Advantage (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"advantage" |"advantageous" |"advantages"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: advantag* not tak* not took

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Our only ambition is that to place Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our proposition. We don't want to become Kṛṣṇa, but we want to become the most obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our proposition. So we invite everyone, from all parts of the world, and they are coming, they are joining. So in India Kṛṣṇa appeared. India has got a special advantage to understand Kṛṣṇa, and the Indians neglect it. That's a great misfortune, but we request everyone to join this movement, study the philosophy and become happy. That is our proposition. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So the simple process is, as we are preaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that if you try to understand only what is Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa or Christ, the same thing. Then you get your original spiritual body. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the holy name of God. So keep yourself aloof from four kinds of sinful life and keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa, and (or) God, Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This advantage is possible in this human form of life. Otherwise, we are missing the chance. We may be again put in the cycle of that 8,400,000's forms of body. The process is very simple and easy because you can remain in your occupation, in whatever position you are. Simply you chant the holy name of God. Not only Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can chant the holy name of God, Christ. Christ is also the same as Kṛṣṇa. So do it. There is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great.

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Even if you are a sannyāsī, you have to work for Kṛṣṇa. Either you are a sannyāsī or you are a householder or brahmacārī, you have to work for Kṛṣṇa. But the advantage of sannyāsī is that because he has no encumbrances behind, he is detached from family relationship, he has full time service for Kṛṣṇa. Similarly brahmacārī, one who is not married, simply working under the order of the spiritual master, he has also cent percent time to work. So these are the secrets, that one has to work for Kṛṣṇa. Either he's a brahmacārī or sannyāsī, it doesn't matter, or householder. Otherwise he'll be captured by māyā.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

Arjuna is personal friend of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says tāni. Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna. "You are My bhakta and personal friend; so whenever I appear, you also appear with Me." Because he is bhakta. Bhakta, and Bhagavān, they must be together. That is the advantage of bhakta. Although he has got the frailty.... Because the living entity is the minute particle of God, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), therefore his intelligence, his power, is also very minute. But God's power is unlimited. By unlimited power Kṛṣṇa knows the past, future, and present, everything perfectly. But our limited knowledge, we cannot know that. Therefore we have to receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. This is our position.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Your European and American people, your standard of living better than our Indian people so far material consideration is there. You have got very nice toilet room, but the Indians go to the field to evacuate. So in that way this country is advantageous.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

You cannot manufacture religion. And what is actual religion? If you follow, then you are religious. The actual religion is the God's order. That is... everyone follows some principle of religion to understand God. And in our Vedic system the only purpose of life is to understand God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the human form of life we have no other business. No other. Other business, that, cats and dogs are also doing, and we are also doing. That is automatic. It is not that other animals, they are starving. They are also eating and we are also eating. But the facility is, the other animals lower than the human being, they haven't got to do any business or any profession or go from one country to another to earn livelihood. That is their advantage.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

So gradually, things will deteriorate. Therefore in the Kali-yuga, the yoga practice or the sacrifice or, I mean to say, very pompous worship of God, oh, that is not possible. People are, have got short life, they are always disturbed, they are disturbed with material disturbances, diseases, and they are unfortunate also. They are not very fortunate. So mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Mandāḥ. They are very slow, and also unfortunate. This very word is used in the Bhāgavata. So therefore, in the Kali-yuga, if we want to get all this advantage of knowledge, then the only way is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will help us.

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

Let God speak Himself about Himself. That is perfect. If you simply conjecture, guess, that "Swamiji may be like this," another may say "Like this, like that." But if I say unto you, "I am like this," that is perfect. So here in the Bhagavad-gītā we have got this advantage, followers of Vedic literature, that the Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is speaking Himself about Himself. That is perfect knowledge. Therefore it is said, bhagavān uvāca. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking Himself.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Without being surrendered, it is very difficult to understand the controller and the energies, how He is controlling everything. Tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ samagreṇa upadekṣyāmi. This is the condition. You will find in the later chapters that Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya (BG 7.25). Just like if you enter into any educational institution, if you don't surrender yourself to the rules and regulation of the institution, how you can get advantage of the knowledge imparted by the institution? Everywhere, wherever you want to receive something, you have to be controlled or you have to be surrendered to the rules and regulation. Just like in our class we are imparting some lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you do not follow the rules and regulations of this class, it is not possible to receive the knowledge. Similarly, the full knowledge of the controller and the process of controlling can be understood when one is surrendered like Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa. Unless one is surrendered soul, it is not possible. You always remember that Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

So this business, four business—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—these are common. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ sāmānyam etat. This is common. Then what is the special advantage of human life? The special advantage is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. You should be inquisitive to know the value of life, the Absolute Truth. That is... The dog cannot do it. That is the distinction between dog and human being. The human being... In the human form of life there should be inquiry about Brahman, Parabrahman. That is human life. So after inquiring what is Brahman, Parabrahman, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the original source of everything, when you attain brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ, that is your perfection, not that to compete with the dog in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not civilization. That is not perfection of life.

