Freedom (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"freedom"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: freedom not "freedom from"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

Although he is pulled by the ear, by the material nature, he is thinking he is free, he is freedom. They are struggling for freedom. What is this nonsense, freedom? You are under the grip of the material nature. Where is your freedom? Now you have got, nature has given you this human form of body. Next you may get another body, next you may... That is completely under the control of material nature.

So they do not know. They do not know, completely in darkness. Tamo 'ndham. Therefore those who are eager to cross over the ocean of ignorance, for them, these instructions are there. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam (SB 1.2.4).

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So in spite of all good arrangement for material enjoyment, enough food, enough..., nice apartment, motor cars, roads, and very good arrangement for freedom in sex, and good arrangement for defence also—everything is complete—but still, people are dissatisfied, confused, and younger generation, they are turning to hippies, protest, or dissatisfied because they are not happy. I have several times cited the example that in Los Angeles, when I was taking my morning walk in Beverly Hills, many hippies were coming out from a very respectable house. It appeared that his father, he was (indistinct), a very nice car also, but the dress was hippie. So there is a protest against the so-called material arrangement, they do not like.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

Therefore it is His mercy that He comes before us to show what is actually God. But Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīm... (BG 9.11). Somebody says, "Well, God, why God will come? He is so big. Why He will come?" But why He will not come? If He is so big, why you restrict Him not to come? If He is very big, is it under your laws that He will not come? If He is very big, then He has the freedom to come. You cannot restrict.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā: (BG 4.6) "Under My own laws I come." Not that by your laws. Just like as we go somewhere, sometimes we are put into the prison house, not by my personal law, by the law of the state. Similarly, this is a prison house. This whole universe, material universe, is a prison house. There is no freedom. We are thinking that we are free, but actually, nobody has got freedom. A little contamination of disease, immediately you are diseased. Where is your freedom? If you eat a little more than you can digest, immediately there is disease.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

So where is your freedom? So therefore we are called conditioned soul. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Prakṛti is taking care of. In another place Kṛṣṇa says,

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

(BG 18.61)

The māyā has given this vehicle, this body, and we are put into this. And Kṛṣṇa, or Īśvara, or the Paramātmā, is also within this body. So as you wanted in your past life, Kṛṣṇa has given you through the agency of māyā a type of body, and you are moving according to your desire. This is called karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Therefore we have to understand this subtle knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

So pure bhakti-yoga, this bhakti-yoga, means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), one has to be free from all designation. Now, these boys and girls, they have forgotten. Either they are American or Indian or African, they do not remember. They know that they are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is freedom. Nirmalam means mukti. Mala means dirty things. So long we are enwrapped with the dirty things, there is no bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When this nirmala, when dirty things are washed away, you remain in pure spiritual life or spiritual body, then the indriyas, the senses... You have got senses. In the spiritual life you will also... Spiritual life does not mean without senses. Otherwise, why it is said hṛṣīkeṇa?

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

Several times explained. In India, the washermen keep an ass, and the ass bears ten tons of loads on the backside and goes to the ghāṭa, for washing ghāṭa. And he is let loose there, and a morsel of grass, a little, few pieces of grass. And he's eating there, standing, for again returning with ten tons of load. He is given freedom. He does not think that "Why shall I work so hard? This grass is available everywhere. I can go. Why I am working for this washerman?" But he has no sense. Therefore he is called ass. Similarly, all these karmīs, they are working so hard, but they are eating, say, two pieces of bread and a cup of tea or milk. That's all. Or something else. They have been collared.

But we must utilize our time, save our time, how to get out of these four, five principles of materialistic life. That is called dharma. And we should earn so much to keep the body and soul together. That's all. "Now, if I get more money?"

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

Not that I am chanting one hand, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and in another hand, smoking. This is not anartha-nivṛtti. The... If actually you are chanting, there will be no more in the other hand, smoking biḍi or cigarette. This is called anartha-nivṛtti. Then after anartha-nivṛtti, then you become cleansed. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. This is called the freedom stage from all sinful activities. Because unless you are free from all sinful activities, we cannot engage ourself in devotional service.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

(BG 7.28)

The bhajana, devotional service, is possible when one is freed from these anarthas, unwanted things. Tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ, sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

Karma means fruitive activities. I am doing something now, so I am creating another body. If I am acting like a dog, then I am creating another body, dog's body, hog's body, tree's body, or even demigod's body. If you act piously, then you create demigod's body. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). But that is also knot; that is not freedom. Just like you are American boys and girls. You are supposed to be born of rich nation, rich father, than us Indians. We are born of poor father. So... But that does not mean that you are free from this knot. That is there. To become...

People are trying that "We shall be happy by becoming materially advanced." That is called durāśā. That is hope against hope. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that destination of life is to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No. They do not know. They think, "By increasing motorcars, we shall be happy." This is called māyā. That will not help.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

The inclination is there, both in the animal and both and in the human being. But a human being supposed to be controlled. That is human life. The more you control, you become perfect. And though, the more you become loose, you are animal. That is the difference.

So they do not know. They want freedom. In the freedom, in the name of freedom, they are becoming animals. That's all. This is the civilization. But here it is said, kovida, intelligent. Intelligent man should take up this sword to cut the knot of our attachment for this material enjoyment. What is that? Anudhyāsinā. Anu means always. Another anu means following. Anu means always, and anu means following. Following means spiritual master or ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. "How ācārya, how spiritual master dealing, let me follow that." Or, anu, as soon as he becomes accustomed, then anu, anukṣaṇa, always chanting. Anudhyāsinā. Asinā, asinā means by sword. Anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ, karma-bandha-nibandhana.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Because this is designation. This American, or Indian, or German, or Englishman, or cats and dogs and this and that, black and white, all these are designations. Spiritual consciousness means to become free from all these designations.

So that freedom is achieved when we are in constantly touch with the supreme spirit, Kṛṣṇa. That supreme spirit is Kṛṣṇa. So this assembly which we are trying to conduct is just to keep in touch constantly with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can be in constantly companion with us. Because He's omnipotent, God is omnipotent, therefore He can be exactly in touch with us by His words. His words and He are not different. That is omnipotency. Omnipotency means in everything relating to Kṛṣṇa has the same potency. Just like here in this material world the..., if you want water, you are thirsty, if you want water, then this water, simply calling, simply saying repeatedly, "water, water, water, water, water," will not satisfy your thirst.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Suppose I am Indian. Is it very easy...? It is not very easy to take it for granted immediately that I am not Indian, I am pure soul? Similarly, anyone, to not identify with this bodily designation, it is not very easy task. But still, if we go on hearing the kṛṣṇa-kathā, as we have begun here, it will be very easy. It will be very easy. You, you make an experiment. You make an experiment how easily you shall be able to get yourself free from all these designations. And as soon as we are free from the designations... What are the freedom? What are the signs of freedom? The signs of freedom...

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt-satām

(SB 1.2.17)

Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), bhaktir bhavati, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Now, as soon as, not cent percent clearance... It is not possible to clear our, I mean to say, rubbish things within our mind all of a sudden or very soon, all things.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

So similarly, these three guṇas, these three modes of nature, are twisted like rope, and we are bound up. You cannot get out. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). If your hands and legs are tied with such rope, then it is very difficult. Similarly, we are all bound up. We are declaring freedom, and so many things, nonsense, we are speaking, but we have forgotten that we are under the grip of this māyā. Immediately, you can be overcome by māyā. Māyā is so strong.

So therefore by this process,

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā...

(SB 1.2.18)

This is the process. Nityam, daily. Or twenty-four hours. By studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or associating with devotees, bhāgavata-sevayā... Bhakti, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavaty uttama-śloke, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, devotional service becomes strong and fixed up. Simply by this process, hearing.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

And advancement of spiritual knowledge means more and more liberation. But our problem is how to liberate ourselves from this material bondage. We are bound up. Just like I am a spirit soul, you are spirit soul, but we are put into this material bondage. Because we are in material bondage, therefore we have no freedom. People do not understand this. Just like spirit soul is described as sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means the spirit soul can go anywhere he likes. But due to this material bondage, because we have this material body, we are checked. Even we cannot go to the other planet. But we have got instances... Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni is traveling all over the universes, not only within the material world, but in the spiritual world, because he has got spiritual body. There is no material bondage.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Those who are conditioned, they are called nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned. Nitya-baddha means we do not know when our, this conditional stage has begun. It is impossible to trace out the history. But we are conditioned. There is no doubt about it. Conditioned means no freedom. No freedom. As spirit soul we are free. Sarva-ga, we can go everywhere, anywhere. Even those who get some mystic powers by perfection of yoga practice, they can also exhibit some powers. So why? As we become free from material conditions, our original freedom comes.

So one of the qualification of the spirit soul is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means he can go anywhere and everywhere. But because we are conditional stage, we are trying so much to go to the moon planet, we cannot go. But Nārada, because he is free, he has got full spiritual body, he can go anywhere he likes. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

We can also become one of them, eternally liberated. But we are not admitted in the spiritual kingdom unless we have given up this false sense of lording it over the material nature. Here, the conditioned souls, everyone is trying to become the lord, imitating. Everyone is trying. But there is clash. You are trying to become lord, I am trying to become lord. Therefore there is clash. And in the spiritual world the Lord is one and there is no competition of lording it over. Therefore in the spiritual world everything is unconditioned, freedom. Yes, go on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

So the Lord sometimes appears as... Whenever the Lord takes the incarnation, He appears to be like ordinary human being. So in this incarnation, Nara-nārāyaṇa, They undertook severe penances to teach us. So what was the purpose of such severe penance? For sense controlling. The modern civilization is to give freedom to sense satisfaction, because they cannot control. Just like you are riding on a horse, but the horse is not under your control, then you say, "Let it go to hell, never mind." This is the position. Because they cannot control the senses, they have taken this philosophy that liberating sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life. And the result is that they are going to hell.

Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The problem is they cannot control the senses. Therefore their philosophical idea is that sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life. They are thinking, which will never be successful, that by advancement of material comforts they will be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

That is not life. We have got advanced sense, consciousness, we can understand what is good, what is bad. At least that talent we have got, even though we are misguided. So we should take guidance from a perfect source of knowledge, and utilize it for making our life perfect. That is wanted; not that because "I want sense gratification, so let me have complete freedom for sense gratification. That is the idea now, life." No, that is not ideal. As I have several times explained to you that law is meant for human beings. What is law? Law means restrictions. You cannot have sense gratification unrestricted; that is law. Otherwise, what is the meaning of law? Just like when we are driving car, the law is red light, we have to stop. That is law. Because if you unrestrictedly drive your car, there will be accident. Either you will die or somebody will die.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

Therefore law is required. How can you say that "Unrestrictedly I will enjoy my senses"? That is chaotic condition of life. The so-called civilization, so-called unrestricted sense gratification allowed in the name of freedom, that is disastrous. One must learn how to control. Controlling the senses, this is civilization. To become cats and dogs, that is not civilization. Dog civilization, cat civilization, hog civilization, camel civilization, this is going on.

So cats and dogs, they're voting. So what they will vote, cats and dogs? They will vote another big cat, big dog, that's all. So what the big dog, big cat can do? That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). A leader means voted by some hogs, by some dogs, by some camels, and by some asses. This is the position of the society. Suppose there are many dogs in this Los Angeles city... Of course, camels you haven't got, but there are many asses also. At least in Indian cities we find there are many hogs, many dogs, many camels, many asses. So if they are called for votes, "Now we are taking vote for this, for this," what is the value of that election? Is there any value?

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

These things have to be practiced. Not that because I want sense gratification, therefore let me under the name of independence, let me become naked and have sex life on the street. That day is coming. It already has come to some extent. They are taking this as freedom. This freedom is not very good. This freedom means that as soon as you become so free that to have sex life on the street like cats and dogs and hogs, you will get your next life. Nature will give you very good chance, that "All right, you have got this human form of life to understand God, but you have misused it. Now you want to become hog? Please become hog." How you can check it? Is there any science to check? Because after this death, all this science and philosophy is finished after this body is finished. Then you are under the control of nature. What will you do? The nature will force you to enter the womb of a hog or a dog. How you can check it?

Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

Now, this is modern science. Therefore generally, generally, woman, less intelligent than man. You cannot find any big scientist, any big mathematician, any big philosopher amongst woman. That is not possible. Although in your country, you want equal status with man, freedom, but by nature you are less intelligent. What can be done? (laughter)

So therefore, woman is advised by the Manu-saṁhitā, they should remain under the intelligent man, not declare freedom. That will be their life nice. Therefore it is advised that until one is married with an intelligent husband, she must remain under the control of her father. Still in India, until a girl is married, she cannot move freely. Where is our Śyāmasundara? You know, what happened about that Sharma girls. Two girls in Nairobi, they wanted to join our society.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

We are already experiencing. Now a new law has been passed in India that nobody can keep property more than five to seven lakhs of rupees. So people's incentive to earn money is now being cut down. Formerly it was freedom that you can earn your money as much as you like. Now if you think that "I will earn money, hundreds and thousands of money," but what is the use? The government will take away. That means you will be lazy. The economic development will be checked. Because one who works so hard for economic development because he is under the inspiration that "The more I earn, I will be able to enjoy more." But when this impression is given that "More we earn, it will be taken by government, and I will not be able to enjoy it," naturally he will not work.

So there are so many difficulties. But these difficulties will increase. It will not decrease. They are making so many plans to minimize the difficulties. But actually, because they are fools and rogues, they cannot make anything improvement. They have become involved in more difficulties. That Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. We do not consult the śāstra or the unmistakable way of improvement.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

That is the competition here. So when we give up this predominating, false predominating spirit, "I am Kṛṣṇa. I am the Lord of all I survey." This nonsensical understanding when we give up, surrender, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), understand "Kṛṣṇa is everything, I am simply part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." So if we remain part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, then our freedom is attained actually. Otherwise there is no freedom. It is false. Mano-dharma. I am thinking, "I am God," "I am Kṛṣṇa," "I am this, I am that." Nothing. This will simply put me under the clutches of māyā.

Therefore ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet means to put oneself in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then your ātmā, your self, is protected. Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet. Tato dharma. Tato dharma. After you understand. People do not understand what is his business. He thinks that my business is to eat, sleep, mate, and die.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

He comes down, descends in this material world. Jīva-lokasya. This is called jīva-loka. This material world is called jīva-loka because here ātmā, the soul, is covered, conditioned. We have given the meaning, jīva-loka means when the ātmā is conditioned. That is called jīva-loka. There is no freedom. Just like there are so many planets. You have got airplane, but because you have got airplane you cannot go there. Conditioned. You cannot go. They're trying, one, two planets, moon planet or Mars planet. No. You cannot go there, what to speak of other planets. If you want to go there then you have to qualify yourself. Not that because you have got a machine, you can go there. No. That is not possible. Therefore conditioned. Conditioned means you have to fulfill the condition. Just like from here if I want to go to America, then I have to fulfill the condition: the visa condition, the passport condition, the health condition, the custom condition—so many conditions. You cannot go immediately.

