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So people are suffering. Avidya-karma-samjnanya. Being enwrapped by avidya, illusion, they are struggling for existence. So Krsna personally comes Himself to deliver them. Paritranaya sadhūnam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg 4.8]. That is His two businesses. So the Krsna conscious, Krsna's devotee, also take up the business of Krsna by this Krsna consciousness movement, and it will do good to him and as well as to the persons amongst whom he will preach. But preach. Don't manufacture preaching. Preach as it is in the sastra. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction: yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa [Cc Madhya 7.128].    (More...)

Srotriyam, srotriyam means one who has accepted the Vedic literature, the sastra, scripture, as the guidance. He can be... Not a extravagant upstart, he makes some group and religious principle of his own and become a guru. No, he's not guru...    (More...)

So simply by accepting this principle, and even if you are not learned-illiterate-you are hearing so much from Bhagavad-gita, you simply repeat that. Simply repeat that. There is no question of becoming very learned scholar. God has given you this ear. Even if you are blind, you cannot read, you can hear. So krsna-upadesa, what is Krsna...? This is 'krsna'-upadesa. And at last, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. So if you simply preach this cult, "My dear friend, my dear brother, you surrender to Krsna," you become spiritual master. You become spiritual master.    (More...)

The meaning is the preaching, very easy. Dante nidhaya trnakam. According to Indian system, if you put a grass on your mouth, it is a sign of that you have become very humble. If you approach a person with a grass in your mouth, he'll immediately know that you are coming there with very, very great humbleness. Therefore dante nidhaya. This was the system. Dante nidhaya trnakam, and touching his feet. Immediately, touch his feet. Immediately, even if he's enemy, he'll be a friend. Even if he's your enemy. It is so nice process. Take a grass on your mouth and immediately fall on his feet, padayor nipetya, and with folded hands, much flattering. Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva ca. All flattering words. Aham bravimi. So immediately he will agree, "Yes, what you say I'll hear. I'll hear." Immediately, convert to hear you at least.    (More...)

