Serious attention

Expressions researched:
"serious attention"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

Anyone who has no interest but to dedicate his life to the service of the Lord does not give serious attention to the fruitive activities or prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedas.

BG 9.28, Purport: Anyone who has no interest but to dedicate his life to the service of the Lord is actually a sannyāsī. Such a person always thinks of himself as an eternal servant, dependent on the supreme will of the Lord. As such, whatever he does, he does it for the benefit of the Lord. Whatever action he performs, he performs it as service to the Lord. He does not give serious attention to the fruitive activities or prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedas. For ordinary persons it is obligatory to execute the prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedas, but although a pure devotee who is completely engaged in the service of the Lord may sometimes appear to go against the prescribed Vedic duties, actually it is not so.

SB Canto 6

Fortunately, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement has come to America, and many fortunate young men are giving serious attention to this movement, which is creating ideal men of first-class character, men who completely refrain from meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling.

SB 6.7.12, Purport: The entire American nation has tried to advance in material opulence without striving to produce ideal human beings. The result is that Americans are now regretting the wholesale criminality of American society and are wondering how America has become so lawless and unmanageable. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.31), na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: persons who are unenlightened do not know the aim of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore, both individually and collectively, they try to enjoy so-called material comforts, and they become addicted to wine and women. The men produced in such a society are less than fourth class. They are the unwanted population known as varṇa-saṅkara, and as stated in Bhagavad-gītā, an increase of varṇa-saṅkara population creates a hellish society. This is the society in which Americans now find themselves. Fortunately, however, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement has come to America, and many fortunate young men are giving serious attention to this movement, which is creating ideal men of first-class character, men who completely refrain from meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. If the American people are serious about curbing the degraded criminal life of their nation, they must take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to create the kind of human society advised in Bhagavad-gītā (cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]). They must divide their society into first-class men, second-class men, third-class men and fourth-class men. Since they are now creating only men who are less than fourth class, how can they avoid the dangers of a criminal society? Long, long ago, Lord Indra regretted his disrespect to his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati. Similarly, it is advised that the American people regret their mistaken advancement in civilization. They should take advice from the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. If they do so, they will be happy, and theirs will be an ideal nation to lead the entire world.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 9.149, Translation: “Although Kṛṣṇa assumed the four-armed form of Nārāyaṇa, He could not attract the serious attention of the gopīs in ecstatic love.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. The leaders of the society, they should take very serious attention how you can improve the social condition of this world.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972: Forget, forget good government for millions of years, unless you establish this varṇāśrama-dharma. There is no question of good government. There must be first-class kṣatriya who can take charge of the government. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He was on his tour, and as soon as he saw that one black man was trying to kill a cow, immediately he took his sword: "Who are you, rascal, here?" That is kṣatriya. That is vaiśya, who can give protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Everything is there clearly. Where is the culture? Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. The leaders of the society, they should take very serious attention how you can improve the social condition of this world. Not only here, everywhere, sir. Simply it is going on in ignorance and illusion, everything. Vague, no clear idea. Here is clear idea: vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. You are a... Veda, knowledge, you are educating people, but where is your education to teach people about Vāsudeva, about Kṛṣṇa? Bhagavad-gītā is prohibited. Vāsudeva speaking about Himself, but that is prohibited. And if somebody's reading, some rascal is reading, he's making minus Vāsudeva. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā minus Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. Whole nonsense. You cannot expect human civilization in a nonsense society.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

So better to leave this place as soon as possible. Not to come again. That should be our serious attention.

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Guru dāsa: Is that a qualification, is that part of the age of Kali-yuga? Flowers with no scent?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Trees will have no fruits. The fruit will have no juice. That is mentioned. Just like in a mango there is a seed. In many fruits there is seed. In Kali-yuga you'll find simply the skin and seed, no pulp. And cloud without rain. These are mentioned. (laughs) What can you do? If the cloud becomes without rain, if the fruit become without pulp, if the paddy becomes without grain, then what you have to eat? You have to eat the grass, the husk, the skin, and the seed. Or kill another man and eat. Just like in Africa, still, they are doing. Cannibals. Killing the grandfather, that is a great ceremony. Do you know that?

