View source for It is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked

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{{terms|"it is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked"}}
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{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
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{{first|23Sep09}}
{{last|23Sep09}}
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[[Category:Simple]]
[[Category:Very Hard]]
[[Category:Crook]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1969]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Initiations]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in USA, Boston]]
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2></div>
<div id="Initiation_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Lectures" text="Initiation Lectures"><h3>Initiation Lectures</h3></div>
<div id="InitiationLectureBostonDecember261969_0" class="quote" parent="Initiation_Lectures" book="Lec" index="21" link="Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969" link_text="Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969">
<div class="heading">Do you think intoxication can be cured by intoxication? No. That is not possible. So these four rules you have to follow. And you keep to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is sublime. Very simple thing. Very simple thing. But it is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked. Yes. So those who are going to be initiated, they should always remember these restrictive four rules and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at least sixteen rounds, and eat Bhagavat-prasādam, Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and be happy, dance. That's all.</div>


<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/691226IN-BOSTON_clip02.mp3</mp3player>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969|Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">
You keep yourself chanting as many hours, twenty-four hours. Why as many hours? Twenty-four. ''Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ'' ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.31|CC Adi 17.31]]). Lord Caitanya says: "This is to be practiced twenty-four hours." And that you can do. It requires simply practice. Even in sleeping you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even in sleeping. And there is no bar. In sleeping, in eating, in going to the toilet room, there is no restriction. You can go on chanting, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see? So that will keep you in your ''svarūpa'', in your real identification, and you'll never be attacked by ''māyā''. 

Just like if you keep yourself vaccinated, and if the period . . . what is called? Active. Then there is no fear of being infected. That is practical. If you get yourself vaccinated of certain type of infection and you keep yourself active . . . just like doctors, they go, treat patients suffering from infectious disease, but they keep themselves always unaffected. They know the remedial measures, antiseptic, prophylactic processes. 

So this prophylactic antiseptic process is ''kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam''. ''Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam''. That is Lord Caitanya's blessings. ''Paraṁ vijayate''. All glories to the ''saṅkīrtana'', ''śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana''. ''Kīrtana'' means ''kṛṣṇa-kīrtana''. Not any other ''kīrtana''. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they introduce so many other ''kīrtanas''. No. 

''Kīrtana'' means ''kṛṣṇa-kīrtana'': Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma . . . or any name glorifying the name of the Lord. That is ''kīrtana''. But this Hare Kṛṣṇa ''mantra'' is especially recommended in this age, and Lord Caitanya personally chanted, so we should follow. 

Although every name of Kṛṣṇa is as potent as the name Kṛṣṇa . . . Viṣṇu name, or there are thousands and thousands of names . . . ''nāmnām akāri bahudhā'' ([[Vanisource:CC Antya 20.16|CC Antya 20.16]]). ''Bahudhā'' means there is no counting. Innumerable names. And each name has the same potency like Kṛṣṇa. But this is recommended, especially, those who take advantage. This is one thing.

This is one thing. And other thing—to take precaution so that ''māyā'' may not attack you. You should be cautious also. And therefore we have to follow the four regulative principles: no illicit sex life and no meat-eating, or nonvegetarian diet . . . 

We have no quarrel with vegetarian and nonvegetarian. We are after ''kṛṣṇa-prasādam''. If Kṛṣṇa accepts something beyond these vegetarian dishes, then we can accept also. But Kṛṣṇa says: "No. Give Me ''patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam''" ([[Vanisource:BG 9.26 (1972)|BG 9.26]]). Kṛṣṇa can eat everything. He is God. But He says that, "Give Me this." ''Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam'': "Offer Me this flower, fruit, water." Like that.

So we are after ''kṛṣṇa-prasādam''. That is our motto. We don't fight with vegetarian and non . . . we are not making propaganda. Just like there is Vegetarian Society. No. We have no business. Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing ''kṛṣṇa-prasāda'', therefore we invite people to take nice ''prasāda''. 

So these four principles we should follow. We shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And no illicit sex life, no gambling, no intoxication. We are already intoxicated, being haunted by the ghost of ''māyā''. And further intoxication . . .? Do you think intoxication can be cured by intoxication? No. That is not possible. So these four rules you have to follow. And you keep to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is sublime. Very simple thing. Very simple thing. But it is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked. Yes. 

So those who are going to be initiated, they should always remember these restrictive four rules and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at least sixteen rounds, and eat ''bhagavat-prasādam'', ''kṛṣṇa-prasādam'', and be happy, dance. That's all. Is there any difficulty?

Devotees: No.

Prabhupāda: (laughter) No difficulty. And people will write "The bright-faced." Yes. They will have to admit it. Because it is purifying. There is no impurity. Without being pure, how can you expect to reach God? This is all rascaldom. To keep oneself dirty, unpure in mind, in body, in feelings, in character, and he wants to go to God? Rascal. (laughter) Forget! There is no entrance for you to God.