Education (Lectures, BG chapters 7 - 18)

Expressions researched:
"coeducation" |"education" |"educational" |"educationally" |"educations" |"educative"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Devotee: "One has therefore to learn from Kṛṣṇa directly or from a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and not from a nondevotee upstart, puffed up with academic education."

Prabhupāda: Yes. If somebody says, "Oh, I am very good scholar in Sanskrit and English and this language, that language. I can explain. I have read so many books, and I can comment. I can give footnote and waste your time," then "Oh, he is very nice." Simply for wasting time and energy, everyone is ready. And as soon as the right thing is given... Right thing... If you say, "Oh, you haven't got to go through so many, I mean to say, process. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," "Oh," they'll say, "this is all nonsense. Simply by chanting?" They will not accept. You see? There are many stories in this connection, how people are not accustomed to take things very simply. They want something bombastic. Yes. You see? Go on.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

So these instructions were not for Arjuna. For everyone. We have to first of all learn that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is Vedic instruction. And as soon as you come to this point, if you are firmly convinced that you are not this body, that is called brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) stage, Brahman realization stage. That is knowledge, real knowledge. Knowledge, advancement of knowledge for eating, sleeping, mating, that is animal knowledge. The animals also, the dog also knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate and how to defend. So if our education is only on these points... The dog is eating according to his nature, but we are also eating in a nice plate, nicely cooked food in a nice table, but the principle is eating. That is not advancement, that "I am eating in a better plate in a better place than the dog; therefore I am advanced." But you are eating, that's all. Similarly sleeping. You may sleep in a very nice apartment, six story building or 102nd story building; a dog is lying on the street. But when he sleeps and when you sleep, there is no difference. You cannot know whether you are sleeping in a skyscraper building or on the ground, because you are dreaming something else which has taken you from your bed. You have forgotten that "My body is lying there on the bed, and now I am flying in the air," dreaming. So this sleeping method, if you improve, that is not advancement of civilization. Similarly mating.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

Therefore śāstra says that human life is not meant only for these four principles of life, bodily demands. There is another thing. That another thing is brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. A human being should be inquisitive to learn what is Absolute Truth. So that education is lacking. Therefore without this brahma-jijñāsā education, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. According to Vedic civilization, a brāhmaṇa is learned. Paṇḍita. A brāhmaṇa is called paṇḍita because brāhmaṇa means one who knows Brahman. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Therefore he is called paṇḍita. In India the brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means a brāhmaṇa is expected to know Brahman; therefore he is brāhmaṇa. Not by birth. Brahma jānāti. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth everyone is śūdra, fourth-class man. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. And when he's reformed by the purificatory process...

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

So hearing is very important. Therefore our bhakti process, bhakti-yoga process is hearing. The more you give aural reception to the transcendental message, more you become expert. You haven't got to become a Ph.D. or very learned fellow, or very scholar. No. Even a child, without any education, he can also become Kṛṣṇa conscious simply by hearing. In New Yor... In Los Angeles, our child friend, he's only three years old. Oh, he cites so many mantras. He has learned. Yes. So many. Of course, one child may be specially intelligent, but anyone can learn. The method is simply hearing and seeing the behavior. You put one child in this association; automatically, with his growth, he'll become a Vaiṣṇava, a Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee. Automatically, by seeing these activities, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Because the child will get the opportunity for hearing the word "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." Everyone has got God-gifted instrument, this ear. And if we give aural reception, we'll learn. There is no need of education, ABCD. No.

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

This is the whole philosophy. And practical example. Just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, then the water, however that water may be small, but because it is supplied... There are many examples. Just like if you pay your taxes to the government, it is distributed throughout the whole state: to the education department, to the water department, this department, that department. You are utilizing so many things, but you put your tax one place, to the government. It is distributed.

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

Actually we are getting different types of body according to our association with the different modes of material nature. The material nature is being conducted by three modes: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So those who are in the modes of material nature, in the modes of goodness, their body is different. Just like brāhmaṇa. Simply getting the body of brāhmaṇa is not sufficient. One has to learn how to become brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. But there is opportunity. If one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he has got the opportunity to develop the brāhmaṇa qualities. Similarly, if one is born in the family of a kṣatriya, he gets the opportunity of kṣatriya spirit. Similarly vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). But the quality and actual action. Just like a boy is born of a medical practitioner. He has got greater chance of becoming, becoming a medical student, medical practitioner. But simply by getting birth as a son of medical practitioner is not sufficient. He has to take education. So cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa does not say "By birth." By acquiring the qualities and action. One must have the brahminical qualities and act as a brāhmaṇa; then he'll be accepted as brāhmaṇa.

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

So this is commonsense understanding. People do not understand it, very nice common sense, that the body is changing but the soul is there. Exactly the same example: the mother knows that "My boy, my child, although he has changed body, now he has grown-up, say, fifty years old, but my child he is. He is my child." Where is the difficulty to understand? Anyone can understand. But people do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This kind of education, what is the value? The real knowledge begins when we understand that we are not this body, material body. I am different from body.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

This is our position. Then, when we understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, then real knowledge begins. Otherwise, so long we are in the bodily concept of life, we are animals. Because animal cannot think that the animal is not the body.

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

So first education should be given to the students that he is not this body, he is spirit soul. And because he is spirit soul, he has got a different business than to maintain this body. Maintenance of the body, that is being done by the cats and dogs also. They also take care of the body very nicely. They fight, struggle for existence to... They fight to keep the body fit. The tiger also, he fights. He secures his eatables by fighting. Similarly, this struggle for existence to get things for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is current in the animal society also. So śāstra says, therefore, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Śāstra says, ayaṁ deha, this body, human body... Nāyaṁ deho nṛloke, deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means in the human society. The animals... Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām means an stool-eater animal, stool-eater animal, hogs. You know. Although it is not very easily found in the cities, in our Indian villages, there are so many stool-eater hogs loitering in the street, in the village. The only business is "Where to find out stool?" This is the business.

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

The whole city is full of pictures, simply how to indulge in illicit sex. Then meat-eating—big, big signboard—and intoxication, wine shops. They want it. That is the natural propensity. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā. You do not require to encourage them in these things. They have got natural tendency. That is material world—to enjoy unrestricted sex life, to eat meat, fish eggs, āmiṣa... Āmiṣa-madya-sevā. Āmiṣa means eat meat, fish, eggs. These are āmiṣa. And vegetarian means nirāmiṣa. So āmiṣa-madya-sevā. Madhya means intoxication. Either wine or cigarette, biḍi or gāñjā, bhāṅg, teas, coffees, they are all intoxication. So āmiṣa-madya-sevā and vyavāya. Vyavāya means sex life. You do not require to educate them. In the school, college, the boys and girls are not, I mean, given lesson... Of course now, I think, they are now giving lesson also. But naturally, without any lesson, they know how to do it. Similarly, without an education, one can take to intoxication. So these things are natural. But when we try to stop these material instincts, that is called tapasya, tapasya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

Prabhupāda: No. Karma may be. Just like you are sent to school, college, to understand the right and wrong. Therefore you must be educated to know what is right and wrong, not that you do like animals, whatever you like. There is education required, and because we have no education, therefore there are so many books of knowledge, Vedic knowledge. You have to take advantage of it, and then you'll understand what is right and wrong. Otherwise not.

Indian man (1): According to the present situation here in South Africa...

Prabhupāda: So you can take advantage.

Indian man (1): Man has a very... The question is most of the African people here are not educated in spite of their education. They look upon a man of intelligence...

Prabhupāda: The real education... Real education is, first of all, you must know what you are. You are this body or something else than the body? Just like when a man dies, his son or relative laments, "Oh, my father has gone away." Now, father is lying there on the bed. Why do you say, "My father has gone away"? The father is lying on the bed. Therefore you did not see who is your father. After death you are realizing that your father is gone away. (applause) Then where is your education? You cannot see even your father; then where is your education? This is no education. Therefore you must know "What I am, what is my father, what is my mother." That is real education.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

But we are missing the opportunity. Nature has given us the opportunity, possessing this human form of body after evolution, 8,400,000 different types of bodies, but there is no cultivation of this knowledge how this evolution is taking place, how many different species of life there are. We can see, but we don't see very seriously. I see there is a tree in front of my house and it is also a living entity. I am also living entity. I have got very nice house, apartment, living very comfortably, and the other living being, the tree, a few yards from me, he cannot move an inch. He has to stand up in scorching heat, in cold. He cannot protest. If you cut, he cannot cry. Of course, he feels, but he cannot do anything. This is also life and I am also life, so why these differences? But they do not consider, "How he has got this life, and how I have got this life?" There is no university education wherefrom they are coming, no knowledge. Still, they are passing on as great scientist, great philosopher. This is the position.

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

That we have to find out the representative of Kṛṣṇa. That is also not very difficult, who is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Representative of Kṛṣṇa is he who simply repeats the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, does not say anything nonsense. He is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He does not say anything big, big, bombastic thing. Very simple thing, that "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer obeisances." It doesn't require M.A., Ph.D. education to learn these four things. Anyone, even a child can do it. It is very easy. If you daily see the Deity in the temple, or if you have got Deity at home, even a child will be practiced to think of Kṛṣṇa. It is not at all difficult. And if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is also thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

Last night some gentleman questioned, "What is God?" Bhagavān, especially in our country, Bhāratavarṣa, Bhagavān personally comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). So Bhāratavarṣa is not an ordinary country. It is puṇya-bhūmi where Bhagavān comes. So in this land at the present moment our young men are inquiring what is God. Here Bhagavān comes personally, He leaves His instruction, He's accepted by the ācāryas, and our young men have become so much advanced in education that they're asking what is God.

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

Now, intelligent persons, they will see this instruction of Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa says..." That is our method. Our method of acquiring knowledge is to hear from the authority. That's all. Now, who can be better authority than Kṛṣṇa? The Bhagavad-gītā is a book of authority, is acknowledged in every part of the world. Not that simply Indians or Hindus are interested. Any scholar, any philosopher, throughout the whole world. Any religionist, any scientist. Even Professor Einstein, he was interested in Bhagavad-gītā. He was reading it daily. So wise man means one who understands Kṛṣṇa. So our formula is if one is not God conscious, or Kṛṣṇa conscious, we immediately reject him. We immediately accept that he has no qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. One cannot be qualified unless he is God conscious. His all qualities immediately become rejected. "Why? He has passed M.A., Ph.D. and D.A.C., and he's honored..." That's all right, but in spite of all his education, he will create simply havoc in the world. That's all. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Because he is hovering over the mental plane, he'll simply create havoc. His education will be utilized for his sense gratification, and he will not care for anything. Just like great scientists have discovered the atom bomb, by scientific research. What is the effect? Now by one drop you can kill many millions of people. That is his advancement of science. "Oh, why don't you create something that people will not die?" That is not... "I can assure death, but I cannot save death.

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

Kṛṣṇa has not extended māyā. You wanted māyā, therefore He has given the facility to enjoy māyā. Just like the government creates the prison department. It is not the government's desire that "There must be some prisoners." But you are criminal, therefore there must be prisonhouse. So you create the prisonhouse, not the government. Government creates university. "Come there, take education." Māyā is created by you. As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa, the māyā is there. Just like there is sunshine and darkness, side by side. If you want to keep yourself in the sunshine, there is no darkness. But if you voluntarily come to the darkness, what the sun will do? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." But why don't you do it? That is māyā. It is up to you. Therefore you create māyā. Kṛṣṇa does not create. A man is hanged. Does it mean that the high-court judge who orders that "This man should be hanged," the high-court judge is enemy of that man he's hanging? No. He has created his situation that he should be hanged. God is very kind to everyone, but we have created situation so that we suffer. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1)—by our own work and under the supervision of the Supreme. Just like in the state you create some criminal activity. Under the supervision of the government you are punished. All right.

