You cannot understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, His name, His activities, nāmādi... Nāmādi means name, form, qualities, activities, pastimes, entourage, so many things, ādi. Therefore... Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but we cannot understand what is the meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand. Nāmādi. Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Indriyaiḥ means the senses. There are so many people are hearing this sound vibration, but why they're not becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious? Because there is no sevā, there is no service. Therefore it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). But how it will be perceived by the indriyas? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. By service. And wherefrom the service begins? It begins jihvādau, beginning with the tongue, beginning with the tongue. This is the service.
No service
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Sri Isopanisad
Śrī Īśopaniṣad advises us to pour water on the root, the source of all germination. Worship of the mass of humanity by rendering bodily service, which can never be perfect, is less important than service to the soul. The soul is the root that generates different types of bodies according to the law of karma. To serve human beings by medical aid, social help and educational facilities while at the same time cutting the throats of poor animals in slaughterhouses is no service at all to the soul, the living being.
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
The kṣatriyas must be, must have some land to collect taxes. That is the kṣatriya's source of income. The brāhmaṇa's source of income, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana ... They must be learned scholar, they must teach others, they must be devotee and teach others how to become devotee. They must take contribution and must spend for Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa. No service. Formerly, no brāhmaṇa ... Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were born in high-class brāhmaṇa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa, but because they accepted the service of Nawab Hussein Shah, immediately they were rejected from brāhmaṇa society.
Jyotirmayī: ...to know, that to explain exactly what is materialistic life, and how is it possible to be in the world of matter and the same time not be entangled by it?
Yogeśvara: What is material life and how can we live in this material...
Prabhupāda: Material life means no knowledge of God, no service of God. That is material life.
Just like obedient servant, sincere servant, they are always waiting for the order of the master, and they try how to please him, how to make him happy. Of course, this is not possible in this material world. Material world nobody is servant of anybody. Everyone wants to be master of another. Actually he does not serve anyone. He serves because he gets some money. So as soon as the money payment is stopped, immediately servant becomes disobedient. Therefore there is no service in the material world. It is exchange of money. The service is niṣkāma. That is brāhmaṇa, devotee. They do not expect anything from the Personality of Godhead. They want simply His satisfaction. Sādhava niṣkāmān yatra yasmin mārge. Therefore we have to follow mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), great personality, the path of the great personalities. The great personalities means the devotees. We have to follow the path of the devotees.
Material existence means a desire of sex life, both man and woman. Puṁsāṁ-striyaṁ-mithunī-bhavam etat. Not only in human society, in animal society, in bird society, everywhere, that is material life. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. And when they are united for this purpose, a man and woman, they... We are already attached to the material activities. Then our attachment becomes more and more strong. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. Then, out of this attachment, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). In this way, being united, then they want gṛha, apartment, to live together. Then they want some land. Formerly there was no service. The gṛhastha used to produce the food grains from the land. Neither there was factories or big, big offices to get job. One had to produce his own food from the land. So simply apartment will not help. I must require some land for eating. Gṛha-kṣetra-sūta. Then we desire for some children. Sūta, āpta, then friends. Sūta, āpta. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittaiḥ. But all these establishment can be maintained by money only. Then money. Then, in this way, gradually, janasya moho 'ham. We are already bewildered. We are attached to this material world, but when we are united, man and woman together, our attachment for this material world becomes increased.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
If I am in the service of Kṛṣṇa, what is, liberation is already there. In Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta you'll find,
- bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā yadi bhagavān syād
- daivena (naḥ) phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ
- muktiḥ (svayam) mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'smān...
Mukti, she'll stand with folded hands, "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" This is the position of bhakta. One, if one becomes bhakta, then mukti becomes her maidservant. Why shall I ask for mukti? Mukti is nothing. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. What is the mukti? It is as good as hell. Mukti means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but there is no service of Kṛṣṇa. It is simply merging, to become one. Just like sunshine, and if you are put into the sunshine, what benefit do you get? Simply to have scorching heat on, that's all. What benefit would you get? And mukti is like that. That is light. Sunshine is light. Similarly from darkness, if I go to the light and don't get any shelter, anywhere, simply I remain in that sunshine, what benefit do I get?
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So we can discuss about the greatness of God, but next stage is that "God is so great, why not let me render some service unto the Supreme, the great?" That is one step forward. Simply to know "God is great and I am engaged in my own occupational duty," there is no symptom of love. Symptom of love means when one is eager to render some service to the beloved. That is love. Simply I love you and you love me, formality, but there is no service, that is not real love. Real love begins as it is stated in the śāstra, dadāti pratigṛhṇāti: to give something to the lover, to the beloved, and to take something. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate: to accept some eatables from your beloved, and offer him something for eating. Bhuṅkte bhojayate. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. And you disclose your mind; there is no secrecy between the lover and the beloved. And the other party also discloses. In this way, love becomes manifest. And our business in this human life, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, premā pumartho mahān. The highest achievement of life is to be situated on the loving platform with God. That is the highest perfection.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Devotee (2): How do you develop a service attitude in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Devotee (1): (repeats) How do you develop a service attitude?
