Purification (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"purification"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

By ordinary senses we cannot understand... Either Śrī Kṛṣṇa's name... We are hearing our, through the aural reception, Kṛṣṇa's name, but if we keep our ear without purification... Of course, by hearing, it will be purified. We have to help. Help means to avoid the offenses, ten kinds of offenses. So in this way we shall help the purificatory process.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

A person who is completely free from sinful activities, such person can become a devotee, a lover of God. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching to the human society how to become purified. There is no such restriction that "This man can be purified; that man cannot be." No, there is nothing like that. Everyone can be purified if he desires to be so. So immediately we may not be able to purify. As it is prescribed—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—it may not be possible because those who are accustomed, it is difficult to give up. Therefore the process is given very simple: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So purification is absolute. That is necessary. Without purification, you cannot understand God. But the method we are prescribing... Not we are prescribing; it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prescription. We are simply propagating that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: If by purifying ourselves we feel our relationship that we have with the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the center of purification.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

So these things cannot be understood so long we are in the darkness. Darkness means sinful life. The more we are engaged in sinful life, we cannot understand what is sat-saṅga and what is asat-saṅga. So we should be purified. The whole human life is meant for purification. Yasmāt śuddhyet sattvam. Sattvam. Sattvam means existence. Śuddhyet. Śuddhyet means becomes purified. Just like a diseased man, contaminated by some disease. The medical treatment means he has to be purified from the contamination. Similarly, we are impure in this material existence, by contamination of the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—goodness, passion and ignorance.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

That you can purify. How it can be purified? That can be purified by devotional service. When you understand that you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, when I understand that "I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. He's Supreme, I am servant," and when I engage myself in His service, that is the purification of desires. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is acting on different material consciousness. "I am American. Therefore I must work in this way. I must fight with the Russians." Russian thinking that "I am Russian. I must fight the Americans." Or the China... So many designations. This is called māyā, illusion.

So we have to purify. That purification means one must know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." So what I am doing as spirit soul? Whatever I am working, at the present moment, on this bodily concept of life... But what about, what I am doing as spirit soul? This knowledge required. This knowledge comes when we are purified.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Now, here, here the sense, the senses... In the fighting we require to use our senses. Now, when the senses were withdrawn, when the senses... Sense satisfaction... Arjuna's statement that "I shall not fight," that was his sense satisfaction. Because he was thinking in bodily relation, therefore that sort of thinking, that "I shall not fight," this mental state was his sense's satisfaction. But here, when he agreed to fight, that was not his sense satisfaction. That was the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore we have to purify our senses, not to use it for my satisfaction, but to use it for the satisfaction of the Supreme. That's all. That is. That is our perfection. You are not devoid of the senses. Not that after being situated in spiritual consciousness your senses become null and void. No. Senses cannot be null and void because life means senses. Without senses there is no life. But the, this is the process of purification of the senses. That's all.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "According to the empirical philosophers, simply by adopting sannyāsa or retiring from fruitive activities, one at once becomes as good as Nārāyaṇa, God. But Lord Kṛṣṇa does not approve this principle. Without purification of heart, sannyāsa is simply a disturbance to the social order. On the other hand, if somebody takes to the transcendental service of the Lord, even without discharging his prescribed duties, whatever he may be able to advance in the cause is accepted by the Lord. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Svalpam means very little, api—although, asya—of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dharmasya—occupation, trāyate—delivers, mahato—great, bhayāt—fearfulness. Yes.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "By the purification of existence, the finer tissues in the memory become sanctified, and, memory being sanctified, one can think of the path of liberation."

Prabhupāda: Just like in our contaminated state we become diseased. What is disease? As soon as you contaminate or infected by some impure thing you become diseased. Similarly, our this disease, material disease, birth, death, old age, they are some kind of disease. Otherwise, I am spirit soul, I am pure, as pure as God because I am part and parcel of God. Due to my impurities of this material body I am suffering. So if you purify your existence then you get the quality in complete pureness of God. You become happy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), you become jolly. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as you purify yourself and become identified with the existence of God, immediately you become joyful, no anxiety. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). So you have to purify your existence. If you keep your body impurified, then how you can relish the purified consciousness? So you have to do it.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "A person acting for Kṛṣṇa or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Indirectly, Arjuna is told that he should fight the Battle of Kurukṣetra without attachment in the interest of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is also a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme's desire is to act without attachment for the result. That is the perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But a person who is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to the actions and reactions of good or evil work. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no attachment to the result, but acts on behalf of Kṛṣṇa alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like you go to your office. You are working on behalf of the particular office. So your duty is to discharge the occupation which is entrusted upon you. So far the loss or gain of that department or that establishment, you have nothing to do. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person acts on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. These boys they are going to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People may receive it or not receive it. That doesn't matter. Their duty is to preach. The fortunate person will be attracted, unfortunate may not be attracted, but they have to do the duty. It is very simple.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

So this human form of body is the only chance that we can stop this transmigration of transferring ourself from one body to another and come to our spiritual body. This process is described here as pūtā, purification, existentional purification. That is called pūtā. Just like when you are infected by some disease, you have to purify yourself after the infection, and you come to your normal health, similarly, by knowledge and purificatory method, if you come to your spiritual knowledge and spiritual platform, then your life is successful.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

There are some yajñas to be performed by everyone for purification. So a sannyāsī does not require to perform the yajñas. So by stopping that ritualistic performance of yajña, sometimes they think that they are liberated. But actually, unless he comes to the standard platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of liberation.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

If one is on the spiritual platform, on the soul platform, then his intelligence is spiritualized, his mind is spiritualized, his senses are spiritualized, he is spiritualized. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because actually the spirit soul is working but he has given his power of attorney to this nonsense mind. He is sleeping. But when he's awakened, the master is awakened, the servant cannot do anything nonsense. Similarly if you are awakened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your intelligence, your mind, or your senses cannot act nonsensically. They must according to that. That is spiritualization. That is called purification.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

Sometimes the yogis they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfect, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogis, they do not exhibit it. They do not exhibit it. They have got the powers, so many wonderful powers, but he doesn't... His only aim is ātma-viśuddhaye: "I am now contaminated by this material atmosphere; so I have to purify myself." So that purification process we shall discuss next day. But I may say in this connection that so much difficult process for purifying the ātmā is very easily done, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

The whole process is, yoga system, whole process is to purify myself. Purify. Ātma-viśuddhaye. And what is that purification? The purification is that I am pure spirit. I am not this matter. And under material contact I am identifying myself that "I am matter." I am thinking of myself, "I am this body." This is impurity of my existence. And it is clearly said here that one has to realize his constitutional position, that he is not this matter. (coughs) No water? Ātma-viśuddhaye. Upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātma-viśuddhaye. The whole process is to purify. Now, this purification process, if somebody is not able to go outside home and find out a secluded place, do you think that his purification of his existence will not be possible? No, it will be possible.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

This is mind's business. So you cannot become zero, you cannot become desireless. That is not possible. Our process... Just like others, they say, "You become desireless." That is a foolish proposal. Who can become desireless? It is not possible. If I am desireless, then I am a dead man. A dead man has no desire. So that is not possible. We have to purify the desires. That is required. Purify the desires. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is called purification. Nirmalam. Tat-paratvena. Tat-paratvena means when God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then desires become purified.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

So devotional service means purifying the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification. How you can purify your senses? That is defined in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra. It is said that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Purification of the sense means you have to be free from all kinds of designation. Our life is full of designation. Just like I am thinking "I am Indian," I am thinking "I am sannyāsī," you are thinking you are American, you are thinking "man," you are thinking "woman," you are thinking "white," you are thinking "black." So many designations. These are all designations. So purifying the senses means to purify the designation. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that "I am neither Indian nor European nor American nor this nor that. I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. I am the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." When we are fully convinced that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and that is purification of your senses.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Because you are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), who is by nature blissful, and you are part and parcel of that blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore your nature is also blissful. That is a fact. But you are seeking pleasure or blissfulness in a place where it is not possible. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). And by purification of your existential position, the result will be yasmād brahma-saukhyam. Brahman means the greatest. Greatest. Bṛhatvād bṛhannatvād iti... Brahman means the greatest and who comes in contact with Brahman, he also becomes greatest. That is called Brahman. So if you accept austerity in this life and don't behave like cats and dogs and hogs simply for sex pleasure, then the result will be that your existence will be purified, by which you'll realize eternal happiness, anantam, which has no end, no beginning, no end. Actually it is so.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

So if you transfer yourself to the spiritual nature, that is your real life. Now I am in the artificial or temporary nature. Not artificial, but temporary. I want to live eternally. I don't want death. But it is not possible, because I have got this temporary nature. That I was explaining this, that yena śuddhyet sattva. When your existential position will be purified, then you get your And the whole process of chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is purifying process. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). It is all purifying process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Purification means now we have got so many designations. So when we shall be free from all designation and simply understand that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is my natural position. This is very important question. It is clear?

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

So there is no difficulty. And as soon as it is purified... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). The purification... That is bhakti. Bhakti-mārga, devotional service means purifying the senses. That's all. The, at the present moment, our senses are covered by māyā, and this māyā can be moved away simply by remembering in every step Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That, that sevonmukha, that is the devotional service. Jihvādau. You simply engage your jihvā. Jihvā means tongue. The tasting is also tongue. Without tongue, you cannot taste. Therefore it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: "The beginning, beginning of purification, is to use your tongue in this devotional service." So our prescription is therefore that you use your tongue for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and employ your tongue for tasting Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. It is not at all difficult. There is no need of studying, mean, higher knowledge in the Vedic principle. That will auto, automatically will be revealed.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

So out of His causeless mercy, He came as Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya, and distributed this highest perfection of life, ecstasy, spiritual ecstasy, by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. This is practical. This is practical. It does not depend whether you are now liberated or non-liberated, what is your position, what is your condition. Doesn't matter. Just come and take part in it, and you'll feel spiritual ecstasy. Therefore it is called rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram. Pavitram: "It is very pure." Anyone who takes to this process, he becomes immediately purified. Or the purification process begins immediately. Immediately. Pavitram.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Unless one is engaged in devotional service, there is no question of purification. Then you'll fall down. These are the statements in the śāstras. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). You can elevate yourself to the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jñāna, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, with tapasya, with severe austerities. But if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, if you do not take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). So a devotee, if you become a devotee, you'll never fall down. Kṛṣṇa will give you protection.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

And if you utilize this body according to the śāstra to purify it... Because human body is meant for purification. Yasmāt śuddhyet sattvam. That is the given, instruction given by Ṛṣabhadeva. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yasmāt śuddhyet sattvaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhati viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). He advised instructed his sons: "My dear sons, don't use this body like the hogs and dogs. Whole day and night searching after stool. Eating, for eating. don't use this." And, after eating, as soon as there is the sex is strong, then sex life. That is hogs life. We have seen. These are the examples. Nature's. They are very stout and strong, fatty, eating stool. And as soon as fatty, immediately sex life, without any discrimination, mother, sister, or anyone. That is hogs. You see from nature's example. Dogs and hogs. The dog has no, I mean to say, courtesy or shame. At, in the street, they're having sex life.

