Those who advocate acceptance of this material world as false are generally known by the maxim brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They put forward the argument that everything in the material world is prepared from matter. For example, there are many things made of clay, such as earthen pots, dishes and bowls. After their annihilation, these things may be transformed into many other material objects, but in all cases their existence as clay continues. An earthen water jug, after being broken, may be transformed into a bowl or dish, but either as a dish, bowl or water jug, the earth itself continues to exist. Therefore, the forms of a water jug, bowl or dish are false, but their existence as earth is real. This is the impersonalists' version. This cosmic manifestation is certainly produced from the Absolute Truth, but because its existence is temporary, it is false; the impersonalists' understanding is that the Absolute Truth, which is always present, is the only truth. In the opinion of other transcendentalists, however, this material world, being produced of the Absolute Truth, is also truth.
Bowl
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 5
Because of their compassion for the poor fallen souls, the six Gosvāmīs gave up their exalted positions as ministers and took vows as mendicants. Thus minimizing their bodily wants as far as possible, they each accepted only a loincloth and a begging bowl. Thus they remained in Vṛndāvana to execute the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by compiling and publishing various Vaiṣṇava literatures.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
Some of these persons would take away his sannyāsī rod, and some the waterpot which he was using as a begging bowl. Some took his deerskin seat, some his chanting beads, and some would steal his torn, ragged clothing. Displaying these things before him, they would pretend to offer them back but would then hide them again.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (11.127–140) there is a vivid description of what is required in Deity worship. There are sixty-four items mentioned. In the temple, worship should be so gorgeous that all sixty-four items should be available for the satisfaction of the Personality of Godhead. Sometimes it is impossible to get all sixty-four items; therefore we recommend that at least on the first day of installation all sixty-four items should be available. When the Lord is established, worship with all sixty-four items should continue as far as possible. The sixty-four items are as follows: (1) There must be a big bell hanging in front of the temple room so that whoever comes into the room can ring the bell. This item is called prabodhana, or offering oneself submissively to the Lord. This is the first item. (2) The visitor must chant "Jaya Śrī Rādhā-Govinda!" or "Jaya Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava!" when he rings the bell. In either case, the word jaya must be uttered. (3) One should immediately offer obeisances to the Lord, falling down like a stick. (4) There must be regular maṅgala-ārati in the temple during the early morning, an hour and a half before the sun rises. (5) There must be an āsana, a sitting place before the altar. This āsana is for the spiritual master. The disciple brings everything before the spiritual master, and the spiritual master offers everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (6) After maṅgala-ārati, the Deity is supposed to wash His teeth by using a twig; therefore a twig must be offered. (7) Water must be offered for washing the Deity's feet. (8) Arghya should be offered. (9) Water for ācamana should be offered. (10) Madhu-parka, a small bowl containing madhu (honey, a little ghee, a little water, a little sugar, yogurt and milk) should be offered. This is called madhu-parka-ācamana.
CC Antya-lila
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
The Māyāvādī philosophers conclude that because the material nature has no existence in the beginning and is nonexistent after dissolution, it is false. But by the example of the earthen pots and dishes the Vedic version is presented: although the existence of the particular by-products of the Absolute Truth is temporary, the energy of the Supreme Lord is permanent. The earthen pot or water jug may be broken or transformed into another shape, such as that of a dish or bowl, but the ingredient, or the material basis, namely the earth, continues to be the same. The basic principle of the cosmic manifestation is always the same: Brahman, or the Absolute Truth; therefore, the Māyāvādī philosophers' theory that it is false is certainly only a mental concoction. That the cosmic manifestation is flickering and temporary does not mean that it is false. The definition of falsity is "that which never had any existence but which exists only in name." For instance, the eggs of a horse or the horn of a rabbit or the flower in the sky are phenomena which exist only in name.