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Privilege (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

This is a privilege for human being, to understand about God, and as such, in every human society there is some sort of religious principle.
Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But what is the special significance of man? He can understand about God, but the animal cannot. Therefore if a man does not take to this understanding, he is no better than animal. A man who has no God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is no better than animal because he has no other business than the four principles of bodily demands. So that is also prevalent in animal kingdom. Therefore this is a privilege for human being, to understand about God, and as such, in every human society there is some sort of religious principle. This religious principle means to understand God. Either you take it, Christianity or Judaism or Hinduism, every religion is trying to understand God according to their capacity. So without this understanding, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness, human life is as good as animal life.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

According to karma, the certain privileges or disadvantages, what you are destined to receive, that is already a fact according to your birth.
Room Conversation -- December 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: So we are called conditioned soul because we are conditioned according to this body. Deha-yogena dehinām. The..., according to karma, the certain privileges or disadvantages, what you are destined to receive, that is already a fact according to your birth. Just like somebody's suffering from asthma, so he has got a body from a father and mother, and from the very beginning there is asthma. That body is the symptom or the result of his past karma. Therefore the material advantages or disadvantages are already settled up according to karma. So those who are sane man, they are confident that "Kṛṣṇa has given me this body according to my past karma, so let me not improve. Let me not waste my time for improving the advantages and disadvantages of this material world.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So? The communist does not?
Room Conversation with Roger Maria leading writer of communist literature -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Yotirmayī: He said all the social forces in India wants to keep their own privileges.

Prabhupāda: So? The communist does not? (French)

Jyotirmayī: He said that in Marxism there is no religious references.

Prabhupāda: But the, what is called, terrorism facility, there is. There is no religious sentiment, but there is terrorism sentiment. Some sentiment is there.

Therefore I asked what does he mean by religion.
Room Conversation with Roger Maria leading writer of communist literature -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Jyotirmayī: So he said that in India all the planners of the government, they are religious people. Some of them are brāhmaṇas, but still they have been arresting forty-thousand people working on the railways for no good reason. So that's why he said that religion is used by the people for their own privileges.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I asked what does he mean by religion.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

You can achieve the real purpose of life. That is the privilege of this human form of life.
Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: This human form of body is obtained after many, many millions of years' struggle. So this is also temporary, as the cats' and dogs' body, they are also temporary. But although it is temporary, it is arthadam. You can achieve the real purpose of life. That is the privilege of this human form of... Therefore as soon as possible, the spiritual education should begin, immediately. If the child simply can understand, "God is great," that is immense profit for him.

Still if there is some disagreement, the village people go to the temple for settlement, and the opposite parties will hesitate to speak lies before the temple, still. So in that respect India is still 80 percent religious, 80 percent religious. That is the special privilege of taking birth in India.
Room Conversation with Lt. Mozee, Policeman -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Lt. Mozee: Again I say I mean no disrespect, but in India, where the religious customs have been followed for centuries upon centuries, we are seeing a, not a return, but we are seeing a drawing away. We are seeing a drawing away from the spiritual world and the spiritual life in today's society.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is due to bad leadership. Otherwise, Indian mass of people, they are fully conscious of God and they try to follow the laws of God, the mass of people. Here even the big, big professor, they do not believe in God, they do not believe in next life. But India, even the poorest man, he knows that "There is God. There is next life. If I commit sinful life I will suffer. If I live piously, then I shall enjoy." Even the low-grade society, social man, he believes it. Still if there is some disagreement, the village people go to the temple for settlement, and the opposite parties will hesitate to speak lies before the temple, still. So in that respect India is still 80 percent religious, 80 percent religious. That is the special privilege of taking birth in India. That is a fact.

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra,
janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

Anyone who has taken birth in India, his business is to make his life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world.

You are human being. If you do not engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then nature will withdraw this privilege and you'll become a dog.
Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: Why doesn't God force me to surrender?

Prabhupāda: No. That Kṛṣṇa is not a nonsense like you. Because Kṛṣṇa has given you little freedom He does not want to touch it. That is Kṛṣṇa. What He gives, He never takes it back. It is not a nonsensical award that "I give you sometimes; then I take it away." Kṛṣṇa does not do such. He has given you little freedom, so you can use it. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63), Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., "Whatever you like, you do." That freedom is taken by nature. You are human being. If you do not engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then nature will withdraw this privilege and you'll become a dog. Kṛṣṇa does not take, but His agent, māyā, will take it away. Just like the police is the agent of the king or the government. The government does not care what you are doing. But if you do something criminal the police will punish you.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Bhīṣma was to die when he liked. That was his special privilege.
Morning Walk -- February 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Acyutānanda: That Bhīṣma was waiting, lying on the battlefield for about thirty or forty days. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...was to die when he liked. That was his special privilege.

