This important instruction by Lord Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs can be utilized by all devotees engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole philosophy is considered on the basis of inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that He is present everywhere in His impersonal feature. Everything exists in Him, but still He is not personally present everywhere. The cosmic manifestation is nothing but a display of Kṛṣṇa's energy, and because the energy is not different from the energetic, nothing is different from Kṛṣṇa. When this absolute consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is absent, we are separated from Kṛṣṇa; but, fortunately, if this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is present, then we are not separated from Kṛṣṇa. The process of devotional service is the revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if the devotee is fortunate enough to understand that the material energy is not separate from Kṛṣṇa, then he can utilize the material energy and its products in the service of the Lord. But in the absence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the forgetful living entity, although part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, falsely puts himself in the position of enjoyer of the material world and, being thus implicated in material entanglement, is forced by the material energy to continue his material existence. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Although a living entity is forced to act by the material energy, he falsely thinks that he is the all-in-all and the supreme enjoyer.
Reviving our Krsna Consciousness
Expressions researched:
"revival of krsna consciousness"
|"revival of our krsna consciousness"
|"revive his krsna consciousness"
|"revive our krsna consciousness"
|"revive your krsna consciousness"
|"reviving our krsna consciousness"
|"reviving your Krsna consciousness"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The rituals and sacrifices mentioned in the karma-kāṇḍa division of the Vedic literature are meant to encourage gradual development of self-realization. And the purpose of self-realization is clearly stated in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): the purpose of studying the Vedas is to know Lord Kṛṣṇa, the primeval cause of everything. So, self-realization means understanding Kṛṣṇa and one's eternal relationship with Him. The relationship of the living entities with Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (15.7). The living entities are parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa; therefore, revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the individual living entity is the highest perfectional stage of Vedic knowledge. This is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.33.7) as follows:
- aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān
- yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam
- tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā
- brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te
"O my Lord, a person who is chanting Your holy name, although born of a low family like that of a caṇḍāla (dog-eater), is situated on the highest platform of self-realization. Such a person must have performed all kinds of penances and sacrifices according to Vedic rituals and studied the Vedic literatures many, many times after taking his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage. Such a person is considered to be the best of the Āryan family.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 5
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (6.41), śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. One who falls down from the process of bhakti-yoga is again offered the opulence of the demigods, and after enjoying such material opulence, he is given a chance to take birth in a noble family of a pure brāhmaṇa, or in a rich family, to be given the chance to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This actually happened in the life of Priyavrata: he is a most glorious example of this truth. In due course of time, he no longer wanted to enjoy his material opulences and his wife, kingdom and sons; instead, he wanted to renounce them all. Therefore, after having described the material opulences of Mahārāja Priyavrata, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in this verse, describes his tendency for renunciation.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
As stated in the Prema-vivarta:
- kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha haiyā bhoga-vāṣchā kare
- nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
Our material existence is māyā, or illusion, in which we desire different varieties of material enjoyment and therefore change to different varieties of bodies (bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61)). Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ: (SB 5.5.4) as long as we have these temporary bodies, they give us many varieties of tribulation—ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika. This is the root cause of all suffering, but this root cause of suffering can be removed by revival of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All the Vedic literatures presented by Vyāsadeva and other great sages are therefore intended to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which begins to revive with śravaṇa-kīrtanam. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literatures exist simply to give us a chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has different avatāras, or incarnations, all of which are wonderful and which arouse one's inquisitiveness, but generally such avatāras as Matsya, Kūrma and Varāha are not as attractive as Kṛṣṇa. First of all, however, we have no attraction for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, and this is the root cause of our suffering.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
“The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Renunciation Through Wisdom
If one is serious about the real meaning of life, then simple endeavoring to escape the crippling clutches of māyā is not the only undertaking. The ultimate goal is to liberate ourselves from the enthrallment of the illusory energy and become wholly subservient to the transcendental, spiritual energy.
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 20.108-09, 111, 117-8, 120, and 122), Lord Caitanya gives some illuminating advice to Sanātana Gosvāmī:
- It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa naturally has three energetic transformations, and these are known as the spiritual potency, the living entity potency, and the illusory potency... Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy (māyā) gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence. In the material condition, the living entity is sometimes raised to higher planetary systems and material prosperity and sometimes drowned in a hellish situation. His state is exactly that of a criminal whom a king punishes by submerging him in water and then raising him again from the water.... If the conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of māyā, who gives him up. The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas.
The first step in learning the process of surrendering to the Lord is to surrender to the pure devotee of the Lord. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 20.120 and 122), we find this statement:
- sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya
- sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya
- māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi svataḥ kṛṣṇa-jñāna
- jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa
"If the conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions, he is liberated from the clutches of Māyā, who gives him up. The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas."
All the Vedas and Purāṇas deal with the subject of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the Lord's own words in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo: "By all the Vedas, I am to be known."
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So Arjuna is thinking in terms of his own sense gratification. He is posing himself as if he does not know what is the plan of Kṛṣṇa. Yes. The plan of Kṛṣṇa is explained by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā.
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tad ātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
- paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
- vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
- dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
- sambhavāmi yuge yuge
- (BG 4.8)
The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan.
So Kṛṣṇa also, although in the material life, Kṛṣṇa is providing all necessities of life. Duly, there is seasonal changes. You get seasonal fruits, flowers, grains, and all necessities. You'll be still given chance, especially to the human being, that you get all supplies, necessities. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. All necessities, But again you revive your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the plan. But if you do not revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you simply enjoy the senses, then there will be restriction of supply. This is the law. That is the restriction of supply. Therefore, there will be no rain. And if there is no rain, what factory will do, you rascal? You can manufacture scissors and knives and buckets of plastic, but you cannot prepare rice and wheat. That is not possible, sir. That will depend on rain. So immediately rains will be restricted.
...come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). Unless we come to that platform of bhakti-yoga and become re-related, not related, again revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we, there cannot be equality. That is not possible. There must be distinction, some higher class, some middle class, some lower class. Even in European countries, there are, in America there are, so are in India. So it is not very astonishing. Because the whole world is being conducted, the whole material nature is being conducted by the three guṇas, and anyone associating with a particular type of guṇa, he must suffer or enjoy according to that guṇas.
Similarly, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so it is compulsory to revive our consciousness that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. It is not a question of faith. Faith you may accept or do not accept but here it is a question of "must." You must revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise you will suffer.
In your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That's all right. Kṛṣṇa is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
So try to understand in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Kṛṣṇa will be revived. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Lord Caitanya says, "By revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished." Then we shall see, "Oh, this is my position. I am Kṛṣṇa's, and Kṛṣṇa is mine."
So this is the process of ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the material dust from the mirror of our mind. The whole process is to dust out the dirty things which we have accumulated by our material association and therefore to revive our spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From Bhagavad-gītā we are studying about the process of life by which we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no need of external help for reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant in yourself. It is the quality of the self. So the, we have simply to invoke by this process.
