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Final (Lectures, Other)

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 9, 1973:

Pradyumna: (reading) "Impersonalists are very fond of merging into the Supreme, like rivers that come down and merge into the ocean. The ocean can be compared with liberation, and the rivers with all the different paths of liberation. The impersonalists are dwelling in the river water, which eventually comes to mix with the ocean. They have no information, however, that within the ocean, as within the river, there are innumerable aquatic living entities. The sharks who dwell in the ocean do not care for the rivers which are gliding down into it. The devotees eternally live in the ocean of devotional service, and they do not care for the rivers."

Prabhupāda: This comparison that the rivers, it does matter from which way it is coming down to the sea, when they mix together, they become one. But if this comparison is taken, that the rivers merging into the sea, and when it mixes there is no separate existence of the river, but they do not see analogy. Analogy, according to law of analogy, the points of similarities must be one. Analogy is perfect when the points of similarities are there. Just like we say, "Your face is as beautiful as moon." That means the face, beauty of the face is as attractive as the moon is attractive. The points of similarity is there. We cannot say an ugly face, your face is like moon. That cannot be. That is not analogy because there is no points of similarity. That is the law of analogy. So similarly, if you make analogy that as the different rivers are, the water is coming down and mixing with the sea, then it becomes one, but there are other points. This is superficial vision. There is other points. The same water again becomes evaporated, and again thrown on the ground, and they again glide down as rivers. That is, this is a fact. But if you go deep into the water, just like the shark fish—the comparison is given there—the shark fish is never evaporated. The shark fish is within the water of the sea, and there is no question of evaporation. The water may be evaporated. So our point is, from śāstra we can understand,

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
(SB 10.2.32)

The point is that simply mixing with the sea water is not final salvation. Because the same example. The water is evaporated, again turns into cloud, then again falls, the same water again falls on the ground, then again glides down. So that is not very safe position. But if you take shelter of the ocean as a fish, then there is no question of evaporation. Just try to understand this analogy.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Without this you cannot understand. Not through karma, not through mystic yogic exercises, but through devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad... But people do not know it. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. Bhakti-yogam, execution of bhakti-yoga, is the means of anartha upaśama, subduing the anarthas. Material life means we have accumulated some unwanted things. Just like this material body—this is also not wanted. But somehow or other, we have developed this, and as we have got this material body, we have got so many material necessities of life. So it is not that abruptly we have to give it up. But by yukta-vairāgya, everything, the material activities, dovetailing with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it becomes gradually purified, and we come to the final stage of understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is our success of life. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

Bhagavān is addressed by Arjuna as Para-brahman. Brahman realization, gradually... First realization: impersonal Brahman; then localized Brahman; then personal Brahman. The personal Brahman is called Para-brahman, the Supreme Brahman. Impersonal Brahman is the beginning of realization of the Absolute Truth. That is not final. Therefore those who are satisfied with impersonal Brahman, their knowledge is not perfect. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The realization of the Absolute Truth is the platform of viśuddha-sattva. So unless one comes to the platform of personal realization of the Lord, one is supposed to be aviśuddha-buddhi: intelligence is not yet perfectly pure.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.76-81 -- San Francisco, February 2, 1967:

He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, now I am surrendering unto You. I accept You as my spiritual master." Śiṣyas te aham: "I am Your disciple, not friend." Because friendly talks, arguments, there is no end. But when there is talk between spiritual master and disciple, there is no argument. No argument. As soon as the spiritual master says, "This is to be done," it is to be done. That's all, final. So you'll find, throughout the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, not that blindly. There is submissive presentation, "Kṛṣṇa, I cannot understand this." That is allowed. But it is not that you have to change the decision of the spiritual master. No. If you cannot understand, it is..., you should know it that "Due to my less intelligence, I just now do not understand what the spiritual master said, but that is already concluded. But I may try to understand so that I may not be misleading." That is the position. So just see. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a rascal, fool.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

They are not."

So practically every process is condemned herewith by the Supreme Lord, condemned in this sense, that they can approach to a certain degree, certain extent, towards the final goal. But that process will never be able to achieve to the final goal unless this devotional process is added there. Plus, this must be, the devotion, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because ultimate end is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. As we have several times discussed that verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births, those who are actually intellectual, they come to Me and surrender to God, that 'Here is...' Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: (BG 7.19) 'God is everything.' Then he surrenders." So one has to come. Maybe you go by the yoga process, maybe you go by the philosophical process, maybe you go by the ritualistic process, maybe that you go by penances and by study. But unless you reach to this point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your attempt..., not failure, but there are different degrees.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

So people are satisfied with that different degrees only. They... Hardly they try to reach the final goal. But if anyone wants to reach the final goal, then he has to take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhaktir mamorjitā. That process alone can take you to the Supreme Lord.

So those who are intelligent, they take this simple process. Now, especially in this age, even you cannot perform any other process. You cannot perform perfectly yoga, you cannot perform the religious rituals, neither you can study. The circumstances are so unfavorable that these processes are not possible in this age. Therefore Lord Caitanya, by His causeless mercy, He has given us this process:

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966:

A slight doubt means there is slight tinge still. And one who is dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, duality... Duality means "Whether I shall do it or not? Whether I shall stick up to this process of Kṛṣṇa conscious or not?" This is called duality. So one who is free from all these sinful reactions, he has no more duality. He has firm faith: "Yes! Kṛṣṇa worship is the final."

