Every moment (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"every moment" |"every opportune moment" |"every spare moment"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

Woman: Do you believe in reincarnation?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Why not? Just like I had my small body. Then I had greater body, another body, another body. So every moment there is incarnation, reincarnation, every moment. That is medical science opinion. We are changing our bodily condition, material condition, but I am existing. Therefore, as I have passed over my childhood body to be incarnated into boyhood body, from boyhood I have reincarnated in a youthhood body. From youthhood body I reincarnated my old body. Similarly, after leaving this body I must have to accept another body. That I have already explained. Just like we change our dresses. So soul is eternal; the body is not permanent, temporary, and there are 8,400,000's of different types of bodies. We are migrating or transmigrating from one to another. This business, if we want to stop... Because we are eternal, our aims and object should be to attain that eternal status. That we can attain by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the movement. We are giving information to everyone that "If you want your eternal life, blissful life, life of knowledge, then you take to this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll have it."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

O my dear Govinda! Because I do not see You, therefore every moment is appearing to Me as twelve years." Yuga means twelve years. "Every second is appearing to be a long duration of time." Everyone, you have got experience. If you love somebody and if you are expecting your lover, every moment you think, "Oh, it is full one day." You see. This is due to love. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. Nimeṣa means a moment. "My dear Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, a moment is appearing to Me as long as twelve years." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam: "And My tears pouring water just like torrents of rain." That means He's crying, "Hā Kṛṣṇa, I could not see You." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitaṁ śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "Oh, I see the whole world void and vacant." You see. He does not see anything. He sees everything void. Just like if you have lost anything beloved, you don't see anything; you see everything is gone. So śūnyāyitaṁ ja... How? Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me. Viraha means separation. "On account of separation." So this should be the only cause, that you cannot tolerate the separation of Govinda. That is love.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

Prabhupāda: God is always present. You carry out the order of God. God is always present. You carry out the order of the God.

Indian man (3): The verse is clear, yadā yadā hi dharmasya (BG 4.7).

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is being done every moment. Every moment we are forgetting our dharma and God is giving us instruction.

Indian man (3): This state of fatalism which is prevalent in India...

Prabhupāda: It is not spoken to India. It is spoken to everyone. "India," why do you bring India? God is not made for India.

Indian man (3): But I have nothing in India, but I know India, so...

Prabhupāda: Then why you say India.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

So that required. By love of Godhead you can see God every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means twenty-four hours. People ask, "Whether you have seen God?" To see God is not difficult job. Simply you have to qualify yourself, love of Godhead. Then you can see. This is the formula. And if have not developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness, then also, you can see God in your own way, as prescribed in the śāstras. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the taste of the water." So you are drinking water, and as soon as you drink, if you think that "Here is the taste of water, here is Kṛṣṇa," is it very difficult? Not at all difficulty. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. If you forget while drinking... Nobody can forget. But even intentionally you forget. So how you can check not seeing the sunshine and the moonshine? How it is possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

We have invented so many nonsense things for simply satisfaction of the tongue. A vaiṣṇava kavi, Vaiṣṇava poet, ācārya, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has wrote a song. That song we chant or sing during the time of taking prasādam. In that song he writes, śarīra abidyā-jāl joḍendriya tāhe kāl: "This body is an emblem of ignorance." Actually we get this material body due to our ignorance. By ignorance we commit so many wrong things, and you have obliged to accept a certain type of body. Therefore it is a network of ignorance. Śarīra abidyā-jāl joḍendriya tāhe kāl. In that network of ignorance there are different senses, joḍendriya tāhe kāl, gross material senses. They are just like our death. Sometimes these senses are described as kāla sarpa. Kāla sarpa means the black cobra. As soon as the cobra touches—immediately dead. Similarly, if we allow this kāla sarpa to act in their own way, that means we are inviting death at every moment. Therefore those who are too much bodily attached, for them this yoga system is controlling the senses, yoga indriya saṁyamaḥ. Yoga does not mean to increase the power of sense gratification. Yoga means controlling the senses.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Of course, living in this material world is not very comfortable. Every one of us will know it. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Those who are living in Bombay city, they know it very well. When you pass through the road in taxi-cab or motorcar, so much congested, and at any moment there may be some danger, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. In America also, the cars are running in seventy-mile speed, and if one car collides with another, immediately four, five cars-disaster. So actually you are living in such a condition. Pādaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Every moment there is danger. It is not very peaceful living at the present moment. We are running, we are flying in the sky, we are... We do not say that this should be stopped, neither it can be stopped, but you do everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that even danger takes place, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), you can at least remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Then your life is successful. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), Kṛṣṇa says. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi. At the time of death our remembrance to a certain thing gives me next body. If I think like a dog, then I become next life a dog, and if I think like a god, then I, next life I become god. That is the test at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

The real prescription is given here: nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Every day or every moment, you should remember Bhāgavatam. Then naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu, the dirty things which are within our heart, that is the... The process is going on to wash the dirty things. And the process is hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that, that you hear about Kṛṣṇa patiently and the dirty things within your heart will go away. What is the dirty things? The dirty things is the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). That will be explained. So by hearing about Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa or from His devotee, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, not completely finished... The contamination is there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

controlled. But Kṛṣṇa, He's controller, but not controlled. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. So we cannot be equal with Kṛṣṇa. We are controlled. I think in Glasgow, one boy, he was presenting himself as God. So I asked him, "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" He admitted, "Yes, I am controlled." "Then how you can be God?" God is never controlled. God is controller, but He's not controlled. So if we take ourself as so many samples of God, that is all right, but we are controlled God, not controller God. So that statement of Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya

yāre yaiche nācāya, sei taiche kare nṛtya

(CC Adi 5.142)

We are controlled in every moment.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

This is material world. They are saying "Don't... There is no God. We don't care for God. We are, everyone, God." But māyā, the police force, is there, kicking on the face. And they are subjected to so many tribulations, miserable conditions of life. Especially birth, death, old age and disease. Now you don't care for God. So why don't you stop your death? You stop your death. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham, "To the rascals and the demons, I am death. I take away everything." Sarva-haraḥ. Sarva-haraḥ means these rascals are trying to possess so many things: cars, motorcars, skyscraper building, bank balance, big family, big friends, big empire, and so many things. But when death comes, he cannot protect himself, what to speak of protecting other things. You see? So he's under full control, the demons. And every moment, he's under control. Suppose I have got money. I can eat so much. But as soon as you eat little more, immediately you are under control; you cannot eat for three days. Indigestion, immediately. And still, the rascal says that "I am not controlled." If there is little pain here, he immediately becomes: "Where is doctor, where is doctor, where is doctor?" And still he says, "I'm not controlled," and "I am God."

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

So to purify the eyes we require... That is meditation, how to search out. He is within my heart. Anywhere you sit down, you can see God, provided you have got the eyes to see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Those who are saintly persons, they are twenty-four hours seeing God. They have nothing, no other business than to see God. But they have got eyes to see. That is the difference. Ordinary persons, they have no eyes. Therefore they cannot see God. But those who have developed consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, purified eyes, they can see always, twenty-four hours. They don't see anything else except God. Because God is everything. Whatever we see, if we have two eyes to see, then we can see God in every second, every moment. How? Oh, that you can practice.

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "I am the taste of water." Now, you are drinking water hundreds times. So as soon as you taste water, how nice it is, you can immediately see God, Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa." So how do you say that "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" You can see. Here is the process. You adopt it. You taste water, and when you enjoy the taste, that taste is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am this taste." Then where is the difficulty to see Kṛṣṇa? There is no difficulty. The people say, "Can you show me God?" God is everywhere, in every moment, in every step. You do not like to see Him. That is the difficulty. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. "I am the sunshine and moonshine." Who has not seen sunshine? Everyone has seen. From the very morning, we see sunshine, and at night also, when there is darkness, there is no sun, we see moonshine. So sunshine, moonshine—Kṛṣṇa says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So as soon as I see the sunshine and moonshine, I see God. What is the difficulty? Śabdaḥ khe. When there is some sound, rumbling sound in the sky, khe... Khe means sky. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sound." So as soon as you hear even the sound of airplane, that is also God. Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. When you smell a nice flower, that smell is Kṛṣṇa. So you can remember immediately Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

So to remember Kṛṣṇa, there are so many opportunities. But we don't want to remember Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty. Therefore it is said that janma guhyam bhagavataḥ. Janma, God's appearance. God is appearing every moment everywhere. Here is just in front, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Personally He is present. But others will see a stone, because he has not purified his eyes. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as He sees, He fells down immediately, unconscious: "Oh, here is my Lord." So you have to purify to see God. God is present everywhere. You haven't to ask anybody, "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" These questions sometimes made. And where is the difficulty to see God? You don't like to see God. That is the difficulty. Otherwise there is no difficulty.

