Srila Prabhupada - Vedic Teachings

Duties on the spiritual platform and duties on the material platform may be different, but the principle of following the authorized direction is always good for the performer. When one is under the spell of the modes of material nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for his particular situation and should not imitate others. For example, a brāhmaṇa, who is in the mode of goodness, is nonviolent, whereas a kṣatriya, who is in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a kṣatriya it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate a brāhmaṇa who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the kṣatriya may act as a brāhmaṇa, or a brāh...

  „Kali-yuga means the duration of age will reduce, the memory will reduce, the bodily strength will reduce, mercifulness will reduce. In this way everything will reduce. This is Kali-yuga.” (Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977) „This age of Kali is not at all suitable for self-realization as was Satya-yuga, the golden age, or Tretā- or Dvāpara-yugas, the silver and copper ages. For self-realization, the people in Satya-yuga, living a lifetime of a hundred thousand years, were able to perform prolonged meditation. And in Tretā-yuga, when the duration of life was ten thousand years, self-realization was attained by performance of great sacrifice. And in the Dvāpara-yuga, when the duration of life was one thousand years, self-realization was attained by worship of the Lord. But in the Kali-yuga, the maximum duration of life being one hundred years only and that combined with various difficulties, the recommended process of self-realization is that of h...

                                            „ When we speak of non- Kṛṣṇa , or desire which has no connection with  Kṛṣṇa , this does not mean that anything exists without  Kṛṣṇa . Actually there cannot be anything "non-Kṛṣṇa" because everything is a product of the energy of  Kṛṣṇa . Since  Kṛṣṇa  and His energies are identical, everything is  Kṛṣṇa  indirectly. For example, consciousness is common to every living entity, but when consciousness is purely centered on  Kṛṣṇa  ( Kṛṣṇa  consciousness), it is pure, and when consciousness is centered on something other than  Kṛṣṇa , or when it is directed to sense gratification, it may be called non- Kṛṣṇa  consciousness. Thus it is in the polluted state that the conception of non- Kṛṣṇa  comes. In the pure state, however, there is nothing but  Kṛṣṇa  conscious...

  "if one is situated firmly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the greatest danger cannot disturb him. There are so many dangers in life because the material world is a place of danger. We tend to close our eyes to this, and because we are foolish we try to adjust to these dangers. We may have many dangerous moments in our lives, but if we are training ourselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and preparing ourselves to go home, back to Godhead, we will not care for them. Our attitude will then be: "Dangers come and go - so let them happen." It is very difficult to make this kind of adjustment as long as one is on the materialistic platform and is identifying with the gross body, which is composed of perishable elements. But the more one advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more he becomes free from bodily designations and this material entanglement ." (On the Way to Kṛṣṇa, 1)    

  „Your letter is very much encouraging to me, that you are appreciating my humble service in spreading Krishna Consciousness in your great country. It was my ambition to begin my movement from New York; and by Krishna's Grace, I got good cooperation from some boys like you; and I felt too much aggrieved when some of you left me, but I was confident that all of your would come again, because Krishna Consciousness is not a material thing, and cannot be broken: it cannot be burned or wet or dried or stopped at any stage. When I received your letter, it appeared to me that I had received a letter from a lost child; so please continue your present attitude.”  (Letter to Umapati -- Vrindaban 5 September, 1967)    

  “The pseudo religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of philanthropic activities disguised as religious principles. By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative ācāryas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession. They ignore the Vedic injunction ācāryopāsana-"One must worship the ācārya"-and Kṛṣṇa's statement in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.2) evaṁparamparā-prāptam, "This supreme science of God is received through the disciplic succession." Instead, to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called ācāryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the ācāryas. These rogues are the mos...

  "If one thinks he is big devotee that is not good, thinking that he is first degree. We should not be puffed up, a devotee avoids it, remaining always in the second degree. A dog is a faithful servant. To become lowest dog is to become on the highest platform of service. Krsna has given everyone something extraordinary and to serve Krsna with one's extraordinary talent means successful life." (Srila Prabhupada’s letter to: Sukadeva—Calcutta 73-03-04)  

  Reporter (1): Is Kṛṣṇa consciousness genuine? Prabhupāda: Then we are simply wasting our time, do you think? By preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, do you think we are wasting our time? We are so fools? Why do you ask this nonsense question, "genuine"? Unless it is genuine, why you are working so hard? [Interviews -- September 12, 1973, London]