Prabhupāda: ...another example. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. It is said that this living entity is untouched by this material body. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. So the example is given that the moon reflected on water appears to be moving, but moon is separate from that movement. (Hindi) Go on. (Hindi) (break) ...good example. Unnecessarily he thinks that "I belong to this country, I belong to this society." That means he creates another body. And if he knows perfectly well that "I do not belong to any of these bodies," that is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). That teaching required, that every being is unattached to this body. Therefore yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape... Anyone who is maintaining himself under bodily concept of life, he is no better than the animals.
Unattached (Conv and Letters)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Karandhara: Yes. Zen allows a man... According to the precepts of Zen, you can act within the world. You can be a businessman, you can be a soldier, you can be anything, and still attain the same state of perfection by acting without desire, by acting unattached to the results.
Prabhupāda: So that is our philosophy. We... Arjuna acted as soldier, and still, he was recognized as devotee.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that out of many hundreds and thousands of men, only one person deserves to enter into transcendental realization, and out of many thousands of such transcendentally realized persons, only a few can understand the theological science specifically dealing with God as a person. Śrī Vyāsadeva is therefore advised by Nārada to describe the science of God directly by relating His transcendental activities. Vyāsadeva is himself a personality expert in this science, and he is unattached to material enjoyment; therefore he is the right person to describe it. And Sukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, is the right person to receive it.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
Please try to understand the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness in a nutshell: Every living entity has a dormant propensity to love somebody other who is very excellent in his opinion. Everyone of us therefore wants to love somebody else, attracted by his different varieties of opulences. Somebody loves some other either on account of riches, power, popularity, beauty, knowledge, or renunciation. But this loving propensity for somebody else is fundamentally meant for the supremely rich, powerful, popular, beautiful, wise, and unattached Lord Krsna.
1972 Correspondence
Regarding your other question, should we become detached from the results of our activities, or should we become simply attached to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, the answer is that both of these philosophies are right. One should not be attached to his personal achievement. But, if one is attached in order to please his Spiritual Master, then it is all right. Unattached to my benefit, attached to Krishna's benefit. Krishna Consciousness means attachment for Krishna and detachment for personal benefit, that's all. But in any case, if there is fight amongst yourselves over these things, book distribution, competition, you should not develop ill-feeling. That depends on the persons. If ill-feeling is there, then stop it and all together chant Hare Krishna. Those who are behind should eulogize those who are advanced. If you become envious, that is material. Attachment, detachment—these things are natural. If you become attached to something you become detached from other. So we can estimate our advancement in this way. This is the test. In the Krishna Consciousness Movement there is no question of enviousness, hatred, things like that. Material life means hatred for Krishna and desire for matter. So we have to convert ourselves. When one becomes Krishna conscious actually, he does not even hate material things because he becomes expert how to utilize everything for Krishna. Krishna Consciousness is so nice. We do not hate anything material because we have learned from our disciplic succession how to utilize material things for Krishna's service. Actually, bhakti means realization of the Supreme, and this means increasing attachment for Him and reforming of detachment or hating of material name and fame.
1973 Correspondence
Regarding your taking sannyasa, I think you are already a sannyasi although not in saffron colored cloth. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said,
- anasritah karma-phalam
- karyam karma karoti yah
- sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
- na niragnir na cakriyah
- (BG 6.1)
"The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work."
So, I know you'll take sannyasi sooner or later but wait for the time when Krsna will decide for this action.
It is nice that Subaladas Maharaja is travelling. As sannyasi, he should travel. The more a sannyasi travels and preaches, the more he becomes experienced and unattached.
| Page Title: | Unattached (Conv and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 29 of Apr, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=3, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 7 |