Mostly (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"mostly"

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

People suffer out of ignorance. That is called pāpa, sin. Any criminal... Mostly, he does not know the real law. He commits something unknowingly, by ignorance, and he becomes a subject of criminal punishment. Therefore ignorance is sinful life. Ignorance. So people should be enlightened from ignorance. And that is real religion. One should be enlightened himself, and one should enlighten others also. That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra. Not the cats and dogs, animals. Manuṣya. On the land of Bhāratavarṣa, one who has taken his birth as a human being... This point is very important.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

So this is a fact. The family affection... Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etat. There is a propensity of men, association with woman, mithunī-bhāvam etat. Everyone is trying to find out a man or woman. And when they unite, that attraction becomes tightly knot. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). Hṛdaya-granthim. And then the economic impetus starts. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. Gṛha, home; kṣetra, land, or the office for earning money; gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children; friends, āpta; and vitta, money—in this way one becomes entangled in the so-called economic development. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). People take to religion mostly for economic development. People go to temple, church, for economic development. "O God, give us our daily bread," in the church they pray. This is economic development. So materially they want... Anyway, they want to be happy materially. That is bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Materially means this body. This body is matter, and I, the person who is living within the body, I am spirit. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe. Asmin dehe, dehinaḥ (BG 2.13). There is the proprietor. We have several times explained, but people do not know this. As soon as one understands that "I am not this body. I am different from this body," then his interest becomes different.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Why one should...? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, that's all. Why should He work? Why God should work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. So because we are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are also trying to achieve that life, that "There will be no, no more to work. Let me accumulate some bank balance, the interest will come, and I shall sit down in a nice apartment, and everything will come automatically and I will enjoy life." That is actually life, because we are part and parcel of God. So God has nothing to do. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. So we also have nothing to do. Why we are working? They are taking, "This is pleasure." This material life means... Because mostly they are infected with two qualities of material modes of nature, namely ignorance and passion. So impeded by this ignorance and passion they are working very hard, just like an ass, and still they are thinking that "I am happy." He comes back to home, working very, very hard in the office, and he thinks, "Now I... My successful... I have earned so much money." This is the nature of material life, that he will work very hard and he will think, "That is my life." This is material life. But actually, if you are actually happy, then why you have to work so hard? But that is nonsense. He is nonsense. He does not know. Therefore the karmīs are called mūḍhas, asses. The ass works hard for the washerman, and the washerman gives him a morsel of grass and he thinks, "I am happy." This is ass mentality. He has worked very hard, but getting that little bunch of grass. He can get it anywhere, but he thinks that "This washerman gives it. Therefore I have to work..." Or he does not know that "I'm working for it." This is ass mentality.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāra nāma kāma (CC Adi 4.165). When one desires one's own sense gratification... In the material world, suppose a boy loves a girl and a girl loves a boy. That is personal sense gratification. As soon as the personal sense gratification is not satisfied, immediately the so-called love is divorced. No more love. In the Kali-yuga, it is stated in the śāstras, dāmpatye ratim eva hi. In... Love between husband and wife will be disturbed as soon as there is no satisfaction of sex desires. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi. And in the Western countries, we find... In our country also, it has already begun; there are so many divorce cases. Mostly the divorce cases take place when there is disturbance in sex, sex satisfaction. So that is lust. But here, in the case of Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, that is different thing. The gopīs used to dress themselves so that Kṛṣṇa will feel satisfied, satisfaction. For Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. They used to dress for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is, of course, very difficult to understand. But we should learn from the śāstras. The gopīs had no sense gratification desire. They wanted to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.2 -- Mayapur, March 26, 1975:

Now these same two brothers have again descended as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-Nityānanda. Sahoditau: simultaneously They have appeared. Not that one is appeared, another is not there. No. Both of Them, sahoditau. And They are compared with the sun and moon. The business of sun and moon is to dissipate darkness. The sun rises during daytime, and the moon rises at night. But this sun and moon, wonderful sun and moon, citrau, They have appeared together. But the business is the same, tamo-nudau. Business is to dissipate darkness, because we are in darkness. We, anyone who is in this material world, he's in darkness. Darkness means ignorant, no knowledge. They are mostly animals. "Why they are animals, so civilized men, so well-dressed and university education degrees? Why they are in darkness?" Yes, they are in darkness. "What is the proof?" The proof is that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the proof. That is their darkness. Ask anybody, item by item, that... Ask, what do they know about Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is ignorant, dark. So that is the proof. How this is proof? Now, Kṛṣṇa says. We do not say; Kṛṣṇa says. How does He say? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā (BG 7.15). Apahṛta-jñānā means that although they have got university degrees, although they are called civilized, advanced in material civilization, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.16 -- Mayapur, April 9, 1975:

So, description of Vṛndāvana, Vṛndāvana and Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa situated there. The Vṛndāvana... Vana means forest, and vṛnda means tulasī. Mostly there are tulasī plants and other trees also, but all the trees are living desire trees, spiritual. They can serve Kṛṣṇa in any way, desire. They have become trees by their voluntary desire. They're all spiritual beings—there is no force—but everyone has got a particular tendency to serve Kṛṣṇa in a different way. So these trees and plants, they are also living beings. They are not ordinary living beings, but they have decided to serve Kṛṣṇa by supplying fruits and flowers. They want that service. Everyone has got his particular propensity. So someone is serving as the land there, someone is serving as the throne, someone is serving as the supplying agent of fruits and flowers, someone is engaged in His service as the gopīs, confidential servitors. The cows, calves, everything—they are all different living entities. They are not made of these material things, material body. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). They are all also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. In one sense they are also Kṛṣṇa; they are not different from Kṛṣṇa. Śakti-śaktimatayor abheda: "The power and the powerful, they are not different, identical." Just like the sun and the sunshine.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1974:

They cannot pay. Even there is such shop... Still there are such shop like Dvārakā, what is, Dhari Ghosa and Bhinna, but they can be taken advantage of, a few people, a few richer section. But formerly even a poor man could eat nice food from purchasing from the confectioner. But daily, daily they are becoming poorer, poorer. Hīna artha. Hīna means devoid of artha, money. So that is another qualification. Another qualification means those who are poorer, they can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. The richer section, they are very proud that "We have got money." But in India even richer section, they were devotees, and still they are devotees. But mostly people, they have become hīna artha, without any money. So for them this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very easy. Take advantage of it. Take advantage of it. Hīnārthādhika-sādhakam. Adhika means greater. Adhika-sādhakam. Śrī-caitanya likhyate asya prema-bhakti-vadānyatā.

