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Do not know how to (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"did not know how to" |"do not know how to" |"does not know how to" |"don't know how to"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

Here in this material world, kuṇṭha planets. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Here, in any planet you go, the anxiety will be there. This is material. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Why anxiety? Because we have accepted something asat, which will not stay. But we are eternal, we want to stay. Our natural position is eternity. So we don't want this temporary body. Therefore we try to save the body as much as possible. But it will not be saved. Because we have accepted something nonsense, which is not compatible with our existence. The modern civilization, they do not know it. They think it that death is natural sequence. It cannot be avoided. No. It can be avoided. It can be avoided. But these rascals, they do not know how to avoid it, although it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā how you can avoid death. Birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems, but they do not know how to solve these problems. They are simply engaged in some temporary business. And they are fighting. They are making plans. They are making diplomacy. But in the real problem they do not touch, neither they know how to solve it. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can solve it. These rascals may understand this fact, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentiment, so-called religious movement. It is a scientific movement to solve all the problems of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

What is that? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simple. Simple. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni (CC Antya 20.12). You are suffering in this material world, dāvāgni, now, forest fire. This material world is forest fire. But they are so ignorant, they cannot understand that "We are burning in the blazing fire of this material existence. Our attempt should be how to get out of it." But there is no such knowledge. Just like animals. The animals are suffering. They are being taken to the slaughterhouse. There is no, I mean, strength of protesting. They are being slaughtered. So we are being also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. We are also being slaughtered. So we do not know how to make progress. That is slaughtering.

So this is going on, very abominable condition of this age, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). First of all, they are very much slow, or bad. Manda means bad or slow. Slow means the human form of life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding. So in this age every man is very slow. They do not know that there is need of spiritual understanding, there is need of making progress in spiritual life. They have forgotten. They have become just like animals. Therefore they are called mandāḥ. Sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one is little interested, he accepts something bogus which has no meaning. "I belong to this 'ism,' I belong to that 'ism,' that 'ism,' that..." "Ism," what is that "ism"? Dharma, or "ism," what is that required? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam... (SB 6.3.19). It is simple thing that the dharma means, religious code means, the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have to obey. That is called dharma. But they have no knowledge, what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is His order. They are here in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

And people were joking him, "Oh, Mr. brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" Because they were the neighbors, they knew that this brāhmaṇa was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gītā. So they were joking. But the brāhmaṇa did not care them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading. Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brāhmaṇa. So He asked the brāhmaṇa, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he could understand "This persons is not joking with me; He is serious." So he explained, "My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets." "Why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" So he said that, "My spiritual master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā. What can I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am seeing simply. I do not know how to read." "Oh, that's all right. You cannot read. But I see that you are crying. How you are crying if you are not reading?" "Yes, I am crying. Of course, there is cause." "What is that?" "As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā, I remember Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sitting as driver and Arjuna is hearing. I have heard the story. I know something of the instruction but cannot read. So as soon as I take this book, this picture comes before me and I simply think, 'Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is nice that He has become a charioteer of His devotee. He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of His devotee.' This gives me so much pleasure that I cry." Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him, "Your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect. You have taken the essence."

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

Because you are born in this family." So anyone who has become a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he is giving the greatest service to the family. Because in relationship with him, his father, mother, anyone, they will be liberated. Just like we have got experience, if a person dies in the fight immaturely, his family is taken care of by the government. Similarly, to become a devotee is the greatest qualification. He has got everything. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ yatra dhanur-dharaḥ pārthaḥ (BG 18.78). When there is Kṛṣṇa and when there is devotee, all victory, all glories are there. That is guaranteed.

So gurūn ahatvā. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if need be, if he's unqualified guru... Unqualified guru means who does not know how to guide the disciple. Guru's duty is to guide. So such kind of guru can be at least rejected. That is Jīva Gosvāmī's... Kārya-kāryam ajānataḥ. A guru who does not know what to do and what not to do, but by mistake, by mistakenly I have accepted somebody as guru, he can be rejected. By rejecting him, you can accept an actual bona fide guru. So guru is not killed, but he can be rejected. That is the injunction of the śāstra. So Bhīṣmadeva or Droṇācārya, certainly they were gurus, but Kṛṣṇa indirectly giving indication to Arjuna, that "Although they are in the position of guru, you can reject them." Kārya-kāryam ajānataḥ. "They do not know factually." This Bhīṣmadeva, he materially considered his position. He knew everything from the beginning, that the Pāṇḍavas, they were parentless, fatherless children, and he raised them from the very beginning. Not only that, he was so much affectionate to the Pāṇḍavas that he was thinking, when they were sent to forest, banished, at that time Bhīṣmadeva was crying, that "These five boys, they are so pure, so honest, and not only pure and honest, so powerful warriors, Arjuna and Bhīma.

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

Prabhupāda: Anyway, we do not take. But we, according to our Vedic information, this is only one universe, which is within our vision, this sky, the dome. That is one universe. The other universes are outside this universe. That is the Vedic information.

Devotee: Are there any other questions?

Man (3): Each of us have come here tonight sort of looking for a bit of a miracle or a bit of a statement that can stamp us, to hold us, to illuminate us. (devotees laugh) Now, you travel in a spirit. Can you tell us the wonderful feeling of enlightenment to enter this spirit? We don't know how to exactly enter this spirit and travel as you travel.

Prabhupāda: That I am distributing. You chant at home, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and see the result. (laughter) It is not difficult. If there is no expenditure, there is no loss, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you see the result at home. You haven't got to travel. You sit down at your home and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Man (3): The word travel... Illumination. Each of us wants to know that beautiful, glorious feeling and how we gain it.

Prabhupāda: That glorious... First of all we must know what we are. The mistake is that we are accepting this body as ourself. I am thinking Indian, you are thinking Australian, he is thinking American, he is thinking Mohammedan, he is thinking Hindu. In this way, because we are thinking different way, we have got difference of opinion. But as soon as we come to the spiritual platform. There will be no more different opinion. That we are trying, that come to the spiritual platform. Then everything will go on. The first lesson of coming to the spiritual platform is to understand that "I am not this body." This the first lesson of spiritual understanding.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

You have to suffer. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). At least these sufferings must be there: the sufferings of birth, sufferings of death, sufferings of disease and sufferings of old age. There must be. Either you become king or you become a dog or you become a cat, it doesn't matter, even if you become Brahmā. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). This is the philosophy.

Therefore the problem is how to get out of this bodily entanglement. I am spirit soul. Somehow or other, I have fallen in this entanglement of bodily transformation. There, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, anādi karama-phale, pori' bhavārṇava-jale, toribāre nā dekhi upāy: "Somehow or other I have fallen in this ocean of birth and death. I do not know how to get out of it." Just like if you are thrown into the ocean, however expert swimmer you may be, that is not your comfortable life. You have to swim all along, otherwise immediately drown. Similarly, as soon as you get yourself in this material world, you have to struggle for existence. You have to. If you want to stop this struggle for existence, then you must get out of this material existence. That is the problem of life. Anādi karama-phale, pori' bhavārṇava-jale, toribāre nā dekhi upāy. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My dear Lord, Nanda-tanuja, son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this material ocean." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. Viṣame: "Very ferocious danger, ocean of this material existence, I am fallen. Although I am Your servant, some way or other, I have forgot.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is addressing Arjuna, puruṣarṣabha, the best of the men. "O the best of the men." Certainly, Arjuna is the best of the mankind. Because he is directly friend of Kṛṣṇa, who can be better man than him? The best of the men. So the best of the men, why he's distressed in executing his duty? Therefore, this very word is used, that "You are the best of the men." Actually, the best of the men should not be disturbed by any material condition. He should discharge his duties. And what is the duty? Duty is to become immortal. This is the duty. The lowest of the men does not know how to become immortal, amṛta. Mṛta means death and amṛta means no death. The modern rascal civilization cannot understand that there is possibility of becoming immortal. They have taken it, accepted it; "Well, who can stop?" They are simply scientifically calculating that "Some day will come, by science, we shall be immortal, there will be no death." The formula is given here by Kṛṣṇa how to become immortal. That means you should be callous of this so-called happiness and distress of this material world. That is the first qualification. One who doesn't care what is the distress and happiness of this body, he must execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the qualification. "Oh, I cannot execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness because there are so many inconveniences," he's not fit for becoming immortal.

