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Interaction (Lectures)

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Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:

This is the lamentable condition of modern civilization. Animal civilization. The animals simply take care of the body, has no information of the soul. So this civilization is animal civilization, mūḍha. Mūḍha means animal, asses. Now if we say to the people in general they'll be angry upon us, but actually this is the position. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). I've several times explained this verse. Yasya ātma-buddhiḥ. Ātmā means self; buddhi, has taken this body as self. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ. But what is this body? The body is nothing but a bag of tri-dhātu, kapha, pitta, vāyu, and its by-products. By mucus, bile and air, by interaction of these three things... Just like this material world, this house. What is this house? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. Anything in this material world, what is that? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. An exchange of fire, water, and earth. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. Exchange.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Yes. Material creation, just like bubbles in the ocean. You have seen standing on the bank of the Pacific Ocean, oh, so many thousands of bubbles created in a second, and again thousands of bubbles gone, in a second. Now, who is crying there? "Oh, so many bubbles were created, and they are gone, they are gone, they are gone." (laughter) It's nonsense. (laughs) So Kṛṣṇa is very nicely giving argument that "If you think there is no soul, it is being manufactured by the interaction of the physical element, so it is just like bubbles in the ocean. So many bubbles are created and destroyed every moment. So what is there cause of lamentation? What is your reason?" Then?

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa says, putting forward the Buddha philosophy which was formerly known as lokāyatikas and vaibhāṣikas... These two kinds of philosophers, they did not believe. Mostly the materialistic philosophers, they have no understanding of the soul. Therefore they have different kinds of theories which we do not accept. Kṛṣṇa says that if you are not sanātanist or followers of the Vedic principles, if you think that your principle and views are different, that by combination of matter this existence coming, atha cainaṁ nitya-jātam... Nityam means by combination of... Just like so many things are taking place by interaction of different material elements. Similarly, if you don't believe in this existence of the soul, if you think that there is no soul, the life is the result of combination of matter, nitya-jātam, and when this combination of matter is some way or other dismantled, then there is no more soul, it is finished. It began at a point by combination of matter, and it ends in a point by disintegration of matter. If you think like that, then also tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho. Kṛṣṇa is criticizing Arjuna, mahā-bāhu. Actually he is mahā-bāhu.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

You should not desire to enjoy the fruit of activity. Then, if I want to enjoy the fruit of my activity, then what it will be? Suppose I am a businessman. I have made a profit of ten million dollars in this year. So do you mean to say that I shall not enjoy this huge amount of money? I shall throw it away? Oh. Yes. The Bhagavad-gītā says that mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You cannot take the fruitive result of your work." Then if I do it, then what it will be? Now, he said, mā karma-phala-hetur bhūḥ: "Don't be cause of your activities. Then you will be bound by the interaction of your activity. Don't be cause of your activity. Then you shall be bound up by the effects of your activity. You don't be cause; then effect will not touch you." Mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi. Then if you say, "Better I shall not do anything," no, that also will not be permitted. You cannot stop acting; at the same time, you cannot take the fruitive result of your activities. And if you think that "Oh, I am not going to..." Just like in India one business friend, he was selling my books. He was telling, "We are not going to make any huge business this year because if we do business, the profit is more. The whole thing will be taken by government by income tax. So we are stopping to work, to have more business." This is the position because our mind is so inclined that if I cannot enjoy the fruit of my activities, then I am disinclined. Perhaps you know.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

This body is made of... According to Ayurvedic medicine system, this body is made of tri-dhātu: tejo-vāri-mṛd. That is also stated in the Bhāgavata, tejo-vāri-mṛd. That means heat, water and earth. Heat, water and earth. The whole material creation is a combination of these three things, tejo-vāri-mṛd. Tejaḥ means heat, or fire, and vāri means water, and mṛd means earth. So this body is earth, matter. These grains, the grains which we eat, that is also earth transformation. And now, by eating grains, this place is transformed. This is also earth. So we are seeing a very nice, beautiful, but it is earth. So it is made by interaction of this heat and water. That is the process going on, nature's creation. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

So anyone who identifies with this body, this bag of these three elements... This is a bag. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu. And from this bag there are many other bags emanated, just like my children. They are also my different bags, production of this bag. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu (SB 10.84.13). One who identifies this bag as "myself"—(break) "I am this body, and the result of my body, these kinsmen, children, and family, or countrymen or society men, they are my own men..."

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

Now, how one can work without any lust? This process is being described by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. In our last meeting we have discussed the previous verse, that we have to... We may begin any gorgeous task. It doesn't matter. But we have to work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not for sense gratification. That will make us free from the interaction of the activities. So long we are attached to work for sense gratification, so long we shall be under this obligation of reaction.

Now, if we want to get out of the reaction of material activity, then this is the formula given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa: kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. Kāma means one's sense gratification. "I want to do this thing for my sense gratification." That is materialism. But if I want to do something which will be satisfactory, which will give satisfaction to Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This very simple thing we are discussing in a different way. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is attained by jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇam. Yes?

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Now, this is the difference between material and spiritual. Try to understand. Just like in the sunshine there is cloud. That cloudy atmosphere is not very good. But when there is bright sunshine you say, congratulate your friend, "Oh, today is very nice day." The sunshine is always there. The cloud also is an interaction of the sunshine. The cloud is nothing but due to excessive heat it absorbs water from the sea or anywhere else and it becomes gas and it stands in the sunshine. But it does not cover all the sunshine.

Similarly Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the original consciousness. As soon as it is clouded by material consciousness. What is that material consciousness? That "It is mine. It is for my sense gratification. That is material consciousness." And if you keep yourself always intact that everything is for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no cloud. The cloud is material. Actually there is no material existence. Just like cloud appears in the sky. It remains temporary for a few day or few hours and again disappears. We do not know where that cloud has gone.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

"The yoga system conceived by Patañjali is referred to herein. In the Yoga-sūtra of Patañjali, the soul is called pratyag-ātmā and parāg-ātmā. As long as the soul is attached to sense enjoyment, it is called parāg-ātmā. The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this is perceived through the breathing system. The Patañjali system of yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air within become favorable for purifying the soul of material affection. According to this yoga system, pratyag-ātmā is the ultimate goal. This pratyag-ātmā is a withdrawal from activities in matter. The senses interact with the sense objects, like the ear for hearing, eyes for seeing, nose for smelling, tongue for tasting, hand for touching, and all of them are thus engaged in activities outside the self. They are called the functions of the prāṇa-vāyu. The apāna-vāyu goes downwards, vyāna-vāyu acts to shrink and expand, samāna-vāyu adjusts equilibrium, udāna-vāyu goes upwards—and when one is enlightened, one engages all these in searching for self-realization."

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

You are speaking that You are sound, You are this light, You are this praṇava, You are bīja, You are also kāma, so many things. So do You mean to say that You are simply in goodness? And what about the other things?" Because there are three qualities of the material world: the modes of goodness and the modes of passion and the modes of darkness. Now, so far Kṛṣṇa has described Himself, that any good thing... Just like sex life in marriage is a good. "That's all right. You are. What about other things?" Then Kṛṣṇa replies. He automatically says that ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāś ca ye.

