(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada installing Radha London-Isvara, 1969)
"We do not want anything as personal remuneration. Because nobody can write up this transcendental transaction who will work for material gain. That is the secret of this movement. Every member & worker must learn to sacrifice for God's sake; that is the principle of this movement."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to R. Prakash, June 22, 1951)
"Who is eligible to execute devotional service, bhakti? Those who are engaged in devotional service, they are not in the material platform. We should understand that. Yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata. And bhakti is not a business. Anywhere we go, there is business. 'If you give me this, then I shall love you. If you satisfy my senses, then I shall love you.' Similarly, the other party, he or she also says, 'If you satisfy my senses, then I love you. If there is no sense gratification, then I don't love you.' That is business. Therefore adhoksaje, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there should not be any business. Ahaituki. That is called ahaituki, no cause."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Hyderabad, April 18, 1974)
"A devotee can worship Kṛṣṇa anywhere, underneath a tree. Because Kṛṣṇa is in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So if underneath a tree you think of Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient. Kṛṣṇa does not require any big paraphernalia. He only wants how you are a sincere devotee. That's all. And that devotional service can be discharged in any condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked by the material circumstances. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And you see the five-years-old boy, how he was protected from all kinds of dangers and he refused to take any benediction. He refused. The devotee should not be a mercantile man: 'If you give me something, then I shall give you something.' That is business. A devotee is not like that. He understands that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, his duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. In the material world a servant works when money is paid, wages. A devotee is not like that. A devotee serves Kṛṣṇa out of duty. That is God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that 'It is my duty.' And then Kṛṣṇa takes the responsibility, 'It is My duty to protect this devotee.' This reciprocation is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no question of business transaction. Then he will be protected. Kṛṣṇa is nobody's servant, but everyone is Kṛṣṇa's servant. If everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa's servant, then everyone is protected by Kṛṣṇa."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Honolulu, May 25, 1975)
"I have got hundreds and thousands of servants who I haven't got to pay. This is spiritual relationship. This is spiritual relationship. They are serving not for being paid. What I have got? I am poor Indian. What can I pay? But the servant is out of love, spiritual love. And I am also teaching them without any salary. This is spiritual. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya. Everything is full."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Bombay, December 7, 1974)
"Devotees. Akāma. Their other name is akāma. They have no desires. Personally they have no desires. Their only business is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is their only desire. That is natural.
Because we are eternally servants of Kṛṣṇa, or God, our desire should be how to please God, how to please Kṛṣṇa. Just like obedient servant, sincere servant, they are always waiting for the order of the master, and they try how to please him, how to make him happy. Of course, this is not possible in this material world. Material world nobody is servant of anybody. Everyone wants to be master of another. Actually he does not serve anyone. He serves because he gets some money. So as soon as the money payment is stopped, immediately servant becomes disobedient. Therefore there is no service in the material world. It is exchange of money. The service is niṣkāma. That is brāhmaṇa, devotee. They do not expect anything from the Personality of Godhead. They want simply His satisfaction."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Bombay, November 10, 1970)
"We have no business. We know the Supreme, and the Supreme knows what I want. So I haven't got to ask even the Supreme that 'This thing I want.' No, there is no need. He knows. He will supply because I am engaged in His business. What is our business? Why we are bothering so much in this old age? The only business is that people may know Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller. That is our business. We have no other business. We don't want anything, either from Kṛṣṇa or from demigod or anyone. Our only business is, as advised by Caitanya Mahā... Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is our business. We are carrying this Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and we are trying to educate people that 'Here is real knowledge. Take it.' This is our business. That means Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Īśvaraḥ param... That is our only business. That is our only ambition, that people may know that Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, that's all. We have no other business.
