Impersonalists sometimes give the example that if one stands on a stone or a piece of wood one certainly stands on the surface of the land, because the stone and wood both rest on the surface of the earth. But it may be replied that if one stands directly on the surface of the earth he is more secure than if he stands on wood or a stone that rests on the earth. In other words, taking shelter of Paramātmā or taking shelter of impersonal Brahman is not as secure a course as taking direct shelter of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The position of the jñānīs and yogīs is therefore not as secure as the position of the devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa has therefore advised in the Bhagavad-gītā that only a person who has lost his sense takes to the worship of demigods. And regarding persons attached to the impersonal Brahman, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, "My dear Lord, those who think of themselves as liberated by mental speculation are not yet purified of the contamination of material nature because of their inability to find the shelter of Your lotus feet. Although they rise to the transcendental situation of existence in impersonal Brahman, they certainly fall from that exalted position because they deride Your lotus feet." Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore advises that the worshipers of the demigods are not very intelligent persons because they derive only temporary, exhaustible results. Their endeavors are those of less intelligent men. On the other hand, the Lord assures that His devotee has no fear of falling.
People have lost
Expressions researched:
"Persons who have lost"
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|"people have become lost"
|"people have lost"
|"people today, they were lost"
|"people who have lost"
|"people, being lost"
|"people, they are lost"
|"person who has lost"
|"person who has lost"
|"person who is lost"
|"persons have lost"
|"persons they lost"
|"persons, they have lost"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
Less intelligent people who have lost their spiritual sense take shelter of demigods for immediate fulfillment of material desires. Generally, such people do not go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because they are in the lower modes of nature (ignorance and passion) and therefore worship various demigods. Following the rules and regulations of worship, they are satisfied. The worshipers of demigods are motivated by small desires and do not know how to reach the supreme goal, but a devotee of the Supreme Lord is not misguided. Because in Vedic literature there are recommendations for worshiping different gods for different purposes (e.g., a diseased man is recommended to worship the sun), those who are not devotees of the Lord think that for certain purposes demigods are better than the Supreme Lord. But a pure devotee knows that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is the master of all. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Adi 5.142) it is said, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is master, and all others are servants. Therefore a pure devotee never goes to demigods for satisfaction of his material needs. He depends on the Supreme Lord. And the pure devotee is satisfied with whatever He gives.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa.
SB Canto 3
Only in ignorance does a living entity think that he is lost. If by attainment of knowledge he comes to the real position of his eternal existence, he knows that he is not lost. An appropriate example is mentioned herein: naṣṭa-vitta ivāturaḥ. A person who has lost a great sum of money may think that he is lost, but actually he is not lost-only his money is lost. But due to his absorption in the money or identification with the money, he thinks that he is lost. Similarly, when we falsely identify with matter as our field of activities, we think that we are lost, although actually we are not. As soon as a person is awakened to the pure knowledge of understanding that he is an eternal servitor of the Lord, his own real position is revived. A living entity can never be lost. When one forgets his identity in deep sleep, he becomes absorbed in dreams, and he may think himself a different person or may think himself lost. But actually his identity is intact. This concept of being lost is due to false ego, and it continues as long as one is not awakened to the sense of his existence as an eternal servitor of the Lord. The Māyāvādī philosophers' concept of becoming one with the Supreme Lord is another symptom of being lost in false ego. One may falsely claim that he is the Supreme Lord, but actually he is not. This is the last snare of māyā's influence upon the living entity. To think oneself equal with the Supreme Lord or to think oneself to be the Supreme Lord Himself is also due to false ego.
Therefore the gṛhamedhīs or materialistic men say that they can worship any form of a demigod as worship of the Supreme Lord. Especially amongst the Hindus, those who are meat-eaters prefer to worship goddess Kālī because it is prescribed that one can sacrifice a goat before that goddess. They maintain that whether one worships the goddess Kālī or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu or any demigod, the destination is the same. This is first-class rascaldom, and such people are misled. But they prefer this philosophy. Bhagavad-gītā does not accept such rascaldom, and it is clearly stated that such methods are meant for persons who have lost their intelligence. The same judgment is confirmed here, and the word kāma-mūḍha, meaning one who has lost his sense or is infatuated by the lust of attraction for sense gratification, is used. Kāma-mūḍhas are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service and are infatuated by a strong desire for sense gratification. The worshipers of demigods are condemned both in Bhagavad-gītā and in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
SB Canto 4
The sacrifice was not destroyed for want of Śiva and Dakṣa, and the sages went on with their activities. In other words, it may be assumed that if one does not worship the demigods, even up to Lord Śiva and Brahmā, one can nevertheless satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20). Kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ. Persons who are impelled by lust and desire go to the demigods to derive some material benefit. In his commentary on this Bhagavad-gītā verse, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura uses the very specific words naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, meaning "persons who have lost their sense or intelligence." Only such persons care for demigods and want to derive material benefit from them. Of course, this does not mean that one should not show respect to the demigods; but there is no need to worship them. One who is honest may be faithful to the government, but he does not need to bribe the government servants. Bribery is illegal; one does not bribe a government servant, but that does not mean that one does not show him respect. Similarly, one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord does not need to worship any demigod, nor does he have any tendency to show disrespect to the demigods. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (9.23) it is stated, ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ. The Lord says that anyone who worships the demigods is also worshiping Him, but he is worshiping avidhi-pūrvakam, which means "without following the regulative principles." The regulative principle is to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Worship of demigods may indirectly be worship of the Personality of Godhead, but it is not regulated. By worshiping the Supreme Lord, one automatically serves all the demigods because they are parts and parcels of the whole. If one supplies water to the root of a tree, all the parts of the tree, such as the leaves and branches, are automatically satisfied, and if one supplies food to the stomach, all the limbs of the body—the hands, legs, fingers, etc.—are nourished.
Sunīti pointed out herewith that the benediction received from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that received from the demigods are not on an equal level. Foolish persons say that no matter whom one worships one will get the same result, but actually that is not a fact. In Bhagavad-gītā it is also said that benedictions received from the demigods are all temporary and are meant for the less intelligent. In other words, because the demigods are all materialistically conditioned souls, although they are situated in very exalted positions, their benedictions cannot be permanent. permanent benediction is spiritual benediction, since a spirit soul is eternal. It is also said in Bhagavad-gītā that only persons who have lost their intelligence go to worship the demigods. Therefore Sunīti told her son that he should not seek the mercy of the demigods, but should directly approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead to mitigate his misery.
