(Click to enlarge painting of Krishna and the cowherd boys in Vrindavan)
Devotee: I remember over five years ago you telling me about "If you read the first nine cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious." Would you kindly tell me what does it mean to be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious?
Prabhupāda: What do you understand, fully Kṛṣṇa conscious?
Devotee: What does it mean to be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious?
Prabhupāda: No, what you mean, first of all let me know.
Devotee (2): What do you think fully Kṛṣṇa conscious means? You tell Prabhupāda.
Devotee: It's to see Kṛṣṇa face to face?
Prabhupāda: That means Kṛṣṇa conscious? Everyone is seeing Kṛṣṇa face to face. When you go to the temple Kṛṣṇa is there, and you are seeing. Does it mean that everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious?
Devotee: No.
Prabhupāda: Then? What is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa conscious?
Indian man: Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).
Prabhupāda: Hmm, that is part of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, brahṁa bhūtaḥ. Real Kṛṣṇa consciousness is: "Kṛṣṇa is master; I am servant." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Devotee: To understand that you're the servant and Kṛṣṇa is the master. I see.
Prabhupāda: Yes. When you fully understand, that is your Kṛṣṇa... That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So long you think that "I can also become like Kṛṣṇa," then you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Devotee: In other words, if you still have material desires you can't be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Make all your material desires zero.
Devotee: Thank you very much.
Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You should only desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...clear or not?
Devotee: Very clear. Thank you very much.
Devotee (2): What if a person doesn't desire material enjoyment, but still, there is so much dirt?
Prabhupāda: Hmm? Who is that person...
Devotee (2): I'm just wondering if that's possible.
Prabhupāda: ...who has no material desires?
Devotee (2): A person really wants to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, but somehow or another, so much dirts gets in the way.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Dirt means it is not yet zero. I said that all material desires should be made zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam.
Devotee (2): As soon as the desires completely change, then everything else is purified.
Prabhupāda: Yes. As Arjuna said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava, naṣṭo mohaḥ: "Now my illusion is over. I agree to act as You say." This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān madhusūdana (BG 18.73). The moha is there. Moha means these desires are illusion, like dreaming. In dream we see so many things. They are all false. In dreaming I am seeing that somebody is coming to kill me, but there is nobody; but still, I am dreaming. This is called moha. So when one is free from moha, then he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. The whole material world is going on under such illusion. Therefore it is called māyā.
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Vrindavan, December 10, 1975)
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