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

By gradual evolutionary process from the aquatic to the plant life, then from plant life to worm life, then from worm life to bird's life, then from bird's life to beast life, from beast life to human life—this is the gradual process of evolution. So therefore this human form of life is very difficult to get. By some fortune you have got now. So therefore it is said, su-labhaṁ su-durlabham.

And you have got this nice ship. And guru-karṇa-dhāram. And if you have got a nice spiritual master who is captain, good captain, who can help you to ply your ship on the same. So nṛ-deham ādyam su-labhaṁ su-durlabham. And atmosphere is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, created by the Supreme Lord by delivering you the message of Bhagavad-gītā. So you have got very good atmosphere. Just you compare in the same way: If in Atlantic Ocean there is no wind, there is no hurricane, and you have got a very good ship and very good captain, now take this opportunity of crossing. If you don't cross, then you are committing suicide. Oh, very nice.

So these are the opportunities of developing your knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and spiritual culture. And the advantage is that as soon as you become fully conscious of your constitutional position, then you are freed from this material entanglement.

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can become free from all this contamination and he can go back to home, back to Godhead." This is another advantage of Kali-yuga. In other yuga one has to undergo so much severe austerity, penances. Then one can realize. But in this age the things have been made easy. That is also mercy of Kṛṣṇa because these people are so much, disturbed and fallen, downtrodden, they cannot undergo very severe austerity. Simply chant.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

If you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you understand clearly what you are, what is God, what is your relationship with Him, what is this world. Everything will be clear. That is the advantage of this fallen age. This age is very, very fallen. People have completely forgotten God. Not completely because few men are still interested. Otherwise why they are joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? We cannot say completely. But gradually, it will be completely forgetful of God, day by day.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

So our life (is) being spoiled without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our mission, that we are trying to save men from great falldown. Uttisthatā jāgrata prāpya varān nibhodata, this is the Vedic injunction. Don't sleep. Uttisthitā: "Just get up." Jāgrata: "Be awakened." Prāpya varān nibhodata. You have got this benediction of human form of life. Nibhodata. Try to understand the advantage, nibhodata. This is the only business of human birth, being, to understand his constitutional position, to understand God and relationship with God.

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

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." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "I don't want all these things." Just see. This is the difference between sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

One may say that "If you are condemning material civilization, why you are using?" It does not mean that we are attached to it. But if there is some advantage for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we can use it. We can use the modern invention, but we are not attached to that. It is not that without it we become collapsed. No, that is not our policy. We can do with it and without it. When we use it, it is for the advantage of the person. His energy is being... Who has invented this microphone, his energy is being utilized for Kṛṣṇa's purpose.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that "I will not prefer a birth like Brahmā if I forget You. But I will prefer to become an insect if I remain with Your devotee." Because if one remains with a devotee, he will not forget Kṛṣṇa. That is the advantage. Just like when you go, people address you, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Oh, it is very great benefit. Automatically they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have seen it all over the world. And when I was going from London to Nairobi, we stopped at Athens, the dead of night. We are in the..., what is called? That transit room.

Devotee: Transit lounge.

Prabhupāda: Yes, lounge. So as soon as they saw us, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" You see. So this is advantage. Aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam. Even a dog-eater chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, he becomes glorified.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

If we chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, that is not different. That is Kṛṣṇa absolutism. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's form here, they are not different. Kṛṣṇa's form can give you the same result as He can do being personally present. That is Kṛṣṇa's absolutism. So nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. So in the name of Kṛṣṇa, there is complete potency, as it is in Kṛṣṇa personally. Therefore it is so important. In this age, we are so fallen. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. But if we associate with Kṛṣṇa's name, then that is also association with Kṛṣṇa. This is the advantage. Nāmnām akāri. So as you associate with Kṛṣṇa in His sound form, so you become purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). This is the advantage.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

Parīkṣit Mahārāja was advised by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "My dear King, I've described so many faults. It is like the ocean of faults. But there is one boon also. That is special prerogative, special advantage of this age." Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Kalau, kalau means "In this age of Kali, it is full of faulty things. But there is one boon." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya: Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—simply by chanting the holy name...," kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya, kṛṣṇasya, so, mukta-saṅgaḥ, "he becomes free from all these contaminations, by one thing, simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ. There are so many contaminations, so many faults of this age, but simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one becomes kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ, he becomes free from the contaminated association.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

At night there are two things. One who has no advantage of sex life, he sleeps alone. And if he has got advantage of sex life, he enjoys. So at night they waste their life in this way. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). In this way their life is being wasted. And at daytime? Now, divā cārthehayā rājan. At the daytime, simply "Where is money? Where is money?" Artha. Artha means... Because to maintain this body we require money. Divā cārthehayā rājan. All right, if one gets money, then next? Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Then shopping. As soon as you get money then shopping, the wife's bill. Yes. So in this way, day and night, they are simply under the impression of this bodily conception of life.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Haṁsadūta: So can it be understand that if a person, for instance, some Americans are very wealthy, that they...