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

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

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

Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. The śarīriṇaḥ, the soul, which is within the body, that is nitya, eternal. Now, although it is nitya, it is fallen in certain condition of this material body, that it appears to be dying. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). He's under the tribulation of birth, death, old age and disease on account of this material body. Therefore, if you actually want to give service to the humanity, then give service to the soul, and if you give service to the soul, automatically the body is also served. But if you stress on the body, without... Therefore, despite all arrangements for humanitarian work, the human society is becoming worser and worser. Why? That is not service. They do not know how to serve. Illusion. Real service is this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to arouse the Kṛṣṇa con..., dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every human being. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. To make him aroused in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is real service. So what is going on in the name of service, that is not service. That is simply washing the coat and shirt. That's all. (break) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

"If there is somebody as God..." They think like that. "Let me appeal to the Supreme Person so that my distress may be mitigated." So aim is ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. We are also cultivating this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our aim is also the same. Duḥkha-nivṛtti. Kṛṣṇa says janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We keep always in view that in this material existence there are four kinds of miserable condition, primarily. To stop this. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Everyone's aim is duḥkha-nivṛtti. It may be presented in a different way. So the Buddha philosophy is also duḥkha-nivṛtti, stop pains.

Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), we are, by nature, we want blissfulness. But we do not know how to become actually happy and blissful. That is ignorance. In the material world, they also want to enjoy, everyone. They are thinking that this wine, woman, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication, these things will give me pleasure. So ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. The Bhāgavata says that ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, means ultimate solution of miserable condition, is in the fact that we realize God and we go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our philosophy. And persons who cannot understand what is God, what is kingdom of God, they want to adjust. The aim is the same, ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, ultimately solution of all miseries. In a different way. So Kṛṣṇa says, putting forward the Buddha philosophy which was formerly known as lokāyatikas and vaibhāṣikas... These two kinds of philosophers, they did not believe. Mostly the materialistic philosophers, they have no understanding of the soul.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Devotee: I don't know how to exactly word this. It seems like... I didn't quite understand the explanation, but it seems that although the battlefield is arranged for this war, there was almost a test for his principles and for him to renounce his place in the kṣatriya class. This is where I get confused in the Gītā. It seems like this is a very noble thing for him to renounce his place in the caste. I'm not clear here.

Prabhupāda: Renounce what?

Devotee: To renounce his place as a warrior and to go off into the woods and be a mendicant or whatever he wanted to do.

Prabhupāda: Who said?

Devotee: Arjuna.

Prabhupāda: So that is his cowardice. That is being condemned by Kṛṣṇa, that "It is not your business to give up fighting and go away from the warfield and go to the forest for meditation. It is not your business."

Devotee: How did that war differ from other wars?

Prabhupāda: It is... Sometimes knife is pierced in your body by a surgeon, and in another occasion, another man pierces a knife to stab you. Do you think both knife piercing is the same?

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

So the thing is that we, we are, because we are part and parcel of that sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternity, blissful and knowledge, therefore our hankering is always to live eternally. Our hankering is always to get full knowledge, and our hankering is always to remain happy. That is our natural hankering. But that is being hampered due to this body. That we do not understand. We are hankering after full knowledge, we are hankering after full bliss, we are hankering after eternity, but we do not know how to obtain that. Here is the information. Here is the information, that you are hankering after all these things through some imperfect instrument. That is not possible. So you have to understand yourself that you are not this body. Whole impediment, whole, meaning choking of your progress, is due to this body. So you have to separate yourself from this body. Simply separating, I mean to say, theoretically will not do. You have to keep yourself, keep yourself always separate, always separate as master of this body, not as servant of this body. That should be your aim of life. Just like you have got a motorcar, nice motorcar. If you want to drive it as a superior master driver, then the car will give you good service, but if you do not know how to drive, then the car will play disaster. Your life will be risky. You life'll be risky. If you simply sit down in a good car without knowing the art of driving, then it will play disaster. You give at once motion, and it will collide with something, and you will be fractured, and whole thing will be dismantled.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

Now, our position is that we do not know how to drive this motorcar. We do not know how to drive this motorcar. We have become the servant of the motorcar, servant, not the expert driver but a servant. This body means the senses. The senses. The sense wants that... My eyes, it wants, "Oh, there is a beautiful girl. Let us see. Oh, I am hankering after it. I am following that beautiful girl." "Oh, there is very nice music. All right." Ear. "All right. Let us have it." "Oh, there is a very good restaurant, palatable dishes." Oh, tongue, tongue dictates, "Oh, you go there." Similarly, all our senses... This body means senses. Without senses, the body has no meaning. So our position is that eyes dragging to some place, ear dragging to some place, tongue dragging to some place, hand dragging to some place, leg dragging to some place. So we are perplexed. Now, we have to learn how to control these senses. That is called svāmī. Svāmī, this very word svāmī suggests that he is the controller of the body. He is not controlled by the body. Svāmī or gosvāmī. Go means senses, and svāmī means master. One who is the master of the senses, he is called gosvāmī or svāmī. They..., all the same.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

So his politics are studied in higher, M.A. class, and so he has got some, he has got a book which is called Cāṇakya Śloka and some principles of morality, some principles of morality. So we, in our childhood, we had to study that small book, Cāṇakya Śloka. So in that principles of morality even Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that sannimitte varaṁ tyāga vināśe niyate sati. Vināśe niyate sati: "Oh, this body, this body is destined to be destroyed. You cannot protect it. It is to be destroyed." Sannimitte varaṁ tyāge vināśe. Vināśe means it is sure to be destroyed. "As sure as death." There is nothing sure as death. Therefore this body should be utilized, sannimitte, for purpose of spiritual realization. Before it is finished... In all the śāstras, this is the advice. This is the advice. The dog's body will be finished, and the man's body will be finished, but what is the difference of dog and man? The dog does not know how to utilize his body, but we are given instruction in so many books of knowledge, how to utilize this body. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that sannimitte varaṁ tyāga. You have to give up this body. Why don't you give it up for the highest cause? Highest cause. This is the highest cause, spiritual realization. Somebody's offering his body for country's cause. Somebody's offering body for the society's cause. Or somebody's offering body for theft case or some murdering case. We have, everyone has to offer his body at the end. But the man who sacrifices this body for the purpose of self-realization, he's the most intelligent man. Sannimitte varaṁ tyāga vināśe niyate sati. You'll have to meet death, undoubtedly, but before meeting death... (break)

...as fully spiritualized. This is the instruction given. Buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ: "Don't be miser. Don't misuse this great opportunity."

