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Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa, He can act anything with any limb, part of His body. Kṛṣṇa can eat with His eyes, and Kṛṣṇa can hear with His eyes. Kṛṣṇa can cut by touching. These are there in the śāstras. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when, when entered Mathurā, He asked the washerman of Kaṁsa to deliver some cloth, but he refused. So Kṛṣṇa immediately cut off his head with His hand without any obstacle. So that is omnipotency. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti... (Bs. 5.32). Just like we offer prasādam. We offer foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa. Atheist class will say that "You have offered Kṛṣṇa this foodstuff, but He has not eaten. It is there still lying." No. He does not see. He does not know that Kṛṣṇa can eat simply by His glance, by seeing. He eats. Because He says in the Bhagavad-gītā that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). Is He speaking lies? No. He eats, but we do not know His eating process. We compare Kṛṣṇa as ourself. If one plate is given to me, I immediately devour the whole thing. But Kṛṣṇa, He is complete. He can eat the complete; still it remains complete. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa immediately cut off his head with His hand without any obstacle. So that is omnipotency. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti... (Bs. 5.32). Just like we offer prasādam. We offer foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa. Atheist class will say that "You have offered Kṛṣṇa this foodstuff, but He has not eaten. It is there still lying." No. He does not see. He does not know that Kṛṣṇa can eat simply by His glance, by seeing. He eats. Because He says in the Bhagavad-gītā that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). Is He speaking lies? No. He eats, but we do not know His eating process. We compare Kṛṣṇa as ourself. If one plate is given to me, I immediately devour the whole thing. But Kṛṣṇa, He is complete. He can eat the complete; still it remains complete. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

Just like people are very much attracted by the humanitarian services. They take it very great, loving service to the human society. But however you may love... Suppose in the beginning one loves his own self, his own body... Just like a child. He loves for himself. Anything he gets, he wants to eat. Own sense gratification. Then, as he grows, he shares his foodstuff with his little brother and sister. Then, as he grows, he loves his mother, his father, then other friends. In this way, as we go, we can love our society, our community, or nation, or internationally, all human beings. But still it is imperfect. Still it is imperfect. It is not all-inclusive. Just like at the present moment, every country, they are national, they consider the human being as national, not the animals. But actual meaning of "national" means anyone who takes birth in that country.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

So we have got this loving propensity, but we do not know how to love and where our loving propensity should be reposed. That we do not know. That is Kṛṣṇa. People... The same example. Just like if you water in the root of tree, then the water is distributed all over the branches, leaves and flowers and everywhere. If you put foodstuff in the stomach, the energy's distributed all over the body. Everyone can understand this. There are... Kṛṣṇa is the root. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). He's the root. But we are neglecting the root. We are trying to pour water in the leaves. The leaf will dry, and his labor will be frustrated. That is happening. So-called humanitarian service, social service, without any touch with Kṛṣṇa... Just like watering on the tree without touching the root—it is useless labor. Similarly, you do whatever service you can do to the society, to the community, to the nation, but do it in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you're perfect.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

Supreme Person, supreme beautiful, supreme rich, supreme famous, supreme wise. Everything supreme. We love somebody, or, out of these six opulences, if one opulence is there... Suppose one man is very rich and charitable, we love him. And... Just think over how Kṛṣṇa is rich and how He's charitable. He is giving His charity, He's distributing foodstuff, millions and millions of living entities every day. We are taking prou..., pride if we can feed, say, hundred, two hundred, five hundred, two thousand. But just imagine. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are millions and millions of elephants all over the universe; Kṛṣṇa is supplying their food. There are so many animals. How they're getting food? So many birds. How they can...? Actually there is no scarcity of food. The scarcity of food is for the human society, or the animals who live with them. Because actually the human society is misusing the advanced consciousness; therefore they are put into the trouble.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

You cannot see God, you cannot see Kṛṣṇa by your, these blunt senses, but if you purify your senses, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That purification begins from tongue. That purification, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. So by the tongue we can do two things. We can taste foodstuff and we can vibrate sound. So if you engage your tongue for vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare/Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and do not take anything except prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, then your spiritual life immediately begins. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, svayam eva... Then gradually, as you advance in spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to you, "Here I am." You cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but by being satisfied with your service, Kṛṣṇa sees you. Just like you cannot see sun at night. But when the sun sees you, you can see the sun and yourself, both.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

As Kṛṣṇa is not limited... Kṛṣṇa says in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Just like Kṛṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). Now, one can say that "Kṛṣṇa is far, far away in the Goloka Vṛndāvana. How He will eat?" That is material conception. Kṛṣṇa can eat even He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana, provided the foodstuff is offered by a devotee. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. It is a question of bhakti. Then Kṛṣṇa eats. Kṛṣṇa is present in His Goloka Vṛndāvana, in His dhāma. He does not go out, but His expansion goes out and takes, accepts the service of the devotee. This is the bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. One should understand the bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. It is a science, how He takes... We have got our limited sense that "I am sitting here." If you offer my foodstuff some yards off from me, I cannot reach, because I am limited. But Kṛṣṇa can expand His hand. He Himself comes. Svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

"Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee." Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, he became a deer, but he was associating with saintly persons. He understood that "I was formerly King Bhārata. My chance, my mind being absorbed in the thinking of a deer, I have become a deer. All right. Doesn't matter." So he was associating with devotees. Similarly, a devotee is not interested to become liberated, go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, even if he's not interested, Kṛṣṇa takes him. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is natural. But that is not our... We don't pray to Kṛṣṇa for anything of sense gratification.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

Mādhavānanda: "The purport of this statement by Indra is that, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no living entities are meant for enjoying the material opulences. They are simply meant for offering everything to the supreme proprietor, the Personality of Godhead. By doing so, they automatically enjoy the benefit. The example can be cited again of the different parts of the body collecting foodstuffs and cooking them so that ultimately a meal may be offered to the stomach. After it has gone to the stomach, all the parts of the bodies..., body equally enjoy the benefit of the meal. So similarly everyone's duty is to satisfy the Supreme Lord and then automatically everyone will become satisfied."

Prabhupāda: That is called yajña. Yajñārthe karma. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Dallas, March 4, 1975:

And it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that a human being at the end of the Kali-yuga will have to work... They are already working like an ass, and actually they will have to work like an ass simply to get their bread. The progress will be this. And not only that, the foodstuff, especially the sattvika foodstuff like fruits and vegetables, milk, rice, wheat, sugar, these things will be not available—completely stopped. So gradually we shall make such advancement. I have seen practically. I went to Moscow, and at least for us, it was very difficult to live there. There is no rice supply. There is no wheat supply. Very rarely... No vegetables, no fruit, some rotten fruit like raspberry and... So at least for us it was very difficult. Of course, milk is available and flesh. Oh, that you can have, as much as you like.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

What cow eating? Grass, dry grass. And what it is producing? It is producing the nicest thing, milk, full of vitamins. Now, if you think, "Oh, then a dry grass and straw contains all vitamins. Let me eat," you will die. You will die. It is God's arrangement. The cow can produce the most vitaminous foodstuff by eating the dry grass. It is God's desire. The cow will eat at least twenty pounds of grass, and how it can eat the grains? It is not possible. So just like elephant—it will eat hundred pounds of thing. He must eat all these branches and twigs. So everything is God's arrangement. We have to accept that. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni (CC Antya 20.12). And we have created a civilization which is blazing fire, blazing fire. Everyone, all politicians, even ordinary citizens, they are now suffering. The politicians cannot give them enough food. They simply take vote, and the price of foodstuff is increasing. This is a very precarious condition. It is called saṁsāra-dāvānala, "the blazing fire of material existence." We may extinguish for the time being, but again... Dāvānala is used for this purpose. Nobody sets fire, but it takes place. That is called dāvānala. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place by dealings. So when we deal in a different way than Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be fire immediately. This dealing will produce fire.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

Now, this is contradictory. If He has no hands, how He can accept? What for He's accepting. Therefore it is to be understood that He has His hand, but not this hand. My hand is, er, can stretch, say, one yard only, but because He's unlimited, His hand can be stretched... Just like we are offering foodstuff, so how He is eating? That is His... He's eating by His transcendental body. We cannot see at the present moment, but He is eating. How He's eating? Because we have got the information, "Yes, I eat." Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ: "Anyone who is My devotee and offers in love, I take them." So that cannot be... There is no mistake. But how He is taking, how He is eating, because we are in this material body, we do not see it, but He is taking. Therefore cid-vibhūti ācchādi' tāṅre kahe 'nirākāra'.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

You go to a physician, he'll say, "Yes. Today you take only yogurt mixed with little salt and black pepper." Cured, diarrhea cured. Now, you can say, "The same milk?" But it is treated. Therefore it cures. You can say, "Oh, the same milk? Yogurt is also milk." But it is treated. Therefore it cures. So you'll find that your material disease is being cured by spiritual foodstuff. That is practical. Therefore it is spiritual.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

In the Dvāpara-yuga it was one thousand years. In the Tretā-yuga it was ten thousand years. In the Satya-yuga it was hundred thousand years. It is reducing. Kali-yuga means the duration of age will reduce, the memory will reduce, the bodily strength will reduce, mercifulness will reduce. In this way everything will reduce. This is Kali-yuga. Supply of foodstuff will be reduced. This is Kali-yuga. So mandāḥ. Everyone is bad, not full strength. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And everyone has got a sumanda-mata. Mata means opinion or system which is also sumanda. Not only mandāḥ but sumanda. Everyone is manufacturing a type of Bhagavān, a type of religious system. That is not bona fide at all. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda matayo. And everyone is unfortunate, manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate in this sense: they do not know what is the aim of life, how human life should make progress.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.66-96 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

Just see. He said, "No, no. I cannot accept sumptuous foodstuff from a brāhmaṇa's place. That is not my duty. I shall accept mādhukarī." Mādhukarī is a principle introduced by these Gosvāmīs. Mādh, mādhu. Mādhu means honey. And the bees who collect honey from flower—a drop from this flower, a drop from that flower, a drop from that flower—in this way, he subsists. So this mādhukarī system means a renounced order of sannyāsī or a vairāgī, he should not accept in one place sumptuously. He should go to every householder and take a bit of capātī from this house, a bit of capātī from that house, a bit of capātī from that house, so that the householders also may not be disturbed and they may be benefited.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- Bombay, November 9, 1975:

