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Life members (Lectures)

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Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

So those who are devotees, although tyaktvā karma-phala, they are not touching the fruit, still, they are nitya-tṛptaḥ, very satisfied. The karmīs are dissatisfied, "So I worked so hard. Now I have to give up whatever I have earned?" He becomes very, very sorry. But who becomes nitya-tṛptaḥ? Working like this, without taking the result, still nitya-tṛptaḥ, very satisfied. That is devotion. That is devotee.

You will see these boys, these American, European boys... Also some of them are Indian. They are working day and night. They are getting money also. They are getting money also. They are making life members. They are selling some books. There is no scarcity of money. But they do not touch even a single paise. It is for Kṛṣṇa. And still, they are happy. This is tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgam. Asaṅga means no attachment. They are bringing money and giving to me. I spend it like anything. So this is tyaktvā karma-phala-āsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛptaḥ, very much satisfied. "I have been able to collect so much and give it to Kṛṣṇa." This is their satisfaction.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

And we should know, we should be very responsible that what kind of body we are getting next. If you don't care... Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they say that after finishing the body... Our men in Delhi, New Delhi, they are making some life members amongst the parliamentary M.P.s. So one M.P. said that "We don't believe in this. The last perfection is to become zero, to become zero." Because they cannot think, those who are materialist, they cannot think that there is another, spiritual world. They, they cannot think. Therefore this zero theory, śūnyavāda, was propounded by Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha propounded śūnyavāda, because the people are so rascal, they could not understand.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Vertical way. It will give the pulp, but not so very easily. But if you rub it in the horizontal way, it will give very easily. So the, if one regularly reads the other chapters and reads Kṛṣṇa, that will be very nice. Not only "Simply I'm interested to Kṛṣṇa book in the thirty-fifth..., from twenty-ninth chapter to thirty-fifth chapter." That is not good. People generally read those chapters. That is not good.

Acyutānanda: If we, when we show the books to new life..., potential life members, they go to that part. They look...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is attracted to that. So therefore it is said: śrotra-ramo 'bhirāmāt. It is pleasing to everyone. But unless one becomes a devotee—it may be pleasing—he cannot derive the effect. He cannot derive the effect. As we practically see, generally, the Bhāgavata reciters, they read these chapters and they hear also, but they do not improve. They do not improve; simply sentiment. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

Even ordinary person, if he is God conscious, he takes Kṛṣṇa as supreme father. Just like the Christians, they take that "O Father, give us our daily..." Father means to ask Him, "Give me, give me, give me, give me." Nobody wants to give father, but wants to take from father. Sometimes our students, when they spend extravagantly and I point out, he says, "My father has sent money." Sometimes. "My father has sent money." Yes. "Why did you stay at Ashoka Hotel?" "My father sent money." "Why not ask your father to send money? Why you are collecting by making life member?" So means idea of father... Father means that "Whenever I want to stay in Ashoka Hotel, he'll send money," not that "I will send money to father.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we practice this. As far as possible, we are giving and taking. We are... We have made this program, life membership. We are giving our books, knowledge. Whatever we have got, little knowledge, we have written in our books, we are giving them: "Take it." And they are also giving: "Take this eleven hundred rupees." So this is dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. And they also come here to inquire: "Swamiji, your movement is very nice. What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of that?" Guhyam ākhyāti, expresses their mind. Pṛcchati.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

Prabhupāda: I have a question now. You are maintaining your institution by the grace of the householders. You are begging. So how you can condemn householders? If the householders do not become your life members, your institution will be stopped. So how do you condemn the householders?

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

Recently one of our life members—he is a big industrialist—he has jumped from the, what is called, that Daksinasvara(?) Bridge, down to the Ganges. No, Wellington Bridge, I think. So committed suicide. In Western countries also, because there is no end of greediness: "More, more, more, more, more." Ask him that "What will be satisfaction for you?" Oh, there is no such limit. This is rajas and tamas. And some people, they are śūdras. So some political party, by agitation, by propaganda, makes them convinced to accept some way, and they do it. Another party will do another... They have no their own discretion. They elect some president, and again they want to dethrone the president. Because they are śūdras, they have no intelligence. They do not know how to elect the president, who should be the governor, who should be the executive head. They commit mistake. They again cry.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Yesterday there was a meeting. There is a hope of getting 87 life members. So if you get some life members, say 50, then we can have immediately one center.

Guest: But anyhow...

Prabhupāda: No, either we purchase or we invest (indistinct) but we require some life members.

Guest: (talks about making some appointment at between four and four-thirty)

Prabhupāda: But at that time somebody comes to see me. Somebody comes to see me and talk with me.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: All right. If you can make some life members.

