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Either you... (Lectures, BG ch 5 - 18)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, although He is equal to everyone, still, those who are especially trying to be connected with Him... Because the whole thing is, whole material manifestation is meant for giving us a chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So one who is trying to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, He has got special favor. (aside:) I'll answer later. He has got special favor.

So sāṅkhya-yogau pṛthag bālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ. So any, any type of spiritual realization, they are different forms. "You are, you are Hindu? Oh, I am, I am Christian." "Oh, you are Christian? I am Muhammadan." So these conceptions, that "I am different from you," that is not for the learned. The learned one is hankering after the Supreme Truth. Never mind. Either you go through Bible, or go through Bhagavad-gītā, or go through this Koran, that doesn't matter. What is the aim of your life? If your aim of life is to understand the Absolute Truth, then there is no difference. But if your aim is something else, then you find some difference from Bhagavad-gītā to Bible, Bible to Koran, Koran to something else. So Kṛṣṇa says that sāṅkhya-yoga. Either you take sāṅkhya-yoga or sāṅkhya or this karma-yoga, anything, there is no difference. Because the, everything is trying to give you the ultimate Absolute Truth.

Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:

And who is a saintly? That is also described in Bhagavad-gītā. Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). A person who is constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is sādhu. He is saintly person. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Even if you see sometimes that he is doing something which is not very good, but still, because he has kept himself tight in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is sādhu, he is saintly person. These things are...You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So try to keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are safe in any circumstance. So we should mold our life in such a way that we cannot go out of the orbit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Either you become a carpenter of the temple or a gardener of the temple, or a cooker of the temple, or a typewriter of the temple, or a tape recorder of the temple—anything, because it is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore you are safe because you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is required, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6), always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, any way, this way or that way. That is meditation; that is trance; that is everything. Yes.

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

"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future (BG 5.26)." So first thing is that suppose somebody speaks of me very harshly. Naturally we become angry. Just like somebody calls me, "You are dog," or "you are hog." But if I am self-realized, if I know perfectly well that I am not this body so you call me hog, dog, or king, emperor, majesty, what is that? I am not this body. So either you call me, "Your majesty," or you call me a dog or a pig, what I have got to do? I am neither his majesty nor a dog nor a cat—nothing of the sort. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa.

So this requires little training. Actually this is the fact. Suppose I have got some dress, black dress. Somebody calls, "You black dress," is that cause of anger? Somebody calls you black dress. So this is simply my false identification with the dress that I become angry. Actually if I am self-realized, self-disciplined... Self-discipline means not to identify with this body. That is self-discipline. It requires training of course. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches therefore, tṛṇād api sunīcena. That a smaller than the smallest grass. Actually if I realized what is the spiritual dimension, actually my dimension, length and breadth you cannot measure because I am actually a very small spiritual particle. You cannot measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. That is my measurement. So if I am smaller than the grass, that's a fact. I am still smaller, smaller, I do not know how smaller but I am thinking of this body. An elephant is thinking that "I am so big," or a man is thinking, "I am so big," ant is thinking, "I am so small." This smallness, bigness is due to this body.

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

So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice. All the yoga practice or philosophical speculation or anything—all practice targets to one point—that I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman. I am not this matter. This is perfection. A man who has made sufficient progress to this realization is more perfect. This is the way of perfection. And assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future. One has simply... If I am realized then this material composition of this body is disbursed and I am the spirit soul, small particle, I am immediately promoted to the spiritual sky. That is the highest perfection. In the spiritual sky either you remain as a small spark of spirit soul, molecules. Just like there are millions of molecules of shining matter in the sunshine. So if I remain as molecule in the brahma-jyotir, that is also possible. The impersonalist wants that. Or if I enter into some spiritual planet and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead that is also another spiritual existence. Although both of them are spiritual existence, this spiritual existence is impersonal. To remain as molecular part of the Brahman rays or spiritual rays, that is impersonal. And to have a spiritual form just like Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, that is another spiritual perfection. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Adhokṣaje. God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means that conquers all materialistic attempt to see God. Adhokṣaja. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge. You cannot understand God by experimental knowledge, no. You have to learn in a different way. That means by submissive auraloral (aural) reception and rendering transcendental loving service. Then you can understand God. So any religious principle which teaches and helps you to develop your love of Godhead. Without any cause. "I love God because He supplies me very nice things for my sense gratification." That is not love. Ahaituki. Without any... God is great. God is my father. It is my duty to love Him. That's all. No exchange. "Oh, God gives me daily bread, therefore I love God." No. Daily bread God gives even to the animals, cats, and dogs. God is father of everyone. He supplies food to everyone. So that is not love. Love is without reason. Even God does not supply me daily bread, I'll love God. That is love. That is love.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says like that: āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām (CC Antya 20.47). "Either You embrace me or you trample me down on Your feet. Or You never come before me, I become brokenhearted without seeing you. Still I love You." That is pure love of God. When we come to that stage of loving God, then we'll find, oh, all, full of pleasure. As God is full of pleasure, you are also full of pleasure. That is the perfection. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

From, at the age of thirty-six years he gave up. He had his wife but he gave up his sex life. He was a family man, he had children, he had his wife. But from the age of thirty-six, young man, a thirty-six year old, he gave up sex life with his wife. That made him so determined, that "I shall drive away these Britishers from the land of India," and he did it. You see? And actually he did it. So controlling the sex life, to refrain from sex life is so powerful. Even if you don't do anything, if you simply restrain your sex life, you become a very powerful man. People do not know the secret. So anything you do, if you want to do it with determination, you have to stop sex life. That is the secret.

So any process take Vedic process. Either you take yoga process or bhakti process or jñāna process, in no process sex indulgence is allowed, no. Sex indulgence is only allowed, family life, just to beget very nice children. That's all. Sex life is not for sense enjoyment. Although there is enjoyment by nature. Unless there is enjoyment, why one should take responsibility for family life. That is the secret of nature's gift. But we should not take advantage of it. These are the secrets of life. These are the secrets of life. So yoga practice, such a nice thing. If you indulge in sex life, this is simply nonsense. Simply nonsense. And if anyone says that you go on with your sex life as much as you like, at the same time you become a yogi, simply pay my fees. I give you some mantra. These are all nonsense.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

There are different kinds of—parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Lord has various energies. Out of those various energies, three divisions are primary. Material energy, spiritual energy and marginal energy. We living entities we are marginal energy. The whole material world is material energy. And there is spiritual energy. The spiritual world. And we are marginal. So we are sitting either in the material energy, marginal means this way or that way. You can become spiritual or you become material. No third alternative. Either you become materialistic or become spiritualistic. So, so long we are in the material world, you are sitting on the material energy, therefore you are sitting in Kṛṣṇa. Because energy is not separated from Kṛṣṇa. Just like this light, this flame, there is heat and there is illumination. The two energies. The heat is not separated from the fire and the illumination is not separated from the fire. Therefore in one sense the heat is also fire, the illumination is also fire. Similarly this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa. So we are thinking that we are sitting on this floor but actually we are sitting in Kṛṣṇa. This is philosophy.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

We have seen it. So naturally he becomes a medical man. Because he sees his father and the inclination inherits. In that way, in the Indian caste system, originally it was a division. But because the son imitated the father, in this way, it has come to be a caste system by birth. So anyway, these chances are given. The purport is that we, everyone, every man should begin spiritual life.

Either any yoga system, any spiritual life is called yoga. Yoga means to link. We are part and parcel of the supreme absolute, Brahman or Bhagavān, whatever you call, Paramātmā, it doesn't matter. But yoga means linking. So the linking, either you link with impersonal formless, the Supreme Brahman, that is also linking. And if you by meditation you link up with the Supersoul within yourself that is also transcendental activity. Or you directly worship as a devotee, Kṛṣṇa. Anything you adopt, that is spiritual life. But to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is the ultimate goal. That we have in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

A householder does not mean he gets license to legalize prostitution. That is not householder. Householder can simply have sex life to beget nice child, that's all, no more. That is householder life; completely controlled. Householder does not mean whenever he has got this machine and he can use it. No. Householder, husband and wife, both Kṛṣṇa conscious, engaged in Kṛṣṇa conscious business, but when they require a child, Kṛṣṇa conscious, that's all. That is also voluntary contraceptive method. One or two or three children, that's all, no more. So householder life does not mean sex life without any restriction. But for spiritual life one who wants to advance in spiritual life, either you accept this bhakti-yoga system or this aṣṭāṅga-yoga system or jñāna-yoga system, sex indulgence unrestricted is never there. Sex indulgence means you have to come back again. If you try to enjoy the senses, that is materialistic way of life.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

So intelligent men should always keep in front that what advancement we have made, simply struggling. A struggle, a heavy struggle, a hard struggle. That struggle. And we are thinking: "This is advancement." You struggling just like ass . So the whole day and night you are working. Actually I am working very hard, but I am thinking that I am advancing. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We are trying to find out so many medicine. So many humanitarian work. What is that? There is famine, there is struggle. Why don't you do something so that people will not be anymore in famine, any more in distress. There will be no more scarcity of water. That is required. So these are the problems and so however we may solve all these problems, the problem of material existence, birth, death, old age and disease, that cannot be stopped, either you become Brahmā or something like that. That is not possible. That is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

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

When that oneness comes in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth from whom everything is emanating, then everything is Kṛṣṇa.

Just like you have a gold mine and you are preparing so many golden utensils, ornaments and many other things, but they are all gold because the origin is gold. Similarly, you may name it as "earring," but you have to add "gold" earring. You may name it as "necklace," but "gold." Because originally it is coming from the gold mine. Similarly, originally, everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Because if He is Supreme, He is Absolute Truth, then nothing is different from Him. Just like either you say earrings or necklace or bangle or wristwatch, if they are all made of gold, they are gold. But you cannot say at the same time, "This is gold, this is gold." This is gold necklace. If you say that "Why necklace? It is gold..." The Māyāvādī philosophers say, "Everything is gold. Everything is Brahman." No. "Everything is Brahman" is all right, but it is this...

