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Not cheating (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"cannot cheat" |"no cheating" |"no more cheating" |"no question of cheating" |"not a cheater" |"not a cheating" |"not actually cheating" |"not be cheated" |"not by cheating" |"not cheated" |"not cheating" |"not exactly cheating" |"not meant for cheating" |"not sentimental, cheating"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

"Perhaps; it may be," and he's writing a big book, anthropology. And people are taking knowledge from that book. So if his knowledge based on "Perhaps; maybe," what is the value of that knowledge? So things are going on like that. The senses are imperfect. He has got a cheating propensity. Cheating propensity means he has no perfect knowledge; still, he wants to give knowledge, to become famous in the world, famous in the community. So what is the value of your writing books if you have no perfect knowledge? But because we have got a cheating propensity, we do like that. So Vedic knowledge is not like that. There is no cheating. There is no imperfection. There is no illusion. There is no error. That is Vedic knowledge.

So there... The author of Vedic knowledge... Who is the author of the Vedic knowledge? Not Lord Brahmā. The author of Vedic knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. As it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. He imparted the knowledge, brahma, śabda-brahma knowledge, into the heart of Lord Brahmā. So Brahmā is not self-sufficient. Factually, we are supposed to get knowledge, Vedic knowledge, from Brahmā, beginning from Brahmā. But actually it is not the, from Brahmā. Brahmā got the knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Tene brahma. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). So actually knowledge is coming from Kṛṣṇa. So our proposal is, we are receiving knowledge, this Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is directly giving you the knowledge. So we have to accept it as it is. We cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā in my own way. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is something else. They take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā and put their own conclusion. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to study as it is. Then it is nice.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

"Perhaps; it may be," and he's writing a big book, anthropology. And people are taking knowledge from that book. So if his knowledge based on "Perhaps; maybe," what is the value of that knowledge? So things are going on like that. The senses are imperfect. He has got a cheating propensity. Cheating propensity means he has no perfect knowledge; still, he wants to give knowledge, to become famous in the world, famous in the community. So what is the value of your writing books if you have no perfect knowledge? But because we have got a cheating propensity, we do like that. So Vedic knowledge is not like that. There is no cheating. There is no imperfection. There is no illusion. There is no error. That is Vedic knowledge.

So there... The author of Vedic knowledge... Who is the author of the Vedic knowledge? Not Lord Brahmā. The author of Vedic knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. As it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. He imparted the knowledge, brahma, śabda-brahma knowledge, into the heart of Lord Brahmā. So Brahmā is not self-sufficient. Factually, we are supposed to get knowledge, Vedic knowledge, from Brahmā, beginning from Brahmā. But actually it is not the, from Brahmā. Brahmā got the knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Tene brahma. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). So actually knowledge is coming from Kṛṣṇa. So our proposal is, we are receiving knowledge, this Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is directly giving you the knowledge. So we have to accept it as it is. We cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā in my own way. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is something else. They take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā and put their own conclusion. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to study as it is. Then it is nice.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Suppose a man is drunkard. So suppose if you say, "Oh, all right. I'll give you a very nice bottle of whiskey at cheap price. Give me fifteen dollars." And if you take fifteen dollars and engage it (in) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that cheating is allowed. (laughter) Because that fifteen dollars he'll take and drink. So you have by some way taken away that fifteen dollars and engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that you have done good to him. So therefore it requires little intelligence and discretion. But that does not mean you shall cheat fifteen dollars from everywhere. But there is no cheating because anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a drunkard. He is drunkard, he is illusioned under material spell. You see? You see? The greatest drunkard, everyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore any way, if you can induce him to spend something of his hard earned money in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is very good to him. Yes. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know, but he is advanced one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anybody who is contributing even a farthing to you, he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so nice thing. Yes.

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

Kṛṣṇa can eat anything because He is the supreme, He is omnipotent, He can eat anything, but He particularly mentions this. Therefore, foodstuff made of these ingredients is nice, sāttvika, goodness. So the karma-vāda, that you follow morality you'll get good results... But where is your morality? Because you are disobedient to God. In the beginning of your life, you are immoral. You are disobeying the greatest authority. There is another example, a story, that a gang of thieves, they stolen some property from different houses, then out of the village they are dividing amongst themselves the booties. So one thief is saying, "Please divide it morally so that one may not be cheated." Now just imagine, the property is stolen. Where is the morality there? But when dividing, they are thinking of morality. The basic principle is immoral. Where you can have morality? Similarly, according to Vedic injunction, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is His property. So the whole planet is God's property, whole universe is God's property. But when we are claiming that this is my property, then where is morality? If you claim other's property as your property, then where is the morality?

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Just like if you are a brāhmaṇa, then you have to act such way. If you are a kṣatriya you have to work in that way. But don't stop working. Kṛṣṇa says that, "A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work." He does not say that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious beggar and maintain your body in that way." No. That is not required. That service for Kṛṣṇa should not be taken, should not be accepted as profession for livelihood. It should be simply for the service of the Lord. For the service of the Lord you can collect millions of dollars, but for your livelihood you cannot take one dollar from any person. Then you'll be indebted. You have to repay him. You cannot cheat others. It is very strictly enjoined. Simply for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction you can take, you can beg from others.

Just like according to Vedic system, begging is allowed. Begging allowed for whom? For the brāhmaṇas, for the sannyāsīs, for the brahmacārīs, because they collect money, beg from door to door for their benefit. Suppose a brahmacārī is going to a householder's place or a storekeeper's place, "Give us some contribution." He is not collecting that money for his livelihood. He's quite competent to work. But that one dollar which he contributes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is good for him. At least, some portion of his energy goes to Kṛṣṇa. That is the philosophy. Not that "Some way or other, I may collect some money and live very comfortably." No. We cannot do that. But you can accept Kṛṣṇa's prasāda. That is a different thing. But for personal comfort you have to work.

If you are a karmī, then you have to work. If you are a devotee, if you are completely... Devotee means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Devotee means one who has engaged his senses cent percent for the service of the Lord, he is devotee, pure devotee.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

Therefore Śrī Bhāgavata says that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām, vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Dharma... There are many religious systems. There is jealousy. So-called religious system, cutting the throat of the animals. Why? If you are so broadminded that if you see everywhere Nārāyaṇa, why you are cutting the throat of the goats or the cows or other animals? You should be merciful to them also. But that mercifulness cannot be exhibited without being a devotee, vimatsaraḥ. Nirmatsaraḥ.

Therefore the so-called religious system which is full of matsaratā, jealousy, that is called kaitava-dharma, cheating in the name of religion. So this God consciousness is not a cheating religion. It is very broad-minded. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām (SB 3.25.21). This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means everyone wants to become friend of everyone. Otherwise if a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not feel like that, why he should take trouble to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world? Vimatsaraḥ. One should understand that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that everyone should relish it, everyone should take part of it.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. Because people are suffering on account of lack of God consciousness. That is the cause of suffering.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Is it magic? But these things are going on. "Oh, such and such swamiji had a spiritual master who immediately showed him God." Huh? Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest, and he had practiced so much penance and austerities. Then he saw God. And I can see God immediately without being trained, without undergoing training? No. It is not possible.

These are absurd thing. Suppose if you are not qualified, how you can see things? Suppose if you have never seen what is ten dollar note, then, if you ask somebody, "Can you give me ten dollar note?" and if he gives you one piece of paper, "Yes, it is $10 note," then are you not cheated? You must know what is $10 note. Otherwise you'll be satisfied with a paper, piece of paper. That's all. If you do not know God, then how you can see God?

You have to check it. You go to a market place. You buy something. Suppose you buy, purchase one knife. You know what is knife. It must be a sharpened instrument. You see how it is cutting. You test it. So suppose if you go on to somebody to see God, how you'll test it if you do not know what is God? Then he will give you, supply you, deliver you one dog, and you understand, "This is God." So what is your testing power? At least, you must have some theoretical knowledge what is God. So these things are going on, absurd things. You must know what is God.