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

One who has no other business than to taste the honey at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa... The persons who are not associating, that means those who are not becoming life members of Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. (chuckles) Yamarāja is advising, "Go there." (laughter) "Go there." Why? Why? Juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. They are staying at home, which is the path to hell, and they are absorbed in unlimited desires. Gṛhe. Gṛhe. Gṛhe means staying at home, not going out for canvassing for Kṛṣṇa. Gṛhe niraya-vartmani. What is this gṛhe? Niraya means hell, and vartmani means path. Gṛhe means "the path of going to hell." That was also advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Gṛham andha-kūpam. Tyaktvā gṛham andha-kūpam. Andha-kūpam means blind well. I saw one blind well in Ascot when I was at... What is his name?

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

All the life members, they have got our books. Those who are not life members, I would request them to become life members, and we give you more than your money, books' worth. We want that everyone, every scholar, every thoughtful man should read these books, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. These books are very much welcome in the Western countries. I have got report just now, I have received from Los Angeles. The report is that within the three days of Christmas holidays, we have sold one lakh worth of books within three days. So our books are being very much welcome in the Western countries, especially the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. So this movement is very important movement. It is not a fanaticism.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

Very good arrangement. Better than any temple in India. If you go sometimes... I request you to go. But one condition: that you have to become Life Member. (laughter) But if you go, will be very much pleased in our temples. And this Dr. Rao... Perhaps you know, he is a professor in your Gorakhpur University. He was a research scholar, atomic research scholar. His wife is sitting here. So he's still. So he was very much captivated with the temple worship, and there he became my disciple.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Indian man (1): Now we have present here some Life Members of ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) Life Members should be active Life Members. (laughter) Yes. (Hindi) If there is any doubt.

Indian man (1): Mahārāja, the one who brought ISKCON to this house is that boy, son of my..., who became first Life Member of ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very intelligent.

Indian man (3): His name is Subodh, which means...

Prabhupāda: Very intelligent. Subodh means... (laughter) I was talking of abodh. Yes. Abodha-jāto.

Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Prabhupāda: That's all. Our Madan Mohan Ballabha, he was invited Round Table conference. He took so much Ganges earth. He was mixing that Ganges earth with water. He's going for political purposes, and showing a... What is called? Hobby. This is not that. Now this movement is there, and unless we do it very sincerely and vigorously, it cannot be pushed on.(Hindi conversation) ....daily five lakhs, six lakhs (Hindi) ...Life Member. We have Life Member?

Dhanañjaya: In London. London's about fifteen hundred.

Haṁsadūta: Where? In London, Amsterdam, and Montreal. We're making Life Members everywhere now.

Indian man: How many Life Members in India? Must have at least ten thousand.

Prabhupāda: No. Indian, everyone should become a Life Member.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Bombay, November 2, 1970:

Before speaking on the verses already quoted by my disciples, I may be permitted to read a portion of my preface to the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. Those who are my, our life members, they have got the Śrīmad-Bhavagatam, First Canto, Part One. There you'll find this preface. But for general information as to the need of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, I may read a portion of it.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

At the same time, tad-arthe, for Him, for His sake, akhila-ceṣṭitam... Any endeavor for pushing on Kṛṣṇa's glories, that is also as good as chanting the holy name. When you go out for canvassing, for pushing on this movement, people may not see that you are not chanting and dancing. Suppose you are canvassing for a life member. That topic is also as good as chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra because akhila-ceṣṭitam. One's life must be dedicated simply for Kṛṣṇa's service.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

Because this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has not attracted the richer class of America. Now they are little, little coming. But I have attracted the middle class. So they have not brought any money, huge amount of money, but they have dedicated their life, prāṇaiḥ. And those who have got money, they can contribute. Just like we are begging from door to door, "Please become a life member and contribute something so that this movement can be pushed on." Prāṇair arthaiḥ. So if somebody says, "Sir, I have no money, neither I can dedicate my life," then how he will perform the yajña? Prāṇair arthair dhiyā. You can give your intelligence: "So your movement, I appreciate your movement. So please do like this.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 14, 1973:

Before speaking on the verses already quoted by my disciples, I may be permitted to read a portion of my preface to the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Those who are my, our life members, they have got the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Part One. There he will find this preface. But for general information as to the need of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, I may read a portion of it.

Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

If you want really happiness then you follow such principles by which you can develop your love for God. So it does not mean... If you can do it in Christianity, that's all right. If you can do it by Muhammadan religion, that's all right. But the aim should be to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our philosophy. (American gives short speech thanking Śrīla Prabhupāda, then Indian man (possibly life member) makes similar speech, but praises bhakti and chanting, quotes Bhagavad-gītā, etc.

Page Title:Life members (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Partha-sarathi, Rishab
Created:16 of Aug, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=18, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:18