Similarly, the Lord accepted Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, a veteran devotee of the Lord coming from a Mohammedan family. And there are many other great devotees of the Lord who came from different communities, sects and castes. The Lord's only criterion was the standard of devotional service of the particular person. He was not concerned with the outward dress of a man; He was concerned only with the inner soul and its activities. Therefore all the missionary activities of the Lord are to be understood to be on the spiritual plane, and as such the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or the cult of Bhāgavata-dharma, has nothing to do with mundane affairs, sociology, politics, economic development or any such sphere of life. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the purely transcendental urge of the soul.
Not concerned with
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
The fact is that the devotee is not concerned with seeing the viśva-rūpa, the universal form, but Arjuna wanted to see it to substantiate Kṛṣṇa's statements so that in the future people could understand that Kṛṣṇa not only theoretically or philosophically presented Himself as the Supreme but actually presented Himself as such to Arjuna. Arjuna must confirm this because Arjuna is the beginning of the paramparā system. Those who are actually interested in understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and who follow in the footsteps of Arjuna should understand that Kṛṣṇa not only theoretically presented Himself as the Supreme, but actually revealed Himself as the Supreme.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Preface and Introduction
SB Canto 1
There is a class of less intelligent devotees of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa who desire to relish at once the activities of the Lord narrated in the Tenth Canto without first understanding the primary cantos. They are under the false impression that the other cantos are not concerned with Kṛṣṇa, and thus more foolishly than intelligently they take to the reading of the Tenth Canto. These readers are specifically told herein that the other cantos of the Bhāgavatam are as important as the Tenth Canto. No one should try to go into the matters of the Tenth Canto without having thoroughly understood the purport of the other nine cantos. Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotees like the Pāṇḍavas are on the same plane. Kṛṣṇa is not without His devotees of all the rasas, and the pure devotees like the Pāṇḍavas are not without Kṛṣṇa. The devotees and the Lord are interlinked, and they cannot be separated. Therefore talks about them are all kṛṣṇa-kathā, or topics of the Lord.
They would not advise the king to give protection to man and instruct him to kill the poor animals. Such council members were not fools or representatives to compose a fool's paradise. They were all self-realized souls, and they knew perfectly well how all living beings in the state would be happy, both in this life and in the next. They were not concerned with the hedonistic philosophy of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. They were philosophers in the real sense, and they knew well what is the mission of human life. Under all these obligations, the advisory council of the king would give correct directions, and the king or executive head, being himself a qualified devotee of the Lord, would scrutinizingly follow them for the welfare of the state. The state in the days of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a welfare state in the real sense of the term because no one was unhappy in that state, be he man or animal. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was an ideal king for a welfare state of the world.
SB Canto 3
Devotional service is manifested by the primary process of hearing and chanting about the activities of the Lord. This transcendental method practiced by the mahātmās gives them sufficient knowledge of the Lord because if the Lord can at all be known to some extent, it is only through the means of devotional service and no other way. One may go on speculating and waste the valuable time of his human life, but that will not help anyone to enter into the precincts of the Lord. The mahātmās, however, are not concerned with knowing the Lord by mental speculation because they enjoy hearing about His glorious activities in His transcendental dealings with His devotees or with the demons. The devotees take pleasure in both and are happy in this life and the life after.
They were decorated with valuable ornaments, and they thought that this was success in life. Originally it was planned that Jaya and Vijaya, the two doorkeepers of Vaikuṇṭha, were to take birth in this material world, where, by the curse of the sages, they were to play the part of always being angry with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As demoniac persons, they became so angry that they were not concerned with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but simply with physical comforts and physical upliftment.
SB Canto 4
A devotee, however, is not interested in enjoyment or affected by distress. When he is prosperous he knows, "I am diminishing the results of my pious activities," and when he is in distress he knows, "I am diminishing the reactions of my impious activities." A devotee is not concerned with enjoyment or distress; he simply desires to execute devotional service. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that devotional service should be apratihatā, unchecked by the material conditions of happiness or distress. The devotee undergoes processes of austerity such as observing Ekādaśī and similar other fasting days and refraining from illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. Thus he becomes purified from the reactions of his past impious life, and because he engages in devotional service, which is the most pious activity, he enjoys life without separate endeavor.
The spirit soul, the living entity, who is in full knowledge of his position is always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and is not concerned with the bodily functions. Although the Lord is connected with the material world, He is always situated in His spiritual energy and is always unattached to the functions of the material world. As far as the material body is concerned, there are six "waves," or symptomatic material conditions: hunger, thirst, lamentation, bewilderment, old age and death. The liberated soul is never concerned with these six physical interactions. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being the all-powerful master of all energies, has some connection with the external energy, but He is always free from the interactions of the external energy in the material world.
SB Canto 5
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. When a person fully realizes that the material body and world are temporary, he is not concerned with pain and pleasures of the body. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14):
- mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
- śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
- āgamāpāyino 'nityās
- tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata
"O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."
SB Canto 6
Similarly, this material world is full of miseries. The so-called temporary happiness of the world is also misery, but in ignorance we cannot understand this. That is the actual position. When one comes to his senses—when he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious—he is no longer concerned with the various conditions of this material world. He is not concerned with happiness or distress, curses or favors, or heavenly or hellish planets. He sees no distinction between them.
SB Canto 8
Either in this life or in the next, the only concern of such saintly devotees is to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus they are also absolute because they have no other desires. Being freed from the dualities of material desire, they are called śreyas-kāmāḥ. In other words, they are not concerned with dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), or kāma (sense gratification). The only concern of such devotees is mokṣa, liberation. This mokṣa does not refer to becoming one with the Supreme like the Māyāvādī philosophers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that real mokṣa means taking shelter of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead. The Lord clearly explained this fact while instructing Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya wanted to correct the word mukti-pade in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed him that there is no need to correct any word in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Bhaṭṭācārya wanted to correct the word mukti-pade in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed him that there is no need to correct any word in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He explained that mukti-pade refers to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who offers mukti and is therefore called Mukunda. A pure devotee is not concerned with material things. He is not concerned with religiosity, economic development or sense gratification. He is interested only in serving the lotus feet of the Lord.
SB Canto 9
Those who are liberated, being on the transcendental platform of rendering service to the Lord, do not care about so-called happiness and distress. They know that these are like changing seasons, which are perceivable by contact with the material body. Happiness and distress come and go. Therefore a paṇḍita, a learned man, is not concerned with them. As it is said, gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). The body is dead from the very beginning because it is a lump of matter. It has no feelings of happiness and distress. Because the soul within the body is in the bodily concept of life, he suffers happiness and distress, but these come and go. It is understood herewith that the kings born in the dynasty of Mithila were all liberated persons, unaffected by the so-called happiness and distress of this world.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Those engaged in devotional service according to the ritualistic principles mentioned in the scriptures attain these different kinds of liberation. But although such devotees can attain sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya and sālokya, they are not concerned with these liberations, for such devotees are satisfied only in rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord. The fifth kind of liberation, sāyujya, is never accepted even by devotees who perform only ritualistic worship. To attain sāyujya, or merging into the Brahman effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the aspiration of the impersonalists. A devotee never cares for sāyujya liberation.
Here again it may be emphasized that although jealous rascals protest that Europeans and Americans cannot be given the sacred thread or sannyāsa, there is no need even to consider whether one is a gentleman or a rogue because this is a spiritual movement which is not concerned with the external body of skin and bones. Because it is being properly conducted under the guidance of the Pañca-tattva, strictly following the regulative principles, it has nothing to do with external impediments.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
He is always with His associates and paraphernalia. For instance, if someone says, "Give something to eat to the man with the weapons," the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations—such as the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra—which are associated with Kṛṣṇa, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Kṛṣṇa—His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Kṛṣṇa is there that the battlefield is so important.
This is the summary understanding of what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. One who is interested in Kṛṣṇa becomes interested in His different pastimes and activities.