Material opulences are controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His different potencies and specifically the goddess of fortune. Therefore, those who are after material opulences seek the pleasure or mercy of the goddess of fortune. Even the highly placed demigods worship the goddess of fortune, but the goddess of fortune, Mahā-Lakṣmī herself, is always seeking the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anyone, therefore, who takes to the worship of the Supreme Lord automatically receives the blessings of the goddess of fortune. At this stage of his life, Dhruva Mahārāja was seeking material opulences, and his mother advised rightly that even for material opulences it is better to worship not the demigods but the Supreme Lord.
The four stages of advancement of human civilisation are religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, for some, the stage of liberation. Nārada Muni did not inquire from the King about his liberation, but only regarding the state management, which is meant for advancement of the three principles religiosity, economic development and sense gratification. Since those who engage in such activities are not interested in liberation, Nārada did not inquire from the King about this. Liberation is meant for persons who have lost all interest in religious ritualistic ceremonies, economic development and sense gratification.
When a person is devoid of devotional service, or viṣṇu-bhakti, he takes to many sinful activities. King Purañjana left home, neglected his own wife and engaged himself in killing animals. This is the position of all materialistic men. They do not care for a married chaste wife. They take the wife only as an instrument for sense enjoyment, not as a means for devotional service. To have unrestricted sex life, the karmīs work very hard. They have concluded that the best course is to have sex with any woman and simply pay the price for her, as though she were a mercantile commodity. Thus they engage their energy in working very hard for such material acquisitions. Such materialistic people have lost their good intelligence. They must search out their intelligence within the heart. A person who does not have a chaste wife accepted by religious principles always has a bewildered intelligence.
The wife of King Purañjana was lying on the ground because she was neglected by her husband. Actually the woman must always be protected by her husband. We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being placed on the chest of Nārāyaṇa. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his money and places it under his own personal protection, one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhāṅganī, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides.
SB Canto 7
Because of the increment in demoniac population, people have lost brahminical culture. Nor is there a kṣatriya government. Instead, the government is a democracy in which any śūdra can be voted into taking up the governmental reigns and capture the power to rule. Because of the poisonous effects of Kali-yuga, the śāstra (SB 12.2.13) says, dasyu-prāyeṣu rājasu: the government will adopt the policies of dasyus, or plunderers. Thus there will be no instructions from the brāhmaṇas, and even if there are brahminical instructions, there will be no kṣatriya rulers who can follow them. Aside from Satya-yuga, even formerly, in the days when demons were flourishing, Hiraṇyakaśipu planned to destroy the brahminical culture and the kṣatriya government and thus create chaos all over the world. Although in Satya-yuga this plan was very difficult to execute, in Kali-yuga, which is full of śūdras and demons, the brahminical culture is lost and can be revived only by the chanting of the mahā-mantra. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, has been inaugurated to revive brahminical culture very easily so that people may become happy and peaceful in this life and
One should focus upon the destination for progress, which is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the aim and end of all varṇas and āśramas. However, if Viṣṇu is not worshiped, the followers of the varṇāśrama institution manufacture some concocted God. Thus it has now become fashionable for any rascal or fool to be elected God, and there are many missionaries who have concocted their own gods, giving up their relationship with the real God. In Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that one who worships the demigods has lost his intelligence. Nonetheless we find that even an illiterate person who has lost all intelligence is elected God, and although he has a temple, it has meat-eating sannyāsīs, and many polluted activities go on there. This type of religious system, which misguides its poor followers, is strictly forbidden. Such pretentious religions should be stopped altogether.
The original system is that a brāhmaṇa should actually become a brāhmaṇa; he should not only take birth in a brāhmaṇa family, but must also be qualified. Also, even if one is not born in a brāhmaṇa family but has brahminical qualifications, he must be considered a brāhmaṇa. By strictly following this system, one can be happy without extra endeavor. Sva-bhāva-vihito dharmaḥ kasya neṣṭaḥ praśāntaye. The real aim of life is to mitigate distress, and one can do this very easily by following the principles of śāstra.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore very much eager to reintroduce the varṇāśrama system into human society so that those who are bewildered or less intelligent will be able to take guidance from qualified brāhmaṇas.
Brāhmaṇa means Vaiṣṇava. After one becomes a brāhmaṇa, the next stage of development in human society is to become a Vaiṣṇava. People in general must be guided to the destination or goal of life, and therefore they must understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The whole system of Vedic knowledge is based on this principle, but people have lost the clue (na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31)), and they are simply pursuing sense gratification, with the risk of gliding down to a lower grade of life (mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3)). It doesn't matter whether one is born a brāhmaṇa or not. No one is born a brāhmaṇa; everyone is born a śūdra. But by the guidance of a brāhmaṇa and by saṁskāra, one can become dvija, twice-born, and then gradually become a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇism is not a system meant to create a monopoly for a particular class of men. Everyone should be educated so as to become a brāhmaṇa. At least there must be an opportunity to allow everyone to attain the destination of life. Regardless of whether one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, a kṣatriya family or a śūdra family, one may be guided by a proper brāhmaṇa and be promoted to the highest platform of being a Vaiṣṇava. Thus the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement affords an opportunity to develop the right destiny for human society. Nanda Mahārāja took advantage of the opportunity of Gargamuni's presence by requesting him to perform the necessary reformatory activities for his sons to guide Them toward the destination of life.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
He comments that instead of engaging in such external, pompous exhibitions, all people, regardless of caste, color or creed, can assemble together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to worship Lord Caitanya. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32) indicates that prominence should be given to the name of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya taught Kṛṣṇa consciousness and chanted the name of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, to worship Lord Caitanya, everyone should together chant the mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. To propagate worship in churches, temples or mosques is not possible, because people have lost interest in that. But anywhere and everywhere, people can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thus worshiping Lord Caitanya, they can perform the highest activity and fulfill the highest religious purpose of satisfying the Supreme Lord.
Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a famous disciple of Lord Caitanya, said, "The principle of transcendental devotional service having been lost, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has appeared in order to deliver again the process of devotion. He is so kind that He is distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone should be attracted more and more to His lotus feet, as humming bees are attracted to a lotus flower."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The loving propensity is there. This is the psychology. Now that loving propensity can attain its perfection, and as soon as you reach that perfectional point, you become happy. This is the formula for happiness. Everyone is trying to become happy, peaceful. That peacefulness, that happiness can be attained only when you increase your attachment or love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not teaching any kind of faith. There are many different types of faith, so, but unfortunately, maybe due to the slackness of this movement or religious movement, people have lost all faith in religious movement. Maybe there are many reasons. But it cannot be left aside. You cannot give up. If you want actually peace of the mind, peace of yourself, then you must try to love God. That is the only way. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6).
So how to love Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta. You have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you should take it "God," the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, if Supreme Personality of Godhead has got any suitable name, perfect name... God may have many thousands of names, but the most perfect name which we can give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." God must be all-attractive. It is not that God is attractive for a certain class of men and not attractive for others. You will find the picture of Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa's picture, and there are many other pictures also. Here is also. He's attractive to the animals, He's attractive to the trees, He's attractive to the flowers, He's attractive to the water, and what to speak of human beings. He's attractive; therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So if any suitable name can be assigned to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. Now Kṛṣṇa says, "If you develop your attachment for Me," mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha, "My dear Arjuna..." Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. It is a yoga, yoga system. You have heard the name of yoga system.
Now, yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti: "Simply for sense gratification." That's all. Simply for sense gratification. Not for any big but to satisfy the senses. "Oh, oh, my tongue is asking for a cigarette, asking for wine. All right, give the tongue wine." Why? Without cigarette, without wine, you shall die? "No, I want to satisfy my tongue." Indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. "So why it is sinful?" It is sinful in this way, that... Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti, na sādhu manye (SB 5.5.4). "Oh, it is not good." Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada. Ātmā, ātmā is eternal, but he is covered by this material body. Asann api. You can say, "All these material bodies, they are for a few years." But it is kleśada, it is so much miserable. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9). People have lost their brain. They do not know what is actually unhappiness, miserable condition. They have no... "All right..." That is all... Animals, the animals do not know. He's going to the slaughterhouse. "All right, let me go." That's all.
So this kind of civilization will not make you happy, sir. You have got... Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma... You have taken your birth in the puṇya-bhūmi, in the sacred land of Bhāratavarṣa. Here is your knowledge. Take it and be successful in your life.
When, by hearing, hearing, you'll develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Hearing is possible by association with devotees, sādhu-saṅga. You cannot hear from the rascals. You have to hear from the superior person, one who is self-realized. Hearing. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. By association with superior devotees... (break)
...apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation, śraddhā bhaktir ratir anukramiṣyati. then śraddhā, bhaktiḥ, attachment, rati, anukrama, one right by another, one by after another. Yes. So this is the process. But the age is so, Kali-yuga is so fallen, that people have lost all interest to understand the problem of life, how to solve them, how to attain to the platform of knowledge. They are not interested. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"Now I have got the money. There is no need of worshiping."
So here Bhāgavata says that dharma... You take to, to the principles of religion for going up to the point of liberation, āpavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. This is meant for getting out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real... The first step is religiosity. Unless you are pious, religious, there is no possibility of getting liberation. Therefore there are different types of dharma prescribed, twenty types of dharma. The beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma. The people have lost even varṇāśrama-dharma, what to speak of other dharmas. The first beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma, to become brāhmaṇa, to become kṣatriya, to become vaiśya. So in the Kali-yuga the time is so bad that even there is no fixity of this varṇāśrama-dharma. Nobody knows who is brāhmaṇa, who is śūdra. Because the quality is the same now, eating, sleeping, mating—animal quality. You can become a brāhmaṇa by sacred thread. That is a different thing. But there are brāhmaṇa and brahminical qualifications. That is real brāhmaṇa.
Unnecessarily printing so much, huge quantity of newspapers. And people... Sometimes they do not touch it. The newspaper man throws in everyone's bungalow, and it is lying for three days. So who is going to read? But they are making their business because they get advertisement. In the... Many news. So they have got to hear or understand so many news, but not this Bhāgavatam. They'll devote the whole day for reading this newspaper or some fiction or some novels, for this and that. Some political talks and... But they have no time to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Apaśyatām ātma... Because they have no, no interest in self-realization. There is no interest. People have lost all interest. This is the position. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential at the present moment.
Now, these European and Americans, they have enough heard about all these nonsense. Therefore they are anxious to hear about self-realization.
Simply by hearing. Kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe bhaktir utpadyate. Because we require, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says directly. Bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. So how you can become bhagavad-bhakta, here is the process: bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ.
Now what is the use of bhakti? Just see how Bhāgavata is compiled, how nicely—because it is transcendental literature. You can say, "What is the use of bhakti? Why shall I waste my time, come in the temple and hear about Kṛṣṇa?" Actually they are doing that. Nobody is coming. Such a big temple. Of course, there are many temples they are going, but in other places also people have lost interest, all interest. Either temple or church or mosque, they do not go. Therefore they are surprised. In America the Christian priests are surprised because they are closing their churches. In London I have seen hundreds of churches are now closed. Nobody is going. If there is meeting, only the caretaker and few old ladies go. Because why they will go? That's a fact. And actually churches are being sold. It is not lying propaganda. Anyone, English boy, he'll confirm this statement. Yes. People are losing interest. So here it is said that bhaktir utpadyate. The bhakti can be awakened. It is not an artificial thing. If it was artificial thing, why the English and American boys... They had nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa, they never heard in their life about Kṛṣṇa. How... This is admitted by the Christian priest, that "These boys, they are our boys, and formerly, before this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they never came to church, never inquired about God. Now how it is that these boys are mad after God?" They are surprised. And it is actually surprising. Why? Because the bhakti is there. It was not awakened by the so-called leaders and the priests. It was not awakened. Religion means to awaken that Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
So don't kick me, kick me out. Please give me shelter because I have no other shelter." Tomā bine ke āche āmāra: "I... There is nobody else to take my care except Your Lordship." This is called niṣkiñcana.