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

Sthita-prajña mea... Sthita-prajña means one who is steadily situated in the platform of consciousness. Prajña means consciousness, and sthita means steadily fixed up. So this is the only..., that you have haven't got to create mental concoction to become happy. You have simply to dovetail yourself with the supreme will. There will be activities. There will be activities because your consciousness cannot be inactive. But there will be activities. That activity will be standard and without any mistake, without any flaw, because it is dictated by the Supreme. Just like a fa..., a child is given instruction to write "A." So he does not write, does not know how to write. He's doing this way, that way. The teacher says, "My dear boy, kindly do this, this way, this way, 'A.' " So, if he does it, he's nice. It is nice. Similarly, we have to engage our consciousness... There is a supreme plan, supreme plan, all over the creation of the world, supreme plan. Everything is going on under some plan. Don't you see how the sun rises exactly at the right time, how the moon rises exactly at the right time, how the seasonal changes come exactly at the time? Eh? Everything is going on under the control of the supreme consciousness. (break) ...C, A, T, cat, C, A, T, cat, C, A, T, cat. Now, that required. Now, if somebody says, "Oh, 'cat,' he has once said 'cat.' What is the use of again saying 'cat'?" No. When we will learn something, we have to repeat it, even in material things. And what to speak of spiritual? You see.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

When you fight, you require to engage your senses. He said that "I will not fight." That means he is controlling his senses from fighting. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he says, "Yes, I'll fight." Just see. Before hearing Bhagavad-gītā, the position of Arjuna, that "I," "I will not fight," and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, the position of "I," "Yes, I will fight." Two contradictory. Before hearing Bhagavad-gītā, the position of "I" was negative, and people may estimate this nonviolence attitude of Arjuna very nicely. But after Bhagavad-gītā, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "Yes, I shall fight." Now, do you mean to tell that he degraded? First of all he was nonviolent. He was not willing to fight. Now he has degraded after hearing Bhagavad-gītā? Is it..., is the conclusion? No. He has improved. He has improved. Why he has improved? Because he has understood how to use the senses. That's all. In the beginning he did not know how to use the senses. Therefore he decided, "I shall not fight. I shall not fight." That is his material calculation.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

So our material calculation is all nonsense. Our material calculation of our activities, they are all nonsense. They are all causes of our bondage. And when the same senses, they are engaged in the service of the Supreme, that is our freedom. Kāmaḥ kṛṣṇa-karmārpane. Here the same thing is indirectly explained. Yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo 'ṅgānīva. One should know "When I shall properly use the senses." That is the sign of a person who is situated in pure consciousness. He knows properly, "How to use my senses." That is the difference by the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, we'll find, that in the beginning Arjuna did not know how to use his senses, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he learned it. He became a learned man, how to use his senses. And when he did not know how to use his senses, he said, "I shall not fight." And when he learned how to use senses, he said, "Yes, I'll fight." Now, what is the difference between "yes" and "no"? That means when our senses are engaged in the service of the supreme consciousness, then we are in pure consciousness situation. And when our senses are used to our whims, to our whims. Just like in the previous śloka it has been explained, prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān. We manufacture plans by our mental concoction. That should be given up. Yadā prajahāti kāmān sarvān. All kinds of mental concoction, mental speculation, should be given up. That is the science. That is the beginning of our spiritual life, that "I shall not use my mind for my activities. I shall wait for the direction from the higher authority, supreme consciousness. Then I shall act."

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Everyone in this material world, they are after peace, but they don't want to control the senses. It is not possible. Just like you are diseased, and doctor says that "You take this medicine, you take this diet," but you cannot control. You are taking anything you like, against the instruction of the physician. Then how you can be cured? Similarly, we want cure of the chaotic condition of this material world, we want peace and prosperity, but we are not ready to control the senses. We do not know how to control the senses. We do not know the real yogic principle of controlling the senses. So there is no possibility of peace. Kutaḥ śāntir ayuktasya. The exact word is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. Artificially, you may try for it. It is not possible. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 67: "As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even so, one of the senses in which the mind becomes fixed can carry away a man's intelligence."

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you... Suppose on the Pacific Ocean you are on a boat or on a nice seat, but if you have no controlling capacity, one wave of that Pacific Ocean can immediately bring you to the bottom of the sea. So this is required. We are in the midst of the Pacific Ocean of this māyika world. Saṁsāra-samudra. It is called samudra. So at any moment our boat can be topsy-turvied if we have no controlling power. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 68: "Therefore, O mighty armed, one whose senses are restrained from their object is certainly of steady intelligence."

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

Therefore a devotee who is actually intelligent, they should show the way how our intelligence can be utilized. That is explained here, saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁsaḥ. Avidvāṁsaḥ, fools, men with poor fund of knowledge, they have discovered so many lines of activities, simply foolishness.

So modern civilization, the so-called advancement of civilization, is, I mean to say, planned by the avidvāṁsaḥ, men with poor fund of knowledge. They are not advancement of civilization. Therefore they do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. They do not believe, avoid the major issue and they are planning. In this life they will live for fifty or sixty years, making big, big plans, saktāḥ, being materially attached, saktāḥ karmaṇi, and discovering new, new methods of engagement. Avidvāṁsaḥ. They do not know how to engage one brain and talent.

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 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, and we are getting good response because we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This book is... Here it is written, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We do not make any false interpretation so that the reader also spoil and the listener is also spoiled.

So, so many people, sometimes they come forward to give me some credit that I have done very wonderful thing. So I reply that "I do not know how to do something wonderful. I cannot manufacture gold, I cannot show any jugglery, but if there is any credit, then the only credit is I don't adulterate. That's all. The pure milk, I don't show my expert service by adding water in it. That I do not do. So we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. In the, all the Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Lord, person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs. 5.1)

In the Vedānta-sūtra it is inquired, athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? This human life is meant for understanding Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is real education. So that Parabrahman... We are Brahman, but Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. 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).

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

That is brāhmaṇa's business. And kṣatriya's business is to give protection. Just like Kṛṣṇa was playing as a kṣatriya in Dvārakā. As soon as there is some attack, immediately whole family goes to fight—Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Pradyumna. You have seen in the Bhāgavata. Kṣatriya's business is to give protection, and vaiśya's business is to give protection to the cows. As kṣatriya's business is to give protection to the citizens, human being, similarly, vaiśya's business is to give protection to the cows, not to send them to the slaughterhouse—to see the cows are very well-fed, they are fatty, strong, that they must be given food, sufficient food.

So because they do not read Bhagavad-gītā, they do not know how to maintain the whole society, therefore there is now chaos. Therefore it is needed. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. The rāja, the kings, the government, or the government, they must study Bhagavad-gītā. Then it will be nice. Imaṁ rāja... And ṛṣayaḥ. Ṛṣayaḥ will give you... Ṛṣayaḥ means great saintly persons, the brāhmaṇas. They should give to the government men... But who is consulting the saintly persons? Just like we are trying to preach this Bhagavad-gītā. We are trying to give the essence of knowledge. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Mahātmā. The symptoms of mahātmā is that he is always engaged in chanting the glories of the Lord. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). The Bhagavad-gītā says that catur-vidhā bhajante mām: "Four classes of men comes to worship Me." Bhajana means sevā. Sevā. So sevā means bhakti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanam... (SB 7.5.23). These are the sevā formula. So the devotees are engaged in sevā, in service of the Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

That is religion. Simple definition of religion is: dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law is given by the state, by the government. You cannot manufacture law. I have repeatedly said. Law is made by the government. Similarly, religion is made by God. If you accept God's religion, then that is religion. And what is God's religion? (aside:) If you stand, you come stand here. Other people are seeing. God's religion is... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is God's religion. "You give up all these nonsense religions. You become a devotee, a surrendered soul unto Me." That is religion.

One who does not know what is God, one who does not know how to surrender to Him, he's not religious. Any religion without the conception of God, without knowledge of God, without knowing the surrendering process, that is called, described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as "cheating religion." Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. The so-called religious system, which is cheating only, that kind of religion is completely thrown away, kicked out. Because religion means to develop your dormant love for God, or to execute the laws of God. That is... The laws of God is, (as) Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And how to achieve that? That also Kṛṣṇa says: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four principles only. "Always think of Me." Hare Kṛṣṇa. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you're remembering Kṛṣṇa. Man-manāḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... This is the religion; at least, of this age.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

This is very important verse. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Our problem is this transmigration of the soul, one body to another. This is going on. Because you do not know how to get out of it, modern education they do not know even what is soul, what is this body, how the transmigration of the soul taking place. All blunt. There is no educational institution all over the world to understand this science. Although it is the most important science for the human being. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more transmigration of the soul.

The soul, in its original spiritual body, can be transferred from this material world to the spiritual world. And there is the spiritual world as I've already explained, that is three times creation of the Lord. This is only one-fourth, this material world. So our problem of human life is to get out of these material clutches and transfer ourselves to the spiritual world. That is real problem. Not this food problem, that problem. This will go on. So long you are in the material world, such problems will come and go. They're not permanent. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Āgamāpāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. These problems, they'll come and they'll go. Just like seasonal changes.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

This is the gift of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means to drive away the fog in the mind. That's all. Because we are covered by the fog in so many ways, and it is very difficult to drive away. But you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it will be driven away. It will be driven away. There is no doubt about it.

So Kṛṣṇa is suggesting that first of all jñāna. The rascals have no knowledge how to become happy. They are thinking, "We shall...," they will be happy by drinking wine and eating meat and having sex life unlimitedly. They're thinking like that, so rascal. The whole civilization is condemned. They do not know how to become happy. They do not know how to become happy. Mūḍha. They do not know. The happiness is only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the fact. Kṛṣṇa assures that, that bahavaḥ, many, jñāna-tapasā...

First of all, one must know that the way in which you are finding out, trying to, trying to find out happiness, that is nonsense. That is not possible. We have to give up all these things. That is tapasya. Voluntarily give up all these things. The more we are advanced means more we have given up all these things. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is the position. So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ... (BG 2.56).

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). You should take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You take My shelter." So, of course, those who are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, it is understood that he has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Man-mayā. Man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ... So if you do these things... Not only you. There are... There are many examples. Bahavaḥ. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja and Dhruva Mahārāja, all big, big stalwart devotees. Nārada Muni, Brahmā, Svayambhū... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilaḥ prahlādaḥ bhīṣmaḥ... (SB 6.3.20). There are big, big personalities. To follow them, how?

Prahlāda Mahārāja was being chastised by his father, five years old, but he did not know how to protest. He was suffering and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. What can be done? What can be done? He was completely dependent on his father. And father had no mercy. The only fault was he, Kṛṣṇa, turned Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the fault. And he was being punished. He was punished, punished.

This is the world. Even father will be enemy, what to speak of others. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will be your enemy. You must be prepared for that. So therefore you require tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily agree to suffer. That is called tapasya. Voluntarily. Suffering is there, but why not suffer for Kṛṣṇa? Everyone is unhappy. Everyone is in suffering condition. Who is not suffering? Everyone is suffering.

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

We say, we are saying that we are overpopulated. But that's not the fact. At the present moment, where there is the question of overpopulation? Now how many of us giving birth hundreds of children? No. Nobody. But formerly, a father could give birth to one hundred children. So there is no question of overpopulation. And even there is overpopulation, we get information from the Vedas: eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one chief living entity, God, He can maintain innumerable living entities.

There is no question of overpopulation. This is a false theory. If God can create, He can maintain also. And actually, this is the fact. I am travelling all over the world. There are so much vacant places upon the surface of the globe that, that ten times more than the present population can be easily maintained. But we, we, we do not know how to use it. In Africa, in Australia, in your America, enough land still lying. But because we have encroached upon the land of Kṛṣṇa, the difficulty's there. China is overpopulated. India is overpopulated. But we, if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these difficulties will be over within a second.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to take everything Kṛṣṇa's. I am also Kṛṣṇa's. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, that is the fact. Everything... Kṛṣṇa means God. Everything belongs to God. I also belong to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. That's a fact. But we do not not accept the fact. We take something illusory. Therefore, it is called māyā.

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

His only fault was that he was preaching the message of God, and people, some people, not all people, become his enemy, and he was crucified. So this is the world. Anyone who comes as a most, I mean to say, beneficial friend of the world, people take him as the enemy, and they do the same mistake again so that they are bound up again by their own work and they remain in this material world to repeat birth and death, one after another, one after another. So we should be very much cautious.

We should not miss this chance of this human body to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become conscious of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore we must know how to work, how to work. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti. If we do not know how to work, then we shall be entangled in these material activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, saṅga-varjitaḥ. Of course, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he also acts just like another material actor, but because he works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he's not bound up.

Just like take the example of Arjuna. He also fought just like ordinary military man, but because he fought in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore he was not bound up by the reaction of such fighting. Fighting is not necessary. Fighting is not necessary. Peace, peace is necessary. But sometimes peace is disturbed. At that time, fighting is also necessary. You cannot, you cannot absolutely give up the process of fighting in this material world. That is not possible. Because there are persons who will create trouble. Just like we are experiencing. We are not going to do any harm to anybody. But sometimes they are coming and creating disturbances. So these disturbing elements are there, and this is always there. The material nature is like that. Therefore fighting cannot be abolished in the, when it is necessary, absolutely necessary. In the battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa advocated this fighting because it was absolutely necessary.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

There is no history. That is intelligence.

So Kṛṣṇa advising here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. What Kṛṣṇa said? That the karma should be divided according to the quality of the person. There are three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—of the material world. Guṇa-mayī māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). So guṇa-mayī. Guṇa means the three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇa, another, means rope. Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guṇa-mayī. So Kṛṣṇa advised, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, guṇa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle.

Now at the modern age, in every country all over the world, there is unemployment. Why unemployment? Because people do not know how to divide the population according to guṇa and karma. One is qualified as a śūdra, and he is engaged in the business of a kṣatriya. There is problem. The people are educated as śūdras, and when they are called for recruiting for the armies, they are afraid. The problem is very acute in America. Nobody wants to join military department. Why they will join? They have been trained up as śūdra, and why they will be like the business of kṣatriya? That is the problem. Everyone wants to avoid. Actually, the hippy movement is started on account of this, what is this?

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

Now, people are planning for peace in the world, but they do not know how to formulate that peace formula. You know. The United Nations are trying for the last twenty years or more than that for peace, but there is no peace actually in the world. The war is going on because they do not know.

The formula is in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). "I am the proprietor of everything. Whatever you are doing, I am the ultimate beneficiary. I have to take the result." Just like a laborer works in a factory, but who is the proprietor? The ultimate proprietor is the, the proprietor is the ultimate owner of the... So everything, whatever we do... Jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. Now, we are thinking that "This thing I am doing, I am the proprietor of this thing." That is a misconception. When we understand that everything, whatever we are doing, the ultimate proprietor is Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

And nirāśīḥ. Nirāśīḥ means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted. If you want perfection of life.... This is called tapasya.

One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily. Everyone has got the right to eat, even the animals. Everyone has got the right. But because we are desiring to enjoy more, therefore we do not give the chance to the animals to live properly; rather, we are trying to eat the animals. This is not required. This is called nirāśīḥ. Why you should eat animals? That is uncivilized life. When there is no food, when they are aborigines, they may eat animals, because they do not know how to grow food. But when the human society becomes civilized, he can grow so many nice foods, he can keep the cows, instead of eating the cows. He can get milk, sufficient milk. We can make so many preparation from milk and grains. So we should not desire unnecessarily to enjoy more.

Then it is said here, kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam. Kilbiṣam means resultant action of sinful life. Kilbiṣam. So if we don't desire more than our necessary, then we are not implicated, involved in sinful activity, kurvan api, even though he is engaged in working. While you are working, knowingly or unknowingly, you have to commit something which is not pious, even sinful, but if you simply desire for living properly, then kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam. Our life should be without any sinful reaction. Otherwise we will have to suffer. But they do not believe, although they are seeing so many abominable lives. Wherefrom they are coming, 8,400,000 species of life? There are so many lives living very abominable condition. Of course, the animal or the living creature does not know, but we human being, we should know why this abominable life. It is māyā's illusion.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

Therefore they do not know how we are accepting different bodies under karma, by associating with especial...

Associating means even unknowingly. Just like infection. In medical science there is the word "infection." You may not know, but if you have infected typhoid disease, it will fructify at one moment. So similarly, even if we do not know, if we associate with the material modes of nature, it will be effective. Sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Therefore we must have full knowledge how to save oneself from the association, from the infection of this material disease. That is called jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ. Just like a man who knows hygienic rules and regulation, he does not infect disease. But a man in ignorance, he infects disease and suffers. It is not God's creation. Your creation. If you do not know how to live, then you will infect the infection of the different modes of material nature, and you will have to suffer or enjoy.

Therefore common sense instruction given by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, a great politician, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. This is his first instruction, that "Don't associate with bad character." We are also doing that, that "Don't associate with the four principles of sinful life illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. To tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: "You associate with sādhus."

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

Teṣām: "Because he is a devotee, just to give, just to show him a special favor," teṣām evānukampārtham, "simply for showing a special favor, I Myself, from within, I light up the knowledge, I mean to say, searchlight, and he becomes..."

And you will be surprised that my Guru Mahārāja's spiritual master was Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He was completely illiterate. He did not know how to sign, and my spiritual master was the most learned man of his age. He accepted that guru who was completely illiterate. But when he would speak, that Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, he would speak with all Vedic references. And you will find in the Veda that

yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
(ŚU 6.23)

So the spiritual knowledge becomes revealed. It is not subjected to any material acquisition. It is not subjected to any material acquisition of knowledge. It becomes revealed. How? Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. One who has a staunch faith in the Supreme Lord and staunch faith in the personality of his spiritual master, bona fide, then he gets all the things revealed in himself. Spiritual things are not just like material things.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

Simply thinking, "Oh, it is material. It is not spiritual. Let me give it up," but I do not know how to utilize them in the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that sort of renunciation is not very much appreciated by our Gosvāmī sampradāya. We should not decry anything. Whatever is produced now, welcome. But let it be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be all right. The same example. Just like Arjuna was a fighter. He was a military man. But he was trying to mix with sense gratification. He was trying... He declined to fight just to make his own sense gratification. What is that sense gratification? He thought that "By killing my kinsmen, my brothers on the other side, I will be unhappy." So my happiness and unhappiness pertaining to this body, that is a kind of sense gratification. So when he was taught Bhagavad-gītā he gave up that process of sense gratification. He agreed to fight to satisfy the sense of Kṛṣṇa. So he remained the same fighting man. He remained the same military man. But only difference was that in the beginning he wanted to satisfy his own senses and at the end of studying Bhagavad-gītā, when he became a liberated soul, he engaged the same energy for the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

So let him insult. Let me tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that taror api sahiṣṇunā. Toleration like the tree. Best example. You cannot find any tolerant living entity than a tree because it is standing day and night in scorching heat, in severe cold, there is wind, there is rainfall, it does not not make any protest—standing tolerant. People are taking leaves, flowers, fruits, cutting, and never protests. This is a symbol of toleration. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that you become tolerant than the tree and smaller than the small grass on the street and you give all honor to others and don't expect any honor. Because people do not know how to honor me. Real honor is that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor. And if I say, "Your majesty, your honor, your lordship," they are all false. Real honor is when I call you that you are servant of God or servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor.

So self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that I am not this body. This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body, therefore I am now self-realized. So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice. All the yoga practice or philosophical speculation or anything—all practice targets to one point—that I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman. I am not this matter. This is perfection. A man who has made sufficient progress to this realization is more perfect. This is the way of perfection. And assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future. One has simply... If I am realized then this material composition of this body is disbursed and I am the spirit soul, small particle, I am immediately promoted to the spiritual sky.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Yes. So it is a question of practice. Just like a child born, he does not know how to smoke, how to drink, but by association he becomes a drunkard, a smoker, intoxication. By association. So it is a question of association only. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If the association is good, our carrier is being spoiled because we are not keeping good association. So this is explained here, that: "But when the yogi engages himself with sincere endeavor in making further progress." Just like in business also, there are so many association, corporation. Because by becoming member of that corporation the particular type of business flourishes. They have got exchange. They can make exchange, bill of exchange, stock exchange. So association is so important. So if we become serious for developing divine consciousness, then this is the only association—we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Here simply the method how one can become divine conscious, that is taught. So this is a good chance. We invite everyone to join and the process is very simple. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll feel. There is no difficult process. The children also can take part and actually they are taking part. You don't require any previous qualification. That you must have passed your master of degree examination or this or that. Whatever you are, you simply come and join this association and you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the advantage of this society. It is clear. Please try to understand.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:

I have got experience, practical experience, that the drafting board of your country, calling some boy that "You join military," but he is not willing. Why? Because he is not trained as a kṣatriya. He is trained as a śūdra. Therefore the caste system is very scientific. A section of people should be trained as brāhmaṇas. Those who are intelligent enough in the society, they should be picked up for being trained in higher philosophical science. Those who are less intelligent than the brāhmaṇas, they should be given military training. We require everything—not that everyone is military man. This is nonsense. How everyone can be military man? Because they are sending śūdras to Vietnam they are unnaturally being killed. So any country who is very proud of scientific advancement, if he does not know how to organize society, he is a fool. He's a fool.

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find Kṛṣṇa says that the four divisions of society: brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra... That is natural. Somebody is inclined for spiritual advancement, oh, they should be picked up as brāhmaṇas. Now, we are training boys who are spiritually inclined, and now unnecessarily we are being called for military service. Just see, how discrepancy! The foolish person has no knowledge that "This boy is being trained up in higher science. Why he should be disturbed?" But they have no idea. Therefore imperfect. The intellectual persons, those who have got brahminical qualification... These boys are being restrained for being trained up as brāhmaṇa, brahmacārī. They don't take, I mean to say, meat-eating; they don't take part in intoxication; they don't take part in gambling; they don't take part in illicit sex life. So they are being trained as complete brāhmaṇa, the highest intellectual person, purified person in the society.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

The devotee should be merciful, just to awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And dviṣatsu ca upekṣāḥ: and those who are envious, they should be rejected. These four classes... To try to love Kṛṣṇa, to make friendship with devotees, and to give some service to the innocent public who does not know what is God, and those who are envious, asuras, they should be rejected. The madhyama-adhikārī should not touch the demons. Because maybe, he may turn again, be demon. Therefore one should be very careful to associate with the demons.