After comparing all these mystic yoga-siddhis to materialistic perfections, we find that the materialistic scientists try for the same perfections. So actually there is no difference between mystic perfection and materialistic perfection. A German scholar once said that the so-called yoga perfections had already been achieved by the modern scientists, and so he was not concerned with them. He intelligently went to India to learn how he could understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by means of bhakti-yoga, devotional service.
Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)
A pure devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, or Mukunda, is not at all afraid of any circumstance that may befall him. Despite all difficulties, therefore, such a pure devotee asks nothing from the Lord on his own account. He is not at all afraid if by chance he has to visit the hellish worlds, nor is he eager to enter the kingdom of heaven. For him both these kingdoms are like castles in the air. He is not concerned with either of them, and this is very nicely expressed by King Kulaśekhara in Text 6.
A pure devotee of the Lord like King Kulaśekhara does not pray to God for material wealth, followers, a beautiful wife, or any such imitation peacocks, for he knows the real value of such things. And if by circumstance he is placed in a situation where he possesses such things, he does not try to artificially get out of it by condemnation.
Intelligent persons certainly want to be saved from such Kumbhīpāka hells, and they pray to God for this benediction. But a pure devotee does not pray in this way. A pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa looks equally upon the happiness enjoyed in heaven, the transcendental bliss of becoming one with the Lord, and the tribulations experienced in the Kumbhīpāka hell. He is not concerned with any of them because he is always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. By the grace of the Lord, even in the Kumbhīpāka hell a pure devotee can adjust the situation and turn it into Vaikuṇṭha.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
That is called spiritual life. That is spiritual life, when we understand that "I am Brahman. I am not this matter." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). That time we shall be joyful. Because we are afflicted with so many changes of the material features, and we are sorry and happy, being afflicted by all these external activities, but when we understand rightly that "I am not concerned with all these things," then we become joyful. "Oh, I have no responsibility. Nothing, I have nothing to do with all these things." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). At that time, you can feel that every living entity is exactly like you. It doesn't matter whether he is a learned brāhmaṇa, whether he's a dog, whether he is a caṇḍāla, whether he's an elephant.
And if you do just the opposite, you take your birth in abominable family or in lower, degraded animal species of life, no education, no beauty, no knowledge. There are so many things. So if you have to believe śāstra, these are the effects of bad and good works. Now for a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not concerned with aristocratic family or abominable family. He wants to stop birth. So suppose one gets birth in aristocratic family or very nice family, what is the gain there? You have to live ten months within the womb of your mother in suffocated condition, either you take your birth in aristocratic family or in abominable family, either in human mother's womb or animal mother's womb. That does not make any difference.
Prabhupāda: No, what they say, I do not know. I know what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. (laughter)
Indian (12): I wanted to know...
Prabhupāda: We are not concerned with others. We are pushing on... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means our mission is to present before you what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. We are not concerned what other says. We are not con...
Indian (13): Lord Kṛṣṇa (indinstinct) by meditation?
Prabhupāda: Yes, there is in the sixth chapter. Mat-para.
Prabhupāda: I do not know this Doctor says.
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: So we are not concerned with any scholarly book. We are concerned whether it is written by a devotee. Yes. We don't care for any scholarly writing because they will commit mistakes. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. One who is not devotee, he cannot have any good qualifications. Reject it immediately.
Guest: So what is...
Prabhupāda: Yes. I told that "You do not know bhakti-yoga. The two greatest fights in India, Rāmāyaṇa fight and Mahābhārata fight, was conducted by Vaiṣṇavas, Arjuna and Hanumān. Therefore you do not know what is bhakti-yoga," I told him. The bhakta, for Kṛṣṇa's sake, he can do anything. But by nature, he's perfect. He does not commit any violence. Just like see Arjuna's character. He was so much harassed by the opposite party, his wife was insulted, his kingdom was, I mean to say, by unlawful means taken away, he was sent to forest for thirteen years. After so many troubles, he never tried to retaliate. He said, "All right, Kṛṣṇa, I don't want my kingdom. I cannot fight with my kinsmen." This is Vaiṣṇava nature.
I become illusioned. I accept something for something. In this way, our position is very imperfect.
But in spite of possessing imperfect senses, people are proud of their knowledge. That is mistake. We are not concerned with imperfect knowledge. We want perfect knowledge. Therefore we are going to Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise what is the use? If it is an ordinary book—you can interpret in your own way, I can interpret in my own way—then what is the value of Bhagavad-gītā with other books? No. It is not like that. Therefore the words of Kṛṣṇa should be understood through the devotees: perfect channel. As Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Avyayam, the... It is eternal. It is spiritual, avyayam. Avyayam means "that does not perish." Anything material, it perishes. But spirit soul, or spiritual anything, everything, that is imperishable, avyayam.
Mr. Goldsmith: Bhagavad-gītā speaks of war. It started out with a war.
Prabhupāda: No, what... Bhagavad-gītā says... Bhagavad-gītā does not say that stop war. Bhagavad-gītā says stop your repeated birth and death. Bhagavad-gītā is not concerned with the war principle. The war will remain so long the human society is there. How can you stop it?
Mr. Goldsmith: Well, some people don't believe that it's necessary.
Prabhupāda: Some people, they foolishly believe. Because, so long the human society will continue, there is no history that there was no war in the history. So war there will be.
Yes. "Abandoning all attachment to the results of the activities." Everyone is aspiring some result of his activity. So the plain example is suppose you are working in an office. So you are not concerned with the result. You have to simply do your duty. The result, the ultimate profit or loss of that establishment is concern for the proprietors or directors. But your duty is that the post which you are occupying, you must do your work very nicely. That's your duty. Without being attached to the result. The result will be enjoyed by the proprietors of that establishment. Go on.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Material pleasure is circumstantial in contact with this body. Similarly material distress. So those who are ātmārāma, enjoying in the platform of soul, they are not concerned with this external pleasure and pain. Yes.
Revatīnandana: "Verse 23: Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger he is a yogi and is happy in this world (BG 5.23)."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the perfection of yoga practice. The yoga practice means one should be tolerant. According to yoga system there is a practice. In winter season they go deep into the water up to this. In cold winter they dip into the water up to this and meditate. And in scorching heat they, I mean to say, ignite fire all side and sit down in the midst and meditate. These are the processes. What is that? To learn toleration. Toleration.
"I am not this body. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My eternal relation is with Kṛṣṇa. But some way or other, I have been put into this entanglement of this material body. All right. Now I am in sense. I get aloof from you. I am not going to be associated with the three qualities of this material nature," as we are discussing this morning. "I am not concerned with the modes of goodness or modes of passion or modes of ignorance. I am concerned with Kṛṣṇa." Therefore such a learned and who has understood his real position and his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, he is jñānī. He knows. Therefore he is very much dear to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa always guides him. This man, who is in distress, goes and prays to God. That praying of God is an asset to him, but it may be, when he is put into opulence, he forgets God. There is defect in that. But a jñānī, one who knows, he'll never forget God. His business will go on, continue.
They cannot make anything which will check death, or which will check disease, or which will check old age. That is not possible. You can, you can manufacture something which will accelerate death, but you cannot manufacture anything which will stop death. That is not in your power. So those who are intelligent enough, they are not concerned with these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death and old age. They are concerned to have a spiritual life, complete, full of bliss and full of knowledge, and that is possible when you enter into the spiritual planets. That will be explained.
Woman devotee: Prabhupāda, how can Lord Śiva get intoxicated and be so pure?
Prabhupāda: We are not concerned with Lord Śiva. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa.
Male devotee: Should we beg people to read these books, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes, by touching their leg, "Please read." That is the process.
