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Desireless (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Desire is the symptom of my life. How can you stop it? It is not possible. Desireless, I cannot be, but I must desire, I mean to say, purely.
Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

As Arjuna did not, wanted to fight, Kṛṣṇa said that "I desire that you should fight." But he did not agree in the beginning. But at the last moment, when Arjuna was inquired, "Now what is your decision," he said that naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat prasādān mayācyuta kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "My dear Lord, now my misgivings, my misunderstanding, is now gone by Your mercy. Now I have decided to fight because You desire." That is the summum bonum of learning. That one should decide what God desires. That's all. That will make his life perfect. He should not desire anything. He should not desire anything. His desiring capacity should not be stopped. Somebody says, "Don't desire; become desireless." It is nonsense. Nobody can be desireless. How he can be desireless? Desireless. Desire is the symptom of my, my life. How can you stop it? It is not possible. Desireless, I cannot be, but I must desire, I mean to say, purely. That's all. I should not desire impurely. If I desire from the bodily platform of my life, then my desires will be impure. And when I shall desire as the desire of the Supreme Will, then my desire is pure. So desire has not to be cut or stopped. It has to be purified. That's all.

The Bhagavad-gītā says, in spite of having that desire, you can worship Kṛṣṇa and ask so that in future your desires will be desireless.
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

So result is that even one is in need of money or he is in distress, as we'll find in the Seventh Chapter, that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, so even if you have got some desire within yourself, so the Bhagavad-gītā says, in spite of having that desire, you can worship Kṛṣṇa and ask so that in future your desires will be desireless. You will not ask anything because that is pure devotion. So we have to wait.

One of my students just spoken that.... Somebody said that "To become desireless is the highest perfection." So he replied that "Desireless, that is also desire."
Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

Except to serve Kṛṣṇa, any desire is desire. That is material desire. And sometimes they want to negate this desire. Desireless. One of my students just spoken that.... Somebody said that "To become desireless is the highest perfection." So he replied that "Desireless, that is also desire." You are thinking that "I shall become desireless." So this is also a desire. So how you become desireless? Very nice argument he gave. Our Caitya-guru gave it. I was very much pleased. It is not possible to become desireless. This is foolishness, to give up desire. You cannot give (up) desire. That is not... If you give up desire, then you are a dead man. A stone has no desire. Do you like to become a stone-like? No. Desire cannot be less. That is not possible.

Nirāśīḥ means desireless of extravagance.
Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

And nirāśīḥ. Nirāśīḥ means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted. If you want perfection of life.... This is called tapasya. One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily. Everyone has got the right to eat, even the animals. Everyone has got the right. But because we are desiring to enjoy more, therefore we do not give the chance to the animals to live properly; rather, we are trying to eat the animals. This is not required.

Sometimes we say that "We should be desireless." That is not possible. The whole process should be purifying desire, purifying desire, mind.
Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Because senses want engagement. If you artificially stop, it will not stay. For the time being, it may be appearing, but it is not possible. You cannot be desireless. Sometimes we say that "We should be desireless." That is not possible. The whole process should be purifying desire, purifying desire, mind. Mind is the source of desires. Therefore the bhakti process is first of all engage the mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you engage your mind, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). This is the recommendation given by Kṛṣṇa.

Somebody says that "You become desireless." That is an impossible, sir. Desireless means don't desire materially.
Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

The renounced order means that I renounce my material propensities. That is called renunciation. A living entity is living. He has got his different propensities. That is his natural position. If I say that "You don't desire," no, that is not possible. I cannot desire, I don't desire... If I am desireless, then I am dead. What is my life? Desire... Somebody says that "You become desireless." That is an impossible, sir. Desireless means don't desire materially. That is desireless.

Desireless means... Here it is clearly said, sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāmebhyaḥ means desire for sense gratification. That is to be purified. But desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is very good, very nice thing.
Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

When we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally my mind cannot go out besides Kṛṣṇa. Besides Kṛṣṇa. The mind is automatically controlled. Nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. And you shall have no desire for material sense gratification. Sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāma means material desires, and sarva, and all kinds of. That means if you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have no other desires. So your desires... Desireless you cannot be. That is not possible. Desireless means... Here it is clearly said, sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāmebhyaḥ means desire for sense gratification. That is to be purified. But desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is very good, very nice thing.

If I am desireless, then I am a dead man. A dead man has no desire. So that is not possible. We have to purify the desires.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

So here Kṛṣṇa says how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is for the brāhmaṇas, or the intellectual class of men. That is being described by Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Mayy āsakta-manāḥ: "The mind should be attached upon Me, Kṛṣṇa." This is the beginning. Some way or other we have to... Our mind is attached to something else. Mind cannot be detached. We have got so many desires. So mind's business—to become attached. Therefore, I accept something, I reject something. This is mind's business. So you cannot become zero, you cannot become desireless. That is not possible. Our process... Just like others, they say, "You become desireless." That is a foolish proposal. Who can become desireless? It is not possible. If I am desireless, then I am a dead man. A dead man has no desire. So that is not possible. We have to purify the desires. That is required.

