Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Sinful life (Lectures, Other)

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

People suffer out of ignorance. That is called pāpa, sin. Any criminal... Mostly, he does not know the real law. He commits something unknowingly, by ignorance, and he becomes a subject of criminal punishment. Therefore ignorance is sinful life. Ignorance. So people should be enlightened from ignorance. And that is real religion. One should be enlightened himself, and one should enlighten others also. That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

If you want to become associate with Kṛṣṇa, then you cannot act as a sinful man. Just like a criminal is not allowed to come out of the jail. He has no freedom. Similarly, if we act sinfully in this life, then we'll have to remain within this material world, one body after another. So we, we have to give up sinful activities. Therefore we forbid our students, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Because these are the pillars of sinful life. So we have to give up these things to accelerate our promotion to devotional service.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

It is something like that, you ignite fire and pour water. It will be useless attempt. If you want to burn the fire blazing, don't put water on it. Keep it dry. Similarly, if you want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you cannot indulge in sinful activities. And when you are proved that you are no more sinful, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, one who has become freed from the reaction of sinful life, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇi... You have to do something. So if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in pious activities, pious activities in goodness, that is also tainted.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

"You wanted Me. You sacrificed everything for Me. Please come on." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So as you work... So therefore this life is the preparation stage for your next life—either you choice a better life, or a sinful life, or unimportant life. That is your... Just like if you get good education, that will make your future life nice. But if you don't go to school, how you can get a better life? Similarly karma... Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). According to your karma. If you are earned, worked very hard for nice place, you'll get it.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

You should be very careful. Don't commit any offense in the dhāma. Then one life is sufficient to go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaun... (BG 4.9). If you actually live in Vṛndāvana carefully, without committing any offense and sinful life, then in this life you are going to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. To live in Vṛndāvana means to know Kṛṣṇa—how He appeared there, how He played here, how He executed His pastimes here.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa should be thought favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Na prātikūlyena. No. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa and commit sinful life at the same time. That is prātikūla. Kṛṣṇa does not want that you shall remain sinful, because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa without being free from sinful activities. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Kṛṣṇa is pavitra, paramam. Apāpa-viddham. These are the description. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Pure. You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful and make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Kṛṣṇa will wash it. Kṛṣṇa washes it—once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

This is one of the ten offenses. If anyone thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is reacting all the effects of my sinful life. Then again I can commit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very good business..." No. That is great offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not indulge in such a way. Jagāi-Mādhāi was accepted by Lord Caitanya only on the promise that they would not commit any more any sinful activities.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

If on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we continue to commit sinful activities, that is great offense. We should not do that. The idea is by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we become free from the reaction of sinful life, but that does not mean we shall again indulge in sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. Not like that. Once you take to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you should make rapid progress, without committing any sinful activity, and retard the progress. Don't do that.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

"Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one becomes liberated from the resultant action of sinful life, and at length he is promoted, paraṁ vrajet..." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This is the process. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, should be spread. And that is actually auspicity for all people, all over the world.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.2 -- Mayapur, March 26, 1975:

Because these rascals and fools, they are in darkness—they do not know what is the goal of life—Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the philosophy. So still, they are not doing so. Why? Narādhamāḥ. Because the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. How they have become narādhama? Now, duṣkṛtina, always committing sinful life. What is sinful life? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Because they are addicted to these things they are duṣkṛtina and narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And whatever knowledge they are acquiring by so-called education, that is false knowledge. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This is the position.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.2 -- Mayapur, March 26, 1975:

Therefore we who are propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are just requesting that you give up this sinful life. Otherwise you will be implicated again. What is that implication? Implication is that your sinful life will get you next body which is also sinful. And again you suffer. Suffering there is. As soon as you get material body, there is suffering.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

One who hears Bhagavad-gītā as it is or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from devotees... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Because simply by hearing he achieves the result of pious activities... And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā that "One can be engaged in My service, in devotional service, who is freed from all contamination of sinful life."

yeṣāṁ (tv) anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇam
te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

Unless one is freed from all contamination of sinful life, one cannot concentrate in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says.

