We also may remember that when we speak of "Kṛṣṇa" it is not a sectarian name. The "Kṛṣṇa" name means the highest pleasure. It is confirmed that the Supreme Lord is the reservoir, is the storehouse of all pleasure. We are all hankering after pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The living entities or the Lord, because we are full of consciousness, therefore our consciousness is after happiness. Happiness. The Lord is also perpetually happy, and if we associate with the Lord, cooperate with Him, take part in His association, then also we become happy.
Hankering (BG and SB Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:
Vedic literature we get information of all the planets. We may believe or not believe, but all the important planets in which we have connection, they are described in the Vedic literature, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But the spiritual world, which is beyond this material sky, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo (BG 8.20), but that avyakta, that nonmanifested spiritual sky, is the paramāṁ gatim, that is, one should desire, one should hanker after reaching that supreme kingdom. And once approaching that supreme kingdom, yaṁ prāpya, one approaching or one achieving that supreme kingdom, na nivartante, one hasn't got to return back to this material world. And that place which is the eternal abode of Lord, that from where we haven't got to return, that is our, that should be our... (break) Now a question may be raised, what is the way how to approach the supreme abode of the Lord.
Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :
In the gross material concept of life we are under the impression that "I am this body." Therefore we are concerned with the senses. If our senses are gratified, we think we are now satisfied. So this is the gross type of existence, I mean to say, existence of ignorance. Illusion. Māyā. When one is under the thought that "I am this," this is illusion. Illusion means you accept something, something is presented as reality, and you accept it. Just like the example is given water in the desert. Mirage. There is no water, but a, an animal is hankering, is running after water in the desert. That is practical, that due to sunshine there is a reflection, it appears in the desert. Sometimes you might have seen—not here, in India we have seen several times—that exactly there is a vast water, and it is reflecting, the reflection. That is called mirage.
Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:
So anyway, why this living entity is wandering, not fixed up? So there must be some goal. He is hankering after that. There must be some goal of life. To achieve that goal of life that is called sādhya. Why we are struggling here for happiness or something else? We are struggling. So this question was raised by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "What is the goal of life?" Unless there is goal of life, why there is struggle? Why... There must be some goal of life, sādhya. And sādhana. Sādhana means the means by which we can achieve that goal of life. That is called sādhana, sādhana. So Rāmānanda Rāya quoted... Because when there is talk between two learned persons, they... Just like nowadays it has become a fashion: "In my opinion," "I think in this way."
Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:
You have got all departments for comforts of this body, for maintaining this body, but the thing which minus this body, the body is useless, what about that thing? That is Bhagavad-gītā. That is Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is teaching that technology. You should try to understand this Bhagavad-gītā is not technology for the external body. Bhagavad-gītā is the technology of the dehī which is within the body, which is moving the body, which is keeping the body fit. This body is fit very nice, very beautiful, very attractive. How long? So long the spirit soul is there. As soon as the spirit soul is off, immediately it begins to decompose. There may be a nice, beautiful young girl, everyone is hankering after her, but as soon as the spirit soul is gone, nobody will like to accept it. Immediately it becomes useless. (laughs) Huh? So nobody is very serious what is that thing? That is Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:
Prabhupāda: Just like at Vṛndāvana, at Vṛndāvana... That is practical. Now here I am sitting, New York, a very great, the world's greatest city, so magnificent city, but my heart is always hankering after that Vṛndāvana.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying link up our connection with the supreme controller. We do not wish to become the controller. We want to be controlled—but by the supreme controller, not by others. That is our proposition. Just like generally, one who is in service, he hankers after government service. Because it is natural conclusion that "If I have to serve somebody, why a petty merchant? Why not take government service?" So that is our proposition, that we have to serve. We cannot do but serve. Any one of us. That is our constitutional position. Any one of us, we are sitting here, we are servant. Every one of us is servant. So our proposition is that you are servant in any case. Why not become servant of God? That is our proposition. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:
The name of God and God is equally pūrṇa, perfect; śuddha, purified. Pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya, eternal, and muk... Pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ, and liberated from material contamination. So it is not the question of argument. You can try. There is no loss on your part. Chant the holy name of God and see the result yourself. So there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Christo: In India also sometimes Kṛṣṇa is enounced as "Krishta." Or you enounce as "Christa." It does not make... Because God will take your mind, not your pronunciation. If you mean to pronounce God's name, even it is not, I mean to say, formally or perfectly pronounced, still, God will understand that you are trying to chant His name. That is your perfection. So God is one. There is no two God. So either you call Him Christ's or Krishta or Kṛṣṇa, if He understands that you are hankering after Him, He'll give the resultant action. And this is the easiest process in this age for God realization. Thank you very much. Let us chant.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:
Otherwise the soul has no pains and pleasure. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. In the Vedas it is said that "The soul has nothing to do with this body." Asaṅga. Asaṅga means "without any touch." But out of ignorance he is thinking... The same example: out of ignorance, the rascal is thinking that he has become Rolls Royce, and if the Rolls Royce is broken by some accident, he becomes overwhelmed: "Oh, I am lost." Where you are lost? Your car is lost. This is going on. The car is lost. Therefore, when one becomes brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), actually realized—self-realization, that is called—na śocati na kāṅkṣati: (BG 18.54) there is no more lamenting, no more hankering. "Because I am not this body, why I shall hanker after this bodily comfort? Whatever Kṛṣṇa has given, that's all right." But they are absorbed in the bodily concept. Therefore they are simply seeking bodily and sensuous enjoyment. That's all.
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), means as soon as you are self-realized, you become jubilant. In the bodily concept of life we are always full of anxiety and morose. Yes, that is the material condition. But as soon as you realize yourself that you are not this body, you are different from this body, you become jubilant. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). This means as soon as one is self-realized, immediately he becomes happy, jubilant. And what is the symptom of becoming jubilant? That is also stated, na śocati na kāṅkṣati: "He does not hanker after anything; neither he laments for any loss." In the material condition we are in the platform of lamentation and hankering. Everyone is trying to possess something which he does not possess, and everyone is lamenting after losing his possession. These are the condition of the materialistic person.
So Brahman realization or self-realization means no longer lamentation, no longer hankering.
Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:
As soon as he comes to that state, he has no more lamentation. Here, as American or Indian or Russian, we have got two things: lamentation and hankering. Everyone is hankering, what he does not possess: "I must have this." And what he possesses, if it is lost, he's lamenting: "Oh, I have lost." So these two business are going on. So long you come, do not come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your, these two business will go on, lamenting and hankering. And as soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become joyful. There is no reason of lamenting. There is no reason of hankering. Everything is complete. Kṛṣṇa is complete. So he becomes free. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ state. So this can be awakened by hearing. Therefore the Vedic mantra is called śruti. One has to receive this awakening through the ear. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Always one has to hear and chant about Viṣṇu. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), everything will be cleansed, and he'll come to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:
So first of all, we have to become brāhmaṇa. Then Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa simply knows that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). By such knowledge one becomes prasannātmā. Means relieved. As you feel relief... When there is burden on your head, and the burden is taken away you feel relieved, similarly, this ignorance that "I am this body" is a great burden, a burden upon us. So when you get out of this burden, then you feel relieved. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Means when actually one understands that "I am not this body; I am soul," then he has to work so hard for maintaining this body, so he gets relief that "Why I am working so hard for this lump of material things? Let me execute my real necessity of life, spiritual life." That is great relief. That is great relief. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The relief means there is hankering, no more lamentation. These are the brahma-bhūtaḥ.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Simply thinking that "I am meditating so much, I am making very good advance," is not. You have to test. The test is that your... Improvement of spiritual life means that you become detached to the materialistic way of life. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). The example is... This is one example. Another example is just like if you are hungry. Actually, every man is hungry for spiritual happiness. Therefore they are not satisfied. They are trying to gratify their senses in so many ways, but still they are not satisfied, because actually he is hungry. Just like this child crying. Mother is offering something, but he's still crying. That means he is asking something which the mother cannot understand. Similarly, the dissatisfaction of the modern world means that actually everyone is hankering after spiritual happiness. But nobody is offering. And even if it is offered, they cannot understand. They do not take it. This is the position.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Then he'll be able to grasp what is spiritual life. Therefore restriction. But if from the very childhood, in the school, college, the boys and girls are allowed to enjoy sex life, then it is very difficult to understand or to enter into spiritual life. Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām. If we teach our children simply for sense enjoyment, how they can be spiritually advanced? The result will be confusion. Therefore in your country the hippies are there—confusion. They have been brought up in material sense enjoyment very nicely, but still, there is confusion, frustration, because he's hankering after something better. So that is spiritual happiness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So one has to understand this point and voluntarily he has to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and then he'll find happiness. This is sure. Those who have taken to it, just ask them, just argue with them, and see actually. This is happiness. Yes.
Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:
We are afraid. Even a drop of cold water, we are afraid of. Without hot water, we cannot take our bath. Now, water as it is, it is water constitutionally, chemically or whatever it may be, but it is due to the bodily touch of the water we sometimes feel pleasure and sometimes feel distress. Therefore all our feelings of distress and happiness is due to this body. Is due to the body. Body under certain condition, mind under certain condition, feels happiness and feel distress. So therefore, We are actually hankering after happiness because the soul's constitution is happiness. Soul's constitution is happiness. Anyone who is brought up in a very nice family with all comfortable conditions, as he feels distress in a different condition, similarly, the soul is the part and parcel of the Supreme Being.
Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:
So the thing is that we, we are, because we are part and parcel of that sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternity, blissful and knowledge, therefore our hankering is always to live eternally. Our hankering is always to get full knowledge, and our hankering is always to remain happy. That is our natural hankering. But that is being hampered due to this body. That we do not understand. We are hankering after full knowledge, we are hankering after full bliss, we are hankering after eternity, but we do not know how to obtain that. Here is the information. Here is the information, that you are hankering after all these things through some imperfect instrument. That is not possible. So you have to understand yourself that you are not this body. Whole impediment, whole, meaning choking of your progress, is due to this body. So you have to separate yourself from this body. Simply separating, I mean to say, theoretically will not do.
Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:
Now, our position is that we do not know how to drive this motorcar. We do not know how to drive this motorcar. We have become the servant of the motorcar, servant, not the expert driver but a servant. This body means the senses. The senses. The sense wants that... My eyes, it wants, "Oh, there is a beautiful girl. Let us see. Oh, I am hankering after it. I am following that beautiful girl." "Oh, there is very nice music. All right." Ear. "All right. Let us have it." "Oh, there is a very good restaurant, palatable dishes." Oh, tongue, tongue dictates, "Oh, you go there." Similarly, all our senses... This body means senses. Without senses, the body has no meaning. So our position is that eyes dragging to some place, ear dragging to some place, tongue dragging to some place, hand dragging to some place, leg dragging to some place. So we are perplexed.
Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:
"By application of this God consciousness, you throw away all other work. Any work which you cannot do with God consciousness, don't do it." Now, here is the injunction in Bhagavad-gītā that "Anything which you cannot do with God consciousness, stop doing." But the whole world is engaged, doing things in which there is no God consciousness. There is no God consciousness. And here it is enjoined that buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ: "Only those who are kṛpaṇa, those who are not self-realized, they are hankering after sense gratification. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But you don't be. Arjuna, you don't be. If you want to be spiritually situated, if you want to work from the spiritual platform, then you don't do it. You work on the spiritual platform and don't do anything which you cannot do in God consciousness."
Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:
So this is the position. The Lord never interferes with the little independence that has been offered to us. We have got little independence because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Oh, so under certain percentage we have got independence. Not full independence, but under certain percentage we have got independence. And that independence we can use properly or misuse it also. When we misuse, then we become kṛpaṇa, the miser. And when we use it properly, then we become brāhmaṇa. So dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya buddhau śaraṇam anviccha, śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ. Buddhi. By intelligence, by intelligence you take shelter of the Supreme Lord. Don't be miser and be hankering after the result of your work and enjoy for yourself. No, sacrifice. Sacrifice means you sacrifice your energy. God is not hankering after your money or whatever you have got. He is full in Himself. He is full in Himself. He doesn't require.
Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:
When your anartha-nivṛtti, when your material activities are completely stop, then you cannot give up. Athāsakti. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Niṣṭhā means your faith becomes more firm, fixed up, steady. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci. Ruci means you will simply hanker after spiritual things. You won't like to hear anything except spiritual message. You won't like to do anything except spiritual activities. You won't like to eat anything which is not spiritualized. So your life will be changed. Tato niṣṭhā athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment, then bhāva. Then you will be transcendentally, I mean to say, ecstaticized. There will be some ecstasy. And that is the... These are the different steps for highest platform of spiritual life. Tato bhāvaḥ. Tato bhāvaḥ. Bhāva, that bhāva stage, is the right platform from where you can directly talk with the Supreme Lord.
Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:
This is the cause of our bondage. We are being bound up by some false illusory beauty of this world. Mirage. The exact example is the mirage. What is mirage? Reflection of the sunlight on the desert appears like water. Where is water there? There is no water. The animal, thirsty animal, is after the mirage. "Oh, here is water. I'll be satisfied." Similarly we are hankering after, running after the mirage. There is no peace, there is no happiness. Therefore we have to divert our attention back to Godhead. Don't run after this mirage. Just turn back to Godhead, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Don't divert your... Don't engage your senses in the illusory material beauty. Just apply your senses to Kṛṣṇa, the real beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:
Param, if you get better thing, you give up inferior quality thing. That is our nature. Just like our students, American students, they were all accustomed to meat-eating. But now another student, she is preparing the sweetballs, ISKCON balls, and they are forgetting meat-eating. They do not like any more meat-eating. They have got better engagement, sweetballs. (laughter) Similarly, that is the way. When you get better engagement... We are hankering after pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Every living entity is seeking after pleasure. That is his nature.
Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:
Of course, we must be careful to prepare foodstuff, because we are going to offer to the Lord, and we must offer things which is acceptable by the Lord, at least. Of course, Lord can accept anything and everything. He is quite competent because He's all-powerful, almighty. But still, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said—the Lord says—patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who gives Me these four things: patraṁ, puṣpaṁ, phalaṁ, toyam... That means grains, vegetables, and flowers, fruits, all these things. Anyone who offers Me, I take that, offers with, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam, with devotion." Not that God is hungry, and therefore He is hankering after your offering of foodstuff. Not that. He is quite competent. He has got many things to eat. It is practically His things we are eating. So, but still, if we prepare foodstuff in that way and offer to the Supreme Lord, then, after offering, if we take, then we become free from all sinful reactions.
Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:
There are so many senses. We have got the eyes, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the hand, the leg, and so many. We have got ten, ten senses, sensory organs and working organs. So these organs there are. Out of all the organs, the tongue is the most uncontrollable organ, tongue. When we eat... Perhaps those devotees who eat with us, we chant this, that śarīra abidyā-jāl joḍendriya tāhe kāl: "This body is the encagement of our nescience, of our ignorance. And in that body the senses are our greatest enemies. Out of that, the tongue is the most powerful enemy." Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. Lobhamoy sudurmati. Because tongue is always hankering after palatable things, and it is making me bound up in so many reactions of my life... That is the secret.
Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:
We are hankering after knowledge; then we come to the point of full knowledge. Vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Ānanda. We cannot increase ānanda here. In the material sense gratification, ānanda does not increase. If you want some ānanda from sense, for the time being it may give you some pleasure, but at once it decreases. You have no more capacity to enjoy. You see? At once decreases. So it is not ānanda. It is not real ānanda. Ānanda means that will increase, increase. You enjoy and increases. Increases. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. The example is very nice. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means sea. Sea... You don't find sea has increased. You go to the, what is called, seaside. Ten years before you had been to the seaside. You see the same level is there. It does not increase. If it increases, the whole New York City will be overflooded. It does not increase. But here Lord Caitanya says that ambudhi, the ocean of bliss, it increases. It increases. That is a new experience. When you are actually in spiritual happiness, your bliss will be increased.
Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:
Then in the three days, after three days the prostitute became wonderful and she fell down on his feet. "Sir, this is my intention. I was instructed by this man. So please excuse me and please save me from this nonsense business." Then Ṭhākura Haridāsa replied, "Yes, I could understand your intention and who has sent you. I knew everything. But because you have come to my shelter, I stayed here for three days just to convert you. Otherwise I would have gone the very same night from this place. So anyway, you have come to your senses. Now give up this nonsense business. Sit down here and you also chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. I am going from this place." So that prostitute became a great devotee. She also. This is the touchstone. Touchstone. This is called ātma-rati. Ātma-rati.