Just like here the Bhagavad-gītā is the description, what is God, how He is creating. You know that God has created this world. Now, here there is description how He creates. So such inquiries, such spiritual master, is overcrowded, but you have, if you are sincere, then you have to find out some spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, who knows about the science of God. Then you try to see God. Otherwise you'll be cheated.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

So one who has seen, one who is in trance of self-realization, he cannot sit idly. He must come out. He, just like Rāmānujācārya. He declared the mantra publicly. His spiritual master said that this mantra, just like that Maharishi came in your country. He wanted to give some private mantra. If that mantra has any power, why it should be private? If at all the mantra has any, why not it should be publicly declared so that everyone can take advantage of that mantra? That is real. It is cheating, you see? So here is no cheating process. We say that this mahā-mantra can save you, we are distributing publicly, no. Free, without any charge. But people are so fools, they are not prepared to take this. They'll hanker after that mantra, after Maharishi. Pay thirty-five dollars and take some private mantra, you see? So people want to be cheated. And here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these people are preaching without any charge, declaring in the street, park, everywhere, "Come on, take it." "Oh, this is not good." This is māyā, this is called illusion. This is spell of māyā. And if you charge something, if you bluff, if you cheat, oh, people will follow.

Sacha bole tomare lata... jagat harai dhana kali-yuga dukha lalge haspai (?). This is a Hindi verse by one devotee that this Kali-yuga is so abominable that if you speak truth, then people will come with some rod to beat you. But if you cheat them, bluff them. they'll be bewildered (?), they'll like it. If I say I'm God, people will say, "Oh, here is Swamiji, God." They won't inquire, that "How you have become God? What is the symptom of God? Have you got all the symptoms?" Nobody inquires. So these things happen. Unless one is not fixed up in the self, unless one does not understand what is real self, unless one does not understand what is Superself. So, yoga means to understand this self-realizing process. That is yoga. Go on.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa came to establish what is real religion. Not cheating religion. Cheating religion will not help us. Why I say "cheating religion"? Because it is said in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitava means cheating. You cannot make people happy by presenting some cheating religion. That is the injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Real religion. What is the real, real religion? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the codes given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make this dharma, that dharma. Dharma is one. God is one. And you have to follow that one principle, how to approach Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. So dharma is to approach Kṛṣṇa, and the process is bhakti. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

In the Kali-yuga it is not possible to practice any other system of yoga. Mind is so agitated, you cannot concentrate. But if you chant loudly, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" your mind will be forced to be drawn and hear Kṛṣṇa. Then mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. If you practice this, then asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu: (BG 7.1) "If you try to hear Me attentively..." Bhagavān uvāca. Who is speaking? Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, the Absolute Person. There is no mistake, there is no cheating, there is no imperfection, and there is no illusion. It is perfect.

So if we follow... "We follow" means to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. We have got attachment. What is attachment? That is not to be learned. Everyone has got attachment, either he has got attachment for family or for society or for community or for the country, for the nation, and so on, so on, his business, at least for his dog. So attachment there is. One, everyone, can understand what is attachment. But this attachment should be turned over for Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. This is explained here. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. And if you simply turn your attachment to Kṛṣṇa... You know what is attachment. "So then I shall have to give up attachment for my family, for my business?" No. Keep the center attachment in Kṛṣṇa and do whatever you are doing. That's all right. Just like family. So it does not mean because you have turned your attachment, therefore your family attachment should be withdrawn. No. It will be polished. The family attachment will be polished. If you train your family in Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just early in the morning rise up.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Jñānam, knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "I am giving you perfect knowledge." This is our process. We receive knowledge from the perfect person. There is no use getting knowledge from imperfect person. That is useless waste of time. And who is perfect person? Who does not commit any mistake, who is never illusioned, whose senses are not imperfect, and who is not a cheater. These are the qualification. (aside:) The children... These are the symptoms of perfect person. First thing is he does not commit mistake. Throughout the whole world you study big, big men. They committed mistake. Hitler committed mistake. Gandhi committed mistake. Churchill committed mistake. Because "To err is human," however big you may be, you cannot avoid mistakes because you are not liberated.

So these are the signs of becoming perfect man, that he does not commit mistake, neither he is illusioned. Illusion means to accept something as something. That is illusion. Just like we are accepting this body as myself. If you ask me, "What you are?" "I am Indian. I am brāhmaṇa. I am this. I am that." So what are these? These are all bodily concept of life. This is illusion. Illusion means I am not this body. You have got experience when a man dies, his relatives and children cry, "My father is gone." But actually the father, the sons who knew the body of the father as the father, that was illusion. Now, after death he is coming to understand that "My father is gone." Why? Your father is lyi... It is lying there—the same hand, legs, heads, coat, pant—everything is lying there. Why do you say that your father has gone away? That means the real father he has never seen. He has seen the illusion of his father. This is called illusion. Is there any doubt? I am seeing you. What I am seeing, you?

Lecture on BG 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974:

So whatever I could collect with my capacity, kindly accept." This is our only plea. Otherwise, don't be proud that "I am doing so much for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be obliged to accept it." It is not like that. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. This is wanted.

So it is very easy, very sublime, but we have to learn it. And learning is also not very difficult. Here is everything, varieties. You always think of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Teṣāṁ nityābhi... One who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa, here..." Nitya abhiyukta. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Kṛṣṇa... You cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. He is seeing everything, your intention, your purpose, your activities, everything. Upadraṣṭā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is... Upadraṣṭā-anumantā. He is witness. You cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. Be sincere, and try to serve Him. He'll accept your service. And He will give you intelligence. Your life will be successful.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

Prabhupāda: That means you are surrendering to different people. That is your position.

Guest (2): Sorry, I didn't hear you. Sorry.

Prabhupāda: You are surrendering to this boy or that boy, hearing. This is correct or that is correct. But you do not know what is correct. So under the circumstances, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa; you'll get the correct answer.

Guest (2): Be patient and wait.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because He is the Supreme, there is no cheating; there is no imperfection. Therefore you get the correct answer. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (5) (young man): Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was told that... When one is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, how does he discriminate between being tactful and, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, compromising in his speech?

Prabhupāda: To surrender to Kṛṣṇa is the best tactful and if you surrender, He will give you instruction. Then all tactfulness will be there. Teṣām aham.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, being the Supersoul, He is not only spread, His consciousness is not only spread over this, my individual body, but His consciousness is spread in, of all bodies. All over the universe there are eight million four hundred thousand species of forms, and Kṛṣṇa's consciousness is all-pervading. He knows everything. So as soon as our consciousness becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa understands. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).

So Kṛṣṇa can understand your purpose. We cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can immediately understand how much serious and sincere you are for understanding Kṛṣṇa or approaching Him or going back to home, back to Godhead. That Kṛṣṇa can understand. As soon as He understands that "Here is a soul, he's very serious," He takes care of you, especially. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is equal to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ. Nobody is dearer, or, dveṣa, or subject, object of jealousy. Kṛṣṇa is not envious, neither specially inclined to everyone. Actually, God's position is neutrality. Everyone, He likes for everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati (BG 5.29). That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is friend of everyone.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

This Gayā city is still there. And five thousand years ago, either the Gayā city was there or it was predicted that there will be city of the name Gayā. In that province, Lord Buddha, as the son of Añjanā—his mother's name, Añjanā—he will appear to cheat the atheists. Lord Buddha appeared to cheat the atheists. "Oh, God comes to cheat?" Yes. Sometimes required. Just like one little child has taken away from the pocket of his father one hundred dollar bill, and he's going to tear it. And the father says, "Oh, my son, what you will do with this paper? You take these lozenges." And the lozenges is worth one cent. So he's cheated, giving him one-cent-worth thing and he's taking hundred dollars, "Give me." But that is not cheating. That is required. Sometimes a child requires to be cheated to save him from making mischievous activities. So when God cheats you...

Just like I was speaking while coming, Vāmanadeva cheated Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja thought that "I am the king of the whole universe." The Vāmanadeva came: "My dear Bali Mahārāja, you are so charitable man. Will you kindly give Me three feet of land." The proprietor has come to beg. This is cheating. This is cheating. Chalayasi vikramaṇe balim adbhuta-vāmana. Chalayasi. Chalayasi means cheating.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

What are his activities? The activities are not very pleasant. Sammohāya sura-dviṣām: (SB 1.3.24) "The Lord will appear as Buddha in order to sammohāya, bewilder, the atheist class of men." Atheist class of... His activities were to cover the atheist class of men, those who do not believe in God. Yes. Lord Buddha said, "Yes, there is no God. There is no God. There is void only. But you believe me, what I say." Just see. He is incarnation of God, and the people amongst whom he is preaching, to them he is saying, "There is no God," but he is God.

