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Petrol (Lectures)

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

SB 4.27.11, Purport:

Actually the entire description was figuratively describing the activities of King Prācīnabarhiṣat. In this verse Nārada frankly says "like you" (yathā bhavān), which indicates that King Purañjana is none other than King Prācīnabarhiṣat himself. Being a great Vaiṣṇava, Nārada Muni wanted to stop animal-killing in sacrifices. He knew that if he tried to stop the King from performing sacrifices, the King would not hear him. Therefore he is describing the life of Purañjana. But in this verse he first discloses the intention, although not fully, by saying "like you." Generally the karmīs, who are attached to increasing descendants, have to perform so many sacrifices and worship so many demigods for future generations, as well as to satisfy so many leaders, politicians, philosophers and scientists to make things go on properly for future generations. The so-called scientists are very eager to see that future generations will live very comfortably, and as such they are trying to find different means of generating energy to drive locomotives, cars, airplanes and so on. Now they are exhausting the petroleum supply. These activities are described in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.41):

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

"Those who are on the spiritual path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched."

SB 4.28.12, Purport:

There are many parts of the body—the senses, the limbs, the skin, the muscles, blood, marrow, etc.—and all these are considered here figuratively as sons, grandsons, citizens and dependents. When the body is attacked by the viṣṇu-jvāra, the fiery condition becomes so acute that sometimes one remains in a coma. This means that the body is in such severe pain that one becomes unconscious and cannot feel the miseries taking place within the body. Indeed, the living entity becomes so helpless at the time of death that, although unwilling, he is forced to give up the body and enter another. In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that man may, by scientific advancement, improve the temporary living conditions, but that he cannot avoid the pangs of birth, old age, disease and death. These are under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the agency of material nature. A foolish person cannot understand this simple fact. Now people are very busy trying to find petroleum in the midst of the ocean. They are very anxious to make provisions for the future petroleum supply, but they do not make any attempts to ameliorate the conditions of birth, old age, disease and death. Thus a person in ignorance, not knowing anything about his own future life, is certainly defeated in all his activities.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.15.25, Purport:

In the Fifth Canto (5.5.4), while instructing his sons, Ṛṣabhadeva said, asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ: the body, although temporary, is the cause of all the miseries of material existence. As already discussed in the previous verse, the entire material creation is based on mental concoction. The mind sometimes induces us to think that if we purchase an automobile we can enjoy the physical elements, such as earth, water, air and fire, combined in forms of iron, plastic, petrol and so on. Working with the five material elements (pañca-bhūtas), as well as with our five knowledge-gathering senses like the eyes, ears and tongue and our five active senses like the hands and legs, we become involved in the material condition. Thus we are subjected to the tribulations known as adhyātmika, adhidaivika and adhibhautika. The mind is the center because the mind creates all these things. As soon as the material object is struck, however, the mind is affected, and we suffer. For example, with the material elements, the working senses and the knowledge-gathering senses we create a very nice car, and when the car is accidentally smashed in a collision, the mind suffers, and through the mind the living entity suffers.

The fact is that the living entity, while concocting with the mind, creates the material condition. Because matter is destructible, through the material condition the living entity suffers. Otherwise, the living entity is detached from all material conditions. When one comes to the Brahman platform, the platform of spiritual life, fully understanding that he is a spiritual soul (ahaṁ brahmāsmi), he is no longer affected by lamentation or hankering. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.54):

SB Canto 7

SB 7.1.9, Purport:

As Bhagavad-gītā informs us, one can understand how one is saturated with sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa. In the examples given herewith, fire represents the mode of goodness. One can understand the constitution of a container for wood, petrol or other inflammable substances by the quantity of the fire. Similarly, water represents rajo-guṇa, the mode of passion. A small skin and the vast Atlantic Ocean both contain water, and by seeing the quantity of water in a container one can understand the size of the container. The sky represents the mode of ignorance. The sky is present in a small earthen pot and also in outer space. Thus by proper judgment one can see who is a devatā, or demigod, and who is an asura, Yakṣa or Rākṣasa according to the quantities of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. One cannot judge whether a person is a devatā, an asura or a Rākṣasa by seeing him, but a sane man can understand this by the activities such a person performs. A general description is given in the Padma Purāṇa: viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. A devotee of Lord Viṣṇu is a demigod, whereas an asura or Yakṣa is just the opposite. An asura is not a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu; instead, for his sense gratification he is a devotee of the demigods, bhūtas, pretas and so on. Thus one can judge who is a devatā, who is a Rākṣasa and who is an asura by how they conduct their activities.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

Pebbles, big. Small. Sand, sand. Yes. So you can eat that. When there is no rain... That is also eatable. The peacocks, they eat. The pigeons, they eat. Yes, the, they can eat. You have seen? They're eating. So everything is there eatable. So there is no question of overpopulation. Overpopulation is already there, anantyāya kalpate. They why do you call overpopulation? When there is already fire, why do you say there will be fire? It is already there. So, but, the restriction, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That eka, that eka, Kṛṣṇa, He orders. He does not order actually. Just like, not every time the police has to be ordered by the superior authority to punish the criminal. They know how to punish. So the nature knows how to punish these criminals. Therefore, the scientists are finding now shortage of petrol, shortage of this, shortage... What to do? What to do? This is the position. Otherwise, there is no question of overpopulation. The supply is restricted. That is the problem. Eko yo bahūnām. Because He supplies all the necessities, the supply will be restricted. As we become more and more sinful and without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be put into difficulties, they will be dying within the womb, they will be killed, within the womb, there will be war, there will be pestilence, there will be famine, there will be earthquake. In so many ways, we have to die. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Again, take birth, this business will go on. And ultimately, when the whole universe is annihilated, then again we take shelter in the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu and live for, in that way, without any body, for many millions of years. Again, there is creation, and then again given chance. "All right, take another chance. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious."

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

They say the consciousness is made possible by combination of matter. The combination of matter, five elements, gross, the subtle elements, they cannot see. Even they see. So their... (aside:) Not now. Their proposition is that this consciousness is a symptom of combination of matter. That is Buddhist philosophy. They do not accept the existence of soul. "The consciousness is a combination of matter." But if it is a fact, then why don't you, if some matter is lacking, why don't you bring that matter or chemical and inject in the dead body and make it again conscious? Why it is not possible? What is your argument? If you say consciousness is combination of matter...

Just like our motorcar is being driven. So when the petrol is finished, matter... Because motorcar running means combination of matter—some machine, made of matter, and some oil, acting—so it is running. Of course, the driver is there. But foolish persons, they do not understand, simply combination of matter will not act. There must be a driver, a living person. Then the motorcar will go. So supposing the combination of matter, that the petrol is finished. So we can bring petrol. Again the motor runs. So if this body was running simply on combination of matter, and some matter is lacking, so why not bring that matter and put into it, and it will run? But that is not possible. That is, that was... The living force which was running this body was a different element, spirit. Nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ. We have discussed this verse. That is living force. And Kṛṣṇa says, vināśam avyayasya asya. This consciousness has no annihilation. Vināśa. Nobody can kill this consciousness, or the soul. One can do harm to this material body, but not to the spirit soul and consciousness. Vināśam avyaya. Avyaya means which is never deteriorates. That is avyaya. Vināśam avyayasya asya na kaścit kartum arhati. Nobody can kill. Nobody can kill consciousness, nobody can kill the soul. Therefore it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "The consciousness, or the spirit soul, is never killed, never annihilated, on the destruction of this body."

