Initiative

Expressions researched:
"initiative"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.7.5, Purport: Thus the theory that a living being is absolute impersonal Brahman is refuted herein. This cannot be, because the living entity has his own way of thinking in his original unconditional state also. The present conditional state is due to the influence of the external energy, which means that the illusory energy takes the initiative while the Supreme Lord is aloof.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.5.30, Purport: Vaikārika is the neutral stage of creation, and tejas is the initiative of creation, while tamas is the full display of material creation under the spell of the darkness of ignorance

SB 2.10.45, Purport: Inert matter is undoubtedly energy with potential to interact, but it has no initiative of its own. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam therefore comments on the aphorism janmādy asya by saying abhijñaḥ and svarāṭ, i.e., the Supreme Brahman is not inert matter, but He is supreme consciousness and is independent. Therefore inert matter cannot be the ultimate cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the material world. Superficially material nature appears to be the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction, but material nature is set into motion for creation by the supreme conscious being, the Personality of Godhead. He is the background of all creation, maintenance and destruction, and this is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.10):

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate

The material nature is one of the energies of the Lord, and she can work under the direction of the Lord (adhyakṣeṇa). When the Lord throws His transcendental glance over the material nature, then only can the material nature act, as a father contacts the mother, who is then able to conceive a child. Although it appears to the layman that the mother gives birth to the child, the experienced man knows that the father gives birth to the child. The material nature therefore produces the moving and standing manifestations of the material world after being contacted by the supreme father, and not independently.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.12.1, Purport: Although Vṛtrāsura repeatedly encouraged Indra to kill him with the thunderbolt, King Indra was morose at having to kill such a great devotee and was hesitant to throw it. Vṛtrāsura, disappointed that King Indra was reluctant despite his encouragement, took the initiative very forcefully by throwing his trident at Indra.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.12 Summary: A brahmacārī should accept prasāda upon the order of the spiritual master, and if the spiritual master sometimes forgets to order the disciple to eat, the disciple should not take prasāda on his own initiative; rather, he should fast.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 2.91-92, Purport: Ūti: the urge for creation, or initiative power, that is the cause of all inventions, according to the necessities of time, space and objects.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 14: The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers. A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that. But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples.

Nectar of Devotion 21: When prasāda is being served, the spiritual master is supposed to call each and every disciple to come eat. If by chance the spiritual master forgets to call a disciple to partake of the prasāda, it is enjoined in the scriptures that the student should fast on that day rather than accept food on his own initiative.

Sri Isopanisad

Iso mantra 4: When the part-and-parcel living entity forgets his particular activities under the Lord's will, he is considered to be in māyā, illusion. Thus from the very beginning Śrī Īśopaniṣad warns us to be very careful to play the part designated for us by the Lord. This does not mean that the individual soul has no initiative of his own. Because he is part and parcel of the Lord, he must partake of the initiative of the Lord as well. When a person properly utilizes his initiative, or active nature, with intelligence, understanding that everything is the Lord's potency, he can revive his original consciousness, which was lost due to association with māyā, the external energy.Iso

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972: I mean that our Indian brāhmaṇas, those who are spiritual leaders, they are not actually taking care of the fallen souls. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is sanctioned, it is said clearly: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Any person born of low-grade family, pāpa-yoni, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim... So it is the duty of the elevated person, brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, to take charge of this business. Kṛṣṇa says, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind one is born in low-grade family, but he can go back to home, back to Godhead. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So who will take the initiative to elevate these persons? Unless one who is expert does take interest for elevating these fallen souls, then how they will be elevated?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972: But such exalted title, harijana, is offered to personalities like Nārada, Brahma, those who are actually associates with Hari. But according to śāstra, there is no objection to accept these camaras and the bhaṅgis or any low-grade family to make him harijana, provided he accepts the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in a regular way, by the Vaiṣṇava vidhāna. Just (as) recommended by the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī: tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Dīkṣā-vidhānena, by the proper initiative process, one can become dvija, twice-born.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966: So material nature is not independent. It is a misunderstanding, a wrong conception, that matter is working out of its own accord. Matter has no power to work. It is a jaḍa-rūpā. Jaḍa-rūpā means it has no moving capacity or, what is called, initiative. Matter has no initiative. Therefore matter cannot manifest in such a way without the direction of the Supreme Lord.

