Redirect mind's engagement toward Krishna, and the iron rod of consciousness gradually becomes fire itself.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Garden Conversation with Dr. Allen Gerson — June 22, 1975, Los Angeles 750622GC-LOS ANGELES [85:45 Minutes] Conv_750622GC-LOS ANGELES Harikeśa: [introducing recording] This is a recording conversation, Sunday, 5 o'clock, June 22nd. Dharmādhyakṣa: With Dr. Allen Gerson.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]. First of all we have to change our mental activities into Kṛṣṇa activities. Then everything will be all right.
The mind is engaged always, so the engagement should be with Kṛṣṇa. And if we read these books, our mind is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa. The same thing, our mind is engaged in material activities. The same mind is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's activities, then the whole thing changes.
Dr. Gerson: I have yet to look into the material that I'm presenting to the devotees, but my experience with them is that as they are into the movement longer and longer and become deeper involved in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just exactly that is happening, that their material nature seems to become much more relaxed and...
Prabhupāda: Yes, there will be no more material activities. Just like you take a iron rod and put into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When the iron rod is red hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire.
If you touch the iron rod, red hot, anywhere, it will act as fire. Similarly, if you engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa activity, the mind becomes Kṛṣṇaized gradually, and when he is advanced, there is no material activities, all spiritual activities. Just like here in this temple there is no material activities. And material activities means based on this illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling.
Here you will not find anything of this. Dr. Gerson: I would like to demonstrate through my study, which will be going on for two years and then come out as a book, the benefits of giving up illicit sex, meat-eating and the other things. Prabhupāda: Spiritualized. Dr. Gerson: Yes. Prabhupāda: These are all material necessities. So if you come to the spiritual platform, the test is that you have no material necessities.