Srila Prabhupada Uvaca-10

"Why Is There Suffering?"

Because God is always ready to give us what we desire, He has created the material world where we can assume the false position of controller, life after life, for as long as we like. Yet this material creation is marked by unpleasant conditions -- birth, death, old age and disease -- so that we may question, "Why am I suffering?" The search for an answer to such questions leads us to spiritual life and finally freedom from the cares of material existence. A nice example is given: The king may have all wealth in his kingdom, but the prisoners in the prison house never know it. Similarly, Krsna has His eternal, blissful, spiritual kingdom, but we are suffering in the material world due to our wanting to forget Him. The intelligent person will endeavour to get out of prison, to transfer to the spiritual world, rather than waste his time trying to make patchwork temporary adjustments to life in prison. As Srila Prabhupada said in Bhagavad Gita:8:16: "From the highest planet in the material world, down to the lowest, all are places of misery where repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again."

Back to Godhead Magazine- Krsna Returns to India- Giriraja dasa Brahmacari (ISKCON-Bombay)

Different desires means infection from different types of association

In his final class, speaking on Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada gave an elaborate and careful analysis of the great responsibility that is afforded by the human form of life. Along with human life, he explained, came great intelligence and resourcefulness; but if that was not utilised in the proper cultivation of spiritual knowledge, then humans were no better than cats or dogs. If we instead chose to associate with other cat and dog-like human beings, then we would become infected.

"Originally, there were three kinds of infection: sattva guna or goodness, rajo guna, passion, and tamo guna, ignorance. These are just like the three primary colours: red, yellow and blue. Just like the expert artist can make a variety of colours from these three original colours, so similarly the three original qualities mix -- three times three is nine, nine times nine is eighty-one -- therefore there are 8,400,000 forms of life."

In his conclusion, Srila Prabhupada requested everyone to take advantage of the Krsna consciousness movement. "If you accept that ‘simply by chanting I shall realise God', you can do that. If you prefer to study, don't blindly accept. Come here, read our books, and try to understand with your full knowledge. Whichever you prefer, you should come here and fully utilise this Melbourne centre."

Before allowing questions, Madhudvisa announced some good news: Srila Prabhupada would be coming to Melbourne again in January for an extended stay. The devotees were ecstatic and cheered, "Jaya, haribol! Haribol!"

Question time was lively. An initiated devotee -- now living apart from the community -- wondered, considering that everyone was influenced by different desires, whether each individual should be allocated a different type of sadhana or daily practice in devotional life. Some devotees suspected that the man was making a veiled attempt to gain sanction for a less-than-standard observance of the rules and regulations. Srila Prabhupada's in-depth reply was clear. He explained that those different desires would have to change, not the daily routine.

"Different desires means infection from different types of association. Therefore we recommend that you associate with us. Then there will be one desire: how to understand God."

The room was hot. Two bare-chested brahmacaris, standing on either side of Srila Prabhupada, fanned him reverently with yak-tail whisks. Raghunatha , a middle-aged devotee householder was having difficulty in coming to grips with some of the Bhagavatam's descriptions. Instead of studying his spiritual master's books more carefully, he had made the mistake of studying books from the Theosophical Society, which had only further compounded his doubts and confusion. He raised his hand, and asked sheepishly, "Srila Prabhupada, when it is cited in the scripture that Lord Brahma rides on a swan, a hamsa, is this, er, are we to take this to mean that it is a real swan, or is it something symbolic?"

Prabhupada sat up taller on his vyasasana. "Not symbolic, it is fact. Why do you say symbolic?"

Raghunatha answered with some reticence. "It's, er, rather unusual."

Prabhupada's eyes opened wide. "Unusual? What experience have you got? You have no experience. Have you got any experience of other planetary systems? What is there? Then? Your experience is very teeny. So you should not calculate Brahma's life and other things from your teeny experience. Now, in the Bhagavad Gita it is said that the duration of life of Brahma, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh ... Now, a Brahma's life is stated in the sastras. We have already explained that we accept the authoritative statement of sastra. Now, Brahma's life is stated there. Arhat means his one day is equal to our four yugas. Four yugas means 4,300,000 years. And multiply it by 1,000. Sahasra yuga paryantam. Sahasra means 1,000. And yuga means 4,300,000 years. Now, multiply it by 1,000. That period is Brahma's one day. Similarly, he has got one night, one month, one year. And such hundred years he will live.

"So, how you can calculate? How it is within your experience? You will think something mysterious. No, your experience is nothing. Therefore you have to take experience from the perfect person, Krsna. Then your knowledge is perfect. That I have already said. Don't try to understand everything with your teeny experience. Then you will be a failure."

A rather strange-minded regular congregational member with low self-esteem asked Srila Prabhupada whether one's small efforts to serve Krsna would ultimately be considered useless.

Prabhupada's reply to the man was a sensitive one. "That I have already explained. You are coming here, even though you are not initiated. That is also service. If you deposit one cent daily, one day it may become $100. So, when you get the $100, you can get the business." (Laughter.)

"So you come here daily, one cent, one cent. When it will be $100, you will be a devotee." Prabhupada's answer drew laughter and cheers from the audience.

Prabhupada explained further. "So this is not wasted. That is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam, krta-punya punjah. Krta-punya. Krta means done. Sukadeva Goswami is describing when Krsna was playing with His cowherd boyfriends: ‘These cowherd boys who are playing with Krsna have not come to this platform in one day.' Life after life, having performed pious activities, now they have come to this position that they are allowed to play with the Supreme. Any pious activities done for the sake of Krsna is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. So go on increasing the asset. One day it will so help you that you will be able to play with Krsna. This is the Krsna consciousness movement."

A young man asked, "There are different, or many, spiritual movements in the world. How can I know which one is right?"

"It is very easy. Spiritual movement means to understand God. Any spiritual movement you adopt, if you understand God, then it is all right. If you think everyone is spiritual movement, all right, you take it. Then, if you come to understand, ‘Now I have understood God', then that is all right. Otherwise, bogus."

"But I have no experience, so ..."

"Here is the experience: Just like if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. And without eating, how you will feel satisfaction? So if you follow a spiritual movement, then you will understand God. That is the result. And if you think that you are following some spiritual movement but you do not know what is God that means that you are following some bogus thing. That is the test. It hasn't got to be certified. You can know. Just like if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. You haven't got to take a certificate from others. ‘Do you think I'm eating?' You can say. If you understand God fully, then that is a spiritual movement. If you do not understand, then you must know that you are following some bogus movement. This is the test."

A young devotee asked, "How do you convince a person that they are suffering, when they say that they are happy and not afraid to die?"

Prabhupada's reply was short and salty. "He is a madman!" As the whole room erupted in laughter, Prabhupada showed his teeth in a broad grin. "That's all. Who is caring for a madman's word?"

Newly-initiated Visvahetu raised his hand. "If we've been here, lifetime after lifetime performing impious activities, does it mean that we have to be here, lifetime after lifetime, performing pious activities to balance out our sinful reactions?"

Prabhupada opened his eyes wide and mildly admonished his young disciple. "One minute. That is Krsna consciousness movement. One minute. You are not reading Bhagavad Gita? What Krsna says? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. ‘You surrender unto Me. Give up all your business. I will give you relief from all sinful reactions immediately.' So it requires one minute. ‘My dear Krsna, I had forgotten. Now I understand. I fully surrender unto You.' Then you become immediately free from all sinful reactions. Without any reservation, without any politics. If you fully surrender, Krsna is assuring aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah."

Prabhupada paused briefly, his eyes wide open, his face animated and bright. "He reassures: ‘Don't worry whether I will be able to give you relief from all reaction. Ma sucah. Finished. Guaranteed. You do this.' So how much time it requires to surrender to Krsna? Immediately you can do that. Surrender means you surrender and work as Krsna says. That is surrender. What Krsna says to do? Four things: ‘You always think of Me, and you become My devotee. You worship Me and offer your respect, full obeisances unto Me.' You do these four things. That is full surrender. Mam evaisyasy asamsayah: ‘Then you come to Me without any difficulty.' Everything is there. Krsna has given everything, fully. If you accept it, then life is very simple. There is no difficulty."

Finally, another young brahmacari asked Srila Prabhupada a detailed question. "You're here, and all the devotees are your disciples, Srila Prabhupada, eternal disciples, eternal servitors. But what if we have to take birth in the material world in the next life? How will we be able to render direct service unto you?"

"Even if you remain in the material world," Prabhupada replied, "if you have not completed your spiritual life, still you will get good birth. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrastah sanjayate. ‘One who is a failure in completing Krsna consciousness, then he is given next chance in a very aristocratic family or a very nice pure brahmana family, so that he can again cultivate Krsna consciousness next chance'."

The young brahmacari continued. "Will that mean taking initiation from another guru or will he remain your eternal servant?"

Madhudvisa clarified the question. "His question was, when we take initiation from you, we understand that we become your eternal servitors. But if we had to come back again to another birth ..."

"But if you remain eternally in the instruction," continued Srila Prabhupada, "and if you fall from the instruction, how you can remain eternal? You have to stay on the platform. Then eternally you are safe. If you fall down from the platform, then it is your fault. Just like we are all in the Vaikuntha planets. Now we want to enjoy this material world. We have fallen down. Just like Jaya and Vijaya. Now we are trying to go back again. Therefore we say, ‘Go back to home, back to Godhead.' There is a process. If you follow the process, then you go back. If you fall down, that is your fault. Therefore, this life is meant for tapasya that is Rsabhadeva's instruction, that our life should not be wasted like the dogs and hogs and pigs. It should be utilised for tapasya, for understanding our position. Srila Prabhupada said: Tapo putraka yena suddhyed sattvam. This is the aim of life. We have to purify our existence. At the present moment our existence is impure. Therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. And as soon as we purify ourselves, then we are not subjected to these four material laws. Thank you very much, Hare Krsna."

With that, Srila Prabhupada brought the final session to a close.

From Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-‘The Great Transcendental Adventure-‘Such a Nice Temple’ -Melbourne, 1975–Kurma das

The tongue is the greatest enemy

On his last morning walk in the Botanic Gardens, Srila Prabhupada was accompanied by his Australian book distributors. The air was particularly chilly. When Srila Prabhupada stopped walking, the young men, breathing frosty plumes that soon merged with the bracing morning mist, clustered around their beloved spiritual master to listen to his occasional comments.

At one such break in the brisk walk, Prabhupada explained that the gardens, although nice, could have been greatly enhanced with more fruit and flower trees. He had heard, he said, that the government had a policy of not planting fruit trees. Amogha confirmed that this was a fact. Government decisions, he said, were very much centred around economic policy.

Prabhupada shook his head. "Just see. Bad policy."

Srutakirti gave another example. The government, he said, sometimes even paid farmers not to grow crops just to keep the price high.

Prabhupada made a sour face. "Just see the policy. Instead of growing natural food, they will kill animals. Purposely sinful life."

"But they still have to grow food for the animals," explained Srutakirti. "They're growing the food, they give it to the animals, but then they kill the animals."

Prabhupada shook his head. "Just see. They can grow food both for the animals and for human beings. Instead, they grow food for the animals and kill them. Ta'ra madhye jihwa ati, lobhamoy sudurmati. You sing this before taking prasadam. The tongue is the greatest enemy and greedy. For the satisfaction of the tongue they are risking their own life and committing sinful life to suffer later on. They do not know the policy of ‘live and let live', but rather ‘live and kill others'.