Therefore Śrī Kavirāja Gosvāmī is attempting to describe about the magnanimity of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthsite is there, and the annual 488th birth anniversary is going to be held on the 8th March, so I am very glad. I welcome you from all countries. You have taken so much labor to come here. Take advantage of the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu described by the fittest author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and we have tried to translate it as far as possible. Let us discuss.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.149-171 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1967:

Naturally, He attracted the attention of many other sannyāsīs, and they began to come and see Him and offer their respects. And throughout the whole city of Benares His name was immediately advertised: "Oh, such a great sannyāsī has come. He has explained Vedānta-sūtra in a different way, which has captured the mind of all other Māyāvādī sannyāsīs."

So because Benares is a city of pilgrimage, it is not ordinary city, mostly the person who reside in Benares, they are retired life for cultivating spiritual consciousness, but they are almost cent percent impersonalists. Prabhura praśaṁsā kare saba vārāṇasī

vārāṇaṣi-purī āilā śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

purī-saha sarva-loka haila mahā-dhanya

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited this city of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. By His mercy all of them became glorified.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So these things are there, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Manda-bhāgyā, also, very poor. In this age, practically everyone is very poor, mostly, the population. You don't think that in America there is no poor man. There is poor man. Although they are getting money, very large sum of money, but they are utilizing in a different way, and they are poor. There are many poor. Intentionally, they have become poor. So therefore it is called manda-bhāgyā, that this... Each word of the Vedic scriptures is so nice. In spite of... In America I have seen. In spite of ample money and resources, some people have voluntarily accepted to remain as very poor and wretched. Voluntarily. They like that. They have no systematic life. Therefore Bhāgavata says, manda-bhāgyā. If we are unfortunate, even despite all facilities, we cannot be able to accept it. That is called misfortune. Not that in the absence of money and other facilities, one becomes unfortunate, but even in the presence of all these things, one is unfortunate. That is the characteristics of this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Ātmā is there. You have studied Bhagavad-gītā or not? First of all tell me. Do you think ātmā and Paramātmā are the same thing?

Guest (5): Mostly the same thing. Yes. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness. First of all try to understand. That is foolishness. Ātmā and Paramātmā—different.

Guest (5): Advaitavāda, dvaitavāda, viśiṣṭādvaitavāda...

Prabhupāda: No, no. I am talking of Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't bring this vāda, that vāda. In the Bhagavad-gītā the ātmā and Paramātmā is not the same.

Guest (5): No, then, well... We have to accept dualism. There are two...

Prabhupāda: No. Whatever "ism," we are talking of Bhagavad-gītā. So Bhagavad-gītā—ātmā and Paramātmā different.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

Vipina: Mr. Deyani, you have any questions you would like to ask Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Mr. Deyani: Well, I just have one thing here, you stated about Gandhi, and we respect that he was really a great leader of us, but stated one point in your lecture, this thing, that Gandhi, mostly, was a servant of the country, but in India, during that period, I didn't see other religious people or the great leaders of India fighting for the country, and they..., he's the one...

Prabhupāda: That is admitted. Why you are bringing that question? I mean to say that Gandhi gave the best service to you, but your country is so ungrateful that he killed him. That is my point. So the point is that the best service you can give, but you cannot satisfy everyone. That is material.

Mr. Deyani: No, but my question, sir, was that at some point you have to be the servant of the God, you will have to be a servant of your family or the country or something to serve.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975:

And still, as a rascal, I claim that "I am God. I am God." Nobody can claim unnecessarily that one is God. First of all prove that you can maintain all the living entities. You cannot maintain yourself even. You beg from door to door, and how you become God? Very simple question. Because in the Vedas (it is) said that eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one, singular number leader, He maintains all other living entities." That we have got practical experience. He is maintaining within the sand so many crabs. He is maintaining so many ants in the hole of your room. He is maintaining millions of elephants in the African jungle. So out of 8,400,000's of forms of life, mostly 8,300,000 species of life are being maintained by that one maintainer. And some of us so-called civilized, we are trying to maintain ourself. Therefore nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is also consciousness. He is conscious. He is not acetana. Acetana means there is no consciousness. He is conscious, and we are also conscious.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

These, I mean to say, illusioned, māyā-mugdha, illusioned living entities, they have forgotten. They have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Lord. Mostly: "Oh, what is God?" Somebody says, "God is dead." So these things are going on. Not now. Now the number has increased. It is always. So long the world is there, the material world is there, this sort of thing is going on. So māyā-mugdha, illusioned by this external energy, they have no memory that how they are connected with the Supreme Lord. They have no memory. They have forgotten. That there is something like God, altogether they have forgotten by the illusion. Yes. Māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi kṛṣṇa smṛti-jñāna. And just to revive their memory, Kṛṣṇa... Jīvere kṛpāya kaila kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa. Veda-purāṇa. Veda means the Vedic literatures. Veda, real literal meaning is veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. There is a Sanskrit root, vid-dhātu. From that vid-dhātu, veda. Veda means knowledge. And Purāṇa, Purāṇa means supplementary, Vedic instruction described in story form. That is called Purāṇa, story. This Bhāgavata is also one of the Mahā-purāṇa. Mahā-purāṇa means the science of Kṛṣṇa is described in story form. This is called Purāṇa. People better understands in stories, in history.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.125 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

