Because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore people should..., people may not read all other Vedic literatures. Simply if he attentively and regularly reads and hears Bhagavad-gītā, gītā su-gītā kartavyā... And one should adopt this means by all means. Gītā su-gītā kartavyā kim anyaiḥ śāstra-vistaraiḥ. Because at the present age people are embarrassed with so many things that it is hardly possible to divert his attention in all the Vedic literatures. This one literature will do because it is essence of all Vedic literature, and especially spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Divert attention (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"attention"
|"divert"
|"diverted"
|"diverting"
|"diverts"
Notes from the compiler:
VedaBase query: "divert* attention"@5
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :
So this instruction you will find in the Ninth Chapter, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34), "Always think of Me." That is the perfection of life, always thinking of Viṣṇu. But one commentator, very big commentator, he says, "This meditation is not up to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Kṛṣṇa says "Just meditate upon Me," in the Bhagavad-gītā, and the commentator says, "It is not up to Kṛṣṇa." In this way, in similar way or a different way, every commentary on Bhagavad-gītā so far published I have seen, their business is how to divert one's attention from Kṛṣṇa, although in the Bhagavad-gītā the main factor is Kṛṣṇa. That is mentioned here. What is that? Read on. This Bhagavad-gītā has come. Yes.
Devotee: The last sentence was, "Bhagavān sometimes mean any, any, means any powerful person or demigod, but here it means Kṛṣṇa. This is confirmed by all the great..."
Prabhupāda: Now this bhagavān, you have heard, many times I have explained, bhaga. Bhaga means opulence. There are six kinds of opulences. What is that? Wealth, and then influence, strength, reputation and knowledge, beauty and renunciation. Is it not six? If a man is wealthy, very rich, just like in your country Rockefeller, Ford, there are many rich men in your, the..., your country is very rich.
Lecture on BG 1.16-19 -- London, July 16, 1973:
That is also another responsibility of kṣatriya. If a girl proposes, "I want to marry you," a kṣatriya cannot refuse, he cannot refuse. He must marry that girl, even at the risk of life. This is kṣatriya spirit. One rākṣasī, she wanted to marry Bhīma. So Bhīma refused, she was a rākṣasī. So she complained to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that I wanted to marry Bhīma but he has refused. And Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja compelled Bhīma, "You must marry. Even though she is rākṣasī, you are kṣatriya you cannot refuse." This was the system, very nice system, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Don't work now, you should hear. You cannot divert your attention.
So all these kings on the side of the Pāṇḍavas, they were relatives, so they joined. So when they blew their different types of conchshell, then the other side were trembled, "Oh, they have gathered so much strength." Because Duryodhana thought that for, continually for thirteen years Pāṇḍavas were banished, so they could not gather any good amount of soldiers. But when they saw that so many kings from different parts of the world have joined them, so they became frightened. That is described in the next verse, sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ hṛdayāni vyadārayat. They are just like heart-broken: "What is this? They have gathered so much great, great fighters." Nabhaś ca pṛthivīṁ caiva tumulo 'bhyanunādayan. You read this verse.
Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973:
We can make our standard of living very comfortable, but with the purpose of attaining perfection in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You live comfortably. That's all right. But don't live like animals, simply increasing sense gratification. The human effort is going on how to live comfortably, but they want to live comfortably for sense gratification. That is the mistake of the modern civilization. Yuktāhāra-vihāraś ca yogo bhavati siddhiḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said yuktāhāra. Yes, you must eat, you must sleep, you must satisfy your senses, you must arrange for defense—as much as possible, not to divert attention too much. We have to eat, yuktāhāra. That's a fact. But not atyāhara. Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised in his Upadeśāmṛta,
- atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
- prajalpo niyamagrahaḥ
- laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca
- ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati
- (NOI 2)
If you want to advance in spiritual consciousness—because that is the only objective of life—then you should not eat more, atyāhāraḥ, or collect more. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamagrahaḥ. That is our philosophy.
Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:
Those who are lusty. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ. These are the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā. You know. Those who are lusty, and, being lusty, they have lost their senses. Hṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he says, hṛta-jñānāḥ naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ. No intelligence. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23).
So in this age, this is simply waste of time. If you actually interested in spiritual advancement of life, if you divert your attention in so-called worship of this demigod, that demigod, this demigod, then you'll simply waste your time. There will be no advancement. And even you become perfect in worshiping the demigods, then what will be your profit? The profit will be: yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). You can go to the planets where the demigods live. But the planets and this material world, everything will be annihilated. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). Suppose you are promoted to the Brahmaloka. That is also antavat. It will be finished, because by the end of Brahmā's duration of life, everything within this universe will be finished. Therefore antavat. That is not permanent. But if you manage to go back to home, back to Godhead, then yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Then that is perfect life.
Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:
Nowadays. Just like in our India, Pakistan and Hindustan, they are always planning fighting. That is political. That is political. When the Pakistan's government cannot manage, nobody is managing nicely, neither Pakistan or Hindustan, but they divert their attention the religious slogan—"Hindus are our enemies." Or "the Pakistan is our enemies." The so-called national slogan. Here also, everywhere. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Here in Europe also the two wars was arranged by the German people, they were envious of the English people. So these wars are not right wars, righteous wars. No. They are play of the diplomats, politicians—they engage. When they cannot manage things very nicely, they engage people into war. That's all. Divert the attention. But war is not meant for that. War is meant for that, when people are not properly being trained up by the king of the state, the other king can attack him.
So ideal state means the king must be very responsible. There are many instances. Just like Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was a pious king. In Bengali there is a proverb—rājar doṣe rāja naṣṭo doṣe gṛhastha bhraṣṭa.(?) If the king is not pious, then the whole kingdom is spoiled. Similarly if the housewife is not good, the whole family is spoiled. Everyone has got this experience. So, the king must be very honest, pious, religious. Therefore they are called rājarṣi. Although they are king, but they are just like saintly person.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Or, as the Christians say, 'What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffers the loss of his eternal soul?' Material activities and the results of such actions will end with the body, but work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will carry a person again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even after the loss of this body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born into human society, either in the family of a great cultured brāhmaṇa or else a rich aristocratic family that will give the man a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: So the reference of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Attention diverted. (aside:) Yes. Yes. Keep it open. Let them come. Yes. There is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in connection with instruction of Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva. And Vyāsadeva was disciple of Nārada Muni, and Vyāsadeva compiled so many Vedic literatures, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, various types of... Not types. Practically the same Vedas, divided into departmental knowledge for understanding of the common people. Just like Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the history of India. Mahā means great, and bhārata means India. And you see, Mahābhārata is the history of two royal families fighting in the Battle of Kurukṣetra and politics and diplomacy. This is the subject matter of Mahābhārata. Of course, there are many nice instructions.
Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:
If you cut the upper portion of your body, as soon as you see inside, it is all obnoxious horrible things. But outwardly so painted by the illusory color of māyā, oh, it looks very attractive. And that is attracting our senses. This is the cause of our bondage. We are being bound up by some false illusory beauty of this world. Mirage. The exact example is the mirage. What is mirage? Reflection of the sunlight on the desert appears like water. Where is water there? There is no water. The animal, thirsty animal, is after the mirage. "Oh, here is water. I'll be satisfied." Similarly we are hankering after, running after the mirage. There is no peace, there is no happiness. Therefore we have to divert our attention back to Godhead. Don't run after this mirage. Just turn back to Godhead, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Don't divert your... Don't engage your senses in the illusory material beauty. Just apply your senses to Kṛṣṇa, the real beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.
Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:
Similarly, simple understanding of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage will not help me unless I take shelter unto Kṛṣṇa. As soon as I get shelter unto Kṛṣṇa, as soon as I engage myself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no chance of falling down again into this material world, because there is engagement. Our nature is such that we want some engagement. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59).
