Krsna Consciousness means to be...

Expressions researched:
"Krsna Consciousness means to be"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

To forget God means that is abnormal condition, and to have relationship with God is normal condition. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be reestablished in our normal condition of life.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Devotee means one who accepts the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, and he is convinced, his eternal relationship with God. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was threatened with death punishment. He was crucified. Still, he was convinced, his relationship with God. Here is a devotee, example of devotee. Devotee means he is firmly convinced about his relationship with God. And what is that relationship? That relationship is on the basis of love. The devotee loves God, and God loves devotee. This is the only relationship. That's all. God is after devotee, and devotee after God. This is relationship.

So one has to establish this relationship. Just like Arjuna is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa as a friend, similarly, you can be in relationship with God as a lover. You can be in relationship with God as master and servant. You can be in relationship with God as father and son. There are so many relationships. As we have got relationship within this material world, this is only perverted reflection of that five relationship with God. But we have forgotten that. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive that consciousness. It is nothing new. To forget God means that is abnormal condition, and to have relationship with God is normal condition. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be reestablished in our normal condition of life.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be completely nonenvious.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be completely nonenvious. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Paramo nirmatsarāṇām. Those who are completely free from enviousness, they can understand what is Bhāgavatam. Paramo nirmat... Dharmaḥ projjhi... It is not a cheating type of religion, enviousness. Paramo nirmatsarāṇām, or paramahaṁsa, those who are not at all envious. They're always friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Paramahaṁsa means suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, "friend for everyone." Not for this human society or this society. A paramahaṁsa is friend for everyone. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. They are satām, Vaiṣṇava. Vāstavam atra vedyam atra tāpa-trayonmūlanaṁ śivadam. These things are mentioned.

So those who are envious of Kṛṣṇa, they take to the worship of other demigods. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Because to quickly attain achievement or achieve perfection in these three things, beauty, opulence, and good generation. So Bhāgavata says that "Even though you are very much anxious to get all these things," śriyaiśvarya-prajā, "still, we recommend that you worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Everything belongs to God, and everything is meant for God's enjoyment, not for my sense enjoyment," that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be situated in the actual fact.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

So in order to instruct us the principle that everything belongs to God, this is the beginning, that we should try to offer whatever we have got. Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept from you a little bit of water, little bit of flower, a little bit of leaf, or fruit. Practically it has no value, but when you begin to give to Kṛṣṇa, then gradually a time will come when you'll be prepared to give everything to Kṛṣṇa like the gopīs. This is the process. Sarvātmanā. Sarvātmanā. Sarvātmanā means with everything. That is our natural life. When we are in consciousness that "Nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs to God, and everything is meant for God's enjoyment, not for my sense enjoyment," that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be situated in the actual fact. Whenever we claim something that "This is mine," it is called moha, illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho ayam. This conception of "mine" and "I" is the platform of illusion. Janasya moho 'yam. This world, whole world, is moving under this illusion that "I am this body, and everything..." "I am the monarch of all I survey." This is the philosophy. "Whatever I can acquire, that is mine." This is wrong. This is called illusion.

Therefore we should try to give to Kṛṣṇa, not to ask. Because He has given us everything without asking. Without asking.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be rightly situated in the original consciousness that we are all sons of God, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be rightly situated in the original consciousness that we are all sons of God, Kṛṣṇa. We have got eternal relationship with Him and He is the richest, the most opulent. As a rich man's son has no scarcity, no want, everything is supplied amply... Just like the Americans, they are... American or many other Western countries, the young men, they belong to a rich nation, so practically they have no want. But still why they are becoming hopeless and confused? Because this material want is not all. There is spiritual want. Unless that spiritual want is fulfilled, unless that spiritual relationship is reestablished, nobody can be happy. So in order to make us happy, Kṛṣṇa says that "Begin with little flower, little water, or little fruit, and try to offer Me."

1970 Correspondence

Krsna consciousness means to be always remembering Krsna in some way or other.

Letter to Stan -- Bombay 17 November, 1970:

We are all originally situated on the platform of Krsna consciousness in our eternal personal relationship of love of Krsna. But due to forgetfulness we become familiar with the material world or Maya. As soon as one chants the Hare Krsna Mantra with sincerity and without offense (you know there are ten kinds of offenses to the Holy Name which we are to avoid very, very carefully) his original Krsna consciousness is immediately revived. Krsna consciousness means to be always remembering Krsna in some way or other, just like we are immediately thinking of Krsna when we chant His Name, Krsna, and we are always thinking how we can do something nice to please Krsna with some service or other, or we are reading literature about Krsna or speaking about Krsna. In this way we are always remembering Krsna and that is our natural conscious state. So naturally everything about Krsna is originally known to us all and as soon as we begin to associate with the devotees of the Lord and chant His Holy Name, this memory gradually becomes stronger as we remember our constitutional position of always serving Krsna in different ways.

1974 Correspondence

Krsna Consciousness means to be on the platform of deathlessness. Every sloka in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam is informing us of this.

Letter to Malati -- Los Angeles 7 January, 1974:

You write that things are in a crises in England, with oil shortage and IRA bombing. Therefore, we have to take shelter of Krsna. If Krsna wants to kill us that is not wrong, if it is His desire. Our business should just to be to follow the regulative schedule, deity worship, distributing prasadam, chanting, book distribution and never mind the material danger. Krsna Consciousness means to be on the platform of deathlessness. Every sloka in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam is informing us of this. If you read these books carefully you will understand this platform of deathlessness as opposed to the material condition in which no one wants to die but no one can check death.