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Act according to... (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
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Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

And the whole instruction, instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, is targeted to awaken that pure consciousness. We'll find in the last stage of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna whether he is now in purified consciousness. Whether he was in purified consciousness. The purified consciousness is to act according to the direction of the Lord. That is purified consciousness. That is the whole sum and substance of purified consciousness. Consciousness is already there, but because we are part and parcels, therefore we are affected. There is affinity of being affected by the material modes. But the Lord being Supreme, He is never affected. He is never affected.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

The cats and dogs can kill their eatable animals, and for that there is no question of sin on their part. But if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws of nature. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly explained that there are three kinds of activities according to the different modes of nature: the activities of goodness, the activities of passion, the activities of ignorance. Similarly, there are three kinds of eatables also: eatables in goodness, eatables on passion, eatables on ignorance. They're all clearly described, and if we properly utilize the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā, then our whole life will become purified and ultimately we shall (be) able to reach the destination. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:

So we may forget what nuisance we had done in our last life, but Paramātmā is there, witness; you have to get a body according to your work. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You are working, that is being witnessed by the Paramātmā. And He is also giving advice. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we have rebelled against Kṛṣṇa. We want to act according to our whims.

Just like a child wants to do something according to his whims. Father checks him, "My dear child, do not do this." But if he likes, if he persists, father says, "All right, you do it." This is the position. The Hṛṣīkeśa, Paramātmā, He is always guiding us, but we do not accept His guidance. This is our position. Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa, that "I shall be guided by You. Although You'll not fight." Therefore here it is said, Hṛṣīkeśa, He's guiding Arjuna. The hṛṣīka means the senses. Hṛṣīka-īśa. Īśa means Lord, master, īśvara or īśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa.

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

So spiritual understanding means first of all to know what is spirit. If you do not know what is spirit, then where is spiritual understanding? People are too much engrossed with the body. That is called materialism. But when you understand what is spirit and you act accordingly, that is called spiritualism. So Arjuna was hesitating to fight with the other party because he had bodily relationship with them. So between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa there was discussion, but that was friendly discussion. Therefore, when Arjuna understood that simply friendly discussion could not solve the problem, he became His disciple. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, so long we are talking as friend. Now I become Your regular disciple. Kindly save me by instruction. What I have to do?"

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

This is very important verse in Bhagavad-gītā. It is a turning point of life. Kārpaṇya-doṣa. Miserly, doṣa means fault When one does not act according to his position, that is fault. And that is called miserly. So everyone has got his natural propensities, svabhāva. Yasya hi svabhāvasya tasyāso duratikramaḥ. Svabhāva, natural propensities. It is a common example, it is given, that yasya hi yaḥ svabhāvasya tasyāso duratikramaḥ. One, habit is the second nature. One who has, who is habituated or one whose nature, characteristic in some way, it is very difficult to change. The example is given: śvā yadi kriyate rājā saḥ kiṁ na so uparhanam. If you make a dog a king, does it mean that he'll not lick up shoes? Yes, dog's nature is to lick up shoes.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

"Oh, I have got a guru. I shall make a guru." Guru means one who's serious. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to seek out a guru. Why? Jijñāsu śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive of the Supreme. Not guru make a fashion. Just like we keep a dog, fashion. Similarly, we keep a guru. That is not guru karma (?). "Guru will act according to my decision." Not like that. Guru means one who can give you Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Kṛṣṇa sei tomāra. Because Kṛṣṇa is guru. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ. If you want to search out... Although Vedas means knowledge, and the ultimate knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). This is the instruction. So if you independently wants to study Vedas, just, there is, there are some rascals... They say: "We understand only Vedas."

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:

You can do, you are given freedom. In the human form of life you are given freedom to act although there is direction that "You act like this." But if you don't like, you can act. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. (BG 18.63) You can act, but you become implicated with your karma because you have to act according to the modes of nature.

The modes of nature are three: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if you act in sattva-guṇa, then you will be promoted to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you act in the rajo-guṇa, then madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And if you act in tamo-guṇa, then jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Jaghanya. Tāmasāḥ means very abominable activities. The other day I was speaking. I saw one gentleman, Indian gentleman. He was eating the intestines of hog in the airplane.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:

If we like, we can purify our existence in this human form of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to purify the existence, and after death, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means you understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding and acting accordingly, you can purify your existence, and next life means after giving up this body... This body we have to give up. But those who are not purifying their existence, they will accept another material body. And those who have purified the existence, they will go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the owner." So mistake is that we do not know the owner, and we are, although we have occupied, improperly using our occupation. That is material condition. Improper. Otherwise, the direction is there, the director is sitting there. He's always helping you. But the disease is that we are claiming to be owner and want to act according to my whims, and that is material condition. My business is to work for the owner, not for me. Therefore, that is my position. Kṛṣṇa has created me, not creation, but along with Kṛṣṇa we are all there. But we are eternal servants. Just like along with this body, the finger is also born. The finger is not differently born. When I was born, my fingers were born. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa was there, Kṛṣṇa was never born. Then we are also never born.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

"Don't do this." Why you are doing that? So Kṛṣṇa is giving you facility to steal others' property, but you become entangled. That is not Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. Your responsibility. Suppose a high-court judge gives sanction that "This man should be condemned to death. He should be hanged," Does it mean the high-court judge is your enemy and hanging you? He has nothing to do to become your enemy or friend. You have committed situation that you should be hanged. He's giving order: "Be hanged." That's all. So your business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and act according to His instruction. Then you'll be happy. Otherwise not.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Horrible condition. Therefore Vyāsadeva says, anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Anartha, this anartha, this misconception of life, if you want to discard this misconception of life, that "I am this body," and you act according to that consciousness and suffer... This is your disease.

Now if you want to get out of this disease, then sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. You just try to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sākṣāt. Lokasyājānata. The rascal people, they do not know it. Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Therefore vidvān. Vidvān means this learned scholar, Vyāsadeva, he prepared the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lokasyājānata. The rascal people, they do not know. They are being carried off by this misconception that "I am this body, and my body will be finished within so many years.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

And if you do on your account, there will be reaction. Either you do good work or bad work, there will be reaction. If you do good work, you'll get good result, and if you do bad work, you will get bad result. That's all right. But within this material world... Suppose if you do pious activities. So what is the result of pious activities? According to śāstra, the effect of pious activity is that you can get birth in a very respectable, aristocratic family, you can get very nice wealthy position, you can become very beautiful, and you can become very learned. These are the four principles of pious activities, according to śāstra. And if you do just the opposite, you take your birth in abominable family or in lower, degraded animal species of life, no education, no beauty, no knowledge. There are so many things. So if you have to believe śāstra, these are the effects of bad and good works.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

Therefore He's Supreme Being. How He can be supreme? Just like in a family the father is considered to be supreme. Why? Because he takes care of the whole family, he is supreme. Similarly, the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, He takes care of the whole creation, material and spiritual, innumerable universes, and therefore He's sup... So when we act according to the direction of the Supreme... Because we are subordinate. This is our position. A subordinate position is that he must act according to the direction of the master or the supreme. That is natural. Everyone is acting like that. So that is called buddhi-yoga. When you act according to the direction of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative, that is called buddhi-yoga. That is real... Buddhi means intelligence, and yoga means linking, connecting.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

One should not think that "Because I am not this body, so I shall cease to work." No. You cannot cease to work. If you cease to work, then idle brain will be a devil's workshop. No. We have to work. So therefore the Lord says, "The technique of acting on the spiritual platform is that you have your right to act. You have your right to act according to your position." But, karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana: "But you should not desire to enjoy the fruit of your activity." That is the technique. You should not desire to enjoy the fruit of activity. Then, if I want to enjoy the fruit of my activity, then what it will be? Suppose I am a businessman. I have made a profit of ten million dollars in this year. So do you mean to say that I shall not enjoy this huge amount of money? I shall throw it away? Oh. Yes. The Bhagavad-gītā says that mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You cannot take the fruitive result of your work." Then if I do it, then what it will be?

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

So superconsciousness and individual consciousness. So our relationship, the superconsciousness and individual consciousness, is eternal, eternal. They cannot be, I mean to say, separated. Therefore my position is... Just like there is superior one and the inferior one. Inferior one is subordinate to the superior one, and inferior one is to act according to the superior one. Just like it is taught here that Kṛṣṇa is the superconsciousness; He's trying to convince Arjuna that "You act according to My direction. Because you are individual consciousness, subordinate to Me, and I am Superconsciousness." And in the last phase of Bhagavad-gītā, you'll see that He summarized, Lord Kṛṣṇa summarized, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66)

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

"You just surrender unto Me." This is the sum and substance of everything. So therefore the conclusion is that the individual consciousness should surrender to the supreme consciousness and act accordingly. That is the position of standing on the conscious plane. That is the position of conscious plane. And Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, the activities, the occupation, the business, that which leads us to that consciousness, that consciousness, that "I am subordinate to the supreme consciousness," and let me act according to the supreme consciousness, without any cause, ahaituki, without... "Why I shall act?" There is no such question. It is automatic, automatic. Just like a little son, and the mother... The little son is automatically subordinate to the mother. Whatever the mother says, the child acts.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

Mind will think something, "Yes, let me do this." Again it will decide, "Oh, better not to do this." Yes. This is called saṅkalpa-vikalpa, deciding and rejecting. And this is due to our unsteady condition in the material platform. But when we decide to act according to the supreme consciousness, at that stage, there is no such duality that "Let me do it" or "Let me not do it." No. There is only one thing, "Let me do it. Let me do it because it is sanctioned by the superior consciousness." The whole Bhagavad-gītā is based on this principle of life.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

"The same killing I was doing in the war field, and same killing I have done. There I was killing hundreds and thousands of men. I was awarded gold medal. And here I have killed only one person. I am being hanged? What is this?" No. You have killed according to your own whims, and that is from the superior order. That is the difference. Similarly, if we do, if we act according to our mental speculation or mental whims, then we are bound up by the reaction. And if we practice ourself to be active under the direction of the Supreme, then we are free. This is the art. This is the whole art of spiritual life.

So we have to practice. We have to practice it in our everything.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-three: "Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can repression accomplish (BG 3.33)?"

Prabhupāda: So at least he is servant of his nature. There are three kinds of material modes of nature. Somebody is in goodness; somebody is in passion; somebody is in ignorance. So in ignorance, somebody, say, he is intoxicated. He is servant of some intoxication. But he is thinking, after being intoxicated, "Oh, I am God. I am master." You see. This is called befooling him. He is befooled. He is servant of intoxication, and he is thinking, "I am God." Just see. Is it not a farce? By meditation, he will become God. If you are God, why you are meditating? Therefore they are befooled. The direct process is: take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—"I am eternal servant of God. Let me take to this business. Finish." Perfect knowledge. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes, first of all you have to connect yourself with Kṛṣṇa, then you act according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: And if I surrender to the devotees...?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Yes.

Guest: Not that you can expect immediately, because that is very difficult like Hiraṇyakaśipu.

Prabhupāda: That is also under Kṛṣṇa's direction, because when they were condemned to go to the material world, they pray that "How we shall be delivered?" Then Kṛṣṇa's giving, Kṛṣṇa gave him direction that "If you treat Me as your enemy, then three..." Yes, quickly. "And if you treat Me as friend, then you'll take long time." They preferred, "Yes, we shall treat You like enemy because our aim is to come quickly." (laughter)

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Just like Arjuna, after hearing this Bhagavad-gītā, when he was perfectly elevated, he said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "Yes, I shall fight." Vacanaṁ tava. He does not say, "I shall fight." He says that "I shall act according to Your word. Not only fighting, whatever You order me, I shall do it." That is the highest point of elevation. He...

In our lowest stage of life, we want to satisfy myself or satisfy my senses. That is the lowest grade of life. Just like the animal. The animals, they have no other business except satisfaction of their senses. That is the lowest grade of life, simply seeking after satisfying the senses. Then highest grade of life? The same satisfac..., not of his own self, senses, but the senses of the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

You can also become. But you must have the capacity. Simply by thinking that "I am President Nixon, Nixon, Nixon...," that will not do. Tat tvam asi means that, "You have got the same quality as God. Now you have to realize and you have to act. Don't misuse your life simply in animal propensity and go to dog." No. Therefore Vedic... Tamasi mā jyotir-gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Come out to the light." Tamasi mā jyotir-gama: "Don't remain in birth and death cycle. Come to the eternal life." So everything is there. You can have eternal life, blissful life, life of knowledge.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means training people for becoming fit to enter into that eternal life, blissful life. That training is meant for human being, not for animals. So you should not misuse this human form of life. Try to understand tat tvam asi, and act accordingly. That will be successful of our activities. Is that clear? Yes. You have question?

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Then our activities become polluted. Just like a servant. If he forgets that there is master, then he becomes polluted. He steals, he mismanages things, things become very disordered. But if he has got the sense that "I have got my master, everything belongs to my master," and if he acts accordingly, that is very nice.

So we do not know what is the constitutional position of Kṛṣṇa and what is my constitutional position. That is called sambandha-jñā. My relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Everyone of us has got a relationship. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fifteenth Chapter, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Just like sons are part and parcel of the father. Father's body extends as son and daughter. Similarly we are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's body. We are vibhinnāṁśa. Kṛṣṇa expands in two ways, svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. The vibhinnāṁśa expansion we are, we living entities.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

"If one is serious about liberation from material bondage one has to understand the distinctions between action, inaction and unauthorized actions. One has to apply oneself to such an analysis of action, reaction and perverted actions because it is a very difficult subject matter. To understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and action according to the modes, one has to learn one's relationship with the Supreme. One who has learned perfectly knows that every living entity is the eternal servant of the Lord and consequently acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The entire Bhagavad-gītā is directed towards this conclusion. Any other conclusions against this consciousness and its intended reactions are vikarmas or prohibited actions. To understand all this one has to associate with authorities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and learn the secret from them. This is as good as learning from the Lord directly."

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

If I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa then what is my duty? My duty is to act what Kṛṣṇa says, that's all. That is my action. Without knowing this, whatever I do, that is perverted action. Just like in diseased condition this finger cannot act according to my order. "Oh, there is some pain. If I want to make it stand like that, oh, I feel pain," because there is diseased condition. Similarly, when we do not act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that is our diseased condition of life. That is not normal condition. In normal condition we shall be all prepared to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That we should know. Then our action will be right.

Otherwise all inaction, not inaction, perverted action. Inaction is different. Inaction means what you do there is no reaction. That is inaction. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Guṇa means the three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇa, another, means rope. Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guṇa-mayī. So Kṛṣṇa advised, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, guṇa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle.

