Birth, death, old age and disease (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"birth, death, disease and old age" |"birth, death, disease, and old age" |"birth, death, old age and disease" |"birth, death, old age, and disease" |"death birth, disease and old age"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

Birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems, but they do not know how to solve these problems. They are simply engaged in some temporary business. And they are fighting. They are making plans. They are making diplomacy. But in the real problem they do not touch, neither they know how to solve it. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can solve it. These rascals may understand this fact, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentiment, so-called religious movement. It is a scientific movement to solve all the problems of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

So long the soul is there. Suppose a child is born. If the child is born dead, then this body will never grow. You can apply any chemicals or any science; the body will remain the same. But so long the soul is there within the body, the child from the babyhood will come to childhood, then childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood. In this way the body will change. We have changed so many bodies, every one of us. I knew, I know that I had a childish body, I had a boyhood body, but those bodies are no more existing. But I am existing. Therefore the conclusion should be that I, you, as soul, we are eternal. The body is changing. This is our disease. Therefore this disease... This disease means birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Just like a drop of sea water is as good as the sea water in quality—the whole sea water is also salty, and the drop of sea water is also salty—similarly, we have got all the chemical composition, or qualities, of God. Now, God is eternal; therefore we must be eternal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). After destruction of this body, the soul is never destroyed. This is our real, constitutional position. Then why we have accepted this changing process: birth, death, old age and disease? This is our material life.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

But never mind. We have accepted this material body. We can get out of it. And the process for getting out of it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the science. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are teaching people how to get out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease and become as good as God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very scientific movement, authoritative movement.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

Similarly, this human form of life, we can make a solution of this repeated birth and death. And that is the only business of human form of life, how to get out of these material conditions of life: birth, death, old age, and disease. We can make solution. And that solution is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as we become Kṛṣṇa conscious... Kṛṣṇa conscious means Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, He, Lord, God. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

Severe cold, winter, has come and it will go. That is not permanent problem. Permanent problem has been due to my ignorance, I am taking birth, I am accepting death, I am accepting disease, I am accepting old age. This is real problem. These are real problems. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has said, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: (BG 13.9) "Actually those who are in knowledge, they should see all these four problems, birth, death, old age and disease."

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

Simply if you try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, divyam. They are all divine, transcendental. Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's appearance, Kṛṣṇa's worship, Kṛṣṇa's temple, Kṛṣṇa's glories—everything transcendental. So if one understands these things or tries to understand, even he does not understand, tries to understand, then he becomes liberated from this process of birth and death. Kṛṣṇa says. So become very serious to understand Kṛṣṇa and remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then this problem, birth, death, old age and disease will be solved, automatically, very easily. There will be no problem.

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

Yes. (translator reads German translation) So our natural tendency is to go to other, better planets. Therefore people are trying to go to the moon planet. Similarly, you can go to the sun planet, heavenly planet. There are so many. But the information is, even though you reach the topmost planet of this universe, still, there the four principles of material life, namely, birth, death, old age and disease, are there. So we can go to the topmost planet. There is process how to go.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

So anything you practice, you'll be successful. So if by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can go back to home, back to Godhead, why should you neglect it? That will solve your all problems. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease, and if you can solve this problem simply by practicing some regulative principles, why don't you do it? So that is our request. We are opening hundreds of centers to give training to the people to practice this and go back to home, back to Godhead. But you cannot go back to home, back to Godhead, so cheaply. You have to practice certain regulative principle; then you will be fit. That is not very difficult, and if you practice, that will be very easy, and the beginning should be chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra so that you'll be fit for practicing also. So therefore, take full advantage of this movement. Now it is one...

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

As long as you are unable to go back to home, back to Godhead, you have to change this body, either dog or this or that or this. And there are 8,400,000 forms of body. You have to accept one of them. Now you make your decision whether you are ready to accept all these different types of body or you get original, spiritual body. In the spiritual body there is no more birth, death, old age and disease, and the material body continuously there should be birth, death, old age and disease. You can get that spiritual body simply by little cultivation in this human form of life, next life. But if you get next other than human form of life, then you have to wait again millions of years to come to this human form of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. You... We are..., every one of us, we are under the grip of the laws of material nature. It will go on. You cannot change it unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972:

Sa amṛtatvāya kalpate (BG 2.15). Amṛtatva. Here, in this material world, we are put into mṛtatva, subject to birth, death, old age and disease. But there is another position where there is no birth, death, old age and disease. So which position we should like—birth, death, old age and disease, or no birth, no death, no old age, no disease? Which one we should like? Hmm? I think we should like no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. So that is called amṛtatva. So amṛtatvāya kalpate. Every living being is amṛta. That will be explained. Amṛta... As we are, in our own original, constitutional position, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. Just like Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful, knowledgeable, similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also of the same quality. The... We have accepted this position of birth, death, old age and disease on account of our association with this material world. Now, everyone is trying not to die, everyone is trying not to become old, everyone is trying not to be dead, meet death.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

But there is process to get out of this material contamination. Then again we become pure. And as soon as we become pure, there is no more birth, death, old age, and disease. Finished.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:

We can get the body like God; we can get the body like the dog. Therefore the best intelligent person should try to endeavor to get the next body like God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you endeavor in this life so long you are alive to get a body like God. That will solve your all problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease. (someone speaks in Spanish) No, what he is speaking, first of all let...

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

That is the aim of life: How I shall become immortal. How I shall not become subjected to the four principles of distressed condition—birth, death, disease and old age. Nobody is serious. They are so dull. Therefore they have been described, manda. Manda means so bad, so rascal that they have no ambition of life. They do not know what is the goal of life. Manda. Manda means "bad." And sumanda-matayaḥ. And if some of them, just to become little recognized as very religious, he will accept some rascal as guru, magician, and eat everything, do everything, and become spiritualist, and his rascal guru will say, "Yes, you can eat anything. You can do anything. Religion has nothing to do with eating." It is going on. The Christian people, it is explicitly, clearly said, "Thou shall not kill." But they are killing. Still, they are very much proud, "I am Christian." And what kind of Christian you are? You are regularly disobeying the order of Christ, and still you are Christian?

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

Therefore... Because this kind of activities will oblige me to accept another body, and as soon as we accept another material body we become subjected to the stringent laws of material nature. And the material miserable conditions are summarized into four items: birth, death, old age and disease. So those who are not in knowledge of the spirit soul, they are very irresponsibly prolonging his life in material activities. Material science could not find out the spirit soul within the body because the magnitude, the dimension of the spirit soul, is very, very small.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

The śarīriṇaḥ, the soul, which is within the body, that is nitya, eternal. Now, although it is nitya, it is fallen in certain condition of this material body, that it appears to be dying. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). He's under the tribulation of birth, death, old age and disease on account of this material body. Therefore, if you actually want to give service to the humanity, then give service to the soul, and if you give service to the soul, automatically the body is also served. But if you stress on the body, without... Therefore, despite all arrangements for humanitarian work, the human society is becoming worser and worser. Why? That is not service. They do not know how to serve. Illusion.

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

So here in the Vedic literatures we find that both the Lord and the living entity, they are situated in the heart. The living entity, jīva, is desiring, and the master is sanctioning, and the prakṛti or the material nature is giving the body. "Here is the body, ready, sir. Come here." Therefore the original cause of our entanglement or liberation is our desire. As we are desiring. If you want, if you desire to become free from this implication of birth, death, old age, and disease, it is ready. And if you want to continue this implication, change of body, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni... Because you cannot enjoy spiritual life in this material body. You can enjoy this material world with this material body. And if you want to enjoy spiritual life, then you have to enjoy in spiritual body. But as we have no information of the spiritual life, spiritual enjoyment, we are simply desiring to enjoy this world.

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

Why? Yata, because, ātmanaḥ, the spirit soul, ātmano 'yam... Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). This body is temporary, but so long this body is there, you'll have to suffer. What is that suffering? The sum total of suffering is birth, death, old age and disease. This is due to this body. Therefore the problem is how to stop this material body, repetition. Today I have got this body, Indian, tomorrow I may get American, next birth... Tomorrow means next birth. Next birth another, next birth another, next birth another—it is going on. Going on. There is no stoppage, this transmigration of the soul.

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

But so long you do not stop it, there is no question of being freed from sufferings. They do not know it. They are thinking they are advancing. What advancement you have made? These sufferings are there—birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot stop it. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ, and even you go to this moon planet or to the highest planet, these four things will follow. So therefore sense gratification must be stopped. But if you want to stop it artificially it is impossible. Neither by this yoga process, neither by this jñāna process. Simply for the time being you can check.

Lecture on BG 3.25 -- Hyderabad, December 17, 1976:

But these fools, they do not take the suffering into consideration. They are making plans for more suffering. This is foolish civilization. They cannot... The so-called scientists, they are talking in jugglery of words, advancement. And as we were discussing this morning, any intelligent can ask, "So what you have solved? What kind of solution you have made of this problem of birth, death, old age and disease? Have you solved this problem?" That they will not say, "Yes." "Yes, we are trying after millions of years it may be possible." That is also... "It may be that we shall live forever."

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa therefore presents that "Your real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease, your real problem. You are making solution of all the problems by scientific advancement, by education, by so on, so on, political maneuver, everything. It is all right, but how you are going to solve this problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9)? How you'll solve this problem?" Actually human life is meant for solving this problem, not this temporary problem.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Because this human form of life is meant for that purpose. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9). This human life is meant for getting out of this encagement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is human form of life. It is meant for. Unfortunately there is no education that "Why? I do not want death, but why death is compulsory? I do not want old age; why old age is compulsory? I do not want to take birth; why birth is compulsory?" These are the actual questions or problems of life. And our whole Vedic literature is meant for solving this problem. That is whole purpose. Vedic literature, Vedic civilization, is not meant for working day and night like animals only for maintaining the foodstuff and sense gratification. It is not civilization. According to our Vedic civilization, this is not civilization. This is another form of animal life.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Because Ṛṣabhadeva says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). That is the aim. Śuddhyet sattvam. Sattva, our existence, is now polluted, infected. Therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. The cats and dogs, they cannot get this opportunity how to purify the existence, how to become free from these four principles of material unhappiness. They cannot understand; they cannot study Vedic literatures; they cannot take instruction of Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

This repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, this is just like a fire in the forest. Nobody wants it but it is forced up on us. Just like nobody wants to set fire in the forest, but it takes place naturally. Similarly, if you remain in this material world then you have to be, I mean to say, put into these tribulations of materialistic way of life. There is no escape. Saṁsāra-dāvānala **. It is just like dāvānala. So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. As soon as you understand that "I do not belong to this material world"—brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54)—then all problems of life is solved. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). So as soon as one is cleansed of the dirty things in the heart, then he can understand that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. So let me be engaged in His service and become successful in this human form of life."

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

That is not possible. Neither you can stop old age, neither you can stop birth. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you may be very much advanced, you have mitigated all your sufferings, all the problems of life, but these problems of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease, that you cannot avoid. That is not possible. So, if, but everyone has got the tendency to avoid birth, death, old age, and disease. Why? Because the spirit soul, M am, in reality. I am not subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. Because I have accepted this material body, therefore apparently I am subject to birth, death and old age. Otherwise, I am eternal.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

The aim of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the aim of life. We are fallen in this material conditional life. We are suffering. But we do not know. We are so fool. Just like animals. We do not know what is the aim of life. Aim of life, that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). When we can understand that "This process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, this is not wanted by me..." Nobody wants to die, but death is forced upon him. He does not think that "This is my problem. I do not want to die, but death is as sure as anything." So this is the problem. Nobody is careful how to solve this problem. They are simply engaged in the, I mean to say, temporary problems. The temporary problems are not problems. Real problem is how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop old age, and how to stop disease. That is real problem. That can be done when you are liberated from this material world. This is our problem.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

Why you are expecting that some day will come when science will be perfect? Throughout the whole history of the human society, never it has been possible that one can give life. There is no such instance in the history. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The four principles of material inebrieties, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, nobody has been able to check in the past history of human society, and how you can believe that in future these problems, namely janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age, and disease, will be solved by the advancement of science? So at least we cannot believe. And no sane man will believe it.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you can go to the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, still, the problems of life cannot be solved. The four problems of life—birth, death, old age and disease—cannot be solved. Therefore our attempt should be that we do not care for these problems. We have taken it, accepted that "All right, we shall take birth. We shall die. We shall become old. We shall become diseased. Doesn't matter. Still we are progressing." Just see. What is the progress? If you cannot solve these problems, then what kind of progress you are making? But we are satisfied, "Yes, we are making progress." So this is called māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They are not making any progress, even an inch, and still, they are proud of their progressive knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

This is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Māyā. Mā means not. Not. Yā means this. This is māyā. He is thinking... The modern human society, they are thinking that advancing. But māyā. It is not. You are not advancing. What advancement you have made? Your problem is, the primary problem is, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Oh, that is not solved. Our problem is birth, death, old age and disease. And that is not solved. Then what nuisance you are doing in the name of progress? There is no progress. The real progress is to understand the laws of nature, how it is being conducted under the direction of the Supreme Lord. That is real progress.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

The miserable conditions of material life have been pointed out by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that the problem of life is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), meaning that birth, death, old age and disease, these are our problems. So long we are materially attached, we have to accept a type of body according to our resultant action of activities. There are 8,400,000 species of bodies. And after death, we have to accept one of the bodies. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We have to accept another body. We do not know what kind of body we are going to accept again. But you can accept a..., one of the bodies as you select. That selection must be made in this life.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if you like, you can go to the heavenly planets, higher planetary system. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). In the higher planetary systems, you get more, I mean to say, elevated standard of life. You can live there for millions of years, and there is better facilities for sense enjoyment. But anywhere you go within this material world, you cannot avoid the four principles, namely birth, death, old age and disease. The birth, death, old age and disease are the inconveniences of the body. The spirit soul has no birth, no death, no old age and no disease, neither the spirit soul is annihilated after the destruction of this body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is the statement of the Bhagavad-gītā, that after the annihilation of this body, the spirit soul does not annihilate. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to stop this disease: birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

We must utilize this human form of life for the highest achievement of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. It is very difficult to surpass the stringent laws of nature, especially birth, death, old age and disease. There has been much advancement in scientific knowledge in the modern age, but they have not been able to make any solution of the problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease. If you really, therefore, want to get out of the clutches of material energy, namely birth, death, and old age and disease, you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

All the members of Kṛṣṇa conscious society, they have given up. But for that reason we are not dying. It is not difficult. Simply we have to accept in the beginning there may be little inconvenience, but when you come to the platform, there is no inconvenience. So if we actually want to be cured from this diseased condition of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, we have to abstain from this sinful life. So it is not difficult. It requires little knowledge. As it is said, jñāna-tapasā, little knowledge and little austerities. Then you become purified, and mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ, you can go to the spiritual nature, the kingdom of God. I think this process is not at all difficult, and all the ladies and gentlemen who have come here will accept this process and make his life perfect.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Similarly, we are, we are prakṛti. Prakṛti means one who is controlled. That is called prakṛti. And puruṣa means the controller. So our position in this material world, that we have revolted against Kṛṣṇa, "Why should we, shall I serve Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore we are subjugated by the external energy, Kṛṣṇa's energy, material nature. We are not supposed to be controlled by material nature so that we are now under the jurisdiction of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

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

But in spite of different being, they are subjected to the material laws, the birth, death, old age and disease. They are not free from that. Nobody is free. Within this universe, anyone, either human being or demigod or animal or anyone, they are subjected to these four principles of miseries: birth, death, and old age and disease. So when you get out of this material world, then you get free from this. Their duration of life may be greater than your duration of life, but death is sure.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

The real problem is... It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. Nobody wants to take birth. At least nobody wants to die. Birth and death. Wherever there is birth, there must be death. Anything which is born must die. So janma-mṛtyu. And old age. So long you live, you have to change your position. So one position is this old age. Just like we have become old. There are so many complaints. Jarā. And vyādhi. And when we become diseased. Everyone should become diseased. Everyone should become old.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

We are trying to mitigate all our miserable conditions of life. That is struggle for existence. We are scientists. We are discovering many counteracting processes to get out of distresed condition. But the difficult position, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, we are avoiding. Because we cannot do anything. We cannot even... The so-called science, they cannot solve this problem. Although sometimes they falsely become proud that (indistinct) By science we shall be come immortal and so on. (indistinct) These things were tried before also by atheistic class of men like Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu. But it is not possible to become successful, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. That is not possible. If there is any possible process, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

Just like dress. Your shirt and coat is the covering of your real body. Similarly, this body, gross body and subtle body, made of material elements... The gross body is made of earth, water, air, fire. And the subtle body's made of mind, intelligence and ego. This is the shirt and coat. Within this shirt and coat, there is the soul. So the soul is now encaged in this material body. And our business in the human form of body. In animal form of body, we cannot do this. But the human form of body we can understand that "I am not this body." The body, this material body, is a outer encagement, and, because I have got this body, I am subjected to birth, death, old age and disease.

