Prabhupāda Trains His Disciples in the Art of Transcendental Dancing
The basic tendency of all living entities is to seek joy and express it through celebration. While the material world offers countless opportunities to dance in pursuit of fleeting sense gratification, Śrīla Prabhupāda introduces a revolutionary, spiritual alternative. He trains his disciples to engage their natural inclination for movement by dancing in the congregational chanting of the holy names, transforming an ordinary physical action into a profound expression of transcendental ecstasy and love for the Supreme Lord.
The Pillars of Spiritual Success
To establish a movement that could deliver the entire world, Śrīla Prabhupāda relied on a supremely pure and accessible formula. He instructs his followers that the foundation of their success lies not in complex rituals, but in the joyful execution of chanting, dancing, and distributing sanctified food.
- Simply propagate this chanting, dancing, feasting and following the regulative principles. These are the four pillars of our success.
- Our program is the same everywhere, chanting, dancing, and feasting on Krishna prasadam.
- Give the people nice prasadam. This is what is temple - life. Chanting, dancing, prasadam, this is what I want.
- We are simply Sankirtana men; our program is chanting, dancing, distributing prasadam, and speaking high philosophy, that's all.
Spontaneous Ecstasy, Not Sentiment
Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness relies heavily on musical chanting and dancing, uninformed observers often dismiss it as mere emotionalism. Śrīla Prabhupāda vigorously defends his disciples, explaining that their dancing is never artificial; it is the genuine, spontaneous result of contacting the spiritual platform.
- Krsna does not say that you become a sentimental devotee. These European and American boys, they are dancing not by sentiment. That is actual transcendental ecstasy.
- We dance, we cry, we chant, we laugh not artificially. But Krsna consciousness is so nice. As you begin to chant, naturally you feel for dancing. So it is not taught artificially. It comes simultaneously with development of Krsna consciousness.
- They are feeling God consciousness, Krsna consciousness; therefore they are dancing. It is not that I have come from a foreign country and I am giving bribe, and they are dancing like a dog. No. This is directly perceiving the presence of God.
- So this (Krsna consciousness) movement is not like that is a sentimental movement. Don't think that these boys are dancing in some religious sentiment or fanaticism. No.
Dancing for Kṛṣṇa's Pleasure
The fundamental difference between a materialist and a devotee is the center of their enjoyment. Śrīla Prabhupāda trains his disciples to redirect their natural urge for recreation away from mundane ballrooms and toward the temple, where their dancing brings direct satisfaction to the Supreme Lord.
- There is sense gratification. Here when you chant and dance, this is not your sense gratification; this is Krsna's sense gratification.
- There is tendency for dancing, for chanting, for singing. They are holding ball dances, and musical instrument. The same thing we are propagating: chant and dance Hare Krsna mantra. This is satisfaction.
- Everyone is dancing as maya is impelling. Now we have to dance as Krsna is impelling. That's all. The dancing will continue. Somebody is dancing in the ballroom and somebody is dancing in this temple.
- Any moment, any time you spend for thinking of Krsna, working for Krsna, chanting for Krsna, eating for Krsna, dancing for Krsna, that time is saved.
The Supreme Choice
Human life offers the rare facility to understand one's eternal relationship with God. Śrīla Prabhupāda vividly contrasts the ultimate destinations of the living entities, urging everyone to utilize their bodily form to dance with Kṛṣṇa rather than devolving back into lower species of life.
- It is up to you to decide whether you are going to get a body which will be able to dance with Krsna, to talk with Krsna, to play with Krsna. You can get it. And if you want a body how to eat stool, urine, you will get it.
- It is up to you to make your choice whether you are going to dance with Krsna or you want to become naked tree standing for ten thousands of years. That is your choice. A living entity has got this independence.
- 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."
- If you continue this (chanting, dancing and eating prasadam), then some day will come, even in this life, that you will understand what is Krsna. As soon as you understand Krsna, then after leaving this body you go back home, back to Godhead, directly.
Conclusion
Dancing is not a mundane activity to be suppressed; it is a divine propensity meant to be spiritualized. By establishing the simple yet profound method of congregational chanting, Śrīla Prabhupāda rescues his followers from the exhausting dance of material illusion. He perfectly trains his disciples to engage their bodies in Kṛṣṇa's service, proving that when dancing is executed for the pleasure of the Lord, it instantly transforms morose, conditioned souls into jubilant, liberated devotees. Ultimately, this joyful process is the most direct and practical preparation for entering the eternal pastimes of the spiritual world.
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 Dancing (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.