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Detachment (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Vairagya means detachment.
Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure:

Prabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "The best use of a bad bargain." Everything in Kṛṣṇa relationship. That is yukta-vairāgya. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Vairagya means detachment. So when we are attached to Kṛṣṇa, automatically we are detached to māyā. Not artificially we want to be detached from māyā. Just like theoretically I know that I am not this body, but the bodily necessities are there because I am encaged in the body. Therefore the bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, mating, defending-should be done in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right. Then my consciousness is always in Kṛṣṇa, and I am detached to my bodily demands.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate.
Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Guest: That will be danger. But so far as the Gītā Ācārya's teachings, He is a different person. There's no reference to early life in Vyāsa's Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is simply about an ācārya. Occasionally He says "I am Īśvara," but He's an ācārya primarily. I need not..., I am not trying to sermonize to you. I'm trying to explain what I feel.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: Very difficult doctrine of detachment. The Gītā Ācārya says sannyāsa is difficult, and you are likely to become a hypocrite if you, if you...

Prabhupāda: Mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate.

Guest: ...if you prematurely take sannyāsa. Therefore try and compromise the principles of sannyāsa, that is to say of renunciation with worldly action, and, I mean, performance of duty, by performing the duties without caring for the results. That is the renunciation He has preached, I have understood.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

The thing is, when there is detachment, there must be another attachment.
Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Guest: The defects are here that way which you will confirm, I have no doubt. But the question which I put to Girirāja was whether it would not have been better if you work from inside rather than make yourself a separate cult and organization. Separate organization, once you form, becomes like a person who is born. It gets his attachment, his ego, his everything. So the separate organization, like Mr. Banu, becomes an ego. He is fond of his own attachments, of his own interest, and so the organization must be looked after. The organization should succeed. The organization should succeed better than other organizations. There is (indistinct) among organizations. So all the egotistic weaknesses apply to organizations also. Therefore I was wondering whether it would not, if you had convinced that your mission was to spread the Gītā Ācārya's teachings as to how to act with detachment and with faith in the grace of God, where you go wrong, could not be having better done without making yourself separate.

Prabhupāda: No. The thing is, when there is detachment, there must be another attachment.

After getting good attachment, one gives up the inferior attachment.
Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: That is required. Just like...

Guest: Yes. Attachment to... There is a Tamil, Kurul. You have heard of the name Kurul? Tamil (indistinct), makes this point very clear.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: If you wish to live without detachment, attach yourself to God.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: That will be the...

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59).

Guest: Yes.

Prabhupāda: After getting good attachment, one gives up the inferior attachment.

Guest: Right. That will better right. The attachment should be to God.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, es I will call Him.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Guest: Attachment should be to Govinda, not to an organization.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No. Govinda is absolute. Govinda and Govinda's organization the same. Govinda is absolute.

If you be detachment from something, you must be attached to something.
Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: What is that? Why don't you explain? (indistinct) That means they do not know.

Devotee (2): One who is developing in spiritual life is becoming detached from material things. These persons who are following other gurus are attached to material things. They're still smoking, having sex life, drinking.

Jayatīrtha: It's difficult to (indistinct) detached to material things. One should be attached to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That attachment will become. That is the special (indistinct). You cannot be completely detached. If you be detachment from something, you must be attached to something. Otherwise you have no perception(?). So you should be detached from matter and attached to Kṛṣṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Detachment, when you'll understand that this is good, this is bad, naturally you'll have detachment for the bad. Unless you know this is good, this is bad, how there can be detachment?
Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: If you keep yourself with the rascals, then you'll think like rascals. And if you keep yourself with sane men, then you'll think like sane men. Association. That is required. That is the only way.

Devotee: And then, and then for detachment, it's just constant austeri...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: For detachment, it's just austerities?

