Category:Wanting to Understand
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood through mundane scholarship, mental speculation, or the ascending process of knowledge. If one truly wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, one must adopt the descending process by approaching a bona fide spiritual master in the paramparā system and engaging in pure devotional service. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a great science, and for those who want to understand it philosophically, there are volumes of authoritative books available. However, intellectual endeavor alone is insufficient without a submissive attitude, freedom from sinful life, and the sincere desire to serve. By following the footsteps of the mahājanas and hearing submissively from pure devotees, the deepest mysteries of the Absolute Truth are revealed. Ultimately, whether one is a highly educated philosopher or an ordinary person, the most direct and effective method to understand God is simply by chanting the holy names and taking to the life of devotion.
- The Descending Process: The Absolute Truth cannot be comprehended by the ascending method of mental speculation (āroha-panthā). One must receive knowledge through the paramparā system from a bona fide guru (avaroha-panthā).
- The Necessity of Bhakti: Kṛṣṇa specifically states in the Bhagavad-gītā that He can only be understood as He is through bhakti, or pure devotional service. No other method is sufficient.
- Scientific and Philosophical Depth: For those who want to understand spiritual life through logic and science, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement offers immense literature based on the Vedic scriptures.
- The Requirement of Purity: Because God is the supreme pure, anyone who wants to understand Him must strictly follow regulative principles and become free from sinful activities.
- The Power of Submissive Hearing: True understanding begins with inquisitiveness and faith, followed by submissively hearing (śravaṇa) from pure devotees rather than concocting personal interpretations.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: If You Want to Understand Kṛṣṇa, Then You Have to Take the Life of Devotion.
Pages in category "Wanting to Understand"
The following 104 pages are in this category, out of 104 total.
1
A
- All the commentaries in the market, they are simply presentation of the particular commentator's personal view. That is not Bhagavad-gita. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, then you should understand as they are said
- Arjuna expresses himself through the grace of Krsna. If we want to understand Bhagavad-gita, we should accept the statements in these two verses (BG 10.12-13). This is called the parampara system, acceptance of the disciplic succession. BG 1972 purports
- Athato brahma-jijnasa, when one is inquisitive to know the broader plan, Brahman plan. Brahman means the biggest, brhatva, the biggest. The biggest plan, if anyone wants to understand, becomes inquisitive, then his life, real life, begins
B
- Balarama means guru-tattva. Balarama represents guru. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah. If we want to understand Caitanya Mahaprabhu, if we want to understand Krsna, then we must take shelter of Balarama
- Because cow dung and conchshells are considered pure by the Vedas, they are accepted as pure by the followers of the Vedas. If we want to understand the statements by indirect interpretation, then we have to challenge the Vedic statements
- Bhagavan, Lord Krsna, says that, out of many, many millions of people, one may understand it. But still, the knowledge is there. If you want to understand it, it is not difficult. You can understand it
- Brahma adopted the aroha-pantha. He wanted to understand Krsna's mystic power by his own limited, conceivable power, and therefore he himself was mystified
- But this is the point of understanding. That I have already told you, in the Bhagavad-gita, that if you want to understand, first of all you have to surrender
- By his questions he (Arjuna) is clearing the path of Krsna consciousness for all students who seriously want to understand the mystery of the Bhagavad-gita. BG 1972 purports
F
- For those who do not want to understand Krsna as He is but want to understand by dint of their own imperfect vision, Krsna, God, remains unknown
- Fully satisfied by the answers of the sage Maitreya, Vidura wanted to understand the remaining portions of the creative function of the Lord, and he took the clue from the previous topics
H
- He (King Rahugana) now wanted to understand the deep meaning of the philosophical words used by Jada Bharata, and with great sincerity, he begged his pardon
- He said, "If you want to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, you must approach a self-realized Vaisnava and hear from him. You can do this when you have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu"
- How the cows and asses can understand Krsna? They cannot understand. If you want to understand Krsna, then you should hear from Krsna and take it as it is. Then you'll understand. If you are fortunate enough, then you'll understand
I
- If anyone wants to understand Krsna and wants relationship with Krsna, then one must take to this process of bhakti-yoga. That is sankhya-yoga. That will be explained by Kapiladeva. Bhakti-yoga means sankhya-yoga
