Prabhupada: ISKCON's original graphic designer

Srila Prabhupada (among many others things), was ISKCON’s first graphic designer (here we see his art-direction, composition and implementation of the BTG logo):

From his front room at 6 Sita Kanta Banerjee, Abhay conceived, wrote, edited, and typed the manuscript for a magazine. He designed a logo, a long rectangle across the top of the page. In the upper left-hand corner was a figure of Lord Caitanya, effulgent with rays of light like rays from the sun. In the lower right were silhouettes of a crowd of people, in darkness but groping to receive light from Lord Caitanya. And between Lord Caitanya and the people, the title unfurled like a banner-BACK TO GODHEAD. In the lower right corner was a picture of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati seated at his writing, looking up thoughtfully as he composed. Above the logo ran the motto "Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no Nescience." Below the logo were the following lines:

EDITED & FOUNDED
(Under the direct order of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada)
By Mr. ABHAY CHARAN DE.

Source: H.H. Satvarupa Goswami - Your Ever Well-wisher

Motivation of Bhakti compared to other yoga systems

Those who are on the path of self-realization are generally classified as karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs, or devotees of the Lord.

The karmīs, who are much attracted by the fruitive activities of the Vedic rituals, are called bhukti-kāmī, or those who desire material enjoyment.

The jñānīs, who try to become one with the Supreme by mental speculation, are called mukti-kāmī, or those who desire liberation from material existence.

The mystic yogīs, who practice different types of austerities for attainment of eight kinds of material perfection and who ultimately meet the Supersoul (Paramātmā) in trance, are called siddhi-kāmī, or those who desire the perfection of becoming finer than the finest, becoming heavier than the heaviest, getting everything desired, having control over everyone, creating everything liked, etc. All these are abilities of a powerful yogī.

But the devotees of the Lord do not want anything like that for self-satisfaction. They want only to serve the Lord because the Lord is great and as living entities they are eternally subordinate parts and parcels of the Lord. This perfect realization of the self by the devotee helps him to become desireless, to desire nothing for his personal self, and thus the devotees are called niṣkāmī, without any desire. A living entity, by his constitutional position, cannot be void of all desires (the bhukti-kāmī, mukti-kāmī and siddhi-kāmī all desire something for personal satisfaction), but the niṣkāmī devotees of the Lord desire everything for the satisfaction of the Lord.

(Source: SB 2.4.18 - Purport)

The desire to take shelter of devotees is primary

A Vaiṣṇava is powerful enough to purify even those who are constantly engaged in sinful acts - they are all corrigible to the standard of perfect human beings if they take shelter of the devotees of the Lord, because the Lord is the supreme power.

( Source: Paraphrased from SB 2.4.18 - Translation & Purport)

Devotees can lead the world to a change of heart

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī states that instead of running a godless civilization in the present context of the world situation, if the leadership of world affairs is entrusted to the devotees of the Lord, for which a worldwide organization under the name and style of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has already been started, then by the grace of the Almighty Lord there can be a thorough change of heart in human beings all over the world because the devotees of the Lord are able authorities to effect such a change by purifying the dust-worn minds of the people in general.

The politicians of the world may remain in their respective positions because the pure devotees of the Lord are not interested in political leadership or diplomatic implications. The devotees are interested only in seeing that the people in general are not misguided by political propaganda and in seeing that the valuable life of a human being is not spoiled in following a type of civilization which is ultimately doomed.

If the politicians, therefore, would be guided by the good counsel of the devotees, then certainly there would be a great change in the world situation by the purifying propaganda of the devotees, as shown by Lord Caitanya. As Śukadeva Gosvāmī began his prayer by discussing the word yat-kīrtanam, so also Lord Caitanya recommended that simply by glorifying the Lord's holy name, a tremendous change of heart can take place by which the complete misunderstanding between the human nations created by politicians can at once be extinguished. And after the extinction of the fire of misunderstanding, other profits will follow. The destination is to go back home, back to Godhead, as we have several times discussed in these pages.

