Developed consciousness

Expressions researched:
"consciousness is firmly developed" |"developed consciousness" |"developed in consciousness" |"developed the consciousness"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.1.1, Purport:

It is natural that a philosophical mind wants to know about the origin of the creation. At night he sees the stars in the sky, and he naturally speculates about their inhabitants. Such inquiries are natural for man because man has a developed consciousness which is higher than that of the animals.

SB 1.6.15, Purport:

One should not meditate according to one's personal whims. One should know perfectly well from the authoritative sources of scriptures through the transparent medium of a bona fide spiritual master and by proper use of one's trained intelligence for meditating upon the Supersoul dwelling within every living being. This consciousness is firmly developed by a devotee who has rendered loving service unto the Lord by carrying out the orders of the spiritual master.

SB 1.10.20, Purport:

The language is immaterial, but the subject matter is important. The ladies, who were all absorbed in the thought and actions of the Lord, developed the consciousness of Vedic wisdom by the grace of the Lord. And therefore although such ladies might not have been very learned scholars in Sanskrit or otherwise, still whatever they spoke was more attractive than the Vedic hymns. The Vedic hymns in the Upaniṣads are sometimes indirectly directed to the Supreme Lord. But the talks of the ladies were directly spoken of the Lord, and thus they were more pleasing to the heart.

SB 1.12.4, Purport:

The father wants every one of his sons to become a better man than himself. Therefore, a king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, who was the personality of goodness, wanted everyone under his administration, especially human beings who have better developed consciousness, to become devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that everyone can become free from the trifles of material existence. His motto of administration was all good for the citizens, for as personified goodness he knew perfectly well what is actually good for them. He conducted the administration on that principle, and not on the rākṣasi, demonic, principle of sense gratification.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.9.36, Purport:

Everyone is searching after self-realization in different ways—by karma-yoga, by jñāna-yoga, by dhyāna-yoga, by rāja-yoga, by bhakti-yoga, etc. To engage in self-realization is the responsibility of every living entity developed in consciousness. One who is developed in consciousness certainly makes inquiries into the mystery of the self, of the cosmic situation and of the problems of life, in all spheres and fields—social, political, economic, cultural, religious, moral, etc.—and in their different branches. But here the goal of all such inquiries is explained.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.5.49, Purport:

Developed consciousness begins from the human form of life and further increases in the forms of the demigods living in higher planets. The earth is situated almost in the middle of the universe, and the human form of life is the via medium between the life of the demigods and that of the demons. The planetary systems above the earth are especially meant for the higher intellectuals, called demigods.

SB 3.27.27, Translation:

When a person thus engages in devotional service and self-realization for many, many years and births, he becomes completely reluctant to enjoy any one of the material planets, even up to the highest planet, which is known as Brahmaloka; he becomes fully developed in consciousness.

SB 3.29.28, Translation:

Living entities are superior to inanimate objects, O blessed mother, and among them, living entities who display life symptoms are better. Animals with developed consciousness are better than them, and better still are those who have developed sense perception.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.7.14, Purport:

The specific function of a human being in society, irrespective of his social status, is to practice control of the mind and senses by observing the regulative principles enjoined in the Vedic śāstras. Lord Śiva is called paśupati because he protects the living entities in their developed consciousness so that they may follow the Vedic system of varṇa and āśrama. The word paśu refers to the animal as well as to the human entity.

SB 4.21.35, Purport:

Paramātmā, who is also present within the heart of the animal; but in the human form of life, because of developed consciousness (cetanām), one can be transferred from ignorance and passion to goodness by the results of his activities (kriyā-phalatvena). A human being is therefore advised to associate with spiritually advanced personalities. The Vedas give the direction tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) in order to reach the perfection of life or to understand the real constitutional position of the living entity, one must approach the spiritual master.

SB 4.24.29, Purport:

However, if one attains Vaikuṇṭhaloka, he attains the highest perfection of life and the end of the evolutionary process (mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate). In other words, it is confirmed herein that a person in human society who has developed consciousness must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to be promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka or Kṛṣṇaloka immediately after leaving the body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna (BG 4.9).

SB 4.28.61, Purport:

All the activities of the conditioned soul within this material world are perpetually taking place in different types of bodies, but when the living entity acquires developed consciousness, he should try to rectify his situation and again become a member of the spiritual world. The process by which one can return home, back to Godhead, is bhakti-yoga, sometimes called sanātana-dharma.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.26.17, Translation:

By the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, low-grade living beings like bugs and mosquitoes suck the blood of human beings and other animals. Such insignificant creatures are unaware that their bites are painful to the human being. However, first-class human beings—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas—are developed in consciousness, and therefore they know how painful it is to be killed. A human being endowed with knowledge certainly commits sin if he kills or torments insignificant creatures, who have no discrimination.

SB 5.26.17, Purport:

From this very instructive verse we learn that lower animals, created by the laws of nature to disturb the human being, are not subjected to punishment. Because the human being has developed consciousness, however, he cannot do anything against the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma without being condemned. Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me."

SB 5.26.17, Purport:

Although a tiger is not sinful if he attacks another animal and eats its flesh, if a man with developed consciousness does so, he must be punished. In other words, a human being who does not use his developed consciousness but instead acts like an animal surely undergoes punishment in many different hells.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.7.47, Purport:

In other words, by the laws of nature (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27)) the living entity evolves from lower grades of life to the human form. Because of his developed consciousness, however, the human being must understand the constitutional position of the living entity and understand why he must accept a material body. This chance is given to him by nature, but if he nonetheless acts like an animal, what is the benefit of his human life?

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 8.74, Purport:

When the devotee is further advanced, he has nothing to fear. He considers the Lord and himself on an equal level. At such a time, the devotee is fully convinced that Lord Kṛṣṇa is a friend and cannot at all be dissatisfied if the devotee lives with Him on an equal level. This understanding is called viśrambha, that is, devoid of a respectful attitude. When this attitude is chosen, it becomes sakhya-prema, or love of Godhead in friendship. On this stage there is developed consciousness of equality between the Lord and the devotee.

