So much trouble (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"much trouble" |"so much bodily trouble" |"so much hard trouble" |"so much more trouble" |"so much quarrel and trouble" |"so much trouble"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

A yogi cannot supply nice food. Simply starvation, starvation. (laugh) That is yogi. So he thought that this poor girl came to me, his father is king. She is not accustomed to so much trouble, so she asked her, "What you want?" "No, because I have come to you, I want some children, and a little comfortable life." "All right." So he made an aeroplane by yogic power, a big town. Not this 747. The 747 is the biggest plane, but not like this. A big town with lake, with palatial building, maid-servants, servants, and that big plane went all round the universe. He showed all the planets to his wife. This is yogic power. This is yogic power. So where is that yogi? So here, Yogeśvara. All these mystic powers can be attained by ordinary man if he wants, there is process. But Kṛṣṇa is the master of all yogic power, Yogeśvara. So who can get victory? Kṛṣṇa can do anything. Just like we sing every day. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Giri-vara. People may take it that Kṛṣṇa is fond of some gopīs, but they do not take care of the Kṛṣṇa's other business. As soon as the gopīs are in danger, he can lift the Govardhana Hill, Giri-vara-dhārī. That is Kṛṣṇa. The rascals they do not know they think that Kṛṣṇa is after the gopīs, therefore He is immoral. But the rascal has no eyes to see that Kṛṣṇa may be immoral in his eye, but here is Yogeśvara. At the same time, Yogeśvara.

So without becoming a disciple in bhakti-yoga, nobody can study Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So the whole thing, Bhagavad-gītā is there, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). There is no more again birth in this material world. You go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

Paramahaṁsa: Well, there's a tendency to misunderstand it in that way.

Prabhupāda: No, when we are teaching, it is because the people are suffering on account of ignorance. Therefore we are teaching. How we are callous? We are not callous; we are very much sympathetic to give them knowledge. How do you say? The devotees are not callous. Why they are touring all over the world, accepting so much trouble, opposition? Because they are very much sympathetic with the people who are suffering out of ignorance. They are the most sympathetic friend of the human society. So this is not true that they are callous. So any other question?

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) If we've already committed so many offenses to chanting, now, at this point, how can we purify ourselves?

Prabhupāda: If you... You don't commit offense. Why do you voluntarily commit offense? You should not commit offense. Then it will be all right, purified.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

Now, I can give you another crude example that a, that a, from the mother... Suppose a few children, half a dozen children, has come. Now, what is the intention of the mother? The mother or the father... Mother or father, same thing—who has taken the responsibility of the children. They, they want to be happy. Otherwise, why people are taking so much trouble, whole day, for, I mean, maintaining their children? There is some happiness. Nobody wants to take so much trouble, but at home, because there is some happiness by seeing the children, by maintaining the children, by..., therefore he takes so much trouble. Now, at the same time, the children has also some troubles of life. Now, if one of the children requests the mother, "Mother, you have given birth to me, and... But I find my life very troublesome. Better you again put me in your belly." (laughs) Is it a good proposal? It is not at all a good proposal. This is a disappointment. "Oh," the mother says, "oḥ, my dear son, you are in trouble.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

So we have to cure. Some philosopher says that this delirious condition should be cured, and there should be no activity. They are afraid of any activity. Because our, these material activities have become source of distress for us, therefore there are certain philosophers, they say that we should stop all sorts of activities. Their highest culmination of perfection according to their idea is that stopping all sorts of activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means stopping, stopping all activities. Buddha philosophy is... According to Lord Buddha, his theory is that due to the combination of material elements, this body has come into existence. Now, some way or other, if these material elements are separated or dismantled, then the cause of distress is removed. That is his... Just like you have got a big house and the tenants or the government or tax collector, they give us too much trouble. So if you think that better to dismantle this house so that to get rid of these all troubles...

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

So we are, we are getting promotion. We are getting promotion to a life where there is no birth, no death and no disease, no old age. And that means we come to our normal life. Normally, we want. Nobody wants disease. Nobody wants death. Nobody wants old age. Nobody wants to suffer the suf..., I mean to say, the miseries of birth. Oh. There are great miseries when you are in the womb of the mother, all tightly packed up and in a bag, suffocated bag. We do not (know) how do we live even. And if we put again into that position, it will be very difficult. You cannot live for a few seconds. But by the arrangement of nature, or God, we live within the womb of our mother for ten months in that position. But we have forgotten. But just imagine in how much trouble I was. That is, these things are to be thought. That is intelligent thought. Now, here is a chance that you can get rid of these, all these miseries—the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, the miseries of old age and miseries of, I mean to say, disease.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

Now, the beginning. In the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, in the battlefield, he was perplexed whether to fight or not to fight. That was his problem. First of all he thought that "My cousin-brothers, they have given me so much trouble. They have usurped my kingdom. So I must fight with them and retake my lost kingdom." That is determination. Again, when actually in the battlefield he saw his brothers and his friends... Because it was a family quarrel, so in both the sides all the friends and relatives, they joined, either to this party or that party. But the beauty is that Arjuna became compassionate, that "Why should I fight simply for the kingdom? How long I shall remain in the kingdom? Let me not to, not fight, let me not to fight. I'll not... I shall not fight." That was his decision. Because he was a devotee of the Lord, this good compassion came into his mind. The other party, they did not consider it. The other party was determined to fight. Now, Arjuna was hesitating, and therefore the Bhagavad-gītā was explained. The Lord first of all tried to engage him in the battle in the ordinary way, and when he, when it was not possible and there was some arguments between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa in favor and in, against the fighting... But at last Arjuna decided that "Let me appoint Kṛṣṇa, the best amongst us, to advise me what to do and what not to do." Then the Bhagavad-gītā was begun. That is the history. You have already discussed it, and you know it.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

So we should be very clever to understand about the spiritual life. We should not be dragged to this material conception of life due to this false affection. This bodily affection is false affection. Because the body will not exist. Suppose I and my wife, or my children, we are all very happy. Paśyann api na paśyati. Teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ paśyann api na paśyati. It is said in the Bhāgavata that... Now, for example, suppose if you are preparing very nice thing, a nice, very nice house. All right. If somebody asks you, "Well, sir, why you are building such nice house?" Now, if you answer, "Yes, just to set fire in it," so what the people will think? "What a fool he is, that he is building such a nice house, and at the end he'll set fire in it? Then why you are taking so much trouble, sir?" "No. Yes." This is called... Actually our position is like this. Actually our position is like this because the whole life I am working so hard because of maintaining this temporary body of myself, my son, my daughter, my father, my mother. So setting fire. At the end the setting fire. Setting fire I am speaking specially because after death, as you put it into graveyard, in India, accord, in Hindus, they set fire. They set fire to the dead body.

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

And another class, they are thinking "Oh, there are so much trouble simply for sense gratification. Let us control our senses." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, just like Māyāvādī philosophers, Śaṅkarācārya. They say this world is useless. This world is useless. Only Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, impersonal Brahman, that is truth. That is also another sense gratification. That is bigger sense gratification. Why? These Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme One. That means by becoming Hitler, Churchill or Roosevelt, their senses were not very much satisfied. "Now," they say, "this world is false. Now let me become the Supreme." That is another sense gratification.

So this world, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is simply sense gratification. That's all. One may present in one way, another may present in another way, but it is sense gratification. Therefore the so-called yogis, fifteen minutes meditation or, say, fifteen hours meditation or fifteen months meditation, but as soon as meditation finished—sense gratification. That's all.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Why? They could not stay in the Brahman stage. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. By concentrating on the impersonal form they think that they have become liberated but actually that is not. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. So impersonal conception is not purified intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. You may think that "I have become liberated," but it is not. Why? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). After so much trouble and austerity, penances, you may acquire the position in the impersonal Brahman, but there is chance of falling down from there. Patanty adhaḥ.

Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they could not find out how to worship Your lotus feet." So unless you come to the personal form of the Absolute Truth, there is difficulty and there is chance of falling down.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Now, here is Kṛṣṇa, the direct, I mean to say, highest authority. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). The Lord says that "There is no other superior personality than Me." And it has been accepted by great scholars. Otherwise, why Dr. Radhakrishnan would take so much trouble for commenting or reading Bhagavad-gītā? Why there are so many foreign scholars also in America, in England, in France, in Japan? All, they have... Why? Because it is an authority. So therefore we have to accept. To accept...

If we do not accept Kṛṣṇa the supreme authority and so not take His words as they are, then we cannot derive any benefit... It is not dogmatic. It is actually fact. It is not dogmatic. If you study scrutinizingly what Kṛṣṇa says, you'll find it is right. You'll find it, and if you take, if you follow... (kids screaming outside) Oh, they are making too much noise. Can you not ask them?

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

You cannot go beyond your nature. If you go beyond your nature, that is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Therefore we are all servants, but here, in the material designation, we are trying to be master. Everyone is trying to be master. Therefore so much trouble of existence. If everyone becomes servant, there is no struggle. There is no struggle. Everyone becomes happy because he comes to his natural position. But here, artificially, we are trying to be the master, which I am not. That is my artificial life. Everyone is trying to predominate, to be the... He's trying to dominate over the material resources to his best. But he cannot have any domination of the material nature. Material nature is so strong that you cannot dominate it. That is impossible. So he's being crushed by the laws of material nature. Instead of becoming master, he's being crushed. So this is struggle for existence.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "The Lord's descent from His transcendental abode is already explained in the sixth verse. One who can understand the truth of the appearance of the Personality of Godhead is already liberated from material bondage, and therefore he returns to the kingdom of God immediately after quitting his present material body. Such liberation of the living entity from material bondage is not at all easy. The impersonalist and the yogi attain liberation only after much trouble and many, many births. Even then their liberation is..."

Prabhupāda: Try to understand bondage, what is bondage. We are thinking we are very, we are free. We are declaring that "We belong to the free nation" or "free community," or everyone is seeking after freedom. But nobody is free. Nobody is free. Everyone is under the stringent laws of nature. So bondage means to remain under the condition of material laws. That is called bondage.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The impersonalists and the yogis attain liberation only after much trouble and many, many births. Even then the liberation they achieve, merging into the impersonal Brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord, is only partial, and there is a risk of returning again to this material world. But the devotee, simply by understanding the transcendental nature of the body and the activities of the Lord, attains the abode of the Lord after ending this body and does not run the risk of returning again to this material world. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that the Lord has many, many forms and incarnations. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Although there are many transcendental forms of the Lord, they are still one and the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. One has to understand this fact with conviction although it is incomprehensible to mundane scholars and empiric philosophers. As stated in the Vedas: eko devo nitya-līlānurakto bhakta-vyāpī hṛdy antarātmā: 'The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees.' This Vedic version is confirmed in this verse of the Bhagavad-gītā personally by the Lord. Anyone who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculation obtains the highest perfectional stage of liberation."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. The process of understanding knowledge. The modern tendency is to understand by dint of one's sense perception. That is not possible. There are many things, especially spiritual matters; nobody can understand by simple speculation. So one has to accept the authority. So according to Vedic culture, the Vedas are the authority. If there is some information in the Vedas, you accept it, authority. That is very nice system.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