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I am neither brāhmaṇa nor sannyāsī." He refused. Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. Yati means sannyāsī. So He refused.

So this is false. Even if you become very much proud that you are a very learned brāhmaṇa or very advanced sannyāsī, that is not your freedom. You are not yet liberated. You are still in conditional life. Then? When you become liberated? That is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is liberation. Gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, Gopījana-vallabha. Kṛṣṇa's business is how to please the gopīs, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana. As the vṛndāvana-vāsīs, they have no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has no other business than to please the gopīs and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Gopījana-vallabha.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

Even Lord Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and still He had to accept so many troubles. They were loitering in the forest, feeling the separation of Sītā-devī. So many things happened.

So vāma-svabhāvā. They are, women are very simple, soft-hearted. The whole idea is they should be given protection. No freedom. That is injunction of the Manu-saṁhitā. Na strī svātantryam arhati. Women should not be given freedom. They must be protected. Not that if... Sometimes we receive the complaint in foreign countries, they say that "You keep your women like slaves." I replied, "We do not keep our women as slaves. They're very respectful at home. The sons offer their highest respect to the mother. The husband gives the topmost protection to the wife." This is the example. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. Lord Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Rāvaṇa took Sītā from His protection.

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

So He knows everything, that you still want something material. He will give you. "Yes, you take it." Kṛṣṇa wants that you get full experience that by material gain, you'll never be happy. This is Kṛṣṇa's business. It's full freedom. Although we have got minute quantity of freedom, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got full freedom, but the freedom quality is there in me because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. The chemical composition. The drop of sea water has got a drop of salt also. Although it is not comparable with the salt containing in the sea water. But the salt chemical is there. This is our understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Whatever we have got in minute quantity, the same thing, in fullness is there in Kṛṣṇa. In fullness. Just like Kṛṣṇa says: mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

And while crying, the tears washed the, what is called? Kajala? Mascara? So they were dropping, and He was fearful, crying, and He was, His head was down, flapping. This condition. Ninīya. Vaktraṁ ninīya, face. He felt culprit, that "I have done wrong." Bhaya-bhāvanayā. He was so much afraid that "Mother will bind Me. My freedom will be lost." Sthitasya: "In this way, when You were situated..."

So Kuntīdevī is remembering that scene, and she became astonished. Why? Now, bhīr api yad bibheti (SB 1.8.31). The... There is one thing, bhaya. Everyone is afraid of something. That is called bhaya. So there is the personified bhaya, bhīḥ. So he's also afraid of Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme being, controller, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1), so He can control... Just like the superintendent of police. So everyone is afraid of the superintendent of police. Especially those criminals, they are very much afraid. But why the governor should be afraid of the police superintendent? As that is not possible, that is unnatural, similarly, if there is any director of the fear department in the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa, so he's afraid of Kṛṣṇa because everyone is servant. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142).

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said prakṛti, the nature, because that living entity has associated with this certain quality of nature, the nature is making him dance in that quality. I am thinking I am this, I am that, I am that, I am that. This is the basic principle of understanding. One should know... That is freedom, that "I do not belong to anything of this bodily connection." Because to conceive in the bodily concept of life, sa eva go-kharaḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). I am not this.

This is most essential education. Unfortunately, the so-called scientists are making more and more attached to this body, How much misleading they are. Therefore I am speaking to our scientist friend that "Now it is the time for making propaganda amongst the so-called scientists, philosophers, leaders, politicians."

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Now we are under the control of this external energy, material energy. We have become controlled, just like we become controlled by the prison authorities when we are criminals, not ordinarily. Ordinarily we are free. Those who are not within the walls of prison house, they are free. They are acting wherever they like they are going, but within the law. Similarly we have got freedom. There are living entities, their number is greater. Nitya-mukta, ever liberated. They live in the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha planets. Nitya-mukta. Nitya-mukta means eternally liberated. They never come down in this material world. And we are nitya-baddha-ever conditioned, eternally conditioned.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

We cannot move, we cannot go from one planet to another. They are trying so much. Now they have failed. They do not talk now. (laughter) It is not possible, because we are prisoners. Conditioned. You will have to remain in this planet. One has to remain in their planet. There is no question that out of your own will and freedom, because you have no freedom.

But Nārada Muni has freedom. Nārada Muni is going from one planet to another. He is coming from the spiritual sky through the material sky, because he is perfect bhakta. So that is the ideal living entity. As Kṛṣṇa has got full freedom, similarly when we become perfect, Kṛṣṇa conscious, we also become free. This is our position. But not in the conditioned state that we can move. Cannot. Baddha. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān, we are conditioned. But in the conditioned state also, if we follow the Vedic principles we can be happy. Happy, and this human form of life especially, it is meant for that purpose, that you live happily, save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that next life you are no more in this material world. You are transferred to the spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

So there are two methods, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means "I have got inclination to eat this or to enjoy this. Why not? I shall do it. I have got my freedom." "But you have no freedom sir, you are simply..." That is māyā. You have no freedom. We get experience, suppose there is very nice palatable food. If I think, let me eat as much as possible, then next day I'll have to starve. Immediately dysentery or indigestion.

So you cannot violate the laws of Kṛṣṇa, or laws of nature, that is not possible. You are not at all independent. Because these rascals, they'll not understand this. They are always thinking, we are independent. That is the cause of all unhappiness. Nobody is independent. How you can be independent? Nobody is independent, neither you can be independent, neither nobody is independent. That factual, who is independent? Here you are sitting, so many boys and girls, who can say "I am independent of everything"? No, nobody can say. So this is our mistake, and by misusing our independence we are suffering in this material world in so many ways. That has to be reformed. That has to be checked. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has preached, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We living entities, we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

As soon as she reaches youthhood, she is given to a young man, her husband, to give protection. And in old age, she is protected by the elderly sons. This is the Vedic culture. They have three phases of life: childhood, youthhood, and old age. So... Because they are weak. In the Western countries, the women are given freedom like man, but that is unnatural. Unnatural. Therefore these poor souls are being exploited by the other section. It is a great deficiency of the Western sociology.

But the Vedic culture is different from this. Woman is not given independence. And generally one man marries more than one wife. That is Vedic culture. Just like see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has 16,108. That is allowed. Kṛṣṇa was Personality of Godhead. He could maintain... Why sixteen? Sixteen millions wife. That is not difficult for Him. But even ordinary man, kṣatriyas especially, they used to marry more than one wife.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). By nature, one who is śūdra, he cannot work very freely. That is not... Better..., his better life is to remain subordinate. Just like women, children. It is better for them to remain subordinate, to remain subordinate. It is practical. I have seen in our country and the Western countries, the woman are given freedom. By such freedom they are not happy. It is a fact. It is a fact. Therefore Vedic system is that it is the father's duty when a girl is mature, before attaining puberty, she is handed over to a suitable boy, "Please take charge of her. This girl..." Our marriage system is that "So long she was under my charge. Now I..." This is the process.

So women, by nature they should remain subordinate. It does not mean, "Because somebody is my subordinate, therefore I shall cut his throat or her throat." No. Just like sometimes the Christian philosophers say, "The animals are given under the control of man. Therefore they should be slaughtered." This is their philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

This is required. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then you will have to completely become detached to any material things. Even if you have got little attachment for material things, then you will not be allowed. Prakṛti will say, "You just satisfy yourself. You want this. Do it."

