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This is not the process

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

SB 4.3.3, Translation and Purport:

Dakṣa began a sacrifice named vājapeya, and he became excessively confident of his support by Lord Brahmā, He then performed another great sacrifice, named bṛhaspati-sava.

In the Vedas it is prescribed that before performing a bṛhaspati-sava sacrifice, one should perform the sacrifice named vājapeya. While performing these sacrifices, however, Dakṣa neglected great devotees like Lord Śiva. According to Vedic scriptures, the demigods are eligible to participate in yajñas and share the oblations, but Dakṣa wanted to avoid them. All sacrifices are intended to pacify Lord Viṣṇu, but Lord Viṣṇu includes all His devotees. Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the other demigods are all obedient servants of Lord Viṣṇu; therefore Lord Viṣṇu is never satisfied without them. But Dakṣa, being puffed up with his power, wanted to deprive Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva of participation in the sacrifice, understanding that if one satisfies Viṣṇu, it is not necessary to satisfy His followers. But that is not the process. Viṣṇu wants His followers to be satisfied first. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā: (SB 11.19.21) "The worship of My devotees is better than worship of Me." Similarly, in the Padma Purāṇa, it is stated that the best mode of worship is to offer oblations to Viṣṇu, but better than that is to worship the devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Thus Dakṣa's determination to neglect Lord Śiva in the sacrifices was not fitting.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So any transcendentalist who at the end of life, either he thinks of the brahmajyoti or meditates upon the Paramātmā or thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in either case, they enter into the spiritual sky. But only the devotees, those who have practiced personal touch with the Supreme Lord, they enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets or in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. The Lord says, yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5). There is no doubt. One should not disbelieve. That is the question. So you are reading Bhagavad-gītā throughout the whole life, but when the Lord speaks something which does not tally with our imagination, we reject it. That is not the process of Bhagavad-gītā reading.

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:

First of all, we have to see who is going to speak about Kṛṣṇa. Is it a devotee of Kṛṣṇa? Is he a Vaiṣṇava or not? If he is not, then immediately reject: "Oh, we are not going to hear from you." But people do not know. Any rascal speaking about Bhagavad-gītā we hear. That is not the process. Then you will misunderstand.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Now, Mahatma Gandhi, his philosophy was nonviolence. How could he prove that Bhagavad-gītā gives evidence of nonviolence? No. Therefore, anyone, Mahatma Gandhi or anyone, who has got his own ulterior motive, to prove it from the topics of Bhagavad-gītā, he must adulterate it. But that is not the process of reading Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, how to read Bhagavad-gītā, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. When we come to the Fourth Chapter, we'll know. So anyway, apart from the process of... But rest assured, we are speaking here of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We are not going to add, add in it something for fulfilling our own philosophy, our own points of view.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

I have seen in some of the yogic societies, they close the eyes completely, and some of them, about fifty percent of them are snoozing, or sleeping, regularly. Because as soon as you close your eyes, and if you have no subject matter to think, and you have been posted to meditate, you do not know to what to meditate, then the next result is sleeping and nothing more. That is practical. So one has to sleep very hard. Somebody was inquiring here... (chuckles) Of course, some of the students, they were sleeping so he was sarcastically (asking) that "Are they sleeping or meditating?" So I (said), "Yes, they are meditating by lying down." Yes. So sometimes meditation goes on in sleeping. No. That is not the process. You cannot close your eyes completely. Then you will invite the queen. Sleep and she will capture you.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that if one thinks at the time of death, if he thinks of Kṛṣṇa, he goes to Kṛṣṇa. What if one thinks of his spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: He will go to Kṛṣṇa, because spiritual master is also going to Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Now these questions should be on the subject matter which we have discussed. Don't bring outside question. Then there..., it will be no end. This is not the process. When we invite question—on the subject matter which we have spoken.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