As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, or Vyāsadeva says in the Purāṇas, in the Vedānta-sūtra, they are meant for... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karila (CC Madhya 20.117). What for these Vedas and Purāṇas are meant? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so many Vedic literatures are there. So many.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"One should try for developing God consciousness, not for anything else, because happiness and distress, they come automatically." We haven't got to try for it. Happiness, everyone aspires for happiness. Nobody aspires for distress, but distress is forcibly come upon you. Similarly, the śāstra says, "As distress comes without any desire, similarly, happiness also will come without any endeavor." So long we are in the material world, the so-called happiness and distress will come and go, but our, the human life, the endeavor should be how to find out or revive our relationship with God. That is our main business. They are just like seasonal changes, happiness and distress. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Just like there is winter season. It is pinching cold. That will also not stay. And the scorching heat, that will also not stay. It comes and goes. Therefore, so long in the material world we are, the so-called happiness and distress will come and go. Don't bother about it. You simply try for reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa is eternal, we are eternal, and our dealings with Kṛṣṇa is also eternal. But sometimes it becomes interrupted by the māyā, which is called svapna. Svapna means dreamlike. As dream has no fact, it is all hallucination, similarly our detachment from Kṛṣṇa is also a hallucination. Actually, there is no detachment. And when we are covered by this hallucination... Just like in dream we cry, "Oh, here is a tiger! Here is a tiger!" Tiger. Where is tiger? Similarly, this forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is like that. So if we simply follow the rules and regulations given by the great ācāryas, then immediately we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't take even second. The method...(?) Just like you are dreaming, crying, "There is tiger, tiger." And if somebody pushes you, "Why you are doing that?" And if you immediately become awake "Oh! All tiger finished." (laughter) "All tiger finished." So one has to give the push that "There is no tiger." Then immediately the whole hallucination will go.
So here it is said that sauhārdena ati-gāḍhena. Very deep. There are different types of sauhārga, friendship, but there is very intimate, deep friendship. So as soon we revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our deep relationship with Kṛṣṇa as servant, as friend, as paternal relationship or conjugal love... That is already there. Just like this finger. Finger has got already it's place. It is separated. But if there is any physician or surgeon, he can simply put exactly in the place, then it works, immediately. Immediately work. So similarly, we have to place ourself exactly in the position in which we are related with Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful, immediately. Immediately successful.
Sarva-haraś cāham. The death means... Kṛṣṇa says, "I am death. I take it away, all, everything. Gone." Now just think of our past life. Suppose I was a king or something like that. From Bhṛgu-saṁhitā it was ascertained. They said—I do not know—that I was a big physician in my last life, very spotless character, no sins, like that. He explained me. So it may be. But actually I have no remembrance that I was a physician. So what do we know? I might have been a very big physician, influential physician, having a good practice, but where is all...? All gone. So this situation, our contact with matter, is just like dream. Actually we are not fallen. Therefore, because we are not fallen, at any moment we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as we understand that, "I have nothing to do with. I am simply Kṛṣṇa's servant. Eternal servant. That's all," immediately he becomes liberated.
So we should give chance to people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are opening so many centers. Please come and hear about Kṛṣṇa. Then gradually you will assimilate. Because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words, they are not different—absolute. When we hear about Kṛṣṇa, that means we are directly associating with Kṛṣṇa. And the more you associate with Kṛṣṇa, the more you become purified. Hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti. Kṛṣṇa helps in washing your dirty things within the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The same thing, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Then, when we are free, tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), you become purified, we become purified. Then immediately we revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa's service.
Just like here we are having Bhāgavata class. This is not ordinary Bhāgavata class, not jumping over Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. It is not like that. It is step by step studying what is Kṛṣṇa, what is this material world, what is the sambandha, or relationship with Kṛṣṇa—so many things—how this body has developed, how we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, how to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These things must be studied first of all. Then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs.
Veda-Purāṇa is not made for the cats and dogs. They are not supposed to read Veda and Purāṇas. Similarly, if the human being does not take care of the Veda Purāṇas, then he is no better than the cats and dogs. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. To revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta-varān nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction. So long you were in the lower grade of life it was not possible for you to take the path of Vedas and Purāṇas. That was not possible. But now, even if getting the human form of life, if you live for sense gratification like cats and dogs, then the Yamadūta... Yamadūta. Kṛṣṇa nāma kara bhāi āra saba miche, palaye barā kathā naya yo māche piche.(?) These are very easily understandable. You cannot avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. If you avoid, then yo māche piche—the Yamadūtas will carry you. You can say, "I can do whatever I like. Why you are forcing me to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? I can do whatever I like. There is no need of your preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am independent. I don't believe in the next life." That is the general statement of the rascals and fools. But the fact is different. If you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Yamadūtas Then you'll be punished. You cannot avoid. You are completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, and you are the servant. You have declined to serve Kṛṣṇa; therefore you must be punished.
