So the Lord being absolute, there is no difference between His name and Himself. So we have to practice like that. tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu (BG 8.7). Always, twenty-four hours, we have to mold our activities of life in such way that we can remember it twenty-four hours. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. It is possible. A very crude example is set by the ācāryas in this connection. And what is that example? It is said that a woman who is attached to another man, although she has got a husband, still, she's attached to another man. And this sort of attachment becomes very strong. This is called parakīya-rasa. Either in case of man or woman. If man has got attachment for another woman besides his wife, or a woman has got attachment for another man besides her husband, that attachment is very strong. That attachment is very strong. So the ācāryas give this example as a bad character woman who has got attachment for other's husband, she always thinks, at the same time, shows her husband that she is very much busy in the family affairs so that her husband may not doubt her character. So as she is always remembering the time of meeting with her lover at night, in spite of doing all this household work very nicely, similarly one has to remember the supreme husband, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, always in spite of doing his material duties very nicely. That is possible.
Set the example (Lectures and Conv)
Expressions researched:
"example"
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|"setting"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So here the very good example is set herewith that yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmaḥ aṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ. Just like the tortoise is practiced to wound up his senses within his body according to his will, similarly, indriyāṇi indriyārthebhyaḥ, similarly, when we should use the senses and what purpose, when, when one comes to understand this, then he is situated in spiritual consciousness.
We should always remember the position of the īśvaras, or those who actually control the movements of the sun and moon. Without such power, one cannot imitate the īśvara or the superpowerful. The example set herein is very appropriate. Lord Śiva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison he will be killed. There are many pseudo-devotees of Lord Śiva who want to indulge in smoking gāñjā (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Śiva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo-devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who prefer to imitate the Lord in the matter of the rāsa-līlā or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift the Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply endeavor to follow their instructions.
Manuṣyāḥ. Now just see. Here it is said. Manuṣyāḥ means all men. All men. So Kṛṣṇa is not for a particular society or particular religious community or particular country or particular time. No. Kṛṣṇa is the leader of all men for all the time in all the countries in all the worlds and all the universes. So He is not a sectarian Personality of Godhead. We should know. Manuṣyāḥ. Manuṣyāḥ, it is plural number: "All men." All men. So He said, "If I do not set example by My practical work, then because I am the leader of all men, all living entities, they will be wrongly directed." Wrongly directed.
So similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "If I do not set example in My life, then there will be unwanted population." Unwanted population. And actually that has become now in the present world. By not following the principles of God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness we have got now unwanted population. Unwanted population. Here it is plainly written, saṅkarasya ca kartā syām. Saṅkarasya ca means cross-breeding, saṅkarasya.
So Kṛṣṇa's appearance does not mean that He has become different. The nice example is set here by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, just like a valuable stone. You take your hand, in your hand, you find sometimes yellow, sometimes red, sometimes white, like that.
Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He had a spiritual master because He wanted to show the example. He did not require any circumstances to acquire knowledge from any other, but because He was playing just like a human being, so He set the example that He accepted a spiritual master. There are instances. So similarly, Lord Caitanya also, He accepted spiritual master. Śaṅkarācārya accepted spiritual master. That is the system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The disciplic succession must be accepted.
He sets example. Just like in the previous verse. We have already discussed.
- cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
- guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
- tasya kartāram api māṁ
- viddhy akartāram avyayam
- (BG 4.13)
Although He has set up the principle of varṇāśrama-dharma, but He's not within the varṇāśrama-dharma.
The Lord has nothing to do. He is full. He has nothing to do. But why He does? Just to set example. Set example. He's not bound up by the works which He is doing in the material world. This science has to be learned. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. And anyone who understands this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is also becoming free from the reaction of karma.
We have got our, this mind. Mind is the center of creative force. Therefore we have to surrender, first of all, our mind to Kṛṣṇa, just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja did. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). He set example that he, first of all, he surrendered his mind unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor, and vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, and he engaged his talkings simply on the matter of describing Vaikuṇṭha.
