Prabhupada 1024 - If You Follow These Two Principles, Krsna Will be Within Your Grip



730408 - Lecture SB 01.14.44 - New York

Prabhupāda: So sometimes cheating is required for the less intelligent class of men. But we are not cheating. We are very simple. Why should we cheat? Kṛṣṇa says,

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
(BG 18.65)

So we say, "Please come here. Here is Kṛṣṇa, and you simply think of Him." Where is the difficulty? Here is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and if you daily see, naturally you will have impression within your mind about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So at any place, anywhere, you can think of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you chant "Kṛṣṇa," immediately you remember the form of Kṛṣṇa in the temple, nāma-rūpa. Then you are hearing about Kṛṣṇa; you remember about His qualities, His activities, nāma, guṇa, rūpa, līlā, parikara, vasiṣṭha. In this way this, this you can practice. Where is the difficulty? This is the beginning of practice. Actually Kṛṣṇa is there, but because I have no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa, I am thinking, "Here is…, where is Kṛṣṇa? It is a stone, a statue." But he does not know the stone is also Kṛṣṇa. Stone is also Kṛṣṇa. Water is also Kṛṣṇa. Earth is also Kṛṣṇa. Air is also Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no other existence. That the devotee can see. Therefore, whenever he sees stone even, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Here the atheist will say that "You are worshiping stone." But they are not worshiping stone; they are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, because they know that there is no…, nothing else except Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). That stage we have to arrive. How you can say stone is not Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says… You have to understand Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa said.

So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
(BG 7.4)

"They are mine." Just like I am speaking. I am speaking, it is being recorded, and will be played. The same sound will come. And if you know that "Here is our spiritual master...." But I am not there. The sound is now different from me. Bhinnā. Bhinnā means "separated." But the, as soon as the record is played, everyone will know, "Here is Bhaktisid…, Bhaktivedanta Swami." If you know. So that requires education. That Kṛṣṇa... (break)

So, ye yathā māṁ (BG 4.11)... So the more you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa's service, the more you can realize Kṛṣṇa.

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
(CC Madhya 17.136)

So our process is very simple. Simply engage your tongue. Leave aside all other senses. The tongue is very strong. And tongue is our bitterest enemy, and tongue can be your most intimate friend. This tongue. Therefore the śāstra says that sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: just engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, and He will be revealed. Very nice. Now what, what we do with the tongue? We talk: talk of Kṛṣṇa. We sing: chant of Kṛṣṇa. We eat: taste, eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda. You will understand Kṛṣṇa. Any foolish person, any uneducated or any position of life, you can use your tongue for Kṛṣṇa's service. Don’t eat anything which is not eaten by Kṛṣṇa—your tongue becomes your most intimate friend. And don’t talk anything except Kṛṣṇa. If you follow these two principles, Kṛṣṇa will be within your grip. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya, haribol.