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

That's all right. It is so nice. And don't you feel how you are becoming nicer and nicer? Practically. The news reporter... One lady in Philadelphia, she saw our students and she was surprised. She inquired, "Are you Americans?" So we are creating such devotees that people are becoming surprised how this is possible. Yes, it is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is simple method. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasāda. That's all. Don't require any education, philosophical theorizing. Simply do these two business, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. And our temple is open for that. Everyone. No fee. No charge. So why do you lose this opportunity? Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Eating, sleeping, mating, sex life and defending. Defense. Everyone is doing that according to his own capacity. Cats and dogs, they also eat, they also sleep, they also have sex life, and they also try to defend when there is danger, when there is enemy. So these things are common formulas both for the animal and human being. But what is the especial prerogative for the human being? That is siddhi, how to make life perfect. Therefore here it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means "for perfection." What is the perfection of life? Perfection of life is no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age. That is perfection. That the people do not know, that there is possibility of attaining stage when there is no more birth, no more death, no more old age. There are so many universities, so many educational institution all over the world, but nowhere there is department of understanding this science, how to stop birth, death, old age and disease. In the chemical laboratory, they are trying to manufacture chemicals for stopping birth, contraceptive. But there is no medicine that after taking this medicine or these chemicals, there will be no more death or no more birth, no more old age and no more disease. You can manufacture chemical or combination of medicine as counteracting the disease. Just like in the Western countries the cancer disease. There are so many chemicals and medicines they are discovering, but there is no medicine, no chemical, which can say that no more cancer disease. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

They were existing as individual souls. Or as I am also individual God, and you all people, individual souls, we were existing in the past; we are now existing. I am existing, you are existing. The soldiers and other kings, they are also... And in the future also, we shall exist. The body may change. Just like in the past we were existing. The body has changed now. Similarly, at present also, when this body will be changed, we will exist in another body. So what is the cause of lamentation?" This is the translation. "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you." That means "You existed, I existed, and all of them existed." Because we are eternal. This is the point. We are soul: we are not this body. Just like in childhood I existed. In my boyhood I existed. In my youthhood I existed. And now I am existing. Therefore the right conclusion is "When this body will not exist, I will exist in another body." So one should not lament for the lump of matter. One should be serious to understand what is that ever-existing eternal thing, soul. That is education. Superficially, we are overwhelmed with this external body. That is ignorance. We should be serious to understand what is that eternal thing which is existing within this body.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Prabhupāda: No, that is also your misconception. Human bodies increasing may think that from evolutionary process they are coming to the human body. But they are not going to be liberated. Therefore we see that human, congestion of human body. You can explain like that. But even there is increase of population of human body, there is no problem if you believe in God. That is another thing. But if you think that you have taken the responsibility of feeding them, that is another thing.

Swedish man (6): Do you have any sort of teachers in your centers, and how do they get their education if you have any teachers?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got our books. You can see in our books, every word, Sanskrit word, is given, the equivalent English. We give the roman transliteration, explanation, so there is no difficulty. Just like here is one of my students. He has learned Sanskrit now. He can read, he can write, he can edit. So it is a question of learning. There is no difficulty.

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

So, I began from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can be introduced to every living entity. There is a verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said there, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means, just like we eat. All living entities, they eat. There is no, nothing new introduction when we eat or sleep or have sex life, or when there is danger we will defend. These are nitya-siddha, natural. Wherever there is a living entity, these four things are there. It doesn't matter whether he is human being or a small microbe. These things are there. Nitya-siddha. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti, love of Kṛṣṇa, that is also natural. It is not artificial. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. But somehow or other, by our association with this material nature, we have forgotten. We are not material nature. That is the first education of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or spiritual knowledge. We are spiritual, and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godead, He is also complete spirit. He is not material. Even the impersonalist, Śaṅkarācārya, he has described about Nārāyaṇa in his commentary on Bhagavad-gītā, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is not anything of this material world. Paraḥ avyaktāt, avyaktāt andha sambhavaḥ. But from the avyaktāt, this material world, or the universe, is created. Therefore Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the original Nārāyaṇa.

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

Now this knowledge can be understood by a person who has made relationship with Kṛṣṇa and is a surrendered soul. Without being surrendered, it is very difficult to understand the controller and the energies, how He is controlling everything. Tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ samagreṇa upadekṣyāmi. This is the condition. You will find in the later chapters that Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya (BG 7.25). Just like if you enter into any educational institution, if you don't surrender yourself to the rules and regulation of the institution, how you can get advantage of the knowledge imparted by the institution? Everywhere, wherever you want to receive something, you have to be controlled or you have to be surrendered to the rules and regulation. Just like in our class we are imparting some lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you do not follow the rules and regulations of this class, it is not possible to receive the knowledge. Similarly, the full knowledge of the controller and the process of controlling can be understood when one is surrendered like Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa. Unless one is surrendered soul, it is not possible. You always remember that Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). So therefore Kṛṣṇa is also speaking to him.

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

So there is control. But foolish people, they do not see it. Everything is controlled. So to know God and how things are working and how it is being controlled, these things are to be known. We should not go simply by sentiment. Religious sentiment is good for persons who follow blindly. But at the present moment, people are advanced in so-called education. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you full information so that you can accept God with your reason, with your argument, with your knowledge. It is not blind following. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sentiment. It is backed by knowledge and practical knowledge. Vijñānam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna sahitam. So without vijñāna sahitam... And the process is to understand this knowledge is to be a surrendered soul. Therefore we disciple... Disciple means one who accepts the discipline. Without accepting discipline, we cannot make any progress. It is not possible. Any field of knowledge, any field of activities, if you want to be aware, scientifically and factually, then you should accept the controlling principle. Samagreṇa vakṣ ya svarūpaṁ sarvokaraṁ yatra dhiyaṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum.

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

Because man is rational animal. Man is rational. Man is animal, but rational animal. The special gift to man is that he can decide what is good, what is bad. He has got an extra knowledge than the animals. So at the present moment the education system is so bad that it is practically animal education. Animal education means when at the present moment the education system is so bad that it is practically animal education. Animal education means when we are too much interested with eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is animal education. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, oh, you'll find in animals. There is no distinction. They have got their own defending measures, they have got their own sleeping measures, they have got their own mating measures. You are mating with your wife in a secluded place, in a nice room, in a decorated room, but a dog is mating on the street, but the result is the same. So to improve the method of mating is not advancement of civilization. That is animal civilization polished, that's all. The animal also, the dog can also defend from other dogs. And if you think that you have discovered atomic energy to defend yourself, that is not advancement of human civilization. The defending measure, that's all. Similarly, you go on analyzing.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

So Bhagavad-gītā recommends that you work for Kṛṣṇa. If you are engineer, so you use your talent, how to construct a very wonderful temple for Kṛṣṇa. That will be success of your learning engineering. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Anyone has got a particular talent. So how to make that talent successful? Now, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you are very first-class engineer, you construct such an wonderful temple for Kṛṣṇa that people from all the world will come to see it. Then you are successful. So any line of education, you cannot take it, but use it for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. Then your education is perfect. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simply working uselessly and waste of time. What is this? So yajña, that is yajña. When you work for Kṛṣṇa to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is yajña. Yajña does not mean that simply by performing fire sacrifices and offering little ghee upon it. No, that is yajña. That is ordinary yajña. Agnihotra-yajña. But the real purpose of yajña is... The same purpose: in the fire sacrifice we offer the food grains. That means the Supreme Lord is eating through fire. So eating is satisfaction. So Kṛṣṇa is not satisfied only by eating. He has got other senses also. Kṛṣṇa is not nirākāra. And Kṛṣṇa, you satisfy any sense of Kṛṣṇa, you are successful. And you can satisfy anything through any sense. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this education, that perform... You cannot escape it. You cannot say that "You are interested. You can do. We are not interested." If you are not interested, then you are living a very risky life because you have to change your body. Dehāntaram. You can see. There are examples of so many types of body. Now, suppose if you live at the risk of your life and next life you become a tree, stand up for five thousand years in the snow, scorching heat, scorching, blasting and so many disturbances, and you cannot move an inch, and people may cut down you, your leaves, your trunk, or you, they are cutting so many... What is that life? And if you think, "No, I am living for five thousand years," what is the use of living such five thousand years? No. Don't risk life. Karma-bandhanaḥ. If you don't perform yajña, if you don't try to satisfy the Supreme Lord... Just like if you don't try to satisfy the government, then it is your risky life.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

So you may go to the highest planetary system or in the heavenly planets. You can have better standard of life than this earthly planet or you can live for long, long years, but that is not the solution of your problems. That is not solution. But they do not know it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has described them as mūḍhas. Mūḍhas. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They, these mūḍhas, they are very much proud of their education and knowledge, but if you ask them that "What solution you have made for these four miseries of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)?" they have no answer. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They do not know siddhi, what is siddhi. Yogis are engaged for aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā-laghimā-prāpti-siddhi. They can become smaller than the smallest and heavier than the heaviest and they can get anything they desire. Prāpti, īśitā. They can control over, even they can create a planet also. Yoga-siddhi. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni, he was such a great yogi that he used to create human being from trees. So you can get all these siddhis by yoga-siddhi or by any other process, but real siddhi is how to get out of this entanglement of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is real siddhi.

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

So in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. "So long one is on the platform of bhukti, mukti and siddhi, he is restless. He is working because he's desiring." Siddhi is specially meant for the yogis. The yogis, they want to play wonderful magic: aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, īśitā, vaśitā. There are eight kinds of yoga siddhis. That kind of siddhi is not recommended here. Siddhi means to understand one's spiritual identity and work for it; that is called siddhi. So manuṣyāṇām... Who knows it? There is no such education. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), "Out of million, million persons, one tries for this siddhi, perfection of life, to understand spiritual identity and to work for it." That is called siddhi. And yatatām api siddhānām: (BG 7.3) "One who has attained siddhi and trying for it further, further progress, out of them, millions of such persons, one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa."