So 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, these are Vedic instruction. It is all right. So so 'ham does not mean that you are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the same quality as Supreme, nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa. Just like a servant of a very big man, the king, he is not ordinary thing. Suppose a king. He is in the same palace. He is sitting by the side of the king, he is eating the same foodstuff, but still there is relationship, the servant and the master, although he is living in the same place, same eating, same everything. Sometimes he is honored most, he is honored better than the master. So so 'ham means that "I am the same spiritual self," but not as powerful as the supreme master. Kṛṣṇa dāsa. He is... A living entity must always know that "I am servant of God." And without becoming God, nobody can become servant of God. Without becoming fire, you cannot serve fire. That is the principle.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

And therefore so many arrangement. We are having Kṛṣṇa Deity here, and every one of us, we are engaged as servant. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṇgāra-tan-mandira-mār janādau **. Somebody is engaged in cleansing the temple. All servant, we are. Somebody is engaged in dressing the Deity. Somebody is engaged in preparing nice foodstuff for Deity. Somebody is making flower garlands. Somebody is going to distribute literature to make people understand the glories of Kṛṣṇa. So in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means everyone is engaged cent percent to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are sincerely engaged in the service of the Lord, they are all liberated. They are all liberated. The Māyāvādīs who are trying to become liberated in so many ways, mystic yoga practice and austere penances, and so on, so on, so on, so on... You can get that liberty immediately, simply by engaging yourself in some service of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-142 -- New York, November 29, 1966:

Ekayā: simply by devotional service, one, this one method... God is one, and to achieve Him, the process is also one. Just like in your body there are many holes, nine holes, nine holes: these two nostrils, two ear, two eyes, one mouth, and genital and evacuation, these nine holes. So if you want to supply foodstuff within your body, that is the one way: this is the mouth. There is no other way. You cannot push the foodstuff through ears or eyes or genital. No. That is not possible. Therefore, similarly, if you want God, then the one way, bhaktyā aham ekayā... Ekayā. The foolish person says that "Whatever path you may adopt, you will go to God." There are certain rascals. They say like that. But this is misleading, completely misleading. You cannot, I mean to say, reach God by any other means except this means, this bhaktyā aham ekayā. It is clearly stated, ekayā. Ekayā means "only one." There is no second process.

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

"Please, haste. Please make haste. I have to go. I have to go." Means prostitute's house. So he was very rich man. Priestly, anyway, he finished that business. Then there was ceremony. He took very nice foodstuff in a bag, and he was going to that prostitute's house. But when he came out of his home, oh, it was raining torrently. You see? So he never cared for that raining. He went to the riverside. Oh, there was no boat, and it was, river was waving. The waves were very furious. And he thought that "How can I go to the other side?" He was daily going to the other side of the river. Then, anyway, he swimmed over, crossed over by swimming. Then the prostitute thought, "Oh, it is today raining, and he may not come." So he (she) blocked the door and went to sleep. And when he came to the house he saw, "Oh, the door is blocked," and it was raining still. "So how can I go?"

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

"Why the childrens are differently treated? Somebody is supplied sumptuously, and somebody is not. Why this difference of treatment?" That difference of treatment is also for good. How? Just like a mother has got five children. One of them is suffering from fever, is ill. Now, very nice foodstuff is prepared. All the children come, and mother is supplying. And when the feverish child comes, "Oh, you don't sit here. You cannot take." "Why?" "Oh, you are diseased. You cannot take." Do you think that mother is partial to this child and that child? No. Anyone who is not supplied as he wants, that is due to his own disease, chronic. So if God does not supply him sufficiently, it is good for him. Therefore, in spiritual advancement a poor man is in more advantage because he can think of God. Provided he is virtuous, he will think of God. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.313-317 -- New York, December 21, 1966:

So here it is stated, pālanārtha svāṁśa viṣṇu-rūpe avatāra. He is providing. Bhūta-bhṛt. Kṛṣṇa's name or Viṣṇu's another is Bhūta-bhṛt. He is providing our necessities. Always know that. This is also another knowledge. Don't think that you are producing your foodstuff, you are producing your necessities. No. You cannot do anything. He is providing. God is giving you. God is giving you. So you should always remember that pālanārtha. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Eko, that one supreme eternal, He is providing all the necessities of so many, innumerable living entities. Don't you see? We are mad after economic development from morning to late at night. In our cars, in our trucks we are going hither and thither. But there are many, many millions of living creatures; they have no economic problem. Who is providing them? Who is providing them? Providing, Kṛṣṇa is providing them. Viṣṇu is providing them.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

And the finer material elements are the mind, intelligence and false ego. We have discussed this in the Bhagavad-gītā. So this material manifestation is nothing but a manipulation, or a preparation of these things. Just... Just like we present sometime varieties of foodstuff. Kacaurīs, (indistinct ), purī, and rasagullā, and so many things. But what are these? Varieties of grains and milk, fat, that's all. Similarly, all these varieties, manifestations in the material world, they are... Yatra, yatra, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo, oh, and yatra trisargo 'mṛṣā.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

What is renunciation? Renunciation means paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). One is engaged in the material activities, being attracted in it, and when he loses his attraction in this material world—he is attracted by the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa—that is renunciation. By seeing the Supreme, he rejects this. Just like sometimes we also, if we get some better type of foodstuff, then we reject inferior type of foodstuff naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Because, "Oh, it tastes very nice, so let me take this, reject this." Similarly, material attraction is so long..., as long as we are not in touch with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result will be that we shall lose our material attraction. Those who are falling down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness again to the material attraction, that means they are not serious about advancing in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not ordinary thing. It is very easy. At the same time very, I mean, difficult also.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

So therefore, unless there is God's sanction, all these remedies, all these protection is useless. Useless.

Therefore the best service to the humanity is to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. That will save him. That will save him. Not this little hospital or this little foodstuff. No. That cannot save him. If God neglects one... There is a Bengali, two lines: rakṣe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rakṣe ke. If Kṛṣṇa, if God wants to kill somebody, oh, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to protect him, oh, nobody can kill him. If God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. Both ways. One Dr. Ghosh, he told me... Because I was in medical business. He went to see one patient. He explained that "I went to see one patient. He's suffering from pneumonia, and he's so poor man, and he's lying in so unfavorable condition. So our medical science says he would have at once died. But don't see he's dying. He's not dying." I have tested this.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

Gargamuni: "In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord directly states that He accepts the vegetable foodstuffs from the hands of a pure devotee. Therefore a human being should not only become a strict vegetarian, but he should also become a devotee of the Lord and offer to the Lord all his food and only then partake of the prasādam, or mercy of God. Such a devotee can properly discharge the duty of human life. Those who do not do so are eating only sins and thus will be subjected to the different types of distress which are the result of the various sins."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter: yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Our, this conditioned life is so situated that in every step we are committing some sins. In every step, without knowing, ignorance, because we, we are born ignorant. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abhodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jāta means every living entity is born fools. Therefore there are so many educational institutions.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

That should be determination. We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. No. That is not possible. We cannot eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ. Even if we have committed some sin, by eating this prasādam we counteract it. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña-śiṣṭa. Aśiṣṭa means the remnants of foodstuff after offering yajña. If one eats, then mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because our life is sinful, so we become, I mean to say, freed from the sinful activities. How it is? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you surrender unto Me, then I'll give you protection from all sinful reactions." So if you make it a vow that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that means it is a surrender. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that "My dear Lord, I shall not eat anything which is not offered to You." That's vow. That vow is surrender. And because there is surrender, you are protected from the sinful reaction.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 5 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1970:

Kṛṣṇa, although He is in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, enjoying pastimes with the associates, He is everywhere, according to the position, shape, form, activities. Everywhere. Therefore it is said here that Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He does not go from His abode. He is fully enjoying. But at the same time, everywhere He is. Everywhere walking. Just like we offer foodstuff. So do not think that Kṛṣṇa is not accepting. Kṛṣṇa is accepting, because He can spread His hand immediately if you offer something with devotion. Tayā bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi. Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone offering Me, offering Me something with faith and love, I eat." People may ask, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is far away, in Goloka Vṛndāvana. How He eats? How He takes?" Oh, that is God. Yes, He eats. Yes, He takes. He walks; He does not walk. Immediately comes. But you must have the qualification to call Him. If you are actually a devotee, immediately Kṛṣṇa is present. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu challenged devotee Prahlāda, "Where is your God?

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 10 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1970:

"Here is a dhīra." Dhīra. He is naked. A young girl is worshiping the genital, touching it; still he's not agitated. So that is the example of being dhīra. Dhīra means there may be causes for agitation, but one shall not be agitated. That is called dhīra. In spite of presence of the agent of agitating... Just like there is a very nice foodstuff, but still, my tongue should not be agitated. There is a very nice girl or boy, still, I shall not be agitated sexually. In this way, when you are able to control the six agitating elements, then you become dhīra. Dhīra. Not that he had, Lord Śiva had no sexual potency, but he was dhīra. That is the example. Just like Kṛṣṇa danced with so many girls, but there was no sex appetite. That is called dhīra.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 Excerpt -- Los Angeles, August 14, 1972:

He is not dependent. He is not dependent. Just like if we have lost our sight, we become dependent; no more we can see. But Kṛṣṇa can see with His hand, with His leg. Try to understand. Therefore He is Absolute. This is the meaning of Absolute. Everything is complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ. Pūrṇa means complete. So atheist will say that "You offer foodstuff. Where Kṛṣṇa eats? The foodstuff is still there." But they do not know that simply by seeing, Kṛṣṇa can eat. And because He is complete, He eats and again keeps the thing complete. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). He can take everything complete, again it remains complete. Just like when we take food, we finish it. No more. But Kṛṣṇa can eat; at the same time, the things may remain as it is. Otherwise where is the difference between ourself and Kṛṣṇa? That is the difference.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

So Kṛṣṇa worship is not very costly affair. Simply you have to decide that "I shall love only Kṛṣṇa." And if you love only Kṛṣṇa, then you will actually love everything. If you love..., because you are loving the root. Just like if you supply foodstuff to your stomach, then you supply foodstuff all the parts of your body. This is the method. The Bhāgavata describes this method.

yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
}tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
tatha (iva) sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
(SB 4.31.14)

Just like, taror mūla-niṣecanena, if you supply water on the root of the tree, the water is immediately transferred to the branches, to the leaves, to the flowers, to the fruits—everywhere. Everyone knows it. It is scientific. But if you supply water to one leaf, or thousand leaves, it does not mean that other leaves are also getting the benefit. So, at the present moment, people are captivated for human welfare activities.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

So, suppose a portion of human living entity you serve, then what is the value of service? What is the value of that service?