So actually that is the position. So long we shall think that "For my protection, this arrangement is there for my protection. This arrangement is there...," that is not niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means when I'll think, I'll be actually under the understanding that "I have no other protection except Kṛṣṇa," and then I fully surrender, that is the best qualification for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said, naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām: "Unto You." Who are You? Akiñcana-gocaram: "You can be understood only by a person who has lost everything, who has lost everything." Then the Kuntī's purpose was that "When we lost everything, You were with us. And now we have got kingdom. We have got prestige. We have got so many things. Now You are going away to Dvārakā?" So tvām akiñcana-gocaram.
So this is Kuntī's realization. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ... (SB 1.8.26). Therefore for spiritual advancement, if one is interested, they should not be too much attached to material things if you want to advance in spiritual life. Janmaiśvarya... Because this will be entanglement. The more and more we shall think, "This is mine. This is mine." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is illusion. Nothing belongs to him, but by illusion, he will think, "This is mine. This is mine." Just like we have got this nice, grand building in this district. If we think, "This is my building" or "My building," then there will be mishap. My Guru Mahārāja said. Personally he said that "When we were living in a rented house, if we could collect two hundred, three hundred rupees... We were living very nicely at Ultadanga. And since then—Jayavidatta has given us this marble palace, Gauḍīya-Maṭha—there is friction between our men. 'Who will occupy this room? Who will occupy that room?
So it is the custom of gṛhasthas that when a gṛhastha goes to see a saintly person, he should bring some gifts. Never mind however insignificant is. At least one palmful of rice or ḍāl or ātara, put there. Give something. If one comes to the temple... Here are many temples in India still. People come there with... One who hasn't got many things, but he brings one palmful of ātara or rice or ḍāl. This is useful. And in the temple there are three pots. They put ḍāl in the ḍāl, ātara in the ātara, and rice in the rice. So in this way the inmates of the temple, they can live without going outside. But people have lost such habit. They come empty-handed—"darśana"—that "I'll not give you anything, but you are a saintly person. Give me darśana, and give me your āśirvāda, and then I enjoy my senses. That's all. Nothing to give you, but you give me your āśirvāda. You give me the dust of your feet. I become benefited. You starve." But (chuckling) that is not the process. So the hunter, he was following the instruction of his Guru Mahārāja, Nārada Muni, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and sitting very peacefully. So people would come, and they were surprised. So, so many people came-heaps of ātara, heaps of rice, heaps of vegetables. So he became little agitated: "What shall I do with so many, so much quantity? Why he's sending so much? We are simply two, husband and wife. So why he's sending this?"
In whichever you take, you'll find not all of them of the same category. First class, second class, third class and fourth class. First class means the most intelligent class, scientists, philosophers, like that; mathematicians, great religionists. They're first-class men. The second class, administrator, to see that the government is going nicely, people are not unhappy, people are not suffering from thieves and rogues. This is the first business. Good government means that people will think that they're secure, their property and person is secure. There will be no harm. Not very many years ago, say about hundred years ago, in India the native states, the rule was that if something is lying on the streets, valuable or invaluable, so nobody should touch it. The person who has lost or who has left that thing there, he would come and pick it up. You cannot touch. That was the law. And if one was caught, a thief, his hands will be cut off. In Kashmir state this was the rule. As soon as a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, the only punishment is cut his throat, aḥ, cut his hands. Bas. Exemplary punishment so that nobody will dare to steal. So this is second class, administrators. And the third class are to produce money—businessmen, mercantile. Money is also required. So without money nothing can be done, so that is not... But that is the occupation of..., the third class take. And the fourth class, śūdra. They cannot take any post as intelligent class or administrator class or money-producing class. They are simply servant, help others, śūdra. The śūdra was not meant for taking the political part.
Such is the position of spiritual master, that yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: ** if you try to please your spiritual master, then God, Kṛṣṇa, becomes pleased. That is natural.
So in the Kali-yuga why there should be... In Kali-yuga even with the spiritual master there is disagreement. That is due to influence of Kali. That is my point. So this influence of Kali-yuga has been discussed in so many pages in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Last it was discussed that the good qualification of Kali, of human being... Human being, I am speaking, because amongst the living entities, human being is considered to be the highest. So the mother earth was lamenting that people have lost their good qualification. They cannot be lost, but it is, by the influence of Kali-yuga, it is now covered. Satyam, śaucam, dayā, that twenty-six nice qualifications. We have discussed all these things. Here (reads):
- satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis
- tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam
- śamo damas tapaḥ sāmyaṁ
- titikṣoparatiḥ śrutam
- jñānaṁ viraktir aiśvaryaṁ
- śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ smṛtiḥ
- svātantryaṁ kauśalaṁ kāntir
- dhairyaṁ mārdavam eva ca
So, on account of this Kali-yuga, the good qualification of human society will be lost. Thinking this future of the present age, Mother Earth was lamenting and talking with Dharmarāja. At that time Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, er, Mahārāja Parīkṣit arrived on that spot. This is the verse.
So this is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance people to become pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. "How? I have no money. How can I become pious? I cannot give in charity. I cannot go to take bath in the Ganges, and..." So many, there are pious activities. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). There are so many processes to become pious. In the śāstra there are recommendations, "You do this to become pious." So in this Kali-yuga people have lost all stamina, how to become pious. They are so sinful. But here is the only means: you simply come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. You have got ears, Kṛṣṇa has given you ears. And Kṛṣṇa has given you tongue also. You can speak. Just like we are reciting the verses. So the tongue is there, the ear is here, there, and you can hear from realized soul and make your life perfect simply by hearing. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Because one cannot be devotee unless he is purified. A sinful man cannot become a devotee. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). One class of men, duṣkṛtinaḥ, always committing sinful life. Such rascals, such foolish men... Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because the human life is meant for purifying your existence. You are under condition of birth, death, old age, and here is the chance to purify yourself. If you don't do that, then you are mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. You don't take chance. Mūḍha, narādhama.
