# Desire *On material desire and how to purify it* --- ### Cannot Kill Desire > You cannot kill desire. That is not possible. Desire is the symptom of life. But you have to purify the desire. Instead of desiring for sense gratification, you desire for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is purification of desire. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### As You Desire > Kṛṣṇa is so kind, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. As you desire, Kṛṣṇa gives you. If you desire to become a tiger, He will give you a tiger's body. If you desire to become a devotee, He will give you a body like a devotee. So everything depends on your desire. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Desire Determines Body > If you act like dog, then become dog next life. And if you act like god, then you'll get god, very easy thing. So whatever you like, you can do. But the śāstra gives you direction, yajñārthe. "Act, work, work hard for pleasing the Supreme Lord." — [[spoken/1975/750310bg.lon|Bhagavad-gītā 7.2, London, 1975]] --- ### Desire for Kṛṣṇa > When we desire for Kṛṣṇa, desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is real desire. When we desire for Kṛṣṇa, then we become perfect. And when we desire for ourself, that is contamination. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Root of Suffering > Material desire is the root cause of all suffering. Because we have material desires, therefore we have to accept material body. And material body means suffering. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Silkworm Caught > A living being is entrapped by his fruitive activities, exactly like a silkworm trapped in its own cocoon. Foolish persons are generally encaged by their fruitive actions, or karma, because of a strong desire to enjoy this material world. — [[spoken/1976/760630sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.16, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- ### Transfer Desire > The same desire that is now engaged for sense gratification, if it is engaged for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is perfection. We don't say "Give up desire." No. Purify desire. Purify your desire and engage it for Kṛṣṇa's service. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Desire Fulfilled > Actually, devotional service rendered to the Supreme Lord not for my satisfaction; but rendering devotional service to the Lord, the self is automatically satisfied. If I make a motive that "I shall render service to the Lord so that I will be very much satisfied..." No. No. That, that becomes motivated. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Anyābhilāṣa > Anyābhilāṣa means material desire. We have to become free from material desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. The devotional service should be without any material desire. Simply for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. That is pure devotion. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Only Desire to Serve > A devotee has no desire except to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is the test of a devotee. He is not working for his own benefit. He is working for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. And because he is working for Kṛṣṇa's benefit, automatically his benefit is there. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on desire* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]