The Kṛṣṇa consciousness message is kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is no other Bhagavān. Bhagavān means full of six opulences. So Kṛṣṇa is completely, cent percent full of all opulences. Even Nārāyaṇa, He is ninety-six percent. And Lord Śiva is eighty-four percent. And Brahmā is seventy-eight percent. These are calculated by the Gosvāmīs. So Kṛṣṇa is cent percent Bhagavān. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Nānyat. Nobody. So simply you have to... Just like our little girl, Sarasvatī, she also preaches. She goes to some friend. She asks, "Do you know what is Kṛṣṇa?" If he says "No, I do not know very much." So she says, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." That's all. This is preaching. It is not difficult. Simply, just like the child, you go everyone, talk to everyone that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That's all. Everyone can do it. It is not very difficult. You believe it. You be convinced on the statement that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
Convince (Lectures, Others)
Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
We have got practical experience that Akbar Shah inquired from his, one of his very confidential ministers that "How long a man is sexually inclined?" So the minister replied that "Up to the point of death." He replied. The Akbar did not believe it. But the minister sometimes took him to a man who was just going to die, and the minister requested Akbar Shah to get with him his young daughter. So when the Akbar Shah and his daughter was entering, the man on the death bed, he was looking to the young girl, not to the Akbar. So he pointed out, "Just see." And he was convinced, "Yes." So the sex life is so strong that you cannot be satisfied.
One must be determined. So māyā may check my progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but I must fight māyā. This determination wanted. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. That is wanted. "All right let me do. All right, not. That's all right. Let me do my business." No. One must be very serious. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ and firmly convinced. These things are required to revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is very easy.
Our propaganda is to make everyone know this fact, that everyone is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our propaganda. We are trying to convince people that "Your original position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. You have now forgotten that. You revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll become happy."
Kṛṣṇa wanted that "You must fight. You are a kṣatriya. It is your duty to fight. You are My friend. If you go away, fly away from this battlefield, what people will say? That 'Kṛṣṇa's friend has gone away.' So this is not good." So when he could not be convinced, then Kṛṣṇa had to speak the whole Bhagavad-gītā.
Because according to the smārta-vidhāna, when one is performing the funeral ceremony of his father, the first portion would be offered to the best of the brāhmaṇas. So it was offered to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura felt little shyness, that "Advaita Prabhu, You love me. That is all right. But You are doing all these things. You may be socially ostracized." So Advaita Prabhu said, "No. By feeding you, I am feeding one crores of best brāhmaṇas. And let any brāhmaṇa come to Me. I shall convince him."
So we are trying to convince them in so many ways. There is no need of so many ways. The one, simple method, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, will be sufficient to make them perfect.
In Christian religion also, they accept, confess their sinful activities, and again they commit the same sinful activities. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Unless one understands his constitutional position, unless he's convinced that why should he commit sinful activities simply for this body, which does not belong to him... It is a foreign. Actually, he has no connection with the body.
By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, this pure vibration of transcendental sound has enlivened them, and they are awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that artificially they have taken. It is sure. Anyone can test how much they have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how they are firmly convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because it has been awakened. The nature, which was dormant, that has been awakened.
So whose duty is to enlighten them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I was just talking with Gosvāmījī, Harijana Gosvāmījī. Whose duty it is to enliven people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? It is the duty of guru. We came to this conclusion. And who is guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). That means perfectly learned in Vedic literature and firmly convinced in Brahman realization.
Prabhupāda: These are the symptoms of the topmost devotee. He has got full knowledge in scripture. He can argue on the basis of scripture. He can convince the other party. These are the symptoms of uttama-adhikārī.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Everything, all Vedic literature, they are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). So if you simply understand... What is that understanding? That Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have written in our Kṛṣṇa book, "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." If you become convinced, then your study of Vedas—finished.
That spiritual strength is also Kṛṣṇa, bhakta-śaktikam. There is nothing except Kṛṣṇa, ekaṁ brahmā dvitīya-nāsti. So we have to understand Him especially in these five features for advancing in devotional service. Therefore His name is pañca-tattvātmakam, with five features, kṛṣṇam, bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. Kṛṣṇa is so kind upon us that... He is coming as He is. Kṛṣṇa is original, and trying to convince us about the necessity of our life, or the goal of our life. Prayojana, prayojana: it is necessary. It is not optional—compulsory.
Devotional service is, I mean to say, without any impediment, apratihatā. Nothing can check it—that is devotional service—in any circumstances. No material circumstances can check your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When it is, you are firmly convinced and situated in that position, that is real bhakti-yoga.
Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I accept the order of My spiritual master in toto, without any interpretation, without any argument, without any understanding. Whatever he has said, it is all right." This is acceptance of spiritual master. "Oh, I accept spiritual master, but I don't accept your order"—this is not acceptance of spiritual master. If you at all accept somebody as spiritual master, you must test him. You must test him for at least one year if you have got doubts. And when you are convinced that "Here is a person whom I can follow blindly," then you accept.
Spiritual master will not place before you anything unreasonable. But the process is that you cannot change the order of spiritual master. You cannot argue. You... Unless you are convinced that "I shall accept the order of this person without any argument," don't accept anybody as spiritual master. It is a false acceptance.
Body is not everything. The moving power of the body is the spirit soul. We are repeatedly trying to convince people this simple truth, but they are so dull-headed they cannot understand.
Prabhupāda: So if they want to take, then where is the question of preaching? Because they do not want to take, you have to preach. Otherwise, where is the necessity of preaching? You have to prepare yourself in such a way that nobody is dying for your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but you have to convince him that your life is spoiled without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your capacity.
So when one is not open to hear, then don't bother yourself. That requires very strong preacher to convince the atheist class, provided he is reasonable also. If he's stubborn, obstinate, then it is also very difficult. But preaching is meant, innocent, that one who is actually sincere but he does not know what is God, what is my relationship with God, there is necessity of preaching. Not to the envious or those who are already advanced, or to God.
The Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his first prayer to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You are the mahā-vadānyāvatāra, most munificent incarnation." Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "Even Kṛṣṇa could not convince people about His supremacy, but You are so kind that You are giving love of Kṛṣṇa." Love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift.
If you immediately accept the words of, accept the words of Kṛṣṇa-sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66)—that is very good. But if you are very learned philosopher, scientist, then read books. Both ways we have prepared to convince you.
And as soon as your devotional service, prescribed duties, are discharged, you become free from all material contamination. That is the test. Tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā. Then you become firmly convinced. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruci. Then taste. Athāsakti: then you cannot give it up, at any circumstances cannot give it up. Athāsaktis tato bhāvas: then you become fully in samādhi, in trance.
If you are part and parcel of the Supreme, then what is your duty? Your duty is to serve Him. You have no other duty. So one who understands this firmly and convincingly, he is liberated.
We have to be determined to go back to Godhead, to Kṛṣṇa, where going nobody will come to this condemned place. One should know that this is a condemned place. Unless one is fully convinced that this is a place, condemned, one cannot make progress.
There are so many different literatures because there are so many varieties of people. How can you convince all classes of people by one literature? No. That is not possible. Now the people are here in your country, they are losing interest in religion because the Bible was given to a certain class of people long, long years before.
As soon as one becomes atheist, oh, it is very difficult to convince him. You see. Therefore our preaching should avoid the atheist class.
Smṛti means if you are learned scholar in the Vedic injunction, if you have heard from the bona fide souls, and if you are convinced, then if you write something, that is smṛti. You cannot write nonsense. You have to write something which corroborates with the Vedic injunction. That is called smṛti.
Prabhupāda: ...by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They were convinced with the arguments and presentation of Lord Caitanya. And from that day, not only the sannyāsīs, but also the people in general, they also became very much admirer of Lord Caitanya.
We are servant of Lord Caitanya. So, in the disciplic succession we are trying to present. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's topic is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
The atheistic party, the godless civilization is so strong. So you are not weak. You are protected by the Supreme. But our mission is not to fight, but our mission is to convince. So this is the method to be accepted by devotees, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to preach the philosophy in the world.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
One who is disinclined to understand what is this chanting, you should not bother yourself to convince him. That's all.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
If a sannyāsī goes to the house of a householder, he will never be refused. At least he should be given a little rice, little flour. That is the system. So, so many people are coming to see them, how they have become Vaiṣṇava, saintly person, and contributing, somebody flour, somebody dahl, somebody rice, somebody fruit. "Oh," they thought. "Oh, why Nārada is sending so much? We are only two persons, husband and wife, and he is sending more than twenty person foodstuffs, daily." So, he was convinced that "If I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, I will not starve. Nārada will send everything, that's all."
Just like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. You know, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great scholar, and Māyāvādī scholar, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him surrender unto Him. He became Caitanya Mahāprabhu's admirer, follower after being defeated in Vedānta-sūtra, understanding. That story is there in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa.
Festival Lectures
We have developed this human form of life after passing through many millions of lower grades of life, and similarly we have to now develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of God. If you will take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, then we have volumes of books to convince you what is your relationship with God, what is your duty, what is your ultimate goal of life—these things are all very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: Recently I had some talks with Dr. Stahl on this high level understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if philosophers, scientists, thinkers, they come to me, we can convince them how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is important for the whole human society.