Prabhupāda: Yes. They must have done pious activities in their previous life, all Americans. But they should know that this is their advantage to become Kṛṣṇa conscious: "We have no economic problem, but we are employing our facilities in sense gratification." That is a mistake.

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

Pradyumna: "It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him as only the Lord..."

Prabhupāda: So we have accepted the original leader, Kṛṣṇa. Why should we follow the nonsense leader who has no perfect knowledge? We have accepted the supreme leader. That is our advantage.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

Śrī means wealth or beauty. Very rich family, beautiful body he will get. So those who have got their birth in high-class brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava family and those who have got their birth in rich very aristocratic family, they should consider that "This advantage is given to me by Kṛṣṇa. Because in my last life I could not finish my business of bhakti-yoga, now I have got it." Therefore I said to the Americans that "You have got wealth; you have got education; you have got beauty. This is the asset of your pious life. Now you utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is perfect." So not only in America, everywhere, it is not easy that one man is born immediately very rich and one man is born in very poor family or very ugly family. There is distinction. There is some superior authority. It is not accident. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). A living entity gets his body by superior administration, by nature's quality. There is big science.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

Dāmpatye ratim eva hi: "Marriage, husband and wife, they will be simply by agreement." Nowadays that is happening. You go to a marriage-maker and agree, and marriage is finished. Not like before. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi. And rati means sex desires. So long their sex desires will be completed, they can live. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. These are stated, all. Vipratve sūtram eva hi: "Become a brāhmaṇa, just have a sacred thread." Sacred or not sacred, get a thread. That's all, without executing the brahminical duties. That is going on. In this way there is a long list of Kali-yuga's activities.

So after submitting the list, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: "My dear King Parīkṣit, I have described all the faults of this Kali-yuga. But there is a special advantage in this age. That is," he said, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51), "people can become liberated and go back to home, back to Godhead, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

They are simply satisfied by glorifying the Lord. That is their only satisfaction. If they get the opportunity of glorifying the Lord, as it is said in the previous verse, that sabhājayante mama pauruṣāṇi... Mama pauruṣāṇi, the glorious activities of the Lord. This is the way of bhajana. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). This is the way of bhakti-yoga. Simply glorify this... Your glorification, so much activities... Kṛṣṇa therefore comes to give advantage to the devotees for glorifying Him—because He acts. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). To kill the demons and to give protection to the sādhus, He has to work.

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

Worshiper of the material energy. In the Durgā-pūjā, in the Caṇḍi, the direction is that you ask material opulence, dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, rūpavatī-bhāryāṁ dehi, yaśo dehi. That you can do. And we all living entities within this material world, we are worshiper of the material nature. The scientist also trying to find out means how to exploit the resources of material nature. That is also one kind of worshiping. Because if they are successful in discovering some material energy, new kind of material energy, they get money. Then, by money, they get full advantage of sense gratification. So this is called conditioned life, conditioned by the material..., illusioned by the material... They are trying, discover material advances, and becoming happy by such advancement. This is called material life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:

If you perfectly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya—not any other name but Kṛṣṇa-mukta-saṅgaḥ: you can become free from this material association, or the contamination due to material contact. That is the special advantage of this age. This age, Kali-yuga, is full of faulty things. Kaler doṣa-nidhe. It is an ocean of faulty things. It is very, very difficult. Sarvānge gha upaidha (?) mala. A man is suffering from itches or what is called..., sores, all over the body. So where he shall give ointment? He should be dipped in the ointment. This is the position. Similarly, how much you will find out, "This is faulty, this is faulty, this is faulty." The life in the Kali-yuga itself is faulty. Everything is faulty. So... But still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He has given an opportunity that by chanting His holy name one can become free from this faulty position.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

If we want to utilize our short duration of life which we have got at our disposal, we must utilize it for self-realization, not for unnecessarily increasing the necessities of bodily wants. This is not a good type of civilization, simply wasting time for sense gratification. Time should be utilized for greater advantage. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. You know... In your country I have seen many tabloids, "Time is money." Yes, actually time is very valuable, but we do not know how to utilize this time. That is the mistake of this present civilization. Time should not be, I mean to say, wasted simply for sense gratification. So far the problem of sense gratification is there, it should be minimized. It should not be increased. Minimized.

