If we wish to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to give up the shackles of māyā, or, if we remain with māyā, we should live in such a way that we will not be subject to illusion. It is not necessary for one to abandon his family, for there were many householders amongst Lord Caitanya's closest devotees. What must be renounced is the propensity for material enjoyment. Although Lord Caitanya approved of a householder having regulated sex in marriage, He was very strict with those in the renounced order, and He even banished junior Haridāsa for glancing lustfully at a young woman. The point is that one must take up a particular path and stick to it, obeying all the rules and regulations necessary for success in spiritual life. It was Lord Caitanya's mission that He teach the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to all men and thereby enable them to partake of the immortality of spiritual life.
Mission to teach
Expressions researched:
"mission is to teach"
|"mission is, to teach"
|"mission that He teach"
|"mission to teach"
|"mission"
|"teach"
|"teaches"
|"teaching"
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa has taught the philosophy of surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who has surrendered to the Supreme can make further progress by learning to love Him. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement propagated by Lord Caitanya is especially meant for those who are cognizant of the presence of the Supreme Godhead, the ultimate controller of everything. His mission is to teach people how to dovetail themselves into engagements of transcendental loving service. He is Kṛṣṇa teaching His own service from the position of a devotee. The Lord's acceptance of the role of a devotee in the eternal form of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is another of the Lord's wonderful features. A conditioned soul cannot reach the absolute Personality of Godhead by his imperfect endeavor, and therefore it is wonderful that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in the form of Lord Gaurāṅga, has made it easy for everyone to approach Him.
It is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to act Himself and teach the people. He says, āpani ācari' bhakti karila pracāra (CC Adi 4.41). One must first act himself and then teach. This is the function of a real teacher. Unless one is able to understand the philosophy that he speaks, it will not be effective. Therefore one should not only understand the philosophy of the Caitanya cult but also implement it practically in one's life.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So viṣṇu-ārādhana is the ultimate goal of life. In the Purāṇas also, Lord Śiva was instructing Pārvatī, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. Lord Śiva said that "Of all different types of worship, the worship of Viṣṇu is topmost." So human life is specially meant for worshiping Viṣṇu. Unfortunately, the blind leaders, they are not teaching people how to execute viṣṇu-ārādhana. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started just to educate people how to worship Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param—this is our mission to teach all over the world. (break) Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā that yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Yajñārthe. Yajña means Viṣṇu. Simply for satisfying Viṣṇu one should act. Any work one is habituated to do, it should be aimed to satisfy Viṣṇu. Otherwise we shall be implicated in the karma.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such mention as Christian religion, Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Buddha religion. There are so many... No. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating teaching people how to love God. That is our mission. We don't say that you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or..., no. You become a lover of God. So comparatively, the process which we are recommending, that is the easiest process. That is admitted by one priest in Boston. He said that "These boys and girls are our countrymen or our boys. Before this movement, they did not come to the church, and now how they are mad after God?" So therefore this is the easiest process, to become pure and go back to home, back to Godhead.
At least, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they had Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Sītā-Rāma, or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, or Nārāyaṇa śilā. Every house, it was being worshiped. But we have lost our culture. Vāsudeve bhakti-yogaḥ..., bhakti-prayojitaḥ. We have lost this culture. Revive it. Don't lose this opportunity of human life. Practice bhakti-yoga and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and make your life successful. That is our mission. We are teaching. It is not a business, that "Give me some money; I will teach you." It is open. We are asking everyone, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." What is the difficulty? There is no loss. You haven't got to pay anything. Simply as these boys have learned to chant and dance, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. This is the Gosvāmīs' teachings,"Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." And why should you go to see dancing elsewhere? Dance at home. Make family organization in that way. You will be happy. Then you will understand what is your position.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
This is Indian mission. Para-upakāra. Not exploit others—to give something. That is Indian mission, that he has to give something. He has nothing to take. He has to give something. And what is that? That Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Even if you cannot deliver the whole world or very expansive area, at least, wherever you are, you just deliver them. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa. "You become a guru by My order." So one may say that "I have no qualification. How can I become a guru or how can I deliver these fallen persons?" So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Don't be disappointed."
- āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa
- yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
- (CC Madhya 7.128)
Bas. Simply as messenger, as peon, you simply carry the messages of Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Then you become guru. Then you become guru. It is not difficult.
