THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION
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Regarding Your Question, Part 34
"Regarding your question about the dancing, the dancing should be done enthusiastically by raising the hands like Panca-Tattva. You can also dance enthusiastically by raising hands. All of Lord Caitanya's followers used to dance with raised hands. If someone dances with ecstasy, that is all right, but it is better to dance with raised hands.

Regarding the topics of the Krsna book, this is Istagosthi. Istagosthi means discussion between ourselves but that should not be taken as a competition. It is not the subject matter for competition. It can be discussed in a small group of devotees. That is Istagosthi. This is better than competition."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 10, 1975)

"Regarding the review, the professor has got the real picture. We do not want any compromise. Indological means you have to have the correct view.

Regarding your questions, the first question, when a soul reincarnates, does he associate with the souls he associated with in his lives, that is not necessarily so. Even if he associates, how can he recognize them because everyone changes his body. Regarding your question about karmic debt, yes, it is generally that the debtor is obliged to take birth and also the creditor. Sometimes the creditor takes birth as the son of the debtor and after being a very affectionate son for a few days, he dies and thus the debtor becomes aggrieved very much. This is the punishment. In this way in every transaction the participants are becoming involved in their resultant action of karma. This is karma-bandhana, in Bhagavad-gita, or the bondage of different fruitive activity. It is advised that one should act only for Krsna, otherwise he will be involved in karma-bandhana."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 10, 1975)

"Regarding your question about Brahma Samhita, it was found by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in a temple on his travels thru south India. There are supposed to be 100 chapters, but this is the only chapter which is known to date.

Regarding your question about Vaikuntha; the example is The King and the bed bug, both of them are sitting on the same throne, but the business of the King is to rule and the bed bug's business is to bite. The place is the same, but the consciousness is different. It is said the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, so that means Krishna is also in the heart of a hog, and he is also in the heart of a demigod, but that does not mean that God has become a hog, or a demigod, God is always in Vaikuntha. Similarly, those who are God conscious, Pure devotees of the Lord, they are always in Vaikuntha, there is nothing like material for them."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 30, 1975)

"Regarding your question, There is really a place as Vaikuntha, beyond this dark material universe. In the material world if our consciousness is changed to Krishna then even here is vaikuntha consciousness. This is very easy to understand. Suppose one is a foreigner in India, but still he can continue his European or American consciousness. The process for doing this is bhakti yoga and the beginning of that process is hearing and chanting the Holy Name of Krishna, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Please chant Hare Krishna and be always in Krishna consciousness."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 10, 1975)

"As to your question concerning whether relationships between devotees are eternal, the answer is 'yes.' This is confirmed by Sri Narottama dasa Thakura: 'cakhudana dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei', he is my Lord birth after birth. In this way you have to understand, by studying carefully the philosophy. We have got so many books now and I want all of my disciples to read them carefully. Soon we shall be instituting Bhakti-sastri examinations and all brahmanas will have to pass. So utilize whatever time you find to make a thorough study of my books. Then all your questions will be answered."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 7, 1976)

"Regarding your questions; Arjuna, Yudhisthira Maharaja, and Draupadi were not killed in the battle. They are always personal associates of Krishna. Wherever Krishna goes, they go. The Bhagavad-gita says: bahuni me vyatitani janmani tava carjuna. 'Both you and I have passed many lives; I remember, but you do not.'

And at the time of death somehow or other Krishna takes special care. He says: aham tva sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 16, 1976)

"Regarding your questions, matter originally is spirit and when spirit is not distinctly understood, that is matter. Just like a tree is also a manifestation of spirit soul, but the consciousness is covered. When the tree is cut, it does not protest. But the moving entity has stronger consciousness than the tree. There is consciousness in the tree though. Also consciousness in a dormant state is matter; consciousness in a completely developed state is spirit. Matter is the symbol of undeveloped consciousness.

Thinking is a subtle form of matter. Just like it says in Bhagavad-gita: 'bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh . . . (BG 7.4).' Like the ether is subtle, the mind is more subtle—subtle form of matter.

As for your third question is concerned everything is in the spiritual world. Krishna is the sum total of spirit and everything is coming from Him. Aham sarvasya prabhavo . . . (BG 10.8). Matter, spirit, everything comes from Him. He is the supreme life, the origin of spirit and life. Therefore matter emanates from life. Nityo nityanam . . . He is the Supreme Consciousness of all other consciousness."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 17, 1976)

"In reply to your questions of your letter dated 16-3-76 addressed to my secretary, I beg to offer you the following on the basis of the sastras. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The dictionary defines God as the Supreme Being, therefore, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: Mattah parataram nanyat, kincid asti . . . (BG 7.7) 'There is no Truth superior to Me. Everything is resting upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.' And in many other sastras Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the acaryas such as Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka, Lord Caitanya, and innumerable others have come to this conclusion: that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Concerning your question as to why we should sacrifice everything to Him; because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the Proprietor and Enjoyer of everything; Bhoktaram yajna tapasam sarva loka mahesvaram . . . (BG 5.29). Everything belongs to Him. We have unlawfully encroached upon His property this is mine, that is mine . . . Krishna comes down to teach us real knowledge, therefore He tells you to give up encroaching on His property. Better to deliver it to Him. Therefore, perfection of life is when we deliver or return everything to Him, and He tells us this for our benefit! The sooner we return everything to Him, the better it is for us. Our Krishna Consciousness Movement is teaching this fact all over the world.

One should not think that Krishna is an ordinary man. If you think like that then you do not know anything about Krishna. Avajananti man mudha manusim tanum asritah . . . (BG 9.11). 'Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.' All the mudhas or rascals consider Krishna to be an ordinary man, but He is not ordinary, He is the Supreme Being. Where do you get this information that Krishna is an ordinary man like us? In no Vedic Literature is it said that Krishna is an ordinary human being. In the Brahma-Samhita it is said: Isvara Parama Krishna . . . He is described as the Supreme Being. I do not know on what authority you can say that Krishna is an ordinary human being like you or me?

Sacrifice does not mean murdering. The real work is yajna. Yajna means Visnu. In the Bhagavad-gita, yajna is prescribed. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam Karma-bandhanah . . . (BG 3.9). 'Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this world.' Yajna is prescribed in Vedic literature. Yajna means satisfying Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu's another name is Yajna-purusa. One must satisfy Him anyway that He likes. 'Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati . . . (BG 9.26). If one offers Me in devotion a leaf, flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.' Not that whimsically offer.

You also mentioned that how can I give up attraction for woman; when you learn to love Krishna, then you can forget your lusty desires for women. Krishna's another name is Madan-Mohan. When Krishna is within the heart, then the Madan or lusty desires become defeated. If we learn to love Krishna, our lusty desires will be finished, otherwise not."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 21, 1976)

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