So janma guhyam bhagavataḥ. And Bhagavad-gītā also Bhagavān says that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). One has to learn. One has to learn the science, how to see God. That is bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:

Sometimes they say that unless the body is changed, how a caṇḍāla can become purified? Yes, body is changing. Because we do not know how the body is changing... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā (BG 2.13), like that. Tathā means "like that." Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. So these are dehāntara. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. This is dehāntara. Every moment we are changing our body. This is dehāntara. Kṛṣṇa says, the greatest authority. How you can say that there is no dehāntara? He has dehāntara. Suppose in my childhood I am born in a caṇḍāla family, but if by initiation, by taking shelter of a pure devotee, I become initiated, so dehāntara is there, going on. So if I take initiation seriously, so in the next dehāntara... Suppose yesterday I was a caṇḍāla. Now by this time there is dehāntara, and if I am purified by initiation... So this argument... Dehāntara, is already there. Scientifically, in modern understanding, and on the authority of Kṛṣṇa's statement, dehāntara is going on. Not that somebody was European or... We take Europeans as mlecchas or yavanas. Yes, he was yesterday mleccha and yavanas, but he has changed his body, and after changing if he's initiated, then dehāntara. Śudhyanti, he's purified. Śudhyanti.

Lecture on SB 1.7.22 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1976:

So suffering and suff... Therefore material existence is called saṁsṛti. Saṁsāra. So therefore we read every day from the Gurvaṣṭaka, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This saṁsāra, this material existence, is just like dāvānala. Dāvānala means forest fire. Forest, in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place automatically. Even if you don't want, it will come. This is saṁsāra. In your country, nice city, New York City, but every moment there is fire-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. Why? Very nice city, big city, big roads, big—but there is suffering. Who wants this fire? But government has to make arrangement for fire brigade, and because it is great nation, very prosperous nation, there is very constantly, very frequently there is fire. Frequently. You won't find such fire in India, at least. We have no such experience that every moment there is fire brigade. Is it not? I am exaggerating? Huh? You see. We have got so many cities in India, but we don't have such arrangement that constantly, twenty-four hours, dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. At least we haven't got. Less suffering, because we are not so advanced. The more materially you become advanced, the more suffering. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14).

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

So similarly, the yogis also, they want to play some jugglery, magic. If they can achieve one of the... There are eight kinds of yoga-siddhis. There are many... You will find they are showing some yoga-siddhi, and people are after that. Foolish people, they are thinking that he is God. If you can create something by jugglery... Suppose I am sitting here. I make like this and immediately I produce something, golden pot. Oh, immediately thousands of people will come: "Oh, here is God. Here is God. Because he has produced a cup, golden cup which is worth, say, two thousand rupees, therefore he has become God." There are many persons, merchants, they are producing two thousand rupees every moment. Then why he is not God? But the foolish people, they have no sense. They are captivated by these juggleries, yoga-siddhi.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:

Telex. So they are getting... In Zurich, we saw that every bank is by television giving the quotation, of price quotation. That city is very speculative. They are speculating on the price of gold and they purchase and sell, so they must know the price of the gold, every moment, how the market is changing. Their brain is always in that way.

So everyone is inquisitive, every one of us, even the animals, birds, beasts, everyone, inquisitive. But when one becomes inquisitive to understand God, then his human life is fulfilled. Then he is actually in human life. Otherwise, to simply inquisitive what is the price of gold, that means selling and purchasing, make some profit, and when there is profit, then there is sense gratification. That's, this is their aim. When they get some money, immediately how to spend it for sense gratification, not only for personal self but also family. Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3).

Lecture on SB 1.10.14 -- Mayapura, June 27, 1973:

Govinda-viraheṇa: "In separation from Govinda I am thinking one moment as twelve years." Some of you or all of us have got this experience. If we want something very, very eagerly, then every moment becomes a long time. "Oh, it is not yet received. It is not yet received. It is not yet done." Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. Nimeṣa, a moment, a twinkling of an eye, that is called nimeṣa. That appears to be twelve years. The gopīs could not tolerate even twinkling of eyes. They were condemning the creator, "The creator does not know the art of creating. Why he has created this twinkling of eyes so that it is disturbing us from seeing Kṛṣṇa." Seeing Kṛṣṇa, and the twinkling of eyes, that is natural. So the gopīs did not like it, that "Why he has created this? He does not know the art of creation." This is love. Yugāyi... Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu tasted the gopīs' feelings. Śrī-caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ. Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy... He is the Absolute Supreme Person, spirit, Absolute, the Supreme Spirit. So for spiritual enjoyment in this material world great saintly persons, sages, they give up all material enjoyment just to taste what is spiritual enjoyment, spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

So even though we cannot see God with our present eyes, but God is so merciful that He becomes present before us in a manner by which we can see Him. That is this vigraha, arcā-vigraha. God is beyond our sensual perception, adhokṣaja. But those who are neophyte, they may become atheist that "We cannot see God, that... How can I serve Him?" But those who are advanced, they can see God every moment, although physically others cannot see. The example is that Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda. Prahlāda is seeing God, but his father, he is asking, "Where is your God? Where is your God?" He was saying to the column, pillar: "Is your God there?" But he is seeing God there; he says, "Yes." So he became angry. He broke the column, and actually God came out.

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

So we have to practice. This is bhakti-yoga. First of all we have to engage the mind. Mind. And as soon as you engage the mind in hearing about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will help you in cleansing the mind. That is the opinion given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Because everything... We cannot understand about God, or we cannot see God, or we do not know what is God, because there are so many dirty things on the mind. Otherwise, as soon as the mind is clear, devoid of all dirty things, you can see. You can understand what is God; you can see God every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilo... (Bs. 5.38). So there is no difficulty. God is here, Kṛṣṇa. But one's mind is not clear. He cannot see God. He sees a statue of stone. He sees a statue of stone. And whose mind is clear, like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as He sees Jagannātha, immediately fainted. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Actually, that is the fact. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is omnipresent. That is God's qualification: omnipresent, He is present everywhere. So why not present in the temple? He is present here. But we have no eyes to see. Because our mind is not clean.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

They have also sex life. They also produce children. They also eat. They also work. Such kind of life, household life, working day and night simply for sense pleasure, and at night they have got sense pleasure... That is also described in the Bhāgavata: divā cārthehayā rājan. At night either sleep or enjoy sex life, and in daytime, simply work hard, "Where to get money?" And as you get money, spend it for maintaining your family. Nidrayā hriyate naktam. Nidrā means sleeping. Hriyate, that night is passed. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). Or one who has got facility to enjoy sex, so night is passed. One who has no... Everyone has practically, but... Two things: sleep or sex. And then, at daytime, cārthehayā. Artha. Artha means money. Īhayā means trying for to get it. Divā cārthehayā rājan. All right, they are getting money. Then? Then kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā, spending for kuṭumba, for the dependents. That's all. So finished. Then where is the time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is called gṛhamedhi. But gṛhastha means they will see whether every moment is utilized for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

So this is possible. If you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you can live with Kṛṣṇa, even in this life. Even in this life. Because Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent, if you are really devotee of Kṛṣṇa, He will talk with you, He will dance with you, He will eat with you, everything. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Again this bhakti. By bhakti, prema, love. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Santaḥ, saintly persons. This word, Sanskrit word, santaḥ, is also I think Latin. "Saint," santaḥ. Santaḥ means saintly persons. So santaḥ, those who are saintly persons, those who have developed love of Kṛṣṇa, they can see Kṛṣṇa every moment. Santaḥ sadaiva. Sadaiva means "every moment." They do not see anything except Kṛṣṇa. That is saintly person. Rascals inquire, "Have you seen God?" "Not seen God, sir. He is seeing every moment." There is no question of seeing God once. No. Sadaiva. Santaḥ sadaiva.