Cittahari suggested that people felt justified to kill animals since nature's arrangement was that one animal was food for another.

"But you are not an animal," Prabhupada countered. "You are a man. You should have this discrimination, that ‘If I can live otherwise very nicely, why shall I kill animals?' That is humanity."

"But isn't eating vegetables killing a living entity also?" asked Cittahari.

"No, it is not killing. If you take fruit, where is the killing question? And food grains?" Srutakirti added that wheat was harvested after it died, not before. Prabhupada nodded in agreement.

Gopikanta raised a rather tenuous argument. "Srila Prabhupada, you were saying the other day that if they wanted to eat meat they could wait till the cows died naturally. They might say ‘Why don't you let the vegetables die naturally before you eat them?' "

Prabhupada shook his head dismissively. "Vegetable? We are not talking of vegetable; we're talking of animals. Why don't you kill your father? Old father, useless, kill him and eat."

Hari-sauri gave the example of "old-age homes" as evidence of a move in that direction. Prabhupada stopped, planting his cane firmly on the ground. Devotees clustered closer.

"Yes. Time will come when they will kill their father. Now they are killing their children. Next they will kill their father. As soon as the whole world will become communistic they will kill the old man, just as the Africans do. Yes, they do it. Africans kill their grandfather; it is a festival. Yes. They throw the grandfather on the roof of the cottage, and he, rolling down, falls. Twice, thrice, he dies. That becomes a great festival of the grandsons. They are eating grandfather. Glorious grandsons."

Ugrasrava added, "Then they eat the grandfather's brain."

Prabhupada smiled mischievously. "And, you do not know? They like to eat white men. [Laughter] Yes. They kidnap or capture, some way or other, one white man, and they eat him very nicely."

Hari-sauri brought up the topic of abortion as yet another example of the degraded acts of contemporary society.

"They are so sinful," Srila Prabhupada said. "There are two envious living entities. One is the serpent and the other is the envious man. The envious man is more dangerous than the serpent. Why? The serpent can be charmed by drugs and mantra, but the envious man cannot. So he is more dangerous."

Hari-sauri wondered how such persons would ever be advised. Prabhupada was frank. "You can advise only: ‘Chant Hare Krsna, then everything will be all right. This is the one medicine.' You can simply make a plan how they will chant and take prasadam. This simple method. Bring them: ‘Please come here, chant, dance, and take prasadam.' They will be all good men. This is the process. Otherwise if you give them good advice, they will not be able to carry it out. They are so sinful. The only treatment is this Krsna consciousness movement. Somehow or other, bring them together. Let them chant, let them dance and take prasadam. They will be all right. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. There is no other means to rectify them. We are opening centres in different parts of the world just to give them a chance. ‘Please come here, take prasadam, chant, dance, enjoy.' That transcendental enjoyment will make them correct. We are the best friends of the human society. Otherwise there is no means to rectify these rascals."

On the return drive to the temple, Prabhupada explained that Krsna had actually recommended in the eighteenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita that persons devoid of penance and austerity should be avoided; yet the devotees were so kind that they "taxed their brain" to somehow help them. "But so far that argument, logic and philosophy is concerned," Prabhupada concluded, "they cannot understand". He reiterated the practical plan for rectification that he had stressed on his walk, and asked that it be pursued vigorously in Melbourne. "People should be induced, somehow or other, to come to the temple, chant, dance, and take prasadam with us."

From Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-‘The Great Transcendental Adventure-‘Such a Nice Temple’ -Melbourne, 1975–Kurma das

Vṛndāvana life means all attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

Mother Yaśodā is attached to Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja is attached to Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boys are attached to Kṛṣṇa, the calves and cows are attached to Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī is attached to Kṛṣṇa, the trees are attached to Kṛṣṇa, the flowers are attached to Kṛṣṇa, the water is attached to Kṛṣṇa... That is Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana means the central attachment is Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So if you can create that central attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then it is Vṛn... Then you can create Vṛndāvana anywhere—any family, any society, any country. Just make the point of attachment Kṛṣṇa, and it is Vṛndāvana. That is required. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

--Srila Prabhupada, Lecture SB 07.06.08 - Vrndavana - December 10, 1975

Unlimitedly Merciful Lord

Unlimitedly Merciful Lord——
Jagannatha will be very much pleased upon you. Yes. Little service to God is taken as great service. Krsna is so kind. So we should try always to give the best service, best energy, and you become liberated. Actually we cannot give any service to Krsna. He is unlimited. What is the value of our service? But He takes it seriously: "Oh, he is trying to give me some service." Otherwise what service He needs from us?

Suppose He has created these big universes, what service we can give? By His will, He can create millions of universes. What service we can give? We... No. These are the chances of service, this Ratha-yatra. God is so great, so big, how we can pack up in the ratha. But this is a chance, that you get Him sit on the ratha and prepare it, manufacture it. Because your energy is engaged for His service, that is accepted.

So this example... Just like a small child eating lozenges, and out of that, if he offers father, "Father, take it," and father takes it very serious..., "Ah, very nice." And what is that lozenges to the father? It is nothing. But because the child offers to the father in love, father takes it very seriously: "Oh, you are so nice. Yes, yes, give me."

That is stated in Bhagavad-gita [Bg. 9.26] "A leaf, a fruit, a little water." What is the value of these? "Because he is giving Me in faith and devotion, I accept it." And what is this one piece of leaf and a fruit for God? It is nothing. He is being served by many thousands of goddess of fortune. Then what is the value of this leaf and flower and fruit? But still, He says "Yes, I eat them." And once God eats from your hand, then your life is successful.

Srila  Prabhupada Morning Walk -- June 29, 1974, Melbourne

Excerpts from an interview with Śrīla Prabhupāda and a reporter from a student newspaper in Seattle in 1968.

Reporter: “How does one feel called toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is, does he begin by having faith? What demands are made upon him? How does he come into the frame of mind where he can accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness?”

Prabhupāda: “Of course, faith is the basic principle of everything. If you have no faith, then you cannot make progress in any line of action. So, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness also… faith is the basic principle. Just like, I have come here. I started my club in New York. So I was alone chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Somebody came. Eventually, out of inquisitiveness, somebody comes. Somebody came, and ‘Oh, what this Indian swami is doing? Let me see.’ So he sat down. Somebody came. He sat down. Then some of them took it, ‘Oh, Swamiji speaks very nice. Let me come again.’ He comes. He comes. Then he gets some faith. ‘Oh, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very nice.’ The next point is that he wants intimate relationship with the swami, more. ‘Swamiji, I have heard you so many days. I think it is very nice. So, I want to be your student.’ So faith is the basic principle.

“The next step is that he wants to become a student. And as soon as he wants to become a student, the next step is that I accept him, ‘a disciple,’ if I think that he is suitable. Then as soon as he becomes a disciple, he follows my regulative principles, injunctions, then gradually he becomes free from all misgivings. And actually he gives up that illicit sex life or gambling or meat-eating and so many other things. In that way, he becomes fixed up. Then he develops a taste. He cannot give up this Society. Taste, then attraction, attachment, he wants to do everything for the Society. In this way, he develops love of Kṛṣṇa. Final stage, he loves only Kṛṣṇa and nobody else. And because Kṛṣṇa includes everyone, that means he loves everyone.”

Reporter: “Could you describe your temple to me?”

Prabhupāda: “At the present moment, we have got fourteen temples: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Seattle, one in New Vrindaban—we have purchased about one hundred thirty acres of land and developing there New Vrindaban. We have got now a temple in London, in Germany—Berlin—and we are in negotiation with Florida, France, and we have sent one of our representatives in Hawaii. So we have got so many temples. Gradually it is increasing. Especially younger generation are amongst my disciples. The oldest disciple is thirty-five years old. Otherwise they are between twenty and twenty-five.”

