Seriousness (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"seriousness"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So another advantage is that if one reads Bhagavad-gītā very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord, the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

So another advantage is that if one reads Bhagavad-gītā very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord, the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him. The Lord says very loudly in the Bhagavad-gītā in the last portion, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). The Lord takes the responsibility. One who surrenders unto the Lord, He takes the responsibility to indemnify, to indemnify from all reactions of sins.

One who has taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness in seriousness, then it is to be understood that he has performed all kinds of sacrifices.

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.

Because it is spiritual, it does not depend on any material rules and regulations. It depends on my seriousness.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

..have got instances that one got perfection in Kṛṣṇa consciousness within a few seconds also. That is also possible. Because it is spiritual, it does not depend on any material rules and regulations. It depends on my seriousness. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you have got instruction by Lord Kṛṣṇa,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

(BG 18.66)

"My dear Arjuna, you just surrender unto Me, and I take charge of you and make you free from all reaction of your past activities." So if we seriously surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa, then immediately our desire is fulfilled, immediately. But we are not prepared. That is the difficulty. Māyā will instruct me, "Why? Why you shall surrender?" That's it. So it depends on me how long it will take to cure this disease.

As soon as Kṛṣṇa is within your heart so when you read Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa book with little seriousness, then Kṛṣṇa understands, "Now he is serious to understand me."

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

As soon as he begins reading Kṛṣṇa book with a little faith and adherence, Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). As soon as Kṛṣṇa is within your heart so when you read Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa book with little seriousness, then Kṛṣṇa understands, "Now he is serious to understand me." He's with the.... You haven't got to search out Kṛṣṇa, He's already within you. Simply you have to become little serious. "Kṛṣṇa, kindly give me knowledge so that I can understand." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. If you are serious devotee, if you are in love with Kṛṣṇa, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). If you are engaged in His worshiping, in chanting, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). If you simply follow these four principles, simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, simply, always, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Simply meditate. This is meditation

The husband may complain, the wife may complain. Everyone says, "Yes, yes. That's all right. It will be all right." They never go to court for divorce. You see? But it is... There is no seriousness. And actually it is fact.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

Bambhārambhe laghu-kriyā. Aja-yuddhe, fighting between two goats... Now, they are very serious about fighting, and somebody comes, (claps) does like this, (claps), and they go away. The fighting stops. You see? So bambhārambhe, the attempt is very great, but the effect is little. Aja-yuddhe muni-śrāddhe: "And a ceremony observed by some sages in the jungle..." What they have got? They have got some leaves and flowers. That's all. What arrangement will be made? And prabhāte megha-ḍambare: "And in the morning, thundering sound of the cloud..." And similarly, dam-pate kalahe, I mean to say, "war between husband and wife..." So these things are to be taken as insignificant. So, of course, in India the quarrel between husband and wife, nobody cares. Nobody takes very seriously. The husband may complain, the wife may complain. Everyone says, "Yes, yes. That's all right. It will be all right." They never go to court for divorce. You see? But it is... There is no seriousness. And actually it is fact. I have seen a serious. They are divorced, but still, the husband is anxious for the wife, and the wife is anxious for the husband. The divorce is artificial. The husband and wife, the combination, that cannot be cut off. So one should tolerate these things. If there is some misunderstanding, they should not go to the court for divorce. They should tolerate. These are some of the rules for spiritual advancement.

We are not serious. We are not very serious. We are serious about how to make our sense gratification very nicely. That is our seriousness.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

Therefore we should be very serious. Why should we wait for another birth either in very pious family or rich family or in other planet? That is also condemned in Bhagavad-gītā. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you are elevated to the highest planet of this material world you'll have to come again to prepare yourself. The best thing is that we are now here in this planet and immediately take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and surrender unto Him and become perfect. Why should you wait for another birth or in another planet? Finish. Now, if you are actually serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then finish now. This is the opportunity. Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). This birth is obtained after many, many evolutionary process. Mānuṣyam artha-dam. This human body can give you the highest perfection. So tūrṇaṁ yateta, be very serious and try for that perfection. Anumṛtyu pated yāvat, until next death comes. But we are not serious. We are not very serious. We are serious about how to make our sense gratification very nicely. That is our seriousness. Human advancement, advancement of civilization means how nicely you can gratify your senses. This is going on. Only to give all sorts of comfort to this body. But actually human civilization means that people should be very serious to have perfection of this human body, spiritual perfection. That is perfect human civilization. That is missing at the present moment.

That seriousness, one who has taken that serious attitude, they can actually perform this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely.