So Kṛṣṇa worship means he is liberated already. Just like the same example: If a man is sitting on the high-court bench, it is to be understood that he has passed all educational qualification, and he is a good lawyer. Therefore... There is no more necessity to ask, "Whether you have passed M.A. examination or law examination?" This is foolishness. Similarly, if one is, I mean to say, strictly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is to be understood that he is liberated. Liberation, the definition of liberation, is in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mukti..., svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

Now, there are different process of self-realization. Just like fruitive activities, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. So many, there are different... But they are simply steps. They are not themselves final. One who is unable to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for them these different steps are prescribed, not for the person who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because if he... If one does not engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he may not like for so many reasons: for social reason, for political reason, for religious reason, for many other reasons. Although we find that it is very nice process, but still, there are some impediments which restrict us not to follow this principle. Now, one who cannot follow this principle, for them these different process are prescribed so that some day in the future he can have this opportunity of becoming a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Because that is the final goal.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

Now, it is clearly explained that if you simply prosecute the other system of yoga, then you'll never be able to reach to the final goal. Therefore it is tenth leg. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti vinā, unless you add to it Kṛṣṇa-bhakti... Plus... Karma-yoga means karma, your working capacity, plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your speculative capacity plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your meditating capacity plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you make a plus, then it becomes successful. Kṛṣṇa consciousness minus karma or Kṛṣṇa consciousness minus knowledge, that will never be able to give you the desired result.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

So yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). In that shining, this material world, the spiritual world, they are resting. So impersonalists, they are concerned with the shining, that's all. The difference between the personalists and impersonalists is that impersonalists, they take that shining as final. But the personalists, they take, "No. Kṛṣṇa is final." That is their difference of opinion. Otherwise, both of them in the spiritual realm. And so far Kṛṣṇa is the cause of brahma-jyotir, there are many evidences from Vedic literature. In Īśopaniṣad and other Upaniṣads, in Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of brahma-jyotir." You'll find in the Fourteenth Chapter, last verse, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ jyoti. Is there any Bhagavad-gītā? You find out Fourteenth Chapter, last verse.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

That's all. Actually, according to Bhagavad-gītā... Not according to Bhagavad-gītā—that is a fact according to any authoritative statement. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21). Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the super, superhappiness, ātyantikam—means that which you cannot excel more... That is the final point. That sort of happiness is not possible to achieve... Happiness... First of all, you must understand, happiness means sense gratification, happiness. You can understand it very easily. If I get some nice foodstuff, because I satisfy my taste, palate, I feel happiness, "Oh, very nice food I am eating." Similarly, you take any of your sense organs, when it is satisfied according to the sense object, it is called happiness. So the sum and substance of happiness is to satisfy the senses. But Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. The supermost happiness can be achieved not by these senses, but atīndriya. Atīndriya means transcendental senses.

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

Nitya, nitya means eternal. We are eternal form. We change our body. We don't die. As we are changing daily, every moment changing body, so the final change means accept another body. This is also accepting another body, but imperceptibly. The change is so quick. Just like in the cinema spool there are so many pictures changing, but it is changing so quickly that we are seeing one picture moving. So that is our ignorance. But actually there are thousands of pictures changing in a moment, and you see that one picture is moving. Why do you not study in this way? Similarly, every second, our body is changing, just like spool, one after another, one after another, one after another. But I am... The spirit soul is there, just like the cinema spool is changing, but the seer is there. That is one, although the pictures are changing. Similarly, we are nitya. Nitya means eternal.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969:

People are being misled. You see? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Practical experience: In my country, India, I was also a student of Gandhi. In 1920 I joined the noncooperation movement and gave up my education because Gandhi's program was to boycott the British educational institution. So most of the university students... I was also. I passed my final examination, B.A., but I gave up. I did not appear, and I joined this movement. Fortunately, in 1922 I also met my Guru Mahārāja, and he, on my first visit, I do not know why, he told that "You should preach this Caitanya philosophy to the outside world." I replied that "We are dependent nation. Who will hear us? In the world, nobody hears any person who is coming from dependent nation, so we must have first of all independence." A young man I was at that time, and I was also misled in so many ways. But my spiritual master saved me, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. If we know this, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasam... Kṛṣṇa says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Beyond this material energy," bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4), "these eight kinds of prakṛti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

He is brāhmaṇa. But that is not very fixed up. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Brahman is impersonal effulgence, and then further progress, realization of the localized aspect, Paramātmā, Antaryāmī, and finally, understanding the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Person, that is the final understanding.

So people cannot understand that how the Supreme, the origin of everything, can be a person. That is their difficulty. Because they are thinking, "A person, God? How it is possible. God is great, and He is the creator of everything. How a person can do that?" Yes. That is the Vedic version.

General Lectures

Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

So you say or I say that "Body is growing," but in the Vedic language it is said that "Body is changing." Just like a child is born so small from the mother's womb, and it changes body every second. Then he becomes a young child or a boy, then young man, then old man like me, and so on. In this way this changing, body changing, is going on. And the final change is called death. Death means... Just like the too much old garments cannot be used, similarly, this body is the garment of the soul. When it is..., no longer can be used, we have to accept another body. This is called transmigration of the soul.

Now, consciousness, the symptom... The presentation of the soul within this body is proved by consciousness. So from Bhagavad-gītā we can understand there are two different qualities of consciousness. One consciousness is that I know about the pain and pleasure of my body, you know about the pains and pleasures of your body, but I do not know the pains and pleasure of your body; neither you know the pains and pleasure of my body.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

Girl: "In other words, as we see by this plea, liberation is not the final word in perfection."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is one point. He says that "You have liberated me. Now let me know what is my duty." This is very important point. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they think that liberation is the ultimate goal. Just like in Buddha philosophy, the nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means annihilation of material existence. Nirvāṇa. They think that as soon as there is annihilation of this material existence, that is the final goal. The Māyāvādī philosopher or the impersonalist, they think that not only to get freedom from this material existence, but to remain in spiritual status, jñānam, simply in the knowledge that "I am spirit soul. I am merged into the spirit soul," that is their goal. But here, the Sanātana Gosvāmī, he belongs to the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. He says, "Now what is my duty?" That means after liberation it is not that everything is void or activity is stopped.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

So we are trying to bring them into practice, how to serve Lord, how to, how to serve the Supreme Lord. That is our movement. It is not patchwork. Other humanitarian societies or welfare societies, they are trying to give some patchwork. They cannot give relief to the stringent laws of nature: birth, death, old age and disease. But we are giving the final cure of the disease of condition of material existence. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities. By pious activities one gets very good family, birth in very good family, and nice education, beautiful body, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

We distribute that thing.