We have to come to the point of not desirelessness, but to the point of purified desires. Therefore here it is said, mayy āsakta-manāḥ: "You can not make your mind desireless, but you fix up your mind upon Me."
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

So we have to come to the point of not desirelessness, but to the point of purified desires. That is wanted. Therefore here it is said, mayy āsakta-manāḥ: "You can not make your mind desireless, but you fix up your mind upon Me." That is required. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. This is the yoga system. This is called bhakti-yoga, and this is called first-class yoga. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). The yogi, the first-class yogi, yoginām api sarveṣām... "There are different kinds of yoga systems, but the person who has accepted this bhakti-yoga, he is thinking of Me always." Just like these boys and girls they are being taught always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare." So if you read Bhagavad-gītā and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately you learn the whole science, how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. This is called mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan, to practice yoga... This is bhakti-yoga. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "under My direction," or "under My protection." Āśraya.

Buddha philosophy advocates nirvāṇa, "By desire, you are becoming implicated, so make all your desires extinct. Then there will be no more feelings of pains and pleasure. Desirelessness." But that is not possible. This is artificial, to make desireless.
Lecture on BG 16.13-15 -- Hawaii, February 8, 1975:

"No desire" does not mean no desire for serving Kṛṣṇa. That is real desire. Other desires are artificial. That is material. But the desire to... That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When all our desires are for serving Kṛṣṇa... Desires you cannot give up. That is not possible. Desires will remain there, but at the present moment, in the conditional stage, the desires are being misused. That is the defect. Therefore the definition of bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnya means zero. That is called nirvāṇa. The Buddha philosophy advocates nirvāṇa, no more desire. That is their philosophy. "By desire, you are becoming implicated, so make all your desires extinct. Then there will be no more feelings of pains and pleasure. Desirelessness."

But that is not possible. Desire must be there. Because I am living there, living being, I must have desires. That is the symptom. A stone has no desire, but a living being, however small, insignificant ant, it has got desire. The insignificant ant gets information that in the other corner of the room, which is one hundred miles for the ant... Because the world is relative, relative world, so this length of the room, from this corner to the other corner, for an ant it is hundred miles, yes, because the world is relative according to the size, atomic size, the distance. Now we have got speedy aeroplane. The distance has reduced. Distance from Honolulu to India, if you go by land it will be ten thousand miles, but... It is ten thousand miles, but the speedy aeroplane has reduced. So relatively... Everything is relative. This is called relative world. Dar... What is...? Professor Einstein, he has proved the law of relativity. So the ant, he has to go, to pick up one grain of sugar, by going hundred miles in his capacity, but it will go. That is desire. You have got experience. You put little sugar here. You don't invite ants, but they'll come. They'll come. They'll get immediately information. Just like from Europe many people came in America-gold rush desire. So desire must be there. The ant has desire; Lord Brahmā has desire; I have got desire; you have got desire. This is artificial, to make desireless. That is not possible.

In the spiritual platform the only one desire is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is required, not to become desireless but to purify the desire.
Lecture on BG 16.13-15 -- Hawaii, February 8, 1975:

Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). I am desiring now with upādhi, designation. I am Indian; I am desiring in a way. You are American; you are desiring in another way. Similarly, cat is desiring another way. The dog is desiring another way. Everyone has got desires, different types of desire. Child is desiring some way or other. The boy is desiring another way. So the desire is on account of this body, different desire. So when we become transcendental to the bodily concept of life, then we come to the spiritual platform. In that platform the only one desire is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is required, not to become desireless but to purify the desire. That is bhakti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Our philosophy does not teach to become desireless. That is not possible. Desire must be there. Real desire is how to become a sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

This is pure devotion: no other desire. Other desire means material desire. Because we are spirit soul, our desires should be spiritual. Just like human being should desire like a human being, not like a dog. The... To desire like the dog, that is other desire, and to desire like a human being, that is real desire. Our philosophy does not teach to become desireless. That is not possible. Desire must be there. But it should not be other desire. "Other desire" means... Then what is the real desire? Real desire is how to become a sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real desire. Except this desire, anything—all "other desire." Or how to become servant of Kṛṣṇa, the means and the way, the process—that is also pure, devotional desire.

The karma, jñāna, if there is another, other desires also, that should be also nil, no desire. That is called desirelessness. But desirelessness can be possible when you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, bhakti means we should be desireless in the matter of jñāna, karma, or any other thing.
Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

So therefore bhakti is beyond karma and jñāna. Anyābhilāṣitā. The karma, jñāna, if there is another, other desires also, that should be also nil, no desire. That is called desirelessness. But desirelessness can be possible when you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, that is not possible. Therefore, bhakti means we should be desireless in the matter of jñāna, karma, or any other thing. Attach... Without any attachment. But we must have attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then it will stay. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That attachment, anuśīlanam, cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ānukūlyena... Ānukūlyena means favorably: "How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied?" That is favorable Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply always thinking of Kṛṣṇa... Just like the gopīs. Their Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect because they had no other desire except trying to please Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. There is no better process of worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead than the method adopted by the gopīs.

