‘Meme’ (rhymes with ‘gene’) philosophy ultimately declared there is no such thing as a soul or personhood, only ‘memory,’ from which the recently coined word ‘meme’ is derived. A meme, unlike a gene, is based on self-replicating memory units, cells, or instincts, but memetic philosophers do not accept the existence of the ego, ‘me-ness,’ selfhood, or the atma. Memetic philosophy holds that we are not simply a bundle of electromagnetic impulses, not a cluster of genes or genomes, but a collection of memes, or ‘memories.’ Go figure.

In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.32 Srila Prabhupada writes, “Undoubtedly Bhagavad-gita was spoken by the Lord on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra just to encourage Arjuna to fight, and yet to complete the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gita, the Lord instructed Uddhava. The Lord wanted Uddhava to fulfill His mission and disseminate knowledge which He had not spoken even in Bhagavad-gita.” Chapters 7-29 of the Srimad Bhagavatam’s 11th Canto are known as the “Uddhava Gita.”

In her one and only novel, Harper Lee’s character Atticus told his children not to shoot mockingbirds because they didn’t hurt anyone and they `sing their hearts out for you.’ The aged tend to love bird calls and sometimes pride themselves on being able to match the birds to their sounds. This is what Srila Prabhupada says about birdsongs: “what they call the sweet songs of the birds are but specimens of the whispering voice of the Lord.”

A materialist will perpetually see a Krishna Deity (made of marble) in an ISKCON temple as stone. In London Srila Prabhupada told us, “If one is stone-hearted, then Krishna will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Krishna mantra, then he’ll talk with Krishna. That is the difference. Krishna is always present.”

Srila Prabhupada once indicated that had he stayed with Dr. Bose he would have become wealthy. “Then, when I was Dr. Bose’s agent, I become so much famous that Bengal Chemical [Company], the biggest chemical factory, he, they wanted to give me the agency. If I would have taken that agency, I would have been the richest man in the chemical world.” (from a conversation in New Delhi on November 3, 1973) Few know that the man Srila Prabhupada worked for, Kartik Chandra Bose, was a famous person.

Many think that genetic engineering or genetic modification is a very risky form of playing God. Scientists who work at Monsanto, Novartis and other seed companies hold that they can increase the food value of many crops, especially corn. They also claim they can increase production and that they hold the key to feeding a world whose population is about to outstrip its food supply. If what they say can be believed, and if genetic modification could produce greater quantities of more nutritious food, is this a form of yukta vairagya, or engaging material science in the service of the Lord? Controversial food for thought.

Srila Prabhupada has written that infallible faith in the Vedic system is essential. It is written in the Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23: “yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah. Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” But “implicit faith” doesn’t mean blind faith. It means having confidence in the spiritual master, conviction that Krishna consciousness is the best method for God realization in this age, and certainty that the Vedic scriptures contain all solutions, external and internal, for the problems of life. We have confidence that saintly people exist and have existed throughout time and that we can model our mentalities, and even our lives in many ways, after them. The Bhagavad-gita Chapter four verse 34 encourages us to question, but not to challenge. Therefore the word “pariprasnena” meaning SUBMISSIVE [emphasis mine] inquiries, is used.

When ancient Navadvipa was discovered, the people of modern Kuliya, Navadvipa, became very envious. Even though Jagannatha Das Babaji emphatically announced Sridhama Mayapura the birthplace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, some residents of Navadvipa claim He was born in their city. There are some scholars who still say the actual birthsite of Lord Caitanya has never been factually, indisputably ascertained. (Information from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada in Mayapura on 21 February, 1976).

Srila Prabhupada CREATED a taste. He said this on 19 August 1973 in Los Angeles, while lecturing on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.16: “Because at the present moment there are sudras, they are lacking taste. But our propaganda is, by some way or other, even they are sudras, EVEN THEY’RE DEMONS (emphasis mine), we are creating the taste. That is our Krsna consciousness movement. Even there is…, there is no taste for vasudeva-katha-rucih, still, our process is so nice that we create the taste. Nobody was interested in Krsna consciousness, but there are thousand now. How? Because we are trying or we have created the taste, by this process.”

Scroll down – here are just a few of the ways people say “Hare Krishna.” They say it with… relish conviction feeling commitment assuredness confidence gusto certainty beauty vigour ardour music surety happiness ecstasy elation pleasure delight glee emotion drama spirit joy rapture delight pleasure contentment warmth zeal fullness satisfaction intensity earnestness passion zest purity guts nerve appreciation love etc., etc., …think of some more. If you have a list, send it to me!