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No business (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa subject matter is so nice that simply you do not do anything. Simply hear, that's all. You have got God-given ear. You can hear. Sit down. Stane sthitaḥ śrutigataṁ tanuvān manobhiḥ. Śrutigatam, śruti means this ear. Śrota-pantaḥ. This is called śrota-pantaḥ. Getting knowledge by hearing. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-samvido bhavanty hṛtkārṇa-rasāyana-kathāḥ, satāṁ prasaṅgāt (SB 3.25.25). When there is actually sat-sanga. Sat-sanga means this talking of Kṛṣṇa, hearing about Kṛṣṇa. When there is, there is no business. Not like a rented reciter or a paid reciter who is earning money by reciting. No, no. Not to hear from him. Actually, he's self-realized, who is working for the Lord, from satām. Satām means devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅga. Therefore is called satsaṅga. Satsaṅga means the association of the devotees. Sat means devotee. Sat means God. Oṁ tat sat. Or everything is asat. Asat means temporary. This material world is temporary. And sat means spiritual.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Now here... He's giving trouble to the friend. I am giving to my sincere friend Kṛṣṇa simply trouble. Just like a bird is flying from one tree to another. The friend bird is also there. He has no business, he has no interest to be there because he is not eating anything from the tree. He has nothing to do. But because his friend is there, he goes. So we are changing our body as the bird, the changing from one tree to another. But Kṛṣṇa, the supreme bird, is also going with me. Go on.

Viṣṇujana: "The jīva, the soul, is struggling very hard in the tree of the material body. But as soon as he agrees to accept the other bird..."

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

So long we are not on the platform of sanātana, all our life is simply sinful life. Either you think that you are very pious... Real piety means to come to the platform of sanātana-dharma. So if we do not come to the platform of sanātana-dharma from the platform of asanātana-dharma, we are simply committing sins, nothing but. (break) ...come to the platform of Sanātana, then apāpa-viddham. Then there is no more... No papa can touch. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot be free from the contamination of this material world. Then how? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You can simply become free from all contamination, sinful life, when you are a surrendered soul. Mām eva ye prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa therefore comes to teach us this. He's teaching. He's so much compassionate with our suffering that He's coming personally. Otherwise, what is the purpose of His coming? He's always being worshiped by lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). So He has no business to come here to ask you any food.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

Suppose you get business worth 100,000 dollars or something like that. And suppose one day you don't get any business. Now, the day in which you got some business and on the day in which you did not get any business, it doesn't matter. Your connection with the master is there, so you get your salary. When the profit is 100,000's of dollars, you don't expect any profit out of it. And when there is no business, there is no loss on your part. Siddhy-asiddhyoḥ. Similarly, if you act on behalf of the Supreme Lord, you can do any work you are situated. That doesn't matter. But if you act on behalf of the Supreme Lord... Just like Arjuna is being requested indirectly that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that "This fighting is My plan. So if you work for it, so you have nothing to enjoy or suffer out of the reaction because you shall work under My instruction." That is the... If we work on behalf of the Supreme Lord, then that is called yoga-sthaḥ. So our work is also not stopped, and at the same time I am situated in the spiritual platform. That technique is taught by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

We are not free. Some condition is there, either state condition or nature's condition or condition left by other living entity or condition laid down by my own body. So we are always in condition.

So Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā: "Although I have no business to come down here, and I am eternal..." Both of us are, the Lord and the living ent..., we are, both of us are eternal. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Īśvara. Why He comes? When Lord comes, He comes out of His good will. And when we come, we are forced. We have been forced to accept this body under the condition of the material nature. So when Lord comes or His representative comes, they do not accept the condition of the material nature. That is the distinction between ordinary living entity and the Supreme Lord or His representative. Just like Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Other officers, they are engaged outside the government house. The officers who have got engagement outside the government house they may be sitting with Kṛṣṇa, may be sitting with the governor or the king, but he has no business within the government house. In the government house there is a particular secretary, particular man in charge.

Similarly, in the spiritual world, the energy which is working, that is called yogamāyā. And in the material world, the energy which is working, that is called mahāmāyā. So Subhadrā is... Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā (CC Madhya 6.154). Actually, Kṛṣṇa's energy is spiritual. That is not material.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, but He was never taught of Bhagavad-gītā. I am speaking to you Bhagavad-gītā, just learning from my spiritual master. So I have to learn it, but when Kṛṣṇa spoke, He hadn't, had not to learn it. He had no business to learn it. Because svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. His knowledge is natural.

So these things are to be understand. Then one who understands the science of Kṛṣṇa in truth, then the benefit is, the result is that he, he no more comes back to this world of darkness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Neither he has to undergo the repeated birth and death. We are just now undergoing the term of repeated birth and death under different species of life. So that thing will be stopped.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

And that's a fact. They go to any tree. What the bird will eat? Four, five small fruit. But there are innumerable fruits in one tree and there are innumerable trees. Similarly, take any animal, even the elephant. In Africa there are so many elephants, millions of elephants. They eat at a time forty kilograms. And who is supplying food? They have no business. They have no profession. How they are eating?

Therefore I have already quoted this Vedic quotation, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So far your living conditions are concerned, what you are? Human being. You are only four hundred thousand species, and the other animals, they are eight million. So if eight million forms of body can be maintained by God, the four hundred thousand forms cannot be maintained? He maintains. He maintains. It is a fact. We are simply unnecessarily wasting our time "Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is sex? Where is defense?" So do that.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not know that there is relationship that the Parabrahman and Brahman can be engaged in loving transaction. That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Parabrahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. nirāśīr yata-cittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma. Śārīra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

In Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Everything is there. The kṣetra-jña means the possessor of this kṣetra, body, the owner or occupier. So you, me, and every one of us, we are occupying each, one body. But I have no business with your body, but Kṛṣṇa has got business with your body, my body, his body, everyone's body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. Just like a landlord. He has got many houses. The occupier is there, or apartment. He is concerned with that apartment or the house he is occupying, but the landlord has concern with so many houses. Similarly, this body, I am the occupier. God has given me this body, this machine, but proprietor is Lord, the Supreme Lord. Therefore both of us has got the concern with this body. Ātmā, Paramātmā. Soul, Supersoul.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

How? Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got this faith, then don't give up this connection. Please try to come here and try to understand us. Why you should try to understand us? Because we are speaking here about God, nothing else. No business, no politics, no nonsense. Therefore you should come here. Sādhu-saṅga. This is called association with sādhu. Who is a sādhu? If somebody says "A man with red dress or a great beard or something..." There are so many conceptions of sādhu. But sādhu is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself, who is sādhu. He said api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Sādhu is one who is unflinchingly engaged in loving service of the Lord. He is a sādhu. That is the test, who is a sādhu.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

And when you come to that real knowledge then you become brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When you actually understand that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul. This is my shirt and coat. Oh, so long I was busy with this shirt and coat only? I have no business with it." Yes, you have got business, but that is not your main business. Your main business is to take care of yourself as soul. That is your main business. This is called knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54).