Lecture on BG 9.20-22 -- New York, December 6, 1966:

So long I have got a pinch of desire for sense gratification, I will have to take this material body. And as soon as I have got this material body, then all of the material miseries are along with it. So those who are serious about, that "I do not want any more..." But we have become callous. We don't think that "What is miseries of...?" But those who are actually in knowledge, those who want to live, those who want to have perfect knowledge, those who want to have blissful life, they understand that "This material existence, either this Svargaloka or the heavenly planet or this planet or that, will never give me happiness. I will have to... As Kṛṣṇa informs herein, that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), I will have to enter the kingdom of God, spiritual planet, where going I will have not to return back again to accept this material body."

That seriousness, one who has taken that serious attitude, they can actually perform this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely. But those who are still under the impression that "Material advancement will make me happy," they are still under the spell of illusion. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This planet, that planet, that planet, that planet, that planet. But in no planet nowhere you can have perfect peace of life. That is impossible. Therefore those who are intelligent, those who are by God's grace, Kṛṣṇa's grace, or by good association one who can understand that "This sort of life is not desirable. I must perform dṛḍha-vrata, with great determination and vow, in this life so that yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6), I may be transferred into the Kṛṣṇaloka planet where going I shall not have to return back..."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

This is eagerness, a five-year-old boy, "I must see God. If you can give me some clue how I find out God then talk. Otherwise excuse." This is seriousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Los Angeles, August 16, 1972:

Dhruva Mahārāja was a young boy, he was insulted by his stepmother. Son of a kṣatriya, they were very proud family, even a five-year-old boy could not tolerate the insult. A kṣatriya cannot tolerate insult, immediately sword. Not that nonviolence. Nonviolence is not for kṣatriya. Therefore it is said, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ—you cannot stop violence. There must be violence, but kṣatriyas, they know how to use violence. That is different thing. So he was insulted and he went to his mother, "Stepmother has insulted me like this," he began to cry in front of his mother. She said,"How can I help you, my dear boy? Your father does not care for me, even like the maidservants." So he was determined to retaliate. So his mother advised, that "If you can meet Kṛṣṇa, or God, He can help you." "Where is God?" "Yes, I have heard that people go to the forest to search out God." This is eagerness. And Nārada Muni, because Kṛṣṇa is within, He is seeing that this boy is very eager. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He sees that you are serious, He will send you the help of a spiritual master.

So Nārada came to him, "My dear boy, you are child, why you are affected by the insult? What is insult to you? You are a child, you play." Actually, if you insult a child, they do not take it, actually. A small boy if you insult, what does he care for it? Insult or honor, a child has no knowledge of it. "So why you are so much affected? You are king's son, so much delicate body. It is very difficult to search out God here in this forest. It requires great austerity. Better go home now, and when you are mature, old age, you can come."

"Sir, I am sorry. I am born of a kṣatriya father, so I cannot accept your instruction. This is very good instruction, but I am born in such a family. I am sorry, I cannot take your instruction," he frankly said. "If you can give me anything, any clue how I can find God, please tell me. Otherwise, please excuse me. Don't tell me, don't give me instructions." This is eagerness, a five-year-old boy, "I must see God. If you can give me some clue how I find out God then talk. Otherwise excuse." This is seriousness. Then this mantra was given to Dhruva Mahārāja: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So he, by that eagerness, within six months he saw Kṛṣṇa.

People are not understanding the seriousness of this movement.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

People are not understanding the seriousness of this movement.

Even the children, they are imitating, bowing down, but it has got the effect. Not that the children, they have no seriousness about... Seriousness or no seriousness, simply if he bows down, he gets the result.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Yes. This bow down... Even the children, they are imitating, bowing down, but it has got the effect. Not that the children, they have no seriousness about... Seriousness or no seriousness, simply if he bows down, he gets the result. He gets the... Dancing, he's dancing. He's getting the result. He's becoming a devotee. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. These are the statements in Bhakti-rasām... Nectar of Devotion. You'll find. The temple is meant for giving chances to the nondevotees. Some way or other, if he comes in the temple, bows down, and dances with us, takes the prasādam, takes caraṇāmṛta, that means he is becoming spiritually advanced. Therefore this is a chance. And actually, our Society is giving this chance. In the beginning they come as a inquisitive visitor. Then dances, then chants, then take prasādam, and, say, after a week, he becomes shaven. So this is the process. Association of the devotee, coming to the temple, will give him impetus to make further progress.