Acyutānanda: What?

Prabhupāda: He would die when he liked. That was the benediction upon him.

You are going to wake up like a dog. That is the privilege. You sleep perpetually..., not perpetually, for seven months, and then you wake up as a dog.
Morning Walk -- May 12, 1976, Honolulu:

Devotee (1): (break) So if we have to wake again, then there's no really.... Why should we have to stop birth and death?

Prabhupāda: So you have no experience? Do you sleep perpetually, whole day and night? Why do you wake up? Is it not your experience that you sleep at night and wake up at daytime?

Devotee (1): Yes. But if I'm going to wake again, then why should I want to stop it? I go to sleep; I wake up.

Prabhupāda: No, but your waking.... You are going to wake up like a dog. That is the privilege. You sleep perpetually..., not perpetually, for seven months, and then you wake up as a dog. The body is changed. And go on barking. That you do not know. That is ignorance.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That's amazing. You go to sleep in a human body, and you wake up in a dog body.

No, every Indian is a devotee. This is the privilege of taking birth in India. Naturally he's devotee, and if he takes little education, take advantage of the Vedic instructions, then his life is successful.
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No, every Indian is a devotee. This is the privilege of taking birth in India. There is... Naturally he's devotee, and if he takes little education, take advantage of the Vedic instructions, then his life is successful. In the śāstra it is said even the demigods, they desire to take birth in India because this facility is there in India. This facility, the land is so sanctified that anyone who takes the body from this land, he's born sanctified. Now, if he further takes advantage of the Vedic knowledge, then his life becomes successful. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that anyone who has taken birth in India, make his life successful, and then preach this knowledge to the outside world.

But they want free hotel. That is... They want free.
Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: And three days, free boarding and lodging. In this way things should be clear so that in future they may not complain, "Ah, we...," as they are doing. Somebody is coming: "Oh we have given 1100 rupees to live forever." Some ladies came like that.

Gargamuni: Yes, I know, I met that lady.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they take it, advantage. "Oh, we shall get all books and live forever. There is no charge. Pay. "That misunderstanding should be...

Gargamuni: So now we say they can live forever but as we live.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right. That... That you can do.

Gargamuni: Not that they will get special privilege of..., as hotel.

Prabhupāda: But they want free hotel. That is... They want free.

Jayapatākā: Sometimes old man who has got some money...

Prabhupāda: No, old, old man is different.

Jayapatākā: He wants to live, and he is too weak to do anything.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Jayapatākā: He wants to chant and give some money.

Prabhupāda: Let him purchase one room. Let him live... For life he can live, and we give him prasāda free.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Now we have got good government, very nice. Now you should take advantage of the privileges which are there in India. The Bhagavad-gītā is there. If you take direction from Bhagavad-gītā, then you will get.
Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore even little effort is giving great benefit. But we must know what that effort should be. Everything is there. We must take advantage of it. But we are not taking advantage. Now we have got good government, very nice. Now you should take advantage of the privileges which are there in India. The Bhagavad-gītā is there. If you take direction from Bhagavad-gītā, then you will get. The whole human society will be benefitted. That you do not know. That is the defect. Even big, big leaders, they profess to student of Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not know anything. Although it is clearly stated. Who is the leader in India who does not know Bhagavad-gītā? Even Morarji Desai, when he was to be arrested by leaders, government, he said "Wait, let me finish my reading of Bhagavad-gītā," is it not?

By keeping one lion and fighting him and it is enjoyed. What is this? What they have gained? In this way, the privileged... Is it not subject perception? What Napoleon has done? Or Hitler has done? Or Churchill has done?
Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So? Now, this nationalism idea, so you have trace out the whole history. By introducing this nationalism, what improvement gave? Nationalism, the leader, it began in Europe, the Romans. They wanted to spread. Where are the Romans now? Carthagian, old history, Egyptian, Grecian, then, later on, Moguls or then British. So where are these groups? "Combined together, exploit others." That was, that means, a gang of rogues. Rogues and thieves, they... And by doing that, what they have actually done? The Romans, now their broken buildings are there. And people go to see the fun, how they used to enjoy. What is that called?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Coliseum. That's the Greek Coliseum, they...

Prabhupāda: By keeping one lion and fighting him and it is enjoyed. What is this? What they have gained? In this way, the privileged... Is it not subject perception? What Napoleon has done? Or Hitler has done? Or Churchill has done?

Page Title:Privilege (Conversations)
Compiler:Archana, Labangalatika
Created:22 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=13, Let=0
No. of Quotes:13