So in 1922, when I saw my Guru Mahārāja and when I was convinced about his argument and mode of presentation, I was so much struck with wonder. I could understand that "Here is the proper person who can give real religious idea." That I appreciated at that time. And at that time I thought, "This great personality is asking me to preach.
So I was convinced. But at that time, although he wanted me to immediately join him and spread this movement, so at that time I was a married man, young man. I was married in 1918. And I got a son also at that time, 1921. And in 1922 I met him. At that time I was manager in a big chemical factory. So I thought that "I am married man. I have got so many responsibilities. How I can join immediately? It is not my duty." Of course, that was my mistake. I should have joined immediately.
Please note these points, what are the process. First thing is that one must be faithful. Second thing is that he must be thoughtful. The third thing is that he must have knowledge. What is that knowledge? "I am not this body." And then detachment. As soon as I am convinced that I am not this body, then why should I take so much care for the body? Let me take care of my self. And as soon as these qualifications are fulfilled, then you can see within yourself what you are.
Initiation Lectures
In the beginning one has to accept a spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master. And who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also described in several Vedic scriptures. In the Upaniṣad it is said, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). One who has come down in disciplic succession and as a result of such authorized succession one has become fully, firmly convinced in Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān, the same thing.
There was one poet, Bengali poet. He lamented that "Even uncivilized nations like China, Japan and Burmese..." Not Burma. Burma was also dependent. "They are independent, and only India is dependent on the Britishers." So anyway, my Guru Mahārāja, he convinced me that "Dependence, independence, they are temporary. But we are concerned with the eternal benefit of the human kind, and therefore you should take up this matter."
We have to go further and further till the stage of perfection. But initiation is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. When one is firmly convinced, then he makes association with the devotees.
That brahma-bhūtaḥ means simply to understand that I am not the material body. To be convinced firmly with all reasons and argument, firmly conviction, this is called faith. Faith is not flickering. One must be firmly convinced. So then you immediately become joyful.
Just like if you are implicated with some undesirable affairs and if you, some way or other, your lawyer advises, "Oh, you are free from this implication. The law does not bind you," just like you feel pleasure, "Oh, I'm not in this implication?" "Yes," similarly, as soon as one is convinced that "I am not this material body," then immediately he becomes joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati (BG 18.54). And what is that joyfulness? There is no lamentation and there is no hankering.
When you forget Kṛṣṇa, or God, and if we think there is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then we are afraid. And those who are convinced and realized souls that there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa, where is the cause of fearfulness? Therefore those who are pure devotees, they are not disturbed even in most distressed condition of life.
Of course, this chanting will save you, only chanting. But if you read some literatures also, and the philosophy also, then it will be more and more convincing that you are making progress. And in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that this is the process by which you can understand practically whether you are making actually progress in spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: Unless one is prepared that "I am accepting somebody as my spiritual master. I must accept whatever he says," if there is any doubt, that "I cannot accept his words verbatim," then one should not accept him as spiritual master. That is hypocrisy. One must be first of all convinced. Therefore it is the duty of the spiritual master and the disciple to associate—that is the injunction of Sanātana Gosvāmī—for some time, and both of them should study. The disciple should study, "Whether I can accept this saintly person as my spiritual master." And spiritual master also will see, "Whether I can accept this boy, this person, as my disciple." That is the way.
Arjuna, he was a warrior, fighter, but he fought for Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is a sannyāsī. Although he appears to be a householder, fighting for his own interest, but he was declining to fight for his own interest. When Kṛṣṇa convinced him that "This fighting is arranged by Me, Kṛṣṇa, and I want this fighting," then Arjuna fought. He understood that "It is to be fought for Kṛṣṇa, not for my self interest." And because he fought for Kṛṣṇa, he is a sannyāsī.
This evening we were discussing with some learned psychiatrist to solve the problems of the world. So we have tried to convince them that the problems of the world are due to ignorance of our spiritual life.
Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you become purified and you escape the contamination of birth, death, old age and disease. So try to convince the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists. We have no such thing, sectarian view.
Cornerstone Ceremonies
I'll not take much of your time, but I shall try to convince you what is the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to save the human society from becoming animals, cows and asses. This is the movement.
General Lectures
So any intelligent man will appreciate. But if anyone wants to be cheated, then how he can be saved if one willingly wants to be cheated? Then it is very difficult to convince him. But those who are open-hearted, they will certainly accept this nice movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
One thing which I try to convince a child is not possible to teach the same thing to his father. Or a child cannot understand what is sex life, but a young man can understand. The same child, when he'll be grown up, he'll know. So you do not think that everyone can understand everything. So Bible is spoken under certain circumstances; Bhagavad-gītā is spoken under certain circumstances. It is the difference of the circumstances.