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

Gurukṛpā: After if one becomes purified, is it possible when he becomes transferred to the spiritual world that he can meet Rūpa Gosvāmī and other great...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Provided you are pure, purified, you can meet everyone. The condition is purified. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. That is stated in the... That is purification. No more sinful life. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. A person is always engaged in pious activities. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). So, so long one is infected with sinful activities, he cannot understand, neither he can surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966:

So to worship Kṛṣṇa steadfast means he is liberated from delusion. That is mukti. One who has got still some doubt—"Why shall I worship Kṛṣṇa?"—that means still in delusion, and still the reaction of his sinful life is not finished. A slight doubt means there is slight tinge still. And one who is dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, duality... Duality means "Whether I shall do it or not? Whether I shall stick up to this process of Kṛṣṇa conscious or not?" This is called duality. So one who is free from all these sinful reactions, he has no more duality. He has firm faith: "Yes! Kṛṣṇa worship is the final."

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that these boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, for many millions of years they simply accumulated pious results of their activities. The Bhagavad-gītā also says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam, one he, one who is simply free from all reaction of sinful life, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. How it is possible? Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Those who are simply engaged in pious activities, the sinful activity cannot touch them. That is natural.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

Now Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva, personally says also that "You surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You give up everything, all other occupation. You simply surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo. So this aghaṁ dhunvanti, He destroys all kinds of resultant activities of sinful life. Not he does; it is done by Kṛṣṇa. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo: "I'll help you. I will release you from all kinds of reaction. You simply surrender."

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

Suppose on Sunday you become free from all contamination of your sinful activities. And Monday you again do the same thing. So you become again contaminated. And, say, on Tuesday if you die, then you are dying with sins. Is it not? Then what is your condition? If the God or Christ excused you of your sinful life, that's all right. But when you come back, you don't commit again sin. Then you are all right. But we have taken it as a business that we go to Sunday, neutralize our sins, and come back again and do the same thing. So from logical point of view, suppose you do the same sinful activities, and if you die immediately, then you die with sinful activities, go to hell.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

Especially the Western people, they have got nice merit. Just like while passing through the city, we saw very nice buildings. So to construct such buildings, it requires merit, undoubtedly. But what for this building? Duṣkṛtina, only for committing sinful life. Therefore it is called du, duṣkalya. Meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, and gambling. Meritorious, they are undoubtedly for constructing this building, but what is the purpose? The purpose is sinful activities. These things are going on.

Arrival Lecture -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

He killed so many other children in his previous life; now he is being killed. Not only in one womb, but he will enter another womb—he will be killed. As many children he has killed, he will be killed in this way. But they do not know. They do not know this, blind, mūḍha, that how nature's law is going on, how tit for tat is going on. They do not know it. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give them right knowledge and become free from all sinful life. So long there is sinful life, you cannot be allowed to enter into Kṛṣṇa's family. That will not be allowed.

yeṣām anta-gataṁ tu pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

So avoid sinful life. We have given you prescription: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating. Avoid the sinful life and make your children Kṛṣṇa conscious purely. Then you can produce hundreds of children. There is no objection. And so far maintaining your children, we are taking charge. Come on. We are taking charge. We shall supply everything. Of course, not to the whims of these material man, but as much which is needed to maintain them, that we take, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ISKCON society will take charge...

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Sri Ranga, Romaharsana, Sridhara Dasas -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1970:

So if we think that "We are chanting. It is... I am being purified, so let me become contaminated by acting some sinful activities. I'll purify by chanting," this motive is very bad. This is the greatest offense. Once purified, that's all right, but don't commit again sinful. Sinful life should be stopped. From this day of initiation these four pillars of sinful life—illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling—they should be broken. Not that "Let me do it. I have go the mantra machine, instrument for counteracting." No. You should not..., no more commit any sinful activities. Once you are purified, no more.

