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Darkness (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"darkness"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: darkness not ignorance

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

The guru means he gives light to the persons who are living in darkness. So that is the motto in our Back to Godhead paper, that "Godhead is light, and nescience is darkness. Where there is God, there is no nescience." So Kṛṣṇa or God or light, the same thing. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be no more ignorance. Just like here there is light, electric light. There is no darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

The darkness is there, but when there is light, darkness automatically goes away. Similarly, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then darkness of life immediately goes away. And that is required in human life. The animal life means full of darkness, and the human life, although full of darkness, it can be dissipated. So our request is—we are pushing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement everywhere all over the world—just to drive away the darkness of ignorance and come to the light of knowledge. So this center is open for this purpose. I request you, all of you, to take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be enlightened and be happy in your life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

So energy is not different from the energetic. Śakti-śaktimatayor abhedam. There is no difference. Just like the sun and the sunshine, or heat of the sun. Heat of the sun and the sunshine, or heat of the sun. Heat of the sun and the sunshine, they appear to be different from the sun, but actually it is not, because they are simultaneous. Wherever there is sun, there is heat and light. Or wherever there is heat and light, there is sun. In the morning, when you see that it is now clear, there is no more darkness, immediately you understand that there is sunrise. So this svānubhāva, when there is no darkness in your heart... Svānubhāva. What is Kṛṣṇa, when you understand fully within your heart, at that time your actual liberation is attained.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Śravaṇam means to hear, to receive the knowledge. And next, kīrtanam, means to distribute, to describe the knowledge. Yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam adhyātma-dīpam (SB 1.2.3). Dīpam means lamp. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is just like the lamp in the darkness to see Kṛṣṇa, or God. Adhyātma-dīpam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Gṛha andha-kūpam. Andha. Andha means blind or darkness. So our materialistic way of life is described as gṛha andha-kūpam. The family life is just like a dark well. We are already in the darkness, and another darkness is to fall in the dark well. If one falls down in the dark well, it is very difficult to get out because he may cry very loudly and people may not hear.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

A coconut shell, within and without. Within the coconut shell it is darkness, and without it is light. Similarly, this universe is just like the coconut. We are within. As in within coconut there is water, half water, similarly, within this universe there is half water. On that water, Lord Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is lying.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Electricity is required. But in the spiritual world there is no necessity of light. They're self effulgent. Therefore tamo 'ndham. Those who are actually serious about going out of this darkness and come to the light, tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in this darkness. Come to the light."

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

So anyone who is very serious... Atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham. Those who are actually serious to go out of this darkness to light, for them this is the lamp. Just like in darkness, if you are helped with a lamp, "Please come this way. Come this way," so you can come out of the darkness. Similarly, atititīrṣatām, one who wants to get liberation from this darkness, for them this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Saṁsāriṇām... Karuṇayā. This is the business of the saintly persons. They are very much compassionate to these materialistic men, saṁsāriṇām. Saṁsārī means they are perpetually rotating, wandering, within this darkness in different forms of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
(CC Madhya 19.151)

We are wandering. The modern education system has no knowledge. They simply know that "This life is everything. Waste this life by sense gratification, because after death everything is void. Now I have got this body. Body means the senses. So enjoy my senses."

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Just like ātmā, the soul, is within this body, but due to our darkness knowledge, insufficient knowledge, we cannot understand ātmā, Paramātmā. We cannot understand. So in the darkness, as you require a torchlight, similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is just like the torchlight. You can see ātmā and Paramātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Dīpam means light, lamp. So why it is required? Atititīrṣatām. Just like light is required by a person who wants to go through the darkness but go to the light. Suppose here is light and there is tunnel, and in the tunnel you require some light, to go to the other part of the light. Similarly, this world, this material world, is full of darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

That is the difference between material world and spiritual world. Material world means darkness wherein you cannot understand what is God, what you are. That is material world. They are very busy in this material world, but they do not know where they are going. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Actually, they are darkness. The material world is darkness. The so-called scholars and teachers, they are also in the darkness, and they are leading other people in the darkness. Because it is darkness, therefore we require sunshine, moonshine and this electricity. As soon as it is covered, the sun is covered, you can experience it is darkness. At night it is darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Actually, it is darkness. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, He has arranged the light. But there is another world where there is no need of, na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). There is another world where there is no need of these things lighting agent, either sunshine or moonshine. But God is so kind that in each and every universe, it is full of darkness. Now, you see how brilliant sun is there. This is His kindness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

It is necessary, atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham: one who is sober to think that "Why we are put into the darkness?" We require light. Unless God gives us the light, sunlight, we are always in night. We cannot see. Tamo 'ndham. So those who are intelligent, that "Why shall I remain in this darkness? If there is light..." Just like in daytime, if there is a dark room we are staying, and if we hear that "Why I shall stay in the darkness? There is light, enough sunlight, outside," immediately we will be busy, "let me go to the light. Why shall I remain in this dark room?" Similarly, the sober man, intelligent man, he will think that "I am put into this material world, which is full of darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is required for such intelligent person who wants to go out of this darkness to light. The Vedic information is that, tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that "Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light." So when one becomes inquisitive how to go to the light, for him the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is required.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Ati, desiring to overcome, atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham, this darkness, the position in darkness. Who are in the darkness? Why these people are in the darkness? Saṁsāriṇām. They are undergoing the punishment. Because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they have defied the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa, they are put into the darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

It is very difficult. Because they are not fit to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is especially meant for persons who are eager to go out of this darkness, especially. Not only that person. But still, everyone is in darkness. We are trying. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt...

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

Atititīrṣatām. That is human civilization, how to get out of this darkness of ignorance. Not the dogs and cats jumping in very jubilant, "I am a big dog. Let me jump over." This is not civilization. That is animal civilization. They are jumping naked, we are jumping dressed. That's all. That is the difference.

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

So long we have got this bodily concept of life, "Let me enjoy this body, senses..." Body means the senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. So long one is in the darkness, his predominant feature of enjoyment is the senses. That's all. "Let me enjoy. I have got this tongue. Let me whole day go to the restaurant, cut throat of this animal, that animal, and enjoy, and let him go to hell. Let me enjoy." This is jihvā-lobha.

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

They do not know, completely in darkness. Tamo 'ndham. Therefore those who are eager to cross over the ocean of ignorance, for them, these instructions are there. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam (SB 1.2.4). You have to go in the paramparā system, submission, tapasya, jñāna. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. So by jñāna, by knowledge, by tapasya, you have to make progress. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

At that time you can see sun. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, and you can see the world. But at the darkness you cannot force. You have no such searchlight, scientific advancement, that you can force. Similarly, if you cannot force a material object like sun to abide by your orders, how you can make God forced to come down? So He comes down at His own will, not by your word. God is not like that.

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

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

Just like if you, from darkness of night, if you come to the sunlight, it is light of course, but sunshine or sunlight, if you go up with your airplane, "Now I shall live in the sunshine or sunlight and travel for millions of years...," you cannot travel millions of years. One day or three days or four days, then you come back again to this... If you can approach the sun planet, then there is stay.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

So when human life is there, at least, one must be awakened to this consciousness, that actually "I am not happy." That is the beginning of human life, not to remain in darkness like cats and dog. He is unhappy in every respect, in every step, and still, he is thinking, "I am happy." Cats, dogs, hogs, their whole day working, day and night, and for some food, and sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Uttamam means udgata tamaṁ yasmād. This material world is called tamaḥ. Therefore Vedic advice is tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in this darkness. Try to go to the light." Jyotir gama.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

This material world is ignorance, darkness. Because he, people have no knowledge of that Kṛṣṇa is providing everyone food. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That is the injunction of the Vedas, that one supreme one is supplying food to everyone. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. So Kṛṣṇa is supplying everyone. Nobody has to starve.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Tattva-jñāna, there is no difference, tattva-jñāna, but there are different angles of vision, angles of..., brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate, but the different capacity. This I have explained many times. Just like from darkness you come to the light, tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ, come to the light. So the example is, just like you are in dark room, and your friend or you want to come to the light, come to the sunlight. So this tattva-jñāna, light, is also the sunshine, has connection with the sun. And paramātmā, brahmeti paramātmeti and bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

This material education, they're simply expansion of the opulence of māyā, illusion. Suppose if I am darkness, in darkness, if the darkness becomes more and more deeper, is it advancement? The darkness, there must be light. Then it is advancement. But if, if the, if there is little darkness, if you make it more and more dark, then is that advancement? So here it is actually... The advancement of so-called material education is making the people more and more attached to this material world.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

