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Competition (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.16-19 -- London, July 16, 1973:

And another significance of this verse is, Yudhiṣṭhira is also described here as rājā. In the beginning Sañjaya informed Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana rājā. So actually the fight is between the two kings. One side Duryodhana, another side Yudhiṣṭhira. One may not misunderstand, therefore particularly mentioned kuntī-putra, this rājā is Kuntī's son, kuntī-putra. So Drupada, Mahārāja Drupada, the father of Draupadī, Draupadī was gained by Arjuna in competition. Draupadī, the daughter of Mahārāja Drupada is Draupadī. She is Draupadī. And her sons they are draupadeya.

So the grandfather, the grandsons, all of them were present, because they were allies. Mahārāja Drupada happened to be the father-in-law of the Pāṇḍavas. Draupadī accepted five husbands. When Draupadī was gained in the competition, they were incognito. The Pāṇḍavas were incognito. They were banished for twelve years, and after twelve years, one year they had to live incognito. Nobody would understand where they are living. So they took shelter at the house of Mahārāja Virāṭa.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

So she was also very intelligent daughter of kṣatriya king. So Karna, nobody knew that he is kṣatriya. He was supposed to be son of a carpenter. Karṇa was born before Kuntī's marriage. Therefore she... Karṇa remained hidden, whose son. But he was kṣatriya. So it was unknown. So Draupadi took this opportunity that "This competition is meant for the kṣatriyas, not for the non-kṣatriyas." Because he was supposed to be son of a carpenter, śūdra. So he was not given the opportunity to gain Draupadi. But if he was given the opportunity, he would have come out victorious. So now Karṇa took this opportunity.

Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa has enemies. Arisudana. And He has to kill them. Kṛṣṇa has got two businesses: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam (BG 4.8). Miscreants... They are miscreants. The demons who challenge Kṛṣṇa, who want to compete with Kṛṣṇa, who want to share with the property of Kṛṣṇa, they are all enemies of Kṛṣṇa, and they should be killed. So killing business is all right here for the enemies, not ordinarily. Then the next question is, "All right, enemies, you can kill, admitted. But how you advise me to kill my gurus? Gurūn ahatvā. But if for Kṛṣṇa's sake, if there is need, you have to kill your guru also. That is the philosophy.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

So all foolish rascals, they're making their own opinion. No, that is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna says: avāpya bhūmāv asaptnam ṛddham (BG 2.8). This is a very significant word. Sapatni. Sapatni means "rival wife, co-wife." If a man has got two, three wives... Why two, three? Our Lord had 16,100. So this is God. Sapatnya, but there is no competition. You'll find in the statements of all the queens in Kṛṣṇa book, when they were talking with Kuntī, er, Draupadī, every wife was giving description that how much she was anxious to become maidservant of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

You go, study. In the state, in the family, in the community, in the nation, there is no agreement. Even in the assembly, even in your country. Suppose there is Senate, everyone has got country's interest, but he's thinking in his individual way. One is thinking that "My country's welfare will be in this line." Otherwise, why there is competition during election of president. Everyone is saying that "America needs Nixon." And another person, he also says, "America needs me." So, but why two? If America you, and you are both... No. There is individuality. Mr. Nixon's opinion is something else. Mr. another candidate's opinion is something else. In the assembly, in the Senate, in the Congress, in the United Nations, everyone is fighting with his individual view.

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

So unless you are prepared to surrender... That is a great difficult job for the materialistic person. Nobody wants to surrender. He wants to compete. Individually, person to person, family to family, nation to nation, everyone is trying to become the master. Where is the question of surrendering? There is no question of surrendering. So this is the disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa demands that to cure this rascaldom, or most chronic disease, you surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Then? If I surrender, then whole thing will be failure? My business, my plans, my, so many things...?" No. "I take charge of you. I take charge of you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't be worried." So much assurance is there. Still, we are not prepared to surrender, This is our material disease.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

This is most important thing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). This is most important thing. To hear. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam does not mean hearing and chanting of any other entity. No. Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. The rascals, they have manufactured "kālī-kīrtana".Where is there in śāstra there is kālī-kīrtana, śiva-kīrtana? No. Kīrtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. That is kīrtana. Not any other kīrtana. But they have manu... competition, kālī-kīrtana. Where is in the śāstra kālī-kīrtana? Durgā-kīrtana? These are all nonsense. Simply Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Kṛṣṇa should be worshiped, Kṛṣṇa should be heard, Kṛṣṇa should be chanted, Kṛṣṇa should be remembered. In this way, you'll advance Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

He must be good scholar in Vedic literature and he must teach others. Not that "I have learned everything; I'll not teach anything." No. Brāhmaṇa must be well-versed in the Vedic literature and he must preach also, make others also brāhmaṇa, paṭhana pāṭhana. Not that "I have become brāhmaṇa. So there is no need of others becoming brāhmaṇa. There will be competition." Just like in India they have become very much afraid that I am making Europeans and Americans brāhmaṇas, so they are very much against me. They come to fight with me. In Hyderabad they came to fight. "Sir, you are making brāhmaṇas, these Europeans and Americans? This is not good." "And why not?" So we had some discussion. So actually it is not that brāhmaṇa is made by birth. Brāhmaṇa means, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). By quality and work. Similarly, everything, by quality and work. This is confirmed by Nārada Muni.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

"So long in one's heart there is a piśācī..." Piśācī means, what is called, a witch. Yes. The witch is there, piśācī. What is that piśācī? Bhukti-mukti-siddhi. Bhukti means karmī, to, one who wants to enjoy this material world by working. That is called bhukti. Bhoktā. "I want to enjoy." Everyone is trying that. Struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to... "I want to enjoy this material world to the fullest extent." So their struggle going on, competition. That is called bhukti. And another? Mukti. Mukti means those who are disappointed.

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

The material world, especially in this age, everyone is thinking, "I am the greatest. Who can become more than me?" Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. This material world is like that. Everyone is thinking like that. Asuric pravṛtti. Kaḥ āḍhyo 'sti mama samaḥ: "Who is greater than me?" There is a struggle for this vimūḍhātmā competition.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Just like people are trying for so many years to go to the moon planet. The Russian and the American scientists are competing. But they are so bound up, they go some, say, thousands and thousands of miles up, again come back. Just see how they are bound up. You cannot go. So this is the nearest planet, and there are so many other planets also. So you cannot go by your whims or by your will. This is called bondage.

But if you become free—when you are in spiritual understanding, then you are free—then you can travel anywhere. The perfect yogi, he can travel in any planet. That is freedom. That is little freedom. We have no idea what is the freedom of the spirit soul. That we have forgotten because for, from time immemorial we have been bound up under the laws of material nature, so we do not know what is freedom. But there are information of the freedom, how a spirit soul can become free.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

So we fall down when we deny to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme or we try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? We shall also enjoy. Why Kṛṣṇa shall have rāsa dance? We shall also (have) rāsa dance. Why Kṛṣṇa will marry sixteen thousand wives? We shall at least sixteen wives." When this competition spirit comes, then we fall down. Fall down means Kṛṣṇa gives the chance. "All right, you also go. You also dance in the hotel, ball dance, and he complicated(?)." Because he does not know what is rāsa dance, he imitates ball dance. So everything, what is going on in this material world, it is imitation of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says. Everything that is going on, it is simply generated from that original. So... But it is contaminated.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

So even those who are trying for that, because that original disease is there, therefore even one who has advanced spiritually, he also says, "I am God. I am God." The same spirit, to make competition with Kṛṣṇa. The māyā is there. "Why you are going to worship Kṛṣṇa? You are God." "Oh, yes, I am God." This is the last snare of māyā. Therefore they are Māyāvādīs. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa; nobody can be greater than Kṛṣṇa. Then what is the meaning of God? If there are so many rascal Gods, then what is the specific personality of God? So this is the last snare of māyā, if one is trying to become God. That is not possible. That is asuric.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is teaching in this Fourth Chapter how to work. Yadṛcchā-lābha. Don't be greedy, so "This man is millionaire, so I have to become a millionaire." Competition. That is material disease. Now there is competition in between the capitalist and the communist. Now the communist or the laborer class men, they are thinking that "Why the capitalist should gain? We must gain. The industry is being conducted by us. The profits shall be divided between us. Why to the capitalist?" So that is not the solution. That is from frying pan to the fire.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

Not only at the present moment, because Kṛṣṇa was speaking five thousand years ago. And before that, He spoke Bhagavad-gītā millions and trillions of years ago to the sun-god. This is the way of material civilization or material conditioned life, competition.

The real competition began by being jealous to Kṛṣṇa. Real competition began. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). So our fall down this I have explained the other day is there when we wanted to compete with Kṛṣṇa or become Kṛṣṇa. The jealous, icchā.... Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Sarge. Sarge means this creation, this material creation. We have come to this material creation. We do not belong to this material creation, but we have come here.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

So this formula, as it is given, yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ, this is not possible in material civilization. Unless one is advanced in spiritual life, he cannot be yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. Because he has no material demands. Why he should make competition with others material by? Because he has got material body.... (sic:) Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi-daḥ. Those who are yogis, they should be satisfied just to maintain the body and soul together, not for sense gratification. That is sufficient.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

So people should be satisfied in any condition of life given by Kṛṣṇa, and he should endeavor for developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the real aim of life. Not to make competition to get more comfortable life than your neighbor or father or brother or like that. That is not our business. That is the business of the cats and dogs. Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Then (?) What is that? Tapo divyam. This human life is for tapasya. This is tapasya. "All right, Kṛṣṇa has given me this position. That's all right. I will be satisfied." This is called tapasya. Why should I make competition? Simply by doing competition I am not going to be successful. That is the instruction of all śāstra.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

Can you give any example in the history? So many Hitlers, so many Mussolinis, so many Gandhis born and went away. They were famous for several years only. That's all. Nobody can be famous like Kṛṣṇa. All over the world He is famous, and what to speak of India? Complete fame. Similarly, complete strength, complete riches, complete beauty, complete knowledge... Just see, Bhagavad-gītā. It was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. There is no parallel, and there is no competition of Bhagavad-gītā. It is such a knowledge. You see? Complete knowledge.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:

Now, there is a story. There are many stories. One of them I am citing. It is very interesting. Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni, he was a great king, kṣatriya, but his priest, Vasiṣṭha Muni, he had great spiritual power. So he renounced his kingdom. He wanted to advance. He was kingly, royal order, but still, he wanted to advance in the spiritual orders. So he adopted yoga process, meditation. That time it was possible for adopting this process, yoga process. So he was meditating in such a way that the Indra, who was the king of heaven, he thought that "This man is trying to occupy my post." As there is competition... This is also... Heaven means that is also material world. So this competition—no businessman wants an another businessman go ahead. He wants to cut down. Competition of price, quality. Similarly, that Indra, he thought that "This man is so strongly meditating, it may be that I may be deposed and he come to my seat." Then he arranged one of his society girls, Menakā, to go there and allure this muni.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

So there are so many things to learn and to understand what is God and what is Kṛṣṇa. God means Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. God means nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him. That is God. There is no completion that in this quarter there is one God and in another neighborhood there is another God. Just like it has become a fashion, so many Gods, competition is going on. No. There is no competition. God is one. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. That is God. So because God is complete in knowledge, therefore we have to take knowledge from Him, not from the persons who have got incomplete knowledge.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), ...means not ordinary men. Those who are situated in this daiva-varṇāśrama, qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... And we should note also that this division of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra, is not that to make artificial competition and to become puffed-up with pride that "I am brāhmaṇa. You are śūdra." No. It is a cooperation. Just like you have got cooperative society, similarly, these four divisions of social orders are cooperative society. The brāhmaṇa is considered to be the mouth of the social body. The kṣatriya is considered to be the army—arm or army, strength of the social body. The vaiśyas are considered to be the productive element of the body.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

Then it will be confused." Because we want to preach Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is Kṛṣṇa's speaking. And we are trying to place this Kṛṣṇa's teachings to the world. And not only that, Bhagavān, God, means Kṛṣṇa. And if I give the name of "God" instead of "Kṛṣṇa," they will bring forth so many competition of Kṛṣṇa. That is not our purpose. Kṛṣṇa means God. If God has any perfect name, that is "Kṛṣṇa."

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

That is human life. So after inquiring what is Brahman, Para-brahman, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the original source of everything, when you attain brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ, that is your perfection, not that to compete with the dog in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not civilization. That is not perfection of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These foolish men, animalistic, dogs and cats, two-legged animals, they do not know what is the aim of life.

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. The aim of life is to understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are trying to become happy in the bahir-artha, in the external energy of God, material energy. And the so-called leaders, politicians, philosophers, scientists, they're all blind. They do not know what is the aim of life. Still, they are leading the whole society.

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

So Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gama. "Don't remain in darkness." This is darkness. Darkness means "I am this body, and the, to fulfill the necessities of the body is the highest perfection of my life." Everyone is trying for that, competition. Everyone is trying to have a skyscraper building and three Rolls Royce cars and so on, so on. They think that this is perfection of life, durāśayā, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31), this material energy's production. But you do not think that "How many years I shall enjoy this skyscraper building? And what is my main business? My main business is how to become perfect."

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

If you are envious of God—"Why? Who is God? I am God. Why shall I hear from God? I know better than Him..." These are enviousness. But Arjuna is not envious. We are envious. This material world is enviousness. I am envious of you; you are envious of me. I cannot see you very opulent; you cannot see me very opulent. That is the reason there is rivalry, competition, in this world, man to man, friend to friend, even father and son. The competition is there because we are envious. Suppose I am your neighbor, and I become rich. So although there is no enmity, still my neighbors will be envious: "Oh, this man has become so rich? I could not become." This is the nature. So if we try to understand Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Being, the our first qualification should be: we should not envious.

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

He is the Supreme, means nobody is greater than Him; nobody is equal to Him; everyone is under Him. That is called Supreme. Asamaurdhva. Nobody can be sama. Sama means equal. If I am God, and another competitor God, you are also God, then neither I am God nor I am God. There cannot be any competition. That is called Supreme. So Arjuna is to that position. He does not challenge Kṛṣṇa that "There is another Supreme Being than Yourself." There cannot be. But sometimes we foolishly challenge. That is our foolishness. But God is always Supreme. So therefore this is the qualification of understanding confidential knowledge about God. Anasūyave. Pravakṣyāmy anasūyave.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

So the Vaiṣṇava philosophy is... They want to remain predominated by the supreme predominator. And the Māyāvāda philosophy, the monists, they want to merge into the predominator. Their idea is to become themselves predominator. When they fail to become predominator in this material world... We are all trying to become predominator. Everyone is trying. Bhoktā. "I shall..." Competition is going on. You are predominator, say, for one thousands of worker or office clerk. Your office is so big. So I want to make my office bigger than you. So I want to become greater predominator than you. This is our competition, is going on. But none of us is actually predominator. We are all predominated. And because we do not know that "I can never be a predominator," therefore I am under illusion, māyā.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Just like a small bird, immediately he can fly in the sky. And although we are very intelligent, if I want and if you want to fly in the sky, no you cannot. Although he's supposed to be very intelligent, scientist, but I cannot fly. But a small bird will immediately fly. That is his prabhavaḥ. You must have to admit that this is his special power. Similarly, a vulture, he goes four miles up and his eyes are very small. But from the four miles away he will find out where there is a dead body, immediately jump over. And we have got so many big eyes. But we cannot say, after... This spectacle required. You cannot see even one feet. So this is his prabhavaḥ, influence. A vulture, most, but a nasty bird, still it has got so much influence that you cannot compete with him. So you'll find in every creature, every living entity, a special prerogative than the others, than the others. So, with the body.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

Don't reject this as, because you could not capture the grapes, then the grapes and the jackals. The jackal... You know that story. The jackal went to steal some grapes in the orchard, and it was very high. He jumped over several times. He could not get it. Then he rejected, "Oh, this is sour. I don't want it."

Similarly, this Māyāvādī philosophy is like that. First of all he wants to become very big man, very big businessman, minister, this, that, to enjoy, simply enjoy, competition of enjoyment.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

Pradyumna: "In the lower stages of human civilization, there is always competition to lord it over the material nature..."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. That is going on. The great two wars began from Europe simply on this basis. The German and Englishmen. The Englishmen, by their colonization, they made the whole world red in the map. Africa and Asia, India and America, Canada. And the Germans thought, "So this shopkeepers' nation..." Hitler used to say "shopkeepers' nation." "How they have occupied the whole world, and we are so intelligent? We are manufacturing so many things. We have no market to sell." That is the cause of the two great wars. This is a fact. Anyone, any politician, any gentleman knows what was the cause. The cause was Germany is always envious of England. Why this enviousness? Because England wants to lord it over, send Lord Clive to India to exploit. And the German wants that "We have got so many things manufactured. We cannot sell." That is the cause of war: lord it over. Everyone is trying to lord it over. The whole economic situation. Everyone is trying to become "the lord of all I survey." Yes. "In the lower stage of human civilization, there is always competition to lord it over the material nature..." That is the lowest stage of human civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

Pradyumna: "...there is always competition to lord it over the material nature, or, in other words, there is a continuous rivalry to satisfy the senses."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The basic principle is to satisfy the senses. Sense gratification is there. There must be. We have got senses; that must be satisfied. But that sense gratification should be based on religion. Religion. Dharma, artha. Artha. The sense gratification means economic development. Without economic development, we cannot enjoy our senses, but everything should be based on religion. That is human civilization. Without religion, simply gratifying the senses or so-called economic development, that is animal civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

Pradyumna: "In the lower stages of human civilization there is always competition to lord it over the material nature, or in other words, there is a continuous rivalry to satisfy the senses."

