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Difference between (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"difference between"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "difference between" not " no difference between" not "what is the difference between" not "not * difference between" not "no * difference between"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

That is the whole sum and substance of purified consciousness. Consciousness is already there, but because we are part and parcels, therefore we are affected. There is affinity of being affected by the material modes. But the Lord being Supreme, He is never affected. He is never affected. That is the difference between the Lord and the Supreme..., Supreme Lord and the...

Now this consciousness is... What is this consciousness? This consciousness is that "I am." What I am? When in contaminated consciousness this "I am" means that "I am the lord of all I survey." This is impure consciousness. And "I am the enjoyer." The whole material world is moving that every living being is thinking that "I am the lord and I am the creator of this material world."

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

Just like Arjuna said, sarvam etaṁ ṛtam manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, whatever You are saying, I accept it, without any change." That is bhakta. Therefore Arjuna is addressed, bhakto 'si. This is the bhakta's business. Why shall I think of Kṛṣṇa as like me, ordinary man? This is the difference between a bhakta and not bhakta. A bhakta knows that "I am insignificant, a small spark of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is individual person. I am also individual person. But when we consider about His power and my power, I am most insignificant." This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa.

There is no difficulty. Simply one must be sincere, not sinful. But a sinful man cannot understand Him. The sinful man, he will say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is also man. I am also man. Why I am not God? He is simply God? No, I am also. I am God. You are God, you are God, every God." Just like Vivekananda said, "Why you are searching after God? Don't you see so many gods are loitering in the street?"

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

Who is here? You must be controlled.

Therefore we see two prakṛtis: para prakṛti and apara prakṛti. But all of them are controlled; none of them are the controller. And that is the difference between puruṣa and prakṛti. Puruṣa means controller. And prakṛti means controlled. Puruṣa means predominator, and prakṛti means predominated. This is the difference. So Kṛṣṇa does not fall from his position of predominator. Therefore He is addressed as Acyuta, Acyuta. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Another meaning of Acyuta... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Arjuna knows that "I am not controller; I am controlled." He is devotee, he knows his position. Therefore he is now trying to control Kṛṣṇa. He is ordering Kṛṣṇa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya:

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

So here is a mahā-bhāgavata, in the womb of this woman. So let us offer our obeisances. This is Vaiṣṇava. As soon as understood, that there is a Vaiṣṇava mahā-bhāgavata, in the womb of this woman, "She is to be respected, offered obeisances." This is called Vaiṣṇava. But the asura would not do that. Asura would not do that. That is the difference between devatā and asura. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Sixteenth Chapter, you will find the description of the asura: pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur asurā janāḥ (BG 16.7). Pravṛtti. Pravṛtti means what sort of activities we shall do, and what sort of activities we shall not do. The asuras, they do not know. The asuras, they do not know. Anything they do. "For my sense gratification I must do everything." Therefore they become entangled. So long they are strong in this life, they do not take care of anyone. Śāstra, sādhu or guru. They do not care for anything. So that means... But the asuric civilization, the living entities become entangled because he may not care for any action, the asura, but the nature is there.

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

Or somebody comes to set fire in your house, especially they are called aggressors. So these aggressors are to be immediately killed. There is no question of nonviolence. You must kill immediately. There is no sin. Ātatāyinaḥ. But here, although the other party is ātatāyinaḥ, aggressor, still, Arjuna is considering whether they should be killed or not. That is the difference between devatā. In every action, they are calculating. But he is considering that "This kind of aggressor, because they are my kinsmen, they are my family men, whether this kind of aggressor should be killed or not?" It is common sense. Suppose your son has done something mischievous. The same thing. Same thing means to attack the father. Still, the father will consider, "Whether I shall kill my son or not?" That is natural. "If my son sets fire in the house, whether I shall kill him or not?"

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Generally, we work for our sense gratification. "I have got this money. I must use for my sense gratification or for my relative's sense gratification or for my country's sense gratification, for my society's sense gratification." So this is materialism. But when the same thing is turned for Kṛṣṇa's sense gratification, that is spiritual. That is the difference between prema and kāma. Kāma. It has been very simplified by Kavirāja Kṛṣṇadāsa Gosvāmī in his Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165). Ātmendriya-prīti. If you want to satisfy your senses, that is called kāma, lust. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma. The same thing, when you try to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is called prema.

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

So he drunk because he was firmly convinced that "Even if I drink this poison... My body will be destroyed, but by destruction of my body, I am not going to be destroyed." He was convinced. So he did not lament. So a paṇḍita, learned man, must know that this body and soul, the distinction, the difference between body and soul... The body is not soul, and the soul is not body, and one who knows, he is learned man. This instruction is given first. So for spiritual advancement this first knowledge, that the body and the soul is different... This body cannot be identified with the soul. You see? The soul is there, but body is not soul.

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

"I am this body." But I am not this body. I am soul. That will be instructed in the Bhaga... I am not this body. I am soul. I am spirit soul. There are so many evidences. If I am this body, then when the soul is not there, the living entity is not there, the body is simply a lump of matter. That is the difference between a dead body and living body. Living body means that the soul is there. Therefore the body is moving. And as soon as the soul is not there, the body is nothing but a lump of matter. I think somebody as my father. I call, "Father," Father immediately replies, "Yes, my son." But when the soul of the father is not there, then the father, this body of the father, whom I am seeing as father, although he is there, still, he cannot reply. This is the distinction.

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

So this is the education, that we should understand what is our material life and what is our spiritual life. Spiritual life means sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Sat-cit-ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and bliss means full of jubilation, ānanda, pleasure. This is our constitution. This is God's constitution. This our constitution. The difference between God and ourself is that God never accepts this material body, but sometimes we, under certain circumstances, we have to accept this material body. But never mind. We have accepted this material body. We can get out of it. And the process for getting out of it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the science. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are teaching people how to get out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease and become as good as God.

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

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand. Because there are innumerable universes and in each and every universe there is a sun, there is a moon, there is Venus, everything. So under the circumstances, as we accept innumerable universes, automatically we accept innumerable suns. So where is the difference between the astrologer and our...

Man (2): The astronomers also accept that there are innumerable universes and they say that in each one they have millions and millions of self-luminous stars, and in this one also, but you say that in this one there is only the sun.

Prabhupāda: But do you think that I have to accept the astronomers blindly?

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

This is the process of śānti. You cannot establish... If you think that "I am the only son of God, and the animal is, has no soul, and let us kill," that is not a very good philosophy. Why not? What the symptoms of possessing soul? The symptoms of possessing soul is the same four formulas: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. The animals also busy in these four things; we are also busy in these four things. Then where is the difference between animal and me?

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

The captain was also consulting that chart because it was made by experienced sailors. That is nothing. So similarly in calculating in which way we have to find out our salvation is to follow such liberated souls.

So last day we had been discussing that difference between the conditioned soul and liberated soul is that a conditioned soul is imperfect in four ways. A conditioned soul is sure to commit mistake, a conditioned soul is in illusion, a conditioned soul has the tendency for cheating others, and a conditioned soul has got his senses imperfect, imperfect senses. Therefore knowledge should be taken from a liberated soul. Why this Bhagavad-gītā is so honored? Now, this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in India, and it is understood that it is a scripture of the Hindus. But why...? Now, you are Americans. You are also keeping this Bhagavad-gītā, and not only in America, in other countries also, in Germany.

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

So some of the living beings may merge into the existence of the God. That is called sāyujya-mukti. But there are many millions and millions and billions of... Ananta. They want to keep their existence and enjoy the association of God. That is the difference between jñānī and bhakta. The jñānī's ultimate aim is nirveda-brahmānusandhānam(?). They want to become one with the Supreme. He does not, a jñānī does not want to keep himself separately from the Supreme. He wants into the merging.

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

And one can merge into the existence of the Lord. That is also accepted. So simply merging into the existence of God, that is not the only liberation. That is one of the liberation. But the, the devotees of the Lord, they do not accept such kind of... They do not want to merge. They want to enjoy the company. That is the difference between... Both of them become liberated. Merging into the existence of God, that is also liberation. And to keep individuality and enjoy the company of the Lord, that is also liberation. Yes?

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

There are two words used in Sanskrit, devas and asuras. Asuras. Now the definition of these devas and asuras are like this: viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viṣṇu-bhakta. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are devas. This is the difference between devas. Devas, devas and asuras does not mean that asura has got a very ugly face. No. Even a very beautiful man, he can be asura. He can be a... And even a very ugly man, he can be deva. Just like Hanumān. Hanumān was a beast. He was not even man. He was animal. He, he comes from the monkey species of life. But he's a great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. So he's deva. So viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva. Those who are unalloyed devotees of the Lord, they are called devas. And those who are against the obedience of the Lord, they are called asuras. Anyone. It does not mean human being, or the, anyone.

