Krsna consciousness means to purify...

Expressions researched:
"Krsna consciousness means completely become purified" |"Krsna consciousness means purification" |"Krsna consciousness means purified consciousness" |"Krsna consciousness means simply we are purifying" |"Krsna consciousness means that you have to purify" |"Krsna consciousness means to adopt the purificatory process" |"Krsna consciousness means to become purified" |"Krsna consciousness means to purify" |"Krsna consciousness, or devotional service, means purifying"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

We have to transfer the desire. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. Desire we cannot kill. It is not possible. I am a living being. Desire is my constant companion. So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to purify the desire. How is that? Without desiring for material sense gratification, I can desire so many things for Kṛṣṇa's service.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

When we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally my mind cannot go out besides Kṛṣṇa. Besides Kṛṣṇa. The mind is automatically controlled. Nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. And you shall have no desire for material sense gratification. Sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāma means material desires, and sarva, and all kinds of. That means if you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have no other desires. So your desires... Desireless you cannot be. That is not possible. Desireless means... Here it is clearly said, sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāmebhyaḥ means desire for sense gratification. That is to be purified. But desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is very good, very nice thing.

So we have to transfer the desire. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. Desire we cannot kill. It is not possible. I am a living being. Desire is my constant companion. So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to purify the desire. How is that? Without sarva-kāmebhyaḥ, without desiring for material sense gratification, I can desire so many things for Kṛṣṇa's service. There are so many things. And suppose... Just like take for example eating. Eating, we want palatable dishes. Very good. But you prepare the palatable foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa you prepare hundreds of palatable... Don't think that "It is being prepared for me." Therefore one who prepares foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, he has to take very precaution. You see? That it is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes I therefore ask the students "Don't touch your mouth. Don't... Very cleanly, very sanctifiedly." Because it is being prepared... So now, that desire, that "Kṛṣṇa will eat such nice cake and such nice rice," so the whole thing is prepared in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and when it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, you taste. So your kāma is already sacrificed because from the very beginning you're thinking that "It is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa." You have no desire for that. But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He gives you the foodstuff for your eating; so your desire is already fulfilled. You do not desire it, but Kṛṣṇa's mercy is so that He can fulfill your desire.

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service, means purifying the senses. We haven't got to eradicate, get out of the sensual activities.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service, means purifying the senses. That's all. We haven't got to eradicate, get out of the sensual activities. No. We have simply to purify the senses. How you can get out of the senses? Because you are living entity, the senses are there. But the thing is that at the present moment, because we are materially contaminated, our senses are not getting full enjoyment. This is most scientific. So devotional service means purifying the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification. How you can purify your senses? That is defined in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra. It is said that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Purification of the sense means you have to be free from all kinds of designation. Our life is full of designation. Just like I am thinking "I am Indian," I am thinking "I am sannyāsī," you are thinking you are American, you are thinking "man," you are thinking "woman," you are thinking "white," you are thinking "black." So many designations. These are all designations. So purifying the senses means to purify the designation. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that "I am neither Indian nor European nor American nor this nor that. I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. I am the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." When we are fully convinced that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and that is purification of your senses.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means completely become purified from the infection of māyā.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means completely become purified from the infection of māyā, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is stated by Kṛṣṇa. One who is a devotee fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service... So what is his position? The position is sa guṇān... sa guṇān etān, this prakṛter guṇān. Here it is said, prakṛter guṇānām. There are three guṇas—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... So if one is engaged in devotional service, immediately he becomes transcendental to all these guṇas. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Then he becomes again in his transcendental position, Brahman. Brahma-jñāna, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is... This position he comes. And as soon as one comes to this position, brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūta... (SB 4.30.20). Now we are māyā-bhūta, identifying with ourself with this māyā, this prakṛti-guṇa, the modes of material nature: "I am this," "I am that," "I am this," "I am that." But when he becomes brahma-bhūta—"I don't belong to these prakṛti-guṇān, these nature's..., these modes of material nature. I belong to the spirit soul, Supreme. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi"—this brahma-jñāna will immediately make him happy. That is the symptom of a person who has attained brahma-jñāna.

In the material world the senses are impure. They simply want to enjoy material things. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you have to purify your senses.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

The soul is immortal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The soul is not finished, simply a particular type of body being finished, no. The people do not know it. And because they are simply engaged in sinful activities, their brain has become so dull that they cannot understand this simple truth that as you are changing body in this life therefore you will change this body to another life. This is very simple truth. But at the advancement of material civilization, we have become so dull and rascal that we cannot understand it.

But India still, although it is so fallen, you go to a remote village. A common man, he has no education. He believes. He believes. And here in the western countries, I saw many many big, big professors. They have no idea. I met one big professor, Kotovsky, in Moscow. He said, "Swamijī, after finishing this body, everything is finished." Just see. He is a big professor and in charge of a very big department, Indology. He has no idea. But this is not the fact. The fact is that we are all sparks, spiritual spark, part and parcel of God. Somehow or other, we have come into this material world for sense enjoyment. In the spiritual world there is no sense enjoyment. There is sense purification. In the material world the senses are impure. They simply want to enjoy material things. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you have to purify your senses. That is the way.