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

This human form of life, although adhruvam... Everybody, we cannot continue this body for all the time. It will be ended, dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), another body. So this is the general rule for all living entities, either dog's body, or hog's body, or man's body. It will not stay, it will not endure. You have to change. Therefore it is called adhruvam. But, the special advantage of this human form of life—Prahlāda Mahārāja says—although it is adhruvam, it will not stay, but arthadam, you can have your real interest fulfilled.

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

The dog has also mind, and I have got mind, you have got mind. The dog has also intelligence, we have got also intelligence. The dog also can eat, you can also eat. The dog can sleep, you can also sleep. So there is no difference so far the bodily constitution. And superficially, if you cut my body there will be blood, if you cut the body of an animal there will be blood. So, in every respect, so far the material body is concerned, it is the same, either of the human being, or of a small insect. 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.

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

We have heard, some of them, about the ghost. They have no material body. The advantage of material body... (break) ...they are covered with mind, intelligence, and ego, but their gross body—earth, water, air, fire—that is not there. So one king, he also rejected the material body and remained, Videha. Videha king. So one can remain like that, without this gross body and subtle body, material. Just like in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, that is... But in the material world, when one is not covered by the gross body but subtle body, they are called ghosts or pramathās. Those who are good, not harmful, they are called pramathās. And those who are harmful... As in this material world there are good men and bad men, similarly, amongst the persons who has no this gross body, they are sometimes called ghosts and sometimes they are called pramathā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:

The king should be ideal, as here it is, paramahaṁsa. Mahānubhāvaḥ. So, and the prajā should be also strictly following varṇāśrama dharma. Then this world will be happy. Otherwise it is not possible. Not one sided. "The king is not good. Dethrone him. Kill him," and some rascals and fools in the name of democracy, they occupy the seat. What benefit will be there? The whole thing has to be changed, the prajās and the king. The advantage of democracy is there. By votes you can elect somebody as president. One has to follow the principle, monarch, one man on the head of the government. It may be a monarch or it may be a president—it doesn't matter—but there must be one chief executive officer on the head. That you cannot avoid. That is essential. Therefore if we do not have an ideal president or ideal king on the head and the prajās also, the citizens, they do not follow the varṇāśrama, then there cannot be any peace.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

If you analyze the body of a dog and your body, you will find the same ingredients—the same blood, the same skin, the same mucus, the same bone, the same urine, same stool. That is bodily construction. So bodily construction is the same. There is no difference. From chemical point of view, from physical point of view, the same thing. Just like the biologist. They study the human body by dissecting, the frog's body. They say, the biologists say, that there is similarity of anatomical construction of the frogs and the human body. Anyway, we also accept that because, after all, it is this material body. So the arrangement in the frog's body and in the dog's body or in the human body it must be the same material. So then what is the advantage of this human body? That is instructed, ayaṁ deha: "This body, this particular type of body, human body, is not meant for the purpose, serving the cats and dogs." Nāyaṁ dehaḥ deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means in the human society. Nṛ means human being. So human society, when you have got this nice body, you should not utilize this body for the same business as the cats and dogs and hogs are utilizing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate: (BG 14.26) "Anyone who is engaged in My transcendental loving service, bhakti-yoga, the devotional yoga..." Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate, sa guṇān samatītyaitān: (BG 14.26) "He can transcend the influence of these all these three qualities." Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. "Immediately he's situated on the Brahman platform." So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, without recommending this atonement or that atonement, which will not check him... You can go on, make many experiment of atonement, but the disease of the heart will remain. And you'll commit again sin. But as soon as you come to the Kṛṣṇa platform, then you become free from the contamination. This is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you don't come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you may be relieved for the time being from the reaction of sinful activities, but you'll again commit.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:

Life after life we are struggling. So now we have got a nice boat, this human body. Sulabhaṁ sudurlabham. And it is specially advantageous because the breeze is very favorable. When you ply your boat, if the breeze is favorable, pushing on, that is another advantage, good boat and good breeze. And guru-karṇadhāram: "And the captain, steering man, is guru." He is giving instruction, "Row like this. Turn this way, that way." He is turning everything. So we have got this opportunity. If the boat is very nice, the captain is very nice, the breeze is very favorable, and even accepting or getting this nice boat, favorable, if we do not cross over the sea of ignorance, of material existence, then we are committing suicide. Sa ātma-hā. You get all the opportunities, and still you remain in this material world, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease? Is that very good intelligence? No. That is not good.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Prabhupāda: If you know bhakti... That's a very big task. If you know actually bhakti, then it is all good. But do you know what is bhakti? First thing is that.