To reach Viṣṇu. But they do not know the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. Anyone, or any society who does not know the aim of life, they are in the darkness. Actually, at the present moment especially, the whole human society has missed the point. They are trying to be happy by material adjustment.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

Beyond this material world. This material world is tama, darkness. So if one is very serious to inquire about the world of light, for him there is need of guru, not for ordinary person. Guru, we should not make a guru as a fashion. Everyone makes a guru, "Let me have a guru also, any kind of..." No. That is not required. Guru is required by somebody who is serious to know about the transcendental world, the world of light. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The world of jyoti. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candra (BG 15.6). That world, where there is no need of sun, moon, electricity.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

Mahat-sevām, serving the pure devotee, is the path of liberation. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if we become too much sexually inclined, then it is the path of darkness. Two paths are there. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Not only to become personally very much sexually inclined, if you associate with a person who is sexually inclined, then you will fall down in the hell. Yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Although... Because he does not know, he wants to squeeze out the energy of the body to enjoy this matter. That is called modes of passion. And modes of ignorance, they have neither passion nor goodness in the modes of darkness of life. And mode of, modes of goodness is that in that position we can understand, at least theoretically, "What I am, what is this world, what is God, what is our interrelation?" This is the, I mean, stage of the modes of goodness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

This material world is tama, ignorance, darkness. And Kṛṣṇa is beyond this material world; therefore He is called para. Para means transcendental. So uttama-śloka. So when we offer our prayers to Kṛṣṇa, they are not ordinary words. Therefore those who are not liberated soul, they cannot offer prayers actually.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

The māyā, just like shadow and light, they're side by side. A little crossing the marginal line between shadow and light, you are in the darkness. Similarly, a little crossing of the marginal line from the darkness to light, you are in light.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa, or as soon as you want to utilize Kṛṣṇa for your sense gratification, it is immediately māyā, darkness. And as soon as you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, immediately it is light. So if we keep ourself on this side, light side, always serving Kṛṣṇa, then there is no possibility of our being in contact with māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:

Goodness means intelligence, prakāśa. And ignorance means darkness. In darkness, we cannot see what is what. So goodness means light. Anyone can see that there are 8,400,000 species of life or forms of life. They are getting their food. They are getting their shelter. They are satisfying their sex.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

As soon as you deviate from devotional service, immediately the māyā is standing. She'll capture you. You can see practically. There is sunshine, and just next to the sunshine, there is darkness or shadow. So little deviation from the sunshine there is shadow. And little deviation from the shadow, you go to the sunshine. Both things are side by side, māyā and Kṛṣṇa. Māyā means absence of Kṛṣṇa. Shadow means absence of light, sunshine. So if you always keep in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no shadow of māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa is just like sunshine and māyā is just like darkness. So wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be any possibility of darkness. So you keep always yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then there is no possibility of māyā. And māyā means to engaged in fruitive activities.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

As soon as the Kṛṣṇa sun is arisen within one's heart, the darkness of materialistic speculations about the Absolute Truth and the living beings is at once cleared off. In the presence of the sun, the darkness cannot stand, and the relative truths that were hidden within the dense darkness of ignorance become clearly manifested by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, who is residing in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.11), the Lord says that in order to show special favor to His pure devotees, He personally eradicates the dense darkness of all misgivings by switching on the light of pure knowledge within the heart of a devotee."

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Therefore, because of the Personality of Godhead taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain in darkness."

Prabhupāda: So there is no question that a devotee will remain in darkness. Sometimes it is argued that mostly devotees are not very much educated. It doesn't matter. This external, academic education has no value for spiritual advancement. So here it is said, ahaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvasthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone, and if every, anyone is purified, Kṛṣṇa takes charge and He instructs.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Pradyumna: "He comes to know everything of the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach."

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

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

One way it is rolling to roll the thread, and another it is giving way to the thread. Similarly, we can lead in two ways, our life, either towards liberation or towards darkness of bondage. This, our human life, by gradual evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. Now we can move it two ways, either towards liberation or towards bondage. We do not know, modern education.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

To understand the Absolute Truth, even brahma-darśanam, Absolute Truth, you have come to the light, not in the darkness. If you want to see the sun at least, then you have come to the sunshine. Not that in the dark room, closing your doors, you can see sunshine. You have to come out. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Therefore the Vedic injunction is "Don't remain in the darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

Come out to see the light." Just like in the morning, somebody is sleeping, closing his doors and windows tightly, and he's sleeping, snoring. Although it is ten o'clock, daytime, he thinks it is night going on. And he's enjoying sleeping. This is darkness. Rascal. And, those who are advanced, they rise early in the morning at four o'clock: "Now there will be sunshine. Prepare." That is the difference. The same human being: one is in the darkness, one is in the passion, and one is in the goodness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

If you remain in ignorance and passion, you cannot see, you cannot know. You can go on with your so-called rascaldom talks about God, but it is not possible. You cannot understand God, or Absolute Truth, by eating meat, drinking and having illicit sex and gambling. No, that is not possible. Then you'll have to remain in the darkness for good, and next life you'll again become cats and dogs, that's all.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving this great opportunity to the human society. They're training them how to become a brāhmaṇa, we are giving them all important Vedic literature, translated into English and other. This is the greatest boon to make human life successful. But if the people want to remain in darkness, then what can we do? But not that everyone wants to remain in darkness. So many people are coming forward and taking this movement seriously.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Nobody will improve. And actually we have seen that so many people, they're very much accustomed to attend the Bhāgavata-saptāha, but they remain in the same darkness as they were. No improvement. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

If one indulges in these affairs, he cannot come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, neither the things will be revealed to him. He'll remain in the darkness. Simply by academic scholarship, it is impossible to understand what is Vedas, what is Bhāgavata, what is Bhagavad-gītā.

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

Actual life, this human form of life, is meant for to get out of this darkness of material world. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. This is the information, Vedic information: "Don't remain in this darkness." Darkness, this, this material world is dark. Just like night. It was dark. actually it was dark. And because the sunshine is there, now we are seeing each other. Actually it is dark. And dark also—ignorance.

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

We do not know what is the aim of life. Therefore, the whole world is darkness. And the Vedic information is: "Do not remain in the darkness. Come to the light." But that education is wanting. That is called mukti, to get out of the darkness of ignorance and darkness of this material world. So mumukṣava, if one is serious to go out of this darkness to the light, then his duty is to...

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

The mukti means to go out of this ignorance of the darkness of this material world. But Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says, mama janmani janmani. He doesn't want to stop even punar janma. Kṛṣṇa says mukti means no more birth, no more accepting this material body, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani janmani, "life after life."

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

People in general, they do not know it. That is ignorance. This material world is full of ignorance. Therefore it is called tamas. Tamas means darkness. We do not know. The human civilization, at the present moment at least, it is always... At the present moment, it is completely in darkness that they do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Everyone is very intelligent.

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

This is material world. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said: avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. This manifestation of energy is full of ignorance. The nature of this world is called darkness, tamasi, tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. So sad-asad-rūpayā cāsau guṇa, guṇamaya aguṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa, when He's called aguṇa, or nirguṇa, that means He's not affected by these material modes of nature. Above material nature. We are affected.

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

One who knows Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, ādi-puruṣam, ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33), his knowledge is perfect. If one thinks Kṛṣṇa as one of the products of this material word, then his knowledge is imperfect. He's still in the darkness of this material creation.

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

So those who are in the darkness of this material creation, they consider Kṛṣṇa as one of the human beings. As a great scholar says, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), the scholar points out that "It is not to Kṛṣṇa. It is the..., it is up to the inner soul which is within Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

Everyone has seen. From the very morning, we see sunshine, and at night also, when there is darkness, there is no sun, we see moonshine. So sunshine, moonshine—Kṛṣṇa says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So as soon as I see the sunshine and moonshine, I see God. What is the difficulty? Śabdaḥ khe.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

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

One who is inquisitive to understand uttamam, beyond this darkness. Because anything you inquire about material things, that is darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Uttama. Tama, tama means darkness. Ut. Ut means udgatam.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Brahman is compared with the sunshine, light. Sunshine is light, and Brahman is light. How? Light, what is the difference between light and darkness? Light, the difference of light and darkness is... Just like at the present moment it is darkness. We cannot see things rightly. Although we have got very lightening arrangement, artificial electricity, still, we do not see things as they are. Suppose you go up to your roof, and if you want to see, find out some friend's house, you cannot see. This is darkness. Darkness means you do not understand things as it is. But in the sunlight you can see everything.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Don't keep yourself in darkness. Try to come out of the darkness and see the light. See the light. So... Now, here Vyāsadeva says that "I have seen the light, but still I am not happy." So that means even one who has realized Brahman but has not ultimately realized what is the ultimate end of Brahman, still there is no happiness. Still there is (no) happiness.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)

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

First of all you must know what you are and what is your business, what is your destination, what is your aim of life. Then begin work, begin religious, become economic developer and so on, so on, so many things. But if you are in darkness to understand yourself, then what is the meaning of this accumulation of wealth or so-called religion, and so-called economic devel... No.