The yogi knows everything, and he can transfer his self, any planet he likes. He does not require the help of any sputnik. The sputniks, they are trying for so many years, and they will go on trying for one hundred or one thousand years more. They'll never reach any planet. Be rest assured. This is not the process. This is not the process to reach another planet. Maybe, by scientific process, one man, one man or two man can reach, but that is not the general process. The general process is: if you want to transfer yourself any better planet, then you have to practice this yoga system, or jñāna system, not bhakti system.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

So we want enjoyment, but this atheism or this voidness, this impersonalism, they have created such an atmosphere that we are simply speculating, but we are addicted to these material enjoyments. That is not the process. Here it is said, puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā. If you accept this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotional path, and if you worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you can have the spiritual realization and you prepare yourself and you become detached from this material enjoyment. Your life becomes sublime. Oh. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

We are completely under the grip of the stringent laws of material nature, and we are repeatedly put into that stringent laws of material nature so that we may come into our consciousness that "Why we are suffering this repeated birth and death?" But we have become so much dull and so much accustomed to this habit... Because it is continuing since a very, very long time, time immemorial, so we have become accustomed. We have become accustomed. So we don't take it very seriously that why we are dying and why we are getting again body and why we are suffering these miseries. So this is called ignorance. This is called ignorance. So we are not very serious. Especially in this age we are not very serious. We think this is the process of life. No. This is not the process of life.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

They are bewildered by this illusory material energy. They are... They think, "This is all, and this life..." They do not know God. "There is no life. Let us enjoy as far as possible. Squeeze out the extract of this matter." Squeezing, squeezing, they don't... They are frustrated, frustrated, moghāśā, baffled in every respect. Squeezing to take essence of this material pleasure, they are baffled. They are baffled. Don't you see this practically? "So much money, so much I have earned." They go to enjoy, fifty thousand dollars, hundred thousand dollars, squeezing—they do not find any pleasure. Simply squeezing, squeezing. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇaḥ. That is not the process to find out real pleasure. If you have to find out real pleasure, then you have to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to be trained up in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

The ultimate purpose of sense gratification and the highest, topmost sense gratification is sex life. So we are trying, chewing, eschewing, you see, extracting. But that is not the process of happiness. The happiness is different. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Real happiness is transcendental. And that transcendental means that I must understand what is my position and what is my process of life. In this way this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will teach you. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, about them the Lord is saying, ananyāś cintayanto mām. Ananyāś cintayantaḥ means always, twenty-four hours, without any deviation, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Suppose if I am thrown into the ocean, that is practically my destruction. I may be very good swimmer, but that is no hope. That is no hope of my life. Any moment, I can go down into the depth of the ocean. Similarly, we are struggling very hard in this material ocean of existence, simply struggling. Just like a man is trying to save himself in the Atlantic Ocean, similarly, we are also trying here. This is not the process of getting yourself from the struggle-for-existence ocean. The thing is one must get you out from the ocean. Teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt (BG 12.7). So Kṛṣṇa promises—you will find in the later, tenth, chapter, that "Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I promise I shall take him from this ocean of birth and death."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

Purāṇa means old, old history, Purāṇa. And itihāsa means history. But Vedic civilization was concerned with historical evidences which are very, very important. At the present moment, present age, they write history chronologically. One period may be important, one period may not be important, but they write all the history. The Vedic way of writing history was not like that. If you go on writing history... Suppose for millions years of history you write, then where you'll keep the records? It is not possible. Every day so many things are happening, or every year. So that was not the process.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

People may not misunderstand that we want to stop business, we have to stop industries, our, our general modes of life. You be engaged in your occupational duties, but resultant action of that duty you offer to Kṛṣṇa. Don't take it. Karmaṇy evādhi-kāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. Don't take the result. Then it will be (indistinct). The same example, just like this hand picks up a very nice rasagullā, but it does not take; it gives to the stomach. Then it enjoys. That is the process. This spirit of giving to Kṛṣṇa is now forgotten. Therefore people are suffering, because they are not trying to enjoy in the process, that this is the process. You take a rasagullā, give it to the stomach. This is the process. Similarly, whatever you possess, you give it to Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam. Then you will be happy. Otherwise it will not bring happiness, because that is not the process.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