Now at the modern age, in every country all over the world, there is unemployment. Why unemployment? Because people do not know how to divide the population according to guṇa and karma. One is qualified as a śūdra, and he is engaged in the business of a kṣatriya. There is problem. The people are educated as śūdras, and when they are called for recruiting for the armies, they are afraid. The problem is very acute in America.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

The whole subject matter of Vedas, are these three things, what is our relationship with God... First of all we must know what is God. Then we must know what is our relationship with God. And if we act according to that relationship, then our aim of life is fulfilled. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Sambandha means relationship, and abhidheya means the activities, and prayojana means the ultimate goal of life. So the ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

The very vivid example is Arjuna. Arjuna acted as a kṣatriya, but he was not entangled in the result of activities by a kṣatriya, because he was doing everything under the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. This is called akarma. If you act... The same thing. You may be a brāhmaṇa, you may be a kṣatriya, you may be a śūdra. It doesn't matter. If you act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, by the order of Kṛṣṇa, then your karma will not entangle you. Because or you are doing according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, therefore you are performing yajña. By your occupational duties, you are performing yajña. Because yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Varṇāśrama... This varṇāśrama program is there to satisfy the Supreme according to one's quality and karma. That is called varṇāśrama.

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt. Niścayāt means with confidence. Confidence. Because Kṛṣṇa says this is this, so I must have confidence. "So Kṛṣṇa says like this, so it is sure it is successful." I must have that confidence. Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt, and tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. And you have to do, you have to act accordingly, as Kṛṣṇa says. If you do not act, then... So tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt sato vṛtteḥ, and your profession should be very honest. Sato vṛtteḥ.

And sādhu-saṅge, and you should associate. Just like the "against" rule is to associate with persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, similarly, sādhu-saṅge. Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83) means... Sādhu means who are culturing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are called sādhu. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30).

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Yes. "He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge." "He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge." This is very common thing. Everyone has to act but if he acts in full knowledge then that is perfection of activity.

Just like in our ordinary life if we do business or whatever we do if we are in full knowledge of the state laws and act accordingly, that is perfection of our activities. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

The difficulty in the conditioned state, that we are creating our next life by karma... We are.... just at the present moment we are acting according to our past karma, and again we are creating another karma so that we have to enjoy or suffer in the next life. The transmigration of the soul takes place according to karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sad-asat, good and inferior, janma. So one has to take his birth in a nice family or in nice nation, good education, good looking, nice opulence.... Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means to take birth in good family, good nation, and aiśvarya, opulence, very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta. Śruta means knowledge, education. And śrī, and beauty.

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974:

Dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñāḥ. The svādhyāya. The Gosvāmīs, they also used to perform svādhyāya-yajña. That is also mentioned. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. They were studying all Vedic literature, all Vedic literature. That is called svādhyāya-yajña, to read Vedic literature, to understand Vedic literature, to act according to the direction of the Vedic literature. This is called svādhyāya-yajña. Svādhyāya-yajña, jñāna-yajña.

By reading Vedic literature, you enlighten yourself with knowledge. So this is also yajña. There are so many... Kṛṣṇa is available in so many ways, according to your position. It is not that He is conditioned. He is not conditioned. Therefore it is called ahaituky apratihatā. The svādhyāya-yajña. The Gosvāmīs, they were not only dancing and chanting. That was also part of their business. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. But they were also good scholars.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

We have to live for so many years, no more than. So to study time, to study our work, then what is God, "what I am," and what is this material nature—these five things are very nicely explained. One has to study. Then one becomes perfect in knowledge, and he can act accordingly.

Revatīnandana: "And such understanding is beneficial for such a person, who easily understands the transcendental activities of the Lord. In the beginning of this chapter, the transcendental activities of the Lord were discussed by the Supreme Lord Himself. One who does not understand the instructions of the Gītā is faithless and is considered to be misusing the fragmental independence awarded to him by the Lord. In spite of such instructions, one who does not understand the real nature of the Lord as the eternal, blissful, all-knowing Personality of Godhead is certainly fool number one.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

Fruitive activities are also, fruitive activities means you earn something for sense gratification. One is practically engaged in some sense gratification, and one is collecting money for sense gratification.

So the fruitive activities, suppose pious activities. Pious activities, according to Veda, everywhere, if you are virtuous, if you give some money in charity, it is virtuous activities. If you give some money for opening hospital, if you give some money for opening schools, free education. These are certainly virtuous activities. But they are also meant for sense gratification. Suppose if I give in charity for distributing education. Then in my next life I will be getting good facilities for education, I'll be highly educated or being educated I shall get nice post. At the end, what is the idea? If I get a good post if I get a good position, how do I utilize it? For sense gratification. Nicely, that's all.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram iti abhidhīyate. This body is kṣetra, is field of activities according to our karma. But the proprietor of the body, the soul, he's Brahman. He's spirit soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That Brahman, that spirit soul, is never annihilated after the destruction of this body. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

So we have to understand this fact. This is the business of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Everyone should be inquisitive to learn about Brahman, the spirit soul. Not like animals. The animals they have got no inquiry about Brahman. They simply eat, sleep beget some offspring and, in due course of time, die. That is not the business of human being.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

That knowledge can be acquired in the human form of life and it can be solved, not that simply we get the knowledge, but it can be solved. So therefore, real business of human life, to understand oneself, that is called self-realization, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), and find out the remedy and act accordingly. That is the mission of human life. Not like to dance like cats and dogs with a nice dress. That is not human life. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā, our whole Vedic instruction. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or self-realization. Self-realization means either you see yourself or see the Supreme Lord, either way. But without seeing the Supreme Lord, you cannot see yourself. Just like without seeing the sun in the darkness... Just like it is now night. There is no sun.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

So how we can get perfect knowledge from a person who is, I mean to say, possessing all these faults? Therefore we must get knowledge from the Supreme Person, who is not affected with these faults, mukta-puruṣa. That is perfect knowledge.

So our request is that you take knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā and act accordingly. It doesn't matter what you are. Bhagavān is for everyone. God is God. Just like gold is gold. If gold is handled by Hindu, it does not become Hindu gold. Or the gold is handled by Christian, it does not become Christian gold. Gold is gold. Similarly, dharma is one. Religion is one. There cannot be Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion. That is artificial. Just like "Hindu gold," "Muslim gold." That is not possible. Gold is gold.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

"Now get up. Take your bath." Have maṅgala-ārati. Then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, read Bhagavad-gītā. Then take prasādam. Then go to office or work. So in this way, if your mind is in Kṛṣṇa and if you act accordingly, then that is perfection. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, that you stay in your position. There is no question of changing your position. But from that position you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And the easiest process is: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not at all difficult provided we agree to accept it. Then we can gradually understand "What is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God," and so on, so on. Everything will be clear.

"Everything will be clear" means for the time being our heart is very dirty.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

That is transcendental dharma. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The dharma by following which one becomes a Kṛṣṇa conscious person or Godly person, one who understands God, his relationship with Him and acting according to that relation, that is real dharma. So our, everyone, all living entities, dharma means to know that we are eternal servant of God. That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). And in the Bhagavad-gītā also Kṛṣṇa instructs the same dharma, that "You are, the living entities, you are all My part and parcel, and it is your duty to cooperate with Me without any reservation." That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity, liberty, that whatever you do, whatever you like, you can do. Now it is your choice. Just like father, (and) grown-up son. He says, "My dear boy, you do like this. That is my opinion." But when the son says, "No. I shall do like this." "All right, you do whatever you like." But without father's sanction, as the son cannot do anything, similarly, without Kṛṣṇa's sanction you cannot do anything. But the proposal is yours. Therefore this maxim: "Man proposes, God disposes." So God is not responsible for your work. If you act according to the order of God, then He's responsible. And if you act against the will of God, then you are responsible. Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

They are thinking that "We can be happy without Kṛṣṇa." That is duality. If they know it perfectly well that "Kṛṣṇa is one, and therefore my interest is with Kṛṣṇa. My interest should not be different from Kṛṣṇa's interest," that is oneness. Just like in a family the head is the father. So if anyone acts according to the head of the family, there is no duality. If some of the members says, "No. I'll act like this," there is duality. So if every one acts according to the desire of Kṛṣṇa, there is no duality. There is oneness. But we don't act; therefore there is duality. Therefore duality is māyā. So you have question? All right.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

First of all you persuade yourself; then you talk of your family and relatives. If you understand factually, then you will be able to convince others. But if you don't understand yourself, what is the use of talking family and friends? First of all you. Āpani ācari' prabhu jīvera śikṣāya. First of all, you have to act accordingly; then you can teach others. And if you are not pure, if you indulge in all kinds of sinful activities and you talk of Bhagavad-gītā, what will be effect? There will be no effect. This is going on. They are doing all nonsense, and talking of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is not effective. For last one thousand years Bhagavad-gītā was known in the Western countries, but there was not a single kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Because they did not act accordingly. Simply talked of Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. Simply talking will not do. You have to behave as these people are, these boys and girls are behaving. Then you will understand Bhagavad-gītā. Yes.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Because the body is different. So consciousness is there according to different types of body. So in this human form of body we have got our consciousness very developed. Now we should utilize this consciousness to understand what is God, what is our relationship with God, and act accordingly. Then we become perfect. But if we do not take advantage of this human form of life, we keep our dog's consciousness, eating, sleeping, mating only, then we do not know what kind of body we are going to get next.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, and we are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. We are also Brahman. Not that by knowledge I become Brahman. I am already Brahman. By ignorance I am thinking not Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul; I am spirit." That is my actual position. And when you understand your actual position and act accordingly, that is called mukti. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. When you understand that we are not this body... We are working whole day and night like cats and dogs, the hogs. The hog is also working day and night. Hog, what is his business? "Where is stool?" That's all. "Where is stool? Where is stool?" And as soon as he gets stool, he eats it, become fatty because stool contains all the vitamins. That is the essence of all good food that you take, and the essence is rejected. But it is scientifically true. Perhaps doctor will admit. Stool contains all hydrophosphates. Is it not? Then who is going to eat stool?

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Then who is going to eat stool? Hydrophosphates is very good for brain, but now eat. Therefore these hogs very easily become fat. You see? So does it mean that we shall work very hard where to find out where is stool and then become fat and somebody will eat me? This is not civilization. Civilization is that you must know what is your real position and act accordingly, and then you become liberated. Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. That is perfection of your life. Don't be misled by the bodily concept of life. That is condemned. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this point.

Lecture on BG 7.6 -- Hyderabad, December 11, 1976:

So we have to rectify this mistake, that we are not this body. This is our external covering. We are spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And that is the stage of liberation. Svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Now we are acting according to the covering. When we shall not act according to the covering but according to our constitutional position, that is liberated platform. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means when we understand that "We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," this is self-realization, this is liberation. When we are fully convinced about this fact that "We are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," then you are liberated. So the bhakti science means to purify. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture on BG 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974:

One must undergo the simple tapasyas as prescribed in the śāstras. Caitanya Mahā... Yes. Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. He was preaching also the glorification of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa by personal example; therefore he is accepted as guru. All the Vaiṣṇavas, all the ācāryas, Gosvāmīs, they acted accordingly and preached. Therefore they are ācāryas. And Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāva-manyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). These are the instructions.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. It is very simple. There is no difficulty. We have to always... Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). Now, for us, those who are materially attached, we cannot think twenty-four hours of Kṛṣṇa. It is very pleasing, but because we are materially attached, we cannot do that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is prescribing that "You see the varieties of this material world and try to remember Me."

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Not become Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are spirit soul. When you take the body of a certain type of body, you act according to the body. Just like the dog is acting differently from human body because he has got a different body. Hog is acting differently because he has got a different body. So there are 8,400,000's of different bodies. So mad-bhāva, mad-bhāva means the nature, Kṛṣṇa's nature. You keep your individuality, but you get Kṛṣṇa's nature. And what is Kṛṣṇa's nature? Kṛṣṇa's nature is always blissful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Always joyful. So you get a body of joyful, full of knowledge, and eternal. Not that you become Kṛṣṇa. You get exactly the same bodily constitution as Kṛṣṇa has got. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

So this after passing this examination that "I am not this body," then one who, one comes into the real knowledge. That is real knowledge, "What I am." That is the beginning. So the knowledge about which Lord Kṛṣṇa is now imparting, giving instruction to Arjuna, He says, "This is rāja-vidyā." Rāja-vidyā means to know oneself what he is and act accordingly. That is called rāja-vidyā. If I do not know what I am, what is my position, then if I am in mistaken about my situation, then all activities, what I am doing, they are all mistaken. They are all illusion. Therefore this position, rāja-vidyā, means one should know himself, what he is, and act accordingly. Simply by knowing that "I am not this material body," that is not sufficient. You must act accordingly, that you are not material; you are spiritual. That spiritual activity is called Kṛṣ..., act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is called rāja-vidyā, the king of all education.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

It is very, very difficult to find out a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described that out of many, many human being, common man, one is karmi. Karmi, karmi means honestly working according to the direction of the Veda. Karmi does not mean that a monkey also jumping, that is also karma. No. Karmi means one who is acting according to the direction. Dharma karma. In Bengali this is a common word: dharma karma. Karma means dharma. And what is dharma? Dharma means varṇāśrama-dharma, four castes and four orders of spiritual life: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is the dharma. This is the division of dharma. And according to the dharma, one who is acting, that is called dharma karma. That is dharma-karma. Not that doing anything becomes karma. Karma means just doing. The Vedas are so arranged that we have come here to enjoy material things. So therefore there is prescribed duties.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

You can eat meat. Just worship Goddess Kali and have a goat sacrifice." So many rules and regulation. Everything is regulated. But they have avoided this. These Vedic injunctions they have avoided. Now they have open slaughterhouse, liquor house, prostitution. That is sinful. It is actually sinful, either you do this way or that way. But if you act according to the Vedic injunction, the sinful activities are restrained. The sinful activities are restrained, so that gradually you come to the spiritual platform. This is the Vedic principle.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Then you go to other species of life, that is also different from other and other. So why this difference? Because we are differently situated according to our karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. We do, we act according to our whims, but that whims is judged by daiva-netreṇa, by a higher, superior authority, just like Yamarāja. Then we get another body. This is the process. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran lokam tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Bhagavad-gītā also says. We should be very, very careful. We should be very much cautious to utilize this human body perfectly. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are simply teaching people how to utilize this human form of body properly, so that you can be saved from future danger. Saved from... But they are so fool, narādhamāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

The chemical composition is the same. The taste is the same. So that is the difference between a living entity and God. We are a small sample of God but God is great. If we understand this philosophy, then it is not difficult to understand what is God, and then we can establish our original relationship. And if we act accordingly, then our life is successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What if you hear but don't act accordingly in your practical life?

Guest (3): You feel it in your heart...