If this movement is spread, then people will be self-satisfied. He'll be no more hankering for any artificial thing.
Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:
We have discussed this point that our material bondage is due to hankering and lust for dominating over the resources of matter. We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence. And the whole Bhagavad-gītā scheme is how to get out of this material entanglement and be situated in your real spiritual life of bliss, knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole scheme of Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:
So Kṛṣṇa knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He says that "I know everything, past, present, and future." That is perfect knowledge.
Why you are hankering after Kṛṣṇa? Because He is perfect. We are not perfect. We have got so many deficiencies. We commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat and our senses are imperfect. We cannot acquire knowledge by sense perception perfectly. So with so many imperfectness, if we try to become a teacher, then I am a cheater. I am not a teacher. We must know first of all. So we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead and with perfection of knowledge.
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
Actually, we are eternal. Both God and the living entities they are qualitatively one, eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternity, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of joy. These are the qualifications of God and living entity. Therefore we are hankering after pleasure. All people are working hard, day and night, for pleasure. Because by constitution, he is pleasureful, joyful. As soon as there is little hindrance to the process of his joyfulness he becomes sorry. This is my nature. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But God and the living entity, both being sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ... Vigraha means form, individuality. So God has form, and you have got also form, I have got also form, everyone has got form. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme individual personality, and we are subordinate personalities. That is the difference. Otherwise, in quality, God, you and me, are all the same. That Kṛṣṇa says.
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
Otherwise wherefrom this tendency comes? Because I am part and parcel of God, unless the tendency is there, wherefrom I get this tendency? So if you simply try to understand the tat tvam asi, you can immediately understand your position and God. It is so nice.
So ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. The Vedic version says, Vedānta, that "A spirit soul is by nature joyful." Therefore—we are spirit soul—we are hankering after joy, where there is dance, where there is cinema, where there is nice food, where there is nice song, nice picture, nice beautiful woman or man. Everyone is searching after joy. Therefore the Supreme must be joyful. But I am conditioned. Therefore my joy is being checked up. But He is not conditioned. His joy is unlimited. He is everlastingly in enjoyment in Vṛndāvana, dancing with gopī.
Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:
Therefore Bhagavad-gītā, it is explaining very nicely, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). First thing is when you are actually Brahman realized, or you have realized your identification that you are not matter, you are spirit, the first symptom is prasannātmā, you become immediately joyful, without any anxiety. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There is no lamentation, there is no hankering.
Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, and seeing every living entity on equal level because he has spiritual vision. He does not see the body, he sees the spirit. He does not see a dog, he sees, "Oh, there is spirit soul." He does not see a brāhmaṇa, he sees, "Oh, there is the same spirit soul." He does not see an American, he sees the spirit soul. He does not see an Indian, he sees the spirit soul. Therefore paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Paṇḍitāḥ, those who are actually learned, they are seeing everyone in the same vision, spiritual vision. This is Brahman realization.
Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:
We are suffering now due to scorching heat, and when the... We are thinking, "If it is become cooler..." And when it is cool, then also we suffering. Then we think, "If there is some heat." When there is winter, we are hankering after heat, and when there is summer, we are hankering after cooling.
So this is going on. We cannot be happy. First of all we must know that. There is no question of happiness here. We are simply hankering. "If, it would have been very nicely cool." And when it is cool, then you'll think, "If it had been nicely hot..." The same thing. Carvita-carvaṇānām. Carvita-carvaṇānām means chewing the chewed. We have tasted heat and cold both, but we are desiring. "If it would have been like this, if it had been like that, if it..." But never come to the conclusion that either heat or cool, we have to suffer. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa. So long you have got this, this material skin, then this heat and cold you'll have to suffer. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). The śīta, the summer, the winter, or the summer season, neither of them are sources of happiness. But you are thinking like that. "If it would have been like this, if it would have been like this."
Therefore kāṅkṣa, akāṅkṣa. So if you become transcendentally situated, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), there will be no more akāṅkṣa. There will be no more hankering either for this or that. Because he knows... That is called jñāna. So after jñāna... That is required. Jñāna, in the human form of life, this knowledge is required. The animals cannot have jñāna. The human beings can have jñāna. This is knowledge, that "So long I'll possess this material body, I'll have to suffer. I'll have to suffer." Unless you come to this conclusion, there is no progress.
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:
So our problem is that we are suffering all kinds of miseries on account of this material body. Now, our business should be that we shall be cultured in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that in next life will be my spiritual body. Then the solution of all problems solved. And so long we shall get material body repeatedly—just like we give up this dress and take another dress, similarly, we shall continue—then the four kinds of miseries, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), or at least these four kinds of miseries—the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, and the miseries of old age, and miseries of diseases—we have to suffer. And as soon as you get spiritual body, all these miseries over. Because your body is no more subjected to birth and death, disease and old age. That life is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful. That you can get simply by studying the nature of Kṛṣṇa, transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa. So we are hankering after so many things. We are taking the leadership of this leader, that leader, that leader just to relieve, get relief from our temporary misery. So our duty should be just to get rid of all misery by developing that spiritual body. That should be the aim of life. And that is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:
And other's property should be accepted just like refused garbage in the street." Just like we don't care for all the garbages. Simply if others' money or others' property is there sometimes we hanker. We should think, "Oh, these are nonsense, just like garbage." Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And loṣṭra means that rubbles. Just like stone rubbles. There are so many rubbles and, er, strewn over the street. Nobody cares for that. Similarly, if others' money is thrown over the street, nobody... He should not care. He should not collect.
Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:
Do you think that if you try to become more happy, you will be happy? No. The śāstra says that you get miserable condition of life without hankering after this. Nobody hankers after that all miseries may come upon him. No. But it comes. Similarly, all kinds of happiness that you are destined to enjoy, that will also come. So you don't waste your time for material happiness. You simply save your time for development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will be happy. Then you will be free. That is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much.
Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:
In Bhāgavata also, it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "One who is hankering after the highest type of question..." We have got so many questions. We can question the whole day and night "What is the rate of this commodity? What is happening in the political field? What is going on in China?" These questions are not... Not these question. Śreya uttamam. One who has become inquisitive in the uttamam. Uttamam means udgata-tama, not any question of pertaining to the material world. One who is eager to question about the Absolute Truth or the spiritual world, he requires a spiritual master. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). The first injunction is that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta: "You must submit to a spiritual master."
Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:
Now, He explains that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of many, many thousands of people, a few people may try how to get spiritual salvation." Not all. Everyone is not expected to hanker after spiritual salvation. That requires also many, many years qualification. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. After many... Out of many, many thousands of people, one is very much anxious for spiritual realization. And then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). And out of many perfected spiritualists, some may know what is Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand. First of all out of many, many, many thousands of people, who wants to have perfection in spiritual life, then those persons who have attained such perfection, out of them, one or two may understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
So the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. It is very difficult also. But one can understand very easily.
Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:
So Kṛṣṇa says, na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitram iha... So as soon as we become, I mean to say, revived to our position, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then our first symptom will be prasannātmā, prasannātmā—we shall be joyful. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There will be no lamentation and no hankering. But the difficulty is that even if we rise up to the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage and if we do not take to the service of Kṛṣṇa then there is possibility of falling down again. That information we have got. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Just like you may rise very high in the sky, but if you have no shelter there, if your aeroplane or sputnik fails, then you again you fall down. Again you fall down. So if you rise up to that stage that you can attain some planet and take your rest there, so then there is no possibility of falling down. But so long you are in the sky, oh, there is every chance of falling down, every chance.
Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:
So any, any type of spiritual realization, they are different forms. "You are, you are Hindu? Oh, I am, I am Christian." "Oh, you are Christian? I am Muhammadan." So these conceptions, that "I am different from you," that is not for the learned. The learned one is hankering after the Supreme Truth. Never mind. Either you go through Bible, or go through Bhagavad-gītā, or go through this Koran, that doesn't matter. What is the aim of your life? If your aim of life is to understand the Absolute Truth, then there is no difference. But if your aim is something else, then you find some difference from Bhagavad-gītā to Bible, Bible to Koran, Koran to something else. So Kṛṣṇa says that sāṅkhya-yoga. Either you take sāṅkhya-yoga or sāṅkhya or this karma-yoga, anything, there is no difference. Because the, everything is trying to give you the ultimate Absolute Truth.
Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:
You are hankering after happiness. Happiness is your prerogative. You must have. That is your life. You cannot stop happiness. But happiness in the diseased condition is not happiness. That we must understand. So we have to cure this diseased condition and then enjoy happiness, then enjoy pleasure that will be unlimited. There will be no end. In the diseased condition... Suppose whatever pleasure we take, it is for fifteen seconds or few minutes or few hours or few days—it will end. But real happiness, what is real happiness, that is unending. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). Anantam means unending. So we are meant for unending happiness.
Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:
So long you'll be engaged in materialistic activities, there is no question of peace. Prahlāda Mahārāja said to his father, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. "My dear father, this is the best thing." For whom? Best thing for whom? He said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). These people, these materialistic people who have accepted something nonpermanent. Just try to understand each word. These materialistic people, they are hankering after capturing something nonpermanent, that's all. You have seen, by experience. Now that President, Mr. Kennedy, he was very rich man. He wanted to be President and he spent money like anything. He became President. He had his nice family, wife, children, presidentship—finished within a second. Similarly everyone is trying in the material world to capture something which is nonpermanent. But I am spirit soul, permanent.
Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:
Determination means that one has to continue with patience and perseverance. I'm not getting the desired result. "Oh what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I give up." No. Determination. It is a fact. Because Kṛṣṇa is saying this it must happen. There is nice example. That a girl is married to a husband. She's hankering after a child. So if she thinks that "Now I am married, I must have immediately a child." Is it possible? Just have patience. You just become faithful wife, serve your husband, and let your love grown up and because you are husband and wife, it is sure you'll have children. But don't be impatient. Similarly, when you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your perfection is guaranteed. But but you'll have patience, determination. That "I must execute. I should not be impatient." That impatience is due to loss of determination. And how that loss determination is there? Due to excessive sex life. These are all consequences.
Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:
Now, by attainment of that perfect stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the upaiti śānta-rajasam. We are agitated due to the passion, modes of passion. Now, by practice of this yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this passionate hankering will be stopped. Passionate hankering..., śānta-rajasaṁ brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam. Then you become ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am the soul. I am not this body." Akalmaṣam. Without any deviation, without any mistake, we shall be firmly situated in our transcendental position. Thank you very much.
Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:
He wanted to give some private mantra. If that mantra has any power, why it should be private? If at all the mantra has any, why not it should be publicly declared so that everyone can take advantage of that mantra? That is real. It is cheating, you see? So here is no cheating process. We say that this mahā-mantra can save you, we are distributing publicly, no. Free, without any charge. But people are so fools, they are not prepared to take this. They'll hanker after that mantra, after Maharishi. Pay thirty-five dollars and take some private mantra, you see? So people want to be cheated. And here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these people are preaching without any charge, declaring in the street, park, everywhere, "Come on, take it." "Oh, this is not good." This is māyā, this is called illusion. This is spell of māyā. And if you charge something, if you bluff, if you cheat, oh, people will follow.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
So we are dying from the date of our birth. That is a fact. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you the solution of these four problems. And Kṛṣṇa here is suggesting, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, your consciousness becomes always overwhelmed with Kṛṣṇa thoughts, then Kṛṣṇa says the result will be asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). "Then you will understand Me perfectly, without any doubt."
Everyone is hankering after what is God, what is the nature of God. Somebody says there is no God, somebody says God is dead. These are all doubts. But here Kṛṣṇa says, asaṁśaya. You'll be doubtless. You'll feel, you'll know perfectly well that God is there, Kṛṣṇa is there. And He is the source of all energies. He is the primeval Lord. These things you will learn without any doubt. The first thing is we do not make progress in transcendental knowledge on account of doubts, saṁśayaḥ. These doubts can be removed by culture of real knowledge, by real association, by following the real methods, the doubts can be removed. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness persons, they are not after will-o'-the-wisp, phantasmagoria. No. They're actually making progress to the concrete Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:
So out of many millions of persons engaged in ritualistic ceremony, one becomes advanced in knowledge. They are called jñānīs, or speculative philosophers. Not karmīs, but jñānīs. So out of many millions of such jñānīs, one becomes mukta, liberated. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is liberated stage. One who is Brahman realized soul, he has nothing to lament or nothing to hanker. Because in the karmī stage we have got two diseases: hankering and lamenting. Whatever you have got, if it is lost, then I lament. "Oh, I got this and that and it is now lost." And whatever we do not possess, we hanker after. So for possessing, we hanker, we work so hard. And when it is lost, we again lament and cry. This is karmī stage. So brahma-bhūtaḥ stage... Jñāna stage means he has no more lamenting or hankering. Prasannātmā. "Oh, I am, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. What I have got to do with this body? My business is to cultivate transcendental knowledge, brahma-jñāna." So in that stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). That is the test. He has no lamenting. He has no hankering. And he's equal to everyone.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:
"My dear Arjuna, if you develop your attachment for Me," mayy āsakta... Mayy āsakta, "attachment to Me," God is saying. We have got attachment. Every one us has got some attachment, either for this or that. Especially our living condition means to love somebody. That love propensity, that loving propensity is there within me, within you. I want to love you or you want to love me or I want to love somebody, but I want to love; that is my hankering. But because the love is misplaced, therefore we are frustrated. Love is misplaced. The example is given in the śāstra. Just like the tree has to be watered, but if you do know the purpose of watering, where to water, then our business of watering will be misused. You cannot water on the leaves, on the twigs or on the branches. You have to pour water on the root. That is the principle.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:
If you want actually peace of your mind or yourself, then you must learn how to love God. Because you are hankering to love the Supreme, but because you have no information of the Supreme, you are placing your love to your body, your society, your country, your family, or if you haven't got anything to love, then you get a dog, cat, and you love it. The loving propensity is there. This is the psychology. Now that loving propensity can attain its perfection, and as soon as you reach that perfectional point, you become happy. This is the formula for happiness. Everyone is trying to become happy, peaceful.
Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:
It is simply awakened. Not that artificially we are imposing some impression to the minds of our students that they are hankering after "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa..." No. It is a process to remove all the dirty things from the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as the heart is cleansed of all dirty things, material contamination, then we can see what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa recommends that "Somehow or other, you try to be attached to Me." And the Gosvāmīs also, Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet: "Somehow or other, try to apply your mind in Kṛṣṇa." It is not very difficult. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form, arcā-mūrti.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:
Every one of us acquiring knowledge. That is called experience, one after another. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you understand this science," sa-vijñānam, "then your knowledge will be complete. You have nothing to hanker after any further knowledge. Knowledge is complete." That is also Vedic injunction. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Yasmin vijñāte, if you can understand the supreme knowledge, the Supreme, then sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, everything becomes known to you. Just like in arithmetic, if you simply learn 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, then you learned all the arithmetic process.
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to have all kinds of knowledge. Not that we Kṛṣṇa conscious people are being carried away by some sentiment. No. We have got philosophy, science, theology, ethics, morality, everything—everything that is required to be known in human form of life. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll speak to you all about knowledge." So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be fool. If he is required to explain how these universal planets are floating, how this human body is rotating, how many species of life, how they are being evolved... These are all scientific knowledge. Physics, botanics, chemistry, astronomy, everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yaj jñātvā, if you understand this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll have nothing to know. That means you'll have complete knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge, but if we are in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we know Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge is included.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:
It is very nicely stated that tapo divyaṁ yena sattva śuddhyet: (SB 5.5.1) "If you accept this tapasya, or austerity, for God realization, then your existential position will be purified." At the present moment, due to my material conditional life, because I have got this material body, therefore my pleasure... I am hankering after pleasure, but whatever pleasure I am acquiring, that is not permanent, or flickering, or simply illusion. But that hankering after pleasure is your constitutional position. Because you are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), who is by nature blissful, and you are part and parcel of that blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore your nature is also blissful. That is a fact. But you are seeking pleasure or blissfulness in a place where it is not possible. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). And by purification of your existential position, the result will be yasmād brahma-saukhyam. Brahman means the greatest. Greatest. Bṛhatvād bṛhannatvād iti... Brahman means the greatest and who comes in contact with Brahman, he also becomes greatest. That is called Brahman. So if you accept austerity in this life and don't behave like cats and dogs and hogs simply for sex pleasure, then the result will be that your existence will be purified, by which you'll realize eternal happiness, anantam, which has no end, no beginning, no end. Actually it is so.
