Fight with Maya

(Srila Prabhupada at John Lennon's estate, 1969)

"So this movement, Krishna consciousness movement, is a declaration of war with māyā. Declaration of war, but in a different way—by this chanting process: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. The transcendental vibration will clarify the whole atmosphere, and as soon as these Krishna conscious soldiers come out victorious, the whole world will be peaceful."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Bombay, March 30, 1971)

"Those who are opposing Krishna consciousness movement, we have to fight with them to our best capacity. Never mind if we are defeated. That is also service. Krishna sees the service. Defeated or victorious, depend on Krishna. But fighting must be there."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Mayapur, March 1, 1977)

"We have to fight with all these so-called leaders, scientists, and philosophers, just like Krsna came to kill all the demons because the whole world is full of demons."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 29, 1973)

"It is very difficult to conquer over the influence of Maya, but who is firmly fixed up in Krishna Consciousness cannot be a victim of Maya. Anyway, we cannot stop our fighting with Maya, neither we can expect that all our soldiers will remain unhurt. You know Arjuna's son Abhimanya was killed in the battle in which Bhismadeva was a party. Fight Krishna's cause sincerely and you will be gloried with victory."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 21, 1967)

Prabhupāda: We Vaiṣṇavas do not say that there is no need of fighting. We never say. When there is need of fighting we must fight. Rather, somebody in New York, some Goldsmith, he was that, 'Why Krishna is advising Arjuna to fight, to become violent?' So somebody protests like that. But there is no meaning of protesting against the action of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our view. So we Vaiṣṇavas, we are chanting. It does not mean that when there is need of fighting with avaiṣṇava we shall lack in strength. We can fight. One gentleman inquired from me that "Vaiṣṇavism makes one dull. He cannot act." And, "No. You have not seen a Vaiṣṇava." In the two fightings, great fighting, the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, the hero was Hanuman and Arjuna, and they fought.

Guest: They fought.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And who can be better Vaiṣṇava than them?

Guest: Nobody.

Prabhupāda: So Vaiṣṇava does not mean he is dull. No.

Guest: No, that is well proved. If there is need...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So our present fighting is atheism, against atheism. They say, "There is no God. God is dead. I am God. You are God." We are fighting against these principles. So our fighting is very strong. You don't think that we are keeping idly. I have come here to fight with these atheists, you see, and we go everywhere. We are fighting with atheists all over the world. So we are meeting so many opposing elements. You see? They say, "God is dead." In America, when I first went, they were popularizing theory that "God is dead." But they again accepted and: "God is not dead, but He is here with Swamiji." They accepted. So these atheistic theories, that "Everyone is God," "I am God," "you are God," "God is dead," "there is no God," "God is not person"—we are fighting against these principles. We say, "God is Krishna. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna. He is a person, and He is not dead." This is our preaching. Therefore it is a fight.

(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Indore, December 13, 1970)

Prabhupāda: Don't be falsely puffed up. Follow the ācārya's instruction and try to make yourself perfect, mature. Then it will be very easy to fight out māyā. Yes. Ācāryas, they declare war against māyā's activities, that māyā instructing that "Here is wine. Here is cigarette. Here is that..." In your country these advertisements are very prominent, hoarding both ways: wine advertisement, cigarette advertisement, naked woman advertisement, and sometimes gambling also, advertisement. What is that? Congo?

Devotees: Bingo. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Bingo. Yes. So this is māyā. And our declaration of war with māyā—no intoxication, no meat-eating, no bingo—these are our declaration of war. So we have to fight in that way, because nobody can understand Krishna without being free from all sinful activities. These are sinful activities. Therefore it is ācārya's business to stop these nonsense activities. Otherwise they'll not be able to understand, especially the meat-eaters. They cannot understand.

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Mayapur, April 6, 1975)

Prabhupāda: The living entity is victimized, and in this life you can adventure to conquer over it. This is human life. The cats and dogs, they cannot fight with māyā, but a human being, he can fight. So if we don't fight, we don't take that adventure, then we remain cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they fight amongst themselves but not with the māyā. So aborigines, although they have got features of human being, they are no more than the cats and dogs. So they also fight amongst themselves. They do not know that the fighting spirit should be utilized to declare war against māyā. That is possible in human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This fighting is philosophy: "What is the ultimate cause? What is Brahman? What I am?" Fighting against darkness, sleeping. Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Everyone is sleeping on the lap of māyā. Now, this human form of life is not for sleeping but for awakening and fight with māyā. That is human life.

(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Mayapur, February 6, 1976)

"Krishna is speaking. Still, these rascals will not understand Krishna. So what is Krishna's fault? It is our fault. Andha. Just like the owl. Owl will never open the eyes to see that there is sunlight. You know this, owl? So they will not open. However you may say, 'Mr. Owl, please open your eyes and see the sun,' 'No, there is no sun. I don't see.' This owl civilization. So you have to fight with these owls. You must be very strong, especially the sannyāsīs. We have to fight with the owls. We have to open their eyes by force from this, with machine. So this is going on. So this Krishna consciousness movement is a fight against all the owls."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, San Francisco, July 19, 1975)

"The more you fight with these rascals, the more you advance in Krishna consciousness. You are a fighting soldier. Krishna very much appreciates."

(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Perth, May 12, 1975)

"You don't sleep. Never Krishna said to Arjuna that 'I am your friend. I am God. You sleep here. I'll do everything.' No! 'You must fight.' That is wanted. Yuddhyasva mām anusmara: (BG 8.7) 'You fight and remember Me. Then I'll do everything.' This is an opportunity of remembering Krishna always—Krishna, save us."

(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Bombay January 9, 1977)

"They are now feeling the pressure of the opposite party. So... Fight is fight. When there is fight, my Guru Mahārāja used to say, 'Some of our soldiers will die. It doesn't matter.' You don't expect that not a single soldier of your party will not die. No, some of them will die. Still, fight must go on. Fight cannot be stopped. So fight like brave soldiers, Krishna will help you. Don't make any compromise. No truce with these demons. Fight must be. Our fighting weapon is Hare Krishna movement. That's all. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). Astra. That astra is yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana, this saṅkīrtana, this astra weapon. They're now afraid of this astra more than atomic weapon. Is it not?"

(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Bhuvanesvara, February 3, 1977)

"Therefore, Krishna Consciousness is also a sort of fight; but not with rifles. Our weapon is karatalas. In this age there is no need of fighting with rifles because the population is so poor that they are already killed by so many disturbances. They are short lived, poor in knowledge, slack in advancement of spiritual life, unfortunate, and embarrassed by so many miserable conditions of life; like war, famine pestilence, poverty and so on. So to kill these persons by rifle is like bringing a cannon for killing a mosquito. So Lord Caitanya introduced this fighting principle of Sankirtana Movement to reclaim all the fallen souls, who consist of so-called philosophers, half-educated scientists, misguided educationists and a miscreant society. If you can consolidate a party of soldiers as described by you, chanting Hare Krishna Mantra and claiming everyone of them to Krishna Consciousness, that will be a glorious task, and you have all of my good wishes for you for this purpose."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 3, 1969)

"As you always desire to help me in my missionary ambition, so also I am praying always to Krishna that the boys and girls who have stretched their helping hand in this country in this connection may always be in good health and continue to assist me in my missionary activities. I am so glad to learn that you are prepared to work even harder, as a forward soldier, to fight the Maya. May Krishna give you more and more strength."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 18, 1969)

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