SRILA PRABHUPADA'S
"PROTECT A COW"
SANCTUARY & FARM TRUST
in Port Royal, Pennsylvania
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SB 4.18.26 P Prthu Maharaja Milks the Earth Planet
As confirmed in the Vedas: eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. Although the Lord is one, He is supplying all necessities to everyone through the medium of the planet earth. There are different varieties of living entities on different planets, and they all derive their eatables from their planets in different forms. On the basis of these descriptions, how can one assume that there is no living entity on the moon? Every moon is earthly, being composed of the five elements. Every planet produces different types of food according to the needs of its residents. According to the Vedic sastras, it is not true that the moon does not produce food or that no living entity is living there.
Conversations 771110rc.vrn Svarupa Damodara: We also feel very confident. Tamala Krsna: Better that you live for six or seven years productively than that you go on this parikrama and die within two hours gloriously. Why not live for six or seven years and then go on parikrama and die? If the parikrama can always be done, why not put it off for six or seven more years of preaching? {The poisoner explains to Prabhupada about "preaching", how sick.} Svarupa Damodara: You've already been glorious, Srila Prabhupada, all over the world. Whether you're here or outside doesn't really matter. You're already glorious. {We have no intention of fufilling your Final Order} Jayapataka: By your presence countless souls will attain devotional service. That's more glorious.{We are not going to give up our plan to poison you.} Prabhupada: But I think I shall be cured.{Prabhupada clearly states he will be cured by the Bullock Cart Parikrama and this will also cure His Movement} Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada says he thinks he will be cured by the parikrama. (Bhakti-caru and Shastriji--Hindi) Hamsaduta: Under the circumstances we have to consider whether Prabhupada's opinion is more or less than the kaviraja's, is what it comes down to. Tamala Krsna: We can't continue..., consider. Srila Prabhupada has to. Hamsaduta: If Prabhupada says that by going on parikrama he feels he'll be cured, then how can we continue to place arguments against him? {Can anyone tell me what the answer to this question is?}
Back to Godead Magazine 1944 VOLUME 1 Article 4 Part 1
Godhead and His Potentialities
In the Padmapuranam the Absolute Truth is compared with the Fire. As the Fire illuminates by diffusion of its rays, although it is situated in one place, so also the Absolute Truth, although situated far beyond the reach of our imperfect vision, is omnipresent in all directions by distribution of His varied energies. These energies or potentialities of the Absolute Truth, are innumerable and immeasurable in quantity and quality but primarily all of them can be grouped into three principal divisions under the following headings, viz.,
(1) Internal Potency or "Chit Potency"
(2) Marginal Potency or "Tatastha Potency"
(3) External Potency or "Maya Potency"
The Absolute Truth is omnipresent everywhere and anywhere represented by all these potencies by a transcendental process which is inconceivable by any mental speculation. As the fire expands its heat as its natural potentiality, so also the Absolute Truth, call Him the Impersonal "Brahman", Localised Aspect of Godhead "Paramatman" or the Personality of Godhead "Bhagwan"-in all such manifestations, He manifests His different potentialities in respect of creation, destruction and maintenance of the universe or the entities within the universe. These are quite natural to Him as the heat is to the fire. The Material Nature as we try to explain by our imperfect mental speculation, is only the External Nature or External Potency of the Absolute Truth whereas the living entities represented by different species of Spirit embodied, which are eighty four lacs of varieties-are but innumerable manifestations of His Marginal Potency as separate individual portions. The actions of the Internal Potency technically called the Chit potency, is almost similar to the activities of the External Potency technically known as "Maya" or illusion. The difference between "Chit" potency and the "Maya Potency" is of quality and quantity. The manifestations of the "Maya" potency by creation of the innumerable universes like one as we can see presently, is said to be one-fourth quantity (portion) of the whole creation. The creation of the "Chit" potency is three-fourth of the whole creation and is the Kingdom of God or technically called "Baikuntha". Herein lies the difference in quantity of "Maya" and "Chit" Potencies. The other difference is one of the quality namely the creation of the "Chit" potency is non-destructible and eternal while the creation of the Maya Potency is destructible and temporary technically called the material Nature.(1) The former is real while the latter is unreal or shadow. The one is light(2) while the latter is darkness. In the darkness one cannot find out what he wants. And in the material nature also one cannot find what he searches out throughout the whole span of his life. From the darkness one however can make out a guess for the light and from the shadow one can make out an idea of the origin. The real is technically known as Transcendence or Noumenon as opposed to the shadow technically called the mundane or phenomenon. But all the same we must not misunderstand them as one and the same as sometimes it is wrongly interpreted by imperfect speculation. Thus lies the qualitative difference between the "Chit" and the "Maya" potencies.