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

And ultimately, as Kṛṣṇa points out, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may have solved all other problems. Very good. But what about your birth, death, disease and old age? These are the intelligent questions. We have to answer. We have to make solution. Then you say that this material world is very nice. But if you are always faced with so many problems and still you say that "Material world is very nice," so what you are? Foolish. You do not know what is the meaning of pleasure.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Delhi, November 3, 1973:

So if we become bound up by pious or impious activities, then we'll have to accept this material body, karma-bandhana. And material body, as soon as you accept this material body, you are under the laws of material nature, especially birth, death, old age and disease. So you become bound up. Therefore this human form of life is especially meant for to get freedom from this bondage—birth, death and old age. But people do not understand.

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

The real science is how to stop this business. That is being advised in Bhagavad-gītā. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). People do not understand this, that our real problem is not become promoted to the higher position, but to stop this birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real problem. So Kṛṣṇa says that gata-saṅgasya.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

There will be no more scarcity of water. That is required. So these are the problems and so however we may solve all these problems, the problem of material existence, birth, death, old age and disease, that cannot be stopped, either you become Brahmā or something like that. That is not possible. That is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

The real way is to stop these four functions of my conditional life. The four functions of conditional life means birth, death, old age, and disease. Actually, I am a spirit soul. That is explained in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that the spirit soul is never born or is never dead. He continues his life even after the destruction of this particular type of body. This body is only a flash, for some years only. But it will be finished. It is being finished by degrees. Just like I'm an old man of seventy-three years old. Suppose if I live eighty years or a hundred years, these seventy-three years I have already died. That is finished. Now a few years I may remain. So we are dying from the date of our birth. That is a fact. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you the solution of these four problems. And Kṛṣṇa here is suggesting, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, your consciousness becomes always overwhelmed with Kṛṣṇa thoughts, then Kṛṣṇa says the result will be asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). "Then you will understand Me perfectly, without any doubt."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

But Kṛṣṇa says everything belongs to Him. So everything is His dhāma, His place, His abode. So why should we change here? But He says yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). Paramam means the supreme. In this dhāma also, they are Kṛṣṇa's dhāma, Kṛṣṇa's planets, but here it is not parama, the supreme. There are troubles. Just like this birth, death, disease, and old age. But if you return to Kṛṣṇa's personal abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, cintāmaṇi-dhāma (Bs. 5.29), then you get eternal life, blissful life, full of knowledge.

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

But Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "You have solved all your problems by your so-called scientific advancement; that is all right. But where is your solution of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease? Where is your solution?"

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

Try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. He is Kṛṣṇa undoubtedly, but people want to know actually what is Kṛṣṇa. That we are open. So if one simply understands what is Kṛṣṇa, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, there is no more taking birth. Punar janma. If you take birth, then there is death. If you stop your birth, then you can stop your death also. Because birth and death is in relationship with this body. If you don't have a material body, then there is no question of birth, death, old age and disease.

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

There are so many universities, so many educational institution all over the world, but nowhere there is department of understanding this science, how to stop birth, death, old age and disease. In the chemical laboratory, they are trying to manufacture chemicals for stopping birth, contraceptive. But there is no medicine that after taking this medicine or these chemicals, there will be no more death or no more birth, no more old age and no more disease. You can manufacture chemical or combination of medicine as counteracting the disease. Just like in the Western countries the cancer disease. There are so many chemicals and medicines they are discovering, but there is no medicine, no chemical, which can say that no more cancer disease. That is not possible.

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

So actual siddhi means to overcome these four principles of miserable condition of life. That is perfection. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everything is being attempted to suppress our miserable condition of life. That is going on. All advancement of science, knowledge, philosophy, theology, anything—the idea is how to stop the miserable condition of life. But the real miserable condition of life according to Bhagavad-gītā is birth, death, old age and disease. Don't go, take seriously, the side—miserable condition. Just like people are very much anxious to feed the hungry, the hungry men. Well, that you can do. That is nice business. But why don't you try that...

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: (BG 7.3) "Out of many, many millions of persons." Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to teach this perfection of life—how to become free from these four kinds of miserable conditions: birth, death, old age and disease. But how many are joining with us? Some of them are thinking these are fictitious. No, it is fact. It is scientific. It is scientific. But people have no interest in these things. They are simply interested in sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They have become mad, simply mad, to gratify senses. But they are forgetting that this human life is meant for making a solution for all the problems of life. They are not interested in that. They are thinking, "By increasing the volumes of sense gratification, that is perfection."

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

So we request you to read our books. We have got many volumes of books, but we are giving information to the people of the world that "You can get out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease and be transferred to the spiritual world, where you can live eternally with blissful life and full of knowledge."

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

So long you are in material condition, you have to suffer all these miseries, either you become rich man or poor man. You may become American or Indian. The miseries of birth, death, old age and disease, they are all the same everywhere, not only within this planet, but also in other planets also. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. This is the intelligence. They are trying to go to the moon planet, or somebody, by karma-kāṇḍīya consideration, they are trying to go to the heavenly planet. But wherever you go, you must know that these four conditions of material life, they are present. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

That we have to stop. We are trying our best to make solution of all problems of life. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), birth, death, old age and disease. But if you can conquer over birth, no more birth... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more birth. "Then it is finished? I am finished?" No, you are not finished. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti. "You come to Me. You come to Me." Go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very easy. Everyone can adopt. Why should you give up? Take it very seriously and be happy.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

So we materialists, we don't take into consideration that birth, death, disease and old age are the greatest miseries of our life due to our ignorance. But this ignorance has to be removed if one has to become out of these clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. This is not possible to remove by the so-called material science. Material science cannot remove these miseries. They can remove temporary, something artificially, some of our miseries. Just like we are feeling little warm. If the room was, had been air conditioned, we could feel some comfort. That is temporary. But our ultimate miseries are these four things: jarā-maraṇa-mokṣa. Jarā means old age and birth, death.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām āśritya. If one has to..., has the ambition for getting out of these clutches of birth, death, old age and disease, then one, if he's intelligent enough, then, jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām āśritya, under Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if one attains his life's living activities... Activities there must be. We cannot stop, so long we have got this body or we have no body. That is an activity... We are active. Every living soul is active by nature. But that activity should be coordinated, dovetailed. The activity should be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām āśritya yatanti ye. Yatanti means "one who endeavors in that way." Te brahma: "They are actually Brahman." Brahman means they are transcendental, in transcendental state. Te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam: "Or they can understand what is the meaning of Brahman, or the transcendental, Transcendence." Te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam adhyātmaṁ karma cākhilam: "They understand what is Brahman, and their work, their activities are also Brahman."

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Those who are in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, they are not interested in any planets of this material world. Why? Because they know. In any planet you can, you can raise yourself, you can elevate yourself, you can go there, but the four principles of material existence are there. What is that? Birth, death, disease and old age. Any planet you go. Your duration of life may be very, very longer than this earth, but death is there. Death is there. But those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or those who are otherwise, those who are not interested in this material life... Material life means birth, death, disease and old age, and spiritual life means relief from these botherations—no more birth, no more death, no more ignorance, no more misery.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

So this is our nature, that wherever we live... Because we are permanent. We are permanent. So we want permanent residence. That is our inclination. We don't wish to die. Why? Because we are permanent. Death is... Just like we don't want to be diseased. These are all artificial, external things: disease, death, birth, miseries. They are not our... They are external things. Just like sometimes you are attacked with fever. You are not meant for suffering from fever, but sometimes it comes upon you. So we have to take precaution, have to get out of it. So similarly, these four kinds of external afflictions—birth, death, disease and old age—they are due to this material body. And if we can get out of this material body, then we can get out of these implications.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

We have already discussed that we are trying to become happy by transferring ourself to the moon planet. Now the present movement is going there. We are thinking that if we can transfer ourself to the moon planet, we shall be happy. Oh, it is useless. Bhagavad-gītā has already informed you that even if you go to the highest planet, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), even if you go by some way or other... You cannot go. That is a dream only. But still, if you go by your sputnik or by aeronautic means, but still, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age and disease, you cannot avoid. So it is not our business to have our place anywhere within this material world. Either this country or that country or this planet or that planet, you'll never be happy. Here is information. Avyaktaḥ akṣara ity uktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim. If you can reach that highest perfectional stage of life, then only you'll no longer be required to come back again to this nonsense material world. Yes. This is the information you get.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

This knowledge is not meant for. Suppose we are discussing this knowledge, and when we say, "By understanding this knowledge there is no more birth, death, old age, and disease," ordinary person with less brain substance, they will laugh. They will say, "Ha, how it is possible?" Therefore it is very confidential. It is not open to everyone. It is meant for selected person. If I say that "I shall give you relief from birth, death, old age and disease," you'll not believe it. Therefore it is rāja-guhyam. Guhyam means very, very confidential.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram. Pavitram means very pure. Because unless we are purified, we cannot be free from these four miserable conditions especially, namely birth, death, old age, and disease. Birth, death, old age is meant for this body, and the body is obtained by the spirit soul. The spirit soul is pure; there is no doubt about it because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa or God. So God is pure. Just like gold is gold. And the fragments of gold is also gold, the same quality. But the fragments of gold sometimes becomes mixed up with dirty things. So we are in the same condition. Becoming fragments of God, we are sometimes put into this material world and we are materially contaminated. So this knowledge, rāja-vidyā, most confidential. If we can learn it, then we become pure, completely pure.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

Anyway, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that even if you go to the topmost planet, there is also birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot avoid this. So long you shall remain within this material world, you have to accept these four principles of material condition, that you'll have to die. Either you live for ten thousands of years or ten millions of years, it doesn't matter; you have to die. Even Brahmā dies, who has got many millions of years. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahmā's one day, daytime duration, which is calculated, our twelve hours. There are twelve hours, day, twelve hours, night. That is twenty-four hours. So Brahmā's one daytime duration, twelve hours ours, is calculated to be forty three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa (is) instructing that there are two pathways. One is go back to home, back to Godhead, and other path is remain in this material world which is full of miseries, especially birth, death, old age and disease. Two paths. Actually, we living entities, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. We are eternal part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we are part and parcel of Him, just like father is there and he may have many children. So every child is the part and parcel of the father. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, God, we all living entities, we are sons, or part and parcel of God. Qualitatively we are one. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. It is not a different thing. But one is small particle and one is big lump. But qualitatively, both of them are gold. So we are small particle of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, the great, God is great, and we are small particle.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Just imagine. Here in this material world there is sex life. That is considered to be the highest pleasure. But the spiritual world means there is no sex life. Although there are very beautiful women, very beautiful men, with four hands. The men are with four hands there and very attractive. All of them are young. They never become old. Because in the spiritual world there is no birth, death, old age and disease. That is spiritual world. So there is no... Old age is due to this body. Otherwise, spirit soul is everlastingly young. You can think over yourself. Just like I am now old man. So sometime I think that in my childhood, when I was born, I was jumping and dancing. Now I cannot do that. Because of this old body. So we are hampered on account of this material body. Encagement.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

There is no escape. Therefore it is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. And the, another path is, aprāpya mām, this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani means you don't get Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says aprāpya, not getting mām, Me. Two alternatives. Either you get Kṛṣṇa and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one path. And the other path that you remain in this material world and repeatedly get a body and die again, get again another body. This is going on. Repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So Kṛṣṇa is, because He is our supreme father, supreme friend... suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

To understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, little difficult because Kṛṣṇa says, "Out of many millions of person, one is interested to make his life perfect." Nobody is interested. Everyone is interested to live like animal, eat, drink, be merry and enjoy sex, and die like cats and dogs. That's all. This, so far, they know. But they do not know that we can make our life perfect here—no more death, no more birth, no more old age, no more disease. Who is interested? They think that this is story. No, it is fact. If you want to make your life so perfect, not to go through this process of birth, death, old age and disease, you can do that. There is process. But if we neglect, that is our business. But the śāstra, the knowledge, the Vedas, the big, big ācāryas, Kṛṣṇa, His incarnation, His devotees—they are simply trying to give you this knowledge that you can make your life perfect—no more death, no more birth, no more old age, no more disease. That you can make. That is possible.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

Therefore śāstra says that gurur na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt pitā na sa syāt, in this way, that na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This is the perfect knowledge, perfection of life. Samupeta-mṛtyum. We have got a situation in this material world, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. But śāstra says, "One should not become a guru, one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a relative, one should not become a friend," in this way, he says, "if one cannot give relief to his friend or son or disciple, relief from the impending birth, death, old age, and disease."

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

He is hungry but the mother is thinking that he wants to sleep or misunderstanding the child is uncomfortable. In this way childhood is past. Then again we become boy, again go to a school, again examination, again this. In this way the whole life is suffering. But under the spell of māyā, we are thinking we are happy. Therefore it is said mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. If we want to get relief from this business of birth, death, old age and disease, let us take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, and take His instruction directly and apply it in life. Your life will be successful. This is the subject matter of this chapter.

Lecture on BG 9.20-22 -- New York, December 6, 1966:

So these materialists... Anyone, even if you go to the higher planets, still, you are materialist. Even you go to the highest planet, Brahmaloka, where the duration of life you cannot calculate, still there is death. The material pangs, birth, death, old age and disease, there is. So in the Bhagavad-gītā we get all this information, where other planets are, what is the condition. Simply we have to know it from this book. Similarly, we have got information of the supreme planet Kṛṣṇaloka, or the planet of Kṛṣṇa, where you can go. The Lord says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "The planet where going you have no more to come back." Now, these planets, these material planets, as it is mentioned here, surendra-loka...

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Whatever stock we had, that is finished." Now they are simply to bluff, no more stock to give. They have given us motorcar and atomic bomb and aeroplane and electronic activities. So many things they have given. That's all right. Simply they could not give us relief from birth, death, old age, and disease. That's all. The real problems are there. But they have given some superfluous...

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

Who is interested? They are dying like cats and dogs. They have accepted, "Oh, death is..." That's all. But there is a solution of death, but they are not interested. They are prepared to die like cats and dogs. That's all. The human life is meant for making solution of birth, death, old age and disease, but they will not take it. "Oh, that's all right. Let us die." "You are going to accept a next life as a tree." "Never mind." They say like that. "I'll forget." "No, you'll have to stand up seven thousand years in one place." "That's all right." They have become so dull. This is called Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

So Sūta Gosvāmī said that everyone has got his particular duty, varṇa and āśrama. Atha pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got duty, but saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Nobody is concerned whether I am doing something, I am engaged in certain occupation, whether I am getting perfection. Because human life is meant for attaining perfection. And what is that perfection? That also we do not know. The perfection is to get out of this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is perfection. Nobody is serious. They are dying like cats and dogs, never mind. Nobody thinks that my perfection of life the cats and dogs are dying, I'll also die. Why shall I die like cats and dogs? I must know why death is there. I do not want death, why death is, that is humanity. Who wants to die? Nobody wants to die. And actually in modern science they are trying to combat all the material obstacles, but here is the main obstacle. That nobody wants to die but there is death.

