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Discouragement (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

So Dhṛtarāṣṭra inquired from Sañjaya, kim akurvata: "After my sons and my brother's sons assembled together for fighting, what did they do?" This was the inquiry. So to encourage him... Because Sañjaya could understand the feelings of his master that he wanted the fight, no compromise, kṣatriya spirit, "Let my sons and my brother's sons fight..." That is kṣatriya spirit. "My sons are one hundred in number and they are only five, so certainly my sons will come out victorious, and then the kingdom will be assured." That was his plan. So Sañjaya, his secretary, could understand the feeling. Of course, at last he would inform differently. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. At last he described, "My dear sir, you do not expect victory. It is not possible. Because the other side is Kṛṣṇa, yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ, and the fighter Arjuna, so it is beyond your expectation of victory." But in the beginning he says, "Don't be discouraged. There was no compromise. Immediately your son Duryodhana..." And he is addressing himself (his son) as "rāja." because Dhṛtarāṣṭra would be encouraged when at least he thinks of his son becoming the king. Therefore he said "rāja."

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

"Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He is encouraging in the matter of fighting?" People, at the present moment, when there is a question of war, people want to stop that war. At the present moment, the movement is going on between all nations that they do not want war. But here we see that Kṛṣṇa is not discouraging war. We have to mark this point. He is not discouraging war, but He is, rather, advocating, inducing Arjuna that "No, no, no, this is not befitting your position. You must fight, must fight."

So here is a point, that sometimes we may do something which is approved by the general public, but it may not be approved by the supreme authority. Superficially it may appear very appealing to the sentiment of the public, but factually such thing may not be correct, may not be correct.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

When there is question of fighting for right cause, you must fight. There is no question of becoming nonviolent. You see? Now, now, he is saying that "Don't be aggrieved. Even your grandfather, Bhīṣmadeva, even your Droṇācārya..., it will be good for them because they are now old enough, and as soon as they are dead, they get a new body. So you should not be discouraged." Then one is that "Do you mean to say that therefore a man should be killed?" No. We cannot kill without reason. No. That will be a great sin. But this is a fight. This is a fight for a cause. They are not killers. It is said that a kṣatriya who lays down his life in the battlefield, he at once rises up to the higher planets. You see? Because for right cause, if one lays down his life... Just like so many people, they lay, lay down their life for the cause of the country.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

The central point is God. Instead of making central point to any limited things, if you make the central point God and if you work on His behalf and if you think that it should be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord, then your spiritual life is fixed up. Then your spiritual life is fixed up. Because your... You are not discouraged to produce, but the production or the entire result of your work, the fruitive result, should go to somebody. And who is that somebody? If you are... If you are not going to enjoy, then who is going to enjoy? That means this should be enjoyed by everyone through the central point of God. Just like the state realizes taxes from you. That taxes is distributed. Taxes... Tax is distributed throughout the state. So as you deposit tax to the state and it is distributed throughout the whole state, similarly, if your fruitive result is offered to the Supreme Lord, then your fruitive result is distributed to everyone. The central point. That is the spiritual state.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

Devotee: "One should be sure of success at the end and pursue his course with great perseverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success."

Prabhupāda: Determination means that one has to continue with patience and perseverance. I'm not getting the desired result. "Oh what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I give up." No. Determination. It is a fact. Because Kṛṣṇa is saying this it must happen. There is nice example. That a girl is married to a husband. She's hankering after a child. So if she thinks that "Now I am married, I must have immediately a child." Is it possible? Just have patience. You just become faithful wife, serve your husband, and let your love grown up and because you are husband and wife, it is sure you'll have children. But don't be impatient.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

It is such a nice thing. It is such a nice thing that easily you become detestful to all these things. We do not discourage, I mean to say, sex life, but we discourage illicit connection with man and woman. Sex life cannot be discouraged. Because you have got this body, material body, sex desire is a demand. We have to satisfy; otherwise we shall go ill. As we have to eat something, as we have to sleep for some time, so sex life is also required. So we cannot discourage it, neither all the Vedic literatures discourage. But Vedic literatures cannot allow you... If you actually serious about advancement of spiritual life, then you cannot encourage illicit connection, no. I request all my young students that "You get yourself married." And recently I have performed myself one marriage ceremony. Two of my students, they have been married actually. So we don't discourage what is necessity, but we cannot allow illicit things. So these are called vairāgya.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

Now, because if this yoga system... Now, take for this yoga system, which is prescribed. Now, if somebody thinks, "Oh, it was attempted... It was prescribed to Arjuna, and he rejected it because it is very difficult. Oh. Never... Never try for any spiritual. Let us do." No. Arjuna is putting, therefore, this question so that in future people may not be discouraged, may not be discouraged. Therefore he is asking. What is that? Etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa: "It is some of the doubts in my mind, Kṛṣṇa." Chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ: "You will kindly clear my doubts. What happens to this person who does not achieve the pure, highest perfection of success, but half finished or one-fourth finished...? Then what happens to them?" Tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya chettā na hy upapadyate: "I don't think that anyone can eradicate my doubts except You." Now, bhagavān uvāca. Now, Kṛṣṇa is replying Arjuna what happens to this half-finished, half-finished yogi.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:

There are chances of failure. Just like a great sage like Viśvāmitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. But Kṛṣṇa says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. As we have sometimes the proverb, that "Failure is the pillar of success," so especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. This failure is not discouraging.

So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, still, there is no loss on his part." Pārtha naiva iha. Iha means in this world. Na amutra. Amutra means next world. Vināśas tasya vidyate: "He will never vanquish." Vināśas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt: "Anyone who takes this auspicious line of spiritual culture," kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati, "he'll never fall down."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Therefore, we sometimes see that one who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, still, he is committing something wrong. But that is not very, that is not a case of discouragement. You stick to this principle. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. We should not willingly do anything wrong. But due to our past habit, if we do something wrong, that we should not be discouraged, But stick to the principle, then gradually you'll be cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Prāyeṣu means almost cleansed, not completely clean. So we don't claim that we have become liberated from all dirty things. There are so many dirty things still. But little clearance will help us to become a devotee of the Lord.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

For example, another example can be given: just like the drunkard. The drunkards are given concession. There are liquor shops. The government gives some license to a person, that "You can sell liquor to the drunkards." But this liquor is not available in every shop. There is a particular shop. One has to purchase liquor from that particular shop. That means government is discouraging, but one who is obstinate, to give him some facility, this particular shop is established. Similarly, when there is allowance for sex life or drinking or meat-eating or even gambling, that is not encouraging; that is minimizing the tendency under discipline.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Here in Vṛndāvana so many pilgrims, they come from all parts of India; now all parts of world, they're coming. But it is kept in such unclean state to discourage people not to come here. That is the idea, so that people, educated people, modernized people may not come here. They do not want. That is the policy, I am seeing. They are introducing in the Vṛndāvana area so many industrial things so that the spiritual atmosphere is to be killed. That is the policy is going on. Nobody... The chur..., I mean to say, the temples are neglected. No question of improvement. The whole idea is not to come here: "Please do not come." They cannot say directly, but this is the idea going on.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

Our process is that if we have to preach, so we have to go to United States. So if there is aeroplane, why shall I waste my time? Let us accept this thing. So we don't deprecate the material advancement. But we simply warn that "Don't forget Kṛṣṇa simply for the matter of material advancement." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't discourage you. We don't discourage you, but when you have invented something material, utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. Don't be attached to the motor car. But utilize it for going fast for preaching work, that's all. This is required. This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's advice. Don't die for want of motor car. But if you get the opportunity to go faster then walking, you should utilize it. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. This is required, that everything engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is called yukta-vairāgya.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974:

So fact is that even Kuntī or Devakī, so intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa, but they had to face so many dangers, so what to speak of others? What to speak of others, ourself? So when we are danger, we are in danger, we should not be discouraged. We should take courage that even Kuntī and Vasudeva and Devakī, they were also in danger, although they were very, very intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa. So we should not be disturbed by the dangers of this material world. If we are actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, we should face the danger and depend on Kṛṣṇa. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. This is called surrender, that "I may be in danger, but Kṛṣṇa... I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He must save me." Keep this faith. Don't be disturbed when you are in danger, because this world is such... Padaṁ padaṁ vipadām.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:

There is the simply expansion. Just like you have got a party of rogues. And a big party or small party, the business is plundering. That's all. Because you have got a very big party of thieves, it does not mean that you are immune from criminal activities. Therefore these things are not required. People have become accustomed, but we discourage them. We do not approve this so-called nationalism. Therefore we have named "Internationalism." "International," no distinction between this nation or that nation, this religion or that religion. Religion is one. There cannot be two religions. If God is one... And what is religion? Religion means the law given by God. That is religion. This is a simple definition. "What is religion?" If somebody says... They will say, "Religion means this; religion means that." No. The simple definition of religion is "the law of God."

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

Not only at the present moment. For all the time, past, present and future. But at the present moment, the members of the International Society, they have taken it very seriously to propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, and we are getting very good result. At least to our labor we are getting good result, all over the world. There is no question of discouragement. So go on. This is our... Yad uttama-śloka-cetasām. The heart must be always filled up with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called uttama-śloka-cetasām. So in this way, go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone will be happy.

Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:

And when you get a human form of life, you'll have the right to kill this man also." This is the mantra. Now, if you are a sane man, understand that "I am killing this goat at the risk of my life in next birth.

So why I am going to take such responsibility? Better stop it." So, it is for discouraging. If I say directly, "Don't eat meat," he'll protest, "Why shall I not? It is our food. I must eat." Therefore, instead of directly prohibiting, the śāstra says, "Yes, yes, you can eat. But by sacrificing it before Goddess Kālī." That means condition, restriction.

Similarly, marriage. Marriage—what is the meaning of marriage? Everyone can have sex without marriage. So what it means, marriage? Marriage means restriction. That's all. That you have sex, but a particular selected woman, man. That's... No more. That's all. That is marriage.

Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:

As you deal with material science, you become big mathematician, chemist, physician, or lawyer, or so many, naturalist. Similarly, spiritually, you become karmī, jñānī, yogī. Do that. That is not discouraged. But what for you are trying? Why you are trying to become a chemist or physist or a man of charitable disposition, educationist? Why? If I ask... If anybody asks, "Why you try to become a scientist? What is the aim of your life?" What will be the answer, possible answer? The materialist will say, "For developing civilization." Developing civilization means to, in their view, developing the process of sense gratification. That's all. But śāstra says, "No, not that. That is not the aim. You become a great scientist. There is no harm. But why you should become a scientist?"

Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:

When śāstra says that "You do it like this," that means that is restriction. Just like according to Vedic civilization, those who are meat-eaters, for them it is allowed that you can kill..., not kill, you can sacrifice one goat before Goddess Kali on the amāvasyā night under such-and-such restriction. That means indirectly it is discouraging, "Don't do it. But if you do it, you do in this way." But people even do not do that. The meat-eaters, without undergoing the process of meat-eating as it is described in the dharma-śāstra, they directly purchase from the slaughterhouse and, therefore, so many slaughterhouses are maintained in this world. So everything is becoming against the religious principle. Therefore, the world is unhappy. The munaya, the great sages, therefore, advising the king, dharma ācaritaḥ puṁsāṁ vāṅ-manaḥ-kāya-buddhibhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:

Therefore Arjuna denied, "No, no, no. Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me to practice this yoga system. It is impossible for me." So five thousand years ago he said, "Impossible," but we are daring to make it possible. That is not very good. Better, as Kṛṣṇa says... To encourage Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said that "Don't be discouraged because you cannot practice this yoga system. Here is the best process." What is that? Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: (BG 6.47) "If you simply think of Me, then you are the best yogi."

So everything will be perfectly executed—yoga, jñāna, karma, and many other processes—if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the real purpose. If you come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then everything is perfect. Even if you cannot execute yoga, jñāna, karma perfectly, still you are perfect.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Millions and millions of people. There is no advertisement but they will come. Government wanted to discourage them in so many ways. In Jagannātha Purī you will find daily, in Vṛndāvana and all sacred places. The Ārya-samājīs, the government, they tried to condemn this temple worship, this...

Haṁsadūta: Nehru.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nehru, yes. Nehru was such a rascal that he came... Ramakrishna Mission has a big hospital in Vṛndāvana. So on the opening day he came from Delhi by helicopter. He stayed there the whole day. He came in the morning, and the function took place in the evening. Or in daytime. He left the same day. But he did not visit a single temple. You see? Such an atheist he was.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

That is false. But this is someone's property—that is fact. That is God's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Not that the property is false. Just like this house, this building, this nice room, it is so nicely decorated; there is electric light. If somebody says: "It is false," how it is false? It is not false. Why I shall say false? Why I shall discourage the persons who are using this room as for their devotional service, they're making progress...? How we can say it is false? It is not false. The false is when I claim that "This is my house." That is false. That is false. That is my false puffed-up consciousness, that "I am the proprietor, I am the master, I am God." This is false. Just like first of all we want to become a proprietor, then master, then minister, then president, then God. When everything fails, then "I am God." Same tendency is there—that I want to become the greatest. But how you can be the greatest? God is greatest. You are always smallest. That is... That smallest is thinking greatest that is false. The smallness is not false.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Chicago, July 5, 1975:

That was encouraging to Arjuna because Arjuna thought, "Then I am useless. I cannot fix up." But his mind was already fixed up. Therefore Kṛṣṇa encouraged him, "Don't be discouraged. Anyone whose mind is already fixed up in Me always, he is the first-class, topmost yogi." Therefore we should be always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means your mind is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of yoga. So to become a brāhmaṇa, this is the first qualification, to keep the mind fixed up, not being agitated, śama. And when your mind is fixed up, then your senses will be controlled. If you fix up your mind that "I shall simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam, no more business," then the senses will be controlled automatically.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

Anyone who has got intelligence, they will see to it.

Therefore this movement should be encouraged. Especially I request my students that you push on this movement. Your country is very good. Let them become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything will be bhadrāṇi, all auspicious, bhadrāṇi. Otherwise your so-called big, big motorcars will create abhadrāṇi, viparītāni. We don't discourage you to construct big, big cars, but it should be used for the kīrtana party to go to village to village, not to go to the brothels and liquor shop. Then you are ruined. You can use it, all the facilities. The microphone should be used for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not talking nonsense. This should be this... Everything is good, provided it is used for good purpose. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta vairāgyam ucyate. We are not such foolish person that "This is material, this microphone. We shall not touch it." No, we are not so fool. We are intelligent enough how to use it. That's all.

Lecture on SB 7.9.39 -- Mayapur, March 17, 1976:

"Mind is very restless, and it is very difficult to control." Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram: "I think to control the mind is still more difficult than to control the wind." Nobody can control the wind. So Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna said, "Even though I am able to control the wind, I cannot control my mind. It is so strong." So Kṛṣṇa recommended... Kṛṣṇa not discouraged Arjuna. Arjuna is a family man, and he went to the war field to gain his victory. So everyone is engaged in some such engagement, occupational duty, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, in this world. And so mind is very difficult to control.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

That is not our business. Kṛṣṇa has created this nice world. Everything is very nice. The sun is rising just in exact time. It is setting in exact time. The moon is rising. The seasons are changing. And we are getting nice food, nice fruit, nice flowers. So we are not so de..., I mean to say, depressing agent. We won't discourage Kṛṣṇa. Why? Kṛṣṇa has created this nice world. How can I say it is mithyā? It is the by-product of Kṛṣṇa's energy. So Kṛṣṇa's energy cannot be false. It is eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that this material world, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mana eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "These are eight kinds of separated energy of Me, Kṛṣṇa." So Kṛṣṇa's energy... Kṛṣṇa is truth. So Kṛṣṇa's energy is also truth. Because form truth, false cannot come. If Kṛṣṇa is truth, this energy is also truth. But it is not false. Therefore we do not accept this Māyāvādī theory that the world is false, jagan mithyā.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

We should be very careful. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading Vedic culture outside India. And they are welcoming it, those who are intelligent, they are welcoming it. They are accepting it. We should encourage them. Instead of discouraging this movement, we should encourage, so that the whole world can be united on the platform of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If we simply hate low-grade families, low-grade men, that will not solve the problem. Just like when there was political movement in India, the Britishers, they presented so many problems. Just like the untouchables, the Muhammadans, and so many things. The Britishers they put forward these problems (because) they were not willing to separate the British rule. Only some high class, higher section of the Hindus, they are trying to separate the British rule.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

And Lord Caitanya encourages him that "Because you have come to this understanding, now all your miseries are over. All your miseries are over." Just like a man suffering from certain kind of disease, if he approaches a right physician, that means he is beginning of, beginning of..., ending of all diseases is there. Similarly, if we can find out a bona fide spiritual master, and if we are actually anxious to end our miserable life, then it is actually done. The beginning is there. Saba tattva jāna, tomāra nāhi tāpa-traya. "Now don't be discouraged. You have no threefold miseries. Because you have come to this position, therefore you are above all these threefold miseries."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu appreciated his humbleness, because actually he was a very learned and very man of position in the society, so as a matter of reciprocation, exchange of, I mean to say, etiquette, he also accepted, "No, you are not fallen. You don't be discouraged. Simply it is the duty of any learned man to place himself like that. But you are not fool." Kṛṣṇa śakti dhara tumi: (CC Madhya 20.105) "Because you are already devotee." Before retirement, and before coming to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these Gosvāmīs, as I told you, they're very learned Sanskrit scholar. They used to read Bhāgavata. When he gave false report to the Nawab Shah, that "I am not well. I cannot attend office," then Nawab Shah went to his house one day personally, that "This gentleman is not attending office and simply submitting sick report. What is that?" So when he approached and Nawab Shah saw that he's engaged with learned paṇḍitas reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then he understood, "Oh, this is your disease.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Today, of course, we find that our, this small endeavor to preach this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not very successful, but it has got the potency if the workers try for it. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "If people do not come to hear this philosophy, don't be discouraged. You sit down in a room and try to preach. The four walls will hear you. Don't be disappointed." So there is no cause of disappointment, but this is, today is, very important day, Lord Caitanya's birthday ceremony. At least in India, specially in Nabadwip, there is very, very great ceremony today. Thousands and millions of people are gathering to observe this important ceremony. So ceremony, apart from ceremonial function, let us try to understand the philosophy of Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya thought it... Not thought it.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, February 4, 1977:

So you have very kindly joined this movement. You have not joined this movement for your poverty. You are not poverty-stricken. Sometimes people join this movement for poverty-stricken. But you are not belonging to that. You have voluntarily joined. So don't be disappointed. There is now opposition, but don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. Try to go on with this para-upakāra movement. Maybe because it is a fight against atheism, so some of our soldiers may fall down. But that should not discourage us. We must go on fighting with this atheistic civilization and try to push (this) Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (Hindi conversation—break followed by morning walk excerpt:) ...lords, they're selling their property.

General Lectures

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

"Because you are identifying yourself with this body." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like very learned man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter of your body." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Actually one who is learned, he has no necessity for lamenting on the subject, on the body, either living or dead. So the whole process of education in the materialistic way of civilization is on the body, how to keep the body fit, how to avoid death, how to avoid disease. Simply concentration on the body. So this bodily concept of life is immediately discouraged in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:

Nandajī is one of the śreṣṭha-vekti of India. He was minister in the Central government. Now he is out of office. But the man is the same. I was very glad when I received the literature. I thought, "At least one man in India is thinking that India is so much downfallen." So I was very much encouraged. Otherwise I was very much discouraged that there is no human being in India, because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, forgotten God. Now I see there are still. So I shall request Nandajī that take the standard method as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Then you will be successful. Not only Nandajī—anyone. The example is already there. I am preaching all over the world Bhagavad-gītā as it is. There is no fashionable interpretation. No. As it is. And how they are being accepted. So why not in this country? And in this country Kṛṣṇa consciousness is natural. It is not artificial. From the birth of a man, (he) is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

Not very good certificate. So be sober, stick to the principles, read the books carefully, learn more and more about the whole situation, and as far as possible, live conveniently. But if there is inconvenience, don't be discouraged. Don't be discouraged. Therefore this verse was written by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. But don't be discouraged. So I'm sure you'll not be discouraged. Kṛṣṇa will provide another good house if they are persistent to drive away.

