Apacitum is the Sanskrit word for gratitude. And although this concept has been described on this website before, in my humble opinion, one cannot say enough about it. Srila Prabhupada says this about gratitude in the Antya-lila of Caitanya Caritamrta: “One cannot express sufficient gratitude to Krsna for being freed from the materialistic way of life.” And in his “Concluding Words” to that book he writes: “It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation, and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future.” Is it not significant then that Anthony Robbins the American motivational speaker/writer (who has enabled thousands to walk on red-hot coals without getting burned) tells his students that the only real wealth is ‘gratitude’?

Contrary to the Darwinian theory of (genetic) evolution, the Vedas and Prabhupada taught that there is a gradual evolution of consciousness. After aquatic life, punishment exists in the form of the non-moving entities who have to withstand, sometimes for hundreds of years, wind, piercing cold, searing heat, rain and snow and lack of shelter. A further evolution to insects allows them to find shelter by crawling or flying. Then they become birds, then beasts and then finally humans.

One of Ksirodakasayee Visnu’s sons, while a student at Oxford, wrote to Srila Prabhupada asking what was wrong with mental speculation. Srila Prabhupada wrote back that when Krsna says, “I am the taste of water” we should try to understand HOW Krsna is the taste of water, and that that is REAL mental speculation. The specific reference reads as follows: “As for the difference between mental speculation and philosophical speculation, we take it that everything is known by the psychological action of the mind, so that philosophical speculation is the same as mental speculation if it is merely the random or haphazard activity of the brain to understand everything and making theories, “if’s” and ‘maybe’s.” But if philosophical speculation is directed by Sastra and Guru, and if the goal of such philosophical attempts is to achieve Visnu, then that philosophical speculation is not mental speculation. It is just like this: Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that “I am the taste of water.” Philosophical speculation in the accepted sense then means to try to understand, under the direction of Sastra and Guru, just how Krishna is the taste of water. The points of Bhagavad-gita, though they are simple and complete, can be understood from unlimited angles of vision. So our philosophy is not dry, like mental speculation. The proper function of the brain or psychological activity is to understand everything through Krsna’s perspective or point-of-view, and so there is no limit to that understanding because Krsna is unlimited, and even though it can be said that the devotee who knows Krsna, he knows everything (15th Chapter), still, the philosophical process never stops and the devotee continues to increase his knowledge even though he knows everything. Try to understand this point….” (letter dated 21 January 1972).

About 80% of first marriages at Bhaktivedanta Manor ended in divorce. This is an astonishing number, and fortunately the rate is lower now. But today, and for the next two days, I’ll cite some major reasons as to why marriage breakdown occurs. This is according to some writers who have analysed this, but of course they are many other reasons and some will be more specific to our ISKCON culture. The following three reasons, however, are important. The first reason is the “cost-benefit analysis,” meaning, “If it works for me, cool; if not I’ll trash it and move on.” (Amply supported by no-fault divorce laws current in many parts of the world.)

Sometimes the material world is likened to a dream. Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur says that just as one soon forgets the experience of a dream after awakening, similarly, a liberated soul in Krsna consciousness does not see anything substantial in even the most exalted rewards offered by the Vedas, such as promotion to the heavenly planets. Therefore Lord Krsna advised Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita to remain fixed in self-realization, without being deviated by fruitive rituals performed in the name of religion.

Sometimes, in lectures and walks Srila Prabhupada quoted from Bhagavad-gita As It is, verses 6.20-23. The second to last sentence of the translation states: “Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty.”

In a lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.10, Srila Prabhupada said this: “There is no end of their desire, no end.” Interestingly, a well-known drama by American playwright Tennessee Williams was called “A Streetcar Named Desire.” In the play, there is an actual streetcar named ‘Desire.’ The interesting point about this is the symbol of a streetcar that goes round and round, and like a line bent into a circle, never ends. This is one of the themes of this play.

Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Krishna. Guru does not think that he is Krishna, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Krishna. This is the process. We cannot approach Krishna directly. We should approach through guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasu sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. That is the injunction of the sastra, that one should approach the guru who can transfer the service from the disciple to the Supreme Person. So… Therefore the first offering is guru, vande gurun. Then guru creates many devotees. Guru’s business is to canvass on behalf of Supreme Lord. That is guru’s business. Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], so, “You give up all material, engage…” Sarva-dharman means in the material world we have created so many so-called duties. (from a lecture delivered in Mayapura on the 15th of March, 1975.)

Srila Prabhupada’s humility is evident in an exchange that took place on Novemer 26th, 1975 in New Delhi: Harikesa: It seems like the strongest preaching point or platform is the presence of a pure soul. Prabhupada: Huh? Harikesa: The presence of a pure soul, someone who is wrapped up actually in love of God, is sufficient. Prabhupada: Faithful servant of God. He can preach. He is authorized. He has got the power of attorney. Krsna sakti vin nahe nama pracara. [“Unless empowered by Krsna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement” – CC, Antya, 7.11].

We have often heard that Srila Prabhupada said that even if one percent of the world’s people becomes Krsna conscious, the present world situation would change for the better. Here is one such quote from a lecture delivered in London on 8th of September 1971: “Therefore this Krishna consciousness movement… Even a certain little percentage of people become Krishna conscious, the whole face of the world will change. It is so nice.” (SB7.5.22.30)