Whatever there are in this material world, we find interaction of three qualities only: goodness, passion, and ignorance. All manifestations that you are observing, they are different combination of these three qualities. Now that can be made into nine. Three into three equal to nine; nine into nine equal to eighty-one; and so on—go on diluting. But the main background is that three qualities. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Whatever qualities are there," ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāś ca ye, "either goodness or passion or ignorance," matta eveti tān viddhi, "they are all produced from Me.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So we should remember this. But due to the illusion, being covered by the illusion, we don't take account of these miseries. But we must remember that we are always in miseries. An intelligent person who is developed in consciousness, he inquires, "Why I am in miseries? I do not want miseries. Why I am in miseries?" When this question arises, then there is chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. You will find how one becomes, comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You will find, later verses. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna.

So bewildered by this interaction of these three modes of nature, we have forgotten our eternal relationship with God. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that we have to revive. Just like a psychiatrist, they by some lectures revive his consciousness. So we are, more or less, not the person who is going to the psychiatrist, but every one of us more or less mad, bewildered by this material nature. So we have to cure our madness and become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the whole problem. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Param avyayam. Avyayam means which has no end, which never, I mean to say, annihilates. That is called avyayam, eternal, never can be killed. So we are also avyayam.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

The people are suffering because he have been, one has been given all the facilities, as he desires, but because that is his own program, it is not satisfied. If he accepts Kṛṣṇa's program, then he'll be satisfied. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are asking people to follow Kṛṣṇa's program. Don't plan your own rascal program. You'll never be happy. But we are busy for rascal program. We do not know what is happening as a resultant action. That means: yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you work simply for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is called yajña. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Yajña. Or Viṣṇu. Yajñeśvara. So yajñārthe karma, that's nice. You are free from any interaction or resultant action of your karma. You are not responsible.

It is very, very easy to understand. Just like in a office, if you work for the satisfaction the proprietor, then you have no responsibility, either loss or gain, you are free. But if you create your own plan and work for, under your own responsibility, then you'll suffer or enjoy. Actually there is no enjoyment. It is simply suffering. So that is going on. Yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. We are becoming bound up. We have got this body according to the karma of my past life, and again I am creating another series of karma. I'll have to accept another body and finish that karma. Again I'm creating another karma. This is going on.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

And the sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapila's sāṅkhya philosophy, their analytical... The same thing. Revealed scriptures teach the same thing. There is no difference. But above these twenty-four elements, there is time, kāla, time element. That is also representation of the Supreme Lord. And above this time, there is God.

So actually, there are twenty-six different elements which is conducting this material world. Etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam. Kṣetra means this body. Either you take this body or this material world, they are interaction of these twenty-four elements. Either you take the gigantic body of this universe or you take the body of this planet or you take this your body, my body, or a cat's body, dog's body, all these bodies, they are formed of these twenty-four elements, sa-vikāram, by action and reaction. Just like chemically, if you mix one chemical with another chemical, a third element is produced, similarly, originally the reservation of all these elements is called mahat-tattva. It is called pradhāna, upadhāna. So gradually they manifest, they divide by three guṇas. Three guṇas means in the mahat-tattva, in the total material reservoir, three guṇas, three modes of nature, first of all appear and they act with one another, and then gradually, one after another, the twenty-four elements become manifested. Etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position."

Prabhupāda: So the aim of life is always being stressed by Kṛṣṇa, to stop this process of undergoing different changes of body. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Na bhūyo 'bhijāyate. In many place Kṛṣṇa has said this. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is the aim of life. But people are misled by the blind leaders. We can say, "rascal leaders," but it may be very strong language. Kṛṣṇa has said. All persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all such persons have been described as mūḍhas, rascals. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Narādhamāḥ. He has chastised and used very strong words. Ajasram andha-yoniṣu: "I push them into the darkest region of material existence." Actually that is happening. People without God consciousness, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, gradually becoming entrapped in ignorance.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

And the qualities of the prakṛti, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Guṇaiḥ saha. Simply know the earth, water, air, fire.

Just like modern scientists. They are trying to understand. Scientific laboratory means they are analytically studying earth, water, air, physical. Physical studies. Metaphysical. Not metaphysical, physical, physical studies. But they do not know that there are other things of the physical world. That is guṇa. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. How physical changes are taking place, how one physical element is valuable, one physical element is not valuable—that is due to different interactions of the modes of material nature, guṇa. Guṇaiḥ saha. So simply physical elementary study is not sufficient. You must know the guṇaiḥ saha, how the qualities are acting. Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha, sarvathā vartamāno 'pi.

If you have got sufficient knowledge... The knowledge is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply you have to study. You have to take lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā from the right person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). You must learn from a guru who is actually in knowledge of this Vedic literatures, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

That arrangement is made by the material nature. Bhāva, bhāva means nature. Guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. This nature is made of three modes of material nature. And the other nature... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). This bhāva, this material creation, it is also bhāva. Another bhāva, that is sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ. Anya means other. Avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Here the mahat-tattva, the total material energy, is called avyakta. Then, when it is agitated by the glance of the Supreme Lord, the three modes of material nature acts. And by interaction of these three modes of material nature, the whole cosmic manifestation comes into being. This is the... Not theory. This is the fact of creation. Creation, there is machine, or there is electronic working and the buttons are pushed by the Supreme Lord. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His electronic machine is so subtle and powerful that we cannot understand. We say "nature." Because, due to our ignorance, we cannot explain how the nature is working, we give an evasive reply. Just like a flower is coming from the seed. The tree is coming, the flower is coming, the fruit is coming. So we simply give an evasive reply: "By nature, it is coming." But we cannot explain how it is coming.

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

If I become satisfied only with these regulative principles for worshiping the Deity in the temple and following the regulative principle daily, but if I have no other idea, then sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Prākṛta means on the material platform. Such devotee can fall down at any moment, because he's on the prākṛta stage. And prākṛta means this guṇamayī, prakṛti. It is very strong.

So any devotee can fall down if he remains prākṛta-bhakta. So he has to raise himself above this in the madhyama-adhikāra. So here it is said that sva-nirmiteṣu nirviṣṭo bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān. So we are not enjoying actually. We are enjoying the interaction of the three modes of material nature. And we are thinking... The same thing, as my Guru Mahārāja used to say, that licking up the bottle of honey. That is not real honey. You have to open the bottle of the honey and lick up the real honey, then you'll get taste. That is advancement of spiritual knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

You do it." That is nistraiguṇya. Kṛṣṇa is asking him. That is nistraiguṇya. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. The guṇa or nirguṇa, these two words are there in the Vedic literature. When we speak of guṇa, that is, means these three guṇas, three material modes of nature. And nirguṇa means above these three material modes of nature. So actually devotional service is above the three modes of material nature. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).

