Should tolerate

Expressions researched:
"should tolerate"

SB Canto 4

Satī's behavior is exemplary because no one should tolerate blasphemy against Lord Viṣṇu or His devotee.

SB 4.4.22, Translation and Purport:

You are an offender at the lotus feet of Lord Śiva, and unfortunately I have a body produced from yours. I am very much ashamed of our bodily relationship, and I condemn myself because my body is contaminated by a relationship with a person who is an offender at the lotus feet of the greatest personality.

Lord Śiva is the greatest of all devotees of Lord Viṣṇu. It is stated, vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ. Śambhu, Lord Śiva, is the greatest of all devotees of Lord Viṣṇu. In the previous verses, Satī has described that Lord Śiva is always in a transcendental position because he is situated in pure vasudeva. Vasudeva is that state from which Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, is born, so Lord Śiva is the greatest devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Satī's behavior is exemplary because no one should tolerate blasphemy against Lord Viṣṇu or His devotee. Satī is aggrieved not for her personal association with Lord Śiva but because her body is related with that of Dakṣa, who is an offender at Lord Śiva's lotus feet. She feels herself to be condemned because of the body given by her father, Dakṣa.

A Vaiṣṇava should follow the examples of such Vaiṣṇavas as Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Nityānanda Prabhu and also Lord Jesus Christ. There is no need to kill anyone who has already been killed. But it should be noted herewith that a Vaiṣṇava should not tolerate the blaspheming of Viṣṇu or Vaiṣṇavas, although he should tolerate personal insults to himself.

SB 4.6.47, Purport:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been started to deliver the envious persons of the world from the clutches of māyā, and even though devotees are sometimes put into trouble, they push on the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in all tolerance. Lord Caitanya advises:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

"One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." (Śikṣāṣṭaka 3)

A Vaiṣṇava should follow the examples of such Vaiṣṇavas as Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Nityānanda Prabhu and also Lord Jesus Christ. There is no need to kill anyone who has already been killed. But it should be noted herewith that a Vaiṣṇava should not tolerate the blaspheming of Viṣṇu or Vaiṣṇavas, although he should tolerate personal insults to himself.

Although there may be sufficient cause for being unhappy, one should avoid counteracting such reversals, for the more we become implicated in rectifying such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest regions of material anxiety. Lord Kṛṣṇa has also advised us in this connection. We should tolerate things instead of becoming agitated.

SB 4.19.34, Translation and Purport:

My dear King, do not be agitated and anxious because your sacrifices have not been properly executed due to providential impediments. Kindly take my words with great respect. We should always remember that if something happens by providential arrangement, we should not be very sorry. The more we try to rectify such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought.

Sometimes the saintly or very religious person also has to meet with reversals in life. Such incidents should be taken as providential. Although there may be sufficient cause for being unhappy, one should avoid counteracting such reversals, for the more we become implicated in rectifying such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest regions of material anxiety. Lord Kṛṣṇa has also advised us in this connection. We should tolerate things instead of becoming agitated.

A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury, the devotee need not tolerate it.

SB 4.22.24, Translation and Purport:

A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must follow the regulative principles without material desire and, while following the regulative principles, should not blaspheme others. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.

The devotees are actually saintly persons, or sādhus. The first qualification of a sādhu, or devotee, is ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. Persons interested in the path of devotional service, or in going back home, back to Godhead, must first practice ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. A sādhu is described as titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury, the devotee need not tolerate it. The whole world is full of violence, and a devotee's first business is to stop this violence, including the unnecessary slaughter of animals. A devotee is the friend not only of human society but of all living entities, for he sees all living entities as sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not claim himself to be the only son of God and allow all others to be killed, thinking that they have no soul. This kind of philosophy is never advocated by a pure devotee of the Lord. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: a true devotee is the friend of all living entities.

A devotee should tolerate and learn to stop agitation.

SB 4.22.24, Purport:

Another important point mentioned in this connection is anindayā—we should not criticize others' methods of religion. There are different types of religious systems operating under different qualities of material nature. Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gītā everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore religious systems are similarly categorized. When people are mostly under the modes of passion and ignorance, their system of religion will be of the same quality. A devotee, instead of criticizing such systems, will encourage the followers to stick to their principles so that gradually they can come to the platform of religion in goodness. Simply by criticizing them, a devotee's mind will be agitated. Thus a devotee should tolerate and learn to stop agitation.