Is it not a process of cheating? Yes. So this process of cheating is not exactly cheating; it is for the welfare of the so-called atheistic persons. Just like sometimes father cheats the son. The son is insisting to get one thousand-dollar note, and the father asking, "My dear son, please deliver it." "No, I shall not." So father gives him one lozenges: "My dear son, will you like to take this lozenges?" "Yes, give me." "But you must have to give me that paper." "All right, take." So this kind... (break) ...is not actually cheating, but father knows that "This boy will destroy this one thousand dollars, so it is necessary to give him that two-cent-worth lozenges and take out that one hundred-or thousand-dollar-worth paper." Similarly, when people become too much atheistic, so, in order to bring them back to the understanding of God, there is sometimes necessity like this.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

He is already there. Not that you have to find out Vāsudeva from anywhere. Vāsudeva is everywhere. He is also within. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Vāsudeva is within this universe, within your heart, or even within the atom. So Vāsudeva is every... Simply you have to find out. So how you can find out? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). As soon as you engage yourself in the service of Vāsudeva with love and faith... That is being taught in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. With love and faith. Then Vāsudeva is already there. He knows what you are. You cannot cheat Him. When He understands that now you are serious about knowing, He says, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam: "I supply buddhi-yoga." Buddhi-yoga, that is yoga. The yoga, buddhi-yoga, means bhakti-yoga. Because it is said, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te. This buddhi-yoga means "by which one can approach Me." It is clearly explained in another, Eighteenth Chapter, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Therefore buddhi-yoga means bhakti, or bhakti-yoga. Because without bhakti, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. And here Kṛṣṇa says, "I give him buddhi-yoga, intelligence. My dear devotee, you kindly do this. You will come to Me."

So you do not require... As soon as... Therefore it is called ahaitukī. A devotee is understanding everything without any cause. How it is? Because Vāsudeva is giving intelligence. Teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ, nāśayāmi (BG 10.11). So a devotee, sincere devotee, do not think that he is not in knowledge. He is perfect in knowledge because the knowledge is being imparted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead from within. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). As He did. He gave intelligence to Lord Brahmā how to create this universe. Similarly, He will give intelligence to you also if you become sincere in serving Vāsudeva. This is explained.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Then bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, then your firm steady, steadiness in devotional service will be fixed up. Bhakti... Naiṣṭhikī. Naiṣṭhikī means nobody can, I mean, push out of it. That is naiṣṭhikī, niṣṭhā, firm faith, dṛḍha-vrata. In ordinary case, in neophyte state, if somebody says that "Why you are...?" You'll be surprised. This girl, Śrī Sarasv..., Sarasvatī... Some boy said, "Oh, why you are chanting? This is not very good." He, she gave her (him) a slap. Just see. Naiṣṭhikī. How firmly she is fixed up, although she is a small child. Bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Nobody can deviate him (her). A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa cannot be deviated. You cannot cheat him. No. He'll give you a slap. Naiṣṭhik..., bhavati, bhavati naiṣṭhikī.

So that is required. Tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ, sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ. Anartha, when the... The same thing is described by Rūpa Gosvāmī. As it is said here, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. These abhadra, these anartha... Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Bhakti, when, if one takes seriously to bhakti path, then the test is that he has given up all nonsense unwanted things. Not that he's a bhakta, and still smoking. He's not a bhakta. He's not a bhakta. That is the test. So these things are to be noted very carefully, and to try to associate with devotee. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sebi-bhakta-sane bās. Try to serve the superior ācāryas, Gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāi jāṅr mui tāṅr dās. Make a conviction, firm determination, that "We shall follow only the, the path chalked out by the Six Gosvāmīs. We shall not deviate." With this determination, if you can go on, everything is clear, and there is no difficulty to become liberated or become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

This is rascaldom. Nobody can imitate Kṛṣṇa. Then that is... That is described in the Bhāgavata. If someone thinks of imitating Kṛṣṇa, he'll be ruined. He'll be ruined. That is said, stated there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on the question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be completely nonenvious. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Paramo nirmatsarāṇām. Those who are completely free from enviousness, they can understand what is Bhāgavatam. Paramo nirmat... Dharmaḥ projjhi... It is not a cheating type of religion, enviousness. Paramo nirmatsarāṇām, or paramahaṁsa, those who are not at all envious. They're always friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Paramahaṁsa means suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, "friend for everyone." Not for this human society or this society. A paramahaṁsa is friend for everyone. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. They are satām, Vaiṣṇava. Vāstavam atra vedyam atra tāpa-trayonmūlanaṁ śivadam. These things are mentioned.

So those who are envious of Kṛṣṇa, they take to the worship of other demigods. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Because to quickly attain achievement or achieve perfection in these three things, beauty, opulence, and good generation. So Bhāgavata says that "Even though you are very much anxious to get all these things," śriyaiśvarya-prajā, "still, we recommend that you worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

"Yes, why not? That is my... I will give you. Whatever You want, I will give You."

So immediately his spiritual master, the demon's spiritual master Śukrācārya... Śukrācārya means... Śukra means semina. Seminal ācārya. Means... You do not know. In India, there is a class of men, they are called gurus. The professional guru, rather. So Śukrācārya. Śukrācārya, he was very learned scholar. He knew everything, that "Here Vāmanadeva, He is incarnation of Viṣṇu. He has come to cheat Bali. He will ask something and then He will take everything from Bali." He knew it. So sometimes cheating also done by the Supreme Lord for the sake of the devotee. So this is not cheating. Just like father sometimes cheats a son. Suppose something is there, and two brothers, small children, they are fighting. One has taken, another is crying. So the one will not deliver to the other. So father says, "My dear child, will you kindly give me this." So he gives to the father and he delivers to the other child. (laughter) You see? So sometimes God has to do such cheating of affection. That is not cheating actually. But the cheating propensity is there in God. Otherwise where we get it? (laughter) But we use cheating for our personal sense gratification. But if you use that cheating propensity for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, then it is all right. Manimiti kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ puṇyāyaiva kalpate.(?)

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

Now my father died without payment. So I have got money, you kindly take it." He says, "Let me see my book whether your father took it." So he said, "All right, consult." So after consulting the books, he said, "I don't find any item that I gave loan to your father." "No, sir, I know, my father said at the time of death that 'I owe so much money to that gentleman, I could not pay; you pay it.'" So the trouble was the man says "I don't find any debit to your father's name. How can I take your money?" And he is insisting, "Yes, my father took money from you, kindly take." This was India. This was India. They knew that "I cannot cheat you." Karmī, in the karma-kāṇḍa, if I cheat you, then I will have to pay you four times this life or next life. That is the law of karma. Therefore, we are collecting money, we should not cheat. Every paisa should be spent for Kṛṣṇa; otherwise we shall be liable to pay. If we use one farthing for our sense gratification, then we will have to pay for it. This is the law of karma. The charity is given, why? Why charity is given to the brāhmaṇa? Nowadays they have manufactured charity to the daridra-nārāyaṇa, poor man, gāñjā smoker, bidi smoker. But in the śāstra, it is not. Śāstra says tasmin deha, those who are devotee, those who are brāhmaṇa, they should be given, he should be given, he should accept. Why? Because if a brāhmaṇa takes some money from you, if a Vaiṣṇava takes money from you, he everything will employ in the service of the Lord. This is utilization.

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

Therefore they have no real knowledge. Nobody can have real knowledge, because we are imperfect. Our senses are imperfect. That is our defect in the conditioned life. We have got four defects: we commit mistake, we become illusioned, our senses are imperfect, and we cheat. Because our knowledge is imperfect, still, we take the position of teacher; therefore we are cheater—not teacher, but cheater. So the teacher society nowadays is the cheater society. And this modern world is a society of the cheater and the cheated. That's all. Somebody is cheating and somebody is being cheated. This is going on.

So how can we not be cheated? That is mahātmabhiḥ. You have to follow the previous great ācāryas, mahātmabhiḥ. Just like Kṛṣṇa is accepted. Kṛṣṇa said He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna accepted, "Yes, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12)," after hearing from Him. Paraṁ brahma. And then, after Arjuna, disciplic succession. Lord Caitanya accepted. All the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So we have to follow these mahājana. Otherwise we cannot get the right knowledge. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow great authorities. So who are authorities? They are mentioned in the śāstras:

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

He has got the quality and acting. Similarly, a kṣatriya also, he must act as a kṣatriya. Similarly, vaiśyas. These are all, statements are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, you know. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (Bg 18.44). Śauryaṁ tejo yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam īśvara-bhāvaś ca kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam. Everything is given. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam. Everything is given there. So it is the duty of the government, that this man is professing as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya or a vaiśya, whether he is acting, or whether he's cheating others. No cheating will be allowed. That is government's duty.

So here, this man was cheating. Because here it is said: nṛpa-liṅga-dharam. He was dressed like a king. Just like king is very gorgeously dressed. But his bodily feature, he was a black man. The black man means śūdra. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they were not black. But the śūdras were black. From external point of view, these things are there. Śūdras, another name is kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means black. So this black man was dressed like a king, and what was he, was he going to do? Ghnantaṁ go-mithunaṁ padā. He was trying to kill a pair of cow and bull. So naturally he could understand. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going on tour, and on his way he saw that this rascal is dressed like a king and he's trying to kill cows and bulls. Oh, he immediately chastised him. Nṛpa—he has dressed like a king, but his business is like śūdra or less than śūdra. Butchers, butchers cannot be intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is not butcher. Neither a kṣatriya. Kṣatriya fights, kills, but in regular religious fight. Not that by whimsically he'll fight and kill men. No. So, here it is said, nijagrāhaujasā vīraḥ. A kṣatriya must be vīra, hero.

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

So Alexander considered that "Yes, I am nothing but a big thief, that's all." So he released him, "Yes, I am no better than you." Just like dacoits. Nowadays there are many thieves who steal scientifically, legally. There are many lawyers, many scientists. They do harm, but legally. Legal murderer, legal cheaters, so many things. We have got experience, every one of us. If you can protect yourself under the cover of law and you cheat others, then it is nice. But you cannot cheat the supervision of the Supreme. That you cannot do. A thief may steal secretly, but there is no secret. There is no secrecy for God. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: (BG 15.15) "I am sitting in everyone's heart." So suppose you are planning to do something, mischievous activity. You can cheat the man-made law or the man-made police, but how you can cheat Kṛṣṇa? He is sitting within your heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." So whatever you're thinking, feeling, and willing, it is immediately being observed and noted, "This rascal wants to do this." Besides that... This is inside. Then outside, there is sun, there is moon, there is day, there is night. Everyone, there are eight kinds of witnesses, whatever you are doing. And karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like a man is punished according to his gravity of criminality, similarly, whatever you are doing... Here everything is criminal, in this material world. Everything is criminal.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ (ISO 1). Actually, the dharma principle, as we learn from Bhagavad-gītā... Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Don't create, manufacture, your principle of religion, concocted. That is the difficulty. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). We have several times explained this, that dharma means-dharma, as it is translated in English, "religion"—religion means to obey the laws of God. That is religion, not a sentimental system of religious system we manufacture. That kind of dharma will not help us. Therefore, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "Cheating type of religious system is kicked out." That is Bhāgavata-dharma. No cheating. In the name of cheating and dharma, religious principle, that will not help the human civilization.

The real dharma... The real dharma is stated by God Himself. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You haven't got to learn from anywhere else but from God Himself. So that is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). To surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is religion. Not only surrender, but to act as He desires, or you become a lover of God. This is first-class religion. We have several times explained. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That type of religion is first-class which teaches you how to become a lover of God. If you become lover, then your life is successful. Then you'll do everything for God. Otherwise, you'll simply question, "Why shall I do that? Why shall I do that? Why shall I...?" That means there is no love. That is training. Just like a novice is being trained up, and he has no love, so he'll question that "Why shall I do it? Why shall I do it? Why shall I do? What benefit I shall get?" So many questions will be there. But when there is love, there is no question.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

In the material world there cannot be love because... Suppose a girl loves a boy or a boy loves a girl. Both of them are actuated by sense gratification. So that is not love. That is not love. When there is question of sense gratification, that is not love. Just like there is little example. Just like mother loves the child. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for the sake of love, the mother loves the child. It is simply a little example. Similarly, love means if I love you, I don't want any return. Still, I love you. You may ill treat me. You may badly treat me. You neglect me. Still, I love you. There is no question of return from you. That is real love. That you cannot find in this material world. Because it is based on sense gratification, therefore there is love between a boy and girl, and as soon as there is little discrepancy, there is divorce. They are separated. Because the whole principle was on the basis of lust. So there is no love. Or we do not know what is meant by love. Love does not mean just a boy is attracted by a girl or a girl is attracted by a... That is not love. That is sense attraction. So in the material world there is no love. It is impossible. There is little, little example, just like I cited the example of mother and son or similar. That is also temporary. But real love is in the spiritual... That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is real love. There is no separation. There is no cheating. There is no divorce. There is no sex attraction. Simply for love's sake, loving, that is real love.

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

Avyabhicāreṇa means without any flaw, without any fault. Simply according to the restriction, or instruction of the śāstra and spiritual master, one is strictly following and engaged in devotional service. Then he is sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). He can conquer or surpass over the three modes of material nature. And his stage is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.

So when you are actually on the Brahman... Now, everyone can say, "I am now in the brahma-bhūtaḥ." The symptom is there. You cannot cheat. What is that? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). If you are actually on the brahma-bhūtaḥ platform, then the symptom will be prasannātmā: Jolly, always. There will be no more moroseness. Always jolly. That is the first symptom. "Oh, I am now free from the material clutches." Because as soon as you are actually engaged in devotional service, there will be no more, I mean to say, punishment by the material nature. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śo... (BG 18.54). Therefore he's always jubilant, prasannātmā. What is the meaning of prasannātmā? Prasannātmā means na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not desire anything, does not lament for anything. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. If there is something lost, "Never mind. Kṛṣṇa desired loss. That's all right." And if there is gain, he does not jump over, "Oh, I have gained this. I have gained this." Like monkey. (laughter) No. Everything Kṛṣṇa's. I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Suppose if there is some loss. So it is Kṛṣṇa's desire. And if there is some profit, it is Kṛṣṇa's money. I don't possess anything. Why shall I jump? Jump, of course, we can jump. "O Kṛṣṇa, we have gained so much thing, so many things for Kṛṣṇa." That is another... So na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then he's equal to everyone. He understands that everyone is a spirit soul. Some way or other, he's entangled in this material body. So because I am now...Mad-bhakti... Prasannātmā na śocati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate par... Then he's fit for transcendental service to the Lord.

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

When a man becomes mad, he speaks so many nonsense. Like a child. A child also speaks so many nonsense things, and the parents enjoy it. Similarly, the so-called scientist, when he says that "By scientific method, we shall stop death," so there is no evidence in the history of the human society that a man has not died. That cannot be. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was also atheist and materialistic. He also tried to become immortal. And he made a plan, negative plan, to cheat Lord Brahmā that "I shall not die in this way, in this way, in that way, in this way, in that way." But still he was killed. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am death, and at the time of death I take away everything." Sarva-haraś ca. So we cannot cheat God or His law.

That is not possible. We may be very intelligent to cheat here the police or the government or the laws, but it is not possible to cheat the supreme laws. That is not possible. Therefore, in order to avoid the superintendence of the Supreme Lord ... because there is superintendence ... as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you have read, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "Under My superintendence the law of nature is working." So we are under the laws of nature. The nature is very vigilant, strong agent of Kṛṣṇa. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So we cannot avoid. Even if we deny, "There is no God, there is no systematic government or stringent laws," just to avoid our responsibility, but that will not save us. Now, the argument is in the previous verse. It is said that we are decreasing our duration of life. The scientists will say, "No, we shall stop it." Taking this argument, Bhāgavata says, "Suppose you stop death ..." It cannot be.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So as Bhagavad-gītā also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sañjaya, and then, from Sañjaya heard Vyāsadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahābhārata... So he says, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavān or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavān. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on this principle. We are speaking not anything manufactured by us. That is not our business. Because how we can manufacture? We are defective. We are deficient, imperfect. What is the use of my philosophy? What is the use of my thinking? Generally they say, "I think," "In my opinion." He does not think that "I am a rascal. I have no value of my opinion." He thinks that he is something very big. No. Because our senses are imperfect, whatever knowledge we have gathered by our sense speculation, that is imperfect. That cannot be perfect. Therefore we have discussed already, tattva āmnāyam. We have to receive knowledge from disciplic succession, tattva. Then we will understand the truth. Tattvāmnāyam. This subject matter we have discussed already, āmnāyam, evaṁ paramparā, that we should not manufacture knowledge. We should take knowledge from the perfect. Just like here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, bhagavān uvāca. If we follow this āmnāya system, then we become guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

"This dharma, that dharma, this dhar..." No. Dharma is one. Dharma cannot be different. Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma.

Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Dharmaḥ projjhita. Projjhita, prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhāgavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavān. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavān and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavān then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavān is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavān and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavān is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavān, feeding the Bhagavān, chanting the Bhagavān's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavān, to publish books about Bhagavān. This is bhakti, bhakti bhāgavatī, simply in relation with Bhagavān, no other business, animittā, without any material desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). There is no touch even of jñāna. Jñāna means speculation. And trying to understand the Absolute Truth by his... (break)

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

That is the beginning. That means beginning is the brahma-bhūta platform. Brahma-bhūta... (SB 4.30.20). Same thing. It is, Nārada Pañcarātra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, and brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), Bhagavad-gītā, the same thing. Wherever you find the Vedic literature, the same thing. Therefore it is authority. There is no contradiction. In the material platform you write one book, I write one book, then I disagree with you, and you disagree with me. That is material platform. But in the spiritual platform, there is self-realized platform. There is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfect senses and there is no cheating. That is spiritual platform. So the Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The same thing is confirmed in the Nārada Pañcarātra:

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
(CC Madhya 19.170)

This is the platform we have to come, spiritual platform, wherein hṛṣīkeṇa...

Hṛṣīka means the senses, the material senses and the spiritual senses. So what is the spiritual senses? Spiritual sense is not senselessness. No. Purified senses. In the impurified senses I am thinking, "This body is Indian; therefore I am meant for serving India," "This body is American; therefore I am meant for giving service to America." This is upādhi.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

So this is the Vedic injunction. If we want to understand this science... It is science, it is not sentiment. Bhakti-yoga is not sentiment, it is a science. Therefore we have to take it from authorized Vedic instruction. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised that science means you have to take it from the Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means there is no mistake, there is no cheating, there is no imperfect senses. Everything is perfect. So science means, which is perfect knowledge. Not perhaps, it may be, that is not science, theory. Theory is not science. Science, the most important items of science is observation and experiment. First of all to study the situation by observation, and then practically, when you are able to make an experiment, then it is science. Otherwise, theoretical knowledge has no meaning.

So in order to know that science, one has to approach a perfect teacher. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Here also it is said, gurau haṁsa. Haṁse gurau mayi. The mayi is also significant. That means, paramahaṁsa guru means, he's as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because he does not deviate from the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the symptom of guru. Guru does not deviate from the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not manufacture something new, novel. No, the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, although He is the speaker, millions of years ago He instructed the science to the Sun god, and again when He was instructed to Arjuna, He said that, "I am instructing the same thing." Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ. Not that on account of change of time, the instruction has been changed, no. (aside:) What is that exact verse? Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ?

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

And this jugglery of words, grammatical jugglery, will not help you at the time of death. Nahi nahi rakṣati dukṛn-karaṇe(?). If you misinterpret that "With this grammatical addition or grammatical alteration this meaning can be derived." No. That is mal-interpretation. Real understanding is bhaja govindam. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Lord Brahmā, he also says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. And Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, he is incarnation of Śaṅkara, he also saying, govindam, bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam. And we are following the same thing, so that is guru-paramparā, that is real knowledge. So don't approach a cheater, but actually approach a teacher, not a cheater. Then bhakti-yoga will be... That teacher is guru, and he is representative of Kṛṣṇa. He does not say anything else.

So bhaktyā anuvṛtyā. Anuvṛtyā means following. Not that I have become more than my guru, I can invent something. No. Bhakti means, sādhu-mārgānugamanam. You have to follow the sādhu, the ācārya. That is bhakti. Bhakti does not means that I am so learned I can manufacture something. That is rascal. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. That is bhakti. You have to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Not that at a point you become suddenly very learned scholar, and you do not remain a servant, but you want to become a master, to dictate the guru. That is rascal. That will not help us. Here it is said, bhaktyānuvṛtyā. Bhaktyā, bhaktyā, bhakti means sevā. Bhaja sevayā. When bhakti, bhajata sukti(?). Bhaja means sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So we have to understand this bhakti-yoga by bhaktyānuvṛtyā, not otherwise. Not that I am very learned scholar, I can give a different interpretation and... No, that is not bhakti. Bhaktyānuvṛtyā vitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā. So Vaiṣṇava is very, very merciful. They are merciful to the fallen souls. Their only concern is how to deliver these fallen souls. They are under the clutches of māyā, suffering. So various means adopting, just try to save them. This is Vaiṣṇava business. Nānā-śāstra-vicā raṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. These Gosvāmīs, they were studying so many books, Vedic literature and found out the cream, how to establish... Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthā... Sad-dharma, not cheating dharma. Dharma means religion. Real religion, sad-dharma. So the sad-dharma... As soon as we become addicted to sinful activities, then our real, constitutional position we forget, and we become mad after it and the disease increases.

So here it is suggested that "According to the disease..." Diseases, there are different types of disease. Some disease is very acute; some disease is not very important. So he suggests that tasmāt purā eva ca iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyor avipadya ātmanā. You have to die. That is a fact. Nobody will live here. "As sure as death." So before death we must finish the atonement of our sinful activities. This is recommended. Purā. Tasmāt purā eva iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau. But nobody knows. At the present moment they do not know what is pāpa and how to get out of it, what is next birth. Everything is unknown at the present moment. This is the modern civilization. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu took one thing, that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). They are in gross misunderstanding of life. So in order to cleanse their heart to understand what is the position where they are going, where they are actually, how things are going on... It is due to ignorance.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Honolulu, May 14, 1976:

You study and follow the practice. Be little sober. It is not that you'll not be able. You'll be able. And Kṛṣṇa will help. As soon as you are very eager, then Kṛṣṇa will help. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10).

So therefore the Deity worship is there. Along with Deity worship we should always pray, "Kṛṣṇa, kindly save me from the pitfalls of māyā." He'll do it. But if we want to cheat Kṛṣṇa and cheat guru, then you'll be cheated. That's all. The guru will not be cheated, neither Kṛṣṇa will be cheated. You'll be cheated. That's all. If you want to be cheated, then do whatever you like and prolong your this term of repetition of birth and death. And if you want to stop it, then here, the tapasā brahmacaryeṇa ṣamena ca damena ca tyāgena (SB 6.1.13). Tyāgena. This is also one of the tapasya. Don't keep with you anything, even... Then you will make plan: "Let me have illicit sex. Let me have intoxication." As soon as you have got money. Best thing is, as soon as you get money, immediately you spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Tyāgena, charity. Charity. Tyāgena means charity. Not that you starve. No. That kind of starvation... You keep yourself fit to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but don't keep much money. Immediately give in charity to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can take your charity as much as you can give.

Just like Bali, Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja, he secured the whole three worlds. He became the master of the three worlds, means the upper planetary system, down planetary system, middle planet. So, but he was a devotee also. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came to him as Vāmana.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

That is natural. But why one should take unfair means for maintaining family? This is culture. This is culture. But nowadays they have manufactured "Necessity has no law." "I require money, somehow or other I must have it and let me adopt this means, that means." No. So evaṁ nivasatas tasya lālayānasya. Lālayānasya tat-sutān. So without understanding what is the duty of human being, because he is fallen... We should not bother for maintaining our family and children till the time of death. No. Up to twenty-five years. A brahmacārī is trained to refrain from sex life, that is brahmacārī, celibacy. But if he is still not able, then he is allowed to accept gṛhastha life. There is no cheating, hypocrisy, that I proclaim myself as brahmacārī or sannyāsī and I secretly do all nonsense. This is hypocrisy. The hypocrisy life will not make one advanced in spiritual life.

