(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada)
"Krishna says, svakarmana: 'Whatever talent you have got, you can serve Me and be perfect.' That is the program."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, January 16, 1976)
"Expertness is you just try to do which is easily performed by you. You don't accept anything heavy task because Krishna does not want that you have to do this heavy task. Whatever you know, you just apply it. You dovetail it in Krishna consciousness. Krishna does not say that you have to become like this, like that, like that, then you can serve Him. Does not say. Just like this cow. Just see. What does it know? He's an animal. You see? But the calf knows to brush his head and tongue like this, in love. It is doing and Krishna accepting, 'Yes.' That is expert. First of all find out what is easily done by you. Don't take anything which is not easily done by you. You find out what is your occupation, what you can very nicely and easily perform, and do it for Krishna. That's all."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, July 16, 1968, Montreal)
"So our this movement is based on practical activity. Whatever talent you have got, whatever little strength you have got, education you have got... You haven't got to learn anything. Whatever you have got, in whatever position you are, you can serve Krishna. Not that you have to learn something first and then you can serve. No. The service itself is learning. The more you try to render service, the more you become advanced how to become experienced servant. We don't require any extra intelligence."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Mayapur, March 1, 1977)
"I am very much pleased to see your good handwriting. I shall therefore request you to utilize your talent in the service of Krishna."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 5, 1967)
"I am so glad you are playing music for Krishna. It is a great service of your talent. Anyone's special talent should be engaged in the service of the Lord, and thereby becomes successful in his life. I think that you can go on playing on your guitar and make it successful for Krishna kirtana. You do not require to learn freshly about sitar. We are not meant for learning something new for the service of the Lord; but we have to engage whatever talents we have already got. Our life is short but any type of education is great and long; so the best part of valor is to utilize properly whatever qualifications we have got for the service of the Lord."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 3, 1967)
"There is no need of artificial talents. One has to serve Krishna sincerely with whatsoever talent one may have. Guidance of the Spiritual Master and sincere service to the Lord will give us all strength in the science of Krishna."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 20, 1967)
"Your specific talents are to be engaged under direction of the Spiritual Master. Everything, every talent can be employed in Krishna's service, and how to do it is known to the Spiritual Master. You have the tendency for botany, you can grow nice flowers and fruits for Krishna, that is the utilization of your natural tendency."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 11, 1968)
"Yes, it is your good fortune that you can serve Krishna in so many ways—to work, to write, to speak, to paint, to build—all of these talents must be employed in Krishna's service. That will make you perfect. We are so fortunate to be in this human form of life, and to have the opportunity and the capacity to serve Krishna, and as there is very little time, we must do as much each day as we possibly can to serve Krishna, and to become always engaged in thoughts and activities of Krishna. Maya may try to pull us from Krishna's service, and try to engage us in her service, but we must simply persevere, and try to do as much as possible for Krishna each day, and gradually it will be easier and easier to keep engaged in Krishna Consciousness activities."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 12, 1968)
"You have tried to explain the reasons for your recent traveling excursions, but there is no need to explain; the reason is that you are restless. I wanted you to concentrate your mind on painting and utilizing your talents for Krishna's service, but you do not hear me. Any place that you want to live, that is all right, but why don't you use your talents? That you cannot do, and it is your misfortune."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 13, 1969)
"You have expressed a fear of becoming attached to your musical activities, but attachment for Krishna's service is not bad. If you can engage your talent for Krishna's service, then this attachment will increase your Krishna Consciousness status."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 13, 1969)
"I wish that you can utilize your best talents in business organization and the result utilize for Krishna's satisfaction is on the absolute platform. To make the idea more clear, if I am translating Srimad-Bhagavatam, and if you are contributing for its publication and helping for its distribution, this means there is no difference between your service and my service. In the absolute platform there is no such distinction. And service is always on the absolute platform. One has to make the best use of his talent for the service of Krishna. That is wanted. Best example is Arjuna, that he utilized his talents, military science, in the service of Krishna."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 7, 1968)
"Krishna has given you nice talent for doing business, and I am glad to see that you are using it well."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 17, 1969)
"Now by the grace of Krsna your talents are being utilized in His service. That is what we require in Krsna Consciousness. We do not require to qualify very extraordinarily to serve Krsna. Krsna is Self-sufficient, He does not require anyone's service, but still the more we render service unto Him the more we become happy."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 9, 1970)
"Now you have got some good understanding of our Krishna consciousness so you write it for publication. I am very glad to know that you have got the experience and talent as well as the desire to write Krishna conscious children's books."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 19, 1970)
"Simply offer all your talents and energies in this service of the Lord and know that Krishna promises that for one who surrenders fully unto Him, He fully protects such devotee from all kinds of material distresses and sinful reactions."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 4, 1971)
"Learning Spanish is a difficult job. How can you learn? I am very much enthusiastic about expansion of our branches, but if it is dependent upon learning of Spanish language, don't take this adventure. We should serve Krishna in whatever talents we have already got. However if you are still very much anxious to go there, and you think that you shall be able to get along without knowing Spanish language, then you may go there immediately and push on this Movement. The idea is to recruit active speakers who also speak English to translate and be trained for administering things locally—you simply organize everything and instruct them, and gradually they will take over full management."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 15, 1971)
"So that will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna. And how is that? If we become simply engaged in His preaching work, trying with whatever talent or education or experience or material advantages we have got, to spread Krishna Consciousness message all over the world. That is best friend of Krishna, that is Krishna's pet dog."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 4, 1973)
"So I can understand that you are very talented boy from your wonderful script, so I think you should apply your talent for painting nice pictures of Krishna and the acaryas in our line."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 22, 1972)
"You have a nice talent for writing, practice makes perfect, so continue, it will be appreciated."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 23, 1973)
"We should utilize our talents without being envious of others. You should do your best, but you should not be envious of others. In material life there is simply envy of others progress, but in spiritual life one encourages another, Oh you are doing very nice. That is Radharani. She says oh here is a very nice devotee. Please Krishna, you accept him."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 6, 1974)
"I wanted that you Americans use your talents in spreading this cult, and I can see that you are doing that. In all departments you can use your talents and thus do the greatest benefit for the entire world. So my mission has come out a success by the mercy of my guru maharaj who sent me on this mission. That was my only qualification in coming to your country, that I had the blessings of my guru maharaj."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 17, 1974)
"I think it would be very nice if you would make nice silver jewellery for the Radha-Damodara Deities and in this way your talent will be used in the most perfect way."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 16, 1974)
"I am very glad to hear that you are continuing your drawing work nicely. This is your business. Krishna has given you some special talent and you are using it for spreading His glories. This is wanted."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 19, 1975)
"The two essays which you have sent are very nicely written. It appears that you have good talent for writing, so kindly continue to develop in this way and write more and more of your realizations based upon our books. There is no need to concoct anything new. You simply have to study carefully our books and then in your own words try to express what you have read. This will automatically make you a very successful preacher.
There is no need to learn Bengali. I do not encourage learning any new skills. Whatever material abilities one has when he comes to Krsna consciousness, let him learn to engage these in Krsna's service: that is sufficient. There is no need of learning new skills now. That will simply be a waste of time."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 13, 1977)
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