Lecture on BG 8.14-15 -- New York, November 16, 1966:
"My dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most munificent personality, most charitable, the highest charitable person." Why? "You are delivering Kṛṣṇa very cheaply. You are delivering Kṛṣṇa very cheaply. Therefore nobody is comparable with Your charity." We want Kṛṣṇa. The whole... We are hankering after Kṛṣṇa, the most attractive, the most beautiful, the most opulent, the most powerful, the most learned and the most beautiful. That is our hankering. We are hankering after the beauty, the powerful, the learned. So raso vai. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of everything. You just turn your attention to Kṛṣṇa. You'll get everything, everything, whatever your want. Whatever you heart's desire, it will be fulfilled by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:
One who is spiritually realized, his symptom will be full satisfaction. He'll no longer be hankering after this nonsense material enjoyment. That is spiritual realization. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya (BG 2.59). Raso 'py asya.
Now, just like... It is very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like a diseased man, he's forbidden by the doctor, "Oh, you don't eat. You don't have sex life. You don't, don't..." So many don't's. But he is forced to accept that don't, but inner side he feels, "Oh, if I get, I'll be happy."
Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:
Similarly, we are... Our heart is desiring real pleasure, transcendental bliss. So if we are put into this desert, suta-mitā-ramaṇi-samāje, where is the benefit? This song is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They do not know what is the aim of life. They are satisfied with this drop of water in the desert. It will never mitigate. Desert is very vast tract of land dry, and if somebody says, "All right, take one drop of water," then what is the meaning? It has no meaning. Similarly, we are spirit soul. We are hankering after Kṛṣṇa. That is our inner desire. And what happiness we shall get with this society, friendship or love? This is not possible. That is not possible. There is some happiness, temporary happiness, very small quantity, so-called happiness. It will never satisfy you.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:
Now, what is the symptom of becoming brahma-bhūtaḥ? That is stated, prasannātmā, happiness, only happiness. There is no question of distress. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. You cannot say, "Now I have become Brahman realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ, but I am crying, crying for cigarette." No. Immediately test. So you cannot be unhappy: "I have not got this thing, that thing." Because here we are creating wants. Kāṅkṣati. This material civilization means simply creating wants, that's all, big want or small want. That is called kāṅkṣati. And another counterpart of this material life is whatever you have got, if it is lost, then you cry. One side is you are hankering after something which you do not possess, and if your possession is lost, then you cry for the loss. This is two business, kāṅkṣati, śocati. But if you become brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, these two things will be absent immediately.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:
So such temporary benediction is meant for the alpa-medhasām, one whose brain substance is very small, or the brain substance, instead of brain substance, it's cow dung. They attempt, they accept in this way; otherwise every śāstra says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). One..., all the Vedic literatures, they aim at understanding Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all these things. Simply surrender unto Me." It is so easy. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam... Any, any part of the world, any poor man can offer Kṛṣṇa. This is the poorest, not that who are rich, for them it is prescribed. Anyone can offer Kṛṣṇa according to his capacity. Kṛṣṇa is not hankering after your offering, but if you offer Kṛṣṇa, that is for your own interest, own benefit.
Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:
Now, we are concerned how to get out of this temporary life. We are hankering after eternal life, how to get out of this temporary life. That should be our problem. There is no use calculating for how many years one kalpa, one duration of this cosmic manifestation, is maintained. But our concern is that whether we can get out of these clutches of material nature and get into our spiritual nature and have our eternal blissful life. That is our problem. That we can make solution. If we culture the Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, then even after annihilation of this body, we can get into the spiritual nature and spiritual nature, and we are also spirit. Therefore there is no difference; there is no question of birth and death. That is the problem.
Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:
So here it is stated na tu mām abhijānanti: "People do not know that I am the beneficiary, I am the enjoyer, of everything. I am the Lord of everything. Therefore everything should be done for Me. Everything should be offered to Me. That will make him happy, peace." We are hankering after peace, but we do not know what is peace. We are unnecessarily, illegally claiming overlordship on Kṛṣṇa's property. How we can be in peace? The material agents, the material energy is there. Suppose if I encroach upon others' property, will it be peaceful? The police action is already there. Why the police is there? So that one may not encroach upon others' rights. Police is there. The law and, what is called, order, law and order department, department of law and order. So they are... Why that is? That everyone should be, I mean to say, free to enjoy his right. So you cannot encroach upon others' right.
Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:
And you should not be puffed up with your artificial honor. "Oh, I am this. I am that." This, that, that belongs to this body. You are apart from this body. Suppose you are king in this body. So you have no connection with that body. And suppose you are the poorest man. You have no connection with that body. So why do you identify yourself that "I am poor" or "I am king"? You are neither king, neither poor. You are spirit soul. Therefore amāninā. You should not be hankering after these temporary honors of this material world. Honor or dishonor, the same thing because we do not belong to that honor, that kind of honor or dishonor. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. But other foolish creature who disturbs you, you should give him all honor. Who is identified with this body, give him all honor, "Oh, you, sir, you are very beautiful. You are very learned." So that he may not disturb you, give him all honor.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
He's so kind that He's asking every living entity, especially the human being, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He's self-sufficient. He's not hungry. He is supplying necessities, food, to every living entity. Still He's hankering for a little flower, little fruit, from this living entity. "Please give Me." So this is the position. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aśnāmi: "If you kindly give me even little flower, a little fruit, little water, with faith and love, I will eat." Kṛṣṇa is so kind. And He's simply trying to turn the face of the living entity towards Him. Therefore He is always with us. So this is another—Kṛṣṇa has come here in this temple to accept your offerings. So that you may again go back to home, back to Godhead.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:
So their time is now athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore from India, any rascal comes as yogi and sādhu and avatāra—they go. They are hankering after. We see practically this younger generation. They ask me sometimes that "Why so many younger, younger generation come to you?" Yes, they are frustrated. They are no more interested to live like their fathers and grandfathers. That is become... That has become hackneyed. The same things, same gambling, same meat-eating, same woman-huntering, and same intoxication—that has finished.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:
Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, nirvṛtta-tarṣaiḥ. Tarṣaiḥ. Tṛṣṇa. Tṛṣṇa means hankering. Hankering. Just like if you are thirsty, you feel: "Where is water? Where is water? Where is water?" That is called tṛṣṇa. So nirvṛtta-tarṣaiḥ means one who has finished all hankering for material enjoyment. He's called nirvṛtta-tṛṣṇa. Nirvṛtta means finished. And tṛṣṇa means hankering. The same thing is described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Kāṅkṣati. Kāṅkṣati means if I hanker, that means still I am hungry or thirsty. But there is a position, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) position, by brahma-jijñāsā, that we can get relief of these two activities, hankering and lamenting. The material world, there are two things only: lamenting and hankering. Those who haven't... Those who do not possess, he's hankering. And those who have lost, they are lamenting. But they are two things only. Actually we do not possess. Somehow or other, if we possess, that is also lost.
Just like we have got this body. Kṣetrajña, kṣetra-kṣetrajña. Kṣetra is this body. So by hankering, by desiring, you can get any type of body. There are eight million four hundred thousands of bodies. Just if you are eager to get a certain type of body or certain type of standard of living, Kṛṣṇa will give you.
Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:
So people do not understand these things. Kṛṣṇa therefore explaining that "This body..." Mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro buddhir avyaktaṁ eva ca indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca. Indriyāṇi, these ten senses, five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for acting, ten, and the mind, ten and one, eleven... Indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca pañca cendriya-gocaraḥ. Indriya-gocaraḥ, the object of sense gratification, tan-mātra. Just like rūpa-rasa-gandha-śabda-sparśa. Beauty. Rūpa-rasa, taste. Rūpa-rasa-gandha, smell; śabda, sound; sparśa, touch. These are the objects of enjoyment. Our eyes are there. We are hankering after seeing very beautiful things. Rūpa-rasa. The tongue is there. We are always trying to taste very nice eatables. Gandha. Nose is there. We want to smell very flavorable flowers and other things. In this way we have got indriyas, senses, and this body made of gross elements, and the ahaṅkāra and buddhi, buddhi. Mano buddhir ahaṅkāraḥ. These are the subtle body. In this way this kṣetra, this body, is combination of all these things. Combination of all these things.
Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
You have left... Just like somebody is daily eating puris and halavā, and he wants to eat puffed rice. So that tendency is there. That is also a side of enjoyment. "I am eating daily this, let me eat this." What is the difficulty? That tendency is there. That is also enjoyment. After all, we are hankering after enjoyment, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So different taste we desire, that "Let me taste this, let me taste that, let me taste that." So the real basic principle is enjoyment, sense enjoyment. That's all.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976:
The position is suffering, but somehow or other we are trying to mitigate the suffering. Similarly, in summer season also, the suffering is there. At that time we don't want this covering; we want electric fan. So always there is suffering. Either in the summer season or winter season, suffering must be there. That we do not come to understand. This is due to our asuric svabhāva. So we do not question. In the summer season and the winter season... The summer season, we like something cool and in the winter season we want something which is warm. So two things are there. So sometimes the warmth is suffering; sometimes this cool is also suffering. So where is enjoyment? We simply hanker that "At this time, if there were warm..." But warm is also suffering. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't bother about the suffering." It will continue. You are thinking in summer season something as very pleasing. The same thing in winter season will not be pleasing. So they will come and go. Don't bother about this so-called suffering and enjoyment. Do your duty, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:
When you become free from this material designation, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is a stage, neutral stage. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Means you become free from the material anxieties. Material life means śocati, kāṅkṣati. Always people want something, and whatever he has got, if he has lost, he laments for something. This is our material life. But when you come to the Brahman platform, na śocati na... This is the first qualification—no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Then sarveṣu bhūteṣu, every living entity, he can... He knows that every living entity is the son of Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4), Kṛṣṇa says. So why shall I distinguish between this person to that person? Everyone is Vaiṣṇava. That is mahā-bhāgavata. Mahā-bhāgavata does not see any distinction. He sees everyone.
Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:
Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you study carefully you'll understand everything. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). How one is jubilant? When one is freed from all anxieties. What are these anxieties? Anxieties mean if I lose something, then I will lament, and if I haven't got anything, something, then I hanker after it.
So far we are concerned, we have no business, we have no profession. We do not know what we shall eat tomorrow. Or in the evening. We are in such a position. But we have no anxiety. You can see practically. We have no anxiety that "what shall I eat in the evening, what shall I eat tomorrow, there is no bank balance, there is no money." No. There is no anxiety. We know certain that as soon as we go, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will send us everything. That is actually a fact. If you study our activities, you'll see practically it is so. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. We have no hankering, no lamentation.
Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:
This is the injunction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "First of all, make your life perfect. Just try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā and make your life practical in understanding Bhagavān and the bhakti." Janma sārthaka kari'. "Then go and preach all over the world." Paropakāra. Because the whole world is in darkness. They are too much materially congested. Their brain... Big, big professors, they say, "After death, there is no life." And they are going as teachers and professors. So especially in the western world, they are so much engrossed. So our request is, those who are actually intelligent: "Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, especially Indians, and try to preach all over the world." They are also hankering after it. And Kṛṣṇa says that simply by trying to preach the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then he become a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:
We are all hankering after happiness. But we do not know how to get happiness. That is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, father of Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. This planet, not this country. Bhārata-varṣa. Formerly it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. So after the reign of Mahārāja Bharata, Emperor Bharata, this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. But because we have lost our culture now, we are now a small piece of land. Just like Pakistan went. We could not maintain our culture.
Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:
So just like I say that there is butter in the milk. And I give you one mound of milk, "Find out the butter." So you have to churn it. Similarly, God is everywhere, that's a fact. Just like a tree. The tree is everywhere, in the leaf, in the twig, but if you have to find out where is the actual tree, it is the root. If you water the root, then the whole tree is nourished, and if you simply water all the leaves, the whole day you will spoil and the tree will be spoiled. That is going on. You do not know what is the root. Foolishly, you are watering the leaves. What will be the benefit? The tree will die, and your energy will be spoiled. You find out the root. The root is Kṛṣṇa. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). So as soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like in this old age, we are traveling all over the world to do benefit to the people because we are hankering that people should become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:
Now, I alone started this movement. There is so much response because they are hankering after this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu hinted therefore:
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
"Those who have taken birth as human being as Indian, on the land of Bhāratavarṣa, they should learn their spiritual asset and distribute it throughout the world for real welfare activity." This was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's indication. That was my Guru Mahārāja's indication. With that indication I tried, and somehow or other, it is coming to be successful. Now it is in your hand, you European and American young boys and girls. You take it seriously.
Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:
He knows past, present and future. Because He knows past and present, future of everything, He reminds you. Because God is the Supreme Father, He likes that all His sons, we are all His sons, we go back to Him, back to home, back to Godhead. Just like rich father, if his son comes out of home and suffers for want of so many things, the father becomes very sorry that "This rascal boy has gone out of home, he's suffering." So he wishes that "This boy, let him come back home. I have got sufficient means to provide him. Let him be happy." That is God's mission. That is natural affection of God. Not that because some of His sons are gone astray God is, God has become poorer. No. He can produce millions and trillions of sons by His desire. And why He's hankering after one son? That is His affection. That is His kindness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:
Similarly, this bodily consciousness—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that"—that is just on the tottering sea. But if you come immediately on the spiritual platform, then prasannātmā, "Now I am safe." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). To Brahman realized soul, he has no more any hankering, nor any lamentation. So long we are on the bodily platform, we are hankering and lamenting. We are hankering for things which we do not possess, and we lament for things we lose. There are two business: to gain some material profit or lose it. This is bodily platform. But when you come to the spiritual platform, there is no more question of loss and profit. Equilibrium. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Because he has no more hankering and lamenting, there is no more enemy. Because, if there is enemy, then there is lamenting, but if there is no enemy, then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is the beginning of transcendental activities, bhakti.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:
So questioning about Kṛṣṇa and answering the question is kṛṣṇa-kathā. So here it is recommended that if we are constantly engaged in kṛṣṇa-kathā about Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, questioning about Kṛṣṇa, then ātmā suprasīdati. We are hankering after peacefulness of our heart, peacefulness of our atmosphere. So here it is recommended that simply by inquiring about Kṛṣṇa and taking answer of the question, both the questioner and the answer-giver, both will be pleased. Yenātmā suprasīdati. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered, yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). The world is like the blazing fire in the forest. So this kṛṣṇa-kathā, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, will give them relief. Yenātmā suprasīdati. And the Sūta Gosvāmī said, "You question is very pious question, sādhu, because it is about Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:
That is the fact. At the present moment also, there is advancement of education-many universities, many technological institutes, economic development. In your America there is everything sufficient, but still, people are unhappy. They are becoming hippies. Why? Because there is no knowledge about God. This is the only cause. This is the only cause. Every one of us is part and parcel of God, so our real hankering is God. Just like child, baby, is the part and parcel of the mother, and when the child is unhappy, nothing can satisfy the child except when he is put on the lap of his mother. He is crying, everybody is trying to pacify him, but the child is going on, crying, crying. But as soon as you put him on the lap of his mother and the mother takes on his (her) breast, the child is immediately happy. Similarly, we are all children of God. We are making so many plans to become happy independently, without God. That is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore there is great necessity of understanding God at the present moment. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:
So therefore this kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, if simply people become inquisitive, what is Kṛṣṇa, and you simply try to answer them—we have got so many books now—then the whole world will be peaceful. Yena ātmā suprasīdati. Everyone is hankering after, "Where is peace? Where is peace?" You know, you European and American boys. You have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because on account of your hankering, "Where is peace?" Is it not?
