So the ultimate goal being liberation, we have to adjust things, targeting to that point. That is real human civilization. The Vedic civilization is based on this view, that all the conditioned souls, they have... Why they have become conditioned? The reason is they revolted against Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is the mentality everywhere. You know, everyone says, "Oh, I don't care for God. I don't care for anything. I am at liberty to do anything." Just the hippies, they say, "We don't care for anything, state laws or convention or police or anything." The idea is that everyone is wanting liberation, "be high." Because that is our constitutional position. Liberation.
That is real... (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:
Therefore human civilization should be based on first of all religion, dharma. And what is that dharma? That I have several times explained. According to Prahlāda Mahārāja, dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma means God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is dharma. That is religion. Dharmān bhāgavatān. So from the very beginning, in school, in primary schools, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be taught. That is real civilization. Unfortunately, there is no such arrangement. So you go to the authorities and the so-called authorities, rascals. Inform them that "Take this education. Introduce in the schools, colleges. Then there will be peace and prosperity. Otherwise there will be hippies. That's all. You may have very big, big universities, educational system, but the production will be hopeless, confused hippies. That's all." From the very beginning, the whole system should be changed, rascal civilization. Religion first. First religion, then pious activities. "I belong to this religion," but what is your activities? "Now, I'm debauch number one." You see? And the other day the boy was asking religion, blasphemy, but from his appearance it looked like he's debauch number one. You see? So they fight simply on false prestige of so-called religion. Religion means pious life. That is religion. No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication—that is religion, religious life, pious life.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:
Rāma, this word, comes from ramaṇa, ram, ram-dhātu, "enjoyment." Just like here in this material world they are also engaged in ram, ramaṇa, but that is sex life. That's all. That is sex life. That is also ramaṇa. But there is another ramaṇa, that is Rāma. If you take the shelter of Rāma, that is real happiness. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. Those who are yogis... Yogis means transcendentalists. Those who are aspiring after spiritual perfection, they are called yogis. So the preliminary yoga system that is practiced generally, haṭha-yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, that is preliminary. Nobody gets perfection even in the preliminary yoga system. And what to speak of further progress. So the bhakti-yogī, those who are engaged in this bhakti-yoga system... Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate. That is yogi.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:
This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore His instruction should be followed. What is it? Na dhanam: "I don't want any wealth, material wealth," na dhanam. Na janam: "I don't want any so-called followers." Na sundarīṁ kavitām: "Neither I want a very beautiful wife." "Then what do You want? These are the material things everyone wants." No, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktiḥ: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "Even I don't want liberation." Liberation means there is no more janma. But He said, janmani janmani: "Life after life, I want to be engaged in Your devotional service." This is real characteristic, and that should be followed. So this is the essence of Vedic knowledge. The essence of Vedic knowledge is Vedānta, Vedānta. There are four Vedas and many branches, eighteen Purāṇas and then 108 Upaniṣad. All combined together, the essence is taken as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. First of all, Vyāsadeva... Vyāsadeva is the author of all these literatures. Not author, he has written. Formerly there was no need of writing because people were very intelligent. As soon as one hears from the spiritual master, he remembers.
Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:
So in this Kali-yuga the duration of life, the span of life will be gradually reduced. Memory will be reduced. Strength will be reduced. Mercifulness will be reduced. In this way... Now, it is a age of reduction. Not increasing. So prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. People in this age are of short span of life. And manda. Manda means all faulty. All slow. Manda, two meaning. Either you take slow... Actually they are manda. Manda means faulty. So many faults. And slow means slow in spiritual realization. Slow. The human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. That is the distinction between human form of life and animal form of life. The animals are not interested, or they do not know what is spiritual life. But the human form of life with developed consciousness is meant for understanding our identification. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about our spiritual identity. That is real business. So in that line of thought we are manda. Manda means very slow. "All right. We shall take it later on. Now I have got strength. Let me enjoy senses. Then we shall see later on." That is called manda. Not serious.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:
So these occupational duties, this is faith. He thinks that "This is my duty." "Oh, as Hindu, I have to do it." "As Christian, I must believe it." "As Muslim, I must do it." But here it is stated, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti. This is real dharma. Except bhakti, they are all pseudo. Therefore in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ. All so-called cheating, pseudo-religious system is rejected. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating... Just like Śrīdhara Svāmī says, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), these are gradually progressive life. First of all, dharma. Unless one takes to some religious principle, he's not a human being. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. He's not a human; he's animal. Some sort of religious system the human being must follow. Therefore civilized man, either he's born in Western or Eastern country, he has got some religion. It may be Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, Buddha religion. Any civilized man has some religion. That's a fact. (aside:) Don't sit like that.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:
So this verse is very important. It is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ. Dharma means... I do not wish to take your more time. Dharma means your occupational duty. Dharma means it is a fanaticism. That is not. That is not the meaning of dharma. The meaning of dharma, in English, it is called "religion." And religion is a kind of faith. So faith may be wrong or right. That is not dharma. Dharma means your constitutional position and duty. That is called dharma. Just like the other day I explained. Just like chili should be pungent, sugar must be sweet, this is the idea. Water must be liquid. A stone must be solid. This is the dharma. You cannot say "liquid stone." No. That is not dharma. As soon as you say "stone," it must be solid. As soon as you say "water," it must be liquid. So this liquidity and water, the liquidity is the dharma of water. The solidity, or dharma... Similarly, we have got a dharma. We are forgotten now what is our dharma. The dharma is... Here it is stated, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣ... (SB 1.2.8). How to awaken our consciousness to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is real dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is the description of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:
So here it is said sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Dharma... You have to execute your occupational duty, but, as Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is real dharma. "I am this. I am following this dharma, that dharma"—that is not dharma. Dharma means the natural instinct. The natural instinct is to obey the superior person. Every one of us, we are meant for obeying the Supreme. Is anyone... Who can say that "I haven't got to obey any superior person"? Is there anyone? That cannot be. You have to obey. That was the subject matter of my topics in Moscow, with Professor Kotovsky. I challenged him that "What is the difference between your philosophy and our philosophy? You have to obey some person, and I have to obey some person. So you are obeying Lenin, and I am obeying Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difference between you and me in philosophy? Now, the things remain to be judged, whether by following Kṛṣṇa I shall be happy or by following Lenin you shall be happy. That is to be judged, not that you, Communist party, you can do without following a superior person. That you cannot do. That is not possible." That is natural.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:
So unless people take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand and learn how to obey Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot, there cannot be any peace. There cannot be any happiness. And there is no condition... Here it is said, ahaituky apratihatā. That obedience should be without any motive. Just like see here the Europeans and American boys, they are obeying Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative without any condition. They have not come here to obey my order for earning livelihood or for some material purpose. They have not come for that. They have got enough money. They have got enough money. They can purchase hundred times India. But why? This is real paro dharmaḥ. This is the supreme religion, to obey the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative. Because we have to learn through the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na martya-buddhyāsūyeta (SB 11.17.27). So this is the injunction of the śāstra. Ācārya, the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt, Kṛṣṇa says. "The ācārya is Myself." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: ** "By pleasing the ācārya, one can please the Supreme Lord." This is the... Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has got ācārya to guide him, he knows things." These are the Vedic injunctions.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:
So one has to come to the religious principle on the spiritual platform. That is real dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter what religious system you are following. Because actually religion means to abide by the orders of God. That is religion. Simply definition of religion. Just like good citizen means who abides by the state laws. He does not break the state laws. Similarly, any person, it doesn't matter whether he is Hindu, Muslim, Christian or this or that. It doesn't matter. If he is a devotee of the Supreme Lord, then his religion system is first class. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That will be stated. If you do not develop your... Generally, we have love for these material things. First of all myself, centered round my personal body, then extended in the family, then extended in the society, then extended in the community or nation. In this way we are extending. But these are all bodily concept of life. When we actually develop our love for God, that is real religion... That is first-class religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. It doesn't matter. The result... Phalena paricīyate. Just like a businessman. It doesn't matter what business he is doing. If he has got some money, then we say he is successful businessman. It doesn't matter whether he is this business or that business. Similarly, it doesn't matter what kind of religion you are following. If you love for God has enhanced, if you understand what is God, if you understand what is your relationship with God, and if you understand what is the end of life, what is the end of or the object of human life, then your life, is successful.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:
So here Kṛṣṇa came to establish this fact, that "You are neither Roman, nor Indian nor brāhmaṇa nor śūdra. You are My eternal servant. Therefore give up all this nonsense identification." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Because due to your wrong identification, you have created so-called "isms:" Hinduism, Muhammadanism, nationalism, this "ism," that "ism." This is all nonsense. This is the understanding of religion. Whatever we have created with the bodily concept of life, they are all nonsense. The real religion is that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is real religion. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was questioned by Sanātana Gosvāmī, "My dear Sir, I have come to You to surrender to You because You are my spiritual master. You have asked me to give up my family life. So by Your word I have given up. Now I have come to You. So this is my first question." One should be very inquisitive. After initiation, ādau gurvāśrayam. This is our system. So just to become enlightened in the spiritual affairs of life... As Arjuna also said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī also, he said, "Sir, You asked me. I am now surrendered to You. So this is my question."
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:
So therefore our business is to see. It doesn't matter whether you are acting as a śūdra or brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. It doesn't matter. If by your actions, sva-karmabhis tam abhyarcya. If by your action Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then your life is successful. It doesn't matter in what position you are. It doesn't matter, if Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. This is the principle of life. That is real dharma. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān pa..., mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So whether we have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and satisfied Him? This is our business to see. In this way... And this chapter is very important. We may discuss.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:
The so-called university education, D.H.C., Ph.D., they are simply expansion of ajñāna. He is again... Therefore the more a person is so-called scientist, educated, he is more godless. That means he is going deeper and deeper into the ajñāna. Because jñāna means to know God. That is not real jñāna. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Not ajñānavān. So if you do not God, if you do not know what you are, if you do not know what is your relationship with God, then what is your jñāna? That jñāna, for eating, sleeping, mating, the cats and dogs they have got. Do you mean to say to have better knowledge how to eat nicely, how to sleep more nicely or to have sexual intercourse nicely, is that jñāna? No. They are all ajñāna. They are the business of the cats and dogs. Real jñāna is to know ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). That is real jñāna.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:
So in a renounced... This vairāgya, vairāgya. Political vairāgya is different. The political vairāgya is that "I don't want things, anything, anything for me, but for my son, for my grandson, for my countrymen, for my this, that." Not like that. This vairāgya means vāsudeve: "I don't want anything personally for me, but I want everything for Vāsudeva." This is the difference between political mendicant and the spiritual mendicant. So these Gosvāmīs were spiritual mendicants, vairāgya. That vairāgya... Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā. Dīna. Dīna means this poor mass of people. They are very poor. Because they have no knowledge what is the aim of life, therefore poor in knowledge. Poor means one who is poor in knowledge. Material poverty, that is no consideration. That is coming and going. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. That has been advised, that if you are little... Nobody is actually happy, even if you have got enough money. But still, there is unhappiness. But that they cannot understand. But actually, poverty is want of knowledge. Therefore the acquiring knowledge, that is real richness. That is real richness. That is called brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Therefore brāhmaṇa is respected by even the king. That was the system in India. Because they were rich in knowledge.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:
That's all. So dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. In the human society, there is always some kinds of religious institution. That is called dharma, faith. Real dharma means—that I have already explained—occupational duty. Constitutional duty, that is called dharma, functional duty. So real dharma, real religion is to become servant of God, or to render service to God. That is real religion. But we have manufactured so many religions. Different societies, different circumstances, different country. Therefore it is advised herewith that you may execute any kind of religious faith or (break) ...principle, but the result should be (break) ...perfect. You can say, "I am very perfectly executing the ritualistic ceremonies, and the tenets described in my scripture, Bible or Veda or Koran." That's very good. But what is the result? The result is that you must develop or increase your tendency to hear about God. But if your ultimate truth is impersonal Mostly they consider God has no form. Then if God has no form then what he'll hear about Him. Simply formless, formless, formless. How can you, how long you can go thinking like this, "God is formless"? If God is formless, then your idea of hearing about Him is finished, because formless, there is nothing, activities.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
So dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām (SB 1.2.8). Dharma generally means occupational duty. We have several times explained. (In) the English dictionary, dharma is explained as faith. So faith may be changed. But actually, what is meant by dharma, that is constitutional position, activities in one's constitutional position. This has been explained by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Real dharma, constitutional position of the living entity, is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real dharma. Kṛṣṇa also confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, simply unto Kṛṣṇa, surrender, that is real dharma. Otherwise it is pseudo-religious principles, pretension, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
Especially when one comes to the form of a human being, his special interest should be how to approach Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Svārtha-gatim, self-interest. Everyone is inclined for his self-interest, but they do not know what is real self-interest. Somebody is thinking, "To satisfy the senses, body, that is self-interest." Somebody is thinking, "To satisfy the mind, whims of the mind, that is self-interest." Somebody is thinking, "Liberation of the self, mokṣa, mokṣa-vāñchā..." That is also not self-interest. But when one thinks in terms of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real self-interest.
So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). People do not know. (break)... svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Real self-interest is to become Vaiṣṇava, servitor of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava. That is real self-interest. Why people do not become Vaiṣṇava? Generally they worship various demigods-devotee of Lord Śiva, devotee of Goddess Kali, Durgā, so many. But they have been condemned by Bhagavad-gītā, spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānā yajante anya-devatāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives his comment: hṛta-jñānāḥ naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, "One who has lost his intelligence, they are inclined to worship other demigods." Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). Because they do not know what is his self-interest. He thinks that his self-interest is to give comfort to this body, the senses, sense-gratification. That is his misguided self-interest. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha means external energy. This body, gross body and the subtle body, they are made of the external energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4).
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
So actually unless one is saved by the supreme authority, there is no question of saving him by so many philanthropic work. Actual saving is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because if one is raised to his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the whole problems of his life will be solved. That is real welfare activity. Other things you cannot change. If one is destined to suffer by some agency, you cannot stop. Therefore Bhāgavata says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). You simply try to awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was impossible in other living conditions. Either going to the heaven planet or going to the hell planet or becoming Brahmā or ant... Do not try for all these elevations. Simply try for awakening your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:
So apavarga, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. To make it nullified. No more hard labor, no more frustration, no more fearfulness, no more death. That is real problem. So to become religious, dharmic, means how to nullify these five principles of material existence. In the material world, you have to work very, very hard. You cannot think that "Oh, I am so great man. I'll not work." Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suppose the lion... Lion is supposed to be the king of the forest. Still, he has to work. It is not that a lion will sleep, and some animal will come, "My dear lion, please open your mouth. I shall enter." (laughter) That is not possible. Even he is most powerful, even if he is... Just like your President. He is most powerful man, but he's working hard, more than asses and hogs, to get the post of presidency. So pariśrama...
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:
So therefore dharma means one should be very serious to get out of this material conditional life. That is real dharma. Nārthāya upakalpate. Not that simply we go to temple or church and ask God for some material benefit. Arthāya, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). These are called catur-varga. That is... In the Vedic civilization a human body, or human being, is recognized when he's interested in these four things: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. First of all, dharma. Without religious life, animal. What is the value of? Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Anyone who has no religion... It doesn't matter what religion he's following, he must follow some religion. It doesn't matter whether Christian religion, Hindu religion, or Buddha religion, and this religion. It doesn't matter. He must have some religion. Then he is human being. And religion means... Generally, they understand that "If I become religious, pious, then my life will be nice. I'll get my subsistence." Actually, that's fact. Dharma artha. And why do we want artha, money? Kāma, for sense gratification. We require money for sense gratification. And when we are baffled in sense gratification, then we want mokṣa. When one cannot get sufficiently by trying dharma, artha, kāma, economic development and sense gratification, still we are dissatisfied, then sometimes we give up this world: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is mithyā, false." That is not actually giving up the, renouncement, giving..., or renunciation. Renunciation means you should give up your process of sense gratification and apply yourself very seriously in the service of the Lord. That is called renunciation.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:
So here Bhāgavata says that dharma... You take to, to the principles of religion for going up to the point of liberation, āpavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. This is meant for getting out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real... The first step is religiosity. Unless you are pious, religious, there is no possibility of getting liberation. Therefore there are different types of dharma prescribed, twenty types of dharma. The beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma. The people have lost even varṇāśrama-dharma, what to speak of other dharmas. The first beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma, to become brāhmaṇa, to become kṣatriya, to become vaiśya. So in the Kali-yuga the time is so bad that even there is no fixity of this varṇāśrama-dharma. Nobody knows who is brāhmaṇa, who is śūdra. Because the quality is the same now, eating, sleeping, mating—animal quality. You can become a brāhmaṇa by sacred thread. That is a different thing. But there are brāhmaṇa and brahminical qualifications. That is real brāhmaṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:
Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a warrior, and he utilized his energy for fighting the demons. Because He came to kill the demons. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Kṛṣṇa wants to utilize your energy for His satisfaction. That is devotion. Everyone has got his energy, and he can spare it for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is real devotion.
- etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ
- dehinām iha dehiṣu
- prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā
- śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā
If you want to make perfection of your life, then whatever you have got, you have to spend it, spare it for Kṛṣṇa. Not that "The substance is for my relatives, and simply I come with lip sympathy."
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:
That is the purpose of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Āpavargyasya, to cease this labor. Tri-tāpa-yatana, three types of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. That is animal life, bodily concept of life. Therefore dharma should be practiced for nullifying. Because we do not want to work very hard, every one of us, but we have to, especially at the present moment. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. In the Kali-yuga the situation will be so much deteriorated that simply for a piece of bread, one has to work just like an ass. Very hard labor. It has come to become so. Gradually, it will deteriorate more and more. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now rice and wheat is selling at a high price, three rupees kilo. But time will come when if you pay 300,000 rupees, still, it will not be available. Especially rice, wheat, sugar and milk and fruits. That means sāttvikāhāra. These things will be finished. Therefore they are learning how to eat beef. This is the beginning. Just like a child learns to eat, little, little. Otherwise there will be no more food. Therefore dharma is required to stop this miserable condition of life. That is real dharma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:
Simply we are changing body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). These are the instruction, that dehāntara-prāptir. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Just like these children. They have got a body now. This will be changed. When they will be young, a different body... And the young man, when he will be old, a different body. Similarly, the old man, when he will finish this body, he will get a different body. This is called dehāntara-prāptiḥ, accepting another body. So we are changing, but we are so fool that we do not understand what is the real problem of life. We are simply busy in some temporary problems. Real problem is that a living being is eternal, and by the laws of nature, by his karma, he has to change his body. That is real problem. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. And we can see, if we have got eyes, that there are many varieties of life, 8,400,000 varieties of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. So Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. According to your karma, you will get another body. That What kind of body I shall get? That I do not know. Then what is your education? Suppose you are being educated. You know aim, that "I shall become a lawyer," "I shall become a scientist," "I shall become mathematician." With this purpose you are being educated. But what purpose you are being educated for the next life? Do you know this? No. Then what is your education? You may be very good scientist, but can you manufacture a scientific law that you will never die? No. That is not possible. You will never take birth after death? You will never be diseased? You can manufacture nice medicine for a type of disease, but you cannot stop disease. You cannot stop birth, you cannot stop death, you cannot stop disease, you cannot stop old age.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:
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 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:
That is not possible. Therefore a special word is used there: bhaktyā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa also says, "Not by yoga system or by jñāna system or by karma system, but bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55)." This tattvataḥ means the tattva-jñāna. Bhaktyā. And what kind of bhakti? Not that simply I sit I sit down and cry a little, I practice how to cry, sentiment. No. Śruta-gṛhītayā: understanding about the Absolute Truth from Vedic knowledge. That is bhakti. That is real bhakti. Sentiment is not bhakti—I stand and I practice how to cry: "Oh, this man cries always." No. Of course, crying is there, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to cry. But that stage is very, very high. It is not possible. You are crying, but next moment you are engaged in ordinary thing, that crying is artificial. One who can cry for Kṛṣṇa, he becomes mad, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Govinda-viraheṇa me. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat-sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. He says, crying, "Everything is now over. There is I cannot see Kṛṣṇa." So that crying is different crying. Not that in the meeting I cry, and, next moment, I am now dry, "I want this, I want that..." But that not crying. Cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam śunyāyitaṁ jagat-sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa. Caitanya cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, just like torrents of rain falls from the sky, so govinda-viraheṇa, on account of separation from Govinda, cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, śunyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:
So one has to know Kṛṣṇa in tattvataḥ, as He is. So this tattvataḥ means accept the process of devotional service. Tattvataḥ, Kṛṣṇa as He is, cannot be understood by the other methods, namely by mental speculation or mystic yogic exercises. Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood in that way. If we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then we have to accept the Kṛṣṇa method, bhakti method. That is plainly spoken by Kṛṣṇa: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa does not say that you can know Him by mental exercises or yogic practices. No. Yogi can know... Tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. Yogi also, by meditation, they see Kṛṣṇa. That is real yoga. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, the first-class yogi is he who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa within himself.
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
That is first-class yogi.
So you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa because the more you practice, immediately with your chanting, the name, the form, the quality, the pastimes, everything will be revealed. As we go on cleansing our dirty heart by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and as we chant faultless, offenseless harer nāma, Kṛṣṇa reveals. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). By service attitude, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself. You cannot try to see Kṛṣṇa by your speculation or yogic practice. If you simply submissively, surrendering yourself, chant His holy name... There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133).
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:
So these are the processes. So Bhāgavata recommends, tat śraddhā, śraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). There must be sufficient knowledge. Otherwise this kind of vairāgya has no meaning. I have, I've taken renounced order of life, but I've, privately I've got all these nonsense, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling—that is not required. Real knowledge means there must be renouncement of this nonsense. That is real knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā munayaḥ paśyanty ātma... For him, it is not difficult to find out where is God. He can immediately find out God sitting within his heart. Immediately. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Anywhere he can sit down and he can talk with God, he can see God, he can take direction from God. Paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. By devotional service. Not by other means. Śruta-gṛhītayā. By understanding from the Vedas. Not manufactured. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). You have to hear from Kṛṣṇa or from His bona fide representative. Then it will be sufficient.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa is father for all living entities. They are simply struggling here in this material world under different desires, and therefore they are getting transmigrating from one body to another, and in this way they are wandering within this material world. That is their real disadvantageous position. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is the real problem. Whole spiritual process should be executed to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. So Kṛṣṇa therefore comes, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. "Why you are struggling so hard?" For ānanda. Everyone is struggling for ānanda, but he does not know whether ānanda is there. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the reservoir of ānanda Therefore you will see Kṛṣṇa's picture always in ānanda. Wherever you see Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is in the battlefield, still, He is smiling, ānanda. He is not morose. Arjuna is morose. But He is not morose. Because he is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:
So this is jñāna, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu enunciates, not to become master or God, to become servant of the God. Not only servant, but servant, servant, servant, servant, hundred times downward. Then you become perfect. That is the demand of Kṛṣṇa, that you first of all become servant. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). Because that is your real position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms it. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). This is our position. This is jñāna. Anyone who is claiming other that this is not in knowledge. He is ajñāna. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā—I have several times repeated—bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births trying to become the master, when actually he becomes jñānavān, then jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the sign, when he surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is real knowledge. That knowledge is not sentiment. Because bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After experiencing many, many births that "I am the master, I am God, I am this, I am that," so when he actually jñānavān, māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti.. (BG 7.19). When he understands, "Oh, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the origin or everything," that is real jñāna. That is real jñāna.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:
So these boys, these girls, they have got enough. The money is thrown on the street. And woman is loitering on the street. You can pick up as many as you like. You see. That is the Western countries. But they have left everything. That is vairāgya Why? Jñānam. They have obtained the real knowledge. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). As Bhavānanda Mahārāja said. They are firmly fixed up. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, "Let us sacrifice our life for Kṛṣṇa." That is real jñāna and vairāgya. Bhaktyā. This is to be understood, bhaktyā. Because without bhakti, there is no admission in the kingdom of God. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
- yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
- tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
- viśate tad-anantaram
- (BG 18.55)
Viśate means enter. One is admitted in the spiritual world... Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ. There is spiritual world. There is another world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That sanātana-dhāma you cannot enter without being a bhakta. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Those who enter that spiritual world, Brahman, nirviśeṣa-brahman, because they are lacking in bhakti, they again falls down.
Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:
Kṛṣṇa, when He says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge, this is real dharma. Dharma means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the what is enjoined by the Lord, God. What God says, that is dharma. God says, "Do this." That is dharma. Not that you manufacture your dharma. God says, Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Anything beyond this, all nonsense. They are not dharmas. Dharmaḥ kaitavaḥ. Cheating, simply cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhitaḥ atra kaitavaḥ: "All rascaldom dharma is thrown away, kicked out." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). This is dharma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:
So anyone, in whatever position he may be, it does not matter. Everyone should try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is perfection of life. Always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manāḥ. "Always become My devotee," mad-bhakta. "Always worship Me," mad-yājī. "Always offer your obeisances unto Me," māṁ namaskuru. "But I have got other religion, Sir. Why shall I think of You only? I have to think of Goddess Kālī. Otherwise I cannot eat meat." Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān paritya... "It is all nonsense. Give up all this nonsense." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). "Simply unto Me." Ekam. "Don't bother with other demigods. They are My servants. You are not to satisfy My servants." Of course, those who are real servants, that is different.
So this is the real dharma, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you, someway or other, can satisfy Kṛṣṇa... Just like Arjuna, by killing, he sat... Killing art is not very good art. But because by killing he satisfied Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gave him certificate, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3), "Oh, you are My very dear friend." Because Kṛṣṇa's purpose was to kill the demons. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Arjuna helped to kill the demons and fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa. And therefore he became perfect by killing. So if you do anything which is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa, or by His bona fide representative, that is real dharma. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:
Constantly. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). That is required. Life should be molded in such a way that not for a single moment you are without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real life. That is perfection. Because you have to make your life perfect by satisfying Kṛṣṇa, satisfying God. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you want perfection, But if you want again to become cats and dogs, which you have already passed through and now you have come to this human form of body, then you do whatever you like. But if you want to make this life perfect, stop this business of becoming repeatedly cats and dogs and trees and this and that, then this is the process: tasmād bhārata. Ekena manasā. Concentrating fully. Ekena. With one attention. No diversion. Ekena manasā, bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ. Don't be afraid that "If I simply concentrate my mind in Kṛṣṇa, then how other things will go on?" No. Bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ. He is very careful about His devotee. Kṛṣṇa, God, is giving everyone's food, but that is according to karma, according to his quality and position. He's getting food. Just like hog is getting food, but he cannot get more than stool. He cannot claim, "Give me halavā." No, that's not possible. You must eat stool. Because you are, by your karma, you have got this body, hog, you must eat stool.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:
Therefore the Vedic civilization is to educate from the very beginning a child to become a brahmacārī. That is the basic principle of education. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Not that "In old age, when I shall retire, I shall see what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That will be very difficult. From the very beginning of life, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān... Especially... There are many kinds of religious principles, but dharmān bhāgavatān. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Real dharma is Bhāgavatam," means our understanding our relationship with God, Bhagavān. That is real dharma. Dharmān bhāgavatān. So here the same thing is explained, that yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ. Simply by chanting or hearing or meditating upon Kṛṣṇa, yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam. This asinā... Just like we require a knife to cut the knot, similarly, if we want to cut the knot of this material existence...
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:
As Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of... You understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna. He said that this Bhagavad-gītā, this yoga system is now lost. Yoga-naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Now I shall again begin that yoga through you. Because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa did not go to find out a Vedantist to teach, a so-called Vedantist. "A Vedantist" means he's devotee. Veda. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. So what is the ultimate knowledge? Ultimate knowledge is described: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is ultimate knowledge. After speculating knowledge life after life, when one comes to the point to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, that is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. Unless you come to the point of surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa, your knowledge is defective. You may advertise yourself as very learned scholar, but we have got simple formula. Our position is very strong and simple. We... We take the words of Kṛṣṇa and corroborate with Kṛṣṇa's words.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:
Because sattva-guṇa means knowledge, rajo-guṇa means passion, and tamo-guṇa means ignorance. So this world is being carried on by these three guṇas. Those who are accepting the tamo-guṇa, they are kāma, lusty, too much lusty. And those who are in rajo-guṇa, they're too much greedy. And those are in the sattva-guṇa, they know things. That is brahminical qualification. Veda jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipro brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. By reading Vedas, one becomes a vipra. Then not only vipra, but when... Vipra means brāhmaṇa. So to become brāhmaṇa by qualification is not sufficient. One must know the Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman. Just like Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). That is real stage. That is brahminical stage. Don't think that Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He, after studying Bhagavad-gītā, he became brāhmaṇa, because he understood Kṛṣṇa. He says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He understood Kṛṣṇa rightly. Others, they, that story of the yājñika-brāhmaṇas... Not story, fact. They could not understand Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:
Yes. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Because we are coming from animal by the evolutionary process... According to śāstra, it is said that... The Darwin's theory says from monkey. That is also fact, that after monkey the living entity comes to the human form. Somebody says after lion. Somebody says after cow. So from the animals, we, the human form is developed. So unless that human body also reformed, so he remains animal. That reformation required, saṁskāra, reformation, enlightenment, cultural life. That cultural life culminates when one actually becomes a brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. That is real cultural life. Not by birth but by cultivation of knowledge, education, advancement, spiritual knowledge, one comes to the platform of brāhmaṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:
The example may be given: just like the sun-god, the sun planet, and the sunshine. They are one. But according to the capacity, we are, generally, we can realize the sunshine only. But sunshine is not the perfect realization of the sun. It is partial realization. Brahmeti paramātmeti. The full realization is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Person. Vigraha means person. One who realizes the Supreme Person—and that Supreme Person is Kṛṣṇa,
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
- That is real realization.
So one who has not reached to that point, to realize Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that his knowledge is still imperfect. But these persons who have got imperfect knowledge, they are passing as Vedantists and knows everything. They do not know. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "These impersonalists, the so-called men of knowledge, after many, many births..." Because it is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person. They'll have to wait to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person. They'll have to wait for thousands of births to understand Kṛṣṇa. They'll have to wait.
Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:
So ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama... Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ must be there. The present civilization is suffering because there is no such thing as varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There is no selection that there must be the most intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa, the real kṣatriya who can give protection to the people, kṣatriya. That is real kṣatriya. And vaiśya who can actually give protection to the cows and produce agriculture, agricultural products and trade. And śūdras, ordinary laborer class. There must be divisions. They must be trained up. I have repeatedly said in America that there is draft board. They call, conscription, they call any young man to the military department, but most of the boys, young men, they try to avoid this, this military. Most of them. One of the causes of the hippie movement is due to the government's draft board. They want to avoid it. So I have repeatedly said: "Why do they avoid?" In India still we have got some martial races, the Gerkhas, the Sikhs. They will be very glad to accept military training. Still. Because there is kṣatriya spirit. But in other countries they have been made all śūdras. How they can take up kṣatriya spirit? That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:
This is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We are trying to be servant. We don't identify with anything material. As soon as we identify with anything material, we become under the clutches of māyā. Kṛṣṇa-bhuliyā. Because, as soon as I forget my relationship with Kṛṣṇa... I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is the eternal identification of the living entity, to remain servant of Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we forget this, that is māyā. As soon as I think that "I am Kṛṣṇa," that is māyā. That māyā means this māyā, illusion, can be rejected by advancement of knowledge. That is jñānī. Jñānī means this is real knowledge, to understand his real position. This is not knowledge, that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is not knowledge. I am God, but I am sample of God. But the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa like that: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paraṁ brahma. We may become Brahman... We are Brahman. There is no question of becoming. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is not very difficult to understand. Because I am spirit soul, so I am Brahman. That's all right. But I am not Paraṁ Brahman. That is ignorance. I am not Paraṁ Brahman. If one, anyone thinks that he is Paraṁ Brahman, then it must be understood that he's under the clutches of māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that when one actually becomes knowledgeable, cognizant, he surrenders. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is real knowledge.
Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:
So when you are actually in pure devotional service, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), being freed from the interaction of the three material modes of nature, that is real transcendental stage of devotional service. So we have to try to go to that platform. Otherwise, we shall remain a prākṛta-bhakta. As it is said here: bhuṅkte bhūteṣu tad-guṇān. We have to become transcendental to the three modes of material nature. That is not very difficult. Simply one has to become very serious and sincere. That's all. As there are directions in the śāstras... As, as I was speaking in this morning, the śāstra... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has given instruction in the Nectar of Devotion how to prosecute. He begins in the characteristic of devotional service. He says this verse:
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
So we have to begin from this uttamā-bhakti. Uttama means nirguṇa, or transcendental. Uttama. Uttama, udgata-tamaḥ. Ut means transcendental, when you surpass. Tama. Tama means this material world. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). That is uttamā-bhakti. That is transcendental bhakti.
Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That means the so-called faith, you should give up. It is a faith. "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." "I am Christian." Or "I am this," "I am that." This is a kind of faith. You are neither Hindu, neither Muslim nor Christian; you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real characteristic. And actually we are servant. We are serving. That is our characteristic. Either he may be Hindu or Muslim or Christian, but the real business is that everyone is serving. It is not that because I am Hindu, I don't serve. Or because one is Christian, he doesn't serve. No. Everyone is serving. But he's serving māyā. He's serving kāma, krodha, lobha, mātsarya. He's serving. In this material condition, we are serving our whims, kāma. Sometimes I become angry and I serve my anger—I beat others. That means I am serving anger. I am serving my lust. I am serving my greediness.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
So either He is killing or dancing, He is happy. So we are giving this information of happiness, the topmost happiness, without any... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that spirit soul, the Supersoul or the individual soul, their nature is to become happy. Ānandamaya. Happy. Spiritual life means happiness. There is no distress. But that happiness can be attained in cooperation with the Supreme. We are sparks of fire. So with the fire, if the sparks are "fut-put"... You see sometimes, the sparks; it looks very beautiful. The same spark, as soon as falls down from the fire, extinguished. The fiery quality immediately extinguished. So our material condition is like that. We have given up the company of Kṛṣṇa, and we wanted to be happy in this material world; therefore we are suffering. So same spark, particle of carbon, if you put again to the fire, it will again become red hot and fire. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are trying the sparks, which by chance has fallen down from the fire, to pick it up again and put it in the fire. That is real happiness.
Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:
So there are two kinds of knowledge, avidyā and vidyā. Real vidyā means brahma-vidyā. This brahma-jijñāsā, athāto brahma..., that is vidyā. That is real knowledge. And avidyā, karma-saṁjña. Another vidyā is how to learn technology, avidyā. Avidyā. That is avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. So now, at the present moment, the education is being given to the people how to work hard, karma-saṁjña. That is not now. That is the system everywhere, because everyone wants to enjoy senses as far as possible, so he has to work very hard. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find the instruction is by Ṛṣabhadeva, that this life is not meant for that simply hard labor for sense gratification. If you work hard, you try to work hard for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful. You have to work hard. If you want to enjoy senses, they are not very easily available. It is said that udyogināṁ praharṣaṁ praheti lakṣyam.(?) Unless you become industrious, laborious, you cannot enjoy even this material world.
Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:
The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand the spiritual varieties. As soon as they think of varieties they think of material things. But actually, that is not. There is variety in the spiritual... Unless there is variety... Because Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Unless there are varieties, how in the shadow the varieties are there? Just like in a cinematographic picture, unless in the original photograph or the subject matter from which photograph is taken, unless there were varieties, how the picture can be variety? So in the material world the varieties are reflection of the spiritual world. Here is also father, but this is imitation father. But there is also father, but that is not father, that is real father. It is imitation father. A friend is imitation friend. Real friend is Kṛṣṇa. Real father is Kṛṣṇa. Here husband, imitation husband. Real husband is Kṛṣṇa. Master, imitation master. Real master is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, if we establish our relationship with Kṛṣṇa as..., either as husband or lover or master or friend or son or father, it is perfect. It is perfect. We have to go to that stage.
Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:
So I have to convert from this servitorship to Kṛṣṇa's servitorship. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, dharma-saṁsthāpana. This is dharma. Saṁsthāpana. What dharma, what kind of religion Kṛṣṇa established? He said that "I incarnate to establish religion." He never came to establish Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muhammadan religion or Buddha religion. He established real religion. What is that real religion? Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You give up all these nonsense, so-called religion and faith. You simply surrender unto Me." That is religion. That is real religion. All other, any other religion which does not teach how to surrender unto God, that is pretension. That is not religion. According to Vedic understanding, this is religion. This is natural function.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
So actually we don't require any other education. This association will give anyone who will come, either child or old man. That doesn't matter. He'll be highly educated. But because we are in this material world, therefore we have to give some education. But that is secondary. Real education this. Just like you are doing, all rising early in the morning, maṅgala-ārātrika, kīrtana, and then... These regulative principles, this is real education. It does not require any academic education. It is simply practice. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's recommendation.
So Nārada Muni is inducing his disciple, Vyāsadeva, to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, will be, which will be heard and, śṛṇvanti, will be accepted, and gṛṇanti, and śṛṇvanti gāyanti, and chanted. So those who are actually in the transcen..., they accept Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam, yasmin pāramahaṁsyaṁ gīyate. Paramahaṁsa-saṁhitā. This is paramahaṁsa-saṁhitā. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for the topmost transcendentalists. It is not for ordinary... Not for the impersonalists, or for the yogis. The topmost transcendentalist means devotees. Because Kṛṣṇa says... Who is transcendentalist? Who wants to know God, he is transcendentalist. Not ordinary person. No, no, who is topmost transcendentalist? The devotees. Why? Why not the yogis, and the jñānīs, impersonalists, and the, the meditators about...? Why they are not? Because Kṛṣṇa says that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55), "Only through devotional service one can understand Me."
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
Therefore, any way you, either way you go, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, simply come to this understanding that Kṛṣṇa is everything, and "By serving Kṛṣṇa, all my objective, all my perfection is there"—this conviction makes you perfect. And this is real, this is reality. There is no imposition. It is reality. Simply one has to understand. The same thing is expressed here by Nārada, urukramasya. Who is urukrama? Wonderful actor. The wonderful actor is Kṛṣṇa, Urukrama. So Nārada Muni says, "Although you have mentioned in other purāṇas or in itihāsa, Mahābhārata, about Kṛṣṇa, some of the activities of Kṛṣṇa..." Just like this same thing, as I told you. So many people are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but all nonsense. They do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, because they are disturbed. They are not situated in Kṛṣṇa. Nārada Muni says that "Be situated in Kṛṣṇa. You write something, simply Kṛṣṇa's activities." Akhila "Then you'll be liberated, and those who will stick to this principle, they'll be liberated."
Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:
In the, in the Padma Purāṇa also there is a verse, ramante yogino 'nante: "Those who are yogis..." Yogi means transcendentalist, not the so-called yogi. Those who have contacted the Absolute Truth, they are called yogis. So yoginaḥ, actually a yogi, ramante, they enjoy. They also enjoy. Why they are, I mean to say, undergoing so much austerities and penances and regulative principles? Because they are trying for being elevated to the real platform of happiness. So ramante yogino 'nante. Everyone is hankering after happiness, either materialistic or spiritualistic, but the difference is that materialistic, materialistic persons, they are satisfied with temporary happiness, and those who are transcendentalists, they are also seeking happiness. That is real happiness, spiritual happiness, eternal happiness. So therefore it is stated in the Padma Purāṇa that ramante yogino 'nante. Anante means unlimited happiness. They enjoy unlimited happiness. Ramante yogino 'nante. And satyānande. And that is real happiness. Happiness does not mean it is for few minutes. No. Happiness should continue, eternally. One should be situated in that happiness so that other, temporary happiness will not attract him.
So ramante yogino 'nante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cit, cit means that he's full of knowledge. That is not in ignorance. This material happiness is in ignorance. And spiritual happiness is śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means pure goodness. In the material world there are three stages: ignorance, passion and goodness. The goodness platform is very nice in the material world, but there is another platform, which is called śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddham, viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. That is transcendental platform, and in that platform you can understand God. God is Vāsudeva, and in the vasudeva platform... So ramante yogino 'nante satyānande cid-ātmani. That is cid-ātmani. Cit means knowledge; ātmani means self. In that platform.
Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:
What is that? Now, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate: (BG 6.41) "If one, anyone, immaturely falls down, then in next life he will have the opportunity to take birth in very rich family or in a family of a, I mean, real brāhmaṇa." Real brāhmaṇa means śuci, always pure. That is real brahminical qualification. Truthful, clean, wise, God consciousness—these are brahminical qualifications. We are giving thread ceremony to our disciples to recognize him that he has got the brahminical qualifications. He has given up this meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication. He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. He is being purified gradually. He's trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's always pure. This is the recognition. This thread ceremony is recognition. But if we simply make it a show, that "Now I have got thread. I have become liberated. I may not do anything," and then again I fall down... The same principle is always going on, māyā and Kṛṣṇa.
Just like in India, those who are born in brāhmaṇa family, they are falsely proud that "We are born in brāhmaṇa family. Now we are perfect. Now we can do any nonsense thing. Still I am brāhmaṇa." And it is actually being done. They are doing work less than a śūdra, and still, they are passing on as brāhmaṇa. That is the cause of India's spiritual falldown. Some people, they have exploited simply being born in high family. But actually that is not the position. Actual position is by quality. If one has got the quality of a brāhmaṇa, then he should be recognized as brāhmaṇa, as we are doing here. Here nobody is born in a brāhmaṇa family, but how we are offering him sacred thread? By the quality. That is recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī.
Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:
So comparing this or comparing that, real research is here. If actually one is research scholar, "Now, what does this Bhāgavata says? Purā atīta-bhave. What is this?" Go on researching. That is required. That is real research work. So purā atīta-bhave abhavaṁ mune. Mune. He's addressing Vyāsadeva, mune. "So I was the son of a maidservant, and I was engaged as the boy servant of yogis, and they were taking rest for four months. So I had the opportunity of serving them four months as their boy servant. Just to take, whatever they left, prasādam, I used to take. To wash their dishes or to wash their cloth. In this way he got the opportunity of serving perfect devotees for four months," and he became Nārada. This is the importance. This is the importance, that simply by rendering... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. He became Nārada means he was saved from the mahato bhayāt, very great, fearful, dangerous position.
What is that fearful, dangerous position? They do not care. We are so fool that we are always on the brink of dangerous position... If we don't utilize this life properly, I may fall down again to the cycle of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). I shall get another body. There is no guarantee what kind of body I am going to get. I do not know. This foolish civilization is going. Save them by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best welfare activity.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:
So he was a boy, but he gave up all these things. Arbhaka. Arbhaka means not experienced very well. Or almost foolish, ignorant, they are called arbhaka. So although he was a child, he was a boy, but by the association of exalted devotees he also became very sober. Sober. Śuśrūṣamāṇe munayaḥ alpa-bhāṣiṇi. And he was not talking very much. Too much talking unnecessarily is against spiritual advancement of life. Therefore, sometimes those who are very, very talkative, they are ordered by their spiritual master that "You keep silence." Maunī. Maunī-bābā. Somebody, they practice to become always silent. You'll find some of the sādhus, the mendicants, they also keep silence. But they sometimes make this, that, this... And way (?) "onnnnh." That is not good. Silence means don't talk nonsense. Whenever you speak, you speak about Kṛṣṇa. That is real silence. The... "Make a vow that 'I shall not speak anything except topics of Kṛṣṇa.' " That is real silence. Not that to become silent. To become silent... Mind will work. Better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear. There is no question of becoming silent.
Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:
Very simple process of awakening Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This ātma-ruciḥ... Ātma-ruciḥ means attraction for the self, or soul. There are ātmā. Ātmā means sometimes this body. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Gross materialists, they think that "I am this body." That is also ātma-ruciḥ. They are busy to maintain this body, to decorate this body, to feed this body, to satisfy the senses of the body. This is also ātma-ruciḥ, because the body is also called ātmā. So this is another ātma-ruciḥ, materialist. Then ātmā means mind also, mental speculation, very much busy in mental speculation. That is also ātma-ruciḥ. And the, the topmost ātma-ruciḥ, topmost means that is real ātma-ruciḥ, to be attracted by the self or Superself. That is ātma-ruciḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:
There is a... There is a verse. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Here the same thing is described, that saṅkīrtyamānaṁ munibhir mahātmabhiḥ. Saṅkīrtyamānam. We have to hear the saṅkīrtana not from professional men. That will not be... If you hear saṅkīrtana from the professional men... Professional men: who makes saṅkīrtana as the means of livelihood. Just like people do some business or work to get some money to maintain the life, similarly, if somebody takes the saṅkīrtana as the means of livelihood, that will not help you. You can go on hearing saṅkīrtana from such professional men for millions of years; still, you will remain where you are, not rajas-tamopahā. You cannot get out of the bondage of... Therefore you have to hear from the saṅkīrtyamānaṁ munibhir mahātmabhiḥ. Mahātmā. Mahātmā means mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā means those who have finished this material business. Simply they're interested with Kṛṣṇa and... Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura or followers, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's followers. If you hear... Just like Nārada Muni. In his previous birth he heard from these mahātmās, great devotees, only for four months. It is stated here. The time is... śarat prāvṛṣa, prāvṛṣa, prāvṛṣikāv ṛtū. Śarat and autumn, two ṛtūs, he heard. The association was there. And the result was: viśṛṇvato me 'nusavaṁ yaśo 'malam. Kṛṣṇa's glorification, amalam, without any spot, without any... Kṛṣṇa's glories, that is real nirguṇa. Nirguṇa does not mean to become impersonal. Nirguṇa means without any material attributes. So when Kṛṣṇa's glories are chanted, that is not anything of this material world.
Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:
Therefore here it is said, yat tat sākṣād bhagavatoditam. (aside:) Don't disturb in this way. Sākṣād bhagavatoditam. Sākṣāt means directly. What was spoken directly by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that is jñānam, that is real knowledge. Jñānaṁ guhyatamam. Guhyatamam, most confidential. Guhya, guhyatara, and guhyatamam. What is that verse in the Eighteenth Chapter? Guhyād guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmi... That... The conclusion is that the most confidential knowledge is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. And what it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā? Guhyād guhyatamam. Find out this verse. Could not? Before sarva-dharmān... Yes.
Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:
You are thinking, making adjustment to live for fifty years or hundred years very comfortably, or even next life..." Karmīs, they also take consideration of the next life, to be promoted in the heavenly planet or other higher planetary system. But still, they are poor. Poor. Because they are lacking in the knowledge of eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness. That they do not know. Sac-cid-ānanda life.
So it is the business of the mahātmā to enlighten them to the real platform of life. Kṛṣṇa says personally,
- mām upetya punar janma
- duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
- nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
- saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
- (BG 8.15)
This is real life, to go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Mām upetya. If you go back to home, back to Godhead, that is saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. That is the highest perfection of life. But generally... Generally, almost... Why generally? Almost everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent people, they want to become happy within this material world. Therefore they are poor, very, very poor. And the mahātmās, they give the knowledge that "This is not life.
Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:
So the... Here it is said that sākṣād bhagavatoditam, uditam. That... What is Bhāgavata, Bhāgavata? Kṛṣṇa never says that "First of all you hear My līlā with the gopīs." He never says that. He first of all says that "You surrender unto Me." First of all learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. First of all learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then you can taste what is Kṛṣṇa's līlā with the gopīs. It is just like mukhāravinda. Just like... Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the Daśama-skandha with the gopīs is compared with Kṛṣṇa's face, smiling face. But we have to worship Kṛṣṇa beginning with the feet. Not immediately we shall look to the face of Kṛṣṇa. We shall misunderstand. First of all try to be Kṛṣṇa's devotee by offering your worshipable things at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The First Canto or Second Canto of Bhagavad-gītā are the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So from the very beginning we should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Gradually, we shall come to the face. That is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa. And without understanding of the other nine cantos of Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if we simply jump over the Tenth Canto, and especially to the Thirty-fifth Chapter, the five chapters, Rāsa-pañcādhyāya, this is not very favorable. Of course, it is favorable. Kṛṣṇa's līlā, you hear any way, this way or that way... But if we misunderstand Kṛṣṇa, then there is fall down. That is instructed by Śrī..., Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa's līlā all of a sudden without understanding Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ. So regulative principle—to serve, as it is stated in the śāstras or as it is enjoined by the spiritual master.
Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:
Bhāgavaty tan manye adhītam, this is the best thing. The Māyāvādī, they do not know this. They simply stop dancing. They do not know that this ball dancing may lead one to hell, but the chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not like that. They do not know it. They simply take the negative side: stop dancing. We say "No. No stop it. We shall dance for Kṛṣṇa, we shall eat for Kṛṣṇa, we shall print books for Kṛṣṇa, not newspaper. We shall secure money for printing for Kṛṣṇa." The same thing, the same printing, same working, same dancing, same eating, but for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply you have to change the, what is called, interest. Everyone is acting for self interest, but bhakti-mārga, devotional service of Kṛṣṇa's interest, that is real interest. Same example. If somebody is working hard securing foodstuff, for whose interest? He is walking, the leg is walking, the hand is collecting, the eyes are seeing, and so many things they are done. Now what is to be done now? Do everything, cook everything nicely, and put it into the stomach. Not that the leg will say, "I have worked so hard," the hand will say, "I shall eat." No. You cannot eat. The stomach will eat; you simply work. But if the stomach is allowed to eat, then automatically the hands and legs will be happy.
So this is cikitsitam. Don't work for sense gratification or personal interest. Real interest is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is real interest. But they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Everyone is, "I have got my interest." But you do not know what is your interest. Your interest is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. But the rascals, they do not know. They say, "Why Kṛṣṇa? Myself, I shall enjoy everything." This is karma and bhakti. When karma... Karmī means they are working for their so-called interest, and bhakti means they are working for Kṛṣṇa's interest. They..., superficially, the activities are the same. Same means superficially, not in essence. So our senses are so trained up that we want to satisfy the senses.
Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:
By bhakti-yoga... The bhakti-yoga is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is bhakti-yoga, but about jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga, haṭha-yoga and other yogas there are description, but at last Kṛṣṇa advises that "The most confidential part of knowledge I am speaking to you, Arjuna, is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." This is real gain.
So this is bhakti-yoga. To surrender unto the Supreme Lord, that is bhakti-yoga. So here Vyāsadeva began his realization, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale (SB 1.7.4). By bhakti-yoga you can cleanse your mind without any contamination, immediately. If you want to be liberated from the contamination of material existence, or material modes of nature, then immediately you take to bhakti-yoga. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
You want to realize yourself as Brahman. We are Brahman—there is no doubt about it—but we have no realization because sammohita, yayā sammohitaḥ: the māyā has captured us. So immediately if you want to be liberated... Mukti means, mukti... Muktir hitvānyathā rūpam. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). This is mukti, svarūpa. Our svarūpa is our spiritual life.
Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:
So, but the fact is that. Fact is that, that the, after the old body... Just like we have got several types of body: babyhood to childhood, child to boyhood, youth-hood, old body. Then after this, he is... Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). When we give up this body as dress, old and rotten, we get another. This is going on. But this is anartha. Anartha means unnecessarily we are undergoing this change of body. Anartha. If you want to stop it anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt, directly, immediately, what is that? Bhakti-yogam. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). And Kṛṣṇa also confirms. This is statement of Vyāsadeva, and Kṛṣṇa also says,
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
So, bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. This is real purpose of life. This is real purpose of religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The same thing. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter what kind of religion you are following, but if the religious system teaches you how to become a devotee to Adhokṣaja-adhokṣaja means beyond our sense perception, the Supreme Lord—then your life is perfect. Then you will be happy.
Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:
The dog cannot question that "Why I have got this dog's body, and my master has got the human body?" No. He has no such knowledge. But if a human being cannot consider that "I am also an animal, and this dog is also animal. I am situated so comfortably, and the dog is loitering in the street for a little food. Why this condition...?" So śāstra says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). One should think that "If I get another body, whether I shall get the dog's body or a human body or demigod's body?" That is consideration. That is intelligence. Not that "Because I have got this American comfortable body or Indian comfortable body, I should be very much satisfied and do whatever nonsense I think," no. We are under the grip of the stringent laws of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. This is human intelligence. One should not be satisfied with this comfortable or so-called educated human body. We should be prepared what we are going to get next. That is real knowledge. Because it is anartha. Anartha means unwanted. "Why shall I get at all any body? I am eternal; I must live eternally." That is human knowledge.
Lecture on SB 1.7.22 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1976:
So many things he cannot express. In this way, within the womb there is suffering, out of the womb there is suffering. Then growing, child or baby or boy, there are so many sufferings. Then young man—suppose he becomes family man—then earn for the family. That is also suffering. Then old man, disease, inability, many, many thoughts, that is also suffering. And again death is suffering. At the time of death nobody knows what will happen. Recently one of our Godbrothers has died. He was suffering that he... Some glucose food was being supplied through the nose, and with that, what is called? Taking out the...? That also another suffering. Forcibly taking out the urine, cannot speak anything. So this is suffering. This is called saṁsṛti. We are so foolish we do not know that this material existence is suffering. They are simply struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply a struggle. There is no happiness. But these foolish persons, they do not know that there is suffering and how to stop this suffering. That is real problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Intelligent persons should always keep in view that "These are my real sufferings." Not that "Temporary I have got some misunderstanding with some friend, or temporary I do not get some nice food, and therefore suffering." These sufferings are extra, but real suffering is this-janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:
So vāsudevasya matam? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is vāsudevasya. "You simply surrender unto Me." That is real mata. Everyone is surrendered. Even Śaṅkarācārya says bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhita(?). If you read little, a portion of Bhagavad-gītā, your life will be successful. That is the recommendation given by... Sva bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa vāsudeva devakī-vasudevasya nandana(?). He has admitted. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Actually nirviśeṣa-vāda is for this material world because it is mithyā. They say, the Shankarites, they say mithyā. We Vaiṣṇavas, we don't say mithyā, because mithyā it cannot be. If the Absolute Truth is true, how mithyā can come from the paraṁ satyam? Brahma satyam. If Brahman is truth, how... Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), everything is born from Brahman. How something can be untruth? No. That is not. Truth is there, but when we misunderstand the truth or misuse the truth, then we are in trouble. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We have to find out what is the truth in everything. And that can be understood when you are advanced. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Here is truth. Nothing can be mithyā; everything is truth. We have to find out the truth.
Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:
That is first-class yogi, one who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa always within the core of the heart. So yogis, jñānīs, karmīs, bhaktas... So when you become bhakta, then you are perfect karmī, you are perfect yogi, you are perfect jñānī. Unless you are perfect jñānī, how you can surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births cultivating knowledge, when he's actually wise-jñānavān. Then what is the symptom? Māṁ prapadyate: he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). He understands that Kṛṣṇa is everything. That is real knowledge. Otherwise, it is not knowledge, it is speculation.
Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:
So kṣatriya's fight, it is not ordinary fight like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs also fight and the kṣatriyas in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are not the same. Sometimes in the foreign countries, they do not know. They simply know fight means cats' and dogs' fight. No. Therefore they question that why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to fight? Certainly they do not know there is fight on the principle of religion. That is real fight. Otherwise fight whimsically, that is animals' fight, cats' and dogs' fight.
Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:
Nothing is bad provided it is meant for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. The varṇāśrama-vibhāga must be there. But what is the aim of varṇāśrama? Simply by becoming a brāhmaṇa he's successful? No. Nobody can become successful unless he satisfies Kṛṣṇa. That is real success. Just like Arjuna did. By the military art, he satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, by your vaiśya-vṛtti, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44), you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. By your brāhmaṇa-vṛtti you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Even by your śūdra-vṛtti you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That possibility is here, that Kṛṣṇa says sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya. The aim should be how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Doesn't matter whether you are a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya. Kṛṣṇa confirms it, api cet su-durācāraḥ... No. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni means below the vaiśyas, the śūdras, they are pāpa-yonis. Vaiśyas also. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So there is no impediment to approach Kṛṣṇa because you are a śūdra, or caṇḍāla or woman or vaiśya. No. Everyone can... That facility is there. Therefore our duty should be, "Never mind in whichever position I am posted. Let me satisfy Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 1.7.40 -- Vrndavana, October 1, 1976:
So akiñcana means "no something." That is akiñcana. "I have nothing to do except Kṛṣṇa's service." That is called akiñcana. He has no other duty. Only duty is how to please Kṛṣṇa. That is śuddha-bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). So long you're on the platform of jñāna or karma... There are different stages. Karma is the lowest stage, and jñāna is higher. Koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, out of many millions of karmīs, one jñānī is good, śreṣṭha. And out of millions of jñānīs... Simply jñāna, theoretical knowledge, is not good. It must be practical. Jñāna, the result of jñāna is to become liberated, mukti. Simply I am very jñānī and I am doing all nonsense, this is not jñāna. He must be liberated from material attachment. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). This is the stage of perfection of jñāna. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has nothing to do with the material world. That is jñānī. Therefore the karmīs, they are very much attached to the material activities, and jñānī is not attached—not attached neither interested. That is real jñānī. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Out of millions of karmīs, one jñānī is śreṣṭha. We sometimes differ with the Māyāvādī philosophers. But they are jñānīs. They are better than the karmīs. There is no doubt. Koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha.
But it does not mean because one has got some theoretical knowledge, therefore he is mukta. That is another stage. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, koṭi-jñānī-madhye haya eka mukta śreṣṭha. And so far bhakta, koṭi-mukta-madhye durlabha eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is another thing.
Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:
So to endeavor to become gopīs, that is also Māyāvādī, that "I shall become gopīs." No. You have to become the servant of the servant of the servant of gopīs. That is... Otherwise, the same ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Then again we'll be misled. This is material disease. Everyone is full of some ahaṅkāra: "I am this," "I am this," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am a sannyāsī," "I am lord," "I am this." So many things. So long this mentality will continue, then that is māyā. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Actually, he is not that position. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches from the very beginning, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Unless you come to that point, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa,"... That is real knowledge. This knowledge is achieved bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Ante. Ante means at the end of many, many births' endeavor. Jñānavān. Not foolish rascals, but jñānavān. Then bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). After many, many births.
Lecture on SB 1.7.44 -- Vrndavana, October 4, 1976:
So anyway, this guru-māra-vidyā should be avoided. That is the instruction in this verse we can get, and that is the Vedic way. It is not that Draupadī is speaking, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also speaking... Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict on this point. As soon Vallabhācārya spoke that "I have written a better comment than Śrīdhara Svāmī," immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu become offended. He said, "Oh, you have become more than Śrīdhara Svāmī? You don't care for Svāmī?" So he remarked immediately, svāmī yei jana na māne veśyara bhitare. That is the system. You cannot overrule ācārya. Ācārya... Ācāryopāsanam. Ācārya should be always worshiped. Even if you, by ABCD, you have become more learned than the ācārya... That is not possible, but if you foolishly think like that, still, you should not exhibit your foolishness, that you know more than the ācārya. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... By His life example, He has taught us that the more we remain ignorant, foolish before the ācārya, or before the guru, that is more we advance. Real success is how one is faithful to his guru. That is real success. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. It is not by education or grammatical knowledge you can learn anything. No. It is by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that grace comes down through the grace of guru. That grace also does not come directly. We should not be neglecting this point.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:
So meditation means concentrating the mind to find out God, where He is within my heart. That is real perfection of yoga. So people do not know this science. Here it is nicely explained that antar bahir avasthitam. The virāḍ-rūpa... Just like Arjuna wanted to see the gigantic form of God. He showed him. So we can see the gigantic form in this universe. That is described in the Bhāgavatam. You have read that the big, big mountains, hills, they are the bones of the gigantic form. So they are described. The highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, is the head, or what it is called? Skull? What is this portion? Skull. So the rivers are the veins. The seas are holes like here we have got. In this way it is all described, the gigantic form. So... And gigantic form, at the same time, He is within your heart, very small form.
Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :
Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am sitting in everyone's heart," sarvasya ca aham hṛdi sann... Again hṛdi, in the soul, in the heart. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, "I am giving particular direction to everyone." He is forgetting something, he is reminding..., he is reminded something. In this way Kṛṣṇa is doing. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanam. How much busy is that? The thief wants to steal something, somebody's house, so he is also praying God, "Please give me some opportunity so that I can steal." So Kṛṣṇa is giving him direction, "All right, you steal in this way." And the same person in whose house the stealing wil be committed, he is also praying, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, please protect me from thieves." So he is also believing. That just see Kṛṣṇa's business: He is giving direction to the thief, and giving direction to the person in whose house the stealing will be committed. So if..., just try to understand how much Kṛṣṇa is busy. That is God. Although He is performing so many contradictory business, contradictory business, opposing business, still His full brain, His full brain, He does not forget to dance with the gopīs at the same time. This is Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa. If you are busy with so many transactions, you forget to see your wife and children and forget. But no. Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto. Although He is busy dancing with the gopīs, although He is busy to play with His cowherd friends, goloka eva nivasaty, in this way He is living in the Goloka, and akhilātma-bhūto, still He is in everyone's heart and giving direction, all contradiction. This is Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, rascal. Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. You are you are. That is real philosophy.
Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:
Those who are in devotional service, they are: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa assures that: "I give you protection from the reaction of sinful life." So when there is very, very grievous criminal activities behind his, sometimes it is like that. Instead of hanging him, there may be little cut by the knife on the finger. This is the position. So why should we be afraid of danger? We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because if we live Kṛṣṇa conscious, in any circumstances, then my benefit is that I am not coming again in this material world. Apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The repeatedly, as you think of Kṛṣṇa, as you see Kṛṣṇa, as you read of Kṛṣṇa, as you work for Kṛṣṇa, some way or other, if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your benefit. And that benefit will save you from taking birth again in the material world. That is real benefit. And if I am become little comfortable by so-called other engagement, and if I forget Kṛṣṇa, and I have to take birth again, then what is my benefit? We should be very much careful about this.
Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:
Then further. As soon as you become expert in hearing and chanting, then the next stage is smaraṇam. Smaraṇam, thinking of. Anything you speak or hear, later on you contemplate, you meditate, smaraṇam. So smaraṇam is the third stage. First of all, one must begin with hearing, śravaṇam. Otherwise, what about, meditation? Therefore we must first of all hear about the subject matter of meditation. If you do not know the subject matter of meditation, where is the question of meditation? And that is chanting. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). About Lord Viṣṇu. Actually yoga meditation means to see the form of the Lord, four-handed viṣṇu-mūrti within the heart. That is real meditation. Now these rascals, they have manufactured so-called meditation. That is not meditation. Meditation means to see the form of the Lord within your heart. Because in, in the heart there is the Lord. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So by controlling all the senses. The senses are very restless. They are going this way and that way, this way and that way. Mind is going this way, that way. So by this aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, by sitting posture, by controlling the breathing, by modes of different posture of seeing, so many things there are. The real thing is to control the mind and concentrate it on the form of Viṣṇu. That is the real thing. That is called samādhi. Pratyāhāra samādhi. So aṣṭāṅga-yoga means to come to this point of smaraṇam, smaraṇam, arcanam. This is arcanam.
Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:
So both the bhogīs and tyāgīs, two classes of men, you'll find. Mostly they're bhogīs. They're trying to enjoy anything for his sense gratification utility. And another, when he's baffled, he says, "No, no, we don't require it." Similarly the same example: If one takes that note and says, "Somebody has lost his hundred dollar note, sir." So one who has really hundred doll..., he says, "Yes, yes. I had..." And if you deliver to him, that is real service. To give up that note or to take that note, both is useless. So similarly karmī and tyāgī, bhogī and tyāgī, they're all useless. And bhakta, devotees, they know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa; now it should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is real service. The same example. You take the hundred note and you ask, "To whom this hundred dollar note belongs?" If you give him, that's a great service. That man becomes very much pleased upon you: "Oh, you are so nice."
Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:
So similarly this everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. What is this body? This body, material elements, earth, water, fire, air, and then within the body, subtle psychological, mind, intelligence, ego. So Kṛṣṇa claims, "All these eight elements are My separated energy." Then where is your body, your mind? You cannot, you do not know even how this body is working. Although I am claiming, "This is my body..." Take, for example, just you are a tenant in an apartment. You are getting all supplies. But you do not know that how these, I mean to say, tap water is working, fire is working. You do not know. But you pay rent, or somehow or other, you have occupied the apartment. You are utilizing. Similarly, we are utilizing this body. But this body does not belong to me; it belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is real fact. So this body means senses. Therefore senses also belong to Kṛṣṇa, mind also belong to Kṛṣṇa. Everything I have got. I am a spirit soul. I have given the opportunity to utilize a certain type of body because I wanted it. Kṛṣṇa has given me. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want a body of a king, Kṛṣṇa will give you. You do the prescribed method; you, you get a body of a king. And if you want the body of a hog, to eat stool, Kṛṣṇa will give you.
Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:
This is pure devotion: no other desire. Other desire means material desire. Because we are spirit soul, our desires should be spiritual. Just like human being should desire like a human being, not like a dog. The... To desire like the dog, that is other desire, and to desire like a human being, that is real desire. Our philosophy does not teach to become desireless. That is not possible. Desire must be there. But it should not be other desire. "Other desire" means... Then what is the real desire? Real desire is how to become a sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real desire. Except this desire, anything—all "other desire." Or how to become servant of Kṛṣṇa, the means and the way, the process—that is also pure, devotional desire.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:
So this viśvātman, viśveśa, these are Kṛṣṇa's opulences, vibhūti. But in His original form, He is Kṛṣṇa, two hands, playing on the flute. That is His original form. The universal form is causal, because Arjuna wanted to see. Arjuna was a devotee, so He showed him. That is not actual form. Just like a person, he, he may dress himself as a king or something, but that is not his real appearance, his appearance at home. So Kṛṣṇa's real form is Vṛndāvana, at home. That is real form. And all other forms are expansion of His plenary portions. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33), in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Ananta-rūpam. He can expand Himself in millions and millions of forms, ananta-rūpam. But advaita, but He's one. Advaita, acyuta. Acyuta means who never falls. Infallible. So Kṛṣṇa's infallible, not infallible, Kṛṣṇa's real form... In any form, He's not fallible. He's acyuta. But His real form is the dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara. Dvi-bhuja, two hands, having a flute in the hand. That is real form. Therefore, Kuntīdevī's addressing that "You are, You have got universal form. But the form in which You are standing before me, that is Your real form."
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
So we are teaching this real religion. Here is Deity, Kṛṣṇa. So we are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." We are worshiping Deity, Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Lord Kṛṣṇa and Deity. He's Kṛṣṇa. And we are offering obeisances. So the same... This... Therefore it is real religion because we are strictly following the laws of God. Anyābhilāṣitā... We have no other business. So therefore this is real religion, if you take, or real culture, real society—everything real. Because God is real, anything in connection with God, according to His instruction, that is real. All other things are imitation. So always remember that if somebody takes us as religionists, yes, we are religionists, but pure religionists. If somebody says socialist, we are pure socialist. If somebody says we are diplomats, poli..., yes, we are pure politicians. What is pure politicians? Politics requires violence. So annihilate the demons and give protection. The politics means two things. The state, government, what is that? Government gives protection to the good citizen, and those who are rogues, punish them. Law and order. Two things are there: maintenance and law and order. So similarly, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also the same thing. But so far we are concerned, because we are not in political power... Otherwise we have, would have followed the principles of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:
So the, our real business is how to attain that eternal life. That is real business. Other business, they are not important. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18). This is the instruction, that we should try how to become again immortal. We are immortal by nature, but we have covered by another nature, external nature, bahiraṅga-śakti And because we have been entangled with this material body, we have to die. Otherwise there is no death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. The living entity does not take birth, neither it dies. Then why we are taking birth and dying? The..., this question does not arise to the fools and rascals of this materialist world. I was talking with one very big man in London, Lord Fenner-Brockway. He came to see me. So I asked him this question. He was old man. He was a, I think, older than me. He was eighty-four. So he said, "Yes, I'll die peacefully." You see? This question does not bother even any man. And I talked with that Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. He also said, "Swamiji, after death, everything is finished." You see? Big, big men in Europe, very exalted position, they do not know even that there is life after death. They do not know.
Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:
So if we can purchase Kṛṣṇa by love... That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: durlabha, vedeṣu durlabham, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). God is adurlabha, vedeṣu durlabha, not adurlabha. I am sorry. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Durlabha means very difficult to obtain. Dur. Dur means with difficulty. And labha means getting. So Brahmā says that officially if you study Vedic literature to find out God, to know about God, it is very difficult. It is very difficult. Therefore those who are depending on personal studies, speculation, personal knowledge to understand God, for them, Kṛṣṇa is durlabha, very difficult to find out. It is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said that "I do not expose Myself." Kṛṣṇa reserves the right of being exposed to anyone and everyone. No. That is not possible. Although the Vedic literature is meant for to find out Kṛṣṇa, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ... (BG 15.15). All knowledge... Vedic, veda means knowledge. So any department of knowledge, you may pursue, the business is how to find out Kṛṣṇa. That is real business. Either you take chemistry or physics or politics or sociology, anything, medicine, everything—all departmental knowledge—the aim is to find out Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:
So the human life is meant for such cultivation, not for seeking where is food, where is shelter, where is sex. These are already there. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate... (SB 1.5.18). These things are not our subject matter of inquiry. These are already there. It is enough there even for the birds and beasts. And what to speak of human being? But they have become so rascal. They are simply absorbed in the thought of the where is food, where is shelter, where is sex, where is defense. This is the misguided civilization, misguided. There is no question of these things for... There is no problem at all. They do not see that the animal has no problem, the bird has no problem. Why the human society will have such problem? That is not at all problem. Real problem is how to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. That problem is being solved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you simply understand what is Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), there are no more material birth.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice, if you make friendship with Kṛṣṇa, then you can talk with Kṛṣṇa as Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja requested: "Kṛṣṇa, kindly stay a few days more." So Kṛṣṇa, not few days more, Kṛṣṇa will remain perpetually with you if you love Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:
So the king's business is as soon as he sees one undesirable element, immediately he would kill him. That is real protection. Just like when Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going on tour, he saw one black man was trying to kill a cow. Immediately saw, "Who are you? You are trying to kill cow in my kingdom? I shall kill you." He immediately took out his sword. This is king, that... Not that animals should not be given protection, only man should be given protection. No. Prajā. Prajā means one who taken birth in the kingdom. That is called prajā. So animal is also American, man is also American, but there is no protection for the animal by the government. So that kind of government, rascal government, was not there. Equal right. Your country says equality given. Why not equality to the animals? That is defect. It is due to, I mean to say, absence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person will not distinguish like that. For eating animal, they will philosophize that animal has no soul; therefore it can be killed. No. This is nonsense. Everyone has got soul. Even a small ant has got soul. But they have to kill. They have to eat. They are philosophizing different way. Lord Jesus Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill," and now they are interpreting, "Killing means murdering human being." But that is not in the Bible.
Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:
So from the material point of view, everyone must be prepared to pay, to take protection. But does it mean that if one becomes devotee he becomes irresponsible? No. These things automatically come. Just like we are giving protection to the children. So many children are here. Why? What is the aim? The aim is that we want to see that everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That automatically comes, to take care of the children, to give them education, to give them food, to give them shelter. That is real protection. And simply to give them... Just like in Western countries they feed the children with powdered flesh, mixed with water, boiled, and push with the spoon, and... They become fatty, of course. But that is not really maintaining the children, that is not really. Śāstra says that unless you save him from the imminent danger of death, then there is no protection. What is this protection? Suppose if you make your child very fatty. Does it mean because he's fat, he is very strong, therefore he'll not die? He'll die. Where is your protection from the death? Therefore śāstra says, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. One should not become father or mother... That is real contraceptive method. If one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he knows that "What is the use of producing some children like cats and dogs? What is the use? If I produce any children, then they must be Kṛṣṇa conscious so that this will be their last birth." Because if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious then there is no more birth. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). You send to Kṛṣṇa, back to home—that is required. Father, mother, guardian's duty is to educate the wards, subordinates, in such a way that he becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and so that he can be saved from this repetition of birth and death.
Lecture on SB 1.9.1 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1973:
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is not only thinking of the human being who were killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. He is thinking of all the horses, elephants, because they are also living entities. They are also prajā, national. "National," this word, we don't find in the Vedic literature, "national." It is modern invention. So if we feel nationally, then we feel for every living entity (who) is born in that land. That is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not sectarian, that "I feel for this living entities, not for that." So iti bhītaḥ, he was very much afraid, that "I have killed so many animals and men. So what to do?" Prajā-drohāt. Droha, droha means to become enemy. Unless you become my enemy, you cannot kill me, neither I can kill you. So droha means if you become enemy. So when the prajās were killed, the king became enemy. He is thinking, "Otherwise, how I could induce them to be killed?" He was thinking like that. Prajā-drohāt. As you, if you rebel against the king, it is also a great fault, similarly, if you rebel, revolt against the prajās, that is also great fault. Therefore he is afraid. Bhītaḥ prajā-drohāt. "Now what to do?" Sarva-dharma-vivitsayā. This is the position to approach a guru, when you are bewildered. When things are not in order, brain is puzzled... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru when he could not ascertain whether he shall fight or not, bewilderment, so similarly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja also became bewildered, that "I have killed so many prajās. What is my position? I have become so much sinful. How can I rule over the empire?"
Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:
Some of them are protesting that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is ruining Hindu religion." The rascals, they do not know that I am acting strictly according to śāstra. The śāstras says... Kṛṣṇa says Himself, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ: (BG 9.32) "Anyone born in low-grade family.' Pāpa-yoni, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, "if he takes to Me according to regulative principles," vyapāśritya, "according to the principle," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "he is immediately becomes eligible to be promoted," parāṁ gatim, "the highest perfection of life." One thing is pāpa-yoni. So there is no restriction that pāpa-yoni shall remain always pāpa-yoni. Why? They should be given enlightenment. That is brāhmaṇa-ism. Brāhmaṇa means liberal, and just the opposite word of brāhmaṇa is kṛpaṇa, miser. A brāhmaṇa should give chance to everyone, even to the pāpa-yoni, how to become brāhmaṇa. That is real brāhmaṇa. And the rascal who thinks that "I shall remain simply brāhmaṇa; others shall remain mlecchas and yavanas," he is not brāhmaṇa; he is śūdra, because his mind is so crippled. He does not want to see others to become brāhmaṇa. He is miser, kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇaḥ phala-hetavaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:
So these are mental concoction. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, ei bhāla ei manda saba manodharma, "Mental concocted." Real dharma is what is ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up your all manufactured dharma. Here is the real dharma." Śaraṇaṁ vraja. "Just become surrendered unto Me, and that is real dharma." Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law. Laws can be manufactured or can be given by the government. You cannot make any law at your home. That is not law. Law means the order given by the government. The supreme government is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 10.8). There is nobody better than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the order given by Kṛṣṇa is dharma. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that dharma. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other so-called dharmas, this dharma, that dharma, so many dharmas. Simply just surrender unto Me."
Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa takes birth. That is Janmāṣṭamī. So if anyone tries to understand why the Aja, the Unborn, takes birth, janma karma... And God, Kṛṣṇa, who has nothing to do... That is the Vedic information. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Why He has to do? Actually He hasn't got to do anything. He has to enjoy only. Just like we see the Deity Kṛṣṇa is not working in the factory as a factory manager. He's enjoying the company of Rādhārāṇī. We have to work. If we enjoy with our so-called Rādhārāṇī, then we'll starve to death. We have to work. But God is not like that. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. These are the informations from Vedas, Upaniṣads, that He has nothing to do. Yes. That is real God. If God has to work, God has to do something, then what kind of God He is? Here, the so-called imitation Gods, even a rich man, he does not do anything. And why God will work? Therefore God comes... He's aja, unborn. He comes, janma, karma, He works also. Just like Kṛṣṇa. He worked ordinary cowherd's boy. He worked as ordinary politician. He worked as ordinary philosopher, left the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and so many other instructions, sublime instructions.
Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:
Tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam (SB 11.5.34). Agād araṇyam. Araṇyam means, going to the forest means, to take sannyāsa. Going to the Himalaya does not mean or going to the forest does not mean that he should actually go there. One should give up this family affection, and dedicate the whole life for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is really going to the forest. Not that unnecessarily. It may be beneficial for person, for his personal self. But real renunciation is to have no more interest in so-called limited jurisdiction of family, social, international, national, but the whole interest is for Kṛṣṇa. That is real renunciation. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Renunciation does not mean give up this world. That I was explaining. Our philosophy is not the jagat is mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? We don't say that. Jagat is fact. It may be temporary, but it is a fact. Now, so long we have got this jagat, let us utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. That is renunciation. We cannot say this microphone is mithyā. So long the microphone is in my possession, let it be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. This is renunciation. Everyone using this microphone, these modern machines, for his personal gain. But we are not using for personal gain. We are traveling all over the world, spending so much money, jet plane, and this plane, just to push Kṛṣṇa consciousness as much as possible. This is renunciation, not that sitting one place doing nothing and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then there will be fall down. Don't imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is not possible. You must work.
Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :
But these foolish persons they are thinking that, that "Our material pleasure will be very much enjoyable when it is put into the golden pot instead of iron pot." Mūḍhāḥ. They are called mūḍhāḥ. (laughter) They do not know the..., our real business is how to get out of this material body. That is, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is real knowledge. One should keep in his thought that "My real distress of life are these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi to take birth, to die, to become old and to become diseased. This is my problem." But they do not know this. They are now busy in the petroleum problem. Yes. Yes. They have created this petroleum problem, this horseless tin carriage. (laughter) Yes. They are thinking, "Better than horse. Now I have got this tin carriage." As soon as it is old it has no value. You throw into the street, especially in your country. Nobody takes care of it. And..., but one must have this carriage. And it must run on petrol, and take labor, so hard labor, goes wihin the desert, drill it, and then take out the oil, then bring it in tanks. And it is called ugra-karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that these rascals, demons, they have created ugra-karma simply for trouble to the whole people. That's all. Kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ, and bringing destruction nearer, nearer. Now they are going on, and that may be big work that means destruction and simply for creating a little comfort. Formerly also they were moving.
Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:
Just like a man fights, just like Hitler declared war, or so many wars are declared. This man is declaring, everyone is thinking, "I am independent." So, and we are thinking that we have got so many soldiers, so many atomic bombs, and so many aeroplanes, we shall come out victorious. Similarly, each and everyone of us, we are thinking, "I am independent, and my wife, my children, my society, they are my soldiers. If I am in danger, they will help me." This is going on. This is called māyā. Pramattaḥ teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati, because we have become mad after this so-called independence, independence of God, we are thinking these things will help us, will protect us, but that is māyā. Teṣāṁ nidhanam, everyone will be destroyed. Nobody will be able to give us protection. If real protection is wanted, he will have to take protection of Kṛṣṇa. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You rascal, you are thinking that so many things will give you protection. That will not be possible. You will be finished, and your so-called protector, and friends, and soldiers, they will be finished. You don't depend on them. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66), you just surrender unto Me, I'll give you protection, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. This is real protection.
Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:
You know the story, punar mūṣiko bhava? Anyone knows? Punar mūṣiko bhava means "Again you become a mouse." (laughter) A mouse came to a saintly person: "Sir, I am very much troubled." "What is that?" People generally go to saintly persons for some material profit. That is the nature, animalistic nature. Why you should go to a saintly person for some material benefit? No. You go there to learn what is God. That is real business. Anyway, saintly persons sometimes receive. "So what do you want?" Just like Lord Śiva, his devotees are all like that mouse, want something. "Sir, this cat troubles me very much." "So what you want?" "Let me become a cat." "All right, you become a cat." So he became a cat. Then after few days, he came back. "Sir, still I am in trouble." "What is that?" "The dogs, (laughter) they trouble us very much." "So what you want?" "Now I want to become a dog." "All right, you become." Then after few days... One after..., there is nature's arrangement. One is weak, one is strong. That is nature's arrangement. So after all, he wanted to become a tiger. So by the grace of the saintly person, he became a tiger. And when he became a tiger, he was staring on the saintly person like, oh. (Prabhupāda makes a face-devotees laugh) So the saintly person asked him, "You want to eat me?" "Yes." "Oh, then you may again become a mouse. (laughter) If by my grace, by my favor, you have become tiger, so I will again condemn you to become a mouse."
Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:
So he has explicitly explained that spirit soul, we are all spirit soul, every one of us. But He is the supreme spirit soul, param. Param means the supreme. He's not ordinary. So He comes as ordinary, not ordinary, as human being, but He is the supreme human being. That is the difference. Supreme human being. But one who cannot understand, one who thinks, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is like us. He has got also two hands, two legs, one head. We have got also. He is like me," he is a mūḍha, rascal. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ: (BG 9.11) "These rascal fools, they deride." Mānuṣīṁ tanum āś... Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ, "They have no knowledge of the paraṁ bhāvam." So the paraṁ bhāvam, that is understood by the devotees. That is the difference. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, Kṛṣṇa has said. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). Paraṁ bhāvam, this bhāva... Bhāva means assimilation—"Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so great." This is called bhāva. That is real understanding, when you understand really this bhāva stage. Bhāva-bhakti. Bhāva-bhakti. Simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Paraṁ bhāvam. Person who has not come to this stage of bhāva, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. The bhāva stage comes.
Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:
Happiness beyond sense gratification. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam. Atīndriya means the senses, when they are purified, with that senses, when you try to enjoy, then that is real happiness. That is real happiness. Just like if your tongue is diseased, or if you are diseased, then you cannot taste what is actually rasagullā taste. Because the tongue is distasteful, you cannot enjoy it. Similarly, so long your senses are diseased in condition, you cannot enjoy senses. You shall... It has to be purified. That purification method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You purify your senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified. So how these things can be purified? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. You have to be free from all designation. Designation. So at the present moment I am thinking, "This is my hand. I am American. Therefore this is my American hand." "I am Indian; therefore it is my Indian hand." So you have to forget this, or you have to purify: "This hand is neither American nor African nor Indian. This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa." This is purification.
Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:
So nobody can be richer than God or nobody can be equal with God. This is greatness. "God is great." How He is great? That is defined every..., particularly. He is great because nobody equally rich with Him. Nobody is richer than Him. That is God. Everybody is poorer than Him. Therefore na tat-samaḥ. Sama means equal, and adhika means greater. How God can be great? If somebody is greater than Him, how God is great? If somebody is equal to Him, then how He is great? Just see how the definition is given perfectly. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Because He is great, why He should work? All the subordinates will work. We are all subordinate. Therefore we shall work for God. But we have made our formula, that "God shall work for me." "God, give us our daily bread. We have nothing to do. Simply give us our bread." What is this? But the Vaiṣṇava idea is that "Without giving bread to God, God will die." Yaśodā-māyi is thinking, "If I do not give Kṛṣṇa to eat something nice, Kṛṣṇa will become lean and thin." That is love of Godhead, how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to serve God. Sevonmukhe. That is real religion. When we are not to take service from God, but we are ready to give service to God, that is real religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Adhokṣaje. God is beyond our senses. Therefore He is Adhokṣaja.
Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:
So similarly, we are in the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-rajas-tamaḥ. Those who are in darkness, tamaḥ, completely in darkness, do not know anything. Exactly like the child does not know what is his actual interest. Know to..., not. Generally, everyone who is in this material world, he does not know what is actually, what thing he should capture. He does not know. That is the difficulty. Mūḍha. They are therefore mūḍha. Real interest is to capture Kṛṣṇa. That is real interest. But he does not know. The capturing power and capacity is there. Even a child... In the beginning, the children, there are so many other things. But the child will capture that biscuit, because he knows it is eatable something. But he does not whether it is poison I am giving. He does not know that. That discrimination he hasn't got. But because it appears something to be eatable... The example, as I was giving in walking, that the fish, he has got enough food within the ocean. God has provided. But still, he will capture that tackle, fish-catching tackle, a little something. For taste, he will capture it, and that means lost life. Similarly, the bees, the enter the flower, a big flower like lotus flower, enjoying the smell, but in the evening, with the set of sunset, the petals close and they remain and suffocated, loses their life.
Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:
So hṛdi brahma paraṁ dhyāyan. This is the principle. If you want to stop repetition of birth and death... This is our real problem, but people are so poor in knowledge, they do not know what is the problem. They are tackling some temporary problem: "There is no petrol, there is no this, there is no that." Well, even petrol is there, but what of yourself? Are you going to live here forever? That is not problem. I am making arrangement for my sense gratification very nicely-skyscraper building, and very nice car, very nice bank balance, everything. That's all right. But you are going to live permanently? What is the answer, my dear scientist? No answer. Just see. You construct a house with a hope that you shall live here, but if you are informed, "Oh, you are going to die tomorrow," will you take that responsibility, constructing, spending millions of dollars? "Oh, I am going to die?" That is natural. That is natural. So before making nice arrangement for our living condition, first of all make this condition sure that you are going to live actually, you will live comfortably. Is that guaranteed? No, that is not guaranteed. At any moment you will be kicked out. Any moment. So that is real problem. First of all make yourself assured that you will not be kicked out. Just like even we enter an apartment, we make so many agreement with the landlord, this condition, that condition. What is the idea? That I may not be kicked out, I may not be kicked out tomorrow. The landlord may say, "Get out." This is the agreement you make. So what is the agreement for your living condition?
Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:
Therefore here it is said, dhyāyan na āvarteta yato gataḥ. We are trying to go to the moon planet. But is it sure that you will not die there? "No, no, before going there I shall die. That is happy. Still we shall go." This is their proposal. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or any Venus planet, this planet, anywhere within this material world... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. There are so many planets. The topmost planet is Brahmaloka, Brahma planet, where Lord Brahmā lives. And you know the duration of life of Brahmā. You cannot calculate his one twelve-hours day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). This is the Brahmā's twelve hours. That is Brahmaloka. You cannot calculate what is the duration of life there. But even if you go there, the problem, death will be there. The problem death will go. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The problem which is here... Just like the birth-death problem is within the ant society, birth-death problem is there within the animal society, birth-death problem is there in the human society, similarly, birth-death problem is in the moon society or sun society or Brahmaloka society, anywhere in this material world. That is real problem.
Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:
So this is the problem. But that is not the problem for Kṛṣṇa. But that is problem for us. Because we are very minute spark of Kṛṣṇa, as the spark has the chance of being extinguished out of the fire, similarly, being separated from Kṛṣṇa, being entangled in this material energy, we have forgotten. Our spiritual quality, burning quality, just like fire, that is now extinguished. It is not exactly extinguished: almost extinguished. We have forgotten. But it can be again brought into the original position by fanning. Just like there is small fire in the charcoal. You fan it, and it will gradually become a big fire. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is fanning that spiritual spark to come into full consciousness. Go on fanning like that. That is the rules and regulation, attending this class, hearing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. Twenty-four hours be engaged. That is real business. Dhyāyan, always, constantly, hṛdi brahma paraṁ dhyāyan. Dhyāyan means medi... This is meditation. And who is Para-brahman? Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).
Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:
Te sādhu-kṛta-sarvārthā. Artha means interest. Everyone has some interest. The animals have got also interest. The man has got some interest. The big politician, he has also interest. Everyone has got interest. But nobody knows what is real interest. That is missing. Everyone has created his interest and he is working in that way. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Real interest is, for the human being, to know what is God, what is my relationship with Him, and how I shall achieve the highest perfection of life. That is real interest.
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Svārtha. Svārtha or artha. Svārtha means own interest, and artha means general interest. The general interest is, for the human being, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Because human life is not dog's life, cat's life, so there must be dharma, religion. And religion means no dog. That is first interest. This is first interest. Otherwise how shall I distinguish my life with the cats and dogs life? They are also eating, sleeping, mating and dying. And if I also, like the cats and dogs, eat, sleep and have sex life and die, then where is the difference? The difference is religion. The dog society, cat society, there cannot be any religion, but in the human society, there is necessity of religion. Otherwise it is cats' and dogs' society. So they do not understand it. They are avoiding religion. Nowadays the so-called advanced civilization, they are avoiding religion. That means they are coming to the platform of cats and dogs. And actually, they have come.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:
You (are) competent to eat. But it has been disrupted by another influence. That is called māyā. Similarly kṛṣṇa-bhakti, or our love for Kṛṣṇa, is eternally fact. Some way or other, it has been interrupted by the influence of māyā, and we have to cleanse this. Or, as the physician cures the disease, so this māyā, māyā, means an illusion, means it is not a fact. Just like you cannot eat—this is not a fact. You can eat, but something has come between you and your healthy life. That is disease. So not to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is disease. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious is healthy. That is real health. Not to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become a demon, that is disease.
So our process is to cure the disease, not that we are enforcing something by some artificial means. That is not possible. That is not possible. Otherwise, in the foreign countries... Now, for Kṛṣṇa there is no foreign country, because He is the proprietor everywhere. But people think that "Kṛṣṇa is a foreign name, and He is Indian, Indian God," like that. But actually that is not for... Just like you cannot say the sun, "This is American sun and this is Indian sun or this is African sun." Sun is one. Similarly, God is one. There cannot be two Gods, American God or Indian God or African God. God is one. But when God consciousness comes into, I mean, awakening, then we can understand what is God. Therefore in the Bhāgavata there it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By our these diseased senses, blunt senses... Diseased means blunt condition. So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Simply I speak, "Kṛṣṇa is God," and you hear, it will not be appreciated. It will not be appreciated. "Eh, why Kṛṣṇa God?" You will make so many protests. So... But actually, Kṛṣṇa is God.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitram. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So to go to Kṛṣṇa, one requires to be perfectly purified. Just like without becoming fire, you cannot enter into fire. If your body is not fire, as soon as you enter fire, you will be burned. But you take another fire and push into the fire, there is no reaction. There is no reaction. Just like to live within the water, you must have a particular type of body so that living within the water, you will not be infected. Just like a human being, if he artificially enters into the water, for few hours he can remain. That is also with great difficulty. He will feel bodily pain. But the fishes within the water, they are living very peacefully, happily, for hundreds of years. So this is real fact. You cannot enter into an atmosphere without being fit for living in that atmosphere. Is it very difficult to understand? Because they are going to the moon planet, why they are coming back? Because they have no arrangement to make the body fit to live there.
Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:
The Bhagavad-gītā says that problem, one should be very vigilant to the problem. And what is that problem? He says, Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They do not know what is the real problem. Real problem is repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. Whole Vedic civilization is meant for stopping these problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. The whole Bhagavad-gītā is taught... You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You just try to understand what is the real problem. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says that,
- janma karma ca me divyaṁ
- (evaṁ) yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti kaunteya
- (BG 4.9)
This is solution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam: "This is My appearance on this material world, how God appears." Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. Nobody takes birth. Even we do not take birth; we simply change body. So what to speak of God? God and we, we are qualitatively one. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). But He is the chief living entity. Just like you have got your chief American, means the president of your country, similarly, everywhere must be there, one chief man. Just like in the society, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, you accept me as the chief. So you have to accept one chief. Either you are a political party or social party or religious party or Communist party... Just like Communist party, they have got their chief men. Lenin, Stalin.
Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:
But God is the whole family. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti. He's supplying food to the elephants. We are, we are so much advanced in civilization that because we cannot take care of a child, therefore we are killing child even within the womb of mother, abortion. We are so unfit. But God, you see, He's feeding millions of elephants in the Africa. Not only elephants, there are so many. Out of 8,400,000 species of life, there are 8,000,000 species of life nonhuman being, the majority—the birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, so many other living entities. But they have no business. They have no occupation, profession, to maintain themselves. So who is maintaining them? Who is there? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Even if within your room, there is a little hole, sometimes you'll find thousands of ants coming out. Have you got this experience? And who is feeding them? Who is supplying them food? They are living within that hole, millions, and hundreds and thousands of ants, but they're also eating, they're also sleeping, they have got their wife, they have got their children. But who is supplying food? So in this way, if you analyze that everything is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how Kṛṣṇa is great, or God is great. So that is a real civilization of life, to understand, to appreciate, to appreciate the greatness of God. That is real civilization.
Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:
So what is the symptom of such a rascal government? That is also stated. Itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam. There will be no fixed position of these things. Just see. What are these? Aśana, eating. Aśana, pāna, drinking; vāsaḥ, residence; snāna, taking bath; and vyavāya, sexual intercourse. There is no rules and regulation. Irresponsible government means, the Kali's government means, that these things will be irregular, not regularized. Just see. This is Vedic civilization. Aśana, eating—there must be regulative principle, not that like hogs and pigs you can eat everything, no. There must be control. Control is there already. Just like in government, when you open a restaurant, immediately there is control. You have to take license, that "You have to supply food like this or like that. You cannot supply anything rubbish." Is it not? Control is there, but because it is controlled by another rascal, group of rascals, so they allow everything to eat. Everything eat. Control is there, but they do not know what kind of control should be there. The control should be, as we are prescribing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness move..., "You cannot take anything without Kṛṣṇa's prasāda." That is real control. Then you'll be happy. Control is already there, but they do not know because they are being governed by kṣatra-bandhūn. Kṣatra-bandhūn means kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means the ruling class. Kṣat, kṣat means injure, and trāyate, one who gives you protection from being injured. He's kṣatriya. It is the duty of the government that every citizen, never mind whether human being or animal, he may not be injured by anyone. That is responsible government. It is not responsible government that one poor animal, because he does not know how to give him protection, although there is government, he is taken away to the slaughterhouse. This is not government.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:
So that is our main business, how to get out of this material body of skins and bones. That is real business. But these rascals, they do not know what is real business. They want to maintain the skin and bone by another skin and bone. That is their program. So it is foolish civilization. They do not what is civilization, what is the aim of life, what we should do. Nothing, no program. Simply just like animals, and kill animals and eat and be merry. And to digest meat, you drink also. One after another. As soon as there is drinking, then there is illicit sex. And so many things complicated. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā warns, yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). You must work. You should not be idle. But yajñārthe, for Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll not be implicated. Otherwise, you'll be implicated. By the grace of māyā, you'll be so implicated that you have got this human form of life, and after giving up this body, you'll have to accept, according to your karma, one of the 8,400,000 species of life; maybe it may be a tree, it may be a cat, it may be a dog, or it may be something lower grade.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:
So nirvāṇa. Actually, there is no benefit. Even if I go to the highest planetary system, with very, very long duration of life and material comforts, that is not actual benefit. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system, still, it is not safe, because the death is there. And if you come to My place, no, there is no more..." That is called nirvāṇa. Our business is to finish this material existence and go back to home, back to... That is real business.
So here the Dharmarāja is lamenting, "On account of absence of Kṛṣṇa, our real business, nirvāṇa, is being delayed. Therefore, are you lamenting, mother?" So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that although He's not present at the present moment, still, in the form of His holy name, He's present. You can take still advantage of Kṛṣṇa's name by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You can take. Don't think that when you chant "Kṛṣṇa," this name Kṛṣṇa is different from the Kṛṣṇa person. No. They are the same. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ, pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). This is the shastric injunction. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. Nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa, they're not different. Abhinna. Abhinna means not separate. The same. So take advantage of this life, and take advantage of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and make your life successful.
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:
But you have no sense of Kṛṣṇa. You have no sense of Kṛṣṇa. Or actually you do not die. That is another thing. This death means in the... That is described in the Bhāgavatam. Those who die before Kṛṣṇa, they attain their original position, svarūpa. So that is real success. Otherwise, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). It is not death; when our body is destroyed, that does not mean we are dead. You are spirit soul, I am spirit soul, every one of us, but we have no death. That is another illusion. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This so-called death, it is not death. Dhīra, one who knows, one who is sober, he knows that "This man or this boy or this father is dying... He's not dying. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ: he is just changing another body. He's changing an..." So actually we have no death. The change of body. So we are accepting this change of body as death. That is another illusion. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. One who is sober, he is not bewildered. He knows that... Suppose we are sitting here. We are sitting here, and after a few minutes we shall go away. That does not mean we are dead. We are in this apartment; we go to another apartment. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Similarly, nobody dies. It is change of body, from this body to another body. So we have no death. This is illusion. So what is your question?
Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:
We have to surpass this material principle, then come to the spiritual platform. That is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... Sarva-dharmān (BG 18.66). This is also dharma. So just like people are engaged formally. Their temple, church, is sometimes, simply formality. Real, their real business is how to satisfy their senses. "If for satisfying my senses I'll have to pose myself as a religious person, so let me do that." That is their religion. But that is not religion. Real religion is no sense satisfaction, simply to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is real religion. Therefore (s)he says, bhavān hi veda tat sarvam.