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

Every human being is under some quality of the material nature. Some of them are in darkness, or ignorance. Some of them are in passion. And some of them are mixed ignorance and passion. And some of them are in light, or goodness. Not all in the same level.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

Now it is your choice. It is your choice. But we must know that "What is my condition." If I am in darkness, I do not understand what is, in what condition I am living, this is conditional life. That's... Everyone can understand. That Sanātana Gosvāmī understood. And we should follow the footprints of Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

māyā is strong always. Just like I was explaining this morning what is māyā. Māyā is already there, side by side, Kṛṣṇa and māyā. Just like this light. This side is light; this side is darkness. Take this example. This light, the one side is very bright; another side is dark. So this darkness and this light is always side by side.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

At the present moment, the number of interested people are very, very small. That is the difference. Kali-yuga. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He inaugurated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that people in this age are no more interested in their value of life. They are in darkness. Therefore Vaiṣṇava, under the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, should go door to door, country to country, town to town, and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness for their benefit.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

If we think of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), the mirror of our heart becomes cleansed. The rajas..., rajas means dust, and tamas means darkness. Due to dark dust... Suppose you have to see one mirror. If it is covered with dust, you cannot see. So rajas means the dust, and cannot see, it is darkness, that is tamas. So bhakti-yoga, you can see within the mind clearly everything.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

The Vyāsadeva saw two things: Kṛṣṇa, the puruṣaṁ pūrṇam; and His illusory energy. So this illusory energy is not controller of Kṛṣṇa. Just like darkness. Darkness, you have got experience. Here at night we are experiencing darkness, but there is no darkness in the sun. The sun is there in the sky. Because the sun is not here, therefore it is darkness. But as soon the sun will appear in the morning, there will be no more darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

You haven't got to drive away darkness by some separate endeavor. You simply get the Kṛṣṇa sun (to) rise up, then your darkness will go out. This māyā will go. If you remain without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is said, yayā sammohito jīva. You will be revealed that illusion. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

Vyāsadeva saw the pūrṇaṁ puruṣam. Pūrṇaṁ puruṣaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. And he saw māyā also, but māyā is not conquering over him. Because Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇam, māyā cannot conquer. In full light there cannot be darkness. Any amount of darkness, you put before the sunshine, there is no possibility... It cannot stand. Within the sun globe, within the orbit of the sun, any amount of... Because the sun globe is so big and the orbit is so big that the whole universal darkness you bring there, there will be no darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

Just imagine. It is not imagine; it is fact. The universal darkness, all the darkness of the universe, you bring before the sun, it will not effect. It cannot effect. Because the sun is full light. It is not that imitation light. Here we have got this imitation light. The big amount of cloud is there. Immediately it will be dark. But sunlight is full light. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-puruṣam.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

Apāśrayam: standing at the background, cannot come in front. Just like the same example: the darkness cannot come in front of... You stand before, facing your mouth towards the sun. The darkness will be the background, not in front. Similarly, the darkness, māyā, cannot stand before Kṛṣṇa. She is always behind. Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

When one becomes humble, when actually one understands that he is fool number one, he has to go to guru to understand the value of his life. Then he is intelligent. And so long he keeps himself in the darkness, that "I know everything. Who is richer than me? Who is learned than me? Who is powerful than me? I am this, I am that," that means he is rascal. Abodha-jataḥ. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jataḥ. So long we keep ourself in this misunderstanding that "I know everything. I am very great person," then whatever he is doing, it is his defeat.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

Vāsudeva means who stays everywhere. Vasati sarvatra. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So Vāsudeva is there. So Brahmā was, although there was nobody else except Brahmā, he was in the darkness. Still, Vāsudeva was there. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna (BG 18.61). So He gave the knowledge. Tene brahma. Brahma means Vedic knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

Uttamam means udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt. Tamam means darkness. This world is darkness. Everyone, we know, as this material world is dark. And because it is dark there is need of the sunshine, there is need of the moonshine, there is need of electricity, there is need of fire. Because it is constitutionally dark. And the Vedic injunction is tamasi mā: "Don't remain in darkness." Jyotir gama: "Go to the light."

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

We should remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Otherwise we shall continue the life of darkness, uttamam. Udgata. Tama, darkness. You have to pass over this darkness. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Here in the dark... Just like in the darkness if you walk, in every step there is danger. Every step there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. If you want to avoid this dangerous life in darkness, then you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

Māyā is andhakāra. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra. The sūrya, as soon as there is sunshine, the darkness automatically goes away. So if you keep Kṛṣṇa always in view in your brain, within your heart... Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you simply keep Kṛṣṇa within the heart... Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Then your life is success. Otherwise, in the darkness, there is always danger in every step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet, which is compared with a boat, plavam, then he has nothing to fear from this material ocean of darkness. And this place, this material world, which is darkness, and where there is danger, step by step... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. Teṣām, for them, it is not for them. It is for the persons who want to remain in the darkness. And one who does not want to remain in darkness, for him, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). He has to take shelter of the bona fide guru.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

If you are serious about not remaining in darkness, as it is said in the Vedas, tamasi mā jyotir gama. If you take this instruction of Vedas... Vedic instruction you have to take. Otherwise you'll suffer. That is Vedas. Why Veda is there? To give you intelligence. Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karila (CC Madhya 20.117).

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

It requires little brain. Just like as soon as in the morning you see no more darkness, it is now..., there is light, immediately you can understand there is sun, sunrise is there. Similarly, as soon as you see the world order is going on very nicely, there must be God. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: "Under My direction," Kṛṣṇa said. He personally said, and if you have got intelligence, you should understand also. But if you are dull rascal, then you cannot understand. Therefore, here it is said, "You dull rascal, you do not know that Kṛṣṇa is covered by a curtain given by māyā."

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

Unless one develops the light of knowledge, sattva-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa is the light of knowledge. Rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is darkness. Ignorance and passion. In this stage one cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. Ajñā. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19).

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

As we have discussed in Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, those who are infected with the two kinds of material modes, means rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are simply busy, kāma and lobha. They are busy only... Those who are passionate, they are simply busy for sense gratification, and those who are in ignorance, in darkness, they have no eyes to see.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Uttamam. Uttamam means this which is above this darkness. This whole world is darkness. So one who wants to go above darkness... Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The Vedic injunction is: "Don't keep yourself in darkness. Go to the light." That light is Brahman, brahma-jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Los Angeles, April 20, 1973:

Sun is equal. One has to take advantage of it. The sunshine is there open, but if you close your door, if you want to keep yourself in airtight darkness, that is your business.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. There is no darkness. Can you expect any darkness in the sun planet? No. There is no possibility. Sun planet is always bright. So similarly, this is the example of the spiritual world, the sun planet, kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Everything is there. So if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there cannot be any darkness. There cannot be any ignorance. There cannot be any sinful life. Everything bright, everything peaceful.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

Whole night, they struggle to enjoy the lamp. And in the morning all dead. All dead. This is their life. So we are thinking that we are better situated. No, we are not better situated. Our, the principle is the same, that you come here, you accept a certain type of body, and whole night, or whole life... Night means ignorance, darkness. So in ignorance you go on struggling whole life, and then you become dead, finished. The same thing.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

Just like when the sun is there, there cannot be any darkness. Similarly, if you keep kṛṣṇa sūrya, the Kṛṣṇa sun... That is our motto in the Back to Godhead: kṛṣṇa sūrya sama māyā andhakāra. Kṛṣṇa is just like brilliant sunshine, and the māyā, ignorance, is just like darkness. But when or while or where the sun is there, there cannot be any darkness. Similarly, you keep Kṛṣṇa in consciousness always, there cannot be any ignorance; there cannot be any darkness.