CC Madhya 19.138, Purport:

Since the living entities are never annihilated, they simply transmigrate from one life form to another. Thus there is an evolution of forms according to the degree of developed consciousness. One experiences different degrees of consciousness in different forms. A dog's consciousness is different from a man's. Even within a species we find that a father's consciousness is different from his son's and that a child's consciousness is different from a youth's.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:

Generally a philosophical mind is inquisitive to learn of the origin of all creations. When one who is philosophical sees the night sky, he naturally raises questions about the stars, how they are situated, who lives there, etc. All these inquiries are quite natural for a human being, for the human being has a greater developed consciousness than the animals. In answer to such an inquiry, the author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that the Lord is the origin of all creations.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 32:

It is only due to ignorance that everyone is striving after the name, fame and profit that are connected with the body. It is deplorable to become famous on the basis of the body or to become known as a man of spiritually developed consciousness without knowing the supreme spirit, Viṣṇu. Real fame can only be had if one attains Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

Time is called kāla—past, present and future. What is now present, tomorrow will be past, and what is now future, tomorrow will be present. But this past, present and future are the past, present and future of the body. We do not belong to the category of the past, present and future. We belong to the category of eternity. Therefore one should be concerned with how to attain or how to be elevated to the platform of eternity. The developed consciousness of the human being should be utilized not in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending but in searching out the valuable path which will help him get that life of eternity. It is said that the sun is taking away our duration of life—every minute, every hour, every day—but if we engage ourselves in the topics of Uttama-śloka, the topics of the Lord, that time cannot be taken away. The time one devotes in a Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple cannot be taken away.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 85:

"My dear Lord," Vasudeva continued, “despite all these defects of the conditioned soul, if someone somehow or other comes in contact with devotional service, he achieves the civilized human form of body with developed consciousness and thereby becomes capable of executing further progress in devotional service. And yet, illusioned by the external energy, people generally do not utilize this advantage of the human form of life.

Message of Godhead

Message of Godhead Introduction:

When man, who is the highest of all created beings, is fully developed in consciousness, he concerns himself not only with his own self and the world where he lives, but he tries to understand the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth regulates man as well as the world, and knowing Him, the transcendentalist regulates his activities on the right path. This regulating process is commonly known as a system of faith or religion.

Light of the Bhagavata

Light of the Bhagavata 48, Purport:

Men with developed consciousness, therefore, do not waste time making excursions, real or imaginary, to the moon. Such intelligent persons do not endeavor to achieve temporary sense enjoyment. Rather, they apply their conserved energy for the sake of spiritual cultivation. They discharge religious duties for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, and not for personal sense enjoyment.

Sri Isopanisad

Sri Isopanisad 1, Purport:

Vegetables also have life, and while it is nature's law that one living being is meant to feed on another, for human beings the point is to recognize the Supreme Lord. Thus one should not be proud of being a strict vegetarian. Animals do not have developed consciousness by which to recognize the Lord, but a human being is sufficiently intelligent to take lessons from the Vedic literature and thereby know how the laws of nature are working and derive profit out of such knowledge.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

If I pinch your body, you feel pain. You pinch my body; I feel pain. Similarly, cats and dogs, they also feel pain or pleasure. So that is the proof of existence of the soul even in cats and dogs and human beings. The only difference is in the human form of life the consciousness is developed. So developed consciousness means to understand the Absolute Truth. That is the special function of the human being. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra says, "Now this human form of life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth, what is the original cause of everything."

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

Animal is different from human body. Or the so many difference of body. But the four principles of bodily wants, āhāra... Āhāra means requiring some foodstuff, and nidrā, sleeping, and fearing and mating. These four principles you'll find in the birds, in the animals, in the human beings, or even the devatās, or gods, or everywhere you'll find, these four principles. The only difference between the animal and higher, developed consciousness living being is that they are God conscious. They accept the Supreme Lord. That makes the difference between lower animals and others.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

As father maintains the whole family, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, or God, He has many innumerable sons, living entities, and He is maintaining the whole body, whole family. What is the difficulty? Then next duty is to become developed consciousness. Just like a good son, when he feels that "Father has done so much for me. I must repay it, or at least I must accept obligation what my father has done for me," this much feeling is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

If the human society is not very eager to understand the real position of the soul or consciousness, then he is no better than the animals. That is the version of the Vedic, and actually it is so. Our developed consciousness, our developed life, should be used, should be utilized in this human form of life to understand "What I am." The whole trouble, whole trouble is, the whole trouble of the human society is because they have forgotten the constitutional position of his self.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

I am the part and parcel of the Lord." This knowledge, one who has developed highly and perfectly, he is called brāhmaṇa. And kṛpaṇa means who has not utilized this human form of body to understand that he is spiritual identity, Brahman, but he simply knows that "I am this body, and because this body is born in a certain place, so I am identified to that country or to that society or to that family." They are called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means that he has not properly utilized the developed consciousness he has got in his asset.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

A human being has got the developed consciousness than other sub-human or the animal society. So he has to utilize. Just like you have got 100,000's of dollars. Now, if you properly utilize, it can be increased. It can be increased to millions of dollars by your intelligence if you utilize it. And if you do not utilize it, if you keep it as it is, that is also very good, but sometimes we lost the whole thing. They are called kṛpaṇa. Foolishness. Foolishness.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

Should we not think that "We shall stop all this nonsense for good in this life"? Yes. Any sane man, any intelligent man, he should think like that, that "This opportunity, this nice form of human life with civilized, in civilized society, with developed consciousness, I must utilize this opportunity for my spiritual perfection so that I may not suffer life after life these material pangs." This is the determination.

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

If we are actually conscious for our happiness, we must make a permanent solution of these miseries. That is the mission of human life. So for making that mission fulfilled, we have got developed consciousness than the animals. That developed consciousness should not be misused only for the animal propensities of life. That is the whole thing.

