Highest gift

Expressions researched:
"highest gift"

SB Canto 3

Kṛṣṇa-premā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest gift which can be bestowed on anyone whom we presume to love.

SB 3.23.8, Purport: Love of God is not an ordinary commodity. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was worshiped by Rūpa Gosvāmī because He distributed love of God, kṛṣṇa-premā, to everyone. Rūpa Gosvāmī praised Him as mahā-vadānya, a greatly munificent personality, because He was freely distributing to everyone love of Godhead, which is achieved by wise men only after many, many births. Kṛṣṇa-premā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest gift which can be bestowed on anyone whom we presume to love.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Kṛṣṇa Himself. He delivers those souls who are merged in ignorance and offers them the highest gift, love of Kṛṣṇa, and thus makes them mad for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1: The prayers indicated that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Kṛṣṇa Himself, that He had assumed the form and fair complexion of Caitanya and was thus known as Gaurāṅga (the golden one), and that He was the most munificent incarnation of Kṛṣṇa because He was distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also quoted one verse which was later found in the book Govinda-līlāmṛta (1.2):

yo 'jñāna-mattaṁ bhuvanaṁ dayālur

ullāghayann apy akarot pramattam

svaprema-sampat-sudhayādbhutehaṁ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyam amuṁ prapadye

"Let me surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the most merciful Personality of Godhead. He delivers those souls who are merged in ignorance and offers them the highest gift, love of Kṛṣṇa, and thus makes them mad for Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Even a child can keep in the highest platform of yoga practice in this temple. That is the highest gift of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969: Yoga means to keep your consciousness intact with Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of yoga. Here it is automatically, even the child can do it. The child is coming along with his mother and bowing down, "Kṛṣṇa, I bow down." So he is also Kṛṣṇa conscious. A small child, he's clapping. Why? "Hey Kṛṣṇa." So anyway, everyone is remembering always Kṛṣṇa. Keeping Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even a child here is the highest yogi. It is not our boastfulness. It is stated in authorized scripture like Bhagavad-gītā. We don't say that we have created these words for our boastful. No, it is a fact. Even a child can keep in the highest platform of yoga practice in this temple. That is the highest gift of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

That is the highest gift of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is claiming everyone to the highest stage of Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968: So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for the śūdras. Kṛṣṇa conscious... One who is elevated to the standard of becoming brāhmaṇa, they can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, every one comes to the stage of brahminical standard. Only to observe these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are at once more than brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava position is more than brāhmaṇa. So in this age the pāñcarātriki-vidhi is introduced because it is very difficult to find out whether a person is actually son of brāhmaṇa or higher caste. It is to be accepted that everyone is śūdra. It doesn't matter whether and what he is. But he should be given chance to become the Vaiṣṇava, whose position is more than a brāhmaṇa. That is the highest gift of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is claiming everyone to the highest stage of Vaiṣṇava.

"Whatever you may be, come on, sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you become more than a brāhmaṇa." This is the highest gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968: So at the present moment, as you say, in the Kali-yuga, it is accepted that everyone, almost everyone is a śūdra. But in the pāñcarātrika system, not Vedic system, Nārada-pañcarātra, they are... Otherwise, do you mean to say because everyone has become śūdra, the science of Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, should be stopped? No. Even they are śūdras, they should be given that opportunity. And that opportunity is given by Lord Caitanya very liberally: "Whatever you may be, come on, sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you become more than a brāhmaṇa." This is the highest gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But if you take otherwise from the social conventional life, oh, there is no brāhmaṇa, there is no gṛhastha, there is no brahmacārī. There is all gone, all finished. So those rules and regulation are not now applicable because amongst the śūdras there is no such rules and regulation. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and those are gone. They are finished. Now, even though the people are in the status of śūdra, they should be given opportunity for spiritual advancement, and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special gift, and very easy, that "Whatever you may be, you may be a brāhmaṇa, you may be a kṣatriya, vaiśya, that doesn't matter. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and gradually realize."

This meeting of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. So that is the highest gift to the human society.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968: The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduḥ. They do not know, unfortunately. They have forgotten. But by good association, they can remember. Therefore this meeting of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. That is the missionary activities of this Society. So that is the highest gift to the human society. There are so many welfare activities in the human society. People open hospitals, schools, colleges, charitable institution. They are nice. But the best contribution to the human society is to revive his lost relationship with God.