Abhay Charan De {Srila Prabhupada}, Editor and Founder.
Conversations 771110rc.vrn Bhavananda: Bullock cart. Jayapataka: That is very bumpy. Bhavananda: Your Guru Maharaja used to have bullock cart travel from Hulorghat [on the bank of the Ganges in Mayapura] up to the Caitanya Matha. You told me you put a nice mattress down in the back and a cover, and you lay down there. You even told me once to go to Calcutta that way. You lay down, at night; you go little bit, little bit; and in the morning, when you wake up, you're in Calcutta. Prabhupada: Bullock, you get the cow dung. Tamala Krsna: Cook with it. Jayapataka: In this part of India it's very cold now for Your Divine Grace. Prabhupada: Underneath the tree it is not cold. Tamala Krsna: You sound like you are very determined to go, Srila Prabhupada. (and we, the poisoners, are determined to not let you go.) Prabhupada: Daytime we expose in the sunshine, and camp underneath a tree at night. That has to be arranged. (Bengali with Bhakti-caru--Prabhupada drinks something) Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, should the devotees take prasadam now? Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Tamala Krsna: It's about 1:30 now. After taking prasadam we can meet and chalk out a program for parikrama and tirtha-yatra. Is that all right? Okay. (lie with no intention of letting Prabhupada go outside of there controlled enviorment.) Prabhupada: I thought you have taken. Tamala Krsna: No, we were all surrounding you, listening very intently to all your instructions. (which we have no intention of following.) Jagadisa: Prasadam has been saved for the devotees that are here. Tamala Krsna: Three o'clock we'll meet. So we'll have our meeting, Srila Prabhupada, with Lokanatha also present. Jagadisa: Satsvarupa also. (another poisoner) Prabhupada: Four o'clock. Tamala Krsna: Hm? Yes. And then we'll begin tomorrow. Is that soon enough? (another lie.)
Prabhupada: Yes. Hm. Tamala Krsna: Should we depart for taking prasadam now, Srila Prabhupada? (to plot what dosage of poison to give you and not let you go on bullock cart parikrama to be cured.)
Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: Okay. Prabhupada: Who is attending? Bhavananda: Upendra. Prabhupada: Upendra is very good attendant. (Upendra is the good attendent, he is the trustworthy servant.)
771108rc.vrn Conversations Lokanatha: Are not. As we go towards the Himalaya it gets cold otherwise up to Delhi and Chandigarh same climate as it is here now. As soon as we go out into the mountains, it's very cold. Shivering. As we came to the place, wherever we went the same climate. Same as Vrndavana. It's a good climate. Prabhupada: So you come at four, have kirtana (?). (break) I wish that you GBC manage very nicely and consider I am dead and let me try to travel all the tirthasthana. Without any responsibility. If I become recovered from this malady I shall come back and then I shall die in, what is it when the dead body is there, let them bring to Mayapura and Vrndavana. I am thinking in this way. Bring little medicine and no medicine, little milk, and travel one place to another and if there is death, what is the lamentation? My age is ripe. In the open air and bullock cart or during daytime, eh? Or you can say semi-suicide, although living what consider me dead for the time. You manage and nowadays there is in India ample sunshine. So during daytime I shall travel and nighttime you make a camp under a tree. In this way let me travel all the tirthas. I am thinking in this way. What is your opinion? Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, we promise that we'll manage everything to the best of our ability. Prabhupada: No, no, you are managing, I know, but you are all important men and unnecessarily you are bound up. You cannot go. So Lokanatha party has got some experience and let me go. In India the climate is now good. If I recover, it is very good. You know. So what is the wrong? If I die, then the body will be brought either in Vrndavana or Mayapura, that's all. And if I live, it will be a great end of a life. You are all experienced. Jayapataka: As much as you have trained us, Srila Prabhupada, that is only how much we are experienced. We don't want that you be burdened any more with material management problems but... Prabhupada: No, not from that point of view. What is the use of lying down here?
