For example, a Kṛṣṇa conscious boy, even if he is not very well educated by the university standard, can immediately give up all illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication, whereas those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although very highly educated, are often drunkards, meat-eaters, sexmongers and gamblers. These are practical proofs of how a Kṛṣṇa conscious person becomes highly developed in good qualities, whereas a person who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot do so. We experience that even a young boy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unattached to cinemas, nightclubs, naked dance shows, restaurants, liquor shops, etc. He becomes completely freed. He saves his valuable time from being extravagantly spent in the way of smoking, drinking, attending the theater and dancing.
Save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness
Expressions researched:
"Krsna consciousness"
|"balance time he saves"
|"balance time, save"
|"krsna conscious"
|"rest time you save"
|"save my time"
|"save our time"
|"save the time"
|"save their precious time"
|"save time"
|"save your time"
|"saved time"
|"saves his valuable time"
|"saves time"
|"saving time"
|"time is saved"
|"time should be saved"
|"time we should save"
|"time, save it"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
One has to discharge his devotional duties without being disturbed by the coming and going of material circumstances. This desirelessness for material prosperity is called niṣkāma. One should not mistakenly think that niṣkāma means giving up all desires. That is impossible. A living entity is eternally existent, and he cannot give up desires. A living entity must have desires; that is the symptom of life. When there is a recommendation to become desireless, it is to be understood that this means that we should not desire anything for our sense gratification. For a devotee this state of mind, niḥspṛha, is the right position. Actually every one of us already has an arrangement for our standard of material comforts. A devotee should always remain satisfied with the standard of comforts offered by the Lord, as stated in the Īśopaniṣad (tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ (ISO 1)). This saves time for executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
SB Canto 8
To teach this highest culture, varṇāśrama-dharma is recommended. The aim of the varṇāśrama divisions—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa—is to train one to control the senses and be content with the bare necessities. Here Lord Vāmanadeva, as an ideal brahmacārī, refuses Bali Mahārāja's offer to give Him anything He might want. He says that without contentment one could not be happy even if he possessed the property of the entire world or the entire universe. In human society, therefore, the brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture and vaiśya culture must be maintained, and people must be taught how to be satisfied with only what they need. In modern civilization there is no such education; everyone tries to possess more and more, and everyone is dissatisfied and unhappy. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore establishing various farms, especially in America, to show how to be happy and content with minimum necessities of life and to save time for self-realization, which one can very easily achieve by chanting the mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
The best solution is that of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This movement is always kind to the poor, not only because it feeds them but also because it gives them enlightenment by teaching them how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. We are therefore opening hundreds and thousands of centers for those who are poor, both in money and in knowledge, to enlighten them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and reform their character by teaching them how to avoid illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, which are the most sinful activities and which cause people to suffer, life after life. The best way to use money is to open such a center, where all may come live and reform their character. They may live very comfortably, without denial of any of the body's necessities, but they live under spiritual control, and thus they live happily and save time for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one has money, it should not be squandered away on nothing. It should be used to push forward the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement so that all of human society will become happy, prosperous and hopeful of being promoted back home, back to Godhead.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
People generally pray for material benefits: "O God, give us our daily bread. Give me nice position. Give me nice wife, nice following or this or victory," so on, so on, so on, simply for material enjoyment. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if we pray to God for all these nonsense things, it is just like a man goes to a king and the king says, "Whatever you want you can ask from me," and if the man says, "Kindly give me a pinch of ashes." It is like that. If we ask from God for some material benefit, it means that I am asking from a king a pinch of ashes. When king says that "You ask whatever you want," he can say, "So give me half the kingdom." That should be the prayer. And why a pinch of ash? Similarly, it is our foolishness. When we ask for bread, "O God, give us our daily bread," that means I am asking. The bread is already there. Why for you? For everyone, for all living entities, the bread is already there given by God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The elephant is not going to the church for praying, "Give me food." He is supplied in the jungle food. A tiger is supplied food. Even ant is supplied food within the hole. Who is going to supply food there? How they are eating? How they are living? How they are begetting children? The same thing is there. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna—everything is there in the ant, in the elephant. Who is supplying their necessities? So this is not the problem, these rascals. They are simply perplexed with this problem, how to eat, how to sleep, how to defend. This is already fixed up according to your karma. You simply try—save your time—how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your own business. Otherwise you are spoiled. And so far these things are concerned, that how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, and how to defend, this is already arranged. You cannot make betterment in this way. That is already fixed up. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). According to your lot, according to your karma, you have been fixed up that "You shall eat like this, you shall sleep like this, you'll have sex life like this, and you will be able to defend like this, not more than that." That is not possible. That is called destiny. So by destiny this is already fixed up. Don't spoil your life for these things.
