Good citizenship means

Expressions researched:
"Good citizenship means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Good citizenship means strictly following the laws of the government.

Lecture on BG 7.11-12 -- Bombay, February 25, 1974:

So there is regulative principles in the śāstra, as I was explaining. (aside:) Why the boys shall talk? So we must follow the... If we want to make our life perfect, we must follow the regulative principles. Just like good citizen means... What is that good citizen? Good citizen means who follows the laws of the state. He is good citizen. Good citizenship means strictly following the laws of the government. Similarly, first-class human being means who follows the laws of God. That's all. He's first-class. And those who are simply violating the laws of God, they are third class, fourth class, tenth class. It will be explained a few verses after that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are simply violating the laws of God, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ, miscreants. Such class of men... There are so many classes of men. Kṛṣṇa is mentioning some of them. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. The duṣkṛtinaḥ, those who are simply violating the laws of God, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ. So such persons cannot come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. One must follow the rules and regulation, śāstra.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Just like good citizenship means to abide by the laws of the state, of the government.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Therefore it is said here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means Supreme. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, "Wherein this is taught, 'Just surrender to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that is first-class religion." All other religions, they are bogus. That is not religion. Just like good citizenship means to abide by the laws of the state, of the government. That is good citizenship. Similarly, a real religious person means who is abiding by the orders of the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, they have no information of the Supreme Lord. Although the Lord, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, is present, still, they are thinking that Supreme Lord is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to avoid. How Supreme God can be nirākāra? If the Supreme Lord is the supreme father... We have got experience: I am a person, my father is person, his father is person, his father is person... In this way, if you go to the topmost platform to find out the Supreme Person or Supreme God, why He should be imperson? Imperson is a feature of the Supreme Person, but ultimately brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11), ultimately the Absolute Truth is a Supreme Person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the Vedic information, that as we are all nityas, eternal, we are also living being, but there is another supreme nitya, eternal, and supreme cetana, or living being, and that is God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior living being than Me." That is Kṛṣṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Good citizenship means living under the direction of the government. That is good citizenship.

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Guest (2): Something that we should live truly.

Prabhupāda: True living. Yes. True, just like good citizens...

Guest (2): That's right.

Prabhupāda: Good citizenship means living under the direction of the government. That is good citizenship. Similarly, human life means to live nicely under the direction of God. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. But the human life, (pause) That first verse: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt (BG 4.1). So what is your explanation of this verse?

Guest (2): You want to explain this into er... Do you want to explain this?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt (BG 4.1).

Guest (2): Yes. This actually is explaining the origins of the law, ancient law, that's obeyed by the man. It's the law given from the Vedic literature...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Good citizenship means one who lives under the control of the government. Similarly, a good person is one who is God conscious and lives according to the instruction of God.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: On the level of Bhagavad-gītā. God is the supreme controller. And we have to learn how to remain peacefully under the supreme controller. Just like citizens and the government. Good citizenship means one who lives under the control of the government. Similarly, a good person is one who is God conscious and lives according to the instruction of God. So there is instruction of God, we are presenting this all over the world.

Devotee (1): And they should give us some facilities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We want to preach. Here also, if you give us facility, we can preach. That is after your interest.

Good citizenship means one who knows the laws of the state, that is good citizen.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: The cow is giving milk like mother, why should you kill it? This is humanity, to kill the mother? So in this way we are encroaching the rights of others, and we are becoming subject to be punished by God. This is going on. You may say there is no God, but God is there, you'll be punished. The outlaw they will say, "We don't care for government." You may say so, but government will take action. You cannot avoid it. This is humanity. Good citizenship means one who knows the laws of the state, that is good citizen. If one does not know the laws of the state, he's a fool. He's not a good citizen. One who knows the law, he keeps right and left, he knows this is the order of the government, cars should be driven on the right side or left side. He is good citizen. One who does not know the law of the state, he's not a good citizen. He's a fool, rascal. What to speak of humanity.