Correct (Lectures)

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

Imperfect knowledge. Or making adjustment for their own benefit. Now they are making correction: "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not murder." That means it will come to human being. But the actual commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." But these Christian people, they are making some amendment, "Thou shalt not murder." Because murder will apply to the killing of human beings. But Lord Jesus Christ never said like that. "Thou shalt not kill." It is applicable both for human being and for animal or even for trees. Unnecessarily you cannot kill. That is sādhu. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). "Don't kill my brother, but you can kill my neighbors." Not like that. He is not sādhu. Sādhu is kind to all living entities.

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

So Arjuna said that patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ (BG 1.41). Piṇḍodaka. In Calcutta, there was a big scientist. His name was Sarpisirat. He was speaking in a, he was atheist number one, he was speaking that: "This piṇḍodaka, by offering piṇḍa, prasāda and water, it will go to my forefather. So just give me to eat downstairs whether I can eat upstairs?" This reasoning. But he does not know that how much there are different types of eating. They do not know there is eating in the subtle body also. The ghosts also, they eat. But the method is different. So even a big scientist speak like that, then how the ordinary people...? Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ, lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). If the so-called advanced in education they speak so irresponsibly, naturally, others will follow. Therefore, at the present moment, the whole generation is covered with ignorance and darkness. No clear knowledge. And without clear knowledge, whatever we do... Just like in darkness, whatever we act, that is simply embezzlement. That's all. It is not very correctly understood. Therefore we have no correct knowledge, no correct activities, and, and the result is narakayaiva. So you can read next verse.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

You are kṣatriya, you are meant for fighting for justice, and you are denying to fight? Oh, this is not good." Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of proposal, cowardice, can be proposed by the anārya." Ārya means the advanced. One who is advanced in knowledge, in civilization, they are called ārya, Aryan civilization. So in the Aryan civilization there are four divisions to maintain the society in the correct balance. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes of men. The first-class means most intelligent class of men. They should be trained up as brāhmaṇa. Śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So this is the beginning of civilization, not that all śūdras as it is now in this age. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, there is no training how to qualify a section of person to become first-class brāhmaṇa. That training is not there, neither kṣatriya, neither pure vaiśya class. We are proud of our business, vaiśya, but vaiśya means kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44).

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

So here is a point, that sometimes we may do something which is approved by the general public, but it may not be approved by the supreme authority. Superficially it may appear very appealing to the sentiment of the public, but factually such thing may not be correct, may not be correct. If we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and "Why He was inducing Arjuna to fight?" It does not mean that He was inducing Arjuna to do something wrong. But from worldly point of view, Arjuna was a very pious man and he was declining to fight, not to kill his kinsmen, not to kill his friends. This... This is a very important point. So he argued, "No, no, if I fight, my people will die, and their wives will become widow, and they will be adulterated, and then, by adulteration, unwanted population will increase, and who will offer śrāddha?"

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

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee: I read somewhere in your writings that in order to understand the confidential affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa one must serve the gopīs who are servants of the gopīs, and I assumed that you were a servant of the gopīs. Is that correct? Or... How do I serve the servants of the gopīs?

Prabhupāda: Gopīs, they are not conditioned souls. They are liberated spirits. So first of all you have to come out from this conditioned life. Then the question of serving gopī will come. Don't be at the present moment, very eager to serve gopī. Just try to get out of your conditional life. Then time will come when you'll be able to serve gopī. In this conditional stage we cannot serve anything. Kṛṣṇa is performing it (everything?). But Kṛṣṇa gives us opportunities to accept service in this arcā-mārga. Just like we keep the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, offer prasāda under regulation, under principle. So we have to make advance in this way, this chanting, hearing, and worshiping in the temple, ārati, offering prasāda. In this way, as we make advance, then automatically Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you and you'll understand your position, how you have to... Gopīs means who are always, constantly engaged in the service of the Lord. So that eternal relationship will be revealed. So we have to wait for that. Immediately we cannot imitate serving gopīs. That's a good idea that you shall serve gopī, but it will take time. Not immediately. Immediately we have to follow the rules and regulations and routine work. Yes.

Lecture on BG 2.10 -- London, August 16, 1973:

So just hear Me." Therefore He said, aśocyān: "You are lamenting on a subject matter which is not at all good." Aśocya. Śocya means lamentation, and aśocya means one should not lament. Aśocya. So aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajña-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "But you are talking like very learned scholar." Because he has talked. But those things are right. What Arjuna has said, that varṇa-saṅkara, when the women become polluted, the population is varṇa-saṅkara, that is fact. Whatever Arjuna has said to Kṛṣṇa in order to avoid the fighting, so those things are correct. But from the spiritual platform, those things may be correct or incorrect, but from spiritual platform, they are not to be considered very serious. Therefore aśocyān anvaśocas tvam. Because his lamentation was on the bodily concept of life. That bodily concept of life, in the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa's instructions, it is condemned. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam: (BG 2.11) "You are lamenting on the bodily concept of life." Because anyone who is in the bodily concept of life, he is no better than animal. So our all morality, all social status, all politics, all philosophy, everything is on this bodily concept of life. We want to enjoy senses. Senses means different parts of the body. So one who is interested with the body—that means one who is interested with the senses—their only business is how to... (end)

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

So how you can see? But that small particle is giving you living force. This knowledge we get from Bhagavad-gītā, and that is the fact. You cannot get life by analyzing this material body. That is not possible. You have to find out what is that small particle. You have to hear. Therefore you cannot get knowledge by your material activities. You have to hear it from the authorities; otherwise there is no possibility. Just like you cannot understand who is your father. You have to take the knowledge from your mother. If mother certifies, "This gentleman is your father," that is correct. But if you go on researching who is your father you will never be able to know who is your father. Similarly, what is life, what is soul, what is our, this body, what is the ultimate goal of life, why you are suffering—all this knowledge you have to take from the higher authorities. That is called Vedic process, not to endeavor by research. What you can research? Our fund of knowledge is very, very poor, limited. You cannot have perfect knowledge unless you hear from the authority. So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means you take knowledge from the best authority. Don't manufacture knowledge. That will not help you. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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

Prabhupāda: Friends and relatives.

Indian: ...relatives for temporary time. Our books of literature also projected the Supreme Being as the perfect one. How do you reconcile the two things? How do we accept that... Your teachings are based on the assumption that that person who lived for that period of time is the perfect person. But how do you fundamentally assure that what He has said is correct? How do you reconcile the two points?

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained, that one has to understand Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Before your asking, I have already explained that if that person, Kṛṣṇa, whom you think that He lived for a certain period with friends and relatives just like ordinary man, if you simply study what is this person, then you'll be comforted (competent?). Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). To understand Him in fact, it is not so easily.

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

Devotee: Yes. His question was that if Kṛṣṇa says that "Never was there a time when you and I..." (break)

Prabhupāda: That is not correct. Kṛṣṇa... As we have got distinction between the body and the soul, Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction. Kṛṣṇa is completely soul. And if we think that Kṛṣṇa is like us, that is forbidden. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ, tanu, mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa comes before us just like a human being, if we think that "He's also like me," then we are ass. Kṛṣṇa does not change His dress. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa could not say that "Millions and millions of years ago I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god." Because..., because we change our dress, we forget what I was, what you were, in your past life. Because you have changed the dress... (break)

Question: What is the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness society?

Prabhupāda: Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa says. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). These four principles. Always think of Kṛṣṇa, become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, worship Kṛṣṇa and offer your respect, obeisances to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are doing that. Nothing more, nothing less. These four principles.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

So this theory that overpopulation is nonsense. It is also nonsense. There cannot be overpopulation. But there is restriction, by nature. Nature will restrict production of food if there are demons. Nature will not provide the demons. You'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, nature is quite prepared to supply all the foods, but as soon as there are number of demons, because the whole plan is to correct. Just like the criminals are sent to the prison house for being corrected so that they may not again commit criminals. That is the purpose of... Similarly, we are all criminals who are in this material world. The purpose is to be corrected. We wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, to become Kṛṣṇa, and therefore we violated the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and that criminality means material life.

kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare

nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

This is māyā, this material world, māyā. This body is false, māyā. So we have to accept this body because we wanted to enjoy. So enjoy, you enjoy with this body, particular body. Either human's body, or dog's body, or cat's body, or demigod's body, you get as you desire. You get a material body and enjoy. This is material life.

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

Bhavānanda: (reading questions:) ...Kṛṣṇa, they accept that Kṛṣṇa is in every living entity, and therefore they say that by serving humanity and your fellow man, that that is serving Kṛṣṇa. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: If you remain in a room, to serve the room, does it mean that serving you? You are within a room. Simply cleansing the room, does it mean serving you? The present moment, what they are doing? Just like my Guru Mahārāja used to say that a man has fallen on the water, and one brave man came. He said that "I shall save this man." And he also jumped in the water and brought his coat and shirt, and he said, "Now the man is saved." Is it saving the man? So similarly, the service of humanity means they are serving the body. Where is the soul? They do not know how to serve. Just like washing the cage, and the bird within the cage, it is starving (imitates bird): "kanh kanh kanh." So they do not know what is service. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They are thinking this body. That is, that is... We are explaining this morning: antavanta ime dehāḥ. This body is perishable. It is material. What is the use of serving it? However you serve it, it will destroy. Try to save the soul who is put into this body and embarrassed. That is real service. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to save the soul. The body, however you try to save it, it will, antavanta ime dehāḥ, it will end, today or tomorrow or after some years. You cannot save it. Save the soul. Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. The śarīriṇaḥ, the soul, which is within the body, that is nitya, eternal. Now, although it is nitya, it is fallen in certain condition of this material body, that it appears to be dying.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Indian: I have seen in other maṭhas, that present before God, it is the proper way to redress our sins. Is this correct? If not, will we not suffer for our sins committed here on earth, or after...?

Prabhupāda: So long we are not on the platform of sanātana, all our life is simply sinful life. Either you think that you are very pious... Real piety means to come to the platform of sanātana-dharma. So if we do not come to the platform of sanātana-dharma from the platform of asanātana-dharma, we are simply committing sins, nothing but. (break) ...come to the platform of Sanātana, then apāpa-viddham. Then there is no more... No papa can touch. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot be free from the contamination of this material world. Then how? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You can simply become free from all contamination, sinful life, when you are a surrendered soul. Mām eva ye prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa therefore comes to teach us this. He's teaching. He's so much compassionate with our suffering that He's coming personally. Otherwise, what is the purpose of His coming? He's always being worshiped by lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). So He has no business to come here to ask you any food. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). Is He poor? Still, He says, universal: patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Anywhere, in any part of the universe, you can secure a little leaf, patram, a little flower, a little water, and offer Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, everything is Yours. So just to offer my gratitude... I am very poor. I have no means to offer You nice things.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

Indian: Mahārāja, it is indicated in Rāmāyaṇa that God is coming to this world as kali-avatāra. It is correct? What is the indication of His coming?

Prabhupāda: His indication He's coming is that people are becoming degraded, forgetting God. That is their degradation. So at the end of this Kali-yuga they will be so much degraded that it will be impossible for them to understand God. At the present moment, although it is Kali-yuga, there are some persons who are trying to understand God. At least, there is attempt. But, at the end of Kali-yuga, say, about 400,000's of years, then people... Because they're becoming animals, more and more. The more we become animals, we cannot understand God. So our modern civilization is to make the people animal. That is advancement of civilization. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. The modern civilization is how we can eat very nicely, how we can sleep nicely, how we can have sexual intercourse nicely, how we can defend nicely. Only these four principles are being taught. They have no idea what is soul, what is God, what is the relationship with the soul. So this is, this type of civilization is increasing. So just imagine how much it will be increased after four hundred thousands of years. The Kali-yuga has begun only five thousand years. Within this five thousand years, we have so much degraded, illusioned by the māyā as advancement of civilization. This is māyā. So the more days go, we shall be more illusioned. So there will be no capacity to understand about God. At that time, God will come to destroy all this population by cutting their throat. That is kalki-avatāra. (end)

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Therefore our philosophy is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. Acintya, inconceivable. Just like you are trying to conceive that whole world is God, and still, God is not there. That is spoken by God Himself, Kṛṣṇa: mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). Mayā tatam idam, avyakta-mūrtinā. So this impersonal feature, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11), the impersonal feature is Brahman. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That means sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Just like the sunshine. You are in the sunshine. That is a practical faith. The sunshine is not different from the sun. The sun is ninety-three millions of miles away, but still, because you are in the sunshine, you are in sun. Can you deny it? That is the thing. You are in the sunshine. The sunshine is not different from the sun. But still, it is not the sun. This is the philosophy, inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. The sunshine is not different from the sun, but still, it is different. Similarly, the whole manifested, the cosmic manifestation is God, but still He is..., it is not God. This is, therefore it is called inconceivable, acintya. With our teeny brain, we cannot accommodate how it is one and different. Therefore it is called acintya. Acintya-bhedābheda: different and separate, simultaneously. Everything. Idaṁ hi viśvo bhagavān ivetaraḥ. The whole world is Bhagavān, but it appears different from Bhagavān. So how? To a mahā-bhāgavata, who understands actually what is Bhagavān, he does not see any difference. Because he, everywhere he sees his worshipable Deity, Kṛṣṇa. He does not see anything. I am seeing a tree, but a devotee is seeing tree: "Oh, it is the energy of Kṛṣṇa." Immediately he remembers Kṛṣṇa and worships Him. So this is higher stage of realization of God, how the inconceivable things, simultaneously one and different, can be perceived. Therefore, there are three stages of devotional life, kaniṣṭhādhikārī, madhyamādhikārī, and uttamādhikārī. So to become uttamādhikārī, it is not so easy, but we are generally in the kaniṣṭhādhikārī. But we shall try to come to the madhyamādhikārī. Then our life will be successful.

Indian: That is correct, Swami. As you have told, he said we have no suffering. He suffered for others. We should not condemn them. We should pray to the Lord that we may take...

Prabhupāda: No. No devotee condemns anything. But when he does not... Just like when..., father always gives, always merciful to his son, but if the son is very obstinate, he gives him a slap. (end)

Lecture on BG 2.28 -- London, August 30, 1973:

One point in this connection is that at night when I am dreaming I forget this body. This body, in dream, I am seeing that I have gone in a different place, talking with different men, and my position is different. But at that time I don't remember that actually my body is lying on the bed in the apartment where I have come. But we don't remember this body. It is everyone's experience. Similarly, when you come again, awakening stage in the morning after getting up from the bed, I forget all the bodies I created in my dream. So which one is correct? This is correct? This body's correct, or that body's correct? Because at night I forget this body, and in daytime I forget the other dreaming body. So both of them not correct. It is simply hallucination. But I am correct because I see at night, I see in daytime. So I am eternal, the body is not eternal. This is the fact. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Śarīriṇaḥ, the owner of the body, is eternal, but not the body. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa is explaining about the material condition of this body. But those who are not very intelligent, with poor fund of knowledge, it is very difficult for them to understand. Otherwise, things are very clear. This point is very clear. That at night I forget this body, and in daytime I forget the body at night. This is a fact. Similarly, I may forget the body of my last appearance, last duration of life, or I may not know the future body. But I will exist, and the body may change, but I'll have to accept another body which is temporary. But I, as I exist, it means I have got a body. That is spiritual body.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

So we should correct this. Now, we shall try to understand our position and try to say "Yes, there is God, and I am servant of God." That's all. You have to learn that thing only. No more we have to say that there is no God. We may say there is no God, but that does not mean that there is no God. You see? Just like an upstart. He says that "I don't believe in the government. There is no government. I am all in all." So that madman say like that, that does not mean that there is no existence of government. He is a madman who says like that. So that sort of, I mean to say, madness, we should give up. We should be submissive.

There is God. The only example—several times I have cited—that existence of God can be perceived with very simple... What is that? Just like you can perceive your existence in this body by the consciousness... You have got consciousness. That point we have discussed several times. That consciousness is the symptom of your existence in this body. So long that consciousness is there, this bodily function is going on very nicely.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Everything being in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and naturally existing in all truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform. One who must receive the results of work has some designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve within the three planetary systems certainly has no duty. And yet, Lord Kṛṣṇa is engaged on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra as the leader of the kṣatriyas because the kṣatriyas are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed. Although He is above all the regulations of revealed scriptures He does not do anything which is not directed in the revealed scriptures."

Twenty-three: "For if I did not engage in work, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path (BG 3.23)."

Twenty-four: "If I should cease to work then all these worlds would be put to ruination and I would be the cause of creating unwanted population and thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings (BG 3.24)."

Purport: "Varṇa-saṅkara is unwanted population which disturbs the peace of the general society. In order to check this social disturbance there are prescribed rules and regulations by which the population can automatically become peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in life. When Lord Kṛṣṇa descends, naturally He deals with such rules and regulations in order to maintain the prestige and necessity of such important performances. The Lord is said to be the father of all living entities and if the living entities are misguided, indirectly the responsibility goes to the Lord. Therefore whenever there is general disregard for such regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and corrects the society. We should however note carefully that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following and imitating are not on the same level."

Prabhupāda: Now, Kṛṣṇa at the age of seven years old, He lifted Govardhana Hill. So if we try to imitate, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana Hill. Let me also try." That is not following. You cannot do that. (chuckling) You see? Because sometimes the foolish rascals they say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa performed rāsa-līlā. Let me also perform rāsa-līlā." Therefore I forbid that don't discuss Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā with the ordinary persons. They cannot understand. They'll simply think that "Oh, it is very nice to dance with girls, boys and girls dancing." No.

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

Prabhupāda: Now, the student goes to learn from the teacher A, B, C, D. The teacher says "This is A," but the student has to accept that this is A. The student cannot argue, "So why not this way?" That is not a student. When a teacher says that this A, so you have to accept this is A, you cannot argue. That is the relationship between the student and the teacher. A student cannot argue. The teacher says, "This is A," the student has to accept that is A. He cannot argue. If he argues, then he cannot learn. That is the first proposition.