Prabhupāda: Detachment, when you'll understand that this is good, this is bad, naturally you'll have detachment for the bad. Unless you know this is good, this is bad, how there can be detachment? When you are offered two kinds of foodstuff, and if you know: "This is good, this is bad," then naturally you have detachment for the bad and pick up the good. First of all you have to know what is good and bad. Then, when you are convinced, naturally you know: "Oh, this should not be taken." Detached, automatically. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). Therefore knowledge is first required for detachment. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Jñāna, first of all knowledge, then detachment. unless you have knowledge, artificial detachment will not work. (pause)

Detachment, that is required.
Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is not sannyāsī business. For starting school the government is there, public is there. Why you... That means brahma satyam you could not understand; you are coming to the school-starting. He could not perceive that brahma satyam. Although he tried to do it, but he could not understand. Therefore now he has to maintain himself, eh? So, people will not give him alms, so he must show that, "I'm starting this school, I'm starting this hospital, I'm doing this, give me some candana." "Give me some subscription," and taking subscription and become fat, that's all. This is going on. If brahma..., jagat is mithyā, why you are coming again to this mithyā platform?

Reporter: Yes, yes. So detachment is there.

Prabhupāda: Detachment, that is required.

Reporter: Anāsakta.

Prabhupāda: Yes, detachment and jñāna. Jñāna-vairāgya.

Reporter: Hm. The jñāna-vairāgya.

Prabhupāda: This is the real achievement of human life, that jñāna-vairāgya can be achieved simply by bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Ah? Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti yo... Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Just like these boys.

Reporter: Quick detachment.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So they have no, mean, detachment for putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu. They talk very big, big words, but attached to the putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu.
Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So they have no, mean, detachment for putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu. They talk very big, big words, but attached to the putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu. (laughs) This is not knowledge. This is ignorance. The test is there, whether you have become detached from putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu. If not, you are in ignorance. You may talk very, very, big, big words. That has no meaning. Yes.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Austerities means detachment to the material world. That is the result of austerity. So śāstra says janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Simply by executing devotional service to Vasudeva, that vairāgya, detachment, very soon arises.
Morning Walk -- April 7, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everywhere. Christians... Now who are coming here, in so many temples? Nobody is coming. They have made it a business, "Oh, the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthday, you come here." And somebody will come, collect some money, and then there is no business—go away.

Jayādvaita: That requires our personal austerity.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayādvaita: That requires our personally being austere.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. And what is austerity? It is very simple thing. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu. If you continue devotional service to Lord Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, then automatically the effect of these austerities will become, janayaty āśu, very soon. Vairāgyam. Austerities means detachment to the material world. That is the result of austerity. So śāstra says janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Simply by executing devotional service to Vasudeva, that vairāgya, detachment, very soon arises. Come. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is very good engagement.

Detachment is possible when one is in full knowledge, jñāna. And this bhakti-yoga process is detachment.
Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore a sannyāsī is always moving around, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vairāgya. That is required. That is civilization. Vairāgya and jñāna. Jñāna-vairāgya, knowledge and renunciation, or detachment, this is the goal of human life. Because he is attached to this material world, he has to take birth after birth, birth after birth. So to save this botheration, one has to be detached. This is the basic principle of Vedic civilization, jñāna-vairāgya. And detachment is possible when one is in full knowledge, jñāna. And this bhakti-yoga process is detachment. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam (CC Madhya 6.254). So it is a civilization of detachment, not attachment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That detachment is a form of wealth for the renounced order.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the gain of human life. Arthadam. This is meaning. Artha means meaning. Arthadam. Durlābhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. This human life, form of life, is very, very rare. So one can say, "You will also die like cats and dog. How it is rare?" No, yes, adhruvam arthadam: "Although it is temporary, it will not stay, but you can have meaning of life." Adhruvam arthadam. Everything is there.