Festival Lectures

By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

So Rāmacandra's life, God's activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Rāmacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He's absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rāma or you see the statue of Rāma or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness. From the birth, as I have explained, everyone is śūdra. Śūdra means one who laments. That is called śūdra. For a slight loss or slight inconvenience, one who laments, he is called śūdra. And brāhmaṇa means one who tolerates. A śūdra has no toleration. So kalau śūdra sambhava. Kalau means... This age is called Kali. So it is the statement of the śāstras that in this age the whole population is śūdra. And formerly also, by his birth, everyone was considered śūdra, but there was training, saṁskāra. At the present moment, there is no saṁskāra, there is no training. The training is only for earning livelihood. No other training. How one can earn money and enjoy senses—that is the training at the present moment. But actually, to make successful the human life or the mission of human life, the Vedic culture is very nice. And by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by adopting the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can revive that cultural life, sublime life. If not wholesale, if there are a few people trained up in this line, and they become ideal examples to the society, immense benefit can be derived from their examples of life.

General Lectures

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to adopt the purificatory process, and then you have got natural engagement in the service of the Lord, your life is perfect.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Intoxication. Oh, it is very difficult. Why they avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just like our friend Allen Ginsberg, he says, "Swamijī is very conservative." And so many friends, they ask me, "Swamijī, why you impose these rules?" You see? The people are so unable. Their inability is so strong that these four principles only... You want sex life? All right. We say that you get yourself married. But that is also difficult. Intoxication? Nobody has learned smoking from the beginning of his life. It is simply by association. So if you associate with us, you'll forget smoking, drinking. It was learned by association, you can forget it by association. No child used to eat meat from the very birth. It was milk. So this is all artificial, the so-called conventions of human society. Natural life does not allow all these things. So by good or bad association you have acquired so many artificial, I mean to say, habits. So simply by association you can forget also. Then you come to the pure life. And God is pure. Just like without being heated, you cannot stand in a place which is very heated. The temperature must be the same. This is known to everyone. So God is pure. You cannot approach God being impure. So the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purificatory process. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses, and Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses, the Lord of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. So by engaging your senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. Now, how you can do that? Tat-paratvena nirmalam. You have to simply purify. Then it is easily possible. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to adopt the purificatory process, and then you have got natural engagement in the service of the Lord, your life is perfect.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means purification of all faculties.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: Then all our faculties of perception will be purified by adopting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we can understand.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means purification of all faculties. Because the faculties work on the basis of consciousness. If your consciousness is pure... Just like I am seeing. I am not seeing; my mind is seeing. So if my mind is pure, then my seeing is pure. Similarly, if my consciousness is pure, my mind is pure. It is superficial. I am moving my hand. I am not moving; my mind is moving. So all the senses, ten senses... And the central sense is mind. And behind mind, there is intelligence, and behind intelligence, there is consciousness. This consciousness, if purified, then whole thing is purified. If this consciousness is polluted, then the whole thing is polluted. So we have to purify the consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Attachment must be there, but that is transferred or purified. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means purified consciousness, real consciousness.

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupäda: At the present moment, I am conscious of this body, of this country, of this society, of the family. But when I perfectly understand that I am not any of these things, then my consciousness also changes because at the present moment my consciousness is absorbed with all these things. So as soon as I understand that I am not all these, then my consciousness must change, not that my consciousness will stop. If I am in misunderstanding, if I come to the right understanding, that does not mean my understanding is stopped. Rather, my understanding becomes purified. That means if I am not this, then I am this. That we do not know, what is that. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when we are freed from this illusory consciousness and if we are situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we get attachment. Because we are attached to all these things, attached to this body, attached to this society, attached to the country, so many things in relationship with the body. Now, after negativating my identity with this false identification, when I come to the right point, then I understand that I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's. Then your attachment for Kṛṣṇa increases because you transfer the attachment. Just like a child. A child is attached to play. But when he grows up, his attachment is transferred to study. That does not mean he gives up the attachment for playing, that attachment is lost. No. Attachment must be there, but that is transferred or purified. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means purified consciousness, real consciousness.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to purify the dirty things. So, to purify this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, cleaning the mirror of consciousness, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa conscious movement means... It is very practical. Because our consciousness is now polluted... Just like water. Water, originally, crystal clear water. But as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes dirty, muddy. So our consciousness-originally clear, Kṛṣṇa consciousness: "Kṛṣṇa is my eternal master. I am eternal servant." This is real consciousness. Now, since we have come into this material world, we have made, instead of Kṛṣṇa, "My wife is my master, my society is my master, my country is my master, my political leader is my master," so many. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to purify the dirty things and then... So, to purify this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleaning the mirror of consciousness, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is only way.

Purify yourself and you'll see God. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to become purified.

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupäda: So how can you see God like that? First of all you become designationless. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya"—everything He denied. So purify yourself and you'll see God. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to become purified. That makes you all right. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means always. This is the process. Why these rascals say, "Can you show me God?" What qualification have you got? He doesn't think like that, that "I have no qualification." He thinks that "I am very advanced." That is foolish. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ. Similarly a third-class man goes to a high-court judge. Foolish rascals has come. "Who is that?" "I don't know." There was an incident. One big philosopher and one big dramatic player. He was also very famous. So he went to se that philosopher and sent his card. He said, "Oh, why shall I see this dancing dog? He may be famous as a dancing dog, but I have no business with him.