Consented (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"consented"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Kṛṣṇa has consented to descend before us to accept our service in a manner which we can do.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Śrī-vigraha. This is yajana yājana. Śrī-vigraha. This is Śrī-vigraha, Kṛṣṇa's arcā-mūrti. Kṛṣṇa has taken, advented, as avatāra, arcā-avatāra. Arcā-avatāra means made of stone, wood, metal, jewel, or coloring, painting. There are eight kinds of arcā-avatāra. So Kṛṣṇa has consented to descend before us to accept our service in a manner which we can do. If Kṛṣṇa remains in His virāḍ-rūpa, then it will be very difficult to capture Him. Kṛṣṇa remains in virāḍ-rūpa, but He becomes arcā-vigraha, a small deity, so that everyone can worship Him at home. It does not take much time, it does not take much place. To make dress of Kṛṣṇa you can utilize little cloth. Kṛṣṇa is agreeable to accept your service. And offering? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). At any means you can worship Kṛṣṇa, and that is the business of brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has consented to appear in a way so that we can see.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

Rucira means very attractive. Now, fortunately, people in Bombay say that our Deity here is more beautiful. They say there is no such Deity in Bombay city. So this is our duty, to dress Kṛṣṇa in such an attractive way that people at least see that it is very beautiful. Then he becomes a devotee, simply by appreciating. Simply by appreciating, if they say, "Now the Deity worship is very nice," then they go a step forward, step forward immediately, simply by appreciation. Then other things will come gradually. Therefore the temple worship should be exactly to the routine, to the instruction of the śāstra and guru and ācārya, so that the worshiper in the temple as well as the visitor, both of them will benefit. They will be gradually seeing. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has consented to appear in a way so that we can see. At the present moment we cannot see Kṛṣṇa as He is spiritually embodied, sad-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, because we have no eyes to see sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So here is also sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, arcā-mūrti. It is not idol worship. The atheist class may say so, but it is not so. Those who have got eyes, they can see. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the temple of Jagannātha, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord. Here is My Lord." So one has to become santaḥ. Then one can see. But it is culture, by culture. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). When you develop that culture, when you develop that love for Kṛṣṇa, then you will see immediately and you will faint, "Oh, here is my Lord."

We must be very careful, that "Kṛṣṇa has kindly consented to come here to accept our service. Now we may not do something which is not satisfactory to Him."

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by many, many goddess of fortune. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). So He doesn't require our service. But He agrees. He is so kind that He agrees to come here to accept our service. Therefore we must be very careful, that "Kṛṣṇa has kindly consented to come here to accept our service. Now we may not do something which is not satisfactory to Him." That is devotion. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Always full of veneration. Don't think that "Here is a statue." Here is Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept our service in so many ways. Either if you cannot establish Deity, then you simply hear about Him. That is the most important thing. We do not require to establish temple everywhere. If there is possible to establish temple and serve Kṛṣṇa properly according to the regulation mentioned in the śāstras or instructed by the spiritual master, that is called vaidhī-bhakti.

General Lectures

What is the meaning of this temple? We have invited Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as our guest, and He has consented to come here. So we must offer foodstuff, what He wants, not that according to my whims. That is not etiquette.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Prasādam means we offer foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa and after eating, whatever He left, we take that. This is our principle. We don't take directly. What is the meaning of this temple? We don't use anything directly unless it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. So the vegetable has got life, but Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). We have invited Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as our guest, and He has consented to come here. So we must offer foodstuff, what He wants, not that according to my whims. That is not etiquette. If some respectable guest comes to your house, you ask him, "What shall you eat, sir? What kind of food I can give you?" So whatever he orders, you have to supply. That is real receiving the guest. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Give Me food amongst these items-patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. That also with bhakti, not neglectfully. With great devotion, if somebody offers Me these things, then I can take." So Kṛṣṇa takes these, these patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ, grains, food grains, and milk and vegetables and fruits. So we prepare hundreds of items with these things. You can do that. And they are all delicious and full of vitamins. So why one should kill unnecessarily the poor animals and become vicious and sinful?

So this is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching, that you live peacefully. Be gentleman. Realize God. Make your life happy in this world and the next world. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy.