Breathing (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"breath" |"breathe" |"breathed" |"breathes" |"breathing" |"breathings" |"breaths"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

So a yogi can give up this body and come to his original, spiritual body, and it is so small that you cannot keep yogi in prison. Anywhere. Because there is some hole, he'll get out. This is yogi. This is mystic power. What do they know about mystic power? Simply press the nose, that's all. This kind of yoga..., of course these are preliminary processes, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, prāṇāyāma. This prāṇāyāma requires to get the breathing from the opposite side... We have got experience. The two holes of the nostrils, one is blocked, one is open. So prāṇāyāma means to try to open the blocked side. That is called. So there are so many.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

"My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but the subject matter which you have touched is not at all taken seriously by the paṇḍita." Paṇḍita means learned man. That means, "You are talking like a fool. You are taking this body as self." So actually this is not the fact. The body is not the self. The self is different. If you analyze this body, what you will find? Suppose we are breathing. What is this breathing? It is air only. Now, when the breathing is stopped, a man is dead. Now, you are so much advanced in science. Why don't you replace this breathing? It is nothing but air. So you can manufacture some machine working in electric battery and put some air and fix up, and that same air will come: "Woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh. "Will that give you life? No. Even if you artificially bring breathing, just like nowadays they, with oxygen gas, as if oxygen gas is life... That is not the fact. So if you analyze every part of the body, then you will find that there is no life. This is called education. This is called scientific knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

This is dvaita-advaita. It is simultaneously one and different. Similarly, the soul and the Supreme Lord, equal in quality. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśa. The small particle of gold is gold. That is advaita. You cannot say, because it is small particle of gold, you cannot say, "It is iron." It is gold. That is advaita. But the gold mine and the gold earring, there is difference. You cannot say the gold earring is as good as the gold mine. That is dvaita. so in this way, as so far our spiritual existence is concerned, we are one. But so far our energies are concerned, that is different. That is dvaita-advaita. You have no such big energy as God has. In that sense you are different. God can create millions of universe by His breathing. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). You can create one small sputnik, and take credit. But God can create innumerable universes simply by breathing. So your energy, your power, is different from God's power. But in quality, you are one with God.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

You have taken some earth, and then you have made bricks and burnt into the fire, and after mixing the earth with water, you make a shape of brick, and then you put into the fire, and then when it is strong enough, then you set it just like a big building. So it is nothing but a display of earth, water and fire, simply. That's all. Similarly, our body is also made in that way: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Air... Air is passing, the breathing. You know. The air is always there. This, this outer skin is earth, and there is heat in the stomach. Without heat, you cannot digest anything. You see? As soon as the heat is diminished, your digesting power becomes bad. So many things. This is arrangement. Now, in this planet we have got this body which is where earth is very prominent. Similarly, in other planets, other planets, somewhere water is very prominent, somewhere fire is very prominent.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

So the soul, the presence of soul is perceived by the consciousness. That consciousness... Just like the presence of sun, even I was blind, I could understand the sun is there because the sunlight and heat, I am experiencing. Without seeing the sun... When, as soon as I come to the sunshine, I feel light and heat; therefore immediately I can understand there is sun. It is not very difficult. Similarly just like we try to... When a man is dying, we try to feel whether the man is breathing, or he's feeling touch sensation. These are the tests. So the touch sensation is there so long the soul is there. Now I am living body. If somebody pinches my body, because the consciousness is all over the body, so I feel: "Somebody's pinching me." But when the conscious, consciousness is not there, if somebody chops up my body I will not protest. Therefore we should understand what is that living thing. That consciousness, which is spreading all over this body, that is living force.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- London, August 24, 1973:

Now, this soul, as in the previous verse we have understood, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. This is not measurement of the soul, but the power of the soul you can measure. But not the soul. It is not possible. Soul is so small that it is not possible. You have no measuring means, and because now our material senses, it is not possible. You can simply understand by consciousness. Just like when Caitanya Mahāprabhu fainted in the Jagannātha temple, Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya examined that there was no consciousness. Even the abdomen was not moving. When you actually you have consciousness and you breathe, the abdomen moves. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's abdomen was tested by Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. It was also not moving. So he thought that "This sannyāsī might have died." But he again tried. He brought a little cotton swab and put before His nostril, and when he saw the swab, the fibers little moving, then he became hopeful, yes. So everything has got a different type of calculation, measurement. But so far the soul is concerned, it is said here, aprameyasya, there is no source of measurement.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

The yoga process is to achieve the stage of samādhi. That means the mind being fixed upon the Supreme. But if our mind is... Nature of mind is always agitated, and if we artificially give impetus to the mind to be more agitated, then where is the question of samādhi? There is no question of samādhi. They'll never be able to concentrate the mind. That is not possible. So in this age no process will be successful. Simply this process, this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone, it doesn't matter, in whatever condition he is, as soon as he'll hear Hare Kṛṣṇa, he'll immediately join. His mind will be attracted immediately. Simplest process. Vibration. There is no question of time to practice some breathing exercise, some sitting posture, because these things are not possible in this age. Simply we invite you to come here and simply join this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and very quickly you'll be spiritually advanced. This is a fact. Otherwise there is no second alternative.

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

We have got this information from authoritative scripture. This material creation, how it is being done? It is being done that the Supreme Lord in His form of Mahā-Viṣṇu, He's lying on the Causal Ocean and in a sleeping mood, and with the breathing of His nostrils, so many universes are being born as seed. And when He's taking the breathing, inhaling, the whole thing is going into Him. So such is the position of God, that by His breathings, all the universes are coming, and by His breathing... So the existence of the universe means within His breathing period, within the breathing period of the Mahā-Viṣṇu. So that Mahā-Viṣṇu is described, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ (Bs. 5.48). That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also not the original. The original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

They hear, and they are hearing and coming for the last ten years. But unfortunately, they have not learned even the preliminary instruction of yoga. Yoga... Yoga... The whole process of yoga means indriya-saṁyama, controlling the senses. Controlling the senses. But I have seen. They have no control over senses. The whole yoga process means controlling the senses, nothing more. The haṭha-yoga means by different practice of āsana, posture or sitting posture or breathing posture... All these means concentrating myself, focusing my attention to the Supersoul. And because our mind is disturbed, because our mind is distributed in so many engagements, therefore the yogic process is a mechanical process by which we can, I mean to say, drag the mind from outside engagement to inner side and focus the same for perceiving or for realizing the Supersoul.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

There are so many rules and regulation, but still, those regulations, those restrictive regulation, may also fail. There are so many instances. But here the process which is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, dovetailing your consciousness with the supreme consciousness, that is the highest. That is the highest. Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā (BG 2.59). Just... In other processes, you have to... I'll give you some practical example. Just like in the yogic process there is strict regulation that "You cannot eat this. You cannot eat this. You shall have to eat like this. You shall have to sit like this. You have to breathe like this," so many restriction. But if you dovetail your consciousness with the supreme consciousness, so, in spite of without being restriction, you'll not like the restricted things. Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You'll dislike those restricted things.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "As one has to work in ordinary life by the direction of the state, similarly one has to work under the direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such instructions in the Vedas are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said all the four Vedas, namely the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda, are emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead. The Lord, being potent, can speak by His breathing air, as it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We should not think how it is that Lord gave His laws through breathing. Because with breathing we cannot speak anything. That means I am calculating the strength of God with my capacity. The Brahma-saṁhitā says no. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛttimanti. The every part, or every limb, of the body of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, can act of other limb. Just like I can see through the eyes only. But Kṛṣṇa can see through His finger also. That is His omnipotency. Omnipotency means every limb has got the potency of all other limbs. That is called omnipotency. We speak of omnipotency, but we do not know the meaning of omnipotency. This is omnipotency, that by His glance God created this world by His glance. Sa īkṣata sa asṛjata. These are Vedic hymns. So we can say that how is that, simply God saw and there was creation? Yes. That is omnipotency. Why do you think in terms of your capacity? That is materialism. As soon as you think of God in my capacity, that is materialism. You have to accept as it is said in the Vedas. Then you understand what is God. Otherwise you cannot.

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

This yoga, the haṭha-yoga system means to control the senses and control the mind. Sarvāṇi karmāṇi indriyāni, karmendriya. The yoga system's basic principle is to stop the material activities. Sarvāṇīndriya karmāṇi prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare. There are the controlling of different airs passing within this body. Apāna-vāyu, prāṇa-vāyu, vyāna-vāyu. That is the yoga system, controlling the breathing. Ātma-saṁyama. The whole thing is for ātma-saṁyama, for controlling the mind and senses. If one is unable to control the mind and senses, then he is simply wasting time. And that ātma-saṁyama can be directly practiced by bhakti yoga. What is that? Now the same example can be given, that Arjuna was a fighter. So in the beginning he was considering, "Whether I shall fight or not." That was also ātma-saṁyama. But actually ātma-saṁyama was when he did not fight for his sense gratification. That is. Similarly, when we engage our senses... Because senses means they want some activity. Just like our eyes. If... The eyes want to see something beautiful. The tongue, tongue wants to taste something very sweet. The ear, it wants to hear something very melodious. In this way we have got our different senses. But the yoga system is trying to stop them. Now, just try to understand.

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

"You are My dear friend." This is... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "Whatever I've spoken, they are all nonsense. There is sense, but the truth which I am speaking to you just now, 'You just become My devotee, just think of Me, just offer your obeisances unto Me, just work for Me,' this is the most confidential." But those who are not able to understand, they are not to be spoken. They are to be instructed that "You become a yogi, you practice your breathing, you sit like this, you sit like that." Because he's unable to understand. Therefore He says, idaṁ te na atapaskāya. One who has not undergone severe austerities, don't speak this final knowledge. He'll not understand. He'll misunderstand. Just like scholars, like Radhakrishnan, misunderstands because he has no tapasya. It requires tapasya to understand this philosophy. Therefore Bhāgavata says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). "My dear boys, just accept austerity voluntarily. Restrain."

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

So the routine work of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, how and when He appears. Because Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all planets. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Sarva-loka. Loka means planets or universes. There are innumerable universes, unlimited number. And those universes are coming out within the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa means universe. Jagad-aṇḍa-nātḥāḥ. Plural number. There are innumerable universes, and on each universe there is a predominating deity who is called Lord Brahmā.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

"One My plenary portion..." Mahā-Viṣṇu. For creation of this material world. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. And what is that ekāṁśa? That is described also. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Loma-vilajā. And innumerable universes are coming out from the hair holes of the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. His breathing. He is, within the Kāraṇa Ocean, Causal Ocean, He is sleeping. Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām (Bs. 5.47). Yoga-nidrā. And while He's sleeping in His yoga-nidrā, innumerable universes are coming out through His breathing and from the air holes.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā does not say that "You live by breathing air." No. Bhagavad-gītā says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Anna. Anna means food grains. There is necessity of food grain. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhagavad-gītā never says that "you don't require to eat. You simply breathe air and practice yoga." No. But we must eat neither more, nor less. That is recommended. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya. We should not eat more, nor less. And nirāśīḥ. Nirāśīḥ means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted. If you want perfection of life.... This is called tapasya.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

These prāṇa, apāna... There are breathing control. There are different kinds of air passing within the body, and the yoga system, the controlling, that is also another kind of sacrifice.

sarve 'py ete yajña-vido

yajña-kṣapita-kalmaṣāḥ

yajña-śiṣṭāmṛta-bhujo

yānti brahma sanātanam

Now, what is the purpose of this sacrifice? Now, it is concluded here that sarve 'py ete yajña-vidaḥ. All these different kinds of yajña, they are meant for diminishing our sinful reaction, our sinful reaction. Because we are accumulating many sinful reaction in different births. So if we perform sacrifice, if we perform yoga, that process helps us in diminishing our accumulated, I mean to say, sinful reaction. But so far this harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), oh, this is the easiest and the most, I mean to say, supreme process. As we have discussed many times, the Lord Caitanya recommends that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting)

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi

prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare

ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

(BG 4.27)

Translation: "Those who are interested in self-realization in terms of mind and sense control offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force, breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind."

Prabhupāda: Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "The yoga system conceived by Patañjali is referred to herein. In the Yoga-sūtra of Patañjali, the soul is called pratyag-ātmā and parāg-ātmā. As long as the soul is attached to sense enjoyment, it is called parāg-ātmā. The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this is perceived through the breathing system. The Patañjali system of yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air within become favorable for purifying the soul of material affection. According to this yoga system, pratyag-ātmā is the ultimate goal.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

Actually, it is very difficult to control the mind. So artificially, by controlling the breathing system, there is the process, but still, it is difficult. As I explained yesterday, even a great yogi like Viśvāmitra, he also failed. There are many instances. There was another, Saubhari Muni. He was practicing yoga system within the water. And as soon as he was little agitated by the fish, he wanted to come out and marry and one king's daughter. He wanted to marry all the eight daughters. So there are many instances like that. It is very difficult to control the mind.

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

Prabhupāda: What is your particular question?

Guest (1): I have no answer to that question. What does it matter? Rather, but every attempt that I can hear. I live, I breathe. (sounds intoxicated)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): But who has been able to tell me yet why I feel.

Has nothing to do with. The mere fact of my existence is true.

Prabhupāda: That's all right?

Guest (1): I have difficulty in your... I have difficulty in saying, in expressing...

Prabhupāda: Now, so long you are in this material world, there are many problems.

Guest (1): Not many problems. It is a... Not many problems. This is the greatest fact. I have... I know the sort of world in which I live.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

So sanction is always there. Sanction is always there. Without sanction, nothing can be done. So one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he knows. He's tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means one who knows the truth, that "I cannot do anything without Kṛṣṇa's sanction." Therefore he does not do anything. Whatever is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa he does; otherwise not. So paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapan śvasan. These are our activities. Paśyan, we act by seeing. We act by hearing. We act by touching. We act by smelling. We act by going. We act by dreaming. We act by breathing. So many our activities are... So in all these, going on. But a tattva-vit, one who is in the perfect knowledge and is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he, although he is doing all these things he knows, "I'm not doing." This is tattva-vit. Although he's doing all these things he knows that "I am not doing. Kṛṣṇa is doing. I am simply instrumental. I am simply instrument." That is the perfection.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

This is yoga process. Kṛṣṇa is advising that yoga process. Yoga process means to come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But one who directly goes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he hasn't got to practice this. But still, the practice is recommended here, sparśān kṛtvā bahir bāhyāṁś cakṣuś caivāntare bhruvoḥ. We have to put our eyeballs within the... What is called? Eyebrow, yes. Eyebrow. And prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā. There are five kinds of air passing within our body: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna... There are different names of the air. So controlling them, prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā and nāsābhyantara-cāriṇau. They are coming, breathing control. These are the process. Those who are have practiced this yoga process, they can know.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

Devotee: Verses 27 and 28. "Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils—thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated (Bg. 5.27-28)."

Prabhupāda: Now here is a hint of the yoga practice, shutting out the external sense objects. This is another process. But the bhakti-yoga process is automatically yoga process. Here it is said, "shutting out all external sense objects." Sense object, what is that sense object? Just like I want to see some beautiful woman or beautiful man. I want to smell some nice flower or scent. The flower is the sense object, woman is the sense object. There are so many sense objects. We have got five senses and there are five objects also. Otherwise what is the use of sense? Now this yoga practice is to withdraw the senses from the sense object. But the bhakti-yoga process is that if I do not like to see artificially the beauty of woman or man, if I try to see the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, naturally my, this propensity of seeing beautiful man or woman becomes extinguished. You do not require to shut your eyes. There are so many beautiful girls sitting. I do not require to shut my eyes. If my mind is concentrated on the beauty of Kṛṣṇa I can see these beautiful girls as Kṛṣṇa's gopīs. That is another vision.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

Prabhupāda: These are eight items of yoga practice. Yama means controlling the senses; niyama—following the rules and regulation; āsana—practicing the sitting posture; pratyāhāra—controlling the senses from sense enjoyment; dhyāna—then thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu; dhāraṇā—fixed up; prāṇāyāma—breathing exercise; and samādhi—being absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is yoga practice. So if one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, all these eight items are automatically done. One does not require to practice them separately. Yes, go on.

Devotee: "These preface perfection by devotional service which alone can award peace to the human being and is the highest goal of life. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Fifth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā on the subject of karma-yoga or acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: All right. Then we shall... Sāṅkhya-yoga shall I begin today or next day? This is a new chapter, we shall begin next day.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Puruṣam means the Lord is male, enjoyer, ādi, the original. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. And who is that Govinda? Whose only one plenary portion is Mahā-Viṣṇu. And what is the function of Mahā-Viṣṇu? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). In every universe there is a chief living entity who is known as Brahmā. Brahmā is the original person in each universe. So the life of Brahmā or the life of a universe is existing only on the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying on the Causal Ocean and while He is exhaling, millions of universes are coming as bubbles and they are developing again. And when He is inhaling, millions of universes are going within Him. So that is the position of this material world. It is coming out and again going. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said that these material universes are being created at a certain period and again become annihilated. Now this creation and annihilation is depending on the exhaling and inhaling of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Just imagine what is the caliber of that Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

Now, there is the crucial test of yoga system. If you can concentrate your mind on the form of Viṣṇu, the process has been described previously that you have to sit like this, you have to look like this, you have to live like this, so many things we have already discussed. But Arjuna said that "It is very difficult for me." We have to understand this point. He says, "O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which You have summarized," this system is called aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Aṣṭāṅga-yoga, eight different parts. Yama, niyama. First of all controlling the senses, following the rules and regulation, then practicing the sitting posture. Then exercising the breathing process. Then concentrate your mind. Then be absorbed in the form. There are eight processes, aṣṭāṅga-yoga.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

Devotee (1): Swamiji, I think she means do you have to do any kind of breathing exercising besides chanting?

Prabhupāda: No. There is no breathing exercise or gymnastic. No. Nothing. The breathing exercise is there. When you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa there is breathing. There is nice breathing. Yes?

Devotee (2): Swamiji, is there higher devotional service than chanting?

Prabhupāda: Higher devotional service... What do you mean by higher devotional service? Huh?

Devotee (2): Would serving your spiritual master be higher than even chanting, serving Kṛṣṇa more than...

Prabhupāda: Higher devotional service means first of all you have to understand... Just now I explained that you have to understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then your service begins. So as soon as you are in eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is higher... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

We can create a small airplane, airship, and flying in the sky, and Bhagavān has created innumerable universes flying in the sky, and He has created the sky also. The creative energy is there. You have got the creative energy, but you cannot create another planet which is floating in the sky. That is not possible. That is the difference between living entity and Bhagavān. The similarity is there. We are creating big, big factories, big, big cities, and Bhagavān is creating big, big universes. How He is creating, that is also stated in the śāstra. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Bhagavān is creating by His breathing process innumerable universes. So we can create a skyscraper building, and we become very proud that "How we have become advanced. We have created a skyscraper building." But we do not see that Bhagavān is creating millions of planets where millions and millions of skyscraper buildings are standing. This is understanding of Bhagavān.

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

One portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim. In order to manifest or create millions of universes... The universe which we are experiencing within our present knowledge is only one. There are many thousands of universes, innumerable universes clustered together. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said it is just like a bag of mustard seeds, and this universe is only one seed. So Kṛṣṇa in His one plenary portion, Mahā-Viṣṇu, He is lying on the Causal Ocean, and during His breathing period, exhaling period, innumerable universes are coming out. These are the statements of Vedic literature. Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or in the Vedic literature it is said that the material energy came out of the breathing of the Supreme Lord, Mahā-Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur-mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

The material energy is coming through the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is lying down in the Kāraṇa, Causal Ocean. So, from the breathing there is sound. From the ether, the sound comes—this is scientific—and from the sound, the air comes, the fire comes, then water comes, then the earth comes. The earth is the last, gross element in the material science. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says this earth, bhūmi... Bhūmi, earth, has come out of water, āpaḥ. And wherefrom āpaḥ, water, has come? Analaḥ, fire. Wherefrom fire has come? From air. Where the air has come? Ether, sky. Wherefrom the ether has come? False ego. Where from it has come? Mind. Wherefrom it has come? Intelligence. And wherefrom it has come? From the soul. This is the scientific study. But they do not know background of the soul. They're thinking, "There was a chunk and there was something. That's all. Perhaps, it may be." No definite knowledge. But here you can take the definite knowledge, wherefrom these material elements come. This Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Soul.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

Just see. They will come on the surface just to breathe little freely. Otherwise, they will have to live within underground. So another problem is coming. (chuckles) But intelligent persons should think of how this ultimate problem can be solved.

So what will be the answer? How ultimate problem can be solved? The problem is there, you agree everyone? Or you have disagreement, there is no problem. You think there is no problem? Eh? Problem there is, you think? So how to solve it? They have tried their utmost. It is not solved. Then what is the solution? That solution is there in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Seventh Chapter.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

So you have to live within the mother, compact, air-tight packed, for ten months, at least. Just imagine if you are packed in a bag and put in a air-tight compartment, locked up, would you like? You'll die within three seconds. But the arrangement is so nice, by nature's law, the intestine, that the mother (child) breathes with the mother's breathing, mother's fooding. Even unconscious, his development of the body goes on. That is nature's arrangement, but you cannot do that. It is by God's grace the child lives. Otherwise, by your so-called scientific calculation, nobody can live in that condition. You just try it. Take any man, pack him, and put him in the air-tight condition. He'll die within three seconds.

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

So even for material understanding which is beyond our sense perception we have to receive knowledge from authority. Similarly, we cannot understand what is God. But from the authoritative sources we can understand that God is so great. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48)—that you see this universe, and in each universe there is a predominating demigod which is called Brahmā, or jagad-aṇḍa-nātha, the master of the universe. That master of the universe is living, only taking the duration of breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Just like you are breathing, inhaling and exhaling. So when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales, innumerable universes come out. And when He inhales, all these universes go into His body. So just imagine how great He is, how big He is. That is not conceivable with our limited sense. But if we believe, then you get the perfect knowledge. There is no doubt. If you don't believe, there is no other way. You cannot understand what is God, or what is His length, what is His breadth.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

This is... It is not expensive, no loss on your part. Why don't you take this advantage? If there is any profit, why do you not care for it? Take this. Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna: (BG 8.7) "Therefore, My dear Arjuna, you should always be engaged in this yoga system, yoga-yuktaḥ, in this transcendental form of yoga." You haven't got to do anything, controlling your breathing system or some gymnastic system, nothing. Simply... You haven't got to acquire any specific qualification to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just like in your country—this language is Sanskrit, and some of you do not know the meaning. Still, it is so attractive when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa in the park or any public place, oh, all ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, they take part.

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

Now, to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotional service, you can understand it, how happily it is done. Now, take for example what we are doing here. We are singing, we are dancing, we are taking nice prasādam offered to Kṛṣṇa and chanting and discussing Bhagavad-gītā philosophy. Oh, these are the processes. These are the processes. We are not meant for any stringent rules and regulation or gymnastic or breathing control, so many things, as they are described and they are performed by many different sections. But here it is very easy and happily done. Everyone wants to dance. Everyone wants to sing. Everyone wants to eat. Through this formula—dancing, singing and eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda and hearing philosophical discussion, transcendental topics from Bhagavad-gītā—so don't you think it is very happy? Susukham. And whatever we acquire, it is permanent. Whatever knowledge you acquire, that is permanent. That is not going to be finished with the finish of your body. It is such a nice thing. So we are trying to impart this philosophy in your country. So we invite your cooperation. As Lord Kṛṣṇa says, it is very nice thing. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). And vijñānam. Vijñānam means it is scientific. It is not a sentiment or fanaticism. It is scientific. So try to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from Bhagavad-gītā and help yourself, help your countrymen, help the world. There will be peace and prosperity.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

So it is described here that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya, that you... Just like we are breathing, exhaling and inhaling, so God is also being. We have already explained. So we are also being. We are breathing. He is also breathing. But our breathing is for a moment, but His duration of breathing is described in the śāstra that when He is exhaling, innumerable universes are coming out, and when He's inhaling, innumerable universes are going into Him. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). This breathing period, taking advantage of the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ... Not only universes, the chief person of the universe, Brahmā, they are coming and going, coming and going. And the Brahmā's duration of life, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇaḥ (BG 8.17). We cannot calculate even the twelve hours day period by our mathematical calculation.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

So that is meaning of God. And this God, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is partial representation of Govinda. Viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajā... So sometimes cheap gods in the Western country. They cheat you. But God is not so cheap. This is one of the description of God, that within the breathing period of God, Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is not directly God—He is an expansion of God, Mahā-Viṣṇu—the total material energy is being created an annihilated. That is God. So that aiśvaryasya samagra. This is one opulence. If we possess one house, we become very opulent. If another possesses two house or three house... Now, here, in the breathing period of God, there are innumerable universes. You cannot calculate what is the opulence. One universe you cannot calculate. The one universe you are daily experiencing. What is the position of the sun? What is the position of the moon? What is the position of other planets? You cannot calculate. And there are innumerable universes. And that is depending on the breathing period of God. So we say, "God is great." We should try to understand how great He is, not that the Dr. Frog's greatness, no. That is not greatness, no, my calculation, "God may be like this. God may be like that." You have to understand about God from the authorized person who knows things as they are. Then you can also know.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

It requires little intelligence. Just like you are breathing. So when the breathing is stopped, you say, "The man is dead." But what is this breathing? This breathing is nothing but a little portion of air passing. So you can artificially make that arrangement, air passing, but does it mean that it will bring life? So therefore breathing is not life. Life is different from breathing. You have to study scientifically. Because breathing can be produced. This respiration of... Even in the, what is called, bellow there is breathing, "Hans, phans, hans, phans..." (laughter) Does it mean life? No. Therefore you have to study every part of your body. You'll find there is no life.

