Prone to fall down

Expressions researched:
"prone to fall down"

SB Canto 3

Unless one is elevated to the Vaikuṇṭha planets, directly in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is prone to fall down.

SB 3.25.29, Purport: Sometimes it is asked how the living entity falls down from the spiritual world to the material world. Here is the answer. Unless one is elevated to the Vaikuṇṭha planets, directly in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is prone to fall down, either from the impersonal Brahman realization or from an ecstatic trance of meditation.

SB Canto 7

Even if one attains the stage of brahma-padam, merging in Brahman, without bhakti he is prone to fall down.

SB 7.15.45, Purport: if one neglects to serve the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot become free from the material clutches simply by knowledge. Even if one attains the stage of brahma-padam, merging in Brahman, without bhakti he is prone to fall down. One must be very careful in regard to the danger of falling down again into material bondage. The only insurance is to come to the stage of bhakti, from which one is sure not to fall. Then one is free from the activities of the material world. In summary, as stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one must get in touch with a bona fide spiritual master coming in the paramparā of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for by his mercy and instructions one is able to get strength from Kṛṣṇa. Thus one engages in devotional service and attains the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Viṣṇu.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

The innumerable living entities are prone to fall down to the material world from the spiritual world when influenced by the illusory energy.

Krsna Book 87: As explained before, the particles of Brahman are like sparks blissfully dancing within a fire, but there is a chance of their falling from the fire to smoke, although smoke is another condition of fire. This material world is just like smoke, and the spiritual world is like a blazing fire. The innumerable living entities are prone to fall down to the material world from the spiritual world when influenced by the illusory energy, and it is also possible for the living entity to be liberated again when by cultivation of real knowledge he becomes completely freed from the contamination of the material world.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

But we are prone to fall down, to be under the influence of prakrti.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973: But when we come in contact with this material nature... Kṛṣṇa does not come into the contact of the material nature. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But we are prone to fall down, to be under the... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. We are now under the influence of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. As soon as we fall down under the clutches of this prakṛti, material nature, which means... Prakṛti's composed of three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. So we capture one of the qualities. That is the cause, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sanga [Bg. 13.22]. Guṇa-saṅga. Means associating with different quality. Guna-saṅga asya jīvasya, of the living entity.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

"But they still, again they are prone to fall down."

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971: The individual soul who simply tries to merge into the effulgence, Brahman effulgence... That position is attained after many, many years' austerity and penances. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means with great trouble and difficulty one is elevated to that position, merging into the impersonal brahmajyoti. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32]. That is called paraṁ padam. But again says, patanty adhaḥ: "But they still, again they are prone to fall down." Why they fall down? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they do not care for Your lotus feet."

But sometimes it happens because this material world, sometimes we are prone to fall down.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971: Actually a devotee never commits any sinful activities. They are so careful, they are so sober, and because they are protected by Kṛṣṇa they never think of acting anything sinful. But sometimes it happens because this material world, sometimes we are prone to fall down. A devotee... Just like Arjuna. He was not willing to kill his kinsmen. Although he was so much insulted, he was bereft of his kingdom, his wife was insulted, still, he was thinking that "What is the use of killing my family members? Let them enjoy the kingdom. I shall better beg and live." He was thinking in that way because a devotee, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]. A devotee, a pure devotee, is naturally qualified with all good qualities.

"Oh, I have learned everything. My business is finished"—so there is prone to fall down again.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971: In spite of our superior qualities, we are always fool. You should know. Don't be puffed up with your superior qualities. You should remain always fool. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He presents Himself as a fool. So even Caitanya Mahāprabhu presents Himself before His spiritual master as a fool. So that is a good qualification, to remain a fool. Otherwise, it he becomes puffed up—"Oh, I have learned everything. My business is finished"—so there is prone to fall down again. And the spi... Because... Arjuna was addressed as a fool because Kṛṣṇa accepted, er, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master. So the spiritual master has the right, just like father has the right to say like that. So there was nothing wrong.

But due to our weakness we are prone to fall down in this material world. That is our position.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976: And because I am a very small particle, I forget my real nature. I identify with this material mahad-ādayaḥ. This is fallen down. This is fallen. A spark. Spark is fire, and the big fire is fire, but sometimes it is thrown. "Phat! Phat!" It sometimes falls down. So that small particle falls down. The big fire never falls down. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Acyuta. Acyuta means He never falls down. We, a small particle of the Acyuta, although by nature we are acyuta, but due to our weakness we are prone to fall down in this material world. That is our position. But again we can be reinstated in our original position by cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the position. Ādy-antavanta urugāya.