In the Second Chapter you have read it, that Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that, "Arjuna, Myself, yourself, and all these persons who have come here to fight with one another, they were individual selves before, they are individual selves now, and they will continue to be individual selves in the future. So don't be mad that you shall not fight. Their, I mean to say, identity, spiritual identity, will continue." And, to make him understand, a very simple example was set before Arjuna that,
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
"My dear Arjuna, just like the living spark, the living self, is within this body from the womb of the mother, it is developing when, after the father's-mother combination, there is a form of body just like a pea, and then that pea-like form develops within the womb of the mother and, after ten months, there is no more space in the womb of the mother. So the child comes out and again grows. So the growth of the body is going on, or the change of the body is going on."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). This is spoken about Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. He was the emperor of the whole world, he was doing his duty as a responsible king, but still sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ: he fixed his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane: and when he used to speak, he used to speak about Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. When he was to walk, he used to go to the temple. When he was to hear something, he was hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. When he was to smell something, he was smelling the flowers offered at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. When he was eating, he was tasting the kṛṣṇa-prasādam, the foodstuff first offered to Kṛṣṇa. So we can engage our senses in that way, set by such example by Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, how to utilize our senses for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is bhakti-yoga. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means when you engage your senses for the service of the Lord. Just like example set by Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. His example is there, because who can be more busy than a responsible king? He has to do so many political affairs, and still, his mind was fixed up, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18), in Kṛṣṇa perfectly. This is the perfect.
Sannyāsī also will work hard, day and night, but he will not take the fruit. It is for Kṛṣṇa. That is sannyāsī. Sannyāsī means sat-nyāsī. Nyāsī means renounced, and sat means the supreme truth. One who renounces everything for the sake of supreme truth, he is called sannyāsī. That sannyāsī formality is to change the dress. But anyone... Just like this Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna and his brothers, they were all sannyāsīs. But still, formality, they accepted sannyāsa, gave up attachment for the house. In this way, because he is king, if he does not set example, then others will not accept sannyāsa.
Revatīnandana: So if he continues to follow these rules and regulations...
Prabhupāda: He doesn't follow. He doesn't follow. I can... I understand from his behavior.
Revatīnandana: But generally they do follow in the sense that they generally...
Prabhupāda: No, no. Paramahaṁsa...
Revatīnandana: For setting example for others?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Paramahaṁsa, they do not come in the society because people may imitate and they fall down. Therefore they are aloof. Just like Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He was aloof, bhajanānandī. But one who will act as preacher or spiritual master, even if he is paramahaṁsa, he should live ordinary so that his disciples may follow. He comes to second stage. Paramahaṁsa is the first stage, and preacher is in the second stage, and neophytes are in the third stage. So the neophyte should try to come to second stage.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
You are, all of you, you are very minor age. But take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also Himself took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years. It is not that one has to accept sannyāsa in ripe old age like me, seventy years or seventy-five years. Not that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu set up the example, that for Kṛṣṇa's service one can take sannyāsa at any time. So He did it by His personal example. Tyaktvā tūrṇam... There is a verse. Just now I forget. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave up His opulent family life. When He was... He took sannyāsa. At that time, His wife was only sixteen years old, and He had His affectionate mother, Śacīdevī, very old. Nobody was to take care of him, her. But still, He took sannyāsa for giving mercy to the poor human society in this age.
In a temple, same business is going on—same marketing, same cooking, same eating, everything is going on—but in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Where this relationship is there, always, Kṛṣṇa, then every house becomes a temple. That is required. We are simply setting example that how we can execute our daily affairs in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda.
Initiation Lectures
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he set a very nice example, that he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and when he was speaking, he was talking about Kṛṣṇa. So just try to utilize your tongue. It doesn't matter whether it is contaminated or purified, but the process is purificatory. You just train your tongue nicely, engage in Kṛṣṇa. So if you can talk, you go, preach, talk of Kṛṣṇa, talk of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, lecture anywhere. Then you'll be doing the best service to the people and to yourself. If you think that you are unable to give speeches, then you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and eat prasādam. So there is no difficulty. So train the tongue.