Now, the astrologer says, is giving him, it is figurative, that "If you want to search out the Absolute Truth by ritualistic method..." Mostly people are attached to the particular faith and its ritualistic method. They consider this is everything. Veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. They think that performing these rituals of a particular religion and faith, that is all; no more. So Lord Caitanya says, Lord Caitanya in the shape of that astrologer says, that if you follow—it is given figuratively, that he is searching after the wealth left by his father. Similarly, we have got our father, the Supreme, and He is the supreme proprietor of everything. If we try to find out our father and father's property by the ritualistic process—there are ritualistic processes in every religion and in every scripture—but if we stick to that, then the result will be they will be entrapped by the search, fanaticism, and it will be not possible to make progress. This is called dakṣiṇa system. Dakṣiṇa, dakṣiṇa means if he is giving him instruction that "Your house is bounded by east side, west side, north side and south side. So if you go to the south..." South is translated into Sanskrit, dakṣiṇa. And dakṣiṇa also means giving something to the priest in respect of his service for performing rituals. So this is figuratively being used, dakṣiṇa. Dakṣiṇa means priesthood. If you follow the priesthood, then the result will be that 'bhīmarula-barulī' uṭhibe, dhana nā pāibe.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that these karmīs, the jñānīs... In another place, in His instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī, He has said that in the human society there are different kinds of people. Out of that, those who are followers of the Vedic civilization, they are supposed to be first-class human being. So out of the followers of Vedic civilization, mostly they say that "We are followers of Vedic civilization," but actually they do not do. Actually, they, I mean to say, indulge in anything which is not sanctioned by the Vedic knowledge or Vedic scriptures. Take, for example, that in our Vedic civilization, these four things are prohibited: illicit sex life, animal-killing, intoxication, and gambling. This is the preliminary understanding. Especially those who are higher caste—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—they are strictly forbidden. That is the Vedic injunction. But although we pose ourself followers of Vedic injunction, we indulge in these things. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Most people, they call themselves as followers of Vedic civilization, but actually they do not obey all the rules and regulations." Then again He says that "Persons who are actually trying to follow the Vedic rules and regulations, mostly they are karmīs." Karmīs means they are attracted by the ritualistic ceremonies just like performing great sacrifices, yajña, for elevating oneself to the higher planetary system.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

So far Buddha is concerned, he's also considered śaktyāveśa avatāra. He preached this nirvāṇa philosophy. Although he did not speak about God, because it is considered that he was himself God, but the people amongst whom he preached, they were mostly atheistic people; therefore he did not preach about God. But he did not deny also. He simply wanted to make extinction of this present worldly activities. That was, yes... Nirvāṇa. And he represented the sacrifice of renouncement. He..., you may remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His six opulences, one opulence is renouncement. So Lord Buddha's life is renouncement. He was prince. He, he was in a very young time. He renounced the world and underwent severe penances. These are the symptoms by which we can understand that he's also śaktyāveśa avatāra. And the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anyone, not only Lord Buddha or others, but anyone, Lord, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, anyone who has got some extraordinary power, uncommon power, he's to be considered vibhu. Śaktyāveśa avatāra, there are two kinds, one directly empowered for particular mission, comes from the transcendental spiritual sky, and others, those who are in this material world, but they have got some specific power, uncommon power, not found in ordinary man. They are called vibhūti. This vibhūti (is) explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'ṁśa sambhavam. That is out of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:

Everyone is: "Oh, what is God? What is God?" especially in this age. So this impersonalism is another type of atheism, and this impersonal theory of the Absolute Truth has converted practically the major portion of the world into atheism. So therefore Lord Caitanya says that simply by cultivation of knowledge that "I am not this matter. I am not this matter. I am spirit soul," that will not help.

Now He gives again evidence from scriptures. Every step, whatever He says, He gives some evidence from authoritative scripture. Mostly He gives evidence from Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because for the Vaiṣṇava school these two books are sufficient for acquiring knowledge. So far Vedānta-sūtra is concerned, Bhāgavata is Vedānta-sūtra itself. Bhāgavata is the natural commentary on the, on the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore one who has sufficient knowledge in Bhāgavata, he has automatically sufficient knowledge in Vedānta-sūtra. According to Vedic system, one must have sufficient knowledge in Vedānta-sūtra. Then he'll be considered as learned in spiritual science. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although the Vaiṣṇavas, they have got their commentaries on Vedānta-sūtra, but this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya, they did not make any commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra because they belonged to the disciplic succession of Vyāsadeva. So Vyāsadeva is the spiritual master. So the later ācāryas, they did not think it proper that whatever the... Because their spiritual master has had already made a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra, "Oh, that is sufficient. Why should we do again?" These are some of the etiquette.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- London, July 13, 1972:

And we shall periodically remind you by such functions as we are holding today, the Ratha-yātrā festival. This Ratha-yātrā festival is very old. At least for 5,000 years. Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His elder brother Balabhadra, or Balarāma, and His sister Subhadrā came in a chariot from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. We are commemorating this arrival of Lord Kṛṣṇa with His family on this chariot. This function is held in Jagannātha Purī. Mostly you know. In India it is a great festival. And we are introducing this festival in the Western countries along with Hare Kṛṣṇa movement because the original progenitor of this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, namely Lord Caitanya, He took very much active part in this Ratha-yātrā festival. So following His footsteps, we are also introducing this Ratha-yātrā festival in the Western countries. Simultaneously as it is being observed in London, it is being held in San Francisco, Buffalo, and...

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969:

And what is this forest fire? The forest fire... Nobody has got any interest to set fire in the forest, but it takes place automatically. And when the forest fire is there, all the animals within the forest, they become so much disturbed. They cannot escape. They die, especially the snakes. Because snakes are always envious, so they are first off to be burned into that forest fire. They cannot go very swiftly. Others, tigers and other beasts, they go away. But the snake, they crawl. They cannot get out. Mostly they burn. So this example is given to this materialistic life as forest fire because nobody wants any disturbance, but disturbance is created. Actually I am seeing. Since I have come to this part of the world in 1965, so many boys are chased by the government draft board. You see? They belong to the independent nation, and formerly they were independent. And what is this nonsense independence? You see? Simply nonsense. There is no independence. But we are thinking, "I am independent." "Oh, that nation has become independent. I shall become independent." Just like one of my students said he wanted to be anarchist.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973:

Therefore, to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness we require two kinds of help—one from Kṛṣṇa and another from the spiritual master. It is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta... You'll be glad now that Caitanya-caritāmṛta is now published. (devotees: Jaya! Haribol!) Yes. (This) It is the... Our Paṇḍitjī, Pradyumna, he has presented. Actually, he has worked for it, although I have translated. But I am very much indebted to him that he very carefully edits and makes the thing very perfect. So, now we have got translation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and Sanskrit portion... Because mostly there is Sanskrit portion, so, so my beloved disciple, Pradyumna, I call him Paṇḍit Mahāṣaya, because he is actually doing the paṇḍita's work. So he edits and he works very hard. And... Not only that, his wife also helps in this connection. So actually, that is wanted.

kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāse kene naya

ye kṛṣṇa tattva vetta sei guru haya

I'm sometimes criticized by my Godbrothers that I have become a marriage-maker, because a sannyāsī does not take part in a marriage ceremony, but I get my disciples married. This is also unique in the history. So they criticize me that I have become a marriage-maker. But they, they do not know why I take this risk. I have got many disciples, they are married couples, but all of them, husband and wife, they are helping this movement. Here is Bhagavān dāsa, he's also married man, children.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

Actually, these boys, they come from Christian family, Jewish family. There are many churches in America. I was surprised. When I first went to Butler, that's a small county, but I saw there about dozen of churches. So I thought the American people are very religiously-minded. And actually so. The history of the American people, mostly they came from England for this religious purpose. So they migrated in America for being religiously advanced.