Lecture on BG 16.1-3 -- Hawaii, January 29, 1975:

The first thing is that bhagavān uvāca. These things required for purification. Sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. The human life is meant for sattva. Sattva. Sattva means existence. We are existing. I am existing; you are existing. But we are sometimes appear to be not existing. That is called death. We, every living entity, we are eternal. That is stated in the Second Chapter, that ajo nityaḥ śāśvataḥ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These things required to understand, that "I am a living being, not only I am, everyone.

Lecture on BG 16.1-3 -- Hawaii, January 29, 1975:

The ignorance, disease of ignorance, means "I am this body. I am this body." I am not this body. So therefore it is said, abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. And jñāna, this sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, this purification of my existence, is possible. It is simply jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. Because I am in ignorance, therefore I am thinking, "I am this body." So it requires a little jñāna, knowledge. Then we will understand that "I am not this body; I am different from this body." And because I am in ignorance, therefore I am thinking, "I am this body," "I am this white body," "I am this black body," "I am this American body," "I am this Indian body," "I am this cat's body" and "dog's body," so many different consciousness on account of this... Basic principle is this ignorance. Ignorance. So that we have to cure.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

What is the difference between devatā and asura? The, that is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you develop your divine qualities, as they're described, ahiṁsā, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ... Sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ means existentional purification. Our..., we, as spirit soul, we are pure, original, because Kṛṣṇa is pure. Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram-paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are paraṁ pavitra." And God is paraṁ pavitra is admitted in the Īśopaniṣad. Apāpa-viddham, asnāviram. Asnāviram means in the body of God there are no veins, and therefore apāpa-viddham. Veins, as soon as you have got this veins, that is material body.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

It is not prohibited that one cannot become brāhmaṇa. No, one can become brāhmaṇa. If he gets association of a brāhmaṇa, if he agrees to be trained up by a brāhmaṇa, he can become brāhmaṇa. And brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa, not by birth. Anyone who has full knowledge of the Supreme, he is brāhmaṇa. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth everyone is śūdra. Even if he's born in a brāhmaṇa family he is śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. The saṁskāra means purification. That is satyaṁ śaucam. But the asuras, they do not want to be purified. They want to remain in the degraded stage of life. That is the difficulty.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

Unless you acquire the qualities of sattva-guṇa, you cannot go even in the higher planetary system, what to speak of going beyond the universe. Beyond the universe, beyond this, there are Vaikuṇṭhaloka, or the Brahmaloka, brahma-jyotir. Then topmost is the Goloka Vṛndāvana. But you can go there. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If you prepare in this life, then you can go there. There is no impediment. Simply you have to be purified. This bhakti-mārga is the process of purification.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

So the cultivation of knowledge how one can go back to that sanātana-dhāma and associate with the supreme sanātana and remain yourself sanātana, that is called sanātana-dharma. So we have to cultivate that sanātana-dharma, means we have to purify ourself from the material qualification or material designation. Here we have got material designation: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this and that." So one has to become free. That is purification, when we understand that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced Himself, that "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not a brahmacārī, but I am servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. If we come to this understanding, that is our purification.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

The whole Vedic scheme is that from the lowest grade of li..., existence, one can be elevated to the highest grade. Śudhyanti. Śudhyanti, purification. That is purification. In ordinary life also, there are purificatory methods, daśa-vidha-saṁskāra. That purificatory method begins before the birth, which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Not that a man, a high-caste brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or even vaiśya... Especially brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya. Especially brāhmaṇa. He's not meant for giving birth to a child like cats and dogs. He has to observe the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In the śāstra it is said in a brāhmaṇa family, if the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, he immediately falls down to the śūdra class.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

I do not belong to the skin. I do not... Because I do not belong to the skin, then so many skin descriptions... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a kṣatriya." In this way, "not, not, not..." Then what You are? "I am gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80)." When you understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is purification. That is purification. You accept it blindly, or by the process of reading śāstra and Vedas, you have to come to the conclusion: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Then you become mahātmā and your life is perfect.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

Although both the process leading to the target, to the topmost floor, the one is very slow and the other is very quick, immediate. Just like another example: if there is fog. You have got experience in your country, sometimes there is fog. You cannot see even a person one yard off from you. So there are so many processes to take precaution in the fog. But somehow or other, if the sun is little strong, immediately, the fog is over. So similarly, to purify ourself... This is the purification process, austerity, penance, controlling sex life, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, giving in charity whatever you possess, everything regulated. This is one process. And the other process is this bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972:

This is our education. Not directly for my sense gratification. I want to paint nice picture. So because I wanted my sense gratification, now painting has become several logs. Especially in your country. What is that painting? That means the tendency toward making it zero. Śūnyavādi. We say, "You have got taste for painting. You are nice painter. Just paint Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. You see how nice it is." So painting is not to be stopped. It is simply diverted for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We don't want to kill, but we simply divert to Kṛṣṇa. Purification, that is. If you don't divert your attention to Kṛṣṇa, then more and more, you will become sinful, and everything will be polluted.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

So persons who are trying to commit sinful activities on the strength of some spiritual activity, they're the greatest sinners. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. That is not allowed. You can neutralize your sinful activities by some spiritual a... But that does not mean... This is called hasti-snāna. That is also explained. Hasti-snāna. Hasti-snāna means bathing of the elephant. The elephant goes into the reservoir of water, takes bath very nicely, and, as soon as come on the land, again takes some dust and throws over the body. Immediately. You see? So, that sort of purification is not required. Once purified, don't commit again. The harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21), Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra has got power to purify, but that does not mean that we shall commit again and purify it. That process is not this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

So the activities of the senses should not be stopped, it should be repaired or reformed. That is cikitsitam, "properly treated." Cikitsitam, this is the word. Cikitsitam means properly treated, under the direction of physician. The physician is guru, and guru's business is to instruct the disciple, "My dear son, you do not work for your so-called sense gratification, you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses, then your life is perfect. This is the physician's duty, and this is the patient's duty. Cikitsitam. Cikitsitam is purification. You have got disease, purify yourself.

Lecture on SB 1.5.36 -- Vrndavana, August 17, 1974:

Another point is as soon as you try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your purification begins immediately. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you simply remember or say that "I have heard it from my spiritual master or from a saintly person, that while drinking water, that taste is Kṛṣṇa. So you accept it," this is preaching. This is preaching. You are preaching. Or one who hears from you, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ, if you simply carry this work. Just try to understand the importance of preaching. Sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, you are remembering and you are preaching. So you are preaching means somebody else is hearing you. So he is also being purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Even he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, but he simply hears from you, then he becomes purified.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

Pradyumna: "O Arjuna, only another brahmāstra can counteract this weapon. Since you are expert in the military science, subdue this weapon's glare with the power of your own weapon.

"Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: Hearing this from the Personality of Godhead, Arjuna touched water for purification, and after circumambulating Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he cast his brahmāstra weapon to counteract the other one."

Prabhupāda:

na hy asyānyatamaṁ kiñcid

astraṁ pratyavakarśanam

jahy astra-teja unnaddham

astra-jño hy astra-tejasā

(SB 1.7.28)

sūta uvāca

śrutvā bhagavatā proktaṁ

phālgunaḥ para-vīra-hā

spṛṣṭvāpas taṁ parikramya

brāhmaṁ brāhmāstraṁ sandadhe

(SB 1.7.29)

So counteraction. This is military science. Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. And military science also, one of the part of the Vedas, Dhanur Veda. It is called Dhanur Veda—how to utilize dhanuḥ. Dhanuḥ means bow and arrows. Similarly Āyur Veda. Āyur Veda means medical science, how to protect the āyuḥ. Because the body is perishable, so in the Vedic knowledge, everything is there to guide the human society.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

So the human life is meant for purification. Sattva-śuddhi. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is, abhayam... What is that? Can anyone... Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. Sattva-saṁśuddhi, it is very important thing. Sattva means my existence. I am eternal. So I am existing, but I am suffering. I am suffering. Just like I have got now cold affection (infection). This is not my natural state, but I have been affected by chilly cold or something like that. Therefore I am suffering. So it is my duty to cure it, to take some medicine, to go to the physician. That is called sattva-saṁśuddhi, purifying your existence. By nature, by constitutional position, every living entity is as pure as God. But God does not become impure. We become impure. Therefore we are suffering. That is the... So this impurity can be rectified in this life, this human form of life. Therefore human form of life is meant for purification. Therefore so many scriptures are there, so many teachers are there, so many rules and regulations are there. They are not meant for the animals, because they cannot be purified. They must have to come to this position by evolution of human being. Then there is chance of purification.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

That purification method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You purify your senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified. So how these things can be purified? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. You have to be free from all designation. Designation. So at the present moment I am thinking, "This is my hand. I am American. Therefore this is my American hand." "I am Indian; therefore it is my Indian hand." So you have to forget this, or you have to purify: "This hand is neither American nor African nor Indian. This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa." This is purification.

