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Cannot go beyond

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 7 - 12

Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth.
BG 7.13, Purport:

Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth. They are bewildered before the Supreme Lord in His personal feature, which possesses all beauty, opulence, knowledge, strength, fame and renunciation. When even those who are in goodness cannot understand, what hope is there for those in passion and ignorance? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all these three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually liberated.

BG Chapters 13 - 18

BG 18.35, Translation:

And that determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness and illusion—such unintelligent determination, O son of Pṛthā, is in the mode of darkness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Less intelligent transcendentalists cannot go beyond this conception of becoming one with the spirit whole, without knowing of the different rasas.
SB 1.1.3, Purport:

One who attains full knowledge of these different rasas, which are the basic principles of activities, can understand the false representations of the original rasas which are reflected in the material world. The learned scholar seeks to relish the real rasa in the spiritual form. In the beginning he desires to become one with the Supreme. Thus, less intelligent transcendentalists cannot go beyond this conception of becoming one with the spirit whole, without knowing of the different rasas.

Such a conception is also the product of conditioned life because they cannot go beyond their own personal capacity.
SB 1.11.37, Purport:

The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original primeval Personality of Godhead, and when He was personally present before the eyes of everyone, He displayed full-fledged divine potency in every field of activities. As we have already explained in the first verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, He is completely independent to act however He likes, but all His actions are full of bliss, knowledge and eternity. Only the foolish mundaners misunderstand Him, unaware of His eternal form of knowledge and bliss, which is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā and Upaniṣads. His different potencies work in a perfect plan of natural sequence, and doing everything by the agency of His different potencies, He remains eternally the supreme independent. When He descends on the material world by His causeless mercy to different living beings, He does so by His own potency. He is not subject to any condition of the material modes of nature, and He descends as He is originally. The mental speculators misunderstand Him as the Supreme Person, and they consider His impersonal features as inexplicable Brahman to be all. Such a conception is also the product of conditioned life because they cannot go beyond their own personal capacity. Therefore, one who considers the Lord on the level of one's limited potency is only a common man. Such a man cannot be convinced that the Personality of Godhead is always unaffected by the modes of material nature.

SB Canto 2

The civilized man of sense gratification is on an equal level with animals because animals cannot go beyond the activities of the senses.
SB 2.7.18, Purport:

We are contaminated in the material world by association with the three modes of material nature. Therefore, the more one spiritually advances by devotional service to the Lord, in exchange for his temporary possessions, the more one is freed from the attachment of material illusion. To achieve this stage of life one must be firmly convinced about spiritual existence and its permanent effects. To know exactly the permanency of spiritual existence, one must voluntarily practice possessing less or only the minimum to maintain one's material existence without difficulty. One should not create artificial needs. That will help one be satisfied with the minimum. Artificial needs of life are activities of the senses. The modern advancement of civilization is based on these activities of the senses, or, in other words, it is a civilization of sense gratification. Perfect civilization is the civilization of ātmā, or the soul proper. The civilized man of sense gratification is on an equal level with animals because animals cannot go beyond the activities of the senses. Above the senses is the mind. The civilization of mental speculation is also not the perfect stage of life because above the mind is the intelligence, and the Bhagavad-gītā gives us information of the intellectual civilization.

SB Canto 5

An ordinary human being or animal who has accepted a material body cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's control.
SB 5.1.12, Purport:

In the Garga Upaniṣad, Gargamuni says to his wife, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gargi sūryā-candramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ: "My dear Gargī, everything is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even the sun, the moon and other controllers and demigods like Lord Brahmā and King Indra are all under His control." An ordinary human being or animal who has accepted a material body cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's control. A material body includes senses. However, the sense activities of so-called scientists who try to be free from God's law or the laws of nature are useless. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14). Mama māyā duratyayā: it is impossible to surpass the control of material nature, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is working behind it. Sometimes we are proud of our austerities, penances and mystic yogic powers, but it is clearly stated herein that one cannot surpass the laws and directions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, either by dint of mystic power, a scientific education, or austerities and penances. It is impossible.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Preface and Introduction

Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the Māyāvādī philosophers cannot go beyond the Brahman effulgence, which may be compared to the sunshine.
CC Preface:

The scholarly demons misguide the masses of people by directing them to surrender not to the Personality of Godhead but rather to the impersonal, unmanifested, eternal, unborn truth. The impersonalist Māyāvādī philosophers do not accept that the ultimate aspect of the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one desires to understand the sun as it is, one must first face the sunshine and then the sun globe, and then, if one is able to enter into that globe, one may come face to face with the predominating deity of the sun. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the Māyāvādī philosophers cannot go beyond the Brahman effulgence, which may be compared to the sunshine. The Upaniṣads confirm that one has to penetrate the dazzling effulgence of Brahman before one can see the real face of the Personality of Godhead.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the Māyāvādī philosophers cannot go beyond the Brahman effulgence, which may be compared to the sunshine.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Preface:

The Lord demands that one surrender unto Him by following these six guidelines, but the unintelligent so-called scholars of the world misunderstand these demands and urge the general mass of people to reject them. At the conclusion of the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa directly says: "Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me." (BG 9.34) However, the scholarly demons misguide the masses of people by directing them to the impersonal, unmanifest, eternal, unborn truth rather than the Personality of Godhead. The impersonalist Māyāvādī philosophers do not accept that the ultimate aspect of the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one desires to understand the sun as it is, one must first face the sunshine, then the sun globe and, after entering into that globe, come face to face with the predominating deity of the sun. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the Māyāvādī philosophers cannot go beyond the Brahman effulgence, which may be compared to the sunshine. The Upaniṣads confirm that one has to penetrate the dazzling effulgence of Brahman before one can see the real face of the Personality of Godhead.

Nectar of Devotion

Even though a person is highly educated academically, if he cannot go beyond the sphere of mental activities then he is sure to perform only material activities and thus remain impure.
Nectar of Devotion 1:

On the other hand, a person who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no good qualities. He may be highly educated from the academic point of view, but in the actual field of his activities he can be seen to be baser than the animals. Even though a person is highly educated academically, if he cannot go beyond the sphere of mental activities then he is sure to perform only material activities and thus remain impure. There are so many persons in the modern world who have been highly educated in the materialistic universities, but it is seen that they cannot take up the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and develop the high qualities of the demigods.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

This transcendental sound... Just like your radio message, television sound, they cannot go beyond this earthly planet, at most. But there is sound which can penetrate the whole universe and go to the spiritual world.
Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Śabda-brahma, sound vibration. Sound—brahma, Brahman in sound. Just like Brahman means all-pervading. All-pervading. So the sound is all-pervading. You'll find sound... Beginning from the sky to the earth, you'll find sound, all-pervading. In the sky, there is sound. You have got experience. In the fire there is sound, in the air there is sound, in the earth there is sound, every metal, wood. You take everything, there is sound. So Brahman means all-pervading. But this transcendental sound... Just like your radio message, television sound, they cannot go beyond this earthly planet, at most. But there is sound which can penetrate the whole universe and go to the spiritual world. Sound is all-pervading, that is a fact, scientific fact. If that sound is potent, then it can penetrate even this material sky and go to the spiritual sky and go to Kṛṣṇa directly. That sound is Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā unless he is a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the first qualification. It is clearly said here. You cannot go beyond Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

We have to understand that unless one is devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa it is not possible for him to understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. Nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā unless he is a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the first qualification. It is clearly said here. You cannot go beyond Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, you cannot take help of other methods. You have to take the help as it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. He clearly says that bhakto 'si: "You are not only My friend. There are many friends. I can find many friends. But you are not only My friend, but you are a great devotee. Therefore you can understand what is the real sense of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore I am speaking to you. I am speaking to you." So if anyone wants to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then...

Nobody can claim. "I am the wisest man," nobody can claim. "I am the strongest man," that is also, nobody can claim. However one strong may be, he is under the rules and regulation and material nature. He cannot go beyond that. Therefore you cannot find Bhagavān, or the Supreme Person, possessing all these opulences. That is not possible.
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

Bhaga means opulence, six kinds of opulences: wealth, strength, influence, education, wisdom, beauty, and renunciation. These are opulences. If a man is wealthy, he's attractive. He attracts. Any man, very wealthy, he attracts. Similarly, if he's very strong, if he's very influential, if he's very learned, wise, if he's very beautiful... He or she, it doesn't matter. Or if he's a great renouncer, one who has renounced everything for public benefit, naturally we have got attraction. So in this material world we find some wealthy man, some rich man, some strong man, some beautiful man, some wise man, one renounced man, but they are only fragmental. Fragmental, very small quantity. Any man... You can take a rich man. He may be very rich man, but, in comparison to the other persons in the material world, but nobody can claim that "I am the richest man." No. That is not possible. Nobody can claim. "I am the wisest man," nobody can claim. "I am the strongest man," that is also, nobody can claim. However one strong may be, he is under the rules and regulation and material nature. He cannot go beyond that. Therefore you cannot find Bhagavān, or the Supreme Person, possessing all these opulences. That is not possible.

You cannot go beyond your nature. If you go beyond your nature, that is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Therefore we are all servants, but here, in the material designation, we are trying to be master.
Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

You cannot go beyond your nature. If you go beyond your nature, that is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Therefore we are all servants, but here, in the material designation, we are trying to be master. Everyone is trying to be master. Therefore so much trouble of existence. If everyone becomes servant, there is no struggle. There is no struggle. Everyone becomes happy because he comes to his natural position. But here, artificially, we are trying to be the master, which I am not. That is my artificial life. Everyone is trying to predominate, to be the... He's trying to dominate over the material resources to his best. But he cannot have any domination of the material nature. Material nature is so strong that you cannot dominate it. That is impossible. So he's being crushed by the laws of material nature. Instead of becoming master, he's being crushed. So this is struggle for existence.

Just like you have the facility of traveling over the surface of the world or in the outer space on the earth. But you cannot go beyond the orbit. This is called conditioned life.
Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Just like you have the facility of traveling over the surface of the world or in the outer space on the earth. But you cannot go beyond the orbit. This is called conditioned life. In conditioned life we are limited in our traveling. But in spiritual life you can travel anywhere. The best example is Nārada Muni. He can travel anywhere he likes. Even in this universe we have got a planet which is called Siddhaloka, a planet of the perfect. Not perfect completely, but they are called siddha. Siddha means almost perfect. The inhabitants of that planet, they can travel without any aid of a sputnik or aeroplane from one planet to another. We get this information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. So in spiritual life we have got complete freedom to move, to act, to enjoy. So that spiritual knowledge should be cultivated. That is the best utilization of this human form of life.

There is no question of interpretation. When the things are clear, in the Brahma-sūtra, all the sūtras are very clear. So you don't require any interpretation. You can expand, explain very elaborately. That is another thing. But you cannot go beyond the sutra.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa specifically mentions, Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). The sampradāya must have understanding of the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra. So all the sampradāyas, they have got their commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra and... Even Śaṅkarācārya. But his commentary is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas because he has tried to derive some meaning, interpretation. But there is no question of interpretation. When the things are clear, in the Brahma-sūtra, all the sūtras are very clear. So you don't require any interpretation. You can expand, explain very elaborately. That is another thing. But you cannot go beyond the sutra.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We are prisoned here within this universe. We are thinking that we are very free to move in the sky with, what is called, sputniks. But you cannot go beyond your limitation. That is not possible. They are going to the moon planet, again coming back. You see. That is our conditional life, that you are conditioned, packed up under certain regulations.
Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 6, 1971:

Śaṅkarācārya, the impersonalist, he says nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa is beyond this material creation." Avyakta. Avyakta means there is a total stock of material elements beyond this universe. There are so many things to be learned. This universe we see just like a ball, and this ball is covered by layers of water, fire, air, earth, like that. Circling. And each layer is ten times bigger than the previous layer. In this way the universe is covered. And beyond that covering, there is another sky. We are prisoned here within this universe. We are thinking that we are very free to move in the sky with, what is called, sputniks. But you cannot go beyond your limitation. That is not possible. They are going to the moon planet, again coming back. You see. That is our conditional life, that you are conditioned, packed up under certain regulations. If you violate, then you are punishable. You cannot violate. You have to remain within the conditions of material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama... (BG 7.14). You cannot violate. If you want to violate the laws of nature, then you will create another difficulty. Another difficulty.

Jagat, going on. Going on, but condition: "You cannot go beyond this." Just like these so-called scientists are going to the moon planet and coming back—because conditioned. You have remain where you are placed by your karma. You cannot move. I cannot move beyond this body.
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

Jagat means going on. Gacchati iti jagat. Every planet is going on. This planet is going on. One thousand miles per hour, going on. The sun is moving sixteen thousand miles per second. This is called jagat. Everything is going on. Your motorcar is going on. You are going on. We have a big city, especially in Europe, America, simply going on. This way, this... Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. No rest. This is called jagat. Where he is going on? You have heard Rabindranath Tagore, poet Tagore. He wrote one article that "When I was in London I saw the people are walking very fast, the cars are going very fast. But I was thinking that 'This England is a small island; they may not fall down on the sea.' " (laughter) If you let loose your dog, it will go on this way, this way, this way, this way, this way. (laughter) This is jagat, going on. Going on, but condition: "You cannot go beyond this." Just like these so-called scientists are going to the moon planet and coming back—because conditioned. You have remain where you are placed by your karma. You cannot move. I cannot move beyond this body. Therefore our senses are all imperfect. We think that "I have got my legs; I can walk very fast." No. You cannot go fast as it is destined by you. Relative. This is called relative world.

Therefore, generally, these speculators become impersonalists. Because they cannot go beyond that. But that impersonal knowledge is not complete.
Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Yes. One can speculate about the Absolute Truth to certain extent. Therefore, generally, these speculators become impersonalists. Because they cannot go beyond that. But that impersonal knowledge is not complete. As we have several times stressed on this point, one has to go further, onward: realization of Paramātmā, realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they stop only in impersonal view. That's all.

One cannot go beyond these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, or mixed. Three into three equal to nine, and again mix, nine into nine equals eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of living entities under the impression that "I am this; I am plant; I am fish; I am mosquito; I am man; I am demigod; I am tiger; I am Indian; I am American." In this way there are 8,400,000's of different types of identification.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

They have created the United Nations, but there is no solution because everyone is under the grip of the māyā, material energy, and they are simply creating problems. This is their business. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Ātmānam. I am spirit soul, but I do not belong to these material qualities; still, I am thinking, ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. One cannot go beyond these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, or mixed. Three into three equal to nine, and again mix, nine into nine equals eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of living entities under the impression that "I am this; I am plant; I am fish; I am mosquito; I am man; I am demigod; I am tiger; I am Indian; I am American." In this way there are 8,400,000's of different types of identification. Therefore we find so many forms of life. Ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakaṁ manute. Yayā... This is all the work of māyā, to keep us under certain impression. And we work under certain impression and create another situation, and we get, "tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13)." Now, this life, if I create a situation like a dog, then I will get the body of a dog. That's all. Or if I create a situation like the demigod, then I can go to the heavenly planets. But if I create a situation that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you go to Kṛṣṇa. This is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So everyone is working under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Ocean, although very powerful, very big, still, by the order of Kṛṣṇa, it cannot go beyond the limit.
Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:

So everyone is working under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Ocean, although very powerful, very big, still, by the order of Kṛṣṇa, it cannot go beyond the limit. It cannot go. So the... Everything... Yasyājñayā bhramati kāla-cakraḥ. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Now, this sun, the sun, unlimited heat, aśeṣa-tejāḥ, heat. But it is also limited. It cannot expand so much heat so that we may burn into ashes. The sun can do that. As the big ocean can overpower all your cities and towns in a second, similarly, the sun also can burn the whole universe within a second. It has got so much potency, temperature. But yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. No. The kāla-cakra... I think the scientists also say that the sun from the orbit, if it comes this side one inch or that side one inch, one side coming this side, the whole universe will be frozen, and the other side, whole universe will be burned. I do not know whether there is any scientists who say. But it cannot go this side or that side. Sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The orbit which is given by Kṛṣṇa, that "You shall travel within this orbit..." Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

But within the Paris, within the Paris, they may go seventy miles, eighty miles, but they cannot go beyond. That, our one countryman, Rabindranath Tagore... So perhaps you heard his name. He was a big poet.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu (SB 2.1.2). Gṛheṣu means gṛha means home. So you can take this body as home. Because I am, you are all living within this body. So this is also home. And then again, expanded, I am living in this planet. So this is also home. And again living within this universe. That is also home. Or I have got a little home, apartment, ten feet square. That's all. That is also home. So we have got attachment for this home, ten feet by ten feet or millions of feet on millions... This is home, within the compact. We living entities, we are within this home. Take this whole universe, apart from other universe, this universe. This is also home because we're living here. And we are changing, from this place to that place. Suppose I have come from India. From Bombay, I have come to Paris. This is all within the home, within the universe, or within this planet. So we see people are very busy. Seventy miles speed, they're driving car. But within the Paris, within the Paris, they may go seventy miles, eighty miles, but they cannot go beyond. That, our one countryman, Rabindranath Tagore... So perhaps you heard his name. He was a big poet. So when he was in London, so he saw that people are very, walking very fast. So he remarked that "These people are walking very fast. But there is a very small country. They'll fall down on the sea." You see?

You cannot go beyond the Vedic conclusion. Then it is useless writing. Vedic conclusion must be there.
Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

Śruti means Vedas, śāstras. Śruti-smṛti. And smṛti means books which follow the Vedic principles. Vedas... Suppose you write one book, or anything. If it is just according to the Vedic conclusion, then it is also... It is called smṛti. By remembering the Vedic conclusion... You cannot go beyond the Vedic conclusion. Then it is useless writing. Vedic conclusion must be there. The guide must be there. On that conclusion, if you write something, that is right, and if you deviate from that conclusion, then it is wrong. So we want to read authorized, right books. Not by imagination. You can write so many nonsense things by imagination. That is useless. You must remember what is the Vedic conclusion. So śruti-smṛti-pañcarātra-vidhim.

We cannot go beyond the rules and regulation, condition, of material nature. That is called pāra-tantrya, not svātantrya. Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet, but because they are under condition of material nature, not that they can go very easily. It is not possible. They are coming back again and again trying to go there.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

Dictated by the material nature, we are acting in some way and thereby creating another resultant action, means another body. In this way it is going on. That is called saṁsṛtiḥ. Tad asya saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantryam. Svātantrya, and just the opposite word is pāra-tantrya, under the direction of somebody else, pāra-tantrya. Just like dog and the master. The dog is pāra-tantrya, dependent on the master. Similarly, we are now dogs of material nature, pāra-tantrya. We cannot go beyond the rules and regulation, condition, of material nature. That is called pāra-tantrya, not svātantrya. Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet, but because they are under condition of material nature, not that they can go very easily. It is not possible. They are coming back again and again trying to go there. This is also material world. Even in this material world we are so much dependent on the rules and regulation of the nature. And what to speak of going to the spiritual world? Pāra-tantrya is there. We admit or not admit. We are not svātantrya, or independent. We are dependent. Bhavaty akartur īśasya sākṣiṇo nirvṛtātmanaḥ.

Kṛṣṇa also said śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is also the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He refers to the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitam. So we cannot go beyond the śāstra.
Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given this opportunity that simply by chanting... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has not manufactured it. It is mentioned in the śāstra. No other... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not introduce anything by manufacturing, just like nowadays these rascals do. There is no question of manufacturing. Whatever is there already in the śāstra, indication, we have to follow. Yaḥ śāstra-viddhim utsṛjya vartate... Otherwise there is no success. Kṛṣṇa also said śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is also the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He refers to the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitam. So we cannot go beyond the śāstra. We must follow. So in the śāstra it is said, in the Kali-yuga people are so fallen, they cannot be persuaded to so many rules and regulation, but kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply that is special facility for these fallen... You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly and you become liberated from the material contamination. And as soon as you become liberated, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). We have no distinction that "Here is American," "There is European," "Here is Indian," "Here is African." No. Samaḥ sarveṣu, even animals. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then bhakti begins. That is practical.

When we walk on the beach we are confident that although the Pacific Ocean is a great vast mass of water, but we are certain it cannot come up to this. It is limited by the order of God, "You cannot go beyond this."
Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:

Abhaya, abhaya means it doesn't vanquish. There is no expenditure, it is increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam (CC Antya 20.12). These transcendental activities, transcendental bliss increases, ānanda ambudhi. Ambudhi means ocean. We have seen ocean, but it does not increase, although it is a very big, vast mass of water. Still when you go to the beach for hundreds year(?), it does not increase. Ānandāmbudhi, the material world, not vardhanam, it is fixed up. When we walk on the beach we are confident that although the Pacific Ocean is a great vast mass of water, but we are certain it cannot come up to this. It is limited by the order of God, "You cannot go beyond this." So there is no vardhanam. The temporary ebb tide, and flow tide, that is another thing, but actually aputra māna acala pratiṣṭhā, but in the spiritual world the ocean of transcendental bliss increases. Therefore it is said that ānandāmbudhi vardhanam.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

If you do not like to become friend of Kṛṣṇa, then you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. If you like... Because you cannot go beyond these twelve rasas.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

So if you want real happiness, then you have to take the real method. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bluff. It is most scientific. You are... Your aim of life is how to become happy, but you do not know how to become happy. You are under the illusion. You are thinking that "This thing will give me happiness. That thing will give me happiness." No. And what is that happiness? Happiness, that is explained here: in twelve rasas. So you accept these twelve rasas in exchange of your affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. You may take... You become even enemy of Kṛṣṇa, just like Kaṁsa. If you do not like to become friend of Kṛṣṇa, then you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. If you like... Because you cannot go beyond these twelve rasas. Still. Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt, it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa actually by lusty desires, the kāmāt. Bhayāt: and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa out of fearfulness. Dveśyāt: the Śiśupāla, he was always envious of Kṛṣṇa. He was also thinking of... Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt. Some way or other, be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and you'll be happy. You'll be happy, this life and next life.

General Lectures

Just like this earth has its own orbit, similarly, sun, sambhṛta-kāla-cakro, yasyājñayā... The sun cannot go beyond that orbit.
Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1972:

All the planetary systems that are existing within this universe, the sun is the eye because he is the eye of the Supreme Lord. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. It is the king of all planets. Rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejaḥ. Aśeṣa-tejaḥ, unlimited temperature. Unlimited temperature. Aśeṣa-tejaḥ. And it is so powerful and so important, but what is his position? Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. Under the direction of the Supreme, it is rotating in its own orbit. The sun has its own orbit. Just like this earth has its own orbit, similarly, sun, sambhṛta-kāla-cakro, yasyājñayā... The sun cannot go beyond that orbit. Just like we go to the sea. The order is, "My dear Pacific Ocean, you may be very great, but you cannot come beyond this." We are walking daily on the beach. Just four feet away, the water is there, but it cannot touch because the order is, "No, you cannot come. Up to this, that's all."

We are... Big, big scientists, philosophers, we are trying to understand the activities of the material nature. We cannot go beyond that. That is also very imperfect.
Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

We are... Big, big scientists, philosophers, we are trying to understand the activities of the material nature. We cannot go beyond that. That is also very imperfect. Our understanding of this material nature, how it is working, how things are happening in a systematic way, how the sun is rising exactly in due course, due time, how it is setting—there are so many things we do not know. Just like we are trying to go the moon planet, but why we are becoming failure, at least, up to date? They say that there is no living entity in the moon planet, but here we find in the Bhagavad-gītā, nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ. The living entity is everywhere. At least, we find on this planet, even in deserted place, there are a certain type of vegetable. That is living entity. Sometimes some microbes. Sometimes insect. So the statement of Bhagavad-gītā is sarva-gataḥ: "Living entities everywhere." We practically see in our experience. We find living entities, the aquatics, in the water. We find living entities within the earth. There are so many insects. We find living entities in the air. We find living entities on the land, in the sky, and so many places. So this is confirmed: sarva-gataḥ. Nityaḥ. The living entity is eternal and he is everywhere. Sarva-gataḥ. Sthāṇur acalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ. Sanātanaḥ. Concluding sanātanaḥ.

Philosophy Discussions

For this insect, it is very difficult to understand that there is another animal which is called man, who has got this duration of his lifetime period in only twelve hours of his life. But the insect cannot go beyond that. Just like when we hear from Bhagavad-gītā that Brahmā lives such-and-such, we disbelieve sometimes.
Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Śyāmasundara: We can't know anything.

Prabhupāda: You cannot, but there is a process. You cannot know; that does not mean beyond the mind is relative time and perception. Just like a small insect, he takes birth in the evening, and from evening to morning, his birth, his marriage, his begetting children, everything is done, and in the morning he dies. There are many insects. They are called diwali pokali. At night they will throng together, in India. So for this insect, it is very difficult to understand that there is another animal which is called man, who has got this duration of his lifetime period in only twelve hours of his life. But the insect cannot go beyond that. Just like when we hear from Bhagavad-gītā that Brahmā lives such-and-such, we disbelieve sometimes. But everything is relative. With your relative body, your duration of life, your knowledge, your perception, everything is relative. So you are teeny human being. What is impossible for you is not impossible for others. He is talking from the relative platform.

If there is possibility, mind cannot go beyond this, but if the same thing, we say upon the roof there is some sound, now we speculate, but we cannot ascertain what is the sound.
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: No. He should go to higher authorities. Why should he remain agnostic? If there is possibility, mind cannot go beyond this, but if the same thing, we say upon the roof there is some sound, now we speculate, but we cannot ascertain what is the sound. But if somebody is actually there, he says, "This sound is due to this." So why I shall remain satisfied with agnostic position, that I could not ascertain what is the sound, and therefore I shall remain satisfied? I shall say, "Is there anybody on the roof?" If somebody says, "Yes. I am here," "Will you kindly say what is the sound?" "Yes: this, that, this, that." Therefore Vedic injunction is tad vijñānārtham: that which is beyond your senses, you must approach a spiritual master. He will give you information. That is our system, accepting guru.

You cannot go beyond your experience.
Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: You cannot go beyond your experience. You see this table. This table has got a history. Somebody has collected the wood and he has made into a shape. So everything that you see, it has got a history. So similarly the whole creation, it has got a history, and to know who has created, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), that is perfect knowledge. If you do not know, if you cannot reach, that is your inability. Don't think that it is imaginary, mythological. That is your imperfect of knowledge. You cannot reach, and you make a conclusion like a crazy man. That is not philosophical at all.

So there is no question of starting a new religion. The religion is already there, but poor people, they do not accept it. The simple thing is that somebody must be the supreme controller. He is God. And everything under His control. Actually, if somebody asks, "What is your experience?" so the real experience is that we see two things. One thing is matter, inert matter, without any consciousness. Another thing we see, another element: with consciousness. Two things we see. You cannot go beyond this. And above two, these two things, there is one controller—the third element. The third element is the Absolute Truth, and these two elements, one inert and one living, they are categories. So this is a fact. So the third element, the controller of the living, animate and inanimate, the controller is the Supreme Lord. So this is simple philosophy. Everyone can understand that there is a supreme controller, and both these visible, animate and inanimate objects, they are controlled by Him. This is a simple fact.

Read Bhagavad-gītā carefully. All answers are there. This philosopher cannot go beyond Bhagavad-gītā.
Philosophy Discussion on John Locke:

Prabhupāda: Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness, culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is never lost. It goes on, unless it is perfect. Therefore it is stated, sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little acting on Kṛṣṇa consciousness can save one from the greatest danger—as it was done by Ajamila. He cultivated Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the beginning of his life, then he fell down, he became the greatest debauch. But at the end of life again he remembered Nārāyaṇa and he got salvation. Tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogam (BG 6.43). Read Bhagavad-gītā carefully. All answers are there. This philosopher cannot go beyond Bhagavad-gītā.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

If we think that beyond this sun there is no more planet, that is not correct. You cannot go beyond this sun. That is another thing. But all the planets are surrounding the sun. That everyone knows.
Morning Walk -- December 30, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Somebody is more intelligent than me, somebody is more intelligent, more intelligent. Go on searching. Find out the final intelligent. That is comparative intelligence. That we know. But what is that final intelligence? That we must know. That is God. Just like the sun. If we think that beyond this sun there is no more planet, that is not correct. You cannot go beyond this sun. That is another thing. But all the planets are surrounding the sun. That everyone knows. So if there is a planet this down the sun, why not up the sun? It is common sense. This water is impersonal, but go down the water. You will find millions of persons, aquatics. Those who are seeing superficially on the surface, they have concluded, "Now finished, all personality finished. It is all vacant." That is poor fund of knowledge. Real knowledge is go deep into the water, you will find millions of creatures. They are living very nicely within the water. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān... Even within the atom, you will find personality.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So you cannot go beyond the verdict of the śāstra. That is the injunction.
Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Mahatma Gandhi was put to jail in so many times. So nobody could say because according to law there was civil disobedience. So if the law puts you in the jail, so can you protest against that? Then you will be also put into jail, contempt of court. Although everyone respects Mahatma Gandhi, but why he was put into jail? According to law. It may be it is man-made law, it is wrong, but the principle is that whatever is judgement of the śāstra, we have to take. It doesn't matter who is that man and how great he is. That is... Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhim sa... (BG 16.23). The śāstra is given stress always. So you cannot go beyond the verdict of the śāstra. That is the injunction.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

You cannot go beyond this wall. But that does not mean there is nothing beyond this wall. So if you want to know what is beyond this wall, you have to know from a person who knows it.
Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Prabhupāda: Just try to hear. Then...

Professor: If Indian philosophy...

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is no Indian or American. It is the philosophy. It is philosophy. The philosophy is not Indian or American. Truth is truth, not Indian truth or American truth. That is not truth. That is relative truth. The Absolute Truth is absolute. That is neither Indian nor American nor...

Guest (1): But in what sense you use the concept "truth" here? Is it in the ontological sense, or is it in somehow in a more pragmatical human sense, refers to human beings or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is pragmatic, that you cannot see beyond this wall. That is your insufficient knowledge or your senses are insufficient. You cannot go beyond this wall. But that does not mean there is nothing beyond this wall. So if you want to know what is beyond this wall, you have to know from a person who knows it. Yes. Because you cannot see, you cannot know, that is not the end. There must be something.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

You cannot go beyond this earth. You attempted so much to go to the moon planet, you failed. And where you can go, put-put-put-put? You'll have to stay here.
Room Conversation -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: And they're taking it, highly civilized way of life. Where you are going? You cannot go beyond this earth. You attempted so much to go to the moon planet, you failed. And where you can go, put-put-put-put? You'll have to stay here. But that rascal does not understand. He thinks, "I am going very fast." Where you are going? You are destined to stay here. That he does not understand. Not only this put-put motorcycle, the put-put airplane also. They're also trying to go to this planet around, round. That sputnik, first sputnik, eighteen thousand miles, and they simply rounded over the world in one hour and twenty-five minutes. And where did you go? And when he's tired, then come down again. They cannot understand, these so-called scientists, that we cannot go in this way. There is higher authority. Why it will allow us to go anywhere? Just like the horse running fast, but within the race course. That's all. It cannot go beyond the race course. And similarly, however heroic expedition we may show, you are, what is called, baddha-jīva, conditioned. You cannot cross the condition, that is not possible. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). A rascal, on account of his false prestige, he is thinking, "Oh, I am independent. I can do whatever I like." Vimūḍhātmā, foolish, rascal. Mūḍha, not. Vimūḍhātmā, "especially the rascal, a special rascal." Ordinary rascal is better than the special rascal. (laughs) So all these scientists, philosophers, and political leaders, they're all special rascal, they are.

Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth.
Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There are many different kinds of living entities—human beings, demigods, animals, etc.—and each and every one of them is under the influence of material nature, and all of them have forgotten the transcendent Personality of Godhead. Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth. They are bewildered before the Supreme Lord in His personal feature, which possesses all beauty, opulence, knowledge, strength, fame and renunciation. When even those who are in goodness cannot understand, what hope is there for those in passion and ignorance? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all these three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually liberated.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

All over the world, as many villages and towns are there, preach. But this paramahaṁsa says, "No, no. I cannot go beyond Vṛndāvana." Kali's..., Kali-yuga paramahaṁsa.
Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the Gosvāmīs that you develop Vṛndāvana, so Gosvāmīs, they did that. But these smoker, bidi smoker paramahaṁsas, they imitate Rūpa Gosvāmī: "You cannot go." Simply by imitating Gosvāmīs by a loincloth they have become... (break) Pṛthivīte āche yata naga... All over the world, as many villages and towns are there, preach. But this paramahaṁsa says, "No, no. I cannot go beyond Vṛndāvana." Kali's..., Kali-yuga paramahaṁsa. Practically, if I remained at Rādhā-Dāmodara temple becoming a paramahaṁsa, then how this institution would have come into existence? That is a fact. But we are not doing. If I would have been a great paramahaṁsa, not leave Vṛndāvana; I would have been very happy in that room, no botheration. Then how this movement would have been started all over the world?

Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth.
Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: There are many different kinds of living entities-human beings, demigods, animals, etc.—and each and every one of them is under the influence of material nature, and all of them have forgotten the transcendent Personality of Godhead. Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth. They are bewildered before the Supreme Lord in His personal feature, which possesses all beauty, opulence, knowledge, strength, fame and renunciation. When even those who are in goodness cannot understand, what hope is there for those in passion and ignorance? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all these three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually liberated.

But we... Based on philosophy. You cannot go beyond the philosophy. Philosophy must be there. It cannot be changed.
Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: In the past I have sometimes asked you that we wanted to try to follow your example when you were first writing Back to Godhead, offering solutions to problems that people are currently bothered by, making the magazine contemporary and so on, rather than just giving them philosophy, but making it so that it can relate to their...

Prabhupāda: But we... Based on philosophy. You cannot go beyond the philosophy. Philosophy must be there. It cannot be changed. But we have to... You cannot change the wine. That should be the... So therefore, while changing, you can consult.

An animal is bound up, so he's going this round or this round, the same thing. But you cannot go beyond that.
Bhu-mandala Discussion -- July 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They can go from New York, that direction, or they go from Los Angeles, the other way. Either way, they come to India, and they say, "That proves the world is round 'cause we can go like this or we can go this way." But we say, "No, you can only go this way." But the compass shows I am going due east...

Prabhupāda: So we don't say differently. You can go this way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we don't say that. Because there's no round, we say... Simply it's a lotus. It's not...

Prabhupāda: No, I... It is the same example. Just a animal is bound up, so he's going this round or this round, the same thing. But you cannot go beyond that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That they'll... "We accept." I take the view of the scientists.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Yes. We don't say. Suppose you are going round, you'll go this round or this round, but within the round.

The fact is that you are conditioned. You cannot go beyond that conditioned.
Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There are so many millions of stars and moons that we cannot go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As we are conditioned, as everyone is conditioned, our planetarium will have to show the actual facts.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That fact we have learned from Bhāgavatam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So, so far we have not drawn this fact correctly.

Prabhupāda: That is your inability. That is another thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, well that's why we're... That's the question that we've raised. This question that we've raised is due to that.

Prabhupāda: That is you are unable to, but the fact is that you are conditioned. You cannot go beyond that conditioned

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's accepted.

Prabhupāda: So we are also conditioned. But as far as possible we take description from Bhāgavata, try to. That is our... Suppose here is India, here is Los Angeles. You start from India, Los Angeles..., or India, you'll come to Los Angeles. And again return to India. Similarly you start from this again going.

Page Title:Cannot go beyond
Compiler:Rati, Caitanyadev, Labangalatika
Created:22 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=2, SB=4, CC=1, OB=2, Lec=23, Con=10, Let=0
No. of Quotes:42