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

So, the mind is within, the intelligence is within, the soul is within, and outside your body... So this body made of five elements, they are also Kṛṣṇa's energy, and within, the mind, intelligence and the soul, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Two kinds of energies: supreme, er, inferior and superior. Therefore He is outside and inside both. Bahir antaś ca bhūtānām. Every living entity, Kṛṣṇa is existing outside and inside. Therefore we have to purify both outside and inside. That is our human life. Human life means to become purified. Because we are not purified, therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is the problem. Because we are not purified...

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

If you are able to acquire that nature, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), then how is, how it is possible? That is mad-bhakta, mad-bhakta etad vijñāya (BG 13.19). These three things. What is this body, who is the owner of this body, what is knowledge, what is the object of knowledge. If we understand these three things, then we can get, revive our original position. We are also sac-cid-ānanda, but at the present moment our vigrahaḥ, our body is different. This is, subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. This we have to conquer; this is the problem. I don't want to die, why death is enforced upon me? That these rascals they have no brain. That I don't want to die. How I can escape death? Just like we are trying to escape disease. We don't want to be diseased. As soon as we become diseased, we go to a doctor, we take medical help. "Sir, cure my disease, cure my disease." Then why don't you go to a doctor who can give you relief from death? But they have no brain. The educational system is so rascaldom that there is no brain. All over the world. There is no institution where people are being taught how to conquer over death. There is no such institution.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

The animal thinks that "What can be done? I must be slaughtered." So the present civilization, also given to the laws of nature, being carried away by the waves of nature, and subjected to the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. No scientist can stop it. But still, they are very much proud of advancement. They do not know the real problem and how to solve it, but still, they are very much proud. Actual problem is this.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:

Ah. Mṛtyu. You conquer over this repetition of birth and death simply by this process of hearing, śruti-parāyaṇāḥ. Śruti-parāyaṇāḥ. If you simply hear Bhagavad-gītā from realized souls regularly, by hearing only, you will be able to conquer over birth, death, old age and disease. This is the result.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance to everyone to become devatā. It is so nice movement. Because without becoming devatā he'll be entangled. He'll be entangled. He'll have to. He has to continue this four process of birth, death, disease, and old age. That he has to. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that daivī sampad vimokṣāya. If you want to get rid of this troublesome material existence, threefold miserable condition of material existence, then you have to develop daivī sampat. That can be developed. It is not that stereotype, one who is condemned, he cannot be raised.

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

They are thinking that "Here this small span of life, say, fifty years, sixty years, hundred years, utmost, if we get a nice wife, a nice apartment and nice motor car, running with seventy miles speed, and a nice whiskey bottle..." That is his perfection. But that is not vimokṣāya. Real vimokṣa, liberation, means no more birth, death, old age and disease. That is vimokṣa. But they do not know even.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

They are on the same category: birth, death, old age and disease. They are on the same category. But we take care of two things, namely old age... We try to remain young by cosmetic, but that is not possible. Similarly, we want to live forever. The lady doctor was (saying), "Yes, we can extend little more." Then what...? After all, you have to die. Extend little more or little less, you cannot avoid death.

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

Real independence is how to get out of the clutches of these material laws. Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents before you the problem amongst... We have got so many problems, but that is temporary. Real problem is, Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). A man of knowledge should always keep in the front the real problem. What is that? Birth, death, old age, and disease. This is your real problem. So the human life is meant for solving these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we are pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to solve the ultimate problems of life. So our request is that you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously and solve the ultimate problems of life. And that problems of life can be solved simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:

I don't think they have been successful. But this is not a very difficult task. But even if you go to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is so long and the comforts of life are many, many thousand times what, which we can perceive here, Kṛṣṇa says that "Even you go there, then the birth, death, old age and disease is there.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Exactly like the state law, you may have faith or no faith; you must accept it. Otherwise it will be forcibly imposed upon you. So dharma, as it is explained in English dictionary, "a kind of faith," that is not proper meaning. Dharma means that you are obliged to obey the laws given by God. Just like our material condition, birth, death, old age and disease. So one may say that "I do not believe in death. That is false."

Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

So there are different types of bodies within this material world. We can compare. Just like ant's body, a fly's body, and my body. A fly's body may remain for few years, or, few hours. So our body may remain for few years. And similarly, there are other living entities like Brahmā, their body remains for a few decades. But every body, each body, is subjected to this law of nature: birth, death, disease, and old age. So God's body is not like that. It is eternal. Here in this material world we can possess a body which may exist for millions of years, but that does not mean it is eternal. It is not eternal. But God's body is eternal. Therefore, in the Vedic language, when it is said, nirākāra-nirākāra means "who has no form"—it does not mean that God has no form. He has got form, but His form is different from this form upon which you have got experience. Our experience is whatever form we can think of, even Brahma's form, that is liable to be annihilated. But God's form is not like that. So when in the Vedic language it is said, nirākāra—means nir, nir means "not," and ākāra means "form"—that means "God's form is not like ours." It is not that He has no form. He has form, but His form is different from ours.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

Besides that, so far I am concerned, I do not want so many things. So many things. Just like I do not want to become old, but old age is forced upon me. I must become old. I do not want to die. Then death is forced upon me. I do not want to take birth. These are all very troublesome business. We have forgotten birth, death, old age, and disease. But when we are within the womb of our mother, it is very precarious condition. Any medical man knows. We have to live there in this way, in a packed up bag, practically without any air. Airtight condition. Just imagine. Now just at the present moment if you are put into the airtight condition, you will die within three minutes or three seconds. The medical opinion is that. But in the womb of our mother we have to live for clear ten months or more than that in that airtight, packed-up condition. Just imagine how much troublesome condition was there. That is practical. We may have forgotten.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

You can theorize so many things. You may become a very great scientist, but when death will come, you cannot protect yourself. That is not possible. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be puffed up for advancement of your scientific knowledge, but you must be under the control of birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

According to your body, your eating problem, your sleeping problem, your sense gratification problem and defending problem are already settled. That is the verdict of the śāstra. Your real problem is, as our Pañca-draviḍa Mahārāja explained, how to solve the problem of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is your problem.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

That is the human life. You prepare yourself for higher standard of life or to make a permanent solution of your miserable condition of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. This is required. This is human business, or dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

We feel inconvenienced for working so the scientist has given us the car. So every attempt is being made for vimukti, for getting out of some inconvenient position. But they do not know ultimate vimukti. What is the ultimate vimukti? Ultimate vimukti is to get freedom from birth, death, old age, and disease. That is ultimate goal. The modern scientists, they are giving us so many facilities to get out of some material difficulties but that is temporary. That is not actually vimukti. Actual vimukti is to get freedom from birth, death, old age, and disease. That vimukti can be achieved from Kṛṣṇa, hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti.

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

"Out of many thousands of people, millions of people," sahasrāṇām... Sahasrāṇām means many thousands times of thousands. So a man tries to become siddha. Siddha means perfect. What is that perfection? The perfection means to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is perfection. This is perfection. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9).

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So here Bhāgavata says that dharma... You take to, to the principles of religion for going up to the point of liberation, āpavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. This is meant for getting out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real... The first step is religiosity. Unless you are pious, religious, there is no possibility of getting liberation. Therefore there are different types of dharma prescribed, twenty types of dharma. The beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma. The people have lost even varṇāśrama-dharma, what to speak of other dharmas. The first beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma, to become brāhmaṇa, to become kṣatriya, to become vaiśya. So in the Kali-yuga the time is so bad that even there is no fixity of this varṇāśrama-dharma. Nobody knows who is brāhmaṇa, who is śūdra. Because the quality is the same now, eating, sleeping, mating—animal quality. You can become a brāhmaṇa by sacred thread. That is a different thing. But there are brāhmaṇa and brahminical qualifications. That is real brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

So here Sūta Gosvāmī is explaining that what is dharma. Dharma means dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Dharma means to disentangle yourself from these material complexities. That is dharma. Now, the same thing... Anywhere you go, the Vedic literature, the same thing is there. Dharma means to mold your life in such a way that ultimately you become disentangled from this complication of material life. The complication of, essence of the complication, is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) "Birth, death, old age, and disease." This is material complication because we living entity, na jāyate na mriyate vā; we have no birth, no death. This is our position. We are... Simply we are changing body.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa gives the essence of knowledge, janma... Jñānī means one who can see "What is the problem of my life." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is the problem. Therefore dharma means āpavargyasya, how to avoid birth, death, old age and disease. Apavarga. Pavarga. Pavarga... Those who are educated in India, they know that pa-varga, ka-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga. So here it is pa-varga: "pa, pha, ba, bha, ma." So pa means pariśrama, laboring. And pha means the hard laboring so that foam comes out of the mouth. Pa, pha, ba. Ba means baffled.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

Parataḥ means by instruction or superior persons. Parataḥ. Svataḥ, by reading himself. Mitho 'bhipadyeta, or holding big, big meeting. They cannot understand. Why? Because gṛha-vrata. Gṛha-vratānām. What is the business of gṛha-vrata? Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). By being unable to control the senses, creating another body. Another body, the sense gratification. Either as god or demigod or as dog or as hog or as human being, as tree or insect. The business is āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaḥ. The same thing he is doing. He does not know the real business is how to get out of this entanglement of pavarga, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. He does not know. There is no science, there is no education. There is only education in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore you have to, if you want to save the world, if you want to save the human civilization, you have to make to this proposition of Bhagavad-gītā, learn it scientifically, and make your life successful.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is father for all living entities. They are simply struggling here in this material world under different desires, and therefore they are getting transmigrating from one body to another, and in this way they are wandering within this material world. That is their real disadvantageous position. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is the real problem. Whole spiritual process should be executed to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. So Kṛṣṇa therefore comes, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. "Why you are struggling so hard?" For ānanda. Everyone is struggling for ānanda, but he does not know whether ānanda is there. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the reservoir of ānanda Therefore you will see Kṛṣṇa's picture always in ānanda. Wherever you see Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is in the battlefield, still, He is smiling, ānanda. He is not morose. Arjuna is morose. But He is not morose. Because he is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is the real problem. Whole spiritual process should be executed to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. So Kṛṣṇa therefore comes, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. "Why you are struggling so hard?" For ānanda. Everyone is struggling for ānanda, but he does not know whether ānanda is there. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the reservoir of ānanda Therefore you will see Kṛṣṇa's picture always in ānanda. Wherever you see Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is in the battlefield, still, He is smiling, ānanda. He is not morose. Arjuna is morose. But He is not morose. Because he is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

The distress of birth, death, disease and old age equally there, either you become born in a very high family or either you born in a very low family, either you're born in India or you are born in America. This suffering, the four kinds of sufferings are everywhere. Not only India and America, they are in this planet, but even if you go to the moon planet or if you go to the sun planet. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Even the highest planet. The modern scientist says that if we want to go to the highest planet it will take forty thousands of years. No. Four hundred thousands of years. Something like that they say. By sputnik.

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

So karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ. Manīṣiṇaḥ means thoughtful, those who are thoughtful, those who have understood that "I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness and let me act in that way"... Then what will be the result? Just see the fine result: janma-bandha-vinirmuktāḥ padaṁ gacchanty anāmayam: "Then he becomes free from the bondage of birth and death, no more birth and death." Janma-bandhana. This is a, this is a very strong shackle. You see? Janma. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). The modern scientists, modern philosophers, they do not think about these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, disease and old age. They set it, set them aside. "Oh, let them be happy. Let us enjoy this life, hogs and dogs." This is human life. Human life is meant to make a solution of this bondage: life, I mean, birth, death, disease and old age. If the human civilization has not made a solution of these four things, oh, that is not human civilization. Human civilization is meant for making a complete solution of these things.

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

So we shall not be concerned with pious activities or impious activities. We shall be concerned with transcendental activities. That will save me from this bondage of birth, death, old age and disease. That should be our aim of life. We should not be hankering after good or bad things. Because everything here, in higher consciousness, everything material... Now, take for example... Suppose you are diseased, suffering from some disease. You are lying on the bed. And you are eating in that stage, you are passing your nature's call in that way, and taking bitter medicines, and always you have to keep by the nurses clean. Otherwise, there is some obnoxious smell. In such a condition you are lying, and some friends come to you and ask you, "My dear such and such, how are you today feeling?" "Yes, I am today feeling well." What is this "well"? He's lying on the bed.

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

These things are goodness of this material world. But that does not make solution of the disease in which... (break)...vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease. The whole problem is that we have to get out of this material existence. So the, from the material point of view, or platform, any act, good or bad, that will have material reaction. And we are, we want to get out of this material reaction. That is our point of view. (end)

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

Those who are contaminated with tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, they can create their own God. There are different types of "God" also. In one sense everyone is God. God means the controller. So everyone is to some extent a controller. But as I have explained several times, real controller means who is not controlled by others. That is God. If I am controlled by the material nature, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā... (BG 7.14). Birth, death, old age and disease, if I am controlled by these conditions of nature, then how I can become God? God is never controlled. Therefore one who can understand God must be free from the contamination of this material nature. Mukta-saṅgasya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:

You cannot get release. If you want to get release, then you have to come to Viṣṇu. Then you will get release. Śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Viṣṇu can do. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. This is Hari. If you do not surrender to Hari, then you cannot get release from these four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

Now, for our..., solving our problems... What is our problems? That we do not know. There is a great problem. The problem is repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Those who are intelligent, they will..., they will see that these are the real problems. But they do not care. Mṛtyu, they think, "All right, it is coming naturally. Let us die." But they do not know, after death, where he's going? "Never mind. I shall forget." People say like that. In Western countries, when I speak, these questions are raised and they are so callous, they say, "Never mind. Next time, if I become a dog, what is the harm? I'll forget that I was a man." Plainly they say.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

If we want to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, then we must take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. And Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all viṣṇu-tattva. That means we must become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our highest benefit of life.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

This is material world. They are saying "Don't... There is no God. We don't care for God. We are, everyone, God." But māyā, the police force, is there, kicking on the face. And they are subjected to so many tribulations, miserable conditions of life. Especially birth, death, old age and disease. Now you don't care for God. So why don't you stop your death? You stop your death. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham, "To the rascals and the demons, I am death. I take away everything." Sarva-haraḥ. Sarva-haraḥ means these rascals are trying to possess so many things: cars, motorcars, skyscraper building, bank balance, big family, big friends, big empire, and so many things. But when death comes, he cannot protect himself, what to speak of protecting other things. You see? So he's under full control, the demons. And every moment, he's under control.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

So, so long we have got anxiety, there is no question of happiness. And other things... Just like threefold miseries. Miseries means we have got three kinds of miseries: miseries pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, and pertaining to other people with whom we have got connection, and pertaining to the nature's disturbance. So there are so many miseries, threefold miseries. Adhyātmika adhibhautika adhidaivika. And besides that, we have got birth, death, old age and disease. So in this... So long we have got this body, there is no question of happiness. If somebody is satisfied that "I am happy," he is cheating himself. Happiness has to be found out. The Bhagavad-gītā says that sukham ātyantikaṁ yat (BG 6.21). If you want supreme happiness, then you have to search out beyond the sense happiness. We are entrapped here in this material world in sense happiness. If our senses are satisfied, we think we are happy. But Bhagavad-gītā says that real happiness is to be searched out beyond the senses, transcendental.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

But Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says, (chuckling) "Oh, you are trying to go to other higher planets by your karma, by his work? Oh, this is just like horse egg. Huh? Why should you bother yourself?" Horse egg means it has no substance. As, like there is no existence of horse egg, similarly, even if you attain that higher planetary system, what do you gain by that? You don't gain anything, because the four principles of material existence will continue there also. Birth, death, old age, and disease, you cannot stop. You may live for a greater period—that is possible in higher planets. But if you are simply satisfied only by living a bigger span of life, is that very success? Just stop death. That is success. To become very strong in body, that is not success. But either you become strong and weak, you have to die. There is no, I mean to say, excuse, because you are a strong man you will not die. Or because you are rich man you will not die. Because you are... No. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says, it is just like ākāśa-puṣpa, phantasmagoria.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

Brahmā, he also dies. Although he has got very, very long duration of life, he also dies. So Kṛṣṇa therefore recommends, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "If you come to My place, then you are no more under the laws of birth, death, old age, and disease." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That should be the aim of life. Those... There are others who are aspiring to go to the heavenly planet or Satyaloka or Brahmaloka, but Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that "Why we should go to the heavenly planet or Brahmaloka or any other material planet? We shall go directly to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana." That is the aim of the devotees.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

So death means very, very painful, as much as birth is also very, very painful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyadhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One who is intelligent enough, he should always keep before him the sufferings of birth, death, old age, and disease in front. (aside:) You can, side. Birth, death, old age and..., they are very suffering condition, but if one is advanced devotee, he's not afraid of. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ, he's never afraid of. Death is coming, that's all right. What is the wrong there? Provided he knows that "After giving up this body, I am going to Kṛṣṇa"? Dhīras tatra na muhyati. He's dhīra. One who is dhīra, he's not afraid of.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

He is giving assurance. "My dear..." Everyone of us, we are children of Kṛṣṇa, God. So He is more unhappy. Because we are unhappy on account of this material body, we are undergoing repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is not very comfortable situation. But we are so fool, rascal, that we do not take care of this. We are busy for a temporary comfort of this life. But we are neglecting the real discomforts of life, birth, death, old age and disease. This is our ignorance. This is our foolishness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

That should be the aim of human life. So they do not know what is ātyantika-duḥkha. Duḥkha means suffering. So ātyantika-duḥkha is pointed out in the Bhagavad-gītā. "Here is the ātyantika-duḥkha, sir." What is this? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:

Why the human society will have such problem? That is not at all problem. Real problem is how to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. That problem is being solved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you simply understand what is Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), there are no more material birth.

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

Therefore in this human life, if we do not purify our existence, then we go on with this impure existence. Impure existence means transmigration of the soul from one body to another, and become subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. This is impurification. So they do not know that "Death is not my obligation. Because I am impure, therefore I am dying. Birth is not my obligation. Because I am impure, therefore I am taking birth." Janma-mṛtyu... Four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Janma, birth, is due to my impure consciousness. Therefore if we purify our consciousness by advancing, by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we become pure. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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

Just like for being cured from your attack of cold and cough, you take so many medicine, go to so many physician, you spend some money. Why? You want to be cured. Similarly, if you understand that "This is my disease, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease," so you'll have to sacrifice. Just like you are sacrificing money for being cured from the diseased condition, similarly, śāstra says that this human life is meant for tapasya, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). This human life is meant for tapasya, not for indulging in sensual gratification like the animals. Tapasya. So in the tapasya method these things are prescribed. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is mentioning them.

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means training people how to become tapasvī, tapasvī, who is undergoing tapasya, regulative, so that he may be cured from this permanent disease, birth, death, old age and disease. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The whole Vedic process is meant for that purpose, to purify the existence of the living being so that he can be saved from the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. You read some of the purport.

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

So don't make ca-ca ca when you assemble together. That is my request. If you have got time, spare time, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... That should be your business. This is tapasya. Tendency is to crow, to make vibration like these frogs. That is our tendency. Because we are also conditioned souls, and the frogs, or any animal, they are also conditioned souls, conditioned by the material nature. Therefore tapasya, austerity, is required to nullify, to counteract this conditional state of living. Now we are conditioned. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are conditioned by these four principles: birth, death, old age and disease. This is our condition. The scientist rascals, they are trying to improve the condition of living, but what is the improvement? There is death, there is birth, there is old age, and there is disease. No improvement. If you want to improve your condition, if you want to come back to original constitutional position, then tapasya, then you require to undergo austerity.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

At least, as a big scientist, it was expected that "Do something wonderful." They might have discovered so many wonderful. The real problem—birth, death, old age and disease—there is no discovery. That I was talking, that discover something by which there will be no disease. You are discovering very nice medicine. The drug shop is full with various types of up-to-date medicine, but none of the medicine is sufficient to make a man not to die. That is not possible. Or not to become diseased. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

No. You have to go. Similarly, real problem is how to solve this birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In all circumstances, we have to pull on our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That business do not forget. Then you are missing the point. Satatam, always, yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). That is the instruction. This world is full of struggle. That's a fact, everyone knows. But just like Arjuna was advised that yudhyasva, "You fight; at the same time, remember Me." Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). Similarly, in different fields of activities you have to fight. This is a world of fighting. But do not forget Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

Actually if you go moon planet, you can live for ten thousands of years. That is the statement in the śāstra. But after ten thousand of years you have to die. So if you go to any planet, within this material world, the four material, I mean to say, problems, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow you. You may live in one planet. Just like we are allowed to live on this planet utmost hundred years, not more than that. Or the ant is allowed to live for six hours. Or another fly is allowed one moment. There are different varieties of... Or Brahmā is allowed to live for millions of years. So according to the different types of body, we are allowed to live under certain duration of life. But nobody can be immortal here. That is not possible. That is possible when you transfer yourself to the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). That is possible. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching, educating people in such a way not only he goes to the spiritual world, but he goes to the highest planet of the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa is there. Where Kṛṣṇa is there.

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

History. History they can hear. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "It is the duty of a human being, even from childhood, kaumāra..." Kaumāra means from the age of fifth year up to tenth year. This is called kaumāra. So people should be educated about this, that the problem is how to stop janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). This education. This is called Bhāgavata instruction. You are noting. We are talking on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The subject matter is how one shall transfer himself from this material world to the spiritual world and thereby stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is the whole subject matter.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

What is the impurification of existence? The impurification of existence is this birth, death, old age and disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everyone is inclined to live, but nature will not allow you to live. Nobody likes to die, but nature will force you to become dead. Nobody wants to become old man, but nature will force you to become old man. Janma... And nobody wants to suffer from diseases, but nature will force you to suffer from diseases. These are the problems. But the rascal civilization, they do not know what is the real problem.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

The Bhagavad-gītā says that problem, one should be very vigilant to the problem. And what is that problem? He says, Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They do not know what is the real problem. Real problem is repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. Whole Vedic civilization is meant for stopping these problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. The whole Bhagavad-gītā is taught... You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You just try to understand what is the real problem. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

They will come and go away. So don't be bothered about them. If you feel botheration, just try to suffer or tolerate. That is not your real problem. Real problem is how to stop the birth, death, old age and disease, and that is Vedic civilization, and that is depending on the brahminical culture.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Finish this business of birth, death, old age and disease in this life. You can do that. This is our main business, not to make arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating and defending under different garb, under different pretext. That is not our business. Our main business is...

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Delhi, November 4, 1973:

We are working very hard in this material world, but we are not preparing ourself for death, which is a "must" fact. Everyone must die. The modern civilization, they are afraid of death, but they do not know how to counteract death. This is the modern civilization. But there is process. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa informs us that our real problem of life is death—birth, death, old age and disease. Birth is the beginning and then, one who has taken birth, he must die. Yāvat, yāvaj jananaṁ tāvan maraṇam. But if one does not take birth, then he does not die. This is the actual problem. Why we have to take birth? People do not know even that there is again life after death. And Bhagavad-gītā's first instruction is tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

It is information is there that there is another nature which is sanātana, eternal. This nature, this material nature, darkness, is not eternal, temporary. Just like your body, my body, everyone's body is temporary. Similarly, this universe, this gigantic body, this is also temporary. It has got a date of creation, and it will be annihilated at a certain date, everything. Therefore, this dark world or nature is subject to birth, death, old age, and disease, whereas that nature which is full of light, that is eternal and even after annihilation of this material world, it remains. That is called sanātana, eternal.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

In this way we have to mold our life if we are actually interested to become free from this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), if we actually want to get free from the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is our real problem. People do not understand that this is our real problem. They are simply engaged in some temporary problem. The real problem is that "Why I am dying? In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) 'The soul does not die even after the destruction of this body.' So why my body should be destroyed?"

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

He does not know what is the real problem, but he is very busy with the superficial problems. Therefore śāstra says that these people, blind, they do not know what is the problem. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). My real self-interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is my real self-interest. They do not know. They want to live here, which is described as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), simply a place of miserable conditions and repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

So this is not problem. Real problem is to understand God. And what will the benefit by understanding God? Then the problem of your birth, death, old age and disease will be solved. That is the real problem. We are undergoing repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. These problems can be solved simply by understanding what is God. This is the solution.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-4 -- Los Angeles, May 24, 1972:

It is said there that those who are bereft of all good sense, or those whose intelligence is withdrawn by the deluding energy of māyā, aspire to achieve all sorts of material enjoyment in life by pleasing the various demigods, or by advancing in material civilization under the heading of scientific progress. The real problem of life in the material world is to solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being, and due to material infection only, the eternal living being is subjected to the law of birth, death, old age, and disease. The materialistic way of pious activities like charity, etc., is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brāhmaṇa. If the money is given in charity to a non-brāhmaṇa without brahminical qualification, the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion. If it is given in charity to a half-educated brāhmaṇa, even then the money is returned double. If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and thousand times, and if the money is given to a veda-pāraga, one who has actually realized the path of the Vedas, it is returned by unlimited multiplication.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

Anything, any spiritual process, is meant for cleansing the heart. Either you take karma-yoga or jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga or bhakti-yoga, the ultimate goal is that cleansing the heart. At the present moment I am under misconception, dirty things accumulated on my heart, that "I am this body," and therefore I do not try to realize that I am soul, and under bodily concept of life... As the animals they are also in bodily concept of life, they are busy eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Similarly, human civilization has become like animals. They are interested only in eating, sleeping, mating, and defense. That's all. But that is not our position. It is a chance to get out of the entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease.

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

The more you are in sattva-guṇa, you get higher level of living in higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). Those who are on the modes of goodness of material nature, they go higher and higher, higher and higher. But Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is also not security, that you get rid of the four principles of material life, birth, death, old age, and disease. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Again coming down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa...

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

Because the individual soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa wants that "This individual soul, rascal, he is so much attached for material enjoyment, which is the cause of his bondage, birth and death, old age and disease, and he's so fool that he does not take into consideration that 'Why I should be subjected to repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?' "He has become so fool. Mūḍha. Therefore they have been described: mūḍha, ass. Ass... Just like ass does not know why he is loading so much, so many cloths of the washerman. What for? He has no profit. None of the cloth belongs to him. The washerman gives a little morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. If the... But the ass thinks that "This morsel of grass is given by the washerman. Therefore I must carry the heavy load, although not a single cloth belongs to me."

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:

That is not possible. There is famine; there is pestilence; there is no rain; there is excessive heat, excessive cold. They are called adhidaivika. Earthquake..., so many. So this is the reminder, that "You rascal, you are thinking you are very happy in this material world. What you have done about these sufferings?" Mūḍha. They think, "Oh, this is all right. It doesn't matter." Besides that, there is very grave sufferings. That is birth, death, old age, and disease. So where is your happiness? But because we are under the spell of māyā, we are thinking, "This position is very nice. Let us enjoy life." This is their enjoyment.

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

So amṛtatvāya kalpate. Amṛta means no more birth and death. Mṛta means birth and death, mṛtyu, but amṛta means to stop birth and death. The whole spiritual life means to stop this birth, death, old age and disease, to get amṛta, no more birth, no more death. That is the real aim of spiritual life. Of course, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the spiritual life begins if one is pious, if one is pious. Ārto arthārthī jijñāsuḥ. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. Kṛṣṇa said, "Four classes of men..." Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Sukṛti. Sukṛti means pious. One who has got background, pious life, not impious life, sinful life, such pious men, out of them, four classes of men, catur-vidhāḥ, they come to devotional life, begins.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

So these things you have to pass. And again disease, again old age, and again death, and again birth. This is bhayaṁ tīvram. But the... We have become... By the spell of māyā, by illusion, we are thinking, "Now we are making very much progress." What progress you have made? Have you stopped birth, death, old age, and disease? These troubles are awaiting. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You should always think that "I am waiting for the miserable condition." It is already miserable condition. Even in living time there are threefold miseries. Even you sit down peacefully, then the mosquito will bite you, bugs will bite you, and you will get some letter from some enemy. So even if you cannot sit down peacefully... If you think, "Now I am sitting at my home very peacefully," so many things will disturb you one after another. That is called tīvram, bhayaṁ tīvram.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

But we are so bold that we are not afraid of it. That is foolishness. If we become overbold, "I don't care for these things," that is foolishness. Mūḍha. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. There are... He is awaiting so many troubles in birth, death, old age, and disease. Therefore, the atheist class, they want to forget this. They think that there is no life after death. Just like I have given several times the example: The rabbit, when there is some enemy, it will immediately kill him, and he closes the eyes so that there is no enemy. So similarly, we are... we have become so foolish about this birth, cycle of birth and death, and we do not ever think that how to get out of this birth and death and threefold misery of this material world. That means the whole subject matter of suffering is this material body. Because we are accepting this body, therefore there are so many troubles. Therefore the solution is how to stop this acceptance of material body again and again. That is intelligence. That is intelligence.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tīvraṁ bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools. We are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth—there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

So we must have sense and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to save ourself from this material condition of life, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. And if you think, when Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me. I will give you protection"... So because we are foolish, we think Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because we are mūḍhas, rascals, we think that Kṛṣṇa is a person like us. Mānuṣīm. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He comes to be visible by us exactly in the same way as we are. Mānuṣīṁ tanum. But we think, when Kṛṣṇa comes, "Oh, He is a man. He is a man like us. God is different." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. Because we are mūḍhas. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:

"He's the first-class yogi who is always thinking of Me.' And who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa unless he is a devotee? Therefore you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa without becoming a devotee. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā He says to Arjuna, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: (BG 4.3) "I am talking to you the same old system of yoga, Bhagavad-gītā, because you are My devotee." So if you actually want liberation or fearlessness, no more fear, and if you want actually to become immortal, no more birth, death, old age, and disease, then you have to accept the words of Kṛṣṇa. As He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is bhakti. That is bhakti. So you have to take.

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

So we are nitya-baddha, eternally bound up, by these laws of material nature, and we are wandering throughout the universe according to karma. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If we work on the sattva-guṇa... Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi... We... Vicitra: there are so many varieties. So we may go sometimes up to Brahmaloka. That is not very difficult. But ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Either you go to Brahmaloka or Pātālaloka or any loka, this form or that body, you will have to go through these four principles of material condition: birth, death, old age and disease.

