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Practice means

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work. Therefore devotional service in practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kṛṣṇa.
Nectar of Devotion 2:

Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work. Therefore devotional service in practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kṛṣṇa. Some of the senses are meant for acquiring knowledge, and some are meant for executing the conclusions of our thinking, feeling and willing. So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely. Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

That practice means this, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by chanting, you'll be purified.
Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Designation... What is that designation? "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African," "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am woman," "I am man," so many designations. So you have to give up these designation. You have to give up these designation. "Then, if I'll not remain African, then I'll become Indian?" No. That is also designation. "I am Hindu. I become Muslim?" No, that is also designation. You have to become purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). All kinds of designations. (child cries) (aside:) This child may be... All kind of designations. You have to give up this designation that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African." No, no designation. Simply become pure Brahman, then pratijāne. That is called pratijāne, not that "I remain a Christian," "I remain a Hindu," "I remain black," "I am white," and "I am Brahman." No, not that. You have to give up your designation. That requires practice. And that practice means this, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by chanting, you'll be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And the beginning will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, because we have got our heart. Everyone—we are living entity—we have got heart that is full with dirty things. That dirty things is "I am this, I am that, I am that, I am that," that dirty things. So we have to cleanse these dirty things, that "I am European," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." These are all dirty things. You have to simply think, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). When you think like that, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then all these dirty things will automatically vanish.

Practice means if you undergo austerity, tapasya, everything will be practiced.
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

So practice. So practice means if you undergo austerity, tapasya, everything will be practiced. That is a Bengali proverb: śarīre nā mahāśaya(?). Mahāśaya is a word used in India, a very respectable gentleman, mahāśaya. So this śarīra, this body is mahāśaya. Ya sa haye sa taicha(?). Whatever he'll practice, it will be accustomed. So practice. So here this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is bringing them to the practice. Therefore you find, so nice, boys and girls, they're practiced. As soon as they're neglectful to the practice—falls down. They cannot stay. Immediately goes out. So that is called austerity, tapasya. Practice. Practical life.

This practice means at the time of death if one can remember Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, then the whole life is successful.
Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

This practice means at the time of death if one can remember Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, then the whole life is successful. At the time of death. Because the mentality, status of the mind at the time of death, will carry him to the next life. Just like the flavor is carried by the air, similarly, my mentality will carry me to a different type of body. If I have created my mentality like Vaiṣṇava, pure devotee, then I shall immediately transfer to Vaikuṇṭha. If I created my mind as an ordinary karmī, then I will have to stay within this material world to enjoy the type of mentality which I have created. If I keep myself as a businessman, doing business... Naturally it is done so. One gentleman in Calcutta, he was a very big businessman, and he was dealing in shares. So at the time of death he was crying, "Kamahatti, Kamahatti shares." Kamahatti shares at that time was very popular to the people. So at the time of his death the result will be that he might have taken his birth as a rat in the Kamahatti mill. It is possible. At the time of death, whatever you think, that will carry you to a type of body.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The practice means somehow or other, you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. The practice means somehow or other, you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). Practice in such a way that you'll be able to think of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, without any stop. That is the first-class yoga. Immediately you become a first-class yogi. You don't have to practice the meditation, samādhi, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, praṇāyāma, this aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Without practicing aṣṭāṅga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa always; then you become a first-class yogi. It is not our statement. Kṛṣṇa's statement.

We should be accustomed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa that whenever the death point is there, he would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then that is success. So practice means to remember.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). That is the success of life. Somehow or other, if one can remember Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, that is success of life. The... In Bengal there is a proverb: bhajana kara, pūjāna kara, mate janle haya. Your devotional service will be tested at the time of death. Because yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaram loke tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time of death, if we can remember Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, that is all success. The practice of devotional service means so that we may be so accustomed to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra that at the time of death we may remember it. Otherwise... Not like parrot. The parrot also imitates chanting. But when the cat catches, he does not say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." He says (imitates parrot sound), "kanh, kanh." So not that kind of... We should be accustomed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa that whenever the death point is there, he would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then that is success. So practice means to remember. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If we practice always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, naturally, at the time of danger, we shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

General Lectures

So the first question is, "What is the practice you preach?" Yes. We are preaching the original practice. Practice means which is practically done.
Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

So the first question is, "What is the practice you preach?" Yes. We are preaching the original practice. Practice means which is practically done. And sometimes things are impractical when they are unnatural, and natural things can be practiced very easily. So our preaching is to reinstate the living soul to his original condition. The original condition of living being is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As such, the part and parcel is meant for rendering service to the whole. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. The finger is expected to give service to the whole body. When I am feeling itching, my finger is helping it. When I want to pick up something, my finger is helping. Similarly, any part of my body... When I want to go out, my leg is walking. When I want, I want to see something, my eyes are helping. So in this way you can understand what we mean by part and parcel. Take materially also, any machine. The part and parcel... Just like here is a machine, tape recorder. There are different parts. One part is required to give, adjust speed; one part is required how to move, how to start, how to stop, how to increase. So different parts. Similarly, we are living entities, and the Lord is also a living entity. And we are originally created to help the Lord. He does not require... Because He's complete. But just to give a crude example, as the part and parcel required: now, suppose this finger is not giving me service. It is diseased. So sometimes doctors advise that "You have to amputate this finger, otherwise it will affect the whole body." Similarly, we living entities, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, when we rebel, that is our diseased condition. We, when we don't want to render service to the Lord, that is a state which is called demonic state.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

So this practice means, whatever we practice all through life, there is chance of coming that remembrance at the time of death, and then it is successful, life is success. If at the time of death one can remember Kṛṣṇa, then his whole life is successful.
Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: At the time of death, if one remembers Kṛṣṇa, then his life is successful. Immediately he goes to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Ajamila. He chanted "Narayana," and immediately his path to Vaikuntha become clear. So this practice means, whatever we practice all through life, there is chance of coming that remembrance at the time of death, and then it is successful, life is success. If at the time of death one can remember Kṛṣṇa, then his whole life is successful. Our one student, Kārttikeya, his mother was very fortunate. So his mother had nothing to do with this Society, but the boy was attached, and she heard several times "Kṛṣṇa," that this boy is attached to Kṛṣṇa. At the time of her death, she asked her son, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" and died. Just see how fortunate she is. She simply uttered this word, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" then she died. Very fortunate. So on account of her son she got salvation. Otherwise, Kārttikeya told me that he went to see his mother, and the mother was going to ball dance, and the mother did not receive him well. "All right, you sit down. I'll come again." She was such lady. But by Kṛṣṇa's grace, at the time of death, she inquired her son, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" Very fortunate.

Page Title:Practice means
Compiler:Rishab
Created:20 of Jan, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=6, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:8