At any stage (Lect., Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"all stages" |"any stage" |"at any stage"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

That is the difference. Therefore the jīva prakṛti is called superior because the jīvas has consciousness similar to the Lord. The Lord is supreme consciousness. One should not claim that a jīva, a living entity is also supremely conscious. No. A living being cannot be supremely conscious at any stage of his perfection. This is a misleading theory. This is misleading theory. But he is conscious. That's all. But he is not supreme conscious.

The supreme conscious, it will be explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the chapter where the distinction between the jīva and īśvara is explained. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. This kṣetra-jña has been explained that the Lord is also kṣetra-jña, or conscious, and the jīvas, or the living beings, they are also conscious. But the difference is that a living being is conscious within his limited body, but the Lord is conscious of all bodies. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead (BG 2.11)." Purport: "The Lord at once took the position of a teacher and chastised his student, calling him indirectly a fool. The Lord said, 'You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned, one who knows what is body and what is soul, does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition.' As explained in the later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is more important than religious formularies. And because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man. As he did not happen to be a very learned man, he was consequently lamenting for something which was unworthy of lamentation.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

So when one comes to the senses that he cannot be master at any stage of his life, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Oh, Vāsudeva is the real master. And my nature is to serve Him." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. He's first-class mahātmā, not the mahātmā who is thinking himself that he has become Nārāyaṇa and begging door to door. And Nārāyaṇa is meant for begging? Nārāyaṇa is the master of Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune. But they have manufactured a word—daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has become daridra. Just foolishness, see. Nārāyaṇa, He's the master of goddess of... Not only one goddess of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... (Bs. 5.29), hundreds of thousands of Lakṣmīs. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He had 16,108 Lakṣmīs in Dvārakā. That is Nārāyaṇa. And each Lakṣmī was given big palatial building made of marble and bedecked with jewels. So there was no need of light. Such nice marble palaces. And each queen was given ten children, and it is not that that sixteen thousand queens were crying and Kṛṣṇa is only with one queen. No.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Devotee: "O son of Pṛthā, when you act by such intelligence you can free yourself from the bondage of works (BG 2.39)." Verse 40:" In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear (BG 2.40)." Purport: "Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun..."

Prabhupāda: Is the purport going on?

Devotee: Yes. "Any work begun on the material plane has to be done nicely till the end, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity, without one-hundred-percent success there is no profit. There is a nice verse in this connection in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

A dead body does not develop. A living body develops. A child, when it comes out of the mother's womb, if the child is dead, oh, there is no further development, however you can keep the child in a very antiseptic way preserved. No. There is no development. Therefore it is concluded that the supreme spirit, Kṛṣṇa, from Him everything has come out. Everything has come out. Any stage you take, that is Kṛṣṇa.

And whenever I surrender... Because my position is to surrender. I am spiritual, that atom, however big body I can develop. I can develop the body like an elephant, but the elephant is conducted under the direction of a man. You know? Such a big animal is controlled by a small boy of human being. So everyone is under control. We cannot deny that. So we have to... We are under control of different dimensions of that spiritual energy covered by material energy. But the real control is from Kṛṣṇa. That we have to understand. Either we follow this path or that path...

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

No. There is no question of understanding. Suppose this process... Just like Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births of culture of knowledge, the person who has come to the highest point of knowledge, he surrenders unto Me." So similarly, if any person without any knowledge, if he surrenders only to Kṛṣṇa, he acquires all the knowledge. He has surpassed all stages. He has surpassed all stages. And that is also confirmed. If you say, "How he has gone, surpassed all stage?" That answer in Bhagavad-gītā you find,

teṣām evānukampārtham

aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho

jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

(BG 10.11)

Teṣām: "Because he is a devotee, just to give, just to show him a special favor," teṣām evānukampārtham, "simply for showing a special favor, I Myself, from within, I light up the knowledge, I mean to say, searchlight, and he becomes..."

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

"The mind will be clear of all dirty things." Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. And then next stage will be bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The next stage will be that the sufferings, the miseries of this material world, will subside. So we'll have to, I mean to say, make progress stage after stage. But any stage you can adopt this means, any stage. There is no necessity of preliminary qualification, that "You have to come to this stage and then chant." From any stage you can chant. Yes.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

He has to take shelter; he cannot remain independent. But when he's less intelligent, he takes shelter of all these material things, and when he's intelligent, he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa. But when you takes shelter of these lusty desires, false pride, false prestige, illusion, then you are demon, and when you give up the shelter of all this nonsense and you take shelter of the Supreme Person, then you are divine.

