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Take from the authority

Expressions researched:
"take from the authorities" |"take from the authority" |"take from authority" |"taken from authorities" |"taken from authorities"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So if you study yourself, what I am, am I this body, I am this hand, I am this finger, I am this hair? Go on studying, one day it will, you will come to the point of understanding, but it will take many, many years. But if you take from the authority.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971: Somebody will say some cat must be there, somebody will say that some man must be there. In this way, we can go on speculate. This is also one process. This is called ascending process. And descending process means if there is one person on the roof, he says, "This sound is due to this," then that is also perfect knowledge. So we get knowledge from the higher authorities, that is perfect knowledge and that is easier. So if you study yourself, what I am, am I this body, I am this hand, I am this finger, I am this hair? Go on studying, one day it will, you will come to the point of understanding, but it will take many, many years. But if you take from the authority, just like Kṛṣṇa says that the living force within the body, that living force is changing from one type of body to another. Just in our life experience, everyone of us knows that I was a child, I was a boy. Just like I am an old man. I remember when I was playing on the lap of my eldest sister, I remember still, and my body at that time six months old. But I still remember my eldest sister, she was nine years older than me, and I was playing on her lap and she was knitting.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We take knowledge from the authority. Of course, the scientists also say they take from authority, but originally, as explained by our Hayagrīva Prabhu, it does not appear that the knowledge was taken from authority.
Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972: Prabhupāda: But here we find it quite reasonable. Because everything is, is from the person. Jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam. Rūpam, form. It is not from imperson. Jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam. So we don't theorize. We accept the statement of the Vedas. That is our process of knowledge. Eh? Descending process. We take knowledge from the authority. Of course, the scientists also say they take from authority, but originally, as explained by our Hayagrīva Prabhu, it does not appear that the knowledge was taken from authority. It is theory. Theory, one can put theory of his own, and there are so many theories. But we don't accept theories. We want solid fact.

General Lectures

But if there is life, the next answer to Cārvāka theory, if there is life, then if I'm working irresponsibly, then I am becoming victim to my next life. But we have to take from the authority.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968: There are two philosophers: one says that there is no life, other says there is life. Now we have to study both, if there is life and if there is no life. But if there is life, the next answer to Cārvāka theory, if there is life, then if I'm working irresponsibly, then I am becoming victim to my next life. So there are... But we have to take from the authority. Just like the Bhagavad-gītā says that na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin: "The soul is never born and never dies." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: [Bg. 2.20] "Even after the annihilation of this body there is no destruction of the soul." And soul is migrating in different species of life. So we have to take Kṛṣṇa the authority, Veda-Vyāsa the authority. There are many such authorities.

Philosophy Discussions

Just like we cannot know what is there in the sun, but a geologist or astronomer, he can say, one who has studied. Therefore our process of knowledge is to take from the authorities. That is perfect. Our senses cannot read, that is a fact.
Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Śyāmasundara: Today we are discussing philosopher David Hume. He is probably the most famous of the British philosophers. He was very skeptical about achieving certain knowledge, so he came to the conclusion that the only knowledge we can possess is a mere sequence of ideas, none of which can be proved to be true. In other words, we can only derive any knowledge from our senses, but even that knowledge is mere assumption.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We say also, because our senses are imperfect, so there is no possibility of achieving perfect knowledge by sense exercise. It is not possible. That is our philosophy.

Śyāmasundara: He says there is no other source of knowledge except the senses.

Prabhupāda: No. We don't agree. Therefore it is called avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ, adhokṣaja—there are so many names. The senses are imperfect. They cannot reach. Just like we cannot know what is there in the sun, but a geologist or astronomer, he can say, one who has studied. Therefore our process of knowledge is to take from the authorities. That is perfect. Our senses cannot read, that is a fact. But it is not that without senses, no knowledge can be... No. We receive by senses, but from superior authority, one who knows. That is perfect knowledge. According to him, there is no possibility of having perfect knowledge?
So far direct perception is concerned, it is like that. But indirect perception, taken from authorities, that is different.
Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Śyāmasundara: In fact, he calls the soul a bundle of perceptions, that it is nothing but a set or sequence of ideas.

Prabhupāda: But as soon as he says "ideas," there must be some concrete things.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He admits that the external world is full of concrete things, but he thinks that we are also one of those things because we are only a bundle of perceptions. Our consciousness is only made up of our observations of material nature.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So far direct perception is concerned, it is like that. But indirect perception, taken from authorities, that is different.

Śyāmasundara: He distrusts any kind of authority and says that the only kind of things that we can know for sure are mathematical proofs and immediate sense perceptions. Like we can perceive that there is time and there is space, like that. That is the only knowledge he will admit.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

So nobody is taking this Bhagavad-gītā in the paramparā system. He is interpreting in his own way. Therefore it is already naṣṭaḥ; it has no value. So this is going on. Yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. So because... Why we have to take from the authority?
Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay: Prabhupāda: The predominating deity in the sun planet is called Vivasvān. His name is Vivasvān. So he spoke to his son Manu. Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku. In this way He describes, sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa: "That paramparā system is now lost. Therefore I am speaking you the old truth." Yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. That is nothing new; the same thing. And if we give up this paramparā system, then yogo naṣṭaḥ. So nobody is taking this Bhagavad-gītā in the paramparā system. He is interpreting in his own way. Therefore it is already naṣṭaḥ; it has no value. So this is going on. Yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. So because... Why we have to take from the authority? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Because guru means he presents the truth as it is. And as soon as you interpret, it is naṣṭaḥ; it is spoiled. They are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not take this instruction, that "I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā in a way which is spoiled." And they're insisting.
So you have to take from authority. Without authorized statement don't say anything. It is foolish.
Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh: Prabhupāda: You have to realize from authorized scripture, not whimsically. Just like this boy asked, "God, Christ said like that," without any authority. Without reading, without understanding, he says like that. So you have to take from authority. Without authorized statement don't say anything. It is foolish. Śabda-pramāṇam. Just like a good lawyer in the court. When he says something, immediately he quotes the law, "Section number such, laws number such," and that is authorized, not that whimsically if he says. That is not the process. You have found out? Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu... Thirteenth Chapter.
Page Title:Take from the authority
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:20 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=5, Con=2, Let=0
No. of Quotes:7