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

So this is the process. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, sitting in your parlor and speculating on your so-called educational qualification. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must surrender. You must surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). You must give up all these idea that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I'm Indian," "I am American," "I am white," "I am black." These designations, you have to give up. First qualification: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Upādhi, these are all designations. So you have to give up these designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). You have to become Kṛṣṇa-ite and pure. Tat-paratvena nirmalam, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Then, when you are purified, not designated, not covered by your material designation, at that time, the senses are purified. When you engage your senses to the service of the Lord, that is called bhakti.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

Why they do not surrender? Now, because duṣkṛtina, always acting sinful activities, duṣkṛtina, and mūḍha, rascal. He does not know his own interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Mūḍha, rascal. And then narādhama. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. "This human body was given to him by material nature to understand Me, to surrender to Me, but he will not do this. Therefore lowest of the mankind." "No, he is so educated." No, this is nonsense. If he does not understand Kṛṣṇa, what is the meaning of education? There is no education. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Why these things are...? Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. He's defying Kṛṣṇa, defying God, "What is God? I am God." This is the position.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

So this is the defect of modern education. So what is beyond your perception, sense perception, that you have to hear. There are two kinds of knowledges: by practical experience, direct perception, and by hearing from authority, aitihya. According to Vedic system, there are three kinds of evidences: direct, and pratyakṣa... Pratyakṣa means direct. And then aitihya and śruti. Śruti. Śruti means hearing from the authority. Just like here we see that there is mind. Everyone knows mind, but it is confirmed by the śāstra because we are hearing from Kṛṣṇa which is called śruti. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says in the Second Chapter,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

Asmin dehe, "Within this body, there is the proprietor of the body," that you have to learn by hearing. If you want to see immediately, "Let me see where it is in the...," oh, your so-called scientific research cannot help you. You have to learn it simply by hearing from the authority. This is called śruti, śruti-pramāṇa, śruti-pramāṇa, evidence from śruti.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

Here we have to understand from Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa's instruction is so important. If you don't take Kṛṣṇa's instruction, then in spite of our so-called higher advancement of education, we remain simply mūḍha, rascal. Rascal. Mūḍha means rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not aware of the spiritual energy and the material energy, they are called mūḍhas. If you understand what is spiritual energy, then you'll search out that wherefrom these...? Both of... Kṛṣṇa says, "Both of them are coming from Me." But if you understand the superior energy, spiritual energy, then it will be possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

So this is the first education to enter into the spiritual understanding. Kṛṣṇa has begun from the very beginning in the Second Chapter that the spiritual energy is within this body.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

So there are many evidences in the Vedic literature that the spiritual energy is different from the material energy. And if you understand spiritual energy, then you can understand what is God, because spiritual energy is the sample of God. Sample of God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that mamaivāṁśaḥ. Here it is said, jīva-bhūta. What is the jīva-bhūta? He is jīva-bhūta, the living entity. Mama eva aṁśa: "They are My part and parcel, minute particle of Me." Just like father and the son. Son is part of the father bodily, not spiritually. Spiritually he is part of Kṛṣṇa, and materially he is part of the body of the father. So we are not talking of the material. That is going on, of course, but this understanding, Bhagavad-gītā, is completely spiritual understanding.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

But unless you accept, unless you come to this point, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, your education, your knowledge and everything is imperfect. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

If you don't accept in this life... But if you are sincere to understand what is God, then you'll have to wait for many other lives. Life after life, you have to struggle. And then, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, if you come in touch with a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning, teaching of Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Out of many, many millions of persons, one is trying to make his life perfect. Everyone, mostly, 99.9%, they are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. They are being led by blind men.

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

What is the reason that you'll not take? Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this way, the profit is very, very great. Because the more you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the more Kṛṣṇa becomes revealed to you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Realization, revelation, that... With the blunt senses you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, you cannot realize Kṛṣṇa. But if you purify... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our present senses are blunt senses because it is covered by forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, or māyā. Therefore it has to be purified. Or the nature of forgetfulness has to be removed. That's all. This is the process. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). If you follow this process, that "Here is drinking water, the taste is Kṛṣṇa," that means some percentage of your forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is removed. Similarly, when you see the sunshine, the moonshine, or you chant oṁkāra... There are other, so many ways prescribed in the later verses. So try to understand Kṛṣṇa in this way. It doesn't require any advancement of education or Vedic knowledge. A simple thing.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

Just like Rāvaṇa. He was very much materially advanced. He was very good scholar in Vedic literature. He was son of a brāhmaṇa also, very powerful. But he did not believe in Rāma, God. That was his only fault. Therefore he is described as asura, rākṣasa. Similarly, Kaṁsa, Hiraṇyakaśipu. So anyone, however materially he may be advanced in education or knowledge, may be Ph.D. or D.H.C. or something like that, if he does not believe in God, he is to be supposed that māyā has taken away his real knowledge. In spite of his education, he is fool number one. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ.

Why such things take place, that a learned man becomes foolish without understanding Kṛṣṇa? Because āsuraṁ bhāvam, because he has accepted the atheistic principle, "There is no Kṛṣṇa. There is no God." Only for this reason, in spite of educational qualification, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. And because he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore he cannot take to devotional service. These are the descriptions. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). But there are certain jñānīs who are actually sincere to know the Absolute Truth. Such persons, even they may be misled in one life or two lives, three lives, but at the end they come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Here it is said that māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ.

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

So we have become so fools, and we are very much proud of our education. Can you conquer material nature? Who has conquered? The material nature is always inflicting upon us threefold of miseries. That's all right. Again the four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: (BG 13.9) the birth, the miseries of birth; the miseries of death; the miseries of old age; and miseries of diseases—can you solve? No. Then what advancement of knowledge you have got? The death is there. The old age is there. The disease is there. Then what advancement you have made? You are so proud. This is called māyā. He is in the same stage, miserable stage, but he is thinking that "I am advanced in knowledge. I am advanced in knowledge." This false pride. You see?

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

So either you have got problem of food grain or problem of hippies, but the problem is there. A different feature only. Therefore one should be very much careful to know how to solve the problems. Actually, we are trying. We are trying to advance in education, in scientific knowledge. In so many things we are trying. The material nature is offering problems after problem. That is the nature's business. You solve one problem, and she'll present another problem. First of all, one, somebody thought, "If there is airplane, then it will be very nice to travel in the space." But now the problem is that by airplane, if there is enmity, another country can face my country without any fight. So another problem. (laughs) Now they have to go underground. I was reading in the World Almanac that next hundred years people will live underground. You have read that? That World Almanac?

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

So such class of men, they worship different kinds of gods with a desire, with a material desire. They have no idea how to get out of this matter. They want to use this material world to the best capacity. That is their idea. Just like in..., in the Vedic literature there are different recommendations. "Oh, if you want to cure your disease, then you worship sun." So that is fact. Suppose if you are diseased, you simply keep yourself in the sunshine. You'll be cured. You'll be cured. That's a fact. So similarly, "If you want to be beautiful, then you worship such-and-such god. If you want very good learning, education, then you worship such-and-such god."

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

But he remains in the body. He remains in the body. But the extra covering which had, he had grown, that is also gone once he gives up. Everything, every education, is there in the nature's study. We can see the, the snake give up the covering, but he remains in his form. Similarly, we... Muktvā kalevaram means this extra... Just like this dress, this is covering. I can give it up, but I remain in my original body. Similarly, mukti means I have got my original body already. It is covered by this material coating. So when there is no more material coating, that is called mukti. That can be achieved when you go to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. At that time, you do not become formless. Form remains. As I am individual form, similarly, when I go to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has also His individual form, I have also my individual form... Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the chief of all living entities. So that is called mukti.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

So for the last three days we have been discussing. Prayāṇa-kāle manasā 'calena. Prayāṇa-kāle means "at the time of death." Just like the students, they prepare two years, three years, five years, in their college education, and the final test is their examination, and if they pass in the examination, they get the degree. Similarly, in our living condition, if we prepare for the examination at the time of death and we pass the examination, then we are transferred to the spiritual world. So prayāṇa-kāle. The whole thing is examined at the time of death. Just the other day I recited one Bengali prover, proverb. This is a very common saying in Bengal. They say bhajan kara pūjān kara mṛtyu-kāle haya:(?) "Our, whatever you do for perfection, at the time of your death it will be tested." At the time of..., a tested.

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

So what are the opulences? The opulences are that riches, wealth, and strength and influence and beauty, education, knowledge, and renunciation. These are opulences. Therefore Vedic literature says,

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Bhaga. These are opulences. Aiśvarya means opulence and... Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. And yaśasaḥ. Yaśasaḥ means fame. And aiśvaryasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ means beauty. And jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. And renunciation, vairāgya. Renunciation. These six opulences, when you find presented in a personality in full, He is God. He is God. That is the description of God. You have many rich men here in your New York City, but nobody can claim that he is the richest of all, he has got all the riches of the world. Nobody can claim. But if you find somebody who claims that "All the riches of the world or the universe belongs to me," He's God. He is God, just like Kṛṣṇa claimed.

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

Very happy to execute. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). And if you perform it, it will have never any lapse. It is permanent, permanent. We do many things which is, has no permanent effect, which has no permanent... Suppose we work in this material world for some perfection of education, or perfection of business. We get, amass a vast amount of money. But that is not avyayam. That is not eternal. As soon as your body is finished, everything is finished. Your education finished, your M.A. degree finished, your bank balance finished, and everything, your family finished—everything finished. Now again begin life. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22).

So therefore anything, whatever you are doing in this material world, that is not avyayam. That is not eternal. Temporary. Temporary. So this knowledge is not like that. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: "The Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge is so perfect that even if you do one percent, two percent execute, then it can help you to..., help you protection from the greatest danger." Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. And besides that, suppose in this life I perform work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, say twenty-five percent. I am not perfect. My next life will begin from twenty-sixth point. So much, what I have acquired in this life, that is not lost.

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

This is aśubha. The aśubha means it is not śubha. If his body would have been auspicious, then this body would continue to exist because we are eternal. These things have been described very vividly in the second chapter. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Because we are dull brain... There is no education actually. The modern education means simply a craftsmanship. If you can prepare a nice motor car, oh, that is advancement of the... And what is this? This is craftsmanship. It is the blacksmith's work. It is not knowledge. Knowledge is different. Therefore it is called jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. This is knowledge,"What I am? I am this body or something else? Why I am suffering? If there is any remedy? I do not wish to die, neither I am subjected to death." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate han... This is knowledge, that "If I am eternal, if I do not die after annihilation of this body, then why I am subjected to this body?" This is knowledge. And to manufacture a motor car, that is not knowledge. That is craftsmanship. Knowledge is here, that "I am eternal. Why I am put into this condition of temporary body, not only one kind of body, but there are 8,400,000 different forms of body, and I have to accept one of them, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), according to my karma. This is my position. How to get out of it, to inquire about it? If there is any science to accept it?" That is knowledge.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

This is called... (aside:) Bruce! Come on. Sit down. Yes... Rāja-vidyā. Vidyā means education, and rāja means king. So what is the king of education? Just like we have got a different status of life in the material world, similarly, in the education also, somebody is M.A., somebody is B.A., somebody is school-leaving certificate, somebody is three years, somebody is four years. There are different grades of education. Now, what is the summum bonum, highest, topmost education? This topmost education is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, topmost education. Rāja-vidyā. Jīvātmā yathātmādi-rahasyānāṁ rājaḥ. Real knowledge is: "So what I am?" This is real knowledge. Unless we come to this point, that "What I am?" that is not knowledge.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He began His preaching, His first disciple was Sanātana Gosvāmī. He was a finance minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, but being attracted with Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, he retired from service and he joined Lord Caitanya. So at that time, when he came to Caitanya for the first time, his inquiry was that "What is education? What is education?" He was educated. He was highly educated. In those days Persian language was being taught in England, er, in India. Just like during British rule English language was taught to us, similarly, during Pathan rule, Persian language was state language. Besides that, Sanātana Gosvāmī was a great scholar in Sanskrit also. Still, he inquired that "What is education? What is education?" Why he inquired like that? He placed before the Lord that "People in general, they call me very educated, and I am also so fool that I accept that I am educated." So the next question is: "Then why do you think that you are not educated? You are great scholar in Sanskrit, you are great scholar in Persian language. Why do you think that you are not educated?" He replied that "I am thinking 'not educated' because I do not know what I am. I do not know what I am. I do not wish to be a suffering member, but these material miseries is enforced upon me. I do not know wherefrom I have come, where I have to go, and still people, they think that I am very much educated and they designate me that I am a great scholar, and I am satisfied. But I am such a fool that I do not know what I am."

