When Srila Prabhupada wrote “Easy Journey to Other Planets” in the early 1960s, the space race between the United States and the former Soviet Union was on. When he wrote “Sri Isopanisad” he decried “the Capitalists” and “The Communists,” both of whom were bent on global hegemony. Both had (and still have) the capability of destroying one another. Srila Prabhupada made it clear that neither system is perfect within itself, but that if either or both find the means to bring devotional service into their political philosophies, the world will become happy and peaceful. He brings this out beautifully in his “Sri Isopanisad,” in the purport to the first text.

On the 12th of June, 1968, Srila Prabhupada nicely explained the word ‘sannyasa’ by breaking the word into sanskrit syllables: “This is Sanskrit word, sat-nyasa. This is sannyasa. Sat means the Supreme, the Absolute Truth. And nyasa means renounced. One who has renounced everything for the service of the Supreme, he is called a sannyasa. Sannyasa does not mean a particular type of dress or particular type of beard. Sannyasa means you can become a sannyasi even with your, this coat-pant. It doesn’t matter, provided you have dedicated your life for the service of God. That is called sannyasa.

In our complex world we sometimes lose sight of the fact that basic human needs are simple, and that needs and wants (desires) are two different things. Our “comfort zones” have expanded to gargantuan proportions. In the Caitanya Caritamrta, recounting the history of Mrgari the hunter, Srila Prabhupada writes, “After leaving householder life, one may go to a holy place, such as the bank of the Ganges or Yamuna, and erect a small cottage. A small cottage can be constructed without any expenditure. Four logs serving as pillars can be secured by any man from the forest. The roof can be covered with leaves, and one can cleanse the inside. Thus one can live very peacefully. In any condition, any man can live in a small cottage, plant a tulasi tree, water it in the morning, offer it prayers, and continuously chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Thus one can make vigorous spiritual advancement. This is not at all difficult.”(Madhya 24.261/purport excerpt)

Guru dasa once told that he heard Srila Prabhupada say, “He who wants fame the least, gets it the most.” Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, the renowned author of Caitanya Caritamrta, considered himself shameless. CC, Adi 8.72: “By their mercy, all these devotees ordered me to write of the last pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because of their order only, although I am shameless, I have attempted to write this Caitanya-caritamrta.

Another of the four principal Vaisnava Sampradayas is called the Rudra Sampradaya. It too is one of the Visnu Sampradayas.

Srila Prabhupada once said that there is no envy in the spiritual word. He gave the examples of the trees and grass in Krsna’s planet. He said the trees are saying to the grass, “you are providing a wonderfully soft carpet for Their Lordships to walk upon.” And the grass says to the trees, “You are giving a beautiful visage for Radha and Krsna to gaze upon as They stroll in the forest.”

In London, in 1973 Srila Prabhupada compared the malaria of India with the Cancer of the West. Here are some relevant excerpts from the talk: “In India, there are malaria or some disease. In your country there is cancer. Rich disease. You are rich men. That disease is also very rich. India, poverty-stricken, they suffer only a little malaria. That’s all. Oh, you are rich. You have got cancer. There is no cure. This is actually to be studied.”

Although it’s cited in the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Vedic literatures that time is inexorable and relentless, time in the spiritual world is different. There is no past or future, rather there is eternal present. But far from being one perfect moment forever, it continually becomes more and more blissful!

Sometimes devotees think that Krsna will reveal EVERYTHING from within: things such as how to use computers, construction of buildings, cooking, producing books, keeping accounts, making music, and decorating temples. This ignores the principle of “God helps those that help themselves,” or that “man proposes; God disposes.” If we don’t attempt or propose [act] why should Krsna do everything for us. Arjuna had to utilize military science to fight. He had to strain his brain and his muscle to the maximum. In New York on December 22, 1966, Srila Prabhupada said this: “Therefore the common saying is that ‘Man proposes; God disposes.’ Therefore a devotee, he never depends on himself. He never considers himself, ‘I am independent.’ He simply depends on the supreme will of the Lord. That is devotion. ‘If God desires… If Krishna desires…’ Whenever we used to ask our Guru Maharaja something, ‘Is it going to be happened like that?’ some work, he never said, ‘Yes, it is going to happen. Yes, we are going to do it.’ No. ‘Yes, if Krishna desires, it may be.’ He never said like that, positively. ‘If Krishna desires.’ Actually this is the fact. If Krishna desires, God desires, anything wonderful can be done. If He does not desire, however you may try, it will never be done. So just like we are praying to Krishna, if He desires, we’ll have a nice house. If He does not desire, we may remain here. It doesn’t matter. But we shall prosecute our business, Krishna consciousness. There is nothing to stop, in whatever condition we may be. Ahaituky apratihata. Devotional service is, I mean to say, without any impediment, apratihata. Nothing can check it—that is devotional service—in any circumstances. No material circumstances can check your Krishna consciousness. When it is, you are firmly convinced and situated in that position, that is real bhakti-yoga.

Many English words beginning with “gl,” such as glitter, glare, glassy, glimmer, and glisten refer to bright, shiny and smooth things. So when Srila Prabhupada described Krsna’s complexion like that of a “fresh rain cloud” (clouds being wet) this added yet another dimension of moist, shimmering smoothness to an already beautiful and inexpressible blue-black skin color.