Prabhupāda: So by serving Kṛṣṇa, nobody is loser; he is gainer. He is gainer permanently, eternally. And we do not know what is the value of that gain now. Because we are materially covered, we think service means just like service in this world. This service is māyā. Nobody will be satisfied. Nobody. You cannot satisfy, neither you will be satisfied. The best example is in your country, that your president, Mr. Kennedy, he gave you the best service, and the result was that you killed him. You or some of your member killed him. That means his service was not appreciated, although he gave his best service.
Similarly, in the material world, whatever service you render, that is spoiling time. But you render service to Kṛṣṇa, you will be satisfied, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, and as Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, everyone will be satisfied. So take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness service by hearing, by speaking, by remembering, by giving actually service, by worshiping, by making friendship and, after all, everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection.
So engage all yourselves in the service of Kṛṣṇa. It is very pleasing and, what is called, encouraging, enlivening. After too much material enjoyment, the next stage is frustration. That stage is coming to your country. Therefore the boys are becoming hippies. After too much material enjoyment, the next stage is—that is natural—frustration.
There is a good example in our country, one Mr. C. R. Das. He was a great leader, next to Gandhi, important political leader. So he was on the topmost of... he was lawyer, barrister. He was earning fifty thousand dollars monthly, very rich man. And he was making charity, and he was spending like anything. He was drunkard number one, woman-hunter number one, and everything. Because he had money, he could enjoy everything. But he was not happy.
So one day he was sitting with his wife. Just like in the street, he was looking over. So his wife asked him—his name was Chittaranjan— "Chittaranjan, you are earning so much. You are spending. People are very much fond of you. You are a great leader. Why you always remain morose? What do you want to be? You have got now everything." So at that time one mendicant, a sannyāsī, was passing. So Chittaranjan said: "I want to be like him. Then I will be happy. I don't want to enjoy. I want to beggar... to be beggar-like." You see? So that time is coming to your country.
So these hippies, they are frustrating. They have given up everything. We can study their psychic movement. They are not satisfied. That is the main principle. That is natural, to accept adversity voluntarily. Adversity. So this is frustration. But before reaching to that point of frustration, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you reach the real standard of happiness, because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.
I shall give you another example. Suppose you have stolen something from somebody's house or some friends. You will not be happy, even possessing that thing, stolen property. But if someday you come to return that thing to that friend, you will be happy. What do you think, Hayagrīva?
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you will feel relieved. So therefore the real thing is that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. We are artificially enjoying the stolen property. Therefore if you go on enjoying like that, then this frustration will come. But before coming to that frustration, if we return this property to Kṛṣṇa, then we become happy.
So best thing is to return everything to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And you will not be a loser; you will be gainer, just like Bali Mahārāja. Actually, if you think, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Nothing belongs to you. This is māyā. Kṛṣṇa's property you are thinking "mine." Is this land of American belongs to you actually? It is stolen property. You have stolen from the Red Indians or from Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is. Not you; everyone. Somebody is claiming, "This much my property," somebody is claiming, "This much my property," but this much or that much, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. It is stolen property.
There is another example in Indian words, jo hira chori kiya o bhi chor, jo khīra chori kiyā o bhi chor. Hira means diamond, and khīra means... what is that called? Cucumber, a small? So if somebody has stolen a cucumber from other's tree, so he is captured. And another man has stolen some diamond, he is also arrested. So from the police, both are thieves. If the man says: "Oh, what I have stolen? I have stolen a little cucumber. It is nothing, worth not even two cent or one cent. Why you are arresting me? He is thief. He has stolen big diamond," no, in the eyes of law, he is also thief, he is also thief.
Everyone is thief. Anyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is thief. He'll not be happy. The best thing is to return whatever he has possessed, "Kṛṣṇa, it is Yours. Take it." Finish business. Mānasa deha geha, yo kichu mora (Śaraṇāgati).
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song... now, everything we possess in mind. Actually we don't possess. Suppose I am possessing all this. As soon as I go from this body, all possession will remain here. I'll not take anything. So I don't possess.
But in mind I am thinking, "Oh, this is mine. This is mine. Where is another box? Why it is not coming?" And possessing in mind. If I leave this body, either the box here or in the Chicago or anywhere else, what is the difference? There is no difference. But because I am possessing in the mind, "Oh, that box is mine," so I am asking, "Whether it is Chicago or it is here, it is there? Why it is not coming?"