Then one who comes into this knowledge, he becomes another prasannātmā, "Oh, I was so much ignorant of knowledge." Now, just like you committed some mistake, and when you come to the knowledge that you committed, you become prasannātmā, "Oh, I was mistaking like this, and simply I was anxious, I was taking so much care, anxiety. This is mistaken." Similarly, as soon as you come to this understanding that "I am spirit soul," then immediately you become prasannātmā, jolly. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Then? There is no need. Why should I bother my head for meeting the demigods? We have no business. We know the supreme, and the supreme knows what I want. So I haven't got to ask even the supreme that "This thing I want." No, there is no need. He knows. He will supply because I am engaged in His business. What is our business? Why we are bothering so much in this old age? The only business is that people may know Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller. That is our business. We have no other business. We don't want anything, either from Kṛṣṇa or from demigod or anyone. Our only business is as advised by Caitanya Mahā..., yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is our business. We are carrying this Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and we are trying to educate people that "Here is real knowledge. Take it." This is our business. That means Kṛṣṇa is the supreme. Īśvaraḥ param... That is our only business. That is our only business, that people may know that Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, that's all. We have no other business.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

When one is freed from all anxieties. What are these anxieties? Anxieties mean if I lose something, then I will lament, and if I haven't got anything, something, then I hanker after it.

So far we are concerned, we have no business, we have no profession. We do not know what we shall eat tomorrow. Or in the evening. We are in such a position. But we have no anxiety. You can see practically. We have no anxiety that "what shall I eat in the evening, what shall I eat tomorrow, there is no bank balance, there is no money." No. There is no anxiety. We know certain that as soon as we go, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will send us everything. That is actually a fact. If you study our activities, you'll see practically it is so. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. We have no hankering, no lamentation. Suppose we have got thousand dollars, and somebody takes away.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

If actually we follow these regulative principles, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), then gradually our heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. The process is to cleanse the dirty heart. Actually, we are clean. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. We have no business to be contaminated with the material qualities. We do not contaminate. Just like we know... In Bengali we say, tele jale mesera(?). You put oil in the water, it will never mix. Similarly, we are spirit souls, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. We have nothing to do with this material world. But somehow or other, I am in contact. So simply I have to be contactless. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as your heart is cleansed with all dirty things, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, immediately you become out of this contamination, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:

The birds and beasts, they are getting their food, they are getting their mates, they are being protected in their own way, they have got a sleeping nest, apartment. So even an animal, even a small ant... We sit down in the garden, we see, even the small ant it has got family, it has got home, it has got eating. Everything is there. From ant to the elephant. Who is supplying? They have no business. They do not do any business. They have no profession. But they are getting their necessities of life.

Therefore, intelligent person... This is... Goodness means intelligence, prakāśa. And ignorance means darkness. In darkness, we cannot see what is what. So goodness means light. Anyone can see that there are 8,400,000 species of life or forms of life. They are getting their food.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:

Just like childish. The child, they spoil their time and energy in certain playing. Similarly, this is going on. Because it is a sense gratification. That's all. Simply mere sense gratification: "Let us go, how it is, moon planet." You have no business there. You cannot do there anything. You cannot live there, but still, "Let us go, let us go. And spend all the money, taxpayers' money, spend like water." This is going on.

So if you actually want to go to moon planet, there is clear process:

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion. Just like they are thinking that we are making Christians, Hindus. This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're... Many people before me, many swamis went there to make Christians, Hindu. They kicked there on their face. They did not become successful. Because they talked nonsense. Why one should, Christian become Hindu, Hindu become Christian? They should know what is God, what He is, what is his relationship with God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is. It is not a movement for making Hindus to Muslim or Muslim to Hindus or Christian to Hin... This is not that movement. They clearly understand this.

Lecture on SB 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972:

And therefore we are little inclined. "All right, let us serve Kṛṣṇa if He is God." You see? There is some condition: "If Kṛṣṇa is God, so if I do not love, if I do not worship, there may be something wrong." So that is business. But amongst the gopīs and the cowherds boy and the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, there is no business. "We love Kṛṣṇa unconditionally. That's all. We do not know anything except Kṛṣṇa." This is Vṛndāvana atmosphere.

So mother Yaśodā, Nanda and other elderly gopīs, they used to treat Kṛṣṇa as son, as beloved son, because if we accept God as father or mother... There is conception of mother also. The śāktas... There are many devotees of Durgā, Kālī. They also accept the mother. The Christians accept as father. The conception of father and mother, that is good, but there is little service... Because children, they take service from the mother and father.

Lecture on SB 1.3.15 -- Los Angeles, September 20, 1972:

"If you do not want to be carried away by the waves of this māyā, material nature, then take to this consciousness so that at the time of your death you will change this body to Kṛṣṇa planet, Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is not making lying propaganda. He has no business. He is giving you information, that if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, janma karma me divyam, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa—how He is acting, why He has come, why He has appeared, why He has given us the Bhagavad-gītā, what lessons He is giving—in this way, if you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tat..., in truth, not whimsically, not sentimentally, with sound philosophy, knowledge, argument, you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you get tyaktvā deham... Then after giving up this body, undoubtedly you go back to Kṛṣṇa, go back to home back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

While preparing this commentation on this particular stanza of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we have a crisis before us. Our neighboring friend China has attacked the border of India with a militaristic spirit. We have practically no business in the political field, yet we see that previously there were both China and India, and they both lived peacefully for centuries without ill feeling. The reason is that they lived those days in an atmosphere of God consciousness, and every country, over the surface of the world, was God-fearing, pure-hearted and simple, and there was no question of political diplomacy. There is no cause of quarrel between the two countries China and India over land which is not very suitable for habitation, and certainly there is no cause for fighting on this issue. But due to the age of quarrel, Kali, which we have discussed, there is always a chance of quarrel on slight provocation. This is due not to the issue in question, but to the polluted atmosphere of this age: systematically there is propaganda by a section of people to stop glorification of the name and fame of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in Bhagavad-gītā, in all Vedic literature... Who requires a guru? That is described. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). He requires a guru. Jijñāsuḥ. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is human life. One who is interested in inquiring about Brahman, he requires a guru. One who has no business for understanding Brahman, simply to make a fashion that "I have a guru," this is useless. It has no value. One must be very much inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. He requires a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ (SB 11.3.21). Jijñāsuḥ means inquisitive.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

He is all-pervading. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This feature of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, the original person, has got three features: as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; as all-pervading Paramātmā, Supersoul; and impersonal Brahman effulgence. So those who are interested in bhakti-yoga, they have no business with the impersonal Brahman effulgence. That is for common men. Common men. Just like you can try to understand: those who are inhabitants of the sun planet, what they have got to do with the sunshine? That is a most insignificant thing for them, sunshine. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life, they are interested in the person, puruṣam, Vāsudeva. Puruṣam. That realization takes place, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) at the end of many, many births. These impersonalists who are very much attached to the Brahman effulgence, such persons, they are called jñānīs.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:

"Your appearance in this material world is not misleading, bewildering." We are thinking that: "Kṛṣṇa has got some mission, some purpose. Therefore He has appeared." No. It is His pastimes. It is pastime. Just like sometimes the governor goes to inspect the prison house. He has no business to go the prison house. He is getting report from the superintendent. He does not... Still sometimes he comes: "let me see how they are doing." It is called pastime. It is his free will. Not that he has become subjected to the prison laws and he has to come to the prison. No, not like that. But if the prisoners think: "Oh, here the governor is also in the prison. So we are equal. We are equal. I am also governor."