There is no such thing, attachment, detachment. We must know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and we are servants of Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: When there is attachment on account of Kṛṣṇa, that is detachment. Yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. He is attached to everything but not for his personal self. We are spending lakhs of rupees for constructing a temple, but we are not interested to construct a house or a skyscraper building. We are not interested. That is detachment. (break) We give up. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhe-vastunaḥ: "No, no, we don't touch money." Why? If the money can be utilized for constructing a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, why we shall say, "We don't touch money"? Yes, give me as much money as you have got. Therefore you will find in India very, very big, big, costly temple, not skyscraper building. That is the sign. If any man had any money, he would spend it for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal self. Personally he would be satisfied with a cottage. That is India's civilization. You will find in South India one temple is more than a fort, bigger. It is impossible to construct such temple nowadays. Still you will find in Vṛndāvana that broken Govindaji's temple. If you construct such temple, even crores and crores of rupees will not be sufficient. That was done by Mahārāja Mansingha, but you don't find any palace of Mansingha. He could have construct a palace there. No, he did not do. But for Govindaji, he spent so much money. There is no such thing, attachment, detachment. We must know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and we are servants of Kṛṣṇa. This knowledge is required. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And when you understand that everything is belonging to Kṛṣṇa, then the next sense is that why not everything be used for Kṛṣṇa?

There are two things in this material world, attachment and detachment.
Morning Walk -- November 12, 1975, Bombay:

Devotee (1): Can you explain more about the Stita-dhi Muni, the undisturbed sage? In the purport you explain how he is neither attached nor detached. What is that, that he is neither one or the other?

Prabhupāda: There are two things in this material world, attachment and detachment. Somebody is attached. The karmīs, everyone, is working. Why so hard? There is attachment. The jñānīs, they are renouncing: brahma satya jagan mithya. So a devotee is always satisfied in any condition. He has no attachment or detachment.

Devotee (1): He is simply attached to serving Kṛṣṇa?

Personally he has no attachment or detachment. Kṛṣṇa says that, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. There are two kinds of principles: attachment and detachment. So mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So this material attachment and detachment one should give up.
Morning Walk -- November 12, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is attachment, of course, but not for any purpose. He's simply surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, and whatever Kṛṣṇa will do, that's all right. Personally he has no attachment. Suppose Kṛṣṇa wants to do him something which he doesn't like to do; still he has to do. Just as Arjuna... He did not like to fight, but still, because he understood, "Kṛṣṇa wants," then he fought. This is neither attachment nor detachment. Actually it is... It was not liked by him. But he did it because Kṛṣṇa wanted. Therefore, personally he has no attachment or detachment. If Kṛṣṇa is attached to something, then he becomes attached. If Kṛṣṇa is detached to something, he becomes detached. That is bhakta's principle. Personally he is neutral. (break) ...the difference between karmi and bhakta. Karmī is attached and detached for his own purpose, and bhakta is attached and detached for Kṛṣṇa's purpose. Personally he has no attachment or detachment. Kṛṣṇa says that, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). There are two kinds of principles: attachment and detachment. So mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So this material attachment and detachment one should give up. He should surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakta's principle. So there is no cloud in the sky, eh? Completely clear. (break) ...the sea-going is not dangerous. It is very calm and quiet?

Yes. Unless they are separated, it is very difficult to advance in spiritual consciousness. That is the whole Vedic system.
Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The whole material attraction means a man's attraction for woman and a woman's attraction for man. But when they are seeking, "Where is woman, where is woman, where is woman," and the woman is seeking, they come here to make this business. Huh? And when they are actually attracted or united, then this bondage, material bondage, will become more tight. Therefore the Vedic civilization is how to slacken it, and ultimately, by force, separation, sannyāsa. Because unless they are separated, there cannot be any spiritual advancement. That is the whole process. The unity is bondage. I have written a letter that man is good, woman is good, and when they are united, they are bad! (laughs) Both of them are bad. And the material world is taking, "This is the best thing." But actually that is not the thing. Man is good, because he is part and parcel of God, and woman is good, part and parcel of God, but when they unite, they become bad. Tayor miṭhādi hrdayanti-maho.

Lokanātha: For detachment you suggest they remain separate.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless they are separated, it is very difficult to advance in spiritual consciousness. That is the whole Vedic system. Gradual.