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

You can live peacefully without any creating animosities or quarrel with your neighbors and prosecute your spiritual life so that you get rid of this material existence. That is the whole program of material nature. But misusing our developed consciousness, we are trying to misuse the resources of material nature in a different way for aggravating the sense gratification. That is the whole mistake.

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

Suppose you have misused your developed consciousness in so many ways and you are now entrapped. Suppose you have started a very complicated industry. Now, if I say that "This complicated industry is not required by you. You simply require some fruits and grains to eat. Why you are engaging yourself into this complicated and dangerous form of earning your livelihood? Stop it."

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So the human life is developed consciousness. So he has to learn it, and he can get rid of this material existence by the process which is prescribed in authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Vedic literatures. So the first process Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is advises, that... Not only He advises. It is advised in all the Vedas, that "You should sacrifice, perform sacrifices."

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

That propensity should be awakened. In the lower nature we are busy in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and sense gratification. So we should not be satisfied, simply remaining in the lower nature. The human life is meant for developing the higher nature. The Vedānta-sūtra therefore says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now, now we have got the developed consciousness of human body, now, this is the time for asking about the Supreme Brahman.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

What is that real happiness? Happiness we feel through our senses. Because material, dead stone, has no sense, therefore dead stone cannot feel happiness or distress. Now, this consciousness, the developed consciousness, feels happiness and distress more than undeveloped consciousness.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

Just like the trees. The trees, they have got also consciousness, but it is not developed consciousness. Therefore the trees are standing on the road or anywhere, but they have no sense of feeling the miseries. Now, suppose a human being is asked to stand like the tree, at least for three days. Oh, it will be impossible for him because he cannot tolerate such kind of miseries.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

So therefore conclusion is that every living entity feels the pleasure and happiness according to the developed consciousness of his being. Similarly, the happiness which we are feeling now in the material mixture, that is not real happiness. That is not real happiness. If you ask the tree, "Are you feeling happy?" the tree will say, "Yes. I am feeling happy standing here the whole year, and the wind and snowfall I am enjoying very much."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

But in the human form of life you can understand what is spirit and what is matter and what is spiritual pleasure and what is material pleasure. This distinction we can make. That much consciousness is developed in the human form of life. But if we misuse this developed consciousness for material pleasures, then we are missing the opportunity. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Tiger may be very powerful, a man may be very weak, but there is a great distinction between the tiger and the man. Because tiger, becoming so powerful, he has no power to understand what he is or what is the perfection of life. But a human being, although he may be very feeble and very weak than the tiger, he has got the developed consciousness to understand what is perfection of life and what he is. That is the distinction.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). So we should remember this. But due to the illusion, being covered by the illusion, we don't take account of these miseries. But we must remember that we are always in miseries. An intelligent person who is developed in consciousness, he inquires, "Why I am in miseries? I do not want miseries. Why I am in miseries?" When this question arises, then there is chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So here is the book, the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally speaking. So if we do not take advantage of this knowledge, simply like cats and dogs we eat, sleep, and have sexual intercourse with the opposite sex, and die without taking advantage of the higher consciousness, developed consciousness, which have been given to us by the grace of Lord through the material energy... We have got intelligence, but if we misuse this intelligence, do not take advantage, then are we not the lowest of the mankind?

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So lowest of the mankind, who does not take full advantage of this human form of life, he's the lowest of mankind. He should not have given this form of human life and developed consciousness, because he is misusing it. But Lord is so kind, gives us chance, gives us chance. The material nature, although it is very powerful, and it is punishing, but here is a chance by the will of God: "All right, let these living entities, who are suffering under different covers of this material body in 8,400,000 species of life, now here he has got a chance, the human form of life after many evolutionary process, many, many thousands and millions. Here is a chance."

Lecture on BG 9.13 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

Similarly, their eatings are already there, and their sleeping accommodation are already there. So these are not problems, but we have created problems only for these four demands of the body. So Vedānta-sūtra says that "Don't be busy about these problems." Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt: "These problems are satisfied in any form of life." Why in human form? They have developed consciousness. They have got better business. Why they should be engaged only for these four principles of life?

Lecture on BG 9.13 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra informs, "Now you should inquire. You have got this developed consciousness of life, human form of life, very intelligent, and you are simply wasting your time simply for this eating, sleeping and mating? Oh, this is not your business. This is not your business." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām means stool-eaters, hogs. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, nāyaṁ deha, this body, is very valuable body.

Lecture on BG 9.13 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

You should be anxious, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the problem of life. So who inquires about this, athāto brahma jijñāsā? Those who are actually developed in consciousness, they inquire, athātaḥ, "What is the source of myself? I am living entity, this world, this nature, this so many things we see, and what is the cause of, the cause of all causes? What is that?" That should be inquiry. Jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, inquisitive. And the answer is given here in the Vedānta-sūtra, next. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now this life is meant for inquiring about the Supreme Brahman." And what is that Brahman?

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

There are eight million four-hundred-thousands of species of life, and the best developed consciousness form of life is the human form of life, especially civilized men. There are 400,000 species of human beings. Human being means with two hands and two legs. So not all of them are efficient, but they have got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant. Even in the lowest aboriginal stage of life there is dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But civilized life, Aryan, Aryan family, they are quite competent to deve..., culture, to cultivate this knowledge.

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

You have got developed consciousness, you have got intelligence, but that intelligence, consciousness, depends also on your mode of living, on your mode of behavior. Therefore one has to become a brāhmaṇa, sāttvika, in the modes of goodness. Then you will be patient, patient, śānta, peaceful. If you become hesitant, then you cannot. This is called asammohaḥ.

Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:

So now we have got higher consciousness, developed consciousness we should try to understand the problems of life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about this Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul. Ātma-tattva-jijñāsā. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everyone is born rascal and fool. Unless one is rascal and fool, one does not take birth in this material body. One who is actually in knowledge, he becomes liberated.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So human intelligence is there to enquire about the Absolute Truth. So they have got better developed consciousness or intelligence than the lower animals. So that higher intelligence should be utilized for enquiring about the Absolute Truth. So that is... Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), athāto brahma jijñāsā.

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

The human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. That is the distinction between human form of life and animal form of life. The animals are not interested, or they do not know what is spiritual life. But the human form of life with developed consciousness is meant for understanding our identification. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about our spiritual identity. That is real business.

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

The human life is meant for understanding what is God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for simply understanding what is God. The animal life, they cannot understand. That life is different. But the human life is developed, consciousness is developed. He can understand. This is called goodness. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. How one becomes intelligent?

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

Those who are saintly persons, they are twenty-four hours seeing God. They have nothing, no other business than to see God. But they have got eyes to see. That is the difference. Ordinary persons, they have no eyes. Therefore they cannot see God. But those who have developed consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, purified eyes, they can see always, twenty-four hours. They don't see anything else except God. Because God is everything. Whatever we see, if we have two eyes to see, then we can see God in every second, every moment. How? Oh, that you can practice.

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

Just like in this seat there is a bug. But the bug and myself sitting on the same place, but because the bug has no consciousness, therefore he is bug, and I have got consciousness, I am your spiritual master. But we are sitting in the same place. Sitting in the same place. Because the bug has not developed his consciousness, he remains a bug, and one who has developed the consciousness, therefore he becomes spiritual master. But the position is the... Similarly either you remain in the material world or, spiritual, there is no question, if your Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very strong, then you are not in the material world. You are not in the material world.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So the king is required because the human being has got developed consciousness. So the chance is given. Just like this your president's post is a very exalted post, but he has... Some way or other, people say that he has misused, "Therefore you should go away." Similarly, amongst all living entities, human being is the eldest or the chief or the supermost. So they should use their intelligence properly. But because every human being has got little independence, because he is part and parcel of God...

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

So in order to save the human society from this dangerous condition, without any knowledge of God, without any knowledge of religious principle, there must be some strong king, strong government, to save the people. Because this human life is a chance. Other inferior type of life, animals, birds, beasts, trees, it is not possible. They are also living entities, but human life is developed consciousness. So this is nature's gift, that "Now you try to understand what is God. Now you try to understand what is your relationship with God.

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

So the evolution means developed consciousness, and according to the developed consciousness, one gets a particular type of body. This is nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham... (BG 3.27). The evolution means evolution of consciousness. The same child, when he's... He'll get a different body. Just like a female child. By evolution, means when she gets another body, youthful body, her consciousness is different.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

Here even a worker goes on motorcar, but in India only a person who is very rich, he can have a motorcar. As there is difference of standard of living from one country to another, similarly, there is difference of standard of living, standard of duration of life, standard of intelligence, standard of developed consciousness, everything different.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

So when you have got developed consciousness, try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't waste your time in nonsense literature. Don't waste. The life is very valuable. You don't think that "Because we have got human form of life, we shall live for one hundred years or sixty or seventy years, so let us enjoy." Bhāgavata says this kind of enjoyment is there everywhere—in animal life, in plant life. This enjoyment means sex pleasure. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

The developed consciousness of human being should be utilized not in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but we should search out the path or the way or the avenue which will help us to get that life of eternity.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

So what is there in living for long duration of life? So there is no actual wonderful achievement by the so-called material advancement of life unless you have got developed consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is false. False means maybe, temporary. You are American. You are feeling that you belong to the rich country, very beautiful body, no scarcity of food. That's all right, but it is also temporary. It is not permanent.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

So this is the business of developed consciousness, human consciousness. Otherwise, consciousness is there in the dog, in the cats, in the worms, in the trees, in the birds, in the beasts. Consciousness is there. But are we meant for living in that consciousness? Cats' and dogs' consciousness? No. Therefore Bhāgavata says that labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte: (SB 11.9.29) "After many, many births you have got this nice body, human form of body."

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

This life is meant for learning how to engage our senses in the service of the Lord. That is the mission of human life. In other lives the senses are engaged for sense gratification. And in the human life, when we have got developed consciousness, at that time the senses are meant for being engaged in the service of the Lord. So ear is the most important sense because our spiritual enlightenment begins from this sense. Hearing. Na yat-karṇa-pathopetaḥ. Karṇa-patha means aural reception.

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

The business is to stand up for 10,000 years, but the root is capturing the earth like anything, strong. This is called virūḍhām, attraction. Suppose when you have got sense, improved consciousness, human being, if one asks you to stand up here for one hour, it will be so troublesome. And even if you are forced to stand up for one hour, you'll feel so much uncomfortable. But this tree, because it has not developed consciousness, it is standing up for 10,000's of years, and in open atmosphere, tolerating all kinds of excessive heat, rain, snowfall. But still, it is capturing. This is the difference between developed consciousness and undeveloped consciousness. A tree has also consciousness.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

And because people, they do not know it, therefore this mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there, just to make people enlightened, "Know it now. Know it now. In the other previous lives, cats, dogs, trees, and fishes and insects and all so many other—there are eight million, four hundred...—you could not know it. Now you have got this human form of body. Take advantage of this knowledge. Take advantage of the information given in the Vedic literature." Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. "You have got so much advantages. Now learn them. And you have got developed consciousness, human being. Try to understand them. And then your life will be successful."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

The physician says, "My dear such and such, you are suffering from fever. You should not take this food, that food, that food," or "You should not do like this, you should not go to such and such..." So many restrictions. Something do and something do not. So this austerity means do not. That is meant for human society. The animals, they follow also do not, but by their natural intuition. But we have got developed consciousness. We have got also natural intuition, but because we have got developed consciousness, we sometimes misuse our opportunity and therefore we suffer.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

All right, artificial laws, but there is some meaning. You cannot violate. Similarly, all the laws, all the books, all the scriptures, all knowledge, everything is meant for the human being, not for the animals. That is the difference between animal and man. The man follows restriction; animal cannot. Because man has got developed consciousness. He should know what is the aim of life. Therefore he should not live just like animals. He should be just like human being. That is the crossing stage of devel...