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

Kṛṣṇa was sitting, and they were complaining. They were seeing the bodily feature, how Kṛṣṇa is feeling. So other ladies complaining, "Mother Yaśodā, your son comes to our house and steals butter. You see. We try to conceal them in a darkness so that this boy cannot see. But still He finds out. So better you take away all His ornaments because the jewel, light of the jewel, helps Him to find out the butter pot." So Yaśodā said, "Yes, I'll do that. I'll take away all these ornaments. Yes." Then they say, "No, no, it is useless. Oh, this boy has got some effulgence of Himself. Without ornaments He can, He can also find out."

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973:

When you forget Kṛṣṇa, this is māyā. When we remember Kṛṣṇa, know Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. Just like you have experience that you go through the cloud and then come to the sunshine, there is no more cloud. So below the cloud there is darkness, there is... We cannot see the sun. So the sunshine is profuse sunshine. Not that cloud can cover the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading.

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

Tama means this darkness. This world, this material world... Just like it is dark now. Therefore the country on the part of the world which is always covered by darkness... Already there is darkness, and if again that country does not get the facility of sunshine, it is considered that that country is condemned. It is shastric injunction.

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

Just like in the sky, there is one moon only and there are millions of stars. They're useless. What is the value of the millions of stars? But one moon, oh, dissipate the whole darkness of night. Similarly, at least those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become, each of you become a moon and enlighten the world.

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

The demons, as they want to forget Kṛṣṇa, or they do not like to understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa plays something like that so that they will be more convinced that Kṛṣṇa is not God, Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān. They will remain in darkness forever. Kṛṣṇa gives chance to everyone.

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

Tama means darkness. Here they are so-called scholars, big big professor, scientist, and... but they are in the darkness, tama. Tama means darkness. They do not know what they are. Ask any scientist, any philosopher, "What you are?" He will say, "I am this body. I am Indian. I am American. I am white. I am black. I am this. I am that. I am Christian. I am Hindu." He will say. But all these designation is outward, external. Eho bāhya, āge kaha āra. But everyone is going on, big, big man, identifying himself with this body. So they are all fools, tama, in darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

Tamas means darkness, and the symptom of tamo-guṇa is laziness and sleep. Those who are lazy and sleeping, you must know he's under the influence of tamo-guṇa. And rajo-guṇa, always acting foolishly. Just like these people are running. They're rajo-guṇa. But actually in this world there are two guṇas-rajas and tamas, ignorance and foolishly active. Foolish active is very dangerous.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

One who's acting foolishly, he's in rajo-guṇa, and one who does not know what is the meaning of life, simply laziness and darkness, that is tamo-guṇa. So those who are in the tamo-guṇa, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. So they will go to the again to the animal kingdom.

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

Just for the learning of the human society. So they can learn it. Cats and dogs cannot read these Bhāgavata or Bhagavad-gītā. It is meant for human society. 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.

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

Kṛṣṇa is present, but because we want to see with our material eyes, therefore we claim this, that "I want to see Kṛṣṇa." He does not accept that he has no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. But with his blunt eyes, he wants to see Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Kṛṣṇa is there. The sun is there in the sky, but the person who is in darkness at night, he wants to see sun. He is in darkness. Otherwise one who can fly from this country to other country, he can see immediately the sun is there.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

The material nature is going on in three modes, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. It is up to you if you associate with tamo-guṇa, then you become next life animal or tree or fish. There are so many degraded condition. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are in the darkness modes of material nature, they go down, adhaḥ. Adho gacchanti, degraded.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

It is the business of the guru... Because everyone is blind or in darkness, cannot see, so it is the guru's business to open his eyes, or to help him to see things as they are. That is guru's business. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is covered by the darkness of ignorance. So how darkness can be moved? If there is light.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

Everything is dark because the light, sun, is not there. In the morning, as soon as the sun is there, again everything you can see. So things are there. Because we are in the darkness of ignorance, we cannot see them properly. I am there, you are there, God is there, everything is there. Simply we have to get the light or the proper situation to see things as they are. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

Vedic literature therefore advises that if you want... First of all Vedas advises, "Don't keep yourself in the darkness." Tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't keep yourself in the darkness." This is human life. In the human life... In the animal life you kept yourself in darkness because there was no possibility of come to the light.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

Those who are in darkness, tamaḥ, completely in darkness, do not know anything. Exactly like the child does not know what is his actual interest. Know to..., not. Generally, everyone who is in this material world, he does not know what is actually, what thing he should capture. He does not know. That is the difficulty. Mūḍha.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). First of all you have to take to take to the Vedic literature for real knowledge. And when you come to the platform of real knowledge, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Before knowing Kṛṣṇa, you are in darkness. You are in darkness. Because it is said, vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Veda means knowledge. The ultimate goal of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And therefore it is called Vedānta.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

So when a human becomes jijñāsu, inquisitive, śreya uttamam... Śreya means ultimate goal of life, and uttamam... Uttamam. Tama means darkness. Tama means darkness. Not in the darkness, but uttamam. Udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt. When he transcends this darkness field of activities... Tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness activities. Come to the light activities." So when one becomes inquisitive for the light activity, he is human being. He's called jñānī. The karmīs, they are in darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

Just like everything, in science also, there is theoretical and practical. So karmī is in the darkness. Actually, nicely dressed cats and dogs. That is karmī. And jñānī, who understands the futility of simply being engaged for the bodily comfort... He understands, "After all, the body will not stay. So why I am wasting by this way, if there is another business?" That is jñānī. And yogi means who practically endeavors.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

The one is Kṛṣṇa, and māyā is secondary. Just like light. Light and darkness. Darkness is not first; light is first. And darkness means where there is no light. Where there is no light, that is darkness. Similarly, darkness has no separate existence. It is simply absence of light. That's all. Real existence is light. The whole creation is... Just like real existence is the sun. Try to understand, very easy. Sun, but when it is covered by the cloud, it is called darkness. Or it is covered by another planet, then we find darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Everything is spiritual. Spiritual means īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything belonging to God. But when we think that "There is no God, I am God," or "It is mine," that is darkness. This consciousness is darkness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to be situated above this material conception.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Ultimately, that mental speculator remains in darkness, but he thinks that he has become liberated. This is another darkness. Another darkness. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. He Aravindākṣa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Actually, they are not liberated, not liberated. They are in darkness. Because he is foolishly thinking that he has become God. How you can become God? What is your power? What you have shown like God? We accept God, Kṛṣṇa, Lord Rāmacandra, and others, by seeing His activities. Kṛṣṇa, at the age of seven years old, He lifted Govardhana mountain. Govardhana-dhārī, Giridhārī.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa dictated that "You are sitting here very peacefully without any botheration. No, you go to the Western countries. Teach them." So that is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to render service to the ignorant of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is better, because Vyāsadeva saw that māyā, illusory energy, or the shadow, darkness... Yayā sammohito jīva. The whole world, living entity, conditioned soul, they're bewildered by this māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

We are in the darkness, ignorance, and so many other things, corollaries to these things. Rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni itas tataḥ. Just see. Five thousand years ago this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written, the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Now you see that, itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-snāna. Now everywhere, all over the world, the young boys and girls, they have no fixture where they'll live, where they'll take their bath, where they'll eat or how, or how they'll have sex. No. These are preliminary necessities of life. One must have a good place to live.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

If you are situated in the modes of goodness, then you can be promoted to the higher planetary systems. And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ, and if you are in the modes of passion, then you'll remain within this bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, three worlds. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ, and if you are simply in darkness, you do not know how to enjoy spiritual life or material life, just like cats and dogs, then you are degraded. You take the body of trees, plants, lower animals, insects, worms of the stool, and so many things. So one should know that.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-2 -- New York, April 19, 1973:

Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific, authorized, so our business is to enlighten people as far as possible, and at the same time we must remain enlightened. We may not be again covered by the darkness of māyā. That we should be... That you can keep yourself very fit not to be covered by the māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If you very strictly adhere to the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then māyā will not be able to touch you.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

One who is inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, uttama. Uttama means... Ut means transcendental, and tama means the darkness. This world is dark. Just like at night now because there is no more sunshine, it is dark. Actually it is dark. Simply by sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire, in this way we keep it glittering. Otherwise, it is dark.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Against this there is another world who is full of light. Because unless there is light, there cannot be darkness. We cannot understand what is darkness unless there is light. Or we cannot understand light unless there is darkness. So because this world is dark, therefore, you can conclude by logical argument there must be another world which is full of light. That is not very difficult to understand.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Just like here is light, the other wall is darkness. So because this world is dark, tama, there must be another world which is full of light. Not only your logical conclusion, but it is confirmed by the Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

It is information is there that there is another nature which is sanātana, eternal. This nature, this material nature, darkness, is not eternal, temporary. Just like your body, my body, everyone's body is temporary. Similarly, this universe, this gigantic body, this is also temporary.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

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

We have to be engaged only in spiritual activities. But those who are not interested in self-realization, there must be some engagement. There are two things, Kṛṣṇa or māyā. Just like darkness and light. Where there is Kṛṣṇa there is no darkness. Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama, māyā haya andhakāra: "Māyā is just like darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is just like sunlight." So as soon as there is sunlight, there is no darkness. Just like this is night. What does it mean, night? Means there is no sunlight. Sunlight is there in other part of this globe, but here there is no sunlight; therefore it is darkness.