But you cannot say at any stage that "I am independent." That is not possible. Your constitution is to remain dependent. Therefore the Vedas says, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's maintaining you. God is maintaining. That's a fact. We cannot maintain your, ourself. He has given heat, light, air, water, fruits, flowers, grains, everything. Everything is there for you. There is no scarcity. Simply being less intelligent, taking shelter of lusty desires, false prestige, we are mismanaging the gift of God. Therefore we are in scarcity, therefore starvation. By God's arrangement there is everything. Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything is complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ. This creation is complete. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. Because it is created by God, it is complete, so you cannot find out any deficiency. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

Just like, in my, this life, I can experience. In each stage of my life, I have my past, present and future. You are all young boys. You had your past, as a child, as a boy. Now you are young, and your future is also there as old, as I have become old. So in any stage of life, there is past, present, and future. So why not, I am old man, so when I shall die, why there is no future? There must be future. I had my past, I am at present, and there must be future also. The future is that I must get another body. That body may be of animal or trees or demigod or God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). You can prepare yourself for your next body. So ultimate goal is to get a body in the kingdom of God. That is—saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ—that is highest perfection. You can get a body next in, as a human being in the rich man's family, or as a king, or as a leader, or as a cat, as a dog, as a tree. That will depend on your work.

Lecture on SB 1.3.27 -- Los Angeles, October 2, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I remember." That is the difference between God and human, living entity. God knows everything, past, present, future. We do not know. We are teeny. We cannot be equal with God at any stage of life. Even Arjuna, who is constant companion of Kṛṣṇa, he is also forgetting that... Kṛṣṇa replied, "Both you and Me had many, many births. We appeared. But you have forgotten; I remember. That is the difference."

So the difference between God and ordinary living entity must be there. Anyone who is claiming as the Supreme Lord or God, he is a blasphemer. He is a rascal. He's a cheater. So you should not be influenced by such rascals. God is always great, always great. There is no equal, no greater. That is called great. Nobody can be equal with God and nobody can be greater than God. Everyone under God. Asamordhva. Therefore God's another name is Asamordhva. "A" means none. Sama means equal. Ūrdhva means greater. Asamordhva So everyone is emanation from God, but nobody is equal with God. But the viṣṇu-tattva, They are the same.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

Then he says, bhavauṣadhi. But it is the medicine of this material entanglement for becoming liberated. That is also, it is also medicine. When we are liberated, we'll chant and relish what is actually love of God. That is liberated. But even if we are not liberated, this will act as medicine to become liberated. So any stage, nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc (SB 10.1.4). Those who are chanting, they'll be liberated. And another thing is: for the common men who are not serious, śrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. They will hear and they will enjoy: "Oh, it is very nice."

Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were rogues. Rogues. And Nityānanda Mahā... Nityānanda Prabhu delivered them. But when they were rogues... The Vaiṣṇavas were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and these two brothers, one of them were appreciating, "Oh, these rascals chant very nicely." (chuckles) They were copying, these rascals, but appreciating. So we get some appreciation from the common man.

Lecture on SB 1.5.36 -- Vrndavana, August 17, 1974:

He does not grudge, that "I am put into this condition. Why I'm not put into the condition of a king or a learned brāhmaṇa?" No. "Whatever condition Kṛṣṇa has given me, that is all right." Tat te anukampām, it is His grace. "By His grace I have got this position."

Because my only business is to remember Kṛṣṇa. That we can do any stage of life. It does not require that you have to become a brāhmaṇa, an Indian, and so on, so on, great learned scholar in Vedic scripture. No. You may be in the far away country, in Europe, America, or you may not be in brāhmaṇa family. It doesn't matter. But you can remember Kṛṣṇa. We are teaching this art through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you may remain in whichever position Kṛṣṇa has put you. It doesn't matter. But try to understand Kṛṣṇa. "How can I understand?" Well, you are drinking water. You can understand Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Because these things required for endeavoring. We require our mind, attention. If you want to do, you have to have clear attention; you must engage your body, you must engage your words. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says, īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā vacā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu. He may remain in anywhere, in any stage of life. It doesn't matter whether he is European, American, Indian, brāhmaṇa, śūdra, white, black, or this or that. It doesn't matter. But if he has simply engaged his endeavor for the service of the Lord, he is a liberated person. That is the definition given by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Īhā yasya harer dāsye.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja also says the same thing, that "I consider that person is better than the so-called qualified brāhmaṇa because his endeavors are engaged in the service of the Lord." Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ. A highly qualified materialistic person, he's proud of his qualification.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

These things are not to be renounced. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyajyam. They are not to be renounced. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you are, have become a great saintly person, still you should consider, continue yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. This is the injunction of the śāstra. It should not be given up at any stage. Pāvanāni manīṣiṇām.

