View source for In this age penance is not at all possible. Nobody can undergo any penance. But without penance, without sacrifice, from history, from books, from scripture, we understand nobody has attained spiritual perfection

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{{terms|"in this age penance is not at all possible. Nobody can undergo any penance. But without penance, without sacrifice, from history, from books, from scripture, we understand nobody has attained spiritual perfection"}}
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[[Category:In This Age]]
[[Category:penance]]
[[Category:Impossible in Kali-yuga]]
[[Category:Not at All Possible]]
[[Category:Nobody Can]]
[[Category:undergo]]
[[Category:without]]
[[Category:sacrifice]]
[[Category:history]]
[[Category:books]]
[[Category:scripture]]
[[Category:We Understand]]
[[Category:nobody]]
[[Category:attain]]
[[Category:Spiritual Perfection]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977‎]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966‎]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in USA, New York‎]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Bhagavad-gita As It Is‎]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG25969NewYorkApril291966_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="113" link="Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966">
<div class="heading">In this age penance is not at all possible. Nobody can undergo any penance. But without penance, without sacrifice, from history, from books, from scripture, we understand nobody has attained spiritual perfection. So we require to undergo some sort of penances. That penance is that engage our senses not in the process of sense gratification but in the process of serving the Supreme Lord.
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<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/660418BG-NEW_YORK_clip01.mp3</mp3player>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966|Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So the whole thing is tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. We should always remember that, that to attain to the spiritual life, it is a great penance. It is a great penance. But although it is very difficult, although it is very difficult... Perhaps you know that in, in the Purāṇas, in the Vedic literature, we have got information that there are sages who underwent penance for so many, many years. Why in the history or the Purāṇas? You can see from the examples of Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Caitanya, Śaṅkarācārya, who were recently within the limit of our historical knowledge. They attained spiritual perfection after undergoing penances for many, many years. So spiritual perfection is not very easy thing, that simply by attending a, a, in either of the so many groups and hearing something, nice lectures from a person. No. It is practical. It is practical. If we are ac..., if we are actually serious about attaining, so we must be in a spirit of sacrifice. In this age, by the grace of Lord Caitanya, the matter has been simplified. Matter has been simplified. What is that? He prescribed that</p>
:harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
:kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
:([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]])
<p>Simply by chanting the holy name of God—either this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, or any name of God in any language, that doesn't matter... But this is recommended because Lord Caitanya Himself chanted this holy name. Therefore it is better recommended. But it doesn't matter. But if you think, "Oh, this holy names were chanted by the Hindus, so I, I wish to chant in my own way," that is also recommended. But how the matter has been simplified, that for attainment of spiritual life people have to undergo so many years under penance and regulation, and here is only, only thing is, that you simply chant the holy name of the Lord. Then everything will come to you automatically by and by. Because in this age penance is not at all possible. Nobody can undergo any penance. But without penance, without sacrifice, from history, from books, from scripture, we understand nobody has attained spiritual perfection. So we require to undergo some sort of penances. That penance is that engage our senses not in the process of sense gratification but in the process of serving the Supreme Lord, dovetailing, dovetailing our independence, our consciousness, to the supreme consciousness. Just like the example... Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna is very nice example, that he dovetailed, he dovetailed his consciousness with Kṛṣṇa. He did not want to fight, but after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he dovetailed his senses. One has to fight with senses. Non-sense cannot fight. The senses must be there. So he, what did he do? He applied his senses to the senses of the Supreme Lord. That's all.</p>
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