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Just as don't you see all these people of the world, they are mad? What they are doing? They whole day the cars going on this side, that side. What is the aim of life? They're mad. Simply wasting petroleum, that's all. What they're doing? Huh? Suppose a cat and dog goes this side and that side, yow, yow, yow, and he goes some motorcars. What is the difference? There is no difference because the aim of the life is the same. Therefore they are mad. That is explained. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4). Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ, pramattaḥ means mad. Prakṛṣṭa rūpeṇa mata, sufficiently mad. And why? Kurute vikarma. They're acting which they should not act. They're acting in a way in which they should not have done. So what is the aim of their acting? Indriya-prītaya, simply for sense gratification. That's all.

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye, "This is not good." Na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ. These madmen do not know that this is the cause of getting this miserable material body. The sufferings of humanity is due to this material body and the cause of vikarma, acting for sense gratification. So this life is meant for acting for liberation, but they are acting for sense gratification. Therefore they are mad. They do not know the aim of life. Life after life, they are working. The cat's life, the dog's life, the horse life, the man's life or even demigod's life, simply for sense gratification. And so long he will continue these activities of sense gratification, he will have to accept some sort of material body in the 8,400,000 of species either as demigod or as dog.

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

You pay him four annas, and it will last for your life and shave your cheek very nicely, daily or occasionally. But the modern civilization means that in everything there must be machine. That is the advancement of material... But the śāstra says, "What is the use of taking so much labor?" Kaṣṭān kāmān. Kaṣṭān means with so much labor. If you create some convenience by the so-called machine use, you create so many other inconveniences. Just like we have got now motorcar. Of course, it is convenience. But there are many inconveniences. Formerly people used to find everyone within the village. Now, because we have got big, big motorcars, we have to go thirty miles to find out a doctor. So the other inconveniences are also increased. Now we have to find out petrol and flatter the Arabians, "Give me petrol." In this way... And if I stop manufacturing, then there is unemployment.

In this way we are becoming implicated. By the so-called advancement of civilization, we are becoming implicated to these material activities and we are forgetting our real business, self-realization, what I am. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The real business is to enquire about Brahman, about ātmā, Paramātmā, but we are forgetting that. We are simply busy for the temporary life, say, for fifty years or hundred years, utmost. But we do not know the life is continuation. As the life is continued we have got experience—from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then in old body, then what is next? You ask anybody who has become old man. Ask him, "Sir, you have come to this stage. Your body is now old. You have to die. Now, from childhood you came to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then middle age, and now you have come to... Now what is next? Do you know?" Oh, they will be silent. Nobody knows that what is my next life. A child can say, "My next life is boy. I shall become a boy." The boy can say, "Yes, I will be like very nice young man." The young man can say that "I shall become middle-aged man, father of many children." And the middle-aged man can say, "Yes, I will become old man." And ask the old man what he will become? He cannot answer. Can anyone say?

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Just like people are struggling. Wherever you go, material world, either you go to London or go to Paris or to Calcutta or Bombay, anywhere you go, what is the business? Everyone is struggling: (makes sounds) whoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon. Day and night the motorcar going this way and that way, this way and that way. Last night I was speaking with Śrutakīrti. Wherever, we see this nonsense thing, whoo, shoo, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoon, shoo, shoo, shoo. Any city you go, the same road, same motorcar, same "whoo, shoosh," same petrol, that's all. (laughter) What is the difference? But we say—this is called illusion—"I have come to Paris. I have come to Calcutta." But where is the difference between Calcutta and Paris and Bombay? The same thing. Punaḥ punaḥ carvita-carvaṇānām. Again and again, chewing the chewed. That's all.

Therefore the Brahma-sūtra advises, "Now you have done this chewing the chewed so many lives." "Chewing the chewed" means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Either you are dog or you are man, you have to make solution how to eat, how to sleep, how to satisfy your sex, and how to defend. The same problem is in the dog life, the same problem in the human life. Same life is in the demigod life also.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

That is Vedic civilization. So to come to the platform of truth, one has to know what are the defects of material life, how it is taken by the asuras. That is being described by Kṛṣṇa, asatyam, asatyam apratiṣṭham, apratiṣṭhaṁ te. Te means these asuras. Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). It is controlled by the Supreme.

In the material stage we think that it is being controlled by the laws of material nature. That is also fact, but behind the laws of material nature there is Kṛṣṇa. The material laws of material nature is not working blindly. That is a fact. Combination of material thing, a big, nice airship, is moving. It is combination of material things. There are iron, aluminium, wood, and petrol, so many other things, the combination of material things. But this combination of material things, if it is kept in one place, in many thousands of years it will not fly. It will not fly—the petrol is here; everything is there—unless the pilot is there. When the pilot comes he pushes the button. Then it becomes.

So these foolish, these atheistic persons, mūḍhas, they cannot see. There must be a spiritual touch. In spite of all electronic arrangement, unless there is a spiritual... The pilot is spiritual being. Unless he touches his finger, it is not moving. So how this gigantic material manifestation can work independently? They have no sense. Therefore they say, jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). Anīśvaram: "There is no pilot. It is moving automatically." This is asuric conclusion. How it can move? Where is your experience that simply combination of material thing can move the machine?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

We are born of poor father. So... But that does not mean that you are free from this knot. That is there. To become...

People are trying that "We shall be happy by becoming materially advanced." That is called durāśā. That is hope against hope. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that destination of life is to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No. They do not know. They think, "By increasing motorcars, we shall be happy." This is called māyā. That will not help. This motorcar civilization will be finished within another hundred years. It has begun, say, for the last hundred years, and after a hundred years, when... The scientists say the petroleum will be finished within fifty years or like that, so, say hundred years, this motorcar will be finished. So anything we manufacture, the so-called empire, so-called material civilization; it is finished, it will be finished. That is another knot only, that we become captivated. So "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? We must have three dozen motorcar and three dozen wine bottles and this..." This is their civilization.

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

God is noting down: "All right." Even if you forget, He'll give you. "You wanted this facility. Now here it is. You can take." Kṛṣṇa is so kind.

We are being harassed by getting these different types of body and engagement according to the body. That we can understand. We are not happy. One after another. Because our main business is sense gratification. So we cannot enjoy all these senses fully in one kind of body. There is some defect. Just like we are trying to gratify our senses by flying to another planet, moon planet. This is another sense gratification. We are meant for this planet. We are bound up by conditions. Artificially we are trying to go there. And making plans, so many plans: "There will be intermediate station, and the petrol will be carried from here," and this and that. So many things. Simply spending money. Just like childish. The child, they spoil their time and energy in certain playing. Similarly, this is going on. Because it is a sense gratification. That's all. Simply mere sense gratification: "Let us go, how it is, moon planet." You have no business there. You cannot do there anything. You cannot live there, but still, "Let us go, let us go. And spend all the money, taxpayers' money, spend like water." This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So sāṅkhyam. Sāṅkhyam means... Sam means complete, khyam means description. "Complete description of creation." Kāla-viplutam, there is complete description how the cosmic manifestation is created, but people forget it, kāla-viplutam. So this knowledge is existing since the time of creation. Everything materially created has got six stages. The first stage is creation, and the second stage is growth. The third stage is maintenance, the fourth stage is production, the fifth stage is dwindling, and the sixth stage, vanishing. This is anything material.