So when you are actually in pure devotional service, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), being freed from the interaction of the three material modes of nature, that is real transcendental stage of devotional service. So we have to try to go to that platform. Otherwise, we shall remain a prākṛta-bhakta. As it is said here: bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān. We have to become transcendental to the three modes of material nature. That is not very difficult. Simply one has to become very serious and sincere. That's all. As there are directions in the śāstras... As, as I was speaking in this morning, the śāstra... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has given instruction in the Nectar of Devotion how to prosecute.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

So simply manasaiva viśvaṁ sṛjaty avaty atti. This creation, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), the whole creation by the will of the purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, the Supreme Lord, is coming into existence, manifested, again becoming nonmanifest. Guṇair asaṅgaḥ. How it is becoming manifested and nonmanifested? By the interaction of the three material modes of nature. But He is apart from that. Guṇair asaṅgaḥ.

tvaṁ paryaṭann arka iva tri-lokīm
antaś-caro vāyur ivātma-sākṣī
parāvare brahmaṇi dharmato vrataiḥ
snātasya me nyūnam alaṁ vicakṣva
(SB 1.5.7)

"So you are a devotee of such Personality of Godhead. You are recognized devotee. Therefore I request you to find out what is the defect in me that after inquiring, after doing so many books and literatures, I am not happy. So you..." The same thing, as Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, that "The disturbance which I am feeling in this battlefield, that can be solved by You only. Therefore I am surrendering unto You as my spiritual master. No more friendly talks. And You just teach me." So this is the, I mean to say, eternal process. Even Vyāsadeva is surrendering to Nārada. Such a great scholar.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

So how these people, during the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, were free from all kinds of anxieties and diseases? Nādhayo vyādhayaḥ kleśāḥ. If you are in anxiety, then that will create a disease. Our this psychological condition, physiological condition, is working in so subtle way-little shocking, little disturbance will create another disturbance. The Ayurvedic medicine, they treat patients on this principle, how things are disturbed. They have got their calculation: kapha, pitta, vāyu. Tri-dhātu. This body is a composition of these three dhātus. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Kuṇape. This is a bag created by the interaction of the three elements, namely, kapha, pitta, vāyu, bile, mucus and air. This is kavirāja treatment. They can understand the position of these three elements by feeling the pulse. This is Ayurvedic science. If one kavirāja can learn to feel the pulse, he can say everything. He can say when this man will die, today or tomorrow or... Accurately he will say. The pulse beating is so scientifically described in Ayurvedic science. As soon as he fixes up the pulse beating, immediately the formulas are there: "Such kind of pulse beating will create such and such symptoms." So you feel the pulse and inquire the patient, "Are you feeling like this?" If he says, "Yes," then it is confirmed.

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

Bahu-rūpa ivābhāti māyayā bahu-rūpayā. Actually this is māyā, but bahu-rūpayā, by the interaction of the three modes of material nature there are varieties. Similarly in the spiritual world, although the spirit is one, there are also varieties, saṁvit... There are... These three qualities, there it is known... What is that called? Now, just now I forget. Saṁvit sandinī. Sandinī saṁvit. That is described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, there also, varieties. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they have no information of the spiritual world. Therefore they are thinking that spirit means something void of all these varieties. They cannot conceive that in the variety there can be enjoyment. Here they have got very bad experience of varieties. Therefore they want to make... Buddha theory is like that, varieties, varieties—the earth, water, air, fire. So if this body is made of all these varieties, so you make it nirvāṇa; you kill it or dismantle it to the varieties. Just like when anything in this material world, when it is annihilated, it goes. This, our body... Just like when we leave this body, the matter remains there, lump of matter.

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

That is eternal. We have got this experience of this material world. This is not eternal. This is... Just we have got experience of this body. This body is created at a certain stage, and it will stay for some time, and it will transform into many other forms from this body, and then it will dwindle, and then it will vanish. Similarly, the whole material creation is like that. It is created by the interaction of the three modes of material nature. First of all it is a lump of matter, mahat-tattva. It is called mahat-tattva. That mahat-tattva is above this universe, above the sky. Above the sky there are seven layers. Each layer is ten times more than the other layer. In this way, that is called mahat-tattva. Total material elements, they are stocked there. And then these varieties take place. And above that mahat-tattva, there is spiritual world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20), another material nature. That is called Brahmaloka or Vaikuṇṭhaloka. There are also spiritual planets. And above all such planets...

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

So the total energy of material creation is called mahat-tattva or pradhāna. Then, when the mahat-tattva is agitated by the three guṇas, then they become divided into twenty-four elements, catur-viṁśatikaṁ gaṇam-originally one, but agitated by the guṇas. Because material existence means the three guṇas. When there is interaction of the three guṇas, then this one mahat-tattva becomes divided into twenty-four catur-viṁśati tattva. This is called Sāṅkhya philosophy, to analyze and to study the twenty-four elements which is controlling the activities of the whole material world. That is called catur-viṁśati tattva. What are they? Pañcabhiḥ . First the five elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, sky. This is pañcabhiḥ . Then next pañcabhiḥ , tan-mātra, means rūpa, rasa, gandha, śabda, sparśa. Form, rūpa. Rūpa means form; rasa means taste; śabda means sound; rūpa, rasa, śabda-sparśa means touch; and rūpa, rasa, śabda, sparśa, and...? Gandha.

So the sky is known by śabda, sound. This is tan-mātra. This is... By sound, you can understand there is sky. If you clap, there is sound (claps). You understand there is sky. Sky is understood by the śabda.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

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.

So etac catur-viṁśatikaṁ gaṇaṁ prādhānikaṁ viduḥ. Then, by their interaction, so many other things. But the dividing principle is the three guṇas. Three guṇas. Originally these twenty-four element; then they are acting with the three guṇas, and they are creating so many varieties. As I have explained many times, that three into three equal to nine, and nine into nine equal to eighty-one. So at least eighty-one varieties of living entities there should be. But actually, there are eighty-four. Eight million four hundred... Curāśī-lakṣa. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva, jīva-jātiṣu. That evolutionary process is there in the Padma-Purāṇa, in the Vedic literature. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ, then pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam, paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ catur-lak... Everything is there, evolution. So this is the creation, material creation. They are working by the material nature. But behind the material nature there is Kṛṣṇa. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ, mohitaṁ nābhijānāti.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

That boy, the same boy, when he is grown up, he speaks differently than childish way because the body has changed. The body has changed. That is understood. But because we have no very nice brain, we cannot understand that the body is changing. We say, "It is growing." You can say it is growing, but growing is also changing. The original form is changed. That is called growing.