So Arjuna said, "This aṣṭāṅga-yoga system is very difficult." He says, that, "Impractical." Appears not impractical. For him. Just like, it is not impractical. If it is impractical then Kṛṣṇa would not have described and taken so much trouble. It is not impractical, but appears. What one thing may be impractical for me but practical for you, that is a different thing. But generally this system is impractical for ordinary common man. Arjuna is representing himself as a common man in the sense that he was not a mendicant or he has renounced his family life or he has no connection with his bread problem. Because he was on the warfield to fight for the kingdom. So he's supposed to be an ordinary man. So for ordinary men who are engaged in these worldly activities for earning livelihood, family life, children, wife, so many problems, it is not practical. That is the point here.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

So Bhagavad-gītā is that, religion combined with philosophy. If you simply take philosophy, it is dry speculation. No juice. Carvita-carvaṇānām: "Chewing the chewed." There is no benefit. And if you take, simply take religion without basis of philosophy, then it is fanaticism. That's all. So both should be combined. Religion based on philosophy and logic, that is religion. So that combination is Bhagavad-gītā. So here in the Seventh Chapter, beginning, opening chapter, it is said, bhagavān uvāca. You are searching after God. Now here is God Himself speaking. So recognized God by all sages: Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita. And later on by Rāmānujācārya, by Śaṅkarācārya, by Madhvācārya, by Viṣṇu Svāmī, by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and then our Guru Mahārāja. So our method is very simple: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So we accept this paramparā system. I may not know what is God, but because my predecessors, ācāryas, confirm it, the "Here is Bhagavān," we accept it. That's all. We save so much trouble by mental speculation. We accept the paramparā system. Therefore... And we get the result. So that is the way.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

So man-manāḥ, and if you continue this, then mad-bhakta, you become His devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Mad-yājī, then if you can, you can offer to Kṛṣṇa. Is it very expensive? No. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). You can offer Kṛṣṇa a little water or a tulasī leaf. Or if tulasī leaf is not available, any leaf will do. He does not say tulasī leaf. So what is the difficulty to secure a little water, a leaf, or a small flower? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. The real thing is bhakti. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. So, mad-bhakta, if you are poorest of the poor you can become a devotee. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. If you want to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, there is no impediment throughout the three worlds within the universe. You can become a devotee, it is so easy. If you want to be a rich man it requires so much trouble. Rather, so long you do not desire to become a rich man, you are peaceful. And as soon as you desire to become a rich man, it will be all activities: how to acquire money this way or that way, this way... Everyone tries to become rich man because generally one thinks that at old age I'll get some income and I shall sit down very peacefully. So you are already sitting down peacefully. Why you take another means?

Lecture on BG 7.11-12 -- Bombay, February 25, 1974:

Even in sexual intercourse there is Kṛṣṇa. But how? Dharmāviruddhaḥ, not against the laws of śāstra. In the śāstra it is said that you'll have sex life after the menstrual period, sex life you have. But when your wife becomes pregnant, no more sex life. No more sex life. This is the injunction of the śāstra. You cannot have sex life for producing illegitimate son. That is described in the... That is called varṇa-saṅkara. One who produces illegitimate children, the world becomes full of varṇa-saṅkara, unwanted children, and thus the whole world becomes hell. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now it is a fact, everyone knows, that so many children are... Especially in the Western country, I have seen. A girl is not married, but she has got child. What is that? That is varṇa-saṅkara. So varṇa-saṅkara increases; the world becomes hellish. Why so much trouble now? Because... Don't mind. It is according to śāstra. The whole population is varṇa-saṅkara. Therefore there is no regulative principles. If you follow regulative principles, there is no problem. And this regulative principle is Kṛṣṇa svayam. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). He's giving, He's saying, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi bhūteṣu bharatarṣabha. So there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness even in begetting children. Provided you follow.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

So any intelligent man can do it immediately. If one understands that "Ultimately I will have to surrender to the Supreme Lord, and the Supreme Lord is here, personally speaking Bhagavad-gītā, so why not surrender immediately? If ultimately, after many, many births, I have to come to this point, to surrender, so why should I take so much trouble for many, many births? Why not immediately?" So if we take up this principle, this intelligence, then God is realized in one second. But if you don't, then go on with research work for many, many, many, many births. But you have to come to that point. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva, the Supreme Lord, Personality of God, is everything. He is the root. He is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. These descriptions are there.

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

First of all I said this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, Vivasvān." Vivasvān means the sun. The present sun-god is called Vivasvān. His name is Vivasvān. Just like there are many kings, just there are many sun-gods also. They also change because there is death. There is death. They may be living for so many hundreds and millions of years, but they will die. So present sun-god, who is existing there, his name is also there in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vivasvān. So if you believe Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to believe that there is a sun-god whose name is Vivasvān. If you don't believe, then why you take so much trouble to read Bhagavad-gītā? If you have no faith in it, then what is the use of reading it? And if you have faith in it, then you have to believe. There is sun-god. In every planet there is a predominating feature predominant.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

Just like somebody goes to Haridwar, Vṛndāvana. They finish their tīrtha, going, taking so much trouble. Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges, but people will go to Haridwar for taking bath in the Ganges there. Why it is prescribed? Not for the Ganges. The Ganges is there already in Calcutta. But if you go to a holy place, you'll find saintly person. That is required. But if you simply go to the holy places and take bath in the water and finish your business... No. That is not recommended. Tīrtha, going to tīrtha means to find out a learned saintly person and take knowledge from him. That is tīrtha.

Lecture on BG 16.13-15 -- Hawaii, February 8, 1975:

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. They are thinking that "Why these people are taking so much trouble, dancing jumping?" They cannot under... Therefore they feel displeasure. They feel disturbance because they are not purified. So āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. The demonic principle is to become bound up by their desires, but if you are on the spiritual platform, then all your desires means loving service to the Lord. That is wanted. So the demons' desires is described here. There is nothing to be explained. We have got practical experience in the material world. They are always thinking, idam adya mayā labdham: "Now, today I have earned five hundred dollars" or something more or less. Mayā labdham means "I have got it." Imaṁ prāpsye manoratham: "Again I shall get tomorrow so much money, and my bank balance will increase to such and such strength." Idam asti: "I got so much, and so much will be added, and the balance will increase." Idaṁ me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam: "In this way I will increase the amount of my wealth more and more."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

He says that "Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his heart, he is first-class yogi." So the yoga system is very popular in your country, but this is the example of becoming first-class yogi. And you haven't got to take so much trouble by pressing your nose or dipping your head or this... Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And you become first-class yogi. And as soon as you become first-class yogi, all power is within you. Perhaps you do not know the yogic perfection, eight kinds of power. Simply gymnastic practice is not yoga. You must attain the power. The power is aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti-siddhi, vaśitā, īśitā, like that. Aṇimā means you can become smaller than the smallest. One who has attained yogic perfection, he can become... You lock up anywhere, and he will come out. This is yoga-siddhi, not that a yogi is locked up and he cannot come out. That is simply gymnastic. So yoga-siddhi. The yoga-siddhi you can get when you become perfect yogi. Mahimā also. You can float in the air. That is called laghimā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

To get out of this miserable condition, Śukadeva says, here it is, says, karuṇayā āha. Karuṇayā means "out of compassion." People are suffering. This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava takes so much trouble to speak to the rascals and dulls about God consciousness. Why? Out of compassion. They are very compassionate. "Oh, so many people are suffering for want of knowledge. Let me try to give them some knowledge." Karuṇayā. This is Vaiṣṇava's qualification. He is very kind. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified. Still, he was saying, "My father, they do not know what they are doing." Is it not? He is so much compassionate that "These rascals do not know what they are doing, rascals. Still, I request You to forgive them." This is Vaiṣṇava. Personally he is suffering, but he is still compassionate. There was an article recently, that Jesus Christ, although he was crucified, he did not die. Yes. He went to Kashmir. Some historical references are there. So actually, when he was representative of God, son of God, how these rascals could kill him? It was a show only.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

So I do not wish to take much of your time. I have simply given introduction to this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very simply thing. You do not lose anything. Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at your home. Do you think you will be loser? No. Neither we want any money from you, that "Pay me so many dollars. I give you some particular mantra." No. It is not that. It is open. Everyone can chant. But if you chant, then you will be benefited. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Your heart will be cleansed. Now we are in so many consciousness: "I am this, I am that, I am this, I am that, I am this, I am that." And therefore there is so much trouble all over the world, because we have misidentified with this body which is simply shirt and coat. Suppose we are sitting, so many ladies and gentlemen. If we simply fight on the basis of our dress, "Oh, you are not in such dress. I am in such dress. Therefore you are my enemy," this is not very good argument. Because I am in different dress, so I am not your enemy. And because you are in different dress, you are not enemy. But that is going on. That is going on. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Chinese," "I am Russian," "I am this," "I am that." And the fighting is going on on this point only.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

So in the bodily concept of life there is a system of religion. That religion is different from your religion and my religion, because you possess a body. Suppose Hindu... I possess a body of Christian or Muslim; therefore I think, "You are different from me; I am different from you." But in the higher stage, when one is raised on the platform of spiritual understanding, there is no such a thing. Practically you can see. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are persons from every country or every religion, every cult. There are the devotees who have come from Christian group, the devotees who have come from Jewish group, from Muhammadan group, from Hindu group. You can see practically. We have got all types of devotees. But they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. Practically you see. They have, if not fully forgotten, very large percentage, they do not think. Otherwise these Americans would not have come here to take the trouble of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness in India, after taking so much trouble. We cannot give them actually the real comforts which they enjoy in their country. Their standard of life, living, is higher than our standard of life. So why they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? Because they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. They are no more proud that "I am American" or "I am European." Why...? You know in the British rule, the Britishers they were always maintaining the superior complex. They were thinking because they are European... Everyone thinks. If he is in position in the material world, he thinks like that. That is not fault. That is natural.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

The same brahma-jijñāsā and tattva jijñāsā is the same thing. Here also the same thing, as Bhāgavata begins, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). You'll find all the codes of brahma-sūtra or Vedānta-sūtra in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, very nicely explained. It is practically the explanation of vedanta-sutra. Here it is athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is that brahma-jijñāsā? That is explained here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The same thing, athāto brahma jijñāsā and jīvasya. This human form of life is especially meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth, tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā na artha yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. You are working so hard, simply for maintaining your body. No. It is not. You work hard, keep yourself fit, but live for tattva-jijñāsā. That is life, tattva-jijñāsā: What I am? What is God? What is this material world? Why I have come here? Why I am put into so much trouble? These are the inquiries. Not that everyday go to the share market, (indistinct). That is not tattva-jijñāsā. That is indriya prītiḥ, howling in the market.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

Why you are suffering here for sporting and dancing? That is called dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Stop this, I mean to say, always painful condition of material life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Because we have got this material body. This material body means reservoir of all suffering. By artificial method, so-called scientific advancement, we are trying to patch up, but that is not real happiness. You can go on continuing patching up. This is called māyā. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You cannot... The real purpose is that everyone wants to live and enjoy, but the māyā will not allow. You can have very nice skyscraper building, but have you made any insurance that you will be allowed to enjoy this house? "No, sir, there is no such insurance." At any moment the nature will call, "Please get out, immediately." "No, I have got to do some business." "No more, sir. Please get out immediately." Can you stop that? Then why you are making plan? Your real plan is not there. Whether you will be allowed to stay here? There is no insurance. And why you are taking so much trouble? Therefore, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4), the whole day, night, they are working like ass, but there is no assurance whether the happiness for which he is laboring so hard will be allowed to be enjoyed. There is no certainty.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