So American people, I very much appreciate them. They are religious. They have got very good potency for understanding God consciousness. That is my opinion. And I do not know why I was inclined to go to America. It was also Kṛṣṇa's desire. Because I thought that "If this movement, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement... " Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

That is His prediction, that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere, this message of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and Lord Caitanya's name will be there." So I thought that "I should go to America. If the American people take it seriously, then other people will take it."

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

Today, the auspicious day of our predecessor spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's mission... Apart from his life, we are especially stressing on the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. This place, Māyāpur, was formerly known as Miyapura. Mostly it is inhabited by the Muhammadans. Some way or other it converted into the name of Miyapura instead of Māyāpur. Still, people are very much doubtful where is the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was researching to find out the actual place. So under the direction of Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, this present Yogapīṭha was ascertained to be the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in the beginning wanted to develop this place very gloriously, befitting the holy name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he started this movement of developing Māyāpur. He could not finish it, so it was handed down to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. So under his effort, assisted by his disciples, this place has gradually developed, and our attempt is also to develop this place. Therefore we have named this temple Māyāpur Chandrodaya. We have got great ambition to develop this place nicely and gloriously, and fortunately we are now connected with foreign countries, especially with the Americans. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's great desire was that the Americans would come here and develop this place and they would chant and dance along with the Indians.

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

The man who is killing the animal, the man who is ordering to kill the animal, the man who is skinning the animal, the man who is purchasing the meat, the man who is cooking, the man who is eating, they are called all butchers. Just like if there is a murder case and there is a conspiracy, so it is not the man who has directly killed some person, he is arrested, but everyone who is in the conspiracy, they are all arrested. That is the common law. So in that sense everyone is butcher. Besides that, because a person is killing some cow or some animal, we are calling butcher, but mostly they are killing their soul. Anyone who is unconscious, who is ignorant of his spiritual identity, identifying himself with this body and misusing this opportunity of human form of life simply for animal sense gratification, they are also butchers. If killing of some living entity is butchery, then how great a butcher is he who is killing himself? He is killing an animal, but he is killing himself. Ātma-hā. Ātma-hā, self-killing, out of ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Any sinful activity is done out of ignorance. So ignorance is no excuse. The butcher is killing animal because he does not know what is the effect of this killing. Similarly, persons who do not know what is the value of this human form of life and simply spoiling it just like animals, they are also butchering themselves.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

Well, a boy who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is giving the best service to his parents, families, countrymen, society. Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, what service they are giving to their parents? Mostly they are separated. But, as Prahlāda Mahārāja was a great devotee and his father was a great nondevotee, so much so that his father was killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, but Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that "I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I'll take some return. Please excuse me." Nṛsiṁha-deva was very much satisfied: "Here is a pure devotee." But the same pure devotee requested the Lord, "My Lord, my father was atheist, and he has committed so many offenses, so I beg that my father may be liberated." And Nṛsiṁha-deva said, "Your father is already liberated because you are the, his son. In spite of all his offenses, he is liberated, because you are his son. Not only your father, but your father's father, his father up to seven generations, they are all liberated." So if Vaiṣṇava appears in a family, he liberates not only his father, but his father, his father, his father, his father, in that way. But that is the best service to the family, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Actually, it has happened.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: I forget name also. (laughs) South America. Then I was to go to Trinidad, West Indies, but there was no time. The West Indies people came to see me. Mostly they are Indians. And then Miami, then from Miami to Atlanta, Atlanta. From Atlanta to Dallas, our Gurukula, then to New York, then to London, and from London to Bombay again.

Śruta-kīrti: Tehran.

Prabhupāda: Tehran. Yes. I forgot. He has come. Here is the Tehran representative. Yes. So there was very nice meeting in Tehran. Many scholar, Muhammadan, came to see me. So everyone is understanding the importance of this movement. So in Tehran I discussed about chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there are many names. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. Kṛṣṇa's name, manyfold. So I pleaded to the Muslim audience that "You can chant the name of Allah also. Not necessarily that you have to chant the Kṛṣṇa name, but any name indicating the Supreme Lord can be chanted." Because in the śāstra it is said, harer nāma, harer nāma, (CC Adi 17.21) the holy name of the Lord. But it must be the name of the Lord. Actually, Kṛṣṇa has thousands of names, and His names are enumerated by His activities. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted to become the son of Mother Yaśodā; therefore He is called Yaśodā-nandana.

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Prabhupāda: No, there is a class...

Jayapatākā: Right, the kacha kola we have..., getting very small. We have mostly the ripe bananas.

Prabhupāda: And parwala?

Jayapatākā: Parwala, yes.

Prabhupāda: Where you are here producing parwala?

Jayapatākā: Parwala, oh, across the road we get.

Prabhupāda: How many... (break) One who is sincerely engaged in the service of the Lord, He gives him intelligence, "Now do this, do this." Simply we have to become sincere servant; then all dictation will come from within. Kṛṣṇa is there is everyone's heart. So work sincerely and everything will make progress. Who has painted this picture?

Acyutānanda: Puṣkara.

Prabhupāda: Ohh. Very nice. So Atreya-ṛṣi prabhu, you are feeling all right here?