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

Actually, this is the position of our present situation. We are very much proud of our advancement of education. But if you inquire from various persons that "What you are?" hardly some will answer what he is. Everyone is under the conception of this body. But we are not actually this body. This question we have discussed various times, many times. So this after passing this examination that "I am not this body," then one who, one comes into the real knowledge. That is real knowledge, "What I am." That is the beginning. So the knowledge about which Lord Kṛṣṇa is now imparting, giving instruction to Arjuna, He says, "This is rāja-vidyā." Rāja-vidyā means to know oneself what he is and act accordingly. That is called rāja-vidyā. If I do not know what I am, what is my position, then if I am in mistaken about my situation, then all activities, what I am doing, they are all mistaken. They are all illusion. Therefore this position, rāja-vidyā, means one should know himself, what he is, and act accordingly. Simply by knowing that "I am not this material body," that is not sufficient. You must act accordingly, that you are not material; you are spiritual. That spiritual activity is called Kṛṣ..., act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is called rāja-vidyā, the king of all education.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

This bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is rāja-vidyā. Raja means king, and vidyā means education, knowledge, learning. As there are common men and there are kings also, as the king is important, the most important person in the state, or the president is the most important person in the state, similarly, of all learnings, this is the king of learning, rāja-vidyā. And rāja-guhyam..., rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ. Guhyam means confidential. Confidential, anything confidential is not to be disclosed to the common man. Or after many, many research, one can found..., one can find out the confidence or the confidential nature of devotional service. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19), it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is most confidential because one comes to this knowledge after cultivating other knowledges for many, many births. One comes to this knowledge. What is this knowledge, devotional, rāja-vidyā? What is the symptom? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the symptom: that one has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That means he is in perfect knowledge. So long he is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or he is posing himself as equal to Kṛṣṇa or sometimes above Kṛṣṇa. There is a very well advertised yogi. They say, at least his disciples say, that he is above Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So it is rāja-vidyā. This bhakti-yoga is the topmost educational system, and it is open for everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grama. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Does it means He want you to make a first? If every city, every town was to be broadcast to the Caitanya cult... So what is Caitanya cult? Caitanya cult means realization of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya cult. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. This is Caitanya cult. So one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, does he remain a yavana, a śūdra? What is this nonsense? But this against propaganda going on against this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is giving sannyāsa to the yavanas, to the mlecchas." What is this rascaldom? Can yavana be sannyāsa? Can yavana become a devotee? No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir. The most obnoxious thing, most obnoxious. They all fools, I can challenge. In Hyderabad, so many caste brāhmaṇas came to challenge me. The caste brāhmaṇa. No. No caste brāhmaṇas. Caste brāhmaṇa... Brāhmaṇa means catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Śrīdhara Swami says, "Yes." (Sanskrit) It is exactly to the point of śāstra. Otherwise it is not possible to make them so perfect. So the propaganda against us is false... (end)

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

In Vṛndāvana there are so many temples, they have become, made a business by showing temple, collecting money. This is not good. There must be... Temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Therefore everything is, not only in India, all over the world, the churches also, they're dwindled. Now, Europe and America, so many churches are for sale. We have purchased so many churches because people have no more interest. There is no education. Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple. Otherwise, if you simply came... Therefore two processes should be followed: pāñcarātriki viddhi and bhāgavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhāgavata-viddhi is the philosophical side of religion, and pāñcarātriki viddhi is the worshiping side of temple—how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to offer respect. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). Temple worship is mad-yājī, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test, this is the test.

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

This is the mission of human life—to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The real mission of life: how to go back to Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to Vaikuṇṭha-loka, the spiritual world. That is real mission. But that we do not know; therefore is most confidential. People do not know it that there is another world, the spiritual world, there is Vaikuṇṭha-loka. This, this material world is one-fourth creation. Atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna ekāṁśena viṣṭabhya aham kṛṣṇena. This material world is maintained as one-fourth of the creation. 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.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

So aśraddadhānāḥ, those who are faithless. So those who are faithless... Faithless means, anyone can understand, those who do not believe in the words of God. They are faithless. Just like a child. By nature, he has to believe his parents, his superiors, his teacher, but if he does not believe in the words of the superior, then where is the possibility of education? There is no possibility. This is the first qualification. If you go to a teacher to learn ABCD the teacher says, "My dear child, you begin from the left side, in this way." Then, if the student says, "Why shall I begin in this way? I shall begin this way," then he's faithless. He cannot make any progress. It is not possible. The first qualification is śraddadhānāḥ, faithful. If you go to a teacher you must be faithful; otherwise there is no need of going to a teacher. If you cannot believe in the words of somebody whom you are going to appoint as your teacher, if you have no faith in his words, then what is the use of going to such teacher? There is no use. Don't waste your time and don't waste his time. Therefore those who are going to learn to become a disciple or teacher, he must believe in the words of teacher. Or if you are doubtful, you should not go to such teacher. This is first qualification. If you do not believe somebody, then you find out someone else upon whom you can put your faith. "Yes, here is the right man who can teach me." Otherwise there is no use of going to a teacher. This is the Vedic principle.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

So you are coming, I mean to say, the Indians who are present here, from a country where Kṛṣṇa appeared. It is a great fortune for you that you have taken your birth in India. It is not ordinary fortune. So why? To take Indian birth, to take birth in India, automatically they are advanced in spiritual knowledge. Still, so much fallen condition of India, still, you go to a village, they will very easily understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any advanced education. Because by birthright they have got the knowledge. In Vṛndāvana, when we walk on the street, the ṭhelā-walla, the cartsmen, the milkmen carrying milk, immediately they'll offer namaskāra, "Swamiji." The other day, I think you were present? We were walking. So we entered one field, just for walking. So the villagers, the cultivators, they came to congratulate us. To receive us. "Swamiji, it is our great fortune that you have come to our field." But in this country if I would have entered in another place, perhaps would have brought charge of trespass or might shot down. So that is the different system. That by birthright they are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Para-upakāra, just to do something good for others, for upakāra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said anyone who has taken birth in India, he should, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41), anyone who has taken birth in India, for every one of them, it is the duty, janma sārthaka kari', first of all make your life successful, janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra, then you begin the welfare activities for all others. The idea is that India is enriched with Vedic knowledge, and those who are born in India, they should take advantage of this facility, especially those who are in the higher topmost ranks, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas. Especially the brāhmaṇas. Take this education perfectly well. Make your life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world. This is your duty. That is the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

This is the beginning of this chapter. Rāja-vidyā, the king of education. Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam. And very confidential. It is not understood by any ordinary man. Because it is very confidential. You go anywhere. Suppose you go to a bank. A few persons in the bank, like the manager or the cashier or the accountant, they know everything confidential. Not the clerks or the customers, no. So this is, also Kṛṣṇa concludes Bhagavad-gītā with these words, guhya guhyatamam. This knowledge is very confidential. This means when one thing is very confidential means it is very, very important. So Kṛṣṇa says therefore that aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ (BG 9.3). "This is so nice confidential. And I am speaking personally to enlighten the people in general." Not general, but people like Arjuna. Arjuna was not ordinary person. He was born in royal family and he was so exalted that he could speak with Kṛṣṇa face to face. He's not an ordinary person. So this confidential knowledge is not for ordinary person, but it is so easy. As it is said, susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. It is so easy to perform that everyone can do it.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

So our simple method is to see whether somebody is speaking about Kṛṣṇa or what Kṛṣṇa has said. If he does not do so, then immediately accept him āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ, a rākṣasa. How you can accept him as guru? A rākṣasa? That is your mistake. How can you accept a person as guru who has imbibed with rākṣasa. So then what is their position? Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Very sinful. Mūḍhaḥ, rascal, ass. Narādhamaḥ, lowest of the mankind. "No, he's so educated." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānaḥ. His so-called education has no value because māyā has taken away the essence of... Because education means... Veda means knowledge. So the Vedas are there for education. So vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Ultimately Vedānta, Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. The end of knowledge. The end of knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). So after studying Vedas, if he does not understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is to be understood, māyayāpahṛta-jñānaḥ, his knowledge has been taken away by māyā. So simple thing is that Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is no more better guru than Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who repeats the words of Kṛṣṇa, teach others, he is guru. Otherwise he's a rascal.

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

So therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate (SB 5.5.1). They do not understand what is civilization. Here Kṛṣṇa said, now, aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). But they do not know what is mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Is there any university where this education is given, what is mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani? Can any big philosopher can say what is this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani? They do not know. Kṛṣṇa said that "If you do not get Me, here is a chance, human form of body." Aprāpya mām. "If you don't get Me, if you come..., do not come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then what is the result? Nivartante, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani." If you do not take chance... Just like sometimes you have seen somebody takes his bird in the field and let him loose, out of the cage, and the bird goes and he also goes behind. But if the bird takes chance, "Now I am..., now let loose, let me fly away." But that, that he does not do. He again comes into the cage, again. Again he comes. So this human form of body is just like let loose. Now you get the freedom of flying away from this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, but that we'll not do. We'll enter again. We'll enter. Everything is clear.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

That is our practical experience. We are changing our body. In the mother's womb we were very small. In the first night after sex the two seminas, they mix up and then it becomes a form of a pea. Within that pea form, substance, the living entity takes shelter and gradually grows. Then there are nine holes, and then the hands and legs and everything becomes complete, and when, if he can sustain, then nature's law push him by the air, and he comes out of the mother's womb, and then again grows in different types of bodies and then he becomes old man. Then, when the body is no more usable, then the body is finished and the soul again enters another mother's body. This is called transmigration of the soul. This is going on, but this is not very happy thing. Today you may have Australian body or American body or Indian body, but when this body is finished, what is the next body you are going to get? You must have information. You are human being. But that education is not there. There is no education throughout the whole world how the soul is being transmigrated from one body to another, what body we are going to get next. This will be happy or distressful?

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

You are already performing Hare Kṛṣṇa chant, very easy thing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). That is the best education, to hear about God, to chant about God, to think about God, to worship God. In this way there are nine processes recommended. You are following that, at least trying to follow. Then, when you are perfect, then you'll go. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more material body. You follow strictly the devotional process. There are nine different ways. But if you simply hear about God, then you also become perfect. Any one of them... You take nine of them, eight of them, seven of them, six of them, five of them—at least one you take, and you'll be perfect. One must take. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he took only one. He listened to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He became perfect. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply chanted; he became perfect.

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

No, hear means you do it in practical life. Otherwise what is the hearing? Then just like one stone, he has got ear. That is not atten... Hearing means it will react. That is hearing. The more you hear, it will react. Then you practically do it. But everything comes by hearing. So hearing is so important. Just like even in your ordinary education you go to the school, college, and hear from your professor. Hearing is so important. Then you become perfect. You take your degrees. Similarly, the science of God, you simply hear about it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Then, gradually, it will purify. Hearing means purifying the dirty things within the heart. That is hearing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Because it is spiritual, hearing has got a potency to purify you. This is not ordinary hearing. This is spiritual hearing, so it has got a potency. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who takes part in this process of hearing and chanting, he becomes pious, purified. Just like if you touch some way or other the fire, it will act, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. You hear about Kṛṣṇa; then it will act. Then you'll be purified. So any other question?