So therefore Vyāsadeva has taken so much trouble to establish the Bhāgavata life in Twelve Cantos. One has to go, one after another, one after another, one after another. Not jumping. Daśama-skandha, the Tenth Canto is the face of Kṛṣṇa. So worshiping Kṛṣṇa means one should offer tulasī on the, on His lotus feet first of all. Not jump over to the mouth or to the face. So the First and Second cantos are the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. One should begin worshiping Bhāgavatam, or the sound representation of Kṛṣṇa, by worshiping the First Canto and Second Cantos. We are reading the First Canto. We are just worshiping one lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then the other. Then the thighs. Gradually, you have to rise to the face. The Tenth Canto is the face of Kṛṣṇa. Don't jump over immediately. Read it. But try to understand from the very beginning.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:

So we have to take instruction from Kṛṣṇa to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the supreme." You have to accept that, in the Bhāgavata. You cannot interpret in a different way: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is supreme, all right. But..." Not like that. Take it as it is. Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), "I am the original source of everything." Because our inquiries, every scientist, every philosopher is trying to find out the ultimate source. That is called progressive science or philosophy. But here we get the information. Why should we take so much trouble? Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām: (Bg 10.2) "I am the original of all demigods." Just like Brahmā. Brahmā is the first demigod within this universe, but he is not original. Original is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇām. So He says that He is the ādi, ādi-puruṣam. Brahmā says ādi-puruṣam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So He's the ādi-puruṣa, He's the original source. Every Vedic literature declares, every authority declares. He comes Himself to declare, but still we are so rascal, we are finding out, making research work, "What is the ādi-puruṣa?" This is called rascaldom. Everything is there, but the rascal will simply spoil their own time and spoil others' time making research work. This is called illusion. Everything is there. Sun is there, brilliant, and one is searching sun with a lamp. What is the use of this lamp? The sun is self-effulgent, you can see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is self-effulgent. By śāstra, by authority, by action, everything. Why you are wasting your time? Wasting your time? Yes. What is the reason?

Lecture on SB 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972:

So brahma-druha. The society must be brahminic. Vedic culture means to create every person a brāhmaṇa, not to keep him śūdra. Of course, in the modern educational system, the purpose is to elevate the general people. But they do not know how to elevate. Therefore there is so much trouble. The elevation should be... There must be some purpose, end. What purpose education is being given? It is purposeless education. Mostly, at the present moment, education means to give facilities for sense gratification. That's all. Boys and girls in the school and colleges, just from the very beginning they are given all liberty for sex life. So this is not education. Education means to lead the people gradually to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is education, God consciousness. Because human life... This is the only life. There are 8,400,000 species of life. This human form of life is the only opportunity to understand God. Cats, dogs, even demigods, they also, because their opulence, sense gratification, is so great that they have no time. Just like here in this world also, those who are too rich, they are simply after sense gratification. They have no time to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

Everyone is facing the problem of material world, so many problems. But if you take shelter of Lord Caitanya, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Lord Caitanya means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32). Lord Caitanya means Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then viśvaṁ pūrṇa, you'll find there is no problem. The world is very happy place. A devotee finds a very nice place. Just like here in New Vrindaban, those who are karmīs, oh, they'll find, "Oh, it is a nonsense place. There is no amenities, modern amenities. There is so much trouble. There is no nice bathroom. There is no water supply." But devotees, they are finding, "Oh, it is very nice place." So just you... Similarly, widely you take, all the karmīs, they are faced with so many problems. But a devotee, those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. And for them, all these big, big men, may be very big to others, but for the devotees they're just like worms and germs and ordinary flies.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

Tathā vāsudevasya mahimā na hy anuvarṇitaḥ. Na tathā. Na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ. "You have taken much trouble about these ritualistic performances in the Vedas and other literatures, but you have not taken much trouble to describe the glories of Vāsudeva." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Although in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that everything is Vāsudeva..., vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānam, but still you have not described about, much about Vāsudeva." Na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ. "You have not described very nicely about the glories of Vāsudeva."

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

There is no cause of quarrel between the two countries China and India over land which is not very suitable for habitation, and certainly there is no cause for fighting on this issue. But due to the age of quarrel, Kali, which we have discussed, there is always a chance of quarrel on slight provocation. This is due not to the issue in question, but to the polluted atmosphere of this age: systematically there is propaganda by a section of people to stop glorification of the name and fame of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, there is a great need for disseminating the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all over the world. It is the duty of every responsible Indian to broadcast the transcendental message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam throughout the world to do all the supermost good as well as to bring about the desired peace in the world. Because India has failed in her duty by neglecting this responsible work, there is so much quarrel and trouble all over the world. We are confident that if the transcendental message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is received only by the leading men of the world, certainly there will be a change of heart, and naturally the people in general will follow them. The mass of people in general are tools in the hands of the modern politicians and leaders of the people.

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

So we restrict this. Sex life is all right, required. Be a gentleman, get yourself married, live husband and wife peacefully. Have two and three children. Now they're making forcefully that you cannot have more than two children-sterilize. This is rascaldom. Teach him that he'll not have sex life more than twice or thrice in life. But no. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45). The sex life is so strong that one has produced one child and he has suffered... The child has to be taken at night, it is crying, and then you have to give him milk, and so on, so on, so on. He has suffered, but he has no sense, "Why again child?" The answer, tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. He knows that after this sex life, illegal or legal, there are so much troubles. Therefore a brahmacārī is a very safe life. No trouble. But those who are not trained up, they are suffering. But they do not know how to stop this suffering because he's not trained up as brahmacārī. "All right, make it sterilized." Contraceptive method. Kill the child. More and more and more and more implicated. Bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. He does not know, or she does not know, "By killing the child what a risk I am going to take." Bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Behind this killing of child so much trouble is there. But he's rascal, he does not know, either the mother or the father.

Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:

So the Māyāvādī will always try to explain in the impersonal way. Therefore they're offender. Kṛṣṇa personally presents. Why Kṛṣṇa comes? So that the misunderstanding whether the Absolute Truth, God, is a person or imperson, to mitigate this trouble, this misunderstanding, He comes as person. He presents Himself, "Here is I am. I am person. Why do you make Me imperson?" He's person. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Why you are taking so much trouble? Avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām. Simply you are taking unnecessary trouble. Kleśaḥ adhikataraḥ. And if you take to bhakti, directly personal... And you cannot understand God or Kṛṣṇa by any other means except bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know Absolute Truth, God, then you have to take to bhakti. And what does it mean bhakti? Bhakti means there must be Bhagavān. Otherwise, what is the meaning of bhakti? If I want... Bhakti means to render service. So if the master is not there, then where is the question of bhakti and service? It is all bogus. Bhakti means three things: bhakta, Bhagavān, and the service. That is bhakti. They're individual. Bhagavān is individual, bhakta is individual, and the reciprocation of dealings between two individuals, it is called bhakti. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

Sometimes we receive the complaint in foreign countries, they say that "You keep your women like slaves." I replied, "We do not keep our women as slaves. They're very respectful at home. The sons offer their highest respect to the mother. The husband gives the topmost protection to the wife." This is the example. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. Lord Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Rāvaṇa took Sītā from His protection. Rāmacandra could marry many millions of Sītās, or He could create many millions of Sītā, but He's showing the example that it is the husband's duty to give protection to the wife at any cost. And He did it. For one woman He killed the whole Rāvaṇa's dynasty. This is husband's duty. So protection, not slave. It is protection. The husband should give to the wife the topmost protection, and the wife should be so faithful to the husband that... Sītā-devī, she was king's daughter, Videha-rāja. She was the daughter... She was not a poor man's daughter. And Daśaratha Mahārāja did not ask her to go to the forest with her husband. She could easily say, "My dear husband, You are going to the forest. I am king's daughter. I cannot take so much trouble. Better You go. Let me go to my father's house." No. "I shall take all the troubles with my husband." This is faithfulness.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

I have tolerated all tribulations offered by my father. I was never disturbed. I preached amongst my class friends. Whatever possible I have done. But that does not mean I want some benefit. No. I am not a bāniyā, vaṇik. Sa vai vaṇik. So do not offer my any benediction. I am quite satisfied." So the question may be that "You are satisfied in spite of undergoing so much trouble? Still, you are...?" "Yes, I am satisfied. Yes, I am satisfied." "How?" Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "Because I have learned by the grace of Nārada Muni how to chant Your holy name." That's it. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta. "This chanting of Your glorification is mahāmṛta, a great nectarean." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "My cittaḥ, my consciousness, is always absorbed in the thought of Your glorification. Therefore I am not at all unhappy." "You are not unhappy in spite of so much tribulation given by your father?" "Yes. I'm not at all." This is Vaiṣṇava. He cannot be unhappy. We see that Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so much trouble by his father. Even, even this Draupadī, she was put into so much trouble-immediately, her sons are killed. But she is, actually she is not unhappy. This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava cannot be unhappy in any circumstances.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974:

Then mṛdhe mṛdhe aneka-mahāratha astrataḥ (SB 1.8.24). Then at last, after all these tribulations, at last it was decided... Kṛṣṇa wanted to settle up that "You have given these Pāṇḍavas so much trouble. Never mind. But they are kṣatriyas. They cannot become vaiśya or śūdra or brāhmaṇa. So they must have some place to rule over. So you give these five brothers five villages so they can rule and live." "No, that is not possible. We are not going to leave a spot of land which can contain the upper portion of the needle without fight." So then there was fight. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was forced upon the Pāṇḍavas by the Kurus. Still, Arjuna was not willing to kill them. Just see. He's Vaiṣṇava. He never thought of, that "My, these cousin-brothers, they have given us so much trouble. Why I shall be sympathetic upon them?" No. Still, he was sympathetic. Why? Now, because he was a Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. Para-duḥkha-duhkhī kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). Vaiṣṇava is so tolerant. They suffer; still, they do not want others' suffering. So this is Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

So the yogic power... They can give up this material body, and in their spiritual body they can enter anywhere, through a hole. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Similarly, laghimā-siddhi: they can become very light, walking on the water. That is called laghimā-siddhi. Mahimā-siddhi: to becoming, become very big also. There are so many siddhis. So we are not very much interested with these siddhis. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta... Because... Just like a rich man's son, He does not bother about earning money because he knows that "My father is very rich. So if I need money, my father will supply." Similarly, we take shelter of the Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power. So if you want to see some aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and He'll show. Why shall I take so much trouble? Why? So people say that in the Western world, I have played wonderful things. But I did not know any siddhi. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He has shown. Kṛṣṇa is pleased that "For Me, this person has come to serve Me. Now see how wonderful it is." Therefore Yogeśvara. Instead of becoming a yogi, you take shelter of Yogeśvara. Then all yogic power will be within your control. Just like a rich man's son, if he is in trouble, the whole father estate is behind him. So why should he hanker after earning money?

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

So we are so much indebted to the sun, to the moon, to the heavenly king, because they are supplying our necessities. The Indra sends the cloud. By the electrical action... We have got experience. And the cloud gives you sufficient rain. Ghanavad vatarhit(?). Most munificent. The cloud gives you rain even where you do not require. On the hill you do not require, on the ocean you do not require, but when there is cloud, there is no miserly behavior. "Take even samudra, you take." Therefore one who is very charitable and munificent, he's compared with the cloud. If you want to sprinkle water even a few yards, you have to take so much trouble. But you see the cloud distributes rain like anything. More than sufficient. Even on the hill, even on the sea. So we are indebted to the demigods. Just like water department. You have to pay tax. Or the light department, you have to pay tax. If you don't pay the bill of the electrical department, it will be cut off, will be discontinued. But we are not paying any bill to the sun-god. Just see. We are taking advantage of the sunshine, but what payment we are paying? Nothing. Therefore this yajña is recommended. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā. You are born with the responsibility of performing yajña. If you perform yajña or if you perform sacrifice in the name of Sūrya, in the name of Candra, in the name of Indra, Vāyu, then they will be pleased and will give you regular sunshine, regular moonshine, regular rain. Then you'll be happy. Therefore in the Vedas this deva-yajña is recommended.

