Real stage
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 13 - 18
BG 16.23, Purport: The word kāma-kārataḥ is very significant. A person who knowingly violates the rules acts in lust. He knows that this is forbidden, but still he acts. This is called acting whimsically. He knows that this should be done, but still he does not do it; therefore he is called whimsical. Such persons are destined to be condemned by the Supreme Lord. Such persons cannot have the perfection which is meant for the human life. The human life is especially meant for purifying one's existence, and one who does not follow the rules and regulations cannot purify himself, nor can he attain the real stage of happiness.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfection of life. So we are trying to reach that platform of perfection by regulative principle. But when we are actually on the platform, there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of life. That is our actual, liberated stage. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is our svarūpa. Svarūpa means actual constitutional position. And mukti, liberation, means to come to that real position. Just like healthy life means to come to the normal life from the diseased stage. That is healthy life and normal life. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is our normal consciousness. This normal consciousness is now polluted. We have got so many other consciousness. So this is an attempt to get out of all, I mean to say, infected consciousness, come to the real stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973: That is our real constitutional position, to love God. We are loving also, in this fallen state, but not God, all non-God or some pseudo God. But when we come to the real stage of loving God, then at that time our life becomes perfect, and it is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. When you develop your love of God, Kṛṣṇa, then you see God every moment, every step.
Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966: There are five stages of evolution: śakta, then gāṇapatya, then saura, then śaiva, then vaiṣṇava. In this way, there are five stages. So the impersonalists, they worship in five ways, pañcopāsanā. They are called pañcopāsanā. So one, when he comes to the Viṣṇu stage, he comes to the real stage. But impersonal Viṣṇu, all-pervading Viṣṇu, but when he come to the personal Viṣṇu, then that is perfection of worship. So, so any kind of worship, the Lord accepts, in this way. But that acceptance and devotional acceptance is different. If you are worshiping materialism, that's all right. You get material benefit. Actually you are getting. You are getting. But that is not spiritual. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. One who worships the Supreme Lord materially, he gets material benefit. And one who worships spiritually, he gets spiritual benefit. But you cannot expect spiritual benefit by material worship. That is not possible. Everything accepted as the worship of the Supreme, but they have got different result also.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972: Vipra means brāhmaṇa. So to become brāhmaṇa by qualification is not sufficient. One must know the Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. Just like Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. That is real stage. That is brahminical stage. Don't think that Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He, after studying Bhagavad-gītā, he became brāhmaṇa, because he understood Kṛṣṇa. He says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. He understood Kṛṣṇa rightly.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971: "Such persons immediately becomes liberated from the bondage of three modes of material nature." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān. Great philosophers, great yogis, they are undergoing severe type of austerities. Why? Just to get out of the clutches of these three modes of material nature, the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Everyone is being conducted under the influence of these different types of material nature. Even in this material world, goodness, that is also bondage, and what to speak of passion and ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa says anyone who is engaged in devotional service, immediately, sa samatītyaitān guṇān. Etān guṇān means these three qualities of material nature, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. That is real stage of ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:
Prabhupāda: Reflection. I, in morning walk, the sun was reflected in a glass exactly it is brilliant as sun. So I showed him: "This is called māyā, illusion. There is no sun, but it appears like sun. Exactly. And it is illuminating also." Reflection of the moon. So one who is less intelligent, he'll see: "Oh, here is a sun, another sun." So he's a madman. One who sees the sun reflection in the glass as sun, he's illusioned. He's mad. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also psychiatrist movement.
Dr. Hauser: Is that a...?
Haṁsadūta: Psychiatric.
Paramahaṁsa: Psychiatric movement.
Dr. Hauser: Oh, yes, yes. In a way... I... Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. We are taking away a person from the illusionary stage to the real stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.