Just like a child... Child is playing all day and doing mischief in the house, and... So he cannot be stopped mischief-doing. He must be given some engagement. If he's given some engagement, some playthings, and if his attention is diverted there, then he'll stop mischief-making in the house. Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop. He will go on, go on. So therefore we must have spiritual engagement. Simple understanding that "I am spirit soul" will not help me.
Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). The brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, situation, is that "I am not matter; I am spirit." That's all right. But we have to sustain the spirit. How we can sustain? We can sustain when there is spiritual engagement. Otherwise, it is not possible. Otherwise, I may continue for some time, but there is chance of falling down because we have got this information and a practical experience also: great, great, I mean to say, yogis and jñānīs, they again come. We have some practical experience. Sometimes we find a person leaves all worldly engagements, leaves his family, gives up his family connection, becomes a renounced order, sannyāsī, and highest order, and then, after some time, he becomes engaged in opening hospitals and philanthropic work and in politics.
Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:
Therefore this is the only method. That you chant loudly and hear. Hare Kṛṣṇa. If your mind is in other things it will be forced to concentrate on the sound vibration "Kṛṣṇa." You haven't got to withdraw your mind from other, automatically it will be withdrawn because the sound is there. (sound of car going by) Just like the motor car sound is going on. Automatically your attention is diverted there. Similarly if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, so automatically my mind will be fixed up. Otherwise I'm accustomed to fix up my mind in so many things. So yoga practice means to withdraw the mind and again fix up in Kṛṣṇa. So this vibration of chanting automatically helps us in that yoga practice. Go on.
Viṣṇujana: "Purport: The nature of the mind is flickering and unsteady. But a self-realized yogi has to control the mind; the mind should not control him."
Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:
Now, you can understand how much time could be, I mean to say, allowed for this discussion. That was a battlefield. Immediately has to be fight. Everyone is ready. And utmost, one hour... I don't think... That is utmost. So within this one hour the whole Bhagavad-gītā was discussed, and Arjuna changed his decision and he fought. Now, within that time He is also instructing Arjuna about the yoga system. Now, after hearing the details of yoga system, how to sit down, how to keep the body straight, how to keep the eyes half-closed and how to see the uppermost part of the nose without diverting your attention, and in secluded place, in a sacred place, alone—all this paraphernalia is described for performing perfect yoga system. Now, Arjuna, after hearing everything from Kṛṣṇa, he is replying.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:
This is called sambandha. We must know what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That relationship is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was inquired by Sanātana Gosvāmī, "So what is my position? What I am?" Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that every living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.
This is our relationship. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is asking here: mayy āsakta. We are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, but now, under the influence of this material energy or illusory, external energy, we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You have to divert your attention, attachment, to Me." Mayy āsakta. Mayi. Kṛṣṇa says mayi. Mayy āsakta. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be always fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. This yoga has to be practiced. As Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). He always... He was a great emperor. He had many business, political and maintenance of the kingdom. He was always busy, great emperor of the whole world, but still he fixed up his mind always on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is called kṛṣṇa-āsakti. Kṛṣṇa-āsakti. Mayi, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be fixed with Kṛṣṇa. The process is very simple. Process is very simple. Everyone, at home, in any condition of life, he can fix up his mind in Kṛṣṇa. Our mind has to be fixed in something, because mind is never vacant. It is always fixed up or attached to some, something. Not for a second our mind is vacant. So this vacancy has to be filled up by the presence of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect yoga.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:
And we have to receive the sound vibration and it will act.
So as you are all ladies and gentleman interested in the yoga system, so the first-class yoga system is bhakti-yoga. In this Bhagavad-gītā, just now I am trying to explain the first verse of the Seventh Chapter. The Seventh Chapter begins after concluding the Sixth Chapter. In the Sixth Chapter, the yoga system has been explained. It is said that one has to select a very sacred, secluded place. He has to sit down there in a posture just like a perpendicular, a straight line, the neck and the body. And then he has to think of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. The thinking should be so careful that one cannot divert his attention to any other subject matter. In the Pātañjala yoga system, it is said yoga indriya-saṁyama: yoga means to control all the senses. Because unless the senses are controlled, the mind will be flickering, go this way, that way, that way. So mind is the leader of all other senses. If you control the mind, concentrate on the feature of the Supreme Lord, that is the yoga system. The, in the... Therefore, describing the yoga system, Kṛṣṇa prescribes so many methods, but after hearing the system of practicing yoga, Arjuna replied that "Kṛṣṇa, this system is so difficult I cannot practice it."
Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:
He's the highest yogi, continuously thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For him, ananya-cetāḥ... He does not divert his attention to this sort of process or that sort of yoga system or the jñāna system or dhyāna system. No. Ananya-cetāḥ. Simply the only one system, Kṛṣṇa. Ananya-cetāḥ. Ananya-cetāḥ, "without any deviation." He's not disturbed by anything. Simply Kṛṣṇa. Ananya-cetāḥ satatam. Satatam means anywhere and any time. Just like my residence is at Vṛndāvana. That is the place of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa advented Himself, He was there. So now I am in America, in your country, but that does not mean that out of Vṛndāvana. Because if I think of Kṛṣṇa always, so it is as good I am in India. In Vṛndāvana, I am as good as in New York, in this apartment. The consciousness is there. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you already live with Kṛṣṇa in that spiritual planet. Simply you have to wait for giving up this body.
Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:
Why don't you try it? This is our mission. We don't say that you change your life. We simply say that in whatever position you are, you please chant. That's all. You please chant. You will be happy. You will be prosperous. Kṛṣṇa will be pleased upon you, and you will be never in scarcity. Is it not a very nice thing? You will never be unhappy, you will never be in scarcity. That... It is guaranteed here. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 9.22) "Those who are thus engaged always in thinking of Me..." Well, you can do your business and think of Kṛṣṇa, and what is your harm? And that thinking may be, I mean to, divert your attention, but if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, you will practice. And Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. But you will not be deviated what you are doing, but at the same time, you will be able to hear this sound, transcendental sound vibration. So this is the formula given by the Lord Himself. Please try to follow it. Ananyāś cintayanto mām. Always, always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no rule, no regulation. Never mind what you are, what you are doing. Simply chant and hear.
Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
So if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, then your life becomes successful. Where is the difficulty? Hmm? And the result is mām evaiṣyasi: by following these principles or thinking of Kṛṣṇa, which means to become a devotee... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). Anyone who is devotee, naturally he'll worship Kṛṣṇa. The temple is there, we worship. Then? Man-manā bhava, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. And worshiping Kṛṣṇa means, if you cannot do anything, you simply go and offer your obeisances, that's all. It is open to everyone. There is no restriction that such and such men can come and offer obeisances. No. Anyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even born in low-grade family, it doesn't matter. So where is the difficulty? That we want to discuss. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious, is there any difficulty for any person anywhere, any part of the world? Let us discuss this point. Huh? You sit down properly. I say you, yes. So, discuss this point. What is the difficulty? Why people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. But the process is simple. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). The result? Don't divert your attention. Mām evaiṣyasi, what is the next line?
Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Prabhupāda: No, no. They want to love Kṛṣṇa, but they divert their love to other things. That is the difficulty. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa, then follow this—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then why you are diverting your attention? You are worshiping Deity, you are thinking of loving some woman. That's all. Huh? Why you are diverting? If you love Kṛṣṇa, you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, just decorate nicely. Why you are diverting your attention? That means I'm not yet convinced that by loving Kṛṣṇa I'll be perfect. That is the difficulty.
Bhagavān: In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11), as they surrender...