Not for all, but a class of men, they are in the third category. The first category is the brāhmaṇa, the man in knowledge. He knows what is the value of life, how life should be directed this way and that way. They know, themselves, and they give guidance to the other who have no such knowledge. Therefore brāhmaṇa is the guru of all other classes of men, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. Just like our position is brāhmaṇa, but we are anāsakta. Without any attachment we shall try to give them the direction how one can live very peacefully and save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is stated here. Kuryād vidvāṁs tathā asaktaś cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham. The idea is how to direct common men to live peacefully and become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma. Śārīra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Kṛṣṇa, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.... (break).... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śārīraṁ kevalam. Not for sense gratification.
You have to eat. These things are eatable: food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar. That's all. Why should we eat nonsense things? This will keep your health very nice. Sāttvikāhāra. And you can prepare so many nice preparations within this jurisdiction. Why should you go and kill animals for the satisfaction of the tongue? That is not allowed. Then you will be again entangled. Otherwise, to keep your body in nice condition, you eat all these things which is meant for the human being. Then you will keep fit and save time for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you become always engaged for sense gratification, go on working, working, working, then go to the restaurant, eat, drink and make your body agitated, then find out liquor and woman, what is this life? This is not life. This is animal life.
Do you think that if you try to become more happy, you will be happy? No. The śāstra says that you get miserable condition of life without hankering after this. Nobody hankers after that all miseries may come upon him. No. But it comes. Similarly, all kinds of happiness that you are destined to enjoy, that will also come. So you don't waste your time for material happiness. You simply save your time for development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will be happy. Then you will be free. That is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa.
Those who get facilities of material sense gratification, bhoga, aiśvarya—means great opulence, wealthy—for them it is very difficult to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In other words, too much rich, richness, is a disqualification for coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is not always the same. There are many persons, if they have associated, they... Unfortunately they do not associate with spiritually advanced men. That is their defect. They think the spiritual advancement is poor man's business: "They have no sufficient to eat; therefore they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What they can do? We have got this factory. We have to go to the factory." That is their mentality. Therefore it is not good. But if one is intelligent, if he has got good association, then he understands the verdict of Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, yoga bhraṣṭa sañjāyate. (BG 6.41) If he thinks that "I have got this opportunity of opulence. I have nothing to bother about my living and eating. I am born rich man. Why I am given so much chance? Because last, my, I executed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yoga; I could not finish. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given me this chance that I'll not have to bother about my eating, sleeping. I save my time and engage myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Unfortunately, due to bad association, they think, "I have..., we have go so much money, father's money, for nothing, without any labor. So either let me become a great sense enjoyer or a hippy." That's all. It is due to bad association. Therefore it is our duty to go door to door and inform them the message of Kṛṣṇa, without any discrimination, so that they'll come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Everyone is thinking if I become greedy, I shall get more. That is not possible. You cannot get a farthing more than what you are destined. But it is ignorance. He's thinking by simply struggling hard I'll get more. The śāstra says, "No, don't do it. So far your material condition is concerned, it is already destined with your body. You have got a certain type of body and according to that body you'll get certain amount of pleasure and pains, that is already destined." This is called adṛṣṭa, daiva. Your main business is if you want to make success, your life, then save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is proper utilization of life. That does not depend on destiny. That you can do. That you can do. So far other things are.
That is Vedic civilization. They were not very much anxious to improve material position. Even at the present moment, you go to the village. The innocent villagers, they are satisfied with the position Kṛṣṇa has given, but they are anxious to improve their spiritual life. That is, still you'll find. Of course, it is not that you'll not try to earn your livelihood. That you must. But you should not endeavor or give more time for your so-called material improvement. Better save time and utilize that time for improving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfection. That is the injunction of the śāstras. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
The so-called distress and happiness, they come and go like seasonal changes. Just like we have got summer season, winter season. The winter also not staying for good, neither the summer is staying for good. It will change. Cakravat parivartante sukhāni duḥkhāni ca. There are so many. So we should not bother about this material happiness and distress. That is perfect civilization. We shall depend on the arrangement of God, as lower animals, they are depending. The birds, rising early in the morning, they chirp, but they are not hampered, "Where to find out food?" They know, "There is somewhere our food." They go and get it. Similarly, our real problem is that we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa or God. We must revive our God consciousness again—that is not very difficult task—and save time, how to reestablish our relationship with God.
