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Real way

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

Regulated human life according to the Vedic principles, which are based on the system of knowledge called Sāṅkhya philosophy, is the real way of enjoyment of the necessities of life.
SB 3.3.19, Purport: While Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the Emperor of the earth, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was the King of Dvārakā and was known as Dvārakādhīśa. Like other subordinate kings, He was under the regime of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Although Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme emperor of the entire creation, while He was on this earth He never violated the principles of the Vedic injunctions because they are the guide for human life. Regulated human life according to the Vedic principles, which are based on the system of knowledge called Sāṅkhya philosophy, is the real way of enjoyment of the necessities of life. Without such knowledge, detachment and custom, the so-called human civilization is no more than an animal society of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. The Lord was acting freely, as He willed, yet by His practical example He taught not to lead a life which goes against the principles of detachment and knowledge. Attainment of knowledge and detachment, as very elaborately discussed in Sāṅkhya philosophy, is the real perfection of life. Knowledge means to know that the mission of the human form of life is to end all the miseries of material existence and that in spite of having to fulfill the bodily necessities in a regulated way, one must be detached from such animal life. Fulfilling the demands of the body is animal life, and fulfilling the mission of spirit soul is the human mission.

SB Canto 4

The only real way we can minimize our problems is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and give ourselves up to His protection.
SB 4.29.33, Purport: This is a good description of an attempt to transfer a burden from one place to another. When one gets tired of keeping a burden on his head, he will place it on his shoulder. This does not mean that he has become freed from the strains of carrying the burden. Similarly, human society in the name of civilization is creating one kind of trouble to avoid another kind of trouble. In contemporary civilization we see that there are many automobiles manufactured to carry us swiftly from one place to another, but at the same time we have created other problems. We have to construct so many roads, and yet these roads are insufficient to cope with automobile congestion and traffic jams. There are also the problems of air pollution and fuel shortage. The conclusion is that the processes we manufacture to counteract or minimize our distresses do not actually put an end to our pains. It is all simply illusion. We simply place the burden from the head to the shoulder. The only real way we can minimize our problems is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and give ourselves up to His protection. The Lord, being all-powerful, can make arrangements to mitigate our painful life in material existence.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

Foolish people try to concoct knowledge by manufacturing something in their brains. That is not the real way of knowledge.
CC Madhya 20.353, Translation and Purport: “The Vedic literatures composed by the omniscient Mahāmuni Vyāsadeva are evidence of all spiritual existence. Only through these revealed scriptures can all conditioned souls attain knowledge.” Foolish people try to concoct knowledge by manufacturing something in their brains. That is not the real way of knowledge. Knowledge is śabda-pramāṇa, evidence from the Vedic literature. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is called Mahāmuni. He is also known as Vedavyāsa because he has compiled so many śāstras. He has divided the Vedas into four divisions—Sāma, Ṛg, Yajur and Atharva. He has expanded the Vedas into eighteen Purāṇas and has summarized Vedic knowledge in the Vedānta-sūtra. He also compiled the Mahābhārata, which is accepted as the fifth Veda. The Bhagavad-gītā is contained within the Mahābhārata. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā is also Vedic literature (smṛti).

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The real way is to stop these four functions of my conditional life. The four functions of conditional life means birth, death, old age, and disease.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968: You cannot become happy by conquering over the material nature. Now science have discovered so many things. Just (as) the airplane from India. It would have taken months together to reach your country, but by airplane we can come here overnight. These advantage are there. But along with these advantages, there are so many disadvantages. When you are on the plane on the sky, you know you are in the midst of desert..., of danger. At any moment there can be crash. You may fall down on the sea, you may fall down anywhere. So it is not very safe. So similarly, any method we manufacture, we discover, to conquer over the laws of material nature, it is backed by another set of dangerous things. That is the law of nature. That is not the way to get out of this material pangs of life. The real way is to stop these four functions of my conditional life. The four functions of conditional life means birth, death, old age, and disease. Actually, I am a spirit soul. That is explained in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that the spirit soul is never born or is never dead. He continues his life even after the destruction of this particular type of body. This body is only a flash, for some years only. But it will be finished. It is being finished by degrees. Just like I'm an old man of seventy-three years old. Suppose if I live eighty years or a hundred years, these seventy-three years I have already died. That is finished. Now a few years I may remain. So we are dying from the date of our birth. That is a fact. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you the solution of these four problems. And Kṛṣṇa here is suggesting, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, your consciousness becomes always overwhelmed with Kṛṣṇa thoughts, then Kṛṣṇa says the result will be asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu [Bg. 7.1]. "Then you will understand Me perfectly, without any doubt."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The real way is that food is required to be given to the body, but it must be given through the mouth, not through any other hole.
Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972: The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "If everything is Kṛṣṇa, so whatever I worship, I am worshiping Kṛṣṇa." No. That is wrong.