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

So everything has become professional. So therefore people are in darkness. One should be very serious, serious to understand the teachings of Bhāgavatam. Then he will actually make profit and make a successful life. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. This... Nityābhiyuktānām.

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

Tamo-guṇa is meat-eating, drinking. These are tamo-guṇa, in the darkness. So the Vedas has given chance to them, "All right, you want to eat meat? All right, you eat meat. But offering to the goddess Kālī." Means restriction. It is not required, but the rascal will not hear immediately. Therefore give him some concession, "All right, you can eat meat by offering sacrifice..., not the cow, but one lower animal which is useless, like goats." Generally, goat and the chicken. They do that.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

Ordinary men, they do not know what kind of body they are going to get. They're in darkness. But it will be decided at the time of his death according to the mentality. God is so kind, whatever you want, He is giving you. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

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

The gross materialist, however, without any faith in the Vedic version, remains eternally in darkness, driven by a false conviction on the basis of imperfect experimental knowledge, or so-called material science, which can never reach into the realm of transcendental knowledge.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

India's mission is para-upakāra, not to exploit others but to do good to others. And what is the best thing to do? Because a human being also, he has got the opportunity to understand his position. He's kept into darkness that he is like animal and his only business is how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

Now let our Indians' leader come out. Take this movement very seriously. There will be great advantage to the people of the whole world. This kind of situation, to keep them in darkness that "I am dog," "I am hog," "I am American," "I am Indian..." No. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is real conception of life. What is the difference? If a bulldog thinks that "I am a bulldog," and if a man thinks, "I am American" or "I am brāhmaṇa," what is the difference? The real thing is knowledge.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

Our most important... athāto brahma jijñāsā. The question should be, "What I am? Am I this body or something else?" That is most important thing. That is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra knowledge, athāto brahma jijñāsā. The animals cannot ask "Whether I am dog or something else?" And if the man is kept into darkness, that he has no question, "Whether I am this or that?" then he is animal. So the most important thing according to our Vedic culture is to understand oneself, "what I am."

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

It is just like the tongue of the frogs. The frogs ... You have got experience during rainy season. They use their tongue very nicely. They sing ka-ka-kan, ka-ka-kan, ka-ka-kan.. (laughter) Yes. But what is the result of singing? The result of singing: in the darkness, the snakes, they can understand, "Here is a frog," and it comes and takes, immediately eats.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

One attachment is the path of darkness, and the other attachment is the path of light. Where there is light, there is no darkness, and where there is darkness, there is no light. But an expert devotee can turn everything to the path of light by an attitude of service to the Lord, and the best example here is the Pāṇḍavas.

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

If one is associating with tamo-guṇa, ignorance—no knowledge, in the darkness—then he is gliding down to the lower species of life: animal, birds, beast, trees, plants, aquatics, insects, serpents, so many. Adho gacchanti. Adhaḥ means going down. Tāmasāḥ. And ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18).

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

māyā is there always, and... Because unless there is darkness, you cannot appreciate the quality of brightness; therefore Kṛṣṇa has created darkness, māyā also, so that you can appreciate what is brightness. Two things are required. Without brightness, the darkness cannot be appreciated, and darkness... Without darkness, the brightness cannot be appreciated. The two things are there, side by side.

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

Just like there is sunlight, and here is shadow, side by side. You can remain within the shadow; you can remain within the sunshine. That is your choice. If we remain in the darkness, then our life is miserable, and if we remain in the light, brightness... Therefore Vedic literature instructs us, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in the dark." Jyotir gama: "Go to the light."

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

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is an attempt to bring people from darkness to the light. So don't misuse this opportunity. Some way or other, you have come in contact with this movement. Properly utilize it. Don't go to the darkness. Always remain in bright light.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

If we can understand "myself, what I am," then I can understand God also. Or if I can understand God, then I can understand me also. Just like if you see the sun, you can see yourself also. In the darkness you cannot see yourself, neither the sun.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

At night, darkness, dense darkness, you cannot see anything. I am walking in the dark, but I cannot see my hands and legs, where I am going. I am afraid: "Whether I shall fall into some ditch?" This is my position. Therefore it has to be purified.

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

Pramada. Woman's name is pramada, pramada because as soon as one woman comes before a man, he becomes agitated. Therefore woman's name is pramada. Pramada. Pramada means agitates. Kāminī. Agitates. So there the pramada uttamādyubiḥ. Uttama. Udgata-tama. Tama, this darkness, is not there. Savidyut. Savidyud abhrāvalibhir yathā nabhaḥ. When they fly in the sky it appears just like lightning in the clouds.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

This material world is described in the Vedic literature as darkness. And actually it is darkness. Therefore we require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electric light. If it had not been darkness, then why so many light arrangements? Actually, it is darkness. Artificially, we made it light. Therefore Vedic injunction is that "Don't keep yourself in the darkness." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. "Go to the light." That light is the spiritual world. That is directly the effulgence, or bodily rays, of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

The animals, they do not know. They have no capacity to know that we are in the darkness-darkness of knowledge and actually darkness. So one has to be, become nirviṇṇā, disgusted. One, intelligent man should be disgusted. One must be intelligent to know that "I am eternal." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

This is the result because they do not study Bhagavad-gītā in the proper way. We have got so many leaders, big, big leaders. They are teaching Bhagavad-gītā. But nobody is fully aware or convinced that "I am not this body." This is called darkness. This is called darkness. And when one becomes disgusted with this darkness, or this position in the darkness, that is human life. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Such person, who has become disgusted with this material existence, he requires the instruction of a guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

If you want to get relief from this duṣpārasya andhasya... We have already tried to understand that this material world is andha, andhakāra. It is simply darkness. Just see, now it is dark. Because the sun is not visible, it is just on the opposite side of the sun, therefore we are in darkness. Actually, the position of this material world is darkness. Just like here is now electric light. If the, some way or other, the current is off, it will be dark.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Everyone knows it. We require artificial light because it is darkness. So Kṛṣṇa has given this artificial light both day and night. In the day there is sunshine, and there is moonshine at night. Because without light you cannot work. Without... You are very much proud of your eyes: "Can you show me God?" So the answer will be, "Have you got the eyes to see God? You rascal, you want to see God.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Whatever we are spending, lakhs and lakhs of rupees here, in Bombay, in Māyāpura, in other places, I am getting contribution from there. This is a fact. So still, it is darkness. It is darkness, that this world... Unless you get information, this money will not save you unless you get information of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19).

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Many, many janma, many, many births we are spoiling in this darkness. We do not know that. The university education is blind, andha. They cannot give you this information that we are going to the university, we are spoiling our time simply. Spoiling, actually spoiling.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Devahūti, the same principle. She says, tasya tvaṁ tamaso 'ndhasya duṣpārasyādya pāragam, sac-cakṣur janmanām ante: "My dear Kapila, You have come as my son. But You are my guru. You are guru because You can give me information how I can cross over the nescience of darkness, of this material life." So one who is feeling the necessity of going across the dark nescience of material existence, he requires a guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Those who are interested in the matter of Brahman. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If one is interested to understand things which is beyond this darkness, he requires a guru. To keep guru is not a fashion. Just like you keep a dog or a cat as a fashion. So things should not be done like that, that "I have got a guru. I don't care for him. That's all.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Udgata tamam. If you can transcend this tamaḥ, this darkness, that is called uttama. We use this word, uttama... Uttama means very good. Generally, we take. How it is very good? When it is transcendental, above this darkness, that is called uttama.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So one who is inquisitive to inquire about that portion of God's creation which is beyond this darkness-na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is description in the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad-gītā. Uttama means there is another world, another nature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20).