So as somebody, anything, they require four legs... Just like this platform, it has got four legs. Animal stands on four legs. Anything, it requires four pillars. So to remain steadily on the platform of dharma, these four legs required: dharma, artha, kāma... If I simply remain engaged in religious principles and nobody is engaged where to get food... Because food also is required. So therefore not only religious principle, there must be economic development attempt also. But not one-man show. We should divide our society in such a way that somebody, some group of men is engaged in studying the dharma principle and spreading it. Just like we have taken the principle, generally, to spread what is meant by real dharma. That is the business of the brāhmaṇa. And similarly, some group of men should be kṣatriya for ruling over. Unless there is discipline, ruling, everything will be chaos. The government must be there. The principle of directors must be there. So dharma, artha, kāma. And we must live peacefully. Our senses should not disturb us. Because we have got senses, they want satisfaction. So we must give food them also, senses. Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. But ultimate goal is how to get out of this material existence. This is four principles: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. And mokṣa, by the impersonalists, their mokṣa and real mokṣa... Real mokṣa... Mokṣa means liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material existence.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Delhi, November 4, 1973:
We do not know whether we are going to die within seven seconds, because there is no guarantee, whereas Parīkṣit Mahārāja had at least seven days' guarantee that he will die after seven days. But so far we are concerned, we can go on the street. There may be any accident. I can die immediately. There are, so many deaths are taking place. The death is sure, and when it will take place, that nobody knows.
Therefore we should take lesson from Mahārāja Parīkṣit that what we are going to prepare for our next life. That is human life. Otherwise it is animal life. The cats and dog, they do not know "What is my next life." They think that... They do not know anything. So if a human being does not know, "What I am preparing for the next life?" he is no better than cats and dogs. That is the statement of the śāstra. It is not my statement.
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
Go-kharaḥ. Go means cows and khara means ass. So anyone who has got this concept that "I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am this," "I am that," this is ātma-buddhi, dehātma-buddhi. Yasyātma-buddhi... One should know that "I am not this body." That is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. But nobody knows that. Everyone thinking. The fighting is going on all over the world. Just like Israel and the, what other the party?
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:
So we must be very serious to understand Bhāgavatam. If we can understand even one line, one verse, our life becomes sublime. It is so nice. There is no comparison of this literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That we are actually finding in the Western countries, how nicely they are receiving these granthas. We have translated into English, and they're enjoying. Actually that is the fact. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Now, our problem, what is this problem? Problem is that we have got so many dirty things within the heart. The first dirty thing is that "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am śūdra," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am black and white..." These conceptions, these are all dirty things. "I am not this body," that is real knowledge. Therefore Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the dirty things from the heart, that is my first business. And what is that dirty things? To identity myself with this body. That is the dirty things. The whole world is in distressed condition on account of this dirty thing, that "I am this body." This is the conception of the ass.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:
Go-kharaḥ. Go-kharaḥ means... Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile. Now many persons come here in Vṛndāvana, tīrtha, but what do they think? They think, "Let me take bathing in the Yamunā River. Then my business is finished." But no. Śāstra says that you should approach to a bhāgavata, a devotee who is living in Vṛndāvana, pure devotee, and surrender unto him. That is tīrtha-yātrā. Not that coming here and taking bathing in the Ganges or... They are going to dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. General people think, in this Kali-yuga, at least, that if you go thousand miles away from your home, then your tīrtha is finished. Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges, but people come to Hardwar to take bathing in the Ganges. Now, what is the difference between the Hardwar Ganges and Calcutta Ganges? But he thinks, "If I go three thousand miles and take bathing there, that is real Ganges." So dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. These are the symptoms of the Kali-yuga. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit. Many thousands of people come to Vṛndāvana, but they think by taking bathing in the Yamunā, his tīrtha is finished. Or going to Prayāga, taking... Christian also, they go. They take bathing in the...? Water of...? Jordan?
Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:
That is in spiritual world, not in this material... In the material world there is no love. It is lust. We are making business under the name of love. In the material world there cannot be love because... Suppose a girl loves a boy or a boy loves a girl. Both of them are actuated by sense gratification. So that is not love. That is not love. When there is question of sense gratification, that is not love. Just like there is little example. Just like mother loves the child. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for the sake of love, the mother loves the child. It is simply a little example. Similarly, love means if I love you, I don't want any return. Still, I love you. You may ill treat me. You may badly treat me. You neglect me. Still, I love you. There is no question of return from you. That is real love. That you cannot find in this material world. Because it is based on sense gratification, therefore there is love between a boy and girl, and as soon as there is little discrepancy, there is divorce. They are separated. Because the whole principle was on the basis of lust. So there is no love. Or we do not know what is meant by love. Love does not mean just a boy is attracted by a girl or a girl is attracted by a... That is not love. That is sense attraction. So in the material world there is no love. It is impossible. There is little, little example, just like I cited the example of mother and son or similar. That is also temporary. But real love is in the spiritual... That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is real love. There is no separation. There is no cheating. There is no divorce. There is no sex attraction. Simply for love's sake, loving, that is real love.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:
So our present condition is diseased. Why you are dying? Because you are diseased. Why you are becoming old? Because you are diseased. That is due to this body. But actually I am spirit soul. I am neither old nor diseased, but I have fallen into the condition of material contamination. Therefore I am thinking that I am diseased. This is called māyā. Just like in the dream I am feeling that a tiger is eating me, and I am crying, "Here is a tiger eating me, eating me. Save me." But there is no tiger. This is called illusion, or māyā. But so long we'll have this body just like so long we shall dream, we shall have to suffer the effect, even it is illusion. A man is crying, "There is a tiger." Actually, there is no tiger; neither tiger is eating. But because he is in hallucination, he is feeling the pain. That is actual fact. So the whole process is to stop this illusion, bodily contamination. Then we are in real life. And then we can understand what is love, what is reciprocation of love, everything. That is real, healthy life. So this human form of life is meant for getting out of this illusion to the spiritual life. That we have been discussing. But instead of taking advantage of this human life, if we simply treat ourself just like animals and be engaged with eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating, then we are missing the chance. So long we have got this human intelligence, we should utilize it for the highest perfectional stage of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:
We have to receive knowledge, therefore, from the supreme perfect. That is real knowledge. Just like we have got experience that nobody knows that there is soul. Nobody knows. But we have to receive the knowledge from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says there is soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body, the soul. But if we want to see... Some rascal said, "Show me where is soul." He cannot see because he has no eyes to see. These modern materialistic persons, they want to see everything, but he does not understand that his seeing power is very limited. If the light is off, immediately he cannot see. So what is the value of your eyes? Why you are so much proud to see everything? "Can you show me God? Can you show me the soul?" You cannot see. You have no eyes to see. And what you cannot see, you can hear. Just like a blind man, he is sitting. He cannot see. Somebody comes. He inquires, "Who has come here?" Now, if somebody says, "It is such and such person," by hearing only he can understand, "Oh, such and such person has come." So seeing is not extremely perfect experience. There are other senses.
Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:
In this way we have to mold our life if we are actually interested to become free from this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), if we actually want to get free from the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is our real problem. People do not understand that this is our real problem. They are simply engaged in some temporary problem. The real problem is that "Why I am dying? In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) 'The soul does not die even after the destruction of this body.' So why my body should be destroyed?" This is real inquiry. "Why... Can I not get a permanent body which will never be destroyed?" Yes. You'll get. You will get. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, "You will get a permanent body. After giving up this body," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), "you do not get again material body." "Then where shall I go?" Mām eti: "You come to Me." If you go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa, then, as Kṛṣṇa has got eternal body never to be destroyed, similarly Kṛṣṇa has got eternal body. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa has got a body like us. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when it was inquired by Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said that "This Bhagavad-gītā philosophy I spoke first of all to the sun-god." That (I) have calculated. It is about 400,000,000's of years ago He said. How does He remember? That means He does not change His body. We, we forget because just like in our last, past birth... Now I can remember not all, but some of my incidences of my life I remember. But I do not remember anything of my past life.
Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:
After being liberated from these traiguṇya, three material, one has to be situated in nistraiguṇya. Here it is stated, nairguṇya. Nairguṇya, nistraiguṇya. The same meaning. Nairguṇya-sthā ramante, enjoys life. As soon as you come to the platform of nairguṇya, without being infected by the three material qualities, then ramante, everything is pleasure. Ramante yogino 'nante. Therefore those who are yogis, who are bhaktas, bhakti-yogīs, they also enjoy life. It is not that we restrict that "Don't enjoy senses." This is not enjoyment. This is bondage. This is bondage. Suppose I am enjoying either illicit or legal sex life. I am become under bondage. Even it is legal sex life, I get children, so many things, I have got duty to the children. So either goodness or ignorance, this is bondage. This is bondage. Therefore one has to become above the traiguṇya. And that is called nairguṇya. Nairguṇya-sthā ramante. They also enjoy. What is that enjoyment? Ramante yogino 'nante. That is not limited enjoyment, for few minutes. No. Anante, eternal enjoyment. Ramante yogino 'nante. And that is satyānande, that is real ānanda. That is real bliss. When your ānanda does not stop, it continues, that is real ānanda. And the ānanda, or the pleasure, which is for few seconds or few minutes, that is not ānanda. That is illusion. Real ānanda is it will continue. It will never stop. It will never end. Therefore it is said, ramante yogino 'nante. Anante means unlimited. Ramante yogino 'nante satyānande. That is real happiness.
Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa is situated within your heart. He's your best friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He's always willing how your perfect welfare can be done. Kṛṣṇa is so nice friend. You are... I am taking the body of a hog. There is also Kṛṣṇa advising me. And when I am in the body of a human being, there also Kṛṣṇa is advising me. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Therefore suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He's friend not only of human being, even the hogs, dogs, cats—everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. This is the science, one has to know. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). And suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati. So everyone is trying to become leader of the society, suhṛdam welfare actor, but that is impossible. Because he's a rascal, how he can become the friend? The, one's business is that he should make friendship with Kṛṣṇa and advise others also to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. That is real leadership. That is real leadership. And the rascals, what the, he does not know what is his own benefit, and he has become a leader.
Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:
This field, this body, human body, is very nice field. Here, by acting, you can understand your real position. Other field, the dog's field... He has got a body, but that body is not very good to understand himself. So idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate (BG 13.2). So one who does not know that "This body is my field of activities, I am not this body,"... Therefore, without knowing the real fact that he is not body, he is simply working; that means it is failure. Parābhavaḥ. The Sanskrit word is called parābhavaḥ. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Every one of us is born abodha.
A means not, and bodha means knowledge. Without any knowledge. That's a fact. If you are born with knowledge, then there was no need of sending the children to school. There was no need. He is born. No. Everyone is born rascal. That is to be understood. And therefore he has to be trained. So if the training is simply how to eat more, how to sleep more, how to have sex life more, and how to defend more, that is animal training. But if the training is how to know God, how to know your relationship with God, that is real training. That chance is in the human form of body. So if a human being does not take this chance, this facility, then his all activities are failure. Simply for nothing he's wasting time. Failure.
Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:
That is artificial. So real knowledge means when one is not any more disturbed by the influence of the modes of material nature. The modes of material nature is working. Somebody is influenced by passion, somebody is influenced by ignorance, and somebody is influenced by goodness also. That is also one nature. If, on the platform of goodness, if one stops, then he's also bound, he's also conditioned. "I am very learned man; I know what is Brahman," or "I am living very nice peaceful life." These are the products of jñāna. But if we remain compact within the boundary of such knowledge and do not make further progress, then that is also bondage. That is also bondage. Therefore one must come to the sense where these waves of material nature cannot act. That is real knowledge. Therefore it is said, jñānaṁ yadā pratinivṛtta-guṇormi. Urmi means waves. Cakram, in the whirlpool of the waves of the ocean of nescience... Just like they are taking pleasure in swimming with the waves.
Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:
As others are being... They are also eating; we are also eating. But in our eating, we have got full satisfaction. And they have no satisfaction. They are eating sometimes here, sometimes there, this restaurant, that restaurant, this place... So many advertisements. So as soon as we dovetail our activities with Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is perfection. Jñānaṁ yadā apratihatā ahaituky apratihatā. That is real activity. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The activities which... yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, which is meant for rendering service to the Lord, apratihatā, without being checked. Here (it) is said yadā... Apratihatā. Or apratihatā. Both ways, you can take. That is kaivalyam. Kaivalya means oneness. When I forget myself... The same example: the screw is no longer a screw; it is the whole machine. It is the whole machine. So similarly, kaivalya means oneness. There is no other anything. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, everything Brahman.
This stage can be achieved when one is engaged, dovetailed in the service of the Lord. Therefore the last line says, ko nirvṛto hari-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt. This is the highest perfectional stage of life. So anyone, one who, anyone who wants blissful life... What is nirvṛtaḥ? Hm? What is the meaning of nirvṛtaḥ?
Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:
Therefore, after education you'll have to write application, "My dear sir, I am such and such qualified dog. (laughter) If you'll kindly give me some service." And the tail is like this. (laughter) You see? Just imagine. If by education he becomes independent ... Just like Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, the vaiśyas, they are independent. The śūdras are compared with the dogs because they cannot live without a master. Brāhmaṇa, he will not accept anyone's service. That is real brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya will never accept anyone's service. Why the battle of Kurukṣetra was there? The Kurus, they took away the whole kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas. But they were kṣatriyas. How they will live? Therefore the fight was necessity. The kṣatriyas must be, must have some land to collect taxes. That is the kṣatriya's source of income. The brāhmaṇa's source of income, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana ... They must be learned scholar, they must teach others, they must be devotee and teach others how to become devotee.
Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:
So the opportunity is there. Now let our Indians' leader come out. Take this movement very seriously. There will be great advantage to the people of the whole world. This kind of situation, to keep them in darkness that "I am dog," "I am hog," "I am American," "I am Indian..." No. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is real conception of life. What is the difference? If a bulldog thinks that "I am a bulldog," and if a man thinks, "I am American" or "I am brāhmaṇa," what is the difference? The real thing is knowledge. So don't keep this knowledge locked up in your books, but spread it. My only request is: the leaders of India should now come forward and join this movement and take this advantage of doing good to the whole world, para-upakāra. (applause)
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Thank you very much. (applause—break)
Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:
Then trees, plants. In this way, passing through different species of life, the living entity... Jīva-jātiṣu. Jīva-jātiṣu, in different species of life, he is transmigrating, one after another, one after another. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here "puruṣa" because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. That is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life, let me enter that life, that life, that life, that ..." In this way he falls down. He is fallen already from Vaikuṇṭha planet. He is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress.
Prāpyaṁ mānuṣyam. In this way, after many, many births, he gets this human form of life. Prāpyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt. By the graduation, gradual evolution process. This is real evolution. Not the body is changing. Body is already there. Jīva-jātiṣu. The jīva-jāti, species, are already there. There is a defect of Darwin's theory. He does not want, he does not know that the living entity is passing through different types of body. Not that the body is changing. Bodies are already there. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt. Paryayāt means chronological. What is called, one after another?
Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:
Therefore Bhāgavata says, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta... gurur na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt pitā na sa syāt. There are some negative definitions, that there are so-called gurus, so-called swamis, but Bhāgavata says that "You should not become a swami or guru. Kindly don't become if you cannot save your disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death." Gurur na sa syāt. This is the injunction. "No rascal should become a guru unless he can save his disciple from the cycle of birth and death." Or, in other words, anyone who wants to become guru, if he cannot teach his disciples how to surrender, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, anāśritya, how to take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda, he should not become guru. That is cheating. That is cheating. Similarly, one should not become father. The father and mother should have determination that "The child I produce, I give birth, if I cannot teach him Kṛṣṇa conscious, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, I shall not beget any child."
This is real contraceptive method. Not to beget child like cats and dogs. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. So Bhāgavata says, "One should not become father, one should not become mother, one should not become relative, one should not become king, one should not become guru, if they cannot save their dependants from this cycle of birth and death." This is the meaning of this verse. Anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, varākāṇām ātmābhimāninām. So after wandering through these so many species of life and so dangerous... There are two million species of plant life, tree's life. Just see. You have to stand for so many years. A great opportunity, this human form of life. Don't waste. Don't become dogs and hogs and asses and camels. Become devotee. Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Make your life successful. Thank you. (end)
Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:
Therefore, when Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered material benediction, so he said, "My dear Lord, what You are offering me? I have already seen all these things. My father was so powerful that even demigods would be threatened by his red eyes, and he expanded his influence all over the universe. But You have finished it within a second. So why shall I ask for such benedictions? If You want to give me some benediction, please engage me in some service of Your servant. That is real benediction." Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommended: gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). To become a servant of servant of servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is paramparā system. In that way one can give up the deep attachment for all these, our creation, our developing attachments, gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. At any moment, all these production of attachments can be dismantled, and it is being done so. But they have no knowledge. They have no knowledge. They are thinking that they will be able to enjoy this expansion of attachment, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). No. You cannot enjoy. Even if you enjoy, it is for a few years only.
Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:
So as soon as you understand that "This is not... I am not in contact with tiger. It is all a dream," then you are delivered. Similarly, as soon as you understand, "All this material condition of life we are simply dreaming; I am actually servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you are liberated. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you keep in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you are liberated. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyaa kalpate (BG 14.26), Kṛṣṇa says. Immediately brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. He can see everyone on equal vision. Because he knows, "Here is also another living entity." He is not a Chinaman. He is a part and parcel of God. He is not a Christian. He is not a Hindu. He is simply thinking like that. So give him Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real benefit, to bring him to the original position.
Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:
This is rascaldom, that "This has got soul; this has got no soul." This is rascal's theory. Living entity so small, one ten-thousandth part of the top tip of the hair, we are. Very... You cannot imagine. So any life he takes, any form, it has got all the, I mean to say, functional thing. Everything is there. That is God's creation. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. The biggest of the biggest. He has got the same, what is called, physiological construction. And the ant, he has got the same physiological construction. You cannot see. What is your strength? That we are studying with our tiny brain, "Oh, it has got no breathing. It has no soul," that is our tiny brain.
But we have to know actually from authentic śāstra what is the actual thing. Śāstra-cakṣusā. You don't see with your, these blunt eyes, rascal eyes We see through the śāstras. That should be. That is real knowledge. What is our capacity of these eyes, these senses? They are all imperfect. So whatever knowledge you gather, the so-called scientists, they are all imperfect. Real perfect knowledge is here, Veda. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Therefore you should see through the Vedic version what is actually the fact. So the living entities, sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means a living entity can enter anywhere, and the material function is there. Just like we say "The point has no length, no breadth." Why? But I can see point. Why length and...? "I have no instrument to measure it." That you say. You cannot say there is no length and breadth. You have no instrument to measure what is the length and breadth of the point.
Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:
So there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavān. Originally, the... It is very common sense. Just like we require a leader. To organize some business, some nationality, any group of organization, it requires a leader. Without leader, you cannot organize anything. Nobody has got any such experience that without direction, without leader, anything has sprung up automatically, by nature. The foolish philosophers say like that, that the whole cosmic manifestation has come out of a chunk. They say like that. The rascals say like that: "There was a chunk." And wherefrom this chunk came? No, that is not fact. Fact is that there must be a good brain behind all this organization. This cosmic manifestation, there must be a leader. That is the information we get from Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Nitya, we living entities, we are nitya. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Neither we take birth or we die. We simply change the body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). As old garments, old shirts and coats, we change, similarly, when this body becomes old enough, not to be used, we change to another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). This is real knowledge.
Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:
Therefore by studying Vedic literature, we can understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore one must seek for a Vedic teacher. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Not that "At home, by speculation, I can understand what is God." That is not produce.(?) Vedas says... Just like if you want to be educated, you must accept some school. It doesn't matter whether the school is perfect or not perfect, but you cannot avoid school going. That is not possible. If you think that "Without going to school, I shall learn everything," that is not possible. Vedas says that if you want knowledge actually... Tad-vijñānārtham. Tad-vijñāna means transcendental knowledge. Because Vedic knowledge... There is material knowledge also. Just like Āyur Veda, Dhanur Veda, and Jyotir Veda. Veda, veda means knowledge. There are all different types of knowledge. But real knowledge is brahma-vidyā, to understand the Absolute Truth. That is real knowledge. Other knowledge, they are temporary. We require medicine; therefore there is Āyur Veda. We require sometimes to fight; there is Dhanur Veda. And... So that is also required. Because the body is there. But real requirement is to know the Absolute Truth, Absolute Person. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That is our self-interest. That is our self-interest. If we want to become perfect, then we must see what is the ultimate Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the instruction of Vedānta.
Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:
So this dharma is taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His incarnations, by His devotee, by saintly persons. This is real dharma. But we do not take it. That is another thing. But if we take it, then we become benefited. So here it is said, "You are my spiritual master, although You are my son. But I accepted You as my spiritual master. I know You can deliver me from this darkness of ignorance." So atha deva sammoham apākraṣṭum: "I am attached to this material world. That is illusion." Sammoham apākraṣṭum: "Now You dissipate this sammoham." So guru means repeatedly his business is to enlighten the disciple how to become detached to this material world. Simply detachment will not help you. The other philosophy, Śūnyavādi, that you make zero this material detachment... No. That is not possible. We have got... Because we are ānandamaya, we want ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda. Actually, we are searching after eternal life, sat. That is sat, eternal life. And cit means knowledge. And ānanda... Sac-cid-ānanda. We are seeking that. Partially, if we simply understand eternity, that will not help us. We must have blissful knowledge. So the Māyāvādīs, those who are impersonalists, they want to make these material varieties of life zero. Because they are very much disgusted with this material life. So jagan mithyā. They say, "This is mithyā. This is false."
Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:
Just like law means to obey Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kṛṣṇa means God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So dharma means if one does not care for Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is not religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat... (SB 6.3.19). You cannot make your law at home. Law means the law given by the government. Similarly, dharma means the orders given by God. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture, that "We have manufactured this dharma." That is not dharma. That is, in the Bhāgavata, is called cheating. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "The so-called dharmas, which are cheating the public in the name of dharma, such kind of dharma is kicked out from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Dharmaḥ projjhita. Projjhita means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita. Just like you sweep over the floor and the dust throw away. Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the real dharma is there. Real dharma. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), this is ordinary dharma. Real dharma is, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is real dharma. And all other dharmas, so-called dharmas, they are simply cheating. Because that will not benefit anybody, the followers or the dictators. So real dharma is... And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins from there. if you accept the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, that is the preliminary study, A-B-C-D of dharma, and if you accept this principle, that to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam...
But this sense comes after many, many births. Not very easily.
Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:
So this world is like that. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. Just like you chew one sugarcane and throw it on the street. But if somebody comes again to chew it, then he's a fool. He must know "The juice has been taken away from that sugarcane. What shall I get by chewing?" But there are animals like that. They want to chew again. So our this material society means chewing the chewed. A father gives education to his son to earning livelihood, gets him married, and settles him, but he knows that "This kind of business, earning money and marrying, begetting children, I have done, but I am not satisfied. So why I am engaging my son in this business?" This is called chewing the chewed. Chewing the same thing. "I have not been satisfied with this business, but why I am engaging my son also?" The real father is he who does not allow his son to taste the chewing the chewed. That is real father. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This is real contraceptive. A father, a man should not desire to become a father, a woman should not desire to become a mother, unless they are fit to save the children from the impending clutches of death. That is the duty of father and mother.
Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:
So this material world is duality. You cannot understand happiness without distress, and you cannot understand distress without happiness. Therefore it is called relative world. You cannot understand son without understanding a father, and you cannot understand a father without understanding the son. And spiritual happiness is above this duality. Spiritual happiness. So that is the perfection of yoga. Yoga ādhyātmikaḥ. Ādhyātmā, ātmika, ātmā, the soul, the happiness of the soul, that is real yoga. The happiness of the soul can be possible when the soul, individual soul, is with the Supersoul, or the Supreme Soul. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There is the Supreme Soul, or Supreme Being. Amongst... There are many living beings. We are many. We living beings, or living entities, we are many. But the principal living being is Kṛṣṇa. The fire and the sparks: the sparks are illuminated when it is with the original fire. If the sparks fall down from the association of the original fire, it is extinguished, no more light. Similarly, our real happiness is when we enjoy with the Supreme Being. Supreme Being.
Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:
Soul... First of all you have to understand what is soul. At the present moment, people are so much in darkness, they do not understand what is soul. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā teaches first to understand what is the soul. What is the soul? Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehī, that soul. Dehī means the proprietor of the body. We are thinking, "I am this... I am this body." No, I am not this body; I am the proprietor of this body. That is real understanding of myself: "I am not this body." We say also, "This is my finger," "This is my head," "This is my leg." Nobody says, "I head," or "I finger." Nobody says. Everyone says, "My head." So I am the proprietor of this body. And then I am under the influence of māyā. This body has been given by māyā, the material energy.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
And we have got different types of body. I have got this body, you have got another body, the dog has got another body, cat has got another body.
Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:
We should not be captivated by the material distress, or we should not be very much aggrieved by the material distress, and we should not be very much happy for material happiness. These are bondage. Material happiness is not actually happiness. That is through distress. Just like we are trying to be happy, trying to be very rich, get some money. That is not very easily obtained. We have to undergo so much distresses. So actually, it is distress, but with the hope of getting some false happiness, we accept this distress. Actually, there is no happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). So that atīndriya means spiritual senses. If we purify our senses, come to the spiritual platform, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), if we become purified, then when that senses are engaged, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate, then that is real happiness. When we are engaged in the satisfying of the senses of Kṛṣṇa, not these material senses, then that is called ādhyātmika-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. So we have to learn bhakti-yoga from Kapiladeva. Gradually, He has begun the preliminary instructions.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:
So Kapiladeva, previous verse, He said that yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya me. The supreme yoga system is ādhyātmikaḥ, or pertaining to the soul. Just like in your country a... (loud sound of fireworks, firecrackers, etc., going on in background) Nowadays... The haṭha-yoga is very popular. Sometimes the fat ladies go there to reduce their fat, and... (laughter) Some bodily... Here also they practice yoga to keep the digestive system regular. So people like this kind of yoga, gymnastics. But real yoga is ādhyātmika. Ādhyātmika means to awaken the soul to his proper position. That is real yoga. So that is not a manufactured, novel concoction. That is Purāṇa. As the soul is purāṇa, śāśvataḥ purāṇaḥ, similarly his business is also śāśvataḥ purāṇaḥ. That business is to reconnect his lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
So Kapiladeva says that "The same yoga system which I previously spoke to the great ṛṣis, who were very eager to hear..." Ṛṣīṇāṁ śrotu-kāmānām. This (is) one of the qualifications for spiritual advancement. One must be eager to hear. Because the spiritual life begins by hearing.
Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:
Of course, Kṛṣṇa incarnation was after Kapila's incarnation. Before that, there were other Viṣṇu incarnations. So here it is said, tam imaṁ te pravakṣyāmi yam avocaṁ purā anaghe. Purā, "Formerly. I am not manufacturing." Nowadays it has become a fashion to manufacture a new system of religion. It is not that. It is not new. Old, purā. Kṛṣṇa also says that
- imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
- proktavān aham avyayam
- vivasvān manave prāha
- manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
- (BG 4.1)
- evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
- imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
- (BG 4.2)
"And I am speaking that very yoga system again to you." So this is real incarnation. They'll not say anything which is, which was not spoken before. The same thing. Yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "That yoga has been lost. Therefore, My dear Arjuna, I am repeating the same yoga system unto you." "Why to me? Why not to others?" Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My dear friend." Priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "You are My dear friend." Because, without being bhakta, nobody will understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. Bhagavad-gītā means to understand Kṛṣṇa. So although everything is explained there, but it is on the bhakti line, not in any other line. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says at the end, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If anyone wants to understand Kṛṣṇa and wants relationship with Kṛṣṇa, then one must take to this process of bhakti-yoga. That is sāṅkhya-yoga. That will be explained by Kapiladeva. Bhakti-yoga means sāṅkhya-yoga.
Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:
You have entered to that eternal planet. You must get some residence. The impersonalists, they do not get that. They remain... Just like you remain in the sky. You cannot be happy. You want some planet, but if you cannot get planet, then again you come back in this planet. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Again in this material world. Therefore we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real self-realization. And what is that? Very simple thing. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If you simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, why does He come, what is His business, what is His form...
- janma karma me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti...
- (BG 4.9)
Simple process. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are simply teaching how to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if anyone is fortunate to understand, then his life is successful. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānā...
Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:
So if you can understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says that "If you can understand Me, how I come here, how I come, I play the part of a human being and teach the whole world, Bhagavad-gītā, what is My mission, why I come, everything, where is My residence, what is My father's name..." People are searching after God, but God is canvassing, "Please understand Me. Here I am." But people will not understand. So what God will help you? How can He help you? He says everything. Now, "I come from My Vaikuṇṭha, or spiritual world." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). "At that time I come. And I teach. And what do I teach? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make Hindu dharma, just like you cannot make any law. This is... Suppose the government is there. Now, you cannot say that "We Hindus, we have made this law," "We Muslim, we have made this law," "We Parsees, we have made this law." No. What all law is given by the government you have to accept, either you are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian and Hin... It doesn't matter. Therefore dharma means to accept the law of God. Not that you manufacture something. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All cheating type of dharma is rejected, kicked out. Because real dharma is what is given by God. And what God says? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is real dharma. This is real dharma.
Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:
So that light is given by guru. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. That light is given not by bringing one torchlight, but jñānāñjana-śalākayā, the light of knowledge. The light of... Jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). How the jñāna, knowledge, light is given? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru. And what is śabda? Śāstra, or Vedas. Śruti-śāstra. Śruti means Veda, knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Or knowledge is received through ear, by hearing. That is real knowledge. Not by experimental knowledge. You cannot understand which is beyond your sense perception by experiment. Just like you cannot understand who is your father by experimental knowledge: "Let me make experiment and find out who is my father." That is not possible. Because it is beyond your experience. Your father was existing when you were not existing. Then how you can understand by experimental knowledge? The authority is mother. Therefore Vedic knowledge is the mother; the Purāṇas are the sisters. They are explained like that. You should understand from the Vedas what is the ultimate knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: (BG 15.15) the ultimate knowable objective is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:
So Kṛṣṇa says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Kṛṣṇa and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Kṛṣṇa personally. For whom? Teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then... What for buddhi? Yena mām upayānti te. Then, gradually, you come to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani, sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā. Śiva means auspicious. Śiva means auspiciousness. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, śivaḥ panthā, the most auspicious, most perfect panthā is... What is that? Now, bhaktyā bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavān, but bhagavaty akhilātman. One, the..., that Bhagavān who is present everywhere. That Bhagavān. Not this false bhagavān. Akhilātmani. These are the shastric injunction. So that Bhagavān... "I don't find that Bhagavān." No. That Bhagavān is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). That is real Bhagavān. So as soon... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. That Bhagavān is always acting. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:
So when one becomes devotee, he's not a fool. Pure devotee is full knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, when one is actually jñānavān, actually wise, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. How? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). He surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, I forgot You so long. Now I understand that You are everything." That is knowledge. That is real knowledge. Therefore it is said, jñānena vairāgya-vijṛmbhitena. This jñāna means vairāgya—no more attachment for serving the so-called society, friendship, love, country. These are all foolishly engagement. But people do not understand it. They'll think that "This is my first service. This is my first..." How long you'll serve, my dear sir? But if you serve Kṛṣṇa, this service automatically becomes possible. Just like we are giving prasādam every week on Sunday, distributing prasādam. That is the bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means that sympathetic to persons who are not devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Devotee or not devotee, by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, he'll gradually become devotee. As yesterday I explained that kṛṣṇa-bhakti begins from the tongue, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). If you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then Lord manifests. He reveals Himself. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. How it is possible that jihvādau, beginning from the tongue? This is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Jihvādau, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Very easy.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:
That service is not ordinary service. The service to the Lord is not to be calculated as equal to this material service. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand it. But Kṛṣṇa says personally that this devotional service is in the transcendental platform, Brahman service. Therefore He says, māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). This bhakti-yoga, one who is actually employed, engaged in pure devotional ser..., animittā, without any motives, without any material purpose, that is real spiritual service.
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
- Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. That service is on the Brahman platform.
So some people, they do not know that there is another platform of service or another platform of activities which is called Brahman activities, because those who are grossly in the bodily concept of life, they have no information there is Brahman, or soul, within this body. So mukti means to deliver that Brahman from this material encagement. But actually, if you don't give him engagement, because actually the soul is working... That everyone can appreciate. We are very active.
Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:
But that is not the perfection. Because our original constitutional position is... Kṛṣṇa, or God, created us to enjoy the company. Just like we are sitting together; we are enjoying. Suppose you had..., none of you would have come here, so what I would have enjoyed alone? So variety is the mother of enjoyment. Therefore real enjoyment is in Kṛṣṇa's company. Therefore a devotee who is actually in knowledge, na ekātmatām. Na ekātmatām. To become one with the Supreme, they never desire. They never desire. They... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is saying, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My dear Lord, I do not want to stop even." Mukti means stopping of this repetition of birth, death. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, mama janmani janmani: "Let Me take birth after birth. It doesn't matter. But let Me be engaged in Your service." That is ānanda. That is real ānanda, not that you become one with...
Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:
But here in the śāstra we see that that is real life. This is not real life. It is shadow. In the Bhagavad-gītā in the Fifteenth Chapter it has been described as shadow. Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam (BG 15.1). Aśvattham. We have got experience of banyan tree. It is very durable. It stands for many, many hundreds of years. Therefore this material world has been compared with the aśvattham, aśvattham tree, very durable and very expansive. It goes on increasing, increasing. That is very nicely described in the Fifteenth Chapter. So it is called ūrdhva-mūlam. Ūrdhva-mūlam means... Here we have got experience: the tree has got its roots underneath, down. But this material world, which is compared with the aśvattha tree, the root is upside and the branches downside. That means it is shadow. We can experience of this tree, ūrdhva-mūlam. The root upside and the branches downside, we have got experience. Where it is? In the shadow. If you stand on the bank of a river or reservoir of water and if there is any tree by the side of that reservoir of water, you will find the shadow, ūrdhva-mūlam. The root upside and the branches downside. Exactly the same tree, but it is shadow. It has no fact; it is simply shadow.
Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:
So the question is that if I am nityaḥ śāśvataḥ, na hanyate han... and my position is I never die, never take birth, so why I have been put into this condition, accepting this machine? That is real problem. That is real problem. Then what is the cause? That cause is that because I want to enjoy this material world. What is that material world? Here it is said, rāyaḥ paśavo gṛhāḥ. Rāyaḥ means wealth. Formerly a man was considered to be wealthy—now also it is... Dhānyena dhanavān, gavayā dhanavān. If you have got many number of cows, then you are considered to be rich man, not papers. Nowadays, if you have got bunch of paper written "one thousand dollar," but they are paper only. You are dhanavān. Formerly, practical. Not dhanavān by the papers, by the currency notes, but by how many cows you possess, because that is life. You get milk. And dhānyena, if you have got food grains, then you are rich, not by possessing some paper. No. Therefore it it said here, rāyaḥ paśavo gṛhāḥ. So these are the material possession.
Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:
I have got so nice wife and so many children. How my problem is solved." No, sir, your problem is not solved. (chuckling) Real problem is not solved. This temporary, you may have some facilities. This is called māyā. Māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. The real business of human life is to, as we have several times discussed, is to discuss about the problems of life and inquire about the Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is real business of life. But we are not interested. Mūḍha. We are thinking that "We are very happy. Now things will go on like this. I will never die." Śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was asked by Dharmarāja, "What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" He replied, "This is the most wonderful thing." What is that? Now,
- ahany ahani bhūtāni
- gacchantīha yamālayam
- śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti
- kim āścaryam ataḥ param
"Every minute, every second, they are going to Yamarāja, means dying. But those who are living, they are thinking, 'This death will not happen to me. He is simply dying. My friend is dying. My father is dying. That's all right. But I am eternal. I will not die.' " He thinks like that. Otherwise you should have been prepared, "Oh, I will have to die. Then what is the after death?"
Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:
So actually, if you want to become secure, then you have to take to this yoga system, jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. It is said, jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yogena yoginaḥ. Yogis. Yogis means bhakti-yogī, not these gymnastic yogi. Therefore the yogis... Of course, to concentrate the mind under some mechanical process... Therefore, those who are under too much under the concept of bodily concept of life, for them, this haṭha-yoga is recommended, because they know simply this body. "So all right, you make exercise in this way. You practice this āsana. You sit down like this. You see like this. You think like this." In this way there is a mechanical process to control the mind and senses. That is gymnastic part of the yoga system. But real process is to concentrate the mind upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogi's business is, by controlling the mind, focus it toward Kṛṣṇa or Lord Viṣṇu. That is real yoga system.
Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:
Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. "You become guru simply by advising everyone the instruction which Kṛṣṇa has given." That's all. You become guru. It is not at all difficult thing. But if you want to cheat others that you are Bhagavān, you are this and that, you are yogi, you are very powerful, and "I am God," then you will cheat, because you are neither God. You are less than a dog. You are falsely claiming that you are God. That is not your position. You are servant of God, that is your position. That is real jñāna. Therefore Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that don't talk all nonsense thing. Simply say the real thing.
Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:
So this is jñāna. But we are wasting our time—this jñāna, that jñāna. But real jñāna, there is no. We are being educated, so-called scientific education. Just like one is studying the earth, soil expert. One is studying the water. One is, chemical—"What are the chemicals composition of water? What is the chemical composition...?" In this way we are acquiring jñāna; but that is not jñāna. That is called technology, śilpa-naipuṇya. In Sanskrit it is called śilpa-naipuṇya. That is not jñāna. Real jñāna is ātma-darśanam. That is jñāna. So... But we are wasting our time temporary, śilpa-darśanam. But ātma-darśanam we want. That is real jñāna.
Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:
So the Vyāsadeva recommended, or Sūta Gosvāmī said, anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you want to get out of this anartham, unwanted and purposeless life of material existence... That one should first of all understand, that this material existence is anartham. Anartham means purposeless life. There is no purpose. Real purpose should be how to get out of the spell of material nature. That is real purpose. They do not know. They do not know. They are taking very seriously some temporary purpose of life, which will be changed with the change of body. Now, as human being, I am manufacturing so many purposes of life, but as soon as the body is changed and I get the body of a cat or dog or tree, the whole purpose is changed. Therefore it is purposeless life, anartham. There is no meaning of this purpose. Because everything will be changed with the change of your body. Therefore they do not... They shudder to think of, that "We have got next life." They therefore deny, "No, there is no next life. This life is finished." A foolish life. That is not.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:
Then what is human life? If this is not life, then what is real life? That, He recommends, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Sattva, your sattva, your existence, is now impure. It is covered by this material nature; therefore it is impure. So you have to purify. That is real life. And to purify means tapasya. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). That is the way. That is Vedic civilization. That is Vedic civilization, or you may call Indian civilization or Hindu civilization. Actually, it is Vedic civilization. Therefore you will find in India, in the history of India, Mahābhārata, greater India, that many people, they are engaged in tapasya. A part of life must be engaged for tapasya. The Bharata Mahārāja, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa... So you will find in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam his life. He enjoyed his kingdom, then voluntarily he left. After the end of his material way of life, he divided the property to his sons and left. And he was living alone at Pulahāśrama near Haridwar, and undergoing severe tapasya. That is human life, to accept tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). You are searching after happiness, but why don't you see that in this material life your happiness is conditioned? That is not easily going or flowing. There are so many conditions. If you have to become a millionaire, before becoming millionaire there are so many condition. So this is not happiness, after going through so many conditions, and which we get, that is also not for good.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:
Therefore, those who are yogis, they are also enjoying. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is real happiness which increases. Which decreases, that is not real happiness. That is illusion. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cit, that is spiritual, spiritual ānanda. Really we want ānanda, happiness, blissfulness. That is our natural instinct. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So... But we are searching after ānanda in this material world, and that is described here that saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantrya, under material condition and changing this body one after another. This is not ānanda. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ānanda is available on the spiritual platform. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ramante... Iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahma abhidhīyate. Therefore the yogis, they enjoy, ramaṇa, in the spiritual world. That ānanda is called Rāma, Hare Rāma. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also attractive, and Rāma is enjoyment. So when we dovetail our activities with Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes happy. Before that there is saṁsṛtiḥ.
Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:
So when we defy the religious principles... Religious principle means that dharma, not your created dharma. You cannot create law at home. It is given already. What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is dharma. All other dharmas, so-called dharmas, they are all cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "All cheating type of religious system is kicked out, rejected." Actually, it is not required. It is simply bogus. Real dharma is here, to abide by the laws of God. That is real dharma. Then if you have no conception of God, if you have no knowledge what is the laws of God, then you are adharmika, you are simply transgressing the laws of dharma. And to transgress the laws of dharma, you are sinful, you are punishable. And that is going on. Material life means that. Material life means defying the laws of God, denying the existence of God. And one wants to become himself God. These are the material activities. So we may do so, may defy, but the laws will act. Laws will act.
So the saguṇa Brahman means the living entities. Saguṇa Brahman does not mean the God, Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, because even if you become servant of God... Just like there are so many nice example, that if an ordinary man beats another man, slap, he immediately becomes criminal. Law is there, "You cannot do that." But the policeman gives you a slap—it is not criminal. If you kill somebody, then you become criminal. But when a soldier kills hundreds of men, he is not criminal. The process is the same, but because one is acting on behalf of the supreme lawgiver, he is immune.
Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:
So the darkness is there, and the light is also there. Simply we have to be awakened. Therefore Vedas, they instruct us that "Don't sleep! Get up!" Uttiṣṭhata prāpya varān nibodhata jāgrata. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also sings, kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole. Gauracānda means Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, "O the living entities, you get up! Be awakened!" We may say, "Now we are awakened." This is not awakened. This is also slumber in darkness of ignorance. Real awakening is when we come to our spiritual consciousness. That is real awakened. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. This is not, this awakening stage, this is not real awakening. Real awakening comes when we understand, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. At the present moment we are not awakened, still sleeping, because we are thinking, every one of us, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." In this way we are conscious of the designation. So we have to get out of the designation, and when we shall understand our real identity, not this bodily identity but spiritual soul identity, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are identifying with this body, we are still sleeping. Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Just like a child sleeps on the lap of the mother, similarly, we are sleeping on the lap of mother material nature. This is our position.
Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:
So the mission of human life should be how to clarify this consciousness again into that pure consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the mission of human life. The consciousness is impure; therefore there are so many varieties, material varieties, and we are captivated by these material varieties. But that is not giving us any happiness. We are especially very much unhappy on account of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). So if we want to get relief from the miserable condition of this material life... This place is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is meant for miseries." Do not try to become happy here. That is foolishness, mūḍha. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. "The mūḍhas, these rascals, they do not know that here he cannot be..., one cannot be happy, because real happiness is when he comes back to Me." Mām ebhyaḥ param... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is real happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So everyone is very, working very hard, struggling for existence, but they do not know how they can actually become happy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That they do not know. So it is our humble attempt only, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. At least, we inform people that "This is the way of happiness." Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat (BG 6.21). "Don't be carried away by temporary so-called happiness. That is not happiness. This is called māyā." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha, and Prahlāda Mahārāja says, vimūḍhān—not only mūḍha, but again added with word vi, viśiṣṭa. Viśiṣṭa-prakāreṇa mūḍha. Vi, therefore vimūḍha.
Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:
Real knowledge means to understand God. That is real knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). What is the Veda, Vedānta? To know Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kṛṣṇa and God, the same. If one knows God but does not know Kṛṣṇa, his knowledge of God is incomplete. His knowledge of God is incomplete. When he knows that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, then his knowledge is perfect.
- ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
- kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
- indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
- mṛḍayanti yuge yuge
- (SB 1.3.28)
And Kṛṣṇa said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). The Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "God, or Absolute Truth, means the source of everything." And the source of everything is coming down before you and in His original form, Kṛṣṇa. Dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara, Kṛṣṇa. Here He is standing, and He is preaching, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the source of everything." Mūḍho nābhijānāti. But the rascals, they do not understand that God is speaking in everyone's presence, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ, "I am," aham "like this," aham. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Still, the rascal will not. Just see how much rascals we are.
Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:
If there is a big earthquake, everything will be finished. We have got experience many times—anything will be finished. This Bombay can be turned into sea, and the Bombay can be pushed in an island within the sea. Material nature is so strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). And under her spell we are trying to become happy. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43).
And the devotees, the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they know that this is all false—not false: temporary, simply bewildering. On account of contaminated consciousness, people are trying to be happy in this way, but devotees know that this kind of endeavor is simply bewildering, simply waste of time. Real business is how to purify my consciousness, come to the original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real business. Svacchatvam avikāritvam. That is our real business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching is that our only business is how to revive our original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. Without this, whatever we are doing, in the words of Śrīla Prahlāda Mahārāja, "It is all māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, māyā-sukhāya (SB 7.9.43)."
Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:
Meditation means to concentrate the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, not something fictitious, but this is tangible. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). That is the yoga practice of meditation, but not that he, the yogi, does not know what he is thinking. That is not yoga. This is simply show. Real yoga is to meditate upon the lotus feel of Kṛṣṇa. That is real yoga. Dhyānāvasthita. Dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation. So they sit down in dhyāna. What is the subject matter of dhyāna? The subject matter of dhyāna is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That is dhyāna, dhyāna-yoga. That is... Then you get yogic perfection. And Kṛṣṇa recommends in the Bhagavad-gītā how first-class yoga is thinking of Kṛṣṇa:
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
The first-class yogi is...
So actually it is so. As soon as you contact the Supreme, yoga... Yoga means contact, and another meaning, everyone knows, in mathematics, yoga: one plus one equal to two. And viyoga: one minus one equal to zero. Viyoga, vi-yoga, discontact, and contact. So we are now separated. Separated superficially . "What is God? I don't care for God. I am God, this, that."
Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:
Those who are actually learned, actually advanced, such persons-budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, bhajante mām. That is perfection of life. So take this opportunity, human life. Don't miss. You may be very proud of your intelligence, but this intelligence is not very good intelligence if you are devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are a mūḍha. If, by your intelligence, you learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him with bhāva, that is real intelligence. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). And if you try to become intelligent, some tricks, material trick, to get some money or cheat others, that is not very good intelligence. These cats and dogs that... They have also such intelligence. How to steal food from the room, the cat knows very well. So that is not intelligence. That intelligence can be found, even birds, beasts, everywhere. Real intelligence is how to regain your Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be promoted to the stage of bhāva, and at the time of death maintain that bhāva, and then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9).
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 3.26.40 -- Bombay, January 15, 1975:
The yogic process is to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. That is real yoga. That is real yoga system. Try to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. Then you first-class yogi. That is the perfection of topmost yogic process.
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
If you can learn how to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart always, twenty-four hours, then your life is successful. That is perfection of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how you can learn to see Kṛṣṇa within your heart, within other's heart, and everywhere. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). This is wanted.
Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:
So from the very beginning of our life we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love Kṛṣṇa. Then automatically it becomes manifest. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Kaumāra. Kaumāra means up to tenth year, five to tenth year. According to somebody, even up to fifteenth year. Anyway, during this period of life one should learn how to develop this devotional cult, dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma means the laws and the instruction given by God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). And when that is actually executed directly between, transaction between God and the devotee, that is real dharma. Dharmān bhāgavatān. They have different types of dharmas, but real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, what we learn from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to deal with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. That is called bhāgavatān. So children should be instructed from the very beginning of their life this bhāgavata-dharma. We are attempting to do that in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got an institution, Gurukula, at Dallas, Texas, and they are learning very nicely. Just like this child. From the very beginning he is learning bhāgavata-dharma. He is offering obeisances, he is chanting, he is dancing, he is offering a flower to the spiritual master, and he is offering to the Vaiṣṇavas. In his childish way, while playing, he is becoming accustomed to dharmān bhāgavatān. This is really, really human civilization, from the very beginning of life. Because if we want, we can learn like cats and dog, jumping and eating and sleeping and mating. No. That is not the business of the human life.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give the whole human society the direction how he can enjoy unlimitedly. Yena śuddhyet sattvam. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. Really, those who are yogis, they enjoy. These Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, people, they are also yogis, bhakti-yogīs. They are the best of the yogis. As we see in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the chapter in which Sāṅkhya yoga has been explained, the conclusion is, yoginām api sarveṣām: (BG 6.47) "Of all the yogis..." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: "One who is thinking within himself about Me, Kṛṣṇa," mad-gaten... śraddhāvān, "with faith and love," bhajate mām, "engaged in My devotional service," sa me yuktatamo mataḥ, "he is the first-class yogi. He is the first-class yogi." So we are preaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, "Everyone should become a first-class yogi. And when one becomes a first-class yogi, perfect yogi, then ramante yoginaḥ anante, then they enjoy eternal, blissful life of knowledge. Ramante yoginaḥ satyānande, that is real happiness, satyānande. In this material world it is mithyānande. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā. The material world, wherein you are trying to find out happiness, that is false, illusion. If you want real happiness, that is in the spiritual world. That is the verdict of Vedas. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Don't try to be happy in this darkness. But real happiness is in the light, jyotir gama. Light. The spiritual world is light. The material world is dark. It is... Because this material world is dark, therefore we require sunlight, moonlight, electricity and so many things. In the spiritual world there is no need of this sunlight, moonlight or electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no need of sun, moon, or electricity. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:
So He is giving instruction to His sons before retiring. In our Vedic culture there is compulsory retirement. There is compulsory retirement. That is Vedic civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma. What is going on... As we are going on in the name of Hindus, but Hindu is not mentioned in the Vedic literature. In the Vedic literature the principles or the institute followed by the inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa is called varṇāśrama-dharma. That is real occupation.
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsam
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
Whole Vedic civilization means: realize God. That is Vedic civilization. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. We are part and parcel of Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva-bhūtaḥ, these living entities, not only human being but everyone, sarva yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), in every form of life, the living entities are covered with the material dress. So Bhāgavata-dharma, or spiritual life, can be understood when one has understood his identification, what he is. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā the first lesson given by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna is to bring him to the spiritual platform.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:
So it is not that the vegetarians are less passionate than the animal-eaters or flesh-eaters. Nature's codes are different. It can be controlled. But human consciousness, this control is, I mean to say, practiced from the brahmacārī life. Because the... Unless we control our sex life, there is very little possibility of advancing in spiritual consciousness.
Because spiritual perfection means to stop the transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That is real spiritual perfection. Stopping. Stopping the soul, the spirit soul, transmigrating. This process is going on. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Lord Caitanya says that each and every spirit soul is just wandering throughout the whole universe from one planet to another, one body to another. This business is going on. But the basic principle of that continued transmigration is sex life or sense gratification. Anyway, as long we have got a pinch of sense gratification we have to take birth in any form or any shape within this material world. That is the whole process. Therefore if we are at all interested... And that interest must be there in human life; otherwise it is spoiling. That is the problem, that no more transmigration from one body to another. That problem can be solved in this human form of life. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advises His sons, "My dear sons, to work very, very hard simply for sense gratification is not the business of human form of life." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:
Why should I show miracles? What is the business? I have to speak the truth. That's all. What is the use of miracle? When you go to college or school, we want to see miracles or you learn books and knowledge? Kṛṣṇa never said that you go to a guru who can perform miracles. He never said that. He said
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
Go to a jñānī, and who has known the truth, not to a jugglers, magician. Science is not magic. Science is knowledge. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad vijñānārtham: in order to understand that science, not to see jugglery and magic. The jugglery and magic is here present: all these meat-eaters, drunkards, woman-hunters, now Vaiṣṇava. This is real magic. If you have got eyes to see, see the magic. If you are blind, then that is different question. This is magic.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:
That is materialistic life. As soon as we get this body, there is birth, there is death, there is old age and there is disease. Therefore if you want real happiness then you have to get free from all these four—miserable life. That is spiritual life. You have to become free from birth, you have to become free from death, you have to become free from old age, and you have to become free from disease. That is real life. "I don't like this" means this is not real life. The real life is different. So if that real life you want, then you have to follow the process. That is being discussed here. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1).
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:
So your economic question is solved immediately. If you have got some land, the land is..., immense land is still lying vacant all over the world. Yes. But they have diverted their energy in a different way. That is the miscalculation of the present civilization. They have forgotten that the aim of human life is to advance oneself in spiritual realization. So time should be saved as much as possible, and that time should be utilized for spiritual realization. But we have encumbered our civilization in such a way that we have lost all simple living thing. We have manufactured in so many ways encumbered ways of life. Therefore we have neglected spiritual life. And because we have neglected spiritual life there is no peace. If you want really peaceful life, then you have to make your material necessities simplified and engage your time for spiritual cultivation. Then you will have peace. And that is the best type of civilization. Plain living, high thinking. Now, in the modern days, the high living and plain thinking. Eating, sleeping, mating. This is plain thinking. This thinking also in the animals. They are also thinking what to eat, where to live, how to defend, how to have..., have semen or sex life. These are problems in animal life also. So if we keep that animal life problem, at the same time we claim that we are civilized, is it very nice? Civilization means how to get out of this material miseries—birth, death, disease and old age. That is real advancement of civilization. If there is any way and means to get out of this problem, then we must adopt in this human form of life. And that is possible in this human form of life. In no other life.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:
So those who are believer in the śāstras, believer in the Supreme Lord, they believe in destiny also. Therefore śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). We should try for advancing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our main business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido. Kovidaḥ means very expert. He should try for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not for material advancement. This is civilization. That is, we have already discussed. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). If you think that, "If I work very hard, then I shall improve my position," that is not possible. Your position is already fixed up. Then shall I not try for my happiness? Yes. That is replied in the śāstra. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. You do not try for distress of life, why does it come? You do not ask God, "Please give me distress." Nobody asks, but why distress comes? Similarly, if you do not pray for happiness, if you have got happiness in your destiny, it will come, as the distress comes. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. So don't be misled by so-called happiness and distress. It is already fixed up. Simply try for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real business.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:
This is for the jñānīs, and for the karmīs, yat karoṣi. Yat karoṣi, "Whatever you do, the result you give it to me." That means, bhakti miśra karma, jñāna miśra bhakti. And for the yogis, he says,
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntarātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
The first class yogi is, who is always thinking of Me. He is first-class. Yogi's business is to see God within the heart. That is real yogi. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. Yogi's business is to see in meditation always Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu within the heart. That is real yogi. Dhyānāvasthita, by meditation one has to see continually. That is called samādhi.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:
Acyutānanda: How is that there are different types of religion in the world?
Prabhupāda: There is no religion. This is manufactured religion. Real religion is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), therefore it is advised that you give up all these so-called religions, sarva-dharmān. You become surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That is real religion. All others, cheating religion, that's all. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like there may be so many laws, but the real law is what is given by the government. Similarly, there may be so many so-called religious system, but the real religious system is what is spoken by God Himself. That is real.
Acyutānanda: Do you think Kṛṣṇa consciousness will last forever? Some people accuse that you are hippies.
Prabhupāda: Some people says, "You are hippie." So you take that. What can be done? These are all nonsense questions. Any other question?
Acyutānanda: Even after repeated chanting of Kṛṣṇa-nāma, I could not get solace due to family worry. May I leave the family to bear faith and devote myself to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Devotee: He wants to know if he should leave his family and become a devotee, because...
Prabhupāda: No, we never said that. Just now we explained. ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā, you keep your intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. It doesn't matter whether you are in family or without family. It doesn't matter. Just like I have given already example. Arjuna, he is a family man, he is not a sannyāsī. Not only family man, a military man, and politician, but he was prepared to sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. If you do not become a family man, so what is the gain there? Or if you remain a sannyāsī, if you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like you said, "So many swamis they want to become Kṛṣṇa instead of becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa." So this kind of sannyāsī is also useless. Similarly, gṛhastha, if he's simply attached to family, that is also useless. Any condition of life, if you remain fixed-up with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your perfection of life. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya (CC Madhya 8.128). Anyone who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and fixed-up in devotional service, knowing fully well what is Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. It doesn't matter whether he is a sannyāsī, or gṛhastha or brāhmaṇa, and śūdra. It doesn't matter. Is that all right? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- London, September 3, 1971:
That is the defeat. It is practical. And they are simply meeting crisis after crisis, because they're rascals and fools. This is a civilization of rascal and fools. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Why rascal and fools? Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. There is no inquiry, "What I am? Why I am becoming befooled? I am trying so much. Why the problems are still there, or the problems are increasing?" These questions are not there. Simply blindly, like asses and cows, working and going to the slaughterhouse, cannot protest, cannot protect. Animal civilization.
So this animal civilization will continue so long one does not inquire what he is. That is real intelligence, "What I am? Am I this body? If I am not this body, then I am not American, I am not Indian, I am not black, I am not white, I am not brāhmaṇa, I am not śūdra." So many things become "I am not." And when you understand what you are, if you work on that basis, then there is no crisis. You are working on the wrong basis of understanding, identifying with this body yourself. You are not this body. Therefore unless one comes to the standard of inquiring, "What I am? Why I am forced to suffer? I do not like to suffer. I do not like to die. Why there is death? I do not like to become old man. Why I become old man? I do not want any disease. Why there is disease?" they are not making solution of these problems. They are after these temporary problems. Therefore they are working hard. Working hard means simply contaminating another kind of infection, and therefore the śarīra-bandha. Śarīra-bandha, different types of bodies I am transmigrating from one body to another. My problem remains the same: birth, death, old age and disease. And therefore whatever I am doing, it is all defeat. Parābhava.
Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:
Outwardly you become a very big man—minister, president and so on—and God is seeing within what you are. Within. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Within you are a dog, and outside if you are a president, that will not help you. That will not help you. Abodha-jātaḥ. Therefore whatever plan they are making, that's all defeat. Plan-making is already there. Kṛṣṇa has given plan gradually. The last plan is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is real plan. This is Kṛṣṇa has given so many plans: karma-yogi, dhyāna-yogi, this yogi, that. But everywhere He has concluded that the real plan is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is real plan. Yoginām api sarveṣām mad-gatenāntarātmānā śraddhāvān... (BG 6.47). You are trying to be yogi, that's all right. This is haṭha-yoga. Go to a secluded place, sit down in this way, looking. Not sleeping. Eyes half-open. See to the point of your nose. So on, so on. Complete celibacy. These things Kṛṣṇa has said everything, how to become a yogi, how to become a jñāni, how to become a karmi. But everywhere He has concluded about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jñāni? All right: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante (BG 7.19). "They're coming to Me." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā (BG 6.47). Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi kuruṣva tat mad arpaṇam. The ultimate is Kṛṣṇa. That is real plan. And if you do not know this plan, śrama eva hi kevalam—simply waste of time.
Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:
Philanthropy is when one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa's interest, that is real philanthropy. Otherwise it is all kāma. There is no question of prema. It is going on as prema, deśa-bhakti (?), love for humanity. Hm? The whole world is going on, but these are all imperfect things. The so-called philanthropism, altruism, humanitarianism, they are all, means imperfect, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That is not self-interest. Self-interest... Just like this finger, pick up some nice cake, rasagullā, but if the fingers think that, "We have got it, we shall use it," all the fingers together, it will be spoiled. But if the fingers think that, "Give it to the stomach," then it will be everyone's interest. As soon as the rasagullā goes to the stomach the energy is distributed not only to these fingers of right hand, but left hand fingers also. This law they do not know. This law they do not know. Therefore it is yadā na paśyanti, paśyaty ayathā guṇehām. Everyone is trying communally, nationally, individually, for his or their interest, so that is not good svārthe pramattaḥ. They do not know what is real self-interest.
Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:
Lord Brahmā, he also says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. And Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, he is incarnation of Śaṅkara, he also saying, govindam, bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam. And we are following the same thing, so that is guru-paramparā, that is real knowledge. So don't approach a cheater, but actually approach a teacher, not a cheater. Then bhakti-yoga will be... That teacher is guru, and he is representative of Kṛṣṇa. He does not say anything else.
So bhaktyā anuvṛtyā. Anuvṛtyā means following. Not that I have become more than my guru, I can invent something. No. Bhakti means, sādhu-mārgānugamanam. You have to follow the sādhu, the ācārya. That is bhakti. Bhakti does not means that I am so learned I can manufacture something. That is rascal. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. That is bhakti. You have to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Not that at a point you become suddenly very learned scholar, and you do not remain a servant, but you want to become a master, to dictate the guru. That is rascal. That will not help us. Here it is said, bhaktyānuvṛtyā. Bhaktyā, bhaktyā, bhakti means sevā. Bhaja sevayā. When bhakti, bhajata sukti(?). Bhaja means sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So we have to understand this bhakti-yoga by bhaktyānuvṛtyā, not otherwise. Not that I am very learned scholar, I can give a different interpretation and... No, that is not bhakti. Bhaktyānuvṛtyā vitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca.
Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:
So this is going on. But that is not the fact. Fact is different. Therefore, putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca. Śiṣya... The citizen, they are also śiṣya. Śiṣya means one who is controlled. That is called śiṣya, who is disciplined, disciple. The same meaning. Disciple means one who is controlled, one who is disciplined. So controller is the teacher or spiritual master and the government. So the government rules and regulation, teacher's rules and regulations should be in such a way that the dependent, either the śiṣya or the citizen, they must know that this is not life. This material life is not life. Real life is in the spiritual world. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). That is real truth. And this is... This material world is illusion, illusion, the mirage. We are finding here happiness. Kṛṣṇa says, "No, no, there is no happiness." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "Why you are finding out happiness here? It is not possible." Kṛṣṇa personally teaching. This is duḥkhālaym aśāśvatam. "If you don't want it, then come to Me." Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ (BG 8.15). That is mahātmā.
Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:
So for such person, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya... Why bhagavad-bhajana is required? Yes, it is most essential, śreya. Śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ. We do not know. Kṛṣṇa says that "If you do not come to Me, if you do not accept Me, then," nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, "you will continue the cycle of birth and death." And that means ananta-duḥkham, ananta-duḥkham, one life after one life, one life after one life. This will go on.
So we should be very, very careful that this human form of life should not be wasted even for a moment. That is real life. There is, by, one śloka by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). A devotee should always be alert to see, "Whether this time, one moment passed, whether I have wasted it or I have utilized it?" That is, should be, the point. Āyūṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhya svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. This is also material estimation, that one moment of our life cannot be returned in exchange of millions of dollars, even from material point of view. And those who are advancing in spiritual life, how much careful they should be. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has given the formula, avyartha-kālatvam. Not a single moment may be wasted without chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:
Even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahma-jyotir. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is full consciousness. Without this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of full-fledged. Just like a small bud of a flower. First of all the seed. The seed grows, then the buds come out, then gradually the buds develop, it becomes flower, then full-fledged flower, then fragrance, beauty. Everything is developed. That is real development. Similarly, this is the process of development. When one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is full-fledged flower with fragrance, beauty, and everything. That is the perfection.
So there are so many description of different types of living entities within this material world. But these so-called scientists, on account of their being mūḍha or rascals, they are studying that "Except in this planet, everywhere there is dust and rocks." This is their foolishness. No. Here it is stated that siddha Tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi gandharva-siddhā. So see development. Siddha. Siddha means those who have got yogic mystic power, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, these are called siddhis. Nowadays so-called yogis, they show some gymnastic. That is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing.
Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:
Similarly, we are fallen somehow or other. "Somehow or other" means the reason is as soon as we become independent, we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, but we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa—we want to become independent. Then immediately we are forced by the illusory energy to come under her and work under her direction. We are born servant, jīvera svarūpa haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. It is made for the purpose of serving me. This is the purpose. But when it is diseased When it cannot serve the body, then it is diseased. Similarly, our constitutional position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera svarūpa haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. That is real life. And when you don't serve Kṛṣṇa or deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is diseased condition. And that is called māyā. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare.
So we have to cure our disease. This disease means... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means purification of our diseased condition, infectious condition. It is not anything artificial. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti śrādhya kabhu naya. Not that by artificial means, as they are making propaganda in Europe and America that we are brainwashing... It is not that by some means or by some artificial, what is called, hypnotism, we are making these European or American boys, girls kṛṣṇa-bhakta. No. It is there already, kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Otherwise why they should take to Kṛṣṇa? They have got their other, I mean to say, worshipable.
Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:
So what is that thing? It is definition by negation. We cannot understand in our present state what is that spirit soul. Although we can perceive that there is something—in the absence of that something, this body is nothing but a lump of matter. That we get experience every day. But we cannot see what is that. Therefore atheist class or the persons with poor fund of knowledge, they deny the existence. They cannot see. But they cannot answer that why the body is no more working, what is that thing which is absent? They have tried to explain in so many ways how that something... But they could not practically explain. We have to understand it by the śruti process, Vedic knowledge. That is real understanding. And understanding from the right person, Kṛṣṇa or His representative. And it has to be understood simply by hearing. There is no other process. You cannot see; it is so small particle. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So in these material eyes we cannot see even the spiritual spark within the body. How you can see the Supreme Spirit? It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These blunt senses cannot see. But we can perceive. This much concession is there, and one can become completely free from bodily conception of life.
Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:
That is Vasudeva feature of Kṛṣṇa. He is, as Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, aṇḍāntara-stham, within this universe. And paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So this Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, if we engage ourself in devotional service, that is yoga. Yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, Kṛṣṇa says. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. That is real yoga, mad-āśrayaḥ. "Under Me, or a person who has taken shelter in Me, mad-āśrayaḥ." Mad-āśrayaḥ means either...It is not possible to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. You have to take shelter of a person who has already taken shelter of the lotus feet of... That is mad-āśrayaḥ. So that yogam... So this ātmārāma. These Gosvāmīs, Prahlāda Mahārāja, they are ātmārāma. Their karma-bīja is fried. What is said? Ava-bharjitāni. Even if you pour water, no, it is finished.
Lecture on SB 5.6.5 -- Vrndavana, November 27, 1976:
The same desire, as somebody is willing that "I must have a very big skyscraper building," so the same desire. People may ask, "What is the difference between these two desires? Somebody is desiring to possess a very big house and another body is desiring to possess a very nice temple, expensive temple. So what is the difference?" Difference is one is kāma and the other is prema. That is difference. As soon as we desire, that is natural. We cannot be desireless. That is not possible. People say that you become desireless. That is not possible. I am living being. How I can be desireless? No. That is very difficult task. If we want to become desireless, that is not possible. Kleśo adhikāras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Desireless means your desires are suppressed by forced, "I shall not desire." That is not possible. You have got eyes, and if you want to suppress your eyesight, "I shall not see anything," is that possible? That is not possible. Yes, I have got my eyes, but I want to see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. That is wanted. That is wanted. Not that "No, I shall not see." Even meditation, so-called meditation, that is also seeing. Real meditation, seeing within. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasaḥ paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. Paśyanti, this word is used. Paśyanti means sees, but within, not without. Meditation means seeing within. Not that without seeing. Concentrating the mind to see the form of Lord Viṣṇu, that is real meditation. And without seeing Lord Viṣṇu, that is (indistinct). If you want to fix up my mind into nothing, they say nothingness, that is not possible.
Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:
So if this confidential knowledge, one who preaches without any compromise, he is the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. There is no compromise. This is real religion. The Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. So this is the person who has received the authority to draw mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. And what Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, the same thing Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, same thing. There was no change, as there was no change between the statement of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Sādhu śāstra. As śāstra, there is no change. Not that "Modernize. The śāstra should be changed." No. That is nonsense. That is not śāstra. Śāstra cannot be changed. "Circumstantially, it will be changed, seasonal changes." No. That is not śāstra. Śāstra means it is perpetual. What Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago or Kṛṣṇa said some forty millions of years ago to the sun god... Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). He says, "I am talking to you that purātanaṁ yogam." Not that "Because it has passed millions of years and now it is a different time, so I will have to change." No. He said, "I am talking to you that very old system." Is it not? Just see. The śāstra cannot be changed. God's word cannot be changed. Then what will be the difference between God and ourself? He is always perfect. He is always perfect. What He said forty millions of years ago, what He said five thousand years ago, that is also correct up to date. That is śāstra.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:
Of all the yogis, He is the supreme yogi. Yathā yogeśvara. So, there is work, but do not think that "There was no work; automatically it comes." No. There was work, but it is so subtle and perfect. The same thing, the working, so many things are working, going on within the machine, that simply I push it on and it acts. Similarly, work is there for creation. The work is there, but it is actuated by the perfect potency of Kṛṣṇa. That is real understanding. Don't think that it has come like mantra. No. The mantra is like that, but we cannot see how subtle work is going on. If we cannot see even in our body... Suppose there is some injury in your finger or any part of the body. You do not know how subtle work is going on to cure it. Medicine is not cure; medicine is only helping. But there is automatic way of curing. Even your energy, this is your energy. My bodily pains and pleasures, so many things are going on. Just like so many, you cannot count even how many hairs are there on your head. You cannot count. But it is your hair, and it is produced by your energy. You have got so much energy that as soon as you cut your hair, immediately next moment it begins to grow. Thousands and millions automatically growing. As soon as the body is dead, then no more growing, because energy is gone. So similarly, as in your body so much subtle energies are working, just imagine this universal body of Kṛṣṇa, virāṭ-rūpa, how much subtle energies are working. So that we do not know. That is our ignorance.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:
Just like in Western countries, if you can eat meat you think that "I am very much fortunate." Similarly, in India still, in villages also, they think that "If we can eat more ghee then we are very fortunate." (laughter) So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So "Beg, borrow, steal, eat ghee." Eat ghee, because so long you live, you'll live very sumptuously eating ghee and become fatty. That's all. (laughter) So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. Live very happily. And then if you say that "I have no money. If I borrow from friends ghee, then I'll have to pay...," because these are the injunctions in the śāstras. But he is atheistic. He says, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet. According to Vedic culture, the body is burned into ashes. So when the body is burned to ashes, who is coming again and paying him back? (laughter) "Don't think about it. Everything is finished." So this is the atheistic nonsense. But actually it is not. If you take real knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), that is real knowledge. After destruction of this body, don't think that you are finished. You live, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). This is the first instruction. If you want to enter into spiritual life, you must know that you, spirit soul, you are eternal. You don't die; you are not finished. That after the destruction of this body, you accept another body, tathā dehāntara prāptir. These are the versions in Bhagavad-gītā, authoritative. And dehāntara means another body. There is no guarantee what kind of body you get. That will depend on your work. You may get the body of a king or you may get the body of a hog, as you have done work in this life. This life is a preparation for the next life.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:
One has committed theft, and the reaction is that he is put into the jail. This is not exactly beneficial. Real is that thief must be given knowledge. Knowledge... For want of knowledge, the whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving actual knowledge of the living entity, mīmāṁsā. Mīmāṁsā means that think over the matter, that "Why I am doing this?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā, this is called brahma-jijñāsā. Means when a person becomes inquisitive about this "Why?" "Why I am suffering?" then he becomes intelligent. The he comes to the standard of human life. And there is Upaniṣad, Kena Upaniṣad. Kena means "why." Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he placed this question, "Why? Why I am suffering?" Ke āmi, kene jāre tāpa-traya. "I do not want to die. Why there is death? I do not want to suffer from disease. Why there is disease? I do not want to take birth. Why I am put into the womb of mother again and again? Janma-mṛtyu jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). And I do not want to become old. Why I am forced to become old?" When a person comes to this standard, to inquire "Why these things are there?" this is real intelligence. Intelligence does not mean you gather, like asses, all the stones and iron and put them together and be satisfied that "Oh, I am very happy." That is asses' business. Ass is very expert to overload his body with heavy tons of... You know that? Maybe you do not know, but in India there is washerman, he puts tons of cloth over the back of the ass, and it carries. It cannot move, still it carries it. And it goes to the washing ghāṭa, washing place, and it stands there whole day eating little morsel of grass. He's thinking that "Unless I overload my back with this cloth, I cannot get this grass." Although he sees there are so many thousands and thousands of grasses all over, still he'll serve that washerman. Therefore it is called ass. (devotees laugh) You see? Ass. (more laughter)
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976:
He gave very good example, that "This prāyaścitta or legal punishment is like kuñjara-śaucavat." Kuñjara means elephant, and śauca, taking bath. So kuñjara, the elephant, dips itself into the water and takes bath very thoroughly, and as soon as it comes on the land, it takes some dust and throws over his body. The purpose is that unless one is fully convinced that "Sinful activities are very, very abominable for me," he cannot give it up. Therefore one has to cleanse his heart. That is real prāyaścitta. Otherwise, even being imprisoned or giving fine or suffering one cannot cease from sinful activity. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is thoroughly wholesale process of cleansing the mind.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find, whenever Kṛṣṇa is speaking, Vyāsadeva has written, śrī bhagavān uvāca. Real Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Everyone has got little fortune, opulence, but nobody is comparable with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: "Real Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa," The supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But if one has got little favor of Kṛṣṇa, he is called bhāgyavān, not Bhagavān; bhāgyavān, fortunate. The word is coming from the same bhaga. I have several times explained. Bhaga means richness, bhaga means influence, bhaga means bodily strength, bhaga means knowledge, bhaga means beauty, and bhaga means renunciation. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). And bhaga means reputation, fame. So these are the symptoms of bhaga. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavān means asamaurdha. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. That is Bhagavān. I am fortunate, you are fortunate, but we have got many equals and many greater than. But when you reach somebody where you find nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him, that is real Bhagavān. This is a logical conclusion, who is Bhagavān. Nowadays so many rascals they write, "Bhagavān." Bhagavān. That is blasphemy. If Bhagavān likes, such persons should be punished. But Bhagavān excuses. That is another thing. So Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Nobody should try to become equal to Him. That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is answering the question, that so long one is in ignorance, so long one is in the..., one's heart is full with dirty things, so he may commit sinful activities or he may counteract it by atonement. But so long the dirty thing is within the heart, it is all useless. Therefore our process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as it is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), one has to cleanse the dirty things from the heart. That is real atonement. If the dirty things are there as it is, simply... Just like one man is diseased. The dirty things are within his body, and he cleanses outwardly with soap and water very nicely, that does not mean that he is freed from the diseased condition. The cause of the disease must be removed. Then he'll be healthy. Simply by superfluous washing the body, one does not become free from diseased condition. So avidvad-adhikāritvāt. So long... Avidvad means ignorance. So ignorance, what is the ignorance? The ignorance we have explained many times, that "I am this body." And everyone is acting on this bodily concept of life. This is called avidyā. Avidyā means ignorance. So avidvad-adhikāritvāt prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. So there is no utility for atonement if that ignorance, the dirty things, exist in the heart.
Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:
So last week we discussed Parīkṣit Mahārāja's sympathy with the suffering humanity. This is Vaiṣṇava. The Vaiṣṇava, or devotee, he is the perfect sympathizer for all suffering humanity. Others' sympathy is not perfect. They are planning so many things—opening hospitals or charitable dispensaries, schools, lunatic asylum. These are all public sympathetic activities. But they are not... They are, of course, good to some extent. If a man is suffering from the bodily ailments, if he is given some relief in the hospital, or if the society is not educated, give him education, this is all good work undoubtedly. But the ultimate good work is not known to them. They are taking care of the external symptoms. Why a person, a living entity, is put into that condition? And if that condition is ended, that is real sympathy. A person is suffering from some disease. He goes to the doctor, physician. He gives some medicine—immediate some relief from the pain. This is one sympathy. And there is another sympathy, that "Why the man is getting such disease and suffering? Why not stop the cause of the disease?" That is real sympathy.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:
So this is going on, but unfortunately modern universities, educational systems, they do not know anything about this. And still, they are very much proud of advancement of education. Actually, there is no education. Without this knowledge, spiritual knowledge, this education for earning bread, eating, sleeping, mating... That can be done without education. The animals, they are not educated—they are not technologists, or they have no education in the universities, degrees—they're also eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if our education is meant for simply eating sleeping, mating and defending, then what is the difference? That is not education. Real education is to understand what you are. That is real education. Ātma-jñāna. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long a man does not develop consciousness to understand his self, ātma-tattvam, the truth of the self, then whatever he's doing in ignorance, it is all defeat for his life. This human life is meant for victorious, to become victorious over the laws of material nature. Actually we are trying for that purpose. The whole struggle is how to counteract the onslaught of material nature. The whole activities are going on. But what is the ultimate victory? The ultimate victory is how to conquer over birth, death, disease and old age. That is the outcome, victory.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:
We are now in different consciousness. I am thinking that I am Indian. Somebody is thinking, "I am American." Somebody is thinking, "I am this, I am that." But actual thinking should be "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "I am Kṛṣṇa's." And in Kṛṣṇa consciousness relationship, because Kṛṣṇa is for everyone, therefore I become everyone's. Just try to understand. In India, the system is when a girl is married to a boy, so—in your country also, everywhere, the same system—just like the nephew of the boy calls the girl "Aunt." Now, how she becomes aunt? Because, in relationship with her husband. Before the marriage, she was not aunt, but as soon as he (she) is related with her husband, the husband's nephew become the nephew. Just try to understand the example. Similarly, if we reestablish our relationship, or our original relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is for everyone, therefore I become for everyone. That is real universal love. The artificial, so-called universal love cannot be established unless you have established your relationship with the central point. Just like you are Americans. Why? Because you are born in this land. So another American is a member of your country, but if you become something else, then you have no relationship with another American. So we have to reestablish our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then the question of universal brotherhood, justice, peace, prosperity will come. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Central point missing. How there can be justice and peace? It is not possible.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:
Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ: "The people have become mad." And why? Kurute vikarma. "They are acting adversely, against the principle of life." Vikarma. Karma, vikarma. Karma means to act according to the injunction of the śāstra, and vikarma means to act against. Then you suffer. So vikarma. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Now, why they are doing? Because they are mad, pramattaḥ. What for mad? Yad indriya-prītaya: "Simply for sense gratification." There is no other profit. A temporary sense gratification. They are acting so sinfully. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye: "This is not good." Why? Yata ātmano 'yam: "Because you have got already this material body, this temporary body." So "That's all right. I have got this temporary body. It will be finished." No. Asann api kleśada: "Although it is temporary, so long you will possess this material body, you will have to suffer so many suffering, threefold miseries." So they don't care for it because illiterate. Not illiterate—ignorant. Literary knowledge is not sufficient. There must be real knowledge. The real knowledge you will get from the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Real knowledge you will get from guru, from Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is real knowledge. Otherwise, anything has got some knowledge, that knowledge is not sufficient.
So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of knowledge. It is specially compiled by Vyāsadeva to help the foolish human society and save him from all kinds of miserable condition of life.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:
So the tapasya life begins from celibacy, brahmacaryeṇa. Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends. Brahmacarya is described in the śāstras that smaraṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ keliḥ prekṣaṇaṁ guhyam āsanam(?). Sex life, smaraṇam, thinking of sex life, that is against brahmacarya. Complete celibacy means one should not think of even sex life. Smaraṇam. Or talk of sex life. Our modern literature, newspaper and everything, simply full with talks of sex life. But this is against brahmacarya life. Smaraṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ keli. And actually indulging in sex life. Prekṣaṇam: looking, overlooking a nice boy or nice girl, that is also against brahmacarya. Guhyam āsanam: whispering between girls and boys, that is also against brahmacārī. Guhyam āsanaṁ saṅkalpam. Then determination of sex life. Vyavasāya: endeavoring how to effect sex life. So when we can stop all these activities, that is real brahmacarya. It is very difficult at the present age. Etan maithunyam aṣṭāṅgaṁ pravadanti manīṣinaḥ vikārita brahmacaryam eda astanam lakṣaṇam iti(?). So brahmacarya means that you cannot think of sex life, you cannot talk of sex life, you cannot whisper about sex life, or you cannot endeavor for sex life. These eight types of activities in sex indulgence are against brahmacārī life. But here it is prescribed that if you want to make solution of the problems of life, then you adopt, you have to adopt a life of tapasya, austerity, which begins from brahmacārī.
Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Honolulu, May 13, 1976:
So here it is recommended that unless we follow the rules and regulations, then there is no possibility of curing our material disease. The whole process is we are in materially diseased. Otherwise we are as good as Kṛṣṇa, but because we are materially diseased, we are in the difficult position of birth, death, old age and disease. Kṛṣṇa says. This is real problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So if we want to be cured from this disease, then we have to follow rules and regulation, just like a patient, if he wants to be cured from the disease, he has to follow the rules and regulation prescribed by the physician. Therefore law, religion, Vedic scripture, they are all meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs. Even ordinary law, they are meant for human being. Just like on the street it is "Keep to the right." So this is for the human being. If the cats and dogs goes from right to the left or wrong, they are not prosecuted. The law is meant for the human being. If the human being does not follow rules and regulative principle, law, then he's animal. So civilized means to raise oneself from the animal status of life to the human status life. That means rules and regulations. Nāśnataḥ pathyam evānnaṁ vyādhayo abhibhavanti hi, evaṁ niyamakṛd rājan (SB 6.1.12). Niyama. Niyama means regulation. We have to follow the rules and regulation. That is compulsory. That is human. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find this verse, anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. The purport is that our disease is that we have forgotten God. The more we are forgetful about God, the more we are animals. And the more we become advanced in understanding God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we are human being. And if we are more advanced, then you are devatā, demigods. And when you more make advance, then you become fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.
Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Honolulu, May 13, 1976:
If the human being does not follow rules and regulative principle, law, then he's animal. So civilized means to raise oneself from the animal status of life to the human status life. That means rules and regulations. Nāśnataḥ pathyam evānnaṁ vyādhayo abhibhavanti hi, evaṁ niyamakṛd rājan (SB 6.1.12). Niyama. Niyama means regulation. We have to follow the rules and regulation. That is compulsory. That is human. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find this verse, anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. The purport is that our disease is that we have forgotten God. The more we are forgetful about God, the more we are animals. And the more we become advanced in understanding God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we are human being. And if we are more advanced, then you are devatā, demigods. And when you more make advance, then you become fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.
So real civilization is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. But that they do not know. Na te viduḥ. The materialistic persons, they do not know. Therefore there must be organization, institution, to teach the human society how to go back to home, back to... That is real civilization. Otherwise cats and dogs, they are also eating, sleeping, mating, getting children, and dying. That is not human civilization. In the next verse we'll find that human civilization can be attained. The first thing is, thirteeth verse, tapasa, "by austerity."
Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:
Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes, actually.
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes. We should remain child. But they are going to become Kṛṣṇa. That is nonsense. That is nonsense. If you remain a child of Kṛṣṇa, that is real sense. And as soon as I want to become Kṛṣṇa, that is rascaldom. Do you accept this or not?
Guest: No, no...
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is rascaldom. We want to stop this rascaldom from this world. That is our movement. We want to remain a child eternally of Kṛṣṇa, protected by. That is our mission. Because you cannot become Kṛṣṇa at any time. How you can become? It is false endeavor to try to become Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva... What is that verse? Mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ jīva loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7)? What is that? You know this verse? What is that? Just recite.
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: No, you recite this verse. (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa is saying that "The living entities are My part and parcels eternally." Sanātanaḥ. So how you become equal to Kṛṣṇa? Part is never equal to the whole. That is axiomatic truth. So if you are eternally part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, how you become equal with Kṛṣṇa? Simply by artificial endeavor you become one with Kṛṣṇa? That oneness realization means oneness of quality, not of quantity.
Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:
So merging means that the machine and the screw, some screw being slackened it has fallen down on the ground, so so long it is out of the touch of the machine it is useless. It has no value. So merging into the Supreme means your value is now useless without being merging into the Supreme. And as soon as you become adjusted with the Supreme your original value is revived. That is real meaning of merging. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā. When one understands Kṛṣṇa in truth, tattvata. Tattvata means in truth. Then he is allowed to enter or merge. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). That also, that entrance is allowed by bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Tattvato jñātvā. You can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth by devotional service. Not by any other means. Suppose you are a big lawyer. I want to make friendship with you, I want to know about your inside life. That I can know by knowing you completely, and by satisfying you someway or other, by serving you. Then you: "Oh my dear sir, you want to know me. All right. This is this." Similarly, bhakti means service. You have to please Kṛṣṇa, then you can know Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will say. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti pūrvakam (BG 10.10). "Those who are always engaged in love and affection." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I say unto Him, I give him intelligence." Not to ordinary persons. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Lord, he can get instruction from Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā. And when he gets instruction fully and he is fully aware of Kṛṣṇa, viśate tad anantaram, then merging question comes.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1975:
So we have been discussing for the last few days how to become free from the reaction of our sinful life. That is real problem. But people, they have no knowledge what is life, what is sinful life, what is pious life, why we are put into this condition that "We have to do this; we haven't got to do that." This is real philosophy of life. The āsuras, as we were discussing in this morning walk, they do not know it. Āsurās... Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsurāḥ janāḥ. We are living... In the ordinary life also, we live a little carefully so that we may not fall sick. For that purpose there is very vigilance in the immigration department that in Australia we had some nice mangoes brought from Bombay, and they did not allow to take it. They thought this mango is more dangerous than the dry meat. They will allow importation of dry meat, three hundred years old, (laughter) put into the refrigerator, and that is imported. That is not infectious. But mango, very nice mango, fresh mango—we started in Bombay at night, and we came in the morning, it has become poisonous. So we are so much precautious that not any germs, infectious disease, may enter. That is there. But what is that infection which has caused me to accept this material body again and again? That they do not know. That they do not know. They do not believe in the next life, and therefore āsurāḥ janāḥ. This is, the symptom or characteristic of the āsurāḥ janāḥ. You should be precautious. That is natural. We become precautious, that "We should not do this so that I may not fall sick." But we do not know what is our real sickness. That we do not know.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Honolulu, May 15, 1976:
So vāsudeva-parāyaṇā-agham. Agham means sin, sinful reaction of life. Dhunvanti, "one washes." Just like dirty thing, if you bring bucket of water and wash it, then everything cleansed immediately. So this process of chanting is so nice that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). It cleanses the heart, misunderstanding that "I am this body. I belong to this nation. I belong to this community. I belong to this religion." No. "I belong to Kṛṣṇa," that's all. This is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is real knowledge, real perfection, as soon as one comes to this conclusion, that "Kṛṣṇa is mine, and I am Kṛṣṇa's," simply this understanding. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. So by this consciousness automatically all reaction of sinful life becomes washed. Aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena, totally. How? How it is possible? "He has accumulated sinful reaction of life for so many births, and simply...?" Yes, it is possible. "How?" Now, nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. When there is, what is called? Frost.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Honolulu, May 15, 1976:
Fog, yes. When there is fog, you try so many ways; it cannot go. Then, if somehow or other sun rises, immediately finished. Immediately clear. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead: "Godhead is light and nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead, there is no jurisdiction of darkness."
- kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama māyā andhakāra
- yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyā adhikāra
- (CC Madhya 22.31)
As soon as there is sunshine, immediately the fog is... It's practical.
So somehow or other, Kṛṣṇa, if we get Kṛṣṇa arisen in our heart... Sa vai manaḥ-kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If we simply concentrate our mind, that is real meditation, to think of Kṛṣṇa—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—then everything will be cleansed automatically. Kṛṣṇa says in the...
- śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
- hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
- vidhunoti suhṛt satām
- (SB 1.2.17)
Kṛṣṇa is there already, just like friend. Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give us instruction so that we can get out of this miserable condition of life. Kṛṣṇa is ready. He is coming to give you instruction. Simply you have to follow; then everything will be all right.
Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:
So sakṛd api kṛṣṇa manaḥ. Mind has to be fixed up to something. The yogis, karmīs, the jñānīs and the bhaktas. The karmīs, their mind is fixed up, "Where to get money? Where to get money?" That's all. This is karmī. Just to live comfortably, enjoy sense gratification, this is karmī. And jñānī means they want to... Because they are disgusted. They are better than the karmīs. They want to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence, jñānī. And yogi, they... Actual, their business is, yogi, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they are always in meditation and thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is real yogi, not to show some gymnastic feats. These things are required to concentrate the mind. But where to concentrate the mind? Concentrate the mind in the Supreme Soul, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. That is yoga system. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is above all of them because by nature, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he cannot think anything else except Kṛṣṇa. He is worshiping the Deity in the temple, he is going to distribute books, Kṛṣṇa books, he is talking of Kṛṣṇa, he is eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. So here it is said sakṛd api. If once one does like this, he becomes saved. So if we go on with this habit, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our position is very secure, and keep yourself in that secure position rigidly. Then your life is successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:
That is nice. The same thing. This human form of life is a chance. Actually, in this material world we are all suffering. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). You cannot make it a happy place. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says, who has created this material world, He says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Duḥkha means unhappiness; ālayam means place. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. That is also temporary. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānāṁ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ (BG 8.15). So this is place of duḥkhālayam. Any commonsense man can understand that Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā... You may challenge, "Where is the unhappiness? We are very happy." Madmen. Kṛṣṇa points out, "No, it is not place of happiness." Why it is not place of happiness? Now, janma-mṛtyu-jarā vyādhi-duḥkha-dośānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Why don't you see the real unhappiness? This is real duḥkha, or unhappiness. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. You have to die. You have to take birth within the womb with so much risk that even your mother can kill you. Is it very happiness? At the present moment the mother... When the child sleeps very peacefully, that "I am on the lap of my mother," now the time has come when the mother is killing the child. So is it very happiness place? That you cannot trust even your mother, what to speak of others. The time has come, degraded, that... Naturally a child, he thinks, "I am safe now with my mother." But the Kali-yuga is so cruel that even with mother you are not safe. And still you say it is a place of happiness? This is called illusion. It is not place.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
When Arjuna was asked to Kṛṣṇa that "How can I accept that You taught this philosophy to sun-god? Because You are my contemporary. We are born practically on the same date." So He replied, "Yes. Both you and Me, we took many, many births. But you have forgotten. I know everything." And that is God. That is God. Abhijñaḥ. God must be cognizant of everything. And I do not know everything, and still, I claim I am God and people accept. How rascal. The Bhāgavata explains that the Absolute Truth is cognizant of everything, abhijñaḥ. "So how His knowledge is so perfect?"—the next question, because we become cognizant by taking knowledge or accepting knowledge from spiritual master. But how he has become so cognizant? The answer is svarāṭ, fully independent. He hasn't got to learn... (break) But He is God without taking knowledge from anybody. That is real God. Svarāṭ. In this way Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has explained the Vedānta-sūtras, that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the right explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrānām. The Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. And the real commentary and explanation is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of Vedānta. But these Vedantists, so-called Vedantists, they do not read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Even read, they make a different interpretation, because to make them popular they have to go through Bhāgavata sometimes. I see Akṣajānanda also tries to explain. But they explain in their own way. Just like "This Kurukṣetra, this body, and this means..." I, in a... Long ago in Bombay this Akṣajānanda explaining one śloka. I just forget, but I remember his interpretation, that "When I am satisfied, God is satisfied." He explained like that. And he is passing on as a great scholar and great sannyāsa. He said like that: "When I am satisfied, God is satisfied—because I am God." We say, "When God is satisfied, then I am satisfied." If you say that "When the finger is satisfied, the whole body is satisfied," it is possible?
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:
So you have to follow strictly the rules and regulations if you are serious. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.
- niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
- parāṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya
- viṣayināṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca
- hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣanato 'py asādhu
- (CC Madhya 11.8)
Those who are determined that in his life we shall finish this material way of life... That is real struggle for existence. Actually everyone is trying. Material life means it is full of distress. Duḥkhālayam, Kṛṣṇa says. So, so long you prolong this material way of life, that is called struggle for existence. The struggle for existence, as I have repeated, this word is very common, but nobody knows what is that struggle for existence and what is the platform of becoming fittest. Nobody knows. It is we are preaching. If you remain in this material world, then struggle for existence will continue. And fittest means one who has come to the spiritual platform. He is fittest to survive. What is survival? Who is going to survive? Do you mean to say that by cultivating health culture, big, strong, and you will survive? Nobody will survive. So who will survive? Only Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he is strictly Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he will survive. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). The Kṛṣṇa conscious person who has studied Kṛṣṇa only (?) perfectly, then he is fit. This body is also... This body is not permanent, that's a fact. But tyaktvā dehaṁ, after giving up this body, no more material body—spiritual body. Sat-cit-ānanda-vigraha.
Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:
We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa. He wants us back to home, live with Him comfortably, without any disadvantage of conditional life, freedom. Kṛṣṇa wants. Therefore he comes: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). That dharmasya glāniḥ means... Dharma means religious. Glāni means pollution. What is that? We are manufacturing so many rascal type of religion. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. But real religion is as Kṛṣṇa says. What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Religion means the order of Kṛṣṇa. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture religion. Religion means you carry out the order of God. That is religion. That is religion. So you do not know what is God, what is the order of God, or even if you know, you do not carry out—then what is the meaning of your religion? It has no meaning. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam directly takes it, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramaḥ nirmatsarāṇāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra.
So this Bhāgavata religion is not a cheating religion. This is real religion. Don't be carried away by cheating type of religion; you do not understand what is the value of life, what is the goal of life, how we can revive our eternal life. These things are to be known, and then your life, human life, is successful. And that chance is present before you in this form of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Take advantage of it and be happy.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:
That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion. Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava..., niṣkiñcanasya bhajanonmukhasya, pāraṁ param... Therefore voluntarily Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa. He was very nicely situated in His family life. When He was family man, He married twice. One wife died; He married again. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us not to become... But when He took sannyāsa, He was very, very strict. No woman could come very near to Him. From distance... This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. So you have to follow strictly the rules and regulation. If you are serious, then this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.
- niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
- pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya
- viṣayināṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca
- ha hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣanato 'py asādhu
- (CC Madhya 11.8)
Those who are determined that "In this life we shall finish this material way of life, or material..." That is real struggle for existence. Actually everyone is trying. Material life means it is full of distress, duḥkhālayam. Kṛṣṇa says. So so long you'll prolong this material way of life, that is called struggle for existence. The "struggle for existence" and "survival of the fittest," this word is very common but nobody knows what is that struggle for existence and what is the platform of becoming fittest. Nobody knows. It is we are preaching that "If you remain in this material world, then struggle for existence will continue." And fittest means one who has come to the spiritual platform, he is fittest to survive. What is survival? Who is going to survive? Do you mean to say by cultivating health culture, very strong, you'll survive? Nobody will survive. So who will survive? Only Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he is strictly Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he will survive. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). The Kṛṣṇa conscious person who has studied Kṛṣṇa only, nothing more, perfectly, that is fit. This body also, this body is not permanent. That's a fact. But tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body no more material body; spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:
So this man, Ajāmila, was not a gṛhastha because his beginning of life is that he gave up his married life. He was married with nice wife, coming from respectable family, but he gave up that, and he was attached to a maidservant. And he gave up his real family life. He became a family man with this maidservant, and go on begetting children. That was his life. Therefore this word is used particularly, tasya pravayasaḥ. He was old enough; still, he was begetting child. But one who is brāhmaṇa, he would not stay in family life more than fiftieth year. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. One must go to the forest. Forest means vana, and therefore, one who goes to the forest, from the word vana, it is vāna, vānaprastha. Prastha mean one who has gone. This is regulative life. One has to take leave from this family life and accept the vānaprastha. Vānaprastha means prior to accepting the renounced order of life. The husband and wife goes out of home and travels in many holy places to associate with holy man and take his instruction just to prepare for sannyāsa. So when one is fully equipped in knowledge, then he asks his wife to go to home to be taken care of by the elderly children, and he becomes a sannyāsī. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. This is real purpose of life. Four varṇas, four classes of men, up to fourth class, not up to tenth class. And then spiritual life: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This institution is called varṇāśrama-dharma: four varṇas and four āśrama. So when one is educated or trained up by this varṇāśrama institution, then his human life begins. Otherwise he is animal. One who does not take to this varṇāśrama-dharma, he remains in the animal life. That is the Vedic system.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Chicago, July 11, 1975:
So actually, that is the position of all living entities within this material world. Encaged by māyā, illusion, they have forgotten what is the self-interest. The self-interest is: go back to home, back to Godhead. That is real-self interest. So every intelligent man should first of all see to his self-interest, how to become free from this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to God. That is self-interest. And if we do not know, we do not execute in that way—that means Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then however we may be philanthropist, affectionate, very good economist, very good philosopher, everything is nonsense, mūḍha. That is the statement, that we should not remain mūḍha; we should become intelligent and see to our self-interest, and that is the success of life.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:
There are many millions and trillions of living entities, and there is another living entity: that is God. So this another, one, singular number. There is no second, duplicate, of this one. But we ordinary living entities, we have got many millions of duplicates. Therefore two things are used: nitya, nityānām. Nityānām means plural number. Many, many, innumerable. You cannot count. Asaṅkhyā. The jīva is. Asaṅkhyā means nobody can count. And above this asaṅkhyā innumerable living entities, there is one prime living entity. God is also a living entity. He is also like us. In your Bible there is there: "Man is made after God." Is it not? So God is living entity, and we have got this form after the form... God is two-handed; we have got two hands. So that is a fact. This human form of life is made according to the form of Lord. It is imitation; that is real. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But we are thinking that God has no form. Why? Wherefrom you got your form? You are daily praying, "O God, O Father, give us our daily bread," and we accept God as the supreme father. So if I have got form, the father must have got form. It is reasonable. How you say, "There is no form"? This is all not very reasonable argument. God is also a living entity, but what is the difference between God and all these living entities? They are all dependent on God. That's all. God is great; we are small. Just like father maintains all the children, so we are all children, and the supreme father maintains. So if the children have got forms, so it is naturally concluded the father has got, even though you have not seen the father. Suppose a posthumous child, a child is born after the death or disappearance of the father. So that does not mean because he has not seen the father, he will conclude that "My father had no form." This is not conclusion. He should know from the mother that "Yes, my child, your father had form." So this is intelligence.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:
So this... Real religion is love, how to love God. That is real religion Dharma, what is that? Yato bhaktir... Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). There are different kinds of dharma, or religious system. But real religious system means how we have learned to love God. That's all. Nothing more. No ritualistic ceremony, no formula, nothing. If your heart is always crying for God, that is perfect religion. That is perfect religion. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "Oh, without Kṛṣṇa, I am feeling the whole world is vacant." Vacant, yes. So we have to come to that stage. Of course, it is not possible for all of us, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed us how to become highest religious person. That is to feel always, "Oh, without Kṛṣṇa, everything is vacant." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda viraheṇa me. That is dharma, that is dharma. So the Viṣṇudūta is testing these Yamadūtas, whether he understands what is the meaning of dharma. Dharma, we cannot create. Dharma is neither Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, this dharma, that dharma. They may be some sectarian understanding, but real dharma means how we have learned to love God.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:
Now, why Vedas should be accepted to seriously? At least we, who are supposed to be followers of the Vedic laws, we take it so seriously. For example, how we accept the injunctions of Vedas seriously? There is example, a stool, animal stool, or any, human being stool—stool is stool—that stool is supposed to be impious, impure. If you touch stool, then you have to take your bath. You become impure. You have to take your bath, as you do generally. After passing stool we take bath. That is a Hindu injunction. And even a man goes twice for passing stool, he must take twice bath. That is real Hindu religious life. Now, stool, in one place it is said that "It is impure. If you touch, then you have to take your bath." In another place it is said, "This stool, particular, the cow dung, is pure. Cow dung is pure. If there is any impure place, if you smear over it cow dung, then it is pure." That is also injunction of the Vedas. Now, you cannot argue that "One place you say that this stool is impure, and another place you say this is pure. This is contradiction." Sometimes people find this contradiction. But you have to accept because it is injunction of the Vedas. That you are doing practically every day.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:
So sincere..., those who are actually followers of Vedas, they should understand that there is no difference between the Lord and His words—absolute. We read Bhagavad-gītā, the words of Kṛṣṇa. Then how we can change the meaning of Gītā when it is spoken by Lord? Does it mean that I am greater than the Lord? "Kṛṣṇa left something to be told by some rascals later on"—is that the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā? Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? If the meaning was to be corrected and commented by a conditioned soul, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? Then what is the necessity of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Simply because it is written in Sanskrit? No. That is not the fact. The words of Bhagavad-gītā are Kṛṣṇa. That should be taken into consideration. That is real reading of Bhagavad-gītā. And if we read Bhagavad-gītā according to my whims—I like some stanza; I take it, and other stanza I give up—that is not reading of Bhagavad-gītā. You have to take everything, what it is presented. Just like Arjuna says, who has taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is. He says, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Lord..." He... Of course, he was friend. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You have spoken, I accept in toto." There is no question of eliminating this stanza and that stanza. I accept some, selected, and I become a student of Bhagavad-gītā and authority of Bhagavad-gītā. No. That is not authority of Bhagavad-gītā. You have to accept. And then it is...