General Lectures
Lord Caitanya had many thousands of followers, and... He was not discussing even within these five persons, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi, Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, and Himself, these five persons. So when He was at Navadvīpa, He was not discussing even with them, what to speak of others. He set up this example so that in future people may be very cautious. Because unless one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, how he can understand Kṛṣṇa's pastime? So this discussion of rasa-līlā is the summit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not ordinary thing.
So the example is set by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that human civilization will advance only on the basis of brahminical culture and cow protection. As soon as there is falldown from brahminical culture, and as soon as there is discrepancy in the protection of cows, there will be no more peace in the world. Therefore He specifically said, go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for the protection of brahminical culture and cows. Then automatically the peace of the world will come, if two things are done.
Purports to Songs
Prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Here is another example. Guṇārnava. Arṇava means ocean, and guṇa means spiritual qualities. Just like the same example is going on. It is very nice poetry. There is nice rhethorics and metaphor. The example is set, blazing fire, and it is to be extinguished with the cloud. And wherefrom the cloud comes? Similarly, wherefrom the spiritual master receives the mercy? The cloud receives his potency from the ocean. Therefore the spiritual master also receives his power from the ocean of spiritual quality, that is, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Such kind of spiritual master, one has to accept, and vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, and one has to offer his respectful obeisances to such authorized spiritual master.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Lord Rāma, He married only one, Sītā. And when Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, He never married again. Or when Sītā was sent to the forest for public opinion, He never married again. He remained a sticked to, stuck to only one wife because He was setting example, moral principle, to the world. Kṛṣṇa married 16,108. Not religious.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, just guess, how many pounds blood you can get?
Devotee (1): Fifty pounds?
Prabhupāda: Fifty pounds. But if you keep the cows, you get thirty pounds daily. This is intelligence. Instead of getting once fifty pounds and finished, why don't you get it daily thirty pounds?
Devotee (1): Because they're lusty.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: We have to set the example, Prabhupāda, through your mercy.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is foolishness. Just like one has got some money, he utilizes his money and gets daily some income. And if he wants to spend all at once, that is foolishness.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Then whatever field is not being worked, we occupy them, and begin to work. And invite all the unemployed, "Come and join us. We shall give you food, shelter, everything." (break) ...how Kṛṣṇa is setting example. Kṛṣṇa is saying that "I have already arranged the result of this fighting. Everyone will be killed." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. But still, He is inducing Arjuna to work. Not that He's already (indistinct), "I am your friend, Kṛṣṇa. Everything will be done." "It will be done, but you have to work."
Prabhupāda: Manage locally, as far as possible. After all, these are the necessities of body. So it can be solved locally. Is it impossible? To solve the bodily necessities? What do you think? Is it impossible?
Satsvarūpa: No, it's very simple.
Prabhupāda: Then do it. Do it. Set example perfectly. This is nice park. Yes. You can have your park locally. Where is the difficulty? Garden. Fruits, flowers, garden. There is park. Also you can have a pond like this. People are doing that locally. In Bengal especially. Whole Bengal was a garden. It was so nice. Whole Bengal was a garden.
This is Vedic culture. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His position was very, very nice as a gṛhastha. A nice beautiful wife, affectionate mother, good influence, brāhmaṇa family, learned scholar—everything first class. He left everything, just to show us. He was God Himself, but to set the example, tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīm (SB 11.5.34), He gave up a kingdom, a fortune, which is aspired by the demigods. Such a nice life, such a nice family, (indistinct). Tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya (SB 11.5.34), just to teach us the process of realizing God. This is Vedic culture.
Karandhara: Yes, the Zen school don't accept the preeminence of the personality of Buddha. They say Buddha is just a state of mind, and various men in history have attained that state of mind, that no one particular man was the Buddha, set apart from everyone else.
