(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada)
"We should be very much careful. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be diverted. Then you are gone to hell. Even there is danger, even there is suffering in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should tolerate. That is the instruction of... We should welcome such danger. And pray to Kṛṣṇa. What is that prayer? Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ... 'My dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I am put into this dangerous position.' That is the viewpoint of devotee. He doesn't take danger as danger. He takes: 'It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy.' What kind of mercy? Now bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam... 'Due to my past activities, I was to suffer so much. But You are mitigating that suffering, giving me little suffering.'
Just like a token punishment. Sometimes in the courts a big man is culprit. So say, if the judge wants 100,000 dollars, he can pay immediately. But he asks from Him: 'You just give one cent.' Because that is also punishment. But minimizing. Similarly we have to suffer on account of our past deeds. That's a fact. You cannot avoid. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām... But those who are in devotional service, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their sufferings are minimized, a token. Just like one was to be killed. So instead of being killed with his knife, he gets some little cut on the finger. In this way, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca...
Those who are in devotional service, they are: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi... Kṛṣṇa assures that: 'I give you protection from the reaction of sinful life.' So when there is very, very grievous criminal activities behind his, sometimes it is like that. Instead of hanging him, there may be little cut by the knife on the finger. This is the position. So why should we be afraid of danger? We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because if we live Kṛṣṇa conscious, in any circumstances, then my benefit is that I am not coming again in this material world. Apunar bhava-darśanam... The repeatedly, as you think of Kṛṣṇa, as you see Kṛṣṇa, as you read of Kṛṣṇa, as you work for Kṛṣṇa, some way or other, if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your benefit. And that benefit will save you from taking birth again in the material world. That is real benefit. And if I am become little comfortable by so-called other engagement, and if I forget Kṛṣṇa, and I have to take birth again, then what is my benefit? We should be very much careful about this."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, April 17, 1973)
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