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

After all, you have to change this body. Change... This is... Bhagavad-gītā says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing this body from childhood, from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood... This is practical. You are not the same body as you had your body in the womb of your mother. That body is gone. Now daily changing; every moment we are changing body. Advancing age means I am changing body, you are changing body. So it is very easy to understood that we are changing our body. But I know, you know, every one of us, that "I had such and such body." You remember that you had a child's body. You were playing like that. When you see another child, you say, "Oh, I was also a child like him, and I was doing like this." But where is that body? That is gone. Now you have got another body. This example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. So as you are changing body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), similarly, after giving up this body, you have to accept another body. This is the logic, and any sane man can understand.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

The same last paragraph. The... Yadi kṛṣṇa-kathāśrayam. So the proposal was that "We are interested to hear about Kali's being punished by Mahārāja Parīkṣit if there is some connection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we shall not do anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should be very alert: "I am going to do this. Whether it has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? I am going to eat this. Whether there is any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" In this way, we have got always some activities, some action of the senses, but if we test every moment, "Whether this has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" then you will remain safe. I am going to talk with you or somebody else. Whether that talk has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? If it has no, then I am not going to talk. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. That is really renunciation.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Renunciation does not mean I change this cloth to another shape of cloth and another color of cloth. Renunciation means I will not associate with anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is renunciation. Because for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, to waste even a moment of life without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a great dangerous action. Not only... anyone who is interested for higher level of position. He should be very careful of using every moment of life. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice, moral instruction of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he says, practical proposition,

āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi

na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ

sa cen nirarthakaṁ nītaḥ

kā nu hānis tato 'dhikaḥ

He is advising that our duration of life, that is limited. It is, by destiny, limited. Therefore in the horoscope it is said that "So many years this man will live." That's fact.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So any big scientist, big philosopher, they may be very, very big, big men, but the so-called scientist cannot increase even one day's life. That is not possible. You have to die. The moment you are destined to die, you must die. So not only day, even a moment you cannot increase. A moment you cannot increase. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi. We have got a certain duration of life. Now, what is gone in this life... Suppose yesterday was 2nd January, 1974. This morning it is finished. Now it is 3rd January, 1974. Can you bring 1973, 1974, 2nd January, again? No, that is not possible. It is gone forever. It is gone forever. Similarly, every moment of our life is going, forever, never to come back. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. If you request that "Now my age is, say, seventy-eight years." If I request somebody that "I will give you millions of dollars, make my life seventy-seven years," that is not possible. Not seventy-seven years, even a moment. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that every moment of life is so valuable that you cannot get back it even offering hundreds and thousands and millions of dollars. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Therefore here it is said that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they must weigh, measure every moment, "Whether this moment has been spent without Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" That is the criterion. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19), nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. This is the test of advanced Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rūpa Gosvāmī gives, avyartha-kālatvam. Avyartha-kālatvam means "Whether my time has been spent uselessly?" One should be alert. "Whether my time has been used, has been uselessly spent by talking nonsense?" In another place Rūpa Gosvāmī says,

atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca

prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ

jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca

ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati

(NOI 2)

By six kinds of activities, you will lose your holding in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What is that? Atyāhāraḥ, too much eating. Āhāra means collection or eating. So either too much collection. Our society, international society, we must collect thousands and thousands of dollars, but for spending it for Kṛṣṇa, not for keeping in the bank. That is not our business.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So, of course, we have to do sometime, but it is the general principle. We shall accept... Suppose you are constructing a temple. If it is..., suppose two millions of dollars required, or, say, five millions of dollars. If we cannot do that, we shall not attempt. That is prayāsa, unnecessarily endeavor. Which is within your control, you should act. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ. And prajalpa. Prajalpa means talking all nonsense. Suppose politics. "What Mr. Nixon did yesterday, or what did he say?" So what interest we have got in Mr. Nixon? We shall not waste our time talking this politics, that politics, this sociology, this cinema, this affair, no. We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessary making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

Come to the light activities." So when one becomes inquisitive for the light activity, he is human being. He's called jñānī. The karmīs, they are in darkness. Their activity has no meaning. The other day we have discussed, vyartha-karmabhiḥ. Vyartha-karmabhiḥ. Vyartha means futile, useless. The karmīs, they are thinking very busy. If you go to see a karmī, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." "What you are doing, sir?" "No, I am very busy. I am earning money." So... But śāstra says, "You are simply wasting your time." Vyartha-karmabhiḥ. Vyartha-karmabhiḥ. The karmīs, they are working simply for useless result. How useless result? Because you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That is a fact. You believe or not believe, you are changing your body every moment. So simply you have no eyes to see, you have no brain to understand. You may be... Because you are cat and dog, you cannot understand. Because the cats and dogs, they cannot understand that there is another life after this dog's body and cat's body. They cannot understand. So anyone who cannot understand the simple truth of the transmigration of the soul, he is no better than this cat and dog.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So this is called purification, to learn how to sit down before the Deity, how to talk before the Deity. So everything should be learned. There are sevā-aparādha, sixty-four kinds of offenses in the service. So we have to become offenseless. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept your service. Not by making a show. Kṛṣṇa will accept your service when you are sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). Automatically there will be. As soon as you're purified, automatically Kṛṣṇa will appear, immediately. Kṛṣṇa will ap... Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti: (Bs. 5.38) "Those who are purified, santaḥ, saintly persons, they can see Kṛṣṇa in every second, every moment." Because they have been purified. After purification, there will be prema, love. The symptoms of purification is that when you do not love anything except Kṛṣṇa, that is purification. We have got our love. So instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we are loving dog, cats and this and that—my country, community, family, nation, so many ways distributed.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

So today some of you are going to be initiated. This is the beginning of your spiritual life. But if you don't take care for farther development, then that is up to you. You may fall down. Because māyā is very strong. Māyā will place so many impediments. She does not like that so easily you go back to home, back to Godhead. That is māyā's business. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Just like police. Police business is to see the criminal that is actually, he is in his original consciousness to become law-abiding citizen. Otherwise police will go on punishing him. That is police affair. Similarly, this māyā is the police agent. Her business is to chastise you. Every moment this is going on. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa brahmite kona bhāgyavān jīva.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

So why shall I go to Kṛṣṇa conscious? I am well-protected. These boys and girls, they have no bank balance. They have no home. Therefore they should go." But they are blind. How they are blind? They are thinking that these things will give him protection. Pramatta. Pramatta means crazy. (laughter) Crazy. By craziness he is thinking that "These things will give me protection." No. Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. Because he is crazy, he does not see to the destruction of these things although he is seeing others, that they are being destroyed every moment. "My father has died. Naturally I shall die. Naturally my sons also will die. So why I am so much anxious of protecting this family? Everyone will die." Paśyann api na paśyati. They see, but still do not see. They see daily that "I am working so hard for these things, but these things will be destroyed, as it has been destroyed previously in the history." So many empires were destroyed.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Pramatta means crazy, mad. Pramatto nidhanam, distraction. Nidhanam paśyan. Paśyan means although he is seeing every day, every moment. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was quested by Yamarāja, "What is the most wonderful thing in this world? Can you say?" Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira immediately replied. What is that? Ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam: "Every moment, every second, every day, every night, there are so many hundreds and thousands of living entities, they are going to the temple of death, or dying." Ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayaṁ śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti. "But one who is living, he is thinking that 'I will not die. I will live for good.' That is the most wonderful thing in this world." Nobody is taking experience that "I will have to meet death. And what is next after death? What I was before my birth? Why I am here? Why I am struggling so hard? I want to be happy. I want to be peaceful.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

Everyone is thinking like madman, that "These things will give me protection." Because he has become mad, pramatta. Pramatta. Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam. You are fighting with soldiers. That's all right. But if you know, "All my soldiers will die," then what is the use of your fighting? Or you take some means that your fighting will be victorious. No. They do not know. Teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. Seeing every moment,

ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam

śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was inquired, "What is the most astonishing thing in this world?" Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was very advanced, spiritually realized king. He immediately replied, "This is the most wonderful thing, that everyone is thinking that 'I shall live.' " Ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchanti. He is seeing. He is seeing every moment that somebody has died and he is going to the crematorium or to the somewhere else. But he is thinking that "I am sure. I am secure. I am in safety position."

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

This is another problem. Generally people, they do not understand that after giving up this body we enter another body. But this is the first instruction of self-realization in the Bhagavad-gītā. And that is actually we are experiencing. We are changing our body every moment. So similarly, at the ultimate end of this body, when this body is no more useful Because, after all, it is machine. Just like your car, your car or any other machine, if it goes for long time it becomes useless. That is the nature of anything material. In the beginning it is very nice. It is new. Just like this body, my body. When I was a baby I might have been very nice, beautiful, a child. Now it is becoming old and ugly. So this is the nature of..., this is the nature of material thing, that anything material, that will deteriorate, one after another, one after So when this body is completely deteriorated, there is no, there is no more chance of prolonging it, then we accept another body. And the example is vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just like we change our dress when the dress is old enough or dirty, we give it up and accept another dress. So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Kṛṣṇa, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body. Not only we are changing or transmigrating from one body to another, but we are transmigrating from one planet to another. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. How we are changing our planets also, that is explained:

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā

madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā

adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ

(BG 14.18)

Those who are developing the modes of good qualities, they are gradually being promoted to the higher planetary system, heavenly planet-Satyaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka. In those planets the duration of life is very long, the possibilities of sense enjoyment is very nice. Everything thousands, thousands times better than this.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was asked by Dharmarāja, "What is the most wonderful thing within this world?" He answered this, ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam, "Everyone, every moment, is going to the Yamarāja's place, the superintendent of death, where a man's life is scrutinizingly studied, what he has done, and..." I say man, not animal. Animal, they have no such thing wrong or right, because it is animal. But a human being must have this conscience, right or wrong. Pravṛtti, nivṛtti.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

Īśa-tantryām, by the laws of material nature, one who is bound up tight, hands and legs... we are all. We cannot, I mean to say, neglect the laws of nature. If you eat little more, then you have to fast for three days. That we actually know. If you expose little to cold, then you have to pay ten dollars to the doctor fine. So they are so much bound up by the laws of nature; still, they are thinking, "I am free. I am independent. Where is God? I am God." Just see. Such foolish persons, that every moment he's being kicked on his face by the boot of material nature, and still he's saying, "I am God, I am independent."

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

This is the first instruction, that we are changing body on account of the spirit soul, and when the spirit soul changes... We are changing every day, every moment, our body—kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. I was a child. You were a child. We have now changed our bodies. Similarly, now I am old man. Some of you, you are also old man. We have changed the body.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

So din ka ḍākinī, rāt ka bāghinī. It is pointing out to one's wife. During daytime she is ḍākinī, witches, and at night she is tigress. So Tulasī dāsa says that. . . Tulasī dāsa's life is very interesting. Therefore he had very bad experience of his wife. Everyone. So bāghinī. Nobody keeps a tigress to suck one's blood, but Tulasī dāsa says, duniyā sab bhora hoye. The whole world, being mad, they keep one tigress. Palak palak rahe cuṣe. In every moment, sucking blood. This criticism is for the materialistic person. Those who are spiritually advancing, this criticism does not apply. For materialistic person, this agent of sucking blood is their happiness, is their happiness.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

When Lord Caitanya met Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya of Kavaur on the bank of the Godāvarī, the Lord developed all these symptoms, but because of the presence of some nondevotee brāhmaṇas who were attendants of the Rāya, the Lord suppressed these symptoms. So sometimes they are not visible even in the body of the first-class devotee for certain circumstantial reasons. Therefore real, steady bhāva is definitely displayed in the matter of cessation of material desires (kṣānti), utilization of every moment in the transcendental loving service of the Lord (avyārtha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19)), eagerness for glorifying the Lord constantly (nāma-gāne sadā ruci (CC Madhya 23.32)), attraction for living in the land of the Lord (prītis tad-vasati sthale), complete detachment from material happiness (virakti), and pridelessness (māna-śūnyatā). One who has developed all these transcendental qualities is really possessed of the bhāva stage, as distinguished from the stonehearted imitator or mundane devotee.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

You do not know. You are going to the street... Just like the two boys were coming. They did not know that they were going to be killed. So our life is so jeopardized. Any moment I can die. That's a fact. If you don't take seriously like that, that "Any moment, I can die." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja had the opportunity of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven days, so I do not know whether we'll have, I have opportunity for reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven minutes. So let me read it very seriously." That should be our attitude. Not that, "Seven... Oh, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was given seven days notice. Oh, I have no such notice. I may live for seven millions of years." That is our disease. Here the most wonderful thing is that everyone is seeing that everyone is dying every moment, but the man seeing, he's thinking that he will live forever. This is the most wonderful thing. Nobody thinks, "No. He is dying, so I will have to die." No. He thinks "I'll live. He is dying." This is the most wonderful thing.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa personally comes to canvass. Because we are all Kṛṣṇa's children, He's very sorry that we are in this miserable condition of life. He's very sorry. But we are so fool, we do not know that what is the condition of our life. We are thinking we are very much happy. This is called māyā. He's suffering, he's kicked by the shoes of māyā every moment, and still, he's thinking "I am very happy. Why shall I go back to home? I shall remain in America." But you cannot be allowed to remain in America. You are thinking, "All right... You are born of a very rich family, a rich nation, you have got opulence. You have... Your roads and your houses are very nice, but who is going to allow you to live here? Why don't you think like that? You may live for fifty years, or sixty years, or utmost 100 years; then you'll be kicked out. But they do not know that life is eternal.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the light and heat of the sun." Of course, moon, there is no heat. There is cooling effect. Two things are there. So all these are energies of Kṛṣṇa. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So why people say, "Can you show me God?" You are seeing daily, every moment. But because you are fool, you have no sense of understanding. As soon as there is some heat, any man can understand there is fire. As soon as there is smoke, anyone can understand there is fire. Similarly, if you can feel the energy of the Lord, then you can feel the presence of the Lord immediately.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

So foolish people, they do not know what is the miserable condition of this material life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says real knowledge is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), to know that "However great I may be, these four principles of miserable condition of life, there are." It is existing in the Brahmaloka, in the Pātālaloka, everywhere, sarvatra. Gabhīra-raṁhasā. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. In the due course of time. This is the most wonderful thing. That is, that was questioned by Dharmarāja to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, that "What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" He said, ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam: "Every moment so many people are dying." Śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param: "But those who are living, he thinks that 'My friend has died, but I will live forever.' " No. The same thing. The soft cow dung will be dried up, and the same condition.

Lecture on SB 3.25.36 -- Bombay, December 5, 1974:

So he wants to develop his love for Kṛṣṇa. Avyartha-kālaṁ vasati, nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. The madhyama-adhikārī, he wants to see that not a moment is wasted without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is madhyama-adhikārī. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). He's always careful that "Whether I am spoiling the valuable time of my life?" That is the first qualification of madhyama-adhikārī. Avyartha-kālatvam. Because we have got very short period, living period. We do not know when we shall die. There is no certainty. Foolish people may think that "I shall live forever," but that is foolishness. Life is very transient. At any moment we can die. Therefore those who are advanced devotee, they want to see that "I have got very short period of life at my disposal." Therefore, he is very anxious to utilize every moment for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is madhyama-adhikārī. Avyartha-kālatvam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

That is śāstra. The śāstra means... A person goes to school, college, to become intelligent. Therefore there are so many śāstras, Veda, Vedas. Why Vedic literatures are there? To make us intelligent. Kṛṣṇa bhuliyā jīva... Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). We are so foolish rascals that we have forgotten. We are suffering every moment, and still, we are thinking we are very happy. Therefore it is our misfortune that human life is meant for understanding, "What is the position of my life? Why I am suffering?" So for that understanding Kṛṣṇa has given us so many Vedic literature: four Vedas and the Purāṇas and the Upaniṣad and Vedānta-sūtra, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. We have got enough source of knowledge, treasure house of knowledge, but we are reluctant. We are busy with the newspaper. We have got time to waste our time to read the newspaper, bunch of newspaper, but we have no time to read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Vedānta-sūtra, the books of actual knowledge. This is our misfortune.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

These rascals, they are bewildered by the three kinds of material modes of nature. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param. They cannot understand that in the background of everything there is the supreme authority of God. This is called atheism. Although they are being kicked every moment by the modes of material nature, they are feeling that "I am under the control of some power, superior power..." That is appreciating. Just like I gave you the example: the death, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). They are trying to stop, the birth control, but still, the statistics is that every second or every moment, every three minutes, there is one population increased. So this is janma. Similarly, mṛtyu. Mṛtyu means death. So there are so much scientific improvement, medicine and technology and so many things, but who can check mṛtyu, death? Even the scientist cannot. Big, big scientist, why do they not manufacture something that "As soon as I am dead, please inject this medicine. I will come out again." No, that is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

It is simply miserable condition. And because we do not appreciate this miserable condition, we still think that we are happy. That is called māyā, illusion. This is called saṁsṛtiḥ. Although we are in a miserable condition, continually, every moment, every second... This place is like that. Kṛṣṇa says, not that we are saying. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam. Continually you have to suffer. But we are, we have become so much habituated in this suffering, we do not accept it as suffering. We take it as very pleasing, because we have no idea what is actually happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21). Real happiness, what is real happiness? Sukhaṁ yat. Then what is sukham? That is not to be appreciated by these material senses. Sukham ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means supreme. This is not... Whatever so-called happiness we derive in this material world, that is dependent on so many conditions. That is not ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the supreme happiness. That is different from this material happiness, but we have no information or taste because we have been conditioned for many many creation, anādi. Just like a man suffering from disease from many, many years. He becomes accustomed. He does not take any more that this suffering is suffering. He thinks this is natural.