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Prabhupāda: All of them are going to Russia to take birth. Yes. Not Russian people are bad. That is a mistake. Some of them. Some people are good. That I have experienced. Otherwise how... (aside:) Don't do that. Otherwise how that Anatole came to become my...? And there are many like that, mostly like him. It is by artificial suppression that it has been advertised, "The Russian people are all Communist." That's not fact. That's not fact. Simply some rogues and thieves and demons, by threats... It is a country of, what is called? Terrorism. A terror. People have decided to leave this country, but they cannot leave. Mostly Russians, they want to leave that country, and some of them already done so. Many Russians have fled away. Many Chinese men have fled away. They don't like this philosophy.

Paramahaṁsa: Also the East Europe countries, Eastern Europe countries.

Prabhupāda: Many countries. It is unnatural to deny God. It is unnatural. This is also Kṛṣṇa's another magic. All such people who had any doubt about Kṛṣṇa, they have been kept over there in Russia. Just like the other day there was a train crash accident. So all these rascals they are brought together in that way in a train or two train, and they smashed. That is... Just like Kṛṣṇa did in Battle of Kurukṣetra. All the rascals were brought into the battlefield and finished. (end)

Initiation Lectures

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

We are utilizing this life just like animal, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. In this age, if anyone can eat sumptuously, he thinks, "Oh, my day's duty is finished." If anyone can provide a wife and two or three children, he is to be considered as a very big man. You see. He is providing a family. Because mostly they are without family, without any responsibility. This is the symptoms of this age.

So even if we have got short life, we are not very serious. Mandāḥ, very slow. Just like here, we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nobody is serious about to learn or to understand what is this movement. And if somebody is interested, they want to be cheated. They want something cheap or cheap something for self-realization. They have got money, they want to pay somebody some fees, and if he says that "I'll give you some mantra and you will, fifteen minutes meditation, within six months you'll become God," these things they want. Mandāḥ manda-matayo. Manda-matayo means very foolish conclusion. They do not think that "Solution of the problems of life can be purchased only by paying thirty-five dollars?" They have become so foolish. Because if we say that to make a solution of your problems of life you have to follow these principles, "Oh, this is very difficult. Let me pay thirty-five dollars and solve it, make a solution."

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

It is not that "Because I am poor man, I cannot help this movement." No. If you have got... You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money. But if you can..., poor man, you cannot give money, then you give some intelligence. And if you are fool, then give your words. So any way, you can help this movement and do the welfare activities for India and outside India. So that is my request. I welcome you. Of course, today is ekādaśī. We are, mostly we are fasting. Some prasādam will be given. So it is not the question of prasādam; it is the question of the important work we are taking in hand, how to spread a God consciousness movement. Otherwise, you will never be happy. Simply material consciousness, gṛha-kṣetra... Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This material civilization means the sex desire. Woman is hunting after man; man if hunting after woman. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhavam etaṁ tayor mithaḥ. And as soon as they are united, they require gṛha, apartment; gṛha-kṣetra, land; gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children, friends, money; and the moho, the illusion, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), "It is I, it is mine."

Wedding Ceremonies

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

So we want to give chance to all to raise oneself on that platform of goodness. And on the platform of goodness, there is no chance of indulging in passion and ignorance. Therefore although it is not my duty... Because I am a sannyāsī, I have nothing to do with social activity. Still, because in this country, mostly I see the boys and girls are not married, I have introduced this marriage system in our society, and the result is very good. You'll be very pleased to know that in London I have sent six boys and girls who were married by me in my presence. Formerly, they were not married. You know as the other boys and girls lived, they were also living in that way. But the result has been very excellent. They are preaching there Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not very big philosopher, nor Vedantist, neither, I mean to say, born in the Vedic civilized way—just like ordinary way—but they have been trained only under my direction for only two years. But they are working in London very wonderfully, so much so that people have come to know that there is a movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and London Times, in big heading, they wrote, "Kṛṣṇa Chanting Startles London." So formerly many sannyāsīs went there to introduce this movement, but they failed. But these sincere boys and girls... They are not very aged also—not more than twenty-six years, any one of them. But they are doing very nice. So the platform of purity is so nice that they can play tremendous...

So we want such pairs in our society. We are not dry. Everything is there.

General Lectures

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that parābhavas tāvad abhodha-jātaḥ. The foolish person or the foolish living entity... Anyone who has accepted this temporary body is understood to be foolish. So every one of us is born foolish because we identify with this temporary body as myself. Therefore we are foolish. Everyone knows that the body does not exist, and still, everyone identifies himself with this body. This is called ignorance, or illusion.

So the whole world, or the mostly people are hovering in ignorance, and he does not know that he is spirit soul, and he is transmigrating from one body to another. He does not want to die, but the death, cruel death, is enforced upon him. So these problems, they do not consider very seriously, and they are thinking very happy on the principles of animal life. The animal life is based on four principal things: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. And at the present moment the human civilization is very much proud of advancement of knowledge, but they are concerned with these four principles of life, namely eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. So according to Vedic literature, this way of life is no better than animal life. Human life is meant for advanced knowledge. And what is that advanced knowledge?

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

. Then it comes to the bird's life. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam: ten hundred thousands of birds. And then paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi, four-legged animals, there are thirty hundred thousand. So nine and twenty, twenty-nine, then eleven, forty, then birds, ten, fifty, beasts, thirty, eighty-eighty hundred thousands. And then... Eight millions—and four hundred thousand species of human life. Human life is not in large quantity. Out of that, mostly they are uncivilized, and very few Aryan families. The Aryan family—the Indo-European family, they are also Aryan—they are very few. The Europeans, they belong to the Indo-European group. The Americans, they also come from Europe. So this group of human society is very few. There are other, many uncivilized groups. Therefore Vedānta says, atha ataḥ: now you have got developed human form of life, civilized life, you have got nice arrangement for your comfortable life. Especially in America you have got all material comforts. You have got cars, you have got good road, nice food, nice building, nice dress, nice feature of your body. Everything God has given you very nice. The Vedānta advises, "Now you take to about the inquiry of Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

