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Distraction (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"distract" |"distracted" |"distracting" |"distraction" |"distractions" |"distracts"

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

You are so fortunate to have this opportunity to sit and chant the Holy Names without the Maya distractions of the outer world!
Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1968: Namacarya Haridasa Thakura was taken to the jail and he told the prisoners there, oh, you are so fortunate to have this opportunity to sit and chant the Holy Names without the Maya distractions of the outer world! So you should think like that, and use your time in the prison house to the greatest advantage for spiritual advancement.
It is quite natural to become sympathetic when one's body is put into such horrible condition, but if you are firmly convinced that this body is separate from the soul, then we may not be distracted.
Letter to Yadunandana -- San Francisco 26 March, 1968: Of course, it is quite natural to become sympathetic when one's body is put into such horrible condition, but if you are firmly convinced that this body is separate from the soul, then we may not be distracted. That is not possible of course in the preliminary stage, but when we shall be in a transcendental position not to be disturbed ever by such a horrible scene, then our position is secure. The suffering of the man and the sympathy of the other man, both are centered on the body. But this we have to understand by knowledge. Then such horrible condition of body won't be disturbing to us. That is the position of liberation. It doesn't mean that we shall not be sympathetic with one who is suffering, but we should always remember that such sufferings are due to the bodily concept of life. As you stated, that you simply want to leave the material world and be with Krishna, that is the best solution, rather than taking account of how things happened that you came here. Like that our best occupation is to get out of the scene by constantly chanting Hare Krishna, and be engaged in the transcendental service of Lord Krishna.

1971 Correspondence

Try to avoid too much business as this distracts us from our real mission. If Krishna sees that we are very active to spread information about Him, He is Master of the Goddess of Fortune, He will give everything.
Letter to Lalita Kumar -- Delhi 15 November, 1971: If you simply push on this one activity of distributing my books, your all success will be there. I have hatched this "transcendental plot" for getting money by selling my books, and if we stick only to this plan, and use our brain for selling books, there will easily be sufficient money. I have recently informed the GBC to allow each temple to keep 25% of the money they collect from direct book and magazine sales for temple maintenance, 75% to be sent to Book Fund. Supposing you can sell 800 dollars a week worth of literature (retail price). Will not 200 dollars weekly be sufficient for food and rent? If not, increase book sales, or, until things are adjusted in this way, supplement in other ways, but try to avoid too much business as this distracts us from our real mission. If Krishna sees that we are very active to spread information about Him, He is Master of the Goddess of Fortune, He will give everything!

