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Dominate (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"dominance" |"dominant" |"dominate" |"dominated" |"dominates" |"dominating" |"domination" |"domineering"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Once upon a time the whole European people were dominating all over the world because they're very intelligent.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Germany, June 18, 1974:

If you have done nicely to occupy a first-class apartment, then nature will give you a nice body.

Therefore I say repeatedly... I am saying again that you Western people, Western boys, Western girls, or Western people, you are given very good chance by nature. Therefore, once upon a time the whole European people were dominating all over the world because they're very intelligent. So they have got good intelligence, good resources, good, nice body, beautiful body. Everything is very good. But don't spoil it; utilize it for understanding further good. Don't spoil it simply behaving like cats and dogs. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that you are misled and simply bodily conscious of life. Therefore fight.

Generally, those who are under the bodily concept of life, they are struggling day and night. Why? Now, to have overlordship of this material nature.
Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "This third chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is conclusively directed to Kṛṣṇa consciousness through knowing oneself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without considering impersonal voidness as the ultimate end. In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities of lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. Such desire for overlording and sense gratification are the greatest enemies of the conditioned soul, but by the..."

Prabhupāda: Generally, those who are under the bodily concept of life, they are struggling day and night. Why? Now, to have overlordship of this material nature. This is material activities. And those who are on the mental platform, they are trying to philosophize, mental speculation. Those who are still intelligent, they are taking to this yoga practice by intelligently trying to controlling the senses. But as soon as you come to the spiritual platform, automatically these things are done because all your senses, mind, and intelligence are occupied by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Our material bondage is due to hankering and lust for dominating over the resources of matter.
Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

We have discussed this point that our material bondage is due to hankering and lust for dominating over the resources of matter. We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence. And the whole Bhagavad-gītā scheme is how to get out of this material entanglement and be situated in your real spiritual life of bliss, knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole scheme of Bhagavad-gītā.

Material nature is so strong that you cannot dominate it. That is impossible. So he's being crushed by the laws of material nature. Instead of becoming master, he's being crushed. So this is struggle for existence.
Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

If God is great, and we are part and parcel of the Supreme, so our natural sequence, natural life, is to render service. That is our nature. You cannot go beyond your nature. If you go beyond your nature, that is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Therefore we are all servants, but here, in the material designation, we are trying to be master. Everyone is trying to be master. Therefore so much trouble of existence. If everyone becomes servant, there is no struggle. There is no struggle. Everyone becomes happy because he comes to his natural position. But here, artificially, we are trying to be the master, which I am not. That is my artificial life. Everyone is trying to predominate, to be the... He's trying to dominate over the material resources to his best. But he cannot have any domination of the material nature. Material nature is so strong that you cannot dominate it. That is impossible. So he's being crushed by the laws of material nature. Instead of becoming master, he's being crushed. So this is struggle for existence.

We have seen, and by experience, those who are under the domination of the father when they, still they are not married, they are happy. Those who are under the domination of the husband after being married, they're happy. And those who are under the domination of elderly children, they are happy.
Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Mukti means if you give up the artificial endeavor to become predominator and become situated in your original position, being predominated. Artificially... Suppose a woman is trying to become man artificially, how long it will go on? How she can be happy? That is not possible. Actually, in the Western countries at least we see that the woman class, they want equal rights with men. And there is. There is no distinction. But it is my experience, the woman class, they are not happy in the Western countries. And still in our country, although we are so fallen, still our woman class remains satisfied. Being predominated, they are happy. They are happy. That is my practical experience. So I do not wish to discuss this point very much, but according to our Manu-saṁhitā, it is said that women should not be free. Na strī svātantryam arhati: "Svātantryam is not allowed to the woman class." Actually, we have seen, and by experience, those who are under the domination of the father when they, still they are not married, they are happy. Those who are under the domination of the husband after being married, they're happy. And those who are under the domination of elderly children, they are happy. So this statement of Manu-saṁhitā... Just like children should not be given freedom, similarly, woman should not be given freedom. They should be given all protection. That is our Vedic culture.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

This pride, when increases, then there is falldown, which has caused this falldown of the brāhmaṇas of this age. Unnecessarily they became pride and tried to dominate over the other classes.
Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

A first-class brāhmaṇa, he is supposed a first-class man. But still there is contamination. At least this contamination is there: "Oh, I am a brāhmaṇa. I am brāhmaṇa. I am greater than all others. I am learned, and I know all the Vedas. I know what is what. I understand Brahman. Because brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, so he knows. So all these qualities, first-class brāhmaṇa, but still he is contaminated because he is proud: "I am this. I am this." That is material identification. That is... He is not free from the material identification. And this proud, this pride, when increases, then there is falldown, which has caused this falldown of the brāhmaṇas of this age. Unnecessarily they became pride and tried to dominate over the other classes. And they saw... Gradually they degraded in their qualities, and they saw, "Why this class of men..." That is being protested still—who are known to be brāhmaṇas, they should go over everyone. "We are also qualified." Therefore, instead of cooperation there was misunderstanding, and the whole structure of Vedic society became dismantled. The whole Vedic society. They are simply now proud: "I am brāhmaṇa. I am kṣatriya."