771108rc.vrn Conversations Prabhupada: And therefore I say, (laughs) don't keep me locked up. You do your duty as I have trained you and let me be free and if money required, he'll come and take and go back again as he ...
Spiritual consciousness is, it is stated in the Vedas, isavasyam idam sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." The food belongs to God, the mine belongs to God, the ocean belongs to God, the land belongs to God, the air belongs to God, and whatever we find here... This is a combination of these five elements: earth, air, water, fire. That's all. So everything belongs to God. We also belong to God. So we should feel obliged to God that He has given so much for our maintenance. (break) ...fruits, flowers, vegetables, land, ocean, mine, jewels. So we can use it as much as we require. We cannot collect it and keep it in stock for my future son, grandson, this son, that son. No. This is Krsna consciousness. It is actually perfect communism.
The Communists are thinking in terms of the human being, and that also within the state, but a Krsna conscious person, he is thinking in terms of all living beings. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini, suni caiva sva-pake ca. In the Bhagavata it is stated that a householder, before taking his lunch, he should invite on the street, "Sir, if anyone is still hungry, please come at my place. There is still food. You can take it." And he should see that in the household even the lizard he is not hungry. Even there is a snake, he is not hungry.
750801mf.no Conversations Prabhupada: (reading sign?) "Cow protection and God consciousness. Visitors welcome." That's nice. So, which way we shall go now? Cow protection, they are surprised: "What is this nonsense, cow protection?" Huh? Do they say? "Cow is for eating, and you are protecting?"
750623rc.la Conversations Prabhupada: That's all right. Vegetable has also life but we are not killing. When you pluck out the flower, the tree is not killed. When you take a fruit, the tree is not killed. When you take grains, automatically they die. Then you take the grains. There is no question of killing. But even it is killing, it is not as murderous as killing a cow. Why the state hangs a man when he kills a man? The man can plead that "So many animals are being killed every day. If I kill one man, what is the wrong there?" The punishment is that "You have killed one important animal." Therefore the Bhaga..., krsi-go-raksya, that cow should be protected because it is a very, very, important animal. It does not say, "Other animal." Or does not say, "All animals." He said, "Cows," because important. It's supplying you milk, so important food. She is your mother and you are killing mother? Is that your civilization? Killing mother? "Mother is old, and mother is no more supplying milk. Kill." Is there any such sanction? Rather, old mother is given more protection. And what is this civilization, killing the mother? In the morning we require milk immediately, and the mother cow is supplying. And when she cannot supply, kill her. What is this philosophy? Bahulasva: I was lecturing in the University of Marin in San Francisco. So I was explaining that, and one man said, "This is just your sentiment. You just have some sentiment." So I asked him if he had a dog. And he said, "Yes." So I said that "When your dog becomes old, will you kill it?" So he said, "No, why shall I kill it. It's a good dog." So... Prabhupada: Dog is good; cow is bad. Dog is creating always nasty things, and cow is so pure, even the stool is pure, and she has to be killed.
75-04-08.Dev Letter: Devakinandana Please accept my blessings. I have heard that you are a very good man with cows. Your service would be very valuable here in India. I think that you could travel to the centers here where we keep cows and try to establish a very high cow-protection standard. Our cow-protection program in India should be the exemplary standard for the whole world.
730129LE.CAL Lectures The first thing is taken into consideration, go-brahmana. Why these two things are stressed upon? Because in a society where there is no brahminical culture and where there is no cow protection, it is not human society. So in a chaotic condition, any business you do, it will never be perfect. But in a systematized, systematic, cultural society, you do business. That is perfect. That is the instruction of Srimad-Bhagavata, Bhagavatam. In a meeting in Naimisaranya, where many learned scholars and brahmanas assembled, and Srila Suta Gosvami was giving instruction, he said: atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. The varnasrama is stressed. The Vedic culture means four varnas and four asramas: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra; brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Unless we take to this institution of varnasrama dharma, the whole society will be in chaotic condition.