Initiations -- Sydney, April 2, 1972:

Safety position means next life, he is going back to home, back to Godhead. So this is an example that such a sinful man, if simply by chanting once at the time of his death—that was also desiring his youngest son—he could get so much benefit, those who are chanting always the holy name of God, they should be always in safe condition. Māyā, or the material contamination, cannot touch him. But one thing, those who are being initiated, they are being freed from the resultant action of past sinful life. But they should be careful not to commit again sinful activities. Then they are safe. That's all.

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

We have to accept the favorable things. So if illicit sex life is unfavorable for my advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I must accept it. You cannot argue. That will not help you. Similarly, intoxication. Similarly, meat-eating. Similarly, gambling. Because these are the four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. The roof of sinful life is held by these four pillars.

So these four pillars, in the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you are actually going to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously... Just like some souls will be initiated today. This means that he is going to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very serious. So one who is serious to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his first business is to break these four pillars of sinful life so there will be no chance of sin.

Initiation Lecture -- Caracas, February 22, 1975:

So our material life is now saturated with all kinds of sins. The four pillars of sinful life are these: illicit sex, meat-eating and intoxication and gambling. So if we stop these voluntarily, this is called austerity, austerity, tapasya. Austerity means voluntarily accept some painful condition. So those who are habituated to all these things, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, to give up these habits, it may become little painful in the beginning. But if you practice and pray to Kṛṣṇa that He will help, it is not difficult to give up these habits. And as soon as you give up this wetting process, the sinful life, then immediately you become fifty percent purified to approach God. Then, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you make further, further, more and more progress. And when you are completely free of all sinful reaction, then you understand God and you love him. In the contaminated stage, you are trying to love so many things, but you are frustrated. So if you can love God, then you will never be frustrated and your loving desires will be fulfilled. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Initiation Ceremony -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974 :

So first offense is to blaspheme great personalities who are engaged in glorifying the Lord within this material world. And, śruti-śāstra-nindanam, and to decry the Vedic literature. And third, to interpret the holy name in different way according to our own whims. This is also offense. And the most dangerous offense is namnaḥ balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so I am becoming free from contamination of sinful life, therefore let me commit sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," this is the greatest offense. We should not commit offenses on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Bombay, November 18, 1975:

Niṣāda was born of Vena, King Vena. So they are habituated to steal; therefore they have been given a separate place, African jungles. That is there in the Bhāgavatam. So, but everyone can be delivered. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā. These are known (as) sinful life. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "There may be others which is not mentioned here." Ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ: "If they take shelter of a Vaiṣṇava," śudhyanti, "they become purified." So you have to become very rigid Vaiṣṇava; then you will be able to deliver them. Śudhyanti.

Initiation Talk Excerpt -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

So this is the... Initiation means beginning. Now, if you follow the rules and regulation—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication up to the drinking of tea and smoking and chewing pan... So these are considered as the four pillars of sinful life. So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa with sinful activities. That is not possible.

Initiation Talk Excerpt -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

You see Jagāi-Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited one example, to deliver Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi means they were born in a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became illicit sex, woman-hunter, drunkards and meat-eaters and gamblers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, delivered them. And the only promise was that "You promise no more this sinful life. Then I accept you." So if we give up our sinful activity, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes you. There is no condition, because in this age everyone is addicted to sinful life, but he simply promises that "Henceforward I shall not act anything sinfully," these four principles. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead.