But when one becomes uttama-adhikārī, mahā-bhāgavata, he does not see anyone as demon. He sees, "Everyone is worshiping Kṛṣṇa. I am not worshiping." This is mahā-bhāgavata. Just like Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī always feels that "I do not know how to love Kṛṣṇa. Oh, he, here is a gopī. How she loves Kṛṣṇa." That is Her... This is called mahā-bhāva. So we should not imitate Rādhārāṇī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's the symbol of Rādhārāṇī's mahā-bhāva. He says that "I do not love Kṛṣṇa. I do not know how to love Kṛṣṇa." Then if you, somebody, if somebody says, "Then why You are crying?" "Well, that is a show. I am making a show. I am crying." Then what is the symptom? "The symptom is that if I would have loved Kṛṣṇa, then without Him I have died long, long ago. I should have died. I am living still without Kṛṣṇa; that means I do not love Kṛṣṇa." This is mahā-bhāgavata-bhāva, separation.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

It is simply waste of time. The whole world is trying to formulate... The United Nations. How to love the nations, one another. But there is no Kṛṣṇa. Therefore twenty years they are trying to unite the nations, but they are simply becoming disunited, missing the point. They do not know how to unite. If you want to unite the whole human society into one, take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You'll be united politically, socially, religiously, culturally, philosophically, in any way. Because Kṛṣṇa is everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa is the root. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs. 5.1)

So take the root and your business will be successful. That is the effect of studying Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Simply by engaging yourself in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, all our other activities will be perfectly done. This is the secret of success, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand this.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

These things have to be understood, that nāma-nāminaḥ abhinnatvān, identical. So when we chant "Kṛṣṇa," "Hare," "Rāma," they are directly connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though we do not know how to chant, there are, according to śāstric, I mean to say, injunctions, there are ten kinds of offenses. When we avoid that offenses, then it is pure chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So even if we chant with offenses in the beginning—it cannot be free of offenses—still it will act. Just like you come near the fire, you can feel the warmth, and with direct touch it becomes red hot. So, we have to be in touch with the fire, then gradually we become warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer and red hot, red hot. Just like another example, just like you take a lead, iron rod, and keep in touch with the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmest, then gradually the iron rod becomes red hot. When it is red hot, then it is fire. You touch that iron rod anywhere, it will burn. The quality of fire is already acquired. Similarly, if you keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa,

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

The, to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the first principle is smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur, "Always remember Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa." That is the beginning, to touch. Vismartavyo na jātucit, never forget. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, if you chant, there is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great, because you are touched in Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name nondifferent, identical. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ, pūrṇaḥ. It is not that partial, pūrṇaḥ, because the name is of the pūrṇaḥ. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). This is the Vedic version.

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

Ah. Yes. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. That is the beginning. Mad-āśrayaḥ. One has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa, directly you cannot take shelter. But Kṛṣṇa is not present. Kṛṣṇa is present, but we do not know how to capture Kṛṣṇa. That is another thing. Kṛṣṇa is... Just like electricity is everywhere, but one who knows the science, he can capture electricity. Telephone wire is everywhere, but still, you have to bring some expert to connect your telephone. The telephone wire is everywhere. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu (aside:) Why you are standing? Then stand.

So the process is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), in the Vedic injunction. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, Vedas, the ultimate knowledge of Veda... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, tad-vijñānārtham, vijñāna... Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). It is vijñāna, it is science. Sa-vijñāna. So if you want to know that vijñāna, then you should approach: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. You must accept guru. Who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Guru's qualification is that he's śrotriyam: he has heard from his guru perfectly. That is guru. Śrotriyam. And brahma-niṣṭham: and firmly fixed up at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. These are two qualifications. You cannot move from that firmness. You cannot move. And he has heard about Kṛṣṇa from the authorities of guru. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is guru. So that is recommended. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then tad-vijñānārtham. In order to understand that science, then you must approach guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is Rūpa Gosvāmī's... Ādau gurvāśrayam. Ādau śraddhā.

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

So practically you ask so many big, big men... Last time when I was here, Lord Fenner Brockway came here to see me. I asked him this question, that "What is your next life?" He is also old man, eighty-four years. He said, "Swamiji, we shall die peacefully. That's all." Peacefully you may die, but you have to accept the next body. Whether that will be peaceful or not, that they do not know. Similarly, I spoke with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He also said that "Swamiji, after finishing this body, everything is finished." This is the position of human society at the present moment, that they do not know how to make life perfect. To make life perfect means how to make my next life very perfect or happy or better life. Otherwise, if I remain in darkness—Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13)—then I shall be, I may become any of these so many types of body. I may become a tree, I may become a dog, I may become a cat or maybe a demigod. There are so many, different. But I must be sure what kind of life I must have. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We are not imagining. Our movement, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, based on Bhagavad-gītā.

So Kṛṣṇa says that... As He says, there is next life, that is a fact. Now, how we can prepare for the next life, that is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā. How?

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

When it is played back, it produces exactly the same sound, but still, it is separated from me. Try to understand. This material world is like that, bhinnā, separate. The real life is in the spiritual world. The real life is... Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi: (SB 1.1.1) "The real truth, the Absolute Truth, I am offering my obeisances to the Absolute Truth." So Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. If we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then, instead of speculating about Kṛṣṇa, better take what Kṛṣṇa teaching Himself. That will be perfect.

So the real understanding of Kṛṣṇa, that this material world is also Kṛṣṇa... But we do not know how to use it for Kṛṣṇa. If we take to that process... Kṛṣṇa's energy should be for Kṛṣṇa's purpose. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy never says that this world is false. Why it is false? It is not false. As the Māyāvādī philosopher says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. No. Why jagan mithyā? Just like this temple is constructed. If somebody says, "Yes, it is very nicely constructed, but it is all false," shall I be happy? No. And actually, why it is false? It is not false. It is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. What is this temple? This temple is combination of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. This brick, what is this brick? Brick means you take earth, mix with water and put into the fire—it becomes brick. And there is air. So it is Kṛṣṇa's energy. It is not material. It is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Because the philosophy is that Kṛṣṇa's energy should be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose. Then it is spiritual. That is our philosophy. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, this, gives this formula:

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

That is called dharmika life. If you can stop the birth and death of your children... Birth and death means... Because dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). The real soul, the real life is within the body, while... And he's transmigrating. The... Transmigrating from one body to another. That is called death. And when he comes out from one, another body, that is called birth. So as soon as you get—kleśada āsa dehaḥ—this body, full of miserable condition, then you again put into miserable condition of life. Therefore if you can stop your childrens' birth and death any more, then beget children. This is the shastric injunction. And if the father does not know how to stop his own birth and death, then what is the use of producing children? The father should be so sympathetic with the children, with the sons, that he must know what is the pains and pleasure of birth and death.