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

And the one who is controlled by the prakṛti, by the material nature, if he accepts to be controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then his controlling by the material nature upon him, that is finished, no more control. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). This is perfection of life. At the present moment we are being controlled every second, every step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Every step there is danger. This control means punishment. You cannot expect very good treatment in the prison life. So this is prison life, conditioned life. So you cannot expect any good treatment by the material nature because her business is to punish us. That is the business so that we can enquire that "Why I am being punished?" That is required. That "why" philosophy is very important. That is the beginning of human life. But we are so dull, in spite of being kicked every moment by material nature, that "why" question is not coming, so dull-headed. And we are advanced in designation.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). These twenty-four elements is changing the body from kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. Our body is being developed. It is not development; it is changing. But because the, from one body to another... In medical science they also admit change of, what is called, blood corpuscle. It is changing every moment. But how it is changing and coming into different body, that we cannot understand. But it is changing. Actually, it is changing from one body to another. That boy, the same boy, when he is grown up, he speaks differently than childish way because the body has changed. The body has changed. That is understood. But because we have no very nice brain, we cannot understand that the body is changing. We say, "It is growing." You can say it is growing, but growing is also changing. The original form is changed. That is called growing.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

So therefore, if we become sinful every moment, how we can become happy? It is not possible. If you want to become happy, you have to become pious. And the standard of piety is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

This is our material condition, that we are covered, absorbed in so many darkness, and still we want to show some intelligence. This is material existence. Therefore we always say "fools and rascals." He is... He does not know anything clearly, and simply he wants to see with imperfect eyes, imperfect instrument, microscope, telescope. What is the value of this? It is simply andhakāra. The whole world is... This is called darkness. We can... We experience every moment. If there was no sun, then what is the value of this world? We have got good experience. In the Western countries where there is no sun, it is hell, simply hell, simply hell without sun. All the condemned countries are devoid of sunlight. This morning we were speaking that London, it is without sunlight practically throughout the whole year. Long ago, in 1969, in the television, the television man asked me that "Where is hell?" and "It is here in London." (laughter) That was published in the paper. There is such a... And always dark and always moist and always so cold. So this is hell. Why you have to search out hell? Here is hell. Simply you bring money from outside, exploiting others, and construct big, big building. It is little attractive. People come here as tourist.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

So we are dying every moment. Mṛtyu, death, is sure. "As sure as death." So... But we are not meant for death, neither we are meant for birth. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā: "The spirit soul is never born, neither he dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The spirit soul, nitya, eternal, śāśvata, inexhaustible... Na hanyate, clearly says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So this death is artificial. Therefore we do not like to die. We do not like to be unhappy. We do not like to be without any knowledge. This is our nature. But because this nature is hampered on material condition, therefore the business of the human being is to cure this disease—birth, death, old age and disease. This is the mission of life, not to waste time, not to waste our life, duration of life, just simply jumping like dog and hog. That is not human life. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).

Lecture on SB 5.5.26 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1976:

Pradyumna: "My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity, be he moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer resects to all of them at every moment. In this way you offer respect to Me." (SB 5.5.26)

Prabhupāda: You read the purport.

Pradyumna: "In this verse the word vivikta-dṛgbhiḥ, meaning "without envy," is used. (break) ...living entities are the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature. As confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā: aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). The Lord is situated in this universe as Garbhodakśayī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is also situated within every atom. According to the Vedic statement, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). The Supreme Lord is situated everywhere, and wherever He is situated is His temple. We even offer respects to a temple from a distant place, and all living entites should similarly be offered respect. This is different from the theory of pantheism, which holds that everything is God. Everything has a relationship with God because God is situated everywhere. We should not make any particular distinction between the poor and the rich like the foolish worshipers of daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is present in the rich as well as the poor. One should not simply think Nārāyaṇa is situated among the poor. He is everywhere. An advanced devotee will offer respects to everyone—even to cats and dogs.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śvapāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

"The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater or outcaste." (Bg 5.18) This sama-darśinaḥ, equal vision, should not be mistaken to mean that the individual is the same as the Supreme Lord. They are always distinct. Every individual person is different from the Supreme Lord. It is a mistake to equate the individual living entity with the Supreme Lord on the plea of vivikta-dṛk, sama-dṛk. The Lord is always in an exalted position, even though He agrees to live everywhere. Śrīla Madhvācārya, quoting Padma Purāṇa, states, vivikta-dṛṣṭi-jīvānāṁ dhiṣṇyatayā parameśvarasya bheda-dṛṣṭiḥ: "One who has clear vision and who is devoid of envy can see that the Supreme Lord is separate from all living entities, although He is sitauted in every living entity." Madhvācārya further quotes from Padma Purāṇa,

upapādayet parātmānaṁ

jīvebhyo yaḥ pade pade

bhedenaiva na caitasmāt

priyo viṣṇos tu kaścana

"One who sees the living entity and the Supreme Lord as always distinct is very dear to the Lord." Padma Purāṇa also states, yo hareś caiva jīvānāṁ bheda-vaktā hareḥ priyaḥ: "One who preaches that the living entities are separate from the Supreme Lord is very dear to Lord Viṣṇu."

Prabhupāda:

sarvāṇi mad-dhiṣṇyatayā bhavadbhiś

carāṇi bhūtāni sutā dhruvāṇi

sambhāvitavyāni pade pade vo

vivikta-dṛgbhis tad u hārhaṇaṁ me

So premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). The atheist class men, they say that "I do not see God. How can I believe there is God?" But the advanced devotee, he sees every moment God's presence. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). He doesn't say that "I do not see God." Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram. And what is that God? It is not manufactured God. Śyāmasundaram, Kṛṣṇa. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram. It is particularly mentioned. God means śyāmasundaram. This is also..., appears to be contradictory. Śyāmasundaram. We have got idea: what is black is not beautiful. But here Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundaram. Although He is black, He is sundaram. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Asitāmbuda, black cloud. Black cloud, like that, color, but He is very sundaram. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). He's so beautiful that if you compare with millions of Kandarpa, Cupid Cupid is supposed to be very beautiful. So if you bring together millions of Cupids, still, their combined beauty cannot be compared with Kṛṣṇa's beauty. But He's still Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgaṁ, kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30).

Lecture on SB 5.5.26 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1976:

So it is required that we develop our attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then every moment you'll see Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of asking anybody, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa? Can you show me God?" You will see automatically. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). You cannot ask Kṛṣṇa, "Please come here. I'll see You," just like you ask your dog or your servant. Kṛṣṇa is nobody's servant. Kṛṣṇa is the master. He may like you; He may not like. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). He is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayān... But He is not visible to the nondevotees. That is the... Unless you are devotee, you cannot see. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So that bhakti must be there.

Lecture on SB 5.6.4 -- Vrndavana, November 26, 1976:

Out of the Vedic culture, many are addicted to the fruitive activities, ritualistic ceremony, how to go to the heavenly planet, how to become members of rich family. They are working very hard, karmi. So out of many millions of karmīs, one jñānī... Jñānī means who understands, "What is the use of this karma, fruitive activities?" So out of many jñānīs, one is mukta, liberated. And out of many millions of mukta-koṭiṣv api mahā-mune—one is a bhakta. This is the gradual development.

So we should be very careful. We have got this opportunity of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not waste a single moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). That is advised by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Every moment we shall count, "Whether I have wasted it or utilized it?" This is life.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

This is once we get and finished." That is also another foolishness. Just like a child. A child, he knows that his body will be changed. Nobody will remain a baby. Nobody will remain a child. Nobody will remain a boy. Next life is awaiting. It is very simple philosophy. And then after this body another body is waiting. That's a fact. And not only fact. If you cannot understand it—there is no difficulty in understanding—but the authority says, Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing from this body to that body, this body to that body, this body to that body, every moment... According to medical science, every moment we are changing body. That's a fact. But the changing is going so swiftly that we do not see how it is being changed. But if you come after some years... Just like we are seeing so many children, and if you come some years after, his father says, "This is the same child," oh, you will be surprised, "Oh!"