Nārāyaṇa is the husband of the goddess of fortune. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.29). How Nārāyaṇa can become daridra? So these are manufactured words. You cannot find all these words in the śāstra. They are manufactured, concoction. So we are not concerned with this concoction. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya. We must follow the śāstras, the mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We are not perfect. Therefore we have to follow the footprints of the perfect. And that is given in the śāstra, whom you have to follow.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Similarly, what we can offer to Kṛṣṇa? Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and if in the store of Kṛṣṇa there are millions and millions of tons of fruits and flower, if you take one or two of them and offer to Kṛṣṇa, so what is Kṛṣṇa's loss? And if you offer one fruit to Kṛṣṇa, what is His gain? Kṛṣṇa is not concerned with your offering and not offering, but if you offer, it is for your interest. It is for your interest, so Kṛṣṇa will recognize, "Here is a devotee."
So this is the process. Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī said that dharmasya..., nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ, kāmasya na indriya prītiḥ. Kāmaḥ. We have to satisfy our tongue, our senses, but not for indriya prītiḥ. We should eat for living nicely, not for palatable dishes. So many animal killing, unnecessary. Why? Kṛṣṇa has given you so many nice thing—rice, wheat, sugar, milk, fruit, flower, vegetable, and with milk you can get ghee, and you can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation and offer to Kṛṣṇa and take it.
Therefore there is great necessity of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to actually educate the human being to the highest perfect of life. That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion. Just like they are thinking that we are making Christians, Hindus. This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're... Many people before me, many swamis went there to make Christians, Hindu. They kicked there on their face. They did not become successful. Because they talked nonsense. Why one should, Christian become Hindu, Hindu become Christian? They should know what is God, what He is, what is his relationship with God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is. It is not a movement for making Hindus to Muslim or Muslim to Hindus or Christian to Hin... This is not that movement. They clearly understand this.
All informations are there. Don't speculate and simply think that this planet is full of living entities, all other planets are vacant. This is most unusual argument. There is no meaning. But we are not concerned with that. We have got our own information from the Vedas.
So Kṛṣṇa's pastimes is going on. Somewhere, or elsewhere it is going on. Therefore His pastimes are called nitya-līlā, nitya-līlā-prakāśa. This vṛndāvana-līlā is nitya-līlā: it is going on continuously somewhere or other within this material world. And the spiritual world, it is permanently there. So the Pāṇḍavas, they are associates of the nitya-līlā. They are not ordinary human beings. Wherever there is kṛṣṇa-līlā, they go. Therefore Arjuna asked Kṛṣṇa that "How can I believe that You, first of all, many millions of years ago You spoke this philosophy to the sun-god?" Kṛṣṇa replied, bahūni me janmāni... What is that verse? Ah, bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna.
Through the studies of Vedas, what knowledge one should achieve? When one achieves the knowledge that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, that is, I mean to say, perfection of Vedic study. But these so-called jñānīs, they are simply bookworms, simply reading Vedas, four Vedas. And they say, "We are concerned with Vedas. We are not concerned with Kṛṣṇa." So... Just like the yājñika-brāhmaṇa. Yājñika-brāhmaṇa, they were interested in the Vedas, but their wives were interested with Kṛṣṇa. So they got perfection. So in this way, jñānīs... Karmīs are rejected. Karmīs are useless. And jñānīs, when they cultivate knowledge, not in one life... Because immediately they will not accept that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal. They are surprised, "How Kṛṣṇa? He was a cowherd boy, playing with the cows and calves. He can be...? This is māyā." Therefore they are called Māyāvādī. They cannot understand. They cannot understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, although they are studying Vedas.
We are not concerned with government. We say there is no kṣatriya, there is no government. At the present moment, anyone who has got some artificial power, he is government. That's all. You get some way or other a little vote, and you become government. So government does not mean that. Government is another. Because there is no kṣatriya, and where is government? They are thinking... Government means they should be always thinking how the citizens should be peaceful and happy and spiritually advanced. That is government. And who is caring for the citizens? They are simply exacting tax. That's all. So actually, in the Kali-yuga, because there is no kṣatriya, where is the government? Śūdra government is no government. Śūdra has no right to govern, but by force they are governing. That's all. "Might is right."
They do not know the actual position of spiritual life; therefore they are personally misled, and they mislead others also. Here it is particularly mentioned, liṅgāni viṣṇoḥ, the form of Viṣṇu, not of this rascal imagination of Durgā, Kālī, or Lord Śiva.
So we are not concerned with the imagination form. They are also not imagination. Actually, everyone, all the demigods, they have got their forms. But the difference is Viṣṇu, the form of Viṣṇu, is eternal; and the forms of demigods or the form, our forms... Just like we have got now some form. They're not eternal—temporary. We all sitting here, we have got different forms, but as soon as these forms will be changed, we shall accept another form—this form's gone forever. It will never come again. But Viṣṇu form, Lord Viṣṇu's form, viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva means the forms of the original Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the original form. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). But He expands in different forms.
That should be your first business, that you have been given opportunity to live in Vaikuṇṭha, but don't fall down again. Either you fall down on goodness, passion... That is material. They go to forest for meditation, but that is goodness, material goodness. But one who lives in temple, he's not concerned with material goodness, passion, or ignorance. He lives in Vaikuṇṭha. In this age it is not possible. You can imagine that "Now I shall go to Himalaya and forest and practice meditation." They're all bogus; you cannot do that. That is not possible.
Because the age is different. We are not trained in that way. Formerly, the brahmacārīs, they used to go to the forest, to the teacher, to the spiritual master, and they acclimatized with the atmosphere. But here, from the very beginning, in school, college, dormitories mixing freely, doing all nonsense. How it can go?
Therefore they cannot understand this movement. It is completely spiritual movement. It is not material movement. Therefore they sometimes mistake that "Your people are weak in health. They are becoming this and that. They do not eat meat, so vitality is less." Then "We are not concerned with the vitality. We are concerned with the spiritual life." Therefore they sometimes misunderstand. So anyway, people may understand or misunderstand—it doesn't matter. You go on with your kīrtana and make guarantee that there is no material life.
Why there is sunshine, why there is moonshine, everything described. You'll read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, moon is the cause of vegetation, and there is no vegetation, that's all. Moon is the cause of vegetation in all planets, and they say there is no vegetation, it is simply dust. So we have to believe it? And when you present actual fact, it is mysticism or mythology. Anyway, we are not concerned with their statement. Our process is to know things from the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete kariya aikya. Our process is deductive, not inductive. We take knowledge, just like this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam written by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of his guru, spiritual master, Nārada. So Nārada advised him that "You have written so many books: Purāṇas, Vedas, Vedānta." Vyāsadeva said, "Still I am not feeling very satisfied." So Nārada Muni advised him that "You are not feeling satisfied because you have not described about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the defect. So now you have got mature experience.
Śvapaca. Śvapaca means the dog-eaters. The dog-eaters, they are considered to be the most abominable. The dog-eaters are there still. We have received report from our Hong Kong center that there is regular dog-eaters, and I am going there in Hong Kong. (laughter) But we are not concerned with the dog-eaters. But here Prahlāda Mahārāja says... Dog-eaters were there (indistinct) millions of years ago. All kinds of people are there always. It is not that now somebody has developed. No. Everything is perpetually existing. We don't believe in Darwin's theory, evolution. Everything is... But sometimes the dog-eaters are very less, and sometimes the dog-eaters are very great. Sometimes the cow-eaters are very great, and sometimes... But everything is there. First-class, second-class, third-class men, asura and devata, they are all existing, always existing.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
One has to become devotee. Either in the bhoga field or in the tyāga field, it doesn't matter. Bhoga-tyāga is not required. Required service. That service, it may be on the platform of bhoga or service... Service is required, Kṛṣṇa's service. Kṛṣṇa has to be satisfied. Either in the bhoga platform or tyāga plat... He does not... Devotee's not concerned with bhoga-tyāga. Devotee's concerned with Kṛṣṇa's service.