Festival Lectures

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 18.5 -- London, September 5, 1973:

Oh, all right. So Gaura-Nityānanda is here. That's all right. So this is the yajña. So yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam. You cannot give up in any stage of life, but because the yajñas mentioned in the Vedas it is not possible to perform in this age Kali-yuga because they are mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age people may advertise themselves they are making very good progress. They are all unfortunate, disturbed. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ. Manda-bhāgyāḥ means unfortunate. And upadrutāḥ, always disturbed. This is the position of the people in this age. How they can perform the Vedic ritualistic ceremony? It is not possible. So this is the yajña. So yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ, you keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and perform yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña before Him, and you become all perfect. So easy. So easy. Because you cannot give up yajña. But in this age, Kali-yuga, people are so unfortunate, so rubbish, that it is not possible to perform the Vedic ritualistic yajña. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given you the opportunity that you can perform. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). Makha means yajña.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

Therefore, there is need of ācāryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was... Although he was a gṛhastha, householder, a government officer, magistrate, but he was ācārya. So from his dealings, from his life, we should learn how one can become a preacher in any stage of life. It doesn't matter what he is.

There was one incidence, very interesting. When he was magistrate in Jagannātha Purī... The system is... Jagannātha temple is a very big establishment. In the temple fifty-six times daily, bhoga is offered. And you'll find in the temple always at least five hundred to one thousand people gathered. And they come from outside, and prasāda is ready. If you go and ask in the Jagannātha temple that "We are one hundred men come from outside. We want prasāda," yes, immediately ready. So it is a huge temple. This is one temple, but there are many other thousands of temple in India where prasāda is distributed. Now it is minimized by our present government.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

So everything can be attained simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Everything. The means is the end and the means is the whole. It is not that we accept something and give it up and again come to another stage. No. If you have got conviction, if you have got faith, if you are strenuous, immediately you are in the platform. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. So any stage of life, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, anyone who remembers Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Kṛṣṇa... (aside:) Sit like this. Yes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Puṇḍarīka means lotus; akṣam means eyes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Externally, internally, he becomes immediately purified. So keep on chanting, you keep yourself purified, māyā cannot touch you. Māyā's contamination will not touch you. Just like if you take vaccine, the infectious disease will not touch you. Similarly, if you keep yourself vaccinated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the māyā has no power to touch you.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

So Lord Viṣṇu's eyes are just like lotus petals, so He's called puṇḍarīkākṣam. So such person who remembers, chants the name of the lord, puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa bahya... Bahya means external, and internal, abhyantaram, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So simply by remembering the holy name of the Lord, Viṣṇu, one is purified in any stage of life. That is a fact. It is said, there is a Bengali verse which says, eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, ai haya tati pāpa karibare nare (?). "By chanting once the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the sinful man can vanquish so much volumes of sinful activities, reaction, that he's unable to perform." A sinful man is very expert to commit sinful activities, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so strong that he will be unable to commit so much sins as can be extinguished simply by uttering once the name of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact. But unfortunately, we, by chanting, vanquish all kinds of sinful activities. That's all right. But the next moment we again begin. So that is the defect.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Spiritual master is not the question of... Spiritual master is eternal. Spiritual master is eternal. So your question is without spiritual master. Without spiritual master you cannot be, at any stage of your life. You may accept this spiritual master or that spiritual master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. As you say that "by reading Bible," when you read Bible that means you are following the spiritual master represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ. So any case, you have to follow a spiritual master. There cannot be the question without spiritual master. Is that clear?

Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna:

Don't speak unpalatable truth. But we are not meant for that purpose, social convention. We are preacher, we are servant of God. We must speak the real truth. You may like it or may not like it, that a godless civilization cannot be happy in any stage. That is a fact. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to awaken this godless civilization, that you try to love God. This is the simple fact. You have got love within you. You want to love somebody. A young boy tries to love a young girl, young girl tries to love another young boy. This is natural, because the love is there. But we have created certain circumstances that love is being frustrated. Why? Everyone is frustrated. Husband, wife, boys, girls, man to man, states to states, everywhere, the love is not being utilized properly. Why? The missing point is that we have forgotten to love the Supreme Person. That is the disease.

Speech -- New Vrindaban, August 31, 1972:

So everyone is related with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just like father and son is always related. That relation cannot be broken (child crying, taken out) at any stage, but sometimes it happens that the son, out of his own independence, he goes out of his home and forgets the affectionate relationship with father. In your country, it is not very extraordinary thing. So many sons go out of father's affectionate home. That is very ordinary experience. So everyone has got independence. Similarly, we are all sons of God, but we are, at the same time, independent. Not fully independent, but independent. We have got the tendency of having independence because God is fully independent, and we are born of God; therefore, we have got the quality of independence. Although we cannot be absolutely independent as God, but the tendency is there that "I shall become independent." So the living entities, we—we are part and parcel of God—when we want to live independently of God, that is our conditional stage. Conditional stage means we accept a body, material body, which is conditioned in so many ways. Just like the body undergoes six kinds of changes. It is born, the body is born, not the living entity. It is born at a certain date, it remains for some time, it grows, it gives some by-products, then the body dwindles and at last it vanishes.

Lecture Engagement at Birla House -- Bombay, December 17, 1975:

Not to control the material energy; that we cannot do, that is not possible. But not to become under the control. That is very simple method: mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Just like if you become honest, if you are not criminal, then there is no police control-police may be there. But as soon as you become criminal, you come under the control of police. Similarly our business is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained, and everywhere in the śāstra, and actually we are so, we are eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is our real position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). But our disease is instead of becoming dāsa, we are trying to become the master of the prakṛti. This is called materialistic way of life. So that will not make us happy at any stage of our life. This is very dangerous. We are missing the point.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: No. That is hopeless. That you cannot. That is wrong. We cannot become God. The only answer is that how we can become God? If you are God, then how did you become non-God? God cannot become non-God at any stage.

Śyāmasundara: I think he looks at it that we are not God. We know we are not God, but we are trying to become God.

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvādī philosophy.

Śyāmasundara: But he says it's impossible to become God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's nice. That is our philosophy.

Śyāmasundara: But because it is impossible to become God, that means everything else is useless.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: No. We belong to the other world actually. We spirit soul, we belong to the spiritual world. Just like fish belongs to the water. Fish does not belong to the land. So if the fish is brought from the water to the land, it cannot be comfortable at any stage. It will die. Similarly you are Brahman, part and parcel of Brahman, particle of Brahman. So unless you return to Brahman, you cannot be happy.

Guest (2): But if we look at the world as it is today we'll find that people who are the most powerful in this world are those who...

Prabhupāda: Who is powerful? First of all let us see who is powerful.

Guest (2): Like United States, like Soviet Union. There is no other power in this world who can...

Room Conversation -- July 4, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: But he's thinking that "I am master of the dog." A family man, he's controlled by his wife, by his children, by his servant, by everyone, but he's thinking, "I am master." President Nixon is thinking that he's master of his country, but he's controlled. At once he can be dismissed by the public, his servant. And he gets that position, placing himself that "I'll give you very good service. I shall be your first-class servant." Therefore people vote, "All right, you become president." And he's advertising, "Re-elect me. Re-elect me." That means he is servant. But he's thinking, "I am master." That is the position. Māyā. One who is controlled by māyā, he's thinking himself master, but he's servant. And a devotee, he'll never think himself, "I am master." "I am servant." That is the difference between māyā and not māyā. He at least knows that "I am never master. I am always servant." But these rascals, they think that they are master when actually they are servant. That is the difference. That is the difference. When a servant is thinking, "I am master," that is called illusion. And when a servant thinks "I am servant," that is not illusion; that is mukti. That is liberation. Because he is not controlled by a false thought. Try to think about this subject matter. A devotee is never controlled by a false thought. He knows his position. Svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti, liberation, means to be situated in his own constitutional position. That is called mukti, liberation. I am servant, so if I know that "I am servant," that is my liberation. And I am servant; if I think "I am master," that is his bondage. That is the difference between conditioned life and liberated life. So these Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee, they're always thinking that they are servants of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all, they are all liberated. They haven't got to endeavor for liberation. They are already liberated, because they are situated in their constitutional position. They're not artificially thinking that "I am master." Otherwise everyone is thinking, "I am master." Everyone is thinking. That is illusion. You cannot be master in any stage of your life.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: Curd. So curd you can send to the city. They will convert into sandeśa, rasagullā and other preparations, and ghee. That is being done. In India the villagers, they do that. They are, keep cows. Convert them into curd or ghee, and ghee and curd sent to the city, they have got regular price for that. There is no question of waste of milk at any stage. One must know how to do it. So you can keep as many cows as possible and collect as much milk from them. You can utilize. And if some of the villagers trained up, they can open nice restaurant in the city. Utilize the ghee, curd, for making nice confectionary. People will purchase like anything. Just like in our Rathayātrā festival, whatever sweets they prepared, all sold at good profit. Your countrymen, they did not see such nice things. And when they taste it—"Very nice."

