Expressions researched:
"best friend"
|"best well-wishing friend"
|"best-wishing friend"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
A cow, so useful animal, it will never agitate. The dog has no use, but still he's the best friend.
Room Conversation -- August 14, 1971, London: Prabhupāda: Vegetarians are naturally peaceful. Just see between a dog and a cow. (laughter). Dog unnecessarily will talk: "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" (makes barking sound) without any fault. "Why you are here? Why you are here? Why you are here?" That is dog's qualification. A cow, so useful animal, it will never agitate. The dog has no use, but still he's the best friend. (laughter) And cow, actually giving us milk, sending to the slaughterhouse. Just see. This is human civilization. A dog is worshiped, and a cow is slaughtered. Do you think it is civilization? Do you think? Can you support this?
Guest (1): Well, I had a friend who was a vegetarian...
Prabhupāda: No, apart from this, these two animals. One is dog, and another is cow. So dog is worshiped and cow is sent to the slaughterhouse. What kind of civilization it is?
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
We want to see who has got the best brain, who has got the best opulence, who has got the best beauty, who has got the best knowledge, who has got the best friend. All combined together, if we find in some person, that is God.
Room Conversation -- May 4, 1972, Mexico: Devotee: A big airplane cannot reproduce another airplane.
Prabhupāda: You cannot create male aeroplane and female aeroplane so that you haven't got to manufacture a third one. The third one is produced. Why third one? Millions. And then from millions, another millions, another million. That is God's creation. That means He has got different energies. He pushes on one button of one energy and the production goes on. (Sanskrit) These are the Vedic explanation. His energies are so subtle. Just like nowadays electronic television button, you press, and thousands and thousands of miles away something is happening, you see. So if it is materially possible, it is nothing but exhibition of the energy of the human brain. So if human brain can exhibit such wonderful activities, how much God can do? He has got better brain, that's all, or the best brain. If you have got brain, that's all right, but He has got the best brain, param. Therefore He is called parampuruṣa, parameśvara. Parama means the best, the supreme. God is like you, like me. He has got also two hands, two legs, Kṛṣṇa. But His brain is different. Just like you are scientist; your brain is better than me, or his brain is better than you, and his brain is better than him. In this way you go on searching. When you find the brain which is no more better, that is God. That is God. As you are finding out better brain than you, he is better than his, he better than this—you go on researching—when you find out some brain which surpasses everyone and nobody surpasses Him, that is God. This is our definition of God. How can I deny it? We don't accept blindly anyone as God, incarnation of God. We want to see who has got the best brain, who has got the best opulence, who has got the best beauty, who has got the best knowledge, who has got the best friend. All combined together, if we find in some person, that is God. That we have found in Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is God.
And his best friend is George. (laughs).
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London: Prabhupāda: So Keśava's feeling not well, then he can come here.
Devotee (2): He wanted to. He wanted to bring his party here.
Prabhupāda: He can do that. Let him do that. Write him.
Revatīnandana: But actually he may improve it even more. They are already a good group. They are doing all right.
Prabhupāda: Very expert. Not only good, very expert.
Dhanañjaya: They're averaging sixty-seventy pounds a day.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Dhanañjaya: Sixty-seventy pounds a day they're collecting.
Prabhupāda: You are not collecting so much?
Dhanañjaya: What's that?
Prabhupāda: You are not collecting so much?
Dhanañjaya: Here in the temple?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dhanañjaya: We are collecting, on Oxford Street, we're collecting about forty, fifty pounds a day, and on travelling saṅkīrtana, sixty, seventy pounds, because they're doing it for more hours. So altogether we're over a hundred pounds a day.
Prabhupāda: Now you are GBC here, you have come, now you make it hundred pounds daily. How to do it, he knows.
Dhanañjaya: But, but there is already hundred pounds coming. Two hundred pounds, then.
Prabhupāda: And his best friend is George. (laughs)
Devotee: I'm going to see him tomorrow.
Devotee (1): Is he in town?
Prabhupāda: He can alone make purchase a good temple. George alone can purchase.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
If you want peace then, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you have to learn these three things. It is not very difficult. To accept God as the Supreme Enjoyer, and God as the sole proprietor of everything, and He's the best friend of everyone.
Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta: Prabhupāda: Otherwise God is also a living entity like us, like one of us. But he's the chief. Just like father and children. Father is the chief man in the family and he's providing all necessities to life for the children, for the wife (indistinct). Although the father is also living entity and the children are also living entities, but the father is providing the children, and the children are being provided by the father. So this is the understanding. Unless we understand this, there cannot be any peace. That is the Vedic version. Anyone who understands this, he gets peace. Otherwise there's no possibility of peace. If I think that I am the proprietor, if I think that I am the enjoyer, or, in other words, I am God, then you'll never get peace. That is not possible. That is a false. If one of the children thinks that I am the independent, then naturally father will say, "All right, if you're independent, do your own business." This is an example. So if you want peace then, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you have to learn these three things. It is not very difficult. To accept God as the Supreme Enjoyer, and God as the sole proprietor of everything, and He's the best friend of everyone. Then you have peace. Anyone can appreciate this. Anyone can adopt this principle and he'll be in peace. And so long one will falsely think that "I am God. I am enjoyer, I am this, I am that." Then he'll suffer. False notion will never make him happy. He must come to the true, factual idea.
The best friend will lead him to take birth in that family. He'll help him next birth because he'll always think of dog, so next birth, dog.
Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: I have got some nice shirt buttons somebody has given me. I shall never put on shirt, neither our students. I think we shall sell it.
Devotee: Buttons?
Prabhupāda: What is called? Button, is it not button? Shirt-fixing? Collar-fixing?
Devotee: Is it a pin or something like this?
Prabhupāda: Yes, like that...gold.
Devotee: Not cuff links. No those are...
Prabhupāda: Aha, cuffles.
Devotee: Oh, jaya. Do you like I buy from you?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: I give you my soul for the cuff links?
Prabhupāda: No, you take it and sell it. (pause) (break) The last four days this students are not clear.
Devotee: Man's best friend.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Because he has no knowledge who is the best friend. According to the quality, friend is selected.
Karandhara: And one is known by the company he keeps.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kāranaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). The best friend will lead him to take birth in that family. He'll help him next birth because he'll always think of dog, so next birth, dog. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam (BG 8.6). At the time of death, if you are attached to something then you'll think of it, and next birth is that.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Just like he is a dog.
Morning Walk -- April 23, 1974, Hyderabad: Prabhupāda: Yes. If you rise early and take a walk, all your ailments will be cured. (break) If a gentleman wants to walk early in the morning, he must have his dog friend.
Mahāṁsa: They have a saying that dog is man's best friend now. Instead of God being man's best friend, they have made it dog is man's best friend.
Prabhupāda: Just like he is a dog. (break) ...strike. Simply strike, protest. Where is happiness? (break) ...unnecessary spending. Unnecessary spending, then why you have allowed opening cinema? One side advertisement, "Unnecessary spending," and the other side so many rascal things, so people will spend for that.
He poses that "I am friend of... Dog is my best friend, so don't come here." Yes. His overfaithfulness has obliged him to take the body of a dog.
Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay: Prabhupāda: The guest may be comfortable. Sukham āsīnam. He is seated very nicely, comfortably, then talk. This is the system. Receiving guests and talking. (break) "Beware of dog. Beware of dog. I am living with dog. Don't come here." He poses that "I am friend of... Dog is my best friend, so don't come here." Yes. His overfaithfulness has obliged him to take the body of a dog.
The best friend is the spiritual master because he saves from the blazing fire of confusion. That is best friend.
Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome: Atreya Ṛṣi: A real friend.
O'Grady: Well, if one says he's a friend, that's how he feels. A friend is a friend. There's no question of...
Atreya Ṛṣi: True well-wisher.
O'Grady: There's no question of being half-real friend or unreal friend. A friend is a friend.
Prabhupāda: Yes, the best friend is the spiritual master because he saves from the blazing fire of confusion. That is best friend.
O'Grady: The problem is to find this friend. The problem is to find this spiritual master.
Prabhupāda: No, there is no problem. The problem is if you are sincere. Yes. That is stated. Because actually you have got problems, but God is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). God is not far away. God is within your heart. So if you are sincere, then God will give you spiritual master. If He knows that now you are sincere, then He will give you a spiritual master.
This is the process of peacefulness, when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all lokas, all worlds. And Kṛṣṇa is the best friend of everyone.