Initiation Lecture -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

Without full knowledge, nobody can become devotee. Because he has no scarcity of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā. He gives special—teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ (BG 10.11). "Darkness I drive away." Ajñāna-jaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho. So take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and avoid these four principles of sinful life and chant sixteen rounds. Then easily you become advanced in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you become liberated immediately.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding Lecture -- November 17, 1971, New Delhi:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the initiation ceremony, the marriage ceremony, the sacred thread ceremony, whatever we observe, they are strictly according to the śāstra. That is our point. So for spiritual progress of life, it is necessary that all kinds of sinful activities must be stopped. Without being free from contamination of sinful life, nobody can make progress in spiritual life. Therefore, who is strictly observe these four principles to avoid sinful life, one of them is avaida stri saṅga. Therefore marriage is necessary.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our view. Anyone. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ: "Anyone who is eating foodstuff offered to Yajña, to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, he is diminishing his volumes of sinful life." Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) "And anyone who is cooking for himself, not for Kṛṣṇa, then he is simply eating a lump of sinful life." It doesn't matter whether he is vegetarian or nonvegetarian. This is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to eat what is offered to Kṛṣṇa.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Just like Kṛṣṇa says that yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, that what are the pāpas, sinful life? The śāstra says, striyaḥ sūnā pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). These four things are the four pillars of sinful life. What are these? Avaida stri-saṅga: womanly connection which is illegitimate. You cannot have any connection with woman without being married. That is Vedic instruction.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Therefore, womanly connection, man and woman living together without marital connection, that is pāpa, sinful life. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Similarly, striyaḥ sūnā. Sūnā means unnecessarily killing the animals. Just like slaughterhouse. You cannot maintain slaughterhouse in the human society and at the same time you want peace. It is not possible. Every living entity is son of God. You cannot kill even an ant, then you dissatisfy God.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Time will come in this Kali-yuga when actually people will become what is called man-eater. Still there are existence man-eaters in Africa. So the human society is coming to that position. Like animal, they will eat their own sons and daughters. So therefore this practice, unnecessarily killing animal, is one of the pillar of sinful life.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

Our sufferings are due to our sinful activities. We cannot surpass the vigilance of material nature by committing or by executing sinful life. That is not possible. Therefore in our movement we ask everybody, especially our serious students, to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful life. If you think that you are enjoying life by indulging in these four kinds of sense gratification, that means you are implicating yourself. The chance of human body which you have got now to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you misuse it and indulge in sinful life, then next life is waiting as cats and dogs. That is nature's law.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

One thing is that nobody can understand God if he is sinful. But Kṛṣṇa says, God says, that "You surrender unto Me. I shall help you how to get rid of the resultant action of your sinful life." So to approach God, either you become sinless by your own efforts or you simply surrender unto God, and He will help you to become sinless. Whichever you like. He is giving full freedom. He is asking that you surrender. He is not forcing.

Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

These miserable conditions are there because we are all sinful. So Kṛṣṇa gives protection that "You surrender unto Me, and I give you protection from the reaction of all sinful life." So who wants Kṛṣṇa? You do not want. Kṛṣṇa says, canvassing, but who is accepting? Then how you can get, I mean to say, liberty or liberation from these sinful activities? Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo. People suffer on account of sinful activities. There are two things, pāpa and puṇya. So if you follow the path of pāpa, then you must suffer.

University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

Beyond marriage life, there is no sex. No intoxication, up to smoking and drinking tea. No meat-eating. No eggs, no fish. And no gambling. We are... And chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. These five principles we are teaching. These four regulative principles, refraining from sinful activities. These are the basic pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. That is... We get from the śāstra.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

So there are three kinds of sufferings in the material world, and everyone is suffering either by one, two or three or..., but nobody can say that "I am completely free from suffering." That is not possible. And why this suffering? Due to ignorance. I do not know. I am committing sinful life, I am committing mistakes; therefore I am suffering. Therefore guru's business is first to rescue his disciple from ignorance, ignorance. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

You cannot associate with God if you become sinful. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who is completely free from sinful life," te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28), "He can worship Me." So therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we do not recommend that "You give up your occupation, you become a sannyāsī, give up your wife and children." No. That is not our movement. Amongst ourself here there are sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Everyone is there. Everyone can worship Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life. Avaidha stri-saṅga. Striyaḥ sūnā, unnecessary animal killing. Pāna, drinking intoxicant; and gambling. We have to give up these four principles. Then our life becomes pure. If we give up these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we become perfect. How it is? You can see the examples. These European, Americans, they were accustomed to all these practices. That is their daily affair. But they have given up this. Now you see, how they are saintly.

Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the holy name of God. So keep yourself aloof from four kinds of sinful life, and keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa and God. Then you will go back to home back to Godhead. This advantage is possible in this human form of life; otherwise, we are missing the chance.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

And Kṛṣṇa assures that ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "And when you have surrendered, I will excuse you from all reaction of sinful life." Why He has said, "sinful life"? Because in the material world every activity is sinful, because the main principle is how to become master. Therefore to become master everyone is prepared to do anything, never mind whether sinful or pious. Another meaning is that if we do anything against the order of God, that is sinful.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

One who is completely free from the reaction of sinful life, he can completely devote in the service of the Lord. So the common platform is there. God is neither Hindu nor Muslim, nor the method of approaching God may be different, but the ultimate end is how to love God or how to serve God.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

We shall become more and more entangled in sinful resultant action. And we have to take different types of body. So perpetually it will go on. Therefore this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to awaken every man to God consciousness and just to stop his activities in sinful life, so that he will be purified and he will understand God. Without being purified, nobody can understand what is God. That is not possible.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa said, God says, "One who is completely freed from sinful life, he can take to devotional service." So therefore we have prescribed four principles, regulative principles: No illicit sex. We don't say "No sex." No illicit sex. No meat-eating. There are so many things, nice things, especially in your country, America, so many nice fruits, so many nice grains, milk. Why should you kill? We are not. We have got hundreds of centers. We are strictly following. And you have taken our prasādam feast. How delicious they are. So why they should kill?

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

So just like if you ask some guest at your home, you will ask him, "What you shall eat, sir? What can I offer you?" Similarly, when you invite Kṛṣṇa to your home or to your temple, you should prepare foodstuff according to Kṛṣṇa's instruction, not according to your whims. So Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me patraṁ"—that is vegetable—"puṣpaṁ"—vegetable—"and liquid things like milk, water..." And you can prepare so many other things from vegetables. If you offer to Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam, then you are free. That is, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. If you accept foodstuff which is offered for yajña-yajña means acceptance by Kṛṣṇa—then you are free from sinful life. Otherwise you are responsible. Either you eat meat or vegetable, it doesn't matter.

Evening Address to Pandas and Scholars -- Jagannatha Puri, January 26, 1977:

So I have specially come to request you to remove this restriction and be friendly to the foreign devotees. And you also come there, see how there are so many Jagannātha temples, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temples, how They are being worshiped, how these foreigners, they have become pure Vaiṣṇava. They are strictly observing the four principles of sinful life by negation: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no fish-eating, no egg-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. They are purified. And Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī openly says, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. So there is authority.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Śyāmasundara: He is talking more about mechanistic truths, scientific truths, laws of nature...

Prabhupāda: But this is also scientific truth. Just like, according to Vedic scripture, this black body is a sign of sinful life. Therefore brāhmaṇas are called śukla. Brāhmaṇas are fair complexioned. Still it is said if a brāhmaṇa is black, then he is not a real brāhmaṇa born. Kalu-ban means black man. Black brāhmaṇa is to be understood that his father is not real brāhmaṇa. He is born of somebody else, but he is known as brāhmaṇa. Similarly a śūdra, if he is fair-complected, he is also not real. Kalba kata śūdra bete mussulman.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: One blind man leading another blind man. So this is nice philosophy, that this is not the right philosophy, that the state head, the president or the king or whatever his name is, he is the representative of God. Therefore his duty is to train the citizens to become God conscious, pious, without any sinful life. But these big, big state head, just like in our country, Dr. Radhakrishnan is supposed to be a very great philosopher, and what he was doing? He was sanctioning to keep slaughterhouse. So he is philosopher and he had no sense that "I am the state head. I am sanctioning slaughterhouse. And I am passing as a philosopher." And now he is suffering, you have seen?

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: You see. He is lost, he is a dead man, living dead man. He cannot (indistinct).(laughter) He's finished. This philosopher for money's sake, he occupied the presidential post and maintained slaughterhouse. He is a philosopher.