(reading:) "Does ISKCON believe in reincarnation?" Well, this, there is no question of belief. It is a fact. I have already explained that the child, a small child, is reincarnating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. So similarly, the final change is called reincarnation. So there is no question of believe. It is a fact. Only the blind man, he cannot see it. Believe means it may be fact or not fact—I blindly believe. That is another thing. Here is a science. "One plus one equal to two." Just like that. This body changes, this body changes, this body changes, and the living entity's there, everywhere. Therefore every moment the reincarnation is going on, every second. What is the question of believe? It is a fact.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

Do you think animal body and human body and human consciousness and animal consciousness is the same? So you have to elevate yourself. As you have elevated yourself from animal consciousness, animal body, to this beautiful human body, similarly, you have to still more elevate yourself to higher standard of life. They are called demigods. But the final stage is to get a body which is called spiritual body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That is the perfection of... This evolutionary process is going on. As you have come up so much to this civilized form of life from animal status, similarly, you can still make progress. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that by progressing, you may go to the topmost planet of this universe. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl-lokāḥ (BG 8.16). That is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. But everywhere the four problems of birth, death, old age, and disease are there. But if you come to the spiritual sky and the planets there, then there is no more death, birth, old age, and disease. Life eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful life.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

Dhīra, those who are sober, intelligent, they are not bewildered when a living entity changes his body. So change of body is going on in every moment, in every second, imperceptibly. Medical science also accepts that in every second we are changing our blood corpuscles. That is a fact. We are changing body every moment. And the final change is called death. But actually, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You accept another body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), "After many, many births," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, "when a man or a living entity becomes actually wise and intelligent..." Not fools. Fools cannot understand. One has to become very intelligent. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Jñānavān means very intelligent, wise man. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Kṛṣṇa says that "After many, many births of struggle, or attempt for acquiring knowledge, when one comes to the summit point of understanding, he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), the origin of everything is Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa." Vāsudeva. Origin of everything is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

So in the higher status of life, when this distinction is not recognized or cannot be understood, that is called impersonal status, Brahman. Nirviśeṣa-brahman—Brahman realization without any distinction. This realization of Brahman, impersonal realization, is the beginning of self-realization. That is not final or ultimate. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a statement about the Absolute Truth. What is the Absolute Truth? That it is stated, Absolute... Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). "Those who are actually in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, they speak of the Absolute Truth in this way." What is that? Advaya-jñānam: nondual. There is no duality. Although there is variety, but there is no duality. Here in the material world, as soon as there is variety, there is duality. But in the spiritual world, there is variety, but there is no duality. How is that? There is crude example. Many, you can try to understand. Just like this sun. You are seeing every day, sun.

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

The heat, the illumination, the molecules, the illuminating particles... There are so many things you can study in the sunshine. Those who are scientists, who are physicists, they can study the sunshine. But this sunshine study is not final study about sun. Then the next question is, "What is the sun globe?" If you have got power, if you have got capacity to manufacture some machine... Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet. Similarly, if you can have some capacity to enter into the sun planet, then you study what is the sun planet. And then again, further if you study, then what are the living entities in the sun planet? And when you study the living entities in the sun planet, who is the head? Who is the chief of the living entities in the sun planet? Just like we are foreigners. We have come here. We inquire, "Who is the chief of your country?" Oh, you'll get answer, "The queen," or "The prime minister." Similarly, in every planet there is a chief predominating personality, in every planet.

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

So what is the difference between Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān? That difference is just like the same. If you study, if you become satisfied, "Now I am in the light, sunshine; finished my business," that is Brahman realization. But that is not final. By Brahman realization, you are in the light, that's a fact. You are in illumination, you are in temperature, that's a fact. But if you are satisfied with such temperature and light, then you remain there. And if you are fortunate enough to make further progress, that is Paramātmā—to realize the Supersoul in everyone's heart: in your heart, in my heart, everywhere, all-pervading. Sunshine is also all-pervading. Brahman is also all-pervading. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Similarly, Paramātmā, the Supersoul, is also all-pervading. Meditation means to realize the Supersoul, and to realize that Supersoul is everywhere. How everywhere?

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

No, they can, partially. But bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). "As I am, Absolute Truth, that can be understood through this devotional service." And this devotional service is attained after attainment of this brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. So the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is not final. We should not be satisfied either living in the brahma-bhūtaḥ platform or Paramātmā realization platform. We must make farther progress and go to the platform of Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage ourselves in His loving transcendental service. Then our life will be successful. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

So as soon as we develop this attachment, teṣāṁ satata-yuk... Attachment means just like you have got a lover or something lovable object; you cannot live without it. You are always searching, "Where is my lovable object? Where is my..." That is called attachment. That attachment as taught by Lord Caitanya, He says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. This is the final stage of attachment. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching us that "I am feeling everything vacant." Why? "Being separated from Govinda." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. This is the highest stage of attachment. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa instead of māyā. We are attached to māyā. We have created so many things just arrangement for forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Anything we make here for sense enjoyment... (end)

Lecture at the Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

We are very small; God is very great. At the present moment we are defying this position; therefore we are in trouble. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are educating people that "You are always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. You surrender unto Him and you be happy. Do not remain in rebellious condition of life. Just surrender to God and you will be happy." That is the final conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So you are planning, we are planning so many things to become happy, but everything is failure. But if you take this plan, "Let us surrender to God," then every problem will be solved. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not that, that "You are Hindu. You become Christian," or "You are Christian. You become Hindu." That is not our plan. Our only request is that "Every one of you, you try to understand God, love Him and be happy." The final conclusion in the Bhagavad-gītā is that if you want to be peaceful, if you want the peace of your mind, you should understand three things.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

Yes. The brahmānu-bhūti is simply negation of this material world. Brahmā satya jagan mithyā. But brahmānu-bhūti is not final. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So simply understanding of our eternity-ahaṁ brahmāsmi—is not sufficient. So that is only appreciation of the eternity portion. And then, if one further makes progress, he... Paramātmā. Paramātmā means cit, cid-āṁśa. And lastly, unless we come to the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is no ānanda. And every one of us-ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). God is also ānandamaya. We, being part and parcel of God, we are also seeking after ānanda. So you cannot get permanent ānanda either by Brahman realization or Paramātmā realization. Unless you come to God realization, Personality of Godhead, there is no ānanda.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: It is not partial, that somebody may remain here and somebody may go to Godhead. No. The whole plan is that everyone must come back. But he is obstinate, he is obstinate. Just like a bad boy, father says, "Come on," he's not. He's crying, "No, I'll not go." But the father's only business is to drag him. Therefore the final, after speaking all the proposals in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says finally, "I am giving you final, very confidential instructions," sarva guhyatamam. "You give up all this rascaldom, arguing with Me. Just surrender unto Me." Arjuna was arguing. "Just surrender unto Me. That is your business. If you think you will be sinful by killing your... I will give you protection." Therefore, before citing this verse He says, "I am speaking to you most confidentially." That means unless one is very sincere to God, he does not heed the final confidential instruction. "All right, you go on with your own work." But to show Arjuna special favor, He says that "I am talking to you now the most confidential instruction.

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Śyāmasundara: He calls these ultimate entities monads. Monad means unity, or oneness. He says that the ultimate stuff out of which even the atoms are made are called monads, small particles.

Prabhupāda: And within those small particles there is Kṛṣṇa. That small particle is not final. Aṇḍāntara-stha paramāṇu... That is also superficial.

Śyāmasundara: He says that these monads are individual, conscious, alive and active, and they range in quality from the lowest type, or matter, through the higher of types, such as soul, to the highest, which is God.

Prabhupāda: So whether within the atom there is soul or not?

Śyāmasundara: His theory is that even the atoms are made out of these monads.

Prabhupāda: What is a monad?

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Public opinion.

Prabhupāda: But anyway, it goes to somebody, public opinion, but this public opinion is not final. Therefore above the public opinion there is the supreme will of Kṛṣṇa. That should be the final, to sanction morality or immorality.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the moral sentiments which are approved by society enhance the social good, whereas immoral attitudes are egoistic and antisocial. So that a society will always approve of a certain set of moral values, and then the individual living in the society must either accept or reject them. And if he rejects them, then he must act through politics, through the social body, to try to change their attitude, their opinion.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is called philosophy. That inquisitiveness is called philosophy. Cause of the cause: this is caused by this; what is the cause of this? Unless he comes to the final cause, this research goes on. That is the nature of advanced mind. They are called munis, those who are very thoughtful. So that is the nature of greater mind, mahātmā, to find out the ultimate cause. That is human nature. Therefore, athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra says this jijñāsā, inquiry, "What is after this? What is after this? What is brāhmaṇas? What is Brahman? This is not Brahman. This is not Brahman..." The next answer is that "Brahman means janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1), the supreme source from where everything emanates." So unless he goes to the supreme source, he is not satisfied. So those who are going by mental speculation, they come to that impersonal feature.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: No. Faith, that is a compromise, you see. That is not fact. But this is good that he admits that we cannot approach the final God by our senses or reason. To have faith, that is also not perfect. Therefore the Western philosophers, they have created different faiths, and religion means faith. Somebody may believe in some faith, others may believe in another faith. But that is not factual. The factual is this: if we are actually convinced that there is God, and God is omnipotent, so by His omnipotency He descends. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). "Whenever there is discrepancies in the process of religious principles," abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, "when people become irreligious, at that time I descend." He descends for two reasons: paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8), for relief of the devotees. Devotees are always anxious to see God, but somehow or other they are unable to see. Of course, they are seeing God, but at the same time face to face(?)

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: He says because suffering and calamities overwhelm man in nature, it is impossible for man to see nature's final end.

Prabhupāda: No. Nature is not final end. Nature is only instrument. Just like I beat you with a stick. The stick is not beating you; I am beating you. Stick is in my hand. So from nature when you get tribulation, pains, that is designed by God, and nature is instrument. Śītoṣna-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. The change of season we find nature, but why it is systematically changing unless there is brain behind nature? In such and such month there will be winter. And by accident or by some other ways the month of April does not become winter; the month of December becomes winter. So there is adjustment. So therefore there is brain behind these natural changes and activities.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: That means endless struggle to understand real morality. But if he takes the order of God, that he must do it, that is final morality.

Hayagrīva: This is... What he means by morality is rather vague. He does not say what this moral law is, other than it's called a categorical imperative.

Prabhupāda: But who is...

Hayagrīva: The categorical...

Prabhupāda: Who is, who will force that categorical imperative?

Hayagrīva: That says, "One should act in such a way..."

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: He wouldn't say that. He would say that man is nature's final end...

Prabhupāda: No.

Hayagrīva: ...because man's moral nature alone is worthwhile.

Prabhupāda: No, no. He is giving stress that nature has made man. That is our objection, that nature cannot do anything. Nature has given a body that..., just like a tailor can give me a set of dress, but the dress, when I put on, the dress looks like a man, with hands and legs. But dress is nothing; it is simply outward covering of a man, a living entity. Similarly, nature gives us this material body, outward coating. The inside is living entity, that..., not the creation of this material nature. That is creation of part and parcel of God. This (indistinct) knowledge is imperfect, that nature has created man. That is imperfect knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: In his last work Kant seems to shift his position. He says, "Morality thus leads ineluctably to religion, through which it extends itself to the idea of a powerful moral law-giver outside of mankind for whose will that is the final end of creation, which at the same time can and ought to be man's final end. Make the highest good possible in the world your own final end." So he seems to point to an absolute law-giver or an absolute morality, which is God, but he believes that this knowledge of God is ultimately uncertain.

Prabhupāda: Uncertain—for the man who does not possess the perfect knowledge. But if we believe in God, if we know God, we can get perfect knowledge from Him. Then we become perfect.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Then he describes world history to be the supreme tribunal or the higher judge of events. He says that what actually happens to a state or a people represents the final judgment as to the worth of a national policy or a course of action, that the history will bear out...

Prabhupāda: Alright, the state is imperfect; then there is no such question.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the history will bear out whether a policy is good or bad. For instance the Roman Empire came, and then it fell. So their policy is...

Prabhupāda: So we say that any empire will come, and fail. Without studying history. Because godless empire will never exist.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: So I understand that, and I'll accept that, but the one thing I'm still puzzled on is that there's no geological evidence that in former times on this planet there were more complex forms...

Prabhupāda: Why you are taking geological evidence as final? Why you are taking that? That is final?

Śyāmasundara: But it's logical...

Prabhupāda: What logic? Science is progressing. You cannot say that this is final.

Karandhara: Scientists couldn't deny; they could just say that we haven't found any evidence.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: That was long before, in Greek times, Democritus.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But the real theory started by Darwin, that was accepted for several years, but later on, with new advancement, his theory changed. His theory became disproved, that "What you are saying, it is not right, it is not final." So theories can change. So same thing, Darwin's theory is also changing.

Śyāmasundara: But his impact upon the thinking of the world so completely changed the whole conception of...

Prabhupāda: That is now changing again. So what is the use of that, such change?

Śyāmasundara: Well, you have to investigate, because he is important for our...

Prabhupāda: No. That's all right. We will investigate; and a theory which changes, it will change, that's all. It is not a fact. The sun rising is a fact. It cannot change.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They never think about that. That's why they are trying to find out so many things, because they think that when somebody tries to make something medicine or some compound, they try so many ways and means, and sometimes, when they are at a loss, they say, "O God, please give me (indistinct)." They do not know where it comes from, how this can be made. They try so many ways in making a compound. Sometimes they have to take a hundred or two hundred mistakes, and sometimes they will never get the compound. Ultimately when they are all disappointed, they say, "O God, please help me." So ordinarily the final conclusion is everybody (indistinct) supreme being.

Prabhupāda: And that is natural because, after all, God gives him his intelligence. It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "It is from Me." Apohanaṁ ca. He was forgetting. That was also..., God was not giving the chance, and he prays to God, then God is kind: "All right, do it like that." That is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: How he takes the knowledge, if it comes..., does not come to the final conclusion? That kind of knowledge anyone can get. It does not need a philosophy. To some extent.

Atreya Ṛṣi: But knowledge of God, knowledge of soul...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real knowledge.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Real knowledge. Can one, purely speculatively, can one...

Prabhupāda: No. Otherwise the Vedas would not have asked you, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), that in order to learn that transcendental science one must approach a guru.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: Yes. Concerning the creation, Bergson speaks of impulsion and attraction, and he says, "The causal relation between God and the world is seen as an attraction when regarded from below, as an impulsion or a contact when regarded from above. Therefore we perceive God as an efficient, that is a beginning, cause or as a final cause, according to the point of view." That is, we can see things either..., the creation coming from God or moving toward God, depending on our viewpoint.

Prabhupāda: No. Creation is..., God is always there. Before the creation and when the creation is finished, there is God. So God is not one of the creation. In the creation there are so many things coming out, so God is not one of the products of creation because He is created. He was before creation and He will exist to continue after annihilation. This is the Vedic knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Śyāmasundara: No. Five methods of studying something to find out the cause. Five tests to find out the circumstances behind the phenomenon, the instance of the phenomenon, to find out the cause.

Prabhupāda: The final agreement.

Śyāmasundara: One is agreement, one is the method of difference. In other words, if we find two rocks, and one is thrown into the water, and the other remains standing still, that we can examine them both and find out that all circumstances for both of the rocks are the same except one, and that one circumstance which is different will be the cause. So say that we find out that both come from the same place, they are both sitting in a similar position, they are both at the same time, they are there, like that, but we find that one rock is thrown by someone and one rock is not thrown by someone. So we can say that the cause of the rock being thrown is the thrower, like that. That's a rough example.

Prabhupāda: That means that to cause everything, there is, behind, a living entity. Just like there are so many rocks, they are not moving, but one rock moves because behind that rock, there is a living entity who pushes the rock.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Gravity, but when you say law of gravity, then the question is that somebody has made that law. One—we should give, of course—these materialistic philosophers... Just like when Rāmacandra threw stones on the sea, the gravity did not work. It was floating. The rocks were floating. Therefore the law of gravity ultimately is made by the Supreme Lord. So he can change it. So my study of gravity is not final.

Śyāmasundara: One of the other methods of testing is called the method of concomitant variation.

Prabhupāda: This method of studying the cause, so we take the ultimate cause of everything, with His full independence. The ultimate cause can do anything and everything beyond our calculation. There is cause, but the cause is so powerful that it is beyond our calculation how it is being done. Our knowledge is limited; therefore our calculation may be, may be or almost always, is not perfect.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. God is person. If He is the supreme father, the father is a person. We have got no experience of father being imperson. My father is person, his father is person, his father is person. In this way go on, father's father's..., searching. So the ultimate father is also person. There is no doubt about it. Either human father or animal father, every living being is a person. Therefore the right conclusion is God the father of all living being is person. Personal conception of God is there in every religion-Christian religion, Muhammadan religion, or Vedic religion. In the Vedic religion, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayoḥ. Those who are sura, means advanced in spiritual knowledge, or the brāhmaṇas, one who knows the Supreme, they find the supreme father is Lord Viṣṇu. Lord Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa is the same category, or same substance. So God is person and the ultimate end. The impersonal realization is imperfect realization of God. The Supersoul realization is still advancement, but the final advancement is Bhagavān, or person God. So we must know our relationship with, and first of all our first business is to know God and our relationship with Him, then act accordingly. Then our life becomes perfect. This is the process of God realization.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The final morality is... What in this portion?

Hayagrīva: He feels that evil is a disease first...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: ...but worry about evil is just an orig...

Prabhupāda: Another.

Hayagrīva: ...just another disease.

Prabhupāda: So disease, when you are in diseased condition, it means increasing suffering. Disease increases. Without treatment disease increases, as fire, without being extinguished, without attempt of extinguishing the fire, it increases. Debt, compound interest, increases. So therefore the instruction is that disease, fire, and debt should not be kept as it is without any attention. The attention must be there to see that it is not increasing, it is being completely extinguished. That is intelligence. So therefore we must know our suffering is on account of disobedience to the orders of God, or on account of becoming irreligious.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: So inquiry means to know the truth. Therefore our inquiry should be made to a person who knows the truth. Otherwise the inquiry has no valid position. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is Vedic injunction. The inquiry should be genuine and the answer should come from a genuine person. Then it is all right.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the final outcome of inquiry is the fulfillment of human needs by practical action, to change the external environment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. A human being, unless he is inquisitive about the Absolute Truth, he is not considered sufficiently developed in human form. Unless this enquiry is there, about self, what I am, he is not considered sufficiently developed in his consciousness. He is still in ignorance.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: So in this, on this platform, mostly the philosopher, scientist, they are Dr. Frogs. So their calculation is not correct. So whatever they cannot calculate, they take it as myth, imagination, that just a foreign. Even for ordinary human being to think of Brahmā's duration of life, huh, forty-three hundred thousand multiplied by one thousand, and that becomes twelve hours of Brahmā, because it is beyond your calculation, he thinks it imaginary. So unless one has got thorough knowledge of the whole universe, so for him it is imaginary. But it..., one man's imaginary may be a fact to the other man. It depends on the knowledge. So unfortunately, the so-called scientists, philosophers on this planet, they are thinking in their own terms and they are taking it final. So they must think other things as mythological, imaginary. But actually that is not the fact.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Hayagrīva: He says in the realm of philosophy and religion, certainty is impossible. He says, "The moment philosophy supposes it can find a final and comprehensive solution, it ceases to be inquiry and becomes either apologetics or propaganda. Any philosophy that in its quest for certainty ignores the reality of the uncertain in the ongoing processes of nature denies the conditions out of which it arises."

Prabhupāda: There is uncertain when you do not accept the reality. The reality is God, and God is explaining how things are going on, but you take it as mythology. Then how you will know?

Hayagrīva: No way.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Śyāmasundara: But this Kierkegaard, he was living in last century, he was prior to the modern existentialists, so he was still thinking about God. He came before God (indistinct). His final thought is that..., the final idea is that thought should be separated from existence, because existence cannot be thought, but it must be lived; that the thought process should be separated from the existing process or the acting process.

Prabhupāda: Our process is already guided (?). (indistinct). Just like in university if you want to be a doctorate in philosophy, three other big philosophers are appointed to guide you, and then you present your thesis. But these people are thinking without any guidance, (indistinct).

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is wanted, and Kṛṣṇa, or God, demands that. Full obedience. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the qualification. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). So original obedience is to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, similarly obedience to the spiritual master is representative of God. So anyone who carries out the order of God, he can become bona fide guru, because he is not manufacturing anything. He is simply presenting what God is speaking, or the śāstra is speaking. God, when He comes as incarnation, He does not speak anything which is not in the scripture. That, just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa gives reference to the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra. He is God. Whatever He is speaking, that is final, that's, that's a fact. Still, He is giving honor to the Vedānta-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). He is giving reference to the Brahma-sūtra because spiritual knowledge is asserted there with logic and philosophy. So we cannot accept anyone as incarnation of God if He speaks nonsense, not corroborating with the standard scripture.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Śyāmasundara: He is describing three types of salvation. That was the first type, momentary. The second type he calls ethical salvation. He says that because the aim of our life is the final satisfaction of the will, after which no more desires will arise, this being our aim of life...

Prabhupāda: That means the supreme will. He does not know that. Satisfy the supreme will. Just like father wants to do something, his son, his spiritual master or the teacher want. So yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Our philosophy is to please the supreme, the spiritual master, the representative of God or God. That means supreme will. Not my will, but the supreme will. That is highest perfection. That is salvation. Just like a person who is working under the guidance of a superior man, actually they do so. Just like in factories there is a foreman. So ordinary workers, they are working, but the foreman is giving direction. Similarly, that means he is fulfilling the desires of the superior. He is not doing whimsically. He is doing according to the direction of the superior man present there. So this is the philosophy, that if you can satisfy the supreme will, then you are liberated. Just like Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is supreme will, order. If you can fulfill this, then your salvation.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Hayagrīva: He sees the pleasure of the world as ultimately frustrating. Eternal becoming endless flux characterizes the revelation of the inner nature of will. Finally, the same thing shows itself in human endeavors and desires, which always delude us by presenting their satisfaction as the final end of will. As soon as we attain to them, they no longer appear the same. Therefore they soon grow stale or forgotten, and though not ultimately disowned, are yet always thrown aside as vanished illusions.

Prabhupāda: So this is going on. He is getting, therefore, different types of body.

Hayagrīva: He says we go..., there's a constant transition from desire to satisfaction and from satisfaction to a new desire, a rapid course of which is called happiness, and the slow course sorrow, and does not sink into that stagnation that shows itself in fearful boredom that paralyzes life. So it's this flux from desire to satisfaction that characterizes the will's activities in the phenomenal world. But for Schopenhauer, outside of all of this flux there is only..., the only solution is nirvāṇa or extinction.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: His final statement was that philosophy must describe the actual uses of language, never interfere with it, in order to achieve clarification. In other words...

Prabhupāda: This is clear clarification, that God is the Supreme, God is all-good; therefore what satisfies God, that is good. What will satisfy God, that is nice.

Śyāmasundara: So our philosophy describes the actual uses of words. There may be the word good and several...

Prabhupāda: Otherwise why you are chanting the words Hare Kṛṣṇa? There are also words.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: That means Freud is a most imperfect person. He is taking sex as very important thing, which the dog enjoys. As a dog's life and a hog's life, the hog has got very good facility. The monkey has got very good facility for sex life, and he is thinking this is ultimate goal, and then sleep. So that is going on. So if sex life is so big thing, the hogs, they have got good facility. The pigeons, they have got very good facility. I think every hour they have four times sex life, these pigeons. So if that is, then you become a pigeon. You pray to God that "Make me a pigeon, make me a hog." Why you are becoming philosopher? Now our philosophy is different—not to become a pig. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). The life simply for sense gratification, and for that purpose working so hard, but that is the business of the pig. That is not the business of the human being. Human being is tapasya. Tapasya means stop sex life. That is tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). So our philosophy is different from his philosophy. And actually we are suffering. The pig has got good facilities for sex. Does it mean that is ideal life, eating stool and having sex without discrimination? They have no discrimination, whether mother or sister or daughter. That is hog life. So if sex life is final pleasure, then hog is in the greatest pleasure. He has no social obligation. He has no discrimination. But our philosophy says "Don't become a hog, become a sane man." There, there, there is a difference between his philosophy and our philosophy.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Hayagrīva: Freud's..., this is Freud's final conclusion on this point: "True, without religion man will then find himself in a difficult situation. He will have to confess his utter helplessness and his insignificant part in the working of the universe. He will have to confess that he is no longer the center of creation, no longer the object of the tender care of a benevolent providence. He will be in the same position as the child who has left the home where he was so warm and comfortable. But, after all, is it not the destiny of childishness to be overcome? Man cannot remain a child forever. He must venture at last into the hostile world. This may be called education to reality. Need I tell you that it is the sole aim of my book to draw attention to the necessity for this advance?"

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: The advance to reality.

Prabhupāda: That reality is good advice. But unfortunately, who is taking advantage of his advice? Because here we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā, the real point of religion, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But these philosophers have misled the world so much that now it is very difficult to convince them that here is God speaking and here is religion. That service he has done. As they were innocent to accept the words of God, now they have become overintelligent.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he thinks (indistinct), that "I am like this," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this," "I am that." But when he's fully conscious, he knows that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is the final (indistinct). Otherwise he (indistinct), "I am this," "I am that," "I am this," "I am that."

Revatīnandana: (indistinct) actor who take parts in a cinema production, he said that whenever he takes a part he probably could becomes, that actor, he (indistinct), or the part that he actually forgets who he thinks he is.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The best actor is he who forgets his real identity and plays blindly. That is best actor. He forgets, but he creates such (indistinct) that he forgets that he's Mr. Such-and-such.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: Concerning God and God's relation...

Prabhupāda: Find out this verse, naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān mayācyuta. Find out.

Hari-śauri: What was that line again, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Naṣṭaḥ, n-a-s-t-a, naṣṭaḥ mohaḥ.

Hari-śauri: Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Now we, we are passing on through mohaḥ, illusion. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness the delusion should be over.

Hari-śauri: Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān mayācyuta.

Prabhupāda: Tvat-prasādāt.

Hari-śauri: Sthito 'smi.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: I make the decisions.

Prabhupāda: So if your decision is wrong?

Śyāmasundara: There's no question of right or wrong in that case.

Prabhupāda: Whatever decision I make, that is final, absolute?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: How it is possible? Then the same philosophy comes with the insect's decision. Absolute decision, even if it is wrong, it's all right. That is seen in lower animals also.

Śyāmasundara: One of Sartre's counterparts, one of his colleagues, Albert Camus, he also wrote about this philosophy, and himself he typifies this type of person. He simply died in an automobile accident by driving 130 or -40 miles an hour on a small road.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is nonsense. If you believe in your existence, you should believe in others' existence also. Actually there is. Human being is not only existing, but there are so many, 8,400,000 different forms of living being. They are existing. So God is also one of them. According to Vedic understanding of God, that God is also one of the living being, but He is the chief, supreme living being. That is the difference. So, in the ordinary understanding a man is better than the animal, and another intelligent man is better than the nonintelligent man. So similarly, you go on with comparative study, one after another, when you come to the final living being, He is the Supreme. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) there is no more superior living being, and that is God. That we have got practical experience. You may be more intelligent than me, he may be more intelligent than you, go on, go on searching. So when you find somebody that He is the final intelligent, that is God. So what is the difficulty to understand? Why God shall not exist? If one person better intelligent than me he can exist, so why a person who exceeds all others in intelligence, He cannot exist? So there is no meaning of atheism. That is ignorance.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: That, that kind of understanding, denying the existence, that is foolishness. How he can? We have given the definition, that practical field you will find one man is more intelligent than the other man, or one animal is better intelligent than other animal. That is positive, comparative, superiority, divisions. So naturally we can think of, at least, that we approach this way to a certain personality, He is the final intelligent. No more exceeds in the intelligence than Him, and no more equal intelligence. That is God. There is possibility of such person's existence. How he can deny it?

Hayagrīva: But if God exists, then...

Prabhupāda: God exists, must exist!

Hayagrīva: ...then He must be the center.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Hayagrīva: His final point is that..., is, "To be man means to reach toward being God, or, if you prefer, man fundamentally is the desire to be God."

Prabhupāda: So he, at last he accept there is God. (laughter) Otherwise what is the meaning of going to God? Yes, he is trying to deny God when there is God. Unless there is God, where is the question of accepting or denying? He is denying in the other way; that means there is God.

Devotee: As soon as he mentions God he's proved there is God.

Prabhupāda: No, as soon as he denies God, there is God.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Śyāmasundara: He studied the revolutions, and he said that history moves in leaps and progresses toward the Communist leap. So he wants to make a leap into the dictatorship of the proletariat, and this he calls the final stage of development of history.

Prabhupāda: No. We can say, and they may note it also, that after this, the Bolshevik Revolution, there will be many other revolutions, many other revolutions, because so long people will live on the mental plane there will be only revolution. That's all. Our proposition is, "Give up this mental concoction. Come to the right point. And that is spiritual platform." If one comes to that spiritual platform, that is... Just like Dhruva Mahārāja said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "No more revolution. I am completely satisfied because I have now seen You." So unless one comes to God, the revolution will go on. Rather, this is final revolution. We don't say final revolution, but... We don't expect that Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be taken by everyone, but within this material world the revolution will repeat unless one comes to God consciousness.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Śyāmasundara: He says that this is purely the nature of matter, that there are always two conflicting properties, and that this inner impulse, this inner pulsation of opposite forces, will cause history to take leaps like you just said, from one revolution to another. But the Communist revolution he calls the final revolution because it is the perfect answer.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I can take it in this sense. If the Communist idea is spiritualized. So long the Communist idea will remain materialized, it is not final. We have got Communistic idea. Just like we believe... They believe that the state is the owner; we believe God is the owner. So this state is a small state, Russian state. They can be satisfied, but because it is wrong application... State is not the owner. Real owner is God. So from state, when they come to the conclusion, "Not the state but God is owner," then their Communistic idea will be fulfilled. And as they say that everything must be done for the state, we are actually teaching perfect Communism. We are teaching that Kṛṣṇa is the owner.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is wrong thing. God does not come down to your mind, God and devil. That is mind's action. Sometimes he accepts, sometimes he rejects. So either you can say God and devil or whatever. That is mind's business. But that is not final conclusion. When you apply your intelligence with reference to the sādhu and śāstra and make a conclusion, that is right.

Śyāmasundara: So on this level progress is made through conflict.

Prabhupāda: Conflict with intelligence. That means conflict is in the lower stage. So to mitigate this conflict you have to take consultation from the higher stage. That is intelligence. That Mao's theory is simply by conflict of the mental concoctioners. That will not come to a conclusion. That will never be right conclusion.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: So then he tries to describe what is this mind. The mind is emergent. It can rearrange things and create new things, arrange new things.

Prabhupāda: Mind creates some idea and again rejects it. It creates another idea. That is mind's business. He is not satisfied by creating something as final. Mind is creative. He creates something and he thinks, "Oh, this is not..." Just like you were making some doll (door?). You don't like it. Again you break it. Then again do it nicely, "Oh, it is not right." Then again break it. That is mind's business.

Śyāmasundara: Accepts and rejects.

Prabhupāda: Reject.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: Augustine conceived of peace in this way. He says, "Peace between a mortal man and his maker consists in ordered obedience guided by faith under God's eternal law. Peace between man and man consists in regulated fellowship. The peace of the heavenly city lies in a perfectly ordered and harmonious communion of those who find their joy in God and in one another in God." So that peace in its final sense is the calm that comes out of this order.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Peace means to come in contact perfectly with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is peace. When a man is in ignorance, he thinks that he is the enjoyer of this world, but when he comes in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Controller, he understands that God is enjoyer; we are not enjoyer. We are servants to supply the needs of enjoyment of God. That is our life. Just like a servant supplies the needs of the master.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Prabhupāda: No. The king is also under the law. King, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructed the law to Sun-god, and he followed the laws. Therefore he is, to the common man, he is the supreme. The king is supposed to be representative of God in the state. So "above the law" means because king is perfect by abiding the laws of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot be subjected to any subordinate laws. But his perfection is there only when he follows Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore monarchy, the law, king's order, is final. There cannot be any... Just like king's mercy. Even one is condemned to death, but if the king's mercy is there that he should be excused, he should be free, nobody can check. So why it is? Because king is representative of Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Prabhupāda: This way the absolute law is coming by disciplic succession. And formerly India was governed by monarchy. They received the law of God by disciplic succession. They executed. Therefore whatever he decides, that is final. He cannot be subjected to any other law. So the king, if he is following the laws given by God, then he is above all laws, material convention.

Hayagrīva: Hobbes compares man to a machine ultimately made by God, but he does not see this machine as controlled directly by God but by the Leviathan, by the, by the king, the ruler.

Prabhupāda: No. God is situated in everyone's heart, and He is seeing every minute action of the soul—what he is desiring, how he is manipulating the machine. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Specifically it is indicated that God is situated in the heart of the living being and He is observing what he desires. So according to his desire, God is so kind He is supplying a machine. If he wants to enjoy this material world as a human being, God gives him opportunity to become a human being, and if he wants to enjoy this material world as a dog, He gives him the body of a dog.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: But first thing is that if you have got will, but reasonable will, first of all you have to think, "Who has kept this gold here? I am claiming proprietorship simply by coming here, but who has kept this gold here?" Why don't you think like that? What kind of human being you are?

Hayagrīva: A final point: he believed that man should have the freedom to choose his occupation. He writes, "In the Platonic state, subjective freedom was of no account. Since the..."

Prabhupāda: That means there are already different occupations, and you have freedom to select one of them. But the occupation is already there, created by somebody else. You have the freedom to make a choice. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam: (BG 4.13) "I have created these four principles of occupational duties." Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Now, if according to your qualification you can make a selection, "I, I like this occupation." But the occupation is already there. Just like a shopkeeper, he has got varieties of goods. The customer goes, he can say, "I like this." "All right, you can take it.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: If he has already acquired the qualification of brāhmaṇa then he should be called a brāhmaṇa. Not that a brāhmaṇa's sons becomes qualified as a cobbler, tannery expert, and he remains brāhmaṇa. That is not. He has no knowledge. That means if you have studied all the Vedic literature, he could not say like that. The injunction is tadīya lakṣaṇaṁ dṛśyeta. The qualification, if you find elsewhere, then he should be designated by the qualification. A doctor's son, instead of taking up the life of medical life, if he becomes engineer, so he should be called engineer, not doctor. Tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35), it is clearly said. So the, Kṛṣṇa's plan, that "I have created four divisions according to quality and work," cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma (BG 4.13), that is final. One must have the qualification and he must work. If... He must have the brahminical qualification and he must act as a brāhmaṇa. Simply theoretical will not do. Just like we are giving sacred thread to a person who is born in low family, but we are training him also to act as a brāhmaṇa. Not that you take the sacred thread and go be..., work as cobbler. No. You must be engaged in Deity worship, brāhmaṇa's work, business, then you are a brāhmaṇa. Otherwise you are not a brāhmaṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: This is, this is, this is real reasoning, that "I am imperfect or limited. How I can speculate on the unlimited? So better let me learn from the unlimited about the unlimited." That is perfect knowledge.

Hayagrīva: One final point is that he sees the worship of animals and plants to be a form of pantheism. He refers to Indian religion...

Prabhupāda: No. But Indian, that he does not know; still he speaks. That is the most regretful situation.

Hayagrīva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: If God says that "Amongst the plants I am this plant..."

Hayagrīva: Tulasī, Tulasī.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything emanates from Him, so there is nothing separate from God. God includes everything. That is the conception of God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything has emanated from Him.

Hayagrīva: This is the final point. He says, "Concerning the existence of the evil..."

Prabhupāda: This description is very nice.

Hayagrīva: The description on the...?

Prabhupāda: The last description.

Hayagrīva: That last description. That the living entities are fragments of God's body...

Prabhupāda: Everything...

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Hayagrīva: He goes through a lot of, a lot of speculation to arrive at the final point. Concerning the existence of evil and suffering in the world, he writes, "God is not responsible for the miseries endured in working out his providence, but rather...

Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The miserable condition is created by us, and we suffer.

Hayagrīva: Yes, he says, "rather, we are responsible for our acts."

Prabhupāda: We suffer. Just like the silkworm, he creates a cocoon and becomes entrapped and dies. He is creating this fiber, silk fiber, and becomes entrapped. That is his creation.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: So he is..., he does not believe..., there is no belief in God is there? There is no question of? No. But our point of view is different: that God is the ultimate decider of everything. That is called daiva-netreṇa. He may be acting through different agents, but ultimate decision is given by Him. And He is sitting in everyone's heart. He is observing the activities of the individual soul as witness, giving permission. Without God's permission, nobody can act. So He is giving intelligence also, and He is the cause of forgetting. Two things are there, remembering and forgetting. Both these things are coming from God. If He keeps him in forgetfulness, then he cannot remember, and if He gives him the power to remember, he can remember for long, long past activities. So ultimately God is the final director. That is our conception. Man cannot remain independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done, impelled by the three material modes of nature, and the ultimate dictator is the Supersoul, or the Personality of Godhead in His localized aspect, situated everywhere in the heart of the living entity, or even within the atom He is there, and His is the supreme director.

Page Title:Final (Lectures, Other)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:23 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=76, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:76