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

Not only Western world, everywhere. Therefore they are called "old fools." (laughter) Because they require time to forget what they have learned. Young men, they are receptive. Therefore, for education, younger age is recommended. There is a history in... One father and one daughter, they both appeared for B.A. examination. The father failed and the daughter passed. Younger generation, they can receive very nicely. Older generation, it is little difficult. Therefore it is recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja,

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

(SB 7.6.1)

He recommended, "My dear friends..." Prahlāda Mahārāja was five years old boy and he was preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness in his classroom. When the teachers are out he would preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When friends would request, "My dear Prahlāda, just play. This is tiffin hour," so he said, "No, no, no, no. My dear friends," kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. "Immediately. We are now young boys. This is the time to learn." Kaumāra. Kaumāra means between five to ten years. This is the time.

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

Just like I will give you again the same example, the government. The government, say, the university department, educational department, and the jail department. The jail department is also government department. It is not that government is absent from the jail department. Rather, government is spending more money for the jail department, more than the government spends on the university department. So both of them are government concern, but one department is full of criminals, and one department is full of learned scholars. This is the difference. Try to understand. You don't think that material world is out of the control of God. It is also under the control, exactly. The jail department is also under the control of the government. So that is the difference, material world and spiritual world. Material world means full of criminals, or against God, or defying the authority of God. And the spiritual world? Everyone is accepting the supremacy of God. That is material world and spiritual world.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

We, we are all born fools and rascals. That is the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavas abodha-jātaḥ. Jātaḥ. We are all born fools and rascals. That is a fact. You (We) know. Therefore, we are sent to schools for education. Because we are fools and rascals. Unfortunately, after so-called education also, we remain fools and rascals. Because we do not know... There is no educational system to understand ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattva... The human life is meant for understanding ātma-tattvam. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahman, ātmā, the same thing, absolute. The human life is meant for inquiring about ātmā, what I am. And when he comes to the understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is his perfected education... Otherwise he remains a fool, rascal. So there is no educational system to teach people that he's not this body. He is ātmā, spirit soul. That is the beginning of spiritual education.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

So similarly you go on, searching after who is the biggest? Then you come to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is person. Simply go on searching. As we search. Here is a big man, and here is a bigger man. Here is another biggest man. So go on, go on, you go up to Brahmā. Then after Brahmā, Brahmā is also not the ultimate. Because from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavi (means) is Brahmā. Brahmā is also educated by superior person. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Brahmā is also educated. He's not self-sufficient. He gets education from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa haite catur-mukha. So in this way, if we try to find out, if we'll find out, if we are actually sincere to find out the ultimate source of everything, then you will come to Kṛṣṇa. Which is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa says this. And we have to take it. With intelligence, with good brain. Otherwise, we cannot understand. Therefore those who are less intelligent, foolish rascals, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Because they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, they do not take to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

We are going door to door: "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is our only propaganda. But it is a very difficult. We are experiencing. Although innocent children, they take part. Just now we went to some gentleman's, kavirāja's house. We began kīrtana. And small children immediately began... Yes. Naturally. Because those who are sukṛtinaḥ, because he's not, the child is not yet polluted. Therefore, immediately he could join Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. So our only request is, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that it doesn't require much education or intelligence or opulence. In whatever condition you are, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then gradually everything will be clear and you'll be able to understand how Kṛṣṇa is conducting.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

So actually if we want jñāna and knowledge... because human life is meant for jñāna and knowledge. Human life is not meant for living like animals, cats and dogs. Cats and dogs cannot be elevated to the platform of jñāna and vairāgya. That is not possible. A human being can be elevated by education, by culture, to the platform of jñāna and vairāgya. That is the ultimate goal. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings therefore,

hari hari bifale, janama goṅāinu,

manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā

jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu

This is jñāna, regretting "My dear Lord, I got this very opportune moment to possess this human form of life, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, but my duty was to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." That is the highest perfection of worshiping. Ramya kecid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-vargabhir ya kalpita. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, "The upāsanā, the worship which was invented by the gopīs to worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, ramya kecid upāsanā, there is no more perfect upāsanā." So this rādhā-kṛṣṇa-upāsanā is the perfection of upāsanā. Even it is better than viṣṇu-upāsanā. In the material way of life viṣṇu-upāsanā has been recommended as the highest. Ārādhanānāṁ paraṁ devi viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. It is the statement of Lord Śiva to Pārvatī, that "Of all ārādhana, viṣṇu-ārādhanam is the best."

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Just like in the material world, suppose if you want to sit on the bench of a high-court judge, you will have to acquire so many qualifications. You have to be a very big lawyer, and government must recognize that you are good lawyer. Then there will be so many recommendation by the Bar Association, by the lawyers. Then you can be recommended. But here the process is just that any way you sit down on the high-court judge, then all education will come to you. Don't you see how nice it is? Any way, if somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally and generally it will be found that he is becoming gradually a perfect pious man, perfect honest man. That is the thing. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Everything is said there, we are discussing one point, that, one is, if we are convinced, that requires education. Love, we are being frustrated every point. Now when the perfectional point we shall come, that is by loving the original objective. There are so many examples. Just like a child, he is not happy in another woman's lap, cries. But as soon as he comes to the lap of his own mother, he's immediately happy. So, we are trying to be happy so many ways, but we are not becoming happy. When we come to the real point of loving Kṛṣṇa... Love is there. I want to love somebody, everyone, but that is not being properly utilized. Therefore we are unhappy. So when you come to the stage of loving Kṛṣṇa, then you'll become happy. This is the point. That is being instructed by our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Now to love Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa never says that "In order to love Me, you have to go to the factory or to work somewhere fifty miles away from home." He does not say all this. Simply, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. The question may be raised that if I want to love Kṛṣṇa, then how other things will go on? This question may be raised. Kṛṣṇa never says that "You have to go to the factory, earn money, and then you can love me." He never makes this condition. Is there any condition? (laughter) Now practical person will say "If I think of Kṛṣṇa always, then wherefrom money will come?" This question may be raised. How you'll answer it?

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

As in the morning class, we were discussing about the symptoms of incarnation. So in the śāstra, in the scriptures, these symptoms are given. Similarly, who is Bhagavān, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is also given. And Kṛṣṇa, this word means all-attractive. Because He has got all these things in complete, naturally He's attractive. Just like we have analyzed that beauty attracts, wealth attracts, fame attracts, education knowledge attracts... So He has got all these attractive features. Therefore He is completely attractive. Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Attractive. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He's Bhagavān. Because He's completely attractive, therefore He's Bhagavān.

So here it is said bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. The Vyāsadeva, writer, he says that, bhagavān... now, uvāca, said. What? He has already, we have finished nine chapters. He has already said man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "Just become always thinking of Me. Just become My devotee. Just worship Me." Man-manā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. "Just offer your obediences." Mām evaiṣyasi. If you continue these four things... What are these four things? Man-manāḥ, always fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa. That means you become always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

Of course, in the modern civilization, there is no distinction between pious and impious, but, according to scripture, there are pious activities and impious activities. We are always engaged in some kind of activities, either pious or impious. If we are engaged in pious activities, then we become happy in future, not exactly happy, but a little of the upper stage than others. It is stated in the scripture that by pious activities, you can have your birth in a very good place, in a very good family. You can have, you can become highly educated. You can become very beautiful and, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Janma, just like birth in good place, in good family, good country, and aiśvarya, and wealth and opulence. And śrī means beauty. And education. These things are result of pious activities.

Similarly, just the opposite number is impious or sinful activities. So by sinful activities you suffer. By... Suffering is always there, either in pious or impious, but there is some distinction between pious and impious. So here it is said that anyone who understands God, that He's the Supreme Proprietor, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), vetti, without any doubt, then he becomes freed from all sinful reactions. Immediately. Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

Lecture on BG 10.3 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

Oh, generally we are born all fools, because as soon as I take my birth, I am nourished by my parents very nicely, and I am educated in such a way that I falsely claim some land as my land, I falsely claim something which is not at all... But we are educated in that. This is called national education. That means to make you more foolish. That, the so-called national education, means to make you more and more foolish. I am already born foolish, and my education is given to make me more foolish. Just I am not foolish? Because I am changing my, this country, I am changing my society, I am changing my body. Still, I am claiming, "This is mine."

Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

Just like I have already explained that this, I mean to say, tape recorder, this microphone, is working because a boy who is spirit soul, he has touched it. Without(?) touching. So therefore we must distinguish that what is matter and spirit. Matter cannot work without touch of spirit. Matter is dependent on spirit. This is knowledge, not that matter is prominent and spirit is neglected. That is foolishness.

Therefore in the present education there is hardly a few persons who are actually in knowledge because they have neglected the spirit side of the activity. They have taken only the material side of the activity. So if you come to according to the Bhagavad-gītā, then it is a civilization of fools. That you may call...(?) They are giving too much stress on the motor car machine and not to the driver. The driver is neglected. This is foolish civilization. Man is neglected.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 6, 1967:

They do not know the technique. Just this man, this hunter, he loved God, and he became lover of the ant automatically. There was no need of separate education that "You love this ant, you love this cow, you love this tree, love this country, love this man, love white man, black man, this man..." No. As soon as you love God, and you understand what is God, then you love everything. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

People are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as something Indian or Hindu, but actually it is not. It is universal. Kṛṣṇa says that there are so many forms of living entities. There are 8,400,000 different types of bodies. "And all of them are My sons." So if you love Kṛṣṇa, then you love white man, you love American, you love European, you love Indian, you love cow, you love dog, you love serpent—everything.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:

Just like children, they want to play without caring for future life. But it is the duty of the guardians to engage them in education so that in future they may be happy. Similarly, all the great sages, saintly persons, just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita, many, many great saintly persons, sages... Even Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes to give us instruction so that we can become eternally happy.

Unfortunately, in this age, which is called Kali-yuga, the people are so low-grade that they do not like to hear all these instructions of great sages, saintly persons or even of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the defect of this age. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said mandaḥ. Mandaḥ means slow, at the same time, very bad.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

So education is given to the students, but this knowledge is absent from the educational institution. Nobody knows that "I am not this body." Therefore śāstra says, "Anyone who is identifying this body as his self," yasyātmā buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13), "and in relationship with the body, others also," sva-dhīḥ, "thinking 'They are our own men,' " sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and bhauma, "the land of birth, is worshipable," ijya-dhīh... So this is going on. At the present moment, throughout the whole world, everyone is identifying himself with this body and the land in which the body is born is taken as worshipable, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and persons who are in relationship with this body, "They are our own men or kinsmen." This is going on. But according to śāstra, anyone who is accepting this identification, body as self and the country or the land as worshipable and the kinsmen or relatives, "They are our only own men," in this way this misconception of life is being accepted...

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

So this is a great science, spiritual science. Unfortunately, we have no educational system to understand this spiritual science. And especially in this age, everything is godlessness. Therefore people are not happy. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only to make people happy by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, understanding everything in the right ways. That is our mission.

