If You Want to Please Kṛṣṇa, You Spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
This article explores the profound science of devotional service as taught by Śrīla Prabhupāda, centering on the fundamental desire to please the Supreme Lord. While materialistic life is driven by the urge to please one's own senses or various demigods for temporary profit, true spiritual life begins when we learn the authorized method of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. By submissively following the instructions of the guru and actively spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we invoke the supreme reciprocation of the Lord.
Material Pleasures Versus Pure Devotion
In the material world, the concept of love is deeply misunderstood. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that mundane love is essentially a disguised desire to gratify one's own personal senses. Even those who perform religious sacrifices or worship demigods usually do so to please themselves by gaining material profits or heavenly elevation. In stark contrast, a pure devotee has absolutely no personal agenda; his only desire is to please Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because of this unflinching devotion, the Lord becomes easily attainable.
- In the material world there is no such thing as a lover's wanting to please the senses of his beloved. Actually, in the material world, everyone wants mainly to gratify his own personal senses.
- The pure devotee only wants to please the Supreme Lord, and so the Lord says that for anyone who is unflinchingly devoted to Him, He is easy to attain.
- People are generally addicted to offering obeisances to various demigods, but Bharata Maharaja simply wanted to please Lord Vasudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gita: bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram.
- Some (karmis) desire to be elevated to the heavenly planets or to go to Dhruvaloka, and others want to please the demigods to get material profits.
The Proper Method of Pleasing the Lord
Pleasing the Supreme Lord is an exact spiritual science, not a matter of mental speculation. Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly warns against manufacturing our own ways of worship. If we truly want to please someone, the correct etiquette is to ask them what they desire. Kṛṣṇa has clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that He is pleased by a simple offering of a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water when offered with love. Submissively following these divine instructions is the only way to satisfy the Lord.
- Don't manufacture your ways of Pleasing God. Don't manufacture. Suppose I want to please you. Then I shall ask you, "How can I serve you?" Not that I manufacture some service. That is not pleasing.
- If I want a glass of water. And if you manufacture that "Swamiji will be more pleased if I give him a glass of milk, hot milk," that will not please me. If you want to please me, then you should ask me, "How can I please you?"
- If you want to please me, then you should ask me, "How can I Please you?" And if you do what I order, that will please me.
- Fruits and flowers are very much pleasing to the Lord. If one wants to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can simply offer fruits and flowers, and the Lord will be pleased to accept them. Our only duty is to please the Supreme Godhead.
Pleasing the Guru and Spreading the Mission
Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, He cannot be approached directly; one must please Him by pleasing His pure representative, the spiritual master. Approaching the guru submissively and executing his order is the guarantee of liberation. For the followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda, the supreme order is abundantly clear: spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This preaching mission may require immense personal sacrifice, including abandoning mundane family attachments, but it is the ultimate way to please the Lord.
- Sanatana Gosvami was actually following the disciplic principles. He wanted to please Lord Caitanya submissively. To please the spiritual master means to approach him submissively, not in a challenging mood.
- If you get right guru, then you are liberated. If you follow the direction, if you want to please him, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah, then you are liberated.
- Our point was how to please the Supreme Lord. This is the way. If you want to please Krsna, you spread Krsna consciousness.
- This is one side, that if you want to please Krsna, then you have to be prepared for killing your so-called relatives. If you want Krsna. If you want to please Krsna.
The Sweet Reciprocation of Kṛṣṇa
When a devotee dedicates his entire existence to pleasing the Lord, a beautiful, transcendental reciprocation takes place. The pure devotees of Vṛndāvana, like the gopīs, danced and sang exclusively for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure, and He joyfully praised them in return. Remarkably, Kṛṣṇa is so affectionate to His pure devotees (bhakta-vatsala) that He is eager to please them in return. He willingly broke His own promise not to fight in the Kurukṣetra war simply to uphold the vow of His dear devotee, Bhīṣmadeva.
- One has to dance to please Krsna, not to imitate or attempt to become equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The gopis wanted to please Krsna, and therefore as Krsna sang, they responded and encouraged Him by saying “Well done! Well done!"
- The gopis wanted to please Krsna, and therefore as Krsna sang, they responded and encouraged Him by saying "Well done! Well done!" Sometimes they presented beautiful music for His pleasure, and He responded by praising their singing.
- At that time (Bhisma about to kill Arjuna) Lord Krsna wanted to please His devotee, Bhisma, by keeping Bhisma's promise, which was more important than His own. Seemingly He broke His own promise.
- The adjustment is that the Lord, being bhakta-vatsala, or one who wants to please His devotees, assumes such features so that devotees like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and other demigods may be pleased.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly defines the path of perfection: we must abandon our artificial attempts to please our own senses and redirect all our energy toward pleasing the Supreme Lord. By submitting to a bona fide spiritual master and rejecting manufactured methods of worship, our service becomes fully potent. As we take up the mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and constantly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we not only please the Lord immensely but also secure His supreme, loving reciprocation.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Wanting to Please. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.