So possession in the mind. Actually you don't possess. Mānasa deha geha. So by that supposingly possessing, we have got our mind, we have got our body, then expansion of body—wife, children, family, society, country. In this way we possess so many things. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, mānasa deha geha, yo kichu mora: "Now whatever I possess—either in the mind or in the family or in the society or in the body—whatever I have got, I surrender unto You, my dear Kṛṣṇa."
Mānasa deha geha, yo kichu... arpinū tuā pade nanda kiśora: "Nanda-kiśora, O the son of Nanda, I give You, unto You." Marobi rakhobi, yo icchā tohāra: "Now, whatever You like, You can do, either You kill me or You protect me, as You like. You are the proprietor. You have right to do everything." This is surrender. This is full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But that is not possible immediately; therefore we have to practice. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). And if we die in that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram... in the particular type of consciousness, when one gives up this body, then he is transferred into that position next life.
So in this way, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we are able, sadā tad-bhāva, by practicing always, constantly, that situation of consciousness, then next life, after giving up... why next life? This life also. One person who is in always Kṛṣṇa's service this life or that life, he is with Kṛṣṇa. He is with Kṛṣṇa. Any person within Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. I may not understand, but Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.
So you American boys and girls, you should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You'll be happy. Your position is to take up, because you are on the top of the material happiness. Now you take it. You be saved. Otherwise this frustration is coming. That will come. Just like C. R. Das. He, out of that frustration, he gave up everything. He sacrificed his life for political. And what is that value of that sacrifice? You may become a great man of your country in the estimation of your people, but not in the estimation of Kṛṣṇa. You may become a great man in the estimation of your country, but in others' estimation, your enemy, "Oh, this man is dead. Now our enemy is finished. That's nice."
So another side there is imperfection. Not everybody is satisfied by your service. But if you serve Kṛṣṇa, everybody is satisfied. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, nobody will be dissatisfied. At least they will say: "Ah..." Just like in the paper, "The boys are very nice." You see? You have seen. Instead of not very sympathetic, they have remarked this, "Oh, these boys are very nice." At least, people will appreciate, "Oh, these boys are... these Kṛṣṇa conscious men are very nice. They do not smoke. They do not drink. They have no illicit sex life. They do not kill for satisfy the tongue. They are satisfied with natural food. And their behavior is very good." Who will deny it?
And the other asset they cannot estimate, that how much he is in contact with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. That, they have no estimating power. But at least they will appreciate these external features. One clergyman, when I was going to Hawaii, he was talking with me. He said, "Swāmījī, I have seen your disciples have a very nice face, glowing face." And "Yes, certainly. They must be. They are making spiritual progress."
So it is not difficult. It is very easy. If you take to this, you have everything sublime and your life becomes sublime. You haven't got to give up anything. The material needs are there: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not disallowed, but adjusted for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We cannot allow eating, mating, like animals, cats and dogs. No. That is not possible. You'll eat, you'll mate, but just like human being, civilized man. Then what is the distinction between animal and man if we behave like animals?
Kṛṣṇa, God, is pure. So if you keep yourself in impure condition of life, then how you can make progress towards purity, highest perfection, purity? Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). In the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa that "You are the purest of all." If you are going to reach the purest of all, how can remain impure?
When this tapasya... this voluntary restraint means tapasya. Tapasya, there is a Sanskrit word, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily restraining or accepting some suffering condition. That is not actually suffering condition. Just like a patient. A doctor says, "You cannot take it." So he has the desire to take it, but doctor says that, "You cannot take it." Therefore he mentally thinks that, "Doctor has restricted this. I am suffering." Actually he is curing, but he thinks that, "I am suffering." And when he's cured, he sees, "Oh, doctor is good friend. He told me not to indulge in this. Now I have done it, I am now cured."
So tapasya means voluntarily one has to accept some so-called suffering. That is required to make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—voluntarily acceptance, some so-called suffering. Tapaḥ divyam. That suffering is for transcendental realization. That is good. Tapo divyaṁ yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). Śuddhyet means your existence will be purified. And existence purified means you advance to realize unlimited happiness.
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio)
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