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

This is not svātantrya. Pāra-tantrya. Although constitutionally the living entity is svātantrya, asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ, but because we accepted to be satisfied under the control of material nature, that is called pāra-tantrya, and that is called saṁsṛtiḥ. Saṁsṛtiḥ means continuously repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is called saṁsāra.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

So we cannot be happy in this puruṣa mentality to enjoy this material world. We can never be happy. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Even if you are... Now, just like they are trying to go to the moon planet... But what this moon planet? It is very near. Even if you go to the topmost planet, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), the struggle will go on. You cannot be happy. Either you go to the heavenly planet or the moon planet or the Brahmā planet, anywhere in this material world, the four things—birth, death, old age, and disease—will go on. You cannot stop it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't try to be elevated to the higher planetary system, to the moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet. Try to come to Me." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

The real problem is, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Our real miserable condition of life is birth, death, old age, and disease. Where is scientific help to mitigate these miseries? There is no stoppage of birth; there is no stoppage of death; there is no stoppage of disease. You can manufacture very good medicine for disease, but you stop disease. That is not possible. So our so-called meritorious activities in scientific research and education, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtinaḥ, mischievous activities. Duṣkṛtinaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

So Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Saṅkarṣaṇa, or other Viṣṇu form, or the living entities who are living there in those Vaikuṇṭha planets, they have no anxiety. There is no anxiety, neither there is influence of this māyā, neither there are the activities of the three modes of material nature. That is called spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. They are free. Neither there is birth, death, old age, and disease. These things are absent. Everyone is full of transcendental bliss. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature they are ānandamaya, always jolly. And here also, in this material world, when we become free from this material concept of life, bodily concept of life, when we are fully aware of the thing that "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi," he also becomes jolly because he acquires the spiritual quality. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. That is the sign.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

So any system of yoga, either haṭha-yoga, jñāna-yoga, or... Karma-yoga is in the lowest standard. And above all, bhakti-yoga. Then, when you come to the bhakti-yoga, that is the perfection of life. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale (SB 1.7.4). Bhakti-yogena amala: "The mind becomes cleansed." Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). That is the effect of..., direct effect of bhakti-yoga, because the mind is now contaminated, and under the creation of senses and sense activities, we are making millions and trillions of ideas and become entangled in that idea. We have to accept millions and trillions of body and then go on in the cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. This is implication. So purify the mind. That is the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. When our mind is cleansed... This is mahā-dāvāgni. This expansion of mental ideas, thousands and millions, that is mahā..., bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. So it is the duty of guru to get out his disciple from the bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. Kāruṇya, kāruṇya.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

This is your real misery of life." What you are thinking of this misery or that misery? They are all temporary. They are all under the laws of material nature. You cannot get out of it. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti will force you to do something because you have contaminated the material modes of nature. Therefore you have to act under the direction of this prakṛti, material nature. And so long you are under this material nature, you have to accept this birth, death, old age and disease. This is your real misery. We are thinking temporary miserable condition. Śāstra says that "You don't require to adjust temporary material misery or happiness, because they will come and go. You are destined to certain type of miserable condition of life, certain type of so-called happy life. That will automatically come and go just like seasonal changes." Āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. We are very much happy when we are in a very good condition of life. But that will also not stay. That will also go away. Then miserable condition. Cakravat parivartante sukhāni ca duḥkhāni ca. Sometimes happy, sometimes miserable.

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

What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may enjoy very nicely because you are Englishman or American, you have got money, but what about the question of death? Do you enjoy death? If a body is... Of course, one who is frustrated, one who wants to commit suicide, that is a different thing. For a sane man, does he enjoy birth, death, old age and disease? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā points out that you may feel very happy with your so-called material senses, but you should see to the real problem of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: birth, death, old age and disease.

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

Death does not mean happiness, disease does not mean happiness, birth does not mean happiness, old age does not mean happiness. So when you are happy? If you are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease, then where is your happiness? That is called illusion, māyā. Actual happiness is not there. Therefore Vedic literature informs: ramante yoginaḥ anante (CC Madhya 9.29). The yogis, they enjoy happiness unlimitedly. There is no end. Here in this material world you may enjoy anything, but it will have its end after a few minutes. That's all. You cannot enjoy perpetually. That is not possible. Therefore... But we are hankering after perpetual happiness, continued happiness. So Ṛṣabhadeva advised, "My dear boys, you take to austerity." Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). "After you are purified, then brahma-saukhyam anantam, then you get unlimited happiness."

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

So therefore, this human form of life, as it is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, is not meant for unnecessary sense gratification. This is not meant for. This is meant for the hogs and dogs, not for the human beings. This is division of life. The human life is to make a solution of all the problems of life. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. All other problems, they are secondary. So you can conquer over this birth and death and old age and disease. There is possibility. Here is a chance of human form of life. Here you take a chance. Don't lose it, don't spoil it like hogs and dogs. That is the propaganda of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't take it that it is a type of sectarian religion. No. It is a culture. It is meant for every human being. Therefore we are trying to propagate this movement all over the world, without any consideration of caste, creed and nation.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

This human form of life is meant for austerity." "Why austerity? Let us enjoy." "No." Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: "If you accept the path of austerity, then your existence will be purified." Now, at the present moment, the existence is not purified; therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is not our business. But because we have got this material body, the nature's law forces to accept all these things—birth, death, old age and disease. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are trying to be happy fighting with unhappiness, but we do not know our real unhappiness are that we have to die, we have to take birth again, we have to become diseased and we have to accept old age. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. This is intelligence, that "I am trying to solve all the problems of life by advancement of civilization, education, scientific knowledge and so many things. That's all right. But what is the solution of my, these four principle of miserable condition: birth, death, old age and disease?" And because we cannot make any solution, we set aside these four problems. We go on with the temporary problems and become busy to solve it, and in this way we waste our, this valuable human form of life like the cats and dogs. This is the instruction.

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

So we have discussed this verse yesterday. It is very essential that this human form of body is meant for rectifying or purifying our existence. That they do not know, especially in the modern age, that this body is temporary and we living entities, we are eternal and this is our bondage. So long we are within this material body, it is our bondage. Real life is eternal life, without any birth, death, old age and disease. Where is that science? There is no such department of knowledge that how one can live eternally without any disease, without any old age and without any death and without any birth. If there is birth there is death. And between the two, birth and death, there is old age and disease. Where is that scientist who are trying to solve this problem?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

So we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa admits, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). We are sons of God, Kṛṣṇa. Not that by imagination; God Himself says. And all śāstra says that jīva is equal in quality with God. That's a fact. Then why we are subjected to this birth and death, old age and disease? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are trying to solve all problems of life, but real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Where is that scientist, where is that education to conquer over birth, death, old age and disease? They are trying to control: birth control, over-population. But that is not a problem. Birth control cannot be. That cannot be.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

What is the use of purifying? There is need. If you purify, purify yourself, existentional condition, then you will be saved from the four kinds of troubles or miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. So God realization means spiritual realization. So Ṛṣabhadeva says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1), by purification of your existentional condition you enjoy brahma-saukhyam. After all, we are searching after happiness, pleasure. So on account of our impure existential condition, our so-called happiness is temporary. Brahma-saukhyam means, here again, yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed, when your existence is purified. Now we have got impure existence, this material body. When we get our spiritual body, that is called purified. So Ṛṣabhadeva says sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. As soon as you get your spiritual body, then there is unlimited happiness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Now the process is prescribed how to execute this tapasya life. Ṛṣabhadeva says, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes, to get liberation, liberated from this entanglement of material life, one has to serve mahat, great saintly person. (break) Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2), vimukteḥ means for liberation. If you want to get liberation from this material bondage, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease, and not only that, so long we live there are so many miserable conditions of life. This is called material existence. If we want to get out of this entanglement, then we must take to the service of great saintly personalities. So, that is the way for liberation, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. There are two, just like we are in the crossroad, which way we shall go? That can be understood in this human form of life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

They would not tolerate. Similarly we are also being driven by the laws of nature to accept these inconveniences, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. But at the present moment, why at the present moment, always, these people, these rascal people, they do not know that we can be rescued from this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. They have no idea. And that is civilization. How to get out of this birth, death, old age, and disease, that is civilization. But no one, nobody knows, scientists no, philosopher no, politician. They can concede that there is such possibility.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

They would not tolerate. Similarly we are also being driven by the laws of nature to accept these inconveniences, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. But at the present moment, why at the present moment, always, these people, these rascal people, they do not know that we can be rescued from this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. They have no idea. And that is civilization. How to get out of this birth, death, old age, and disease, that is civilization. But no one, nobody knows, scientists no, philosopher no, politician. They can concede that there is such possibility.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Therefore all our sufferings are due to this body. And this human body is the junction, the crossing point, whether I want to cure myself completely from this disease of birth, death, old age and disease or I want to continue. That we must make a decision. If we think, "Oh, it is very nice. Let us have this body. Never mind. Sometimes we suffer from disease, suffer from old age, or birth, death. Never mind." But that is the general impression of the general public: "Oh, we don't care what is going to happen." That is irresponsible life. But if a human being is responsible, if he actually wants healthy life—healthy life means without birth, death, old age and disease... That is healthy life. Our conception of healthy life is not to become too much fatty, or robust body. Robust body or fatty body or any body, this body, everything will finish. Our proposition is that how to conquer death, birth, old age and disease. That is our proposition. So if one is serious to conquer over these four principles of life and desiring eternal nonstoppage happiness and pleasure—the same thing, pleasure means there is... The same... Just like the pleasure in a hotel dancing, that is also pleasure. And here also, Hare Kṛṣṇa dancing, there is also pleasure. But the standard of pleasure is different. Standard of pleasure is different.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

Adānta means uncontrolled, go means senses. They have given freedom to the senses: "Whatever you like, you do." So the result is that if you let loose your horses—"Whatever you like, you can do"—then it will go and cause you to fall down in a ditch, adānta-gobhiḥ. Similarly, if we give freedom to the senses, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram, we go to the darkest region of hellish condition of life. And what is that? Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), again and again the same disease: birth, death, old age and disease. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), this life or that life, the birth, death, old age, disease will continue.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

So if you have got determination that "We shall continue this life of birth, death, old age and disease and let loose our senses, do whatever you like," then there is no question of liberation. There is no lib... Therefore it is said, tamo-dvāram yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam, yoṣit means woman, generally. Woman is supposed to be the representative of māyā. So either you directly keep relation or you keep relation with persons who are very much fond of yoṣit, in both ways you have to go directly to the darkest region of hellish conditions. Tamo-dvāram. Therefore our Vedic civilization is...

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

We do not like to be without any knowledge. This is our nature. But because this nature is hampered on material condition, therefore the business of the human being is to cure this disease—birth, death, old age and disease. This is the mission of life, not to waste time, not to waste our life, duration of life, just simply jumping like dog and hog. That is not human life. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

If you want liberation from this bondage—birth, death, old age and disease and so many other things—then you have to execute tapasya under the direction of a great soul. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want liberation. And tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitām. Yoṣitām means Yoṣit mean woman.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Yes. That I have already explained, material energy and spiritual energy. In the material energy you have got all these birth, death, old age and disease. In the spiritual energy there is no such thing. So we have to go to the spiritual energy.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

First of all you have to understand that this material life... Material life means birth, death, old age and disease. Just try to understand. Do you like repeated birth, repeated death? Do you like?

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

So if we keep that animal life problem, at the same time we claim that we are civilized, is it very nice? Civilization means how to get out of this material miseries—birth, death, disease and old age. That is real advancement of civilization. If there is any way and means to get out of this problem, then we must adopt in this human form of life. And that is possible in this human form of life. In no other life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- London, September 3, 1971:

Therefore they are working hard. Working hard means simply contaminating another kind of infection, and therefore the śarīra-bandha. Śarīra-bandha, different types of bodies I am transmigrating from one body to another. My problem remains the same: birth, death, old age and disease. And therefore whatever I am doing, it is all defeat. Parābhava.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

When there is birth, death, old age and disease, where is enjoyment? There is no enjoyment. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This is a world of suffering. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. You cannot There is no question of enjoyment. But because we are in māyā, suffering we are accepting as enjoyment. Suffering is accepted as enjoyment. This is called māyā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

Why there should be anxiety? Here we have got the fear of birth, death, old age and disease, and in the spiritual world there is no such thing, birth, death, old age and disease. And everything is complete there. There is no fight between one person to one person. In this way, the description is there. The summary is that there is no jurisdiction for the three modes of material nature. It is above the jurisdiction. That is Vaikuṇṭha world.

Lecture on SB 5.6.11 -- Bombay, December 29, 1976:

Why there should be anxiety? Here we have got the fear of birth, death, old age and disease, and in the spiritual world there is no such thing, birth, death, old age and disease. And everything is complete there. There is no fight between one person to one person. In this way, the description is there. The summary is that there is no jurisdiction for the three modes of material nature. It is above the jurisdiction. That is Vaikuṇṭha world.

Lecture on SB 5.6.11 -- Bombay, December 29, 1976:

Why there should be anxiety? Here we have got the fear of birth, death, old age and disease, and in the spiritual world there is no such thing, birth, death, old age and disease. And everything is complete there. There is no fight between one person to one person. In this way, the description is there. The summary is that there is no jurisdiction for the three modes of material nature. It is above the jurisdiction. That is Vaikuṇṭha world.

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

Then twelve months equal to one year. Such ten thousands of years. Just imagine. You can go there and live like that, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), if you like. But that is not eternal life. After that long period, you have to die. So Kṛṣṇa says janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You are trying to avoid all kinds of miserable condition, but your real miserable condition is your birth, death, old age, and disease. Try to avoid it. That is perfection. That is spiritual life.

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

So this is not advancement. The advancement is that, as Kṛṣṇa says, that to solve the problem of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is advancement. So Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go... Why to the moon planet? Even if you go to the topmost planet, which is called Brahmaloka... There you can live for many millions of years, but you have to die. As you have to die here, as the cats dies, dog dies... We human being, we also die. The demigods, they also die. The Brahmā will also die. Nobody can save himself from death. Death... Birth, death, old age, and disease. We have already discussed that we living beings, soul, we are eternal. We are eternal, we are simply changing the body, one body to another. In this way, material life means you can live for one minute or one hour or hundred years or millions of years.

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

This is the basic principle. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that back to home, back to Godhead, not to make proceed or progress towards birth, death, old age, and disease, but make progress towards no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti means stop this type of progress.

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

So if you want to avoid these four things... That is specially pointed out by Kṛṣṇa, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You are solving your problems, but what, how you have solved your birth, death, old age, and disease? That is the question by Kṛṣṇa. Have you solved? Then what is the use of solving problems? The real problem is there. But if you want to solve this real problem, then you should take up this nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga means stop this way of sense gratification and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the way. If you continue your misbehavior, at the same time you want to cure your disease, that is not possible.

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

So everything is... There is process. If you follow the process, then you go back. If you fall down, that is our fault. Therefore the life is meant for tapasya, that Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction, that our life should not be wasted like dogs and hogs and pigs. It should be utilized for tapasya, for understanding our position. Tapo putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva. This is the aim of life. We have to purify our existence. At the present moment our existence is impurified. Therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And as soon as we purify ourself, then we are not subjected to these four material laws.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

The different types of bodies means that is our punishment. We may think it as happiness, but as soon as you accept a material body, you are subjected to the four principles of material distresses. What is that? Janma, mṛtyu, jarā, vyādhi. You may think that you are very scientifically advanced—"There is no more distress in my life"—but Kṛṣṇa says, "No. If you are intelligent, then you should think of these four principles as distresses." What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease. But the modern so-called scientists, they cannot make any solution to birth, death, old age and disease; therefore they have left them aside: "Oh, don't care for them." That is ignorance. Our real problem is not this temporary problem that we are in such and such distressed condition.

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

That is not possible. You may make very much advance in scientific knowledge, but there is no solution, by your so-called science, of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. There is no solution. Therefore, one who is intelligent, he'll be eager, how to solve these four prime problems. That is intelligence. Because nobody wants to die. "Why shall I die?" But there is no remedy. I have to die. The... Everyone is very much anxious to stop increase of population by so many contraceptive methods. But still, birth is going on. So there is no stoppage of death. There is no stoppage of birth. And you might have invented very nice medicine by your scientific method, up-to-date medicines, but you cannot stop the disease. Just discover a tablet that you take this tablet—there will be no more any disease. That is not possible. Disease will be there. You can invent some better medicine. That is, that is the way. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One might think that he has solved all the problems of his life, but where is the solution of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease?