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

Viśuddha. Viśuddha means purified. Our consciousness is not purified at the present moment, but if we purify it... That purification also is possible by becoming in touch with Kṛṣṇa always. And this touch is very easily made possible. Śṛṇvatām. This is the chance, śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means by hearing, by aural reception. Simply those who are coming here, even they do not know anything about it, but God has given this ear, and let him hear about Kṛṣṇa. We are therefore discussing so many... We have written so many books simply about Kṛṣṇa. Not all books published—we have published about twenty books—but we have to finish it. It cannot be finished, but at least, to some extent it will be finished by sixty books. And what is that subject matter? Kṛṣṇa. That's all. People cannot imagine that about God, sixty books can be written.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So God's creation is like that. You cannot by force enter into any atmosphere unless you become fit to live there. That is God's creation. By force you cannot live within water. By force the fish cannot live on the land. You'll die. Similarly, by force you cannot enter into the moon planet. Therefore they are frustrated. It is not possible. Similarly, without being Kṛṣṇized, you cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, you cannot associate with Him. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become perfectly Kṛṣṇa-ite, as good as Kṛṣṇa. That is purification process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam. Nirmalam means purification. Now we are sa-malam. We have got so many dirty things with us. So one has to become nirmalam.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So this is called purification, to learn how to sit down before the Deity, how to talk before the Deity. So everything should be learned. There are sevā-aparādha, sixty-four kinds of offenses in the service. So we have to become offenseless. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept your service. Not by making a show. Kṛṣṇa will accept your service when you are sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). Automatically there will be. As soon as you're purified, automatically Kṛṣṇa will appear, immediately. Kṛṣṇa will ap... Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti: (Bs. 5.38) "Those who are purified, santaḥ, saintly persons, they can see Kṛṣṇa in every second, every moment." Because they have been purified. After purification, there will be prema, love. The symptoms of purification is that when you do not love anything except Kṛṣṇa, that is purification. We have got our love. So instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we are loving dog, cats and this and that—my country, community, family, nation, so many ways distributed.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:

"If one takes shelter of My devotee," vyapāśritya, "and works under his direction, then..." Vyapa. That is called vyapāśritya. Viśeṣa rūpeṇa āśritya. "Then he also...," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "he can also go back to home, back to Godhead." There is no bar.

But one has to purify himself by the purificatory process. That is called saṁskāra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By purificatory process, one becomes purified, and purified means no more sinful life. That is purification. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

If you are seriously hearing, then Kṛṣṇa can understand. Not that karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. "Let me hear on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven days, and I'll get... I have got now one lakh of rupees. I'll get three lakhs." That is karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. That is not wanted. The hearing of Bhāgavatam means to cleanse your heart, that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is purification. When you come to this understanding, that "I am not this body, I am spirit... Ahaṁ brahmāsmi," then... Brahmāsmi, finished? The Māyāvādī says as soon as you come to this conclusion, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then your business is finished. No. Your business begins there. That is the verdict of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

That's all right. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. (aside:) That's all right. Why you are bothering? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. In these blunt material senses you cannot understand what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It requires purification of the senses, when you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa's name, nāmādi, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality, what is Kṛṣṇa's entourage, what is Kṛṣṇa's pastime. You cannot understand. How you will be understanding? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you are engaged in the loving service of the Lord, beginning with your tongue, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and taking prasādam, in this way, gradually, when you will be purified, you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa. He will reveal. Kṛṣṇa reveals. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). For others, He is covered with yogamāyā's curtain, but for the devotees, He is open.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

So tīrtha-buddhiḥ, yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ. Real tīrtha is to find out a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. That is the business. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu. Janeṣu. Tīrtha means in the holy places many saintly persons live. So if one goes to the holy place, they must find out a holy man who is living there, and take lesson from him. And that is purification. Not that I go and take bath in the water, and I become purified.

So these classes of men, who are doing like this, that "I am this body, and this birthplace is my worshipable land, yat-tīrtha, and my, this wife and children, they are my protectors," in this way, everyone is thinking. "And whatever sinful activities I am doing, I shall take one bath in the Ganges or Yamunā or Jordan. Then I'll be purified." In this way, the people who are thinking, the śāstra says, "You are no better than the ass and the cow." This is the certificate. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). This class of thinking is simply for the animals.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify the covering, the material covering. That... What is that purification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). First of all, you have to purified with the sense that you are neither American nor a Frenchman nor Englishman nor Indian nor brāhmaṇa nor kṣatriya—nothing of the sort. You have to... These are all designations, outward dress. You have to become free from it. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). You'll have to forget. Actually, that is happening in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Those who have joined, they never think that "I am American," "I am Frenchman," "I am Englishman." They are always thinking that they are servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is called purification. As soon as you learn that you are neither American, nor Indian, nor this or not that... You are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is purification. The more you are fixed up on this knowledge, the more you are purified. That's all.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

So when you are purified, then, with your senses, you can engage yourself in serving Kṛṣṇa instead of serving this māyā. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu (SB 2.1.4). Just like here is also family. Here the Kṛṣṇa conscious family means they are not families like cats and dogs. They are family, making Kṛṣṇa center. They're also family. They have got husband, wife, children, but the whole attention is to Kṛṣṇa. Even a child, he is also dancing, he's also chanting. He's offering obeisances. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So this movement, we should understand very clearly that there is no question (of) artificial negation. The question is purification. As soon as you become purified, and you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification, completely purified. When this... Suppose this anger. If this anger is applied in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is purified. It is purified. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was not becoming angry to his enemy. He was a very good man. "No, I'm not going to fight." And Kṛṣṇa was, I mean to say, encouraging him to be angry. Otherwise how could he fight? So when he fought for Kṛṣṇa, that became service. Of course, these are very intricate questions. When one studies very seriously and scientifically, this will be revealed.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: How can the purification process, Prabhupāda, be carried through the average life, twenty-four hours a day?

Prabhupāda: The purification process is stated in Nārada Pañcarātra. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). You have to free yourself from the designation. Designation. The same example can be given. Just like Arjuna. He was designating himself with the Kuru family; therefore he was impure. When he gave up this designation, he identified his interest with Kṛṣṇa, he became devotee. So we have to give up this designation, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am this," "I am that"—"I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am God's. I am servant of God." And if you act in that way, then whole thing becomes purified. And if you keep your designation accidentally... Just like you are American. This is accidental. By somehow or other, you have come to accept a body from the American family. Now this will be changed. You do not know what is your next body. So this is changing. This is not my permanent settlement. But your permanent settlement is to identify yourself that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That is your permanent settlement. So if you put yourself in that position, being freed from all designation, then your process of everything, all qualities, become purified.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

Prabhupāda: You try to follow the transcription because you do not know devanāgarī alphabet. When there is chanting you follow the transcription.

ātma-tattva-viśuddhy-arthaṁ

yad āha bhagavān ṛtam

brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam

avyalīka-vratādṛtaḥ

(SB 2.9.4)

So read every verse. Practice it. Give everyone. (break) Purification means that one will be able to see God face to face. That is purification. Just like in the sky, as soon as the cloud is moved, dissipated, you can see the sun immediately. This is the process. God is everywhere, within and without. So why He is not seen? Because our senses are not perfect. God is everywhere. They say, "Oh, why you are going to temple. God is everywhere," as if he has seen God. These rascals say like that. "What is the use of going to temple? God is everywhere." Have you seen? No one has. You see?(?) Is it not, sometimes they say?

Sudāmā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

So we have to learn how to purify our senses. Then we can see God everywhere. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Brahma-saṁhitā. Premāñjana-cchurita. When we develop love of God, prema añjana, that ointment... Just like we apply some ointment to the eyes to make it clear—our vision becomes clearer—similarly, there is ointment which is called love of Godhead. If we develop that love of Godhead, so by that ointment, when our imperfect eyes will be cleansed, then we can see God. This is the process. Ātma-tattva. So ātma-tattva viśuddhy-artham. Ātma-tattva. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So the beginning of purification is first of all to understand "what I am. Am I this body or something else?" Ātma-tattva. If we can understand "myself, what I am," then I can understand God also. Or if I can understand God, then I can understand me also. Just like if you see the sun, you can see yourself also. In the darkness you cannot see yourself, neither the sun.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Generally people have many wrong conceptions about both of them. The wrong conception of the jīvātmā is to identify the material body with the pure soul. And the wrong conception of Paramātmā is to think Him on an equal level with the living entity. But both misconceptions can be removed by one stroke of bhakti-yoga, just as in the sunlight both the sun and the world and everything within the sunlight are properly seen. In the darkness no one can see the sun, nor himself, nor the world. But in the sunlight one can see the sun, himself, and the world around him. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī therefore says that for purification of both wrong conceptions, the Lord presented His eternal form before Brahmājī, being fully satisfied by Brahmā's nondeceptive vow of discharging bhakti-yoga."

Prabhupāda: Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). That is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, "If you want to know Me, then you have to accept this bhakti-yoga. No other means will...," because without full surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, nobody can know Him. Even a very important man in this world, you cannot know him by challenge. But if you surrender, it is possible to know him.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

And what is that tapasya? Tapasya for realization of God. And then we shall be purified. What is meaning of purify, purification? Purification means we are eternal, and if we become purified from this material contaminating, then we get back our eternal life, back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. That is... For that we have to accept little tapasya. Not to become sense gratifier like the dogs and hogs. That is not civilization. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This human life should be regulated in such a way that he hasn't got to satisfy the senses after taking so much hard labor. The modern civilization is like that. Everyone is engaged in hard labor simply for satisfaction of the senses. So they have become mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vi... And they are acting without any consideration of the effect. They do not consider whether it is sinful or not. They do not believe in the next life. They do not discriminate what is sinful, what is pious—nothing. Exactly like animals.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

So human life is not meant for like that. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam, śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). You have to purify your existence. Now our existence is not purified. We get this contaminated body and change it; again another contaminated body, another... Just like one man is suffering from disease: one contamination, then another contamination, another... This is not life. You purify yourself. And that purification begins when you accept the life of austerities, tapaḥ, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some... This is not inconvenience. Just like in our society it is enjoined, the students, they should voluntarily accept the principle: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no fish-eating, no, nothing of the sort, no intoxication, and no gambling. This is tapasya. Especially for these European and American students, they are, from the beginning of their life, they are accustomed to these habits. But they have voluntarily given up on my word. And that is guru's business. So to purify so that he may be saved from this illusion—he must be purified—so this little inconvenience for higher happiness, that is desired, that is required.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

So how this purification is possible? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: (Brs. 1.2.234) by engaging oneself in service of the Lord, and the first service begins from the tongue, jihvādau. We have got many senses, sense organs, but devotional service begins from the tongue, jihvādau, by chanting. It is very difficult subject matter, but it is made easy because... Devahūti says, sukhaṁ buddhyeya: "Very easily I can understand, because I am woman." Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone: striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ (BG 9.32). Although they are considered less intelligent, still, Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone.