Prabhupāda: By service. In the material world, if you give service you become tired. But transcendental world, if you give service, you more become enthusiastic. Yes, more service. That is happening. I do not pay these boys. Rather, they pay me, and they engage the service. They pay and serve. In the material world, as soon as you stop payment there is no service. Why? Because they, by serving Kṛṣṇa, they get transcendental pleasure. So the more you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, the more you become enthusiastic. There is no question of becoming tired. Just like I am old man. I have come from India. My age is seventy-six years. So still I am enthusiastic. Still I am going everywhere, all over the world. Why? Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice. Even old man like me, he gets energy to work. And that's also without any salary. Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice that you try to engage yourself more and more. Then you'll get more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious, more enthusiasm. And this is spiritual. This is spiritual. Ahaituky apratihatā. This service cannot be checked by any material condition. That I have already explained. Other service, material service, will be checked by material conditions. But transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa will never be checked by any material condition. That is the test.
General Lectures
If you don't get shelter, then you come back. Similarly, the impersonalist, for the time being they may think that they have Brahman realization, but because by nature he wants association, without getting association of the Supreme Lord he has to come back to make association with this nonsense. And this is practically we have seen. Many sannyāsīs, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "Brahman is truth and the world is false." They take sannyāsa, and after some time they come to the hospital opening business. They come down again to politics, hospitals, philanthropy, welfare work. Why? If brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if this whole world is false, why you are taking this hospital business? Because there is no place. He has no engagement and he wants association. He wants to render some service, but there is no service to Kṛṣṇa. He comes to give service to the nonsense māyā. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). After accepting sannyāsa and all this renunciation, because he has no shelter to render service to the Supreme Lord, he comes down to render service to this nonsense thing which he left. Mithyā, it is false. He again comes to the false. I have seen one sannyāsī in India, very learned, very good scholar. Now he's rotting in the jail. He has taken to political movement. He wants to make, nullify this Pakistan and so many things.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes pleasure when He's addressed with His devotee's name, with His energy's name. Devotee's also His energy. So He has no father. He is father of everyone. But He accepts some devotee. A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa as his son; therefore Kṛṣṇa accepts a devotee as His father. So nobody can become His father but a devotee... Just like this girl, Nandarāṇī, is raising her daughter, always giving service. The child is accepting service from the parents. Her business is only to accept. Torture and accept service. So devotees accept Kṛṣṇa as son so that Kṛṣṇa may simply torture them and accept service. That is the policy. Because the devotee want to render service, so this is the best way of service rendering. The child will draw always service. So this conception, fatherhood of the Absolute Truth, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is undoubtedly very good, but there is no service. Father is meant for exacting: "Father, give me this. Father, give me this." And here, the Vaiṣṇava conception, to accept the Supreme as child to render service. Not to accept. No parents accept any service from the child, but he simply gives service.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: So our Kṛṣṇa conscious men, they are happy when rendering service to Kṛṣṇa, or God. So individually or collectively, if every state, every individual person renders service to Kṛṣṇa, then that is perfect stage of life. He has to render service to somebody, but because it is misplaced, he is never happy, but when the service is rendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he will be happy. Service you have to render, without any failure, but he does not know where to render service. That is the difficulty. Communist dictating, "You, sir, render service to me," and the capitalist dictating, "Give me service, sir." But Kṛṣṇa says, "No. No service to this, no service..." Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You simply give your service to Me, then ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo, you will become free from all sinful reaction of life." That is our position.
Prabhupāda: The humanity, love of humanity means to raise the humanity to the real understanding of the goal of life. If the humanity or the whole human society kept into darkness as to what is the goal of life, that is not serving humanity, to keep them in darkness. But to enlighten them with knowledge, the ultimate knowledge is understanding of God and our relationship with God and activities in that relationship, that is real humanitarian work. Otherwise, if we keep the humanity in darkness, only within the jurisdiction of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, or that is, that means to keep them in, in the animal atmosphere. But to teach the humanity about real knowledge, that he is not this body, he is soul, the soul is within the body and the nature of the soul, the necessity of the soul, the goal of soul—these things, if actually taken into hand to enlighten the humanity—that is real service to the humanity. And to keep them in darkness in the animal propensities, that is no service to the humanity.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: She is not serving. She's serving her... Everyone is serving money, money.
Dr. Patel: Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. This serving, everyone is serving. Unless he pays, no service. That is not service.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest (2) (American gentleman): Who is a śūdra? Is it determined by jāti?
Prabhupāda: Yes, one who is seeking service like dog. The dog goes door to door and moves his tail: "Give me some food. Give me some..."
Guest (2): Is it determined by jāti, by birth?
Prabhupāda: No. His quality... He has no quality.
Guest (2): Spiritual type.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not spiritual type, it..., material type. He cannot maintain himself independently. Nowadays people are being educated highly, but if there is no service he has no value.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guru dāsa: So if we see people in the world as potential devotees, we should also serve them so they can become good devotees.