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Duṣpārasya, this material world is duṣpārasya, very, very difficult to cross over it. Therefore unless one understands what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His position, where does He live, why our relation should be revived, then he's in darkness. He's darkness. But one can be enlightened by the mercy of God.

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

Nitāi: "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin and the Supreme Lord of all living entities. You have arisen to disseminate the rays of the sun in order to dissipate the darkness of ignorance of the universe."

Prabhupāda:

ya ādyo bhagavān puṁsām
īśvaro vai bhavān kila
lokasya tamasāndhasya
cakṣuḥ sūrya ivoditaḥ
(SB 3.25.9)

So there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavān. Originally, the... It is very common sense. Just like we require a leader. To organize some business, some nationality, any group of organization, it requires a leader.

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

The Devahūti says that tamasā andhasya, lokasya tamasā andhasya. Generally, all these people in this material world, lokasya, they are blind by the darkness of ignorance. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore Kapiladeva comes. When they become dark, when they become blind out of ignorance—"There is no God," "I cannot see God"—then God comes, "Here I am. See. See My feature. I am a person. I am a flute-player. I am... I enjoy in Vṛndāvana.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

One who is actually interested for spiritual life, he should inquire about a guru. Not as a fashion, that "I may... Let me keep one guru and..." No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Just like Devahūti is doing. Uttamam, something beyond this darkness. Tama means darkness, and ut means above. Uttama. That is uttama. So one who is interested... Uttama life means the spiritual life. Tama life means this material life. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. If you can transcend this darkness, the world of darkness, and if you come to the world of light, that is required.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

"You are just like the sun. Sun, when the morning the sun is arisen, then all darkness immediately gone. Similarly, You have arisen..." God, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation, when They come, the darkness of this material world, illusion, is dissipated. Just like Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, came, the darkness, illusion, Arjuna's illusion, was counteracted. He was also thinking ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). "Why shall I fight with my relatives, the other side?" So this was darkness, aham mameti (SB 5.5.8). Because either you maintain or..., or you love this illusory position, that is sammoham.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

Guru's business is that we are in the darkness of this illusion, "my" and "mine." The whole world is going on. They fight between nation and nation, between society and society, community and community, brother and brother, father and mother, or so many... Simply this ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). "This much mine. Why (they) are interfering in my business? There must be fight."

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

This is real dharma. But we do not take it. That is another thing. But if we take it, then we become benefited. So here it is said, "You are my spiritual master, although You are my son. But I accepted You as my spiritual master. I know You can deliver me from this darkness of ignorance." So atha deva sammoham apākraṣṭum: "I am attached to this material world. That is illusion." Sammoham apākraṣṭum: "Now You dissipate this sammoham."

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

The United Nations could not unite the nations, but if you push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, all people of different dimensions, of different nations, different religions, they will join. That is required. So otherwise, we are in the moha, illusion. So it is the business of guru to dissipate this illusion, darkness, and enlighten the student to the real life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

To become guru means para-upakāra. People are in the darkness, so they have to be enlightened. That is the Vedic injunction. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. Now, people, from animal kingdom we are getting this human body. So up to animal body we are sleeping, kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole, in the lap of this material nature.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

Soul... First of all you have to understand what is soul. At the present moment, people are so much in darkness, they do not understand what is soul. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā teaches first to understand what is the soul. What is the soul? Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehī, that soul.

Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:

The whole world is in darkness without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every Indian should first of all make his life successful by understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Bhagavad-gītā, and preach it all over the world. That is the Indian business.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

They have no brain that this material body is kleśada, is simply miserable. So dull brain. That is tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa means completely darkness. Just like animals. You take one animal, you cut its throat. Another animal is standing and eating grass. He does not know "The next time, next term is mine." This is animal life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

Uttamam means transcendental to this material world, which is full of darkness, ignorance. That is called ut. Ud-gata tama yasmād iti uttama. There is no more darkness, simply light. If you, at night, you inquire about something, then it is very difficult. But if you go in the daytime... And at night if you got up on your roof and want to see where is Bombay or where is Santa Cruz, it is very difficult. But daytime, you can see. Similarly, uttamam. You must go out of this darkness, come to the light, and then you will see.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

Simply it is covered by the curtain of ignorance. Just like in darkness. Everything is there. The light is there, everything is there. But as soon as it is dark, we cannot see where the things are there. So Kṛṣṇa says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Kṛṣṇa and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Kṛṣṇa personally.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

If you serve such mahātmā, just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who is always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, then your path of liberation is open. And tamo-dvāram āhur yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you associate with the materialistic persons who are after sense gratification, then your tamo-dvāram... That is the way to the darkness. The life's business is not tamo-dvāram. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Jyotir gama, go to the light. Don't remain in... This is Vedic instruction.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

We are in such darkness, and the whole world is in such darkness. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri... They are taking this body as themselves. There are so many things... So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we therefore request everyone to take advantage.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

You make your life successful by taking advantage of these scriptures and then assimilate the knowledge and preach all over the world." They are in darkness. That is being repeatedly said. But we are not taking advantage of. We are so misfortunate. We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:

In ignorance, if you accept somebody as son or wife or friend, that is darkness. It is not actual fact. It is ignorance. Tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Go to the light." Have real friendship, real fatherhood, real lover, real beloved, real son. So if... And another point is that a devotee, real devotee, he doesn't want to be the son of God. He wants to be the father of God.

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

Just like sūryodayaḥ. In the darkness... At night, we are in the darkness. In the morning there will be sūryodayaḥ, and then there will be light. So this is conclusion, that in this material world we are simply struggling for existence with a hope, future hope, that "We shall be happy by this plan." But it will never be possible. Simply you will be bewildered. Just like the animal goes to the desert, and he sees mirage, a shadow of water in the desert. He is thirsty. He goes to the water, and the water goes again, farther away.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

It is the guru's business to operate the blind cataractic eye..., eyeball, giving eyesight. So how it is done? Now, jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Just like in the darkness you cannot see. But if there is lamp, you can see. So jñāna means knowledge. You must know what is your position. There are śāstra. You read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand your position.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Just like at this time, here, you find darkness in Bombay, but the sun is present in all his different phases all over the world. Sun rises in the morning at, say, seven o'clock. So this seven o'clock to next seven o'clock, in the evening seven o'clock, you will find, if you immediately take information, somewhere it is seven o'clock, somewhere it is twelve o'clock, somewhere it is six o'clock, somewhere it is... All the time formula of the sun is present, although we are seeing there is no sun.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

We human being, if I study all the science, physics, chemistry, psychology, and other material science, soil expert... Soil expert means studying the earth, that's all. There are so many. So in spite of all these things, if we remain in the darkness of my spiritual identity, then I am no better than the cats and dogs. This is conclusion.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

So this so-called advancement of material science means that we are kept in the darkness of spiritual knowledge. We are still in the platform of animal concept of life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

Go means cow, and khara means ass. So in spite of all our educational advancement, if we remain in the darkness of bodily concept of life, then we are no better than go-khara. Go, go means cow, and... So we should not remain that. The human life is meant for above this. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is for inquiring about the soul.

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

Up to the end of the creation they have no sense that "Again I am going to in the oblivion. Again I am to remain for millions of years in darkness. Then again there will be creation. And again I shall get body." And in one millennium we are changing so many bodies. This is our problem.

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

Nitāi: "Thus, after manifesting variegatedness, the effulgent mahat-tattva, which contains all the universes within itself, which is the root of all cosmic manifestations and which is not destroyed at the time of annihilation, swallows up the darkness that covered the effulgence at the time of dissolution."

Prabhupāda:

viśvam ātma-gataṁ vyañjan
kūṭa-stho jagad-aṅkuraḥ
sva-tejasāpibat tīvram
ātma-prasvāpanaṁ tamaḥ
(SB 3.26.20)

Viśvam ātma-gatam. This body, everyone's body, is also a small universe. Whatever the arrangement is there in this body, the similar arrangement is there in the whole universe. The principle is the same.

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

In the sleeping stage he forgot himself. He is wandering in dream, some other part of the world. He forgot this body and the bodily circumstances, everything. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. That darkness of ignorance, covering, is immediately gone, and he remembers that "I will have to do this. I will have to do that. I will have to go to my office or my business place."

