Reduction

Expressions researched:
"reduction" |"reductions"

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 11.22, Translation:

As soon as he heard my petition, he immediately granted me a pension without reductions. Thus the King granted me a full salary as a pension and requested me to engage without anxiety in the service of Your lotus feet.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Now, it is a age of reduction.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

So in this Kali-yuga the duration of life, the span of life will be gradually reduced. Memory will be reduced. Strength will be reduced. Mercifulness will be reduced. In this way... Now, it is a age of reduction. Not increasing. So prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. People in this age are of short span of life. And manda. Manda means all faulty. All slow. Manda, two meaning. Either you take slow... Actually they are manda. Manda means faulty. So many faults. And slow means slow in spiritual realization. Slow.

Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, and if you become convinced, "Yes, what Kṛṣṇa says, it is all right..." Just like Arjuna said, "Whatever you have said I accept in total. No reduction, no..."

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

So if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, divyam, divine nature... Simply you understand that Kṛṣṇa is not like us: Kṛṣṇa has no material body, Kṛṣṇa is not unhappy, Kṛṣṇa is always happy—simply a few things, if you become convinced that Kṛṣṇa's nature..., immediately you become eligible to be transferred back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so nice. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, and if you become convinced, "Yes, what Kṛṣṇa says, it is all right..." Just like Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Whatever you have said I accept in total. No reduction, no..." Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "Whatever You have said, I believe. I have taken. I have..." That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says something, and I understand something. That you go on with your millions of years; it will never be possible. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa as He says. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. That is real understanding. Arjuna says, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye. Ṛtam means fact. "Everything, whatever You have said..." Not that "I cut this side and that side..."

Philosophy Discussions

If you study the object scrutinizingly, then you will come to the conclusion, the source of that objective idea.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Śyāmasundara: He outlines three techniques for finding the essences of things. The first step is called the phenomenon of phenomenal logical reduction, which begins by excluding consideration of everything transcendent, including all theories or scientific knowledge—everything—only presenting to our immediate senses the objects to be considered, without any preconceived idea of what is that object. So he calls this the suspension of judgment. Suspend all judgment about an object—just look at it, and the object itself will be intuitively understood. This is his idea.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you study the object scrutinizingly, then you will come to the conclusion, the source of that objective idea.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

The Gosvāmīs, nidrāhāra-vihāra-vijitau, conquered over sleeping, eating, and mating. Because these three, four things āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithun..., these are material life. The spiritual life means reduction of these things.

Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Always be engaged, always. Just like our Karandhara, he has taken so much responsibility. He is doing. I am very pleased. He is prepared to do the masonry work and building work and distribution of book, accounting. In this way, we shall be always busy. Find out some work. I have no work now. Of course, the sixteen rounds must be chanted hundred percent. Rest time, simply find out where is Kṛṣṇa's work. Why sixteen rounds? It only takes two hours, you have got twenty-four hours. What you will do twenty-four hours? You cannot sleep more than six hours, seven hours, that's all. So two hours chanting and seven hours sleeping. Sleeping is a very important thing in your country, but reduce it. As much as you reduce sleeping and eating, you will become advanced.

That is the Gosvāmīs, nidrāhāra-vihāra-vijitau, conquered over sleeping, eating, and mating. Because these three, four things āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithun..., these are material life. The spiritual life means reduction of these things. When it is nil, no more sleeping, no more eating, that is spiritual..., perfection of spiritual life. So we cannot make it nil so long this body is there, but our policy should be like that. Policy should be like that. We shall not eat more, we shall not sleep more, we shall not mate more.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

This greediness... That is a good suggestion, that you reduce your greediness, but unless they get a substitute, they cannot. That is the difficulty.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: But what remedy you have suggested?

Buddhist Monk (1): Reduction of greed, and substitution of liberality. There is no other remedy.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Buddhist Monk (1): Because greed causes the rat-race. Greed causes these wars. But if we reduce this, and the reduction parallelly followed by simple living, high thinking and high practice. There is no other remedy, whatever religion a man follows. If they get involved in this rat-race of materialism, war is inevitable, whether for a stretch of water or of land. But if man lives a simple life, this Mother Earth can be made to produce everything that is necessary. Soya beans are a very fine substitute for meat. And if they do not damage the crust of the earth, and if they scientifically control birth, scientifically, not by drugs and pills, which are dangerous...

Prabhupāda: What is that scientifically?

Buddhist Monk (1): It's a control of the sex, sex.

Prabhupāda: That is brahmacārī.

Buddhist Monk (1): Brahmacārī. (Background talking, people entering.)