So these elementary principles are there, but they are growing into, or changing into different body by the interaction of the guṇas. That is going on. That is called prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Whatever is being done, that is by the interaction of the three modes of material nature. Actually, it is the prakṛti, or pradhāna. Pradhāna change, come into manifestation. That is called prakṛti. And there are twenty-four elements, and they are changing or growing, whatever you say. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. Unfortunately, people are not given lesson about the Sāṅkhya philosophy in universities, in... If they are given in some philosophical classes—that atheistic philosophy of Kapila, Sāṅkhya philosophy, but not this Sāṅkhya philosophy, theistic Sāṅkhya philosophy.

Lecture on SB 3.26.23-4 -- Bombay, January 1, 1975:

So the process of creation, how, one after another, it takes place, that is described here. So the total energy, mahat-tattva, by interaction, the begins... The moving, the pushing, begins from the bhagavad-vīryatā. Bhagavad-vīrya-sambhavāt. Vīrya means energy. We understand vīrya sometimes—the semina. It is something like that; not exactly the material semina, but potency or energy, spiritual energy. That is the beginning of creation.

So wherefrom the creative energy begins? That is... In the Vedic literature we understand, sa aikṣata: "Simply by glancing." Not... When there is the word vīrya, it does not mean that, as in the material world, we discharge semina by sex intercourse. It is not like that. That vīrya, that energy, can be emanated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead any way. Therefore bhagavad-vīrya-sambhavāt. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Vīryatā we can understand as semina discharged from the genital. It is not like that. Vīryatā, that vīrya or that energy, can be emanated from any part of the body, of the transcendental spiritual body, everywhere. That is called omnipotency. So just like Lord Brahmā was born not from the womb of Lakṣmī Nārāyaṇa... Nārāyaṇa was lying down, and Lakṣmī was present. To beget Lord Brahmā, there was no necessity of taking the help of Lakṣmījī. He sprouted a lotus flower from His navel, and there was Brahmā. So everything is possible from every part of the body, transcendental body.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

Effervescence, yes. There is effervescence. So that effervescent takes place not due to this chemical but due to the chemist who mixes together. Then effervescence takes place, and then the action comes in contact. So modern scientists, they are being unable to see that who is mixing the chemical. Because Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25), therefore the scientist cannot see bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt. They cannot see. They are seeing simply two mixture and mixed together. It is mixing by certain person, but who is mixing, that they cannot see. But that is bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti is working, interaction of two chemicals or many chemicals. They are accepting it that the chemicals were already there. But wherefrom the chemicals came? They say that hydrogen and oxygen mixed together, and the water... Now you see the vast water, not only here, but there are so many other oceans, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean. And not only in this planet, but there are innumerable planets, and innumerable Pacific Oceans are floating in the air. Where you got so much chemical? Who supplied it? If the hydrogen-oxygen is the cause of water, then wherefrom so much chemical came into existence? Of course, they came in existence the same process, as it is stated here. It is coming from the sky, and the sky is generated by bhagavad-vīrya in the tamo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.35-36 -- Bombay, January 12, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is gradually developing up to the stage of rāga-bhakti or parā-bhakti. Then life is successful. In that way we should not be disturbed by these ethereal interactions. As it is stated here, mṛdutvaṁ kaṭhinatvaṁ ca śaityam uṣṇatvam eva ca. We are disturbed by these things. Suppose we are lying on the floor. It is kaṭhinatvam: it is very hard. But if we given a cushion or a nice mattress, that is mṛdutvam. Similarly, śītoṣṇa. Water, sometimes it is felt very chilly, cold, and sometimes it is very hot. The water is the same; according to the change of ethereal arrangement, it is becoming in different position, different condition. And it is the source of pains and pleasure on account of this touch, the skin. The skin is touch. So if we understand fully that "I am not this body," that requires realization, ātmānubhūti.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Just like the air. We cannot see, but we can touch. The air passes. It touches our body. We can understand, "Now the air is passing." Then?

Nitāi: "Visible forms are understood by analytical study of their constitution. The constitution of a certain object is appreciated by its internal action. For example, the form of salt is appreciated by the interaction of salty tastes, and the form of sugar is appreciated by the interaction of sweet tastes. Tastes and the qualitative constitution are the basic principles in understanding the form of an object."

Prabhupāda: So actually, everything has got form, and there is—why not?—the form of God also. He has got virāḍ-rūpa, and He has got small, also, rūpa. We have got experience of the virāḍ-rūpa in the Bhagavad-gītā. But that is not permanent rūpa. Permanent rūpa of Kṛṣṇa: Dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara. He has got two hands and playing on flute. That is permanent rūpa. Virāḍ-rūpa, as it was shown to Arjuna, it is called naimittika, "under certain conditions." That is not eternal rūpa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta... Anādi, eternal.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

Nitāi: "By the interaction of fire and the visual sensation, the subtle element taste evolves under a superior arrangement. From taste, water is produced, and the tongue, which perceives taste, is also manifested."

Prabhupāda:

rūpa-mātrād vikurvāṇāt
tejaso daiva-coditāt
rasa-mātram abhūt tasmād
ambho jihvā rasa-grahaḥ
(SB 3.26.41)

How water is manufactured, that is explained here. The modern scientists, they speak of manufacturing water by combination of two gases: hydrogen, oxygen. May be true to certain extent. But from Vedic literature we understand that by the interaction of form and touch through the agency of fire maybe there is perspiration. Just like when our body becomes too much heated, there is perspiration, the water comes out, similarly, the same process we get the water, ambu.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

Now it is explained by Kapiladeva, how things are developing, everything. This evening we were discussing. Here it is said that jihvā ambhaḥ. They are coming out by interaction of touch sensation, the fire. In this way everything is emanating. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The original source is Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). This is the real science. Everything is coming from Him. So whatever we possess, the physical transformation, the gross body and the subtle mind, intelligence, everything is produced from the original source, Kṛṣṇa. So same thing, when it is utilized by clear understanding, that "Everything is emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So let us utilize it for Kṛṣṇa's service," then we are situated in the daivī-māyā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). This is daivī-prakṛti. And the result is bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ: "Without any deviation they are engaged, the devotees are engaged, in Kṛṣṇa's service." That is the perfection of life. And in this life, so long we are in material condition, we are practicing how to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service twenty-four hours. And when it is perfection... Tataḥ, tattvato jñātvā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

So we are teaching from the very beginning Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they are learning. That is the way. If you simply learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you get so much knowledge how things are developing, how tongue is developing, how the taste is developing, how touch is developing, how fire is working, how heat is working; from the interaction of heat and touch, how things are devel... Everything is explained there. Physical and spiritual, everything is there. So this is bhāgavata-dharma, to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very carefully. Everything is... Every knowledge is there. Kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ. There is no need of reading any other book. Kiṁ vā paraiḥ, in the beginning it is said. Why? Sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate īśvaraḥ. The perfection of life is to understand God. So by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sadyaḥ, immediately, hṛdy avarudhyate īśvaraḥ: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by simply reading Bhāgavatam... He is already there, but immediately He is realized." That is perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

Nitāi: "Due to the interaction of water with the taste perception, the subtle element odor evolves under superior arrangement. Thence the earth and the olfactory sense, by which we can variously experience the aroma of the earth, become manifest."