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

Yes. Suppose you have done something wrong. So the court fines you, "Oh, you have done this wrong." Just like one man knocked some of our student, and he died, and then he was fined twenty thousand dollars, like that. So everyone knows that "If I knock somebody or kill somebody, there is motor accident, there will be so much trouble." And when there is trouble, actually, they go and give some fine. But the accident is going on. Nobody is careful. So that is the position. Unless one is careful to his sense that "Why should I drive so fiercely or without any care that others may be injured, my car will be injured? Why shall I created this trouble? Let me drive the car very conscientiously..." So that is required. Simply atonement, or giving fine for some misdeed, that is not sufficient. One should be awakened to his knowledge about his responsibility.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

Just like some of you are suffering from cough. Now there has been some hygienic law disregarded. So I have caught cold and cough. So why shall I deride upon it? It must be created either you say by bodily nature or by God. So so long it is there, let me suffer patiently. It has come, it will go. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgamāpāyinaḥ anityāḥ. Distressed condition, or happiness also, so-called happiness... Here there is no happiness. Everything is distressed condition. But we are so fool that we consider distressed condition as happiness. This is called māyā, distressed condition as happiness. For example, suppose you have to go to see a friend, and nowadays, friend or anything, not less than ten miles. So you have to go ten miles, and then see your friend, and then do your work. So I am taking the trouble of going ten miles to see a friend or thirty miles to see a medical practitioner, but I am very much proud of my car, that I have got a car. I don't consider that although I have got car, still, I have to waste so much time. I have to take so much trouble. And there is every possibility of accidents. So many calamities are awaiting me. But we think that "Now we have discovered this horseless carriage, we are advanced." Similarly, if you study every item, you will find that although you have created by the modern scientific advancement a little comfort of life, side by side, we have created many discomforts. That we do not find.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

Suppose you are being harassed by the police. You are put into the prisonhouse. And in so many ways you are being harassed by the criminal department. How you can get out? You simply file a petition, "Sir I am now experienced. I will never commit this criminal act. Kindly excuse me and get me released." That is the only way. Similarly, you can be very proud that "I don't care for God. There is no God. I am God. You are God." You can go on talking nonsense like that, but the māyā will give you so much trouble. But if you are sane man, then you will admit that "This was a wrong thing. Please excuse me." And then it will be possible. But that is not possible. Especially in this age, in Kali-yuga, the age is very strong and deteriorated that in spite of our daily class, daily instruction, the Kali is so strong that capturing, "Please come under my control and be killed. Please come under my... Be killed." "Yes, I will go." This is going on.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

So, anyone else? That's all right. So in this way, if you chant ten times, you'll get it by heart. It is not difficult. So we are giving this diacritic mark, English transliteration, only for this purpose—so that you can chant, you can vibrate these mantras. So practice. Here you hear, and in your leisure time, you practice. If you chant these mantras anywhere, you'll be honored. Sanskrit language is so nice. And direction, everything is there: purport, word meaning, and translation. So we are taking so much trouble in writing books not for simply making market. It is for you to read. Not that simply we go and sell books, and that ... If the customer says, "You read it first of all," then what you will say? You'll say, "No, I cannot read. I can sell only." (laughter) (Prabhupāda laughs.) Then what will be your position, if you say like that? "I can sell; I cannot read." Anyway, then? Word meanings? (Pradyumna reads synonyms.) So these are kāma, these material desires.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Word meaning? (synonyms read) Jñānaṁ yadā pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram. Knowledge, progressive knowledge, so, when it comes to the real standard, yadā, jñānaṁ yadā, when the knowledge or speculative empiric knowledge, pratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram, no more affected by the waves of these modes of nature ... Our present conditioned stage is due to our being carried away by the waves of material nature. We are being carried away. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has translated in his song, keno māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. "Why you are being carried away by the waves of māyā, and sometimes drowned and sometimes on the surface? Why you are taking so much trouble?" Jīv kṛṣṇa-dās, e biśwās, korle to' ār duḥkho nāi. As soon as you take it... It is a fact, but you are misled. It is a fact that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but artificially you are thinking that you are master. You are master, you are God, you are enjoyer, you are this, you are that.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

Here, one important matter is there, that Parīkṣit Mahārāja, while he was in the womb of his mother, there was brahmāstr a targeted on him by Aśvatthāmā. And he was to be killed. Practically he was killed. His mother felt a miscarriage and immediately approached Kṛṣṇa, that "I am feeling like this. The only son of the Pāṇḍava dynasty is going to be lost." So Kṛṣṇa immediately entered the womb of Uttarā and saved the baby. Now, Parīkṣit Mahārāja is recognized devotee; otherwise Kṛṣṇa would not have taken so much trouble. He wanted that Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Now, when he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa to die within seven days, why Kṛṣṇa did not save him, or why he did not seek Kṛṣṇa's protection? This question may be raised. He was young man. He was not old man. He could live. That question was made also: "The Parīkṣit Mahārāja, such a nice king, his life was dedicated for the welfare of his subjects. So actually, his body was meant for the benefit of others.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So we should try to learn, get it by heart, at least one śloka, two ślokas in a week. And if we chant that... Just like you are chanting so many songs, similarly, if we chant one or two verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that will make you very quickly advanced for spiritual realization. We are therefore taking so much trouble to get this transliteration, the meaning, so that the reader may take advanced step, full advantage of the mantra. It is not that to show some scholarship, that "I know so much Sanskrit." No. It is just offered with humility to learn the mantra because one who will chant the mantra... They are all transcendental vibration. Just Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... This is mahā-mantra, but they are also mantras, all the verses from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, spoken by Kṛṣṇa, spoken by... Bhāgavata also, spoken by Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. They're also mantras, infallible instructions. So try to get it by heart, chanting. Either you chant by seeing the book or get it by heart, it is all the same. But try to chant one, two ślokas daily. Chant.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

T-a-r. Yes. T-a, artha. So you were missing that r. Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ. All right. Next. (recitation continues) Get it next. Come here. So you have to study like that. So many ślokas, I am taking so much labor. If you do not read it carefully... It is not for that I am making business, for selling only, and not for my students. You must all read like this, practice. Why so much trouble is being taken, word to word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. And wherever you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh, you'll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he'll actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra. Next chant. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Next, next. Bhanu prabhu (Bhanu recites) Thank you very much. He has pronounced very nicely. So he will teach you. Yes. Next. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Yes. In this way, each one of you, you chant and others will follow. Then one or two days, you get the śloka by heart. You can chant. It is not difficult. Now read the word meanings and translation.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

For two meals only, you have to make so much tapasya-fifty miles, hundred miles, five hundred miles, go and come back. There is a story that one gentleman, he was coming to Calcutta early in the morning because he has to go hundred miles, so to catch the first train at six o'clock. Then he will reach at nine o'clock in city. Then he can attend office at ten o'clock. So... And again, going back, the office hour is finished at five o'clock. He was to go to home at ten o'clock. But still, he will go for sleeping six hours. The whole day and night is engaged for earning two meals. So they will undergo so much tapasya only for two meals which is obtained very easily by the cats and dogs. But they are not prepared to undergo any tapasya for understanding God. This is their position. For meals the birds, bees, they are not going to office. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. Only the civilized form of, the so-called civilized men, they are undergoing so much trouble for their meals. But others, they are not going fifty miles. They have got ready food. They sit down on any tree. Oh, there are enough fruits. Little eating, finish their business. Or take the elephants also. They are eating so much. They have got also food. Therefore śāstra says that "Food is already there." So many people say, "Oh, so many people are dying, starving." And where is the man? Show me who is dying for starvation. These are all pleas. They won't take any tapasya for understanding, but they will work hard like asses, like hogs and dogs, for two meals. But we should consider that we are taking so much penances for simply filling our this hungry belly, appetite. Why not little tapasya for Kṛṣṇa, chanting sixteen rounds? But will... That is also very difficult. Then? Tapasya, penance in pure bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

They are going to different planets... They cannot go. Suppose if they are going: so taking so much trouble, expending so much money, they are trying to study. But we study within this room, even up to Vaikuṇṭha planet. Huh? These rascals are taking so much trouble and still unsuccessful. And we are getting all clear idea. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is the perfection of Vedic literature. In remote jungle they are sitting. They are enjoying spiritual atmosphere and getting all information from the Vedic literature. How much, I mean to say, fortunate we are, those who have taken shelter of this Vedic literature. We get all information. Is there any doubt? So why should we take so much trouble? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take information, be prepared, and at the time of death, think of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately transferred within a second. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Within a second, transferred. Because spirit soul is finer than the mind. So mind can be transferred immediately within a second millions of miles away. So how much speed is there for spirit soul, you can imagine. Mind, you can immediately... You are sitting here. Immediately you can transfer mind, Bombay. You are seeing. The kīrtana is going on. It is practical. Manaso vāyuḥ. Vāyu, the velocity of the air, and finer than the... Because air is gross matter and mind is subtle matter, so the speed of mind is far greater than the velocity of air. Air, the velocity of air is two thousand miles or per... Two hundred miles, like that?

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

This is the beginning of sādhu. Because to come to this stage, ananya-bhāvena bhakti-yogena, you have to tolerate so many things. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Ananya-bhāvena yogena. He was simply thinking of Nārāyaṇa. How much trouble he had to undergo, even by, offered by his father. So we should be very much... Titikṣavaḥ. The matter... This material nature will not give you freedom so easily. It will not give so much freedom... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama... mām eva ye prapadyante (BG 7.14). If you become strong enough to capture the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām... Then māyā will give you, "No, he's very strong. I cannot any more keep him under my clutches." So that is ananya-bhāvena. That is described. Ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām, mat-kṛte. For the sake of Kṛṣṇa, one can give up everything. That is ananya-bhāva. The first-class example is the gopīs. They gave up everything. Their family, their relatives, their husband, their sons, their father, their prestige, their honor—everything sacrificed, simply for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection. That is not possible for ordinary... But we can, if we follow the gopīs' way of loving Kṛṣṇa, then...