1972 Correspondence

If you divert your attention to a lot of business, then spiritual advancement will be hampered. So I do not think it is wise to get that big store and start a big business with many departments. That will distract.
Letter to Amogha -- Honolulu 9 May, 1972: One thing is, too much competition between centers is not good, the emphasis should be on cooperation, not competition. I do not think it is necessary to have two presses. We should not misuse time and money, better to convince Mohanananda to increase his press work and supply you with all materials, and in return you supply him with something, that is mutual cooperation. And if you divert your attention to a lot of business, then spiritual advancement will be hampered. So I do not think it is wise to get that big store and start a big business with many departments. That will distract. Our main business is to become Krishna Conscious and to convince others through preaching work. Therefore, we do not want to strive for making big business and lots of money. Of course, money is required, but better to sell many, many books and collect in that way.
Regarding the dramas, my point is not to deviate from gravity and compromise or distract from the situation. No humor should be there, just philosophy and kirtana.
Letter to Madhudvisa -- Amsterdam 29 July, 1972: Regarding the dramas, my point is not to deviate from gravity and compromise or distract from the situation. Keep this point in vision and continue. That is a very good proposal to stage one play based upon Lord Caitanya. Read TLC on the stage, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving instruction to Sanatana Goswami, and the actors may speak little philosophy, without need for special costumes or other things. Then kirtana. There must be always kirtana. Dialogue, kirtana; then again dialogue, again kirtana; again repeat; like that. No humor should be there, just philosophy and kirtana. If it is successful, then the same dialogue-kirtana may be followed by other sankirtana parties in Europe and America.
If you really want to achieve the goal of your life, then become very serious to always pursue it at every moment and not be distracted by anything false.
Letter to Jayadeva -- Los Angeles 16 August, 1972: Go on in this way, reading, chanting, worshiping the deity, and offering the fruits of your labor to Krishna, and attend Mangala Arati at the temple and classes as much as possible, and very soon you will feel yourself becoming perfectly happy. This spot life is meant for becoming God conscious and there is no other purpose or meaning to life outside of this. So now you have got the right spiritual master, the process I've given you, so now it is up to you. If you really want to achieve the goal of your life, then become very serious to always pursue it at every moment and not be distracted by anything false.
Now I am concentrating on translating of Srimad-Bhagavatam and wish to not be any more distracted. But if there is opportunity, I shall be very glad to visit your center in the future.
Letter to Sukadeva -- Los Angeles 16 August, 1972: I want that you all my advanced disciples become very bold preachers and take up this task of saving the fallen humanity from its worst condition of sinfulness. If you simply convert the leaders of your country to our philosophy, then the whole world will follow and be saved from ruin. Otherwise, they are all doomed to become animals like hogs and dogs. So you preach like that, very strongly, to especially the hippie class of men and the student class of men and convince them to give up their sinful activities and find out their real perfection of life in this Krishna Consciousness movement. Now I am concentrating on translating of Srimad-Bhagavatam and wish to not be any more distracted. But if there is opportunity, I shall be very glad to visit your center in the future.
We are not so much after big, big buildings, we are interested to preach only. But if such building will enhance our preaching work and not distract us from the main business, then it is nice.
Letter to Bali-mardana -- Hyderabad 18 November, 1972: We are not so much after big, big buildings, we are interested to preach only. But if such building will enhance our preaching work and not distract us from the main business, then it is nice. But you must determine if it will be easy task to raise so much money, not that we shall have to labour so much just to get money and after for maintaining, so much so that our spiritual life becomes neglected, no. Real business is to spread the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the world.
Emphasis should be given to the words of Bhagavat, they are spiritual and will have powerful effect if someone only hears them with attention, do not be very much enamoured by fancy costumes and stage-decorations, they will only distract.
Letter to Jayadharma -- Ahmedabad 13 December, 1972: I have noted the contents, along with the drama-script from Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is very nice. This kind of play-acting is wanted. Now introduce it to your country-men very nicely presented. Emphasis should be given to the words of Bhagavat, they are spiritual and will have powerful effect if someone only hears them with attention, do not be very much enamoured by fancy costumes and stage-decorations, they will only distract. Real acting art is to know how to speak. The greatest dramas, even in your western culture, they can be played without any extra equipment. Just like your Shakespeare—sometime I saw they were playing one drama, I think Hamlet or something like that, and only two men were there on the bare stage and everyone was praising. So the art is catching their ears. Now in that spirit go on with your work and try to do something wonderful.
Because you are imperfect you require help from the Perfect, and anything material like drugs is imperfect, so do not be distracted by contemplating in this way.
Letter to Visvambhara -- Ahmedabad 14 December, 1972: You have asked about "chemical changes of consciousness" or drugs, and if these may ever be utilized in Krishna's service. To change consciousness, therefore the Spiritual Master is there. Do not do anything whimsically, like taking these drugs, that will ruin everything. Because you are imperfect you require help from the Perfect, and anything material like drugs is imperfect, so do not be distracted by contemplating in this way. This chemical is intoxicant, it will not help, it will send you to hell. So if you have received initiation, then you have got the instruction no intoxication. So why do you ask this? That means that you have still addiction to these intoxicants. It was said, and you promised, no intoxication, so why do you think of this?

1974 Correspondence

My opinion is that it is not necessary for us to utilize these different musical talents for spreading Krsna Consciousness. I would rather see people follow strictly the path of Lord Caitanya and His Sankirtana devotees. There is no need for us to try and add anything to this simple method. It will only be a distraction.
Letter to Jagadisa Pandita -- Bombay 28 December, 1974: My opinion is that it is not necessary for us to utilize these different musical talents for spreading Krsna Consciousness. I would rather see people follow strictly the path of Lord Caitanya and His Sankirtana devotees. We are using mrdanga, karatala, that is enough. We are not musicians. We are Krsna bhaktas. Therefore we do not stress so much importance on these different musical talents. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is God Himself. Had He thought it would have been better to spread Krsna Consciousness by another way He would have done so. But no, simply with mrdanga and karatala, traveling and chanting Hare Krsna, asking everyone to chant Hare Krsna, preaching simply Srimad-Bhagavatam philosophy, this is the process. There is no need for us to try and add anything to this simple method. It will only be a distraction. Therefore I request you to follow the simple path of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and help me spread this wonderful mission all over the world. Keep yourself pure and fixed up in Krsna Consciousness by following the basic principles that I have given; chanting 16 rounds daily, following the four regulative principles, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes etc. This is of the utmost importance.

1977 Correspondence

Our purpose is to teach our own philosophy. Do not lose sight of that purpose or become distracted by other things.
Letter to VARIOUS -- Unknown Place Unknown Date, 1977: If you must read some other books of philosophers, even they are Mayavadis, as a sideline we can speak about them as comparative study. Otherwise our main aim is to study and preach Bhagavad-Gita and Lord Caitanya. Our purpose is to teach our own philosophy. Do not lose sight of that purpose or become distracted by other things. I have also made one book about other philosophies of your western philosophers, but I did not make compromise. My purpose was to defeat them and expose their nonsense propositions, in the light of Vedic knowledge or Krsna consciousness philosophy. That is our purpose.
Page Title:Distraction (Letters)
Compiler:Matea, Visnu Murti, Kanupriya
Created:16 of Jul, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=12
No. of Quotes:12