But the Brahman... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is very nicely explained in the Thirteenth Chapter, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am expanded all over." Sarvam. Sarva means all over. Avyakta-mūrtinā. "That is My impersonal feature." Kṛṣṇa is everywhere in His impersonal, but still He is person. The Māyāvāda philosophy thinks that "If Kṛṣṇa has become everything, then where is the necessity of Kṛṣṇa again, person?" This is rascaldom, because he is thinking in material way. He has no spiritual knowledge. Material way. Suppose if you take a piece of paper and you may make it in particles and throw it all over; the original paper has no existence. This is material. But we get information from the Vedas that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The Absolute Truth is so perfect that if you take the whole perfect, still, the perfect remains. One minus equal to one, not zero. The material way of thinking is "One minus one equal to zero," but spiritual way is not like that. Spiritual way is "One minus one equal to one. One plus one equal to one." Oneness. This is the conception.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

He's praying, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, either You trample me down by Your feet, either You embrace me as lover, or You make me brokenhearted without Your presence. Whatever You like You can do. But still I am Your eternal servitor." So this attitude was Rādhārāṇī's. So Lord Caitanya is the feature of Kṛṣṇa understanding Rādhārāṇī. That Kṛṣṇa is great undoubtedly, but He thinks that Rādhārāṇī is greater than Him, because He cannot repay the loving transaction of Rādhā, of Kṛṣṇa. So he wanted to study what is there in Rādhārāṇī. "So I cannot study Rādhārāṇī in the feature of Kṛṣṇa. If I take the feature of Rādhārāṇī, then I can understand what are..." This is highest, I mean to say, transcendental sentiments. But Lord Caitanya is Rādhārāṇī's feature. Tad-dvayaṁ caikyam aptam. Caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caityam āptam. Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, He expands His pleasure potency, which is Rādhārāṇī. Now one Kṛṣṇa becomes two, Kṛṣṇa and His pleasure potency. And that pleasure potency, when unites with Kṛṣṇa, that is Caitanya. Kṛṣṇa becomes two, Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything material because He is full in Himself. Therefore if He has to enjoy something, then that enjoyable personality must be expanded from Him only. So that is Rādhārāṇī. And when that enjoyable personality again takes into one, that is Caitanya. These things you'll understand as you develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in higher development stage. But it is, we can discuss. This is the fact. Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Even there is good reaction, still it is sinful. Still it is sinful. Just like according to Vedic literature, pious activities, the result of pious activities... Janmaīśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Suppose you are not acting anything sinful in this life, you are very pious in every respect. You are charitable, you are benevolent, everything is all right. But Bhagavad-gītā says that it is karma-bandhana. If you give in charity somebody, say, some amount of money, you'll get that money back four times, five times, or ten times more in your next life. That is a fact. So Vaiṣṇava philosophy says that this is also sinful. Why sinful? Because you have to take your birth to receive that compound interest. That is sinful. Now suppose you are born in a very rich family. The trouble of being in the womb of the mother, that is the same. Either you are pious man or the impious man, when you are in the womb of your mother the difficulties and the pains perceived within the womb of the mother is the same, either you are black or white, either you are Indian or American or cat or dog or anyone. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The troubles of birth, the troubles of death, and the troubles of disease, and the troubles of old age are everywhere the same. It is not that because you are born in a very rich family, you'll be immune from diseases. It is not that you'll not become old. It is not that you'll be saved from the troubles of birth or you'll be saved from the troubles of death.

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

Then you get electricity. Therefore śravaṇam, hearing, from whom? From Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Then it is perfect. Not from Dr. Radhakrishnan and any other nonsense, because they are not devotee. They are not representative of Kṛṣṇa. What you will derive? You cannot derive any benefit because there is no electricity. It is simply plug, looking like plug. If you take some white lime water, lime, just like whitewash, it looks like milk. Is that milk because it is white? "All is not gold that glitters."

Therefore you have to seek person, from where you have to hear. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore you have to select person, from where to hear. That is the... Either you search or by Kṛṣṇa's grace you get a person who is authorized. Then your life is successful. Some way or other, you have to come. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was devotee of Kṛṣṇa from the beginning of his life. Kṛṣṇa sent him, Parīkṣit..., Śukadeva Gosvāmī. "Now Mahārāja Parīkṣit is going to die within seven days. He is very anxious what to do. Please go there." Because Kṛṣṇa is sitting within yourself. As soon as Kṛṣṇa finds that you are very sincere, seeking Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will immediately give you chance: "Here is chance. Here is chance."

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

So we have to utilize in that way. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). "Hear from Me." Nobody... Either you hear from Kṛṣṇa or from Kṛṣṇa's representative. Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa, and you hear from Arjuna. Then you get the perfect instruction. If you say, "Where is Arjuna? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" but Arjuna's words are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa's words are there. So if you take the words as it is, then you hear Bhagavad-gītā. If you change, then you don't hear Bhagavad-gītā. You hear something nonsense. These are very simple things. So hearing is very important. So "Hear from Me." Nobody can be a great authority than Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, by hearing from Him, one receives the greatest opportunity for progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You hear from Kṛṣṇa as He is speaking. He says that "Practice yoga in full consciousness of Me." If you do that, then you hear Him. But if you do something nonsense, that is not hearing. That is not hearing. But they will do something nonsense which is not approved by Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That is their disease. Yes.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

If you want to keep the body in fitness, then the brain must work nicely, the hand must work nicely, the belly must work nicely, and the legs also must. Catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So actually classless society means when these brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they work for Kṛṣṇa. That is classless. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The idea of classless society can be achieved when people become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is so important movement. Therefore I am speaking that the matter is placed before these Justices. Just try to understand. And for the benefits of the society, for the human society, for the human being, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must be very seriously taken up by you. That is my point. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga. Here, either you become this party or that party, the real purpose of forming party is to enjoy, and they bluff the people that "I shall give you this thing, that thing." But actually I want somehow or other the post and I, bhoga vañcha... Either you become communist, socialist or capitalist or this "ist" or that "ist," the real disease is bhoga-vañcha, "How I shall enjoy this world." That is the real disease.

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

Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Acyuta. So acyuta-ijyā, by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, by satisfying Kṛṣṇa, you can satisfy everyone. This is the process.

So here, this process is explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself. The śāstra says this is the process. But still Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself the process. The process is mayy āsakta-manāḥ. One has to increase his attachment for Kṛṣṇa. We have got attachment for so many things. We have to divert the attachment towards Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam. This is the yogaṁ yuñjan. One has to perform, execute, mad-āśrayaḥ. This yoga can be executed when we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means either you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-āśrayaḥ. In two ways you can take it, the meaning. Mad-āśrayaḥ. One who does not know except Kṛṣṇa, he's also mad-āśrayaḥ. And one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, that is also mad-āśrayaḥ. So one has to become a devotee, or to take shelter of a pure devotee to practice the yoga system. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is our system. That is our system. That is the Vedic system.

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

This is the shastric injunction. So if you take this movement very seriously, the world will be happy, we'll be happy, personally or socially or economically, politically... That's a fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If we accept Kṛṣṇa, simply Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. Asaṁśayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in fullness. Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. And we have got many books, you can see. We have got at least twenty books of four hundred pages for explaining Kṛṣṇa. Either you try to understand Kṛṣṇa through these books... Otherwise, you can understand Kṛṣṇa, very simple thing: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and you'll understand.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
(CC Antya 20.12)

So join saṅkīrtana movement. It is very important. Paraṁ vijayate. If you want victory of your life, join this movement. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅ... Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). These are the recommendations. So the simple truth is, you be, become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and your life is successful. Not only your life is successful, if you preach in your family, in your society, in your community or internationally, they also become benefited.

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

Yoginām api sarveṣām. One who practices yoga system, he's called yogi. So Kṛṣṇa says, yoginām api sarveṣām: "Of all the yogis..." I have already stated. There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all the yogis..." Yoginām api sarveṣām. Sarveṣām means "of all yogis." Mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: "One who is thinking of Me within himself." We can think of Kṛṣṇa. We have Kṛṣṇa's form. Kṛṣṇa Deity, we worship. So if we engage ourself in the worship of the Deity, the form of Kṛṣṇa, which is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, or, in the absence of Deity, if we chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Therefore, there is no difference between Him and His name. There is no difference between Him and His form. There is no difference between Him and His picture. There is no difference between Him and His topics. Anything about Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. This is called absolute knowledge. So either you chant the Kṛṣṇa's name or you worship Kṛṣṇa's form—everything is Kṛṣṇa.

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

Any of the nine items, if you accept, you immediately contact Kṛṣṇa. Either you accept all the nine items or eight or seven or six or five or four or three or two, at least one, if you rigidly take and... Suppose this chanting. It does not cost anything. We are chanting all over the world. Anyone can chant by hearing us. It does not cost you. And if you chant, there is no loss on your part. So... But if you do, then immediately you contact Kṛṣṇa. That is the benefit. Immediately. Because Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa is non...

Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). These are the descriptions of the Vedic literature. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa's name is cintāmaṇi. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29). These are the Vedic descriptions. Where Kṛṣṇa lives, the place is described: cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). So nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, is also cintāmaṇi, spiritual. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. He is the same Kṛṣṇa, person. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya (CC Madhya 17.133). Caitanya means not dead, but living entity. You can get the same benefit by chanting name as you get personally talking with Kṛṣṇa. That is also possible. But this will be gradually realized. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ. Rasa-vigraha means the pleasure, reservoir of all pleasure.

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

And beyond this material world, there is another nature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That nature is permanent.

This material nature is not permanent. It is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Everything here, in the material world, everything comes into existence, takes birth, janma, then stays for sometimes, grows the body, then produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then finished. This is the material nature. Just like your body, my body, it has taken birth at a certain date, it is growing, and it is producing some children, by-products. Then, as we are growing old, then one day the body will be finished. This is the material nature. Either you take it personally, individually, your body, or this gigantic body of the universe, in whichever way you may take it, the nature is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Here the material nature is you take your birth or appearance and again disappear and again appear. This is the instruction of spiritual life. The spirit soul is there, but it is not getting a permanent settlement. This is material world. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As the body is changing, there are so many children, they will also become old like me. But the spirit soul is there. In the presence of mother, although the body is changing, the mother knows that "My son is there." Although from babyhood the son has grown to boyhood, the body, original body, child's body, baby's body, is not existing, the mother knows that "My boy is there."

