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There is no difficulty (Lectures, Other)

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

And actually, it is happening. We are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. So these boys, they're coming from different religions, different countries, different nationalities, different faiths. But actually, because they're accepting Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), they're happy. There is no difficulty. And people are accepting it. As if just they were ready to accept this cult. This is our experience. Any of our students can be questioned why he has accepted this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. He'll explain. So although Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a movement by any particular person, nation or religion, but still, because Kṛṣṇa appeared in India, Lord Caitanya appeared in India... And Lord Caitanya says that anyone who has taken birth as a human being in the land of Bhāratavarṣa must take the responsibility of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for the benefit of all world.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

The rascals have created a situation by defying Kṛṣṇa's authority, atheistic situation, the whole world in chaos. That must be. When there are leaders, only demons, how there can be any peace? The people are also becoming demons. So our, this movement, is very scientific, authorized. If you preach, there is no difficulty. As we, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, simply Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you are successful and those who hear you, they also successful. Simply method. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

If you do not like to become friend of Kṛṣṇa, then you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. If you like... Because you cannot go beyond these twelve rasas. Still. Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt, it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa actually by lusty desires, the kāmāt. Bhayāt: and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa out of fearfulness. Dveśyāt: the Śiśupāla, he was always envious of Kṛṣṇa. He was also thinking of... Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt. Some way or other, be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and you'll be happy. You'll be happy, this life and next life.

janma karma me divyaṁ
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
(BG 4.9)

This is the simplest point. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. If you do not foolishly misinterpret Bhagavad-gītā, it is very easy to understand Kṛṣṇa, very easy. There is no difficulty. But we are rascals. We misinterpret: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa means this. Kṛṣṇa does not mean this." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Kṛṣṇa means... Somebody, "black spot." What is that?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

Therefore He's bona fide. Similarly, anyone who is representing Kṛṣṇa and canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, he's bona fide guru. Where is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty? Anyone can understand that if Kṛṣṇa is the original guru, and if somebody's canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, he's bona fide guru. If somebody canvassing for himself, he's not bona fide guru. So there is no difficulty to find out a bona fide guru, provided I am serious to find out a bona fide guru. But if I want something else... Because hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi. If in my heart there is something else, then I must be cheated by some..., somebody else who is not a bona fide guru. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

So to find out a bona fide guru, spiritual master, is not very difficult. It is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says explicitly, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This knowledge, Vedic knowledge, is received by paramparā system.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. We carry this message. Just always think of Kṛṣṇa, always offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā, think of Kṛṣṇa always. We have to carry this message. Where is the difficulty?

So to become a bona fide spiritual master, there is no difficulty, if you, simply, if we carry the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is, without any adulteration. So we must find out a person who is actually bona fide spiritual master by this test, that he's not, I mean to say, adulterating Kṛṣṇa's message. He's not playing havoc with the message of Kṛṣṇa in order to introduce himself, his person. He's simply presenting the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is. Then he's spiritual master. Nobody else.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

Surrender means I must be prepared to execute the will of Kṛṣṇa; not my whims, but Kṛṣṇa's will. The Kṛṣṇa's will is that you become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Where is the difficulty? You surrender unto Him, and He assures, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Immediately he becomes relieved from the effects of illusory energy. So there is no difficulty, not at all difficulty. Let us immediately become surrendered to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Think of Him always. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, to become His devotee, always think of Him. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "Always worship Me. Always offer obeisances." These are the four principles. Anyone can do it. There is no restriction for any caste, creed, nation. Everyone. It is open to the human being. So if we actually want to be happy, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no alternative. That is our point. Yes? Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 28, 1973:

You must clear. If you neglect a small fire, it may come out a great fire. If you, if you neglect, you have got debt, the money-lender, he's adding compound interest, one after another, one after another; it was three rupees, and after some years, it has become three hundred, by compound interest. So you should not neglect. Similarly disease. Disease also, you cannot neglect. If there is... If you think, "Oh, it is little, it doesn't matter..." No. You must finish it by treatment. That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice.

So everything is there for our knowledge, provided we follow. So there is no difficulty. Therefore our process is mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. We cannot manufacture our ways. We must follow the footsteps of predecessors. That is our business. Mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. By argument, by scholarship, or by becoming philosopher, one cannot make any progress, unless he follows the great ācāryas, predecessors strictly. Otherwise it is not possible.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.3 -- Mayapur, March 27, 1975:

"There is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." Why? Because He is talking the same truth as Kṛṣṇa said. This is called paramparā system. What Kṛṣṇa said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said the same thing, and we are talking the same thing.

So there is no difficulty to understand the Absolute Truth. It may be presented in a different way... Not different way. It is directly. Kṛṣṇa says directly that "You surrender to Me," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this cult," yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128), the same thing. We are not going to teach anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa and which is not supported by Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva. This is our principle. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa preached Kṛṣṇa Himself, Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached the same principle, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), and we are preaching the same thing. We do not preach anything else. We do not manufacture anything. That is not our business.

So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you all European boys and girls joined this movement under my soliciting. I went to your country with this word only. I did not show you any magic, neither I have any knowledge how to play magic. That is not possible. I simply repeat the same thing, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva, the devotional form of Kṛṣṇa. You accept Them. Your life will be successful."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.7 -- Mayapur, March 31, 1975:

Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is ananta. Ananta means unlimited. So our... We are seeking after ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By our nature we want to be very blissful, always happy. That is our nature. And we can possess, revive our nature of eternal happiness, provided we try to get it in this human form of life. There is no difficulty if we follow the path enunciated by great authorities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). So Nityānanda Prabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Their disciples, they are all mahājanas, great personalities. If we follow their principles, then it is very easy. There is no difficulty. But difficulty is that we do not follow.

So here it is describing that for the material creation the... There are three puruṣa-avatāra. Puruṣa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that puruṣa-avatāras.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975:

Better sacrifice everything in this life and be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don't wait for the next life. This is very seriously repeated, that "This life I shall finish my Kṛṣṇa consciousness business," and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa consciousness business means to understand Kṛṣṇa rightly. And He's explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business? If Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is sending His representative ācārya to teach you, and Kṛṣṇa is within yourself trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge—He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity. (pause) (end)

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Brahmā means, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the origin of everything. Here is the person. He says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Accept it. Very simple thing. You are searching after who is the origin of everything, and Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the origin of everything." So if you accept, your question is solved. If you don't accept, go on speculating. There is no difficulty. Difficulty is when you do not accept Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Then difficulty is. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. And why people do not accept? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births speculation, when one actually comes to the platform of knowledge, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. So we don't find many such jñānavān. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). One who's accepted Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, as everything, that kind of mahātmā is very, very rare to be found. It is not very ordinary thing. So anyone who's accepted Kṛṣṇa as everything, he is the greatest mahātmā. Most fortunate. And we can practically see in these modern countries, everyone four or five years or at most ten years, who never heard what is Kṛṣṇa. Now thousand, they are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, because they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