That is the example given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His personal associate, you know, Choṭa Haridāsa, Junior Haridāsa. He was a very nice singer, so he was singing in the assembly of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One day he went to beg some rice from Śikhi Māhiti's sister, and there was a young woman and he lustfully saw her. That is sometimes natural. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu understand that, just to teach us, while He was eating He said, "Who brought this rice?" "Choṭa Haridāsa." "So ask him not to see Me anymore, finished." Everyone was surprised: "What happened?" Then by inquiry it was found that he lustfully saw one young woman. So just Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so strict that rejected him from His associates. Then other big, big devotees requested Him that "He has committed some mistake. Please excuse him. He is Your servant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All right, then you bring him back, you live here. I am leaving this place. I am leaving this place." Then they said, "No, Sir, we shall not raise this question anymore." So when Choṭa Haridāsa found it impossible to again go into the assembly of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he found it a hopeless life. Then he went to Triveṇī and committed suicide.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Religion means the order of Kṛṣṇa. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture religion. Religion means you carry out the order of God. That is religion. That is religion. So you do not know what is God, what is the order of God, or even if you know, you do not carry out—then what is the meaning of your religion? It has no meaning. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam directly takes it, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramaḥ nirmatsarāṇāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra.

So this Bhāgavata religion is not a cheating religion. This is real religion. Don't be carried away by cheating type of religion; you do not understand what is the value of life, what is the goal of life, how we can revive our eternal life. These things are to be known, and then your life, human life, is successful. And that chance is present before you in this form of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Take advantage of it and be happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

So that is natural. But why one should take unfair means for maintaining family? This is culture. This is culture. So but nowadays they have manufactured. "Necessity has no law." "I require money, so somehow or other I must have it. Let me adopt this means, that means." No. So evaṁ nivasatas tasya lālayānasya. The lālayānasya tat-sutān. So without understanding what is the duty of human being, because he is fallen, so we should not bother for maintaining our family and children till the time of death.

No. Up to twenty-five years. A brahmacārī is trained to refrain from sex life. That is brahmacārī, celibacy. But if he is still not able, then he is allowed to accept gṛhastha life. There is no cheating, hypocrisy, that I proclaim myself as brahmacārī or sannyāsī, and I secretly do all nonsense. This is hypocrisy. The hypocrisy life will not make one advance in spiritual life. That is the example given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His personal associate you know, Choṭa Haridāsa, Junior Haridāsa. He was a very nice singer, so he was singing in the assembly of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and one day he went to beg some rice from Śikhi Mahiti's sister, and there was a young woman, and he lustfully saw there. That is sometimes natural. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu understand that. Just to teach us, while He was eating, He said, "Who brought this rice?" "Choṭa Haridāsa." "So ask him not to see Me anymore. Finish." Everyone was surprised. "What happened?" Then by inquiry it was found that he lustfully saw on young woman. So just... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so strict that He rejected him from His associates. Then other big, big devotees requested him that "He has committed some mistake, and please excuse him. He is your servant." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All right, then you bring him back. You live with him. I am leaving this place. I am leaving this place." They said, "No, sir, we shall not raise this question anymore."

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

Material world means everyone wants to enjoy to his satisfaction sense gratification. That is material world. So you want to satisfy your senses, I want to satisfy my senses. Therefore there is struggle: "Oh, this man is enjoying so much; I am unable." Even brother to brother, envious: "Oh, my, this brother has increased so much money. He is enjoying." Envious. That is material envy, to be envious.

Therefore the science of God is for persons who are not envious. That is religion. Bhāgavata, in the Bhāgavata you will find in the beginning it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām: (SB 1.1.2) "Here the religion of Bhāgavata is not a cheating religion." Kaitava. Kaitava means cheating, cheating. And Śrīdhara Svāmī has remarked, commented on the statement, kaitava. He says that atra mokṣa-vāñchā-paryantaṁ nirastam:(?) "Anyone who is trying to become liberated or merge into the existence of God, that is also cheating." Nirastam: that is also nullified, nirastam. Why? Why the...? A person who is trying to be merged into the existence of God, jñānīs... Those who are philosophically advancing, they are called jñānīs. The Absolute Truth Idea is that "Because I am Brahman, and God is also Brahman, therefore, as soon as I am freed from māyā, I become one with God." In one sense it is all right because God and the living entity, they are of the same quality. As it is stated in the Vedas, nityo nityānām. There are millions and trillions of nityas, eternals. So God is the chief eternal. Therefore quality, eternity, is there both for the living entities and God. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

Everything he insured there. That's all right. But God's policy is so nice that, all his insurance keeping aside, He killed him not by weapon—by the nails. He forgot this, that "I may be killed by the nails." Then he thought, "I shall not be killed by any animal or man." So Nṛsiṁha-deva—you cannot say it is lion or man-mixed. And he thought that he would not die in daytime or nighttime, but he was killed in the evening. It is neither day nor night. So he would not be killed in the sky, in the water or in the land, so he was killed on the threshold. Therefore we should always remember that we cannot cheat God. He is always at least little more intelligent.

So the conditioned soul, they want to cheat God. They want to deny God. They want to cheat God. That is not possible. In spite of all your insurance and cheating policy, you must have to die. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mṛtyuḥ ahaṁ, sarva-haram: "You do not accept Me. That's all right. You are collecting things for your enjoyment. But I shall... When I shall come as death, not only you shall be killed, but I shall take away whatever you possess." So this is intelligence, that... They say, "There is no God," and God says, "Yes, you see Me at the time of death." But you cannot avoid death. So before meeting death... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda Mahārāja so many times requested, "My dear father, why you are becoming atheist? By His grace you have got so much power. Just submit to Him." "No. There is no God. I am God." So this is called demon. In spite of being punished in so many ways, they will deny the existence of God. So they are... Those who are not devotee, they will be agitated by the māyā, by Madana, by Cupid, by so many other illusory things. But if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then nothing can. Because Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not in want. He is not in want.

Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:

The yogis, they (indistinct). If one thinks that because being a bhakta I shall also show some wonderful thing, then it is not nirguṇa, it is saguṇa. If you take it that "I shall become a devotee, I shall get all the material comfort," that is the desire of the karmīs, (indistinct). This is mixed up. So long you are mixed up, you will get whatever you desire. Kṛṣṇa is quite competent to satisfy you in that (indistinct), not very difficult thing for Him. If becoming a bhakta, if you want some material comfort, it is not at all difficult for Kṛṣṇa, He can give you. But you are cheated. By your asking for material comfort from Kṛṣṇa, God, by exchange of service, you can get the material comfort, more than you get (indistinct), then you must know you are cheated. You are not cheated by Kṛṣṇa, but you cheat yourself. Kṛṣṇa is (indistinct). Whatever you want, He will give you. If you want to be cheated, He will cheat you. This is God. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). "If you want to be cheated, I will cheat you. If you don't want to be cheated, I will not cheat you." This is (indistinct).

So don't try to be cheated. That will spoil (indistinct). Don't ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have to give everything to Kṛṣṇa, then that is bhakti. Don't try to take from Kṛṣṇa in exchange of your service. He can give you immediately. That is not difficult for Him. But don't do that. Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered, "Prahlāda, you take one benediction. You take." Dhruva Mahārāja also, he was pure devotee. Dhruva was offered that "If you want the largest kingdom than Brahmā, I will create it. (indistinct) You go there, you will enjoy." So he was then very regretful, "How foolish I was. I came to offer my respects to the Supreme Lord for some material exchange." He became very regretful. He said, "My Lord, whatever I (indistinct), it was my ignorance. Now I don't want."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

He immediately replied that a human being must, first of all, come to the standard of varṇāśrama-dharma. Four varṇas and four āśramas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha... Unless they come systematically, life on these principles, they're animals. They're not human beings. They're... That was our Indian, Vedic civilization. Now they have manufactured their religion: yata mat tata path. You can manufacture your own way and you be satisfied. This is being... So many. You can see in Bombay, so many rascals are preaching. They, there is no standard thing. So it is very difficult for us to give us the right thing, but we are certain. Because we are not cheating people, so it may take some time, but people are gradually coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because this is right thing.

So varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān (CC Madhya 8.58). This is the beginning of actual human life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately replied, ihā bāhya āge kaha āra. Ihā bāhya. Bāhya means this is external. This will not very much help at the present moment. And actually that is being done. Just like we are preaching in the Western countries. If we wanted to establish varṇāśrama-dharma in the beginning, that "You become brāhmaṇa, you become gṛhastha, you become sannyāsī..." No. Then everyone would have rejected: "Sir, we are prepared for this purpose." But the process introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu... It is not introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is the sanction in the śāstras: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23).

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.107-109 -- San Francisco, February 15, 1967:

Just like ordinary citizens, they cannot make laws for the state. Suppose if you make a law. Who will care for your law? Don't take advantage of the innocent people and make your own religion and make a group and try to exploit them. This is all nonsense. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma means the regulation of the Supreme. So we have to know. That is religion. So any religion which is directing to obey the Supreme Lord, that is bona fide. And anything minus or "Not to Kṛṣṇa but to me," this is a nonsense rascaldom. You see. So before studying Vedānta, we should understand this fact. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore stressing on this point, that there is no cheating, there is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfectness. Then we can make progress. If we are doubtful: "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by some Kṛṣṇa, somebody. He was learned man, philosopher. So I can point out my own point..." No. Not like that.

So,

upaniṣat-sahita sūtra kahe yei tattva
mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva

This is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that all the Upaniṣads, all the Vedic literature, Vedānta-sūtra, they, they are composed in that way. Therefore mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva: "Therefore, if you take directly the meaning, that is the superexcellence of your understanding." Directly. Don't try to foolishly interpret.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.5 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I personally take charge of his maintenance." Why don't you believe it? Practically you can see. That means faithlessness. There is no reason. Suppose I am serving some master here, so-called master, and he is at once paying me wages—"Take your wages"—twenty-five dollars, ten dollars or whatever it may be, at once paying. And I am going to serve the Supreme, and there is no maintenance for me? Oh, what a foolishness. This is called forgetful. This is called spell of māyā. Māyā will dictate, "Oh, you are going to serve Kṛṣṇa? How you'll maintain yourself, you foolish. Don't go there. Don't go to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. It is cheating." No, it is not cheating. It is actual fact. Yes. It is not cheating. But if you want to gratify your senses, oh, there is no scope. Then go to hell. Then go to hell. But if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, there is every arrangement for you. There is every arrangement for you. If you want to cheat Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will also cheat you. Dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi. Kṛṣṇa has said in His vibhūti-yogam that "Amongst all cheating process, I am gambling. I am gambling." There is cheating process. Wherefrom this cheating process comes? There is cheating process in Kṛṣṇa also because He is the origin of everything. Whatever there is, even cheating process, thieving process, what is condemned in this world, that is also there in Kṛṣṇa, but that is without any contamination. That is difference. When He cheats, it becomes worshipable. Kṛṣṇa wanted to cheat Dronācārya. That is a fact in the Mahābhārata. He advised Arjuna, "Just go," asked Yudhiṣṭhira that "Just go and tell lie to Dronācārya that 'Your son is dead.' " Don't you think Kṛṣṇa is trying to cheat? So there is cheating. Everything is there, but that is in full. God is good; therefore His cheating is good, His thieving is good. Everything is absolute. Unless you cannot understand this Absolute Truth, there is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa. There is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

Just see. Such a big scholar, he is misinterpreting, "Not to the person Kṛṣṇa." In this way, Bhagavad-gītā, although widely read all over the world, in all countries, they are being mislead by improper commentary. So we are therefore trying to present Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa as He is. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it is coming out successful. For thousands of years Bhagavad-gītā was being read in foreign countries by big, big scholars, philosophers, but there was not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa. But we have started this movement, not even five years old, we have got sixty branches, and there are thousands and thousands of devotees. Why? The secret is that we have not cheated people, we have not adulterated. If you put something for sale in the market which is very pure, automatically you'll get many customers. Automatic. Because the thing is pure. If you sell pure milk, just from the farm, there will be many hundreds of customers immediately, and if you sell adulterated, homogenized water mixed milk, the milk will be sold, but not very many customers ordinarily. So anything pure will attract. That is natural. Pure love, pure foodstuff, anything pure. Pure gold. In economics also. It is said, "Bad money drives away good money." If you put bad money, just like nowadays the currency is some paper, paper currency, so drives away good money. Good money means gold coins. They are not to be seen. That's economic law. As soon as you put bad money, the good money will vanish.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:

So Lord Buddha's philosophy is like that. The atheistic people, they are against God. "Yes, there is no God. But you take this philosophy, ahiṁsā. Don't kill animals." That means if they stop animal-killing, then one day they will be able to understand what is God. Some day. Because so long one is accustomed to kill animals, he will never be able to understand what is God. That is Buddha philosophy. He situated the atheistic people on the line of understanding God. So this is, in one way, cheating. But this cheating is not cheating. Just like father or guardian sometimes cheats the young boy. That is not cheating; that is for his good. But actually, if you take the, I mean to say, behavior, it is something like cheating. So the Māyāvāda philosophy... This Buddha philosophy is also another Māyāvāda philosophy. Both of them are, on the face value, atheistic, denying the existence of God. One is saying, "There is no God"; another is saying, "It is impersonal," in this way. But our philosophy is neither atheistic nor impersonal. It is directly person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Directly we say, "There is no..." Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti: "There is nobody greater than Me." If God is great, how anybody can be greater than Him? It is right. Eh? Nānyat parataraṁ nāsti: "There is nothing more greater than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything." Vedānta-sūtra says, "Brahman, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the source of everything." And here is the direct answer by Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the source of everything." So we follow this philosophy. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we directly take Bhagavad-gītā as the evidence of existence of God. And if you want to know God, you cannot know God by speculation. He is so great, He is so unlimited, and we have got limited senses, limited capacity. It is not possible.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

You are spirit soul. Just try to understand that you are spirit soul, and try to understand on the platform of spiritual understanding. All problems will be solved. And so long you are standing on this designated platform—"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that"—there is no solution of problems. Take it for granted. There is no solution of problem. You stand on this platform of spiritual understanding; there will be solution of all problems. This is authentic, and those who have followed, they have got result. And take it from me that there is no cheating, there is no bluff. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and see the result practically. With my request, you can chant for one week and see the result. We are always prepared to serve you. We have got our temple here. Not only here, we have got our temple in Los Angeles, we have got our temple in New York, in Santa Fe, Montreal, Boston, and recently we're trying to open one temple in Buffalo. And two of my students, they have gone to Florida. They are also trying to open. So it is very nice movement, and it is very easy to chant. Now before me... I am Indian, you are all Americans. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration may be foreign to you, but there is no difficulty to chant. The words may be in Sanskrit, but it is not difficult to chant. And if you simply chant, you get the result because it is transcendental vibration. Just like when television or radio vibration is there, either in India, America, everywhere the vibration is equally beneficial. Similarly, this transcendental vibration is coming down from the transcendental world. It is not material sound. It is not hackneyed. If you chant, if you practice, you'll realize it. So our request is that without any charges, without any fee, without any bluff, we say that you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968:

You are proud of your eyes: "I want to see." What you can see? If the light is off, your seeing power is immediately gone. If there is no sun, your seeing power is gone. Therefore we see under conditions. Therefore imperfect. So you cannot get perfect knowledge by imperfect senses, by speculative knowledge. You have to accept authority. Just like if you want to know who is your father, the authority is your mother. The mother says, "Here is your father." You have to accept. You cannot make research. Mother is the last authority, who is your father. Similarly, we have to accept authority, and if the authority is not a conditioned soul, if he is liberated soul, if he is not a cheater, if his senses are not imperfect, if he does not make any mistakes, if he is not in illusion, if you receive knowledge from that authority, then your knowledge is perfect. That is the process.

So we have got such authoritative, I mean to say, literature, Vedic literatures. You can test it by your reason, by your arguments, by your philosophical talks, everything. Religion without philosophical basis, without scientific basis, is sentiment. That religion based on philosophy and science, that is right. So Bhagavad-gītā is that book. Any question, any inquiry, any doubt—all the answers are there, and very nicely.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Why?

Man (8): Why not? You take philosophy wrong. You won't take from another script(?).