Prabhupāda: So this rivalry, it is, of course, found... This rivalry for colonization, that is the special feature of the European countries. Rivalry. In India we have got experience. In America also, they have got experience, Canada. The Hollanders, the French people, the Spanish, Portugal, and England. There was regularly rivalry how to occupy. Within the past two hundred years there was rivalry. So according to Vedic civilization, there should not be rivalry. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ (ISO 1). You be satisfied what is allotted to you. Don't try to encroach upon others' property. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. That is Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

Pradyumna: "Man is thriving economically, so at present he is not very interested in religion."

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are instructing, If you want economic development, why you are going to church and temple? Just start industry. You'll get money. That is, propaganda is going on. At least, in our country, in India, it is going on. "Forget now God and temples. Just try to imitate America. Overnight become industrialist." But they are not teaching them that America or Western countries, after industrialization, now they are producing hippies. That they do not see. They are seeing one side, that "America and Western countries, they have become so prosperous by industrialization. Let us imitate them. We must have." Actually, India, after independence, should have distributed this spiritual knowledge. Why we should compete with industrialization? They have got also demand for the spiritual knowledge. So India should have given the spiritual knowledge to the Western countries instead of competing with industry. And that is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we have to change the account, not for sense gratification. Because real proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. When I think I am proprietor, I am enjoyer, that is illusion. That is illusion. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma, (Bs. 5.29) Kṛṣṇa's abode, everything is there, but the account is different. That is spiritual world. Here the account is different. Is everything there, but everyone is trying to enjoy for himself. There is competition. I am enjoyer, you are enjoyer; therefore there is competition. Individually, man to man, family to family, society to society, nation to nation, there is always competition. But this competition will stop as soon as there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am not proprietor, we are not proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is proprietor." That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

So this kind of expansion, unnecessarily... Therefore our philosophy is "Be satisfied whatever God has given you." Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam (ISO 1). You be satisfied whatever is given to you by God, allotted to you. Don't try to encroach upon other's property. This is civilization. But man is transgressing this law, nature. They are not satisfied to become localized. They want to expand. If you want to expand, but expand something which will be beneficial to the human society. Just like we are expanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is required to be expanded. Because the cats and dog civilization will be controlled. But to expand the cats and dog civilization to compete with another dog is the same story, Aesop's Fable story, to capture the other dog and take his foodstuff, and then lose everything. This is very instructive.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

He comes and gives me milk daily." Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "Unto the devotee who is completely dependent upon Me, I carry personally whatever he needs." Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one person is supplying all the necessities of all the living entities. That is God. God is not beggar. God fulfills everyone's necessities, practically. That is... People are unhappy by so-called economic development. Everyone is competing. They have no satisfaction. Without God, godless civilization has created unnecessary competition. But if people become God conscious, he'll be satisfied. Yenātmā suprasīdati. The very basic principle of devotional service will make one happy.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class (laughs) is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact.

Anyway, the word su-medhasaḥ... Su-medhasaḥ means one who has got good brain substance. But one thing I must explain here. So far spiritual life is concerned, it does not depend on the material brain substance. It is different thing. It is spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with this bodily construction. You must remember. We don't make any distinction that a man can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness than woman. No. A woman can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness because they are very simple.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

God is one, God cannot be two. It is not that Hindus have got one God and Christians have got another God. No. God cannot be two. Then there cannot be any competition of Gods. "I am God." Just like nowadays it has become a fashion, so many gods, rascals are coming, "I am God." He says, "I am God," "I am God," "I am God." Now how many Gods are there? No, God is one, eko brahma dvitīya nāsti, that is the Vedic injunction. Just like the sun. Sun is one. From our practical example. You cannot say that "This is American sun," and "this is Indian sun," or "it is African sun." Sun is one. See, if a creation of God is one and it is so powerful... Sun is one of the creation of God. There are millions of suns. We can see one only. So if one sun created by God can do so much work, can distribute so much heat and light, just imagine how much powerful is the creator of the sun. This is common sense. So we get information from Bhagavad-gītā... (aside:) Rūpānuga you can come here.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So we should know that God is one. God is not different. There cannot be any competition of God. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There cannot be any superior truth than God. Therefore God is called the great. God is called the absolute. So Religion means, first-class religion means, how the followers have developed the understanding of God. That is first-class religion. Not that how many animals we can sacrifice or how many times we can... So many rituals and so many other things are there in every religion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So religion means how to get that eyes, how to get that hand, how to get that leg, so that I can appreciate God. That should be the process of human civilization. Not that how I can compete with tiger, how I can compete with cats and dogs. That is not religion. Religion means how you have developed your love of God, how we are seeing God in every state. Everywhere. God is everywhere, that's a fact. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-stham, God is within atom also. These are the description in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

This Śrīmate Rādhārāṇī is enchanting Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is enchanting Rādhārāṇī. This is the business of God. Duhe (indistinct) lage hari (?). In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that when Kṛṣṇa comes before Rādhārāṇī, She becomes so much engladdened by seeing the beauty of Kṛṣṇa that She becomes more beautiful, and as soon as Rādhārāṇī becomes beautiful, Kṛṣṇa becomes engladdened and He becomes more beautiful. So unlimitedly there is competition of becoming more beautiful, duhe lage hurai (?). That is the state. Competition. Because in the spiritual world everything is unlimited. So unlimitedly both of them becoming beautiful and both of them enjoying unlimitedly.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

Therefore there is great necessity of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to actually educate the human being to the highest perfect of life. That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion. Just like they are thinking that we are making Christians, Hindus. This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're... Many people before me, many swamis went there to make Christians, Hindu.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

Because we wanted to become one with Kṛṣṇa, to compete with Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are put into this material world. Māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare. And here, in this material world, it is going on. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa. That is māyā. Everyone. "First of all, let me become a big, big man; then let me become the minister, let me become the president." In this way, when everything fails, then "Let me merge into the existence of God." That means, "Let me become God." This is going on. This is material struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa.

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

We can also become one of them, eternally liberated. But we are not admitted in the spiritual kingdom unless we have given up this false sense of lording it over the material nature. Here, the conditioned souls, everyone is trying to become the lord, imitating. Everyone is trying. But there is clash. You are trying to become lord, I am trying to become lord. Therefore there is clash. And in the spiritual world the Lord is one and there is no competition of lording it over. Therefore in the spiritual world everything is unconditioned, freedom.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So this is material world means everyone is trying to become God. I am trying to become God, you are trying to become God. So there is competition between Gods. He has forgotten that he is dog, but he's trying to become God. Especially in these days, especially in our (chuckling) India, Bengal, there (are) so many Gods incarnation, rascal. You see? So many. As if God is so cheap thing that anyone can become God. So God has given us the chance, "All right. You try to become God." He's trying to become God, and more and more... This is asuric. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. As soon as his little child would say "Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa," he would immediately become angry: "Oh, who is this Nārāyaṇa?" "Oh, He is God." Just like this child is doing. "I am God. Who is God? You are trying to respect some other God?"

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

In this material world, our propensity is predominating. We want to predominate over you; you want to predominate over me. That is the competition here. So when we give up this predominating, false predominating spirit, "I am Kṛṣṇa. I am the Lord of all I survey." This nonsensical understanding when we give up, surrender, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), understand "Kṛṣṇa is everything, I am simply part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." So if we remain part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, then our freedom is attained actually. Otherwise there is no freedom. It is false. Mano-dharma. I am thinking, "I am God," "I am Kṛṣṇa," "I am this, I am that." Nothing. This will simply put me under the clutches of māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

In the modern education, they... The more and more industries increasing, there śūdras are being trained up. Technology. Technology means he must get some service. Otherwise, useless. Simple life, teaching, brāhmaṇa; and kṣatriya, give protection; and vaiśya, till the ground. This is... Where is the question of scarcity? The scarcity is that nobody's doing his real duty. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). And people are exploiting. There is competition, dissatisfaction, fight. So many things, sinful activities. The whole society is polluted. Actually, the whole human society is now conducted by the śūdras. But śūdras cannot run on government. That is not possible. Because that śūdra, your Nixon, is a śūdra, he is exalted post, therefore everything is not in order.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

Is very important verse. Actually, this is the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What is that? People become diseased by sense gratification. Everyone knows. Too much sense gratification means creating disease. For example, some nice eatable. But if you, because it is very nice rasagullā, therefore I shall devour one dozen, that's not very good. That will create indigestion immediately. So in this material world, people are so much enthusiastic in the matter of sense gratification. Whole world. Not only now, this is the place for competition of sense gratification. Advancement of civilization means, the so-called civilization, material civ..., means how much you are able to gratify your senses. That is civilization. How much you are given facilities to gratify your senses. This is the modern idea, hedonism. More eat, more drink-eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy. Sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

So when Draupadī was gained by Arjuna, the five Pāṇḍavas were in the forest incognito. So when they came to their mother in jubilation, they exclaimed, "Mother, we have got a very nice jewel." So mother said, "All right, my dear sons, enjoy it, all of you, five." So on the order of mother they accepted Draupadī as a common wife. But that does not mean she had many sons. Only five sons. By the five husbands, one son. That is also another system. Not competition that each husband will produce dozens of children.