Prabhupāda:

rasa-mātrād vikurvāṇād
ambhaso daiva-coditāt
gandha-mātram abhūt tasmāt
pṛthvī ghrāṇas tu gandhagaḥ
(SB 3.26.44)

So further analytical study of water is mentioned here by Kapiladeva. So the rasa, taste. Taste changes into gandha, smell. So the taste is created by daiva-coditāt. Taste of everything... Everything is being done, daiva-coditāt, the beginning. But the taste creates the different kinds of fragrance, gandha, smell, within the earth. There is water, there is taste, and taste and formation—either you say chemical or physical changes—it becomes smell. So different kinds of smell there are already within the earth. Simply it brings out by different methods. The scientist does not know.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

The Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything, whatever we see, it has got a source of generation, and that is Brahman, Absolute Truth. So these guṇas, these material guṇas, they are also generated from the Absolute Truth. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā also. But here everything is perverted reflection. Therefore we see in a different way it is represented. Guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham. And those qualities, guṇa-nāma, guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpaiḥ, when the qualities begin to act, they are represented in different varieties, these qualities. These qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance, when they are interacted, they represent in different varieties of representation. Just like when there is quality of goodness, then it is brahmanism. That is the representation of the quality of goodness. And when the quality of passion is represented, that is the quality of kṣatriya. And when the quality of ignorance is represented, that is the presentation of the śūdras. And mixed-up quality of ignorance and passion, that is vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "These four qualitative representation, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya..."

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Dreaming is still waste of time. (laughter)

Guest (2): Is it possible to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness when you are asleep?

Prabhupāda: Dreaming is practically interaction of the activities, mental interaction of the activities in which you are engaged. You dream in different way; I dream in different way. So when the body is tired, it cannot work. It stops functioning. The mind works. So dreaming is the function of the mind. That's all. So... Huh?

Guest (2): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: No. It is not from the spiritual platform. It is from the mental platform. In the spiritual platform, that is called suṣupti. There is no gross or material function of this contamination. So those who are advanced, they also dream Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, that requires time to make little advancement. But after all, dream is the activities of the mind. Just like we work, that is the activities of the gross senses. Similarly, we work also on mental platform. That is called dream.

Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ, eight material elements, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā-bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, sky, and the mind, ahaṅkāra, mind, egotism and khaṁ mano buddhi, and intelligence. These are gross and subtle material elements. Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās traya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ, and these material elements are moving by the interaction of the three material qualities—sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. One who is situated in the sattva-guṇa, he is also existing on these eight material elements. And one who is existing in the modes of passion, he is also existing on the... Brāhmaṇa's body, take for example. Brāhmaṇa is in the sattva-guṇa, and kṣatriya is in the raja-guṇa. Vaiśya is mixed up and śūdra is the tamo-guṇa. So existing means the consciousness according to the contamination of different condition of the guṇas... This condition is the guṇas. Sattva-guṇa, one who is in sattva-guṇa, his consciousness is different from the consciousness of the raja-guṇa. One whose consciousness is raja-guṇa, his consciousness is different from the tamo-guṇa. In this way you will find different types of consciousness. In pure there are three. If they're mixed up-three into three, it becomes nine. Again mixed up-nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. Again mixed up-eighty-one... In this way you will find varieties of life. But they're based on the three types of consciousness—sattva-guṇa consciousness, raja-guṇa consciousness, tamo-guṇa consciousness. So when one is transcendental to this contaminated consciousness, polluted by the three qualities of material nature, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

So Prahlāda Mahārāja: vikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ pumān ekaḥ samanvayāt. Now, these eight elements, they have changed by the interaction of the three guṇas into another sixteen items. What are those sixteen items? Ten items are the senses: five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for enjoying, and five tan-mātra, or objects of sense enjoyment. Just like you have got your eyes. This is the sense for enjoying. What is that? You want to see beautiful things. So there must be beauty. So this beauty is another change, and this eye is also is another change—out of those eight elements. Similarly, you have got your nose. You want to smell very nice aroma. So there is. Nice aromas, there is. You have got nice flower, or you see rose flower, how nice aroma is there. But everything, whatever you see, they are simply interaction of those eight different, differentiated energy and the three guṇas, three qualities.

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

So this analytical study is called sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy, you have heard the name. They very nicely analyze these material elements, and this sāṅkhya philosophy of India is very much appreciated by European philosophers because they are more or less materialists. But the sāṅkhya philosophy, sāṅkhya kara (?), has become very popular in European circle. So vikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ pumān ekaḥ samanvayāt. Now, within this, these sixteen interactional presentation and eight differentiated energies, it makes twenty-four. Within these twenty-four interactions of this material energy, I am sitting. I am soul, spirit soul. Dehas tu sarva-saṅghāto jagat tasthur iti dvidhā (SB 7.6.23). Now, these twenty-four, I mean to say, manifestation, is called this body. And that body are also two kinds. What are? That some bodies are moving, and some bodies are stationary. Just like trees, plants, they are also living entities. They are also living entities, and we, human beings, or animals... There are divisions. Several times we have discussed. There are 8,400,000 of species of life. Out of these, trees and plants they are two millions.

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

Similarly, the bacteria, worms and reptiles, they are sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṇkhayakāḥ, eleven..., 1,100,000's. There are analytical study in the Vedic knowledge. They are experimented, and if you like, can experiment yourself also. Just like the information is that there are 900,000's of aquatics. Now, if you have got power to study how many aquatics are there, you can corroborate. Or two millions of plants and trees and creepers—that also, you can corroborate. But we get from Vedic literature these informations. So these are the different manufactures, different presentation of this interaction of these twenty-four elements. Dehas tu sarva-saṅghāto jagat tasthur iti dvidhā. And this deha, this body, is divided into two classes of body: one class, moving, and one class, not moving, standing stationary.