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

So actually, this is the problem of living entities. That knowledge can be acquired in the human form of life and it can be solved, not that simply we get the knowledge, but it can be solved. So therefore, real business of human life, to understand oneself, that is called self-realization, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), and find out the remedy and act accordingly. That is the mission of human life. Not like to dance like cats and dogs with a nice dress. That is not human life. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā, our whole Vedic instruction. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or self-realization. Self-realization means either you see yourself or see the Supreme Lord, either way. But without seeing the Supreme Lord, you cannot see yourself. Just like without seeing the sun in the darkness... Just like it is now night. There is no sun. So I cannot see also. In darkness I cannot see also myself. But when there is sun in the morning, I can see the sun and I can see myself also. This is the theory. So if we want to understand ourselves rightly, that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So how one can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is being described by Kṛṣṇa in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā.

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

Tattva-darśinaḥ. Unless you have seen, how you can give information of the truth to others? So God is seen, not only seen in the history. In the history, when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, the history of Battle of Kurukṣetra where this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken, that is a historical fact. So we can see through history also Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa and through śāstra also. Śāstra-cakṣusā. Just like at the present moment, Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, but we understand through śāstra what is Kṛṣṇa.

So śāstra-cakṣusā. Śāstra... Either you take direct perception or through the śāstra... Through the śāstra the perception is better than direct perception. Therefore our knowledge, those who are following the Vedic principles, their knowledge is derived from the Vedas. They do not manufacture any knowledge. If one thing is understood by the evidence of the Vedas, that is fact. So Kṛṣṇa is understood through the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot imagine of Kṛṣṇa. If some rascal says that "I am imagining," that is rascaldom. You have to see Kṛṣṇa through the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is the purpose of studying Vedas. Therefore it is called Vedānta. Kṛṣṇa's knowledge is Vedānta. Anta means the end, the last word, last word. So last word... What is the last word of Vedic knowledge? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First of all knowledge of the Brahman, then Paramātmā, then last knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Sarvasya, or Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. The Bhagavān is the origin of Paramātmā and Brahman. Brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā.

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

Kṛṣṇa's knowledge is Vedānta. Anta means the end, the last word, last word. So last word... What is the last word of Vedic knowledge? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First of all knowledge of the Brahman, then Paramātmā, then last knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Sarvasya, or Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. The Bhagavān is the origin of Paramātmā and Brahman. Brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā.

So in this way you have to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, not superficially. Even superficially you understand, even you do not understand, if you accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, then either you read Vedas or not Vedas, the same thing, because you have come to the conclusion. Suppose if there is fire. So the fire burns. So if you come to fire, if you have felt the heat and light, then either you know chemically what is fire, wherefrom it is coming... You know or may not know, but because you have come to the fire, the action of the fire will be perceived by you. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says either you are very learned scholar or not, whatever you may be, if you simply concentrate your mind and attachment for Kṛṣṇa... Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Āsakta means attachment. And mind, manas means mind.

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

This yoga system is that yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, and in the previous verse it is said that mad-gatena antar-ātmanā. If you keep Kṛṣṇa always within your heart in this way, mayy āsakta-manāḥ, the mind being, thus being attached, mayy āsakta, this is yoga. This yoga has to be practiced, how to keep Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. That is first-class yoga. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. Yogam, this yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. And this yoga practice can be possible by the process: mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "one who has taken shelter of Me." Mat means "Me," and āśrayaḥ means to take shelter. That means devotee. Or mad-āśrayaḥ means one who has taken the shelter of a devotee. A devotee is also mad-āśrayaḥ. A devotee means who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa completely. So either you... Of course, it is not possible to take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. May be possible by Kṛṣṇa's special mercy, but general process is you have to go through the mercy or process of accepting a guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru. And who is guru? Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). There is no difficulty to find out. Sometimes they plead that "Whom I can accept as guru?" That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has cleared: ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. You haven't got any trouble to find out guru. Anyone who knows about Kṛṣṇa, he is guru.

So mad-āśrayaḥ means directly we cannot take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, one who knows what is Kṛṣṇa—you take shelter of that person. Mad-āśrayaḥ.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

This is yoga system, how to transfer this attachment to attachment to Kṛṣṇa. This is called bhakti-yoga. And this is the first-class yoga. (aside:) You sit down there or stand there. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. This is to be practiced. This yoga should be practiced, how to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan.

You have to practice this yoga. How? Mad-āśrayaḥ: "Under Me. Or under My representative." Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mat means "Me," and āśrayaḥ means "taking shelter of." So either... But if you say, "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" No. Mad-āśrayaḥ means another thing: "One who has taken of My shelter." That is devotee, mad-āśrayaḥ. So either you take... That is not possible because Kṛṣṇa is not here present. He is present, but we have no eyes to see. Although He is present here in this Deity, He is present here, but because we have no eyes to see, we are thinking, "This is made of stone," and some rascal will say that "They are going to see some stone." Because we have no eyes to see. So we have to learn the art, how to see Kṛṣṇa, how to see Kṛṣṇa. So that practice, mad-āśrayaḥ, if we want to learn this art, we have to take the shelter of the Gosvāmīs or the devotees.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

So Rūpa Gosvāmī says how this āsakti can be increased. He gives formula. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa said, "Either you take shelter of Me directly or to a person who has taken shelter of Me." Just like electric power. Electric house, powerhouse, may be long away, but if the electricity is coming through some wire, and if you touch, immediately you will..., immediately in touch with the powerhouse. So either you touch the powerhouse or an wire, insig..., who is empowered by the powerhouse, you touch, you get the electricity. This is called paramparā system. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2), yogo naṣṭaḥ paran... These are all explained. So mad-āśrayaḥ. As soon as we... Because Kṛṣṇa is not visible at the present moment. He is visible, but we cannot see. So we take āśrayaḥ, shelter of His devotee. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gives his formula how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. First he says, ādau śraddhā. First of all, faith, the beginning. Just like you have come very kindly to this temple with some faith that "Here is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Let us go there and see what they are doing," out of inquisitiveness or something. So this is little faith. Now you have to increase this faith. This is required. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). How you can increase the faith? Those who are actually engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in devotional service, associate with them. Don't think that at home you will be perfect. That is not possible. At home there is no such facilities. Here you will get the facilities. Here the devotees, they are actually following the instruction of mad-āśrayaḥ, one who has taken the shelter. They are rising early in the morning. And at home you will think, "Oh, what is early in the morning?" (laughter) "Let me enjoy sleep."

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

So it is not that we are without Rāma. And our direct worshipable Rāma is Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. We have opened the temple of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma in Vṛndāvana. So Rāma is there. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu (Bs. 5.39). Kṛṣṇa has got many, many incarnation. Rāma is also one of them. So when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, it means including all the incarnation—Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha—everything. Rāmādi... Therefore rāmādi, "taking Rāma as the original," mūrtiṣu, "in such forms," rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39), "He is existing." Kṛṣṇa is not alone. He is always existing with His different incarnations, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma—so many. So either you worship Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma, anyone you can worship. We don't say that don't worship Rāma. We never say, because Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the same. We shall... In future we have got a hope we shall start an Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa mūrti, yes, in some temple. That is our worshipable Deity. We have got in my room Lord Rāmacandra's mūrti, Sītā-Rāma. So it is not that we are neglecting worship of Rāmacandra. There is. Yes? Somebody else?

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

That is called mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mayi, "unto Me," āsakta, "attachment"; manāḥ, "mind." Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha, "My dear Arjuna, you just become one of the persons who are attached to Me." Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam... This is the yoga. Yuñjan. "If you execute this yoga..." Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. "This yoga can be practiced by taking shelter of Me or My representative." Not alone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Āśrayaḥ means shelter. Kṛṣṇa says mat. Mat means "Me."

So either you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or you take shelter of a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you do a business, either you transact a business in agreement with the proprietor or the proprietor's representative, the business is all right. If the representative of the firm signs that agreement, then even the proprietor does not know, it will be accepted as bona fide agreement. Is it not? So even though you cannot see eye to eye Kṛṣṇa, you can execute this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, through the agency of His bona fide representative. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. And how it is? Asaṁśayam. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). "By practicing that yoga, you will understand Me, or God," asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." Asaṁśayaṁ samagram, "and in full." Not that partially. Yathā jñāsyasi, "as you can understand"; tac chṛṇu, "now hear attentively." Kṛṣṇa is beginning to speak to Arjuna about this bhakti-yoga system, and He's drawing attention, śṛṇu, "Please hear attentively."

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

So actual siddhi means to overcome these four principles of miserable condition of life. That is perfection. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everything is being attempted to suppress our miserable condition of life. That is going on. All advancement of science, knowledge, philosophy, theology, anything—the idea is how to stop the miserable condition of life. But the real miserable condition of life according to Bhagavad-gītā is birth, death, old age and disease. Don't go, take seriously, the side—miserable condition. Just like people are very much anxious to feed the hungry, the hungry men. Well, that you can do. That is nice business. But why don't you try that... The hungry man and the welfare man both will die. You cannot stop death, either you feed him well or he is hungry. Death is there. "As sure as death." So actual benefit is... If you can stop death, that is actual benefit. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to stop death. You will be surprised. You may not be very much pleased, but it is possible. It is possible. Because we are eternal. We living entities, soul, we are part and parcel of God, we are eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These are the statements. First of all we have to understand the constitutional position of ourself. That is self-realization. Our nature, we are eternal. We are not dying. When this body dies or is annihilated, it does not mean I die. I exist. Just like my childhood body is no more existing. It is died. My youthhood body is no more existing. So many bodies I had in the past, they are no more existing. But I am existing. I remember. Therefore I am eternal.