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:
Therefore the challenge was that "Now explain what is dharma." So they're explaining. Mind that. They are not educated themselves, but their education is by hearing from the authority. Iti śuśruma. This is real education. Therefore Vedas' another name is śruti. Śruti means the knowledge which you receive by hearing, not by your so-called eyes or tongue. No. The tongue, you can chant what you hear. Therefore our beginning of knowledge is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Not that go to some technical college and learn it. This is also technical, transcendental technical, but the technique is first of all hear. This is technique. Not take a hammer and understand. This is hearing. This technology begins by hearing. Just like you have come here kindly and hearing. This is the technology, beginning of transcendental knowledge or spiritual knowledge. So here also these Yamadūtas said, "We have heard it from the authority." That is perfection. Go to the authority and hear from him the real knowledge. Then you become perfect in knowledge. Actually, we imitate, we also go to a school, college, hear from the professor, teachers. That is the process anywhere, either transcendental or material knowledge. The hearing is most important thing. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended this hearing very important in transcendental knowledge especially. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir: if you want to know God, that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation, he's recommending from the śāstra. He doesn't recommend anything, "I think," "I believe," "Perhaps." No, not this nonsense. You may... You are rascal. What is the value of your belief? No. It is the... Here is the knowledge. Iti śuśruma, "We have heard it from authority." This is knowledge.
Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:
Devotee (5): What if the person knows what he is doing is wrong, and he knows what the ultimate result of his doings is also wrong, but he still commits? Is that still ignorance?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is ignorance-rooted, ignorance, heart, rooted in the heart. That can be... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). You have to cleanse your heart. Then, when your heart is cleansed, then you will say, "No, no. No more I am going to do this. I have suffered so much. No. No." That is real knowledge. Unless your heart is cleansed, then, even though you know that "By committing theft I will be punished," you will commit, because the heart is not clear. Even though one knows that "By doing this, I will suffer," still, he will do that. That distinction is always there. Therefore the only method is this cleansing process in this age, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
Revatīnandana: In the Fourteenth Chapter in the Gītā, you describe that the mode of goodness, people who are in the mode of goodness become conditioned by that mode, and they come back repeatedly as philosophers, educators, like that.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976:
So these questions were never raised. We are now raising these questions. And they were passing on. No. This is not the process. The process is śāstra-cakṣuṣāt, śabda-pramāṇam. That is the Vedic injunction, śabda-pramāṇam. Just like you are sleeping, and somebody is coming to kill you with knife. So how you can take precaution? You are sleeping. But some of your friend or relative: "Get up! Get up! Get up! There is enemy! There is enemy!" Immediately you wake up. That means you see with the ear, not with the eyes. The real seeing is through the eyes, er, through the ears. Suppose one does not know who is your..., who is his father. So how he can see the father? Through the ear, not with the eyes. That is not possible. The mother says, "My dear child, here is your father," and you see through the eyes: "Here is my father." So therefore real eyes—the ear, not these eyes. Real eyes. That is real seeing. Therefore śāstra says, Vedic knowledge, that śāstra-cakṣuṣāt, paśyati jñāna-cakṣuṣāt: "One can see by the eyes of knowledge," not by these blunt eyes. This is useless. They cannot see. And how you can see through the śabda? Śāstra means śabda. Through the ear... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Don't try to see a saintly person by your eyes. You see a saintly person by the ear." Because if you hear from the saintly person and if he is speaking from the experience which he has heard from the, another saintly person—this is called guru-paramparā—then the knowledge is perfect. Yesterday we ... The Yamadūtas said that iti śuśruma. Never said, "I have seen it." Vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt svayaṁbhūr iti śuśruma: "We have heard it." Vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣā... He never says, "I have seen it."
Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:
So under this misconception of life we are simply acting inauspiciously. Why inauspiciously? Because we are working blindly. We do not know what is my next life, or we do not believe in next life. But you believe or not believe; next life is there. As the child has his next life, the boy has his next life, the youth has his next life, similarly, the old man has got his next life. You believe or not believe; you have to accept next life. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This is real education. You have to accept the next life. Now, what kind of next life you will get, you have to prepare in this life. That is auspicious. That is bhadrāṇi. And if you don't prepare for the next life, irresponsible... Just like a street boy does not take education because he has no idea of next life. But his father, his mother, is anxious that "My son's next life, future life, will be spoiled if he does not take education." They are anxious. Similarly, the father and the mother, the guru, the friend—everyone should be actually well-wisher of his friend, dependent, when he gives spiritual education. Then he is friend. Otherwise they are enemy. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt. The sastric contraception means that "If you cannot educate your sons how to stop repetition of birth, then don't become a father. Don't become a mother." This is śāstric... "Don't become a guru. Don't become so on, so on, well-wisher, if you cannot stop."
Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:
The human civilization means to create the population dhīra, not to be disturbed by sex impulse. This is human civilization, not that so many so-called sādhus and... They are now preaching openly the yoga by sex. Yoga by sex. They have invented. Yoga means to find out the Supreme Lord within one's self, within the core of the heart. That is real yoga. Yoga means to connect. To connect with whom? With sex life? No. The sex life connection is there even in the birds, beast, ants, animals, worms—everywhere—because the whole world is going on on sex life. Does it require any yoga system? But people are fallen so down that they have invented because people want it, and these rascals, they exploit. This is going on. So real yoga system means to control the senses, not to increase or indulge. They are clearly advertising in the Western countries, "Transcendental meditation. There is no restriction. There is no question of faith," and so many things, means as people want it. They want money, and they advertise like that. People do not want to follow the religious principles. People do not want any restriction. They advertise, "Yes. You haven't got to follow any restriction. You haven't got to believe in some religion. You simply pay me $127, and I give you mantra, and you become happy." This is going on.
Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:
Therefore we have to follow the ācāryas. We are ignorant. To become ignorant is not any fault. But when the ignorant thinks that he knows everything, then he's fault. Therefore the ignorant people are advised in the Vedas, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). "So I am ignorant, I am fool, I am rascals. I shall remain like that"? No, that is not human life; that is animal life. Animal is also ignorant. A dog, he cannot go to a guru. That is not possible. But a human being, he must. Abhigacchet. It must. It is not optional, that "I may go, or I may not." No, you must. That is the injunction. That is the Vedic injunction. Ācārya-paramparā. Evam paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayaḥ. Formerly the king was responsible, responsible king. Responsible government means responsible king. So what is the responsibility of the king? The responsibility that all the citizens, all the inhabitants of the state, they should live very comfortably and develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the responsibility of the king. He has to see that everyone is free from anxiety, everyone is feeling secure, everyone has no disease, no mental anxiety, and in peaceful condition they are executing bhāgavata-dharma. That is real dharma, bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand the science of God. That is Bhāgavata. And it is advised, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Kaumāra, from the very boyhood, childhood, one should be instructed and educated about bhāgavata-dharma.
Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:
So then Nārada Muni said that yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ proktam: "In the śāstra, as the symptoms are described, if such symptom," yadi anyatra vidṛśyeta, "if such symptoms are visible in other place," tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35), "if the symptoms of a brāhmaṇa is found in a place, other place than, either in the śūdra family or vaiśya family or kṣatriya family, then he should be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. Similarly if somebody in a brāhmaṇa family, his symptoms are like kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, then he should be designated like that." So this is bhāgavata-dharma, strictly following the words and the injunction of God. That is bhāgavata-dharma. And that is real dharma.
So this man deviated from bhāgavata-dharma. Therefore he was to be arrested by the Yamadūtas for purification. That was his external affair. But by chance, by the grace of the Lord, at the time of his death he chanted "Nārāyaṇa," not exactly meaning the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, but his son's name was Nārāyaṇa. He was thinking that "I am being dragged by the Yamadūta. So my son will save me." Therefore he exclaimed, "Nārāyaṇa, please save me." So he meant his son, but Nārāyaṇa, actual Nārāyaṇa, heard it—"O Nārāyaṇa, please save me." This is the... Nārāyaṇa is so kind that although the name of Nārāyaṇa was called by Ajāmila, meaning his son, still, because he has chanted the name, holy name of Nārāyaṇa, it was immediately taken seriously by Lord Nārāyaṇa, and His order-carriers, the Viṣṇudūtas, were sent to save this man. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.
Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:
Just like this arrangement, this Kumbha-līlā arrangement, is a prescription by the Brahmavādīs. There is a prescription that one should go during this time, maghamelā, and live in the confluence, on the bank of the confluence of Gaṅga and Yamunā and at least three days he must live. Then he becomes eligible to enter into the heavenly kingdom. These people who have come here, their ambition is to enter into the heavenly kingdom. But a devotee does not care for heavenly kingdom. A devotee cares a very fig in any planet within this material world. As Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino arjuna. Means they know what is the benefit of entering into heavenly kingdom. There is no benefit. Suppose I may get thousands of years' age and I enjoy very high standard of life, woman, money, wine. Just think. But what is the benefit? There is no benefit. I was very glad to read one article sent by Satsvarūpa in Boston. He has said, "What is this society, family? It is all hellish. We do not wish to live without Kṛṣṇa." Very nice statement. That is real realization. We do not like to live without Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who has realized it that "Any amount of material happiness is to be kicked out. We don't care for it. We simply care for Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be happy," that is pure devotee. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Ānukūlyena means favorably. We should simply try to please Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably.
Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:
This word tattva is very important. Unless one is tattva-darsi, there is no use to take instruction from him. Useless waste of time. Tattva-darśi means... Kṛṣṇa says in another place, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhi means liberated, means who has no more the bodily concept of life. This is the Vedic meaning of ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Aham: "I, the spiritual spark, I am not this matter. I am a spirit soul." That is brahmāsmi. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, that is called jīva-bhūta-mamivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ—conditioned soul. And when one understands ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is called (SB 4.30.20) brahma-bhūta. There are two words. The conditioned soul is called jīva-bhūta. He is thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am this," "I am that." That is called jīva-bhūta. And in the human form of life, when he studies athāto brahma jijñāsā, when he is inquisitive to understand Brahman, spirit, that is real life. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.
Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:
Prabhupāda: No. But when, at the time of devotional service, if such impetuses come, that means he has got such relation. It is to be developed. That's all. That means the actual relationship with Kṛṣṇa is coming out gradually. It is being developed. So one has to develop it, following the footsteps of the Kṛṣṇa's friends in Vṛndāvana. These are described here. Yes. Not directly. No. You cannot say that "I have become Sudāmā." No. You have to follow the footsteps of Sudāmā. "I have become Mother Yaśodā." No. You have to follow the footsteps of Mother Yaśodā. That is real position. And as soon as you say, "I am Yaśodā. I am Su...," then it is as good as the Māyāvādīs say, "I am God." You see? So dāsa-dāsānudāsa. That process should be followed.
Devotee (2): Dāsa-dāsānudāsa.
Haṁsadūta: Suppose someone is satisfied simply being related with the spiritual master.
Prabhupāda: That is everyone's business. Everyone's business. That is not a particular taste. That is the duty of all devotees.
Revatīnandana: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are like Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-dūta. You are a devotee of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: I am not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-dūta. My Guru Mahārāja is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa...
Revatīnandana: Well, we would say that you were.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. My Guru Mahārāja is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-dūta. I am simply trying to carry his order. That's all. I am not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-dūta.
Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:
So sādhavaḥ, they are... Apparently, it appears that they are living in a very, in a poor condition. But they are very rich. Sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. These are the symptoms of sādhu.
- titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
- suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
- ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
- sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ
- (SB 3.25.21)
The first thing is they are very tolerant, titikṣavaḥ; kāruṇikāḥ, compassionate; and suhṛdaḥ, friend of all living entities. They are not like that... Just like politicians, they are friends only to the countrymen or to the party. But still, they are so much eulogized: "Oh, he is our leader." But this sort of leader cannot be compared with a sādhu because a sādhu is leader for all living entities. They are thinking of the ant also, how it will be helped. Not only human society or own society, family members. There cannot be broader-minded than a sādhu. That is real sādhu. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Friend of all living entities. Never mind whether it is an ant or whether he is Brahmā—he's friend of everyone. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. And because a sādhu is friend of everyone, there cannot be any conceivable enemy. But still, there are enemies. That is the nature of the world.
Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:
The proper way of reclaiming all the fallen souls: by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya. One has to be educated to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya. Not otherwise. You cannot propagate śuddhi movement by otherwise. You have to reclaim everyone to the Vedic platform by making him Vaiṣṇava. Because when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, he becomes transcendental. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māṁ hi pārtha, er, māṁ ca 'vyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Avyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena. Bhakti-yoga, the process of devotional service, if one is engaged, avyabhicāriṇi, without any adulteration... Real bhakti-yoga means,
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
This is real bhakti. There cannot be any motive behind bhakti-yoga. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam and jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), and transcendental to the position of philosophical speculation and fruitive activities. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Just simply to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, ānukūla, that is bhakti. So this bhakti is called avyabhicāriṇi-bhakti, without any adulteration, without any mutilation, perfect bhakti.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:
"Such persons immediately becomes liberated from the bondage of three modes of material nature." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān. Great philosophers, great yogis, they are undergoing severe type of austerities. Why? Just to get out of the clutches of these three modes of material nature, the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Everyone is being conducted under the influence of these different types of material nature. Even in this material world, goodness, that is also bondage, and what to speak of passion and ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa says anyone who is engaged in devotional service, immediately, sa samatītyaitān guṇān. Etān guṇān means these three qualities of material nature, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is real stage of ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Śaṅkarācārya taught his philosophy, to develop your consciousness to the platform of Brahman understanding. When one understands himself that "I am not this body, I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul," that is Brahman understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). At that time he becomes very jolly. So there are many different process of austerity to come to this platform of Brahman understanding, but if one is engaged in this devotional service, sravanam kīrtanam visnu, he is to be understood as already on the Brahman platform. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "I think such person has studied completely. His knowledge is perfect." Tan manye adhītam uttamam.
Lecture on SB 7.5.23-24 -- Vrndavana, March 31, 1976:
The jñānīs, they are simply trying to get out of the material world, but their attempt will be failure because they do not catch up the real spiritual work. Real spiritual work is Kṛṣṇa. And yogis, they are after demonstrating magic and get cheap popularity. So they are also in the material world—karmīs, jñānīs, and yogis. Only pure devotees, they are in the spiritual world. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa:
- māṁ ca 'vyabhicāriṇi
- bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
So as soon as you engage yourself in pure devotional service without any material desire, without any material designation, immediately you are liberated. Svarūpena avasthiti. That is real situation of our constitutional position. So long we are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is our opposite number of life, not real life. Real life is when you are fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always engaged. That is life.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:
So Kṛṣṇa replied to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja that "This is My special favor. This is My special favor." Sometimes we do not, we cannot understand the special favor of Kṛṣṇa. So this frustration of these boys, these American boys or English boys, in the materialistic way of life is a good sign for accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are searching after something nice. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, it does not require to become poor to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but if anyone has the desire that "I will become spiritually advanced; at the same time I shall enjoy this material life," that is not possible. These are two contradictory things. You have to become determined to be happy in spiritual life. That is real happiness. And this human form of life is specially meant for coming to that standard of spiritual life by tapasya, by voluntarily rejecting materialistic way of life. Therefore you will find in the history of India many great kings, even at very young age they left. Just like Bhārata Mahārāja. Bhārata Mahārāja, at the age of twenty-four years only, he left his young wife, young children and the whole empire, Bharatvarsa, and went to the forest for meditation. There are many instances.
Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:
So here it is said that because the leaders, they do not know what is the aim of life, what is the goal of life, therefore common men, people in general, they are being misguided. They are being misguided. Suppose a blind man leads some other blind men. What will be the result? Both of them will meet danger. That is the result because... "Why? They are doing very nicely, with great cautiousness." No. But they do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature. Te 'pīśa-tantryā uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They cannot divert their attention or deviate from the laws of nature. That is not possible. So they are under the laws of nature. They do not now why the laws of nature acting in a different way, against their will. Suppose I do not wish to die. Why laws of nature enforcing, forcing me to die? Nobody wants to die. So you cannot surpass the laws of nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You are trying to solve the problems of life, but here are the real problems of life: janma-mṛtyu-jarā vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9)." The real problem is that there is death, there is birth, there is old age and there is disease. This is real problem. That problem is due to this material body. Therefore our real problem is that we have got this material body, but we have no sense that "Within this material body I am the spirit soul, living. So how to get out of this material body and again revive our spiritual body?" Spiritual body is already there. How to become free from the bondage of this material body and become free again in spiritual life, that is real problem of life. That they do not. Who knows? Bring any big, big leaders. Ask him that "Do you know what is the problem of life?" They do not know. Therefore it is said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).
Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:
So we have to take information from the authoritative literature what is the position of this material world, the spiritual world, God, and His relationship with us, our position. This is real knowledge, not that a knowledge that how to live. Living condition is fulfilled by the nature's way. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. They are not concerned how to eat, how to sleep. They know, by nature's arrangement there is already arrangement. Just like the birds in the morning. They rise up early in the morning. They are not concerned where they will eat. They know there is already arrangement for eating. The elephants in Africa, they know that God has already arranged for their eating forty kilos at a time. The ants within the room, they know there is already arrangement. So if God has arranged for everyone, eight million different species of life or forms of life, why not for human being? There is arrangement. But in the human being is advised to do certain things. They must do it. Then there is no question of scarcity. There is... Everything is arranged there. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) "You produce your food grains so that the animals and the man, both will be happy." But if you don't produce food grains, if you produce sugarcane, then how they will be satisifed? Food grains must be produced. That is the injunction of the śāstra.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:
So there is arrangement. All those thousands of people assembled in the market, they have got their sleeping place. They have got their eating place. So by arrangement. There is arrangement. Similarly, there may be millions and millions of living entities; God has arrangement. If you calculate the human population and other living entities, the human population, especially the civilized human beings, are nothing in comparison to other living entities. There are millions and billions of living entities even in this store. If you find out a small hole, you will find millions of ants coming. They are also living entities. And who is arranging for their food? You are not very much busy to... Although it is your duty. That is also Bhāgavata communism. Bhāgavata communism says that even if you have got a lizard in your room, you must give him something to eat. If you have got a serpent in your room, you must give it something to eat. Nobody in your house should starve. You see? This is Bhāgavata communism, not that "Only my brother and sister will not starve, and other animals should be killed." This is not communism. Here is communism. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness communism, that a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is thinking even for the ant, even for the lizard, even for the serpent. That is real communism.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also stressing on that point, that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Although this human form of life is not very long, but you can get the very nice result out of it. Arthadam. Artha. Artha means profit. So real profit is spiritual profit. That is real profit because that will never be lost. And material profit, suppose you become MA, PhD, Doctor, or Rockefeller, or Ford, or something like that. You gain so many material things. But as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You are no more Rockefeller, you are no more MA. Suppose you get again a birth in a human family, so you have to again begin your education to come to the point of MA. Or you have to begin your life to become again Rockefeller. This Rockefeller estate is left here. You have to begin again. You do not know whether you are going to be Rockefeller or some feller. But at least, it is certain that whatever material gain you acquire, that will be finished with this body. That is a fact. So you have to begin again. But if you take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness even one percent, that will never be finished. It will give you... Just like seed. A seed if you sow on the earth and you put little water, it will grow. It will grow. It will never be stopped. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says,
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
Bīja means seed. So hundreds and thousands and millions of living entities are rotating in many places in the kingdom of God, both material and spiritual.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:
Just like in darkness you are walking on the road. The cynosure of the neighboring eyes. You see the stars. Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the Pole Star, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster. The same example we can give. If you do not know that the Pole Star, then you may be misdirected. Just like Columbus, he came to America, or many, there are many navigators. If they miss that, misses that Pole Star, then they will be misdirected. Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. So here also, the same thing, viṣṇu pādopasarpaṇam yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Sarva-bhūtānām means all living entities. Priya, that is real dear object. Sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. He is the proprietor of my self. He is Superself. Just like I love this body. Why? Because I am the spirit self, or soul is within this body. Therefore just like I love this apartment. Why? Because I live here. Similarly, I love this body because I am spirit soul, I am living within this body. Therefore I try to protect it. Real love is to myself. So naturally, if you love yourself, then this self is the part and parcel of the Superself. Therefore you love indirectly the Superself. And suhṛt, and He is your actually intimate friend. Suhṛt. Suhṛt means who is always wishing your good. The Vedic information says that the Supreme Lord as Supersoul is sitting with you in the same tree. The individual soul and the Supersoul is sitting in the heart and this body is considered as tree, and He is seeing your, my activities. He is trying to get me back to Godhead. So in whichever form of life I am transmigrating He is also going with me.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
Even Brahmā, he is also worshiping the Supreme God. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). So God is svarāṭ. He is not dependent on any other controller. That is God. We are god, that's all right, but we are controlled even by the material nature, what to speak of other things. So we are not independent. Independent God is Kṛṣṇa. Svarāṭ. He is described as svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. He is not controlled by anyone. That is real God. And we may be god but imitation god or small god. But the great... "God is great." That "great" God is Kṛṣṇa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra. The boys... He was taking the opportunity of teaching his class friend. He was five years old boy and his father was a great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu: "Don't talk of God." So in this way he was in a very precarious condition. Still, because he was a Vaiṣṇava he was taking the opportunity of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So he was asking...
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
Where is the guarantee that we shall become old? We may die tomorrow or today. There is no guarantee. Therefore immediately we shall begin how to learn bhāgavata-dharma." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān (SB 7.6.1). Dharmān means religion. And specially, he has specifically, Prahlāda Mahārāja says dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma, religious, religion means bhāgavata-dharma. The other dharma cannot be dharma. Therefore you'll find in Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Mam, Kṛṣṇa is bhagavān. If you follow the instruction of Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, that is bhāgavata-dharma.
There may be other dharma, just like deśa-dharma or samāj-dharma. There are many other dharmas. Brahma-dharma, this dharma, that... But that is not dharma. Real dharma means bhāgavata-dharma. That is real dharma. Otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja? Mām ekam. He is bhagavān. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, bhagavān uvāca. Whenever you find the instruction, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, bhāgavata-śabda. The original word is bhagavat. So from bhagavat, this sound bhagavān also comes. And from bhagavat, bhāgavatam. The same root is bhāgavata-śabda. So Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā He says that, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). "When there is discrepancies in the matter of understanding religious system, at that time I incarnate, I come." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir. Now this dharma, one can say there are so many dharmas, in the different dharmas. But dharma cannot be different. Dharma, religious system cannot be different. If it is... Dharma means from the Bhagavān.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, God says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Real dharma is to surrender unto God. And surrender and to follow His instruction and become a lover of God. Then it is dharma. It is perfectly clear. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). In another place it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion. What is that? By which one can learn how to love God. This is the definition. How to love God. We have learned to love so many things, but when we love God, that is real religion. And that is first-class religion. It does not matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or this or that. There are so many dharmas. But the thing is whether you have learned how to love God. Then it is perfect.
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yenātmā samprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
That love of God should be without any motive. Motive means generally we go to temple, church, with a motive. "God, give us our daily bread." Or somebody goes to temple, comes here, "Kṛṣṇa, I am in need of this thing. Kindly give me." This is also good because he has come to God.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
If one is in need of some money or need of some material necessities, and if he begs or if he prays to God, "Please give me," he's also considered as pious. But real religious system is to understand that God is great, I am His servant, I am supported by Him, it is my duty to serve Him. This is religion. This is called bhāgavata-dharma, to understand this philosophy, that God is the supreme master and I am His eternal servant. My duty is to serve God. That's all. This is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). And God comes to demand this, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is real religion. We have manufactured so many religious systems, but God says that this is religion. Otherwise, why He would say sarva-dharmān parityajya, "Give up all other types of religion." So bhāgavata-dharma means to accept the Supreme Lord, God, as the great, and we are all His servants. Our duty is to carry out the orders of God.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:
Therefore, this question I put to Professor Kotovsky, that "Your philosophy, Communist philosophy, and our philosophy, where is the philosophically different? Because you have selected a leader, Lenin, and you are worshiping him. And we have selected a leader, Kṛṣṇa, we are also worshiping Him. So where is the change? How we have advanced? You have selected another leader, that's all. You have to select. So the worship must go on. Either you become Communist or not Communist." So God says that "Instead of worshiping so many others, you worship Me." So, and man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And "You offer my respect to Me." So these things... You may accept any type of religion; that doesn't matter. But think of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances God, that cannot be changed. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, it does not matter. These four things cannot be changed. Therefore, the principles of religion: thinking of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances to Him, and to become devotee of God, that cannot be changed. That is real religion.
Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:
So here Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended in the first verse, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha: (SB 7.6.1) "From the very beginning of childhood one should be trained up to act according to the bhāgavata-dharma." That is real life. But instead of bhāgavata-dharma, they have created so many false dharmas. So many. So that is our mistake. Real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, relationship with God. You may call it bhāgavata-dharma or the occupational duty in relationship with God. That is compulsory. You cannot say that "I do not need it." No. That is compulsory. If you are not in bhāgavata-dharma, then you are misled. That is described, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2). Where there is no question of to understand the relationship with God, that kind of religious system is bogus and cheating. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ (SB 6.3.19). This is the purport. Therefore it is said that why bhāgavata-dharma should be learned or one should be trained up in bhāgavata-dharma. Because yathā hi puruṣasya: "Of all living entities..." Puruṣasya iha viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam. Viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇa means the same thing, as you say, "back to home, back to Godhead."
Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:
Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja was thinking of becoming happy by getting a great kingdom and ultimately when he met the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he found the object of love. He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "No. I don't want anything. I have got now everything. I have seen You." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you get Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the same thing—then you become satisfied. Otherwise there is no possibility of satisfaction. That is not possible. Simply when you get Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's service is the same. It is not Māyāvāda, that we get Kṛṣṇa and we become one with Him. Then that is not satisfaction. That is not satisfaction. When Dhruva Mahārāja saw Viṣṇu he did not say, "Now let me become one with You." No. He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce. There is svāmi, master, and the servant is feeling full satisfaction by seeing the master. This is real satisfaction, not that stop our relation, not that the child is crying and praying to the mother, "Mother, you push me within your belly. We become one." No. It is crying for the love exchange of mother. "Mother, give me your breast milk. I will be satisfied."
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:
Simply animals. The animals, cats and dogs, they cannot understand. Therefore human form of life should not be wasted like the animals. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kasṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. This should be, there should be responsibility, and the state, the father, the elderly persons, the guru, they must be very responsible. And what is that responsibility? Every person under one's control should be trained up in such a way, because he has got this human life, he can be elevated to the highest position. That, how it can be done? By bhāgavata dharma. Not otherwise. Not by karma or jñāna or yoga. No. You cannot change. Simply by acting in devotional service, bhāgavata dharma, anyone can be raised to the highest position. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). Pāpā, these are pāpā. Pāpā means very abominable life. Even they can be raised to the highest perfection. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). The pāpa-yoni. Pāpā-yoni, there are different types of pāpa-yoni. Except civilized human being, advanced human being, those who are called āryan. Āryan means those who are advanced. Below that position they are all pāpa-yoni. In the Aryan civilization there is a system of four divisions of social order and four division of spiritual order. Social order is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. And spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Therefore what is going on at the present moment as Hindu... This word you won't find in the Vedic literature. Varnāśrama. This is real Vedic system, varṇāśrama. And human life begins when one observes the varṇāśrama regulations. Varnāśrama. Human life means to elevate oneself to spiritual consciousness or God consciousness. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim... (break)
Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:
Just the other day I told you about the version of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita: āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidhvāṁsi kalpānta-sthāyino guṇaḥ. The Paṇḍita, the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that this āyuḥ, the duration of life, we do not know when we shall end. It is assure it will end. But kalpānta-sthāyino guṇaḥ, but if you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your that spiritual qualification will continue to eternity. There are many instructions in Vedic literature. So here also the same thing is repeated. Tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param: you should not try to spoil your life, spoil your valuable life for something which is not very much beneficial for you. And what is that thing beneficial? Self-realization. Self-realization, "What I am." This is the product of meditation. If you want to meditate, meditation means to attempt to understand oneself, "What I am." That is real meditation. Meditation does not mean that... Of course, this voidness, meditation in voidness, is another negative attempt that "This body is nothing." But actually, I am not void. I am spirit soul. And because I have no information of the spirit soul, therefore I simply try to think of the negative side of this bodily existence. That is called voidness. Simply negative... Now, "I am not this body. I am not this body." "I am not this body," that's all right.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:
Guest (1): Okay, one more thing. Transcendental meditation by the Maharishi is not a concentrating process. It's a process of using the mantra to get into the meditation. And once reaching the point of deep meditation, thoughts will just occur. And there's no concentrating procedure at all. And this is why I had a question in the first place, in that you said meditation'w impossible because it's a concentrating process. Well, Maharishi's meditation is not the concentrating...
Prabhupāda: Then he has manufactured something. It is not stated in the standard book. You see Bhagavad-gītā and Patanjali system, yoga system, that is differently stated.