Atraiva mṛgyaḥ puruṣaḥ neti netīty atat tyajan. Now, if you are intelligent enough, then you can find out the puruṣa. Purusa means the enjoyer. We... I have got this body because I wanted a certain type of enjoyment. So nature has given me a certain type of body. You wanted certain type of enjoyment: the nature has given you a certain type of body. The tiger wanted a certain type of enjoyment, so he, it has got a certain type of body. Similarly, every one of us, in the 8,400,000's of species of life, we have got different bodies. But the soul is there.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

Automatically, the effulgence is coming. Just like the sun, from the sun disc, automatically the heat is profusely distributed and everything is taking place out of His own... The sun-god, or the sun, or the predominating deity in the sun planet, he does not come out to manufacture another planet. He is there. You can understand from this material example how things are being created through the sunlight, how the planets are growing due to sunlight. If there is no sunlight, we'll see all plants will die. That is our experience. And because the sunlight is there, the plant is growing, they are becoming green, they are becoming red, they are becoming flavored. So all interaction of these five elements, water, earth, fire, heat and ether... So wherefrom the sunlight comes? From the sun. Wherefrom the sun comes? From the brahma-jyotir. Wherefrom the brahma-jyotir comes? It is from Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand how Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth or the original source of everything. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin. I am the source of all creation." Bhagavad-gītā says. "And from Me everything is coming." Sarva. Sarva means whatever you can think, everything is coming from... If you think for the time being about the sun, what is the sun? The sun is also coming from Him. Sarvam. Sarvam means including everything. Sarvam ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. He is the origin of Brahmā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

That in the material world there are three qualities: the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, the quality of ignorance. These three qualities are working. We see varieties in this material world due to the interaction of these three qualities. So there are varieties of men. Some of them are in good quality, some of them are in quality of passion, some of them are in the quality of ignorance. Therefore they have got different types of faith also, not that your faith or my faith may be the same, because you may be in the quality of goodness, I may be in the quality of passion or ignorance. So faith is according to the particular quality of the person who is professing that faith. So the sattvic faith, the faith in goodness, that is faith in Brahman, the Supreme. That is called goodness, brahminical faith. And above this... This is sattvic. Sattvic means goodness. So goodness... In the material world even goodness is sometimes contaminated with tinges of passion and ignorance. herefore in the material world nothing can be in pure goodness. So one has to transcend the goodness platform of this material world and come to the platform of pure goodness, śuddha-sattva, where there is no more contamination of passion and ignorance. That platform is called God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.32 -- Mayapur, March 10, 1976:

It is beyond your mathematical calculation, but still, there is calculation in the śāstra, and that is, such hundreds years, is the duration of sthiti. But that sthiti, before Kāraṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the moment, just like we exhale and inhale. So sṛṣṭi-sthiti. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). They take only that much time which is between exhaling and inhaling. That Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu has placed Himself in this material energy, maha-tattva, and by His niśvasa, by His inhaling and exhaling, the material energy is agitated. Then the three guṇas are there. Then, by interaction, counteraction, the whole creation takes place.

Nyasyedam ātmani jagad vilayāmbu-madhye śeṣe. Śeṣe: "Lying down on the Śeṣa-mūrti." Ātmanā nija-sukhānubhavo... "He is not obliged, as we are placed in certain condition of life, being obliged." Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). I have got this body; you have got this body. It is not sukhānubhavaḥ. Here it is said that nija-sukhānubhavaḥ. This is called pastime. He is not obliged, but he takes pleasure. Just like sometimes we take pleasure in a swimming pool, lie down and closing our eyes.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

No. Another name is hydrogeroid. That is the chemical name of mercury. You know it. Hydrogeroid? Yes. Unguentum hydrogeroid. Yes. That is another name of the mercury. Hydrogeroid. So in Sanskrit it is called rasa. Rasāyana. From mercury, rasa, the chemistry is called rasāyana-śāstra. Actually, rasāyana-śāstra, chemical composition, begins from mercury and sulphur. That is the beginning of chemical composition. So rasa-vidhānena, by chemical interaction of sulphur and mercury, if you can add tin and copper, then it becomes gold. You can manufacture gold, provided you know the process, how to mix up copper, tin and mercury. With via media of sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is the mother of chemicals. Without sulphur, you cannot make any chemical composition. Therefore all chemical composition are called sulphate, sulphite, like that. So Sanātana Gosvāmī gives this idea of chemical composition. It appears that he knew how to work with chemicals.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Yes. Just like if you go above the cloud, there is no cloud. That's all. But there is. In a certain portion of the sky, there is cloud. And that cloud is also not permanent. Sometimes sky is clear of all clouds, but sometimes cloud is there. The cloud is generating in the sky and it is vanquished in the sky. Similarly, this material world is sometimes being manifested and sometimes there is no manifestation, simply spiritual. Spiritual is always eternal. The sky, sunshine, is always eternal. Take this crude example. But the cloud is not eternal. It comes and goes, although cloud is a product of the same sunshine. Cloud is not independent. By interaction of sunshine, there is cloud, and that cloud is... There is no cloud. Similarly, this material world is just like cloud. It appears. It acts. When there is cloud, there is torrents of rain. Oh, there are so many productions on account of rain. Everything becomes green. So we give so much importance to the cloud, and it is important also, but it is temporary. As soon as the cloud is over, the greenness is gone. There is no rain. Nothing, nothing. And when the sky is clear, you'll see, "Oh, where is cloud? Where is cloud?" Similarly, this māyā means it appears like the cloud, and it disappears like the cloud, but the eternal brahma-jyotir remains.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Now, Brahmā's description is given here, that bhāsvān yathāśma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ. Just like valuable stone... The example is very nice, valuable stone, just like diamond. Diamond has got power to illuminate. And what is this diamond? The diamond is made by the interaction of sunshine. All these valuable stones, they are products of sunshine. So as the diamond has got power of shining power, it is derived from the sun, or diamond, the moon also, it derives power from the sun, similarly, Brahmā, although he is very powerful, he is known as creator of this universe, but he is just like diamond. He inherits power from the Supreme Lord, so he becomes powerful. Bhāsvān yathāśma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ. That is simply a bit of power. Just like a diamond, diamond also illuminating, but it is not original luminous. Original luminous is sun, and the illumination expanded by diamond is not so valuable as the sunshine. Similarly, Brahmā, although we see him so powerful, he has little power derived from the Supreme Lord. That is the example given here.

Festival Lectures

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

Now He is forwarding the atheistic theory of Kapila, sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy theory is that there is no controller, there is no God, but the world is moving under nature's interaction. Just the modern scientists also say like that. The world... Every action of this material world is being acted... Just like sāṅkhya philosophy is based on this philosophy, that a man and woman is attracted and they have sex life and the son is produced, and there is no other reason for population. Simply a man wants a woman and a woman wants a man. That natural tendency is there, and when they combine together there is a birth of a child. So this is a natural sequence. Sāṅkhya philosophy is based on this principle. They do not believe that above this, there is God. Nirīśa. Above this, there is God. There is God's control. Actually there is God. Sexual intercourse is not the cause of a child. According to Bhāgavata, a living entity, before his death he is, by superior judgement it is thought that "Where this living entity, where this particular man or dog or anything... He is dying. Where it will be placed?" So when that place is sanctioned, the place is selected, that "This particular man should go in such and such body," then he is at once transferred to the semina.

General Lectures

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

Why twice-born? Because one birth is made by father and mother and the next birth is made by Vedic knowledge and spiritual master. This is the system. So nobody is born brāhmaṇa or intelligent class of men, but by cultivation of knowledge, by practice, by good association, one can come to the higher standard of life. And when one is on the platform of goodness, then one has to transcend that platform of goodness and come to the platform of pure goodness. In the material world, even a man is supposed to be very good man, there is possibility of his being affected by the modes of passion and ignorance. But in the transcendental platform, which is called viśuddha-sattva, pure goodness, there is no possibility of interaction of these three qualities of material nature, namely goodness, passion, and ignorance.