Guest: Means worshiping God. By understanding this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you do not know any scriptures, you do not know śrutis, mantras, anything, then has any effect at all?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, because this is a special advantage for the people in this age, that if he chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, purely, then... There are three stages of chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In the beginning there are full of offenses. Then it is almost offenseless. And then, when it is pure, that is perfectional stage. So by chanting, if you practice chanting, even though in the beginning it is full of offenses, but if you continue chanting... Therefore we say that "You must chant so many times."

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

So even there are offenses, by chanting, chanting, chanting, chanting, he will be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). So therefore, in this age we must stick to this process of chanting. That will make us perfect. If not immediately, it will do, certainly. That is special advantage for the men of this age. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Mahān guṇaḥ. It is a great advantage. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya: (SB 12.3.51) "Simply by chanting Lord Kṛṣṇa's name," mukta-saṅga, 'he becomes free from all contamination and he becomes eligible to be promoted to the spiritual kingdom." That is special advantage of this age. Therefore we are advising, we are preaching, that "You chant this mantra. In any condition of life, begin chanting. You will be benefited."

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Goodness is a chance. If you acquire... Just like if you become a graduate, there is chance of becoming a lawyer. But if you do not become a lawyer, you remain only graduate. That's all. But without becoming graduate they cannot enter to be a lawyer. Similarly, goodness is the qualification of a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa has a chance. When you are qualified, you are following the regulative principles, qualified, you have got the chance of being promoted to become a Vaiṣṇava. That is the advantage. But in this age... Again, the same thing. Even one is not a brāhmaṇa—he is in the category of caṇḍāla—still, if he chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he becomes elevated to the position more than a brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

Our process is to chant, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always. Then the mind becomes... Chant and hear. Yena tena prakāreṇa. Then everything will be complete. It is so... As we are fallen at the present moment in this age, the remedy is also very effective. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya nitya-muktaḥ paraṁ vrajet. This is the special advantage of this Kali-yuga, because people are so fallen that it is very difficult to raise them to the standard of spiritual understanding by the prescribed method. Prescribed method means tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena niyamena tyāgena (SB 6.1.13). It is very difficult. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us His blessings, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31).

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

The gopīs will never cease to think of Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is not possible for Kṛṣṇa to go out of Vṛndāvana, although physically He may not be present. He has no difference between physical or mental, or subtle or gross. He has no such difference. Kṛṣṇa is absolute any way. Similarly, if you also think of Kṛṣṇa, if you are also pure devotee, then Kṛṣṇa is always with you. That is the advantage. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa says, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatena (BG 6.47)? The topmost yogi: those who are always thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

xThe advantages of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Yamarāja personally explains. He is mahājana. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a candidate for Yamarāja. (break) ...incarnations are as unlimited as there are waves in the sea. As there is no limit how may waves are there, similarly there is no limit of Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. But some of the prominent incarnations connected with this world, they have been mentioned.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

First of all you have to consider that we have got this human form of life after many, many hundreds and thousands, millions, 8,400,000... (break) Durlabham. So therefore it is, although temporary... Everyone knows that "I'll not live forever." But even though it is temporary, adhruvam, not eternal, it is arthadam. It is said, arthadam. Whatever little life you have got, you can attain perfection. This is the advantage. You can attain perfection.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

You are making your next body in this body. There is no certainty what kind of body you are making, but you are responsible for making your next body. As I have several times discussed that the, at the time of death, the mental condition will help you to have another next body, mental condition. So if your mental condition is very nice, whatever you think, God has given you chance: you get next immediately. Similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then your next body is like Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so important. What is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If you acquire the body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, then your botheration of this constant change of bodies, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), you become relieved from this business. Nobody wants this, but because we want to enjoy this material world, so we have to accept it. So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

The cloud covers a few miles or the cloud covers the eyes of living entities like us, but the cloud does not cover the sun or the whole sky. That is not possible. But a fragmental portion of the sky is covered by cloud, and because we are very teeny, if the cloud is spread only for ten miles we think, "Now the sun is covered." The sun is never covered. Similarly, the illusory energy cannot cover Kṛṣṇa, but it can cover you. And we are in this covering condition. Therefore we have forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now we have to uncover by Kṛṣṇa's grace, or we'll have to go to the sunlight. It is not that the sun is covered by clouds. Where there is no cloud, if you go there, you'll get full advantage of the sunlight. Similarly, we have to search out place where there is no cloudy understanding. There must be clear understanding. Then you'll find yourself satisfied in the light.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Unfortunately, if somebody comes within our society, the father, mother become disturbed, "Oh, he is going to be a Vaiṣṇava. Let him become a Naxalite, that's all right. But why he should become a Vaiṣṇava?" Immediately disturbed. We have got experience, you see. But he does not know that any boy who becomes a Vaiṣṇava, who is strictly following the Vaiṣṇava principles, he is doing the..., he is giving the best service to his family. Here Prahlāda Mahārāja says, and it is confirmed by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva.