So this is renouncement. If you... God has given us freedom, little freedom. Just like a child is given freedom. Naturally, out of affection, mother, father, gives freedom. But not complete freedom. Because child's freedom is nonsense. It must be protected. Therefore all the living entities who have come to this material world for enjoying, it is also exactly like the child. A small child, you let him be free—he will catch up sometimes this, catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real interest. But because he is child, he is catching this, catching that, catching that. Sometimes he catches fire and burns his hand. Sometimes he falls down in the water. Sometimes he catches snake.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

They fighting it, "It is our." So this is called mama. So one has to become nirmama. "It is not mine. It is Kṛṣṇa's." Immediately you become nirmama. Everything is bondage so long you claim, "It is mine." And as soon as you understand, "It is not mine; it is Kṛṣṇa's," then you are free. This is the difference of bondage and freedom. Actually, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Everything. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).

So this consciousness required. So somebody is trying to be nirmama, to become free from false idea, "It is mine," by renouncing. And if one knows perfectly well that "It is not mine; it is Kṛṣṇa's," then he hasn't got to do anything artificially. If you know that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. I am not the owner. I am given the chance to use it," tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ, whatever allotment is given to you, you can use. Prasādam. Kṛṣṇa... Actually, eatable belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So after eating, whatever He gives you, you also eat this. That is required.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

The boy takes charge of the young girl from the custody of her father. This is marriage. Woman, according to Vedic civilization, they are not recommended freedom. They should be taken care just like children are taken care of. You cannot give independence to the children. That is not possible. Then it is not good for them. Similarly, woman also should be taken care of. They should not be given freedom. That is not good for them. They should be protected by the father in childhood, by the husband in youthhood, and by the grown-up children in old age. Three stages. But in this age, women are trying to take independence of father, husband or children. That is not good. That is described in the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

This is the first business of the government, to give protection. Practically, there is no criminal charge against them—against a brāhmaṇa, against a woman, a child. Suppose a child steals something. Who is going to prosecute him? It is not taken very seriously. So they require protection. They should not be given freedom. Like a child, he is not given freedom, similarly freedom... Of course, there is. Protection means to some extent no freedom. If I want to protect the child, then I sometimes say, "Don't do this." That is one of the items of the protection.

So here description of cow-killing is already done. Now in this age, Kali, these things will be lacking. First thing is that no protection for woman. Woman requires protection by the father, by the husband and by the elderly children. But that is now finished. Practically no protection. They are, under the name of so-called freedom, loitering in the street.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

In the university, there is no such education. They are simply satisfied with the knowledge that they are going to moon planet, that's all. (Sanskrit) What is this moon planet? There are living(?) within this material world, there are millions and trillions of other planets, how you can go there? Just try to understand how much limited we are, how much our freedom is (indistinct) in this material world. You are trying to go the nearest planet, Candra, moon planet, still you are unsuccessful. What to speak of other. There is sun planet. I think they cannot dream of going to the sun planet. It is not possible. But there is a planet in your front. If you are scientist, if you are advanced, go. But you can go actually. Actually you go. People formerly, they used to go. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā you will see this is described. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), "I first of all instructed this system of bhakti-yoga, Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god." That means Kṛṣṇa went there.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

He's thinking that he's very free, but as soon as the master calls, immediately he has to submit. This is our position. We are very busy, but the master is the material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duraty... (BG 7.14). The fact is that we are under the stringent laws of material nature. We have no freedom. That we do not know. We are struggling so much. War has been waged in, all over the world, especially in Europe, for freedom. You have got that freedom statue. And in America also, there is freedom. But where is freedom, sir? That they do not know. Why? Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They do not know what is freedom and whose freedom. That they do not know. Therefore they have created so many newspapers for freedom. The so-called freedom. But there is no freedom. Even big, big leaders, they have no freedom. What we are?

Therefore Kṛṣṇa points out in the Bhagavad-gītā that real freedom is when you get freedom from four different problems. What is that?

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

Prakṛteḥ, prakṛti, nature, is pulling by the ear, "Come here." "Yes, sir." "Come here." "Yes, sir." And he's freedom. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. He is completely under the control of the modes of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. This is called false egotism: "I am something." "I am Napoleon Bonaparte," "I am Mussolini," "I am Hitler." This is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Fool, rascal. They are thinking like that. "No freedom, sir. No freedom."

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

So either you are put in the golden cage or iron cage or wooden cage or any cage-cage is cage. And so... So long you are not free... Just like the bird is kept into the cage. He's unhappy. He's unhappy. It may be golden cage. It doesn't matter. Similarly, we cannot be happy with this encagement. We must be free from the encagement. Freedom. That is called liberty, mukti. That is required. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do no know that "Suppose, even I get free, so where shall I go?" He thinks, "I shall be free in the sky." Just like impersonalism. Sky is impersonal. So if suppose a bird is given freedom, but he flies in the sky, will he be happy? No. That also he'll not be happy. Then he'll again think of that "It was better to remain in the cage. Now what is the value of my, this freedom? I'm not happy." And again go back to the cage. You will see in India. There is a bird, fiftil.(?) Fiftil.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

The man who keeps that bird in the cage, sometimes he takes it to the open field, and he opens the door, opens the door, and the bird walks, sometimes flies. He is given freedom. Then again the man: (makes coaxing sound:) ts-ts-ts-ts. He says like that, and the bird comes again within the cage. You'll see. If you have seen, those who are Indian. But he thinks that "I have been given freedom now. But where shall I go? Where shall I go? I have to eat." So he again comes back: "Better to live within this cage. Better to live within this cage."

So Māyāvādī's position is like that. Māyāvādīs, they have got a... Because we are sure that we are going to Kṛṣṇa. But they have no Kṛṣṇa. Aiye. They have no Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they again come to this material world. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅ...

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

Therefore the śāstra says, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: (SB 7.5.31) "One blind man is leading several other blind men." Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: "They do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature very tight, hands and legs." There is no question of freedom.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

So real life is to know what is the value of my life, how I have to attain the original position. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). And now I am getting this śarīra, or body, and I am being annihilated one after another. And I am getting one body annihilated, again getting another, next body. This great science is unknown to the modern civilization, and therefore they are considered as pramattaḥ, all madmen, hankering after some temporary happiness. Pramattaḥ. They are called pramattaḥ.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

Actually, I am spirit soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Just like I am developing my ideas, youthful ideas. I am getting youthful body. I am developing childish ideas, getting childhood body. So as you develop, Kṛṣṇa, or God, has given you full freedom. You have come to this material world to enjoy. Now you make your plan of your enjoyment. God will give you a particular type of body and you enjoy. Just like the hog, he is enjoying. He is enjoying. What he is enjoying? Enjoying stool. It is very good for him enjoyment. But it is not for enjoyment for you. You'll..., that, "Oh, what a nasty animal it is. It is eating stool." But he is enjoying.

So this is the business of God, thankless task. Everyone wants to enjoy life in a different way, and he has to find out a particular type of body. In the human form of body you cannot eat stool. Your mouth, your hands, your legs are differently made.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

Nobody can be free. Everyone is controlled. But we are rebelled, "No, I don't want to. I don't want to be controlled." But you will be controlled. Just like in a state, if you don't want to be controlled by the state laws, the state will force you into the prison house to be controlled. This is our position. You cannot be free. Therefore freedom is not good for us. Just like the small child. If the child is given freedom, he will simply create havoc. So it is not to be given freedom, must be controlled. Similarly, all living entities, being child of God, we must voluntarily put ourself to be controlled by God. That is perfection of life. Don't try to be falsely free. That is not possible. Just like the mother. She will never give freedom to the child, because that is not good for him. It should not be. Anyone who is weak, he must not be given freedom. That is good for him. Similarly, we are weak. God is great. God is all-powerful. We are very teeny.