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

So this life is, human life is the sum total of developed consciousness. That is to be understood. But we are not utilizing it. How this developed consciousness should be utilized, that education is lacking. The modern civilization, specially in this age, they are simply busy... Advancement of civilization means advancement of the process of eating, advancement of the process of sleeping, advancement of process of sex life, advancement of defense. That's all. But that will not help us.

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

One is developed, the other is not developed. In this way, as Brahmā has defined, mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ. So in this way, within this material world there are varieties of developed consciousness, and in the spiritual world, when we surpass, transcend the material world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anya (BG 8.20), when we are promoted to the other energy, other world, then our consciousness... Even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahmajyoti.

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

There are 8,400,000 different forms of living being. Of all of them, the human form is considered the best. Best means it has got..., the human form has got developed consciousness. Developed consciousness means they can understand what is past, what is future, what is present. Especially to understand his position as spirit soul, to understand God, to understand what is His relation with God, and what he should do in that relationship—these things are understandable in the human form of life, not otherwise. We cannot invite dogs and cats to come here and hear about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:

O that is our mistake. Our mistake is that we have got advanced or developed consciousness. We should utilize it for going back to home, back to Godhead. Why should we misuse it unnecessarily? And you are not perfect. Suppose you are studying the machine throughout the whole life. What you will get that? Can you make the machine to your favor that this machine will not be lost, there will be no death?

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

So nature's way, evolution... The punishment is beginning from the aquatics. Then gradually, gradually, by evolutionary process, nature gives the chance that from aquatics you become plants and trees; then from plants and trees you become insect, reptiles; then from that, you become bird; then from that, you become beast; and from that beast, you become human being. In this way, by evolutionary process, you come to the platform of becoming a human being. Now, developed consciousness, you have to decide, "Where... Whom I shall serve now? I have... So long I have served the laws of material nature, and it has brought me to this platform." Now you have to decide, "What kind of service I shall accept?" That is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jijñāsā means enquiry.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

So therefore when we come to the full-fledged human form of life, developed consciousness, we must utilize it, as it is advised by Kṛṣṇa Himself, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "Always think of Me, man-manā," And who can think of Kṛṣṇa unless he's devotee? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. Who is nondevotee, he'll think of something else. "Why I think of Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore to stick to this principle, to apply the mind always in Kṛṣṇa, that means he's devotee. This is devotee. Devotee means not with four hands or four legs, no. The hands, legs are the same. But his mode of thinking different.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1975:

So long we are in the lower animal life, nature is giving chance. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Then nature brings you in the platform of human life, developed consciousness, and you can take advantage of the śāstra. Anādi bahirmukha kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. Veda-Purāṇa, why they have been made? It is made for the human being. This is the chance. Veda-Purāṇa is not made for the cats and dogs.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968:

So the Aryan family, they are considered as advanced, civilized, so, with full developed consciousness, and therefore this is the opportunity for understanding the value of life. So

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam (arthadam)

(SB 7.6.1)

Adhruvam arthadam. He says that "This life is very valuable, very rare, but it is also temporary." Because it is very rarely obtained, it is not permanent. It is also temporary like cats and dogs.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

Everyone has got the facilities for sense enjoyment. Why not human being? Human being is developed consciousness, he has got better facilities. But the human being's business is not to indulge in sense gratification.

sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā

deha-yogena dehinām

sarvatra labhyate daivād

yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ

This is described. So don't waste your time. Don't waste your time, your valuable time. Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction is very nice. If you simply waste your time simply for sense gratification, it is waste time.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

Father is not only my father; He is father of all living entities. So He is supplying other living entities. They cannot offer any gratitude. The beast, the birds, they cannot offer any gratitude. But I am human being, I have got developed consciousness. I must feel grateful for God's mercy and offer my gratitude. That is my duty.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So there are two living creatures. One is snake, and one is jealous or envious person. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ: "This man, envious man, is more dangerous than the snake. Than the snake." Why? He's a human being. Yes, because he's human being and he has got developed consciousness and he has practiced to use the developed consciousness for becoming jealous, He's more dangerous than the snake. So therefore he concludes, mantrauśādhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate. The snake, although by nature he is so..., still, he can be controlled by mantra and some herbs. In India they still do that. But this khalaḥ, the person jealous, he cannot be pacified any means.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

But as soon as we come to the human form of life, the responsibility is there. What is that responsibility? Because you have got developed consciousness more than the cats and dogs, you have to decide, "How I have come to this material world? Why I am suffering? I do not wish to die. The death is there. I do not want disease. The disease is there.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

But as soon as we come to the human form of life, the responsibility is there. What is that responsibility? Because you have got developed consciousness more than the cats and dogs, you have to decide, "How I have come to this material world? Why I am suffering? I do not wish to die. The death is there. I do not want disease. The disease is there.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

Nature gives us the chance, "Now what do you want to do? Now you have got developed consciousness. Now you again want to go to the evolutionary process, or you want to go to the higher planetary system, or you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, or you want to remain here?" These options are there. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājīno 'pi yānti mām

(BG 9.25)

Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, that also you can do. It is up to your option.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Paris, July 20, 1972:

We think every living entity, not only human being, even animals, birds, beasts, trees, aquatics, insects, reptiles—all are part and parcel of God. But the lower animals, the aquatics, birds, beasts, trees, plants, insect—they are unable to receive this knowledge. The human being has developed consciousness. He can receive this knowledge of spirit soul. So our only request is that do not take this movement as a religious movement. It is the movement of the soul. It is very scientific, based on authority.

