Cannot understand Krsna consciousness

Expressions researched:
"cannot understand Krsna consciousness"

SB Canto 3

Persons who, due to being initiated by another sect of religious faith, do not find devotional service as the common platform for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 3.32.40, Purport: Persons who are always planning to do harm to other living entities are not eligible to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and cannot enter into the realm of transcendental loving service to the Lord. Also, there are so-called disciples who become submissive to a spiritual master most artificially, with an ulterior motive. They also cannot understand what Kṛṣṇa consciousness or devotional service is. Persons who, due to being initiated by another sect of religious faith, do not find devotional service as the common platform for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have experience that some students come to join us, but because of being biased in some particular type of faith, they leave our camp and become lost in the wilderness. Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sectarian religious faith; it is a teaching process for understanding the Supreme Lord and our relationship with Him. Anyone can join this movement without prejudice, but unfortunately there are persons who feel differently. It is better, therefore, not to instruct the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to such persons.

Even if one is not greedy for material possessions but is too attached to family life, he also cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 3.32.40, Purport: Generally, materialistic persons are after some name, fame and material gain, so if someone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness for these reasons, he will never be able to understand this philosophy. Such persons take to religious principles as a social decoration. They admit themselves into some cultural institution for the sake of name only, especially in this age. Such persons also cannot understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if one is not greedy for material possessions but is too attached to family life, he also cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Superficially, such persons are not very greedy for material possessions, but they are too attached to wife, children and family improvement. When a person is not contaminated by the above-mentioned faults yet at the ultimate issue is not interested in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or if he is a nondevotee, he also cannot understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The ass is the symbol because the ass eats only a morsel of grass, but for the washerman, he works so hard. Because the people are mūḍhas, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972: So now vaiśyas, they have got big, big factories, they can maintain big, big factories, but they cannot maintain a cow. That is the position. Similarly, Kṣatriyas, they have taken different occupational duties. Brāhmaṇas also, they have left their occupation. Only everyone has come to the platform of śūdras. Therefore it is very difficult to convince them about spiritual life. Mostly people are śūdras. Śūdras, less intelligent. They cannot understand. Mūḍha. Less intelligent means mūḍha. The symbol of less intelligence is ass, mūḍha. The ass... Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described the karmīs as mūḍha because they work very hard. Although the necessity of life is very little, still they work very hard, day and night. The ass is the symbol because the ass eats only a morsel of grass, but for the washerman, he works so hard. So mūḍha. Because the people are mūḍhas, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Without becoming very intelligent man, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have to make our brain very clean. And for that purpose you require to drink not very much, at least, one pound or half-pound milk daily.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974: If you get milk products, milk, then you can prepare so many preparations full of vitamins, which will nourish your brain. Dull brain cannot understand what is spiritual knowledge. Therefore, that Mr. Bernard Shaw, he wrote a book. Perhaps you know it. You Are What You Eat. If you keep your brain dull, then how you can understand? Because without becoming very intelligent man, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura: "One who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously and perfectly, he must be very, very intelligent." Dull brain cannot accept it. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. So we have to make our brain very clean. And for that purpose you require to drink not very much, at least, one pound or half-pound milk daily. That is essential. But no meat-eating. This is intelligence. The milk is also conversion of the blood, everyone knows. Just like we drink the milk of our mother. The color of the milk is white, but everyone knows that milk is produced from the red blood, red corpuscle. So this is the process, that people are very much anxious to drink the blood of cows from the slaughterhouse.

One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness because he is mad, he is rascal. Duṣkṛtina, on account of sinful activities.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975: One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness because he is mad, he is rascal. Why? Duṣkṛtina, on account of sinful activities. Therefore what is his position? Narādhamāḥ, the lowest of mankind. Then, "He is educated?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: his so-called education has no value, because his real knowledge has been taken away. Real knowledge is—that is given in Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning—real knowledge is that "I am not this body." But everyone is working on the bodily concept of life; therefore they are all mad. Pramattasya, gṛheṣu saktasya. Because he is madman, therefore he is so much attached.

Unfortunate or misfortunate, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976: If you are actually serious about the ultimate goal of life, then you approach a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ. If you are actually inquisitive to understand what is sreyas, that is śreyas-kāmāḥ. kāmāḥ means desiring, and śreyas means ultimate good. Not preyas-kāmāḥ. If you want to enjoy these material facilities, then you can go to such kind of men, such kind of men, and... If you want to learn drinking, so go to a club where drinking is very encouraged. Preyas-kāmāḥ. If you want to enjoy sex, go to the club where prostitutes are available. That is preyas-kāmāḥ. But if you want to reach the goal of life, then go to Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. There are two kinds of men, sreyas-kāmāḥ, preyas-kāmāḥ, so two things are there. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for the śreyas-kāmāḥ. And who becomes śreyas-kāmāḥ? Mahā-bhāga, with great fortune. Not ordinary person. Unfortunate or misfortunate, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mahā-bhāga. Very, very great fortunate person.