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

What he's thinking, independence, that is illusion. Where is, where is your independence? Illusion. Māyā. When you are under the strict rules and regulations of the material nature, how you are independent? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). They think that to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, this is slave mentality. "I shall remain free." But where is your freedom, sir? That is illusion.

So there is... So long one is rascal, falsely thinking that he's independent, there must be the regulative principles, he must observe the regulative principles, vidhi-niṣedha. In this way, when he's actually situated in the transcendental platform, that is called nairguṇya-sthā\ h. Stha means situated. Tiṣṭhati iti stha: "One who stays." Not flickering. Permanently. Nairguṇya. This nairguṇya means devotional service. This is nairguṇya.

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

So they are not anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). They have desires. So how they can be bhakta? How they can be devotee? Because devotee is pure, he has no... Akāmaḥ. Why it is recommended? The recommendation is there also for demigods. That is freedom. The śāstra is giving you all freedom. "If you like, you do this." But ultimately gives this instruction... Just like Kṛṣṇa. He has spoken so many things, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, karma-yoga. But at the end He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śara... (BG 18.66). "You give up all this nonsense, simply surrender unto Me." That is the ultimate instruction. So that means śāstra gives you freedom, at the same time gives you chance. Śāstra is not... Just like we are free, and the state laws are there, and we are free to violate it or to abide by it. Similarly, all the śāstras, everything is there. And the freedom is also there. Not, I mean to say, the ultimate freedom, but there is freedom, small freedom. We can make our choice.

Here, also, the same thing. Vyāsadeva is giving list, that "If you want this, you worship this demigod." Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25).

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

This preaching work, this publication of books, literature, magazines, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, everything is to remind you how we are being controlled, who is the supreme controller, how your life can be successful, how you can be relieved from this controlled life, how you can get freedom life. This is the movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose; otherwise, what is the utility of this movement? It is not an "ism" just to make some temporary appeasement. It is the ultimate solution of all the problems of life, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And this chanting is pavement of the heart, where you'll receive this message. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the heart. Then you'll be able to receive the message. So our process is very scientific, authorized, and if anyone takes to it he'll realize gradually, and he'll be elevated. There is no doubt about it. So what is the next engagement?

Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. So you can read the word meanings. Read.

Pradyumna: (reads synonyms, then:) Translation: "The upper portion of the body, though crowned with a silk turban, if not bowed down before the Personality of Godhead who can award mukti, freedom, is a heavy burden only. And the hands, though decorated with glittering bangles, if not engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead Hari, are like those of a dead man."

Prabhupāda: So you have seen Indian turban—very, very big, made of silk and jewels. Perhaps you can, you have seen the typical turban by the Indian Airways, a big turban. So what is the use of the turban? It is a great burden, you, if you do not bow down before the Lord. Similarly, if you don't engage your hand in the service of the Lord, it is exactly like the dead man's hand. If the dead man's hand, if it is decorated with nice, glittering, golden bangles, what is the beauty? There is no beauty. So we'll discuss tomorrow again.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam

apy uttamāṅgaṁ na namen mukundam

śāvau karau no kurute saparyāṁ

harer lasat-kāñcana-kaṅkaṇau vā

(SB 2.3.21)

Translation: "The upper portion of the body, though crowned with a silk turban, if not bowed down before the Personality of Godhead who can award mukti, freedom, is a heavy burden only. And the hands, though decorated with glittering bangles, if not engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead Hari, are like those of a dead man."

Prabhupāda: So bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam. A silk turban with pearl, what is called, decoration, bedecked with pearls, these are the signs of king. Just like we decorate Kṛṣṇa with turban, bedecked with jewels. So this turban is good so long we bow down before the Deity. Otherwise it is a great burden. Although it is made of silk, still, it will be a great burden. The idea is that if we bow down or surrender unto the lotus feet of Mukunda-Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, one who gives liberation—then we can enjoy princely order or richness. There is no harm. But if we are lacking in that capacity to surrender unto the Supreme Lord, and simply we become puffed up with these riches, then it will be a burden.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

There is consciousness. So the more you develop your consciousness, the more you become a freedom lover. Just like in the human society, there is fight for freedom. But in the animal society, they do not know what is freedom. Ours also, the so-called freedom. But still, we have got some consciousness that we fight for freedom. And they fight for eating. That's all. So here, Parīkṣit Mahārāja... This emancipation... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means emancipation from this material attachment. So he became so much advanced... Because from his childhood, from his birth, from the womb of his mother, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. So as soon as he understood that "Kṛṣṇa is my goal," immediately, virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau, immediately gave up. Jahau means "gave up." What kind of things he is giving up? The empire. Formerly the emperor in Hastināpura, they were ruling over the earth, the whole world, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, at least, 5,000 years ago when Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the king.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

That is..., means conditioned, that you cannot violate the conditions of the nature. That is not possible. But they are thinking they are free. They can do whatever they like. That is called ignorance, mūḍha, rascal. They are living under condition, but they are falsely thinking that "We are free." Is it not? Where is that freedom? Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). This rascal civilization do not admit this. They are so fool that they are conditioned in every step, and still they are thinking they are free. This is called illusion.

Therefore, to get that freedom, you have to work for it. Freedom does not come so automatically. Just like you are diseased. You are under the control of fever or some other painful condition, under some disease. So you have to undergo some penance. Just like you are suffering from some boil on the body. It is very painful. Then, in order to cure it, you have to undergo the surgical operation if you want to be cured. Therefore tapasā. That is tapasā. Tapa means painful condition, tapa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

So as soon as Kapiladeva was grown up, the mother, Devahūti, was given in His charge and Kardama Muni left home. Therefore it is said that pitari prasthite araṇyaṁ mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. Now it is the duty of the son. Women should be under the protection. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that woman should not be given freedom. Na strī svātantryam arhati. They cannot properly utilize freedom. It is better to remain dependent. That is very good. Independent woman cannot be happy. That's a fact. We have seen in the Western countries, on, in the name of independence, so many women are unhappy. So that is not recommended in the Vedic civilization and on the varṇāśrama-dharma. So therefore the mother, Devahūti, was given under the charge of his (her) grown-up son, Kapiladeva. And Kapiladeva was fully cognizant that He has to take care of His mother. Therefore mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. It is the duty of the father to protect the girl very nicely. Women are very delicate. They should be given...

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa also says, all śāstra says, that our only obligation is to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we take to that process, then we are no more obliged to anyone. We are free. That is really freedom. How it is done? That is the almighty God's power. He can do that. Just like we have got practical experience. If a man is condemned to death, nobody can save him by law. But if the president or the king excuses him, then he is saved. That we have got practical experience, king's mercy or the president's mercy. So if you actually surrender your everything, your life... Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. We can sacrifice our life, our wealth... Prāṇa, artha... We can sacrifice the intelligence. Everyone is intelligent. If he sacrifices... This is called yajña. If you sacri... You have got some intelligence. Everyone is intelligent how to make his sense gratification very nice. Even an ant knows how to gratify his senses. So you have to sacrifice that. Don't gratify your senses, but try to gratify Kṛṣṇa's senses. Then you are perfect. Then you are perfect.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

Because to come to this stage, ananya-bhāvena bhakti-yogena, you have to tolerate so many things. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Ananya-bhāvena yogena. He was simply thinking of Nārāyaṇa. How much trouble he had to undergo, even by, offered by his father. So we should be very much... Titikṣavaḥ. The matter... This material nature will not give you freedom so easily. It will not give so much freedom... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama... mām eva ye prapadyante (BG 7.14). If you become strong enough to capture the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām... Then māyā will give you, "No, he's very strong. I cannot any more keep him under my clutches." So that is ananya-bhāvena. That is described. Ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām, mat-kṛte. For the sake of Kṛṣṇa, one can give up everything. That is ananya-bhāva. The first-class example is the gopīs. They gave up everything. Their family, their relatives, their husband, their sons, their father, their prestige, their honor—everything sacrificed, simply for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection. That is not possible for ordinary... But we can, if we follow the gopīs' way of loving Kṛṣṇa, then...