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Simply these centers are created to give chance to the people in general to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Because as soon as we hear about Kṛṣṇa attentively and try to assimilate it, then the purification of the heart begins.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

(CC Antya 20.12)

So śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam is so nice. It has no expenditure, no loss, simply gain. If you kindly hear śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, if you cannot chant Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, you are so reluctant, or if you cannot because to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that also requires little fortune... Aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam.

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. We become purified. This is purificatory process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification. On account of impure life, we are embarrassed with so many designation, impure life. So we have to become designationless, no designation, sarvopādhi... "I am not Hindu. I am not Mussalman. I am not Christian. I am not brāhmaṇa." This is designation. Even sannyāsī... Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore, nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir yatir vā, He described Himself, "No, I am not kṣatriya. I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not sannyāsī. I am not gṛhastha. I am not vaiśya." simply negation. He simply said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of servant of servant of the gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:

So if we undergo this tapasya then our existence will be purified. This is... This method, this process, is devotional service. The devotional service, from the very beginning it is transcendental. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. If you simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that's the beginning of existentional purification, immediately. Īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā vāca. Simply if you sincerely think that "How shall I serve Kṛṣṇa?" "Kṛṣṇa" does not mean simply Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa" means Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia, Kṛṣṇa's association—everything in connection. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandha yukta vairāgyam ucyate. Everything.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

What is the use of purifying? There is need. If you purify, purify yourself, existentional condition, then you will be saved from the four kinds of troubles or miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. So God realization means spiritual realization. So Ṛṣabhadeva says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1), by purification of your existentional condition you enjoy brahma-saukhyam. After all, we are searching after happiness, pleasure. So on account of our impure existential condition, our so-called happiness is temporary. Brahma-saukhyam means, here again, yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed, when your existence is purified. Now we have got impure existence, this material body. When we get our spiritual body, that is called purified.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Just remember that the whole different grades of evolution of life means purifying the existence. The aquatic animals, when they are developed into plant life, that is little purified. Then from plant life, microbes, insects, that is still more purified. From microbes, insects, birds' life, different grades of birds' life, that is still more purified. And from birds' life to beasts' life, that is still more purified. And, from beast life to human form of life, that is still more purified. And from uncivilized human form of life to civilized human form of life, that is still more purified. In this way this purification process is still going on.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, tyaktvā deham. Tyaktvā means quitting this body. Mind that always, that we are changing different types of body just like different types of dress. I am the spirit soul. So, so long you are not completely purified, you have to accept this kind of body, that kind of body, this body, that body, that body. That is going on. But one who comes to the perfectional stage of purification, for him, Kṛṣṇa says tyaktvā deham, by quitting this body, punar janma naiti... Punar janma means rebirth, reincarnation, within this material... No more. Finished. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punaḥ, mām eti: "He comes to My planet, or unto Me." Who? Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "The person who can understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, that person." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply by understanding what is Kṛṣṇa, how He appears on this planet, how He disappears, what does He do, what does He instruct, what is the purpose, so many things... They are classified in two headings, janma karma: birth and activities. Kṛṣṇa has got activities.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Simply you are changing bodies. Now how I am preparing for the next nice body which is eternal? That is the problem of human life, not that to be carried away by cats and dogs and meat and fish and everything. No. This is the main theme of this instruction, that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena, yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Tapo divyaṁ putra, putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet. Just try to purify your existence. Just like I gave you the list of purification from lowest stage of life to the highest, so, I mean to say, as the change of body, just like change of dress, you like a nice dress, giving up the old dress, similarly, change of body is going on. You accept the first-class body next life, first-class body next life which is eternal, which is not subjected to the tribulations of this body.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So next point is how you can do this? How you can purify your existence? That instruction is that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you associate and serve mahat—mahat means the great, great personality—mahat-sevāṁ dvāram, then your door for purification will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāram... And the opposite is, if you want to enter into the darkest region of ignorance, then you associate with persons who are simply meant for sense gratification. Two ways, this way or that way. If you want to approach to the perfectional point of purificatory birth, then you associate with mahat-sevā. Sevā means service. Service. Our whole process is service. This spiritual life can be attained simply by service, not by any other qualification. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā the last instruction is surrender. You cannot render service to a person unless you surrender. That is the first condition, mahat-sevā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Purification means full knowledge. What is the difference between dog and me? How I am purified? Because my knowledge is different than the dog. So purification means knowledge. Therefore the very word is used, jñānavān. Jñānavān, one who has advanced in knowledge, he is purified. Just like an ordinary man, he does not know how to keep hygienic principles, ignorant. But a person who knows the hygienic laws, how to keep the body, his body is purified due to knowledge. A man who does not know that "By eating this such and such kind of food I'll be diseased," he has no knowledge.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

Uttama-śloka means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And when you come to that stage, not that completely pure, almost pure, by nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), and increasing your devotional service, then you immediately be situated in the brāhmaṇa qualification. As soon as you increase your devotional service by serving person Bhāgavatam and hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, immediately you become situated on the sattva-guṇa. Tato rājas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta etair anāviddham (SB 1.2.19). Then this rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, cannot touch your heart. The whole process is purification of the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is there. It is not an artificial thing. Nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti. It is our natural relationship with Kṛṣṇa because we are part and parcel. Just like father and son.

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

So we have to cure our disease. This disease means... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means purification of our diseased condition, infectious condition. It is not anything artificial. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti śrādhya kabhu naya. Not that by artificial means, as they are making propaganda in Europe and America that we are brainwashing... It is not that by some means or by some artificial, what is called, hypnotism, we are making these European or American boys, girls kṛṣṇa-bhakta. No. It is there already, kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Otherwise why they should take to Kṛṣṇa? They have got their other, I mean to say, worshipable. There is Jesus, Jesus Christ, and others. Mostly they are coming from Christian family. Why they should agree to worship Kṛṣṇa? No, it is there already. It is not that because they are born in Europe and America they are different from Kṛṣṇa's relationship.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Honolulu, May 5, 1976:

We require this eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But if we try, if we practice, that is called austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaḥ (SB 5.5.1). Śuddha. Śuddha means purification, existence, purifying the existence. We are eternal, we are existing, and on account of impurity, we have got this material body, and it is subjected to the laws of material nature, and we have to change one after another. This is pravṛtti-mārga. But in the human form of life if we come to senses that "Why I shall accept repetition of birth, death, old age, disease, and so many miserable conditions?" so that is called sense. That is intelligence. That intelligence can be developed in human form of life, and if we do not do, then the same example: just you use the sandalwood for burning purpose.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

Similarly, our aim should be how to get out of this miserable condition of this material existence. And we should prepare ourself for that purpose. And the best and easiest method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance in ecstasy, you become in the process of purification. You chant, you dance nicely, enjoy. Just see how nice and easiest process has been endowed to us by Lord Caitanya. He's teaching Himself. And immediately you can take part. There is no prerequisite qualification. You haven't got to educate yourself. Just like if one studies Vedānta, he has to tax his brain so much, he has to learn Sanskrit, he has to learn the intricacies of logic and philosophy and so many things. Here, there is no need of anything. You come here as you are, whatever you may be, and join this chanting and dancing. Your purification method immediately begins. Immediately. And if you continue, then you become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as you are purified... Purification means purification of your heart, that's all. All the dirty things are within our heart. The bodily dirty things, if you wash once, it is all gone. But it is very difficult to remove the dirty things within the heart. That requires purification. So this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, begins from the purification of your heart.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:

Santoṣa: "To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and never fall down. Such a life of celibacy or brahmacarya is perfect. One should voluntarily give up sense enjoyment. One should control the mind and senses, give charity, speak truthfully, be clean and nonviolent. He should follow regulative principles and chant the holy name of the Lord. These practices certainly bring temporary purification. Thus they are like fire, for although fire clears away the dry creepers beneath the bamboo plant, the creepers grow back again at the first opportunity."

Prabhupāda:

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena ca damena ca

tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā

dharmajñāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ

kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api

veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ

(SB 6.1.13-14)

So this is first-class human life. This should be the ideal of first-class human life. The first thing is tapasya, austerity, not extravagance. That is not human life. Tapasya. Tapasā means, generally, voluntarily accepting some inconvenience. And then brahmacarya. Brahmacarya means no sex life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:

So if we want to know, everything is there; but to understand, that will require a separate brain. That is recommended here. You create your brain. Tapasā, first of all austerity. You cannot create your brain by doing nonsense things. That is not possible. You have to control: śamena damena, tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). These are the process to create a brain to understand God. Otherwise it is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). It is simply laboring for nothing. So this is the recommended, that treatment. That is also not sufficient. In the last, Śukadeva gives an hint that "This kind of purification, by tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13), is like veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ." Veṇu-gulma, veṇu-gulma means the dried creepers and grass.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Honolulu, May 14, 1976:

In Sanskrit literature every word has got particular meaning, particular thought. Therefore it is called Sanskṛta, most performed and purified literature, Sanskrit. Sanskrit means purified. Saṁskāra. Just like we offer saṁskāra at the time of initiation, purification. So our main problem is the sex life. That is... Because sex life is the basic principle of material life. Either you are human being or you are demigod or you are a bird, you are a beast, you are a fly, you are a fish, you are tree, plants—everything—the basic principle of material life is sex. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etat tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). Everything is there. You have got books. You study and follow the practice. Be little sober. It is not that you'll not be able. You'll be able. And Kṛṣṇa will help. As soon as you are very eager, then Kṛṣṇa will help. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10).

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

We have got all kinds of students, but they are now devoid of all designations. They are not thinking that "I am American." They are not thinking, "I am Indian." They are thinking always, "I am Kṛṣṇa's servant." This is purification. This is purification. Sarva upādhi. Upādhi. This is designation. I am not American, nor Indian. This is body. This is circumstantial. I am, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, and Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Brahman, and I am Brahman, His eternal servant. This is self-realization. This is called mukti. Muktiḥ hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. This is mukti. Now we are anyathā rūpam. I am thinking Even there are so many human beings here, suppose in Auckland Somebody is thinking, "I am Indian." Somebody is thinking, "I am American."