Prabhupāda: At least, he set the example before others. That is not wonderful, but he set the example. Therefore he is original Buddha.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Sudāmā: We have to set an example for them to see.
Prabhupāda: What is the example?
Sudāmā: That this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, actually it does work, it does make us purified.
Prabhupāda: "No. It works with you. It doesn't work with me," he will say. You have to prove that they are animals. How you will prove it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By showing the activities of the animals and their activities to be the same.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They have to judge that "What is the difference between animal's activities and our so-called civilized man's activities?"
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His position was very, very nice, as a gṛhastha—a nice beautiful wife, affectionate mother, good influence, brāhmaṇa family, learned scholar, everything first class. He left everything just to show us. He was God Himself, but to set the example, tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-lakṣmīm (SB 11.5.34). He gave up a kingdom of fortune which is aspired by the demigods. Such a nice life, such a nice family, but He gave up. Tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīm dharmistha arya... (SB 11.5.34). Just to teach us the process of realizing God. This is Vedic system.
Brahmānanda: So it's the responsibility then of those who are coming as the missionaries to set the proper example.
Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly.
Brahmānanda: Because then the Africans will follow that proper example.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Yes, he is right.
Brahmānanda: If they set a bad example, then they will follow bad example, then the criticism of the Indians will be justified.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's it. So those who cannot follow, they should not come here. And ask from the origin that "Those who cannot strictly follow the rules and regulations, they should not come at all. It will set a bad example. They should be forbidden to come here." That I was speaking, that instead of filling with bad cows, better keep the cowshed vacant. That I was speaking. Those who cannot strictly follow our principles, they should not come here. It is bad example.
Devotee (7): If they will not accept instruction, then...
Cyavana: Then what is your instruction? If they won't accept your instruction, then what is your instruction? Must be bogus. Huh? If your instruction is pure, then they'll accept. If your instruction is not pure, who will accept? I will not accept.
Prabhupāda: No, "Example is better than precept." If you actually follow strictly the rules and regulations and chant sixteen rounds, why they'll not follow? They'll follow. If you are not attending class, if you are not attending maṅgala ārati, if you are not finishing sixteen rounds, then that is bad example.
Brahmānanda: This boy didn't attend mangal ārati.
Prabhupāda: Don't set bad example. That is detrimental.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bhavānanda: Set the example.
Prabhupāda: Example. Just like Bhavānanda, when there was no commode here. He was taking my stool and urine. Does it mean he is a sweeper? He's a sannyāsī Vaiṣṇava. Similarly, āpani ācari' jīve śikhāilā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I am not a sannyāsī." But He took sannyāsa. Actually He is God, so what is the benefit of becoming a sannyāsī, for God? But He became that.
Prabhupāda: We have got everything in India, and to become God conscious, to establish the Lord's kingdom, not at all difficult. But we manufacture our own ideas. But we want that rāma-rājya, but without Rāma, how rāma-rājya will be? So those who are leaders of the society, if they take it seriously, will there not be an ideal state? And you can make an..., set an example to the whole world. The whole world will be happy. But we must be very serious about it. That is our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Prabhupāda: Cooperate with us. It is scientific. Last night our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara presented very scientifically. We can challenge any scientist, any philosopher. So if you become serious, if you cooperate with us, this institution can set a great example, not only in India, but to the whole world. So you are so kind, you have come to see me. You have got desire. So let us take it seriously.
Mr. Rajda: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Correct.
Prabhupāda: It is serious, but nobody has taken it seriously. Bhagavad-gītā is popular book. Everyone takes the Bhagavad-gītā and says, "I am student of Bhagavad-gītā." It is very simple thing. And if the leaders of the society, they set example, others will follow.
Prabhupāda: We go there for imitating their technology. But who comes here to learn something?
Mr. Rajda: Quite right, quite right.
Prabhupāda: But we have got. The example is already set up. These boys, they have not come here for learning your cycle manufacturing. They have enough of it.
| Page Title: | Set the example (Lectures and Conv) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 12 of Jun, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=20, Con=14, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 34 |