By preaching. If you preach, then you'll meet with so many obstacles, and you have to prepare yourself how to meet the obstacles. Then you become strong preacher. Resistance. There is no difficulty, but if there is difficulty, atheist class of men, and it is very difficult, so take innocent, those who are actually eager to know. Everyone should be. That is the human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is human civilization. Everyone should be inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth, Brahman, but education is different nowadays. People are interested with hammer, how to play on hammer, that's all, technology. There is no question of Brahman. Let Brahman go to hell, now take out the hammer. That Russian emblem? Hammer? And scythe? That's all. Yes?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.102 -- Baltimore, July 7, 1976:

So this benediction is offered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who has very kindly come here, Nitāi-Gaura. So you take advantage of His mercy. You are very fortunate that Nitāi-Gaura is here. If you simply chant Nitāi-Gaura and dance, then you'll become happy. There is no difficulty. There is no difficulty. You are chanting "Jaya Śacīnandana." This simple chanting, "Jaya Śacīnandana," "Hare Kṛṣṇa," this chanting and dancing, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanair prayaiḥ yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ. This is not I am manufacturing. It is the injunction of the śāstra. In this age, simply by chanting and dancing, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanair prayaiḥ, you get complete spiritual service. So I am very glad you are taking care of Nitāi-Gaura so nicely, They are so nicely dressed. So continue these activities, and even if you cannot do anything, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance and "Jaya Śacīnandana." That will make your life perfect.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

There are many people who are hankering after it. It is the duty of every Indian to first of all get himself out of these clutches of avidyā-karma-saṁjñā-ignorance and whole day and night working like hogs and dogs. One has to become free from these clutches of māyā, and then he must undergo tapasya. There is no difficulty. This tapasya is that you have to give up the four principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is tapasya. It is not that you have to go to the forest or Himalayan mountain and enter into a cave and press your nose and... No, that is not possible. You simply practice. Wherever you are, you simply practice this tapasya—no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. Then you become perfect. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1). "This tapasya? Can we do that?" You can do it very easily. It is not said "No sex," but "No illicit sex." That is very sinful. Therefore one has to get himself married. That is allowed. But no illicit sex. No meat-eating. Why one should eat meat? There are so many nice things given by Kṛṣṇa, so many fruits, so many nice food grains. We can eat many palatable dishes mixed with milk. Take milk from the cows. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, go-rakṣya. Without milk you will eat all rubbish things like hogs and dogs, and your life will be spoiled. Everything is there, practical. But avidyā, on account of our ignorance, foolishness, rascaldom, we are avoiding this kṛṣṇa-upadeśa and suffering. Be saved from suffering and be happy by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- New York, July 20, 1976:

What is said by Kṛṣṇa, you say. That's all. What is the difficulty? What Kṛṣṇa has said, you say. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). These four things, that you just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa... How can I become devotee? Come to the temple, offer little obeisances, take prasādam. So what is the difficulty? If you say there is no difficulty... And if one comes, there is no difficulty. But they are so rascals, they will not come. We are giving so much facilities that "Come here, live in this nice building and hear about Kṛṣṇa. Take prasādam, chant and dance, very happy life." But they'll become hog. They are preparing their life for that purpose. They'll become a dog next life. They prefer like that.

So therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the topmost welfare activities in the world. People should try to understand it and join it and take advantage of it.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:

Now, the yogis, some of the yogis, not all the yogis... Those who are highly qualified and advanced yogis always remain in... There is a name of Saubhari Muni, Ṛṣi, and he was in meditation, in trance within the water. Because the trance, there is no breathing, so there is no difficulty to remain even in water, because breathing causes difficulty within water. Within goes... So he was in trance, and he was a great yogi. He was meditating within water, but he... Some way or other, he was agitated by sex desire, by seeing the fish have sex intercourse. Just see. The sex power is so strong that even such a yogi who could meditate within the water, he was also agitated by sex desire. So he came out of the water and went to the king and asked him that "You give me your daughter as my wife." Oh, he was a great ṛṣi, and because he was in the water, his feature was very ugly. So the king became perplexed: "Oh, how my daughter will select such a nasty body as my son-in-law?" So he was yogi; he could understand: "Then all right..." (snaps fingers) He became very nice. Because yogis, they can do anything, very nice bodily feature. Then the king tried to avoid him, and the king told him, "Well, sir, my determination is I have got eight daughters. So I can offer my daughters to one who can become eight at least." He wanted to see how much he was yogi. And he bifurcated himself at once into eight forms.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.36-40 -- San Francisco, January 23, 1967:

As others come, he has also come." Similarly, unless we know about Kṛṣṇa by the symptoms... There are two mistakes: to understand God as common man or to accept a common man as God. Both things are mistake. So one has to understand. That understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. God Himself, Kṛṣṇa Himself, is describing about Himself, so there is no difficulty. But unfortunately, we have developed such material consciousness that even God describes Himself, even we see God face to face, because we have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we cannot see. Therefore we cannot see. So avajānanti māṁ mūḍha. Those who cannot see, they are described here as mūḍha. Mūḍha means foolish or less intelligent class men. So avajānanti māṁ mūḍha mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). In the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "Because I am here amongst the human being as a man, therefore those who are less intelligent, they are deriding at Me." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam paraṁ bhāvam ajānanta (BG 9.11). "Why they deride? Because they do not know what is My background." Paraṁ bhāvam. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanta, sarva-bhūta-maheśvaram. "They do not know that I am the Supreme Lord, and situated in everyone's heart. Because they do not know, therefore they deride at Me."

Festival Lectures

Sri Gaura-Purnima Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.38 -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

Among the fighters, I am this, I am this." He's everything, but just to point out a few... In another place He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). He is prepared to be appreciated by you in any condition of life if you take His instruction how to realize Him. And if you manufacture your own way, no, that is not possible. That is... Even if you are most ordinary man, still, you can realize Him. There is no difficulty. How? Kṛṣṇa said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: "My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." Now, who does not drink water? Anyone? The animal also drinks water and the human being also drinks water. But the animal cannot understand God, although God is there in the water, and the man can understand because he is human being. Therefore a human being is different from animal. If we remain like animals—we are drinking water, but we are not realizing Kṛṣṇa—then you are animal. This is animals. And if we drink water—everyone drinks water many times—so many times we can remember Kṛṣṇa. And that is the process of devotional... Smaraṇam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam (SB 7.5.23).

Sri Gaura-Purnima Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.38 -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

You chant oṁ, but that I am." Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Every Vedic mantra is chanted after the vibration of omkara. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūr... This is the Vedic mantra always, every Veda. So either you become Vedantist or ordinary human being—does not know anything—you can realize Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty.