Therefore, that is the mission of every devotee. Just like Arjuna is asking herewith. He knows everything. He is Kṛṣṇa's friend, personal friend. He is always living with Kṛṣṇa. There cannot be any ignorance on the part of Arjuna. But he's asking this question just for our benefit. Kṛṣṇa will answer this question.

Why Kṛṣṇa's answers will be taken so seriously? Because He is the supreme authority, Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we receive knowledge from the Supreme, then it is perfect knowledge. Just like if you get some knowledge from the superior, one who is more educated than you, one who is more experienced, that knowledge is perfect. So in this material world there may be somebody supreme, but he is not ultimate supreme. But ultimate supreme is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

So we are seated on this machine. This is the knowledge. The person who is seated in this car, on the machine, nobody knows. There are so many advancement of knowledge department, but where is the department to understand that the living force which is driving this machine, what is that living force? How it is working? There is no enquiry and no education. Therefore this education has no value. They do not know what is education. Education means to enquire about the living force which is moving this body. That is education. This is not education, that we have manufactured nice car or nice machine. That is called craftsmanship, that is not education.

Just like one electrician. He knows how to join the two wire and bring current. In India it is called mistri. Mistri means worker. Because he knows that technical art how to bring electric current, that does not mean he is educated. Education is different thing. The worker, they are just working so many wonderfully, but that does not mean they are educated. That is... In Sanskrit it is called... What is called? The English is "craftsmanship." He knows the art, how to do it. So at the present moment the technical education is there.

Formerly this technical education was entrusted to the demons. Formerly they were also manufacturing big, big aeroplanes, but they were being done by the demons, not by the great saintly persons, sages, no. They were being done by the demons. And the yogis, they could produce such wonderful things by their yogic mystic power. That was another thing. But generally, when there is question of manufacturing, that was being done by the demons.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

So actually, at the present moment, although we are manufacturing so many nice things for the comforts of the body, but that does not mean it is education. Education means brahma-vidyā, to understand what is that living force within this body that is working, what is his position, constitutional position, how it is working, wherefrom it has come, so many things. That is called brahma-jijñāsā, to enquire about the spirit. That is education. So that education is lacking. Therefore there are so many problems at the present moment.

The problems are created. Just like if I do not give food to the driver, and he is entrusted with a nice car, and he is not happy on account of not being properly taken care of, then he must create disaster. There will be car accident. So that is happening. Nobody is taking care of the driver of this body. No education is there. They are simply trying to rectify the defects in the body.

Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

The other day I was speaking that a man's father has died and he is crying, "My father has gone away. So my father..." Your father is lying on the bed. The father which you have seen so long, life long, the body, that is on the bed. Why you are crying your father is gone? That means he has never seen his father, neither the father has seen the son. Everyone sees this body, but not the owner of the body. That is the defect of modern education, that everyone by contemplation can understand that "This finger is my finger, not 'I' finger." Still, he cannot understand that he is different from this body. That is to be understood. That is real knowledge.

Kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor jñānam. One should have very clear knowledge that "I am not this body. This is my body." You are not this body; it is your body. You are spirit; I am spirit. We are different from this body. This is the first instruction given in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning.

Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

This body, according to Ayurvedic system of medicine, this body is made of three elements—kapha, pitta, vāyu: mucus, bile, and cough. So anyway, so tri-dhātuke... This body, is made of material elements. I am spirit soul; I am not material element. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." This is knowledge. But if one does not take this knowledge, he remains with the bodily concept of life, "I finger," not "my finger," then he is in ignorance. "I head," not "my head." Nobody says, "I head." Everyone says "My head." But find out who is "I." This is knowledge.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says etad yo vetti: "One who understands this simple education in the beginning, etad yo vetti, "if anyone understands this, that 'I am not this body, I am the owner of the body. I am the occupier of the body...' " The body is just like a rented house, and there are two interested person. One is the occupier, and the other is the owner.

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

Somebody lives for six hours, five hours. There are many germs. They live for five hours, six hours, or even less than that. And there are living entities like Brahmā, whose life is millions and millions of years.

There are so many varieties of life. We have no information. There are so many universities, so many educational institutions, but they cannot say exactly how many varieties of life are there. They cannot say. Their education is not perfect. They cannot say. But we can see there are so many varieties of life, and each of them is a living entity. But if you consult Vedic literature, you'll find exactly the number. Just like in the Vedic literature you'll find jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "In the water the aquatic living beings are 900,000 different bodies." So I don't think there is any biologist or botanist who can say exactly how many forms of life are there within the water.

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

Why the living entities having different types of body? Sat asat. Some types of body are nice. Suppose you become demigod, Indra, Candra. That's very nice. But if you become dog or worm in the stool, that is not very nice. But we have to. Why? Kāraṇam... The reason is: guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. As we associate with the guṇas... There are three guṇas, qualities of the material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if we associate with sattva-guṇa, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18), then those who are associating with sattva-guṇa...

This is very easy to understand. If you become a nice, educated person, good character, you'll be always welcome anywhere, good position. And if you are a thief, rascal, without any education, then your position will be different. So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. So if we associate with goodness of the material nature, then we are promoted to the higher planetary system where we get better comforts of life, long duration of life, so many facilities.

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

This is knowledge. This is called brahma-jñāna. If anyone understands the simple thing, that "I am not this body..." But education is given, "No, I am this body." This nationalism, this nationalism also the same mistake, but they are fighting so much. Great, great, big, big men. In this country, Napoleon fought. In Germany, Hitler fought. And so many others, in our country Gandhi fought. But he is in ignorance. All these big big leaders, they are ignorance, andha, blind. Blind. They do not know that he is not this body and neither this land belongs to him. But they fight. The whole history of the world means this mistaken idea. "I" and "mine."

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yat taj jñānam. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor yat taj-jñānaṁ mataṁ mama. Kṛṣṇa is giving, that one should know what he is and one should know what is his body, then he is in knowledge. The matter cannot understand this. The dogs, cats, cannot understand this. But a human being can understand this. Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. Therefore, the human society should take care of this knowledge. Then his life will be successful.

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

But there is no facility for studying this subject matter in the university or any educational institution. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. They do not understand what is God. Who was telling me? Some Bengali professor came here, and he said, "I am agnostic." Who told me just now, in the car? So mostly the so-called educated circle, they are agnostics. They do not believe in God, they do not believe in the soul, and still they are passing on as educationists, learned scholars, professor. This is the pity. Therefore one should learn from Kṛṣṇa, this education system at the present moment, you cannot learn anything positively. They are all vague.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

So as spiritual master, as teacher, immediately Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "You are talking like a very learned man, but you are lamenting on a subject matter on which no paṇḍita, learned man, laments." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. He very mildly chastised. Indirectly He said that "You are not paṇḍita; you are a fool, those who are learned, they do not consider this body as very important." They are paṇḍita.

But at the present moment everyone is thinking this body as the most important thing. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, not Bhagavad..., on the Vedic understanding, anyone who is stressing too much on the body, they are go-khara, asses and cows and animals, what to speak of becoming paṇḍita. But at the present moment, the whole educational system is concentrated on this body, how to keep this body comfortable. Spiritual knowledge does not mean that you neglect your body. No. That is not the idea.

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

All the Gosvāmīs, they did so. They conquered over sleeping, conquered over eating, conquered over sex desire and conquered defense. So in this way we have to minimize nidrāhāra-vihāra and save time for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is a botheration. (break) ...use of industry? That you have created trouble. You can get your food by cultivation. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce food grains, and both the animals and the men, they will remain satisfied. And we have got so much land even on this earthly planet. I am traveling all over the world. You can produce food grains so in large quantity that you can feed all the population, ten times population. So we are not interested in producing food grain. We are interested in... (break) ...this is education. You get your admission in this institution. You will understand. (break) If you do not follow the rules and regulation, you go to hell. That's all.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

Just like a son of a high-court judge, he can say—he has got the right—that "I am friend of my father, of my son of high-court judge." That you can say. But you cannot say that you are high-court judge. It is a qualification. Even though you are a son of a high court judge, if you have no qualification, how you can say that "I am court judge."

But that is going on, especially in India. I have no qualification of a brāhmaṇa, but still, I say, "I'm brāhmaṇa." But they are called dvija-bandhu, dvija-bandhu. You cannot say. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. If you have got full knowledge of Brahman, then you are a brāhmaṇa. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). And Nārada Muni says that these qualifications can be acquired by others also. As a son of a brāhmaṇa can, by bad association, disqualify himself, similarly, a son of a non-brāhmaṇa, he can qualify himself. It is education. It is not that it is monopoly by a certain section, no. That is not the Vedic injunction.

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

Just like Kṛṣṇa has said in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that "Arjuna, you and me and all the soldiers and kings who have assembled here, it is not that we did not exist in the past. We are existing now, and we shall continue to exist in the future." So this eternity of the soul we do not know. We are simply identifying ourself with this body, and we are simply interested for the bodily comforts of life. This is the civilization, going on.

So although we have got this Bhagavad-gītā, at least in India the education should have been on the line of Bhagavad-gītā for the benefit of the people of India. Unfortunately nobody is taking care. Even though there are some propaganda of understanding Bhagavad-gītā, they are interpreting in their own way to fulfill their own ambition. This is going on.

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

The first qualification is amānitvam. Don't be puffed up with your false knowledge. Having this little degree from the university, you are thinking that you have become so learned, you don't care for God even. This is nonsense. Therefore first qualification to get progress in knowledge is amānitvam, amānitvam. Don't be proud falsely. Our present education is simply teaching people how to become falsely proud. Just like here is, Bhagavad-gītā is going on. They are falsely proud: "Oh, what you have to learn here? We know everything. We know everything. We are M.A., Ph.D., that's all. We have finished already this." Therefore the first thing is amānitvam, pridelessness. Go on reading the purport.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

This is the process of Vedic civilization. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. One has to become brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanna. He must be learned and humble. That is brāhmaṇa. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini. That is the first-class life. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa. Why brāhmaṇa is honored in the society? Because brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne and very humble. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne (BG 5.18). Vidyā means. vidyā dadāti namratā. Vidyā means he must be very gentle, namra. That is vidyā. Education does not mean unnecessarily to become proud.

Just like we hear that even a great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say, "What knowledge I have got? I have simply collected a few grains sand from the big beach." Yes. That is humbleness. So Kṛṣṇa says that in the process of acquiring knowledge, one must be very humble and meek. This is the first qualification.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

So this platform of knowledge vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, brāhmaṇa, one has to become brāhmaṇa. Then one becomes humble, meek, and other qualification follows. The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others. That is material education, rajas tamas. Rajas tamo-guṇa. What are the symptoms of different modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa, goodness. One is satisfied and eager to advance in spiritual knowledge. that is sattva-guṇa, brāhmaṇa's quality. Sattva śamo damas titikṣa. Titikṣa. one has to learn titikṣa. Just like here the, even they are foreigners, how much tribulation they have to suffer on account of this temple. These foreigners, they have come here to become devotees and the authorities are prepared to demolish their temple. So one has to tolerate. What can be done?

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

So to begin with knowledge, Kṛṣṇa recommends amānitvam, humility. Because the real disease of material life is that he is not humble. He is always proud. Little possession. Svalpa-mātrena. Just like the big fish in the ocean. They are deep within the water and if you find out a small lake, little water, you'll find small fishes (makes sound) they're doing there. So there is no depth of knowledge. Simply they're perplexed. Therefore this education should be given, how to become humble. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvaṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Paripraśnena sevayā. One has to learn by service, by praṇipāta, praṇipāta means surrender. There is no surrender. Nobody is prepared to surrender. "Oh, why shall I surrender? I know everything." Puffed-up unnecessarily. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says the material disease is that rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś (ca ye) (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ means, rajo-guṇa, kāma and lobha. Ignorance.