Prabhupāda: Everything is said there, we are discussing one point, that, one is, if we are convinced, that requires education. Love, we are being frustrated every point. Now when the perfectional point we shall come, that is by loving the original objective. There are so many examples. Just like a child, he is not happy in another woman's lap, cries. But as soon as he comes to the lap of his own mother, he's immediately happy. So, we are trying to be happy so many ways, but we are not becoming happy. When we come to the real point of loving Kṛṣṇa... Love is there. I want to love somebody, everyone, but that is not being properly utilized. Therefore we are unhappy. So when you come to the stage of loving Kṛṣṇa, then you'll become happy. This is the point. That is being instructed by our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:
It is not meant for material enjoyment. Material enjoyment means eating, sleeping, and defending and mating. These four principles, they are called material enjoyment. Just like we see advertisement. The other day I was seeing the New York Times magazine. So all advertisements were based on mating. That's all. So because mating is most attractive, therefore the shopkeepers, they advertise their dress, putting before one very nice girl. Because our attraction is for mating, so as soon as we see a nice girl our attention is diverted immediately. That is the psychology. So these are all material enjoyments: eating, sleeping, defending and mating.
And spiritual enjoyment is just opposite. There is no sense enjoyment. There is self-realization, or purifying the senses. Spiritual enjoyment means purifying the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). It is a purificatory process. And as soon as you purify your senses, then you become in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become eligible for being transferred to the spiritual world.
So this human form of life is specially meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge. Because in any other form of life... There are eight million four-hundred-thousands of species of life, and the best developed consciousness form of life is the human form of life, especially civilized men.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:
Therefore it is said mahā-muni-kṛte śrīmad-bhāgavate. It is not ordinary persons writing whimsical, some, manufacturing some story, narration and puzzling the brain. No. Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte: it is beyond all defects of human life. When an ordinary person writes, he writes with defective instruments. First of all, any man within this world, however great he may be, he must commit mistake. That's a fact. There are many instances, simply for little mistake. Just like Hitler. Hitler planned so gorgeously winning over the world. A little mistake, as soon as his attention was diverted toward Russia, he was finished. The Britishers tried to divert his attention toward the Russia. Little mistake. Otherwise Hitler would have come out victorious. There are many instances, in political field, in sociological field.
So however one man may be great, he must commit mistake. This is called conditional life. There is no man in this world who can say that "I never committed any mistake." Is there any man? No. That is not possible. And he must be illusioned. Illusioned. What is that illusion?
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:
These are the statement. Means "Whenever there is mismanagement of the word dharma, or pure characteristic, at that time I appear." So Kṛṣṇa appeared for reestablishing the real principles of dharma, or religion. So He did not come or did not appear for establishing the so-called religious system, Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion or this religion, that... Not that type. Real religion. Therefore He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up all these. Simply surrender unto Me." So any religious system which is teaching to divert the attention of the follower to so many things, that is cheating religion. Just like in India, there is a class of men. They are called Māyāvādīs. They recommend that "You worship any demigod. The result is the same." This is false religion. Kṛṣṇa said that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Only surrender unto Me." Then one may ask that "In the Vedas there are... So many demigods' worship is recommended. Is that false?" That is not false. Because it is mentioned in the Vedas, you cannot say it is false. But they are meant for all material benefit. Material benefit means it is mentioned that "If you want to be very educated, you worship this demigod," that "If you wants a beautiful wife, then you worship this demigod; if you want to be very wealthy, then you worship this demigod." In this way there are different items, but these things are all material things. So that is mentioned in the Bhagavad... kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ: "Those who are desirous of getting success in this material life, for them the different demigod worship is recommended."
Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:
Therefore it is the duty of the devotee to hear. The hearing process is Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And kīrtitavyaś ca, and narrate also. Unless one narrates or unless one speaks, one cannot hear. So the two process are going on. Somebody is hearing and somebody is chanting. And then when hear and chant, there must be meditation. If we attentively hear, then there must be meditation. And pūjya. Pūjā means worship. The simple process of worship in this age is this performance as we are doing—chanting, hearing, and offering some fruits, flowers, and showing this candle. This is simple, that's all. There are... According to Vedic literature there are many parapher..., sixty-four items for worshiping. That is not possible in this age. So this is all right.
So this process will make you understand the Absolute Truth. You just follow this principle ekena manasā, with one attention, without diverting your attention to any other subject matter. If you follow this principle, ekena manasā, to hear, to chant, to think of and to worship... This simple process. This is the injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:
"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time, simply." Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, actually, simply we are wasting time. Simply. Such opportunity, human form of life. We are..., our attention is diverted simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And our real business is spoiled. That is summarized by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, that: hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. "I have simply spoiled my life." Manuṣya janama. This human form of life was especially meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. If not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, at least Kṛṣṇa, or Battle of Kurukṣetra. Sometimes the politicians say... Our friend, Mr. Chatterji, M. C. Chatterji, he was, sometimes, he was nice friend of me, that "Swamiji, I want Kṛṣṇa of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, not of Vṛndāvana." That's all right. At least you take Battlefield of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. But take to Kṛṣṇa. If you are not so much fortunate to understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, at least you try to understand what is Arjuna-Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972:
We are changing. Why one is suffering? He is suffering for indulging in sense gratification. We are educating people that "You enjoy your senses through Kṛṣṇa. Through Kṛṣṇa. You like to dance? Yes. You dance through Kṛṣṇa. You want to eat nice? You eat through Kṛṣṇa. You want to sing? You sing through Kṛṣṇa. You want to paint? You paint through Kṛṣṇa." This is our education. Not directly for my sense gratification. I want to paint nice picture. So because I wanted my sense gratification, now painting has become several logs. Especially in your country. What is that painting? That means the tendency toward making it zero. Śūnyavādi. We say, "You have got taste for painting. You are nice painter. Just paint Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. You see how nice it is." So painting is not to be stopped. It is simply diverted for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We don't want to kill, but we simply divert to Kṛṣṇa. Purification, that is. If you don't divert your attention to Kṛṣṇa, then more and more, you will become sinful, and everything will be polluted.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
The other day we discussed about literature which is very nicely composed from literary point of view, or poetic, or rhetoric. Maybe very nicely... But if there is no description of the Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that sort of literature is enjoyed by a class of men who are compared with the crows. That we have discussed. It is simply wasting time, valuable time in the human life, to divert our attention to such ordinary literature. They are called grāmya-kathā. In Sanskrit language it is called grāmya-kathā. Grāmya-kathā means any book, any poetry, or any novel, or any drama... There is some hero and heroine, a man or woman, about their loving affairs, tragedy, comic, like that. Actually, it is grāmya-kathā. The same thing as we are experiencing daily, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, this eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. What is the value of such literature? What do you gain by that? No. Simply mental agitation. And if it is sex literature, then it is very appealing. So that means it is something like haviṣya kṛta(?)... Just like if you offer fuel on the fire, the fire will go on and it will, I mean to say, consume as much as you go on giving fuel. But there is no śānti. The fire will never be extinguished. Actually, what we want? What is the mission of our life? What is the aim of our life? We are hankering after śānti, or peace. So that sort of literature will not give us any peace. It will simply agitate the mind.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
So it does not require any artificial musical knowledge or dancing knowledge. Out of your own ecstasy, you will dance, you'll chant. You don't require to study. Just like our playing of mṛdaṅga. Nobody has gone to an expert mṛdaṅga player to learn it. Whatever I play, I sing, I never studied under some expert teacher. But by practice, chanting, it may be melodious, it may be very nice or not. That doesn't matter. We are not concerned about that, whether it is appealing to the people or not. It will appeal; there is no doubt about it. But we don't require to divert our attention on these things. Simply because there is glorification of the Lord, it will be palatable. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ka uttama-śloka-guṇānuvādāt virajyeta vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4).
Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was hearing about Bhāgavata from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he expressed his experience. Oh, what is that? Now, nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. This chanting or understanding of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, Uttama-śloka... Uttama-śloka-guṇānuvādāt. Whatever we are reading in the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or we are chanting, the subject matter is glorifying the Lord, who is called Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka. Śloka means verse, and uttama means transcendental or very nice.
Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:
Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives you, be satisfied. That was the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Nobody was trying to make any artificial economic development. No. The whole history of India is like that. They were satisfied, "All right..." Even now the mass of people... In 1942 there was famine. People were dying. Still, they were..., "All right. Kṛṣṇa has given us. God has given us." That was the mentality.
So our main business is how to improve Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not divert our attention in any other material condition of improvement. That is actually not improvement. It is simply illusion, that "I am making improvement." What improvement? Suppose you are earning now, say, five hundred dollars per month. If you earn, say, five million dollars, so then what? Will you eat more than four cāpāṭis? (laughter) You'll eat the same four cāpāṭis. And you'll occupy the same six feet bed. You may acquire the whole property of West Virginia, (laughter) but you'll have to lie down on six feet. (laughter) That's all. And you'll have to eat four cāpāṭis. So this is māyā. This is māyā, "I am improving." What you are improving? You'll not be taller. You'll not be great eater, nothing of the sort. Whatever you have already, you'll have so the same thing. You see?
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:
If you perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña, then it is as good any other yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the yajña-puruṣa, Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. So in the Kali-yuga, simply by performing yajñas you can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. We have seen in many places by performing yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña, where it was very dry, rain has fallen. This is practical. So things are very easy. But instead of producing food grains, we are producing Goodyear tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool," and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that produce foodgrain. But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore you are suffering. Kṛṣṇa is giving very good advice: annād bhavanti bhūtāni. You produce sufficient foodgrain, all over, not only here. Another anartha is this nationalism. Nationalism: "This is America," "This is India," "This is Africa," "This is Australia." Why? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Simple thing. Everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsya. There will be no scarcity. I have studied very thoroughly that there are sufficient land still without any cultivation. In Africa I have seen sufficient land. But they are utilizing it for producing coffee and tea. No food grains. So these are the anarthas. Anartha. Unnecessary. People will not die without coffee and tea. But they have made the whole world self-dependent on coffee and tea, mercantile policy. There is anartha.
Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:
This is, loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantoḥ. Jantu, animals. Anyone who is addicted to vyavāya, sex life, āmiṣa, meat-eating, madya-sevā, intoxication... That is the natural tendency of anyone in this material world. Vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityāḥ. So spiritual advancement means to give up this āmiṣa-madya-sevā. That is spiritual life. Spiritual life does not mean you have to grow four hands and four legs. No. Simply you have to give up these tendencies of vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā. Therefore śāstra gives you training how to... Therefore here it is said, harer guṇākṣipta-matir bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ. (aside:) Don't do that. Don't divert attention. If you cannot understand, you can go play there. Harer guṇākṣipta. So you cannot be mad after harer guṇa unless you give up your madness of material enjoyment. So long we are mad after material happiness, then we do anything wrong, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Vikarma means activities which are forbidden. Just like vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā—these are forbidden. But they indulge in these things nowadays all over the world, vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā. This is vikarma, forbidden activities. But they indulge in. Why? Because pramatta. They have become mad.
Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:
Still, Vaiṣṇava takes the risk. As Prahlāda Mahārāja said, that "I do not wish to go alone to Vaikuṇṭha or anywhere, my Lord, unless I can deliver all these rascals." This is Vaiṣṇava. He knew that all the..., Vimukha-cetasaḥ. These materialistic persons, they are engaged in planning for material happiness. They are working so hard, becoming baffled without any benefit. So māyā-sukhāya bharam ud...many, many plans, many, many skyscraper buildings, roads and motor cars. What is the real purpose? The purpose is they want to be happy. But that is not possible. Therefore they are vimūḍhān. Rascals. They are going in the wrong way. How to divert their attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will be happy.
These European, American boys, they are coming from rich family. They have, even nationally, they have got big, big skyscraper buildings, motor car, and why they have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because they were not happy. It is a fact. They were not happy. So a Vaiṣṇava can understand this, that outwardly, externally, they may have nice dress or nice building or nice motor car, but internally they are so unhappy that they rise up to the top of the skyscraper building and fall down to commit suicide. This is his position. The Vaiṣṇava can understand that bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. They are making skyscraper building, but there is no happiness. It is simply a, what is called? A Gorgeous arrangement only. Otherwise, there is not a drop of happiness. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:
One who has got Kṛṣṇa, where is unhappiness? And where is want? But he has nothing, such thing as unhappiness. But he's unhappy seeing others, these so-called rascals who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they are unhappy. Vaiṣṇava is unhappy seeing these peoples' unhappiness, Prahlāda Mahārāja like. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am thinking... I am lamenting only for these rascals who have forgotten You. And forgetting You, they are trying to become happy by so many rubbish activities." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They want to be happy by inventing machine for shaving also. You see? The attention is diverted that for shaving they want machine, for brushing the teeth they want a machine...
So that means the intelligence is being misused. Intelligence is being misused. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava's duty is that even whatever they have discovered, that can be used for Kṛṣṇa's service and to teach them how to engage everything in Kṛṣṇa ... Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sam... Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñ... Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Our policy is that we are using this microphone... It is not that if there is no microphone, we shall stop our speaking or preaching work. No. We have no attraction for this microphone. But when there is microphone, we take advantage for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:
Under His superintendence, under His care, the fighting was going on. Therefore this fighting was not ordinary fighting. People cannot understand that how fighting can be religious principle. Yes, the fighting can be also religious principle—but not the present fighting. Present fighting, the politicians, out of their whims, they declare war, that is not religious fighting; that is abominable. That is to serve their political ends. When the politicians cannot control the mass of people being dissatisfied, they make a clique to declare some war so that all their attention may be diverted. This is politics.
But the Battle of Kurukṣetra was not that type of battle. One should be aware of the Battle of Kurukṣetra very nicely. It was dharma-yuddha. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Why they settled up that the fighting should take place in the dharma-kṣetra? They are to fight, yuyutsavaḥ. It was settled they will fight, but why they selected the dharma-kṣetra? This is Vedic system. Even up to date, in villages, not in the cities... In the cities, as soon as there is some misunderstanding between you and me, we go to the court, either criminal court or civil court, to settle up, and it takes years to settle up the business.
Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:
Just like at the present moment the politicians, as soon as they see that they cannot manage things, in the country there is confusion, they declare some war so that the whole attention may be turned that side, and there will be no agitation of the internal dissatisfaction. This is diplomacy. This is diplomacy. We have seen it in Pakistan. As soon as they cannot rule over, they cannot, but they (indistinct), "Oh, the Hindus are our enemy. Kashmir, he has taken." Attention is diverted and they declare war, and again become defeated. So this kind of war is not required. This kind of war is not required. But war is there already, struggle for existence. Just like here, when Kṛṣṇa saw that the Yadu dynasty is becoming... On the strength of Kṛṣṇa, they have become so powerful that they (are) unnecessarily fighting, so Kṛṣṇa wanted that His family, may be..., it may not be degraded farther, so He wanted to kill them. And who can kill them? No outsider can kill them, they are Kṛṣṇa's descendants, that is not possible. Therefore yadūn yadubhir anyonyaṁ bhū-bhārān sañjahāra ha, they fighting amongst themselves, they reduced the burden of the world.
So it is... Kṛṣṇa is exhibiting how things are going on.
Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:
We are therefore discussing so many... We have written so many books simply about Kṛṣṇa. Not all books published—we have published about twenty books—but we have to finish it. It cannot be finished, but at least, to some extent it will be finished by sixty books. And what is that subject matter? Kṛṣṇa. That's all. People cannot imagine that about God, sixty books can be written. There is no, I mean to say, system of religion where you can find... Not only... Sixty is the minimum. Sixty books of four hundred pages can be written simply on God. So there is possible... If we divert our attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we can chant Kṛṣṇa—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51). We can read about Kṛṣṇa whole life, such big literature. Whole life. If you read twenty-four hours daily—that you cannot—still, you have to devote your whole life to finish this literature.