(Source: SB 2.4.18 - Purport)

Moral behaviour without Krsna is simply trouble

Advancement of learning, a charitable disposition, political, social or religious leadership of human society, philosophical speculations, the practice of the yoga system, expertise in the Vedic rituals, and all similar high qualities in man serve one in the attainment of perfection only when they are employed in the service of the Lord. Without such dovetailing, all such qualities become sources of trouble for people in general.

Everything can be utilized either for one's own sense gratification or in the service of one other than oneself. There are two kinds of self-interest also, namely personal selfishness and extended selfishness. But there is no qualitative difference between personal and extended selfishness. Theft for personal interest or for the family interest is of the same quality — namely, criminal. A thief pleading not guilty because of committing theft not for personal interest but for the interest of society or country has never been excused by the established law of any country.

Similarly, advancement of learning, economic development, philosophical research, study in the Vedic literature or even the execution of pious activities (like charity, opening of hospitals, and the distribution of food grains) should be done in relation with the Lord.

The expert leaders of a godless human civilization cannot bring about a fruitful result in all their different attempts at educational advancement or economic development unless they are God conscious.

(Source: SB 2.4.17 - Purport)

Bhakti compared to other types of yoga

Analogy: A handful of real paddy (rice or wheat in husks) is more valuable than heaps of paddy skins without any substance within. A person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, his only gain is trouble.

(Source: SB 2.4.16 - Purport and SB 10.14.4 - Translation)

When does one get bhakti?

Bhakti-yoga is the highest quality of perfection to be achieved by the intelligent person in lieu of performing a large quantity of spiritual activities.

(Source: SB 2.4.16 - Purport)

Devotee not disappointed in physical absence of Lord

The devotees need not be disappointed in the physical absence of the Lord, though they may think of not being associated with Him. The devotional process of chanting, hearing, remembering, etc., (either all or some of them, or even one of them) can give us the desired result of associating with the Lord by discharging the transcendental loving service of the Lord in the above manner. Even the very sound of the holy name of Lord Krsna or Rama can at once surcharge the atmosphere spiritually. We must know definitely that the Lord is present wherever such pure transcendental service is performed, and thus the performer of offenseless kirtanam has positive association with the Lord.

(Source: SB 2.4.15 - Purport)

Lord stops progress of demoniac activites

The impious and the nondevotees are against the principles of the Vedas, and so such persons are always hampered from making advances in their nefarious activities. Some of them, who are specially favored by the Lord, are killed by Him personally, as in the cases of Ravana, Hiraṇyakaśipu and Kamsa, and thus such demons get salvation and are thereby checked from further progress in their demoniac activities. Just like a kind father, either in His favor upon the devotees or His punishment of the demons He is ever kind to everyone because He is the complete existence for all individual existence.

(Source: SB 2.4.13 - Purport)

Importance of Sri Mangalacarana, or seeking blessings

The senses of the individual being are not his own; the devotee knows that such senses belong to the Supreme Lord and that they can be properly used when they are employed for the service of the Lord. The senses are instruments, and elements are ingredients, all endowed by the Lord; therefore whatever an individual can do, speak, see, etc., is under the direction of the Lord only.

No one is free to act freely and independently, and as such, one should always seek the permission of the Lord to act or eat or speak, and by the blessing of the Lord everything done by a devotee is beyond the principles of the four defects typical of the conditioned soul.

(Source: SB 2.4.11 - Purport)

Calling out to Krsna with love

There was a child playing with a rattle and he cried out for his mother softly and then went back to playing with his rattle, his mum sees he's ok and so carries on with her duties.

The child sees his mother hasnt come and so calls a little louder and then carries on playing with his rattle..again his mother doesnt come now the child is getting frustrated so calls out even louder and then goes back to playing with his rattle...still the mother doesnt come. Finally, the child gets very angry and throws his rattle on the floor and screams for his mother and she comes.