He was known as Cārvāka Muni. According to his opinion, he says that don't care for next life. Don't care. Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet. He says... Because according to Vedic system, the body is burned after death. As you bury underground... There are three processes everywhere. Somebody throws away for being eaten up by birds, or somebody puts within the ground, or somebody burns it. So Cārvāka Muni says that "After burning this body, who is coming and who is responsible? You see. You live merrily as far as possible. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. If you have no money, then borrow or steal, but live very nicely for sense pleasure." That is Cārvāka Muni's theory, and mostly, at the present moment, that theory is being followed. But the question is that Cārvāka Muni says there is no next life. What is the proof? Does it mean that his word is proof that there is no next life? Then everyone will say something. Of course, that is being accepted. Anyone discovers or says something nonsense, it is accepted.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa, up to sixteen years, He was in Vṛndāvana. Naturally, there were many children, boys and girls. They played together. So they were very... Kṛṣṇa, everyone loved. Vṛndāvana means simply center figure is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone loves. So some of the girls, they loved Kṛṣṇa, and a girl's loving means she wants Kṛṣṇa as husband. But according to Vedic concept, the girls are married at the age of twelve to sixteen years, and boys are married from twenty to twenty-five years. So all the girls were married mostly, but Kṛṣṇa was not married. And some of the girls were not married, but all the girls, they were very fond of Kṛṣṇa. So from the childhood they were friends. So Kṛṣṇa used to play His flute, and all the girls would come. So this rasa-līlā was performed on this day, the Kṛṣṇa, in the full moon night, He played the flute, and the girls assembled and there was dance. There is similar dance, just like ball dance in your country. But the specific significance of this dance was that Kṛṣṇa bifurcated Himself in so many boys as many girls there were, and they began to dance in pair. That is sum and substance of rasa-līlā. So if you go to Vṛndāvana and if you like to dance with Kṛṣṇa, the facility is for you. That is the ultimate goal of our life. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa similarly as the gopīs loved, you can have the chance. Or if you want to love Kṛṣṇa as His cowherds boyfriend, that chance is also there. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa as child, that chance is also there.

Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:

So this movement is not like that is a sentimental movement. Don't think that these boys are dancing in some religious sentiment or fanaticism. No. We have background. We have background, highest philosophical and theosophical. Whatever you like. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while He was preaching, He went to Benares. So Benares is the seat of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. The followers of Śaṅkarācārya, they are mostly seen in Benares, Vārāṇasī. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was there, He was chanting and dancing. So some of the people, they became very much appreciative of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's dancing and chanting, and there was a big sannyāsī, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, leader of many thousands of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. So somebody went to him and said, "Oh, from Bengal one young sannyāsī has come. Oh, He is so nicely chanting and dancing." So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he was a great Vedāntist. He did not like the idea. He said, "Oh, He is a pseudo sannyāsī. He is chanting and dancing. This is not the business of a sannyāsī. This is the... Sannyāsī should always engage himself in the study of philosophy and Vedānta, and He is simply chanting and dancing?" So he remarked that "He's a pseudo sannyāsī. He is not actually sannyāsa." Then one of the devotees, he did not like the idea, remark of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He came back and informed Lord Caitanya that "These people are blackmailing You. I cannot tolerate this.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

Not that everyone should remain laborer and work hard day and night like hogs and dogs for sense gratification. It is a very dangerous civilization. You cannot expect any peace and prosperity in this type of civilization. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very essential, very, very essential. I am very glad to inform you that this movement is being especially received in the Western countries by the younger generation. I am very much hopeful. I am old man of seventy-six years age. Now, I can pass away at any moment, but I am confident that my disciples, who are mostly Europeans and Americans, they will continue this movement, and I wish there will be considerable change on the face of the globe.

So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives you instruction how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bhagavad-gītā is the elementary lessons how to understand Kṛṣṇa, then become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa... It is not very easy thing to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

Kṛṣṇa says Himself that "Out of many, many millions of people, one may be interested how to make life successful. One may know what is the aim of life."

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

Now the younger generation are after suicide. I do not know if this is fact. There is some dearth. So many things are. So actually, there is no cause of frustration. There is very good news for jubilation. That is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't be frustrated. Try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how it is scientific, how it is authorized, how it is old, and how it is accepted by great ācāryas, great stalwart learned scholars, and how it is treated by the learned section of all over the world. So our request is that younger section may not feel confused and frustration. There is very nice hope. Those who are taking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mostly they are younger section. Now ask them how much hopeful they are, how much jubilant they are. So my request is that—you are all young boys and girls, flowers of the country—don't feel frustration and confused. There is nice hope in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My only request is that—you are all learned boys and girls—try to understand this philosophy and science, and you will be happy. That is my request.

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

We are dwindling, liquidation. There were great empires like Roman empire, Greece empire, Carthaginian empire and, later on, Moghul empires, British empire. So many empires there were. There was Hitler. There was Mussolini. There was Napoleon. So these powerful emperors or men came and gone. Their name is only there, and nothing is remaining.

So I came to your country. Your country is very nice country, America. I heard it from India. So I decided to come here because I heard that your country's very nice. And when I came here, I saw actually your country is very nice. Your cities, your buildings, your men also... Because mostly my students, they are Americans, and they help me very kindly to push on this movement. So I have studied the American life, very nice. They have good heart. So only thing is wanted—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For want of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, despite your all opulences, you are becoming confused and frustrated. I hear that out of three, one man is a patient of a psychiatrist. Why? Why you are unhappy? Why you should be unhappy?

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

This is called dāvānala, forest fire. Forest fire means in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but automatically, by the clash, friction of the dried bamboo, there is electricity and it catches fire. Similarly, although we do not want unhappiness, still, by our dealings we create enemies and friends, and there is fight, there is war. This will continue. This is called saṁsāra-dāvānala. Try to understand.

So guru means spiritual master means who can deliver one from this forest fire. Just like when there is forest fire, the animals are very much disturbed, and they die mostly. The snakes, they die immediately. So this forest fire, saṁsāra-dāvānala, is going on perpetually, and the person or the authorized person who can deliver you from this forest fire of material existence, he's called guru, or the spiritual master. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. How he delivers? What is his means? The same example. Where there is fire in the forest, you cannot send fire brigade, or you cannot go there with bucketful of waters to extinguish the fire. That is not possible. Then how it will be extinguished? Fire means it requires water to be extinguished. But where the water is coming from? From your bucket or from your fire brigade? No. It must come from the sky. It must come from the sky.