Just like these Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "Become desireless, no more desire." That is not possible. I am a living entity. How can I be desireless? It is not possible.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So actual civilization means to deny material conveniences. That is actual civilization. That is perfection of civilization. Otherwise the cats and dogs, they are also after food, after sleeping, after sexual intercourse, after defense. Then what is the difference? The difference is the animals after it and the human beings should be not after it. Negation. That is perfection of life. So how we can negate? The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to negate. Or the Buddhist philosopher. "Make it zero. Make it zero." Śūnyavādi. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi and śūnyavādi, almost the same. So they are after negation. But that is not possible. Artificially, if you negate, "I shall not eat," you cannot continue it for very many days. That is not possible. That is not possible. Similarly, eating, sleeping, mating—everything—artificially you cannot do. But you can do it as perfectly, as much possible, simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said here that kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. If we stop hear Kṛṣṇa talking, then that is negation. If we stop artificially these mundane talks, that will be artificial. You cannot sit down. If I say that the so-called meditation... So meditation is artificially stopping mundane activities. That is meditation. But how long you will do that? He is becoming suffocated, "When I shall talk? When I shall talk? I am meditating, meditating, meditating." But how will it stop? That is not possible. Just like these Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "Become desireless, no more desire." That is not possible. I am a living entity. How can I be desireless? It is not possible.

The other day, some Zen Buddhist came. He said that "to become desireless." These nonsense people, they do not know it is impossible to become desireless.
Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

Therefore what is that paramahaṁsa stage? That is nairguṇya-sthā ramante sma guṇānukathane hareḥ. His only business is to glorify Kṛṣṇa. He does not do that... Not that "I have become paramahaṁsa. Let me eat and sleep." No. The symptom is that he cannot waste a moment without glorifying Kṛṣṇa. That is paramahaṁsa. At that time, you can know, that when you cannot remain even for a single moment without describing Kṛṣṇa, then you can know that you are on the paramahaṁsa stage. No attachment anything material; simply attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then you can give up the regulative principles. Not before that. Don't imitate. Unless you come to that stage, positive stage... It is not that simply negative. Negative means you must stand on a positive platform. Therefore those who are Śūnyavādī, simply negative... The other day, some Zen Buddhist came. He said that "to become desireless." These nonsense people, they do not know it is impossible to become desireless. They are thinking... Therefore they are disturbed always. It is not possible to become desireless.

Desireless means not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one's actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord.
Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Akāmaḥ is one who has no material desire. A living being, naturally being the part and parcel of the supreme whole puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, has as his natural function to serve the Supreme Being, just as the parts and parcels of the body, or the limbs of the body, are naturally meant to serve the complete body. Desireless means, therefore, not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one's actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained this desirelessness as bhajanīya parama-puruṣa-sukha-mātra-sva-sukhatvam in his Sandarbha. This means that one should feel happy only by experiencing the happiness of the Supreme Lord. This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons.

Somebody said that "You become desireless." Desire is the mental activities. So we cannot be desireless. We have to purify the desire.
Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

Here also, Devahūti says that bhūmann asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt. Asad-indriya-tarṣ... Actually, these senses are not real senses. It is covered. Just like my, this body, covered with this shirt, or this cloth. It is not my real body. Although you see the shirt has got a hand, that hand is not real hand. The real hand is within the shirt. Similarly, our real body is within this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehe. Dehinaḥ. Dehinaḥ means the real body, or the spiritual body of the soul, is within this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe. And the body is changing. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. It is sometimes child, sometimes youth, sometimes a young man, sometimes old man. And then vanishes. It is... There are six changes. So this is not real body. But... And we are engaged in this unreal body, sense gratification. We have got senses. So therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Atīndriya-grāhyam. Beyond the senses. Therefore these senses are to be purified. That is called tapasya. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). And... Yes. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When we purify our senses... Senses you cannot destroy. That is not possible. Just like some, somebody said that "You become desireless." Desireless... Desire is the mental activities. So we cannot be desireless. That is not possible. We have to purify the desire. That is required. That is recommended.

People say that "You become desireless. Give up your all desires." That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Everyone wants some prestigious position, lābha pūjā pratiṣṭhā, some material profit, lābha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). We don't want. This is animittā bhakti. Nimittā, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a śuddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvāṇa, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha's philosophy, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced; therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desires. Because desireless it cannot be. Desires... People say that "You become desireless. Give up your all desires." That give up all desires means you give up your material desires, because you cannot be desireless. Then you are dead body. But we are eternal living entity. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are getting different types of body on account of different desires. So I become desireless of this habit; then I desire another habit. So that is going on.

Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don't desire anything except the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness, animittā.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So desireless is not possible. Desirelessness means you have to purify your desire. Don't desire anything except the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness, animittā. Animittā bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī. If you come to that position... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu, teaching us, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye, mama janmani janmanīśvare... (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He says, janmani janmani, "birth after birth." That means He does not require even salvation, because salvation means apunar bhava-janma, no more janma, no more birth. No more birth—there are two kinds of more more birth. For the Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, they want to stop birth, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, brahma-nirvāṇa. Brahma-nirvāṇa... The Buddha philosophy teaches nirvāṇa, devoid of all material desires, that much. He does not give any more. Śaṅkarācārya gives further, more, that brahma-nirvāṇa, that "You become desireless of this material world, but you enter, merge into Brahman." That is called brahma-nirvāṇa. And the Vaiṣṇava philosopher says that "You make null and void all your material desires, enter into Brahman and be engaged in the service of the Lord." This is called bhakti. So brahma-nirvāṇa is also siddhi, but more than that siddhi is to be engaged in the service, Brahman service.