Room Conversation with Roger Maria leading writer of communist literature -- June 12, 1974, Paris: Prabhupāda: The Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa, that "I am the enjoyer. I am the proprietor. I am the friend." Bhoktāram... Read out this.
- bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
- sarva-loka-maheśvaram
- suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
- jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
- (BG 5.29)
This is the process of peacefulness, when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all lokas, all worlds. And Kṛṣṇa is the best friend of everyone. (French) (aside:) Get the light. (French)
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
(Dog barking) "Best friend."
Morning Walk -- March 11, 1975, London: Prabhupāda: Otherwise how we have gone there? (laughter) Africa was part of India.
Brahmānanda: The land was together?
Prabhupāda: No, there...
Indian man: Geological information it was. It was together. And Australia was fitting in the Bay of Bengal. This is the theory. I learned from my lecturer, Dr. Willinghurst. He told me in my class.
Prabhupāda: Because from Bhāgavata we understand that the black man who was born out of the body of King Vena, he was thief. So he was sent to the African jungle. Yes. And they are still thief. (laughter) They cannot give up their... Although they have got independence, they cannot give up this habit. (Dog barking) "Best friend."
Brahmānanda: Mahārāja Pṛthu also came from the body of King Vena.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: So he stayed in India, and the other, he went to Africa.
Prabhupāda: No, he was the emperor of the whole world. But the jungle part... Somebody... The whole world was known as Bhāratavarṣa, this planet, nine varṣas: Bhārata-varṣa, Ketumāla-varṣa, Ilāvṛta-varṣa... the whole universal situation is mentioned, where different lands are there.
Arjuna worshiped God as friend, the best friend. God is the best friend for everyone.
Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne: Prabhupāda: To worship God, we have got nine processes. One is to hear about God and to speak about God—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Then, memorizing God's activities. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Then worshiping his feet—just like we offer flower to the feet. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam. Then Deity worship, just like we are doing in the temple, Deity worship. Then vandanam, offering prayers, just like you do in the church. Vandanam, dāsyam, to engage oneself always in the service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. Sakhyam—to taking as the best friend, considering God as the best friend.
Jesuit: Consider God as?
Prabhupāda: Best friend.
Jesuit: Best friend.
Prabhupāda: Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna worshiped God as friend, the best friend. God is the best friend for everyone.
Dogs? Best friend, dogs, are not there today because the policeman is there.
Morning Walk -- June 27, 1975, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Why not woman become man? Then that will be nice. Manpower will increase. Because every country the population of woman is bigger than the man. So if a woman can be made into man, then manpower will increase.
Jayādvaita: Then the women will decrease.
Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of decrease. They are already increased. They will be equal quantity. (break) ...is there, therefore the dogs are not there. Dogs? Best friend, dogs, are not there today because the policeman is there.
Yes, doglike man's. We don't keep dog. But we don't hate dog also. Let them keep their own position.
Room Conversation -- October 15, 1975, Johannesburg: Harikeśa: Dog is man's best friend.
Prabhupāda: Yes, doglike man's. We don't keep dog. But we don't hate dog also. Let them keep their own position. In India still, they keep dog, but dog is not allowed to enter the room. No, outside. They are trained up in that way. When food is to be given, they will call, "Come on," and he will take food from outside and go away, always remain outside. Dog is never allowed to enter room or in the house. Outside compound, that's all. Still. No dog is allowed to enter the room and jump over the body of the master and sit down with the seat. No.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
A devotee is never envious of another devotee. He is not a devotee. Tad-adhīneṣu maitrī. One who is devotee, we have to make friendship with them.
Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban: Dhrstadyumna: One can free himself from envy by serving. You serve the devotees and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. In this way the mind becomes your best friend.
Prabhupāda: A devotee is never envious of another devotee. He is not a devotee. Tad-adhīneṣu maitrī. One who is devotee, we have to make friendship with them. How we can hate them?
At daytime, witch, and nighttime, tigress. This is her picture. But people know it, and still, they keep one tigress at home.
Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.: Prabhupāda: Tulasī dāsa has said that. Din kā dakinī rāt kā bāghinī pālak pālak rahu cuse, duniya sab barakhobe gara gara bhagilipu sei.(?) That there is an animal who is at daytime a witch and at nighttime she's tigress. So her only business is to suck the blood. But people are so mad that everyone keeping that tigress. Duniya sab bo rakhe gara gara bhagini.(?) Every home, there is a tigress like that.