Prabhupāda: No, hear means you do it in practical life. Otherwise what is the hearing? Then just like one stone, he has got ear. That is not atten... Hearing means it will react. That is hearing. The more you hear, it will react. Then you practically do it. But everything comes by hearing. So hearing is so important. Just like even in your ordinary education you go to the school, college, and hear from your professor. Hearing is so important. Then you become perfect. You take your degrees. Similarly, the science of God, you simply hear about it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Then, gradually, it will purify. Hearing means purifying the dirty things within the heart. That is hearing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Because it is spiritual, hearing has got a potency to purify you. This is not ordinary hearing. This is spiritual hearing, so it has got a potency. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who takes part in this process of hearing and chanting, he becomes pious, purified. Just like if you touch some way or other the fire, it will act, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. You hear about Kṛṣṇa; then it will act. Then you'll be purified. So any other question?

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

We have got this material body, and the senses are prominent. We are active in material body means we are acting in sense gratification. That's all. So we are practically servant of the senses. And as soon as you become master of the senses, that the senses should not act according to their whims. The senses should act according to your order.

The same example. Suppose there is very nice performance of sense gratification and one wants to go there. But if you can control your senses—"No, not to go there. Come here in this storefront. Hear Bhagavad-gītā." Then you become master. You become master. That is swami. In similar way, if you can control your all your senses... Now, the sense gratification... The most important task for controlling the sense is the tongue. I have several times explained that the tongue is the beginning of all senses.

Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

That also will not be allowed. You cannot stay. You have to change the position. This is material condition of life.

So Kṛṣṇa... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). He comes down to instruct us that "This sort of life, materialistic way of life, will never make you happy. You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You surrender unto Me. Act according to My advice. Then you will be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

A tree, that is also a soul, but by his past karma or action, he has taken this body of the tree. So we should understand from the authority, as Kṛṣṇa says, that idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram: "It is a field. It is a concession or..." Field is exactly the term. "Field of work," as we say generally, in the field of activities." So it is field. And I have given a chance to occupy this field and act accordingly. Try to understand. I have got a different type of field, and I have to work on it and reap the result out of it and suffer pains and pleasure. That is already settled up. As soon as I have got a particular type of body, my pains and pleasures are already settled up, already settled up. You cannot make any improvement or degradation.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

Not only I am sitting, but Kṛṣṇa is also sitting. So Kṛṣṇa is sanctioning. Kṛṣṇa is giving permission. Then I am doing. I cannot alone do it.

So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give you direction. He's there for direction. But unfortunately we do not obey Him. That is our material disease. If we obey Kṛṣṇa, if we act according to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no problem. Because Kṛṣṇa cannot be mistaken. I am imperfect, I can be mistaken. But Kṛṣṇa cannot be mistaken. Therefore, if we act according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. And to give you direction, Kṛṣṇa is sitting within your heart, side by side. As I am sitting, you are sitting within this heart, the soul is within the heart.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Just like in agriculture. The land is owned by the state or the king. And it is rented or occupied by somebody else. And the land is the field of action. So Kṛṣṇa is giving direction. Kṛṣṇa is giving direction, and the living entity is there. He is acting according to that direction.

So both Kṛṣṇa and the living entity are sitting in one tree. That is stated in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting in one tree. One is eating the fruit of the tree and other is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is Kṛṣṇa. And the bird who is eating the fruits of the tree, he is the living entity. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot distinguish between the jīva soul, jīvātmā, and Paramātmā. They know it, but because they are monists, to establish their theory, they say there is no two, there is one. No. Kṛṣṇa says two.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

That is spiritual knowledge. Unfortunately, for want of spiritual knowledge, for want of studying Bhagavad-gītā properly, we are simply taking care of this, I mean to say, temporary body. That is being explained. First of all Kṛṣṇa said that this body is the kṣetra. Kṣetra means field of activities. We are acting according to the body we have received. And this owner of the body is working; just like a cultivator has got a certain amount of land and he is cultivating and producing foodstuff according to his own capacity. This is called karma-kāṇḍa. We are working with this body and reaping the result and enjoying it. In this way we are repeating again and again, again and again, transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk yad vikāri.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

We have discussed that this body is the field of activity. We are acting according to the body. I am the same person, but when I had my boyhood body or childhood body, I was acting differently. This child, they are acting now some way, but when they will get another body, they will act in a different way.

Similarly, not only this human form of body, but there are eight million four hundred thousand different types of bodies. We have explained several times. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "In the water there are nine hundred thousand different forms of body." How many do we know? We do not know all the details. We know there are different types of fishes, and say, a hundred thousand we have seen or experimented, the zoologist. But from the Vedic literature we understand that there are nine hundred thousand forms of body within the water.

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

Everyone says. I know, "This is my body." If I see my finger, I think, "It is my finger." I don't think, "I finger," because I am not this body. Anyone, simply little sober thinking. So therefore, one who knows that "It is my body," he is kṣetra-jña. He knows. And the body is called kṣetra. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram ity abhidhīyate. This śarīra is called kṣetra, field of activities. According to my body, I am acting. That is my field of activities.

And Kṛṣṇa says also that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Just like I am living entity. I am soul. I know the business of my body; the pains and pleasures of my body I know. But the pains and pleasures of your body I do not know. Neither you know my pains and pleasures. So we are all individual. But there is another proprietor. Actually, He is the proprietor. He is the proprietor; we are simply occupier. Just like of a house there are two persons. One is the proprietor of the house; another tenant is the occupier.

Lecture on BG 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973:

That is nonsense. They cannot be equal because we are working under three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. If we work, field of activities... This, this body is field of activities. Nobody can work similarly because they have got field of activities different. My body is different, your body is different. You are acting according to your body. The hog is acting according to his body. The dog is acting according to his body. The president of some country is acting according to his body.

So we should have brain to understand that: "Why there are different personalities and different activities? Because there are different qualities. So to organize human society these qualities should be taken into consideration. We should divide. Just like in our body we have got four departments.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

You have to change this position. You have to accept another body and you do not know what kind of body you have to accept. It will be given by prakṛti. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). So don't be irresponsible to your life. Be responsible and be prepared for the next life and act accordingly, as the direction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, and prove that you are human being. The animal cannot do. If you do not do it, then you remain an animal. The animal has no capacity to understand Vedic knowledge or the Bhagavad-gītā. And even though we have got the intelligence if do not utilize it to understand the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā and Vedic knowledge, then purposefully we keep ourself within the category of animals.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a humble attempt to awaken the whole human society to this spiritual knowledge and act according to the instruction of spiritual life and be happy and be prepared for the next life. The perfection of next life is to become free from the laws of material nature. That is the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. That can be possible when you go back home back to Godhead. That is not very difficult at the same time. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Very simple thing. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Why Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7).

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Our desires we should sacrifice. That is called sacrifice. We should only accept Kṛṣṇa's desire. That is the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna's desire was not to fight, but Kṛṣṇa's desire was to fight, just the opposite. Arjuna ultimately agreed to Kṛṣṇa's desire: "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I will act according to Your desire." That is bhakti.

This is the difference bhakti and karma. Karma means to fulfill my desires, and bhakti means to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's desires. That is the difference. Now you make your choice, whether you want to make your desires fulfilled or if you want to make Kṛṣṇa's desire fulfilled. If you make your decision to make Kṛṣṇa's desire fulfilled, then your life is successful. That is our Kṛṣṇa conscious life. "Kṛṣṇa wants it; I must do it. I will not do anything for me." That is Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they are trying to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's desire.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Just like you can see in reality that these boys, these girls who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, they are now gradually realizing what is God and what is his relationship with God. So unless we realize God and our position, and we become lover of God, there is no question of peace in the mind. Therefore it is recommended here that if you want real peace in the mind, try to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, and act accordingly. You will be immediately peaceful. As soon as you become peaceful, your life is successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī assimilated the Vedic knowledge and he was after Kṛṣṇa. Although he was liberated soul, still, he was after Kṛṣṇa. To become liberated is not the final stage. Liberated means one who understands that he is not this material body—he is liberated. But that much knowledge is not sufficient. One must act according to that. Just like one is cured of the feverish condition. One was suffering some fever; now there is no fever. That's nice. But that is called convalescent stage. In the convalescent stage, if we do not take care nicely, again the fever may be relapse. That is marginal stage. We must come this side or that side. So even if we are liberated, if we are not engaged in the activities of liberation, then we are to be considered on the marginal stage. And marginal stage means we may fall down in this material condition. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means with great difficulty.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

The father maintains. Similarly, we are all children of God, children of Kṛṣṇa. He is the maintainer. So what is our duty? To feel obliged. That is our duty. That is dharma. Not that you manufacture some dharma, type. Real dharma is you try to understand what is your relationship with God and then act accordingly. Your life is perfect. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). You have to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, in truth. Then as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa in truth... That is the real criterion. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, simply superficially, then that is not perfection. That is not perfect knowledge. (break) ...paramparā. Then your life is perfect. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). That is perfection, if you, if after giving up this body, no more accepting material body. You go back to home, back to God, in your spiritual body. You have got your spiritual body.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

Still, when my son dies I become affected. That is temporary. That is temporary. But Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa gave him the liberty that "Now I have spoken to you everything. Now whatever you..." (break) ...under certain circumstances. But if your conviction is that "I shall act according to the order of God," that is final. That is final. He did not act against the will of the Lord. That is his victory. Temporarily he might have been disturbed when his son was killed. That is a different thing. Everyone becomes. But that does not mean he stopped work. That is wanted. What was the final conclusion? He did not leave the warfield because his son Abhimanyu was killed; therefore he left—"No, I don't want to fight"? No, he did not do that. He was affected for the time being. That is natural. But finally he concluded and he said, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now over. I shall fight."

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

So my, manīṣiṇaḥ. Manīṣiṇaḥ means those who are thoughtful philosophers, those who can take up things by philosophical conclusion, that "I am consciousness. I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore my duty is to act according to the supreme consciousness." Just like your hand is the part of your body. Now, it is moving according to my consciousness. The hand is not moving in its own way. As I want, that let the hand be moved, let my legs be moved, let my eye be opened and see, so I am dictating and these parts are working. Similarly we are all parts and parcel, parcel of the supreme consciousness. When we train ourself to move and act in according to that supreme consciousness, then we become transcendental to all these pious or impious activities. That is the technique.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

That is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. You hear it. You understand it. What is the difficulty? Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. Don't misinterpret. Hear it as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Hear it and execute it. Where is the difficulty? But we shall not agree to, we shall not hear. We shall not act according to the instruction given. And that is our misfortune. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ: "You are so merciful that in this age You have incarnated, You have descended in Your name." Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. And in the name there is all potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). There are multipotencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the potencies are there in the holy name of the Lord. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Deśa-kāla-pātra. There is no distinction.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

If the people of the whole population, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then the face of the world will change-īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1)—because if the leaders, they understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly, the others will follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). Itaraḥ janaḥ, common men, follows the leaders.

So evaṁ prasanna-manasaḥ. How to become happy mood of life, that is described here. Bhagavat-bhakti-yogataḥ. One has to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And mukta-saṅgasya, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa unless he is liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. You can read the purport.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

He has no secret. Brāhmaṇa means open-minded, liberal. And the opposite word is kṛpaṇa, miser.

So anyone who is trying to utilize fully the advantage of this human form of life, being desire, desirous of becoming liberated from these material clutches and acts accordingly, he's a brāhmaṇa. Mumukṣavaḥ. Others, who are not brāhmaṇas, those who are influenced by the material ignorance and passion, rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, their business is how to get money, how to get beautiful woman, and how to have many followers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "My dear Lord, Jagadīśa, I don't want riches," dhanam, na janam, "neither good," I mean to say, "progeny or followers," na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāma... Sundarīṁ kavitām, "very poetic, beautiful wife."

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

That is the last snare of māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that when one actually becomes knowledgeable, cognizant, he surrenders. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is real knowledge.

So advancement of knowledge means to understand his real position and act accordingly. That is knowledge. That is perfection of knowledge. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman" is not perfection. You have to still go further. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman," "I have now realized myself as Brahman," that is not perfection of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). One who becomes realized souls, self-realized, he becomes immediately perfectly joyful. Because our all lamentation is due to our material identification. Śocati kāṅkṣati. We are simply lamenting for our loss, and we are simply hankering for some gain. This is material activities.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

Then one day all the brāhmaṇas and the sages, they came to give him instruction: "My dear king, it is not your duty to stop all kinds of religious activities." Just like the Communist government. Yes. But who hears? He said, "No. Why you are trying to pacify God? I am God. You just act. If you are actually God conscious, then you act according to my order." So when the sages and brāhmaṇas became disgusted, he was killed by the brāhmaṇas, by their order. You see? The brāhmaṇas were so strong. By simply cursing, they could kill anyone. So the Veṇa was killed. Then again the rogues and thieves came out. Then from the body of Veṇa, they created two sons. One son was black, and he was ordered that "You go to the forest." Because they could know that he was exactly son of the father. Niṣāda. Niṣāda. They were sent... He was sent to the forest. And then the King Pṛthu was born.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

In this way, the more we are inclined to sense gratification, the more we are becoming sinful. And more we are becoming sinful, the more we must suffer. That is the law of nature. Āmayo yaś ca bhūtānāṁ jāyate yena suvrata.

So by this karma... vikarma rather. Karma means when you act according to the śāstra, that is called karma. Lawful activities. The lawful activities is very good. But unlawful activities, you are punishable. So the business of sense gratification is unlawful activities. You cannot gratify your senses more than necessity. Everywhere that is the stringent laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot surpass it. Duratyayā. If you surpass, then you will be punished. There is simultaneous law of nature. The example is that you can eat, say, four ounce or eight ounce foodstuff.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:

I have spoken to you everything about jñāna and guhya-guhyatamam. Now you consider upon it and whatever you like you do." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). So upon this Arjuna replied naṣṭo mohaḥ. "My illusion is now over." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā. "My memory is now returned." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73), "I shall act according to You." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. You haven't got to give up everything. You can be engaged in everything but if you utilize everything according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa then it will be successful. Otherwise it will be failure. So we have tested all these things, how many programs and plans we have made and everything has failed. Why not try to take the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and try to utilize it for practical life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

If we live foolishly, whimsically, as we like, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23), whatever we like, and others engaged, "Yes, whatever you do, it is right," yata mata tata patha, this is rascaldom. No, you must act according to the śāstra. But there may be question that "Whether it is possible now to revive the old cultural position?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore not condemned but rejected. When He was talking with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu was putting question, and Rāmānanda Rāya was answering. So in the beginning Caitanya Mahāprabhu enquired from Rāmānanda Rāya, "What is the aim of life?" Sādhya-sādhana. "What is the aim of life and how to achieve it?"

