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Expertness

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Sometimes they exhibited their expertness at whirling logs.
Nectar of Devotion 42: Kṛṣṇa played with His intimate friends sometimes by fighting or wrestling with their arms, sometimes by playing ball and sometimes by playing chess. Sometimes they carried one another on their shoulders, and sometimes they exhibited their expertness at whirling logs. And the cowherd friends used to please Kṛṣṇa by sitting together with Him on couches or on swings, by lying together on their beds, by joking together and by swimming in the pool. All these activities are called anubhāva.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Arjuna said: Droṇācārya. He has taught me this military art. Whatever I am warrior, my expertness is due to him.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966: The Bhagavad-gītā... Just like it is play. Kṛṣṇa is constant companion of Arjuna. So Arjuna cannot be put into that ignorance. It is for our benefit that by the will of the Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is put into that sort of ignorance. So he is asking Kṛṣṇa all these questions just like a foolish man, and Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction so that it is being recorded in the history of Mahābhārata for future generations. So here Arjuna, he was declining to fight, declining to fight, that "How can I fight with my grandfather?" You see? "He is respectable. He has brought me up since my father's death. And here is my teacher, Droṇācārya. He has taught me this military art. Whatever I am warrior, my expertness is due to him. And do you think, Kṛṣṇa, I shall kill them? No, I can fight with them. I can kill them, but it is not my duty." So Arjuna, and, says like that. But Kṛṣṇa says, "No. You must be dutiful. Never mind who is that, your grandfather or your teacher. No. When there is fight... You are a kṣatriya. A kṣatriya should not be..., has no other consideration in the fight. He must fight."
"Don't you see the bellow, a bag of skin? 'Bhass, bhass, bhass'—it is breathing. So do you think your breathing is very expertness?"
Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967: Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five years' old boy, he was instructed by Nārada Muni. He became a very great devotee. And he was instructing his class fellows when he was a five years' old boy. Because it doesn't matter whether he's a five years' old boy or five hundred years' old tree or a five millions years' stone. There is no utilization. If you become a five years' old boy and if you understand this knowledge your life is perfect. These things are all very nicely discussed. They say, "Oh..." Taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti [SB 2.3.18] . "Oh, you are very much proud of your long duration of life? Because you see that cats and dogs die within ten years or twenty years and you live seventy years or eighty years, therefore you are very much proud?" Oh. The answer is taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti: "Don't you see the tree? It lives five hundred years, thousand years." "Oh, a tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Oh. Bhastrā kiṁ na śvasanti: "Don't you see the bellow, a bag of skin? 'Bhass, bhass, bhass'—it is breathing. So do you think your breathing is very expertness?" "Well, they breathe, but they cannot enjoy sex life." "Oh. What is that? The dogs and hogs, they do not enjoy sex life? Do they not eat?"

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Kṛṣṇa says that "Amongst all kinds of cheating business, I am gambling." Gambling... There is in gambling... It requires some expert brain, how to play gamble. So that expertness, that part of expert endeavor, is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.49-61 -- New York, January 5, 1967: Now, these tina dhāma, three systems of existence, the material world and the marginal place, Maheśa-dhāma and the spiritual sky... So in the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. That dhāma word is used there. Dhāma means place. Everything, Kṛṣṇa is proprietor of all places. But that does not mean that we should remain in this because this is also Kṛṣṇa's place. No. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Tenth Chapter, you will find that Kṛṣṇa says, dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi: "Amongst the all kinds of cheating professions, I am gambling." Kṛṣṇa says that "Amongst all kinds of cheating business, I am gambling." Gambling... There is in gambling... It requires some expert brain, how to play gamble. So that expertness, that part of expert endeavor, is Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think, "Oh, because Kṛṣṇa is gambling also, so let us engage and devote in gambling." No. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything, but we have to select favorably, not unfavorably.