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

The Causal Ocean, He is lying there, sleeping within the ocean, and from His breathing the universes are coming out. This is God. Because He is in a sleeping condition, that is expansion of God. That is not original God. Original God is Kṛṣṇa. But he can expand Himself. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). That is God. Just have some idea what is God. So as Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He is sleeping within the ocean, and as soon as there is question of sleeping, there is breathing also. The bubbles, the bubbles are expanding as universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So breathing means exhaling, inhaling. So when the breathing, air is coming out, innumerable universes are coming into form, and when He is inhaling, then all of them becomes annihilated. This is material world. Material world means it comes into existence at a certain date, it remains for some time, it gives so many by-products, and it expands, and then dwindles, then finish. This is material, everything. Your body is like that, my body is like that. The whole universe is like that.

Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five years' old boy, he was instructed by Nārada Muni. He became a very great devotee. And he was instructing his class fellows when he was a five years' old boy. Because it doesn't matter whether he's a five years' old boy or five hundred years' old tree or a five millions years' stone. There is no utilization. If you become a five years' old boy and if you understand this knowledge your life is perfect. These things are all very nicely discussed. They say, "Oh..." Taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti (SB 2.3.18) . "Oh, you are very much proud of your long duration of life? Because you see that cats and dogs die within ten years or twenty years and you live seventy years or eighty years, therefore you are very much proud?" Oh. The answer is taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti: "Don't you see the tree? It lives five hundred years, thousand years." "Oh, a tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Oh. Bhastrā kiṁ na śvasanti: "Don't you see the bellow, a bag of skin? 'Bhass, bhass, bhass'—it is breathing. So do you think your breathing is very expertness?" "Well, they breathe, but they cannot enjoy sex life." "Oh. What is that? The dogs and hogs, they do not enjoy sex life? Do they not eat?"

In this way there is analysis. There is analysis, regular analysis: "What for you are so much proud?" The proudness should be proved when you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of life.

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

Before this universal creation, Kṛṣṇa took the form of Mahavisnu, and Mahavisnu's breathing period is the creation and annihilation. So long the breathing goes on, exhaling, that is the creation period; inhaling, the destruction, annihilation. So the whole cosmic manifestation is being maintained within the breathing period of Mahavisnu.

Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-bilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa...Brahma. Brahmā is the supreme living being within this universe. But it is plural number, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. So there are innumerable universes. So if we discuss all these things from the śāstra, then we get really knowledge, and then we can actually act what is the perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

That Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying on the Causal Ocean beyond this universe, on the border, there is a big ocean which is called Causal Ocean, kāraṇodaka-jala. And there is Mahā-Viṣṇu lying, and from His breathing process, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nātha means Brahmā. So that portion, eko 'py asau racayitum, He is the origin of universal, this material creation. Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Him, the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu comes out, and He enters in each and every universes. Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. That Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu again expands as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is within this universe. In each and every universe there is Viṣṇu, Śvetadvīpa-loka where Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is there, and that Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters within the heart of all living entities, Paramātmā, Antaryāmī.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

So Mahā-Viṣṇu, by His breathing only, unlimited number of universes are coming and going into. So such inconceivable energies are there. And because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got also inconceivable energy, which is not always manifest, but at times it manifests. Similarly, this material world is avyaya, eternal energy, but it is not false, as the Māyāvādī philosophers say, jagan mithyā. No. Jagat is not mithyā, but it is fact, but it is temporary. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We don't say that this world is false. Why it should be false? If has come from the truth, actually truth, how it can be? Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). It is perfect. But it is being misused. That is māyā. How it is being misused? Kṛṣṇa says that He is the enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor of all the lokas, all the brahmāṇḍas, but unfortunately, we are dismissing Kṛṣṇa. We are trying to be the enjoyer of this material world. That is māyā.

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

So therefore it is said that dambha, false pride... Dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ. These asuras, these demons, the rascals, they are simply falsely proud. That's all. They have no possession of pride; still, they are proud. So, that... I was speaking about the sun. So Kṛṣṇa has given you the sunlight so that you can see. Kṛṣṇa has given you the nice breeze. Therefore you can live; you can breathe. Everything is dependent. We are dependent. Without light, without air, without rain or water, how we can live? So we are completely dependent, but on account of false prestige, less intelligence, we are thinking that we are free, we can... "I am God. I can do anything." This is demonic attitude. Completely being dependent, as soon as the death comes, immediately we have to leave this position. "Sir, let me stay for one hour more." "No, not even a minute." This is our position.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

Their philosophy is still more bad. You see? They are simply thinking on the bodily concept of life. Asses' philosophy, dogs' philosophy, frogs' philosophy. This is going on. And they are passing on as philosopher. Frog philosophy we have discussed in our Back to Godhead. A frog is informed, "Oh, there is Atlantic Ocean. What is that?" "A very big span of water." So he is calculating how big. He is in the three feet. He thinks, "Maybe four feet." "No, very..." "Five." "No, very big." "Six." Go on, five, four, six, seven, millions. Where is your calculation? Similarly, these speculators, they are thinking, "God? I am God. He may be like me. He and me. All right." "No, you are not God." "All right. God may be little more than me. Little more intelligent." (laughter) This is frog philosophy. And when they hear, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48), all the universes are coming out in the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial representation of Kṛṣṇa, "These are all stories." Even they are informed about the capacity of God, they take it as story. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

So na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Human life is meant for understanding what is God, what is my relationship with Him. And when he understands the relationship is there, "God is great, I am very small..." No. The rascal says, "No, I am God." And what, in which way you become God? God is great. Are you great? If I give you any slap, you immediately cry, and you're claiming God? You see. But these rascals are doing nicely, and fools are following, "Here is a God, incarnation of God." You see? So God is not so cheap. God..., our conception of God... Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so powerful. It is stated in the Vedic literature: Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Simply by the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, innumerable... Just like we exhale and inhale and so many small microbes, germs, are coming out and going. This is a fact, medical science. Similarly, as microbes are coming and going, similarly, with the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu so many universes are coming and going. That is God. God, who can create unlimited number of universes simply by breathing. That is God. (aside:) Don't sleep. You can... So here, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).

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

The material creation, mahat-tattva... Sa īkṣata. As it is said in the Vedic literature, simply by glancing over the material nature and agitating the three modes of material nature, the whole creation comes out. This is an sum, sum and substance of material creation. Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying in the Causal Ocean, Kāraṇārṇava, and He is breathing, and from His breathing innumerable universes are coming out. And in each and every universe, Mahā-Viṣṇu, in His further expansion as Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu, He enters. That Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu, from His abdomen there is a lotus stem, and in that lotus flower Lord Brahmā is born. In this way, creation is made.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

These Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī, these are little technical. Try to understand. Now this universe, which you find just like a big ball, there are innumerable universes like this, and they are floating in water. That water is called Causal Ocean. So that Causal Ocean there is, I mean to say, completely in the whole ocean, big gigantic body is lying down there. That is known as Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu in that gigantic form is sleeping within the water of that Causal Ocean, and by His inhaling and exhaling, breathing, there are bubbles. And those bubbles are manifested as universes. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). That breathing, exhaling and inhaling... Just like we also do that. So we have inherited that exhaling-inhaling, from that Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:

Every universe has got a predominating deity, president. We can understand. In every country, there is a president to rule over the country. Similarly, to rule over this universe, there is a president. That is Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā's duration of life, span of life, you cannot calculate. You can calculate, but it is something like beyond our imagination. His one day is four hundred..., forty-three crores of years, one day. Similarly, one month, thirty days, one month; then twelve months, year. Such hundred years. So he lives such hundred years. So that Brahmā lives hundred years in his calculation; that is also a breathing period of Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ...

(Bs. 5.48)

These gigantic universes, they are coming out from the hair holes of the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu or from His... Just like sometimes infected persons, they distribute germs from breathing, from perspiration. That is scientific. Similarly, Mahā-Viṣṇu's breathing and perspiration within the Causal Ocean, bringing forth so many universes. And each and every universe, there are so many planets, and one of the planets is this, earth, earthly planet.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

These things are very clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to regulate your life. You have to stop sex life. You have to eat certain procedure. You have to sit under certain procedure. In this way, you have to follow so many regulative principles. That is called yama. And niyama. Niyama means regulative principles. Yama means controlling the senses. Yama, niyama. Then āsana. Then sitting posture. Generally, in these yoga societies in your country, they give some lesson on the sitting posture, and people become captivated that he is practicing yoga. No. First one has to follow regulative principles and control the senses, then practice the sitting postures. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma. And when your sitting posture is correct, then you can exercise breathing. Exercise. Breathing exercise means the nostril which is stopped breathing. You have to press that side and try to breathe from the other side. In this way, breathing exercise. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma. This is called prāṇāyāma.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

So these things are to be studied very minutely and understood, and then the things are very easy. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Now, the samādhi, samādhinā. Śrīdhara... We have to take the comments of authorities, that here you see samādhinā citta aikāgrena. Actually, that is samādhi. Now, these sitting posture, these breathing exercise, controlling the senses and mind—everything means that you have to make your mind so nice that it will never deviate from Kṛṣṇa. So these are different types of exercise. Just like by exercise you can make your circulation of the blood nicely, you keep yourself healthy, similarly, the all these yogic process means to come to the stage of samādhi. Samādhi. And that is said also in the authoritative yogic literature. But what is that samādhi? Samādhi means not to deviate. The mind should always be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought without any deviation.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

The Lord, by expansion of one of His plenary portions, He is existing within this universe. Not only within the universe, but within the atom also. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. This is God's qualification, that He can become greater than the greatest. Just like we have got conception the greatest—this universe. We cannot even imagine how long, how far it is extended. But such universes are coming out from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yaḥ kāraṇārnava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām ananta-jagad-aṇḍa-saroma-kūpaḥ (Bs. 5.47). From His breathing, when He exhales, innumerable universes come out, and when He inhales, all those universes again enters. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is generated and again annihilated. This is going on. This is one side, that innumerable universes can be put into the nostril hole of the Mahā-Viṣṇu. And another side, He can enter even within the atom. This is God consciousness. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He is greater than the greatest. We generally say, "God is great," but we do not know how great He is. People say, "God is great," but we have no conception how great He is. He is so great that He can swallow innumerable universes within His belly.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

As soon as you become expert in hearing and chanting, then the next stage is smaraṇam. Smaraṇam, thinking of. Anything you speak or hear, later on you contemplate, you meditate, smaraṇam. So smaraṇam is the third stage. First of all, one must begin with hearing, śravaṇam. Otherwise, what about, meditation? Therefore we must first of all hear about the subject matter of meditation. If you do not know the subject matter of meditation, where is the question of meditation? And that is chanting. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). About Lord Viṣṇu. Actually yoga meditation means to see the form of the Lord, four-handed viṣṇu-mūrti within the heart. That is real meditation. Now these rascals, they have manufactured so-called meditation. That is not meditation. Meditation means to see the form of the Lord within your heart. Because in, in the heart there is the Lord. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So by controlling all the senses. The senses are very restless. They are going this way and that way, this way and that way. Mind is going this way, that way. So by this aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, by sitting posture, by controlling the breathing, by modes of different posture of seeing, so many things there are. The real thing is to control the mind and concentrate it on the form of Viṣṇu. That is the real thing. That is called samādhi.

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

So as you press on it, they die. Similarly, pestle and mortar. In India the system, they don't purchase...Those who are rigid family, they do not purchase these powdered spices. No. They bring whole spices and they smash it with mortar and pestle. That is very nice. So doing that smashing work, you kill so many animals. In breathing, you kill so many animals. In drinking water, you kill so many animals. This is bhūta-hatyā. You are killing. This is not intentional. You do not know. Therefore in a Vedic system there is prescription, pañca-sūnā-yajña. Pañca means five, and sūnā means bhūta-hatyā, or killing animals, sūnā. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta (SB 1.17.38). Sūnā. Sūnā means violence. So we prohibit these four kinds of sinful life: killing of animals and illicit sex... Striya, sūnā, and... Pañca-sūnā. Yes... Striya-sūnā-pāna. Pāna means intoxicants, and dyūta means gambling. So these are four kinds of sinful activities. So out of that, sūnā is one. That is also divided in many divisions, at least five. Willingly, we are not going to kill anybody, but unwillingly... Therefore there is pañca-sūnā-yajña. You have to perform yajña every day to counteract the sinful reaction of your imperceptible killings of animals. That's it. This is Vedic life.