That seriousness was there in Parīkṣit Mahārāja because he knew it certainly that he was going to die within seven days.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

So like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, you should hear patiently, submissively, with service and question. So in that way Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained salvation in seven days. If it is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, actually heard in that seriousness... Where is that seriousness? That seriousness was there in Parīkṣit Mahārāja because he knew it certainly that he was going to die within seven days. So "I have to finish my God realization, self-realization, with seven days." We are not so serious, because we are thinking that "We shall live for seven millions of years, so let me go slowly. Better utilize the time by sleeping." That is our position. If you have got some time, "Let me take this opportunity by sleeping, not by reading the books." So if you do not become serious, then it will take many, many years. But we should be serious more than Śukadeva or Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Parīkṣit Mahārāja had at least time limit seven days, but we do not know whether we will live again seven minutes. Any moment your heart can failure.

Mahārāja Parīkṣit was to die within seven days, and he immediately left his kingdom and family and went to the bank of the Ganges, sat down there tightly without taking even a drop of water, simply with great seriousness he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

Mahārāja Parīkṣit was to die within seven days, and he immediately left his kingdom and family and went to the bank of the Ganges, sat down there tightly without taking even a drop of water, simply with great seriousness he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And he got salvation, within seven days.

People do not know the seriousness of material existence, and they continue and waste their, the chance, human being.

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

So we are very much entangled in this material world. One should be very much afraid. Prahlāda Mahārāja says... Prahlāda Mahārāja was not afraid of Nṛsiṁha-mūrti, but he is very much afraid of this material existence. It is really very, very fearful. People do not know the seriousness of material existence, and they continue and waste their, the chance, human being. Human form of life is a chance to rectify, but they do not care. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. Everyone, door to door, a devotee has to go and teach them that "You are leading a very, very irresponsible life. Be responsible to your consciousness and be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That will save you."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

"I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is our transcendental... So as soon as we take to this, then everything is all right. But we have to take it very seriously. That is called abhidheya. With all seriousness... Then everything is all right.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.5 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

So any way, some way or other, if one takes to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes at once purified, at once. Never mind what he is. There may be classification in the social convention: he is big, he is small, he is brāhmaṇa, he is śūdra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never says that "I am a brāhmaṇa," "I am a kṣatriya." Nāhaṁ vipra na ca nara-patiḥ: "I am neither a brāhmaṇa nor a kṣatriya nor a vaiśya and anything of this material designation." "Then what You are?" Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is our transcendental... So as soon as we take to this, then everything is all right. But we have to take it very seriously. That is called abhidheya. With all seriousness... Then everything is all right. It is such a nice thing. Everything is all right.

Festival Lectures

If you become serious then you become, develop seriousness. If you are fickle, then how you can develop seriousness?

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

Devotee: How do you develop this seriousness if you find that you are always frivolous?

Prabhupāda: Seriousness? If you become serious then you become, develop seriousness. If you are fickle, then how you can develop seriousness? Therefore the injunction is: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. You should be very serious to abide by the orders of the spiritual master. Then you are serious. If you think that "Spiritual master is a man like me. Why shall I follow his instructions so strictly?" then you are not serious. Then what is the use of your being initiated? This is seriousness. And we are singing daily, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. What is the meaning of this?

Karandhara: "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the mercy of Kṛṣṇa."

So if you don't follow the spiritual master, then how you can get his mercy? Mercy is always there, but if you don't take it, then what spiritual master or his father will do? You have to take it. That is seriousness.

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

So if you don't follow the spiritual master, then how you can get his mercy? Mercy is always there, but if you don't take it, then what spiritual master or his father will do? You have to take it. That is seriousness. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura said that "The order of my spiritual master is my life. I do not know whether I get liberation or not. That is not my business. My business is to carry out the order of my spiritual master." Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura said. If one is serious on this point, then he is serious. First of all we have to approach a spiritual master who is actually a spiritual master, and then, if we carry the orders of spiritual master, then everything is guaranteed. The same example: First of all you find out a right physician, and you put yourself under his treatment, follow his instruction, and the disease is cured. But if you go to a false physician or if you are false, then the result will not take place.

What is that seriousness? The seriousness is to know God, "What is God? What is my relationship with Him?" This is seriousness.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to induce people to become daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ instead of becoming asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. So how this can be done? This is possible if you approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. He's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu with right humbleness, that "I am lowest of the mankind, most abominable associated." Therefore the Bhāgavata says, "Who requires a guru?" Guru is not a fashion, that "Everyone has a guru. Let me possess a guru, and let me do all nonsense." Not like that. One must be very serious to accept a guru. Unless one is very serious... What is that seriousness? The seriousness is to know God, "What is God? What is my relationship with Him?" This is seriousness.

Initiation Lectures

Similarly, a husband and wife may fight, but if you don't give them any seriousness, they'll mitigate. That is the process.