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Just like I am an individual person. You are an individual person. He is an individual person. So I, you, he, or they—first person, second person and the third person—so that individuality continues. Individuality of every living being is a fact. Therefore in the actual field also, we see that we have got difference of opinion. What I think, you may not agree with me because you have got your individuality. Similarly, your thinking may not be agreed by another gentleman. So everyone has got his individuality. That is a fact. Not that the... Just like there is a class of philosophers who says that the soul is a homogeneous, one entity, and after the destruction, after the annihilation of this body, the soul, as a substance, will mix up. Just like water. You keep in different pots. In different pots you keep water. So the water takes the shape of the pot, the bowl, round bowl. You keep water. The water takes the shape of round. So similarly, there are thousands of, or millions of, waterpots, and suppose all the waters are mixed up. Then there is no distinction. Just like they were in the pots. So their theory is that when a soul is liberated then the, that it mixes up with the Supersoul. Just like a drop water taken from the sea water and again put it into the sea, it mixes up. It loses its identity.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
In Vṛndāvana still, a snake found in the house is never killed, snake. Still a rat is never killed. If you kill a rat in Vṛndāvana, then so many people will come: "Oh, you are committing such sinful acts. You are killing a rat." That depends on the mentality of the person. You can take care of this animal, I mean to say, against the disturbance created by this animal, but you cannot kill them. That is not. But when it is unavoidable, we have to do like that. But as far as possible we should avoid. We have heard from our father that his elder brother in the village had a cloth shop, and there were rats. So at night he would keep a big bowl of rice in the middle of the shop, and the rats will eat whole night. They would not commit any harm to the cloth. They respect it. They are also hungry, they are also living entities. They have also right to live, to eat. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything. They are God's creatures. The food is not only meant for you, that you shall simply eat rice and not allow to the rats and cats. No. That is not Vedic injunction. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can take precaution. After all, they are animals. But you cannot kill.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śyāmasundara: No one could deny. They had never seen such a colorful parade, so full of festivity. (Someone walks up to Prabhupāda.)
Prabhupāda: Oh, I could have gone there. All right. (Sound of washing hands in bowl.) Yes. So I am very glad that you have come and you have taken prasādam. Very nice.
David Wynne: Thank you, sir.
Prabhupāda: And we had very good talks also. I'm very glad.
Śyāmasundara: I'm hoping George will come tomorrow. He has indicated he would come Tuesday.
Prabhupāda: There is basin. You can wash your hands. Wash the dishes.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You know Jamadagna? You know Jamadagna?
Dr. Patel: Jamadagni.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Who asked Paraśurāma to fill his bowl up.
Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say Jamadagna.
Dr. Patel: Jamadagni.
Prabhupāda: Means Jamadagni's son. Paraśurāma.
Dr. Patel: Jamadagni, the Paraśurāma's son. Jamadagna is Paraśurāma, the father.
Mahāṁsa: Just like that devotee who was making garlands for Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Mahāṁsa: He is a devotee. He is not a śūdra making garlands.
Prabhupāda: No. He is not a ordinary gardener.
Pañcadraviḍa: Or that devotee who was making leaf bowls for worshiping the Ganges.
Prabhupāda: Any engagement, any engagement for Kṛṣṇa, he is Vaiṣṇava. If he is under the guidance of his spiritual master and doing the business according to the direction, he is Vaiṣṇava. He is above all these.
Pañcadraviḍa: A śūdra, if he is working, he cannot take brāhmaṇa initiation, but he can take hari-nāma, is that it?
Prabhupāda: Just like sometimes our men, my devotee, they wash the cupboard. Does it mean he is a methar(?)? No. He can go to the Deity room also. He is not a methar(?) or sweeper. But sometimes we do that. So devotee is above all these consideration. But because there is management, they should appear as brāhmaṇa, as śūdra, as kṣatriya, like that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Still, if you have got a garden, somebody says, "I want to eat some fruits." "Yes, come on. Take as much fruit as you like." But you cannot take it away. Any number of men can come and eat. They even do not prohibit the monkeys. "All right, let him come in. It is God's property." That is the system. That is mentioned in Bhāgavata. If the animals like monkeys, they come to your garden to eat, don't prohibit. Let him. He's also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. Where he will eat if you prohibit? It is very practical. I have got another. This is told by my father. My father's elder brother was keeping a cloth shop. My father also was keeping a cloth shop. So it is in the village. So my uncle, what he would do, that before closing the shop, he'll bring one, what is called...?
Bhagavān: A bowl?