I have heard that there is one doctor, some rele(?). He has interpreted Bhagavad-gītā as the talks between a patient and a physician. You see? So this is going on. Everyone whimsically, he is interpreting. Sometimes in our country also, we see that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as nonviolence. It is very difficult to prove, because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. (laughs) So how you can prove nonviolence? So it is a difficult job. So that is not the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is to be understood, as our Swamiji immediately talked, that it has to be received from the paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

We do not consult the śāstra or the unmistakable way of improvement. We manufacture our own concoction. And therefore we are becoming more and more entangled. We do not take right direction. That is our folly in this age. We do not accept authority. We want to become authority ourself: "I am authority." Everyone wants to become authority. And that is being supported by so-called swamis, "Yes, you can manufacture your own religion."

But that is not the process. You cannot manufacture your own religion. Religion is given by God. Religion means the law of God. That's all. So how you can manufacture your law? That is not possible. Even if you do manufacture, what is the benefit? It will not be accepted. It will not work. Suppose if you manufacture some law at home, will it be accepted by the public? No. Nobody will accept.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

All politics, sociology, they are going on the basis of this body. But Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He was accepted by Arjuna as guru... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Now, Kṛṣṇa, I accept You as my guru. Not as friend." Because friendly talking is useless waste of time. He accepted Him as guru. When guru speaks, you cannot argue. That is not the process. You should accept a guru who is infallible. Otherwise it is useless. He accepted guru Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is infallible. If we accept guru, a bogus guru, then it is no benefit. Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. Not that everyone can be guru.

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

Here are many temples in India still. People come there with... One who hasn't got many things, but he brings one palmful of ātara or rice or ḍāl. This is useful. And in the temple there are three pots. They put ḍāl in the ḍāl, ātara in the ātara, and rice in the rice. So in this way the inmates of the temple, they can live without going outside. But people have lost such habit. They come empty-handed—"darśana"—that "I'll not give you anything, but you are a saintly person. Give me darśana, and give me your āśirvāda, and then I enjoy my senses. That's all. Nothing to give you, but you give me your āśirvāda. You give me the dust of your feet. I become benefited. You starve." But (chuckling) that is not the process. So the hunter, he was following the instruction of his Guru Mahārāja, Nārada Muni, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and sitting very peacefully. So people would come, and they were surprised. So, so many people came-heaps of ātara, heaps of rice, heaps of vegetables.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

Suppose you have committed theft. This is sinful activities. And you are put into the jail for six months. That does not mean that you become an honest man. That does not mean. So it is something like that. To clear the muddy water, put another lump of mud on it. This will not help. Something effective must be brought in.

That effective thing is kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, only this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The whole world is muddy. It is impure, full of sinful activities. So if you want to clear the situation of the modern world, then this is the only remedy:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

There is no other way. And actually, we are seeing practically how by chanting this holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, how nasty people are becoming purified, Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa. Actually nasty. Now, here it is said that surākṛtam, a drop of wine makes the whole thing impure. And liquor drinking is our daily business. So the example is given that suppose here is one drop of wine, and the place has become impure. So if you bring another gallon of wine and just sweep over it, mop it with wine, that is not the process. You have to bring pure water and wash with it. Then it will purify. You cannot say that "Wine is also liquid. Why not cleanse it here by wine?" No.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is purified, the most purified, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12), transcendental, completely purified. So unless you are also completely purified, how you can touch Kṛṣṇa? This is common sense reasoning. Therefore Kṛṣṇa realization is not so easy. (aside:) You just train them how. This is not the process. Then you shall sit down backside. And before the Deity it should not be done. From the childhood it should be trained up.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

Prabhupāda: The first beginning of human life is brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means to learn how to restrict himself from sense gratification. That is brahmacārī life—the student, student life. Nowadays, in every college, university, the students are allowed to mix, intermingle, both sex. What is called? Co-education?

Sudāmā: Co-ed. Yes.