So sometimes... Just like there is example. We asked this question, bhoga-tyāga, to our Guru Mahārāja. So... What is the difference...? Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he left everything for Caitanya Mahāprabhu's service. His lucrative service, minister post and everything, he re... Tyāga. And Rāmānanda Rāya, he was governor. He was governor and gṛhastha, and living very luxuriantly. He's bhoga, he's bhoga platform. Now both of them were devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Pradyumna: "For instance, if someone says, 'Give something to eat to the man with the weapons,' the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations—such as the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra—which are associated with Kṛṣṇa, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Kṛṣṇa—His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Kṛṣṇa is there that the battlefield is so important."
Prabhupāda: Go on.
Pradyumna: "This is the summary understanding of what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra."
Pradyumna: "For example, in one yoga siddhi there is development of the power to become so light that one can float in the air or on water. That is also being performed by modern scientists. They are flying in air, they are floating on the surface of the water, and they are traveling under the water. After comparing all these mystic siddhis to materialistic perfections it is found that the materialistic scientists try for the same perfections. So actually there is no difference between mystic perfection and materialistic perfection. A German scholar once said that the so-called yoga perfections have already been achieved by the modern scientists and so he was not concerned with them. He intelligently went to India to learn how he could understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by means of bhakti-yoga, devotional service."
Prabhupāda: Therefore, bhakti-yoga is the greatest science. Other things, the yogic perfections, can be achieved by the materialist scientists. So that is not very great art. The greatest art to learn is how to learn bhakti-yoga and understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).
Festival Lectures
Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Our ācāryas will be satisfied, Guru Mahārāja will be satisfied. And yasya prasādād bhagavat... If they are satisfied, then your business is finished. You see? Not that others is satisfied or not. By your chanting some public is satisfied—no, we are not concerned with that. He may be satisfied or not satisfied. But if I chant in the proper way, then my predecessors, the ācāryas, will be satisfied. That is my business, finished, if I don't invent in my own way. So I am very glad that Kṛṣṇa has sent so many nice boys and girls to help me. Be blessed on this auspicious day. And there is nothing mine. I am simply a postal peon. I am delivering to you what I have heard from my Guru Mahārāja. Simply you also act in the same way, and you will be happy, and the world will be happy, and Kṛṣṇa will be happy, and everything will be... (end)
Initiation Lectures
The moon planet, sun planet—that is clearly stated—if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that "If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this," then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet. Similarly, you can go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with..., any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet. So we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association.
This is a misconception that especially in your country, in the Western countries, it is advertised that the Hindus have many Gods. We are not concerned with the Hindu-Muslim; we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. So actually in the Vedas accepted one God. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. There is no second. God cannot be two. God is one. It is a misconception, there are many Gods. There are Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "You worship any demigod. It is the same thing." They misinterpret the Bhagavad-gītā śloka, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: (BG 4.11). "You can worship Me in any way." The Māyāvādī philosophers, there is a great missionary activities in India. They have got their branch here also. They propagate that "You may worship any demigod, goddess Kali or this or that. Everything is all right."
General Lectures
Prabhupāda: But there must be one standard temperament. What is the standard temperament? You may have different views of something, but there must be some standard view. We are not concerned with the different views of different persons. We have to accept the standard view.
Young man (6): What's that?
Prabhupāda: That Kṛṣṇa.
Young man (6): Well, but don't you think that perhaps bhakti-yoga isn't the way for everyone?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Young man (6): That for some people other yogas would apply more to their...
Prabhupāda: At least Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi. Three branches. In Bombay we have got already an apartment on the Warden Road, 89 Warden Road. We are paying 2,500 rupees per month. Similarly, we have got a center in Calcutta, Albert Road, near Park (?) Station, Calcutta 16. Three, Albert Road. There also we are paying one thousand rupees rent. So now we are in rented house. Out of about five (fifty) centers all over the world, we have got about five centers which is our own. Otherwise, we are in the rented house. For our expenditure is very high. In each centers, according to Indian exchange, we spend not less than five thousand and up to twenty thousand per month. But we are pulling on by selling our literatures, books, and little contribution from the public.
Guest: List of all the names of your books.
Devotee: ...called Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Prabhupāda: Where are the books? (break) Therefore we have to erect something. If I call in a ground, open ground, perhaps you'll not come. Therefore we require some temples. We are not concerned with architecture. We are concerned with spiritual life. We erect temple for worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (end)
So kindly stick to this service attitude. Never be misled by the allurement of māyā. Engage. Remain engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service wherever you are. Kṛṣṇa will see. We don't want any recognition from anyone else. We want recognition by Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. That's all. If they are satisfied, then our success, life success. So this place, you all a little distant from the city, but we are not concerned with the city. We are concerned for distributing this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I have learned that there is a train service from here, it takes only forty-five minutes, forty-three minutes. So this place is very nice. It is... And expenditure according to our means. That is all right. When Kṛṣṇa will give us better place... This is also. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is at, that is better. That is best.
And the more you do, more you become strong, more Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you.
So our business is very nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are happy. We are para-upakārī. We are doing good to others. That is puṇya-karma, pious activities. So keep yourself in this attitude. Never mind where you are situated. We are not concerned with a particular place or country or society. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. And everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, wherever we go. We are here. We are not in Japan. We are in Vaikuṇṭha, this temple. We are in Vaikuṇṭha. And we are doing the service of Kṛṣṇa, that Vaikuṇṭha service. So in this way, with this attitude, go on preaching. I am very pleased that you are doing your best. That I want.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Let me serve You." This is the meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So if it means that, there is no objection. It is a question of language. It does mean (indistinct). Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the, the person whose name we chant, holy name, in each, in each holy Allah, or something like that, that is not objected if it is actually meaning the Supreme. If it is meaning something else, that is another thing. This question... Just like water or jala. It (is) the same thing. It is simply a different name. If I ask water, you'll give me the water actually, and if I say, jala, you'll give me the same. So if the meaning is all right, then there is no objection. If the meaning is different, then there is objection. We are not fighting with the language. We are not concerned with the language.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Who made these physical laws?
Śyāmasundara: He is not so much concerned with...
Prabhupāda: Why is he not concerned? If he is putting some theory for understanding, why he is not concerned with some primary principles?
Śyāmasundara: He says that we cannot be certain how everything began.
Prabhupāda: Then how he is certain that this natural circumstance is favorable? How he is making certain?
Śyāmasundara: He made many, many tests; he has much evidence...
Prabhupāda: What is that evidence?
Śyāmasundara: ...to show that animals adapt to their environments, just like if you...
Prabhupāda: Then when there is offspring, then the same question comes: "Why the monkey does not produce offspring—a man?" What is this nonsense?
Karandhara: Scientists often take the shelter of this premise, that it's not..., we don't..., we're not trying to find out. Whenever they're asked what is the original source, they say, "We're not concerned with that. We're concerned with just examining the phenomenon of that source."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is childish. That is childish. Just like I have seen the phenomena, without man there cannot be singing. In the box there must be one man there. This is childish calculation, that's all. Phenomenal study means childish. A fan, in our childhood we will think that a fan is running, there must be some ghost who is running it. So this sort of phenomenal study is not scientific study. It is not scientific. (If) we don't find the original cause, that is not scientific.
Prabhupāda: Yes. What is the demigods? They are also rotting in this material world. So devotees are not concerned how to become a demigod. They do not care. That is said by Prabodānanda Sarasvatī: vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Vidhi means Lord Brahmā, and mahendra means the king of heaven, Indra. So he says, "I think this Brahmā and Indra, Candra, the demigods just like as good as the germs and small insects." He says that. Vidhi-mahendrādiś. You have to attain such a position that you think this Brahmā and Indra and demigods, they are as good as the insects. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭa. Kīṭa means a small insect. So actually that is the position. Everyone has got a different type of body according to his karma, either Brahmā's body or ant's body, so he is under material laws. So that is not the position of freedom. One has to become above these material laws. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). So anyone who has actually attained that position, what is the importance of Brahmā's body or Indra's body? He is not concerned with the body, just, therefore devotees are not interested to be elevated to the higher planetary system in the heaven. They are not interested.