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

Clearly Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. He is Kṛṣṇa. Or kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the most authoritative ācārya of our sampradāya, he has explained like this. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam means always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, describing Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is description of Kṛṣṇa, addressing Kṛṣṇa. So therefore kṛṣṇa-varṇam, or varṇam means category. Just like brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa. So in that way kṛṣṇa-varṇa means He is Kṛṣṇa, in the category of Kṛṣṇa. Either you take this meaning or that meaning, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. But Kṛṣṇa is black, and He is tviṣā, by the complexion, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means not Kṛṣṇa. Now, there are so many colors. So everything is akṛṣṇa. That color, all the colors are mixed together, it becomes black. Otherwise there are many different colors. So akṛṣṇa means different color, "not kṛṣṇa," not black. So what is the actual? That we have to refer to śāstra again, that Kṛṣṇa, in how many categories of color He appears? That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. When Kṛṣṇa was born, then Gargamuni was calculating about His horoscope, and he said to Nanda Mahārāja that "This, your child..." Idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. "Your child had formerly white color." White color... Sometimes some critics criticize us that "Kṛṣṇa everywhere He is black. Why in your temple white?" But it is said that śukla, śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ: "Your son had other colors also, white and red and yellow, and now He has assumed blackish color."

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

This is our real miserable condition. We have to die. We have to take birth again, and again we have to become old, and there will be disease. Between birth and death... Birth is very miserable, To remain in the womb of the mother in a packed-up stage within a bag, and... That is miserable. Biting, the worms biting tender skin. We have forgotten, but these were the miseries for birth. In suffocated condition...But we have forgotten. So forgetfulness is not solution. Closing the eyes before the enemies is no solution. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So long you are in material condition, you have to suffer all these miseries, either you become rich man or poor man. You may become American or Indian. The miseries of birth, death, old age and disease, they are all the same everywhere, not only within this planet, but also in other planets also. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. This is the intelligence. They are trying to go to the moon planet, or somebody, by karma-kāṇḍīya consideration, they are trying to go to the heavenly planet. But wherever you go, you must know that these four conditions of material life, they are present. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

So if you can conquer over this miserable condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, that is siddhi. Otherwise it is not siddhi, that if I can construct a skyscraper building or even if I go to the Brahma-loka to get millions and millions of years as duration of life... Brahmā's life, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Millions of years. That is only twelve hours of Brahmā. Such twelve hours, night. Sahasra-yuga again, that is night. That is complete twenty-four hours. Then add thirty days like that.

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

Just like one king, he was condemned by Lord Śiva that "You become a demon." He was a great devotee. He immediately accepted. "Yes, I will accept." Bhagavān Śiva said, "Just see." Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati: "I have condemned him to become a demon. He has accepted, 'Yes, sir, I shall become.' " Kutaścana, na kutaścana bibhyati. He is not afraid of.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is like that, that we simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa. We have no other desire, no mukti, no bhukti, no siddhi. That is real siddhi. That is real siddhi. So people do not know that real siddhi is to approach to go back to home, back to Godhead. And either you go to Vaikuṇṭha or to Goloka Vṛndāvana planet after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), that is real siddhi, not this yoga-siddhi, jñāna-siddhi, karma-siddhi. That is not siddhi. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati (BG 7.3). They do not know what is siddhi. That is the defect.

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

Anyone can chant. It is freely distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Anyone can take the chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Automatically... Sometimes we find friends on the street. Simply by seeing us, they chant "Hare Kṛṣṇa." So that is a good sign. They are learning the value of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So in this age the chanting of the holy name is very, very important. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. For God realization.

So even if you are not inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then try to understand Kṛṣṇa in this way. This is the process given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). You have to drink water; you cannot avoid it. So when you taste, while drinking water, anything drinking... Apsu. Apsu means any liquid thing. Either you drink milk or even up to, even you drink wine, so you have got some taste in any liquid thing while drinking. So Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, that taste in the liquid thing which you drink or use, that is I am." Just see how it is easily can be done. Nobody is without drinking something liquid. Either Coca-cola or water or this or that, something must be drinking. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the taste." So where is the difficulty of understanding Kṛṣṇa? If we cannot... They say, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" All right, here is Kṛṣṇa, see. Seeing means directly perception. When I say, "Let me see what is this mango," you are seeing already. Here seeing means tasting. "Let me see the mango." That means seeing means tasting.

So we have got so many senses. And we taste different senses. We can see by eyes. We can taste by the tongue.

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

There is no need of studying, mean, higher knowledge in the Vedic principle. That will auto, automatically will be revealed.

Therefore it is said: sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you apply your ear only... As it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, or hearing of Kṛṣṇa's word... Just like you are hearing the words of Bhagavad-gītā. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. This is His own word. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Either you hear or you chant. Because śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam... (SB 7.5.23). There are nine methods. So the beginning is hearing. We are opening so many centers just to give people chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, śṛṇvatām, then Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased: "Oh, now he's hearing about Me." Then what does He do? Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Either you understand or don't understand, it becomes a pious activities on your part. And the more you become pious, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Because impious persons... Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. Impious persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But one who is free from impious activities, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām... Puṇya-karma. This hearing is puṇya-karma. Janānāṁ puṇya, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). If you simply hear. There is no... If you understand, it is very good. Even if you do not understand, the vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the reading of Bhagavad-gītā, simply chanting, you'll be purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi... (SB 1.2.17).

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

The problem is there. Here in America, whenever I meet some gentleman in the street and he understands that I am coming from India, he says, "Oh, India is very poverty-stricken." You see. So... As if there is no problem in America. There is one problem, food scarcity. But I told him that "You have got also many problems. You are not problem-free." So there is... Suppose you have got some pain here. Sometimes we think that "If pain would have been here, then it would have been nice. Here it is very painful." So pain, here or there, it is pain. You see.

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:

He, by..., by the end of his research work, he finds that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the destination. He is the root of everything. And when he understands fully by his philosophical research, then what does he do?

Now, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva, another name of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means "one who lives everywhere." He's called Vāsudeva. So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). One... When he understands that "He is the Supreme Lord. God is the root of everything," then what does he do? Now, māṁ prapadyate. He surrenders. He surrenders. That surrendering process is the ultimate goal. Either you do it immediately or you do it by research work of many, many births, but the process and the ultimate goal is that you have to surrender, that "You are great. I am Your subordinate." That is the process. So any intelligent man can do it immediately. If one understands that "Ultimately I will have to surrender to the Supreme Lord, and the Supreme Lord is here, personally speaking Bhagavad-gītā, so why not surrender immediately? If ultimately, after many, many births, I have to come to this point, to surrender, so why should I take so much trouble for many, many births? Why not immediately?" So if we take up this principle, this intelligence, then God is realized in one second. But if you don't, then go on with research work for many, many, many, many births. But you have to come to that point. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva, the Supreme Lord, Personality of God, is everything. He is the root. He is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

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

Similarly, these kinds of worship of different kinds of gods, the Bhagavad-gītā condemns them. They're not required. The Lord says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). One person does not surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they worship different kinds of gods. Why? Now, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ: "They have lost their sense out of lust, material lust." That's all. Because our life, this material life, is simply based on lust. We want to enjoy this world. We love this material world because I want to satisfy my senses. So this lust is the perverted reflection of my love of God. In my original constitution, I am made to love God, but because I have forgotten God, therefore I love matter. Love is there. Love is there. Either you love this matter or you love God, but you cannot get out of this loving propensity. Just like sometimes we see: one who hasn't got children, he loves a cat, loves a dog. You see? Why? Because he wants to love something. But in the absence of reality, he puts his faith and love into cats and dogs. So love is there, but that love is now represented in the form of lust. And this lust, when we are baffled in the lust, we become angry. We get wrath. And when we are in wrath, then next stage is illusion. And when we are illusioned, we are doomed. This process is going on.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

It is based on philosophy and science, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So if anyone wants to understand on the basis of philosophy and science, oh, we have got ample philosophy and science on this point. But if you accept it, then it is the same thing. Acceptance is required—if you directly accept it. Suppose the fire, the fire, you accept it at once or you accept fire by scientific study, "What is fire? What is the quality? What is the...?" Go on! You can understand scientifically fire. But either you understand it scientifically, or philosophically, or you touch it directly, the action is the same. The action is the same. A child, without knowing the science of fire, physical constitution of fire, if he touches the fire, the fire will act. And, I mean to say, a great scientist who has physical knowledge of this fire, if he touches also fire, he'll get..., he is also burnt. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that you accept without understanding any philosophy or science about it—this, it will act. But if you want to understand it through philosophy or science, we have got ample stock in the Bhagavad-gītā. These are the...

So now Kṛṣṇa concludes... Of course, I shall conclude this portion after reading one verse. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran. Now, Kṛṣṇa has said that at the last point of your death, if you are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your next promotion is to the equal status of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-bhāvam: "in the same nature." Why? Now, the truth is:

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

At the time of death, point of death, "Ommmm," if he can pronounce om, oṁkāra... Oṁkāra is the concise form of transcendental vibration, oṁkāra. So om ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma vyāharan. If he can vibrate this sound, oṁkāra, at the same time, mām anusmaran, plus he remembers Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu... The whole yoga system is to concentrate his mind to Viṣṇu. But the impersonalists, they imagine that this is the form of Viṣṇu, or the Lord. But those who are personalists, they do not imagine; they see actual form of the Supreme Lord.

Now, any way, either you concentrate your mind like imagination or you see factually, you have to concentrate your mind in the Viṣṇu form. Here mām. Mām means "unto the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu." Yaḥ prayāti. "Anyone who leaves this body," tyajan deham, "after quitting this body," sa yāti paramāṁ gatim, "he enters into the spiritual kingdom." Unless he desires... Those who (are) actually yogi, they do not desire to enter any other planet because they also know that temporary planets, temporary life. They are not interested. That is the intelligence. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Those who are satisfied with temporary happiness, temporary life, temporary facilities, they are not intelligent in their, according to Bhagavad-gītā. They are not intelligent. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: "One whose brain substance is very small, they are interested in these temporary things." That is the version of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. Because I am permanent; I am eternal. Why shall I be interested in nonpermanent things? That, that is the intelligence. Who wants nonpermanent, I mean to say, existence? Nobody wants. Suppose you are living in a apartment, in an apartment, and the landlord asks you to vacate, or somehow or other, you have to vacate. You are sorry. Oh. But you'll not be sorry if you go to a better apartment.