Prabhupāda: But this is not the process of human civilization. Therefore, at the present moment, the population is so much degraded. There is no restriction. That is the difference between animal life and human life. Human life is meant for restriction. The more you restrict your material sense gratification, the more you are advanced. This is the standard. Not that "Because I have got the tendency to act like this, let me do it unrestrictedly." That is not human civilization; that is cats' and dogs' civilization. Human civilization means tapasya, austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Sattva. We have to purify our existence. That is the aim of human life. We have to purify our existence.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

"You can get mercy of the Supreme Lord simply by devotional service, bhaktyā." He doesn't say by knowledge, jñānena, or karmeṇa. He never says. Or yogena. No. These are not the process to understand the Absolute Truth. You can make little advance, but it is... Avan manasa-gocaraḥ. What advance you can make with your limited senses? That is not possible. He is beyond the scope of my mental activities. So you cannot reach that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has recommended that "If you want to know Me, then you have to adopt this process, bhakti-yoga." And Kṛṣṇa accepts everything through bhakti. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Not these karmīs, jñānīs. He doesn't accept anything from the hands of karmīs and jñānīs. Karmīs and jñānīs cannot approach Him, what to speak of accepting their offering. That is not possible. They cannot approach Him.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

So Sanātana Gosvāmī was prime minister, very intelligent man. So he had inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "How we can accept the avatāra?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, "From the śāstra." And Sanātana Gosvāmī got it confirmed that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was... He stopped, of course. When he inquired that "Shall I accept this personality who is now preaching saṅkīrtana movement and along with His associates, He is the Supreme Lord?" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Let us go on further. We don't..."

So this is the way, not whimsically accept any rascal as avatāra. No. That is not the process. Or any rascal as God. This rascaldom has killed the whole human society to become atheist. You should be very, very careful of these rascals. As soon as somebody says that "I am God," you shall immediately take him as dog, not God. So God is not so cheap.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

The meaning of the Vedic literature is revealed. It is not by your mundane scholarship you can understand. That is not possible. Tasya ete kathitā arthāḥ prakāśante, it becomes revealed. To whom? Yasya deve parā bhaktir. One who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yathā deve tathā gurau, similar faith in guru. For them the meaning of this Vedic literature becomes revealed. It is not by mundane scholarship: "I think it is like that." Who are you? You are thinking like that? No. That is not the process.

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

Why should we go to the hotel and restaurant? There are so many nice preparation offered to Kṛṣṇa. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ. Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept from a devotee whatever he offers, but within the limitation. Otherwise he will bring hog's intestine. That is not desired. If people say, "Whatever I eat, I can offer to Kṛṣṇa..." There is a class, they say, "Whatever I eat you can offer." But that is not the process. The process is you must offer to Kṛṣṇa what He wants. Just like you invite one gentleman. You ask him, "What can I offer you?" That is etiquette. Not that however rascal you bring, and one has to eat. No.

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing, vede gāya yāhāra carita, and Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he is also singing, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. So there is no difference. Not that one ācārya will say, "I have seen"—so-called ācārya, not real ācārya—"I have seen in dream." The other day the letter came? He has seen, realized in dream, nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma. This is not the process. Process is the śāstra, authority. That is... We have to... Not that jugglery: "I have seen in dream. I have to become guru." No. Whether you are actually in terms of the śāstra? Whether actually you are dear to Kṛṣṇa, you are most confidential servant? That we have to test.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

They are now thinking, "Why there is crime, and why, what is the remedy?" They are think in the material way. They are thinking that "We have got enough everything. Why there should be crime?" But they do not know that unless you make first-class men by training, the fourth-class man will degrade more and more. Just like a child, if you don't send him to school to get education, he will be street boy and degrade more and more. So this is the problem. So how to train first-class man, that method is here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And take it seriously, and if you actually love your countrymen, raise them to the standard of first-class man.