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

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 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

So the Māyāvādī theory that impersonal, how it stands? Neither God is impersonal, nor the living entities are impersonal. Every one of us—person. The difference between the Supreme Person and our personality is that He is all-powerful; we are limited. Our power is limited. Everything, ours, limited. Aṇu, vibhu. He is great; we are small. He is infinite; we are infinitesimal, very small. Otherwise, in all other qualities, we are one. There is no difference. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). In eternity, in blissfulness, and in knowledge. Everything is there. But Kṛṣṇa's knowledge and our knowledge, different. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "I spoke this yoga system, Bhagavad-gītā, long, long ago to the sun-god." Vivasvān manave prāha. "And the sun-god explained it to his son, Manu; and Manu again, in his turn, he explained to his son, Ikṣvāku. In this way, this knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā is coming by the disciplic succession."

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

So by this dog, frog philosophical way, we can, we cannot understand what is God. We must receive the knowledge from God Himself, or from a person who knows God. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Now, according to māyā..., Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that there is no duality. It is a kind of illusion that we see difference between God and ourself. That is māyā. Then Kṛṣṇa is not advocating herewith about the impersonal feature of the Lord. He says, ah, He represents... He is God himself. He says "I, I was existing as I am existing now, and in future also, I shall exist like this." So He was speaking as individual person. So in the past He says that "I was individual person." And in the present He's individual person. So why these Māyāvādī philosophy, philosophers, do not understand this direct version from the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Because āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15).

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

Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We have got knowledge, Kṛṣṇa has got knowledge. But we have got limited knowledge. Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited knowledge. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is also cognizant. He's also acknowledged. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām.

Then where is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and us? Yes, there is difference. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa, singular number, nityo nityānām...nityānām, this is plural number. Cetanaś cetanānām. Cetanānām, this is plural number. So there is one person, singular number. Others, they are plural number, we jīvas. Anantyāya kalpate. Jīvas, that is described, the dimension of the jīva. I have several times explained, keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). First of all, divide the tip of the hair into hundred parts. Then take one of the parts, one hundredth part, again divide into hundred parts. That small, less than atom, that is the magnitude of the jīva. And they are anantyāya kalpate. There is no limit.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

That is intelligence. If we do not prepare for the next life, then we are animals. Just like the human society. There is education. The father gives education to the child, thinking about his future. The cats and dogs, they do not give any education, neither they know what is the meaning of education. That is the difference between human being and animal. So if we are not educated in the matter of understanding what is our future, then we are no better than the animals. Yes. That education we can have in this human form of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Indian: ...gavad-gītā that the ātmā and jīvātmā is the same vision, and Brahman or Para-brahman is the same. And in knowledge of soul truth, the ātmā is the part and parcel of the Paramātmā, that is the Supreme Lord, and this contradiction in this, I think, that how the ātmā and Paramātmā is both one? Containing both, if the ātmā is part and parcel of the Paramātmā, and when they, the ātmā and the great and Paramātmā, is different. Because is contradiction in the understanding may accept what the Vedas say and what Bhagavad-gītā say? Is there any difference between the Vedas and Bhagavad-gītā? Are we following Vedas, or are we following Bhagavad-gītā? Because the Bhagavad-gītā is only song of Lord Kṛṣṇa; the Vedas are the pure knowledge of Para-brahman.

Prabhupāda: So why you are going away? You hear. You hear. Vedas... The... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: (BG 15.15) "All the Vedas and Vedāntas, they are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa." If by studying Vedas and Vedānta you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). It is simply labor. That is the adjustment of Bhagavad-gītā and all other Vedic literature. Vedas means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. That is called Vedānta. So ultimate knowledge is to know God.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Prabhupāda: If you, if you work according to the instruction of God, then you'll be happy. That is our proposition.

Indian: No, my question is..., difference between the service to the human being and the service to...

Prabhupāda: Just like if you water on the leaf, and if you water on the root, which is better?

Indian: The root.

Prabhupāda: That's it. But if you water the leaf, means you waste your time. Because by watering the leaf, you cannot make the tree living. Similarly, the śāstra says that water on the root. Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ (SB 4.31.14). If you water the root, automatically the branches, the twigs, the leaves, they become invigorated.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

So when Kṛṣṇa comes, He comes in His original form. But unfortunately, we understand Kṛṣṇa as one of us. He is one of us because He is father, we are sons. One of us. But He is the chief. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is more powerful, the most powerful, supreme powerful. We have got little power. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa... We cannot be equal. Nobody can be equal with Kṛṣṇa, or God, or greater than Him. Everyone, under Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Therefore everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the only master. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the enjoyer only. I am the proprietor." Kṛṣṇa says. That is the fact. So we are changing our body, but Kṛṣṇa does not change. One should understand this. The proof is that Kṛṣṇa says, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He remembers past, present and future.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Germany, June 18, 1974:

Therefore no illicit sex. The cats and dogs, they can have illicit sex, and if the human being also have the same process, then where is the difference between cats and dogs? Therefore you have to be cautious not to become cats and dogs, but to remain as human being. Then you'll be dhīra, sober, not agitated. Therefore this very word is used. It is not understood by the cats and dogs. If I say to the cats and dog that, "You are not this body. You are simply possessing this body," it is useless because he has got a certain body that he cannot understand even instructing him for one thousand years, because he has got a different body, cats' and dogs' body. But in the human form of body there is possibility. That is the difference between cats' and dogs' body and human body.

So to become dhīra means not to use this, I mean to say, very important, very useful body, human body, to pass as cats and dogs.

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

Madhudviṣa: "Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance and of the eternal there is no cessation. Seers have concluded this by studying the nature of both." Purport: "There is no endurance of the changing body. That the body is changing every moment by the actions and reactions of different cells is admitted by modern medical science, and thus growth and old age are taking place. But the spiritual soul exists permanently, remaining the same in all changing circumstances of the body and mind. That is the difference between matter and spirit. By nature the body is ever-changing and the soul is eternal. This conclusion is established by all classes of seers of the truth, impersonalists and personalists."

Prabhupāda: This is... So far the constitution of the spirit is concerned, it is eternal. That is accepted by all philosophers, personalists and impersonalists. The only difference is that the impersonalist says that after liberation, after getting freed from this bodily contamination, the spirit soul mixes with the Supreme Soul, all-pervading, without any individual existence. Just like the same example, that the small sky within the pitcher.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

No automatically. There is expert knowledge behind it—that is God. So let us utilize this consciousness, the sense how to understand that supreme consciousness, supreme God. Because I am not supreme, although I am conscious, I am not supremely conscious. I am not expert. God is expert. So always there is difference between God and ourself. We cannot be equal with God. That is not possible. This is sense. Otherwise all rascaldom. Don't be victim of the rascals.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Why shall I work for Kṛṣṇa the whole day and night? Let me try for the karmīs." Just like you are working whole day and night for Kṛṣṇa, they are thinking, "What fools they are. We are very intelligent. We are working for our own sense gratification whole day and night, and why they are working for Kṛṣṇa?" This is the difference between materialist and spiritualist. The spiritualist's endeavor is to work whole day and night strenuously without any hurt(?) simply for Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual life. And the materialist means the same endeavor, always trying to satisfy their personal senses. That is the difference, materialistic and spiritual. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we have to train our senses to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So long in other, previous, many, many thousands and millions of lives, we have simply tried to satisfy our senses, personal senses. Let this life be dedicated for satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Any, everywhere there is living entities. This is a false theory. We can see practically. We see there are living entities in the water. There are living entities in the air. There is living entities within the earth. There is living entities in so many ways. Why not in other planets? Where is the difference between this planet and that planet? This is also made of five elements. And that is also meant of, made of five elements. Here, the earthly element is very prominent. And the sun globe, the fire element is very prominent. So this material world is made of these five elements. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). So Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-gataḥ. The living entities are everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is also within everyone.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

That rubbish literature is compared with the enjoyable things of the crows, and spiritual literature, they are enjoyed by the white swans. There is difference between the white swans. You have seen natural. They are also birds, crows are also birds. But you'll see white swans, they take pleasure in clear water where there are lilies, and they take nice pleasure there. And crows they will go, where you throw all rubbish things, they'll go there. You see nature. People say everyone is equal. How you can say equal? Even in the bird society there is no equality, in the animal society there is no equality. Then how you can make equality? On the material platform it is not possible. You have to come to the spiritual platform; then equality is possible.

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

That is bhakti. To think of Kṛṣṇa as enemy, that is not required. One may think, but a devotee, how can he think of Kṛṣṇa as enemy? He thinks of Kṛṣṇa as friend, as son, as master, as lover. A devotee thinks like that, whereas a demon or an enemy of Kṛṣṇa, he's always thinking of... This is the difference between demon and devotee. Demon is thinking how to wipe out, how to banish Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. They don't want Kṛṣṇa. That is demonic. So therefore they do not know that a demonic person is always suffering. That is due to his forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. But because he is demon, he is continuing the business. Therefore they do not know... Na te viduḥ... They... That is also... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsura-janāḥ (BG 16.7). Āsura-jana, those who are asuras, they do not know what to do and what not to do.

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

Brahminical culture means the social position in which everyone is assisted to elevate himself to the highest position of understanding the position and the constitution of the soul. That should be the aim of human society.

Human society is not animal society. The difference between animal society and human society is that a human being, whoever he may be, he can, if he is taught, if he is given training, if he is educated, he can understand his real position, that he is not this body, but he is pure consciousness; he is spirit soul. But in the animal society, however a big animal may be, either he may be a lion or a tiger or an elephant or any other big animal, he cannot be taught about the constitution of the soul, although he has got the soul also.

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

A lower animal, he has also got the consciousness. He has got also a soul. But unfortunately he hasn't got the facility, the bodily facility or developed intelligence by which he can understand that, what he is. So that is the difference between animal and human being. So in the human society, if they do not care to understand this factual position of his soul or consciousness, then he is no better than the animal. Yes. That is the Vedic version.

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

Similarly, that is the difference between ourself and God. We are minute particles, minute particles, just like the sun and the sun rays. The sunshine, the sun rays, they are also combination of molecules of some shining material, material. So shining material... So that sunshine is not different from the sun, but at the same time, sunshine is not the sun. This is called simultaneously one and different. This philosophy was, I mean to say, expounded by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, acintya-bhedābheda, acintya-bhedābheda, "simultaneously one and different." Now, in order to keep our position intact, that is to... That theoretically we understand or we have understood that "I am not this body, but I am consciousness, pure soul," that is our theoretical...

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

So therefore we must know even the senses which we have got for which we are so much proud and by the enjoyment of the senses we are trying to be happy, those senses belong to the Supreme Lord. Therefore the best thing is we should apply the senses in the service of the proprietor. We should not apply the senses for our individual satisfaction. That is the difference between material plane and spiritual plane. That's all. You haven't got to stop your senses, stop your desires. No. Simply, simple thing is that instead of supplying them for your personal desires, you should dovetail it to the supreme desire. That's all. That is our perfect life. That is our perfect life. Just like the same example which I was trying to give you.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Yes, it is going on automat... Just like the government affairs are going on automatically. A child can say that everything is going on automatically, but a person who knows the government, the constitution, he knows how departmental managements are going on. That is the difference between the so-called foolish person and one who knows the things. One who knows the things, he knows that everything is controlled by a person. That person is called demigod.

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

The arrangement is so nice in the administration of nature that we shall get all our necessities of life by the grace of God, and our duty is to advance ourself in the right knowledge of our spiritual existence without unnecessarily engaging ourself for sense gratification. That is the difference between human civilization and animal life.

The beginning of our Bhagavad-gītā lesson is based on that we are spirit consciousness. We are not this body. And the whole function of the human society is to be enlightened in that spiritual consciousness of life instead of wasting time in sense gratification like the animals who are concerned with eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating. That is the background of our, this discussion, that we are different from the ordinary animals.

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

So these are all spiritual position, impersonalist or personalist. But the impersonalist goal is partial because they are satisfied simply by seeing the light. And the devotees, they are not satisfied simply by seeing the light. They want to enter within the light to see wherefrom the light is coming. That is the difference between impersonalist and personalist. They are farther advanced.

Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Lord is full bliss, eternal knowledge. So the impersonalists they are satisfied with only knowledge, jñāna, light, that's all. Knowledge is light. But farther advanced, say, the yogis, they want to see the localized, just like the sun globe. And the devotees, they want to see the person who is predominating over the sun globe. This is a crude example.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

"I have nothing to do." He has nothing to do; still, He is so powerful? Yes. That is confirmed in the Vedic scripture, that Brahman, the nature of Brahman, is described like this, na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "The nature of Brahman is that He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. That is the difference between God and ourself. We have to do everything to achieve a certain aim, but God has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "And nobody is found who is equal to Him and or greater than Him." Nobody is found. These are the definition in the Vedic literature, that "God has nothing to do. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is greater than Him."

Lecture on BG 3.25 -- Hyderabad, December 17, 1976:

That we have discussed the other day, that pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsurā janāḥ (BG 16.7). In which way we have to engage our brain and talent they do not know. That is the difference between a devatā and an asura. Asura does not know. Asura thinks that he will live forever and let him prepare big, big plans for material comforts. This is asuric civilization. He'll not be allowed to stay here. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is the place for suffering so that we can understand our position.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

He is also person. I am also person. What is the difference? Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one maintains all these innumerable living entities. Therefore in the Bible you go and ask God give us our daily bread, He is maintaining. That is the difference between God and ourself. We are maintained and God is the maintainer. We are predominated and God is the predominator. That is the difference. Otherwise He is a person, we are also persons. He is eternal, we are eternal. He is cognizant, we are cognizant.

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

We are Brahman, but Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme nitya, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is also eternal; we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So Kṛṣṇa is... (break) ...not a dead stone and we are also living being. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. And where is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me? The difference is eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa maintains all these plural number. He is singular number. Nityo nityānām. He is singular number. Then this singular number or plural number, what is the difference? Difference is that Kṛṣṇa is the maintainer and we are the maintained. Kṛṣṇa is the predominator; we are predominated. This is difference.

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

Indian (2): If I understand Bhagavad-gītā and also you (?), Kṛṣṇa has given different type of methods for different type of people of different advantages (?). He's talking about (Sanskrit), all these things. Arjuna questioned Kṛṣṇa. He asked the difference between the two kinds of worship. One is the worshiping the form; other is worshiping the guṇas (?). And actually we find it difficult to understand. What can you enlighten us on this point, that why Kṛṣṇa has given a different type of (?) and these two different type worships? One is the form worship; another is the formless worship, which He explains to Arjuna.

Prabhupāda: The personal form and impersonal form, there are two conception. But Kṛṣṇa explains this that mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Avyaktam, impersonal. That is another form of Kṛṣṇa. He says, mayā: "By Me." "I am all-pervading." Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Anything spiritual, transcendental, has no annihilation. Even matter has no annihilation. Modern science says conservation of the energy. So in God's creation there is no question of annihilation. But the difference between matter and spirit is this, that matter is, the nature of matter is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It appears, it manifests. Just like you prepare a pot from clay, and some day the pot will be annihilated, but it will go to the clay again, and again you can prepare from clay, pot. Just like the garbages. You are throwing daily, and again you are getting material from earth to manufacture so many things. So this is going on. This karma-yoga... This world is so made that the matter is there. You simply take it and transform the shape. That is your activity. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

"Whatever you are doing, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. You are working? All right. What you have earned?" "One thousand dollars." "Give Me." Are you prepared? Kṛṣṇa is asking, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. So if anyone is agreed, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, here is the money for You," then he's a karma-yogī. Otherwise he's a karmī. And the difference between karma-yogī and karmī means he has to suffer the result, good or bad, and karma-yogī has nothing to suffer because he's doing everything for Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he considered that "If I kill my kinsmen and my grandfather I'll be sinful." Yes. But the same thing he acted under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted. So he's free. So karma-yogī means he is free from the reaction of activities. He is karma-yogī. Similarly jñāna-yogī. Somebody is addicted to work very hard. Somebody is addicted to speculate philosophically.

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

This planet is only a teeny, small planet in consideration of other planets. So we cannot know even what are there in this planet. So many things are unknown. So all these planets are floating. That's a fact. So that is the difference between God and me. I can create a small aeroplane, and I can take the credit that our science is so much advanced that we don't care for God. No, you cannot do, sir. You cannot manufacture a planet. That is not in your power. Similarly, there are so many things. You have creative power, God has got creative power, but your creation and God's creation there is vast difference. So this is the understanding of God. So God is great. How great? Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is above Him. Everyone is down. This is the conception of God. So God is eternal, I am also eternal. God is within this universe, therefore the universe is working, and because I am within this universe, this body is working.

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

So the chemical composition of the gold ring and the chemical composition of the gold mine, the same. This is the position. Qualitatively we are one. Quantitatively we are different. Quantity, God's quantity, God's power, God's opulence, God's riches, God's beauty, God's wisdom, they are very, very, very, very great than ours. That is the difference between God and us. Now try to understand your constitutional position. Don't think that after this body is finished, or we meet death, then everything is finished, as it is going on. The greatest mistake, the world is going on, on the mistaken platform. They do not know what is going to happen after death. There is no education. There is no department of knowledge in the universities, what is going to happen after death. They are simply taking account of this body, which exists, say for twenty years or fifty years, or utmost hundred years. And they have no knowledge what is after this body.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

About forty millions of years ago Manu was born, and his father, we do not know what is his age. So how it is possible, if Kṛṣṇa is ordinary man, He spoke to him? That is being cleared. So what He answered? "The Blessed Lord said, 'Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot." That is the difference between God and man. That is the difference between God and man. We cannot remember. Even we cannot remember what I did at this time yesterday. That is our forgetfulness, is our nature.

To commit mistake, to forget, to be illusioned, to be cheated, imperfection of the senses—these are our qualifications. Every one of us, anyone who is in this material world, they are subjected to these defects: he is sure to commit mistake—"To err is human"—he is subjected to be illusioned, and he has a cheating propensity. Just like a mundane scholar. I do not wish to name.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: "...although His multiforms are understood by the pure unalloyed devotees but not by the simple study of the Vedas. Devotees like Arjuna are constant companions of the Lord, and whenever the Lord incarnates, the associate devotees also incarnate in order to serve the Lord in different capacities. Arjuna is one of these devotees, and in this verse it is understood that when Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god Vivasvān, Arjuna in a different capacity was also present there some millions of years before. But the difference between the Lord and Arjuna is that the Lord remembered the incident whereas Arjuna could not remember. That is the difference between the part and parcel living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is... Nowadays there are many gods. Especially anyone comes from India in the name of so many saintly persons, and they claim that they are gods. Everyone says, "I am God." Or somebody says that "Everyone is God." But here is the difference between God and ordinary living entity. What is that? God does not forget and we forget.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, yes, your question is very intelligent question that you are asking Me how it is possible that forty millions of years before I spoke this science of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god. Yes. But you, you should know it that bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna, You and Myself... Although I am God, I take incarnation many, many times. And you are a living entity; you are also taking your birth repeatedly so many times. So we have passed already. The difference between you and Me is this, that tāni veda, tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi, I, I remember what I did in the past, long, long years before, but you cannot remember." That is the difference between God and man, or God and living entity.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

"We now, this life, I shall make spiritual advancement. Now it is decided." And next moment the illusory māyā, or illusory energy, says, "What nonsense spiritual life you are going to do? Just enjoy this here. You have got so many enjoyments. Why you are thinking like that?" So prakṣepātmikā, vikṣepātmikā. This is going on. So forgetfulness. So that is the difference between God and man.

Here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly said that "My dear Arjuna, you also had many, many births. You were, you are also, because you are constant companion of Me, so whenever I take incarnation in the, any planet, so you also, you are also with Me. So when I took incarnation in the sun planet and I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, you were also present with Me, but unfortunately, you have forgotten. Because you are a living being and I am the Supreme Lord." That is the difference between the Supreme Lord... I cannot remember.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Sarva-jña means one who knows everything, past, present, future, everything. He's sa... That is the qualification of the Supreme Lord, sarva-jña. We are not sarva-jña. Even as the most perfect living entity, just like Brahmā, Śiva, they are, they are also not sarva-jña. Sarva-jña is only Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sarva-jña. So that is the difference between man and God, or living entity and the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead. He knows. He knows.

Here it is distinct... If you have to believe Bhagavad-gītā, then the distinction you have to believe, you have to take. You cannot say that "There is no difference between me and Kṛṣṇa." No, there is difference. Here the difference is clearly explained that "That is the difference between you and Me, that you forget. You cannot remember all the incidences of your life, past, present and future, but I can remember." That is the difference.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

I don't accept this lower nature, this material nature." So we are, when we appear... Just like we have appeared. We have appeared in this material world, accepting this material body, the lower nature. But when Kṛṣṇa comes, He does not accept the lower nature. He comes in His original, superior, or higher, nature. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves. Here it is clearly said, prakṛtiṁ svām. Svām means own, personal, internal nature.

Just like everybody has got some personal affair and some public affair. Everybody. A man, high-court judge, he may be, as a public man, he may be a different personality in the high-court bench. But at home he's a different person, a different person. In the high-court bench one has to address that person, "My Lord," but at home his wife addressing him by his own name, "Mr. Harry! Harry! Why don't you do it?"

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Why you are rotting?" That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa comes just like we are come here, being obliged, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27), forced by the laws of nature according to our karma. He does not come like that. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and myself.

Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question, you can ask. (break)

At that time, Kṛṣṇa gave him a special elevation, to see that form. That is not possible to see by every man. You, perhaps you know it. So at certain stage one has to be elevated to understand Kṛṣṇa. But these questions are common thing. Common thing. Just like there is a verse in Brahma-saṁhitā.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

So my senses are engaged in satisfying or fulfilling the obligation of this, mean, embarrassment. Now, when these senses are purified by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then like Arjuna we shall say, "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "Now I am prepared to satisfy Your senses. I am not going to satisfy any more my senses." That is the difference between spiritual promotion to the highest state and the lowest grade of life. And this you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, how he's improving, how he's improving...

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

"And the sun-god, or the president of the sun, Mr. Vivasvān, he's long long ago. How can I believe that you talked with him?" This is the question. Aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ, katham etad vijānīyām. "How I shall believe it?" Yes. This is possible, to inquire like that. Tvam ādau proktavān iti. "You first of all spoke this." This is the difference between God and the living entity. The.... God does not forget. We forget. This answer will be in the next verse. Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. "I understand. I know everything." In another place Kṛṣṇa..., that "I know the past, present, future." That is knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

Sarvāṇi, past, present, and future, I know everything. Na tvaṁ vettha parantapa. Although you are a great warrior, parantapa..." Parantapa means one who can get, one who can give trouble to the enemies. Paraṁ tapati. "So although you are a very great warrior, a great personality, but you cannot know this. You cannot know this. That is the difference between you and Me."

That is the difference between God and the living entity. We had our past life, because dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), we have changed our body. And we shall change this body also. after annihilation of this body.... Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Old garments, old cloth, when it is too old, unuseable, then we give it up. We accept another new cloth. Similarly, when this body becomes unuseable, then we change our body. We get another new body. This is the way of transmigration of the soul. This is a fact.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

To clarify this matter, Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "How can I believe it?" And the answer is next verse, that "We, you, you and Me, both of them took many many times our birth, but you have forgotten because you are a living being and I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I have not forgotten. This is the difference between you and Me."

bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

"Although you are a very great warrior, you can conquer over your enemies, but you can become.... You cannot become equal to Me." That is the difference between a living entity and Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Now Kṛṣṇa is explaining to Arjuna the difference between a living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is very distinct here that both you and Me had many, many, many other appearances and disappearances. "Birth and death," that is ordinary word. Actually, the word is "appearance and disappearance." Just like the sun. The sun sets and sun rise. This is our calculation. The sun is there always, twenty-four hours, but to our limited understanding, because we cannot see... Now just, this is sun-setting time. After setting of the sun the people on this part of the world, they will not see the sun. That does not mean that sun is not there.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

They existed in the past as individuals, and they are existing at present as individuals, and they will exist in the future also as individuals." This is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter. The difference between God and living entity is this, that God knows past, present, future, and I or you do not know past, present and future. That is the difference.

Tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. Sarvāṇi. There were millions and millions of births and appearances and disappearances in past. Because time is unlimited, nitya. There is no... The past, present, future, this is due to this body. Just like a small ant, it's calculation of past, present, and future, and my calculation of past, present, and future are different. Because he has got a different body, I have got a different body, the atom has got a different body.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

So it is according to the body, past, present, and future. But there is a life where there is no existence of this material body of past, present, and future. Therefore in the eternal world means there is no past, present and future. Because there is no, not this material body. This is the difference between past, present, and future. Therefore it is called nitya. Nitya means eternal, where there is no influence of this time. Here the influence of time is there. Therefore we experience past, present, and future.

Now from this verse, Kṛṣṇa says that tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. That means "For Me, there is no past and present and future." That means His body is different from Arjuna's. Because He knows... Why I forget? Because I have got this material body. And Kṛṣṇa does not forget, therefore He has no material body.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Paraṁ bhāvam. Paraṁ bhāvam means "the supreme truth about Me." That supreme truth is partially explained here, that tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. "I know past, present, and future, but you do not." This is paraṁ bhāvam.

This is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. They are on the same level, on the same chariot, they are friends. Not only on that particular moment of fighting, battlefield, but they are friends from the beginning. Just like friend and friend, they stick together, they eat together, they lie together, they talk together, they quarrel together. This are friendly. So Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was in friendly terms and almost of equal age, very intimate friends, as it has been explained in the previous verse, bhakto 'si sakhā ceti.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Eka evāham eko 'pi san bahudhā yo 'vabhati ity ādi śruty-uktāni nitya-siddhāni bahūni rūpāni vaiduryavad-ātmani dadhanaḥ pura rūpantareṇa taṁ pratyupadiṣṭavān iti bhavenaha bhagavān.(?)

Now we should not consider that because the difference between God and the living entities, that our different appearance and disappearance is different. Just like in this life I may be an Indian, you may be an American. But next life, we do not know what body we are going to get next life. Because in the material existence the body and the soul is different. But in the spiritual existence... Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's body and Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent because it is completely spiritual. Our body, in the present condition... When we are free from this material condition, we also get. That is explained in the Bhagavad... mad-bhāva upaja(?). Mad-bhāva means "exactly like My body."

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Prabhupāda: No. No. That is the difference between spiritual world and material world. Practically the all variegatedness are there but without any inebriety. That is the difference.

Janārdana: When Kṛṣṇa appears in each of the four yugas, does each appearance of svayaṁ bhagavān, personally He appearance?

Prabhupāda: As the necessity of the time. Sometimes He appears as svayaṁ bhagavān, sometimes He appears as plenary expansion. But svayaṁ bhagavān or plenary expansion, there is no difference. Just like in the present age, Kṛṣṇa has appeared as holy name. So we should not consider that holy name of Kṛṣṇa is less important than Kṛṣṇa. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is as powerful as Kṛṣṇa. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā. All the potencies of Kṛṣṇa is there. As soon as we are able to chant pure name... Pure name means offenselessly.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Rādhā is the internal potency, we are marginal potency. Of course, originally, in that sense, everything is Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But even there are expansions... That is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu...acintya-bhedābheda. We are always simultaneously one and different. Always. We should remember. We are, because we are expansion of Kṛṣṇa, we are expansion of Rādhā also because Rādhā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. But still, different.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

And again, in the daytime, you forget everything, what you dreamed. This is our practical experience.

Similarly, we had our last birth, but we have forgotten. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. I have explained already. We forget because we change body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, we do not know what kind of body I had in my last life or what kind of body I am going to accept next life, but there is the law: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. He knows. That is perfect knowledge. And because we are imperfect, we do not... When we'll be perfect also, we'll remember. But that is, means, spiritual life, no more material body. That can be also possible.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

His mind, His body, and His ātmā, His soul, the same thing. Or, or the.... He is Supreme Soul, Whole. There is no difference between His body, His mind and soul. This is to be understood. Avyayātmā.

Those who cannot understand, they make difference between His ātmā, Kṛṣṇa's ātmā, and Kṛṣṇa's body. They think... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "Kṛṣṇa, He is God... Or godly." They have got the imagination. "But His body is made of matter." No. That is not. If His body had been made of matter, then how He could remember millions of years ago what He did? We cannot remember even what we did yesterday night or just this morning. We forget. The body's changing. The blood corpuscles are changing. That is scientific. But Kṛṣṇa hasn't got that. Therefore He is explaining Himself. We can understand Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa's explanation. We should not make any rascal interpretation.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

That is the test, that He has already explained that He remembers. Therefore His appearance, disappearance, birth, is not ordinary. That is to be understood. Otherwise, how He can remember? We cannot remember. We do not know what we were in our last birth, or millions of years ago. Although we are also eternal. But we do not remember. Therefore there is difference between Kṛṣṇa's birth and our birth.

When Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva, He appeared before them as four-handed Nārāyaṇa. Kṛṣṇa did not come from the womb of Devakī. You have, most of you have read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam His appearance. He appeared before them as four-handed Nārāyaṇa. Then Devakī prayed, "My Lord, You have come. Kaṁsa is now eager to kill You. As soon as..."

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Pradyumna: "He remembers everything of His many, many past births, whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before."

Prabhupāda: Yes That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves. We do not remember what we have done a few hours ago. What to speak of millions of years ago. But we take our birth because we are eternal. We have taken many births. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa's birth and our birth. Then?

Pradyumna: "If someone is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for a common man to answer immediately. He would surely have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing exactly at the same time one day before. And yet, men often dare claim to be God, or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims."

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, if one becomes liberated from the clutches of māyā, how Kṛṣṇa can be under the clutches of māyā? This is foolishness. Those who say that "Kṛṣṇa also accepts this material body," that, that is not the fact.

And another thing is, either the material energy or the spiritual energy, both are Kṛṣṇa's energies. So even He appears like that, He has accepted the material body, that material body does not act as material body. He can change matter into spirit and spirit into matter. Because He is the controller, īśvaraḥ. Bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. He can change that.

Just like electrician. He can change a refrigerator into a heater, and a heater into a refrigerator. Because the same power, electricity, is working. He knows the art, how to change it. But we cannot do that. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves. Hm. Then?

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

How you can say that you are better than him? You are better than him when you understand how the laws of material nature is working so that one has become tree to stand up for ten thousands of years, and I have got all freedom to move and to make education, to go to the school, colleges, take education, advancement of knowledge. That is the difference between tree and me. So far necessities of the body, material body, is concerned, the demand is there; demand is here. You can accept from that type of body, by this body, simply by understanding, by advancing in knowledge. And the perfection of knowledge is to know who is God. Or where is God. That is perfection. So long one does not understand what is God or the Absolute Truth by whom everything is being emanated, the knowledge is imperfect. Knowledge is not finished.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

Actually, there is no sun set, there is no sun rise. The same example is applicable to our appearance and disappearance, as well as God's appearance and disappearance. We are eternal. We are eternally existing, but appearance means this body, appearance of this body.

The difference between the appearance of God and appearance of myself is that I appear in different bodies as it is offered by the material nature according to my karma; God appears in His own original body. That is the difference. And because God appears in His own original body, therefore He is not forgetful of the past, present and future. And so far we are concerned, because we appear in different material bodies, therefore we forget our past, present and future. This is the difference. And in this verse it is specifically mentioned here that janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam means divine, spiritual, transcendental. Our appearance and disappearance is different from the Lord's appearance and disappearance.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

This is the spiritual. Material, suppose if you have to accept the post of high-court judge, then you have to gradually qualify yourself. But spiritually, if you immediately engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then you become a high-court judge immediately. You are brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is the difference between matter and spirit. It is unconditional. Ahaituky apratihatā.

Simply we have to agree, "My Lord, from today, I dedicate my life for Your service," you are immediately brahma-bhūtaḥ. Immediately, from that moment. It is so nice. Not that you have to take some time how to become brahma-bhūtaḥ. So those who are actually engaged in the spiritual devotional service of the Lord, it is to be understood they are already on the platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Is it clear? Yes. (break) Question? Question? Yes? No. (kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

The big airplane is floating in the... (break) ...I mean to say, mechanical arrangement. But unless there is the pilot, it cannot work. Similarly, you try to understand that this material nature, cosmic manifestation, however wonderful it may be, unless there is direction of the Supreme Being, it is useless. So if you have understood the difference between material nature and the spiritual nature, then try to understand that as you have got experience of this material nature, there is another nature, another sky, another planetary system, everything another. That is all made of spiritual nature.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

It is a course of education which is understandable by the human society, not by the cats and dogs. If I call a dog, "Please come here, read this book," how he will understand spiritual nature? It is not possible for him. But if I call a human being and I ask him, and if he agrees to understand what is spiritual nature, it is possible. That is the difference between dog and a man. A dog cannot understand what is spiritual nature, but a man can understand. Therefore the conclusion is if in this human form of life we do not take advantage of understanding what is our spiritual nature, then we are no better than the dog. It is an opportunity given by the nature or by God to understand this human form of life. We should not miss this opportunity. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. God is personally giving you the information, what is the material nature, what is the spiritual nature, how you can transfer yourself to the spiritual nature, and then you come to your original, constitutional position.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Matter is not eternal, and spirit is eternal. Matter is full of ignorance, and spirit is full of knowledge. Matter is full of unpleasantness, and spirit is full of pleasure, sac-cid-ānanda. That is the difference between matter and spirit.

Janārdana: And what is the difference between spiritual atoms and spiritual bodies? Or are they the same thing?

Prabhupāda: No. Spiritual atom... Just like from the spiritual body, you have developed this material body, similarly, from the spiritual atom, you can develop your spiritual body. Tyaktvā deham. Tyaktvā deham means that giving up this material body, he develops his spiritual body and then goes to the kingdom of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9).

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

The demigod worship, they are not devotee, but they are interested to get the reward from the demigod. Otherwise they are not interested.

But bhakti is not like that. The bhaktas, they are not after any reward from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is difference between bhakti and other demigod worship. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is teaching us bhakti. He says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: "My Lord, I do not wish to ask from You opulence, riches, nice wife or many followers." These are material opulences. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I do not want all these things."

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām. If you get some profit, material profit... You can get it very easily. Therefore it is said, kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ, kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke. Just like... That is the difference between worshiping Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the demigods.

There are many examples. Just like Lord Śiva. One demon, or a devotee of Lord Śiva... But generally, we find in the śāstras... Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, recognized. But he's accepted as a demon, rākṣasa. Although he was a great devotee, Mahīśāsura... He was also a great devotee of Goddess Durgā, but it is described as asura.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we can study what is God if we simply study ourself. Just like if you study a drop of sea water, if you analyze chemically, you'll find so many chemicals in that drop. So you can understand what is the composition of the sea. The same composition. But in greater quantity. That is the difference between God and ourself. We are small gods, we can say, small gods. Teeny, sample gods. Therefore, we are so much proud. But we should not be proud because we should know that all our qualities are taken from God. Because we are part and parcel. So originally all these qualities are there in God.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

We are not prepared. Just like here I am, Johannesburg. So I know, from here I'll have to go to Nairobi. That I know. And we are making arrangement. But if as human being one does not know what is going to happen next life, then what kind of human being is? Where is the difference between cats and dogs? The dog does not know, neither he can be instructed, neither he is able to take the instruction. But why the human being should remain like dog? This is the problem. So we must consult Bhagavad-gītā very regularly, try to understand the problems of life, and the first problem is that you have to change your body.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

We are also after money. We are also after business organization, either a sky... What is that? Our? Spiritual Sky. Or this book department, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Apparently, it is business. We also want money. We also land. We want also building. We want also men. Then where is the difference between the ordinary person and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? This is the difference: kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. Everyone has sacrificed his life for Kṛṣṇa. Personal? There is no personal interest. These boys, these girls, are working day and night, hard, in my direction, but I don't pay them. Neither they expect any payment. Otherwise this movement would not have proceeded so quickly. There is no question of payment.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Now, this is the difference between material and spiritual. Try to understand. Just like in the sunshine there is cloud. That cloudy atmosphere is not very good. But when there is bright sunshine you say, congratulate your friend, "Oh, today is very nice day." The sunshine is always there. The cloud also is an interaction of the sunshine. The cloud is nothing but due to excessive heat it absorbs water from the sea or anywhere else and it becomes gas and it stands in the sunshine. But it does not cover all the sunshine.

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

So actually that is the fact, that in the spiritual life there is no eating, no sleeping, no sex life, no defense. These are all material necessities. So material necessities, we have day and night for sense gratification, material satisfaction, then where is the difference between hogs and dogs and human beings? And this is going on. We are accepting this civilization as advanced. The more you have got facility for sense gratification, it is to be understood that you are advanced. So that advancement means to give satisfaction to the body.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

"I am spread all over the universe," jagad avyakta-mūrtinā, "non-manifested mūrti." He has got His mūrti. He says, mayā: "by Me." "Me" means person. Mayā.

So how He is spread? Just like we are person. I am here, but I am not in my apartment. You are here. You are not in your house. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me. Kṛṣṇa is also a person. I am also a person. But Kṛṣṇa can remain anywhere and everywhere, and still He remains His personality. That is Kṛṣṇa. Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni vihitāś ca yena govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- August 4, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda: Is there is actual difference between the material energy and the spiritual energy?

Prabhupāda: Yes, difference, there are many differences. The same example, electricity. So many things are working, difference of energy. Even the dictaphone is working, electricity. By the same energy, electricity. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). He's the origin of everything.

Devotee: It is explained in Bhagavad-gītā that one change body during the lifetime, but we see that a black man never becomes white, or that there is a constant, there is something constant within the body though it changes. What is it? How come this is, changes body but still we can recognize someone from his youth to his old age.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

Viṣṇujana: "Nor is there a difference between a Kṛṣṇa conscious person always engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, and a perfect yogi engaged in meditation on the Supersoul."

Prabhupāda: There is no difference. A yogi is in samādhi, trance, with the Viṣṇu form, and a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, there is no difference. Go on.

Viṣṇujana: "The yogi in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though he may be engaged in various activities while in material existence, remains always situated in Kṛṣṇa. A devotee of the Lord always acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is automatically liberated."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, and we are all Brahman, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are not Paraṁ Brahman. That is not possible. Paraṁ Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. As we'll find in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Paraṁ Brahman. Arjuna is never addressed as Paraṁ Brahman. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entity. He's para. He's Parameśvara. Īśvaraḥ parama-īśvara, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). There are two words, ātmā, Paramātmā. Īśvara, Parameśvara. So Kṛṣṇa is para. Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

That is our natural experience. Anywhere you go, there are so many people, but there is some leader, head. I had some talks with one Russian professor, Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. So we had very long talks. At last I asked him, "Mr. Kotovsky..." I forget to..., "comrade." (laughter). But I said, "mister." (laughs) "So where is the difference between your philosophy and my philosophy, or our philosophy? You have to accept one leader, head, and we also accept one head. Then where is the difference between communism and other ism?" So he was stopped. He appreciated very much. "The difference is that you have accepted Lenin as your head and we have accepted Kṛṣṇa as our head."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

The creative energy is there. You have got the creative energy, but you cannot create another planet which is floating in the sky. That is not possible. That is the difference between living entity and Bhagavān. The similarity is there. We are creating big, big factories, big, big cities, and Bhagavān is creating big, big universes. How He is creating, that is also stated in the śāstra. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Bhagavān is creating by His breathing process innumerable universes. So we can create a skyscraper building, and we become very proud that "How we have become advanced. We have created a skyscraper building." But we do not see that Bhagavān is creating millions of planets where millions and millions of skyscraper buildings are standing. This is understanding of Bhagavān.

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

Mukti means, it is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). If you understand that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti. And so long you are thinking that you are master of something, that is bondage. This is the difference between mukti and bondage. Bondage means to think of becoming master, "I am the lord of this universe," or "I am trying to become a lord or master," this is bondage. And when you fully understand Kṛṣṇa and become engaged in His service, that is mukti.

So for a devotee, there is no question of mukti. A devotee is already mukta. Why? Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "Immediately as soon as you surrender to Me, immediately I give you protection."

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

It is not clear. Holy name of God is God Himself. As in this material world there is difference between the name and the substance, in the holy name, as soon as you call holy name, that name is not different from the substance. Is it clear or not? First of all answer this.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

That one single There are plural number and singular number. That singular number one is providing the necessities of other singular number, plural number living entities. That is the difference. He is the maintainer, He is the predominator, He is the controller, and we are controlled, we are predominated, and we are maintained. That is the difference between me and God. Otherwise He is a living being just like us. He is more powerful. The most powerful, the most beautiful, the most famous, the most strong, and we are all subordinate. Therefore His name is asamordhva. Asamordhva means nobody is equal or greater than Him. Everyone is subordinate to Him. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These things are there in Vedic literature. Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

It will stay, say, ten or fifteen or fifty or hundred years. That's all. But he is not for hundred years. He—nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). But the rascal does not know. He is thinking, "By chance, I have become minister or president or this or that. For some years this is my position." Dehātma-buddhiḥ. So that is the difference between mukti, mukta and bandha, bondage and liberation.

So liberation means to be situated in his own real position. That is called li... So what is our position? If we become little sober, if we become little sober, then we can understand what is my position. So that is called meditation, or dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). (aside:) What is that? Closing?

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

So the reply was that "My dear Arjuna, you are My devotee. Whenever I appear, you also appear, but I remember what I spoke to the sun-god. You were also present at that time with Me, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, or God and human being. That is the difference. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Kṛṣṇa, God, knows everything, past, present and future. Just like in the Bhāgavata, in the beginning, God means janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "From whom everything has emanated." So everyone can say, "I have given birth to so many children, so many houses, so many factories. I am also God." No. You cannot be God, because you do not know, abhijña... You do not know the past, present and future. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa is abhijña.

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

In our country, in India, in the villages the village hogs they are loitering whole day and night, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" So if human life is meant for that purpose, from early in the morning till one goes to sleep, simply find out where is money, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" then where is the difference between this pig life and the human life? If human life is meant for that purpose, "Where is money? Where is money?"... Of course, for the human being the money is very sweet; similarly, to the hog the stool is very sweet. So it is the question of sweetness, not the matter. Taste. So he finds good taste in stool, and we find good taste in money.

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

That's all. So that is not siddhi. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that mostly, 99.9 percent, they are busy in these things: "How to get money for sense gratification? And when we get money, then spend it for sense gratification." Divā cārthehayā. That is not siddhi. That thing is going on amongst the hogs. Hogs are also busy in that way. Then where is the difference between human life and hog life?

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

He is escaping. This is the...

But actually, they do not see that these devotees are engaged in working twenty-four hours but not for sense gratification like the hogs, but for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa consciousness man and ordinary man, karmī man. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that all these men, they are engaged. But the śāstra says, "No, no. You live with the minimum necessities. Don't increase your necessities unnecessarily." This is Vedic civilization. And the modern civilization is even increase your necessities—a machine for shaving your cheek. You see? Another machine, another attention diversion. More machine means more diversion of attention. I have to take care, more technician, more technologies. Simply if one razor can shave, can make my cheek very clean, where is the necessity?

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

So we are energies of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvāda philosophy claims that we are the same Brahman or Paramātmā. But Bhagavad-gītā says that the living entities, as we are, we are simply energy; Kṛṣṇa is the energetic. So there is difference between the energetic and the energy. Just like fire. Fire is the energetic, and light and heat are the energies of fire. So the sun and the sunshine. The sunshine is the energy of sun. If you think because the sunshine has entered in your room, if you think the sun has entered your room, that is wrong. So energy and energetic, they are simultaneously one and different. That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya. Acintya-bhedābheda. There are many philosophers, they say that God and the living entity the same; it is covered by māyā. Yes. It is covered by māyā. That is accepted. But God cannot be covered by māyā. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When we forget to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is material life. And when we serve Kṛṣṇa with love and affection, understanding that we are very intimately related, part and parcel, that is spiritual life.

This is the difference between material life and spiritual life. When one works for his own sense gratification, that is material life. And when works for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. It is very easy to understand. We are working, we are servant of somebody. All these people who have gathered here, nobody can claim that "I am not servant." Everyone is servant—servant of the society, servant of the family, servant of the country, servant of dog, servant of cat. Everyone is servant. That is misplacement.

Lecture on BG 7.6 -- Hyderabad, December 11, 1976:

A cat is thinking, "I am cat." He is neither cat, neither dog, neither human being. He is part and parcel of God. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is self-realization, "I am not this body." Just like we are differently dressed. So I am not the dress. I am human being; you are human being. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Therefore, those who are learned scholar, they do not find any difference between cat and a brāhmaṇa because the brāhmaṇa is also a living entity and the cat is also a living entity, differently dressed.

Lecture on BG 7.11-12 -- Bombay, February 25, 1974:

One who follows the saṁskāras, then he becomes purified. This is, this is called dharmāviruddhaḥ, "not against the religious principles."

So if we do not follow the principles, then we are animals. That's all. That is the difference between the animal and man. If you do not follow the regulative principles enjoined in the śāstras... Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, kāma-kārataḥ, na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti (BG 16.23). Because we do not follow the shastric injunction, therefore we are thinking that "Population is increasing; let us use contraceptive method." The so-called contraceptive method is there because we are having sex life against religion. Against religion. But if you have sex life in, mean, pursuance of the religious principles, you don't require.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

This verse we have been discussing in, on Friday. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who comes to Me..." Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but still, He has got His abode. The difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary human being or ordinary living being is that we can remain at one place, but Kṛṣṇa... Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Although He has got His abode in the transcendental kingdom, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana... The Vṛndāvana city from where I have come, this Vṛndāvana is called Bhauma Vṛndāvana. Bhauma Vṛndāvana means the same Vṛndāvana descended on this earth. Just like Kṛṣṇa descends on this earth out of His own internal potency, similarly, His dhāma, or His abode, also descends, the Vṛndāvana dhāma. Or, in other words, when Kṛṣṇa descends on this earth, He manifests Himself in that particular land.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

Just like here, the predominating personality, President Johnson, when the next election will come, there will be so many rivals. But in the spiritual sky there is no rival. In the spiritual sky the Supreme Lord is the Supreme. And those who wanted to become rival, they are put into this material sky, under condition of the material nature. This is the difference between spiritual sky and material sky.

So puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha. There the predominating Personality of Godhead is transcendental. Because there is no rivalry, there are also inhabitants; in those planets, there are inhabitants. They are liberated souls. In the Bhāgavata we get information that their feature of the body is exactly like God. In some of the planets the God is manifested in two hands; and some of the planets, the God is manifested in four hands. And the living entities, they are also of the same feature. The inhabitants or citizens, they are also of the four hands.

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

We have got our egotism, individual. Everything... I don't agree with you; you don't agree with me. Voluntarily sometimes we agree. That means every one of us has individuality. This is called being, "I am."

Similarly, God is also being like us, but He is Supreme Being. That is the difference between God and me. I am also being, you are also being, but we are not Supreme Being. We are under some control. But God is not under control. He is the controller, but He is never controlled. (aside:) Make it louder. That is explained in the Vedic literature, the definition of God. The definition of God is given there, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. The Supreme Being is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And He is... Vigraha means He has form. He is person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. But His person, His form, is different from our form, our present form. Our present form, as we have got the material tabernacle, that is temporary. Your form, my form, this is changing. We are not existing in the same form.

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

Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Amongst the trees, plants, there are two million forms. So there are hundred and thousands of forms in the material world. But in the spiritual world the form is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Every form is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. That is the difference between material world and spiritual world. Material world means... Although the varieties are there in the spiritual world... There are also trees, as we have got here trees. But there the forms are spiritual form, and here they are material form. Material form and spiritual form, what is the difference?

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

He'll do it. But this microphone, it has also a form, but if I want microphone, "Please do this," he cannot, it cannot do because it is material. It can mechanical, give some mechanical service, one only, but it cannot do any other thing. A man can speak or he can dance or he can become a thief, he can become so many—because he's living. That is the difference between material form and spiritual form.

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

So I can also say like that." But Kṛṣṇa can show the universal form. Will you please show me the univer...? "No, that I cannot." Oh, Kṛṣṇa lifted the hill in seven years old. Can you lift a one mound, or hundred pounds with your finger? "Oh, that I cannot do." That is the difference between the imitation God and real God. "Because Kṛṣṇa is saying, therefore I shall imitate and say." And because Kṛṣṇa performed rāsa-līlā... "Oh, Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives." "Oh, can you marry one and keep her very nicely in a palace?" "Oh, that I cannot do." Then how can you be Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa said so many things, wonderful, and He acted also wonderful. If you believe one thing and do not believe another thing, then it is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176). Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. I cannot believe half. If you believe, you believe full.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

He does not know Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa has no such difference. He is Para-brahman. He has no difference as between the soul and the body. He is complete spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, sac-cid-ānanda. So there cannot be any difference between Kṛṣṇa and His soul. There is no such thing. But these people, the so-called scholars, they do not understand Kṛṣṇa, but they have the audacity to write comments on Bhagavad-gītā. They do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, but they have the impudency to write comments on Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, "It is meant for you, Arjuna, because you are My devotee," bhakto 'si, priyo 'si me (BG 4.3).

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Kaṣṭān kāmān. Kāmān means the necessities to fulfill, to satisfy the senses, āhāra, nidra, bhaya, mithuna—where to eat, where to sleep, where to have sexual intercourse, where..., how to defend. These are kāmān. These are bodily necessities. But for fulfilling simply the bodily necessities if we work so hard, then where is the difference between us and the hogs? They're doing same thing. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. They are all, all the bodies, they have got, cats and dogs and hogs, they have also got body. Trees, they have got their body. But nṛloke: in the human society when you have got a body, it is not meant for working hard like hogs and dogs. This is human civilization. This is human civilization. Then what is it meant for?

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

Or by studying ourself we can study the nature of God. The difference is only that He is huge, the great, we are small particle, but the qualities are the same. You take a drop of the ocean water. The chemical composition is the same. The taste is the same. So that is the difference between a living entity and God. We are a small sample of God but God is great. If we understand this philosophy, then it is not difficult to understand what is God, and then we can establish our original relationship. And if we act accordingly, then our life is successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

They are less intelligent. Therefore they say, "If God had expanded everywhere, then where is God, personal?" No, that is not the fact. The fact is God is person. He is situated in one place but His energy... (child crying) His energy has expanded. Whatever you see in this material world or spiritual world... Material world... The difference between material world and spiritual world means in the material world we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Material means... When we forget God, that is material. And when we know God, existence of God, then that is spiritual. This is the difference between material and spiritual.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

Spiritual life means service to Kṛṣṇa. So if you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, where is spiritual life? That is the difference between material life and spiritual life. In the material life you serve but you don't serve Kṛṣṇa. Or you serve Kṛṣṇa indirectly under pressure. But actually when you serve Kṛṣṇa then you are situated in spiritual life.

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(BG 14.26)

So spiritual life means to serve Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise material life. Everyone is serving. That is material. Nobody can say that "I am not serving." Everyone is serving. That I have repeatedly said. If he has nothing to serve, then he keeps a dog and serves him. So service is my business. If I don't serve Kṛṣṇa, that is material life. And when we serve Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual life.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

Both ways, I can utilize. If I simply limit myself with the bodily necessities of life... Just like the animals. Eating, sleeping, sex intercourse, and defending. These are common to the human body and the cats and dogs body. But because I am human being, I can utilize my body in a different way. The cats and dogs cannot do. That is the difference between a human being and an animal. If you don't utilize my body as human beings then I am no better than cats and dogs. Actually I am cats and dogs. If we simply limit myself, how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to have sex intercourse very nicely and how to defend myself very nicely, then you are no better than animal. But this is the business of the animals.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

What we are seeing in this material world? Something material and something spiritual. Material means which has no sense or which has no moving power, and spiritual means which has got sense and which has got moving power. That is the difference between material and spiritual. So if we try to understand simply our body, actually that is meditation. Meditation means to understand, "what is this body and what I am." If you know these things...

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

This is the fact because we get it from Vedic information that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "God is the chief living entity amongst all living entities. God is the most intelligent personality than all of us. He is supplying the necessities of life to everyone." These are the Vedic injunctions. That is the difference between God and ourself.

I think, last night there was a question, "So what is the difference between God and myself" I replied that on this verse, that... Just like you are the proprietor of your body. I am the proprietor of my body. I know the business and affairs of my body. You know the business and affairs of your body. You do not know the business and affairs of my body. I do not know the business and affairs of your body. This is living entity. But God, He knows your business, your affairs of the body, and he knows my business and affairs of the body.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

The king comes along with secretaries, commander, ministers, soldiers, so many things. Similarly whenever Kṛṣṇa comes... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). At that time, Kṛṣṇa, all His associates also come. So Kṛṣṇa said that "The difference is that you have forgotten." That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa, God, and ordinary living entity. Kṛṣṇa says: vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He knows past, present, future.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

The brains are made of so fine tissues. What do you know?