SB Canto 5

Lord Kṛṣṇa informs Arjuna that the pains and pleasures experienced in relation to the body are temporary; they come and go. One should not be disturbed by them but should tolerate them and continue with spiritual realization.

SB 5.12.4, Purport:

Formal inquiries and answers about the bodily conception do not constitute knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Knowledge of the Absolute Truth is quite different from the formal understanding of bodily pains and pleasures. In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa informs Arjuna that the pains and pleasures experienced in relation to the body are temporary; they come and go. One should not be disturbed by them but should tolerate them and continue with spiritual realization (BG 2.14).

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.16.51, Translation:

At least once, a master should tolerate an offense committed by his child or subject. O supreme peaceful Soul, You should therefore forgive our foolish husband, who did not understand who You are.

SB 11.18.31, Translation:

A saintly person should never let others frighten or disturb him and, similarly, should never frighten or disturb other people. He should tolerate the insults of others and should never himself belittle anyone. He should never create hostility with anyone for the sake of the material body, for he would thus be no better than an animal.

SB 12.6.34, Translation:

One should tolerate all insults and never fail to show proper respect to any person. Avoiding identification with the material body, one should not create enmity with anyone.

CC Adi-lila

One should tolerate insults against oneself, but when there is blasphemy committed against superiors such as other Vaiṣṇavas, one should be neither humble nor meek: one must take proper steps to counteract such blasphemy. This is the duty of a servant of a guru and Vaiṣṇavas.

CC Adi 10.85, Purport:

"One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." Nevertheless, when the Lord was informed that Nityānanda Prabhu was injured by Jagāi and Mādhāi, He immediately went to the spot, angry like fire, wanting to kill them. Thus Lord Caitanya has explained His verse by the example of His own behavior. One should tolerate insults against oneself, but when there is blasphemy committed against superiors such as other Vaiṣṇavas, one should be neither humble nor meek: one must take proper steps to counteract such blasphemy. This is the duty of a servant of a guru and Vaiṣṇavas. Anyone who understands the principle of eternal servitude to the guru and Vaiṣṇavas will appreciate the action of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī in connection with the so-called scholar's victory over his gurus, Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So because there is itching, I should not be mad after it. I should tolerate. There are so many. Nowadays mosquito bite is going on. So we should not be mad. We should not give up our duty because mosquito is biting or some bed bug is biting.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

So because I am trying to get out of this body, bodily conception—not exactly out of the body, but bodily conception—so I will have to practice to tolerate these dualities. As in the Second Chapter we have, Kṛṣṇa has advised Arjuna, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). This duality of distress and happiness, this is due to the skin. This is skin disease. Just like itching, itching of the skin. So because there is itching, I should not be mad after it. I should tolerate. There are so many. Nowadays mosquito bite is going on. So we should not be mad. We should not give up our duty because mosquito is biting or some bed bug is biting. So so many dualities that we have to tolerate.

I have seen a serious. They are divorced, but still, the husband is anxious for the wife, and the wife is anxious for the husband. The divorce is artificial. The husband and wife, the combination, that cannot be cut off. So one should tolerate these things.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

Bambhārambhe laghu-kriyā. Aja-yuddhe, fighting between two goats... Now, they are very serious about fighting, and somebody comes, (claps) does like this, (claps), and they go away. The fighting stops. You see? So bambhārambhe, the attempt is very great, but the effect is little. Aja-yuddhe muni-śrāddhe: "And a ceremony observed by some sages in the jungle..." What they have got? They have got some leaves and flowers. That's all. What arrangement will be made? And prabhāte megha-ḍambare: "And in the morning, thundering sound of the cloud..." And similarly, dam-pate kalahe, I mean to say, "war between husband and wife..." So these things are to be taken as insignificant. So, of course, in India the quarrel between husband and wife, nobody cares. Nobody takes very seriously. The husband may complain, the wife may complain. Everyone says, "Yes, yes. That's all right. It will be all right." They never go to court for divorce. You see? But it is... There is no seriousness. And actually it is fact. I have seen a serious. They are divorced, but still, the husband is anxious for the wife, and the wife is anxious for the husband. The divorce is artificial. The husband and wife, the combination, that cannot be cut off. So one should tolerate these things. If there is some misunderstanding, they should not go to the court for divorce. They should tolerate. These are some of the rules for spiritual advancement.

Because I have got this material body, I am feeling some heat. Therefore fan is required. Similarly, by this body in the winter season I shall stop the fan. So under different season my body feels differently pains and pleasure. But actually, if I am not this body, then I should tolerate all these pains and pleasures.