Arrival -- Honolulu, May 3, 1976:

Then be sure that you are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that will save you from the dangerous civilization which do not understand the future of life. As the cats and dogs, they do not understand what is the future of life, similarly, if human beings, getting this opportunity of very intelligent, developed consciousness, if a human being does not understand what is the goal of life, what is the future of life, then he remains a cat and dog. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

Initiation Lectures

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

Mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ, tūrṇaṁ yateta anumṛtyu pateta yāvat niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. The Vedic literature informs that labdhvā sudurlabham idam (SB 11.9.29). Idam means "this." "This" means this body, this opportunity, human form of life, developed consciousness, full facility. The animals, they have no facility. They are living in the jungles. But we can utilize these jungles, these forests, for so many comfortable situation. So we have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We can utilize. So it is called arthadam.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that if we want, if we are actually educated, then we must try to question that "Why I am suffering?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should inquire about his existence as soul, not as body or as mind. Because he is neither body nor mind. So this Vedānta-sūtra says that athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha ataḥ means this is the time, this human form of life, developed consciousness, with greater intelligence than the animals, one should inquire about his spiritual existence. That is real technology.

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

So this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to achieve that highest perfection of life. If we do not make progress with that vision of life, then we are simply spoiling our, this opportunity of human civilized life. Especially I mean this civilized form of life with developed consciousness, developed education. If you do not take care "What I am? Why I am meeting death?

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

So this is the oppo:rtunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to achieve that highest perfection of life. If we do not make progress with that vision of life, then we are simply spoiling our, this opportunity of human civilized life. Especially I mean this civilized form of life with developed consciousness, developed education. If you do not take care "What I am? Why I am meeting death?

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Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

This human form of life is meant for self-realization. This life is not meant for working hard like cats and dogs and hogs for sense gratification. No. This life is not meant for that purpose. We have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We should ask, "What is this life?" The Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are ignorant, we are born ignorant, and we are doing so many things, activities, we are engaged. But we should see whether we are gaining or losing, whether we are conquering or being defeated. That should be our business to see.

Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

This human form of life is meant for self-realization. This life is not meant for working hard like cats and dogs and hogs for sense gratification. No. This life is not meant for that purpose. We have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We should ask, "What is this life?" The Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are ignorant, we are born ignorant, and we are doing so many things, activities, we are engaged. But we should see whether we are gaining or losing, whether we are conquering or being defeated. That should be our business to see.

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

Why it is said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7)? If it is actually evolutionary, then why there is dharmasya glānir? Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham: "As soon as there is discrepancies in the discharge of real duties, I appear." So it is natural. If we keep ourself in natural life, it is natural. But because we are developed consciousness, we do not keep in natural life. We accept so many unnatural things. Therefore our knowledge becomes covered by unnatural material nature. So that has to be cleared by superior instruction. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

So natural life evolves up to the animal life. But when you come to the human form of life you have got developed consciousness, and instead of using your intelligence and consciousness for further develop naturally, you put unnatural impediments; therefore you are covered. That is called yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānam (BG 4.7). Therefore you require instruction of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

The birds, beasts, they are also eating. They have no economic problem. They are also sleeping, and they are having their mates and sex life. And they are also defending in their own way. Human form of life, the most developed consciousness, intelligence, if we are also busy in solving these problems of life, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, then we are not very much advanced than the animals, because they have got these problems and they are trying to solve them. So what advancement we have made, we human beings?

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

Therefore, about these four things—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—they are common. The special feature of this human form of body is that he has developed consciousness how to understand God. The animal hasn't got this. And the process of understanding God and to revive our relationship with God is called bhāgavata-dharma. This is explanation of bhāgavata-dharma. The eating, sleeping, mating, this is also dharma. Dharma means the activities, constitutional activities. Any man or any animal who has got this body, he must eat. This is also dharma. Dharma means which we cannot avoid.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

There are so many, 8,400,000 forms of life. Out of that, this human form of life, especially the civilized form of life, this is elevated life of developed consciousness. The consciousness of human form of life is different from the consciousness of aquatic life or tree life or plant life or cat life or dog life.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

This is the developed consciousness of life. Why this developed consciousness of life is given by God? To understand God. This is the only business. This developed consciousness of life is being misused in the matter of animal life. The modern scientific advancement or philosophical speculation, they are trying to adjust how we can enjoy our sense life better. But after all, it is sense life.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

But in the modern civilization that higher developed consciousness is being utilized for changing the pot. Suppose I have come here in Laguna Beach by nice..., on a nice motorcar. So it is a pot only, that's all. I could come here walking or in another vehicle. So there was no difference. It would have taken little more time. But we are thinking, because we have got this motorcar instead of a bullock cart, we are advanced in civilization. That is the mistake.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

We have got this human form of life, developed consciousness to understand God, not increasing the comfort from bullock cart to motorcar. No. Not for this purpose. The so-called scientists, they are thinking that we are advancing in civilization from the primitive form, transport by bullock cart to motorcar. But that is not actually advancement. We are missing the point that this human form of life was meant for realizing God, realizing self. But we are misusing that higher intelligence and consciousness for manufacturing motorcar. And they are very much proud of advancement. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

When you cut tree or take its leaves, it feels, and that is recorded in the machine. This machine was discovered by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, a great physicist in Calcutta. So everyone has got consciousness, there is no doubt about it. But the developed consciousness is found in the human being. And the topmost development of consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

Therefore we are appealing to the people in general all over the world that "Now you have got developed consciousness than the lower animals, birds, trees, beasts. Now you develop further so that you can awaken your original consciousness, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is successful." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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

Therefore the cats and dogs, if they violate the codes of God, the law of God, they can be excused because they are animals. But a human being, he has got the developed consciousness. If he does not utilize this body for understanding "What is God? What I am? What is my relationship with God? How to act? Wherefrom I have come? Where to go..." There are so many questions. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: But the inquiry is there. That inquiry will make you wise by inquiring from the spiritual master or the authority. But the inquiry is there. Human life means..., developed consciousness means..., the animal cannot inquire. The human being can inquire. That inquiry will give him everything—the spiritual master, knowledge, wisdom—everything. But inquiry; simply this inquiry. That inquiry is there.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Just like children, they are not so conscious, you operate. I have got a (indistinct), my eldest daughter, she (indistinct). So she was about less than one year... No, no. About six months. The doctor was operating, (indistinct). She was not frightened. (indistinct) Minor operation. So the human form of life is the developed consciousness of the living entity. In other forms of life they're more or less in dreaming state or unconscious state. But as living entity, the consciousness is there, in different stages.