Śyāmasundara: So he got the reaction.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is his opportunity, he's finishing his sinful life in this life.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: So one cannot be Kṛṣṇa conscious unless he is freed from all sinful reactions. But if you say, "Then I am so much sinful. How can I become Kṛṣṇa conscious? It will just take a long, long time." Yes. It will take a long, long time, but if you accept Kṛṣṇa's order immediately, just "You surrender unto Me and I will give you relief from all sinful reactions," so you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, so your sinful life immediately becomes pious life. That is a fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Śyāmasundara: This means of salvation called aesthetic...

Prabhupāda: This is salvation, because they are saved from the four kinds of sinful life: illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. Because they have got better engagement, they don't like to do this.

Śyāmasundara: He is referring here to art, poetry.

Prabhupāda: Yes, everything is there. Here is art—we are painting. Our students are painting nice pictures. Art. And poetry, all our Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam are full of poetries.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Śyāmasundara: He says that because the world is so mad, it could not possibly have any author. Because if there was a God, that God would have set the world in order.

Prabhupāda: Then why he is mad? We have got experience that there are madmen, but there is hospital also for treating the madmen. Similarly, the world may be mad, but there is hospitalization. That he does not know. From practical experience we see there are many madmen. At the same time there is a hospital, lunatic hospitals also, so treatment is there. So he does not see that. He has no knowledge where is the hospital, how he'll get and be treated. This is accepted, the world is mad, that's all right. But there is treatment also. Because in our experience practically we can show whenever there is disease, there is some treatment of it. But he does not know what is the treatment. He is speaking of sinful life, what he was saying, just like, but he does not accept who is the judge to give me resultant action of my sinful life. The world is mad, but he does not know where the treatment of madman is done. He does not know. Therefore his knowledge is imperfect, and still he is philosophizing. That is the defect.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: That is continued from the previous birth. As soon as the seed is there, we are getting so many impressions, there are seeds, so many impressions. So therefore Lord Caitanya said that we are getting so many seeds, every moment, so one who is fortunate, he gets the seed of bhakti by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and guru. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). The bīja is there, that seed, and if he nourishes that seed by watering, (indistinct), then it grows, he becomes a devotee. Everything is seed. Either bhakti or sinful life or anything—it grows (indistinct). So brahmacārī means from the very beginning sowing the seed of goodness, and if one becomes a devotee, then automatically other things are lost.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: All ethics are derived.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So to become completely pure, then he is the necessity of morality and ethics. Just like we prescribe, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." These are the four pillars of sinful life. If we avoid these thing, then we can stay on the platform of purity. And God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is based on this morality. One who cannot follow the principles, he falls down from the spiritual platform, and he cannot make any progress. So purity is the basic principle of God consciousness.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: To disobey the order of Kṛṣṇa, or not to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like some servant, he tries that "Why I am serving this master? Why not become a master." The, sometimes psychologically it comes. A man is working in the office, he is seeing the managing director is sitting and is taking all the money, and sometimes the worker... Just like a capitalist and the worker. Why it is Communist movement? That they are thinking that "We are working, and the capitalist is taking the money." So they revolt, they make strike, and they form a society that "We have the..., we must have this money." That is communism. So similarly, when the living entity—he is eternally part and parcel of God; to serve God, that is his real position—but when he thinks that "Why I shall serve God? I shall enjoy myself," that is the beginning of falldown. So what is your question? When the... This was your question, that "When the sinful life begins?"

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: This is the original sin. When he thought of not to serve God but to become God, that is the original. Just like the Māyāvādīs, they have knowledge, they have philosophy, everything, but still trying to become God, which is impossible. Then there is no meaning of God. If simply by meditation and by some material efforts one can become God, then where is the use of God? You cannot become God. But artificially you can try to become God, and that artificial way of becoming God is the beginning of sinful life.

Page Title:Sinful life (Lectures, Other)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:06 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=57, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:57