By arcana-vidhi, he understands Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by this process. By the regulative process, by the instruction of the spiritual master, by the regulative principles set up in the bhakti-śāstras, just like Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. There are many. So at that time, if one comes from the lower platform to the... Of course, we must know that any devotee, either in the lower platform or in the second platform or on the firs platform, they are to be considered as devotees. Not that because one is in the material platform, he's not devotee. He is also devotee. But he has to improve. The improvement means he must know what is Kṛṣṇa. Simply if he remains attached to the temple worship and does not try to understand who is a Kṛṣṇa devotee and how he has to deal with others... Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. We have got some duty to others. This is preaching work. This is preaching work. One should not be satisfied simply by worshiping in the temple. Then he'll remain a neophyte. He must become a preacher, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he comes to the second platform.
Improvement means
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Only this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. How to conquer over death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If one person is intelligent, if he's in knowledge, he should know that what improvement we are making. I am, I am Professor Einstein, big professor of science." "Sir, what you have done? You'll not die?" "No, I die." Then what is improvement? What is your improvement? Oh, you have discovered atomic bomb? That's all? Death is there. You have accelerated death. That's all. This is your qualification. People die, everyone dies, there is no need of atomic bomb. But you are great scientist, you have discovered atomic bomb so that a man who is not immediately to die, he'll also die. This is our improvement. And they're very much proud. Scientifically advanced.
First of all, discover that no more death. Then scientific advancement. No more disease. "No, we have got very good medicine for disease." That's all right. Stop disease. No, that we cannot do. Then what is the improvement? What is the improvement, nonsense? This is not improvement. Improvement means stop death, stop disease, stop old age, stop birth, also. There are so many contraceptive methods, birth control. Still, the population increasing. Increasing. So these are not solution. Real solution is here in the Bhagavad-gītā. You get real knowledge, jñānam, jñeyam, the object of knowledge. As it is stated by Bhagavad-gītā, by Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Become His devotee, etad vijñāya, then, what is that?
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. I think it is... Maybe it is described in Seventeenth Chapter. According to our free will, we are associating with certain type of the modes of material nature, and then we become subjected to that material modes. The same example: you infect some disease, contamination, and you gain the result of it. So our endeavor should be how to raise ourself to the first, to the sattva-guṇa. That we can do. And then transcend sattva-guṇa and reach the spiritual platform. Everyone is trying to improve his position, but they do not know what is meant by improvement. Improvement means mostly they are in tamo-guṇa, ignorance. So rise from tamo-guṇa to rajo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa to sattva-guṇa, and then sattva-guṇa to transcendence. That is improvement. So generally, people are suffering on account of association with tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, whole material world, mostly tamo-guṇa and few of them in rajo-guṇa. The symptoms of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa are lust and greediness. Just like yesterday you told me the students are talking about homosex. That means tamo-guṇa, that the education-students, they are discussing about homosex. That means tamo-guṇa, lusty desires, very prominent, and how to fulfill, by homosex or sex with woman. This is their subject matter, kāma. So everyone in this material world infected with this tamo-guṇa, all lusty desires, in various ways, varieties. And some of them in rajo-guṇa-politics and improvement of material condition. So we have to cut down this tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, come to the sattva-guṇa. Then he'll not be disturbed by these lusty desires and greediness. Then he'll be happy. Sthita-sattve prasīdati. When he comes to the sattva-guṇa, now he has to make further progress, sattva-guṇa. And the progress means, being situated in sattva-guṇa if he advances in devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he surpasses all the material qualities. That is perfection of life.
Brahmānanda: Now they have too many airplanes.
Prabhupāda: Too many airplanes. So where is the improvement? Improvement means to die altogether two hundred men at a time. This is improvement.
| Page Title: | Improvement means |
| Compiler: | Rishab |
| Created: | 09 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=2, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 4 |