General Lectures

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Indian man: Sir, you said surrender, manasā vācā karmaṇā mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja. Now, does it mean that the initiative from the human being is completely surrendered to the almighty God? And if you surrender, is that, is there any initiative left for the human being?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because without we..., our present position is to defy the existence of God. This is our present position in material life. "There is no God. God is dead. I am God. You are God." This is defying the authority of God. Therefore to understand God, you have to surrender; otherwise it is not possible. You cannot defy and at the same time understand God. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. You cannot understand God by challenging. Why God? Suppose we, we go to the president of our country. If I challenge, "Mr. President, what is your value? Can you tell me what you are?" you cannot know him. No. You have to surrender.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Indian man: That is surrender.

Prabhupāda: That is the first principle.

Indian man: How is the initiative left to the human being? I, I...

Prabhupāda: That we are teaching. We are teaching, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender unto Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's version. Our version is, "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore there is no difference between the versions.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Jagadīśa: Is it the duty of the vaiśyas to cultivate the fields or...?

Prabhupāda: Actually it is the duty of the vaiśyas, but the śūdras can help everyone, the helpers. The śūdras will help the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, as well as the vaiśyas. Those who have no brain—simply they can carry out order—they are śūdras. And those who have got brain, they can act as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiśya. They have got brain to take the initiative. First-class brain, they should be engaged in studying śāstras, writing books and in the worship of the Deity, lecturing enlightened people. This is brāhmaṇa. They haven't got to work as kṣatriya, as vaiśya. They are simply intellectuals. This is brāhmaṇa, with good character.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne: Prabhupāda: Where you get the information that this, from matter life is possible. "In future." But in future.... In inceptive condition you show something. Just like formerly they were flying balloons. So because they were flying, they could say that "Future we shall fly a big city." And in the history we can see that that is not impossible, because in the inceptive condition or initiative condition we see that big things can be flown. But here you cannot even prepare an ant. You have not been able to prepare even a small ant, germ. Show me. So why do you say, "In future I shall do it"?

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Indian man: Swami, there was a news item in the paper last year, some research scholars at Jesuit University performed some experiments, and then they said that Kṛṣṇa consciousness people lose initiative for doing things. They don't fight the battle of life. It takes away the initiative from them. It was published in papers.

Prabhupāda: No, that's not the fact. It is misunderstanding. We are actually struggling for achievement of the highest goal of life. Otherwise, why we are writing so many books? It is for the human beings. And they are being accepted. It is not for the cats and dog. This Bhāgavatam is not meant for the cats and dogs. So, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhi. In the beginning it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyaṁ vāstavam atra [SB 1.1.2]. Atra śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ vāstava-vastu-vedyam, what is actual life. So we are struggling to give people what is actual life. Kṛṣṇa comes down to teach us what is actual life. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. When people become cats and dogs, dharmasya glāniḥ. Dharmasya glāniḥ means cats and dogs, because in the cats and dog society there is no question of dharma. They simply jump over and enjoy life.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One may say that if there's no independence, then where is the question of initiative in the material world, taking initiative?

Prabhupāda: Initiative? What is that question? Initiative I understand, but do you think that by taking initiative of independence you become independent, like this, by dancing and fireworks, you become independent? This is initiative, dancing like dogs, (sings) "We are independent, we are independent." (laughter) Does it have any meaning? Dance like a dog, that's all.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Jagannatham Prabhu -- Montreal 22 June, 1968: I am very glad to learn that your children are well situated, but you are very much anxious to get them in touch with Krishna Consciousness. You know very well that jadavidya is the opulence of maya. So naturally, your children being well educated in jadavidya, are reluctant to receive enlightenment in Krishna Consciousness. But there is nothing to be disappointed, because they are your children; they have got the initiative seeds in them, and someday it will fructify. Don't worry about them; Krishna will put them in right line in due course.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1969: I am very encouraged to learn that Jayapataka has taken the initiative to look for kirtana engagements for your temple. He is a very good boy and you should encourage him to do this important assignment very nicely.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 13 February, 1969: I am so glad to learn that you are again accepting work to improve the condition of the temple. This is very nice. Practically, it was you who took the initiative for starting the London and German centers. In London, the boys and girls are doing very nicely, and similarly, you are already three, and Jaya Govinda is coming soon. So you also try your best to startle Germany with the chanting of Hare Krishna.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 19 July, 1970: We should concentrate our energy in constructive work. The constructive work is preaching. So this Rathayatra festival is one of the items of our preaching work, and therefore it was introduced in both San Francisco and London and the initiative was taken by Syamasundara.. In 1967 I gave this idea to Syamasundara. when I was in San Francisco. So it was promptly executed.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Bombay 8 November, 1970: If Pittsburgh center can help contribute financially to our New Vrindaban, that will help relieve many financial problems. I am often thinking of New Vrindaban and I'm so much glad that you have taken the initiative to establish that program. Before I came to your country, I was thinking to establish an ideal Vedic community. So please work very hard to make New Vrindaban grow.