Just like at night we cannot see, but in daytime we see. But seeing is not all. Unless I am convinced of something, even seeing... Just the same example: one man is seeing that a criminal person is punished; still he is committing criminal act.
The purificatory process is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as our heart is purified, we completely become convinced that "The Lord is Supreme. I am His eternal servant. I have forgotten this. Servant, my servitorship is there, but instead of serving the Lord, I am serving my senses. That's all.
Although it is not possible that cent percent people will accept this or try to understand, but if one man can understand, one woman can understand, then our mission is successful. The subject matter is very difficult, but we are prepared to convince any man to this understanding provided he is serious to understand.
Unless you believe that your mother knows who is your father, then there is no question of asking her who is your father. If you don't believe your mother, then you have no necessity of questioning who is your father. First of all, you have to believe that your mother is the only authority to let you know who is your father. If you are not convinced in that point, then don't ask. Then always remain in oblivion who is your father.
But people are so rigid and so, I mean to say, doggish, that they do not like to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. For them only, so many different ways of convincing. Otherwise, the whole purpose is to induce him to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vidyam. Kṛṣṇa says. All these Vedic literatures, they are meant for bending the stubborn atheist to come to this point.
So the hearing is so strong. And they are educated boys, they're university graduates. I'm not befooling them. But as they're hearing, they're understanding the gravity of the movement and gradually they're becoming convinced and firmly situated in the post. So this is called bhāgavata-dharma.
This is our plain declaration: Let any rascal guru come. We can convince him that he is not guru, because he is speaking differently. We can challenge any rascal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. God loves you so much that He sends His son to convince you, "Please come to Me." God Himself comes, Kṛṣṇa: "Please come to Me." And what we are doing, servant of God? We are requesting only, "Please be God conscious."
Philosophy Discussions
The factual is this: if we are actually convinced that there is God, and God is omnipotent, so by His omnipotency He descends. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). "Whenever there is discrepancies in the process of religious principles," abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, "when people become irreligious, at that time I descend."
But those who are miscreants, they think that Kṛṣṇa, or God, He is like an ordinary man but a superhuman being. That's all. But that is actually the position of God. By His causeless mercy He demonstrates Himself to be convincing. So instead of philosophizing, the people take to these two books, Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and if he practices the process, then he will understand God.
Hayagrīva: Finally on immortality and miracles, he says that there is no evidence for the immortality of the soul and none against it, but...
Prabhupāda: How he can be convinced? There are so many evidences. That is the misfortune of the human society. A learned person like Mill, he cannot understand, what to speak of the others. This is simple truth. Any child can understand but due to misfortune they cannot understand.
Arjuna talked with Him personally, he has confirmed, and everything is there in the record, but you don't believe. Then how you can be convinced? Neither you have got perfect senses to see. Then what is the way to convince you? You will remain always in darkness. There is no way out. You can, within your dark well, you can go on imagining, Dr. Frog, but you will never have perfect knowledge.
Śyāmasundara: He says that reality is blind and irrational and capricious, or whimsical, and that actually life is an evil situation.
Prabhupāda: So how he is to establish his philosophy if everything is whimsical, irrational? How he will convince others if he is irrational and irresponsible? How he will make progress in his philosophical proposition?
Śyāmasundara: We know he's a great fool, but we have to convince the students.
Prabhupāda: We have to convince them as I am convincing you. That is your business.
But these philosophers have misled the world so much that now it is very difficult to convince them that here is God speaking and here is religion. That service he has done. As they were innocent to accept the words of God, now they have become overintelligent. They think sex is God, and that is going on. So to counteract this mentality it will take some time, but anyone who takes, accept the Bhagavad-gītā, the words of God, and the ways and means of life as defined by God, if anyone takes, then he will be happy. That's a fact.
He has heard the truth from the paramparā system, and the result of his hearing-he's firmly convinced and fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when one can finally see that one is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he answers all questions on the authority of śāstra, he's guru.
Atheists do not believe in God, but God comes to him as death to convince him that "Here I am." So how the atheist can avoid? How it will improve his present situation by atheistic speculation? So how the atheist can become independent? That is not possible.
Purports to Songs
"When my desire for material enjoyment will be insignificant, nonimportant." Tuccha. Tuccha means a thing which we calculate no value: "Throw it away." Similarly, spiritual advancement is possible when one is convinced that "This material world and material happiness is no value. It cannot give me any real bliss of life." This conviction is very much necessary.
| Page Title: | Convince (Lectures, Others) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, ChandrasekharaAcarya |
| Created: | 08 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=72, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 72 |