Reporter: “How do you account for most of your disciples being so young, that is, right after university age, and what have your inroads been here in Seattle during the month that you have been here?”

Prabhupāda: I have come here for the last ten days only, and at least two or three are already converted. I want to see the youngsters in your country happy. Everyone wants that. But not only in your country, I want to see everywhere, because that is the duty of every human being, to give information of highest happiness. That is the duty of every human being. Animal propensity is to exploit others, and human propensity should be to do good to others. That is the difference between animal propensity and human propensity. So, here is a nice thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should we not distribute? Especially in your country, where there is great need for it. They are not after economic development. They have seen much of economic development. Now it is time for them to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they’ll be happy. That is my mission.”

Reporter: “Would you tell me something of your own background? That is, where you were educated, how you became a disciple of Kṛṣṇa.”

Prabhupāda: I was born and educated in Calcutta. Calcutta is my home place. I was born in 1896, and I was my father’s pet child. So my education began a little late, and still I was educated as high as secondary… high school for eight years, and in college… in primary school four years. Then I joined Gandhi’s movement, national movement, but by good chance I met my Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, in 1922. Since then I was attracted in this, line, and gradually I gave up my household life. I was married in 1918, when I was still a third-year student. So, I got my children. I was doing business. Then I retired from my family life in 1954. For four years I was alone without family. Then I took regular renounced order of life, 1959. Then I devoted myself to writing books. My first publication came out in 1962. And when there were three books, then I started for your country, and I reached here September 1965. Since then, I am trying to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in America, Canada, European countries, and gradually the centers are developing. The disciples are also increasing. Let me see what is going to be done.”

Reporter: “How did you become a disciple yourself? What were you, or what did you follow before you became a disciple?”

Prabhupāda: “As I told you, faith. One of my friends, he dragged me forcibly to my spiritual master. And when I talked with my spiritual master, I was induced. Since then the seedling began.”

Reporter: “Would you discuss your dancing with me, please? Explain something of it. I first saw it Tuesday evening, and I would like to know more about it.”

Prabhupāda: “‘This dancing is an art. It is automatic. We dance, we cry, we chant, we laugh, not by artificially learning it. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, as you begin to chant, naturally you feel like dancing. It comes simultaneously with development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Reporter: “What is the hand attire which you are wearing? What is the meaning of this?”

Prabhupāda: “I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa whenever there is opportunity. And there are beads, so I am chanting on beads. There are 108 beads, and on each bead we chant sixteen names: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So my disciples chant at least sixteen rounds.”

Reporter: “I see that one finds out more information by attending the services. Are there books written about Kṛṣṇa consciousness available here in Seattle?”

Prabhupāda: “We have many books already published. The first one is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. This is published by Macmillan and Company. The next book is Teachings of Lord Caitanya, which is also available from our temple. And the next book, in three parts, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can have any number of these books from our temple. If anyone carefully reads these books, the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be understood very easily by him. Besides these books, we have got our monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. It is not very costly, the magazine is only thirty-five cents per copy; subscription $4 yearly. And these, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, it is only $2.95. And of course, this Teachings of Lord Caitanya, it is hardbound, it is $5.95. So, they’ll be greatly profited. Oh, yes.”