Prabhupāda: No. If you take in that way, then it is not book of authority. If it is wrong, then it is not book of authority. The Vedic literatures are accepted, fundamentally accepting that they are not wrong. They are not cheating. They are fact. Without this understanding there is no question of accepting any book.

Man (8): But who makes the background? (?)

Prabhupāda: It is coming from... Who makes you that you are son of such and such gentleman? Who makes you convinced?

Man (8): Okay, but I have to convince myself. Suppose my father is only one.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Man (8): If I change my father's name to somebody else... What...?

Prabhupāda: You cannot change your father's name.

Man (8): Why not? Who knows?

Prabhupāda: Who knows me?

Lecture Excerpt -- Boston, May 5, 1969:

Why there are hippies? Why there are so many frustrated youngsters? The richest country in the world. That, this richness of material world, the rascals, they are following that "If we become like America and some industrial, we shall become happy." That is rascaldom. Actual happiness is how you learn to love God. Then you get happy. That can be achieved without any material advancement. Anywhere you can have, without any expenditure, without any effort, without any education, without any knowledge. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you develop that love. This is the highest service to the human society. Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat? Why shall I cheat?" Everything will be complete, fully satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati, this very word, Sanskrit word, is there. You have to make yourself fully satisfied. Then there will be no more want. You see?

Just like there is a story, "Alexander and the Cynic." Perhaps most of you know. There was a cynic. He was saintly person. He was sitting in a solitary place, almost naked body. Alexander the Great went there and asked him, "If I can do something for you? You are a great man." He said, "Oh, please don't obstruct sunshine. Please be aside, That's all. (laughter) You may do this. Don't obstruct the sunshine. I am quite pleased. You please set aside." Because he was fully satisfied, why this Alexander Great will, can do him?

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

If your mind is disturbed always, you cannot meditate, neither you can understand what is God, what you are. It is impossible. Therefore we have to accept any process which can make me joyful. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have got... Simply we are not chanting by sentiment. We have got enough literature, philosophy, background. It is not that we are sentimentalist. But this is a fact, that if you simply... You do not require to read all this literature. If you can, it is very good, but if you have no time, simply chant these sixteen words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Make an experiment. We are not charging anything. We are not cheating you, that "Give me some fifty dollars or twenty dollars. I'll give you some secret mantra." No. It is open. You can take. Everyone can take. Everyone. We are chanting. You can chant with us and practice it, and there is no hard and fast rules and regulation. You can chant anyway, anywhere. Whether you are in the college, whether you're on the street, whether you are sleeping, lying, or whatever, you can chant. Because God has given you this tongue and you can chant. And this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, a dog or cat cannot chant although he has got the tongue. So you have got the facility. By God's mercy you have got this facility to chant the holy name of God. If you think that Kṛṣṇa is Indian God's name, actually it is not Indian God's name. Kṛṣṇa never claims that He's Indian or Hindu. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā. He claims everyone as His son. Not only human society—the animal society, bird society, the beast society, the plant society, the aquatic society, all. Sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva means all. Yoni, yoni means species of life. Everyone, all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa must be... If He is God, He must claim that, that "The material nature is their mother and I am their father." So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

Of course, some of them knew Bhagavad-gītā, because Bhagavad-gītā is very widely read. But because Bhagavad-gītā was not properly presented, although for the last hundred or two hundred or more than that years, Bhagavad-gītā is widely read all over the world, there was not a single Kṛṣṇa-bhakta. But since Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, within four years there are hundreds and thousands of Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. That is our point, that you present the thing as it is, without any adulteration. Just like milk, pure milk, if you supply, automatically there will be many customers. But if you sell milk adulteration, adulterating with water, you can cheat somebody for some time, but you cannot cheat all for all the time. That is not possible. So it is now necessary. It is India's culture. People are hankering after this culture, Kṛṣṇa culture. So you should prepare yourself to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then India will conquer all over the world by this Kṛṣṇa culture. Be... Rest assured. We are hankering after help from others. Our government men go there in America: "Please give us wheat. Please give us money. Please give us soldiers." Simply begging business. But here is a thing which (you) can give to them. Simply begging does not glorify your country. Try to give something to the others, to other countries. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (applause)

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1971 :

I am very insignificant. I have no capacity. My business is only to convey the message of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a postal peon: his business is to convey the letter. He is not responsible for the body of the letter. The reaction... After reading one letter the addressee may feel something, but that responsibility is not for the peon. Similarly, my responsibility is, what I have received from disciplic succession, from my spiritual master, I am just presenting the same thing, but without any adulteration. That is my business. That is my responsibility. I must present things exactly in the same way as it was presented by Kṛṣṇa, as it was presented by Arjuna, as it was presented by our ācāryas, Lord Caitanya, and at last my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So, similarly, if you take up the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the same spirit, and if you distribute to other people, to your other countrymen, surely it will be effective, because there is no adulteration. There is no bluff. There is no cheating. It is pure spiritual consciousness. Just practice it and distribute it. Your life will be glorious.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

So the point is that behind this material, big material nature, cosmic manifestation, there is God. That is Kṛṣṇa, and accepted by all authorities. We have to accept things which is accepted by authorities. That is our education. We go to teacher. We go to school. We learn from father, mother. They're all authorities. And our nature is to learn... "Father, what is this?" in childhood. Father says, "This is this, pen. This is spectacle. This is table." So he learns from father, mother, "This is table. This is spectacle. This is pen. This is this. She is my sister. She (He) is my brother." So similarly, if we get information from the authority, and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect, and very easy. Just like father, mother, never cheats. When the son inquires from the parent, the parent gives exact information, right information. Similarly, if we get right information from the right person, that is perfect knowledge. If you want to reach to the conclusion by speculation, that is imperfect, inductive process. That will never become perfect. It will remain imperfect for all the time. So we get information from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore whatever we speak, that is perfect because we don't speak anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa or authorities who have accepted Kṛṣṇa. That is called disciplic succession. So our process is, process of acquiring knowledge, is very easy and perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We cannot say anything which is not accepted by the authorities coming from Kṛṣṇa. And in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa recommends this process of knowledge: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). "This knowledge, formerly, all the great saintly kings..." Formerly, there was monarchy. Just like nowadays also, the government is authority. Your President is authority. So in the days of monarchical king, government, the monarch or the king is head of the government. He is authority. But formerly, those authorities, those kings, were ṛṣis, great learned scholars, ṛṣis, great devotees. They were not ordinary men. That system of government was very nice.

Lecture -- Jakarta, March 1, 1973:

Take any one of them or nine of them, His devotee, bhagavad-bhakta. The result will be mām evaiṣyasi satyam, "I don't cheat you." Kṛṣṇa is not cheating anyone. Still He says that "Don't think I am a cheater, satyam. Yes. Truly you'll come back to Me." Mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo 'si me. "And why You are disclosing this confidential knowledge to me?" Priyo 'si me: "You are My very dear friend." Somehow or other you become dear friend of Kṛṣṇa and He's within you. He'll always talk with you, most confidentially, and your life will be successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But unfortunately, people are not prepared to accept this simple thing and make his life successful. Still we are canvassing door to door, country to country, that "You accept this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you'll be happy in your life," not only this life, next life. That is is perfection of life.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: That is our opinion. We accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority, and therefore we cannot refute what Kṛṣṇa says. And our philosophy is perfect because we follow Kṛṣṇa. He is the Supreme Perfect. This is our position. In other religious system, taking it our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement religious... It is religious, because our religion means the..., to carry out the order of God. That is the sum and substance of religion. We don't manufacture religion, and neither religion can be manufactured. Manufactured religion is useless. That has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as dharma kaitava. Means cheating. So this is not cheating religion. Our basic principle is dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the order which is given by God, and if you execute that, that is dharma. Just like law. Law is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law. That is not law. So our perfection is there, how we are executing the order of God cent percent. One who has no conception of God, neither the order of God, they can manufacture religious system. But our system is different.

Hayagrīva: (aside:) This is picking up fine, the reading? Socrates considers the contemplation of beauty to be an activity of the wise man, but relative beauty in the mundane world is simply a reflection of absolute beauty. In the same way, good in the relative world is simply a reflection of the absolute good. In either case, absolute good or beauty is transcendental.

Page Title:Not cheating (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:26 of Oct, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=56, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:56