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratāḥ. If you want to become devatā, so you act like that. You qualify yourself, and you will go there, and you will get a body. You can get a body like Brahmā or you can get the body of the worm in the stool, as you like. Now it is... "Or if you like a body like Me," Kṛṣṇa says, yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām. And if you want to get a body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1)—that is our body, real body, sat, cit, ānanda—then you can get it.

So our intelligence will be proved when we want to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. Mad-yājī mām... He gives you freedom, free pass. If you want to go to the demigod's planet... Yānti deva...what is that? Deva-yajña. Huh?

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

Avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature. This is material nature, and there is another nature, spiritual nature. You can go there also, as you like. You are given full freedom. So here it is said... But wherever you go, it is said, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. You can go to the Svarga-loka, the heavenly planets, by your pious activities, but kṣīṇe puṇye, when your puṇya, pious acti..., resultant action of pious activities will be finished, then you have to come back again. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokam...

But Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "If you, some way or other, you go to that place where I live..." Kṛṣṇa lives everywhere. Kṛṣṇa, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), but He has got a special home. Just like the governor or the president, he can move many places, but still, he has got his own place, the rāja-bhavan, like that. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's place is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu sura... (Bs. 5.29). But goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37).

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

So the policeman, two policemen came. So they saw the Bhagavad-gītā. Of course, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, they said, "Oh, no, there is nothing dangerous. They can go." This is the country, Moscow. I have got practical experience in going there. And always suspicious. And the people in general, they are very unhappy, very unhappy, because they have no freedom. A young man cannot go out of the country. So they may advertise so much, but so far I have got experience—the most wretched country. Everyone is fearful. And they are not very prosperous, not rich or... Comparing to the other cities of Europe or America, Moscow is a very poor city.

Anyway, this defying the authority of God, this is the our main material disease. That is explained, evaṁ parābhidhyānena kartṛtvam. It is foolishness. Kartṛtvam. He is completely under the control of material nature; still, he is thinking, "I am free. I am the master. I can do anything, whatever I like.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

No, that is not artificial. That is rebellion to the established law. That is not, I mean to say, freedom. There are so many things. Therefore you have to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You see? Not to... Not in an hour or in a minute you can understand. We are... We have got so many literatures, books, and you can study them. You can try to understand, if you are serious. But we... Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, as our thoughts are always absorbed in some type of consciousness, we are absorbed in some type of thought, similarly, when our consciousness will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, that is the perfection of life. (pause) Yes?

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

He was attacked, and out of the fear of his life he had to travel to go from one planet to another, one planet to another to save his life. Ultimately, he had to go to the Viṣṇu planet. He was so powerful. And it is said that this space travel covered by Durvāsā Muni took only one year. So yoga practice is so... That is also a kind of freedom. We do not know what is freedom. Liberation, I am speaking on the point of liberation. But he was also not liberated, that Durvāsā Muni, although he could travel from one planet to another, another, another, even up to Viṣṇuloka. He was not liberated. He had to come back. Liberation means that you go to the spiritual realm, the spiritual sky, and you do not come back again. It is not like that, that after spending many millions of dollars you go to the moon planet and touch it and bring some sand, and you are satisfied. You see? Don't waste in that. If you go, live there. (laughter) Just like I came to the Western country to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now I am living.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

So that is going. Go in the moon planet. Don't come back. (laughter) Simply by touching, "Oh, we have done tremendous." What tremendous you have done? So that kind of freedom is not wanted. Freedom means wherever you like, you can go, you can stay, nobody can check. That is liberation. That is liberation.

So here it is said that if you want that sort of liberation, then mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want that sort of liberation, then associate with mahātmās, great souls. And if you want to be stuck up in this material world, then you associate with persons who are addicted to sense gratification. That's all. Two processes. If you be addicted to the process of sense gratification... Like animals. They have no other information. They are simply engaged in sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. Their business finished. They do not know anything else. If I call some animals... Why people are not taking part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because they are animals.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

"We are happy." In this European portion of the world, they are... We have experienced two big wars, and still, the war cloud is always there. Not only here, everywhere. So this materialistic civilization, actually people are not very happy. And as I have told you that people are going to live underground next hundred years. That means they'll lose this freedom of living in the free air for fear of this atomic attack. That is predicted in the World Almanac. We have seen, that people are going to live under. They'll... Sometimes they will come out to have fresh air in the surface. Otherwise, they will have to live underground.

So actually we are, by advancing this materialistic way of life, for the time being we may feel happy, but we do not know how much risk we are taking in our life. That science is not yet discussed.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

I shall become happy in this material world,' then there is no question of becoming advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Why they are so much attached? Adānta-gobhiḥ, because they are not gosvāmīs. Adānta. Adānta means uncontrolled, go means senses. They have given freedom to the senses: "Whatever you like, you do." So the result is that if you let loose your horses—"Whatever you like, you can do"—then it will go and cause you to fall down in a ditch, adānta-gobhiḥ. Similarly, if we give freedom to the senses, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram, we go to the darkest region of hellish condition of life. And what is that? Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), again and again the same disease: birth, death, old age and disease. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), this life or that life, the birth, death, old age, disease will continue.

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

So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, everything threadbare discussed, very practical, and Absolute Truth. There are social, political, religious. Everything is discussed very scientifically. So here the example is given of the woman, puṁścalī. There are three kinds of woman: kāminī, svairendrī and puṁścalī, according to śāstra. So they become, because... Just like children. They are innocent, and if they are given freedom they will be spoiled. Everyone knows it. If you don't give proper training to the children and allow him to do independently whatever he likes, that means that child is spoiled. Prāpte tu ṣoḍaśa-varṣe...

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

So the real purpose is... We are not talking of the sociology or politics. The example is given that we should not give freedom to the mind. That is the real purpose. If you give freedom to the mind, then mind will create so many ideas. I have practically seen in our society. As soon as one is in charge, immediately he invents something new: "This should be broken, and this should be done." Then another man comes. He breaks the same thing again. There are practical experience I have got. Unless there is control over the mind, it will dictate something new: "Do it like this." There was a Bengali poet. He also sung a song, ek ta nūtana kichu koro: "Do something new." This is mind's business. He is not satisfied with the old things. Nūtana kichu koro. So that's a very big song. Why change? The whole material world is like that. Ei nūtana kichu koro: "Do something new," and be implicated. We are not satisfied with old things. "Old order changes, yields to..." "Old order...," there is an English proverb like that, "yielding to the new."