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

We are discussing the process of purification. Different methods have been described, by prāyaścitta and by tapasya. We have discussed. And then kevalayā bhakta. Bhakti includes everything—karma, jñāna, yoga, everything. And it is specially recommended that by austerities and other methods, there is possibility, but it may not be successful. But if we adopt this process, devotional service, then it is sure. So this purificatory process means nivṛtti-mārga. And pravṛtti-mārga means without any knowledge where we are going on, rushing on—we are doing everything, whatever we like—that is called pravṛtti-mārga. People are generally engaged in pravṛtti-mārga. Especially in this age, they do not care what is going to happen next. Therefore they feel relief that "There is no life after death. Let us enjoy this life to the best capacity. Then after death, never mind what will come." First of all, they deny to believe the next life. And even there is next life, and even if I am going to become cats and dogs, they do not mind. This is the experience of the modern age, irresponsible life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

So the human life is meant for this purification. We are working very hard for getting our daily bread. People are not getting their bread sitting idly. That is not possible. They are working very hard. This nice city of Denver is there. It has not sprung up from the jungle or desert. One had to work very hard to make this city so nicely, perfectly standing. So we have to work. If we want happiness, then we have to work. There is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa says that yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Somebody is working to become happy within this material atmosphere by becoming very big man within this world, or a little more intelligent, they are not happy in this life, but they want to become happy in the next life. Sometimes they go to the higher planetary system.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

So here is one significant word, surā-kumbham. Everything is washed very nicely. If you go to the river, you can wash very nicely. But just see how much infectious is liquor that the any pot or any bottle which was filled up with liquor, they cannot be purified. This is Vedic civilization. How much condemned is liquor! Because a pot was filled up with liquor, you cannot use it for any other purpose. It is lost. Even if you wash it very nicely, no, it will not be accepted. Finished. Similarly, there are many processes of purification; they cannot be as useful as bhagavad-bhakti. Bhagavad-bhakti is so nice that Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender to Me," sarva-dharmān parityajya, "and immediately you become immune from all reaction of sinful activity, immediately."

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

You'll manifest your all good qualities simply by becoming nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. And so far atonement... We began this atonement. So atonement is concerned, here it is said, prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. You can have some atonement, but if you are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so this purification will not be complete. How? Rājendra surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. According to Vedic civilization, a pot in which wine was kept, it is impure forever. It is impure forever. You cannot use for any other purpose. It is so abominable. If you think that "This bottle contained wine. Now wine is finished. Wash it, then it becomes pure," then according to Vedic civilization wine is so impure that even the pot in which wine was kept, it will never become pure. Surā... These examples outsider cannot understand, but it is said in the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:

If you are serious... But if you take it as a fashion, that is another thing. But if you take it seriously to progress, then these things will done. This is the basic principle of spiritual progress. Otherwise we shall learn, bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryair garhitāṁ vṛttim āsthitaḥ, bibhrat kuṭumbam aśucir... Aśuci, aśuci. Aśuci means unclean. Spiritual life means purification. So if you purify and again become unclean, that we have discussed hasti-snāna, the elephant. Elephant takes bath very nicely, and as soon as come on the shore, take some dust and throw on... Kuñjara śaucavat. Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "What is this cleaning?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

Then your struggle for existence will stop. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Just like one man is infected with some disease. That is aśuddha, impure condition. So we try to make it purified by injection, by medicine. And similarly, we are getting repeatedly different types of body. Now we should purify this bodily existence. And that purification in this age, it is very, very simple: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's contribution. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. So very simple thing. There is no question of cast, creed, nationality, color, richness. No. Everyone has got the tongue by the grace of God. Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So just continue and be happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

e are now habituated to use this indriya for material sense enjoyment. Therefore these indriyas, senses, is not fit for understanding Kṛṣṇa. It has to be purified. The senses, you cannot stop the activities of the senses, but you have to purify. That is recommended. That purification of the senses begins from the tongue. Therefore we have recommended that don't eat meat, don't taste intoxication, don't, and illicit sex. From the tongue, it goes to... Sex is not prohibited, but illicit sex, that is controlled, that is controlled. If one is allowed to have unlimited, unrestricted sex, then he is doomed. Better restrict your sex in one wife, woman (indistinct). That means gradually it will be controlled.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

So we have to practice. We are accustomed to this material entanglement. This practice is there. Then gradually we shall be freed from this entanglement. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is purification, when we become free from this designation. Then hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. And when you are freed from this... Therefore bhakti actually begins after liberation. Bhakti is not... Nivṛtta-tarṣair-upagīyamānā. Nivṛtta means one who has ceased tṛṣṇa. Tṛṣṇa means aspiration. We have got so many aspirations. So this transcendental life or chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is means for the liberated person. Nivṛtta-tarṣair-upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc-chrotra-mano 'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). This chanting is the medicine for our conditioned stage.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

The desire cannot be stopped. Because we are living entities, life, we are not dead stone, that desires will be stopped. No. Desires are to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Desires to purified... Everyone is working under some impure consciousness, just like nationalism: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am German." This desire is polluted, because I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. What is the benefit, my identifying with America or India or...? This is called purification of the desire. Everyone is working under national, and they are fighting with one another because the desire is impure.

Lecture on SB 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975:

So punishment is also purification. Purification. Same law: If you infect some disease, then you must get that disease and you must suffer from that disease. That is your punishment. Therefore you should be very much careful not to infect any disease. Similarly, don't infect the material qualities, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Remain in sattva-guṇa and try to elevate yourself from sattva-guṇa to transcendental stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ. Then life is successful. Otherwise we shall be repeatedly punished so long we have got the tendency to enjoy material happiness and get another body, one after another. We shall be punishable by the Ya mache piche. It is the Bengali poetry.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

So this man deviated from bhāgavata-dharma. Therefore he was to be arrested by the Yamadūtas for purification. That was his external affair. But by chance, by the grace of the Lord, at the time of his death he chanted "Nārāyaṇa," not exactly meaning the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, but his son's name was Nārāyaṇa. He was thinking that "I am being dragged by the Yamadūta. So my son will save me." Therefore he exclaimed, "Nārāyaṇa, please save me." So he meant his son, but Nārāyaṇa, actual Nārāyaṇa, heard it—"O Nārāyaṇa, please save me." This is the... Nārāyaṇa is so kind that although the name of Nārāyaṇa was called by Ajāmila, meaning his son, still, because he has chanted the name, holy name of Nārāyaṇa, it was immediately taken seriously by Lord Nārāyaṇa, and His order-carriers, the Viṣṇudūtas, were sent to save this man.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

So this is the superexcellence of chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or God. Here it is said that "Such description or prescription for performing ritualistic ceremony, they are not sufficient to purify a man." But if one chants the holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtaiḥ, padaiḥ, once, once only, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa... So harer nāma, not other name, only harer nāma. Yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtaiḥ. Simply once chanting. Uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam. The purification of chanting harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21) means as soon as you chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa immediately you will see the form of Kṛṣṇa, you will realize the qualities of Kṛṣṇa, you will immediately remember the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. That is pure chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

So they are authorized things. But still, if you follow the ritualistic ceremonies, if you make atonement according to the Vedic direction, you cannot be fully purified, fully purified, because unless you are detestful of this material existence, unless you are determined to go back to home, back to Godhead. If you want to adjust in this material world to be happy, then you have to commit sinful activities. There is no doubt about it. Therefore it is said that you cannot be purified. Na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhis tathā viśuddhyaty aghavān vratādibhiḥ. Aghavān. Aghavān means sinful. Every one of us who is in this material world, he is sinful. So he has to be purified. So this best purification process is devotional service. And the purification process begins—anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Brs. 1.1.11) when you have no more any material desires. Then you..., the purification begins.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

These senses, now it is upādhi. I am thinking, "I am American; therefore my hand is American, my leg is American, my eyes are American." No. You have to become free from these "American eyes" or "Indian eyes" or "brahminical eyes" or... No. Pure eyes. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When your eyes are purified from all these designations, when your senses are purified, then nirmalaṁ... Nirmalam means purified. That senses... Purification does not mean that you are senseless. No. Just like cataract operation of the eyes does not mean pluck out the eyes. No. The eyes will remain; the cataracts will be taken away. Then you will see. So when your material conception of life is finished, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And to simply realize ahaṁ brahmāsmi will not stay. You have to go further.

Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

So purification means to stop this low-grade life. And low-grade life is there. Otherwise wherefrom they are coming? These cats and dogs and other lower animals, wherefrom they are coming? Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). We are creating the facility for the next body, karmana. Therefore it has to be purified. That is called tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ-putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). This is the... "My dear boys..." Ṛṣabhādeva instructed His children, hundred sons, "My dear boys, just prepare yourself for tapasya." That is the whole Vedic civilization, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ. Tapasya for realizing God. This is the only business of the human life, not any other business. Any other business will not help you. Otherwise everyone would have been very rich man.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

If it is not possible to worship the Deity according to the rules and regulation, there is no need of establishing temple. But if there are devotees who can actually keep the temple worship method in right order, then... Otherwise, simple, by chanting, everything is complete. But when there is temple worship, there is automatic purification because we have to rise early in the morning, we have to take bath. This kind of purification help..., is helped by temple worship. But when there is grossest type of people who cannot take to this, simply chanting will do. Hari nāmānukīrtanam. Kalau tad, kali, kalau. Kalau, means this age, that cleanliness is very difficult to maintain. Therefore kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. This is recommended.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

We have to be purified. What is that purification? That we cannot enjoy anything directly. We have to enjoy through Kṛṣṇa, prasādam. Just like we take prasādam. The nice foodstuff prepared, we don't take directly. We take through Kṛṣṇa. First of all we offer to Kṛṣṇa and then take it. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. But you become purified. The eating process is the same, but if you eat directly, then you become materialistically encumbered. But if you offer to Kṛṣṇa and then take it, then you become free from all contamination of material life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

With your material mind. When you are Kṛṣṇa consciousness your quality of mind is changed. The mind, the understanding of God, is simply purification of the senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By the present senses you cannot understand what is God, what is His name, what is His quality, what is His form, what are activities. You have to learn this. The Bhagavad-gītā says vetti tattvataḥ. You have to learn. So now as you say, that mind... Of course, with this mind you cannot understand. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. With this tongue you cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. With these ears you cannot hear what is Hare Kṛṣṇa. With these eyes you cannot see what is Kṛṣṇa. But if you purify... Just like cataractic eyes cannot see, but if you purify the eyes, then you can see everything. The eyes will remain as it is, but you have to purify. The process is purification. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That purification takes place when you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

