Remembering Krishna!
“We can remember Krishna in every moment. We can remember Krishna while taking a glass of water because the taste of water is Krishna. We can remember Krishna as soon as we see the sunlight in the morning, because the sunlight is a reflection of Krishna’s Bodily Effulgence. Similarly, as soon as we see moonlight in the evening we remember Krishna because moonlight is also reflection of sunlight. Similarly, when we hear any sound we can remember Krishna because sound is Krishna, and the most perfect sound, transcendental, is Hare Krishna, which we have to chant 24 hours. So there is no scope of forgetting Krishna at any moment of our life provided we practice in that way.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 11, 1968)
“Although Krishna is always on the background, still Krishna advised Arjuna that you have to fight, at the same time, remember Me. The same principles we have to follow. We have to work, just like others, and at the same time think of Krishna constantly.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 3, 1968)
“Regarding your first question, is it offensive to think of Krishna’s Pastimes while chanting, I think you should know that it is not offensive, but rather it is required. One must try for the point when he simply hears Krishna and immediately all of Krishna, His Pastimes, His Form, His Quality, are in his thoughts. So to always be immersed in thoughts of Krishna this is our process. When we are full in Krishna then where there can be any chance for maya in us? So this is our duty to remember Krishna’s Pastimes. One who cannot remember Krishna, let him always hear Hare Krishna and then when he has perfected this art, then always he will remember Krishna, His Activities, His Qualities, etc.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 4, 1968)
“Just as you are thinking of me so often, similarly, you should know that I am often thinking of you also. So if you can remember to always remember Krishna and the instructions of your Spiritual Master than surely this will bring the highest benediction to yourself and to those with whom you come into contact. To the extent we are thinking of Krishna, to that extent Maya has no influence. But as much as we are desiring to forget Krishna and trying to enjoy for ourself, so to that extent we must suffer the pains of Maya. So our remedy for material life is very simple, simply to chant for Krishna, to dance for Krishna, to work, prepare nice foods for Krishna and then cent per cent we become fully free from all other influences. Please always remember this secret and show by example to all others.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 12, 1968)
“When one forgets Krishna he is conditioned, when one remembers Krishna he is liberated.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 10, 1969)
“It is a fact that wherever we go, if we simply let the people hear our chanting and if we repeat what we have heard from the bona fide Spiritual Master, then surely many, many sincere souls will become attracted to our movement. This is because Krishna Consciousness is lying dormant in every living entity, just like fire is dormant within a match. If we simply strike the match, then the fire within will come in blazing light. Our method of striking the match is Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. This vibration is sufficient to awaken the sleeping spirit soul to the fact that Krishna is there, and if we try to remember Him always and spread His message of Bhagavad Gita, then our life becomes perfect and we are perfectly executing our position as part and parcel of the Lord.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 29, 1969)
“So far your dreams are concerned, it is very nice that you are thinking about Krsna Consciousness even while sleeping. Krsna is so nice that we want to remember Him even more than twenty-four hours daily.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 19, 1970)
“Always remember Krsna Who is your dearmost friend and always serve Him just to please Him, and He will give you all intelligence how to be a first-class devotee. Just try to learn all about Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, and you will be a great preacher of our Krsna Consciousness movement.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 3, 1970)
“One who knows what is Om knows that Om is the sound representation of Krsna he immediately remembers Krsna just like we chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. This conception of Om and impersonal conception is different. The impersonalist has no information of Krsna, he thinks of something like the Brahmajyoti effulgence.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 19th 1970)
“We are all originally situated on the platform of Krsna consciousness in our eternal personal relationship of love of Krsna. But due to forgetfulness we become familiar with the material world or Maya. As soon as one chants the Hare Krsna Mantra with sincerity and without offense (you know there are ten kinds of offenses to the Holy Name which we are to avoid very, very carefully) his original Krsna consciousness is immediately revived. Krsna consciousness means to be always remembering Krsna in some way or other, just like we are immediately thinking of Krsna when we chant His Name, Krsna, and we are always thinking how we can do something nice to please Krsna with some service or other, or we are reading literature about Krsna or speaking about Krsna. In this way we are always remembering Krsna and that is our natural conscious state. So naturally everything about Krsna is originally known to us all and as soon as we begin to associate with the devotees of the Lord and chant His Holy Name, this memory gradually becomes stronger as we remember our constitutional position of always serving Krsna in different ways.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 17th, 1970)
