Our attitude

Expressions researched:
"our attitude"

BG Preface and Introduction

We should not reject that which does not tally with our imagination; our attitude should be that of Arjuna: "I believe everything that You have said."

BG Introduction: The Lord further adds that of this "there is no doubt." This must be believed firmly. We should not reject that which does not tally with our imagination; our attitude should be that of Arjuna: "I believe everything that You have said." Therefore when the Lord says that at the time of death whoever thinks of Him as Brahman or Paramātmā or as the Personality of Godhead certainly enters into the spiritual sky, there is no doubt about it. There is no question of disbelieving it.

Nectar of Devotion

"Although our attitude toward You resembles loving affairs with a paramour, we cannot but wonder at how no woman can maintain her chastity upon hearing the vibration from Your flute.

Nectar of Devotion 22: Regarding the attractiveness of Kṛṣṇa's bodily beauty and the sound vibration of His flute, in the Tenth Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter, verse 40, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the gopīs address Kṛṣṇa as follows: "Although our attitude toward You resembles loving affairs with a paramour, we cannot but wonder at how no woman can maintain her chastity upon hearing the vibration from Your flute. And not only women, but even stronghearted men are subject to falling down from their position at the sound of Your flute. In fact, we have seen that in Vṛndāvana even the cows, the deer, the birds, the trees—everyone—has been enchanted by the sweet vibration of Your flute and the fascinating beauty of Your person."

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

'Death is coming, and danger is coming immediately.' That should be our attitude.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968: Recently in Delhi one of our Godnephew, oh, he was crushed by motor accident, completely crushed. He fell down, and the motor car passed over him, and all the bones were crushed. I have received that letter. So we should know that this place is not at all safe. At any moment there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Therefore in the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's version it is said that "If you want to have spiritual realization, then you should always think that 'Death is coming, and danger is coming immediately.' " That should be our attitude.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

I have opportunity for reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven minutes. So let me read it very seriously." That should be our attitude.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972: You do not know. You are going to the street... Just like the two boys were coming. They did not know that they were going to be killed. So our life is so jeopardized. Any moment I can die. That's a fact. If you don't take seriously like that, that "Any moment, I can die." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja had the opportunity of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven days, so I do not know whether we'll have, I have opportunity for reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven minutes. So let me read it very seriously." That should be our attitude. Not that, "Seven... Oh, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was given seven days notice. Oh, I have no such notice. I may live for seven millions of years." That is our disease. Here the most wonderful thing is that everyone is seeing that everyone is dying every moment, but the man seeing, he's thinking that he will live forever. This is the most wonderful thing. Nobody thinks, "No. He is dying, so I will have to die." No. He thinks "I'll live. He is dying." This is the most wonderful thing.

Our attitude, our mentality, is unreal, that "The whole world is for my enjoyment." No.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975: So there are many controversial points. It may take long hours. But so far we are, Vaiṣṇava are, concerned, we don't accept that this world is false. No. Everything is meant for Kṛṣṇa's service. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor. And He is the bhoktā. So don't try to enjoy this world. That is false. Everything engaged for Kṛṣṇa's—that is reality. So jagat is not unreal. Our attitude, our mentality, is unreal, that "The whole world is for my enjoyment." No. The creator says, bhoktā aham: "I am enjoyer." Why you are claiming you are enjoyer? That is your false claim. So jagat is not false, but our claim to enjoy the jagat, that is false. So we have to convert it, that it is enjoyable by Kṛṣṇa. Then you come to reality.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

We shall increase our attitude of devotional service, ultimately getting shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Actually, there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sādhana-bhakti."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. The practice, following the rules and regulations of śāstra and ācārya, direction of the spiritual master, that is called sādhana-bhakti. That, every, anyone can do, provided he's serious. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atha bhajana-kriyā [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. This bhajana-kriyā means sādhana-bhakti. So if our bhajana-kriyā is proper and in the line, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all the anarthas, unwanted things, bad habits, that will be immediately vanquished. After anartha-nivṛttiḥ, tato niṣṭhā tato ruci athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. If this way, we shall increase our attitude of devotional service, ultimately getting shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.

General Lectures

Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Kṛṣṇa, then we get again next body.

Life Member House Lecture -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975: To serve māyā means to continue this material existence one after another. Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Kṛṣṇa, then we get again next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. We can see. There are so many trees, plants, insects, animals. They're all living entities. Also there are nice body—Americans, Europeans, beautiful body, or demigod's body. There are different bodies, eight million... So long we shall remain māyā-dāsa, we have to change this body one after another. It may be of higher standard or it may be of lower standard. That will depend on my work. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. This is the philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are... We are not independent. We are completely under the control of material nature, and we get different types of bodies on account of associating with different modes of material nature.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: We made a resolution that if a householder gets married, then he has to take care of his wife for the rest of his life till he takes sannyāsa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, Prabhupāda corrected that.

Madhudviṣa: Yeah. So that resolution was wrong. And also the resolution about the women and the children coming to the temple, not accepting them, that was also wrong.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now what's the point?

Madhudviṣa: So now they're rectified.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now what is the point?

Madhudviṣa: I'm just saying that we should have a more practical understanding of this, of our attitude towards the whole situation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's why Prabhupāda corrected us.

Prabhupāda: So I think it may be further decided. Make a small committee of three or four gṛhasthas, and you define how you live.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what about their relationship with the society? This point was to... I don't understand why that is being avoided. In other words, how they should live, that they should have a committee for, but the fact that the society cannot support them, that is not for them to decide. That is for the GBC to decide. That is my point.