The scientists, they are very much busy. Just this morning our scientist, Svarūpa Dāmodara, was speaking about an article: the scientists are very much busy that the source of supply is being decreased. Just like petroleum. Petroleum, gas, that is diminishing. Now, whole modern materialistic civilization is depending on the motorcars and aeroplanes, transportation. So if the petroleum supply is stopped, then what will be the condition of the society? Formerly there was no need of going to see a friend thirty miles away, because every friend was within the village. Now, because we have got motorcar, we create friendship with a man who lives fifty miles away. We accept a job fifty miles away. In Hawaii our Gaurasundara was going to attend office fifty miles off. By fifty miles off... In big, big cities like New York, Calcutta, we have seen people are coming to attend their office from hundred miles off. I have seen also in aeroplane there are many people... I have seen in England. Many workers or gentlemen, they are coming from Glasgow to London for working, by aeroplane.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

We have got experience. In India we have seen, some years there is overproduction of mango. People... Very cheap. Everyone can purchase. And sometimes there is no supply, some year. Similarly, foodgrains also. Some year there is oversupply of foodgrain and sometimes there is scanty supply. Now, this supply of foodgrains, fruits, and everything, even milk... In our New Vrindaban, because the cows feel very safe, they give us sufficient milk. That is our experience. So you keep things in order according to the Vedic injunction, you get sufficient food. There is no question of scarcity. But if you become sinful, demons, then the nature's food supply will be ultimately stopped. You can produce your food in the factory... You cannot do that. You can produce motorcars to consume all the petroleum within the earth, and then you become no petrol. Then throw all these motorcars. Unless you find out some other energy That you can do. You can make things topsy-turvied. But by your so-called scientific advancement, you cannot increase or, I mean to say, stop nonproduction. That you cannot.

So there was such a time because Pṛthu Mahārāja's father was a demon. He stopped all religious activities. Therefore people became demonic, and there was restriction of food supply. Then Pṛthu Mahārāja made arrangement, and there was sufficient foodstuff. Dugdhemām oṣadhīr viprās tenāyaṁ sa uśattamaḥ. Since Pṛthu Mahārāja arranged the whole society to be religious, to be God conscious, everything become beautiful. This can be done even now. If people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will become beautiful, Vaikuṇṭha, without any anxiety. That is possible. Because that is nature's law. Just like if you become criminal, the state police force will always harass you.

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

They are, by the freaks of nature, by the arrangement of nature, they are gathering together. So-called nation, so-called family, so-called society. Again, by freaks of nature, they are thrown here and there. Sometimes somebody is going to be cat, sometimes he's he is going to be dog. So if your grandchild, grandson is going to be a cat and dog, how he is coming to drive your motorcar? (laughter) But these rascals, they do not know. They are trying to make provision, "How my grandchildren will drive car. The petrol will be finished, and what other energy we shall make in stock so that my grandchildren will come and very comfortably drive his car?"

This is called māyā-mohita.
māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi svataḥ kṛṣṇa-jñāna
jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa

That is stated in the Caitanya-cari... We are so much engrossed by the influence of māyā that we are trying to do so many things, but our only business is how to forget Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our real business is how we can kill Kṛṣṇa—"There is no God"—how we can forget Kṛṣṇa. And we are very busy in finding out petroleum energy. This is our business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, anādi-bahirmukha jīvera svataḥ kṛṣṇa nāhi jñāna (CC Madhya 20.117).(?) We are so much foolish, influenced by the illusory energy, that by automatically we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Because we are influenced. Therefore this propaganda required. Not that automatically they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is need of spreading, unless... If you want to save..., if you are actually benevolent to your countrymen, to your society, to the human society, you must preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

Eh? Nobody was staring. In, in, in our Vedic literature we don't find any mention anywhere about the factory. No. There is no mention. And how opulent they were. Even in Vṛndāvana. In Vṛndāvana, as soon as Kaṁsa invited Nanda Mahārāja, immediately they took wagons of milk preparation to distribute. And you will find in the literature they are all well dressed, well fed. They have got enough food, enough milk, enough cows. But they are village, village men. Vṛndāvana is a village. There is no scarcity. No moroseness, always jolly, dancing, chanting and eating. So we have created these problems. Simply you have created. Now, you have created so many horseless carriages, now the problem is where to get petrol. In your country it has become a problem. Brahmānanda was speaking to me yesterday. There are so many problems. Simply unnecessarily we have created so many artificial wants. Kāma-karmabhiḥ. This is called kāma.

So everyone, because of that unlimited desire, one after another... This desire, when this desire fulfilled, another desire, another desire, another desire. In this way you are simply creating problems. And when the desires are not fulfilled, then we become frustrated, confused. The frustration is there. One kind of frustration, just like in your country the hippies, that is also frustration. Another kind of frustration is just like in our country, that is very old frustration, to become sannyāsī. So to become sannyāsī, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, this world is false. How it is false? He could not utilize it properly; therefore it is false. It is not false. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is, this world is not false; it is fact. But false when you think that "I am the enjoyer of this world." That is false. If we accept it, that it is Kṛṣṇa's, and you should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service, then it is not false. We have given it, this example, that these flowers, these flowers they are in the florist shop, there are so may flowers that people are purchasing, we are purchasing, others are purchasing. They are purchasing for sense gratification, and we are purchasing for Kṛṣṇa. The flower is the same. So one may ask that "You are offering to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:

There is no qualified brāhmaṇa. Therefore this yajña... Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who have got brain substance, not cow dung, they will take this process, yajñaiḥ. Let everyone chant Hare Kṛṣṇa home to home. Whatever they have got, all right. Just begin chanting. Just see what happens. We are trying to introduce this chanting. But the rascals will not take it. What can be done? There is no loss if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa worldwide. Where is the loss? But still, they will not. And everything can be had. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Mahī. Kṛṣṇa, He is... The mother... Kṛṣṇa, how He has arranged this mahī? Everything is coming. Actually you will find that the rose flower is coming, the mine is coming, the gold is coming, the coal is coming, the petrol is coming. Everything is there in the mahī. And who has arranged it? Just see. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. And if there is regular waterfall, then you get everything supply. And by performing yajña, you get regular waterfall, rainfall. And in this age all other types of yajña is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