Yes, sannyāsa. Detachment required.
Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Who has done that big job? Hm? You have done?

Devotee: Well, we see all the GBC, and they are doing very nicely, like Saurabha dāsa and Mūrti dāsa.

Prabhupāda: They are sannyāsīs. Saurabha is sannyāsa. His wife doesn't live with him.

Kīrtanānanda: The same principle is there for everyone, in so far as one becomes detached, then he's sannyas.

Prabhupāda: Yes, sannyāsa. Detachment required.

Kīrtanānanda: It is not a matter of cloth.

Prabhupāda: No. Sa sannyāsī. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. He has no attachment for this eating, sleeping, mating. He is attached to Kṛṣṇa. And that is sannyāsī. Sannyāsī does not means dress. Detached. Sat sannyāsī. Sat, oṁ tat sat, the supreme, and for Him everything, risk all. That is sannyāsa. Anāsaktya... What is that? Bhagavad-gītā?

Indian man: Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma...

Prabhupāda: Ah, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ, kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī... (BG 6.1). One who does not take the reward of his labor, he is sannyāsī.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Real detachment means that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: All the duties, the summarization of duty: ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are different duties, but the real duty is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13), whether you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll have done all.... Ataḥ pumbhiḥ. Because there are different types of duties. But whatever you do, the success is whether by your duty you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Then it is successful.

Indian man (4): Prabhu, how do you regard the detachment idea?

Prabhupāda: There is no question of detachment. These are all bogus propaganda. You cannot be detached. Duty does not mean detachment. You have to do your duty. There is attachment. Where is the detachment? These are simply bogus propaganda. There cannot be detachment. Detachment means, real detachment means that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So you have no proprietorship. That is detachment. If you falsely claim "It is mine," that is attachment, unnecessary. It is not yours.

Indian man (4): Should we not move from attachment to detachment gradually, and try to...

This bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidyā, means detachment.
Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: His wife has also sannyāsī, renounced. Have you seen her latest?

George Harrison: No.

Prabhupāda: She has cut hair and white dress, living alone in the temple. Vairagya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam (CC Madhya 6.254). This bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidyā, means detachment. That is the perfection of life. If we remain attached, that is conditional. Māyā has made so many things attractive so that we have to remain attached, and to come out of this attachment is called bhakti. So one man, you can sit down, you can eat. Pradyumna, you can eat.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

This is all material. Asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu.
Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu: completely detached from family life, anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ, not to associate with so-called society, family, community.

Yogi Amrit Desai: All detachment from everyone.

Prabhupāda: This is all material. Asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu. Then?

Jagadīśa: Nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu.

Prabhupāda: Nityam. One must know that "I am eternal." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "So I must act accordingly." And so far material distress and happiness is concerned, sama-cittatvam.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Sama-cittatvam under both success and failure.

Prabhupāda: That is immaterial thing. They are superficial.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Right. It's so beautiful to hear that. And I know you mean it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then?

Jagadīśa: Mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī.

Prabhupāda: This is possible when it is added with bhakti.

Yogi Amrit Desai: With bhakti. Then only.

Prabhupāda: Mayi ca. Ca means also. Simply practicing these things will not help. Unless there is bhakti, they'll not agree.

Yogi Amrit Desai: It's not complete.

Prabhupāda: No, no. It will not agree (avail?). One may be artificially tyāgī, but if there is no bhakti he'll fall down. Just like Viśvāmitra was a great yogi, but because there was no bhakti he fell down. He had relationship with Menakā and gave birth to Śakuntalā, such a big yogi. So he fall down, must fall down in māyā, because there is no bhakti. So they have so many cases we see, fall down. Then if you fall down, then where is your bhakti, jñāna? Nothing. But bhakti does not fall down. If he's really on the bhakti stage he does not fall down. Others must fall down. Must.

Page Title:Detachment (Conversations)
Compiler:Rishab, MadhuGopaldas
Created:21 of Mar, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=18, Let=0
No. of Quotes:18