"... After about an hour we returned to the temple for guru-puja and
Srimad-Bhagavatam class. The verse described how Kardama Muni kept his
mind fixed on Lord Visnu, and in his short talk Srila Prabhupada gave
a few good examples of how one can do one's work and still remain
thinking of Krsna. "In South India there is a class of professional
dancer. They take a big jug on the head and without any ring, it is
kept as it is. The head is shaved, but they are so practiced to keep
the balance that the pot does not fall down. It remains exactly. This
is an art — they will dance, and the pot on the head will never fall
down, keeping the balance.


"So by practice it is possible. There are many professional vendors,
they keep their basket on the head and taking a child, going and
canvassing, 'We have got this fruit.' It never falls down. They are
keeping the balance. So this is a crude example that everything can be
done by practice. There is another example Rupa Gosvami gives, that a
woman who has got an extra lover besides the husband. So she's always
thinking of that lover although she's busy with household affairs.
That means if you want somebody very seriously, you can think of him
always, twenty-four hours, in spite of your being engaged in so many
duties. It is possible. So we have to practice this Krsna
consciousness."

He told us that although in the spiritual world we do not have to work
to maintain our existence, here in the material world we do, yet still
we have to become Krsna conscious. His words were pertinent because as
soon as he finished his lecture Atreya Rsi, Dayananda and the others
would be going out to engage in seemingly mundane jobs. So he cited
another example to encourage them that what they are doing is actually
spiritual. "Because a devotee has nothing to do with material things.
Even if he works for maintenance of the body, that is not material.
Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura who was magistrate. But it is not for a
magistrate to write so many books — siddhanta-purnam. So he was in a
different transcendental platform. So that is possible. The mind may
be absorbed in Krsna's thought, satatam kirtayanto mam, tusyanti ca
ramanti ca. That is possible by practice."

- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu

Tamala Krsna: Can Krsna give us the ability to someday remember every
word that you are saying to us now? Because I myself, I forget so
much. I want to hear just how you are talking and I can't.

Prabhupada: What is that? I don't follow.

Tamala Krsna: I want to be able to hear you saying exactly what you're
saying now. I want to always be able to hear it, but I forget. My
memory is very poor.

Prabhupada: Why? No. If we try... Memory may be poor. Everything
depends on cultivation. If you cultivate something, your memory
increases. Everyone becomes expert not in one day but by cultivation.
Similarly, if you try to remember, then your memory will help you to
remember. It is not difficult. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,
that we have to try to remember Krsna. He's so beautiful, His
instructions are so nice. If we simply remember Krsna... That was the
perfection approved by Lord Caitanya.

I think I have narrated the story.

When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India in a big temple,
Ranganatha temple, He went to see the Deity, and He saw one brahmana
was reading Bhagavad-gita. And people were joking him, "Oh, Mr.
brahmana, how you are reading Bhagavad-gita?" Because they were the
neighbors, they knew that this brahmana was illiterate and he was
studying Bhagavad-gita. So they were joking. But the brahmana did not
care them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brahmana. So He
asked the brahmana, "My dear brahmana, what you are reading?" So he
could understand "This persons is not joking with me; He is serious."
So he explained, "My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gita.
Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets."
"Why you are reading Bhagavad-gita?" So he said that, "My spiritual
master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read
Bhagavad-gita. What can I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am
seeing simply. I do not know how to read." "Oh, that's all right. You
cannot read. But I see that you are crying. How you are crying if you
are not reading?" "Yes, I am crying. Of course, there is cause." "What
is that?" "As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gita, I remember Krsna.
Krsna is sitting as driver and Arjuna is hearing. I have heard the
story. I know something of the instruction but cannot read. So as soon
as I take this book, this picture comes before me and I simply think,
'Oh, how Krsna is nice that He has become a charioteer of His devotee.
He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of His
devotee.' This gives me so much pleasure that I cry." Caitanya
Mahaprabhu embraced him, "Your Bhagavad-gita reading is perfect. You
have taken the essence." So this is the thing.

If you simply remember Krsna is teaching Arjuna and Arjuna is hearing,
if you simply remember the picture, that is sufficient. Even if you
think that you cannot read. Because after all we have to become Krsna
conscious. We haven't got to become a learned man to argue with
another learned man. If it is possible we can do that, but that does
not make any difference if I cannot argue with others or if I cannot
teach very nicely Bhagavad-gita to others. Simply if I remember this
picture, that is perfection. Because we have to become Krsna
conscious. We have to simply think of Krsna. You think in any way.
That is your perfection. Smartavyah satatam visnuh. This is the
injunction. You have to think of Visnu always. This is samadhi; this
is meditation; this is yoga siddhi, perfection of yoga.

So one who has learned to think of Krsna always, he is already on the
perfectional stage. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim
[Narada-pancaratra]. If one has come to this stage, just to understand
Krsna the great, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he's
surrendered soul, "Krsna, whatever You like You do. I am
surrendered."... This is aradhana. Therefore Lord Caitanya embraced
the brahmana, "Yes, your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect." Because
one has to come to this stage, thinking of Krsna always. So if one
does not come to this stage, simply by academic education, he says "It
should be like this. The interpretation should be like this," he's
simply wasting time. Frog philosopher. One has to come to this stage.

Srila Prabhupada - 1968/11/25 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 2.1-10 Lecture


--
The only way to counteract the effects of this age of Kali is chanting
the Holy Names of Lord Krsna. There is no other way. There is no other
way. There is no other way. (Brhan Naradiya Purana)
Chant and be happy - "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"