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

This human life is meant for victorious, to become victorious over the laws of material nature. Actually we are trying for that purpose. The whole struggle is how to counteract the onslaught of material nature. The whole activities are going on. But what is the ultimate victory? The ultimate victory is how to conquer over birth, death, disease and old age. That is the outcome, victory.

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

Otherwise it may take into big fire again. Similarly debts. If you don't clear your debts, if you think, "All right, there is some debts. It will...," no, interest, compound interest So similarly, the disease. We are already in the material disease. This birth, death, old age, and disease. This is our material miserable condition. And again, if we act sinfully, then it will increase. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising that "Before your death, you should atone for the sinful activities, what you have done." Just like in the Manu-saṁhitā, if a man has committed some murder, it is advised that King should order him to be hanged. Otherwise next life he will have to suffer so much. So this order of hanging a murderer is a kind of kindness to the criminal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:

There will be no more suffering. That they do not know. But a Vaiṣṇava, because he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he knows what is real suffering—because he understands from Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Your real suffering is these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Actually this is your problem." So without devotees, without hearing from Kṛṣṇa, these rascals, they do not know actually what is the problem nor what is suffering. They are simply concerned with temporary suffering and temporary cure. Therefore they have been explained, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, as mūḍhas. Mūḍha means ass.

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Honolulu, May 13, 1976:

So here it is recommended that unless we follow the rules and regulations, then there is no possibility of curing our material disease. The whole process is we are in materially diseased. Otherwise we are as good as Kṛṣṇa, but because we are materially diseased, we are in the difficult position of birth, death, old age and disease. Kṛṣṇa says. This is real problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So if we want to be cured from this disease, then we have to follow rules and regulation, just like a patient, if he wants to be cured from the disease, he has to follow the rules and regulation prescribed by the physician. Therefore law, religion, Vedic scripture, they are all meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

So purificatory process. Our disease is... Try to understand very patiently. The living entity, he is under diseased condition. What is that diseased condition? Accepting birth, death, old age and disease. This is diseased condition. We living entity, we are eternal, pure. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore... God is the purest. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa when realized... Arjuna, when he realized the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa that "You are Parabrahma. You are the Supreme Brahman." We are all Brahmans, but He is Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma. We are īśvaras or... It is very now popular to become God. We are God. That's all right.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

That is your business. If you don't care of it, then you are nonsense. You are not very intelligent man. If you keep yourself always in diseased condition, that is... You are not very intelligent man. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, a small God, but under material conditions we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. We should understand this. This foolish brain cannot understand, that... This question must rise: "Why I am put into this tribulation? Why I am in distressed condition? I do not want it. Why I am diseased? I do not want it. Why I become old? I do not want it. Why I am subject to death? I do not want it." These questions do not arise. Arise, but they cannot make any solution. That is less intelligent.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

But there is solution. And that solution is possible in this life, in this human form of life, intelligent life, advanced consciousness, not in the animal life. By nature's evolutionary process, we come, gradually, through the 8,400,000 forms of life, we come to human life. And this human life is meant for curing this material disease. What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease. But people are so unintelligent that they do not care for it. They are simply busy in producing some material, temporary comfortable situation of this body. That's all. They are wasting time. Dīna gelo, rātri gelo... That we are sleeping at night. Divā cārthehayā rājan, nidrayā naktam. At night we sleep or indulge in sex life, and in daytime we earn money.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

But at the last line, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino'pi yānti mām: "If you work or if you worship Me, then you come to Me." Then where is the difference between going to Kṛṣṇa and keeping within this material world? The difference is ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). In this material world even if you go to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, still, there is birth, death, old age and disease. Or you have to return back again. Just like these people are going to the moon planet and again coming back here. So this kind of going and coming back here is not good. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). If you go to such planet wherefrom you haven't got to come back again to this material world, that is highest perfection. That is Kṛṣṇaloka.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

He says, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "My dear Arjuna, a living entity does not take birth. There is no birth, death, old age, disease of the spirit soul." Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That is understanding, that we, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, we, all of us, we are particle of Brahman. Therefore we are eternal. There is no birth, death, old age, and disease. So actually, we do not like to die. Why? Because I am eternal, you are eternal, so I want to live forever. But we are put under certain condition of this material world, that we have to die.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:

But without cleaning, your life is spoiled. If you don't clean your life, then you'll have to accept another body according to karma. We have to accept that the whole human mission is to stop this repetition of birth... They do not know. There is no science, there is no philosophy, there is no education throughout the whole world. But the aim of life is to stop these four things: birth, death, old age and disease. They cannot think of. How it can be stopped? They cannot think of. They're trying the different way—contraceptive method of killing the child. That is not how to stop this. No. Nature's law is so strong that if you kill the child in the womb then you'll be also killed. You'll be also killed. Tit for tat. There is no escape.

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

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 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:

So your problem is to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. Come to your spiritual life. That is your business. That is the instruction of the śāstra. The machine maintaining, everyone knows it. The dog knows how to maintain the machine. He eats according to the necessity of his doggish body. So we also know, human body. So that is natural. That is... The supplies are already there. You cannot manufacture supplies.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

Why tapasya? Divyam: for spiritual realization. Why it is necessary? Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattva. Your existence will be purified because... Just like in diseased condition we cannot relish very palatable foodstuff. A man, jaundice, suffering from jaundice, if you give him something just like candy, sugar candy, he'll taste it as bitter because he is suffering from jaundice. But sugar candy is not bitter. Similarly, in our diseased condition, this material body, actually you cannot taste real happiness. That is not possible. Therefore we have to cure the disease. Bhagavad-gītā therefore says curing the disease means janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-doṣa..., kleśa-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Those who are actually advancing in spiritual life, they should always keep in front that "We may advance in so many things, but these four things—birth, death, old age, and disease—cannot be solved by our so-called material advancement of science." And Bhagavad-gītā points out that you should always keep these four principles of misery in front.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976:

So these things are going on, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. This is nice theory. So here, anywhere you go... Just like your America is the richest country. Do you think there is happiness, there is no fighting, there is no disease, there is no death? No. Everything's there as it is in other countries, poverty-stricken countries. So you cannot avoid. The birth... Kṛṣṇa says, "Birth, death, old age and disease, these are your problems." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Does it mean that these sufferings of birth, death and old age and disease, there is none in America or in other, moon planet? No. There is also same. Neither in greater portion, proportion. So there is stringent laws of the material nature everywhere, and there is God behind him, behind the nature. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Everything is going on under the direction of the supreme controller, and these are officers, just like Yamarāja, strictly following the regulative principles, the order of sun-god.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

So always young. There is no old age, disease, or birth and death. Here in this material world these four things are there: birth, death, old age and disease. In the spiritual world the men are so beautiful, and imagine the women also still more beautiful, very attractive. But there is no sex. That is the feature we find in... Why there? Because, after all, we want pleasure. So in the material world the topmost pleasure is sex, because there is no other idea. So all people, even so-called yogis, swamis and... Ultimately they are coming down to sex. Whatever they have got asset, the culmination is sex.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

This is going on, changing bodies, one after another, just like we change our dress. This will go on so long one is not completely freed from the sinful activities. Unless he enters into the kingdom of God, this cycle of birth and death will go on. Only in the spiritual sky there is no birth, death, old age, and disease. And as soon as you are out of the spiritual sky, these four things will... You may live for thousands of years. That doesn't matter, but you have to die. That is the law of material nature. You may have very good medicine, drug shop, as you have got in your country, but still, you have to suffer from diseases.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

This is going on, changing bodies, one after another, just like we change our dress. This will go on so long one is not completely freed from the sinful activities. Unless he enters into the kingdom of God, this cycle of birth and death will go on. Only in the spiritual sky there is no birth, death, old age, and disease. And as soon as you are out of the spiritual sky, these four things will... You may live for thousands of years. That doesn't matter, but you have to die. That is the law of material nature. You may have very good medicine, drug shop, as you have got in your country, but still, you have to suffer from diseases. You may have thousands of methods of contraceptives, but the population will increase.

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

So how it can be stopped? Unless there is spiritual education, unless one is spiritually enlightened, you have to undergo the process of birth, death, old age and disease. You may talk very highly and foolishly, but the process of nature, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), that you cannot stop. That is...

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

So we are becoming so dullheaded by so-called education, we do not know anything of these things, that there is next life and I can become immortal; I can avoid death, birth, death, old age and disease. There is no discussion of these scientific... It is only the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement which is giving all this information. It is very scientific and authorized. So I am very glad, so many devotees here. Try to make your life perfect by accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness and studying the philosophy and practicing the method. Then you will be happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- San Diego, July 27, 1975:

So that is wanted, that guṇa-vaicitryāt, if you want to save yourself from these varieties of life, birth, death, old age and disease, and accept so many varieties of life... Just like you were telling while walking that there are trees in California; they are living for five thousand years. That is also another variety of life. People are trying to live for many many years. By nature's way, here is a tree, five thousand years. So is that kind of living is very profitable, to stand up five thousand years in a forest? So any variety of life within this material world is not good, either you are demigod or tree or this or that.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Therefore this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is preaching back to Godhead, not go forward for meeting again and again birth, death, old age, and disease. That this portion of problem, we have already discussed yesterday. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānāṁ (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām means chewing the chewed. You have got sugarcane, many quantity. If somebody chewed the sugarcane, took out the juice, and if the remnants is thrown away, what you will get by chewing again that remnants? So punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

You could not utilize the money. And brāhmaṇa means one who utilizes this opportunity of human form of life to the fullest extent and can understand what is God, what is my relationship with Him, how I have come here, why I am subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. So many things have to be learned.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:

And how long? Śarīraṁ puruṣaṁ yāvan na vipadyeta puṣkalam. So long you are stout and strong, you should try how to become free from this bondage of birth, death, old age and disease, not that you keep yourself, this business set aside: "When we shall get old then we shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and become Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is not the meaning. Immediately. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning of life, when kaumāra, a small child, boy, from that age one should begin this bhāgavata life, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

So it is very difficult to convince the people of the modern days how they are wasting their time, how they are risking their life by this way of irresponsible life of material existence. They are thinking that "The more I enjoy sex, the more I enjoy sleeping, that is perfect. That is my profit." And to convince them, "No, it is simply loss, you are simply risking your life," it is very difficult. But this is the fact. This is the fact, in this way, because in this duration of life, human, if I do not make my life perfect, stop the materialistic miserable condition, namely janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—birth, death, old age and disease—then I am missing the opportunity. Next life will be given by the laws of nature. Just like you are in the forest, you see so many trees are standing. You do not know how many years they will stand. Yes. It is possible. If I have acted just like a tree, nonsense, no-sense... Just like tree has no sense. If you cut it, he does not reply. Because practically it has lost the senses. There is some senses, consciousness, but it is not developed. It is not developed. The animal, little more developed. The human, fully developed. This is with all the consciousness, stages of different consciousness. And when we come to the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is perfect. Otherwise, in the lower grade. So if we neglect in this life, human form of life, to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is chance to become an animal, to become a tree.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- Vrndavana, December 11, 1975:

So people are increasing more and more and becoming under the clutches of māyā. That is janma-mṛtyu-jāra-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Clutches of māyā means birth, death, old age, and disease. This is māyā's shackles, or ropes. But they do not care for it. They do not take into account that "I am eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die even after the destruction of this body, so why shall I suffer in this way repeatedly birth and death?"

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

Actually, they are experiencing every step miserable. It is not that by improving economic condition of life one has become very peaceful. Otherwise why there is war? Why there is struggle? This is... These things cannot be stopped. However you may improve materially, however you may improve your economic condition, the disturbance of the world, at least, birth, death, disease, and old age, cannot be checked. So if we do not understand these things very seriously and simply engage ourself in these material activities, although we are experiencing sarvatra tāpa-traya-duḥkhitātmā...

Lecture on SB 7.6.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, July 1, 1976:

So there is therefore regulative principle. At least, no illicit sex. Get yourself married, live like a gentleman, take responsibility, then gradually you'll be able to give up this sex desire. Unless we give up this sex desire, completely unagitated, there is no possibility of stopping this repetition of material birth—birth, death, old age and disease. That is not possible. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advises daityeṣu saṅgaṁ viṣayātmakeṣu: "Don't associate with..." Asat-saṅga, the same thing, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava ācāra. This is Vaiṣṇava's business. Don't take any opportunity of asat, those who are materially attached. It is very difficult association. Then it is possible upeta nārāyaṇam ādi-devaṁ sa mukta-saṅgair iṣito 'pavargaḥ. Therefore association is very, sajjati siddhāśaye (indistinct). Those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, make your association with them.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:

They are all bodily concept of life. That is not education. That education is useless, because this kind of education will not stop the process of birth, death, old age and disease. They may be technical education, temporary, some bodily comfort, but this is not taken as education.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

Therefore, although I am eternal, although I am living entity, nityo śāśvato 'yam, still I have to suffer this consequence: birth, death, old age, and disease. They have no brain even. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). After annihilation of this body the soul is never destroyed. Then why I am suffering this destruction, death? The whole problem is there, but they do not care. They have become so rascals and fools, they do not know what is the problem. The real problem is stop your repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. They don't care, just like animals. The animals, they do not care. But the human form, if they do not care like that, they are animals.