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's all right. One must be confident before challenging others. Not that theoretical. Challenge is no good. In all stages he must be able to defend himself from the opposing elements. Then such challenge is all right. (break) We are confident that this soul cannot be manufactured by any material combination. Therefore we can challenge. And I can defend ourself in any stage. (break) Cānā, cānā?

Aksayānanda: Channā?

Prabhupāda: Not cchana but cānā. Cānaka dāhl?

Aksayānanda: Oh, cānā dāhl, yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Cānā dāhl is good nowadays.

Aksayānanda: Chick pea dahl for winter.

Prabhupāda: Mixed with little uraḍ dāhl, then it will be very palatable and very beneficial.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Hari-śauri: Purport: "Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent;, whereas, in material activity, without one-hundred-percent success, there is no profit.

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Even in the stool, the worms in the stool, he's also thinking "I have got so much stool to eat." This same mastership. "I am the monarch of all I survey. I have got so much stool." And you just take the worm from the stool, put it here: "No, no, no, here is my enjoyment." This mastership mentality is there in Brahma, and the mastership mentality is there in the worm of the stool. This mentality you have to give up. Then you become liberated. That is liberation. The bondage is that mastership mentality. He's servant, but he's thinking falsely that he's master. Just like your President Nixon. He thought that "Now I have become master of America, I'm president." He forgot that he's servant. As soon as the people wanted, dragged him down. That he forgot, that "I'm servant of the people." So everyone is servant, but falsely thinking "I'm master." That is material disease. The best thing is that if I have to remain servant, why not become servant of Kṛṣṇa? That's all. That is perfection. That is perfect life. Even by becoming a false master of the whole American country, I was not happy, I am now dragged down as a common man, Mr. Nixon, then what is the use of becoming master? It is all false. Let me become servant of Kṛṣṇa; then it is perfect. Instead of becoming a false master of the American country, let me be a real servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is liberty, liberated. Because any stage of my life, to become master is false.

Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Such an important city, and such important park, and nobody can go.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is there any stage at which these atheistic people have done anything good by accident?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is there any step?

Prabhupāda: Therefore they support this accident theory. Nowadays they have got the accident theory. Because ordinarily there is no good. There is no possibility. But by accident if some good comes, that's all. Otherwise, jagato 'hitāḥ, it is only fault. They are... But accidentally means good comes. Accidentally, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement came. (laughs) Although it was going on in India. Nobody called Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the scientists, the philosophers, the politicians. But accidentally came. Accidentally, we got result. You cannot explain God, therefore you take it as accident.

Room Conversation With Scientists -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: There is no sense, try to understand. The body is complicated. But in spite of all this, it is useless unless there is life.

Rūpānuga: All right, so then in an embryo stage...

Prabhupāda: Any stage, it is, the whole thing is complicated.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But you are saying that the soul is actually by nature very simple.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At least compared to the material world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The soul is not complicated.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: No, at any stage of life, if one accepts the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can make advance.