Instead of desiring yourself to eat very nice palatable dishes, if you offer Kṛṣṇa nice palatable dishes, then you become desireless.
Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

So if you change your colorful life of this material existence and if you take to the colorful life... If you simply make zero, then it will not be fruitful, because we cannot become zero. It is not possible. People say that you become desireless. That is impossible. How we can become desireless? That is the life, to desire. The desire has to be purified. That is wanted. That purified means in spite..., instead of desiring a very nice dress for yourself, when you desire the nice dress for Kṛṣṇa, this is purified. This is purified. Instead of desiring yourself to eat very nice palatable dishes, if you offer Kṛṣṇa nice palatable dishes, then you become desireless. This is desireless.

They say that "You become desireless." No, that is not possible. How can I...? If I become desireless, I become dead. So long I am living entity, I must desire.
Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

Here it is said that kāma-sambhavaḥ. Kāma, kāma means desire. So mind is restless, always desiring something, desiring something. So the best policy to control the mind is to desire how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the best. Kāmaḥ kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said that you cannot be free from desire. That is not possible. This is useless attempt. They say that "You become desireless." No, that is not possible. How can I...? If I become desireless, I become dead. So long I am living entity, I must desire. I cannot check it. Therefore kāma means desire. So at the present moment, we are desiring how to become happy in this material world, how to acquire so much money, how to acquire this, how to acquire this, how to get this, how to get that. This is kāma. So this brain taxation, if you engage in Kṛṣṇa's service—how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to convince people about Kṛṣṇa, how to take them to the Kṛṣṇa's desire, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66)—and in this way, if you go on making plan for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your mind is controlled.

We cannot be desireless. That is not possible. People say that you become desireless. I am living being. How I can be desireless? Desireless means your desires are suppressed by forced, "I shall not desire." That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 5.6.5 -- Vrndavana, November 27, 1976:

Kāma, kṛṣṇa-kāma-karmārpaṇe. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has advised that kāma and the desire will be transformed how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇārthe akhila-ceṣṭa, the same thing. Kāma means fruitive activities for sense gratification, but this kāma can be utilized in Kṛṣṇa's service. Just like we have constructed this temple with the enthusiasm, there must be a very nice temple for Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. The same desire, as somebody is willing that "I must have a very big skyscraper building," so the same desire. People may ask, "What is the difference between these two desires? Somebody is desiring to possess a very big house and another body is desiring to possess a very nice temple, expensive temple. So what is the difference?" Difference is one is kāma and the other is prema. That is difference. As soon as we desire, that is natural. We cannot be desireless. That is not possible. People say that you become desireless. That is not possible. I am living being. How I can be desireless? No. That is very difficult task. If we want to become desireless, that is not possible. Kleśo adhikāras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Desireless means your desires are suppressed by forced, "I shall not desire." That is not possible. You have got eyes, and if you want to suppress your eyesight, "I shall not see anything," is that possible? That is not possible. Yes, I have got my eyes, but I want to see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. That is wanted. That is wanted. Not that "No, I shall not see." Even meditation, so-called meditation, that is also seeing. Real meditation, seeing within. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasaḥ paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. Paśyanti, this word is used. Paśyanti means sees, but within, not without. Meditation means seeing within. Not that without seeing. Concentrating the mind to see the form of Lord Viṣṇu, that is real meditation. And without seeing Lord Viṣṇu, that is (indistinct). If you want to fix up my mind into nothing, they say nothingness, that is not possible.

You cannot be desireless. Desireless means kāma. You cannot be. But desire has to be purified. That is wanted.
Lecture on SB 5.6.5 -- Vrndavana, November 27, 1976:

So you cannot be desireless. Desireless means kāma. You cannot be. But desire has to be purified. That is wanted. Kāma, kāma kṛṣṇa-karmātmane. Kāma should be utilized. The same desire should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. Then it is bhakti. Then it is prema. We sometimes mistake the activities of gopīs, it appears just like lusty affairs, but actually that is not. Gopīs used to dress themselves very nicely, attractively, so that Kṛṣṇa may be very pleased. That was gopīs' desire. Just like in the material world the woman dresses very nicely so that a man may be attracted upon her, and then both of them will fulfill their sex desire or sense gratification. That is material world. But in the spiritual world it appears that gopīs are dressed very nicely not for the purpose of her own satisfaction. They want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that "If I dress nicely, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased." So that is prema. And as soon as... In the material nobody wants to please anyone. He wants to please himself, his senses. That is kāma. We should understand what is kāma and what is prema.

Desire must be there. But desire for sense gratification has to be given up. That is called desireless. Otherwise it is not possible to become desireless.
Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Śrīdhara Swami says, tad daiva suśīlāḥ kṛpalavaḥ sādhavaḥ niṣkāma. Suśīlāḥ means those who have received the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, suśīlāḥ, kṛpalavaḥ, or those who can bestow benediction to others, suśīlāḥ. Sādhava. Who are sādhava, sādhu? Niṣkāma, those who have no desire for material enjoyment. That is, he is called sādhu. And that niṣkāma means those who are devotee. Without being devotee, nobody can be niṣkāma, without any desires. Without any desires. Desire there must be. We cannot subdue our desires because we are living entities. Desire must be there. But desire for sense gratification has to be given up. That is called desireless. Otherwise it is not possible to become desireless. Desire must be there.

