First step

Expressions researched:
"first step" |"first steps"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.3.24, Purport:

We should note with profit that in the first three chapters of the Second Canto a gradual process of development of devotional service is being presented. In the First Chapter the first step in devotional service for God consciousness by the process of hearing and chanting has been stressed, and a gross conception of the Personality of Godhead in His universal form for the beginners is recommended.

SB 2.4.16, Purport:

Persons who are intelligent take serious notice of this last instruction of the Lord. Knowledge of the self is the first step in spiritual realization, which is called confidential knowledge, and a step further is God realization, which is called more confidential knowledge. The culmination of the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā is God realization, and when one attains this stage of God realization, he naturally, voluntarily becomes a devotee of the Lord to render Him loving transcendental service.

SB 2.7.47, Purport:

The supreme enjoyer, the Personality of Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman or the summum bonum because of His being the supreme cause of all causes. The conception of impersonal Brahman realization is the first step, due to His distinction from the illusory conception of material existence. In other words, impersonal Brahman is a feature of the Absolute distinct from the material variegatedness, just as light is a conception distinct from its counterpart, darkness.

SB 2.8.7, Purport:

In the process of devotional service, the first step is to take shelter of the spiritual master and then inquire from the spiritual master all about the process. This inquiry is essential for immunity to all kinds of offenses on the path of devotional service. Even if one is fixed in devotional service like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he must still inquire from the realized spiritual master all about this.

SB 2.9.37, Purport:

No one should try to give a new interpretation by dint of mundane knowledge. And the first step, therefore, in pursuance of the system of knowledge received by Brahmā, is to approach a bona fide guru who is the representative of the Lord following the paramparā system. No one should try to squeeze out his own meaning by imperfect mundane knowledge. The guru, or the bona fide spiritual master, is competent to teach the disciple in the right path with reference to the context of all authentic Vedic literature.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.27.4, Purport:

In the modern age the consciousness of people is too much covered by wine, women and flesh. Consequently, people are completely unable to make any progress in self-realization. The first step of self-realization is to know oneself as spirit soul apart from the body. In the second stage of self-realization, one comes to know that every soul, every individual living entity, is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, Paramātmā, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Nectar of Instruction

Nectar of Instruction 2, Purport:

The first step in human civilization consists of occupational engagements performed according to the scriptural injunctions. The higher intelligence of a human being should be trained to understand basic dharma. In human society there are various religious conceptions characterized as Hindu, Christian, Hebrew, Mohammedan, Buddhist and so on, for without religion, human society is no better than animal society.

Nectar of Instruction 3, Purport:

Śravaṇam, or hearing, is the first step in acquiring transcendental knowledge. One should not give aural reception to unauthorized persons, but should approach the proper person, as recommended in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34):

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth."

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that man's attempt to reach higher planets is not new. Newspaper headlines read, "Man's First Steps on the Moon," but the reporters do not know that millions and millions of men went there and came back. This is not the first time. This is an ancient practice.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.8:

The eternal constitutional position of the self is to serve the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. In fact, all our sufferings start from our refusal to act in our original capacity as Lord Kṛṣṇa's eternal servants. Therefore, the prime duty of all living entities is to become re-instated in their original, consitutional position. The first step toward that goal is to perform karma-yoga.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.9:

The fruitive workers cannot be counted among the yogīs. The actual yogīs are the karma-yogīs, the jñāna-yogīs, the aṣṭāṅga-yogīs, and the bhakti-yogīs. Factually they are the same, although named differently. The yogic process is like a ladder one ascends gradually toward the final goal of the Absolute Truth. Niṣkāma-karma, or renunciation of the fruits of one's labor, is the first step on this ladder.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 3.5:

The first step in learning the process of surrendering to the Lord is to surrender to the pure devotee of the Lord. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 20.120 and 122), we find this statement:

sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya

sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya

māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi svataḥ kṛṣṇa-jñāna

jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa

If the conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions, he is liberated from the clutches of Māyā, who gives him up.

The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

It is not enough to take only the first steps toward liberation. We must strive to reach the final goal within this very life-time. To achieve this end, it is imperative that we approach a spiritual master well-versed in the Vedas and take instruction from him on how to follow the scriptural rules.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

Bhakti-yoga can be divided into three stages: 1) to take the first step toward complete surrender by accepting things favorable to the execution of devotional service; 2) to serve the Supreme Lord after realizing one's true nature; 3) to become situated on the elevated stage, in which one sees the Supreme Lord in everything and everything in the Supreme Lord. In this way, initial faith increases and leads to full surrender to the Lord.

Message of Godhead

Message of Godhead 2:

One must not enjoy the fruits of his work himself, but must dedicate the same for the transcendental loving service of the Personality of Godhead. This is the first step on the ladder of devotional activities. Lord Caitanya taught this process of devotional service, or work with transcendental results, to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī at Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa in Prayāga

Message of Godhead 2:

Constitutionally, we are all eternally related to Kṛṣṇa, who is the original living being and thus the center of all attraction. So what we need to do is to revive this relationship which has merged into oblivion because the covering and detaching process of the illusory energy, called māyā, has fostered temporary forgetfulness. And to proceed in this direction of rehabilitation of our eternal relationship is to adopt karma-yoga, the first step to such transcendental realization.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Yes. But if we accept the ABCD, then we come to literature. Then we pass M.A. examination. Yes. So Gītā is the preliminary step, first step of understanding God.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

So the first step Kṛṣṇa took in educating Arjuna... The Bhagavad-gītā is now being actually being spoken, bhagavān uvāca. The first basic principle is explained to Arjuna that "You do not know anything. Don't talk just like a learned man." Actually, that is our own... Every one of us in the same position.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

Then the next installment? Simply, simply understanding that "I am not this body; I am consciousness" will do it? No. That is the first step. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you are actually conscious of being not this body, actually when, then your all material miseries are at once removed.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

One has to become purified by freeing himself from all designations. This is the first step. We are now under different designations. Every one of us is thinking that "I am this body, and because I am this body and this body is produced under certain condition, in a certain family, by certain father and mother, in a certain society, certain country, certain land, therefore I have got, you have got so many designations." But we have to become first of all free from the designations. That is the first qualification for understanding the science of God.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

So the first step of yoga system, as recommended by Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority, is one has to select a very secluded place and sacred place. The aṣṭāṅga-yoga meditation cannot be performed in a fashionable city. It is not possible. One has to first of all select a nice place, sacred place.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

One who has complete, in possession, all wealth, aiśvarya, samagrasya, all, samagrasya... So that is the one of the items of becoming Bhagavān. Nowadays there are so many bhagavāns, so-called bhagavān, but this is the first step, aiśvaryasya samagrasya, whether you possess all the wealth. Who can say so?

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

The Brahman realization ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is liberation from material conception of life that "I am not this matter. I am not this body, but I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the first step of realization, self-realization. But that is not final. The final realization is that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is final realization.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā unless one is very dear to Kṛṣṇa and bhakta of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can understand. That is the first step. One must be very dear to Kṛṣṇa and one must be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he can touch Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Everyone, we should think that we are ignorant. We should have to receive knowledge. That should be the first step by me(?). And receive knowledge, and try to assimilate it, and try to apply it, apply it with your body, with your mind, with your intelligence. Then the, you'll understand God so nicely that although God is unconquerable, you'll conquer Him.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

So therefore śravaṇam, hearing, is so important. So in the devotional service the first step is hearing, hearing submissively from the authoritative source and just to assimilate it and grasp it with our body, mind and intelligence. In this way you shall be able to conquer the unconquerable.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So here Bhāgavata says that dharma... You take to, to the principles of religion for going up to the point of liberation, āpavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. This is meant for getting out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real... The first step is religiosity. Unless you are pious, religious, there is no possibility of getting liberation.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

Unfortunately, people have no idea of God, who is God, what is His form... Generally, they think God has no form. If anyone has advanced little in spiritual life, they come to the point of nirākāra, or nirviśeṣa-brahman, formless. That is the first step in Brahman realization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

So these are the different steps of śraddhā. Actually, devotional service means increasing your faith more and more. And these are the steps. The first step is that you must associate with devotees and then take to bhajana-kriyā. Then see, examine yourself that whether you are free from all the anarthas, all the unwanted things. If all the unwanted things are vanquished, then you'll have firm faith.

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

You can try to understand. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) we accept another body immediately after death. It is said just like go forward, when the first step, you find it is secure, you take up the second step. Similarly, as soon as the next body is arranged by superior arrangement, we give up this body and enter into another gross body.

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. They are not different. Advayam, the same Absolute. But it is due to my position, angle of vision, He's realized in three different features—Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. That one tattva-vastu, Absolute Truth. So to understand even Brahman, one requires to become brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brahman, understands Brahman, that is the first step. Then you have to make further progress.

Lecture on SB 1.8.37 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1973:

So these things, these are the symptoms of really Kṛṣṇa conscious person, that one should think always in danger without Kṛṣṇa. This is the first step. And by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, one should always feel safe. Now I am under the protection. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). It is a fact. If you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of danger.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1970:

Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we have got new book, The First Step in God-Realization. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: First, Invocation. (devotees repeating each word) Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo vāsudeva. Text one. (devotees repeating)

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

So unless you step one by one, how you can go to the topmost? You have to.

Indian man (7): After attaining that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all you have to step on the first step, then second step, then... Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So everything requires training and knowledge.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

The first step is given there, that sva-dharmācaraṇam. Sva-dharmācaraṇaṁ śaktyā. As far as possible, be situated in your natural life. Natural life means there are three modes of material nature. So somebody is affected or infected by some modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

That means you have to accept a devotee, a true devotee, a pure devotee, as your guide. That is our process. The Rūpa Gosvāmī says in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "The first process is, first step is ādau gurvāśrayam to accept guru." Accept guru Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

So the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they know that "Everywhere is Kṛṣṇa, and I cannot do anything, concealing myself from the eyes of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I should not do anything which is sinful." This is the first step of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

So any yoga system means an endeavor to connect our relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called yoga. So someone is trying to make the connection—karma-yoga. Someone is trying by jñāna-yoga. Someone is trying haṭha-yoga. But the real aim is bhakti-yoga. Just like different steps. You are on the first step, and other is on the second step, and other is on the third step, and other is on the fourth step. But the ultimate goal is bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

But they say "chemical evolution." That's right, evolution. It has come, life. Then, when life is lost, why don't you combine these chemicals, bring life? That is not possible. Therefore, by proper analysis one must come to the conclusion that these ingredients are different from the living force. Then... That is called self-realization. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this matter." That is the first step of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). "Oh, I was so much busy with this lump of matter. Now I understand that I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is the first realization, self-realization.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.156-163 -- New York, December 11, 1966:

Śānta-rasa. It is called śānta-rasa, peaceful śānta-rasa. There is no exchange. And further development is dāsya-rasa. And further development is sākhya-rasa. And further development is vātsalya-rasa. And further, ultimate development is mādhurya-rasa. So in the spiritual atmosphere there are different degrees of realization. So this Brahman realization is the first step, and the Paramātmā realization is the second step, and Bhagavān realization, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is the ultimate stage.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Detroit Airport, July 16, 1971:

So basic principle of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to correct the wrong foundation of the human civilization. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. When Arjuna was identifying himself with this body and bodily relationship, Kṛṣṇa first of all corrected that "You are not this body." So if we do not understand these first steps of spiritual knowledge, then where is the question of making further progress?

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 11, 1969:

They have got many subject matter for hearing, ordinary people. But this subject matter, hearing of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the, śrotavyādi... Whatever subject matter you have got for hearing, this is the topmost. This is the topmost. Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.So he's beginning, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is beginning to talk about Kṛṣṇa, and this book is The First Step in God Realization. How, for ordinary common men, how one can realize God, these things will be described. We shall describe.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: We are publishing every month one chapter, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, with this detailed information, giving a heading like this, "The First Step in God Realization." Here is also. The heading is: "Puruṣa-śukta Continued." Puruṣa-śukta is a Vedic stotram. So we are trying to push this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like in your country there is Lenin consciousness, similarly, it is also a different type of consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with British Man -- August 31, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So... We... This is the first step of spiritual understanding. That one must know that he's not this body. Actually anyone can understand. It is a very simple thing. I'm not this body because I had many types of body, in this life also, a child's body, a baby's body, boy's body, youth's body. Now we have got different body. So the body's changing. That's a fact.

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Guest (1): But what should be the first step to become a devotee.

Prabhupāda: Yes, dadāti. That I have already explained. Dadāti. He must give. Give. Everyone goes to God to beg, "God, give us our daily bread." But one must go to God to give Him. If I do not give bread to Kṛṣṇa, he will be starving. This is devotee's mentality. Yaśodāmāyī, Yaśodāmāyī is thinking, Kṛṣṇa, "If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa well, my child will die." This is devotion.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Umāpati: In perfect knowledge, would the first step be faith that it is offered to Kṛṣṇa? One may, may make an offering without being...

Prabhupāda: Well, he must learn under superior direction. Otherwise, how he can offer?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Dhanañjaya: I was reading in the newspaper that a few days ago India exploded a nuclear bomb, an atomic bomb, underground. This was the first step. And they have declared that this was used for peaceful reasons, in order to develop...

