Style (Lectures)

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style="font-size:95%;">Expressions researched:
"style" |"styled" |"styles" |"stylish" |"stylistically"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

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style="display: inline;">Simply if you think yourself that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family; my duty is all finished. Now I can do whatever nonsense..." They think like that. I have spoken. They are very much proud of taking birth in brāhmaṇa family. So when others are engaged in devotional service, they say, "Oh, you are born in lower family. You have got to do this. We are born in brāhmaṇa... We have nothing to do." You see? But they do not know that jāti-dharma kula-ghnānām, utsanna-kula-dharmānam. If you are actually brāhmaṇa, you must keep your family tradition. That is brāhmaṇa. Otherwise if you sacrifice everything of your family tradition... Just like in your country, the Lord family. The Lord family is maintained. The government, the Lord family has got money deposited with the government, and government gives the interest so that the family tradition may be maintained, the aristocratic style. Or if they spoil, they no more cares for them. Then their house will be sold and they will be street-beggar. That's all. No more Lord family.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

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style="display: inline;">Actually, I am not this body. I have given you so many examples. I am spirit soul. But at the present moment every one of us is busy on this understanding that I am this body. Nobody is working on the understanding that he is not body, he's spirit soul. Therefore try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to educate every man without any distinction. We do not... Because we do not take consideration of the body. The body may be Hindu, body may be Muslim, the body may be European, body may be American, or the body may be different style. Just like you have got a dress. Now, because I am in saffron dress and you are in black coat, that does not mean we shall fight together. Why? You may have a different dress, I may have a different dress. So where is the reason for fighting? This understanding is wanted at the present moment. Otherwise, you'll be a civilization of animals. Just like in the jungle, there are animals. There are cats, dogs, jackals, tigers, and they always fight. Therefore, if we really want śānti—śānti means peace—then we must try to understand "What I am." That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching everyone what he is actually. But his position is... Everyone's position, not only my or yours. Everyone. Even the animals. They're also spirit spark. They're also. Kṛṣṇa claims that,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

Kṛṣṇa claims that "I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." Actually, this is the fact. If we want to study the origin of creation, everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like the father gives the seed within the womb of the mother, and the seed grows a particular type of body, similarly, we living entities, we are all part and parcel of God, so God impregnates this material nature, and we come out with this material body under different forms. There are 8,400,000s of forms. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. There is a list. Everything is there.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

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style="display: inline;">One who is constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, he is not associating with this material nature. He is associating directly with Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spirit. So if you keep yourself constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are not in this material world. There is no more fear of what kind of body you will get next. You will get next body go back to home back to Godhead. This is wanted. If you go back to home, back to God, in the same style of body as Kṛṣṇa has got, spiritual body īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1)—then no more birth. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The devotees who are constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa, trying to understand Kṛṣṇa and engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, such personality, after giving up this body...

We have to give up this body. Everyone, the cats, dogs, they will also give up body. We shall also give up body. But the difference is, a devotee after giving up this body, he does not get anymore material body. So our request is, those who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, don't fall down again in the material qualities. That will not help you. Remain strictly adherent to the spiritual activities and your life will be successful.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

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style="display: inline;">Su-medhasaḥ, those who are possessing nice brain, not dull Because the yajña was performed in the Vedic yuga, so we have to perform yajña again the same style—that is not possible. You cannot get even the ghee, and so many things, that is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: those who are intelligent persons, they perform the saṅkīrtana yajña, as it is being done here. Saṅkīrtana... No other yajña is possible to be done in this age, but this can be done, and anyone can take part in it. We have seen practically, even the small children, they are also doing. This is real yajña. And tattva-vijñāsa... This saṅkīrtana-yajña and tattva-vijñāsa means hear something from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. That makes your life perfect. Jīvasya tattva-vijñāsa nartho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. No other karma... No other karma-kāṇḍīya ritual. Simply this yajña should be performed.

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

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style="display: inline;">So this kṣatriya, this Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, they also kṣatriyas. So when they were going to see Bhīṣmadeva, they were going there in royal style, with chariots, with horse, and decorated with golden ornaments and the brāhmaṇas, Vyāsadeva and other. All the kṣatriyas, kings, would be always accompanied by hoards of brāhmaṇas. As soon as they required any instruction, immediately consult the brāhmaṇas, and they gave good advice: "Do like this." This is the business of the brāhmaṇa. And the kings, they would not do anything without consulting. Don't think that because there was monarchy, they were all autocrat. No. If the brāhmaṇas would not agree, then they won't do. The brāhmaṇa's community, all saintly persons and learned scholars, brāhmaṇas... There was a committee, and the king would take their advice how to manipulate the political affairs or administration, and they would consult standard books. Just like nowadays the rascals, every day they are changing some law. Somebody told me, where? In Africa, every week there is change of the cabinet, every week. Means so full of rascals. So one rascal will fight with another rascal. So there is no stability of government. All these rascals, politicians, they are trying to occupy the post: "I shall become president, I shall become secretary, and then I shall exploit the state like anything." This is the motive. Their manifestation, that "I am going to give you heaven. If you select me president, then I shall give you heaven within three minutes."

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

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style="display: inline;">Nine million dollars, and, to the... This is going on. In the Bhagavad-gītā we don't find anywhere a single line that "You raise funds for," I mean to say, "giving relief to the poor" or "to the suffering." Is there any instruction in Bhagavad-gītā? You have read. Can you find out? But these people, they have become more learned than Kṛṣṇa. In our country, Vivekananda: daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. The whole Ramakrishna Mission is collecting funds only on this rascal plea. One Swami Nikhilananda, he told me "Now the Americans are questioning that you are raising fund for feeding the poor, but when we go to India we see simply poor men. What you are doing with this money?" Actually they are doing nothing. They are collecting money in the name of feeding the poor, and they are living just like royal style, you see, eating all, everything.

Lecture on SB 3.22.22 and Initiations -- Tehran, August 12, 1976:

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style="display: inline;">So we cannot spare our valuable time for bodily comforts, sacrificing our real aim of life, self-realization. That is not civilization. That is animal civilization. First consideration is self-realization. Therefore you'll find Vedic civilization very simple because they took it main business, self-realization. The bodily comforts... Big, big kings, because they had to rule over the country, some gorgeous type, style of living. They were... Ordinary persons, they were satisfied in a cottage. Still you'll find in India in the villages—I think here also the same—they don't mind. I see from the street the original walls.(?) They are not very much interested how to live comfortably. The real purpose of life should be done. At the present moment the civilization is simply for bodily comforts. Divasa-śarīra-sāje. Whole day is spoiled for trying how to make the, keep the body in comfortable situation. That is not the purpose of life. The purpose of life is, we should supply the necessities of the body as you can keep fit for executing spiritual purpose. But at the present moment there is no spiritual purpose, simply bodily comforts. This is the civilization of animals. As animals they do not know anything except bodily comforts. If human society becomes like that, then it is animal society. And because it is animal society, there is no peace in spite of advancement of material comforts.

Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:

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style="display: inline;">Here the important point is about monarchy. There are different types of government, of which monarchy is the most prominent style. Formerly everywhere, all over the world, the monarchy was prevalent. Even up to date some of the countries, they are maintaining monarchy but only in name actually. The monarch has no power. So monarchy is good so long the king is as ideal as Bharata Mahārāja, Ṛṣabhadeva, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Lord Rāmacandra. That is the perfect type of monarchy. We have description of Rāma-rājya. We have got the word nowadays. They sometimes use Rāma-rājya party, but without Rāma. This is their policy. Where is that Rāma? When Lord Rāmacandra returned from the forest, His brother, Bharata, was ruling as a saintly person. But as soon as the eldest brother came back, He entreated that "Now You sit down on the throne." But He first of all tested what kind of people in generally there are in the Ayodhyā. So when He understood that all the citizens, they are strictly following the varṇāśrama-dharma, then He agreed to accept the throne.

Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

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style="display: inline;">Yes. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, is explaining Himself. Absolute Truth is the ultimate end, Vedānta. The subject matter of knowledge is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So we have got this human form of life to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Unless one is jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, there is no need of accept a so-called fashionable guru. To accept guru is not a fashion, style, that "Everyone has guru; I'll have a guru." No. The śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. One should accept guru when he is inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What about? Śreyaḥ uttamam. The Absolute or the auspicity beyond this material world. Uttamam. Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance.

Festival Lectures

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 30, 1968:

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style="display: inline;">Actually we are experiencing, if we speak something impersonal, they think it is very learned speech, and when we speak of something personal they think it is old, old style. This is nonsense. Practically, the Personality of God is the ultimate knowledge, but men with poor fund of knowledge, a little stock of knowledge, they cannot understand. If He is impersonal, how Brahmā and Śambhu are engaged in His service? He is person. Brahmā-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśam vedānta-vedyam. Vedānta-vedyam.

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

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style="display: inline;">In the animal body or in the lower than animal body—just like trees and plants, they are also living entities—the consciousness is not developed. If you cut a tree, because the consciousness is not developed, it does not protest. But it feels the pain. That is scientifically proved by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It feels. But the feeling is not so strong. But if you kill one animal, it protests because the consciousness is developed. Similarly if you kill a man, that protest is still vehement because the consciousness is still more advanced. So in this way, in different forms of life, we are developing different types of consciousness. Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness also will be different. Not will be, it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that is the ultimate development. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body.

General Lectures

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

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style="display: inline;">For... I've known Swami Bhaktivedanta for about three years, since he settled in the Lower East Side in New York, which was my territory and my neighborhood... (applause) It seemed to me like a stroke of great intelligence for him to come, not as an uptown swami (laughter) but a real down-home street swami, and make it on the street in the Lower East Side, as also opening a branch on Frederick Street in San Francisco, right in the center of Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, so that people who were tripping in Haight-Ashbury several years ago, coming down, wanting some, quote, "permanent—eternal reassurance," formula, ritual, magic, hope, feel, one truth, if you wish, zeroed in on the Frederick Street rugged, performed, incensed, ashram, where chanting would be heard at dawn as they were coming down off a trip all night. A great many people who were hung on acid or other varieties of chemical psychedelics found it much more stable to practice a prolonged ritual or sādhana following the instructions of Swami Bhaktivedanta, which are old, classical, Indian-style instructions for both ritual, daily living, diet, sexuality, thought consciousness, apparel, hand gestures—in other words, a very complicated ritualized yoga, a very ancient one also. I thought Swami Bhaktivedanta made a great move in coming to the Lower East Side and to Haight-Ashbury.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

style="display: inline;">Śyāmasundara: Your experience after you, your body finishes, your experience is passed on, so that everything that we see-doors, walls, bodies, minds—everything is made up of previous experience. So and so learned how to build a door this way, and it was passed on...

Prabhupāda: That previous experience of Kṛṣṇa. Just like I was sometimes thinking of Africa, I think. They have made their houses almost like India. I have see that this is the Indian style. I have told you that this is Indian style. So how the Africans got my Indian's experience or the Indian got the African experience? So actually, the Indians did not take experience from Africans, nor the Africans took the experience from the Indians. It is experience of the Supersoul.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

style="display: inline;">Hayagrīva: This is John Dewey, who believed that religions were basically myths and that experience is of the utmost necessity. He felt that philosophy was superior to religion. He writes, "The form ceases to be that of the story told in imaginative and emotional style and becomes that of rational discourse, observing the canons of logic." So it's apparent that Dewey considers religion simply to be a story told in imaginative and emotional style, and for him philosophy observes the canons of logic. So for him the Vedic accounts of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes would be imaginative and emotional, or mythic. How does one argue against this kind of a...?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is historical fact. It is not imagination. It is, to think like that, is imaginative. Kṛṣṇa... The Mahābhārata is there. It is accepted by all Indian authority, and Kṛṣṇa is a historical figure. How it can be imaginative? So... he may think like that, like a madman, but India's leader will not accept that. Especially the ācāryas who are controlling the spiritual life of India, they do not accept a lunatic foreigner speaking like that.