Lord can be known only by the sincere mood of eagerness for service

Lord Brahmā is the first living being, who directly learned the Vedic wisdom from the Lord (tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye). Therefore, who can be a more learned Vedāntist than Lord Brahmā? He admits that in spite of his perfect knowledge in the Vedas, he was unable to know the glories of the Lord. Since no one can be more than Lord Brahmā, how can a so-called Vedāntist be perfectly cognizant of the Absolute Truth? The so-called Vedāntist, therefore, cannot enter into the existence of the Lord without being trained in the matter of bhakti-vedānta, or Vedānta plus bhakti. Vedānta means self-realization, and bhakti means realization of the Personality of Godhead, to some extent. No one can know the Personality of Godhead in full, but at least to a certain extent one can know the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, by self-surrender and a devotional attitude, and by nothing else. In the Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is said, vedeṣu durlabham, or simply by study of Vedānta one can hardly find out the existence of the Personality of Godhead, but the Lord is adurlabham ātma-bhaktau, very easily available to His devotee. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, therefore, was not satisfied simply with compiling the Vedānta-sūtras, but over and above this, by the advice of his spiritual master, Nārada, he compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in order to understand the real import of Vedānta. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam therefore, is the absolute medium by which to understand the Absolute Truth.

SB2.6.35 purport

Srila Prabhupada on Japa

"CHANTING OF SIXTEEN ROUNDS"

PRABHUPADA: You are all chanting sixteen rounds? No? (laughs)

Śarādīyā: I did at first but then I slipped back.

PRABHUPADA: Is it very difficult?

Mālatī: No, we do not know how yet to regulate our time too well. Some days we chant sixteen rounds and then the next day, I don't know what happens. I think we sleep too much, I mean I think I sleep too much.

PRABHUPADA: How many hours you are sleeping?

Mālatī: About six to eight.

PRABHUPADA: That is not much.
Sixteen... It takes only two hours, sixteen rounds. Huh?
Two hours, or more than that?

Mālatī: Two hours is all it takes to do the rounds.

PRABHUPADA: So you have to spend two hours for Kṛṣṇa out of twenty-four. Yes?

Devotee (1): Is there something wrong with sleeping eight hours?

PRABHUPADA: No, you can sleep till you are refreshed. Somebody's refreshed by sleeping four hours. Somebody is refreshed by sleeping ten hours.

Mālatī: But we should not sleep when we have, in place of our devotional service.

PRABHUPADA: No, of course not. Devotional service is first.

Mālatī: So if we miss some sleep we should do it.

PRABHUPADA: We should forego sleeping even. The real regulated life is that if sixteen rounds is not completed, then we have to forego sleeping. You should take out hours from sleeping. The main thing is that we should always be careful that my time may not be wasted, the time we engage for our bodily necessities, that is wasted. Only the period which we have engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is utilized. So we should be very much careful whether time is being wasted or being utilized.

Morning walk

-San Francisco –

 March 23rd 1968

Kitchen cleanliness

"One should never eat within the kitchen, there is ample place to eat so why should one eat in the kitchen? Kitchen should be considered as good as the Lord's room, and nobody should wear shoes in the kitchen, smelling and tasting of foods being prepared for the Lord should never be done, talking within the kitchen should be only what is necessary for preparing the prasadam, or about the Lord, and dirty dishes (those taken from kitchen and eaten from) should not be brought back into the kitchen (but if there is no other place to wash them, then they should be put into sink and washed immediately.), hands should always be washed when preparing prasadam, and in this way, everything shall be prepared very cleanly and pure.)"

Srila Prabhupada Letter to Aniruddha, 06-16-68

Don't expect first class men everytime

"Suppose you are in this Krishna conscious society. Now, you cannot expect that all the members of the society will be first-class men. How can we expect? We are collecting members of the society from all classes of men. So there may be a man in goodness, a man in the passion and a man in the ignorance. But if you think, 'Oh, this man is not good. That man is not good,' oh... No. You should be tolerant. You haven't got any connection with this man or that man. You are connected with the philosophy, with the process of life, and you are connected... Just like the same example: suppose you are on the ship. You do not find just all men to your choice. There may be different kinds of men. But what is that to you? You have to cross the Atlantic Ocean, patiently cross. Just sit down tightly on the ship and take advantage of the opportunity. That is your business."

 *(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, January 3, 1967)*