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

Pradyumna: "Then he amalgamated all the sense organs into the mind, then the mind into life, life into breathing, his total existence into the embodiment of the five elements, and his body into death. Then, as pure self, he became free from the material conception of life." (SB 1.15.41)

Prabhupāda: Read the purport also.

Pradyumna: "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, like his brother Arjuna, began to concentrate and gradually became freed from all material bondage. First of all he concentrated all the actions of the senses amalgamated in the mind. Or in other words, he turned his mind towards transcendental service of the Lord. He prayed that since all material activities were performed by the mind in terms of actions and reactions of the material senses, and since he was going back to Godhead, the mind would wind up its material activities and return towards the transcendental service of the Lord. There was no longer need for material activities. Actually, the activities of the mind cannot be stopped because they are the reflection of the eternal soul. But the quality of the activities can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of the Lord. The material color of the mind is changed by washing it from contaminations of life breathing and therefore getting it freed from the contamination of repeated birth and death and getting it situated in pure spiritual life. All was manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material body, which is a production of mind at the time of death. And if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord and the same is constantly engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no more chance of the mind's producing another material body after death. It will be freed from the absorption of material contamination. The pure soul will be able to return back home, back to Godhead."

Prabhupāda: So this verse describes in the manner of yogic practice. The yogic practice means controlling five kinds of air within the body: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, like that. That is breathing exercise, yoga practice.

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

So the conclusion is all these forms, ete, all these, ca aṁśa-kalāḥ... Aṁśa means plenary portion, not personally. Aṁśa... And kalā means portion of the portion. Just like first of all, Kṛṣṇa. Then His next expansion is Balarāma. His next expansion is Saṅkarṣaṇa. Next, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. In this way, next expansion Nārāyaṇa. Then, from Nārāyaṇa, another quadruple expansion: Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Saṅkarṣaṇa... Then Mahā-Viṣṇu, the origin of this material creation. Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām ananta-jagad-aṇḍa-saroma-kūpaḥ (Bs. 5.47). Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām anantam. That is Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So from His breathing nostril, ananta, unlimited number of potential universes, are coming, and—exhaling, inhaling—and unlimited going within. This is Mahā-Viṣṇu.

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

No, that is not possible. That is not possible. Your destiny, duration of life—fixed up. And how it is fixed up? The machine is breathing. Machine is breathing. Just like the clock goes on, tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick. As soon as the tick-tick stops, then whole things is lost. Similarly, our breathing is going on, tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick, a fixed time. Just like you wind your clock, so that winding will help, tick-tick, for a certain duration of time, say, twenty-four hours. Similarly, there is winding in our life, a spring. That "tick-tick" means this breathing. So if you... Breathing exercise means if you can stop breathing, then you increase your life. That is called samādhi. No more breathing. That is Vedic, I mean to say, yogic success. Stop breathing. There are yogis, perfect... not these gymnastic-wala, no. Real yogis. They can remain without breathing for days together. That means the days he does not breathe, so much time saved: he increases his life. Suppose daily if he stops breathing for three hours, that means daily he saves three hours time. So in hundred years about..., so many, so much time. So in this way, the yogi can live for three hundred years, four hundred years, six hundred years. Still there are yogis. This is called yogic success.

So kāla, to control... You cannot control time. Just like if you have got one hundred dollars, if you deposit in a bank, you will get some interest, but you cannot make without any endeavor two hundred dollars. No, that is not possible. But if you don't spend it, then the hundred dollars remains. Similarly, your duration of life is there, and it is being wasted by breathing. If you can control the breathing process, then your life can be increased. This is yogic... But after all, we are under the full control of time.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

The material world means innumerable universes are coming out through the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Innumerable universes. We cannot account for one universe in which we are. There are innumerable planets. Everyone has experience in stars and planets. This is one universe. And such universes are coming out, millions, through the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. When He exhales, they come out. When He inhales, they go within. That is the creation and not creation.

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

Vyavāya means sex life. So vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ. The vayaḥ... Vayaḥ means duration of life. The more you indulge in sex life, your duration of life is reduced. That is the scientific method. Therefore the yogis, they give up sex life. It is a very great science, the breathing. During sex life there is more breathing. So the more you misuse your breathing, your duration of life is reduced. And if you can preserve this breathing, then you can increase your duration of life. Why people are dying nowadays, fifty years, sixty years, seventy years? No. One should live for at least hundred years. But because they unduly indulge in sex life, they die early. Their duration of life is reduced.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

So what is the benefit? So we can argue that "You cannot compare with tree and us. Because we have got so many facilities." What facilities? That facility ... The tree's life ... That is life, admitting, but it cannot breathe. So immediately the answer is bhastrāḥ kiṁ na śvasanty uta. Bhastrāḥ, bellow ... You have seen big, big bellows in blacksmith shop. That is also made of skin. Just like our body is made of skin, that bellow is also made of skin, and it has got a big nose and breathing is coming, "bas, ghans, ghans, bas."

So these are the tangible examples. So if you want to increase your life there are many living entities, they are living many, many years more than you. So what excel, what is excellence in your part? And if you say that "I am breathing. The tree cannot breathe." Oh, there is the bhastrāḥ, the bellows. It can breathe better than you. Then he says, "No, they have no enjoyment of eating and mating." Then the Bhāgavata replies, kiṁ na khādanti na mehanti kiṁ grāme paśavo 'pare. Wherever we live, there are many other lower animals, just like dogs, cats, hogs, asses, animals, camels. Of course, in city we do not find these, but in villages these are domestic animals. Dogs, asses, hogs, camel, monkey, and so many others. Therefore he says, grāme, "In your vicinity, in your neighborhood, there are many animals. They have got the facility of eating and sexual intercourse." So how do we excel them? The modern civilization is such a foolish civilization that they think they are advanced.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

Prabhupāda: That anila, life. The soul is being carried by that anila, air. The yoga system is controlling the air, apāna, prāṇa, udāna. There are different kinds of air, passing. And the ātmā is within that air. The yoga system is to take the ātmā, sata-cakra(?), from down to up. That is yoga practice. So anila means life air, and the ātmā, the soul, is within the air. So by perfect yogic practice, with this air the yogi can transfer himself to any planet. That is yoga, not that showing some gymnastic without any rules and regulation, without following any principles. These are all bogus. Actual yoga practice is to control the air within this body. Then, by mechanical means, he can control, and at the perfection, the yogi can leave this body according to his will. That means unless he thinks that "I am now perfect; I can transfer to any planet," he does not leave the body. Therefore yogis... Still there are yogis who are seven hundred years old, three hundred years old, four hundred years. You see just like young man. Still in India you'll find such yogis. They can give complete history which happened two hundred years here. Simultaneously, history they can give. "This happened. This Englishman was here. He did..." like that.

So actually I am not this body. So if by some method I can see it, that is samādhi. We have got a limited number of breathing power. This is going on, breathing. So everyone has got... Just like you have got bank balance—one has got one thousand or hundred years, er, one hundred dollars or one thousand dollars—similarly, every living entity has got a number of breathings. That is...(break) But if you spend, if you spend, then one day it becomes one dollar. So the yoga practice is not to waste this breathing. The breathing is wasted when you eat voraciously, when you have sex life, when you are... These breathings are lost, wasted. So one has to control these things. Then breathing will be reserved. And plus, by samādhi, no breathing. That is the process of increasing life. Increasing life means you have got a certain amount of breathing facility. If you can save it without spending... Therefore you have to control your senses, the mind, your activities, your eating, your sleeping. Because these are breathing, when sleeping, (makes snoring sound) breathing, lost breathing. Sex, lost breathing. Eating voraciously, lost breathing. Therefore they have to control all these things. Then you can increase your duration of life. That is called prāṇāyāma. This is called prāṇāyāma. Prāṇa means life, this life, prāṇa. What is that?

Devotee: Your Divine Grace, is this also true that every species of life... For instance, plants and trees, don't appear to be breathing as we do, but they breathe through their...

Prabhupāda: Don't appear to you. What do you know about plant life? Something does not appear to you, that does not mean there is nothing such thing. You don't be so courageous that you know everything. You have to know from the śāstra. They have got breathing. They have got feeling also.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

That we are studying with our tiny brain, "Oh, it has got no breathing. It has no soul," that is our tiny brain.

But we have to know actually from authentic śāstra what is the actual thing. Śāstra-cakṣusā. You don't see with your, these blunt eyes, rascal eyes We see through the śāstras. That should be. That is real knowledge. What is our capacity of these eyes, these senses? They are all imperfect. So whatever knowledge you gather, the so-called scientists, they are all imperfect. Real perfect knowledge is here, Veda. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Therefore you should see through the Vedic version what is actually the fact. So the living entities, sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means a living entity can enter anywhere, and the material function is there. Just like we say "The point has no length, no breadth." Why? But I can see point. Why length and...? "I have no instrument to measure it." That you say. You cannot say there is no length and breadth. You have no instrument to measure what is the length and breadth of the point.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

The millions of universes are coming from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So that is a little idea of the greatness of God, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

(BG 10.42)

"This great, this material world, is situated on the strength of one part of Me."

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

So this Brahma-saṁhitā was copied by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu from one Keśava mandira in South India, and He gave it to His disciple, that "Here is the summary of Vedānta and Bhāgavatam." Therefore we quote from Brahma-saṁhitā. It is authorized. It is authorized by the Supreme Person, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So in that Brahma-saṁhitā it is said about Kṛṣṇa in so many ways that here, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat: (BG 10.42) "Only by one of My portion, the whole material creation is resting." So in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is explained in many places, one of the places, that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Loma-vilajā: "The pores on Your body, from that pores and from the breathing process, the universes are coming out." Universes are coming out.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

There is one feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is called Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu, that is the origin of this material creation. So Mahā-Viṣṇu is in sleeping condition. So in sleeping condition, with the breathing, universes are coming. And when it is inhaled the whole universe is annihilated, dissolved. So this is only one portion. There are many devidences(?).

So you cannot claim to become Bhagavān so cheaply. Bhagavān is different thing. One who is devotee of Bhagavān, he knows something about Bhagavān. And the other rascals, they claim Bhagavān—simply ludicrous. Only the rascals can accept another rascal as Bhagavān. It is not so easy.

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

"You just try to understand My potency in this way, that the whole material creation, cosmic manifestation, innumerable universes..." What are these universes? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). In each and every universe there is a prime lord or the creator, Lord Brahmā. So there are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable Lord Brahmā, innumerable Lord Śivas, everything innumerable. So yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). And these innumerable universes are coming out from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

So these universes are also coming like a small seed. Therefore innumerable universes: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). From the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, the small particles are coming, and they are developing into big manifestation of universal form. Similarly, our desire is also very small. We are very small, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Still, we have got desires and everything. And according to the desire, as soon as there is creation, everything fructifies, everything comes out. It is called suptotthita-nyāya. Suptotthita-nyāya means just like one man is sleeping, and in the morning, when he is awakened... In the sleeping stage he forgot himself. He is wandering in dream, some other part of the world. He forgot this body and the bodily circumstances, everything. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. That darkness of ignorance, covering, is immediately gone, and he remembers that "I will have to do this. I will have to do that. I will have to go to my office or my business place.

Lecture on SB 3.26.25 -- Bombay, January 2, 1975:

There are some varieties of food. That is ānanda. Varieties are there. That is ānanda. But they are for one purpose: satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is oneness, not that we have become amalgamated. Amalgamation... We are amalgamated in one purpose, but not that the... It cannot be, because we are separated energy eternally. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7), sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. It is not that by chance we have become separated individuals. No. This word is used, sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. Eternally we are separated energy, and that is the beginning of Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇaḥ kāraṇa-toya-śāyī. That Saṅkarṣaṇa, before this material creation, He lies down in the Kāraṇa Ocean, kāraṇa-toya-śāyī. Then... Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). He is lying in the Kāraṇa Ocean in the sleeping mood, and then, from His breathing, innumerable universes are coming out. That is the origin of material creation. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48).

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

For training the mind, this yoga system is. Those who are too much engrossed in the bodily concept of life, for them, this yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, is recommended by practicing a certain type of āsana and making a type of exercise of the breathing, in this way, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma. But there is another simple method that is recommended in the śāstra. You can train up your mind if you simply keep your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is here, and you see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, and if you practice to meditate upon Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, Kṛṣṇa's bodily feature, then immediately your mind becomes controlled. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was the emperor of the world. He had to manage many political affairs. But he was one of the topmost devotees at the same time.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

He is not claiming himself that "I am the first person for creation," although in this material world, Brahmā is the first person, then Lord Śiva, Rudra. And before Brahmā, there is Viṣṇu. Therefore it is said, aham evāsam agre. Agre, "Before the creation, there was only Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. There was no Brahmā, no Śiva." These are Vedic statement. In the beginning Lord Viṣṇu was there. And we know the method of creation. There was water, and from that, in that water, Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying there. From Mahā-Viṣṇu in His sleeping condition, there are so many... Universes are created in the exhaling breathing process. And when He inhaling, the whole thing is annihilated. In this way this material creation is coming and going. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

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

The eternal form is veṇuṁ kvaṇantam. Kṛṣṇa is always playing on His flute. That is eternal form. His eternal pastimes and eternal form is in Vṛndāvana. He does not go anywhere personally, leaving Vṛndāvana. Padam ekaṁ na gacchati. He is always in Vṛndāvana, but at the same time, He is everywhere. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: (Bs. 5.37) "Although He is always in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, still, He is present everywhere." How He is present? Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.35). Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "He is situated in everyone's heart." He is situated in each and every universe. The universe is created by His breathing.

Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:

The millions of universes are coming out within His breathing period, and again they are annihilated when the breathing is taken inside. In this way the universes are coming out. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa means the universe, and nātha, the Lord of the universe, means Lord Brahmā. So he has got a duration of life. And what is that duration of life? The breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

That is God, that by breathing, unlimited number of universes are coming out and going in. And the duration of existence of each and every universe is the duration of life of Brahmā. That we cannot calculate. Even we cannot calculate his twelve hours. So that is God. We accept such kind of God, not a little magician. No. That is not possible. We cannot accept such cheap gods.

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

That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ: (BG 8.20) "There is another bhāva," means nature, "that is sanātana nature, eternal nature." This nature, this sky, is temporary. It has got a duration of life, maybe millions and trillions of years, but it is not permanent. It is emanating from the Supreme Lord's breathing period. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So after this sky, there is another sky, and the sound produced from that sky is oṁkāra and Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is the sound vibration from the spiritual sky. Therefore it is effective immediately. Just like you contact thousands of miles away—somebody is speaking, and you can contact by the sound vibration you catch up with your machine, radio machine—similarly, the sound vibration from the spiritual sky you can also receive. That is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

Govinda, the ādi-puruṣa, His plenary representation is Mahā-Viṣṇu. And what is the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu? Yasya eka niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. From one exhaling of the breath, then... Yasyaika niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48), all these innumerable universes. We are seeing... We are in one universe. There are many millions of universes. That we cannot see. We are within this universe compact. We can see it is packed up, just like a ball. But there are many such. So all these different universes controlled by one Lord Brahma, they are coming during the exhaling period of Mahā-Viṣṇu's breathing. That is God.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

Pores. Pores of the body. From breathing in this way. Then just imagine how many pores are there in the Mahā-Viṣṇu's body and how many universes are coming. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

(BG 10.42)

"This material manifestation is one fourth-part of My energy, so many innumerable universes." And this is the plenary portion of God, Govinda—not full, but plenary, one part only. And do you think God is so cheap, anyone can become God? You don't take so cheaply that "Here is a God, incarnation. Here is a God." All bogus. Immediately reject them.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Honolulu, May 10, 1976:

So when one understands that "I am not this body. I'm extra..." That can be understood very easily if we analyze ourselves. I have several times said, beginning from your breathing, you analyze. Take breathing. They say breathing is the life. As soon as the breathing is stopped, no more life. So does it mean that breathing is life? No. Analyze. What is this breathing? It is air. So you can get so much air and put it into a machine, just like, what is called, bellow, and pump it through the nose. It is possible to get life? No. In this way, item by item, you analyze this body. Now you are advanced in laboratory analyzing. Take this breathing, take this blood, take this skin, take this bone. So many things are there, ingredients. Analyze each one of them. Will you find life? Therefore common sense, that this is not life... Life is beyond this, beyond this material. So so-called rascals, they think that this is body, this is life, combination.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

Then how brahmacarya can be executed? That is also given here: tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena (SB 6.1.13). Śamena means controlling the mind. The yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, practicing the āsana, sitting posture, breathing exercise, controlling the senses from outside engagement, pratyāhāra, these are, this yoga system is meant for controlling the mind and controlling the sense. If there is no control of mind and no control of senses, the so-called yoga practice is bogus. It has no meaning. Yoga indriya saṁyama. Yoga means to control the senses. That is the real meaning of yoga. So if one is unable to control the senses... I have seen in some yoga practice institution in New York. They are practicing some, this āsana, and just after finishing, immediately smoking. You see. This much control they learned. So these, these are all bogus. This is not yoga system.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

God is not so cheap. God, as we get description from Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Many millions of universes are coming out from the exhaling of God, and again they are disappearing by inhaling of God. That is God. By simply breathing, millions of universes are being created and millions of universes are being dissolved simply by inhaling. This is going on. So how we can claim? So our, this unnecessary, puffed-up claim is not there. Therefore we are already liberated. We don't have to seek for liberation. Liberation means to become liberated from these nonsense, false ideas. That is liberation. As soon as we think that "I am this body," I'm not liberated. And as soon as I know perfectly well that "I am not this body," I am liberated. This knowledge gives liberation. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. To develop your knowledge, that will give you relief.

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

The description of God is there in the śāstra: yasyaika-niśvasita kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). That is God. By His breathing, millions of universes are coming with exhaling. And when He's inhaling, billions of universes are going within. Can you show like that? That is also not original God. That is plenary expansion of God. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣa (Bs. 5.48). This transaction is going on in the body of Maha-Viṣṇu. The material world is being created and annihilated. When there is exhaling, the universes are coming into existence; when there is inhaling, it is all finished. This material world is like that.

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

The Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇu lying in the Causal Ocean of material creation, so He is in the nature of sleeping, ananta. And He is breathing. So yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. This breathing, exhaling and inhaling, that is going on. So that exhaling and inhaling is the duration of this material existence. When Viṣṇu exhales, whole creation takes place. And when He inhales, the whole creation again is... Prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "Then it again enters into the nature of the Supreme." So with the exhaling of breathing, innumerable universes are being generated. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam atha. Niśvasita-kāla, that period. Now, imagine what is that period. Jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. And also from the holes of the body, many universes are coming out. Such Viṣṇu, the Brahma-saṁhitā says, yasya iha kalā-viśeṣaḥ, such Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He is also a plenary portion of Govinda.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that from childhood this should be instructed. Because nobody is caring to teach this science of God from childhood. Therefore the present population, Godless population is the cause of all disturbances. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara means population, unwanted population. What is the use of this population? Simply for living? The Bhāgavata says does the tree not live? The tree also lives for thousands of years. So do you mean to say living is very important thing? No. There are many trees they are living for thousands of years. So what is the value of living? If you say, "Oh, the tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Breathing. The Bhāgavata says the bellow, it breathes very nicely. "Well, the bellow can breathe, but it cannot eat." "Oh, the dogs and hogs, they do not eat?" There are so many questions and answers in the Bhāgavata. But actually, population, important population means who are conversant with the science of God. That is important population.

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

Just like you are getting every moment a different body, similarly, death, birth and death means to change this body and to get another, new body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). The Bhagavad-gītā says that just like we change one set of garment which is not usable. We throw it away and take another set of garment, similarly, when this body is old enough, it cannot be pulled on, the machine has gone wrong, it cannot work anymore, that is called death. You stop breathing, but you are transferred, transmigrated to another body. So death we are experiencing daily. So out of hundred years, old age, age, the span of life, we are practically dead for fifty years because we are sleeping. Then the fifty years, out of the remaining fifty years, in our childhood we are very much fond of sporting and playing. So twenty years by playing. So seventy years gone. Then during old age, family adjustment, so many things not done, thinking, thinking, another twenty years. So in this way, unless we are trained up in our childhood about the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, it will be very difficult to take up this consciousness with our grown up age.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 12, 1968:

One who sees the Supreme Viṣṇu always within his mind by concentration, he is called yogi. Yogi does not mean to show some magical or gymnastic feats. These are This practice of āsana or breathing exercise, that will help you for concentrating, pratyāhāra. There is a term, pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means you draw your engagement of the senses from matter, and you engage them in the Viṣṇu. That is yogi.

So bhakta-yogi, which we are teaching in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are the topmost yogis because they are being trained to draw the engagement of the senses from anything outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are trying to draw the senses from everything and applying it in Kṛṣṇa. Just like we are trying to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. When we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means we withdraw our mind from all other engagement and try to engage my mind and ear on the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa, being Absolute Truth, there is no difference between the person Kṛṣṇa and the name Kṛṣṇa. In the absolute world there is no relativity. Therefore when you concentrate your mind on the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa, that means you are concentrating on the Absolute Truth, and that is the process of yogi. Yogi, somebody may think, "Here there is no bodily exercise, no breathing exercise.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

Why you should understand God from the beginning of life? That is explained here: because the human life is meant for understanding God. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand God, but although He has got this material body like us, the cats and dogs body and my body, if we make analysis, there is some blood, there is some muscle, there is some bone, there is some urine and stool. You'll find in the dog's body and in my body. Although these material things I am not. I am different from this muscle or blood or air, whatever it is composition. I am different. That also we can analyze what is this body. This body, first of all, you analyze when there is no breathing, the life is lost. Do you think that breathing is life? No. Analyze it. What is breathing? It is a air only, little air. Do you mean to say when this breathing is stopped you can inject some air by some machine and life will come? No, that will not come. Therefore air is not life. Neither the blood is life, neither the bone is life, neither the muscle is life. Life is different from all these things. That you have to learn. That is called bhāgavata-dharma.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

The so-called meditation, yoga or karma, jñāna, mental speculation—everything will fail. They are, of course, standard processes, but that is not possible to execute in the present age. What is to speak of present age, even five thousand years ago, when Arjuna was taught to learn yoga system... That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, the practice of yoga, the sitting posture, the breathing exercise, and controlling the senses and regulating eating, sleeping. So many things, they are recommended. And after hearing, Arjuna said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me." Actually, Arjuna was a fighter, a military man. Where is his time to practice this meditation, all these things? He frankly admitted. But we are so proud that we want to surpass even a personality like Arjuna.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:

So after one has got this unflinching faith, that "Simply by serving Lord Kṛṣṇa, all religious activities or all pious activities are done," that faith is the last word of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is explained to Arjuna in so many ways. But ultimately, he comes to the point through Him Himself. When He explains the yoga system, He explains nicely the process, how to execute yoga performances, the sitting posture, the breathing posture and eating and sitting and place. Everything explained nicely. But at the end He says that,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

"Of all the yogis, one who is always thinking of Me, Kṛṣṇa, within his heart, he is first-class yogi." Similarly, when He explains about jñāna system, or philosophical speculation, He summarizes at the end, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births of philosophical speculation, when the learned scholar or philosopher comes to this point..." What is that point? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births' philosophical speculation, when one actually becomes scholar or wise, he surrenders unto Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

So this is the process. God not dead. God cannot be dead. This is all foolishness. God is there. How you can conceive, how you can perceive that God is not dead? There is sufficient symptom that God is not dead. Just like your body. If you are breathing, if your bodily functions are working nice, if there is blood, and if you are feeling, thinking, willing nicely, will the doctor say that you are dead? No. He will say, "No. All the symptoms of life are present there, so he is not dead. He is alive." Similarly, if you have got that talent to test how God is alive, that is very simple. The whole cosmic manifestation, the whole gigantic body of God is working so nicely. The sun is rising in time, the moon is rising in time, the seasonal changes are taking place in time, the planets are moving. Everything is in order. How you can say that God is dead? What is your reason? No. God is not dead. God is alive, and you can meet also God because He is a person and you are a person. Just like here, if you try, you can meet the greatest personality of this material world, say, the president. It is not difficult. You have to simply arrange your meeting. Similarly, you can meet God face to face, just we are meeting here face to face. Simply you have to make arrangement. That's all.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

Just like we are constructing this temple. We are feeling that "I am constructing. We are constructing," but actually it is Kṛṣṇa's. The bricks, the iron or the cement or anything that we are collecting, that is Kṛṣṇa's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam. The brick is not your property. The earth is not your property. You are taking Kṛṣṇa's earth, and you are making it a brick. Still, it is Kṛṣṇa's property. But the endeavor, the energy which you are giving to Kṛṣṇa, that is taken into account: "Oh, he is working for Me. He wants to give Me something." That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is important. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa can... By His will He can construct sixteen thousands palaces for His queen. What this tiny temple will satisfy Him? But still, He's satisfied: "Oh, you have done so much? Very good." Recognized. Kṛṣṇa has created the whole universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kāla. He doesn't require any endeavor. Simply by breathing, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). By His breathing, many millions of Brahmās are coming out, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. And each jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, Brahmā, is creating a universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). So to create a temple, He doesn't require our help. He can create millions of temples by His will. There are already.

Lecture on SB 7.9.31 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1976:

This material creation is done by Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu. The original Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Original God—īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1)—He is simply playing on flute and enjoying the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. He has nothing to do. And how things are taking place? Creation, He's the creator? By expansion, svāṁśa. From Kṛṣṇa the expansion is Balarāma; from Balarāma the expansion is Saṅkarṣaṇa, then Aniruddha, Pradyumna, like that, then Nārāyaṇa, then again Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, dvitīya-catur-vyūha. From this Saṅkarṣaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu. Therefore Mahā-Viṣṇu is described, kalā-viśeṣaḥ. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo (Bs. 5.48). This Mahā-Viṣṇu, from whom, by His breathing only, millions and trillions of universes are coming, and each universe there is a Brahmā, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Just like in this universe there is one Brahmā. He creates again so many demigods, animals, human beings in each universe. Again we create so many also. Each of us, although we are very insignificant, still in the history we find one man begets hundreds of children.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

So we have to analyze, analyze that this body is made of the material elements: earth, water, fire, ether, like that. The... We are breathing. What is this breathing? We are very much proud of breathing. Eh? The breathing is simply ventilation, air. But you cannot set up this breathing to a dead man. That is not possible, although it is simply air, nothing but air. But as soon as it is gone out of it... You are great scientist. Bring this air, pump. No, there is no life. So in this way there is analysis. From water we are getting blood. From blood we are getting semina. From urine... So many things we are getting. So this body is manufactured by these things, by the material elements. So am I this body? If I am this body, then after the death why...? These material elements are there. Why you cannot replace it? I am not body. I'm living within the body. And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam, tathā dehāntara (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe: "In this body there is the living entity."

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

So similarly, Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, He is also exhaling and inhaling. But during that period so many brahmāṇḍas are coming and so many brahmāṇḍas disappear... Ādy-antavanta, beginning and... But this Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is this Mahā-Viṣṇu? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilaja jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo (Bs. 5.48). This Mahā-Viṣṇu, from whose breathing so many brahmandas and Brahmas are coming and going, that Mahā-Viṣṇu's one second just imagine, how many million millions of years. So this is the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then Mahā-Viṣṇu is also partial incarnation of Sankarsana; the Sankarsana is also emanation from Nārāyaṇa; and Nārāyaṇa is also a emanation from the first Catur-vyūha Saṅkarṣaṇa. This Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Baladeva, and Baladeva is the immediate expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore come to the Kṛṣṇa. So ādy-antavanta.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

Therefore anyone who is accepting this body as self, they have been described in the śāstra no better than... Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cows, and khara means asses. These are asses. They are taking so much credit, advancement of scientific knowledge, but so long they do not understand there is the soul-dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13)—they are all asses, that's all, simply asses. This is our challenge, that "You are all asses. If you do not accept the existence of the soul, if you cannot find out where it is, then you are all asses. We don't give him any credit." This is our challenge. Let anyone come. We shall prove that he's an ass. We shall prove. How? It is very easy. Any intelligent man can analyze this body. Take this breathing. What is this breathing? It is air. Now, you are very much anxious to keep the breathing going on by oxygen gas and injection. What is the use of oxygen gas? If breathing is lost, you can put some air within, just like the bellow, and by machine, by some electric arrangement, the bellow can go on and the breathing will come out. Why don't you do that? It is very easy. Anyone can do it. And not anyone, at least one who has got some mechanical idea. So do you think that the breathing will bring the life? Do you think? It is not possible, sir. It is air only. That is not possible. Then you take the blood. What is this blood? The blood is nothing but red water. You cannot say that injecting some red water, you can bring life. Analyze it very intelligently.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

They are traveling, wandering. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). These rascals who are not dhīra, they are thinking independent, rascals. Not a single moment you are independent. You are controlled. Even if we are dropping our eyelids, there is regulative principles. Some demigod is controlling. Breathing. Breathing, there is control. You can breathe for so many years, that's all, and live. And when the breathing is finished, then you are not controller. The great scientists, they are begin oxygen gas, injection. Can you increase the period breathing for a moment? No. Controlled. Controlled. You cannot increase your breathing even for a moment. So the yogis, they try to save the breathing. That is yogic process. Samādhi. They practice breathing control so that without breathing they can remain. Recaka, kumbhaka yoga, so they can increase their life. Suppose I shall live for eighty years or hundred years. There is breathing period. If I can save breathing, then I can live more. Just like your bank balance. If you don't spend it, your balance is all right. But you spend it, then the balance will be zero some day. Similarly, the yogic process is to control the breathing. And the breathing is lost in large quantities when there is sex life. (breathes rapidly and loudly-laughter) Finished. So control the breathing, it requires celibacy, no sex life. Yoga-indriya-saṁyamaḥ. That is called yoga, not that showing some gymnastic and smoking and yoga system. This is going on. Your country is cheated by so many rascals, yogis. You know it very well. The one great yogi was found having sex with his disciple.

Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

So this is conclusion of Nārada Muni, that this boy, although born in asura family... Asura means those who are too much materially... Not too much, only materially interested, they are called asuras. Different types of material enjoyment. Karma, jñāna, yoga, they are all material enjoyment. Karma, karmīs, generally we see everywhere. They are working so very hard, making plans how to improve material enjoyment. So they are called karmīs. And jñānīs, their demand is also very great, to become one with the Supreme, to become God. These are material desires. And then yoga, to display, demonstrate magic: "I can prepare gold. I can travel in the sky. I can walk on the water. I can eat broken glasses." Yes. People will gather. "I can remain without any breathing underneath the ground." These things are demonstrated. So people like it, something wonderful. And he says, "I am Bhagavān," and the rascals accept. These things are loka-pralobhanaiḥ. Loka-pralo... These things can mislead the people in general, but they are not very much attractive to the devotees. Devotees are not attracted.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

Just imagine what is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. And we are trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa. So many rascals, they declare they are Bhagavān. They do not know what is Bhagavān. Bhagavān... These universes are coming, innumerable universes are coming, from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

They have no idea what is Bhagavān. This is one of the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu, that from His breathing, innumerable universes are coming out. When He is exhaling, the universes are coming out, and when He is inhaling, all, everything, is going within Him. This is Bhagavān. So anyway, this is partial exhibition of the energy of the Lord. And this is one-fourth energy. This material world is manifestation of His one-fourth energy. The three-fourth energies are in the spiritual world. So in that spiritual world Kṛṣṇa exhibits His spiritual energy. That is only spiritual energy. This material world is made of material energy, and we are marginal energy.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.7 -- Mayapur, March 31, 1975:

This Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is creating innumerable universes by breathing... Just like sometimes we breathe and there are some germs, small, we cannot see; in the same way, the universes in a small minute form, they are coming out of the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That is Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī, kāraṇa-udaka, Causal Ocean. That is beginning of creation. Then all the universes, they gradually develop into gigantic form. In the originally, it is coming out. We cannot understand. Sometimes we become surprised that "How such innumerable universes are being created by a person?" So, the universe is not so big in the beginning. Just like our, this body is not so big in the beginning of our body within the womb of our mother. It is not so big. It is very small, minute, and then it becomes just like a pea, and gradually the body develops. The same process is applicable to the universes. In the beginning, they are coming out of the breathing of Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī Viṣṇu, and then gradually they are developed bṛhannatvāt, bṛhatvāt. It increases gradually. That Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī Viṣṇu is also Saṅkarṣaṇa. And then Garbhodakaśāyī. The universes are created.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.9 -- Mayapur, April 2, 1975:

So we do not know even how many pores are there in my body, but it is a fact. We cannot, even in a localized head, we cannot count how many pores are there from which the hairs are coming. Is it possible to count? And how many pores are there in our body? This is a little body. And just imagine Mahā-Viṣṇu. Therefore His name is Mahā-Viṣṇu. From His pores of the body, the universes are coming. From His nostril, with the breathing, universes are coming. So just imagine how many universes are there. The whole body is full of potency to produce universes. And it is continually being produced. Brahmā, brahmā bṛhatvād. bṛhannatvāt. This is the creation. And how you can accept this theory that there was a chunk and explosion and the universes became manifested? And these things are being accepted. Mūḍha nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. These rascals, mūḍhas, they do not know, and misleading... Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). These rascals are blind, and they are leading some other blind men, and they are satisfied that "We have got all scientific knowledge." That's all. That is not the way of scientific knowledge. If you want scientific knowledge, then you should know from Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.10 -- Mayapur, April 3, 1975:

So this is the process of creation, that the Garbhodakaśāyī, here, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, from His breathing, He created from the breathing, from the pores of the body, He created innumerable universes, and in each and every universe He entered again. And entering there, He produced a lotus flower. Within the stem of that lotus flower there are so many planets. Just see the gigantic lotus stem. These are to be known from the śāstra. You cannot imagine how the creation takes place, huge creation. That sort of explanation—"There was a chunk, and it exploded"—no, these are not explanation. Here is the explanation, in the śāstra. Śāstra cakṣuṣāt. You have to see by your śāstric eyes, not your limited, speculative eyes. That will not help us. Such gigantic business... You are a tiny soul. Your brain is very small. You cannot imagine the process of creation by your sporadic thoughts. That is not possible. So the creation means that first of all the universes are created through the breathing period of Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Then in each and every universe He enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and He creates... Half of the universe is filled up with water. The water came from His perspiration, and then He lies down there. Then He creates the lotus flower. And upon the lotus flower, a Brahmā is first-born. This is creation.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.104 -- New York, July 10, 1976:

So we are not this kapha pitta vāyu. We are not this skin, bone, blood or whatever it may be. You analyze it. I am not this. But life is not there. They are claiming that life is chemical composition, but try each and every part of this body and chemical composition. First of all take this breathing. What is this breathing? Breathing is air. So air, that is also chemical composition: hydrogen, oxygen, ether. (?) So that is chemical composition, or air. So there is no question of chemical combining. Air you can sufficiently have. You are making airtight so many things. So just put some air within the body and by artificial way let it be blowing like the bellows. The bellow also breathes like that. And will life come? No. It is not possible. Similarly, take every one item, take the breathing, take the muscles, take the blood, take the urine, take the stool, take the bone, and analyze it very carefully, part to part, and combine them all together. You have got scientist: bring life. No. That is not possible. That is not possible.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.118-119 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

So daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya. The example is very nice, that a culprit is drowned in the water, again taken for some time to take breathing. He was suffocating. Nature... He's not meant to be killed, but he is to be given suffering in that way. So material nature is giving us suffering, miseries like that. Bhayaṁ dvitīya.

(bhayaṁ) dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād

īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ

tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ

bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā

Therefore Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, is giving direction, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. When we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when we think that "There is no God. This matter is everything. This material manifestation which we see, that is everything all in all, and there is no Lord, no, I mean to say, supreme controller," when we think like that, that begins, that is the point of our anxiety, beginning of anxiety. Bhayam, fearfulness. We are all fearful because, as we have got these bodily necessities, we want to eat something, we want to sleep, similarly, we have fear, and we have demand for mating.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.118-119 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

So even if I, I am within this material energy, when I am forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, this material energy is fearful for me, and when I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, there is no question of fearfulness from material nature." Therefore tan-māyayā ābhajet tam. Ābhajet tam. And therefore it is our duty to regain our lost consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of this human form of life. Ābhajet tam bhaktyaika īśam. Simply by devotional... If you want to worship the Supreme Lord, then you have to worship Him simply by service. There is no other process. You cannot worship Kṛṣṇa by this controlling breathing or by mental speculation or by some pious activities or by charities. You have simply to worship Him simply by your devotional love. That is the only way. Bhaktyai, bhaktyaika, only one, bhakti. There is no other means. There is no second means to understand God without this devotional service. Rest assured. Foolish creatures, they take this, that. They do not understand. They come to the, that impersonal, void, all the nonsensical conclusions and... Because they do not take shelter of this, devotion, therefore they cannot have any conclusion. It is not possible. Therefore, more or less, they become atheists or after the voidness or impersonalism, and so many things there are. They create.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

"The Supreme Lord's plenary portion or portion of the plenary portion..." Just like the... I have several times mentioned in this room, that the original lamp... This is original lamp. And you kindle another candle, from that, another, from that, another, from... In that... Thousands and millions of candles, you can light up, but the original is called the original. Similarly, the original God is Kṛṣṇa. From Him, Baladeva, and from Him, Saṅkarṣaṇa, and from Saṅkarṣaṇa, then Nārāyaṇa, and Nārāyaṇa, then second Saṅkarṣaṇa, the second Saṅkarṣaṇa, puruṣa avatāra, then puruṣa avatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu... You have seen the picture in the, what is called, title page of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying in the, lying in the Causal Ocean, and in that Causal Ocean, from Mahā-Viṣṇu, from His breathing, millions and millions universes are coming out. And when He, when He breathes externally, the universes come out, and when He inhales, all the universes go into Him. You see? That Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:

Now, the yogis, some of the yogis, not all the yogis... Those who are highly qualified and advanced yogis always remain in... There is a name of Saubhari Muni, Ṛṣi, and he was in meditation, in trance within the water. Because the trance, there is no breathing, so there is no difficulty to remain even in water, because breathing causes difficulty within water. Within goes... So he was in trance, and he was a great yogi. He was meditating within water, but he... Some way or other, he was agitated by sex desire, by seeing the fish have sex intercourse. Just see. The sex power is so strong that even such a yogi who could meditate within the water, he was also agitated by sex desire. So he came out of the water and went to the king and asked him that "You give me your daughter as my wife." Oh, he was a great ṛṣi, and because he was in the water, his feature was very ugly. So the king became perplexed: "Oh, how my daughter will select such a nasty body as my son-in-law?" So he was yogi; he could understand: "Then all right..." (snaps fingers) He became very nice. Because yogis, they can do anything, very nice bodily feature. Then the king tried to avoid him, and the king told him, "Well, sir, my determination is I have got eight daughters. So I can offer my daughters to one who can become eight at least." He wanted to see how much he was yogi. And he bifurcated himself at once into eight forms.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.172 -- New York, December 14, 1966:

That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has a planet within this universe near the polestar. And from that Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the expansion, Paramātmā, is distributed in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That Viṣṇu-mūrti is expanded from the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu within this material world. The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is also within this material universe. And both, all these Viṣṇu-mūrti... One Viṣṇu-mūrti is the Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). From Maha-Viṣṇu, all these universes are being generated, niśyaika-kāla..., when He, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is lying in the Causal Ocean, and from His breathing all these universes are being generated. Then they expand, and then Mahā-Viṣṇu enters in each universe as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu... These pictures are there. You have seen. And from Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu... From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu there is expansion of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu the Paramātmā, or the expansion of Supersoul in every living entity, that is expanded. Then His incarnation. The incarnation, that is also innumerable.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

So ādyo avatāra, the first puruṣāvatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is very vast. Just imagine how much great He is, His body is, that from His breathing all these universes are generating.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

Now here is a nice example. You have seen the sunshine entering your room through a hole of your window, and you will find so many atomic demonstration. So these brahmāṇḍas, the so many universes, they are emanating from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu in that way.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

Now, such a vast, gigantic Mahā-Viṣṇu, of whose breathing producing these universes and whose inhaling, annihilating all the universes—such vast Mahā-Viṣṇu is only part and part of the expansion of Kṛṣṇa, or Govinda. So Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So just we have to imagine how much potential is the Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.281-293 -- New York, December 18, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa's first expansion, second expansion, the third expansion. The third expansion is Mahā-Viṣṇu. So Mahā-Viṣṇu's potency is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. Niśvasita-kāla means the breathing period. Just abiding by the breathing period of that Mahā-Viṣṇu, jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means the supreme creature, created, supreme created creature, Brahmā. Brahmā is the principal supreme creature in each, every universe. There are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable Brahmās also.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.281-293 -- New York, December 18, 1966:

So here it is stated that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). "Only just abiding by the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu"—there are millions of Brahmās—"they are living." And each Brahmā's period... That you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). The Brahmā's one day means 4,300,000's times 1000. That is Brahmā's twelve hours. Similarly, twenty-four hours, one day. Now calculate one month, such one years, such hundred years. So that hundred years of Brahmā is only a breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, just like we are breathing, our inhalation and exhalation is going on. So during the breathing period, when the breathing is out, all these brahmāṇḍas become created, and when it is inhaled, all, they are closed, account closed. So this is going on. And such Mahā-Viṣṇu is the part, one of the fourth part of Kṛṣṇa's expansion.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.281-293 -- New York, December 18, 1966:

"I worship that Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, whose fourth dimension, fourth expansion, is Mahā-Viṣṇu, in whose breathing period all these Brahmās, or the principal head of each brahmāṇḍa, they live."

samasta brahmāṇḍa-gaṇera iṅho antaryāmi

Kāraṇodakaśāyī-saba jagatera svāmī

"Now, this Mahā-Viṣṇu, the puruṣāvatāra, incarnation of puruṣa, of Kṛṣṇa, is the principal Supreme Personality of Godhead of all the brahmāṇḍas, all the many thousands of brahmāṇḍas."

eita kahiluṅ prathama puruṣera tattva

dvitīya puruṣera ebe śunaha mahattva

Now, He said, "Now I have explained to you about the first incarnation, avatāra. Now just try to hear about the second, second Viṣṇu." First Viṣṇu is described. Now second Viṣṇu, what is that? Sei puruṣa: "That Mahā-Viṣṇu," ananta-koṭi brahmāṇḍa sṛjiyā, ananta-koṭi, "innumerable universes came out of His breathing period by breathing." Sṛjiyā means "He created." Ekaika-mūrtye praveśilā bahu mūrti hañā: "Now, this Mahā-Viṣṇu again expanded Himself in millions and millions Viṣṇu form and entered in each brahmāṇḍa." The same Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, expanded Himself in millions other forms.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.318-329 -- New York, December 22, 1966:

And all these Manus and Brahmās, they are living only on the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-viṣṇura niśvāsera nāhika paryanta. And just imagine what is that breathing? Eka manvantarāvatārera dekha lekhāra anta.

So in one breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, you cannot calculate how many Manus are there. This is called unlimited. We say "unlimited," but we should have some knowledge how it is unlimited. There is no question of counting the energies displayed by the Supreme Lord in so many ways. Because we cannot explain something, we dismiss the whole thing. "There is void, nothing. Void." Because my mind, my intelligence, cannot go so far, we say, "Perhaps, maybe it was like this." So this is all mental speculation. And how we can say? Now, the opposite party may say, "How you can say?" Now, we have got evidence from the Vedic literature. But the other party, they have no evidence. They are simply speculationist.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.395 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

They do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). And they're coming out... Just like within our breathing there are so many things, particles, or germs are coming, similarly, with the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, so many universes are coming. This is Bhagavān. By breathing period innumerable universes are created. Not that they create something jugglery and become Bhagavān. Our conception of Bhagavān from the śāstra is different.

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

So even Kṛṣṇa's expansion, Viṣṇu, He is also subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. The greatest manifestation of Viṣṇu is the Mahā-Viṣṇu who is lying on the Causal Ocean of material creation, wherefrom the material universes are emanating by His breathing process. Such a gigantic and huge, I mean to say, form of Viṣṇu with four hands, He is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, whose plenary parts of the portion is Mahā-Viṣṇu." And what is that Mahā-Viṣṇu? "In whose breathing period all these universes are coming and being annihilated." That is the process of His breathing. Just like with our breathing we are extricating so many germs and again we are taking so many germs, similarly, the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu is He is exhaling so many universes and again inhaling so many universes. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also the plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

Similarly, any living entity who is trying to become God, he's not very much liked by God. He cannot become God, but this very endeavor, to become God, to become a competitor of God, is not very much liked. That person is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā as dviṣataḥ, envious. Tān aham dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andhā yoniṣu (BG 16.19). Such persons, envious persons, are put into the hellish condition of life. They are envious of God's position. They want to occupy high position in this material world, and when they are frustrated, they think "Now I shall occupy the position of God." But that will be also frustrated. Nobody can become God. God is God, and living entity's living entity. He's supreme, He's infinite; we are infinitesimal. Our position is to serve God. That is our perfect position. That will make us happy. Not otherwise. Not by imitating how to become God. That is impossible. How you can become God? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). There are innumerable universes, and within the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu so many universes are coming out by exhaling. And when He inhales, so many universes are dissolved within His body. So how we can become God? God is not so cheap.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

So this yoga process is there, but it is very, very difficult. Very, very difficult, especially in this age. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum (SB 12.3.52). The dhyāyato viṣṇu, that is yoga system. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yoginaḥ, being absorbed in meditation, they see. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. Mind, being absorbed in the Supreme, they can see. Yaṁ paśyanti yoginaḥ. The yogi sees. That is samādhi. That is. Prāṇāyāma, of course, they controlling the breathing. So these things are very difficult in this age. Therefore śāstra says,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

Three times. When we stress upon some important point, we say three times, "Do it, do it, do it!" It is like that. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. So yoga practice is approved process, but it requires long, long period, time, and the time is not at all suitable in this age. And persons are differently cultured. They are eating everything, they are drinking everything, smoking. And it is not possible. It is not possible. Simply childish. It is not possible. And you can see practically.

General Lectures

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

There are many other forms, of course, but this form is the easiest, and just suitable for the people of this age. Just like you gather together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can. Actually we are doing that. In your country, wherever I go I chant this, and the American boys and girls, they take part in it in parks, in our class. So there is no difficulty. And this is the easiest. Simply we do not ask that you must be very highly educated, you must be philosopher, you must be expert in breathing exercise or this way or that way. No. We don't require any qualification. Simply come and sit with us and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

By Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You can avoid all rubbish things by simply keeping your consciousness in Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is a very simple thing. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are great souls, they're always chanting, glorifying the Lord. So there is no opportunity of engaging the mind in something else which is nonsense. We are teaching our student, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma..." He is being practiced to this. He cannot avoid it. Even if he goes on the street he'll chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. His samādhi... He hasn't got to attain samādhi; the samādhi is going with him, samādhi. It is so nice thing, and easy. They are not practicing breathing exercise or sitting exercise. No. They are ordinary boys and girls. But simply by chanting they are making practical progress. Their health, their character, their mode of living—everything is increasing, developing. And spiritual advancement means all goodness. It does not mean that a man is spiritually advanced and doing all nonsense. That is contradictory. How pure thing can be impure? Pure is pure; impure is impure. If you say it is impure pure, how it is possible? One is addicted to all nonsense habit and he's practicing meditation and elevating himself. Is it possible? That is all bogus. As soon as one becomes purified, the manifestation of his character, of his mode of life, living, everything will be purified. That is the test.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

We are in such a position that in every step there is sinful activity, every step. This world is so made. Just like nonviolence. Nonviolence, the Buddhist philosophy, the Jain philosophy, they advocate nonviolence. But how one can be nonviolent? We are walking on the street, there are so many ants and small germs, they are being killed. We are breathing, so many animals are being killed. We are drinking water, so many animals are being killed. How it is possible to become nonviolence? It is not possible. Therefore in every step we have to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. Then there is indemnity from the sinful activities. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, that yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Unless you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, or as ordered by Kṛṣṇa, or God, then you become bound up by the reaction.

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 12, 1969:

In each universe there is a chief man, just like Lord Brahmā. Just like in your country the chief man is the president, Mr. Nixon, similarly, in this universe the chief man is Lord Brahmā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, Brahmā's age you cannot calculate even one day. He's living so long a duration of life. But he's not independent. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). His life, his duration life, although so long, still, it is said that that life is only a breathing period of Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu. Niśvasita-kālam. Just like we are breathing, exhaling and inhaling, coming out and again taking. So when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales, all the universes coming, and when He inhales, it goes again within. And the duration of Brahma's life you can calculate.

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

So these descriptions are there. So you have to... Vedic knowledge means the knowledge of authority. So you have to prove. But there is a process for understanding God, that "I am God." That is a process. But not that one is God. "I am God" means in that way: "Qualitatively, I am God." So we have to find out, meditation, "What is that quality?" That quality is the spirit soul, on account of whose presence the whole body is working. As soon as the spirit soul is absent from this body, this body has no more any value. That you have to understand. And what is that spirit soul? That you have to find out, where it is. Where is the spirit soul... Now, if you medically analyze where is the spirit soul, you cannot find out. But there, in the yoga process, there are different rules and regulations, sitting posture and then breathing exercise, controlling the air passing through this body.

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

Neck. Yes, kantha. Then you can bring it between the brows, and when you are sufficiently practiced, you can transfer your soul from the top of your brain to any planet you like. That is the perfection of yoga. That is not possible nowadays. Nobody can practice. Real perfection of yoga is not possible in this age. That breathing exercise, the sitting posture, following the rules and regulations... Nobody's following the rules and regulation, what to speak of the sitting posture. That is a process, recommended process. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā also, and in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. But that process is not possible at the present days.

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

So that is also not possible. Yajato makhaiḥ. Makhaiḥ means sacrifices, great sacrifices. And dvāpare paricaryāyām. The next stage, by temple worship, or church worship. That is also not possible. Nobody is interested in this age to go to the temple or to the church, or they are not satisfied with the management of the temples or the church. So many things. Anyway, this has become practically impossible to get any enlightenment. So dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Therefore in this age of disagreement and quarrel, this is the best process. Never mind whatever you are. It doesn't require any prequalification. Simply you sit down. You sit down together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see? Very practical. You haven't got to sit in a particular position or fashion, āsana. You haven't got to exercise your breathing process. Nothing. Simply you sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And that we have read just now, a practical experience of one reporter, and there are students. They have got practical... Simply by chanting you get the highest ecstasy.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

So Govinda, the ādi-puruṣa, whose plenary portion is Mahā-Viṣṇu. And what is Mahā-Viṣṇu's activity? That He is lying on the Causal Ocean, and while He is breathing, with His breathing only, innumerable universes are coming out. And innumerable universes are going into Him. In this way He is sleeping. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is the plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa. So we have to believe in the śāstras, and there is no other way for understanding Kṛṣṇa. What is beyond our imagination, beyond our mental cultivation, beyond the reach of our senses, we have to accept authority. Exactly in the same way, just like we have to accept somebody as our father simply on the version of mother, similarly, we have no information of Kṛṣṇa, but we have got Kṛṣṇa's books, we have got Vedic literatures, and if we study... Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt: you have to see through the śāstras. Then you will understand Kṛṣṇa and your life will be successful.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

The Mahā-Viṣṇu, from whose breathing period millions of universes are coming out, and when He is inhaling, millions of universes are going within Him, He is called Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. That Brahma, Lord Brahma, who exists only on the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, that Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that there are many manifestations of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. Just like candles, there are many candles, each candle has got the illuminating power. Similarly, eko bahu syām. Viṣṇu expands Himself in many, many millions of forms. Those forms are called svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. Svāṁśa, personal expansions, and separated expansions. The separated expansions are we, we living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁso jīva bhūta (BG 15.7). So we are also expansions of Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, but we are separated. Means we are not personal expansions. The personal expansions is called Viṣṇu-tattva, and the separated expansion is called jīva-tattva.

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

So we have to follow mahājana because we are tiny living entities. We cannot speculate. This is nonsense. Speculation is nonsense. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso (Bs. 5.34). If we speculate we shall never reach the Absolute Truth. That is not possible. But power is very limited. How long I shall speculate? This is called kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. Just like a frog in the well is informed by his friend, "My dear friend, Mr. Frog, or Dr. Frog, I have seen a big, vast mass of water, Atlantic Ocean." The frog, he has never seen the Atlantic Ocean. So he is speculating, "Atlantic Ocean? The well is three feet round. It may be four feet." "No, no. It is very..." "All right, five feet? Six feet? Ten feet?" So how long he will speculate? There is no comparison. Similarly, the greatness of God we cannot speculate. That is not possible. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Brahmā... There are millions of Brahmā and millions of brahmāṇḍa, and they are coming with the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo (Bs. 5.48). That Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is breathing millions of brahmāṇḍas and Brahmās during the breathing period, such Mahā-Viṣṇu is also āṁśa-kāla. Svāṁśa, and then part of svāṁśa. So govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham. So it is not possible to understand the nature of God, or Kṛṣṇa, by our tiny speculation. It is not possible.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

The yoga practice is not possible in a fashionable city. That is not possible. It is to be executed alone. Still you'll find in India, many places-Hardwar—there are many yogis, they are sitting alone. They have nothing to do with this material world, and dhyānāvasthita, and not only for one, two, three years, but for many hundred years. Still many yogis come during Kumbhamelā. Their age is three hundred years, four hundred years, five hundred years old. It is possible. It is possible. By exercising the breathing, one can prolong his life. That is called samādhi. If you can stop your breathing, then you enhance your duration of life. That is possible. Therefore you'll find the picture of the yogis, they are controlling the breathing. Because everyone has got a destined breathing period by superior arrangement. So if you don't spend your breathing, then you prolong your life. If you can remain in samādhi, don't breathe, then... Just like if you have got a bank balance, one thousand dollars. If you don't spend it, then the one thousand dollar is there. Or out of one thousand dollars, you spend one. Still you have nine hundred ninety-nine. So the yoga practice is to control the breathing period. And this breathing can be controlled if you can control your sense pleasure. Otherwise it will not be possible. Especially sex. Everyone has got experience. While sex life one enjoys, the breathing is very heavy. Very, very heavy. So he loses the balance of his breathing period. Therefore the first practice of yoga is yoga indriya saṁyamaḥ, to control the senses. That is all described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Sixth Chapter.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So this yoga system was possible in the Satya-yuga, I mean to say, possible for the mass of people. If one or two persons practices yoga, the practice is there, the system is there, but it is not possible for the general public. It is not possible. So in the śāstra we find, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuḥ (SB 12.3.52). Real yoga system, I've already explained, that yoga indriya saṁyamaḥ, or by meditation to see the Supreme Lord always within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). In trance, you'll find yogi picture, their trance, they are in meditation, completely silent, stop breathing and seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, within the heart. This is actual yoga system. But it was possible to be executed in the Satya-yuga. Satya-yuga means when people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. That was possible. Just like Vālmīki Muni. He executed yoga system for sixty thousand years. Because he was to live for one hundred thousands of years, so it was not very difficult to engage oneself for sixty thousands of years. But that is not possible in this age.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: To go back to this survival of the fittest theory, supposing we are all here and the water comes, like you said. Supposing one of these persons in Los Angeles has the ability to breathe in water, somehow or other he can breathe under water...

Prabhupāda: So we have no objection.

Śyāmasundara: So he survives; everyone else...

Prabhupāda: He survives means... He survives means that even if he's dead, that does not mean that the species is dead. There is another human being in another part of the world.

Śyāmasundara: I accept that, but I mean I want to...

Prabhupāda: So you say that because he does not survive, the whole species is extinct.

Śyāmasundara: No. But he survives..., one man survives because he is able to breathe in the water.

Karandhara: But how is he able to breathe in the water?

Śyāmasundara: Because he's adapted, he's mutated somehow.

Karandhara: But what has been that selective principle that he's adapted?

Śyāmasundara: According to you, you say it's his desire.

Karandhara: But the selective, active principle...

Prabhupāda: But the fact is that you do not find anyone that one can breathe within the water.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: All right. There is a fish called a lungfish, which... Most fish have gills, they breathe underwater with their gills, they extract oxygen from water. But there's one fish in Africa that has developed lungs, so that, because it lives in an area where the water sometimes goes away, so it must be able to breathe oxygen from the air. So they say out of millions of fish in that water, one happened to have a pair of lungs, so he survived.

Prabhupāda: So we say that means he was already existing. We say there are 900,000 of species of fishes. He may be one of them, that's all.

Śyāmasundara: So the selective principle is there, but all species are already there.

Prabhupāda: Already there, existing.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Karandhara: That information is also in the Vedas: as Mahā-Viṣṇu breathes out, the universes expand, and as Mahā-Viṣṇu breathes in, the universes contract.

Śyāmasundara: It says, "It can be shown that a closed Einsteinian universe can expand only to a certain limit, beyond which the expansion will go over into contraction." So they also agree that the universe expands and contracts.

Prabhupāda: Expand means it was not in its present state. Original state was in seed.

Śyāmasundara: That seed they say was a hot gas.

Prabhupāda: So the seed is so powerful that it has become a universe. So who made that seed, wonderful seed? And wherefrom it came? What is the tree? What is the fruit? Wherefrom seed comes? So many questions are there.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: Yes, we also say that, that universes came from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So just like we can imagine from breathing with the air, something may come very minute form, then it develops.

Hayagrīva: Bigger then?

Prabhupāda: Bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger.

Hayagrīva: Expanding.

Prabhupāda: One may be surprised that how this universe has come from the breathing of Viṣṇu, but actually it is so. If we accept that the universe is increasing, length and breadth, then the universe may come like particles and then begin to develop. That is the process we see in our child birth. In the womb it becomes just like a small pea, then it develops, develops as either elephant or man, the body develops. So everything material, it is created, it is very small, that a seed, very small, but it develops a big tree, banyan tree. That is the way of nature. So that's a fact that the universe is increasing. Not perpetually; to a certain extent. Then stop, again it becomes dwindled, and then it is finished.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Śyāmasundara: He says that all human entities have a mixture of divine and demonic tendencies.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is divine by nature. He is covered by nondivine, by māyā. That is our philosophy. He's in a (indistinct). Just like this same example: the man is living, there is breathing, but he has no consciousness. Just like you put electric in that (indistinct), how you call, (indistinct). So similarly, by the influence of māyā, we have forgotten ourself, our spiritual nature.

Śyāmasundara: He says that this unconscious state or this, I don't know, maybe we can call it māyā, the unconscious life, has also beneficial effects in that it...

Prabhupāda: What is that beneficial?

Śyāmasundara: That it's also a reservoir of creative energy. If it is utilized properly, then it can be an asset.

Prabhupāda: When (indistinct) utilize it. A person who has, who is under the influence of anaesthetic, what he can do? He cannot do anything. He has to drop again to consciousness platform, then he can do something.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Wherefrom the ocean has been generated? Everything is generated from the breathing of Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is lying in that ocean, that's all. So I'm lying on this bed, and something is coming out of my breathing, that does not mean it is coming from the bed. That's all.

Devotee (3): That is the reference to the ocean of the womb.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) You can say like that. (indistinct) And the child is floating in that water.

Śyāmasundara: Well, are there not certain characteristics that are particularly male and certain characteristics that are particularly female?

Prabhupāda: Male is only God. That is the characteristic. Male means enjoyer and female means enjoyed. So except God, except Kṛṣṇa, nobody is enjoyer. Therefore He's God.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, māyār bośe yāccho bese kācho hābuḍubu bhāi. Just like one man is being carried away by the waves and he is sometimes dipping, sometimes coming out, sometimes dipping, sometimes... So our position is like that, that we are being carried away by the waves of this material nature and we are sometimes being drowned, sometimes coming out. When we come out, we breathe little. We think, "We are now happy." He forgets that "Again I shall have to be drowned." So in this way we struggle. This is called struggle for existence. And "fittest" means when we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, then our fitness is spiritual. That's all.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Prabhupāda: Simply I have to set up the machine. Just like in a press, the machine has to be set up, and automatically you will see the magazines are coming all complete. The printing, the binding—everything complete; you simply take it now. There are many machines like that, that you set up the machine and simply stand and see how from the raw state it has come into the finishing state. So bījāhaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He has created such a seed that you sow the seed and that the tree will come. This is God's machine. He has created the seed only. Now the seed of the universe is coming from Him. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). He is breathing, and thousands and millions of seeds of universes are coming, and they are becoming manifested. Same way, seed. And when He is inhaling, everything is finished. So this manifestation and not manifestation is depending on His breathing process. When He is exhaling you see the manifestation; when He is inhaling, everything is finished. This is going on. So the cause of creation and annihilation is His breathing. So He is breathing always, but the process of creation and annihilation is going on. But if you think, "Kṛṣṇa is breathing like me," then it is finished; your knowledge is finished.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise why it is called "This man is intelligent," other man is called "You are ass." So when, on this reasoning platform, when one comes to the conclusion that the living force within the body is different from this lump of matter, then he is on the human platform. And if he keeps himself that this life means combination of these material things, then he remains an animal. This is the reasoning. Where is the life? You analyze beginning from the breathing up to the urine and stool—where you will find life? That is human reasoning. Human civilization is now advanced in analyzing things in the chemical laboratory. So if we analyze this breathing, it is air. So you replace this air, let life come again. What is this breathing? Breathing is simply exhaling and inhaling some air. So by machine, by electric, what is called, batteries, let it work and it will act accordingly, breathing. But does it mean it will bring life? So they say breathing is stopped; therefore life is stopped. So breathing can be revived, but where is the life? They say the blood has become white. So blood can be colored. So anything of this body, analyze perfectly and bring life; then you say that life is combination of this matter. You cannot bring it; therefore it must be concluded that life is different from this combination of matter. This is reasoning. This is human reasoning.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: So the matter is coming out on the positive existence of the soul. This is to be learned. Without soul being present within the womb of the woman there is no pregnancy, there is no development of the matter. We can see the same thing, that the child is developing or changing the body because the soul is there. This is reasoning. Where is the difficulty? So the philosophy, first of all find out what is that external thing which is the living force. By analyzing this material body we don't find any symptom of life either from breathing or from blood or from (indistinct). Therefore something extra. Now you find out what is that extra. That extra you will find out if you come to the right platform—that it is soul, jīvātmā. And on the basis of jīvātmā, that is very minute. If you take authority of the Vedic śās..., very, very minute, one ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair, a very small particle that we cannot find it where it is in the body. It is very small. So with your material eyes and material instruments it can not be found. We are missing. But this thing is there, we get information from the śāstra. Therefore the life is going on, it is so powerful.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: So that is the Vedic injunction, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is also eternal, He is also living being; we are also eternal, we are also living being. But He is the chief. How He is chief? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That single number eternal living being, He is maintaining all these plural number living beings. Therefore you will find either in this material world or in the spiritual world there is so much arrangement. The sky is there, the air is there, the fire is there, the water is there, the land is there. He has made, even in this conditioned state, God has given us so much things, made for our maintenance. We require water—we find; we require air, so many things, and God has given us ample opportunity. So He is maintaining. Without air we cannot breathe; without water we cannot live; without fire we cannot live. So He has given; therefore He is maintaining, He is maintainer. So one, the chief eternal living being is God, and the subordinate eternal living being are the jīvas, or the conditioned soul.