Therefore, the Bhāgavata says, just like watering the root of the tree you can serve all the leaves, flowers, branches, and everything of the tree, just by supplying foodstuff to your stomach you can serve all the limbs of your body, similarly, simply by loving Kṛṣṇa you can learn how to love everyone. If you don't love Kṛṣṇa, and if you love the whole universe, it is still imperfect. Imperfect. And, because we are not loving Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are sectarian. Just like, take for example your country, or any country, it doesn't matter. I am giving example, I am not attacking anybody, I am giving example. You love your countrymen. That's very nice, but why don't you love the cows of your country? As it... It is also living entity. They are also born in this country. Have they not right to live?

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

So, so many people are coming to see them, how they have become Vaiṣṇava, saintly person, and contributing, somebody flour, somebody dahl, somebody rice, somebody fruit. "Oh," they thought. "Oh, why Nārada is sending so much? We are only two persons, husband and wife, and he is sending more than twenty person foodstuffs, daily." So, he was convinced that "If I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, I will not starve. Nārada will send everything, that's all."

So, gradually by chanting they became very highly advanced spiritually. So one day Nārada said to his friend Parvata, "My dear Parvata, I have got a disciple in Prayāga. He was hunter, and I have initiated him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let us go and see how he is doing." So, two friends are coming there, and it is the system that the disciple, by seeing the spiritual master, should immediately offer obeisances and receive him very nicely.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

He gives me fruits, flowers, grains, whatever I want, God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. You cannot manufacture. So Kṛṣṇa, God is so kind, that He is supplying food to the atheist also. But the atheist has no knowledge that where from I am getting my foodstuff. That is ignorance. So therefore they are committing so many sinful activities. It is due to ignorance, nothing but ignorance. Atheist means in gross ignorance, that's all. Otherwise any person who is honest, he can see God everywhere, always.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

Devotee: If I have got a lot of foodstuffs, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I wish to distribute, but I'm afraid it will go bad, how could I distribute very quickly, very quickly? I want to distribute it all. I've gotten a lot of foodstuffs. I want to give it up. Can I offer...

Prabhupāda: You don't find? You don't find men to distribute...

Devotee: Sometimes I get crates of lettuce. Could I offer a whole crate at once, and give a crate away to another Salvation Army, that they can give it away?

Prabhupāda: That is all right. Some way or other it should be distributed. It should not be wasted. Yes?

Festival Lectures

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

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. Just like at the present moment our senses are gross material senses.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

So he teaches that śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). We have to hear and talk and chant about Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. To remember Him always, to worship His lotus feet, pāda-sevanam. Arcanam, temple worship, to keep the Deity nicely worshiped, offer foodstuff, ārati, this is called arcanaṁ. Vandanam, offering prayers. Just like we offer prayer, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. These are prayers. There are so many prayers. Keśava-dhṛta buddha-śarīra, keṣava-dhṛta narahari-rūpa. These are all prayers. This is also part of devotional service.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

And kṣatriya, they are kings. They can levy tax of the citizens because they are giving protection from being hurt by others. Kṣatriya means one who gives protection (to) a man being hurt by others. That is the real root meaning. Kṣatriya. And vaiśya means they should, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam, they should engage themselves in producing foodstuff, foodgrains, kṛṣi, protect cows. Especially gorakṣya. As the king is meant for giving protection to the man, similarly, a vaiśya is supposed to give protection to the cows, or they keep cows and produce milk products. They are vaiśya. And śūdra, simply service. So these are the different types of employment of different kinds of social order. And a king, the king has to see that everyone is employed. Not that hundreds of people are unemployed, and government has to give welfare, subsidy. Not like that. The king's duty is that everyone is independently earning his livelihood. That is king's duty.

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

Then her motherly affection will be checked. Therefore she was, by yoga-māyā, she was always covered. Although Kṛṣṇa playing child just like a common child, at the same time showing that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was eating clay. Some friends complained to Mother Yaśodā that, "You gave Him nice foodstuff, and He is eating clay." So mother called Him: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, You are eating clay?" Kṛṣṇa said, "No, mother. They're all liars." (laughter) "Oh, Your elder brother Balarāma is also saying." "Oh, He is angry upon Me. He is angry upon Me; therefore He is also speaking lie." Then the boys still stressed, "No, mother. He has eaten clay. We have seen." So mother said, "All right. Open Your mouth. I'll see." So Kṛṣṇa opened His mouth, and she saw the whole material cosmic manifestation. Not only Yaśodā, thousands of Yaśodā and thousands of planets, sun, moons, and everything saw. Mother's thought, "Must be something jugglery. All right. Forget. Don't do it again."

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

So our natural position as a living entity is that we have to serve something. Every living entity has to serve. That's our natural position. If something is wrong with my hand and I want to be cured, I don't grab onto some foodstuffs or some medicine, some herbs, and squeeze it with the hand and think that this hand is going to be cured. I take the medicine or the food through my mouth, and then it circulates through the digestive system and through the veins and finally comes to the hand and can work its cure. So the hand, unless it's serving its source, then it's useless. The servant must serve its master or the part must serve the whole. And our relationship with God is the same. Just like the hand is made out of bile, blood and air, flesh and bone, as all the body is. So similarly we're made out of spirit.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

"Elevate me to the heavenly planet or Vaikuṇṭha planet." No. "You can put me anywhere." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa-janma hou: "My dear Lord, I have no objection if I have to take my birth next as an insect." What to speak of human being or other thing. "As an insect. But I must be in the house of a devotee." So that an insect, by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by the devotee, he'll be delivered. Kīṭa-janma hou jatha tuyā, bahir-mukha brahma-janma nāhi mora āśā: "I don't want my next birth as Lord Brahmā if I forget You. I don't want." That is wanted. A devotee prays to the Lord that he would be able to constantly remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Never mind whether as insect or as king or as dog, never mind. That is devotee's, pure devotee.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

A man was considered to be rich man if he has sufficient quantity of grains in his possession. Similarly, if one has sufficient number of cows in his possession, he was considered rich man. Not that bank balance. There was no such bank, neither this paper money. They actually possessing the foodstuff and milk. And actually this is economic solution. If you have got sufficient milk, then you can make so many nice nutritious, full of vitamin values preparation and grains. There is no question of economic starvation if you have got simply grains and cows. So that was the standard of economic solution in days yore.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to become Vaiṣṇava and feel for the suffering humanity. So to feel for the suffering humanity, there are different angles of vision. Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition. Somebody is trying to distribute foodstuff in poverty-stricken countries or places. These things are certainly very nice, but actual suffering of the humanity is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These bodily sufferings, they are temporary; neither they can be checked by the laws of nature. Suppose if you give some distribution of foodstuff in some poverty-stricken country, that does not mean that this help makes solution of the whole problem.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

Unless you come to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, you cannot get real pleasure. If you want to dance and get pleasure, don't dance independently. Dance with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. The dancing is there, but dancing without association of Kṛṣṇa... Just like here, in our temple, we are also eating, but we are eating the remnants of foodstuff left by Kṛṣṇa. That is real pleasure. It is not that we are stopping eating. We are not stopping eating. We are not dry philosophers. Kṛṣṇa baro doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. All over the world we are eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and we have got good experience. At least ten thousand men and women, they are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, but we have no anxiety. We have no anxiety. A family consists of a few members. They are full of anxiety how to maintain the family. And we are maintaining a family of ten thousand men. We have no anxiety. Just see practically.

Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976:

To establish temple for regularly worshiping the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā. And to worship the Deity very nicely, to decorate, to dress, to cleanse the temple, to offer nice foodstuff, distribute prasādam these are the activities of the temple. Unfortunately, people are in so much ignorance that they have forgotten everything. They're living like cats and dogs, animals. So this is a great opportunity that you are going to open a nice temple here. So not only open temple but you take part yourself How to decorate the Deity, how to cleanse the temple, how to offer nice prasādam, how to distribute prasādam, how to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

Automatic. Because the thing is pure. If you sell pure milk, just from the farm, there will be many hundreds of customers immediately, and if you sell adulterated, homogenized water mixed milk, the milk will be sold, but not very many customers ordinarily. So anything pure will attract. That is natural. Pure love, pure foodstuff, anything pure. Pure gold. In economics also. It is said, "Bad money drives away good money." If you put bad money, just like nowadays the currency is some paper, paper currency, so drives away good money. Good money means gold coins. They are not to be seen. That's economic law. As soon as you put bad money, the good money will vanish.

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

No, the process is, just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the water is distributed to the leaf, branches, twigs, and they remain fresh. But if you water on the leaf only, the leaf will also dry, and the twig will be also dry. If you put your foodstuff on the stomach, then the energy will be distributed to your finger, to your hairs to your nails and everywhere. And if you take foodstuff in the hand and do not put in the stomach, it will be useless waste. So all this humanitarian service has been wasted because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They're trying so many ways to serve the human society, but they're all being frustrated in useless attempt, because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if people are trained to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then automatically everyone will be happy. Any one who will join, one, anyone who will hear, anyone who will cooperate—everyone will be happy. So our process is natural process.

