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Srila Prabhupada on Politics & Diplomacy


Dear Bhakta Chip



Hello. Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila

Prabhupada.



I was just reading some things a devotee called Mahesh from England sent to me

yesterday and he has collected some of Srila Prabhupada's statements on "Politics,

Diplomacy, Jealousy and Envy".



"You are right that politics should be avoided. In my personal life I did not

participate in the political diplomacy of my god-brothers. I was simply thinking

of how to fulfill the order of my Guru Maharaja. He gave me his blessings, and I

was saved from any implication. Now I am trying to carry out his instructions

strictly, and it has come out successful." (Letter to Gangamayi devi dasi 74-10-

18)



"In the path of Krishna consciousness the first principle is enthusiasm. If you

lack enthusiasm then other things will not happen. And you can keep enthusiastic

if you follow the rules and regulations and chant regularly Hare Krishna mantra.

Otherwise that enthusiasm will dry. So six things are required for advancing

Krishna consciousness. The first thing is enthusiasm. Utsahan dhairyat. And be

patient. And niscayad, with conviction, firm conviction. Utsahan dhairyat niscayad

tat tat karma pravartanat. Following the rules and regulations, chalked out plans.

And sato vrtteh, dealing very straightforward. No diplomacy, no politics, no



duplicity. That will not help. Sato vrtteh. Vrtteh, his profession should be very

straightforward. No underhanded dealings. Sato vrtteh and sadhu sanga, and in the

association of devotees. Six things: enthusiasm, patience, firm conviction,

following the rules and regulations, dealing straightforward, no duplicity, and in

the association of devotees. If you can keep these six principles always in front

then your progress in Krishna consciousness is sure. There is no doubt about it."

(Lecture 1970)



"Kaunteya pratijinihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. Krishna also gives guarantee,

"Anyone who has taken shelter of my... he is saved. I will give protection."

Krishna says, aham tvam moksayisyami sarva... Everything is there. For Vaisnava

there is no suffering personally. But he is very much anxious: "How these rascals

will be happy?" That is his business. "These rascals are mislead. they are going

astray, unhappy. So how they should be happy?" So that is a Vaisnavas business. So

the Vaisnava, therefore, will have no politics. Politics means planning for one's

own happiness. That is politics. So in our society there should be no diplomacy,

no politics. Everyone should be eager how to do good to others. That is Vaisnava.

If he is planning something, that "I shall be the leader," "I shall be doing

something," that is not Vaisnavism. That politics is not good." (Morning walk

Vrndavana, March 15, 1974)



"Politics are always there, and enviousness, jealousy. This is the nature of the

material world. You cannot avoid it. Spiritual world means just the opposite.

There is no politics, there is no jealously, there is no enviousness. That is the

spiritual world. And material world means politics, diplomacy, enviousness, so

many things. This is the material world. So even in the heavenly planets, these

politics are there. This is the nature. Matsarata. Matsarata means enviousness.

One man is envious of another man. It doesn't matter, even they are brothers or

family members..." (Bhagavad-gita Lecture 1973)



"So the Krishna consciousness movement is not for the persons who are envious.

Envious. It is a movement to train people how to become not envious. It is a very

first-class scientific movement, yes. Not to become envious. therefore Srimad-

Bhagavatam in the beginning introduces, dharmah projjita-kaitavo atra. In this

Srimad-Bhagavatam, dharma, religious principles, cheating type of religious

principles is completely eradicated, thrown away, projjhita. They are kicked out,

projjhita. Just like you collect all the dirty things from the room, sweeping and

then kick out, don't keep it within the room."



"Lord Krishna and His devotees are both on the transcendental plane; therefore the

topics of Lord Krishna and His pure devotees are all equally good. The battle of

Kuruksetra is full of politics and diplomacy, but because the topics are related

with Lord Krishna, the Bhagavad-gita is therefore adored all over the world. There

is no need to eradicate politics, economics, sociology, etc., which are mundane to

the mundaners. To a pure devotee, who is actually related with the Lord, such

mundane things are transcendental if dovetailed with the Lord or with His pure

devotees. We have heard and talked about the activities of the Pandavas, and we

are now dealing with the topics of Maharaja Pariksit, but because all these topics

are related to the Lord Sri Krishna, they are all transcendental, and pure

devotees have great interest in hearing them." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1-16-6)



Translation: "When Vidura was invited by his elder brother Dhrtarastra for

consultation, he entered the house and gave instructions which were exactly to the

point. His advice is well known, and instructions by Vidura are approved by expert

ministers of state."



Prabhupada: So Vidura was a great devotee and great politician also. Not that a

devotee should not take part in politics. They knew everything, but they did not

take part. Just like Vidura and his elder brother Dhtarastra. He was a politician,

Dhrtarastra. His whole life was diplomacy and politics. But still, in difficult

position he used to consult Vidura. So why should a politician consult a devotee?

No. If I want to do something I must take advice, the best advice, from the best

man. That is the principal. So Vidura was an expert advisor. (Lecture Srimad-

Bhagavatam 1973)



"At the present moment in our ISKCON camp politics and diplomacy has entered. Some

of my beloved students on whom I counted very, very much have been involved in

this matter influenced by Maya. As such there has been some activity which I

consider as disrespectful. So I have decided to retire and divert attention to

book writing and nothing more." (Letter to Satsvarupa and Uddhava 70-07-27)





"So far as your question about jealousy, spiritual jealousy means to always think

that the service rendered by such and such devotee is so nice and pleasing to

Krishna, so let me try harder to please Krishna more than him and then Krishna

will notice me also..."



Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!



Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!



Madhudvisa dasa
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Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!