Human life alone affords one the chance to attain unending happiness. In this life one should think, "Although I do not want suffering, it nevertheless comes; although I do not desire death, it forcibly snatches away my life; although I detest old age, when my youth is finished I will surely begin to age; and although I try to be free from disease and disaster, they never leave me alone." Although he sees all this suffering, a fool works hard to make his life comfortable, whereas an intelligent person calmly considers his situation and thinks of the best means to end his distress once and for all. When such thoughts become frequent and sincere, his search leads him to inquire into the Absolute Truth. Such a person takes up the path of self-realization. He may have many duties, but because of his previous pious activities such a wise person will execute these duties and at the same time confront the realities of birth, death, old age, and disease.
Best means
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
"Sacred place" refers to places of pilgrimage. In India the yogīs, the transcendentalists or the devotees, all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayāga, Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Hṛṣīkeśa and Hardwar and in solitude practice yoga where the sacred rivers like the Yamunā and the Ganges flow. But often this is not possible, especially for Westerners. The so-called yoga societies in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit, but they are not at all suitable for the actual practice of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation. Therefore, in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa it is said that in Kali-yuga (the present yuga, or age), when people in general are short-lived, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is chanting the holy name of the Lord.
- harer nāma harer nāma
- harer nāmaiva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
- nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way."
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The Lord states in the Bhagavad-gītā that one who surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord can get release from the clutches of nescience. Kṛṣṇa is just like the sun, and māyā or material existence is just like darkness. Wherever there is the light of the sun, darkness or ignorance at once vanishes. The best means to get out of the world of ignorance is suggested here. The Lord is addressed herein as the original Personality of Godhead. From Him all other Personalities of Godhead expand. The all-pervasive Lord Viṣṇu is Lord Kṛṣṇa's plenary portion or expansion. The Lord expands Himself in innumerable forms of Godhead and living beings, along with His different energies. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original primeval Lord from whom everything emanates. The all-pervasive feature of the Lord experienced within the manifested world is also a partial representation of the Lord. Paramātmā, therefore, is included within Him. He is the Absolute Personality of Godhead.
SB Canto 3
The best means of liberation from the clutches of false ego is to give up the habit of philosophical speculation regarding the Absolute Truth. One should know definitely that the Absolute Truth is never realized by the philosophical speculations of the imperfect egoistic person. The Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is realized by hearing about Him in all submission and love from a bona fide authority who is a representative of the twelve great authorities mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. By such an attempt only can one conquer the illusory energy of the Lord, although for others she is unsurpassable, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14).
SB Canto 5
The seven great sages (Marīci, Vasiṣṭha, Atri and so on) reside on planets beneath Dhruvaloka. Well aware of the influence of the water of the Ganges, to this day they keep Ganges water on the tufts of hair on their heads. They have concluded that this is the ultimate wealth, the perfection of all austerities, and the best means of prosecuting transcendental life. Having obtained uninterrupted devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they neglect all other beneficial processes like religion, economic development, sense gratification and even merging into the Supreme. Just as jñānīs think that merging into the existence of the Lord is the highest truth, these seven exalted personalities accept devotional service as the perfection of life.
SB Canto 9
After fifty years of age, one should voluntarily give up family life and go to the forest. The best forest is Vṛndāvana, where one need not live with the animals but can associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who never leaves Vṛndāvana. Cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Vṛndāvana is the best means of being liberated from material bondage, for in Vṛndāvana one can automatically meditate upon Kṛṣṇa. Vṛndāvana has many temples, and in one or more of these temples one may see the form of the Supreme Lord as Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma and meditate upon this form.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
The ācārya replied, “When the activities of the four castes and the four āśramas are dedicated to Kṛṣṇa, they constitute the best means whereby one can attain the highest goal of life."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “According to the verdict of the śāstras, the process of hearing and chanting is the best means to attain loving service to Kṛṣṇa."
According to the Tattvavādīs, the best process for achieving the highest goal of life is to execute the duties of the four varṇas and āśramas. In the material world, unless one is situated in one of the varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra) one cannot manage social affairs properly to attain the ultimate goal. One also has to follow the principles of the āśramas (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa), since these principles are considered essential for the attainment of the highest goal. In this way the Tattvavādīs establish that the execution of the principles of varṇa and āśrama for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is the best way to attain the topmost goal. The Tattvavādīs thus established their principles in terms of human society. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu. According to the Tattvavādīs, the highest goal is returning home, back to Godhead, but in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion the highest goal is attaining love of Godhead, in either the material world or the spiritual world. In the material world this is practiced according to śāstric injunction, and in the spiritual world the real achievement is already there.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Renunciation Through Wisdom
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Death means change of this body. The modern civilization, they do not know it. That is the first understanding of spiritual knowledge, that we change our body. I am spirit soul, every one of us, spirit soul, even the animals and the trees and plants and aquatics, any living being. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living being. Of all of them, the human form is considered the best. Best means it has got..., the human form has got developed consciousness. Developed consciousness means they can understand what is past, what is future, what is present. Especially to understand his position as spirit soul, to understand God, to understand what is His relation with God, and what he should do in that relationship—these things are understandable in the human form of life, not otherwise.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Candanācārya: If one has difficulty becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is that suffering?