So we are trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very difficult task because people are so much addicted to material enjoyment that they do not like this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although this is the objective, aim, and ultimate goal of human life: how to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Since we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa means God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). This is the verdict of the Vedic literature, that people are searching after God, making great research work to find out what is God. Most people, they are not interested in God. At the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, they are not interested in God consciousness.
So this movement is simply to revive that dormant consciousness. Nothing artificial. And by the grace of Lord Caitanya, it has been made very simple. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance. That's all. You haven't got to be very highly educated in the university. You haven't got to exercise in so many yogic process, sitting posture, or hard press your nose, or you keep your head down. Nothing. No labor. Simply come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. This very simple method will revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You know, all, that two years ago in 1966 I started this class alone. I was chanting only. That's all. That was my whatever you call. And these boys and girls, gradually they came, and they became attracted. I did not teach them any artificial method of yoga practice, but simply I requested them, "You chant and hear." So very easy process. You can revive your dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness simply śravaṇādi śuddha-citte karaya udaya.
What is Vedic knowledge? Vedic knowledge means to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Vedic knowledge. If you revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge. But if you read only Vedas and perform formalities, ritualistic ceremonies, but you do not awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is useless waste of time. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viśvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed ratiṁ yadi
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
You may be a very religious person—never mind you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian or anyone—or according to your religious principles, ritualistic ceremonies, you execute very nicely. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. But after doing all these things, if you do not become God consciousness, God conscious, or you do not understand what is God, then the Bhāgavata says that it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
Why the Vedas are there for us? To revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the gist of the Vedas, the śāstra, is Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-śāstra vinijya (?). So if we read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and follow it according to the direction of the Brahmā and his disciplic succession, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection from the demons. There is no doubt. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glāniḥ means discrepancy in the matter of understanding Vedas. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.
So this Vedic knowledge is called kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means whatever you want, you can get from the tree. Here we have got experience, you can get mango from the mango tree, but a kalpa-taru, you can get mango, apple, pineapple, anything. That is called kalpa-taru. So from the Vedas you can get all kinds of knowledge—material, spiritual, anything. Therefore it is called kalpa-taru. And the kalpa-taru... A taru means tree, and the tree... We nourish tree to get a nice fruit. So this Bhāgavatam is the fruit of the Vedic tree, kalpa-taru, and it is ripened also, not unripened. Unripened fruit you cannot eat, but ripened, ripened in the tree, mango, is very palatable. So it is nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3).
So if we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, these two literatures, then we get all Vedic knowledge, and then we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And to do this business there is no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection, provided you remain, I mean to say, adhere to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etaṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). The māyā will not touch you. You'll be happy.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Please come, sit down and hear. But in the hearing process, there is so many impediments, māyā. Just like people are coming here to hear, but there has been impediment: "Oh, sir, our lift if being to much used. The electric supply will cut off." Māyā is always there. They will, I mean to say, spend electric energy in so many ways, that is not loss. But people were coming for half an hour and one hour, gentlemen, "No. Electricity will be spoiled." This is māyā. Māyā is always after this checking process. So we have to fight against the māyā, then we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That fighting determination must be there. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). One must be determined. So māyā may check my progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but I must fight māyā. This determination wanted. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. That is wanted. "All right let me do. All right, not. That's all right. Let me do my business." No. One must be very serious. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ and firmly convinced. These things are required to revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is very easy.