Prabhupāda: The other day, yesterday, I was explaining that this side good, this side bad, the same thing. Stool is stool. So this side or that side. But here in this material world, they are accepting this temporary or false, whatever you call, platform, and we are manufacturing in that false platform, temporary platform, "This is good, this is bad." Why? Where is the good and bad? They are all temporary, or false. We don't say false; we say temporary. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they say false. So that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that the pains and pleasure of this material world, it is experienced by the (indistinct). The spirit soul does not touch this. It is different. He is not concerned with this material, but he is illusioned that "This pains and pleasure is mine." Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā that this pains and pleasures, simply touching the skin, body. But I am not this body. That is the first instruction. The soul is not this body; therefore this pains and pleasure is on account of this body, material body.
Śyāmasundara: No this..., I've just outlined the process, and as you say, if we stop at that point it may seem childish. But the idea is that it is a process and that you do inquire next...
Prabhupāda: But he says that we are not concerned with the process. We are simply concerned with the leaf as we see it.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. And then he takes the next step. Now, why is there no leaf at a certain time? And then you go on inquiring in that way. But he...
Prabhupāda: You inquire from whom?
Śyāmasundara: You inquire from your intuition.
Prabhupāda: Just see. This is nonsense.
Śyāmasundara: It wouldn't make any difference because...
Prabhupāda: Why not difference? My point is if your basic principle is wrong, then how you can make a perfect proposal?
Śyāmasundara: Well, I'm not concerned with questions about my origin or about the nature of matter except that...
Prabhupāda: Then you are interested in the superficial things.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Only as it applies to society.
Prabhupāda: That superficial means it is changing. It will never be perfect. If you take superficial thing, then it is changing always. That is nature's law.
Śyāmasundara: My only interest is in the dictatorship of the proletariat, that everyone should have an equal opportunity, equal pay, equal property, everything.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Family?
Woman Interviewer: To be a for..., yes.
Prabhupāda: Of course, family. We are not concerned with the family, we are concerned with the individual person. If one wants to be initiated in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement he has to give up all these sinful activities.
Woman Interviewer: So you give up family as well. But what about...
Śyāmasundara: No, no, you don't have to give up one's family.
Woman Interviewer: But I mean supposing I wished to become an initiate. Wouldn't I have to come and live here?
Śyāmasundara: No.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just the opposite. Yes. You cannot understand light without darkness. This is relative. Unless there is darkness, how you can say: "This is light"? So opposite, you can say opposite. Now this, this knowledge is there. Everyone knows. But where is that absolute where the bad and good, the black and white, everything coincides? That is absolute. Everything is there. That is not distinction. Everything is there. That is called absolute. Brahman. That means, Brahman means the biggest. Now when you speak something big, so everything is included. Big means bad and good, everything is included. Otherwise, how it can be big? Big means... Just like if you, when you speak of Los Angeles, so there are so many things, bad and good, in Los Angeles, all included. Is it not? So Brahman means bṛhattva, being the largest. The largest means it contains everything. Just like the sky. We have got the idea. The sky means it, it, it contains everything universal. This is the idea of greatest. So athāto brahma jijñāsā means we are now studying the relative truth. I'm studying black. You're studying white. He's studying another, another. In this way. Partial. But what is that biggest thing which includes everything? That is called brahma-jijñāsā, to inquire about that thing. Just like you are studying chemistry. We are studying Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But there is something which contains the chemistry, Kṛṣṇa consciousness and everything. That is called Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The animal life the subject matter, a small animal, he's concerned where to eat, where to sleep, where to find my food, shelter. This is their business, no other business. They're not concerned with the biggest thing. But this human form of life is to inquire about the biggest. That includes everything. So next code is: Janmādyasya yataḥ. That biggest thing is the original source of everything, wherefrom everything has come. How to know that? Śāstra-yonitvāt. You have to learn it from the Vedas. In this way, sūtras are given, one after another. What is the nature of that thing? Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In this way, all codes are there. And go on, searching, one after another, you get full knowledge of the greatest, Absolute Truth. This is Vedānta. What is that ship?
Student (1): Yeah, but somebody else will say, "You come to us, and I'll do this to you, and you'll see God."
Prabhupāda: We do... We are not concerned with "some." We are concerned with the authorities, that's all. Somebody says, "He is not your father." We are not concerned. My mother says, "He is father." That's all.
Student (1): Yeah, but if my mother tells me, I only believe it...
Prabhupāda: Then you are unfortunate. If your mother tells you lies, then you are unfortunate.
Student (1): Yeah, but I only believe her because I give her the authority. You make Bhagavad-gītā your...
Prabhupāda: But generally we have to believe. Generally we have to believe mother; there is no other way. To understand the father, generally you have to accept the statement of mother. If your mother tells you lies, that is misfortune.
Reporter: Yeah. But the point is that these necessities of life is a frontier, you know, (indistinct) which is always farther, and farther and farther, always more pushed, pushed away, pushed away by new things. So...
Prabhupāda: No, no. That is artificial. That is artificial. We are not concerned with artificial things. Just like you require to eat. Now artificially you can increase so many things for eating purposes. But you must eat. That is the economic question. It is not that you should starve. It is not our proposal that you become Kṛṣṇa conscious by starving. No. You must have sufficient necessities of life.
Reporter: All right. So... The purpose for economic plan of all the planet, for the world would be everybody can eat, and I suppose just, just eating and some clothes and some roof to be, if you are in a cold country...
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You want to support your sinful activities by proving Christ as hypocrite. This is your business. You are such a Christian. And your love for Christ is such. (break) ...that we have to follow the instruction of the superior. Even if he acts something against the instruction, you should not follow it. You have to follow his words. You cannot imitate his action. That is real obedience. You should... If he has done something against his instruction, you should know that might have been some particular occasion he has done it, but we are not concerned with that. We are concerned with his order. That is obedience. He has not ordered me to do this thing. So my duty is what he has ordered to me. That is my only duty. What he has done in particular occasion, that is not my duty to see.
Dr. Patel: Something they'll say, "Why do you want to go after Sanskrit? That will be all right if you are merged with God."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is real thing. God is not concerned with any language.
Girirāja: "Out of fear they could only cry in agony and stand erect on the banks."
Dr. Patel: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Oh yes, that is their... That is right.
Girirāja: "...unable to help their beloved Kṛṣṇa. While this scene was taking place on the bank of the Yamunā, there were ill omens manifest. The earth trembled, meteors fell from the sky, and the bodies of men shivered." (break)
Prabhupāda: If a boy has got alone, without his elder brother, you see, there is anxiety also.
Dr. Patel: Even though they have realized the extraordinary quality of the sun, but they have not been able to think that he is God incarnate.
Prabhupāda: So the girls, the women, they like to be more beautiful. So if by dressing in other way they look beautiful, why should you ask them not to do it?
Priest: Maybe for ladies and girls certainly, but for the dhotī and...
Prabhupāda: But we are not concerned with the dress, we are concerned with the advancement of spiritual understanding, that's all.
Yogeśvara: Jyotirmayī, is this the guest that was scheduled to come at seven o'clock?
Jyotirmayī: No, he's not here yet (indistinct).
Priest: Have you got any French literature of conception (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Bhagavān: French literature. He's asking for French literature.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That's all right. We say the soul is within the body so you can make it male or female, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. We are not concerned with male and female, we are concerned with the soul.
Guest (1): Science does manipulate life.
Prabhupāda: Maybe, even if you manipulate, then what you have done? You cannot create the soul, that is not possible. If you manipulate life then give the dead body again energy to rise up. Then we shall (admit) that you can manipulate. Otherwise it is false. If you are so expert in manipulation, then give the dead body life again. That is my request. If depend on others and you manipulating, this false knowledge will not help.
Guest (1): Swamiji, what actually I was coming to, most humbly, cannot spread to the (indistinct) science go together. It's not...
Prabhupāda: No, their Ramakrishna Mission allurement is that daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva and hospital. That is their only allurement. They have no program. Nobody is attracted by their philosophy. And what philosophy they have got? Never mind. We are not concerned with them.