So we have got enough material to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. My Guru Mahārāja was questioned by one big politician. He came to see him. So my Guru Mahārāja... He was asking, "What are your activities?" So at that time he was publishing one paper. I think it is still published in Māyāpur. It is called... What is called, Dainik? Daily news, it was a daily newspaper, small. Navadvīpa Prakash, like that.
Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:
You are my spiritual master." So he said that "You have done, you have labored so hard in writing so many books, but you have not glorified the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply ordinary dealings with man to man, how to deal, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), how to make people religious, how to develop economic position, how to satisfy senses, how to go to heavenly planet to enjoy more—these things you have described. But you have not described about yena ātmā samprasīdati, by which your ātmā, your soul will be satisfied. That you have done nothing." You have read in the First Canto, jugupsita-dharma. "You are diverting the attention of the people to the dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa, never to the bhakti. Then in future, if people are advised, 'Come to the bhakti platform, not on the platform of this dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa, cātur-varṇyam—they will not take it. So whatever you have done, it is not very good. Better simply try to explain about Bhagavān." That is Bhāgavata. That is Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:
Prabhupāda: (commenting on mike) Purchase something better. Instead of diverting your attention always, pay little more. In Bengali it is said, sastarthin abastra:(?) "If you purchase something cheap, it will always give you trouble." Better spend once, costly things, nice things. That is...
Sudāmā: Any questions?
Prabhupāda: Yes?
Devotee (1): Was Lord Jesus in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: These are old questions, always asked. What is that, huh? What is that question?
Satsvarūpa: Was Lord Jesus in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: Yes. He also taught about God. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. So why Jesus? Anyone speaks... But one must know. There are degrees. Just like a person... Somebody knows to some extent, other knows to some extent, other knows to some extent, other knows to some extent. Or somebody understands to some extent. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means complete understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Just like there are steps; if you want to go to the 104th floor, there are so many steps. So everyone is going, aiming, to that 104th, but one has covered ten steps, one has covered twenty, another hundred, like that.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:
If one is actually expecting that he should be protected, abhayam, there should be no more anything of fearfulness. Then Śukadeva Gosvāmī is instructing that tasmāt... Because these things, if you simply divert your attention to the varieties of newspaper or any other information of this world which is full of this gṛhamedhī, whose business is to sleep at night and work hard at daytime, that will not give you protection. Then? What I have to do? "You have to hear about Bhagavān, Hari, Īśvara." Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā. "Bhārata" because Parīkṣit Mahārāja happened to be a descendant of the Kuru dynasty. The Kuru dynasty was begun from King Bharata, Bharata. There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Rāmacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Mahārāja Daśaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:
And another Bharata was the son of King Ṛṣabhadeva, by whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So he is addressing Parīkṣit Mahārāja as the descendant of King Bharata, Bhārata." He bhārata. You have to talk and hear about sarvātmā, the Supersoul who is sitting in everyone's heart, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences." Bhagavān, this word, every word, suggests volumes of meaning. And Hari: "who can take away all your sufferings." Īśvara: "and He is the controller, supreme controller."
So instead of diverting your attention to the varieties of news of this world, you just try to... No, not try. You must. You must. Sarvātmā harir īśvaraḥ. What is that? Śrotavya: "Always hear about Him." Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. Kīrtana. Hearing, then preaching. Therefore we have got our Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, kīrtitavya, who will now preach. Kīrtitavya. Hearing, then kīrt... After hearing, the next stage is spreading, pushing on, the news of Kṛṣṇa. First of all hearing, then kīrtitavyaś ca, spreading. And smartavya. Smartavya means thinking always. Otherwise what you will preach? You hear, you think of it, you preach—this is the business. Smartavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca, śrotavyaḥ.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:
So either of them, their aim is how to get out of this fearful material existence. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, concludes, that icchatā abhayam. Abhayam means fearful. If you actually want to be free from fear, then you should concentrate your mind, discussing, hearing, remembering, either of the impersonal Brahman... Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Either you think of Brahman or Paramātmā or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but your subject matter should be this: hearing, chanting, discussing, talking, knowing. Don't divert your attention to this flimsy, I mean to say, so-called subject matter which will end. Because everything, whatever we are discussing in the material world, everything will end, nothing will exist, we should concentrate our mind on the subject matter which will exist. Because I am soul, I am ever-existing, eternal, my business is, therefore, "What is my eternal engagement?" This subject matter is proposed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and we shall discuss later on, in the next meeting. Thank you very much. Any question?
Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:
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. You... That is negative post, nirvāṇa. That is Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. "Stop these material nonsense activities." But unless he has got positive activities, how he can give up this nonsense? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You must give good engagement. Otherwise, he'll go on committing all nonsense. Just like you, you have been given good engagement, Deity worship and so many other things. You are engaged. Therefore you have no time to divert your attention for nonsense things. Simply artificially, if you want to stop, no. The U.S. government, they tried to stop this intoxication habit, LSD, millions of dollars. Not a single man was stopped. Not a single man. And here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as soon as they come, immediately... Why? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When he understands that he is better intoxication, "Why shall I go to LSD?" That is required.
Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:
So I was very much fond of hearing. That gentleman, he was a retired doctor. So he wanted to speak something. He should not have done so, but... Just like... So naturally I also... And Prabhupāda saw it, and he became so angry. So he knew that my attention was drawn by him. He chastised him like anything. He was old man. Actually almost like his age. So he was paying sixty rupees in those days per month. So he became so angry, that "Do you think that because you pay sixty rupees, you have purchased us? You can do anything and anything?" He said like that. Very strong word he used. "Do you think that I am speaking for others? You have learned everything? You are diverting your attention." So many ways, he was very, very angry. You see? So this is nice, to chastise. Therefore, as soon as Kṛṣṇa was accepted as guru... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I become Your disciple." Because in the beginning there was friendly talks... So friendly talks cannot make any good advance. Talks must be between the spiritual master or teacher and the disciple.
So immediately, first of all, He chastised. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "Arjuna, you are talking like a learned man, but you are a fool number one." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. That means "If you had been actually paṇḍita, learned man, then you would not have lamented for this body." Gatāsūn.
Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:
Now he is killed. So I want that he may be excused and given liberation." So he was already liberated. Still, as affection son, he was anxious to know, "Whether my father will be liberated or not?" So this was confirmed by the Lord: "Not only your father, his father's father, his father, his father, up to fourteen generations, everyone is liberated—because a Vaiṣṇava son like you is born in this family."
So my point is: by serving the Supreme Lord, one gives the best service to the family, because if one becomes a Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, the whole family, up to fourteen generations, they become liberated. Therefore tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena. We should not divert our attention for any other service. We should simply concentrate for rendering service to the Supreme Lord. This is the conclusion. Tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena mano mayy arpitam. Mayi, "unto Me, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, mayi. That will help. Tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena. Always... That is also advised in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā, mad-bh... Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Your mind should be engaged always in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, which form ever you like-Viṣṇu form, or Lord Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Kapiladeva. There are innumerable forms of God. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). So Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Kṛṣṇa, Kapiladeva, Balarāma—there are so many forms. So any one of Them, whichever you like... Everyone is... Just like Hanumān. He liked Rāmacandra forms, and Arjuna liked Kṛṣṇa's form. But there is no difference between Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu (Bs. 5.39).