So our consciousness should be purified. Now the consciousness is contaminated by material association in so many ways. Just like the blood purification tonic is given. If the doctor finds by examination of the blood... In your country, as soon as you go to a doctor, immediately, "Please offer your blood." The demand is immediately blood. That is, of course, scientific, modern science. But according to Ayur Vedic system, there is no demand of blood. They feel the pulse, and according to the different, I mean to say, movements of the pulse, they can understand what kind of disease is there. That is a medical science.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

In this way it is going on, vāsanā. Therefore we have to become vāsanā—less—without any vāsanā, means without any material desires. Vāsanā cannot... It is therefore not actually to make it null and void, but to make it purified. That is the aim of human life: to purify our desires. That purification is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). If you simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is really desirelessness. Desirelessness means not to become without desire. You desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, then these material desires will automatically finish. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). So you fix up your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then non-Kṛṣṇa desires will be finished.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So desireless means when we don't desire anything material. Simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Then it is nirmala, purified. And the, what is the function of the purified senses? Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. When your..., there is no more material desires, none of your senses are engaged in anything except Kṛṣṇa's service, this is purification. And in that purified state, when your senses are purified by this way, then you can render service to Kṛṣṇa. That service is accepted. Then patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aṣnāmi (BG 9.26). In that stage of transcendental position, that is bhakti. Everything you offer to Kṛṣṇa, He'll eat, with a great relish, "Oh, it is very nice."

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

So nidrāhāra, this is spiritual life. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Spiritual life means purifying our existence. Unless we purify our existence, if we keep ourselves in the material condition, then we have to accept birth and death repeatedly. The human life is the opportunity that we can purify our existence. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). We have to become purified. Nirmalam means completely purified. That is the mission of human life. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1), purify. Why purification required? Because we are after happiness. That is our nature.

Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Devotee: First you can hear Kṛṣṇa before you see Him and this is a purification process. And the purification process can be felt and then you ask the person, "You can feel it yourself by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, why not try it?"

Prabhupāda: That's all right, you have tried, whether you have seen? That is the question. You have tried for the last four or five years, whether you have seen Kṛṣṇa?

Devotee: We cannot see Kṛṣṇa because our eyes are impure...

Prabhupāda: Then you are following blindly.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

Thank you very much. Any questions? Yes?

Guest: Could you explain further, purification of the senses? You said that you had to purify your senses before you can see God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like in a diseased condition of your eyes you cannot see. In diseased condition of your hands you cannot touch. In diseased condition of your legs you cannot walk. All your senses, in diseased condition, cannot work. Similarly, in material diseased condition you cannot understand what is God. You have to cure yourself from this diseased condition. Then you will see, you will touch, you will perceive, you will know, you will feel—everything. Those who are unable to cure the disease, they want to kill. Just like a patient is suffering in very bad type of disease. The physician cannot kill, then..., cannot cure him, then he thinks, "Let me die. Let me commit suicide." So this voidism or impersonalism is a symptom of frustration, not being able to cure the disease.

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

Desire is a function of mind. So īhā means desire. So what is that desire? Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone whose desire is to engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa. So whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness activity is purification of the mind, of the intelligence, of the ego, everything, purifying process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). The impurification is that upādhi, designation. I'm thinking "I am American," "I am Indian." This is designation. Actually, spirit soul is neither American nor Indian nor Hindu nor Muslim. So one has to get out of this entanglement, material entanglement. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And how one can become purified? Tat-paratvena, when he identifies himself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am Brahman, I am pure self. I'm not matter. I'm not this body." This is the stage of purification. And when one is purified, then hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Hṛṣīka means senses. So mind is also one of the senses.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So we have to purify our feelings. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness: "How I can serve?" And if we purify... Purify means purification will be done by Him. We cannot purify. Purification will be done by Him. Simply we have to become purified feelings, that "I must serve Kṛṣṇa very nicely." Then He will give facilities, He will give you intelligence, He will give you everything. Because He is the source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). In the Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll see, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Sarvasya: not only human beings, all living entities. Not only living entities, even in atom, within the atom, He is present there.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

Prahlāda is not impure, but it is an argument's sake, born of low father, or low family, or one, so many, so many things they may say. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "If I begin simply glorify the Lord, then I shall be purified." If I chant the purification... This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the process of purification. Not that I'll have to purify otherwise and then take to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. You begin chanting. Then it is purified. You'll be purified. Begin chanting. In whatever condition you are, that doesn't matter. Actually I began my, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—not that they came in a very purified condition. That we, every one of you, know, that those who came to me, they, according, they have been trained from childhood... According to Indian standard, they do not know even the hygienic principles. What is the question of purification? You see. In India the system is from childhood, a child is trained to take bath, to wash teeth in the morning. Yes. And I remember.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that ajānato stuti-karaṇe, yenaiva mahimna anuvarṇitena avidyayā saṁsāra-anupraviṣṭaḥ pumān śuddhyet, tathā hi tan mahi anasya tataḥ ṣoḍakasya abavaditartha(?). In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that if you begin this chanting, then automatically you'll be purified and you'll be able to offer prayers in purification. That system will automatically help you. So there is no question that you shall hesitate. There is no question of hesitate.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

Kalau, kalau, in this age, you cannot find a man perfectly purified or this, anyway. That is not possible. Therefore you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and that will help you, the process of purification. Therefore this is the only system at the present moment that one can be purified completely simply by chanting. Completely. Complete purification means to be situated in pure spiritual life. That is complete purification. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. Śuci means purified. The brāhmaṇa—not this caste brāhmaṇa, but actually, those who are brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa—they are called śuci, purified, purified.

So this purification, how it is done? Now, yaḥ smaret, "one who remembers," puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ, "Kṛṣṇa, always," sa bāhya, means "externally," and abhyantaram, "internally," śuci, "purified." So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always, either loudly or silently or within yourself, mind, if you chant, so there is no question of impurification. It is... You remain always in, what is called, antiseptic stage, or prophylactic stage. Purification is there simply by remembering Kṛṣṇa. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

What is that purification? The purification is that gradually you become liberated from the influence of the materialistic modes. There are three modes of material nature. Somebody is in the modes of goodness; somebody is in the modes of passion; somebody is in the modes of ignorance. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇi bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate: "Anyone who is engaged in transcendental loving service," sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26), "he transcends the influence of these modes of material nature, and" brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, "he becomes Brahman realized." We are already Brahman, but we have to realize. And as soon as you realize... Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as we realize Brahman, immediately we become anxiety-less, prasannātmā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

One has to understand that "I am gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa. I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)." That is purification. Then desire. Then you'll not desire anything except Kṛṣṇa's service. That is perfection. When you come to that platform, that you desire nothing but to serve Kṛṣṇa, always, twenty-four hours, then you are liberated. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Then you become nirmalam, without any material tinge. In that position only, hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Then... My senses will be there; not that I become senseless nonsense. No. My senses are there. They will act. They'll act for simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. So that can be possible when you are trained up by the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

So you should always remember that the purificatory process which has been prescribed to you, how rigidly you have to follow. If you are neglectful, then you are losing the chance because you... Try to understand. This material world is so contaminous that even Lord Brahmā had to purify himself by austerities for many hundreds of years. I'm just trying to bring this point, how Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, that for purification of Brahmā's body he had to take so many years under severe austerity, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because we are so much fallen, not to compare with Brahmā, very, very fallen, still, He gives us a little formula:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

But India still, although it is so fallen, you go to a remote village. A common man, he has no education. He believes. He believes. And here in the western countries, I saw many many big, big professors. They have no idea. I met one big professor, Kotovsky, in Moscow. He said, "Swamijī, after finishing this body, everything is finished." Just see. He is a big professor and in charge of a very big department, Indology. He has no idea. But this is not the fact. The fact is that we are all sparks, spiritual spark, part and parcel of God. Somehow or other, we have come into this material world for sense enjoyment. In the spiritual world there is no sense enjoyment. There is sense purification. In the material world the senses are impure. They simply want to enjoy material things. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you have to purify your senses. That is the way.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

You cannot see God, you cannot see Kṛṣṇa by your, these blunt senses, but if you purify your senses, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That purification begins from tongue. That purification, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. So by the tongue we can do two things. We can taste foodstuff and we can vibrate sound. So if you engage your tongue for vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare/Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and do not take anything except prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, then your spiritual life immediately begins. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, svayam eva... Then gradually, as you advance in spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to you, "Here I am." You cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but by being satisfied with your service, Kṛṣṇa sees you.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 9, 1973:

Next life, even if I get Indian body, if I become a cow or goat, then I'll be sent to the slaughterhouse. So, this, these are not guarantees. This is anyathā rūpa. Our, this change of body, that is our anyathā rūpa. We must be fixed up in our own rūpa, svarūpa. Svarūpa-siddhi. It is called svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi means to be engaged in the service of Lord. That is real mukti, mukti hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Purification. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become free from all designations. We are designated now. I am working as American, I am working as family man, I am working as this, that. These are all designations. When I shall work as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is real mukti. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

Tat-paratvena. As soon as we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our seeing, touching, smelling—everything become nirmala, purified. Then we can immediately see Kṛṣṇa. These eyes, so long it is not purified, we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. As soon as it is purified, you see Kṛṣṇa. As soon as it is purified, you see Kṛṣṇa, nothing but Kṛṣṇa. So this is the process. So devotional service means purification.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

No, no. Not thinking is not there. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa means thinking of Kṛṣṇa and His energy. There is no question of destruction. It is purification. The psychic power—thinking, feeling and willing—is purified. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means purified. But it is not lost. It is not lost. Purified. And when it is purified, hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170), with that purified sense, purified mind, when you apply it for Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Yes. Provided you are pure, purified, you can meet everyone. The condition is purified. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. That is stated in the... That is purification. No more sinful life. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. A person is always engaged in pious activities. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). So, so long one is infected with sinful activities, he cannot understand, neither he can surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966:

Such a foolish civilization, they are less than 25% pure, they do not know what is purity, and they think that they are advancing in civilization. Civilization means to purify. The Aryans, Aryans means advance. And what way advance? Advance in eating? Advance in sleeping? No. Advance in purification. They are called Aryans. And the most advanced purified is called the brāhmaṇa. And less than that, the kṣatriya. And less than that, vaiśyas. And less than that, the śūdras. And less than that, they are caṇḍālas. This is the classification of the human society. What is that classification? Due to this purity, who is pure, pure, purer, purer, and purest. So unless we become purest, we cannot approach Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

So what is the result for such persons? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They might come to the highest position, because Brahman realization is also very high position. It is not ordinary thing, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman." This realization is not ordinary realization. It is also realized after purification of the mind. But that is also not sufficient. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa, after undergoing severe penances and philosophical research, even though he has risen up to the point of perfection, to the point of perfection, still, patanty adhaḥ, he has the chance of falling down. And that we have seen in many instances.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1970:

So these are all nonsense, that "You become still, you become silent, and you become God." Oh, how I can become silent? Is there any possibility of becoming silent? No. There is no such possibility. "You become desireless." So how I can become desireless? These are all bluffs. We cannot be desireless. We cannot be silent. But our desires, our activities, have to be purified. That is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. We shall desire only to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is purification of desire. Not that desireless. That is not possible. How I can be desireless? How I can be silent? That is also not possible. For a second, I cannot be silent.

