710710 - Lecture SB 05.18.12 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710710SB-LOS_ANGELES - July 10, 1971 - 07:04 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

Anyone who has got unalloyed bhakti, devotion . . . akiñcanā means without any material desire. Never take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness for fulfilling some material desire. That is not pure devotion. That is adulterated. That is also devotion, but it is adulterated. Pure devotion means without any material desire. We serve Kṛṣṇa not for any benefit, material or spiritual. That is pure devotion.

If we think that by executing devotional service our material condition will be improved, that will be, undoubtedly, but that is not our desire. Neither we should think that by executing devotional service we shall be elevated to the spiritual world. That is also desire. We should be satisfied in whatever position we are placed by the Lord.

Simply our ambition should be to serve Him. Never mind whether I am in America or I am in India or Vṛndāvana, or hell or heaven—doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa can be always with us. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is with you. Wherever you go, Kṛṣṇa is with you. That is wanted. We shall not forget for a single moment Kṛṣṇa. This is called akiñcanā-bhakti. Unadulterated. Pure.

So anyone who has developed this unadulterated devotion, automatically he has all the good qualifications of the demigods. People are being trained for nice qualities—to become honest, to become moral, to become educated, to become gentle, polite, and so many things. Education is given to the children just to acquire good qualities. But if anyone has simply developed this unalloyed devotion, then all these good qualities will automatically manifest.

You haven't got to endeavor separately for becoming honest, moral or faithful. As soon as we become a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, all these qualities will develop. By one stroke we kill so many birds. This is the secret of success. So we should try to become unalloyed devotee. And the process is very simple, to chant sixteen rounds Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and to observe the four restrictive principles. That's all.

So that is not difficult. So far sixteen rounds is concerned, it takes only two hours. So if you have got fifty members in this temple, two in a batch, you sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. One hour. That makes eight round complete. And similarly you can find out another hour.

So we should be very serious and sincere. Utsāhād. This line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness depends on enthusiasm, patience. We should be very much enthusiastic. You are already enthusiastic in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; it will automatically become. So never be loathsome, lethargetic. Whenever you feel lethargetic, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you will feel energetic. So utsāhād, dhairyāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3), patiently.

And it is not for us only; for everyone. The state is enacting so many statutes, laws, for making the citizen good. But if the state takes this principle, to convert all citizens into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be no necessity of enacting so many statutes, that "You don't steal" and "Don't this" or "Don't this." They will automatically become manifest.

So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)