That was being maintained during the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. That is being described. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira maintained this standard of civilization. Just see how the economic problems will be solved simply by one movement, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Try to understand. Mahī. Because mahī will produce everything. Just like here in this Letchmore Heath there are so many, so much land lying vacant. You produce you own food. Why you are going to London, to the factories? There is no need. This is wrong civilization. Here is land. You produce your food. If you produce your food, there is no need of going hundred miles, fifty miles on your motorcycle or motor to earn your livelihood. Why? There is no need. Then you require petrol. And petrol there is scarcity. Then you require so many parts, so many That means you are making the whole thing complicated unnecessarily. Unnecessarily. There is no need. Simply you keep to the land and produce your food, and the cows are there. They will supply you milk. Then where is your economic problems. If you have sufficient grains, sufficient vegetables, sufficient milk from the land where you are living, where your economic problem? Why you should go to other place? That is Vedic civilization. Everyone should remain in the spot and produce everything as he requires, and God will help you. Because you can produce from the land anywhere. The rainfall is there. If you have got land and the rainfall is regular, then you can produce anything. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). And how the rainfall will be possible? How regular rainfall? That is described in the Bhāgavata. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14). Is there a Bhagavad-gītā here? Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tools and machinery are already there. But why there is scarcity? Now there is no petrol, whole world. You have got the drilling machine, tools and machinery, everything. Then why you are in scarcity? Because now Kṛṣṇa is against you. Therefore in spite of the oil underground, in spite of tools and machine, you'll starve. This is nature's process. You have created such a situation. Now, in spite of having everything... Just like it is said by Vaiṣṇava kavi, nire kari vas namre kila peyas (?) Just like you are on the ocean and you are thirsty. You are in the ocean, profuse water, but you cannot touch a drop. Nire kari vas namre kila peyas. Thirsty, you want water, but you are in the water, in the ocean. Now drink it. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa does not desire, you may have ample things, everything there, but still the key is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. Unless He opens it, you cannot get. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The sanction of the Supreme Lord must be there, otherwise..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now the sanction is not there; therefore there is scarcity. Nature can supply you anything, as we have already described. But if Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't supply," bas, finished. Then?

Pradyumna: "Otherwise, despite all instrumental arrangements, everything will be unsuccessful. The ultimate cause of success is the daiva, or the Supreme. Kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira..."

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

"Our material pleasure will be very much enjoyable when it is put into the golden pot instead of iron pot." Mūḍhāḥ. They are called mūḍhāḥ. (laughter) They do not know the..., our real business is how to get out of this material body. That is, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is real knowledge. One should keep in his thought that "My real distress of life are these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi to take birth, to die, to become old and to become diseased. This is my problem." But they do not know this. They are now busy in the petroleum problem. Yes. Yes. They have created this petroleum problem, this horseless tin carriage. (laughter) Yes. They are thinking, "Better than horse. Now I have got this tin carriage." As soon as it is old it has no value. You throw into the street, especially in your country. Nobody takes care of it. And..., but one must have this carriage. And it must run on petrol, and take labor, so hard labor, goes wihin the desert, drill it, and then take out the oil, then bring it in tanks. And it is called ugra-karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that these rascals, demons, they have created ugra-karma simply for trouble to the whole people. That's all. Kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ, and bringing destruction nearer, nearer. Now they are going on, and that may be big work that means destruction and simply for creating a little comfort. Formerly also they were moving. Transport was there. But they do not like to remain in the former ways, because they have no other engagement. Better engagement that they do not know. Here is the better engagement: to come before Rādhā Kṛṣṇa and glorify the Lord. Try to understand our relationship. This is our real, real business, but nobody is interested in the real business. They are interested in superfluous engagement whole day work in the office, then come here, go to the club, go to the football club, tennis club. In this way they have invented simply how to waste valuable life of tis human form. They have invented. They have no sense that how this life should be utilized for stopping this, I mean to say, prime problem, janma-mṛtyu-jarā. They do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

Devotee: "Will this help to solve the oil crisis?"

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what I answered?

Devotee: "Yes. Why not?"

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: "Why not?"

Prabhupāda: You do not remember?

Devotee: Yes. You said the solution is already there, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually! That is the fact! But they will not take to it. They will not take it. Now, what is the problem? It is not at all difficult. There is petrol, and it is used, it is meant for our use, but it is their ignorance they are thinking it is... (end)

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

"You are talking just like you know..." Just like our so-called scientists, they speak as if they know everything, but real thing they do not know. That is zero. What is spirit, they do not know. They are thinking this body. And according to Vedic knowledge, if one is misguided on the bodily identification of ourself, he is animal. He is animal. He may be Ph.D., D.H.C. or something, but he is animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Because he does not know how the body is moving. And neither they can discover anything. When the body is dead... It is dead from the very beginning, but it was moving. Just like so long petrol is there, the motorcar moves. But as soon as there is... Now there is crisis. So how their motorcars will move? They are concerned. So why their crisis? Because the petrol is the life of the movement of the motorcar. Similarly, that spiritual spark, or spirit soul, is the petrol of this body.

So without knowledge of this, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), just like cats and dogs, they cannot understand how he is moving. That he does not know. If a human being also does not understand that how this body is moving, neither they can discover what it is, then what is this? It may be very so-called decoration of the body. A decoration of the dead body, what is the profit thereof? If you do not know what is the real living force within this body, then if you simply decorate the body, dead body, loka-rañjanam, you may get some applause from ordinary men, but it has no value. It has no value.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

Suppose a big politician is put into the jail and he is given a very nice, comfortable bungalow and everything, but he is in the jail. But he is thinking that "I am enjoying." He forgets that he is in the jail. He is in the jail. That is called ignorance, māyā. He is suffering and he is accepting. Just like the pig. He is eating stool, but he is thinking he is enjoying. This is going on.

So hṛt-tāpa. In this, I mean to say, ocean of suffering, viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi, the more we want to enjoy, the more sufferings enter. More suffering. You can understand. Just now we got this car, horseless car. But now there is a problem. They are thinking, "If there is no petrol available, then what will happen?" So this is material existence. Viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi... Anxiety. That anxiety is suffering, "What will happen? What will happen?" That is material existence. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyā. Always full of anxiety. This is material life. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale: "The heart is burning on account of this material existence." Juṛāite nā kainu upāya. "But I did not try to find out the means by which I can get out of this." Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmila kena tāya. The medicine is this Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's glorification. That is the real medicine. But we have no attraction for these things. We are simply trying to counteract the suffering, and we are accepting this counteraction as enjoying. Bhagavad-gītā: haranti smarataś cittam.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

"I am the origin of everything." And the Vedānta-sūtra also says, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." So everything has emanated from Kṛṣṇa. So how this material world can be false? It is true. Then what is that false? It is not false. It is temporary. But the idea that "This material world is for my enjoyment," that is false. That is false. As soon as you take things that "It is for my enjoyment," then it is false. Because you cannot enjoy. You are not the proprietor. God is the pro... Why the trouble? Why the problems of the world? Because people are taking things for their enjoyment. Why this petrol problem? Actually, that petrol, stock of petrol, in any part of the world, that is God's property. But these rascals, they are claiming that "My property." That is false. Neither the petrol is false, neither God is false. Everything is right. But this conception, that "This petrol belongs to me," this is false. And as soon as this false conception is moved, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Very simple thing.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

