Everyone is blind

Expressions researched:
"Everyone is andha, blind" |"everyone is blind"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Everyone is blind after material way of life. So the mission of human life is to get out of these clutches of māyā. That is the real mission of life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Śraddhā, to advance in spiritual life, the beginning is śraddhā, faith. That is faith. Śraddhā... Not exactly faith. Śraddhā means respectful: "Oh, it is nice." That is called śraddhā. So Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, in front of whom we are now speaking, he gave us the definition how one can make progress in spiritual life. Everyone is blind after material way of life. So the mission of human life is to get out of these clutches of māyā. That is the real mission of life. We are missing the point. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). We are accepting this body as everything. And the modern civilization means to enjoy bodily comforts as much as possible. That is perfection of civilization. No. That is not perfection of civilization. That they do not know. Especially the demons, the nondevotees, they do not know.

Because everyone is blind or in darkness, cannot see, so it is the guru's business to open his eyes, or to help him to see things as they are.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

Therefore, if you want real happiness, you must take the leadership of a man who has got eyes to see. Then it will be all right. So whose eyes are open? And that is in the Vedic literature said,

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

It is the business of the guru... Because everyone is blind or in darkness, cannot see, so it is the guru's business to open his eyes, or to help him to see things as they are. That is guru's business. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is covered by the darkness of ignorance. So how darkness can be moved? If there is light. Immediately, if you make the switch off of electricity, this room will be dark. And again you make the switch on, there will be light. Just like at night, we cannot see. Everything is dark because the light, sun, is not there. In the morning, as soon as the sun is there, again everything you can see. So things are there. Because we are in the darkness of ignorance, we cannot see them properly. I am there, you are there, God is there, everything is there. Simply we have to get the light or the proper situation to see things as they are. That is wanted.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Everyone is andhā, blind. They have no jñāna, no knowledge, and misleading only.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 10, 1973:

What do they know, these so-called scientists? They're simply falsely proud, taking account of this small duration of life, for ten to twenty years, fifty years, or at most hundred years, that's all. They do not know. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). And still they're becoming guide, they're becoming swamis, they're becoming gurus, they're becoming fathers, they're becoming government. How people can be happy? Everyone is andhā, blind. They have no jñāna, no knowledge, and misleading only. So the, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. You can have unlimited ānanda, but because you are falsely trying to enjoy through this material body, therefore you are becoming confused and frustrated. That they do not know. They think, "I have got this material body, I have got some senses, let me enjoy the senses to the best possibility." But you cannot do it, because it is false, it is not real. Real senses, unless you feel sensation, that sensation, consciousness is there because the spirit soul is there. Otherwise there is no sensation, and unless you feel sensation, there is no enjoyment.

Philosophy Discussions

Everyone is blind by the darkness of ignorance. And the guru's business is to lighten ignorance, the śalāka.

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

Śyāmasundara: But how does someone prove that something exists beyond his..., beyond our senses?

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. Just like child does not know. He simply sees the fan is running-superficially. But he does not know that there is electricity power, and there is a powerhouse. So that is lack of knowledge. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births, one comes to the real knowledge, and that is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Then he knows that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the original (indistinct). It is a question of knowing, and knowing through the direct current via media-guru. Otherwise he remains in darkness. Therefore guru-namastaya. Ajñāna timirāndasya. Everyone is blind by the darkness of ignorance. Jñānāñjana śalākayā. And the guru's business is to lighten ignorance, the śalāka. What is called, śalāka?

Devotee: Lamp.

Śyāmasundara: Torch.

Prabhupāda: Torch. Yes. Torchlight. The torchlight. Guru gives the torchlight, jñānāñjana śalākayā. What is that torchlight? By awakening his dormant knowledge. That is torch. Then he can see what is world.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, everyone is blind.

Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, everyone is blind. Yes, everyone is blind.

Guest: Without being...?

Prabhupāda: Being Kṛṣṇa conscious, everyone is blind. And they are trying to lead other blind men. So what will be the result? All of them will fall down on the ditch.

Everyone is blind, in darkness. So one who opens the eyes, by the torch of knowledge, he is guru.

Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi:

Harikeśa: But we don't know, so we're taking the known and speculating on that...

Prabhupāda: You do not know; therefore you have to learn. If you want to remain rascal, fool, and still you want to know, that is not possible. You have to know from the real source. Then you'll know. But if you keep yourself in the rascal platform, then how you will know? Just like you have to go to a school to learn things. So how you can learn at home? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). You have to go in order to understand that science. So how do you argue, keeping yourself in darkness? In darkness you cannot see anything. "Oh, I do not see anything; therefore there is nothing." Is that very good reason? You are blind, you cannot see the darkness. That is another thing. But things are there. You make your eyes operated and manifest your vision. Then you'll see. Therefore, ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. Everyone is blind, in darkness. He cannot see anything. So one who opens the eyes, jñānāñjana-śalākayā, by the torch of knowledge, he is guru. This is description of guru. If you are blind and have a blind guru, that is no use. Guru means who is not blind.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Just like blind man says, "Nobody is with eyes. Because I am blind, so everyone is blind."

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Madhudviṣa: They would say that there is a way of life which is perfect, but all men are imperfect. There is a way of life.

Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore they... Because you are imperfect, therefore you have to accept the leadership of a perfect person.

Madhudviṣa: They will say no one is perfect.

Prabhupāda: No, that is the... That is your ignorance.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have never seen...

Prabhupāda: Now, just like blind man says, "Nobody is with eyes. Because I am blind, so everyone is blind." Ātmavat manyate jagat. That is the way.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the whole thing is actually nonsense because Marx himself in his old age became senile and died in a crazy condition.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he must be. He was crazy always. Many, many leaders die like that.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Everyone is blind.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...without guidance of spiritual master.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Blind. We are blind, for sure.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is blind.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially we are the most blind. Your vision is the most keen.

Śatadhanya: That is the feature of your particular mercy. You have taken the most blind, the most fallen, hopeless, and you are succeeding in guiding them.

Prabhupāda: All right.

1969 Correspondence

In the materialistic way of life everyone is blind, and in spite of thousands of big blind leaders, the followers who are also blind cannot get any tangible benefit.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- New Vrindaban 8 June, 1969:

Regarding the Beatle hero, certainly you will find him nonsense. Actually they are nonsense, but in the Western part of the world it is a folly to be wise, and ignorance is bliss. This whole material civilization is gross ignorance, and therefore you cannot expect very intelligent persons in this part of the world. Even though one is a great philosopher, writer, or something like that, it does not qualify him to be one of the selected intelligent persons who take to Krishna Consciousness. There is another proverb in Bengali that in the forest a jackal is considered to be a great nobility because he is very cunning. Similarly, in the materialistic way of life everyone is blind, and in spite of thousands of big blind leaders, the followers who are also blind cannot get any tangible benefit. So you have done your duty to give him some impression about Krishna Consciousness. That is all right. We should not waste much of our time with these so-called leaders because they are jackals in the forest. They are not actually leaders. The only leader is Krishna and one who is Krishna Conscious. Others are simply misleaders.