There is no question of desirelessness. Why? We cannot be desireless That is not possible. Purify the desire.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

As soon as your senses are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, your senses are controlled. The automatic yogic process you attain. If you simply try to control the senses, it is very difficult. But if you give the senses engagement, then it is automatic. Because senses must work something. Just like a child. A child at home without engagement, he will simply spoil things, so many. But if you send him to school, give him some engagement, he will be peaceful. Similarly, our senses, we cannot stop the activities of the senses. That is not possible. Just like some foolish people say that "Become desireless." How you can be desireless? I am a living man, living being. I must desire. I cannot be desireless. But if the desire is transformed to Kṛṣṇa... Suppose instead of desiring that "I shall have a very big skyscraper building," if I desire that "I shall have a very big, big temple for Kṛṣṇa." The same desire. But as soon as you desire to have a big skyscraper building, that is material. And as soon as you desire to construct a big temple for Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual. Just like as you get a nice rose flower: as soon as you desire that you shall enjoy it, this is material. And as soon as you desire, "Oh, this is nice flower. I shall go and offer it to Kṛṣṇa," that is spiritual. Simply change the desire. There is no question of desirelessness. Why? We cannot be desireless... That is not possible. Change the... Purify the desire. Purify the desire.

We cannot be desireless. We cannot be inactive. That is also not possible. We must be active—but active for working for Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Therefore bhakti means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalaṁ (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam. We have to cleanse the desire. We have to cleanse our seeing. Now our eyes want to see some beautiful thing. Now, if we become accustomed to see Kṛṣṇa beautifully decorated, nicely decorated, nicely dressed, then we forget other, so-called material beauty. So the activities of the eyes, to see beautiful thing, is not changed, but it is purified. That is bhakti. Nothing has to be changed or nothing has to be stopped, but the process has to be changed. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta vairāgyam ucyate. We cannot be desireless. We cannot be inactive. That is also not possible. We must be active—but active for working for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is devotional life. That is being taught in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that it is not simply negation. Simply negation will not help you. There must be some positive occupation. So we say, "Do not do this, but do this." We say, "Do not eat meat," but we say, "Eat Kṛṣṇa's nice prasādam, halavā." So he forgets meat-eating. This is our process. We give immediately alternative. You dance. You don't dance in the naked club; dance in the Kṛṣṇa's temple. The dancing is there, but is purified.

Desirelessness means no material desires. Desirelessness means no bhukti, no yogic siddhi, neither oneness, monism, to merge into the Supreme. So to become ready to serve Kṛṣṇa is desirelessness.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

Kevalayā. Kevalayā means unalloyed, pure. Kevalayā bhakti means śuddha-bhakti, unalloyed bhakti. Otherwise bhakti is sometimes mixed with jñāna and sometimes mixed with yoga, mixed with karma. (break) ...because karmīs, jñānīs, and yogis, they have got some desire to be fulfilled. The karmīs, they want to be elevated to the heavenly planet, the jñānīs, they want to become one with the Supreme Lord, and the yogis, they want some power to exhibit so that they may be honored as God. (break) The yoga, mystic power, aṇimā, laghimā, siddhi, like that. But bhakti means one must be freed from all these desires. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gives the definition of bhakti, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Brs. 1.1.11) "without any other desire." "Other" means bhukti, mukti, siddhi: to enjoy this material world or to become one with the God or to get some mystic power. So the bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, no karmī's desire, no jñānī's desire, no yogi's desire. So anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). So one should be cleansed from the desires of jñāna, karma, yoga. He should be desireless. So these are all material desires. So when one gives up these material desires, then he is desireless. But one cannot be desireless. That is not possible. Then he is dead and gone. So desirelessness means no material desires. So we cannot be desireless, but desirelessness means no bhukti, no yogic siddhi, neither oneness, monism, to merge into the Supreme. These are all material desires. So bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama (CC Madhya 19.167). That is first-class bhakti, when we are ready to serve Kṛṣṇa as He orders. So to become ready to serve Kṛṣṇa is desirelessness. Otherwise a living entity, a living being, cannot be desireless.

When we give up this designation, that is desirelessness. When we simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is desirelessness. Otherwise not that desirelessness means I become zero.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

Desire means we should give up the desire of this bodily designation: "I am Indian; you are American," "I am Hindu; you are Christian." These are all designation of the body. I... Accidentally I am born in India; therefore I call myself Indian. You are accidentally... Not accidentally. Some way or other born in... You are American. Accidentally somebody takes birth in the Hindu family; he becomes Hindu. Accidentally he takes birth in the Christian family; he becomes Christian. These are all designation. So when we give up this designation, that is desirelessness. Designation. Everyone is acting. They are fighting. They are making so many plans. Why? "We are Indian" or "We are American," "We are Russian, and the Russian must exceed the Americans," "Americans must exceed..." This is going on on the platform of designation. When we change the platform and we simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is desirelessness. Otherwise not that desirelessness means I become zero. That is not possible. Because I am a living being, I am living soul. How can I be desire... (break) ...want to be designationless, then come to the association of such persons who are suśīlāḥ sādhava yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ, persons who are simply interested in serving Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa parāyaṇa means... Parāyaṇa means they're always ready to abide by the orders of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa... "Those who have taken the path of Nārāyaṇa, devotional service, as their life and soul." They are called nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ.

