The devotees’ apparent move to associate by moving into the same geographical area is external only. They actually do not associate spiritually. Because association means on the basis of a common goal—service to Krishna. But they associate not for that service, but for servicing their mundane desire for friendship.

Society and love. They have some sentiment of former association in ISKCON, so they take it that if they just live near one another the same association they experienced in the service of Prabhupada will again be effected. more →

If someone can articulate this basic message—that we’re not this body—illuminating it from a hundred different directions, that will be revolutionary. Because this is the basic platform of the whole thing. This is the pivot of material existence and repeated birth and death. It bears repeating again and again, over and over.

The whole Bhagavatam is comprised of thousands of verses repeating again and again. It’s not academic. And Prabhupada was so simple, direct and to the point. People don’t go to the temple to hear people pontificating about philosophy. Even Prabhupada didn’t come off as a scholar. Sometimes he was more like a talkshow host, many times he was funny.

Instead, everyone now wants to be known as scholarly or esoteric, knowledgeable, and no one wants to say what needs saying.

Our business is to expose and embarrass the scholars and scientists, because this is the vital nerve of the whole misconception of modern human society. If some of them are humiliated and come to their senses and undergo a change of heart, then okay, but what is the use of trying to tactfully cultivate the scholars or scientists, spending years trying to win over one or two persons? And all to no one else’s benefit. Better to expose them, let the whole world see come to its senses. And if one or two persons, scientists come, okay, let them also, but mostly they won’t. At least the rest of the world will benefit.

If there’s no surrender, you can’t make any progress. Prabhupada says everything depends on surrender. At work on the job, you have to surrender to the boss. When you marry, you have to surrender. In the military you have to surrender. Nothing can be done without surrender. This is even more applicable on the spiritual platform than anywhere else. Surrender, submission is the key. The whole process depends on surrender. Arjuna was arguing with Krishna—”I can’t do this, I don’t want to do this. How can I kill my family members? Uncles, cousins? Teacher? Friends?” The whole Bhagavad-gita was spoken just to convince Arjuna to surrender. more →