The śāstra says that your happiness is destined according to your body. That is already made up, set up. You cannot change it. So śāstra says that don't try to increase your so-called happiness by laboring so hard. Whatever body you have got, a certain of, certain type of happiness you will get. Just like a hog. A hog has got a certain type of body; he feels pleasure by eating stool. He cannot improve it, because he has got the body like that. So according to our body, we get our happiness. So our time should be saved for improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the law of nature. Don't try to improve your material condition. The material happiness, whatever is destined according to your body, which is already given to you, and you'll have it, without any endeavor. Yathā dukham ajajñātaḥ. Just like you have to enjoy or suffer also, that is also according to the body, ajajñātaḥ. You don't endeavor for the distress, but you get it. Similarly, you don't endeavor for happiness—you'll get it.
So this is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should save our time to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). We should simply endeavor for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, yayātmā samprasīdati, then you'll be happy. Otherwise you'll never be happy. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, sum and substance.
This human form of life is not meant for satisfying the senses, kāmān kaṣṭān, with great difficulty. Now, eating is necessary, but a hog, he eats the most abominable thing, stool, but whole day and night he is searching out, "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" So similarly, if human civilization is so made that simply for eating one has to work so hard day and night, so it is as good as the hog's life; it is not human life. Human life should be peaceful. They should get their foodstuff very easily, eat very nicely, save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not like hogs and dogs, simply searching after... But if we create such civilization like cats and dogs and hogs, then Kṛṣṇa will give us the chance to work day and night simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is the position now. We wanted it.
There are rules and regulations. Not for kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ. Not because "I want to enjoy sex life, I can use it at any time." No. That is not. Kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ. Kāma, there is, required. But na indriya-prītiḥ. Lābho jīveta yāvatā. You can utilize kāma as much as it is required for living condition. Not for sense gratification. Why these are restriction? Why so much restriction? Now, because jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. Because our real business is to understand Kṛṣṇa, tattva-jijñāsā. We must save time from all directions and concentrate and utilize the time simply for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva has forbidden, that "This life, human form of life, is not meant for working so hard like hogs and dogs." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the advice. But we are advancing in civilization—to get our food, we have to work so hard. This is condemnation of life. Human life should be very peaceful, and without any hard work we shall get our food and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not that for senses gratification we work so hard like an ass.
As Kṛṣṇa has got full freedom, similarly when we become perfect, Kṛṣṇa conscious, we also become free. This is our position. But not in the conditioned state that we can move. Cannot. Baddha. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān, we are conditioned. But in the conditioned state also, if we follow the Vedic principles we can be happy. Happy, and this human form of life especially, it is meant for that purpose, that you live happily, save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that next life you are no more in this material world. You are transferred to the spiritual world. This is the purpose of human life. But these rascals they do not know. They think that we are advancing civilization , because the cats and dogs they are lying on..., on the floor and sleep, we have got 104-stories building and we lie dow there. This is their advancement. But they do not understand that the sleeping, the enjoyment by sleeping, it is the same to the dog and to the man who is lying on the 104th planet, story. Similarly, sex life to the dog and to the man or to the demigod, the pleasure is the same. There is no difference. If you drink milk on a golden pot or an iron pot, the taste is the same. You cannot change the taste of the milk, or anything, putting into the golden pot.
So if I restrain my senses, because we are, from time immemorial, we have been practiced to indulge our senses for gratification, and in the human form of life, because we have to control the senses, it sometimes gives us some pains. I am accustomed to do something, but my spiritual master said... Just like in this country I say that you cannot take meat, you cannot smoke. So all my students, they were accustomed to this habit, but by my order they have restrained. In the beginning there is plot of land and a cow—your whole economic question is solved. Why you should work so hard day and night? So we have created a civilization simply working hard day and night, and the purpose is sense gratification. That's all. That is prohibited. Make your life simplified. Save your time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the program. Don't be implicated with sinful activities. Simple life. Just like your father says, "My dear boy, you take your food just in time, and you do this work, and I'll be satisfied." If you do that, then father is satisfied. But if you take from the pocket of your father or from the cash box without his permission, then you are criminal.
Ṛṣabhadeva says that simply for sense gratification, don't work so much. Actually, we haven't got to work. Everything is there. We have repeatedly discussed. Just like in the morning the birds get up, they do not work very hard. They know that "We shall go in some, upon some tree, and there is food, there is some fruit, and we shall eat." There is no, no good prob..., very great problem. The animals also, they are assured, everyone is assured. And even human being, just like sannyāsīs, they are also assured. Just like when I came to your country, there was no friend, there was no relative, but assurance was there that "I am going for Kṛṣṇa's business. So there is some provision, never mind where it is." That much faith we must have. Actually, for even one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, one is not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has also provision. That provision is there. Why should we work so hard? Our business is to save time how to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But people cannot understand this.