Hari-śauri: That's their wife.
Rūpānuga: Their best friend.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) At daytime, witch, and nighttime, tigress. This is her picture. But people know it, and still, they keep one tigress at home. Duniya sab barakhobe gara gara bhag(?)... So that lady spider and lord spider, that is everywhere. But here gradually, and they are immediately. That is the difference. The process is the same. People want to enjoy by sex, by seminal discharge, but what is this? His blood. By fifteen drops of blood, or something like that, one drop of semina is created.
After all, they are children. How they can take it as it is? So they are fortunate children, and their parents and everyone should take care of them. A very difficult age.
Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm): Hari-śauri: Everybody's very glad to see you.
Prabhupāda: I was astonished, that how these children take me as friend.
Hari-śauri: I don't think that's too difficult. You're the best friend for everyone.
Prabhupāda: No, but after all, they are children. How they can take it as it is? So they are fortunate children, and their parents and everyone should take care of them. A very difficult age.
Hari-śauri: You always said they're our asset for the future.
Prabhupāda: If they can be trained up, they can become very good preacher, each one of them. And they can make hundreds of devotees. In this way we can expand. Are you realizing that there is no civilization? Actually civilization we are introducing. Except Aryan civilization, Vedic civilization, there is no civilization—animal society. What do you think? Are you convinced about it?
We are the best friend of the whole world because we are trying to give him the rightful position. Others are misleading.
Evening Darsana -- August 11, 1976, Tehran: Prabhupāda: Suppose you have got your father's money, you do not know. One friend is trying to hide that money, another friend is trying to give you that money. So who is better friend?
Nandarāṇī: The one who is giving or trying to give.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly, a human being has got the right to understand God. So one party is denying, the another party is trying to give you. So who is better friend?
Nandarāṇī: The one who is giving you the knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So we are the best friend of the whole world because we are trying to give him the rightful position. Others are misleading. They are enemies, they are not friend. In the name of friends, they are enemies.
If one is doing like that, Kṛṣṇa immediately recognizes, "Oh, you are the best friend of Mine." So if you are recognized by Kṛṣṇa, then what you want more?
Room Conversation -- August 14, 1976, Bombay: Prabhupāda: He sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya, "Whatever nonsense you have learned-forget." Then what to do? Kāku-śataṁ bravīmi sakalam eva vihāya dūrād gaurāṅga-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. "You just become devotee of Lord Caitanya. I am flattering you, I am falling down on your feet"—this is preaching. And what is Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). And if you do that, then what is the result? Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). If one is doing like that, Kṛṣṇa immediately recognizes, "Oh, you are the best friend of Mine." So if you are recognized by Kṛṣṇa, then what you want more? You are undergoing so much austerities and... To be recognized by God. And God says that "Immediately I recognize you." Whom? One who is doing this. Ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati (Bg 18.68). Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Immediately. You may be a fool, you may be rascal, you may be illiterate. But if you do this, immediately Kṛṣṇa recognizes. Kṛṣṇa never said that unless one is a big grammarian, big scientist, big politician, big engineer, big doctor, then I can do it. No.
We have got a best friend in Aligarh.
Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana: Dhanañjaya: Well, most of the Deities, they are cast in Aligarh.
Prabhupāda: Aligarh? Oh.
Dhanañjaya: Yes. Then they're brought here and there is, craftsmen, they finish. They polish then they add...
Prabhupāda: So who is from Aligarh? You go to we have got a best friend in Aligarh.
Dhanañjaya: Surendra Kumar. Surendra Kumar.
Prabhupāda: Ah. He'll get you all those things.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
If your best friend is dog, then what you are? We can understand your position because you sleep with dog, you eat with dog, your best friend is dog, so what you are? You must be washed. It is a fact.
Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India: Rāmeśvara: They have a list of five or six conditions, and they say if all those conditions are there, then it is a suitable atmosphere for brainwashing. And they say we are imposing those conditions on our members.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are brainwashing from bad to good. That is our business. We are washing the brain from all rascaldom. That is our business. You are... Your brain is filled up with all rubbish things: meat-eating and illicit sex, gambling. So we are washing them. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hrdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Abhadrānī washing. Abhadrāṇi means bad things. The bad things should be washed off. Don't you cleanse your home? Don't you cleanse your room? Is not that brainwashing? So if you wash your room very cleansed, who blames you? But you are so rascal that "Why you are washing this garbage?" you are protesting. You are such an intelligent man. We are washing the garbage; you are protesting, "Why you are washing the garbage?" This is your intelligence. But intelligent men wash the garbage. That is the law of nature, cleanse. That we are doing. According to Vedic civilization, you are actually untouchable. Now we have come to touch you; therefore wash you must first. You are untouchable. In Indian civilization, dog is untouchable, and that is your best friend. So you are not touchable. Therefore we have to wash you. And unless your brain is washed, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. So it is necessary. Is that all right? Dog is your best friend. In India dog is untouchable. So "Man is known by his company." If your best friend is dog, then what you are? We can understand your position because you sleep with dog, you eat with dog, your best friend is dog, so what you are? You must be washed. It is a fact. Every woman, every man, has some dog.
These (chuckling) uneducated, without any town life, cow-men, they are Kṛṣṇa's best friend.
Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara: Yogeśvara: Simple living.
Prabhupāda: But they are the topmost devotees. These (chuckling) uneducated, without any town life, cow-men, they are Kṛṣṇa's best friend. Unsophisticated, no education, but love intense—that is perfect. That attracted Kṛṣṇa more. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ (sic:) na kartavya... Kṛṣṇa is so much attached to Vṛndāvana that He goes nowhere... What is that? They are not educated girls, up-to-date fashion, (indistinct) or nothing. Crude. As soon as there was blowing of the flute, immediately they began to run towards Kṛṣṇa. Somebody is taking care of children, somebody is engaged in boiling milk, and somebody was even lying down with her husband. Still, immediately... Very crude, unsophisticated, but intense love for Kṛṣṇa—that is Vṛndāvana. We want to introduce this farm project means intense love for Kṛṣṇa. And other things—very simple: little milk, little food grain, little vegetable, that's all. And that is very nice. If you get fresh vegetable, fresh milk, and food grain, what do you want more? And from milk you can prepare so many nice preparations, unlimited number, all very palatable, sweet. This civilization we want to introduce, not so-called rascal civilization and become implicated in this cycle of birth and death. This is not civilization. This is killing civilization. Human being got the opportunity to get out of these clutches of birth and death. They do not understand.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
If the wife is helpful in the spiritual progress of life, she is the best friend and philosopher.
Letter to Vrndavana Candra -- Los Angeles 24 June, 1970: So accepting always Krsna as the Supreme advisor and always begging for his mercy, go on with your progressive march—and I am very satisfied with your activities. I am so glad to learn that your good wife is also helping you. That is the duty of a faithful companion of life. If the wife is helpful in the spiritual progress of life, she is the best friend and philosopher. So in Krsna Consciousness the wife is never a burden, but she is completely a counterpart. So set example to your countrymen how younger generation can live peacefully, husband and wife, being engaged in Krsna's service. There are many examples of this type of husband and wife working in our different centers for propagating this sublime message.
1973 Correspondence
At the end of 12th Chapter of Gita Krishna describes that the person "who is very dear to Him, or His best friend, is one who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities.
Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973: What is that friendship? At the end of 12th Chapter of Gita Krishna describes that the person "who is very dear to Him, or His best friend, is one who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me . . . He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress . . . A devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result . . . One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things . . . One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service . . ." such person is described by Krishna as "very dear to Me."
One who is preaching the message of Krishna to the devotees everywhere—such person is most highly regarded by Krishna as His best friend and devotee.
Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973: But even more dear than such devotee who is dear to Krishna, one who is "very, very dear to Me," is "He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal," and also "one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees," . . or one who is preaching the message of Krishna to the devotees everywhere—such person is most highly regarded by Krishna as His best friend and devotee:
- na ca tasman manusyesu
- kascin me priya-krttamah
- bhavita na ca me tasmad
- anyah priyataro bhuvi
- (BG 18.69)
"There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear."
That will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna.
Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973: So that will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna. And how is that? If we become simply engaged in His preaching work, trying with whatever talent or education or experience or material advantages we have got, to spread Krishna Consciousness message all over the world. That is best friend of Krishna, that is Krishna's pet dog.