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

You are not alone. He is so friendly that He is living with you as your most intimate friend. That is described in the Vedic literature. Two birds are sitting in one tree. This is the tree, and two birds, ātmā and Paramātmā, they are sitting in the same tree. One is acting according to his whims for enjoying senses, and another is simply looking over: "When this rascal will turn his face towards Me?" This is going on. (aside, referring to microphone:) Why it is stopped? Oh. So Vāsudeva is always ready to help us, provided we want to take help from Him. And He, not only internally He is helping, externally also, He's sending His representative to teach us. And there is śāstra, just like this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sādhu, śāstra, guru. Guru is there, śāstra is there, saintly persons are there. You take advantage. And the Lord is there within yourself. So why don't you take?

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

And all these purificatory methods, they are based on cleansing the heart. If I think myself that "I am something of this material product..." The scientists, they say that "I am these material things." They do not understand what is spiritual identity. And I do, I act, according to that material conception, that is impurity of my consciousness. First thing is to understand that "I am not this material body."

Therefore, spiritual education begins from this body. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, in this body there is the spiritual spark who is the proprietor of the body. This is the beginning of spiritual education. What is, the scientists cannot imagine, or they have no idea, from there we begin our education in spiritual life, beyond their jurisdiction, beyond the jurisdiction of the scientists. And how they can understand this movement? It is beyond their jurisdiction.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

He was ruling dharmeṇa. Dharmeṇa means just according to the desire of the Supreme Lord. This is dharma. Dharmam. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharmeṇa means, religious principle means to act according to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is religious principle. It is not that you manufacture some dharma: "We are Hindus," "We are Muslims," "We are Christians." These are not dharmas. Nobody cares for God. Nobody carries out the order of God. Nobody knows what is God. Nobody knows what is relationship with God. So where is dharma? The, all bogus. Therefore Bhāgavata says: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). This so-called cheating type of religious system is kicked out in Bhāgavatam. Real dharma. What is that real dharma? Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

There is a pilot. This is intelligence. Similarly, the whole material nature is working, and these are the venues of nature's work, rivers, ocean, and the mountains, and the vegetables or the plants and creepers, and trees, drugs. Everything will give you sufficient supply if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you act according to Kṛṣṇa's direction.

Where you get the direction? Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. You get Kṛṣṇa's direction from saintly persons, from authorized scriptures, Vedic literature... Sādhu, śāstra, and guru. Guru means who knows how to follow previous saintly persons, who knows what is written there in the book of knowledge, he is guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. And śāstra means that the direction of Kṛṣṇa; that is called śāstra. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23). Therefore you cannot manufacture scripture.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

He, he must know, and he must distribute the knowledge. This is brāhmaṇa. Kīrtayanto. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ. This is brāhmaṇa's business.

So, we have taken this business that preach that there is God. We have got an intimate relationship with God. So if you act, act accordingly, then they will be happy. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. These rascals, they have forgotten, or they do not care to know, God, and that is the cause of their suffering. Yesterday that press reporter asked... What was the question?

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

We are different parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, God, so we must act accordingly. Just like my hand. Hand is there. If the hand is in proper place, he can act nicely. But if I cut the leg and make hand or hand make the leg, then it is all lost. All lost. One must act according to his qualification. That, according to that qualification, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. This brāhmaṇa means, these are the symptoms, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is human civilization. We must train people in such a way that we must see there what is his quality. According to quality. Just like a physician gives medicine according to the symptom of the disease, then it is cured. Not that any medicine. In the drug house, there are so many medicines.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that you have to act accordingly as it is instructed, āpani ācari, then you can teach others. If you do not act yourself, your words will have no value. (break) ...cut. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam (BG 4.2), if you have got connection with the original powerhouse, then there is electricity. Otherwise it is simply wire. What is the value? Simply wiring will not help you. The connection must be there. And if you lose the connection, then it is of no value. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means you have to keep yourself always connected with the original powerhouse. Then wherever you'll go, there will be light. There'll be light. If you're disconnected, there will be no light. The bulb is there; the wiring is there; the switch is there. Everything is there. That's how Arjuna is feeling, that "I am the same Arjuna. I am the same Arjuna who fought in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. I was known as so great a warrior, and my bow is the same bow and my arrow is the same arrow.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

So this varṇāśrama-dharma means one has to accept these principles of varṇāśrama-dharma and act accordingly. A brāhmaṇa should act accordingly to brāhmaṇa principles. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. The kṣatriya should act accordingly. The vaiśya should act according. The same example, as we have given many times, that I have got my head department, arms department, belly department, and leg department. To keep the body fit, everyone should act very nicely. Brain should work nicely, arms must be strong, belly must be fit to digest foodstuff, and legs must work. Similarly, these things... The varṇāśrama-dharma is necessary. It is not a convention. It is not a convention, that "The Hindus or the Indians, they are our only brāhmaṇas." No.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

Then if somebody says that "Why you are speaking that these men are cheaters and cheated and illusioned and in māyā?" Now, because the senses are imperfect. Because you are gathering knowledge by the senses. There are five senses, acquire knowledge, and the five senses act according to that knowledge. And these sense objects. There are sense objects. Just like you have got eyes, you have to see something objective, rūpa, form. The knowledge acquired by the eyes is to understand the form. Similarly, the knowledge acquired by the ears is to acquire knowledge from the sound. Because physical means the sound, light, form. These things are physical things. So we have got senses to acquire knowledge. So five knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and five sense objects, and I am there. This is called sixteen elements. And then five material elements, earth, water, fire, air, and three subtle elements, eight.

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

So in other words, it is the duty of the Yamarāja to see that everyone is becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is his duty, just as the police department's duty is to see that everyone is law-abiding, acting according to the law of the state. Police is not anyone's enemy. He is enemy to the criminals, not to the law-abiding citizens. I have seen it, personal experience. In one of my friend's house there was burglary. The police inquiry was there. So we were going in another's house, the policemen and we also. So we saw in distant place a few men were fleeing. They were going away, hastily running away. So I inquired the police, "Why these people are running away?" So he answered, "You do not know Bābājī, that they are criminals. Because we are passing, they are thinking, 'Now the police is coming to arrest us,' although there is no purpose.

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

The child has come into the womb of the mother, a particular type of mother—not the sa..., every mother is producing the same type of child. No. Why? There is cause. There is cause, hetunā. Without cause there cannot be anything. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), the cause is his activities. According to the activities, he is producing the next body automatically. That is automatically. But there is cause, his activity.

That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Kāraṇam. Kāraṇam means cause. What is the cause? The cause is that as he's associating with a particular type of the modes of nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... If he's associating with tamo-guṇa, then next life he's preparing in the lower animal kingdoms or most degraded family. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

Regulated means there must be division of these varṇas and āśramas. Varṇa means four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. They have got their respective duties. So unless the human society is divided into these eight scientific divisions and everyone acts according to his position, there cannot be any peace in the world. That is called varṇāśrama.

Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate... (CC Madhya 8.58). The ultimate goal is to satisfy the Lord, Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). But the foolish people, they do not know. Their ultimate interest is how to satisfy Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. So when there is dharmasya glāniḥ, then Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, by His incarnation or personally, He comes. Therefore it is said, yad yad vidhatte bhagavān. But because He comes to paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), He has no anxiety.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

Because Kṛṣṇa's service is above these pious and impious activities. That is called sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Just like the gopīs. The gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa at mid..., midnight, by simply hearing the flute of Kṛṣṇa. So young girl, going to Kṛṣṇa at midnight, this is impious activities. According to śāstra, according to moral, it is impious activities. But because it was done for Kṛṣṇa, it is understood as the most pious. Recommends. Who recommends? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was sannyāsī. He was very, very strict. And no woman could come near Him to offer respects. He was very strict about woman. And now, He's saying, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā: "What can be more wonderful process of worship than as it was conceived by the gopīs?"

Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:

That is the view of the jñānīs, Māyāvādī philosophers. But because they see that the bhaktas they are working also just like ordinary man, therefore it is māyā, that is Māyāvāda. They think bhakti activities as māyā. Therefore we call them Māyāvāda. But actually bhakti-yoga, if you act according to the shastric principles, if you act according to the order of your spiritual master in bhakti-yoga, that is not karma. That is bhakti-yoga, beyond this karma-yoga. But they cannot understand.

Just like Kṛṣṇa described in the śāstras: cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of tending cows, surabhi cows. The Māyāvādī will see, "What is this Kṛṣṇa?" Even Brahmā was bewildered, "How is that this Kṛṣṇa, this boy in Vṛndāvana is being worshiped?

Lecture on SB 3.25.36 -- Bombay, December 5, 1974:

The people think that bhakti is a sentiment thing. No. It is above liberation. Above liberation. Unless one is not liberated, he cannot stand on the platform of bhakti. That is bhakti. That is called parā-bhakti. Aparā-bhakti and parā-bhakti.

So any devotee who is serious about this Deity worship, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, following the Vedic principle, or rejecting the sinful activities of life... In this way we can come to the platform of spiritual life, and if we act accordingly, that is called bhakti-yoga or the liberated stage.

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

The Parameśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Paramātmā is Kṛṣṇa. We are not. Kṣetra-kṣetrajña. Kṣetrajña means one who knows about the kṣetra. We are acting with this body. I am also acting, you are also acting, the dog is also acting, cat is also acting, the tree is also acting—according to the body. But within the body, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam..., tathā dehā... (BG 2.13), the owner, or the occupier of the body, is within.

So Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "You are kṣetrajña. You are owner of this body. But I am also kṣetrajña. So I am kṣetrajña. I am the real proprietor. You are simply occupier. You are not the proprietor." Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). He gives you. You wanted a body like this, oh, you have got, "Now take this body." Kṛṣṇa is giving all facilities to enjoy this material world.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

So this kind of life is condemned. Therefore the Veda says, "Get up! Get up! Now you have got this..." Prāpya varān nibodhata: "You have got this human form of life. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. You try to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Try to understand your relationship and act accordingly. Then your life will be successful. Otherwise you are wasting your time."

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

Actually, he is being pulled by the material nature. Just like dog, chained, he has to do according to the master desire, similarly, we are also chained by the prakṛti, material nature, and we are being forced to act according to the dictation of the material nature. But ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Because he is bewildered, he is thinking... You will find in the beach so many dogs. They are very proudly jumping and thinking that "I have got full independence," but actually he is dependent.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

That is called tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Not that "Now I am initiated and..." That is going on in so many places. The guru says, "You think of me. Everything will be all right." I do not wish to name, but a very big ashram, they simply sit idly, and the guru has advised that "Think of me," that's all. This is not Vaiṣṇava principle. Vaiṣṇava principle is you must act according to the order of spiritual master. That is also an order. But the Vaiṣṇava spiritual master orders according to the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā **. This is the instruction of our ācārya.

So this is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhi. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhi, niścayātmikā buddhi means, with good faith, that "I must execute it. That is my life and soul." If we take that, then our life is successful. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

Out of the 400,000 species of human beings, mostly they are uncivilized. And out of them, a very few men are civilized. And out of many civilized persons, a very few know what is Vedic knowledge. And out of many persons who know Vedic knowledge, they do not act according to the Vedic instructions. And out of many such persons, there are very few persons who act accordingly to the Vedic instruction. And those who act, they are attached to karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra, fruitive activities. Just like perform yajñas and be elevated to the heavenly planets. These are called karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. Out of many thousands of these persons who are attached to karma-kāṇḍīya chapter of Vedas, one, somebody may be jñānī. Jñānī means "one who knows, one who is in perfect knowledge." Not perfect knowledge, but searching after knowledge, jñānī. And out of many thousands of jñānīs, one is mukta. Mukta means liberated, liberated from material body.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

He was preaching, "My dear friends," kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān, "don't spoil your life by playing. Now this is the period of understanding bhāgavata-dharma." Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand God and our relationship with God and act accordingly. That is called bhāgavata-dharma. So kaumāra ācaret prajñā dharmān bhāgavatān. If you want... We might have done mistakes in our life, but if we train our children in the brahmacārī system and gradually they understand the bhāgavata-dharma, at least their life becomes perfect. And in the Bhāgavata it is ordered that... You will find all this in this Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction. Pitā na sa syāt jananī na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syā..., guror na sa syāt: "One should not become guru...

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

You are completely under the nature's control. Prakṛteḥ kriyāmāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Unless you are qualified... Everyone is ambitious, but does it mean by becoming ambitious, one can become very rich man or very respectable man? That is not possible. One must qualify himself. So these are futile attempts. You have to act according to the... But they do not believe that there is higher authority, there is judgment and everything. They think that it is blind: "Whatever we like, we can do." That is not good. Parābhavaḥ. This is called defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

The same construction, physiological and atomical, everything is the same. But the difference is, in other body there is no arthadam, but with the human body there will be arthadam. You can realize your position, you can act accordingly, you can make your life successful. That is the special advantage of this human form of life.

Therefore it is said, yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehām. We are struggling, guṇe, in this material world. Guṇamayī. Māyā, māyā is called guṇamayī. Guṇe means in the māyā. Īhā, īhā means aspiration. So everyone is trying according to different modes of material nature. Everyone is working, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. That is, everything is guṇe īhā. So when one does not become conscious that I am working under the influence of material nature in different status of life, they're all useless.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

Pradyumna: "As I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act accordingly. Be very careful. By these means you will be freed from the ignorance of the desire for fruitive activity, and the knot of bondage in the heart will be completely severed. For further advancement, you should also give up the means. That is, you should not become attached to the process of liberation itself."

Prabhupāda:

karmāśayaṁ hṛdaya-granthi-bandham
avidyayāsāditam apramattaḥ
anena yogena yathopadeśaṁ
samyag vyapohyoparameta yogāt
(SB 5.5.14)

So, the bhakti-yoga process is described in the previous verses. Real purport is, karmāśayam, how to be free from karmāśayam. So long our mind will be absorbed in karmāśayam, then there is no question of becoming free from this material body. Karmānubandhaṁ na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. This is already advised, the whole purpose is how to make the spirit soul from the bondage of contamination of repetition of birth and death. That is the purpose of human life. Karmāśayam, everyone is trying to become happy by working hard and getting the result. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ, not only here, but also in other planets up to the Brahmaloka, this process is going on.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

So, in this way if we practice according to the prescription, śāstra-vidhi, that is wanted. Not that without śāstra-vidhi, you can become liberated. That is not possible. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23), Kṛṣṇa says. And if you give up, śāstra-vidhim, and act according to your whims, then there is no question of perfection. Na sa siddhim avāp..., na sukham, like that. The śāstra-vidhim (indistinct).