In the same way whilst we are still playing with our material toys (the rattle) it is very hard to call out sincerely for Krishna. Only when we give these up will we cry for Krishna with love and sincerity.

(Source: H.H. Bhakti Visvambara Madhava Swami)

There is no time to waste

Since we know that life is meant to prepare for a glorious death, we can live each day as if it is our last. There is no time to waste on irrelevant, superfluous activities. Even when we must give time to somewhat superficial things, it must be done in a way that enhances the primary, significant involvements. "

(Source: H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami - The Beggar IV, p.67)

Gratefully surrender to Krsna's purifying our hearts

The frustrations, the disappointments, the pains, the sufferings that come into our life is the love of God upon us, to purify our hearts, to bring us closer to the real standard of selfless service. We shouldn't react. When Krishna either does it through material nature or does it through another devotee or another living being, we should not respond by throwing thunderbolts upon Him. We should respond by bowing at the lotus feet in the presence of Krishna's mercy and by surrendering. Ultimately surrender means to surrender that ego. You can surrender all your material possessions, all your money. You can surrender your physical form to do whatever you are asked, but it is all incomplete until we surrender our ego to Krishna. And what does it mean to surrender our ego to Krishna? It means, "Krishna. You are enjoyer. I am meant for your enjoyment." We are striving sincerely to be the servant of the servant of the servant of our Guru and Sri Krishna. When Krishna sees our honest endeavor in this way, by His Grace, He frees us. And He will make so many wonderful divine arrangements to increase our sincerity, our humility, if we accept it with a grateful heart. There is no doubt that Krishna will lift us beyond this realm of Maya into the eternal realm of loving service.

(Source: H.H. Radhanath Swami)

The Lord's pastimes in different kalpas

Every day we tend to have the same schedule or routine. We wake up, we brush our teeth, have a bath etc. Yet everyday there is some small variation in the way we carry out the routine, it is never identically done. Similarly, in every cycle of yugas, Krishna performs the same pastimes with the same incarnations, but every time He carries out the mission with slight variation. So this is why there are different ways in which, for example, Lord Narsimhadeva kills Hiranyakashipu according to different cycle of yugas.

(Source: H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami - QnA - ISKCON Pandava Sena Retreat

Simhachalam, Jandelsbrunn, Germany, Aug 2005)

Reconciling our free will with Krishna's

It seems contradictory that we have free will, yet not a blade of glass moves without Krishna's will. There is an example from the Mahabharata which clears this up. Gandhari had acquired a lot of mystic power due to the voluntary austerity of blindfolding herself. Using such powers, anything she would look at could never be destroyed. She asked her son, Duryodhana, to appear before her naked, so she could keep him alive, by protecting his entire body from ever being destroyed. Duryodhana agreed, but on his way to see Gandhari, Krishna tricked Duryodhana by ridiculing the fact that he was a grown man about to shamelessly go in front of his mother naked. He convinced Duryodhana to cover the upper portion of his legs. Thus, when Gandhari utilised her powers, Duryodhana's legs went unprotected. In this way, Krishna made sure that His will prevailed without interfering with the free will of Gandhari. You can see how hard it is just to organise a retreat for a 100 people, so the fact that Krishna can do this with billions of living entities just shows how inconceivable his potency is. Somehow everybody's free will is fulfilled and at the same time that free will is included within Krishna's ultimate plan.

(Source: H.G. Urmila Mataji - QnA, ISKCON Pandava Sena Retreat

Simhachalam, Jandelsbrunn, Germany, Aug 2005)

One single speck of dust from Sri Gurudev

When a devotee is in a humble state of mind, that devotee can bear all sorts of injustices upon himself, without complaining and without blaming others. This is a very important principle and there are so many wonderful examples. Srimad Bhagavatam describes Prahlad Maharaj; how his father Hiranyakasipu tried to kill him in so many ways - through fire, through snakes, through poison, through winds, through crushing under mountains, swords and spears, elephants, but he never criticized his father, never blamed his father-he was humble. He just accepted that it was Lord's mercy and continued chanting the holy name Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

One of our great acharyas explained that one speck of dust of Srila Prabhupada has the power to deliver the entire universe.