So this instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva is very, very important. Try to understand. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a protest to the modern way of civilization. The leaders of the modern society, they want that people should be engaged in working like dogs and hogs and asses. They should not understand what is the value of life, what is the object of life. Let them always remain intoxicated, and sense gratification, and produce more product for sense enjoyment. This is modern civilization. All these factories... I understand that in this country the farmers are taxed so heavily that they are forced to work in the factory. This is a policy of the government leaders to engage people. If anyone wants to live peacefully, save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the leaders of the society or the government will not allow him to do so. This is the position.
Unless there is control over the mind, it will dictate something new: "Do it like this." There was a Bengali poet. He also sung a song, ek ta nūtana kichu koro: "Do something new." This is mind's business. He is not satisfied with the old things. Nūtana kichu koro. So that's a very big song. Why change? The whole material world is like that. Ei nūtana kichu koro: "Do something new," and be implicated. We are not satisfied with old things. "Old order changes, yields to..." "Old order...," there is an English proverb like that, "yielding to the new." But the Vedic civilization is that "Do not try to invent some order. That will create disturbance. Be satisfied. Whatever you have got by nature's way, be satisfied. Don't spoil your time. Save your time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is Vedic civilization.
Sinful activities are sinful activities. It may be, according to the material calculation, these are good sinful activities and these are bad sinful activities. No, sinful activities are sinful activities. And what is our sinful activity? As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, everything we do, that is sinful. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino prapadyante narādhamāḥ. This is the criterion, test, that if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he's not a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, whatever activities they are doing, that is all sinful. This is the conclusion. So we should always remain in full understanding, that whether our time is being properly utilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we axe saved. Otherwise we are under the clutches of māyā, and Yamarāja is there, and immediately we get a certain type of body for another term of suffering.
So modern civilization means that increase the activities of sense gratification. And especially... Of course in India, still there are peaceful land. But in the Western countries, from five o'clock in the morning we see on the streets thousands and thousands of motorcars. They are going to work, thousands and thousands. And they will come at night. This has begun also in India. We see in big, big cities like Calcutta and Bombay, they are coming early in the morning from home, and going, night, going at home at night, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, and then sleep for two or three hours and again go to work. So there is a story. Just like a little child, because when his father comes back, he is asleep, and when the father goes out of home, he is asleep. So one night he saw one man is lying there. So he is asking his mother, "Who is this man? Who is this man?" Actually this is the position, that we are working day and... Bombay and Calcutta we have seen that they are hanging on the, what is called, local trains, and there are sometimes accidents.
So in this way, gradually, we are coming to very dangerous, I mean to say, pattern of living condition with the age, with the advancement of this age of Kali. And it is said that for earning our bread we have to work like an ass in this Kali-yuga. This is not civilization. The civilization is... That is really Vedic civilization, that ayaṁ deha. Nāyaṁ deha nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān. We should make our life so simple and easy that we can get our necessities of life without any hard labor and save time to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfect civilization. This is not perfect civilization. There is every chance of being influenced by these lusty desires, and that is going on, especially in the Western country. They lusty for fulfilling these lusty desires there are so many clubs at night, nightclubs, bottomless and topless and so many advertisements. This is not civilization. Civilization is peaceful life, and we should be satisfied in simple mode of life and always think of Kṛṣṇa.
When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa that "A yogi, he cannot finish his duty or yogic process in one life. Then what happens? He becomes neither this way or that way." Kṛṣṇa said, "No. Whatever he has finished, that is his permanent asset. Next life he begins from that point and he gets the opportunity of take birth—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. He is given birth in very nice family, either in very nice brāhmaṇa family or very rich family." In these two places one gets the opportunity to increase his Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. If he gets his birth in a nice brāhmaṇa family, automatically he is trained in that way. And if he gets his birth in a rich family, he has no economic demand. He hasn't got to earn. He can save the time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So those who are born in rich family, they should know that "By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the grace of Lord, we are born with silver spoon, but we should utilize this opportunity." Not only rich man; every human being should be conscious to utilize this human form of life to understand God. That is the highest perfection of life.
The prakṛti, the nature, material nature is so strong that you cannot interfere with her business, that is not possible. So your material knowledge will not help you, unless you have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge. You can, anyone can understand. Suppose if I want to protect this body with all hygienic principles, soaps and pumice and injection and medicine and so many things, does it mean that you shall live? Can you overcome the laws of nature? No, that is not possible. Can you overcome the laws of nature that you will not fall sick? No, that you cannot. Can you make any material laws or scientific knowledge that you will not become old? No. You cannot stop death, you cannot stop birth, you cannot stop old age, you cannot stop disease. So what is the value of your material knowledge? And these are the troubles. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Any intelligent man will see that what is the value of my material knowledge? I have to die. I have to be victim of disease and old age. Then what is the value? The best thing is that so long this material body is there, you have got the opportunity to develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, do that. That will save you from all dangers. Otherwise, nothing will save you. Simply śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simply waste of time.