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

So-called learned philosophers, scientist, educationist—people call them learned scholars. But Sanātana Gosvāmī refused to accept. He said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita satya kari māni. That is our nature. Just like a beggar comes, he gives his blessing, "Sir, you become king. You become opulent. You...," so on, so on. So he thinks, "Now this beggar is blessing me. I may be... It may be I become a king. 'All right, you take some rupees.' " So this is not... They do not know atmā-tattvam. They think that "This beggar's blessing will make me happy." No. One should know atmā-tattvam and act accordingly.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

Just like we are trying to go to this planet or that planet, but we have been unsuccessful. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then immediately after death you immediately go to the Kṛṣṇa planet, immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So we Kṛṣṇa conscious people, we believe in the statement of Kṛṣṇa and act accordingly. So we have no difficulty, because we are under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. So we are assured, if we actually act according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then we are sure to go back to Kṛṣṇa, back to Godhead, without any difficulty.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

"Thou shall not kill." But we are violating the order. We are killing so many animals. So this is not good. On the plea that "Lord Christ sometimes took some fish somewhere; therefore we will have to maintain a big slaughterhouse," this is not very good logic.

So anyway, we have to act according to the superior order. And so far the spirit soul is concerned, that is the first lesson of spiritual knowledge. Unless you understand what is spirit... We are present here. The body is there and the spirit is there. Now we must analyze according to the direction given in authoritative books. That is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says that within this body there is the spirit soul. And we can experience that unless the spirit soul is there, the body does not change, and as soon as the spirit soul goes away, the body is a dead lump of matter. That's all. Very easy to understand.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

The spiritual life means to understand yourself and understand God and understand your relationship with God and act accordingly. That is spiritual life. It is not difficult. How to understand God? You can understand just like you understand so many things from books. So there is book, God is explaining Himself, "I am like this." So you understand Him. Then you become qualified. Yes?

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit. Just like nidānavit. Nidāna means a expert physician. He prescribes medicine and advises treatment according to the gravity of the disease. Similarly, you have to undergo atonement for the sinful activities according to the gravity. That is the treatment. Then... The king is very intelligent. He is not only king but he's a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa conscious. So he replied, "What is the use of this kind of atonement?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

Then plants, trees, then insect, then birds, then beast, then human being. This is the evolution. So these eight million different forms of body below the human being, they are not punishable because they are animals. They have no intelligence. Then again, amongst the human being, those who are intelligent, those who are acting according to the Vedic instruction, they will not be also suffering. Those who are avoiding the instruction of the Vedas, they will be put into that hellish condition of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa, after advising Arjuna, He simply inquired, "Now I have explained to you everything. Whatever you desire you can now do." So immediately Arjuna replied, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Now I shall execute Your order." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. God does not interfere with your little independence. If you want to act according to the order of God, then God will help you. Even sometimes you fall down, if you become sincere that "From this time, I shall remain Kṛṣṇa conscious and execute His orders," then Kṛṣṇa will help you, in all respects. Even you fall down, He'll excuse you and He will give more intelligence, "Don't do this. Now go on with your duty." But if you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, if you want to become happy without Kṛṣṇa, He, He'll give you so many chances that you'll forget Kṛṣṇa, you'll forget. Life after life. That's all.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

I do not want to become old man, I will be forced to become old man. And if I, after this giving up this body, if I... Suppose nature is offering me a dog's body. If I say "No, no, I will not accept this," no, you will be forced to accept it. That is nature's law. But you can save yourself if you follow conscientiously. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly, then you will be saved. Otherwise there is no saving. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You will have to accept another body. And what is that body? That is not stated. That will be decided at the end of your life, at the time of your death, at the condition of your mind and intelligence at that time. If, at that time, you are thinking of your pet dog, "What will happen to my pet dog? How he will live? Let me leave some of my property in his name," (laughter) then you can leave the dog with some property, but you are going to be dog. This is laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

"The people have become mad." And why? Kurute vikarma. "They are acting adversely, against the principle of life." Vikarma. Karma, vikarma. Karma means to act according to the injunction of the śāstra, and vikarma means to act against. Then you suffer. So vikarma. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Now, why they are doing? Because they are mad, pramattaḥ. What for mad? Yad indriya-prītaya: "Simply for sense gratification." There is no other profit. A temporary sense gratification. They are acting so sinfully. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye: "This is not good." Why? Yata ātmano 'yam: "Because you have got already this material body, this temporary body." So "That's all right. I have got this temporary body. It will be finished."

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:

"My dear Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these common men, they say that I am M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C. and so on, so on. I am very learned scholar. But I am so big scholar that I do not know what I am and what is my aim of life. Just see." Ask any so-called scholar that "What is the aim of life?" He cannot say. The aim of life is the same like the dog: eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, and die. That's all.

So where is education? There is no education. Real education is different, that one must know his own position and act accordingly. That you can get from Vedic knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

This is bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. You have to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it pleases Kṛṣṇa, not whimsically. Ānukūlyena. Just like Arjuna got ordered directly from Kṛṣṇa. One may argue that "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" No, you have got Kṛṣṇa's representative, guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. The representative is there. If you act according to his instruction, if you want to please him, then Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Just like in office the managing director or the proprietor is not in contact. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is in contact with everyone: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). But even taking this crude example, still, the office superintendent, if he recommends somebody, some clerk, that "This man is working very nice," that is accepted by the managing director. There is no difficulty. Therefore yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo: ** if you want to please Kṛṣṇa, you please Kṛṣṇa's representative... Śrī-guru-caraṇe rati, sei se uttama-gati. We are singing daily.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

So we have to give up this body and we have to accept another body. So labor or work for such body which will no more be material body. This is intelligence. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Next body means as we are acting, according to the resultant action of our activities, we get next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). How you get next life? In this life we are acting in a certain way, and by nature we shall get a similar body. Nature's law is so perfect that the law you... Just like infection. I have several times explained. You infect some disease, the disease will come out. Not that somebody will come to award you the disease. By nature's way, it will come out. If you say that "Somebody will come," no. The nature's law is so perfect. Just like if you touch fire, immediately it will burn, not that you have to wait.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

My attempt is futile. So kindly be responsible, those who are second initiated. If you fall down, then the whole movement becomes false. That is happening. So kindly rectify if that is happening, that guṇa-karma. You must acquire the qualities and must act accordingly. That is practical. Suppose one man is educated as medical man, but after taking his degrees he is playing football. So will anybody call him a medical man? He might have the qualification, medical qualification, but because he is not practicing as medical man he is useless. That is the śāstra injunction. Yady anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). If one has acquired some quality but he practices differently, then he should be called by the name of that practice.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

So we have to decide, this human form of life. But if you have no information that "What kind of body I am going to get next," if you don't believe... You believe or not believe, it doesn't matter. The nature's law will act. If you say, "I don't believe in the next life," you may say like that, but nature's law will act. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). As you are acting, according to that, you are preparing your next body. So after death—after death means when this body is finished—then you get another body immediately, because you have already made the field work, what kind of body you will get.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

How we can deny it? There is supreme power. I am being controlled every moment. Who wants to die? And who is forcing me to die? How he can deny the superior power? I do not want to become old man, and superior power forces me, "You must become old man." So, so long there is force behind you, you have to act according to that. Where is your so-called belief or independence? That is foolishness. That is foolishness. But they have no brain that "I am being kicked. I'm being enforced to do something, and still I'm thinking 'independent,' 'I believe.' " What is this meaning of his belief? There is no question of. This is foolishness.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to educate man that you believe or not believe, it doesn't matter. There is God. There is the proprietor, but He's coming personally and He's saying, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaraṁ suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: (BG 5.29)

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:

Here the Viṣṇudūtas are also mentioned here, vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ. They are also servant. So ukta means whatever order is given by Vāsudeva, they carry out. Similarly, the Yamadūtas, they are servant of Yamarāja. They are also addressed nirdeśa-kāriṇaḥ: "If you are actually servant of Yamarāja, you act according to his direction, then you must know what is dharma and what is adharma." So they are actually bona fide servant of Yamarāja, there is no doubt about it. Now they are giving their identification in this way, yamadūtā ūcuḥ veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ, immediately answered. "What is dharma?" That was the question. Immediately answered. They know what is dharma. Veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ: "Dharma means what is explained in the Vedas." You cannot create dharma. Veda, the original knowledge, Veda means knowledge. Veda-śāstra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- Los Angeles, June 3, 1976:

Two things are there. If you deny to keep yourself in the light, then go to the darkness. And if you deny to keep yourself in the darkness, then go to the light. Two things are side by side. If you agree to act according to Vāsudeva's instruction, His order, then you are immediately liberated person. And if you do not, then you are immediately under illusion, māyā.

So this is wanted. Liberation But it is very difficult to accept the position that "I shall do whatever Vāsudeva says." Immediately our life becomes very clear and happy. Not only happy in this life, but also next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). If we accept simply to obey the words of Vāsudeva ... It is so simple, but we are so unfortunate that we do not accept.

Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:

This is the time. In cat's and dog's life... We cannot invite the cats and dogs in this temple and take this lesson on Bhāgavata and Bhagavad-gītā. We invite human beings. We invite human beings because there is chance. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. A human being can understand what is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God. And if we act according to that, our life is successful. Simply denying God and manufacturing atom bomb and killing, is that civilization? No.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976:

The śāstra says, "Here is the eyes." Another eye, another eye, one after another, one after another. How you will escape? That is not possible.

Therefore we must be very cautious and, I mean to say, with sense we must act, and if we act according to the direction of the śāstra, then our position is safe. Otherwise, we are risking life. Risking life means this human life, human life. The dog has got ear; we have got also ear. But a dog cannot understand śāstra; that is not possible. Or the elephant has got ear, very big ear. (laughter) Does it mean that he can hear more? No. This is rascaldom. One must be quite able to hear to understand śāstra. Therefore śāstra is meant for the human society. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you will find, the Sanātana Gosvāmī's teachings, you will find, anadi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karila. Why these Vedas and Purāṇas are there? Just to remind us.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

Nitai: "O inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha, you are all sinless, but those within this material world, they are all karmīs acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of activities are possible for them because they are contaminated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot remain inactive, and it is inevitable for one acting under the modes of nature to be sinful. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable."

Prabhupāda:

sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi
viparītāni cānaghāḥ
kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti
dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt
(SB 6.1.44)

So dehavān we have explained several times. Deha means the body, and vān means one who possesses. Asty arthe vatup. This vat-pratyāya is affixed when there is the meaning of possessing. Therefore Bhagavān. Bhāga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. That is Bhagavān. So same thing, in the same process: dehavān. So dehavān, every one of us, dehavān. The dog is also dehavān; he has got body. I am also dehavān, every one of us.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

Pradyumna: Translation: "O inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha, you are sinless, but those within this material world are all karmīs, whether acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of action are possible for them because they are contaminated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot be inactive, and sinful action is inevitable for one acting under the modes of material nature. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable."

Prabhupāda:

sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi
viparītāni cānaghāḥ
kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti
dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt
(SB 6.1.44)

This material world is karma-kṛt—you have to do something. Kṛṣṇa has explained that "Without acting, you cannot even maintain your body and soul together." Śarīra-yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. If you become idle, then you cannot even maintain your body. That is the difference between civilized man and uncivilized man or developed country... (aside:) Stop that. Developed country and undeveloped country. Just like America. This land was inhabited by the Red Indians. They could not do anything, but the Europeans, when they migrated, they made it so beautiful country. So karma-kṛt, one has to work. This material world is so made. Tṛtīyā karma-saṅgā anyā śaktir īṣyate.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- New Orleans Farm, August 1, 1975:

Harikeśa (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "As a person in a dream while sleeping acts according to the body manifested in his dream, or accepts the body as himself, similarly, he identifies the present body as himself, which was acquired on account of past religious or irreligious life, and is not able to know of his past or future life."

Prabhupāda:

yathājñas tamasā (yukta)
upāste vyaktam eva hi
na veda pūrvam aparaṁ
naṣṭa-janma-smṛtis tathā
(SB 6.1.49)

This is our position. This is our advancement of science, that we do not know "What I was before this life and what I shall become after this life?" Life is continuation. That is spiritual knowledge. But they do not know also even that life is continuation. They think, "By chance, I have got this life, and it will be finished after death. There is no question of past, present or future. Let us enjoy." This is called ignorance, tamasā, irresponsible life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "As a sleeping person acts according to the body manifested in his dreams and accepts it to be himself, so one identifies with his present body, which he acquired because of his past religious or irreligious actions, and is unable to know his past or future lives."

Prabhupāda:

yathājñas tamasā yukta
upāste vyaktam eva hi
na veda pūrvam aparaṁ
naṣṭa-janma-smṛtis tathā
(SB 6.1.49)

So ignorance, a very good example is given here, that in dream we forget everything, that I am Mr. such and such, I am inhabitant of such and such place—everything forgotten. And again when we are awakened, we forget about the dream. This is our daily experience. But in my awakening stage or dreaming stage, I am seeing both the activities. In the dream, I am the seer, and so-called awake, I am the seer. So I, the spirit soul, experiencing, I remain the same, but circumstances change. Similarly, in our previous birth, what I was, what you were, we cannot remember. Similarly, you do not know what you are going to become next. But it is a fact that I am, as spirit soul, I am eternal, present. I was present in the past, I am present in the present time, and I'll continue to be present in future.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

He has no control. He must do something and he has no control over it. So why no control? No control means he is controlled by somebody else. He is not in his own control. And what is that controller? Guṇaiḥ svābhāvikair balāt. He has infected some type of material modes of nature and he has to act accordingly. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. The similar verse is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

So we are under the control of the modes of material nature. Now, the next verse says, eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena. Eṣa means all these living entities. In this way, on account of association with this material nature... Prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ. Puruṣasya means the living entities; viparyayaḥ, entanglement. Āsīt: "In this way he is involved." Sa eva na cirād īśa-saṅgād vilīyate.

Lecture on SB 6.1.67 -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1975:

You will have to suffer. You cannot escape it. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Irresponsibly, we, if we act, pramattaḥ, like madman, without following the sastric injunction... That is a madman. Just like a madman does not care for any instruction. He acts according to his own whim. That is described here: svaira-cāri. Svaira-cāri. Svaira-cāri means "I will act according to my whims. I don't care for any authority." That is called svaira-cāri. No. The laws are meant for human beings. Even on the street, as soon as you go out on the street, immediately the law is there: "Keep to the right. Keep to the left." And if you violate, immediately you'll be punished, immediately become criminal. Similarly... This is government law. Similarly, law given by the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

This is the opportunity. (break) ...desire this body, that body, this body, that body, I have traveled so many bodies. 8,400,000's of bodies. Now here is a body, where is perfect consciousness. I can understand that if I like I can get next birth God's body. (break) ...means the same body as God has, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So this is illusion that I think that I am maintaining this body. You are not maintaining this body. The nature's law, nature's supply, nature's arrangement, that is Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). The nature is acting according to the different qualities. And ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, being puffed up, one thinks that "I am doing this." Nonsense, you cannot do it anything. You are being forced to do by the laws of nature. Yes.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

So real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, real dharma. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Actually dharma means God and our relationship with God and acting according to that relationship so that we may attain the ultimate goal of life. That is dharma, sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana, these three things.