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

So of course, that is not possible. But that is śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam. When you will find everything vacant, govinda-viraheṇa me, without Govinda, that is the highest state of devotional service. But that is possible. That is possible, that bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyād dṛṣṭa-śrutān mad-racanānucintayā. If you become a bhaktyā, you will find... Anything, creation, you will find Kṛṣṇa's intelligence. If you take one flower and see the constitution, how this flower is made, how the color is displayed, how it has come into existence, if we are intelligent, we can see Kṛṣṇa's racanānucintayā, how Kṛṣṇa has created intelligently. That is premāñjana-cchuri... Actually, it is created by Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Don't think like rascal, "It has come out automatically." Does thing come automatically? Why not your luci, puri, and everything comes automatically? Why you have to take so much trouble? No automatically. It has Kṛṣṇa's hand, but you cannot see. You cannot see. But those who are learned, they can see. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna. This is the Vedic instruction. Everything, in every creation, there is hand of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So to understand the Absolute Truth you have to accept this sāṅkhya-yoga or bhakti-vitāna-yogam. Then you will understand very... Because question was, by Devahūti, that manda-dhīḥ sukhaṁ buddhyeya. Sukhaṁ buddhyeya: "Very easily, without any much trouble, I may understand. You kindly describe in this way—the Absolute Truth I can understand very easily." So that is bhakti-yoga. In the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is said, susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Susukham. If you practice bhakti-yoga, it is very easy, at the same time very pleasing, very pleasing. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. And avyayam. Avyayam means not deteriorating. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If you execute even partially, it has got so potency that it will lead you more and more to the ultimate goal of life. This is called perfect sāṅkhya-yoga.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

When Kṛṣṇa said, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, sambhavāmi yuge yuge... (BG 4.8). He comes for two business. First business is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. The sādhus, the santas, or the devotees, they are always, I mean to say, given trouble by this atheistic class of men. So therefore they have no other means. They simply think of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Even his father was giving him trouble, so much trouble that he was..., he wanted to kill him somehow or other. So they... Here, the santas, they come. They have to suffer so much trouble by the demons. Therefore we have already discussed that verse that, what is that? Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). A santa means he has to suffer. Just see in the Western countries the Lord Jesus Christ. He was preaching about God, God consciousness. That was the only fault, and he was crucified. Just see. He was crucified. The state ordered him to be crucified because he is talking. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his five-years-old body, he was talking only of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So therefore his father became enemy. He was trying in so many ways to kill him.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

But one who is actually wise, intelligent, he can understand that "Actually, I am not happy. I am suffering." That is intelligence. That is intelligence, when one comes to the understanding that "I am not happy actually. I am simply suffering." The Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was the finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. So he is our guru in the disciplic succession. He inquired this question from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I have come to You to ask that people call me, I am very learned man." Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "By this ordinary relationship, they call me, I am very learned man. But I am such a learned man that I do not know what I am..., why I am suffering." This is intelligence. So we should know how to... Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Everyone is suffering. Temporary, superficially, one may think that he is very happy, or I may think that "He is happy; I am not happy," but nobody is happy in this material world, because the four things is inevitable for everyone, the prime minister or the man in the street, everyone: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). And there is so much trouble in the matter of birth and death and old age and disease. We are forgetting. That is called tīvraṁ bhayam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

So this class of men—those who have got merit, but it is not being used for useful purposes, for some sinful activities—they are called duṣkṛtina. This class of men, atheist class of men, they will never surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narā... Mūḍha (BG 7.15), and they do not understand that he has to face so much trouble in birth and death and old age and he has no knowledge how to stop it. Therefore they are mūḍha, rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. And lowest of the... Human mind, human brain, can understand that "I am suffering," but because he is not understanding, therefore he is the lowest of the humankind, narādhamāḥ. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. "No, they have passed M.A. degree, or Phd, M.A." Now, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. The knowledge has no value because it is māyā. He is thinking... He is employing for temporary happiness, māyā, māyā happiness. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). He has learned engineering and planning very high skyscraper building, but he does not know how long he will live in that skyscraper building.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

All the living entities in this material world, they are thinking that "I am proprietor. I am supreme. I can do anything, whatever I like. There is no question of accepting any authority of God. These are primitive thoughts. We are self-sufficient." That means he is speaking all nonsense under the influence of prakṛti. He is a rascal number one. Just like a madman speaks so many things full of rascaldom—nobody cares for—similarly, when a devotee sees that a nondevotee atheist is claiming so many things for himself without giving credit... Even big, big swamis, they are teaching that "Why you are giving credit to God?" The communists also. There are big swamis, they also say like that, that "You are working hard. You have got some good result. Why you are giving credit to God?" These things are being taught. And the atheist also says, "I have worked hard. I have achieved this nice result. It is due to my labor." And..., but when he is in loss, then the credit goes to God. Bhagavān ki chaya chalagiya(?) (laughter) When he gets something, that is his credit. And he loses something—that goes to the responsibility of God: "Why God has created so much trouble? Why God has...," so many things.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

Therefore the king, Ṛṣabhadeva, is advising, instructing His sons... He was retiring. Why He was retiring? He could enjoy His kingdom. Just like at the present moment, either a king or a family man does not retire. Even a poor man living in with family with great difficulties, but if you ask him to retire, he'll not be agreeable. We have asked many old men. He's suffering, he's not happy within his family members, but if I say, "Why you are taking so much trouble with the family? Why not come and live with us in Kṛṣṇa consciousness society?" he'll not agree. Because he has no Vedic training. Up to the end of this life he'll stick to the family life. Many, many politicians... In our country we have seen many old politicians, seventy-five years old, eighty years old. Not only in our country, in other countries also. In your country, Great Britain, Mr. Churchill, unless he was forced to death, he would not give up politics. Our Gandhi, he was killed by another political group. Then he was forced to retire. When Gandhi attained independence, I requested him in a letter, "Mahatma Gandhi, now you started your struggle with the Britishers, that they should go and Indians should have their independence. Now you have attained independence and Britishers have gone.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

So nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4). So we have become mad and we are engaged in these forbidden works. If we want to get out of these clutches of material bondage, then we must stop these forbidden activities, mad, the activities of a mad man. So if you go on like that, then we shall have to accept another material body. The problem is that we are suffering threefold miseries, every one of us. Maybe the degree different, but under being intoxicated, we do not take the sufferings as sufferings. That is another madness. But the sufferings are there. That is being pointed out by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be very perfect by arranging your material civilization to enjoy life but, you will not be allowed to live. That we do not see. There is no insurance. I am making very nice arrangement for my future enjoyment, having good bank balance, nice skyscraper building and other things, but where is the guarantee that you shall live and enjoy? That we do not see. Therefore we are madmen. If you are arranging something utopian for happiness, and if you understand that "I shall die tomorrow," then immediately my enthusiasm will decline. "Now, who is going to take so much trouble? I am going to die tomorrow."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, mahā-vadānyāvatara, He is patita-pāvana. He is the deliverer of all the fallen souls. He has given us this much tapasya prescription. Tapasya must be there. And that is very easy to be done by us. It is not very difficult. One has to become very humble. That is the first qualification. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Sunīcena means lower than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; they do not protest. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣnunā. And tolerant, humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. A tree gives us all benefit, but in return we give the tree so much trouble. We snatch away the twigs, we snatch away the leaves. Sometimes for our fuel we cut down. But there is no protest. So these things have been taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣnunā amāninā mānadena. Nobody should think himself that he is very prestigious person, falsely. Nobody is prestigious. Everyone should be humble. So these three, four things we should learn, and that is tapasya. And we should avoid the sinful activities, namely, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. These are some of the positive and negative formulas given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And if we follow this tapasya and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

So Ṛṣabhadeva is pointing out that this sense gratification problem or desire or propensity is there even in the hogs and dogs. Therefore He says, distinguishing the human form of life from the life of lowest class of animals, that He says ayaṁ deha, "this body." Na ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means in the human society. Everyone has got body. The dog has body, the cat has body, the tiger has body, the bird has body. Everyone has got body. Similarly we have also got body. Therefore He is warning, "My dear sons, in this body the aim of life should not be sense gratification after so much trouble." If the point is sense gratification, then why so much, I mean to say, manifestation of economic development? Do you think that those who are not fortunate to have these flyways or motorcars or a skyscraper building... Take for example the most aborigines, the most uncivilized nation somewhere in Africa or any other part of the world. Are they not sense gratifying? The dogs and hogs, they are not sense gratifying? So if the ultimate aim of life is simply sense gratification, then why should we take so much trouble?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Now when the man visited the prostitute's house, she received the man. In India it is system that when you receive a gentleman or lady you must give him sumptuously to eat. So there was many palatable dishes served to the man, and each vegetable and each preparation was put in two pots—one in iron pots and one in golden pots. So he was eating. Now this man asked the prostitute, "Well, you have given me the same preparation in two pots: one in gold pot and one in iron pot. Why? What is the idea?" So she said that "First of all taste it. Then I shall disclose what is the idea." So he was tasting, eating. Then the prostitute asked him, "How do you like?" "Oh, it is very nice." "Then, is there any different taste in the golden pot?" "No. Same taste." "And the iron pot?" "Oh, the same taste." So she replied at that time that "You are so rascal that you want to gratify your senses, but you do not know that sense gratification in poor wife or rich wife is the same. There is no difference of taste, so why you are after a woman by paying this one hundred thousands of jewels?" The idea is... This story is very instructive, and it is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The idea is the same thing... (break) ...sense gratification is the ultimate aim of life, then why so much hard trouble for decorating the process of sense gratification? Why wasting so much time for decorating?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

So Ṛṣabhadeva is asking that sense gratification there is necessity, because we have got senses. But not with too much trouble, accepting too much trouble in the name of economic development. Because our time is very valuable. If we want to utilize our short duration of life which we have got at our disposal, we must utilize it for self-realization, not for unnecessarily increasing the necessities of bodily wants. This is not a good type of civilization, simply wasting time for sense gratification. Time should be utilized for greater advantage. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. You know... In your country I have seen many tabloids, "Time is money." Yes, actually time is very valuable, but we do not know how to utilize this time. That is the mistake of this present civilization. Time should not be, I mean to say, wasted simply for sense gratification. So far the problem of sense gratification is there, it should be minimized. It should not be increased. Minimized.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

"I heard that people suffer such-and-such kind of punishment for such-and-such kind of sinful activities. So how to get them released from this suffering?" Just like a friend, suppose another friend for criminal activity is put into jail, but the friend is thinking, "Anyway, my friend is now put into jail, suffering. How to get him released?" That is friend's action—father, mother or friend. Similarly, Vaiṣṇava, Vaiṣṇava is patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ. We offer our respectful obeisances to Vaiṣṇava because Vaiṣṇava is meant for delivering the fallen souls. That is Vaiṣṇava's business. They have taken so much trouble just to deliver the fallen souls from the sinful activities, and those who are being punished, to save them, this is Vaiṣṇava's business. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, not for himself, but for others he inquired this question: "My dear Śukadeva Goswāmī, I understand that these people are suffering so many different types of punishment. But how to rescue, rescue them? Is there any method to rescue them? If there is, kindly describe, kindly describe." Adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ. Adhuna—now; iha—in this world; mahā-bhāga. Mahā-bhāga, the Śukadeva Goswāmī is described, mahā-bhāga, most fortunate. A Vaiṣṇava is most fortunate.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

"Therefore, my dear King, according to the gravity of sinful activities, one has to atone similarly." The example is, according to the gravity of the disease, the physician prescribes different types of medicine. If your disease is very severe then the physician says, "You have to take this medicine. This is very costly. You have to live like this." You know, you know everyone. Ordinary disease, that can be cured by giving some tablet, but if the disease is very severe, then you have to undergo severe medical treatment and suffering and so on. This very example. This is practical. This is practical. There is no question of doubt. The example is given that in this life, if you have some severe type of disease, you have to pay the doctor's bill, also severe. That you cannot avoid. So why not for sinful activities? And what is disease? Disease infection means that is also violating the laws of nature. That is disease. Just I gave you the example, a little scratching of nail, again means (indistinct) so much trouble. So you cannot violate, that is, that is breaking the laws of nature, breaking the laws of God. That is sinful. Either you take it as disease or take it as sinful activities or whatever you call it. This is... So you have to atone.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