Prabhupāda: Let them come. They want to see me. Let them come.

Buddhist Monk (1): And (Sanskrit or Pali:) tan moha veda krati dhanacari. (?)

Prabhupāda: Come. (People coming in.) This greediness... That is a good suggestion, that you reduce your greediness, but unless they get a substitute, they cannot. That is the difficulty.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

No. Nature's way is not better share, but equal share.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

C. Hennis: Well, I think that the International Labor Organization is devoted to the reduction of inequalities between the different classes of men with a view to getting them all a better share of the good things of life, and by that, they may begin to reach a greater degree of human happiness, as they understand it, as the people themselves understand it. It may be that they don't understand it well.

Prabhupāda: No. Nature's way is not better share, but equal share. Just like when you take foodstuff, put it in the stomach, and when it is easily digested and transformed into different secretion and comes to the heart and becomes blood, there is equal distribution. Not that because brain is first-class, therefore the blood transformation to the brain should go more. No. Then it will be blood pressure, high blood pressure. This is nature's way, that... But when the energy goes to the brain, it acts differently. When the energy goes to the hands, it acts differently. The electricity energy is the same, but sometimes by working on the dictaphone, sometimes on the microphone, sometimes in electric heater, sometimes in refrigerator... The different apparatuses are there, but the energy is the same, equal. In that sense, the communistic idea that whatever energy is there, whatever resources are there, they should be equally distributed, that is nature's way. From the body we can understand that when the foodstuff turns into secretion, it goes to the heart and becomes blood. The blood is transfused through different veins to different parts of the body, and you will find everybody is satisfied.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is another bluffing. You have already invented so many things. Where is the reduction of suffering?

Morning Walk -- May 15, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: So how they will relieve the mankind? This proposal Vivekananda used, to serve the mankind. How they will serve? In spite of all arrangement there are so many suffering humanity, so many unemployment, so much disease, so much death. So what is the meaning of this serving? Huh? You cannot stop it. That is the nature's way. How you can stop by so-called bluffing that "We are serving the humanity"? You are opening hospital. Does it mean that the suffering is reduced? Because the suffering has increased therefore your number of hospitals have increased. Where is the mitigation? Nature's way, we are feeling pain, this cold wind. Who can stop it? And where is the question of decreasing human's suffering or stopping?

Amogha: By our technological inventions we can make a heater that makes the coldness...

Prabhupāda: But the heater is not curing the suffering.

Amogha: But it makes us warm.

Prabhupāda: But a heater, how many men will get heater?

Amogha: Well, we can make them cheaply so that practically everyone...

Prabhupāda: You can, but you do not, neither you can.

Amogha: But in this country everyone, all these houses have heaters.

Prabhupāda: In the... Why do you take in this country? Why not other country?

Amogha: Well, so many countries.

Prabhupāda: Where? That is simply bluff. You cannot do it. Cannot do it. Suffering must be there.

Paramahaṁsa: Well, we accept the suffering is there, but we will still try to reduce it. That's all.

Prabhupāda: Reduce...

Paramahaṁsa: By inventing so many things.

Prabhupāda: That is another bluffing. You have already invented so many things. Where is the reduction of suffering?

Amogha: Well, there are less diseases, we are finding so many cures now that...

Prabhupāda: I don't find less diseases. You are increasing hospitals.

Yes. That I have already in the beginning said, that give us facilities, the authorities, to chant the holy name of God and distribute prasādam. Prasādam means some refreshment as remnants of foodstuff of God. Then it will make tremendous change.

Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: I recognize, sir, that your time is very valuable and I won't delay you much longer. If I could return to my original purpose for coming in the..., what words you may have that would assist us, my superintendent and my department, in the reduction of crime, other than, I recognize, that the first and the foremost way would be a return to God as you said, that there is no doubt about that. But is there something else that you may know or that you may feel that you may be able to say that would assist us in a reduction less than the ideal?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already in the beginning said, that give us facilities, the authorities, to chant the holy name of God and distribute prasādam. Prasādam means...

Lt. Mozee: Yes, I understand.

Prabhupāda: ...some refreshment as remnants of foodstuff of God. Then it will make tremendous change. I came from India alone; now I have got so many followers. So what did I do? I did the same thing. I asked them to sit down, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and distribute them little prasādam. This should be done in a mass scale, and then things will become very peaceful. It is fact. So I want little cooperation of the authorities to give me the facility, how I can call many men together, chant together Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and I supply them little refreshment, that's all.