The rascal thinks like that. "Because Kṛṣṇa has come, descended, avatāra, so I am also avatāra." This rascaldom is going on. So here it is said: na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

So how we can study Kṛṣṇa? And Kṛṣṇa has created all these things. So if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa's created things, how you can understand Kṛṣṇa? This is not possible at all. It is not possible. Therefore this Vṛndāvana status of mind for the devotees is the perfection. They have no business to understand Kṛṣṇa. They want to love Kṛṣṇa, without condition. "Because Kṛṣṇa is God, therefore I love Him." Their mentality is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is not just playing in Vṛndāvana as God. He is playing there as ordinary cowherds boy. But at times, He's proving that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they do not care to know it. So outside Vṛndāvana...

Just like Kuntīdevī. Kuntīdevī is not inhabitant of Vṛndāvana. She is inhabitant of Hastināpura, outside Vṛndāvana. The outside devotees, the devotees who are outside Vṛndāvana, they are studying the inhabitants of the Vṛndāvana, how great they are. But the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they don't care to know how great is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. So our business is simply to love Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

Why Kṛṣṇa will think like that? Because every land is belonging to Him. So He has nothing to purchase. Everything is there. So why He comes? That is the same way, as Kṛṣṇa says personally. He comes for paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He wants to give protection to the devotees, to glorify the devotees. That is His business. Otherwise He has no business. He has nothing to do. Just like a devotee has nothing to do except serving Kṛṣṇa, except to see Kṛṣṇa is pleased, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do, but He wants to glorify His devotee. This is reciprocation. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you... If you dedicate your life for glorifying the Supreme Lord, the Lord is also ready. His business is to glorify you. Otherwise, He has no business.

Therefore here it is said that priyasya, yadoḥ priyasya. King Yadu became very dear to Kṛṣṇa by rendering service. Priyasya. The... As Kṛṣṇa is very dear to the devotee, similarly, devotees are also very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. There is another verse, sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya. Sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya:

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

He will let you know how you will be saved. Otherwise, your so-called society, friendship and love will not save you.

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, such a exalted king,... And the Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought for Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Kṛṣṇa wanted that Duryodhana is not a fit person. Kṛṣṇa had no business to take part in the battle. Because He is God, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29), He has no enemy. Nobody can become His enemy. If he becomes enemy of Kṛṣṇa, he will be vanquished. Therefore He has no enemy. So why He took part in the battlefield? Because He wanted this Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the pious king, he should occupy the throne. So that is the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati... (BG 4.7).

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

Then what is this death? This is not death. This is changing of body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even if you take it is annihilation, yes, but the soul remains. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). People have no brain that "What is my problem? I am eternal. I have no business to accept so-called birth and death and disease and old age, but I am put under this condition. I have to die. I have to take birth. I have to become old. I have to accept disease." This is our real problem. But they have no information. They neglect this, because they cannot make any solution. They think, "It is usual. We have to suffer." Just like an animal. An animal is going, is taken to the slaughterhouse. He knows that "I have no means. I have to suffer," I mean to say, "be slaughtered." He has no means.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

So similarly, Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who is not surrendering unto Me, who is not a surrendered soul, and thinking that he has become God, he is very learned scholar, Vedantist... These things are vimukta-māninaḥ." "Now I have no business to go to temple." In our country, there is a class. They have developed a system not to go to the temple. That is their propaganda, not to go to the temple. "Why you should go to the temple for finding out God? God is everywhere." If God is everywhere, now why not in the temple? What the temple has done? If God is everywhere, then in the temple there is God. You may call Deity worship as idol worship, but this situation created by Deity worship, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, practical... This was a church. This was a church. How many years ago? Since when we have occupied? Four years ago. And because nobody was coming, so this church was sold, and we purchased. Now why people are coming? The church or temple, if there is no God, so why people are coming? The same church. Because you could not convince them about the science of God. Therefore it was vacant. You cannot bluff all people for all the time. That is not possible. You must give them substantial. Then they will agree, "Yes, there is God."

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

We are so unfit. But God, you see, He's feeding millions of elephants in the Africa. Not only elephants, there are so many. Out of 8,400,000 species of life, there are 8,000,000 species of life nonhuman being, the majority—the birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, so many other living entities. But they have no business. They have no occupation, profession, to maintain themselves. So who is maintaining them? Who is there? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Even if within your room, there is a little hole, sometimes you'll find thousands of ants coming out. Have you got this experience? And who is feeding them? Who is supplying them food? They are living within that hole, millions, and hundreds and thousands of ants, but they're also eating, they're also sleeping, they have got their wife, they have got their children. But who is supplying food? So in this way, if you analyze that everything is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how Kṛṣṇa is great, or God is great. So that is a real civilization of life, to understand, to appreciate, to appreciate the greatness of God. That is real civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

So He has got obligation. But still, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī... That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam (SB 11.5.34). He had no business to take sannyāsa at very young age, only twenty-four years old, such nice family, good wife, mother. In a family where there is good mother and good wife, that is happy family. And one who has no good mother and good wife, then it is hell. This is Vedic culture. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti. If somebody has no mother at home, bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī, and the wife is very harsh, dealing with the husband not very properly, araṇyaṁ tena gantavyam, he immediately give up that house and go to the forest. This is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. That what is the use of such nonsense house?

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is the duty of the guardians like guru, like father, like the state, they should look to the interest of the wards, subordinate, that he is developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness nicely. That is the duty. So when that duty is not done... Just like... We have no business to come so far. In Vṛndāvana I could live very peacefully, there is two room still, in Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple. But because there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means serving the Lord. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa dictated that "You are sitting here very peacefully without any botheration. No, you go to the Western countries. Teach them." So that is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to render service to the ignorant of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is better, because Vyāsadeva saw that māyā, illusory energy, or the shadow, darkness... Yayā sammohito jīva. The whole world, living entity, conditioned soul, they're bewildered by this māyā. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Thinking this body as self, foolish, rascal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). One who thinks that "I am this body," he's no better than dog and cat.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

We require little, little everything... (break) ...for spiritually advancing. They remain without dress. Even in the severest type of cold, they remain without dress, sitting, only smearing the body with some ashes. They'll take bath in the morning and cover the body with ashes, not very thick. But he'll sit down whole day and night and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. No business. No endeavor for food. If food comes, by God's grace, they will eat; otherwise no, they'll not go anywhere. Completely dependent: "If God gives, then I shall eat. Otherwise we shall not endeavor." This is our first endeavor, what to eat, where to live, where to sleep, where to have sex life. This is our all endeavor. They stop all this endeavor. That is spiritual life. Stop everything. That is called... And I am going in a secluded place and thinking, "How many women I have hunted." What is this nonsense? Eh? And showing, "I have become very much advanced. I am leader." And my leading is I'm thinking of woman. That's all. And money.

Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:

So we accept Lord Rāmacandra as God, Lord Kṛṣṇa as God, not these petty dogs and cats. We have no business with these petty dogs and cats. All rascals, they are declaring, "I am God." No. Therefore, these rascals, who do not know what is God, you have to inject within their earholes the message of God. That is your business. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means... These rascals, dogs, hogs, camels and asses, who have no information of God, and therefore their earholes are compared like the snake holes, bile... So you have got very responsible task, to inject within their ear the chivalrous activities of God. Otherwise, their earholes remain as snake holes. As I explained yesterday, in the snake holes, nobody goes there. Nobody puts their hands or legs. Similarly, if these earholes remains empty, without aural reception of the great activities of the Lord, it is as good as the snake holes.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

They will learn primary education. And the parents of the children will send, somebody will send rice, somebody will send ḍāl... Just like we are maintaining, by collecting. Not here, but in Bombay, our center is collecting and distributing.

The whole system was that. Love exchange. I give you some service; you give me something, out of your love. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. Love means six symptoms. I give you something, you give me something. I give you something for eating, you also give me something for eating. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. If I am in trouble, I express my mind, I open my mind before you, and you also try to help me. These are the six signs of love. That is Vedic civilization. Everything exchange of love. No business, mercantile. All right, let us have kīrtana. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on SB 2.9.16 -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Here in this material world, service means neither master or servant. Service means to the senses. That's all. We are servant of our senses. We give service to the master—not to the master. I give service to the money—he pays me—not to the master. I have no love for the master. Here anyone goes to the office or goes to service, he does not... He has no business to give service to a certain man, but because he will pay, that means he gives to the, service to the money. And why he gives service to the money? Because it is required for my sense gratification. Therefore ultimately I give service to my senses. The so-called service to the society, friendship, love, country, nation—all bogus. I do service to my senses, sense gratification. That's all. Therefore here service means service to my sensuous kāma, lust. Kāmādīnām, kāma. First of all I am lusty; therefore anyone who is not, who does not require money, he does not go to give service. So because I am lusty—I require some money to fulfill my lusty desires—I go to serve.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got more than one hundred centers. And one center... We were just reading from the statement of Nava Bhārata Times how they are well managed. But we have no business. We have no source of income. That is the only source of income—Kṛṣṇa's shelter. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. Therefore śāstra says that "You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa comes also to say the same truth. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He never said that "You do this and do that. Then I shall give you for your maintenance." No. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "Not only I shall give maintenance, but I shall protect you from the resultant action of sinful life." So much assurance is there. So śāstra also says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida means intelligent, very intelligent person. So what should he try for? Tasyaiva hetoḥ: to get shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Human life should only endeavor how to get in touch of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That should be the only one business.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

So one has to learn how to describe the Absolute Truth, Bhagavān, how He's acting, how He's merciful, how He is so kind to the living beings that He comes personally. He's more anxious to give us education, enlightenment what is the goal of life. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). And He leaves the literature, He leaves His devotee, He leaves His follower, the paramparā system. Take advantage of this. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving the whole human society this advantage of understanding what is the Absolute Truth. It is not a bogus thing. It is actually this anukīrtaya. Anukīrtaya. We are not manufacturing our philosophy. There is no business. Why shall I try for..., unnecessarily waste our energy for manufacturing? There are so many things to be learned which is already there in the Vedic literature. Just try to learn and distribute it. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

To cut this tree, it is very difficult. But we have to become detached. Detached means... There is a Bengali proverb: dhari mach nacoi pane.(?) Means that "I'll catch the fish but will not touch the water." That is, that intelligence required. You see in the beach... Here we do not see many, many. But in America we see on the beach, old men. They have got no business. They simply waste their time catching fish. Yes. But they are not very interested in this way, nacoi pane.(?) They also touch water also.

So we have go live in this material world in such a way that we shall do everything for Kṛṣṇa, but we'll have no attachment for this material world. We may have big, big buildings, big, big temples, but we should not be attached to this. But for Kṛṣṇa's sake we must have. Because it is Kṛṣṇa's property. That is our mission. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). We have to teach people that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why you are occupying it unnecessarily?" Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). "You are thief. Why you are claiming Kṛṣṇa's property, 'This is my land, America,' 'This is my land, India,' 'This is my land, Pakistan'?"

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

"If I don't bother, then how shall I eat?" No, that people generally says, that "Everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, how we shall eat? How things will go on?" Now, we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, practical example. Are we not eating? Are we not sleeping? What business is stopped? We have no business; we simply beg. There is no certainty that "Tomorrow I shall go there. I'll get this money." There is no certainty. We do not know. We are eating in the morning. We do not know whether there will be food in the evening. If Kṛṣṇa gives, then we can eat. You know it very well. We have no business. We are not professional men. We are not going to the market for what is bao.(?) Ke bao haya?(?) So are you not eating? We are eating. Not only eating, we have got hundred and two branches, and every branch there are at least one hundred men. They're all eating. Why? Because we know, "Kṛṣṇa will give us. Kṛṣṇa giving food to the ants, to the elephant. Why not to His servant? We have no..." If you have got this confidence, then... The śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. You should simply try for perfection of life, brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

"Why you are captivated by this false, so-called happiness? You give up this." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I will give you relief. You come to Me. You will live happily, eternally, blissful life, without any scarcity, without any trouble."

So the Kṛṣṇa's business—He comes here. He has no business to come here because His agent, prakṛti, is doing everything. But still, out of compassion, He comes in His original form, Kṛṣṇa, or in His incarnation as Kapiladeva, and He says the same thing, "My dear sons, My dear rascal sons, you are suffering so much on account of this material contact. Please come to Me. Take shelter of Me, and you will be happy." This is going on. And Kṛṣṇa's representative says the same thing, that "You rascal, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are going from door to door of all rascals. I tell it, declare it publicly. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a rascal number one. I declare it. Come, any intelligent man.

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

Because the devotees means the servant of the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa. So they have been engaged. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So devotees are so confidential servant of the Supreme Lord. Therefore they are engaged in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have no business for themself—they are completely perfect as soon as they have accepted Kṛṣṇa—but they are working on behalf of Kṛṣṇa to turn these two-legged animals to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

About him it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that he practiced this yoga system, the topmost yoga system. What is that? Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ: "He kept always his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." And his legs engaged for going... He was king, emperor. He had no business to go. But still, he was using his legs to go to the temple. This is this yoga system. You employ your senses. Instead of going to the cinema and standing there for three hours for a ticket, if you engage your legs to come to this temple, it is yoga system, so simple thing. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. Instead of thinking some beautiful woman or beautiful man, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the most beautiful person, then it is yoga system, so simple.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

Rasa means pleasure, taste, pleasing taste, rasa, or humor. Everyone has got different taste. So all the taste are there in Kṛṣṇa. Raso vai saḥ, labdhvānandī. Anyone who has tasted Kṛṣṇa he gets real taste of pleasure, either in this rasa or that rasa.

Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma was fighting with Kṛṣṇa. He had no business fighting with Kṛṣṇa because He is charioteer. But sometimes the horses, the charioteer, are also killed by the opposing party. So when Arjuna was in a very dangerous position... Because Bhīṣma promised to Duryodhana. Duryodhana was criticizing his grandfather, that "You are not fighting wholeheartedly. Because your affection is there on the other side, your other grandsons, pañca-pāṇḍava, therefore you are not fighting with your full strength." So this is a great insult for the kṣatriya. So he promised to kill the five Pāṇḍavas next day. That was a challenge to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

That is required. That is spiritual life. If you are embarrassed with these four things, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, then we are not making progress in spiritual life. It should be reduced. Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī did. All the Gosvāmīs—they had no business. But that is very difficult. If one has to imitate the behavior of Rūpa Gosvāmī and all the Gosvāmīs, it is very difficult. Therefore yukta-vairāgya. We must eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam as much as it is needed for maintaining my body. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-mai... In this way, spiritual progress of life... But it will be very easy if we chant this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, offenselessly, niraparādhe. Then immediately you become advanced. Not only advanced, actually spiritual situated.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

That is also advised by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna: traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. This whole world is being conducted by the three guṇas, and if you want to go above the three guṇas, then you have to take to this platform, nistraiguṇya. Nirguṇa. Is called nirguṇa. Nirguṇa does not mean no quality. No. Nirguṇa means nirastaḥ yatra, material qualities. Do not think, as some philosophers think like that, that after being brahma-bhūtaḥ, as it is stated, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished.

That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param
(BG 18.54)

When you come to this platform of transcendence, brahma-bhūtaḥ... Because we are going on under the wrong impression that "I am this body." This is the most fallen condition of the present human society.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Prabhupāda: No, in this life. Just like we, we are serving God, we have no profession, we have no business, we have no income, but Kṛṣṇa is supplying all the necessities of life. Paying for this house two thousand dollars per month. We have got one hundred such centers. We are spending about one million dollars per month (laughter), but we have no fixed income. Kṛṣṇa is supplying.

Jyotirmayī: He said, so I can understand that it's really God helps you.

Prabhupāda: Now you can understand by common sense that if you serve somebody here, in this material world, he pays you some money, salary, and God is all powerful. If you serve Him, He'll not pay you? No problem. God is paying everyone, one who is not serving even. If you serve, He'll pay you sufficiently, don't bother.

Jyotirmayī: She says she thinks that we are a little exploiting God...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

This is sama-cittāḥ, equally disposed to everyone, not that "He is American, so I shall be kind to him," or "He is Indian. I shall be kind to him," "He is black, I shall be kind to him." No. Everyone. Pāṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Sama-cittāḥ. This is the qualification of great soul. There is no distinction that "He is such and such person. Therefore I have no business with him." No. The preaching Kṛṣṇa is preaching to everyone. Christ is preaching to everyone. They are called mahānta. Mahānta means great soul.

So here it is said, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā, always very peaceful. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa śāntā. There is no disturbance. Because he knows himself, he is not disturbed by any material conditions. Ahaituky apratihatā. Spiritual advancement of life is never hindered by any material condition. It is not that "I am under such and such condition. I cannot make any advancement in spiritual life."

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

So we should not be attached. We should completely give up anything material. That is niṣkiñcana. We have no business with anything material, either in the golden plate or on the street, on the floor. It does not make any difference. Our business is how to accept the prasādam, what Kṛṣṇa has eaten, that is our concern. We are not interested with the intestine of hogs or halavā, puri. No. We are interested to eat which is already accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bara dayāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, sva-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. Our business is that "Kṛṣṇa is so kind..." The Kṛṣṇa prasāda, those who are eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda, they are enjoying everything. Kṛṣṇa bara dayāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay. We have got thousands of nice preparation. Why should we go to the hotel and restaurant? There are so many nice preparation offered to Kṛṣṇa. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ. Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept from a devotee whatever he offers, but within the limitation. Otherwise he will bring hog's intestine. That is not desired. If people say, "Whatever I eat, I can offer to Kṛṣṇa..." There is a class, they say, "Whatever I eat you can offer." But that is not the process.

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

Prahlāda Mahārāja was anxious not for himself. Naivodvije para duratyayā-vaitaranyas tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "My Lord, personally I have no problem. It is finished." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi. Dhruva Mahārāja also said the same thing. A devotee, for personal... Because they are ātmārāma. They have no business for personal satisfaction. They are completely satisfied, ātmārāma. But they have got another dissatisfaction: that seeing men like us engaged in sense gratification and working whole day and night like dogs and pigs, so they are very much anxious. Tato vimukha-cetasa. "Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are working so hard day and night like asses and pigs and dogs." They are very much anxious for this, "How to stop this foolish person from this unnecessary trouble?" Unnecessary trouble. That Ṛṣabhādeva has already instructed us in the beginning, that "Don't spoil your life working so hard like hogs and dogs. No, this is not good." Na sādhu manye. "This is not good." But they are thinking... Now it is advertised that "Work hard. Work hard." And the people have come to the stage of pulling thela and rickshaw, and still, they have to work hard.

Lecture on SB 5.6.11 -- Bombay, December 29, 1976:

So next... (reading) "In this age of Kali people are overwhelmed by the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva incarnated Himself to deliver them from the clutches of māyā." God has no business to come here. He is Vaikuṇṭha-pati. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha-yasmād. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. In the spiritual world there is no anxiety,. and the material world, it is full of anxiety. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-gṛhāt. On account of accepting this false, temporary material world, we are always full of anxiety, and Vaikuṇṭha world, kingdom of God, is just opposite: no anxiety. Why there should be anxiety? Here we have got the fear of birth, death, old age and disease, and in the spiritual world there is no such thing, birth, death, old age and disease. And everything is complete there. There is no fight between one person to one person. In this way, the description is there. The summary is that there is no jurisdiction for the three modes of material nature. It is above the jurisdiction. That is Vaikuṇṭha world.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

A godly person's business is to reclaim the fallen souls. They cannot see... A godly person sees that "Here is my brother. He is son of God. I am son of God. Without enlightenment, without knowledge of God, he is suffering. So let me give him some knowledge of God." This is godly person's business. He has no other business. He has no business to find out where to eat, where to sleep. Oh, that God provides for him. If God can provide food and shelter for cats and dogs, do you think God will not provide food and shelter for His confidential devotee? Is God so blind or ingratitude or unable? If He is able to feed innumerable living entities within this universe, does it mean that one who has sacrificed his life for God's service, he will starve? No. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati: (BG 9.31) "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, you declare it to the world that My devotee will never be vanquished." Never be vanquished. Another place it is said, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 9.22) "Those who are constantly engaged in My service, for them, I personally carry all the necessities to his home." So rest assured that if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you become God conscious, there will be no scarcity of happiness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa is not hungry that He is begging some food from us. No. He is trying to create loving transaction: "You love Me; I love you." Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa, practically by His energy everything is produced. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So why He should beg for, from me, a little leaf and little fruit and little water? He has no business. But if we offer a little fruit and little leaf and little water with love—"Kṛṣṇa, I am so poor that I cannot secure anything. I have secured this little fruit and little flowers and a leaf. Kindly accept it"—Kṛṣṇa is very glad. Yes. And if He eats, offered by you, your life is successful. You make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. That is our preaching.