Initiation Lectures

Unless you stop all these nonsense activities, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972: There was war between Pakistan and India. So all the rich men had to contribute fifty lakhs, fifty hundred thousand, according to everyone's capacity. Many millions of rupees were collected, and it was put into the gun powder, "Svāhā!" (laughter) So if you don't execute this svāhā, then you will have to execute that svāhā. (laughter) (sings out the word "svāhā!") That's all. The Vietnam is going on—svāhā! So many young men—svāhā! So much money—svāhā! You have to do that. Therefore better learn how to make svāhā for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will have to make svāhā for māyā. That's all. The sooner you give up... Yajña-dāna. This is called yajña and dāna, and tapas, tapasya. Tapasya means this following, voluntarily accepting all restrictive principles. Because we are addicted to all this license or nonsense. Not license. It is nonsense. So unless you stop all these nonsense activities, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

General Lectures

Bhāgavata says so long one is interested to keep himself within the boundary of some limited area, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968: Bhāgavata says, na te viduḥ... matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. So actually gṛha means this material confinement. Gṛha, real gṛha, means one is bound up within some limited space. So gṛha means to keep oneself within some boundary. So Bhāgavata says so long one is interested to keep himself within the boundary of some limited area, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe. He cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. He's limited within certain boundary. So Bhāgavata says Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible for persons who are limited by certain boundary, including universal concept of life. That is also boundary.

There are four hundred thousand forms of the human being, out of which the civilized men, they are taken into consideration. All other varieties, they are in the lower grade of life. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973: Living being or living entity, there are varieties, 8,400,000 varieties. There are nine hundred thousand varieties in the water, and two million varieties as trees and plants. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And then insects, reptiles, there are eleven hundred thousand varieties. Then there are one million varieties of birds. Pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. Then beasts, three million. Three million varieties of animals, beasts, four-legged beasts, and then there are four hundred thousand forms of the human being, out of which the civilized men, they are taken into consideration. All other varieties, they are in the lower grade of life. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not possible. It is in the human form of body when the consciousness is developed. In the tree also, there is consciousness. It is now scientifically proved. When you cut tree or take its leaves, it feels, and that is recorded in the machine. This machine was discovered by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, a great physicist in Calcutta. So everyone has got consciousness, there is no doubt about it. But the developed consciousness is found in the human being. And the topmost development of consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore we are appealing to the people in general all over the world that "Now you have got developed consciousness than the lower animals, birds, trees, beasts. Now you develop further so that you can awaken your original consciousness, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is successful." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

A sinful person cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who has completely vanquished all sorts of sinful reactions.

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco: Prabhupāda: we have to teach. They will say it is not practical. Why not practical? No, anything is not, not practical. There are so many scientific... You discovered. Just like this tape recorder. This is advantageous to the human society. But it is not practical that everyone will have a nice tape recorder. That is not practical. But when you go to manufacture, say the discoverer, "Oh, that it is not practical; therefore it should not be manufactured." Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness may not be practical for all, but that does not mean it should not be preached. The customer will take. Just like this tape recorder, one has got money, you have purchased, taking advantage. Similarly, there are many pious persons who can take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like you have taken. You are not ordinary common men. There must have been some pious activities in your past lives. Therefore you have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously. Bhagavad-gītā says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ. [Bg. 7.28] A sinful person cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is said, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ. One who has completely vanquished all sorts of sinful reactions.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Persons who have lost their consciousness on account of being too much attached to material enjoyment, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Radio Interview -- May 25, 1975, Fiji:

Interviewer: Why did you choose to go to America and propagate the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa in a western country?

Prabhupāda: Because Indian people, being subjugated for at least one thousand years, they have lost their original culture. And, being poverty-stricken, they are simply after money, by hook and crook. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayā apahṛta-cetasām [Bg. 2.44]. Persons who have lost their consciousness on account of being too much attached to material enjoyment, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I thought that America, they have enjoyed enough of this material happiness, money and women, and they are now becoming disappointed. So they are at least on the platform of renunciation. They don't want any more like their fathers and grandfathers. Of course, they are not guided. Therefore I preferred to go there to guide them. So almost fifty percent of my devotees are, they are collected from these disappointed persons, young men. They are going astray. So they appreciate that I have saved them. Therefore they are after me, this younger generation, and they are helping me in broadcasting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I think my attempt was successful.

Third-class, fourth-class rogue, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1975, Bombay:

Lalitā: I told you that Mr. Mani is Sai Baba's bhakta. So he is harassing, sending a letter and all. It's not especial any, that "Send to the member of ISKCON. They must leave." No. There is no report like that, but they are sending to say that he should learn and come to the Mr. Mani's bhakta of Sai Baba. (Bengali) There is nothing special. So if you are feeling better, then tomorrow or the day after tomorrow... (Bengali) ...can I mention that you must fit to see?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Bengali) You know that? (Bengali) Between twelve to end of the day. (Bengali) Indira Gandhi... (Bengali) ...position plus spiritual knowledge, it will play wonderful in the world. (Bengali) Third-class, fourth-class rogue, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rājarṣayo. He must be royalty, at the same time great sage, saintly person. Then he will understand. (Bengali)

Lalitā: You must have that quality to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Bengali) Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Find out this verse.

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāhur

manur ikṣvākave...

[Bg. 4.1]

Ikṣvāku rājarṣi, Rāmacandra-vaṁśa... (Bengali) ...originator of the dynasty of the Sūrya-vaṁśa. Kṣatriya... (Bengali) ...Sūrya-vaṁśa and Candra-vaṁśa.