That is Kṛṣṇa's favor. He doesn't want reduction of material enjoyment; at the same time, they want to worship Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is seeing that these fools, they want Me, and at the same time material enjoyment. So "Finish their material enjoyment; they will simply think of Me."

Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Indian man: (break) ...I told him it might be that (indistinct) they have not done all these things, go to Kṛṣṇa temple, coming back, nine thirty, ten o'clock. Then take all this train...

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's favor. Yes. Kṛṣṇa is favoring to finish this job.

Indian man: Now we know that janma is.... I told him they may not be having many other janma, that may be why they are suffering like this now.

Prabhupāda: No. There is no suffering. Their material existence is being reduced on account of serving Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man: One lady is there in Bombay, whole family, old lady, young children die.

Prabhupāda: Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). This is special favour of Kṛṣṇa because they, by this pious activity, they wanted this material enjoyment, which you are complaining, that they are reducing material enjoyment. But that is Kṛṣṇa's favor. He doesn't want reduction of material enjoyment; at the same time, they want to worship Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is seeing that these fools, they want Me, and at the same time material enjoyment. So "Finish their material enjoyment; they will simply think of Me."

1968 Correspondence

Be sure that after pasting in each corner, that the edges are kept clean, so that they do not show when photographed. For printing they can be reduced some, to about an inch or two larger than a piece of typewriting paper (with whatever exact proportions are convenient to use in the reduction).

Letter to Yamuna -- Seattle 3 October, 1968:

The drawings for the certificate are enclosed herewith, and you can place them in proper position, as they look best. These recommendations may also help you: "Best use a 15x20 or similar proportion paper (hopefully you probably already have used similar size) Be sure that after pasting in each corner, that the edges are kept clean, so that they do not show when photographed. For printing they can be reduced some, to about an inch or two larger than a piece of typewriting paper (with whatever exact proportions are convenient to use in the reduction). Muralidhara das has drawn these pictures, and they are very nicely done.

1971 Correspondence

So either reduce the price or not, if we endeavor to create life members it will be easier task. For example you are delivering a set of books; KRSNA, TLC, NOD, Handbook, one copy of BTG land you are taking favor for Rs. 101/ by reduction of price. If you take the real price of these books, it comes to somewhere near Rs. 220/ but if we make a member with the same delivery of books, we get the full membership fee.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Gorakhpur 15 February, 1971:

From the beginning it was my program not to sell books but to make life members. The idea is that in India when we speak of price Rs. 64/ for KRSNA book or say Rs. 30/ for Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, practically their hearts begins to fade because in India most of them are not accustomed to pay so much price but when we speak of membership they agree to contribute very easily because Indian mentality is still charitable toward the cause of spiritual activities. So either reduce the price or not, if we endeavor to create life members it will be easier task. For example you are delivering a set of books; KRSNA, TLC, NOD, Handbook, one copy of BTG land you are taking favor for Rs. 101/ by reduction of price. If you take the real price of these books, it comes to somewhere near Rs. 220/ but if we make a member with the same delivery of books, we get the full membership fee.

1972 Correspondence

We must have some cars or vans for sending to India, so if you cannot get free we shall pay at 50% reduction or some big concession. And we shall advertise on the cars "donated by such-and-such company." That will be good diplomacy for them in India.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

N.b. Regarding the cars I am very much anxious to hear what is your progress in this connection. We must have some cars or vans for sending to India, so if you cannot get free we shall pay at 50% reduction or some big concession. And we shall advertise on the cars "donated by such-and-such company." That will be good diplomacy for them in India.

From the statements I note that you have spent so much for steel, but these things you can get donated or you can get reduction. T.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Bhavananda, Jayapataka -- London 9 August, 1972:

I am very glad to see from the photos that the construction work is going on. But one thing is, you say that the building will cost 8 lakhs of rupees. According to one previous letter you told me total cost will be 4 lakhs, now it is double. Why is that? In dollars that means $100,000 for the building, but I am told that such building could be built in America for less than $100,000, what to speak of India! So I do not know why your expenditure is so high, I am not expert in these matters, but it appears everything is being spent very exorbitantly. For instance, from the statements I note that you have spent so much for steel, but these things you can get donated or you can get reduction. Tamala Krishna was in Tatanagar, why he did not take promises for so much steel instead of so many useless letters? You should canvass the big manufacturers in Calcutta for giving supplies of steel and other things, now we have got some solid framework to show them. It is not that we are so rich in America we can go on forever supplying you so much money and you spend exorbitantly and become cheated. I do not think that building is worth $100,000. The engineers may be trying to cheat you. You told the total cost will be four lakhs, now it is eight lakhs, why this doubling and uncertainty?