Lecture -- Montreal, October 26, 1968:

All young boys and young girls, they are after joyfulness, but they are being frustrated in this material world. That is the inebriety. The spiritual world means these things are there, but without any inebriety. Here we love. A boy loves a girl; a girl loves... But they are frustrated. After few days it is broken. Or if it is married, then again there is divorce. He finds another husband; she finds out another... Like that. These things are not there. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, the love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is never broken. Never broken. That is the significance of the spiritual... They are eternally enjoying the loving affairs. And if you qualify yourself, then you leave this material world, this interaction of the modes of material nature, and be implicated in such things and you become free, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very nice. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious perfectly, you are no longer living in this material world. You are in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo-murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
(SB 10.14.58)

Very nice verse. What is this? It is said, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is compared with a very nice boat. Boat. Just like lotus flower. His everything is like lotus flower. One who has accepted this boat... Because this material world is a great ocean of nescience, darkness.

Lecture Excerpt on Twenty-four Elements -- Los Angeles, November 14, 1968:

And mahat-tattva, the original stock of all material... In this way, they are called twenty-four elements. So this whole creation, whatever material creation we have got, they are made of these twenty-four el... Just like colors. Varieties of color means three colors: yellow, red and blue. Those who are expert in color mixing, they'll mix these three colors into eighty-one colors. Three into three equals nine; nine into nine equals eighty one. So expert colorists, they can display these three colors into eighty-one. Similarly, the material nature, of course, this is one, one energy, but within this energy there are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. By interaction of these three qualities, the manaḥ, buddhi, ahaṅkāra—the subtle elements—are manufactured, and then from the subtle elements, the grosser elements are manufactured. Then their objectives. In this way, the creation is going on. But it requires so much time to create such huge cosmic manifestation, but God is so perfect, as soon as He desires, He says, "Let there be creation." Immediately the creation. That is God.

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

You sacrifice your life for your country. But there is defect. What is that defect? If this is the definition—that a living entity or a person born in that country, he is a national—then why not the animals? They are also born in that country. But we are not expanding our feelings beyond this human society. We don't think animals are national assets. Animals are sent to the slaughterhouse. So this is because the center of national feeling or international feeling is losing. The center is not fixed up. If the center is right, then you can make circle from that center, any number of circles, they'll never overlap. They'll be growing, growing, growing. They'll not interact with one another if the center is all right.

So everyone is feeling nationally or internationally, but the center is missing. Therefore your feeling, your international feeling, my international feeling, your national feeling, my national feeling, they are overlapping. So we have to find out the center. Then you expand your circle, it will not, I mean to say, overlap or counteract. It will go on.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

God has got many energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas we understand that the Supreme Lord has manifold energies, and whatever we see, that is the activities of His energy. Just like electric energy. The energy is coming out from the powerhouse, and by utilizing that electric energy, we are working in so many ways: heater, cooler, this microphone, tape recorder, so many things. But the energy is coming from that powerhouse. Similarly, whatever you are seeing, wonderful action of the material action and reaction, they are simply interaction of different energies of the Lord, heat and light. Any scientist will understand that this whole cosmic manifestation is creation of heat and light, two energies. The two energies are coming from the sun, and the material world is creation of the sunshine, heat and light. Similarly there are two energies of God, heat and light. So one is called material energy, another is called spiritual energy, although both of them coming from the supreme spirit, exactly like heat and light is coming from the sun. But heat is not light; light is not heat. There is distinction. This is called inconceivable one and difference simultaneously.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

There are two ways-gradual and immediate also. Of course, in one sense... (break) ...little force, it goes quickly. The ball has no power. So wonderful things are happening in the material nature due to the will of the Supreme. Everything happening is the same process; it is undergoing the process, but the method, pushed by God, it takes automatically. Just like He created this material nature. It is in the beginning nonmanifest, then gradually it grows three qualities, and by the interaction of qualities so many things come out—the sky comes, and as soon as the sky comes out, there is sound; sound comes, as soon as sound has come out, the ear comes; the controller of the ear comes..., so many things—one after another, one after another, one after another. So the pushing is so perfect that all other things come automatically in perfect order. But foolish people, they are thinking that things are coming automatically out of it, without any background. They don't think there is God. They think that nature, there was a chunk, and the creation was there. And wherefrom the chunk came? That is imperfect observation. Perfect knowledge is you take Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ: (BG 9.10) "under My superintendence."

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Yes. As soon as there is a process, there is a link of everything, one after another, one after another. That is nature's way. Just like in the creation, the first creation is mind. We have got it in the Bhagavad-gītā, first creation is mahat-tattva, the sum total of material energy. Then there is interaction of the three guṇas, qualities, and then mind comes out, ego comes out, intelligence comes out, in this way, one after another. That is explained in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how creation takes place. So the Veda says, sa aikṣata. Sa aikṣata. The Supreme Lord, simply by glancing over... In Bhagavad-gītā also it is said that. But just like we impregnate a woman by sex behavior, but here it is said that He simply glanced over the material nature, total material energy, and the creation begins. Sa aikṣata. So because He is omnipotent, He can impregnate the material nature not by sex behavior but simply by glancing, and the material nature immediately becomes agitated, and things begin to happen. So the original cause is glancing over material nature by God. But we materialists, we cannot think how by simply glancing, the material nature is set into motion. That is material conception.

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: No. That is nonsense. The supreme cause is God. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

Śyāmasundara: Another example, he says that the body has no causal influence on the soul, neither does the soul affect or interact with the body.

Prabhupāda: That is another nonsense. The soul desires something, and to fulfill that desire he gets a certain type of body; therefore soul is the cause of manufacturing a type of body.

Śyāmasundara: He likens the soul and the body to two synchronized clocks, both going at the same speed but separate.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The soul is separate from the body, but the body is going or the body is being manifested on account of the soul's desire. Just like a young child desires how he will become a youth. He sees the youthful energy, gradually he develops or changes his body to a youthful body.

Śyāmasundara: Then is the body really affecting the soul? Does the body really have a causal influence on the soul?

Prabhupāda: No. The soul is unaffected by the body, but the body is helping the soul to fulfill its desires. Just as I am taking the help of this microphone to serve my purpose, but microphone is not influencing me. It is not that microphone is willing that I shall dictate. It is not like that.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that they are not eternal but that the interaction of forms is an eternal process, that one form interacts with another...

Prabhupāda: They cannot explain it. The real is that this form is not eternal, but there is an eternal form. Just like the water. The form of the water on the desert, that is not fact, neither it is eternal. But there is eternal water. Otherwise wherefrom I get this idea here it is water. There is water. Now the presentation of water in the desert, that may be false. The Māyāvādī philosophers they do not know.

Śyāmasundara: But if the universe is rational and everything has a purpose, then this temporary form is also spiritual because it has some kind of purpose.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and that we are utilizing, everything, for the purpose, to make the best use of bad bargain.