It may be Hindu religion, Christian religion or Buddha religion—these are major religious systems—but the aim is how to make a solution of the problems of life. That... But because they do not seriously discuss nowadays the religious propensity, tendency of the human society decrease. It has become a also money-making business. The priestly order, they think that "As others make some money by working hard, by professional or by doing some business or working, so we shall also earn some money by showing the church or temple or the mosque." They have taken it like that.
Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. Because those who are in charge of the religious department, the brāhmaṇas, those who are in charge of religion, the priestly order or the maulanis (?) or the brāhmaṇas, they're the same order, their duty is to keep people enlightened in the real mission of life. That is their duty. But if they're also doing the same thing, sense gratification, how long they can cheat others? Therefore people have lost faith in religion. This is the reason. But that is not good. Because the system of religion has become polluted, we should not give up religion. That is our prime duty. Karamayi tasya eka bhūṣesya (?). What is the difference between animal and man? The animal has no religion. They have no religion. Eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, sāmānyam etat. This is very easy to understand. The dog is eating; I am eating. Dog is sleeping; I am sleeping. Dog is enjoying sex; I am also enjoying sex. Dog is also afraid; I am also afraid. So what is the difference between dog and me? The only difference is that dog has no religion; I've got religion. So if I give up religion, life of religiosity, then I am equal to dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.
The Bhagavad-gītā says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Don't think that this material nature is working automatically or independently. There is a brain behind it.
The other day there was some difficulty in my dictaphone and the mechanic man came. He opened. So many arrangements of different kinds of wires. Similarly, we have got this body, a similar arrangement. The veins are so nicely arrangement, the intestines are so nicely arranged. Just like the same way as in a machine the wirings are very nicely arranged. So if for that machine there is a brain, don't you think that in this machine, behind this, there is no brain? There must be brain. This is common sense affair. So this godless civilization means people have lost even common sense. Even common sense. Otherwise, you may, if you use in a harsh word, that they have become fools and rascals, that's all. They have lost their common sense.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is stressing that this God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be learned from the very beginning of life. Kaumāra ācaret prājña. Prājña means one who is intelligent. So children, they have no intelligence. They have intelligence, but they have to be put into intelligence by the guardians. So if the guardian, if the father and mother is intelligent, if the teacher is intelligent, if the government policy is intelligent, then the process should be to teach the small children from the very beginning of life God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise this world is going to hell. It has already gone and it will go. The result will be that I'll kill you, you'll kill me. So both of us will be killed. And this human form, or the facility of this human form of life, which was given to us by grace of God or by the mercy of material nature, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Don't misuse it. Don't misuse it like animals, simply eating, sleeping, and mating and defending."
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Bhoga and tyāga. Real enjoyment is devotion. There is a very practical example. Just like if you get all of a sudden a certain amount of money, say, one hundred rupees note lying on the street, if you get... Or lying here. So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you. You have picked up. You'll always think, "Oh, I am taking somebody's money. Whose money it was? I'm doing some sinful." In this way, your mind will disturb. So that is the taking. And similarly, if you don't take, if you leave it there, then you'll also be disturbed. You'll think, "Somebody has left this money here. So I did not collect it. Somebody will collect it, and he'll take it away. This is not nice." The best thing is that you pick it up and, if you deliver to the person who has lost the money or who has left that money. Three things. The one thing is bhoga, if you take yourself. And if you don't take, that is tyāga. And if you pick it up and deliver to the right person, that is devotion.
So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the supreme proprietor, Mahā-īśvara." Mahā īśaṁ parameśvaram. So everyone, īśvara, but nobody is Mahā-īśvara or Parameśvara. Mahā-īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Mahā-īśvara. Mahā means the great. So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is unknown to the nondevotees. The karmīs also do not know. The karmīs think that the resources of the world, that is given by nature for our enjoyment. This is the modern theory of economic development. Everyone is thinking like that, that by nature we have got the gold mine, so we shall take it and use it and enjoy. This is karmī's view. And... But there are many karmīs. Everyone is... Just like what is that land where there is too much gold, in South America?
Festival Lectures
This is the aim. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The whole Vedic literature is meant for searching out Kṛṣṇa and to satisfy. So Kṛṣṇa personally comes to give you the information. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, you give up all these engagements. Simply you surrender unto Me."
And what about other demigods? There are so many demigods. What we have to do? Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). "This demigod is worshiped by persons who have lost all intelligence." Hṛta-jñāna. Hṛta-jñāna means naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, one who has lost of the intelligence. There is no need. Simply mām ekam. That is the instruction of Bhagavad... That is the śāstra instruction. Viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti. This is Ṛg Veda mantra. Actual aim of life is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu, and Kṛṣṇa is the origin of viṣṇu-tattva. And He is pleased through Rādhārāṇī. Therefore we don't keep Kṛṣṇa alone. No. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. First Rādhārāṇī. So that day is today. First you have to worship Rādhārāṇī. If you go through Rādhārāṇī...
General Lectures
And as soon as it is awakened... It is practically proved. When you are here, you are dancing in ecstasy. That means it is being awakened. So simply by trying to understand, or simply by coming here and joining this chanting and dancing and taking little prasādam, gradually your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, also will be awakened. So chanting, dancing, and taking prasādam are universal formula, and we have experienced everywhere in the world. In Europe, America, Australia, Africa, Canada, in Japan—everywhere it is being proved that simply by chanting, dancing, and taking prasādam, everyone is coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there is a great need of awakening this Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world because people, being lost of this consciousness, are creating only problems of life. So I thank you very much for your coming here and taking part with this festival.
Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, that mellow, that taste, that humor, that is completely spiritual. We should not misunderstand this līlā, or pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, that material lusty affairs. Then we'll be misled. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ. The activities of the Vraja-vadhu, the damsels of Vṛndāvana, vikrīḍitam, activities, vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ, bhaktiṁ parāṁ pratilabhya hṛd-roga-kāma apahinoti.