Lecture on SB 10.22.35 -- Bombay, March 19, 1971:

So dehinām iha dehiṣu, of all the embodied souls, this embodied soul, this human form of life is meant for liberation. We are entangled in this chain of repeated birth and death, old age and disease, but we are not yet fed up. We think that, "All right, let us go on like this," but that is not actually advancement of knowledge. That is ignorance. There is a way to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.11 -- Mayapur, April 4, 1975:

Therefore the whole scheme should be how to protect them from repetition of death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. We are entangled by this process of birth, death, old age and disease, and it is the duty of the guru, duty of the father, duty of the mother, duty of the government, how to save them from this process of birth, death, old and di... That is civilization. Otherwise it is dog civilization. What is the meaning? This is civilization.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.11 -- Mayapur, April 4, 1975:

So whole Vedic system is designed in such a way that ultimately one is saved from this process of birth, death, old age and disease. Long, long ago, when Viśvāmitra Muni came to Mahārāja Daśaratha for begging Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa to take them to the forest because one demon was disturbing... They could kill, but the killing business is for the kṣatriyas. This is Vedic civilization. It is not the business of the brāhmaṇa. So the first reception Viśvāmitra Muni got from Mahārāja Daśaratha, that aihiṣṭhaṁ yat punar-janma-jayāya: "You are... You great sages, saintly persons, you have given up the society.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

And that is our real problem. Who is not afraid of death? Everyone is afraid of death. Why? Because any living entity, he is not meant for dying. He is eternal; therefore birth, death, old age and disease, these things are botheration for him. Because he is eternal, he does not take birth, na jāyate, and one who does not take birth, he has no death also, na mriyate kadācit. This is our actual position. Therefore we are afraid of death. That is our natural inclination.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mam: (BG 9.25) "Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he comes to Me." So why not go to Kṛṣṇa? Then the question will be: "What is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇaloka? What is the difference between going to heavenly planet or any other planet and going to Kṛṣṇa?" The difference is, any planet go, you are under the four material regulation, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death, old age and disease. But if you go to Kṛṣṇa... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you go to Kṛṣṇa, then you don't get any more chance to come down and take a material body. You can live there eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the difference.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

Even by tricks or by penance or austerities you take some benedictions from the demigods, even if you are awarded, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). People want to be satisfied with little benefit, with little benefit. No, that is not our mission. We want the supreme benefit. Supreme benefit is that you are now entangled in the process of birth, death, old age and disease in the material existence. The real benefit is how to save yourself from these four difficulties. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are embarrassed with so many difficulties, but real difficulty is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: birth, death, old age and disease. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give you ultimate benefit: no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age. Always mind that.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.80-95 -- San Francisco, February 10, 1966:

That is not, of course, peaceful. You cannot expect any peace in this material world because the major problem is birth, death, old age and disease. So you cannot check this. But somehow or other, your life will be peaceful and more than those, I mean to say, upstarts who do not follow any rules and regulation. You'll be in better position, far better position than them. So this is one perfection, to become a man of religiosity.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

So those who are paṇḍita, they do not take it as independence. They do not take it. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī said, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni. "I do not know what is independence, I am dancing like dog, independence." Therefore he says, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "How independence I can get, that I do not know." Real independence is, as Kṛṣṇa puts in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One who is intelligent, he sees that "My real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease."So when we get free from these four problems, that is real independence. Otherwise, there is no independence. I may dance with independence, but any moment I shall have to leave my country, my society, my friends, my family, any moment, "Get out immediately. No, no independence." That is my position. So that is intelligence.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.102 -- Baltimore, July 7, 1976:

So old age. And disease, everyone has got experience, even headache is sufficient to give you trouble. The real problem is this: birth, death, old age and disease. That is the statement given by Kṛṣṇa, that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you are intelligent, you should take up these four problems of life as very dangerous.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:

Therefore because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and they are averse to Kṛṣṇa, therefore the result is that perpetually they are entangled in this material world, in the pangs... Material world means threefold miseries. Plus... So long... What is word? Principally we have got fourfold changing: birth, death, old age and disease. And these fourfold changes are always mixed with threefold miseries. So it is sevenfold miserable condition, and those who are in ignorance, they do not understand this miserable condition. They think, "We are all right." And when the sense comes that "We are not all right; we are in miserable condition," that is the, I mean to say, state of inquiries about Brahman. That is called brahma-jijñāsā.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

That tribulation is very severe. That we have forgotten. That we have forgotten. Either you take birth in a very rich family, aristocratic family, or you take birth in the animal womb, so the pangs of birth, death, disease and old age will continue.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to make a solution of these four things: birth, death, old age, and disease. So if we act sinfully and if we eat sinfully, then this life of birth, death, old age, will continue. Otherwise, you can make a solution, and as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). "After leaving this body," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, "he does not take birth again in this material world." Then where does he go? He's finished? Just like voidist? No. Mām eti: "He comes to Me." Mām eti. "He comes to Me." And what is the benefit of going there, to You?

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9-10 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1970:

So yesterday we have explained to some extent what is the culture of nescience and what is the culture of knowledge. Culture of knowledge means spiritual knowledge. That is real knowledge. And advancement of knowledge for comforts or to protect this material body, that is the culture of nescience. Because however you may try to protect this body, its natural course will take place. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You cannot relieve this body from repeated birth and death, and while manifested, disease and old age. So people are very much busy for culturing knowledge of this body, although they are seeing every moment that this body is decaying. The death of the body was registered when it was born. That's a fact. So you cannot stop the natural course of this body. You must meet the process of the body, namely, birth, death, old age, and disease.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9-10 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1970:

These things are very nicely discussed in Vedic literature. There is another... Just like this is Īśopaniṣad. Similarly, there is another Upaniṣad, Garga Upaniṣad. So that is the talk between husband and wife, very learned. The husband is teaching the wife. Etad viditvā yaḥ prayāti sa eva brāhmaṇa gargi. Etad aviditvā yaḥ prayāti sa eva kṛpanā. This real culture of knowledge, one who... Everyone takes birth and everyone will die. There is no difference of opinion about it. We shall die and they shall die. They can say that "You are thinking of birth, death, old age and disease.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 9, 1968:

So that is the position. But it is meant for Brahma-jijñāsā. This is the defect of material civilization. The human form of life is being spoiled, simply spoiled. And they are... Māyā is dictating, "Oh, you are making so much advancement. Thank you." What advancement you have made, sir? Bhagavad-gītā says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Your problem is birth, death, old age and disease.

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Bombay, May 5, 1974:

So that Brahmā who lives for millions of trillions of years—still, he has to die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam (BG 13.9). Wherever you go within this material world, either in the Brahmaloka or in the Patala-loka, you have to die. That is the problem. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease." Just try to... So Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to solve these in a materialstic way, but that is not possible. So in a negative way he wanted that "I shall not die on the (indistinct).

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

We do not belong to the material world. Some way or other, we are now in contact with this material world and material body, and the business is that although we are eternal living force, on account of our contact with this material body, we have to take four tribulations: birth, death, disease and old age. That we have to undergo. In this material world we are getting one type of body, and it is ended at a certain stage. Just like any material thing. You take, for example, of your dress. You are dressed with a certain type of garment, but when it is worn out, no more usable, then you throw it, you get another dress. So this material body is the dress of the spirit living force. But because we are attached to this material world, we want to enjoy this material world, we get different types of body. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā as a machine. Actually it is machine, this body.

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

So our movement is that "Why not stop this material, conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?" This is intelligence. "Why should we remain in this material body and undergo repetition change of body? Let us have our original, spiritual body." That is wanted. That is intelligence.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So this is the real position of everyone. One may be materially, academically very learned, so-called learned, but he does not know what is the aim of life, why he's put in this material condition, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tapa-traya. They are trying, tapa-traya, and miseries of life, we know. There is heat and cold, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. These are miseries. And there are problems—birth, death, old age and disease. But we do not know from which source they are coming, and they are being enforced upon us, and still we are proud of our education. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore sings, jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā. The more we become so-called materially advanced, means we are entangled with the network of māyā.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravṛtti and nivṛtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Mahārāja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo vidhuḥ (BG 4.2). So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Kṛṣṇa spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture Dasavatara-stotra Purport -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1970:

That was given, "All right." So he was killed by the nails. In this way, all the benedictions were kept intact, still he was killed. Similarly, we may make plan, we may make very advancement in scientific knowledge, but the killing process of nature will be there. Nobody can escape. By our intelligence we cannot escape. The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished.

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 31, 1977:

I am eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Why I am put into this condition of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is my disease.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

One should take up these problems very seriously: birth, death, old age and disease. So... Actually, as spirit soul, we have no birth, no death. You will find in the Bhagavad, na jayate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity does not take birth." Na jayate na mriyate vā: "Neither he dies." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "After the destruction of the body, the living entity does not annihilate. He..." Just like we have got already the example: my body, childhood body, is annihilated; still, I am existing. Similarly, I will exist. Now, the problem is how I shall exist? I shall exist eternally in full knowledge and in blissfulness. That is the idea. But so long we accept this material body, it is just the opposite. It is miserable, without any knowledge and without eternity. Philosophy should be to save our time from complicated economic problems. We should make our life simple and save time for spiritual cultivation so that we can be relieved from repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Arrival Lecture -- Mexico, February 11, 1975, (With Spanish Translator):

So I am very glad to see you, so many Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. You have come to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So stick to the principles, then your life will be successful. The principle is to purify ourself. Just like when a man becomes sick, he has to purify himself by regulative principle, by diet, by medicine, similarly, we have got this material disease, covered by the material body, and the symptom of miseries are birth, death, old age and disease. So one who is serious about getting out of this material bondage and free from birth, death, old age and disease, so he must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple and easy. If you do not know, if you are not educated, if you have no asset, you can simply chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and if you are educated, logician, philosopher, you can read our books, which are already in fifty in number.

Arrival Lecture -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

Out of many thousands, millions people, one is anxious to make his life successful. Nobody is interested. Practically they do not know what is actually success of life. The modern civilization, everyone is thinking, "If I get a good wife and nice motorcar and a nice apartment, that is success." That is not success. That is temporary. Real success is to get out of the clutches of māyā, means this material conditional life which comprehends birth, death, old age and disease. We are passing through many varieties of life, and this human form of life is a good chance to get out of this chain of changing body one after another. The soul is eternal and blissful because part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God, sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, full of bliss, full of knowledge. Unfortunately, in this material, conditional life we are changing different bodies, but we are not getting situated again in that spiritual platform where there is no birth, no death. There is no science. The other day one psychiatrist came to see me. And where is your education for understanding the soul, his constitutional position? So practically the whole world is in darkness. They are interested with fifty, sixty or hundred years of this span of life, but they do not know that we are eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and due to this material body we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. And this is going on continuously.

Arrival Lecture -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

So that education is wanting throughout the whole world. And simple thing is that one can avoid this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

This is called going on economic condition. But we require a little sense gratification. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). This is the gradual process of evolution. Real purpose is mokṣa, how to become free from this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the real aim of life. But because we are coming from the lowest grade of living condition, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati-like that, 8,400,000 different species of life—our tendency is only for sense gratification. Because in the lower grade of life there is no other pleasure except sense gratification. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. A small ant, some information has come to him that on the third floor there is a grain of sugar, and he's running there. Āhāra: something eatable is there. So sense enjoyment means these four things: eating, sleeping, sex and defense.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

Therefore human life should be utilized to understand God, because forgetting God we are in this material world and suffering so many miserable conditions of life. That is our problem. And the most important problem is birth, death, old age and disease. So to make a solution of this birth, death, that is meant in the human form of life.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa you'll become free from this material entanglement—birth, death, old age and disease.

Arrival Address -- New York, July 9, 1976:

We are loitering throughout the whole universe. This is conditional stage of our materialistic life, and we are simply suffering. People are kept into ignorance without knowing the aim of life, how we are suffering in this materialistic way of life. They are so dull-brained that Kṛṣṇa says personally that here the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You are simply busy with some petty problems. And they are not problems. Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Why...? We are eternal living entities. Why we should be subjected to birth, death, old age and disease repeatedly? This is real problem. Unfortunately there is no such education all over the world to deal with the real problem.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- San Francisco, March 10, 1968:

So this initiation means purification. In this material world we are all impure. Because we are impure, therefore death, disease, old age, and pangs of birth overcome us. Just like in diseased condition—we have experienced—there are so many painful conditions, similarly, in this materialistic way of life these symptoms, birth, death, disease, and old age, they are different kinds of miseries. The rascals, materialists, they are thinking that they're making advance, but they have no solution for these things. The solution is by tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some rules and regulations to purify him. That is called tapasya. Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulations enforced by the physician: "You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest. You should not, should not, should not," so many. Similarly, if we want to purify ourselves, then four principles of purificatory process, namely illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling, these four things must be...

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

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. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet. So we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association. You have got all information from the Bhagavad-gītā. So the opportunity is there. Now if you don't utilize it, then you can commit your suicide. Nobody can check you. Otherwise you can utilize all these facilities and go directly to Kṛṣṇa.

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969:

So we have to prepare where we want to go. That is real education. Either by the yogic principle or by cultivation of knowledge or by this devotional service, the whole idea is how to transfer oneself to the better condition of life. The better, the best condition of life is to mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "If anyone," Kṛṣṇa says, "if anyone comes to Me, he hasn't got to come back again to take this cycle of birth and death." So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give that highest, topmost position, that no more coming to this material world, either this planet or that planet. We may go to the moon planet, but that will not solve our real problem. The real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease. Anywhere you go in the material planet, either by sputniks or by your tapasya or by meditation, if you, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ (BG 8.16), even if you go to the highest planet, there the four principles of material miseries are there. But if you go, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. These are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You try to understand what is the problem of life.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, then there also punar āvartinaḥ, means the four principles of material existence, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, they will accompany you. Wherever you go. You may have a long duration of life, but you have to meet death. That is compulsory. And as soon as you meet death, you have to enter into the womb of a certain type of mother and develop another body and come out again and begin another life. This is going on. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ā-bhrama-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, within this material world, that process will go on, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Because this material body, wherever you get it, either you are American or Englishman or Indian or moon planet or sun planet or Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka planet, anywhere you go, you'll get a certain type of body, but that material body is subjected to these four principles: birth, death, disease, and old age.

Initiation Ceremony -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974 :

So, so long we are in this material encagement we are supposed to be impurified. Because we are not purified, therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. Just like diseased condition is impurified. It requires to be purified by medical treatment to get out of the disease. So, we living entities, we are part and parcel of God. Our original position is purified, but at the present moment we are contaminated. So, by chanting the holy name of the Lord we become purified. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord, identical. By association with the Supreme Lord directly, by chanting the holy name, we become purified. Oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Kṛṣṇa, His name is puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ. Puṇḍarīka means lotus flower; akṣam means eyes—whose eyes are just like the lotus flower. Lord Visnu, or Kṛṣṇa, is identified with lotus flower in so many places. His navel is like lotus flower, His eyes are like lotus flower, His feet, lotus feet. So, lotus is the comparison o the beauty of different limbs or parts of the body, transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa.

Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976:

You should become a perfect human being. Śuddhyet sattva. Purify your existence. Why you are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease? Because we are impure. Now if we purify our existence, then there will be no such thing as birth, death, old age, and disease. That is the version of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you become purified and you escape the contamination of birth, death, old age and disease. So try to convince the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists. We have no such thing, sectarian view. Anyone can join this movement and become purified himself. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. So I am very much pleased. You have given already service to the society. Now you take up sannyāsa and preach all over the world so that people may be benefited.

Wedding Ceremonies

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

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." And material body means three kinds of miseries, threefold miseries always. And at least threefold miseries are exhibited in four kinds of distresses, namely birth, death, old age, and disease.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

You may be very great scientist. You may be very much advanced in material science. You may be able to construct very high building, skyscrapers, and many millions of motorcars, but you have to think whether you have solved the real problem of life. The real problem of life is birth, death, disease, and old age. Not that to live in a high skyscraper our problems of life is solved. No. The problem of life is how to stop these four things: birth, death, old age, and disease.

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

The idea is that we are making progress, certainly, in technology, in economics, in so many other departments of human necessities. But Bhagavad-gītā says that real problem of this world, or real problem of our life, it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you are intelligent enough, then you should see the real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. Janma means birth, and mṛtyu means death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā. Jarā means old age, and vyādhi means disease. So actual material problem is this, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We have forgotten that "In the abdomen of my mother, how precarious condition I was living in."

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

So the sufferings are there. Similarly, disease. Who wants disease? So modern technology, they have advanced undoubtedly, but there is no remedy for, I mean to say, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. But because these problems cannot be solved by the modern scientific advancement of knowledge, they have practically set aside or neglected because they cannot solve it.

Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Our conditional life of material existence is due to dirty things in our heart. Originally we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious living beings, but due to our long material association in different species of life, varying to 8,400,000 different forms of life, we are accustomed to transmigrating from one form of body or another. In such cycle of birth and death, I, you, and every one of us, although originally spirit soul and therefore qualitatively one in constitution with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, we have identified with this material form of life, subjected to various forms of material pangs, specifically in the shape of birth, death, old age and disease. The whole material civilization is a process of hard struggle of life, ending in birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969:

Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: (BG 13.9) "You are very much proud of your knowledge, but if you want to be at all a man of knowledge, a man of wisdom, then you should first of all keep before you the problems of birth, death, old age and disease, because your so-called advancement of knowledge cannot make a solution of this birth, death, old age and disease."