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your joining us in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa, when I utter the word Kṛṣṇa, it means God. It is Sanskrit word, Kṛṣṇa. Those who are Sanskrit student, you know kṛṣ-dhātu, "attraction," "one who attracts." God is the Supreme Being, full with six kinds of opulences; therefore He attracts everyone. This is the definition of the word Kṛṣṇa. This Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the perfect person. We receive knowledge from the perfect person. When we receive knowledge from imperfect person, the knowledge is not complete. At the present age, mostly the scientists, they cannot give us perfect knowledge, because there are so many "if's." They say, "It may be," "Perhaps," like that. But this is not perfect knowledge. The perfect knowledge means there is no "if," there is no "perhaps," there is no doubt. So we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the supreme perfect being. He says that dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe. Asmin means this, this body. You have got your body; I have got my body. So within this body, there is the proprietor of the body. Asmin dehe. Dehinaḥ asmin. Dehe means the proprietor of the body. I do not see you; I see your body, you see my body. But within the body the proprietor is lying, or he is situated. That we do not see.

Life Member House Lecture -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

And still these people are thinking of Kṛṣṇa as imperson. Why? This is called māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. They have studied the Vedic literature but could not understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

So intelligent person, instead of waiting many, many births to understand Kṛṣṇa, may take it immediately what Kṛṣṇa says, as it is. Then his life is successful. So that is possible to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is saying. But because on account of our sinful activities, we cannot understand. Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means always engaged in sinful activities, very intelligent person, but engaged in sinful activities. Nowadays... All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

Especially at the present moment, Kali-yuga, the atheistic persons are almost everyone. They have been described as mandāḥ. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). By becoming manda... Manda means bad, very bad. In Bengali there are two words, bhāga, manda, good and bad. So the manda, this word, has come from manda, Sanskrit word. So not this... The general people, all manda-short-living, wretched, unfortunate, misguided. So mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā. They are not fortunate. Mostly they are wretched. You'll find on the street so many wretched. So this is the position of the Kali-yuga. And they are not living also very many days. Still, they are against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the position. They are suffering, but still, they are... Dog's obstinacy. This is the position.

So still, we have to do our business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised that "Be humbler than the grass." The grass, we are trampling over the grass; there is no protest—"All right, go on." And tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣ... And trees, very tolerant. You cut the tree, it will not protest. So you take fruits, flowers from the tree. Take all advantages and again cut. Just like they are taking last drop of milk from the cow and after exacting everything, then send to the slaughterhouse. So the whole world is engaged in sinful activities. You cannot expect from them any concession for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Therefore we have to become humbler, tolerant, because real Kṛṣṇa consciousness means good-bye to this material world. We are no more interested with your, these big, big street, big, big buses or anything, whatever you think that is improvement, advancement.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: They'll never come.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Mostly scientists are digging up, trying to find out something when they get some very basic preliminary ideas, they speculate so much (indistinct) this, so on. In such and such time I'll be able to make such and such things. Every scientist does like that. Ultimately it is all, it is always...

Prabhupāda: Failure.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Something on the way, something comes up.

Prabhupāda: Then there, it has changed. It has changed. The circumstances have changed.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: (indistinct) very, very delicate, the substances that they are handling, the cells of the the microorganisms. They are also subjected to different changes, without knowing anything. So, but they're taking that things are thus perfect, (indistinct) based on their perfect thinking, what they have learned is infallible. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Therefore our śāstra says these classes of men, no better than cows and asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cows and asses. We take them like go-kharaḥ, cows and asses. They may speculate, but we take them, "You are no better than asses and cows."

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). This material selfishness is māyā. Actually that is not selfishness. Real selfishness is to know the relationship with God. But persons who are engrossed with the spell of māyā, illusory energy, they do not know that. Mostly, 99.9%, they have vague idea of God, and how they will know the relationship? So, so that our actual business, first business is to have complete idea, complete sense of God and our relationship. That is the business of human life. Therefore in the Vedic process, the real business is realize God. Either you take yoga system or jñāna system, and bhakti is cent percent simply realization of God. That is the business of human life. He hasn't got to do any other thing. That is practical understanding of God. A perfect human being knows that "My necessities of life is supplied by God, so I have no business to improve the economic condition." That cannot be done also. Nobody is going to be very rich, all of them. According to the destiny he gets his position. So one who is self-realized, he does not want to improve the material condition of life, but he wants to improve the spiritual conception of life. That is human life.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: So in this, on this platform, mostly the philosopher, scientist, they are Dr. Frogs. So their calculation is not correct. So whatever they cannot calculate, they take it as myth, imagination, that just a foreign. Even for ordinary human being to think of Brahmā's duration of life, huh, forty-three hundred thousand multiplied by one thousand, and that becomes twelve hours of Brahmā, because it is beyond your calculation, he thinks it imaginary. So unless one has got thorough knowledge of the whole universe, so for him it is imaginary. But it..., one man's imaginary may be a fact to the other man. It depends on the knowledge. So unfortunately, the so-called scientists, philosophers on this planet, they are thinking in their own terms and they are taking it final. So they must think other things as mythological, imaginary. But actually that is not the fact.

Hayagrīva: Dewey was an American writing in the early part of the twentieth century, and he writes, "Logic demands that in imagination we wipe the slate clean and start afresh by asking what would be the idea of the unseen." In other words, he feels that it's time to set aside the orthodox, what he calls superstitious religions, and create a new religion. In other words, we must define God and religion anew.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: He says that philosophy is a process which attempts to clarify God, not that itself it has factual content.

Prabhupāda: This is clarification. Mostly the people are under illusion, identifying the body with the self. But we are clarifying that "You are not this body, you are spirit soul." Therefore it is a scientific proposition.

Śyāmasundara: So we are clarifying a scientific proposition with our philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is it. Philosophy means the science of sciences. Another definition of philosophy is "the science of sciences." All sciences are derived from philosophy. So philosophy's actual position is on the higher level than the sciences.

Śyāmasundara: Another definition he has is that "Philosophy is the pursuit of meaning." Pursuit of meaning.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because philosophy is the searching out about the ultimate truth, therefore it is pursuit; and the ultimate truth is meaning. That is nice. But there are different philosophers, and so far we are concerned, we know that the ultimate meaning is Kṛṣṇa, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), the cause of all causes; therefore our philosophy is perfect. They are simply pursuing, but we have reached the goal. That is the difference. They are on the way, but we are on the spot. Is that right?

