So the present situation is the so-called modern civilization, they have no knowledge of God, although they are trying to study the laws of God. But they should accept at least theoretically there must be God. How I can say God is dead? Because if God is the law-giver, by His order everything is moving nicely. The sun is rising exactly at the time, the moon is rising exactly at the time, the seasonal changes are taking place exactly in due course of time. Everything is going on. Foods are grown for our feeding, for animals. Everything is going on nicely. So how I can say the manager who is managing all these things, He is dead? How we can accept? These are imperfect knowledge or demonic knowledge or rascaldom.
Feed (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:
As I have repeatedly told you, that... Especially I have seen practically in America, in Africa, in Australia, there are so much immense scope for producing food that ten times of the whole population of the world could be fed simply by utilizing the open land still available. So there is no question of scarcity. We have simply mismanaged. Due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have mismanaged things. Kṛṣṇa says,
- bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
- sarva-loka-maheśvaram
- suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
- jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
- (BG 5.29)
If you want peace, then you try to understand these three principles of life. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. No one else. All servants. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Everyone is servant. Not that "Oh, everyone is equal to Kṛṣṇa." That has become a cheap business. So many kṛṣṇa-avatāras and so many demigods, they are counted as good as Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me."
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:
So actually, there is no scarcity of food. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. God is so kind. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is feeding many, many millions and trillions of living entities. In Africa there are millions of elephants. Who is feeding them? Kṛṣṇa is feeding them. So these economic questions, overpopulation question, these are not actually problems. Problem is scarcity of God consciousness. This is the problem. Therefore we are suffering. It is not my manufactured word. It was said by my Guru Mahārāja. He said that "I don't find any scarcity in the world except the scarcity of understanding Kṛṣṇa. That's all." So this jñānam... This is jñānam. Jñānam means that "I don't belong to this material world. This... My body is material, but I am different from the body." This is jñānam. So the necessities of my body, it must be supplied. It should not be neglected. But we should not be busy simply for the necessities of the body. We are spirit soul. The spirit soul has got its necessity. We must fill up that. Then we will be happy.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
This is very important point. People are very much interested in welfare activities for the human society. So they think that by feeding poor men or giving cloth or opening hospitals, schools, colleges—"These things are required. What is the use of hearing about Kṛṣṇa?" That is their opinion. But these welfare activities are extended selfishness. This word we learned from our Guru Mahārāja: "extended selfishness." Just like I love myself for my sense gratification, and then I extend it to my son. I am gratifying my senses. I have got my wife. And to get my son another wife... The principle is the same. Then my grandchildren, then my great-grandchildren. Or, not only limited with the family, then society, then community, then nationally, then internationally. But they are all extended selfishness. Yes. Without knowing what is the real self-interest. Therefore we find so many faults in such welfare activities. In... They are opening hospitals for the human beings, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā, but the poor goats and cows, daridra-nārāyaṇa—they are also daridra-nārāyaṇa according to the definition—but they are being killed. For one daridra-nārāyaṇa, another daridra-nārāyaṇa is being killed.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:
When you read Bhagavad-gītā, you should know that you are talking with Kṛṣṇa directly: kṛṣṇa-kathā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advises, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, kṛṣṇa-kathā, this should be spread all over the world. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "I don't find any scarcity within this world, except Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Exc... Actually, that is the fact. There is no scarcity all over the world. In India there may be scarcity, but outside India still there are so much vacant places, especially in Africa, in America, in Australia, in New Zealand, that ten times of the population of the whole world can be fed. Still. There is so much potency of producing food grains, milk, and other things. Profusely. In America, they throw away so many grains and vegetables daily. It is simply mismanagement. Otherwise, there is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. It is simply propaganda. Because they cannot manage, the foolish people, they present the population has increased and the foodstuff is not properly supplied. Foodstuff is always sufficient. But when there are demons, the supply is restricted by nature.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:
Those who are simply working for betterment of life or standard of life or economic development-dharma, artha, kāma. Kāma means sense gratification. That is already explained. Kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. But they are thinking that indriya-prīti, sense gratification, is the highest perfection of life. But Bhāgavata says, or our Vedic authority says, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. So karmīs, they are rejected. They are not fit for spiritual life, at least, so long they remain karmīs. Muḍḥa. That I have explained last night. Then, out of many thousands of karmīs, one becomes jñānī, jñānī, in true knowledge. They are called jñānī. When one is fed up with this karmī, he comes to the stage of jñānī, knowledge, that "I am not this body. Why I am working so hard for this body like cats and dogs?" He comes to the platform of jñānī. Then above the jñānī, the yogi. Those who are trying to connect, link with the Supreme, they are called yogi. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. In the yoga stage, there is control of the senses. So yogis, and then bhaktas. Karmī, jñānī, yogi, and bhakta. Bhakta means devotee.
Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:
So Kṛṣṇa, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati... (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa's vow is that He will see always His devotees are protected. So when they were perplexed, Kṛṣṇa came. Kṛṣṇa came that "What is the problem?" They explained, "This is the problem." Then asked Draupadī that "You have already finished..." Because Draupadī had an, a benediction that so long she does not take his (her) lunch, any number of men come, she, she will be able to feed. That was his (her)... But she had finished her lunch. then Kṛṣṇa said, "Just go, find out some foodstuff, any little in the kitchen." They said, "No, everything is finished. There is no food." "No, just try to see." Then, in one pot, they saw a little śāk, a vegetable, was stuck up. So they brought it and Kṛṣṇa took it, immediately. So as soon as Kṛṣṇa took, all the Durvāsā Muni and company, they, they felt that their belly is filled up. Tasmin tuṣṭo jagat tuṣṭaḥ. So they were feeling ashamed that "How we shall go? We cannot take any food?" So they fled away from the Ganges.
Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:
So the process is this, actually. If you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa, if Kṛṣṇa says, "All right," then every, everything is all right. Bas. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Somehow or other, you satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Then you have all perfection. Very simple method. You try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and your everything satisfied. Every, everything is perfect. Kṛṣṇa also says that. It is not very difficult to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says, "You want to feed Me. That's all right. You collect little flower, patram, a little leaf... Whatever you... Not that all. Any one of them." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, a little water, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Real thing is bhakti, love, devotion. Not that Kṛṣṇa is asking you, "Bring volumes of luci, puri, kacuri, halavā." No. Kṛṣṇa wants your love. Real thing. Bhaktyā. Yo me bhaktyā prayac... Kṛṣṇa is not beggar, neither Kṛṣṇa is hungry, that He has come to your place to eat something. That's not the position, Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa wants only your love. Just like father takes the responsibility of the whole family. He works hard day and night to maintain the family. He expects only love from his wife and children. That is the impetus of economic development. Otherwise he's earning daily thousands and lakhs of rupees. It is not that he will eat. He will eat that four cāpāṭis. That's all. Worth six annas. But he works so hard just to be satisfied that his wife, his children love. When he comes at home, he sees them very satisfied.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:
So at last he satisfied himself that "There is no need of the grapes. It is sour." So this brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā is like that. When one is fed up or tired of this world, he cannot enjoy it due to age or other circumstances, at that time, he says, jagan mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? If God is truth, then creation of God is also truth. Why it should be mithyā? But because he has no knowledge, sufficient knowledge of the Vedic instruction, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (ISO 1), he does not know that creation of God is complete.
There is no defect. When God created this world, he created it perfect. Take, for example, we require water. So in every planet there is sufficient water, these oceans and seas. And they are very nicely preserved, adding with, what is called? Salt? What is the chemical name? Sodium...?
Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the same thing is confirmed, that the brāhmaṇas are the face of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, according to our Vedic civilization, whenever, whenever there is any ceremony, the brāhmaṇas are..., are sumptuously fed. Because brāhmaṇas are considered to be the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mouth, the business of mouth is to speak and to eat. So brāhmaṇa's business is to speak Vedic knowledge, distribute Vedic knowledge. Veda-vādī. That is their speaking. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja used to do.
Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:
So any incarnation... We should be very careful, that, although there are many thousands and thousands of incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, still, when we have to accept somebody or something as incarnation, we must refer to the śāstra. Then it will be right. Otherwise, we shall be misled. That is being done. So many. In the street, in the lanes, there are so many gods. And especially the god, all the gods are going to Western countries. Especially. Because the Western people are now inclined, especially after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are, they are... They were prepared. They were hankering after this God consciousness, because they are fed up with this all nonsense civilization. These young boys and girls, they are fed up. They do not want to live like their fathers or grandfathers. They want something better.
Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:
That from the life of King Pṛthu we can understand. We are discussing that in the Fourth Canto, the life of Mahārāja Pṛthu, how good government can be maintained. Pṛthu Mahārāja is the ideal king. He produced, he made arrangement. The earth was not producing sufficient foodgrains, so he attacked the earth that "Why you are not producing?" The mother earth said that "Because the people have become demon and they are simply eating, but they are not doing their duty. Therefore I have minimized producing grain." This is to be very important, that the earth can produce any amount of foodgrains. There is no question of overpopulation. There is no question of overpopulation, because everyone is being fed by the mercy of God. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. God is giving everyone the foodstuff.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
So this is the policy of the demons. Therefore, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). When people become, the inhabitants of all different planets, they become very much perturbed on account of these demonic... In this Kali-yuga especially, the demons are so large in number that people are actually in harassment. Every year, they are presenting taxation bill. And wherefrom the taxation will come? The taxation will come from your pocket and my pocket. They will charge income tax, and the storekeepers will increase the value of commodity. So you have to pay. So you are, we are complaining, "Oh, the things are going high price." But why? Because the demons are levying taxes. The... It is not the scarcity of goods. There is sufficient commodity, sufficient. But they have made a economic plan. Just like in your country, the government said that "You don't produce more." Why? If one can produce... Kṛṣṇa has given food. You have to simply little work and produce your food. But in order to keep the balance of price, they say, "Don't produce." Why not produce? So many people are, they are... If actually we produce foodstuff in the ordinary way, then we can produce foodstuff so much that ten times of the whole population of the world can be fed. Ten times. There is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. We create. These demons, they create.
Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:
So Advaitācārya said, "No, no, no. I'm not doing anything against the śāstras, so nobody can criticize. I'm doing nothing against the śāstra." So in the śāstras... Jīva Gosvāmī also has given quotation from the śāstra that it doesn't matter from which family a person is coming, but if he's a pure devotee, he should be taken all care, and he should be offered charity, he should be offered prasādam. All care should be taken for him. There is śāstra indication. So Advaitācārya said that "I am doing the right thing. And by feeding you I am feeding daily many millions of brāhmaṇas by feeding you. By feeding you." These are statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So this offering prasādam, the putra, a right putra is meant for offering prasādam to Viṣṇu so that his forefather and father may be delivered. That is the system of putra.
Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:
Very simple process of awakening Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This ātma-ruciḥ... Ātma-ruciḥ means attraction for the self, or soul. There are ātmā. Ātmā means sometimes this body. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Gross materialists, they think that "I am this body." That is also ātma-ruciḥ. They are busy to maintain this body, to decorate this body, to feed this body, to satisfy the senses of the body. This is also ātma-ruciḥ, because the body is also called ātmā. So this is another ātma-ruciḥ, materialist. Then ātmā means mind also, mental speculation, very much busy in mental speculation. That is also ātma-ruciḥ. And the, the topmost ātma-ruciḥ, topmost means that is real ātma-ruciḥ, to be attracted by the self or Superself. That is ātma-ruciḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:
Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). This is the facility of this age, Kali-yuga. This is the only facility. In Kali-yuga you cannot perform meditation or perform big, big sacrifices, as they are mentioned in the Vedas. Or you cannot perform even Deity worship very nicely. There are so many flaws. Everything is very difficult. And charity... And there are so many. Śamena damena dānena tyāgena. So where is the money I shall...? There is no money even to feed me. I am eating... This morning I do not know what shall I eat in the evening. This is the position at the present moment. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ, kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. The life is also very short duration, and so many disturbances. Not only disturbance of the Kali-yuga, but the disturbance by the government also, by the demigods. There is scorching heat, there is severe cold. And ati-vṛṣṭi, sometimes more than we want, there is rainfall. Sometimes there is no rainfall. And in this way there is scarcity of foodstuff. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa, and taxation. These are the disturbances. So many. One side, taxation by the government, another side, by nature there is scarcity of food and there is scarcity of rain.
Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:
But they remained silent. Silent means they did not like the idea. Because Bhīma had many old grudges against Duryodhana, because when Draupadī was being insulted, they had to sit down silent, no protest. There were so many incidences-rivalry, insult and counterinsult. So they took the opportunity of feeding the old grudge by fighting. Everyone was determined, "I must kill." Duryodhana was determined to kill Bhīma, and Bhīma was determined to kill. So when they did not listen to the instruction of Baladeva, then Baladeva left the place. He went to Dvārakā, back. Of course, Kṛṣṇa was there, because Kṛṣṇa was to give hint to Bhīma how to kill Duryodhana. So Duryodhana, by the blessings of his mother, his whole body became iron-like solid. So by beating by the Bhīma, it was not easy. So the story is that Gāndhārī, the mother of Duryodhana, she was great chaste woman. Because her husband was blind, she used to remain as blind woman covering the eyes. But she had some power. Chaste woman, anyone who sticks to the regulative principles, he gets a power, spiritual or material. He gets power. A brahmacārī gets power if he follows brahmacarya. Everyone, if we follow the prescribed rules and regulations, automatically you become powerful.
Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:
In New York we are spending twelve lakhs of rupees alone per month. Now, we have got... This morning I was calculating. We have got 25 lakhs of rupees expenditure per month all over the world. But we have no anxiety. That is practical. We have no anxiety. One man who has got to spend 25 rupees, he has got anxiety. But we have to spend 25 lakhs of rupees, but we have no anxiety. Because we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mā śucaḥ, Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ mokṣayiṣyāmi sarva-pāpebhyaḥ (BG 18.66). "Oh, Kṛṣṇa will take care of me in such a way?" "Yes." "Oh, let me consider." Mā śucaḥ. There is no consideration. You do it immediately. Mā śucaḥ. Why mā śucaḥ? If you... Kṛṣṇa is unable to feed you? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Why you talk of nonsense, population? There is no question of population. But if you are sinful, if you are godless, then however restrictive means you take... What is that? Sterilization? You have to starve. There is no question of diminishing the population. It is a question how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise, everything will be finished.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:
You'll get everything." Now, where is the proof? The proof is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and spending crores of rupees. Simply. What we are doing? We are not doing any business. We have not many professional men. But why we are getting...? We are spending eight lakhs of rupees per month. And we have got food, we have got milk. We are, rather, feeding others also, bringing food. So why don't you see practically how these Kṛṣṇa conscious people... They... They know that we are fabulously rich. This question was raised in Parliament also. So how we became fabulously rich? We do not do anything. I have not taught you anything magic. I simply request you, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen times please!" But you... We are not even following that. This is the only remedy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32).