Just like the same example can be given that in the body, I am this body, everything "I," or "mine," but when foodstuff is to be taken, it is not to be pushed through the rectum, but through the mouth. That is the only one. You cannot say, "The body has got nine holes: two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, one mouth, one rectum, one genital-nine holes. So why not push the food in any hole?" That is Māyāvādī theory. "After all," they say, "the foodstuff has to be given to the body, inside the body. So I can push the foodstuff through any hole. There are so many holes." Sometimes in medical science, when it is impossible to push food through the mouth, they push through the rectum. That is artificial. But emergency, they do sometimes. But that is not the way. The real way is that food is required to be given to the body, but it must be given through the mouth, not through any other hole.

Similarly, if we actually want our contact with the Absolute Truth, then we have to go through Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has many forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rūpam. So... Because nothing is but Kṛṣṇa, everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the process is... To contact the Absolute Truth means Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa here says... Not Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva says, through Sūta Gosvāmī, that "Kṛṣṇa is very kind, very friendly to the suhṛt satām." Satām. Satām means devotees. He is very intimately in friendship with devotees. Kṛṣṇa's another qualification is bhakta-vatsala. Here it is also said, suhṛt-satām. Satām means devotees. He is friend of everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. Without Kṛṣṇa being friend of everyone, nobody can live for a moment. You are... Kṛṣṇa is protecting everyone, supplying food to everyone.

Festival Lectures

These mahājanas, as they have prescribed, that is the real way for understanding Kṛṣṇa, or spiritual salvation.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24 -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971: Don't make your own manufactured, concocted plan. Therefore, to guide you, a Kṛṣṇa's representative required. That is spiritual master. So there is a huge plan and huge scheme. Therefore we have to follow the footsteps of the mahājanas. As it is stated here, that dvādaśaite vijānīmo dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ. He said that "We, the selected mahājanas, representatives of Kṛṣṇa, we know what is bhāgavata-dharma, what is Kṛṣṇa dharma." Dvādaśa. Dvādaśa. The dvādaśa means twelve names, already mentioned: svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ... [SB 6.3.20]. I have explained. So Yamarāja said, "Only we, these twelve men, representatives of Kṛṣṇa, we know what is bhāgavata-dharma." Dvādaśaite vijānīmaḥ. Vijānīmaḥ means "we know." Dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ, guhyaṁ viśuddhaṁ durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñātvāmṛtam aśnute. "We know." Therefore it is advised, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. These mahājanas, as they have prescribed, that is the real way for understanding Kṛṣṇa, or spiritual salvation (service?). So we are following the Brahma-sampradāya, the first, Svayambhū. Brahmā. Brahmā, then Nārada, from Nārada, Vyāsadeva. In this way, Madhvācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in this way.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

What is the meaning of encouraging? He is already eating meat? Why śāstra should... The real way, nivṛtteḥ... Pravṛttir eṣāṁ bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalam. The pravṛtti, the inclination, is there. Now train him to give it up.
Morning Walks -- January 22-23, 1976, Mayapura:

Harikeśa: In the Manu-saṁhitā also there is many, many rules about what kind of meat to eat.