So Krsna says that acaryam mam vijaniyan [SB 11.17.27]: "You accept acarya as I am." Why? I see that he is a man. His sons call him father, or he looks like a man, so why he should be as good as God? Because he speaks as God speaks, that's all. Therefore. He does not make any change. Just like God says, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66], the guru says that you surrender to Krsna, or God. The same word. God says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg 18.65].    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: They think I'm an Indian. " 'If anyone comes around to our prasadam distribution program, that means he is hungry. If he is hungry, that means he cannot listen to our philosophy. If his hunger is not satisfied, he'll never become Krsna conscious. That is the point. If we just went around with a program of speaking and kirtana, they would come once or twice but they wouldn't see its practical value. But if you give them prasadam daily with kirtana and speaking, eventually you can convince them, "Look, this is our most practical way of life. Why don't you come and live with us completely and work with us?" ' " That's a quote from an article in Back to Godhead. "Though food is far more plentiful in the United States than in India, prasadam appeal seems to work its magic here just as well. The entire movement began only ten years ago in a storefront temple in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Today it owns the largest publishing house of Hindu classics, many in demand for leading university courses. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in Los Angeles, the world's largest, last year's gross of one million dollars; incense-producing Spiritual Sky Scented Products Company; and Krsna Fashions Incorporated, a wholesale clothing manufacturer. An important portion of the movement's income comes from the contributions of lay devotees, who are successful businessmen. More comes from street-corner solicitation of alms by devotees during kirtana. How significant the last is was shown recently by the closing down of elevator service in the New York center. 'A lot of us are going on pilgrimage to India,' said Alahkara dasa. 'There won't be many around to beg. These elevators cost us $2,200 a month to run. So we're cutting down except for essential services.' " We don't do that anymore. That was the previous mismanagement. Someone had the idea that if you turn off the elevator, that's very good. But I told him if you're not going to run the elevator, then why did you move here? They had people walking up eleven stories, and it was crazy, just to save... Anyway, "These include moving foodstuffs and milk into the building. Much of the food comes from a 350-acre ISKCON-owned dairy farm in Academia, Pennsylvania, one of the six similar facilities in this country and Canada." They show pictures of devotees in the temple, devotees taking prasadam and two lady devotees. "The yoga," it says under the captions, "monks take breakfast by hand in rows on the dining area floor." Here it says, "Saried women devotees dwell in cloister atmosphere of the center." Then "The yoga of devotion: Tilaka of clay paste marks the devotee as a member of ISKCON sect. Central shrine in the temple is the focal point of twice a day services." A picture of Radha-Govinda. " 'Our life is our meditation' said a sikha-ed, saffron-clad monk in the Hare Krsna center. 'Everything we do is offered to Sri Krsna, but in addition to that there is the personal chanting, most...' " [break] "...slung from the devotee's neck. He often counts the beads without taking his hand from the pouch. In the early hours the Hare Krsna center buzzes with a droning sound, difficult to identify by the stranger who does not know that it comes from the monks, who are beginning their required sixteen rounds." They have given everything very detailed. "The personal chanting sometimes occurs in unusual situations-while escorting a visitor to the center, while waiting to complete a phone call, or even during pauses in a conversation." [laughter] Devotees are always chanting. " 'The mahamantra is the only mantra needed' the devotee says. Besides the sixteen rounds, devotees are expected to observe four rules. They must abstain from meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex. Illicit sex is defined as any sexual act other than that intended for procreation. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. Married, full-time devotees may have sexual relationship once a month at a time propitious for procreation. All the devotee's activities are regarded as bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotion. He regards everything he does as service to God. The name he is given at initiation is followed by the word dasa, 'a servant.' Full-time ISKCON devotees adopt Vedic dress, one objective being to keep others aware of Krsna. Women wear saris, the men dhotis; both may wear shawls. The men shave their heads except for a single lock of hair at the back. [See the article 'The Krsna Cut.'] The lock, called a sikha, identifies the followers of Krsna." Actually, no one can imitate us because no one wants to give up their hair, so no one will try to make believe they are devotees. "Shaving the head announces renunciation of material pleasures. The tilaka is a mark made with clay-two narrow vertical stripes on the forehead meeting in a triangular swatch on the bridge of the nose. It identifies the body as a temple to be used only in the service of God. Full-time students follow a rigorously monastic life. They arise at four a.m. in the morning, begin four hours of prayer and chanting. At nine o'clock they have breakfast, seated cross-legged on mats on the floor. The men eat apart from the women. During the day devotees work at various preaching programs or at regular jobs. At seven p.m. devotional services are held in the center's temple. In Manhattan this features an ornate shrine including representations of Krsna and His consort, Radhe. Both are costumed sumptuously with elaborate care; both wear festoons of flowers. Visitors are cautioned, 'When you go in the temple remember that these statues you see are not representations of the Deities, they are the Deities. Krsna is in everything. Krsna is everywhere.' Temple kirtana." There's a picture. "Eleven-story New York sect's center is former Carmelite Baird home." Picture of the temple. "Services in the temple are attended by about five hundred every Sunday. Many of these are from New York's Hindu population. Frequently husbands bring their pregnant wives, dedicating their unborn child to Krsna. The kirtana begins with the chanting of the maha-mantra, slowly at first and melodiously. Later the chant will speed up as the spirit of the devotion spreads. Often the most rapid and intense chanting is done by a hard-core knot of dhoti-ed men before the curtains of the shrine." The devotees get in one group and start... [laughter] Hard-core devotees. "The rhythm approaches that of an express train, and the atmosphere is apt to remind a lay visitor of an old-fashioned football rally. Some of the onlookers try to keep up with the central group, clapping their hands, swaying their bodies, throwing arms upwards and, among the younger, adapting modern dance steps to the rhythm. When the shrine curtains are drawn back, devotees kneel and press their foreheads..."    (More...)

He never accepted this, that by birth. No. Either he is a brahmana or he is a sūdra, by caste or by birth, kiba vipra kiba sūdra nyasi kene naya; either he's a grhastha or a sannyasi, it doesn't matter. He can become a guru. How? Yei krsna-tattva-vetta. One who knows the principles of Krsna consciousness, one who understands Krsna, he can become a guru. So guru is the post given to the sannyasis, to the brahmanas. Without becoming a brahmana, nobody can become a sannyasi, and sannyasi is supposed to be the guru of both all the asramas and all the varnas.    (More...)

Anywhere, either you are in this district or that district, it doesn't matter. Either you are at home or outside home, it doesn't matter-you become a guru, everyone. "How shall I become guru? I have no qualification." Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "You don't require any qualification. You simply require one qualification: that you repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. That's all." Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. That's all. You become a guru. Don't adulterate krsna-upadesa like a rascal or nonsense. Present it as it is, Bhagavad-gita. Then you become a guru. You can become a guru in your family. You can guru your society, your nation, wherever you are. And if it is possible, you go outside and preach this mission of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore our movement's name is Krsna consciousness. Whatever Krsna says, you accept and preach, you become guru.    (More...)

So you should always keep yourself fixed up in Krsna consciousness. It is not very difficult. Strictly follow the rules and regulation and chant Hare Krsna mantra as many times... For a sannyasi, you should increase. Then you will be fixed up. And go on preaching. Preaching is also not very difficult, because you haven't got to manufacture anything. Everything is there, and it is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also took sannyasa very early age, twenty-four years old only. So He has practically shown by His activities how to preach Krsna consciousness all over the world. And He gives order to everyone, amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa [Cc Madhya 7.128]: "In whichever country you may live-it doesn't matter-try to deliver them by becoming their guru." The sannyasa is supposed to be guru of all other divisions-brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sūdra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha. Sannyasa is the topmost stage. So if you become guru, teacher, remembering the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then you will never fall down. He will save you.    (More...)

So you have to teach only these things. Where is the difficulty? You do it personally and teach them. Then you become guru. It doesn't require to learn big, big, I mean to say, grantha [literature] like Vedanta. This is not possible in this Kali-yuga. If possible, you can study Vedanta and other. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us... When Prakasananda Sarasvati inquired from Him that "You are a sannyasi. You are not studying Vedanta, and simply chanting Hare Krsna. What kind of sannyasi You are?"-this question was put by Prakasananda Sarasvati to Caitanya Mahaprabhu-Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "My dear sir, I am a great fool." Guru more mūrkha dekhi karila sasana : "My guru saw Me a great fool number one; therefore he has chastised Me." What is that? That " 'You cannot read Vedanta. You chant Hare Krsna.' So My Guru Maharaja has ordered Me like that. But by chanting only, I get ecstasy, I realize, like that."    (More...)

You become guru. It is not very difficult. How? Now, because you have to simply repeat what Krsna has said. That's all. So Krsna says everything in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg 18.65]. These four things if you accept-to think of Krsna always, to become devotee of Krsna, to offer obeisances to Krsna and to worship Krsna-these four things if you do, you become Krsna conscious, a devotee of Krsna, and you can preach all over the world. It is not at all difficult. So if you become sincere, seriously Krsna conscious, then there will be no difficulty because Krsna says,    (More...)

Prabhupada: Free means desire should be purified. That means desires should be to render service to the Lord. That is real purification. The example is given, just like gold. There are impurities. That impurities, you cannot cleanse it simply by washing. You have to put into the fire. When it is melted, then automatically all the dirty things are gone. His natural position is part and parcel of God, to render service to God. So unless he takes up that thing, there is no question of desirelessness. Therefore Krsna is demanding, "Surrender." And as soon as he surrenders, then material desires become vanquished. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170]. Anyabhilasita-sūnyam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11]. Otherwise, the... He cannot rectify one desire by another desire. That is not possible. Then it will produce another desire.    (More...)

He says that "All of you, you become guru." Just like I am requesting all Indians outside that I am alone trying to spread this Indian culture, why not you also join? You also become guru. So how to become guru? Not that simply by advertising that one has become guru all of a sudden. No. Guru means, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa. Whomever you meet, you just instruct him in what Krsna says, that's all-you become guru. It is not very difficult to become guru, provided we simply preach the instruction of Krsna. That we are doing. We do not say that we are perfect, we have become God, or we have so many..., so many magic jugglery. No, we have nothing to do, that. No magic, no jugglery, no God. Simply to become servant of God, and whomever we meet, we speak the words of God, that's all. Then you become guru. This is our mission. That we may be imperfect, that doesn't matter. We are imperfect. Just like this child, he is imperfect, everyone knows. But if he says, "My father has informed me that this is microphone," so this knowledge of "is microphone" is perfect because he has received from the father, experienced father. Before hearing from the father, he may not know that this is microphone, but since he has heard from the father that this is microphone, and if he says to others that "My father has said, 'This is microphone,' " then people will accept this is perfect knowledge.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Taranti te. Yes. So this is the position. Therefore our propaganda is that "You take Krsna and be Krsna conscious, and then you'll be happy." This is our propaganda. We haven't got to manufacture anything. We have to simply repeat what Krsna has said. That's all.    (More...)

First of all make yourself perfect. You can make yourself perfect because in the Bharata-varsa there are this Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vedic literature. Just study them. And therefore we are publishing so many books on the basis of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and people are appreciating very much all over the world. So it is the duty of every Indian to make his life perfect by understanding Bhagavad-gita at least, and spread the message. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. Every one of you can become a guru. He says that. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa. Wherever you are, you can deliver the persons, surrounding person in your neighborhood. "How can I become guru? I have no qualification." No. There is no need of qualification. Simply repeat. Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. Very simple thing. Anyone you meet: "My dear friend, just hear little." "What is that?" "Now, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You kindly think of Krsna. Just offer your obeisances to Krsna, just become a bhakta and chant His holy name." Bas. Your gurugiri is finished. So it is not very difficult task. Anyone can do this. And then everyone will be benefited. And that is Krsna consciousness movement.    (More...)