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
Cup, yes, that was his business. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu take away some of his fruits and donā, as a friend. So one day Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Śrīdhara, you take benediction from Me." So he said "What benediction, Sir?" "Well, you are so poor that your house is not even properly repaired. There are so many holes in the roof." He, "Still, I have a nice house because it is better than the bird's nest. They have no roof. (laughter) They have no roof, and they live on a tree. I have got a shelter. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty." In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to offer him so many thing, and he said that "No, I have no trouble for this. If You want to benedict me, please give me pure devotion on Your lotus feet." Bhakti. So that is pure devotion. That we should hanker after, how to fix up our mind always in the service of the Lord. That we are trying to teach, that's all.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
Everyone is hankering after peace of mind. Ātmā suprasan. Ātma, ātma means this body, ātma means the mind, and ātma means the soul. We are in three status of life. Actually, we are the spirit soul covered by two kinds of dresses. Just like you gentlemen, you are also covered by two kinds of dresses-underwear and coat, shirt and coat. Similarly... Actually "I am" means I am not this shirt and coat. I am within the shirt and coat. Similarly, I, the soul, I am covered by two kinds of layers—mind, intelligence, and false ego. False ego means I am considering, "I am this American dress," "I am this Indian dress." Because I am identifying with this body. If I ask somebody, "What you are, sir?" "I am American." "What you are, sir?" "I am Indian." "I am brāhmaṇa." "I am kṣatriya." But these are the designations. This is not my real identification. The Vedic information is, when I understand I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman, or the spirit soul. That is my beginning of identification. Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the spirit. This human form of life is meant for advancing knowledge of brahma, brahma-jñāna. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who is advanced in knowledge of Brahman, he is called brāhmaṇa. So, if we actually want peace... Everyone is hankering, that is our prerogative. Every living entity must hanker after happiness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:
Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired that "I do not want this. I do not want this. But why they are imposed upon me?" This is very intelligent question. "If there is any solution?" That is intelligence, not temporary mitigation of... Temporary... Weather... Just like it is summer or winter. Anyway. Summer, in the summer we are suffering, scorching heat. At that time we are hankering after some cool place. And during winter we are suffering from chilly cold, rain. So these thing will go on. So long you are in the material world, you cannot avoid it. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired, "Why these things give me trouble, although I do not want them?" This is very intelligent. "If there is any solution?"
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:
What is the symptom of jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Na śocati means "does not lament." We are always lamenting for the things which we have lost, and we are always hankering for things which we haven't got. This is our business. So long we do not get, we hanker. And when we get, then "How to keep it?" That is anxiety. And when it is lost, that is also anxiety. This is the material position. And when you come to the spiritual position there is no such thing—no more lamentation, no lamenting, no hankering. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). At that time it is possible to see that everyone is equal because he can see. He does not see "Here is American." He does not see "Here is Indian." He does not see "Here is a brāhmaṇa." He does not see "Here is a dog." He sees all living being part and parcel of God. That is called samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That equality is possible when you are brahma-bhūtaḥ. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Artificially you have opened this United Nation, but your conception is, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." So how it can be, there can be unity? It is not possible. That is not brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. That is prakṛta stage, identifying with this body. So long you identify with this body when you are in the material conception of life, there is no question of spiritual understanding, there is no question of joyfulness, there is no question of freedom from lamentation and hankering and there is no question of equality. It is all false show.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:
We are not for aśānti. Therefore in the previous verse it has been explained, yayātmā suprasīdati, yenātmā suprasīdati. What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Unless you come to the platform of bhakti, devotional service, there is no question of śānti. That is not possible. After all, everyone is hankering after śānti. So if for achieving śānti we follow some path which is full of aśānti, how we can get śānti? Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). I am searching after śānti, but I am accepting, say, for karma... Karma, ordinary karma, a person is working hard, day and night, going here and there. Where is śānti? But because he's a fool, therefore working very hard, when he gets some money, he thinks it is śānti. He thinks it is śānti. But it is not śānti, because to get that money he has to undergo so much aśānti. But because they are flatterers, they, the modern civilization, they want śānti, and if somebody is chanting or is engaged in bhakti-yoga, they do not like it. They say, "They're escaping."
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:
Similarly, if you have actually tasted bhakti-yoga, then there will be no more material attachment. This is the test. Not that artificially keeping a big tilaka on forehead and thinking within always "How to get money, how to get woman?" That kind of is not... They, there..., there will be no more hunger for these material things, especially woman and money. That is the test of bhakti.
Therefore that pure bhakti-yoga can be attained only by executing devotional service to Vāsudeva. Otherwise it is not possible. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Without vairāgya, there is no question of liberation. Of course, a devotee's not hankering after liberation. Why he should hanker after? As soon as he's a pure devotee of Vāsudeva, he's already liberated. Already liberated.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:
Just like everyone is earning money simply for sense gratification. And there are so many advertisement for sense gratification. If you go to the city, you will find all the shops, cinema, hotel and wine shop and this shop or that shop. What are these, big, big, nice sāri, displayed, demonstrated? Everything is for sense gratification. So this is not meant for... You require money. People are hankering after money. "How I shall get money to purchase this nice sāri for my wife or for my beloved, for my...?" Then "How I shall purchase wine? How I shall purchase this car, this?" Everything is that. Everything is meant for kāma, for sense gratification. Naturally, one should be inclined to earn money, more money, more money, and more sense gratification. That means he is becoming implicated. That he does not know. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ. Because they have become mad after sense gratification, they are doing everything which should not be done, vikarma. Karma vikarma akarma. So people are generally doing vikarma. Vikarma means forbidden, sinful activities. They are called vikarma. Karma is not sinful. Karma means according to the direction of the Vedas. That is called karma-kāṇḍa. But vikarma means against the principle of dharma. That is called vikarma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:
After all these qualifications, making oneself brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) and prasannātmā, no more lamentation, no more hankering, always joyful, jubilant, blissful... This is the symptom for Brahman realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Then he can see on equal level to all living entities. Samaḥ sar... Then he can enter mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:
So this is called intelligence. And cats and dogs, they are suffering; they don't mind. "Oh, I..." They forget. You have got experience. A cat is coming to eat some milk here; you chastise, you... But again it comes, again it comes. Because it is animal. And the difference between animal and man is... Suppose there is very palatable dish. So man, unless he is offered, although he is greedy, although he is hankering after that food, but he's awaiting the invitation, "Yes, you can take." But cats and dogs, without invitation, catches. That is the difference between the man and animal. Animal cannot control; man can control. Although he is hungry, he can control, out of civility: "How can I taste without invitation?" So that is the difference. Therefore, the conclusion is, man's life is meant for control. Not like animal: "I want to eat, immediately catch it." A cat and dog or a cow or a bull-rape. As soon as there is a female, immediately rapes. So there is no punishment. But if you do that on the street, raping, immediately you will be criminal. So that is the difference. 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.
Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:
So that, when that spiritual realization will be actually done, then your symptoms will change. What are those symptoms? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati: (BG 18.54) "When one is situated in his own spiritual consciousness, then he will have no hankering and no lamentation, lamentation for loss or hankering for gain." Two things are going on in this material world. The things which we do not possess, we hanker after it: "If I get these things, I'll be happy. If I get these things... Oh, I have no money. If I get one hundred thousand millions dollars, then I'll be happy." This is hankering. And when one hundred thousand million dollars you have got... Some way or other, it is lost, oh, you cry, "Oh, I am gone." So either for earning or we hanker, that is also a kind of distress, and when we suffer loss there is distress. But if you are situated in brahma-bhūtaḥ avasthāna, you'll be neither, neither distressed, nor hankering. You'll be in equilibrium. Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). Even if you are situated in the midst of fiery tribulation, you'll not be disturbed. That is the position.
Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:
So we shall not be concerned with pious activities or impious activities. We shall be concerned with transcendental activities. That will save me from this bondage of birth, death, old age and disease. That should be our aim of life. We should not be hankering after good or bad things. Because everything here, in higher consciousness, everything material... Now, take for example... Suppose you are diseased, suffering from some disease. You are lying on the bed. And you are eating in that stage, you are passing your nature's call in that way, and taking bitter medicines, and always you have to keep by the nurses clean. Otherwise, there is some obnoxious smell. In such a condition you are lying, and some friends come to you and ask you, "My dear such and such, how are you today feeling?" "Yes, I am today feeling well." What is this "well"? He's lying on the bed. He's passing his nature's calls in that way. He's eating bitter medicine, and he, he cannot move. All these inconveniences, and he says that "I am well." Similarly, in our material conception of life, if we think, "I am happy," that is foolishness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means immediately—that is the test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:
So the next stage is brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). So brahma-bhūta stage means na śocati na kāṅkṣati. No more hankering, no more demanding. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Because here the business is we hanker after something which we do not possess, and if we lose something which we possessed, then we lament. This is our business. Some... First of all, we possess. Then, by nature, we lose it. When it is lost, then we cry. So these two things are material position, na śocati... But when you come to the brahma-bhūta stage, spiritual platform, then these two things will be absent. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then you will be able to see everyone on the spiritual platform. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Then you are learned. You are seeing the cats and dogs and a human being, a learned man, because you don't see the dress, outward covering, tabernacle, but you see, "Here is a spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." That is universal brotherhood.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:
Pradyumna: "The soul's activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination..."
Prabhupāda: Sleep and inactivity is a sign of ignorance. The more we are inactive and sleepy, that means we are in the modes of ignorance. And passion means activity for sense enjoyment. And goodness means free from the inactivity of ignorance and the activity of passion, but to see things as they are: "Oh, I am eternal servant of God. So my actions should be to serve God." That is goodness. These are the stages. When one is inactive, lazy, sleeping, that means ignorance. When one is very active for sense enjoyment, it is passion; and when one is neither active like the sense gratifiers nor sitting idly like the ignorant, but he is trying to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, service, that is goodness. And one who is actually serving Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental platform, liberated platform.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:
So at least, if he comes to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa, then he can at least understand that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. My duty is different from these bodily activities." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The lusty and greediness keeps one always in lamentation and hankering. Na śocati na kāṅkṣ... Na kāṅkṣati. Kāṅkṣā. These people, they have no end of their kāṅkṣā, hankering. One after another, one after another, one after a... Sarva-kāma. In the śāstra they are called sarva-kāma. There is no end of their lusty desires. So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. By the hearing process, one becomes gradually free from the lusty and greedy platform, and he comes to the platform of knowledge. And at that time he can understand at least that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. And what is my duty as spirit soul?" That duty, if he understands, that is, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is the duty. When he comes to this platform that "My duty is to execute devotional service," that is required. He comes to the platform. Or at least, in between sattva-guṇa and śuddha-sattva. Sattva, sattva-guṇa, without being contaminated by the other two guṇas, modes of nature, namely, ignorance and passion. Pure. That is devotional stage.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:
Here is, also it is stated that sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. Everyone is hankering after how to be peaceful in mind. Everyone. Everyone says, "Swamiji, kindly say how I can get peace of mind." The peace of mind, how it can be attained is stated here: sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. If you fix up in sattva-guṇa, not in the rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa is the life of the karmīs. Tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Or rajo-guṇa is actually karmīs, and sattva-guṇa is the life of jñānīs. And after coming to the sattva-guṇa, being peaceful in mind, that is called... (baby crying-pause) ...brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). You have to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa. Then you'll be prasannātmā.
Prasanna means happy mode of life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). What is the happy mode of life? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not lament. He does not hanker. Here in the material world we are hankering. We want this... Dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi yaśo dehi rūpavatī bhāryāṁ dehi. Dehi dehi. That is hankering. This is not the stage of brahma-bhūta. Brahma-bhūta stage means na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not hanker. Neither he laments.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:
"That yogi who is devotee and always thinking of Me, or thinking of Kṛṣṇa within the heart..." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā. Śraddhāvān, faithful. Bhajate. This is bhajana: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So he is first-class yogi, who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and thinking of Kṛṣṇa within his heart, first-class yogi. That is bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. And if he does it nicely, according to the rules and regulations, in the beginning, then he becomes prasanna-manasa, prasanna-manasa, enlightened, engladdened. There is no more any lamentation or hankering.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:
Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection of life. Mostly they are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man..."
Prabhupāda: Manlike animals. They show with two hands, two legs, but actually they are animals. Four-legged. Two legs have been transformed into two hands.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:
Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection in life. Mostly they are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man who knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life..."
Prabhupāda: So human being in the modes of ignorance and passion, they are animals. They are not considered as human being. They are animals. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). So actually a person is considered to be human being when he comes to the platform of goodness or he acquires the quality of a bona fide brāhmaṇa. Then he is considered as human being.
Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:
The fifteenth verse, we began, yad anudhyāsinā. These knots are there. The whole world is working so hard on account of being knotted in so many ways. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you take this sword, and carefully work, then all these knots will be cut off. You will become free. The living entity, soul, is bound up the subtle body and gross body on account of these knots, attachment. And different attachment. And Kṛṣṇa is giving us facilities as we want. If you want a human body, you get it. If you want animal body, you get it. If you want tiger's body, you get it. You want Brahmā's body, demigod's body, you get it. That is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). You are, God is within you, and you are hankering after something, God is noting down: "All right." Even if you forget, He'll give you. "You wanted this facility. Now here it is. You can take." Kṛṣṇa is so kind.
Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:
Just like if you are, just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja wanted the kingdom of his father, but actually when he saw Lord Viṣṇu before him, he said, "Sir, I do not want anything." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). "My dear Lord, I have no more any aspiration of this kingdom or that kingdom, that kingdom." This position comes. It is just like that... You are hungry, but if you are given food, if, when your belly is filled up, you will automatically say, "No, no, I don't want any, anything more. That's all right." Kṛṣṇa consciousness is like that. Actually, we don't want to eat. We have nothing to eat. I am spirit soul, you are spirit soul. It is our material hankering. In order to maintain this body, we require some material things to eat. Otherwise, as spiritual soul, I or you don't want to eat anything. There is nothing to be eaten. Therefore the eating propensities should be satisfied by eating Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, so that you gradually become spiritualized and your eating propensities may be diminished.
Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:
Our material life begins by a knot in the heart. What is that knot? That is sex desire. This is the knot. A man is hankering after a woman, and a woman is hankering after a man. This attachment is the beginning of material life. Everyone, not only human society. In animal society, in bird society, in beast society, you'll find this sex attachment. This is the hṛdaya-granthiḥ, beginning. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, the first teaching to a student is to give him lesson how to become brahmacārī. How not to become attached in sex life, that is called brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Tapasā, to become brahmacārī, to become..., abstaining from sex life, it requires tapasya.
Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:
Simply to understand that "I am Brahman," "I have now realized myself as Brahman," that is not perfection of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). One who becomes realized souls, self-realized, he becomes immediately perfectly joyful. Because our all lamentation is due to our material identification. Śocati kāṅkṣati. We are simply lamenting for our loss, and we are simply hankering for some gain. This is material activities. Everyone is struggling to gain something which he does not possess, and he's lamenting for something which he has lost. But when he realizes himself that "I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose; I have nothing to do with this material world," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is Brahman realization.
Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:
So any incarnation... We should be very careful, that, although there are many thousands and thousands of incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, still, when we have to accept somebody or something as incarnation, we must refer to the śāstra. Then it will be right. Otherwise, we shall be misled. That is being done. So many. In the street, in the lanes, there are so many gods. And especially the god, all the gods are going to Western countries. Especially. Because the Western people are now inclined, especially after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are, they are... They were prepared. They were hankering after this God consciousness, because they are fed up with this all nonsense civilization. These young boys and girls, they are fed up. They do not want to live like their fathers or grandfathers. They want something better.
Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:
This brahma-jijñāsā is answered immediately in the Vedānta-sūtra. What is Brahman or what is the greatest? Say, greatest happiness. Now you have enjoyed material happiness, but you are not satisfied. You are confused. Then you should inquire what is greatest happiness. So these codes are so important thing, Vedānta-sūtra. You can explain "therefore" in so many ways according to your knowledge. But scientifically, this "therefore" means we are trying to find out the original source of everything. We are trying to find out what is the original source of this cosmic manifestation, why we are hankering after happiness, why we are confused. So many things.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
In Sanskrit language it is called grāmya-kathā. Grāmya-kathā means any book, any poetry, or any novel, or any drama... There is some hero and heroine, a man or woman, about their loving affairs, tragedy, comic, like that. Actually, it is grāmya-kathā. The same thing as we are experiencing daily, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, this eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. What is the value of such literature? What do you gain by that? No. Simply mental agitation. And if it is sex literature, then it is very appealing. So that means it is something like haviṣya kṛta(?)... Just like if you offer fuel on the fire, the fire will go on and it will, I mean to say, consume as much as you go on giving fuel. But there is no śānti. The fire will never be extinguished. Actually, what we want? What is the mission of our life? What is the aim of our life? We are hankering after śānti, or peace. So that sort of literature will not give us any peace. It will simply agitate the mind.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ. Nivṛtta means already finished, completely finished. What is that finished? Tṛṣṇa. Tṛṣṇa means hankering. One who has finished his material hankering, they can chant this transcendental glorification of the Lord. Others cannot. Just like in our saṅkīrtana movement, you are taking so much ecstasy, pleasure. So others will say, "What these people are doing? Crazy fellow, they're trancing, dancing and beating some drum." They'll feel like that because their hankering for material enjoyment is not finished.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:
The people in general want to read (that is a natural instinct), but because their minds are polluted they want such literatures. Under the circumstances, transcendental literature like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will not only diminish the activities of the corrupt mind of the people in general, but also it will supply food for their hankering after reading some interesting literature. In the beginning they may not like it because one suffering from jaundice is reluctant to take sugar candy, but we should know that sugar candy is the only remedy for jaundice. Similarly, let there be systematic propaganda for popularizing reading of the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which will act like sugar candy for the jaundicelike condition of sense gratification. When men have a taste for this literature, the other literatures, which are catering poison to society, will then automatically cease.
Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:
In the, in the Padma Purāṇa also there is a verse, ramante yogino 'nante: "Those who are yogis..." Yogi means transcendentalist, not the so-called yogi. Those who have contacted the Absolute Truth, they are called yogis. So yoginaḥ, actually a yogi, ramante, they enjoy. They also enjoy. Why they are, I mean to say, undergoing so much austerities and penances and regulative principles? Because they are trying for being elevated to the real platform of happiness. So ramante yogino 'nante. Everyone is hankering after happiness, either materialistic or spiritualistic, but the difference is that materialistic, materialistic persons, they are satisfied with temporary happiness, and those who are transcendentalists, they are also seeking happiness. That is real happiness, spiritual happiness, eternal happiness. So therefore it is stated in the Padma Purāṇa that ramante yogino 'nante. Anante means unlimited happiness. They enjoy unlimited happiness. Ramante yogino 'nante. And satyānande. And that is real happiness. Happiness does not mean it is for few minutes. No. Happiness should continue, eternally. One should be situated in that happiness so that other, temporary happiness will not attract him.
Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:
Enjoyment is the goal of everyone's life. But the difference is that the materialist is trying to hanker after flickering enjoyment, and the transcendentalists, they are hankering after the spiritual enjoyment, or eternal enjoyment. Enjoyment... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Because enjoyment is our life. We cannot be void. That is not possible. Therefore the impersonalists, about impersonalists, this Bhāgavata version is that although they rise up almost to the spiritual platform, but because they cannot enjoy... Impersonalists means there is no enjoyment. There is simply light, a life of knowledge. But simply knowledge will not make me happy. I must enjoyment. I must have enjoyment. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), because my nature is to enjoy. That enjoyment cannot be done in the impersonal or void philosophy.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:
Without being on the platform mokṣa, nobody can enter into the bhakti. It is a misconception that bhakti helps mokṣa. Somebody says, it is not the opinion of the śāstra. Bhakti begins when one is already liberated. Mokṣa. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Without Brahman, without Brahman realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, there cannot be jubilation, prasannātmā. This is the sign. What is prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. The material disease is everyone is hankering after something which he hasn't got. And when he loses that thing, he's lamenting. These two business. Śocati kāṅkṣati. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), when one is actually self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ, na śocati na kāṅkṣati. This is the symptom.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:
So every Indian...That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Because every Indian is born Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally he has got instinct. Don't destroy it. Don't destroy it. That is our request. You have got already. We have seen practically, whenever we hold some festival in Calcutta, Bombay and other big cities, thousands of people, twenty thousand, fifteen thousand, thirty thousand people come. They are hankering. So if we simply introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll very soon see that the face of India is different. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. We have captured so many anartha. Anartha means meaningless life. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānataḥ (SB 1.7.6). The foolish people, they do not know it. Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. The sātvata-saṁhitā is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So let us combinedly preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:
The, everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like in hospital. In hospital there are many patients, they are not eating anything on the Ekādaśī day. Does it mean that is observing Ekādaśī? He is simply hankering after, "When I shall eat, when I shall eat, when I shall eat?." But these students, they voluntarily don't eat anything. We, we don't say that you don't eat anything. Some fruits, some flowers. That's all. So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Just like a child. He has got in his hand something he's eating. and if you give him better thing, he will throw away the inferior thing and will take that better thing. So here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this better engagement, better life, better philosophy, better consciousness, everything better. Therefore they can give up the sinful activities of life and that will promote to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:
The Parīkṣit Mahārāja said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī that: "This Bhāgavata discussion which you are prepared to give me, it is not ordinary thing." Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. This Bhāgavata discussion is relishable by persons who are nivṛtta-tṛṣṇā. Tṛṣṇā, tṛṣṇā means hankering. Everyone in this material world is hankering, hankering. So one who is freed from this hankering, he can taste the Bhāgavata, how palatable it is. It is such a thing. Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ... Similarly bhāgavata means also, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is also bhāgavata. Bhāgavata means anything in relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called bhāgavata. The Supreme Lord is called Bhagavān. Bhāgavata-śabda, and in relationship with Him, anything, that bhāgavata-śabda turns into bhāgavata-śabda.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that the taste of Bhāgavata can be relished by a person who has finished his hankering of material desires.
Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa is giving you the body. So now in the human form of life, one should understand that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So why I am hankering after satisfying my so-called bod?. Rather, I have got now the senses and the body. Let me serve Kṛṣṇa." That is intelligence. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Here is the hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka word is... Hṛṣīkāṇām iva īśituḥ. Hṛṣīkāṇām Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means the senses. The senses actually belong to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Another name is Kṛṣṇa, you know, Hṛṣīkeśa. Tvayā hṛṣīkeṣeṇa hṛdi sthitasya yathā karomi. So hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses. These senses have no value without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore natural conclusion is the senses belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But I wanted some sense gratification; therefore Kṛṣṇa has given us some facility. But everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That when I forget that actually everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, I have been given some facility... That's all. So much. So when I have got this facility, why not utilize all these facilities for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction? That is called bhakti.
Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:
So both things should be performed simultaneously, parallel line that you should take up the process how to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and then automatically detachment will be there. The same example, as given by Rūpa Gosvāmī, that you are hungry. When you take food, that, gradually you become satisfied and your hunger is also satisfied. So when you are fully satisfied... Just like Dhruva Mahārāja said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, my dear Sir, I am not hankering after any benediction. I am completely benedicted. No more benediction. I have got everything. I have got You, Kṛṣṇa. So what do I want more?" Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If one gets Kṛṣṇa's favor, if one gets Kṛṣṇa, what does he want more? He has got everything, because Kṛṣṇa is everything.
Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:
Just like a rich man's son, He does not bother about earning money because he knows that "My father is very rich. So if I need money, my father will supply." Similarly, we take shelter of the Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power. So if you want to see some aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and He'll show. Why shall I take so much trouble? Why? So people say that in the Western world, I have played wonderful things. But I did not know any siddhi. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He has shown. Kṛṣṇa is pleased that "For Me, this person has come to serve Me. Now see how wonderful it is." Therefore Yogeśvara. Instead of becoming a yogi, you take shelter of Yogeśvara. Then all yogic power will be within your control. Just like a rich man's son, if he is in trouble, the whole father estate is behind him. So why should he hanker after earning money?
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:
This is the description during the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the king of this earth, and he was so pious that on account of his piety, Kṛṣṇa supplied everything sumptuously, sumptuously. Now, have you ever experienced...? Now, here it is stated, siṣicuḥ sma vrajān gāvaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Now, we are hankering after milk, but in those days, during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, milk was so sufficiently produced that before milking the cow, it supplied milk so sufficiently that the... What is called? Grazing ground? Pasturing ground, they become muddy. They become muddy with milk. Now, with the scarcity of grain, the earth also does not become muddy. It becomes dry earth.
Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:
So our joyfulness is checked when we are in material condition. Therefore there is struggle. We are hankering after, to revive that joyfulness, but this contamination of material energy, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, they are checking, obstacles.
Therefore we have to get free from obstacles. Sattva-guṇa, we have to go above the sattva-guṇa, śuddha-sattva. Then again we revive our original position of joyfulness. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is the joyfulness: no lamentation, no hankering. We hanker after something which we want, and we lament for something which we lose. Here there are two business: something gaining and something losing. Just like businessmen. They have got two businesses: either to make profit or to lose.
Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:
This is the crucial point of advancement in human life. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. Try to avoid. Not try; must. You must avoid the association of the materialistic persons. Materialistic person means those who are after money and woman. That's all. They are materialistic. Those persons, simply hankering after money and woman, they are materialistic. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised to associate with this class of men, hankering after money and women, it is better..., death is better, preferred, than to associate. When He was requested to see King Pratāparudra... Because he was king, he's supposed to be always in association with money and women.
Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:
We want to go the other side of the sea. Similarly this bhava-samudra, we are on this part of the sea, material world. If we want to go to the other side, spiritual world, so we have to become niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means no more possessing anything material. That is called niṣkiñcana. If we hanker after possessing material... Therefore sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means simply possess Kṛṣṇa and no other possessions. That is niṣkiñcana. You have to possess something. Suppose you have got something, one copper coin or silver coin. So if you dispossess, if you throw it away, then what is the gain. Whatever you had, gone. But if you throw the copper coin, or the silver coin, and if you accept a gold coin, then you are profited. Then it is profit.
Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:
So niṣkiñcana means do not hanker after any more money and women. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu refused to see persons who are after money and woman, because by their association we may be infected. We may be again hankering after. Suppose I have taken sannyāsa, and if I see one gṛhastha having a very faithful and beautiful wife, if I think, "Oh, I left my wife. If I would have possessed, I would have been happy," he's immediately fallen. Because within the mind, he's associating with yoṣit. Suppose we go to see some rich man. I see that he has got money, nice motor car, nice building. If I think, "Oh, I have taken sannyāsa. If I would have possessed all these things, I would have been...," then immediately fall down.
Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:
Suppose you become king. How long you will remain king? Or there are so many dangers. Sometimes the kings are beheaded. King Johann(?) was beheaded. So material position is always tiltering, tilting. Yes. There is no fixed position. It will end. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). Antavat means it will end, today or tomorrow or hundred years after. It will end. So why should you... You are eternal. Why should you hanker after these things which will exist for some few years? You are eternal. Accept the eternal position. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Eternal position.
Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:
As soon as you are identified with the Absolute Truth, Brahman, then symptoms will be prasannātmā, jubilation: "Oh, I do not belong to this material world. I belong to the spiritual world. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why should I suffer so many things?" That is jubilation. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). The prasannātmā means na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has no lamentation, no hankering. Here people are always full of anxieties because they have got hankering, "I want this. I want that." And there is lamentation. What they possess, if it is lost, they cry, "Oh, my things are lost." And what they do not possess, they hanker. So their anxiety is there, either he possesses or not possesses. This is material anxiety. If you have no money, then you will hanker after money, "How to get money, how to get money, how to get money?" And when you get money, then how to utilize it, how to, where to keep it, in the bank, or in the house, or who will take away?
Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:
This is the sign how one is advanced in spiritual life. That will be tested by this word viśokaḥ, without any bereavement. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā the same thing: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā means there is no more lamentation and no more hankering. That is prasannātmā. We are subjected to two things. Aḥ... If our possessed... If our possession is lost, then we lament, and if we don't possess, then we hanker. So here, viśokaḥ sampattyā. When one is fully identified with Brahman... Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So when you fully surrender and you become freed from other desires: only surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is our only business. No more any other business.
Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:
So te sādhu kṛta-sarvārthāḥ. They have executed all duties. Kṛta-sarvārthāḥ. Jñātvā ātyantikam ātmanaḥ. We are hankering after happiness, temporary, but we do not know what is ultimate happiness. So they knew what is the ultimate happiness. Ātyantikam. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Bhagavad-gītā. Ātyantikam. The ultimate happiness is not perceived by these gross material senses. The ultimate happiness is appreciated, understood, by transcendental senses. The same senses... Means now the senses are covered by material infection.
Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:
So the real thing is the soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). So we should take care. Just like we can take care of this hat and coat by soaping it, but we must take care of myself, the body which is putting on this hat and coat. Similarly, this material body is hat and coat. Real is the spirit soul. So what is the necessity of the spirit soul? The necessity of spirit soul, because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he is hankering to unite with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious... The soul is hankering after uniting with the supreme soul. That is natural. You study your body. Why do you love your body? Or why do you love your son's body? So long the spirit soul is there. As soon as the spirit soul is off, you do not care for the son's body or daughter's body or your wife's body. Then who is the lovable object? The soul. It is very natural to understand. Why don't you love a dead body? Because the soul is not there. The soul is the object of your love, not this body. And why you take care of the soul? Because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that medicine by which you can conquer over death. Therefore this is the best medicine. Bhavauṣadhi. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, bhavauṣadhi. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt... (aside:) You can stand on the wall, not in the middle. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāt (SB 10.1.4). This word bhavauṣadhi means the panacea for all material diseases. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it is chanted by whom? Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ, one who has finished his hankering after material pleasure. Nivṛtti. Nivṛtti means finished, no more. There are two ways: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. I want to smoke—that is called pravṛtti. And when I give up, that is called nivṛtti.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:
But you cannot stop working. That is not possible. Then your idle brain will be devil's workshop. Yes. Then you will fall down, "How to go to that woman? How to go to that man?" If you stop working, then you have to work again to sense gratification. That's all. Similarly, you take any sense; you cannot stop it, but you have to engage it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You engage your hand and engage your legs, you engage your eyes, you engage your ears, engage your tongue—simply in Kṛṣṇa. You can engage everything. For eyes, instead of hankering after some beautiful man or beautiful woman, just see Kṛṣṇa, how nicely dressed. Then you will forget these other seeing. For tongue, you engage your tongue simply for chanting. Then your nonsense talking will automatically stop. You engage your tongue eating very nice prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, offered to Kṛṣṇa. Then you forget to go to restaurant. In this way our time should be utilized. As it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. We should not allow our senses to be engaged in such thing which will never exist. That is the criterion. Simply engage yourself in such things which will continue, will exist forever.
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:
If you love these material things, then you should know that you are not in love with God. If you are in love with God, then you'll forget material love. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, love of Godhead, the symptom is that he's no more in love with material things. That is the test. You cannot... Just like you cannot love two persons. That is divided. One love concentrated, that is perfect love. Similarly, another example is given that we are all hankering after love. Because we do not find whom to love, therefore we place our love even cats and dogs. We love a dog. Anyone who has no other object to love, no children, no family, no wife—all right, keep a cat, keep a dog. But love is there.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:
After being liberated, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then bhakti begins. People misunderstand that by bhakti one gets mukti. No. One who is engaged in bhakti, he is always... He has already got mukti. Muktir mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says that if one has attained to the platform of bhakti, then mukti is hankering after his feet: "What can I do for you?"
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:
Therefore we have to cleanse our heart. Our heart is always aspiring how to get money, how to get women, how to get prestige, how to become leader, how to become minister, how to become guru. These are the things, always hankering in our heart. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). First of all cleanse your heart. And that is also said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityam. Not seven days. Nityam. Read every day.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:
We are accustomed to hear so many things, radio and dictaphone and so many things. We are hankering after hearing tape record or this gramophone album, and news from in the newspaper. We are always anxious, very anxious. Big, big news... In your country especially, millions of papers, newspaper, such big, just to hear what is going on in the world. But after seeing one or two pages, you throw it away. Because you are hackneyed. You know that there was political strife, there was fire, there was burglary, there was this, there was this... The same story. Carvita-carvaṇānām, chewing the chewed. No, actually, no pleasure. By... We have seen in your country, and nowadays in our country so many nice news magazines, but they see one or two pages and they throw away. Because there is no pleasure, although I have got hankering to hear so many things.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:
But the apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Gṛhamedhi, they do not know that there is soul, and the soul is permanent. And we, actually, we are hankering after happiness. For whose happiness? It is soul's happiness. It is Kṛṣṇa's happiness. We, we try to protect this body. We are very much fond of this body. Why? Because the soul is there. Everyone knows it. As soon as this body, there is no soul, it is kicked out, throw it away in the street. Nobody cares for it. Suppose a beautiful man and beautiful girl, dead bodies lying on the street—who cares for it? But as, so long the soul is there, "Oh, such a nice, beautiful, such a nice, beautiful boy, girl." The soul is important.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:
This is their business at night. Then, at daytime, what is their business? At daytime, divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā: (SB 2.1.3) "And daytime, they are always busy: 'Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? (laughter) Where is money?' " Divā cārthe. Arthe means money. Īhayā, hankering after money. Then? They are getting money. Why they should waste their time? No. Nidrayā... Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā: (SB 2.1.3) As soon as there is money, there is immediately program how to spend it for family. Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Kuṭumba means family, relatives. You see? They will spend thousands of dollars for family and relatives.
Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:
Therefore it is called durāśayā. He's thinking that "These things will give me protection." No, that is not possible. You cannot get rid of the four principles of material life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), by these soldiers. That is not possible. They will die, you will die. Your... Formerly, your father died. Your father's father died. Everyone will die. This is called martya-loka. Everyone will die. But we are actually hankering after existing. We do not wish to die. That is our natural propensity, because we are eternal. "Oh, why shall I wish to die?" So the solution is not depending on these so-called soldiers, but the solution is different.
Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:
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:
This consciousness we are trying to arouse. This is the best welfare service to the people, to awaken his lost consciousness. He is foolishly thinking that "I am of the material product, and I have to adjust my things in this material world." This is the foolishness. Actual intelligence is that is Brahma-bhūta, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Bhāgavata.: "I am part and parcel of God. God is supreme Brahman. I am, being part and parcel..." Just like part and parcel of the gold, gold mine, it may be small earring, it is also gold. Similarly, the small particle of sea water is also the same quality, salty. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we have got the same qualities. Qualitatively, we are one. Why we are hankering after loving? Because there is love in Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:
So he must take the superior sanction, that "Shall I give him?" Similarly, all these demigods, they cannot give you anything directly. With the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ... Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. That benefit which they derive from the demigod, that is ordained by Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says. When the demigod appeals to Kṛṣṇa that "This person is hankering after this thing, and he's worshiping me," so just to keep the position of the demigod, Kṛṣṇa says "All right, give him." Because the demigods are servant of Kṛṣṇa. So one has approached the servant of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:
Pradyumna: "A pure devotee of the Lord automatically develops all godly qualities, and some of the prominent features of those qualities are as follows: He is kind, peaceful, truthful, equable, faultless, magnanimous, mild, clean, nonpossessive, a well-wisher to all, satisfied, surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, without hankering, simple, fixed, self-controlled, a balanced eater, sane, mannerly, prideless, grave, sympathetic, friendly, poetic, expert, and silent. Out of these twenty-six prominent features..."
Prabhupāda: So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should verify "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If we are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our detachment for material things will, attachment for material things will decrease. This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualifications.
Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:
Surrender means in any condition, fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Without hankering. What is hankering? Why shall I be hankering? I know, Kṛṣṇa will give me all protection. So then why shall I hanker? Without hankering. Simple. No duplicity. Simple. The worldly men, they are duplicatous (?), speaking something, cheater. That is the, one of the qualification of the materialistic man. He must be cheater. There are four defects: commit mistakes, to be illusioned, to become cheater, and imperfect senses. This is called material life, conditioned life. He must commit mistakes. However a great philosopher... We are talking about the philosophers. So many contradictory things they say. Because he's an ordinary man. How he can say the right thing? It is not possible. The right thing can be said only by liberated person.
Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:
It will be hankering. There will be hankering for sex. So if there is ready husband, then the girl is sent. That is the psychology. So our point is that as this hankering after sex or the opposite sex is natural, it doesn't require to be educated, similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is also natural. It is not that because we have established this temple and people are here... Of course, there is practice, but that practice is also very simple. Simply you have to hear. That's all. It doesn't require any gymnastic. Just like in other yogic process, haṭha-yoga, you have to learn so many things: yama, niyama, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma, so many things. But here there is no need. Simply sit down and hear about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. But that hearing must be from a person who is realized. Then it will act. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha sādhya kabhu naya, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. By hearing, the more your heart will be cleansed of all material infection, you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:
They must take contribution and must spend for Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa. No service. Formerly, no brāhmaṇa ... Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were born in high-class brāhmaṇa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa, but because they accepted the service of Nawab Hussein Shah, immediately they were rejected from brāhmaṇa society. It is by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that they again became gosvāmī. Otherwise, they were rejected. No brāhmaṇa could take service and especially service of a low-class man. That is ... In Bhāgavata you will see especially that if a brāhmaṇa is in difficulty, he may accept the profession of a kṣatriya or utmost of a vaiśya, but never take the profession of a śūdra. What is the profession of śūdra? Śūdra ... Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma śvabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). One who is hankering after service, he is śūdra. He has no capacity to live independently. The brāhmaṇa, real brāhmaṇa, he will starve, he will die out of starvation.
Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:
So as soon as you understand that "This is not... I am not in contact with tiger. It is all a dream," then you are delivered. Similarly, as soon as you understand, "All this material condition of life we are simply dreaming; I am actually servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you are liberated. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you keep in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you are liberated. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyaa kalpate (BG 14.26), Kṛṣṇa says. Immediately brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. He can see everyone on equal vision. Because he knows, "Here is also another living entity." He is not a Chinaman. He is a part and parcel of God. He is not a Christian. He is not a Hindu. He is simply thinking like that. So give him Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real benefit, to bring him to the original position.
Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:
Just like so many aeronautics. They, after flying in the impersonal sky, they become tired. And sometimes they pray to God, "Please let me go back to the land." And I have read in the paper, when the Sputnik was carrying the Russian aeronautics, he was simply seeing down, "Where is Moscow?" (laughter) "Where is Moscow?" Because this impersonal traveling was very much agitating, he was finding out, "Where is Moscow?" So this kind of realization of the Absolute Truth will not stay, will have, will have to fall down. Exactly like that. The Russian aeronautics, without getting any shelter in the sky, he was simply hankering after Moscow. That my book, that Easy Journey to Other Planets... One gentleman, he became very much enthusiastic, that "Oh, we can go to the other planet?" And "Yes, you can go. Read this book." "Then I shall come back again?" "And why you shall come back again? You shall remain there." "No, no, no. I don't want that. I don't want that. I shall go and come back."
Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:
Duṣpārasya, this material world is duṣpārasya, very, very difficult to cross over it. Therefore unless one understands what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His position, where does He live, why our relation should be revived, then he's in darkness. He's darkness. But one can be enlightened by the mercy of God. Because Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to inform. He sends His devotee door to door. He leaves behind Him Bhagavad-gītā, but we are so foolish, we do not take advantage of it. We do not take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā. We do not take advantage of His devotees who are hankering after giving this knowledge, sacrificing everything. But we are so stubborn, dogs' obstinacy, that we'll not take advantage of them.
Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:
Some of them are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. As I was describing yesterday that durbhikṣa, anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ, ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam (SB 12.2.9). The Kali-yuga will be so much disturbing that people will be harassed especially by three things. Anāvṛṣṭi: there will be practically no rainfall. It is stated that there will be cloud in the sky. When there is no rainfall, people will be hankering after. Just like sometimes we hanker after rain in summer season, looking after, "When rainfall will come?" The people will be disappointed. There will be cloud, there will be thundering bolt, but there will be no rain. This time will be like that. Anāvṛṣṭi. Anāvṛṣṭi and durbhikṣa. And if there is anāvṛṣṭi, scarcity of rain, certainly there will be no food grain production, as it is now, we are feeling. Food grain production-eight rupees kilo, rice. So why? The food grain is shortage. So anāvṛṣṭi durbhikṣa and taxation, kara-pīḍitāḥ. Government will... Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. It is said, "The government means a gang of rogues and thieves." That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They'll plunder. The rogues and thieves, they seek opportunity secretly, and government, by law, they will plunder. And still, they will go on as big minister. This is all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:
These dirty things, mala... Here it is said, kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ. Mala, mala means dirty things. And what are these? Kāma and lobha, lusty desires, lobha, greediness and lusty desires. These are mala. So one has to become free from these two things, kāma and lobha. The whole world is going on kāma and lobha. One is getting money. When he has got one thousand, he wants one lakh. If he gets one lakh, he wants more and more and more. This is called kāma. And why? Lobha. They are making profit. They have got enough money, still, they will hold stock, will not sell, so that people may not get stock and they will be hankering, they will pay any price demanded. These are going on, kāma and lobha.
Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:
Everyone is misguided, everyone is acting in this world under the bodily concept of life. And they are very very much unhappy on account of this. Because as soon as one understands that "I am not this body," he immediately becomes Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means, what do you mean by prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). No more material desire. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Everyone is trying for material sense gratification—the animals, the beasts, the birds, and the human being. That is material world. He is simply śocati and kāṅkṣati. When there is loss he is crying, and when there is no possession he is hankering. These are the two diseases of material existence.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:
So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta. He is already mukta. Why should he... Suppose if you have got millions of dollars, why should you hanker after ten rupees? So bhakti is such a nice thing. But what is that bhakti? That bhakti is animittā bhāgavatī. That bhakti should be animittā, not with a motive that "I shall go to the temple and serve Kṛṣṇa for this purpose." Kṛṣṇa can fulfill any purpose you desire. It is not very difficult for Him, because He is almighty, full with all opulences. So if you want something, material happiness, from Kṛṣṇa, it is not very difficult for Kṛṣṇa. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Kṛṣṇa anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:
So if they reply, "Yes, why you are calling?" then we're calling, "Please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer, not that "Give me money" or "Give me beautiful wife" or many followers. This is material hankering.
Everyone wants some prestigious position, lābha pūjā pratiṣṭhā, some material profit, lābha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). We don't want. This is animittā bhakti. Nimittā, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a śuddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void.
Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:
Now, just like we want to beco..., to hold very big post. So when we are baffled, then we want to become one with the Supreme, Nārāyaṇa. That means "Nārāyaṇa is the husband of Lakṣmī, so I shall become the husband of Lakṣmī. Now, in this material world, I am hankering after Lakṣmī, but I could not get it. Now let me become the husband of..." This is their theory. They want to become Nārāyaṇa. Such a foolish theory. Nārāyaṇa is the Lakṣmī-pati. Can anyone attempt to enjoy Lakṣmījī? Because they are not bhaktas, they think like that, this rascaldom. How I can be Nārāyaṇa? That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:
Therefore here it is said, jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya puruṣasya ātma-darśanam. Puruṣa, puruṣa means the enjoyer. So, here in this material world, either the so-called man and so-called woman, everyone is hankering after sense enjoyment. Therefore all of them together has been described as puruṣa. A woman is not puruṣa, but by mentality she is puruṣa, because she also wants to enjoy. Although she has got the body of being enjoyed, but she has the mentality of enjoying. Therefore everyone is described, although by nature everyone is prakṛti, not puruṣa. Prakṛti means enjoyed. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. This material body is made of earth, water, fire, air, sky. That is prakṛti.
Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:
Just like if I want a glass of water, one can give me, "Here is. Take it!" And one brings the same glass of water with love and devotion. So there is two different. Kṛṣṇa is not in want of anything from us. He is pūrṇa. But if we offer Him something with love and faith and devotion, then He accepts. That is the difference. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). That is the real thing, bhakti. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa is not hankering after your patraṁ puṣpam. He has created patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, He can enjoy. Why He should ask from you? But the real thing is bhaktyā. It is insignificant thing, but if you offer Him bhaktyā, with bhakti, devotion, faith, and love, that He accepts. And if He continues to accept, then you can realize Him. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Otherwise you cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:
Completely cleansed means... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, na śocati na kāṅkṣati: "There is no lamentation, and there is no hankering." Then it is śānti. As soon as there is some hankering, you cannot have śānti. That is not possible. And as soon as there is some possession, you cannot be without lamentation. The two things material, they are ruling over us. We are hankering after something which we do not possess, and what we possess, if it is lost, then we are lamenting. So śānti means no hankering, no lamenting. That is called śānti.
So generally, whatever we may possess, but the hankering is there. That is rajo-guṇa. That is rajo-guṇa, always hankering, even up to the stage of so-called perfection. Just like the karmīs. Karmīs, they think that perfection of life is very, very high standard of life, very happy, comfortable. Just like in the Western countries, they think that to have nice roads, nice motorcar, and very high skyscraper building, and facilities, modern comforts... What is called? So that is the standard of happiness. And we Eastern people, we are also imitating them. But actually, ask them, who possesses all them, that "Whether you have attained the position of no hankering?" No, that is not possible. The hankering is there.
Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:
And the jñānīs, they are hankering after to become one with the Supreme. They have experienced that even the standard of material happiness available in the heavenly planets, that also did not give them complete satisfaction. So they aspire to become one with the Supreme, that "That will give me happiness. I become one with..." Monist. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am one with Brahman." So that is also hankering. Mukti. Mukti means liberation from this material unhappiness and come to the spiritual happiness, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme," thinking, concoction, like that. So there is also hankering. And siddhi, yogis, they want many perfection: aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti-siddhi, prākāmya, īśitā, vaśitā. There are eight kinds of yogic siddhi. You can become smaller than the smallest, you can become bigger than the biggest, you can become lighter than the lightest, you can get anything you like immediately. These are some of the yoga-siddhis. But this is also hankering. This is also hankering, not śānta. Either karmī... What to speak of ordinary being? They are simply hankering. Even the so-called perfect karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they are also not śānta. They are hankering.
Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:
This is perfection: "I am fully satisfied." Svaccha, śānta, no demand. No demand. That is position, no demand. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce. This is the highest perfection. That is called svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. And this śāntatvam cannot be attained unless you become pure devotee and fully dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the standard of śāntatvam or vasudeva-śabditam. Svacchatvam śāntatvam. Everyone is hankering after śāntatvam, the whole world, because in the material world you cannot be on the platform of śāntatvam. Only on the spiritual platform and when you are engaged in the service of the Lord, then you will get this position, svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. Iti cetasaḥ vṛttibhir lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. How one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there are, these are the symptoms, the brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). We have to understand by the symptoms. If somebody says, "I am very rich man," so generally we want to see the symptoms: "Oh, he is very rich man. Oh, he has got this car. He has got this house. He has got this..." Then we can understand he is rich man. But if these symptoms are not there, how we can understand that he is rich man? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means these are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. When you attain these three stages, these symptom, then you are perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Lecture on SB 3.26.23-4 -- Bombay, January 1, 1975:
So if we want to be cured again and come to our original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is svacchatvam avikāritvam śāntatvam iti cetasaḥ, then we have to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only way. There is no other way to become peaceful. Śāntatvam avikār..., without any change, fixed-up mind—that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, śānti. If you want... Everyone is hankering after śānti. The śānti formula is given everywhere in the śāstra. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is personally saying, "This is śānti."
Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:
There is no anxiety, neither there is influence of this māyā, neither there are the activities of the three modes of material nature. That is called spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. They are free. Neither there is birth, death, old age, and disease. These things are absent. Everyone is full of transcendental bliss. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature they are ānandamaya, always jolly. And here also, in this material world, when we become free from this material concept of life, bodily concept of life, when we are fully aware of the thing that "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi," he also becomes jolly because he acquires the spiritual quality. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. That is the sign. Prasannātmā. Na śoc... Prasannātmā. What does it mean, prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati: (BG 18.54) "There is no hankering, and there is no lamentation." Then it is possible to see everyone on the equal level.
Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:
So that is the test who is a devotee. Simply by advertising himself, advertisements will not do. How much you are freed from the anarthas. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). The example is given: just like if you are hungry, you are hankering after food, but when sufficient food is supplied to you, then the next stage will be: "No, no, I don't want any more. That's all right." "No, no, take more." "No, no, no, no. I am not..." He is satisfied, fully satisfied. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja: he took advantage of bhakti for some material... Not Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja. I am sorry. So when actually saw Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, who came to satisfy him, being pleased upon his austerities, little boy of five years, at that time, when he saw Kṛṣṇa, he said, "No, no, I don't want anything." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "Svāmin, my Lord, I am fully satisfied. I have no more demand."
Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:
So this satisfaction... Actually, our satisfaction can be revived only with relationship of Kṛṣṇa, revival of our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is śānti. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, when he came in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead... He was hankering after material opulence, kingdom, a better kingdom than his father, than his grandfather. That was his ambition. As a child, he was insulted by his stepmother. So actually when he saw Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, he was so satisfied that he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "Now I have no more hankering."
Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:
Otherwise there is no possibility. Otherwise there is no possibility. Everyone is hankering after peace, but this is the way of attaining peace, to revive your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, to engage your mind fully in the service of Kṛṣṇa in the matter of understanding Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa... The books are there. Bhagavad-gītā is there. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is there. You have got your reason. You have got your knowledge. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then, from this asat, this temporary life which you are changing one after another, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya... (BG 4.9). After giving up this body... This is also temporary body, asat, the asat. Asat means it will not stay. So after giving up this body, if you get another body... That is compulsory.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:
Then the question may be, "What is the use of purifying?" The answer is also there. Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam: (SB 5.5.1) "And when your existential condition will be purified, then you will be situated on the transcendental platform of blissful life." And one may question, "What is that?" Brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are hankering after happiness, pleasure. So when your existential condition will be purified and you will be placed in the transcendental platform, at that time you will enjoy eternal happiness. You are all... After all, you are after happiness. Why you are struggling so much hard in this material existence? For happiness. Why you are after sense gratification? For happiness. Why you want to possess? For happiness. Why you want to become beautiful? For happiness. Why you want to eat so many things? For happiness. You go on. The happiness, your ultimate goal. But the happiness which you are now deriving from the sources you have manufactured, that is temporary. If you want to become happy by intoxication, how long? That is temporary. Any way. If you want to be happy by sex indulgence, how long? That is also for a few minutes, few seconds. But if you want eternal, continued happiness, then you have to purify your existential condition, you have to place yourself in the transcendental position, and you will feel that happiness.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:
Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If we can understand God on the transcendental platform, not in this material platform by imagination or speculation—that is not God. One has to understand God on the transcendental platform, śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. On the vasudeva platform we can understand Vāsudeva. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So here it is advised: tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). The whole business is... Everyone is hankering after happiness. That's a fact. The karmīs, the ordinary workers, fruitive workers... Just like big, big city, they are whole day and night the motorcars going this way and that way, this way and that way... "Whoosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh..." Why? For finding out, "Where is happiness? Where is happiness? Where is happiness?" Happiness. But happiness we are not receiving because in this contaminated world happiness is not possible; therefore we have to get out of this body, material body. Then there will be happiness.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:
So Ṛṣabhadeva says that "You are wanting happiness..." And happiness... Death does not mean happiness, disease does not mean happiness, birth does not mean happiness, old age does not mean happiness. So when you are happy? If you are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease, then where is your happiness? That is called illusion, māyā. Actual happiness is not there. Therefore Vedic literature informs: ramante yoginaḥ anante (CC Madhya 9.29). The yogis, they enjoy happiness unlimitedly. There is no end. Here in this material world you may enjoy anything, but it will have its end after a few minutes. That's all. You cannot enjoy perpetually. That is not possible. Therefore... But we are hankering after perpetual happiness, continued happiness. So Ṛṣabhadeva advised, "My dear boys, you take to austerity." Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). "After you are purified, then brahma-saukhyam anantam, then you get unlimited happiness."
Lecture on SB Questions & Answers -- Hyderabad, April 10, 1975:
So after becoming Brahman realized soul, when he is fully liberated from material contamination—goodness passion or ignorance—prasannātmā, na śocati na kāṅkṣati, he has no material hankering, neither he laments for any material loss. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, when he visions all living entities as spirit soul, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54), at that time he is eligible to understand what is bhakti. And bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you become bhakta, if you have got the opportunity to come to that platform, then you can understand God. Otherwise, God is not so easy to understand.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
That is called adhyātmika, pertaining to the body and the mind, sufferings. Similarly, there are sufferings imposed by other living entities. Similarly, there are sufferings imposed by natural phenomena. So because we have got this body, we are subjected to threefold miseries of life. And we are hankering after eternal life, blissful life, life of knowledge. If you want to attain that perfectional stage of life, which is called brahma-saukhyam—Brahman, Brahman means the greatest—then you have to follow some regulative principles of austerity so that your existence will be purified and, Ṛṣabhadeva says, then you'll be eligible to enjoy eternal life. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). Anantam means unlimited. We are hankering after happiness, but due to our material condition, the happiness is not eternal, neither blissful. But there is life where happiness is eternal, never disturbed. Unlimited. There is life of full knowledge. There is life of full bliss. And there is life of eternal.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:
After realizing Brahman identification, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is called brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). And the symptom of that brahma-bhūta stage is na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no more lamentation. So long we are in the bodily platform, there are two things prominent, lamentation and aspiration, hankering, two things. We hanker after things which we do not possess, and what we possess, if we lose, then we cry. This is our position. So if actually he's Brahman realized, then he has no more hankering or lamentation. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then, from that platform, you can think of equality, not on the material platform. It is not possible.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:
There is a description of sādhavaḥ in Kapiladeva's instruction that titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). Sādhu means very tolerant. That is taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. So the first qualification of sādhu is titikṣavaḥ. And at the same time kāruṇikāḥ. There are many instances, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He tolerated so many tortures even by his father, titikṣavaḥ. And at the same time he was thinking, "How to deliver these persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious?" That is kāruṇikāḥ. He is personally being tortured, but at the same time he was thinking how to do good to others. This is sādhu. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), he's friend, not only to the human society, but he's friend to the ant even. A devotee does not like that even an ant should be killed. No. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva, ajāta-śatravaḥ, he does not create any enemy, but unfortunately the demons becomes his enemy. What can be done? Suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānām, ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ. Again this same word, praśāntā, fully satisfied. He has nothing to hanker after because he has got Kṛṣṇa. Why he should hanker?
Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:
So it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), and you have to practice tapasya if you want to get out of it. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). We are now accustomed to this miserable condition of life. If you want actual happiness, then you have to undergo austerity, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are hankering after happiness. That happiness, brahma-sukha, eternal happiness, you will get by practicing tapasya. So don't believe, don't make friendship with your restless mind. This is the instruction. Don't make friendship. Simply beat the mind with shoes and broomstick; otherwise cannot bring in control. And other alternative is kevalayā bhaktyā. So if you can engage your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then it is possible. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Then Kṛṣṇa will control. Kṛṣṇa means light. Darkness, you are suffering in the darkness. So somehow or other, if you bring a light there is no darkness.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:
When one comes to understand that "I'm spirit soul," ahaṁ brahma, "I'm not this matter," so immediately he becomes jolly, prasannātmā. And what is the sign of jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has no more any hankering, no more any lamentation. Within this world, everyone is subjected to these categories of life. We are lamenting for the loss and we are hankering for some gain. But real gain is to understand oneself, what I am.
Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:
Just like people in modern age, they are trying to have some peaceful situation in the world by the intervention of the United Nations, but they cannot stop it. Again there is war. There was First War in 1914, then they manufactured League of Nations. Perhaps you, most of you may not know. We were, at that time, boys, students, and we know about this League of Nations, how it was manufactured. Then again the Second War. And now they have manufactured United Nations. But the war is going on, Vietnam or here or there. But actual medicine is how to stop war. That cannot be done by... By one action there is war, and by another action the war is stopped for the time being. And again, when the opportunity's there, again war. So sinful activities and atonement is like that. But actual, what we want, that no suffering, no war—that is our hankering. We want that. That is not happening.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:
Similarly, this surrender means completely to have faith that "I have no danger because God, Kṛṣṇa, is protecting me. I am now fully surrendered, prasannātmā." That is called prasannātmā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no lamentation, and he has no desire also. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He's hankering after something. The whole material world, one who is not God conscious, is simply hankering, hankering. Or, if he loses something, he's lamenting. That is two business are there. But a God conscious person, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, has no lamentation, no hankering. If anything is lost, he knows that it is God's wish. "God desired this. That's all right." And he knows that "Everything is provided by God; why shall I hanker?" Na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then universal brotherhood: "As I am part and parcel of God, my brother is also, my friend is also, the dog is also like that, the cow is also like that. They're all part and parcel of God as spirit, as spiritual spark.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
So there was one Ajāmila at that time, but you will find many Ajāmilas like that at the present moment because it is the age of Kali. There was one Rāvaṇa. In the dress of a sannyāsī he kidnapped Lord Rāmacandra's wife, and nowadays you will find many Rāvaṇas like that. You see? The so-called sannyāsīs, their business is to... This tendency is always there, but according to the age, sometimes it is very prominent and sometimes not so prominent. But this material world is so contaminated. In the days of Rāmacandra people were hankering after the kingdom of Rāma, even there was Rāvaṇa in the days of Rāmacandra. And what to speak of all these nonsense debauchees? Rāmacandra was so strict, and God Himself was ruling, and still, there was Rāvaṇa. But because Rāmacandra was there he was also killed. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). God's business is to protect the faithful and kill the demons. That is always. Therefore we find Lord Viṣṇu, the four symbolic representation: for killing, the club and the cakra; and for protecting, the lotus flower and conchshell.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "One who has actually become serious inquiring about supreme subject, uttamam..." Udgata tamaṁ yasmāt. In the material world, all knowledge is covered with illusion, and material world is known as tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. This is darkness. So real knowledge means which has surpassed this province of darkness, uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: "Anyone who has become very much inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, he has to accept a guru." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Guru means you have to find out some personality who is well versed in the Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the symptoms of guru: that he is well versed, well cognizant in the conclusion of the Vedas. Not only that he is well-versed, but he has actually in his life taken to that path, upaśamāśrayam, without being deviated by any other ways. Upaśama, upaśama. He has finished all material hankerings.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:
Buddha religion teaches ahiṁsā; the Kṛṣṇa conscious people are ahiṁsā. Lord Jesus teaches love of God; they are the best lover of God. And Hindu religion teaches liberation; they are... As soon as they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately they are liberated, immediately, instantly. There is no question of asking for liberation. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says liberation means... What is that? Liberation from this material hankering. And what is that material hankering? To satisfy the senses. So these devotees, they are not for satisfying their senses. They are simply trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They are determined to preach this cult, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore they are actual representative of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately they are liberated. So, so far liberation is concerned, there is. So far ahiṁsā, nonviolence, there is. So far love of God is there, there is. So combination of Hindu religion, Muslim religion... And Muslims also, they also say their bandeḥ.(?) They also pray in the mosque. I do not know, of course, all other religions. These principal things I know. They also accept "Allah akbar", "God is great." We are all bandehs,(?) all servants. So that is also... Vaiṣṇavism, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa is great."
Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:
He is also embracing the young girl. I shall now try to find out young girl." This is going on. They are going to hell by hearing Bhāgavatam from these rascal professionals. Bhāgavata is meant, from the very beginning First of all try to understand what is God. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itaraḥ (SB 1.1.1). Nine cantos to explain what is God. Then Tenth Canto, God, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is there, not Tenth Canto immediately. So everything is misused only for "Money, money, money. Bring money." This is Kali-yuga. Everything will be judged by money. And as soon as there is money there will be hiṁsa. Therefore this bhāgavata-dharma is not for this class of men. Dharma-projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Those who are above enviousness, those who are above after hankering after money, for them, this bhāgavata-dharma is not for them.
Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:
Even if you are associating with sattva-guṇa, still, it is contamination, what to speak of other, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who are contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are fully engaged in lusty desires and greediness. Tadā rajas-tamo bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Kāma, lobha, rajas, tamaḥ. The whole world is infected with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Therefore they are simply absorbed in kāma and lobha, lusty desires and greediness. Not that only the poor man is hankering after money. Even the richest man in this material world, he is also hankering after. Lobha: "I want more. I want more." Kṛṣṇa is assuring that yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: "If one is fully surrendered, I supply him personally. I carry his personal necessities," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, "Not that I ask somebody but I carry Myself." He is giving assurance. So why we should be hankering after other things to become happy? It is foolishness. Kṛṣṇa assures, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22).
Lecture on SB 6.2.14 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1975:
"Let me engage myself in the service of the Gosvāmīs and associate with the devotees. I do not want anything." Janame janame mor ei abhilāṣ. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that kīṭa-janma hau, jathā tuwā dās. This association. "Let me become a worm, not a devotee, even worm." Kīṭa. Kīṭa means worm, an insignificant ant, worm. Better to remain as an ant with the association of devotees than to become a Brahmā without any devotee's association. Brahmā-janme nāhi mora āś. Bahir-mukha brahmā-janme, nāhi mora āś, kīṭa janma hau, jathā tuwā dās. This is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's hankering. So some way or other, we are propagating this association, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Why? Why we are establishing so many centers? Just to give the people in general the chance of association. It is very important thing, association.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- San Francisco, March 16, 1968:
The soul is the production of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore ultimately, He is our dearmost friend. We are trying to love somebody. That somebody is a perverted reflection of Kṛṣṇa. Actually... Just like the child. The child is searching after the mother's breast. And it is crying. If somebody takes the child, he's not satisfied. Because he cannot express that "I want my mother." Similarly, we are hankering after loving Kṛṣṇa in a perverted way. But because we have no information of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are loving this body, that body. Ultimately, I am loving a cat or dog or something else. The love is there, but we have misplaced the love. As soon as we replace our love to Kṛṣṇa, then our perfection of love is manifested and our perfection of life is also achieved. Lord Caitanya preached this philosophy that premā pum-artho mahān. Prema, prema means love. His philosophy, Lord Caitanya's philosophy, is ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. Vrajeśa-tanayaḥ means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of the king of Vraja, Vṛndāvana. Therefore And tanaya means son. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His propagation, His teaching, the substance of His teaching is that Kṛṣṇa is the most worshipable object.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as one realizes that "I am not this body, so why I should be interested in so-called social life or political life or this life, that life, because they are all due to this bodily conception of life?" So when one understands that "I am not this body, so what business I have got, this bodily conception of activities?" Prasannātmā, "I have no responsibility. I have no more responsibility with this bodily platform," prasannātmā, he gets relieved of so many engagements on account of this body: "I am Indian. I am a Hindu. I am brāhmaṇa. I am chief of this family. I have to take care of the so many persons," and so on, so many responsibilities. And so he feels relieved: "No, I have no responsibility." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). If he does not identify himself with this matter, then if the matter is lost or gained what he has got to do with it? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Because you have got material attachment, therefore something material lost we lament and something material we do not possess, we hanker. The two kinds of diseases. So brahma-bhūtaḥ means these things are the symptom: he is joyful, prasannātmā, na śocati na kāṅkṣati, and samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then he can see.
Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:
My position is to serve. I did not like to serve Kṛṣṇa. I wanted to become one with him. Therefore my position is not clear. Therefore, instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, I come back again to serve humanity, community, nation, and so on, so on, so on. The service cannot be rejected. But because aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, not properly trained up, still his unclean state of mind, instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, because he is hankering after giving service but being nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, without Kṛṣṇa, then where he will serve? The service spirit, how it will be utilized? Therefore they come back again—country, society... Once they give up, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "These are all mithyā." But they do not know that actually giving service is real blissful life. That they do not know. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Therefore they fall down, again material activities.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:
So therefore the whole stress is given, Prahlāda Mahārāja giving, that if we want to begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we have to begin immediately because the more we grow older, our attachment for material things becomes more and more strong, and at that time it is very difficult. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, as I was explaining the other day, at a certain point one has to, by, I mean to say, voluntarily, one has to give up the so-called society, friendship and love, and engage fully for cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, in this meeting I shall request those who are not very much attached to this materialistic way of life... They are seeking after something tangible, for, I mean to say, spiritual consciousness or spiritual life. So for them I present with submission that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only solace for the human society if they are actually hankering after something spiritual. So let them understand this science and seriously consider. Do not be misled. If you are actually hankering after something sublime, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the, the thing. So we submit for your consideration and take it very seriously.
Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:
This world is going on, this material (world) is going on the principle of sense gratification, puṁsaḥ striya mithunī-bhāvam. Everyone is hankering after sex life, man and woman. This is the beginning of material life. In the Vaikuṇṭha-loka there are thousands times beautiful women and thousand times strong men (noise in background) (aside:) Where is this sound coming? ...but there is no sex desire. This is Vaikuṇṭha life. Here in this material world, as soon as there is strong man, as soon as there is beautiful woman, then there is sex impulse. In the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no such thing, because they are so much absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that sex life is very insignificant. There is no sex life in the Vaikuṇṭha realm. But in this material world, the sex life is the basic principle of pleasure.
Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:
So, the beginning of instruction was kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). This material world, beginning, those who are not trained up, their beginning is hankering after union for sex. And puṁsāṁ striya mithuni-bhāvam, this is the material world, attraction, and when they are united the attraction increases, we have already discussed. In this way our attraction for material wealth, ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair (SB 5.5.8). In this way material possessions, material facilities, we increase. Modern civilization is that. They are simply increasing material wants. The process is pravṛttir eṣaṁ bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalaṁ. Natural tendency is, because we have come to enjoy this material world... Conditioned soul means we wanted to enjoy this material world, not to serve anyone. Although our constitutional position is to serve, but artificially we want to give up service and we want to enjoy. That is material disease. So gradually, if we want to enjoy material world, then we require money. Money is the via media for enjoyment of material world. People are working so hard, day and night, just to get money because money is the source or the means of sense enjoyment. That is the disease, sense enjoyment.