Guru dāsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They kill the grandfather and have a feast, the cannibals. Yes. That is a great sport, that the grandsons will kill the grandfather and have a feast on his body by toasting.(?) Yes. The same idea is being preached by the communists. They want that all old man of the society, they should be killed. That is one of the theories put forward by the communists. Because they are not producing anything. So just imagine, these things will come gradually. So better to leave this place as soon as possible. Not to come again. That should be our serious attention. The other day the radio man was asking, "Swamiji, how to adjust?" "And there is no adjustment. You have to go out of the scene. There is no adjustment." So he was not very happy. If I would have bluffed him, "Oh, you do this, you do that, you do this humanitarian work, you spread(?) education and give foodstuff." No! There is no adjustment. The only adjustment is quit this place. That is the function of this human form of life. You can get out of this show by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1970 Correspondence

I am very glad that you are giving some serious attention to this Movement, and I wish may Krishna bless you for your further advancement.

Letter to Anil Grover -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970: If Western people are expert in technological knowledge, and if their natural tendency is to develop it, let them do it. But as far as we Indians are concerned, our people are naturally inclined for spiritual elevation. Therefore, even in these days also when there is Kumbha Mela at Prayag or any other place, or there is a particular function in some pilgrimage like Jagannatha Puri, Vrindaban, Haridwar, etc., millions of people gather without any advertising. So these natural tendencies should not be disturbed, but the people of a particular section of the world should develop their indigenous talent and then exchange with others. So the Western people may give us their product, and we may give them our product; and by such exchanging policy, both of us may flourish in our civilized way of life. Unfortunately, in India, at the present moment, our blind leaders are completely neglecting development of our indigenous talent. Therefore, India is in a position of misadjustment. I have got practical experience that some of the Indian students in this country directly criticize this Krishna Consciousness Movement; so I am very glad that you are giving some serious attention to this Movement, and I wish may Krishna bless you for your further advancement.

I think if such realized souls go to various parts of the world and preach this Krishna Consciousness Movement in every nook and corner of the world, there will be a great renaissance. I would therefore request you to give your serious attention to this Krishna Consciousness Movement and help me as far as possible.

Letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970: On the whole, the Godless world situation is not very satisfactory. People in this part of the world are feeling for this vacancy, but they do not know how to solve this problem. They think that by making people Godless they will solve the question—this is a utopian hope which will never be fulfilled. The Godless leaders of the society are blind themselves and their followers are also blind. So blind men leading blind men has no meaning. But practically I have experienced that this Krishna Consciousness Movement or to present the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita as it is can solve all problems of the world. It is specifically the responsibility of the Indians after realizing the philosophy themselves, and I think if such realized souls go to various parts of the world and preach this Krishna Consciousness Movement in every nook and corner of the world, there will be a great renaissance. I would therefore request you to give your serious attention to this Krishna Consciousness Movement and help me as far as possible.

1971 Correspondence

Whatever prestige we have got is due to our magazines and books. So in this connection, no attention is being drawn and, as Tamala is in charge of Indian affairs, I wish to draw his serious attention in this matter.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Brooklyn 28 July, 1971: If there are sufficient men in Calcutta, then why not send some and try to develop Delhi? Subala Maharaja sometimes says that he will conduct the Vrindaban press and sometimes he says that there is no need. He is not fixed up. It was the program in Delhi that BTG in Hindi would be published. There was so much enthusiasm for this Hindi work in Delhi and now nothing is done. We are making members on the condition that there will be a Hindi BTG but no arrangement has been made to date; simply words. Ksirodakasayi left India all of a sudden. Dr. Rao is competent to translate but I do not know why he is silent. I first went to India some time last year at the end of August. So you are all in India for at least one year but still you cannot publish a second issue of Hindi BTG. So immediately arrangement should be made. We have to publish from India BTG in different languages. Whatever prestige we have got is due to our magazines and books. So in this connection, no attention is being drawn and, as Tamala is in charge of Indian affairs, I wish to draw his serious attention in this matter. What arrangements are there for printing our magazine in different Indian languages? Some Bengali man, Mr. Chaterjee's son-in-law, wanted to translate. What happened to that?