Śyāmasundara: Even if someone can't see it, isn't there a purpose?

Prabhupāda: Now why not? Everything can be seen. Without seeing, what is the...? Everything can be seen.

Śyāmasundara: Even if someone, there is someone outside who cannot see it and they're utilizing a car or some object, isn't that object also...

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Then one should be..., intelligent man should be concerned first of all wherefrom this activity came. What is the origin of activity? That is philosophy. You are simply seeing there are... Sometimes we see activity in matter, just like the cloud, cloud is coming on the sky, it is moving, there is activity. But that activity, this material activity, is interaction. That is not real activity. Real activity, just like modern science, they are concerned with the material science, seeing the activity, they are saying it is by nature it is going; rather, a fruit is coming out, a flower is coming out, this is, there is activity. So one should know what is the cause of this activity. They think that it is automatically coming, by nature, nature. They cannot explain. That is not philosophy. But we have to see wherefrom this activity comes. We get answer from Bhagavad-gītā that behind all these material activities there is a brain, there is a... That is God. Just like this machine is working, acting. It is talking. As soon as you press one button it's talking. But a child will say, "Oh, how wonderful this machine is talking." This is childish. One who has got sense, he'll know this talking is not coming automatically. Somebody has talked, and it is simply a record. That is intelligence. So wherefrom the activity is coming?

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: Principle is truth, but the manifestation is temporary. Principle... Just like earth. Just like we hear from Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "This earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego, they are My separated energies." And because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy, and Kṛṣṇa is true, therefore that energy is true. But this interaction of the energy, manifestation of different things out of that energy, that is temporary. Therefore it is called material energy or external energy, temporary manifestation.

Śyāmasundara: What about the proposition that "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: That is also temporary.

Śyāmasundara: That disappears when this universe disappears?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When the universe disappears, everything disappears. Who is going to calculate "Two plus two equals four"? Everything is finished.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Devotee (5): An extrovert is also self-centered, he keeps himself in the center of a large social structure. He only considers his own personality without interacting with others.

Devotee (3): One has more or less one or the other...

Prabhupāda: But how do you say that man is a social animal? How can you avoid society?

Śyāmasundara: An introvert doesn't avoid society, but in all his activities he doesn't relate to others actively. He'll go to school, he goes to the things that he has to do, but he's always very quiet and timid, shy.

Nara-nārāyaṇa: A mouse is an introvert, and a tiger is an extrovert. A tiger is an extrovert. He doesn't care for anyone.

Prabhupāda: But the mouse is also.

Devotee: He's like that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct-many talking together)

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Śyāmasundara: So today we'll finish that psychologist Jung, Carl Jung. As we were discussing before, his idea is that there is a collective unconscious, there is an unconscious state of mind and there is a conscious state of mind. The inner, the working between these two, conscious and unconscious, determines the personality of the living entity. The behavior of the living entity is determined by the interaction between his unconscious and his conscious...

Prabhupāda: That is called, in Sanskrit, (indistinct), (indistinct) and suṣupti. When you are fully conscious, that is called (indistinct). And (indistinct), dreaming, that (indistinct). And another state, suṣupti, no consciousness. That is (indistinct). It is called... Operation?

Śyāmasundara: Anaesthesia.

Prabhupāda: Anaesthetic.

Śyāmasundara: This dreaming state he calls unconscious also.

Prabhupāda: No. That is conscious. I am dreaming, I am conscious. That is not unconscious.

Śyāmasundara: He says that in this dream state...

Prabhupāda: Suppose if a tiger is coming to attack me, I am crying, and people are hearing. How do you say it is unconscious?

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Wherefrom the personality comes? Because you are a living entity, you have got separate identity, therefore I recognize your personality. So without individual soul, how you can think of personality? There is no question of personality unless there is that individual living entity.

Revatīnandana: Is he saying that the self is an entity that tries to coordinate the conscious and unconscious?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Revatīnandana: Or is the self the interaction of the conscious and unconscious.

Śyāmasundara: No. He says that the self strives for an integration and a harmonious balance of the conscious and unconscious dispositions.

Prabhupāda: That, that can be explained in this way. Just like a soul who is now in sleeping state, he can be taught into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that unconscious, if he says unconsciousness, sleeping state, that is integrated. So in that way you can explain. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

jīv jāgo jīv jāgo gauracānda bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole

"You are living entity, just get up, get up, get up! How long you shall sleep in this way under the lap, of the lap of māyā?" Jīv jāgo.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Guru is also another man.

Śyāmasundara: We interact with other people in order to understand ourselves.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So why not the best man-guru? If we require other men to understand, then why not take the best man?

Śyāmasundara: He says because there are other people, that in the presence of others we feel ashamed.

Prabhupāda: No. There are many other people, many people, but we have to take help from others, and I must take help from the best man, who knows things.

Śyāmasundara: He has observed that if I am acting in bad faith, that I will be ashamed in the presence of others.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore you should take advice from a man who can give you right direction, so at the end you may not be ashamed; you may be glorious. That is the injunction of the Vedas: tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to be conversant with that science, transcendental science, one must approach a bona fide guru.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: Or perhaps you have not understood your philosophy; therefore you are so much optimistic.

Revatīnandana: He says there will be struggle against the opposing side. It will overpower the opposing side, make everything communist, and then by interaction of...

Prabhupāda: That is in every sphere. Why communist?

Śyāmasundara: He has another slogan to resolve conflicts within the party of "Unity, criticism, unity." A dialectic. "Unity, criticism... The thesis is unity, the antithesis is criticism..."

Prabhupāda: Then what is his reply to this dialectic proposition, that I say that "You, Mr. Mao, you are not independent. You are controlled."

Śyāmasundara: He'll say, "Yes, I am controlled by the higher truth of the socialist law, communistic law."

Prabhupāda: No, even there is no communistic law, still you are controlled, apart from the communistic law. You are controlled by the nature's law. How you can avoid it?

Śyāmasundara: Well, being only a combination of matter, I must be born and I must die, everyone.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But you want to be independent. You want to be uncontrolled. That is not possible. Why it is not possible? And if you are controlled, who is controlling you? What is the background of that control? So these answers they cannot give. They avoid.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: No. Spiritual world is different. We are speaking of material world. In spiritual world the activity is eternal. In material world activity is not eternal.

Śyāmasundara: But motion, the motion is eternal because everything is moving.

Prabhupāda: Motion is interaction of the three qualities. Just like you put soda and alkali, alkali and acid together, there is a reaction, effervescence. So both of them are material, but in due course of time it reacts, and then creation takes place.

Śyāmasundara: What about activities in the spiritual sky, beyond...?

Prabhupāda: Activities of the spiritual sky, that is eternal. Everything is eternal there.

Śyāmasundara: But... Isn't there motion?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not motion? Because there is living entities. Living entities means life force. There must be motion.

Page Title:Interaction (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari
Created:06 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=62, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:62