Our business is to conquer over the demands of the body. The demands of the body is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So spiritual life means make it almost nil

Expressions researched:
"The demands of the body is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So spiritual life means make it almost nil"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You have to associate with kīrtana. The reading is also kīrtana, and chanting on the beads, that is also kīrtana. There is no difference. So make your life in such a way. Either chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or read books. And when you are hungry, you take little prasādam. Don't take much. Then you will sleep more. Take as little as possible. Then you will also sleep... Our business is to conquer over the demands of the body. The demands of the body is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So spiritual life means make it almost nil.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

Prabhupāda: That's right, which I've given to you. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—it is very easy—at least sixteen rounds, and follow the regulative principle, and pray to Kṛṣṇa to help you. Everything will be all right. (break) ...books, everything is there. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa personally. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, you associate with Kṛṣṇa. And if you associate with fire, you become warm. Similarly, if you associate with Kṛṣṇa, then you become gradually Kṛṣṇaized. And when you perfect... Just like you put one iron rod into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. At that time it is fire because it has acquired the quality of the fire, although it is iron rod. So the process is to remain with the fire. Similarly, if you remain with Kṛṣṇa by chanting His holy name, then you will be purified and one day will come—you will be Kṛṣṇaized. The process is very simple: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. That's all. (break) ...twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). This is not my word; this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have to associate with kīrtana. The reading is also kīrtana, and chanting on the beads, that is also kīrtana. There is no difference. So make your life in such a way. Either chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or read books. And when you are hungry, you take little prasādam. Don't take much. Then you will sleep more. Take as little as possible. Then you will also sleep... Our business is to conquer over the demands of the body. The demands of the body is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So spiritual life means make it almost nil.

Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. All the Gosvāmīs, they did so. They conquered over sleeping, conquered over eating, conquered over sex desire and conquered defense. So in this way we have to minimize nidrāhāra-vihāra and save time for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is a botheration. (break) ...use of industry? That you have created trouble. You can get your food by cultivation. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce food grains, and both the animals and the men, they will remain satisfied. And we have got so much land even on this earthly planet. I am traveling all over the world. You can produce food grains so in large quantity that you can feed all the population, ten times population. So we are not interested in producing food grain. We are interested in... (break) ...this is education. You get your admission in this institution. You will understand. (break) If you do not follow the rules and regulation, you go to hell. That's all.

Woman devotee: Prabhupāda, how can Lord Śiva get intoxicated and be so pure?

Prabhupāda: We are not concerned with Lord Śiva. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa.

Male devotee: Should we beg people to read these books, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes, by touching their leg, "Please read." That is the process.

dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya

kṛtvā ca kāku-śatam etad ahaṁ bravīmi

he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād

caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam

This is the instruction of Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says that "Taking a straw in my mouth..." That is a Indian system to become humble. If I approach somebody with a straw in my mouth, that means I have become very humble to him. So he says, dante nidhāya tṛṇakam, "Taking a straw in my teeth," and padayor nipatya, "and falling down on your leg," kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca, "hundred times flattering you," ahaṁ bravīmi, "I want to submit something."

Naturally the man will be inclined: "All right, you say it. What you want?" So he says, he sādhavaḥ: "You are very nice man, you are very great man, but you kindly forget what you have learned. (laughter) You all nonsense, whatever you have learned, please forget." "Then, what I have to do?" Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "Just take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Your life will be successful."

So we shall flatter, we shall hold our hands, we shall fall on the feet and do everything, but we shall, "You nonsense, please forget what you have learned." That is our submission.

Male devotee: Prabhupāda, did Jesus read all those books?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can read also Bible. That is nice.

Male devotee: He actually learned. He actually traveled to India...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. We do not say that don't read Bible. Read something, but learn something. Jesus Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." You learn this art. But you read Bible and kill animals, then what is your benefit?

Indian: So Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks through other beings or...?

Prabhupāda: First of all try to understand that you read Christ and you violate his order. Then what is the use of reading? You follow. Then that is reading.

Male devotee: Prabhupāda, if we follow these four regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds sincerely every day, all this nonsense knowledge will eventually be forgotten?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. You can see practically, all of you, what you were and what you are now. That's all. It is practical; it is not theory.

Male devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if someone takes prasādam even once, is it true that they're guaranteed at least a human body in their next life?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You go on simply eating, that's all. (laughter) And all of my devotees, they have come to me simply by eating (laughter) prasāda. You are also? (laughter). So we give all facilities. If you cannot do anything, please come and eat with us. All right, thank you very much. (end)