Prabhupāda: So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Sūta Gosvāmī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, how the people in general, rotting in hellish life, could be saved. This is the desire of a Vaiṣṇava. Others, they do not care whether one is suffering or enjoying. But a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he always thinks of the fallen condition of general people.
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Just like in Christian philosophy they believe that Lord Jesus Christ suffered to be crucified by assimilating all the sinful activities of the people. Yes. A devotee of Lord thinks like that. Similar devotee was Vāsudeva Datta, Lord Caitanya’s… He requested the Lord that “You have come. Kindly deliver all these people now present on this earth, and take them to Vaikuṇṭha. And if You think that they are so sinful that they cannot be delivered, then please transfer all their sins unto me. I shall suffer. You take them.” This is Vaiṣṇava: “So for all their sins, I shall suffer. You take them.” This philosophy is also expressed in Bible, Lord Jesus Christ, that he agreed to suffer himself for the sins of all the people. But that does not mean that Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta should make a contract for ourself and we shall go on committing sins. This is most heinous proposal. A Vaiṣṇava and a devotee suffers for all humanity, human race. But that does not mean that human race, or the particular followers should take advantage of this facility and go on committing sins. That is not a good proposal. They should take rather seriously, that “Lord Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta who has suffered for us so much, we shall stop committing sins now.” That is sane proposal. Otherwise, if I think, “Well, there is Vāsudeva Datta and Lord Jesus Christ. He will suffer for us and let us go on merry-making. That’s all.” A most heinous life.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.8-13, New York, July 24, 1971
You are maintaining so many slaughterhouses, and when it will be mature, there will be war, the wholesale murder. Finished. One atom bomb–finished. You’ll have to suffer. Don’t think that “Innocent animals, they cannot protest. Let us kill and eat.” No. You’ll be also punished. Wait for accumulation of your sinful activities, and there will be war, and the America will drop the atom bomb, and Russia will be finished. Both will be finished. Go on now enjoying. It takes time. Just like even if you infect some disease, it takes time. Not that immediately you infect, and immediately the disease is there. No. It takes a week’s time or so.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 6.1.32 Honolulu, May 31, 1976)
You have created this situation. You must be killed. You may be American or Englishman or German or this or that. You may be very proud of your nationality. But you must be killed.” This is the position. Isvarasya vicestitam. “You have killed so many animals. Now wholesale killing, one bomb. One atom bomb. Be killed.” So these rascals they do not know how things are going on. Isvarasya vicestitam. “Tit for tat.” There must be.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 1.15.24 Los Angeles, December 3, 1973)
Syamasundara: …you said that sometimes you feel pain, some sickness, due to the sinful activities of your devotees. Is that… Couldn’t sometimes disease be that, due to that? Caused by that?
Prabhupada: You see, Krsna says that aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. So Krsna’s so powerful that He can immediately take up all the sins of others and immediately make it gone. But when a living entity plays the part on behalf of Krsna, he also takes the responsibility of these sinful activities of his devotee. So to become a guru is not an easy task. You see? He has to take all the poisons and absorb. So sometimes, because he’s not Krsna, so sometimes there is some trouble. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu forbidden that “Don’t make many sisyas, many disciples.” But for preaching work we have to accept many disciples, for expanding preaching. Never mind we suffer. But that’s a fact. The spiritual master has to take the responsibility of all the sinful activities of his disciples. So to make many disciple is a risky job unless he’s able to assimilate all the sins. (pause) (break)… patitanam pavanebhyo. He takes responsibility for all the fallen souls. That is… That idea is in Bible. Just like Jesus Christ take all the sinful reaction of all people and sacrificed his life. That is the responsibility of spiritual master. Because he’s Krsna’s representative. So Krsna takes all responsibility. Krsna is Krsna, apapa-viddham. He cannot be attacked by any sinful reaction. But a living entity may be subjected sometimes, because he’s small. Big fire, small fire. On a small fire if you put some big things, (chuckling) then the fire itself may be extinguished. In the big fire, whatever you put, that’s all right. Finished. The big fire can consume anything.
Bob: So Christ’s suffering was of that nature?
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Bob: Was Christ’s suffering this…
Prabhupada: That I have already explained, that he took the sinful reaction of all the people, therefore he suffered.
Bob: I see.
Prabhupada: He said… That is the Bible, that he has taken all the sinful reactions of the people and he sacrificed his life. But these Christian people, they have made it a law that “Christ will suffer and we shall do all nonsense.” Such great fools they are. They are… “Let Jesus Christ make contract for taking all one sinful reaction, and we will go on with all nonsense.” That is their religion. This… They are not in sense that “Christ is so magnanimous that he took all our sins and he has suffered… We stop all these sins!” They have not come to that sense. They have taking it very easily: “Let Lord Jesus Christ suffer, and we do all nonsense.” Is it not?
Bob: It is so.
Prabhupada: Yes. They should have been ashamed that “Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us. Instead of… We are continuing the sinful activities still. He asked everyone, ‘Thou shall not kill,’ and we are indulging in killing.” And “Lord Jesus Christ will excuse us, take all the sinful reaction.” This is going on. (break) …should be very much cautious that “For my sinful actions my spiritual master will suffer. So I’ll not commit a pinch of sinful action.” That is the duty of the disciple. After initiation his all sinful reaction is finished. Now if he again commits sinful activities, the spiritual master has to suffer. They should be sympathetic for this, that “For my sinful activities my spiritual master will suffer.” (break) …attacked with some disease it is due to the sinful activities of the disciples. Exactly like Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on account of the sinful activities of others. (break) …forbidden, “Don’t make many disciples.” But we do because we are preaching. Never mind, let us suffer; still, we shall accept. (break)… question was that when I suffer it is due to my past misdeeds? Was it not?
Bob: Yes, yes, yes.
Prabhupada: That is my misdeed, that I accept a disciple who is nonsense. That is my misdeed.
Bob: This happens on occasion?
Prabhupada: Yes, this is sure to happen because we are accepting so many men. But it is the duty of the disciple to be cautious. That “My spiritual master saved me. I may not put him again into these sufferings.” (break) When the spiritual master is in suffering, Krsna saves him. Krsna thinks, “Oh, he has taken so much responsibility for delivering a fallen person.” So Krsna is there. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. Because the spiritual master takes the risk on account of Krsna.
Bob: So your suffering is not the same kind of pain that an impure person…
Prabhupada: No, it is not due to karma. The pain is there sometimes so that the disciples may know that “Due to our sinful activities my spiritual master is suffering.” (break)
Bob: …very well now.
Prabhupada: I’m always well. (break) …well in this sense, even there is suffering, I know Krsna will protect me. But this suffering is not due to my sinful activities. (break)
[Srila Prabhupada talk with Bob Cohen, February 27, 28, 29, 1972 Mayapura]
always wandered why he had to suffer like this (swollen hands, could not stand light anymore so he had to wear sunglasses,…and much more because of the arsenic poison)at the time of his death; this video makes it much clearer,thank you!
because like he always said:
QUOTE PRABHUPADA: Nothing happens accidentally. That is nonsense. There must be some arrangement.Activity plus sanction of God, two things. There are five causes. The activity, the place, the proportion of energy, and ultimately, sanction by God. Then things happen. Otherwise there is no question of accident. Accident can happen by the will of God. That is also… Behind that accident, there is will of God.
You try to trace out the history of the world, you’ll find always persons who are for Krsna or God, they have been persecuted. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridasa Thakura was caned in twenty-two market places, Prahlada Maharaja was tortured by his father. So there may be such things. Of course, Krsna will protect us. So don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid if somebody tortures us, somebody teases us. We must go on with Krsna consciousness without any hesitation, and Krsna will give us protect.
[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture 7.9.8 Seattle, October 21, 1968]
When something is arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not be disturbed by it, even if it appears to be a reverse according to one’s calculations. For example, sometimes we see that a powerful preacher is killed, or sometimes he is put into difficulty, just as Haridasa Thakura was. He was a great devotee who came into this material world to execute the will of the Lord by preaching the Lord’s glories. But Haridasa was punished at the hands of the Kazi by being beaten in twenty-two marketplaces. Similarly, Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, and Prahlada Maharaja was put through so many tribulations. The Pandavas, who were direct friends of Krsna, lost their kingdom, their wife was insulted, and they had to undergo many severe tribulations. Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavatam’s conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord. One who continues to serve the Lord even in reverse conditions is assured that he will go back to Godhead, back to the Vaikuntha planets.
[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.16.37]