One single speck of dust from Sri Gurudev has the strength to deliver tens and crores of people and all the knowledge in all the Universities and all the reasonings of all the philosophers and all the wealth of the industrialists and all the politics of the politicians, all multiplied together, does not equal even a fraction of the weight of one speck of dust from the lotus feet of the previous acharyas. This is the statement that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati made about Gaur Kishore das Babaji.

We can make the same about Srila Prabhupada. Therefore it is my most honoured duty in life to sprinkle those particles of dust wherever we go, by our behaviour and by the sincerity and wish, we pray for the benefit of others and chant the Holy names Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. On behalf of Srila Prabhupada, I thank you very much.

(Source: H.H. Radhanath Swami)

Applying Srila Prabhupada's teaching to our life

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself in the role of a devotee to teach us how to be devoted. The basic principle of Lord Caitanya's life and teachings is service to vaisnavas in loving relationships amongst vaisnavas.

So this must be very carefully and systematically established in our minds. Devotees need to be protected. Devotees need to be cared for. Devotees need to be loved. And devotees need to be taught how to show love. This is what Srila Prabhupada has given us in his books. Actually, everything is in Srila Prabhupada's books. There is no higher philosophy. There is nothing absent that we require in our life that's not there. But if we are not applying his teaching to our life, then there is dissatisfaction.

(Source: H.H. Radhanath Swami)

Dynamics of pleasing Krishna and His devotee

I was thinking about how our ultimate aim is to please Krishna. But Krishna is only pleased when we please His devotees. And then His devotees are only pleased when we try to please Krishna. But as already mentioned, we can only please Krishna by pleasing His devotees...and it goes on and on like that. It made me realise how we cannot separate pleasing the devotee from pleasing Krishna - they go hand in hand.

(Source: Nimesh Mistry)

Better to be simple - else misery and anxiety

You get a beautiful house, car, wife or husband - whatever you have you immediately start thinking that everyone wants it, because I am enjoying it so much, everyone must want it. Then you become fearful and suspicious of everything and everyone. There is no happiness in even having these things - it just brings about misery and anxiety. We cannot even trust our friends when you are attached to things in the material world - it is a fact. Then how is it that many people in this world remain good friends. Even amongst family members how many people really trust each other because everyone has their attachment, everyone is afraid that somebody may want to take something that I have, this is envy. So it is better to be simple.

(Source: H.H. Radhanath Swami)

Krsna's bodily effulgence and fragrance

One evening while in his New Dwarka garden, Srila Prabhupada looked into the sky and said, "So, is the sky the color of Krsna?" A disciple said, "In Krsna Book it says that Krsna is dark bluish like the thunder cloud." Srila Prabhupada said, "The sky is the color of Krsna. It is the light from Krsna's bodily effulgence that makes the sky blue."

Sometimes after leaving the garden, he would go back to his room and listen to the recording of that morning's Srimad Bhagavatam class. Then he would have me pick night blooming star jasmine growing on the bushes just outside his garden. The flower's scent is especially fragrant at night. One evening while holding a sprig of blossoms up to his nose for several minutes, he said, "Ahh, this is Krsna!"

Often times I would bring them to his bedroom just before his evening massage. Throughout his massage he would smell them off and on. He would then keep them on His pillow (close to His nose) all night. The following morning, I would find the flowers gently laying on the pillow exactly where they had been the night before. The flowers looked as fresh and fragrant as ever, looking as if they had just been picked. His Divine Grace is always showing us how Krishna is in every part of this material creation.

(Source: "Srila Prabhupada Uvaca" - H.G. Srutakirti prabhu
7th October 1972, ISKCON, San Francisco)