One who is dominated by the tamo-guṇa, he is like animal. He is like animal. Taking this body as self, this is tamo-guṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:

We should understand what is the difference between material and spiritual. Here in the material world, everything is polluted. What is this material pollution? Qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Out of these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa is the best. If one is situated in sattva-guṇa, then there is chance of being promoted to the stage of nirguṇa. The sattva-guṇa is the (indistinct) and ignorance (indistinct) can be found in animals. This is tamo-guṇa. Pāpa-yoni, this is tamo-guṇa. Then if one is fortunate, he can be situated in the rajo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa, at least there is some material interest (indistinct). So... But above that, there is sattva-guṇa, to understand things as they are. In this way, when you get full scope for understanding of things as they are, not falsely studying and speculating but proper (indistinct), that is called sattva-guṇa, (Sanskrit). Just like darkness at night, you cannot see anything. That is tamo-guṇa. Then in between the darkness and sunlight, there is a period early in the morning, it is not completely illuminated, but the darkness is not (indistinct). That is the mode of passion. Everyone gets up early in the morning and begins his work. And in the sunshine, one can work very nicely; he can see how nature is situated, how (indistinct). Similarly, one who is dominated by the tamo-guṇa, he is like animal. He is like animal. Taking this body as self, this is tamo-guṇa. Sa eva go-karaḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Because you wanted to dominate over the material nature, therefore you have got this material body.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- New York, July 20, 1976:

Just like we are now enwrapped, covered with this body, and I am thinking I am this body. This is avidyā. I am not this body. So again he has to brought to this knowledge, that "You are not this body. Because you wanted to dominate over the material nature, therefore you have got this material body. Because you wanted to eat stool, you have got this hog's body. Because you wanted this, jump over unnecessarily, creating trouble, you have become monkey. Because you wanted to drink fresh blood, you have got the body of a tiger." This is called avidyā. He's not either tiger nor pig nor monkey nor this so-called human being, nor American, nor Indian. He's spirit soul. That knowledge one has to come. From that avidyā, from ignorance, one has to come to the knowledge. Then his life will be successful.

Every planet is dominated by a particular demigod. There is a principal living entity who is differently named.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.385-394 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

Every planet is dominated by a particular demigod. There is a, a principal living entity who is differently named. Just like this moon planet is called Candraloka because the predominating deity there is called Candra; the sun planet is called Sūryaloka because the predominating deity is called Sūrya. Sūrya, Candra—these are official names, just like "governor." But the particular name is also there. Governor is a particular person. Just like "president." President is a general name, but he has got his particular personal name. Similarly, all these predominating deities of Candraloka and Sūryaloka, they are, these are official names. Anybody who's predominating over the sun planet, he's called Sūrya, but he has got his personal name. That name is Vivasvān. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Who is that Vivasvān? Vivasvān is the present predominating deity in the sun planet.

If you want to dominate, if you want to exploit the resources of nature—that is materialism or material civilization—then you become more and more servant of nature.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

We have to give up the service of the māyā and take an appointment from Kṛṣṇa. Then that is our perfection. The service is there; just change the account. Just change the account from this service to that service. If you want to dominate, if you want to exploit the resources of nature—that is materialism or material civilization—then you become more and more servant of nature. But if you give up all these propensities and just submit, surrender to Kṛṣṇa and take an appointment from Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. This is the position.

Initiation Lectures

I replied that "We are foreign-dominated nation, India. Who will hear about our message?"
Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

So, His Divine Grace, my spiritual master, somehow or other liked me, that I should take up this responsibility. And on the first day I met him, I was at (that) time a very young man, a nationalist, and engaged in a very responsible office. So one of my friends casually took me. I did not like to go. But I am very much thankful to that friend, who is still living in Calcutta, that he forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see because in our house my father used to receive so many sannyāsīns, but I was not very much satisfied with their dealings. So I thought that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja might be a similar man. So what business I have got to see him? But this friend took me forcibly, that "Why not see the man?"