Lecture on SB 7.7.40-44 -- San Francisco, March 20, 1967:
Now we are desiring so many things, kāmān kāmyair kāmayate. Kāmān means desirable, and kāmayate, we hanker after such desirables, kāmyaiḥ, being too much eager, greedy, for fulfilling those objects. Yad-artham iha puruṣaḥ sa vai dehas tu. And what is that kāma? What are those desirables? The desirables are simply for making this body perfect. Not perfect—comfortable. Perfect it cannot be, but as far as possible... We are manufacturing nice cushions for sitting comfortably, nice bedroom, buy nice motorcars, and... Everything for this body. The ultimate aim is to make this body comfortable. That's all. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that the body itself, dehaḥ, sa vai dehas tu pārakyo bhaṅguro. Either you make your position secure and comfortable in this life or next life... Next life means there are many religious rituals which assures in your next life very comfortable life, very, I mean to say, long duration of life in other planets. So either you make arrangement in this life or in the next life, in the material world, if you make your next life in the spiritual world, then that is a different question. But so far we are materially concerned, either we make comfortable life in this life or in the next. But the body itself is kṣaṇa-bhaṅguraḥ, it is perishable. It is perishable.
Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:
So at the present moment people are very much fond of śrī, money. Śrī-aiśvaryā. Śrī-aiśvaryā. Śrī-aiśvaryā prajepsavaḥ. General people, they want śrī, money, or beauty, beautiful woman. Śrī-aiśvaryā, money, riches. Śrī aiśvaryā prajepsavaḥ. Prajā. Prajā means family, society, money. They want. So Śrī is always hankered after, searched after. But do not try to keep Śrī alone. Then you'll be ruined. This is the instruction. You do not try to keep Śrī alone. Keep always with Nārāyaṇa. Then you'll be happy. Keep Nārāyaṇa. So those are riches, those who have got riches, rich, they should worship Nārāyaṇa also with that money. Spend money. Money is meant for service of Nārāyaṇa. So if you have got money, don't spoil it like Rāvaṇa, but engage it in Kṛṣṇa's service. If you have got money, just spend it for very costly temple, for installing Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Sītā-Rāma, like that. Don't spoil your money in other way. Then you'll always remain rich. You'll never become poor. But as soon as you try to cheat Nārāyaṇa, that "I have taken Your Lakṣmī," you starve. That policy is very bad.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 1, 1968:
How that prasannātmā is manifested? Everything is there. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Śocati means lamentation, and kāṅkṣati means hankering. These two things will disappear. Śocati, if we lose something, then we lament, "Oh, I have lost so much money. I have lost my son. I have lost my service," and so many things. And kāṅkṣati, kāṅkṣati means, "I haven't got this; I want this; I haven't got this." These two kinds of diseases makes us always full of anxieties. Why you are anxious? For these two things, Śocati and kāṅkṣati. Lamentation for the loss and hankering after which we do not possess. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that if somebody wants to get free from this anxiety... And this anxiety is due to asad-grahāt. Asad-grahāt means for accepting this temporary body. Asat. Asat means temporary, that will not exist.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 1, 1968:
Devotee always thinks very humble, meek. This is the presentation of Prahlāda Mahārāja, that "I am born of a father..." Because they belonged to the atheistic family, demonic family, ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ means they are not very sober; always passionate. Ugra-jāteḥ, always passionate. Passionate means always hankering after sense gratification. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "I am born of a father so greatly passionate. How I can satisfy the Lord, where great personalities and sages and demigods have failed?" He is presenting himself so humbly. But he's intelligent. Without becoming intelligent, nobody can worship God. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Catur means very intelligent. Unless one is first-class intelligent, he cannot worship God. It is not possible. Foolish person cannot worship God.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām (BG 2.44). Bhoga, bhoga means sense enjoyment, and aiśvarya means opulence, wealth, riches. Persons who are very much attached to sense gratification and hankering after material opulence, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayā, and by such thing, apahṛta-cetasām... Apahṛta means bewildered; cetasām, consciousness. Such persons, they are thinking that "These things will save me." They never think that they will have to leave all these things behind him, and he has to go alone. Just like when a bird flies in the sky, so he has to leave behind him everything, and he has to fly in the sky on his own strength. There is no other help.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
So things have to be organized. People are actually hankering after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because it is the natural function of the living entity. It is not artificial. The very, I mean to, vivid example are yourselves. Your contact with me is, utmost, for the last two years, but still, you are taking very serious interest in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Why? Because it is the fundamental necessity. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Every living entity is by nature joyful, spiritually, and because he is materially covered, his joyfulness is hampered. That is the real position. Feverish condition, one becomes sick, attacked by fever—his joyfulness goes away. He becomes sick. Similarly, our natural position is joy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. Kṛṣṇa is joyful. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore I must be also joyful. That is natural. If my father is black, then I am also black. If my mother is black, I am also black. So our father, the supreme father Kṛṣṇa, is joyful. Don't you see Kṛṣṇa's attitude? Anywhere you see, Kṛṣṇa is joyful. He is not engaged in some industrial work or in some heavy machine making. He is simply playing on His flute. You see? And Rādhārāṇī is there. That is joyful nature.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:
We have described all these things in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya, that when Kṛṣṇa was present in Vṛndāvana, how the cranes, how the cuckoos, how the peacocks, how the walks(?), how the flowers, how the creepers were loving Him. How they were loving Kṛṣṇa. So it is not a thing that we have to teach. Simply by good association, by reference, it comes out. It is called suptotthita-nyāya. Just like a man sleeping at night, he forgets everything, where he is lying on and what he is doing and which family does he belong to, which country does he belong to, what is his occupation. Everything he forgets. Sleeping means forgetfulness. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. Everything. "Oh, I have to go to office. I have to do this thing. I have to meet such and such person." Everything. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sleeping in everyone's heart. He is hankering. He is hankering after how to love Kṛṣṇa, but he is being checked up. The māyā is checking him: "Don't try to love Kṛṣṇa. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will forget all these material activities."
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
In other place also in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Now what is siddhi, perfection? Siddhi means this perfection, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. No hankering, no lamentation. That is called siddhi, perfection. This hankering and the full of anxiety, this is materialistic. This is materialistic. In comparison to other animals... They have no anxiety, but human being, they have advanced a type of civilization that everyone is in anxiety, always full of anxiety. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says in another place that this anxiety is due to acceptance of the false, material civilization. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). They have accepted a type of civilization which is asat. Asat means which will not exist. Therefore they are always full of anxiety.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:
The purpose is indriya sukha. Indriya sukha means sense gratification. That's all. And what is that sense gratification? Māyā sukha indriyārtham. For the matter of the senses. Māyā. Māyā means illusion. It, this kind of sense gratification has no practical meaning. It is simply temporary, flickering. But I am hankering after eternal pleasure. And what this sense gratification will give me? They do not know. But they have invented a type of civilization full of activities simply for the matter of sense gratification. So I am simply anxious for them." So this is the business of a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not at all anxious for his personal self, because he knows perfectly that he is protected by Kṛṣṇa in all circumstances. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was put to so much difficulties by his father, but still he is steadily fixed up in his position because he knew that "My father cannot do any harm. I am fixed up." And actually it so happened.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:
It is very nice. So the question may be that "Because everything has to be offered to Kṛṣṇa, so does it mean that Kṛṣṇa is hankering after my riches? Because I have amassed so much money by hard labor, and Kṛṣṇa is very clever that He's trying to take it away?" Yes. (laughs) Yes, that is the fact. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhāgavata that yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). The Pāṇḍavas, they were friends of Kṛṣṇa, and they were put into so many difficulties. Their kingdom was stolen, their wife was insulted, they were forced to live in the forest, giving up the kingdom—so many difficulties. Their house was set in fire, the other party, his cousin brothers. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the eldest brother of the Pāṇḍavas... Practically this question was raised by Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:
Haṁsadūta: A devotee, he can be very poor, but is it okay if he's hankering after something for Kṛṣṇa? He sees, "Oh we haven't got anything. We need a house," or something like that? Why can't we... Can a devotee think like that, "Why can't we get a nice house like these people for Kṛṣṇa"? Is that all right?
Prabhupāda: Devotee thinks, "Why shall we not have a nice house?"
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:
Therefore in this godless civilization they have stopped building nice, decorated... In Vṛndāvana there is a temple of Govindajī that was seven-storied. Four stories was broken by Aurangzeb on political grounds. Still, three stories are still remaining. If somebody goes there he'll see how wonderful workmanship is there in that temple. So does it mean that those kings or rich men, they were all fools? Simply at the present moment we are very intelligent? No. They are not fools. That is explained in the Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayers. Naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo. You cannot satisfy the Supreme Lord by constructing a nice temple, but still He is satisfied. Still, He is satisfied. He is nija-lābha-pūrṇo. He is fully satisfied in Himself because He has no want. We are in want. Suppose I am renting one small apartment. If somebody says, "Swamijī, come on. I shall construct a very nice palatial temple. You come here." Oh, I shall be very much obliged. But does Kṛṣṇa, or God, is like that? He can construct so many nice planets, not only one, two, but millions and billions, with so many nice oceans and hills and mountains and forests, and full of living entities. And why He is hankering after a temple constructed by me? No. That is not the fact.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:
Here it is stated, nija-lābha-pūrṇo. He is so opulent that He has no hankering. Complete. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇaḥ. He is complete with full six opulences. He is the richest, He is the wisest, He is the most famous, He is the most strong, influential, and renounced order. Everything is complete there. Then why He is asking that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati? He is so rich, so opulent, still He is begging that "Little flower, a little water, a little fruit, if offered to Me with devotion and love, I accept and eat it." So the real fact is that we have lost our devotion, faith, in God. So He is begging therefore that love and faith. Not your money. Because He is already opulent. What you can give Him? And what belongs to you? Nothing belongs to you. You come from the womb of your mother openhanded, and when you die you go openhanded.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that if one is perfectly situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his condition will be like this, that yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. Achieving that stage, he'll forget for any other profit. We are hankering after profit, profit after profit. I have got so much money, I want to make it double. When it is double I want to make it ten times. When it is ten times, I'll make it hundred times. Go on increasing. The civilization is increasing. Formerly, people were satisfied if they could build one..., construct one brick house, kota bari. Now they are not satisfied with kota bari, or brick house. They want to make it hundred— or two hundred—, five-hundred-storied house. And when they'll build, construct five-hundred-storied house, they'll think of thousand-story house. This is the nature. This is the nature. So lābha. Everyone is hankering after more profit, more profit, more profit. But if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is satisfied.
Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. He could understand that "Everything in this material world, even the possession of my father, will be finished. There is no doubt. So what is the use of possessing such thing which will be finished?" Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This is intelligent person decision, that "Everything in this material world, this body, or anything in relativity with this body will be finished." Kṛṣṇa says and the devotees know it. Therefore they do not want anything of this material possession. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us to develop that mentality. "Don't want anything, material possession. It is... However it may be long duration, but it will be finished. But you are eternal. Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. You are the owner of this body. You are eternal." So we should be searching after eternal happiness, eternal life, eternal engagement. That is success of life. And if we hanker after temporary things, that is not very good intelligence. Therefore bhakti means when one is convinced that "Anything of this material world cannot make me happy." That is... That conviction is the beginning of pure devotion. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). You have to make zero everything material. That can be possible as we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:
Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu, dayā koro more: "Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, kindly give me Your mercy." Dayā koro more. "Why I shall give My mercy to you? You are so sinful. You are so fallen. My mercy is not meant for you." But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura reminds, patita-pāvana-hetu, tava avatāra: "Sir, I am the most fallen. There is no doubt about it. But You have specially come to deliver persons like us." Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu dayā koro more, tomā vinā ke dayalu, jagata saṁsāre. Actually we are hankering after favor of some big man and small man. That is going on. That is material world. But if we seek favor from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so that is very nice. Instead of going here and there, if we... We want favor. There is no doubt. But others cannot favor us. That is the point.
Lecture on SB 7.9.44 -- Delhi, March 26, 1976:
All these persons who are in this material world, they are hankering after material enjoyment, and they have no interest to understand spiritual life. Such persons are called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45). I have several times discussed this verse, that this material life, especially, material life means sex life. So everyone is suffering for indulging in sex life, but in spite of suffering, they are not satiated. Therefore they are called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Brāhmaṇa means liberal, and kṛpaṇa means miser. Every one of us, we have got this valuable body, human form of body. If we utilize it, then..., utilize it by brahma-jñāna, then we become brāhmaṇa. And if we do not utilize it, then we are kṛpaṇa. So here it is said kṛpaṇān. Kṛpaṇān means "These people, these conditioned souls, they are not endeavoring for liberation from this material world." They are so callous, foolish, just like cats and dogs, eating, sleeping, and mating. That is their happiness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:
Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, practical example, He is showing how to become anxious, mad: "Where is God? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣa prāvi... This is the ultimate hankering how to..., yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. One should be mad after Kṛṣṇa. Then he'll see Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes they say, "Can you show me God?" Have you become mad after God? Then you can see. Otherwise God is not so cheap thing. You become mad after God and you'll see immediately. Premāñ... Who can become mad after somebody unless there is love? To love somebody, if you cannot see, you become mad, "How can I see? How can I see?" This madness, sometimes we can see example. Suppose a man's son has died, so he becomes mad. So that anxiety is required, as... We are now... At the present moment we are hankering after material sense enjoyment, "Where is sense enjoyment? Where is sense enjoyment?"
So similarly, the example is given by Rūpa Gosvāmī, the hankering. He has given very nice example. Just like a young man is hankering after young woman. Natural. That is not artificial. Or a young woman is hankering after a young man. This hankering... Therefore, according to Vedic system, before the hankering becomes madly and one becomes spoiled by sex indulgence, he should be married. This is the psychology. At a certain age, twelve, thirteen years, woman, and fifteen, sixteen years, man, they become very, very much sexually hankering. Therefore the system is that at that time, psychological moment, the young girl and young boy should be married so that unity will endure. It will never break. There will be no more divorce. But when the hankering is exploited, then the whole life is spoiled. So Rūpa Gosvāmī is giving this example, that "When my hankering will be like the young man, young woman, hankering after one another?" It is very practically given. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣa prāvṛṣāyitam śūnyāyitam jagat sarvam. When that hankering is there, he sees everything vacant. This is psychological.
Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:
This is the competition between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. Kṛṣṇa wants to give everything to the devotee. He wants to see that "My devotee is very comfortable." Just like the father wants to see the children are very comfortable. So why the devotees should be hankering after something material? No. Kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (SB 2.2.5). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Why we should go to the puffed-up rich men for begging something? Kṛṣṇa will arrange for everything. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "You do not try to preach for getting some money. Money will come automatically. On your feet money will say, 'Please accept me.' " You should preach very sincerely. That is your business. Never bother that "Where is money? Where is money, money, money?" Money... Muktir mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate asmān dharmārtha-kāma samaya pratīkṣāḥ. This is a statement of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.
Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:
People are hankering after dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa-religiosity, economic development, and then sense gratification, and then mokṣa. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Human civilization begins—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. Otherwise animal.
So dharma means this varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). So Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura said that "You simply become devotee. You don't hanker after this dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa. No. They will serve you. You do not require to call them. They themselves will come and serve you. You just become a pure devotee." Samaya-pratīkṣāḥ. Mukti. Why devotees will ask for mukti? They are already mukta because they have no material activities; all spiritual activities. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).
So in the platform of dharma, to become very religious, moral, who can be more religious than the devotee? Who can be more moralist than the devotee? A devotee is not prepared to kill even an ant. So who can be more moralist? These things are already there.
Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:
When one is self-realized that he is not this body, he is the spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then what are the symptoms? Now, prasannātmā: he becomes immediately very jolly. So long we are materially engrossed, bodily concept of life, there will be always anxiety. This is the test. Anyone who is in anxiety, means he is materially situated. And anyone who is elevated to the spiritual platform, he is prasannātmā. He is jolly. What is the meaning of prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not want anything, and if anything he has got, if he has lost, he does not cry for it. That's all. Here in the material world we are hankering after something which we do not possess. And if we possess something, if it is lost, then we cry. Two business: Śocana and ākāṅkṣa. Everyone is trying to be very big man. That is called ākāṅkṣa. And if he is lost of his possession, then he cries. So these two things will be finished if you become spiritually situated.
| Page Title: | Hankering (BG and SB Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 06 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=203, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 203 |