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

The darkness is there, and the light is also there. Simply we have to be awakened. Therefore Vedas, they instruct us that "Don't sleep! Get up!" Uttiṣṭhata prāpya varān nibodhata jāgrata. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also sings, kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole. Gauracānda means Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, "O the living entities, you get up! Be awakened!" We may say, "Now we are awakened." This is not awakened. This is also slumber in darkness of ignorance.

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

Without intelligence, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Dull-headed, poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Actually, those who are thinking they are jñānīs, they are not jñānīs. They are still in māyā, darkness, because they think that they have finished their business; now they have become liberated. They have become Nārāyaṇa.

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

Brahmā gave lessons to Nārada. Nārada gave lessons to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva gave lessons to us. This is Vyāsadeva's contribution. And if you follow this disciplic succession, then you get perfect knowledge. Otherwise, if you speculate, then you are in darkness, tamasi. What power you have got? All your senses are imperfect. How you can get perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore the injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "You must go to guru." And who is guru? This paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture on SB 3.26.40 -- Bombay, January 15, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is the worshipable Deity of the devotee. So immediately, he sees anything, because he knows it is Kṛṣṇa's energy... Just like we, generally, as soon as we see in the morning light, we can understand there is sun, immediately. There is no delay. "Now there is sun." The sun may not be visible immediately, but because the darkness is gone and there is light, although glimpse light, now we understand this is morning, and now there is sun. Similarly, a advanced devotee, because he knows everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy... So this is energy study.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

We should understand what is spirit, sat. Asato mā sad gamaḥ. This is the Vedic instruction. "Don't make much progress on the path of nonpermanent things." This is Vedic injunction. Asato mā sad gamaḥ Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't keep yourself in darkness. Make progress towards the light."

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

Those who are intelligent, they are not interested in nonpermanent life. And those who are foolish, mūḍha, they are interested in this temporary life, and they do not know what is there after death, neither they have got any knowledge what is spirit, what is matter. Ignorance. In darkness.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

Sva-dharma will be explained, and it is explained in the Bhagavad... Sva-dharma means one may be in goodness, one may be in passion, one may be in darkness, and one may be in mixture. So that is divided into four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra.

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

This material world, we are living in darkness, hṛdayāndhakāram. Our heart is dark. We do not know what is what. So if you simply concentrate on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa as it is described—there are marks—then, in contact with such vision, your hṛdayāndhakāram, the dirty things, andhakāram... Andhakāram means darkness or dirty things. That will be āhata, off, attacked: "Get out!" Āhata. Jyotsnābhir āhata-mahad-dhṛdayāndhakāram. Mahat means very great.

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

This is our material condition, that we are covered, absorbed in so many darkness, and still we want to show some intelligence. This is material existence. Therefore we always say "fools and rascals." He is... He does not know anything clearly, and simply he wants to see with imperfect eyes, imperfect instrument, microscope, telescope. What is the value of this? It is simply andhakāra. The whole world is... This is called darkness.

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

A Vedic injunction is tamasi mā: "Don't remain in this darkness." If there is light, why we shall remain in the darkness? That is intelligence. If there is light, why should we rot in the darkness? So there is light. Jyotir gamaḥ, brahmajyoti. Jyotir gamaḥ, Brahman. That Brahman world go, not this material world. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40).

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

So actually we are in the darkness. This whole world is dark. It is... It requires, therefore, the sunlight, the moonlight, the electric light, the fire, the lamp, because it is dark. Because it is dark. But there is a spiritual world where here is no need of. Na yatra bhāsyate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ.

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

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, na yatra bhāsyate sūryaḥ. There is no need of this sūrya. There is no need of sūrya. Sūrya is required, the sun is required, because this world, material world, is dark, very, very dark, dense darkness. And we are born in this darkness. Our heart is full of darkness. Simply by the Kṛṣṇa's grace there is sun, there is moon, there is fire, there is electric... Therefore we can see. Otherwise you remain in the darkness. But if you go to the spiritual world... Tamasi mā: "You don't keep yourself in this darkness; come to the light." "What is that? There is also the sun, moon?" No.

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

We are inviting, or, rather, trying to go to that world where there is no need of sun, there is no need of moon, there is no need of electricity. And somehow or other, if we can go there, yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6), then you'll haven't got to come back again in this darkness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

If you want real happiness, that is in the spiritual world. That is the verdict of Vedas. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Don't try to be happy in this darkness. But real happiness is in the light, jyotir gama. Light. The spiritual world is light. The material world is dark. It is... Because this material world is dark, therefore we require sunlight, moonlight, electricity and so many things. In the spiritual world there is no need of this sunlight, moonlight or electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no need of sun, moon, or electricity. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

We must render service to the holy, saintly person and if you want to go deeper and deeper in the darkest region of existence, then we should turn our face for sense gratification.

So the instruction is very long, so (to) make it shorter I beg to inform you that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to save person from going to the way of darkness. (break) ...go farther and farther on the path of darkness we become more and more entangled. More entanglement means: there are 8,400,000 forms of body. So after death we have to accept another body. (break) ...in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13), as we are passing from one body to another in this life... I was a child, you were a child, everyone, but that child body is no more existing.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Whole day you have to work within this darkness. And you are considered to be very expert, and you are getting good salary, but your place is in the dark mine. Why don't you...?" Similarly, his wife, she's a qualified gynecologist. So what is her business? Her business is how to kill the child within the womb—abortion. Just see. Both are experts. One expert is engaged in the hellish condition of the mine, in darkness; another expert is engaged in killing small babies within the womb.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

It is very serious situation of the present civilization. If we think... One who does not know, he's in darkness, that is a different thing. But especially in the Western countries I see that poor girls are being advertised for prostitution. What is that? Topless? Yes. Topless, bottomless and so many things. You see. Purposefully, poor girls are being utilized for sense gratification. So horrible condition.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

Not only spoiled, but their characters, they are working so hard, so after working so hard they must drink intoxication. Then after drinking, they must eat meat. After this combination, they require sex. So in this way, they're kept in the darkness. And here, these verses of Ṛṣabhadeva, he says warning. He's warning, He's speaking to his sons, but we can take the lesson.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

We can get out of all this ignorance when we are engaged in mahat-sevā. Otherwise we shall remain in the darkness. Kṛṣṇa has form, but His form is different from our, this material form.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

First thing is that this... Mukti means you have to become surrendered either to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Otherwise there is no question of mukti. And if you do not do this, if you think that eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life, that is called yoṣi saṅga, yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. What is that? Tamo-dvāram. That means you are making progress towards darkness, tamo-dvāram, hellish condition of life.

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

Every energy is woman. The spiritual energy is also woman, material energy is woman. The material energy is tamo, darkness, and the other energy is the light. Therefore Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. Don't remain under the darkness material energy. In the Caṇḍī, those who have read Caṇḍī, ya devī sarva-bhūtānāṁ nidrā-rūpena samāsthitaḥ. The material energy's business is to keep us in slumber without any pure knowledge.

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

Woman: Your Grace, I would like to know why you call the body, the material world, "darkness" and "diseased." You refer to the..., to the body as diseased and darkness, is but one necessary(?), but a different form of energy as the light. And darkness and light are but one of many aspects of the supreme form of energy.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: The question is why do you refer to the material world as darkness and as a disease?

Prabhupāda: Don't you see darkness? You require light.

Woman: Dark, yes, but darkness is but another form of light.

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

Woman: You said it in a figurative sense.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The knowledge is not perfect; therefore everyone is in darkness.

Woman: But why do you call the body and the spirit...? The spirit and the body is the polemic of light, of being, the universes.

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

Woman: Polemic. The counterpoint. You have darkness on one side, light on the other. Ignorance, if you want, in this aspect, identify this ignorance as darkness.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: I think the question is why do you consider the body as a disease?