Guest (2): That is correct.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He must surrender.

Guest (2): But the master is showing A.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right.

Guest (2): That's why the, what you call, when this guru is coming, we are calling sad-guru, or the perfect master, he should show that the ocean of the God. God, he should show us, ourself...

Prabhupāda: But first of all you learn A, B, C, D, then. Without a learning A, B, C, D, how you want to pass any examination? (laughter) That is not student. The student must submissively learn from the teacher, from the A, B, C, D, and if he makes progress then one day he will be able to pass the examination.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974:

Just like law. Law means which is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at home. That is not possible. I have given this example many times, that in some country the law is "Keep to the right," in some country, "Keep to the left." I think, in America it is "Keep to the left." In England it is "Keep to the right." India, "Keep to the... Now which one is correct? "Keep to the left" or "Keep to the right?" No. According to the government. If the government says that "Keep to the right" is right, then you have to accept that. And the government says, "Keep to the left, that is right," then it is right. We cannot say that "In my country I keep to the left. Why shall I keep to the right?" No. That will not be accepted.

Try to understand what is religion. So God is one. God cannot say somewhere that "This is religion and this is not religion."

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974:

Because every one of us, we have surrendered to somebody. Analyze everyone. He has somebody superior where he has surrendered. It may be his family, his wife, or his government, his community, his society, his political party. Anywhere you go, the characteristic is to surrender. That you cannot avoid. That was the talk with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. I asked him, "Now, you have got your Communist philosophy. We have got our Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Where is the difference in philosophy? You have surrendered to Lenin, and we have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difference?" Everyone has to surrender. It doesn't matter where he is surrendering. If the surrendering is correct, then the things are correct. If the surrendering is not correct, then things are not correct. This is the philosophy. So we are surrendering.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

This is our process of knowledge. We receive knowledge from the authority. Everyone receives knowledge from the authority, but general authority, and our process of accepting authority is little different. Our process of accepting one authority means he is also accepting his previous authority. One cannot be authority self-made. That is not possible. Then it is imperfect. I have given this example many times, that a child learns from his father. The child asks the father, "Father, what is this machine?" and the father says, "My dear child, it is called microphone." So the child receives the knowledge from the father, "This is microphone." So when the child says to somebody else, "This is microphone," it is correct. Although he is child, still, because he has received the knowledge from the authority, his expression is correct. Similarly, if we receive knowledge from the authority, then I may be child, but my expression is correct. This is our process of knowledge. We do not manufacture knowledge. That is the process given in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Fourth Chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

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

So in this way, by the process of evolution, we come to this point of human form of life. And if you are actually civilized, then take advantage of the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and make your choice, whether you are going back to home, back to Godhead, or again in the cycle of birth and death. This is the point. So if we accept the instruction given by Kṛṣṇa with faith, then our life are successful. And why you should not take? It is not very difficult. And if we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction... He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is speaking everything which is correct. If you take instruction from others... Others means those have no connection with God, or Kṛṣṇa. They cannot give you correct information because they are conditioned under the laws of nature. The defect is, ordinary person will commit mistake, will be illusioned, his senses are imperfect, and he has the tendency to cheat. This is ordinary living being. And those who are followers of Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa Himself, they have no such defect. Whatever they say, that is correct. So if we take correct knowledge, then our life is successful. And if we want to be cheated, then there are many cheaters. They'll cheat you. So make your choice, which way you shall go, whether you shall go back to home, back to Godhead, or again go to the cycle of birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

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

Guest (2): What can you do to still two voices inside yourself? One voice tells me that the mystics' view on the world is correct and it has its own logic and it's consistent. And this, when I'm in a meditative mood I can comprehend. But when I walk in the daylight and the illusions are around one, then the other voice talks and says, my so-called logical voice, my daily, logical voice, says, "That a fantasy, a dream you're chasing. You're only putting your logic to it. Maybe it doesn't exist." How can one get over this doubt?

Prabhupāda: That means you are surrendering to different people. That is your position.

Guest (2): Sorry, I didn't hear you. Sorry.

Prabhupāda: You are surrendering to this boy or that boy, hearing. This is correct or that is correct. But you do not know what is correct. So under the circumstances, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa; you'll get the correct answer.

Guest (2): Be patient and wait.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because He is the Supreme, there is no cheating; there is no imperfection. Therefore you get the correct answer. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

If you do not become directly under the care of Kṛṣṇa, then you are under the care of this material energy. He takes care. The same way as the jail superintendent takes cares of the criminals, similarly, those who are criminals, non-devotees, does not care for God, they are under the laws of material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante (BG 7.14). The jail superintendent business is to correct the criminal so that he may become a right citizen, a lawful citizen. Similarly, this māyā's business is to give you always trouble, tri-tāpa-yatana, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, just to kick you, those who are non-devotees, just to correct you to become a devotee of the Lord. Unless you become devotee of the Lord, the kicking of material laws, stringent laws of nature will go on. Therefore it is said,

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

(BG 7.14)

As soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no more jurisdiction of māyā upon you. Then you are free. To become liberation, liberated, means to become liberated from the controller of māyā. That is liberation. Therefore, those who are devotees, they are already liberated. They are not under the control of the external energy.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

Of course, when there is something, talks about God, it is taken as religious. So religious, the meaning of religion in the English dictionary is different from what we mean by religion, that in the dictionary it is said, "Religion is a kind of faith." Faith may be wrong or right, but religion cannot be wrong or right. Religion must be correct. That is the meaning of religion. the example is that the sugar is sweet. It is not the question of wrong or right. Sugar must be always sweet. You cannot change it. That is religion. Chili is hot. That is correct. Chili cannot be sweet, and sugar cannot be hot. So religion means that. Religion described in the Vedic śāstras is said, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: (SB 6.3.19) "Dharma means..." The plain description of religion is "the code, or the laws, given by God." Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).

Just like the state law means the order given by the government. That is correct. You cannot accept government laws in a way, that "I may believe or I may not believe." That is not law. Law means you must believe it. That is law. If you don't believe, then you will be punished. That is law.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Devotee: Sometimes in our practical dealings we have to make a decision and there is no possibility to refer to our authority. Shall we then try to understand what Kṛṣṇa wants us to do?

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa will give you, that is intuition. If you are actually sincere, the correct intuition will come. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti, if it is for Kṛṣṇa's purpose, then He'll give you intelligence, "Do like this."

Devotee: There is a question I have wanted to ask for many years now. The Vedic culture and the Islamic culture have many similarities.

Prabhupāda: So take Mus..., Islamic culture. Just finish. If you are interest in Islamic culture, take it to it. Just finish. What is the use of comparing, this and that? Why you waste your time? You like Islamic culture, you take it. There is no question of...

Devotee: There are so many similarities.

Prabhupāda: That's very nice. You take to Islamic culture. That's very nice. But what is the use of comparing?

Devotee: When one's tasted the higher taste, then how it is possible that he'll fall down in material sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 16.1-3 -- Hawaii, January 29, 1975:

So if you accept Bhagavān's word with firm conviction, then your life is perfect immediately. Immediately you become perfect. There is no difficulty. Because I may be imperfect, but if I say that "I have understood. This is glass. This spectacle is spectacle. I have learned it from authority," that is a fact. I may be imperfect, but because I have learned from authorities that "This is a spectacle. This is called spectacle," then this statement is correct. Similarly, we may be imperfect, it doesn't matter, but because we are accepting the words and statement of Kṛṣṇa then our knowledge is imperfect..., perfect. It is not imperfect. (Scraping noise in background) (aside to devotee:) It does not shoot very...? All right.

So therefore Bhagavān uvāca. We have to hear from Bhagavān, not from rascals. Then your knowledge is perfect. If you hear from rascals, then you become rascal. Don't hear from any rascal. Hear from Bhagavān and take it and accept it. Then, gradually, your existence will be purified. Just like if somebody comes... Recently it so happened. There is a big Māyāvādī sannyāsī in India. His name is Akshananda Swami. Perhaps you know. Did you know? No. Anyone? Anyway, he is a Māyāvādī sannyāsī.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: When Kṛṣṇa steals or does anything, we glorify it because He is absolute. So the Māyāvādīs, they say that the living entities are also absolute. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: No. That is a wrong theory. If Māyāvādī is absolute..., jīva is absolute, then why they have become conditioned? Why? What is the answer?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are dependent on some higher absolute.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is it possible for one person to be part demon and part devotee in the same person?

Prabhupāda: If he's a devotee, he's not demon at all, if he's devotee.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976:

So we are put into this cycle of birth and death. If we don't correct it... Correct means we shall be less attached to the material enjoyment. So long we are attached to material enjoyment, we have to transmigrate from one type of body to another. So daivī-sampada means those who are devatās, their first business is how to rectify this diseased condition of life, repetition of birth and death. Everything is there. Sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna. This requires jñāna, knowledge. Unless I know what is my position, why I am dying, what is death... This requires jñāna. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). That means you have to become a brāhmaṇa. Then you will have complete knowledge. Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna, yoga, jñāna-yoga. Vyavasthitiḥ, dānam. Those who are kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, they should give in charity. That is also one of the sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. Damaś ca. To control over the mind and the senses. Yajñaś ca: perform the yajña, hari-saṅkīrtana in this age. Yajñaś ca svādhyāyaḥ. Must read Vedic literature. Tapa ārjavam. Tapasya, austerity, ārjavam, very frank and no duplicity, ārjavam. Dānam ahiṁsā, not unnecessarily, not to become envious. (end)

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

So these are all demoniac activities. The divine activities, they are different. So Kṛṣṇa is describing here that etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. They manufacture so many demonic ideas, but real idea they forget. Real idea is "God is great; I am small. Therefore I am eternal servant of God," Simple thing. "God is great." Everyone says, "God is great," but he is trying to be as great as God. How it is possible? If you are so powerful—you can become as great as God—then why you are trying to become God if you are actually as great as God? That answer they cannot give. Why you have fallen into this material world as a very, very small, insignificant? God is not insignificant. That is demonic idea. Therefore it is called etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Their vision is not very correct. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭa ātmānaḥ. Naṣṭa means lost, lost. Just like if you are lost of your intelligence, you can talk all nonsense. Naṣṭātmānaḥ. "There is no God" means naṣṭātmānaḥ. He's not very intelligent. He has lost his intelligence. Ātmānaḥ. Naṣṭātmānaḥ. Why naṣṭātmānaḥ? Alpa-buddhayaḥ: the intelligence is not very sharp, alpa, poor fund of knowledge. Poor fund of knowledge. On account of poor fund of knowledge they think like that: "There is no God. I am God," and so on, so on, "There is no basic principle of this creation." They do not know.

Lecture on BG 16.13-15 -- Hawaii, February 8, 1975:

There is no question of "how much love I have increased for Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakta, bhakti. But where there is no bhakti, they are thinking of this material increase. Asau mayā hataḥ, thinking others are enemy... Actually, in the higher status of life, a devotee does not think anyone as enemy. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Samaḥ. He knows that "Nobody can become my enemy unless Kṛṣṇa desires. So why shall I think of him as my enemy? Kṛṣṇa has desired him to act as my enemy just to correct me, just to make me more advanced in spiritual life. So why shall I take any action upon him as enemy?" Of course, this stage is meant for very highly elevated devotee. That is not meant for ordinary devotee. But the fact is this: "How one can become my enemy? If I am Kṛṣṇa's servant, how one can become my enemy? If one is acting as my enemy, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire. I have got some defect, and he is correcting me." Therefore it is called samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is the topmost devotee's conception.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is lord of universe. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). "I am the master of all universes."

Revatī-nandana: But His pastimes in His original form... He asked if Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are displayed on planets all over the universe. So far the original form of Kṛṣṇa, that is only on one planet in one day of Brahmā. Is that correct? In one universe? I think I read somewhere that the Lord appears in His original form only once during the day of Brahmā in each universe, and that was on this planet just five thousand years ago.

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana.

Revatī-nandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Therefore it is so purified. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. As Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, similarly, that Vṛndāvana is also. It is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. You have been in Vṛndāvana?

Revatī-nandana: No. Calcutta, Bombay. Vṛndāvana always remains like that, even there is, on the surface people are doing nonsense there? Just like...

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana cannot be polluted. Just like within the heart of a hog there is Kṛṣṇa. It does not mean Kṛṣṇa's staying in polluted place. The sunshine may be in the filthy place, but sun is not polluted. But the filthy place is purified.

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

Therefore sumanda-matayaḥ. Their philosophy, their opinion, they are all condemned. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Mostly unfortunate. Mostly. They cannot get even the primary necessities of life, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Even in your country, the British Empire, the Empress Queen, oh, so many people are lying on the street. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Unfortunate. They can get all the facilities of life, but because unfortunate, they are lying on the street. In America, such a big nation, with everything complete, no scarcity, so many hippies. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Unfortunate. If one is unfortunate, you cannot make him correct. Condemned. You cannot check one's unfortunateness. If one's unfortunate position can be changed, that is only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other way. You cannot make any philanthropic work and change the fortune of any person. No. That is not possible. Tāvad tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām. These are very nicely discussed. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ nṛsiṁha, pitarau nṛsiṁha. It is not that because a child has got his father and mother, he is happy, he should be happy. No. In spite of rich father and mother, he must be unhappy. Just like these hippies. In spite of they have parents, they have grandparents, they are all very rich, but they are lying on the street. I have seen. Torn clothes, this, why? Means condemned. Condemned by God. Tvad-upekṣitānām.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

At that time this Vṛndāvana, which you have seen, now it is nice city, but during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu it was a big field only, that's all, nothing was there. Everything, all Kṛṣṇa's līlā were vanished. Not vanished, it was not visible. Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw one small hole, little water, and He indicated, "This is Rādhā-kuṇḍa." Then Rādhā-kuṇḍa was discovered. So these Gosvāmīs were working very hard. And special business was there, nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau. They were very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the Vedic literatures. Nana-śāstra, śāstra, not ordinary knowledge. They were also reading(?). Nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has quoted so many verses, so many incidences from different śāstras, how the biography is stated there in compiling Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we've translated, Nectar of Devotion. So this Nectar of Devotion, because formerly whatever is given under Vedic evidence it will be accepted always correct. Therefore nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika. They used to collect all the Vedic references and put into Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu to establish that bhagavad-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, is the ultimate goal of life. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Sad-dharma. Not asad-dharma. Asad-dharma means referring to the body, karma-kāṇḍīya. Karmīs they are engaged in asad-dharma not sad-dharma. Because the body is asat. antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Ime deha. This body is antavat, it is to be perishable, therefore asat. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction is that. Don't be addicted to this asat, this bodily comforts of life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Ridiculous way? What is that "ridiculous"?

Indian man (2): If I have read...

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all correct yourself. What is that "ridiculous way"?

Indian man (2): If after receiving good education you act contrary to that education.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Indian man (2): At least, is ridiculous.

Brahmānanda: If you receive a good education and then you act contrary to that education.

Prabhupāda: If one has received good education, he cannot act contradictory.

Indian man (2): That is... I agree with you. But this is what, if I have understood...

Prabhupāda: So a person who has got real education, he cannot be ridiculous. No, why you are saying that?

Indian man (2): It can be explained by ridiculous.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Don't say anything which is contradictory. Education does not mean ridiculous. That means he is not educated.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

The anartha... In the name of civilization, we have increased so many unwanted things, unnecessarily. This is called anartha. Artha means which is substance. So just like we can give so many examples. When there was no so-called advancement of civilization, people used to eat on utensils made of silver, gold, at least metal. Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things. At least, in, two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry. I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy. They did not have to go two hundred miles or five hundred miles away from home and for earning livelihood. In Europe and America, I see people are going for earning their livelihood by aeroplane, daily passengers. I've seen. From Vancouver, they were coming to Montreal and other places. Five hundred miles. At least fifty miles, one must go. In New York, many people are coming from distant place, Long Islands, crossing the sea, and then again bus, again... Anartha, simply unnecessary.

Lecture on SB 1.3.8 -- Los Angeles, September 14, 1972:

Therefore whenever we speak something, we quote from the Vedas, from Vedic literature, to support it. Otherwise it is useless. When you speak something and corroborate it by the quotation from the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Upaniṣads—there are so many Vedic literatures—then it is correct. That is the Vedic system. Not that I create knowledge by my research. What is the value of your research? Because you are imperfect, your senses are imperfect, you cannot even see properly. Even you cannot see your eyelids, so what is the value of your seeing? You cannot see something from a distant place, the nearest place. There must be some adjustment, there must be light under so many conditions you can see. Then what is the value of your eyes?

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

So this refers to King Pṛthu, Mahārāja Pṛthu. So his father's name was King Veṇa. And his father's name was... I don't remember. Perhaps Aṅga, like that. So the Veṇa's father married one woman. She was the daughter of Death, means the family was not very good. So as a result of this marriage, a son was born, whose name was Veṇa, who came out to be first-class rogue. So the father of Veṇa wanted to reform him in so many ways, but he could not. The son was not to be corrected. So the father became disgusted, and one day he left home without any knowledge of the family members or the officers and king. He left.

Then the great sages and brāhmaṇas, because without king there was irregularities in the kingdom... Just like we have got experience. If there is no good government, strong government, the rogues, thieves, smugglers and so many other disrupting elements, they will grow. Because they are always existing. They find out the opportunity. As soon as there is some revolution, political upsurge, or mismanagement of the government, these undesirable elements, they come out. So when the father of Veṇa Mahārāja left home, the kingdom became unruly. Therefore the sages and saintly persons, they asked the queen that "Your son, although he is worthless, so let him become king. There must be some king."

