Somebody offers you one million dollars, "Take it." You do not know what is the value of million dollars; you will refuse it. Little intelligence. So the choice is yours. In all the case, the choice is yours. If you know the value, instantly you accept

Expressions researched:
"you do not know what is the value of one million dollar, you will refuse it. So little intelligence. So the choice is yours. In all the case, the choice is yours. If you know the value, instantly you accept"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If somebody offers you one million dollars, "Take it." You do not know what is the value of one million dollars; you will refuse it. So little intelligence. So the choice is yours. In all the case, the choice is yours. If you know the value, instantly you accept it. If you do not know the value, then it will take time. But after all, the choice is depending on you to accept it or not accept it. It is your choice.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

Guest (3): I had a question. Whose choice is it? In other words, you said it takes an intelligent person to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but it's obvious that (there) are not so many intelligent people. Whose choice is it? In other words, if a person isn't intelligent, is it because he wants to enjoy that makes him ignorant?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): Or is it because he just has to wait until he is . . .

Prabhupāda: It is his choice. Just like if somebody offers you one million dollars, "Take it," you do not know what is the value of one million dollar, you will refuse it. So little intelligence. So the choice is yours. In all the case, the choice is yours. If you know the value, instantly you accept it. If you do not know the value, then it will take time. But after all, the choice is depending on you to accept it or not accept it. It is your choice. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā. After instructing him, He inquires, "Whether your illusion is now over? What you decide to do now?" He said: "Yes, my illusion is over. I will act what You say." That's all. The choice is mine.

Alfred: I know so many people, young people, that when they see us chanting on the street, I can see their eyes that they really want to chant also, but something is stopping them. They really . . .

Prabhupāda: That is māyā. Māyā is there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "The māyā is very strong." But if you capture Kṛṣṇa very . . . more strongly, then māyā cannot do anything. If something is opposing your chanting, then you'll have to chant more loudly: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So you defeat māyā. The medicine is the same. At least, I do so. When I am in some danger, I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ (laughter) Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That's all. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura . . . there is song: jāy sakal bipod gaya bhaktivinod bole jakhon o-nām gāi (from Gītāvalī). He says: "As soon as I chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, I become immediately free from all dangers."

So the means is there. We have to utilize it. That requires intelligence. So my request to you all boys, that you try to understand and . . . you understand or not understand, it is a standard method. Try to induce people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They will be happy. They will get the . . . real thing will be delivered to them. That is a fact. So such a simple method and such sublime gain, so why one should lose this opportunity? There is no loss, but the gain is very great. So why should we all lose this opportunity?

Let us make an experiment, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And those who are making, those who are chanting, they are being convinced, they are being advanced. They are realizing. Otherwise . . . they are not wasting time. Here is a boy, he is postgraduate. He is teacher. So he's not a fool. So why he's sticking, unless he's feeling that, "Yes, I am advancing"?

So anyone who will take to it, he will understand, yes, he is advancing. It may take little more time or quickly; that doesn't matter. But he will feel it. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam (BG 9.2). Just like you are suffering, you are hungry. If actually nutritious foodstuff is given to you, when you eat, you understand, "Yes, I am getting strength. My hunger is being satisfied." This is also like that.

If you take to chanting, you will feel, "Yes, I am getting strength. My misgivings are being moved." In this way you go on, go on, go on, the perfect stage will come. It may take little more time or it may come quickly. That depends on my relative endeavor. But it will come. Be sure. And with this faith and conviction and understanding, you make progress. Everything will be all right.

But don't be misled that, "There is no problem of life; we are very happy, eating, sleeping, mating." This is animal life. There is so many great problems. Very great problems. This birth, death, old age, disease and repeated . . . bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Once manifested, again non-manifested; again manifested, again non-manifested. This body is manifested; now it will be finished. Again we will have to take shelter of a mother's womb by such a process, maybe human being or other than human being. Then another body manifested. Then again finished, then again manifested.