We are also trying to control. We are just trying to control over the nature. In the present days you are trying to control over the space. You are trying to float imitation planets. So this tendency of controlling or creating is there because partially we have got that controlling tendency. But we should know that this tendency is not sufficient. We have the tendency of controlling over the material nature, lording it over the material nature, but we are not the supreme controller.
Imitation (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme enjoyer. We are trying to become imitation Kṛṣṇa. Just like so many rascals, they declare that "God, I am God." That is the last snare, Māyāvāda. First of all we try to become enjoyer like the head of the family man or a minister or this and that, so many. Everyone is trying to become head, enjoyer. And at last, being baffled in every respect, he wants to become God.
Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:
Everyone wants to become God, imitator. Imitation. Therefore they say, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be alone God? I am God." You are God. That's all right. But you are not the Supreme God. Why you forget that? You may be a God at home of your wife, but when you go to your office, you are not god; your master is god. He directs you to do something; you have to do it.
Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:
Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, enjoyer. So there is fight. Always. You are becoming, trying to becoming Kṛṣṇa. I am trying to become Kṛṣṇa. As there are so many incarnations of God nowadays—every lane, every street. So we are all imitation Kṛṣṇa. And there is fight. That is asanātana-dharma. That is not sanātana.
Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:
So the idea is that imitation God, there may be so many. Nowadays it has become a fashion. Not in your country; at least in India, it has become a fashion, that everyone is coming out and he declares himself, "I am God. I am God." As if the God has become a very cheap thing, and it can be had in the market, wherever you go. You see? That is not the thing. God is not so cheap thing.
Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:
We are resting, everything is resting. Just like... This is scientific and practical, you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them, more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun rays. They are floating. That you can see. Similarly, the sunshine is the imitation of the brahma-jyotir that is coming out of the body of the Supreme Lord. So everything is resting on the shine of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is called paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means "everything resting on You." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitram. Pavitram means uncontaminated. Because we, although we are Brahman, now we are contaminated by this material body.
Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:
Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. But don't try to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. His stage was different. We cannot imitate. We can simply follow. Anukaraṇa, anusaraṇa, there are two Sanskrit words. One is imitation, and one who is following the footprints. If one tries to follow the footprints of great personalities, that is very nice, but we cannot imitate. Imitate. Imitation is dangerous.
Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:
Simply by... There are many so-called mendicants in India. They, I mean to say, loiter in the street naked, and sometimes they are arrested by the police, like that. Imitation is not required. Imitation is not required. But there is a stage like that. Just like a madman. Sometimes a madman, he also, I mean to say, wanders the street naked. So he is also compact in some thought, but he is a madman. But similarly, a person who is completely compact in Kṛṣṇa thought, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is also a madman according to the calculation of this world.
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You take shelter unto Me." But we shall not do that. Instead of Kṛṣṇa, we shall find out so many imitation Kṛṣṇa and take shelter of them. This is our fault. This is not Kṛṣṇa's partiality. Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone, but we shall go to some rascal, who will falsely declare himself, "I am incarnation of God, incarnation of Kṛṣṇa," and I'll go there. And how some magic. He does not want to see the magic of Kṛṣṇa. He wants to see some false magic of an imitation Kṛṣṇa. That is the fault.
Why should we go to anyone else when Kṛṣṇa is there? When Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā, why shall I read any nonsense book? That is my fault. Can anyone give better instruction than Kṛṣṇa for solving all the problems of the world? No. That is not possible. But still, we shall find out some imitation Kṛṣṇa. This is our ill luck, misfortune.
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:
They will accept some, something imitation.
So Kṛṣṇa's purpose of appearing is mentioned here. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Vināśāya means for annihilating, for killing. So Kṛṣṇa's killing is also good for the person who is killed by Kṛṣṇa. And another killing is to dissipate his ignorance. This is also.... One is in ignorance, he does not know what is the value of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa wants to kill his ignorance and give him real knowledge.
Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:
But they have now taken it very cheaply. All rascals and fools and rogues, they are claiming that "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am." They have taken because India has fallen. Because there is no brahminical culture, they cannot understand these rascals, that the fools and rascals, they are claiming to be Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so cheap? No. That is our misfortune, that instead of Kṛṣṇa, we are accepting some imitation, rogue Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune.
But we should not do that. There is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa, in His words. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. He is not different from Kṛṣṇa. The words of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, if you feel like that, that "Here Kṛṣṇa is speaking before me," then your life is successful. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Actually, it is a fact. It is a fact. It is not that "Kṛṣṇa is no longer here. Five thousand years He spoke. Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā has become null and void." This is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa can speak at every moment, at every second.
Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:
How the moon is shining, 200,000 miles away? Still, the shining is so perfect. Can you make any lamp like that? Have you got such brain? Then how you can compare yourself with Kṛṣṇa? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. But he has got the power. You can create one imitation moon or imitation sun, but that is not in your power. But still, you are so falsely proud of your scientific knowledge. What scientific knowledge you have got? So in this way, if we study Kṛṣṇa, then we can understand that, as Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā.... Karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14).
Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:
So we fall down when we deny to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme or we try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? We shall also enjoy. Why Kṛṣṇa shall have rāsa dance? We shall also (have) rāsa dance. Why Kṛṣṇa will marry sixteen thousand wives? We shall at least sixteen wives." When this competition spirit comes, then we fall down. Fall down means Kṛṣṇa gives the chance. "All right, you also go. You also dance in the hotel, ball dance, and he complicated(?)." Because he does not know what is rāsa dance, he imitates ball dance. So everything, what is going on in this material world, it is imitation of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says. Everything that is going on, it is simply generated from that original. So... But it is contaminated.
Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:
So what is the difference? There is no difference. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The spiritual path is to follow the footprints of predecessors, great ācāryas who has realized. Then you become perfect.
Not imitate, but to follow. Imitation is different thing. So this is not imitation, but this is following the footprints. So one who wants to become devotee, he has to follow certain rules and regulation which are enacted by authorized persons in this line. We cannot deny it. Therefore there is necessity.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:
So the existence of finger with this body, it is natural. Similarly, to remain with Kṛṣṇa, that is our natural position, constitutional position. Remain with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy, as gopī, as Kṛṣṇa's father, Kṛṣṇa's mother, Kṛṣṇa's servant, Kṛṣṇa's trees, Kṛṣṇa's Yamunā, Kṛṣṇa's flower, Kṛṣṇa's Vṛndāvana land—remain with Kṛṣṇa in any form you like. Śānta dāsya sākhya vātsalya mādhurya. In any mellow, humor, you can remain with Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position. But when we try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, to become a imitation Kṛṣṇa... Just like there are so many persons, they say, "I am Kṛṣṇa." This is māyā. Immediately... Because we trying to forget Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā captures.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:
Because He's the Supreme Lord, there is nothing moroseness. Always joyful. That is the symptom of spiritual life. You'll see Kṛṣṇa always smiling, always playing on His flute. As you see in this material world also, somebody, he has got a flute and he's playing, enjoying. So this is imitation. That enjoyment will not last. But Kṛṣṇa's flute-playing is eternal. He's enjoying eternally. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam (Bs. 5.30). And His eyes are just like lotus petals. Very beautiful. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam, barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-su... Barhāvataṁsam, a peacock feather, He's very fond of a peacock feather. So that is on His head. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Very beautiful body like new, blackish cloud. But very beautiful. Blackish cloud. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. But, although he's blackish, He is more beautiful than millions and trillions of Cupids. Kandarpa... Therefore, He's all-beautiful.
Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:
Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is ānanda-cinmaya. A similar imitation here in this material world. The same thing, suta-mita-ramaṇī-samāje. But it is false. Just like you see water in the desert. You'll see there is vast mass of water in the desert, and the animal falsely go to drink the water and dies. Similarly, in this material world, this suta-mita-ramaṇī-samāje, what we are trying to become happy, that is like will-o'-the wisp, false thing. Real life is in the society of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 7.9-10 -- Bombay, February 24, 1974:
Just like the sun is brilliant, the moon is brilliant. Tejaś cāsmi. So wherefrom this brilliance comes? The brilliance is imitation, reflection of the bodily brilliance of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Brahma-sūtra, Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Then why we should disbelieve? We can see eye-to-eye that the sun is so brilliant. It is a material product only. But wherefrom the sun has come, so brilliant? Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-mūrti, samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. The brilliance and the temperature is unlimited. So wherefrom the brilliance comes? You can calculate yourself, that "The sun is composition of these chemicals, this material...," but why don't you produce? Why don't you produce an imitation sun so that you'll save so much money for electricity? At night you can get one sun in Bombay city.
Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:
They travel on the spiritual sky on that plane, and it is so nice, just like lightning. The description is... They travel just like lightning. So everything is there. This is only imitation. This material sky and everything, whatever you see—all imitation, shadow. It is shadow. Just like in cinematographic picture you see the shadow of the real thing behind, similarly, this is only shadow. And in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ, yatra tri-sargo 'mṛṣā (SB 1.1.1). This material world is a combination of matter. Just like you have seen a nice girl's doll in the showcase of the shopkeeper's exactly just like a nice, beautiful girl. But that is imitation. Imitation. Every sane man knows, "Oh, this is imitation."
Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:
So whatever we are seeing here, beautiful, they are all imitation of the real. As the doll is imitation of a beautiful girl, similarly, yasya satyatayā nityāpi satyam eva abhipadyate. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, "Because the spiritual world is real and this unreal manifestation appears to be real, appears to be real, but it is not real, we can understand reality will exist; reality will not vanquish." That is... Reality means eternal. Therefore real pleasure, that is Kṛṣṇa. The material pleasure is temporary, not actual. Therefore those who are after reality, they don't take part in this shadow pleasure. Shadow pleasure, they don't take part. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati. That is reality. "When everything will be vanquished, that spiritual nature will continue to remain." That remains always.
Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:
Will you please show me the univer...? "No, that I cannot." Oh, Kṛṣṇa lifted the hill in seven years old. Can you lift a one mound, or hundred pounds with your finger? "Oh, that I cannot do." That is the difference between the imitation God and real God. "Because Kṛṣṇa is saying, therefore I shall imitate and say." And because Kṛṣṇa performed rāsa-līlā... "Oh, Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives." "Oh, can you marry one and keep her very nicely in a palace?" "Oh, that I cannot do." Then how can you be Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa said so many things, wonderful, and He acted also wonderful. If you believe one thing and do not believe another thing, then it is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176). Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. I cannot believe half. If you believe, you believe full.
Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:
Just like we, we are ātmās. We have entered this body. Therefore, it is moving. Similarly the Paramātmā, the Supersoul, He has entered within this material world. Therefore, it is moving. Just like immediately we heard some sound of the motorcycle. How it is sounding? Because the driver is there. He is pushing some button. Immediately there is sound: but but but but but (sound imitation). Otherwise the motorcycle may remain there for thousands of years. There will be no more sound.
Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
You are not Kṛṣṇa. You are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate the master. That is folly. You are servant, you remain always servant. Don't try to imitate the master. Kṛṣṇa has lifted the hill. Can you do that by imitation? Don't try to imitate. Follow His instruction. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa can do anything, He is God.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:
When you come to a person who has no more father, that is God. (laughter) That is the test. If we find somebody that he has no father, then He is God. And if some rascal comes and says, "I am God," then you ask him, "Whether you have got father?" As soon as he says that "Yes, I have got father," then he is dog. So in your country so many imitation gods come. I know this. But you ask them, to test him, "Whether you have got father?" If he says, "Yes, I have got father," then you say, "You are dog." Therefore God's another name is unborn. Unborn means He is not begotten by any father.
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971:
Similarly, if you become elevated to the perfection of devotional service, you'll go to God and you'll see Him as you are seeing me, I am seeing you. You'll see Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand. Therefore there are so many religious systems which say, "God has no form. There is no God. Let us imagine." These are, this kind of religion is cheating religion. Therefore it is said here, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Cheating. Because there is no real information. Real information is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the Supreme Lord has got His spiritual body, and He is... In the Christian Bible also, it is said, "Man is made after God." Is it not? So unless God has got form, two hands, two legs, like that, how man has got two hands, two legs? If we are imitation of God, then God must be person. This is natural conclusion.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:
So similarly, if we develop our propensity to hear about God and His activities, with His cowherd boys friend, with His girlfriends, gopīs, with His mother, with His father, with His teacher, so many! Everything is imitation, perverted reflection here also you have got those relationship. Relationship between father and the son, relationship between conjugal lover, the boy and the girl, relationship between friend and friend, relationship between master and servant. Everything is here also, but because they are material, they do not stand. I am servant of somebody. If he does not pay me salary, I give up his service.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:
These things are current very much. "It may be there is no guru." Not at all. You cannot say that. Just like there are imitation coin. You have met with some imitation coins. That does not mean there is no real coin. You are unfortunate. You met with imitation coins. So don't make that calculation that "There is no real coin, all imitation coin." That is nonsense. There is imitation coin, and there is real coin. It is up to you to find out which is the real and which is the imitation.
Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:
They have lost all taste. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There are two faults. Either people could not preach properly so that they could not create taste of the people in general... It is not the fault of the people in general. It is the fault of the so-called preachers also. Because they could not create taste, they wanted to take the place of Kṛṣṇa. That was their purpose. Imitation of Kṛṣṇa. Imitation of God. That will not do. You have to create taste. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he first met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he offered this prayer: namo mahā-vadānyāya, "You are the most munificent incarnation because you are giving Kṛṣṇa. You are giving Kṛṣṇa. You are, You are greater than Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:
It does not mean that Queen Elizabeth is alone. She has got so many paraphernalia. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, His friends, His mother, His father, His cowherd, cows, His Vṛndāvana... So many things. That is another variety. And here this material world, this variety, this variety is imitation of that variety. And that variety is eternal. This variety is created, maintained and destroyed. But in the middle, the point, Kṛṣṇa, He is ever-existing.
Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:
The trunk, the root is on the up, and the foliage, which is on the up, that has come down. Similarly, this material world is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter: ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham. Generally, we see tree downwards, root, but in the reflection you will find the roots upward. Therefore ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham means these material varieties are simply an imitation of the original variety. Just like I'll give you very nice example. Just there will be a great fair. Just like we had in this Allahabad, Māgha-melā.
Lecture on SB 1.3.16 and Initiation -- Los Angeles, September 21, 1972:
Don't think that these are all stories. Surāsurāṇāṁ mathnatām. "How they can stand on the ocean? How they can churn? Oh, these are all stories." They are not stories. It may be story for you. Just like if you speak to an ant or what is called, insect... There are many insects. They take their birth... We have seen it. In India we see. In this season there are insects. They are called divāli-pokā, insect divāli. Just in the evening they are born. And they flock together before a light, (sound imitation:) bawnh, bawnh, bawnh, bawnh, like that. And throughout the whole night they will do, and at the end of the night, in the morning, you will see, they are, in heap, they are lying dead.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
So here it is said that rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti. God appeared as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. There are some foolish persons who are misled by another imitation Ramakrishna. You see? But those who are intelligent... This rascal Ramakrishna said that "I am the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa." Another rascal believed, "Oh, he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa." Why I say rascal? Because here it is said, rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo bhagavān aharad bharam. There must be symptoms of Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. Anyone will say, "I am Rāma-Kṛṣṇa," and he becomes Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? How? What is the test? The test is bhagavān aharad bharam. When Kṛṣṇa and Rāma appeared, Balarāma, He killed so many demons to make the world peaceful.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
So this Rāma-Kṛṣṇa is different from this bogus Ramakrishna. Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān. They are actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and They proved it. Not that Rāma-Kṛṣṇa is dying out of cancer disease. Yes. We are not after such kind of Ramakrishna. Besides that, when there is real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, why I shall go to the false and imitation Ramakrishna? They say the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. That's all right, the same, but I don't find any proof that the same. So why shall I take to this imitation Ramakrishna? Why not take this real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa?
So we should be intelligent enough. We should not be bluffed. Kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Without being very intelligent, nobody surrenders to Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
That becomes possible after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). What kind of knowledge? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa is everything, Vāsudeva. "Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vāsudeva." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That type of great soul is very rare. So in other words, those who have taken Kṛṣṇa as everything, they are the greatest soul, the topmost soul within the world. They cannot be misled by imitation Ramakrishna. They are interested with the real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva.
Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:
Suppose a spark falls on your cloth. It will burn immediately. It will make immediately black. But it is very small. Similarly, the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me is that He is great, God is great, and I am small. Although qualitatively we are one. The same: big fire and small fire. Similarly, we have got also the same qualities, approximately, but very small quantity. We can play very wonderful by discovering some machine, say, the machine, what is called, which goes to the moon planet? Capsule. Or we float something in the sky, sputnik. But that is imitation of God. God is floating gigantic planets like sun, moon, in the space. You cannot do that. You can float a small sputnik.
Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:
Just like in a cinematographic picture, unless in the original photograph or the subject matter from which photograph is taken, unless there were varieties, how the picture can be variety? So in the material world the varieties are reflection of the spiritual world. Here is also father, but this is imitation father. But there is also father, but that is not father, that is real father. It is imitation father. A friend is imitation friend. Real friend is Kṛṣṇa. Real father is Kṛṣṇa. Here husband, imitation husband. Real husband is Kṛṣṇa. Master, imitation master. Real master is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, if we establish our relationship with Kṛṣṇa as..., either as husband or lover or master or friend or son or father, it is perfect. It is perfect. We have to go to that stage.
We have to give up this imitation, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Śaṅkarācārya placed this theory before all the world, but that is not explained properly because people at that time could not understand more than that. Brahma satyam: "The Absolute is truth." And jagan mithyā, "And this world, the manifested world, is false." How it is false? That is not explained by Śaṅkarācārya. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that reality, real father... If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your father, oh, He'll give you all protection. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your husband, oh, there is no question of divorce. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as your friend, oh, Kṛṣṇa will give you everything.
Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:
That is not possible. It is possible only for the liberated person. Therefore we should not imitate. Our Guru Mahārāja has condemned this. Mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava, pratiṣṭhāra tare nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. In Vṛndāvana you'll find there are so many, they imitate. In a secluded place they are chanting, but they cannot give up even smoking biḍi. You see? So this kind of imitation has no value. Therefore śuśrūṣamāṇe. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). You must give service to the spiritual master. Spiritual master does not accept any service for his personal benefit, but for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. So this is required, śuśrūṣamāṇe. Dānte 'dhṛta-krīḍanake anuvartini. Following the principles. Whatever the sages order, "Boy...," immediately. Śuśrūṣamāṇe. Immediately he carried out. Anuvartini. These are the qualifications.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:
Because the sun globe is so big and the orbit is so big that the whole universal darkness you bring there, there will be no darkness. Just imagine. It is not imagine; it is fact. The universal darkness, all the darkness of the universe, you bring before the sun, it will not effect. It cannot effect. Because the sun is full light. It is not that imitation light. Here we have got this imitation light. The big amount of cloud is there. Immediately it will be dark. But sunlight is full light. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-puruṣam. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He reduces His energy; therefore He also becomes covered by māyā. This is called Māyāvāda. Māyāvāda means the māyā has covered everything; so māyā has covered Kṛṣṇa also. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. "Because māyā has covered me, you and everyone, therefore māyā has covered Kṛṣṇa. Unless Kṛṣṇa or the Absolute Truth, Brahman, becomes covered by māyā, he cannot take a form." This is Māyāvāda philosophy. As we have taken form, because the prakṛti, material nature, has helped us to take this form, similarly, their philosophy is, even the Absolute Truth, Brahman, He incarnates, He accepts a body of this material nature.
Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:
Material civilization means tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ—exchange of fire, water, and earth—that's all. It is just like you see nice doll. What is this nice doll? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. There is earth, water, fire. You mix the earth with water, and make it a nice doll, and put it into the fire and then color it. It will appear just like a very, very beautiful girl. But it is not the fact. Similarly the whole material world is nothing but an imitation of the spiritual world by intermixture of earth, water, and fire—and nothing else.
But because we are not beyond this material existence, we are in the material..., I am identifying with this body, therefore I am thinking that after the finish of this body everything is finished. This is rascaldom, atheism.
Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:
"You have taught us to make like this, so we shall do that. Because you have simply taught us this, how to obey your orders. So anyone who will come, we shall do this." The idea is the slave mentality... The Englishmen, in an organized way, they taught the Indians how to become servant of the Englishmen. We have seen. It is Gandhi's movement that he dismantled this idea of white prestige. Otherwise, we were taught like that. So this imitation of Englishmen... Formerly, in our childhood, it was the advancement of civilization if one could imitate the English fashion. That was. So we should not make that a fashion. Guru is not a fashion.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:
And don't try to become imitator. But the imitation is so strong that even persons who are very much elevated in knowledge, they are also falsely presenting that "I am God." The māyā's influence is so strong that at the last stage... Therefore they fall down. These people, these Māyāvādīs who are trying to become God... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). To merge into the existence of the Supreme. You can merge, but you cannot be equal. That is not possible. Asamordhva. But the Māyāvādīs, they are thinking, "We are as good as Kṛṣṇa." Therefore they do not go to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. Because they think self, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa. But that is a mistake.
Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:
We cannot imitate. Therefore our business is to follow the words of Kṛṣṇa, not to imitate Him. That is suicidal. We shall follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as He is giving in the Bhagavad-gītā, but if we become so rascal to imitate His rāsa-līlā, then we'll go to hell. But the Māyāvādīs, they sometimes do that. That... In the Bhāgavata it is forbidden, that "Imitation of this..." Idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ. What is that verse, vraja..., that...? That "These pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is Viṣṇu, with the gopīs, they should not be..., not only they should be imitated, they should not be thought even within the mind, that 'We can also do like that.' " It is forbidden.
Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:
has no death. He's eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, everlasting, purāṇaḥ, although oldest, na hanyate. The conclusion: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So after the annihilation of this body the soul does not die. He accepts another body. This is our disease. This is called bhava-roga. Bhava-roga means material disease. So Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Living Entity, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) Kṛṣṇa is exactly like us. Or we are imitation of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:
There is another nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: samāśritā ye pada-pallavam-plavam. Just like in the current... The currents are in the ocean. So if you get a nice boat. then you can cross over the currents very nicely. So it is recommended: samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. You have seen the lotus petal. That is also just like boat. Is it not? Like small boat, imitation. So if you get the help of the pada-pallavam, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, bhavam, then by that petal boat, bhavāmbudhir, this great ocean of birth and death, vatsa-padam, it becomes just like the water contained in the hole created by the hoof of a calf.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
So Vaiṣṇava position is not very easy thing, above all qualities. Therefore Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura introduced not to become an imitation of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana, the Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, they are paramahaṁsas. And in Vṛndāvana you'll find so-called bābājīs, they have imitated the dress of Rūpa Gosvāmī—half loincloth—but a biḍi in the mouth. What is this nonsense? Rūpa Gosvāmī used to smoke biḍi? (laughter) Not only that. You'll find in Vṛndāvana so many Rūpa Gosvāmīs are making biḍi. Have you seen in the Gopīnātha Bazaar? They're making trade, biḍis, and shameless. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja introduced this.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
Then when he's practiced, he goes from door to door, and that is called bahūdaka. And then, when he's still more practiced, he becomes a preacher, parivrājakācārya, goes from country to country, state to state, for preaching. And after preaching, when the preaching is advanced to some extent, then he sits down in a place as paramahaṁsa. That is called paramahaṁsa. Different stages. Not that all of a sudden one becomes paramahaṁsa and biḍi also, not like that. Paramahaṁsa stage is not to be imitation. So to stop this imitation, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura introduced this system, sannyāsa. He personally became sannyāsa, and to many of his disciples, he gave sannyāsa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
So we are teaching this real religion. Here is Deity, Kṛṣṇa. So we are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." We are worshiping Deity, Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Lord Kṛṣṇa and Deity. He's Kṛṣṇa. And we are offering obeisances. So the same... This... Therefore it is real religion because we are strictly following the laws of God. Anyābhilāṣitā... We have no other business. So therefore this is real religion, if you take, or real culture, real society—everything real. Because God is real, anything in connection with God, according to His instruction, that is real. All other things are imitation.
Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to practice in this life how to enter Kṛṣṇa's family. You enter Kṛṣṇa's family as you like. There are five rasas: śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, and mādhurya-rasa. That is reflected in this world also, the same. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. This..., this material world is reflection of the spiritual world. Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Here there are rasas, śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa. Here also there is master and servant; there is friend and friend; there is father and mother and the son; there is beloved. Everything is there, but they are imitation, chāya. They are not reality. So if you want real friendship, then make friendship with Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:
We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, simply remembering Kṛṣṇa, man-manāḥ. And this Deity worship, temple worship, is done by the bhaktas. So one who is engaged in this service, he's a devotee. Man-manā bhava mad..., mad-yājī, worship. What is the business of the temple? Simply to worship. Bring flowers for Kṛṣṇa, bring nice foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, cook for Kṛṣṇa, offer it to Kṛṣṇa. Then whatever remnants is there you eat, take kṛṣṇa-prasādam, glorify Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. This devotional service only for Kṛṣṇa. Not that you bring some rascal and make your Kṛṣṇa. No. Real Kṛṣṇa, not imitation Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam. This temple worship is called arcanam.
Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:
We have to work. But God is not like that. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. These are the informations from Vedas, Upaniṣads, that He has nothing to do. Yes. That is real God. If God has to work, God has to do something, then what kind of God He is? Here, the so-called imitation Gods, even a rich man, he does not do anything. And why God will work? Therefore God comes... He's aja, unborn. He comes, janma, karma, He works also. Just like Kṛṣṇa. He worked ordinary cowherd's boy. He worked as ordinary politician. He worked as ordinary philosopher, left the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and so many other instructions, sublime instructions.
Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:
They have no experience, neither they can make any experiment in the laboratory that from matter one can produce life. But every child knows that "My father is life and my mother is life, so I am produced from that combination. I am also life." So life comes from life. The dead body of father, the dead body of mother cannot produce. Any man can understand. Very simple. But these rascals, so-called scientists, they're insisting that life is produced from matter. Insisting, simply. Their only idea is to prove that there is no God. Imitation.
Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:
That Dr. (indistinct) said that imitation barking is very much appreciated. People go to see imitation bark. If you give a sign board that "Here is an expert imitator who can imitate the sounds of all animals," you will purchase tickets ten dollars and go and see how this man is imitating. But you don't care for the real dog who is barking. This is the position. The scientific advance means the imitation barking. That's all. The dog is already there. Everyone can see. The barking is there. But if a scientist can imitate how dog barks, then he's advanced. The already life is being produced millions and millions of lives. Now they are going to check life production. Or we see if a rascal scientist says that "Now I produced one life in laboratory." "Oh, wonderful!" The... Real life they are going to check, and some imitation life he has produced, he gets Nobel Prize. This is going on. This is going on. Simply wasting public money. That's all.
Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:
So you are also changing body. We, everyone we have to change body. Similarly, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has got also ananta-rūpam. Our rūpam, our this form, is imitation of one of the forms of Kṛṣṇa. This is imitation. So but His forms are not like our form. His forms are spiritual. He is existing in different spiritual forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta means unlimited. But every form is spiritual. So He is changing. He is changing, yathā naṭaḥ. He is changing like naṭaḥ. Naṭaḥ means actor, dramatic actor. Just like in the stage the dramatic actor is sometimes coming as a king and next time by changing the dress he is coming as (indistinct). This is an example. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the same but He has got different manifestations. That different manifestation He takes. Why? Bhū-bhāraḥ kṣapitaḥ. Bhū-bhāraḥ. He comes in different forms just to liquidate the burden of the earth, bhū-bhāraḥ. Bhū-bhāraḥ kṣapitaḥ, just to reduce the burden of this earth.
Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:
So what kind of person? Like me? Whole day working, for money? No. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vid... He has nothing to do. See here. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. Simply He is enjoying, playing on flute and enjoying with Rādhārāṇī. That's all. He hasn't got to go to office, to the factory. (laughter) He hasn't got. He is simply to enjoy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). And we also take, imitate that enjoyment. We also want to mix, young boys and girls, dance together. Because we imitate Kṛṣṇa. The same thing is there. With gopīs Kṛṣṇa is dancing. Here also we are dancing, in nightclub, and this club, that club. But that will not give you satisfaction, because it is imitation. If you want real dancing, come to Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.
Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:
This is the description of the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the Brahma-saṁhitā. The first description is, "That planet is made of cintāmaṇi gems." Cintāmaṇi gem means... If you get by chance imitation cintāmaṇi gem, you can turn iron into gold. That is cintāmaṇi gem. So these things are there. One may believe or not believe, but we believe because we believe in the śāstra. So we have no botheration.
Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Los Angeles, July 9, 1974:
The only enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ sarva-loka, bhoktāraṁ sarva-yajñānāṁ sarva-loka... He is the supreme proprietor, supreme being. In the dictionary you will find, "the supreme being." "Supreme being" means nobody can be equal to Him, nobody can be greater than Him. That is, means supreme. So how one can become an imitator of Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. That imitation is possible here in this material world, because they are all rascals. So one rascal may claim that "I am God," imitation, but as soon as he claims like that, any intelligent man knows that he is a rascal. That's all. That very assertion will establish that he is a rascal.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:
Yes, that will please Kṛṣṇa. I have already... Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Those who are in the preaching work, they are very much recognized by Kṛṣṇa. He says, "Nobody is dearer than him, one who is preaching, engaged in the preaching." You see in the Bhagavad-gītā. So those who have stopped preaching work and easy-going imitation, that is not very good. Because how far he's advanced? Because he goes to the forest and he'll think of woman and money, what is the use? By his action, it will be proved. The same way, taking rest, sleeping, and doing everything whimsically. So Kṛṣṇa knows everything. How can you cheat Kṛṣṇa, by so-called forest-going? Because your enemy, your senses have gone with you. So how you can get out by going to the forest? Because your real enemies are your senses. So the enemies, you cannot escape. They'll force you again to these material activities. So what is the use of going to the forest? It is simply show, make show. It has no value. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:
Romantic love is in the spiritual world, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is the origin of romantic love. And here we are trying to imitate, although we are on the platform of lust. It is imitation, shadow, perverted reflection. So actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are trying to reach that platform of real love, exchange of love. The example... One example can be given: just like in diseased conditioned, actually there is no enjoyment, but still, the doctor gives some diet: "You eat this." But he does not enjoy. Eating enjoyment is in healthy life, not in diseased condition.
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:
Therefore it is said here that icchatā abhayam: "Anyone, if he wants fearlessness, saved from being slaughtered, then he must do this." What is that? Sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaraḥ: "The Supreme Lord who is the origin of all living entities, sarvātmā, and He is Bhagavān." Bhagavān means all-powerful, all-opulences. He can do anything and everything. That is Bhagavān. Not that imitation rascals who claim that "I am God," but he cannot do anything—not that kind of Bhagavān. Bhagavān means all-powerful. Whatever He likes, He can do. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, full of six opulences. That is called Bhagavān.
Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:
Children's nature is to imitate, because they have to learn. So nature has given them the propensity to imitate. So the first imitation begins from the parents. So if the parent is nice Kṛṣṇa devotee, naturally the children become devotees. That is the opportunity of taking birth in a Vaiṣṇava family. So you are all Vaiṣṇavas. If your children do not become Vaiṣṇava in the future, then it is a great, I meant to say, fault on your part. So you should be very cautious, careful, that children are not going astray, they are becoming actually Kṛṣṇa conscious. That means you have to imitate, er, you have to be devotee, and they will imitate. By imitation, imitation, imitation, they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will never give it up.
Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:
Woman and money, these are energies of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, and all other things are prakṛti. Prakṛti is enjoyed by the puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's bhoktā. He's the enjoyer. This... In the, in the material world, or spiritual world, the same thing is there. The woman is there, the money is there, and the puruṣa is there, enjoyer is there. But here the puruṣa is imitation. Imitation. Because one who is playing the part of puruṣa, enjoyer, he's not actually puruṣa, but he's prakṛti.
Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:
Some unscrupulous persons, they recite Bhāgavata-saptāha, and the audience gather also for some material benefit. They take it as auspicious activity, śubha-kārya. They don't care for neither the speaker nor the devotee. They don't care for understanding the science of God. They are after some material profit. The professional reader, he reads, he takes some contribution, some money, some clothing, some umbrella, some shoes, some food, some money. In this way, he collects a very lump sum for his maintenance of his family, and the audience also thinks that "By hearing Bhāgavatam, I'll be very much profited materially." This is going on. Bhāgavata-saptāha. Bhāgavata-saptāha, imitation. Parīkṣit Mahārāja heard for one week Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So they are imitating this one week. But where is Parīkṣit and where is Śukadeva? Both of them have got some ulterior purpose to hear Bhāgavata. Therefore it is not affecting. They are hearing Bhāgavata for thousands of years, but still, they are where they were formerly.
Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:
We have simply created a situation. We have not created a situation, Kṛṣṇa has given us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa has given an opportunity: "All right. Imitate. You want to be imitation king in the stage. So feel like this. Play like this. Do like this. People will applaud. 'Oh, a very nice king, very nice.' " That is the... So everyone in this material world, they are playing some part. They wanted, "I want to be prime minister." "All right." "I want to become very big business magnate." "I want to be leader." "I want to be a philosopher." "I want to be a scientist." So all this nonsense, they are trying to play—Kṛṣṇa is giving him the opportunity: "All right." But it is a nonsense, all nonsense. Simple dreaming. Just like you are dreaming. Next moment when the dream is gone, everything is finished. No more tiger, no more jungle, no more... Everything is finished. Similarly, so long this body is continuing, I am thinking, "I am a responsible leader, I am this, I am that." But as soon as this body is finished, oh, these are (indistinct) gone.
Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
It is simply an imitation. So spiritual world, actually. And it is ivābhāti; it appears like that. But those who are fools, they are attached to this ivābhāti. If somebody goes, "Oh, here is nice beautiful woman. Let me embrace," that is foolishness. That is ivābhāti. That is difference. So therefore this very word is used, ivābhāti. Actually it is all matter. But they have been changed into different forms. The Māyāvadi philosophers, they say "It is ivābhāti. There is no form. Therefore make it formless." But our is that ivābhāti means there is form, but this is simply imitation. That is the difference between Māyāvada and They say "Because it is false therefore reality must be zero. It is formless. It must be zero." Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa śūnyavādi. There are no varieties. They will say "No varieties," and somebody will say, "No. It is zero." We say, "No. There is variety." This is ivābhāti. It appears like the reality. It is not real thing. The real is different. A comparison is given: just like water, the desert. There is no water, but it appears like water. But that does not mean there is no water. As soon as you say, ivābhāti, that there is reality, but this is not. It appears like reality. That is the actual meaning of ivābhāti. Iva, like. Ābhāti, appears.
Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:
So we are reciting from our latest edition of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is Third Canto, Part Four. We have finished Third Canto, publishing. This is very important subject matter. The Kapila, the expounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, he instructed to His mother, Devahūti. There are two Kapilas. Real Kapiladeva is Kapila. He expounded Sāṅkhya philosophy to instruct His mother. But later on, some imitation Kapiladeva also appeared—atheistic Sāṅkhya philosophy. He has simply dealt with the twenty-four different elements without information of God. Therefore there are two Kapilas. One Kapila is called the devahūti-putra Kapila; another is atheist Kapila.
Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:
The prapadyante means bhakti-yoga. So the śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is the beginning of bhakti-yoga. Therefore he says, tāni me śraddadhānasya kīrtanyāny anukīrtaya. Anukīrtaya: "Just speak to us by following the paramparā system." Anu. Anu means following. Anu means always, and anu means following. Anu-gamana, anu-karaṇa. Anu-karaṇa means imitation. Anu-gamana means follower and go. So here, anukīrtaya. First of all you must know from the authorities what is the truth. Then you speak. Don't speak nonsense. It will not help you or your followers. That is called anukīrtaya.
Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:
Actually, we are puruṣa, and prakṛti means... Here the so-called woman is also puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. The women, they are also thinking how to enjoy. And man is also thinking how to enjoy. Therefore imitation puruṣa. But actually, they're prakṛti. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. The living entities, they are prakṛti. And they are trying to be puruṣa, enjoyer. This is material world. Therefore they are attached to the three guṇas because they want to enjoy this material world, artificially trying to become puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. As such, they are attached to this material world. And material world means guṇa, tri-guṇa. And according to attachment, they're getting different types of bodies.
Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:
Where you have got bhakti? "Now, I have got very much bhakti to my wife. I love her very much. I take care of her. If I do not see her, I become mad." So this kind of bhakti is not explained here. "I have got bhakti for my family. I have got bhakti my, for country. I have got bhakti for Goddess Durgā. I have got bhakti for the so many demigods..." No. That kind of bhakti will not do. Therefore it is particularly said, bhaktyā bhagavati. Bhagavati, "unto the Supreme..." What kind of Bhagavān? Now, nowadays there are so many Bhagavāns. No, not that kind of imitation Bhagavān, but what kind of? Akhilātmani. You ask this so-called imitation Bhagavān that "Are you akhilātman? Are you present in everyone's heart? Can you say what I am thinking now?"
Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:
Therefore He said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am staying in everyone's heart." So if you are Īśvaraḥ, if you are Bhagavān, are you staying in my heart? Do you know what I am thinking now? So akhilātmani. Everything should be very scrutinizingly studied. Bhakti is only for Bhagavān. Not that "My bhakti for this or that, for this demigod, for that demigod, for my family, for my country, for my society, for my wife, for my cat, for my dog." This is not bhakti. They are imitation only. That is lust. That is desire. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means bhagavati. Bhagavati means akhilātmani.
Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:
So if you do not get varieties of life... Just like we want varieties in this material world. This material world is simply imitation of the spiritual world. So we are attached to the varieties; therefore we are seeking ānanda. But because it is material and we are spiritual being, we cannot enjoy this ānanda, material varieties fully. There are so many defects, inebrieties, and we are seeking that spiritual variety. So if you don't enter into the spiritual world with spiritual variety then you will again fall down. That is called bhakti-yoga.
Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:
So we have to receive knowledge from Bhagavān or from a person who is servant of Bhagavān, not that another imitation Bhagavān. Then you'll spoil your life. That will not help you. Bhagavān says, atha te sampravakṣyāmi. Sam means samyak, in full, full knowledge, not partial. Atha te sampravakṣyāmi. Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpe. Vakṣyāmi. Vakṣyāmi means "I shall speak." Tattvānām. Tattvānām, tattva is one. Absolute Truth, it cannot be two; but there are different phases of understanding the Absolute Truth. Therefore here it is plural number, tattvānām. Tattva is one. That is explained in another place. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Although tattva is realized in different phases, three phases, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahman, impersonal feature, brahmeti paramātmā. First localized feature, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That is Paramātmā. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham.
Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:
So these four, twenty-four elements is covering the spirit soul. This body is made of these twenty-four elements. But above this, there is the soul. And above that, there is the Supersoul. So the atheists, they do not believe in the soul or Supersoul. But they have to believe in these twenty-four elements. Therefore European philosophers, they like this Sāṅkhya philosophy of another Kapila. Here is Kapiladeva. He is the incarnation of God. But another, there is imitation Kapila. He is atheist Kapila. The Sāṅkhya-kārikā, that is very much liked by the European philosophers, because in that Sāṅkhya-kārikā these twenty-four elements are studied very minutely, without any reference to the soul and the Supersoul. That is the difference between two, Sāṅkhya philosophy, atheist Sāṅkhya philosophy, and theist Sāṅkhya philosophy.
Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:
She may not go away" or "He may not go away." Because we are not in the spiritual platform, asad-grahāt, we are simply trying to love the external feature which is asat, which will not exist. Just like if you try to love a doll made of earth, dirt, very nicely painted as they are exhibited in the window of the tailor's shop. Who is going to love that? Nobody is going to. Everyone knows that this is imitation. Similarly, this body is imitation. It is a layer on the spiritual body. The spiritual body, when gives up this body, it has no value. A dead body of a beautiful man or beautiful woman, nobody likes because the spiritual essence is gone. Therefore love is actually on the spiritual platform. Material love is simply superficial, and it will cheat you. We must know this. Asad-grahāt. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5).
Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:
There are so many modern Gods; I do not wish to name. But one modern God, he gave his power to his disciple, and the, when he came into consciousness, then he was crying. The disciple inquired from the guru, "Why you are crying, sir?" "Now I have finished everything. I have given you everything. I have given you everything; therefore I am now finished." That is not spiritual. That is material. I have got hundred rupees. If I pay you hundred rupees, then my pocket is empty. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa can make hundreds of thousands and millions of Kṛṣṇa; still, He is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. The potency is never exhausted. That is called pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).
So this imitation God will not help us. The real God.
Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:
Then we shall commit offense. We shall think that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing like us." How He, Kṛṣṇa is dancing? Kṛṣṇa is dancing with each and every gopī. Can you do that? Then how you can say that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing like us"? If you see the picture, you will find that each and every... Every gopī is thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me." How it is possible? If you dance with imitation... There are many rascals. They imitate that, that "I am Kṛṣṇa, and I can dance also like that." No. It is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). This manifestation, demonstration, is not of this material world. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa. When Kṛṣṇa was dancing, all the gopīs, they left their material body by the side of the husband, but they went to dance. That is spiritual body. That is not material body. So don't indulge in such a way, that "Kṛṣṇa's dancing and our dancing is the same." Then you will be mistaken. That will be offense.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:
Human laws are imitation of God's laws. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The absolute truth is that from where everything emanates. So this human law has come from God. It is only imitation, imperfectly presented, but the principle is the same.
Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:
So this is a chance that even if you are failure in this life, somehow or other, you get chance next life again human form of life, either in a very nice pure brāhmaṇa family or Vaiṣṇava family. Vaiṣṇava family is better than brāhmaṇa family. (break) ...ringing the karatālas, chanting, dancing, offering obeisances to the Lord, temple atmosphere. Don't think it is ordinary opportunity. It is very great opportunity. From the very beginning of life they are getting impression, bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga. These are not going in vain. Even a child is playing karatāla, imitation. Not imitation. He's given the chance. He was previously Vaiṣṇava.
Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:
We have already understood, avadhūta: no conception, no bodily conception, completely. There is a song, deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra kāhāṅ tāra. If one is completely free from the bodily conception of life, as it is shown practically by Ṛṣabhadeva—people are spiting (spitting on him), calling him by ill names, and sometimes passing urine—he doesn't care. This is the example. Āpani ācari prabhu jīveri śikhāya. By imitation, it is not possible. We'll learn more and more about His body, how it was completely spiritual. Na jāyate na mriyate va. In other place the spiritual body is nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ. The... No weapon can cut it, no fire can burn it. These descriptions are there.
Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:
So our preaching is like that. Śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu nityānanda. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥv. This process is adopted not by rascals. Su-medhasaḥ, those who have got good brain, they will take it. So very simple thing, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is approved by the ācāryas, by big, big scholars. So you have no fear of falling down. So take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's first mercy, and then preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You'll be successful. It is not possible nowadays to imitate Ṛṣabhadeva. Just like the Jains, they imitate that. What their imitation...? Not a single Jain up till now has become perfectly in the renounced order of life. So they say so. It was imitated by one king in the South India, and he is the originator, propounder of the Jainism. They say. But you cannot imitate Ṛṣabhadeva. That is not possible in this age. Better try to follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa. Your life will be perfect.
Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:
Here is Ṛṣabhadeva. But in the Kali-yuga it is not possible to imitate ājagara-vṛtti. It is not possible because we are already so weak. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is our position. We are very unfortunate. Every one of us, we are very bad, mandāḥ, bad habits. So it is not possible to imitate Ṛṣabhadeva or Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Don't imitate but try to follow. Anusaraṇa. Anukaraṇa is not good. Anukaraṇa means false imitation. That is called anukaraṇa. And anusaraṇa means to follow. Try to follow as far as possible.
Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:
Unless we become ātmārāma, there is no possibility of happiness. Just like these Gosvāmīs. They were very opulent ministers, but they were not happy. They resigned from the post. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Because there was no happiness. And what they adopted? They adopted the life of a mendicant. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. For doing good to the others they accepted kaupīna-kanthāśritau. So it is not a business of imitation, that "I am following the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī." That is not so easy to become a Rūpa Gosvāmī, ātmārāma. They were busy, very busy in transcendental activities. Simply to give up the family life or big post and come to Vṛndāvana and live cheaply by begging some capati and become Rūpa Gosvāmī, that is not ideal. You should follow Rūpa Gosvāmī, their footprints. Tyaktvā tūrṇam-aśeṣa-maṇḍala. First of all, Rūpa Gosvāmī, their giving up family life was meaningful. But if somebody, out of poverty, he comes to Vṛndāvana to solve the capati problem, (laughter) that is not Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:
Just like a man born is not criminal, but by association he becomes a criminal, or by association he becomes a godly man. It is a question of association. Similarly, the spirit soul, as son of God, he is pure. He is as pure as anything. As God is pure, similarly the son of God is also pure. But as soon as he forgets God and wants to become free, or wants to become imitation God... Here in this material world everyone is trying to become an imitation God. God is one. God cannot be two. But here the struggle for existence means that these, I mean to say, living entities who are put into this material world, every one of them is trying to become an imitation God. Therefore there is struggle. I am trying to... Either collectively or individually, everyone is trying to become a certain type of God. What is that God? God means, I have several times explained that God means the richest man, the richest, famous man, the most famous man, the strongest man, the beautiful man, the learned man, and the renounced man.
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:
God is neither Christian nor Hindu or Muslim or... No. God is God. Just like gold. Gold is gold. Either in the Hindu community, or Muslim community, gold is gold. Because gold is there in some Hindu community, nobody says "Hindu gold." Does anybody say, "It is Hindu gold" or "It is Christian gold"? No. Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. There is no "Hindu God" or "Muslim God" or "Christian God." This is mistake. "We believe God in this way...," that is nonsense. No. God is one, and you have to see what is the characteristic of God. Just like when it is gold, everyone wants to see whether it is actually gold or imitation gold. That we have to see. There cannot be Hindu gold, Muslim gold, Christian gold. No. Simply you have to see whether it is actually gold, acceptable. That should be the subject matter of theology, to know actually what is God and to understand what is our relationship with God.
Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:
So let us get admission by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement propagana, what is this propaganda? He says that "Every one of you become guru." He wants not rascal imitation guru but real guru. That He wants. Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, He said, that "Every one of you become guru." Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. You haven't got to go foreign countries.
Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Chicago, July 9, 1975:
But the thing is that we are living entities, and Kṛṣṇa is also the supreme living entity, and both of us after enjoyment... Because the same quality, we are qualitatively one. As Kṛṣṇa dances with the gopīs, we also try to dance in the ball dance, the same imitation. But the ball dance does not endure. We become frustrated, because it is only shadow. The reality is there. A shadow... Suppose you love a boy or girl. But if it is a shadow, it does not give you actual pleasure. Just like in your country, in the tailor's shop, there are so many beautiful women and beautiful man also, dressed, but nobody is attracted there because you know it is shadow. It is shadow. There is a very nice, beautiful girl in the window, and you pass on. You are not attracted, don't see even, because you know it is false, it is not reality.
Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:
God is also a living entity. He is also like us. In your Bible there is there: "Man is made after God." Is it not? So God is living entity, and we have got this form after the form... God is two-handed; we have got two hands. So that is a fact. This human form of life is made according to the form of Lord. It is imitation; that is real. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But we are thinking that God has no form. Why? Wherefrom you got your form? You are daily praying, "O God, O Father, give us our daily bread," and we accept God as the supreme father. So if I have got form, the father must have got form. It is reasonable. How you say, "There is no form"? This is all not very reasonable argument.
Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976:
So Yamarāja is in charge of punishing according to the gravity of sinful activities. He's meant for punishing. That is just like superintendent of police or something like that, big officer, inspector general of the police department or the minister in charge of law and order. Everything is there in imitation, yato vā imāni bhūtāni jayante, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Wherefrom you get this idea? There must be minister in charge of law and order. Where you get this idea? The idea is there from the original government. And there is the director or the minister in charge of law and order. The Yamarāja is minister in charge. They say it is mythology, it is man's creation. How it is man's creation? Things are going on.
Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:
That is also for pleasing the gopīs. When there was incessant rainfall, all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana became so disturbed, and they had no other friend than Kṛṣṇa. So they appealed, "Kṛṣṇa, do something!" "Yes!" Immediately, He raised the whole hill as umbrella. "Come on under this." So that is Kṛṣṇa. So don't imitate Kṛṣṇa, but hear Kṛṣṇa, what says, then our life is successful. We cannot imitate God. We have to simply follow His order. That is dharma. And if you imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is adharma. Don't try to imitate. There are two words in Sanskrit, anukāraṇa, anusaraṇa. Anukāraṇa means imitation, and anusaraṇa means follow. We have to execute anusaraṇa, follow.
Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- New Orleans Farm, August 1, 1975:
They are all the same, but according to the varieties—yesterday I was speaking of the variety—varieties of desires to serve Kṛṣṇa... So that is spiritual world. And material world? The same varieties are there, imitation, but everyone wants to satisfy sense gratification. There is no desire for serving Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between material world and the spiritual world. In the spiritual world all the varieties are there, and they are all spirit. There is no touch of matter. They are all conscious. When the flower is there in the hand of Kṛṣṇa, in the lotus hand, he is conscious. He is enjoying that "I wanted to serve Kṛṣṇa as flower; now I am enjoying." That is spiritual. They are all conscious. So in this way we shall keep ourself always Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then, even though we fall down just like Bharata Mahārāja fell down, became... He lost one birth. He became too much attached to that animal. He forgot his daily routine work.
Lecture on SB 6.2.1 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1975:
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness meant, not that "I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Now pack it up in the box and see sometimes: 'Oh, I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious.' " My Guru Mahārāja condemned this. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava: "My dear mind, you are thinking that you have become a very good Vaiṣṇava and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and smoking bidi." This imitation has no value. My Guru Mahārāja condemned it. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava: "What a rascal you are. You are thinking that you are Vaiṣṇava." Nirjanera ghare... What is that? I forget now. Tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. Pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, you are very much proud of becoming Vaiṣṇava.
Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:
Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends this. He recommends, not that He has manufactured. He recommends the shastric injunction: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). So the harer nāma or viṣṇu-nāma or devotional service to Viṣṇu... Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). You should always remember this, because sometimes rascals mislead that "Any name." In Bengal it is very popular. There is a party, they chant kālī-kīrtana. "Kālī, Kālī, Kālī," imitation. Or there are so many so-called avatāras. There was another rascal, he added his wife's name. Yes. And the rascal, foolish scholars also accepted.
Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:
So both the spiritual master and the disciple, they became perfect simply by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. This is Bhāgavata-mārga. Simply by hearing and chanting. The spiritual master chanted, recited Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and that is being imitated. Again this karma-kāṇḍīya... This karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, fruitive activities. The smārta brāhmaṇas, they have manufactured a way of bhāgavata-saptaha. That is a farce only because it is imitation of the process adopted by Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. But they are... These people, at the present moment, they are neither Parīkṣit Mahārāja nor Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:
The sahajiyās, they do not know it. They think that "We shall sit in a secluded place and chant, imitating Haridāsa." We have seen it. Their imitation is useless. They fall down. Therefore, they must be always engaged in some activities. Otherwise, he'll be attracted by the modes of ignorance and passion. Etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya. Agha means the reaction of sinful activities.
Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His servant, they are dear both to the sober and rascals. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Because in their mind there is no such discrimination that "Here is a rascal. I shall not talk to him," or "Here is only good man. I shall talk to him." No. Nityānanda Prabhu, He first of all selected, "Oh, here is Jagāi-Mādhāi. All right, first..., My first business is with them," and delivered them. These are the examples. Sādhu. What is sādhu? Sādhu is not with a tilaka and in a secluded place chanting and not coming out and very, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And as soon as the throat is dry, "Oh, biḍi. Give me biḍi." You see? These imitations are going on. You see. Showing just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but chanting, chanting, the throat becomes dry, and immediately assistance of cigarette or biḍi is required, or a gāñjā, (laughter) still more.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:
It is said in the Vedas that we have to follow the footprints of mahājana. Mahājana means great authorized devotees. And they have been described, twelve. Svayambhūr means Lord Brahmā; Nārada, Nārada Muni the great saint; Śambhu, Lord Śiva... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kaumāra (SB 6.3.20)—the four Kumāras, sanat-kumāra ādi. Then Kapila, Kapiladeva, Devahūti's son. There are two Kapilas. So one is imitation; one is real. The real Kapila, He is known therefore Devahūti-putra, "the son of Devahūti." Devahūti was the daughter of Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. So in this way, kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the famous demon. So it is not that a demon's son will be demon. That is not. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by anyone.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
Even Brahmā, he is also worshiping the Supreme God. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). So God is svarāṭ. He is not dependent on any other controller. That is God. We are god, that's all right, but we are controlled even by the material nature, what to speak of other things. So we are not independent. Independent God is Kṛṣṇa. Svarāṭ. He is described as svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. He is not controlled by anyone. That is real God. And we may be god but imitation god or small god. But the great... "God is great." That "great" God is Kṛṣṇa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra. The boys... He was taking the opportunity of teaching his class friend. He was five years old boy and his father was a great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu: "Don't talk of God." So in this way he was in a very precarious condition. Still, because he was a Vaiṣṇava he was taking the opportunity of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:
So these things are not possible in this age. If somebody is imitating, that is simply imitation. So imitation has no value. The real thing is this meditation: you chant and hear. This meditation. Meditation means to absorb your mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is meditation, real meditation. In all the standard scriptures and in yoga practice formula, the whole aim is to concentrate one's mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called samādhi, samādhi, ecstasy. So that ecstasy is immediately brought by this chanting process. You begin chanting and hear for the few seconds or few minutes: you immediately become on the platform of ecstasy.
Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:
But Kṛṣṇa's body is not like that. Kṛṣṇa's body is the same, sat, always the same. Kṛṣṇa's another name is narakṛti. Our body is imitation of Kṛṣṇa's body, not that Kṛṣṇa's body is imitation of our body. No. Kṛṣṇa has got His body, narakṛti, nara-vapu. These things are there. But that vapu is not like this asat. Our body is asat. It will not stay. His body is sac-cid-ānanda. Our body is asat, acit and nirānanda, just opposite. It will not stay, and there is no knowledge, acit, and there is no bliss. Always we are unhappy. So nirākāra means not a body like this. His body is different. Ānanda cinmāyā rasa pratibhavitabhis (Bs. 5.37). Ānanda-cinmāyā. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). His aṅgāni, aṅgāni, parts of the body, are described, sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. I can see with my eyes.
Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:
In Kali-yuga it is very, very difficult to control the mind, to practice meditation. So there is no use of practicing the so-called meditation. Meditation was possible in the Satya-yuga. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum (SB 12.3.52). That is also Viṣṇu, dhyāyataḥ. To meditate upon Lord Viṣṇu. That was possible in the Satya-yuga. It is not possible in the Kali-yuga, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Kali-yuga, this is, even the child, (indistinct). Beginning from the child, a small child, one year old, they are taking part. Practically you can see. They are taking flower, offering. It is imitation, but the effect is there, the same. Either you imitate or you do real, effective. Just like if you touch fire, either knowingly or unknowingly, it will act. It will act. Similarly, sv-alpam apy dharmasya, either this child, the children, they imitate the elderly person offering flower, taking prasādam, offering obeisances, they're as good as their father and mother. This is devotional service.
Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:
So these little boys who are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja mahā-bhāgavata, he is also playing the part of a child, immediately falling down, so these children who are here, even imitation, it will not go in vain. Kṛṣṇa is so kind as it is said here, sva-pāda-mūle-patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ. Although they are innocent children, but when they're offering obeisances to Rādhā-Mādhava it is of value, "Yes, very good." It is going to their credit. It is not bad. Some may think that these boys are brought here and their life is being spoiled.
Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:
So it is no use imitating Rūpa Gosvāmī, to imitate the dress, and then, as soon as there is opportunity, smoke bidi. (laughter) Don't do this nonsense. This is no use, imitation. Anusaraṇa, not anukāraṇa. Anukāraṇa is dangerous. Anusaraṇa. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. This is bhakti. We shall try to follow the footsteps of big, big devotees, sādhus. We cannot... We shall try to follow. Don't try to imitate. That is very dangerous.
Some of our devotees, they left, that "There is no bhajana here," (laughter) and asking me my blessing to find out another guru. So he wants my blessing for find out a guru. So this rascaldom is no good.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:
Impersonal understanding of the Absolute Truth is the beginning of transcendental knowledge. But if you make further progress, you will find Him the Supreme Person. The Supreme Person... Just like we offer our humble prayers, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. He is the original person. In the Bible you will see, "Man is made after God." This feature, this form, is just in imitation of Kṛṣṇa's form. Because Kṛṣṇa has got two hands, because Kṛṣṇa has got two legs, one head, so we are imitation. We are sample God. So just imagine how the original person, the original Personality of Godhead, is opulent, rich, beautiful, famous, so many. All good qualifications, all opulences, are present there.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:
So this bhakti process is to acknowledge the supremacy of God. He is the maintainer of everyone, as it is stated in the Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Eko. Eko. That one, He's also living entity like you and me. Man is made after God. Therefore God has got two hands, two legs; therefore you have got two hands, two legs. Imitation. So that eko, that one, is the maintainer of these many so-called gods. We are also gods in this sense because we are part and parcel of God. Just like a particle of gold is also gold, but that does not mean that the particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is the real understanding of philosophy. We are gods undoubtedly. In which way? Qualitatively. God is gold.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:
One is called the demon, and the other is called the demigod. What is the difference? The demigods are godly. They accept the existence of God, they obey the orders of God, they act in God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas the demons, they don't believe in God, they defy God's regulations, and they want to become imitation God. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was that type of demons, whereas the Brahmā and others, they were not that. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that He īśa. Amy udvijanto bibhrataḥ sarve brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrtayaḥ: "Now, because You have appeared in so fierceful appearance, these persons, these demigods, they have become afraid. So they are Your devotees. So for their pacification, please, You also become pacified."
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
The real basic principle of our materialistic life is dveṣa. Dveṣa means when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the supreme enjoyer?" In this world, in practical experience, we have seen that many people say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed rasa-līlā. Why we shall not?" So this is, imitation rasa-līlā is going on in this material world, but they cannot be satisfied because it is imitation. Just like if a female takes the part of a male and wants to imitate the enjoyment, it is simply false. Similarly, we are constitutionally female, enjoyed, prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Prakṛti means female, enjoyed. So jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
These are separated energy. But apareyam, they are inferior. Apareyam itas tv anyā parā. Besides this material nature, this dull matter, there is another nature: prakṛti, parā prakṛti, the jīva. So the real life is to be enjoyed by the Lord. Enjoyed. That means real life is to become eternal servitor. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is his constitutional position. But by imitation he wants to become the master. And when, iccha, when he develops that desire and envies the Lord, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? I shall be enjoyer also," this is icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Sarge means in this creation.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
Persons who are ignorant of the Vedic principles, śruti, and smṛti, corollaries to the śruti, and Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Maha-purāṇam. So śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101) and pañcarātriki-vidhi, Nārada Pañcarātra. So one should be conversant with all these authoritative scriptures. Without knowing these, if there is an imitation of devotional service, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. Therefore we see that in India the original principle is Vedic principle, but due to so many reasons, there being no real king or government who can control the citizens, or India being for so many years under the control of foreigners, and at the present moment forgetting their own real culture... Not only India, everywhere the same thing. So they are creating disturbances. Disturbances. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization.
Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:
So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī followed strictly the Rūpa Gosvāmī. Just like Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī introduced that a sannyāsī should go for begging alms in motorcar. In motorcar. They should live in palatial buildings. Now if in this age if we follow that rūpānuga... Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī used to live underneath a tree, and if we say now we shall also imitate..., just like there are many bābājīs in Vṛndāvana, they are imitating, a small loincloth but doing all nonsense. So imitation is not required. Real thing is required. How, what is the purpose of Gosvāmī? They say that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe. Somehow or other first of all engage him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is my Guru Mahārāja's gift. He first of all started that there is no need of going to Vṛndāvana and imitate the Gosvāmīs. Live in big, big cities, in big, big palatial houses, but preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:
"We may keep this body, but with this body, if we can play some jugglery, magic, that is perfection of life." Sometimes we see somebody plays some jugglery, magic, little magic, not very nice magic... One cannot show greater magic than Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa, when He was seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill with little finger. So who can show this magic? There are so many imitation Gods, but if I ask him that "You just lift this one hundred kilo burden with your finger," it will be very difficult for him. You see.