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is first of all prescribing that they have to make atonement. Just like I gave you the example: If one man has committed criminal activities, he has to atone for the sinful activity. He must be arrested. He must be put into the jail and given some trouble for a certain period of time. And then he may be given freedom. So this atonement is there, by nature's law. You cannot avoid it. If you think that "God cannot see. I am doing this nonsense without His vision," that is wrong. Anything we do, that is recorded just like the service record. And the judgment... Just like in other literatures, there is the day of judgment. That's fact. We have to accept the judgment of the superior superintendent of all our activities.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

Because he belonged to the Kuru's family he took side of the family. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, after understanding Kṛṣṇa, when he came to the conclusion that "I must be with Kṛṣṇa's side, not to the family side," then he became perfect. After hearing thoroughly Bhagavad-gītā, he... Kṛṣṇa said, "Now what you will do? To the family side or My side?" Yathecchasi. That freedom is there. Yathecchasi: "Whatever you like, you can do. I have given my instruction."

That freedom is there always. The Kṛṣṇa or His representative, the spiritual master, he can give you good instruction, good advice, but to do it or not to do it, that is your option. That is your option. You decide yourself. That is the... Kṛṣṇa said, yathecchasi tathā kuru: (BG 18.63) "I am not interfering with your independence. I am dealing as your spiritual master, and you accepted Me as your spiritual master." Kṛṣṇa was accepted, Arjuna, śiṣyas te 'ham: "Kṛṣṇa, no more friendly talk. I accept You as my spiritual master." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7).

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

And otherwise, "You go on talking whatever nonsense you can. I'll do my own business," that is not śiṣya. Śiṣya means śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). That is śiṣya.

So Kṛṣṇa taught him Bhagavad-gītā. Then, still, He gave him the freedom, yathecchasi tathā kuru: (BG 18.63) "Now Arjuna, I have instructed you everything. Now you decide what to do." It is not force. Reply was that now, naṣṭo moho smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now over. I have got... I am now remembering what I am." That remembering means "I am not belonging to this family." Tvat prasādād madhusūdana. Smṛtir labdhā. Smṛtir. This is... In the material world we have lost our memory that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and my duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is our position. This is called illusion. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? To abide by the order of the body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

So this is going on. Not only in the human form of life, in the animal form of life, in trees and so on, so on, it is going on. Eight million, four hundred... So this is a chance given, human form of life. Just like after imprisonment you are again given little freedom. You cannot be completely free; however, you may declare that "I belong to free nation..." Free nation means you are free, certainly, but not absolutely free. You are dependent on the state laws. Similarly, nobody can be free. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

These rascals, they are thinking, "I am free." No. Nobody is free. But because we are not free, that does not mean there is no freedom. There is freedom. That is not in this world. That is in the spiritual world. Just like mirage, the desert: the animal does not know that there is no water; it is simply reflection by the sunshine. There is some reflection. There is no water. So a man does not run after such false water, but animal runs, and they lost in the running after. Similarly, this material world is reflection of the spiritual world. There is no happiness. Happiness is there in the spiritual world, but we are running after it, being ignorant. But that does not mean... Although we are running after false water, it does not mean there is no water. Water is there, but not in the desert. That is intelligence. So happiness is there, but not in this material world. It is in the spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

That is a good business. Kṛṣṇa will recognize. Anyone who is pushing on this movement, he is immediately recognized. Because Kṛṣṇa wants... We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa. He wants us back to home, live with Him comfortably, without any disadvantage of conditional life, freedom. Kṛṣṇa wants. Therefore he comes: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). That dharmasya glāniḥ means... Dharma means religious. Glāni means pollution. What is that? We are manufacturing so many rascal type of religion. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. But real religion is as Kṛṣṇa says. What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Religion means the order of Kṛṣṇa. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture religion. Religion means you carry out the order of God. That is religion. That is religion. So you do not know what is God, what is the order of God, or even if you know, you do not carry out—then what is the meaning of your religion? It has no meaning. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam directly takes it, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramaḥ nirmatsarāṇāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

Kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. It is just like itching between the two hands. And tṛpyanti neha kṛpanā bahu dūḥkha-bhājaḥ. The aftereffects of sex life is very, very bad.

So in that interview I gave that information that woman's freedom? I gave this reply, that "Where is the woman's freedom? The boy and the girl intermingle, and the girl becomes pregnant, and the boy goes away without any responsibility, and the burden..., the child is a burden for the woman. Either she should kill or beg from the government. Is that independence?" They are trying to be independent. This is not civilization. There is no question of independence. The woman must be given protection in childhood by the father unless she is married, and in youthhood by the husband, and in old age by grown up sons. This is Vedic civilization. Na striyaṁ svatantram arhati. Just like children, they must be always protected.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

There is a word in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Uru. Uru means very strong and dāmni means rope. Just like if you are tied up with a strong rope, hands and feet, as you are helpless, our position is like that. This very word is used, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Na te viduḥ... And such baddha, conditioned souls, they are declaring freedom: "I don't care for anyone. I don't care for God." How much foolishness. Just like sometimes naughty children, they are also bound up. Yaśodāmayī also bound up Kṛṣṇa. That is an Indian system, or everywhere, that tied up. And that small child, when it is bound up, if that child declares freedom, how it is possible? Similarly, by the laws of mother nature we are bound up. How you can declare freedom? Every part of our body is being controlled by some controller. That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. Even your, this eyelid moving, that is also under some controller.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

We are sons of God. He is very sorry that unnecessarily we are wandering within this universe and suffering in different types of bodies, and this is going on. So īśvara, He is very well-wisher, friend. He is simply trying to turn His face towards you. That's it. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). He has given little freedom, so do whatever you like. But He is simply taking the chance, "When this rascal will turn towards Me?" That is His business. That is stated in the Vedic śāstra, that two birds are sitting in the same tree. One is eating the fruit and the other is simple witnessing. So the eating bird is the jīvātmā, individual soul, and the witness bird is God, Paramātmā. So He is giving us the facility. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna ti..., bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni (BG 18.61). You cannot, out of your own power, you can go to the higher planetary, lower planetary, anywhere. No. That is to be sanctioned by God. Bhrāmayan. I want to go here, there. He will give me facility. And what is the process? Now, yantra, a machine.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

In this way, dhatte anusaṁsṛtiṁ puṁsi. As I desire, immediately the instrument... This body is instrument. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). (child making noise) (aside:) Stop this child. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. Kṛṣṇa is situated everyone's heart, and as I am desiring, He has given us full freedom, not full freedom, but freedom. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that just like father, mother, gives the child little freedom and it moves here and there, but always looking after—may not catch up any fire, for may not fall down in the water, or some animal may not attack—so similarly, we are desiring and Kṛṣṇa is giving us facilities. But if we want to stop this repetition of birth and death and change of different atmosphere, as it is said, harṣa-śoka-bhaya ārti. This material existence means sometimes we are very jubilant: "Oh, I have got this. Now I have got in America, I have got so many cars." Now harṣa, jubilant.

Lecture on SB 6.1.64-65 -- Vrndavana, September 1, 1975:

There are three kinds of women: kāmiṇī, svairiṇi, and puṁścalī. Puṁścalī. Svairiṇi means free, freedom. Nobody is controller. That is called svairiṇi. And kāmiṇī means to attract, very much attract. And another, puṁścalī—living with woman, er, man for some time; giving up; again another; again another. That is exemplified by the lightning. You have seen the lightning—immediately, within a second, from this cloud to that cloud, that cloud to that cloud. So they are called svairiṇi. So three divisions. Similarly, there are divisions of men also.

So in this way the material world is very, very entangled. And if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we become free from this entanglement. All these criticisms or the divisions are there for grāmyaiḥ. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, grāma-kathā nā śunibe, bhāla nā khāibe nā bhāla nā paribe.

