Question: Śrīla Prabhupāda says impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary. When we attempt some services that look impossible, we will be given spiritual power to accomplish, won’t we? How does this spiritual empowerment practically take place? How to intelligently distinguish between the service that can be turned from impossible into possible if we make efforts and the service that is impossible no matter how we try?
Answer by Romapada Swami：
When Prabhupāda says impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary, it has to do with something that is instructed by Kṛṣṇa and somebody says “Oh! Impossible!” Something that is instructed by Krsna or spiritual master carries the possibilities to fulfill it. Within the instruction itself is the possibility to fulfill it. That is how “impossible” – by our own efforts — becomes possible.
On the material side of life, there are things that are impossible. And Prabhupāda does use the word “impossible” many times. I will give one example:
To live a life of sense gratification and to realize Kṛṣṇa is impossible.
Here is the context of Prabhupāda’s speaking “impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary.”
Prabhupāda was visiting Los Angeles. At that time the publication division of his books was based in Los Angeles.
Prabhupāda wanted to know how far the BBT had progressed in publishing Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Prabhupāda asked because he had already completed the entire seventeen volumes Caitanya-caritāmṛta and was moving on to translating further cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. However, the BBT was still moving very slowly in publishing Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Prabhupāda gave them a deadline to have the entire Caitanya-caritāmṛta published. And the BBT in-charge person said “That is not possible Prabhupāda. We can certainly increase production. Perhaps in four times the number of months you stipulated, we can have the entire Cc back from the publisher.”
Prabhupāda repeated, firmly: “I want it done by such and such time.” “But it is not possible.” When he insisted, the BBT did it. To fulfill the instruction of Prabhupāda, they did a massive marathon. They nearly knocked themselves out. They slept very little. They doubled the workload on all machines required for production. BBT staff did anything and everything required. And they finished on time.
Impossible is something in conflict with spiritual reality. That is impossible.
You or I may have to prepare ourselves if we were given some very challenging service to do. But preparing ourselves is part of executing the service.
In China, a summary version of Lilarmrta has recently been published. When you read the early section of Lilamrta, you will find Prabhupāda preparing himself to fulfill the instruction given to him by Bhaktisiddhānta, which Srila Prabhupāda considered to be not possible for him to fulfill immediately. Given his present circumstances, it took him thirty years to get on the boat to America.
The instruction of his spiritual master carried him to success.
Srila Prabhupāda’s faith and determination to carry out the instruction of his guru maharaja carried him to success.
If there is some instruction from Kṛṣṇa or from Guru to carry out, it is not impossible.
Take, for example, controlling the mind.
Impossible, right?
That is what Arjuna said.
But Kṛṣṇa gave him mission possible — instead of mission impossible.
If a spiritual instruction looks impossible, you may be a fool.
If you prepare yourself and call for lots of mercy, then achieving something difficult becomes possible.