I may select what kind of desires I will have. That is intelligence. But desirelessness is not possible.
Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). You have to make zero all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam means zero. So zero, that is Buddhist philosophy to make zero, śūnyavādī, to make everything void. No. That cannot be. I cannot make my desires zero. That is not possible because I am living being. I may select what kind of desires I will have. That is intelligence. But desirelessness is not possible. Therefore the next item is that anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). You make your material desires zero, void. "Then? What shall I do next? Shall I become void and finish?" No. Then your real life begins. What is that? Anābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. We have desires, many types of desires, jñāna and karma. Karma platform is foolishness. Just like everywhere they are very busy, karmī, but they do not know what is the aim of life. That is called karma, acting something and suffering again. This is called karma. And jñāna means one who understands that, by analysis, that "These wrappers, material wrappers, these fifteen, five, five, five—five sense organs, five object of sense enjoyment—in this way twenty-four wrappers, so how I am to get out of these wrappings?" That is intelligence. That is jñānī. But a jñānī does not know that "I get out from this entanglement. Then where I stay?" That they do not know. So that information is given by Kṛṣṇa, that "Give up this, and take up Me," negative and positive, both. Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up this nonsense desires." Then? What to do? Now, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Come to Me, under Me." This is required.

How to become desireless? Not desireless but no material desires. There is desire to go back to home, back to Godhead.
Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

So here, na adharmajaṁ tad-dhṛdayam. Adharmajam. So long our heart is compact with material desires, we have to take birth after birth to fulfill that desire. It is automatic. So how to become desireless? Not desireless but no material desires. There is desire to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is natural. To become a devotee, to desire like that, that is wanted. We cannot stop our desires. But desires have to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So this is the process of bhakti. Therefore even one is infected with these lusty desires, kāma-lobhadayas ca ye, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... Rajo-guṇa, and tamo-guṇa means lusty desires and greediness. Kāma-lobha. So, so long we are influenced by the two material modes of nature, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, then we will be pushed for fulfilling our lusty desires and greediness. And that will help us to become implicated in sinful activities. The people are becoming implicated in sinful activities only for this kāma-lobha. He is never satisfied, and his greediness increases and we create sinful life.

"I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:

Everyone is after money and women. This is material aspiration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitaṁ vā jagad-īśa. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't mind where I get my birth. I am not aspiring to get my birth in a very aristocratic way, no." Anywhere. Mama janmani. "I may become a demigod in the heavenly planet or I may a cat, dog, or any insignificant. But I want this, that My devotion to Your lotus feet may not be forgotten." This is desirelessness. Anything beyond the..., we desire, that is material.

So bhakti begins when you are desireless Gato... The Yamunacārya's śloka. Niśeṣa-mano-rathāntaram. Kadāham aikantika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha jivitaṁ bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. This is devotee, devotion. He's praying, Yamunacārya's praying to the Lord, bhavantam: "You only..." Caran nirantaram. "Simply thinking of You, acting for You," caran, ācāran, "practicing such activities which will give me the opportunity of thinking Kṛṣṇa..." That is wanted. Because Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto (BG 18.65), Kṛṣṇa says, "This is the process," so we have to mold our life in such a way that we get the opportunity of thinking of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If you simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is really desirelessness. Desirelessness means not to become without desire. You desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, then these material desires will automatically finish.
Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So for fulfilling our desires... In the morning we were talking on the street about desire. So desire cannot be stopped. Desireless, it is not possible, because we are living entity; we must have desires. But this kind of desires we are proposing: "My Lord, give me a facility for fulfilling these desires." So that means you get a particular type, and these desires are generated on account of our different association—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if we associate with sattva-guṇa, then we get a body like the demigods.

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
(BG 14.18)

In this way it is going on, vāsanā. Therefore we have to become vāsanā—less—without any vāsanā, means without any material desires. Vāsanā cannot... It is therefore not actually to make it null and void, but to make it purified. That is the aim of human life: to purify our desires. That purification is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). If you simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is really desirelessness. Desirelessness means not to become without desire. You desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, then these material desires will automatically finish. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). So you fix up your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then non-Kṛṣṇa desires will be finished.