Arrival Lecture -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

That is education. If simply we understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person. He is great, and we are all subordinate. So our duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," these two lines, if we understand, then our life is perfect. If we simply learn how to worship Kṛṣṇa, how to please Him, how to dress Him nicely, how to give Him nice foodstuff, how to decorate Him with ornaments and flowers, how to offer our respectful obeisances unto Him, how to chant His name, in this way, if we simply think, without any so-called education we become the perfect person within the universe. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't require A-B-C-D education. It requires simply change of consciousness. So if these children are being taught from the very beginning of their life... We had the opportunity of being trained up by our parents like this. So some way or other, they have come to... (break) Many saintly persons used to visit my father's house. My father was Vaiṣṇava. He was Vaiṣṇava, and he wanted me to become a Vaiṣṇava.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

It does not mean that because the rich man has got typhoid fever, his suffering is less than the typhoid fever for the poor man. No. That is not possible. So we think that the standard of sense gratification is pleasure. No. The standard of pleasure of this eating, sleeping... We are taking pleasure in eating nice foodstuff. Just now Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja gave me... And another animal, he's also eating something very abominable to our consideration. Just like the pig eating stool. He's also getting the same pleasure. So economic development does not mean that you can improve the quality of pleasure. That is not possible. Therefore I was speaking that the dog is running with four legs and we are running with four wheels, but it does not mean the pleasure of running is different. The dog is also enjoying by running here and there—perhaps you have seen sometimes—with four legs. And we are also. The standard does not improve.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

That requires knowledge, but anyone can understand. Suppose I can eat some quantity of food. Even if I am millionaire, I shall eat the same quantity. Not that because I am millionaire... Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja gave me so much nice foodstuff, but I could take only according to my appetite. One purī, two samosas, that's all. (laughter) It is not that because Kīrtanananda Mahārāja has given so nice food, I shall eat the whole plate. No. That is not possible. I'll have to eat so much as I can eat. So by improving the so-called standard, I shall eat the same proportion as I am able to eat, not more nor less. And that is destined.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Jayapataka Dasa -- Montreal, July 24, 1968:

So I think Kṛṣṇa will be very... So initiation means this is the beginning. Now you have to follow the rules and regulations. What are the rules and regulations? Only four principles. Don't have any illicit sex life. Don't have any food besides prasādam or foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa does not eat anything beyond the vegetarian group. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So you cannot offer Kṛṣṇa anything beyond this scope. So there is no question of nonvegetarian diet, including fish, eggs, even onions, and lentils, what is called? Lentils? That dahl, pulses? So you have got from your Godbrother, you will know. And you are eating here Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And no gambling and no intoxication, including smoking, tea taking, coffee taking. No gambling, no intoxication. These four principles. No illicit sex life, no nonvegetarian diet, no gambling, and no intoxication.

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

Therefore I must render service to Kṛṣṇa. If I render service to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied and everyone will be satisfied. And I shall be satisfied because I am also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." The same example: If you supply foodstuff to the stomach, then stomach is Kṛṣṇa. Then you are satisfied. Suppose you means individual parts. This hand is supplying sweetballs to the stomach. So this hand is satisfied; this hand also satisfied. And this head is also satisfied; the leg is also satisfied. You see? Similarly, anyone who serves Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, being satisfied... Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. Just (like) I pour water on the root. The branches, the leaves, the flowers, the fruits and everything, they will immediately... Pay tax to the government, central government. The tax is distributed—the education department, municipal department, this department, that department.

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

So if you constantly keep yourself associated with Kṛṣṇa by chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then just imagine how you are being easily purified simply by this process, chanting, jihvādau, engaging the tongue in chanting. And your tongue wants very palatable dishes to taste. So Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He has given you hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes, remnants of foodstuff eaten by Him. You eat. In this way, if you simply make it a determination that "I shall not allow my tongue to taste anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and I shall engage my tongue always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," then all perfection is within your hold. All perfection. Two simple things: Don't eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our Kṛṣṇa prasādam are so variegated, nice varieties... The variety is the mother of enjoyment. How much enjoyment you want with your tongue? You can have simply by eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And the more your tongue is purified, the more you relish the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Relish.

Gayatri Mantra Initiation -- Boston, May 9, 1968:

No. According to Vaiṣṇava tantra, we do not require to fast because we are taking Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. Hare... Just like in Jagannātha Purī, there is no fasting, so long one is accepting Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. The fasting means purificatory, one, one who is taking all nonsense things, at least one day fasting to become purified. But one who is eating simply Kṛṣṇa prasādam and simple foodstuff, vegetable, grains, milk; they are not allowed to eat anything and everything. They are not allowed to take anything in the hotel. So practically, they are fasting. According to the general regulation, they are fasting every day. They are simply accepting Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That is already accepted. And because this ceremony is Vaiṣṇava smṛti, so we do not require particularly to fast.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

No meat-eating, no eggs, no fish, no chicken, nothing of the sort. Simply vegetarian. Kṛṣṇa... Not even vegetarian; Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. We don't accept even vegetarian diet. We simply accept Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. So Kṛṣṇa-prasādam which is vegetable. Kṛṣṇa does not eat meat because He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says that "Foodstuff prepared from vegetable kingdom, anyone offering Me with devotion and faith, I eat." He says, "I eat." So when Kṛṣṇa says He eats, so you should offer Him such nice prasādam so that He can eat and you take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. So you take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. And what is the other?

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

We are taking these fruits, flowers, grains. It is not possible to manufacture these in your factory. It is Kṛṣṇa sending, Kṛṣṇa giving you. So we are living at the cost of Kṛṣṇa, and after cooking these fruits, flowers or grains, if we do not offer to Kṛṣṇa, is that very good gentlemanliness? I take so much from you and simply, nicely, and very cleanly cooking the foodstuff, if we offer to Kṛṣṇa, then what is the wrong there? The rascals, they say, "Oh, they are heathens. They are worshiping some stone." Just see. So these are all less intelligent person. God eats. Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi. "I eat."

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

There is no such word as daridra-nārāyaṇa. The poor souls, they can be served automatically. Just like taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ. If the root is watered, then the trunk and branches and the twigs and the flowers, automatically... Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Prāṇopahārāc. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach. Then every indriya, every sense is satisfied. Two, two examples are given. One may argue, "Suppose I am watering. That is also nice. I water to the root, I water to the leaf also." The injunction is that there is no necessity of watering the leaves. You simply water the root. But if you argue that "What is the harm...? Suppose I... Root, offer water to the root, as well as to the leaves and twigs." Just like somebody says, "All right. Why we shall only worship Kṛṣṇa?

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

"What is the harm...? Suppose I... Root, offer water to the root, as well as to the leaves and twigs." Just like somebody says, "All right. Why we shall only worship Kṛṣṇa? Why not other demigods?" although it is not necessary. But the next example is given that, prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach, the senses automatically become healthy, then now, if you say, in the same way... Just like offering to the root as well as to the leaves, that "Yes, I shall offer foodstuff to the stomach as well as to the ears and eyes." Then what the result will be? The result will be that your eyes and ears will be stopped functioning. Therefore this very example is given. This, this is not required at all. Similarly, by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, you don't require to endeavor to worship the demigods, to worship the daridras, to worship the this and that. It will be automatically done.

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

In Los Angeles, in New York, and Māyāpur also, daily we are feeding five hundred to one thousand people. They are daridras. So that is the duty of every temple. There we're feeding not only Hindus and, only, but Muslims also. Anyone. Anyone come here and take prasādam. And the whole village is so satisfied with these activities. Temple means there must be sufficient foodstuff. Anyone who comes for foodstuff, he should be given. So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, these things automatically done. There is no need of extra endeavor. Parātma-niṣṭhā. This is called parātma-niṣṭhā. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā. Not only now. From time immemorial, all the temples in India, they have got sufficient foodstuff. Even at Nātha-dvāra, if you pay them only one anna or four annas, they'll give you so much nice prasādam. The two annas, four annas, the priestly order, they take. Otherwise, prasāda is distributed. So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is not hungry.

Babaji Initiation -- Chicago, July 11, 1975:

This dress was accepted by Rūpa Gosvāmī, not ordinary person. The six Gosvāmīs, they accepted. It is called paramahaṁsa stage, sannyāsī's highest stage. Sannyāsī has got four stages: kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahaṁsa. Kuṭīcaka means when he takes sannyāsa, he is not accustomed to beg; therefore he makes a small cottage outside the village, and the foodstuff comes from the home or somebody sends. In this way, when he is little practiced, then he goes door to door, begs, bahūdaka. Then he is more practiced: parivrājakācārya, he travels all over the world. And after that, when he is fully mature, he can chant one place Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has no more business. So this is the last stage of mature sannyāsa. But because you are thinking that you may not live many years, so you simply sit down, go to Māyāpur. You have no other business. Simply go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and whatever little prasādam available, you take. And the rest of your life simply engage in chanting. That will be success.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding of Syama dasi and Hayagriva -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1968:

They have attracted the attention of respectable gentlemen like Lord Mountbatten, Lord Sorenson, and the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Dhavan. So they're doing very nicely. So our principle is to make people God conscious; thereby they will be happy. And the method is very simple. Just like we do not deny anything. We give nice wife, we give nice husband, we give nice foodstuff, we give nice philosophy, and at last, we give the nicest thing, Kṛṣṇa. So our program is very nice. Any gentleman come and discuss with us. We shall prove this is the nicest program at the present moment.

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

Yes. Take prasādam. You can play the records. That's all. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... You also eat. Everyone eat. Yes. I think it is nicely prepared. You can take one plate. (laughter) Yes. ("Hare Kṛṣṇa Happening" record comes on as everyone takes prasāda) Let me see (?).

catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-
svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān
kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

The spiritual master is satisfied when nice foodstuff, prasādam, is distributed, and it is eaten by the devotees. Our is not dry speculation. Everything substantial.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Or his consciousness was not so elevated. He could not cry, but the suffering was there. Similarly, at the time of death there is suffering. Similarly, old man. Just like us, we have got so many complaints, bodily complaints. Because now everything, the anatomical or physiological condition, is deteriorating. The stomach is not digesting foodstuff so nicely as when I was young I could digest. So the sufferings are there. Similarly, disease. Who wants disease? So modern technology, they have advanced undoubtedly, but there is no remedy for, I mean to say, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. But because these problems cannot be solved by the modern scientific advancement of knowledge, they have practically set aside or neglected because they cannot solve it.

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Let me do you something good," he'll refuse to accept. If you give him something, nice preparation, as we have got in India, halavā, he'll not accept it. He will accept stool, because his body is meant for that purpose and he will not like any palatable foodstuff. He will like that stool. This is the spell of māyā.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that if we want, if we are actually educated, then we must try to question that "Why I am suffering?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should inquire about his existence as soul, not as body or as mind. Because he is neither body nor mind. So this Vedānta-sūtra says that athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha ataḥ means this is the time, this human form of life, developed consciousness, with greater intelligence than the animals, one should inquire about his spiritual existence.

Lecture -- Montreal, June 26, 1968:

As soon as a man and woman is combined together, that means the knot of material attraction becomes doubly tightened. Then they want apartment, gṛha. Ato gṛha-kṣetra. Kṣetra means... Of course, nowadays everyone is seeking after employment, but formerly nobody, there was no industry, no big business. Everyone has to produce something, foodstuff, out of the kṣetra, field. So if you become a family man you must have some source of income. That source of income is land, as Rāyarāma was explaining you. Actually the land is the source of income. If you can utilize the land, then there is everything stocked there. This same example can be given. This American land was lying vacant, but since the Europeans took possession of that, at least they have exploited the resources. So everything was on the land. So land is really property.

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 20, 1968:

So this is the greatest service to the human society, to get out them from the darkness of ignorance. That is the greatest gift. If you put him into the darkness... Suppose a man is suffering from disease and he is asking, "Sir, I am very hungry. Give me some food." If you give him some rasagullā or some very nice foodstuff, neither he cannot eat, neither he can enjoy. And by supplying such things you are making him more and more diseased. You have to cure the disease. Then give him. That's right. So there is no curing process. Simply sense gratification. I want to satisfy my senses, and if somebody talks about my sense gratification, oh, I receive him very nicely. You see? And as soon as one says that "You are diseased. You cannot satisfy your senses without restriction. Then you will continue your disease," "Oh, this is not good. This doctor is not good." This is going on. You want to be cheated; therefore there are..., so many cheaters are coming. Just like this Maharishi came.

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 27, 1968:

They do not inquire, "How much stock exchange he has got in the bank?" No. But factually, if you have got grains at your home, then there is no question of economic problem. If you have simply got grains and cow, then you won't have to go other place. You are... That was the basic principle of civilization, that you possess some cows and some land so that you can produce foodstuff. That's all. Your whole economic problem is solved. You see?

So therefore so much stress is given for cow protection. Amongst the division of society, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas and the śūdras... Śūdras means non-Aryan. And Aryans, they are divided into three higher castes. Caste means according to profession and quality. That is caste. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is factual everywhere. If you have got the quality and if you are working... (end)

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So try to make some percentage of the population actually brāhmaṇa. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. And protect the cows. Actually, we are taking so much advantages. So from the cows, the milk. And from the milk we can make hundreds of vitaminous foodstuff, hundreds. They're all palatable. So such a nice animal, faithful, peaceful, and beneficial. After taking milk from it, if we kill, does it look very well? Even after the death, the cows supply the skin for your shoes. It is so beneficial. You see. Even after death. While living, he gives you nice milk. You cannot reject milk from the human society. As soon as there is a child born, milk immediately required. Old man, milk is life. Diseased person, milk is life. Invalid, milk is life. So therefore Kṛṣṇa is teaching by His practical demonstration how He loves this innocent animal, cow. So human society should develop brahminical culture on the basis of protecting cows.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference. But we are taking vegetables not as vegetarian. We are taking as Kṛṣṇa prasādam, remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that,

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
(BG 9.26)

Kṛṣṇa said that "If somebody offers Me some foodstuff prepared from vegetables and fruits and grains"—grains are also fruits—"so with love and devotion, then I eat."

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

We have no quarrel with nonvegetarian or vegetarian. No. Because vegetable has also got life. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also stated that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. You have to eat after offering sacrifice. Sacrifice means to worship the Supreme Lord. That is called sacrifice. So if anyone eats the remnants of sacrificial foodstuff, then he is freed from all kinds of sins.

The purport is that those who are vegetarian, they are thinking that "We are better than the nonvegetarian." But it is not the fact. Either you eat vegetables or nonvegetable, you are liable to be punished because you are accepting something without offering to the supplier. That is the law. We must acknowledge at least that "This foodstuff is supplied by the Supreme Lord, and we are obliged to Him." In Christian Bible also, they pray, "O God, give us our daily bread."

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

"O God, give us our daily bread." So one should accept that it is supplied by God. So if one does not even accept this obligation, then he is sinful, certainly. So, yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. One who offers sacrifice and then he takes foodstuff, then he becomes freed from the sinful activities. In the eating there is sinful activity also. But bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) anyone who is simply cooking for himself, he is simply eating sins. These are the statements of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is our duty to offer foodstuff to the Lord and then take it: "My Lord, You have supplied so nice foodstuff for my maintaining my life, so You first of all taste it, and then I shall eat it." It is very nice. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa is not going to take your foodstuff.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

Everyone is eating another life. That is the law of nature. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that sahastānām ahastāni. The animals, animal who has got hands, he eats the animal who has no hand. That means four-legged animals. Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. And the animals or living entities who cannot move, they are foodstuff of the moving. That means the grass, plants, they are the foodstuff for the cows and other animals. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. And the big animal eats the small animal. Just like we see a big serpent is eating a small serpent, a big fish eating a small fish. So this is the law, that nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So one life is meant for maintaining another life. This is the law of nature. But Upaniṣad says that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) everything belongs to the Lord. Just like in a hotel there are many kinds of foodstuff, but they all belong to the hotel keeper.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

The teeth is made for eating vegetables. That is scientifically true. And if you take vegetables all along, then you will never be diseased. And so far we are concerned, we are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That I have already explained, that Kṛṣṇa wants this foodstuff... If Kṛṣṇa says that "Give Me meat," then we shall eat meat. Because we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We are not distinguished that "Vegetable eating is nice, meat eating is not nice." No. The nature's law is that you must eat, and that eating is something living. Vegetable is also living. But we are not concerned, vegetarian or nonvegetarian. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me fruits, flowers, grains." We offer that. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me meat, chickens," we shall offer and we shall take.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So (laughs) this is unclean. Therefore the cockroaches are born there, you see? So if you keep yourself clean, there will be no more disturbances. The incense will keep off all insects. You make fresh food, there will be no germs. You take warm, immediately prepared, that is germicide foodstuff. But if you keep for months together in the refrigerator, that will contaminate with germ, disease. Therefore the brahminical culture means cleanliness is next to godliness. You have to keep your body clean, you have to keep your apartment clean, everything clean, and there will be no more disturbance. Bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. The Vedic literature says that you should keep yourself externally and internally cleansed. Externally, you can keep yourself clean by soap, water, and change of dress, washed dress, externally. And internally, by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then there will be no more disturbance.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1969:

So this marriage was performed, but it is not that the husband and wife live together unless they are mature, grown-up. So there was a system to, in order to... Because premixing is still not allowed in India, but the husband and wife... The wife by the elderly members was asked that "Just take this foodstuff, tiffin, to your husband." So she comes, offers little foodstuff, pan. In this way they gradually develop their relationship, loving relationship. But actually, when that love is mature, there is no need of introduction. In the beginning it is required. So devotional service is divided into two portions. Vidhi. Vidhi-mārga, rāga-mārga. Vidhi means by according to the order of the spiritual master. Then, when it is fully developed, then no more vidhi. Automatically one will be anxious to serve Kṛṣṇa: "How I shall make nice dress. How I shall serve Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

God has given him direction: "Oh, you live here. You don't go there." That's all right. And why should you go to kill a tiger? He's not coming to encroach him. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should I kill unnecessarily an animal? We have got so many nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa has given me grains, fruits, milk. The cows, they are supplying tons of milk, but they are not claiming, "It is my milk. I shall drink." No. It is giving to you, as mother gives. And we are killing cows, killing mothers. This is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So we teach all these things to our students who are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious (reading:) "ISKCON members talk about serenity, tranquillity and bliss."

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

I have given them life. Some of them are married. They are living very nicely. They have got children, and they have given up their all bad habits. You see? They are not, I mean to say, eating meat. They have no illicit sex life. They are strictly vegetarian. They are preparing nice foodstuff from vegetable and grains. They do not take part, intoxication. They do not smoke even. Just see practically. If everyone becomes like them, then what is the trouble? If you encourage them to indulge in illicit sex life, to become intoxicants, to gambler and eating everything, without any discrimination, then how you can expect to have very good men in this world? They are mad. So this question, that "Is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's...?" What do you mean by "successfully living"?

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Successful life is that, that we should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk. You can live anywhere. You haven't got to go fifty miles off with a car to attend your office at six o'clock with velocity of hundred miles' speed. Is that successful life, do you think? So where is successful life? We are proposing successful life.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

"What is the significance of the food that is eaten at ISKCON kīrtanas?" The significance of our food: not exactly vegetarian or nonvegetarian. Don't mistake. We simply take what is offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So Kṛṣṇa can be offered anything? No. Just like if some guest comes to your house, you ask, "How can I serve you? What foodstuff you'll like to eat?" He says, "I like this." "All right." Similarly, we are order-carrier of Kṛṣṇa. We ask Kṛṣṇa, "What do You want to eat?" And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Give me vegetable, fruits, liquids. I shall be very much pleased." So we offer Kṛṣṇa fruits, grains, milk, and their preparation. They're very nice. If you come here and eat with us, you'll forget meat-eating. You see? It is so nice. So our proposition is not that vegetarian-nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it is not very important thing. Vegetable has got also life. It does not mean that one man is eating meat; therefore he is killing. But even vegetarians, they are also killing.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Because we are simply order-carrier. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was posing himself by his family relationship that he's very perfect, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa induced him to fight, to kill the other party. So for us, killing or nonkilling is not very important thing because everyone is killing, knowingly or unknowingly. So our point is we take foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, and whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, that is our foodstuff. 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.

Lecture -- Boston, April 25, 1969:

In Los Angeles—that is our biggest temple in your country—we get in every love feast day not less than two hundred guests. They come from far away with their car and they take. They like it. You see? So if you accept this austerity, that "We shall not eat meat, but we can have very nice foodstuff from grains, from fruits, from vegetables, milk, sugar, so many nice foodstuff," you will forget. Simply you have to learn. That is not very severe austerity. Simply our process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how from this present consciousness we want to change to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these austerities are required: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication. No intoxication. Our boys and girls, they do not even smoke. They do not take tea, coffee, and what to speak of other intoxicants. They were intoxicated. Some of them were LSD, but they have given up to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture -- Boston, April 25, 1969:

They do not take tea, coffee, and what to speak of other intoxicants. They were intoxicated. Some of them were LSD, but they have given up to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And no gambling. These four principles you accept. It is not very difficult, not very severe. Simply you have to be willing, "Yes. Why? If I can live on such nice foodstuff, why shall I take to animal food, for which so many animals have to be killed, so many birds have to be killed?"

So Ṛṣabhadeva... It is not new introduction. Ṛṣabhadeva also instructed His boys, princes, that "My dear boys, if you simply indulge in sense gratification, then the result will be that you cannot get real, unlimited happiness." The whole program, austerity, He is advising to His sons, that "My dear boys, this beautiful body, this opportunity, you cannot misuse it simply for sense gratification."

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

You cannot kindle fire, at the same time add water on it. If you want to kindle fire, then you have to keep that place very dry and fan it. Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America... You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live... Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

They have got also life. It is not that those who are vegetarians, or eating grains and fruit, they are not eating life. They are also eating life. But the bhakti-yoga process is that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that the devotees, they take prasādam. We have got arrangement of distributing prasādam in every Sunday. Prasādam means the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa and then you take. So what Kṛṣṇa wants, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Therefore we are not propagating the philosophy of ahiṁsā, or nonviolence, because in some way or other, there is violence, either you take fruit or grain or animal. But the principle is that you have to take prasādam, the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, and then eat. So these things, fruits, grains, are accepted by Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa and then eat them.

Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:

Spiritual life means human life, and material life means animal life. That's all. So we have to make adjustment, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, yuktāhāra-vihārasya. It does not mean because I am going to be spiritual man, I shall give up eating. No, not that. But my eating should be adjusted. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, what class of foodstuff is first class, in goodness, and what class of foodstuff in the passion, third class, in ignorance. So we have to raise ourself in the goodness platform of human civilization, then revive our transcendental consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These things are, everything is there in the śāstras. Unfortunately, we do not consult.

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

So your eating should be arranged within this group: rice, wheat, sugar, milk product, vegetables, and fruits. In your country you have got enough nice grains, nice fruits, enough supply of milk, butter. So there is no question of accepting any other food. You can accept foodstuff within this group and become healthy and good brain, good conscience. You can engage yourself in God consciousness. That is possible. So therefore "Discrimination is the best part of valor." We should discriminate what kind of food we should eat. We cannot eat anything and everything. That discrimination must be there. Yes?

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

Take the pigeons. You give them some peas—they will eat. But if you give them some particles of meat, they'll not eat because they are living natural life. A tiger, he will not accept. You give him nice foodstuff, prepare your vegetables, he'll not accept. So natural life evolves up to the animal life. But when you come to the human form of life you have got developed consciousness, and instead of using your intelligence and consciousness for further develop naturally, you put unnatural impediments; therefore you are covered. That is called yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānam (BG 4.7). Therefore you require instruction of Kṛṣṇa.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yuktāhāra vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. We do not say that "You don't eat," but we say that "You eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda, bhagavat-prasāda." You satisfy your tongue. You do not starve, but you satisfy your tongue by the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our proposal. We do not say that "You don't sleep," but we say, "Yes, you sleep. But sleep as much as possible so that to keep your body fit." We do not say that "You don't have sex life." But you have, have it. Just like in this association you'll find my disciples. Out of them, there are many gṛhasthas. So there is no check that the woman and man should not mix. No. But they should mix together for producing Kṛṣṇa conscious children. You have seen the sample of one Kṛṣṇa conscious child. She's always dancing and she's always jolly. She's always jolly, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

Accept properly. That is the law of nature. Nature does not allow you to take more or less. Just like salt. Salt is an ingredient which you want very badly in every, I mean to say, morsel of foodstuff. But if you take more salt, it will spoil the foodstuff, and if you take less, then it will not be tasteful. So you have to take salt simply as much as you require, neither more nor less.

So our main business should be how to improve in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So far other things are required, bodily necessities, that is recommended by Rūpa Gosvāmī, anāsaktasya: "Don't be attached." Don't take food, don't eat simply for satisfying your palate. That is called sense enjoyment. But you, just to keep yourself fit, just to keep your body fit for giving service to the Lord, you can eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda. And so far Kṛṣṇa prasāda is concerned, it is not very bad; it is very good.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

That is called sense enjoyment. But you, just to keep yourself fit, just to keep your body fit for giving service to the Lord, you can eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda. And so far Kṛṣṇa prasāda is concerned, it is not very bad; it is very good. We offer... Of course, those who are followers of Vedic principles of life, they know how nice foodstuff can be offered to Kṛṣṇa. There are hundreds and thousands of varieties of fruits. There is nice grains also, there is nice milk also, there is sugar also. So you can prepare nice foodstuff on these ingredients which are considered sattvika, sattvikāhāra. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and sugar, rice, wheat, they are considered as sattvikāhāra. So you can prepare. Kṛṣṇa also says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He can eat everything. Just like we have evidences from His life, sometimes He ate fire. Blazing fire in the forest, He ate up. So He can eat everything because He is God.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

"You take Kṛṣṇa prasāda." That is our business. To become vegetarian or nonvegetarian is not very big business. We do not admit that vegetarians are very much pious and nonvegetarians are not pious. No. Not like that. We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our view. Anyone. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ: "Anyone who is eating foodstuff offered to Yajña, to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, he is diminishing his volumes of sinful life." Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) "And anyone who is cooking for himself, not for Kṛṣṇa, then he is simply eating a lump of sinful life." It doesn't matter whether he is vegetarian or nonvegetarian. This is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to eat what is offered to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

We have to purify our existence. Just like if you become feverish, you have to purify yourself from the feverish condition, come to the healthy condition, then you can enjoy life. You cannot enjoy life in diseased condition. That is not possible. Suppose you are feverish, you are given a nice foodstuff, rasagullā, but you will taste it bitter. You cannot enjoy it because on account of your fever the tongue is saturated with bile, and you taste sweet things as bitter. Similarly, we have got our senses, that is all right, but we cannot enjoy our senses in the diseased condition of material life. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyam grāhyam (BG 6.21). If you want happiness, even sense gratification, that is not possible when your senses are covered by these material elements. We have got our senses, that is a fact.

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

A man also thinks. A woman also thinks. And when they are united, that attraction becomes more and more complete. Then, in a gentlemanly way, when there is sex unity, then there is need of a nice apartment or house. Then there is need of land. Formerly, for living condition, everyone possessed some land to grow foodstuff. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. So after sex unity, there is need of house, land, gṛha, kṣetra, then children, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-suta, āpta. Then friends. Then vitta, then money. In this way, we increase our attachment for this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. Moha means illusion. In this way, he becomes illusioned. Ahaṁ mameti: (SB 5.5.8) "I" and "mine." Here, the real problem is we want to get out of this material conditional life. We are spirit soul. We are not matter. But in order to enjoy this material world we have come here.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narānām. So they have got these propensities, animals, and we have got the same propensities. Sāmānyam. We are similar to the animals in the matters of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But what... Then where is the distinction...? Just like animal eating on the floor. We are eating on the chair and table our nicely prepared foodstuff. But you are eating. So at the present moment, we are thinking that because we are eating on tables and chairs, we advance. That is our mistake. That is no advance. Eating... The benefit of eating, whatever you eat or the animal eats, it is the same. Eating means to maintain the body and soul together. So by advancing in the modes of eating, that does not mean advancement of civilization. Advancement in the modes of sleeping, that does not mean advancement of civilization.

Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

You do not (indistinct) is part and parcel of God. You cannot select this part and... Therefore the śāstra says, yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ (SB 4.31.14). Just like by watering the root, you can water automatically the branches, the trunks, the twigs, the flowers, the fruits, the leaves—everything is watered. Sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. Or by supplying foodstuff to the stomach, you serve all the senses of the body perfectly. Similarly, when you begin to serve Kṛṣṇa, then not only to the human society, to the animal society, to the tree society. Every society will be served. That is perfect service. And if you simply limit your service, that is, may be good, but that is not good. According to śāstra... Just like you simply water the leaves, the leaves will not live. They'll dry. But if you supply water to the root, everything will be protected.

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

So if we collect more... Now the British Empire is finished. So if we collect more, if you want to acquire more, then other becomes jealous. And in this way, our jealousies increase, and that is the cause of war, that is the cause of fight. But if you are satisfied with your minimum or maximum needs, nobody will be jealous. Just like an elephant is eating forty kilos of foodstuff at a time. We cannot eat even one-fourth kilo, but we are not envious of the elephant because we know he needs to eat so much. Neither the elephant is envious to us. So whatever you need you can collect, you can eat—but don't take more. Then according to the God's law, you become criminal, you are punishable. That is God's law. (break) It is a common sense. You eat; I eat. It is a common philosophy. So I must eat what I need and you must eat what you need. That's not a very big philosophical problem.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Therefore tongue is the beginning of realization. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). As well as controlling the tongue, we have to spiritualize the tongue. If you keep the tongue materialized, then it is defective. So two things are done by the tongue: tasting foodstuff and chanting the glories of the Lord. If we engage our tongue in this way... Foodstuff means..., our process is to offer foodstuff to the Lord and the remnants of foodstuff we eat, prasāda. So this is one process, this is one business of the tongue. And another business of the tongue is to chant the holy name of the Lord. So in this way, if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then gradually your realize. You cannot realize, but God reveals Himself, what He is. So Vedic knowledge means to realize God. That is ultimate aim of Vedic knowledge.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

In London, we have got two centers, two temples. In America we have got about forty centers. In this way, in each and every center, there is Deity worship. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā: to worship the Deity, to dress the Deity very nicely; to cleanse the temple very nicely; to offer nice foodstuff to the Deity and accept the remnants of the foodstuff as our eating. In this way, there is method of Deity worship. The Deity worship is done by guru himself, and he engages the disciple also in that business. This is the third symptom. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mār janādau, yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi. Not that he is not engaged. He is also engaged. His disciples are engaged. He's always showing, "Do like that. Do like that. Do like that." Or sometimes, if he cannot, the guru shows how to do it. That is the business of guru.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

The fourth symptom is that a guru, the spiritual master, encourages prasāda distribution, remnants of foodstuff distributed to the public. Ours is not dry philosophy, simply we talk and go home. No. We distribute prasādam, very sumptuous prasādam. In every temple, anyone who comes, we can offer prasādam. In each and every temple, we have got already from fifty to two hundred devotees. And outsiders also, they come and take prasādam. This is an... This introduction is also another symptom of guru, prasāda distribution. Catur-vidha. Not ordinary. Catur-vidha means four kinds of eatables: carvya, cūṣya, lehya, peya. Something is chewed, something is swallowed up, something is licked up. In this way, there are different kinds of palatable dishes.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

If you eat the prasādam. Therefore it is said that realization of God can be done by the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). If you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then you realize God realization. So what is that tongue engagement? The tongue engagement is you chant the holy name of the Lord, and you take the prasādam, remnants of foodstuff given to the Lord. Then you become self-realized, God realized. By these two methods. You don't require to be very highly educated philosopher, scientist, and a rich man and..., to realize God. If you sincerely engage your tongue only in the service of the Lord, you realize Him. It is so simple thing. It is not very difficult. Therefore, this prasādam program is there, introduced by the guru, spiritual master. Śrī-vigra... Catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān. Hari-bhakta-saṅga means association of the devotees.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

Eating is not stopped, but you cannot eat anything which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa. That is called anācāra. If you eat something which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa... Because our life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness life, means to be always eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. As the servant eats the remnants of foodstuff left by the master, similarly, we are servants of Kṛṣṇa. We also eat, but we eat remnants of foodstuff which is left by Kṛṣṇa. That is called prasādam, mahā-prasādam.

So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing. Pāna, drinking intoxicant; and gambling.

Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:

That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities, they are My parts and parcels." Just try to understand. What is the duty of the parts and parcel? Suppose this finger—they are the parts and parcel of my body. What is the duty of the finger? The finger has to catch the foodstuff or prepare the foodstuff and put into the mouth. The finger cannot enjoy; it has given to the stomach. Similarly, if we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we cannot enjoy anything directly without giving Kṛṣṇa. That is our duty. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). So Kṛṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

So for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is no need of education. Education means athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is education. How to know the Supreme Absolute Truth—that is education. But the university, they are educating people how to eat, how to sleep. Eh? They are manufacturing so many eatables, different types of eatables, although God has given immense foodstuffs for human society. Just like these fruits, they are made for human beings. They are not eatables for the cats and dogs. They are meant for human beings. So eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has supplied, He is supplying immense foodstuffs for all living entities. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). But there is allotment for the pig—the foodstuff is stool—and for the human being, the foodstuff—fruits, flowers, foodgrains, milk, sugar.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Eating is required. Then your life is successful. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Do not try to imitate others. Do not try to imitate the hog and the pig to eat stool. That is not human bodies' foodstuff. You eat your own foodstuff. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ. This is life. Food is already there, but the difficulty is that we do not know that we should be satisfied with the foodstuff allotted to us by God. Īśāvāsya. The foodstuff belongs to Kṛṣṇa, God. You cannot manufacture in the factory this nice foodstuff—apple, orange, banana and others, so many hundreds and thousands. So therefore the only business of human form of life is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. That should be our inquiry. That should be the subject matter of education.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Not how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate. These things do not require education. Because the animals, they also know. So everyone knows what is his foodstuff, how to sleep. When there is..., you feel sleepy, he does not ask for "Give me a good apartment, good bedstead." You'll lie down anywhere and enjoy sleeping. Similarly, how to enjoy sex life, nobody requires university education. So if we waste our time simply for being enlightened how to manufacture different types of foodstuff, how to take it on table and chair, nice dishes or plate, that is waste of time. If you utilize your time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth, that is perfection of human life. Not to waste your time in the animal propensities of life. That is not education, that is not human form of life.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Then your life is... There is tendency for dancing, for chanting, for singing. They are holding ball dances, and musical instruments. The same thing we are propagating—chant and dance Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is satisfaction. This is satisfaction. Our movement is not dry. We are simply asking people, "Chant, dance, eat nice foodstuffs, take prasādam and go home." It is not dry, because the same tendency is there. Everyone goes to the hotel, everyone goes to the nightclub, eats sumptuously and dances with musical instruments, enjoys the same thing—but in connection with Kṛṣṇa. You take prasādam, you chant, you dance and enjoy life, but in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is successful. Your life is successful. That is Kṛṣṇa also saying, mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is the yoga, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—the topmost yoga.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Don't be fully simply absorbed in the activities of animal life—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. This is also required, but under regulation. Eating is not prohibited in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but eating is regulated. Don't eat anything without Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. Oh, Kṛṣṇa prasādam, there are so many varieties nice foodstuff. Be satisfied taking Kṛṣṇa's prasādam so your eating problem will be solved and you will advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to go back to home, back to Godhead. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement for the human society, and this is not a Utopian thing. It is authorized.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

When there is danger, attack, they'll give us protection. Similarly, there must be a class of men for producing food grain, and giving protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). And the rest of the people, who cannot work as intellectuals or as martial-spirited persons or cannot take to production of foodstuffs, they should assist all these three classes of men. And they are called śūdras. This is the social division. So this is called varṇāśrama-dharma. The word dharma is used. Dharma means occupational duty. Dharma does not mean some religious sentiment. No. Natural division and the occupational duty.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Guru-gaurāṅga: Yes. Cultivating the land, for example. We have communities. New Vrindaban, in West Virginia; California. We are establishing in France. We can absorb as many people as wish to come, and we can feed them all, and we still have surplus in foodstuffs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In Virginia, it has proved very successful. We are getting eighty pounds of milk daily. And from that milk...

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Eight hundred.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Eight hundred. Yes. Eight hundred, I am sorry. So that milk product is sufficient for give them nutritious food. We are preparing ghee. Just like in India, they utilize milk so nicely. And vegetables we are growing. They are making sweetmeats, sandeṣa, rasagullā. There is enough milk product.

Public Lecture -- Konigstein, Germany, June 19, 1974:

Then I have got this... This is my, in possession. How can I understand Kṛṣṇa? That is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. When you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. Now, this is also another peculiar thing, that to understand by the tongue, not by the mind. Tongue. Tongue means we have got two businesses we perform with the tongue. One is tasting foodstuff and vibrating voice. So you use the tongue vibrating Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam-bas. Then you understand Kṛṣṇa. You don't understand, but He reveals.

Public Lecture -- Konigstein, Germany, June 19, 1974:

Those foolish persons are: "Become desireless." That is not possible. Desireless means I am dead. No. Purify desire. Purify desire. You have got the desire for driving motorcar. Just drive motorcar for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (laughter) You see? This is the... Change the quality of the desire. Desire cannot be stopped. That is not possible. I want to eat very nice foodstuff. All right, eat remnants of foodstuff. We offer Kṛṣṇa the best food. That is the regulative principle. Kṛṣṇa also should be offered the best foodstuff, and you take the remnants. Kṛṣṇa is not so hungry that He is... He is taking, but He is leaving also. That is Kṛṣṇa's eating. Kṛṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who is offering Me these foodstuff made of patraṁ puṣpam, vegetable and food grains and milk and this..."

Public Lecture -- Konigstein, Germany, June 19, 1974:

He never says. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. These foodstuffs we can prepare nicely in so many ways, and Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody offers Me with faith and love, I eat it." Now, the question is, you see that "Whatever I offer, these things are there. How Kṛṣṇa has eaten?" Therefore His eating process is different. But He has eaten. That you have to learn from the śāstra, that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). He is not hungry; still, He can eat the whole world. But still, the world remains as it is. That will require some brain to understand. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa eats. Kṛṣṇa eats and again keeps the whole thing as it is for your eating. So you are not loser. If you offer to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will eat and He will again get you the foodstuff for eating. That is His fullness. That is His fullness. So therefore you prepare very, very nice foodstuff and offer to Kṛṣṇa and take it. Then your desire for eating nice foodstuff will be automatically fulfilled. And at the same time become devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

And what is that spiritual platform? The spiritual platform is to understand thoroughly that "God is great, and we are subordinate. God is maintaining us. All the property anywhere, that belongs to God, and we can use the father's property as much as I require, not to take more and stock it. No." The birds, beasts, they are very free. If you put here one bag of rice or any foodstuff, the birds will come, but they will eat only a few grains and go away. And if you put here, say, one thousand bags of wheat and you declare that anyone can take it, there will be fight. There will be fight. Everyone will try to take more. Everyone will try to take more. This is human civilization. The birds will peacefully take few grains and go away. But if you invite the human being, their culture is so—"Oh, I have got so much wheat. Let me take more and stock it for tomorrow or day after tomorrow or for my son, for my grandson, for my great-grandson." (laughter) This foolishness is going on on account of lack of spiritual consciousness.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Why should you kill? We are not. We have got hundreds of centers. We are strictly following. And you have taken our prasādam feast. How delicious they are. So why they should kill? The argument is sometimes offered: "The vegetable has got life." Yes, we admit also. But our process is to take the prasādam. Prasādam means we offer foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa and after eating, whatever He left, we take that. This is our principle. We don't take directly. What is the meaning of this temple? We don't use anything directly unless it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. So the vegetable has got life, but Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). We have invited Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as our guest, and He has consented to come here. So we must offer foodstuff, what He wants, not that according to my whims. That is not etiquette. If some respectable guest comes to your house, you ask him, "What shall you eat, sir?

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Whatever is offered to Kṛṣṇa, we take that. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). So just like if you ask some guest at your home, you will ask him, "What you shall eat, sir? What can I offer you?" Similarly, when you invite Kṛṣṇa to your home or to your temple, you should prepare foodstuff according to Kṛṣṇa's instruction, not according to your whims. So Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me patraṁ"—that is vegetable—"puṣpaṁ"—vegetable—"and liquid things like milk, water..." And you can prepare so many other things from vegetables. If you offer to Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam, then you are free. That is, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. If you accept foodstuff which is offered for yajña-yajña means acceptance by Kṛṣṇa—then you are free from sinful life. Otherwise you are responsible. Either you eat meat or vegetable, it doesn't matter.

Departure Talks

Departure -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

And then, after Ūrja-vrata, we have a big engagement in Hyderabad. And then in Bombay, then in Delhi. In this way. So in the meantime you go on with your work, hold the morning class, Bhāgavatam. Each verse try to understand scrutinizingly and worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Dress very gorgeously. Offer Them prasādam very gorgeously, and you take remnants of the foodstuff. So in this way keep yourself fit always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and there will be no chance for māyā to attack you.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: No. I'm taller than he is. But they say because our generation got better foodstuffs than our parents.

Prabhupāda: So therefore, according to circumstances, the stature is changing. It is not the species. It is the same human, but formerly the human being was taller, stouter; now they are reducing in strength, in stature, in memory, in duration of life, span of life, in mercy. That is stated in Bhāgavatam. They do not change every species.

Atreya Ṛṣi: This changing of human size also may be a scientific thing, scientifically because of our conditions, because of our state of consciousness and because of the conditions...

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: That is another foolishness. Combination means God. He is combining. Combination does not take automatically. Suppose I am cooking. There are so many ingredients for cooking—they are not combined together. I am the cooker; I am cooking, first of all oil, and the spices, then the rice, then the dahl, then the water. In this way nice foodstuff is coming out. So this combination means God. Otherwise where is the instant the combination is taking place? I place all the ingredients in the kitchen room, and after one hour if I go, "Oh, where is my food?" (laughing) You nonsense, who is cooking your food? You starve. Just take help of a living being, then he'll cook and then you can eat. This is our experience. So why does he say combination? Wherefrom the combination comes? He is such a fool he does not know how combination takes place.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Yes, amend. Not only amend. The nature, that we discussed, almost always, the nature is animal nature. But man must be above the animal nature. That is rationality. Normally a man is called rational animal, so he should advance in rationality. Just for eating, eating is common to the man and to the animal, but man should be advanced, what kind of eating it should be. Not only natural, although natural tendency is... Just like man, some of, not all, some of them want to eat meat. So rationality is that "If I have got better foodstuff, why shall I kill that animal?" This is then rationality. But because he can eat meat, he can kill animal, he should go on killing animal, that is less intelligence. God has given so many nice foodstuff. Take for fruits, there are varieties of fruits Kṛṣṇa has given to the mankind, and we can utilize milk in so many nice preparation.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt, śāstra says. This viṣayasu, eating, sleeping, mating and defending—this is called viṣayasu—that is available in every life. A dog is also enjoying, the hog is also enjoying, a poor man is also enjoying, or a rich man is also enjoying. If a rich man has no hunger, then even very palatable dishes will not be very pleasing to him. But a poor man, if he has got hunger, even a rough foodstuff without any ghee or without any..., he eats like anything, like nectar. So the happiness of this viṣaya-eating, sleeping, mating and defending—they are equal everywhere. That does not mean that a rich man is enjoying eating more than a poor man. No. When one eats if one is hungry, the enjoyment is the same. There is no difference. Similarly the hog eats the stool with great eagerness. You pass stool, and the hog is waiting. As soon as you stand up, two or three hogs, "ruh, ruh, ruh," like this. (laughter) You see? So the happiness of eating stool and the happiness of eating halavā are the same. You see? It depends on the different tongues.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: If certain specific conditions are met, then the satisfaction is transformed into a value. In other words, if my hunger is satisfied by eating a certain foodstuff, then this foodstuff is given value.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So Kṛṣṇa gives that value. Just like Kṛṣṇa gave the value in Bhagavad-gītā, and Arjuna in the beginning denied to fight, but he agreed to fight. He agreed to fight.

Śyāmasundara: Because he was satisfied by his faith in Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is required.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: So, for a devotee, there is no difficulty in approaching the Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are following the impersonal way to spiritual realization, the path is difficult. They have to understand the unmanifested representation of the Supreme through such Vedic literatures as the Upaniṣads, and they have to learn the language, understand the nonperceptual feelings, and they have to realize all these processes. This is not very easy for a common man. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily. There is no doubt that the impersonalists are unnecessarily taking a troublesome path with the risk of not realizing the Absolute Truth at the ultimate end. But the personalist, without any risk, trouble, or difficulty, approaches the Supreme Personality directly.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Prabhupāda: Not only that; before becoming hungry, I will acquire food. Just like we go in the market and purchase food. At that time I am not hungry, but I know I shall be hungry, I shall have to eat; therefore we shall have to prepare foodstuffs before I become hungry. That is concern. When I am purchasing foodstuff, I am not hungry actually, but still I know that I shall become hungry in the after..., lunch time, so I must prepare for. That is our concern. I am arranging for an apartment, not that at that time I am feeling sleepy, but I know that I will have to sleep at night. That's why I must have a place. This is my concern.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Śyāmasundara: He says that ego is concerned with self-preservation—by organizing and controlling against neurotic conflicts and the demands of the id. In other words, if the id sees something, like foodstuffs, it automatically has the urge to eat it, kill it, eat it. The ego is concerned with controlling that desire in order to preserve the individual. For instance, this becomes restrained. Voluntary restraint, control, by personalities and the superego are the authoritarian values of the society, or the parents which say "No, you do not kill like that. You do not eat this, like that." So these three systems are functioning in the personality, and they are always in conflict with a person as he progresses.

Prabhupāda: But the basic principle is called, as Vivekananda says, that he is following the principles of (indistinct), he has no conception of the soul that is existing beyond the body. So they are taking consideration of the body. So according to our philosophy, Bhāgavata, anyone who is in the concept of this body is no better than an ass. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). One who is identifying this body of three elements as the self, he is no better than an ass.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: There is purpose, but because he is foolish, therefore he does not see anything as purpose. There is purpose. Just if like I am hungry, this philosopher says accidentally I am hungry, I eat something. No. I am hungry when there is purpose. My bodily limbs are exhausted, they require energy, so therefore I am hungry, I must take some food. The foodstuff will be converted into energy. There is a plan. It is not blank. Everything is going on by plan. The sun is rising under some plan. The moon is rising under some plan. Seasonal changes under plan. Everything is plan. But those demons, they cannot see. They say, "No, there is no plan here."

Śyāmasundara: They see all activity as in vain. All activity is a useless struggle, a vain struggle.

Prabhupāda: That is for him. Because he is confused and without any direction, he thinks like that.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: They think but (indistinct) utopian, that is another thing. But, so...

Śyāmasundara: They're all... Yes, this is an example. There was one woman, who was in charge of the, a maid in that hotel. Although she must have known from childhood that that hotel belongs to the state, the foodstuff belongs to the state, everything belongs to the state, still she had proprietorship, false proprietorship over her kitchen, that kitchen. She would not allow us into that kitchen.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Śyāmasundara: Even though it was not hers—we had every right to use it as much as her, she would not allow it.

Prabhupāda: Just see. In Russia. Yes. In the hotel. And there were some quarrels.

Śyāmasundara: Quarrels. She wanted the rights to that stove.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Prabhupāda: Those who have got hands, they eat the animals without hands, only four legs, and the four-legged animals eats the animals which cannot move—that means plants and vegetables. Similarly, the weak is the food for the strong. In this way there is natural law that one living entity is food for another living entity. But our philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, is not based on this platform, that plant life is not sensitive and animal life is more sensitive or human life is more sensitive. We take all of them as life, either human being or animal or plants or fish, it doesn't matter. That is inevitable. Either you eat animal or vegetable, you eat some living entity. That is inevitable. You cannot avoid. Now it it the question of selection. That, of course, is there. But apart from this vegetarian or nonvegetarian diet, we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Kṛṣṇa, whatever..., our philosophy is whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of His foodstuff. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "You give Me food, and prepared from patraṁ phalaṁ toyam, vegetation." So if by killing vegetable or plant there is any sin, that, that is Kṛṣṇa's. We simply eat after His eating. This is our philosophy. We are not after vegetarian diet or nonvegetarian diet. Whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of food.

Hayagrīva: So that's the conclusion of Augustine.

Philosophy Discussion on Benedict Spinoza:

Prabhupāda: Love means service. Just like mother loves the child, she gives, she gives service. The father loves the child, she gives the service, he gives the service. So,

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam

Love means to give and to accept some gift from the lover, dadāti pratigṛhṇāti, to feed him and to take foodstuff from him, to disclose his mind to him and understand his mind also. These six reciprocation of dealings is love. So love includes service.

Hayagrīva: Spinoza's God is clearly not a personal God. Spinoza is an impersonalist, and his love for God is more intellectual or philosophical than theistic or religious. Being an impersonalist, Spinoza believed in the identity of the individual soul with God. This is not to say that he believed that the individual soul is infinite, but that it is not distinct from God. He writes, "Thus that love of the soul is a part of the infinite love with which God loves Himself." He sees the soul's intellectual love of God and God's love for the individual soul, which is within man, to be one and the same love.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So woman, sex, there is sex, sexual necessity and the bodily demand. So woman not only give the sex pleasure to the man, but woman should prepare good foodstuff also for the man. The man is working very hard. When he comes home, if the wife supplies him good foodstuff and nice comfort and sex, then the home becomes very happy. That is practical experience. So after hard working, when man comes home, if he finds out good foodstuff and nicely satisfied by eating, and then the woman gives satisfaction by sex, then both of them remain fully satisfied, and then they can improve their real business, spiritual understanding, because human life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding. Spiritual, first of all they must know that the spirit soul is the basis of material life even, and the body is built up on the soul, and within the body there is soul.

Page Title:Foodstuffs (Lectures, Other)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:20 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=129, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:129