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

One may be illiterate, one may be having no qualification, but the process is so nice, to prepare flower garland for Kṛṣṇa, to prepare food for Kṛṣṇa, for chanting Kṛṣṇa, for reading books for Kṛṣṇa, for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. You simply hear, you don't do anything. Simply if you hear, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23), you become devotee. Simply by hearing. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your place. It doesn't matter what you are, but if you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you become devotee. It is so nice. You don't require any education. You don't require any money, don't require anything. You simply hear. That is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

Suhṛt satām. He is special friend of the devotee. Suhṛt satām. Satām means those who are devotees Asatām means nondevotee. So He is suhṛt satām. So He is sitting within your heart. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. So hearing about Kṛṣṇa is so beneficial because as soon as you begin hearing about Kṛṣṇa with little devotion and faith, Kṛṣṇa immediately understands that "This living entity is now serious." Because He is within your heart. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. "Now this man, this living entity..." Especially man. Cats and dogs cannot hear; that is not possible.

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

If you can see Kṛṣṇa, antaḥ, within, and bahiḥ, outside, then your all tapasya finished. You are perfect now. Tapasā tataḥ kim. No more tapasya.

And if you cannot see the Supreme Lord inside and outside, then you may undergo various types of tapasya and education—it is all useless, useless waste of time.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed yadi ratiṁ

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

If you cannot understand the viṣvaksena... Viṣvaksena is another name of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. "I am a learned brāhmaṇa," "I am very expert kṣatriya." "I am expert vaiśya." This is called dharma, varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

So this Vedic civilization is meant for Brahman realization. Therefore we have got so many Vedic literatures. Bhagavad-gītā is only a part, ABCD, the first book of spiritual knowledge. Still, people are so degraded that they cannot understand even Bhagavad-gītā, the ABCD. What they will understand, other things? Their education is so poor and they are so unfortunate that even Bhagavad-gītā which Kṛṣṇa left behind Him...

Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years ago on this planet, and just to benefit us He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna did not require the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. He was already enlightened, but he presented himself as a fool just to induce the Lord to speak on Bhagavad-gītā, and it is noted by Vyāsadeva, Vedavyāsa, in the Mahābhārata, so that people may take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is there, what is this brahma-jyotir, what is this material world, what is that spiritual world, what is our object of life, what we should know.

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

We are also sac-cid-ānanda, but at the present moment our vigrahaḥ, our body is different. This is, subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. This we have to conquer; this is the problem. I don't want to die, why death is enforced upon me? That these rascals they have no brain. That I don't want to die. How I can escape death? Just like we are trying to escape disease. We don't want to be diseased. As soon as we become diseased, we go to a doctor, we take medical help. "Sir, cure my disease, cure my disease." Then why don't you go to a doctor who can give you relief from death? But they have no brain. The educational system is so rascaldom that there is no brain. All over the world. There is no institution where people are being taught how to conquer over death. There is no such institution.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

Just like when we are diseased, we go to the physician and we try to cure the disease, similarly, we do not know what is our main disease. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa previously. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—this is our real disease, to take birth, to die, to become old and to become victims of disease. But nobody knows how to cure this, and still, we are very much proud of becoming advanced in education and civilization. This is called illusion. This is called illusion. The real disease is how to stop janma-mṛtyu.

Kṛṣṇa has repeatedly said, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Simply try to understand Me, Kṛṣṇa. The result will be tyaktvā deham..." That is... After giving up this body we have to accept another body. Kṛṣṇa says, "Simply if you understand Me in truth, then thereafter, no more accepting any material body. You remain in your spiritual body and come to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead."

Lecture on BG 13.22 -- Bombay, October 20, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa says that ābrahma lo... If... You may get very long duration of life, very comfortable life, in higher planetary system. Just like people are engaged in doing, I mean to, pious activities. The result of pious activities is that you get your birth in a very good family, in a rich family, you get beauty, you become educated, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means birth, high-class birth. And aiśvarya means opulence, riches. And śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So by pious activities you can get all these things. And impious activities, the opposite number: in a family, abominable, pāpa-yoni, lower-grade family, not very beautiful, not educated, suffering in so many ways. So either you get this life or that life, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi is there. It is not that because you have got very beautiful body and born in very high-class family and highly educated, you will avoid janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is not possible. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

Unfortunately there is no education, there is no knowledge about this throughout the whole world. We are thinking that after annihilation of this body everything is finished. No, that is not the fact. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. If a young man thinks that "I have got now this body for enjoyment. I am young man. I shall not become an old man." That is not the fact. Young man has to become old man. That is prakṛti-jān guṇān. cannot say that "I shall remain young man forever and enjoy life." That is not possible. Similarly you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Unfortunately there is no discussion, there is no education, there is no institute for this important factors of life and people are kept in darkness. This is Kali-yuga. They do not care to know neither there is arrangement in the educational institution to know this fact although the fact is there it is explained by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa personally explaining tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This body is perishable, but the śarīriṇaḥ, one who possesses this body, he is nitya, śāśvata. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This knowledge is missing. That is the defect of modern civilization. Atheistic civilization. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. This is not very good position.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So real knowledge is must seriously think that "If I am eternal what shall I do with this temporary position?" I may stay here for fifty years or forty years or... Say a hundred years. Not hundred years, it is not possible. At most thirty, forty years. But I am not meant for thirty, forty years. I am eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This knowledge is not coming. There is no system of education.

It is a very dangerous type of civilization without any spiritual knowledge. Very, very dangerous position. Risky. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on authoritative basis trying to enlighten people to release him from these clutches of māyā and ignorance. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is authorized because we are speaking on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā. On the basis of Vedic knowledge. And Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge.

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

If the living entity puruṣa is working piously, then he is getting a different type of body. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). A nice body, born in rich man's family or brāhmaṇa's family, scholar's family, janma, opulence, aiśvarya, beauty, beautiful body, and very good education—these distinctions are there because the paramātma-puruṣa is observing the activities of the jīvātma-puruṣa. And according to his karma according to his desire, He is giving a different type of body. Īśvaraḥ sarva...

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.

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

Then puruṣa-prakṛti. Prakṛti is this material nature. Puruṣa, the living entity. The inferior puruṣa and the superior puruṣa. Anumantā upadraṣṭā, the Supersoul, He is overlooking the activities of the jīva soul, and according to his karma, He is giving a different type of body, kṣetra. Again he is working. Again he is creating another situation. This vast knowledge is unknown to the modern educational department. But here it is in the Bhagavad-gītā. They can take advantage of it. But the fools and rascals will not take advantage. They will remain like animals in the ignorance, like cats and dogs. That is their business. So anyway, how to enlighten these cats and dogs? That is described here by Kṛṣṇa. Anye. Anye tu evam ajānantaḥ. General people, cats and dogs... I am not speaking cats and dogs.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Therefore Bhagavān said, daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you develop daivī sampat, these qualities, as described—ahiṁsā, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, ahiṁsā, so many things—then you'll get out, vimokṣāya. Unfortunately, the modern civilization, they do not know what is vimokṣāya. They're so blind. They do not know that there is some position which is called vimokṣāya. They do not know. They do not know what is next life. There is no educational system. I am traveling all over the world. There is not a single institution which is meant for giving education about the transmigration of the soul, how one can get better life. But they don't believe. They have no knowledge. That is āsurī sampat. That will be described here: pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Pravṛttim. Pravṛttim means attraction, or attachment. In what sort of activities we should be attached, and what sort of activities we shall be detached, that, the asuras, they do not know. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Because people are not devotees of God, therefore despite all education, all advancement of scientific knowledge, still they are dealing like cats and dogs. They are not peaceful. The peace cannot be attained without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca. Simply by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness there can be peace, there can be prosperity, there can be happiness. Otherwise we shall be entangled. It is clearly mentioned here by Kṛṣṇa, daivī sampad vimokṣāya. And daivī sampat means, the example is Arjuna. He immediately takes up, Arjuna: mā śucaḥ. "You are, you are already developed with daivī, daivī sampat." Mā śucaḥ: "You haven't got to worry."

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:

So people are unaware, and they are not interested what is vimokṣāya, what is nibandhāya. Exactly like cats and dogs, they are after these four principles of material body. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying little bit. Success or no success does not matter. As we are servant of Kṛṣṇa, it is our duty to present the real thing. Now you accept, not accept. That is not my business. I can request you that you accept this principle and be liberated from these sufferings of material life. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. But we have become careless. "Never mind I shall again take my birth, again die, I shall become dog." In this Hawaii sometime I was speaking in the university. So when I was speaking like that, one student said, "What is the wrong there if I become dog?" Yes, he flatly said. "I shall forget everything." So this is the university education, that one is not afraid of becoming a dog. He thinks that "This is also very good." So where is the humanity? Where is the human civilization? People are gone so down-trodden, so fallen. Therefore it is very, very difficult to raise them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, and the śāstras say, that people in this age are so fallen. It is very difficult to raise them by properly giving education. They will not take education. They will not be able. Therefore He has recommended, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva... (CC Adi 17.21). So we are trying our best. So only request is, those who do not comply with our rules and regulation at least, they may chant Hare Kṛṣṇa wherever they may remain. That is my request. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

So if you qualify yourself by the divine qualities, then what is the benefit? Daivī sampad vimokṣāya. Mokṣa. Mokṣa mean liberation. So if you cultivate divine qualities, then you are fit for being liberated. What is liberation? Liberation from repeating birth and death. That is our real suffering. The modern, rascal civilization, they do not know actually what is the end of suffering. They do not know. There is no education. There is no science. They are thinking that "Here this small span of life, say, fifty years, sixty years, hundred years, utmost, if we get a nice wife, a nice apartment and nice motor car, running with seventy miles speed, and a nice whiskey bottle..." That is his perfection. But that is not vimokṣāya. Real vimokṣa, liberation, means no more birth, death, old age and disease. That is vimokṣa. But they do not know even.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Bhagavad-gītā says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more greater factor than Me." Everyone knows God is great. Great means everyone is small. He is great. Nobody is equal to Him. Nobody is greater than Him. That is the meaning of greatness. So how He is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, everyone is subordinate, everyone is creation of Him—this knowledge, if you get... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If you understand these factors of the greatness of God perfectly well, then you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is called daivī sampad. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you become divine... This is cultivation. This is education. This is not sentiment.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

We don't want to stop the tendency of material enjoyment. No nivṛtti. The human life is meant for nivṛtti. The cats' and dogs' life is for pravṛtti. The sex desire, they cannot stop it. It is not possible. If you teach some dogs that "You forget the sex life," it is impossible. That is not possible. So they cannot stop this desire of sex life. But if a human being can be induced... Therefore there is brahmacarya system, there is Vedic education, there is Bhagavad-gītā, so many other things. If people take advantage of these books they can stop this pravṛtti, this intense desire for enjoying this material world. But the asuras, they do not know that what we should accept and what we should not accept. Pravṛtti means to accept something, and nivṛtti means to deny something. So they do not know. This is the first symptom of the asuras. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na viduḥ. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ, āsurāḥ janāḥ (BG 16.7), those who are demons, asuras, they do not know it.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Everyone is intelligent. That I have already explained. Everyone has got brain and intelligence, but he has to use it properly. That is wanted. That is education. You cannot teach a stone how to manufacture this microphone. That is not possible because he has no intelligence. But even one is dull brained, you can teach him by education how to manufacture this microphone. So intelligence is there, every living entity. Now, to train them how to utilize his intelligence... So one who is fortunate, he becomes trained up in intelligence how to go home, back to home, back to Godhead. And one who is not fortunate, his intelligence is used how to go to hell. That's all. That is duṣkṛtina. To become a member of the hellish condition of life, that also requires intelligence. How to become first-class thief, how to become first-class cheater, first-class drunkard, first-class smuggler—does it not require intelligence? It requires intelligence. But their intelligence is being used for going to hell. Another intelligence is being used to going back to home, back to Godhead. Intelligence is there in both the cases. Now, it is the technique, how to use it. That's all. That requires.