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

Prabhupāda: This is the difference between lower consciousness and higher consciousness. An animal eating, he is also eating. A man is eating. The man should be developed consciousness that eatable is given by Kṛṣṇa. As it is stated in the Vedas, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. "The Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life." So "Kṛṣṇa has given me these necessities of life, so first of all let me offer it to Kṛṣṇa." That is called yajña.

Philosophy Discussion on John Locke:

Prabhupāda: Innate idea is that there is somebody. That is developed consciousness. The animals, they cannot think, on account of nondeveloped consciousness, but even in human society, uncivilized society, they have got the innate idea of some superior form. When there is lightning, they offer obeisances. When they see big ocean, they offer obeisances, something big. So that innate idea is universal, to offer obeisances to something wonderful. But this innate idea of accepting something supreme and offering respect is not developed in the animal.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, those who are not active in rendering service to God, they're as dead as this finger cut off from the body. So they have to be awakened to that consciousness. Just like a tree, you cut it, it has no consciousness to protest. But, even an ant, a small ant, because it has developed consciousness, you try to kill it, it'll protest. Therefore the more consciousness you develop, you become active. That is nature's law. That is nature's law. Developed consciousness does not mean to become dead.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: It is a question of consciousness of the body. That does not mean when a dog becomes very old he becomes very experienced. No. Consciousness according to the body. The same theory. Because a child's body is not developed, the consciousness is also not developed. Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these rascals say that because the consciousness is not developed, he has no soul. Soul is there even within the tree. But because the consciousness is not developed, the sensation is less.

Room Conversation with Malcolm -- July 18, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Well, for example, even in animal society, there is more animals, there's more insects, there's more birds than human society. But there's no question... They have no starvation. They have no nuclear warfare. Because they live as they're, as Kṛṣṇa has meant them to be, as their karma dictates. But in our situation we are meant to understand Kṛṣṇa. This, the goal of human life, is to use our developed consciousness to serve God. But unfortunately, since we misuse this for selfish motives, therefore we have descended lower than animals. Therefore we have not even the simple harmony that animal life has.

Room Conversation with Cardinal Danielou -- August 9, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: That, that, that difference is due to development of consciousness. The human body, human body, you get developed consciousness. Just like this tree. It is also a living entity, but it's consciousness is not yet fructified. If you cut the tree, it does not resist. But it resists in a very small degree. That is proved by the scientists. The Sir Jagadisha Candra Bose, in Calcutta, he's also a very great scientist. He has made machine: when you cut the tree, it feels and it is recorded in the machine.

Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: The whole material civilization, nationalism, socialism, this ism, that ism, everything based on this bodily concept of life. But one who is in bodily concept of life, he is no better than cows and asses. So in the human form of life, because of the developed consciousness, there is inquiry, what I am. What I am. Am I this body or I'm something else other than this body? This is natural inquiry, and the Vedānta-sūtra begins from this inquiry. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If they are pious. If one is pious, if he is distressed, he prays to Bhagavān, "Sir, I am in distressed condition. Kindly save me." This is piety. Arthārthī. Jñāni. They are... So jñānī. Human life is developed consciousness, jñānī, so why they should waste their time in inquiring so many unwanted things? They should devote their life simply for inquiring about the Absolute Truth, jijñāsu. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā.

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That human form of life...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...is the most important species.

Prabhupāda: Developed consciousness, developed consciousness.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But somebody asks, "How do I know a bird is not more highly advanced than a human being?"

Prabhupāda: How you can ask?

Devotee (2): By example.

Prabhupāda: That is... Human being has created the city. The bird cannot.

Devotee (2): Birds also create cities.

Prabhupāda: No, their cities, their own way, not like this. Human being has constructed the skyscraper building. A bird cannot. In that sense you are advanced. That sense you are advanced.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1974, Geneva:

Yogeśvara: In the ancient tribal system, there was some form of religiosity. There was some form of worship of God. The so-called modern civilization doesn't even maintain that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Their developed consciousness is being used for sense gratification. That's all. They have taken up, sense gratification is the highest aim of life. Hedonism. What is that hedonism?

Karandhara: Hedonism means to eat, sleep and be merry.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Morning Walk at Marina del Rey -- July 14, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Let them do whatever they do, but still, Kṛṣṇa is there. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.35)**. (break) ...your undeveloped conscious, more you are servant of nature. The mo... As you have got less developed consciousness,... Just like the dog and the girl, she is developed consciousness. Therefore the dog, less conscious, it is serving. Similarly, if you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious fully, then you have to serve māyā.

Bahulāśva: Kali-dāsa. (japa)

Prabhupāda: To serve māyā means to accept this material body. māyā will give you a dress according to your karma, and you'll have to work. This will continue.

Morning Walk at Marina del Rey -- July 14, 1974, Los Angeles:

Jayatīrtha: By the same trick, Madhudviṣa Swami once got someone to take all of his clothes off and give it to him. "If everything is all one, then you will not mind giving me your clothes."

Prabhupāda: No. Their philosophy is "We are one. What is mine, that is mine. And your—also mine. (laughter) Therefore we are one." And as soon as you'll say, "No, why not your mine?" that is, that is not agreeable. Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That type of philosophy will not last long. (long pause) Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the highly developed consciousness that, in the body, which is highly, consciousness which is highly developed...

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotee.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So in the...