There is a very nice proverb. It is said in Bengali that a woman, when she is in pain of labor, delivering child, she thinks that "Next time I shall never be pregnant." But after that (chuckling) again she becomes pregnant. You see? She knows the trouble of giving delivery to a child, and she promises that "Next time I shall..." Of course, nowadays there are so many contraceptive methods. But this is a proverb. So a diseased man, he has gone to the physician. He's suffering from a chronic disease. He knows the cause. Doctor says that "You have done this; therefore you are suffering." But after cure he again does the same thing. Why? This is the real problem. Why does he do so? He has seen, he has experienced. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt (SB 6.1.10). By such experience, by hearing and seeing, sometimes he refrains that "No, I shall not do these things. It is very troublesome. Last time I had so much trouble." And kvacic carati tat punaḥ: and sometimes he again commits the same mistake. Prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ manye kuñjara-śaucavat (SB 6.1.10). "Therefore, my dear sir, I think this so-called atonement is useless." Useless. Because the prescribed atonement he performs, suppose he becomes free from the sin, but why again he commits? Therefore he says, manye kuñjara-śaucavat.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

So my request to you all, those who are present here: try to understand the philosophy. You're educated, grown-up boys and girls, gentlemen, ladies. We have got books, immense literature, big, big voluminous book. If you want to understand this philosophy through books, we are not in scarcity. We can supply you volumes of books. These books, some of them are demonstrated, but, if you do not like to take so much trouble to read over the book, then simply come and chant and dance with us and take prasādam, go home happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:

Just like if we go to a friend, so what is our inquiry? "You are happy with your family, with your children?" Because they have a family. But here is a saintly man. So what should we inquire? Inquire, the inquiry is aihiṣṭhaṁ yat tam punar-janme-jayāya: "My dear Viśvāmitra Muni, brāhmaṇa, I know that you are all trying to get release from repetition of birth and death." Why he has gone to the forest? He has gone to the forest for executing austerity, so that next life may be not material but spiritual life. This is the aim of life. The whole human effort, civilization, should be conducted with the aim how to stop this repetition of birth and death. This is science. Aihiṣṭhaṁ yat tam punar-janma-jayāya. He inquired—he was a brāhmaṇa, great sage—that "You have taken so much trouble that you are living in the forest, you are undergoing meditation and other regulative principles—why?" Punar-janma-jayāya: "To stop next birth." Punar-janma-jayāya, the Buddhist philosophy, punar-janma-jayāya means they take it that no more birth, but finish this business in the different way. They do not believe that there is next life, but dismantle this material condition of life. That is their nirvāṇa theory.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

So one should think like that. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I have nothing more except Kṛṣṇa." So that has to be practiced, and not that if one thinks like that, that he has nothing except Kṛṣṇa. One who has Kṛṣṇa, he has everything. He has everything. The Bhagavad-gītā supports, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you can gain Kṛṣṇa, then there is no more necessity of any other profit. All profit is there.

yam labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthite guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

(Bg. 6.20-23)

"If one is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however heaviest calamity may come upon me, come upon one, he will remain steady without any disturbance." This is such a thing. And Kṛṣṇa said, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). The evidence is Arjuna himself. They were put to so much trouble by their cousin brothers, but ultimately, they came out victorious. So if we accept Kṛṣṇa as everything, so there is no poverty, there is no economic problem. Everything is all right. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- Vrndavana, December 8, 1975:

If one can remain a brahmacārī all through, that is a great benefit. Great benefit. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. What is the benefit? It is increasing botheration. But they are trying to get out of botheration. Just like we see advertisement, "One, two, three—bās—no more children." And other... "What I shall do?" "Now, kill, that's all. Kill them by contraceptive method or directly. Don't allow more than one, two, three children." They understand that "This is botheration." And the śāstra also says, "Botheration."

yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ

kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham

tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ

kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ

(SB 7.9.45)

"All right, I have begotten one child. I have to take care of, so much care always." But, "All right, you have trouble, taken so much trouble. Stop here. No more." "No, again." Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. There's so many botherations, but still, we do it practically. Why? It is said that ajitātmanaḥ, cannot control the senses, become victimized, victims of sense enjoyment, ajitātmanaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

He is advising to the sons of the demons because the demons, they cannot understand. But it is the duty of the Vaiṣṇava to preach, although Kṛṣṇa advises that "You don't preach the truth of Bhagavad-gītā to the demons." He said, "Those who have not undergone austerities, those who are not very serious, don't speak about these lessons of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66)." Means they'll not understand. But still, the devotees, they take the risk that "All right, let me try to convince this person that 'Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.' " Even Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't try, because they will not be able to understand," still, they try. That is a devotee. Therefore devotee is more merciful than Kṛṣṇa. Devotee is more merciful. Even there is no hope to understand, still, he goes door to door: "Please take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please take to Kṛṣṇa, and you'll be happy." It is not always... Just like you are trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness with so much endeavor. It's not that cent percent people of the world will take. That is not possible. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Only the fortunate persons will be able to take it. So we should not be disappointed that "Nobody, majority of people, do not take this. What is the use of? Let me sit down in Vṛndāvana and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." No. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He also did it. He never sat down tightly in Vṛndāvana. He also did it. He traveled all over the India and took so much trouble. So preaching is very important, and you should engage. That will help you. Every one of you should be pure in your activities and try to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness as far as possible. If you remain pure, then your preaching will be successful and you'll get encouragement. That is the instruction of all Vaiṣṇavas.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

Therefore the training is, according to śāstra and the instruction of the spiritual master, that (indistinct): rise early in the morning. Just like a man... Not one man, there are thousands and millions of men at the present moment, because he has got attachment for the family he rises at four o'clock and prepares himself to catch the train at six o'clock to reach Calcutta, Bombay at ten o'clock and attend the office. So from four o'clock to ten o'clock, he has taken so much changing. I have seen in New York also, they are coming in from the other island and waiting for the bus, waiting for the ferry steamer, and so many hours wasted to reach the office. And he works in the office for four or five hours, then again he takes this trouble of going so many miles away. Why he is taking so much trouble? Family attachment. Family attachment. So the people are... Not that he has no attachment. He has got attachment, but this attachment, the same four o' clock, rising early in the morning, for Kṛṣṇa's maṅgala-ārati. This is diversion, a better. But he'll not agree. When he has got to go to office for earning his livelihood, he will automatically rise up and go to the office, because the attachment is strong. But in the temple, the rule is that you must get up before four and prepare yourself, and we have to ring the bells three hundred times, and still you are sleeping. Just see.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:

When we come to the spiritual platform, then actual love begins. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. That love begins... If we can love Kṛṣṇa, then, through Kṛṣṇa's love, we can expand our love for everyone. Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ (SB 4.31.14). Just like watering the root of the tree, the energy is expanded to the limbs, to the flowers, to the branches, similarly, if we want to love... Everyone... Just like we are coming, some patriot. Nobody loves nobody; that is all professional business. If we actually love Kṛṣṇa, then we can expand our love: patriotism, socialism, this "ism," that... Just like we are trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world because on account of love. Someway or other, we have come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. We are understanding that these people are in māyā or in ignorance, they do not know how to become happy. So our little attempt is "Let them become Kṛṣṇa conscious." This is out of love. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Everyone is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we are taking so much trouble. This is at least one side, that Kṛṣṇa wants them to deliver, and if we work on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, that is also love. We love Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, mat-prāṇa-rakṣaṇam ananta pitur vadhaś ca. The two things are there. When Kṛṣṇa incarnates there are two things. What are they? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two things. So here two things are being done. One thing is to save Prahlāda Mahārāja, paritrāṇāya sādhunam, and another thing is vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām yuge yuge sambhavāmi. So actually vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, it doesn't require the presence of the Supreme Lord. The nature's arrangement is so strong that anyone can be finished within a second, anyone. There is no need of Kṛṣṇa's taking so much trouble to come here. But He comes especially for deliverance of the devotee, bhakta-vatsala, and side work, to kill the demons. That is not His business. The Māyā, Durgādevī, is sufficiently powerful to kill any demon within a second. There is no difficulty. Simply by ordering Māyā... Or Māyā does not wait the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She can understand what the Lord wants. Simply little indication, she can kill hundreds and thousands of demons in one stroke. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. She can do that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

We can say and prove it, that they are all fools and rascals from the spiritual point of view because they do not know their identification. This is the first education, to know one's identification. That is being taught by Sanātana Gosvāmī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was prime minister. He knew himself, Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he was prime minister of Hussain Shah and he's coming of very learned brāhmaṇa family. He knew it. Then why he's asking, ke āmi: "Who am?" This is knowledge. This is knowledge. One has to understand himself. That is the basic principle of spiritual life. Unless we understand who I am... You go to the spiritual master, our first business is inquiry. That inquiry is "Who am I?" This is the... This is the beginning of inquiry. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is authorized. We have printed one pamphlet, "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement Is Authorized." It is not a sentiment, fanaticism. No. It is scientific, authorized. So I am very glad that you European and American boys, you have taken so much trouble to come here, but you'll be benefited if you come here and try to take lessons from Caitanya Mahāprabhu as He gave it to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired, "Who am I?" and He replied very simple thing: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). This is the beginning of our lesson, so we must understand very nicely this point.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

This is very important verse for the Vaiṣṇava. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am lamenting," śoce. "I am very much aggrieved." Śoce means "I am very much lamenting." "Why? Why you are lamenting? I have given you all protection, and your father was giving you so much trouble, and I am always after your protection. Why there is lamenting?" "Lamenting is not for myself. I am quite all right. I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet, and I am engaged in glorifying Your Lordship's activities, so I have no problem. I can sit down anywhere underneath a tree and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata. I am quite happy. So I have no problem." "Then? Why śoce?" "Śoce for these rascals who are making big, big plans to be happy in this material world." This is Vaiṣṇava's... Vaiṣṇava can tolerate all distresses. He is happy in every condition. He has no problem. He has no ambition except serving Kṛṣṇa. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So Vaiṣṇava has no such ambition that "I must have multimillions and million of dollars to possess and must have a very good wife," na dhanam, "and many followers. I shall become minister, leader, political." These ambitions are completely kicked out by the Vaiṣṇavas. They have no value. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Those who are after all these things, material temporary happiness, alpa-medhasām, Kṛṣṇa says. They are lack of brain. But the whole world is after these things.

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

This is aim of life. One has to become mahātmā, greater soul, great soul, must understand. So therefore there must be training. Without training, how... Because after all, we are coming from the lower grade of life, animal life, and they are very expert scientist that "Man is coming from monkey." That's all right, but shall you remain a monkey or you shall become a better person than the monkey? But they have preferred to remain as monkey. That's all. When there is impotency, they borrow glands from the monkey for increasing their sex appetite. That means again going to the monkey. Punar mūṣiko bhava. There is a story that a mouse approached a saintly person. "Sir, I have come to you for some favor." "What is that?" "Now, I am mouse. The cats gives me much trouble. I cannot live peacefully on account of the cats." So the saintly person asked, "What do you want to become?" "I want to become a cat." "All right, you become a cat." Then after some time he again came: "Sir, I am still bothered." "Why?" "The dogs, they bother me." "Then what do you want?" "Now, let me become a dog." "All right, you become a dog." Then again after some time he came back, that "Still they bother me, sir." "What do you want?" In this way, after, one after, he, at last he begged the saintly person to become a tiger. So the saintly person, "All right, you become a tiger." Then, when he became tiger, he began to stare his eyes on the saintly person. The saintly person, "What do you mean by this?" "I shall eat you." "Oh, you shall eat me? All right. Punar mūṣiko bhava: Again you become a mouse. I have made you tiger, and you want to eat me. So you become again mouse."