So Kṛṣṇa is providing another good house, so there is no discouragement. But go on executing your routine work. I am very glad to see that you are taking care of the Deities very nicely. Whenever I come, I see. This is very encouraging. And the more you keep the Deity very nicely decorated, then your heart will be cleansed of all dirty things of this material world.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

So keep in that spirit. Never mind if sometimes, occasionally, there is some difficulty. We have got examples of devotees. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Prahlāda Mahārāja had to face so many difficulties. They didn't care. So God consciousness means you have to face difficulty but you should not be discouraged. You must go on with your business, and then success is sure. There is a verse in this connection. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). When there is difficulty a devotee thinks, "It is a good fortune that Kṛṣṇa has given us some difficulty to counteract my previous bad action." So in this way, if we live, then mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk. If one is not opposed by all these difficulties and with determination he goes forward, then for him going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Dāya-bhāk. Dāya-bhāk means it is hereditary or herent.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:
Prabhupāda: State at least can do this, that state is not going to maintain slaughterhouse. If you want to eat meat, you can kill an animal at your own house, but state is not going to commit these sinful activities, statewise. That is changed in every respect. No more breweries. State cannot maintain the manufacturing of liquor. If anyone individual wants, he can prepare for himself, but he cannot sell, he cannot induce others to take. He can for his personal (indistinct), he can take. In that case, state is giving liberty, "If you want eating meat, so do." But that is not encouragement; that is discouragement. That is Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is that yes, you can have sex, but get yourself married properly like gentlemen and ladies do. But sex will not be allowed unrestricted intermingling of men and women and prostitution, brothels. That state has to stop. In this way whole thing can be revolutionized, and the society will be completely in human civilization and God consciousness. That is wanted.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: But here, after going to Calcutta, perhaps it was the, the so-called gurus that he met that discouraged...

Prabhupāda: The so-called gurus are there, many. That is no doubt. So he might have seen some bogus guru, he did not like. But the principle of accepting guru cannot be avoided. That is not possible.

Hayagrīva: That contradicts the previous statement.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: Concerning consciousness after death, Jung feels that after death the individual must pick up the level of consciousness which he left.

Prabhupāda: He continues.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Hayagrīva: He says, "Some men have pretended for their disobedience to their sovereign a new covenant or a new agreement with God, made not with men but with God. This also is unjust, for there is no covenant or agreement with God but by mediation of somebody that represents God's person, which none does but God's lieutenant, who has this sovereignty under God." Could a monarch use this argument, which is the argument of divine right, in order to discourage his subjects' rebelling under the pretense that they are communing directly with God? What guidelines are there to assure against this? There was... Wasn't there one king, King Vena, King...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vena. So everything depends on the king's accepting the absolute instruction of God. So king, in Vedic civilization, the king was absolutely following the regulation given by God, and it was confirmed by saintly persons, sages.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Prabhupāda: What is that interesting prospects? That he doesn't know.

Hayagrīva: Well, uh, he mentions, oh, working together, types of work, all, all types of work are shared equally. Family ties are discouraged. Children are generally held in common. People can live the good life, and he defines, "The good life means the chance to exercise talents and abilities. And we have let it be so. We have time for sports, hobbies, arts and crafts, and, most important of all, the expression of that interest in the world which is science in the deepest sense, an exploration of nature. Last of all, the good life means relaxation and rest." So the, the woman would be able to participate in the good life when she's finished bearing children at the age of twenty-three or whatever.

Prabhupāda: They are, difficulty, that is missing, that what is their ideal life, what is the aim of life. So he is prescribing so many things. That will not help the human society. And women, about women, this idea that (s)he should be married at sixteen years old, that is good, but it is not that women stops child breeding by the twenty-two years age. No. There are many women and they can beget children in, in advanced age. I, so far personally I know, my mother was the youngest daughter, and she was born when my grandmother was fifty years old. So it is not that the woman stops child begetting at the age of twenty-two years age. Nowadays up to thirty years, twenty-five years, woman, woman is married, so how he, she can stop?

Page Title:Discouragement (Lectures)
Compiler:Rishab, RupaManjari
Created:26 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=38, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:38