So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Īśvara. He's teaching us this yajña. He's giving us the hint. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). If you do not accept this movement, then you'll go on suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering. If you don't accept this principle, then your future is simply suffering.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :
God is creator of this cosmic manifestation. Therefore it is said prakṛteḥ. Prakṛteḥ means this material nature. Param, superior, beyond. Prakṛteḥ param alakṣyam: but not visible. God is not visible to everyone. He is visible—"Here is God"—but those who have not developed the eyes to see God, they think "Here is a doll, and these foolish people are worshiping a doll." No. He is God, Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa. This is called arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa agrees to accept your service. If you want to serve the universal form of God, that is not possible. Where you will get so big dress to cover Kṛṣṇa, if He appears in His universal form.? (laughter) But He is so kind that He has come in a form. Because He is almighty, all powerful, so whatever you can provide, you can dress Kṛṣṇa, you can feed Kṛṣṇa, you can decorate Kṛṣṇa. It is His mercy, to become handy for your service. This is called arcā-vigraha.
Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:
These rascals, karmīs, they do not know. They want to become happy by their own endeavor. That is called karmī. They are working very hard—the same thing—to be very happy, and the devotee is also trying to become happy. Everyone is trying. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Everyone is trying to be, become happy, because to become happy is our natural tendency. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Everyone is trying to become happy. But the karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, they do not know how to become perfectly happy. They're making their own endeavor. Karmīs are trying to work harder, hard, day and night, to get money. "Some way or other, never mind black and white. Bring money. I must have nice car, nice house, nice bank balance." This is karmī. And jñānī, when he is fed up with working, when he understands that "This working hard and bank balance could not make me anyway happy, so therefore this is false, all these activities, what I am..." The brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. So they become disgusted and take to Brahman. Brahma satyam.
Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:
That is called dāsya-rasa, to become the servant of the Supreme Brahman. Then further advance. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman" will not give you...
Just the same example... It is very easy, that, if you simply understand you have got much money... Just like we are trying to purchase land, but purchase land means I must have money. So money is there. So why I am not happy? Why I am trying to purchase land? To utilize the money. That is required. Every businessman has got money, enough money. But why they are active in the business circle? They are going to the market, share market, this market. Utilize the money. The same thing, simply to understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi... Therefore they fail. All these so-called sannyāsīs, simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I have become now Nārāyaṇa," not giving them satisfaction, but because they have no information about rendering service to the Para-brahman, they come to again to this material field to render service, to open hospital, to open school, to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa, and in this way they imagine because they want activities.
Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :
In, in, in our Vedic literature we don't find any mention anywhere about the factory. No. There is no mention. And how opulent they were. Even in Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana, as soon as Kaṁsa invited Nanda Mahārāja, immediately they took wagons of milk preparation to distribute. And you will find in the literature they are all well dressed, well fed. They have got enough food, enough milk, enough cows. But they are village, village men. Vṛndāvana is a village. There is no scarcity. No moroseness, always jolly, dancing, chanting and eating. So we have created these problems. Simply you have created. Now, you have created so many horseless carriages, now the problem is where to get petrol. In your country it has become a problem. Brahmānanda was speaking to me yesterday. There are so many problems. Simply unnecessarily we have created so many artificial wants. Kāma-karmabhiḥ. This is called kāma.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
So long the life is there, everyone is thinking, "I have got this responsibility. I have got this responsibility. I have got this responsibility," and they are working very, very hard and doing all nonsense. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Now, somebody's stealing for the sake of family maintenance, doing so many sinful activities, but when they are scattered again by the laws of nature, nobody will be sympathetic to me if I suffer for my own sinful activities. But they do by the so-..., for the so-called family. They get money, and they... Due to affection... First of all, whatever he earns, by hook or by crook, first of all he wants to see that his wife, children, are fed up very nicely. And, at last, if there is some remnants, he can eat, out of affection. You see?
Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:
This is represented by the alphabet pu, and trāyate, tra. Combined together, putra. The putra's duty is to save the father from hellish condition of life. Therefore there is śrāddha ceremony. So here is a putra. Real putra, Prahlāda Mahārāja, that he saved his father from the hellish condition of life. Similarly, a father should be the protector of his child not only simply by feeding him, making him very fat in this life, but from death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum, pitā na sa syāt. One should not become father, one should not become mother, one should not become guru, one should not become relative, husband, and so many. The list is there. Why? If he cannot save his subordinate from imminent death. That is father; that is mother; that is guru. And how one can be saved from imminent death or repeated death? Simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:
So from the material point of view, everyone must be prepared to pay, to take protection. But does it mean that if one becomes devotee he becomes irresponsible? No. These things automatically come. Just like we are giving protection to the children. So many children are here. Why? What is the aim? The aim is that we want to see that everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That automatically comes, to take care of the children, to give them education, to give them food, to give them shelter. That is real protection. And simply to give them... Just like in Western countries they feed the children with powdered flesh, mixed with water, boiled, and push with the spoon, and... They become fatty, of course. But that is not really maintaining the children, that is not really. Śāstra says that unless you save him from the imminent danger of death, then there is no protection. What is this protection? Suppose if you make your child very fatty. Does it mean because he's fat, he is very strong, therefore he'll not die? He'll die.
Lecture on SB 1.9.40 -- New York, May 22, 1973:
There is no consideration. Love has no such thing, consideration. Similarly, gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa was pure. There was no consideration that Kṛṣṇa was God, therefore they wanted to dance with Him. No, Kṛṣṇa wanted to dance with them, therefore they came to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is now calling by the vibration of His flute at this dead of night. So, all these young girls, they are all married—some of them are mothers—so immediately (they) left their home. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Some of them were cooking, some of them were feeding, breast-feeding the children, some of them were feeding the husband or the father. In this way everyone was engaged, but as soon as Kṛṣṇa's flute was heard at dead of night, they left home immediately. All the guardians. Generally in India for young girls, the guardians are the father, the husband, the brother, all male members they forbid, "Where you are going? Where you are...?" Nobody cares. No love for so-called children, no love for home, no love for brother, father or no respect. Kṛṣṇa. That is gopīs' super-excellence. So that is being explained, and Bhīṣmadeva, at the point of his death, he is relishing. These are to be learned. Unless we are practiced to think of Kṛṣṇa always, how at the time of death we can think of Him?
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:
The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other. And they used to eat them, distribute amongst the friends. Sometimes a tiffin carrier was stolen by one boy, and he was searching, and then it was... So just like the boys do. This was the children's life, to take protection, to give protection to the cows, to the calves. The small children, up to six years, seven years old, they used to take care of the calves, and the elderly men, the used to take care of the... Or elderly boys, they used to take care of the grown-up cows. So the cows were fed very nicely. Vrajān. Therefore Vṛndāvana is called Vrajabhūmi, "where there are many cows." It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they are enjoying. So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy.
Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :
So, "Have you not taken care of old men and boys who deserve to dine with you?" So, this is Vedic culture. When there is foodstuff to be distributed, the first preference is given to the children. We remember, even now we are seventy-eight, when we were children, we were four, five years old, we remember. Some of you have seen that (indistinct), and if you, anyone here? You have seen. So, the first feasting is for children. So sometimes I was little obstinate, I'll not, sit down, "No, I'll take with you, (indistinct)." But that was system. First of all children should be sumptuously fed, then the brāhmaṇas, and children and old men. In the family, children and old men... Just see Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, how much he was anxious to take care of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Although he played, played the part of an enemy throughout, still it is the duty of the family member to take care of the old men. When Dhṛtarāṣṭra left home after being accused by his younger brother Vidura, so, "My dear brother, you are still attached to family life, you have no shame.
Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:
But a human being is also engaged for that purpose, "Where is stool?" or "Where is food?" Stool is his food, and we are also, whole day and night with motorcar going this or, "Where is food? Where is food?" Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). The whole day is spent, so many motorcars going this way and that way. What is the business? "Where is money? Where is food? Where is shelter?" And as soon as you get shelter, money, and food, kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Then "How to feed my children, how to feed my wife, how to feed my country, how to..., society?" That's all. This is anxiety. This is anxiety. They... Nidrayā hriyate naktam. At night they want to become anxiety-less by sleeping or by sex life. They want to forget anxiety. This is their business. Nidrayā hriyate naktam. They think that "If I sleep, then I shall be... Let me drink so at night there will be very deep sleep." That is not possible. You dream very ferocious dream, you are dreaming. So... And sex life, that is also temporary free.
Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:
They are thinking of personal interest. But they do not know what is personal interest, these rascals. Just like the same example I have given many times that the part and parcel of my body... Suppose this hand gets one nice sweetmeat, and if the fingers think that "It is our personal interest to enjoy the sweetmeat," that is mistaken idea. The finger's catching a sweetmeat cannot enjoy it. The real interest, personal interest is, give it to the stomach. Don't smash it. Give it immediately to the stomach, and your interest is fulfilled. Immediately your fingers will be fed. This is personal interest, to enjoy through Kṛṣṇa, not directly. But these rascals, they do not know. They defy Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa? I am Kṛṣṇa. I am God. I am everything." Therefore they are suffering. They do not know actually how to fulfill the personal interest.
Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:
But God is the whole family. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti. He's supplying food to the elephants. We are, we are so much advanced in civilization that because we cannot take care of a child, therefore we are killing child even within the womb of mother, abortion. We are so unfit. But God, you see, He's feeding millions of elephants in the Africa. Not only elephants, there are so many. Out of 8,400,000 species of life, there are 8,000,000 species of life nonhuman being, the majority—the birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, so many other living entities. But they have no business. They have no occupation, profession, to maintain themselves. So who is maintaining them? Who is there? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Even if within your room, there is a little hole, sometimes you'll find thousands of ants coming out. Have you got this experience? And who is feeding them? Who is supplying them food? They are living within that hole, millions, and hundreds and thousands of ants, but they're also eating, they're also sleeping, they have got their wife, they have got their children. But who is supplying food? So in this way, if you analyze that everything is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how Kṛṣṇa is great, or God is great. So that is a real civilization of life, to understand, to appreciate, to appreciate the greatness of God. That is real civilization.
Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:
These rascals, they cannot see. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). That is the defect. Nobody thinks that, that "I was embarrassed from the very beginning of my life. I was embarrassed even within the womb of my mother. I was packed-up. And when I came out from the womb of my mother, there also I was embarrassed. I could not express my pains and pleasure. I was crying. Some ant was biting me, but I was crying and my mother gave me more milk, (laughter) although I was fully fed." This is embarrassment. I wanted something; my mother gave me something else. Because mother cannot understand that what is the pain and..., neither he can express what is the pains and pleasure. So the embarrassment was at the beginning. Otherwise why the child cries? He's feeling some pain, but mother does not know how to relieve. But he's crying. This is going on. Then childhood. I do not like to go to school. My parents force me to go to school. So embarrassment. Then all right. I became married, or I enjoyed sex life. Then children. Then embarrassment. Contraceptive. That is also embarrassment. So this embarrassment is going on. And then again death. Then again go to the womb of the mother, and be killed within the womb of the mother, abortion. So the whole life is full of embarrassment. Why? That "why" question does not arise, that "Why I am embarrassed?"
Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:
In this way, this human form of life is very valuable. The more we are engaged in these animal propensities, more we waste our valuable life. That we should know. The more we decrease these animal propensities... The animal propensities means eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. So just see. The whole human civilization, how they are wasting their time in animal civilization. It is very serious thing, to be thought of by serious, thoughtful men, that "What we are doing as human being? Eating, sleeping and sex life and defending, that is done by cats and dogs. What extra things we are doing?" That is thoughtfulness. The extra thing is here, worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. This is wanted. This is extra thing. Therefore, those who are intelligent and fed up with this eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, they take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. They get something. "Yes, there is some..."
Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:
Out of that, we have only passed five thousand years, since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Now, still the balance is four lakhs and twenty-seven thousands of years. So just imagine, after five thousand years we have become so much deteriorated, and what will happen even four lakhs of years? The people will reduce to such small stature because they will not be properly fed. Just like at the present moment the stature of the body is reducing. It is reducing. One, my German Godbrother, in 1934, when he came, he was very... That Sadānanda. So he was very lean and thin. So I asked him that "You German people, I understand they are very robust. Why you are lean and thin?" So he told me that "In my childhood, in the First World War, the ration was controlled. Only children, we could get fat, butter." He showed his wristwatch: "This quantity only, once in a week." So unless people can get sufficient food, how the stature will remain? It is reducing. Now there is no rice, there is no ghee, there is no this, there is no... In this way rice will (be) completely finished. No more rice, no more wheat, no more sugar, no more milk. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So if you don't get all these thing, then how your body will be developed? It will reduce just like... At that time, eranḍopi drumāyate, the castor seed trees will be considered as very big tree. Eranḍopi drumāyate.
Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:
At least we should know. They have no intelligence. Because they are entangled. Just see this list. Here is, brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. Brahma-varcasa means those who are desiring to become one with the effulgence, to merge into the effulgence of the Lord. Varcasa. Varcasa means the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Just like the sun and the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahma, and His effulgence is called brahma-jyotir. So these jñānīs, they are desiring to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore, it is called brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. And kāma means desire. Therefore, they are still desiring. They are fed up with these ordinary desires. Ordinarily, they are desiring, "I shall become rich man. I shall become minister. I shall become this, I shall become that." And they are also desiring to merge into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. That is also desire, kāma. The word is explicitly said, kāma. Kāma means desire.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:
So according to Hindu custom, the householder is to keep always some foodstuff for athiti guest. Somebody may come without notice, so some foodstuff is already in the stock. That is called athiti food. And a gṛhastha, the householder, is ordered that before eating, a householder was to see in the members of the family, first the children must be fed, then diseased person must be fed, then elderly, old person must be fed. In this way, when everything is finished, then the proprietor of the household, he will take his meals, and before taking his meals, he will stand outdoors and call loudly, "If somebody is hungry, please come. Still there is food here." And if there is no response, then he'll take. This is the system of Vedic civilization.
Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:
You see. But still, he is working hard. And the example is ass. The ass takes a morsel of grass. It is worth nothing. The ass can get anywhere the morsel of grass. But still, he thinks that the washerman is feeding me. So he remains there. And in Mexico you found some asses, carrying loads. So they are carrying loads, very heavy loads, tons, for that morsel of grass, which he can get anywhere. But he thinks, "Oh, I will die. If my master does not give me a morsel of grass, I will die. So let me remain here and carry all the big loads." You see. Similarly, the karmīs, they remain at home. They think that "My wife, my children, my family—without them, I shall die. So I have to work to maintain them like an ass." That's all. The karmīs, they are working, accumulating bank balance, more, more, more, more, more, more. But forgetting the real mission of life. Therefore ass. Ass means fool. Whenever one man is called, "You are ass," that means he's a fool. So this human form of life, so valuable...
Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:
This is called śānta-rasa. Above this, somebody is giving me flower, sandalwood. This is called dāsya-rasa, serving. Better than ... This is silence; there is work. The śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, then, again develop, sākhya-rasa, more intimate, friendly. Then vātsalya-rasa, more intimate. Just like the parental affection. And more intimate, conjugal love. Just like young boy, young girl, try to love one another. So these rasas are there. Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is in love with the gopīs. He is playing with friends, cowherd boys. His affectionate Mother Yaśodā, feeding Him, and there are servants also, serving Kṛṣṇa. And the trees, the water, the flowers, they are serving silently. Pañca-mukhya-rasa, five chief mellows, humors. The same thing is here also. Here also the śānta-rasa, sākhya-rasa, dāsya-rasa is there. But that is mixed with material grains. Just like sweet rice. Sweet rice is very nice, but if it is mixed with some grains of sand, just imagine.
Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:
Our business is we want to sell books, not to make money. Now, if you simply take it formally... Hayagrīva has taken the formality. We have to keep some cows. Never mind we are to take payment from others. That is not cow protection. Cow protection means just like Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is tending the cows. He is going, taking the cows personally from His royal palace going to the forest whole day, working there. Is it not, cowherds boy? And taken some little fruit, mother, whatever mother has given. They are playing that. So this is cow protection, not that "Somebody will give money and we shall keep some third class cows and feed there and become cow protector." We must tend the cows very nicely so that they give us sufficient milk. And with that milk we shall live. "No, because we are giving protection to cow, you send money for the cows and the cow protectors, and earn money there and give us money. We shall eat nicely and sleep." As soon as this practice is going on, then next will be: "Give me some LSD, give me something else." This will go on. We don't want that.
Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:
Nine million dollars, and, to the... This is going on. In the Bhagavad-gītā we don't find anywhere a single line that "You raise funds for," I mean to say, "giving relief to the poor" or "to the suffering." Is there any instruction in Bhagavad-gītā? You have read. Can you find out? But these people, they have become more learned than Kṛṣṇa. In our country, Vivekananda: daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. The whole Ramakrishna Mission is collecting funds only on this rascal plea. One Swami Nikhilananda, he told me "Now the Americans are questioning that you are raising fund for feeding the poor, but when we go to India we see simply poor men. What you are doing with this money?" Actually they are doing nothing. They are collecting money in the name of feeding the poor, and they are living just like royal style, you see, eating all, everything.
Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:
So that is tattva-jñāna. Unless we understand the varieties of the Absolute Truth, if we simply stick to the indefinite, impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, then there is chance of falling down. Generally, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because they are not allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they simply remaining in the Brahman effulgence, and that does not stay. They fall down. Again they come down in these material varieties. We have seen many, many sannyāsīs. They first of all give up... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The jagat is mithyā." And ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I have no more anything to do. I have become Nārāyaṇa." Then he comes down again to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa. That's all. He becomes Nārāyaṇa, but he comes to take activities in feeding... But why? It is mithyā. You have already left. Why do you come here again? That means he hasn't got anything.
Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:
That is bhakti. That offering is not required... But Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, that He's asking from you little fruit, little flower, little... He is feeding... Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying all the necessities of everyone. So why He's begging from you? Because He wants that you love Him. That is Kṛṣṇa's want. You are suffering in this material world, you are entangled in this tree from one branch to another, rotating and suffering. So Kṛṣṇa wants that you do not suffer. You give up this business of jumping like monkey from this branch to that branch, but come to Him and surrender to Him. Śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. When this knowledge comes, that is perfect knowledge. Gato mukundaṁ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ parihṛtya kartam.
Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:
So similarly, Kṛṣṇa also becomes very... Kṛṣṇa and Kapiladeva, no difference. So Kṛṣṇa also becomes very beautiful. He's already beautiful. But when a devotee serves Him, a devotee comes to Him, He also becomes very beautiful. A devotee, when with his heart and soul, serves Kṛṣṇa in dressing Him, in feeding Him, in giving Him flower, He becomes smiling. And if you can get Kṛṣṇa, once smiling upon you, your life is fulfilled.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:
The more you enter into the spiritual bliss, the more you become joyful. That is spiritual. Spiritual, just like these boys, these girls they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Had it been hackneyed, how long they would have chanted? No. That is not possible. Unless it is spiritual, nobody can be satisfied simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. You take any other word, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," how long you will chant? After chanting for half an hour you will be fed up. But this is ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. The more you chant the more you become spiritually advanced. This is called ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Otherwise how one can be satisfied simply by chanting, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? They are not mad, they are not foolish. They are human being. And how they have given up everything simply by chanting if it is not ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam, if it is not increasing in spiritual blissfulness. Practical. They have forgotten everything, they are also young men. They don't go to cinema. Just one block after there is cinema, they will never go, giving up this chanting and go to the cinema. Don't you see practically?
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:
Bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavān. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavān and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavān then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavān is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavān and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavān is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavān, feeding the Bhagavān, chanting the Bhagavān's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavān, to publish books about Bhagavān. This is bhakti, bhakti bhāgavatī, simply in relation with Bhagavān, no other business, animittā, without any material desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). There is no touch even of jñāna. Jñāna means speculation.
Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:
So don't be attached to this illusion. Tamasi mā. Tamasi means ignorance. In ignorance, if you accept somebody as son or wife or friend, that is darkness. It is not actual fact. It is ignorance. Tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Go to the light." Have real friendship, real fatherhood, real lover, real beloved, real son. So if... And another point is that a devotee, real devotee, he doesn't want to be the son of God. He wants to be the father of God. Why? The father means he will simply give to the son. And son means he will simply take. So just like in the Christian philosophy it is said, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is one philosophy. That's a fact. God is giving. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is feeding everyone. That's a fact. But a devotee does not want to take anything from God. He does not worship God for his daily bread. One who asks daily bread from God, they are pious, but they are not devotees.
Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:
Pure devotees, as we have explained yesterday, they do not want anything from God. Even liberation they do not want, what to speak of this material... Therefore the philosophy of becoming the father of Kṛṣṇa is very perfect. Because one hasn't got to ask like the son asks from the father, "Father, give me this, give me this." Because devotee want..., doesn't want to ask anything from. Then how he can become son? Son business is to ask from father. Therefore they do not aspire to become the son of Godhead, but they aspire to be father of God. This is perfection-Nanda Mahārāja, father, Vasudeva, father. Kṛṣṇa will always ask. Just like Kṛṣṇa is always asking to suck the breast of Mother Yaśodā. Always demanding. And if she refuses, He'll create disturbance. And Mother Yaśodā is always thinking that "If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa nicely, He'll die." This is love. This is love. Therefore it is said that yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca. The devotee accept Kṛṣṇa as suta, as son, not as father. Father means exacting.
Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:
So everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. You do not... You, you can perform yajñas for ordinarily, but if you keeps, if you be simply under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, you do not require to perform different demigod yajñas, deva-yajña. That is not required. The example is given that if you pour water in the root of the tree, you do not require to pour water in the branches, in the twigs, in the flowers, in the fruits. It is automatically done. If you supply food to the stomach, then you do not require to feed the eyes, hands, legs, separately. There is no need; neither it is possible to give separate, I mean to say, food, materials for nourishing the different parts of the body. One place is sufficient. Similarly, if we worship Kṛṣṇa, the source of everything, the root of everything... Aham ādir hi yajñānām, devānām, deva-yajña.
Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:
Sarva-dehinām means all living entities in all forms of life. That is called sarva-dehinām. "I am for Indians and not for the Englishmen or Americans," or "I am for the human being. I am not for the cows and goats. They should be sent to the slaughterhouse"—these things are happening on account of no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, limited, crippled ideas. And it is going on in the name of philanthropism, nationalism, communism, this "ism" and that "ism." These "isms" will not help us unless you come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa-ism, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Practically. If we accept... The United Nations, is working so hard, but they cannot make that the whole world belongs to all living being. Then immediately it will be... All questions will be solved. I was discussing this evening: there is so much land still uncultivated. And if the overpopulated people are allowed to go there and cultivate and grow their food grains, ten times of the living entities on this face of the globe can be fed without any difficulty. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14).
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
So there are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and God is the creator of them, and He is supplying all the necessities of them. We human being, we have got different enterprises, but what the enterprises have got the elephant in Africa? There are millions of elephants. Who is feeding them? And the ant also. There are trillions and millions of ant in your room. Who is feeding them? So we do not believe in God. That is our defect. Otherwise, if God is providing food for the lower animals, why not for us if we become God conscious?
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
No, you can do it. As you are serving your country, your family, or your friend. You are serving already. It is not that you are not serving. Similarly, you can serve God. Just like, we find from Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna. Arjuna served God, Kṛṣṇa. He was a military man. So he was engaged in fighting. Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight for His interest, so he fought. That is service to God. Every position, as you are serving your country, your family, your friend, you can serve God also. (break) ...show you the example in every center, what we are doing. We are glorifying the Lord. We are preaching God's glory. We are publishing book for understanding God. We are cooking for feeding God. So many, all our activities are meant for serving the Lord, that's all.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
Guest: I am not saying anything to contradict you, just explain to me...
Prabhupāda: No, there is no contradiction. I am speaking that God is feeding even the animals, even the elephants, even the serpents, and why God will not feed the human kind. This is a wrong impression. Everyone has food fixed by God. Even if he is not serving God, God is supplying all the necessities, to the animals why not to the human being? This is wrong impression. (break) Yes? (break)
Jyotirmayī (translating for Guest): ...that at the beginning one, the word, and this word was God and this word was with God. So what is this word?
Prabhupāda: God, God and God's word. They're identical. God's, God and God's form, God's quality. God's, I mean to say, entourage, everything is God. That is called absolute. As, when I speak, my speaking is different from me, so that is not the case with God. God's words, the vibration of God, that is also God.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:
The instruction is still standing, Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya, "Just simply surrender unto Me." But nobody is doing that. God says that, "You surrender unto Me; I shall give you all protection." There is assurance. But we are so unfortunate that we cannot believe or cannot be assured on the words of God also. We do not believe. "Oh, God cannot give us protection. Let me try my own technology. I shall protect myself." This is the world(?). That means he's not detached with these material activities. Kṛṣṇa says also that "You give up..." Just like we are also saying. There are so many proposals. They come, philanthropists: "People are starving. We have to see first of all." The Communists say, "Then we can discuss about spiritual... There are so many people starving," as if they have taken contract for feeding them. But these are only simply big, big words. They cannot do anything. Neither they are willing. They are simply after their own sense gratification. Otherwise, why so many people all over the world, there is voluntary starving? Just like the hippies. Why they are lying down on the street, on the park, no fixed-up program for eating, sleeping? They are not poor men's sons.
Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:
Don't associate with nondevotee. If you want to make progress, don't associate. Associate does not mean to talk with a nondevotee is association. No. That we have to do. As gentlemen, as devotee, we can. But not intimately. Associate means dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. These are intimate relationship, dealing: giving something to your friend, accepting something from your friend, feeding your friend, accept food from him, and disclose your mind to your friend, and understand his mind. Ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam. So with devotee we should deal in six ways, ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti. Īśvare prema tad-adhīneṣu maitrī. This is friendly behavior. And kṛpa bāliśeṣu. Those who are innocent, does not know what is God or what is our relationship with Him, but they are not atheist—they do not know—to such persons, kṛpa, daya. Īṣvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu. And there is a class, dviṣat, sura-dviṣat, simply atheist.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:
They cannot see... A godly person sees that "Here is my brother. He is son of God. I am son of God. Without enlightenment, without knowledge of God, he is suffering. So let me give him some knowledge of God." This is godly person's business. He has no other business. He has no business to find out where to eat, where to sleep. Oh, that God provides for him. If God can provide food and shelter for cats and dogs, do you think God will not provide food and shelter for His confidential devotee? Is God so blind or ingratitude or unable? If He is able to feed innumerable living entities within this universe, does it mean that one who has sacrificed his life for God's service, he will starve? No. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati: (BG 9.31) "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, you declare it to the world that My devotee will never be vanquished." Never be vanquished. Another place it is said, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 9.22) "Those who are constantly engaged in My service, for them, I personally carry all the necessities to his home." So rest assured that if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you become God conscious, there will be no scarcity of happiness. Don't think that "If I devote my life only for Kṛṣṇa consciousness I will be starving." No. So this enlightenment is given by godly persons.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:
Therefore we are training our devotees to take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has willfully left after His eating, we take it. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He keeps the prasādam as it is. Because He's pūrṇa. He's not hungry. He's feeding millions of living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So He's not hungry. Neither whatever you are offering to Kṛṣṇa, it is your property. It is Kṛṣṇa's property. You cannot manufacture fruits, flowers, grains, or milk, or anything else. Anything eatable you cannot manufacture in your factory. That is Kṛṣṇa's manufacture. Therefore, actually, it is Kṛṣṇa's property. Simply you have to acknowledge: "Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind. You have given so many things for our eating. First of all, You taste. Then we shall take it." What is the difficulty? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
So therefore Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi mām (BG 10.14). This is devotee, that "I accept everything, whatever You say." This is devotee, not that I make some amendment and then I accept. And this is nonsense. You cannot... This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176) Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya means one man was keeping a hen and it was delivering every day a golden egg. So the man thought, "It is very profitable, but it is expensive to feed this hen. Better cut the head so I shall save the expenditure of feeing her, and I'll get the eggs without any charge." So these rascals, they take, accept śāstras like that. "Oh, this is not... That is very expensive. Cut this portion." And when Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who sees Me in everyone," "Oh, that is very palatable. That is very palatable." And when Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up everything. You surrender...," "Oh, that is not palatable." And this is ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. I accept things which are very favorable to my understanding, and other things I reject. This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. So people accept śāstras in that way, the Māyāvādīs.
Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:
After that, by force, pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, give up this family life. And if you don't give up, then you remain and go on begetting children. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). What is the happiness of this gṛhamedhī life, attached to family life? The only happiness is this sex, that's all. Otherwise there is no happiness. They are working day and night. Therefore, at the present moment the tendency is to kill the child. Because to enjoy sex life means there must be pregnancy. But when there is pregnancy, either illicit or..., legal or illegal, the child-bearing, the giving birth to the child, then taking care of it, then growing, raising, feeding him, education—so many troubles there is. But tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45).
Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:
He was very busy in enjoying the child's, how you would say, pastimes, and feeding him and taking him. In this way he was very much pleased, "My life is go like this." But the time of death, bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho na vedāgatam antakam. Antakam means the last day of life. Antakam means death. So death is called māyā. You are thinking, "Now I have arranged everything. Things are going very nicely. Now I'm very happy." But, all of a sudden, the death comes. That you cannot avoid. All of a sudden. That is... Death is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that death? That death is Kṛṣṇa, ūrdhva. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā: mṛtyu sarva-haraś ca aham. That means death will come, your all asset, your so-called children, your family, your bank balance, your friends, your country, your leadership, your pride and everything will be taken.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Honolulu, May 26, 1976:
So this is the general way of life. Everyone is engaged in these material activities, and the basic principle of material activity is gṛhastha, family life. Family life, according to Vedic system, or anywhere, is responsible life to maintain the wife, children. Everyone is engaged. They think this is the only duty. "To maintain the family, that is my duty. As comfortably as possible. That is my duty." One does not think that this kind of duty is performed even by animals. They have got also children, and they feed. What is the difference? Therefore here the word used is mūḍha. Mūḍha means ass. One who is engaged in such duties, bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan. Prapiban. Prapiban means drinking, and bhuñjānaḥ means eating. While eating, while drinking, khādan, while chewing, carva casya raja preya (?). There are four kinds of eatables. Sometimes we chew, sometimes we lick up, (Sanskrit) sometimes we swallow, and sometimes we drink. So there are four kinds of foodstuff. Therefore we sing catuḥ vidhā śrī-bhagavat-prasādāt. Catuḥ vidhā means four kinds. So we offer to the Deities so many foodstuffs within these four categories. Something is chewed, something is licked up, something is swallowed. In that way.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Honolulu, May 26, 1976:
So bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ. The father and mother takes care of the children, how to give them foodstuffs. We have seen Mother Yaśodā is feeding Kṛṣṇa. Same thing. This is the difference. We are feeding ordinary child, which is done by cats and dogs also, but Mother Yaśodā is feeding Kṛṣṇa. The same process. The process there is no difference, but one is the Kṛṣṇa center and other is whimsical center. That is the difference. When it is Kṛṣṇa-centered, then it is spiritual, and when it is whimsical centered, then it is material. There is no difference between material... This is the difference. There is... Just like lusty desires and love, pure love. What is the difference between lusty desires and pure love? Here we are mixing, man and woman, mixing with lusty desires, and Kṛṣṇa is also mixing with the gopīs. Superficially they look the same thing.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:
So Ajāmila also had a program. What was his program? His program was, as he is very much attached to his youngest child and whole attention was there, how the child is moving, how the child is eating, how the child is talking, and sometimes he was calling, he was feeding, so his whole mind was absorbed with the activities of the child. In the previous verse we have already discussed:
- bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan
- bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ
- bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho
- na vedāgatam antakam
- (SB 6.1.26)
Not only Ajāmila, everyone, they are absorbed in certain type of consciousness. And what is due to it? How the consciousness develops? It is said, sneha-yantritaḥ. Sneha means affection. "By the..., affected by the machine which is called affection." So everyone is affected by this machine. This machine... This body is a machine. And it is being worked by the nature. And direction is coming from the Supreme Lord. We wanted to enjoy a certain way and Kṛṣṇa has given us a certain type of body, yantra.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:
So this is the position. Without guru, if he is manufacturing his way of life, then he is mūḍha, rascal. Therefore it is said, mūḍha. He was thinking, "I am so affectionate father. I am taking care of my son, little son. In all respect I am feeding him, I am patting him, and so many things I am... I am very faithful and very honest father." But śāstra says, "Here is a mūḍha, rascal." You see here. It says, bhojayan pāyayan mūḍhaḥ. Why he is mūḍha? Na vedāgatam antakam. He does not say, does not know, that "Behind me, the death is awaiting. He has come to take me." Now, "How your affection for your so-called son and society and family and nation will save you? Here is death." That he cannot answer. He cannot answer that death is there. So we shall be prepared. That is human life. We must always know that "There is death behind me." At any moment he can capture my neck and take it away. That's a fact. Is there any guarantee that you shall live hundred years? No. Even just after few seconds, if you go to the street, you may immediately meet death. There may be heart failure. There may be motor accident.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:
Himāvatī: But then if you think further, that is that if you are going to make a program to feed the animals in your house, then won't more and more animals come into your residence? Suppose I feed these rats and I go on feeding them. Won't more and more rats come?
Prabhupāda: Well, the rats will be fed. Either you give or not, it will steal. So that is not the problem. But if you give them food, they will... Of course, that is Western philosophy, that because the animals are increasing, they should be killed. We Indians also, we have taken that view—because we cannot give protection to the cows, they must be sent to the slaughterhouse. That is the modern view. But that is not injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says that everyone has right to live, every living entity. That is going on not only in consideration of the animals—even in human beings. Just like the Americans, they were all Europeans, and they entered this American land, killed so many Red Indians. So these kind of things are going on, but that does not mean that is the law. You killed so many Red Indians for your benefit, but you have to suffer for that. So that... This is going on in the human society, but that does not mean it is dharma. No. Dharma means you have to abide by the regulation given by the Vedas. You have to adjust things. Sometimes in Africa the man-eaters, they kill their grandfather, make a feast. The Russians also, they maintain such theory, that old men, they should be neglected. I have heard. I do not know. They become burden. But that is not Vedic injunction.
Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:
So this philosophy is spoken by the Yamadūta that one has become conditioned on this false conception of life, that "I am puruṣa," but this misconception can be vanquished. It is not very easy to vanquish, but it can be. How? Īśa-saṅga. Associate with Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and you will be able to give up this false misconception of life. The whole world, material world, is going on. You can see any city, any big town you go, or even in the village in these countries. Everyone, from the morning to night, they are simply trying how to enjoy the material world: "How to enjoy? How to enjoy?" This is called karma-jñāna. When they are fed up, then "the grapes are sour." They give up: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. But that will not stay. If you... Even if you give up for the time being, that jagat mithyā—"We have no business with the jagat"—it may be sentimentally enduring for some time, but because you are not purified, therefore Bhāgavata says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Simply to understand that "I am not this material body, so I have nothing to do with this body, and I am spirit soul," simply this much knowledge is not perfect.
Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:
Just like we are distributing prasādam. Not that because he is poor man and we are giving prasāda, no. This is not our idea. To our eyes, the so-called poor man and rich man, they are all suffering, not that the simply poor man suffering and the rich man is not suffering. Therefore we give them prasādam or īśa-saṅga. That prasādam is also Īśa. The prasādam accepted by Kṛṣṇa, offered to Kṛṣṇa, is also Kṛṣṇa. So if we give prasādam, then he is getting the opportunity of associating with Kṛṣṇa. This is our idea. But people very much appreciate poor-feeding. So that, you can take it, that. But everyone is poor. Who is rich? Unless one has got knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, he is poor. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So-called knowledge has no value. Therefore a jñānavān, a man of knowledge, after many, many births he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So this is the process. Īśa-saṅgāt. So this prasāda distribution means giving chance to the people, those who are poor in knowledge, to awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is our policy. Otherwise we cannot do any good to any others.
Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:
In this way they make a big honeycomb. So a brāhmaṇas and kṣatriya, er, sannyāsīs, although they are meant for collecting, they do not collect heavy at a place. Little. Because they are collecting not for his sense gratification. He is collecting for satisfying Kṛṣṇa. So everyone is given chance, that "You give little. You give little. You give little," and whole thing is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. And just like here we have got the container of flour and container of rice. So although we are feeding two hundred men daily, still, it can be collected by muṣṭi. Everyone, gṛhastha, can come and place one muṣṭi attar. That is not difficult for him. He has got children, family. He is consuming five kilos of attar daily. Out of that, little, if it is put into the temple, he does not feel any burden. Therefore the collection... Sannyāsī, brahmacārī collects little, little, little from everywhere. That is called mādhukāri, exactly following the footsteps of mādhukāra, bumblebees.
Lecture on SB 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975:
"Justice must be done very nicely." Prajānāṁ pitaro ye ca śāstāraḥ sādhavaḥ samāḥ. Prajānām, children, or the citizens, prajā Prajā means who has taken birth, national. Prajānāṁ pitaro. Pitaro means father or anyone who takes the care of the children or the citizen like father. The government or the king—formerly there was king, now government—their position is just like father. As the father's duty is to see that the children, the son, is raised very nicely so that in future he may be very happy. This is the duty of the father, to see, not that simply to feed him and make him fatty. No. In the śāstra it is said, pitā na sa syāt. One should not become a father. This is contraceptive. Pitā na sa syāt jananī na sā syāt: "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a guru, one should not become a relative, one should not become a caretaker, one should not become the king..." Who? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "One who cannot protect the dependent from the clutches of death." This is sastric injunction. So how much the father and the government or the guru should be strong so that he can save his dependents from the clutches of death.
Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:
We commit sinful activities on account of ignorance. Therefore the best humanitarian work is to give knowledge to the humanity, not that one is suffering for want of food and... If I give some food, that is good work, but that is not sufficient. I may give food; that's all right. You give. We also give prasādam free. But that does not mean simply by giving prasādam, we are silent. We give knowledge also. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Food, automatically you have to give. That is... There is no prohibition. But at the same time: knowledge. Without knowledge-giving, if he remains ignorant... Just like the same example. If you have got some children, if you don't give them education, simply feed them, that is not your proper duty. You must give knowledge.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:
Brahmānanda: The acreage... For a cow to eat requires so many acres for that one cow, and then that cow is slaughtered and it only feeds a few men, whereas that same acreage could feed hundreds of men by grains.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: Seventeen times.
Prabhupāda: So these things are to be noted, how they are engaged in sinful activities. And the solution is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "Produce food grain." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:
So I see in your this Mauritius land, you have got enough land to produce food grains. You produce food grain. I understand that instead of growing food grains, you are growing sugar cane for exporting. Why? And you are dependent on food grains, on rice, wheat, dahl. Why? Why this attempt? You first of all grow your own eatables. And if there is time and if your population has got sufficient food grains, then you can try to grow other fruits and vegetables for exporting. The first necessity is that you should be self-sufficient. That is God's arrangement. Everywhere there is sufficient land to produce food grains, not only in your country. I have traveled all over the world—Africa, Australia, and other, in America also. There are so much land vacant that if we produce food grains, then we can feed ten times as much population as at the present moment. There is no question of scarcity. The whole creation is so made by Kṛṣṇa that everything is pūrṇam, complete. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). If we don't produce food grain—you require it—and put unnecessarily men into scarcity, that is sinful. That is sinful. Everything, every instruction for our happy life and to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make life perfect.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- San Francisco, March 16, 1968:
So their fathers were not very rich, but they had several cows, that's all. So the gopīs' method of Kṛṣṇa worship was that they could not forget Kṛṣṇa even for a moment. That was their qualification. There are many verses about the mental situation of the gopīs. I shall just try to explain you about their mentality, how they are loving Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa used to take His cows to the forest for pasturing. And the gopīs, when Kṛṣṇa was away from the village, the gopīs were thinking, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa's, I mean to say, foot is so soft, and He's walking barefooted on the stones and chips of stones, and they are pricking His foot. Oh, how much He's suffering!" In this way they were thinking and crying. Kṛṣṇa is away from the village and is walking in the forest, and the gopīs were thinking at home that, "How much troublesome the walking is that He has gone out." In this way there are so many. So while they were at home, while they were cooking or they were feeding their children, always they were thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That was their qualification. That's all. They were so much absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa that not a single moment were without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
So what is the result? This is the way of materialistic life. Life means that they should not work. Working hard, very hard working, that is the animal's business. The animal should be engaged to work hard for feeding, whole day. Just like the cow is standing here, sometimes eating this, sometime eating that, sometime eating that. What is the business? Only business: to fill up the belly. That's all. But after all qualification, if one has to do the same thing just to fill up the belly, working twelve hours, fourteen hours, then what is this civilization? Has this civilization given the opportunity that "Oh, you have no more to work. Simply sit down, every, all comforts." You can say some of the rich men, they are employing like that, but they are enjoying at the cost of others. They have made such machinery that hundreds of men will work for them and they will sit down and enjoy. What is the enjoyment? Women and wine. That's all. Therefore some, a section of people, revolting-Communists.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
like practical experience. I am saying from my practical experience that in my childhood I saw that India was exporting millions of tons of rice and wheat and other grains also, oil seed grains, huge export business. That India is now begging grains from other countries. You see. Why? Because they are gradually becoming godless. The population theory I don't believe, because if Kṛṣṇa is supplying, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān... And actually we find that there is no population problem. Amongst the animals, amongst the birds, there is no contraceptive method. They are increasing their population, and they are being fed by God. So why in the human society the population theory is so acute? Because they are becoming less than animals. The animals, they beget, they mate at a certain period, but a human being, at the present moment, they have no such restriction. Any time. Therefore they want contraceptive method.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
And when they are frustrated in satisfying the senses, they then want mokṣa. So after keeping in mokṣa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā... Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropy work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization. So this is coming and going, coming and going, coming and going. So real status of perfection is that you have to transcend even this position of mokṣa. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). The Śrīdhara Swami, a great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa, mokṣābhisandhy api nirastam: "Oh, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is above the idea of liberation." So unless we come to that point, pañcama puruṣārtha, fifth dimension... The dharma, first, the artha, second, kāma, third, mokṣa, fourth, and devotion is the fifth, fifth platform. Adhokṣaja, adhokṣaja. There are different stages of understanding: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparakṣa, adhokṣaja, aprakṛta. The ordinary understanding, direct perception, is called pratyakṣa. Now, higher than the pratyakṣa understanding is parokṣa, means to gather knowledge from the higher authorities. And above that, aparokṣa, realization. And above that, adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond the understanding of these material senses. And above that, there is aprakṛta, completely transcendental. So the bhakti is on the transcendental platform, beyond the adhokṣaja.
Lecture on SB 7.12.5 -- Bombay, April 16, 1976:
So why there shall not be scarcity of rain? And as soon as there is scarcity of rain, there is scarcity of food grains. And as soon as there is scarcity of food grain, so many so-called associations will come out, "Give us grain. We have to feed such and such person, such and such village." So it is not going to the village. It is collected, and they use at their own. And government also raise tax. There will be constant durbhikṣa. So to stop durbhikṣa, government will tax the people. These are all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anāvṛṣṭi durbhikṣa kara-pīditāḥ, acchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam (SB 12.2.9). In this Kali-yuga people will be very, very much harassed. First of all there is scarcity of rain, then scarcity of food grain, and then taxation by the government. These things we are expecting. It is already begun.
Lecture on SB 10.22.35 -- Bombay, March 19, 1971:
Etāvaj janma-sāphalyam. In order to make our life successful, dehinām iha dehiṣu. There are many embodied souls, 8,400,000 of species of life. Out of that, this civilized form of life, especially those who are followers of Vedic regulations, they are called the Aryans or the advanced civilized persons. So, it is obtained after many, many evolutionary process. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19). Labdhvā sudur... Sudurlabhaṁ idam bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. So dehinām iha dehiṣu, of all the embodied souls, this embodied soul, this human form of life is meant for liberation. We are entangled in this chain of repeated birth and death, old age and disease, but we are not yet fed up. We think that, "All right, let us go on like this," but that is not actually advancement of knowledge. That is ignorance. There is a way to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Therefore in this age, in this life especially, we should try to get out of this entanglement.
Lecture on SB 11.3.21 -- New York, April 13, 1969:
Now, in order to approach a bona fide spiritual master, one must be very much disgusted with this material way of life. That is very nice qualification. Unless one is disgusted with this materialistic way of life, that actually in this materialistic way of life there is no happiness... This proposition must be convinced by one, that he should know certainly that "In the material way of life I cannot become happy." This is the first condition. Tasmād. Tasmād means "therefore." Similarly, in Vedānta-sūtra also, atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā. When we become fed up, disgusted with the materialistic way of life, natural inquiry is then "What is next?" That "next," in order to understand that "next," the Vedānta-sūtra says, the Vedic knowledge says that tasmād gurum evābhigacchet. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Therefore one should seek after a bona fide spiritual master and learn there.
| Page Title: | Feed (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 14 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=79, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 79 |