So I went on his request, and I was so profited. So on the first visit he asked me that "Educated boys like you, you should go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is great necessity." So I replied that "We are foreign-dominated nation, India. Who will hear about our message?" Actually, at that time the foreigners were thinking Indians as very nonsignificant because in the face of so many independent nations, India was dependent. There was one poet, Bengali poet. He lamented that "Even uncivilized nations like China, Japan and Burmese..." Not Burma. Burma was also dependent. "They are independent, and only India is dependent on the Britishers." So anyway, my Guru Mahārāja, he convinced me that "Dependence, independence, they are temporary. But we are concerned with the eternal benefit of the human kind, and therefore you should take up this matter."

Departure Talks

Why don't you serve God? That is the perfection. You have to serve somebody strong. You cannot avoid it. Just study all status of society, animal society or human society. The law is that the stronger is dominating the weaker.
Conversation -- Hawaii, June 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: So why not serve the supreme strong (?)?

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is natural. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. Mahat means bigger and more powerful, and nunam means there are less powerful. So everyone is less powerful than God. Then why don't you serve God? That is the perfection. You have to serve somebody strong. You cannot avoid it. Just study all status of society, animal society or human society. The law is that the stronger is dominating the weaker. That is the law. You cannot avoid it. So wherefrom this idea came unless it is in God? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). All ideas come from the Supreme. That is the law, that the strong predominate over the weak. So who can be stronger than God? So this is our natural position, to serve God.

Philosophy Discussions

Because Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira were actually representing God, therefore their domination was possible. Now, that being lost, there are so many small states, they are not God conscious, therefore fighting each other, that's all, like cats and dogs.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the dominant nation in any epoch represents the dominant phase of the absolute idea during that time. Just like now America is the dominant nation in the world so that the dominant phase of the truth is being expressed through America.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Mr. Nixon supported Pakistan. (laughter) Everyone knew, all other nations knew that this Pakistan is creating havoc, genocide, they're killing innocent men in Bangladesh, and Nixon, Mr. Nixon publicly supported. And still he is angry about India because India is the richest country. He has withdrawn all help. So he is supporter of mischievous activities.

Śyāmasundara: Just like before, the British were the dominant nation and then again some other country would be the dominant nation, he says that this dominant nation expresses at the time what the, the absolute truth expressing itself in time.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the dominant nation is, it is connected with the absolute truth that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago, the king of Hastināpur, they were dominating the whole world. Because Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira were actually representing God, therefore their domination was possible. Now, that being lost, there are so many small states, they are not God conscious, therefore fighting each other, that's all, like cats and dogs. But it is a fact that the Vedic culture kings like Mahārāja Rāmacandra, Mahārāja Prthu, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and later on some other kings also, they were actually representative of God, so there was no trouble. One king was ruling all over the world.

The dominance of American nation is God's favor. We can accept that. Now, if you put on the head representative like Mr. Nixon or some other, then it will deteriorate. If you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if you make your president Kṛṣṇa conscious, then actually you will be God's empowered nation.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Is the fact that America is now the dominant nation also God's will?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I say, because some of the Americans are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Śyāmasundara: So what is the meaning, then, that America is the dominant nation?

Prabhupāda: America is dominant now. Actually most of you don't support Mr. Nixon. But he is on the head. So how he has become head, that is mysterious. Because people, when you study the people, they do not support him. There are so many, I mean to say, procession against, protesting against Mr. Nixon's policy and so many things. But still he is on the head, of the executive power. So there is something mysterious. Actually, the present government does not represent the others. That is everywhere. So, how we can understand that this nation is good or bad by the state behavior. Just like we issued that statement that these Americans not... These Americans were following the Nixon philosophy. There was a cartoon, that in our temple nobody is coming.

Kīrtanānanda: Nobody is what?

Prabhupāda: Nobody is coming.

Devotee: India.

Prabhupāda: In India. Because there was a feeling against the Americans. People are going to the ambassadors and place, the consulate, they are protesting, the police was there, very good. Eh? Against, against killing, counter feelings against the Americans doing the work. So I issued one statement that these Americans, they are devotees, they have nothing to do with politics. So at the present moment (indistinct), actually what is the American nation, simply by seeing the state we cannot give our judgment that this is the American nation, because there are many who are not in agreement with the state power. But they are posing themselves, that we represent America.

Śyāmasundara: He says that it is God's will that a certain nation will be dominant at a certain time, so I'm just wondering what is the reason that God has made America dominant.

Prabhupāda: That is his philosophy. He says. God does not say. He has no connection with God that he can speak on behalf of God, "It is God's will, God's..." (indistinct), like this?

Śyāmasundara: No, he says that whatever is, is right, and that this good and this reason in its most concrete form is God. God governs the world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That also we admit because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam, mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam, whenever there is some extraordinary power, it should be understood that it is derived partially from God's power. That we accept. So the dominance of American nation is God's favor. We can accept that. Now, if you put on the head representative like Mr. Nixon or some other, then it will deteriorate. If you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if you make your president Kṛṣṇa conscious, then actually you will be God's empowered nation. Let the president become Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Why not? You are American, you can also capture the post. You can become senator, you can be congressman. So educate the American public (in) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, elect Kṛṣṇa conscious president and actually you will be God's favored nation is there. You have got the opportunity and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also in your hand, now it is up to you to utilize it and become actually the leaders of the world. That was my mission: "I shall go to America, and educate them, and they, if they follow, the whole world will follow." And that is coming to be true. You are all young men, it is in your hand. Now you make policy in that way. Just like the communists. A few communists, Stalin, Lenin, they formed a big communist party, now it is predominating all over the world. Similarly, you are so many nice, young, flowers, intelligent young Americans you have understood the philosophy, and now it is up to you to spread this "ism". You don't become stagnant—"Now I have understood Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I shall sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Our proposition is, that you come to the original state, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are not predominator, you are predominated. Predominated means female.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Śyāmasundara: In the male, so-called male species, there's a different temperament. There's dominance, there's aggressiveness...

Prabhupāda: No, no. There is no difference in temperament. The real (indistinct), the center (indistinct). Just like in your country it is the women is very (indistinct) that why they shall not be treated exactly like men. And the same thing is coming in our country also.

Śyāmasundara: And the men also want to have long hair and...

Prabhupāda: Actually, the real position is that every living entity is female, originally. But falsely he is imitating to become a male, enjoy. This is called māyā. Actually he is female, but he is trying to imitate the supreme male, Kṛṣṇa. That is called māyā. This is not fact. So our proposition is, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you come to the original state, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are not predominator, you are predominated. Predominated means female.

Śyāmasundara: So for instance in nature, he sees male and female characteristics. For instance a mountain, we see a mountain and we give it a male, a male characteristic because it is strong, it is dominant, it is (indistinct), like this. And the sea, which is passive and calm and deep, we give a female aspect. He sees all these in nature.

Prabhupāda: These are all mental concoction. It has to be more scientifical. You can think of something in your own idea. That's all. That is not the real identity of it. What is that?

Man is meant for hard working, and woman is meant for homely comfort, love. So both of them, if they are situated in their respective duties under proper training, then this combination of man and woman will help both of them to make progress in spiritual life.
Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Hayagrīva: Concerning men and women and the qualities, Comte felt that women were inferior physically, intellectually, and practically to men, but that they surpassed men in goodness and love. He writes, "In all kinds of force, whether physical, intellectual, or practical, it is certain that man surpasses women in accordance with a general law which prevails throughout the animal kingdom. If there were nothing else to do but to love, women would be supreme."

Prabhupāda: Hn. So?

Hayagrīva: Is that so?

Prabhupāda: So that is natural distinction between man and woman, so how it can be changed? Woman is meant for certain activities and man is meant for certain activities. So how this can be changed? Artificially if you change it, it cannot be changed. Then, just like woman becomes pregnant, man does not become pregnant. How it will be changed?

Hayagrīva: Well from this he concludes that woman, being dominated by love, is morally superior to man.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: And he considered woman, or all women, to be what he called "The spontaneous priestess of humanity. She personifies in the purest form the principle of love upon which the unity of our nature depends." So the woman is to act almost like the brāhmaṇas, in being a priestess or in charge of the, of the religion of man, being that she's dominated by the heart.

Prabhupāda: These are all imagination. When woman, when she is misguided, she becomes dangerous. There is no question of love. But one thing, according to Vedic conception life, that women and children are on the same level, so they should be given protection by men. In childhood the protection is from the father, in youthhood the protection is from the husband, and in old age the protection is from the grown-up sons. So they should never be given independence. They should be given protection, and their natural love for father or for husband or for children, then that propensity will grow very smoothly, and that will establish the relationship with woman and man very happy, and both of them will be able to execute their real function, spiritual life, by cooperation. The woman is known as his better half, so if she looks after the comfort of the man, a man is working and he is looking after the comfort, then both will be satisfied and their spiritual life will progress. Woman is meant for certain duties; man is meant for... Man is meant for hard working, and woman is meant for homely comfort, love. So both of them, if they are situated in their respective duties under proper training, then this combination of man and woman will help both of them to make progress in spiritual life.

Page Title:Dominate (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Madhavi
Created:28 of Jan, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=16, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:16