Different faiths and cultures

Expressions researched:
"different faiths and cultures" |"different cultures"

General Lectures

The karmīs' culture, the jñānīs' culture, the yogis' culture and the bhaktas' culture—there are different cultures. But Kṛṣṇa says the first-class yogi is the one who is always thinking of Him.

Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce "Culture and Business" -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973: So there are different kinds of men. Some of them are called the karmīs, and some of them are called the jñānīs, and some of them are called the yogis, and some of them are called the bhaktas. The karmīs, they are after material happiness. In this life, also, they want the highest, the best comfort of material life, and after death also they want to be elevated to the heavenly planets. Similarly jñānīs, they also want, they being fed up of this material way of life, they want to, they want to merge into the existence of Brahman. That is jñānī. The yogis, they also want mystic power. And the bhaktas, they want simply service of the Lord. So unless one understands what is Lord, how he can render service to the Lord? This culture is the highest culture. The karmīs' culture, the jñānīs' culture, the yogis' culture and the bhaktas' culture—there are different cultures. So all of them are called yogis if they are doing sincerely their duty. Karma-yogī, jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī, bhakta-yogī. But Kṛṣṇa says,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gata āntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

He's first-class yogi. Who is that man? Now, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā: "Who is always thinking of Me." That means Kṛṣṇa conscious.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Because the God consciousness is there, God is there, now God is prepared to give instruction always. Now, how that dormant consciousness can be revived, that is stated.

Room Conversation with Bishop Kelly -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne:

Bishop Kelly: What would you hold about the, what you might term the revelation of God, the ongoing communication of God in revealing Himself and in further making known His will for man at different stages of his own life, say, in his spiritual life, and, of course, in different stages of history and in different cultures?

Prabhupāda: That is recommended. You see. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi [Bg. 10.10]. Because the God consciousness is there, God is there, now God is prepared to give Him instruction always. He is giving you instruction. Now, how that dormant consciousness can be revived, that is stated. You read it.

Satsvarūpa:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

1968 Correspondence

Since I have come to the Western countries to preach this cult, my disciples have taken to this principle unhesitatingly although they belong to different faiths and cultures.

Letter to Roland Michener (Governor-General of Canada) -- Montreal 24 August, 1968: ISKCON is trying to train people to be situated in that pure condition of life by simple methods, encouraging them to associate always in the matters of God consciousness or Krishna Consciousness, and actually I have good results in the sense that since I have come to the Western countries to preach this cult, my disciples have taken to this principle unhesitatingly although they belong to different faiths and cultures. So I think this propagation of love of Godhead can be pushed forward more and more with good results.