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

You will find it, natural. He has got natural inclination to eat stool. And a human being will be naturally inclined to take halavā. So this is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. So the member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, if you offer him tea, he will not take it. And others, if you offer tea, he will very gladly accept it. This is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. So the pravṛtti and nivṛtti... Why a person is not accepting tea or smoking or something else, and why other person accepting the same thing? Amongst the animal also, you give something to animal. He will reject and another thing he will accept. These two things are there in every living being: accepting something and rejecting something. This is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. So far the human form of life is concerned, there must be some pravṛtti and nivṛtti. There is that inclination, pravṛtti and nivṛtti, but they should be synchronized, systematized, what things we should accept and what things we should reject. That we must learn. Therefore we have got so many books, literature, education, what things we should accept and which things we should reject. But what is the basic principle? Why I shall accept something and reject something?

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

Now, if you want to reach to the ultimate goal of life, where only blissful life, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal body of knowledge and bliss, then you have to become sura. It is not that the asuras will remain asura. It doesn't matter. Even born in the asura family one can become sura. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father was asura, but he was perfect sura. That is possible. It is not prohibited to anyone. If he wants to become sura... Just like in ordinary life also. If you are determined to become medical man, you can become. There is no impediment. If you are persistent, you can become medical man, engineer, or anything. People are trying, education. Similarly, if you want to become sura, there is no impediment, and there is no obstacle. You can become. Simply you have to know what sort of life we should accept, pravṛtti—this is called pravṛtti—and what sort of life we should reject. This is required. This is the distinction between sura and asura.

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

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). Therefore we are teaching them Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, the ultimate truth. They do not know what is satyam. This is the movement, to give them education to understand what is the Absolute Truth, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, to teach them how to behave in life, how to become purified in life. This is very scientific movement. If anyone wants actually to become sura, the perfect man, they must join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then his life will be successful. Thank you very much. (end)

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

So, we were discussing yesterday about the demons or nondevotees. Demons means nondevotee. That I have explained. Devatā means demigods, and demons... So demons, they do not know which way they have to live their life. That they do not know.

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca

janā na vidur āsurāḥ

na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro

na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate

(BG 16.7)

These are the first qualification of the demons, that they do not know which way one has to make progress. That they do not know. This is the defect of the modern civilization. They have universities, educational institution and advancement of knowledge, so on, so on. But ask them what is the aim of life, why education is being imparted, what is the purpose. These are... They do not know. Do they know?

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

They simply know how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to defend. For this purpose they are giving education. That is... Does it require any education, how to eat? Everyone, even a child, he knows. You give him something eatable. Immediately takes and he knows it is to be put here, not there, not there. Natural. You don't require any education for these things, primary, I mean to say, wants of the body, eating, sleeping, sex. It doesn't require any high education, how to enjoy sex life. Everyone knows. Even the cats and dogs, they know. Similarly eating, everyone knows. Sleeping, it doesn't require that "You have to sleep in this way." Whenever you feel tired, there is sleep. But the asura-jana, they do not know what is the purpose of education. That they do not know.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

You may have some particular knowledge. Suppose you are expert singer. Very good, but if you earn your money for fulfilling your sense desires, that is demonic. But you know the art, how to sing. If you very melodiously sing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you are demigod. The same thing can be utilized both ways. Anything. Therefore śāstra says, idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā (SB 1.5.22). People are advancing by research and by education. Śrutasya means education, and tapasaḥ... And to become very learned scholar, scientist, it requires tapasya, austerities, penance. It is not that all of a sudden one becomes very great scientist. After many, many research work. Therefore it is called tapasya. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ (SB 1.5.22). People do very pious activities, charity, munificence. What is the purpose? What is the purpose of becoming educated, learned scholar, very charitable and all these pious activities? What is the end? Ask them. Somebody will say, those who believe next life—that is also fact—that "Next life also, I will get opulence, properly situated." That is also fact.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

So these demons, they accept the shelter of lusty desire which will never be fulfilled, will never be satiated. But those who are devas, godly, their lusty desire is controlled, restricted. Therefore this varṇāśrama, four varṇas, and four āśramas, this is education how to control this lusty desire. That is required. In the beginning of life, the children, beginning from five years old up to twenty-five years, they are trained up as brahmacārī. Why? Just to control the kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Those who are not in bad association from childhood, if they practice celibacy, they are not disturbed. They are not disturbed. That is called brahmacārī life. Why? To train the child of a human being. Because this human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. That is the mission.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

So this birth, death, old age, disease, this is due to this unclean, infected, material body. That we are not concerned, that how to stop this infected material body, how to revive our original spiritual body. That spiritual body is within, but we have no information. Therefore it is said, alpa-buddhayaḥ. The real life is within. We don't take care. Who is taking care of the spiritual... Where is the university? Where is the college where is this training is given that "We are spirit soul. This body is temporary, and the spirit soul business is this so that spirit soul may be purified, no more he accepts this material body"? Where is that education? Therefore alpa-buddhayaḥ: less intelligent. They are simply busy with these bodily necessities of life. There is no education of the real living force. That education you will get—this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore it is unique. It is the education to get people of the human society liberated from the animalistic ignorance. Because those who are under the impression of this bodily concept of life, sa eva go-kharaḥ: (SB 10.84.13) they are no better than the asses and the cows.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

This is a bag, the bag of tri-dhātus. According to Ayurvedic medical science this body is working under three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu. Therefore it is called tri-dhātu. So the whole world is going on on this concept of life. They have no spiritual. Even big, big professors, big, big, they also say that "This body is everything. After the body is finished, then everything is finished." But that is not the fact. That is the first spiritual education to understand, that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." And Kṛṣṇa begins this preliminary education in the Bhagavad-gītā-

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

So this alpa-buddha, less intelligent class, demons, they do not understand this. Why? Kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. Unnecessarily dambha. Just like the same example, dog. The dog is very proud, barking, "Yow! Yow! Yow!" He does not know that "I am chained." (laughs) He's such a foolish that as soon as the master, "Come on." (laughter) So māyā is the master: "You rascal come here." "Yes." And he be see..., proud: "I am something." This doggish civilization, naṣṭa-buddhaya, lost all intelligence... Less intelligent these are called.

Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:

That one, that is wanted by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So it does not require any high education, high birth, or great riches, or to become very beautiful. Nothing required. Beautiful or not beautiful, everyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no impediment. Educated or not educated, it doesn't matter. Rich or poor, it doesn't matter. Ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service, bhakti-yoga, is without any cause and without impediment. Ahaituky apratihatā. And if we attain that stage, then yayātmā suprasīdati: then ātmā, the soul, will be fully satisfied. So it does not require much education, much wealth. From any status of life one can practice this, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), these four things only.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Then Kṛṣṇa says, that how the brahminical class should be educated. This should be taken very seriously by educational department of all countries. And it is the duty of the government to see that every man according to his quality is working, is employed. Not that... Secular state does not mean they should be callous about the quality and work of the citizens. There must be department of practical psychology to see the students, in which class he belongs to. Either he belongs to the first-class, brāhmaṇa class, or second-class, the kṣatriya class, administrator class, and the third-class, mercantile, or business man, and the fourth-class, śūdras, worker. If education is given according to the quality and position, then there will be complete system in the whole human society. Take the same example. Just like your body, if your head is working nicely, if your hand is working nicely, if your stomach is working nicely, if your leg is working nicely, then the whole body is to be considered as healthy and working nicely. If any part of this body, either head, leg, or arms or belly, does not work nicely, then the whole body becomes diseased. So that is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. That... Not that...

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

So there should be educational department to create first-class men by all these qualities. How to become controller of the mind, how to become controller of the senses, how to become cleansed, bāhyābhyantaram, inside clean and outside clean. Śaucam, titikṣā, how to become tolerant, tolerant. One should be not agitated by a single cause. Tolerant, and similarly, simplicity. He should be so simple. It is said simplicity: even the enemy inquires from him some secret thing, he'll say, "Yes, it is like this." Simplicity. And jñānam full knowledge. Full knowledge, what is this world, what I am, what is my relation with this world, what is God, what is my relation with God. Everything full knowledge. And vijñānam, vijñānam means completely application of the knowledge of life. And āstikyam, āstikyam means full faith in transcendental literature, that is called also āstikyam, and full faith in the existence of the Supreme Lord. Āstik... These are the brahminical qualifications. So those who are claiming to become first-class, learned men in the society, they must have all these qualifications. This is Bhagavad-gītā's teaching.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

And paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). And those who are not intelligent, to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya. The fourth class men, let them work these three other classes, let them work. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam. In this way the human society should be divided into four divisions, they should cooperate, and they should be trained up. Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop. Therefore, in spite of so much educational propaganda in the Western countries, the young men are coming to become hippies. Because there is no proper training. Here is the hint, Bhagavad-gītā gives you. You train the students in that way, then there will be perfect society. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

This is the version of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness among his school friends. Because he was born in a demon father's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was stopped even uttering Kṛṣṇa. He could not get any opportunity in the palace, so when he was coming to school, at the tiffin hour he would call his small friends, five years old, and he would preach this Bhāgavata-dharma. And the friends would says, "My dear Prahlāda, we are now children. Oh, what is the use of this Bhāgavata-dharma? Let us play." "No," he said, "no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: (SB 7.6.1) "My dear friends, don't say that you'll keep it aside for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness in old age. No, no." Durlabham. "We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness education."

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

If you acquire this qualification, then you are brāhmaṇa. So is it very difficult? Simply there is no training center. Throughout the whole world there is no such training department. There are many department of knowledge, but how to create an ideal brāhmaṇa, there is no education. There is no education.

Therefore the brāhmaṇa is considered to be the head of the body. Just like we have got this body, this head is to be considered as brāhmaṇa, and the arm is to be considered as kṣatriya, the belly is to be considered as vaiśya and the leg is considered as śūdra. So as to maintain this body nicely you must everything in order—the head, brain must be in order, the hand, arms must be in order, the belly must be digesting food and getting energy and the leg also must walk—similarly—sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ, never mind you are a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—if your aim is to keep the body in order, then either you become brāhmaṇa, either you become kṣatriya or śūdra, everything is in order. That is required. Unless these instructions are followed as given by Kṛṣṇa... He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He comes there. He leaves this instruction. If you take advantage of this instruction and make your society, family, or government, everything, according to the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, then everything is perfect. Otherwise you are doomed. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause)