(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada)
"One can understand Kṛṣṇa by being constantly engaged in His service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Not that weekly once go to the church. No. Twenty-four hours, satata-yuktānām, engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching people how to become twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is our business. We don't allow karma, jñāna, yoga. No. Simply. And that is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). There is no question of jñāna and karma. That is not pure bhakti. Pure bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Brs. 1.1.11), simply to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased. This is bhakti. This is pure devotion.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, teaching pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, that will solve all problems. So how one can come to that stage? That is being explained in this portion of the Bhāgavatam, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Just hear. You haven't got to do anything more. Just hear about Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ... then everything will be cleared, gradually. This is our purpose. This center is giving chance that you come here and hear about... we, we don't make any flattery to satisfy the whims of the audience. We speak from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we speak from Bhagavad-gītā, and present them as it is, without any adulteration. This is our position. If you like, then you make progress. If you don't like, that is your option. But we cannot make any compromise. We must present the śāstra as it is.
And where is the difficulty? Everything is explained here. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). You have to attend Bhāgavatam class and serve the bhāgavata person nityam, daily. If you cannot, that is a different thing. But this is the process. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Calcutta, September 27, 1974)
"So all the verdict of the śāstra is the same. It is simply our misfortune that we do not understand the verdict of the śāstra. In the śāstra, everything is there. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. That is the verdict of the śāstra. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said. In Bhāgavata also said:
ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge
(SB 1.3.28)
So try to understand. And Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7): 'No more superior.' You don't misunderstand that there is something superior to Kṛṣṇa. That is rascaldom. So long we shall remain such rascal we shall not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, na māṁ prapadyante duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Prapadyante. Who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa? He'll say that, 'There are so many big, big person, and they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So they are all mūḍhas?' Yes, they are all mūḍhas. That is the verdict of the śāstra. We cannot make any compromise. That is not possible, against the principle of the śāstra. If we keep one competitor of Kṛṣṇa, then we are mūḍha. Here it is said, advitīya. Not that there is another Kṛṣṇa, dini Kṛṣṇa, no. There is no... there cannot be any competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: 'There is no more anyone, bigger authority than Me.' And here is also, Caitanya-caritāmṛta kāj, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, advitīya: no competitor, sir. Here we are all Gods, the rascaldom that, 'Everyone is God.' But there is competition of Gods. But in case of Kṛṣṇa there is no such possibility, no competition. Nobody can compete with Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He showed it by practical example. Nobody could compete Him in either knowledge, either strength or love affairs or any field of activities. There was no competition."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Mayapur, March 9, 1974)
"Śāstra, which is accepted by the ācārya, that is śāstra. You cannot make. As you cannot manufacture religion, you cannot manufacture śāstras. Approved by the ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says also that you should know from the ācārya. Everyone, they are preaching Bhagavad-gītā with the purpose of killing Kṛṣṇa. Everyone. The politicians, the scholars, the rascals and everyone. The main purpose is how to kill Kṛṣṇa. In Bombay I have got a very big friend, you know him. I do not wish to disclose his name. He has set aside ten lakhs of rupees from preaching Gītā. But he wants Gītā without Kṛṣṇa. Rāma without Sītā. Rāvaṇa's policy. Take away Sītā; Rāma will remain alone. So take away Gītā and cut Kṛṣṇa. But I cannot make any compromise. I shall... my life is ended; now I'm eighty-one. I do not know... but so long I shall live, I shall make no compromise, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Dṛḍha-vrata. And that is a fact. Why shall I mislead people? They are searching after God, what is God. Here is God. Why don't you take it? See His activities. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Tally with the formula of God, you see Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So whatever teeny effort I have got, I shall try to establish temples of Kṛṣṇa all over the world with my teeny income. I have got book sales. Kṛṣṇa has given me very good chance. It is beyond any dream."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Hyderabad, August 24, 1976)
Devotee: The whole world is in ignorance. Except for this knowledge which you are giving, everything is in darkness.
Prabhupāda: Darkness, that's all. All rascals, bokā.
Devotee: You're the single person in this whole world I see, Prabhupāda...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: ...who's giving this knowledge.
Prabhupāda: That is the fact.
Devotee: It may be that a few others know about it in India, but they never went outside to give it to anybody. Even in India they don't give it to anybody.
Prabhupāda: They do not know.
Devotee: They don't know, that's a fact. If they knew, they would speak it.
Prabhupāda: Therefore that professor has said: "God has sent Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta." I never say "Yes, yes." Never.
Devotee (2): You're the most uncompromising person. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: You know that?
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: And that. (gestures)
Devotee (2): Scissor philosophy.
Prabhupāda: If you drown me in the water, still I'll say.
Devotee: Everyone else has a point of selling out, but you have never done that.
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Mayapur, February 18, 1977)
"As I was saying yesterday, my Guru Mahārāja used to say that 'When you get up, you beat your mind with shoes hundred times, and when you go to the bed, you beat your mind with broomstick hundred times.' Then there will be no compromise. If you simply beat your mind... that is required. This is Vedic system. Now, if you want to bring somebody under your control, then you must always chastise him; otherwise it is impossible. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the moral instruction, he also says, lālane bahavo doṣās tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ: 'If you pat your subordinate, then it will increase the faulty habits.' Bahavo doṣaḥ. And tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ: 'And if you chastise, then they will improve.' Tasmāt śiṣyaṁ ca chatraṁ ca tāḍayen na tu lālayet. Therefore it is advised, 'Either your son or disciple, you should always chastise them. Never give them lenience.' So little leniency, immediately so many faults will grow."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Vrindavan, November 25, 1976)
"When my Guru Maharaja was present even big, big scholars were afraid to talk with His beginning students. My Guru Maharaja was called 'Living Encyclopedia', he could talk with anyone on any subject. He was so learned—so we should be like that as far as possible. No compromise—Rama Krishna, Avataras, yogis, everyone was enemy to Guru Maharaja—he never compromised. Some God-brothers complained that this preaching was chopping technique and it would not be successful. But we have seen that those who criticized, they fell down. For my part I have taken up the policy of my Guru Maharaja—no compromise. All these so called scholars, scientists, philosophers who do not accept Krsna are nothing more than rascals, fools lowest of mankind etc."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 27, 1973)
"Those who are not following the regulative principles may say and act whatever crazy thing they may do but we must not compromise with our principles. Those who are actually sincere about spiritual life will gradually see the purity of our movement as you are conducting it and they will become attracted to the real thing. Those who want to be cheated do not take the solution even when it is at hand but prefer to be cheated."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 1, 1974)
"You have to deal tactfully in your preaching. Do not compromise the truth, but speak palatably so he does not reject it but accepts it. That is preaching."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 1, 1975)
"I am very, very encouraged by your proposal to flood the medias of your country with our Krishna Consciousness program, and see that it is practically taking shape under your hands, so I am all the more pleased. Especially it is nice that because they hear our Krishna Show the people are ordering Krishna Book. This is a very good way to induce the public for accepting our philosophy, because they are prone to believe and accept whatever they hear on the radios and televisions. Now go on in this way increasing more and more, and always stick tight to the point of our philosophy. We should not compromise in any way just to accommodate the public idea, but we can so tastefully present the real thing that we will change the people to accommodate us. Thank you very much for assisting Lord Chaitanya so nicely in spreading this Sankirtana Movement."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 16, 1972)
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