General Lectures

But because he is prone to fall down again, therefore, what to speak of others who are following the regulative principles?

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971: Śrīdhara Swami says that simply by chanting without any regulative principles, one becomes liberated. So how is that? So he replies himself also, "No, there are regulative principles." The idea is that chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it can immediately liberate the vibrator. But because he is prone to fall down again, therefore, what to speak of others who are following the regulative principles? This is the idea. It is not that... Just like the sahajiyās. They think that "If chanting is so powerful, I shall chant sometimes." But he does not know that after chanting, he is again falling down by willingly. This is willing, I mean to say, willful disobedience. Willful disobedience.

Philosophy Discussions

That is, he is prone to fall down because he is very minute quantity, he is small, so there is tendency of falldown.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Hayagrīva: Plotinus conceives of the soul as having basically two parts: a lower part, directed toward the body, and a higher part, directed toward the spiritual.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is, he is prone to fall down because he is very minute quantity, he is small, so there is tendency of falldown. The same example: the small spark of the fire, because it is very small, sometimes it falls down from the fire. So we become, being very small, minute particle of God, we become entangled by this material, external energy. Just like the example: a less intelligent person, in ignorance, commits criminal activities and he goes to jail. He is not supposed to go to the jail, but on account of his little intelligence or ignorance, he commits something which is criminal. This criminality is done by less intelligent class of men.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Everyone is prone to fall down. But that percentage is very low, say, one in five hundred.

Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: He says how long does it take to stop taking drugs by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: If one lives with us at least for six months, he will give up.

Guest (2): Six months. And are there cases which relapse?

Paramahaṁsa: He says, "Are there cases of..., which relapse? Persons who begin to withdraw from drugs...?"

Prabhupāda: Maybe one in five hundred.

Guest (2): One in five hundred.

Prabhupāda: There is. Everyone is prone to fall down. But that percentage is very low, say, one in five hundred. We have got about ten thousand students all over the world. Out of them, they have fallen about ten or, say, fifteen, that's all.

Guest (2): You means you have ten thousand students who used to be addicted to something?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Addicted to everything—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. And now they have given up everything.

That is also misuse of independence. Or we are prone to fall down because we are small.

Room Conversation with Dr. John Mize -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in our material contaminated state when we act in a foolishly or mad, then we call that tamas, or our ignorance, but in the spiritual sky when the living entity is in his pure state of consciousness, what acts..., Does something act upon him to make him illusioned at that point also?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Jaya-Vijaya. They committed offense. They did not allow the four Kumāras to enter. That was their fault. And the Kumāras became very sorry. Then they cursed him that "You are not fit to remain in this place." So we sometimes commit mistake. That is also misuse of independence. Or we are prone to fall down because we are small. Just like small fragment of fire. Although it is fire, it is prone to be extinguished. The big fire does not extinguish. So Kṛṣṇa is the big fire, and we are part and parcel, sparks, very small.

1970 Correspondence

Those who are elevated beyond the planetary system to the brahma effulgence are also prone to fall down as much as a living entity from the higher planetary system.

Letter to Revatinandana -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1970: The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down. It does not matter where a living entity stays. In the material world also there are different stages of living conditions, and to remain in the brahman effulgence is also another phase of that fallen condition. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that conditioned souls by their pious activities are elevated to the higher planetary system, but as soon as the stock of pious activities is finished he again comes down on the earthly planet. Similarly those who are elevated beyond the planetary system to the brahma effulgence, they are also prone to fall down as much as a living entity from the higher planetary system. As such those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent.

1971 Correspondence

The living entity is kshar; that is, prone to fall down into material existence.

Letter to Shekhar Prasad Shrestha -- Bombay 24 April, 1971: Yes, akshar means that which does not fall down, and kshar means that which falls down. The living entity is kshar; that is, prone to fall down into material existence. But the Supreme Brahman is akshar, or does not fall down. The material energy is under the control of the akshar brahman. Another meaning of the akshar brahman is the inhabitants of the spiritual world. They are eternally existing and never fall down. In other words they are called Nitya-Mukti and the kshar brahman is called Nitya Bhadda, or eternally conditioned.