This cosmic manifestation is going regularly. The sun is rising exactly at the time, it is setting exactly..., the seasons are coming exactly, under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So when the king is a debauch or the president is a debauch, and the citizens are also debauch, there is restriction of supply by nature, under the order of the Supreme. Just like there is now petroleum problem. Now, by the order of the Supreme, the restriction is there. Now they are howling, cowling. You see? So everything will rest, tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa. If you keep Kṛṣṇa satisfied, if you all become devotees, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of scarcity. There is no question of scarcity. There is immense supply. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

We have seen it. You have also seen. Sometimes in season, there is so much mango supply that they rot on the ground. Nobody cares to take it. So supply is not in your hands. You cannot supply by factory. You can manufacture bolts and nuts, not rice or ḍāl or ghee or mango or fruits. So supply is... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. What is the difference between God and ourself? We are also living entities, God is also living entity. Nityo nityānām. I have several times explained this. Just like Kṛṣṇa, what is the difference of Kṛṣṇa? You have got two hands; He has got two hands. He has got two legs; you have got two legs. So the appearance, Kṛṣṇa is equal or in quality. But the difference is that He maintains everyone, and you are maintained. You are now maintainer. You cannot maintain even your family, what to speak of maintain everyone. But God maintains everyone. Eko yo bahūnām, bahūnām. Bahūnām means many, unlimited. Unlimited number of living entities are there. There are millions of elephants in Africa; He is maintaining. At a time the elephant eats about forty kilograms. And who is supplying food? He is eating. The small fish in the ocean, he is also eating.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

You can manufacture a toy sputnik to fly in the sky, to float in the sky, by so many mechanical arrangements. As soon as the machine is gone out, immediately falls down. But just see what machine is there, millions and trillions of airplanes, big, big planet with big, big mountains, oceans, they are floating. So that is His intelligence. Your intelligence may be that you can also float a big airplane. But what is that big airplane in comparison to this big, big planet? It is nothing. There is also petrol stock, and in the airplane there is also petrol stock. Perhaps it is floating by petrol, and you are taking out all the petrols. One day it will fall down. Yes. You are disturbing God's arrangement. Just like we had the history of Lord Varāha's lifting this planet, earth planet, from the Garbhodaka Ocean. So any time it can fall down. But it is being floated by the supreme power. Otherwise by calculation how such a big planet can float just like a cotton swab? Yes, it is floating. Not only one, millions. So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya ojasā dhārayāmi (BG 15.13). He enters. He enters in each and every planet, in each and every universe, each and every atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). And maintaining them, maintaining them.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

Why? Nirmama nirahaṅkāraḥ. Nirmama. Nirmama means... Mama means "my." Mama means "my." And nir means negation. This is called nirmama. And nirahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra, "egotism," and nir means "not."

So in order to become nirmama... Because here, material world, we are simply fighting, "It is mine, mine." The Arabians, they are, "This oil tank, this oil deposit is mine." Or "our." The same thing, individually or collectively. You just make up a gang, and you steal something, and then you say, "It is our." Your possession is by stealing, but still, you are claiming, "It is our." So the petrol tank belongs to God, but some way or other, they are in possession. They fighting it, "It is our." So this is called mama. So one has to become nirmama. "It is not mine. It is Kṛṣṇa's." Immediately you become nirmama. Everything is bondage so long you claim, "It is mine." And as soon as you understand, "It is not mine; it is Kṛṣṇa's," then you are free. This is the difference of bondage and freedom. Actually, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Everything. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).

So this consciousness required. So somebody is trying to be nirmama, to become free from false idea, "It is mine," by renouncing. And if one knows perfectly well that "It is not mine; it is Kṛṣṇa's," then he hasn't got to do anything artificially. If you know that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. I am not the owner. I am given the chance to use it," tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ, whatever allotment is given to you, you can use. Prasādam. Kṛṣṇa... Actually, eatable belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So after eating, whatever He gives you, you also eat this. That is required.

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

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja followed the principles as it was done by the previous mahātmabhiḥ, great personalities, not only in his family but also otherwise. Because knowledge is... Right knowledge is not different. "Two plus two equal four," it is right in Europe, in America, in Asia, in white, in black, everywhere. It is truth, "Two plus two..." You cannot make "Two plus two equal to five." That is not possible. That is truth.

So hṛdi brahma paraṁ dhyāyan. This is the principle. If you want to stop repetition of birth and death... This is our real problem, but people are so poor in knowledge, they do not know what is the problem. They are tackling some temporary problem: "There is no petrol, there is no this, there is no that." Well, even petrol is there, but what of yourself? Are you going to live here forever? That is not problem. I am making arrangement for my sense gratification very nicely-skyscraper building, and very nice car, very nice bank balance, everything. That's all right. But you are going to live permanently? What is the answer, my dear scientist? No answer. Just see. You construct a house with a hope that you shall live here, but if you are informed, "Oh, you are going to die tomorrow," will you take that responsibility, constructing, spending millions of dollars? "Oh, I am going to die?" That is natural. That is natural. So before making nice arrangement for our living condition, first of all make this condition sure that you are going to live actually, you will live comfortably. Is that guaranteed? No, that is not guaranteed. At any moment you will be kicked out. Any moment. So that is real problem. First of all make yourself assured that you will not be kicked out. Just like even we enter an apartment, we make so many agreement with the landlord, this condition, that condition. What is the idea? That I may not be kicked out, I may not be kicked out tomorrow. The landlord may say, "Get out." This is the agreement you make. So what is the agreement for your living condition?

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

So what does this mean? You enter some apartment according to the payment you can provide. Therefore there are so many varieties of apartment. It is a commonsense affair. Otherwise all apartments would have been the same, of the same size, same quality, same... No. There are different tenants, they pay differently; therefore there are different kinds of apartment. Similarly, this is also apartment. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). The spirit soul is within this apartment body. So according to karma, according to payment, one has got American body, one has got African body, one has got Indian body, one has got this body, that body, dog's body, cat's body, tree's body. This is karma. This is karma. This is our real problem. And this human life is especially meant for solving this problem, not the problem of petrol. But they have forgotten this. They are so rascals, the real problem they have forgotten.

Therefore here it is said, dhyāyan na āvarteta yato gataḥ. We are trying to go to the moon planet. But is it sure that you will not die there? "No, no, before going there I shall die. That is happy. Still we shall go." This is their proposal. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or any Venus planet, this planet, anywhere within this material world... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. There are so many planets. The topmost planet is Brahmaloka, Brahma planet, where Lord Brahmā lives. And you know the duration of life of Brahmā. You cannot calculate his one twelve-hours day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). This is the Brahmā's twelve hours. That is Brahmaloka. You cannot calculate what is the duration of life there. But even if you go there, the problem, death will be there. The problem death will go. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The problem which is here... Just like the birth-death problem is within the ant society, birth-death problem is there within the animal society, birth-death problem is there in the human society, similarly, birth-death problem is in the moon society or sun society or Brahmaloka society, anywhere in this material world. That is real problem.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

And they have got different planets also. So they are promised, "If you come to this demigod's planet, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), you will get so much happiness, you will live for so many years, you will have better standard of life, thousand times more than in the... These are... They are described in the Vedas. But a devotee says that this tri-daśa-pūr, this heavenly planet, is as good as phantasmagoria. They have no value for these things.