Prabhupāda: Highly developed consciousness means he's a devotee.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Metaphysics Society -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Prabhupāda: And the best dress is this human form because in this dress you can understand what is God, what you are, what is your relation with God, and then you can act and go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore if this dress, in this dress... I am living being; you are living being. So we are in this human form of dress. We have got developed consciousness. If we miss the opportunity to understand God, then again we are put into the cycle of this evolutionary process. We should not therefore misuse this form like other forms.

Room Conversation with Justin Murphy (Geographer) -- May 14, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Then you come to civilized life, which is generally known as Aryan life. So the Aryan civilization, Vedic civilization... In this way we get this human form of life, developed consciousness. Now we should try to understand, "What I am? Am I this body or something else?" That is the subject matter of enquiry. So where is that department of knowledge?

Radio Interview -- May 25, 1975, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is for the aquatics, the animals in the water. The vast sea, there are so many animals. Then, from the water, the trees are coming out. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. In this way evolutionary process is going on. But all of them, living entities, and part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa. So by the evolutionary process they come to the human form of life. Now there is developed consciousness. Now, the human being has to decide which way he has to go, again to the lower species of life or higher forms of life. The higher forms of life are there in the upper planetary system.

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: We are talking about the spiritual existence of the living being. By evolutionary process we come to the human form of life, and here we have got developed consciousness. We can decide now which way to go forward. There are different planetary system. That we can experience. We can see innumerable planets, upwards and downwards.

Room Conversation -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Therefore body is the field of activities. A snake, because he has got the field of activity of a snake's body, from the very beginning he is very, very envious. The same, trying to bite others. In this way our activities begin according to the body. And this change of bodies take place in the lower animal life automatically, by nature's law. Prakṛte kriyamānāni guṇai karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. But when comes to the form of a human being, on account of developed consciousness, he has got responsibility. He has to make his choice.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Happiness is knowledge. Man who is in ignorance, he is suffering, and that you say material and spiritually. A person who is not in developed consciousness, he is suffering. And they commit sinful acts also.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They commit sinful acts also in ignorance. That is the difference between man and animal. Animal means not developed consciousness. They.... Some of them, they say the animal has no soul. That is foolishness. Animal has soul, but the consciousness is not developed. Just like a child. Father's consciousness and the child's consciousness different. Why it is different? The child's consciousness is not developed. Father's consciousness is developed. Because the child is talking some nonsense, you cannot say there is no soul. There is soul, but the consciousness is not developed.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They commit sinful acts also in ignorance. That is the difference between man and animal. Animal means not developed consciousness. They.... Some of them, they say the animal has no soul. That is foolishness. Animal has soul, but the consciousness is not developed. Just like a child. Father's consciousness and the child's consciousness different. Why it is different? The child's consciousness is not developed. Father's consciousness is developed. Because the child is talking some nonsense, you cannot say there is no soul. There is soul, but the consciousness is not developed.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Worse, because animal has got some limit, but a human being who has developed consciousness, it is unlimited. Just like a thief is thief, but when an attorney-at-law is a thief, he's a very big thief. Huh?

Hari-śauri: When a man's educated to know the difference...

Prabhupāda: Ordinary thief and educated thief. In your country there are many lawyers. Their only business is how to cheat.

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: So long the body is alive, things are happening automatically. Just like this tree, so long it is alive the leaves are coming out, the flowers are coming out, although the trees have no developed consciousness. (pause) In Bhāgavatam we see that when Nanda Mahārāja felt some disturbances from the demons, they decided to change the place. And they immediately, from Gokula, they immediately went to Vṛndāvana. But we don't find anything that they had to take permission. Hmm?

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like in the tree there is spirit soul. Everywhere there is spirit soul, but development of consciousness makes difference. The difference between the tree and man is that man is developed consciousness. Consciousness is developed. Tree is not developed. That is difference, but life is there both in the tree and in man.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So Vedānta-sūtra says that the prime inquiry is to inquire about the Absolute Truth. That is human life. If there is no inquiry about the Absolute truth, then still he is animal. So those who are simply satisfied with the physics and chemistry, they are still animals. They are not human beings. This is the challenge. Still they have not developed the consciousness. And that inquiry, when it is for Kṛṣṇa, that is the final development. And when he understands Kṛṣṇa, his life is perfect.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Scientists, Svarupa Damodara, and Dr. Sharma -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore they are not subjected to the sinful activities. Only human beings are subjected to sinful activities. But he has got developed consciousness and misusing it. There is no sinful activities for animals lower than the human being. There is no sin. Because they are under the laws of nature, the animals. And as soon as one becomes developed conscious human being, if he does not know the śāstra and guided by spiritual master, he will do all nonsense. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4).

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Brother -- Jhansi November 1958:

But I know some other less intelligent brothers, who are now in the animal kingdom, will not be able to recognize me even if I address them as my dear brothers, for the reason of their being grossly enwrapped in material consciousness. But as you are a human being and as you have developed the consciousness of a human being, I have ventured to approach you and address you directly "My dear brother." Please therefore do not mistake my endeavor.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Gargamuni -- Delhi 15 September, 1967:

People who therefore not exerting to improve Krishna Consciousness are simply wasting there valuable time and human life. Their human life is a chance to be out of the entanglements of material bodies. We get material bodies according to our activities, doggish men get the bodies of dogs in the next life, men in Krishna Consciousness get bodies like Krishna, so developed consciousness of human life is to concentrate of Krishna Consciousness so that we may be out of the clutches of material entanglement.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976:

We have different types of material dresses to fulfill the tendency for sense gratification, and this by the laws of nature, by association with the 3 modes of material nature. We are transmigrating through different forms of life. So this human form of life is given to us as an opportunity to understand our position because in the human form of life we have more developed consciousness than the lower forms of life like the aquatics, insects, plants, birds, beasts and the civilized and uncivilized human beings. So the point is that a human being must know the aim of life is to go back to Home, back to Godhead.