems. Let us have some preliminary discussion, how we are going to solve.
[Here the jagat guru Srila Prabhupada, the Lord’s own personal Ambassador for this age, is now telling us to ask him questions about how to solve all of one’s problems. He will answer them all]
Bhagavan: The biggest problem now is that they have built up a type of society in which their needs are all coming from petrol energy. To produce what they need today is all coming from this petrol energy...
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Bhagavan: ...which they are importing basically from the Saudi Arabian countries.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Bhagavan: Now, recently, in the last war in the Middle East, Saudi Arabians raised the price of the oil over double now, I think, as a pressure to the western countries to do things in their favor. Now they realized that the market for oil is in such great demand that they don't have to lower the price after the war, but they are going to keep the price. And actually the price is still increasing. So this is causing inflation.
Prabhupada: So this problem will be solved as soon as we are localized.
[here Srila Prabhupada tells us all, especially anyone who owns and drives a gas guzzling car, has a house heated with oil, uses electricity, or in any way utilizes products made from oil - how to get rid of all those bills which keep on getting higher and higher]
Petrol is required for transport, but if you are localized, there is no question of transport. You don't require petrol. Suppose in New Vrindaban, we stay, we don't go anywhere.
[What a novel concept - no need to go anywhere! That "need" is fueled by raja guna. When one is even a little bit self-satisfied, he doesn't feel this need to always have to have something happening, or go somewhere]

2 comments:

  1. because the movement is in dissarray there is difficulty being localised. Here in my town Glastonbury UK I have tried to be localised for 12 years but the worst fallen devotees and crook sanyassi turn up here partly as it is far from Bhativedanta manor;it st he drop out zone and a free thinking hippie town besmitten with weed and facsimile devotional pracice from post Prabhupad delluded groups like Narayan Maharaj disciples. The effect is loveless towards children unlike my first exp of KC with my guru who loved Srila Prabhupad and put us all onto Him.
    So I have to travel as often as I can for some assocaition esp for my home ed kid who has 0 friends.
    Association is everything although we have the books and internet which are our mainstay along with internet satsang daily with Gaura Hari in US.

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  2. another thought is that we are getting too comfortable with this state of affairs and I for one need to be a bit more proactive and expect a miracle. Devotees may show up. I want to be ready to pllay my part and by keeping good practice in jappa, kirtan and reading/satsang and making nice prasaad then I am doing my best and the rest is up to Guru Gauraanga.
    Like in Queen Kuntis prayers You are my Lord life after life. I surrender to you will.
    And I will try not to run around looking for association elsewhere as the experience I have had of that has shown it to be a wild goose chase mostly and wasting preicous energy and time ...and resources. The most immportant part of KC is our personal relationship and it takes the courage to go quiet and feel the presence of GOd....

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