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

This is the first beginning. It is not a play thing, that you do all nonsense and you become a yogi. No. These things are very clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to regulate your life. You have to stop sex life. You have to eat certain procedure. You have to sit under certain procedure. In this way, you have to follow so many regulative principles. That is called yama. And niyama. Niyama means regulative principles. Yama means controlling the senses. Yama, niyama. Then āsana. Then sitting posture. Generally, in these yoga societies in your country, they give some lesson on the sitting posture, and people become captivated that he is practicing yoga. No. First one has to follow regulative principles and control the senses, then practice the sitting postures. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma. And when your sitting posture is correct, then you can exercise breathing. Exercise. Breathing exercise means the nostril which is stopped breathing. You have to press that side and try to breathe from the other side. In this way, breathing exercise. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma. This is called prāṇāyāma.

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So we are discussing Nārada Muni's instruction to Vyāsadeva to make him correct. Vyāsadeva, such a scholar, Vedavyāsa... He is known as the topmost scholar in Vedic knowledge. Not only that, he has compiled so many books, literary achievement. There is no comparison in the world. But still, he is not satisfied, and Nārada Muni is instructing him that "You should write exclusively on the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, hearing which, there will be actual peace and prosperity all over the world." This is the secret. Without God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be any peace in the world.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore we say they are fools. Why do we say mūḍhāḥ? Because they do not know. And our business is easy. We take Vedic version, Kṛṣṇa's version, Brahmā's version, Vyāsadeva's version, and accept. That's all. Which one is easiest? Our business is very simple. You ask your father... A child asks his father, "Father, what is this?" The father says, "This is microphone, my dear child." And he will, "Mother, this is microphone." So when he says this "Mother, this is microphone," is he correct or not?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, he is.

Prabhupāda: He's correct. He may be child. But because he has accepted the words of his father, the statement is correct. So our process is that. Take the version of the authority, Kṛṣṇa, and you repeat it. Your version is perfect. This is our policy. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "You rascal scholar, philosopher, scientist, don't manufacture anything. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That's all. You become master." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You become master. You can teach others. A spiritual master. That's all. And if, whatever little success I have got—only for this reason. I have never said anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa. I never said, "In my opinion." I never said. You are so many students. I never said that to you. What is my opinion? One should know, "What is the value of my opinion? I am imperfect being." This is called tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. If one thinks, "Oh, I am big scholar. I am this. I am that," you are rascal. You have to simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. But for your understanding you can make research work.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1976:

So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for persons who want to finish this life of anartha, meaningless life. For them is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vyāsadeva has given us. We should study very carefully, and we have tried to give each and every word's meaning and the translation and the purport consulting all the big, big ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who is following the footsteps of the ācārya, he knows. He knows everything. So that is explained everywhere. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), by the ācāryas. We don't create any meaning. Ācāryavān. One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and take knowledge from him. Vidvān. Vidvān means who is following vidvān. I have given this example many times, that I may be a fool, but if I have learned from a person that this is called microphone... So a child, if he says, "This is microphone," that is correct. Because the child is fool, when he says "This is microphone," that is not foolish, because he has heard it from the authorities, from his father or from his teacher, that "This is called microphone." And if he says correctly that "This is microphone," that statement is correct, although he may be a child, a fool. Similarly, ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Anyone who is following ācārya, whatever he says it is correct. Because he does not manufacture. He says what he has heard from the ācāryas exactly like the child, what he has heard from his father, from the superior, he speaks.

Lecture on SB 1.7.44 -- Vrndavana, October 4, 1976:

We should be educated, we should be very careful, but real thing is bhakti. Anyābhi... Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Api cet su-durācāraḥ. Many places it is said. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api (SB 1.5.11). Even a bhakta writes something which is not very grammatically, rhetorically correct... Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ, nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat. But because he has tried to broadcast the glories of the Lord, even not in perfect language, that is his qualification.

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo

yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api

nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat

śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

(SB 1.5.11)

The sādhus, they are not interested about rhetorical or grammatical adjustment. The sādhu wants to see who has spoken. If he's a Vaiṣṇava, then his word will be accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly prohibits that is one is not a Vaiṣṇava, don't hear from him. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. "But he's such a learned man," or "He's writes so nicely, correctly." But because he's not Vaiṣṇava, one should not hear from him.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Now, you editor, I think it has to be correct. Tvā means "You." It is not "although." Read.

Nitāi: (reads translation responsively with devotees) "Śrīmatī Kuntī said: O Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of material nature. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all."

Prabhupāda:

namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam

īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param

alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām

antar bahir avasthitam

(SB 1.8.18)

So Kuntī is the aunt, pisimā, aunt of Kṛṣṇa. Vasudeva's sister, Kuntī. So when Kṛṣṇa was going back to Dvārakā, after finishing the Battle of Kurukṣetra and establishing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira on the throne, His mission... His mission was that Duryodhana should be thrown out, and Yudhiṣṭhira must sit down on the throne. Dharma, Dharmarāja.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So although this material world is condemned... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), Kṛṣṇa says. It is also Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Because everything belongs to God, Kṛṣṇa. So this condemned place is created for suffering of the condemned persons. Who are condemned? Those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and wants to become happy independently, they are all condemned demons. And those who are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are not condemned. That is the difference. So although Kṛṣṇa has created this material world for the condemned persons, still, He wants to see that they are having their necessities of life and..., so that they may live prosperously. And let them enjoy for some time this material world according to their inclination. But at last, let them come back home, back to home, back to Godhead. Just like the prisoners: they are condemned, and the government puts them into jail. So for their criminality they are punished within the jail. But the government does not want that these prisoners may remain perpetually within the jail. The same thing. Try to understand. Government does not want. Government wants that "They have been condemned. So for their criminality, let them suffer for some time. And then they correct themselves and again they are freed."

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

Yes. So I was given place just in front of the room where Gandhi was imprisoned. That, that room is considered as sacred. So government makes such arrangement that "These prisoners may be corrected." Similarly, in this material world, although we are all condemned... Anyone who is within this material world, he is condemned. Simply there is division. Just like in jail also, there are first-class prisoners, there are second-class prisoners and third-class prisoners. The first-class prisoners, they are given some facilities. Just like political prisoners, they are given separate bungalow and servants, newspaper, book. But they cannot go out of the prison. That is called first class. Similarly, there are second class. And third class, ordinary.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

So these things are discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if we remain mūḍha-dṛśā, in spite of opening our eyes in so many ways by Kṛṣṇa, by guru, by śāstra, if still, if we remain mūḍha-dṛśā, then how we can see Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. Therefore it is said, na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā: (SB 1.8.19) "If we keep our eyes still mūḍha, illusioned, then we cannot see You." How? Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā. Exactly... Kṛṣṇa... Just like one of my relatives, he is playing before me, but because I am mūḍha-dṛśā, my eyesight or my intelligence is not correct, I am seeing that somebody else... I see that my relative, my brother or father or friend, is dancing on the stage, but he is dressed in such a way that in spite of being present in my front, I cannot recognize. So if we remain mūḍha-dṛśā, then we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it said, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Although He's living in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He's everywhere. Then how can I see? Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Those who have developed love for Kṛṣṇa, they can see always, twenty-four hours, Kṛṣṇa and nothing but Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Pradyumna: "O Gadādhara, Kṛṣṇa, our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so."

Prabhupāda: Those who have got books, there should be one correction. It is written "how." It should be "now," n-o-w, not "how."

neyaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra

yathedānīṁ gadādhara

tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti

sva-lakṣaṇa-vilakṣitaiḥ

(SB 1.8.39)

So Kuntī... Kṛṣṇa was in Hastināpura, the capital of the Kurus. So wherever He was walking, that impression of His lotus feet was there, and on account of this, everywhere-full of opulence. Full of opulence. So Kṛṣṇa was leaving Hastināpura. Therefore Kuntīdevī was regretting that "If You go away, then it will be not so beautiful as it is now on account of Your presence."

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

So what was his reply? His reply was "Yes, this is correct. The quotation you have given from the śāstra, it is quite correct. But it is meant for a person who has become devotee. But I am not a devotee. So it is not applicable to me. I am the lower caste." That was his reply. That is his humbleness.

So Vaiṣṇava... Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he says that,

jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha

(CC Adi 5.205)

Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, such an exalted person, practically the most exalted personality in Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava... His Caitanya-caritāmṛta, there is no comparison. It is postgraduate study. So the author of the book, he's presenting himself, that "My position is lower than the worm in the stool." Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha. And jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha. Jagāi-Mādhāi was the example of pāpī, sinful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, pāpī-tāpī jata chilo hari-nāme uddhārilo, brajendra-nandana jei śacī-suta hailo sei balarāma hailo nitāi. "Two brothers who were formerly the sons of..., Vrajendra-nandana, the Mahārāja Nanda, his son, Kṛṣṇa, and Balarāma, so Balarāma has become Nitāi, and Kṛṣṇa has become Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu."

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. You try to execute it to your best capacity, that's all. Even there is some mistake... Don't commit mistake intentionally. But due to my habit, past habit, I may commit some mistake. That is excused. If we fix up our mind in serving Kṛṣṇa severely and seriously, then even there is some mistake... Rūpa Gosvāmī also says that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe... First of all fix up your mind to Kṛṣṇa. And the other rules and regulation... Of course, they are to be followed, but in the beginning we shall try our best how to fix up our mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Other things will automatically come corrected.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, dharma-bhṛtāṁ variṣṭhaḥ, he was so strictly followers of religious principles that when even Kṛṣṇa advised him that "You go and say some lies to Droṇācārya. Because Droṇācārya will not believe anyone, you say and go there that 'Your son Aśvatthāmā is dead.' " And Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja hesitated, that "How can I say this lie?" Of course, this is too much following religious principles. This is also another instruction. When Kṛṣṇa said that "You go and speak the lies," he should have done immediately. That is dharma. Because dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture dharma. Just like nowadays so many dharmas have been manufactured. They are not dharma. Dharma means the order which is given by the Lord. That is dharma. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have manufactured so many dharmas: Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, Parsee dharma, Buddha dharma, this dharma, that dharma. They are not dharma. They are mental concoction, mental concoction. Otherwise, there will be contradiction. Take for example, the Hindus think cow-killing is adharma, and the Muslims think that cow-killing is their dharma. So which is correct? Whether cow killing is adharma or dharma?

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

Every word used in śāstra has got so deep meaning. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya... He could address Him, "Kṛṣṇa." No, "Acyuta. You are correct to Your promise always." And again, another place, Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna that "You declare to the world that My devotees will never be vanquished." Why Kṛṣṇa asking Arjuna to declare? He could declare. He could declare, but the meaning is that sometimes, for the sake of His devotee, He breaks His promise. For the sake of His devotee. Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma promised, "Kṛṣṇa, tomorrow either Your friend Arjuna will die, I am determined now, or You have to break Your promise." Because Kṛṣṇa said, "I will not fight." But when Arjuna was practically devastated by the arrows of Bhīṣma, he fell down, his chariot broke, everything shattered. Now Kṛṣṇa saw, "Now Arjuna is going to die." So immediately Kṛṣṇa took the wheel of the chariot and went to the front of Bhīṣma: "Now you stop; otherwise I will kill you." So this is fighting. So Bhīṣma saw, "Now Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise. I stop." So to keep the promise of Bhīṣma, that Bhīṣma promised, "Either Arjuna will die, or Kṛṣṇa, You will have to break Your promise," two things, so Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I am breaking My promise. Don't kill Arjuna." Therefore, for the sake of devotee, He sometimes break His promise.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

So to become a disciple of spiritual master, unless there is awakening of this knowledge, to know "What I am?" there is no need of making a show, accepting a spiritual master. There is no need. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). For whom guru is needed? Guru, spiritual master, is not a farce, that "Let me have a guru, nice guru. Then I become perfect." And if you do not follow the instruction of guru... First of all, you must have a bona fide guru. And if you follow, then your life is perfect. So two things must be correct: the guru must be correct and the disciple must be correct. Then the business will be correct. And either of them, if guru is incorrect or the disciple is incorrect, there will be no action. So therefore Bhāgavata says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Who shall approach? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). According to Vedic instruction, everyone should approach a guru. But who is that everyone? One who is jijñāsu. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One who is inquisitive to understand "What I am? Am I this body or something else?" That is beginning of spiritual instruction.

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

So they should take advantage of this knowledge. But if they remain in the darkness of ignorance, then what is the meaning of their advancement? It has no meaning. So that is going on. They too do not accept knowledge from the authority. They manufacture. How you can manufacture? You are a fool, so whatever you manufacture, so-called knowledge, that is also foolish. How can we depend on your foolish knowledge? Abodha-jāta. Everyone is fool. He cannot manufacture. He has to learn to take knowledge from a person who knows. The he's perfect. That is our system. We are taking knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. We are taking knowledge is perfect. We are taking authority. As we are, we are defective. Our position is sometimes we do mistake—"two plus two equals five." But it is not fact. So two plus two must be four. But if we make "five" or "three," that means the whole background becomes wrong. That is... we are liable to do that mistake. And illusion. Illusion means two plus two equal to four; I have written "five," but I am seeing it is all right. I'm seeing it is all right: "two." Therefore one should not correct himself. Another person should take the editorial correction work, because the man who has written he sees that it is right. This is called illusion.

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

So knowledge means without any mistake. Anything without any mistake, that is perpetually right. And anything based on mistaken idea, that will change. You have to correct the mistake. The so-called modern scientists, they are simply correcting their mistake. Therefore they have no real knowledge. Nobody can have real knowledge, because we are imperfect. Our senses are imperfect. That is our defect in the conditioned life. We have got four defects: we commit mistake, we become illusioned, our senses are imperfect, and we cheat. Because our knowledge is imperfect, still, we take the position of teacher; therefore we are cheater—not teacher, but cheater. So the teacher society nowadays is the cheater society. And this modern world is a society of the cheater and the cheated. That's all. Somebody is cheating and somebody is being cheated. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Utpādayat, "married"? This is wrong.

Pradyumna: Should be "produced."

Prabhupāda: "Begotten." It should be "begotten." Who has corrected?

Pradyumna: Translation: "King Parīkṣit married the daughter of King Uttara and begot four sons, headed by Mahārāja Janamejaya." (SB 1.16.2)

Prabhupāda: Sa uttarasya tanayām. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, his mother's name was Uttarā, Uttarā. Means King Virāṭa, he had two issues, one son, one daughter. The son's name was Uttara and the daughter's name was Uttarā. This Uttarā was taught dancing by Arjuna. When Arjuna was staying at Mahārāja Virāṭa's house as an ordinary dancing master, they did not know that he is Arjuna. Because the promise was for one year, they should remain incognito. If they are detected, then again for twelve years they will be banished.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Los Angeles, July 9, 1974:

Nobody can be God. God is one. And religion is also one. If God is one, then how religion can be different? Just like state laws. If the state is one, the law is also, everyone. Now the ordinary law, just like "Keep to the right," if somebody says, "No, this is Christian law. Hindu law, 'Keep to the left,' " will it be accepted? If I say, "I am Hindu, I am coming from India. My law is 'Keep to the left.' " In India, the same thing, "Keep to the left." And many other countries also. So here, because all these laws are made by rascals, in some country you keep to the left, some country you keep to the right. And which is correct, that is unknown. That is unknown. Therefore for the foolish person, "This is Hindu religion,' " "This is Christian religion," and "This is Muhammadan religion." Religion is one. How it can be Hindu religion, Christian religion? No. Religion is one. God is one. Therefore religion is one. Because religion means the law or the order given by God. That is religion. Simple definition.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

Bali-mardana: I believe I've heard you said in other lectures that a person who takes prasādam, even a plant or a..., any kind of living entity who takes prasādam or hears the name, that it will come back at least to human form of life. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: No, if he's devotee, then he'll come. But this taking of prasādam, or hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasādam not as ordinary prasādam, foodstuff, he believes that "This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God," if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed. If he takes the prasādam as ordinary food, "All right, these people are distributing, prasā... Let me take it. It is very tasteful," that will give him chance to accept prasādam next, next, next... In this way, one day he'll come to the point that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff." Then he'll... There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Kṛṣṇa's remnant of..." Therefore, he understands Kṛṣṇa. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice.

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

Bali-mardana: So all these warriors on the battlefield, they were all Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bali-mardana: So all these warriors on the battlefield, they were all Kṛṣṇa conscious? Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least for the time being, they knew that Kṛṣṇa has come. Suppose a prominent man comes in a big meeting. Is not everyone conscious of that person?

Bali-mardana: Jaya.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, you state that spirit soul has form.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): Otherwise, how is the material body grown to accommodate the spirit soul? Just like a shirt has no form, but when it's put on the body, it takes the shapes of the body. Does that mean that the spirit soul has the shape of the body that is accommodating it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have got body, shape, very minute shape. That we cannot see, we cannot measure. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anumeyam, or... What is that? You cannot measure. What is that word used? Aprameyam. Aprameyam. You cannot measure. But it has a form. How, what is the length and breadth of that form, that is not in your power. In your power, but not materially. That is... If you have got spiritual power, then you can measure it. And that measurement is also given in the śāstra. What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Hair is a very small point. And divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is the measure, magnitude of the soul.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- New York, April 10, 1969:

Devotees: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Prabhupāda: Yes? (Prabhupāda leads devotees in chanting SB 2.1.1-5)

Prabhupāda: Again from the beginning, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees chant ślokas in unison. Prabhupāda corrects them in third verse) So Gargamuni, you can read where you left yesterday.

Gargamuni: Page one. "Similarly, in the Second Canto, the post-creation cosmic manifestation is described. The different planetary systems are described in the Second Canto as different parts of the universal body of the Lord. For this reason, the Second Canto can be called "The Cosmic Manifestation." There are ten chapters in the Second Canto, and in these ten chapters the purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the different symptoms of this purpose are narrated. In the first chapter the glories of chanting are described and the process of meditation on the universal form of the Lord by the neophyte devotees is hinted. In the first verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī replies to the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who asked him about one's duty at the point of his death. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was glad to receive Śukadeva Gosvāmī and he was proud of being a descendant of Arjuna, the intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa. Personally, he was very humble and meek, but he expressed his gladness that Lord Kṛṣṇa was very kind to the sons of Pāṇḍu, or his grandfathers, especially his own grandfather Arjuna. And because Lord Kṛṣṇa is always pleased with His family, therefore at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization."