So this kind of magic, or this kind of perfection, the devotees do not want.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:
That is the sign of devotee: appreciation (of) the activities of devotee. This appreciation means a devotee who is actually freed from all contamination, he does not find any fault with other devotee. That is the sign. He does not think himself that he is bigger devotee or greater devotee than others. He thinks himself as the lowest of all. As Caitanya, as Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se lagiṣṭha: (CC Adi 5.205) "I am lower than the insect within the stool." Jagāi-mādhāi haite se muñi pāpiṣṭha: "I am greater sinner than Jagāi and Mādhāi." Mora nāma yei laya tāra puṇya kṣaya: "Anyone who takes my name, immediately, all the result of his pious activities becomes vanquished." He's placing like that. Because it is not imitation or any bluff. He's... Any devotee who's actually advanced, he feels like that. Just like great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say that "I have simply collected a few grains of sand in the ocean of knowledge." Yes. He used to say. And actually, that is the fact. Everything is unlimited. So nobody should be proud falsely that he has become a great devotee. Everyone should be very humble.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the supreme īśvara, controller. She is conducting the activities of the material nature. But those who are mūḍhas, they are captivated by the wonderful action of material nature. That is called materialist. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ mohitaḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are bewildered. Nature's business is to keep you fool always. And if you can surpass the bewilderment of material nature, if you agree to be controlled by the supreme controller, then your life is successful. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says that "Here is the controller," ekala, "one." And Kṛṣṇa also says, mām ekam. Not that imitation Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be befooled. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:
Sometimes the rascals imitate rāsa dance. "Kṛṣṇa had rāsa dance; then we can have also rāsa..." But they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is not ordinary ball dance like that. No. It is an imitation, perverted imitation. Because the tendency's there in Kṛṣṇa, therefore we have also got the tendency. But we do not know how to enjoy that dancing spirit. That is our illusion. We think this ordinary dance and Kṛṣṇa's dance is the same thing. No. That dancing, to take part in that dancing, it requires many, many millions of years tapasya. It is not ordinary thing. Itthaṁ brahma-bhūta... There is a verse that kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). To join with the rāsa dance of Kṛṣṇa, or to play with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy, it requires kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, many, many millions of births' pious activities.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.80-95 -- San Francisco, February 10, 1966:
Now these are some of the stages explained, and each item is very important. Sveda: when actually one comes to the perfectional stage of emotion, there is perspiration, perspiration from the body, sveda. Kampa: there is shaking of the body, like this. Yes. Shaking of the body. Romāñca: the hairs stands on the holes, romāñca. Gadgada: he fails to speak. He cannot express his words exactly. Vaivarṇya: there is sometimes paleness of the body. Unmāda: just like a madman. Viṣāda: he becomes morose, very sorry, viṣāda. Dhairya: and calm and quiet. Then garva: he becomes pride, sometimes just like a chivalrous man, pride, proud. Harṣa: ecstasy. And dainya: and humble, humbleness. So these are the symptoms of perfection. So sometimes they imitate. So imitation is no good. It will come. When you are in perfectional stage, these symptoms will automatically come.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.91-2 -- Vrndavana, March 13, 1974:
So she must have been a Vaiṣṇavī or a Vaiṣṇava in her previous life. Because this is an opportunity from the... All our children, those who are born of a Vaiṣṇava father, mother, they are very, very fortunate. From the very beginning of life, they are hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. They are associating with Vaiṣṇava, chanting, dancing. Imitation or fact, it doesn't matter. So they are very, very fortunate children. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ-sañjāyate (BG 6.41). So they are not ordinary children. They are... These children, they're always hankering after associating with devotees, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, coming to us. So they are not ordinary children. The bhakti-saṅge vāsa. This is the very good opportunity, bhakta-saṅge vāsa.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:
Kṛṣṇa exhibited His godly potencies, energies, when He was present. There is no... In the history you won't find another second person like Kṛṣṇa in the whole history of the world. Apart from other points of view, Bhagavad-gītā, that is admitted, spoken by Kṛṣṇa, such deep, profound knowledge—there is no second imitation or second copy like Bhagavad-gītā in the whole world. That is admitted by all scholars, all religionists. Therefore He is pūrṇa-jñāna, pūrṇa-brahma. Bhagavad-gītā is pūrṇa-jñāna. The Bhagavān's one qualification—He is fully wise. Nobody is wiser than Him. That is one of the qualifications. Nobody is richer than Him, nobody is powerful than Him, nobody is influential than Him, nobody is beautiful than Him, and nobody is renouncer than Him. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya. That will be explained.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:
So just imagine that the tree, this is punishment, standing in one place. I saw one tree in San Francisco; they say it is seven thousand years old. So except human form of life, there are eight million different forms of life. And there is little idea in the Darwin's theory of evolution. That is only imitation of the Vedic literature, and he wanted to credit for himself. He presented it pervertedly. But actually, in the Padma Purāṇa the evolution theory is there. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of forms in jīva-jātiṣu, the living entities. They're passing through.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.144-146 -- New York, December 1, 1966:
You have to get license to do any sort of business. Even if you do any nonsense, still, you have to follow the rules and regulation of the government. So Vedas means that we conditioned souls who have come here in this material world to become an imitation Kṛṣṇa, enjoyer... Because Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer, and we are all here imitation enjoyers, imitation... Frogs. Frog's philosophy. So Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He has given you all facility: "All right, you enjoy. You build up. You construct skyscrapers and again break it and again do it. Do it and waste your time." So He gives us facility. He supplies us materials: "All right, you take material." Because He has no scarcity, pūrṇam, He is complete, so whatever you go on taking, you take, you build and break and keep it again.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:
From expansion, there are two kinds of division, prābhava and vaibhava. So prābhava, what is the prābhava expansion? It is given: eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila. Prābhava expansion means the same feature, the same body, but it is distributed in innumerable places. That is called prābhava expansion. The example is, eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila rāse. In the rāsa dance, Kṛṣṇa performed the rāsa dance, not exactly the ball dance... But it is an imitation of that rāsa dance. Because you cannot have any idea of anything without its being originally in Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That is the version of Vedānta-sūtra. Any idea, whatever you... But they are simply perverted reflection. That's all. You cannot get anything, any idea, without its being situated in Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966:
So here it is said, satya-yuge dhyāna karma. This dhyāna, this medi... Why meditation? They were all pure; still, to become purest, dhyāna karma. Kardamake vara dilā yeṅho kṛpā kari. And He gave some, bestowed some blessings to Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni, he was a great penance taker, and he worshiped this incarnation of God, and he was blessed with a son. He was also incarnation of God, Kapila Muni. Kapila Muni. He is also incarnation of God, and He preached the sāṅkhya philosophy, original. Later on, in the, just in this Kali-yuga, there is an imitation sāṅkhya philosophy. So there are two sāṅkhya philosophies: atheistic and nonatheistic. So (non)atheistic sāṅkhya philosophy you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam preached by Kapila. His name was Kapila, Kapila Muni, son of Kardama and Devahūti. His mother's name was Devahūti; His father's name was Kardama.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:
So ekāṁśena, ekāṁśena, this partial, plenary representation of the Supreme Lord, Paramātmā, Viṣṇu, Mahā Viṣṇu, they are also parts and parcels. Viṣṇu parts. Svāṁśa. Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord, expands Himself in two ways. One way is Viṣṇu expansion, and the other way is the jīva, these living entities expansion. We are also expansions of the Supreme Lord. Eko bahu śyāma. He alone, He has become so many. And why? What is the purpose of becoming so many? The purpose is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He wants to enjoy Himself with so many. So practically our creation is for enjoying in the company, in the association of the Supreme Lord. But we thought that it is better to become an imitation God and try to lord it over the material nature. That is not possible; therefore we are suffering.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.49-61 -- New York, January 5, 1967:
Because Kṛṣṇa's energy is manifested here, māyikā... Māyikā means like illusory, imitation, perverted. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham (BG 15.1). Here the tree, the original tree, is presented also, but how it is presented? Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham: "The root is upward, and the branches are downward." I think you may remember. Several times we have discussed. So how the root is upward and branches are downward? Have you seen any tree? Yes. We have seen. Where? In the reservoir of water or in a reflection you see the real tree is upwards, but the reflection is downwards. Therefore this material world is reflection. It is not real. Just day before yesterday I was pointing out the reflection of the sun from this side. So that reflection is playing. It is giving light, everything. But it is reflection, imitation. It has no value. Similarly, all this material world, it appears very nice, as if everything is all right, but nothing is all right. It is simply a temporary illusion. Therefore it is called māyikā.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.19-31 -- San Francisco, January 20, 1967:
So the disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he addressed Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the chief Nārāyaṇa, sākṣād-nārāyaṇa. "We are all imitation Nārāyaṇa, but You are the chief Nārāyaṇa." Vyāsa-sūtrera artha karena ati-manorama. "And Caitanya's Mahāprabhu's special qualification is that He presents Vedānta-sūtra in such a nice way that it is wonderful."
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 Excerpt -- Los Angeles, August 14, 1972:
Man is made after God. We are imitation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not imitation of us. The atheist class, they think that "They have painted a form of God according to one's own feature of the body." What is called? Anthropomorphism. But that is not the fact. Here in this material world we are getting different types of forms of body, 8,400,000's. When we get this human form of body, it is just imitation of Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa has got two hands; we have got two hands. Kṛṣṇa has got two legs; we have got two legs. But the difference of this body and Kṛṣṇa's body is stated in this verse: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). Here, with our hands, we can catch something but we cannot walk. But Kṛṣṇa can walk with His hands. Or with our legs we can simply walk, but we cannot catch something. But Kṛṣṇa can catch also. With our eyes we can see, but we cannot eat. But Kṛṣṇa can see with His eyes and eat also and hear also. That is the explanation of this verse.
Festival Lectures
Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Boston, May 1, 1969:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is the symbolic representation of Vaiṣṇava. So try to be not imitator, but follower. Don't try to imitate: "Oh, Prahlāda Mahārāja was thrown into boiling oil. Let me try, fall into the boiling oil." No. That is imitation. Just first of all you become like Prahlāda Mahārāja, then that will be possible. Don't try to make experimental. (laughter) That is not good. But follow, try to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājanas, great personalities, what they have done, you cannot imitate them. You have to follow them. You have to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, but you cannot imitate them. Then you'll fall down. Anusaraṇa. Not anukaraṇa. Anukaraṇa means imitation; but anusaraṇa, follow. So what Prahlāda Mahārāja did, that we have to follow his example.
Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:
False means the attraction is not real attraction. But there the attraction is real. Here I am attracted with a boy, with a girl—after six months, finished. Because there are so many defects, therefore the attraction does not exist. It is all defective. This body is false, false in the sense it is an imitation. Just like you see one idol in the dress shop, very nice girl standing, but it is a false; similarly, this body made of material elements is not our real body. False. Similarly, the girl's body is false. Therefore, because false, the so-called love and attraction is also false. Therefore our so-called love breaks. There is no love here. It cannot be. There cannot be any love. This is... That tendency is there, but due to this material contamination, lust is going on in the name of love. Actually it is lust.
Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 18.5 -- London, September 5, 1973:
So he was also imitation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Where is the reference in the śāstra? So far Caitanya Mahāprabhu is concerned, there are so many innumerable references, in Mahābhārata, in Bhāgavata, in Purāṇa, in Upaniṣad. Therefore we accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not by rascal's vote that "Let us vote this man is God; then he becomes." So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). He associated with other devotees—Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, then Gadādhara Prabhu and Śrīnivāsa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Whenever Caitanya Mahāprabhu is present, there are so many devotees. Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. So sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. This is the incarnation of Kali.
Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 31, 1977:
See how I am enjoying." Just so that we may have our brain cleared that if we enjoy with Kṛṣṇa, we can enjoy the dance, the paternal love, the conjugal love, the friendly playing with boys, with animals, who is in the garden, in the forest, in the water-same thing is there. Everything is there, all the sporting, but spiritual. So this is Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis (Bs. 5.37). So we are seeking pleasure within this material world. That is imitation. That is not real enjoyment. But the basic principle of enjoyment is there. Here there is imitation enjoyment, love between young boy young girl. So wherefrom it comes? It is there in Kṛṣṇa.
Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 31, 1977:
We, just like we keep so many animals, Kṛṣṇa is also enjoying with the calves. Sometimes with other animal also. Same thing is there. It is simply imitation here. Otherwise, everything is there in the spiritual world. We are mistaking, here, karma-phala-vadya (?). But here is no inebrieties, in the spiritual world. Here it is full of inebrieties. You'll see that Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with the gopīs but there is no inebriety. There is no pregnancy, there is no abortion. That is the beauty. And the material world the love turns into lusty desires and it entails so many difficulties. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). Here sex life means entailed with so many sufferings.
Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakanatha Deity Installation -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:
Low-class born birth is understood due to sinful activities. Low-class birth, animal birth. Sinful activities. But Kṛṣṇa says, pāpa-yonayaḥ, born in sinful families, never mind. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā... If he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by bona fide process, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā. Vyapāśrityā means bona fide process. Not an imitation, bona fide. And bona fide means as they are depicted, as they are described, as they are enjoined in the authorized śāstra like śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañca... (Brs. 1.2.101). Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind in whatever family one is born, sinful family, never mind. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyaḥ, including woman and śūdras and vaiśyas, they are considered as less intelligent. They are considered as less intelligent.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:
You become a fighter and become My devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3). Just see. What is that? He was not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: "You are very dear friend and My devotee." Did he go on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra... So not that imitation. Of course, ultimate is always be absorbed in glorifying the Lord, but not in the beginning. In the beginning you must work very hard; you come to the stage of pure devotional platform. Then you can fully engage yourself meditation or chanting. Not in the beginning. In the beginning you should be very expert and active. That is wanted. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Udilo, from early in the morning, active. "Come on, chant. Come with Me so that others will see. If we make a party chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so in the beginning they may be disturbed because they have been accustomed to sleep up to nine o'clock, but as they will hear, gradually they'll become purified. They'll receive it."
General Lectures
Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:
Just like in the front of your door there is a box—"U.S. Mail," it is written. And you put your letters within that box, and after few days you get reply from your friend that "I have received your letter, and this is such and such, such and such." Now, if somebody puts another box like that, exactly imitation: "Then why shall I spend postage to putting letters in this box, U.S. Mail? I require postage. But then why shall I not put up a box like that? Let me prepare a box like that so that it can go without postage. I want to save postage." Now, he is going on, putting letters in that without postage. And after some time he sees all the letters are lying there; it has not been dispatched—because it is imitation. And the box which is supplied by the post office, that is authorized. In the matter, in material, you will find this box and that imitation box is the same thing. So this is a science.
Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:
So the explanation of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is addressing, addressing the Supreme Lord through the energy, Harā. Harā is the energy, internal energy. Just like when there is... Of course, in your country there is no sun worship, but in India there are persons who are sun worshipers. So they worship sun with so many things. And there is a lamp also. Now, this lamp is a light, but it is being offered for satisfying the sun. Now, sun is so lightful, this light is merely insignificant before the sunlight. But still, because I have no other means, I am getting sunlight, imitation of that light, and offering, and that offering is accepted. So these are spiritual conception. When we gradually make our progressive advancement, these things will be realized.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:
So you can judge from this how God can be imperson? He's person. And Vedic literature informs that He's a person like you and me. And your Bible also says that man is made after God. Not that God is made after man. Your feature, your two hands, two legs, one head, nice eyes, nice face, everything, this is imitation of God's feature. Therefore man is made after God. Not that because we have got two hands, two legs, or one head, therefore artists have imagined a God like us. No. Actually, this version of Bible is truth. Any scripture, there is truth. So the Vedic literatures also say that He is the supreme living entity above all other living entities, every individual living entity.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:
There must be one leader. Any movement, any organization, there must be. And he must be a person. So you can judge from this how God can be imperson? He's person. And Vedic literature informs that He's a person like you and me. And your Bible also says that man is made after God. Not that God is made after man. Your feature, your two hands, two legs, one head, nice eyes, nice face, everything, this is imitation of God's feature. Therefore man is made after God. Not that because we have got two hands, two legs, or one head, therefore artists have imagined a God like us. No. Actually, this version of Bible is truth. Any scripture, there is truth. So the Vedic literatures also say that He is the supreme living entity above all other living entities, every individual living entity.
Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:
In the Satya-yuga it was possible to execute the meditation process. Just like Vālmīki Muni. He meditated for sixty thousands of years to get perfection. So where is your age? Besides that, that process, meditation process, are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to select a secluded place, you have to execute it alone, you have to sit down in such a posture, you have to completely lead a life of celibacy, and so many rules and regulations. So aṣṭāṅga-yoga, meditation, that is not possible. But if you are satisfied by doing some imitation, that is different thing.
Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:
These blunt senses, material senses, they cannot understand śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, beginning from Kṛṣṇa's name. Because devotional service begins from this chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Not of others, only of Viṣṇu. People are imitating. There are so many imitations, that "Why Kṛṣṇa's name? Let there be Kālī's name be chanted." And there are so many rascals, they say that "Either you chant Kali's name or Kṛṣṇa's name, it is all the same." The śāstra does not say. Śāstra says, harer nāmānukīrtanam. Here is also Śrīdhara Swami quotes from śāstras. Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ dhyānaṁ harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa's activities are all wonderful, adbhuta.
Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:
Don't create God: "Here is a incarnation of Kṛṣṇa." Sometimes we accept somebody as God because he says that "I am the same Kṛṣṇa. I am the same Rāma," believing on his word. All right, accept that he may be the same Rāma and same Kṛṣṇa. But when Kṛṣṇa is there, why should we accept an imitation Kṛṣṇa? Why? Suppose if you go to purchase some medicine in a drug shop and the shopkeeper says, "Here is a medicine, sir, which is equally good, but the price is very cheap. You can take it," and if you are sane man, you will say, "No, no. I don't want it. Give me that original. Why shall I take this? Let it be cheaper, but I don't want it." Similarly, why should we accept so-called incarnation of Kṛṣṇa? We should accept Kṛṣṇa, original Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:
So you cannot search out by your material... That. Therefore all these universities, they are setting aside, very difficult subject. They are very much proud by creating a horseless carriage. That's all. Formerly horses were drawing carriages. Now there is motorcar. So they are very much proud: "We have invented horseless carriage." Or wingless bird. There is wing, imitation wing of the aeroplane. But you invent that a soul-less body. Then there is credit. That cannot be... No machine can work without a soul. I was talking of this computer. What is called? Computer? Eh? Computer. But still, a trained man requires to handle the computer.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:
Because everyone knows that "This is false. However beautiful it may be, it is false." But a living woman, if she is beautiful, so many people see her. Because this is real. This is an example. Here the so-called living is also dead, because the body is matter. It is a lump of matter. As soon as the soul goes away from the same beautiful woman, nobody cares to see her. Because it is as good as the doll on the window of tailor shop. So real factor is the spirit soul, and because here everything is made of dead matter, therefore it is simply imitation, reflection. The real thing is in the spiritual world.
Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:
There everything is blissful, transcendental and eternal. Here we have got a little sample, because whatever you have got in this material world, that is simply imitation, a shadow of the original. Sometimes... You can understand that on the desert sometimes it appears there is a vast ocean of water, mirage. But actually there is no water. Those who are animals, they sometimes are misled. They are thirsty, and they think that there is water in the desert, and they run over, but actually there is no water. The animal runs, and the water also advances. In this way, when he becomes too much fatigued, he dies. This is the exact example of this material world.
Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:
So anyway, now it is Śubha Vilāsa Prabhu's duty to bring these imitation Kṛṣṇas.
Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:
There is no devotion unless you go to a guru. Forget it. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First thing is, first business, is to accept a bona fide guru. Otherwise there is no devotion. It is simply false imitation. This is the injunction of Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta sindhu. Ādau gurvāśrayam: "Your first business is to approach bona fide guru and take his āśraya." Otherwise there is no devotion. That has been the defect in the modern society. They imagine. This business should be given up. He must follow. Sādhu-mārgānugāmanam, which is prescribed by the sādhu, guru, you have to accept that. You cannot manufacture your own way.
Philosophy Discussions
Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:
Prabhupāda: Just like a living entity is trying to become master—"I am the monarch of all I survey." That is untruth. The truth is that he is eternal servant. You cannot say that because one is trying to be imitation God, that that is another truth. You cannot say that. That is māyā. There cannot be a second God. God is one. That is truth, absolute truth. Our point is that we do not accept this proposition, that there are two types of truth. That is not at all acceptable. Truth is one.
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Miracles means you cannot conceive how it is being done. The same example, as I said, that if you want to paint one rose flower you require so many things, but that also is not real rose flower. But imitation, it may be perfect, but you have to take so much trouble in collecting the paint, the colors, and your energy, then duration of work, and some day it may come out perfect. But the same energy is working so swiftly that you see automatically a rose flower is coming out. The same example again: just like this airplane, there are thousands of complicated electronic machinery arrangements, but you see that the pilot is simply pushing a button. That's all.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:
Prabhupāda: This is not real fact. This is imitation of the real table. It is fact to a person who has no knowledge of the real. Because it will not exist; that, our reality means which will exist. Otherwise it is not reality.
Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:
Prabhupāda: No. There is eternal..., this is not eternal. This is imitation. Perverted reflection. Reflection is not eternal. As soon as the condition is gone, there is no reflection.
Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:
Prabhupāda: A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation, which we may find somewhere, which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity form, which is called arca-vigraha. This arca-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form. The Lord is omnipotent and all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as arca-vigraha, He can accept the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life.
Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:
Prabhupāda: Everyone is (indistinct) idea: "This is also good, this is also good, this is also good." We say only, only Kṛṣṇa good. We are the only community in the whole world. Because we know. That is the difference. One who does not know, he'll say, "This is also good, this is also good." That means he does not know what is good. Just like one who does not know which one is stone and which one is glass, imitation, glass. But one who knows, "Oh, this is real diamond, and this is only glass, polished glass..." So to distinguish these, what is genuine, which is false, you must have to go to the perfect person who knows it. The inquiry is there. That will lead you. When you ask somebody, "Which one is real?" and then you have to go, you go to such person, you go to the jeweler. Therefore your inquiry will take you to the right person if you are seriously inquisitive.
Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:
Prabhupāda: They imitate. Children's position is imitation. I have seen in other children, one child was two years old and another child was three years old, and they were imitating just like they had seen sexual intercourse of their father. I have seen it. They are playing, lying down, and the male child is laying upon her. I saw it. Imitation. They do not know what is sex, but they will imitate it. That's all.
Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:
Hayagrīva: ...and everyone is sitting in the cave looking, absorbed in the cinema, these forms that are not actual forms but are imitation forms.
Prabhupāda: But that means darkness.
Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:
Prabhupāda: No. The form..., material body is imitation, is false. Real body is the spiritual body. Because the spiritual body has form, the coating of the spiritual body by matter takes a form, as I have already explained, that the shirt and coat originally has no form, but when the shirt and coat is cut by the tailor according the form of the man, it takes a form. So actually this material form is illusion. It is not form. It, it takes the form, and when it is old enough, no more use, it again comes to the original position, earth. "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." This form is made by the material nature. It is just like a machine. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). The soul has its own form, but he is given a machine, a particular machine, which is this body, and therefore he enjoys by wandering throughout the whole universe in different conditions of life.
| Page Title: | Imitation (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Mayapur |
| Created: | 11 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=151, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 151 |