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Commission (Lectures)

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Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

So Arjuna was not a coward. He was a competent warrior. But still, dehātma-buddhi, the bodily concept of life is so strong... That Arjuna admits, dṛṣṭvā tu svajanaṁ kṛṣṇa: (BG 1.28) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I have to kill my own men." What is that "own men"? "Own men" means this bodily relationship. Why others are not own men? Everyone is own men. Because everyone is Kṛṣṇa's son. So when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he can see everyone own men. And when he is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he simply sees own men where there is bodily relationship. This is the defect. They are advertising, humanitarian work, philanthropic work, communism, this "ism," but when there is question of bodily relationship, immediately everything is changed. You know, the Communist country, the Khruschev was driven out because he was patronizing his own men. That was the defect. So you can advertise that "I am for everyone," but there is affection for own men. Nepotism. Nepotism. It's called nepotism. So many big, big leaders. Our Jawaharhal Nehru, he was sending his own men as ambassador. Vijaya Lakshmi, a woman, she was being sent as ambassador. She was high commissioner here. So this "own men" question is very prominent everywhere.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Just like what Kṛṣṇa says Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, "Yudhiṣṭhira, My dear brother Yudhiṣṭhira, you go and tell," I mean to say, "Droṇācārya, that 'Your son is dead.' " Because this gentleman would not die unless he hears the message of the death of his son. So he was not dying. So Yudhiṣṭhira was commissioned to speak this lie, that "You go and say that 'Your son is dead.' " And he says that "I never spoke lie. I cannot do that." Now here the order is coming from Kṛṣṇa, therefore he should have executed the order immediately. Although speaking lie for common man is sin, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is not sin. So that telling lie should not be taken risk of at one's own discretion. It must be ordered by Kṛṣṇa or by His representative. Telling lie is always sinful. That's all right. But if Kṛṣṇa says "Tell lie," it is not sinful. That is the secret. You can violate the laws only on the direct order of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That's all. That is common sense. Just like a political person is engaged to kill somebody under superior order. And if he can kill, he is rewarded, he is given high post. But the same man, if he kills by his own discretion, he'll be hanged. So serving greater purpose, supreme purpose, absolute purpose, there is no question of such piety or sinful. But in the ordinary field, there must be "This is pious, this is sinful." So that discretion should not be taken by oneself, but it should be consulted.

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

Tattva-darśibhiḥ, those who are, who have seen the Absolute Truth, or those who have realized the Absolute Truth, they have concluded that the matter has no permanent existence and spirit soul has no annihilation. These two things would be understood. Asataḥ. Asataḥ means material. Nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ. Asataḥ, anything asat... Anything in the material world, that is asat. Asat means will not exist, temporary. So you cannot expect permanent happiness in temporary world. That is not possible. But they are trying to become happy. So many plan-making commissions, utopian. But actually there is no happiness. So many commissions. But there is... Tattva-darśī, they know... Tattva-darśī, one has seen or has realized the Absolute Truth, he knows that in the material world there cannot be any happiness. This conclusion should be made. This is simply phantasmagoria, if you want to become happy in this material world.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Everyone is durātmā, anīśvaram: "There is no īśvara. This is a false manifestation." That is not false. You study everything. You study even one plant. You can see so many arrangement, so many fibers. Fine fibers are coming out, and from one fiber to another. Even a small herb and vegetable, you will find there is craftsmanship. You cannot say it is chance. You cannot do it. So there is brain. That is right conclusion, "There is brain behind it," and that is theism. And that brain, what is the brain behind this, who has this brain behind this, behind this, behind this, behind this, if you come... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), after searching out for many, many births, then one comes to the conclusion that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). You come to the conclusion, "Kṛṣṇa is the cause of everything." That is already concluded. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "Īśvaraḥ, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... There are so many controllers. Just like this city is being controlled by the police commissioner or somebody else. So above him, above him, above him, there is controller. And the... Above all, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:
Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda, the father and son. Prahlāda is deva because he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And Hiraṇyakaśipu, because Prahlāda is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he's trying to always tease him. Although he is a five-years-old-boy, his son, his beloved son, but since he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he became the enemy of the asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu. This process is existing from very, very time immemorial, two classes. Therefore to become devotee is sometimes very troublesome, because even the father become enemy. This is the position of the devotee. But still, you have to become devotee. That is your success of life. But the warning is there, that as soon as you become a devotee, you become enemies of so many, especially nowadays. You know that recently I was refused entrance in Africa. The government did not allow me to enter. What is my fault? Because I am a devotee. This is my fault. So we are meeting so many dangerous position. In Bombay our temple construction has been refused by the commissioner of police. Why? Because we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They have openly written that "The bhajana nuisance." You see? This is our position. Bhajana... Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavān says, that catur-vidhā bhajante mām. This bhajana word is there. "Four kinds of people can be engaged in bhajana." Who are they? Sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Whose background is very, very pious activities." Now, at present, bhajana is nuisance. Bhajana is stated in the Vedic scripture that it is performed by the pious man, and now, at the present circumstances, bhajana is nuisance. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). These are the statements of Vedic scripture.
Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

So we have entered this material world for enjoyment, and to give us facility for enjoyment, the plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11), He's also within this body. The..., this can be explained by one example. Just like when there is some fair. In India, just like we had attended that Kumbha Mela fair. So because the people would come and gather there, the government takes precaution, or makes necessary arrangement. There is actually a small government; the commissioner, the magistrate, they go there and manage things, that things are going on nicely so that people may not be in inconvenience, let them take bath peacefully. That is the idea. Similarly the government is Kṛṣṇa. And because we wanted to come here to enjoy, the Kṛṣṇa has made so many nice arrangements. The... Sometimes they question, "Why this material world is created?" That is created for us. Because Kṛṣṇa knows that some of them, they want to enjoy this material world, to give them facility everything is arranged there. This is a, a replica of the spiritual world, but it is temporary, exactly like the Kumbha Mela camp is temporary. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). A chance is given to the living entities to enjoy to their satisfaction, and the Vedic instruction is there so that they may follow and again come back home, back to home, back to Godhead. This is the whole arrangement.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

Indirectly, the so-called demigod worshipers, they say... Because they misuse that verse,

ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te 'pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

They neglect this word, avidhi-pūrvakam. They simply say that to worship other demigods is also the same. No. It is not the... It is avidhi-pūrvaka. And if you... Suppose you are in trouble. You have to satisfy the police commissioner. But you are trying to satisfy the police commissioner by bribing the constable. That is avidhi-pūrvaka. If it is known, then you'll be punished. So don't try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa-avidhi-pūrvakam. Vidhi-pūrvakam. That vidhi-pūrvakam is direct. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is wanted. That is vidhi-pūrvakam. Otherwise avidhi-pūrvakam. And how? The avidhi... The vidhi-pūrvaka, how? Just as the Ganges water is flowing automatically toward the sea, similarly, your devotional service like that, automatically, without any check... Then your life is perfect.