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:
Why you'll not expect these upstarts, Naxalites? Where is that training? Of course it is very difficult to bring back that mode of civilization at the present moment, kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām, we have lost everything by the influence of this Kali-yuga. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised that you harer nāma, harer nāma, harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), chant the name of Hari. Harer nāma, thrice He's stressing. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalaṁ kalau, in this age of Kali, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. This is simple method. Chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, harer nāma. Not other's name, harer nāma. There people also diverting their attention, "Any name will do." No. Not any name. Harer nāma. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). You have to hear and chant about Kṛṣṇa, not any other demigod. No. It is particularly mentioned, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. This is wanted. Very simple thing. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has... It is from the śāstra, Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, Agni-Purāṇa. A saintly person, mahānta, will not speak anything which is not mentioned in the śāstra. If somebody manufactures, he's a devil. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhāgavata, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti (BG 16.23). Anyone who goes against the śāstra and manufactures his own concoction, for him there is no siddhi, na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti. Na sukham, neither any happiness. And what to speak of parāṁ gatim?
Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:
Therefore putra-piṇḍa-prayojanam. What is putra-piṇḍa? Caitanya Mahāprabhu also showed us the example. He went to Gayā Pradesh to offer piṇḍa for his forefathers. This is necessary still. In Gayā there is Viṣṇu temple, and in the Viṣṇu temple the oblation is offered at the lotus feet of the... There are many practical cases that one's father or mother became ghost after death, and after offering oblations at the lotus feet of Viṣṇu at Gayā, he was delivered. There are many cases.
So actual fact is Viṣṇu worship. That is the ultimate goal of Vedic civilization, but they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Their attention is diverted in so many demigods. The greatest disservice to the society, that "Here is another god, here..." Not only manufacturing a man-god, but they are advising that "Any god you can worship." No: Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Vedic mantra. Those who are sūrayaḥ, means advanced... Sūrayaḥ means... Sūrayaḥ and asūrayaḥ. Asūrayaḥ means demons. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved suraḥ: "Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are sura." Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "And those who are not Viṣṇu bhaktas, they are asuras." Just like Rāvaṇa was very great devotee of Lord Śiva; still, he was a asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā, but he was considered asura. So anyone who is not devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is asura. That is the verdict. Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And this piṇḍa-dāna is offered oblations to the Viṣṇu.
Lecture on SB 6.1.64-65 -- Vrndavana, September 1, 1975:
The whole basic principle of materialistic civilization is the attachment between man and woman. Puṁsaṁ striyā mithunī-bhāva. Mithunī-bhāvam is sex. And tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. On account of this sex relationship, the man or woman is bound up. Hṛdaya-granthi. Granthi means knot, and hṛdaya means heart. So the man is thinking of the woman, and the woman is thinking of man. Hṛdaya granthim āhuḥ. Then we require material possession. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is our material, conditional life.
So this man, although he was being trained up as a brāhmaṇa, his attention was diverted all of a sudden by seeing one śūdra and śūdrāṇī embracing, kissing, talking. So that became his meditation. Instead of meditating on Viṣṇu, he began to meditate on that śūdrani. Svayam eva toṣayām āsa. In the first verse, tan-nimitta-smara vyāja-graha-grasto vicetasaḥ. He became mad, vicetasa, bewildered, as if haunted by ghost. Tām eva manasā dhyāyan. Always meditating, "How shall I get that woman? How shall I please that woman so that she may satisfy my lusty desires?" Therefore tām eva toṣayām āsa: "His only business was how to please her." Now they require money. So he was not earning money, but pitṛyeṇa, whatever money he inherited from the father's earning... The son generally inherits father's property. He was the only son.
Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:
So here it is said that because the leaders, they do not know what is the aim of life, what is the goal of life, therefore common men, people in general, they are being misguided. They are being misguided. Suppose a blind man leads some other blind men. What will be the result? Both of them will meet danger. That is the result because... "Why? They are doing very nicely, with great cautiousness." No. But they do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature. Te 'pīśa-tantryā uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They cannot divert their attention or deviate from the laws of nature. That is not possible. So they are under the laws of nature. They do not now why the laws of nature acting in a different way, against their will. Suppose I do not wish to die. Why laws of nature enforcing, forcing me to die? Nobody wants to die. So you cannot surpass the laws of nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You are trying to solve the problems of life, but here are the real problems of life: janma-mṛtyu-jarā vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9)." The real problem is that there is death, there is birth, there is old age and there is disease. This is real problem. That problem is due to this material body. Therefore our real problem is that we have got this material body, but we have no sense that "Within this material body I am the spirit soul, living. So how to get out of this material body and again revive our spiritual body?" Spiritual body is already there.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:
Why not Haimāvatī's child? Even a lizard is here in this room, he is also hearing. This is transcendental sound. Just like there was a sound, everyone's attention was diverted there. So sound is so penetrating. Sound is the origin of creation. So this is transcendental sound. It penetrates everyone's heart. Because everyone is spiritual being. That is the specific significance of sound vibration. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ahaituky apratihatā. This spiritual cultivation cannot be checked by any material impediment. Because the child is packed within the womb, within the belly, under the shackles (circles?) of intestines and so miserable condition... In the belly or the abdomen of the mother, the child remains in a very miserable condition. Because the consciousness is not developed. But as soon as the consciousness is developed at the age of seven months, the child wants to come out. Therefore it moves. If it is male child, then it moves toward the right side. If it is female child, then it moves to the left side. So these are description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So by the movement of the child you can understand whether it is male or female. (woman exclaims) So this transcendental sound is not checked by any material condition. Therefore it reaches. Therefore it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). One who cannot execute the full course of yoga system, he's given chance to take birth in the family of a pious man or a rich man.
Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:
And when one is engaged, minimizing the demands of the body and utilize the valuable time for advancing in spiritual consciousness, they are accepted as uncivilized or not advanced, in so many words. But actually, India's civilization was based on this principle. We can find in the history of old days that they knew everything. From the books we can understand they had advanced knowledge for material civilization. Because we find description of aeroplanes, description of television. But they were used very, I mean to say, only limited circle, not that extensively. Because the whole process of civilization was to divert your attention too much for material advancement, but whatever little span of life you have got, just utilize it for spiritual advancement and get out of this material entanglement. That is the basic principle of civilization. Therefore the social life, human society, was divided into eight divisions. They are called varṇa and āśrama. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, you will find, cātur-varṇyaṁ māyā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Four divisions of society, for spiritual advancement and for material advancement both. For spiritual advancement, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa.
Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:
Why he is taking so much trouble? Family attachment. Family attachment. So the people are... Not that he has no attachment. He has got attachment, but this attachment, the same four o' clock, rising early in the morning, for Kṛṣṇa's maṅgala-ārati. This is diversion, a better. But he'll not agree. When he has got to go to office for earning his livelihood, he will automatically rise up and go to the office, because the attachment is strong. But in the temple, the rule is that you must get up before four and prepare yourself, and we have to ring the bells three hundred times, and still you are sleeping. Just see.
So this has to be practiced. This has to be practiced if you want to divert your attention. The same process. But because we have no attachment for Kṛṣṇa, we have to be forced. Never mind. Still we have to continue this, mayy āsakta..., to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. We have to train our mind how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti process. The business is the same, but we have to be trained up for increasing our attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Not that we have to bring a separate attachment. It has to be cleansed. That, how the attachment should be utilized, that is described in the Nārada Pañcarātra:
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:
The motherly side. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). Similarly, the gopīs, they came to Kṛṣṇa out of lust, but out of lust, they became purified. Just like the sun. The sun soaks the water from urinal, but sun is not polluted, but the urinal becomes sterilized. This is the process. So you try to approach Kṛṣṇa, some way or other. Then your life is successful. It doesn't matter. Kāmāt krodhād bhayād dveṣāt.