So this little fruit, little flower and little water can be secured any part of the world by any man, poor or rich. And can be offered. Simply we have to try, we have to learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. And love begins with this give and take. You give something to your lover; he gives you, something to you. In this way love develops.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

The kṣatriyas were entrusted certain villages, that "You look after these villages, that the people are becoming well behaved." So kṣatriya's business was to see whether brāhmaṇa is actually acting as brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya actually acting as kṣatriya. This was the ruler's business to see. And to see that nobody is unemployed, nobody is a devil's workshop. Because if you have no business, no occupation, then your brain will plan something. This plan is cauryam and cheating. They had no opportunity to plan all these things. So kṣatriya's income is to take some tax. What is that tax? Not in money. But people are engaged in agricultural work, so whatever he has produced, he gives twenty-five percent to the ruler. That's all. That includes income tax, this tax, that tax. No more tax. "Take. Whatever I have got, you take twenty-five percent." So this is kṣatriya's occupation, second class.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

That is another danger. (laughs) Better understand from the authority. That is knowledge. Śāstra-cakṣuṣā. Śāstra... From authoritative statement of śāstra you'll see. Don't see by your blunt eyes, rascal, this consciousness. Then you'll never find the actual fact. Śāstra-cakṣuṣā, authority. Just like here. Śāstra says, "Here is the soul." The Yamarāja is snatching, dragging the soul, not his leg or hand. There's no business. As soon as the soul is gone, the leg and hand and everything becomes a lump of matter. That's all. What is the use of it? So vikarṣato 'ntar hṛdayād, antar-hṛdayād, core of heart. Antar means within the heart. Antar-hṛdayād dāsī-patim. Nowadays, sometimes one becomes a prostitute. That is very usual now. But in India still, nobody will marry a prostitute. Nobody. Still. In the Western country, never mind he's a prostitute, she's a prostitute, if she marries—Ph.D. certificate, that's all. So this is old custom. Once one girl becomes prostitute, she'll never be touched. Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives. Kṛṣṇa can do anything. That is another thing. So these sixteen thousand girls were kidnapped by that Bhaumāsura. So without finding any way how to escaped from this asura's hand, they appealed to Kṛṣṇa that "You save us. This is our position."

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

So these Yamadūtas, they are accustomed to go to the sinful men like Ajāmila and many others. Their business is to arrest the sinful soul and take the soul to Yamarāja. So they were very much surprised by seeing these beautiful Viṣṇudūta. Viṣṇudūta. So don't think it is mythology. No. This is fact. Vyāsadeva or big big saintly persons, they have no business to present before you something mythology. Why they should waste time in that way? It is simply rascaldom to think all the statement as mythology. Not mythology. We have no knowledge. In the śāstra we understand, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. The rays of Kṛṣṇa's body, when it is expanded, brahmajyoti, within that brahmajyoti there are innumerable universes. Just like within the sunlight, sunshine, there are innumerable planets.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

We have only passed five thousand years, and the miserable condition, situation, will degrade more and more, more and more. So if you have to take again birth in this material world, then we'll have to suffer more and more. Best thing is that let us finish our business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead, so that we haven't got to come again to this nonsense material world. That is wanted. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). This should be the aim of life, that we are not going to take advantage of this so-called advance of material civilization. We have no business. Āra nare vaka (indistinct). We should make it a determination that we have enough of this material civilization; we are not any more concerned about it. We are interested in Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This should be the determination. And if we think, "Let me taste this also and taste that also..." In Bengal it is said durakhai tanakakai (indistinct). Not like that.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Everyone, from the morning to night, they are simply trying how to enjoy the material world: "How to enjoy? How to enjoy?" This is called karma-jñāna. When they are fed up, then "the grapes are sour." They give up: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. But that will not stay. If you... Even if you give up for the time being, that jagat mithyā—"We have no business with the jagat"—it may be sentimentally enduring for some time, but because you are not purified, therefore Bhāgavata says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Simply to understand that "I am not this material body, so I have nothing to do with this body, and I am spirit soul," simply this much knowledge is not perfect.

Therefore, sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they think, "Now we have understood that I am not this body. I have nothing to do with the material world.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

Why you are playing here and suffering this māyā's play? Come to the real play." This is Kṛṣṇa's mission. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa comes: "Just try to understand Me, why I come."

The certain section, they say that "Why God will come? God has no business to come here." So these rascals, they do not know. Why God will not come? Is He your father's servant, that you think God cannot come, therefore God cannot come? You can think in your way, but God is fully independent. Whenever He likes, He can come. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Just to show the example. Why God should be restrained not to come? He is not God. If God is restrained by us, by our speculation, by our imagination, that is not God. That is dog. A dog can be restrained: "Don't come here." Why God can be restrained? So there is no reason. He says freely that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He wants.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Therefore we see. They are becoming educated, scientists, philosophers, but they do not understand what is God. Avisayatvāc ca. It is not their subject matter. That I repeatedly say, that one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is, Bhagavad-gītā is not a subject matter for their study, what to speak of commenting upon it? He has no business to comment on Bhagavad-gītā because it is not their subject matter. This should be very distinctly understood. There is a Bengali parable, ādhāra vyapari yahāre khabola (?). Ādhāra vyapari, a merchant dealing in ginger, so he is taking information, "What about the shipping one..., just like one cartload or one ship full of ginger?" So ādhāre vyapari means he has not very large quantity to sell. Ginger is taken, very little quantity. So ginger merchant, if he has got stock, say, one bag, it will take months together to sell it. And if he thinks that "I will stock hundreds of bags," it is useless for him. That is not his subject. But one who sells rice or wheat, that is in great demand.

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

Thank you. Therefore you have come to us. Because... So sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ tān nopasīdata. These are the signs of sādhu. "Don't approach there." Yamarāja says, "Don't approach there. Be careful. You have no business to go there." Nopasīdata. "Don't approach." Why nopasīdata? Harer gadayābhiguptān. "You know, Viṣṇu has got club? Immediately that club will be used." Just like the Viṣṇudūta acted in case of Ajāmila as soon as they approached. Therefore warning, "Don't do this again. One who's a devotee, don't do, don't go there. Otherwise... They are protected by the club of Viṣṇu, cakra. Immediately that will be used." Just see, everything is clearly said.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

Therefore they preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness to the poor people. Gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Mahad-vicalanaṁ nṛṇāṁ gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. When Nārada approached Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he welcomed him that "My dear sir, you are free. You can travel anywhere you like. You are so great and so free. Then why do you come to me? You have no business to come here. I am ordinary king, and what business you have got with me? But still, you come to my house. You talk with me. Why?" Gṛhiṇāṁ

dīna-cetasām. Our mind is very poor. We simply... We are very much busy in the matter of maintaining family, and we have taken it: "This is the sum and substance or success of life."

In this way, as the other day I was speaking, not here, in San Francisco, that in this age especially, a man will think himself very successful if he simply can maintain one wife and a few children. That's all. He will think himself very successful.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Don't try to manufacture any more. Please come to Me." "Oh, how shall I live?" Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). "Don't bother. I shall give you protection." Unfortunately, we do not follow. We have no business to maintain this body or that body, but simply to surrender to God. Then everything will be done. (break) ...maintain your body. Every one is trying to become President Johnson or something like that. Does it mean that he will become? The arrangement is pre-arrangement. You may work day and night, hard labor. But you'll get whatever is destined to you. That's all. You cannot get more. That is being taught by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Just like a dog, he has got a particular type of body. He is confined in that bodily activities. If a dog likes that "I shall be President Johnson," is it possible? However, how much he may try, that body will not allow him. Similarly, we have got a particular type of body to enjoy a particular type of sense gratification. If we try to go beyond that, it is not possible. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't try foolishly in that way.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

When I was in India I heard it that if you go to see an important businessman, his secretary, while talking with that man, the secretary gives you a card that "This Mr. such and such cannot spare more than two minutes." Is it a fact? Huh? Anyway, we should not waste our time, either you act materially or spiritually. But materially we have no business, although we have taken it the material business as very important and spiritual business has no meaning. This is the sum and substance of modern civilization. But so far we are concerned, not only we, everyone, the human life is only meant for spiritual purpose. Not for material purpose.

Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean to be aloof from this material world, but his activities are different. He is not in that activity which will create anxiety. Here we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Oh, there is no business. We don't expect anything from you. But if you accept it, then our mission is nice. If you don't accept it, so there is no anxiety.

We are executing the will of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who takes up this responsibility of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he is very dear to Me." Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' sarva deśa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa in the form of devotee. He said that "By My order, you become a spiritual master." "Oh, I have to become a spiritual master? What I have to do? Oh, I have no qualification." "Oh, you don't require any qualification." "Then what is to do?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you just try to give him some instruction of Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1977:

"All right." But you have to take another body. And if you are pure, simply, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This is wanted, pure devotee.

Therefore we advise everyone to become a pure devotee. Pure devotee... This is the example, mahā-bhāgavata. This five-years-old boy, he had no business except to satisfy, to become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So this very qualification, pure devotee, makes one mahā-bhāgavata. But there are stages. The mahā-bhāgavata from the very birth, that is called nitya-siddha. They are eternally siddha, perfect. They come for some purpose. So Prahlāda Mahārāja came for this purpose, that the demons, even he's his father, he would give him so many troubles because one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the instruction. Prahlāda Mahārāja wanted to show this by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Hiraṇyakaśipu also came—how to become enemy of Kṛṣṇa—and Prahlāda Mahārāja came, show, to show how to become a devotee of... This is going on. So mahā-bhāgavata... Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and mahā-bhāgavata or uttama-adhikārī. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī is in the beginning they have to be taught how to worship the Deity very perfectly.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, those who are devotees, they are also benefited, and the demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are also benefited. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is all good. "God is good" means when He's favoring somebody and when He's killing somebody, both of them are benefited. Therefore God is always good, both ways. Nija-lābha. He has no business to kill anybody as His enemy. Nobody can become His enemy. It is simply childish—just to knock one's head on the mountain to break the mountain. If one thinks that "I shall knock my head to the mountain, and the mountain will break," that is foolishness. Your head will be broken. That's all. Similarly, as friend, nobody can give any service to Kṛṣṇa, or as enemy, nobody can give any trouble to Kṛṣṇa. Nija-lābha-pūrṇa. This is nija-lābha-pūrṇa. He's always full with all satisfaction. So why Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26)? So does it mean that Kṛṣṇa is so hungry that He has come to beg from us a little flower, little fruit? That some rascal taken this, that Kṛṣṇa comes as beggar, daridra. So when Kṛṣṇa comes as opulent Personality of Godhead they are not interested to serve Him, but when Kṛṣṇa comes as daridra, then they're interested.

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

"They have no sense how to improve the position of the country." They do not like because they are in different bhāva. But we are trying to change that bhāva. The bhāva must be there. The whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify the bhāva. Bhāva. That is stated here. Pariśuddha-bhāva. We are not negativating everything. We are simply changing from material bhāva to spiritual bhāva. That's all. Here is a big building, but there are many other hundreds and thousands of big building in this district or in this country. But here the bhāva is changed. The bhāva is changed. In your country there are many big, big skyscraper buildings. In comparison to those buildings, this is nothing. But still, you have come, spending thousands of dollars here, to change the bhāva. That is the... That is required. Otherwise you American boys and girls, you have no business to come here to see this big building. No. To change the bhāva, that requires. That is very important thing.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

And other acts we hear from..., just like in childhood He played so many wonderful things. So those who are surrendered, they believe and therefore they receive the desired result. Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. And the activities of God and His representative are described where? In scriptures, book of authority. Vyāsadeva had no business, or Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no business to describe some fiction, some allegory. Just like fools, they interpret śāstras, "This means this. This means that," according to their own..., as if God left for commentary of that fool, left everything for commentation for that fool. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning it is stated, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Now, this dharma-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra, is described by some eminent politician as this body. Now, there is no dictionary in the world where it is stated that kuru-kṣetra means this body, but still, he is interpreting in that way, as if Kṛṣṇa left for him that "In future kuru-kṣetra meaning will be disclosed by that fool."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:

So it is exchange. I hear your chanting, you hear my chanting. This is the process. So there is no possibility of thinking anything else. Best and the easiest type of meditation. Fully.(?) Factual. You at once become on the transcendental plane. Therefore we feel dancing. You see? So practice it and you'll see how spiritually you are making advancement. And it is very simple. When you are walking on the street, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is not tax. There is no expenditure. There is no loss. But the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? If without any loss, without any expenditure, you gain something, the supermost sublime thing, spiritual realization, why don't you try for it? We are not asking any money. We are not asking $250 for paying for hearing. No. It is freely distributed. Please take it and try it. Make an experiment. There is no business here. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and try to hear the sound, that's all. Nothing more. (break)

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

"One who is learned, paṇḍita, he has no business to consider about this body." Now see, the whole world is concerned with this body, but this is condemned. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. Anyone who is accepting this body, which is nothing but combination of tri-dhātu... Or you take the material elements: earth, water, air, fire. Or more explicitly: the skin, blood, bone, urine, stool. You'll find these things. But do you think such intelligent person is created, manufactured, by bone and blood and skin and urine and stool? It's common sense. It is something else, spirit soul. That they do not understand.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, June 29, 1971:

We are living in Vaikuṇṭha in this temple. Anyone can practically see how they came from hellish life; now they are living in Vaikuṇṭha. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice and so simple. Why people are so foolish they do not take it? What is their complaint? We are living so nicely that sometimes people are envious, that "These people have no business, no occupation, and they are living in nice house, eating nice Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and dancing!" They're envious. But when we say, "Why don't you come here?" they will deny: "No, sir. I cannot go." (laughter) Why you are envious? You come and participate and live like us, happily. "No." That he will not. (laughter) And this is the māyā. You see? Māyā will say, "Oh, why you are going there? (laughter) You just come here in the Bowery Street, and as soon as you get some money, you purchase one bottle and lie down." That is life.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

"No. Give Me patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26)." Kṛṣṇa can eat everything. He is God. But He says that "Give Me this." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. "Offer Me this flower, fruit, water. Like that." So we are after Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is our motto. We don't fight with vegetarian and non... We are not making propaganda... Just like there is vegetarian society. No. We have no business. Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing Kṛṣṇa-prasāda; therefore we invite people to take nice prasāda. So these four principles we should follow. We shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And no illicit sex life, no gambling, no intoxication. We are already intoxicated, being haunted by the ghost of māyā. And further intoxication...? Do you think intoxication can be cured by intoxication? No. That is not possible.

