The feeling which you had by becoming compassionate to the fallen bum is very good, but the best way to deliver a bum is to revive his dormant Krishna Consciousness. If you can do that then give the bums good food and shelter. If you cannot do that, then simple supplying food and shelter is serving the Maya.

There is no spiritual knowledge. Therefore the so-called advancement of ignorance is accepted as advancement of civilization.

There are many missionaries, they open hospitals or similar philanthropic activities, but we never do that. So many friends advised me to open some hospitals, dispensaries. Oh, I flatly said that "We are not interested in the hospitals." There are so many hospitals. So people who are interested in hospitals, they can go there. Here is spiritual hospital. The disease is, the other hospitals, they cannot stop death, but our hospital can stop death.

Although they are party, their aim is how to develop the country. Similarly, these Vaisnava sampradaya, although they appear to be a separate party, but their aim is how to serve Krsna. So don't think the party means some opposite party. No. Everyone has got, for the advanced devotee, to serve the Lord in a particular way so that the Lord may be more satisfied. That is their intention. Sometimes we also have some parties in the temple: someone...

Srila Prabhupada: My students in the Krsna consciousness society are following these principles: They are cooking for Krsna, dancing for Krsna, singing for Krsna, talking for Krsna, going around the world for Krsna -- everything for Krsna. Anyone can adopt these principles. Where is the difficulty? Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. And if you practice Krsna consciousness in this way, the result will be janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam: Very soon you will automatically attain knowledge and...

...too much official control is not good in spiritual life. The centers should remain spiritually fit and independent. Some control must be there as is now. Too much control means so many vouchers. Gradually it will become a mundane institution. All our managers should be spiritually advanced simple and honest in carrying out the orders of the spiritual master and Krsna. That will be a nice standard. Democracy in spiritual affairs is not at all good but breeds power...

You have rightly pointed out that people are becoming more materialistic in this age on account of their forgetfulness of Krsna consciousness. Actually, there is nothing like materialism. Materialism means forgetfulness of Krsna or God. We are preaching therefore Krsna consciousness. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that the first-class religion is that which teaches love of Godhead. At the present moment, one professes a type of religion, but does not develop the real purpose of religion, namely love...

...prajalpah, talking nonsense, gossiping some subject matter which has no concern with Krsna consciousness. We are accustomed to do that. We should avoid it.

...because of the greed for tongue the whole world is going on; all the work in the world is going on because of the greed for the tongue. Some places have restaurant, some have tea, somewhere bidis, somewhere cigarettes, somewhere there is meat eating and intoxication and what is there, this tongue, everything is because of this tongue. If you can control your tongue and engage it in God's service, then you can see God. This is the instruction...

Devotee: Prabhupada, before this movement came here we were so caught up in sinful activities. How is it that we were so fortunate to be benedicted with this great Hare Krsna movement?

Krsna is providing for millions and trillions of living entities by supplying all their necessities, and even if all the innumerable living entities wanted to become Krsna conscious, there would be no scarcity of love of Godhead, nor would there be insufficiency in providing for their maintenance. Our Krsna consciousness movement was started single-handedly, and no one provided for our livelihood, but at present we are spending hundreds and thousands of dollars all over the world, and the movement...

Now, one can say that "All these people are mudhas, or rascals, who have passed this university education, B.A.C., D.A.C. and so many things? They are all mudhas?" Krsna says, "Yes, they are mudhas." Why? Now, mayayapahrta-jnana. They have struggled for education, for so many things, but he does not know what is God. Therefore real knowledge is taken away. He is proud of his false knowledge. Real knowledge is, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. Etaj...