Prabhupāda: Bowl, big bowl. Or it is... What do you call, where you keep water?
Bhagavān: Pot.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, I have seen. Eating and remnants, it is kept in...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, put in the refrigerator. And then you cook it up again with fresh foods, mixing together.
Harikeśa: Is it all right if he keeps it in there and then he puts some on the plate when taking? He puts on the plate when taking?
Prabhupāda: I do not know whether it is all right, but it is not all right that you eat and keep it. This is not all right.
Harikeśa: He takes it from there and puts it on the plate before you eat?
Yaśodā-nandana: He keeps the salt in a separate bowl. When you require it he will give you only as much as you require.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is nice.
Hariśauri: That's why the bowl is there. That's what I intended to do, but I have to keep it away from the table.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You went there sometimes to take prasādam?
Prabhupāda: Yes, I became a guest. A gentleman was our tenant, and he gave me introduction letter to his brother-in-law. He was a pleader in Jagannātha Purī. So he received me very well. So he offered me a lunch, and I saw there was something, a small ball-like, in the pot, bowl. So I asked, "What is this?" He said, "It is meat." (laughs) He was eating meat, so he thought it is good reception, the guest is offered nice meat. So I said, "No, you... I never took meat. I never expected..." (break) Then "Never mind." Then I stopped eating there. At that time I was a boy. After appearing in my B.A. examination there was holiday, so I went to Jagannātha Purī in 1920 or something like that. So I was married in 1918. So some of the friends of my wife, they said that "Your husband now gone. He is not coming back." So after returning I understood she was crying. (laughs) So anyway, then I used to purchase prasādam in the market. They were bringing, and I was eating. I stayed for three, four days. That's all.
Prabhupāda: They will try to make adjustments with material nature, everything will be failure. ...hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā. They'll never be able to adjust. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed. That's all. (break) ...adjustment to lie down in the skyscraper, and now they are coming. Why they have come to the ground? Punaḥ punaś carvita. Sometimes on the ground, sometimes the sky. (break) They reject the stool and urine and then accept it. They do like that. (laughing) (break) It is rejected. It cannot be utilized. In India still the system is they use metal; when it is broken you can sell it. They take half price and supply new.... They use metal pots, and the (inaudible) is that when it is broken and old we can exchange with new plates. And this kind of bowls you have to throw away. You cannot utilize.
George Harrison: I'll come and see if you're in Bombay, because I'll be near where the temple is.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Bombay is just like garden. As good as your place here. No. Not so big. It is seventeen acres, and Bombay is five. Just go on. (prasādam being served) Give him whatever you have got to give. But don't give much. When he wants something more.... Waste not, want not. Give more, that preparation, you should give more. (laughter) That is called (indistinct). You can bring it, prasāda.
George Harrison: I'll just wash my hands.
Prabhupāda: You can wash here. The sink is there. Here is also water. You can put the bowls outside, here, so that there will be sufficient place. Our Indian system is like this. That's all right. Sit down, you also sit down.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Get money and spend it.
Rāmeśvara: Prasāda distribution is the best thing.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: There was a big parade in Los Angeles called the Rose Bowl, one million people. So we made ten thousand bags of peanuts and raisins and called it "Govinda's Nuts 'n' Raisins." We were tossing it to the crowd, and they were going, "Hare Kṛṣṇa! Here! Kṛṣṇa!" They were begging for it.
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Rāmeśvara: We could have passed out prasāda for one million people if we had had enough money.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Earn money like that.
Rāmeśvara: It costs a lot of money.
Prabhupāda: Either produce food in the farm or earn money and purchase, but give prasādam.
Surendra Kumar: Very nice. They have nothing about..., nothing of Jana-sangha. They have nothing of R.S.S... They have risen very high. They're now saying that this great country must get the rightful place in the world. Why, with all this spiritual heritage...
Prabhupāda: And that should be done.
Surendra Kumar: ...with all this intellectual power, we should not be with a begging bowl.