Festival Lectures

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

So Rāmacandra's life, God's activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Rāmacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He's absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rāma or you see the statue of Rāma or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- San Francisco, March 10, 1968:

So this initiation means purification. In this material world we are all impure. Because we are impure, therefore death, disease, old age, and pangs of birth overcome us. Just like in diseased condition—we have experienced—there are so many painful conditions, similarly, in this materialistic way of life these symptoms, birth, death, disease, and old age, they are different kinds of miseries. The rascals, materialists, they are thinking that they're making advance, but they have no solution for these things. The solution is by tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some rules and regulations to purify him. That is called tapasya. Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulations enforced by the physician: "You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest. You should not, should not, should not," so many.

Initiation Lecture -- San Francisco, March 10, 1968:

The Kali-yuga is spreading very rapidly, and wherever the Kali-yuga is very prominent, these four items are very prominent: unrestricted sex life, gambling, and meat-eating, and intoxication. When people become practiced to all this nonsense, they think, "Oh, what is wrong there?" But it is the most abominable part of human civilization. Anyone who are indulging in these four things, they cannot imagine where is he and how he will be free from this conditional life. So this is the purificatory process. So as you are being initiated, initiation means beginning of your purificatory process. So if we are serious about purification, then we must follow these four principles, if you want to be cured.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

So this purification process, according to Vaiṣṇava smṛti, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ tato sad-dharma-pṛcchāt sādhu mārgāṇugamanam. In the beginning one has to accept a spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master. And who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also described in several Vedic scriptures. In the Upaniṣad it is said, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). One who has come down in disciplic succession and as a result of such authorized succession one has become fully, firmly convinced in Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān, the same thing. Brahma-niṣṭham. He is transcendentally situated.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

So somebody may think, "My such and such lover is lotus-eyed," or in that way, lotus-eyed. There may be so many lotus-eyed. Therefore at last it is specifically said, śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. "Lotus-eyed" means Viṣṇu, not anybody else. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. This is the basic principle of devotional life. In Nārada Pañcarātra it is recommended... We are explaining these things in Nectar of Devotion. The basic principle of purification is smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ: always one has to remember Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu the same. When you speak Kṛṣṇa, it includes Viṣṇu. So smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇu vismartavyaḥ na jātucit. We shall not forget Viṣṇu even for a moment.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

So in this way... This initiation also. Initiation means the first beginning, how to become purified. This is initiation. Because this devotional service means the process of purification. Now every one of you, individually you can understand how you are becoming purified from your past life. That is practical. Yes. How you are becoming purified. So this initiation means the beginning of purificatory process. And the purificatory process, what is that? This mantra, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Anyone who always remembers, or whenever he remembers, if not always, as soon as he remembers, puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he becomes immediately purified internally and externally.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

So those who are going to be initiated today, they should remember that... Not only they—all of us should remember. It is not that we have passed all examination. No. Māyā is very strong. Any moment she can catch up. (chuckles) As soon as... Just like a virulent type of disease, as soon as there is little negligence, there is relapse immediately, typhoid. So the doctors take very much precautionary steps in the, what is called, convalescent stage of cure because there is chance of relapse. Similarly, we are trying to be purified. This initiation means to accept the path of purification. Now we have to continue that path of purification, and then, if you are strong enough, then we can very easily make progress to achieve the ultimate result. There is no doubt about it. So bhakti-mārga, this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to remember always Kṛṣṇa. Smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ vismartavyaḥ na jātucit. This is the basic principle, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

Everything will be controlled. And devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). By contacting relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the senses become purified. And what is the symptom of purification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, to become uncontaminated by the designative material identification. There are so many things.

So the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purification of the senses, and the purification of senses begins by training the tongue with service spirit. So those who are going to be initiated, they should, especial... Everyone should note it, that we should train our tongue not to talk nonsense things. You see?

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

Sacred thread means one should understand... Just like one understands a man (is) learned by the degrees M.A., B.A., or Ph.D., similarly, when there is sacred thread, it is understood that he has undergone the purificatory process under superior management, or guidance of spiritual master. This is called upanayana, upanayana, in Sanskrit. Upanayana: bringing him more near. The initiation is the beginning of purification, and offering the sacred thread means bringing him more nearer. Therefore the principle is those who are ordinarily initiated, they should not touch the Deity. Only those who are in sacred thread, they should touch. This is the system.

Initiation of Mrga-netri Dasi -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1970:

When you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa's service, then it becomes purified. Hṛṣīkeṇa. That purified, your senses is not to be abolished like the impersonalists: "No more sense, finished." No. We... Our senses are... Because we are eternal, our senses are eternal. But at the present moment our senses are being used, contaminated; therefore you are not satisfied. The senses are not to be cut off. No. Liberation does not mean I become impersonal, all my senses are gone. No. Liberation means purification of the senses. And the symptom how the senses are purified, that will be manifested that when one's senses are simply engaged in the service of the Lord. Hands, legs, eyes, ears, mouth—we have got so many senses—everything.

Initiation Sri Ranga, Romaharsana, Sridhara Dasas -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1970:

Yes. The whole thing is purification. Material contamination means desire to enjoy this material world. That is contamination. We have nothing to do with this material world. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. You are spirit. Unfortunately, we are put into this association. So that is another chapter. But now we are trying to come out of it. So at the same time I am trying to go back to home, back to Godhead, at the same time, desiring some material sense gratification, this is another offense. This should not be... We should try to forget. We shall try to forget, "No more I'll... No. There is no necessity of my materialness enjoyment." That sort of vow, determination, must be there.

Initiations -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1972:

Prabhupāda: All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... (japa)

Pradyumna: Now everyone can take the water which is in front of them when we say these prayers of purification and do just as I am doing. Take the spoon in your left hand... (break) (japa)

Prabhupāda: So you know all the rules and regulations?

Devotee: No meat-eating, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: Hm. And how many rounds you'll chant?

Devotee: At least sixteen.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Vrajeśvarī dāsī. Vrajeśvarī is the name of Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

If you love somebody, then you will always see his picture, his form, always. These are simple yoga. And it is said... As it is said in the Vedic literature, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). We have to create our eyes or purify our eyes to see God. And that purification is possible when you apply the ointment of love of God, daily. How to love Kṛṣṇa? Take it as ointment. As we apply some ointment to increase the sight of our eyes... Doctor gives some prescription. We use it also. So similarly, how to see God. You will see God with these eyes when it is clarified. Premāñjana-cchurita, by the ointment of love of Godhead.

Lecture and Initiation -- Chicago, July 10, 1975:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think now we have to give the spiritual names to these devotees?

Prabhupāda: Yes, but they have to..., purification mantra. Nama apavitraḥ pavit... So who will lead?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Viṣṇujana Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Do it. Nama, (devotees respond) apavitraḥ, pavitro vā.

Viṣṇujana: (leads chanting of mantra three times)

Devotee: (asks Prabhupāda during the chanting of mantras:) Should we arrange all the men to come up and...?

Prabhupāda: It is not possible. (break) ...later on. In the meantime, you can take your beads, and after it is distributed, you can explain and then perform yajña. Give me.

Initiation Lecture -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

Then when he becomes dvija, properly initiated, then he's allowed to read Vedic literature. Veda-patha. Śūdra cannot. If you remain a śūdra, no saṁskāra, no purification, then you have no right to understand Vedic knowledge. Either you have no right or you cannot understand. Why... The Bhagavad-gītā is there throughout the whole world. Everyone knows Bhagavad-gītā. But they have misunderstood, because they are kept śūdra. Veda-patha. First of all, by birth, he's a śūdra, and when he's purified, then he becomes dvija. Dvija, the sacred thread is, means that this man... Upanayana. This is called upanayana. Upa means near and nayana means bringing. So when one is brought nearer to the spiritual master and he accepts him as his disciple, he gives the sacred thread as badge, that "This man is now dvija, twice-born. He's no more śūdra. He's brāhmaṇa." So he has the right to read the Vedic literature.

Wedding Ceremonies

Paramananda & Satyabhama's Wedding -- Montreal, July 22, 1968:

So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we have got this program that if some boy or girl wants to get married, I help. So this marriage ceremony is today arranged on that principle. But the present bride and bridegroom must know it certainly that this marriage is not for sense gratification. This marriage is for purification of life. So there is no question of divorce. There is no question of separation. So don't get into married life if you have got such propensity. Our first principle is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and other things, secondary. Putrārthe kriyate bhāryā. If you can produce nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children, it will, you will do greatest service to the human society.

Initiation of Sri-Caitanya dasa and Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhati -- Columbus, May 14, 1969:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify the human society. And the purification process, simply by chanting, is sufficient. But still, our Gosvāmīns, they have given us some ritualistic ceremonies. That will help the process of purification. Sacrifice, offering, these things are there. But the main thing is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is sufficient. So in our society we want to establish divine society. Therefore there is need of all classes of men and all classes of social orders. Our Vedic conception is varṇāśrama-dharma. The "Hindu" term is not found in any Vedic literature. It is a name given by the Muhammadans, so far I know.