So Kṛṣṇa taught everything for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, but still, we are so rascal we could not understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came again: "These rascals failed to understand Me, and now I shall teach how to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa by My personal behavior." That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by His personal... Don't think that because He's playing the part... Just like somebody is giving massage to my body. So he's not giving properly. So immediately I take his hand and I began to give massage, "Do like this. Do like this." That does not mean I am masseur or I am servant of that person. Similarly, don't forget that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. You are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and there is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Deity also. There are some parties, they protest, "Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Deity should be placed along with Kṛṣṇa?" But they do not know śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. It is not different.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

Not that the head man, the chief man, or the commander is taking shelter back side, protecting himself, and poor soldiers are (chuckles) thrown into the fighting. No. These were kṣatriya spirit. And it is necessary that a class of men should be trained up in that way, kṣatriya, fighting men. In India, because this training was there since a very long time, so there is no difficulty in recruiting soldiers there. There is a class of men, they are very much forward in fighting still. They are called... Just like the Gurkhas, the Nepalese. You have heard the name of Nepal. Still a small state, independent state. They are not within India. Between China and India. The whole Nepal population, they are kṣatriyas. Oh, they are very good fighters. Similarly, the Sikhs, the Jātas. There are classes. So they're always forward for fighting. And you'll be surprised that the British Empire was voluntarily liquidated because they lost India. The Britishers, they understood that because we are now losing India, there is no more possibility to keep our eastern empire. Therefore they liquidated. Why? Actually, the whole British Empire were being administered or managed by Indian soldiers, these Sikhs and Gurkhas. They extended their empire. After taking their position with India, they extended British Empire in the Middle East and Far East simply by these Sikhs and Gurkha soldiers. They got supremacy on the Burma and everywhere.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become mouse." Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is God-realization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That "You eat them and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." But we don't want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store... There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don't you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Śyāmasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things.

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

That is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa says, only through devotional service you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, to understand God, Kṛṣṇa, is not very difficult. It is very easy. He becomes revealed to the devotees.

So there is no difficulty. Simply we have to become sincere devotee. Our service must be very sincere and authentic under the direction of authority. Then you will understand God. There is no difficulty. Teṣām aham anukampārtham. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Teṣām. Teṣām means not ordinary person. Those who are devotees, sincere devotees, to show them a special favor... God is kind to everyone, but He is specially kind to His devotees. That is His special. He is kind to everyone. Otherwise how everyone is eating? Nobody is starving. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Eka, that one eternal being, He is supplying everyone's necessities. And the plural number of eternals, they are dependent on that one. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

Ratha-yatra -- London, July 13, 1972:

So there is no expenditure. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there is no loss on your part, neither we are charging anything. We are distributing this mahā-mantra free of charges, and anyone can chant. There is no difficulty. We are spreading this movement all over the world. Not only in your country—whole of America, whole of Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Everywhere. We have got one hundred branches all over the world. And there is no difficulty. Even in Africa, the Africans are also chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

So our only request is that in whatever condition you may be, it doesn't matter, please try to chant these sixteen words if it is possible, whenever you have got time. You have got enough time. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra when you are walking on the street, when you are traveling in the bus, or when you are sitting alone. There is no loss, but the gain is very great. Therefore our only request is that you take this mahā-mantra,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

And we shall periodically remind you by such functions as we are holding today, the Ratha-yātrā festival. This Ratha-yātrā festival is very old. At least for 5,000 years. Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His elder brother Balabhadra, or Balarāma, and His sister Subhadrā came in a chariot from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra.

Ratha-yatra -- New York, July 18, 1976:

So the philosophy is that we should not be disturbed by the so-called theory of over-population. If God can feed elephants, why he cannot feed you? You do not eat like the elephant. So this theory, that there is a shortage of food or overpopulation, we do not accept it. God is so powerful that He can feed everyone without any difficulty. Simply we are mismanaging. Otherwise there is no difficulty.

So under the circumstances we propose that every one of you become God conscious. The paragraph which I was mentioning, that we see the mother, mother earth, and we see the children in different forms... Then we must accept that there is father. Because without father there is no possibility of mother begetting children. If you simply understand this philosophy of father, mother and children, then you can very easily understand that there is God, the supreme father. There is no difficulty. But if you do not become reasonable as human being, if you remain as animal like cats and dogs... The dogs cannot understand that there is the supreme father, God, but a human being can understand. He has got intelligence. So with this advanced intelligence, if we do not understand about the existence of God, our relationship with Him and what is our duty in that relationship, then our, this human form of life will be spoiled.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

That is the main point. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. That is the main principle. If you offer Kṛṣṇa little things... Kṛṣṇa is not hungry; Kṛṣṇa is providing food for everyone. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. But Kṛṣṇa wants your love, your devotion. Therefore He is begging little patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. There is no difficulty in understanding Kṛṣṇa and to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But we'll not do that; that is our disease. Otherwise, it is not difficult at all. And as soon as we become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we understand the whole situation. Our philosophy, Bhāgavata philosophy, is also communism because we consider Kṛṣṇa the supreme father, and all living entities, they are all sons of Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa says that He is the proprietor of all planets, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Therefore whatever there is, either in the sky or in the water or in the land, they're all Kṛṣṇa's property. And because we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, therefore every one of us has the right to use (the) father's property. But we should not encroach upon others. This is the formula of peace. Mā gṛdha kasya svidhanam, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. You are sons of God. You have got the right to use father's property, but do not take more than you need. That is punishable.

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

You get the correct information. Kṛṣṇa is speaking-about Himself, about His abode, about the spiritual world, the activities. Kṛṣṇa is speaking everything in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, in Bhagavad-gītā. And we don't require to change unnecessarily. If we present the same thing as it is, as we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then the machine is there. You can get all the information. There is no difficulty. Just like you are getting by the present machine, radio machine, the message from far, distant place. Similarly, you can get all the information of the spiritual world by the proper machine. The Bhagavad-gītā received through the paramparā, disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters. It is not difficult.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is receiving the message of the spiritual world through the exigency of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is there. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there. If you study scrutinizingly Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, then you also get the machine. There is no difficulty. And as soon as you get the machine, and if you know how to handle it properly, then you get all the information. It is not difficult.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

In this way, I became very much depressed, and I was going to the shipping company, "When the next ship is going for, going to India?" So they gave me such and such date. Then I thought, "Let me wait for some time more. Then I shall return back." I had return ticket, of course. There was no difficulty.

In this way, 1966, by selling these books, I had only $200, and I dared to take one apartment and storefront. Storefront one $125 per month, and apartment $75. So I had only $200 dollars. So I advanced him $200. I did not know how to pay next month's rent. So I started in 1966, lecturing in a storefront and living in that apartment in 26 Second Avenue. Then gradually, these boys, American boys and girls, began to come. And then I started my kīrtana in Tompkinson Square. More and more, these younger Americans, they came to me, and things were organized. Then I registered this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society under religious act of New York in 1966, and gradually people took interest. People means the younger section. All the boys and girls, they were from sixteen... Not all sixteen, but there were sixteen. Kṛṣṇa dāsa was at that time sixteen years old. And... Between twenty to thirty.

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

Just like we are interested with Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's form is there, Kṛṣṇa's color is there, Kṛṣṇa's helmet is there, Kṛṣṇa's advice is there, Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there, Kṛṣṇa's sound is there—everything Kṛṣṇa. Everything Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. But if you turn your attention to the impersonal and to the Supersoul, it is very difficult. It is very difficult. You cannot fix your attention to the impersonal. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām: (BG 12.5) "Those who are attached to the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, their business is very troublesome, very troublesome," not like that, chanting, dancing and eating. Oh, it is very nice. That is very troublesome-speculate, "This is not, this is not. This is not Brahman. This is not Brahman." Go on. And the result is also achieved—by working so hard for many, many lives you'll have to come to Kṛṣṇa.

Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This morning we have been discussing this śloka. So here also Bhāgavata says that tasmād ekena manasā: "With your one attention," tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ, "you have to fix your mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead," sātvatāṁ patiḥ, sātvatāṁ patiḥ, "the master of the devotees." Which bhagavān? There are many bhagavān, because nowadays we have manufactured many bhagavāns.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

We call, declare, they are all rascals. Let any scientist, philosopher come here, I shall prove that he is nothing but a rascal. I shall prove that. I challenge them. What they are doing? Nonsense. So you do not become rascals. By the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you are trying to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, and there is no difficulty, everything is there in our Bhagavad-gītā. You simply try to understand, and make your life successful. That is our request. Don't be rascals, mūḍhas, narādhamas, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This education has no value, because the real knowledge, there is nothing. Real knowledge is to understand God. There is no education throughout the whole world, there is no university. So they are simply producing rascals. So my only request is that don't become rascals. You just worship here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, just try to understand Kṛṣṇa and then your life will be successful.

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, February 9, 1975:

Then the life will be spoiled. Our only request, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is "Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa he. This is our... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught. Always chant Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa or Hare Kṛṣṇa, as it is convenient. That is the way of, the simple way. There is no difficulty. There is no loss. These boys and girls took "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," so there was no loss, but now everything is gain. So why not make an experiment that chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always?

Arrival Address -- New York, July 9, 1976:

In this way we are loitering throughout the whole universe in different planetary system, in different species of life, in different country, different, according to our... Brahmāṇḍa bhramite. Brahmāṇḍa means within the universe. They are trying to go to the upper planetary system, and they can go. There is no difficulty. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti (BG 9.25). But you have to properly prepare. Not that because you have got one sputnik or airplane you can go by force. That is not possible. This is all rascaldom. This is not possible. But you can go if you prepare yourself. You can go even back to home, back to Godhead. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. So there is every possibility. Now this is the crucial point of human form of life. We can go in the higher planetary system, we can go in the lower planetary system, we can stay where we are, or even we like we can go back to home, back to Godhead.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, February 4, 1977:

We are simply trying to adjust things for a few years, but we are not taking account of our real life. Our real life is na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That is real life, that we do not die. But our brain is so dull that we have accepted janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9) as usual thing. But death can be checked. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you so desire, you can stop it. There is no difficulty. Very easy. And that is also explained by Kṛṣṇa: janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And He's explaining Himself. What is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, Para-brahman, the greatest, and we are anu, very small. Our knowledge is very small, limited. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa, but He is explaining Himself for our little understanding. Whatever we have got capacity to understand, that Kṛṣṇa is explaining. So if you simply take Kṛṣṇa's word, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Here is a chance. This Deity worship... When we see the form of Kṛṣṇa, naturally our mind is impressed that "Here is Kṛṣṇa; here is Rādhārāṇī; here is Jagannātha."

Initiation Lectures

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

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. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234), beginning from the tongue, you shall be able to purify all your senses. And as soon as your senses are purified, you'll see Kṛṣṇa, you'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His name, what is His form, what is His kingdom, everything will be. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. You haven't got to endeavor. As soon as your senses are purified, Kṛṣṇa is present. Just like as soon as the night is over, the sun is present. You cannot search out sun in the darkness. You simply wait for the morning and the sun is at your door. Similarly, try to drive away the darkness, and Kṛṣṇa you'll see. You'll see, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is not dead. He's so nice." So this initiation means beginning of purificatory process of the senses, and that beginning with the tongue. Very simple method.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa says, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhiṁ savāpnoti (BG 16.23). Anyone who does not follow rigid principle, then he cannot have success.

So our principle is very simple. We avoid these four principles of restrictions and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, sixteen rounds, and take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Very happy life. So there is no difficulty, but if we simply follow the rules and regulation with faith and confidence... Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Tat-tat-karma means you have to follow the prescribed rules and regulation. Tat-tat-karma-pravar... Sato vṛtteḥ, and you must be honest, not dishonest. You accept before the spiritual master that "I shall do it," and if you do not do it, that's not good. You must do it. So sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge, and the association of devotees. Asādhu-sange, those who are not devotees, if you mix with them, then whatever you learned, you'll forget. Their influence is so bad. Because we are not very strong; therefore there is every possibility that whatever we learn in bad association we may forget. Sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhiḥ. Ṣaḍbhiḥ, by following these six principles, bhaktiḥ prasidhyati, your devotional life will be developed, you'll be enlightened.

Initiation Lecture -- Caracas, February 22, 1975:

So when still we go further, intellectual platform, how the mind should be utilized? So if we can intellectually utilize the mind, then we can approach the spiritual platform.

So this spiritual platform, to reach, requires gradually process of cultivation, and there is no difficulty to reach the spiritual platform. But first of all, the training of the mind is practiced by the yoga system. Yoga means to control the mind. Our mind at the present moment, being too much attached to this body, it is busy in bodily comforts. Therefore the real yoga system is to divert the mind towards God, to control the mind from material engagement and divert it to spiritual engagement, or bhakti-yoga.

Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

This material world, the ocean of nescience, it is very, very difficult to cross it over, but by doing this service to Kṛṣṇa, one can easily... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean, becomes just like a water spot in the hoofprint of a calf. There is hoofprint, and there is some water. So there is no difficulty to cross over it. So the bhavāmbudhiḥ becomes like that. Duranta-pāram. Why it is duranta? Tama, darkness. So mukundāṅghri-niṣevaya. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa. Muk means liberation, mukti. So Mukunda, "one who gives liberation." That is Kṛṣṇa's name. Mukundāṅghri. Anghri means His lotus feet.

So this is our life. Everyone should take sannyāsa. But because it is Kali-yuga, it is restricted because it is very difficult. But as far as possible, we have to preach the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So although it is little difficult, so we should practice it, especially those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and for preaching work should take sannyāsa, particularly of our Guru dāsa. Now he is Guru dāsa Swami, his name is. So his particular life is: since the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is my faithful disciple, and from 1965 or '6, he is with me. And he is very innocent boy, and I got him married. His wife is also great devotee, you know, Yamunā.

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

And as soon as they are united, they require gṛha, apartment; gṛha-kṣetra, land; gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children, friends, money; and the moho, the illusion, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), "It is I, it is mine." This is material civilization. But the human life is not meant for that. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). So you study. We have got now enough book. There is no difficulty to study our books. We have given in English translation. Everyone, any gentleman, knows English. And we are going to give in Hindi, in Gujarati, in all other languages. Our friends, they have already begun translating. So there will be no scarcity of knowledge. Please come here, sit down at least once in a week, study all these books, try to understand the philosophy of life, and spread all over the world. That is the mission of Bhāratavarṣa.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

So our problems of life, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, is to solve these four things: no more birth... Because we are... Always remember that we are all eternal. Just like in this body, beginning from my mother's womb up to this old age, I am the same eternal soul, but my body is changing. So after changing this body also, I shall remain the same. Simply I shall have another body. This plain truth, there is no difficulty to understand. Now if I am eternal... If I am eternal means no death, no birth, no disease, no old age. That is eternal. So if I am eternal, whether it is possible to get an eternal body? Or eternal happiness? That is the problem of human society. If you can solve that problem, then you be proud of your civilization. Otherwise there is no difference between cats' and dogs' civilization and your civilization. Because you are simply trying to solve the problems of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But these problems are already solved by nature's law.

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

And two of my students, they have gone to Florida. They are also trying to open. So it is very nice movement, and it is very easy to chant. Now before me... I am Indian, you are all Americans. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration may be foreign to you, but there is no difficulty to chant. The words may be in Sanskrit, but it is not difficult to chant. And if you simply chant, you get the result because it is transcendental vibration. Just like when television or radio vibration is there, either in India, America, everywhere the vibration is equally beneficial. Similarly, this transcendental vibration is coming down from the transcendental world. It is not material sound. It is not hackneyed. If you chant, if you practice, you'll realize it. So our request is that without any charges, without any fee, without any bluff, we say that you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. (break) (end)

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Prabhupāda: There are many other forms, of course, but this form is the easiest, and just suitable for the people of this age. Just like you gather together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can. Actually we are doing that. In your country, wherever I go I chant this, and the American boys and girls, they take part in it in parks, in our class. So there is no difficulty. And this is the easiest. Simply we do not ask that you must be very highly educated, you must be philosopher, you must be expert in breathing exercise or this way or that way. No. We don't require any qualification. Simply come and sit with us and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result.

Student (1): Do you imagine in this life an attainment of a follower...?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. There are many followers. You can ask how they have changed. We have got many letters. And here there are my students. You can ask directly how they have changed. This is practical. Yes.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

So a spiritual master... Just like Kṛṣṇa is spiritual master, and Lord Caitanya is spiritual master. We are talking about Lord Caitanya's teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. That means Lord Caitanya is the spiritual master. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā we find Arjuna is taught by Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā. So there is no difficulty to understand who is spiritual master. Is there any difficulty? Because we see that Lord Caitanya is teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī and Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna. So both Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa are spiritual master. Is there any difficulty to understand? So anyone who represents Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. That's all. Anyone who speaks exactly what Lord Caitanya said, exactly what Kṛṣṇa said, then he is spiritual master. Just like a teacher who says that "I have passed M.A." Now what is the proof? That means if he speaks exactly like persons who have passed M.A. examination, then he is M.A. A medical practitioner who is approved by other medical practitioners in the medical college, he is medical practitioner. Similarly, if you want to test who is spiritual master, you have to see the standard spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya and similar. Even Lord Jesus Christ, there are..., Lord Buddha, they are also spiritual masters, but they spoke in different circumstances.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

So you pass your school examination, how to love God, by studying Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Then study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and... That is graduate study. And when you are still farther advanced, post-graduate, then study Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

So there is no difficulty. The fact is that we have to learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. So direction is there and method is there, and we are trying to serve you as far as possible. We are sending our boys on the streets and the town to invite you. And if you kindly take up this opportunity, then your life will be successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. Because this human form of life is meant for developing love for God. Because in all other life we have loved, we have loved. We have loved our children, we have loved our wife, we have loved our nest in the bird's life, in the beast's life. There is love. There is no necessity of teaching a bird or beast how to love the children. There is no necessity, because that is natural. To love your home, to love your country, to love your husband, to love your children, to love your wife, and so on, you go on, all this love, more or less they are all in the animal kingdom also. But that sort of love will not give you happiness. You'll be frustrated because this body is temporary. Therefore all these loving affairs are also temporary and they are not pure. They are simply a perverted reflection of the pure love that is existing between you and Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Well, sound can be vibrated in any language. It doesn't matter that Hare Kṛṣṇa can be sounded in Sanskrit only. You can sound it in English tone also: "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Is there any difficulty? These boys, they are also sounding in Hare Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difficulty. It is the sound that matters. It doesn't matter who is sounding. Just like in piano, if you touch, there is "dung." It doesn't matter whether an American is striking or an Indian striking or a Hindu striking or Muslim striking, the sound is sound. Similarly, this piano, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you just touch it and it will sound. That's all. Yes?

Young man (2): Do you sit and meditate alone? What do you do with your mind as it wanders? Do you think of something? Do you put it on something or do you let it wander by itself?

Prabhupāda: First of all let me know what do you mean by meditation?

Young man (2): Sitting alone quietly.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes, government wants it. You cannot be revolting against the government. (chuckling) You have to live keeping pace with the government. We are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That does not mean we shall not use this electricity, we shall not take an apartment or we shall not sleep. Something unnatural we have to do. Why? Everyone abides by the law. We have to abide by the law. There is no difficulty. And government provides that religious society or this society, they should get themselves incorporated so that it is recognized. In so many activities they want to know whether this society is recognized. So we have to take all these measures. We cannot go out of the purview of the general rules and regulations.

Young man (4): The sādhus in India who have long hair and wander in the woods and stuff, I guess, do they have spiritual teachers? The sādhus in India. The ones who live in the forest and places like that? You know? Wander around...

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

Nothing can be new here, but here it is a reflection only. Reality is there. So the five primary principles of loving affairs is there in the Vaikuṇṭha world. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness while we are in this material body, and after giving up this body, we enter into the spiritual realm for factually participating with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So if you want to enter into the rasa-līlā, if you desire like that, so you love Kṛṣṇa in that way, as the gopīs. Then you'll have the same perfection. There is no difficulty. It is not at all difficult. Simply you practice. But you have to forget the rasa-līlā of this material world. (chuckling) Otherwise there world then you play havoc. That risk is there. Yes. "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with so many girls, so let me also become Kṛṣṇa and enjoy." That is finished everything. (laughter) (pause) (baby laughs) Oh, she is appreciating. (chuckles) Yes. Thank you. Come on. Reach. So we'll have kīrtana or this record or we'll close our meeting?

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 12, 1969:

So there is so much information about God that... But it is possible to understand Him if you associate with pure devotee of the Lord. Then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Then God will reveal Himself. He is sitting within everyone's heart, and as soon as He sees that one is very sincere and "He's trying to understand Me," then He will teach you from within and you'll understand. Even without reading book, by His grace you will understand. But anything we should not claim falsely. We should be very sincere and serious to understand God. Then God will help us. God is within everyone's heart. There is no difficulty. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So I'm very glad that you are all coming to our, this center. And these boys are trying to convince you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please try to cooperate with us so that we may be encouraged also.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

So actually everyone is trying to live. Nobody wants to die. Why this psychological desire is there? I want to live. That, that means that he is eternal. Therefore he wants to live. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. That soul existing within this body, or "I," I am eternal. So we... I am struggling now with this body. This body's temporary. I am changing different bodies. Just like in my this present life also I have changed so many bodies. So there is no difficulty to understand this philosophy that "I am changing bodies every moment. But I am the same, eternal. Similarly, after changing this body, I shall have another body." That is very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Similarly, and when he changes this body also, he immediately... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then he does not come in material body. Immediately, a spiritual body develops. As this material body has developed from the spirit soul, on the platform of spirit soul, similarly, what is the difficulty to understand a spiritual body can also grow? There is no difficulty. So our, this material body, everyone knows that it grows or it changes from one body to another because the spirit soul is there. Similarly, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, as it is said by Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā deham: as soon as this body is given up, immediately, another, spiritual body is offered.

That spiritual body... Sanātana Gosvāmī has said that those who are being liberated from this material world, they are offered a spiritual body where Kṛṣṇa-līlā is going on. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Vṛndāvana-līlā, or as Kṛṣṇa manifested His different pastimes when He was present, that is going on eternally. As soon as He leaves this universe, in another universe His līlā becomes manifest. Kṛṣṇa is born... Kṛṣṇa is born here at Janmāṣṭamī, and as soon as Kṛṣṇa is taken to Gokula by Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa is seen in another universe, born again. Just like our sun. As soon as it rises at six o'clock or, say, five o'clock... So as soon as here five o'clock finished, in another place five o'clock begins. But it is going on. Ananta-cakra. The five o'clock is permanent.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

Still there is Kurukṣetra, and people go there to perform religious ritualistic ceremonies. And in the Vedas it is written clearly, kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret. That is the statement of the Vedas. So from time immemorial this Kurukṣetra, land of Kurukṣetra is known as dharma-kṣetra. So what is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1)? There is no difficulty. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous commentator says that "Kurukṣetra means this body." Where is the chance of interpreting like that, "Kuru-kṣetre is meaning body"? In no dictionary you will find that kuru-kṣetra is meant by body. Neither there is any chance. Interpretation is required when you cannot understand the word very clearly. In that case you can interpret. Just like the example is gaṅgāyāṁ ghoṣapali: "There is a neighborhood which is known as ghoṣapali on the Ganges." Now one may question how on the Ganges, Ganges is water, there can be a neighborhood? Then you can interpret that "It is not on the Ganges water, but it is on the bank of the Ganges." Then there is chance of interpretation. But when you can clearly understand that "The thing is like this: Kurukṣetra is a place, and that is a place of pilgrimage," why should you interpret that Kurukṣetra means the body? In this way Bhagavad-gītā is being misinterpreted. In the Ninth Chapter, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), one great commentator, very erudite scholar, he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is to the unborn principle which is within Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture -- San Francisco, June 28, 1971:

It will be favorable. If you go against the wind, it is difficult. So you have got a very good ship—this human form of body—and the captain is the spiritual master, and the favorable wind blowing, the instruction of the śāstras. So taking this opportunity, if you cross over this material ocean, then there is no difficulty. So we should take opportunity of this body, of the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, and the spiritual master, then very easily we cross over.

Nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam hita-karinau. The Gosvāmīs were very much fond of doing welfare activities for the general people, just like this movement. This movement is the greatest welfare activities in this world. Lokanam hita-karinau. It is beneficial for all kinds of human being. Nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau. So if we execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following the footsteps of the Gosvāmīs, then tri-bhuvane manyau, you will be honored in the three worlds, wherever you go. Just like I am Indian, but you are honoring me. Why? Have I bribed you with my Indian money, currency? I came with forty rupees only, had no money. Why? Because you are having some message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1971 :

As I am existing, as I can remember my childhood days, my youthful days, therefore I am existing. In spite of my..., that childhood body being finished, my youthful body being finished, I am existing. Similarly, after finishing this body also, I will exist. Is there any difficulty to understand? There is no difficulty. I am eternal. The only difference is that, because we are infinitesimal living spark, therefore we forget. Just like I can remember roughly about my childhood days, but I cannot remember the day to day activities in my childhood. That is, that defect is there due to my infinitesimal position. In the Bhagavad-gītā this fact was very nicely discussed between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa said that "This philosophy was spoken by Me to the sun-god millions of years ago," Arjuna inquired, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe that you spoke some millions of years ago this philosophy to the sun-god?" What was the answer? The answer is, Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, millions and millions of times I also appeared, and you also appeared. The difference is that you do not remember, I remember." That is the difference between God and ordinary living being. Otherwise, qualitatively, God and the living entity the same. So only difference is that He is great, infinite. Therefore, we can not calculate His infinite qualities. But I, being infinitesimal, my qualities, my capacities, my energy, they are very infinitesimal.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

So it is a very serious movement. You can take. Every one of you can take advantage of it. It is not very difficult to practice, because our process is very simple. You come and chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can pronounce this word Hare Kṛṣṇa. Actually we are seeing all over the world. There is no difficulty to chant this mantra. It is open. There is no secrecy, that "I shall give you one mantra, a particular mantra for you." No. This mantra is one, and it is equally applicable to everyone—to the learned, to the ignorant, to the white, to the black, to the old, to the youth. Everyone can chant. And actually it is happening. It is very easy. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and learn how to chant. There is... Of course, there is no hard and fast rules. You begin chanting in whatever condition you are and see the result. And so far examples, we have got our temples, we have got our devotees. How they are living, how their characters are being formed, how they are becoming purified, how their faces are becoming brighter, you try to see. It is practical. So that is our request, that you take full advantage of this center. You come here. It is being guided by one of my best disciples, Bhagavān dāsa. So he and others will help you. Please come regularly to this temple and take advantage of it.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

So what is the difficulty? Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, and I am simply reproducing it: "Do this." And it is acting. Because I am not adulterating the sweet rice with sand, people are tasting it very nice. So you also follow the same principle. Don't try to adulterate. Present it as it is. And people will like it. There is no difficulty.

So this is a paramparā. Our system is paramparā, guru-paramparā. Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So if we say in a similar way that "Give up everything. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Just always think of Kṛṣṇa. Chant Kṛṣṇa's name. Worship Kṛṣṇa. Offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa," where is the difficulty? It is very simple thing. All our disciples, they are doing the same thing. I have come here for the first time, but before me, Bhagavān dāsa, he has organized. But what is his credit? He has presented the thing as I have told him. That's all. This is wonderful. In Los Angeles also our program is going on very nicely. He, my disciple in charge, Karandhara—he's present here—he's simply doing what I instruct, and he's doing very nicely, first class. Everyone who comes, they become enchanted with the temple, with the activities, with the disciples. So this is the way. This is called paramparā system. Don't try to manufacture. The difficulty is that we are manufacturing. And some rascals are supporting that "Whatever you manufacture, it is all right." This is another rascaldom. They are supporting that "Whatever you think of, religion, whatever you manufacture, it is all right."

Pandal Lecture -- November 14, 1971, Delhi:

He says that "On My order, every one of you, especially Indians, you become a guru on My order." So "I am a fool, how can I become a guru?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu says āmāra ājñāya, "You simply carry out My order." There is no difficulty to become a guru if you simply carry out without any adulteration the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What is that order? That is not very difficult. Because He says yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Anyone you meet, you simply repeat what Kṛṣṇa has said. That is Bhāgavata-dharma. What Kṛṣṇa has said. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Mad-yājī, mad-bhakta. So Kṛṣṇa says... This is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. He has given upadeśa in the Bhagavad-gītā in many ways—karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga. But His special instruction is, the most confidential instruction is, He said to Arjuna, "Because you are My friend, therefore I am giving you this most confidential instruction." What is that? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the confidential instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā.

