Prabhupāda Explains to His Disciples the Ultimate Motto of Human Life
Navigating the complexities of the material world requires strong foundational principles to keep one's consciousness properly anchored. To protect his students from illusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda provided clear, unforgettable mottos that distill the vast philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness into practical, daily maxims. By adopting these core slogans, devotees ensure that all their energy, intelligence, and time are perfectly utilized for the highest spiritual purpose.
The Light of Transcendental Knowledge
The foundational ideology of the entire movement is based on the absolute distinction between spiritual reality and material illusion. Since the earliest days of his preaching, Śrīla Prabhupāda established the magazine's motto that Godhead is light and nescience is darkness. When a devotee profusely distributes and reads transcendental literature, they bring the blazing sun of spiritual knowledge into the dark, foggy world, automatically dispelling the ignorance of māyā.
- Actually these books are the foundation stone of our movement. Whatever we are is resting on these books, so far reading them and distributing them. This should be our only motto.
- As soon as you bring light, darkness will go. The motto of our magazine Back to Godhead is: "Godhead is light, nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience." This is also the Vedic injunction.
- Maya is darkness, and Krsna is light. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead. "Godhead is light and darkness is nescience. Where there is God, there is no darkness." This is our position.
- When there is fog, you try so many ways; it cannot go. Then, if somehow or other sun rises, immediately clear. That is our motto in Back to Godhead: Godhead is light and nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead, there is no jurisdiction of darkness.
The Urgency of Escaping Death
A true understanding of the soul's eternal nature creates a profound sense of urgency within a sincere practitioner. Rather than comfortably settling into the temporary material world, Śrīla Prabhupāda urges his followers to adopt the motto of finishing their material existence in this very lifetime. While foolish persons passively agree to undergo the miseries of death and rebirth, an intelligent devotee utilizes every moment to guarantee their permanent return to the spiritual realm.
- His motto should be: "Why shall I wait for next year? Let me pass in this year." Similarly, we should be very serious: "Why we shall wait for the next life? Let us finish this life and go back to Godhead, Krsna, and dance there."
- The rascals, they agree to die. We do not agree to die. We want to come to our original position, no more death. This is our motto.
- That should be the motto of our life, that "I shall not do anything for my sense satisfaction, but I shall do everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme."
- Try your best to execute Krsna consciousness fully. That should be the motto of our life.
Simple Living and High Thinking
To survive the distractions of modern civilization, a devotee must consciously minimize their mundane entanglements. Instructing his society on the principle of yukta-vairāgya, Śrīla Prabhupāda established the motto of simple living and high thinking as the perfect formula for peace. By accepting only the bare necessities required to maintain the body and graciously receiving whatever is provided by the Lord, a practitioner frees their mind to meditate deeply on spiritual truths without being hampered by material anxieties.
- Our motto is simple living, high thinking; we should think of Krishna without being hampered by material disturbances, as far as possible. So too much risky thing is not for us.
- Yukta Vairagya means that we should simply accept the bare necessities of our material part of life, and try to save time for spiritual advancement. This should be the motto of New Vrindaban, if you at all develop it to the perfectional stage.
- Whatever prasadam you are offered by the grace of the Lord, you accept. Don't take anything more. That is our motto.
- We can accept everything for Krishna's service, but not taking the risk of diverting attention to any other thing which will hinder our Krsna consciousness. That should be our motto, or principle.
Protecting the Mind and Giving Up the Unfavorable
Advancement in devotional service requires not only engaging in positive activities but vigorously rejecting anything that degrades the consciousness. To safeguard the purity of his students, Śrīla Prabhupāda commanded them to make the immediate rejection of unfavorable habits their uncompromising motto. By strictly avoiding illicit sex, maintaining good health for service, and remaining vigilant against the subtle entries of māyā, a devotee preserves their spiritual strength.
- Keep your health in good condition and work very hard for Krishna. That is our motto of life.
- If something is unfavorable, then we shall give it up immediately. That should be our motto of life.
- Rejection of illicit sex life is our first motto. So I request you to stop immediately all this nonsense and remain fixed up in your good character.
- We don't want to give any chance for Maya to enter in our business. That should be our motto, and we should be very much vigilant.
Steady Cleansing and Divine Shelter
Spiritual perfection is a gradual process that requires immense patience, determination, and proper shelter. Warning against the superficial desire for massive numbers, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the motto of the preaching movement must be "slow but sure," focusing on genuine purity over cheap popularity. By diligently cleansing the mind through the continuous chanting of the holy names and taking complete shelter of the internal energy, a practitioner naturally attains the ultimate goal of life.
- Without cleaning the mind, nobody can advance in spiritual understanding. And the chanting of Hare Krishna is the cleansing process of the mind. That is our motto.
- Slow but sure, that is our motto - and class, not mass. So never mind some other Christian movements are getting many followers. The competition is beneficial for us. Everything is beneficial for Krsna consciousness if it is utilized properly.
- Wherever we may stay or whatever condition we may be put into, Krsna is our life and soul. We cannot stop your activities in Krsna consciousness. This motto should be followed very rigidly by chanting sixteen rounds and observing the regulative principles.
- Srimati Radharani is the symbol of internal energy. Therefore we take shelter of Srimati Radharani in Vrndavana, and that is our perfection of life. Then it will be easier to associate with Krsna very easily. That should be our motto.
Conclusion
The path back to the spiritual world is deeply demanding, but it becomes entirely accessible when one relies on the realized guidelines of the pure devotee. By embedding these powerful mottos into their daily consciousness, followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda are naturally protected from the distractions of temporary material life. Whether simplifying one's lifestyle, urgently prioritizing spiritual advancement, or strictly avoiding unfavorable habits, these profound maxims ensure absolute victory in the battle against illusion.
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 Our Motto (Disciples of SP). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.