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

The pure Vaiṣṇava, unadulterated devotee of the Lord, they do not want even liberation. They don't want. They don't care for liberation also. What they want? Just like in this prayer, Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir

ahaitukī: "I may remain Your pure devotee birth after birth." That means, when there is birth after birth, there is no liberation. So He doesn't expect even liberation. When you are liberated, there is no birth. Either you remain in the spiritual planet or you merge into the existence of the Supreme, there is no more birth in this material world. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu prays that "Birth after birth." That means He doesn't care whether He is liberated or not liberated; He wants simply to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to serve the Lord, Supreme Lord. That is His philosophy. Never mind where He is. The devotee doesn't mind whether he's born in the animal society or human society or demigod society or any society. He simply prays to God that "I may not forget You. I may be always engaged in Your transcendental loving service." This is the symptom of pure devotion. Of course, a devotee, wherever he remains, he remains in the spiritual kingdom, even in this material body. But from his side he does not demand from God anything for his personal superiority or personal comfort.

So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that if you want to become one of the associates in that spiritual planet, then you have to become a pure devotee. Puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyaḥ. Bhaktyā labhyaḥ means you can attain that perfection by devotional service. And ananyayā. Ananyayā means "without any deviation." Ananyayā. What is that deviation? The deviation is that we are sometimes inclined to become a devotee for some material benefits. So here it is said that ananyayā, ananya-bhakti, without any deviation, without any material profit, you have to become a pure devotee. Then you can attain that spiritual planet.

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

The competition is there because we are envious. Suppose I am your neighbor, and I become rich. So although there is no enmity, still my neighbors will be envious: "Oh, this man has become so rich? I could not become." This is the nature. So if we try to understand Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Being, the our first qualification should be: we should not envious.

Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning it is said that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Nirmatsara. Matsaratā means to become envious. So that is one of the qualification to understand God, not to become envious. But our enviousness is beginning from God. As soon as we present Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so many persons will protest, "Why Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Why not? First of all answer why not. if you think Kṛṣṇa is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you present who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Either you do not know or you cannot present. If you do not know who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then take it from me, Kṛṣṇa. And if you know, then you present more than, more efficient, more expert, more powerful, more rich than Kṛṣṇa. This is practically a challenge. So actually it has been challenged, and it has been scrutinizingly examined, and the verdict is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādir govindaḥ... (Bs. 5.1)

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

Prabhupāda: But that is not any other way. You have to worship God. I have to worship God. Then where is any other way? Worshiping God is there, either you or in me. So where is other? There is no difference. The worship of God is there. I worship God; you worship God. You follow Bible; I follow Bhagavad-gītā. But the worship of God is there. Where is the difference? Why do you make difference?

Guest (3): Well, churches...

Prabhupāda: I eat; you eat. Eating is there. So in your country I eat in different way; I eat in different way. But eating must be there. Similarly, worship of God must be there. Either you worship through Bible or Bhagavad-gītā, but worship of God must there. That is wanted.

Guest (3): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then that done, finish. Then there is no question of deter... Just like here we are hundreds of men. We are differently dressed but that does not mean that we are not human being.

Guest (3): No, I see no cause to...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So then there is no question. When there is, worship of God is there, either in the Bible or in Bhagavad-gītā, then there is no controversy.

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

Prabhupāda: It is not new religion. Why you take it new? We say worship of God. That is not new. That is very, very old.

Guest (3): All right, but why I say is because it is new to a lot of people who have been brought up...

Prabhupāda: That is up to you. You may accept or not accept. There are different kinds of dresses in the shop. Why you have accepted this kind of dress? But you must be dressed. That is wanted. You may make your choice in a different way than myself, but you must be dressed as a gentleman. Similarly, worship of God must be there. Either you do it in Christian way or Hindu way, that doesn't matter.

Guest (3): All right, well, then does that mean that you assume or propose that the world would all become one in one religion?

Prabhupāda: Yes, God is one, and if you worship God, then it is one.

Guest (3): All right, but then men differ in different...

Prabhupāda: Differ? That I have already explained that there are so many dresses. You have got particular dress. You like it. But that does not mean that you are not dressed.

Guest (3): I don't say... No, I wouldn't go about... But the point I'm trying to make is that you call God Kṛṣṇa. Christians call God by whatever name they call God. (laughter) The point is...

Prabhupāda: Christian? Christian have... I don't think that they have any particular name of God.

Guest (3): All right, then Christ...

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

You go on putting everything. It makes into, turns it into ashes. Similarly, this fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as soon as it is begun, then all our reactions of sinful activities in our past life... Mind that. Our suffering is due to sinful activities. And sinful activities are due to our ignorance. Ignorance. Sinful activities are done by persons who do not know what is what. Just like a child. A child does not know what is the result of catching fire. Because he is ignorant. But as soon as the child catches fire, his hand becomes burned immediately. The fire does not allow any concession for the child. It will act as fire. Similarly, we do not know how this material world is going on, what are the laws, who is the controller, how it is being controlled. Due to our ignorance, we act in some way, but nature is so stringent that it will never excuse you, either you do it knowingly or unknowingly. Just the same example: the child does not know that the fire will burn, but if the child catches the fire, the fire will not excuse because it is child. Therefore ignorance is the cause of suffering.

And one should be put into proper knowledge. Proper knowledge means to know things as they are: "What I am, what is this world, what is God, what is our relation." These things we should know, not that simply becoming a technical expert or some departmental expert, we become a man of knowledge. That is not knowledge. Here is knowledge. You should know what you are and how you act. And this knowledge can be achieved in this human form of life, not in the animal form of life. Therefore, to give you knowledge, to give you proper direction, there are so many scriptures in all parts of the civilized world. They should not be neglected.

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

"Yes, you'll have sex life, but you get yourself married." So there are so many paraphernalia for marry. The subject matter is sex life, everyone knows. Therefore in Western countries they say "legalized prostitution." But actually it is not prostitution. It is regulating their sex life. So Vedas describe, "Yes. Sex life you have, but marriage." And then drinking: "Yes. Drinking you may have by worshiping Candi, offering him liquor," that is all. Not that you go to the liquor shop and drink. No. Restricted. Similarly, eating meat also: "Yes. You can eat meat. Just worship Goddess Kali and have a goat sacrifice." So many rules and regulation. Everything is regulated. But they have avoided this. These Vedic injunctions they have avoided. Now they have open slaughterhouse, liquor house, prostitution. That is sinful. It is actually sinful, either you do this way or that way. But if you act according to the Vedic injunction, the sinful activities are restrained. The sinful activities are restrained, so that gradually you come to the spiritual platform. This is the Vedic principle.

So anyway, one has to become freed from the sinful activities. Then one can understand. But the easiest method of becoming free from sinful activity is to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Easiest way. Voluntarily give up. It is not very difficult. If the Europeans, Americans can give up, who are trained up in these activities from their birth, if they can give up, what about Indians? So it is not difficult. Everyone can give up illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. This is the restriction of sinful activity. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. If these European, American boys can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra day and night while walking in the street, while going in the car, while in the temple, everywhere, where going to sell books, what is the difficulty for the Indians?

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

Everything is very, very nice. Each higher planetary system is better than the other, better than the other. This way you can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka mean where the topmost planet. They have calculated, the modern astronomers and the planet-goers, that it takes about forty thousands of years to go to the topmost planet of this universe. So these things are there.

Anyway, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that even if you go to the topmost planet, there is also birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot avoid this. So long you shall remain within this material world, you have to accept these four principles of material condition, that you'll have to die. Either you live for ten thousands of years or ten millions of years, it doesn't matter; you have to die. Even Brahmā dies, who has got many millions of years. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahmā's one day, daytime duration, which is calculated, our twelve hours. There are twelve hours, day, twelve hours, night. That is twenty-four hours. So Brahmā's one daytime duration, twelve hours ours, is calculated to be forty three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand. Now calculate what is the... That is forty three hundred thousands of years.

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

So there are two ways, as I have already explained, that if you like you can become free from this bondage of material body. If you like. And if you don't like you can continue your material way of life, changing different material bodies. Changing different material body is described here: mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Mṛtyu. Because with any body, material body, either cat's body, a dog's body or human being's body or demigod's body or even Brahmā's body, you have to die. There is no escape. Therefore it is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. And the, another path is, aprāpya mām, this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani means you don't get Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says aprāpya, not getting mām, Me. Two alternatives. Either you get Kṛṣṇa and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one path. And the other path that you remain in this material world and repeatedly get a body and die again, get again another body. This is going on. Repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So Kṛṣṇa is, because He is our supreme father, supreme friend... suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Kṛṣṇa says

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
(BG 5.29)

For our happiness we require cooperation of some friend. That is our practical experience. But if we make Kṛṣṇa as our supreme friend... He is supreme friend. He's so supreme friend that... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, everything is explained. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Sarva-bhūtānām. Of all living entities, within the core of the heart, Kṛṣṇa is sitting there along with the living entity. The living entity is also within the heart and the supreme living entity, Kṛṣṇa, is also sitting by him.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa said "The same system I am speaking to you. Purātanaḥ. Because you are My bhakta." So either you hear it forty millions of years ago or five thousand years ago or today from us, the subject matter is the same. Why do you make difference of the time? There is no difference of time. The subject, the purātanaḥ, everything is the same old. Even it is spoken in different time, the subject matter remains the same. There is no change. Just like millions and millions of years ago there was sun. And what is the sun? Heat and light. And today also there is the sun. What is the sun. Heat and light. So there is no difference. There is no consideration of age. The subject matter is the same.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes, eternally means that this creation, the material creation, it takes place at a certain date and it continues for certain millions and trillions of years, and again it becomes annihilated, dissolved. There is no creation for... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). And again millions of years passes, and again there is creation. So one who does not take advantage of this creation, manifestation, especially in the human form of life, as I was discussing, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, then he remains in the path of birth and death in this creation, and because he does not deliver himself, then next creation and next creation. So unless he takes to it, it is eternally going on.

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

By worshiping stone also. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Because at the present moment, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By your blunt senses, you can not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's activity. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His causeless mercy, has come before us in the form of stone so that we can see Him. Because we cannot see beyond stone. We cannot see beyond wood. And wood and stone is also not beyond Kṛṣṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has given us the facility to worship Him in the way as we can understand. It is not that Kṛṣṇa.... Kṛṣṇa is stone, because Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. He can take service from this, any form. There are eight kinds of forms. Either you paint, either you make a form from wood, from stone, from jewels, and according to Vedic system there are so many different types of Deities. So Kṛṣṇa can accept your service in any way. That is Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency. He has got omnipotency. But we can handle. If we simply, if we want to worship the gigantic virāṭ-rūpa of Kṛṣṇa, if you want to dress Him with cloth, where is such..., where is there such amount of cloth? How you can do it?