Prabhupāda: And that is my mission.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Yes there was all darkness in New York on the 10th instant and it was not a happy incident. I learn that may people remained in the elevators and in the subway trains for more than seven to eight hours in darkness. I do not read newspapers but there must have been some mishaps also which we may not know. That is the way of material civilization too much depending on machine. At any time the whole thing may collapse and therefore we may not be self complacent depending so much on artificial life. The modern life of civilization depends wholly on electricity and petrol and both of them are artificial for man. You will be surprised to know that I had to take help of the old crude method of lightening by burning some vegetable oil and use the small bowl as lamp to save myself from the extreme darkness. I could not procure any candle from the shop but by the Grace of Krishna one friend Mr. Bill happened to come and he arranged for some fruits and candle. Yes in India we such experience failure of electricity but I was surprised to see the same thing in America. In India the village people say that in Europe (Vilait) also there is ass. And I saw it practically that it is true. Even in such an advanced country there may be possibility such failure but failure in America is more dangerous than that in India.
1968 Correspondence
While in Montreal, there was one small gold plated bowl kept in a gray flannel drawstring bag, kept in the bookcase in the apartment. In packing it is somehow missing. We do not know if perhaps it was left there in that apartment, and if so, could you ask Himavati if she found it in her cleaning of the apartment after we left? It has somehow or other been lost; please check about it as far as possible.
1970 Correspondence
So there are three mantras, one for bowing down, one for circumambulating,* and one for collecting the leaves. The collecting of leaves should be done once in the morning for worshiping and for putting on the plates of foodstuff to be offered. On each bowl or plate there should be at lest one leaf. So you follow and practice these Tulasi affairs and you try to distribute your experience to all the other centers, that will be a new chapter in the history of Krsna Consciousness Movement.
There was one manual typewriter left at Seksaria's house which was used for typing up the letters for inviting the press to the conference—please see that this machine is with you or ask Mr. Seksaria for it. Gurudasa has left the Movie projector with you at Mr. Lalan's house and also there were several silver bowls and one set of clothes for the Deities as well as their jewelry which was not packed up by Malati when I left Lalan's with Gurudasa. Please be sure that all these things are with you.
1972 Correspondence
"So far your thinking about things and making so many plans, that is all right, but our first business is Krishna's plan. That is the only plan, and no matter how many schemes we employ to adjust things in this material world, if they have no solid basis in Krishna's plan, they remain merely dreams of phantasmagoria. So in this Krishna Consciousness Movement, I am training boys and girls all over the world how to act nicely by practically serving Krishna in their everyday lives. That is more important than trying for something which I may like to do but which will never happen. Just like Sudama Vipra, he did not want to offer something very small, but his wife insisted so he offered Krishna only a small bowl of flaked rice, and Krishna took it with great pleasure, and when Sudama vipra returned home to his poor hut, he found a huge palace made of jewels. So the point is to make use of what we already have. That is most important, and if Krishna sees that we are using is properly for pleasing Him in loving attitude of devotional service, then Krishna gives every facility in reciprocation of love. So if you have talent for musical achievement, that is nice; but if you nourish some idea of becoming famous by playing some music, that will be a source of frustration—the end. So it is better if you play your music for Krishna by having very ecstatic kirtanas in your center in Vancouver, and in this way, as I have introduced it, all of the devotees and also the general public as well will be able to join together cooperatively in the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not that we shall glorify anyone else. Let the materialists operate in their own way, but we have got Vaisnavism stand and we should train the general public to accept it and come up to our platform of process of doing things, not that we should reduce to their standard."
1974 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter regarding the Krishna Bowl game, and it should be stopped immediately. This thing will be a taxation on the brain on the young children. Why are you inventing? Why you are not satisfied? You are all only inventing and spoiling money. You should teach the children perfectly Sanskrit and English instead of spoiling time and money. The children cannot pronounce correctly the Sanskrit. Let them read it correctly, that is wanted first. They must pronounce nicely English and Sanskrit. The English is no difficulty. If you can do this, then your education is all right.
One thing I received one letter from Gurukula regarding the Krsna Bowl contests, and I want you to know that nothing new should be added. Whatever I have introduced should remain. Nothing new should be added. New things means their brain is not clear. Carefully manage things what I have established.
| Page Title: | Bowl |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, Serene |
| Created: | 06 of Apr, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=2, OB=2, Lec=2, Con=10, Let=7 |
| No. of Quotes: | 25 |