Prabhupāda: There was a cartoon. When I... One leader is approached for food, that "We are in scarcity of food." The leader says, "Of course, it is very difficult to assure you for food grains. But from next week you will have television." (laughter) Next week you will have television. So these improvements are going on, television, but they are starving. This is going on. Advancement of knowledge and learning is going on in discovering television, but there is no food. This is the mismanagement of the leaders.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: First of all, you must know that fire is already there. Now ignite. Then it comes more. Then burning, blazing. So the blazing fire is required. But that will come gradually. If you follow the process. That is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the Śikṣāṣṭakam, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The first step will be cleansing of the heart. And in the heart there is God, already. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The Lord is situated in everyone's heart. So actually yoga system is to find out the Lord within the heart. That is meditation. Lord is there already: simply we have to find it out.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 11, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: The steps are there. So tapasā, tapasā... Tapasya means first brahmacarya, how to restrain this sex desire. That is first step. Where is their tapasya? "It is very difficult to do this tapasya. Oh." Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra regularly, you'll be cured. Otherwise, regular tapasya is almost impossible nowadays.

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: My first step will be to capture all the hoarders and distribute the grains free. Immediately public will be obliged to... There are immense food grains; they are simply hoarded. They are not selling without good price. This is going on. Immediately she can capture the public. And some of the hoarders should be hanged, yes, so that in future nobody will hoard.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 17, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, no, even the greatest of the saints, namely, the guru of.... I mean, Śuka(?) Mahārāja, also he had the first aparā-vidyā. Then parā-vidyā.... Aparā-vidyā is the first step.

Prabhupāda: And so long you are in aparā-vidyā, you remain a rascal.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he is guru. Just like Arjuna is our guru, but he's a gṛhastha, he's a soldier, he's a kṣatriya. He's neither brāhmaṇa nor sannyāsī nor Vedantist, nothing of the sort. But he knows Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is guru. So gṛhastha (Hindi). Śravaṇam, this is the first step of bhakti. Hear about Kṛṣṇa from the right source. Otherwise you will be misguided. Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You have to go to a person where you can surrender. (Hindi)

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Indian man: This is the first step to know Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And that Kṛṣṇa is explaining. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. There is no difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa. Suppose you have no knowledge about me, what is Swamiji. You may speculate, "Swamiji may be such and such, such and such." But if I explain myself, that "I am like this," then where is the difficulty? You haven't got to speculate. Because I am explaining. So you take that. You understand Kṛṣṇa. Why speculation?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Indian (1): I... Yeah, complete list. That is why I asked you, "What first step you wanted to?"

Prabhupāda: Kindly help.

Indian (1): Concrete step.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian (1): That, Mr. Ratensingh is bound to do.

Prabhupāda: Kindly help me.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1970:

I am very satisfied to see how nicely you are rendering the transcendental subject matters of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the matter of painting pictures for our literatures. So I am very much pleased with your picture for the cover of The First Step in God Realization and if you continue to improve from this standard that will be very nice.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Tokyo 20 August, 1970:

I think the cover of First Step in God Realization is not to the point. There is a picture in Gita Press Bhagavata where Sukadeva Gosvami has been offered a nice raised throne and the king Pariksit along with the sages sitting on the floor on the bank of the Ganges and it is very nice. The king Pariksit has no beard. His face should be very nice looking, young king between 30-40 years age.

Letter to Kenneth -- Bombay 17 November, 1970:

So one has got to find out some representative of the Lord who is in the bona fide disciplic succession and then follow the Lord's instructions that after finding out such a Spiritual Master one should try to learn the truth from him by inquiring submissively and rendering service unto him. This method of approaching Krsna must be accepted because it is offered by the Lord Himself.

So the first step is that one should consider carefully whether here is a bona fide Spiritual Master to whom I can surrender myself without any hesitation.

Letter to Stan -- Bombay 17 November, 1970:

The first step, so you have noted is that the dirty things which are clouding our spiritual senses must be cleansed by the Sankirtana process. So Krsna Consciousness is a purifying process. If you follow the regulations of our Society very strictly you will quickly become completely purified and thus achieve the highest perfection of life, Krsna consciousness or Love of God.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Jayadvaita -- Bombay 17 March, 1971:

14:27: Impersonal Brahman is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness because without coming to the brahma-bhutah platform and remaining engaged in the activities of brahman nobody can be joyful. To realize that aham brahmasmi is the first step of transcendental life. After one is in full knowledge that he is not this body, but is spiritual soul, he can effectually engage himself in the transcendental service of the Lord.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Auckland 21 February, 1973:

Just recently Rupanuga Das Goswami has had one very successful meeting with Kenneth Keating, the American Ambassador to India and he has agreed to be our chief guest when we open our center in downtown Manhattan. I have said before, Hearing is the first step in God realization; therefore if we can simply convince these big men to hear, then gradually they will come to the point of accepting us. I shall be returning to America in the early Spring and will be looking forward to seeing you.