So it is Kṛṣṇa's kindness that He has appeared before you in a small form, so according to your capacity, you can make very nice dress, and Kṛṣṇa, you can dress Him. And by dressing Him, Kṛṣṇa will understand that "Here is my devotee. He is giving Me some service." This is the position. Therefore temple worship, the Deity worship is necessity for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Simply if you think that "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. I shall think of Kṛṣṇa, meditate on Him," that is not possible. Meditation, that is also regu..., requires good qualification. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). But Kṛṣṇa, by His kindness, arca-mūrti, a child can see also Kṛṣṇa. Any innocent, any illiterate man can see, any man can see—a brāhmaṇa can see, śūdra can see. Therefore the Deity worship so important.

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

This is their business. I understand that in your country animals are slaughtered and exported for trade. Why export? You produce your own food and be satisfied. Why you are after that piece of hundred dollars paper? Produce your own food and eat sumptuously, be healthy and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is civilization. This is civilization.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "One who does not take care of My instruction," aśraddadhānāḥ, "no faith..." Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ (BG 9.3). Puruṣa means any man, any human being, living being, but a human being because otherwise who will hear Kṛṣṇa? The cats and dogs will not hear. That is not possible. They have no capacity. But you are all human being. Either you are Australian or Indian or American or..., you can hear Bhagavad-gītā. There is no doubt about it. It is a question of explaining in your language. So we are trying to do that. The Bhagavad-gītā, the message of Bhagavad-gītā, is not sectarian. Don't take it like that. It is science how to make the whole human society peaceful and happy. It doesn't matter whether you are Australian, American, Indian, or African. And practically we see—we have got branches all over the world. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are happy. So take it very seriously. Don't neglect it, that "It is a sectarian religion of the Hindus or..." No. Kṛṣṇa is not for the Hindus.

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

So last verse we have discussed. Kṛṣṇa said... When we speak, "Kṛṣṇa," you should understand "Kṛṣṇa" means God, the Supreme Being. "Kṛṣṇa," the etymological meaning is "the all-attractive." Without being all-attractive there is no meaning of God. It is not that God is attractive only to certain class of men. No. God is attractive for all classes of men, unless he is animal. Animal does not know what is God and what is the attraction of God. He does not know. But human being, in the human society, at least in the civilized human society there is a certain idea of God. Either you follow Christianity or Vedic principle of Mohammedan religion or even Buddha religion, there is conception of God. There is an attempt to understand God. That is human society. Therefore, according to the capability or country and the people, the conception of God may be a little different from one another. But the attraction for God is there. There is no doubt about it. So God appears in three fundamental features: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.

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

Two things, that is explained. Aśraddadhānāḥ. What Kṛṣṇa is speaking, the instruction, if we have no faith to believe Him, and if we don't accept it, then the result is that he is losing the chance. He got this human form of life to understand God, but if he is missing this opportunity, then the result will be aprāpya māṁ nivartante. We have come from God. Either you go back to home, back to Godhead, or again we go back to the cycle of birth and death. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. The cycle of birth and death, it is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra. Saṁsāra means tribulation, tribulation, sufferings. Suffering... The ultimate suffering is mṛtyu, death. So death, again birth. That is also suffering. Although we forget, but to take birth is a great suffering. Great suffering means you have to enter the womb of the mother and you have to grow your body and there is risk of being killed also. Especially at the present moment they are killing the child in the womb. So just imagine how much suffering it is. And if he is killed, if the child is killed, then his term of imprisonment in that body is not finished. Therefore he has to enter again another body, again enter into the mother's womb. And, it may be, many hundreds of years may pass on before he can again see light. So it is great suffering.

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

If it is a fact that one has to come to this point for perfection of knowledge, why not take it immediately? I may not understand anything. I accept it. Let me accept it blindly. Some scientist, and some layman... And the teacher says, "This is fire." Oh, scientist says, "Oh, I'll see the characteristics of fire. I must see. Then I shall accept." All right, you can see. And somebody says, "All right, you are teacher. You are saying it is fire. All right, I accept it." But the scientist who, after studying the characteristics fire may come to the fire, he'll also feel the warmth of the fire, the heat of the fire, the light of the fire. He'll also understand. And this man, blindly or by devotion, by love, accepts... The result is the same, because fire is fire. Either you blindly touch it or your scientifically touch it, fire will act.

So this Bhagavad-gītā says that those who are trying to make a show of their knowledge, so let them do that. Viśvato-mukham. The universal form, pantheism, monotheism, monism. We have so many theories. But not atheism. You see? So these have come to this point. And sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Why does He says, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ? Because the path is not very easy. Spiritual path and to attain complete perfection is not very easy, especially in this age. In this age we are not living for long time. We are not very intelligent. We may think that we are very intelligent, but we are not intelligent, because we do not know "What I am." Ask anybody, "What you are?" He has the conception of this body. Therefore he's not intelligent. As soon as one will say, "Yes, I am this, such and such gentleman, a son of such and such gentleman. My country is such and such," these are all false. So nobody knows it. Therefore one who does not know it.

Sanātana Gosvāmī... We were teaching in the morning. He said that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita: "Even the layman, the laymen, they call me a very learned man. I accept it. But actually, I am not learned man."

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

Without Viṣṇu worship, with(out) Kṛṣṇa worship, no other worship is successful. So here, those who worship other gods in this conception, that because God is everything, therefore the, any demigod, because the demigod... People, those who are less intelligent, they worship demigod to take immediate effect. Just like a man who is diseased, he is recommended to worship the sun. Sun. Now, that is effective. I may worship... Because when sun is worshiped you have to go to the sunshine and offer something, water and some pradīpa. There are some paraphernalia. So if a diseased man goes to the sunshine, he is actually... He is cured. Sunshine has got... Scientifically also, it has got ultraviolet rays. So one keeps... If he does not take any medicine, if he simply sits down in sunshine, he will be cured. Nature's way. So either you take this way or that way... But one thing is that those who are worshiping sun for cure of disease, for them Bhagavad-gītā says, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

That's all right. But so far your body is concerned, the body itself is miserable. Don't think that because you are getting your body in some rich family, or in other higher planets, in the demigods planet where you can have a long duration of life... But still, you have got the material body. And as soon as you get this material body, the reaction of the material body—threefold miseries and the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, the miseries of old age, and the miseries of disease—will continue. Because you are rich man, so you are not immune from the material miseries. That will affect. Therefore all these material affection will continue either you do good work, either you do bad work.

So here it is said, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, śubhāśubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣyase: "If you dovetail your activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become liberated from all reactions, either good or bad." Transcendental. Because in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you are not achieving any future reactionary resultant... Your place will be transcendental. You will be transferred to the spiritual world. Therefore you are free from all reactions. Just this Bhagavad-gītā, beginning, Arjuna was thinking of so many reactions for his fighting, but when he understood that "If I fight for Kṛṣṇa, there is no reaction," then he fought. So here it is also clearly stated that if you act for Kṛṣṇa.

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

Because in India, according to the caste system, or varṇāśrama-dharma, the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas are considered to be the highest in the society, and the vaiśyas, a little less than them, and śūdras, they are not taken into account. In the similarly, woman class, they are taken as śūdra, śūdra. Just like the thread ceremony is given to the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, but there is no thread ceremony for the woman class. Although the woman is born in the brāhmaṇa family, she has no that reformation. Because striyaḥ, woman class, are taken less intelligent, they should be given protection, but they cannot be elevated. But here in the Bhagavad-gītā, He surpasses all these formalities. Lord Kṛṣṇa surpasses all these formalities. He is giving facility to everyone. Never mind what he is. In the social structure, you may consider that woman is less intelligent or śūdra or less purified, but in spiritual consciousness there is no such bar. Here Kṛṣṇa accepts everyone. Either you become woman or you are śūdra or a vaiśya or whatever you may be, that doesn't matter. If you simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Lord is there. He will give you all protection, all protection, and gradually He will help you. You are already...

One who is in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, he is already in the liberated platform. Simply kṣipram: it will take some time only, kṣipram, but very soon he will be all right. So this is the proposal of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and this is the facility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should take this advantage of being Kṛṣṇa conscious. Never mind what we are. And that will help us in attaining the perfection of life. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). It is very clearly declared here. Never mind what here he is or she is. Just take to this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and your progress and advancement of spiritual life is guaranteed. Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

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

Prabhupāda: Because we want material happiness, therefore there is difficulty. So, material happiness, you have got experience, it cannot give us satisfaction. The big, big countries, America, in Europe, and so many, they have advanced in material happiness, but actually they are not happy. Material happiness cannot give us happiness. Happiness, when we actually come to Kṛṣṇa and love Him... Happiness means also love. Either you love your family or your country or your society or your wife, your children, by loving there is happiness. But this loving process is not giving us happiness. We are becoming frustrated. Therefore the real lovable object being Kṛṣṇa, if we make progress to that point, then we shall be happy. This is the point. Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). So if this is concluded, then where is difficulty to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is my point. Now it is concluded that if we come to Kṛṣṇa and love Him, then that is the highest perfection of our life. Now to attain that highest perfection of life, where is the difficulty? That is the point I am asking.

Bhagavān: Only if one is envious of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Then there is no question of love, that is another thing, but if you actually want to love Kṛṣṇa, where is the difficulty?

Devotees: There is no difficulty.

Prabhupāda: That is my point. (laughter) If you don't want to love somebody, then there is no question of process. But if you know, by loving such and such person you'll be happy, then there is process and the process is very easy. And open to everyone. That is my point. Now discuss on this point.

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

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that one has to do. That is better con... Simply to know, simply to make God as order-supplier, I love God because He gives me my daily bread, that is also good, good sense. But better sense is that how you can serve Kṛṣṇa.