So these are the advantage of become Kṛṣṇa conscious and Vaiṣṇava. So, therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that we may remain in different position of social and other status of life, but if we give our submissive oral reception to the teachings of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-kathā, Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then our life is successful.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

"Pure devotional service is rarely achieved." That is the criterion. Pure devotional has got so many advantages, but it is very difficult. It is very difficult. Na janma-koṭi-sukṛtibhiḥ na labhyate. Pure devotional service, even after endeavoring, endeavoring for millions and millions of births, it is very difficult to achieve. Pure devotional service can be achieved only through the mercy of a pure devotee. Otherwise, it is not possible.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

Generally, people go to Kṛṣṇa to mitigate some material distresses, ārto, or one who is in need of money. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He went to Kṛṣṇa, he went to worship Kṛṣṇa under the instruction of his mother in the forest with a desire to achieve the kingdom of his father or better, better kingdom than his father. That was his aspiration. But later on, when he actually met the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he said, "My dear Lord, I have no other aspiration. I am completely satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). So this is the advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Even one has got some material desire, that material desires will be fulfilled. At the same time, he shall become a pure devotee, just like Dhruva Mahārāja became. He went to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, fulfillment, for fulfilling his material desires, but because he engaged himself in severe austerity and penances for having darśana, or seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when he saw Him actually he forgot all his material desires. That is the advantage. We need not go to any other demigod for fulfilling our material desires.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.66-76 -- San Francisco, February 6, 1967:

Now one may question, "Oh, Vedānta-sūtra, understanding Vedānta-sūtra, one is liberated from this material entanglement. So you are asking me simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Will that purpose be served?" Oh, His guru said, "Yes, it will be served." He said, kṛṣṇa-mantra haite habe saṁsāra-mocana: "If You go on, continue this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, there will be a day when You come to the perfectional stage. Then You will be liberated." The same result as one gets out of studying Vedānta philosophy or Sāṅkhya philosophy, the same result also you will get by simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-nāma haite pābe kṛṣṇera caraṇa. "Not only that, the Vedantists, sometimes they cannot reach up to the Kṛṣṇa planet. But Your advantage will be that You'll not only be liberated, but You will be achieving the highest planet, planetary kingdom, or the kingdom of God, You'll be able to achieve there." And nāma vinu. Nāma vinu kali-kāle nāhi āra dharma. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that, "This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa is the only universal religious principle in this age." No other religion process will be effective because people are so many and diverted in different way. This is the common formula and this is the effective formula.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.91-2 -- Vrndavana, March 13, 1974:

o our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is a bhakta-saṅga, is a society of devotees. Never try to go away. Never try to go away. Discrepancies there may be. You should adjust. And this chanting and dancing amongst, within the society of devotees, has got great advantage, great value.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "You are offering love of Kṛṣṇa. It is so difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa, but You are so kind that You are directly offering love of Kṛṣṇa." Not only understanding, but also developing your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

So this is the mercy, causeless mercy, of Lord Caitanya. And He simply prescribes that you chant this mantra. As you see, these boys, when they're chanting, how they are in ecstasy. Immediately on the transcendental platform. Immediately. Not only here, everywhere where they are chanting. In every temple, if you see... The advantage of these boys and girls is that they have no other hodgepodge in their head. They directly accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they directly accept the instruction of Lord Caitanya, and they are making advance. Their fortune is that their brain is not congested with hodgepodge ideas. That is the idea. They actually... Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). They have given up all other occupation and have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.103 -- Washington, D.C., July 8, 1976:

The injunction in the Bhagavad-gītā is that tad viddhi, try to understand. Not try, but must try. The human life is meant for understanding tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is the special advantage of the human life. If a human being does not inquire or he's not trained up to inquire about it, it is a great disadvantage and it is enviousness. In the human life, the chance is there to make a solution of the whole problem, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. This is going on life after life. Now here is a chance, human life, he can understand what is the goal of life and how to achieve it. He can be trained up. So if that opportunity is refused to the human society by the guardians, by the government, it is a great misservice, a great disadvantage.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