720701AD.SD Lectures Immediately, Maharaja Pariksit took his sword and wanted to kill the man. He was Kali. So "Who are you, that you are killing cow in my kingdom?" So formerly, when the whole world was under the one king of the Pandavas, just like Pariksit Maharaja, there was equal protection for the animals and the man. Not that man should be given protection by law, and not the animals. The animals, they're also national. What is the meaning of "national"? One who is born in that land. Suppose you are American. You are born in this land of America; therefore you are American national. Why not the cats and the dogs and the cows? They are also national. So this is injustice, that to give protection to the human kind and to send the animals to the slaughterhouse. This, this inequality, discrimination between man and animal is due to lack of Krsna consciousness. When one becomes actually Krsna conscious, he does not make such distinction that a man should be given protection and the animal should be killed. So our Krsna consciousness movement is a, a spiritual movement. It is reformatory movement, inclusive all sides of life. Don't think that we are simply chanting and dancing. Our philosophy includes all different activities of humankind, either it may be religious or political or social or cultural. Anything. Industrial--everything. So my request is that this movement was started in your country, and these American boys and girls, they have taken it seriously. So kindly cooperate with this movement, and you'll be happy. That is my request. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.
So simply for sense gratification, you are prepared to commit so many criminal activities, and you are passing on as civilization. Therefore it is said, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. Aprnoti. Na sadhu manye, Rsabhadeva says: "O My dear boys, it is not very good." Na sadhu manye. Sadhu means honest work, nice sadhu means saintly person or good. It is not good. Why it is not good? I am enjoying, enjoying. Enjoying means palate, very nice. Na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah. You do not know that you have got this material body. And what is this material body? Material body means full of miserable condition. That's all. Who has got a material body, they do not understand what is spiritual body. So suppose material or spiritual, anyone who has got this body, can anyone here say, "I have no trouble, I am free from all trouble"? Is there anyone? Is it possible to say? What do you think? Can anyone say that "Yes, I've got this body, but I have no miserable condition, I'm always very happy"? Is there anyone? That rascal civilization, they cannot understand. They are trying to stop miserable condition, but he does not know that miserable condition is his body. Just see how foolish (it) is. He does not know that this very body is the cause of your miserable condition. They do not know. They are trying to improve the condition. How you'll improve the condition? Just like in our Bengal there is a word, jadi jau bange kapala jabe sange (?). Just like people are going from this country to that to improve economic condition. But it is a common saying that "Wherever you rascal go, your fate will go with you." Either you go to England or India or here and there... Because people are struggling for economic development. But he does not know that I cannot make an inch of development beyond the destiny which is already fixed up. Already fixed up.
731229SB.LA Lectures krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam--krsi, agriculture; go-raksya, cow protection. Go-raksya. That is essential, agricultural and cow protection. And vanijyam. Vanijyam means trade. If there is excess milk product, if there is excess grain product, then you can sell to others. Nowadays the trade is that you take as much milk as you can, and then kill the animal and sell the flesh to other countries. That is going on. No. Go-raksya. Go-raksya. Cow protection is very, very essential in human society because it gives the milk, the miracle food. You can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation, all not only delicious, but brain-maintaining. You can get good brain. Therefore go-raksya, cow protection is especially recommended, not that animal protection. If you want to eat meat, you can eat many other animals. There are. But don't eat the cows. This is Vedic civilization. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam.
721019SB.VRN Lectures Agriculture, cow protection. Nowadays, either brahmana or ksatriya or vaisya, practically everything is lost. Nobody is executing his occupational duties. Simply sudra, without any knowledge, without any enlightenment. Try to get some money and fill up your belly and go on sleeping, that's all. This is sudra-karma-svabhava-jam. Paricaryatmakam karma. Therefore sastra says kalau sudra-sambhavah. In this age practically 99.9% population are sudras, because they have given up, they have forgotten everything, what is the duty of brahmana, what is the duty of a ksatriya, what is the duty of a vaisya. Maybe some vaisyas are there and sudras are there.