Thank you very much. (break) Not in this way. This is not the process. The process is you must be free. Don't manufacture something.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

You give up this habit. Jñane prayāsam udapāsya, give up this bad habit. Then? How? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva: "Just become humble and meek. Don't declare yourself a great philosopher or great learned scholar and..." No. That is not the process. "Now I am a learned scholar, I can discover God, I can manufacture God." No. Give up this bad habit. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya—be humble. If you know to know God, then be humble. In the Bible also it is said, "God is for the meek and the humble," not for the impudent.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976:

With their defective senses they are thinking, "We are perfect. Because we have got a photograph, telescope, therefore it is sufficient." It is made by you. You are defective, and whatever you make, that is defective. This is the conclusion. This is right conclusion. If blind man, if he creates some telescope or..., can he see? You are blind. What you can see? But they are taking evidence: "We have seen with photograph, with telescope."

So these questions were never raised. We are now raising these questions. And they were passing on. No. This is not the process.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

Nowadays, they have invented some system of yoga, some light, something like that. But that is not the sastric injunction. Sastric injunction is to think of Lord Viṣṇu within the heart. He's already there, and we have to search out. That is called meditation. That is called dhyāna.

But in this Kali-yuga it is little difficult. Why little? It is very, very difficult to sit down in one place and meditate upon Lord Viṣṇu within the heart. Not only sit down in one place—it is recommended that we should sit down in a sacred place and in a secluded place. Not that it is a fashion, some hundreds of men sitting together and meditating. What meditating? That is not the process. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended to sit down in a sacred and secluded place. That is called dhyāna.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

I do not know what is the system in your country, but in India, one who is not a graduate, he is not allowed to study law. If one, anyone wants to study law, if he wants to enter into the law college, then he must be a graduate first of all, at least B.A. Otherwise he cannot. So if somebody says, "It is injustice," why? "Everyone should." Everyone cannot understand. Similarly, without being initiated by proper spiritual master, nobody can understand. The Vedas is not like that: you purchase a book, the Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata, and study at home, and you learn. Oh, it is not possible just like simply by purchasing some medical books and study at home you cannot become a doctor, medical man. That is not possible. Neither you can become a lawyer. The books are available in the market, but that is not the process. You have to enter yourself in an institution, take lessons from the professors, must attend lecture classes, seventy-five percent at least. Then you are allowed to sit in the examination.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Yesterday one so-called jñānī came to me, and he challenged me that "Swamijī, formerly the Christians used to convert the Hindus and the Muhammadans used to convert the Hindus into Muhammadanism or Christianism. Now you are converting the Christians into Hinduism. Then where is the difference between their activities and your activities?" So this fool does not know this is not making a person from Christian to Hindu. This is not the process. We are not interested. I never said in any meeting in the Western countries that "Hindu religion is better than your Christian religion. You give up your Christian religion and come to Hindu religion." No, that was not my propaganda. There are many old students here present. They may remember. I never made propaganda. Rather when they inquired one can attain perfection by following Christian principles, I said yes. So our propaganda is not to proselytize people from Christian to Hinduism. Our propaganda is to make everyone know this fact, that everyone is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

The Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ: "You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process—simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth." Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: "Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist." Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean. It is a different process. It is a... To understand God or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only through devotional service He can be known.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

Simply that I am doing all nonsense whole day and night, and I am attending yoga class, paying five dollars to the class, and I am thinking, "Oh, I am a great yogi"—this is all nonsense. Yoga is not so easy thing. You see? So simply this... This is the simply exploitating, the so-called society. I tell frankly they are society of the cheater and the cheated. This is not the process of yoga.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 5 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1970:

Things which are inconceivable by you, you cannot argue. Then it will be a failure. You have to accept that axiomatic truth. It is not dogmatic. It is not dogmatic in this sense, because our predecessor ācāryas, they accepted. What you are that you are arguing? So that is the proof. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. If you argue, there is no conclusion. The argument will go on. You put some argument; I put some argument. That is not the process.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

Conditioned souls, they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they cheat... Cheating means one who does not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā but he is writing commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. This is cheating, cheating the public. Somebody has got some name, a scholar, and he takes advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā, and he writes some comment. And they claim that anyone can give his own opinion. But that is not the process. You cannot give any opinion. Suppose I am a preacher of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How I can give opinion on medical science? That is ludicrous.