So every parent desires welfare of his children, of their children. So this is the greatest welfare, that "This child has come in my womb, he has become my son. This is the last time. No more birth and death. He will be educated in that way." That is father's responsibility. Not that eat him, get him meat-eating, and get him fat. However fat he may be, he'll die. (laughter) You cannot stop his death simply by making him fat like elephant. Therefore it is said, dharmāviruddha. Don't beget children if you have no responsibility. But they think that "We'll have sex life, but we shall avoid this responsibility. So then let us use contraceptive." This is greatest sinful life. Greatest sinful life. You are killing, murderer. Now in the Western countries, they are actually killing. They have made law. So if the society has become so awfully sinful, how they can expect peace and prosperity? That is not possible. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

The three-fourths of the creation is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāva anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature. So we do not know that. There is no education. We are simply interested with this one planet. There are so many material planet, but above that there is another, spiritual world, and there are innumerable spiritual planets also. They are called Vaikuṇṭha-loka, and the topmost Vaikuṇṭha-loka is Goloka Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇaloka. So we have no information.

So if we execute this devotional service, rāja-vidyā, then we can go back to home, be transferred to the spiritual world. They do not know. Aśraddadhānaḥ. Then, aprāpya mām: they do not know how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Aprāpya. Then what happens? Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). He remains here in this material world and goes on transforming, transmigrating from one body to another, one body to another. And we should know, we should be very responsible that what kind of body we are getting next. If you don't care... Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they say that after finishing the body... Our men in Delhi, New Delhi, they are making some life members amongst the parliamentary M.P.s. So one M.P. said that "We don't believe in this. The last perfection is to become zero, to become zero." Because they cannot think, those who are materialist, they cannot think that there is another, spiritual world. They, they cannot think. Therefore this zero theory, śūnyavāda, was propounded by Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha propounded śūnyavāda, because the people are so rascal, they could not understand. There was no necessity. There was no necessity. He simply said nirvāṇa: "Stop this nonsense material life."

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

If every home, every person, takes to this principle of understanding Kṛṣṇa, it will become... The whole world will become Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means where there is no anxiety. Vaikuṇṭha. Vai means without, and kuṇṭha means anxiety. This world is full of anxiety. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because we have accepted this temporary existence of material life, therefore we are always encumbered with anxiety. Just the opposite thing is there in the spiritual world, where the planets are called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means without anxiety.

We want to be free from anxieties. Everyone is trying to get himself free from anxieties, but he does not know how to get out of this anxiety. This taking shelter of intoxication is no use to get oneself free from anxieties. It is a drug. It is oblivion. Sometimes, for sometimes we forget everything, but again when you come to your consciousness the same anxieties and same thing are there. So this will not help you.

If you want to be free from anxieties and if you want actually life eternal with bliss and knowledge, then this is the process. This is the process. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Here it is clearly stated that na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ (BG 10.2). Nobody can understand. But there is a way. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). This is a process. There are several places in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this process is described in a different way.

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

Smṛtir labdhā, "I have got my remembrance. Everything belongs to You. For Your satisfaction everything must be done." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Yes, I'll fight."

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So long you think it is for your satisfaction, that is material. And as soon as you think, as soon as you understand that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and everything should be used for the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual. That is the distinction between material and spiritual. There is nothing like that spiritually something wonderful. But everything... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). If everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, where is material? There is nothing material. Everything is spiritual, but we do not know how to use it. Therefore it is material. When you forget Kṛṣṇa, when you forget the proprietorship of Kṛṣṇa upon everything, that is material. Hari-sambandhena. Kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. This is the injunction of the Gosvāmīs, that we have to accept everything as Kṛṣṇa. That is the fact.

And we are using everything without utilizing for Kṛṣṇa's purpose; therefore it is material. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, stena eva sa ucyate: (BG 3.12) "He is thief. He is thief." Yañārthāt karmano 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). As one man is criminal because he does not satisfy the state... What is the position of a criminal person? Because he disobeys the laws of the state, he is criminal. That is the distinction between a good citizen and a criminal citizen. One who does not obey the laws of the state, he is criminal. So everyone who does not obey the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is criminal. Stena eva sa ucyate. This is the verdict of the śāstra. Forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, or God, is materialism, and not to use things for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction is criminality.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Not ordinary jijñāsuḥ. Just like we go to the market, "What is the rate of this share? What is the rate of rice? What is the rate of dahl?" Not that kind of jij... Brahma jijñāsuḥ. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, not this rice, dahl, share market. No.

So jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, what is the highest perfection of life, he requires to approach a guru. It is not a fashion. It is not a fashion that "I have made my guru, such and such Swami." But what you have learned? You cannot learn because you are not at all jijñāsuḥ. You do not know how to inquire, neither the guru you have met, he does know how to reply. Such kind of guru and disciple will not help. The disciple must be also serious to understand about the spiritual subject matter. That is knowledge, brahma-jijñāsā. One who is inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth, he requires to approach a guru. That is jñāna. Jnana means brahma-jñāna. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is jñāna. And if I am American, that is not jñāna. That is ajñāna. "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this," "I am that," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin." These are all ajñāna, ignorance. You are neither fat nor thin nor black nor white nor American, but you are spirit soul. You have to know that. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is knowledge. And for this knowledge you must approach, ācāryopāsanam.

Lecture on BG 13.23 -- Bombay, October 22, 1973:

Another place it is said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). "That Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramātmā, Antaryāmī, is situated in everyone's heart." Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā: (BG 18.61) "And He is directing māyā to give him a particular type of body and he is moving with that body." Yantra. Just like if you get a car, according to the price, you can get car. You can get a Rolls Royce car, Chevrolet car, Cadillac car or a Ford car or Ambassador car or a Jeep. So as you can pay for it, you get a different type of car, and you can travel, similarly, according to your karma, good and bad, you are getting a type of body. There are eight million four hundred thousand species of body. You can get one of them and suffer and enjoy.

Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body. Next body you can get a cat's body or dog's body, a tree's body or a demigod's body or a Brahmā's body or a Indra's body, Indian body, American body, serpent body, insect body, bird's body, aquatic, any, any, There is no guarantee. That will be awarded to you according to your karma. Unfortunately, they do not know it. Just like animals. The animals do not know how to get a better body.

Lecture on BG 13.23 -- Bombay, October 22, 1973:

This is knowledge. I am not the owner of this body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means the senses. We are claiming, "This is my hand," but this is not my hand. This is Kṛṣṇa's hand. The same thing. The tenant may occupy the room, but he is not the owner of the room. Owner is different person. Similarly, we may occupy this body or any body, but we are not owner of this body. As soon as we know that "I am not owner of this body, I am the occupier of the body," that is knowledge. We are falsely claiming that "We are owner of the body." We are not owner of the body. I cannot therefore repair anything. If any part of my limb of my body goes wrong, I do not know how to repair it. But Kṛṣṇa can do it because He is the owner, Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). You have to pay to the owner. Similarly, we have to serve Kṛṣṇa for occupying this body. That is devotion. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9).

Because it is also explained, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat means everywhere the Supreme Lord has got His hands and legs. So what is that? How He has got hands and legs? Your hands, my hands, they are hands of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. Just like your hand. We are claiming, "This is my hand." This hand is used for my service. Suppose If you want to eat something, you use your hand for eating, but for other's eating, you don't use your hand. He uses his own hand. This is an example. So all these hands and legs belong to Kṛṣṇa. It should be used for Kṛṣṇa. That is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

So again Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is stressing on the point, how to avoid death. This is the whole scheme of Vedic knowledge, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), but people have no knowledge. They have become just like animals. Animal, you take them to the slaughterhouse, they cannot do anything. They are becoming slaughtered. So people at the present moment, they are also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. But they do not know. As the animals do not know how to protect. They do not know. The animal thinks that "What can be done? I must be slaughtered." So the present civilization, also given to the laws of nature, being carried away by the waves of nature, and subjected to the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. No scientist can stop it. But still, they are very much proud of advancement. They do not know the real problem and how to solve it, but still, they are very much proud. Actual problem is this.