So fortunately, one of our students, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that, that simple life, eat simple things, grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and save your time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated. The government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song. Satsaṅga chāri kainu asatye vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa. Because we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births we have got this important life. So we have to save our time to utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should... So far we have got this material body, we want to maintain it. The body and souls live together. That is all right. For that, Kṛṣṇa has given every chance. Anywhere you sit down, you have got land and cow. You produce something and cow's milk. That is sufficient for maintenance. So let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, and I shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma. Things are becoming very implicated, complicated.
Every one of us, never mind, this happiness is already fixed up. When you are born in this family, your standard of happiness is already fixed up. Don't bother. The time which you have got, valuable time, save it for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is required. (indistinct) Don't bother always for further happiness, further happiness, further happiness. Happiness already is standard (?). This is,
- tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
- na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
- tal labhyate duḥkha vad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
- kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā
- (SB 1.5.18)
The standard of happiness and distress. Just like this morning I was walking in the (indistinct). I saw some poor men, they were taking bath in the pit and washing their cloth. So I told them that he is also living in Bombay and here are other gentlemen, so why they could not become like them? The opportunity is open for every one of us. So why one man is like this and one man is like that? That is destined, that is called destination. Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. The standard of happiness and standard of distress will be there according to karma. Therefore, our duty is not to be disturbed by this so-called happiness and distress. We should save time and must advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). Simply always thinking of the wonderful activities of the Lord.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
And just the opposite number is atyāhāra, eating too much or... Āhāra means eating and āhāra means collection-too much collection unnecessarily. Of course, for our preaching we require, but we shall collect as much as we require, not that keep money in the bank and spend for some other purposes. That kind of collection is dangerous. And too much eating is also dangerous. Atyāhāra. And prayāsa. Prayāsa means endeavoring too much for getting something. Our life should be very simple. We shall act so simply that we shall have to save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should not attempt anything which is very difficult to execute. So atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpa, Unnecessary talking all nonsense, politics, rascaldom, speculation, this, that. No. Be grave. Don't talk nonsense, waste time. Atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ.
General Lectures
Indian man: Would you elaborate what you are doing as New Vrindaban? We heard... What is it you are establishing there?
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are not only establishing New Vrindaban, but there is New Navadvīpa, New Jagannātha Purī. Yes. We have already started New Jagannātha Purī in San Francisco. The Ratha-yātrā festival is going on. And this year there will be a great ceremony of Ratha-yātrā in London. There will be three cars: Jagannātha, Subhadrā and Balarāma. And it will be taken to the riverside, Thames. So this American land, they have imported "New England," "New York"; why not New Vrindaban? So you should all join. Those who are Indians, they should join this movement especially to establish this New Vrindaban. Because Lord Caitanya recommended, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayam. The vrajeśa-tanaya, Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja in the Vṛndāvana dhāma, or Vrajabhūmi, He is the supreme worshipable Deity. Tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. And His place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. So these Western boys and girls, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So they should have a place like Vṛndāvana. So here is present our Swami Kīrtanānanda. He went to Vṛndāvana with me two years ago, and he has taken the idea, what is Vṛndāvana. So I have instructed him that "You should construct at least seven temples." In Vṛndāvana there are five thousand temples, not one, two. Five thousand temples of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But the most important temples are seven, established by the Gosvāmīs. So our program is to live there, depending on agriculture and cow, cow protection and agriculture. That should be the economic solution. And peacefully be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vṛndāvana scheme. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhidaḥ. This human form of life is not meant for increasing artificial needs. We should be satisfied just to maintain the body and soul together, and balance time we should save for enhancing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual consciousness, so that after this body we haven't got to make another material body, but we go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be the motto of human life.
Now, as gradually this godless civilization will go on—that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata—there will be problems. Anāvṛṣṭi. Anāvṛṣṭi: there will be no rain. And durbhikṣa. As there will be anāvṛṣṭi, no sufficient rain, there will be no sufficient production. Actually, these things are already begun. Anāvṛṣṭi. And on the other side, taxation, the government taxation. In this way, people will be so much disturbed that they will give up their hearth and home and go to the forest. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇāṁ gacchanti giri-kānanam. They will be so much harassed because there will be no... There will be scarcity of rainfall, there will be scarcity of food, and there will be taxation. Then how one can keep the brain equilibrium? He will be mad. So unless we take the instruction of the śāstras... Immediately, we should take this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavam, yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Therefore we have introduced this Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. This is yajña. In the Kali-yuga, this yajña is possible. So if all over the world... Or make an experiment in some portion. Just go. Just like we are making samples in West Virginia. They are self-sufficient. And the saved time is being utilized for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the remedy.