Festival Lectures

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

The politicians, diplomats, philosophers, they have tried so much, but actually nothing has become fruitful. Just like the United Nations. It was organized after the second great war, and they wanted that peacefully we shall settle everything. But there is no such thing. The fighting is going on between Pakistan and India, between Vietnam and America, and this and that. It is not the process. The process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone has to understand this fact, that we are not proprietor. Proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969:

I am publishing Bhagavad-gītā As It Is because in the market there were so many Bhagavad-gītā misinterpreted, but that is not the process of presenting Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā should be presented as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is simply said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But most books which you have seen in English lang..., they are trying to make minus Kṛṣṇa. That is their attempt. So what sort of Bhagavad-gītā is that? That should not be done. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. You should speak that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. That is the preaching of Bhagavad-gītā.

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

Madhudviṣa: Recently it said in the newspaper where the scientists were sending a sputnik around the moon. I have read in your Easy Journey to Other Planets that no matter how many endeavors they make, they will never reach these other planets. Is this...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is not the process of reaching. This is childish. That also I have made statement, this is childish. You cannot go to the moon planet in that way. It is not possible. They'll simply create story, but they'll never be successful.

Initiation Lectures

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

Individually, we make so many plans that "I shall be happy in this way, in that way, in that way." So this plan-making business is māyā, because that will never be successful. Trace out the history of the whole world. Nobody has become happy. Hitler made a plan, so great a plan. You see? He was frustrated. So the sane man, intelligent man... Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says that a person who is actually intelligent, wise... How a man becomes wise? After being baffled or frustrated many, many times, he can understand this is not the process. And the Vedānta-sūtra also places the first, athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is frustrated in all plan-making business, for him, the Vedānta-sūtra gives him the opportunity, "Now your all plans have failed. Come here." Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now try to understand what is Brahman." This is the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

You'll manufacture today something; next day you'll manufacture something; then you'll go astray. Don't do that. To be under disciplinary activities means to be directed by the authorities. Don't manufacture anything. There are so many activities. Why should we manufacture some other thing? Manufacturing means Māyāvāda, mental concoction. That is not the process of bhakti.

General Lectures

Lecture -- London, September 14, 1969:

You should try to understand the transcendental subject. First of all surrender, praṇipāta. Then paripraśna. You cannot question if you are not surrendered. Just like the other day one rascal was asking—he is not a surrendered soul—"Swamijī, you know Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Just see. So this is not the process of question. One must surrender. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, August 13, 1971:

When the soul is out, the body is dead, useless. That we can experience. Anubhāva. It is called anubhāva perception. So anyone, any sane man, can understand there is something missing. The scientists also say, "the something missing." Now, what is that missing, they cannot say. If they knew it, what is missing, then they are scientists, they could produce again that thing by laboratory mixture of chemicals and put it into the body, and he becomes alive. No, that is not possible. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Therefore Veda says that "Don't uselessly argue on subject matter which is beyond your perception." That is not the process.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

Try to understand Vedānta philosophy. Unfortunately, when we study Bhāgavata we immediately jump over Kṛṣṇa-līlā with the gopīs. That is not the process. The process is first of all you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, which is very difficult subject matter... Kṛṣṇa says that yatatām api siddhānām kaścid māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So the preliminary study of Kṛṣṇa is Śrīmad, er, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa explains Himself.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: To have, to possess perfect knowledge one must have guru, and guru means one has..., one is actually representative of God, not theoretically, but one who has practically seen and experienced God. We have to approach such guru then by service and by surrender, and by sincere inquiries we shall be able to understand what is God. That is required. The speculation is no use. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). This is the statement of Vedic literature. "My Lord, one who has received a little mercy and favor of Your Lordship, he can understand. Others may speculate for millions and millions of years, avacintya-tattve. Still they will remain in the fathom of inconceivable energy. There is no possibility." This is not the process.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: If you surrender and if you get jñāna-datta, that is all right. So far we are concerned, if we do not surrender, if you do not surrender, then you simply waste our time, idle talk. This is not the process.

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: In whatever condition he is, he can chant holy name of God. But they're so unfortunate, they won't accept this theory. Etādṛśī tava kṛpā. "So God is so merciful, but I am so unfortunate that I cannot chant His holy name." There is no charges, there is no fee, there is no loss. If there is some gain, why not try for it? And the gain is there. That you practically see. Because these boys from Europe, America, and other places, they were... I do not wish to discuss. (laughter) But just see the process now. Not the process one has... Other has to calculate. Then calculate, then serve. Yes. There is so much profit.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home:

Prabhupāda: You find out somebody who can instruct you. But you find out-praṇipāta. You surrender, not with challenge. And sevā. And then you ask him and you know it. But if you have no praṇipāta, no sevā, simply challenging spirit, you'll never know it. That is not the process. If you want to know, then you must find out somebody where you can surrender. And you must... Surrender means you must render service to him, and then you can ask him and he'll give you. Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. That is the process. If you are serious to know, then you find out somebody where you can surrender. Because Kṛṣṇa also wants surrender, so you have to surrender to His representative. Then you will know.

Guest (2): And can one not directly surrender to Kṛṣṇa through his own feelings and heart and...?

Prabhupāda: No. No, that is not the process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). He wants to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the process.

Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home:

Prabhupāda: If you do not find a guru, that means Kṛṣṇa is not yet pleased, either you are not serious. Just like when you become serious of studying any subject matter, you find out some college, some institution. You cannot purchase the books and read at home and become expert engineer, expert, no. That is not the process. Therefore the Vedic knowledge is called śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). So we have to hear by paramparā system. You attend the lectures of a professor because he has heard. He has listened the same instruction from his professor. You don't go to a professor who has never gone to school and college. Do you go there? So this knowledge... As material knowledge is received by paramparā, similarly, spiritual knowledge is received also by paramparā.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles:

Bali Mardana: God is one.

Prabhupāda: Yes, God is one. God is good. That is only one doctrine. And why there should be different doctrines? That means those who have created different doctrines means they're all rascals.

Karandhara: Because they deviated from the central point and became preoccupied with their own speculation.

Prabhupāda: That's all. That, that is not the process. First of all you have to know that God is unlimited. You are limited. How can you approach Him with your doctrine? Because you are limited, your ideas, your thinking, is limited. So how you can approach the unlimited? That is foolishness.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: If you want to make research, then search out what is the original brain, not the process. Process is already going on. What is the use of your research, nonsense? Suppose by chemical combination, if you produce one life... You will never be able. But still, if you think that you will be able or you become able, then what is credit to you? Without your help there, millions and millions of life are being manufactured, without your help. Then what is your credit?

Garden Conversation with Dr. Gerson and devotees -- June 22, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: Prabhupāda asked what you found out when you tested Dāmodara.

Dr. Gerson: Well, I haven't studied the tests yet. We're trying to test all of the devotees here in the L.A. temple and that in itself is taking all of my time. I haven't looked at his tests.

Dharmādhyakṣa: But can you give some impressions...

Prabhupāda: But that is not the process.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Will any human being accept the lion as human being? No. He knows that he is an animal. Maybe he is voted by the small animals. So that is the position. At the present moment the mass of people are kept in their animal consciousness. And therefore they elect another big animal to become president. Their idea is to have animal strength, jaws and nails and very powerful—"Oh, he is God," or "He is president." They cannot select anyone else. But formerly, in the Vedic civilization, a king was elected by the first-class men of the society, the saintly persons, the brāhmaṇas. They did not take part in politics, but they recommended that "This man should..." Just like Kṛṣṇa. He wanted Yudhiṣṭhira must be the king. Because king is supposed to be God's representative, how to rule over, not that these cats and dogs will find out a lion and vote him to the chair. That is not the process. Your modern process is that the electors, they are not trained up, and they elect another big animal to become the president. Therefore it is failure. All over the world this is going on. This so-called democracy... Unless people are very much trained up, the election by the mass is not very good.