So even they do not know, they can hear. Just we are opening centers all over the world—why? Just to give them the chance to hear. To hear. If people only come to these centers, these centers of spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, hear the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any so-called scholastic interpretation, all rascal, as it is, then they also can derive the benefit, so much so that they can also stop their repetition of birth, death, and old age. It is so nice thing.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

Our mission is very big. The best welfare work. Other welfare activities, they keep them as go-khara, and promises all sorts of big, big promises. No, we do not say.

Our mission is to enlighten him, that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, there is Supersoul. Both the soul and the Supersoul are living in this body. The Supersoul is observing and the living entity is working. According to his work, he is getting the result, a different type of body. In this way, repeatedly he is taking birth and repeatedly he is dying. So one has to stop this repetition of birth and death. That is the perfection of life. That is the perfection. But they do not know how to stop this repetition, neither they do know that death can be avoided.

In the śāstra (it) says, gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. In this way, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. A guru should not become a guru, a father should not become a father, a mother should not become a mother, nobody should become relatives, kinsmen, if one cannot save his son, his disciple, his friend, from the imminent danger of birth and death. The society should be like that. Everyone should be eager to save his friend, to save his son, to save his disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death. But they have no... Neither they do know how to stop it, neither they are interested. But that is the real problem, how to stop. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

Then what is the advantage of becoming sura and asura? If you become a sura, then you become fit for entering into the kingdom of God, back to home, back to Godhead. But if you remain asura, then you have to remain in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), full of miseries and temporary. So we don't say anyone asura and sura, but, we understand from the śāstra anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he may be, he becomes a sura. Even if he is born in asura family, it doesn't matter. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father was a asura, but still, he became the first-class sura. Similarly, everyone can become first-class sura. They have to be trained. The asuras, they... Therefore it is said that pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Asuras, the fault is, asuras, they do not know how to live a very happy and clean life. They do not know. Ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. They have not cleanliness and good behavior.

So therefore we are teaching cleanliness. "You rise early in the morning. Take your bath." He must be clean immediately. He rises early in the morning, evacuating. He takes his bath. Immediately becomes cleansed, śaucam. Sattvaṁ śaucaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. These are the qualification of brāhmaṇa or the suras. But they do not know it. Therefore we are training, "Rise early in the morning. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Have maṅgala-ārati." This is ācāra. This is ācāra. By practicing this, you can see the distinction between ordinary men or our men. Anyone, practically you will see. In America they are surprised. Although they are Americans, they inquire, "Are you Americans?" Because there, in America, there is no such thing. Any inquisitive person inquires. The priest said that "These boys, they are our boys, and they never came to church to inquire about what is God. Now they are mad after God. What is this?" Because they have become suras by training. By training. So asuras can be turned into suras. There is no difficulty. Provided they abide by the rules and regulation, orders of the spiritual master, they can be suras. Because they do not know... Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. They do not know what is satyam. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa says... Kṛṣṇa did not say Bhagavad-gītā to the loafer class. Kṛṣṇa said rājarṣi. Arjuna was a rājarṣi. So there are... Because king would take responsibility. If the head man is taught very nicely everything about society, economic development and religion, if he is taught very nicely, then he can, I mean to say, introduce the ideas in the country. Therefore there was monarchy. The king would learn from the brāhmaṇas how to rule over the citizens. That was perfect. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Rāja and ṛṣi. Or rāja means king and ṛṣi means saintly person. So either the ṛṣis did know or the kings did know. Or a king who is not less than a ṛṣi, he could know and he could rule over. That is the Vedic injunction. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. But without being rājarṣi, without being highly qualified, nobody can understand.

Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to purify the people in general to the brāhmaṇa stage. Then they'll be... you'll be able to understand. Otherwise, na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ (BG 16.7). If he's not clean, if he has..., he does not know how to behave, it is difficult. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is still more kind that "Never mind whatever you are. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you become purified." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. It doesn't matter whether what you are. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll be purified. Then you'll understand everything, what is God, what you are, what is your relation. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 14, 1976:

Payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. And why they become addicted to sense gratification? Because they are not clean, śaucam. Śauca is the qualification of brāhmaṇa. We are getting sacred thread but we are neglecting how to become, how to remain śaucam, śuci. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Śuci means first-class brāhmaṇa. So we are accepting sacred thread to become first-class brāhmaṇa, śuci, but we do not know, after eating, we have to wash our hand. We are taking the handkerchief and finished. So this kind of brāhmaṇa, what they will do? That is not even a civilized man. So you should be very, very careful how to follow the rules and regulation. That is nivṛtti-mārga. If we still remain in pravṛtti-mārga, then we will not be able to make any advance in spiritual life. And if we do not make advance in spiritual life, then again and again, śarīra. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Everyone is suffering on account of this body, and this human body is meant for ending this suffering. That should be the aim of life. But those who are asuras, they do not know how to end this life of suffering and accept the life of ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) simply ānanda in Vaikuṇṭha, in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa, to live with Him as His associate, you have no information. We are demons, and therefore we take pleasure in so-called material activities. And that means we are doomed. We should stop this nonsense and take to the principles of nivṛtti-mārga. Then our life will be success. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

This is the verdict of the asuras. We have discussed the characteristics of asuras for the last two days. Now, gradually, Kṛṣṇa is explaining the demonic characteristic. He has explained the divine characteristic extensively before this. Now He is explaining what are the demonic characteristics. So, nāpi cācāraḥ. They even do not know how to live nicely. That verse we have already discussed last night.

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca
janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro
na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate
(BG 16.7)

Pravṛtti and nivṛtti means which one, which path, we shall take and which path we shall reject. That they do not know. Na śaucam, not cleanliness. Even ordinary things, cleanliness, that is very hygienic. That also they do not know. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. They do not know how to behave also. Na satyam. And no truthfulness is there. This verse we have already discussed.

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

We are all hankering after happiness. But we do not know how to get happiness. That is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, father of Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. This planet, not this country. Bhārata-varṣa. Formerly it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. So after the reign of Mahārāja Bharata, Emperor Bharata, this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. But because we have lost our culture now, we are now a small piece of land. Just like Pakistan went. We could not maintain our culture. Formerly, the kings were maintaining the culture and controlling the whole world. So it is warning that those who have not undergone austerities, as Ṛṣabhadeva says, that this human form of body... Everyone has got a material body. The cats and dogs and hogs and trees and everyone has got. But ayaṁ dehaḥ nṛloke, especially in the human society, it is not meant for gratifying the senses, working very hard, whole day and night, like the hogs. The very example is given: hogs. Viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means hogs, the stool-eater. The stool-eater, you'll find the stool-eater, the whole day and night searching after stool: "Where is stool? Where is stool?" At night also, you'll find engaged. Day also, engaged. These are the examples by nature. What for? What is the business? Now, eating stool. And then, as soon as he gets some strength, then sex. Never mind, mother, sister, or anything. This is hog civilization. "Eat whatever you like, no discrimination even up to stool, and then have sexual intercourse. That's all."

Page Title:Do not know how to (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari
Created:18 of Apr, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=56, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:56