- If anyone wants to understand on the basis of philosophy and science, oh, we have got ample philosophy and science on this point. But if you accept it, then it is the same thing
- If anyone wants to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth in perfection, he must take to the process of devotional service in full Krsna consciousness. Then it will be possible for him to understand the last word of the Absolute Truth
- If anyone wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has to take to pure devotional service under the guidance of a pure devotee. Otherwise, the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will always be hidden. BG 1972 purports
- If one actually wants to understand spiritual life and spiritual knowledge, one has to approach a guru
- If one wants to understand Bhagavad-gita by his imperfect interpretations, one cannot possibly understand the mysteries of Bhagavad-gita, even though one may be a great scholar according to mundane estimation
- If one wants to understand Bhagavad-gita, he cannot take help from other methods. He must understand it as prescribed in Bhagavad-gita itself, by understanding it as Arjuna understood it
- If one wants to understand Krsna, he must follow the regulative principles described in the authoritative literature. One can perform penance in accordance with those principles. BG 1972 purports
- If one wants to understand something about Bhagavad-gita, about the spiritual movement, he may consult me
- If one wants to understand the Supreme Personality factually, he must take to the path of devotional service and not waste time in profitless philosophical speculation, fruitive activity, mystic yogic practice or severe austerity and penance
- If one wants to understand this Krsna consciousness movement through science, through philosophy, through logic - in any way - through religion, through culture - anyway he wants to understand, we have got volumes of books
- If one wants to understand this sankirtana movement through philosophy and learning and logic, oh, there is ample opportunity. It is not sentimental. It is based on science and based on authority of Vedas. But it is simplified
- If somebody wants to understand this Hare Krsna mantra through philosophy, through study, through Vedanta, we are not lacking. We have got books. It is not that Hare Krsna mantra is insufficient, therefore we are recommending books. No. Not like that
- If someone wants to understand a little philosophy, he can purchase one of our books. We have got so many big, big books. So in this spirit carry on with great enthusiastic endeavor and this will please me very, very much
- If we want to understand God, Krsna, this is the beginning. The easiest beginning - simply chanting
- If we want to understand Krsna, we have to follow these mahajana. Just like Brahma. Brahma is the original
- If we want to understand Krsna, we must try to understand Krsna through Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then it will be very easy to understand. Other people, they do not try to understand Krsna through Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- If we want to understand really Vedic literature, then we must follow the parampara system. There are four sampradayas, parampara: the Ramanuja Sampradaya, Madhvacarya Sampradaya, Visnu Svami Sampradaya, Nimbarka Sampradaya
- If we want to understand the real fact, then we must receive from the parampara system. Just like we have got our genealogical table. I understand my great-great-grandfather by the parampara system. Not that I manufacture some name
- If we want to understand the real reality, vastava-vastu, that is Krsna, then this is the process. What is that? (SB 1.2.12) You have to receive through the channel of parampara system, bhakti
- If we want to understand the transcendental position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then we have to go through guru, guru-parampara system. Otherwise it is not possible
- If you are inquisitive to understand that is your first stage of faith. That is called sraddha. Adau sraddha. In the beginning your inquisitiveness that "I want to understand," that is faith. Then next stage is association of persons who know, sadhu-sanga
- If you are intelligent, if you want to understand Krsna through intelligence, through scientific view, that is explained (in our books); you can do that
- If you are my confidential friend, then I can take to my family. And if you are outsider, why should you expect to come into my family life? This is common sense. You do not understand Krsna, and you want to understand Krsna's dealings with Radharani
- If you think that you want to understand through science and philosophy, we have got three dozen books. Anyway, you come. That is our appeal
- If you want to understand Krsna through philosophy and science, we have got three dozen books. So we can convince you both ways. If you are illiterate, if you have no knowledge, chant Hare Krsna and you will get your life back
- If you want to understand Krsna, then you have to adopt the process of bhakti. No other process
- If you want to understand that science, you must approach a bona fide spiritual master - This is very simple thing. If you want to learn engineering, then you must admit yourself in engineering college
- If you want to understand the Absolute Truth, then you have to follow great personalities, great devotees. Just like in the Western world, Lord Jesus Christ, you have to follow his principles
- If you want to understand the science of God, then we have to adopt this devotional service
- If you want to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, take from His instruction, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah - BG 18.55
- If you want to understand the tree, whole tree, you try to understand it from the root, not from the top. So disease, any disease, if you understand the root cause of the disease you can give proper medicine and he's cured
- If you want to understand this philosophy by your learning, by your academic career, we have got sufficient stock to supply you. Sufficient stock. Don't think that we are all sentimentalists, simply dancing. No. There is a background
- If you want to understand this philosophy through books, we are not in scarcity. We can supply you volumes of books. These books, some of them are demonstrated
- If you want to understand transcendental subject matter, not material, spiritual... Spiritual is completely unknown to us because we do not know what is spiritual. We are identifying with this body
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.55) it is said, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: one who wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in reality must take to the platform of bhakti, or Krsna consciousness
- In the beginning your inquisitiveness that "I want to understand," that is faith. Then next stage is association of persons who know, sadhu-sanga. Then initiation. Then disappearance of all misgivings. Then steady faith
- In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated - If anyone wants to understand the science of Krsna, he should associate with pure devotees. When discussions take place among pure devotees, the potency of spiritual language is revealed
- Instead of realizing oneself and the Supreme Self, if one derides, doesn't want to understand what is God, what is God consciousness, what is Krsna, he is to be understood as the lowest of the mankind, naradhama. Adhama means lowest
- It is a very scientific movement. It is not a sentiment, bogus hoax. It is . . . anyone who wants to understand this movement philosophically, scientifically, they will be very much satisfied in this
- It is not that anyone and everyone can make his own foolish commentaries on Vedanta-sutra and mislead readers. Anyone who wants to understand Vedanta-sutra must read Srimad-Bhagavatam carefully
K
- Krsna consciousness means . . . the simple thing is that you chant Hare Krsna. But if you think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have got books. Learn it
- Krsna says at the conclusion of BG (18.55), 'bhaktya mam abhijanati: if one actually wants to understand Krsna and one's relationship with Him, one must take to this process of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga as explained by Lord Kapiladeva is sankhya-yoga
- Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah (BG 18.55). Tattvatah, in truth. Tattvatah means truth. If one wants to understand Krsna as He is, then he has to take this process of devotional service, bhakta, bhakti
M
- Mayavadi philosopher's policy or system is ascending policy. I want to understand the Absolute Truth by exercising my mental power - that is called ascending process or inductive process. But our process is deductive process
- Mental speculators who want to understand the limit of the Unlimited are certainly nonsensical. Every one of them is captivated by the external potencies of the Lord
O
- One who wants to understand God through philosophy, science, argument, logic, so to supply them material, we have got immense literature, Vedic literature. So one of them is mentioned here, Krsna-sandarbha, what is Krsna
- One who wants to understand the mystery of revealed scriptures must approach a bona fide spiritual master, hear from him very submissively and render service to him. Then the import of the scriptures will be revealed
- Our principle is that if you want to understand God, then you must be sinless, because God is pure. Anyone who is sinful, he cannot understand God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: yesam (tu) anta-gatam papam
- Our process is avaroha pantha, descending process, and the Mayavadi philosopher's policy or system is ascending policy. I want to understand the Absolute Truth by exercising my mental power - that is called ascending process, or inductive process
- Our request is that if you at all want to understand what is God, don't go to the Mayavadi or Sunyavadi, but try to understand about God from God Himself
P
- Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan. This is understanding. This is parampara understanding. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, if you want to understand Krsna, then you have to follow the footprints of the mahajanas
- Pariksit Maharaja wanted to understand the mystery of Balarama's being the son of both Devaki and Rohini
- Please repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them. My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this clearly
S