Prabhupāda: This is confirming the statement of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required, Guru and Kṛṣṇa, to advance in the spiritual realization or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here it is, Kṛṣṇa is pleased in the family of the Pāṇḍavas. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going to die. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was grandson of Arjuna, and he was also a devotee. So therefore by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, a bona fide spiritual master is sent to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Guru-Kṛṣṇa. When one is sincere, then Kṛṣṇa is sitting within everyone. As soon as He sees that "Here is a sincere soul. He's seeking after Me," so He manifests Himself out externally as spiritual master. The spiritual master is therefore representative of Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things. Without being representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can become spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

Kīrtanānanda: Chant?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Kīrtanānanda Swami chants, Śrīla Prabhupāda corrects him) Mriyamāṇānām. Karandhara. (he chants) You... Anyone? More? (chanting resumes) Very good. Anyone else? Hṛdayānanda? (he chants verse) So, translation? Read translation? Translation? Oh, no, word meaning, yes.

Pradyumna: (reads synonyms, then:) Translation: "Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as you have inquired from me as to the duty of the intelligent man who is on the threshold of death, so I answered you."

Prabhupāda: Now, this is the important part of the verse, that "man who is on the threshold of death." Who can say that "I am not on the threshold of death?" Is there any man in this universe who can say that "I am not on the threshold of death." Can anyone say? Everyone is on the threshold of death. That's a fact. But such questions are made amongst them... Everyone is subject to death, and threshold, on the threshold of death. Nobody can say that "I shall live for so many years." No guarantee. Everyone is on the threshold of death. Any moment, we can die. Therefore it is said,"As sure as death." All other things may be not sure, but death is sure. Therefore, before death, one... Manīṣiṇām, manuṣyeṣu manīṣiṇām. Not ordinary man. Manīṣī. Manīṣī means thoughtful. They question, "What is to be done now, before death comes? Shall I die like cats and dogs, or shall I die like human being?" This is the question. Cats and dogs dying, nobody cares. But a human being dying, there are so many ceremonies, mourning.

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

Prabhupāda: What is the time now?

Devotees: Seven minutes after seven.

Prabhupāda: So make it correct. Come on. (to all the devotees, loud) Who has made the caraṇāmṛta? Eh? Who has made caraṇāmṛta?

Devotee: She is not here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Who is he? Who is she? I want to know.

Devotee: Tell her to come out of the kitchen ... (devotees chant japa.)

Prabhupāda: Why you have no responsibility? You have added salt instead of sugar. Why?

Girl devotee: I didn't read the-

Prabhupāda: No. You shouldn't make anymore. One responsible should make it. Somebody, give him charge. This is great mistake. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is Pradyumna? Chant.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Prabhupāda: So, next?

Pradyumna: (leads chanting)

jñānaṁ yad āpratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram

ātma-prasāda uta yatra guṇeṣv asaṅgaḥ

kaivalya-sammata-pathas tv atha bhakti-yogaḥ

ko nirvṛto hari-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt

(SB 2.3.12)

Prabhupāda: (interrupting, correcting Pradyumna's pronunciation) In the text, it is yadā. So why it is divided in that way "yad ā"? The text is yadā. Yadā means "when." Jñānaṁ yadā pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram. Read it.

Pradyumna: (continues chanting, then devotees chant verse)

Prabhupāda:

jñānaṁ yadā pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram

ātma-prasāda uta yatra guṇeṣv asaṅgaḥ

kaivalya-sammata-pathas tv atha bhakti-yogaḥ

ko nirvṛto hari-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt

(SB 2.3.12)

Word meaning? (synonyms read) Jñānaṁ yadā pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram. Knowledge, progressive knowledge, so, when it comes to the real standard, yadā, jñānaṁ yadā, when the knowledge or speculative empiric knowledge, pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram, no more affected by the waves of these modes of nature ... Our present conditioned stage is due to our being carried away by the waves of material nature. We are being carried away. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has translated in his song, keno māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. "Why you are being carried away by the waves of māyā, and sometimes drowned and sometimes on the surface? Why you are taking so much trouble?" Jīv kṛṣṇa-dās, e biśwās, korle to' ār duḥkho nāi. As soon as you take it... It is a fact, but you are misled. It is a fact that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but artificially you are thinking that you are master. You are master, you are God, you are enjoyer, you are this, you are that.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

Prabhupāda: (interrupts the chanting of the verse to correct) It should be pronounced like "it yabhi vyāhṛtaṁ rājā." It yabhi vyāhṛtaṁ rājā. It yabhi vyāhṛtaṁ rājā niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ. Like that. Go on. (chanting continues) That's all. Now, word meaning. (synonyms are read)

Pradyumna: Translation: "Śaunaka said: The son of Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was a highly learned sage and was able to describe things in a poetic manner. What did Mahārāja Parīkṣit again inquire from him after hearing all that he said?"

Prabhupāda: So Vaiṣṇava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is learned and poet. So these are the qualifications of Vaiṣṇava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and one of the qualifications is kavi, poet. Every Vaiṣṇava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaiṣṇavas... In the later ages, within 200 years... During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, there were Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṇava, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, Kavi-karṇapūra. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyāpati, Caṇḍīdāsa. No, Caṇḍīdāsa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. So a Vaiṣṇava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of māyā will come out. Good qualities are already there.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:

Therefore Vedas are called śruti. Śruti means this is not experimental knowledge. This knowledge is acquired by hearing, that's all. If you have got nice receptive power through the ear, then your life can be successful. You don't require to use any other sense. This one sense will make you correct. Therefore those who are not taking advantage of this facility of hearing... He may be a very big man in the estimation of persons who are like dogs, asses, camels, and such nice animals. You can say, "Oh, here is a big man, and... Mr. such and such, such a great politician, great scientist, great... So we must praise." But the Bhāgavata says, "Whether he has given any aural reception about Kṛṣṇa, that is the test." No. He has no knowledge about Kṛṣṇa. Then he must be praised by persons who are like camel, asses, dogs, hogs. That means, "No human being will praise him." If he is voted or praised, the vote must be coming from the asses, dogs, hogs, like that. That is going on. Asses, hogs, dogs, camels, they are giving vote.

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

So here the question is... This question is almost inquired by intelligent persons, that "We have come to this material world and suffering, but the living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God. How he has come to this material world?" That is very intelligent question. Therefore it is said here, yadṛcchayā: "It is automatically, by nature's law," or hetunā, "or there is some cause? Whether there is any cause about the living entities coming down in this material world? Which one is correct?" So without any cause, there cannot be anything. That is logic. And the rascal philosopher's statement, "It happened automatically. There was a chunk, and the creation came...," this is rascal's philosophy. Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). The rascals, they do not accept that there is a cause of this creation. That they do not understand. They do not know, and they theorize. You'll find mostly in the Western countries all these philosophers... The Darwin's theory... He cannot give any reasonable cause. Some theory: "It may be, perhaps, for millions of years there was no..." Speculate. And he admits that "Whatever I am presenting, it is all my speculation." We have seen his letter, some, from 150 years ago. He wrote a letter to a friend. He admitted that "Whatever I am presenting, that is speculation." But science is not speculation. Science cannot be speculation. That is not science. "Two plus two equal to four"—this is science. And if you speculate—"Two plus two equal to five" or "Two plus two equal to three"—that is not science.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ. Svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā. Next. Next. You read. Go on. One after another. (continues devotee reciting, Prabhupāda correcting) You read the transliteration. The thing is hearing the meter and repeat. That's all. The writing is already there, transliteration. Simply you have to hear the written. Just like you have chanted so many verses, songs, by hearing. The hearing is very important. A child learns another language simply by hearing, pronunciation, hearing. That is natural. If we hear one thing repeatedly, you will learn. You will learn. So one has to hear little attentively. Then it will be easy. There is no difficulty. Just like you are singing our song in tune, (sings) saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This is by hearing. So simply you have to hear. Therefore whole Vedic śāstra is called śruti. It is a process of hearing. (coughing) This is a disease of old age. These are the warnings that the body is getting rotten. Go on. (recitation continues) Next. Each one of you. Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā. What is the añjasā spelling?

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

So the bhakti gives you chance to see Kṛṣṇa, as you can see now. On this seeing or any other kind of seeing, they are the same thing. There is no difference. When Arjuna was seeing Kṛṣṇa face to face—Kṛṣṇa was teaching Bhagavad-gītā—that seeing of Kṛṣṇa and when you read Bhagavad-gītā, it is the same thing. There is no difference. Somebody, they say that "Arjuna was fortunate enough to see Kṛṣṇa face to face and take instruction." That is not correct. Kṛṣṇa, He can be seen immediately, provided you have got eyes to see. Therefore it is said, premāñjana-cchurita... Prema and bhakti, the same thing. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). I will recite one story in this connection, that one brāhmaṇa in South India, in Raṅganātha temple, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā. And he was illiterate. He did not know neither Sanskrit nor any letter, illiterate. So the people, neighborhood, they knew that "This man is illiterate, and he is reading Bhagavad-gītā." He is opening the Bhagavad-gītā, "Uh, uh," like that he was. So somebody was joking, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He could understand that "This man is joking because I am illiterate."

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

So these are all rascal philosophy. This is not. Nobody should become so ambitious as to become one with the Supreme. That is not very good intelligence. Good intelligence is that "I am eternal part and parcel of Nārāyaṇa, and it is the duty of the part and parcel to serve the whole." That is correct philosophy. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger to serve the whole body. Whenever I ask any service from the finger, "Come here," it is coming here. "Come here," it is coming here, "Come here." This is the duty. That is the normal condition. If at once with my order the finger cannot come here or come here, then it is diseased—because it cannot give service. So, so long as we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, our duty is to give service. That is the description given by Lord Caitanya. Everywhere in every śāstra, that is the... Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Eternally we are servant.

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

So the modern theory that life is made possible by chemical evolution is not correct. Or the Darwin's Theory, evolution of matter. No. The... They are missing the soul. That is their mistake. They are simply observing the material cover. That is the basic mistake of modern civilization. They have no information that within the body there is the spirit soul. That is the basic principle of material development. Matter is coming out of spirit, not that spirit is coming out of matter. They think by combination of matter there is a stage when living symptoms are visible. That is not the fact. The fact is that spirit soul is there, and therefore matter is developing.

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

People very much appreciate, "Just see, Arjuna is so gentle, he is trying to become nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to become violent." This is the vision of the demons. They do not know, whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, that is rightful. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful. And Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent. That is not rightful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "Why you are talking like anārya?" Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of talking... You are kṣatriya, and you are not willing to fight. What is this? This kind of proposal is made by the anārya, uncivilized. You are a kṣatriya. Your duty is to fight, and you are trying to refrain from the fight? You have become so ignorant? Oh, this is not good." Then, when Arjuna understood that he was not in the right point, declining the fight, kārpaṇya-doṣa upahata-svabhāvaḥ, kārpaṇya-doṣa. "I am not doing my duty. I can understand. All right. But I am perplexed. Therefore I become Your student." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I surrender unto You as śiṣya, as Your disciple. Now correct me." And he was, when he was corrected, the same Arjuna said, "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I will fight."

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

Nitāi: "Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence."

Prabhupāda:

saṁśayo 'tha viparyāso

niścayaḥ smṛtir eva ca

svāpa ity ucyate buddher

lakṣaṇaṁ vṛttitaḥ pṛthak

(SB 3.26.30)

So the modern psychologists, they have divided the function of the mind: thinking, feeling, willing, and then other subdivisions. That is known as the science of psychology. But intelligence... Above mind there is intelligence. I don't think in the modern science there is any analytical study of the intelligence function. But in the Vedic literature there is analysis of the intelligence. They are described here: saṁśaya, doubtfulness. The saṁśaya, saṁśayātmā vinaśyati.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

That is described in the śāstra. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). Kṛṣṇa's body is bluish or blackish; therefore you see the sky bluish because the rays in the spiritual world is effulgence, bluish effulgence, and that is being reflected through the sky. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). His bodily light is being reflected in millions and trillions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti. Jagad-aṇḍa (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa means... Aṇḍa, it is round. Aṇḍa means egg shape. We don't say it is flat. Śāstra never says, "Flat." Then you correct, "No, no, it is not flat. It is round." This is śāstra. Long, long years, in the beginning, it was called round, aṇḍa. Goloka, go, Goloka, Bhurloka. Goloka means round. Goloka Vṛndāvana. Everything is round. So jagad-aṇḍa. Aṇḍa, aṇḍa means egg shape. Jagad-aṇḍa-koti. The each and every universe is egg shape; it is covered. So yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti koṭiṣu (Bs. 5.40). And each and every universe, koṭiṣu... In each, not that in one universe. We see so many universes, one universe, but there are many millions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). And in each and every universe there are so many planets, aśeṣa, you cannot count—unlimited—in one universe, and there are millions of universes. What is your material knowledge? What do you know? You are trying to go to the moon planet. That is also you committing mistake. And what about the millions of universes?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

So it is a different source of knowledge, but one takes one source, another takes another source. Our source of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's disciples. That is our Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This is the source of knowledge, avaroha-panthā, knowledge coming from higher authorities. Just like Ṛṣabhadeva is giving knowledge to His sons. That is natural. Sons take advice from the father. That is the beginning of knowledge. If a little child asks the father, "My dear father, what is this machine?" The father says, "My dear child, this is called microphone." So when the child says, after hearing from the father, that "It is microphone," that is perfect knowledge. The child may be a innocent child. He does not know. He is not a scientist. But when, after hearing from the authority, father, if he says, "It is microphone," that statement is correct. There is no mistake. Similarly, we may be fools and rascals. That's all right. But when we receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, who says, asmin dehe, dehino 'smin, yat kaumāra yauvana, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ... (BG 2.13).

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

God is beyond speculation, that's it. But the spiritual master says what God says. He does not change. That is spiritual master. Just like a child, he asks his father, "Father, what is this?" The father says, "My dear child, it is microphone." So when the child says, "It is microphone," this is correct, although he is child. So spiritual master means he says in toto what he hears from God. That's all. That is spiritual master. He does not make any speculation. That is the qualification of spiritual master. He speaks what he has heard from God. That's all.

Lecture on SB 5.6.2 -- Vrndavana, November 24, 1976:

A sādhu cannot have bad habits because if one is sādhu, if in the beginning he has got some bad habit, that will be rectified. Śaṣvad bhavati dharmātmā. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. If he's actually sādhu, his bad habits will be rectified very soon, very soon, not that he's continuing his bad habits and also a sādhu. That cannot be. That is not sādhu. Maybe due to his past habits, he might have committed some mistake. That can be excused. But if he, in the name of sādhu and become a liberated person, he continues to do all nonsense, he's a cheater. He's not sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro. Cet, yadi, if, by chance, it is possible. But if he sticks to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. In the beginning there may be some mistake, but we must see that "Whether my mistakes are now correct?" That should be vigilance. Never trust the mind. That is the instruction here. Mind should not be trusted. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "After getting up from your sleep, you take your shoes and beat your mind hundred times. This is your first business. And while going to bed, you take a broomstick and beat your mind hundred times. Then you can control your mind. Otherwise it is very difficult."

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

He says, "I am talking to you that purātanaṁ yogam." Not that "Because it has passed millions of years and now it is a different time, so I will have to change." No. He said, "I am talking to you that very old system." Is it not? Just see. The śāstra cannot be changed. God's word cannot be changed. Then what will be the difference between God and ourself? He is always perfect. He is always perfect. What He said forty millions of years ago, what He said five thousand years ago, that is also correct up to date. That is śāstra. Not that "So many years have passed and it has become old. Now let us reform it and put it into new way." No. You can put the same thing in a new way, but you cannot change the principle. Sādhu śāstra guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. Śāstra is never changed. And the sādhu... Sādhu means who follows the śāstras. He is sādhu. He also does not change. Sādhu, śāstra. And guru? Guru means who follows the śāstra and sādhu. So there are three, the same. A guru will not change, that "It was spoken five thousand years ago. That is not applicable now. Now I am giving you something new, jugglery." He is useless. Sādhu śāstra guru-vākya tinete kariyā aikya. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma kārataḥ, na siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23). These things are there.

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

So this is very important question. The world, whole world nowadays... I say sometimes that in the airport it is proved that... (break) ...punishment the practice of committing criminal activities is going on. This is very intelligent question, and Parīkṣit Mahārāja will reply... Śukadeva Gosvāmī will reply. But this is student. Just see how intelligent question is put. The Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that for any sinful action one has to atone. So immediately catches the word, this is intelligent disciple, that "What is the value of this atonement? If he cannot correct himself to commit the sinful activity, then what is the value of atonement?" This is very nice question. We shall discuss tomorrow.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja immediately says, "What is the value of this atonement? If he is not corrected, checked that he should not commit such sin any more, then what is the value of prāyaścitta, katham? 'I have committed some sin. I do some atonement. Again I commit. Again I atone. I again I commit. I confess, and again I do the same thing.' So what is the use of such atonement?" His question is... Another question:

kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt

kvacic carati tat punaḥ

prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ

manye kuñjara-śaucavat

(SB 6.1.10)

For the time being, when he's punished, he thinks, "I shall not commit what mistake I did." But as soon as he's out of the danger, he commits again. So kvacin nivartate abhadrāt. Nivartate means he refrains, abhadrāt, from abominable activities. Kvacic carati tat punaḥ. And again sometimes he commits the same thing. Punaḥ. Therefore habit is second nature. It is very difficult.