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

We must come to the right conclusion that "I belong to Kṛṣṇa, I am the son of Kṛṣṇa, I do not belong to anyone." This is called nirahaṅkāra. Sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ. This material happiness and distress. Because I am not this material body, if I am actually convinced, so the pains and pleasure of this material world is due to this body. Just like because I have got this material body, I am feeling some heat. Therefore fan is required. Similarly, by this body in the winter season I shall stop the fan. So under different season my body feels differently pains and pleasure. But actually, if I am not this body, then I should tolerate all these pains and pleasures. This is called sama-duḥkha.

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya

śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ

āgamāpāyino 'nityās

tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

(BG 2.14)

We should not be disturbed by these material pains and pleasure. We have to execute our spiritual consciousness business. That is called sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ. And kṣamī. Kṣamī means kṣama, excuse.

Especially devotee is always attacked by the demons. Even the nondevotee is a father. We have seen it, Prahlāda Mahārāja's life. Because Prahlāda Mahārāja was devotee, even his father was enemy, what to speak of others. So devotee will have to meet so many enemies. Just like we have got this from the life of Lord Jesus Christ. When he was being killed by others, he said, to excuse them, "God, they do not know what they are doing." That is devotee's position. Kṣamī, always excusing. We have to learn this.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Even there is danger, even there is suffering in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should tolerate. We should welcome such danger. And pray to Kṛṣṇa. What is that prayer? Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

We should not divert our energy. Now when we are selling book, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are selling book. But if we think that the selling book may be diverted into selling jewelry, that is not very good idea. That is not very good idea. Then we become again jeweler. Punar mūṣika bhava. Again become mouse. We should be very much careful. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be diverted. Then you are gone to hell. Even there is danger, even there is suffering in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should tolerate. That is the instruction of... We should welcome such danger. And pray to Kṛṣṇa. What is that prayer? Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). "My dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I am put into this dangerous position." That is the viewpoint of devotee. He doesn't take danger as danger. He takes: "It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy." What kind of mercy? Now bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. "Due to my past activities, I was to suffer so much. But You are mitigating that suffering, giving me little suffering."

Just like a token punishment. Sometimes in the courts a big man is culprit. So say, if the judge wants 100,000 dollars, he can pay immediately. But he asks from Him: "You just give one cent." Because that is also punishment. But minimizing. Similarly we have to suffer on account of our past deeds. That's a fact. You cannot avoid. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). But those who are in devotional service, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their sufferings are minimized, a token. Just like one was to be killed. So instead of being killed with his knife, he gets some little cut on the finger.

We insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

According to association we infect different qualities. That they do not know. But nature's law is so particular, as soon as you infect by association a particular type of quality, you have to suffer for that. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was asked by one devotee, gṛhastha devotee, householder, "Sir, what is the duty of a gṛhastha devotee, Vaiṣṇava?" Devotee means Vaiṣṇava. So He immediately informed him, asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra: (CC Madhya 22.87) "A Vaiṣṇava's behavior should be that he should give up the company of asat, nondevotee." That is his first business. He should give up the company of nondevotee. This is first business. Because he will be infected. Therefore we insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down. So if there is inconvenience, little... That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). These, just like extreme cold or extreme heat, they are troublesome to the body, mātrā-sparśāḥ. On account of this material body, we feel extreme cold, extreme heat. But Kṛṣṇa says, "They come and go." It is not that winter season will remain forever or the summer season also remain. They will come and go. If it is intolerable, please tolerate, please tolerate. Then it will be all right. I have repeatedly said... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. Why we have opened this society? I could have initiated, and let him remain at his home. No. The society required. So by association we become good or bad. If you associate with goodness, then you acquire goodness quality, and if you associate with bad, passionate, ignorant, then you get that quality.

A devotee should be so advanced that in spite of being troubled by the asuras, he should tolerate, titikṣavaḥ, and still, he should be kind upon him.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

A santa means he has to suffer. Just see in the Western countries the Lord Jesus Christ. He was preaching about God, God consciousness. That was the only fault, and he was crucified. Just see. He was crucified. The state ordered him to be crucified because he is talking. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his five-years-old body, he was talking only of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So therefore his father became enemy. He was trying in so many ways to kill him. This is the very old story, that if you become a devotee, you must be prepared to be put into miserable condition by the demons. That is their business. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). Asuras... Just like even Kṛṣṇa, even God Himself, He was attempted to be killed by Kaṁsa. Not only that, He engaged so many demons, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Mahīśāsura, so many asuras. But Kṛṣṇa is always Kṛṣṇa. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He is able to finish these duṣkṛtas or the asuras by His omnipotency. That He can do. But the asuras are always... Their only business is to give trouble to God and His devotee.