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

"If anyone understands about My appearance and disappearance and activities in truth, not superficially, in truth..." Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means truth, not superficially, ephemerally. Actually. What he gains? He gains that tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body... Because we have to give up this body, every one of us. We are giving up body every moment. So the last phase of giving up this body is called death. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā deham... After giving up this body, punar janma naiti, he does not accept any more a material body. Why? Mām eti. Because he returns back to Kṛṣṇa. When you have to go to Kṛṣṇa, then you have to prepare your body, spiritual body. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If your keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then gradually you make, you prepare your next body, spiritual body, which carries you immediately to Kṛṣṇa-loka, and you become happy and live there perpetually, blissfully.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Honolulu, May 10, 1976:

"Sir, you have spoken about atonement, but they are doing atonement. Every moment they are suffering, but still, again he is committing the sinful activities. So what is the use of this atonement?" Just like in the Christian church they go to confess every weekly, "Sir, I have done it." "All right, give some fine." And again, next week, again, the same thing going on. So this is very intelligent question. The atonement is there in every religion. In the Vedic process there is atonement, but what is the use of this atonement if he does not cease committing the same sinful activity? Just like practically we see a thief. So he knows that "I am committing theft. I shall be punished if I am arrested." He knows it; otherwise why he goes silently at night and break? He knows it well that "If I am arrested I will be punished."

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:

So everyone should be careful, that "I have got this material body. This is disease. Why I shall get material body?" That they do not know. From Bhagavad-gītā we understand, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not finished after the body is annihilated, no, or destroyed, no. So we are eternal. That is called brahma-jñāna. Unless one has the brahma-jñāna, that "I am not this body," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, aham, "I am brahman, spirit soul," so people will go on doing all irresponsible things. Because he does not know. So we human being should come to the understanding—that is knowledge—that so long we get this material body, this is my disease. And disease means suffering. Nobody can say that "By being diseased, I am very happy." Nobody will say that. Disease means suffering. "So the śāstra says—and I am practically experiencing—that I am eternal. I am changing body every moment. So I am eternal. Why I am put into this condition, repetition of birth and death?" This is intelligence. Unless one comes to this intelligence, he is not human being. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, to do others something auspicious. That is human life. The animal life means do..., "For my good, I will do harm to many others." That is animal life. So this is not life, the human life, that for our sense gratification, we are killing so many animals, we are doing so many mischievous things, we are cheating others. We can do that, but we are becoming more and more implicated. At the time of death the Yamarāja will come and take us to the hellish condition. Therefore foolish people they want to forget that there is next life. No, there is next life. We are discussing every day. Next life is there. We are every moment getting a different body. This is the scientific study. I do not know why they cannot understand. This is biology. Biology means we are, every moment we are getting a new body. This is biology.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

But if I develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then I'll see constantly Kṛṣṇa. This is the effect. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to develop love for Kṛṣṇa. So one who has developed this love for Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa every moment. There is no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa is present. So even though you think that Kṛṣṇa is not present, but He is present by words, Bhagavad-gītā. He is absolute. Kṛṣṇa, the person, and Kṛṣṇa's words, Bhagavad-gītā, there is no difference. Advaya-jñāna, no duality. Everything is one, absolute. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, Kṛṣṇa's instruction is also absolute, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes absolute. Everything. That is Absolute Truth. There is no difference. In the material world the name and the thing is different. Suppose here is mango, so mango is the thing and mango is the name. So if I simply say "Mango, mango, mango," there is no mango. There must be the thing, mango. That is duality. This is the world of duality. Absolute means the name mango and the mango thing is the same. Otherwise what is the... If they're different, then what is the use of chanting Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa chanting means Kṛṣṇa, this word, and Kṛṣṇa the person, the same. Therefore by constant chanting means constantly associating with Kṛṣṇa. Then we are becoming purified. Purified. There is no difference.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Honolulu, May 26, 1976:

So here, bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho na veda āgatam antakam. He was eighty-eight years old. So he was busy in maintaining the family, children, everything. But he never thought that "Death will come all of a sudden without waiting for my settle everything." That is the eighth wonder. This question was asked by Dharmarāja to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja: "What are the wonders, the most wonderful wonders? What is that?" So he said, "This is the most wonderful thing." "What is that?" Ahany ahani gacchanti lokāni yama-mandiram. Every moment we see that someone is going to the court of Yamaraja—that means death. That is our experience, everything. Ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiraṁ śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti. Śeṣāḥ, who is not yet dead, he's still alive, he thinks, "I will never die. My dear friend is dying. That's all right. But I'll... Your father is dead. No, still I will be..." Śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti kim aścaryam ataḥ param. This is the most wonderful thing that we have experience, that "My father is dead, my father's father is dead, so I shall also be die, my sons will die." Well, who will stay? Well, what is the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest? He never thinks of it. This is the eighth wonder.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

They're already killed. So therefore this is the astra. To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. If they'll simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra. Now it is not required the bows and arrows or... Because they're already dead, because they have no conception of God. Simply fighting how to avoid God, this is their business. It is very difficult to convince them about the existence of... They're seeing every moment there is existence of God, but they're so stubborn, so much bewildered by māyā, they'll not. So, under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's therefore called namo mahā-vadānyāya, most munificent incarnation. Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Even without understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra they become ecstatic for love of Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's benediction: no qualification, but if he simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra he'll be ecstatic. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

So everyone is proposing "I believe." That's why the government law is there, that "If you do this, you'll be punished like this." That is government law. Suppose you have stolen something, committed theft, you must be punished for six months' imprisonment. So you believe or not believe, the law will act. If you say in the court, "I believe," what is the meaning of your belief? There's no question of belief. Law is law. Ignorance is no excuse. If you go in the court and if you're punished, so if you say, "My lordship, I believe like this. I'll not be punished. So you're punishing me," so that is no excuse. You believe or not believe, the law is law. So, similarly, these philosophers theorizing so many "I believe." So these things will not go. These things will not go. That is useless, simply waste of time. You must know there is God. How we can deny it? There is supreme power. I am being controlled every moment. Who wants to die? And who is forcing me to die? How he can deny the superior power? I do not want to become old man, and superior power forces me, "You must become old man." So, so long there is force behind you, you have to act according to that. Where is your so-called belief or independence? That is foolishness. That is foolishness. But they have no brain that "I am being kicked. I'm being enforced to do something, and still I'm thinking 'independent,' 'I believe.' " What is this meaning of his belief? There is no question of. This is foolishness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976:

So we should be very careful. This is... This human form of life is a chance to make your choice, whether you are to go on being punished like this in different forms of life or whether you shall go back to home, back to Godhead. Here is the chance. Manuṣyānāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions and millions of persons, one is intelligent enough, he can inquire that "Why I am suffering?" Everyone is suffering. That's a fact. Only the rascals, they think, "We're enjoying." Everyone is suffering. This is a place for suffering. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), Kṛṣṇa says, who has created this place. It is a place of suffering. Every moment you are suffering due to this body, due to the mind, due to the suffering imposed by other living entities. The mosquito will bite, the flies will disturb you, the bugs are there, and then the dogs will bark unnecessarily. You are passing, and his business is barking. Ha? "Bow! Bow! Bow!" (laughter)

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. If we simply hear the words and the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā—full of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's instruction. So if we hear this, especially these two books, Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, then you become pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. There is no need of separate attempt. If we simply hear every moment or as many times as possible, then we become purified. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. One who is speaking, he is also becoming pious, and one who is hearing, he is also becoming pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ.

So, pious? What is the meaning of pious? Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi. The... Everything is causing effects within the heart, within the heart. The civilization or not civilization means the change of heart. A man is civilized because he has changed his heart. A man is uncivilized? He has not changed. Just like you know the story of Sik... What is that? Sikari? The name, I forgot.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

Their attention is diverted in so many demigods. The greatest disservice to the society, that "Here is another god, here..." Not only manufacturing a man-god, but they are advising that "Any god you can worship." No: Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Vedic mantra. Those who are sūrayaḥ, means advanced... Sūrayaḥ means... Sūrayaḥ and asūrayaḥ. Asūrayaḥ means demons. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved suraḥ: "Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are sura." Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "And those who are not Viṣṇu bhaktas, they are asuras." Just like Rāvaṇa was very great devotee of Lord Śiva; still, he was a asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā, but he was considered asura. So anyone who is not devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is asura. That is the verdict. Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And this piṇḍa-dāna is offered oblations to the Viṣṇu. So if any man becomes a Vaiṣṇava, he is offering oblations to Viṣṇu every moment, so his forefathers are delivered without any trouble. Without any trouble. If one's son becomes a Vaiṣṇava in the family, he can deliver fourteen generations, up and down. That is the verdict. Not only verdict, this is the version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

There are many causes. One should be cautious, that's all. Therefore one should hear, one should be cautious, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will help. We should be cautious, but if something is done unwillingly, that is excused by Kṛṣṇa. That is another thing. We are offending in every moment, but when it is within our consciousness we should take some precaution that "This should not be done. If I have done, ask excuse." That's all. Finish.

Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975:

So the nature's law is so nice or so perfect that by seeing only, you will be infected, by seeing only. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are put into such a position that every moment we are being affected by the three modes of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. The prakṛti, the nature, is working so expertly. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. And kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). In this way our transmigration from one body to another, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), it is due to this infection of contacting different material modes of nature. The whole world is going on. So therefore our business of human life is how to protect ourself from this infection of material nature. That should be the aim of human life, not that allow us to be infected more and more and become implicated in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes lower, sometimes higher. This is not intelligence. The intelligence is how to get out of it. In the lower animal forms of life the nature takes care. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-sāṅkhyakāḥ. From the aquatics to the plant life, then insect life, then bird life, then beast life, then we come to the human life. And that is also When we come to the civilized life we should not waste our time like animals or lower creatures.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

Guest (1): No. For the moment I don't believe it, because when you die, you are not... When you have been damned...

Prabhupāda: You are dying every moment. You are dying every moment. Do you know that?

Guest (1): Yes. I know it.

Prabhupāda: You know it?

Guest (1): Yes, but when we die...

Prabhupāda: No, no, why...? You are dying every moment, not "When we die." You are dying every... Just like what is your age?

Guest (1): I am twenty-two.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-two. Since your birth you have died already twenty-two years. Do you know that? Suppose if you'll live for eighty years, out of that twenty-two years minus, that means you have already died twenty-two years. Is it not?

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you say "when I die"? You have already died. It is less intelligence only that you cannot understand that you have died twenty-two years. Yes. That is the ignorance. So it is just like bank balance. You have got 100,000 rupees, and you are withdrawing. That means the bank balance is decreasing. So you are destined to live, say, for hundred years. Out of that, twenty-two years you have already died. So why don't you understand that you are dying every moment? So now, if you have understood...

Guest (2): No, you see, I think... (French) You see, these gentlemen want to know whether reincarnation..., reincarnation, whether after death we come back.

Prabhupāda: It is a common sense. You were a child, so that body is dead, and now you are young man. So is it not incarnation?

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

That means if I infect this yellow fever, I will have to suffer. Similarly, the modes of material nature are three: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And as we are infecting ourself with the three kinds of modes of material nature, we are getting different types of bodies. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). I am put into these laws of material nature, and as I am acting under the influence of different modes of material nature, I am getting a type of body. That is my material position. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Tathā dehāntara prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). We have to change this body. Death means changing body. We are changing body every moment, every second, and getting a new body imperceptibly. And the last change of this body is taken as death, transmigration of the soul. But nobody knows "What kind of change is going to happen in my next body or next life." But there is change of body, dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Just like I was a child. Now I have got another body, the body is changed.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Just we were experiencing. This child who is playing, he is now, he has got a small body. Similarly, when he will get a body like his father, he has to change so many bodies, so many bodies. So the body will change but he, the soul, will remain the same. And now, at the childhood, or in the womb of his mother, or when the body is just like his father, or when the body is just like his grandfather—the same thing, soul, will continue. So therefore soul is permanent and the body is changing. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This body is temporary. Temporary. Either this childhood body or boyhood body or youthhood body or mature body or old body, they are all temporary. Every moment, every second, we are changing. But the soul within the body, that is permanent. So this body, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "Now, after many many births..."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

So this sleeping, our daily sleeping is also a sample of death. We are experiencing for 12 hours only or 10 hours only, but this death means you'll have to sleep for seven months, then when you wake up you'll see that you have got another body. That's all. Just like you are getting every moment a different body, similarly, death, birth and death means to change this body and to get another, new body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). The Bhagavad-gītā says that just like we change one set of garment which is not usable. We throw it away and take another set of garment, similarly, when this body is old enough, it cannot be pulled on, the machine has gone wrong, it cannot work anymore, that is called death.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Yes. It is intelligent question. You forget because you have got this material body, and because the material body is changing every moment, every second, therefore we forget. Is it not? You are forgetting. You do not know what exactly you were doing at this time, because your body has changed. Similarly, you do not exactly remember last year on this date at this time what you were doing because body has changed. Similarly, it is the nature of the body to change and you forget. That is the nature of this material body. But if you constantly remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you stand on the spiritual platform. In the spiritual platform you don't forget Kṛṣṇa. In the material platform you forget so many things, but in the spiritual platform you don't forget Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's duties. So if you can continue in that way, then you continue in spiritual platform, and the result will be that after getting out of this body, you are spiritually situated. So we have to continue the spiritual stand on spiritual platform by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always remembering Kṛṣṇa. Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ vismartavyo na jātucit. This is the process. You have to remember always Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. That is called meditation. That is called samādhi.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

So seventy-two years I am now. That means I have already died seventy-two years. The balance portion of my life I have to complete. We are dying every moment. That is medical science. We are changing every moment body and dying every moment. Death is accompanying me from the day of my birth. This child, if you ask, "How old this child?" oh, it is one month. That means he has already died one month. One month death is already there. We say that he is growing. No. He is decreasing. This is... Actual fact is decreasing. Therefore we should not waste our time. We should be very serious about our life. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Āyur means duration of life. Simply wasted. Simply wasted. Why simply wasted? Because for sense enjoyment, whatever you have to get, that is already arranged. If you are a cat, oh, your sense enjoyment is already arranged. If you are a dog, oh, your sense enjoyment already arranged. Similarly, if you are a human being, your sense enjoyment... If a cat can have sense enjoyment without arranging for it, if a dog can have sense enjoyment without arranging for it, do you think that a human being will not have sense enjoyment without arranging for it? Then why should you waste your time for sense enjoyment? The arrangement is already there by nature.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

So there is no use. This is śāstric injunction. You have to see your future through the śāstra. So don't waste your time in that way. Āyur-vyayaḥ param. Ayur-vyayaḥ. This duration of life, human life—Prahlāda Mahārāja has begun with the words durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma—this life is very, very important, and after many, many births you have got it. So you should always remember that every moment of this life is so important. How much it is important, that is explained by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Anyone can understand. He says... He is not a, I mean, Kṛṣṇa conscious person but moralist. He was prime minister. He says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Your duration of life... You have got a certain years' duration of life. You cannot live more than that. If you have got your duration of life for fifty years, you can live up to fifty years, not hundred years. These are all destined. It is useless. So therefore it is very important. In the Bhāgavata in another place it is said, tūrṇaṁ yateta anumṛtya pateta yāvat nihśreyasāya. The same thing repeatedly. Here Prahlāda Mahārāja also says that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. First of all you have to consider that we have got this human form of life after many, many hundreds and thousands, millions, 8,400,000... (break) Durlabham. So therefore it is, although temporary... Everyone knows that "I'll not live forever." But even though it is temporary, adhruvam, not eternal, it is arthadam. It is said, arthadam. Whatever little life you have got, you can attain perfection. This is the advantage. You can attain perfection.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

So just see the value that you cannot get back even a moment of your life by paying millions and millions of dollars. How time is valuable, just calculate. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, sa cet nirarthakaṁ nītaḥ ka no hānis tato 'dhika. If you waste your time, such valuable time, for nothing, just imagine how much loser you are. But we do not know. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ: (CC Adi 17.31) "Your life is meant for chanting. Therefore you should simply chant sadā, always, consistently." This is the advice. This is properly using the moments of time. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that tat-prayāsa. If you foolishly endeavor for making some economic development, then what is the...? Āyur-vyayaḥ param. You have got this valuable life. Every moment is so valuable. That means you are wasting your valuable life by such endeavor to improve your economic condition. It is not possible. Tad ayatnataḥ. If you get distress without endeavoring for it, you will get happiness without endeavoring for it, because that is destined. You cannot get more or less. You have to... You'll get it.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

Therefore, whatever little life we have got, instead of wasting for improving economic condition, let us use it for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is life. Who understands this philosophy, this rascal world? Nobody understands this philosophy, but this is real philosophy: not to waste your valuable time for improving your economic condition. That is not possible. You have to utilize every moment to see how we are improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So "How I am proving? Who will give me the certificate?" No. You don't require anyone's certificate. You'll know it. If you actually trying for advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the certificate will be understood by yourself automatically. What is that? Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If you advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you'll be detestful for material enjoyment, especially sex enjoyment. That is the last word of material enjoyment. So this is the test, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that people are engaged for improving economic condition. He has cancelled that tat prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur vyayaḥ param. Prahlāda Mahārāja derides that "These people who are simply wasting time for improving material condition, āhāra-nidrā-bhayaṁ maithun, they are not at all intelligent, because simply wasting time, valuable time." That I have explained yesterday, how important is this human form of life. Every moment should be utilized. Every moment is so valuable that if we lose one moment we lose so many hundred thousands of dollars. That they do not understand.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

