Materialistic men (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"Materialistic men" |"Materialistic-minded men" |"Materialistic-minded men" |"man according to materialistic" |"man grossly materialistic" |"man in materialistic" |"materialistic and envious men" |"materialistic class of men" |"materialistic man" |"materialistic thoughtful men" |"materialistic, puffed-up, monied men" |"men engaged in materialistic" |"men of materialistic" |"men who learn the materialistic" |"men with materialistic"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 69: "What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled, and the time of awakening for all beings is the night for the introspective sage." Purport: "There are two classes of intelligent men. The one is intelligent in material activities for sense gratification, and the other is introspective and awake to the cultivation of self-realization. Activities of the introspective sage or thoughtful man are night for persons materially absorbed. Materialistic persons remain asleep during such a night due to their ignorance of self-realization. The introspective sage, however, remains alert in that night of the materialistic man."

Prabhupāda: Night means when people sleep, and day means when they are awake. This is the understanding of day and night. So one, the materialistic persons, they are sleeping in the matter of spiritual understanding. So therefore the activities which we find in daytime of the materialistic person, actually that is night. For the spiritualistic person, they see that these people they got the facility of self-realization, this human form of life. How they are wasting by sleeping. And the materialistic persons, they are seeing, "Oh, these Kṛṣṇa conscious young boys, they have given up everything and they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. How nonsense. They are sleeping."

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Such sages feel transcendental pleasure in the gradual advancement of spiritual culture, whereas the man in materialistic activities, being asleep to self-realization, dreams of varieties of sense pleasure."

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are dreaming, "Now we shall do this. Next time, I shall have this. Next time, I shall have this. Next time, I shall kill that enemy. Next time, I shall do this." They are planning like that.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "The renounced order of life can be adopted upon being purified by the discharge of the prescribed form of duties. The prescribed form of duties is laid down just to purify the heart of materialistic men. Without the purifying process one cannot attain success by abruptly adopting the fourth order of life, sannyāsa."

Prabhupāda: Renunciation is the fourth order of life according to Vedic civilization. Just like we are a sannyāsī. So we were also householder. I have got my wife, still living. I have got my children. But I have been able to come to this stage of renunciation forgetting my all relationship with my wife and children and family and home because I was trained gradually. I was trained as brahmacārī, as gṛhastha by the mercy of our spiritual master. Therefore I don't feel anything. But abruptly, if we take to sannyāsa order, then... We have seen many persons abruptly taking or without understanding the self-realization process.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Those who are actually serious to go out of this darkness to light, for them this is the lamp. Just like in darkness, if you are helped with a lamp, "Please come this way. Come this way," so you can come out of the darkness. Similarly, atititīrṣatām, one who wants to get liberation from this darkness, for them this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Saṁsāriṇām... Karuṇayā. This is the business of the saintly persons. They are very much compassionate to these materialistic men, saṁsāriṇām. Saṁsārī means they are perpetually rotating, wandering, within this darkness in different forms of life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

"Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on this cream. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of the Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross completely over nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge. There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No materialistic creature, be he the great Brahmā or an insignificant ant, can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness, but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore the materialistic world is called the darkest region of God's creation.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

"Vedānta-sūtra, or the Brahma-sūtra, were compiled by Vyāsadeva with the view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on the cream. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently, he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy," karuṇayā, "boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic man who want to cross completely over the nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge."

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So to become too much rich, too much puffed up with opulence like the two sons of Kuvera, is another chance of being degraded. To remain a little poor is better condition for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our duty should be not to become a very great man in the consideration of these materialistic men. If he wants thousands and millions of dollars, become like a Rockefeller or Ford, that will be great a estimation of these common materialistic man, but from spiritual point of view, such things have no value—unless such opulence is engaged in the service of the Lord. Otherwise, it is the cause of falldown.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1973:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

āha rājā dharma-sutaś

cintayan suhṛdāṁ vadham

prākṛtenātmanā viprāḥ

sneha-moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ

(SB 1.8.47)

Translation: "King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speak."