Madhudviṣa: When we were in Māyāpur, I had the idea of...
Prabhupāda: Aiye (Hindi) (Aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.
Guest (4) (Indian man): Purī Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: Purī Mahārāja? Oh? (Bengali) Oh. This Caitanya Mahāprabhu? (Sounds like looking at child's? drawing) Very good. Hang it here. Very good.
Madhudviṣa: Get some ropes.
Bali-mardana: Honor among thieves.
Prabhupāda: "Thief, thief, cousin brother." Cora cora, pasura bhai. So far our position is that we are not concerned with anything with this universe. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇaloka. So whatever one may say, one other may say, we don't care for that. We are not going to the moon planet, Jupiter(?) planet.
Siddha-svarūpa: There's a danger that we become overly concerned with debating on them.
Harikeśa: So our preaching platform should be is that "You don't know." We can say, "You don't know" or "We don't know. Why shouldn't one accept what we say over what you say?" We should just prove that we...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you have no conception of God, how can you deny or accept? Remain fool, that's all. That is the difficulty. When you ask them, whole world, "What is the conception of God?" they'll not be able to answer. Still, they will say there is no God. This is the foolishness going on all over the world. Actually they are not concerned with God. They accept the idea of God or so-called God for their material facilities. "O God, give us our daily bread. That's all. If You supply daily bread, then I accept You. Otherwise I reject You." This is their... When there is a war, Churchill will ask them to go, victory, "V": "Go and pray to God." God is order-supplier. And when they declare war, they do not consult God. When there is reverse condition they go to it. This is going on, that God means order-supplier. "Whatever I desire, if You are God then You supply me. Otherwise I reject You." What they will understand, intimate relationship with God, to serve Him as father, as mother, as friend? What they will understand, these rascals? It is not possible.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Harikeśa: They are all wanting material things. Like in Bhagavad-gītā, what is the verse, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ? Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna to rise above the scriptures, the flowery words of the Vedas.
Prabhupāda: They are not concerned with the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot quote from Bhagavad-gītā to instruct these rascals. You have to talk with them with common sense. Their charge is, what is their charge? That you are engaged in ritualistic ceremonies?
Nava-yauvana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So what they want us to do? If you don't want me to do this, then you must say what you want me to do. Is it not right? Suppose I am chanting. If you don't want me to chant, then what do you want me to do? The next question will be.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, if the brain is clear—it is not filled up with rubbish cow dung—then Kṛṣṇa consciousness easy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means there is no more material consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). That is required. In material existence we have got so many obligations, thoughts (indistinct), and so many things. Bṛthā.
- eta saba chāḍi' āra varṇāśrama-dharma
- akiñcana hañā laya kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa
Sarva-dharmān: Everything give up. That is India's Vedic civilization. They are not concerned with the material advancement. Simple life. That's all. And our present leaders, they are thinking that "brainwashed." They are not deeply thinking, "Why our great sages and ācāryas recommended this life, not the skyscraper life? Why? They were not less intelligent." They are not thinking in that way. They are thinking that "Because we neglected the skyscraper thoughts, we are so backward." At least this rascal Nehru was thinking like that. "So finish this." The Russia is... What is called? Opiate, brainwashed. These things are accepted like that. "It has no value, simply some prejudice and superstition, and they are thinking like that and they are spoiling their material side of life." This is their idea. "What is this? No meat-eating?" (knock on the door devotee enters with prasādam ) That little dāl, daliya,(?) bas.
Pradyumna: Nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu.
Prabhupāda: Nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam. We should not be disturbed by this worldly disturbance. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Real business is how to stop this birth, death, old age and disease. But they are not concerned with these things. They are simply disturbed with little temporary discomfort. Then?
Pradyumna: Mayi cānanya-yogena...
Prabhupāda: Mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir...
Pradyumna: Avyabhicāriṇī.
Prabhupāda: Ah. Central point is to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then?
Pradyumna: Vivikta-deśa-sevitvam aratir jana-saṁsadi (BG 13.11).
Prabhupāda: Begin when one who is Kṛṣṇa bhakta. Begin there.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva...
- (BG 4.34)
Who has seen actually Kṛṣṇa, go to him. But you are going to somebody who can manufacture gold. Because you are not concerned with Kṛṣṇa. You are concerned with gold. That is your motive. So you must be cheated. You want to be cheated. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. Life's mission is how to achieve the platform where I can talk with Kṛṣṇa, I can talk with Lord. Where is that? Nobody knows that. They do not believe there is Kṛṣṇa, there is Lord, there is God and you can see Him, you can talk with Him. They do not believe. Mostly impersonalists. And impersonalists, they're all mostly atheists. So what they'll do by jugglery and this magic? This magic will be finished within twenty or thirty years. That will be finished. Show this magic that "No! No more death." That is real magic. What is this magic? In a moment you'll be slapped and go. Then tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You do not know where you are going. Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But you do not know what kind of body you are going to get. So what this magic will do? So these are for less intelligent persons. They are not for sane persons.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Satsvarūpa: "One can become free from the control of material nature as soon as he surrenders his soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the preliminary formula. Being marginal potency, as soon as the living entity is freed from the control of material nature, he is put under the guidance of the spiritual nature. The guidance of the spiritual nature is called daivīṁ prakṛtim, divine nature. So when one is promoted in that way by surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one attains to the stage of a great soul, mahātmā. The mahātmā does not divert his attention to anything outside Kṛṣṇa because he knows perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. There is no doubt about it. Such a mahātmā or great soul develops through association with other mahātmās, pure devotees. Pure devotees are not even attracted by Kṛṣṇa's other features, such as the four-armed Mahā-Viṣṇu. They are simply attracted by the two-armed form of Kṛṣṇa. Since they are not attracted to other features of Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of the demigods, they are not concerned with any form of a demigod or of a human being. They only meditate upon Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are always engaged in the unswerving service of the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is the... What do you think? What is your definition of mahātmā?
Prabhupāda: Apart from, we are not concerned with politics. We are concerned with the madman. So what is this nonsense politics conducted by some big...? Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). What is this politics, the democracy? Some animals voting another big animal, that's all. The leader is an animal, and the voters, they are animals. So what is the use of such politics? They remain animals. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. That is going on. You have got it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. I don't know if this is the right volume. It's the only one that resembles. I can't read Russian, so I don't know if that's...
Prabhupāda: Is that Russian?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have one book in Russian.
Indian man (1): Swamiji, our mission is to...
Prabhupāda: Whatever your mission, I am talking of Bhagavad-gītā. The many missions are there. I am not concerned with them. I am concerned with Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you do that?
Indian man (3): We are here to take His message only.
Prabhupāda: But who is taking your message? It is not effective. But here you see. They have taken message. They have dedicate their life for Kṛṣṇa. You could not do so. The message must be effective. Otherwise, simply talking, what is the benefit?
Indian man (3): Swamiji, excuse me. I don't see any difference between the person to person.
Prabhupāda: Unless there is personal conception, there is no question of bhakti. (break) Bhakti means the way to understand the person. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Mām means person, aham, mām. Vague idea, Brahman; distributed idea, Paramātmā; and the personal idea can be applied here. It is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). It is not impersonal, not scattered. Particular person, Kṛṣṇa. When Yaśodā-mā was allowing her child to suck her breast, the child was.... And Yasoda mother was enjoying the beautiful face, patting. But all of a sudden she saw within the mouth the whole universe. Immediately she became disturbed: "Another danger is coming." She's not concerned with Kṛṣṇa's expansive, gorgeous.... She's only concern is to Kṛṣṇa, what.... She became disturbed: "What is this nonsense? Again something is coming, danger? Let me remember Nārāyaṇa. He'll save my child from all..." The personal conception is so strong that he (she) disliked to see gorgeous opulence of his (her)...
Prabhupāda: Print more books.
Hṛdayānanda: Yes. Also in Brazil the Bhāgavatam is very, very popular.