Desireless means when we don't desire anything material. Simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness. When you are bhakta, then you are desireless.
Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So desireless means when we don't desire anything material. Simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Then it is nirmala, purified. And the, what is the function of the purified senses? Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. When your..., there is no more material desires, none of your senses are engaged in anything except Kṛṣṇa's service, this is purification. And in that purified state, when your senses are purified by this way, then you can render service to Kṛṣṇa. That service is accepted. Then patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aṣnāmi (BG 9.26). In that stage of transcendental position, that is bhakti. Everything you offer to Kṛṣṇa, He'll eat, with a great relish, "Oh, it is very nice." Just like Vidura(?) was offering the skin of the banana, and Kṛṣṇa was eating. He was so much absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, Kṛṣṇa came to his house, and in great ecstasy he was opening the banana, and the skin was being offered to Kṛṣṇa and the pulp was thrown away. But Kṛṣṇa was eating that skin. Because yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa can eat anything, He is all-powerful. Even if you give the skin or the pulp, it doesn't matter. But it must be yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti. So this is, when you are bhakta, then you are desireless. Otherwise desire cannot be finished. That is not possible. The Māyāvādī philosophers say you become desireless. It is not possible. Desire can be purified in connection with service of Kṛṣṇa.

So the whole idea is that our desires, ko nv artha-tṛṣṇām... Artha-tṛṣṇām meens desiring for getting money, visṛjet. That is not possible. So long you are in this material world, one cannot give up these desires. Therefore I was saying these Europeans, American boys, they prefer to become hippies. That is another process of desirelessness—don't want. They are coming from rich man's house, but they don't want. That is a desireless, but it is not properly utilized. Now they have got this opportunity: how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are advancing so quickly. So desirelessness is not possible. Desire there will be. When we change our consciousness, desire is transferred for Kṛṣṇa's service, that is perfect life.

"You have to be desireless" means you have to purify your this false understanding that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am this." This has to be purified. One has to understand that "I am gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa. I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

One who does not know what is the position of a living being, they say that "Give up desires. Desireless." That is not possible. Desirelessness is not possible. Because I am a living being, I must desire. Therefore desires may be purified. That is wanted. You cannot make the desires zero. That is not possible. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Now our desires are there according to my designated position. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Because I am designated, I have taken this designation, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." Therefore we cannot take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, this is... Kṛṣṇa is Hindu God. Kṛṣṇa is Indian. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa?" No. "You have to be desireless" means you have to purify your this false understanding that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am this." This has to be purified. One has to understand that "I am gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa. I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)." That is purification. Then desire. Then you'll not desire anything except Kṛṣṇa's service. That is perfection. When you come to that platform, that you desire nothing but to serve Kṛṣṇa, always, twenty-four hours, then you are liberated. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Then you become nirmalam, without any material tinge. In that position only, hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Then... My senses will be there; not that I become senseless nonsense. No. My senses are there. They will act. They'll act for simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. So that can be possible when you are trained up by the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it is not possible.

Somebody has got all desire to fulfill within this material world. They never become desireless—increasing, increasing, increasing, one after another. So we have to purify ourself. So to purify ourself means don't desire anything material.
Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

We are mixed up. Somebody has got all desire to fulfill within this material world, sarva-kāma. They never become desireless—increasing, increasing, increasing, one after another. And that is... They are called sarva-kāmaḥ. And akāma means no more desire. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So we have to purify ourself. So to purify ourself means don't desire anything material. "Then I shall become void of desire?" No, not void of desire. Real desire must be there. Therefore we are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. Āra... "No more. That's all." Āra nā koriyā mane āśa. We are singing daily. You must understand what is the meaning. Because we are bewildered, we are misdirected, So, so guru's word, that should be taken seriously. Āra nā koriyā... "No more, anything." That is... Therefore how much difficult it is to find out such guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First of all you have to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to follow guru.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Māyāvādī philosophers, they say to become desireless. You cannot be desireless because you are living entity. But you have to rectify, you have to purify your desires. When this desire is purified, then you'll desire that how everything should be engaged in the service of God.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 27, 1972:

He's brahma-bhūtaḥ. He's self-realized. Self-realized. That is mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svārupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti does not mean stopping activities. That is not mukti. That is suicidal. You are living entity. How you can stop? That is not possible. They say that, Māyāvādī philosophers, they say to become desireless. That..., you cannot be desireless because you are living entity. How you can stop your desires? But you have to rectify, you have to purify your desires. Now we are desiring simply for sense gratification, to lord it over the material nature. That is your desires. And, and when this desire is purified, then you'll desire that how everything should be engaged in the service of God. Now I am trying to become God, lord it over the material nature, but when my desires are purified, then I shall understand that everything belongs to God; therefore everything should be dovetailed in the service of God. That is liberation. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa... This is svarūpa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

We cannot be desireless, but we should desire only bona fide. Desirelessness means not to desire unnatural thing. But to desire Kṛṣṇa's remembrance, that is natural.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966:

So here also we should not be aspiring after improving our material condition or liberation or anything. These are all desire, desires. They say that "desireless," but desire cannot be completely absent because I am living entity. So my desire should be not to forget Kṛṣṇa. That's all, that one desire. That is real desire. And all other desires, they are foolish. So we cannot be desireless, but we should desire only bona fide. Just like I am part and parcel of the Supreme. So if I desire to work in cooperation with the Supreme, that is my natural position. That is desirelessness. If you... Suppose in this material condition, if you desire to eat, oh, that is natural. So long you have got this body, you have to eat. If somebody says, "Oh, you are desiring eating...?" Nobody says like that. Similarly, what is natural desire, that is permitted. And what is not natural, that is called "become desireless." Don't desire like this, unnatural. So desirelessness means not to desire unnatural thing. But to desire Kṛṣṇa's remembrance, that is natural. Because I am part and parcel, how can I forget? This forgetfulness is the cause of my so many desires. And as soon as I desire Kṛṣṇa, there will be no other desire. That is desirelessness.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

