Śyāmasundara: Oh. So penance and austerity, that it is not really suffering? What does suffering involve?

Prabhupāda: No, no. No suffering. Those who are advanced in knowledge, there is no suffering. Actually those who are spiritually advanced, if there is some bodily pain, he knows that "I am not this body. Why should I suffer? Let me do my duty. Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is advancement.

(Philosophy discussion).

Acyutānanda: "Why does Kṛṣṇa allow us to commit mistakes and later punishes us?"

Prabhupāda: That is His mercy. You want to do something bad, Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't do it," but if you want to do it at your risk, Kṛṣṇa allows, "All right, do it, and suffer yourself." Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (B.G.18:66). He does not say anything. But if you want to do something else, do it at your risk.

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita----------Hyderabad).

Devotee: Man has forgotten and is serving māyā, he's actually serving Kṛṣṇa anyway then why is he miserable?

Prabhupāda: That is māyā. When you serve māyā then you get miseries. Just like a man who is serving in the prisonhouse, he is also serving the government, but he is in misery. That is called māyā. He's also serving. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). When he's serving favorably, he is happy. When he is serving unfavorably or being forced, that is not bhakti, that is māyā. He has to serve. That is his constitutional position. Either outside or inside, but he cannot but serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. He's eternally servant. Either he understands or not understands, he is servant. But when he's serving consciousness, conscientiously, then he's deriving the real profit. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now chant. (kīrtana) (end)

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita-------Montreal).

Prajāpati: This suffering comes from our sinful activities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (B.G.18:66). I shall give you protection from sinful reaction of your life because you are suffering for sinful reaction. Suffering means if you disobey the laws of the state, you suffer. That is sinful. Because you have disobeyed the laws of the state, you are suffering.

(Morning walk--------Los Angeles).

Jyotirmayī: Is the God of love, does He punish man?

Prabhupāda: Yes. God has got two business. Maintenance and punishment. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (B.G.4:8). That the government has got the law to give protection to the obedient citizens, and to send the rascals to the prison house.

(Lecture on Srimad Bhjagavatam---------Paris).