The whole Vedas are divided into three states. Sambandha, what is our connection God. That is called sambandha. And then abhidheya. According to that relationship we have to act. That is called abhidheya. And why do we act? Because we have got the goal of life, to achieve the goal of life. So what is the goal of life? The goal of life is that, to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

Unless you know what is your relationship with America there is no question of fighting for America, because the relationship is there. Similarly, in any country... This is, of course, artificial, man-made sambandha, externally. But the principle, to know first of all our relationship, then act accordingly and then the purpose for which we establish relationship, that is obtained. A businessman, he enters into business contract with another businessman. The agreement is there, that "We shall transact business as purchaser or seller, as agent or as principle." This is called sambandha-jñāna. If we do not know what is our sambandha, relationship with God, then why one should be interested to worship God? There is no question. Therefore sambandha-jñāna is the first principle to understand.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

So here Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended in the first verse, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha: (SB 7.6.1) "From the very beginning of childhood one should be trained up to act according to the bhāgavata-dharma." That is real life. But instead of bhāgavata-dharma, they have created so many false dharmas. So many. So that is our mistake. Real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, relationship with God. You may call it bhāgavata-dharma or the occupational duty in relationship with God. That is compulsory. You cannot say that "I do not need it." No. That is compulsory. If you are not in bhāgavata-dharma, then you are misled. That is described, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2).

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976:

"My possession means some mental concoction and this lump of body." Mānasa deha geha. "So therefore, whatever possession I have got, I surrender unto You." Mānasa deha geha, yo kichu mora. This is surrender. Arpilun tuwā pade, nanda-kiśora.

So the real process is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and act according to your... Yes, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. First of all we have to become sincere, heart and soul. Sarvātmanā. Sarva means all, or ātmā means body, ātmā means mind, ātmā means soul. Three meanings of ātmā. So sarvātmanā. Your body the other day I explained, karmaṇā manasā vācā: "By your working capacity, by your mind, by your words..." This is called tri-daṇḍa. We Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, we take three daṇḍa. This is three, karmaṇā manasā vācā: by activities, by mind and by words. The preaching is word; therefore word is the last: thinking, feeling, willing, and then action.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

So there are two missions when Kṛṣṇa appears, incarnation: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). This material world is a field of activity for the persons who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. But there are regulative principles, Vedic knowledge. If we act according to the regulative principle, then we can enjoy. Not actually enjoy, but we think we enjoy. Because in the material world, there is nothing enjoyable for the spirit soul. Just like a fish, it is an animal of the water. It has nothing to enjoy on the land. So if, by mistake, a fish thinks that "I shall become an elephant and enjoy in the land," that is not possible. Similarly, we spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, we are all Brahman, and we have nothing to do with this material world. But because we are Brahman... Brahman means ānandamaya. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

He's always defending, but you should not be idle. It does not mean "Because God is defending, therefore we shall stop our work." No. Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna that "You have to fight, but at the same time think of Me, Kṛṣṇa conscious." You have to fight. Just other people are fighting with all circumstances, we have to fight also, but we must have faith that Kṛṣṇa will save. Not that "We depend on Kṛṣṇa. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa will do the act. Let me sleep." No. Karmāṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. You have to act according to the rules, and so far the result is concerned, leave it to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.41 -- Mayapura, March 19, 1976:

"He must have it," and another man is condemned to death. It is not that the judge is partial, he's giving somebody two millions of dollars and somebody is ordered to be hanged. The judge is impartial. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This is the version. We act according to our whims, and the resultant action is there immediately. The nature's law, God's law, is there. We have got experience that if we infect some disease, contaminous disease, then we must suffer from that disease. So it is not God's creation that somebody is suffering from some painful condition and somebody is enjoying. No. We infect ourself with some contamination because this world, this material world, is full of contamination, full of contamination. Just like when there is epidemic, the whole situation is contaminous. Therefore one has to take vaccine injection to protect himself.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa also says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14), the same thing. As Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā duratyayā, similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja also says duratyayā, it is very difficult to supplant the laws of nature. If you don't act according to the direction... Veda means knowledge. So in the Vedas, they are giving direction how to live. Even if you want to be materially prosperous, you have to follow these rules and regulations. And if you want to get out of this material world, these are the rules and regulations. Otherwise, we have to meet always... Already there are calamities. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), the calamities of birth, the calamities of death, the calamities of old age, the calamities of disease, they are already there. And above that, the calamities of war, pestilence, famine, earthquake, and so many other things.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So our ācārya in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya, the śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha, śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha, the Six Gosvāmīns, and if we associate with them... this book, Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, if you read regularly, try to understand, this means you are associating with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. And unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended one brāhmaṇa, bhagavat para giyā bhagavat sthāne. Bhagavat... He, he came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu to read some poetry he had written, but it was the system that unless anything written... There were many devotees.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Where is the difficulty?

The rascals, they will not understand Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says. The rascal will mislead other and mislead himself. He'll go himself to hell and he'll drag all others to the hell. This is going on. This is going on. Everything is there, very plain and clear. One has to act according to that. He gets the benefit. But they, they will not allow. These rascal leaders, they'll not allow. They will be represent Kṛṣṇa as something else. The, the only business is to kill Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Not to accept Kṛṣṇa is fact. All the big commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā, you'll see. They're simply trying to make Kṛṣṇa is not a fact. It is some fictitious. It is some story, mental speculation. This is their business. Demonic. So the condition is very, I mean to say, dangerous. People are being misled.

We are only... It is not our pride. It is a fact. We are the only institution.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

They are trying to become independent of God. Then what is the benefit? In every step we are seeing that we are dependent on God. Because God has not supplied rain for one year, there is so much catastrophe going on. But still, they will not take it. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Parato svato vā. If we advise that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly. You will be all happy," "No." Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Because they have designed their own plan. So this is going on. Then?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

So nūnaṁ prammattaḥ kurute vikarma. Vikarma means which is against the laws. Just like karma, akarma, vikarma. These are explained. So vikarma means against the law. The Vedic version, they give us that "You should work in this way." But if we do not act according to the Vedic injunctions, that is called vikarma. And we become subjected to sufferings, impious activities. But we do it because we are mad after sense gratification. We do not care. Just like a thief, he knows that by stealing he'll be punished, but still, because he's mad after stealing, he'll do it, taking the risk of being arrested and being harassed. Nūnaṁ prammattaḥ vikarma, nūnaṁ prammattaḥ kurute, yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. And they are mad after doing all this nonsense only for sense gratification. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye, "This is not good." Yata ātmano 'yam. "As we have got this body, material body miserable..."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The injunction herein is that one is to act according to his position, and by such activities one must either satisfy the Supreme Personality or else fall down from his position."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The position may be... That is also recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ means position. You keep your position as brāhmaṇa, you keep your position as kṣatriya, or you keep your position as śūdra or vaiśya or brahmacārī. It doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Simply hear about the glories. Just like we are sitting here. There are brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśya, or śūdra. It doesn't matter. Everyone has got the privilege to hear about the glories of the Lord. And if we take up this business, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ, prāyaśo 'jito 'pi jito asi tais tri-lokyām. Kṛṣṇa is known as Ajita, but... Ajita means who cannot be conquered. So He can be conquered by this process. When Rāmānanda Raya quoted this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it. Ya ihā haya: "It is very nice."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.39-47 -- San Francisco, February 1, 1967:

They are called karmīs. And jñānī means they are finding out solution by mental speculation. And yogi means they are trying to find out spiritual salvation by bodily exercises. They are all, in strict sense, they are all materialist. There is no question of spiritualist. Spiritualism (means) there where one understands that what is the constitutional position of spirit and act according to that. Therefore bhakti, this devotional service, is only spiritualism because those who are devotees, they know that they are eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and therefore to be engaged in transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord is spiritualism.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975:

"These three kinds of miseries are always giving me trouble, and at the same time, I do not know what I am." Everyone is thinking, "I am this, I am that," but he is suffering. These are very plain questions. So these questions should be put before the spiritual master, and he should get proper answer and act accordingly. Then spiritual life will be successful. Unless we are interested in such questions, there is no need of wasting time to accept any guru or spiritual master.

So again he says, sādhya-sādhana-tattva puchite nā jāni: "Actually I do not know. It is my duty to put questions upon you." That is also indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.5 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

So you cannot argue. You have to accept as it is. You cannot interpret. What education we have got, what intelligence, that we can interpret on Vedic injunction? No. It should be accepted as it is. That is called Vedic injunction. This is called śruti. You have to simply hear and act accordingly. That is called Vedic. And smṛti. Smṛti means if you are learned scholar in the Vedic injunction, if you have heard from the bona fide souls, and if you are convinced, then if you write something, that is smṛti. You cannot write nonsense. You have to write something which corroborates with the Vedic injunction. That is called smṛti. You cannot manufacture anything. You should always remember that "I am a tiny brain here, so I have to receive knowledge from superior sources."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

So kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā. And servant, when one becomes servant, he has to execute anything which the masters order. Suppose one is serving some big man, he says that "You do this. I want." Now, to satisfy him one has to act according to his desire, which he may not like. Suppose one says that "You go and tell this lie. It is required by me." Now, because I am in service... Even great personalities like Bhīṣma, such a great personality, he could not join with the Pāṇḍava's party because he became a servant of the Kurus. So servitude is such a thing. A servant means a dog's qualification. In the Bhāgavata it is stated that... Because the higher caste... The caste system, higher means the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they'll never become servant of anyone. Therefore they are higher. The śūdras, they accept service of others. So that was the stricture.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- San Francisco, June 27, 1971:

This human form of life is a chance for God realization. Without God realization, our life is frustrated. We being part and parcel of God, it is our duty to understand our relationship with God and act accordingly, and then our ultimate goal of life is achieved. The ultimate goal of life is to attain eternal life, full of knowledge and bliss, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternal, ānanda means bliss and cit means knowledge. This body is just the opposite. It is not sat. This body is temporary. It is not eternal. This body is full of ignorance. There is practically no knowledge. We do not know, after closing our eyes, we do not know what is happening before our eyes. So our knowledge is always imperfect. And this life is also miserable. It is not at all blissful.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

"Everyone is acting according to the modes of nature he has acquired, so whatever nature we have acquired..." His purpose is that "By nature we are mercantile people." Because His father was maintaining cows, so he is considered a mercantile man. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So He is giving stress that "Let us perform our duty as mercantile men honestly, and that will bring us result. Why should we go to worship these demigods?"

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

When it is default, it is taken on the basis of birth. But actually, in the śāstras, or scripture, there is no question of birth. Anyone can become a brāhmaṇa, anyone can become a kṣatriya, anyone can become a sannyāsī, anyone can become a brahmacārī provided he acts according to the quality of the work.

So here Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya: "Everyone has got a particular type of occupational duty, but the ultimate goal of that duty is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you want to make perfection of your duty, then you have to satisfy the Supreme Lord." It doesn't matter what you are. You may be a brahmacārī, you may be a householder, you may be in renounced order of life, and you may be a laborer class, you may be a brāhmaṇa, or you may be administrator. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Speech -- Stockholm, September 5, 1973:

Religious system means to understand spiritual life. But unfortunately, nobody is interested in spiritual or religious system because they have been more and more induced to become addicted to the material and sensuous activities, and so they are going far and far away from the spiritual life, and more and more confusion and what is called disappointment is rising all over the world. So to mitigate this sort of disappointment and confusion, one has to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to understand the philosophy and act accordingly. Then people will be happy. That is our program.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Paramahaṁsa: "Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and prepared to act according to Your instructions."

Prabhupāda: That's it. He understood that "Kṛṣṇa is divine. So whatever He says, that is my duty to do, not to judge Him on my platform." That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. One who does not take Kṛṣṇa in the same platform as one is but accepts Kṛṣṇa's personality, then he can understand. Otherwise how one can accept it that a person has expanded many millions of universes like this? Immediately they will they will take as mythology, because he's thinking on terms of his capacity, not as Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore nobody could understand Kṛṣṇa. We took the simple method: accept Kṛṣṇa as He says. That's all. Finished.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). There are innumerable varieties of planet. The higher planetary system, they are resided by demigods, very powerful. They are also human beings, but they are very beautiful; they are very powerful. So you can go there. The moon planet, sun planet—that is clearly stated—if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that "If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this," then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet. Similarly, you can go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with..., any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet.

Initiations -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī means material nature. That is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulation? All right.

Aravinda: Kaumadakī.

Prabhupāda: Kaumadakī, born of lotus flower. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Aravinda: Gandharvikā.

Prabhupāda: Gandharvikā. Another name of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?

Gandharvikā: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: All right. Thank you. Right hand. Right hand you should... Yes.

Aravinda: Charaṇi.

Prabhupāda: Charaṇi devī. Celestial singers. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations?

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

You may be American, you may be Englishman, you may be very rich man, you may be very poor man, you may be white man, you may be black man, whatever you may be, but this body is not sac-cid-ānanda. It is not eternal; it will end. It is full of ignorance. We do not know what will happen if I go just out of this door. Full of ignorance. We do not know what is happening beyond this wall. So... And always full of anxieties. Where is ānanda? There is no ānanda. So this body is not sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and act accordingly, then you will, at the end, you'll get sac-cid-ānanda form. Your form is sac-cid-ānanda because you are part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). "All living entities are My parts and parcels," Kṛṣṇa says.

Initiation Lecture -- Caracas, February 22, 1975:

So this is the science of God, and we have got all these books translated into English, and other things are being translated in other languages. So we shall request you to understand, to hear about God. Then some day will come—you will understand what is God, what is your relationship with Him, and you will act accordingly. Then your life will be successful.

So the boys and girls who are now being initiated, they are entering the path of understanding God in this way. So there are some regulative principles. I think you have explained to them that no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. God is pure. He is the purest. Therefore if we want to approach God, we must be pure. Just like without high temperature, nobody can enter into the fire, similarly, God is the topmost temperature. We must acquire that temperature; then we can enter into the kingdom of God.

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, June 29, 1968:

Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). This ātmā and Paramātmā, kṣetra, kṣetrajña is very nicely explained in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. You'll profit by reading that. The Lord says that this body is kṣetra. Kṣetra means the field of activities. Everyone is acting according to the body he has got by the grace of material nature. So the body is the field of activity, and you or me, ātmā, we are the proprietor of the body. We are called kṣetrajña. And Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarve kṣetreṣu bhārata. Now I am present in my body, you are present in your body, but the Paramātmā, or Supersoul, is present in everyone's body. Another example can be given. Just like this house, there are many apartments. So I am occupying this apartment, another tenant is occupying another apartment. But the landlord is occupier or the proprietor of all the apartments.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

There are so many, I mean to say, rules and regulation. But ādau gurvāśrayam. The first thing is to accept a spiritual master. And if you have got a bona fide spiritual master, then it is to be understood that you have approached God because he is His representative. And if you act according to his direction, then it is to be understood that you are satisfying the Lord. This is the way, Vedic way. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If you cannot find out a bona fide spiritual master or if you cannot satisfy the bona fide spiritual master, then you must know you do not know where you are going. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī says, dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. This is the process.