Prabhupāda: This is life. This material world and the bones... The bones are not our... This is life. We are not concerned with bones and stones. Our real concern is the living force. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The living force which is sustaining the bones... Bone is not important. It may remain; it may go. It doesn't matter. Real life, what is sustaining the bone, is steady. We have got history that there was a ṛṣi, he had only bones. So there is a science by which you can sustain life—only bones. Hiraṇyakaśipu did it, practically.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are also doing it, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (chuckles) (pause) Do you want to hear some of the newsletter? It says here... This newsletter is written by Rāmeśvara. It's especially meant for encouraging book distribution, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It says, "Later on in the morning, Prabhupāda sent for Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu and explained to him that he wanted to print as many books as possible. 'My point is,' Śrīla Prabhupāda said, 'that I don't wish to keep money in the bank. Invest in printing.' So in this way, although... Then Prabhupāda went on, referring to Harikeśa Swami, after he presented six new hardbound German books to His Divine Grace, 'He is very intelligent boy. My Guru Mahārāja is so pleased. He used to say whatever money is there was to be used for printing books. He was so happy to print books. So you do it all very nicely. I printed my books, and now you do it. These are first class and there is no defect. German printing is very favorable. This is all right. Thank you very much.' It says here, 'Harikeśa Swami told Prabhupāda that now he has to become more healthy to finish the Bhāgavatam. Prabhupāda replied, 'Healthy? I have nothing to do with this body. I have to do with the spiritual world.' Bhagavān prabhu mentioned to Prabhupāda how many books his zone was distributing. They are trying for twenty thousand big books in one week. Prabhupāda was very encouraged and told him, 'Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī will give them all blessings. He wanted this very much.' An hour later Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja was in the room and told Prabhupāda that they had printed 100,000 copies of Kṛṣṇa book in Portuguese. Prabhupāda said, 'Thank you very much. Printing of books is our life force.' Prabhupāda looked through the books and again he asked, 'How many published?' When he heard 100,000, 'Oh, how they are selling, and what is the price? Very good collection? Print more books. This is life. This material body—only bones. So go on and this is life. We are not concerned with bones and stones. Our concern is the living force. The living force is actually sustaining these bones. Bones are not life. Print books as I have shown the way: half again for printing and half spent for propaganda as you like. In this way go on.' Then he turned to Jayapatākā Mahārāja and asked him if he was doing that. He told him, 'Whatever propaganda is needed, you go out and spend, but print books and distribute. Whatever English books we have got, if we translate into Bengali, you have got enough stock.' Jayapatākā Swami replied 'Yes, we have got a treasure house,' and Prabhupāda said, 'In this way, in all languages, distribute. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " It says here, "Prabhupāda is translating the Third Volume of the Tenth Canto, and Volume Two is now just being printed and will be available for shipping to all temples on November llth along with a new book written by Śrīla Prabhupāda called the Teachings of Lord Kapiladeva. Fifty thousand copies of each volume have been published."
Prabhupāda: Fifty copies?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty thousand.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
We do not wish to be estranged from the material world. That is another nonsense. We have to deal with persons in the society & perhaps we are the only community in the world which can render the best possible service to the society.
Ramacandra's victory celebration is observed in the last day of Durga Puja. Vaisnavas are not concerned with Durga Puja. Dipavali or Devali is observed as new years day by certain mercantile community. The Vaisnavas have nothing to do with this ceremony but just on the last day after Devali the Vaisnavas observe Annakuta ceremony. This celebration is the day when Lord Krishna lifted the hill & Madhavendra Puri established the temple in Gopala.
1968 Correspondence
I bet to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 21, 1968 and I thank you very much for this. You are a very good worker I am fully aware, and I am always encouraged by your nice enthusiasm. You have written at length in apologizing for your difficulty in English language, but we are not concerned with language but with the heart. But at the same time, our language must be elegant to deal with the public. Anyway, you are entrusted with the French edition of Back to Godhead and this is nothing to do with the English language. Your sincere devotional service will surely help you more and more in improving your fluency with English, you need have no doubt about this. But even if our language is broken we must speak of Krishna Consciousness without caring for literary or grammatical style. English is a foreign language to me also, but I try to speak it, not to be a big scholar, but to be a servant of Krishna. So do not be disturbed if you feel that your language ability is not yet very expert.
1969 Correspondence
So to save $185 is a good proposal rather than to wait 3 months to send him the full amount. Instead of waiting 3 months, he can travel for three days, so there is no difficulty with this plan. Regarding the Raghu Pati Raghava song, we are not concerned with this song because it had a political motive; it is not pure devotional service. Gandhi was a great statesman in the garb of a saintly person, so that the Indian population would blindly follow him. But his motive was political and we are therefore not very interested with it. However, you can sing the first two lines, (Raghu Pati Raghava Raja Ram, Patita Pavana Sita Ram).
So you should always remember that marriage is not impediment. The greatest enemy is forgetfulness of Krishna. There are many Impersonalists and voidists—they renounced this material world very early in their life; just like Sankara Acarya. He took sannyasa at the age of 8 years. Lord Buddha left home just in the beginning of his youth. But we are not concerned with them. So I hope by this time, by serving this Krishna Consciousness movement for the last two years you must have gotten some taste of the nectarine. Now you must be fixed up and execute your specified duty as ordered by me, and then I am sure there will be no difficulty. But you should always remember that wife is not a machine for sense gratification. Wife is your half body for nourishing your Krishna Consciousness status. So your are getting a wife who is already trained up in Krishna Consciousness and if you live carefully and faithfully there will be no difficulty. That is the verdict of all Acaryas. I think this will simplify your agitated mind.
I thank you very much for your letter dated May 9, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your question about kirtana, practically we are not concerned with the instruments. They are used sometimes to make it sweeter, but if we divert our attention for using the instruments more, that is not good. Generally kirtana is performed with mrdanga and karatalas, but if somebody is expert instrument player, he can be admitted to join Sankirtana. We can accept everything for Krishna's service, but not taking the risk of diverting attention to any other thing which will hinder our Krishna Consciousness. That should be our motto, or principle.
I thank you very much for your letter dated June 23, 1969, and I have carefully gone over the contents. I am so pleased to learn that you are feeling very nicely in Buffalo temple and you are working hard and sincerely to push on this sublime movement of Krishna Consciousness. Regarding your question about marriage, the thing is that as I am a sannyasi, I am not concerned with family life, but because I want to see my disciples very happy in Krishna Consciousness, therefore, those who are feeling some sexual disturbance are requested by me to get themselves married. Another principle is that those who are brahmacaris, they should sacrifice all of their income and collection for the Krishna Consciousness Movement, whereas those who are married should work, earning money as much as possible, and at least 50% should be spent for the Krishna Consciousness Movement. So we have no objection for allowing you to get married, but it is up to you to consider if you will work hard and earn money both for Krishna and for your family.
The second part of the Ginsberg conversation article should not be published, and our policy should be to only publish our Krishna Consciousness articles in various forms. We are not concerned with any other movement save and except Krishna Consciousness in its pure form. In India it is said that a little bit of a pure thing is much better than huge volumes of impure, adulterated things. So please try to follow this policy and publish in BTG only pure Krishna Conscious articles.
1970 Correspondence
Both mangal aratrik and sundar aratrik can be changed according with sunrise and sunset. We are not concerned with the time, but with the sun's movement. Sundar aratrik may be performed one half to one hour after sunset. So the decoration of the temple room and offering Bhoga to the Deities should be done as nicely as possible as it is within our capacity. This is the sign of love. So I am confident of your love for Krsna and do everything nicely for His pleasure. Whenever it is necessary you are quite at liberty to ask me for direction.
These classes of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam as you are now holding must be continued very rigidly. About holding Sanskrit classes, the special stress should be given to chanting the mantras in our books.