So for that purpose Kṛṣṇa wants. Therefore He comes. He teaches Bhagavad-gītā, that He is the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhan... (BG 7.7). He wants to... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). He wants to spread this knowledge. We are spreading the same knowledge. We are helping Kṛṣṇa. Not helping -- we are serving Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes for this mission. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He preaches. What is Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission? He simply preached Kṛṣṇa, 'Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Understand Kṛṣṇa.' So our only business is to spread that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So Kṛṣṇa is very, very pleased, that 'What I want to do -- I go there, incarnate and spread -- that he is doing.' Therefore we are already in the direct service of the Lord, so we have nothing to ask from anybody else. If we ask anything from anybody, that is for his benefit, not for our benefit."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Tokyo, January 28, 1975)
"Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66) in the Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says 'All right. You cannot give up all of a sudden everything. You just join in this chanting.' That is more magnanimous, you see. We ask nobody that 'You fulfill all conditions of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; then you come here.' No. We simply say 'Please come here. We have taken this nice hall, and these boys, they are, I mean to say, giving their blood to maintain the establishment. We don't want anything from you. Please come and chant with us.' That is our request. We don't ask you that because we are paying four hundred, five hundred dollars for this building, you give us something. If you give, it is welcome. But we simply request you, please come and chant with us and dance with us and take the prasāda. That's all. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's program. Because we know that Caitanya Mahāprabhu will supply us everything. We don't depend on your contribution, but if you give, oh, that is good for you. But our only request is that please come here. Please chant with us, dance with us. That's all."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, December 23, 1968)
"So we are opening so many branches just to give opportunity to the people to mix with us. Come with us. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge calo ei-mātra bhikhā cāi. We, we don't want anything from anyone. We don't want any political independence, social reformation or humanitarian benefit. Nothing. We simply request people, 'Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and come with us.' That's all. We don't expect anything from anybody else. This is our mission. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge calo. You chant... Also we are chanting on the street, Hare Kṛṣṇa. You also join with us. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo. And so long we go, you come with us. Ei mātra bhikhā cāi. We don't want anything more. This is, this is not a business, that you have come on the street to chant and to make some business. No. That is for your benefit."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, London, May 24, 1973)
"We are asking people without any argument or political purpose or social or... No. Simply we are asking that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Wherever we are opening our branches, it is our only business that we are requesting people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. We don't want anything. We don't want to do any business, but we are simply spreading this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra because people are being washed away. māyār bośe, jāccho bhese. They are being washed away, khāccho hābu, always in trouble. Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. Jīv kṛṣṇa dās e biśwās korle to'ār duḥkho nāi: 'But if you try to understand that your position is eternal servitude to Kṛṣṇa, then your all troubles are over.' This is our mission."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Hong Kong, April 18, 1972)
"Our mission is very nice. We want to see everyone happy. We don't want anything from anyone. We don't say that 'You give me fee, then I give you some mantra.' No, we don't say like that. Our instruction is free. I want to see that they are doing it and they are happy, that's all. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo, saṅge calo, ei-mātra bhikhā cāi (from Gītāvalī), this Bhaktivinoda's, 'You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and come with me. This much I want. I don't want anything else.'"
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Sydney, April 2, 1972)
"So let us get this chance. Simple method. So we'll go. Let us go everywhere, hell or heaven. It doesn't matter. Let us have this chance and speak something about God. That's all. And we don't want anything from you in exchange, that 'You give us some money.' No. We don't want. If you give us something, welcome. It will be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. But we don't demand anything, that 'First of all give me a hundred dollars, then I shall go.' No. So... From the other side, there is no loss. But if they give us the chance for prosecuting, for pursuing, this Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement, everything will be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni... (CC Antya 20.12). All problems will be solved. This is the beginning. Now, gradually, as people understand this philosophy, they will understand. They will understand. If they simply give us the chance. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Let them remain in their position. We don't disturb. We don't disturb. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ (SB 10.14.3). Simply they will kindly give their aural reception what we are speaking."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, London, August 4, 1973)
"Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge calo, ei-mātra bhikhā cāi. We don't want anything from you. You, I shall give you eating. I shall give you everything. You simply come with me and chant. This is our propaganda. We don't say that 'You do this, do that.' We don't do anything. Simply come with us and chant."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Los Angeles, January 5, 1974)
"So that I want, that I live happily and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. We don't want unnecessary luxury. Anartha. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha should be reduced, nil, bare necessities. Anartha... Just like this material thing we require for preaching. That is not anartha. But when it is used for sense gratification, that is anartha. Anything for sense gratification, that is unwanted, anartha. And anything for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is spiritual."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Hyderabad, August 20, 1976)
"Our life is simple. We don't want luxury. We don't want luxury, but as we are accustomed in so many ways, as far as possible. But life should be very simple. To increase unnecessary things unnecessarily, that is material life."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, New Mayapur, July 31, 1976)
"The pure devotee does not even want salvation. He does not want to be transferred even to the highest planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. His only objective is to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever he may be."
(Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 11.55, Purport)
"A pure devotee does not pray to the Lord for liberation from this material bondage. Actually, the pure devotee never thinks that he is fit for liberation. Considering his past life and his mischievous activities, he thinks that he is fit to be sent to the lowest region of hell. If in this life I am trying to become a devotee, this does not mean that in my many past lives I was one-hundred-percent pious. That is not possible. A devotee, therefore, is always conscious of his real position. Only by his full surrender to the Lord, by the Lord's grace, are his sufferings made shorter. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, 'Surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection from all kinds of sinful reaction.' That is His mercy. But this does not mean that one who has surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord has committed no misdeeds in his past life. A devotee always prays, 'For my misdeeds, may I be born again and again, but my only prayer is that I may not forget Your service.' The devotee has that much mental strength, and he prays to the Lord: 'May I be born again and again, but let me be born in the home of Your pure devotee so that I may again get a chance to develop myself.'"
(Teachings of Lord Kapila 39-40, Purport)
"Krishna is interested in how we engage our energies in His service. We are very small, very insignificant, so what can we do? Simply He wants to see that we are engaging our time and energy in His service. And you always remember to abide by the laws of Krishna as described by His bona fide Representative, and the passage of going back to Godhead is assured. This is Krishna's Mercy. But pure devotees do not even want to go to Krishna's abode. Simply our prayer should be, My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your Holy Name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as Supersoul, so you can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into forgetfulness. Please always remind me to chant, even You send me into the hell, it doesn't matter, just so long as I can always chant Hare Krishna. Lord Caitanya and Nityananda are singing one very nice song in which they are requesting everyone to please chant Hare Krishna, and come along with Them. So that is our request to everyone."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 23, 1968)
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