Prabhupāda: That is not service. That is mercy. One who is potential devotee, to show him mercy, develop him to become a devotee, that is mercy. That is not service. Service can be rendered to the higher person. And to the lower person you can show your mercy.
Guru dāsa: Oh, that's a good distinction.
Hari-śauri: That's said in Upadeśāmṛta...
Prabhupāda: Yes. One who is lower than you, he requires your mercy. You give him mercy. And who is higher than you, you give him service. Not that Vivekananda did, that everyone service. No, service to the higher person. And to the lower person? Mercy.
Guru dāsa: Someone asked me the other day if I knew Swami...
Prabhupāda: And equal person? Friendship.
Guru dāsa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: With equal, friendship. With higher, service. And with lower, mercy.
Guru dāsa: And envious, ignore.
Prabhupāda: Yes, ignore. Neutral: "You go to hell. We don't mind."
Prabhupāda: In our country, the street law is "Keep to the left." So I have come to America, you say "Keep to the right." If I say, "No, I have no faith in this 'Keep to the right.' " No, I must obey. That is law. Similarly, religion means you may have faith or no faith, but you must obey. It is a must. It is not optional. That is religion. That, I explained it many times that (indistinct) means characteristic. Just like everyone of us, we are servant. So, the living entity is servant. He may have faith or no faith, he must be a servant. And if you don't become servant of God, then you become servant of dog. That is your advancement of civilization. When there is no service for God, just like here we have got service for God, there is no question of serving dog. But when we forget service of God, then automatically we become service of dog. But service.... I am servant, that's a fact. And voluntarily keep a dog and serve him. They have no master, then I keep a master, dog, cat. You call it by the name, pet. What is a pet? I do service, that's all. So this is our advancement of civilization. We have refused to serve God, and you voluntarily accept to serve dog. Now in India, they are also learning. (chuckles) And formerly, dog keeping, dog there was in the neighborhood. But they were not allowed to enter the room or house. Now, they are keeping dogs just like the Western people keep. They are making dog show and so on, so on.
Prabhupāda: In 1942 I have seen when war was going on, so, these Britishers wanted soldiers, so they created artificial famine. The people became in need of money, so they enrolled them as soldiers. I have seen it. There was no other way to get money to get commodities at higher price. Artificial famine. There was no food grains available, but black market it is available. Black market means more price, but they had no money. So to get this money, they enrolled as soldiers. This was Mr. Churchill's policy.
Rādhāvallabha: That's going on now in America. Previously they had to force men to join the Army because they had such a shortage. Now, because there are so few jobs, it is harder to get into the Army. Even volunteers, there are so many volunteers just to get a job that they have too many practically.
Prabhupāda: Even in Army there is no service? They don't want?
Rādhāvallabha: Now they want because they can't get a job.
Hṛdayānanda: More selective.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Prabhupāda: They like it. But they make sound. (break) So if actually I am serious to serve Kṛṣṇa I must begin immediately.
Hari-śauri: So that means utilizing whatever you already know.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's right. Because there is no guarantee. Suppose you are learning some art to serve Kṛṣṇa. In the meantime if death takes place...
Hari-śauri: Then no service.
Prabhupāda: Then if you could not learn the art, at the same time you miss Kṛṣṇa's service. So that is not our principle. We want to serve Kṛṣṇa, svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. Whatever work you already expert, you do that. Just like he is doing. Whatever he knows, he is giving service. He's not going for sewing cloth. Because he does not know that. Why should he waste time? He knows this art, let him do. That is service. Whatever you know, Kṛṣṇa can accept any service. Kṛṣṇa is not one-sided. Because He is everything, so he can accept every service, anything. That is stated, svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. Whatever you know, you try to please Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's representative. The same thing. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Whatever you know, saṁsiddhiḥ, the perfection is, hari-toṣaṇam. So we... Whatever we already know. If he's a medical man, whatever little medical knowledge he has got, he can utilize it by serving. Why he should go to Āyur-vedic? That is not.
Correspondence
1973 Correspondence
I have the information of a few cases of illicit sex in our society but this is not an overall thing. And whether it is or not, the only cure is Hari Nama. You simply be engaged in chanting all day and serving Krishna and any time there is no service, simply chant Hare Krishna. Then there is no chance for illicit sex.
As far as studying my books is concerned, I have already given the order. One hour in the morning class and one hour in the evening and if there is extra time during the day it may be used for studying but we cannot expect everyone to be studious. If someone has desired to distribute books all day he may do this, but he must always follow the principles of rising early, chanting 16 rounds, etc. Just as some rich men have no inclination for studying, but still he opens many schools for others to study at. Like this, all of my students may not be inclined to study but they are very much eager to give others the opportunity to read my books and this should not be discouraged. All programs must go on but it is a fact that this book distribution program is very very important.
| Page Title: | No service |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 19 of Feb, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=12, Con=6, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 20 |