Whose Was the Greater Reign of Terror, Hitler or Stalin?
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Sat, 2009/11/28 - 3:04amHitler is usually claimed to be responsible for the deaths of six million people. But one of his contemporaries, Joseph Stalin, is said to have claimed the lives of between ten and fifty million in his purges. In a public lecture, Srila Prabhupada called Stalin, "The greatest criminal in the history of the world."
Even Taking Sannyasa Doesn't Mean Losing
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Fri, 2009/11/27 - 3:04amGenerally sannyasa refers to an order in which one lives alone, eating only leftovers, berries, and nuts, residing in remote holy regions, or travelling about as mendicant. But Srila Prabhupada wanted to establish that the renounced order of life shouldn't be something we fear. Of himself, he said this once in public: "In several ways there were hints from my spiritual master, but still, I was not willing. I was thinking, 'If I go away, then my family, my sons, my daughters, they will suffer'...
English is ir-r-r-regular
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Thu, 2009/11/26 - 3:03amIn a London lecture Srila Prabhupada said that the letter 'u' is pronounced differently in beauty, but and put. He made it a point to say that such irregularities in pronunciation do not exist in Sanskrit. (lecture on Bhagavad-gita 1. 2-3, London, 9July 1973). It's tempting to point out, as one of my grammar school teachers once did, that "ghoti" can be pronounced "fish." The "gh" is taken from "laugh," the "o" from "women," and the "ti" from "nation."
Materialists are in Denial
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Wed, 2009/11/25 - 3:01amPsychologists are fond of noticing that we are often "in denial" of many things. Srila Prabhupada said that even Dhrtarastra was "in denial" of the wrongs he was perpetrating on the kingdom. In an interesting analysis of the materialist and criminal mind, he said this: "So Dhrtarastra said that 'I know that what I am planning, that is not good. I know Krsna -the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He has requested me.
Guess Who's Happy and Who's Suffering?
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Tue, 2009/11/24 - 3:01amAccording to the Srimad Bhagavatam, "Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs." (Srila Prabhupada's translation of 3.9.10)
"Jujitsu" Comes from Sanskrit
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Mon, 2009/11/23 - 3:00amThis word yuyutsu [jujitsu]is still used in Japan. Perhaps you know, yuyutsa, fighting.
Who was the 'greatest politician?'
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Sun, 2009/11/22 - 3:00amSrila Prabhupada once told us that Chanakya Pandit said politicians are not to be trusted. And yet he said that Chanakya was an expert politician and even quoted his Sanskrit slokas (Chanakya was not even a Vaisnava) in public. He once said this of him: "That is the opinion of the greatest politician in the history of the world, Chanakya Pandit." (7 July 1973, London lecture on Bhagavad-gita, 1.1.)
What is 'Good Government?'
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Sat, 2009/11/21 - 3:59amIn today's world, where crime is rampant, citizens of most countries cannot even walk outside their homes safely after dark - men OR women. In London in 1973, speaking on the very first chapter of the Gita Srila Prabhupada said this: "So what is the rightful ownership of the living entity? That is to be understood. Birthright, what is called birthright. Just like everyone has got right to live under the protection of the government, everyone.
Practice What You Preach
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Fri, 2009/11/20 - 3:58amSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said this eloquently in his will: "Preaching without practising is nothing but a ritual of karma kanda."
If Krsna Wants to Save You
Submitted by Mukunda Goswami on Thu, 2009/11/19 - 3:58amThe famous adage, "Rakhe krsna mare ke mare krsna rakhe ke,", or "If Krsna wants to kill you, no one can save you," and visa versa, was brought home to me one day in 1967. A photo on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle showed the trajectory of man who leapt from the Golden Gate Bridge and lived. Expecting to die, he dove off the span and landed 100 feet below in mud in a yoga posture. He got up and walked away uninjured.