But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa knows everything in detail. Anvayad itarataś ca artheṣv abhijñaḥ. Throughout the whole universe, throughout the whole creation, in any corner, in any place, whatever is going on, Kṛṣṇa knows. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and myself. I do not know even what is going on within my body. And still I am claiming I am God. How rascal. Just see, imagine. God's one opulence is that is full knowledge. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ sriyaḥ jñānam (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). This rascal god, so-called god, you ask him, "Can you say what I am feeling now or what are my pains and pleasures?" Can he say? And still he's claiming God. But Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. "I am in every, every body." I am also within this body and Kṛṣṇa is also within this body. Kṛṣṇa... As you are within your body, similarly Kṛṣṇa is also within your body.

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

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot distinguish between the jīva soul, jīvātmā, and Paramātmā. They know it, but because they are monists, to establish their theory, they say there is no two, there is one. No. Kṛṣṇa says two. One kṣetrajñaḥ, the jīvātmā, and the other kṣetrajñaḥ He is, Kṛṣṇa. The difference between the two is that the individual living entity knows only about his kṣetra, body, but the other living entity, the supreme living entity, He knows all the bodies, everywhere, anywhere, throughout the whole creation. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). This is the difference.

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

There are two classes of men, demon and god. Not the Godhead, God. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas means obedient to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are also god or godly. And those who are not obedient, they are demons. This is the difference between demon and God or godly. So there are two classes of men always in this material world. In the spiritual world, they are all gods, godly. Kṛṣṇa is the Godhead and all living entities there, they are godly.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

All these forms of life. They are not automatic, come from anywhere. I am the original father."

Therefore those who are fully Kṛṣṇa conscious or fully advanced in spiritual consciousness, they do not make any difference between an insect and a elephant because he knows very well that the same spirit soul is there within the elephant and within insect, within the microbe, because the dimension of the spirit soul is very small. You cannot imagine. It is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpita (CC Madhya 19.140), everything is there. So such minute particle is so powerful that it is managing the body of the elephant and it is managing the body of the ant.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Any city you go, the same road, same motorcar, same "whoo, shoosh," same petrol, that's all. (laughter) What is the difference? But we say—this is called illusion—"I have come to Paris. I have come to Calcutta." But where is the difference between Calcutta and Paris and Bombay? The same thing. Punaḥ punaḥ carvita-carvaṇānām. Again and again, chewing the chewed. That's all.

Therefore the Brahma-sūtra advises, "Now you have done this chewing the chewed so many lives." "Chewing the chewed" means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Either you are dog or you are man, you have to make solution how to eat, how to sleep, how to satisfy your sex, and how to defend. The same problem is in the dog life, the same problem in the human life. Same life is in the demigod life also.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

We take everything... Just like we are using this microphone. We do not think it is material. Because it is being used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose, therefore it is spiritual. That is the difference between material and spiritual. When you accept it as your own or for your own sense gratification, that is material. And if you accept everything as Kṛṣṇa's and you simply take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, then it is spiritual.

We are not Māyāvādī philosophers that we say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. No. Why jagat should be mithyā? If Kṛṣṇa is truth, God is truth, the jagat is also truth because it is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4).

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

Unfortunately, we are not taking advantage of these prerogatives of human life. We are simply engaged like cats and dogs for utilizing our life: eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhayaṁ maithunaṁ ca samānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. These demands of the body, eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, that is there in the animal life. Then where is the difference between the animal life and human life? Unless you become inquisitive to know, athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

Our propaganda is not for the East and the West, but our fight is with the ignorance of the people because at the present moment people are kept in ignorance, in foolishness, that he is this body, bodily identification. But still, there is difference between East and West. In the West, I have talked with big, big professors, learned scholars. They have no idea of next life.

I talked with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He said, "Swamiji, after annihilation of this body, everything is finished." They have no idea that there is soul. And in India even the poorest man, he knows that, "There is next life. I existed in the past, and I will exist in the future." This Vedic conclusion is known even to the poorest man, illiterate man. That is, of course, the difference between East and West.

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he visited Jagannātha temple, He was very anxious to see the Deity, Jagannātha temple. And as soon as He entered the Jagannātha temple, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And others are seeing, "What is this foolish man? Here is a wooden form of Jagannātha and this man has fainted." But that is the difference between this man and you. Unless you develop your devotional attitude, you cannot see God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

Lecture on BG 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973:

We are one with Kṛṣṇa in the sense by quality. As Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda, eternal life, blissful life, knowledge, full of knowledge, we are also like that in minute quantity, not like Kṛṣṇa. But there is the same quality. But now we are covered by this material energy. That Kṛṣṇa is never covered. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves although the quality is the same.

But we are prone to be covered. But Kṛṣṇa is not prone to be covered. Otherwise, why should we take lessons from Kṛṣṇa? If He's also like one of us, then what is the use of taking knowledge from Him? There is no use. But these rascals, they think that Kṛṣṇa is like us.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

Sevayā and dayā. There are two words. Sevā is offered to the superior person, sevā, service. And dayā is offered to an inferior person. Who is less than you, he requires your mercy, that is dayā. But who is superior than you, who requires your service, that is called sevā. This is the difference between sevā and dayā. But people do not know. They are trying to amalgamate dayā and sevā. No. Dayā to the inferior person. Just like a child. He requires your dayā, the dayā of the parents, mercy of the parents. But a guru, he requires your sevā, service. So you have to approve sevā, praṇipāta, surrender, sevā; then you can question. Don't question unnecessarily, waste your time, where you cannot surrender, where you cannot render your service.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Nitāi: "One who knowingly sees this difference between the body and the owner of the body and can understand the process of liberation from this bondage also attains to the supreme goal."

Prabhupāda: In the beginning of this chapter, Arjuna inquired,

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva
kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca
etad veditum icchāmi
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava

Yesterday evening, those gentlemen who came from Protestant Church?

Yogeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So they're talking about what is knowledge. Yes. This is very good question, what is knowledge. So Arjuna wanted to know this knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Knowledge means to understand this body and the soul. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra means this body, and kṣetra-jña means the owner of the body. Just like if you study your body... "What is this?" Just like we ask any child. Sometimes we play with the child.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

Just like Gandhi introduced this nonviolence. That is material calculation. It is all right. To become nonviolent is good qualification. But from spiritual calculation... Spiritual calculation means that surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa and then act. The difference between bhakti-yoga and ordinary karma is this: that when one's senses are purified under the direction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, that is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. What is bhakti? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become purified, sarvopādhi-vinirmukta. At the present moment we are encumbered with different types of designations. "I am Indian," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." They are all upādhis. But when one comes to the understanding that "I am eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is liberation.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

That is Vṛndāvana. So you can turn this material world into Vṛndāvana provided you agree to fulfill the desires of Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. And if you want to fulfill your own desires, that is material. This is the difference between material and spiritual.

The same thing, this house. This house is a house. The next door is a karmī's house, and this house is a temple. What is the difference? The difference is: in this house everyone is engaged to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's desire, and the other house, everyone is engaged in fulfilling his own desire. Therefore it is temple, and that is house. Otherwise, from the external feature, where is the difference? The same stone, the same wood, the same plants, the same land, the same kitchen—everything is same, and the business is the same.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Otherwise, from the external feature, where is the difference? The same stone, the same wood, the same plants, the same land, the same kitchen—everything is same, and the business is the same. But here the business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and the other houses, the business is to satisfy one's own senses. That is the difference between kāma and prema. When you try to fulfill the desires of Kṛṣṇa, that is prema. And when you want to fulfill your own desires, that is called kāma. There is no other.

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

Those who are under the conception that there is no owner, and the body is everything, they are less than tamo-guṇa. Actually animals. They have been described as being animal. Those who are thinking like the dog that "I am this body..." The dog is also thinking, "I am this body," and a man is also thinking, "I am this body." Then where is the difference between the dog and the man? When man comes to the understanding that "I am not this body; I am soul," then knowledge begins. Before that, he is ignorant like animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

Sudāmā: The question also is there: the authority is the spiritual master, but the via media to the spiritual master... The difference between, like we were discussing in the automobile of śikṣā and dīkṣā-guru.

Prabhupāda: Then so śikṣā and dīkṣā-guru... A śikṣā-guru who instructs against the instruction of spiritual, he is not a śikṣā guru. He is a demon. Śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru means... Sometimes a dīkṣā-guru is not present always. Therefore one can take learning, instruction, from an advanced devotee. That is called the śikṣā-guru. Śikṣā-guru does not mean he is speaking something against the teachings of the dīkṣā-guru. He is not a śikṣā-guru. He is a rascal.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

We are born some years ago. How is that—You instructed the sun-god, Vivasvān, this philosophy?" This inquiry was made by Arjuna. Why? How Kṛṣṇa knows the past so long, long years ago? So Kṛṣṇa replied that "Yes, at that time, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." That is the difference between ordinary human being and God. That is the difference. God does not forget past, present, future. God knows future. God knows past. And present, what to speak of? In the Second Chapter you'll find also. Kṛṣṇa says that "It is not that you, Me and all these kings and soldiers were not existing in the past. And we are existing at present. And it is not that we shall not existed in the future." These are the things.

Page Title:Difference between (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:10 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=133, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:133