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Mode of passion (Other Lectures)

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if I am associating with sattva-guṇa, then next life, I'll get a sattva-guṇa body. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā. (BG 14.18) Sattva-guṇa body means higher standard of life. So similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I'll get a body, next life, passionate.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

Those who are very much passionate, simply wants to enjoy sense enjoyment, they are in the modes of passion.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.172 -- New York, December 14, 1966:

There are three qualities in the material world. Brahmā is the incarnation of the passion, mode of passion, and Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the mode of goodness, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, is the incarnation of the mode of ignorance.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

Now, the description of the spiritual world is that there is no rajas-tamaḥ. These modes of passion and modes of ignorance is not there. Śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means simply goodness, pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance. So pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ. There is no mixed goodness; simply goodness. And na ca kāla-vikramaḥ: "And there is no influence of time." This is the description of the spiritual world: "There is no modes of passion, and there is no modes of ignorance, and there is no influence of time." That means there is simply pure goodness.

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

Now Kṛṣṇa, the Lord Himself, when He accepts the management of these modes of ignorance, He is called Śiva. So Śiva, Śiva is God, but because he is in the department of ignorance, therefore his name is Śiva. He makes śiva. Śiva, another meaning of śiva is "auspicious." These inauspicious persons who are in ignorance, for them, Śiva worship, worship of Lord Śiva, is recommended so that gradually they come to the modes of passion and goodness, and then they are liberated.

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

Those who have got this body from the modes of goodness, they are called brāhmaṇas, or the most intelligent persons. And those who have got their body from the modes of passion, they are called kṣatriyas. They have got creative initiation. And those who are mixed, they are called vaiśyas, or the mercantile community. And those who have got purely body from modes of ignorance, they are called śūdras.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.318-329 -- New York, December 22, 1966:

Nārada questioned him that "So far we know, that you are the supreme, but you also sometimes meditate and worship somebody." So in that connection Brahmā explained that "We are not supreme. We are all appointed agents. Supreme is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti triśakti-dhṛk. Viśvam, this cosmic manifestation, is being maintained by His threefold energies. Triśakti-dhṛk. Triśakti means three kinds of energies. When it is materially conceived, the three kinds of energies are the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. And when they are spiritually conceived, the same three kinds of energies are manifested as spiritual potency, material potency and marginal potency. So anyway, the Lord is always full with different kinds of energies, of which these three are main divisions.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.334-341 -- New York, December 24, 1966:

So in the Satya-yuga, the age of goodness, in that age the meditation was possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). According to injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, meditation is possible in the age of goodness when cent percent people, they are all in the modes of goodness. There are three modes of nature: modes of goodness, modes of passion and modes of ignorance. Similarly, the ages are also conducted by the three modes of material nature.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.334-341 -- New York, December 24, 1966:

Just like in the Bowery Row, street, you will see, so many drunkards, they are lying. They are thinking happy, but others, those are passing on the street, they are seeing they are not happy. So this is going on. So this mode of ignorance and passion has to be removed. Unless we remove that, the modes of passion and ignorance, there is no chance to become peaceful and happy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.337-353 -- New York, December 25, 1966:

There are eighteen purāṇas, purāṇam. Six purāṇas are in the modes of goodness, and six purāṇas are in the modes of passion, and six purāṇas are in the modes of ignorance—for different people. Just like in a best institution, there are different classes, different kinds of books of learning, gradual process.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.337-353 -- New York, December 25, 1966:

So similarly, there are eighteen purāṇas. Those who are in the modes of passion, those who are in the modes of ignorance, they should also have some chance. For them, oh, "You go and you worship this demigod." Because we are, every one of us, hankering for material acquisition.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.354-358 -- New York, December 28, 1966:

Just like Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, they are called sattvika purāṇa, purāṇas in the modes of goodness. There are eighteen purāṇas, six for each quality, modes of the nature. Six, six purāṇas for the person who are in the modes of ignorance, six purāṇas for the person who are in the modes of passion, and six purāṇas for persons who are in the mode of goodness, those who are actually qualified brāhmaṇas. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-purāṇa. Mahā-purāṇa means the topmost of all the purāṇas.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, October 30, 1968:

So to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, and to live in the city, or town, is..., is in the mode of passion, and to live in slaughterhouse and brothel and drunkards, these are the residential quarter in ignorance. And to live in the temple is transcendental, above goodness, pure goodness.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

This dhana, charity—the Bhagavad-gītā says there are three kinds of charities. One charity is in the mode of goodness, one charity is in the mode of passion, and one charity is in the mode of ignorance.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

The seed is the spirit soul, and by material contact it is covered by finer body, intelligence, mind, and ego. And according to the quality of that ego, we develop different kinds of this material gross body. Therefore somebody has developed the body in the modes of goodness, because material nature is divided into three qualities: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Somebody has developed body in the modes of passion. Somebody has developed body in the modes of ignorance. But the root is the spirit soul. And the finer cover is desire, ego, intelligence, mind. And the gross cover is this body.

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Those who are acting, those who are situated on the platform of goodness, they are promoting their existentional status in higher planets. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ (BG 14.18). And those who are in the modes of passion, they will remain here. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And those who are very addicted to all abominable habits, they are clearing their way to hellish life. So to abominable life is these four principles. That we are trying to avoid.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Everyone is trying to become the lord, master of material... That is struggle. Nobody can become lord or master of this material world. But that struggle to become master, they are taking it happiness. They are taking it happiness. That is the nature of persons who are influenced by the modes of passion. They'll work hard, and that will, they will take it is very good, pleasing.