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

So we are trying to bring them into practice, how to serve Lord, how to, how to serve the Supreme Lord. That is our movement. It is not patchwork. Other humanitarian societies or welfare societies, they are trying to give some patchwork. They cannot give relief to the stringent laws of nature: birth, death, old age and disease. But we are giving the final cure of the disease of condition of material existence. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age. So we are educating our students to practice how to revive his old, the eternal constitutional position to serve the Lord. This is our practice. Just like here you can see the boys have decorated the sitting place of the Lord, how nice, with flowers and candles. It is not very expensive, but it is so beautiful that immediately it attracts. You see? So everyone can practice at home. Is it very difficult task, to gather some flowers and some leaves and decorate and have some picture or statue of the Lord, offer Him some fruits, flower? Everyone can do this. And by doing this, he gets the highest perfection of life: no more coming into this material world and suffer all these nonsense. This is our practice.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this partiality, that "Only human being is my brother, and the cows and the other animals, they are not my brother," this is lack of knowledge. But if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we take teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "In all species of life, in all forms of life, as many creatures are there, they are all My sons." So how can you treat others as not your brother? They are also your brother. Even the ant is also your brother. He is in a different class of imprisonment, that's all. A different body. The ant has got also the same punishment—birth, death, old age and disease—as you have got.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

You have to become more intelligent. The animals, they don't care for death. Now, here is a slaughterhouse. Another animal is being killed, and this animal, little grass, oh, he is happy. He does not know that "Next moment I am going to be killed." This is ignorance. Ignorance means animal life, and knowledge means human life. Therefore there is so much educational system in every human society. Why? Knowledge means human life, and ignorance means animal life. So why should we be ignorant of these four problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), the problems of birth, death, old age and disease? Why you set aside these problems and think you are happy? That is animal life. They don't care for the problems, and eating grass. That is animal life. Yes?

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

That is the perfection of... This evolutionary process is going on. As you have come up so much to this civilized form of life from animal status, similarly, you can still make progress. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that by progressing, you may go to the topmost planet of this universe. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl-lokāḥ (BG 8.16). That is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. But everywhere the four problems of birth, death, old age, and disease are there. But if you come to the spiritual sky and the planets there, then there is no more death, birth, old age, and disease. Life eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful life. That should be attained, that should be endeavored in this human form of life, setting aside all others. That should be the business of human life.

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

So even if you go there, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Anywhere you go, in any planet you go, these four conditions of material existence—birth, death, old age and disease—they are existing everywhere. Yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: but if one goes to that planet, Kṛṣṇa planet, then he hasn't got to come back again. He gets eternal life, blissful life, simply joyful life.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age, and disease. These are instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is making progress in knowledge, he must keep before him these four problems—birth, death, old age, and disease. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

This is going on. But the fools' paradise, we are thinking, "We are happy. We are making progress." What progress you have made? Have you surpassed the laws of birth, death, old age and disease? "No, sir." Then what progress you have made? So this is their progress. But if you want really relief from these four principles of material way of life, then you have to purify your existence. You purify yourself; then you will be allowed to enter into the purified spiritual sky, and you'll get a place in one of the planets there. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

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

Similarly, if you have got so much restriction in, in a ordinary state that people from other parts of the world may come but they can stay here for six months or one year, or as limited by the visa, then go back, similarly, anywhere you go within this material world, you have to come back. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). You have to come back. And besides that, any planet you go within this material world, the four principles of material sufferings are there. What are those? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death, old age and disease.

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

There is no eternal life. In the moon planet... It is a planet like this planet. So as there is death, birth, old age and disease, so you go in any planet within this universe—there are millions of planets—the same thing will follow. The moon planet's..., standard of moon planet may be a little more comfortable materially, just like the standard of living in your country is little better than Indian standard of living. But that does not mean you are not under the laws of these material sufferings. The same thing, either you become white or black or American or Indian, the material sufferings are there, birth death, old age and disease. But if you want to get out of it, then Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

So there are four problems. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is mentioned that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you are actually intelligent, then you must keep these four problems before you. Do not think that the problems of life are solved by material advancement. Do not think that by building, constructing skyscraper houses, the problems of life are solved. No. The problems of life are these four principles: birth, death, old age and disease. If you cannot solve these problems, then your problems of life remain the same. The solution of the problems... Just like our bodily demands, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca samānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām.

Lecture -- Paris, June 26, 1971:

Anyway, a sane man, an intelligent man, does not like to enter in any one of the material planets, because wherever we go in the material planet the four condition, or miserable condition of miserable existence, are there. The four miserable conditions of materialistic way of life is birth, death, old age, and disease. So from the Bhagavad-gītā we understand that even if we enter into the Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system of this universe, the four principles of miserable condition—birth, death, old age and disease—are there. We learn from Bhagavad-gītā that one daytime duration is millions of years of our calculation. That's a fact. So, but even though the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, which the scientists say it will take forty thousands of years to go there with the sputnik speed, but who is going there, traveling in the space forty thousands of years?

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

The Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now what is the Absolute Truth? That is the question in the Vedānta-sūtra. The answer is, "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Now, now, what is that Absolute Truth? Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: "By nature He is blissful." Now try to understand. If the Absolute Truth, God, is blissful, full of enjoyment... Blissful means without enjoyment there is no bliss. Ānandamaya abhyāsa. So we must be blissful. We must enjoy life very nicely. But that is not possible here, because here we are in diseased condition. The proof of diseased condition is that there is birth, death, old age and disease. These are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Every effort is being made here to surpass distressed condition and to reach to the platform of happiness. The whole struggle is there. Why people are running by motorcar this way and that way?

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

I do not know how long I shall live, but still I am living. But duration of life in this age is gradually decreasing. You are all students of the university, but there is no science how you can increase the duration of life or how you can stop death. That is not possible. Death... Birth, death, old age and disease—these are the four problems of our life. Nobody wants to die, but death is sure. We must die. Nobody wants to take birth, but there is birth.

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

These two lines of Bhagavad-gītā, that how the soul is transmigrating from one body to another, if we simply study these two lines, then our life becomes different. But nobody cares to understand that the soul is eternal. It is changing, transmigrating from one type of body to another body. And there are 8,400,000 species or types of body, and we have been entrapped in this cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. This is our real problem. But in the university or any educational institution there is no department of knowledge to find out what is that thing which is entrapped within this body. We get this information from Bhagavad-gītā: dehinaḥ asmin dehe. Deha means this body, and dehinaḥ, the possessor of the body.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

The death and birth is of the body, not of the soul. Therefore when we are actually intelligent, cultured, advanced, then we should be inquisitive that "If I am eternal, then why I am subject to these tribulations of birth, death, old age, and disease?" That is intelligence. It is not intelligence that "The cats and dogs are eating on the footpath; I am eating (in) a very nice plate, nice hotel or nice table." You are eating, that's all.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

You can get your eternal life. That is called arthadam. That achievement you can do in this human form of life. So anyone who is attempting to get eternal, blissful life of knowledge, he is intelligent man. Otherwise, one who is spoiling his life simply for animal propensities, eating, sleeping, mating, he's no better than animal. That's all. Cats and dog. Polished cat, polished dog maybe, but he is animal. This bhāgavata-dharma means that, how to get out of these four defects of material life, or four miserable condition of material life—birth, death, old age and disease—and get eternal, blissful life of knowledge. That is called bhāgavata-dharma.

Speech -- New Vrindaban, August 31, 1972:

They are called threefold miseries: pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, miseries offered by other living entities, miseries happening by natural disturbances. And after all, the whole thing is summarized into four principles, namely birth, death, old age and disease. These are our conditional life.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

But if you neglect it, that is suicidal policy. Human mind, human life is especially meant for taking advantage of this form of life and understand "What is God? What I am? What is my relationship with God? How to act? Why I am conditioned by so many miserable conditions of life—birth, death, old age and disease?" So many things are there. But if we do not take to this, if we simply remain like animals, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, then we are factually missing the opportunity. Therefore our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to make propaganda from door to door, that "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." That's all. As Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo saṅge cholo, ei mātra bhikha chāya.

Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

Ultimately, all our miserable conditions have been summarized into four, birth, death, old age and disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are trying to have, become happy by our scientific knowledge, by advancement of knowledge, but Kṛṣṇa says that you cannot make any solution of these four problems. What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease. That is not possible. So we are happy by false happiness. This is called māyā. This is culture, this Indian culture. They agree, there is a māyā. This is Eastern culture. Māyā. Māyā means we are falsely happy. We are thinking that "Now I am well situated." But I am not thinking any moment, next moment, I may be kicked out of the situation and everything finished. Why I am being kicked out? I want to stay here permanently. Nobody wants to die. Why he dies? Where is the solution? This is lack of knowledge. But there is solution. There is solution. That is Eastern culture. The Eastern culture knows how to make the solution. Therefore, you'll find so many parties, the karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, the bhaktas, they are all trying to make solution of these four problems, birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture -- Jakarta, March 2, 1973:

So some way or other we have come to this material world. Some way or other we have come to this material world, therefore we have got this material body. And because we have got this material body, we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. So our real problem is that although we are spiritual beings, we have been caught up by material bodies. How to get out of these clutches of birth, death, old age and disease, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture -- Jakarta, March 2, 1973:

So we are preaching the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. So we invite you also to join this movement. You have already the sense of Vedic culture. Now, if you cooperate with us fully, we can develop a very nice cultural movement here also. The problem of birth, death, old age, and disease is for everyone. But, on account of their material association, they do not take this problem very seriously. So one who does not give any importance to these problems, he is no better than animals. The problems of birth, death, old age and disease are there in the animals, as well as in human society. But the animals cannot make a solution. But the human being can make a solution. And to make the solution of these problems, there are the Vedic literatures. (break)

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

And I shall simply try to draw your attention about the importance of this movement. Importance of this movement is this, that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern civilization, all over the world, especially in the Western world—nobody knows what is the actual problem and what is the aim of life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, "The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), that birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems." If you take birth, then you will have to die.

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

So our natural tendency is to go to other, better planet. Therefore people are trying to go the moon planet. Similarly, you can go to the sun planet, you can go to the Brahmaloka planet, Siddhaloka planet, heavenly planet. There are so many. But the information is, even though you reach the topmost planet of this universe, still, there the four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease, are there. So we can go to the topmost planet.

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:

We have come to serve God, His purpose. God is very kind upon every one of us. He comes Himself. He comes. He sends His son. He sends His devotee to reclaim. As I was explaining that in the material condition of life we have been changing from one body to another, this is not very good condition of life. Nobody wants to die, but he is forced to die. Nobody wants to take birth, but he is forced to take birth. Nobody wants to become old man, but he becomes old man. And nobody wants to become diseased, but he is forced to take some disease. This is our condition. Now this human form of body is a chance to understand what is our real inconvenience—birth, death, old age, and disease—and to think of whether there is any way out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are educating people how to get out of the clutches of illusion that continually, one after another, we have to take birth. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Real problem is this. So if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that means if we understand, "What is God? What I am? What is our relationship? What is the ultimate goal of our life?" If these things we understand, then we can get out of the clutches of illusion, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, sum and substance.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Devotee (7): Śrīla Prabhupāda, the material scientists... Unfortunately, many people have put their faith in the material scientists today. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...go to moon, what benefit you derive? You will die also. So anywhere you go within this material world, birth, death, old age and disease will follow. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān

punar āvartinaḥ arjuna

yad gatvā na nivartante

tad dhāma paramam

Instead of going to moon planet, why not engage your energy for going to back to home, back to Godhead, wherefrom you will not come back again? Yes?

Life Member House Lecture -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

Pure existence is eternal life, blissfulness and knowledge, full of knowledge. That is pure life. So the human life is meant for purifying our existence. Stop this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease and live eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the business of human life. But people do not take this fact very seriously. They have become so dull-headed. Now there is freedom from this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease, they cannot believe it. They cannot consider it. They think, "Ah, it is going on." So the modern civilization is quite different from the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means to make a solution of this problem: stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease. That is Vedic civilization. That is human civilization. And to become better hog, nicely dressed hog, that is not Vedic civilization. That is hog civilization.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Certainly there is higher. That highness is within this material world. There are two stages, two platforms: transcendental platform and physical platform. That highness is physical. Just like Mahatma Gandhi. He was known as a very high-class man, but he was a materialist, that's all. By his pious activities he may be elevated materially. Just like if you act piously, giving charity, then next birth you get very nice opulent birth, you are born in a rich family, you get enough money. But that is not the solution of your conditional life. To take birth in this family does not mean he hasn't got to undergo the process of birth, the pains of birth, the pains of death. But real problem is that I want to stop these pains of birth, death, old age and disease. Hari me nana mitinatante (?). Without love of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can escape these material conditions of life.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Why? Any disease will be (indistinct). You can check the disease. Therefore our conclusion is that however scientifically you advanced you make, you cannot stop birth, death, old age and disease. That is our conclusion. So why should we waste our time for that purpose? We are utilizing our time, and after giving up this body we may go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our business. But everyone has to give up his body. Mr. Darwin and his company will give up this body like cats and dog. We shall give up this body for higher elevation of life. Therefore our philosophy is better, far better than all these things.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. The demons, or the atheist class, they falsely think independent of the orders of God; therefore they are forced to accept which they do not want. Ultimately they are forced to accept the punishment—birth, death, old age, and disease—but still, atheist class, they deny existence of God. That is their foolishness. Actually God is there, His order is there, and if we are deficient in carrying out the order, we should take the instruction of bona fide spiritual master, the representative of God, and we should execute it, and then we become happy.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Prabhupāda: And it is getting older. That is the law. But here is Kṛṣṇa says that "You can stop death, simply by understanding Me." And if you stop birth, punar janma, then you stop other things. Because death is there, then there is birth, but if there is no birth, there is no death. You have to think like that, that these are the problems of anxiety: birth, death, old age, and disease. So here Kṛṣṇa says that you can stop your birth. Punar janma naiti: no more birth. Then I can stop all other things. Because as soon as there is birth, the other things are there. But if there is no birth, the other things are not there. That makes you anxietyless. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is required. This is the condition to solve all anxieties.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Devotee: They're the ones who have actually neglected taking into consideration the real problem, they slide over the real problem, that is birth, death, old age and disease. And they are fiddling around in very small matters—social problems, political problems.

Prabhupāda: These social problems are automatically solved. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, social problems will be solved automatically.

Atreya Ṛṣi: The scientists have been offering a spiritual solution, but a spiritual solution also includes all other...

Prabhupāda: All material solutions.

Atreya Ṛṣi: And they are trying to solve political problems, and they are unable to. This is the...

Prabhupāda: That means less intelligent. They have a poor fund of knowledge. And they are philosophers.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Prabhupāda: In the material world there are higher planetary systems, lower planetary systems, and we sometimes go higher planetary, sometimes down, according to our karma. But wherever you remain, you cannot avoid birth, death, old age and disease. "But if you come to My planet, then there is no more birth." What is that objection of this (indistinct)?

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: But how the science or the scientific brain has surpassed the laws of nature? Has man stopped the nature's action—birth, death, old age, and disease? So how the scientist has conquered over nature? What is the meaning of this conquering? The nature's law is going on. Before Marx, his father died, his mother died, and he also died. So how he has conquered over the nature? The death is continuing.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: A child may be less intelligent than the father; that does not mean there is no soul. This gross and doggish mentality, animal mentality, is killing the human civilization. Now they have degraded so much that they think that the embryo has no soul. In this way man is being put into darker and darkest region of ignorance. Everyone has soul. That is real. We get it from Kṛṣṇa: sarva-yoniṣu. In different forms of life the soul is there, undoubtedly. That is real conception of soul. Evolution means he is evolving from one lower grade of body to another, higher grade of body, and in this way by evolution he comes to the human form of life. And in this human form of life he can understand the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, that if he likes, he can surrender to the Supreme Lord and go back to home, back to Godhead, and if he does not, then he remains in this material world, undergoing the tribulations of the repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Corporal body.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: It is called jagat. Jagat means changing. But we are eternal, the same spirit soul. That this material life is not very happy, because it will change. Even if we are in the very comfortable condition of life or in miserable condition of life, it will change to better or lower grade of life. That is going on. So in order to save ourselves from the repetition of changing body, if we want to remain in our original, eternal, spiritual form, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then we are relieved from this rotten business of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.