Svarūpa Damodara: Also, that will add attractions to the outsiders, if we have these nice places. Everybody who came here, those few scientists... About fifty-five, I think, all came. Most of them told me that they never knew that such thing existed in Vrndavana. It's such a nice place, and very peaceful and... They never expected that these things existed in Vrndavana. And they were very impressed. Even our incomplete building and with all our incomplete arrangements, they were very amazed that such thing existed. And one... Actually a few of them from Agra told me that "Next time, if you hold a conference," he said, "I will take all responsibility to bring all the scientists from around Agra, Delhi, and everything." He said he didn't know that such things might exist. So Vrndavana is also a place where people come and we can cultivate their..., to bring them to the spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness. Actually, it's very true that when they see our temple and to see our children, oh, they were so impressed that they say they will come back. And some of them attended mahgala-arati and some of them attended Bhagavatam class, even those who came for our conference. And so... Especially those who came with wives, very attracted to see our Deities and the photographs, nice, from all over the world. Everything was so attractive. Even the Mishra, who was so Mayavadi during our conference, also was almost materialist, his wife was so influential. His wife was actually a devotee. And I spent about two hours in his room with them, and she was instructing him that "You think that everything is just chemicals." And she was telling him that "Why don't you think that God existed before-there was God, and everything's coming from Him? And do research on the basis of that. If you do that, then everything will be nice." She was telling him that "Without bhakti, your science isn't going to give you any happiness, no pleasure." So actually she... Then he almost became a devotee. He said, "Yes, yes, yes." [laughter] And they wanted to see Srila Prabhupada just before they went. I told them that doctor told us that we shouldn't allow any, even the devotees, not so crowded in the room, because doctor advises not to do so. So I requested that "When Prabhupada gets better, you please come back. Prabhupada's going to get better. Then we'll have the opportunity to allow you to have Prabhupada's darsana." So they say they will come back, bring their children. Especially they were very impressed by our gurukula boys. They said it reminded them Krsna's boyhood pastimes just seeing these our gurukula boys. Especially every day we had invocation by the gurukula boys with Yasodanandana Maharaja from Brahma-samhita. The vibrations were so potent that everybody was very impressed. Though we didn't have all the guests that we invited, but still, I think, those few who came, I think they had very good appreciation about Srila Prabhupada's program. Especially bhakti-vedanta... Mishra's relation was very significant. He said he never had in his life to see this bhakti-vedanta. He called all of us as Bhakti-vedantist. He said he was always Advaita-vedantist, and he said he never saw a bhakti-vedanti. He said it was a great experience. He said he was very grateful that he came to the conference. And he had great appreciation of the whole movement. They said, "Just imagine that in about ten years a big empire can be built in such a pure spirit." So like that, Dr. Soni... Soni is the Deputy General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. He's also a big government scientist. To see these people... Actually, even one cannot just go and see them. You have to wait for so many red tapes just to go them. They came. He came with his family. Actually, he was the chief guest on Sunday, and he had a great appreciation of our whole Movement, and he told me very frankly in his opening speech that a few years ago he saw the devotees in Piccadilly Circus, first time in London. And about that time he said he had a very wrong impression, negative impression of the whole Movement. He said he thought something that was not very impressive. Then he told me very frankly that when I came to invite him for this to be the chief guest on Sunday, he said just on the basis of that, he said he was not willing to accept the invitation. But then, he said, after talking with me for a few minutes, he said he changed his whole attitude and then just decided to come. And then he expressed that he was very grateful that he came, and he learned a lot. He said this is one of the noblest causes that one can dedicate. So he had a great appreciation for the Movement. So like that, we'd like to make some friends, especially in the higher, educated classes of people. And I think I'm very hopeful, by the mercy of Your Divine Grace and Krsna's mercy, that we can at least follow your instruction. Then I think we can do it.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Oh, yes, you are welcome always. Whenever you find time. [Transl. I told you so many times to try this. You have got talent. You learn. It is real, as it is. You will be benefitted and those whom you speak to they will be benefitted.] Janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara . This is Caitanya. First of all, make your life successful. That successful means yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc Madhya 8.128], to understand Krsna thoroughly.    (More...)