It is not possible to explain everything what is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But the actual fact is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring one to his original consciousness. That is the sum and substance. To original consciousness. That original consciousness can be achieved by simple method. What is that? Chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is a fact.
Just like we have got so many European and American boys and girls. How they have come to this platform? How they have given up their old habits? Naturally these boys and girls were taught from the beginning of their life so many things which is not accepted in Vedic civilization, but they have now given up. There is no illicit sex life amongst our students. There is no meat-eating, there is no intoxication, including coffee and tea and cigarette, and there is no gambling. And they are practiced to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting not only as you have seen some of the samples. We have got fifty-two branches. In every branch we have got not less than twenty-five up to hundred.
So this is the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. It is not story, but it is fact. How it is obtained? It is obtained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- māṁ ca ya avyabhicāriṇi-
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
"Anyone who is engaged in devotional service unflinchingly, without any adulteration, he immediately becomes elevated to the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage." Immediately. That is stated.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is neither a new movement nor it is a concocted philosophy. It is based on authorities like Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literature. And practically you see how it is effective. Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these boys and girls, they are elevated. And they have taken the matter very seriously. They are preaching this cult all over the world.
So our request to everyone, that whatever you are doing, it doesn't matter. Please take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That is our only request. You are not losing anything, but you are gaining very much, simply by chanting. It will cleanse your heart. All our misunderstanding is in the heart—all rubbish things we have accumulated after many, many births.
So we have to cleanse this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends by simply chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart will be cleansed. The mirror of your heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). And immediately you will be able to extinguish the blazing fire of this material existence. These are the different items of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And He therefore says, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: "All victory to śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam."
So I do not wish to take much of your time. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is very nice, authorized, spiritual, simple and sublime, all at a time. If you kindly take this, you will be benefited, and your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (break)
Acyutānanda: (explaining guest's question) "We have made the statement that we attain a certain amount of bliss by engaging in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process. Do we deny the fact that other people have attained similar bliss from doing other things, such as . . .?"
Indian man: Such as religion and other.
Acyutānanda: Religion?
Indian man: Yeah, religion.
Prabhupāda: The thing is, there are three qualities of men, and each one's feeling of pleasure is different. Just like there are crows and there are swans. The crows take pleasure in a different way, and the swans take pleasure in a different way. That is natural. The crows are different from the swan, although they are birds, but because they are being conducted under different qualities of nature, their propensities are also different. So one may take pleasure by howling and drinking, and one man takes pleasure by chanting and dancing in Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is a different quality only.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā everything is divided into three divisions. There are religions of different qualities, and there are actions of different qualities. Exactly the same example: as there are differences between the crows and the swans, similarly there are different persons in the human society. One class of person, they take pleasure in one class of thing, and another person, they take in a different type. So that divisions will continue so long we are in this material world.
But we are talking of original consciousness. These are contaminated consciousness. When we come to the original consciousness, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to bring everyone to that platform. That is our program.