Departure Talks
So there is no objection for the material comforts, but actually we have to see whether they are comforts or miserable condition. Therefore our this human form of life is meant for saving time to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not meant for wasting unnecessarily, because we do not know when the next death is coming, and if we do not prepare ourself for the next life, then at any moment we can die, and we have to accept a body offered by the material nature. Therefore I wish that all of you who have come to join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement live very carefully so that māyā may not snatch you from the hand of Kṛṣṇa. We can keep ourself very steady simply by following the regulative principles and chanting, minimum, sixteen rounds. Then we are safe. So you have got some information about the perfection of life. Don't misuse it. Try to keep it very steadily, and your life will be successful. This movement does not stop anything for comfortable life, but it makes regulated. So if we follow the regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds, that is our safe position. I think this instruction you will follow. That is my desire.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: This is Vedic civilization: how people will be happy. They can be happy simply by self-realization, spiritual realization, because he is spirit. Material advancement will never make us happy, that's a fact. People have not become happy. In India they say that we neglected this material side therefore. But actually that is not the fact. They have lost their own spiritual culture; therefore they are not... But still, whatever spiritual culture they have got, still they are happier than others, if I make comparative study. In India still in village you'll find a man with practically no income but he has got his happy home, good wife, a cottage, little bread, but he is happy. Here I see they have no home, no family life. Even ordinary necessities of life means eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. They have no fixed-up eating. In America, in the Bowery street, lying down on the street, drinking. So many. Here also in your country. Day and night, in India they are lying, suppose they are poverty stricken, lying on the street. Now why you are lying on the street? When I go to the park I see so many there. Our philosophy is that there is no necessity of wasting time for economic development. Be satisfied whatever Kṛṣṇa has given you. That's all right. Be satisfied according to your position, save time, and be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the verdict of the śāstra. Because your happiness and distress is already fixed up, according to the body you have got. You cannot change that. You cannot change that.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So why don't you invent this "New food"? New aerated water, manufactured from urine. Advertise. You'll get more customer. Māyā will give him intelligence to waste his time.
Brahmānanda: Chewing the chewed.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Instead of saving time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā will give him intelligence how to waste time. This is māyā. Human life is so valuable that one second of this life should not be wasted. But these people are simply prescribing how to waste time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8).
Prabhupāda: You just work little, produce your food, eat, and save time, and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is the nature's arrangement. Anywhere, any part of the world, you can produce your food. Simply you require a little land and some cows. Everything is complete. You take milk from the cows and just till the field and get some food grains. That is sufficient. Whole economic question solved. And save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the arrangement.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is giving you everything in right way so that you can save your time, you do not waste your time, and you can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is required. We don't say that you stop eating. You eat. Take little Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We don't say that "Don't sleep." No, you sleep, but must rise early in the morning for maṅgala-ārati. This is our philo... Eating, sleeping, and sex. No, we don't say no sex life. Yes, you have sex life. Get your bona fide wife, live peacefully. And defense also, we have. We never say that you forego all these things. No, this is not our philosophy. But similarly, as much as you absolutely require, not more than that. The balance time, save for advancement. These people are simply engaged for eating, sleeping, mating. They have no time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This condemned civilization must be stopped.
Prabhupāda: This should be exemplary, that our community shall live in this way and save time for spiritual advancement of life. This example should be shown to the whole world, that "Here is a community. They have no problem, and they are simply interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This will be the idea. Is it possible?
Haṁsadūta: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "They do not do any industry. They do not kill cows. They do not go to cinema. They do not have illicit sex. They don't drink. No problems. Simply they're eating very nicely and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." Show this example. At least, in this fool's paradise. They are thinking it is paradise. And the paradise is lost every ten years or fifteen years by the bombing. German bombs the France, and France bombs the... This is their paradise. So let them understand that "You are all fools. You are fool's paradise. This is life, what we are doing." Teach them so that the fools will understand what is life.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hṛdayānanda: ...ask a lot that if there could be a Kṛṣṇa conscious society, would this mean to stop the industry and technology?
Prabhupāda: Industry, technology you can continue, but practically it has no use. (break) Just like there is the bench, you can sit down on the ground, and to sit down little comfortably you manufacture the bench. So for sitting down, you can utilize the ground, but you are unnecessarily wasting your time and manufacturing... This is industry. (break) ...philosophy is that we have to save time for becoming fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our necessity. And if we divert our energy for sitting down comfortably, then time is wasted.
Devotee: Is it all right to... You mentioned that to work hard is like... Because we're in the material world we have to work, this is the condemnation...