Lecture on SB 1.7.40 -- Vrndavana, October 1, 1976:

Now here Kṛṣṇa is advising. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. There is a... Parīkṣatā, as Kṛṣṇa is examining, similarly, Arjuna also very intelligently acting. He knew that although Kṛṣṇa was encouraging him to kill Aśvatthāmā, "He wanted to see me, how I deal with the matter." This is also... So there is competition between bhaktas. Duye lagye hura huri(?). It is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is being enlivened by seeing Rādhārāṇī, and Rādhārāṇī is becoming more beautiful by seeing Kṛṣṇa. Duye lagye hura huri. The competition. This is described in the fourth chapter of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So it is transcendental sporting between the devotee and the Lord. It is not nirviśeṣa-vāda. The Lord wants to see "How he is My pure devotee." And the devotee wants to see that "I'll not accept anything from Kṛṣṇa. I shall sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa." That is duye lagye hura huri. That is devotee, and that is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

Who can become the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The most advanced devotee, so that Kṛṣṇa has agreed to become her son. In his previous life, the husband and wife, they underwent severe austerities, and when Kṛṣṇa appeared before them and wanted to give them benediction, they wanted a son like God. So where can be another person who is equal to God? That is not possible. God means there is no equal, there is no greater. Asamordhva. That is God. God, there cannot be any competition, that "You are God, I am God, he is God, he is God." No. These are dogs. They are not God. God means without competition: one. God is one. Nobody is great... asamordhva. Nobody is greater than Him. Nobody is equal to Him. Everyone is lower. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master is Kṛṣṇa, God; and everyone, servant. Never mind. Even if he's Brahmā, Viṣṇu or Śiva, big, big demigods. And what to speak of others?

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

So in that assembly of Draupadī's svayaṁvara there was Karṇa also. Draupadī knew... Draupadī's real purpose was to accept Arjuna as her husband. But she knew that Karṇa is there. If Karṇa competes, then Arjuna will not be able to succeed. Therefore she said that "In this competition, except the kṣatriyas, nobody can compete." That means Karṇa at that time was not known that he was a kṣatriya. He was the son of Kuntī before her marriage. So people did not know. It was secret. So Karṇa was maintained by a carpenter. Therefore he was known as a śūdra. So Draupadī took advantage of this and said that "I do not wish that any carpenter shall come here and compete. I don't want that." So Karṇa was not allowed. So Karṇa took it as great insult.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

He never takes birth, aja; at the same time... Ajo 'pi... Here it is said, kecid āhur ajam. God, or Kṛṣṇa, is aja. He never takes birth. But again he (she) says, jātam: "He has taken birth." This contradiction should be understood. The Vedas, there are many such contradictions like that. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ: "Kṛṣṇa, or God, sees, but He has no eyes." Similarly, God, Kṛṣṇa, takes His birth although He never takes birth. These are contradictions. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. Apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā: "He has no leg, but He goes so fast, nobody can compete Him." These are Vedic statements. You'll find in the Upaniṣads, apāṇi-pāda: "He has no leg, He has no hand," but javano grahītā, "but if you offer Him something, He takes." Kṛṣṇa says... It is not my word.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

So when Kṛṣṇa was present, who could compete Him with His opulence? He had 16,108 wives, not loitering in the street, but each and every wife had big, big marble palaces, all marble palaces. Furniture with ivory, ivory and silk, and frames, all golden, garden with pārijāta, so many things. The... And not one palace, two palace. Sixteen thousand palaces. And Nārada was surprised: "What Kṛṣṇa is doing with sixteen thousand wives?" In each and every palace he entered, and he saw Kṛṣṇa is engaged in different way. Somebody is taking care of the children; somebody... Somewhere He is arranging for the marriage of His son and daughter. Somewhere He is engaged in other sixteen thousand..., in the sixteen thousand palaces, in sixteen thousand engagements, and queens. So this is called opulence, aiśvarya. Who can show this? And Kṛṣṇa showed it personally.

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

The karmīs, they get opulence on account of his past karma. But a devotee gets opulence—it is gift of Kṛṣṇa; it cannot be destroyed. It cannot be destroyed. It is gift of Kṛṣṇa. We should always think of like that. And we shall try more and more to please Kṛṣṇa. Dui lage hura huri.(?) Kṛṣṇa is trying to make His devotee more and more opulent and comfortable, and the devotee is trying to please Kṛṣṇa more and more. That is the business between devotee and Kṛṣṇa. It is called, Caitanya-cari...: dui lage hura huri.(?) Just like if I want to please you or if you want to please me, so there is competition. So that competition should be there. But that competition, that realization, is impossible so long you are attached to this rascal material world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa say..., Kuntī's first request is that sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi, "Please destroy this attraction, affection for this material friendship, society, family. Please destroy it."

So the Māyāvādī philosopher, they simply want to destroy. Negative side.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

When they are manufacturing big, big 747 airplane, we are manufacturing cycle. (laughter) Just see. Medicine also. Technology, that is also technology. They are advanced in... They were meant for this... They have got brain. They can advance in material civilization because fully... So we cannot compete. We cannot compete, although it is, this technology is the business of the śūdras. Technology is not the occupation for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, or vaiśyas, no. In our country still, there are blacksmith, weaver, oil crusher. Still they are in the village. But they are śūdras. So this technology means craftsmanship. That is not knowledge. That is not knowledge. Just like I do not know how this microphone is working.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

Everything. Īśāvāsyam idam... Thinking that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I use it for my personal sense gratification?" This is called ekānta-bhaktyā. Ekānta. Eka. Ekaṁ evādvitīyam. Eka, Kṛṣṇa is one. There cannot be any competition of Kṛṣṇa. So eka anta, that one end bhakti, serving that Supreme. Ekānta-bhakti. Bhajate ananya-bhāk. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva samantavyaḥ. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. That ananya-bhāk means simply concentrated to Kṛṣṇa. That is required.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

Either coming from Christian group or Jew's group, they are, after all, Americans. So they did not care for anything about God. Now they are mad after God. What is this?" This is practical. There is no question of competition. It is practical. Because they are trying. They are trying. Our only business is, "Just become dear to Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means "You are trying to be dear to so many things." Somebody is trying to be dear to his father, to his mother, or to his family, children, or country, community, society, nation. Everyone is trying to be dear. "I will do such and such thing for you. Please give me vote. Please make me president." They are trying. And after all, the president also is not dear, neither people is not dear. The real fact becomes disclosed after a few days when the, what is called, face covering, aḥ, mask, is over. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

So another important point is... Ājahārāśva-medhāṁs trīn, three times. The aśvamedha-yajña is so expensive that the king of heaven, Indra, he executed the aśvamedha-yajña seven times. So Mahārāja Pṛthu was also going to complete seven times. So there was some, I mean to say, competition. The Indra would not allow him to complete seven times. Otherwise he would become equal with him. So amongst the kings, not only in this planet, but in other planets also, the aśvamedha-yajña was performed by very, very powerful rich kings, not ordinary kings. It is very expensive job. Because it is stated, bhūri-dakṣiṇān, and vast amount of money required for distribution in charity. Then you can perform aśvamedha-yajña. Similarly, there is gomedha-yajña. Aśvamedha-yajña was to send the horse with flag, that "Such and such king is the emperor of the whole world." So if some king in some state, he does not agree that "He is emperor," he will capture the horse, "I don't agree, I don't accept." Then there will be fight, "You have to accept." In this way there will be sacrifice.

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

There is no literature throughout the universe like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There is no comparison. There is no competition. Every word is for the good of the human society. Every word, each and every word. Therefore we stress so much in the book distribution. Somehow or other, if the book goes in one hand, he will be benefited. At least he will see, "Oh, they have taken so much price. Let me see what is there." If he reads one śloka, his life will be successful. If one śloka, one word. This is such nice things. Therefore we are stressing so much, "Please distribute book, distribute book, distribute book." A greater mṛdaṅga. We are chanting, playing our mṛdaṅga. It is heard within this room or little more. But this mṛdaṅga will go home to home, country to country, community to community, this mṛdaṅga.

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

This is the material world. Even my brother becomes greater than me, I becomes envious. Either in richness or any way, competition. So... But this Bhāgavata-dharma is different thing. Paramo nirmatsarāṇām. A devotee is never envious of another devotee. If one friend or Godbrother or brother increases in devotion, the other devotee, he is not envious. He simply thanks him, "Oh, my brother," "my sister," or "my father," like that, "he has advanced in so much devotion. I could not do. So how I can follow him?" This is Vaikuṇṭha conclusion. Just like in the material world, everyone is envious. If I become richer than you, then you become envious, that "Oh, how this man has become richer? We are in the same business." So this is material. There is no appreciation.