So we, we should make this our goal of life, how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

Directly you are in touch with Him as soon as you think of Him, His form. But unless you take shelter of a spiritual master who knows about Him, you cannot concentrate for a long time. It may be temporary. Therefore you have to hear from a person who knows about Kṛṣṇa. Then your concentration of mind on Kṛṣṇa will continue. You have to act according to his direction everything. Your life should be molded in such a way under the direction of the spiritual master. Then you can continue this yoga system perfectly. What is that yoga system? That yoga system explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Sixth Chapter, last verse. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā: (BG 6.47) "One who is always thinking of Me," mad-gata, "He is first-class yogi." In many places it is stated. Premāñjana-cchurita. How you can think of Kṛṣṇa unless you develop love for Kṛṣṇa? Just like Rādhārāṇī.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

"Therefore, My dear Arjuna," Kṛṣṇa instructing Arjuna, that "you simply act for Kṛṣṇa, or God," tad-artham, "not for any other purpose." Don't create your action. Simply act according to the direction of the Lord. Mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara. Then you will be freed from the reaction of your act. There are many examples. Just like a soldier: when he is killing in the battlefield on the higher authorities of government and commander-in-chief, he is not liable for killing. He is, rather, rewarded. The same man, if he kills on his own account somebody, he is hanged. Immediately he becomes liable to the law.

Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

They are simply busy with the problems of the body—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Similarly, if human body is also engaged simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is not very good civilization. That is not at all human civilization.

Human civilization is meant for understanding one's self, what I am, and act according to that. So Bhāgavata says, if we do not come to that point of understanding my self, then whatever I am doing or acting, this is simply defeat, or simply waste of time. At the same time, there is warning that we should not waste even a single moment of our life. Please try to understand these Vedic instructions, how nice they are. There is a great politician of the name Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. He was prime minister of Emperor Candragupta, a contemporary to the reign of Alexander the Great, in Greece.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

That is called māyā; that is called ignorance. We are actually in a miserable condition. We are trying to adjust things. But that cannot be adjusted. We have to suffer. The only way is that you realize yourself, what you are, and act accordingly. So your position is you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. You just practice how to serve Kṛṣṇa; then your life will be successful. So that is our movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training people how to become unalloyed servant of Kṛṣṇa. Śuddha-bhakta, unalloyed, without any adulteration. What is that adulteration?

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

Then we can understand what is God, what I am, what you are, what is our relationship, and when we act accordingly, there is no controversy, no misunderstanding.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being spread all over the world on the scientific basis of Vedic culture. People are accepting. This Indian culture is being accepted all over the world. We have got fifty branches all over the world. Now we have come to establish some branches in India. We invite everyone. There is no discrimination that "You are such, you are such." Anyone can join us. And the joining method is very simple. Just like you have seen, even a small child can chant and dance. So our method is very simple. Please come, possible, try to understand little philosophy. Then you see how much it is effective, how you can feel transcendentally, how you can become advanced spiritually. The method is very simple, and we request everyone without any discrimination, never mind what you are: "Please come and join this movement and you'll be happy."

Speech at Olympia Theater -- Paris, June 26, 1971, (with translator):

So it is the duty of every human being to understand his constitutional position, his relation with God, and understanding the relation, to act accordingly, and then our life becomes successful. This human form of life is meant for that purpose. We are missing the point. So long we are living, sometimes we challenge that "There is no God," "I am God," or somebody says, "I don't care for God." But actually this challenge will not save us. God is there. We can see God in every moment. But if we deny to see God, then God will be present before us as the cruel death. There are different features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He is the original root cause of all cosmic manifestation.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

This is the way of making relationship between guru and disciple. Everything is there provided we take them seriously. Then we can train up how to become bona fide disciple, how to find out bona fide guru, how to establish our relationship with guru and act accordingly and make our life successful. Because guru's business is ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Guru's business is to enlighten the disciple, because he's in darkness. In another place in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavaḥ, parābhavaḥ means defeat. Defeat. So whose defeat? Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto: one who is born rascal and fool. Everyone is born rascal and fool. Nobody, otherwise, if you are learned, if you are..., if you know things, then why do you go to a school and college and pass university? It is a fact. Animals.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Therefore a human being, if he's under the impression that he is this body, he's no better than the animal. Therefore in the human form of life, one can understand his real identity, he can understand what is God, he can understand what is his relationship with God and act accordingly. If he does so, then his human life is perfect. Otherwise, he remains like animal, and he gets no benefit by this nature's gift, human form of life. By evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. By evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life, passing through 8,400,000, about 8,300,000 species of life. Then we come to this form of life, civilized human being. So this should not be misused in the business of cats and dogs. This should be used for better purposes. This better purpose is to understand oneself, what he is actually, whether he is this body, whether he is this mind, or whether he's different from body and mind, a spiritual spark.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Especially in the Western countries, I see that they will not produce food. They will raise some cattles and send them to the slaughterhouse for eating. This policy is going on. And this is not a very good policy. You produce your food grain. Why you should kill the innocent animals and eat them? So on account of these sinful activities, according to Vedic civlization, there are four kinds of sinful activities. One sinful activity is illegitimate, illicit sex life. According to Vedic civilization, without marriage, no sex life is allowed. Therefore marriage is compulsory. In every human society, there is marriage. But according to Vedic civilization, marriage is compulsory, saṁskāra. So therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ. If the women are not married, then varṇa-saṅkara population will increase. It is said. And as soon as there is varṇa-saṅkara population, the whole world will be in chaotic condition.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

I have no objection because you have little independence. But My advice is that you should fight. Now I ask you what you are going to do." So Arjuna replied that, naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān madhusudana, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Now I shall do it." This is Bhagavad-gītā. This is bhakti, that we have to act according to the advice of the Supreme Lord. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).

So therefore we have to first of all establish our relationship with God. Your establish..., is already

established. Just like the father and the son—the relationship is already there. It is not... But still, sometimes the son goes out of home and may be forgetting his father. Similarly, we are out of home. We have come from the spiritual world in this material world. We have forgotten our father.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Yes. Because if you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious—that is the whole teaching—you have to act according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. So vegetarian or not vegetarian, it is not a very important thing. Either you eat meat or vegetable, both of them have got life. That is the nature's way. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life has to eat another life. That is nature's law. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means he does not anymore eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We take prasādam. Whatever is offered to Kṛṣṇa, we take that. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). So just like if you ask some guest at your home, you will ask him, "What you shall eat, sir?

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Just like in ordinary way, in ignorance we commit something unlawful. Just like in this country it is said, "Keep to the left," and some other country it is said that "Keep to the right." Say, Americans, they "Keep to the right." Now, in this country, if instead of keeping to the left, if he keeps to the right, then he becomes punishable. So this is due to ignorance. So pāpa means in ignorance. So if you become in knowledge, there is no more pāpa. So if you understand what is God, what you are, what is your relationship with God, and if you act accordingly, there is no pāpa. This is pāpa-nirvāṇa, no more pāpa. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

Lecture Engagement at Birla House -- Bombay, December 17, 1975:

The mūla prakṛti, the original prakṛti, is fully under the control. Control means she acts according to the direction of Govinda. Yasya ajñayā, she is acting. So this prakṛti is inferior prakṛti, and there is another, superior prakṛti. That superior prakṛti is represented by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī and Durgā, both of them are prakṛtis of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but one prakṛti is meant for controlling this material world, and the other prakṛti is meant for blessing the spiritual world. Two prakṛtis are Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: Yes. We agree to that. If everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious and acts according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then this hell, hellish world, becomes the city of God.

Hayagrīva: He says we must... "Therefore we must not doubt that God has so ordained everything that spirits not only shall live forever, because this is unavoidable, but that they shall also preserve forever their moral quality so that His city may never lose a person."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is Vaikuṇṭha conception, yaj jñātvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam, "That is My specific place, where going nobody returns back to this miserable material world." These ideas are taken from Vedic literature, that's all. They are not new. It is known already to the Vedic students. Everyone has taken from Vedas, and they have presented their own way.

Hayagrīva: He writes, "The soul changes its body only gradually and by degrees, so that it is never deprived of all its organs at once. There is often a metamorphosis in animals, but never metempsychosis or transmigration of souls."

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He would say a self-contradictory act is irrational.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Is not acting according to the rational will.

Prabhupāda: He is irrational and he is taking the position of a philosopher.

Śyāmasundara: Another one of his ideas is that conflict creates progress. So that a man kills the animal and progresses.

Prabhupāda: Then I kill him and make progress?

Śyāmasundara: Yes, that is the law of nature.

Prabhupāda: Then kill him and make progress?

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by degraded? He has got human body, but by his work and by his desire he can get next life a demigod's body or a dog's body. That will depend on his activities. Human body is meant for understanding God and act accordingly to go back to home, back to Godhead. But if he does not utilize this human form of body properly, if he remains on the platform of animal propensities and degenerates, then he goes..., he can become next life a dog, a cat. There are two things: elevation or degeneration.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: We cannot recall. That is the defect in our life. Therefore the literatures are there to remind us. That opportunity is there in the human form of life to take advantage of this Vedic knowledge which is kept in the literature. Just like Bhagavad-gītā or any Vedic literature. Especially Bhagavad-gītā is the nutshell of all Vedic knowledge. So we have forgotten. But this forgotten, forgetfulness is not perpetual. He can be reminded and he can come to his real consciousness. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. These rascals, they have forgotten God, Kṛṣṇa, and they are thinking that "We are the master of everything." The so-called scientists, they are decrying God: "Now we shall do everything independently." This is demonic. So he has to be reminded. Therefore śāstras are there, sādhus are there—sādhu, śāstra, guru—guru is there, that you are not independent, you are foolishly thinking like that. You are under the clutches of māyā. So don't remain in this position, then your life will spoil. Take instruction from Bhagavad-gītā. Act accordingly. You will be happy.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can become. So long you are materially existing, your thoughts are under the modes of material mature. So sometimes the thoughts are in the modes of goodness, sometimes the thoughts are in the modes of passion, and sometimes they are in the modes of ignorance and act accordingly. So up and down it is going on. So in order to keep yourself on the standard platform, one should engage himself in devotional service. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: In man dealing, not with any other living beings, only man.

Hayagrīva: Well man, Mill concludes that conformity to nature has no connection whatever with right and wrong, and that man must amend nature. He must not act according to nature, but must—the word he uses is "amend"...