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

One who is Nārāyaṇa parāḥ, devotee, he doesn't care for what is hell or heaven. Svargāpavarga-narakeṣu api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. A devotee... Just like Nārada: he goes to hell, he goes to heaven. He has got freedom to go everywhere. Tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. For him, there is no hell, there is no heaven. He's preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness wherever he goes. That's all. He has nothing to do. Just like we went to that Savarmati jail in Ahmedabad. We were received by the jail authorities, where Gandhi was put into jail. Who was with me in that...? You were... You were also there. No. So we went to jail. There, they made very good arrangement. The prisoners, they received us, they chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So it was a good function. So we want to, went to jail. But what we have got to do with the jail? We have no business with the jail. Similarly sometimes we are invited in a very rich man's house, governor's house. We go there. That is heaven. So we have nothing to take, either from this heaven or from that hell. We have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra anywhere. That is our business.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

'My dear Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta, please put up my chariot between the two soldiers.' And He is carrying out the order. So when I see that Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He can become an order carrier of His devotee, that is giving me feeling, and I am therefore crying." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him and said, "My dear brāhmaṇa, you are actually reading Bhagavad-gītā." That is the fact. If after reading Bhagavad-gītā we do not realize what is Kṛṣṇa, what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is our duty towards Kṛṣṇa, and what is the ultimate goal of life, then it is useless study. It has no meaning. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa prescribed it, how to read Bhagavad-gītā. Don't try to read Bhagavad-gītā made by some commentator who has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. One who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he has no business to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture -- San Francisco, June 28, 1971:

That's śāstra. Śāstra gives you codes. Just like when I immigrated in this land, they gave me one paper, welcome, and some immigration rules. That is śāstra. Similarly, the Vedas means the rules and regulation which following they'll very happily live in this material world. Material world is not required by me or you. We are spirit soul. We have no business in the material world. Just like we are living entities of the land. We have no business with the water. But if anyone wants to cross over the sea, he must have a well-built ship to cross over. Similarly, we spirit souls we have no business in this material world, but because we wanted to enjoy it, leaving the association of Kṛṣṇa, we have been given this ship, this body, to ply over this material ocean. So if you know how to ply the ship over the ocean there is no, I mean to say, fear of being drowned. If you have got a good captain of the ship and the ship is well built, then you'll have no danger. So the captain, he is the spiritual master, and this body is a very good ship. This is, these are the examples given.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

That is our program. It is very nice program. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not an ordinary, bluffing movement. It is a solid, authorized movement, and we are opening branches as far as possible in all parts of the world to give facility to the people, to the civilized men, to understand what is the value of his life, how he can be happy. That is our business. We have no business to cheat you, that "I give you some mantra, and you give me some money. I go away." No. We have come to serve you, so you take advantage. You don't misunderstand us, that "It is a religious sect." No. We are not religious sect. We are cultural sect. We are giving the highest culture to the human society, to awaken his lost consciousness. So I am very happy to see you all, American boys, Indians. This is wanted. We want to unite the whole world under this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And actually that is happening.

Lecture -- London, August 11, 1971:

Why? Because it is pouring water on the leaf, not on the root. So learn by Kṛṣṇa consciousness how to love Kṛṣṇa and how to love your country, your society, your friends, everything. But without loving Kṛṣṇa, you cannot love. This is the secret. And if you love... Just like because I love Kṛṣṇa, therefore I have come to your country. I had no business to come to your country, naturally. But we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we love everyone. We don't make any distinction. We love animals also. We don't like to see animal killing. That is also one of our propaganda: "No meat-eating." Why? To save the animals, because we love animals also. We love even the ant—because we love Kṛṣṇa.

So this is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that if you learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, then you will love everything. Otherwise, your love will be localized and you will be frustrated. It is most scientific.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great science of understanding what is God. Simply with vague idea, "There is God," that is not sufficient. That is good, simply to understand "There is God." Generally, they do not believe that there is God. But if somebody says, "Yes, there is God, but I have no business with Him," no, you should know God, actually what is His name, what does He do, where is His residence, what is His business. You should know this. And these things are possible to understand in this human form of life. We go to the human society to speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not go to the society of animals, because they have no capacity to understand. Their body does not permit to understand what is God. But the human society... It doesn't matter whether he is born in India or Czechoslovakia or Russia. I have been in Russia also. It is not that, that they are godless.

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

Although we did not endeavor for constructing this house or so many other houses, but Kṛṣṇa sends us money, Kṛṣṇa sends us the means how to have nice house, how to accommodate the devotees nicely, how to have nice cars also, nice food, everything. There is no scarcity. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa conscious people... We have no business. We are not professional men. Still, we are living better than any ordinary man. That is Kṛṣṇa's grace. Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ (BG 10.10), yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. He knows, just like a father knows the innocent child's needs. A small child, innocent child, simply dependent on the father or mother. The father, mother knows what this child requires now for his comfort. So father, mother supplies.

So if you depend on Kṛṣṇa, because He's the supreme father, fully, then all your needs... He's already supplying you all the needs of your life.

Lecture -- Bombay, April 1, 1977:

"Come to the superior knowledge." So to worship guru means because he gives us superior knowledge. Not this knowledge—how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and defend. Generally, the political leaders, social leaders, they give this knowledge—how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, how to defend. A guru has no business with these things. He is divya-jñāna, superior knowledge. That is required. This human form of life is an opportunity to awaken that divya-jñāna hṛde prakāśito. And if he's kept in darkness about that divya-jñāna, simply if he is trained up how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex and to defend, then life will be lost. That is a great loss. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Very risky life if we do not awaken our divya-jñāna. We should always remember this. Very risky life—once again thrown into the waves of birth and death, we do not know where I am going. Very serious.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has cash value. Even in Los Angeles, outsiders, they are surprised: "How these people live in such a nice house, eat such nicely, and have so many cars, and they have no anxieties, although they do not work, they have no business?" So what can be more cash value than this?

Devotee: And no bills for psychoanalysis.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is there, but still they do not work, and these rascals, they work the whole day and night, and still they are not happy. What more cash value we can expect than Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Śyāmasundara: He says theories must become instruments, and not just answers to questions which we rest upon. They must become instruments.

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 The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: No. Without your... This is the thing, you have to gain by your own endeavor. Other things naturally come in. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Therefore śāstra says, "For that perfection, one should devote his life." Here people are taught to struggle how to get material comforts, but according to Vedic system, material comforts you will have whatever is destined to you. But so far your spiritual development is concerned, you have to understand that you are spirit soul and you can develop yourself to go back to the spiritual world, you can be associated with the Lord. So many things, spiritual activities. So the śāstra says that one should try to achieve spiritual perfection, and for that he should endeavor. Not for material comforts. Material comforts will come to you as material distress come upon you. You don't ask for material distress, but it comes. Similarly, material comforts also will come automatically. So there is no need of wasting time. Just like see in the nature there are so many millions of living entities. They have no business, they have no profession. These birds, early in the morning, they have no fixed (?) (figs?).

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: He reciprocates to the advanced devotee. Just like it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrva... (BG 10.10). One who is in full love with God, He talks with him. He does not talk with ordinary rascals. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti: (Bs. 5.38) one who has developed love of God, such person always sees God within his heart. So it is a question of Just like Kṛṣṇa says, that "I am talking to you because you are My devotee," bhakto 'si. Why God should talk with nondevotee? He has no business. Just like king, he talks with his immediate officials, minister. He does not talk with the street man. How you can expect? How this street man can express that "I want to talk with the king or the president"? There is no question. He talks. He talks with the qualified devotees, not with others.

Hayagrīva: Wasn't there also something He says, that "As you approach Me...?"

Page Title:No business (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari
Created:28 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=85, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:85