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

That body is finished, but you are existing. You can remember that you had a body of a child, you had a body of a boy, but that body of the child, body of the boy is no longer existing. You are in a different body, but you know that you are existing. That is the proof that after this body, you will have another body. This is the proof. There is no difficulty to understand. As I am still living in spite of my changing childhood body, babyhood body, boyhood body, youthhood body, so naturally it should be concluded when I give up this body... Actually, I don't give up. The body... There are two kinds of bodies. This is gross body made of the five elements: earth, water, fire air and... And there is subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. Just like we have got shirt and coat. So when we give up this gross body, we are carried by the subtle body to another gross body. So I am not giving up. Actually, I am not giving up this body. I am giving up this... Just like sometimes you give up the coat, but your underwear remains, and you take another coat or..., similarly, my, the subtle body will remain with me so long I am not emancipated or liberated from material condition. So presently when I give up this body, so I am carried by the subtle mind. And at the time of death, the condition of my mind will carry me to a particular type of body. And there are 8,400,000's of bodies. We may accept any of them according...

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

You have... Some friend has sent you some money order. He gives you the paper, you sign, and he pays you. But if he pilfers the method(?), then he is no longer representative. He becomes thief, rogue. So representative of Kṛṣṇa is also in the same way. If you present Kṛṣṇa's word as it is, without pilfering, without any adulteration, then you become Kṛṣṇa's representative. There is no difficulty. But, unfortunately, people want to show their scholarship, that "I understand Bhagavad-gītā from this angle of vision." Why should you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā from a different angle of vision? The first preference should be given to the author. The author has given you some knowledge, so he has got some particular aim and objective. So why should you change that? You have no right to change that. If you want to speak something from your side, you write your own book. Why should you take advantage of the popular book of Bhagavad-gītā and misrepresent it? That is the fun. You see? There are about six hundred different types of editions commenting on Bhagavad-gītā. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, all these six hundred editions in different, studied from different angle of vision, they are all absurd and nonsense. It is very difficult. People have been misled by the so-called commentaries.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

Just like you see, in the sunshine innumerable planets are floating. So what is the difficulty to understand that there is a shining effulgence from the body of God, Kṛṣṇa, and in that shining effulgence, innumerable universes are floating? What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. It is most scientific proposal.

So these are the potencies of God. Not that I can show some magic and immediately I become God. Just see the magic, real magic of God. Don't accept cheap God. God must show godly magic. Just like we are showing little magic, floating some airplane or sputnik or jet in the sky. We are taking so much credit, so much credit that scientists are declaring, "There is no God. I am God, because I have made this airplane." And what is your airplane in comparison to these planets? So intelligent person, they will give more credit to God than to these scientists or philosophers. Because he can see the potencies, how much potency is there. So He has many potencies. In the Vedic literature we can understand, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas, Upaniṣad: na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. God has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is found equal to him or greater than Him. Nobody. That is God. If somebody is competitor, one God competitor, another God competitor...

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

He accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārada accepts the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of course, that is long, long, ages ago. In the recent years, all the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, all of them accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So what is the difficulty for us to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? There is no difficulty. If you do not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you must present somebody else, that "Here is another person..." Then we have to compare whether Kṛṣṇa is actually Supreme Personality of Godhead or the another person. Because there is definition of God: aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47).

So the present need of human society, because they're reducing their good qualities, satya śamo dama titikṣa ārjava... (BG 18.42). And money is becoming the most powerful thing. As it is stated here: vittam eva kalau nṛṇāṁ janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ. Formerly, if one is qualified brāhmaṇa, he may be a poor man, but a brāhmaṇa, when approaches a king, the king will stand up and offer him... Even Kṛṣṇa, when He was King of Dvārakā, Sudāmā Vipra, His friend, he came. Immediately He stood up and gave him His own seat. So because he was a qualified brāhmaṇa... So everywhere qualified brāhmaṇa was respected by the qualified kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. But now, there is practically no qualified brāhmaṇa, neither a qualified brāhmaṇa is respected. Vittam eva. But if one has got money, then he'll be respected.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 27, 1973:

If you are tasting something... It is just like the drunkard, they take wine, "All right, that taste is Kṛṣṇa." To practice this, not to speak of the ordinary man, they're drinking water, but those who are drinking wine... If you think, "Now I am drinking wine, I am tasting, it is very nice taste. This is Kṛṣṇa." Then one (indistinct) a great devotee. So where is the difficulty? To see Kṛṣṇa there is no difficulty. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). That Kṛṣṇa is so nice that every (indistinct) of life, if you practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness your life will be sublime. (break) ...(indistinct) padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Just like (indistinct) to hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is the only thing.

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

Similarly, when this body will be gone, I will get another body. Where is the difficulty to understand? Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra. Because we are not sober... There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober, thinking, thoughtful, and adhīra means restless. So with restless brain, it is difficult, but if you have got sober brain, then there is no difficulty to understand that "I am eternal. I was in the child's body, I was in the baby's body, I was in the boy's body, I was in a young man's body. Now I have got a different body. I am living asmin dehe." Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). It is very easy to understand, but Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na muhyati: "Those who are sober, they can understand."

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

So if we try to understand simply Kṛṣṇa, or God, in this life, then we become liberated. We become free from this material bondage. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is the assurance given in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Now, in truth you should understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. And there is no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So our only request is that you, all of you, you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't interpret in a different way. Then you will understand Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you become free from this material bondage, no more accepting... Tyaktvā deham. We have to give up this body, that is certain. The cats and dogs will also give up their body, we'll have also give... But before giving up this body, if we simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes successful. What is that success? That after giving up this body we are not going to accept anything, our material body. Then we stand in our original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is there within the body. That will be explained very nicely. So we... Our mission is to come to the platform of our spiritual body. It is very simple, simply by understanding the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made it still simplified. What is that? He advises, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

Take His mother's name. Why you are searching? Here is God." This is our mission. So we haven't got to manufacture anything, because every information is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. And especially Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has explained. What is Kṛṣṇa, He has explained. And Kṛṣṇa has explained. Then where is the difficulty to understand God? There is no difficulty.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission... We are carrying out the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants that people are suffering for lack of God consciousness, so preach God consciousness all over the world. (aside:) Don't talk. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, especially to the Indians, He says,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

Bhārata-bhūmi, those who are born in India, their business is to do welfare activities throughout the whole world, because the whole world is in darkness about understanding the Supreme Person with whom we have got very intimate relationship because we are part and parcel. Just like your son is part and parcel of your body. Somehow or other, if he forgets and goes out of home, you are anxious to see that your son comes back. A son may have become mad.