Prabhupāda: So when friends die, family members die, we talk of that we are not this body. Theo... Not theory; this is actually the fact. I say, you say, everyone says. At least, we have understood from Bhagavad-gītā, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13), the body is different from the soul. And it is also clearly said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). After the destruction of the body, the soul is not destroyed. He remains. He gets another body. Arjuna was also consoled by Kṛṣṇa that "Why you are so much anxious about your grandfather? He will get another body, new body. What is the use of this old body?"

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speak."

Prabhupāda:

āha rājā dharma-sutaś

cintayan suhṛdāṁ vadham

prākṛtenātmanā viprāḥ

sneha-moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ

(SB 1.8.47)

Sneha, love, affection, and moha, illusion. So, prākṛtena. Prākṛtena means on the bodily conception of life. Actually, sneha is different. There are affection in different stages. This morning I was reading the statement of a fisherman who caught Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His trance, and by touching Caitanya Mahāprabhu he became spiritually ecstatic, but he thought that he has become ghostly haunted: "Here is a ghost."

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

We see everywhere. So many scientists come. I say, "You are rascal. You are demon." (laughter) I say it. And they tolerate. I prove that he is a rascal. I prove that he is a rascal, he is a demon. Then he tolerates, "Yes." We have got sufficient strength to prove, any materialistic man, to prove that he is a rascal. That is possible. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate: "If one is practically a devotee of Lord, he doesn't care even personalities like Vidhi." Vidhi means Lord Brahmā. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means such great personalities are taken by perfect devotee as ordinary insect. As ordinary insect has no value, similarly, anyone, however great he may be in this material world, if he is not God conscious, he is no better than the insect. Because it has no value. Because he does not know that he is going to become a dog next life.

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

Now these materialistic men, their activities are described here. Those who have no knowledge of the spiritual world or the spiritual self, simply bodily concept of life like animal, they are gṛha-medhī, compact in this idea. If one can decorate his apartment and decorate his children and wife, he thinks he is the most successful man. Or similarly, national, nation, if you can have nice road, nice car, nice skyscraper, and all facilities for material happiness, then we think that we are perfect nation. But the thing is, unless you know ātma-tattva, self-realization, you do not know what is your next life. The next life is there.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

The worldly men, they are duplicatous (?), speaking something, cheater. That is the, one of the qualification of the materialistic man. He must be cheater. There are four defects: commit mistakes, to be illusioned, to become cheater, and imperfect senses. This is called material life, conditioned life. He must commit mistakes. However a great philosopher... We are talking about the philosophers. So many contradictory things they say. Because he's an ordinary man. How he can say the right thing? It is not possible. The right thing can be said only by liberated person.

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

sādhana-siddha means one has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. That is the position of all materialistic men. Every one of us forgotten. But even though forgotten, the thing is there. It has to be awakened only. And the awakening process is hearing. Just like you are out of your family touch for many years. Practically, you have forgotten. Now, if somebody comes to you, some friend, "Do you remember your child, when he came out, he was such little, and now he is grown-up? Now he's this, that, so on."

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

Do the bellows of the blacksmith not breathe? All around us, do the beasts not eat and discharge semen? The materialistic man of the modern age will argue that life or part of it is never meant for discussion of theosophical or theological arguments. Life is meant for the maximum duration of existence for eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, making merry and enjoying life. The modern man wants to live forever by the advancement of material science, and there are many foolish theories for prolonging life to the maximum duration.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

All around us, do the beasts not eat and discharge semen?" Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda. The materialistic man of the modern age will argue that life, or part of it, is never meant for discussion of theosophical or theological arguments. Life is meant for the maximum duration of existence for eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, making merry and enjoying life. The modern man wants to live forever by the advancement of material science, and there are many foolish theories for prolonging life to the maximum duration. But the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam affirms that life is not meant for so-called economic development or advancement of materialistic science for the hedonistic philosophy of eating, mating, drinking and merrymaking. Life is solely meant for tapasya, for purifying existence so that one may enter into eternal life just after the end of the human form of life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.20 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1976:

Pradyumna: "My dear boys, you are all born of My heart, which is the seat of all spiritual qualities. Therefore you should not be like materialistic and envious men. You should accept your eldest brother, Bharata, who is exalted in devotional service. If you engage yourselves in Bharata's service, your service to him will include My service, and you will rule the citizens automatically."