Prabhupāda: No, what is the difficulty, first of all?
Candanācārya: You once said if someone is not attracted to chanting, then he is being punished by Yamarāja.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So if you, if by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you can save your suffering, what is the difficulty, not to accept it? Everyone is suffering in this material world. And everyone is trying to get out of the suffering. That is also a fact.
Prajāpati: They try to get out of suffering by committing more sins.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they do not know how to get out of the suffering. (break)
Candanācārya: ...to tell people who think that they are not suffering that they are actually suffering.
Prabhupāda: That means it is difficult to teach insane person. That's all. Therefore the best means is, without teaching, "Please come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and takes little prasādam and go home." Then his insanity will be cured. Then he will be all right. This is our point. We don't sermonize in the beginning. We simply request, "All right, you are very good. Nobody is more intelligent than you. Yes. Please come here, sit down, chant, dance. It is very nice, and takes little prasādam. Go home." That is our program. Then we teach. When he comes to his little sanity, then he will be cured.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I am also very pleased to know that Himavati is definitely going to have a baby. It is a very wonderful thing, and surely Krishna will bless your home with His presence, as both you and your wife and His sincere servants; The best preparation for the coming of the child is just for the parents to remain perfectly Krishna Conscious, and of course, the best means for that is by chanting the holy Names and listening to Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
1968 Correspondence
The more we struggle for advancing our Krishna Consciousness movement, the more we become advanced on the path. Really, devotional service means that we have to employ our energies for the purpose of Krishna Consciousness, and it does not matter what is the volume of such energy, because different persons have got different type of energies, but the best means is that one has to apply his energy as far as possible, that is the secret of success in Krishna Consciousness. It does not mean that one has to acquire the energy of an elephant or one has to become very learned or intelligent man, simply one has to become sincere and employ whatever energy he has in his possession in the service of the Lord. That is the secret of success in Krishna Consciousness.
I am glad to learn that in London there are 2 to 5 lacs of Indians. And if they cooperate with you, we can maintain a very big establishment. If they contribute one pound per annum per head, that means a lot of money. And temple organization is the best means to attract devotees. Temple organization means decorating the Deities very nicely, with flowers, lights, dress, decoration, offering nice foodstuff in good silver plates, five times arati, with Kirtana and lecturing. So you have got all these ideas, and you are six there. If you strictly follow the rules and regulations and become American priests, of the temple, so the Indian hindus will be surprised and certainly they will be attracted. Just like the hindus in San Francisco are being gradually attracted due to our nice temple arrangement here.
1969 Correspondence
Your eagerness to spread the Krishna Consciousness movement in that party of the country is certainly dictated by Krishna, Who is situated within your heart. There are innumerable living entities wandering within the universe in different forms of life and conditions in different planetary systems. Out of many, many of such conditioned souls, only one will come into contact with a bona fide Spiritual Master by the Grace of Krishna. Krishna can understand from within the sincerity of purpose of a particular living entity, and He gives direction to such sincere devotee to the path of realizing Krishna Consciousness. So you have already achieved to this stage of life. Please do not miss the opportunity. Although you are not formally initiated, you have associated with our devotees in the New York temple, and it has acted. The seed is already there in you and it has to be helped to grow and fructify. The best means of watering this seed of Krishna Consciousness is to chant and hear Hare Krishna.
1970 Correspondence
In the last paragraph of your letter you have mentioned that you are not irritated at the chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra (like some people) but rather you like it. It has given me much satisfaction, and I am sending herewith a copy of our magazine, "Back to Godhead" issue number 28, in which you will find how the students liked this chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra although all of them were neophytes to this cult of chanting. Actually it is very pleasing to the heart and the best means of infusing spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness into the hearts of people in general.
1973 Correspondence
When I hear about the Sankirtana Buses that are moving all over the world then I think that we are becoming like a gigantic guerilla warfare movement fighting with maya. This traveling in buses is the best means to drive away maya and establish Krishna consciousness all over the world. After all the whole world is the property of Krishna, but temporarily it is being illegally occupied by maya's agents. Flood them with kirtana and books, this is the best weapon, increase the number of buses that will be your success.
| Page Title: | Best means |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Ingrid |
| Created: | 28 of Mar, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=4, CC=2, OB=1, Lec=1, Con=1, Let=6 |
| No. of Quotes: | 16 |