Our material existence is due to our lusty desires in the heart. That is hṛd-rogam. That is our heart disease. And we are suffering in this material world for this heart disease life after life. People have lost their intelligence that they cannot understand that there is life after death. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). They have become so fools and rascals that they do not understand this simple truth as it is said in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. We are seeking after this pleasure of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs or with the cowherds boys. Kṛṣṇa has got many associates, and the topmost associates are the gopīs. So we are seeking after that happiness, but we are being misled by the lusty desires. So I am very glad to see the dance, Manipuri dance, but it should be properly utilized. It should not be utilized as lusty dance. It is ānanda-cinmaya, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), His expansion.
So our first business is to understand what is this material world, what is the spiritual world, what is God, what is my relationship with Him, and how to execute the business of my life, to become successful in this human form of life. The success of human form of life is to understand this thing: our relationship with God. And we should act in relationship with God. Then our success of life will be achieved. This is the main purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is a very profound subject matter to understand, but everything is explained. Our only request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is; don't try to interpret. That is useless. Otherwise why people have lost in India their own culture? Because they have interpreted wrongly. Every śāstra has been interpreted wrongly and therefore people are misguided. They could not take advantage of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā because all through, the Bhagavad-gītā has been misinterpreted. So many so-called politicians, scholars, but it is maybe for the first time—not first time; it is there—but to make it broad propaganda wide, that try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. That is our mission. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Don't try to interpret and spoil it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128).
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because from God's side there is always an attempt to make the people right. As soon as they're wrongly directed, some messenger comes like Jesus Christ or Buddha or, before Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. So what we are preaching that is not new. It is God consciousness. And all the great messiahs they came. But the thing is that people are changing in their different education mentalities. So we have to present things in such a way that intelligent person can accept the old teachings in the western countries. Like Lord Jesus Christ... Either they're not being followed or they're not properly understood because in London I saw hundreds of churches are vacant. That means that it's so practical that people have no more interest in Christianity or the Christian people could not convince them of the spiritual necessity of life. Many churches are for sale. That's not a good sign. That means people have lost interest in spiritual life but fortunately the younger generation, they are taking to this spiritual movement.
Devotee: He asks: Lord Jesus Christ, when he came, brought a message of hope, peace and confidence, not only in this life but also the future life, life after death. He asks if Your Divine Grace would like to speak about (indistinct) your speaking.
Prabhupāda: So we are giving a message by which everyone can be happy in this life and next life also. Generally all religious sects they do not believe in the next life. Or even they believe they have no clear idea of the next life.
Frenchman: What is the present hope of the human society even beyond death?
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, not everybody. Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No, no. Prabhupāda: Not everybody. But general mass of people, at least, the so-called educated, five to ten percent people, they are lost. Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. Prabhupāda: Yes. And so-called educated, they practically guide. You'll be surprised to know that in 1950, one of my students, he was a government statistics officer. So he went to some village, and he gave me report that the villagers inquired from him that "Babuji, agar angarej ko vote diya yai pasatela (?)" Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. Prabhupāda: You understand Hindi? No. Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No, I don't. No, no, no. Prabhupāda: No. The inquiry was that "If we again give votes to the Englishmen, will they come and do." (laughs) Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes, yes, yes.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, that rascaldom is going on. And our society is protesting. Therefore we are enemy of everyone. Because we are protesting against this. "You cannot do this. You cannot do this." As soon as say, "Oh, why you are decrying? He is also incarnation of God." What kinds of God? A rascal, we shall accept incarnation of God? You see? I am not so fool. Kṛṣṇa says that... What is that? Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanti anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "A person who is lost of his intelligence, he worships demigods." And a person worshiping a demigod, he becomes God. Just see. He's a nonsense, naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, because he is worshiping demigod, and by worshiping demigod he became God. Where is this in the śāstra? This rascaldom is going on. First of all, anyone who worships a demigod, he is a rascal. And it is advertised "By worshiping such and such demigod, a rascal has become God." And we have to accept that. We are not so foolish. First of all, he is a rascal, he has no knowledge. And one who has no knowledge and rascal, and he has become God. We have to accept that.
Indian Man (1): When the people do not find any difference between the God and demigod...
Prabhupāda: Why? That is rascaldom. That is rascaldom. That is rascaldom. If you do not find any difference between me and my disciple, then you are foolish man. If you say, if you say...
Indian Man (1): In the beginning everybody is foolish. We are born foolish.
Prabhupāda: Well, born foolish. That... He has to become intelligent. But when he talks foolishly, he remains foolish.
Prabhupāda: So that is also good, and it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, ārto arthārthī jñānī ca catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, ārtaḥ. Ārtaḥ means distress, ārtaḥ, one who is distressed. "I have no food, sir, my dear Lord. Kindly give me some food." So he is distressed, so he is praying to God because he is pious. The Communists say, "Why you are praying to God? You pray to us, the government. We shall give you enough bread." The Communist propaganda is like that. They send the people to the church, "So you pray." So they pray. "Have you got bread?" They say, "No, sir." "Now pray to us." "Give us, sir," and he gives hundreds of breads. In this way, they are making atheist. Because common man cannot argue, neither they know so much logic. But if there is some intelligent man, he will ask immediately that "Wherefrom you have got this bread? Who has given you the wheat? That you have not manufactured; that is given by God." So actually God gives, but the Communists take the credit that "I give." This is the misconception. If God does not supply you... Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, He is supplying for everyone. So if He does not supply, then what your bakery machine will do? It is useless. So people have lost the intelligence in the Communist countries. They think that these government men, they have brought the bread, not God. In this way, they are gradually becoming atheist. But the central point is God. We are preaching the central point is God. You call Him by any name, it doesn't matter, either you call Jehovah or Kṛṣṇa or something, Allah, that doesn't matter. But you accept the authority of God and try to love God. This is our mission. And we say God is person. Impersonal feature, that is a feature only. Just like sun-god is a person and the sunshine is one of the feature of the sun-god. The sunshine is not final. You have to penetrate to the sunshine and reach the sun globe and go within the globe and see that there is the sun-god. But that requires strength how to enter into the sun globe and see this.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Because Indian people, being subjugated for at least one thousand years, they have lost their original culture. And, being poverty-stricken, they are simply after money, by hook and crook. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayā apahṛta-cetasām (BG 2.44). Persons who have lost their consciousness on account of being too much attached to material enjoyment, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I thought that America, they have enjoyed enough of this material happiness, money and women, and they are now becoming disappointed. So they are at least on the platform of renunciation. They don't want any more like their fathers and grandfathers. Of course, they are not guided. Therefore I preferred to go there to guide them. So almost fifty percent of my devotees are, they are collected from these disappointed persons, young men. They are going astray. So they appreciate that I have saved them. Therefore they are after me, this younger generation, and they are helping me in broadcasting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So I think my attempt was successful.