And what to speak of those who are constantly engaged in love with Kṛṣṇa. Everything is love. As soon as you divert your attention to Kṛṣṇa, that is love. It may be perverted. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa... He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. But he was thinking in terms of killing Kṛṣṇa, as enemy. So this is not bhakti. This is not anukūla. Pratikūla. But still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that Kaṁsa was also given liberation. This is the special kindness of Kṛṣṇa. So any rasa. There are twelve rasas. Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. That is the direction given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī." Some way or other, fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa." Then your life is successful. Some way or other. Yena tena. So if your mind is fixed up always in Kṛṣṇa, then your senses will be also engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Because mind is the center of all activities of the senses.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:
He had so many temples all over India, and he used to say sometimes that "If by selling all these properties, temples, if I could turn one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then my mission will be successful." He used to say that. So our purpose is not to construct big, big buildings. That is required for propaganda work, for giving shelter to people. But our main business is how to turn the face of the bewildered conditioned souls towards Kṛṣṇa. That is our method. That is our main purpose. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and other Vaiṣṇavas, they did not advise to give much attention for constructing big, big temples and maṭhas. Because if our attention is diverted towards these material things... Material things means, as I have repeatedly explained, forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise there is no, nothing material. It is illusion. Illusion means actually there is nothing material. How it can be material? If the Supreme Lord is Supreme Spirit, everything is coming from Him, so what we call the material energy, that is also coming from the Supreme.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:
So even upon the request of Kṛṣṇa we do not give up our designation. This is the difficulty. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, and nobody practically, except the Pāṇḍavas and few other devotees, nobody took it seriously. And what to speak of now. They are talking of Bhagavad-gītā, scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, but without Kṛṣṇa. That is their business. These demons, they are preaching Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa. Nobody preaches about Kṛṣṇa. Nobody says what Kṛṣṇa wants. Sarva-dharmān parityajya. Kṛṣṇa wants this, but they are misinterpreting in different ways and diverting the attention of the people most foolishly, that... In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is the center. So this is going on. You know, you are coming all from foreign countries. Bhagavad-gītā is popular in your country, at least amongst the scholars and theosophists and theologists. Going on, for the last two hundred years at least. But nobody understood Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Now for the last, say, five or ten years, because we are presenting Kṛṣṇa as it is, it has become very easy for you to accept it. Unadulterated Kṛṣṇa. Before this, everything was presented adulterated. Therefore there was no effect.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:
"Yes, but He has said after your three thousands of repeated births, you'll be allowed." So he began to dance. He began to dance. "Oh, then I'll be allowed some day. Never mind, three thousand births. Never mind three thousand births." So when this, this, this was informed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "He's dancing now because You have, You'll allow him to come in after three thousands of births," so Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very pleased and asked him to bring him immediately. (laughter)
So if we want to actually learn this... Just like there must be eka niṣṭha. Bhajanti mām ananya-bhāk. That is the qualification. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, it is very easy. Don't divert your attention to anything. "No, I, I worship this demigod, I worship that demigod, I..." Then your knowledge is gone. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ: "other demigods." Devatāḥ is Kṛṣṇa, but others, they're demigods.
Festival Lectures
Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:
The satisfaction is how you can satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is also stated here. What is that? Ekena manasā: "with one attention," not diverting your attention to so many things. Simply, I mean to say, fixing your attention on the Supreme Lord. Tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān. Now, here is... The Bhāgavata does not say brahmeti paramātmeti. The Absolute Truth is Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. That is mentioned. But here, when I have to give attention, then must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise where I am going to give attention? If the impersonal feature, if I think impersonal feature, oh, it is very difficult where to fix up my mind. Therefore impersonal feature, Brahman, is not said. Ekena manasā. Then Supersoul. Supersoul is within you. That is understood by meditation. Impersonal Absolute Truth is understood by philosophical process, speculation, and the Supersoul is understood by meditation. So, and Bhagavān, Bhagavān is practical.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975:
People should take advantage to live in such nice place, produce their necessities of life, and keep them fit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize self. We don't say that you starve or become weak in health or weak in intelligence. No. You remain quite fit in intelligence and health, but don't be unnecessarily in need. The difficulty of the modern educated person is... Not educated, but so-called educated, they are attracted in the city for so many things unnecessary. Just like the club, the restaurant, the liquor and the cigarette, so many things. But if your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa, you will not feel inclined to enjoy all these unnecessary things. That is the test of spiritual life, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, advancement of devotional life, means no more taste for all these nonsense. That is the test.
General Lectures
Lecture -- Montreal, October 26, 1968:
And goodness is also cause of bondage, but in that platform one can see things as they are. Goodness. Prakāśa. Just like at night we cannot see, but in daytime we see. But seeing is not all. Unless I am convinced of something, even seeing... Just the same example: one man is seeing that a criminal person is punished; still he is committing criminal act.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī's question is that suppose a man commits some sinful activities and he executes some atonement. In atone... This atonement is prescribed in every religion... (child sounds in background) (aside:) This is disturbing. Attention is diverted. Yes. So just like in the Christian church, they have the atonement process, confession. So suppose if you go weekly in the church and confess your sinful activities and it is excused, but again, next week you again commit the same sinful activities. Then what is the use of that confession and atonement? If you make it a business that "The whole week I shall commit sinful activities, and on Sunday I shall go to church and confess it, then everything will be balanced, squared-off account," that is all right. Then again from Monday you begin the sinful activities. So is that very good business? So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's question is that, that the atonement is there. But if one commits atonement and again commits sinful activities, then what is the use of such atonement?
Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:
And they have achieved success. Why not follow their example and simply concentrate your mind, meditate on mind? And that meditation is very nicely done by chanting. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, your ear is forced to receive this Kṛṣṇa. And the Kṛṣṇa sound and Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent. This is the philosophy. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa sound... Because Kṛṣṇa is everything, God is everything, so why not this sound, "Kṛṣṇa," which is approved? So by chanting Kṛṣṇa, you receive Kṛṣṇa in transcendental vibration immediately, and your meditation is there because your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa. So your attention, your mind and the word, and the authority—everything is there. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take..., feel practically how it is working. There is no charge. There is no exertion. It is very easy. Kartum... Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). This process of meditation is easy, happy and indestructible. There are so many instances from śāstras. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ, abhinnatv an nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). There is the spiritual platform, everything identical. Just like you get some thousand miles away in the radio: this sound and the person who is transmitting the sound is identical, although materially we cannot derive the same benefit.
Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:
That is being explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself personally. You are hearing about God from God personally. How it is that you do not understand what is God? That means you do not try to understand it or you are misled by duṣkṛtina. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). This śloka we have discussed partially last night.
So anyone who is trying to divert people's attention from Kṛṣṇa to non-Kṛṣṇa... That is the business of the modern so-called philosophers and educationists or religionists. They'll continue to read Bhagavad-gītā life long but will interpret in a different way so that people may not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is their business. Such persons are called duṣkṛtina. They are themselves also not ready to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and they are misleading others also not to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is their business. Such persons are duṣkṛtina, miscreants, rogues, rascals, those who are deviating people in other ways. A great scholar—I do not wish to name—he is writing in his commentary, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "You just become My devotee." Mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: "You just worship Me and offer your obeisances unto Me. In this way you will get Me. You will achieve Me." The commentator says... The so-called learned commentator says, "It is not to the Kṛṣṇa person but it is the Absolute Truth which is within Kṛṣṇa." That means he is dividing Kṛṣṇa from the Absolute Truth.
Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:
Other forms of life, cats and dogs, trees and so many other things... There are 8,400,000 forms of life. So in other forms of life it is not possible to understand what is God. If we call all the dogs of your country, "Come here. We shall talk about God," no, there is no possibility of understanding. But in the human form of life there is possibility. It doesn't matter whether it is in India or America or Australia. Any human being, if he tries and if he reads the scriptures—never mind, Bible, Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata—then he will understand God. Therefore this life, human form of life, is only meant for understanding God. If we divert our attention to any other business, that means we are spoiling our energy. Because what are the activities? That... Everyone is active for sleeping, eating, having sexual intercourse and defending. So these things are present even cats and dogs. They also eat, they also sleep, they also have propensity for sex intercourse and they also defend, in their own way. So if human life is also spoiled only on these activities, then you are missing the chance. Human activities should be to understand God or the Absolute Truth. That is the philosophy of Vedānta philosophy. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Vedānta. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate.
Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:
This dharmasya glāni, deviation from the occupational duty... Dharma means occupational duty. Then Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, He appears to teach us how to divert your attention and āsakti to Kṛṣṇa. So dharmasya glāni, deviation in the path of religious system, means to forget our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa ultimately, at the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, He says, as the Supreme Person, He orders, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Therefore He did not come to establish the so-called Hindu dharma or Mussulman dharma or Christian dharma, this dharma or that. He came to establish the real dharma, that is, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is establishing also in the beginning, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: (SB 1.1.2) In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the so-called cheating ways and cheating type of dharmas are kicked out, projjhita, thrown away. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explaining what is real dharma as it is established by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So according to dharma-śāstra, material dharma-śāstra, it is said, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), up to mokṣa. In this connection Śrīdhara Swami, the great commentator of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirasta: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no chance or opportunity for thinking of so-called liberation." The purpose is that if one fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, he immediately becomes liberated. The Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he says, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān.
Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:
"Don't bother. You had some desire for material fulfillment, so there is Dhruvaloka. You enjoy, and after your life is finished, you'll come to Vaikuṇṭha." So Kṛṣṇa is so nice, so liberal, that if you have got a little tinge of aspiration He will fulfill you, and at the same time, you'll go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is recommended, yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa. If you have got some material desire, still you worship Kṛṣṇa. He'll fulfill; at the same time, you will be able to go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, almighty, full with six opulences. So if you have got any material desire, that also Kṛṣṇa can fulfill, but you stick to Kṛṣṇa so that your āsakti will be increased. If you divert your attention to other demigods, then this āsakti will fail. Therefore for a devotee who sticks his faith in Kṛṣṇa, he has no chance for worshiping other demigods. So the Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, anya devāśraya nāi, tomāre kahinu bhāi, ei parama bhakti karaṇa. For a devotee of Kṛṣṇa there is no scope for worshiping other Deity, because that will not help him to increase his attachment for Kṛṣṇa. But if we want our āsakti, attachment, to increase for Kṛṣṇa, then absolute.
Philosophy Discussions
Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:
Prabhupāda: That we have prescribed. We are trying to make boys brahmacārīs. So of course there is tendency, but by practicing the brahmācārya system, by diverting one's attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness for Kṛṣṇa's service, there will be very little chance for this shock.
Śyāmasundara: He says that our sexual instincts are often thwarted by social constraints, so in a society which does not have a brahmācārya system, this would be...
Prabhupāda: Therefore this Vedic system is so scientific, varṇāśrama-dharma. When these things are automatically adjusted and checked, our life becomes very peaceful and we make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then these things will not come.
Śyāmasundara: This sexual energy, or the libido energy, he sees as not only sexual intercourse but is associated with a wide variety of pleasurable sensations relating to bodily activities, such as pleasure of the mouth, of the different organs. He says it's all sexual energy-eating, sucking.
Prabhupāda: That is already stated, that the only happiness in this material world, maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukham. Ādi means the basic principle is maithuna, sexual intercourse. And now there are some maithuna-ādi.
Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:
Prabhupāda: So why not divert his attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Śyāmasundara: Ah, by a higher type of knowledge, if one realizes that he is not this body, then all those things will be...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is...
Devotee: That is why we are doing social service.
Prabhupāda: To divert his attention. (indistinct) That is understanding, and nicer thing (indistinct), that is our formula, (indistinct). Actually, as one increases his Kṛṣṇa consciousness he becomes (indistinct) all this material (indistinct). That is the prime remedy-panacea for all diseases.
Devotee: This Freudian philosophy is an offshoot from Darwin philosophy. Freud also thinks that man is a biological organism only; therefore his biological functioning should measure up to certain norms of biological behavior. If it doesn't, then there is something wrong. If it does, then everything is all right. So he makes some animal behavior good and other animal behavior substandard, and you want to bring everybody to a certain standard of animal behavior. But he has no conception of spiritual life.
Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:
Hayagrīva: Sublimation is, well let me read, "The excessive excitations from individual sexual sources are discharged and utilized in other spheres, so that no small enhancement of mental capacity results from a predisposition which is dangerous as such." In other words, he didn't believe that..., in total sexual freedom as it's conceived today, but that a man would be better, instead of trying to totally deny the sex drive, to try to redirect it, oh, perhaps in artistic activity or in, in study, or in some other activity. Not to deny it.
Prabhupāda: That means, in one word, to divert his attention.
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That is brahmacārī. That is recommended in the Vedic culture, that from the very beginning of his life, divert his attention for spiritual activities, he, he will forget about sex life. That is the experience. Not only a trained-up child, even a grown-up person, if he takes Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, he also forgets sex life. So that is possible by training, one can forget sex life. That, that is experience of Yamunacārya. He expressing, yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravinde. He says that "Since my, my mind and attention has been diverted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities, as soon as I thing of sex life, I spite on it." That is possible. It is simply question of training. And if one indulges in sex life without any restriction, the physical problem is there. He will be impotent. He will not be able to, even though he has got sex organs, he will not be able to use it. That is nature's way of punishing. There are so many impotent person. So it is a question of training. So the Vedic training is to train the small child, from the very beginning of his life, how to avoid sex life. That cannot be artificially done, but there is a process of training. By accepting that training one can remain without sex life throughout the whole life. That is possible.
Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:
Prabhupāda: Father. So how he can avoid this father conception? If you mislead people that there is no father conception, that is not education; that is misleading. Father is there, everyone knows this simple philosophy. And if he is misleading them, then that is not philosopher, that is cruelty. A man is naturally believing that there is father and there is father's father, and he is diverting his attention from this natural belief. So this is cruelty. He is committing cruelty to human understanding, simple understanding.
Hayagrīva: He says, "I disagree with you when you go on to argue that man cannot in general do without the consolation of the religious illusion, that without it he would not endure the troubles of life, the cruelty of reality."
Prabhupāda: Man cannot do without education. Without education a man remains an animal. Therefore in the human society there is a school, college, an institution, teacher—not in the animal society. So the principle is, the man is meant for being learned or being educated. That you cannot deny, that man life should not be like cats and dogs, simply eating, sleeping, mating, and dying. That is not man's life. Man's life is to become advanced in knowledge and education. And as I have already described, the ultimate knowledge: to understand God. If he is so-called educated, without any understanding of God, then his education is imperfect. You can deny the existence of God, but the God conception is there in the human society. Some may accept it, some may not accept it—that is another thing—but the conception of God, the whole civilized world, they have got some type of religion.
Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:
Similarly we, when we divert our attention to the illusory energy, then we fall down, and although we remain the same part and parcel of the Lord, but the influence of the material energy covers us, and we identify with the covering elements, and life after life bodies changing, and we are identify with the covering, and this is our miserable condition of material existence. And therefore first education is that "I am not this covering." That is spiritual education. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā instruction, that "You are not this body. Arjuna, you are not this body. Why you are taking this bodily concepts of life, your relatives, your family, so seriously? It is all foolishness. It is accidental. You are born in this family, and you have got so-called relatives. You are actually spirit. So now you are identifying with this bodily concept of life, you are member of the Kuru family. Then as soon as this change of body takes place, you will again enter into the dog's family or cat's family or demigod's family. Again you identify, 'I am dog,' 'I am cat,' 'I am demigod.' " So this is the, our ignorance. We have to stop this mentality of bodily concept of life, identify ourself as a spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Spirit, and act according to His direction. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). What Kṛṣṇa says, if we act, then gradually, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), we become immediately free from all upādhi, designation, and gradually develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to spread this knowledge all over the world.
| Page Title: | Divert attention (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | SunitaS, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Jul, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=65, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 65 |