May 9, 2010

Srila Prabhupada said...



Not interested in family life (SB 5.1.3):

Elevated mahatmas who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are fully satiated by the shade of those lotus feet. Their consciousness cannot possibly become attached to family members.

PURPORT
Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, nitai pada-kamala, koti-candra susitala, ye chayaya jagat judaya. He describes the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda as being so nice and cooling that all materialists, who are always in the blazing fire of material activities, may come under the shade of His lotus feet and be fully relieved and satiated. The distinction between family life and spiritual life can be experienced by any person who has undergone the tribulations of living with a family. One who comes under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord never becomes attracted by the activities of family life. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.59), param drstva nivartate: one gives up lower engagements when he experiences a higher taste. Thus one becomes detached from family life as soon as he comes under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. (SB 5.1.3)

Restriction
"Madhavi-lata, she revolted. She revolted. She was always trying to plead, “Why this restriction? Why this restriction?” So I had to tell, “If you don’t like the restriction, then go away. You don’t associate with us.” What can be done? So they do not want restriction. That is natural tendency. But these sastras are meant for restriction." (SB lecture 1.5.9-11 New Vrindavan June 6 1969)


So sastra says that “Everyone, every living entity, has got a general tendency for these things: sex life, meat-eating and drinking.” Then where is the need of shastric injunction? That shastric injunction is there not to encourage them, but to restrict them. In the human life, pravåttir eñä bhütänäà nivåttis tu maha-phala. You have got a tendency for sex life, take for example. This is your tendency. But if you can check it, that is your success. Not that because you have got tendency, you have to increase it. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means we have got so many animal propensities, and if we can control them, that is advancement of human civilization.


Dead without preaching:
...that if we remain rascals, then that Gaurasundara’s example will be followed. One day you’ll again become crazy and close up everything and smoke. That’s all. My Guru Maharaja used to say, prana arthe yanra sei hetu pracara. “One who has got life, he can preach.” The dead man cannot preach. So you become with life, not like dead man. Without life... Just like all my godbrothers. They are dead men. And therefore they are envious of my activities. They have no life. If you want to make easy-going life, showing the Deity and then sleep, then it is a failure movement. (MK 13 July 1974)


The material creations are manifested for some time as perverted shadows of the spiritual kingdom and can be likened to cinemas. They attract people of less intelligent caliber who are attracted by false things. (SB 1.1.17)