Interviewer: These Oriental philosophies generally and in particular the Kṛṣṇa consciousness has found a lot of devotees in the western civilization. What is the main reason for this?
Prabhupāda: You are thinking this is Oriental civilization, but that is not the fact. The fact is this is human civilization. There is no question of east and west.
Siddha-svarūpa: ...crater there. Inside there is a crater.
Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) ...problem is, at the present moment, they have exhausted all their intellect. Now they are finding out how to bluff the people and maintain themselves. That is their problem. Yes.
Bali-mardana: Yes. The people have lost faith in the science because they have not produced anything.
Prabhupāda: That is the problem. Because they have cheated people for so many years and drawn high salaries, now they are finding out: "How to cheat these rascals and continue our business?" This is the problem. Because they have nothing to research. Everything, whatever, are finished. And all failure. Simply big, big words, that's all. Word jugglery, that's all. They could not do anything. What exactly they have done, something which is not done by God? They competition with God, so what they have done? What is their contribution?
Bali-mardana: Only negative; nothing positive. (break) ...easier to kill people.
Prabhupāda: That's it. That much they have done, yes. (break) ...diverting the attention of the people from going to the moon planet, they are meeting in the sky. So what will benefit we shall derive by their meeting in the sky?
Siddha-svarūpa: They have scientists now that are proposing and they have grants on how to develop a city in outer space or on the moon. They already have it how they're going to send people, how they're going to get their...
Prabhupāda: This is another bluff. You see? And these rascals are believing them.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hṛdayānanda: Superintelligence.
Prabhupāda: And still the rascals say there is no God.
Trivikrama: "Just chance."
Prabhupāda: No, what a fool they are. Try to expose these fools. But people have lost their reason, brain, everything. Even if we expose, they cannot understand. Still they will stick.
Bahulāśva: What is their hope?
Prabhupāda: Hope, last hope is to kill them (makes loud sound with hand or instrument).
Devotee: Chopping off their...
Prabhupāda: Kalki-avatāra. No more teacher, saintly. With sword, cut. Finish. Wholesale massacre. Being killed by God, they get salvation.
Bahulāśva: Even for doing nothing.
Bharadvāja: What kind of salvation?
Prabhupāda: Salvation? They realize their spiritual identity. Āpana karama, bhuñjāye śamana, kahoye. Karma-phala, result of sinful activities, very, very strong. Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayer... Where is that book?
George Gullen: I think this is good for the world. I think the world needs it very much so.
Prabhupāda: So we are trying, although we are not supported by any government, we are trying in our own way. Own way.... The way is standard, but unfortunately people have lost interest in these things. Animal life. As soon as we forget our interest in spiritual life, then immediately we're animals.
George Gullen: We're very much creatures of habit, and it's difficult for us to give up our habits.
Prabhupāda: Habit can be changed. Habit can be changed by practice. Just like we advise no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating. So all these Europeans, Americans, they were habituated to all these habits, but now they have stopped. It can be, by practice, bad habits can be changed.
George Gullen: You appear to have a program of great discipline, and I think that discipline is necessary for people who want to feel and learn and understand. I'm an admirer of discipline. But it's hard for one to bring oneself to do that out of a world that's strange, a strange world. Our world is strange, try to bring myself out of that to other things. But I'm pleased to have this opportunity to hear you and to think about it, talk about it. I'd like to read more about it.
Prabhupāda: One priest has joined us. What is his name?
Satsvarūpa: Eugene Stowsky.
Prabhupāda: He's Ph.D. He has recently joined us. He likes this movement.
Prabhupāda: They have to remain naked.
Kartikeya Mahadevia: No, khādi is available. There is no problem.
Prabhupāda: Available is everything. If you pay, everything is available. Therefore they say, "If you pay, I can supply you tiger's blood." If you pay, everything is available. People have lost completely interest in spiritual life. They have lost completely.
Kartikeya Mahadevia: But in the new generation we think children are more interested in religion or the bhakti than the parents. That is a new development. People who are 25 or 15, they are not. But the children who are below 10. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...parents will encourage. They have no interest even.
Kartikeya Mahadevia: At the school level, something can be done.
Prabhupāda: The authorities will not allow. School authorities, if you say that you want whole Gītā, (?) they will not. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is Kali-yuga. All bad. And even one is interested, he is interested in something bogus. Sumanda-matayaḥ. They have manufactured a style of religious principle. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ. And all unfortunate.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That is their administration. And that was going on for the last two hundred years. So India lost. (break) ...educated persons they lost. And the mass of people, they were not educated. They have not lost, but they don't find any good example by the leaders.
Haṁsadūta: No encouragement.
Prabhupāda: No encouragement. They are simply staying somehow or other in their original culture, but there is no encouragement by the leaders. But the leaders have lost. This is the position. Just like Jawaharlal Nehru, he was a complete rascal about Indian culture. He did not think that Indian culture has any value. Therefore he wrote the book, "Discovery of India." You know that? He has... It is little popular. "Discovery of India." So long India was not discovered by opiate or something like, as the Russians say. Now it is now discovered. And that its leaders have to become Anglicized or Europeanized. Industry, the Western way of living, eating, and everything. Pollution. Everything.
Harikeśa: Abortion.
Prabhupāda: Yes, so many means there are watering.
Harikeśa: The whole field.
Prabhupāda: Yes. People have lost the program. These rascals they draw all these men to manufacture Goodyear tire and eat store (?). This is going on. Modern man, they draw all these man, "Come on, I shall pay you 20 rupees daily. Prepare Goodyear tire, and eat store. Take paper. Purchase store. That's all. This is going on. What brain they will have? Twenty rupees they get and they spend ten rupees for wine, and five rupees for cigarette, and fooding, say five rupees. No ghee, no milk. Soul killing civilization. And again this soul killing civilization. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Hm, what you wanted to say?
