Become a Vaisnava (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"becomes vaisnava" |"becomes a vaisnava" |"becoming vaisnavas" |"become vaisnava" |"become a vaisnava" |"becoming a vaisnava" |"become vaisnavas"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973: "If anyone is following the principles of varṇāśrama, then he is worshiping Lord Viṣṇu." Because the whole life is meant for worshiping Viṣṇu. The present civilization, they do not know that. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know, rascals, that what is the aim of life. Aim of life is to become Vaiṣṇava, servant of Viṣṇu. Therefore the very word is used, hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa, He is the guide. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61].

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973: So if a, one may argue, "How it is possible to make a caṇḍāla a Vaiṣṇava?" No, that is possible. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Viṣṇu is so powerful, omnipotent. He can do that. So only by Viṣṇu mantra, by becoming a Vaiṣṇava, one can transcend all this restriction, sociology. They can be. That is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa: māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇī bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate sa guṇān brahmātītyaitan brahma-bhūyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Immediately he transcends. He's in the Brahman platform. One who has taken very seriously this devotional service, he's no more on this material platform.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973: So our, our point of view is not to become a first-class prisoner. To get out of the prison. That is Vaiṣṇava vision. You'll find... Last night I have given comments that Mādhavendra Purī, he was performing the Annakuta ceremony and installing the Deity. So everything was being brāhmaṇa, done by brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, but Mādhavendra Purī initiated them again to become Vaiṣṇava. Then he gave them in charge of the Deity worship. So the Vaiṣṇava functions cannot be done even by a brāhmaṇa. Even one is qualified brāhmaṇa, he is unfit to propagate Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973: If a man from the śva-pacaḥ family, or the caṇḍāla family, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, strictly according to the orders, then he can become guru, but not a brāhmaṇa if he's not a Vaiṣṇava. This is the stricture.

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973: These are there, I mean to say orders in the Vedic literature. But if you want to get relief from this material condition of life, then you have to take the shelter of Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava. Or the śāstra says even if you have got other desires to fulfill, still you become Vaiṣṇava. That is the last instruction. You don't require to worship other demigods.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973: So therefore for human being, it is the duty to understand his position, and it is his duty to satisfy the Supreme Lord. This is the whole plan. Therefore Rāmānanda Rāya quoted the verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa that varṇāśramācaravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. Because the aim is to satisfy Viṣṇu, to become Vaiṣṇava. To become brāhmaṇa is also lower status. You will hear from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that our Mādhavendra Purī, he was installing Deities. So there are many brāhmaṇas, caste brāhmaṇa, born in... So in order to give charge of worship to those brāhmaṇas, he initiated them to become Vaiṣṇava. Because without becoming Vaiṣṇava, nobody has got right to worship Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973: So viṣṇur ārādhaṇam means viṣṇur ār..., that should be the aim of human life. Viṣṇur āradhana means one must become a Vaiṣṇava, and Vaiṣṇava means regulated life, not destroyed everything, finished, to become hogs. That is not Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means regulated, end—to, how to satisfy Viṣṇu. So whole Vedic scheme is there, how to satisfy Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972: This is classless society. Here you will find Europeans, Americans, Indians, Africans, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, but they have forgotten that they are Hindus, Muslims or Christians or Americans or Indians. They are all identifying, "We are all servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is classless society. This is classless society. There is no distinction. Here a Hindu coming from very respectable brāhmaṇa family and another man is coming from the dog-eater's family. It doesn't matter. As soon as one becomes Vaiṣṇava he is classless society.

Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973: This is Vaiṣṇava son. He did not ask anything for himself. And although he knew that his father was the greatest enemy, still, he is asking his benediction, "This poor fellow may be liberated." So Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva guaranteed, said, "My dear Prahlāda, not only your father, but your father's father, his father, up to fourteen generations, all are liberated. Because you are born in this family." So anyone who has become a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he is giving the greatest service to the family. Because in relationship with him, his father, mother, anyone, they will be liberated.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

Indian: [break]

Prabhupāda: When you become Vaiṣṇava, the brahminism is already included. General process is, unless one does not come to the sattva-guṇa platform, he cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the general rule. But this Kṛṣṇa, devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is so nice that simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you come to immediately to the brahminical platform.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972: So in a position of perplexity, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is the process, Vedic process. Otherwise, it is not possible. And our Sanātana Gosvāmī, our predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's direct disciple, he gives his direction that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He says. He says, "Do not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava." He must, one must become a Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise his so-called ideas and interpretation has no value. Has no value.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972: A brāhmaṇa, he is very expert in his business, sat-karma. Sat-karma-nipuṇo mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. And he has read the Vedic literatures and tantras very nicely. Viśārada. Still, if he's not a Vaiṣṇava, then avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt. By that only qualification, that he's not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru, whereas, on the other hand, sad-vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-pacaḥ guru. If a person, śva-pacaḥ... Śva-pacaḥ means coming of the family of dog-eaters, caṇḍāla, if he has become a Vaiṣṇava, sadācāra-sampanna-vaiṣṇava, sa guruḥ syāt. You can accept him as guru.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974: They are thinking by material adjustment they will be happy. But they do not know that self-interest is how to be again connected with Viṣṇu, svārtha-gatim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. Or to become Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava.(?) Vaiṣṇava means one who has accepted Viṣṇu as everything. As Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Delhi, November 3, 1973: Not only brāhmaṇa but "the best of the brāhmaṇas." "The best of the brāhmaṇas" means Kṛṣṇa conscious, one who knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows the spirit distinguished from the matter. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. But when he understands the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman, Kṛṣṇa, then he actually becomes brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa should advance farther to become Vaiṣṇava. Therefore one who is Vaiṣṇava, he is already a brāhmaṇa. This is to be understood.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida: By studying very nicely all the Vedas, one becomes vipra. Then, when he actually realizes what is Brahman and his relationship with Him, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa. And above that situation, when from Brahman understanding, impersonal Brahman understanding, he comes to the platform of understanding Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava. This is the process. That is the perfectional process.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972: Of course, one child may be specially intelligent, but anyone can learn. The method is simply hearing and seeing the behavior. You put one child in this association; automatically, with his growth, he'll become a Vaiṣṇava, a Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee. Automatically, by seeing these activities, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], by thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971: But there are varieties of human beings. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]. All human beings are not of the same standard. There are different standards. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, that anyone out of this human society can be claimed to become a Vaiṣṇava. Anyone. That is the statement of Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971: Brāhmaṇa qualities means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. That is nirākāra, of course, but you have to transcend the position of brāhmaṇa and become a Vaiṣṇava. Then you will understand the Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who are not advanced in Kṛṣṇa science, for them, Kṛṣṇa is covered by the yoga-māyā curtain.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972: Is it very difficult? How they have become Vaiṣṇava? Su-sukham: chant, dance and eat prasādam. That's all. Su-sukham. There is no prescription forced upon them, that "You kneel down yourself, and make your head down, and press your nose, and do this, do that." No. Su-sukham. "Please come here! Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance, and when you're tired, take prasādam." That's all.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973: So Nārada Muni asked him that "You sit down on this bank of Ganges and here is the tulasī plant. You worship it, and I will send your food. Don't be worried." So next morning it was declared in the village, "That heinous hunter has become a Vaiṣṇava." So people, generally, they are inquisitive. They came to see. It is the custom when you go to see a saintly person, you take some fruits or flowers or some rice or some āṭā. So huge stack of rice and āṭā and fruits and flowers also. They were surprised: "Why Nārada Muni is sending so much? We are simply husband and wife." In this way they become Vaiṣṇava.