Rāmeśvara: She asked, "Is it more favorable for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness if there is some material problems, social problems? If there is a lack of God consciousness, then people become frustrated. Is that a more favorable situation for Kṛṣṇa consciousness to take root?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, if we arrange social, political and everything favorable for spiritual understanding, then it becomes easier.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda is saying the opposite than what you hypothesized. In other words, if everything is arranged socially, politically, everything, in a God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious manner, then it is easier to accept the principles of God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: At least they are accepting God, and if they offer prayers sincerely, God is there within your heart, He'll gradually reveal. The more you become purified, the more He reveals. Then He'll talk with you. So everything depends on the sincerity and seriousness. And if we take these ritualistic ceremonies, "Now I've gone to church or mosque, I have gone to temple, finish. Now let me do whatever I like." Then that is waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is simply waste of time. That is going on practically. He doesn't want to see "How much progress I have made in the matter of loving God." That he does not inquire. He takes God as order supplier. So "He's supplying my order, that's nice." He'll never learn to supply the order of God. Neither he will come any stage on that platform. The highest stage is to supply the order of God, not make God my order supplier. That is neophyte stage. Just like a small child, he simply wants to take supply from the father. But when the child is grown up and he's educated, he wants to see "How I can supply the order of parents." That is good stage. "My parents have taken so much pain to raise me, now I am educated, now they are old man..." Sentiment, I am speaking, this family sentiment. "I must see my..." (someone enters) Come on. The whole day. That is the stage of love, that "I have taken supplies from my father so long, now I must supply the order of the father."

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Harikeśa: "The Lord at once took the position of the teacher and chastised the student, calling him, indirectly, a fool. The Lord said, 'You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned—one who knows what is body and what is soul—does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition.' As it will be explained in later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is even more important than religious formularies. And, because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have posed himself as a very learned man."

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was posing himself as the body. So he should not consider himself as a learned man. Nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Then?

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is the... Because you are... We have already explained. You are a spiritual being. You cannot be satisfied with material atmosphere in any stage. Just like a fish is an animal of the water. If you bring the fish from water and keep on the land very comfortably, it cannot be comfortable. It is impossible. Similarly, we are all spiritual beings. Any amount of material comforts will never satisfy us, unless we come to the spiritual platform. That is the demand. So now they have satisfied their material demands, but the urge is there, "I want something more, to be happy." And that is spiritual.

Interviewer: What is the procedure of the movement? Do you initiate yourself all the disciples or do your other disciples also do that?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The most dangerous type of fear is if my next life I become an animal. That is the most dangerous. But those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, given some service, for them there is no such fear. He gets another chance. Hmm.

Hari-śauri: (reads) Purport. "Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed. Otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Rayarama -- San Francisco 7 March, 1967:

The Mayavada Philosophy has played havoc in spiritual understanding leading to Atheistic tendency. The interpretation that one has to be naked before the Lord is also mayavada philosophy The pictures which Dan might have brought in the temple are certainly unauthorized. In future before publishing any picture you must consult me. Any stage of life in Krishna consciousness may be a victim of strong material energy. Therefore we have always to take care and strictly follow the rules and regulations. You are a good boy and sincere devotee and I hope you will understand me right.

Letter to Umapati -- Vrindaban 5 September, 1967:

Your letter is very much encouraging to me, that you are appreciating my humble service in spreading Krishna Consciousness in your great country. It was my ambition to begin my movement from New York; and by Krishna's Grace, I got good cooperation from some boys like you; and I felt too much aggrieved when some of you left me, but I was confident that all of your would come again, because Krishna Consciousness is not a material thing, and cannot be broken: it cannot be burned or wet or dried or stopped at any stage. When I received your letter, it appeared to me that I had received a letter from a lost child; so please continue your present attitude.

I have not heard anything from Harvey. Hope he is doing well. So far my health is concerned, I have improved considerably, and I hope to return by October next.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter of Feb. 8, 1968, and have noted the contents. I thank you very much for your sincere appreciation, and for your feelings of imperfectness. The more you think as imperfect, the more you make actual progress in Krishna Consciousness. This hankering after perfection is seen in even the most perfect devotees. So we should never think of being perfect at any stage. Actually, Krishna Consciousness is unlimited, because Krishna is unlimited, so we do not know at which point the perfection is there. Even Krishna Himself thinks that he is imperfect to understand Radharani's feelings of devotion; and to understand the devotional feelings of Radharani, He became Lord Caitanya, to worship Krishna in the feelings of Radharani. So transcendental activities are so nice that it is all perfection, and still there is no perfect satisfaction. That is the duty of spiritual life. Please stick to your principles as you are now doing and serve Krishna to your best capacity, and Krishna will give you all protection undoubtedly.