Yes. Marginal energy is that, that by your individuality you can abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa, and if you like, you do not abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is your choice. That is practical everywhere. The father and son—the son may obey the father, and the son may disobey also. That is the choice of the son. That is given there, that every individual living entity has got this minute quantity of independence. And as soon as we misuse this minute quantity of independence we are in the hands of māyā. Just like in every country... You are American. You are considered to be independent. But that does not mean that you are absolutely independent, you can do whatever you like. But you have got the right to do whatever you like. But as soon as you misuse your independence, you are in danger, although you belong to the independent nation. So there is possibility of misusing the independence at every moment. Therefore we have to continue Kṛṣṇa consciousness so this possibility of misusing the independence will no longer live. All right.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

This is real upakāra, to save from the cycle of birth... Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This life, we are thinking that "I am eighty years old or ninety years old." But it is not eighty years, ninety... It is mṛtyu. Mṛtyu. You are dying every moment. It is the life of mṛtyu. Therefore one has to save. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. A child is grown up, five years old. Suppose he'll live hundred years. So that means he has already died five years. Therefore it is mṛtyu. Or we have grown eighty years old. That means... Suppose I live hundred years. Still, I have already died eighty years. Therefore it is mṛtyu. The whole life is mṛtyu. Every moment you are dying, dying, dying, dying, from the very birth. Suppose a child is born one hour before. So one hour passed means he has died one hour out of hundred years, the beginning of death. This is called mṛtyum. So we are thinking, "We are growing. We are living." This is all mugdha, bewildered. Where you are growing, you are living? You are dying every moment.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1977:

So tad-vijñānam, you cannot imagine, speculate. That is not possible. You have to learn it from a person who is tattva-darśinaḥ, who has seen God. Even by seeing, you cannot... Just like Lakṣmīdevi, she is seeing every moment, constant... Even she does not know. Asruta-purva. Adrstāsruta-purva. So whatever we see or we do not see, everything is there. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says: "Whatever you see, whatever you experience, I am the origin of everything." So anger must be there. How you can say that "God should not be angry. God should not be like this. God should not..."? No. That is not fact. That is our inexperience.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

In this way we have to make progress. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person, even if he is a brāhmaṇa with good qualification, if he is not a devotee of the Lord, then he is good for nothing. He says, "He is good for nothing." Viprād dvi-ṣad-guṇa-yutāt. And when who is good? Now, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Better than him, even a person is born of a very low family... In India it is considered according to Vedic, that low family is considered one who eats the dog, dog-eaters. Of course, there are many kinds of flesh-eaters, but when a man becomes the eater of dog flesh, he is considered to be very low. So śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. So there is a class in India, they are called caṇḍāla. Everywhere there is. They eat dog flesh. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "It doesn't matter. But if he is a devotee of Lord, he is better than that brāhmaṇa, that brāhmaṇa with good qualifications. And he, although he is born of a low family..." Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Why he is variṣṭham? Now, manye tad-arpita-mano: "Because his mind and attention is always engaged in the service of the Lord." That is his qualification. That is making him purified in every moment. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ-kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17).

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So people do not understand. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. They are simply making arrangement how to become happy. It is not possible to become happy here. That's a fact. But still they are. Therefore they are called mūḍhas, rascals. Which will never be possible, and they are trying for that. You see, whole world is trying to be happy. They are discovering so many technological arts, but they are dying. They cannot. They have invented horseless carriage, having very, I mean to say, speedy carriages, but there are so many dangers. Every moment the life can go, the motor accident. It is happening in the Western country. So whatever you do for the advancement of material civilization, you are one side increasing more danger. If you did not discover these aeroplane and motorcar, then death would not have been so easier. You could live at least for some days. But because you have discovered some facilities, your death is also very become near. So this is prakṛti. You are trying to solve the problem in one way, and the problem is becoming more dangerous and difficult by the laws of nature. That these rascals cannot find even. They continually working. There is a verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, paśyann api na paśyati. They are so big rascals that paśyann api na paśyati: even they are seeing every moment that "All our endeavors are being baffled," still, they'll try for it. They'll try for it, again and again. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). These things are... Punaḥ punaḥ, again and again, chewing the chewed, this is their business. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. The mūḍhas, they do not find that "All our attempt..."

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

So evaṁ janaṁ nipatitaṁ prabhavāhi-kūpe. Ahi kūpa. Ahi means the serpent. So we have got these serpents surrounded by us, surrounded, all round. What are the serpents? The senses. Everyone, we are in the dark well surrounded by serpents, this body. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung this song, śarīra avidyā-jāl, jaḍendriya tāhe kāla. Kāla means serpents, kāla-sarpa. Kāla-sarpa, it can bite at any moment and finish you. We are being bitten every moment. It is Kṛṣṇa's grace that we are living. Otherwise our senses are so dangerous that it can bring me down at any moment, kāla-sarpa. There are many places, kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁstrāyate. One devotee says, "Yes, I am surrounded by kāla-sarpa, the serpent, that's nice, but I can break the teeth." But if kāla-sarpa is the... What is called, that? Fangs? If they are broken—they are taken out—they are no more dangerous. Dangerous. They are dangerous so long the fangs are there. So protkhāta-daṁstrāyate. Śrī Prabodānanda Sarasvatī said, kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁstrāyate: "Yes, I have got my kāla-sarpas, but by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I have broken the fangs, so it is no more fearful." How it is possible? By the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is possible. Just like you can break the fangs of the... There are expert snake charmer. Because this poison is required for some medicinal purpose, so they take it out.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So long I am identifying with this body, then my..., I am in ignorance, I am a go-kharaḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). But unfortunately, these people are going under the identification of this body. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am white," "I am black," "I am learned," " I am fool," " I am rich," "I am poor." All these designations are our ignorance. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says dehinām. Anyone who has accepted this body, tat sādhu manye 'sura-vārya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyam. Because the living entity, although spirit soul, he has accepted this material body, asat. Asat means which will not exist. This body will not exist, but we forget that. This is the most wonderful thing in this material world. Everyone is dying every moment, still one who is living, he thinks that he will live forever. That is the most wonderful thing.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

The Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja asked by Dharmaraja that "What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" he said, "This is the most wonderful thing." What is that? Ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yama... "Every moment people are dying." Lokani, every planet. Not that in this planet there is death; in other planet there is no death. No. Within this material world every planet, either Brahmā or the small, insignificant ant, must die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everyone has to die. There is no excuse. So, and still they are planning permanent settlement. So, this is their vimūḍhaka.

Lecture on SB 7.9.44 -- Delhi, March 26, 1976:

This is the conviction of a (person) perfectly convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The preacher who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they must be convinced that without accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody has any means of escaping these stringent laws of material nature. It is everywhere stated. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. Unfortunately, the conditioned souls, although they are very, very much afflicted with the pressure of material nature, they have become callous. Every moment, every second, they are being controlled, and still they are thinking they can do anything and everything independently. So in this way they are suffering. But a learned, saintly person... Prahlāda Mahārāja, he thinks that "Without delivering these fallen souls, alone I am not prepared to go back to home, back to God." Naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān.

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

So we have to practice this bhakti-yoga according to the direction of the authorities. Then you'll realize Kṛṣṇa. Then the cause and effect, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam... (Bs. 5.1). Everything will be realized and every moment you will see Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). So unless we get that stage, we should not imitate personalities like Haridāsa Ṭhākura and others. We should wait for. That is the ultimate stage. But we should practice and work actively for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976:

So these are not to be copied or imitated. Gradually, as we advance, we can understand that how Kṛṣṇa is all-pervasive. And something is described in the Bhagavad-gītā... You cannot say that "I have not seen Kṛṣṇa." This is, I mean to say, foolishness. They say, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" But thing is that he has no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can be seen. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). If you increase your love for Kṛṣṇa, then you can see Kṛṣṇa every moment, everywhere. That is the way. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Those who are advanced, saintly persons, they see always Kṛṣṇa. That stage you have to reach. That is the idea. Sarvaṁ tvam eva saguṇo viguṇaś ca bhūman. Bhūman means the great. That is greatness of Kṛṣṇa. "God is great." We should understand how great He is. This is the understanding of His greatness. Bhūman. If simply we say God is great and kūpa-maṇḍūkya-nyāya... You know the story, the frog within the well.