In the Bhagavad Gita it is said, "The mind is the best friend and the worst enemy, for one who has learned to control the mind it is the best of friends but for one who has failed to do so it is the worst enemy."
Letter to Susan Beckman -- Herts, England August 29, 1973: Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of Godhead in this age has delivered the medicine for all problems of the world by his introducing the Sankirtan movement. Sankirtan means to chant that Holy names of the Lord and to give up all other engagements. The chanting is a process of purification. Just like we use soap to cleanse the body, this is material, but the chanting is spiritual cleansing. The three stages of cleansing are first to clean the mirror of the mind. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said, "The mind is the best friend and the worst enemy, for one who has learned to control the mind it is the best of friends but for one who has failed to do so it is the worst enemy." Due to long term association, the mind absorbed in material things has become contaminated, or dirty, the chanting process purifies the mind. Then the next stage, when the mind is cleansed one becomes free from the symptoms of material existence. Material existence means to be always hankering and lamenting. I must have a ew automobile, I must have more money, I must have good wife, I must have this I must have that. Then when I have the thing, I lament, I have lost my wife, I have lost my money, I have lost my car, simply lamenting. So the second stage is to be free from this anxiety.
1975 Correspondence
My advice to you is to somehow or other fix your mind on Krsna then you will experience peace of mind and your mind will be your best friend.
Letter to Sharon Suzuki: It is quite evident that you are feeling anxiety in your mind. The best way to overcome this, the way to control the mind is to become Krsna conscious. This is stated in the Bhagavad gita in the sixth chapter, that one has to control the mind otherwise the mind will become his worst enemy. The process for Krsna consciousness is that we control the mind through hearing and chanting. We hear the maha mantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and we hear the lectures from the spiritual master and read his books. Also we speak by preaching and by chanting. This is the easy method for controlling the mind, by hearing and chanting.
So my advice to you is to somehow or other fix your mind on Krsna then you will experience peace of mind and your mind will be your best friend.
The central point is to understand Krishna as the supreme proprietor, the supreme enjoyer and the best friend of all living beings.
Letter to Giriraja -- Vrindaban 15 September, 1975: I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the tax question, our Krishna consciousness movement is cultural. We are preaching Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Our mission is to spread the instructions of Krishna so that people may become happy, hopeful, and peaceful. The central point is to understand Krishna as the supreme proprietor, the supreme enjoyer and the best friend of all living beings. He is the best friend of the human society because He gives perfect social order, perfect economic development, perfect philosophy, perfect religion, and perfection of life.
When the mind is spiritually trained up it is the best friend of the soul, and when the mind is materially polluted, it is the worst enemy.
Letter to Prem J. Batra -- Ahmedabad 28 September, 1975: o mind and intelligence are already there in the soul, but in the conditional stage the same mind and intelligence become polluted as false egotism or enjoyer. The bhakti process is to purify everything. The mind is not the soul but is a venue for expressing the soul's desire. So if the mind is purified, then things go on nicely in its original position. If he does not go on rightly he falls down in conditional life. The whole yogic system is to convert the mind from matter to spirit. You can utilize the mind in both ways. When the mind is spiritually trained up it is the best friend of the soul, and when the mind is materially polluted, it is the worst enemy. The Bhagavad-gita states:
- bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah
- anatmanas tu saturve vartetatmaiva satruvat
- (BG 6.6)
For those who are grossly materialistic persons, for them the yogic system is recommended, otherwise if the mind is directly engaged engaged at the lotus feet of Krishna, the senses automatically become engaged in Krishna's service; and that is the liberated stage. Chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is the direct process for curing the mind of all materialistic contamination. Take to this process and be happy.
The dog is passing stool and urine in the street, he is considered the best friend of man, and the cow is all pure, stool, urine, and milk, but they are taken to the slaughter house and killed for food.
Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 7 December, 1975: Our cows are happy, therefore they give plenty of milk. Vedic civilization gives protection to all the living creatures, especially the cows, because they render such valuable service to the human society in the shape of milk, without which no one can become healthy and strong. In your country the dog is protected, and the cow is killed. The dog is passing stool and urine in the street, he is considered the best friend of man, and the cow is all pure, stool, urine, and milk, but they are taken to the slaughter house and killed for food. What kind of civilization is this. Therefore we have to preach against all this nonsense.
