View source for First thing is to become knowledgeable in Krishna Consciousness, then the tapasya or voluntary life of austerity will result automatically

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{{compiler|Labangalatika}}
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{{first|21Oct09}}
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[[Category:First Thing]]
[[Category:Become]]
[[Category:Knowledge]]
[[Category:Krsna Consciousness]]
[[Category:Tapasya]]
[[Category:Voluntarily]]
[[Category:Life]]
[[Category:Austerity]]
[[Category:Result]]
[[Category:Automatically]]
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<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
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<div id="1972_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Correspondence" text="1972 Correspondence"><h3>1972 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoBhargavaLosAngeles13June1972_0" class="quote" parent="1972_Correspondence" book="Let" index="315" link="Letter to Bhargava -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1972" link_text="Letter to Bhargava -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1972">
<div class="heading">The more we become renounced from this material world, the more we advance in Krishna Consciousness. But we are only able to make such sacrifices and perform tapasya if we have got knowledge. So first thing is to become knowledgeable in Krishna Consciousness, then the tapasya or voluntary life of austerity will result automatically.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Bhargava -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1972|Letter to Bhargava -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Our advancement in Krishna Consciousness is made possible in two ways, by Knowledge and renunciation, jnana and tyaga or tapasya. The more we become renounced from this material world, the more we advance in Krishna Consciousness. But we are only able to make such sacrifices and perform tapasya if we have got knowledge. So first thing is to become knowledgeable in Krishna Consciousness, then the tapasya or voluntary life of austerity will result automatically. So I am requesting all of my students to read my books very seriously every day without fail. In this way, if your mind becomes absorbed at least one or two hours daily in the transcendental subject matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and other books then very easily you will make your advancement in Krishna Consciousness. It is not a matter of changing our engagement, adjusting this or that material condition, in order to find our real happiness. Krishna Consciousness is not like that. It is able to be performed under any variety of material conditions or with any type of engagement. Therefore if your duty as a photographer is very much helpful to our propanganda work and for improving our BTG then there is very much need for your remaining in that occupation and doing it to your best capacity. It is a fallacy to say that my present engagement with the press is not the best for my spiritual advancement, and if we think in this way we may go on trying out one engagement after another and always say the same excuse. This restlessness or agitation of the mind cannot be rectified by altering the material circumstances. If we are Krishna Conscious, any type of occupation will suit me and we shall always be satisfied. Therefore, I recommend you to read books more and more and try to understand the subject matter from different angles of vision and be always discussing it with your godbrothers even while you are working at the press, and when you are working and you cannot read, then listen to the tapes of my lectures and hear in that way. And never neglect to chant your 16 rounds of beads daily, rise early without fail, attend mangal arati, take bath, and follow the other regulative principles, and everything will come out very successfully, you can rest assured of that.</p>
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