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Krsna consciousness is transcendental

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work.
BG 3.19, Purport:

The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees, and liberation for the impersonalist. A person, therefore, acting for Kṛṣṇa, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra for the interest of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme is to act without attachment for the result. That is perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no attachment for the result but acts on behalf of Kṛṣṇa alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be attained by any one of the above-mentioned types of sacrifice but can be attained only by the mercy of the Lord and His bona fide devotees. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental.
BG 4.28, Purport:

These sacrifices may be fitted into various divisions. There are persons who are sacrificing their possessions in the form of various kinds of charities. In India, the rich mercantile community or princely orders open various kinds of charitable institutions like dharma-śālā, anna-kṣetra, atithi-śālā, anāthālaya and vidyā-pīṭha. In other countries, too, there are many hospitals, old age homes and similar charitable foundations meant for distributing food, education and medical treatment free to the poor. All these charitable activities are called dravyamaya-yajña. There are others who, for higher elevation in life or for promotion to higher planets within the universe, voluntarily accept many kinds of austerities such as candrāyaṇa and cāturmāsya. These processes entail severe vows for conducting life under certain rigid rules. For example, under the cāturmāsya vow the candidate does not shave for four months during the year (July to October), he does not eat certain foods, does not eat twice in a day or does not leave home. Such sacrifice of the comforts of life is called tapomaya-yajña. There are still others who engage themselves in different kinds of mystic yogas like the Patañjali system (for merging into the existence of the Absolute), or haṭha-yoga or aṣṭāṅga-yoga (for particular perfections). And some travel to all the sanctified places of pilgrimage. All these practices are called yoga-yajña, sacrifice for a certain type of perfection in the material world. There are others who engage themselves in the studies of different Vedic literatures, specifically the Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtras, or the Sāṅkhya philosophy. All of these are called svādhyāya-yajña. or engagement in the sacrifice of studies. All these yogīs are faithfully engaged in different types of sacrifice and are seeking a higher status of life. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, is different from these because it is the direct service of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be attained by any one of the above-mentioned types of sacrifice but can be attained only by the mercy of the Lord and His bona fide devotees. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental.

BG Chapters 7 - 12

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all these three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually liberated.
BG 7.13, Purport:

There are many different kinds of living entities—human beings, demigods, animals, etc.—and each and every one of them is under the influence of material nature, and all of them have forgotten the transcendent Personality of Godhead. Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth. They are bewildered before the Supreme Lord in His personal feature, which possesses all beauty, opulence, knowledge, strength, fame and renunciation. When even those who are in goodness cannot understand, what hope is there for those in passion and ignorance? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all these three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually liberated.

BG Chapters 13 - 18

The mode of goodness is better than the modes of passion and ignorance, but one who takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all three modes of material nature.
BG 17.28, Purport:

In the conditional state, people are attracted to worshiping demigods, ghosts, or Yakṣas like Kuvera. The mode of goodness is better than the modes of passion and ignorance, but one who takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all three modes of material nature. Although there is a process of gradual elevation, if one, by the association of pure devotees, takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the best way. And that is recommended in this chapter. To achieve success in this way, one must first find the proper spiritual master and receive training under his direction. Then one can achieve faith in the Supreme. When that faith matures, in course of time, it is called love of God. This love is the ultimate goal of the living entities. One should therefore take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly. That is the message of this Seventeenth Chapter.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Moral codes, they are up to material perfection.
Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Moral codes, they are up to material perfection. Of course, one who has not attained material perfection, he cannot attain to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like one who has not passed his graduation in the university, he cannot take up law course. That is law in India. But one who has taken to the law course, it is to be understood that he has passed his graduation in the college. Similarly, one who has taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness in seriousness, then it is to be understood that he has performed all kinds of sacrifices. That is the result.

But one who is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he must abide by the rules of sacrifices. But in this age it is very difficult to follow all the rules and regulations of sacrifices. Therefore it is the greatest gift of Lord Caitanya that you come directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything will be done. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Immediately you rise to the transcendental platform simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Bhakti means to act spiritually. How you can act? You have to act with your senses. Therefore you have to spiritualize your senses. Meditation, stopping action means stopping nonsense but acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental.
Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

If one is on the spiritual platform, on the soul platform, then his intelligence is spiritualized, his mind is spiritualized, his senses are spiritualized, he is spiritualized. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because actually the spirit soul is working but he has given his power of attorney to this nonsense mind. He is sleeping. But when he's awakened, the master is awakened, the servant cannot do anything nonsense. Similarly if you are awakened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your intelligence, your mind, or your senses cannot act nonsensically. They must according to that. That is spiritualization. That is called purification.

Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means to act spiritually. How you can act? You have to act with your senses. Therefore you have to spiritualize your senses. Meditation, stopping action means stopping nonsense but acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Just like you have to stop your senses acting nonsense but that is not perfection. You have to act nicely. Then it is perfection. Otherwise if you don't train your senses to act nicely it will again fall down to the nonsense activities. So we have to give engagement to the senses to act for Kṛṣṇa. Then there is no chance of fall down. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

This system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is transcendental. It is above ignorance, passion or goodness. Goodness is also material. A material good man does not mean he will be Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

So according to his own nature... That is also explained, that everyone creates his God, religion, according to his own nature. There are three kinds of men: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So those who are in the modes of ignorance, they create their own religion of ignorance; those who are in the passion, they create a kind of religion of passion; and those who are in the modes of goodness, they create their own. But this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is transcendental. It is above ignorance, passion or goodness. Goodness is also material. A material good man does not mean he will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. A man may be very pious, moralist, but that does not mean he will be able to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa conscious person is above goodness. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. But goodness is a qualification to get promoted on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But goodness is not a means to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the means is Kṛṣṇa only. That's all, nothing else. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means we have to adopt the Kṛṣṇa means, no other means. The Kṛṣṇa means is being instructed in this chapter, that "How by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me..." That is Kṛṣṇa con... The means and the end, the same. If you want to come to the end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

The first stage is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the last stage is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The difference is one stage is immature, and the other stage is mature. When it is mature, then you taste it nicely. Just like mango. In the unripe stage it is mango, and the ripe stage, it is mango. But in the ripe stage you taste nicely. In the unripe stage the taste is different. But if you give time for ripening, then you will taste. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the means of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No other means can be adopted for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is above these four principles, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Therefore one can give up, immediately.
Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Upadhārya matiṁ kṛṣṇe. So it is a great sacrifice. It is not like that, dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa. No. It is above. People are generally become religious to get some material benefit. Dharma artha. And as soon as he gets material benefit, he enjoys his senses, kāma. Dharma artha kāma. And when he fails to satisfy his senses, then he wants to become one with the supreme. That's mokṣa. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is above these four principles, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Therefore one can give up, immediately. Just like sometimes Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name India is called Bhārata-varṣa. He also gave up. He gave up is kingdom at the age of twenty-four years. Young wife, young, nice children, big, whole empire. And it is said that he gave up everything just like one gives up his stool, evacuates. Immediately goes away. So he gave up. So this is actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we become completely free from any material possession, any material possession.

The scientific proposal is that there is first class man and there is tenth class man, but everyone can be utilized for the ultimate goal of life. That is classless. And that means everyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It doesn't matter whether by his qualification he is first class or last class. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental.
Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:

Dāntaḥ means self-control. Śānta, dānta. Śānta means how to become self-controlled, not to become disturbed by the senses. These are training for a first-class human being. But there is no class human... Nowadays it is said "classless." First class and last class, all one. This is the modern philosophy. But that is not very scientific proposal. The scientific proposal is that there is first class man and there is tenth class man, but everyone can be utilized for the ultimate goal of life. That is classless. And that means everyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It doesn't matter whether by his qualification he is first class or last class. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. First class, last class is considered in the material world. But so long one is not on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for him this training is required to become a first-class man. And for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if he simply becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then automatically he becomes a first-class man. This is the secret of success. Kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyanāḥ, dhunvanty aghaṁ nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. It is said, dhunvanti Every sinful reaction becomes washed away if one becomes vāsudeva-parāyanāḥ, kevalayā bhaktyā. All these qualities can be attained by a devotee automatically. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇair tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Sarvair guṇaiḥ, all good qualities As it said, guṇālayaḥ, the reservoir of all good qualities. This can be attained, this stage can be attained, only by training in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Religion is a kind of faith. So naturally, if you go to the higher standard of life, the stereotype faith does not act there. So this understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is transcendental to all religious faith.
Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Interviewer: To join Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a total commitment, then, to your way of life.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is total commitment to the way of life as it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā, the science of God.

Interviewer: Must one renounce his present religion?

Prabhupāda: No, not necessarily. Religion is a kind of faith. So naturally, if you go to the higher standard of life, the stereotype faith does not act there. So this understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is transcendental to all religious faith. Faith you can change. But this you cannot change. Your constitutional position as part and parcel of God is never to be changed. You may accept a faith as Christianity or accept a faith, Mohammedanism. That is a mental situation. But this is your actual constitutional situation that you are part and parcel of the Supreme. That cannot be changed.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental position. Once one gets a little touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he'll make progress.
Room Conversation with Malcolm -- July 18, 1973, London:

Malcolm: Can a father impose on a child, something which he does not believe himself.

Prabhupāda: No Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental position. Once one gets a little touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he'll make progress. Just like the wick in a firework. Firework, a big, what is called? (sic:) Pottatter?

Haṁsadūta: Firecracker.

Prabhupāda: Crack. The long wick, you just set fire: (makes sound:) tille, tille, tille, tille, tille, and when it comes: tung! (laughter) It is like that. You just set up the fire and then one day he'll become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Śyāmasundara: So the knowledge is absolute, it works with anyone.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Even if he does not complete, whatever he has done, that is complete. Because it is spiritual, it is not material. In material world suppose if you want to do something, you have to make the background. And while doing the background if you could not make further progress, everything is finished. But spiritual work is not like that. From the very beginning, whatever you are doing, that is asset. Nothing is lost. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even a little done in spiritual consciousness, that can save you from the greatest danger.

Page Title:Krsna consciousness is transcendental
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:11 of Feb, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=4, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=5, Con=2, Let=0
No. of Quotes:11