If God is giving you bread daily, so you have no duty to return. God will give you bread, either you want it or not want it. He is giving bread to the cats and dogs and ants and so many animals. So why not to you, human beings? Oh, that He will give. Don't bother about that. Don't bother about that. Your bread will come, wherever you may be. Either you may remain in America or in Europe or in India, wherever. Your bread is already there.

Therefore tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. You should rise up to the occasion, how to serve God. And this is the greatest necessity of the present day civilization. People are suffering due to Godlessness, and, if you want to serve the people, your society, your country, the whole human society, then try yourself, best, try your best, you just rise up to the occasion of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and just spread this philosophy to the world. There will be happiness, there will be peace and everyone will be, blessing (?).

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

So what is knowledge? Knowledge means distinguishing the spirit from matter. That is knowledge. We should understand what is spirit and what is matter. We are combination of matter and spirit. Actually I am a spirit, but I am now covered, embodied by matter. When we make a complete analytical study what is matter, what is spirit, that is called knowledge.

Material knowledge, any subject matter you can take, but that is temporary. Just like this body is temporary, similarly, any material knowledge you acquire, either you become a chemist or physicist or a medical man or an engineer, whatever you may acquire knowledge, all this knowledge will finish as soon as this body is finished. You forget. Death means forgetfulness.

Because the spirit does not die, eternal, so spiritual knowledge continues. If you develop spiritual knowledge... Suppose cent percent spiritual knowledge you acquire in this body. Then that will continue with you. Even after destruction of this body that spiritual knowledge will continue with you, and when you get next body, you begin... You finished your ten percent. You will begin again from eleven percent. That knowledge will not be lost. That is the law of nature. Spiritual knowledge... In the Bhagavad-gītā we have studied already, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If you cultivate spiritual knowledge even one percent, two percent, that can render you greater service because it will continue. Once spiritual knowledge begun, it will not be stopped. The best thing is to finish it cent percent in this life because this human form of life is meant for cultivating spiritual knowledge.

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

So we have to transcend this bodily concept of life. Bodily concept of life means sense gratification. That's all. The, the bodily... I am, because I'm thinking I am this body, therefore I must satisfy my eyes by seeing something beautiful. I must satisfy my tongue by eating so many things which are even forbidden in the śāstras. But my tongue wants it. I must take it. So bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life. But gradually, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by training ourself, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our business will be how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Now we are satisfying our senses. That is bodily concept of material existence. And when we train ourself how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, oh, then, that is our perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The process is there. Either you satisfy your senses or you satisfy the proprietor of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means "the senses." And Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21). Hṛṣīkeśa. Tvayā hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣṭitena.(?) So Hṛṣīkeśa. So bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Now hṛṣīka means indriya. At the present moment, we are satisfying the senses. For the sense only. We have no other higher objective. Sense wants to eat something palatable. Although it is not good for me, either from health point of view, or spiritual point of view...

Just like eating meat or drinking intoxication. This is not good, either for health or for my spiritual advancement. But because my tongue wants it, I have become my servant of my tongue. I want should be satisfied. This is the material condition. Because I, I don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, I want to serve my tongue. Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre. We have got different senses. Out of all the senses, this tongue is very strong. Tongue is very strong. Therefore śāstra says: ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By these blunt senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. What is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's fame, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality... We cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

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

Somebody is very rich. Somebody is poor. Somebody is middle class. Somebody is animal. Somebody is tree. Somebody is insect. Somebody is aquatic. Varieties of life.

Don't think that the animals or living entities other than the human being, they have no soul. No. That's a wrong conception. They have got souls. How you can say there is no soul. The same symptoms of life there.

Just like the symptoms of life means it takes birth at a certain date, then it grows, it stays, it gives some byproducts, then dwindles, then vanishes. Take any. Either you take tree or you take a human body, or you take an animal body or if you take an insect body, or take the demigod's body—any body you take, there is a certain date of birth, everyone, certain date of birth. And then there is a certain duration of life. Somebody lives for ten years. Somebody lives for one year. 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 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

You may have tractors, you may have very good arrangement for producing food, machinery, but still, if the land or earth does not produce food, your, this tractor or all other arrangements will be failure. So after all, we should know the supply of things are in the hands of the material nature. And material nature works under the direction of God. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means this material nature.

You don't think material nature is blind. Material nature has got her intelligence, and she is taking intelligence from the Supreme Lord. And according to that she is supplying food or grains and everything, because you get everything from the earth. Either you take metal or this wood or water or food grains, whatever you are taking, using, you are exploiting the resources of material nature, but material nature is the agent of God. Material nature is an energy of God. So if God does not wish to supply you, however you may bring tractor and anything.

Just like desert. In desert you cannot make it fertile because that particular tract of land is forbidden by God, "No, nothing should be produced." You cannot do it. If you have got producing power, then why don't you produce sufficient grains and vegetables in the desert. That is not possible. So after all, we have to accept the supreme authority, the Personality of Godhead. Even if you study scrutinizingly, very scientifically or, whatever you may say, philosophically, you will have to accept a supreme arrangement, a supreme hand over everything. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means a person who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he can see everything. He can see in everything the hand of God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Real solution is that, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you don't inquire for any other things." Why should you? All other things required by you, that is already supplied. It will be supplied. Why you bother? You just try to understand the value of your life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your only business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida: "Those who are intelligent," tasyaiva hetoḥ, "for that thing," prayateta, "endeavor." So try to get that thing. For that thing... Na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18).

Just like people are struggling. Wherever you go, material world, either you go to London or go to Paris or to Calcutta or Bombay, anywhere you go, what is the business? Everyone is struggling: (makes sounds) whoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon. Day and night the motorcar going this way and that way, this way and that way. Last night I was speaking with Śrutakīrti. Wherever, we see this nonsense thing, whoo, shoo, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoo, shoo, shoo. Any city you go, the same road, same motorcar, same "whoo, shoosh," same petrol, that's all. (laughter) What is the difference? But we say—this is called illusion—"I have come to Paris. I have come to Calcutta." But where is the difference between Calcutta and Paris and Bombay? The same thing. Punaḥ punaḥ carvita-carvaṇānām. Again and again, chewing the chewed. That's all.

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

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

Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgaḥ. This is the statement. This material world is so made that even the lion, if he keeps himself sleeping... Because lion is considered to be the king of the forest. So if he thinks that "I am the king of the forest. So why shall I work? Let me sleep, and my eating animals will come and enter into my mouth..." No. You have to struggle. You have to struggle. You have to find out.

Therefore this energy is called karma-saṁjñānyā. This... There are many energies of Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). But learned scholars, they have divided into three: the spiritual energy, the marginal energy, and the material energy. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīya-śaktir iṣyate. So here this material world, either you become a tiger, either you become Lord Brahmā or you become a small ant, you have to struggle for your existence. This is material world. You cannot think that "I shall be happy without any working."

People are trying to do that, that... When a man get some money, bank balance, he no more works. But that is the tendency, that "Without working, I shall maintain myself happily." That is our tendency. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Vedānta-sūtra says. Because our tendency is to enjoy life, but we do not know where to enjoy, how to enjoy. And that is called illusion. We are trying to enjoy life in this material world, where there is no enjoyment. There is no enjoyment. Repeatedly śāstra says. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is simply for miserable condition of life." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "And still, it is temporary."

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

In this way, this body is composition of twenty-four elements. That is the analytical study of Bhagavad-gītā. And the sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapila's sāṅkhya philosophy, their analytical... The same thing. Revealed scriptures teach the same thing. There is no difference. But above these twenty-four elements, there is time, kāla, time element. That is also representation of the Supreme Lord. And above this time, there is God.

So actually, there are twenty-six different elements which is conducting this material world. Etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam. Kṣetra means this body. Either you take this body or this material world, they are interaction of these twenty-four elements. Either you take the gigantic body of this universe or you take the body of this planet or you take this your body, my body, or a cat's body, dog's body, all these bodies, they are formed of these twenty-four elements, sa-vikāram, by action and reaction. Just like chemically, if you mix one chemical with another chemical, a third element is produced, similarly, originally the reservation of all these elements is called mahat-tattva. It is called pradhāna, upadhāna. So gradually they manifest, they divide by three guṇas. Three guṇas means in the mahat-tattva, in the total material reservoir, three guṇas, three modes of nature, first of all appear and they act with one another, and then gradually, one after another, the twenty-four elements become manifested. Etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam.

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

This body, how many bodies you have changed? Even in this life, we are changing our body. Every one of us, a little body of a child, then little grown-up body of a boy, then youthful body, then this old body. So as we are changing body, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Similarly, after giving up this body, I will have to accept another body, and there are for eight million four hundred thousand species of forms of body. According to our karma, we have to accept another body.

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By superior arrangement. You cannot say that "I want this kind of body." God is not your order supplier. You'll get. Either you ask for it or don't ask for it, you according to your karma, you'll have a next body. Karmaṇā daiva... By the superior arrangement. If you work in this life like God you'll get next life a god's body. And if you work in this life as a dog then you get next the life as a dog. That is not in your hands. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ. According to your qualities, as you will work, and prakṛti, nature, will give you a similar body.

Otherwise, why do we find so many varieties of bodies? So many varieties. Just like so many varieties of apartment, so many varieties of hotels, so many varieties of appointment. So you are appointed, you are put into an apartment, or hotel, according to the terms of your payment. That is karma. So you cannot say everything is also equal. That is nonsense. They cannot be equal because we are working under three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. If we work, field of activities... This, this body is field of activities. Nobody can work similarly because they have got field of activities different. My body is different, your body is different. You are acting according to your body.

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

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.

So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad... Sad-yoni (BG 13.22), high-class life, and asad-yoni, pāpa-yoni... So why one is born in lower grade family? Why one is born in high-grade family? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. The cause is as he has associated with different types of qualities. So unfortunately, this science, that there is birth after death, and there is, actually, we are experience, we are seeing, but they do not inquire. They think that one can improve. That is not possible. Unless he changes the quality, he cannot improve. That is not possible. They do not know it. They are falsely trying to improve the position. Nobody is trying to become poor. Everyone is trying to become rich. But it is not possible. Because he has got a particular type of body, and that body is already destined, and he has to achieve happiness or suffer distresses according to the body.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Business is different means living peacefully he has to realize God, his relationship with God. That is his real business. But because people are not educated to the real business, he thinks that these four principles of bodily necessities of life, eating, sleeping, sex and defense, that is my business.