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

They simply try to join Them. And they are happy, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī is now joined together." That is their happiness. This is Vaikuṇṭha appreciation. Here in the material world, suppose there are competition. "Oh, this girl has got such a nice lover. Then let us break it." This is material. But Vaikuṇṭha, there is everything. Everything, varieties. But that variety is concentrated on Kṛṣṇa. That is called ātma-sammataḥ. Ātmavit-sammataḥ. Ātmavit, self-realized, those who are actually on the transcendental spiritual platform. That must be approved.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is approved. It is not a manufactured thing, whimsical thing. It is approved.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

So if you have got the energy to search out such person, that is Bhagavān. It is not difficult. The definition is there. Here there is competition. Not only Bhagavān, but īśvara. Īśvara means controller. Everyone is īśvara. I also am controlling this institution. Or somebody is controlling his office, his factory, his kingdom. Just like President Nixon, he is controlling the United States. So all of us, more or less, we are īśvara, controller. Everyone. Just like this mother, she is controlling the small child. So she is also īśvara, means she is controlling.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:

So you cannot compete with that. It is not possible. Sometimes you beget two children twice, but that is not competition. The competition is that you make your children God conscious. Give them. They're playing with Kṛṣṇa. At our New Vrindaban, Dvārakādhīśa, he was given by his father toys. I was present. And he did not touch the toys. He said, "It is māyā." (laughter.) Yes. "It is māyā." So everything should be taught from childhood. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). So in the, from the very beginning there is no teaching, there is no God consciousness; then what will be the result? You may send in a very decorated university, but the result will be hippies. That's all. You cannot expect anything more. You cannot expect. So teach them from the very beginning how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then you'll find nice population, beautiful population, peaceful atmosphere, social condition very nice, systematic, everyone is happy.

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

In which way you are advanced? The animals, the trees, they are far advanced than you in this matter. So far bodily necessities are concerned, you cannot compete with them. You are flying. So we can fly by airplane. Oh, the vulture can fly more than you. It is a vulture, and it flies many miles above, and it has got very sharp eyesight. The vulture is so up. The business is where there is a dead body. That's all. He is trying to find out, "Where is a dead body?" You see? It goes high, but the business is to find out a dead body. That's all. Similarly, our, this advancement of science, increasing the duration of life, increasing the sex power especially in these days ... As soon as there is lack of sex power, there is divorce suit. Yes. But you have seen the dogs and cats. How much sex power they have got! So begetting children, the hog can beget children, at least three dozen a year. What we can do? In three years it is hardly we can produce one child. And the hog will produce in three years at least thirty-six children.

So you cannot compete. Simply by competing with these things, animal life, that is not excellence of your life. Real excellence is that these animals, they cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

So God is one. God cannot be two. When there is competition of God, they are not God. Just like it has become nowadays—in every state there is a God. That is not... Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of God. He is the Supreme God. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." So that is... We are preaching. We are teaching people. These Americans and the Europeans, they have taken it seriously because they are fortunate. They have no information of these hodgepodge gods. That is their opportunity. I have told them, given the information that Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). I have not given any wrong information. Right information.

Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:

Suhṛdaḥ, means the heart is so nice. Su means nice, and hṛd means heart. They have no other desire. Suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means... Just like there are different words: mitra, suhṛdaḥ, bandhu... And Sanskrit is very perfect language. Suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means a person who is always thinking of welfare for others. He's called suhṛdaḥ. Otherwise kuhṛdaḥ. The ordinary persons, they are thinking how to make him subdued, how to make him defeated, in competition. That is the polluted heart. And the Vaiṣṇava, he's always thinking how a man can be saved from the clutches of māyā. He's called suhṛdaḥ. He has no other desire. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Not "For my brother, or family," but sarva-dehinām, for all dehīs, all dehīs.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

And formerly you must have land. Parjanyād anna sambhavaḥ, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14), you have to produce. People are not interested now producing food grains. They, somehow or other, if they can get that paper currency, they can purchase. Therefore everyone has got this printed paper. The value is increasing. Competition. I can pay two rupees kilo. The other says, "No, I can pay three rupees." What is this rupees? This paper. You, somehow or other you gather this paper, and there will be competition and the price will increase. This is the economy. Because they have got false money, therefore there is false increment of price. Bad money. Gresham's theory: "Bad money drives away good money." As soon as there is bad money, this paper currency, the coin, gold coins and silver coins, they are finished, they are no more.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

If you go on simply with rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ... Therefore the competition is going on always-greediness. There is no end of ambition. "More money, more money, more money." Nobody is satisfied.

Recently one of our life members—he is a big industrialist—he has jumped from the, what is called, that Daksinasvara(?) Bridge, down to the Ganges. No, Wellington Bridge, I think. So committed suicide. In Western countries also, because there is no end of greediness: "More, more, more, more, more." Ask him that "What will be satisfaction for you?" Oh, there is no such limit. This is rajas and tamas. And some people, they are śūdras. So some political party, by agitation, by propaganda, makes them convinced to accept some way, and they do it. Another party will do another... They have no their own discretion. They elect some president, and again they want to dethrone the president. Because they are śūdras, they have no intelligence. They do not know how to elect the president, who should be the governor, who should be the executive head. They commit mistake. They again cry.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

You have to do it, because we are placed in a condition of suffering. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). I have given this example many times. Just like in the school the teacher engages two naughty boys to catch the ears of one another. And he is pulling the ear; he is also pulling the ear. There is competition of pulling the ear. So nature engages them. Jagat ahita ugra-karma. They have manufactured this ugra-karma world for the annihilation of this world. Russia has discovered the nuclear... What is that? Nuclear weapon? And the Americans, they are finding out the opportunity so, to drop the bomb here and there, and everything will be destroyed.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

So these brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, they are also parts and parcels, the same position. Brāhmaṇa is the head, kṣatriya is the arm, vaiśya is the belly, and the śūdras... But everything is required. If you want to keep up your body in sound condition of... Any part of the body is important. Comparatively, the head is most important. But other parts, you cannot say they are not important. But when there is competition, that "I am the most important. You are nothing," or "I am something. You are nothing," in this way we forget to serve the whole, and that becomes the cause of our falldown. Na bhajanty avajānanti. Gradually, by their degradation, they forget service of Kṛṣṇa. Simply they fight for their position. Then they fall down their position. Sthānād bhraṣṭaḥ patanty adhaḥ. They are no more brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas; they are all rascals. One who forgets the service of the Lord, in spite of His appearing in a brāhmaṇa family or a kṣatriya family, he is rascal. He is nothing. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. All these guṇas... Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). All the guṇas are lost.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Complete wealth means, just like we are sitting here, say, twenty-five or fifty men. Everyone has got some wealth in bank balance. But if some one of us can exceed the bank balance of every one of us, he is called samāgra. Now try to understand what is the definition of God. There are many rich men, not only here in your country, in other countries also. So take the whole world as a whole, and if you scrutinize who is the richest man, you will hardly find one who is the richest of all. There is a competitor, another. But here the definition is the richest. Nobody can compete with Him, the richest.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

And jñāna, complete knowledge, and vairāgya, complete renouncement. If you can find out somebody that nobody is richer than him, nobody is more famous than him, nobody is stronger than him, nobody is wiser than him, nobody is more beautiful than him, and nobody is more renouncer than him, when these six opulences you will find, without any competition, that is God. This is the definition of God.

So everything should be understood very distinctly, what do we mean by God, not that a third-class man comes and he proclaims himself, "I am God." This is our foolishness.

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

I have explained several times, bīja-nirharaṇam (SB 7.7.28). There is bīja, the propensity for lording it over the material nature, resources, that is the bīja of materialistic life. How to become a very great personality within this material world. The bhakti-yoga is just the opposite. Here everyone is trying to become greater than the other. But bhakti-yoga is so nice, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, servant of the servant of the servant of the servant. The more you become servant of the servant, the more you advance. And here in this material, the more you become greater than your friend, then you are (indistinct). That means more you become implicated. More... Just like the same example, the more you increase your temperature, you are facing death. Certain temperature is required, 98 degrees. But if you simply increase your temperature, "Oh, it is very nice," then at 107 degrees you finish. So this material improvement means meeting death. Let us come to the point. The nationalism is competition, which nation is greater. Now they have manufactured atomic bomb. That means finishing point they have come to.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

In the brahma-jyotir of Kṛṣṇa, there are innumerable planets. The spiritual portion, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭhas. Vaikuṇṭha means... Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Where there is no anxiety, simply pleasure, that is our life. Here also we want a very happy life without any anxiety. That is our tendency. We try to make a very nice comfortable house, a very good bank balance, all secure so that I can live there very comfortably. That competition is going on. But that is not possible here. Here saṁsāra-dāvānala. This saṁsāra, it is meant for suffering. Dāvānala, just like forest fire. Nobody sets in the forest fire, but it takes automatically. So however you may try to live here comfortably, happily, peacefully, eternally, it is not possible. That is the difference between this temporary material manifestation and eternal, eternal Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

So this demonic principle, Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to demolish this demonic mentality of his friends that "Don't try to be falsely puffed up to understand God. Take the process of bīja-nirharaṇaṁ yogaḥ." This material world means we have got a seed of ambition that I want to become greater than everyone. I want to be the greatest businessman, I want to be the greatest personality, I want to be the greatest leader, the greatest, greatest, greatest, and there is comp... Everybody is trying to be greater than his friend so therefore, there is competition. But in Vaiṣṇava philosophy... Actually that is the philosophy, because we cannot be greater or greatest. Mattaḥ parataram. Nobody can be greater than God or equal to God, that is not possible. Even if he is Brahma, Lord Siva, or any other.

Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:

So Śrī, Lakṣmī, she is always in company with Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Wherever Nārāyaṇa there is, there is Lakṣmī. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśsasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ. So Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always full in six opulence: aiśvarya, riches, samāgrasya, all riches... Nobody can compete with Him. Here in the material world there is competition. You have got one thousand; I have got two thousand; another man has three thousand or three millions. Nobody can say, "Here is the end. I have got money." No. That is not possible. There must be competition. Sama urdhva. Sama means "equal," and urdhva means "greater." So nobody can become equal with Nārāyaṇa, and nobody can be greater than Nārāyaṇa. This has become a fashion nowadays, that daridra-nārāyaṇa. No. Daridra cannot be Nārāyaṇa, neither Nārāyaṇa can be daridra, because Nārāyaṇa is always accompanied by Śrī, Lakṣmījī. How He can be daridra? These are manufactured foolish imagination. Aparādha.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

So simply by becoming proud that "I have got so much material acquisition," nobody can compete with Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Anor anīyaṁ mahato mahīyan. Kṛṣṇa, if you compare Him, then you'll find He's greater than the greatest. Just like generally, transcendentalists, they have got idea of Brahman. What is that Brahman? Bṛhatvāt bṛhaṇatvāt iti brahma. Bṛhat means the great. God is great. Brahman, the great. Nobody can be greater. Bṛhatvāt bṛhaṇatvāt. And Brahman can expand to unlimited extent. Just like sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. You see the expansion of Brahma. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktir. Whatever we are seeing, the manifestation, expansion, this is Brahman.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

There are many controllers. "Might is right." But nobody is supreme controller. That is not possible. Nobody. Everyone is trying to become the supreme controller, but that is not being possible. By individual effort, by national effort, by communal effort, any way, every community, every nation, every individual person is trying to be the supreme. Therefore there is competition. Everyone is trying to be the supreme, but that is not possible. This world, this creation is so made that nobody is supreme. Any position you place yourself, you'll find somebody inferior to you and somebody superior to you. Nobody can say that "I am superior" or "I am inferior." If you think that you are inferior, you'll find somebody immediately less inferior than you. And if you think you are superior, you'll find immediately somebody is more superior than you.

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

They are living on the tree. There is no roof at all. I have got roof with some holes, that's all. And they have no roof at all, so how they are living? For this purpose I shall ask You benediction? No, no, no." In this way he refused. So that is pure devotion, that "I shall not take any benediction from the Lord, but I shall give everything to God." This is. There is competition. The Lord wants to give the devotee all opulences, and the devotee refuses to accept it. He wants to give his life and soul to the Lord. This is perfection. The gopīs, the gopīs, the ideal, the topmost devotee, they gave their everything to Kṛṣṇa, but they did not ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. Their honor, their body, their life—everything, sacrificed everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said to the gopīs that "I have no power to repay your debt. You be satisfied with your own activity. I cannot give you anything."

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

This is the competition between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. Kṛṣṇa wants to give everything to the devotee. He wants to see that "My devotee is very comfortable." Just like the father wants to see the children are very comfortable. So why the devotees should be hankering after something material? No. Kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (SB 2.2.5). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Why we should go to the puffed-up rich men for begging something? Kṛṣṇa will arrange for everything. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "You do not try to preach for getting some money. Money will come automatically. On your feet money will say, 'Please accept me.' " You should preach very sincerely. That is your business. Never bother that "Where is money? Where is money, money, money?" Money... Muktir mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate asmān dharmārtha-kāma samaya pratīkṣāḥ. This is a statement of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

So, people are misled. They are thinking that by material comfort they will be happy. And practically we are seeing, this competition of material comfort... The capitalist and the labor class, worker class, they are fighting—strike. Actually, the propensity is that... That is explained in Marshall's theory of economics. We were student of economics. So in that book Mr. Marshall explained that the family affection is the origin of economic impetus. That's a fact. These hippies, they have no family affection. They are not married, and therefore there is no economic impetus. They can live in any way, any wretched condition of life. And one who is married, responsible man, he has got some responsibility to see that..., provided he has got affection for the family. Otherwise, practically, so-called family life, there is no affection.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

When actually one comes in the platform of devotional service, for him, there is no problem. The whole world is disturbed, agitated with so many problems, but for a devotee, there is no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And they are trying, the whole world is trying to become very big man. Somebody's trying to be very big merchant or big industrialist, or minister, or this or that, and others, they are trying to occupy the post of Indra, Candra, devata. That is competition, going on. As soon as there is some competition, even persons, demigods, like Indra, Candra, they become disturbed, and they try to stop it. But a devotee has no such concern. He's not disturbed. Because he's engaged in the service of the Lord, he feels so much happy that he has no disturbance. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. Neither he is anxious to occupy any very big post. Because for a devotee, vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate.

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

Just like the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa. Gopīs, when they saw Kṛṣṇa is pleased, they became happy, and Kṛṣṇa, when He saw that the gopīs are happy, He become happier. Again the gopīs sees that Kṛṣṇa is happier, they, again they become more happy. In this way, there is competition of happiness. The gopīs sees Kṛṣṇa happier; they feel happiness, and Kṛṣṇa sees gopīs happier; Kṛṣṇa feels happiness. This word is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: dui lagi hura huri (?). This is spiritual competition.

So: "Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure." In the material pleasure, if I see you happy, I am unhappy; If I see you unhappy, I become happy. This is nature. I may say otherwise, but material nature is, if one is put into difficulty, then I become very happy, and if I am happy, others become envious. This is material pleasure. Whereas spiritual pleasure means that when one sees Kṛṣṇa is happy, a devotee's happy, the other devotee becomes happier. That is spiritual pleasure. In the spiritual world there is competition, but when one is advanced, the competitor become happy: "Oh, he's so advanced. I could not do so." There is no enviousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

Bhavānanda: "In the material world, everyone is trying to be the topmost head man amongst all his fellow men or neighbors. Either communally, socially or nationally, everyone is competing to be greater than all others in the material concept of life. This greatness can be extended to the unlimited, so that one actually wants to become one with the greatest of all, the Supreme Lord. This is also a material concept, although maybe a little more advanced."

Prabhupāda: This kind of conception, that "I shall become God," or "I shall declare myself God," this is also material conception. This is not spiritual conception. Spiritually, nobody can become God except God. But he has no knowledge of God. He's thinking that he's God. Vimukta-māninaḥ. Tvayy asta-bhāvād. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means taking for granted that "I've become liberated. I have become God." And I advertise, and some foolish people, they adore me: "Oh, here is God.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

They become pleased by seeing Kṛṣṇa pleased. They do not want to be pleased independently. That is not devotee. Devotee's pleasure is seeing Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Kṛṣṇa is also pleased when He sees the devotees are pleased. This is competition. This is competition. Kṛṣṇa wants to see that His devotees are pleased, and the devotees want to see that Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Dui lāge hura huri (?). This is the competition going on between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. By Rādhārāṇī, seeing the Rādhārāṇī's beauty, Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased, and Rādhārāṇī, when She sees that Kṛṣṇa is very pleased, She becomes pleased. She becomes more beautiful. And Kṛṣṇa wants to see. In this way there is competition. This is rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau (CC Adi 1.5). This is the exchange of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

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

So eko brahma dvitīya nāsti: "Brahman, Para-brahman, is one." Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no competition with Kṛṣṇa. Na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal with Him; nobody can be greater than Him." Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikaḥ means greater. That is Para-brahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior entity than Me." So we have to very carefully study Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to understand Kṛṣṇa very scientifically. It is not sentiment. One must be very philosophically advanced with scientific knowledge.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Dallas, March 4, 1975:

So don't think the party means some opposite party. No. Everyone has got for the advanced devotee to serve the Lord in a particular way so that the Lord may be more satisfied. That is their intention. Sometimes we also have some parties in the temple: someone wants to dress the Deity in a way, another wants to... Of course, they are not transgressing the rules and regulation, but still, everyone wants that "I shall serve the Lord in this particular way." We cannot change the original rules and regulation, but there is variety. We are not impersonalist. Every person has got to serve the Lord in a particular way, and that is allowed. The central point is Kṛṣṇa. So although there are parties, if the central point is Kṛṣṇa, so there is no dissension. It is a competition, that "My Godbrother, my Godsister, is serving such a way. She is so well versed in this art. Why not try myself to do something?" This is variety. That is not this ordinary party strife if we make Kṛṣṇa the center.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

We cannot make any compromise. That is not possible, against the principle of the śāstra. If we keep one competitor of Kṛṣṇa, then we are mūḍha. Here it is said, advitīya. Not that there is another Kṛṣṇa, dini-Kṛṣṇa, no. There is no... There cannot be any competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more anyone, bigger authority than Me." And here is also, Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, advitīya: no competitor, sir. Here we are all gods, the rascaldom, that "Everyone is God." But there is competition of Gods. But in case of Kṛṣṇa there is no such possibility, no competition. Nobody can compete with Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He showed it by practical example. Nobody could compete Him in either knowledge, either strength or love affairs or any field of activities. There was no competition.

Now, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He married sixteen thousand wives. Where is competition? One cannot marry even sixteen wives—and he becomes God.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

So the Kaṁsa or the asura's plan is how to kill Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is going on. Everyone, "God is dead. God is dead." When I first went to your country the philosophy was that "God is dead." But they admitted, "No, God is living. Swamijī has brought in saṅkīrtana." That also they admit. Yes. So God cannot be dead. If we are not ever dead—na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20)—how God can be dead? That is another foolishness. God cannot be dead. Nitya. Then there is no meaning of nitya. So this is the position of Kṛṣṇa; He is the Supreme Person, supreme ruler without any competitor. Advitīya, no competition. Here we have got competition, but Kṛṣṇa there is no competition. There cannot be any competition. You cannot say that Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or any other demigods, they are also as good as Kṛṣṇa, equally. No. That is not possible. Then he would not have used this word advitīya. There cannot be any competition. If somebody puts any competitor before Kṛṣṇa, he's a pāṣaṇḍī.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

These words are there, ātmā, paramātmā; brahma, paraṁ brahma; īśvara, parameśvara. These words are there. But they, on account of their poor fund of knowledge, they think ātmā and Paramātmā the same, or īśvara or Parameśvara is the same, or Brahman or Paraṁ Brahman is the same. That is poor fund of knowledge. There cannot be any competition of the Parameśvara or Paraṁ Brahman or Paramātmā. Therefore in this verse it is said, svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. Īśvara, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot have any competitor. Asamaurdhva. These words are there.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

Because now there is Presidential election, so everyone is thinking, "If I could become the President." That is everyone's desire. But those who are not so fit, they do not stand for election, but those who are little fit, so they stand, make competition, "I am the President." If you are President, why you require election? The simple truth. If you are actually President, then why do you depend on other's vote? You become President. No. Artificial President. Simply by votes he is President. Actually he is not; he is the servant of the voters, but he's thinking, "I am President." This is called māyā. Everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. He's servant. Every one of us, we are servant. So take this example. Actually the President means the servant of the voters, and as soon as the voters do not like him... Just like Nixon is drawn back.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.62-67 -- New York, January 6, 1966:

Just like in sporting, there are champions in chessboard playing champion or so many departmental champion. This is coming from long, long ago. So similarly, there were champions of scholars. Just like in modern days a sportsman will challenge, and if he is victorious all over the world... Similarly, in those days there were competition of the great learned scholars, champions. So this Keśava Kāśmīrī... At least India, that was the system even five hundred years before. So Keśava Kāśmīrī, he was a paṇḍita.

Festival Lectures

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

How one becomes God? God is not manufactured by vote. There are definition who is God. God must be the proprietor of all the riches. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya. Samāgra means all. Nobody can compete with Him. Here, in this world, material world, I am rich man, and there is another rich man who can compete with me. There is another rich man who can compete with him. But nobody can compete with God in richness. That is one qualification of God. Nobody can say that "I am richer than God." You can say "I am richer than Ford or Rockefeller" or this or that. You can say. But nobody can say that "I am richer than God." Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Dhanañjaya is a name of Arjuna, and Kṛṣṇa said that, "My dear Arjuna, there is nobody greater than Me." So if anyone claims that he is God, he must prove by practical example that nobody is richer than him. That is the first. But unfortunately, we are accepting so many Gods. A rascal in the street, he also claims that "I am God."

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not liked by the hereditary brāhmaṇas. They dislike. Whenever there is Caitanya movement, they pose another counter. This Rama-Krishna is a counteraction of Caitanya. Because Caitanya, the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu as incarnation of God, so they presented this Gadādhara Chatterjee as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, and by worshiping Kālī. You see? So this competition is since a very long time between the Vaiṣṇava and the other sect. Anyway, when these Gosvāmīs... My point is that originally the Gosvāmīs came from ordinary person. There is no caste. But they manufactured a caste of Gosvāmī, you see, this brāhmaṇa class. This brāhmaṇa class, the hereditary brāhmaṇa class, played so many havocs in the history of India. The Pakistan is also due to this hereditary brahmanism. You see? They hated so much the Muhammadans and the śūdras. First of all they hated the śūdras, and then, when the śūdras, they became Muhammadans, they hated the Muhammadans. And gradually it developed that the so-called śūdras and Muhammadans, politically the Britishers took advantage, agitated them. They cut up India into Pakistan and Hindustan.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So at that time one of my Godbrother was also present. He reminded me about my friend's donation, and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda immediately took up the land. He continued that "There is no need of establishing many temples. Better we publish some books." He said like that. He said that "We started our, this Gauḍīya Maṭha in Ultadanga. The rent was very small, and if we could gather 2 to 250 rupees, it was very nice, going on. But since this J.V. Datta(?) has given us this stone, marble stone Ṭhākurabari, our competition between the disciples have increased, so I don't like anymore. Rather, I would prefer to take out the marble stone and sell it and publish some books." So I took that point, and he also especially advised me that "If you get money, you try to publish books." So by his blessing it has become very successful by your cooperation.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- New Delhi, November 10, 1971:

There is a great need for this movement. We want hundreds and thousands of preachers to go outside India and preach this cult. And there are customers ready. Wherever we are opening our branches, it appears as if they are awaiting our arrival. Immediately they take up. So there is very great opportunity. You cannot compete with the Western countries by your technology, however you may make some sewing machine or cycle or Ambassador car. They are hundred years ahead. You cannot make any competition by machine. If you can give them anything and glorify your country, then this is this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will admit that you have something. Wherever I go, they inquire, "Oh, India is poverty-stricken. Oh, you have come that part." India is advertised as poverty. Yes, in comparison to Western country it is simply poverty-stricken. We have not enough food, nor enough, I mean to say, house, and above all you have no milk. India, the land where we hear from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that, that the, by the cows' milk in Vṛndāvana there was muddy ground. And in that India now there is powdered milk.

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

So this materialistic way of life is full of enviousness, rivalry, competition, then birth, death, old age, disease, threefold miseries-ādhyātmic ādhibhautic, miseries from the mind, from the body, from other living entities, natural disturbance. And we are trying to be happy here. This is called foolishness. It is not possible. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). The creator of this world says that this place is for suffering, duḥkhālayam. And aśāśvatam. That is also temporary. You may think, "Never mind. I am American. We have got big, big buildings and big, big roads and cars. Never mind it is duḥkhālayam, I shall remain here." No, sir, you cannot remain." Aśāśvatam: you have to leave this place. Even if you make compromise that "Never mind.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:

So this is the opportunity to... You are part and parcel of God. Don't try to become artificially like God. That is not possible. That will be simply waste of energy. This is māyā. Everyone under the spell of māyā, they are working very hard. Why? Everyone is trying to become God: "I shall be the great man of this country," or "My country shall be the greatest country in the world." That means God is great, and everyone is trying to be great like that. That is competition. So you are trying, I am trying, he is trying, everyone is trying. This is called māyā. But our Bhāgavata philosophy says that "Don't try artificially in that way. Better remain what you are. Better remain..." Just like the same example: If you want to be the greatest man in your country, just like President Nixon, so you have to work very hard. And that is also for temporary.

General Lectures

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

So we Indians, we should know that we cannot imitate the Western countries. They are far advanced. So far materialistic way of life is concerned, you cannot compete with them. Just like some years before there was industrial exhibition in India in which the government was very proud to show that they are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. When Western part of the world, they are manufacturing so many complicated machineries, we are proud of manufacturing cycle and sewing machine.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

By your anxiety. (laughter, "Haribol!") If you are anxious to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is the real asset. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. What service we can offer to Him? And He has got unlimited servants also. What service He requires from you and me? He's perfect in Himself. He doesn't require any service also. But if you are anxious to serve Him, then He does not refuse. That is His mercy; that is His magnanimity. So the more you increase your anxiety to serve Kṛṣṇa, the more it becomes perfect. He's unlimited. Your anxiety, you become unlimited. So there is competition. The more you serve Kṛṣṇa, the more He accepts you and the more He gives you intelligence. You see? So the spiritual world is unlimited.

Press Release -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1968:

So it is understood from any source of scriptural injunction that the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa, is the maintainer of the individual living entities, and it is the duty of the individual entity to feel obliged to the Supreme Lord. This is the whole background of religious principle. Without this acknowledgement, there is chaos, as it is happening in our daily experience at the present moment. Everyone is trying to become the Supreme Lord, either socially, politically or individually. Therefore there is competition for this false lordship and there is chaos all over the world, individually, nationally, socially or collectively. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to establish the supremacy of the Absolute Personality of Godhead.

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

So God is not created by such artificial meditation. God is God. Just like chemically you cannot produce gold. Gold is gold. Iron is iron. Law of identification. So His opulence, His strength, His reputation... His reputation, taking Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, I don't think any personality in this world is existing who is so reputed as Kṛṣṇa from historical point of view, five thousand years past. You may... "Kṛṣṇa was Indian. He is famous in India." No. Kṛṣṇa is famous in every country all over the world for His Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find Kṛṣṇa's name in the dictionary also. So in reputation nobody can compete, in wealth nobody can compete, in strength nobody can compete, in wisdom... Take Bhagavad-gītā. Such a book of wisdom, knowledge. There is no comparison in the world. Take it philosophically or religiously or any way, there is no comparison.

Lecture -- London, September 14, 1969:

That was his desire. He went to forest to undertake severe penances to see Nārāyaṇa so that he can ask from Him the benediction that he should have..., seated on the throne of his father. Because by the intrigue of his stepmother, he was rejected by his father. He wanted... That material desire we, every one of us in conditioned state, we want. Sometimes we compete. We become very much obstinate, that "I must have this," and we work very hard. Just like in Europe, that Hitler, he wanted supremacy over Europe, and he fought very valiantly. But at the end he became vanquished.

Lecture -- San Francisco, June 28, 1971:

Now you can increase at least fifty times and then calculate what was the income of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. But he left everything to join Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī also came from a very learned brāhmaṇa family. Similarly, Jīva Gosvāmī was the greatest scholar till now. Nobody can compete with Jīva Gosvāmī's scholarship in Sanskrit and philosophy. That is the verdict of all learned scholars. The world's best philosopher and Sanskrit scholar was Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. He happened to be the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī. When Jīva Gosvāmī's father and uncles left home, he was only ten years old boy. He thought, "If my father and uncles have left, why shall I not leave home?" So at the age of ten years he left home and went to Benares, the seat of Sanskrit scholars. He learned there Sanskrit very nicely, became a very great scholar, and then joined their uncles in Vṛndāvana.

Pandal Lecture -- November 14, 1971, Delhi:

So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or bhakti-yoga Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends. Kaumāra ācaret. Kaumāra means the age from five years to fifteen years. So in all schools and colleges this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra should be taught. If you actually want to advance your nationality, India, then you must take to this culture. That will glorify your country. You cannot compete the Westerners by technology. That is not possible. They are meant for that purpose. You are meant for different purpose. Your special advantage is that you were born in this land of Bhārata-varṣa after many, many births, after many, many pious activities.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says Himself that "Out of many, many millions of people, one may be interested how to make life successful. One may know what is the aim of life." That is called siddhi. Yatatām... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Everyone is interested how to earn money or how to gratify senses. That is the modern civilization. Here is a competition of sense gratification. I'm gratifying my senses in one way, and all others, they are trying to imitate me or compete with me though they hate me. This is going on. Everyone is trying to be the lord of all I survey. That is competition.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

If somebody is competitor, one God competitor, another God competitor... Just like nowadays it has become a fashion to become God, and there are competitions between one "God" and another. But actually, nobody can compete with God. That is God. Na tasya sama. Sama means equal. Adhikasya, or greater. That means greater. That means everyone subordinate. Everyone subordinate. Everyone is lower than God. He may be very powerful, but nobody can be equal or greater than God. That is the Vedic information. Na tasya sama adikasya dṛśyate. We don't find... They are also, great saintly persons, they're researching that who is the greatest personality.

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

They also eat, they also sleep, they have also sex life, and they also defend in their own way. So you need these four things. So you can arrange for these four things, but not extraordinarily. People are increasing their needs artificially; therefore they are in trouble. And as soon as there is accumulation of more things... If you accumulate more than your need, I also imitate to accumulate more than my need, there is competition. That competition is going on. And that is the cause of war. Those who are aware of the history, the two big wars in your Europe was started by German people because they are very much envious of the English people. The Germans, they could not do business throughout the whole British Empire. We know, Indians. So they are very much envious of these British people, and therefore they started two big wars, world war. So if we collect more... Now the British Empire is finished.

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

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is, the starting point is, the spirit soul. And automatically, unless... In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord said the sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up the so-called man-made duties or occupation or dharma. You just surrender unto Me." So actually this is dharma, or religion, to surrender to God. God is one. He is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. God is one. If there is another God, then there is competition. God cannot be two. God is one. Eko brahma dvitīya nasti. That is the Vedic injunction. So God is one. So either you become Hindu or Muslim, the God is one. This is to be understood. So the science of God, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that it makes for progress to be in conflict. Competition, conflict, this creates progress.

Prabhupāda: Competition, that is another thing. But if you say that war settles up morality, ethical law, then... Without any aim. We say yes, war may be there or must be there, but the party who has got Kṛṣṇa's support, they are victorious, they are right party. This is our philosophy. We don't say that war should be stopped, war must be there, because this world is material world, there must be war, opposite elements. Now, the party who has got Kṛṣṇa's support, that party... That is the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We don't say stop war, but we say if you fight, fight on behalf of Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Our senses are imperfect, simply by empirical scientific knowledge is (indistinct) are not complete (indistinct). So you..., we cannot compete with māyā. The ultimate conclusion is that there is a supreme cause.

Prabhupāda: Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). So our knowledge, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, our knowledge is perfect. We say everything is caused by Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He says that in this way by everyone being free to compete, the best ones will come out.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. That is not freedom; that is competition.

Śyāmasundara: Competition. But in order to compete, there has to be freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is another thing. But nobody is independent. That is our point of view. Everyone is dependent. Somebody is voluntarily dependent on Kṛṣṇa and somebody is by force dependent on māyā. That's all. But he must be dependent.

Śyāmasundara: He says in this way that society should be organized so that there is freedom of belief, freedom to unite, freedom of taste, freedom of competition. But one individual's freedom should not encroach upon another individual's freedom.

Prabhupāda: Then why they are killing? The freedom of the poor animals, why they encroach on the freedom of others? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam (ISO 1). Do not encroach upon others' freedom. That is Vedic injunction.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: And that is not possible. This is, this is simply a lack of knowledge. Just like the same philosophy, if there is danger before me I cannot protect me from the danger, I simply close my eyes, "Ahh. There is no danger." It is like that. The danger remains there. He thinks by closing the eyes, he thinks, "Now I am out of danger". That is his foolishness. You know? The small animal, rabbits or monkeys, they close the eyes. There was..., I do not know, I heard that there was an artistic competition, prize distribution, that one has to paint a picture, that the..., before the mother the son is being killed. So the artist has to paint the facial expression of the mother. So, so many artists paint so many ways. And one artist painted the mother closed the eyes. He got the first prize. Because this kind of suffering cannot be expressed. The best thing is closed.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) If the other party is silly, then you also become silly. That is human nature.

Devotee: Freud would give an example like this: The child three or four years old, and then a younger child is born in the family. The four-year-old child sees the younger child as a source of competition for affection, and he doesn't like the younger child, but then if he expresses dislike for the child he will be chastised by the parents, so he makes as if he likes the child very much in order to get approbation, but factually he dislikes the child. That is another mechanism that...

Prabhupāda: I don't think the older child dislikes the younger child. Sometimes.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Prabhupāda: You cannot be. It is simply dream. If you simply dream, it will be never be fruitful. But our philosophy is that everyone is thinking as servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have no competition. We want to serve Kṛṣṇa center.

Śyāmasundara: He says that's the main difficulty. He says there is still competition going on.

Prabhupāda: So much more, because he has not changed the mind. The mind is thinking how to become master. So as soon as you want to become master, I want to become master, he wants to, there must be some... But our teaching is different. We become servant, servant of Kṛṣṇa. Even there is competition, but that competition is center in Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. That is the difficulty, that these people are coming as philosophers teaching. Rascals. That is the difficulty with the present society. (indistinct) Dogs, hogs, camels, and asses. They are taking the position of teacher. That is the defect. We don't take (indistinct) like that. Dogs, hogs, we cannot accept.

Śyāmasundara: They are making life into an equation, like a mathematical formula. Competing like that. But it doesn't work.

Prabhupāda: It will not work.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: Why deprived? He has got proprietorship. You have got proprietorship, I have got proprietorship. Why you are deprived? Because government has given me some land, it does not mean that a fellow subject, my brother, should not be given. As I have got, he has got. Therefore our Upaniṣad says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). "Whatever is given to you by God, you be satisfied." That is Vedic system. Therefore you find, a poor man is also satisfied and a rich man is also satisfied. The poor man thinks that "God has given me this; so I must be satisfied with this and execute my God consciousness." And the rich man also thinks that "God has given me this; so let me be satisfied with this and save my time." There is no competition.

Page Title:Competition (Lectures)
Compiler:Rishab, Mayapur
Created:26 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=118, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:118