Prabhupāda: No, no. You have to work, but minimize work.
Devotee: I was wondering if it was all right to work hard for Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. To minimize this material work means the energy should be employed for Kṛṣṇa. Minimize work this, means this side, material side. And save time and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the principle. And if you are busy from the early morning to go to the working place and up to ten o'clock, then where you get for chanting, time? So therefore you save time from material activities and engage it for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is life.
Ṛṣabhadeva: Śrīla Prabhupāda, earlier you had said that nature provides each species its foodstuff. But in other species other than man we see that it's immediately obtainable. But man has to work for it, and he has to wait for the fruits of his labor. Why is that nature's arrangement?
Prabhupāda: Nature's arrangement... In this material world you cannot eat without working. Even if you are lion-lion is considered to be the most powerful animal—he has to capture one animal. He cannot think that "Let me sleep, and the animal will come automatically in my mouth." It is not possible. You have to work; this is the material world. So that work is simple work. If you have got land... Everyone has got land. You just work little, and it will produce your food grains. And the food grains will give food to the animal and man. The animal, cow, he will eat the grass, and you will take the grains. Why should you kill the animal? You haven't got to arrange for his food. You produce paddy. The plant, when it is dried, it is good for animals, and you take the grains. Why should you kill him? And he will deliver you. If you protect his life, he will give you nice milk. So you keep animal, cows, and grow food grain; then your food problem is solved. So if your food problem is solved and your cloth problems is solved, then where is your economic necessity? Then you save time and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So real business will be how to cultivate, how to become advanced in God consciousness. That the animal cannot do. You are claiming more intelligence than the animals, so use your intelligence in this way. Don't spoil day and night for your economic development. So-called economic development means as soon as you become stout and strong, then sense gratification. Then you cultivate the culture of nudism. That Los Angeles beach, "Beach for nudies." Is not written there?
Prabhupāda: Why motor car? Drive here and park problem. Not only park problem, there are so many things. There are three thousand parts, motor car. You have to produce them, big factory.
Satsvarūpa: Insurance.
Prabhupāda: Insur... So much! Everyone is being (indistinct). We do not decry, but we point out, "In this way our valuable time of life is being wasted." They say it is primitive life, but it is peaceful life. We want peaceful life and save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not primitive. That is intelligent life.
Indian lady (3): Can we purchase the house for our own staying?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because this is necessary. You must have some shelter; you must eat; you must cover. That is necessary. So you do it. Grow food first of all to feed yourself sumptuously. You must get strength, and that is needed. But not for trade. The policy should be that you should be self-sufficient and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So this is the training how to make human being, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now these boys, they are also Europeans, Americans. They are coming from respectable, very educated.... They'll never ask for a chair. "Sit down. That's all." The necessities of life, artificial necessities, reduced, and time is saved for understanding the value of life. Without motorcar your life will not be spoiled. You can walk. But without Kṛṣṇa consciousness your life is spoiled. So how.... We recommend that "First of all understand yourself." Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is your prime business. And so far necessities of body, that can be done according to the circumstances. So if we simply waste our time for increasing unnecessary necessities of life and do not try to understand the value of life, then we remain animal.
Prabhupāda: But we don't say that you starve, you unnecessarily give trouble to your body. No. Eat nicely, but simply, and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our program. Nanda Mahārāja was a village man. Kṛṣṇa was village boy. Kṛṣṇa could live in New Delhi, but He did not like that. He lived in Vṛndāvana, a village.
Prabhupāda: Yes, there are many farms in your country. Just now I am coming from New Vrindāban in West Virginia. They are living. If you go sometime, you can see how independently they are living. And there are other farms, New Orleans, and just now we are going tomorrow...
Rāmeśvara: Pennsylvania.
Prabhupāda: Pennsylvania. So we get enough milk, enough food grains, enough fruits. So there is no economic problem. Our purpose is to save time from unnecessary necessities of life, from unnecessary necessities of life, to save time and utilize the time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And so far the body is concerned, as much as it is required take and maintain the body. That's all.
Devotee (1): You once told me that a brāhmaṇa must know how to do everything perfectly so that he can teach others.
Prabhupāda: That may be, you may be a teacher, but you'll remain only a worker. That is another thing. Just like Dronācārya, he taught, he remained a teacher. So we can become a teacher of a particular subject matter, but that does not mean you should be worker. Still, there are many professors, they are teacher, they are not worker. But if the teachers are available, why you should become a teacher? Let them teach. We have to save our time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. After all, this, in the modern world they have invented so many varieties of occupations unnecessarily, to develop economic condition. Is it not? But our philosophy is that you cannot develop your economic condition than you are destined to suffer or enjoy. So one should not waste his time for so-called development of economic condition. He should utilize his time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was not possible in any other form of life.