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

So Yamarāja, Yamarāja is the representative of the Lord. Just like the police chief. The... What is called, the police chief? The superintendent or what? Commissioner. Commissioner of police. He is representative of government. So the police department is fearful department for the criminals, not for the law-abiding persons. Similarly, Yamarāja, who is the superintendent of death... Death is certainly cruel. At any moment death can stop all our activities. Nobody can protest. That is not possible. So... And nobody wants death also. That is also fact. But nobody can stop death also. The so-called scientific advancement, they cannot stop death. You can talk all kinds of nonsense of advancement of life, but after all, you have to die. Big, big scientists, professors, they talk so many things, but when death came, it could not save him by his scientific process. Because death is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Who can check? Therefore the Lord's name is Ajita, Ajita. Ajita means one who is never conquered by any other means. Sva-rāṭ, self-independent. These are the words used. Sva-rāṭ. Sva-rāṭ means fully independent. Nobody can make him dependent. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God. Every one is dependent, but Kṛṣṇa is not dependent. Therefore He is called sva-rāṭ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:
Temple is called nirguṇa. In the śāstra the forest is sattva-guṇa, and city is rajo-guṇa, and the places like these four sinful activities are going on—illicit sex, intoxication, gambling... There are places. Every one of us aware of it. So they are called tamo-guṇa. So to live in such places where illicit sex or prostitution is going on, the place where drinking is going on, the place where meat-eating, hotels, restaurant is going on, and gambling going on, these places are tamo-guṇa. And ordinary cities and towns, they are called rajo-guṇa. And forest... Therefore formerly those who were aspiring after spiritual under..., they left either city or these things, everything. They went to the forest. That is called vānaprastha. Vānaprastha. Vana means forest. Before taking sannyāsī, one leaves his family connection and goes to the forest. Vanaṁ gato yaḥ harim āśrayeta. Vanam, vanaṁ gato harim āśrayeta. Then why they used to go to the forest? To take shelter of Hari. Vanaṁ gato yaḥ harim āśrayeta. So that is sāttvika. And above all these thing—to live in the temple—that is nirguṇa, above sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Therefore those who are inhabitants of the temple, they are in Vaikuṇṭha. But unfortunately, it is Kali-yuga. We are trying to create such Vaikuṇṭha in this Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, and the police commissioner says, "It is nuisance." This is our government.
Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:

So as soon as you focus your mind upon Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, that is bhakti-yoga. Either you do it by meditation or do it twenty-four hours by practical application of your activities for Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti-yoga. And that is called samādhi. Even if you are going to some place for Kṛṣṇa's business, to see the police commissioner or going to the court for some degree or..., because you are doing—you are concentrating your mind on Kṛṣṇa—that is called yoga, bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is so, so easy. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi, yat tapasyasi kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). The result should be given to Kṛṣṇa. After working so hard day and night... People are working so hard day and night, but the result, they are enjoying. And a bhakti-yogī, the same thing—they are also working day and night, but the result is for Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference between bhakti-yogī and ordinary karmīs. Therefore ordinary karmīs, they cannot understand that the bhaktas are on the transcendental platform. They think, "They are like us. By sentiment, they are chanting and dancing." No. That is not. It is bhakti-yoga. And that is based on jñāna and vairāgya.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

Just like to concentrate one's mind in the vacant... Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Kleśaḥ, kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām. Impersonal and void. If you want to engage your mind in the impersonality or voidness of variegatedness, it is simply very, very difficult. The best, easy way of controlling the mind... Because Kṛṣṇa has said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47), antar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām. This is the way. Anyone who is making plan, the plan-making... Kāma-sambhavaḥ means plan-making. You see the whole world, the big, big politicians. In our government, central government, there is a planning commission. Perhaps every one of you know it, planning commission. From, for the last twenty years they are making simply plans, and no plan has become successful. Every plan (chuckling) is unsuccessful, and the result is eight rupees kilo rice, your staple food. The plan has come successfully to bring rice eight rupees per kilo. That is not possible. So long the, you are materially affected and making plan how to get out of it, the material nature is so strong that it will baffle all your plans, and therefore you will have to remain perpetually restless. One plan you make, and it is baffled by the material nature, stringent laws of nature. And at last, making plan, making plan, making plan—one day the time comes and immediately orders, "Please vacate your presidency, your prime ministership." Although I am trying to make plan, successful plans, up to the point of death... Pralayānta, pralayānta, asuric plan, up to the end of life... And then he entrusts. He says, "My dear son, my dear daughter, I could not fulfill this plan, so you do it. Now I hand it over to you." And the son also going on, making plan, plan, plan. It will never be fulfilled.

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

One who is trying to be happy in this material world, he is durātmā; he is not mahātmā. Durātmā. Durāśayā. Durāśayā or durātmā, the same thing. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These rascals, durātmānam, they are trying to be happy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These rascals, they do not know that here there is no happiness. There cannot be any happiness, however you may be expert. Just like if you are thrown in the ocean, so you may be very expert swimmer, but that does not mean you are happy. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānī. This is struggle for existence. These things should come to our brain. It is not brainwash; it is brain-clearing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni (CC Antya 20.12). If you want to end this suffering, then you must wash your brain—or heart, the same thing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. But they are taking it otherwise. Therefore either the government or the spiritual master, they should not give program, big, big program, plans. Nowadays in material world... In material world this is always. The plan is... There is planning commission by the government. Why? To engage them to work very hard. That is going on. So when you are ruling, controlling, there may be some disobedience. Therefore it is the duty of the spiritual master not to be angry because the disciples or the followers, they are fools. Sometimes they commit mistake; they do not obey. But the ruler, the spiritual master, the government, has to tolerate. And still, vimanyava, sādhava. That is sādhu, vimanyava.

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- Detroit, June 12, 1976:

So unless people accept this principle, that Kṛṣṇa center, their, all their plans will be futile. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā (BG 9.12), everything. You try the history. They are trying to do so many things, planning. In every country, there is a planning commission, but according to Bhagavad-gītā, any plan you do, it is all rascaldom if it is without Kṛṣṇa. It will fail. History will... Take, for example, in our India, Mahātmā Gandhi made so many plans to get our independence. He was taking Bhagavad-gītā in his hand and publicly said that "I get solace from Bhagavad-gītā." He was very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately he could not make Kṛṣṇa as center. This is the unfortunate. Therefore whole plan failed. Gandhi wanted nonviolence—failed. Gandhi wanted Hindu-Muslim unity—failed. Why? Because he never said that Kṛṣṇa is the center. Find his lecture. He'll never say Kṛṣṇa. Missing. Kṛṣṇa is missing. Similarly, so many... One French professor has admitted, Aurobindo or Dr. Radhakrishnan, they have written Bhagavad-gītā, annotation, so many others also, but Kṛṣṇa is missing. They're faulty. Kṛṣṇa is missing. Through Bhagavad-gītā, they want to make the society Kṛṣṇa-less. That is their policy. So nothing has become... For the last two hundred, three hundred years, from India so many swamis, yogis came. But because they missed Kṛṣṇa, it was all useless. And now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because we are making Kṛṣṇa as the center, you see practically, thousands of devotees. Successful.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

You know the Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's life? A similar rasa-līlā was going on. You know that story? Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was magistrate, and one person in Orissa, he declared himself that "I am Viṣṇu," and in the village he was enticing young women and girls to dance at night. And some of them protested, and they lodged complaint to the government that "This person is doing like that." And the government commissioner, he knew that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Kedāranātha Datta was a very elevated, religious man, and he was magistrate. So the commissioner entrusted the inquiry to Kedāranātha Datta at that time. So Kedāranātha Datta, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, took the matter and went to inquire at that, in the village of Orissa, with some constables in plain dress. So when he went there... He had some yogic power, so immediately he could say, "Oh, your name is Kedarnatha Datta. I know you are very good man, but don't be after me. You will not be happy. And I shall elevate you to become the king of this country. Don't be after me." Now, if anyone... He was Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a strong devotee. If any other person would have been addressed like that, he would be immediately puzzled: "How this man is talking about me, that I am Kedāranātha Datta, I am magistrate and...?" So he would not do anything. But Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was so strong, he said, "Yes. Thank you very much, that I shall become king. So why don't you go to Jagannātha Purī and stay there? That is a nice pilgrimage, and you can stay there. Many holy men go there. Why you are in this village?" He wanted to drive him away from that village.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

His Excellency, the High Commissioner; ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating in this ceremony, Janmāṣṭamī, advent of Kṛṣṇa. The subject matter I've been ordered to speak on is advent of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

janma karma me divyaṁ
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
(BG 4.9)

This fact, that we can achieve such a stage of life when we can stop our birth and death... Sa 'mṛtatvāya kalpate. This morning, I was explaining this verse:

yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaṁ puruṣarsabha
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ
so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate

Amrtatva means immortality. So the modern civilization, they have no idea, either the great philosopher, great politician or great scientist, that it is possible to attain the stage of immortality. Amṛtatva. We are all amṛta. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na jāyate na mrīyate vā kadācin. We living entities, we never die, never take birth. Nityaḥ śāśvato yaṁ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Every one of us, we are eternal, nityaḥ śāśvato; Purāṇa, the oldest. And after annihilation of this body, we do not die. Na hanyate. The body is finished, but I have to accept another body. Tathā dehāntara prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13).

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

In Orissa, this Jagannātha temple is situated in Orissa. Utkāla. Utkāla, this state, was originally belonging to Dhruva Mahārāja. His son's name was Utkāla, Mahārāja Utkāla. Anyway, so this Utkāla, there was a pseudo yogi. He declared himself that... Just like you'll find nowadays also, there are so many rascals declaring that "I am incarnation of God." And they know some mystic power, play some jugglery, and foolish people take them: "Oh, he's God." So there appeared one like such pseudo God, Viṣṇu, in a village of Orissa. And he was dancing rāsa dance, and foolish people were sending their daughters and wife to dance with him. You see? There were so many. Not only that. People are so foolish, they do not know... They want to be cheated, and these cheaters come. He declared that "I am God. I am Viṣṇu." So there were sane men also. They took objection, "What is this nonsense? This man is dancing with ladies and gentlemen, er, girls." So they filed a complaint. At that time it was British rule. They complained to the governor or the commissioner, very high officer. The commissioner knew that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura... His name was Kedāranātha Datta. Datta. Kedāranātha Datta, his household name. So the commissioner of the division, he knew that Kedāranātha Datta is a religious man, and he's magistrate in charge. So he handed over the case for inquiry, "What is this complaint? You please inquire and do the needful." So he was a pure devotee, and he understood that "This rascal is a bogus man, cheating people. I must inquire." So he went to the village in plain dress with some constables, police constables. They were also in plain dress. And as soon as he approached that rascal yogi, he said, "Oh, you are Kedāranātha Datta. So, very nice. You are... I shall make you king of India. Please don't try to bother me." Because he could know that "He has come to inquire about my rāsa-līlā." So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura first of all said, "Sir, you are such a great yogi. Why you are in the village? Why don't you go to Jagannātha Purī? There is temple and Lord Jagannātha is there. Better you go there and see the Lord and be happy.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 5, 1971:

So your spiritual name is Rāma-rañjana. Rāma-rañjana. Rāma... One who pleases Lord Rāma, Rāmarañjana. So by your activities you have to please Lord Rāmacandra. Yes. What was the business of Rāmacandra? To kill Rāvaṇas. (laughter) To kill all the atheists. That was the Rāmacandra's business, to kill Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a very powerful atheist, and he was working with the ten heads. Just like materialistic karmīs, they work very hard, and they have got good brain also for wording hard. So Rāvaṇa had ten heads. But the plan was to cheat Rāma. With all intelligence, with all brain, his only plan was how to cheat Rāma. That was his... He became a sannyāsī and he went to take some alms from Sītā. The purpose was to cheat, to enter. Because according to Vedic civilization, a sannyāsī has open door. He can even go inside. But that... He was the only sannyāsī at that time who tried to cheat. But this kind of sannyāsī or this kind of intelligent persons are killed by Rāma. They may make plan very nice to cheat Rāmacandra, but ultimately they become vanquished with all their planning commission.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding of Syama dasi and Hayagriva -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1968:

So this is one side. Another side, that some way or other, since I have begun this movement in this country, generally, the youngsters, they come to me. Maybe to some other reasons. But my disciples up to date, they're all from twenty to thirty years old. Those who are thirty, thirty-two years, they're old. They're amongst the elder generation. But I see the boys and girls, they come to me as friends. But according to our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we do not allow boys and girls living without any marriage bondage. Illicit sex life we don't allow. We prohibit four things: illicit sex life, intoxication, and meat-eating and gambling. Those who become our student, we prohibit first of all these four things. And if we find some of the girls and some of the boys, they are strictly following, and if they are agreeable, then we arrange for their marriage. So there are many instances of marriage like this. They were living very irresponsibly in the former life. Now they are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Some of my students, they are married couples, young men. Six of them have gone to England. They are preaching very nicely. Very nicely. They have attracted the attention of respectable gentlemen like Lord Mountbatten, Lord Sorenson, and the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Dhavan. So they're doing very nicely. So our principle is to make people God conscious; thereby they will be happy. And the method is very simple. Just like we do not deny anything. We give nice wife, we give nice husband, we give nice foodstuff, we give nice philosophy, and at last, we give the nicest thing, Kṛṣṇa. So our program is very nice. Any gentleman come and discuss with us. We shall prove this is the nicest program at the present moment.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Mind is the general sense, and under the governor general, there are particular commissioners or subordinate officers. So the eyes, the hand, the leg, the tongue, ten senses, they are working under the direction of the mind. So mind is expressed, manifested through the senses. Therefore unless you engage your senses in the same way as your mind is thinking, feeling, there is no perfection. There will be disturbance. If your mind is thinking of Kṛṣṇa and your eyes are seeing something else, there will be disruption or contradiction. Therefore under the... You have to first of all fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, and then all other senses will be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific, based on Vedic knowledge. And it is so perfect that we are actually seeing that anyone who is taking this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is feeling how happy he is. I am getting thousands of letter from Western countries, from my disciples, how much transcendental feeling they are enjoying. So I do not wish to take much of your time. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be injected from the very beginning of life, from childhood. So here our Honorable High Commissioner of Canada is present, His Excellency. So I request that you have come to our country, please try to understand this philosophy. And so far I have traveled in your country... I have traveled in Canada also; as you have already mentioned, we have got five branches—in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Hamilton, and Ottawa. So the boys are struggling, they are distributing literature, the books, and I am getting very encouraging report, many young men they are coming. It is a very scientific movement. So I would request you to inform your government to give these boys who are struggling to inject this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in your country all facility.

Lecture at Caitanya Matha -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

Prabhupāda: ...for your kindly coming here and participating in the great Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. (break) ...in this meeting, the Commissioner of Income Tax...

Host: Sales tax.

Prabhupāda: Sales tax, present here, and he has asked me (loud applause) one intelligent question, which I, I was just going to answer. So I shall try to answer, here in this meeting, what is the objective of this movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a purificatory process. Consciousness is there, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, there are two kinds of consciousness. One consciousness is limited, another consciousness is unlimited. The unlimited consciousness is there in God, and limited consciousness is there in you, in me, and of all living entities.

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

Mr. High Commissioner and Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here, taking so much trouble, to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And I shall simply try to draw your attention about the importance of this movement. Importance of this movement is this, that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern civilization, all over the world, especially in the Western world—nobody knows what is the actual problem and what is the aim of life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, "The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), that birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems." If you take birth, then you will have to die. Anyone who takes birth, he must have to die. And so long, between birth and death, there is old age and disease. Actually, these are the problems. So far we are concerned, living entities, every one of us, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity is never born, never dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "The living entity is eternal, ever-existing and very old, and," na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre, "it does not die after the annihilation of this body." But the modern civilization, they are thinking that "This body we have got somehow or other, a lump of matter, and so long we have got this body, let us enjoy life, sense gratification." This is atheistic theory.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

You can see that before me many Indians came in this Western world. They also preached about this Kṛṣṇa message or Bhagavad-gītā. Great scholars came. But you have to admit that before this, the Westerners never accepted this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because they could not deliver as it is. Now they are accepting. And there is immense potency. I have studied. There is immense potency of accepting. They are actually looking after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Western people. The other day I was talking with our Indian high commissioner. He also happens to be very nice, learned man. He said that "Swamiji, yes, they are looking after, like this." So, so far material advancement is concerned, they have seen enough of it. Therefore, these youngsters, they are no more interested in the material advancement. They have tasted it.

Page Title:Commission (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:21 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=23, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:23