Morning Lecture -- Allahabad, January 15, 1977:

Māninaḥ means one who is not actually the thing, but falsely one is thinking that "I am liberated. I have become equal with Nārāyaṇa." They are called vimukta-māninaḥ. Actually that is not the fact. So we shall be very careful to avoid this kind of mahātmās who are thinking themselves as Nārāyaṇa, equal to Nārāyaṇa, or sometimes they claim greater than Nārāyaṇa. So we shall be very careful. This Melā, there are so many so-called mahātmās. But the symptom of mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is the qualification. And to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is not at all difficulty. There is no difficulty. Anyone can become. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even lowborn, they can also take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). If actually qualified brāhmaṇas, they take shelter, what to speak of... Their progress is very quick. Punyā. Without puṇyā background, sukṛti, nobody can take birth in the family or society of brāhmaṇas.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: Ultimately everything is spiritual, because the matter is Kṛṣṇa's energy and spirit is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is the original cause, therefore the matter can be changed into spirit, spirit can be changed into matter. Just as it is the same electric energy acting as heater and as cooler, but the electrician, he can change the cooler to heater and the heater to cooler, because the original cause is electricity. Similarly, the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa can change matter into spirit, spirit into matter. That is in His power. The rascals and fools, when Kṛṣṇa appears in His own body, ātmamāyā, they think it is just like material body, but they do not know that to Kṛṣṇa there is no such distinction of material and spiritual. Even accepting that He had got a material body, there is no hampering—He has changed into spiritual body. Otherwise how is it possible, Kṛṣṇa, He has got material body, now He was seven-years' boy, Kṛṣṇa is lifting the whole Govardhana Hill? And as much as Kṛṣṇa desires, "Let this big planet sun float in the air," so is it difficult for Him to lift the whole hill? There is no difficulty at all. That is omnipotency. And those who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11), deride Him, "He is a man, therefore these are all stories," they have no idea of Kṛṣṇa. But we don't take Him as ordinary human being. Therefore He can change anything into anything, matter into spirit, spirit into matter, as He likes. That is His omnipotency. Otherwise what is the meaning of omnipotency?

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Humanity is not worship. Every, every... According to God conscious person, everything is worshipable, even an ant, but supreme worshipable is God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So that is wanted. Nature, these persons, they are taking as nature as the Supreme. But those who are actually in awareness of God, they know that God is the controller of nature also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, māyadhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nature is matter. Matter cannot act independently. In the Bhagavad-gītā, as (indistinct), the difference, what is the difference between matter and the living being. The difference is the matter is being handled, controlled by the living being. Therefore living being is the superior nature, and matter is inferior nature. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). This earth, water, air, fire, etc., everything, these are inferior nature. Just try to understand nature. And above this inferior nature there is superior nature. That, the inferior nature, is a vast ocean, but the superior nature, man, has a big ship. The ocean will not allow to walk over it, and they have control over the ocean, not exclusive control, but little control. Because he is living being, he can cross over the big mass of water by inventing some means, so that at least they are controlling to some extent. But above this ocean and the man who is trying to control over the ocean, there is another controller. That is supreme controller. That is God. It is very easy to understand that there are two natures: one, the active nature; inactive nature. And above these both, active and inactive, there is another active personality who is controlling both of them. That we can understand by Vedic literature very clearly. There is no difficulty. But those who are obstinate, they will not accept. That is their misfortune. What can be done? But this is the fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Hari-śauri: The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord are called jñāna-yogīs, and persons who are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service to the Lord, are called bhakti-yogīs. Now, here the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed. The process of jñāna-yoga, although ultimately bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas the path of bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied since time immemorial. It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand that he is not the body. Therefore, the bhakti-yogī accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguṇa and nirguṇa—of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguṇa worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood, or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.

A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation, which we may find somewhere, which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity form, which is called arca-vigraha. This arca-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form. The Lord is omnipotent and all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as arca-vigraha, He can accept the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life.

So, for a devotee, there is no difficulty in approaching the Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are following the impersonal way to spiritual realization, the path is difficult.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: This is evidence: that there is no soul. The self, the individual soul, is now departed; therefore this body is lump of matter. This is evidence. And because the soul is there, therefore the body changes or develops. Just like if a child is born dead, then the body does not develop or changes. It remains in the same condition. But so long the soul is there, the child grows or changes his body. That is evidence. Because the soul is there, therefore the child is growing or changing body from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth. Suppose a child is born, doctor says it is dead child. You say something is wanted, but what is that something? You do not know. Otherwise, if you know, you add it. What is that something? Suggest, what is that something? Simply vague idea something, that is nonsense idea. That is not science. You must give, "This is wanting." Suppose that you say that the blood, the redness, just like nowadays blood supply is the theory, so what is this blood? Blood is a liquid, red liquid, like chemical or something, with some salt. So you can add salt, just like in cholera cases, they add saline injection. So dead body, you give saline injection, make it red by some color, give him life. If you say that "Red blood is now white," so make it red. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. There are so many chemicals. If you say the redness is the life, then there are many natural products, just like jewels, by nature it is red. Why is it not alive? Why it is not alive? By natural redness of something, if you say that is the cause of life, then there are many jewels. What is called, jewels?

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Śyāmasundara: How to find such a person?

Prabhupāda: Because transcendental ego will help. If you accept transcendental ego, he will help: "Here is your spiritual master." There is no difficulty. There is no question of how I shall find it. If you have faith in transcendental ego, he will be able to tell you that "Here is." Where is the difficulty?

Devotee: No difficulty.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise his transcendental ego conception is also faith, which is not fact.

Devotee: If you think that bringing in mental along with transcendental all the time anyway, you just (indistinct) wipe the mind clean and have an intuitive understanding of anything... How can you do that? Everybody's got subjective values. How they can look at something and just understand it intuitively? That's not transcendental; that's mental.

Śyāmasundara: No. It's subjective. Yes. That's intuition-it's subjective.

Devotee: So how can you understand the transcendental with that kind of an instrument?

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So almost similar to our method, because we advised, we advised in this Vedic principle, that for the truth one must approach a guru. That is the version everywhere. In Bhagavad-gītā also, same instruction is there:

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)

So you have to approach a guru who knows the Absolute Truth. "Knows" means he has seen. Just like in our daily life, direct perception to see something, people argue on that, that "Can you show me God?" That is the tendency, that direct perception. So the direct perception is possible by advanced devotion. There is no difficulty because, as I have already explained, santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Constantly he is seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śyāmasundara. So there is a state when one can constantly see the Supreme Lord as Paramātmā sitting within his heart and taking advice from Him. Kṛṣṇa also confirms this: buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. He talks. So by meditation, if it is actually meditation to search out the Absolute Truth within the heart, then he can meet. That is the yoga practice. Yoga practice means concentrating the mind to see the Supersoul within. Therefore he has to control the activities of the senses from all other engagements. Then it is possible.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Prabhupāda: When Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa came, He was visible, and Arjuna was talking with Him face to face. So why is unvisible? If He likes, that is His..., that depends on His good will. He becomes visible to a competent or perfect person. He is visible. Just like Arjuna was talking with God, not only visible, was talking face to face. He was asking question, and Kṛṣṇa was answering. So one has to become qualified like Arjuna to..., then he will see Kṛṣṇa, or God, and he will talk with Him, he will get direct instruction. There is no difficulty. So He is not visible to the imperfect person, but He is visible to the perfect person. But He is not at all invisible.

Hayagrīva: Well, that's all on Hobbes. (end)

Page Title:There is no difficulty (Lectures, Other)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:17 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=70, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:70