Kirtanananda Maharaja is now moving amongst the students in various schools, colleges, and universities, and getting good response. Many students are already attracted to New Vrindaban and at the weekend there are about 20 to 30 outsiders regularly. So even though the local law is prohibitive, for chanting on the street, you can take advantage of the educational institutions. We are not concerned with any particular place or situation, but we take the opportunity of chanting and speaking wherever it is possible.
I understand that one of our students, Tirthapada Brahmacari, is going to your place.
Regarding book sales, you should always keep several copies of each of our literatures in stock, so if you do not have them you can make arrangements with Gargamuni. Especially you should have a good stock of Isopanisad and Easy Journey, they are selling as easily on the level of BTG.
Lord Caitanya wanted to distribute this Holy Name in every city and town of the world; and in pursuance of His lotus feet we are trying to advance this Krsna consciousness chanting movement. Try to help us by your life, money, words, and intelligence. These four things are possessed by everyone, the degrees may be various, but Krsna is not concerned with the degrees, He wants to see the quality.
If you love Krsna and offer something in devotion, never mind it is a little water, a small fruit, a small flower, Krsna accepts that. If anything is accepted by Krsna that goes to our credit making our path of liberation open. So please try to help our movement to your best capacity, and it will be very good for you and the persons who hear you.
If you a have got sufficient devotees to take care of the Deities as you have seen how in the Los Angeles Temple, take instruction from Yamuna and Silavati how they are worshiping and the installation procedure is given on a separate sheet.
Regarding your invitation to take instruction from the University scholars, we are not concerned with a scholar who knows theoretically Caitanya Vaisnava Movement but we are interested with persons who are actually devotees who actually chant Hare Krsna Mahamantra and follows the regulative principles; Theoretical knowledge will not help us.
Yes, regarding Mr. Murthy, it is better for me if he comes to India and lives with me for some time.
From Calcutta I have come to Bombay, then from Bombay to Amritsar, then again down from Amritsar to Bombay, for the last two months. I am trying to establish a center in Bombay along with some influential friends.
Your description of past incidents may be forgotten. We are not concerned with past misunderstandings; we are concerned only with progressive service to Krsna. I know that both you and Gaurasundara are sincere devotees and you have done your best in Hawaii in accordance with my desire and the luxurious growing Tulasi devi is giving evidence of your sincere devotion. Kindly take care of Guru-Gauranga, Radha Krsna and Tulasi devi and be happy. Try to make others also happy by spreading this Krsna Consciousness.
1971 Correspondence
I am a little concerned, however, that you are being somewhat harassed in your activities by these so-called swamis. But do not be discouraged by their foolish talkings, we have got more important business. We do not judge the man by his dress, so we are not concerned with the color of our cloth as much as we are concerned to keep our conduct on the plane of pure spiritual life. Our Krsna consciousness is practically being accepted by all kinds of persons all over the world and there is no discrimination of types of dress. Generally Grhasthas wear white for the men and colorful saris for the women. While performing sacrifices, etc. they may wear yellow cloth which is considered auspicious. But you are always engaged in such religious activity in direct service of the transcendental Lord, so yellow garments are not inappropriate. In India our householder devotee men are all wearing white cloths and they all look very, very nice. You can do also if you like.
For example God is creating, so if I call God "the master of the world" (Jagadisa) then what is the wrong there? And who can deny that God created the world?
We are not concerned with the common man because they will think that we are criticizing. So speak on general features of how we understand God. God is called great in every religion. Our appreciations of greatness are six in number. These are stated in the Krishna Book Introduction. So you have to introduce the matter of God scientifically, and that will be appreciated by any reasonable man. If we say that your God is like this and our God is like that, then there will be great disturbance. Simply speak on general topics, that God is like this. Then let them read our literature and ask questions. In this way try to push on our missionary activities.
So accepting this argument we may say that the waves are being formed perpetually and again, and they are mixing with the sea water. So what is the question of liberation? That is the example in Bhagavad-Gita. The whole material manifestation is generating and again vanishing. So we are not concerned with this kind of business. We are concerned to go deep into the sea and have our own individual identity exactly like the fish and other aquatic animals, and enjoy perpetually in the sea. This is liberation. This Mayavadi philosophy is very superficial, and therefore they cannot go deep into the matter and they are simply satisfied simply by suggesting the activity of the waves.
1973 Correspondence
So you have got the best opportunity for this great service to Krsna, and I think that Krsna will send you some very qualified men to take instruction from you. But one thing is, do not spend much time for topics that are not concerned with Krsna Consciousness, neither try to speculate about history and other things. But the way you have described it, your program is nice. So if anyone students are serious to learn Krsna Consciousness from you, give them all help and facility, let them accept gradually by their intelligence. Do not force, but if gradually they understand, they will voluntarily accept the life of tapasya or austerity of Krsna Consciousness movement. In this way, by their voluntary agreement to join and follow strictly, they will assist me in the leading posts to spread on Lord Caitanya's message all over the world.
1974 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 25th, which I have only received recently due to touring.
You have very thoughtfully asked me what do I think of the Self Realization yoga and meditation. We are not concerned with other religions or yogas in terms of competition or sectarian spirit. Actual spiritual knowledge is to take the authoritative statements from the scriptures and from the great acaryas, spiritual masters in disciplic succession. Other's opinions are not important. For example, in the Bhagavad gita, Lord Krsna gives His opinion, but He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the great sages of the Vedic philosophy including Vyasadeva the compiler of all the scriptures, as well as Narada, Brahma, Siva and in the modern time, Ramanuja, Sankaracarya, Lord Caitanya, etc. They all confirm that Krsna is the supreme truth, the Personality of Godhead.
1975 Correspondence
I am in due reciept of your letter dated Jan. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your donation of 20 dollars. We are Vaisnavas. We are not concerned with male or female position in life. That is simply bodily concept of life. It is not spiritual. Whether one is male or female, it doesn't matter, simply chant Hare Krishna and follow the four regulative principles and your life will be perfect.
Regarding initiation, it is required that you be recommend by one of our temple presidents to me and then I shall consider it. First of all, one must have followed the regulative principle for at least six months without deviation. It is not necessarily required to live in the temple, but you must observe the rules.
1976 Correspondence
In Nellore the owners of the land are putting so many impossible conditions that we cannot construct. So that foundation stone can be brought to Madras and used for the Madras temple. Now immediately find out some land and begin the construction. Never mind what the cost will be. We are not concerned with the amount of money, but we want a very attractive temple. The money should come from the gentlemen of Madras. The foreign funds are reserved now for Bombay, Kuruksetra, Jagannatha Puri and Mayapur. But if absolutely required, something may be arranged. Go on sending funds to Hyderabad. That construction should be completed as soon as possible. But whatever amount you have sent there, Hyderabad will repay you after their Temple is finished.
Unless one follows these principles, spiritual life is not possible.
I can give you all guidance and direction for there are millions of Christians in the world today. We are not concerned with how, so much as the fact that one must develop his dormant love for God. This is alright that you will chant the names of Christ for after all he was the representative of God. People are lost due to not following a bona fide religious system. If you can revive their God consciousness that will be very good service.
1977 Correspondence
I beg to thank you for your very nice letter dated 18th April, 1977.
We are not concerned with the skin but with the soul. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is:
- "vidya-vinyaya-sampanne
- brahmane gavi hastini
- suni caiva svapake ca
- panditah sama-darsinah"
- (BG 5.18)
"The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste)."
So Krsna consciousness means not to make any distinctions of black or white, Christian or Muslim or Hindu, African, American or Indian. Krsna claims everyone as His son. This movement of Krsna consciousness is an attempt to enlighten the whole world on the spiritual platform. We are trying to do this. Please try to help us. By your letter, you appear to be a very intelligent young man. Try to understand this whole philosophy and work cooperatively with Brahmananda Swami to spread Krsna consciousness to all of your countrymen.
| Page Title: | Not concerned with |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 26 of Apr, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=12, CC=2, OB=4, Lec=39, Con=21, Let=21 |
| No. of Quotes: | 100 |