So the..., this is the aspiration of the karmīs, to elevate life to higher standard of life. As the world is going on... The struggle is going on for having a higher standard of life. But they are becoming implicated. Now, there was bull-drawn cart or horse-drawn carriages. Now they have got nice cars also, but the problem is petrol. So the karmī world is like that. You create one kind of happiness, but side by side you create another kind of unhappiness. This is called karmī-yoga. Just like if you want to raise one big skyscraper building, then you have to dig somewhere to get the earth to make the bricks and the iron. You cannot manufacture without taking help of the nature. So if you raise here, you must dig here. This is karmī-yoga. If you want to enjoy something extraordinarily, you must create another unhappiness extraordinarily. This is called karmī. Therefore they are mūḍhas. Mūḍhas means rascals, asses. They do not know that "By increasing every year new motorcars, I am creating another problem. If there is no petrol, then the whole business will be spoiled." That they do not know. And because they do not know, they are called asses, mūḍha. The effect they do not know. So the tri-daśa-pūr, going to the heavenly planet... Just like they are going to the moon planet, but problems after problem, contemplating how to make a platform in the sky to get petrol. The problem is there, not that very easily going. The problematic... Things are problematic.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

It doesn't matter, however nicely we are dressed, but we remain as cats and dog, in the category of cats and dog. The modern civilization is that he is actually a dog, a cat, but he dresses himself very nicely, to become gentleman. So śāstra says, no. We have to test whether he is human being or a cat and dog, what he is. So if we see that people are engaged only in these four business—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—he is cat and dog. Above them, they are inquiring. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. They are inquiring about the Absolute Truth. They are above these cats and dogs. This is the test, what subject matter he is inquiring. Just like there are big, big scientists. They are making research, "If petrol can be substituted?" So in the eyes of the common man he may become a very great scientist, but those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness, they will take him no better than cat and dog—because his subject matter is how to eat, sleep or mate or defend. The subject matter... We have to understand what is the subject matter of this person. In the English proverb it is said, "A man is known by his company." So similarly, if the subject matter is animalistic, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, then, however he may be big man, we will take him amongst the categories of cats and dogs.

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

Human civilization means tapasya, austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Sattva. We have to purify our existence. That is the aim of human life. We have to purify our existence.

What is the impurification of existence? The impurification of existence is this birth, death, old age and disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everyone is inclined to live, but nature will not allow you to live. Nobody likes to die, but nature will force you to become dead. Nobody wants to become old man, but nature will force you to become old man. Janma... And nobody wants to suffer from diseases, but nature will force you to suffer from diseases. These are the problems. But the rascal civilization, they do not know what is the real problem. They're dealing with petrol problem. Just see. Petrol problem, you have created another problem. Already there is problem. You have created, by so-called civilization, petrol problem. Before these motorcars, the people were living very happily. They were transporting. But there was no such civilization that for your earning livelihood you have to go hundred miles away from your home to work there. Therefore you require vehicle. Then you require petrol. Then you require so many nice road. So many things will be. But formerly, it was village. They will take it, "This is primitive." But remaining primitive, you were more happy than becoming so-called civilized, creating so many problems. You have already problems, but people are so rascal, so blind, they do not see to the real problem. They artificially create problem and try to solve it. Instead of touching the real problem, that is set aside.

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

He has got two hands; you have got two hands. He has got one head; you have got one head. You have got... He has got two legs; you have got two legs. You can also keep some cows and play with them; Kṛṣṇa also. But the difference is there. What is that difference? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Kṛṣṇa, although He's similar in so many ways with you, similarity, but one difference is there—He is maintaining every one of us, and we are being maintained. He's the leader. If Kṛṣṇa does not supply you foodstuff, you cannot have any foodstuff. If Kṛṣṇa does not supply you petrol, then you cannot drive your car. So eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti. Whatever necessities of life we have got—we require so many things—that is supplied by eka, that one living entity. That is the difference. We cannot maintain even a small family, our capacity is so limited. At the present moment especially, in this age, a man does not like to marry because he's unable to maintain even a family, wife and children. He cannot maintain them, even a family consisting of four or five living entities.

But God is the whole family. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti. He's supplying food to the elephants. We are, we are so much advanced in civilization that because we cannot take care of a child, therefore we are killing child even within the womb of mother, abortion. We are so unfit. But God, you see, He's feeding millions of elephants in the Africa. Not only elephants, there are so many. Out of 8,400,000 species of life, there are 8,000,000 species of life nonhuman being, the majority—the birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, so many other living entities. But they have no business. They have no occupation, profession, to maintain themselves. So who is maintaining them? Who is there?

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

This is Vedic civilization. You give protection to the women, to the children, to the brāhmaṇa, to the cow, and to the old man. First duty. First duty is to give protection to the old men, women, children, cow, and brāhmaṇa. That is questioned in the next part, brahma-kule kukarma, kukarmaṇy abrahmaṇye rāja-kule. Brahma-kule. The brāhmaṇas should be protected, but if there are, even in the brāhmaṇa family, who are addicted to these sinful activities, that is also becomes a concern. Similarly, if the royal family, or the ruling class of men, they do not respect the brahminical culture, that is also a subject matter of concern.

So in the Vedic civilization there was no such problem as petrol problem and food problem or... No. The problem was whether the civilization was going nicely, whether the human civilization is making progress toward the ultimate goal of life, not to bother with the temporary problems. Temporary problems has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya.

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

So problem is there. So Kṛṣṇa is saying, "My dear Arjuna, problems there will be." This is material world. You cannot avoid problems. But you should tackle with the main problem, not the insignificant or temporary problem. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā.

The main problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That is main problem. So our cultivation of knowledge, advancement of civilization, should be on the basis of solving the main problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, not the temporary problem. For the temporary problems, it is advised that the temporary problems, they come and go. Just like nowadays there is the petrol problem. Petrol is there, but because the Arabians are restricting supply, it has become a problem. So there are, as soon as there will be some peace agreement between the Arabians and others, this problem will be solved. Take for example. Best example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. You can solve your petrol problem, but you can never solve the problem of winter and summer. That will come and go. So it is not that winter will remain for good, or the summer will remain for good. Āgamāpāyino 'nityāḥ. They will come and go away. So don't be bothered about them. If you feel botheration, just try to suffer or tolerate. That is not your real problem. Real problem is how to stop the birth, death, old age and disease, and that is Vedic civilization, and that is depending on the brahminical culture.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:

Depend on Kṛṣṇa." No, not like that. Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that "You sleep on this chariot. (laughter) I'll..." Hare Kṛṣṇa. He never said that. He said, "You must have to fight." Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). "Fighting you have to do. But you always think of Me." This is the success. Not that depend on Kṛṣṇa means, "I have not to, nothing to do."