Initiation Lectures

There are men who are very expert, but some of them employing their expertness in sinful activities, and some of them employing there expertness in pious activities.
Initiation Lecture and Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972: Without sukṛti, without being purified, without being pious, nobody can approach God—that is not possible. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. This very word is used by Kṛṣṇa, sukṛti, means those who are, whose background is, pious. And those are duṣkṛtina-two words have been used—one sukṛti, and one duṣkṛti. Kṛti. Kṛti, this word is used for one very expert. So the expert word is there: kṛti. But duṣ and su. There are men who are very expert, but some of them employing their expertness in sinful activities, and some of them employing there expertness in pious activities. That is the difference. You can apply your brain in two way—this way or that. But those who are applying their brains for pious activities, they can be devotees. And those who are applying their brains for impious activities they cannot—that is not possible.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Expertness is you just try to do which is easily performed by you. You don't accept anything heavy task because Kṛṣṇa does not want that you have to do this heavy task.
Room Conversation -- July 16, 1968, Montreal: Prabhupāda: Avyāpara means a occupation, an occupation which is not fit for you. That is avyāpara. Avyāpara-suvyaparam. And one occupation which is not exactly fitting you, you do not know how to do it, so avyāpare suvyaparam yo kartu... If one wants to act in a business in which he is unable to do, then he is killed just like this fool monkey. Avyāpare suvyaparam yo naraḥ kartum icchati, sa-mulo hanyate. That foolish person is killed just like this monkey. The monkey's business was not to imitate the sawman, but he wanted to imitate. The result was that he was killed. So that is not expertness. Expertness is you just try to do which is easily performed by you. You don't accept anything heavy task because Kṛṣṇa does not want that you have to do this heavy task. Whatever you know, you just apply it. You dovetail it in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa does not say that you have to become like this, like that, like that, then you can serve Him.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

In which way he should be expert? He must show his expertness in a different way which the fish cannot.
Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: No, no, I am not speaking in detail. But by practical experience we can see that these men are not as efficient as the small fish. That is my point. They have advanced in civilization, so many scientists' brain, but they are not enough intelligent more than the fish. That is my point. Am I right or wrong?

Devotee (4): Right. Jaya.

Prabhupāda: If swimming is enjoyable, then let them swim always. Why they cannot?

Indian man: Actually, I go swimming...

Prabhupāda: And the fishes are swimming always. So who is more intelligent, the fish or the man?

Indian man: Well, summertime I go swimming always, you know.

Prabhupāda: Don't speak about yourself. I am speaking generally. You may be very expert, but how long you will swim? How long you can swim?

Indian man: Five minutes. Ten minutes.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Finished your business. But the fishes are swimming twenty-four hours. If we ask all these young men that "Who is expert? The fish or you are expert?" What will be the answer?

Devotee (3): They'll say he is. He will say he is.

Indian man: The fish is. The swimmer will say the fishes are expert.

Prabhupāda: If he says that he is expert more than the fish, then he's a madman. So? Why he cannot become more expert than the fish?

Indian man: Because he's not meant to swim all the...

Prabhupāda: Then in which way he should be expert? He must show his expertness in a different way which the fish cannot.

Indian man: I suppose, in the mind.

Prabhupāda: Mind is working of the fish. He knows where is his enemy, where to go. They have got better mind. They can understand from two miles that some enemy is coming. They take care.

Devotee (4): Fish.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The mind is so strong. Every fish in the water, although they are expert, they are always in danger. They are always afraid of being eaten by bigger fish. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. The world is that the stronger is exploiting the weaker. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. Still, they are expert.

Indian man: Is it possible to visit other planets?

Prabhupāda: You have to be expert. Not by this machine.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

You have spoken about Govinda Dasi's expertness on Sankirtana, and I know very well about her qualifications. I am 100% confident about her competence, and she can be very useful to your activities there.
Letter to Gaurasundara -- New Vrindaban 17 June, 1969: Sudama is much required in London, but because I thought he was needed in your center I did not ask him to go before. Under the circumstances, I think he may go to London immediately. In this way adjust things. Be confident that Krishna will save you from the present inconvenience, and take these steps immediately. You have spoken about Govinda Dasi's expertness on Sankirtana, and I know very well about her qualifications. I am 100% confident about her competence, and she can be very useful to your activities there. Unfortunately she becomes sickly, so as husband, you must see that she is taken proper care of. She is a good asset for you as your wife, and I want that you two work combinedly. That is my desire. You have such nice opportunity for doing very nice service to Lord Krishna in Hawaii, and I want that you two, husband and wife, work together. I have confidence in you, and I have got all blessings for you both that in the future you will be nice preachers. What you have done so far is very nice, and I am praying to Krishna for your success there.
Page Title:Expertness
Compiler:Rati, Visnu Murti
Created:18 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=4, Con=2, Let=1
No. of Quotes:8