Very easy (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 2)

Expressions researched:
"very easier" |"very easy" |"very much easy"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "very easy" or "very easier" or "very much easy" not "not very easy"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Therefore we do not indulge in Kṛṣṇa's līlā unless it is performed or it is executed by the devotees. Not professional men. That is forbidden. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never indulged in. Because the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by the process of bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Without bhakti, it is not possible. The bhakti process one has to adopt if he actually wants to go back home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Our movement, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is educating people how to become advanced in devotional service and how to go back home, back to Godhead. And this is not a very difficult task. It is very easy. If it is not easy how the Europeans, Americans, are now taking seriously? Because they, I think at least before ten years, before starting of this movement, most of them, they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Now they are all devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Even the Christian priests, they are surprised. In Boston, one Christian priest, he admitted that "These boys, they are our boys, coming from the Christian group or the Jewish group. So before this movement they did not take care even to see us or to ask any question about God or to come to the church. They completely neglected. And now, how it is they are mad after God?" They are surprised. "Why? Why have they become so...?" Because they have taken to the process. The process is important. Simply speculation... Bhakti is not theoretical. It is practical. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If you want to take to the bhakti process, it is not speculation. You must actually engage yourself in the process. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

This is nine different (break) Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. Simply by hearing. You remain in your place, there is no need of changing your place. If you are businessman, do your business. If you are a medical man, remain in your medical profession. Or lawyer, or whatever it may be. That is the recommendation of Brahmā and confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. If we hear, śruti-gatām, if we receive the message of bhakti, then you can remain in your place. But if you hear and try to implement it employ it in practical life, then one day the Supreme Lord whose another name is Ajita, you'll be able to conquer Him. Jito 'py asi. These are the recommendation in the śāstra. So this is first-class or superior dharma. Everyone can accept it. Simply hear. And that hearing process is also made very easy. This chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra you chant and hear. Anywhere you can do it. You sit down in your home or in your office, in your factory, underneath a tree or anywhere, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And you can hear. This process will make you advanced in everything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His benediction, ihā haite sarva siddhi hoibe tomāra. By, simply by this chanting and hearing of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, all perfection you'll get. It's very easy.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Therefore our request is that whatever you may be, in whatever position you may be, it doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Just sit down together, the family members, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. Nobody can say it is very difficult. And if it is difficult to chant then it should be understood that we are most unfortunate. Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. The Lord's holy name is as powerful as the Lord Himself. Na 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. This is the sastric injunction. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa name and the Kṛṣṇa person. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Advaya-tattva. Advaya-jñāna. So He has descended in this age, kali rūpe, kali yuge nāma rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra. This nāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is the sound incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Don't think it is ordinary sound. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy. This sound vibration is coming, this is transcendental sound. It is coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. It is not this mundane sound. Just like in radio you receive sound from other places. Similarly, this sound is received, I mean to say, released from the Vaikuṇṭha. Golokera prema-dhana.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Similarly, however cautious you may be, you cannot make this material world without dāvāgni. That is not possible. The dāvāgni will continue. Viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale. Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura has sung that the material world is such that it is just like a blazing fire. Viṣaya viṣānale divā-niśi. Here, everyone, even the Prime Minister, even the President, very opulently situated, but always full of anxieties. Very, too much anxieties.

So if you want to be yayātmā samprasīdati, then you must take to this process, this bhakti-yogam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). There are so many different items. And the most important item is śravaṇam. We can sit down, family members, and we can read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and hear and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Very easy thing. That we want to introduce every home. That is our only request, that in whichever position you are, it doesn't matter. You simply begin this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and reading of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't try to be ustad in interpreting. That is very dangerous. Ustadi is not good. Simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Bhagavān says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "My dear Arjuna, there is no more superior authority than Me." You accept it. That's all. You haven't got to interpret foolishly. No, then you are gone. Then you become condemned.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. He says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Ei deśa. Just like Surendra is here. So I'll request Dr. Sukla is here. It doesn't matter that you have to go out. You are in Aligarh, you become a guru. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's "How shall I become guru? I am gṛhastha, I'm engaged this..." No. You haven't got to learn very much, to be puffed-up. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That's all. You simply decide what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. Then you become guru. If you want to manufacture something and show some magic, then you do not become guru. If you simply repeat what Kṛṣṇa has said. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mam evaiṣyasi asaṁśayam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

You become a guru. Don't manufacture ideas. Yenātmā samprasīdati. So is there any difficulty? No difficulty. The Bhagavad-gītā explains everything very nicely, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to worship Kṛṣṇa, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Everything is explained there very lucidly. So people can take it very easily, and then he will be perfect. Then he'll not come... Mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is very easy. So take it very seriously. That is our propaganda. We don't manufacture anything, any jugglery of words, any magic or any new ideas of God. These nonsense things we do not do. We simply carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and we simply repeat 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You can take it and also you can do it. You can also become guru. That we want. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any question? If there is any question you can put.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

In this age of disagreement there is no possibility of executing different process of self-realization. No. They say that there are as many paths as one can manufacture. It may be true. But in this age, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā: "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this age." Therefore an intelligent man will take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the test of one's intelligence. And it is very easy. And by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the highest platform. So one who has accepted the simply method recommended for this age, he is called the intelligent. That is required. That much intelligence we must have.

So it is quarter past eight. I will stop here. Next meeting we shall explain further. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. (break) ...you say like that, 'Only persons who are joining this movement, they are intelligent and others are not intelligent?' " that is our challenge. Now you can defend on behalf of those who do not accept this proposal. This is my challenge. This is a fact. As I... Now you can talk. It is very intelligent question also. And Janārdana will reply.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

If we apply we apply our vāsu..., bhakti-yoga unto Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati. So Vāsudeva is not ordinary person, He is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To show us mercy, He descends. That is His mercy. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7), if you take to devotional service... What is that devotional service? It is also very easy. It is not very difficult thing, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). If anyone comes in this temple, simply (aside:) Sit down. Simply offers a little obeisances, just bow down, māṁ namaskuru. And if you think of these Deities, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, in this way, those who have become devotees, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, you worship. These four principles, if you adopt, that is bhakti-yoga. That is bhakti-yoga. But the bhakti-yoga can be kept active by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Just like you are hearing, I am speaking. This is kīrtanam, and you are hearing, both we are benefiting.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

In another place it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). God realization can be possible. How? If you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. It is very wonderful. People may say, "How is that? The tongue has to be engaged in the service of the Lord?" Yes, that is the sastric injunction. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you simply engage your tongue in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will appear to you, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. He will personally appear before you. And what is that? You can utilize your tongue simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and satisfy the tongue by taking prasādam. Finished. Very simple and very easy. By simply controlling your tongue, you can control all other senses. You can control belly, you can control the genital, you can control everything. Therefore, here is recommendation, "Please do not take this, do not take this. Don't take animal foodstuff. Simply take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Don't drink, don't smoke..." There are so many don'ts, and so many do's also.

So therefore we have to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness method. Here it is said that kāmasya nendriya-prītir jīveta yāvatā (SB 1.2.10). Try to live decently by taking kṛṣṇa-prasāda and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Jīveta: in this way you can live hundreds of years. That is recommended in the Īśopaniṣad, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). So jīveta yāvatā, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. And why shall you live at all? What is the use of living? The trees are also living for ten thousands of years. What is the meaning of that living? Similarly you if live for a hundred years or two hundred years.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

In spite of working so hard, we are confused, baffled. Pa pha ba bha. And still there is bhaya, fearfulness, "Whether it is done, or whether I shall get tomorrow, any food?" Bha. In this way, at the end, ma, mṛtyu. This is called pa pha ba bha ma-pavarga. So to take to religiosity means to get out of this pavarga. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Not pavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāya upakalpate. We go to temple or church or mosque to get some material benefit: "O God, give us our daily bread." The Christians pray like that. And the Hindus, they also pray, go to some demigod, or Kṛṣṇa. Mostly they go to demigod, especially to Lord Śiva, because Lord Śiva's name is Āśutoṣa. If you please Lord Śiva, it is very easy. He's very easily satisfied. And whatever you want, he gives you: "All right, take it." Therefore, generally people become devotee of Lord Śiva, because easily pliable. Viṣṇu is not so easily pliable. Devī is easily pliable. Say, for a meat-eater, goes to Devī: "My dear goddess, I want to eat meat." Devī will allow: "All right. Bring a goat and sacrifice it before me, and you eat." But if you go to Viṣṇu, "Sir, I want to eat meat," He'll not allow. Therefore they are very much devotees of Goddess Kālī. Purpose is to eat meat. He's not a devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

Again next meeting was in 1933. So at that time I was simply inquiring from other disciples of my spiritual master. At that time I was not spiritual master, I mean to say, disciple. "So when His Holiness will speak?" So this information was noted by my spiritual master, and he was pleased to accept me immediately, that "This boy is very nice. He's very inquisitive to hear. He does not go away."

So this is a very good qualification. One who becomes inquisitive to hear, so śuśrūṣoḥ. Śuśrūṣoḥ means one who is very inquisitive to hear; at the same time, to render service. These two qualifications. Śuśrūṣoḥ. Śraddadhānasya (SB 1.2.16), with faith. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. For him the taste for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā is very easy. And syān mahat-sevayā. And this is also can be possible if we are fortunate enough to come in contact of a great soul, mahat-sevā. Mahat means great. And if we serve him, if we want to please him, mahat-sevayā viprāḥ: "My dear brāhmaṇas," he was addressing, puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And puṇya-tīrtha. There are many sacred places. They are called puṇya-tīrtha. There are two kinds of sacred places. Just like if you go to a place... Just like in Vṛndāvana or Kankhara(?). In India there are... In the Christian also you have got your sacred place. The Muhammadans they have got their sacred place, Medina, Mecca. You have got your Jerusalem. Similarly, these, those who are followers of Vedic principles, they have got their several places, sacred places. One... Some of you who have visited India might have seen Hardwar, Kankhar(?), Lakshmanjhula, Prayāga, Vṛndāvana, and Rāmeśvaram. There are many places.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

Lust, lust which is sanctioned by religious principles... Sanctioned means... This is sanction: you can have sex life in married life, not otherwise. If you want, more wife. But not more husband. No, that is not allowed. More wife is allowed. A man can have more wives, but woman cannot have more husband. Of course, in special cases, that is another... But generally, this is the rule. This is Vedic civilization. So as far as possible, we shall try to avoid this illicit sex, because that is very detrimental for advancing in the path of spiritual life. Therefore our first principle is no illicit sex. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam.

So things are difficult, at the same time very easy, provided we are determined that "In this life, I shall go back to home, back to Godhead." So these are the processes. So? Purport?

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja thinks that in order to realize his self for self-realization, if he gives up all material engagement and takes to the path of self-realization, that is the best way of his life. And the father became angry. "What nonsense he's taking? A five-years-old boy, he's taking, talking of self-realization. I wanted to make him a great politician, economist. Now he's talking of this nonsense and..." Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. "He's describing that this family life is just like a dark well." If a man is put, dark well... (break)

...be engaged. Be... Whatever you are, that doesn't matter. But act it on the platform of consciousness. And that platform, acting on the consciousness, is, Lord Caitanya has made very easy. Just like there are some note-makers of school books, "Easy Study." So Lord Caitanya has recommended that "You may be engaged in whatever occupation. That may be good or bad. We don't mind for that. But you must hear the kṛṣṇa-kathā. You must continue to hear this Bhagavad-gītā." That is... For this, we are trying to organize this institution, that "You come. Whatever you do, that doesn't matter. Everything will be adjusted by and by." Because, as I have described in the beginning, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Everything will be adjusted as our mind becomes clear, clear, clear, simply by hearing. Simply by hearing.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

What kind of dirty intelligence? That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛtī. Kṛtī means very expert, kṛtī. Kṛtī. One who is expert, he's called kṛtī. But here the word has been added: dus. Duṣkṛtī. Duṣkṛtin. Just like one who has discovered the atomic bomb. It has required very nice brain. Unless the scientist is very intelligent, kṛtī, how he could discover such dangerous weapon? So there is intelligence, undoubtedly. But the intelligence has been wrongly used. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. They have discovered something to kill man. But they could discover something which will save man. But that is not possible. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—which will save man. You can discover something to kill man, but you cannot discover something which will save man. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is very easy. Simply by giving some time to hear about Kṛṣṇa. As soon as one sincerely hears about Kṛṣṇa...

Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa and I, both are living together within the heart as friends. Kṛṣṇa is so sincere friend that He's trying always to take me back again, back to home, back to Godhead. That is His business. But I am denying, "No, Sir, I shall remain as hog. I shall be happy by eating stool." Kṛṣṇa says, "No, give up this business." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I'll give you protection." "No, Sir, I'll eat meat, I shall eat the stool. I have got very good facility for sex life without any discrimination." There are so many so-called... I don't wish to discuss, but sex life is so strong that they cannot give up even in so-called devotional life. So this is dirty things. Actually it is very dirty. But one can give it up if one is very strongly under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:

No. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. If you want to understand the science of God, then we have to adopt this devotional service. Not by other yogas. Otherwise, in Bhāgavata it would have been said "By karma-yogataḥ, by jñāna-yogataḥ, by haṭha-yogataḥ, by dhyāna-yogataḥ." No. It is clearly said, bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate (SB 1.2.20). If you are still after jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, God. It is clearly said. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is clearly said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Simply through devotional service.

So if you want to know God, then you have to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. It is very simple. It is made very easy, especially in this age: simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It's so made easy, but we are so unfortunate that we do not take advantage of this. Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu laments, "My dear Lord, You are so compassionate and merciful upon us that in this age You have descended in Your, as Your name, and one can chant this name without any regulation, without any regulation." Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Any time, any circumstances, one can chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Kṛṣṇa has become so liberal. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "My dear Lord, although You are so much merciful upon me, still, I am so unfortunate." Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam, "I am so unfortunate," durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani na, "I could not be attached to chanting of mantra. Oh, I am so unfortunate." You see? The things have been made so easy, actually, but unfortunate class of men, they cannot take to it.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

So everyone is suffering or enjoying the resultant action of his karma. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa. Bandhana. As he's bound up by the resultant action of karma... Bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam āta... They are getting different results of their karma. It is very easy to understand. But for the devotees it is said, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54), those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service, their karma is cut off. There is no resultant action. Just like you know chick peas. Chick peas, if you sow on the ground, it will fructify into a plant. But the same chick pea, if it is fried and you sow on the ground, it will not fructify. So our karma should be fried up by devotional service. Then it will not produce any result. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So there is no resultant action of a devotee's activity. Therefore here it is said, kṣīyante ca asya karmāṇi. Unless you have completely finished your resultant action of karma, you cannot be promoted to the spiritual world. You have to accept a type of material body so long karma will go on. Therefore in another place, Bhāgavata, it is said that people are engaged as karmīs, and Ṛṣabhadeva says na sādhu manye. One is engaged in karma. It is not very good.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

We have begun this chapter śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ... (SB 1.2.17). (aside:) You are sleeping, this boy... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who is engaged in hearing about Kṛṣṇa... To whom? To Him, not those who are sleeping. Those who are actually hearing, śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means hearing, not sleeping. To such person. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, and engaged in devotional service. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give intelligence." It doesn't require... If he's sincere, if he's actually a devotee, Kṛṣṇa will help him. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Guru is secondary, another mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is helping within and without. That without help is guru, Kṛṣṇa's representative. So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us, and when Kṛṣṇa is helping us, it is very easy to understand Him. Therefore a devotee is beyond all doubts. Beyond all doubts. There is no doubt. Not that blindly we are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No. We have got all our arguments, scientific, philosophical, anything. Then we accept Kṛṣṇa. That acceptance is nice. That is uttama-adhikārī.

Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. There are three stages of devotees-lower class, middle class and first class. The first-class devotee is without any doubt. The third-class devotee, he's accepting, he's accepting: "Here is God," that's all. But he has many doubts. The second class, he, although he has got doubts, he's accepting on the authority of Vedas. That is second class. And the first class, he knows perfectly well that "Here is God." That is the, the sarva-saṁśayaḥ. Chidyante. They are beyond all doubts. "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Kṛṣṇa. In this temple here is, my Lord is standing. He has very kindly, mercifully, He has come to accept my service." That is first-class devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As soon as He saw Jagannātha in the temple, immediately fainted. "Here is My Lord; I was searching after."

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

So there are unlimited number of universes also. And in each universe, koṭiṣu vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, in each universe, there are millions and trillions of planets, each different from one another. This is the creation. So just imagine that what is God's creation, how He attains every universe continually. His līlā is going on. As soon as in one universe the Kṛṣṇa's birth, appearance, is finished, immediately in another universe His birth takes place. This is called nitya-līlā. Exactly like... The same example: as soon as six-thirty, morning, finished here in India, immediately the six-thirty of the sunrise in some other place. Six-thirty another place. another... The six thirty is going on. It is very easy to understand. The six-thirty or seven-thirty or eight, nine, whatever you take, that is going on. That is called nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa's līlā is going on. So just imagine how many universes are there.

So the spirit soul has got immense power, immense power. That is only fragment of Kṛṣṇa, part and parcel. Now, just you can imagine what is the power of Kṛṣṇa. A..., a small, fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa... Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The living entity, he has got so much potencies. And what potency Kṛṣṇa has got, who is full of spiritual potency? So actually if we want to be happy, as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we must join Him. That is our value. This example I have given several times, that a small screw of a machine has got immense value when it is attached with the machine. The same small screw, when it is detached from the machine, it has no value. Not even a farthing. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Our value is in full when we join Kṛṣṇa, when we dovetail our activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it is valuable. Otherwise the so-called progress is simply illusion. There is no progress. It is simply illusion. Ato vai kavayo nityaṁ bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā.

Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972:

So these three qualities are there within this material world. And one has to transcend these three qualities. And that can be done... Anyone can do that. Kṛṣṇa does not say that only the person who is in goodness, who has the brahminical platform, he can be engaged. Actually, he can be engaged, not in the passion. But if you be engaged in devotional service, then immediately you transcend all the qualities. You become more than brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means he is transcendental to the brahminical qualities also. But if you do not maintain even brahminical qualities, then where you are a Vaiṣṇava?

So to become a Vaiṣṇava is not so easy thing, because it is transcendental to the brahminical quality. But it is very easy. Lord Caitanya has made it easy, provided you stick to the principles. If you simply chant regularly Hare Kṛṣṇa... This is the special facility for the people in this age. You can remain steady in transcendental position. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as you remain in the offenseless chanting platform, immediately you become transcendental to these material qualities. Very simple. You don't require to study Vedānta. The Vedānta is there.

Lecture on SB 1.3.27 -- Los Angeles, October 2, 1972:

It is practical. You can see. But wherefrom we get this information? From the Vedas. The knowledge received from the Vedas, there is no mistake. There is no illusion. It is perfect. Just like here, we have read the passage that four lakhs of years, 400,000's of years after from this time, there will be incarnation of Kalki. His father's name should be Viṣṇu Yaśā. The place where He will appear, it is Sambhal. Everything is stated there. Now 400,000's of years it will... Lord Buddha appeared 2,500 years after the Bhagavat was written. That's came a fact.

So if we take the Vedic statement, Vedic literature statement, as fact, then our knowledge is perfect. You don't require to research. There is no need. It is perfect knowledge and very easy. Kṛṣṇa says that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So Kṛṣṇa said this. Arjuna was playing just like ordinary man, although he is not ordinary man. Just to give us lessons, he was asking question just like ordinary man. So when Kṛṣṇa said that "I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā science of God, or philosophy, to Vivasvān, the sun-god," He clarified the matter. He said... Arjuna said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are my contemporary, of the same age. So how can I believe that You spoke Bhagavad-gītā some 400 millions of years ago to sun-god? How can I believe You?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I remember." That is the difference between God and human, living entity. God knows everything, past, present, future. We do not know. We are teeny. We cannot be equal with God at any stage of life. Even Arjuna, who is constant companion of Kṛṣṇa, he is also forgetting that... Kṛṣṇa replied, "Both you and Me had many, many births. We appeared. But you have forgotten; I remember. That is the difference."

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

One has to learn the science, how to see God. That is bhakti-yoga. One who is not in bhakti-yoga, he cannot see God, even God is present before him. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). "I am not exposed to everyone. The yoga-māyā curtain is there." So first of all, before asking anybody, "Can you show me God?" you must be qualified to see God. That is required. That qualification is taught in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how to see God, how to understand God. Otherwise it is mysterious. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186).

So seeing God is very mysterious, but it is very easy also, very easy, provided we know the method how to see God. So that is bhakti-yoga. And therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: (BG 18.55) "Only through devotional service one can understand Me as I am." Otherwise he will commit mistake. There are different processes undoubtedly: jñāna, yoga, karma, bhakti. But if you want to see God, then you have to accept this bhakti-yoga, no other yoga. Neither jñāna-yoga, nor karma-yoga, nor haṭha-yoga. You cannot see. You can see. Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Those who are impersonalists... All of them are impersonalists. For them, it is very difficult, troublesome, to see God. They may try their process, but it will take long, long time to see God. But if one takes to bhakti-yoga, immediately... Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

So we do not know how to know Kṛṣṇa's activities. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). These are all transcendental subject. Here also, it is said, janma guhyaṁ bhagavataḥ. Very confidential. These mysteries, confidence, are open to the confidential devotees. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). One who is devotee, He understands everything. Others cannot understand. Others, they will think, "Oh, they are worshiping an idol, and unnecessarily spending money for preparing prasādam." They will see like that. But a devotee knows how Kṛṣṇa is eating, how Kṛṣṇa's prasādam is being prepared. Everything He knows because He is bhakta.

Therefore one should try to become a devotee. Then everything will be disclosed to him. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). God will be revealed, and he will see everywhere God. Without any cessation twenty-four hours, he will see God. So as it is prescribed in the authorized śāstras and directed by spiritual master, if you follow the principles, it is not very difficult to see God, to understand God. It is very easy.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

He's not only rascal, he's the lowest of the mankind. And if you say, "Oh, he is very learned scholar." Oh, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). His knowledge has been taken away by māyā. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Simply he's defying God. Kṛṣṇa means God. "I am God," that is asuric.

So for a devotee, there is no need of controlling senses. It automatically becomes controlled. Just like we have taken the vow we are not going to eat anything except kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Oh, the sense is already controlled. There is no question of asking a devotee, "You don't drink, don't this, don't this, don't this." So many don'ts. Simply by accepting kṛṣṇa-prasādam, all don'ts there, already there. And it becomes very easier. Others, if one is requested that "You don't smoke," it will be very difficult job for him. For a devotee, he can give up at any moment. He has no problem. Therefore the same example, that these senses are very strong undoubtedly, as strong as the snake. But if you break the poison teeth, the poison teeth, then it is no more fierceful. Similarly, if you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa, no more controlling. It is already controlled. Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

What is that real religion? Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You give up all these nonsense, so-called religion and faith. You simply surrender unto Me." That is religion. That is real religion. All other, any other religion which does not teach how to surrender unto God, that is pretension. That is not religion. According to Vedic understanding, this is religion. This is natural function.

So, ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet tato dharmaṁ tato dhanam.(?) First of all you try to protect yourself, then take to real religion, natural function of the ātmā. Then try to... Because we are in this material condition, we require economic development also. So that is very easy also. Kṛṣṇa has given you enough land—you just little work. The animals are there. The cows will give you milk. If you till a little land, you get some grains. That is sufficient. Economic development. You don't require big factories, big workshop, and whole day and night with motorcar going this way and that way. No. There is no necessity for economic development. This is māyā. Simply at the end he will eat some grains or some this or that, little. And by whole day... Therefore they are called mūḍha. According to Bhagavad-gītā, they are rascals, mūḍha, ass. Just like ass, the beast of burden. He takes washerman's load, three tons, four tons. Whole day working, but eating a morsel of grass, that's all. He has no knowledge that "I take a morsel of grass only, I live. And why whole day I bear these so much tons of clothing of the washerman?" You have no experience of the ass, ass's business. In India the washerman loads the ass three tons and he goes to the waterside and the washerman washes all these clothings in some bank of river or reservoir of water. Again evening, the ass brings back the clothing.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

He did not know what is Bhagavad-gītā's character, what is written there. But there is samādhi. He was thinking of "Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, how they are talking, how they are sitting, how the chariot is going, how Kṛṣṇa is nice." This is thinking. That is samādhi. Samādhi is not an artificial thing, by pressing your nose, or this or... That is... These things are recommended for the third-class men who cannot concentrate his mind in Kṛṣṇa, for the fourth-class, third-class men. It is not for the first-class man. A first-class man is automatically Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So these things are to be studied very minutely and understood, and then the things are very easy. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Now, the samādhi, samādhinā. Śrīdhara... We have to take the comments of authorities, that here you see samādhinā citta aikāgrena. Actually, that is samādhi. Now, these sitting posture, these breathing exercise, controlling the senses and mind—everything means that you have to make your mind so nice that it will never deviate from Kṛṣṇa. So these are different types of exercise. Just like by exercise you can make your circulation of the blood nicely, you keep yourself healthy, similarly, the all these yogic process means to come to the stage of samādhi. Samādhi. And that is said also in the authoritative yogic literature. But what is that samādhi? Samādhi means not to deviate. The mind should always be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought without any deviation.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

So if we become successful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we achieve the greatest success of life, but even if we fall down, oh, there is no loss. Because we are going to get birth in śucīnām, in nice brāhmaṇa family, or rich mercantile family where it is supposed...

Nowadays, at the present moment, there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśyas. Everyone is a śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. The situation is different. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made the thing very easy. Either you become brāhmaṇa or śūdra or kṣatriya or less than śūdra, caṇḍāla, or, or anything, it doesn't matter. Take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, and if you stick to this and if you follow the regulative principles, your success is sure. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. And that is confirmed here by Nārada Muni, that "There is no loss even one falls down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform." That does not mean we shall fall down. We must be very steady and rigid and with vow, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. How we can become fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam: "Anyone who is completely free from all sinful reaction..." Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. And who can be completely free from all sinful reaction? They are always engaged in pious activities. Such persons... Because if you engage yourself in pious activities, there is no chance of your being engaged in sinful activities.

Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:

This is the only qualification, that Nārada Muni was disciplined. So much disciplined that he's a small boy, still, he would not talk anything nonsense. He was so disciplined. So the more we become disciplined... As it is stated in the śāstras, utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. These are disciplines. The more we become advanced... And naturally we get the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Through the mercy of spiritual... Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. There must be mercy both of them, guru and Kṛṣṇa. Without guru's kṛpā, one cannot reach Kṛṣṇa, and without Kṛṣṇa's kṛpā, one cannot get a bona fide spiritual master. This is correlative terms. So we should follow the disciplinary methods sincerely under the guidance of spiritual master. Then it will be very, very easy to go back to home, back to Godhead. Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni, next life became... Nārada means he went back to home, back to Godhead. He was promoted in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Then in the next creation, to distribute this bhakti-mārga, he took birth as the son of Brahmājī, and his business was to convert only all others to devotional life. You'll find Nārada Muni's name in connection with Vālmīki, in connection with Prahlāda Mahārāja. Long, long ago. And still, we are also following Nārada Muni's path, Nārada Pañcarātra. Our method is Nārada Pañcarātra.

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Prabhupāda: I mean to say, intoxication, no meat-eating. If you follow these four principles, then you become hatainasaḥ. Hata enasaḥ. Your sinful life stopped. So hatainasaḥ śraddadhānasya. Śraddadhāna means with faith and obedience. Not that blindly. Śraddadhānasya bālasya. And although he was a boy, but he got this qualification. Bālasya dānta, silent, no more playing. Anucarasya. Anucara means following. These are the qualifications. If you become qualified with these qualities... What is that? Anurakta, means attached, obedient, no sinful activities, and faithful, and not disturbing, dānta, and follower. And if the guru is mahātmā and if you are qualified with these qualifications, then the result will be there. Immediately.

But there is no difficulty. One must be serious to understand, and he must approach a qualified mahātmā guru. Then his business will be, transaction will be very nicely done. This is Vedic process. Is there any difficulty? Anyone can say? Is there any difficulty to become mahātmā and to become a qualified disciple? Is it very difficult? Say, if there is any difficulty.

Devotees: No.

Prabhupāda: See. So where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. The difficulty is the rascals will not do it, and the so-called durātmās, they are passing on as mahātmās, and so-called disciples are passing as disciples. Therefore the transaction is imperfect. Things are not coming out. But if the transaction is perfect from both the sides, from the disciple's side and guru's side, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very, very easy.

Lecture on SB 1.5.31 -- Vrndavana, August 12, 1974:

This is not ordinary thing. It is completely spiritual. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau, caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam (CC Adi 1.5). Vande... That verse I am forgetting. This is the process. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, it is not the affair of one young boy and young man. It is not that. It is the exhibition of the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Hlādinī śaktir asmāt, so it is completely spiritual. Do not try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa playing immediately. "Oh, because I have come to Vṛndāvana, let me understand immediately Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā." It is not so easy. You have to undergo severe penances. Not severe. It is very easy. But we do not like to take.

But the best thing is as Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, that

viṣaya chāṛiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī-bṛndābana

Viṣaya chāṛiyā, "so long I have got the propensity for sense gratification there is no possibility for understanding Vṛndāvana. There is no possibility." It is the statement of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He says viṣaya chāṛiyā kabe śuddha. Viṣaya means this āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. If you are still inclined for eating, sleeping and sex life, there is no possibility of understanding what is Vṛndāvana.

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

While acting, doing something, at the same time, we can remember Kṛṣṇa. Anusmaranti. Anusmaranti. Anu means follow. You cannot remember, memorize Kṛṣṇa, by your whims. No. Therefore this word is used, anusmaranti. Anusmaranti bhagavac-chikṣayā. As Kṛṣṇa has personally taught you. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that... What is that? Ap... The water, taste? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So Kṛṣṇa is teaching that "You try to understand Me in this way." Not whimsically, "I am meditating something." No. You meditate, but according to the will of Kṛṣṇa, bhagavac-chikṣayā, as He has taught. He says that you can meditate. This is very good subject matter of meditation. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Very easy. Everyone is drinking water, and as soon as you get water and drink, if you meditate little what Kṛṣṇa has said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, "I am the taste of the water," where is the difficulty? Bhagavac-chikṣayā. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. As soon as you see light, sunlight, moonlight, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa: "This light is Kṛṣṇa."

So you can utter "Kṛṣṇa," and you can remember Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, then you become the topmost yogi. As soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa within your heart, you become the topmost yogi, immediately. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān... (BG 6.47). (break) This practice is required. (break) You work... Because without working you can not live. This is the work. Śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Śarīra-yātrā, we have to keep this body fit; therefore we have to work. Kṛṣṇa does not say, never said to Arjuna, that "I am your friend, Kṛṣṇa. I'll do everything. You can sleep. You don't require to fight." Kṛṣṇa never said. "You have to fight. But you have to fight, at the same time, yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7)."

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

That is also given, annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. If there is sufficient rain, then you can easily produce food grain. Just like this year, the rain is sufficient; everywhere we go it is green. Green means sufficient food for the animals. And if the field is very soft, you can till it and you can get easily, very nicely, foodstuff. Therefore parjanya, water, rain, is required. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). And by performing yajña there will be cloud and rain.

That was the... Yajña is required. In this age, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to perform the Vedic ritualistic yajñas. It requires tons of ghee and food grains. And people have nothing to eat even. But śāstra has made it very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). If you perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña, then it is as good any other yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the yajña-puruṣa, Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. So in the Kali-yuga, simply by performing yajñas you can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. We have seen in many places by performing yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña, where it was very dry, rain has fallen. This is practical. So things are very easy. But instead of producing food grains, we are producing Goodyear tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool," and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that produce foodgrain. But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore you are suffering. Kṛṣṇa is giving very good advice: annād bhavanti bhūtāni. You produce sufficient foodgrain, all over, not only here. Another anartha is this nationalism.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva has forbidden, that "This life, human form of life, is not meant for working so hard like hogs and dogs." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the advice. But we are advancing in civilization—to get our food, we have to work so hard. This is condemnation of life. Human life should be very peaceful, and without any hard work we shall get our food and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not that for senses gratification we work so hard like an ass. This is called anartha. Anartha means unwanted things. We can see practically. The birds and beasts, they are living very easy and comfortable life without any problem. They rise early in the morning regularly. You have seen. As soon as there is little light, immediately they will rise up and they will talk amongst themselves and go, one tree to another, and he will eat one or two fruits, little fruits, ample fruit. They have no scarcity of food. And live very pleasantly. For eating, sleeping, sex life, they have no problem. These are primary necessities of life. Why there should be problem for these things? But in the human society there is problem. That is called the effect of Kali-yuga. Effect of Kali-yuga means the so-called advancement of material civilization means to become godless, immoral, and they must suffer. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

This is the principle, that you cannot keep men in their impious activities, at the same time he becomes religious or God conscious. That is not possible. That is not possible.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has prescribed a very easy method to become pious. That is the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The real disease is within our heart. Hṛd-roga-kāma. Hṛd-roga-kāma. We have got a disease, heart disease. What is that? Kāma, lusty desires. That is called hṛd-roga-kāma. So we have to cure this heart disease, hṛd-roga-kāma. And that will be done simply by chanting and hearing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The heart is all right, but it is covered by the material dirty things, namely the three guṇas: sattva-raja-tamo-guṇa. But by hearing simply Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, by hearing chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you will be purified. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityaṁ bhāga... If we take this opportunity... We are opening centers all over the world just to give the people this opportunity, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam. Then, as soon as the heart is cleansed by hearing about Kṛṣṇa... Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa because by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will be interested in kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, about Kṛṣṇa. That is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, and the upadeśa, instruction, given by Kṛṣṇa, that is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

That is also nowadays very dangerous. In that packed-up condition, he's there, he's already suffering, and the mother is planning to go to the doctor and kill the child. Just imagine how precarious condition in the womb of the mother. And if we do not try in this life that "I shall not again enter into the womb of the mother," then what is the value of this life? We have to learn it from the śāstra. You cannot see actually, but the medical science explains that a child is placed in this way. In Bhāgavata also it is stated how the child grows his body, how it is put into that precarious condition.

So one should be senseful, that "So much suffering awaiting..." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. And Kṛṣṇa says, "You have to accept another body." Not that death is finish. They have made it a very easy formula, that after death everything is finished—because they are rascals. They do not take lesson from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati: (BG 2.13) you have to change your body. But these rascals, they do not know. "What kind of body I'm going to get? How the body is going to be changed? No, don't care. Go on." Mūḍhā janmani janmani (BG 16.20). Mūḍhā-yoniṣu. They do not even try to understand wherefrom so many varieties of life are coming-jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And still they are passing on as scientist. What science? It is only ignorance. If you have to study science, you have to take it from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

What Kṛṣṇa says, that is practical. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. "How we shall get anna? There is no rain." You see nowadays, there is no rain. Why? Because you are, we are all rascals. We do not know how to get rain. Kṛṣṇa says, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ: "There will be food grains when there is sufficient rain." And how rain there will be? Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ: (BG 3.14) "And if you perform yajña, then there will be sufficient rain." So nowadays you, people may say, "How to perform yajña? It requires so much money, so much ghee, so much food grains to offer as oblations." But Kṛṣṇa has made it very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ. I know, the śāstras know that in the Kali-yuga it will be very difficult to perform the ritualistic yajña ceremony because people will be poor, poverty-stricken. Where they will get ghee, and where they will get grains? No. This is yajña: kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). This is yajña.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

They have no other message. Therefore anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryam karoti. They are all sannyāsīs.

So out of... Of course, because Lord Caitanya accepted this sannyāsa, so we are maintaining that system, but actual point of sannyāsa is not mukti, but satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is sannyāsa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, how Kṛṣṇa's representative will be satisfied. Because we have to work under Kṛṣṇa's representative. Anything we work, if we want to be expert, then we have to work under some expert. Therefore we accept guru. We do not serve Kṛṣṇa directly. We accept guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The principle is guru is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and if we work under guru and if we can satisfy, then Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is very easy to understand. Suppose in office you are working under some officer. You have no acquaintance with the proprietor, but your pay, your promotion will be considered by the proprietor on the recommendation of this officer. When the officer will say, "Yes, this man has worked very nicely," then your increment of pay and your promotion immediately will be accepted by the proprietor. Therefore śāstra says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you can satisfy your spiritual master, then you must know that you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa, you are working under him, so if he says, "It is all right," Kṛṣṇa says, "It is all right," although you have never seen Kṛṣṇa. And yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. And if the spiritual master says, "Oh, you are doing nothing" then your, all spoiled, all labor is spoiled. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. You have no other shelter.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

Govinda, because He has entered within this universe, therefore the cosmic manifestation is possible. Otherwise it is not. Just like I am the soul, you are the soul. Because you have entered this body or I am entered this body, therefore the movement of the body is possible. As soon as I or you leave this body, it is dull, no more, no movement. It is very easy to understand. Similarly, how the movement of the cosmic manifestation is going on, the so-called scientist, philosopher, rascals, they do not understand, because Kṛṣṇa has entered. It is very easy to understand. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, very minute part. Still, because I have entered this body, therefore the body moves, the activities of the body going on. Is it very difficult to understand? So, anyone can understand that this lump of matter, big cosmic manifestation, until a thing like me, soul, is there, how it is going on nicely—how the sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the oceans are flowing in due order. Everything i in order. That we have to understand by the symptom. It requires little brain. Just like as soon as in the morning you see no more darkness, it is now..., there is light, immediately you can understand there is sun, sunrise is there. Similarly, as soon as you see the world order is going on very nicely, there must be God. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: "Under My direction," Kṛṣṇa said. He personally said, and if you have got intelligence, you should understand also. But if you are dull rascal, then you cannot understand. Therefore, here it is said, "You dull rascal, you do not know that Kṛṣṇa is covered by a curtain given by māyā." That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā also, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25).

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is giving us all the facilities, but we are so fool that we cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa is so friendly. That is... It is said, na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā (SB 1.8.19). They cannot see. Because mūḍha-dṛśā. Mūḍha means rascal, and dṛśā... Dṛśā means seeing. They have no power to see. A mūḍha cannot see. Rascals, they cannot see. They are very much proud: "Can you show me God?" But they do not think, "Whether I am qualified to see?" They are very much proud of these eyes. What is the value of this eye? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you can see Me, but according to My direction. You see Me: raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). You can see. It is very easy for you. You see Me in the water. While you taste, while you drink water, you see Me. I am the taste." So you are, everyone drinks water, and we get some taste. Otherwise why he's drinking water. So that taste, if you remember that "Here is Kṛṣṇa," simply by tasting water, simply by drinking water, if you follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction, one day you'll be a devotee. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Simply by drinking water. Simply we have to know how to see Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore Kuntīdevī says, na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā (SB 1.8.19). The mūḍha, the rascal, is so foolish... Kṛṣṇa says that "You see Me in the taste of water," but these rascals: "Hah! This is humbug. This is humbug. How, in the taste, Kṛṣṇa is there? I want to see in my own eyes." But you haven't got that eyes. Just develop your eyes gradually. Just like one is suffering from some eye disease. So take some medicine, then gradually, your eyesight will be improved. Take the spectacle, some power, then more power, more power. So... But they'll not take the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, the instruction of spiritual master. So they want to remain mūḍha-dṛśā, rascal and fool. And still they want to see Kṛṣṇa. This is the difficulty. Na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā (SB 1.8.19). If you do not improve your eyes according to the direction of śāstra..., sādhu-śāstra-guru, these three things, then how you'll see Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is saying. That is śāstra. Śāstra means what is said by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is śāstra. And guru. Guru says the same thing. And sādhu says the same thing.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not give you such prescription. He gives you very nice program: chant, dance and take prasādam. Still we are unwilling. We cannot accept this tapasya. You see. We are so fallen. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). This is a kind of tapasya which is very easy to do and it is very pleasant. Still, we are not agreeable. We shall rot in the street, lie down anywhere and everywhere and still, I shall drink and have sex and lie down. So what can be done? We are giving good facilities. Come here, chant, dance and live very peacefully and take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Be happy. But people will not accept. That is called misfortune.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said: etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. In the transcendental holy name of God, Kṛṣṇa, there is all potencies. As Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited potencies, similarly in the name, holy name of Kṛṣṇa, there is unlimited potency. So nāmnām akāri bahudhā. And there are many names of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got thousands and thousands of names. Kṛṣṇa name is the chief name. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. And there is no hard and fast rule, that you have to chant in this time or that time. No. Any time. Any time you can take. And the name is identical with Kṛṣṇa. On this logic, the name, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa. He's no other than Kṛṣṇa. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is living in Goloka Vṛndāvana and the name is different. Just like in material world we have got this conception. The name is different from the fact. But in the Absolute world there is no such difference. That is called absolute. Name is as potential as Kṛṣṇa is potential.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

So this is madhyama-adhikārī and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, uttama-adhikārī. There are different types of devotees, not all the same, according to the stages.

So ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. A Vaiṣṇava feels for others. A Vaiṣṇava understands that "Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they are rotting under the spell of māyā. Let us do something for them." That is Vaiṣṇava. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, naivodvije para duratyaya, duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ: "I am not afraid of the indefatigable vaitaraṇī." It is said in the śāstra that you have to cross the vaitaraṇī before going to the spiritual world. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am not afraid of this vaitaraṇī. It is very easy." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I know simply by glorifying Your Lordship, I am..., I can do that." Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). That is quite possible. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. So a pure Vaiṣṇava like Haridāsa Ṭhākura can simply chant. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised anyone, especially His confidential devotees... Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. He was advised that "You chant and don't eat very palatable food. Don't dress yourself very gorgeously." This instruction... But the chanting. Everyone was advised, whoever went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You chant."

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

Suppose if you have got money, and you are aware that you are very rich man. So simply thinking that you are very rich man and you see your money in the treasury, you'll be happy? No. When the money is utilized in so many ways for your gratification, then you are happy. Similarly, simple understanding, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, this realization, will not make you happy. You have to utilize his Brahman's position. That means bhakti. This is called śānta-rasa, simply to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is called śānta-rasa. You must develop further. That is called dāsya-rasa, to become the servant of the Supreme Brahman. Then further advance. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman" will not give you...

Just the same example... It is very easy, that, if you simply understand you have got much money... Just like we are trying to purchase land, but purchase land means I must have money. So money is there. So why I am not happy? Why I am trying to purchase land? To utilize the money. That is required. Every businessman has got money, enough money. But why they are active in the business circle? They are going to the market, share market, this market. Utilize the money. The same thing, simply to understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi... Therefore they fail. All these so-called sannyāsīs, simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I have become now Nārāyaṇa," not giving them satisfaction, but because they have no information about rendering service to the Para-brahman, they come to again to this material field to render service, to open hospital, to open school, to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa, and in this way they imagine because they want activities.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

Then He takes His incarnation, and that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya (BG 4.7). Abhyutthānam adharmasya. "When the principles of religiosity becomes increased, at that time, I appear," Kṛṣṇa says.

Just like take for example, when there are too much criminals in the state, unlawful, lawlessness, the state becomes overburdened, disturbed, overburdened. At that time the administrators are puzzled what to do. Similarly when the world is overburdened by atheists, demons, nonbelievers, the world becomes overburdened. Otherwise things will go on nicely. Just like in the state, if people abide by the laws nicely, then it is very easy to administer. Things are going on very nicely. But if people become criminals, it becomes a overburden to the state administrators.

So such thing happens because this is material world. And the demons and the demigods, they are always there, existing. But when the demonic power becomes increased, then the world becomes overburdened. Sīdantyā bhūri-bhāreṇa jāto hy ātma-bhuvārthitaḥ (SB 1.8.34), ātma-bhū. Ātmabhū is Brahmā's name. He's directly born of the Supreme Soul, Viṣṇu. He's not born as usually we do from the womb of mother. So Brahmā was born from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore his another name is Ātmabhū. Svayambhū, Svayambhū. These are different names of Brahmā. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). These are the... Brahmā is one, one of the authorities. He's also mentioned in the list of authorities, dvādaśa-mahājana. Twelve authorities.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

When a widow, old woman, her husband is dead... We have got experience. And she talks very loosely with the grandson-in-law. I have got experience. When we were young, young married, so my grandmother-in-law, my father-in-law's mother, she was talking very loosely, just like husband and wife. So that's a practical... Because she... She is hopeless of getting another husband because she is old enough. So where is the husband? She accepts or talks like husband to the grandson-in-law. So similarly, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not accept Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's līlā. They think it is māyā. They do not accept it. So there is no ānanda. Therefore they come down again. Punar mūṣiko bhava. Again open hospital because there is no engagement. And he has to raise fund. So this is very easy thing: "Sir I am going to open a hospital. Give me some fund." Nowadays, especially, it is very difficult to collect fund. If you say, "I am going to open a temple," nobody will give you. But if you say, "I am going to open a hospital," he'll give you.

So therefore we must have positive engagement. Simply negation, jagan mithyā... Why jagan mithyā? We don't say jagan mithyā. This building, this nice building, is it mithyā? It is not mithyā. It is perfectly true because here Kṛṣṇa is being worshiped, the devotees are chanting... This is life, this, truth. So why shall I say "jagan mithyā"? You have to utilize jagat in such a way that it will become truth. That process is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Here only business is how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. That is the only business. That is perfection. To become perfect means to learn how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. It doesn't require education and doesn't require big, big titles or... Nothing. You try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

When a devotee conquers over Kṛṣṇa or controls over Kṛṣṇa, that is also service. That is not actually controlling, because Kṛṣṇa wants to be controlled, just like a father sometimes says to his children, small children, to rise over the body, and they kick the father. And they... The father feels some relief. It is a kind of massaging. So similarly, everyone worships Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Being, and therefore Kṛṣṇa wants sometimes to be, I mean to say, thought as insignificant subordinate. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that "Everyone worships Me, but without worshiping, if somebody, I mean, controls over Me, I am very much happy."

So to control over Kṛṣṇa is not a very easy job; unless one is a great devotee, he cannot... Just like the cowherd boys. They used to rise on the shoulder of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was defeated in play. So the bet was that one who is defeated, he would take the other party on His shoulder. So Kṛṣṇa became defeated.

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

All these words you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is not my manufacture. So māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he's rascal number one, but he's thinking that he's vastly learned. He has advanced his knowledge so much. Simply he is puffed up falsely. That is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. Or jñānavān means one who has actually knowledge. So what is the difference between the two, one how has got actually the knowledge, and one who's simply falsely puffed up that he has got knowledge? What is the...? How you'll find difference, that here is a man who has got real knowledge, and here is a man, rascal, but he's very much puffed up?

So it is very easy to find out. At least for us. That is a fact. This is our criterion. Just like you can find out the currency note, which one is genuine and which one is not genuine. There are some signs. This is an example. Similarly our criterion is, from the Bhagavad-gītā, from śāstra, that we find these two verses in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is this? One thing is:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

The rākṣasa, āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ... Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ means one who does not accept the supremacy of God. "What is God? I am God. I am God." Such... These rascals are called māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante. They do not surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa. They pose themselves as God. So as soon as we find anyone does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is rascal. Anyone. It doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 1.13.10 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

They have got a teeth. They keep... Within the pocket of the teeth there is venomous poison. So when they bite, from the hole of that teeth, the poison is emitted, and the man dies or the animal dies. But this is a fact. If you infect some disease, you will have to suffer from that disease. This is a fact. It is scientific. Similarly, if you are infected with the particular type of the modes of nature, then you will have to suffer like that. If you remain in ignorance, then you will get the body of animal. This is the...

Therefore every one of you should become pure devotee, first-class devotee. First-class devotee is that... In this age it has been made very easy. Simply keep yourself cleansed, not to indulge in the four principles, prohibition, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be all first-class devotees. And wherever you will go, you will be able to purify there. Wherever you go. Wherever you speak, wherever you'll sit. So keep this spiritual strength intact. Tīrtha-bhūtāḥ. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni sva antaḥ-sthena. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting means keeping Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. This is not... It is not expensive at all. You haven't got to make a very exalted throne for Kṛṣṇa. You can imagine that "In my heart I have placed now a very diamond throne, and Kṛṣṇa is sitting." That is accepted. It is... Actually it becomes. Even within the mind you think that "I have kept one diamond throne, very costly throne, because Kṛṣṇa is coming. He will sit down here," that is not false. That is a fact. So you create such situation within your heart. "Now Kṛṣṇa has seated. Let me wash His feet with the Ganges water, Yamunā water. Now I change His dress to a first-class costly garments. Then I decorate with ornaments. Then I give Him for eating." You can simply think of this. This is meditation. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is so nice thing. Anywhere you can sit down and think that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in your heart and you are receiving in so nice way. They are not false. They are also fact. It is so easy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

That is our position. But if we deny this position, "Now why shall I become servant of Kṛṣṇa? I am independent," then suffering begins, immediate. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare, as soon as you desire to enjoy independently, immediately—that means immediately he is captured by māyā.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

It is very easy to understand. Just like if you don't care for the government laws, if you want to live independently, that means immediately you are in the clutches of the police force. You haven't got to create, it is already there. So our position is always dependent on God. We should understand this. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has a song,

mānaso deho geho, yo kichu mora,

arpilun tuyā pade nanda-kiśora

This mistake is going on, that I am independent, king, and my soldiers or my society, community, family or—so many we have manufactured—but

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv

ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api

teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

Just like a man fights, just like Hitler declared war, or so many wars are declared. This man is declaring, everyone is thinking, "I am independent." So, and we are thinking that we have got so many soldiers, so many atomic bombs, and so many aeroplanes, we shall come out victorious.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

There are so many things. These are the diseases for eating more. That's all. So we are suffering; at the same time, we are eating more. Because we are greedy, we are lusty. This is the cause. So therefore kāmād... We are serving. We are serving our lust, our greediness, and suffering. This is practical. If you have no hunger, if you eat... If you have no appetite, if you eat, then you suffer. If you infect some disease, you'll suffer. That is practical. So we are associating in, being infected by lust, greediness, illusion, fearfulness, so many things. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat (SB 7.5.5). If you steal, then you will be under fearfulness: "Oh, I may not be arrested; I may be arrested." Because you have done that, asad-grahat, you have done something wrong, therefore you are under the influence of fearfulness. It is very easy to understand.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

That is the real process of yoga system and meditation—to see the form of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā, this is the recommended process, standard recommended process.

So here, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa recommends also that, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing, just to train people how to think of Kṛṣṇa and how to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So you may become devotee... But you will become devotee. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, naturally you will become devotee. So... But think of Kṛṣṇa, is it very difficult task? Very simple, very easy, even a child can do it. Here is Kṛṣṇa. You can think of. So you go on thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, you will be attached. You will be attached. You will be attached. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And thinking of Kṛṣṇa in association of the devotees. Not alone, then you will go to hell. Alone will not do. Association is so strong that anyone who is coming to our association, we..., not that we are everyone teaching, but by association, he wants to become devotee. By association, automatically. So the association is so powerful. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,

tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame haya ei abhilāṣa

He is praying, "My dear Lord, this is my ambition, birth after birth." What is that? "That to be engaged in the service of the ācārya guru, and in the association of devotees. This is perfection." Janame janame haya ei: "This is my desire. I don't want to stop my birth, but simply I want that I may take birth—it doesn't matter—but bhakta-sane vāsa, let me live with the devotees." That is the...

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

Yes, lounge. So as soon as they saw us, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" You see. So this is advantage. Aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam. Even a dog-eater chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, he becomes glorified.

So this chance should be given. Let them chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, either willfully, or jokingly, or any way, let him chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the movement. Let him chant once, let his tongue utter this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, his life will be successful. It is such nice movement. You haven't got to do anything. Simply you come here and see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, you will be benefited. It is very easy. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). And once you get the impression of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa for meditation, and if you increase, then life, you are success. Life is successful. Because as soon as you become little inclined to see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa within your heart, that means you have developed His love. Just like if you love somebody, you want to close your eyes and see his face, his..., your child, or your lover. Similarly, as soon as you practice this, how to see, meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, that means you develop. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Then gradually it will increase, and you will be perfect. It is very easy. This process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so easy, and so pleasant, anyone can take. There is no difficulty. And if you become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, completely, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, bahu anudhyānam, always, anudhyānam, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, thinking of Kṛṣṇa—anyone can do it—then you become perfect. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That is the problem. Our, what is that problem? Problem is that we are full of anxiety. Why you are full of anxiety? Because you have accepted this material body. So if you stop accepting material body, there is no anxiety. That can be done by vāsudeva-anudhyānam, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

So you haven't got to pay any price. You are not losing anything.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

"I am going to get another body." And there are so many varieties of body. If I get the body of a tree, now standed up for seven thousand years... How much risk we are taking. But all this risk can be avoided in this human form of life simply by thinking of Vāsudeva, simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Why people are reluctant? This is their misfortune. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be accepted only by the most fortunate person. Not less fortunate, alpa-medhasa. Those who have got little brain, or little fortunate, they cannot. They cannot. Sukṛtina. Sukṛtina. Sukṛtina means very fortunate, very pious. And duṣkṛtina cannot take it. Vāsudeva..., thinking of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is very easy, but those who are sinful, they cannot take to it. That is the difficulty.

Therefore we say, "Stop these four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling." These are the four pillars of sinful life. If you accept these four pillars, then your route, sinful life is very strong. Break this, from the very beginning. There will be no more sinful life. If you simply stop, where is the difficulty? If you do not smoke or do not drink, will you die? We have got so many devotees, they do not smoke, they do not drink. Are they dying? They do not play any gambling. Are they dying? They do not take meat. Are they dying? They do not illicit sex. Are they dying? It is artificial. Māyā's... Artificial. Just like so many cigarette package are advertised, although there is written on the, what is that? It is dangerous...

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

So īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is there. Now He's giving chance, "You living entity, you did not surrender to Me. You wanted to enjoy this material world. So you take this chariot and take this driver and go on." This is going on. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). "Whatever you want, you do it. But you'll never be happy." That is the point. "You can do whatever. I will give you chance. I'll give you." Just like you want a Rolls Royce car. "All right, it is." If you want this car, "All right." So you are changing this car. Sometimes you are carried by the doggish cars, sometimes goddish car. These are all cars, but we are different from the car. We wanted to sit down in a certain car, so Kṛṣṇa is giving us the chance. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni (BG 18.61). Yantra means car or machine. It is very easy to understand. So this is going on because we are identifying with the car. Just like foolish man, if he rides on a Rolls Royce car, he's thinking "Now I am very rich man. I have bought a Rolls Royce." Similarly, if one body has got inferior car, he thinks that "I am poor"; identifying with the car.

But he's not car. He's different from car. This knowledge is required. This is called viśoko brahma-sampattyā. When we understand our spiritual identity, then we are no more lamenting or jubilation, equilibrium. Read the purport. It is very important verse.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

I am not using this hand for your benefit. This is natural. My hands, my legs, my eyes, are used for my purpose. So if it is actually Kṛṣṇa's hand, how it can be used for your purpose? So when you learn this science, that "This hand, I am claiming... It is not my hand; it is Kṛṣṇa's hand. It should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa," that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So that we have to learn by the process ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje. Then what is the benefit? Niveśita-ātmā-upararāma saṁsṛteḥ. If you can utilize your senses for the service of Adhokṣaja, beyond your sense perception, if you adopt that method, then the benefit will be niveśita-ātmā, fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness always. That is very easy. But those who are not doing, for them it is very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says... He gives the prescription that satataṁ cintayanto mām: (BG 9.14) "Always thinking of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Here is the chance. You come to the temple, engage in the temple service. Naturally your mind will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. This temple is open not for making a force; just to make this process, niveśita-ātmā, always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa though. That is the process. Always, twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). This is the process. Twenty-four hours we shall be engaged. Not that five minutes' meditation and then twenty-three hours, forty minutes engaged in other business. No. Twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business. That is called niveśita-ātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

He is changing like naṭaḥ. Naṭaḥ means actor, dramatic actor. Just like in the stage the dramatic actor is sometimes coming as a king and next time by changing the dress he is coming as (indistinct). This is an example. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the same but He has got different manifestations. That different manifestation He takes. Why? Bhū-bhāraḥ kṣapitaḥ. Bhū-bhāraḥ. He comes in different forms just to liquidate the burden of the earth, bhū-bhāraḥ. Bhū-bhāraḥ kṣapitaḥ, just to reduce the burden of this earth.

When demons are, demonic civilization is there, then the whole planet becomes overburdened with their sinful activity. It is very easy to understand. Where in the state everyone is rogue and rascal, then the state becomes overburdened. Overburdened means the duty of the state for arranging police, military and other things becomes very much confused. Similarly, if the people are all law-abiding citizens then the government has no burden. Let things go on nicely, everything is going nicely. Similarly, this is also great state, the universal state. So when people become rascals, rogues and demons, it becomes very much overburdened. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glānir bhavati. Dharma means not a sentiment. Dharma does not mean. Dharma generally is translated as "religion."

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

After all, you have to change this body. Change... This is... Bhagavad-gītā says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing this body from childhood, from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood... This is practical. You are not the same body as you had your body in the womb of your mother. That body is gone. Now daily changing; every moment we are changing body. Advancing age means I am changing body, you are changing body. So it is very easy to understood that we are changing our body. But I know, you know, every one of us, that "I had such and such body." You remember that you had a child's body. You were playing like that. When you see another child, you say, "Oh, I was also a child like him, and I was doing like this." But where is that body? That is gone. Now you have got another body. This example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. So as you are changing body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), similarly, after giving up this body, you have to accept another body. This is the logic, and any sane man can understand.

So we have become so rascal that we do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Actually, I am...Presently I can understand that "I had such and such body; now I have transmigrated to this body." How I have done, that is not known to you or me. That is called acintya. Perceptive. Just like the child is changing body, and you saw one child on the lap of his mother. So after few years, you come. You cannot recognize the same child who has grown up: "Oh." The mother says that "This is such and such." "Oh, you have become so grown up." So things are taken imperceptibly. That is going on by the subtle laws of nature. It is a great science, but there is no discussion of this science in any university of the whole world. And they are advancement of knowledge. They are claiming advancement of knowledge. What knowledge you have got? You do not know what you are, and you are advancement in knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

It is not very difficult to become a preacher and to become a spiritual master. How? Very simple thing. Go and speak what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. You have nothing to manufacture, Dr. Frog. There is no need of manufacturing. We are very safe because we don't manufacture. We simply repeat, parrotlike, what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all, finished. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Let aside everything. Just become My devotee, surrendered soul." So we are preaching that. We don't make compromise. Therefore all people are against me. Because "This man simply says, 'Kṛṣṇa.' " But I cannot say anything more. That's all.

So to become priya, very dear to Kṛṣṇa, is very easy. That is siddhi, perfection. Labdhvā harau bhaktim upaiti siddhim. Perfection, highest perfection: to become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That is your perfection, highest perfection, supreme perfection. So such easy thing, and such highest perfection. Why people should not accept this? And it is practical. It is... Just last night I was talking with Śrutakīrti that this church, nobody was coming. Therefore they were obliged to sell it off, and we purchased. So the church is the same, building is the same, and you are all Americans. But you did not come before, so that it was to be sold. Now everywhere it is packed up. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. This is practical. This is practical. There is no question of enviousness. It is practical. In Boston one Christian priest said frankly that "These boys, girls, they are our boys, our girls. Either coming from Christian group or Jew's group, they are, after all, Americans. So they did not care for anything about God. Now they are mad after God.

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

He is attractive to the small calf. You have seen the picture. Kṛṣṇa is embracing. Kṛṣṇa is not simply embracing Rādhārāṇī or the gopīs. He is embracing the insignificant animal, calf. Therefore He is all-attractive. And when the calf goes to Kṛṣṇa... This is described in the Kṛṣṇa book, how all the cows and calves were so much, I mean to say, attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. Everyone is attached to Kṛṣṇa. It doesn't matter whether he is human being or plant or trees or water or animal or the land or the flowers or the fruits. Whatever there is, they are all attracted to Kṛṣṇa.

So similarly, if we become attracted to Kṛṣṇa... We are attracted to... Actually we love Kṛṣṇa. That is the fact. But we have forgotten it. We are under illusion. Just you analyze yourself. Why we love this body? It is very easy to understand. Because the soul is there. Does anybody love a dead body? Is there any instance, a dead body is loved and embraced and taken into the room and kept it? Nobody cares. Throw it. Or burn it. So the body is not a lovable object. But because the soul is there within the body, therefore we love this body. This house, if it is vacant, nobody will come. But because there is Kṛṣṇa or because there are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, so many people come. Not that this house is lovable. Similarly, you analyze. You love this body. You work so hard day and night to keep this body fit. Why? Because the proprietor of the body, soul, is there. Then the love transfers from body to the soul. Then why do you love the soul? Because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we love the soul. So ultimately, the love goes to Kṛṣṇa. This is natural feeling of love between Kṛṣṇa, or God, and between living entities, but the māyā is interrupting the relation. It is called illusion. The process of interruption is called illusion. Otherwise, we, every one of us, we love Kṛṣṇa. Everyone of us. You analyze. You see that ultimately goes to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Dvaite. Dvaite means things which is not directly Kṛṣṇa, dvaita. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt, dvitīya. This dvitīya, this is called māyā. Dvitīya means second. The one is Kṛṣṇa, and māyā is secondary. Just like light. Light and darkness. Darkness is not first; light is first. And darkness means where there is no light. Where there is no light, that is darkness. Similarly, darkness has no separate existence. It is simply absence of light. That's all. Real existence is light. The whole creation is... Just like real existence is the sun. Try to understand, very easy. Sun, but when it is covered by the cloud, it is called darkness. Or it is covered by another planet, then we find darkness. Actually, there is always light. If you go through the cloud, you come to the sunshine. Everyone has got the experience. Down, when you start your plane, it may be very dark, and then, when you go beyond the sky, seven miles above, then you see there is sunlight. And again, if you start your plane in sunlight, in the morning, in daylight, so in the morning, and go to the western side, you will find never night. You will find never night, always light, always light. Sometimes we have got experience. We start from a place, say, at ten o'clock, and going western side. Then, after few hours, we see it is still ten o'clock, and the light is there. This is our practical experience.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Sudāmā: Any questions?

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes it is seen that even materialistic political power is successful in overthrowing government. So is it not possible in this age for devotees to overthrow government?

Prabhupāda: Yes, if you become all devotee, it is very easy. Because nowadays, the "government of the people, by the people." So if the people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if you are fools and rascals, the government will be fools and rascals. Because government is the representative of the people. You have got the opportunity because nowadays, democracy, that "government for the people, by the people." Is not that? So if you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be, because government is by the people, for the people. So not that kind of revolution. So if you make a revolution of this saṅkīrtana movement, everyone chanting and dancing, the government will be changed immediately. So push this movement.

Bali-mardana: Prabhupāda, there are certain groups saying that there's a comet in the sky and there's going to be some very inauspicious effects because of that. Do you know anything about that?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Satsvarūpa: The comet.

Bali-mardana: There's a comet in the sky and they're saying that some very inauspicious...

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

Yes. But her business is to cut off the heads of the demons. She is carrying one head in this hand, and in this hand she's carrying a chopper, and her business is to cut the heads of the demons. But she's also the agent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How she's agent? Because God has got two business: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). For them the goddess Kālī is engaged to cut their heads, kill them. That is also Kṛṣṇa's agent. Vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, they have to be finished. But, by finishing them, they are also elevated. Finishing means finishing their sinful activities, finishing their sinful activ... Just like... It is very easy to understand. Just like a person who has committed murder, the state law is, "Finish him, otherwise he will commit another murder." If he's encouraged... Therefore, by finishing him, there are two purposes. One purpose is served that because he has done something very grievous sinful activity, by sacrificing his own life, he becomes relieved from the sinful reaction. That is the law in the Manu-saṁhitā. I have not manufactured. The murderer is condemned to death just to save him from many following resultant actions of sinful activities. If in this life, he gives his life, "Life for life," then he's safe. In the next life, he takes his birth clean, not suffering any more on account of the sinful activities. This is the statement in Manu-saṁhitā. Another instruction is that if this murderer is killed, then he will be saved from committing again murder.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

Bahu means many, and sambhava means appearance. After many, many appearances, we have got this. Labdhvā su-durlabham. Su-durlabham. Su means very costly. Durlabham means to gain with great difficulty. This responsibility must be there in the human form of life. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many appearances. And what is this? Mānuṣya, man, human form of body. Artha-dam: and you can achieve a great success in this life. This is the hint given. Therefore for that great success everyone should try his best. And one may think that "Now we are young men, young boys and girls. Let us enjoy life." And that facility is very much easy to obtain in your country. In the school, college or society, the young boys and young girls, they have got ample facility for enjoying material life. Enjoying material life means sex life. So Bhāgavata says, "No. You should immediately try for the ultimate success of your life. Don't spoil your life." If we become absorbed in the thoughts of materialistic way of enjoyment, then naturally we have to take birth again in any other form of body, may be human body or may not be human body. But unless we purify our mind and consciousness, we must have to accept the material body.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

And that opportunity is given by Lord Caitanya very liberally: "Whatever you may be, come on, sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you become more than a brāhmaṇa." This is the highest gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But if you take otherwise from the social conventional life, oh, there is no brāhmaṇa, there is no gṛhastha, there is no brahmacārī. There is all gone, all finished. So those rules and regulation are not now applicable because amongst the śūdras there is no such rules and regulation. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and those are gone. They are finished. Now, even though the people are in the status of śūdra, they should be given opportunity for spiritual advancement, and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special gift, and very easy, that "Whatever you may be, you may be a brāhmaṇa, you may be a kṣatriya, vaiśya, that doesn't matter. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and gradually realize."

So at the present moment we cannot strictly follow; neither we are strictly following; neither it is possible to strictly follow. As far as possible, that's all. Our conception of brahmacāriṇī is in the Kṛṣṇa society, because... Especially in India, there is no brahmacāriṇī. But here, in your country, the boys and girls mix very freely, but just to restrict such free mixing, we think that the unmarried girls should remain separately. That is the contemplation. Actually, in the Vedic system there is no brahmacāriṇī system. Or get yourself married. That is our proposal, that we do not allow illicit sex life. That is impediment. That will not enhance your spiritual interests. Yes?

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

The idea is that the time which you are devoting here in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple, this time the sun cannot take away. This is becoming your asset. Plus. It is not minus. The duration of life, so far your body is concerned, that may be taken away. That will be taken away, however I may try to keep it intact. Nobody can keep it; it will be taken away. But the spiritual education which you are receiving in this class, oh, either the sun or sun's father, his father, nobody can take it away. It becomes a solid asset. Therefore we should utilize our consciousness, how to make it a solid asset. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you chant twenty-four hours very easy thing—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... That means this time cannot be taken away by the sun. Just like he has taken away the time of, pertaining to my body. Just like I was also young man sometimes, say, fifty years ago, or, say, some years ago, but that is taken away. Now that cannot be returned. But the spiritual knowledge which I received from my spiritual master, that cannot be taken. That cannot be taken away. It will go with me. Even after this body it will go with me. And if it is perfect in this life, then it will take me to the eternal abode. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

So you mix it. Then it becomes eighty-one. Three multiplied by three, nine. And again, nine multiplied by nine, it becomes eighty-one. So there are 8,400,000 forms on account of this mixture. That's all. So the mixture is possible, and according to the mixture, they have got different consciousness. According to the body, they have got different consciousness. A man, highly intellectual brāhmaṇa, he is, "Oh, I am greater than everyone. I am so wise. I am so pure. I am brāhmaṇa." So he has got a different conception. And similarly, the hog, because he has got a different form, it has that, "Oh, stool is so nice. Let me eat it." It is very (easy) to understand. According to the association with the modes of material nature, we are getting different types of body. And according to different types of body, we are developing different types of consciousness. Is it very difficult to understand? But when we transcend this bodily concept of life, then we come to the one standard consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand. If there is any difficulty, ask. It is very important. Why there are different consciousness? Everyone could take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they cannot take it because they have got bodily concept of life. And body means association with the modes of material nature in a different way. Try to understand. Is there any question on this point? Say it clearly. If you have understood, explain. It is very important point.

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

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. Then? (break)

Bhakti-yoga therefore requires little tapasya, not playthings, tapasya, that "We are addicted to so many sinful activities. We must give it up." That is tapasya. "We must observe fasting on ekādaśī day, on Lord's birthday." These are tapasya. If we do not... "We must chant sixteen rounds. We must observe the rules and regulations." This is tapasya. Don't make God very cheap thing: "Oh, it is very cheap thing." No. It has been made very easy for the Kali-yuga people because they cannot undergo any kind of tapasya. There is simple tapasya—"Chant sixteen rounds. Don't take this. Don't do this, four items. Take prasādam. Don't take anything." So nothing is stopped. A little regulated, that this much, if we do not do, then how we can expect to see God and understand God? Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). If simply we remain like hogs and cats and dogs, then how it is possible to realize God? Paraṁ pavitram. If I do not become pavitra myself, pure, how I can see the supreme pure? It is impossible. Tapasya must be there. But for this age the tapasya has been minimized. Brahmā is the most important person within this universe. He underwent tapasya for a hundred years. Then he could see God and realize God. You cannot go such tapasya, undergo such tapasya. That is not possible in this age.