Therefore he's transferring from this eating to that eating, from this sleeping to that sleeping, from this sex to that sex, from this defense to that defense. Because he has no other idea. This is the difficulty. He's thinking that sex life from this person to that person will be nice. But that is not. Sex life by the dogs, by the hogs, or by the man, the same pleasure. As I have repeatedly said, that any nice tasteful eatable, either you keep it in the golden pot or in iron pot, the taste is the same. But he, rascal, does not know. He thinks that "If I put it in the golden pot it will be more tasteful." This is going on. The sex life is the same. He's thinking in the human form of sex in a very nice apartment, so many, so many, decorated, it will change the quality of the sex between dogs and dogs. No, that will not change. The same taste. But because he has no other engagement, better engagement, therefore he's trying to improve these things, the tendency for these things. That is his trouble. He's becoming entrapped. Sometimes he's enjoying as a man, sometimes he's enjoying as a hog, sometimes he's enjoying as a dog, as a demigod, but the enjoyment is the same. But that he does not know. He has to go beyond this, transcend this enjoyment, that information he has no. That is the difficulty.

Lecture on BG 16.1-3 -- Hawaii, January 29, 1975:

That body is not existing. I was also young man like you, but now I am an old man. Old man means my body is different, old body. Your body is different. So Kṛṣṇa giving this very nice example. As the baby is changed into a boy, a boy is changed into a youth, a youth is changed into old man, so this changing is going on, but I or you, we know that "I had such body."

I have several times spoken to you that in my, when I was about six months old, I remember, I remember I was lying down on my eldest sister's lap, and she was knitting. I still remember it very vividly. And so many things I remember. But where is that body, lying down on the lap of mother or sister? You cannot say... Either you say it has grown, grown or not grown... According to medical science, it is not grown; it is changed. The body is changing. Just like in a film spool, you will find so many bodies. One hand is like this, one hand is like this, one hand is like this, and when they are taken together, it moves like this. This is the film. Film means there are different bodies in different position and when they are taken at once, it, likes that it moves. The picture is not moving. Similarly, we are changing of the different body, but it is taking place so quickly and so imperceptibly by Kṛṣṇa's energy. The machine is so nice that we are thinking that it is growing. It is not growing, all different bodies, all different. Every moment, every second. That is the scientific. The blood corpuscles are changing, and the body is different.

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

Duality. Our position in this dual world is we are always doubtful. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), but we are doubtful. That is material influence. "How it is that simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I become free from all material contamination or sinful activities results?" Doubt. But actually, you should not be doubtful. You should accept because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should accept His word as it is. And because we are doubtful, we are presenting Kṛṣṇa in a different way. And there are so many commentators, so many swamis, they put Kṛṣṇa in a different way. But Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Law of identity. You cannot comment on the Kṛṣṇa's personality. He says that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." We accept that. Then we can understand Bhagavad-gītā and take advantage of it; otherwise (it is) not possible. And that requires daivī sampat, godly characteristics.

So those godly characteristics are there. Either you practice yourself to come to the godly characteristics or there is simply method, if you take to devotional service, all the godly qualities automatically come. This is the process. So in this age, to develop these godly qualities is very difficult. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the simple method, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, then automatically you develop all the godly qualities.

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

Similarly water. We do not know whether water is pleasing or displeasing. Sometimes it is pleasing; sometimes it is not pleasing. Everything. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). So in this material world, actually we are suffering either in summer season or winter season, or any other season, with dress or without dress, with water, not water. The cause is going on, suffering only, but we are trying to cover this cause of suffering, and by temporary stopping the cause of suffering, we are thinking that we are enjoying. But actually there is no enjoying in this material world because you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā this material world has been described as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is for suffering. Even if you do not take very seriously about this winter season or summer season, suffering or enjoying, at the end, either you accept these temporary sufferings and enjoying... Ultimately we are suffering. Ultimately we are suffering. How? Because we will have to die. Who wants death? Does anyone want death voluntarily? No. As soon as there is any cause of death, immediate death, we become very much sorry. Suppose you are sitting in a airplane and you understand, "Now it is going to be crashed," are you..., will you be happy? No. Why? Because you are going to die.

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

This is... This is beginning of asuras' life, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means the, what is called, incentive which makes... There is a grain of sugar, and the ant knows there is a grain of sugar. He is running after it. That is pravṛtti. And nivṛtti means I have passed my life in this way, but it is not actually my progress of life. I should stop this way of life. I should go to the spiritual realization. That is nivṛtti-mārga. There are two ways, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means we are going to the dark, darkest region. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram (SB 7.5.30). Because we cannot control our senses, adānta... Adānta means uncontrolled, and go, go means senses. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. Just like we see varieties of life, so there is life also in the hell, tamisra. So either you go to the hellish condition of life or you go to the path of liberation, both ways are open to you. So if you go to the hellish condition of life, that is called pravṛtti-mārga, and if you go towards the path of liberation, that is nivṛtti-mārga.

Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training of nivṛtti-mārga, the basic principles, so many no's. No means nivṛtti. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. So this is the no. "No" path. So that they do not know. When we say so many no's they think it is brainwash. Not brainwash. It is actual. If you want to develop your spiritual life, then you have to stop so many nuisance. That is nivṛtti-mārga. The asuras, they do not know. Because they do not know, when nivṛtti-mārga, "no," the path of "no" is recommended, they become angry. They become angry.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

Everyone is eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So this movement is to execute this Kṛṣṇa's mission. He wants it. Why He says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ? Pāpa-yonayaḥ means suffering. Here in this material world either you are in pāpa-yoni or ucca-yoni, there is suffering. So Kṛṣṇa is... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). Even the pāpa-yonis, they can be relieved, what to speak of those who are born in good family, brāhmaṇa, puṇya, rājarṣaya, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Of course, in this age it is very difficult to find out the qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, everyone is almost śūdra. And still, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. They can be elevated. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is para-upakāra, para-upakāra, because within this material world, with material designation and material envelopment, they are all suffering. Kṛṣṇa is more unhappy for our suffering because we are His sons. Suppose your son is suffering. You will suffer also, not that the son is suffering. Similarly, because we have come to this conditional state of life, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19)—we sometimes..., once we take birth and again we die—this is not very good proposal. But these rascals, they do not know how nature is working. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). We are leaving one body and accepting another body. This is a great botheration. But the rascal so-called scientist, politician, they do not know this. I therefore say, "rascals." They are very much proud of their learning, advancement of science, but they cannot understand the simple truth spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). There is dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dhīras tatra na muhyati.

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

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.

But we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, Krishnites, we do not think in that terms. Suppose in next life I become some demigod like Lord Brahmā or the Moon or the Sun. They are all demigods. Or Vāyu, Varuṇa. The Vaiṣṇava says, "No, we don't want this." Because either you become Rockefeller or Ford in this life and next life the king of Moon planet or Sun planet or in any way, up to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, by your endeavor, even you become promoted to the highest position of this material world, still, you have to die, and again—either come down or remain there—there will be change of body." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "So why should you be implicated in these material activities? Try to come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."

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

Then we get a similar body next life. That is, I mean to say, arranged by the nature's law. Nature has nothing to do. It will automatically follow.

Just like you infect some disease, nature's law is that you must suffer from that disease. Nobody has got to do anything. The law is so... Nature's law is like that. If you take more food than you can digest... (aside:) (child crying) Where is that child? Then immediately there will be dysentery. This is nature's law. If you take more than you can digest, then immediately there will be indigestion, means you cannot assimilate so much food. That is nature's law. If you touch fire, either you touch or your innocent child touch, the fire will burn it. Fire will not consider that "Here is a child. Let me excuse." No, it will burn. This is nature's law. Similarly, the thoughts which you are maintaining during your lifetime, if that thought becomes prominent—naturally it becomes—at the time of death, then you are going to get a similar body. If you are thinking like a demon, then you get the demon's body next life. And if you are thinking like a devotee, then you get your next life back to home, back to Godhead. This is nature's law.

Therefore, if you practice instead of thinking like the demons, how to gratify senses... That is the demonic thought. They are concerned with this body. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him, that is your perfection of life. Because you'll think at the time of death of Kṛṣṇa. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). That is the perfection of life. Ante, at the time of death, if you remember Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So we have to do like that, not like the asuras or demons. Thinking must be there, but if you think of this body—how to keep it very comfortably, how to enjoy senses, how to have more money, how to have more men or women, how to see naked dance, how to do, how to this, how to this—then you are demon. And at the time of death, naturally we shall think of. Then I get again demonic life or animal life or tree life.

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

It is all finished. Now it is paper coins. (chuckles) This is going on. But even five hundred years ago or four hundred years ago there were gol... Not four hundred years ago, in our childhood, we have seen gold mohor, guinea. They were used in practical use. And silver coins, gold coins, we saw. But now it is, everything, paper. So we are so advanced that there is no more gold and silver.

So anyway, cintām aparimeyāṁ ca, that should be transferred to kṛṣṇa-cintā. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). If you always be busy in glorifying or chanting the holy name of the Lord, then your cintā, anxiety, is transferred. By same cintā... Cintā will go on; you cannot stop it. Mind you cannot stop thinking even for a moment. Either you shall think of this material life or you shall think of Kṛṣṇa. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means instead of thinking of this material life, you think of Kṛṣṇa. Thinking is not to be stopped. That is not possible. You cannot stop thinking even for a moment. Simply you have to practice. Instead of thinking these material things, you think of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.

That Kṛṣṇa advises, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām. Man-manāḥ... If you think of Kṛṣṇa always, then naturally you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And mad-yājī, and if you actually become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you shall worship Kṛṣṇa. And if you actually worship Kṛṣṇa, then you must offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises four things, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Then what will be the result? Mām evaiṣyasi. Simply by practicing these four things... It does not require any MA, PhD, degree. Simply you have to agree, "Yes, I shall think of Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." You have to agree. That's all. That is required. Then, gradually, you become bhakta. Gradually you worship, and gradually you offer obeisances, surrender.

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

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)

Page Title:Either you... (Lectures, BG ch 5 - 18)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:24 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=78, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:78