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:

So the guru, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, has examined Parīkṣit Mahārāja, and it appears that the king has passed one phase of examination by rejecting the process of atonement. This is intelligence. lmmediately said, "Guru, what is this?" He has rejected. Rejecting the process of atonement because it involves fruitive activities, karma. Karma. I have committed some sinful activity, then other, another karma to punish me. So here it is said by... One karma cannot be nullified by another karma. Karma means activity. They are going on, passing resolution after resolution and laws after laws, but things are in the same position. They are not changing. Therefore it cannot be checked in that way. Karmaṇā karma-nirhāra. Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting the platform of speculative knowledge. When it has failed that a thief repeatedly committing criminal activities, repeatedly he is being punished but he is not corrected, then what is the remedy? That is vimarśanam, speculative knowledge. Progressing from karma-kāṇḍa to jñāna-kāṇḍa, he is proposing prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam: real atonement is full knowledge. One should be given knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:

Just like if you go to the physician and the physician is giving medicine and he's taking the medicine and cured, again he is affected with the disease, again going, so why it is happening? It is happening because he does not follow the rules and regulation given by the physician. Therefore it is happening. The physician... As soon as you go to a physician, you have to accept something "do not" and something "do." That is called regulative principle. Without regulative principle you cannot correct yourself. So that regulative principle cannot stay if you are not a devotee. This is the gradual process. Simply if I say, "Follow the rules and regulation," it will not stay unless you become a devotee. That is the test of devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because it is so powerful, devotional service, that as soon as you become a devotee, gradually, immediately, all the good qualities of your original position...

Good qualities means we are part and parcel of God, so God is good, so we are also good. Otherwise how can I be part and parcel of God? If God is gold, then I am gold. So why I become iron? I am not iron, but I am covered with dirty things. I look like iron. This is the position. Actually I am not iron; I am gold, because I am part and parcel of God. If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Revatīnandana: I have a question. One of my prabhus told me that you once said that your Guru Mahārāja said that Jesus Christ was a śaktyāveśāvatāra. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he said it, it must be correct. Muhammad also, śaktyāveśāvatāra. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means a living entity is especially empowered to preach the glories of the Lord. Lord Buddha is also śaktyāveśāvatāra. They are not ordinary human being. They are especially empowered personalities.

Devotee (1): Lord Buddha is not an incarnation?

Prabhupāda: Incarnation. Avatāra means incarnation.

Devotee (1): So that means incarnation also?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means incarnation with special power.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Philadelphia, July 13, 1975:

Nitāi: "At the time of death, Ajāmila saw three awkward persons, very fearsome in appearance, with ropes in their hands. They had twisted faces and deformed bodily features, and their hair stood on end. They had come to take Ajāmila away to the shelter of Yamarāja. Ajāmila became extremely bewildered when he saw them. His small child, Nārāyaṇa, was playing a little distance off, and with tearful eyes and great anxiety, he called the name of his son very loudly three times, 'Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa!' " (SB 6.1.28-29)

Prabhupāda: Is there "three times"?

Nitāi: It said in the manuscript. The manuscript said "three times."

Prabhupāda: Who said in the manuscript? There is no three times. Not "Nārāyaṇa" three times. One time, "O Nārāyaṇa," that's all. So did I say "three times"? No, it is not said here. You should correct it. Once, "O Nārāyaṇa," that's all. There is no reason of calling three times. There is no mention here. Once is sufficient. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

If you say it is mythology... Why you should say mythology? You have not seen the whole universe, how it is situated. You are simply imagining from this place. So your imagination, imaginology, and we have our mythology. So we have got some evidence, but you have no evidence. At least we have got some support of the books. But what you have got? You are simply imagining, "I think," "I believe." What is this nonsense? What is your proof? Everyone is saying "I believe." Hundreds and thousands... And what is correct? Everyone... At least, we have got something correct. We don't say "I believe." This is not our process of knowledge. We, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, we never say "I believe." No, we immediately quote from the śāstra.

Here is the statement, śruti-pramāṇam. According to Vedic civilization, evidence, is śruti, Vedas. If you say something and if you give evidence, proof from the Vedic literature, then it is perfect. No such nonsense things: "I believe," "We believe," "Perhaps," "Maybe." No. Such foolish things are not accepted. Then everyone will say something. There are thousands and millions of people, everyone will imagine something and say something. Then where is the correct thing? This is not good. Veda-pramāṇam. That will be described in the next verse. Veda-praṇihito dharmo. Veda-praṇihito. What is explained in the Veda, that is dharma. You cannot manufacture dharma. If it is mentioned in the Vedas, what is dharma, what is adharma, then it is acceptable. I have several times explained that you cannot make law in your comfortable home. No. Law is made by the government. And you have to accept it. You cannot say that "I believe this will be law." Who will care for your law? You may believe. You believe at your home. That will not be accepted. The law given by the government, "Keep to the right," that you must have. You cannot say, "I believe left thing" or... No. That is not. Similarly, dharmaś ca, it will be explained further.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

So sincere..., those who are actually followers of Vedas, they should understand that there is no difference between the Lord and His words—absolute. We read Bhagavad-gītā, the words of Kṛṣṇa. Then how we can change the meaning of Gītā when it is spoken by Lord? Does it mean that I am greater than the Lord? "Kṛṣṇa left something to be told by some rascals later on"—is that the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā? Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? If the meaning was to be corrected and commented by a conditioned soul, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? Then what is the necessity of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Simply because it is written in Sanskrit? No. That is not the fact. The words of Bhagavad-gītā are Kṛṣṇa. That should be taken into consideration. That is real reading of Bhagavad-gītā. And if we read Bhagavad-gītā according to my whims—I like some stanza; I take it, and other stanza I give up—that is not reading of Bhagavad-gītā. You have to take everything, what it is presented. Just like Arjuna says, who has taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is. He says, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Lord..." He... Of course, he was friend. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You have spoken, I accept in toto." There is no question of eliminating this stanza and that stanza. I accept some, selected, and I become a student of Bhagavad-gītā and authority of Bhagavad-gītā. No. That is not authority of Bhagavad-gītā. You have to accept.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

Therefore they say. They are, according to their description, third class, fourth class, not even human beings, these Yamadūtas. And they are explaining about dharma. Why? Śuśruma: "From the right source we have heard it." And whatever they're speaking, correct. Veda-praṇihito dharma. What is ordered in the Vedas, that is dharma, that is religion. And what is Vedas? Vedo nārāyaṇa sākṣāt. Absolute. Nārāyaṇa, spiritual world, absolute. Nonduality. Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa's words are the same. There is no difference. Just like we are reading Bhagavad-gītā. Why we're interested? Because Bhagavad-gītā and the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa, they are identical. So you cannot change the words of Bhagavad-gītā. That is foolishness. Anyone who changes the orders and the words of Bhagavad-gītā, they are rascal, they'll not get any benefit. Because you cannot correct Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says or God says. That is not in your power. So these rascals, they want to interpret, "This is like this, this is this, I think it is this." No. Kṛṣṇa did not live for you, for your thinking rascally. No. Kṛṣṇa is completely learned. Whatever He has said, it is perfectly in order. You cannot change.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

This is natural. Similarly, punishment means treatment. Why government has opened so many prison house? So this punishment... Government does not desire to keep the prison house open and inviting, "Please come here." No, that is not the policy. Policy is that "One who is outlaw, diseased, he should be brought here and corrected."

So Yamarāja is for this purpose. When we are punished that is no envious envy on the part of God or His agent; it is our correction, I think the Yamarāja, er, the Yamadūtas said in the beginning that "We have come to take Ajāmila just to correct him." So dharma and adharma... Our real dharma is to serve God. That is our real duty. And as soon as we neglect this permanent service or occupation, then we are liable to be punished. You cannot become independent of God. That is not possible. That will (not) make you happy. The healthy condition of the finger is that it is able to serve the body. If the finger is not able to serve the body, that will mean unhealthy. Otherwise... Similarly, when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaged in the service of the Lord, that is our healthy state. That is mukti, liberation. Mukti means no disease. So when we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, when we are not engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition. That is not healthy condition.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

So we do not know how many births we had previously, but from the śāstra we understand crores, many millions of times, we had to take birth. Therefore it is used, janma koṭi: not one birth or two birth or second birth or fifth birth. So unless we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this repetition of birth and death will continue. Therefore it is said janma koṭi... We are passing through many forms of different forms of life. We are creating one family, that "I belong to this family." But what about my other families? Because janma koṭi, in every family, when I enter, there must be father and mother and family members. So which family I am especially concerned? That is our ignorance. We become interested in the particular family where we are at present. But we do not know that in the past we had to pass through many hundreds and millions of families. So which family is correct? And again, if I do not correct myself at the present moment, I have to go through many millions of families until we come to the point: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). This is the point.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

That is the explanation of Brahma-sutra. Therefore you will find at the end of each chapter of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-purāṇe brahma-sutra-bhasye. The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the real comment on Brahma-sutra, Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra was compiled by Vyāsadeva. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge, summarized all Vedic knowledge into Brahma-sutra, in nutshell. Then he was not satisfied, although he made so many Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, Brahma-sutra, Upaniṣads and... Means these were correct. He wrote into letters in the book. Being compassionate on the people of this age, all fools and rascals—they have no good memory—therefore he compiled all these Vedas into writing. Before that, there was no writing. People were so sharp in memory, simply by hearing from the guru, they will remember. Simply. The education and the brain and the capacity was so nice. So that is not possible in the age. Everything is diminishing. The strength, bodily strength, is diminishing. The memory is diminishing. The duration of life is diminishing. Man's propensity to be merciful is diminishing. At the present moment, even in the civilized world, so-called civilized, if one man is being killed on the open street, nobody will go and help him because the tendency for showing mercy to others, that is diminishing. And bodily strength is diminishing. Memory is diminishing. Dharma, the principle of religion, that is diminishing. This is calculated. Therefore brahma-jijñāsā.

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

Indian man (2): This I want to know the difference, whether it is true or not.

Prabhupāda: That is up to you whether you accept American or the śāstra. (laughter) That is up to you. But you cannot say because you have learned from America, therefore it is correct.

Indian man (2): But they have revealed to the world that there is no living entity there, but the śāstra says there is...

Prabhupāda: Why? Reason does not say so. Why there is no living entity? We see living entity are everywhere. Why you say that there is no living entity?

Indian man (2): But when these fellows have come there...

Prabhupāda: These fellows... Therefore your authority are these fellows. (laughter) These fellows will say something now, and after ten years they will change. These fellows are like that. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

Acyutānanda: (repeating lady's question) Kṛṣṇa says to perform your sva-dharma, so how does one know what is his sva-dharma? Am I correct?

Prabhupāda: That is sva-dharma. When Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender unto Me," that is your sva-dharma. Because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, your business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body, so I say, "Finger, please come here." He immediately comes. This is the normal condition of the finger. Similarly, if you are really healthy, in normal condition, then you must be ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your sva-dharma. If the finger cannot come immediately on my order on my head, that means it is not in normal condition; it is in diseased condition. (applause) Similarly, when you cannot serve Kṛṣṇa, that is your diseased condition. (laughter-applause)

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

Now modern botanists and medical men and there are so many people, they are scholars, interested to understand, biologists. But here we get the correct information from the Vedas. Similarly, not only of this information, all departmental knowledge, namely this science, geography, philosophy, religion, sociology, politics, whatever you want, you can learn from the Vedic information. There is perfect information. So it is compared with a tree. So that tree, and the ripened fruit is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nigama kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Galitaṁ phalam idam. A fruit, if you take from the tree, if it is not ripened, you can keep in a store and it gets by temperature... That ripened fruit and the fruit actually ripened in the tree, there is difference in taste. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is compared as the ripened fruit. Nigama-kalpa taror galitaṁ phalam (SB 1.1.3). So we have translated this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is one part, here, you can see. In sixty parts. In the Bhāgavatam there are eighteen thousand verses and we are trying to place before you in English translation, and gradually, in other language also. It is being translated in German language, in French language and Spanish. Gradually. Some of our books are being published by Macmillan company, and they are being distributed. What is the name of that?

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

But that is not perfect self-realization. When I understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," that is partial self-realization. And when I understand that "I am not only spirit soul, but I have got spiritual activities," that is still more advancement. And when you are actually situated in spiritual activities, that is the perfection of life. Just try to understand. First thing is, "I am not this body." That's all right. Then what you are, or what I am? The next stage is to understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The exact Sanskrit language is that, to understand that "I am spirit soul." All right, then is that finished? No. Still you have to go farther. Then "I am a spirit soul." So the spirit soul in this material body has so much activities. Now, regarding this body, I have got so many activities. And when the body is finished, is it correct that the spirit soul stops to act? No. It does not stop to act. Because that is the active principle. Because the spirit is there within this body, therefore the body's acting. Now, suppose I am not this body. Then does it mean that the spirit has no activity? So this is now wrong theory. Spirit has various activities, but you do not know. That is illusion. So meditation means to understand oneself, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," and farther advancement of that meditation is to know that what are the activities of the spirit soul, and when one is actually engaged in those spiritual activities, that is the perfection of meditation.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

Prabhupāda: Don't try artificially. If you don't know, why should you artificially try?

Guest (1): Well, that's why I'm here, because I don't know everything.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, don't talk back. Which is the subject matters which you do not know, don't talk.

Guest (1): Okay.

Prabhupāda: Now, so far I know, that Maharishi says that you meditate for fifteen minutes daily. Is it correct?

Guest (1): Twice a day.

Prabhupāda: Twice a day, for thirty minutes.

Guest (1): Anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour.

Prabhupāda: All right, two hour. (laughter) That's all right?

Guest (1): Pardon me?

Prabhupāda: For two hours daily, one hour morning, one afternoon.

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

Guest (3): Swami, one more question. If you have misused the energy of the past and go on with the results of your misuse, are you still responsible for those forms?

Prabhupāda: As you had misused your independence in your past life or in past, similarly, you can immediately, properly use your independence. Do you follow? You... Somehow or other, you misused your independence. Similarly, immediately, if you use your independence properly, then the result of that misuse of independence is corrected. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Because the conditioned souls here in this material world, they have all misused their independence... Anyone, beginning from the highest planet down, beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant, everyone has misused his independence. This conditional life, this material body, is due to that. Therefore our reactions of that misuse is going on life after life. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "If you surrender immediately, then I take charge of you." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just give up all your other engagements. Just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall give you protection from all reaction of your misuse of independence."

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): But then the individual, he cannot by his efforts or something...

Prabhupāda: But Kṛṣṇa point is that you... Your point is Kṛṣṇa knows your destiny, is that (indistinct)?

Devotee (2): That's correct.

Prabhupāda: But He can change your destiny. That is Kṛṣṇa's power. Nobody can change, but He can change. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Suppose your life is full of sin, sinful actions. So your destiny is already there. But Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, "I shall give you protection." So He can change what you (indistinct). You haven't got to undergo the result of your destiny. Brahma-saṁhitā also says, karmāṇi nirdahati ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). Bhakti-bhājām, those who are engaged in devotion, they are karmāṇi nirdahati. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

Sudāmā: I have spoken with men on the street and they have said, "Well, if God is the creator of everything and is so dear to everyone, why then has He caused so much suffering?" And I have told them that it is because it was our choice. This was our individual choice. But they don't accept that.

Prabhupāda: That means he is not reasonable. Every... Now, when a man is diseased, that does not mean everyone is diseased. That disease is his choice. Just like Kārttikeya is now sick. I am telling that "You should not... Why you have taken this? Why you have taken this?" So he has caused the disease. Similarly, suffering we cause. If that suffering is for all, why the other man is not suffering? Why you are suffering? That means you are cause for the suffering. The same reasoning, that if somebody says, "Oh, the high-court judge is so unkind to me. He has ordered for me hanging," is that correct? You have caused your hanging. The high-court judge has simply given the judgment that "He should be hanged. He has committed murder. He should be hanged." Therefore your commitment, you committed murder, that you caused your hanging, not that high-court judge is your enemy, and he is giving you order to be hanged. You are the cause of your hanging. Similarly, God is impartial. He can give the judgment that "This man has committed this offense. He should be punished like this." These are common reasons. God is all kind. God is all-great.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

Haṁsadūta: Swamijī, in one of Professor Sanyal's books he says that the mind is an organ of the soul. Is that correct? I always thought the mind was part of the material, the subtle body, the subtle material body.

Prabhupāda: No. Organ of the self. It is covered by the material energy. Originally, you have got everything. You have got mind, ego, and everything. Just like when I think, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is also ego, "I am." But that is pure. But as soon as I think "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this body," that is impure. This is impure egoism, and that is pure egoism. So ego is there. Similarly, mind is also there, intelligence is also there, but when it is covered by this material contamination it is called māyā, and when it is out of material contamination, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I shall act for Kṛṣṇa, I shall live for Kṛṣṇa, I shall eat for Kṛṣṇa, I shall prepare foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, I shall sing for Kṛṣṇa—everything Kṛṣṇa," that is liberated stage.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is encouraged. Tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam: "Therefore I shall try to offer my prayers according to my capacity." It is not that because one does not know Sanskrit or a particular type of language and he cannot pray very nicely with poetic simile, metaphors... These things are not required. Simply you have to open your feelings of love of Godhead. Then He's pleased. It does not depend on the particular type of language or poetic ideas. No. There is one verse in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that,

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo

yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api

nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat

śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

(SB 1.5.11)

It is said that a verse written in broken language... Suppose a person, a great devotee, is writing some prayers for God, but he has no idea of the rhetorical or prosodic method, the system of poetry. He has no such idea, but he is simply expressing his feeling. But if that feeling is correct, even the language is broken... There are many examples. Just like a child, he prays mother, parents, simply by crying. It has no language, but the mother understands what is the feeling of the child. It is the feeling that is taken into consideration, not the language. So Prahlāda Mahārāja very much encouraged, that tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

Prabhupāda: "Like my father"? Udvijantaḥ is not described here, the meaning of udvijantaḥ?

Dayānanda: "Udvijantaḥ—on account of Your fearful appearance they are all afraid."