Morning Walk -- August 7, 1975, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: First of all you surrender; then you ask question. The rascals first of all will question. And when he is satisfied, they will surrender. This is not the process. The process is first of all surrender; then question. Otherwise you have no right to question, waste time.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says that mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). All living entities are His part and parcel. He claims, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). In all forms of life, as many living entities are there, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ, I am the seed-giving father. So the natural position is that every living entity, not only human being, but also animals, plants, everyone... So why not Indian, American, or Czechoslavakian, everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa? So it not the process of proselytizing to convince the idea. It is actually bringing them to their real position, that they're all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. It is not artificial proselytization that "You are Christian, now you are Hindu." Or "You are Hindu, now you are Christian." "You are a sweeper, now you are harijana." It is not like that. It is actually bringing him to his own position, part and parcel of God.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: You cannot realize self by your intelligence or by your learning or by your brain. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ na bahunā śrutena. So when the ātmā, Paramātmā, reveals Himself to somebody, he can understand. And that revelation is possible when you are a bhakta. Otherwise, it is not... It clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). It never says "By brain, one can understand." Never says, "By speculation, one can understand." No, this is not the process. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). In the beginning, He said kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. Yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Those who are siddhas, already liberated, out of them, many, many, still, they are unable to understand, tattvataḥ, in truth. But here He says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only through bhakti one can understand in truth what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it is not possible. Because one is scholar he can understand Kṛṣṇa, that is not the fact.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Because you are giving dakṣiṇā, therefore they are chanting. And you stop that dakṣiṇā, nobody will come.

Commissioner: True. You are correct. (laughs) That we have told them. If they teach their own children, hundred rupees for him for teaching, forty rupees for a child who learns.

Prabhupāda: That they will do, but when the hundred rupees will not be sufficient, they'll give up.

Commissioner: One thing is that at least one child is learning in each and every...

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say that is not the process. If you want to satisfy with money, and in exchange of money he wants to chant Vedas, that is not...

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, this morning we went to this engagement. There was the inauguration of the Vivekananda Society Home, so we went there on saṅkīrtana because we were invited by them. And one swami spoke and he said service to mankind was also service to God. And at the end he also said that Vivekananda used to say that for the housewife, that the cooking pot was becoming God, had become God, had become a God.

Prabhupāda: People applauded. This is foolishness. They do not know how to act. Just like if you pour water on the tree, then it is accepted that you are pouring water on the tree but that is not the process. The process is to pour water on the root of the tree. Practically we... You can make an experiment. Just like here is a tree. You don't pour water on the root but pour water on the leaves. Then it will dry in due course of time. It will not be effective. But if you pour water on the root, the water will go everywhere. So the whole thing is just like a tree. God is the origin of everything. He is the root. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Therefore He is the root. So if you pour water in the root, then the water is distributed everywhere. But if you pour water on the leaves, on the twigs, on the fruits, it will take time and it will not be successful.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If you do not accept the direction of the author, then what right you have got to say that you have understood Bhagavad-gītā?

Guest (Indian man): Could it be that there may be different interpretations?

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. That is not the process. You cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to preach Bhagavad-gītā, you must preach what Kṛṣṇa has said. If you have got a different philosophy, you can say differently. You don't cheat people that you take Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in your own way and cheat others and be cheated yourself. You cannot do that.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: Without authorized statement don't say anything. It is foolish. Śabda-pramāṇam. Just like a good lawyer in the court. When he says something, immediately he quotes the law, "Section number such, laws number such," and that is authorized, not that whimsically if he says. That is not the process.

Correspondence

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Bhakta Dennis -- Mayapur 8 April, 1975:

I think that the best thing for you is to study our books very carefully and then try to write something. Do not try to concoct your own theories. This is not the process. You must write just as you have heard from your Guru and nothing else. Otherwise, your writing is useless.

Page Title:This is not the process
Compiler:Mangalavati, Priya
Created:16 of Mar, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=44, Con=15, Let=1
No. of Quotes:61