How I can become desireless? These are all bluffs. We cannot be desireless. But our desires, our activities, have to be purified. That is real knowledge.
Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1970:

So these are all nonsense, that "You become still, you become silent, and you become God." Oh, how I can become silent? Is there any possibility of becoming silent? No. There is no such possibility. "You become desireless." So how I can become desireless? These are all bluffs. We cannot be desireless. We cannot be silent. But our desires, our activities, have to be purified. That is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. We shall desire only to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is purification of desire. Not that desireless. That is not possible. How I can be desireless? How I can be silent? That is also not possible. For a second, I cannot be silent. So then our activities should be engaged, dovetailed, in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is real knowledge, that "I, as living entity, I have all these things, activities, desires, loving propensity. Everything is there. But that is being misguided." We do not know where to place all these things. That is avidyā.

Festival Lectures

"Just become desireless." They advocate. So how can I be desireless? Desire must be there. But I shall desire for Kṛṣṇa.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

Material life means sense satisfaction for his self: "I like this. I like this. I want to do something. I want to sing something or chant something, eat something, or touch something, or taste something. This is something..." That means using the senses. That is the material life. "I want to touch such soft skin. I want to taste such, what is called, nice food. I want to smell like this. I want to walk like this." The same thing—walking, tasting, touching, or anything—should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Instead of touching something else, if we touch the sanctified lotus feet of a devotee, that touch will be utilized. Instead of eating nonsense, if we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, it will be all right. Instead of smelling something else, if we smell the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa... So nothing is stopped. If you want to use your sex life, yes, you can use for producing Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Nothing is stopped. Simply it is purified. That's all. This is the whole program. There is no question of "Stop this." Stop cannot be. How it can be stopped? Suppose I am a human being. If somebody says, "Oh, you cannot eat," is it possible? I must eat. So there is no question of stopping. The question is purifying it. So... And the other philosophy is to, I mean to say, snub down forcibly, make it void, just like they say, "Just become desireless." They advocate. So how can I be desireless? Desire must be there. But I shall desire for Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Make zero all material desires. Simply desire, "How shall I push on? How shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? How shall I decorate this?" Therefore we have given so many engagements, to divert the desire. Those foolish persons are: "Become desireless." That is not possible. Desireless means I am dead.
Public Lecture -- Konigstein, Germany, June 19, 1974:

Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, how does one develop his desire, then, to get out of this body?

Prabhupāda: No desire. No material desire. Simply think of how to push on this movement. That desire and no other desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). No material desire. Śūnyam. Make zero all material desires. Simply desire, "How shall I push on? How shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? How shall I decorate this?" Therefore we have given so many engagements, to divert the desire. Desire cannot be stopped. That is not possible. Those foolish persons are: "Become desireless." That is not possible. Desireless means I am dead. No. Purify desire. Purify desire. You have got the desire for driving motorcar. Just drive motorcar for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (laughter) You see? This is the... Change the quality of the desire. Desire cannot be stopped. That is not possible. I want to eat very nice foodstuff. All right, eat remnants of foodstuff. We offer Kṛṣṇa the best food. That is the regulative principle. Kṛṣṇa also should be offered the best foodstuff, and you take the remnants. Kṛṣṇa is not so hungry that He is... He is taking, but He is leaving also. That is Kṛṣṇa's eating. Kṛṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who is offering Me these foodstuff made of patraṁ puṣpam, vegetable and food grains and milk and this..." He never says, "Give Me meat or eggs." No. He never says. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. These foodstuffs we can prepare nicely in so many ways, and Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody offers Me with faith and love, I eat it."

Philosophy Discussions

The living entity cannot be desireless. Desireless, nirvāṇa means material desires finished. But because living entity is eternal spiritual being, he has got spiritual desire.
Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Hayagrīva: Material life is a projection of the will.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he has read it. It is taken from Indian... It is called vāsanā. Vāsanā means desire. So that desire, material desire, but the living entity cannot be desireless. Desireless..., nirvāṇa means material desires finished. But because living entity is eternal spiritual being, he is, he has got spiritual desire. Now it is covered. The desire is there, desire is constant companion, but because it is materially covered, we are thinking this temporary world as reality, and it is not reality; therefore it is changing. We are having different types of desires according to the body we get, and the soul is transmigrating in this material world from one body to another, and he is creating a certain type of desires, will. And to fulfill that will he is getting a different type of body by the Supreme Will. He is willing, and the Supreme Will, God, Kṛṣṇa, understanding his will, giving him facility to accept a certain pattern of circumstances, body, to fulfill his particular desire. That is going on. Therefore this vāsanā, or will, is the cause of his material existence, constantly changing, and on account of changing will he is changing body. This is the complication of material existence. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to teach the living entity that as living being you must have desires. If your desires are stopped, then you become like stone. So you have to cleanse this desire, diseased form of desire. That is bhakti.

Page Title:Desireless (Lectures)
Compiler:Labangalatika, Jayaram, Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas
Created:12 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=41, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:41