Your second question: Is there any particular reason why some spirit souls become directed toward Krsna Consciousness in the first place? How does one get on the progressive path of elevation to Krsna Consciousness? The answer is that it is by the mercy of the Lord that one comes in contact with a Spiritual Master Who can revive the dormant Krsna consciousness of the conditioned soul. Krsna is always merciful and He comes Himself, He leaves behind Him instruction like the Bhagavad-gita, etc. and He sends His representative, the Spiritual Master. In this way the merciful propaganda is going on.
(Letter to Jadadisa, Los Angeles, 1970).
Prabhupāda: Yes. The sperm, generally in every sperm there is spirit soul. But sometimes we put checks. The contraceptive method means putting check. Just like you pollute the milk. Then it loses his strength. So similarly, there are other circumstances which checks the sperm to inject soul. (Break) ...exposing themselves that they are rascal number one. That's all.
(Morning walk---------Mayapura------1975).
Guest (2): Is there an animal soul, Swami?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because it is already said, sarva-yoniṣu, "all forms of life." Even ant, tree, birds, plant, trees, everything. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. All of them, the soul is there. And they have got different... Just like you are differently dressed, I am differently dressed, but you are also soul, I am also soul.
(Room conversation---------Perth, 1975).
Devotee: Is there such a thing as having pure spiritual desires in the soul or not?
Prabhupāda: Spiritual, you are spiritual... Unless you understand that you are spirit, there is no question of practicing yoga or jñāna or bhakti. That is material platform, karmīs, mūḍhas. Unless you understand that you are Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, there is no question of other higher processes. Higher, other processes, there are four things: karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti. So karma is meant for the grossest persons who are simply interested with this body. That is karma. And who are baffled in this bodily concept of life, wants to know what is the actual life, that is jñāna. And then practice of yoga. And the ultimate is bhakti. All these are yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga, haṭha-yoga, but Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣām: "Of all the yogis," mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, "one who is thinking of Me always," śraddhāvān, "with faith." Bhajate. Bhajate means bhakti. From the word bhaja, bhakti comes. Bhaja sevā. So bhaja-dhātu, it's called bhakti. So here the very word is used, bhajate mām. Śraddhāvān bhajate mām. That means bhakti-yoga. So one who is engaged in bhakti-yoga, he is recommended as the first-class yogi.
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (B.G.6:47)
Kṛṣṇa says, "He is first-class yogi." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to make all first-class yogis.
(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita--------Nairobi, 1975).
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