Prabhupāda: That is gradually. Gradually. If he cannot give up meat-eating, so, "All right, don't eat cows' flesh. You eat hogs. That's all." But the real purpose is to stop meat-eating. And that is also under restriction. "You can eat one goat. Sacrifice it before Goddess Kālī under such and such rules and regulation. Then you take one piece of meat at night." So any sensible man—"Why I should undergo such rules and regulation for eating a little piece of meat? Better give it up." That is the idea. It is not that encouraging him. What is the meaning of encouraging? He is already eating meat? Why śāstra should... The real way, nivṛtteḥ... Pravṛttir eṣāṁ bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalam. The pravṛtti, the inclination, is there. Now train him to give it up. That is wanted. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1], that "Tapasya is your business." Tapo divyam. The human life is for tapasya-athāto brahma jijñāsā—only discussion on Brahman, to understand Brahman, and tapasya. Therefore you find in India so many saintly persons, highly educated brāhmaṇas, high literature, everything.
Then exhibit how Kṛṣṇa consciousness is showing the real way.
Morning Walk -- March 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Haṁsadūta: Just to master the language takes twelve years.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: What to speak of understanding the content.

Jayapatākā: [break] ...exhibit the farce of modern science.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayapatākā: Farce of modern science, and every philosophy and science group, where they are just cheating the public. Then exhibit how Kṛṣṇa consciousness is showing the real way.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So do that in this planetarium.

Pañca-draviḍa: That will be very nice.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

I found that only bhakti is the real way.
Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, our analysis is..., analytical process, is very simple.

Dr. Patel: (laughing) I did it. And when I tried...

Trivikrama: What is that process, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: The process: if one is not kṛṣṇa-bhakta, he's a rogue.

Hari-śauri: Duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama...

Prabhupāda: Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Bas, finished analysis. As soon as we see that he is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he must be a rogue. That's all. Duṣkṛtina, sinful. That's all.

Dr. Patel: About this guru, they have taken it in a very wrong way. Ādya-guru is Kṛṣṇa. That way you must go and worship that way.

Prabhupāda: Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ... [break] ...see you are a rogue. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Trivikrama: So you have analyzed Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Dr. Patel: I have. And I found that only bhakti is the real way. And to correct myself I read out all the Vaiṣṇava literature. I know this Sanskrit. And then I...

Prabhupāda: (aside) That's nice.
So I told Mr. Rajda—I was watching with Mr. Rajda in his house—that this is the real way to fulfill all of these goals, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Mr. Rajda said yes.
Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So if he has already talked with Morarji, and he has agreed, then it is great advance.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Good advance.

Girirāja: He said he would be pleased to meet you. He gave a speech on the television last night.

Prabhupāda: Morarji?

Girirāja: Yes. In Hindi. I couldn't follow all of it, but there was a lot of reference to Gandhi and Gandhi's principles and the..., molding the character of youth. So I told Mr. Rajda—I was watching with Mr. Rajda in his house—that this is the real way to fulfill all of these goals, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Mr. Rajda said yes.

Prabhupāda: Then that television speech must be out in the paper.

Girirāja: Yes, it must have been reported this morning. I mean he is representing a return to the more traditional standards of morality and culture of India.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They say that they are going to replace this family planning with yoga. Instead of using artificial means, they're going to teach yoga.

Prabhupāda: To become brahmacārī.

Correspondence

1970 Correspondence

So if you keep all your programs to the standard as I have already instructed in so many ways, then they will easily become satisfied that this is the real way of life for any intelligent person—Krsna Consciousness.
Letter to Tirthapada -- Bombay 13 November, 1970: The test of preaching ability is whether one is making some disciples or not. So it appears that your preaching is going on nicely. The standard of purity which I have introduced in the Krsna Consciousness movement will give you the real spiritual strength needed to preach. If you will simply stick to your principles, you will gain the respect of the whole world and our preaching work will be successful. Please maintain the program of Temple worship, distribution of Prasadam, Sankirtana Party, distribution of literatures, study and Krsna work all in order and make everything as nice as possible. The school college and university students are very receptive to this Movement, so we must present them with an excellent example. They are very intelligent and bad experience has taught them to be cautious, so if you keep all your programs to the standard as I have already instructed in so many ways, then they will easily become satisfied that this is the real way of life for any intelligent person—Krsna Consciousness.
Page Title:Real way
Compiler:Haya
Created:05 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=4, Let=1
No. of Quotes:11