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Śyāmasundara: So his follower was Nikolai Lenin. Mostly he reinforced all of Marx's ideas, but he added a few touches of his own. One is that revolution is fundamental, that history...

Prabhupāda: There were so many revolutions. It is not that they have made revolution. There were other revolutions, especially in Europe, the French Revolution. There were so many revolutions.

Śyāmasundara: He studied the revolutions, and he said that history moves in leaps and progresses toward the Communist leap. So he wants to make a leap into the dictatorship of the proletariat, and this he calls the final stage of development of history.

Prabhupāda: No. We can say, and they may note it also, that after this, the Bolshevik Revolution, there will be many other revolutions, many other revolutions, because so long people will live on the mental plane there will be only revolution. That's all. Our proposition is, "Give up this mental concoction. Come to the right point. And that is spiritual platform." If one comes to that spiritual platform, that is... Just like Dhruva Mahārāja said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "No more revolution. I am completely satisfied because I have now seen You." So unless one comes to God, the revolution will go on. Rather, this is final revolution. We don't say final revolution, but... We don't expect that Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be taken by everyone, but within this material world the revolution will repeat unless one comes to God consciousness.

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

Śyāmasundara: They trace back... Their so-called evidence is just mostly see that geological calculations. They see that at a certain period... They go further down into the earth's surface.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Śyāmasundara: All kinds of life disappear and there is simply rock. And they say the beginning was merely rock and water; then organic life came out.

Prabhupāda: No. That is not organic life. The soul appears in different ways. One of the ways is by fermentation, perspiration. So rock and water, when it is decomposed there is fermentation and there is possibility of soul taking advantage and come out with a body. In any case, from matter life never comes. It is compared with... Taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya. A vṛścika, a scorpion, is coming out from rice. Actually, a scorpion down lays eggs within the heaps of rice, and by fermentation of the rice, heating, the egg, I mean to say, produces a small scorpion, and it comes out from the rice. So foolish people, they think that the heaps of rice is the cause of producing a scorpion. So many things come like that, but that does not mean the matter is producing life. If matter is producing life, the modern science, so much advanced, so let them prove in the laboratory, mixing some matter, life is coming. That fermentation, that is accepted in the Vedic language. By fermentation living creatures come out.

Philosophy Discussion on Aristotle:

Prabhupāda: These Western philosophers, mostly they are contemplating about the sunshine in darkness. But that is not the way of understanding the sun. Best thing is to come in the sunshine, see yourself, see the sunshine, see the sun. There is (indistinct).

Hayagrīva: Here's another point. Aristotle says that it is not material objects that are trying to realize God, like as Plato says, but God realizing Himself through material objects. God does this in a variegated way and in an infinite way. So God realizes the potentiality of a rose or of a man by creating a rose, a flower, a man that is perceivable by the material senses. So the world is more real to Aristotle than it is to Plato.

Prabhupāda: If God has created the material world and material variety, so means He is in full awareness how to do things nicely. That is perfectness of God. He knows everything how to do it perfectly, naturally. Just like even a child, we get daily experience, when we offer some cake in the Deity room, the child immediately takes it and puts in the mouth. Although she is very small baby, (s)he doesn't require any education about taking the cake and what to do with it. Immediately puts in the mouth. So this natural, what is called, knowledge, that is God's knowledge. He knows everything perfectly well, and when He produces a rose flower, it is all-perfect. That is God's... God is not..., He has to get the knowledge through some source. He is already in awareness of everything. That is God. So He hasn't got to know His capacity through matter.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Nitai-Pada-Kamala -- Los Angeles, December 21, 1968:

"Anyone who does not approach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa through the relationship of Nityānanda, his life is uselessly spoiled." Se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r. Bṛthā means useless, janma means life, tāra means his, and sambandha means relationship. "So anyone who has no relationship with Nityānanda, he is simply spoiling his, the boon of human form of life." Why he is spoiling? Se paśu boro durācār. Se means that; paśu, animal; durācār, dura, misbehaved, mostly misbehaved. Because without our elevation to Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the mercy of Lord Caitanya-Nityānanda, the life is simply animal propensities. That's all. Sense gratification. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that ordinary animal, he can be tamed, but a human being, when he is animalistic, when he has simply animal propensities, oh, he is horrible. He cannot be tamed. Ordinary cats and dogs, even tiger, can be tamed. But a human being, when he goes out of his way, because human life is meant for being elevated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he doesn't take to that, then his higher intelligence will be simply misused for animal propensities, and it is very difficult to tame him.

The enactment or state laws cannot make a man, a thief, an honest man because he cannot be tamed. His heart is polluted. Every man sees that a person committing criminal offense is punished by the government. And in scriptural injunction there is mention that "If you do this, you will be punished in the hell." He has heard from the scripture, and he has practically seen by the punishment of state laws. Still, he is not tamed. He cannot be tamed. So why? Because he hasn't got his relationship with Nityānanda.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

"In this way I have wasted my time," biphale sevinu, "to serve kṛpana durajana, some so-called society, friendship and love. Kṛpaṇa, they will not, never, be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but I am engaged in their service." So this is general, not that every, every family. Mostly 99.9. So biphale sevinu, "In this way I am wasting my time. And what is the pleasure?" Capala sukha-labha lāgi' re. "Few minutes' sex, that's all." Behind the sex, so many labor. Therefore Govinda dāsa says that "You are trying to enjoy wealth," ei-dhana, yauvana, putra, parijana. Material happiness means to acquire money, dhana;, and then jana, many adherents or dependents-wife, children, friends, society, so many things, country. So putra, parijana, ithe ki āche paratīti re. "You cannot have any transcendental bliss in this." kamala-dala-jala, jīvana ṭalamala. The life is tottering. You cannot say when the life will be finished. The example is given, kamala-jala-dala. Just like lotus leaf. If you put water on the leaf, it will not stay; it will be tiltering. At any moment it slips. Similarly, our life is like that, tiltering. At any moment—finished. Kamala-jala-dala, jivana..., bhajahu hari-pada nīti re. Therefore engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness as much as you can. Finish before the death comes. That is your mission. And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Śravana, kīrtana, smarana, vandana, pāda-sevana, dāsya re, pūjana, sakhī-jana, ātma-nivedana, the nine kinds of devotional service, govinda-dāsa-abhilāṣa re.