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

Now, the creation of this material world is the three modes of material nature. There is no other cause. There is no other cause. Rajasā coditā meghā varṣanty ambūni sarvataḥ: "So when there is too much heat by, I mean to say, aggravation of the modes of passion, there is evaporation of water, and that becomes cloud, and that is the cause of... The cloud is the cause of rain. Why do you go to this Indra and Candra and all these things?" Just see Kṛṣṇa, how He is speaking atheistically.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

Even if we do not understand, simply if we hear this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma..., one becomes gradually a pious man. Apart from any other realization, he becomes a pious man. In this way, as soon as we hear about God, we become cleansed of all material contamination. Then our three modes of material nature, namely we are... This world is moving under three modes: the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. So generally, people are influenced by the modes of passion and modes of ignorance. Very few people are on the modes of goodness. But this process of hearing about God will gradually place one on the platform of the modes of goodness.

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

Kṛṣṇa is representing as a young boy, sixteen years. Similarly, Rādhārāṇī is also a young girl. They are chanting and They are playing on flute and They're enjoying life. They have got Their associates. So it is not dry, but it is highest perfectional stage, in purity. Not in the material modes of passion and ignorance.

General Lectures

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

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 -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Upendra: Prabhupāda, what is the nature of anger? How is anger...

Prabhupāda: Anger means lust. When you are lusty and your lust is not fulfilled, you become angry. That's all. It is another feature of the lust. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. When you are too much influenced with the modes of passion, you become lusty. And when your lust is not fulfilled, then you are angry, next stage. And next stage is that there is bewilderment. And then next stage is praṇaśyati, then you are lost. Therefore one has to control this lust and anger. This controlling means you have to put yourself in the modes of goodness, not in the modes of passion. There are three modes of material nature: modes of ignorance, modes of passion and modes of goodness. Therefore if anyone wants to know the science of God, then he has to keep himself on the modes of goodness.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

Just like there are many people who are very charitably disposed: they want to make charity, they want to open schools, that want to open hospitals. That is goodness. That is all right. But still it is material; it is not spiritual. Similarly, there are others also who are contacting the modes of passion, just like big, big kings, they are very much anxious or very much ambitious to expand their kingdom. This is called association with the modes of passion. Similarly, there are mixture also, mixture of goodness, passion and ignorance. So according to these different types of mixture, or original quality, there are different classes of men.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

We are now enjoying in the company of different modes of material nature. Some is enjoying life in company with the modes of material nature, goodness, and some is enjoying the modes of passion, and some is enjoying the modes of ignorance. There are three qualities: sattva, rājaḥ, tamaḥ. Sattva is translated as goodness, rājaḥ as passion and tamaḥ as ignorance. And according to these guṇas, different people are there.

Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

And if you keep yourself in the modes of passion, you shall remain within the middle planetary system. This is middle planetary system. This earthly planet, it is called Bhurloka. Then above this there is Bhuvarloka. Then above that, Svarloka. That is heavenly planet. The heavenly planets begins from the moon planet. And... So Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And those who are in the modes of darkness, they go down, down, down. The animal life is also amongst the down, I mean to say, modes of life.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: Now how was it that a great personality like Indra, with his mind, intelligence, and ego all intact, how is it he could become a toad?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can become. So long you are materially existing, your thoughts are under the modes of material mature. So sometimes the thoughts are in the modes of goodness, sometimes the thoughts are in the modes of passion, and sometimes they are in the modes of ignorance and act accordingly. So up and down it is going on. So in order to keep yourself on the standard platform, one should engage himself in devotional service.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Just like in the śāstras it is stated that the human beings, they are being controlled by the modes of passion, so they love to work very hard. And that hard working, they think it is happiness. Actually, everyone is working hard day and night, and because he is getting some money in return, he is thinking that "I am becoming happier." In exchange of a little money he is accepting that hard working is very good. But śāstra says that this hard working for some sense gratification is being done by the hogs and dogs. They are also working hard, and getting some remuneration for food and sense enjoyment.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: I am happier than the beggar because I have got so much money, I have got such a big building." But what is in relation to you? You are eating the same four capatis and have your sex life with your wife, that's all. What is the better advantage you are getting than the hog and poor man? This is because he is in the modes of passion, he is thinking, "I am happier than him." This is called māyā, or illusion.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: But passion is working differently. Unless... Passion is all right, activity, but if you do not know the goal, then you are misled.

Devotee: This philosophy has been adopted by the hippies.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: The mode of passion is truth.

Prabhupāda: Passion is truth, that's all right. But the passion means activities. So where your activity will end? What is the purpose of the activity? You start your car, but if you do not know where to go, then what is the use of starting your car? Simply spoiling your energy and spoiling the petrol.

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: Just like in the prison house the prisoners are kept sometimes chained by some iron shackles and other method, so material nature has given the chain, shackles, of sex life, passion, rajas tamaḥ. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Rajah-guṇah means the modes of passion. So modes of passion means kama, lusty desires, and krodha. When the lusty desires are not fulfilled, one becomes angry. But these things are the means of bondage in this material world.

Philosophy Discussion on Benedict Spinoza:

Hayagrīva: He believed that as long as man is composed of body and soul, he will be under the mode of passion, and as long as the soul is confined to the body, the living entity will necessarily be attached to the physical world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We call it māyā. So that can... The body and soul in the material world is there, and therefore the aim of life is how to separate this soul from material body and remain in his original, spiritual form. That is the whole ideal objective for human life, because as long as he remains attached to the body, and... But he has to change the body. That is our practical experience also.

Page Title:Mode of passion (Other Lectures)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, ChandrasekharaAcarya, Visnu Murti
Created:24 of Apr, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=31, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:31