Prabhupāda: Udvijantaḥ, (Bengali) "disturbing," huh? It has to be corrected.

sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno

brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ

ksemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya

vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ

(SB 7.9.13)

So, distinction between deva and asura. Brahmādayaḥ, beginning from Brahmā... Lord Brahmā is the supreme prajā-pati. From him, marīcy-ādi, ṛṣayaḥ, all great ṛṣis, they were born. Then, from them, other demigods—Indra, Candra, Varuṇa... So these devas, they are not like the asuras, disturbing elements. That is the difference between the asura and deva. The asura will create a situation which is very, very disturbing to the whole human society. And when there are so many asuras, disturbing elements, at that time the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down, descends, in His incarnation. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Where all rotten things are there, all the crows will come. But when there is lotus, the crows will not go there; the haṁsa, swan, they'll go there. Even in the bird society there are classes: crow society, swan society, pigeon society, sparrow society. Everyone has got society. But one society is different from another society. Similarly, where there is kṛṣṇa-kathā, the crowslike men will not come. Where there is cinema, where there is prostitute dance, where there is drinking, the crowslike men will gather. Tad vāyasa-tīrtham. Tad vāyasa... Vāyasa means crows. So, na tad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Any literature, very nicely written, just like Shakespeare writing or some other, big, big mundane writers, their writing, it is very nicely written, grammatically very correct, and metaphorically very nicely meant... Na tad vacaś citra-padam. Citra-padam means very artistically written. There are literatures very artistical. Na tad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo pragṛṇīta karhicit. But there is no glorification of the Lord; simply literary presentation. Such kind of literature is described, tad vāyasa-tīrtham: "This kind of literature is preferred by the class of men who are like crows." Crows. But the Vedic literature, which is sung by Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva or a devotee, even that is broken language presented, tad gṛṇanti śṛṇvanti sādhavaḥ: "They'll be accepted by saintly person. They'll sing it and they'll accept it." That is the secret of success.

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

The Māyāvādī philosopher cannot understand this. They think that anyone who comes in this material world, he falls under the influence of māyā. That is right for the small living entities, as we are. That is not correct for the Supreme. Therefore they misunderstand Kṛṣṇa in His activities, especially when He dances with the gopīs. Therefore a neophyte person should not try to understand Kṛṣṇa's dancing with the gopīs immediately, because they do not know Kṛṣṇa. So here if we do something against the moral principles, we are liable to be punished. But Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa it is stated in the Īśopaniṣad, apāpa-viddham. You know this. Apāpa-viddham. (aside:) Who is that? He does not become affected by any pāpa, apāpa-viddham. That is His nature. Etad īśanam īśasya. Just like we go into the fire—we become burned into ashes. But there are some others, not... We cannot see, but if Kṛṣṇa enters... Yes, there are many. Just like in the forest fire all the Vṛndāvana inhabitants they became very much afraid of the forest fire, Vṛndāvana, the cows and the cowherd boys and inhabitants. But they had no other means how to stop. They began to pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, save us." So Kṛṣṇa swallowed up the fire. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. So this difference of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's greatness we can see when we have purified ourself, tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. Then it is possible. That is... The whole bhakti system means tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 10, 1973:

Those who are sādhu, those who are devotees, they hear that literature. They hear that literature. Otherwise, another, the next verse, I forget now. Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham, it has been described, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasā (SB 1.5.10). So this kind of literature, even it is not properly, grammatically correct, tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam, abaddha (SB 1.5.11). That, writing Sanskrit śloka, it requires very high education. It is not that whatever I write, three miles, one line, two lines, no. There is some metric system, canda, so saita (?). So the, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, even it is not properly composed, but because there is anantasya, anantasya guṇani, the glorification ananta, the Supreme, śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Those who are sādhus, actually, they accept it. It doesn't matter if there is little grammatical mistake or some poetical discrepancies. There are literary rules and regulation. So śāstra says, it doesn't matter, even there is not perfectly, Śaṅkarācārya also says, na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛṅ-kāraṇe. You cannot be saved by simply grammatical efficiency. No. The grammatical efficiency is secondary. Real thing is how much you are feeling for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gṛṇanti gāyanti sādhavaḥ.

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

We are American," "We are Indian," "We are German." This is the false... Illusion. Actually, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor. But because people are not educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are thinking, "I am the proprietor." Ahaṁ mameti janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). This ahaṁ mama, increasing the ahaṁ mama, is illusion. It is māyā. And that is going on. Therefore there is great need of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the human society. Those who are actually welfare workers, they should come forward and join this movement to spread it. Actually, it is being accepted very nicely. Although not nicely, they have begun to accept it all over the world. This is our experience. And if we present the philosophy in correct viewpoint, people will accept it. And people will accept it, and people from all parts of the world will come to Vṛndāvana. Because they are hearing about Vṛndāvana, about Kṛṣṇa, naturally they are very much anxious to visit. But if we do not receive them nicely, if we remain sectarian, oh, it will be an unfortunate thing. That is my request. Those who are inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they should be prepared to receive these foreigners, who are being educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They should come here to visit; so they should be received, they should be welcomed. That is my request. Yes.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Just like a, I mean to say, very important man you see. You go there and you... Suppose you ask him for some help, and suppose you want one million dollar, and if he gives you a slip, oh, you take it from there. If you get immediately, then you will understand, "Oh, how much powerful he is. Simply by a pencil, like this, I got millions of dollars!" So God is so powerful. It appears that..., everything is wonderfully, this material nature is working. But it is due to God's energy. His energies are so multifarious, He's so expert, that it appears automatically being done. Not automatically. Not automatically. No. Just like a big mathematician. You give him a very big sum, oh, and within a second, he will at once add it. And for me, I shall commit so many mistakes and perhaps the whole day will go on. Still, I shall not be able. Especially myself. I am never correct in adding. So if the... Supreme power means He has got so much energies, different kinds of energy, that it appears that there is no background, but the nature is working automatically. No. Bhagavad-gītā says no. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "The whole nature is working under My superintendence." But the superintendence is so perfect and so nice and so energetic that there cannot be any mistake.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So Viṣṇu Purāṇa is for the persons who are on the platform of sattva-guṇa, those who are associating with the modes of goodness. This is not correct that everyone is one the same platform. Generally, at the present moment, people are in the platform of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, mixed. So one has to rise to the platform of sattva-guṇa. And then, after transcending the sattva-guṇa, also when one is situated in śuddha-sattva, or pure sattva-guṇa... In this material world, even sattva-guṇa is sometimes contacted with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa; therefore it is not completely pure. No guṇa is pure. It is mixed-up always. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So one has to transcend these guṇas; then God realization, or understanding of Kṛṣṇa, can be achieved. But the devotional service, vidhi-bhakti, the process of rendering devotional service to the Lord according to the prescribed regulative principles in the śāstra, helps us to transcend all these qualities. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who? Māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who is engaged in pure devotional service to the Lord, he is immediately on the transcendental position, I mean to..., surpassing the three guṇas. Sa guṇān... Guṇān, bāhu-vacanam, plural number. Immediately. Therefore, we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

There is another śakti, avidyā, avidyā-śakti. That avidyā-śakti is for these living entities, not for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is never covered by avidyā. Just like I... (break) ...the cloud has covered your eyes. You say, "The cloud has covered the sun." That is nonsense. Sun is very, very, very, very big. What is the cloud? Maybe hundred miles' spread. But the sun globe is fourteen lakhs... (break) ...that correct? So how the cloud, hundred miles' spreading cloud, can cover the sun? It is foolishness that "God is covered by māyā." No. God is never covered by māyā. But God's particles, they are covered by māyā. Jīva is covered by māyā, not God. Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Just like you face the sun, there is no darkness. If you keep the sun back side, there is a big dark, shadow. The shadow is māyā. It has no existence. It is simply impeding the sunshine. Therefore it is shadow. Māyā means which has no existence of its own accord. It is also created by the sun, the darkness. Similarly, this avidyā, when you forget Kṛṣṇa, there is avidyā. That is also Kṛṣṇa's creation. Because you want to forget Him, therefore He covers you with avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā. Another, another energy of Kṛṣṇa which is known as avidyā, or darkness, covers you.

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

So it is finished? Kene? Finished? (laughter) There was one governor, a Mr. Carmichael. So in India, in British period, every officer had to learn the local language. We were students in the Scottish Church College. Our all professors were Europeans, but during their service they had to learn Bengali. So one governor, Mr. Carmichael, he was called for presiding over a meeting. So he wanted to speak in Bengali. So he said, dekhite dekhite kimbhasa kartiya gele. So the pronunciation is galo, but he said gele. So people were smiling. (laughter) The audience, they were smiling. So there are some technical. Just like we pronounce something and not to the correct current pronunciation. So, but when we are reading Bengali, let us do it, as far as possible, as the Bengalis do. That's all. Otherwise there is no mistake. Finish? Go on.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.245-255 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

So that is their foolishness. Therefore, when there is too much foolishness, so there is need of avatāra, incarnation, to correct. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Whenever there is, I mean to say, discrepancies in the maintenance of law and order of this material nature, there is need of avatāra, incarnation. Because it is God's kingdom, it is also secondary kingdom—real kingdom is in the spiritual world—so God comes in different avatāra. And when the material world is created, the first avatāra is puruṣa-avatāra. The Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, They create. And then līlāvatāra. Līlāvatāra, under some particular circumstances, to save some particular devotee, or to display some particular feature... Just like Lord Rāma, He incarnated. He is līlāvatāra. Then guṇāvatāra. For maintenance of this material world there are different kinds of modes of nature, and to control those modes of nature there are avatāras, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Līlāvatāra. Then manvantarāvatāra. The changes of millenniums, that manvantarāvatāra. And then yugāvatāras, yugāvatāra, in each and every yuga. Just like this Kali-yuga. This is called Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga the incarnation is Lord Caitanya.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra Lecture at The Family Dog Auditorium -- San Francisco, July 27, 1969:

If you will take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, then we have volumes of books to convince you what is your relationship with God, what is your duty, what is your ultimate goal of life—these things are all very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately, so-called scholars and so-called wise men misinterpret the whole thing. That is why the Lord appeared as Lord Caitanya five hundred years ago to establish the correct principles of Bhagavad-gītā, and He showed that even if you do not understand the processes of religion, you simply chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

And it is practical. Just like when we were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, all the members who were assembled here were joining in, but when I am now talking about philosophy, some are leaving. It is very practical to see. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so enchanting that anyone can take part in any condition. And if he continues to chant, gradually he develops his dormant love of God. His heart will be cleansed of all dirty things, and gradually he will be freed from the material concept of life, and he will be joyful, and he will see everyone as sons of God, and then he will begin his loving transcendental service to Kṛṣṇa.

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

If you receive the message by the guru-paramparā... The first guru is Kṛṣṇa. Next guru is Lord Brahma. Next guru is Nārada. Next guru is Vyāsadeva. Next guru is Madhvācārya. And so many others. And their branches. In this way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then the Gosvāmīs. Then Śrīnivāsa, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. In this way, the paramparā is coming. So this is the machine. How I can understand this machine is correct? Yes, it is correct. How it is correct? You can corroborate. The Bhagavad-gītā says, the original machine, Kṛṣṇa, says, sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So the same message is being broadcast in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What we are speaking? We are speaking, "Give up everything. Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Is not that the same machine? If you keep the words, the vibration of the machine the same, then it is the same machine. You get the correct information. Kṛṣṇa is speaking-about Himself, about His abode, about the spiritual world, the activities. Kṛṣṇa is speaking everything in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, in Bhagavad-gītā. And we don't require to change unnecessarily. If we present the same thing as it is, as we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then the machine is there. You can get all the information. There is no difficulty. Just like you are getting by the present machine, radio machine, the message from far, distant place. Similarly, you can get all the information of the spiritual world by the proper machine. The Bhagavad-gītā received through the paramparā, disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters. It is not difficult.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Detroit Airport, July 16, 1971:

It has become very satisfactory that so many devotees, boys and girls, are taking part in this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very important movement because it is correcting the human civilization. There is a great defect in the modern civilization, and people are accepting this body as self, and based on this mistake in the foundation, everything is going wrong. The basic principle of civilization—accepting this body as the soul—is the beginning of all problems. The great philosophers, scientists, theologists and thoughtful men, they do not know what is the defect. Recently I was in Moscow. I had a talk with a big professor of Indology, Professor Kotovsky. So he was speaking that "Swamijī, after this finishing, annihilation of this body, everything is finished." So I was astonished that a learned professor who is posing himself on a very advanced post, he has no idea about the soul and the body, how they are different, how the soul migrating from one body to another. And everyone is accepting this body as the self, and "There is no life after death; therefore make the best use of this bad bargain and enjoy sense gratification as far as possible." But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is checking this wrong progress of human civilization.

Arrival Address -- Detroit Airport, July 16, 1971:

So basic principle of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to correct the wrong foundation of the human civilization. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. When Arjuna was identifying himself with this body and bodily relationship, Kṛṣṇa first of all corrected that "You are not this body." So if we do not understand these first steps of spiritual knowledge, then where is the question of making further progress? Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). This is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yasya ātma-buddhiḥ. One who has accepted as self kuṇape tri-dhātuke, this bag of bones and flesh and blood... This body is made of... According to Vedic medicine or Vedic anatomy, it is made of three elements—mucus, bile, and air. Tri-dhātu. Apart from that medical science, this body, one who accepts this body as self and Sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu, and persons in relationship with this body as kinsmen, own men, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and the land where we take our birth as worshipable, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), he is accepted as go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and khara means ass. That means animal. The animal, they accept this, that "I am this body."

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Jayatīrtha: We brought some copies of that Ādi-līlā, Chapter Seven. (break)

Prabhupāda: This is conclusion. Because he is Arjuna, devotee, he simply understood, "Yes. Whatever You say, correct. The demons or even the gods, they cannot understand." Why Arjuna understood? That he has explained in that Eighteenth Chapter. Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtiṁ labdhā tvat-prasādād madhusūdana.

Trivikrama: Is he never envious?

Prabhupāda: Huh? (pause) (break)

Paramahaṁsa: "Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and prepared to act according to Your instructions."

Prabhupāda: That's it. He understood that "Kṛṣṇa is divine. So whatever He says, that is my duty to do, not to judge Him on my platform." That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. One who does not take Kṛṣṇa in the same platform as one is but accepts Kṛṣṇa's personality, then he can understand. Otherwise how one can accept it that a person has expanded many millions of universes like this? Immediately they will they will take as mythology, because he's thinking on terms of his capacity, not as Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore nobody could understand Kṛṣṇa. We took the simple method: accept Kṛṣṇa as He says. That's all. Finished. That is the main business. Our philosophy is simple because we take it, Kṛṣṇa's word, as it is, that's all. And we believe it firmly: "Yes, this is the truth." To understand Kṛṣṇa is not difficult. What Kṛṣṇa says, you accept it. Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Whatever You say, I accept it. Not only I accept it blindly, but this very thing was accepted by such great personality as Vyāsadeva." (aside:) Anyone who wants to come... Simple thing. Big, big ācāryas, they accepted Kṛṣṇa as He is. And why shall I not accept? This is paramparā system.

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

If you don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa and simply improve your method of running better than the dog, that is not civilization. This is our presentation. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means presenting a new life of civilization, how to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will come automatically. Kṛṣṇa is supplying already. Just like government. When a man is put into the jail for his criminality, the government takes care of his food, of his shelter; if he's sick, hospital, everything—but he's still punished for correction. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will give us food, shelter, sex facility and defense everywhere. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām sarvatra labhyate daivād: by the arrangement of the superior. You can see practically. The elephant is eating forty kilos at a time, and he has no attempt for economic development. He's getting. And the ant also, a grain of sugar, he's getting. You'll find within your room, in a hole, there are thousands of ants. Are you giving him food? Who is giving them? Not only one, two-thousands. So this is intelligence, that God has provided for everyone these facilities, so human being, why he should not have this facility from God? It is already there. There is no doubt about it.

Initiation Lectures

Detroit Initiations -- Detroit, July 18, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Beads. Give me beads. (chants japa) Where is that tulasī plant? Today's not very hot. Warm... It is all right. (Chants japa, devotee chants purificatory mantras. More japa. Devotee chants mantra again. Prabhupāda corrects his pronunciation. More japa. Jagadīśa gives lecture while Prabhupāda chants japa. Then more japa.) The ten offenses, explain. (Jagadīśa explains ten offenses from book) Give them chairs. Some ladies are standing.

Jagadīśa: (continues lecture on offenses) ...the mind will be controlled. And we can fix the mind of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. The mind will be wavering here and there, but if we control the lower self...

Prabhupāda: Or, in other words, when you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then senses will be automatically controlled. This way is difficult. That way is easy. You fix up your mind... Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was a emperor, but he was a great devotee. How? He always fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor. Kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor, on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he fixed up his mind. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. The next is the tongue. Mind fixed up, then the next sense is, important sense, is the tongue. Next to the mind, tongue should be controlled. How? By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then other senses will be automatically controlled.

Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- London, September 7, 1971:

Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19)? To stop death, to stop birth, is not possible unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one (sic) does not come to the position of loving Kṛṣṇa, there's no question of freedom. That is the nature's law. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we have habituated, we have developed a consciousness to love dog. Just like in your country they say, "Dog is the best friend." So instead of loving God, they have learned to love dog. But nature ways is that you have to forget loving dog, you have to come to the position to love God. That is nature's way. Therefore there is no freedom. There is no freedom. Just like a citizen becomes criminal. The criminal department, the prison, just to correct him: "Unless you become a good citizen, you'll have to be punished in this prison house." Similarly, our real position is to love God, to love Kṛṣṇa. Unless we are on that platform of loving God, the nature will give us trouble. There is no freedom. We should try to understand it. There's no question of freedom.

Initiations -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

Brahmānanda: Rasaparagni dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Rasa...?

Brahmānanda: Rasaparagni.

Prabhupāda: Rasapara... Rasa-parāyaṇī. Rasa-parāyaṇī. Correct it. One of the gopīs. Rasa-parāyaṇī dāsī, "one who wants to dance with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance." No ball dance. Finished? All right. Now who shall explain the ten kinds of offenses and the meaning of the oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā and then perform yajña?

Karandhara: I shall.