Lecture on SB 6.2.14 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1975:

So helanam eva vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇaṁ aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ. So some way or other, if we are engaged in chanting the Vaikuṇṭha-nāma Vaikuṇṭha-nāma. Vaikuṇṭha is Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Vigata-kuṇṭhād yasmād iti vaikuṇṭha. Here in the material world you are always filled up with kuṇṭha, anxieties. And if you go to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, then there is no more kuṇṭha, full freedom without anxiety. Because even if you realize yourself that you are part and parcel of Parabrahman, when you realize Brahman yourself, not this body, immediately you become jolly. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There are many sannyāsīs who are brahmavādī. So as soon as they feel "Ahaṁ brahmāsmi," they are no more in anxiety of this material world. And if you increase that—Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān That simple Brahman realization, it is knowledge that "I am not this, but I am that." Neti. But that knowledge will not be sufficient. You have to make progress further because we are by nature ānandamāya.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

From the beginning of life means... Actually, our life begins at the age of five years. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's nīti, it is said that the boys, the children, should be given complete freedom to do anything he likes up to five years, not more than that. Lālayet pañca-varṣāṇi: "Up to five years a child should be given all freedom." Never mind however miscreant he may be. But from five years to fifteen years—that means a period of ten years—tāḍayet. Lālayet pañca-varṣāṇi tāḍayet daśa-varṣāṇi: "You should give all freedom to your child for five years, and then, next ten years, you should be very strict, very strict, so that the child may be very much afraid. And as soon as he attains sixteen years of age, then you should treat him like friend, not, I mean to say, so strictly." These are the moral instruction by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

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

We have to become first of all free from all designations. If I think I'm American, if I think I am Christian, if I think I am Indian, if I think I am Hindu, if I think I am Muslim, if I think I am this, I am that, these are all designations. When you are free from the designation, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam And what is that freedom? "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That's all. I am not American, not Indian, not Hindu, not Muslim, not Christian. I am Kṛṣṇa's or God's. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. And as you are convinced that you are God's or Kṛṣṇa's, then engage yourself not in the designated service, but Kṛṣṇa's service. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Then everything will be purified. Your eyes will be purified, your ears will be purified, your legs, everything, all senses will be purified. When your senses are purified, hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When with that purified senses Hṛṣīkena means senses. Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. Govinda. Govinda also means the master of the senses. So the senses which you have got, this hand, leg, eyes, everything, I am not the proprietor. Practically the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

Viṣṇu is original Lord, or our father. We have expanded. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Every living entity is part and parcel of Viṣṇu, and they are separated. Not separated but given freedom to serve Viṣṇu. To serve does not mean no freedom. It is not dull stone. Every living being... Just like you are trying to serve the cause of Kṛṣṇa conscious. It does not mean that you have no freedom, you are like stone. No. You have got freedom but you are utilizing the freedom how to render best service to Kṛṣṇa. That freedom is required. You must have freedom. Otherwise it is a dull stone. We have constructed this temple with freedom that "The temple should be constructed in this pattern, in this fashion. It should be decorated like this." So it is freedom, but that freedom is not misused. It is used for the service: "How best service we can render?" This is the proper use of freedom. And when you misuse the freedom, then it is māyā. That is called māyā. Therefore our freedom should be how to become fully engaged in loving service of the Lord. Viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam. Yathā hi puruṣasya iha viṣṇoḥ pādopasar... Why? It is still further explained, yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Viṣṇu is very dear to us.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

He knows it that you are not anxious. So he will give you intelligence so that you can make progress towards God. And, if you don't want, if you want to make progress in this material change of bodies, then God will give you such intelligence so that you can make your advancement materially. He has given you full freedom. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this verse, that He is situated in everyone's heart, and He is giving intelligence. If you want to enjoy this material world by changing different... Because you have to change your body. You are making your next body in this body. There is no certainty what kind of body you are making, but you are responsible for making your next body. As I have several times discussed that the, at the time of death, the mental condition will help you to have another next body, mental condition. So if your mental condition is very nice, whatever you think, God has given you chance: you get next immediately.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

What is the name of that asura? Bhaumāsura, no? Yes. So they prayed to Kṛṣṇa that "We are suffering, kidnapped by this rascal. Please save us." So Kṛṣṇa came to rescue them, and the Bhaumāsura was killed and all the girls were made free. But after freedom they were still standing there. So Kṛṣṇa asked them, "Now you can go home to your father." They said that "We are kidnapped, and we cannot be married." In India still that rule is there. If one girl, young girl, goes out of home for one day or two days, nobody will marry him (her). Nobody will marry him (her). He's (She's) considered to be spoiled. This is still the Indian system. So they were kidnapped for so many days or so many years, so they appealed to Kṛṣṇa that "We'll not be accepted either by our father, neither anybody will agree to marry." Then Kṛṣṇa understood that "Their position is very precarious. Although they are released, they cannot go anywhere."

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

So we should simply pray, "Kindly engage me in Your service in whatever capacity You like." I have got my own desire, so Kṛṣṇa gives us freedom: "In whichever capacity you want to serve Me, I shall accept, either as servant, either as friend, either as father, mother, or either as conjugal lover." Any way, Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept our service. And He does not require any service, but if we render service, that is our benefit. That is required. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement it teaching that "Try to serve Kṛṣṇa." That is the beginning of teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jivera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). They are trying to be master. That is māyā. It is not possible to become māyā, er, master. You cannot become master. If you think that you are going to be master, that is māyā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

And this Bali Mahārāja is the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja. They are demonic family. So amongst the demons, many devotees came out. So to become devotee does not depend on that particular family, this or that. No. Anyone can become devotee. (sound of child running in background) Now she is feeling freedom, expressing freedom. Don't express. Then you'll be again put into. No more. Oh! All right. (running continues) Everyone wants freedom. Yes. Don't touch. Don't touch, please. Any other question? Hm. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). That is declared in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he can attain the highest perfection of life. It does not depend that what family, what heritage, what country, what nation, what color, what education. No, nothing. Simply one has to become willing devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Just like the, yesterday, they came? So they did not come. They're not willing to become devotee. They want to become God—by intoxication. You see?

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

And as soon as we are out of the influence of this material energy, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). How? Māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena. Simply by bhakti-yoga. Simply by engaging yourself cent percent, without any deviation, in the devotional service of the Lord, you immediately become freedom or liberation from this material bondage. And if you keep yourself in that position, then you are liberated in this life, and after leaving this body, you get your liberated body. That is mukti. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. Mukti means when you give up your material contaminated life. Hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sa guṇena avasthiti. To be, I mean to say, situated in the constitutional position, that is called mukti. So our constitutional position is that God is great and we are small. And our position is that God is the Supreme and we are subordinate, and our business is to serve God. This is our position. We are serving, but instead of serving God, we are serving dog. That is the position.

Lecture on SB 7.9.20 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1976:

These are all foolishness. You are entangling yourself, simply entangling. A little mistake—you'll have to suffer. Just like in our daily affairs you can eat so much. A little more eating means disturbance in the digestion. You are so much under the control of nature. But these rascals, they do not understand it. They declare, "Freedom."

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

These rascals, vimūḍhā, mūḍhā, very strongly mūḍhās. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. That false egotism—"Oh, I am very big man. I am so intelligent. I am so learned. I have got money"—this is ahaṅkāra. This is called false ahaṅkāra. This is also... If you actually have got money, that's all right; you can say, "I have got money." But you have nothing, not a farthing, and still, somehow or other, because you have got some money, you say, "I have got money." That is not your money; that is Kṛṣṇa's money. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).