Prabhupāda:

tasmād bhavanto hṛdayena jātāḥ

sarve mahīyāṁsam amuṁ sanābham

akliṣṭa-buddhyā bharatam bhajadhvaṁ

śuśrūṣaṇaṁ tad bharaṇaṁ prajānām

(SB 5.5.20)

So Ṛṣabhadeva was retiring from the duty of royal position, and before that, He selected, out of His one hundred sons, Bharata as the king, next king. Bharata Mahārāja also very exalted. There is a long history of Bharata Mahārāja. Under his name this land or this earthly planet is called Bhāratavarṣa, on account of Bharata Mahārāja. This planet, the whole planet, was formerly known as Bhāratavarṣa.

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

So the materialistic class of men are undoubtedly very, very intelligent, but their intelligence is being used wrongly. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtinaḥ mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍha means rascal, ass. So by their discoveries, by their materialistic activities, atheistic activities, they're simply disturbing, simply disturbing. That's all. They do not know that, that "I am discovering these material things." If we discuss, we can prolong so many things. Just like in India, when we were children, I saw one advertisement by the Remington typewriter machine company that "This machine has given emancipation to the woman class because they have found some job for typewriting."

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Hamburg, September 7, 1969, (with German Translator):

Dharma means religion, artha means financial facilities, and kāma means sense gratification. And then, when one is baffled in sense gratification, he wants liberation. These four principles are generally followed by the materialistic men. Liberation... When one is baffled in adjusting things to his satisfaction, he wants to become one with the Supreme or with the void.

Festival Lectures

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Appearance Day Nitai-Pada-Kamala Purport -- Los Angeles, January 31, 1969:

Similarly, any materialistic man who comes under the shelter of Lord Nityānanda will immediately feel that relief. Then he says,

nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,

je chāyāy jagata jurāy,

heno nitāi bine bhai, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,

dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khani

He says that "If you are anxious to go back to home, back to Godhead, and become associate with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then the best policy is to take shelter of Nityānanda." Then he says, se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r: "One who has not been able to contact Nityānanda, then one should think of himself that he has simply spoiled his valuable life." Bṛthā janma gelo, bṛthā means for nothing, and janma means life. Gelo tā'r, spoiled. Because he has not made connection with Nityānanda.

General Lectures

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

Always advertisement. Anyone who has got his money in the pocket, he's immediately spending. So for earning money and to spend them or to sleep at night or to enjoy sex life at night. So this is the engagement of a materialistic man throughout the whole day and night. So dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4). But they are so fool that dehāpatya. This body and these children and this wife, this home, dehāpatya-kala..., ātma-sainyeṣu. Just like one feels very confident when he has got a great number of soldiers. Suppose we are fighting somewhere. If I have got a nice arrangement for defensive measure, then I feel confident. Similarly, we are thinking that "This home, this wife, this children, this society, this friendship, this love, this nation, that will give me protection."

Lecture -- Delhi, December 13, 1971:

Nara-Nārāyaṇa: The materialistic man will think, "Well, I am voluntarily giving up my clothing, but I'm involuntarily giving up my body."

Prabhupāda: Voluntarily, involuntarily, that is another thing. Just like a child does not know that his coat is useless, but mother comes and changes the garment. So it is changing, that's a fact. It doesn't matter whether you are changing voluntarily or involuntarily, that is not very important thing. You are changing, that's a fact.