So everything is there. Here it is said that surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam. All opulences are there. I have already explained. Anything fortune... There are mines. There are petrol. There are water. Everything is there. But as soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, then the time will take away everything. Yes. It will not allow. Time will not allow to enjoy. Then there will be strife, there will be misunderstanding. Just like the petrol is there in, within this earth, but because we do not know how to use them, therefore there is scarcity of petrol. Petrol is there. We do not know how to use Kṛṣṇa's property. We are trying to use everything as my own. But factually it is not. Factually it is everything Kṛṣṇa's. So if we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, every one of us, there is no scarcity, no want. Because the things are there already. There is no question of scarcity. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, there is scarcity. It is very clear. We have forgotten that this petrol belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right. This land belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But the Arabians are thinking, "This land belongs to us." Therefore there is difficulty.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

Eating, sleeping. After eating, there is sleeping. So if we eat more, then more sleeping. If we eat less, then less sleeping. Eating, sleeping, mating. And mating should be avoided. That is a great stricture. Sex life should be minimized as far as possible. Therefore we have got this restriction, "No illicit sex." Sex life, we don't say... That you cannot do, nobody can do. Therefore sex life means married life, a little concession. A license, "All right, you take this license." But not illicit sex. Then you'll never be able.

So eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And defending, we are defending in so many ways, but still, war is there, and the onslaught of material nature... Your country is defending so nicely, but now the petrol is taken away. You cannot defend. Similarly, everything can be taken away at any moment. So depend on Kṛṣṇa for defending, defenses. Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa. This is called surrender. Surrender, means... Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me," sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Let us believe this, that "Kṛṣṇa is asking to surrender. Let me surrender. He must protect me in danger." That is called surrender. "Now, I am surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, but for my defense I'm making another arrangement." Then I have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. If I believe in Kṛṣṇa, then we must believe that Kṛṣṇa will... Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Believe. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntiḥ. Kṣānti means toleration? What is that? Hm? See kṣānti.

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

There is no such thing. Everything is fact, and everything is real. Therefore ānandamāyā. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. There is rasa. Here is also rasa. Here rasa is not ānanda-cinmaya. This is material. There everything is real. So bhrājiṣṇubhir yaḥ parito virājate lasad-vimānāvalibhir mahātmanām. Those vimānas, aeroplanes, belong to the mahātmanām, great liberated devotees. So devotees are not going to be zero. They will have also aeroplane there, but not this third class aeroplane. As soon as the machine goes wrong, it immediately crashes. There is no crashing; neither there is any necessity of machine because they are spiritual. Just like motor car, a machine, it requires oil, it requires petrol to run on. But as we are spirit, we don't require anything. We can run without any arrangement of mechanical. We can experience that. A man is running, not that you have to put some petrol. Of course, we are putting petrol, this foodstuff. That is meant for the body. But if the whole thing is spiritual, there is no more necessity of these things, material ingredient. There is no necessity. That they cannot. There the aeroplane is also spirit. It is living. It has taken the shape of aeroplane, but it is living. It is not false. Therefore there is no necessity of this petrol, simply beautiful aeroplane, and wherever you like, you can go. They are moving in the sky. And the beautiful women. They are women just like lightning. their beauty is so brilliant, glowing, that the women, they are, themselves, are lightning. As we find lightning in the cloud, very beautiful, similarly, when these aeroplanes fly in the outer space or Vaikuṇṭha sky, it looks like lightning in the cloud. Pramada uttamādyubhiḥ. Uttamādyubhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Otherwise this lower jñāna or knowledge, how to eat, how to sleep, how to perform sexual life, and how to defend, this knowledge is there even in the mosquito or small ant. And what to speak of other, higher grade living entities. That is jñānam, but that is not niḥśreyasāya. Śreya and preya, there are two things. Preya means to fulfill immediate necessities of life. That is called preya. And śreya means the knowledge, śreya means the goal of life. Niḥśreyasāya, niḥśreyasāya. Niḥśreyasāya means the ultimate benefit. That education is lacking. In the material world, the jñāna, especially in the present age, jñāna means technical knowledge. How to eat, how to sleep. Now they are Somebody was telling me that they have invented eating, eatables from petrol. (aside:) Who was speaking the other day?

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

There was lecture of a big scientist in Delhi, I forgot his name. He gave very good example, that if a man learns how to bark like dog and if he makes a show, many thousands of people will purchase ticket and go and see how he is barking. But by nature's arrangement, so many dogs are barking; nobody takes care. You see? So similarly, in the laboratory, if a scientist can produce a life some way or other, so they will go and see and give him clap. Just like this airplane is flying in the air. Little discrepancy is immediately crash down. So he is getting so much credit, and the scientists also saying, "There is no need of God. Now we have solved all the questions." But nobody is giving credit to Kṛṣṇa who is floating millions and trillions of stars and planets in the air. So by taking Kṛṣṇa's stock, the petroleum or gas, we become scientist and fly the airplane, and Kṛṣṇa has given the petrol, and He has no credit. He has no credit. That is the difference between demons and bhakta. A bhakta sees in everything presence of Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa's energy is there. Here is nice taste. Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

Ask anybody, very learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, or medical man, engineer, lawyer, that "What is the aim of life?" Nobody knows. They think aim of life—eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that's all. This is aim of life. So that is not the aim of life. That eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is being done by the cats and dogs and hogs. So do you mean to say that this human form of life is also meant for that purpose? No. Human life is meant for understanding "What I am? What is God? What is relationship with God? Why I am here in this material world? Why I am suffering?" These are the questions for human life. Eating, sleeping, mating, that is wanted because we have got this body. So suppose there is car and a driver. So the petrol and grease, these things are required for the car. But you cannot eat petrol and grease and live. That is not possible. You have to eat something else. So we are thinking that the bodily necessities, petrol and grease, is my food(?). That is the mistake.

So therefore they do not know what is the aim of life, and the nature's law is, unless you come to the point of understanding what is the aim of life, the nature will go on punishing you in so many ways. Little mistake, you'll be punished. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). We have come to this material world, disobeying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So just like police: as soon as you become outlaw, the police will take you and the police will go on punishing you unless you become lawful.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

So yes, these material things, they are energies. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The petrol is also another form of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Any energy. There are many millions of energies. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do because everything is being done by His energy. Although He is the ultimate source of everything, but He is doing everything by His energy. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. And it appears that it is being automatically done. Not. It is not automatically done. It is done by Kṛṣṇa's energy. So this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. It is not a different energy. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. Now, this petrol is liquid thing, so āpa. It is a kind of liquid thing, āpa, so it is Kṛṣṇa's energies. So our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that Kṛṣṇa's energies should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So everything can be utilized for service of Kṛṣṇa. So when you use this petrol for Kṛṣṇa's, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we can use one thousand or one hundred thousand motor cars using petrol for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the proper utilization of petrol. (applause)

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

This is a fact. Now, you can see in this country, in this village, Māyāpur, their so many food grains are growing, but who is supplying? That is Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible to grow these food grains in your factory. No. That is not possible. He's helping us. He has stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Unless you eat sufficiently, unless you have food grains in stock, you cannot flourish. Bhutani. Bhavanti. Bhavanti means flourishing. So both animals and men, they must eat sufficiently. There must be food grain sufficiently. So that food grain you cannot manufacture in your factory. You may start a very big factory, Goodyear Tire factory, but that tire also will not move when there is no supply of petrol. This is your position. You are dependent even for this tire and petrol, and what to speak of this food grain. So who is supplying the food grain? The supplying person is... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That singular number individual person, He is supplying. You can say prakṛti, nature, is supplying. No. Nature is not supplying. Nature is the agent of supply. Real supplier is Kṛṣṇa. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. And that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nature is working under the instruction or the indication of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1970:

So nobody is uncontrolled. Now, so many big, big planets, huge planets... This earth planet is only... It's a minute, small planet, and still, you'll see, on this planet there are so big oceans like Atlantic and Pacific, and so big mountains, and what to speak of your skyscraper buildings. With all this load it is floating in the air just like a swab of cotton. Who is controlling? Can you float even a small piece of grain in the space? You can say "Law of gravity" and so many other things, but you cannot utilize it. Or you can put it in... Your machine, airplane, is running on the space—but so long the machine is working. As soon as your petrol is finished, immediately it will fall down. Immediately. But these big, big planets... This is only one of the small. The sun planet is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. So that is also... We can see the sun is floating in one corner of this big space. So how you can say that it is not controlled, it is floating out of its own self? No. The answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "I enter into this material planets, and then I keep it floating." Gām āviśya aham (BG 15.13), dhārayāmy aham ojasā. Dhārayāmy aham ojasā. Something mak... Just like you float this airplane; so somebody has entered within it, that driver or pilot. So actually, he is keeping this airplane floating, not the machine. This is simple truth. So if you take this analogy, then this planet is floating, there must be somebody entering here. Somebody must have entered. So Kṛṣṇa says, "I have entered." So what is the difficulty to understand how it is keeping floating? The analogy is there. Everyone can understand that this big airplane is floating in the sky because the pilot has entered within it. Similarly, if this planet is floating, then somebody, either you or somebody, God, has entered it. And that answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "I enter into these planets and therefore I keep them floating." That is our answer. And the scientists, they say the law of gravitation... How far it is true...

Festival Lectures

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

We see daily, see daily that a very strong man, very powerful man, very good brain, very good scientist... So where is the strength? The strength is ātmā. As soon as the ātmā, or the soul, goes out of this body, so intelligent, so strong, and so many things, that is nothing. That is the difference between dead man and the living man. A living man is very powerful, very good position, everything. As soon as he lies down, he is lying down on the floor, and if you kick him on his face, he'll not protest. So where is that strength? The strength is gone. That is spiritual strength. On the spiritual strength, the body moves. Suppose you have got a very good car, Mercedes car or Rolls Royce car. But when there is no petrol, how the car will move? It is not possible. There is spirit, petrol spirit. Similarly, real strength is spiritual strength. That spiritual strength is Balarāma. Bala means strength. Therefore we have to take shelter of the lotus feet of Balarāma, guru-tattva.

Balarāma means guru-tattva. Balarāma represents guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If we want to understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must take shelter of Balarāma. Nāyam ātmā bala-hinena labhyaḥ. This bala-hinena labhyaḥ, this Vedic injunction, means "Without the mercy of Balarāma you cannot understand, you cannot realize your spiritual identification. So that Balarāma comes as Nityānanda Prabhu. Balarāma hailā nitāi. Therefore we must take shelter of Balarāma. That is... This song has been sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

Departure Talks

Conversation -- Hawaii, June 20, 1975:

Siddha-svarūpa: (break) ...being servants, but we're...

Prabhupāda: You have to serve. If you do not serve, the strong will force you to serve.

Siddha-svarūpa: And it's the most horrible service, too.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this, as you say that the Hawaiians, they are meant for cleansing the hotel to get some money. And without money, he cannot live. So he forced to serve. What are the tanks? Petrol?

Siddha-svarūpa: I think so. Yeah. Shell Oil.

Prabhupāda: (break) Therefore the good intelligence is kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśān teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ: "I have served. I have served the so-called master. Actually I have served my senses." As they come to the hotel for sense gratification and do all nonsense and I have to serve him, so why I am serving? Oh, that is also for serving my senses. Without money I cannot serve my senses.

Siddha-svarūpa: Yes. So that's ultimately the problem.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Ultimately the problem, that we have to serve, and ultimately we have to serve our senses. Senses means lusty desires, kāmādīnām. Kāma means lust.

Siddha-svarūpa: Addicted.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Coal is the remains of trees, plants...

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the remains.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Coal, oil, petroleum.

Śyāmasundara: That means there was some evidence that there were... If we look in coal beds we find remains of trees that were very simple, no complex forms of trees. Now trees are much more complex.

Prabhupāda: Complex or simple, it doesn't matter. There were trees.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually, the coal doesn't say whether the tree was complex or not.

Śyāmasundara: No, but they find impressions from leaves and the carboniferous age, they find that the remains of trees, plants, twigs, all very simple forms like our (indistinct). Today they're more...

Prabhupāda: Our evidence is intelligence, not with tools and (indistinct). Our evidence is intelligence. We find, we get Vedic information by disciplic succession-highly intelligent. So that is our evidence. Not the tools.

Śyāmasundara: The Scripture. The evidence which is written and spoken in...

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: The mode of passion is truth.

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

Śyāmasundara: (laughs) Spoiling the petrol.

Prabhupāda: That's all. They do not know where to go. Is that very good proposition: "I do not know, that doesn't matter; therefore I start my car"?

Śyāmasundara: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Never mind if I meet with accident. That's all right.

Śyāmasundara: That's their philosophy, that it is not what is done or the object of the doing; it is how it is done. That is what they say. Not what is done but how it is done.

Prabhupāda: That is another foolish thing. Dog's obstinacy that is called. Dog's obstinacy. This philosophy is dog's obstinacy.

Devotee: He says that the normal state of man's condition is an anxious uncertainty, that a man is naturally anxiety and uncertain.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: That is another nonsense, because when the body becomes from the lump of matter, why that living potentiality, consciousness, does not come again?

Devānanda: Because the elements are no longer in suitable arrangement for life to be...

Prabhupāda: If you know the elements, you say that "You add this element." Just like when the motorcar stops for want of gas, you take gasoline from the petroleum store and it starts again. Either you do it, otherwise you are rascal, you are putting some wrong theory. If you say that it is a combination of chemicals, and you know that addition, that these living symptoms are there, then bring that chemical and add to it and let the body go out again. If you cannot do that, then you are nonsense. There is no sense of your statement.

Devānanda: So in other words, if a body dies from heart failure, they should immediately be able to remove that heart and put in a fresh heart from somebody who has just died, and it will come back to life. But it doesn't do that.

Prabhupāda: No. There are so many other things, and not only one case of heart failure.

Devānanda: But there are many, for example...

Prabhupāda: Don't you...

Śyāmasundara: We want to stick to Wittgenstein.

Prabhupāda: The main principle is when the body is called dead, why don't you put some chemicals and make it alive again? You say something is wanted. What is that something? That you do not know. But we can say what is that something. We say that something is the soul. That is wanting.

Page Title:Petrol (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:19 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=4, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=45, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:49