I never said in any meeting in the Western countries that "Hindu religion is better than your Christian religion. You give up your Christian religion and come to Hindu religion." No, that was not my propaganda. There are many old students here present. They may remember. I never made propaganda. Rather when they inquired one can attain perfection by following Christian principles, I said yes. So our propaganda is not to proselytize people from Christian to Hinduism. Our propaganda is to make everyone know this fact, that everyone is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our propaganda. We are trying to convince people that "Your original position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. You have now forgotten that. You revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll become happy." That is our propaganda.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Ārtasya, those who are suffering, for them, those who are suffering from disease, medicine is not all. Suppose one man is suffering. You give him all treatment and medicine. There are many rich men, they can spend like anything. But does it mean that he'll be cured? No. He may not be cured. He may not be cured. The parents, even in the presence of parents, the children may suffer. Udanvato, nauḥ. And suppose you have got very good, nice ship. Do you mean to say that you'll cross over the Atlantic Ocean safely? Oh, at any moment it can be drowned. There is no guarantee. You have got very nice jet plane, you are going to San Francisco. Oh, there is no guarantee that you shall reach there. So therefore, unless there is God's sanction, all these remedies, all these protection is useless. Useless.
Therefore the best service to the humanity is to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. That will save him. That will save him. Not this little hospital or this little foodstuff. No. That cannot save him. If God neglects one... There is a Bengali, two lines: rakṣe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rakṣe ke. If Kṛṣṇa, if God wants to kill somebody, oh, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to protect him, oh, nobody can kill him. If God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. Both ways.
Festival Lectures
Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He is called caitya-guru, means guru within the heart. And when Kṛṣṇa understands... Because Kṛṣṇa knows everything, whatever we are willing, whatever we are doing. He is the Paramātmā; He's sitting within our hearts as witness. Anumanta upadṛṣṭā. Upadṛṣṭā means simply observing what we are doing, and what we are desiring. So as we desire, Kṛṣṇa is very kind, He gives us facility. We have many times explained. Therefore, we have got varieties of bodies to enjoy this material world. So when Kṛṣṇa sees that a living entity is very anxious to understand Him or to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa gives him all opportunity, especially by manifesting Himself as the spiritual master. Antar bahiḥ. The spiritual master is therefore Kṛṣṇa's manifestation-Kṛṣṇa's mercy manifestation to help a person to develop his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From within He's helping. Therefore, He's called caitya-guru, and from without, He sends His representative to help how to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
General Lectures
So Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel is also one with Kṛṣṇa. In the spiritual world there is no two. All one, one unit. This will take time to understand. Theoretically we can understand. And here, in this material world, we are all separated. Therefore, just like if electric bulbs are separated from the powerhouse, practically it has no value, similarly, so long we are separated from Kṛṣṇa, we have no value. Sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ. Sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ. Sthānāt means from the right position one falls down. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by engaging yourself in Kṛṣṇa's service, you revive your original position. That is called liberation. Now we are not liberated; we are dependent on so many laws, so many conditions, although we are very much proud and puffed-up, independent. Who is independent? Nobody is independent. It is not possible to become independent. It is simply false pride, independent. So don't try to become independent. Please try to become dependent on Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful.
So we are suffering in this material world on account of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. This is the root cause, forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the seed-giving father of everyone," and we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten our father. This is the disease. So in order to cure this disease, to awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the best welfare activity in the world, para-upakara. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. India's mission is not that we colonize in other country and exploit them and bring money and become a lord. No. India's mission is how to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the whole world. That is India's mission. Revive Kṛṣṇa con... Revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, and then distribute this knowledge. This is Indian mission.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
Similarly we are trying in India to establish some centers and the response of the people here has been very favorable towards our movement which they have found to be a great stimulus to the revival of Krsna consciousness which they have been forsaking for the imitation of your Western material prosperity. You all my students must simply maintain your standard of pure conduct in Pure Krsna Consciousness and everyone will be satisfied that this is the best way to bring in the needed peace and prosperity to the world.
| Page Title: | Reviving our Krsna Consciousness |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Matea, Labangalatika |
| Created: | Dec 18 07, |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=2, CC=1, OB=3, Lec=25, Con=0, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 33 |