Devotee: This, your Dr. Ghosh, where he is staying...
Prabhupāda: Mm.
Devotee: We were there this afternoon for a program, and all their land is so green, and they are growing vegetables by a patch no bigger than this mattress that you are sitting. They are working one, planting, then growing another. Just a small piece, they're planting.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Temporary but it is miserable also. But you are eternal. Why you should be satisfied with temporary happiness? If you be satisfied, be satisfied. That is your business. But that is not real happiness. Why you should take repeated birth and death? If there is another life where there is no birth and death, why should you not take that? You are eternal. But because you are a fool, you think that "If I get ten thousand years of life and very comfortable life, that is happiness." That is mistake. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). That is also said. Why don't you refer to that...? "Such persons have lost that intelligence."
Satsvarūpa: I've heard that Ramakrishna said that even if by mistake one worships the wrong Deity, God won't hold that mistake against him. Even though he's worshiping a demigod and he thinks that's God, so that's a mistake, but God is not so...
Prabhupāda: But the Ramakrishna rascal saying. Kṛṣṇa says, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you worship demigod, you go to the demigod. You can say...
Satsvarūpa: God Himself says.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. We have not to take the instruction of a man-made God. We have to take instruction of the real God.
Hari-śauri: The second half of that verse says that "As they surrender unto Me I reward accordingly," So it's not that everybody gets the same results.
Prabhupāda: Simply propaganda not to beget children. "Enjoy sex life." What is this horrible civilization?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now it's come in India. This new prime minister, he still says, "Our goal is," I think, "twelve million sterilizations this year," and he's holding Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: A horrible position. People have lost their freedom, their culture, spiritual life. Here so much care is taken for children, and they are so opulent. They are fully opulent and spending money lavishly for the welfare of the child. And they are spending money lavishly in the hotels, in the brothels, in slaughterhouse, the liquor shop, and kill. And this is going on as civilization.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't understand at all how to be happy.
Prabhupāda: Most uncivilized. Most uncivilized. I have described to you, "two-legged animals."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dvi-pāda-paśu.
Prabhupāda: And this cannot allow, discussion.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhāgavatam.
Prabhupāda: It is civilization of two-legged animals. They will say now they are taking pleasure. Is there any guarantee that if one has got two children, the government will take care of everything? Two children or three children or hundred children, the government is not able to guarantee. Why this humbug?
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
I am in receipt of a copy of your last Istagosthi dated Jan. 27, and I am very much satisfied with your replies on the questions made in the Istagosthi. The meeting is called "Istagosthi" and not "Istagosthi". You may know also that Ramakrishna's worship of Kali makes him a third class man. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that one who worships the demigods just like Brahma, Siva, Indra, Candra or demigoddesses like Kali, Durga, Sarasvati, etc., are described as persons who have lost their intelligence. One person who has lost his intelligence, how he can become an incarnation of God? A person who has lost his intelligence, is not even counted amongst the higher section of society. So, the Ramakrishna is a bogus man according to the statement of Bhagavad-gita. Vivekananda was also not even intelligent man because he accepted Ramakrsna as incarnation of God. This Ramakrsna, who is actually Gadadhara Chatterjee, declared himself as the same Rama and Krsna. If he is accepted as such by some person, is he very intelligent man? Suppose a man comes before somebody and says he is Pres. Johnson. and the foolish man accepts the pretender as Pres. Johnson, is that man to be accepted as very intelligent man? Vivekananda was not even an intelligent man because he accepted Gadhadhara Chatterjee as incarnation of God without any credentials. We accept Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead on the evidence of Vedic literature. There is no evidence in the Vedic literatures that a common unintelligent person by worshiping a demigoddess Kali can become an incarnation of Godhead. The goddess Kali is divine mother for the conditioned souls, not for the liberated souls. There is no direction in the Vedic literatures that one can become liberated even by worshiping the goddess Kali. She is superintendent of the prison house known as material world.
1972 Correspondence
I am seventy-six years of age and am in the renounced order of life. I came to this country from India six years ago to introduce Krishna Consciousness, the scientific process of spiritual life, to the English-speaking people of the Western world. Now by the grace of Krishna I have many thousands of disciples, young American and European boys and girls. Many of them have come to me bewildered, rebellious, and addicted to all sorts of sinful activities. Like so many of the young people today, they were lost and confused. Now they are all leading a disciplined and regulated life. They follow strict principles of spiritual life, with no desire for intoxication of any kind, or illicit sex life. They are always engaged in meaningful work, serving God and their fellow man. They have become the flower of your country and all over the world they are being treated with the highest respect.
I would humbly like to request an interview with you to discuss the possibilities of my providing further service. My disciple, Atreya Rsi das (Mr. Marz Attar of Arthur Young and Company, 277 Park Avenue, New York, N. Y., phone 212-922-5957) will assist your aides to arrange a suitable time and place for a meeting.
1976 Correspondence
People everywhere are suffering on account of being led by blind leaders who are devoid of all knowledge of the soul. Such foolish men lead other foolish men and all concerned suffer. Andha yathandhair upaniyamana, when one blind man leads another, the result is that both of them fall into the ditch. Therefore there is a requirement for a section of society to become first class men, free of the influence of the modes of material nature, who can understand the mission of this human form of life and who can teach it to others. I am trying to create these men, but it is hard, for people have become lost of all intelligence due to the coverings of the three modes of material nature. So I am one man alone, yet now there are so many nice boys and girls like you to help me push on this movement in my old age. I thank you very much for your sincere efforts and you have my blessings that you will without a doubt be successful if you stick to the regulative principles and chant at least 16 rounds a day. Surely Krsna will recognize your service, and as soon as you are recognized by Krsna, then your life immediate becomes perfect. So continue your preaching activities all over South America and try and present this Krsna consciousness as it is without any change or speculation, and distribute as many books as possible, for this will have a very great effect on the lives of all those who are fortunate enough to receive them.
| Page Title: | People have lost |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 26 of Oct, 2013 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=10, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=19, Con=14, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 49 |