Srimad Bhagavatam, 2.3.14-15, May 31, 1972 LA
So my maternal uncle’s was in the suburb of Calcutta, about ten miles from our house. So sometimes when we used to go there, so in the evening after taking their meals, by eight o’clock, they would go to a place, assemble, and hear about Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata. And they should discuss while coming home, and they should go; they would go to bed thinking that memory. So they’ll sleep also Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Yes, and dream also Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. You see? This was the system. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ [Bg 8.6].
If you think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, then you’ll become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, and your life is successful. Don’t allow anything. This requires little practice, abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā [Bg 8.8].
I should not allow my mind to go, to think of any other subject than Kṛṣṇa. Now we have got so many books. So whenever you find time… You must find time. There is so much time. So read all these books or chant. But when you are hungry, you take prasādam. When you are sleepy, take a snap. Not very much; just to refresh. And go on, either chanting the beads or reading the books or talking about Kṛṣṇa. In this way, always remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to remember Viṣṇu always, twenty-four hours, some way or other. Type for Kṛṣṇa, write for Kṛṣṇa, go outside for Kṛṣṇa, saṅkīrtana party, sell book for Kṛṣṇa, bring money for Kṛṣṇa, spend for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. Everything Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 9.14], in the Bhagavad-gītā you’ll find. Tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. We require some satisfaction and some enjoyment, because that is our nature. Ānandamayo ‘bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]. Spirit soul. God is also blissful, and we part and parcel of God, we are also blissful. We want simply ānanda, pleasure. That is our nature. But that ānanda, pleasure, you cannot enjoy independently. That is not possible. You must enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. That is called rāsa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they assemble together. Similarly, we are part and parcel… Just like part and parcel of big machine, they are assembled, then it works. If the part and parcel are scattered, oh, then it has no meaning; it is a simply scrap of iron, that’s all. But when they are assembled together, that is meaning. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we must assemble together. Central Kṛṣṇa. Central Kṛṣṇa.