So this dull brain has to be cured. All rascals, mūḍha. It is a fact. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means simply unnecessary wasting time adjusting things materially. This is miscreants. They do not know that "For one type of advantage, I have to create hundred times disadvantage." This is the fact. We are coming from New Vrindaban. They are living very comfortably in open space. There is no such disturbance, twenty-four hours, "dung-dung-dung-dung-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah." No. (laughter) No disturbance. But you have created some advantages to live in the skyscraper building. There are so many disadvantages also. So therefore sometimes the Indians are accused that "Believe in destiny." But that is actual fact. You cannot improve a single inch than you are destined. That is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to increase your so-called happiness, then you simply waste your time. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Everyone is obedient servant. Therefore He comes here to find out some enemy. The two functions are served. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He satisfies His fighting spirit; at the same time, He protects the devotees and protects that enemy also by killing him. Because when a demon is killed by the Supreme Lord, he is at once liberated. The liberation which he had to achieve after many, many births, he at once achieves. That is the advantage. So He saves the enemy and saves the devotee, and at the same time, He satisfies His fighting desire. So God is good. So any fight, that is also good. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is inducing, inciting Arjuna, fight. There is a plan, big plan. So foolish people who criticize, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is inciting war. We are very good men, nonviolence." So this "good man" has no value. That fighting has much value. But there is a plan, good plan. So this is called pastime, līlā, līlāvatāra.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Prakṛti means nature. This material nature, He is beyond this material nature. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ.

sa sarva-guṇa upadraṣṭā

taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet

The advantage is that if you want to get release from the infection of these three guṇas, three qualities, then you have to render devotional service to the Lord. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nirguṇo bhavet. Nirguṇa, when there is mention of nirguṇa, nirguṇa does not mean quality-less. Nirguṇa means without these contaminous three qualities of material nature. There are transcendental qualities.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.337-353 -- New York, December 25, 1966:

Now śāstra, the scripture, is the most first-class evidence, sarvajña munira vā..., sarvajña... Because śāstras are written not by ordinary person. Not by Rabindranath Tagore, a sex play. (?) No. (laughs) Śāstras are written by liberated persons. Therefore śāstra, scripture, have got so many advantages and so much respect. So therefore Lord said: sarvajña munira vākya-śāstra-'paramāṇa'. Śāstra paramāṇa. Just like (we) see in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, four hundred thousands of years after there will be avatāra, Kalki, and His father's name, His birthplace, is already mentioned there. This is called śāstra. Five thousand years before Bhāgavata was written, and there is indication that in such and such age, in such and such province, in such and such family, Lord Buddha will appear. That is written there. And five thousand years before, ago, the, the symptoms of Kali-yuga is already written there. And we are experiencing.

Initiation Lectures

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

It should not be accepted just we are functioning some ritualistic ceremony. No. It is different from ritualistic ceremony. Although it appears like ritualistic, it is transcendental. Ritualistic ceremony, they are meant for giving you advantage of become pious, from impious life. It also gives that, but this is not the ultimate aim. The ultimate aim is to give you love of God, which is far, far transcendental to the pious and impious activities. That is a different thing that belongs to the spiritual world—love of God. It is not that it is a function to nullify your sinful activities. That is automatically done. Just like if you get one million dollars, the purpose of ten dollars automatically solved. Similarly, this acceptance of holy name of God will automatically wash off all your sinful reaction. That's a fact. But it is not meant for that purpose. It is meant for higher purpose, to attain to this platform of loving God, rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord. That is the aim.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

Whether I shall promote myself to the higher planetary system or into the spiritual sky, Vaikuṇṭhaloka, or I shall go down again in the evolutionary process of lower animals? That is to be decided. So if we want to go to the higher planetary system, we can go there. If we want to stay here, we can do that. If we want to go down, that we can do. And if we want to go back to Godhead, that also we can do. So this facility is given in this human form of life. Now it is our choice, where shall I go? Shall I go down to hell, or shall I go up to heaven, or I shall go back to Godhead, back to home? Everything we can do. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly approaching the spiritual sky, back to home, back to Godhead. No more evolutionary process. That is the advantage of this Kṛṣṇa conscious... If you make your consciousness completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, if you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is your relationship, how you have to act in that relationship, simply if you learn this science in this life, then it is assured by the Lord Himself, Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body, one does not come again back to this material world to accept one of the 8,400,000's of species of body, but he goes directly unto Me." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). "And if one can go back there, then he does not come back again in this material world to accept this material body."

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

If you want to enter into another planet, say moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet... There are innumerable planets. The ultimate, highest planet is called Brahmaloka. And the advantage of going to Brahmaloka is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that you can get a life, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). You can get there life for millions and millions of years. But still, there is death and there is birth and there is that old age and there is that disease. But mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. But if somebody is transferred to that planet which is called Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana, or Vaikuṇṭha, then one hasn't got to come back to this material, I mean to say, temporary existence. So these informations are there, and they are very scientific. They are not dogmatic. If you accept them with reason and argument and with human consciousness, the solutions are there.

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

You are, from the beginning of your life, you are given advantage by your parents, by your family, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he was in the womb of his mother the other side of the Kuru dynasty, they released atom bomb to kill him, and Kṛṣṇa saved him. And after his birth, the boy was playing with Kṛṣṇa statue. So he is from the very beginning Kṛṣṇa conscious. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising, "My dear king, you are not this type of man, because as soon as you have heard you are sure that you are going to die, immediately you have come out from your home and all attachment of your kingdom, wife and children. So your business is," he advises, tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ. "Therefore you have asked me what is your duty. Now I give you to understand that this is your duty." What is that? "Bhārata..." He's addressing Mahārāja Parīkṣit as Bhārata. Bhārata means he belongs to the dynasty of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. So he's also descendant of that dynasty. He's addressed as Bhārata. Tasmād. Tasmād means "therefore." "My dear king, you are descendant of Bhārata Mahārāja." Sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ. "The Lord, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead," śrotavyaḥ, "you simply hear about Him," śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca, "and also chant about Him," śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca and smartavyas, "and remember always."

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

We are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because there is a great need of this movement through the whole world, and the process is very easy. That is the advantage. First of all, try to understand what is the transcendental platform. So far our living condition is concerned, we are in different platforms. So we have to first of all stand on the transcendental platform. Then there is question of transcendental meditation. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Third Chapter, you'll find that we have got different status of conditional life. The first is indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur... (BG 3.42). Sanskrit, indriyāṇi. First thing is bodily conception of life. Every one of us in this material world, we are under this bodily concept of life. I am thinking Indian, "I am Indian." You are thinking you are American. Somebody's thinking, "I am Russian." Somebody's thinking, "I am somebody else." So everyone is thinking that "I am this body." This is one standard, or one platform. This platform is called sensual platform because so long we have bodily conception of life, we think happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Happiness means sense gratification because body means senses. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Lord Kṛṣṇa says that in the material concept of life, or bodily concept of life, our senses are very prominent. That is going on at the present moment.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So in the living condition there are so many varieties, 8,400,000's of species. But the problem is not to promote ourself from this small body to big body, from the ant's body to elephant's body. That is not our problem. Not to accept this material body—to have our spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Just like Kṛṣṇa has sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, Nārāyaṇa has got sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. So that is our problem.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will give us that opportunity, and those who are gṛhasthas, family men, their duty is to raise their children to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that actually the child will have full advantage of having a nice parent, nice father and mother.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

Suppose if I go out of your state—I may go to England or I may go to hell, but I am out. That's all. Your immigration departments wants that I, I must be out. I may go to hell or England or any other. (laughs) They want to say, "You are out." Similarly, the Brahmaloka planet, you'll see that you are out, either you come to this planet or moon planet or hell planet or heaven planet. That doesn't matter. They won't allow you to stay there. But the advantage of Brahmaloka planet is that you get very, very long duration of life and the standard of living, and there are so many things. Yes. Similarly, moon planet also, the standard of living and duration of life, you get ten thousand years of life, and there one day equal to your six months. What you calculate as six months here according to the solar system, in the moon planet that six months equal to their one day. Similarly, thirty days, one month; twelve months, one year. Similarly, ten thousand years you get, life there. But there is death.

Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

So the simple process is, as we are preaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that if you try to understand only what is Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa or Christ, the same thing—then you get your original, spiritual body. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the holy name of God. So keep yourself aloof from four kinds of sinful life, and keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa and God. Then you will go back to home back to Godhead. This advantage is possible in this human form of life; otherwise, we are missing the chance. We may be again put in the cycle of that 8,400,000 forms of body. The process is very simple and easy because you can remain in your occupation, in whatever position you are. Simply you chant the holy name of God. Not only Hare Kṛṣṇa, you can chant the holy name of God, "Christ." Christ is also the same as Kṛṣṇa. So do it. There is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- London, July 25, 1976:

People are generally against the mlecchas, yavanas or the caṇḍālas because according to Vedic system, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, they are supposed to be pious family, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas. Less than that, even woman, they are not so pious. So in that sense there is discrimination. But Kṛṣṇa says that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Anyone, it doesn't matter, even he belongs to the pāpa-yoni, low-grade family. And because women and vaiśyas are śūdras are also considered as less important, so Kṛṣṇa mentions, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "Even women, śūdras, or the vaiśyas, everyone can be elevated to the higher transcendental platform, parāṁ gati." Parāṁ gati. Gati means advancement, stepping forward, gati. So everyone is given this advantage of stepping forward.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Suppose a big builder is working hard and getting money. But what will be the result of his work? A little food and sense gratification. A beggar also, he's getting the little food and sense gratification. Then why he's happy working so hard? What is the use? That sense, it does not come to him. He thinks, "I am happy. I am happier than the beggar because I have got so much money, I have got such a big building." But what is in relation to you? You are eating the same four capatis and have your sex life with your wife, that's all. What is the better advantage you are getting than the hog and poor man? This is because he is in the modes of passion, he is thinking, "I am happier than him." This is called māyā, or illusion.