So it is the duty of every Indian not to forget their culture, but bring that culture, pure, wherever you are living and behave yourself to that culture and teach others. That is Indian mission.
General Lectures
When people understood Kṛṣṇa wrongly... Sometimes big scholars say "Sophistry," that "Kṛṣṇa wants full surrender." Others, they say, "Why you should fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa? We have got our own gods." Therefore Kṛṣṇa again came. As Gosvāmī Prabhupāda said: rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya vikṛtir, śrī caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam avyayam. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, combined together, advented as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu to distribute Kṛṣṇa-prema. Because the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to teach people how to develop love for Kṛṣṇa.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. So many churches. And I spoke in many of the churches there. My host arranged for that. So it was not with that purpose, that I came here to defeat some religious process. That was not my purpose. Our mission is, Lord Caitanya's mission is, to teach everyone how to love God, that's all.
Interviewer: But in what way, sir, may I ask, in what way did you think, and do you think right now, that the teaching of the love of God which you are doing, is different and perhaps better than the teachings of the love of God which already were being conducted in this country and have been conducted in the Western world for centuries?
Prabhupāda: That is fact. Because we are following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya. He is considered... He's accepted by us—according to the authority of Vedic literature—He is personally Kṛṣṇa.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Hare means Kṛṣṇa's energy. We worship everything. In our childhood we are taught by our parents, if there is small grain and if it is strut (?) on the feet, we shall pick it up and touch on the forehead. We are taught like this, how to see everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. We cannot therefore see anything wasted, anything misused. Why you are preaching? Why we are after so many rascals? That his life is being misused. Let us give him some enlightenment. This is our mission. Or let him go to hell. Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they're engaged in meditation or in the Himalayas, but we have come to Los Angeles. Why? This is our mission. Oh, these things, these people are being misused under māyā, let him gain some enlightenment. This is our mission. We are teaching that, how to utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa. How to understand Kṛṣṇa in everything. That is our mission. See Kṛṣṇa in everything.
Prabhupāda: Real sense gratification is in Kṛṣṇa and kṛṣṇa-dhāma. Hlādinī, sandhinī, saṁvit. Perverted in this material life. Āhlāda-tapa-kārī miśrayate tair na guṇa-varjite (?). Here āhlāda, pleasure and tapa-kārī, pain, and mixture of āhlāda. This is the position. Tair na guṇa-varjite (?). This kind of pleasure is not in Kṛṣṇa, guṇa-varjite, because He is free from the material condition. So anyway, the human life is only meant for... This is our mission, to teach that "You are simply wasting your time. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is his only business. And next business is, those who cannot directly take to, then those, they should be helping this movement. Therefore we go door-to-door, to connect them, to be linked up with this movement, life member, this member, that member... They are misunderstanding, "They have no other good business.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Our mission is not to make the nonvegetarian as vegetarian. That will automatically be done. Our mission is to teach people how to love God.
Ali: That's right. I've noticed that. I had that conversation with Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: And to love God we must have definite idea of God, our exchange. Just like materially also, if somebody loves somebody, one must know each other. Otherwise where there is question of love? Love means direct contact. So they speak of love of Godhead. Just like the Christian people, they say "Love of Godhead." But they have no idea who is God. So where is the question of love? It is an impractical proposition, love of Godhead. First of all, you must know who is God. If I love somebody, I must know him, what he is.
Prabhupāda: No, you come and preach. The country is going to hell, the human society is going to hell for misguidance. These rascal leaders, they're going to hell themselves and they're leading others. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). These fools and rascals are leading, they are going to hell, and they are taking the followers to the hell. This is going on. Stop this. At least in India. Save. That is real para-upakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Para-upakāra. Our India is not meant for exploiting others. Doing good to others, that is India's mission. Our teachers, our ācāryas, do not teach us "Go and exploit others and bring money"—British Empire. This is not India.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I am also enclosing a press cutting which will speak for itself. Hope you are well, and with best wishes for Mrs. Dumbergs. The girl is very intelligent, and you should peacefully teach her about our great mission in the world.
| Page Title: | Mission to teach |
| Compiler: | Matea |
| Created: | 11 of Jan, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=2, OB=1, Lec=5, Con=5, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 14 |