Prabhupāda: That is our position. We should not waste a single moment for so-called material things, happiness. Best save time and utilize it for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Interviewer (4): You have some project?
Prabhupāda: Yes, we are trying to... (to devotee:) Land, what is that land? You can give the description.
Devotee: It is near (indistinct) village. It has not yet been confirmed, it is under procedure, but we are trying to develop a big project there, depending on formal procedures...
Prabhupāda: Our project is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Come here, live peacefully, keep your body fit, and work for yourself, you produce your own food, you produce your own cloth, don't be very much anxious for artificial necessities, and save time, and be advanced in spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: This I want to introduce, let them be satisfied whatever they can produce themselves locally. What is that, little cloth, little food? Any man can produce these things. There is no difficulty at all. They must agree to this simple life. Otherwise, everywhere you can produce your own food and cloth and cottage. If possible you can construct big buildings. There is no need. And they should be satisfied, happy with Kṛṣṇa. Then life is successful. This I want to introduce now, anywhere. And it is practical. It is not something bogus. It is... We have already experimented. By God's grace we can produce everything from the lands, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī? You can get everything. If they are satisfied with this simple life, then they save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness and happy life.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And therefore I'm asking. Potential is wonderful, so why they are not attracted to live in the farm and be self-independent and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? That is our farm project. Our farm project is they should be satisfied with simple living. That is nice living. If you get milk, if you get fruit, if you get grain and open air, it is very healthy life. Why they should not be attracted?
Yogeśvara: It is still the beginning, and because it's the beginning, it is a little difficult sometimes.
Prabhupāda: That may be. But this should be our aim. We should not be attracted by the modern city life. Simplified life. Save time and utilize for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfect life. Just like Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana life means agriculturist, cowherd boys, uneducated girls, cows and calves, and tree, fruits. This is Vṛndāvana. The center is Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). (sound of thunder and rain) This time rainfall is very beneficial for crops. This is the way of living. You perform yajña, there will be rain. And as soon as the ground is moist, you can produce anything, whatever you want. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. From the field, you can get all your necessities of life. The first necessity is the food grain. So food grain you can eat, and the rejected grass portion, you give to the cows. So both the animal and the man get sufficient food. And the cows will give you nice milk, and from milk you can get butter, ghee, yogurt, so many nice sweetmeat. And there is ghee, and here is food grain, then you make kacuri, puri, samosā. Then sufficient foodstuff, nice, palatable, nutritious. First necessity is āhāra. You get sufficient āhāra. Then make little cottage for shelter. Just like there is rainfall. Now you require little... (thunder sounds) Āhāra, nidrā, bhaya, and sex. So marry. Then the whole problem is solved. And then, rest time you save and advance in Kṛṣṇa conscious... This is civilization.
Correspondence
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 28, 1975 with the enclosed photos. Your farm appears very nice, open plain land. The cows are very nice and so are the sheds. This farm project you should consider very important. The idea is that people can be self sufficient and raise their own foodstuffs and have sufficient milk to save time and chant Hare Krishna. Why should they work so hard in the hellish factories? Let everyone live simply and be Krsna conscious.
1976 Correspondence
That is our mission: Cow protection and agriculture and if there is excess, trade. This is a no-profit scheme. For the agriculture we want to produce our own food and we want to keep cows for our own milk. The whole idea is that we are Iskcon, a community to be independent from outside help. This farm project is especially for the devotees to grow their own food. Cotton also, to make their own clothes. And keeping cows for milk and fatty products.
Our mission is to protect our devotees from unnecessary heavy work to save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is our mission. So there is no question of profit, but if easily there are surplus products, then we can think of trading. Otherwise we have no such intention. We want a temple, a gosala and agriculture. A community project as in Europe and America. We are making similar attempts in India in several places. Immediately I'm going to Hyderabad to organize the farm project there. We have 600 acres. We have the permission from the government. There is no question of ceiling.
1977 Correspondence
Try to concentrate on these farm projects. Let the villagers come and hear, and distribute prasadam. In this way draw their sympathy and gradually they'll become our associates. Then they can come to live with us and work with us. In this way let them be induced. In the evenings you can hold kirtana and invite them to come and distribute prasadam. We are doing this now on our farm near Hyderabad. Gradually they may be invited to come and live and work with us. We will give them food, clothing and shelter and they can live simply and save time for developing their Krsna consciousness. Do this and then our Movement is successful. Our only motive is how to interest people in Krsna consciousness. That's all. There is no economic problem. We can produce our own food and clothes, gradually, and save time for spiritual life.
| Page Title: | Save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 28 of Sep, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=3, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=28, Con=20, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 55 |