Prabhupāda: Yes, amend. Not only amend. The nature, that we discussed, almost always, the nature is animal nature. But man must be above the animal nature. That is rationality. Normally a man is called rational animal, so he should advance in rationality. Just for eating, eating is common to the man and to the animal, but man should be advanced, what kind of eating it should be. Not only natural, although natural tendency is... Just like man, some of, not all, some of them want to eat meat. So rationality is that "If I have got better foodstuff, why shall I kill that animal?" This is then rationality. But because he can eat meat, he can kill animal, he should go on killing animal, that is less intelligence. God has given so many nice foodstuff.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: The man or not man, there are living beings, varieties; we simply do not see the man as a living being. We see there are varieties of living beings, beginning from water up to the higher planetary system. There are different forms of living being, we have several times repeated. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, like that, nine millions, ah, nine hundred thousands forms of body within the water; then plants, trees, creepers, insects. So all of them are living beings. God is concerned with all of them. Why man is created? Every one of us in different form we are created. Or exactly not created; we are part and parcel of God. In one word God is the father of all living entities. So the simple relationship is that God is maintainer, we are maintained. This is our relationship. In the material world, as a man may have more than one wife, so similarly God has two prakṛtis, or subordinate energies—material and spiritual. So in the material world the material nature is the mother, God is the father, and varieties of living entities, they are all maintained by the father, supreme father. This is the conception of universal brotherhood. And if we understand our relationship with God as father and son... There are so many sons. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-yoniṣu. All different forms of life, the mother is material nature, and God says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "And I am the seed-giving father." So that relationship should be known, and if we act according to that relationship, there will be actual peace and prosperity and advancement of all knowledge. That is wanted.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. God is person. If He is the supreme father, the father is a person. We have got no experience of father being imperson. My father is person, his father is person, his father is person. In this way go on, father's father's..., searching. So the ultimate father is also person. There is no doubt about it. Either human father or animal father, every living being is a person. Therefore the right conclusion is God the father of all living being is person. Personal conception of God is there in every religion-Christian religion, Muhammadan religion, or Vedic religion. In the Vedic religion, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayoḥ. Those who are sura, means advanced in spiritual knowledge, or the brāhmaṇas, one who knows the Supreme, they find the supreme father is Lord Viṣṇu. Lord Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa is the same category, or same substance. So God is person and the ultimate end. The impersonal realization is imperfect realization of God. The Supersoul realization is still advancement, but the final advancement is Bhagavān, or person God. So we must know our relationship with, and first of all our first business is to know God and our relationship with Him, then act accordingly. Then our life becomes perfect. This is the process of God realization.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes, unless one is pessimistic of this material world, he is animal. A man knows what are the sufferings of this material world: ādhyātmic, ādhibautic, ādhidaivic. There are so many suffering pertaining to the mind, to the mind, sufferings offered by other living beings, and sufferings imposed forcibly by the laws of nature. So the world is full of suffering, but under the spell of māyā, illusion, we accept this suffering condition as progress. But ultimately whatever we do, the death is there. All the resultant action of our activities, they are taken away and we are put to death. So under these circumstances there is no happiness within this material world. I have fully arranged for my happiness, and any moment, just after arrangement, we are kicked out; we have to accept death. So where is happiness here? The intelligent man is always pessimistic, that "First of all let us become secure," that we are trying to adjust this material position to become happy. But who is going to allow us to become happy here? This is pessimistic view. And then further advancement of knowledge is there, and when he understands the orders the orders of Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and after surrendering and understanding Him fully, then we go to the world which is full of bliss, knowledge and eternal life, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya. That is perfection of life. So unless we take a pessimistic view of this material world, we shall remain attached to it, and there will be repetition of birth and death—sometimes high-grade life, sometimes low-grade life, but this business is very, very disturbing. We make some arrangement to live here permanently, but nature will not allow us. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). We work very hard; there is unhappiness. And sometimes we may get good results, sometimes bad results, sometimes frustration, so where is happiness? Happiness is only to understand God and act according to His advice, and then go back to home, back to Godhead. That is happiness.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: Prayer means vandanam. So this is also service. Either you take all the nine different items, or you take some of them, or at least one of them, then you will make progress in spiritual life. So some of them offer prayers, just like Christians, Muhammadans, they offer prayer. So it is as good as the Hindus give service in the temple, decorates the Deity, cleanses the temple and offers food. In this way they are engaged. This is called arcanam. Arcanam is also devotional service as well as offering prayer. So by this devotional service one makes progress in spiritual life, and when he is sincere in his service, then God is within him, He takes charge of him and gives him instruction how quickly and swiftly he can approach God. So this is fact. Our... He is not hankering after our service. He is complete in Himself. He doesn't require anyone's service. But if we offer service to Him, then we become purified, and... (break) ...complete purification. We can talk with God, we can see God, we can take His instruction, as Arjuna is talking with God, personally taking His instruction and acting according to His instruction.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: God intervenes in the world through the individual acting according to scripture.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These is a word, sādhu śāstra guru vākya cittete koriyā aikya. We can approach God by understanding a saintly person, by studying the Vedic scriptures, and explained directly by the bona fide spiritual master. So sādhu means saintly person, and śāstra means scriptures, and guru means spiritual master—and that they should be corroborated. A sādhu is he who talks in terms of scripture. Similarly, guru is he who talks in terms of scripture. Guru cannot manufacture words which is not in the scriptures. And that is not scripture which does not tally with the words of guru and sādhu. So these three items should be corroborated, and then we can understand who is guru, who is sādhu, and who is, what is scripture. Then we take instruction from them, and we can perfectly make progress towards understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: Impersonal or personal, that will be discussed later on. First of all there is force, and he is being forced. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). He had associated with one of the modes of material nature, and as such he is being forced to act according to the nature. Just like you met your friend, she is forced. Nobody likes that, a wretched life, but she is forced, because she has associated with a certain material modes of nature. Just like these hippies, they are forced. They are coming from respectable family, there is no scarcity of money, and still they are lying on the street in wretched dress, wretched habits. So that this nature is forcing, "You do this." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Because he has associated with a certain type of quality of the nature, he will be forced. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgasya sad-asad-yoni janmasu. The different types of species of life, the cause is kāraṇam, cause, is guṇa-saṅgasya.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I agree with him. That is the degradation of human civilization. But the philosophy of the Communist, that everyone has equal right or everyone must take share of the state equally, that is little, basic principle of real communism. According to our understanding, God is the father, material nature is the mother, and we, all living entities, are sons of the father and mother. So as sons everyone has right to live at the cost of father's property. The whole universe is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all living entities, they are being supported by the father. But one should be satisfied with the supplies allotted to him. That is, Īśopaniṣad says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). There is no need of encroaching on others' property. We should not become envious of the capitalist or rich man, because everyone is given his allotment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I should be satisfied with my allotment. I should not encroach upon others' allotment. But the exploitation idea is not there. The same thing, that nobody should exploit. If one has become rich man, that's all right. That, that is natural. One is born in rich family, from his very birth he is a rich man. So why we should interfere his richness? But everyone should be God conscious. Either the rich man or the poor man, they must be God conscious. And God consciousness means that the property I am owning, or the position I am placed in, that is by God's arrangement. Therefore my duty is to serve God in my position. Sthane sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhiḥ. This is the philosophy of, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sthane sthitāḥ. We should stay in our place, as it is allotted by God, but our common culture should be śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhiḥ. We should hear about God and act accordingly—it doesn't matter in which work—then there will be harmony. If we become envious, that "Why this man has become rich? I shall encroach upon him," that is again, another type of revolution or encroachment.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: "Why this man has become rich? I shall encroach upon him," that is again, another type of revolution or encroachment. That is not required. You remain in your position as you have been allotted, but everyone be engaged in the service of the Lord. The, another example is that the, there are different position of different parts of the body—the head, arms, the belly, the legs. They are different parts of body doing different function. But the idea is how to maintain this body. So if we, even if we remain in different position, that is we get from the birth, but we, we should be engaged in the service of the Supreme, the owner. Just like the hand is owned by the body; therefore hand must work for the body. The leg is owned by the body; therefore the leg must work for the body. So we are all part and parcel of God, and we should, everyone, we should work for God. And how we shall work, that we have to hear from the position where we are, and act accordingly, then there will be real spiritual communism.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: That, that I explain always, that state duty is the freedom of religion, but the state must see that a person advocating particular type of religion, whether he is acting according to that religion...

Hayagrīva: But he felt that if this religion should be allowed, it should be individual and not communal. He says, "Liberty as a right of man is not based on the association of man with man but rather on a separation of man from man. It is the right of separation..."

Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of separation, that if we accept God as the supreme father. Now the Christian religion believes God as the supreme father. So if the supreme father is there, and if we become obedient to the supreme father, then why, where is the difference of opinion? But we do not know the supreme father and we do not obey the supreme father. That is the cause of dissension. The son's duty is to become obedient to the father and enjoy father's property. So if we know the supreme father, and if we live according to the father's order, so there is question of antagonism, dissension. It is all our own, father being the center.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: Because everything is seeking to realize itself, that that means there is a moral order to...

Prabhupāda: Certainly.

Śyāmasundara: So that each individual must act according to his duty and his conscience in this world.

Prabhupāda: No. Conscience, an entity is Kṛṣṇa conscience, it is useless.

Śyāmasundara: Conscience.

Prabhupāda: Conscience, yes. A thief, he also prepares his conscience. When he goes to steal he says, "I must, because I have to maintain my family. I do not know any other business, I must." This is his conscience. The other conscious is, "No, no, no I cannot steal. It is sin." So where is the conscience? Conscience is not standard. You make your, manufacture your own conscience. Therefore you have to take advice from Kṛṣṇa conscience. That is real conscience. Whether it is (indistinct) with Kṛṣṇa conscience, that is (indistinct). Otherwise he created own conscience.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: So what is that, I am asking, what is your duty? We have got definite duty. We divide the whole human society into division. That is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Socially, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and spiritually, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Now the..., it is so that whatever you are doing, you must do it in one of these eight principles. So there are eight principles; there are duties. So if you act accordingly to the position, say gṛhastha, you have got a position, or a sannyāsa, you have got a position So sannyāsī means this; gṛhastha means this. So if you follow that principle, then you are doing duty. But if you have no standing, then what is your duty? That is very common sense. If you go to work in a big office, so the master of the office gives you duty, "You do this. You are dispatcher."

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Hayagrīva: Oh, he says, "Without action, knowledge has no meaning. Not merely to know but acting according to your knowledge is your vocation, not for idle contemplation of yourself."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We...

Hayagrīva: "Know for action you are here. Your action and your action alone determines your worth."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are meant for rendering service to Kṛṣṇa. So we do it daily from morning, four o'clock, to night, ten o'clock, they are always engaged to give service to Kṛṣṇa. So this is practical. If you simply sit down, speculate on God and smoke cigarette, then what is the use of such speculation? Here is practical life.

Hayagrīva: Well in this sense Fichte is closer to Kṛṣṇa consciousness than most impersonalists, because most impersonalist advocate inaction and meditation on the void, but, uh...

Prabhupāda: No, impersonalist...

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ tyajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). They worship other demigods, being too much lusty. Because the demigod is worshiped for some material benefit. So they have been described as hṛta-jñānāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ means one who has lost his intelligence. Actually it is so. Suppose by worshiping a demigod, Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, so you get the opportunity of being a, becoming a very nice scholar. But how long you shall remain scholar? As soon as the body is finished, your whole scholarship is finished. Then you have to accept another body, and you have to act according to that body. So how you have..., this scholarship will help you? But if you worship God, as Kṛṣṇa says, that janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ... (BG 4.9).

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: ...they are singing in the tune, sometimes attention diverted by the audience, it becomes out of the tune. Similarly we, when we divert our attention to the illusory energy, then we fall down, and although we remain the same part and parcel of the Lord, but the influence of the material energy covers us, and we identify with the covering elements, and life after life bodies changing, and we are identify with the covering, and this is our miserable condition of material existence. And therefore first education is that "I am not this covering." That is spiritual education. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā instruction, that "You are not this body. Arjuna, you are not this body. Why you are taking this bodily concepts of life, your relatives, your family, so seriously? It is all foolishness. It is accidental. You are born in this family, and you have got so-called relatives. You are actually spirit. So now you are identifying with this bodily concept of life, you are member of the Kuru family. Then as soon as this change of body takes place, you will again enter into the dog's family or cat's family or demigod's family. Again you identify, 'I am dog,' 'I am cat,' 'I am demigod.' " So this is the, our ignorance. We have to stop this mentality of bodily concept of life, identify ourself as a spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Spirit, and act according to His direction. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). What Kṛṣṇa says, if we act, then gradually, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), we become immediately free from all upādhi, designation, and gradually develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to spread this knowledge all over the world.

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Prabhupāda: So up to the animal bodily concept of life, one is unable to understand his spiritual identity. But in the civilized form of life, when the society is divided into eight divisions, varṇa and āśrama-four varṇas and four āśramas-brahman, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, four varṇas, brahmacārī, and gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī... So a brāhmaṇa from the social status, when he becomes elevated to the position of a sannyāsī, that is the highest perfectional stage in this material world, and at that stage only he can realize his original constitutional position and he acts accordingly, and thus he becomes delivered, which is called mukti. Mukti means to understand his own constitutional position and act accordingly, and conditional life means to identify with the body and act accordingly. So in the mukti state the activities are different from the conditional state. Therefore the devotional service is the activity of the liberated stage. So anyone who is engaged in devotional service, he maintains his spiritual identity, and therefore he is called liberated even though in this conditional material body.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise why it is called "This man is intelligent," other man is called "You are ass." So when, on this reasoning platform, when one comes to the conclusion that the living force within the body is different from this lump of matter, then he is on the human platform. And if he keeps himself that this life means combination of these material things, then he remains an animal. This is the reasoning. Where is the life? You analyze beginning from the breathing up to the urine and stool—where you will find life? That is human reasoning. Human civilization is now advanced in analyzing things in the chemical laboratory. So if we analyze this breathing, it is air. So you replace this air, let life come again. What is this breathing? Breathing is simply exhaling and inhaling some air. So by machine, by electric, what is called, batteries, let it work and it will act accordingly, breathing. But does it mean it will bring life? So they say breathing is stopped; therefore life is stopped. So breathing can be revived, but where is the life? They say the blood has become white. So blood can be colored. So anything of this body, analyze perfectly and bring life; then you say that life is combination of this matter.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: Yes. If he knows God and follows the instruction of God then he is right, and as soon as he goes against the instruction of God, then he is wrong. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Now I have given you all instruction. It is up to you to accept or reject." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). That is free will. So now it depends on me whether I shall act according to the instruction of God or I shall act according to my whims, according to my sensual inclinations.

Hayagrīva: He says, "I see that the certainty in truth of all knowledge depends on knowledge of the true God, and that before I knew Him I could have no perfect knowledge of any other thing, and now that I know Him I have a means of acquiring a perfect knowledge of innumerable things, not only in respect of God Himself and other intelligible things, but also in respect of that corporeal nature which is the object of pure mathematics."

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: Mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva (BG 16.20). Because he does not get under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, so life after life he is trying to be happy and he is becoming baffled. He is manufacturing new way of sporting—sometimes diving in the water, sometimes flying in the air. So this sporting, as soon as, according to his desire, God is supplying, "All right, you want to fly, you become a bird. You want to dive in the water, all right, you become a fish, big fish." So God is giving you and trying to see whether giving up all this nonsense plan he comes to God and surrenders unto Him: "Sir, I have, I have tried all my plan; I could not become happy. Now, my Lord, you say that 'You give up all this nonsense business, you surrender unto Me, I will make you happy.' " Then he becomes happy. For this message, God comes. Because this rascal will not do according to the desire of God; therefore God comes personally and teaches him—as Lord Rāmacandra, as Lord Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He, They, He gives the same instruction, that "You surrender unto Me and act according to My instruction; you will be happy." But he will not do that.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is speaking. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te: "I give him intelligence by which he can always live with Me," upayānti. He is living along with... Every living entity is living with God. But out of his ignorance, he does not know. So what for the other bird is there? What He is doing? And He is living as witness. He is friend, that "What this nonsense is doing? He will suffer." So He is finding out the opportunity how he will take instruction from the other bird, God. And He gives instruction. But to whom? When he surrenders, and he is engaged in this service, then He gives him instruction. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi (BG 10.10). He gives. God is giving intelligence to everyone, but the nondevotee, he is not surrendered; he will not accept. The same example, when the thief goes to steal, God gives him that "Don't do this. You will suffer," and he knows that, that God says, He is speaking that "Don't do this," but still he does. So he suffers. But if he can purify and acts according to the instruction of God, then he is perfect. That is the difference between demon and devotee. Devotee strictly follows the order of God; he is happy. And demon, he also knows what is God's desire; he disobeys, he acts according to his whim, he suffers. So God is giving instruction. There is no doubt about it. Externally He is giving instructions through His agent, spiritual master, through books; and internally as consciousness, conscience.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our position. We, we are teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you act according to the instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. We are not depending on heart, because a heart, the dictation is coming, but it is not appreciated by the demons, nondevotee. Therefore direct, direct instruction is the Bhagavad-gītā, and it is explained by His devotee. So in this way, if we take right from God and His representative. Not that (indistinct). So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching or preaching God consciousness so that people may take instruction of this Bhagavad-gītā as it is and act accordingly and be happy. That is our program. We do not manufacture any ideas. The ideas are already there. Simply we are preaching. If one is intelligent, fortunate, he will take it and be happy.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Human life is meant for control. That is the Vedic process, tapasya, because the aim is spiritual perfection. If we allow material activities according to the desire of the people, then they forget spiritual identity altogether. So that aim of life in the human form of body is missing, that Vedic civilization is how to raise one to the spiritual platform. Otherwise he remains an animal. First of all we must know what is the aim of life, and then the question of organization. If you do not know what is the aim of life, material adjustment will not make the condition of the society very good. (break ?)

Hayagrīva: His most famous book was Walden II, which was... Thoreau lived in Walden, Henry Thoreau. He lived alone. It was a solitary experiment of plain living and high thinking. He writes, "We practice the Thoreauvian principle of avoiding unnecessary possessions." Thoreau pointed out that the average Concord laborer worked ten or fifteen hours of his..., fifteen years of his life just to have a roof over his head. We could say ten weeks and be on the safe side. Food is plentiful and healthful but not expensive." So he goes on to say that "We strike for economic freedom, we do not believe in unnecessary consumption, we consume less than the average American." So it's an attempt to construct a society somewhat similar to New Vrindaban, with the exception of no spiritual basis as such.

Page Title:Act according to... (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:14 of Apr, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=198, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:198