Initiations -- Sydney, April 2, 1972:

Once married, there is no question of divorce or separation. That you should remember. We don't allow any divorce and separation. The husband and wife, there may be sometimes disagreement, but according to Vedic literature, when there is fight or disagreement between husband and wife, it should be neglected. Nobody take it seriously. The Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says,

aja-yuddhe muni-śrāddhe prabhate megha-ḍumbare

dampatiḥ kalahe caiva bāmbhārambhe laghu-kriyā

Aja-yuddhe: "Fighting of the goats, and a śraddhā ceremony performed by the sages in the forest, and sounding in the sky, vibration of cloud, rumbling of the cloud early in the morning, and similarly, fight between husband and wife-don't take it seriously." You have got experience that rumbling early in the morning—never there is heavy shower of rain. There may be very great rumbling, but the result is very small, maybe some drizzling. Similarly, a husband and wife may fight, but if you don't give them any seriousness, they'll mitigate. That is the process. But in the Western countries, in the name of liberty, so many family lives are dismantled simply by this divorce case. So according to Vedic civilization, there is no divorce. Once united, it cannot be disunited in any condition of life. That you should follow. That is our first. So I think you promise this, all of you? Say yes.

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thank you very much. That's all. Now you change. And you instruct them. First of all... First of all, accept that, that "I take charge of..." Why do you forget? So why don't you do that? I tell you. (yelling) So why don't you do it? Do it.

Devotee: Do you, Raghunātha dāsa, do you take Gaurāṅgī devī to be your bride, to protect her, to help her advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and promise that there shall never be...

General Lectures

If you are serious about your business, that seriousness can be understood in this human form of life.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

To remain healthy is our normal life, and to fall diseased condition, that is not normal; that is abnormal. Therefore we go to the physician, take medicine, ask treatment, "How shall I be cured?" Similarly, we are searching after happiness. Why? Because constitutional position is we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, who is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He is by nature full of bliss. But our blissfulness has been disturbed. Now we shall have to find out why our happiness has been disturbed so that life after life, we are searching after happiness but we are becoming frustrated. That is our business, not to make the temporary place very comfortable.

Just like when you go to your office but you find the bus too much crowded. But you are not happy. Because the bus is too crowded, you have to stand, or very..., with difficulty you have to stand. You don't like that. But because you have to go to the office, you tolerate. You tolerate. "First my business is to go to office, attend at the time. What can be done? Let me suffer this." Similarly, if you are serious about your business, that seriousness can be understood in this human form of life. The animals cannot understand.

We should take Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously, immediately, without waiting. And that is very simple also. If we simply understand the seriousness of the business, then we can immediately begin.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

We should take Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously, immediately, without waiting. And that is very simple also. If we simply understand the seriousness of the business, then we can immediately begin. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We can do it immediately. Immediately, without waiting for a second, and then Kṛṣṇa takes charge. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ.

If the knowledge is available in other places, you must have it. That is inquisitiveness, seriousness.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Guest (3): Well even in revealed religion, where we have the scripture, say, a Vedic scripture or Jewish or Christian scripture, it's still being put into human words and therefore become circumscribed again. And so it seems to me that you've still got the same problem even in revealed religion—that it's not God. It's something short of God.

Prabhupāda: No. Just like in the Bible it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." Is it not? It is fact. It is fact. Now you find out who created this universe. If you deny this fact, "No. God does not create," then you explain how it was created. So there is no difference between Bible and Vedic literature. We accept also, "God created." But in the Vedic literature you will find how God created. That you'll find. So if you are actually serious to understand how God created, why don't you come to Vedic literature? That is the duty of every student. If you are after the knowledge, why should you stick to one particular place or...? If the knowledge is available in other places, you must have it. That is inquisitiveness, seriousness. But if you say, "No. We are Christian. We have studied Bible. That is all. We do not touch," I don't think that is very nice conclusion. You remain Christian, but what is the harm to study other literatures where more informations are there? That is quite reasonable. We are not asking you to become Hindus. We simply want to, everyone, that you become God conscious. That is our mission. Our mission is not that to convert. What is the use of converting? If my habits are the same... Suppose I am Hindu. I become Christian, but my habits are not changed. Then what is the use of becoming from Hindu or Christian or to Christian or Hindu?

Philosophy Discussions

Seriousness means that he takes knowledge from a man who is better intelligent than him. That is real intelligence.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Acyutānanda: Seems like more than serious too. Also a person must be intelligent. I may be very serious and I may say which is gold...

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to go to an intelligent person. He is not intelligent. Anyway, seriousness does not mean... Seriousness is intelligence, but that is not perfect intelligence. Real intelligence means..., seriousness means that he takes knowledge from a man who is better intelligent than him. That is real intelligence.