Prabhupāda: So I can go?

Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Devotees: Jaya! All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! (obeisances) (end)

General Lectures

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

Prabhupāda: How can you avoid it? You have certain feelings, propensities, as woman. How can you avoid it? So you cannot avoid the nature's law.

Young woman: But then some, some rules have to be told to me or read from the scriptures. And some I know inherently, in myself.

Prabhupāda: What you know inherently, that is not correct. Then why do you go to school? You know that the...

Young woman: Yes, but there are...

Prabhupāda: No. You know that the sun looks for your... By your direct experience, you see the sun just like a disc...

Young woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: ...but when you go to school, you understand it is many hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. So your knowledge is always imperfect. You have to know from authority. That is the rule. If you want to know about the sun, you have to go to the authority who knows about the sun, not by your intuition, you think, "Oh, it is a disc. It is like this. It is like that." You go on speculation, but it is not perfect knowledge.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

These are the different stage. Now you are coming in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is called śraddhā, a little faith. And if you increase that faith... How it can be increased? By association with devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Sādhu means devotees. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Even these boys, these European and American boys, you do not find they are correct to the principle, still they are sādhu because they have engaged themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. Even though you find cause, because they have forefather, their fathers, they did not teach anything. They are learning new. So even you find some fault in their activities, don't think that they are not sādhus. Kṛṣṇa said, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Sādhu. Sādhu means those who are devotees.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

So it is not very ordinary job, neither ordinary position, but it is not difficult also. The difficulty is when I adulterate and misinterpret Kṛṣṇa's words. Then it is difficult. Otherwise, if I say... The same example: like a peon, if I present your friend's letter without any correction, then I have done my duty. That's all. So it is not difficult. Anyone can deliver a letter to you. It does not require any educational qualification. Simply he must be honest not to alter the text of the letter according to the peon's whims. That much we are doing. Therefore I am representative. Try to under... And anyone can do this. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, I am the Supreme. There is no better, no more anyone superior than Me." That's all right. We accept that. Now, you can say "How we accept?" I accept because it is Vedic injunction. That is the process of Vedic injunction: you have to accept without argument. Just like for practical life I will say some examples, that cow dung. In India cow dung is accepted as very pure.

Lecture -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So māyā is there. Māyā does not want to lead (leave?) the culprits. Because one who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a culprit, so māyā wants to give such person more and more trouble. But Vaiṣṇava risks his life to snatch him from the hands of māyā. So māyā, of course, when he sees that "This man, this living entity, is now corrected; he is now taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness," then she will not disturb.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

(BG 7.14)

Māyā etāṁ... Māyā, she is the most sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. She wants to chastise. Just like police. Police want to chastise a person unless he comes to his consciousness that he must abide by the laws of the state. That is police business. Otherwise police is not enemy. Similarly, māyā is not our enemy, but she has got a thankless task with that trident. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us the knowledge that "You surrender unto Me, and māyā will not trouble you." Māyām etāṁ taranti te.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

Indian guest: No, I fully agree with your interpretation of Bhāgavata, but the comparison between Darwin's discoveries and what is mentioned in Bhāgavata, I don't agree with that. It is already mentioned in Bhāgavata, but Swamijī, you are from a different point of view. So...

Prabhupāda: No, that is a wrong theory. Therefore we say. That is a wrong theory. Darwin is studying this body. He does not know. He has no information of the soul; therefore his knowledge is imperfect. His theory is imperfect. It is a long subject matter. If you want to discuss, you come. We shall discuss. It is a wrong theory. That is not scientific advancement. Science means it must be correct. That is science. If science is theory, that is not science. So Darwin is advocating his theory, "May be like this, perhaps like this." This "perhaps," "maybe," is not science. This is only suggestion. We have to deal with the facts. That is science.

Indian guest: Yes, but as you say, there are two ways of reaching the God. Either through the study of Vedas up to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Through study of Vedas, not study something nonsense. Study of Vedas.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

Therefore guru is one. Although hundreds and thousands of ācāryas have come and gone, but the message is one. Therefore guru cannot be two. Real guru will not talk differently. Some guru says that "In my opinion, you should like this," and some guru will say, "In my opinion you'll do this"—they are not guru; they are all rascals. Guru has no "own" opinion. Guru has got only one opinion, the same opinion which was expressed by Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva or Nārada or Arjuna or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or the Gosvāmīs. You'll find the same thing. Five thousand years ago, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā and Vyāsadeva wrote it, recorded it. Vyāsadeva does not say that "It is my opinion." Vyāsadeva writes, śrī bhagavān uvāca: "Whatever writing, it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He's not giving his own opinion. Śrī bhagavān uvāca. Therefore he is guru. He is not misinterpreting the words of Kṛṣṇa. He's giving as it is. Just like a bearer, peon. Somebody has written you letter, the peon has got the letter. It does not mean he has to correct it or edit it or addition or... No. He'll present it. That is his duty. Then he is guru. He's honest. Similarly, guru cannot be two. Mind that. The person may be different, but the message is the same. Therefore guru is one.

Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

The Supreme Lord is śaktimān. Just like the sun and the sunshine and the Sun-god, and practically they are one. From the Sun-god there is... The abode of the Sun-god is the sun globe, and the shining of the sun globe is also sunshine. So in one sense they are one, in other sense they are different. Just like the sunshine is reaching here, it does not mean the sun globe is reaching here. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: (BG 9.4) "I am spread." So sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, everything is Kṛṣṇa. But at the same time, if you commit mistake... The same way, "Because the sunshine is here, therefore sun is here." That is a mistake. This is viśiṣṭa-advaita. They are all one, advaya-jnana, but still they're different. Advaita-viśiṣṭa. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jnanam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Advayam means advaya, advaita, no difference, the same thing. But viśiṣṭa. This is Brahman, this is Paramātmā, viśiṣṭa. Advaita but viśiṣṭa. A specific reference: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, they are one. But still, you cannot say Brahman is Bhagavān. The same example: the sunshine and the sun globe, they are one. Unless there is appearance of the sun globe, sun planet, you cannot have sunshine. So in that sense, they are one, but still if you take sunshine as the sun globe, that is not correct.

Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

So we are praying to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy. If we pray to Kṛṣṇa's energy, she is Kṛṣṇa's energy, she will understand, "Now, he is now correct." So she gives facilities. She gives facilities, "Yes, now you can serve Kṛṣṇa. I give you... I give you freedom. You are no more under my clutches." Māyām etāṁ taranti te. Immediately you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, you are immediately liberated. We haven't got to search out liberation separately. Immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately you are liberated, immediately, simultaneous. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). At that time māyā takes another feature. That is called yoga-māyā. The same māyā Just like the same government laws acting in the prison house differently, and acting in the university differently. But the potency is the same. If we take protection of the civil laws, then you are happy. And if we take protection of the criminal laws then you are unhappy. That's all. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that you have to take shelter of one of the potencies of Kṛṣṇa. Better take the shelter of the spiritual potency. Then you become happy. You cannot be free. That is not possible.

Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

That is "I," Kṛṣṇa. That is "I," Kṛṣṇa. If you understand this demigod... Just like this finger. If you understand this finger belongs to Swamijī, then you are correct. And if you think that this finger is separate power, that is incorrect. This finger is powerful so long attached to the body. And if you cut the finger from the body, it has no power. Similarly, the demigods, if you accept that they are different part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa—there must be relationship with Kṛṣṇa—then it is correct. Just like it is said, sūrya, sūrya upāsanā, that or durgā upāsanā. These are different upāsanā, sūrya, or pañcopāsanā, durgā upāsanā, sūrya upāsanā, gaṇeśa upāsanā, and viṣṇu upāsanā. Pañcopāsanā. So how we can worship? Just like Durgā. Durgā is worshiped by the Vaiṣṇava in this way, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva ya... (Bs. 5.44). (break)(end)

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

Now, this abhadrāṇi, abhadra, the exact translation is "misbehavior," abhadra, "ungentlemanliness." Is that exact translation? If it is not, you can correct me. Abhadra, the Sanskrit word... Those who are Indians, they know this word, bhadra and abhadra. Bhadra, means noble and abhadra means ignoble. So hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. These words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, each word is so valuable that if you scrutinizingly abhadrāṇi, ignoble. What is that ignoble within our heart? That ignoble thing is claiming proprietorship on the property of God. That is the instruction in the Īśopaniṣad. Every one of us claiming, unceremoniously, proprietorship on other's property This is the business of the whole material world.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Śyāmasundara: It doesn't say that an individual soul is present within the atom?

Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa is present.

Śyāmasundara: So then this philosophy of Leibnitz is not correct.

Prabhupāda: No.

Śyāmasundara: Because he says in matter there is also this kind of individuality.

Prabhupāda: That individual is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa knows that so many atoms will be combined, then another thing will be formed. It is not the individual soul but Kṛṣṇa directly.

Śyāmasundara: But when you come to the living entities, then the individual soul is also there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Within the body. Both of them—Kṛṣṇa is also there, and the individual soul is also there.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the definition of substance is a being capable of action. Substance means to be capable of action, and that existence means action.

Prabhupāda: Substance is original. Other things are categories.

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

yāmasundara: He separates fact from idea. For instance, I may think this table is red, but it is actually brown. So my idea is incorrect.

Prabhupāda: Your idea may be, but actually it has got a color, either red or yellow. So if you have eye disease, you cannot see actually, but one whose eyes are not diseased, he can see whether it is yellow or red. Just like sometimes glaucoma—you see the moon as two moons, but actually there is one moon. But due to your eye disease you see two moons. But one who is not diseased, he sees one moon. Therefore we have to take knowledge from a person who is not diseased. Not that because my eyes are diseased, I cannot see things right way, I shall say, "Oh, there is no possibility of having right knowledge." That is not correct.

Śyāmasundara: In fact, he calls the soul a bundle of perceptions, that it is nothing but a set or sequence of ideas.

Prabhupāda: But as soon as he says "ideas," there must be some concrete things.

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Hayagrīva: He felt that instead of basing belief in God...

Prabhupāda: No, he should not think, because nobody will take his instruction. He does not believe others, does not take others' statement—why his statement should be accepted?

Hayagrīva: Well, well he believes at least in the material senses.

Prabhupāda: Everyone believes that. Materially everyone believes. But if he says none of them are correct, so why he is so..., pose himself as correct? He is rejected immediately.

Hayagrīva: He says, "All the new discoveries in astronomy which prove the immense grandeur and magnificence of the works of nature are so many additional arguments for a Deity according to the true system of theism," that is his natural, what he calls natural religion. In this way Hume rejects the necessity or desirability of miracles as well as the conception of a God transcendental to his creation. He says it's not the being of God that is in question but God's nature. This nature cannot be ascertained through study of the universe itself. However, if the universe can only be studied by imperfect senses, what is the value of our conclusion? How can we ever come to know the nature of God?

Prabhupāda: Nature of God, it can be explained by God Himself. That is our Vedic process. We know who is God, and He explains, "My nature is this." Just like He says, "I am the greatest principle," mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more higher principle than Me." This is fact. If something is greater than God, then how one can become God? That is not possible. So greatest means He is great in everything. He is great in richness, He is great in reputation, He is great in influence, He is great in bodily power, He is great in beauty and He is great in renunciation. If we can find out somebody that He tallies with this greatness, then He is God. So that we find in Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and what He says in the Bhagavad-gītā we accept as fact. And if we analyze His statements intelligently, pruriently, then we will find that what Kṛṣṇa says, that is fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: What he is saying by that is just like if you see a soldier killing, you can't say that the action is good or bad, of his killing; but the will behind it—if his will is to serve the state—then the will is good, so the killing is good. But if you see the man killing someone on the street for his money, then you can say that the will is bad, so the killing is bad. So the action itself of killing is neither good nor bad, but the will behind the killing is what determines if an action is good or bad.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But that will has to be trained. Otherwise he will manufacture that "I am doing this in good sense; therefore it is good." He will manufacture his idea. That is nonsense. Therefore you require guidance.

Śyāmasundara: So there is no inborn idea of that is always correct.

Prabhupāda: Even inborn there is, you must get it confirmed by the superior.

Śyāmasundara: He says that man, because he respects the moral law and practices it, is a personality having infinite dignity. He believes in the dignity of man based upon his adherence to moral principles. If a man follows moral principles, then he has dignity, which is different than any other...

Prabhupāda: That is already explained, that varṇāśrama-dharma, because the brāhmaṇas, they follow the good laws, therefore dignity. A brāhmaṇa is supposed to be the first-class man in the society, and therefore they are honored.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: "...the only thing..."

Prabhupāda: So one man is thinking that animal killing is good, and another man is thinking animal killing is immorality. Then who is correct? Unless you know morality means this—it is coming from authority—that you have to follow it, otherwise you will be punished, then morality. Otherwise, if there is no background of forcing, that morality can be degraded into immorality at any moment.

Hayagrīva: Well, this is the weak..., this seems to be the weakness in his philosophy. He says, "For a rational but finite being the only thing possible is an endless progress from the lower to the higher degrees of moral perfection." So...

Prabhupāda: That means endless struggle to understand real morality. But if he takes the order of God, that he must do it, that is final morality.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Karandhara: It's just an axiom, that if any part of the knowledge is perfect, then the whole knowledge is perfect. If you have any part of the truth, you have to have the whole truth in the highest sense. So if their theory is at all correct, and any of the premises are solid, then why it doesn't conclude itself by its own logical deduction? Why it would always have to allude to something missing, some missing factor?

Prabhupāda: Jīva jātiṣu. The Padma Purāṇa says jīva jātiṣu, so different species of life. And they give: from this, this; from this, this; from this, this. Then, just like it is said that from bird's life the beast's life comes. Now the beasts, this category is of three millions types of beasts.

Śyāmasundara: Just like they find evidence of large bird, pterodactyl, which has beastlike properties. It has legs also, and they say from that kind of bird evolved a more beastlike, like you say, beasts.

Prabhupāda: Just like we say that kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. From the insect life the bird's life developed. That we see practically. One have becomes flies, butterflies. In the grass, worm becomes a butterfly. That is, there is evidence.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Bolo... (Bengali—to Svarūpa Dāmodara)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The age of the rocks, by determining by scientific techniques, find how old the rock (indistinct) is, and how correct it is. So I asked (indistinct) of this department, Professor Roland, and he told me that (indistinct) such and such, I mean the rocks coming from the moon, brought by astronauts. They calculate that by this (indistinct) technique, they find that they are about three to fourteen million years old, these rocks from the moon, the moon samples. But that does not give the real age of the rocks. He told me that what you call the age means how long that crystal... For example they tried to find out the crystals like iridium and strontium crystals, that the method that they use is strontium iridium technique and so he told me that the age, this age, about three times three billion years old, that means that crystal containing that iridium model has crystallized for that long year, that gives the age. They do not know how long it has been there

Śyāmasundara: The rock is at least three billion years; maybe it's older.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, maybe older, but it does not give the exact age. We do not know.

Śyāmasundara: But the point is that they have determined that there are rock structures in the earth very, very, very, very old and that these contain no evidence of any complex forms of life. So that if there is a statement that there were higher forms of life millions of years ago existing on this planet, there has been no evidence ever found of that.

Prabhupāda: So why they're trying to find out evidence from the rocks, not from any other source?

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: If Darwin's theory is correct, some new form of cancer will evolve which will survive...

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

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just like a computer cannot correct a mistake. They'll just give a message that it's wrong. That's all.

Śyāmasundara: No. They have correction. They have correction.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Even they... But ultimately the mechanic (is) able to work on the computer machine.

Śyāmasundara: But what about this artificially changing bodies before they are born, before they are growing?

Prabhupāda: That is also same thing. Just like I change your shirt, what is that?

Śyāmasundara: But I mean, isn't that a demonic act?

Prabhupāda: That we shall consider later. Demonic it must be, but this change, this change can be possible.

Śyāmasundara: If by our karma we desire a certain type of body but they create all the bodies to be the same, how is that? But men are tampering with the bodies.

Prabhupāda: Let them create first, then say. Where is the man they are creating? It is simply theory.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Hayagrīva: He does..., he says he doesn't know at what point the soul enters, but the soul is in anything that moves. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hayagrīva: Even a...

Prabhupāda: The soul moves.

Hayagrīva: ...bacteria for instance, or an ant.

Prabhupāda: So ant moves because there is soul; the bacteria moves there because there is soul. Similarly, the man moves because there is soul. An animal moves because there is soul.

Hayagrīva: And every soul is immortal.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: So that's all, on Darwin. (break) This is an appendix to the Darwin. In 1925 the Tennessee legislature passed the Butler Act, forbidding the teaching of Darwinism, Darwinian evolution, in the public schools of that state. In May, John Thomas Scopes, a science teacher at Dayton High School, consented to be the defendant in a court test of the law. He was arrested and indicted by a Grand Jury and stood trial on July 1925.

Prabhupāda: Why he was arrested?

Hayagrīva: For teaching Darwinism. For teaching that man descended from the apes.

Prabhupāda: So he was teaching, and the government arrested him?

Hayagrīva: The government, the American government, arrested, yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: Now this is the last point, and I want to just for the record to correct this on Śyāmasundara's presentation because you took exception to this, and I believe that it was..., you wouldn't take exception to it. I don't know. It says Bergson refers to the "essential function of the universe as being that of a machine for the making of gods."

Prabhupāda: That is his misconception. That I have explained, the wheel. The wheel is going on. The wheel has got different parts but it is resting on the axle.

Hayagrīva: No, but is the universe a machine for the making of gods in the sense that it's a vehicle to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: No, this is wrong. The machine, the wheel is already depending on the axle. Axle is already there. Without axle, the wheel cannot move.

Hayagrīva: Not for the creation of God, not for the making of God.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Hayagrīva: But for the making of small "g" gods, like demigods. You once said...

Prabhupāda: Demigods are already there. Just like in the same example, in the wheel the different parts, they are already there.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So this is going on. So-called philosophy, scientific advancement, but the central mistake is there that he is thinking in terms of his body. That has to be corrected. Then it will be pure consciousness and normal life.