General Lectures

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

Similarly, although it is written in Sanskrit words symbolically, but it is vibration. It is transcendental vibration. If you take to this vibration, then we become directly in touch with the Supreme Lord. That makes us purified. Just like if you go to the fire you become warm, similarly, if you be directly in touch with the Supreme Spirit, then our purification begins. So if you take to this movement, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then this impure consciousness will be purified and you will know what you are. Just like Brahmānanda said that it is the process of cleansing the mind, cleansing the mind from all dirty things. And as soon as you are cleansed of all dirty things, then your material anxieties are immediately over.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means purification of all faculties. Because the faculties work on the basis of consciousness. If your consciousness is pure... Just like I am seeing. I am not seeing; my mind is seeing. So if my mind is pure, then my seeing is pure. Similarly, if my consciousness is pure, my mind is pure. It is superficial. I am moving my hand. I am not moving; my mind is moving. So all the senses, ten senses... And the central sense is mind. And behind mind, there is intelligence, and behind intelligence, there is consciousness. This consciousness, if purified, then whole thing is purified. If this consciousness is polluted, then the whole thing is polluted. So we have to purify the consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

One is addicted to all nonsense habit and he's practicing meditation and elevating himself. Is it possible? That is all bogus. As soon as one becomes purified, the manifestation of his character, of his mode of life, living, everything will be purified. That is the test. Pareśānubhava. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhava. Just like if you're cured, then there is no fever. The temperature is at the normal point. And if you say, "I am cured. I am taking medicine, and still, my temperature is 105," that is not possible. So advancement in self-realization means purification from material contamination. That is real advancement. This is practical. Now, how practical it is? In your country, smoking, drinking, taking tea, and keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, liquor, meat-eating, they are common affairs. How they have avoided all these things, within very short time? None of them are associating with me more than one year, and just see their character. It is so practical. You cannot induce them even to smoke.

Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore an art of changing our hearts by purification from the dust of material desires. We cannot stop our desires because as living entities, desiring is the component part of our constitution. Therefore we cannot give up our desires, but we can purify our desires. Killing of desire is no solution, but curing the desires, diseased condition of desire, is the right solution. As such, therefore, this dust of misunderstanding is cleared off. We can see our real position of life and make steady progress towards the ultimate goal of life. We have forgotten the ultimate goal of our life due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

We have got our class. If you want, you can associate with us. Ādau śraddhā tato-sādhu-saṅga tato bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā means practice. Just like my students, they came also like this. Not in the beginning they accepted, but he came after attending some lectures, then advanced, then offered that "Swamijī, I want to be your student." That is called bhajana-kriyā. So if he practiced the bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then he becomes purified. This is the process of purification. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Tato niṣṭhā. And as soon as he is purified, he become stuck up to this principle. He cannot give up. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci means he gets a taste for it. Don't you think they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa always... Hackneyed, for others it is hackneyed, but they are feeling pleasure. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci means taste.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America... You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live... Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

So purification required. The first principle of purification are these four regulative principles. So they have taken to this very easily. Some of them, students, they were, six months ago they were not my students, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa they have seriously taken to these principles of austerities. That is not... That is stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as you come to the understanding that "I am not this ma... I am not this matter; I am spirit soul," immediately this process will follow, that you will have no unnecessary material demands. Smoking is not a necessary thing, but you have learned it by society or by company. So it is not necessary. It is unnecessary. Similarly, gambling is also unnecessary. Simply... Similarly, illicit sex life is also unnecessary. Oh, all these things are unnecessary, but we have gathered by some association for company. Similarly, you can give it up also, by association.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969:

This temple is situated just to give you facility for your purification. Why don't you take advantage? I am very glad that you have all come, and it will be further our enjoyment and pleasure if you come and join. Please come here, join here. We have got very nice arrangement. We supply prasādam, we have got dancing, we have got chanting. Why you should deny it? (laughter) And if you join us, then gradually you realize what you are, what is God, what is this world, what is your relationship. Then your life becomes successful. You'll not be confused. You will understand what is real life. Simply by the spell of the material qualities you have become covered. But if you come here, if you hear and chant, then gradually... Kṛṣṇa is within you. He is sitting within your heart as a friend, not as an enemy.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

So, for spiritual salvation, for transcendental realization, it is said when... Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu. When people were cent percent pure, at that time, the process of meditation was successful, because this meditation requires fully purification of the body. Otherwise, simply closing your eyes, if you meditate and sleep... I've seen, practically. They are meditating (snores). I have seen. Perhaps you have also seen. Yes. Because it is naturally. If you close your eyes and you have nothing to do, oh, naturally you'll be, feel sleepy. And you'll feel sleepy and go on. You see? So this is not possible.

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

So this is a process of purification. When we actually purify our, this material contamination and designation, we, I mean to say, raised, we are promoted to the actual spiritual life. And then, at that time, we shall feel happy and our consciousness will be broader, and everything will be all right.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a self-purification movement. The method is vibration of transcendental sound. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this sound, is not material sound. It is descended from the spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name—not different. Abhinnatvāṁ nāma-nāminoḥ. As in this material world there is difference between the name and the substance... If you are thirsty, then if you simply chant "water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. You have to get the substance water. But in the spiritual world it is, being absolute, the name and the person whose name we are chanting, they are the same.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

But if you practice devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become free from this contamination of designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means completely freed from all dirty things. These are all dirty things. As soon as I think that "I am this, I am that, I am that..." Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā we have understood that the body is simply just like a dress. So suppose I am dressed in orange color robes. If I think, "I am orange color," is that very nice intelligence? Similarly, as soon as I think in terms of my body, in my nationality, in my creed, in my being—they are all designations. So purification of the senses made by devotional service, bhakti-yogena, nirmalam... That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also:

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

(SB 1.2.19)

University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

So the human form of life is especially meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam. Here it is said: tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). We are hankering after happiness, but happiness cannot be enjoyed so long our existence is not purified. So for purification of our existence we have to undergo tapasya. So we are introducing this tapasya in nutshell. We are asking our students four principles, four regulative principles. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage life, there is no sex. No intoxication, up to smoking and drinking tea. No meat-eating. No eggs, no fish. And no gambling. We are... And chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. These five principles we are teaching. These four regulative principles, refraining from sinful activities. These are the basic pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. That is... We get from the śāstra. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he enunciated that Kali Yuga.

Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

All of the conditioned souls are acting for their own selfish interest. They do not know otherwise. But somehow or other, if one of the conditioned souls will surrender to Kṛṣṇa by the grace of a pure devotee, then that immediately puts him into a situation of becoming purified. The greatest purification is to come in touch with a pure devotee of the Lord. There are many many ritualistic activities prescribed in the Vedic literatures for gradual purification. But, as Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī points out in his Upadeśāmṛta, what is the good of undergoing so much atonement and pious activity if the heart remains contaminated and the living entity remains sinful, ready to..., just acting for his own benefit? Therefore the greatest opportunity for the conditioned soul is when he gets the chance to associate with a pure devotee of the Lord.

Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

So the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is specifically formed by Śrīla Prabhupāda to help those of us who are lost and entangled in this material condition to associate with one another under his guidance and achieve, by this process recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chanting the holy name, we can achieve rapid purification, and in this one lifetime, Śrīla Prabhupāda has promised that we can go back to home back to Godhead. So we should try to cooperate together. There is no other purpose. Once one comes in touch with the pure devotee and understands his message, and there's no other purpose for living in this material world than to serve the mission of the Lord. And that mission of the Lord as already explained, is to reclaim the conditioned souls who have fallen into the material world and are lost, helplessly entrapped.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: So this is also service. Either you take all the nine different items, or you take some of them, or at least one of them, then you will make progress in spiritual life. So some of them offer prayers, just like Christians, Muhammadans, they offer prayer. So it is as good as the Hindus give service in the temple, decorates the Deity, cleanses the temple and offers food. In this way they are engaged. This is called arcanam. Arcanam is also devotional service as well as offering prayer. So by this devotional service one makes progress in spiritual life, and when he is sincere in his service, then God is within him, He takes charge of him and gives him instruction how quickly and swiftly he can approach God. So this is fact. Our... He is not hankering after our service. He is complete in Himself. He doesn't require anyone's service. But if we offer service to Him, then we become purified, and... (break) ...complete purification. We can talk with God, we can see God, we can take His instruction, as Arjuna is talking with God, personally taking His instruction and acting according to His instruction.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: No. Not willing you cannot say. Not willing bad, but willing good. That is called purification. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). To... We are willing. We are willing to serve to Kṛṣṇa, we are willing to preach Kṛṣṇa's glories. But this kind of willing. Willing is now reformed. This is real willing. Because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so I must will according to Kṛṣṇa's will. Just like this hand is part and parcel of my body. It is moving according to my will .

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: Yes, ethics is the basic principle of purification. Unless one does..., knows what is moral and what is immoral... Of course, in this material world everything is immoral, but still we have to distinguish good and bad. That is called regulative principle. Simply by following the regulative principle, if he does not reach the ultimate goal of spiritual life, so that is also not wanted. The real aim is to come to the spiritual platform and become free from the influence of these laws of material nature.

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Hayagrīva: For Origen there are two rebirths. One is a baptism, which is something like an initiation, and then there is a complete purification, a rebirth in the spiritual world with Christ. So baptism is compared to a shadow of the ultimate rebirth, and when the soul is reborn with Christ, it receives a spiritual body like Christ and beholds Christ face to face.

Prabhupāda: Christ behold?

Hayagrīva: The individual soul can then see Christ face to face when he attains his spiritual body.

Prabhupāda: What is the position of Christ?

Hayagrīva: What is the position of Christ?

Prabhupāda: He, does he describe anything?

Hayagrīva: Well, not Origen. The position of Christ is that he is seated at the right hand of the father, that he is in the spiritual sky with the father.

Prabhupāda: No, here, when Christ was present, so so many persons saw him. So what is the position?

Hayagrīva: What was the position of those people? Well those who saw him were very special people, but they saw him in many different ways, just as they saw Kṛṣṇa in different ways when He was on this earth. Different people saw Him differently.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) This is, that, disturbing.