"The bhakti-vedāntas see that the people in general are wasting time in false sensuous things. Their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to reestablish their lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead. By such endeavor, even the most forgotten soul is roused up to the sense of spiritual life, and thus being initiated by the bhakti-vedāntas, the people in general gradually progress on the path of transcendental realization."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.24, Purport)
"From history we can see that there were many powerful empires on the surface of the globe that were constructed with great pain and great perseverance, but in due course of time they have all been destroyed. Still the foolish materialists cannot understand that they are simply wasting time in producing material necessities, which are destined to be vanquished in due course of time. This waste of energy is due to the ignorance of the mass of people, who do not know that they are eternal and that they have an eternal engagement also. They do not know that this span of life in a particular type of body is but a flash in the eternal journey. Not knowing this fact, they take the small flash of life to be everything, and they waste time in improving economic conditions."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.30.2, Purport)
"A devotee has no other ambition than to serve Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started to engage people twenty-four hours daily in the service of the Lord and in His glorification. The students in this institution engage in the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from five in the morning to ten at night. They actually have no opportunity to waste their time unnecessarily by discussing politics, sociology and current events. These will go their own way. A devotee is concerned only with serving Kṛṣṇa positively and seriously."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.12.13, Purport)
"If you actually want to become free from the contamination of this material world, then you should always be engaged in chanting, sankirtanam. Not only the holy name, but reading the Krishna book, The Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you feel tired chanting, you read these books. Sometimes there is psychology, transfer. You are reading some book, you want to read another book. So we have got so many books. If you feel tired this book, then transfer your attention to another book, or another book, or chant. Find out. Simply, not to waste a single moment. Kirtaniyah sada harih (CC Adi 17.31). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says sada. Sada means always. So we have got materials for engaging ourself always in Krishna consciousness. Not that we have got only this one item. No. We have got so many items. That is also accepted."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971)
"So my Guru Maharaja used to say that 'Don't take the risk of waiting for another life. Finish this business, Krishna consciousness, in this life.' In this life. Because there is no certainty. So our propaganda is, 'Take to this movement, Krishna consciousness. Don't risk. Take to Krishna consciousness.' What is that Krishna consciousness? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru (BG 18.65). That's all. Always think of Krishna. Is it very difficult job?"
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, February 16, 1971)
"If you do not become attracted by Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, śrama eva hi kevalam, simply you are wasting time. So our propaganda is that do everything, but don't waste your time. Make improvement."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Delhi, November 12, 1973)
"We should not waste our time. That is advised by Rupa Gosvami also. Avyartha-kalatvam (CC Madhya 23.18-19). We should be very cautious not to waste a single moment without Krishna consciousness. So we have got so many activities. If we have no activities, then we can polish the floor of the temple. That is not very difficult. If I am illiterate, I have no interest in reading books, I have no interest in chanting or I cannot do it constantly, then take something and mop over the temple and cleanse the temple. That is also service. It is not that one who is engaged in the Deity worship, he is better engaged, and one who is polishing the floor, he is less engaged. No. Both of them will get equal benefit. Krishna consciousness is so nice. So find out some business for Krishna. Don't waste time. That is the perfection of Krishna consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, January 3, 1974)
"This is Vedic civilization: not to waste a single moment of life for useless attempt. That is Vedic civilization. Every moment should be utilized, especially for the human being. It's so valuable. And they are finding out sporting, swimming and surfing—simply all programs of wasting time, especially in the Western countries. How much they have invented, I see only and laugh. The elderly men of your age, of course, maybe my age also, they are swimming and surfing. How they have invented means of fishing. Yes, all old men, they are sitting hours and hours for capturing one fish. Just see their civilization."
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Bombay, November 11, 1975)
"Ordinarily destiny cannot be checked. Therefore instead of wasting your time for change your economic condition or material destiny, you employ this energy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That cannot be checked. Your so-called... So many men we can see, they are working so hard, does it mean that everyone has become a Ford, a Rockefeller? Why? Everyone is trying his best. Mr. Ford was to become rich man, his destiny was there, he became rich man. But does it mean that other man who has worked so hard like Ford, he has become like a Ford? No. This is practical. You cannot change your destiny simply by working hard like ass and dogs. No. But you can utilize your energy for improving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Vrindavan, June 28, 1976)
"This is going on. Produce millions of TV machine. Simply they are used for wasting time. One or two or five made for some important business; now they are producing millions of sets. They must sell. And people are induced to purchase. And as soon as they purchase, they simply see television. Idol worship. And learning vicious things. Some unnecessary picture is produced there. They like to see it. Two train are coming and they are smashed. (laughs) I have seen some television. Yes. People are learning how to smash, how to steal, how to harass people. Things are being shown like that. Not that 'You are soul. You are spirit soul. If you degrade yourself, you then get this.' You make that television, then how transmigration of the soul is taking place. They have manufactured the machine, so utilize for your propaganda. We have got to do so many things. We can utilize everything. So if they are not used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose they'll be used for committing disaster in the world. Just like the atomic bomb. They are meant for creating disaster, that's all. What else they can do? And now everyone is having atomic weapon, just like India has now got. That means they are preparing, by nature's course, they are preparing for war, and 'I put my atomic bomb on your head, and you put on my head. You die; I die.' That's all. They simply die."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Melbourne, July 2, 1974)
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