“You are the flowers of your nation, the devotees of the Lord, and so you go on in this way and always remember Krishna by remembering that you are His devotee and servant, and that this position is the most exalted of all and never to be thought of as inferior or less than even the most so-called elevated materialistic person. When we think of superior person, we think he is superior because he knows something more than I, superiority means more knowledge. Krishna knows everything, and He claims that if anyone knows Him, then he also knows everything. So knowledge means to know only that Krishna is the Proprietor of everything, that Krishna is the Friend of everyone, and that Krishna is the Enjoyer of everything. These three things: Proprietor, Friend, and Enjoyer. If somebody knows this, he is actually wise. Therefore because the devotee always knows this, he is more superior person because he has got all knowledge. But even more important than the knowledge of Krishna is the acting upon that knowledge, or devotional service. By the acting he realizes his knowledge and becomes complete.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 5, 1972)
“I am very glad to hear that Krishna has protected you from the physical injury to your left eye. Just like Prahlada Maharaja always remembered Krishna and that saved Him from the most difficult situations. If we constantly remember to take shelter only at Krishna’s Lotus Feet, then we shall always be saved from all sorts of dangers.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 12, 1972)
“I am so pleased to hear that you are living nicely with your parents and carrying on with your Krishna Consciousness activities. That is a good proposal. Never mind there maybe some inconvenience. Krishna always appreciates when his devotee makes some sacrifice on His behalf, so there is no real difficulty under any conditions so long as we remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like Prahlad Maharaj, he never asked Krishna for anything, oh Krishna please save me from my demon father, no. But because he was always remembering Krishna under all circumstances, Krishna saved him anyway, and when He became finally angry He came Himself and killed the demon father. But even Krishna came Himself, still Prahlad did not ask Him for any favors, only to please kindly have mercy upon my father. That is pure devotee. Of course we cannot imitate, but we should always try to remember the example of our predecessors and follow their example always.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 4, 1972)
“You are anxious about the rules and regulations, but without rules and regulations there is more frustration. So it may be a little difficult at first, but if you are sincere to achieve the highest result of your lifetime, then you can be assured that by your efforts in Krsna Consciousness that you will very quickly become happy more and more. The difficulties of this material world will shrink to no more than the size of a hoofprint left by the calf. Actually there is no difference between devotees living inside the temple and devotees living outside the temple. You are right that the important thing is to remember Krsna, whatever is your activity.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 29, 1972)
“I am very glad to learn that the children at Gurukula school are making good progress in their Krishna Consciousness education, that is very good news. Yes, if we simply train them properly they will come out just to the highest standard of Vaisnava devotee. And what is that training? Simply they should be engaged in such a way that they are somehow or other remembering Krishna at every moment, that’s all. It is not something mechanical process, if we force in such a way they will come out like this, no. We are persons, and Krishna is a Person, and our relationship with Krishna He leaves open as a voluntary agreement always, and that voluntary attitude – Yes, Krishna, I shall gladly co-operate whatever you say – that ready willingness to obey is only possible if there is love. Forcing will not make me agree. But if there is love, oh, I shall gladly do it. That is bhakti, that is Krishna Consciousness. So similarly, if we train children by developing and encouraging their propensity to love Krishna, then we shall be successful in educating them to the topmost standard.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 18, 1972)
“So far the court case is concerned, I shall be interested to hear the outcome. So you may keep me informed. But always remember that Krsna is the Supreme Controller of all that be.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 31, 1973)
“Regarding thinking of Krishna at the time of death. It is stated in Bhagavad gita 8th chapter as follows; abhyasa yoga yuktena/ cetasa nanya gamina/ paramam purusam divyam/ yati parthanucintyan (BG 8.8). He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead his mind constantly engaged in remembering me, undeviated from the path, He oh Partha is sure to reach Me. The proccess for remembering Krishna is very easily done by chanting Hare Krishna Maha mantra. How one should think of Krishna, that is given in the next verse: ‘One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, Who is the oldest, Who is the controller, Who is smaller than the smallest, Maintainer of everything, and Who is beyond all material conception, Who is inconceivable, Who is always a person and luminous like the sun, and Being transcendental, beyond this material nature.’ So Krishna is not something impersonal or void. So you should read my books and try to understand the nature of Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it will be easy for you to think of Him.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 20, 1974)
“Do not waste any time, but work always to please Krishna within your heart. He is witnessing everything. He only wants us to constantly remember Him. Is it very difficult?”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 21, 1975)