Hayagrīva: Now let me get this right. He doesn't say that it's a machine for the making..., that man becomes... He's not saying that man becomes God. He never says that.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hayagrīva: But that a man may evolve to a state like unto the demigods. Is that a possibility?

Prabhupāda: What is demigod? That, there is a difference between demigod and a man. A demigod is in the better position, that's all. Just like a high-court judge and layman. Both of them human being, but the high-court judge in a better position, that's all, but both of them human being.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: How does worship of Viṣṇu solve social problems? Just like in Calcutta there are more social problems than practically anywhere.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Viṣṇu... In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, it is said that varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān (CC Madhya 8.58). Any man who executes this varṇāśrama-dharma, he satisfies Viṣṇu. The varṇāśrama-dharma is there, and the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras. So according as they are prescribed, how the brāhmaṇas should live, how the kṣatriyas should live, how the..., then there is no trouble. The whole problem is solved. But they have killed the varṇāśrama-dharma. They are now all śūdras. The śūdras, how they can make solutions? Śūdras means nonintelligent persons. So what they can do? They are running on democratic government voted by the śūdras. So what these rascal śūdras will do? They require... Śūdras are meant for serving the higher sections—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. And if the śūdras are given government... Just like we are seeing, in Africa they have been given independence, but they have not improved. The Englishman is still controlling, the Indians are still controlling. And what is the meaning of their so-called self-ruling? We have seen it, still they are poor, because they are śūdras. Śūdras have no brain. In America also, the whole America once belonged to the Red Indians. Why they could not improve? The land was there. Why these foreigners, the Europeans, came and improved? So śūdras cannot do this. They cannot make any correction. Now people are becoming śūdras by so-called education. So they cannot make any solution of the problems.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: "Growth itself is the only moral end."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. The devotee, even in the beginning he is found not in order, doing something wrong, still, because he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is accepted as sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Where one may say that there are so many discrepancies in his life and yet he is doing all right in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he has not corrected his habits, the reply is, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śāśvac chāntiṁ nigacchati. Because he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all his bad habits will be corrected very soon.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Historical... It is historical. The whole cosmic manifestation has a date of creation; therefore it is historical. Anything material which has a beginning, that, that is history, it has got a history. So people do not know how long before this material world or cosmic manifestation was created. It is beyond their conception. Even the mathematical count, millions and trillions and millions, will not do, when he began, but it has got a history-beyond the calculation of so-called scientist and mathematician, but there is history. According to Vedic description there is history. There is history of Manu, there is history of, of Brahmā. So in this way there is a regular history. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā a small instance of history is being given: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17), that the Brahmā's daytime, just like we have got solar calculation, twelve hours' daytime, so that twelve hours of Brahmā is calculated sahara-yuga-paryantam. One yuga means forty-three hundred thousands of years. Similarly, thousand times, that is Brahmā's twelve hours. So everything is relative. We are tiny people. We have got history of this world, some thousands of years, but Brahmā is greater than the human being. His history is different. Here everything is relative. My history is different from an ant's history. Similarly a man's history is different from Brahmā's history. So historical does not mean whatever you have calculated, that is history. History is relative according to the person. So these people, they have no information of the greater personalities than us, but we have got information from Vedic literature. In the higher planetary system, there the duration of life, standard of life is different from here.

So in this, on this platform, mostly the philosopher, scientist, they are Dr. Frogs. So their calculation is not correct. So whatever they cannot calculate, they take it as myth, imagination, that just a foreign. Even for ordinary human being to think of Brahmā's duration of life, huh, forty-three hundred thousand multiplied by one thousand, and that becomes twelve hours of Brahmā, because it is beyond your calculation, he thinks it imaginary. So unless one has got thorough knowledge of the whole universe, so for him it is imaginary. But it..., one man's imaginary may be a fact to the other man. It depends on the knowledge. So unfortunately, the so-called scientists, philosophers on this planet, they are thinking in their own terms and they are taking it final. So they must think other things as mythological, imaginary. But actually that is not the fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Hayagrīva: No. But an old man can see the course of life, can see life in its entirety, the ages...

Prabhupāda: As far as different, old men have got different experience. We have seen in Western countries old men, they still follow the path of sense gratification. So where is his experience? Unless there is training, simply to become old man is not sufficient. Training is required. Old man, actual old man should take renunciation. That is Vedic plan. At the end of life one should become a sannyāsa and completely devote his time and energy to understand and serve God. So unless there is training from the very beginning as brahmacārī, simply by age one is not mature. That is not correct.

Hayagrīva: He says it's customary to call youth happy and age the sad part of life. This would be true if it were the passions that made a man happy. Youth...

Prabhupāda: Happy, happiness to the modern standard means sense gratification. So that sense gratification continues even in old man. So actually he requires training and acquirement of knowledge. There is a word in Sanskrit, vidya tam (indistinct). One can become old man even without age. That means it is knowledge that is counted, not the age.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He wants to understand the nature of things so that he can help others...

Prabhupāda: That means that he becomes authority. He becomes authority. If he wants to become authority, why he should deny other authority?

Śyāmasundara: He doesn't deny another authority, he just doesn't know which authority is the real, correct authority.

Prabhupāda: Well, that we know. Therefore we say that Vedic knowledge is authority. That is the difference between the Western philosophers and the Indian philosophers. They accept the authority of the Vedas.

Devotee (2): Well, even when one chooses a spiritual master, it's not as if he accepts anybody that comes along. He must have some criteria for choosing that person, and that criterion must begin with an observation of phenomena because that's all he has to work with. It's not as if you take any bhogī who is walking down the street and say, "All right, you become my spiritual master."

Prabhupāda: No. There is standard. There is standard. That is also authority. The Vedas says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). These are the qualities—śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. So accepting an authority as spiritual master, you have to check this, whether he is śrotriyam, whether he is brahma-niṣṭham. Śrotriyam means whether he has heard perfectly from his spiritual master, and by hearing, whether he is completely, firmly standing on brahma (indistinct). These are the two qualities. So anything, you have to learn the same thing from authority.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Śyāmasundara: He says there is no benefit of forgetting, but it is a natural tendency.

Prabhupāda: That is natural, and everyone knows that's not a very (indistinct).

Śyāmasundara: So he says that the cure for many of our present conflicts is to try to recall these painful experiences and analyze them and try to correct them.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Just like for instance a person may have a hatred toward a member of the opposite sex. Why is this hatred? By tracing back in his childhood we may find that there was some horrible experience with his father or with his mother which caused him to hate that particular sex.

Prabhupāda: Just like if some woman does not like to give birth to a child...

Śyāmasundara: Because she was repressed when she was a child, or beaten by her father...

Prabhupāda: Not only that. A person does not like to bear children; therefore this contraceptive method is there. It is botheration, painful. It is called pain. (indistinct) (indistinct) means pain. So nature is prohibiting that, (indistinct), child delivery, so the man is also given so much trouble. The woman is also given so much trouble. So why is the trouble there? The (indistinct) for everything is don't be implicated in this sex life. If you simply tolerating a little itching sensation, then you will not have so much pain. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45).

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: So what is your answer?

Devotee: Yes, his observation is correct, but at the same time it doesn't invalidate Freud's use of psychology for supposedly normal people.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) psychology.

Śyāmasundara: He didn't analyze only crazy people; he also analyzed his friends, his mother, his wife, other people also, healthy people.

Devotee: The point is in Revatīnandana Mahārāja's argument is that we have to define, then, what is crazy and what is sane.

Prabhupāda: He is saying that he had studied only some crazy people.

Śyāmasundara: No.

Prabhupāda: But that is not the fact. He analyzed some sane people also. But one psychiatrist's opinion is that (indistinct) was a civil servant, he was called to give evidence in a case where the criminal was pleading (indistinct) became insane while he committed the murder. So the civil servant was called to test him, whether actually he was insane or (indistinct) insanity. So he gave evidence that "I have tested so many persons, so I have seen that more or less everyone is insane. More or less. They are bewildered. So in that case, if insanity is the only plea that he should be excused, he can be excused. But so far as I know, everyone is more or less insane." And that is our conclusion. We say (indistinct), anyone who is infected with this material nature is more or less insane, crazy. He is crazy, not more or less. Anyone who has got this material body must be crazy. And therefore everyone is speaking in a different way.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Revatīnandana: But we say that originally there were desires to enjoy coming from the soul. If it is channelled to the body it becomes sex lust, but if it is channelled higher it becomes higher (indistinct) for advancement. It's not coming from sex, it's coming from the soul, is that correct—the desire to enjoy?

Prabhupāda: No. Try to understand. Sex desire is there in everyone. So once sex desire is (indistinct) up, male sex desire and female sex desire. The sex desire is there in both male and female, but some from impartial view, it appears that the male is the enjoyer and the female is the enjoyed. So both of them are (indistinct). So the female, if she agrees to be predominated, enjoyed, then naturally she also becomes enjoyer. So living entities are described as prakṛti, female. So when the living entities agree to help Kṛṣṇa's sex desire, then they become happy.

Devotee (2): But it's not by Kṛṣṇa's sex desire. What is the meaning of the words "Kṛṣṇa's sex desire"? Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sense enjoyment, you can say. Sensual enjoyment. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor of the senses. So when we help Kṛṣṇa for His sense enjoyment, then naturally we also (indistinct). Same example, just like a rasagullā. A rasagullā is to be enjoyed. So the hand takes it and puts it into the stomach. The hand does not enjoy it directly. And when it is put into the stomach, the hand also enjoys, the stomach enjoys, the eyes enjoys—everything. The direct enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, and all others, indirect enjoyer. By satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, others will be satisfied. Not directly. Just like a beloved wife, when she sees the husband is eating nicely and he is enjoying nicely, she becomes happy. She becomes happy. So there are two different categories: the predominated category and the predominator category. So by seeing the predominated happy, the predominator becomes happy.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Revatīnandana: They are potentially manifest, but they don't have to. But they...

Prabhupāda: It is just like photograph. If you take so many snap, but not all of them immediately moves.

Revatīnandana: So they would posit that there's a mental functioning going on, a thinking functioning going on that we're not conscious of. I think we don't agree with that. Is that correct? We say that there's one mind, sometimes mental impressions come that are stored...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: ...but in that storage area of the consciousness, there is no thinking going on there. Is that correct? The unconsciousness mind is not thinking like the conscious mind.

Prabhupāda: No, no. But the impression is there.

Revatīnandana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: All of a sudden it comes out.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Devotee: He isn't saying how we should control people. He is simply putting forth the idea that people should be controlled. He doesn't say... In fact, he admits that he doesn't know what the aim or goal is, or how exactly we should control it. He is simply putting forth that according to the Vedic system, the correct thesis that man can be controlled.

Prabhupāda: Man is already controlled, already controlled. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that you are already under the dangerous laws, under the control of the stringent laws of material nature. And you are feeling inconvenienced, just like the threefold miserable condition. (indistinct-greeting guests) So there is no doubt about it. We are controlled. Nobody can say "I am free." We are controlled. When we are being controlled, we are feeling some inconvenience. So we are advising that you be under the control of Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Devotee: We only accept that as a (indistinct) life here. This life you may remain eternal. We have no (indistinct) beyond this life, nor are we willing to accept.

Prabhupāda: That is your conclusion. This cannot be corrected. This cannot be corrected. That they cannot live. They accept it. But there, after death, it is done. But if we give some thought that after death you can attain, what does he say? After death, if there is a life of blissful knowledge, so why don't they take it?

Devotee: Well, a lot of scientists consider that to be a, simply a psychological way of avoiding the issue now. They say, "Let us take matters in our hand right now. Don't try to..."

Prabhupāda: The idea is we have not been able to take the matter in hand to stop death. That is not possible.

Devotee: They think by endeavoring, they will. They say that for so long this idea that we have a life after this life, that kept people complacent, without working up to their own conclusion. Now if you cast out that idea, you forget that idea of an afterlife and you look at here and now, then you will become...

Prabhupāda: You are working. The dogs and hogs are working, day and night. Why they are working? If you (indistinct), they are already working. They are already working like animals, day and night. We sing that, śīta ātapa bāta bariṣana e dina jāminī jagi re. They are already working. They are not free.

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

yāmasundara: So he can invent his original father.

Prabhupāda: No. He can simply know by this philosophical research who is the original father. And the Vedānta-sūtra also says, "God is He who is the original father of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Śyāmasundara: In a sense, the man is not really inventing a chair either. There is already an idea of chair previously existing. He's just discovering it, something which already exists. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: Yes, in that sense, that I am feeling the necessity of armchair. My predecessors, they might have felt that chair, they invented. But at the present moment, my predecessor is also gone, the chair is also gone. So invention means the things which I create that was not in existence. That is called invention?

Śyāmasundara: Hm.

Prabhupāda: And discovery: The thing is already there; I simply find it out. So invention and discovery practically convey the same idea.

Philosophy Discussion on Aristotle:

Hayagrīva: ...quotations on Aristotle. Aristotle believes that God expresses Himself through matter, although he also believes that God is transcendent and separate from the universe.

Prabhupāda: He believes some way and other believes some way, so which is..., which one is correct?

Hayagrīva: He does not follow Plato's dualism of the "here" and the "there." Plato made a sharp distinction between the material universe and the spiritual universe, but Aristotle believes there is no sharp distinction because God expresses Himself in matter. Since matter is simply one of God's energies, the finite reflects the infinite.

Prabhupāda: So what is the other energy? Does he know?

Hayagrīva: He doesn't concern himself with that. He says that by knowing something of the world about us, we can know something about God.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Aristotle:

Hayagrīva: In his Ethics, Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle writes, "Moral excellence is concerned with pleasure and pain. It is pleasure that makes us do base or ignoble action, and pain that prevents us from doing noble actions. For that reason," as Plato says, "men must be brought up from childhood to feel pleasure and pain at the proper things, for this is correct education." So how does this correspond to the Vedic view of education?

Prabhupāda: Vedic view of education is, actually there is no pleasure in this material world, because we may arrange for all pleasure artificially in the material world, but all of sudden one has to die. So where is the pleasure? If you make arrangement of all pleasure and all of a sudden death comes upon you, then where is pleasure? So first of all they must, if they are intelligent, they must make arrangement that they will be able to enjoy the pleasures they have created. Otherwise, where is pleasure? It is disappointment. That is going on. They are trying to become pleased by inventing so many things, but because they are controlled by some superior element, so at any moment they will be kicked out of the pleasure platform. Then where is pleasure? Therefore the conclusion should be: there is no pleasure in this material world. If one is searching after pleasure in the material world, then it is the same thing as the animal is searching water in the desert. There is no water in the desert; it is simply illusion, and he is preparing for death. Because he is thirsty, he is searching after water, and in the wrong way he is searching water. The ultimate result will be he will die of thirst.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Hayagrīva: He believes that the cosmic order awards and punishes everyone according to merit, according to one's merit. So this is a form of belief in karma also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like we are discussing Ajāmila's, this Ajāmila is going to be punished. The Yamarāja is there, the officer is there. He has sent his men to arrest. So just like it is the father's duty if the son goes astray, in wrong way, the father is always affectionate. He tries to bring him back again home by, either by punishing or some way or some means. That is father's duty. So this is going on. Those who are in this material world, they are simply suffering on account of foolishness. So they are punished. This punishment means to correct him, to correct him to the proper position, and this is going on. So without being corrected, if one is intelligent enough, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa and revives his old constitutional position, and that is the platform of spiritual life of bliss and knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Hayagrīva: The rational natures that were made in the beginning did not always exist. They came into being when they were created.

Prabhupāda: That is not correct. The living entity is eternally existing, as God is eternally existing, the living entity who is the part and parcel of God. But the living entity, as we have several times..., being a small spark, sometimes the illumination is extinguished or stopped for the time being, but he is eternally existing, changing the body, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), after the destruction of the body. The material life means the body is destructed, one body after another, but the living being is eternally existing, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: He says this on the one hand, and on the other hand he says it's a gift, not a punishment.

Prabhupāda: Yes, gift you can take. If you take it that it is given by God, so it is gift. "God has given me this body for punishment. It is His mercy that undergoing punishment I am becoming purified, making progress towards God." The devotees, they think like that. Although it is punishment, they take it as reward, because by undergoing the punishment he is making progress towards God-realization. In that sense it is a gift. Gift actually means something given by somebody. So when it is given by God for our correction, it can be taken as gift.

Philosophy Discussion on George Berkeley:

Hayagrīva: Well, in what way is God concerned with the moral or immoral actions of man? Is God indifferent to them, or has He simply set the laws of nature in motion and allowed men to follow their own course and reap the fruit of their own karma?

Prabhupāda: The nature's course is that because we have disobeyed God, therefore we are thrown into this material world under the supervision of the material nature to correct him. So, so long he is in the material world, there is distinction between moral and immoral. Although both of them are material, it has, actually has no meaning, moral or immoral. But in the material world that conception is there, moral or immoral. But when one is in the spiritual world, there is no such thing as immoral; everything is moral. Just like gopīs, they were others' wives, but they were coming to Kṛṣṇa in dead of night. That is immoral. But because they are coming to Kṛṣṇa, it is not immoral. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no such thing as moral or immoral. Everything is moral. In the material world there must be moral and immoral; otherwise this material transaction cannot go properly.

Hayagrīva: So much for Berkeley. (end)

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Hayagrīva: He, he says, "God Himself is involved in our acts and their issues. Not only does He matter to us, but we matter to Him."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is one sense correct. Because we are fallen condition and we are sons of God, so we are suffering. God is very much compassionate; therefore He comes personally to teach us: "You rascal, why you are rotting in this material world? You surrender to Me and go back to home, back to Godhead, you will be happy." Therefore He is consulting. Otherwise why He comes from Vaikuṇṭha? Everyone, just like a son is rotting in his own way, but the father comes: "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? You come home. You have got state. You will live there comfortably." But he does not come. That is his misfortune.