Therefore it is advised, titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21). A devotee should be so advanced that in spite of being troubled by the asuras, he should tolerate, titikṣavaḥ, and still, he should be kind upon him, not that "This man is talking against me, against God. Therefore I shall be angry and drive him away." No. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. Everyone in this material world, more or less, they are asuras, atheists. So if you want to preach, then you have to learn tolerance and speak in such a way that these asura can become also devotee. That is the business.

"I have got some pain here, I have some trouble or some..." These are not problems. This problem one should tolerate.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

The purpose of guru is described in the Bhāgavatam, that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Guru to go, to surrender. Just like Arjuna, he surrendered, śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Prapadye, tasmād guruṁ prapadye. You must find out guru where you can surrender. Not that keep your guru your order supply, "Give me some acid bath (?) and I may be benefited." He is not guru; he is your order supplier, your servant. Guru means he must order it, "You must do this." If we agree, then he is a guru. Not that "I shall order my guru, and he will execute my order." No that. That will do the dog, not the guru. Then the... You have got a dog, and if you ask him, "Sit down here," a dog will sit. That kind of guru keeping has no value. But here is the responsibility of guru, first that he must save the disciple from the cycle of birth and death. Kṛṣṇa also said, "What is the problem of life?" Not that "I have got some pain here, I have some trouble or some..." These are not problems. This problem one should tolerate. Because destiny is there, one should āgamāpāyino nityā tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. We should not be disturbed for all these things. It is material world. You will have sometimes mātrā sparśās tu śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. The whole world is like that. There is sometimes distress, there is sometimes happiness. So to mitigate the worldly distress or getting some happiness, one should not go to guru. That is not the proper way.

You will have many enemies, many envious persons, when you become pure devotee, but you should tolerate.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Here is a quality in the material world. Anyone who is here, he will be envious of his... Para utkarṣa asahanam. They cannot tolerate that his friend or his brother is very much, I mean to say, advancing either material or spiritual. They cannot tolerate. This is the society. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "This is not the place for a gentleman to live," because surrounded by envious persons, especially to the devotees. Especially when a man becomes devoted to the Lord, he creates... He does not create, but the atmosphere is such—many enemies.

Just like Prahlāda Maharaja. He was a five-years'-old boy only, child. His father became enemy because the only disqualification Prahlāda Mahārāja had, that he was a great devotee. His father became enemy, what to speak of others? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, taror api sahiṣṇunā. You will have many enemies, many envious persons, when you become pure devotee, but you should tolerate. Taror api sahiṣṇunā. Be tolerant just like a tree and be humble just like a grass. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Don't be afraid of our enemies because Kṛṣṇa will protect you, but in order to stop more misunderstanding, better become tolerant, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that... Envious persons, automatically... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, Śrīvāsa. Śrīvāsa was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and his neighborers became enemies. They wanted to insult him in so many ways. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So that is natural. But we should always remember that "Let there be enemies. Let there be envious persons. I will be protected by Kṛṣṇa and His associates." And even I am not so accustomed, so I should learn to tolerate.

"When there is happiness, it is all right. Then I shall go on suffering without any attempt to minimize it?" "Yes. Yes." That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Taṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, even if you think there is some distress, still, you should tolerate."

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa says both these processes, increasing happiness or decreasing distress, this is sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Avoid these two ways of life. Simply surrender unto Me." Then shall I go on suffering? Due... "When there is happiness, it is all right. Then I shall go on suffering without any attempt to minimize it?" "Yes. Yes." That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Taṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, even if you think there is some distress, still, you should tolerate."

General Lectures

So our business is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. If there is some difficulty you should tolerate and go on with our business.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

So God consciousness means you have to face difficulty but you should not be discouraged. You must go on with your business, and then success is sure. There is a verse in this connection. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). When there is difficulty a devotee thinks, "It is a good fortune that Kṛṣṇa has given us some difficulty to counteract my previous bad action." So in this way, if we live, then mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk. If one is not opposed by all these difficulties and with determination he goes forward, then for him going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Dāya-bhāk. Dāya-bhāk means it is hereditary or herent. Eh? What is called?

Devotees: Inherited.