- She (Devahuti) thinks herself, because woman, yosa, durbodham. So she is accepting her son as guru and very submissively, and she wants to understand the very difficult subject matter very easily by the grace of Kapiladeva
- She approaches Him very humbly saying, - My dear Kapila, You are the SPG, but I am a woman, and my intelligence is not very sharp. Nonetheless, I want to understand these sublime transcendental subjects from You. It is possible by Your mercy
- So if you want to understand Krsna through science and philosophy, read these books. Otherwise - very easy method - come here; chant Hare Krsna. That's all
- So if you want to understand Krsna, then you have to take the life of devotion. And one who does not take to this life of devotion, he cannot understand Krsna
- So many departments of material enjoyment; material knowledge and material science are available, and the Lord provides for persons who want to enjoy them. The conclusion is that one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead for any benediction
T
- Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. If you want to understand that transcendental science, then you have to follow this principle. What is that? Tad viddhi pranipatena. You have to surrender
- Tattvatah, Krsna as He is, cannot be understood by the other methods, namely by mental speculation or mystic yogic exercises. Krsna cannot be understood in that way. If we want to understand Krsna, then we have to accept the Krsna method, bhakti method
- The child is completely dependent on the care of parents and he's happy. Simple philosophy. But because we have advanced in civilization, in knowledge, therefore we want to understand this simple philosophy in so many jugglery of words. That's all
- The devotee says: "I do not want to understand God. I want to worship Nanda Maharaja, under whose . . . in the courtyard of his house the Para-brahman is crawling." That is, I mean to say, superior position of Nanda Maharaja
- The Lord (Krsna) says in BG 7.1, asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. In other words, if one wants to understand the SPG in completeness, one must follow the prescriptions given by Krsna by following in the footsteps of Maharaja Ambarisa
- The materialist wants to understand everything by the aroha-pantha - by argument and reason - but transcendental matters cannot be understood in this way. Rather, one must follow the avaroha-pantha, the process of descending knowledge
- Their (caste gosvamis who professionally create some disciples) aim is to make the connection between the spiritual master and the disciple into a very cheap thing. They are not serious in wanting to understand spiritual life
- There are different processes of understanding the Absolute Truth, but if a person wants to understand the Supreme Lord as He is, he has to take to the process of bhakti-yoga
- There are men who want to understand the Absolute Truth through philosophy, through science. It is the duty of those who are scientifically advanced, philosophically advanced or materially advanced or wealthy, to engage all this for Krsna's service
- There are so many rules and regulations, and if one at all wants to understand Krsna, he must follow the regulative principles described in the authoritative literature. BG 1972 purports
- There is direct process. But if somebody wants to understand this Krsna consciousness philosophy through Vedanta philosophy, through Upanisads, so they are prepared. They are prepared. Therefore we are publishing so many books
- This dancing is not ordinary dancing. So anyway, if you think that this dancing is a sentimental caricature - you may think like that, but if you want to understand through philosophy and science, we can supply you immense literature
- This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. Bhaktya mam abhijanati: (BG 18.55) if one wants to understand the Absolute Truth in perfection, he must take to devotional service
- This process is hearing, because that is the only process. If you want to understand God, other processes will be realized through the process of hearing, sravanam
- Those who are sat are thus transcendentalists advanced in spiritual life, and when they hear questions from those who want to understand spiritual life, they become very happy
- Those who believe in God, generally they approach God in distress, when they're in need of money, and somebody wants to study what is God out of inquisitiveness, and somebody wants to understand the science of God
W
- We are publishing all these literatures translated into English. If you want to read them, if you want to understand this scientific, spiritual movement through your scientific knowledge, philosophical speculation, we have got dozens of books
- We have got immense literature. We have already published more than twenty books. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophy, by science, there are books. Otherwise, the easy method is chant Hare Krsna
- When Krsna desired to enjoy His pleasure potency, He manifested Himself in the separate form of Radharani, and when He wanted to understand Himself through the agency of Radha, He united with Radharani, and that unification is called Lord Caitanya
- Whoever wants to understand the difficult subject matter of krsna-katha should accept the disciplic succession