You go to your office, you dress in some way, similarly, this is a particular type of dress. It is sanctioned by our predecessors. We adopt. So if you don't accept this dress, that does not mean you cannot be in Krsna consciousness

Expressions researched:
"you go to your office, you dress in some way, similarly, this is a particular type of dress. It is sanctioned by our predecessors. We adopt" |"So if you don't accept this dress, that does not mean you cannot be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness"

Lectures

General Lectures

This dress is the gross, gross covering. It has nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But just like you go to your office, you dress in some way, similarly, this is a particular type of dress. It is sanctioned by our predecessors. We adopt. So if you don't accept this dress, that does not mean you cannot be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved in any condition of life. It doesn't matter whether you are dressed in this way or in your American way or any way. That doesn't matter.

690503 - Lecture - Boston:

Woman (1): I want to know what it means, "If you touch the element, then you can be healed."

Prabhupāda: You touch the element?

Woman (1): "If you touch the element, you can be healed."

Prabhupāda: You can be healed? What do you understand by this healing?

Woman (1): Well, if you can be healed if you touch the element, I want to know how this is.

Prabhupāda: No. Healing means that you have got some pain, and to get out of the pain. Is that not healing?

Woman (1): I don't have a pain . . . no, I mean . . .

Prabhupāda: Now, healing, because the word healing, the word healing means if somebody has got some trouble or pain, that healing is sought after, how to heal it. Is it not? What do you think? Healing? Anybody? What is the meaning of healing? Will you inform this old lady. She says she does not know what is the meaning of healing.

Woman (2): If you have something in you that you feel . . . (indistinct) . . . healing inside of you, the pain that's inside of you.

Prabhupāda: Illness means suffering. Illness means suffering. Is it not?

Woman (1): No. I don't mean that at all. It's sort of a truth, that if we touch the element, touch the element . . .

Prabhupāda: What is that element?

Woman (1): I don't know. I'm asking you.

Prabhupāda: Element, we generally mean these . . . there are five elements.

(break) . . . elements. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

(BG 3.42)

So you, the spirit soul, you are above the intellectual platform. So this dress is the gross, gross covering. It has nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But just like you go to your office, you dress in some way, similarly, this is a particular type of dress. It is sanctioned by our predecessors. We adopt.

So if you don't accept this dress, that does not mean you cannot be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved in any condition of life. It doesn't matter whether you are dressed in this way or in your American way or any way. That doesn't matter. It has nothing to do.

Woman (3): But I would think, sir, that that does make a little bit difference that you feel that way.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it makes a psychological condition if you dress. Just like if you dress yourself just like a queen, sometimes you feel, "I am queen." You see? Just like an actor in a theatrical stage, or if you sit down on a car, you think that you are much elevated. These are temporary, but they are not very important. If you have no objection to accept this dress, that's nice.

But if you have got objection, then we have no objection. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different from this dress or that dress. Just like a policeman, police constable, he is dressed in a different type than ordinary gentleman. But that does not mean simply by dressing he is a perfect policeman. Even without dress, he can become a perfect policeman.

Woman (4): It is motivation. It is just like policeman. He feels . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just to make others know that he is a policeman. But his business does not depend on that dress. Similarly, our this dress may be advertisement to others that "We belong to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness group." That is another thing.

But Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not depend on dress. Ahaituky apratihatā: without any reason and without any impediment. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be executed without any material condition. There is no material condition for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.