Prabhupāda: Inherited, yes. So just like father's property the son gets—there is no law to check it—similarly those who are humbly, tolerantly going on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness with full determination, for them going back to home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Nobody can check. So our business is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. If there is some difficulty you should tolerate and go on with our business.

Philosophy Discussions

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, āgamāpāyino, they come and go, but they come and go, or they come, that's a fact. So we have to tolerate. But the question is why these miserable conditions come? Why I should tolerate? But even if I tolerate, that is not finished. So why this is the position?

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Nobody wanted the Pakistan war, but somehow or other it was enforced. Similarly, there are so many difficulties. Śītoṣṇa sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, āgamāpāyino, they come and go, but they come and go, or they come, that's a fact. So we have to tolerate. But the question is why these miserable conditions come? Why I should tolerate? But even if I tolerate, that is not finished. So why this is the position? This "Why?" position is actually human life. That is called in the Vedānta-sūtra, brahma-jijñāsā. After trying (indistinct), when one is unable to make any solution, then the question comes "Why?" That is the beginning of human life.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

If one is engaged in his cultivation of spiritual life, then he should tolerate all these bodily pains and pleasure. Because they come and go.

Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

If one is engaged in his cultivation of spiritual life, then he should tolerate all these bodily pains and pleasure. Because they come and go. Just like you are medical man, you treat, some patient. Suppose he's attacked with fever. Everyone knows that fever has come; after some time, it will go away. So the one who is cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's not very much disturbed with fever. He knows that it has come, it will go automatically. If we fast for few days. There is a Bengali proverb, jvaranpar ketanadali palab...(?) If you receive one unwanted guest and fever, you don't give him eat. Then it will go away. Unwanted guest, if you do not give him food, he'll go away. Even a fever also, if you don't eat, it will go automatically. So after all, these things come and go. The example is given, śīta-uṣṇa. Śīta means winter and uṣṇa means summer. As the summer comes and go, winter comes and go, so these kinds of sufferings, they come and go. So Kṛṣṇa is advising, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Therefore a brāhmaṇa's qualification is titikṣa. Śamo damaḥ śaucaṁ titikṣa, toleration. They're not very much bothered with the bodily pains and pleasure. They come and go. They're engaged in real business, how to realize Brahman. So if one is engaged in the prime business of life, Brahman understanding, athāto brahma jijñāsā, for him these bodily pains and pleasure becomes minor things.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Gosvāmī means vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegaṁ viṣaheta. If there is some krodha, you should tolerate.

Room Conversation -- May 20, 1974, Vrndavana:

Indian man (2): I told him about the drafts, you see, that you made the other day. I said, "Prabhupāda has only agreed. It was so magnanimous of him, so magnanimous."

Prabhupāda: Yes, I told you Friday, you write, I shall sign it. And why they are agitating and stopped such a function? And that is very regrettable. Gosvāmī means vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegaṁ viṣaheta. If there is some krodha, you should tolerate. Now here is a Vaiṣṇava, he has done so much for Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the reception was there, and he stopped. How he is gosvāmī? He expressed his krodha in that very moment, just to take retaliation. It is not gosvāmī. What do you think? Krodha-vegam. It is a krodha, but he could not tolerate that krodha-vegam. He retaliated at the right moment and to a person, fit person who was to be honored. Just see. And he claims to be gosvāmī. The first business is vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegam. The Vaikuṇṭha mentality is that if one is serving—I have read it in Bhāgavata—Kṛṣṇa better than somebody else, he would simply appreciate that "Kṛṣṇa has so much favored him. Oh, how fortunate he is. When I shall be able?" That is Vaikuṇṭha mentality. And the material mentality is, "Oh, he has advanced so much. How to come down him?" That is material. This is the difference between Vaikuṇṭha mentality. So his business is how to come down. So he is not a gosvāmī. At least I will not accept. What do you think? Am I right or wrong?

1968 Correspondence

You must treat your father as respectful as myself; even if you are sometimes ill-treated, you should tolerate.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 22 November, 1968:

So you try to win the love and affection of your father some way or other. You are very intelligent boy and Krishna will also give you extra intelligence how to deal with your father. But you must treat your father as respectful as myself; even if you are sometimes ill-treated, you should tolerate. You should follow the example of Prahlada Maharaja. His father continually tortured him in so many ways, but he never protested against his father, but he never agreed with the opinion of his father. That should be your policy also, that you will never agree to your father's demoniac principles, but still you will try to serve him as faithfully as a nice obedient son. I am sure your father will be responsive and gradually our mission may be successful.