Prabhupāda: Because there is birth, death and old age. This is disease.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- London, September 3, 1971:

Without knowledge, without identification, if we take the shelter of material energy, then we become in darkness. Tṛtīya karma-saṅga anya śaktir iṣyate. This third energy, material, I mean to say, human being, or living entity... Therefore at the present moment... There are different atmosphere. Just like here, in this house, in this temple, the spiritual energy is acting. Outside this house the material energy's acting.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

Any other so-called religious system, that is avidya—will keep you in ignorance. There is no light. And the Vedic injunction is that "Don't keep yourself in the darkness of ignorance." Tamasi mā jyoti gamaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

That jyotiḥ means to love Kṛṣṇa. And loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa is in the spiritual world. That is jyotiḥ, jyotirmāyā dhāma, self-effulgent. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). There is no darkness. Just like in the sun there is no question of darkness. The examples are here. We can understand what is jyotiḥ. We can see that there is no darkness in the sun planet. It is all glowing effulgence. Similarly, in the spiritual world there is no ignorance.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

At the present moment we are sleeping, sleeping in the darkness. Therefore to get knowledge we have to use our ears. Śravaṇam. Therefore to enter into the devotional service one has to use this ear, śravaṇam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda... And śravaṇam about whom? Śravaṇam about Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrta..., śravaṇam. They say that "You can hear anything."

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

Urd-gata-tamo hy asmat. There is no material quality. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is uttamam. Here, so long we are in the tama, tamasi mā. "Don't remain in tama, envious." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. So bhakti is uttama. When you are transcendental, above this darkness of material world, then you can accept the If you are actually interested in the uttama, something beyond this darkness of ignorance, then you accept one guru. Don't keep a guru as a fashion to satisfy your senses: "My dear guru, can you make some gold?" "Yes." "Oh, first-class guru."

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

If you are actually interested something which is beyond this tama, this darkness of material world, then you require a guru. Otherwise it is not for you. So what is the... "Yes, I am prepared that 'what is that guru?' " Tasmād... Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam, this is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam: "He knows the Vedic conclusion. He knows the Vedic conclusion." Śābde pare. There are two kinds of sounds.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

So don't believe, don't make friendship with your restless mind. This is the instruction. Don't make friendship. Simply beat the mind with shoes and broomstick; otherwise cannot bring in control. And other alternative is kevalayā bhaktyā. So if you can engage your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then it is possible. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Then Kṛṣṇa will control. Kṛṣṇa means light. Darkness, you are suffering in the darkness. So somehow or other, if you bring a light there is no darkness.

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

Vaikuṇṭha means there is no anxiety, and māyā means always anxiety. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because we accepted the jurisdiction of māyā, they are asad-grahāt. Asato mā sad gamaḥ. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, "Don't remain in this asat." Oṁ tat sat. "Go to the real life." Jyotir gama. "Don't remain in the darkness." This is Vedic instruction.

Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:

We should be very careful that we have got this body, human form of body, and we should not sleep. Sleeping means ignorance. Māyā andha-kara. Just like at night we sleep because it is darkness. But during daytime we do not sleep, generally. That is the way.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

So long you are covered by the passion and ignorance... The ignorance means you do not know anything. Just like animals. And passion means although human being, they are after sense gratification. That is called passion. So both these qualities will keep you in darkness. By the resultant action of these modes, you will be simply greedy and lusty. So if you come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, then you become free from this greediness and lustiness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.2 -- Honolulu, May 6, 1976:

Māyā means the condition in which I enjoy material sense gratification. That is called māyā. Māyā jāpaṭiyā dhāre. Jāpaṭiyā dhāre means catches, catches: "All right, come on." There are two things: light and darkness. If you remain in light, there is no darkness, and if you prefer to remain in darkness, there is no light. Two things are there. So māyā is darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is light. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead. "Godhead is light and darkness is nescience. Where there is God, there is no darkness." This is our position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

Unfortunately, at the present moment people are unaware. They are kept in darkness. Therefore each and every sinful activity, there is punishment. They do not believe in the next life, but they can see practically in this life that if you violate a little laws of nature, you'll be punished immediately. Immediately punished.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

People are kept into ignorance. He does not know what is the value of life. He does not know what he is. He does not know what is God. He does not know what is life. He does not know what he is going to become next life. He's completely in darkness. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long he does not inquire that "What I am? What is my necessity? Why I am suffering?" Unless one comes to this position of inquisitiveness, whatever he is doing, it is all defeat for him. It is all defeat for him because he does not know what is his position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

One should be very much pessimistic. Otherwise, he'll have to remain in the darkness of ignorance of this material nature. One should thoroughly understand that we are in a very precarious condition of this material... Because they have no information that there is happy life, there is eternal life, there is blissful life. They have no information.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

Everything finished. It is very nice example. So if you bring forth the sun of Kṛṣṇa... These are all products... These sinful activities is due to ignorance. Ignorance is darkness, māyā, and Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness is just like the sun. Now this is night; everything is dark. If some way or other there is sunrise, then immediately the darkness is finished. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that kecit. Kecit. Kecit means it is not possible for all, but some fortunate men do like this instead of going to so many details how to get out of this sinful reaction, simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, those who are devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, agham... Agham means all kinds of sinful reaction.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:

People do not believe even in the next life, and what to speak of atonement and punishment. They are kept in darkness. Otherwise they would have been... If they would have followed actually the injunction of the śāstras... First of all one should not be killing anyone. In the Bible also it is said, "Thou shall not kill." Why it is forbidden? Because if he kills, he'll have to suffer. But they do not care for it. Therefore they suffer.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

This is our material disease, and it is recommended here that before the next death, if we come to the right conclusion how we shall become happy, then this process of continuously dying and again taking birth and again disease and again old age, then it is not very good.

But they are so fools and rascals, they do not know how the life is going on, how nature is working upon us. Everything is in darkness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only hope for human society. Only hope. It is not story; it is fact. So those who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I request that take it very seriously and read the books and make progress and simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then everything, all problems, will be solved.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Nellore, January 7, 1976:

Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulation of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counteract one action through another is useless because this will not uproot one's desire.

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

If somebody is kept into darkness, then there is no use of this punishment or prāyaścitta. So he proposes that the man in darkness should be educated. Vimarśanam. Vimarśanam means cultivation of knowledge, culture. So where is that culture? There is no culture.

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

In common cases... Just like every day the police is giving a ticket to the motor driver; still, the same thing is going on. So to keep oneself in darkness and makes rules and regulation will not help. Just like your government has admitted that they have spent millions of dollars, they could not stop the intoxication habit of LSD. That's a fact.

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify the designation. And so long we are in the darkness of this designation, that "I am this," "I am that," "I am this," "I am that," that is ignorance. Suppose a thief—he is thinking that "If I do not steal, I cannot exist. I'll die. So I cannot stop stealing. I must go on."

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

So another place you will find, acakṣuḥ. But here it is said that He has thousands of eyes. So how you can adjust? That means His eyes are not exactly like our eyes. I cannot see if this room is dark—so much defective are my eyes. But His eyes are not like that. Even there is darkness or light, He can see.

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

Māyā haya andhakāra. And māyā, this illusory energy, it is darkness. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra. As soon as there is sun, Kṛṣṇa, immediately darkness of māyā disappears. So why not take this simple method? All māyā disappears. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Otherwise, to surpass, to overcome this ocean of darkness, māyā, is very difficult. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā.

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

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... The more you go on chanting the..., the fog within your heart, the clumsy darkness of many, many lives sinful activities, will be cleared. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). And everything will be seen very distinctly. What I am? What is God? What is this world? What is our interrelation? How I shall live in this world? Then what is my next life? These things are not taught.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1975:

Many patients, they are suffering from some chronic disease, some venereal disease. They go to the doctor and they give injection, very costly medicine and so much suffering, but as soon as he cure, again he does the same thing so that he is attacked with venereal disease. So this is not very effective way of becoming... Then it was suggested that people, because they are in darkness, āsuras, they do not know how to become immune from all diseases, therefore prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. He suggested, Śukadeva.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

If you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the light is there. Therefore the darkness of life is dissipated. Therefore it is said, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: (Nārada-pañcarātra) "If you have learned how to worship Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then there is no more use of your tapasya."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Honolulu, May 15, 1976:

When there is fog, you try so many ways; it cannot go. Then, if somehow or other sun rises, immediately finished. Immediately clear. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead: "Godhead is light and nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead, there is no jurisdiction of darkness."

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

To keep them in ignorance, in darkness, that is not human society, that is cats' and dogs'... Because they are in ignorance, nobody can give them knowledge, neither they can take. Therefore in the human society there is institution for giving knowledge. That is the greatest contribution.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

Aim of life is go back to home, back to Godhead. Unless we understand this, our life is in darkness. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are trying to be happy in this place of miserable condition, manufacturing so many ways of life.

Page Title:Darkness (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Gopinath, Mayapur
Created:22 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=233, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:233