Transcendental activities (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"transcendental activities" |"transcendental activity" |"transcendental devotional activities" |"transcendental educational activities" |"transcendental loving activities" |"transcendental personal activities" |"transcendental qualitative activities" |"transcendental sense activities" |"transcendental spiritual activities" |"transcendental, glorified activities" |"transcendental, spiritual activities"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

The purpose must be spiritual, the purpose must be for Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: ...you have to. This is not material. When you speak in spiritual connection this is spiritual.

Dr. Weir: You'd have to invent a new language really.

Prabhupāda: No. Why... the same language, the same language.

Dr. Weir: Well you won't get very far in any form of philosophy...

Mensa Member: (indistinct)

Śyāmasundara: But the consciousness in which something is done denotes it. For instance, I could be sweeping the street. Someone would think, "Ah, I'm just a material street sweeper." But if I'm doing it for Kṛṣṇa it's a transcendental activity, it's a spiritual activity, not a material activity.

Dr. Weir: Ah, yes, but I mean, then you have a, if somebody else who's sweeping faster and better, you say that he's greater spiritually even if he's doing it...

Śyāmasundara: No.

Prabhupāda: No, the purpose must be spiritual, the purpose must be for Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: So if we're speaking about Kṛṣṇa then our words become spiritual.

Dr. Weir: Yes, but I think if you're talking about spiritual things you mustn't try and quantify it.

Prabhupāda: Spiritual means it has no material qualification. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Pious activities cannot be compared with transcendental activities. But it may help in the long run. Therefore transcendental activities does not depend on pious activity. It is not dependent.

Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is pious activity on the material platform?

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is transcendental, above pious activity. By accumulation of pious activities one may be elevated to the transcendental position. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). Puṇya means pious activities. After doing for many, many years simply pious activities one may be elevated to the transcendental platform. So pious activities cannot be compared with transcendental activities. But it may help in the long run. Therefore transcendental activities does not depend on pious activity. It is not dependent. Then it will take long, long years. But automatically he becomes pious, achieves the result of pious activities.

So, you can try one or two. If you find that they're alright...

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1975, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda Swami: No. That's what I thought. I wasn't sure about that.

Prabhupāda: Why they want to join?

Akṣayānanda Swami: Because in their centers there's no, there doesn't seem to be so much transcendental activity like you have given us. They don't get that. And if they come and see us they see the devotees are dancing and happy and engaged. The conditions are clean and so on...

Prabhupāda: So, you can try one or two. If you find that they're alright...

Akṣayānanda Swami: Yes. Doesn't matter.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Senses without designation engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa is called bhakti, or transcendental activity. Is that clear?

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The yogis, they artificially want to stop the activities of the senses, but that is not possible. Senses are there. Life means senses. Aprākṛta, prākṛta. And when senses are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is aprākṛta, transcendental. That is described, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Our senses are now upādhi—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that." Senses are there, everywhere, but it is designated. So we have to free the senses from this material designation. And when the designations are washed away, at..., with that senses, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Purified senses without any designation, when we engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati...

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

So senses without designation engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa is called bhakti, or transcendental activity. Is that clear?

Devotees: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.