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

So the deerskin in the forest is very essential. Just like we take some blankets, we can spread anywhere and sit down. Deerskin, it is said that if you have got deerskin, you can sleep in the jungle; the snake will not touch you. That is the dravya-guṇa, the special effect of deerskin. Either tigerskin or deerskin, if you sit down, if you sleep, the snakes will not come. This is also very scientific. Therefore, because the brahmacārīs used to live in the jungle, it was essential. But on the whole the huts are(?) recommended, not that gorgeous dress, very nice bedstead or... As far as possible, yāvad-artha, whatever is absolutely necessary... That is Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization does not recommend that artificially you increase your necessities, life, and there is so much trouble. Just like nowadays in your country the machine is there in every respect. Even for shaving your cheek you require a machine. So this increasing the artificial necessities of life is possible when there is no higher thought. After all, we are thoughtful. We have got better consciousness in the human form of life than the animals. Our consciousness is developed. But because in this age, material world, we have no spiritual idea, so whatever power we have got in thinking, we are trying to increase artificially material way of life. "The idle brain is a devil's workshop."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 27, 1972:

Bed pan. He's thinking like that. He has no idea there is better activities, better sleeping, better eating. That he cannot understand. Therefore śūnyavādi. They want to make zero. "These activities are giving me so much trouble. Make it zero." Just like sometimes one cannot tolerate the pains of diseased condition. Sometimes they commit suicide—stop these activities. So the śūnyavādi, they are like that—committing suicide; stop these activities. But they do not know that there is activities. There are... After being cured of this material disease, when one is healthy... That healthy activities are the devotional activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ ca avyabhicāriṇi yogena yaḥ sevate. Sevate means there is activities. It is not stoppage of activities. Sevate. Sevate means giving service. Giving service is not stopping activities. But that is a different type of activities, healthy activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

māṁ ca avyabhicāriṇi

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

He's brahma-bhūtaḥ. He's self-realized. Self-realized. That is mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svārupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti does not mean stopping activities. That is not mukti. That is suicidal. You are living entity. How you can stop? That is not possible.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 8, 1973:

Sometimes they say that, these pañcopāsanā Māyāvādī, they say that "Ultimately, the absolute truth is nirākāra. There is no form. But because you cannot worship or meditate upon the nirākāra, so just imagine some form. Either of Viṣṇu, or Lord Śiva or Sūrya or Devī." Pañcopāsanā, it is called pañcopāsanā. Sādhakānāṁ hitārthāya brahmaṇo rūpa-kalpanaḥ. This is kalpana, he imagines. "Ultimately the Brahman has no form, but because you are accustomed to meditate on the forms, and it is very difficult for you to meditate upon the formless, so you imagine some form. This is imagine, not fact." That is their theory. And Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). So that is simply troublesome. After much trouble in that way, when they come to the form of Vāsudeva, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That mahātmā is greater. Kṛṣṇa is not imagination. This is another offense to think of Kṛṣṇa as imagination. Just see, that it is imagination, kalpana, "Just make it kalpana, imagination of Kṛṣṇa." No, Kṛṣṇa is fact. Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa devotees, they are not after imagination. They are after the fact. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Bhagavān, the personal. Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā manuṣīṁ tanum āś..., paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). So these thing will be realized by, through the process as it is recommended by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

Yes. Satatam, satataṁ smartavyaḥ viṣṇuḥ. This is the injunction. One should always remember Viṣṇu, the form of Viṣṇu. That is possible only when we have enhanced a little in the path of loving Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). So everything is possible provided we are serious. Then everything is possible. Go on. Otherwise why Rūpa Gosvāmī has taken so much trouble in the matter of giving us Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, quoting from so many, innumerable śāstras? Sad-dharma-pravarta. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-pravartakau. The Gosvāmīs were so compassionate with the fallen human society that he, especially Rūpa Gosvāmī... All the Gosvāmīs, they first of all searched out all the datas of spiritual life and quoted them, in each and every line. Sufficiently he quoted from śāstras. This is the business of sādhu. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. They'll act in the same way. There is no difference of opinion. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete kariyā aikya. One has to see a sādhu by corroborating his statements according to the śāstras or another sādhu.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101 -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister, he was not ordinary person. Very intelligent. So... Not that now he has retired, he has nothing to do. He does not ask, "Please give me instruction how I shall sit down idly and meditate and sleep, snoring." He does not say. He said, āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra. Something tangible to be done. Not that this so-called meditation. Meditation will automatically be there. If you do, if you sacrifice your life for serving Kṛṣṇa, you'll always remember Kṛṣṇa. You'll always remember Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are taking so much trouble, going place to place to give one book to somebody. Why? Because you love Kṛṣṇa and you are thinking if this gentleman takes one book, never mind, small or big, he'll read at least one page about Kṛṣṇa. So you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is meditation. Not that simply sit down at a place. The real meditation is how to think of Kṛṣṇa. That is real meditation. I am thinking of some light or some sky, like that—they are not meditation; they have manufactured now. Because they have no connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so they think these are the meditation, some light, some sky, some vacant. No. Some tangible thing. We should be always. That tangible thing is Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's desire, how to fulfill it, that is wanted. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

So this kind of law student, that he has learned all laws and he has become lawyer officially by his degree, but he's not going to practice... So similarly, if we simply know what is Brahman and what is not Brahman, but do not practice, it is just like that. It is useless waste of time. If you become a medical man, but if you don't practice as a medical man, then why should you take so much trouble? Similarly, those jñānis and yogis, they do not take to the devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is practical. If you... So far, we are trying to be practically employed in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is our business. We may not be haṭha-yogi or dhyāna-yogi or this yogi or that yogi or a very learned scholar, that we can distinguish and interpret that "Not to Kṛṣṇa but to myself." In this way I can waste my time. But if I do not apply myself (to) the purpose, then what is the use of? That is stated:

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

anādṛta-yuṣmad...

(SB 10.2.32)

Such class of men simply trying to understand what is Brahman, what is not Brahman, but practically, he will simply be engaged in material sense enjoyment. He'll not give up anything, even not smoking. Anything will not give up. Everything he'll keep in contact, but he'll discuss very scholarly, "This is not Brahman, this is Brahman." This is simply waste of time. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

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

Just like these karmīs. It is very distinctly visible wherever you go, so many congested work (?). All buses and cars are running, so many luggages being loaded in the street. Bharam udvahato. Great humbug, you see, great humbug. Prahlāda Mahārāja said māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43), actually they are taking so much trouble for loading these big, big cases, but because they're getting, say $40.00 a day, they say, think, "I am enjoying. I am enjoying." Actually he's working so hard, just like ass or hogs, day and night, but because getting some money and with that money because he is gratifying his senses, he thinks "I am happy." This is illusion. Illusion. He does not know what is real happiness for a second. The illusory material world happiness means sex life, that's all. How long does it stay? Say for minutes. But they're working so hard. This is called illusion. Actually he is being killed, but he thinks that "I am enjoying." This is illusion. Opposite.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- London, July 13, 1972:

So I am very glad that you have taken so much trouble to come here. Now will you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra along with the devotees and take part in honoring the prasādam? The prasādam is also one of the programs. Our Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is standing on three principal things: chanting, dancing, and eating prasādam. It is not very difficult. It is very enjoyable to chant, dance, and take prasādam. And if you like, you can hear a little philosophy of this movement. Or even if you do not understand the philosophy, even you do not read the books, simply if you take part in these three things, chanting, dancing, and taking part in eating the prasādam, your life will gradually progress in spiritual advancement of life. And if you continue this, then some day will come, even in this life it may come, that you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then after leaving this body you go back to home, back to Godhead, directly (?). This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

His Divine Grace Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja's Disappearance Day Lecture, (Srila Prabhupada's Sannyasa Guru) -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

So I am not loser. This is material conception. We think that we shall be loser by accepting Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is loser. I say from my practical experience. I was thinking that "How can I accept this renounced order of life? I cannot accept so much trouble." So... But I retired from my family life. I was sitting alone in Vṛndāvana, writing books. So this, my Godbrother, he insisted me, "Bhaktivedanta prabhu..." This title was given in my family life. It was offered to me by the Vaiṣṇava society. So he insisted me. Not he insisted me. Practically my spiritual master insisted me through him, that "You accept." Because without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher. So he wanted me to become a preacher. So he forced me through this Godbrother, "You accept." So unwillingly I accepted. And then I remembered that he wanted me to go to the Western country. So I am feeling now very much obliged to my, this Godbrother, that he carried out the wish of my spiritual master and enforced me to accept this sannyāsa order.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1968:

That I have already explained, still I am explaining. A prince, he's enjoying sense, that's all. He has got enough facility for sense enjoyment. So his next life is hellish. Because if you indulge in sex life, then Kṛṣṇa will give you facility to have sex life three times in an hour, just like the pigeons, the monkeys, the sparrows, they are very sexually strong. You have seen it. So the facility is given. So princely order, they are after sense enjoyment. So he's blessed that "Better you live forever, because after your death, you do not know what is going to happen to you. You are going to get a hellish life. Better you live for some time. Go on with your enjoyment." And muni-putra mā jīva. Brahmacārī, working under the guidance under strict disciplinary guidance, of a spiritual master, he is blessed, mā jīva, "You better die. Because you are so trained to enter into the kingdom of God, so why should you take so much trouble? Better you die and go back to Godhead." Ma jīva. And a devotee he blessed, jīva va maro va: "My dear devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." And the butcher, he blessed him, ma jīva ma mara: "You don't live, don't die." What he's to do? His living condition is so abominable. From the morning, he has to slaughter so many animals, see the bloodstain, the ghastly scene. That is his livelihood. So what a horrible life this is. So "Don't live. And don't die also." Because after death, oh, he is going to be in so much hellish condition, nobody can describe. So both lives, living condition and death, after death, his condition is very horrible.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Talk -- Calcutta, March 22, 1976:

So some of you, you have come with your big, big buses and vans to preach in India. You take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings and try to enlighten these people. The people are already... Bhāratavarṣī, the inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa, naturally they are inclined. Just like in the villages, when we were passing, the boys and children, they were also dancing. That is natural. Some way or other, this India is in a very precarious condition. So you have come, taking so much trouble. And take little trouble. There is no trouble. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu there will be no trouble. You'll be happy. Try to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in India at least for some time, and help them to rise to their standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Initiation Lectures

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

So how to understand? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. His name, His quality, His forms, His entourage, His expansion. Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These indriya, these senses, materially contaminated, cannot understand, cannot grasp what is the name of Kṛṣṇa, what is the form of Kṛṣṇa, what is the quality of Kṛṣṇa. Then? "Why you are taking so much trouble? If by these senses we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of wasting time?" No. The next line is, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot understand by exercising your senses, but He reveals. To whom? Who is in the service attitude, jihvādau, beginning from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Of all the senses, the tongue is considered to be the principal sense. So tongue, if the tongue is trained, or the tongue is spiritualized, then naturally all the senses become spiritualized. So jihvādau. So our training is the tongue training. Train it chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and let it taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then what will be? The all other senses... There are five senses for acquiring knowledge, five senses for acting. Everything will be controlled. And devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). By contacting relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the senses become purified. And what is the symptom of purification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, to become uncontaminated by the designative material identification. There are so many things.

General Lectures

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

Similarly, if you simply realize that "I am Brahman," you cannot utilize the opportunity, then what is the use of realization? You'll surely fall down. Just like the man has come down again. He may advertise, "Oh, I went to moon planet." That's all right, but what you have gained? You are liv... You are here, like me, with me. What is your extra qualification? You are now living with me. Why did you... Rather, I did not take so much trouble. You have taken so much trouble, and you have come back again. So what is the use of such realization if you cannot utilize it? So Brahman realization is not sufficient, that "I am not this body," ahaṁ brahma. No. That is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Brahman realization is not rejected, but if you do not go further, do not make further progress, then it is useless waste of time. Exactly like that: if you cannot go further, make arrangements how to live... You go with great speed in the space, but if you cannot stay in any other planet, then you come back again here. That's a fact. Similarly, you go, you realize Brahman—that's very nice—but if you cannot stay in the Brahman realization and again come to this bodily realization, bodily platform, then what is the use? Why you have taken so much trouble? Just after meditation, if you come again and you take to these, all these nonsense habits again, then what is the use? You must stay.

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

I think it should be down little. All right. That's all. Yes. (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) So ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your taking so much trouble in participating with us in this great movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As I am repeatedly placing before you with all humbleness that this movement is very, very much essential, not only at the present moment, but also all the time. And specially in this age, Kali-yuga, the age of disagreements and quarrel. Kali-yuga means nobody agrees with anyone. Everyone has got his own opinion, however condemned it may be. And on that point everyone is prepared to fight with one. Therefore it is called Kali-yuga. So putting different theories, philosophical speculations, will not solve the problems of the world, because not only during this age, but in all other ages also, there are different philosophers, different scriptures. That is the law of this material nature. Here there is no oneness. Duality. This world is meant for duality. So it is called dvaita. Dvaita means duality.

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

Mr. High Commissioner and Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here, taking so much trouble, to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And I shall simply try to draw your attention about the importance of this movement. Importance of this movement is this, that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern civilization, all over the world, especially in the Western world—nobody knows what is the actual problem and what is the aim of life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, "The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), that birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems." If you take birth, then you will have to die. Anyone who takes birth, he must have to die. And so long, between birth and death, there is old age and disease. Actually, these are the problems. So far we are concerned, living entities, every one of us, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity is never born, never dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "The living entity is eternal, ever-existing and very old, and," na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre, "it does not die after the annihilation of this body." But the modern civilization, they are thinking that "This body we have got somehow or other, a lump of matter, and so long we have got this body, let us enjoy life, sense gratification." This is atheistic theory.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975:

So these are... There is authoritative statements in all the śāstras, but if we do not care for śāstra and sādhu and devotees, we manufacture our own way of life, that is different things. We have nothing to speak about that. On the whole, I am very much thankful to Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī that he has come, taking so much trouble. He is old man. And he has advised you that you stick to bhakti principle, and that will make your life successful. You have come so far, distant place, in Vṛndāvana, from America, Australia, Africa, spending so much money. So... Of course, there is no consideration of material profit and loss. But your anxiety, laulyam, that will make you successful in receiving the mercy, unalloyed mercy of Kṛṣṇa. So you have nothing to be disappointed. You go on with your prescribed duties, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and observe the rules and regulations as they have been given to you. Chant your numerical strength of beads and your life will be successful.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Miracles means you cannot conceive how it is being done. The same example, as I said, that if you want to paint one rose flower you require so many things, but that also is not real rose flower. But imitation, it may be perfect, but you have to take so much trouble in collecting the paint, the colors, and your energy, then duration of work, and some day it may come out perfect. But the same energy is working so swiftly that you see automatically a rose flower is coming out. The same example again: just like this airplane, there are thousands of complicated electronic machinery arrangements, but you see that the pilot is simply pushing a button. That's all. But layman is seeing that "Simply by pushing a button, a miraculous thing is happening." But no, with the pushing of the button there are so many complicated machineries, they work one after another, one after another. So similarly, God's energy is so subtle that simply by His willing, the process takes place, but it takes place so swiftly and quickly, we see it as miracle. So there is no such thing as miracle. The process is there, but it acts so quickly and nicely, we see it as miracle. Just like a man is very innocent, illiterate, so servant, so I give a chit, "Just give it to Bhavānanda," Bhavānanda gives you ten thousand rupees. So he says, "Oh, what is this miracle? He writes some few lines and immediately ten thousand rupees came?" So to him, it is miracle. Isn't it? But Bhavānanda says "Prabhupāda wants ten thousand-I'll give him," that's all. He sees my signature and I want it. But this man does not know. He takes it as miracle: "Oh, a chit of paper brings immediately ten thousand rupees?" Miracles to the rascals, fools!

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Śyāmasundara: What about these men who perform great austerities, lash their bodies, starve, and...

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is also the same thing, not willing. They have no knowledge of good willing; therefore they simply want to kill bad willing. Because they are insufficient in knowledge that in this way willing cannot be reformed. Just like a child is accustomed to play. If you stop playing, then he will be dull, he'll be diseased. But you must give him good engagement. Just like DDD, he stopped playing. He was worshiping Jagannātha, and he said, "It is māyā." He stopped. Just like your daughter, when she is engaged in worshiping Deity, she is engladdened. So give good engagement, good willing, and he will automatically give up all this nonsense bad willing. But if you want to stop artificially willing, that will be not possible. That you can stop for the time, but it will again act.

Śyāmasundara: So you go through so much trouble...

Prabhupāda: Therefore the Māyāvādī philosophers, the impersonalists, because they are not willing to serve Kṛṣṇa, they stop willing. They again fall down. Vivekananda comes and opens hospitals. Just like your Christian missionaries. Yes. This is there. Willing, you cannot stop. You have to will badly or goodly, or godly. So better try to will godly, then badly will automatically... This is our process. You don't stop willing. Yes, we will—or Kṛṣṇa's service.

Śyāmasundara: So that's all for Schopenhauer. (end)

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Śyāmasundara: Because she was repressed when she was a child, or beaten by her father...

Prabhupāda: Not only that. A person does not like to bear children; therefore this contraceptive method is there. It is botheration, painful. It is called pain. (indistinct) (indistinct) means pain. So nature is prohibiting that, (indistinct), child delivery, so the man is also given so much trouble. The woman is also given so much trouble. So why is the trouble there? The (indistinct) for everything is don't be implicated in this sex life. If you simply tolerating a little itching sensation, then you will not have so much pain. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). These ordinary men who are attached to the materialistic way of life, their only happiness is this sexual intercourse. So śāstra says this happiness derived from sexual intercourse is very, very insignificant. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. This is not happiness. It is very (indistinct) third class or even lower than happiness. But because we have no idea of other happiness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the materialistic way of life, that is the happiness. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. That is a very insignificant happiness. Then how is this happiness experienced? Kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. You have got itching, and if you scratch like this, so you get some happiness, but aftereffects of that happiness is very abominable. So even if you have legal sex, the mother has to undergo the labor pains and the father has to take responsibility for raising the children nicely, give them education. Of course, one who is irresponsible like cats and dogs, that is another thing. But those who are actually gentlemen, for them it is not painful. Therefore they are avoiding children by contraceptive methods, because they know to raise children is a very difficult job. So śāstra's injunction is simply to try to tolerate this itching sensation and you save so much pain. This is real psychology. That itching sensation can be tolerated if one practices this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will not be very much attracted by this sex life.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Devotee: Actually the idea is that a child is sometimes unable to adjust to certain very extremes. It is called trauma, very shocking, and the child can't understand; he is simply very much stunned. So through his life he is affected by that. He can't remember exactly what it is, because he wants to forget it, it is so painful, but it manifests in some aberrant symptom later on, as he is afraid when the windows are closed. But by finding out what is the root of his fear,... (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) ...I become afraid. Just like in that hospital, it was so nice, everything was so nice, but because I was thinking, "Oh, I cannot go out, I cannot walk," it was giving me too much trouble—that very thought that I cannot go out.

Devotee: (indistinct) sometimes they can't trace out the history of a particular case. The idea is that if they can find out from this person remembering back when they were young that he had been locked in a room, then (indistinct) the person was able to understand the significance of that incident, that it was really very small. Then it loses its importance in his life. He has been unable to resolve it because he has repressed it.

Prabhupāda: But I don't think when a man's brain is already deranged he can be rectified by finding out the cause.

Devotee: It's not that the trauma makes him crazy so that he cannot function in society. He could be a business executive who has claustrophobia; he can't stand getting in an elevator. He is leading a normal life in society but he has a problem which causes him a great deal...

Prabhupāda: So why not divert his attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Śyāmasundara: Ah, by a higher type of knowledge, if one realizes that he is not this body, then all those things will be...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is...

Devotee: That is why we are doing social service.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: Something to do. I have to do something. He is cutting a book into pieces.

Śyāmasundara: Jean-Paul Genet was one of his heroes—a sadist, a homosexual, a criminal. He thought very highly of him, because he said at least he has chosen something he is doing very courageously. So he got him released from jail. Now he has chosen to become a Communist, Sartre. So... (break) He is very much trouble with the government. They want to arrest him, but he is too famous. His life is (indistinct).

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the actual cause of shame?

Prabhupāda: Higher consciousness.

Śyāmasundara: If I am ashamed to take my clothes off in public, why is that?

Prabhupāda: Higher consciousness. The dog has no such thing; therefore this consciousness is not developed.

Devotee: He says something about..., "You have it resolved in your mind and you don't carry it through."

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda gave an example: if I decide to rob a bank and I don't rob the bank and I... (break)

Prabhupāda: What is next?

Śyāmasundara: Next we'll go back to Fichte, a German philosopher, then Hegel, Schopenhauer. (end)

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Hayagrīva: That's right. His, his theory of, of death, he says, "When I die I shall cease to exist in every sense of the word. As a personal figure I shall be as unidentifiable as my ashes." No belief in immortality at all.

Prabhupāda: So why he is anxious to philosophize? If everyone is going to be finished, then why he is philosophizing? What did he..., why he is taking so much trouble? That is the difficulty—this class of men accepted as philosopher.

Hayagrīva: Oh, he became very popular through this book. I don't know how.

Prabhupāda: Oh, if you prescribe such nonsense book, everyone will like it. (laughs) (break)

Hayagrīva: This is the conclusion of B. F. Skinner. He felt that the goal is to improve the world and then man. He believes that "Now, as never before, man can lift himself up by his own bootstraps, and achieving control of the world of which he is a part, he may learn at last to control himself."

Prabhupāda: That man attempted first of all to control the world?

Hayagrīva: First control the world...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- New York, March 30, 1966:

So that is the last stage of this body. So everyone knows that everyone will die. Still, we are working so hard. We are making our bank balance, we are just making will and papers just to give protection to our family or to our children, and there is no time. Everyone is very busy, very busy. But he does not see that "All these, what I am doing, all these body ultimately become either ash or animal stool or turn into earth. So why I am taking so much trouble?" Therefore the revealed scripture advises that "You have to maintain your body. That's all right. But for simply material comforts, you should not devote time more than it is absolutely required." That means don't increase your bodily necessities. Don't increase your bodily necessities. That was the standard of Indian civilization. They did not, the sages and saints, they did not advise to increase the necessities of the body. They, I mean to say, planned the social system in such a way that people should be satisfied only for, by the bare necessities of life. We require some eating, we require some sleeping, or shelter place, and we require some sense gratification, and we require some protection from enemies. Yes? Come. Ah hah! Ah ah haha, ah hah! Come in. Come in. (end)