Guest (1): I see.
Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā, the meditation has to be concentrated upon the Viṣṇu. Mat-para. The word is mat-para. One has to concentrate his meditation upon the form of Viṣṇu. Nothing else. That is real meditation. But if Maharishi has manufactured his own way of meditation, I cannot comment upon it. Because we have to comment on the books of authority. Any other question? All right. (end)
Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:
Therefore, whatever little life we have got, instead of wasting for improving economic condition, let us use it for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is life. Who understands this philosophy, this rascal world? Nobody understands this philosophy, but this is real philosophy: not to waste your valuable time for improving your economic condition. That is not possible. You have to utilize every moment to see how we are improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So "How I am proving? Who will give me the certificate?" No. You don't require anyone's certificate. You'll know it. If you actually trying for advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the certificate will be understood by yourself automatically. What is that? Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If you advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you'll be detestful for material enjoyment, especially sex enjoyment. That is the last word of material enjoyment. So this is the test, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt.
Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Don't waste your time for improving your bodily comforts. That is not good. It is simply waste of time." Tat prāyaso na kartavyo yata āyur vyayaḥ param. This life, human form of life, param, the supreme life... In the material existence the human form of life is supreme. Even the demigods, they desire that "If I can again go to Bhāratavarṣa and get a human life." This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So you have come to Bhāratavarṣa or you are born in Bhāratavarṣa, human life. Take full opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't waste a single moment. This is the instruction. And even if you develop your economic condition, then what is the gain? Real gain is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore it is said, na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. You simply dedicate your life to serve Mukunda. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Mukunda. Muka means liberation. Mukti. Muk means mukti. So ānanda, the mukty-ānanda, that is real ānanda, liberation. So therefore our business is how to surrender fully unto the lotus feet of Mukunda, mukunda-caraṇāmbujam, and fully engage in His service. That is the only business of human life. Don't try to make economic development, dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). Don't try to become a religious person also. Religious person means strictly following the rules and regulation of varṇāśrama-dharma. That is called religious.
Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:
Varnāśrama-dharma is called dharma. Dharma... There is brāhmaṇa. He has got his duties, prescribed duties. Kṣatriya, he has got his prescribed duties. This is all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And vaiśya, he has got his prescribed duties. So even if you are executing your occupational duties very perfectly, but if you do not enhance your Kṛṣṇa consciousness it is useless. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). It is useless. You can say, "I am executing my brāhmaṇa-dharma very nicely." No. Even if you are executing,
- dharma-svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viśvaksena kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed ratiṁ yadi
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
Even if you are execute your occupational duties very nicely, but if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. The real purpose of life is mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. That is real purpose of life. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't try to anything else, so-called happiness or distress." So-called happiness, distress, we should always remember. Even the distress, we should neither... (end)
Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- Vrndavana, December 8, 1975:
This is Vedic civilization. Not that unless you are killed or being shot down by somebody else, you are not leaving the gṛham andha-kūpam. This is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization is that brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. You must be prepared, especially the higher castes, especially the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas must observe the four adhyātmika principle: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... Brāhmaṇa, they do not go even to the gṛhastha life. Remain brahmacārī. But even he goes, only for twenty-five years. It is said, puṁso varṣa-śataṁ hy āyuḥ. So divide this varṣa-śatam, hundred years: twenty-five years, brahmacārī; twenty-five years, gṛhastha; twenty-five years, vānaprastha; and last twenty-five years, sannyāsa. That is real civilization, not that no brahmacārī, no vānaprastha, no sannyāsa, simply gṛhastha. They are not gṛhastha. They are called gṛhamedhi. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). There are two words, gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha. Gṛhastha means that is only for twenty-five years, not more than that. That is gṛhastha. And those who are gṛhastha up to the point of death, or unless he is killed, that is gṛhamedhi. Gṛhamedhi means he has made his center the wife and family. Just like one cow is, I mean, tied with the rope and with a fixed up wood, and he is going round this way, and he is thinking that he is going round the world. Yes. So gṛhamedhi means he has fixed up his center, the wife and children, and going round throughout the whole life, no ending. They are called gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha means gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhamedhi-āśrama nei. Gṛhamedhi, only gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama means it is as good as other āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama. If he lives according to the regulative principle, that is āśrama. That is also not for all the time, only for twenty-five years.
Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:
There is no guarantee, "Because a child is a child, oh, he has got hundred years' age, so let him play now." No, that is not. He should be trained up. This is the duty of the father and mother. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. "One should not become father, one should not become mother, if he is not very careful to save the child from the imminent death." The imminent death does not mean motor accident. Imminent death means we are in the cycle of birth and death. It is the duty of the father and mother, the duty of the guru, the duty of the relative, to save one another from the cycle of birth and death. This is real upakāra, to save from the cycle of birth... Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This life, we are thinking that "I am eighty years old or ninety years old." But it is not eighty years, ninety... It is mṛtyu. Mṛtyu. You are dying every moment. It is the life of mṛtyu. Therefore one has to save. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. A child is grown up, five years old. Suppose he'll live hundred years. So that means he has already died five years. Therefore it is mṛtyu. Or we have grown eighty years old. That means... Suppose I live hundred years. Still, I have already died eighty years. Therefore it is mṛtyu. The whole life is mṛtyu. Every moment you are dying, dying, dying, dying, from the very birth. Suppose a child is born one hour before. So one hour passed means he has died one hour out of hundred years, the beginning of death. This is called mṛtyum. So we are thinking, "We are growing. We are living." This is all mugdha, bewildered. Where you are growing, you are living? You are dying every moment.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:
These are the Vedic injunction. Bhāryā, wife is accepted, putrāyate, only for having good children. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi: "Lusty sex life is, when it is not against the religious principle, that sex life I am," Kṛṣṇa says. Dharmāviruddho. So dharmāviruddho, or which is not against religious principles. In this way you will find, according to Vedic system, the sex life is practically denied. But because we are now in the conditioned state, it is very difficult to completely deny sex life, there is regulative principle. First of all, training, no sex life. If you can remain without sex life, brahmacārī, it is very good. But if you cannot, then get yourself married, live with wife, but have sex only for progeny, not for sense enjoyment. Therefore even one is married, if he's sticking to one wife and the wife is sticking to one man, that is real married life, then the husband is also called brahmacārī. Even though he's a gṛhastha. And the wife is called chaste.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:
So the training should be how to give up this idea, and it is possible. If training is there, then it is possible. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja: kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning, children should be trained up in this line. That is the responsibility actually, father's, mother's affection. But the father-mother do not know what is the aim of life. Neither they are trained up. How they can train up their children? But here is the prescription how to train up. So in this age, although it is a very difficult task, at least if we teach our children to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then everything is possible. That is the facility of this age. He'll be gradually trained up to the highest perfection. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's benediction is there: yaha haite sarva siddhi haibe tomara. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll get all perfection of life. So either... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, "hā gaurāṅga" bole dāke. So don't be afraid that because we are in this age we cannot be trained up, it is very difficult. But we can very easily chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That is a special concession of this age. Just like these children were dancing and chanting. And it is the duty of the parents to train the children in such a way they get liberty in this very life. Father, mother, they should think of their innocent children, that "This boy, this child has come to us. Now let us train him in such a way that he will get liberty, no more birth and death." This is real responsibility of father and mother. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt, guru... Everyone's duty should be how to give relief to the living entities from these clutches of birth and death. That is ideal civilization.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:
This sneha-pāśa, sneha is there. Sneha means affection. Everyone got affection. The cats and dogs they have got also affection. But the affection is wrongly placed. We are affectionate to the skin, to this body. So this is wrong affection. Real affection is to the soul. That we do not know, we have no information. We are loving our child, that is very good, but not the soul, but the body. If someway or other the child is dead or my father is dead, we cry, "Father has gone." Why father has gone away? The body which you loved, that is lying there. So we do not know whom to love. So if we love actually, let us love the soul. How the soul... Love..., to love means for benefit. That is real love. I love you for your benefit; you love me for my benefit. If I so-called love you for my benefit, that is lust. So in this material world there cannot be love. It is not possible. Because everyone loves, so-called love. He loves his sense gratification. A young boy loves a young woman for his sense gratification, not for her sense gratification. Similarly she also. So in this material, this cheating is going on. I want to satisfy my lusty desires, but it is going on in the name of love. There cannot be any love in this material world. Because love is between spirit and spirit. But if we try to love the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa, then we shall understand how our love can be spread in the spiritual world. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:
This is the only meaning. If we become pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then my love will be extended to everyone. Not only my society, but to everyone. It is not that "This is my children, that is other's children." All children. All human being. Not my countrymen—all other countrymen. Not only human beings, but even animals also. That is sneha. It is not that "I am safe, and let the animals be killed in the slaughterhouse." No, that is not love. Love means for everyone. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Equality to all living entities. That is real love. That is real concern, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A lover of Kṛṣṇa will hesitate to kill even one ant. You know the story, Mrgrari. That is love. Because one has got... Just like this child. If I like I can kill him, there is no difficulty. But does it mean that I shall kill him? No. Similarly, a small ant, anyone can kill. No. Here is a living entity, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Samaḥ sarveṣu—he should not be unnecessarily killed. We should be careful, not that "Trample over the ants and let them be killed." No, everything should be carefully done. Of course, we cannot stop this, but we should be careful, and if it is done, then if we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa will excuse. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. Therefore the business should be, if we walk at all, we shall walk for Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:
So here in New Vrindaban we are trying to establish an ideal life—plain living and advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real business. People, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa consciousness business is essential, imperative. We must take to it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. They do not know this. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Out of false hope they are trying to be happy materially. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir means external. External means this body. I am soul, I am within this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). So real I am within the body, but because we are misled, we are thinking, "I am the body." Just like this shirt and coat, if I think, "I am this shirt, I am this coat," that is misleading. Actually no, I am within the shirt and coat. So this requires knowledge. We get this knowledge that this body is not all in all. There is soul. As soon as the soul is out of the body it is a lump of matter. But in spite of all our experience we are interested only with this body. This is called ignorance. This is called ignorance. We know, we are seeing every day, we are reading in the śāstra everything, but still we are attached to this body and sense gratification, and that is spoiling our life. We should be interested as spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, as soul, my business is how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death and be situated in our original spiritual life, where eternal life, blissful life. That is our aim should be.
Lecture on SB 7.6.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 29, 1976:
That is stated there in the Seventh Canto by instruction by Nārada Muni: gṛhastha, householder, or anyone. By nature, you'll see, if you throw one bag of food grains anywhere, so many birds will come. But as soon as their belly is filled up they will go away. They will not take more than that for tomorrow. Sañcaya. That is nature. They know, "Tomorrow we shall get again somewhere grains. There is no need of stocking." This is nature you'll find amongst animal kingdom. Similarly, we should also learn that Kṛṣṇa has given us this belly, so He has provided also the eatables. That is real philosophy. It is not recommended that you get more than what you require. No. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Especially for Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. Everyone has got right to claim what is absolutely required. In the Bhāgavata, it is stated if anyone takes more than that, then he's a thief and he's punishable. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything is God's property. Either on this land or in the sky or in the water, everything is God's property. And Kṛṣṇa claims also, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). In the Vedic version, you'll find, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam. This philosophy can solve all the problems of the world. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Whatever is given to you, you enjoy, what is allotted to you. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Do not touch other's property.
Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:
So brahmā avasthitam antike. He was very near sitting, but he had no fear. Just on the lotus feet, near the lotus feet of the Lord, he was sitting. Others were contemplating. He was free, that "I am under the shelter of the Lord." Svapāda-mūle, mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. "He is Murāri, and everything is under His feet." This is the conclusion when one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was a boy of five years old, it did not matter. He was first-class devotee, maha-bhāgavata. That is possible. The devotional service is nothing material. It is spiritual. So there is nothing impossible, impossible. That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlāda Mahārāja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. Bhakti does not depend on the age. Bhakti depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. Ahaituky apratihatā. First of all, bhakti must be without any motive, without any motive of personal sense gratification. That is real bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). We have to make all our desires zero. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. People are trying to understand the whole creation by knowledge, but bhakti does not depend on knowledge. Jñāna-karma... Or karma. Karma means fruitive action. Not that because you are a very big businessman, you are very successful, therefore it will be easy for you to understand Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not possible. Or if you think one is very poor in knowledge, lowborn, no education, still he can understand bhakti and Lord, provided he is pure devotee.
Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:
So these puffed-up persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. One has to become very humble. Christ also says, "The kingdom of God is for the humble and the meek." That is actually... And Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the beginning of humbleness: "Yes, I have nothing, insignificant." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān mām (BG 7.19). This is real knowledge, to remain always insignificant before guru—Kṛṣṇa. Then it is profit. If somebody thinks that "I have become more than my guru, more than Kṛṣṇa," then he is finished. So one should become very humble and meek. It doesn't matter where he is situated, either this institutionally, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Even one has taken sannyāsa, he should remain always humble. So never we should think that "I have become very big personality." That was the instruction of my Guru Mahārāja, that baḍa vaiṣṇava—"I am very big Vaiṣṇava. Everyone should come and obey my orders"—this is condemned position. The real position is one should be very humble and meek. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta means humble. One should be prepared to learn from... Namanta eva san-mukhari... Those who are pure devotee. From them one should be very much anxious to hear. That, the same thing, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11). Who has no other desire in the material world except to serve Kṛṣṇa, he is pure devotee.
Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:
It is not childish. Rather the so-called meditation is childish. You cannot, if you do not know what is God, how you can meditate upon Him? Meditation means, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. The yogis perform meditation. Why? To concentrate their mind on the Viṣṇu form. You'll find some picture that everyone is depicted with the Viṣṇu form in the core of the heart. That is real yoga. Indriya-samyamaḥ. Real yoga means indriya-samyamaḥ. Our senses are so much disturbed, agitated always. So if you can control your sensory organs to your, employ them in the matter of understanding God, yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.
Real purpose of yoga is to control the senses. Very, very difficult. Even five thousand years ago when Arjuna was being instructed on the yoga system, concentrating the mind, fixing up the mind on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the same thing. So Arjuna said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham (BG 6.34). It is not possible, for me at least. Yes, those who are busy, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. Brāhmaṇa may be able. Not nowadays brāhmaṇa, those who are actually brāhmaṇa, because they practice samaḥ, damaḥ, satyam, śaucam, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, brahmacārī. They can do that. But the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas they cannot, because they have not practice samaḥ, damaḥ. But at the present moment in this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is śūdra, nobody is brāhmaṇa, by the caste system or by birthright. Śudra, kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ. So, in this age, how to concentrate the mind upon Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:
Real education is brahma-jijñāsā, athāto brahma jijñāsā, that is real education. What I am, that is brahma-jijñāsa. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, when he comes to the conclusion that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, that is real education. So the bhakti-mārga is so nice that they are simply staying on the Brahman platform, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Who? Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate (BG 14.26). So our program, this program, anyone who may come here, he is educated how to understand brahma-bhūyāya. That is education. This is not education, the technical education. Nowadays they are very much fond of technical education. That is temporary. That is not education. Electrician comes, suppose the power has failed, and he manipulates and brings the power, that is technical education, but real education is different. That is to understand the ātma-tattvam. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are fully absorbed in family life, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām, they are apaśyatām ātma-tattvam, they cannot see what is real life, what is the goal of life. So here we see Prahlāda Mahārāja fell down immediately. That is real education, Brahmā asked him, "You just try to pacify," immediately he fell down. And Kṛṣṇa immediately became compassionate, sva-pāda-mūle patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ vilokya.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
Even a hundred years, or, say, about 150 years before, there was in Bengal there was a nice king, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Chandra. He went to a learned brāhmaṇa, and he wanted to help him, that "Can I help you?" So the brāhmaṇa says, "Oh, I don't require any help. Oh, I am very happy. I have got this tamarind tree. My wife takes some tamarind leaves and makes some soup, and some of my disciples give me some rice. So I have got everything, plenty. Why shall I take your help?" Formerly the brāhmaṇas, real brāhmaṇas, they refused to take any charity from others, even up to this date, because according to Vedic system, when charity was to be given, it is to be given to the brāhmaṇas or the sannyāsīs. That is real charity. Datavyam. They should be given. Because they are always engaged in Brahman, therefore charity given to a brāhmaṇa or a sannyāsī goes to Brahman. That is the idea. At the present moment the advertisement is daridra, daridra-nārāyaṇa: "Charity should be given to the daridra, or the poor." But the Vedas, why they recommended that charity should be given to the brāhmaṇas? And the brāhmaṇas, they do not require. They are so satisfied, but still, people persisted: "The brāhmaṇas should take some charity," because the idea is, if the brāhmaṇas accept the charity, that money goes directly to Brahman, or God. That is the idea. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When one is situated in that position, that he has no lamentation, no demand, no anxiety, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. And next, by becoming into brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, what are other symptoms? Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu: "Oh, he is equal to everyone." Then, when one has attained this perfection of life, then he can execute devotional service. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param. And by that devotional service, one can understand what is God.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:
So Rāvaṇa was very powerful. He was defeated, Jaṭāyu, but he fought. That is his service. Never mind defeated. Similarly, we have to fight. Those who are opposing Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have to fight with them to our best capacity. Never mind if we are defeated. That is also service. Kṛṣṇa sees the service. Defeated or victorious, depend on Kṛṣṇa. But fighting must be there. Karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. That is the meaning. You have to work for Kṛṣṇa sincerely, intelligently, and victory or defeat, it doesn't matter. Just like Jaṭāyu was defeated fighting with Rāvaṇa. His wings were cut off. Rāvaṇa was very strong. And Lord Rāmacandra, He did his last funeral ceremonies because he was a devotee. This is the process, not that we have to learn something extra. Whatever capacity we have got, let us decide to render service to the Lord. It doesn't require that you must be very rich or very beautiful, very bodily strong. Nothing of the sort. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā (SB 1.2.6). In any condition, your devotional service should not be stopped. That should be the principle, that we are not going to stop, any circumstance. And Kṛṣṇa is prepared even to accept a little flower, little water. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26). He doesn't say, "Give me very luxurious and palatable dishes. Then I'll..." He'll be satisfied. No. The real necessity is bhakti. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is real necessity—bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś ca... (BG 18.55).
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
So to come to this platform of confidence or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is training. That training is called viddhi-mārga, regulative principles, following the regulative principles. So this whole varṇāśrama system, Vedic system, the different caste—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, a brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—they are very scientifically designed to elevate one gradually to the standard of "no fear," "fearfulnessless," no more fear, confident. So vipra means just the previous stage of becoming completely a brāhmaṇa. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ: "By birth everyone is born a śūdra." Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ: "When he goes to the spiritual master and the spiritual master initiates him, at that time his second birth is there, dvija." Dvija. The birds are called also dvija because they get twice birth. Once they come as egg, the form of birth in the egg, and then, when they come out from the egg and the shell, break the shell and come out, that is real life. Similarly, we are in the egg, within the shell of ignorance. So when we come out from the shell of ignorance, that is our second birth. The first birth is by father and mother, and the second birth is by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. There is also mother. The Vedic knowledge is mother, and the spiritual master is the father. So saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. The spiritual master trains the student gradually. That is called initiation. That is called dvija. Janmana jāyate śūdraḥ: "By birth by the father and mother, everyone is śūdra." It doesn't matter where he takes his birth, not that only India they are brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everywhere. Cātur-varṇyam mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that these four system of social division—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—they are all over the universe, not that... Don't think that it is in India. Everywhere.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
Simply you have to become sincere. That's all. Then Kṛṣṇa will clear the way. And if there is no sincerity, then Kṛṣṇa's māyā is there. He'll always, she'll always put some stumbling block: "Not this, not this, not this." So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided that "Although I am a child, I have no education, I have no studies of the Vedas, and born of atheistic father, lowborn, so all bad qualification... So God is worshiped by highest intellectual persons, offering Vedic hymns, and brāhmaṇas, highly cultured. So I have no such qualification. But still, all these demigods who are so highly elevated in their position, they have requested me. That means God can be pacified even by me. Otherwise how they recommend? So whatever qualification I have got, whatever intelligence I have got, I may offer Kṛṣṇa." Therefore our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is like this, that whatever qualification you have got, that is sufficient. You begin with that qualification. You try to serve Krishna with your qualification. Because real qualification—your feeling of service. That is real qualification. So you develop that feeling, not your external qualification, beauty, wealth, knowledge, this, that, no. These things have no value. They are valuable if they are employed in Kṛṣṇa's service. If you are very rich man, if you employ your wealth in Kṛṣṇa's service... (aside:) You cannot sit like that? Yes. It is all right. But there is no need that you have to become very wealthy. Then you can serve Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:
Oh, that you should not think. If... The words... There are two conceptions: the physical conception and the vibration conception. So physical conception is temporary. The vibration conception is eternal. Just like we are enjoying or we are relishing the vibration of Kṛṣṇa's teachings. So by vibration He is present. As soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or chant Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata, so He is present immediately by His vibration. He's absolute. Therefore try to remember His words of instruction; you'll not feel separation. You'll feel that He is with you. So we should associate by the vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association. Śabdād anavṛtti. By sound. Just like we are touching Kṛṣṇa immediately by sound. Sound vibration. So we should give more stress on the sound vibration, either of Kṛṣṇa or of the spiritual master. Then we'll feel happy and no separation. When Kṛṣṇa departed from this world, at that time Arjuna was overwhelmed with sorrow and he began to remember the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then he was pacified. He immediately began to remember the teachings which was taught to him in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and he was pacified. He was his constant friend, so when Kṛṣṇa went to His abode he was feeling overwhelmed, but he began to remember His teaching. So whenever we shall feel separation, the best thing is to remember the teachings. Then it will be very nice. Is that clear? Yes. So you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Janārdana, you can play mṛdaṅga. Yes. (kīrtana) (end)
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:
Simply by bhakti-yoga. Simply by engaging yourself cent percent, without any deviation, in the devotional service of the Lord, you immediately become freedom or liberation from this material bondage. And if you keep yourself in that position, then you are liberated in this life, and after leaving this body, you get your liberated body. That is mukti. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. Mukti means when you give up your material contaminated life. Hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sa guṇena avasthiti. To be, I mean to say, situated in the constitutional position, that is called mukti. So our constitutional position is that God is great and we are small. And our position is that God is the Supreme and we are subordinate, and our business is to serve God. This is our position. We are serving, but instead of serving God, we are serving dog. That is the position. But service is there. So when you, actually when we serve God, then we can serve everyone. Because that is real position. Just like if you love your father, then you can love your brothers also. Because you know that "If I don't love my brothers, then father will not be pleased." The center must be the father. So without loving father, you cannot love your family members. Similarly, without loving God, you cannot love, exhibit love, in any way. You may advertise yourself, universal brotherhood and so on, so on. This will be all failure because the center is missing. The present defect is that the center is missing; therefore there is no peace in the world. So we have to search out the center.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:
Knowledge means that you must know what you are. This is knowledge. If you don't know what you are, then what is the meaning of your knowledge? So real knowledge means that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not matter, I am a spirit soul." That is real knowledge. On the basis of this real knowledge, whatever is done, that is done in knowledge; otherwise it is done in ignorance. That is the difference. Knowledge and difference. Knowledge is not that you have to get degrees from the university, big, big degrees. No. Real knowledge is that "I am," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul." If one has realized this one word only, then he is in knowledge. He's in knowledge. One who has not realized this thing, he's in ignorance. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who has accepted this body, which is made of three elements, sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ, and therefore accepted the bodily productions as his own or the place or the land where this body is produced is worshipable... There are so many other things. Naturally, at the present moment, knowledge means that "This is my country." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Chinese." Why? "Because my body is produced from this land." So this is ignorance. Your body... Why your body? The cow's body is also produced from this land. Why do you kill? It has got also right. But because he has no knowledge actually, therefore he is trying to protect his body, but he's not protecting the other's body produced from the land. This is want of knowledge. If he has real knowledge that "I am Brahman, I am spirit," then he can see, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu: "Oh, the spirit. The cow is also spirit soul, the dog is also spirit soul, I am also spirit soul. Otherwise how I am moving?" The cow is moving, the dog is moving.
Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:
So Kṛṣṇa is always kind, but when He sees that you are very eager to go to Kṛṣṇa, He calls. He calls. Just like He explained to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, because you are My very dear friend," sarva-guhyatamam, "I am just disclosing the most confidential part of knowledge." Sarva-dharmān parityajya māṁ ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "This is the most confidential part of knowledge. Don't be entangled with this pavarga. Take shelter of Me." So this is calling Arjuna. So Prahlāda Mahārāja expecting, "When the Lord will call me?" That is real mercy. You cannot call God, or Kṛṣṇa, "Please come to me and save me." Kṛṣṇa is not your servant; He does not agree to be your servant. But when He's pleased, He says, He calls you, "Please come and surrender unto Me." Therefore we must expect, "When the master will call me?" Don't try to see God, but act in such a way that God will call you, "Please come here." That is wanted. That is bhakti, not that "O God, please come. I will see you." Why God will come to see you? He is very busy. What you have done that you want to see God? If you say, "O Indira Gandhi, please come here. I'll see you," she will come? Be qualified, and she will see you. Similarly, don't try... This is not bhakti. Nacia nacia aire gopāla.(?) No. Gopāla is not anyone's servant that He'll come dancing and dancing. You be qualified, and He'll see you. He'll call you, "Yes, come back. Come back home, back to home, back to Godhead." Be qualified. (aside:) Why you are standing? Stand.
Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:
There is one story in this connection. Not story; these are facts. A hunter spread his net. So some little birds, they fell down in the net and they are crying. They are crying. So the father, mother, when they came, they saw that their children are in danger: "It is caught by the net of the hunter." So mother immediately jumped over it to save the children, and she was also captured. Then the father saw, "Now if I go to save them, I'll be captured. Let me go away. Let me take sannyāsa. That's all." (laughter) That is intelligence. (laughter) You cannot give protection to your family, to your society. To your... No, you cannot give. That is not possible. They must die. They must be captured by the network of māyā. You cannot save them. If you want to save them, then make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the only remedy. Unless you are expert in saving your children by giving them Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are not, you should not become father and mother. That is real contraceptive method, that "I shall... We are married, undoubtedly, husband and wife, but unless we are competent to give protection to my children—no more death—we should not beget children." This is real contraceptive.
Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:
Everyone has to give it up. There is no doubt. But one is giving up this body and accepting another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But there is another method, that he's not going to accept any more material body. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) "After giving up this body, he's not going to accept another material body." Who? Janma karma ca divyaṁ ye jānāti tattvataḥ: "Anyone who has understood Kṛṣṇa as He is." This is the secret, to teach your children like that, that what is Kṛṣṇa. From the beginning, you can do that. The children are under your control. Just like we are teaching these boys. They are simply chanting, dancing. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that useless education—after some years they will learn how to smoke bidi. It is not like that. They'll never touch bidi. This is education. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. Even they are not literary person, they will have character and they'll become Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is real education. Don't think that "These boys are brought here. They're not giving any education, academic. They do not know what is history, what is geography." They know little, little, not very much. We don't require to know very much, neither we are very much concerned, learning A-B-C-D. Even without A-B-C-D, they will be advanced in education. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. One who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, he is actually advanced in education. What is this education? This education has no value.
Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:
So if we have to become father and mother, we shall have to teach our children in such a way that next life, no more material life. He goes back to home, back to Godhead. That is real father and mother. Therefore it is said, balasya neha śaraṇaṁ nṛsiṁha pitarau. If the father, mother do not know how to give protection to the children, then what is the use of taking shelter? Huh? In Prema-vivarta it is said, janame janame sabe pitā mātā pāya, kṛṣṇa guru nahe mile bhaja hari ei. Every... Cats and dogs, they also get father and mother. Without father, mother, who can take birth? So to become the father, mother, like cats and dogs, that is not human civilization. The father, mother's duty is to train the children in such a way that they will be interested in Kṛṣṇa and guru. That is father, mother. Because, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-lātā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
So it is the duty of the father and mother to train children in such a way that they will be interested in guru and Kṛṣṇa. Why? By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, he'll get bhakti-lātā-bīja. And that is real life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is real religious system, which teaches the follower how to become a devotee. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Ahaituky apratihatā yenātmā suprasīdati. If you want to make him happy, then you must teach in such a way that he becomes a devotee of the Lord. Then, throughout the whole life, he'll be peaceful and happy. This is required.
Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:
Therefore the ordinary father and mother, like cats and dogs, they are not real shelter of the children. That is... Prahlāda Mahārāja said, bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha na ārtasya. Ārtasya means diseased, suffering from some disease. No, just like I have already explained, we are opening hopitals and bed... That is not. You can do it, but at the same time he must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We have got practical examples. Some of our devotees, they go to the hospital, and they purchase our books and they become a devotee. Even in hospital bed they're reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and taking benefit. That is real remedy. So after being cured, he'll become a devotee. So this medicine is not cure. This literature is cure, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real cure. Nārtasya cāgadam. And udanvati majjato nauḥ. Everyone is drowned, either you take figeratively or really. In the samudra, in the sea, ocean, there are always ojhs, (?) waves. So your tiny boat or big ship, that is not safe side. We have got experience. When I was going to New York on ship—I had no money to go by plane—so in the deep sea ocean, especially in the Atlantic Ocean, it was nothing, like a small ball, tottering like this. At any moment can be capsized. Although very big ship with very big load, but it is nothing in the sea. So that is not sure. There is no surety that because you are in a big ship you'll be saved. No. In your country, it happened, say, fifty, sixty years, the Titantic, or what is that? In the first voyage, everything was drowned, all big, big men. So nature's freak is so strong that you cannot say that "Because I have got a nice ship, I'll be saved." No, that is not possible. Without Kṛṣṇa's protection, this, all these counteracting measures, will be all useless.
Lecture on SB 7.9.20 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1976:
These rascals, vimūḍhā, mūḍhā, very strongly mūḍhās. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. That false egotism—"Oh, I am very big man. I am so intelligent. I am so learned. I have got money"—this is ahaṅkāra. This is called false ahaṅkāra. This is also... If you actually have got money, that's all right; you can say, "I have got money." But you have nothing, not a farthing, and still, somehow or other, because you have got some money, you say, "I have got money." That is not your money; that is Kṛṣṇa's money. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, you rascal. You do not know. You are thinking that it is your money. That is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Now where you are going? You are giving up this body, so take your money with you. How can you take? The money is there, the body is there, the family is there, the house is there—everything left. Now you go and become a dog. You have treated just like a dog. You have treated just like a hog. Now you take the body of a... Now your money, your family, your society, your house—left. So how you can claim, "It is mine"? The ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. These rascals, under false egoism, thinking, "This is mine. This is..." Real sense is īśāvāsyam idam. It is all Kṛṣṇa's.
Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:
This is the description of material existence. So, first thing is, our mind is polluted. The simple statement of a Vaiṣṇava poet,
- kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
- pāsate māyāra tāre jāpaṭiyā dhāre
Actually our position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu starts His instruction from this point, that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, and because we have rebelled not to serve, therefore Kṛṣṇa, out of His unlimited mercy and compassion, He comes down and teaches, "You rascal, surrender. Why you are suffering unnecessarily?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, you give up all these so-called engagements. You surrender to Me."
Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:
So this kind of facilities, it is our foolishness. It is not facility. That is punishment. Real facility is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real facility. So we should always ask, beg. That is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction.
- na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
- kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
- mama janmani janmanīśvare
- bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī
(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)
This facility we should always ask: "Kṛṣṇa, I don't want any facility of this material world. I am not worth to serve You; still, I am begging. Give me this facility so that I can get the chance to serve You." That is life's success.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:
So this nonsense theory that "Within the womb of the mother, unless the body is developed to seven months, there is no life," what is this nonsense? The body has developed to that seven months' condition because there is a spirit soul. Otherwise how it becomes seven months' developed? You'll find this description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore the knowledge received from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is perfect. Any knowledge which does not corroborate with the knowledge in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is useless knowledge. Therefore, in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstava-vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Vāstava-vastu, real knowledge. This is real knowledge. In the Bhāgavata it is said, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deho upapatti: (SB 3.31.1) "A living entity gets a body," upapatti, "according to karma." Everything is stated there. After sex, the living entity takes shelter within the semina and ovum of the father and mother, and it be... It is... The formation is just like a small grain. That grain develops because the spirit soul has taken shelter. Then body... It is not that the body develops automatically, and at seven months there is life. No. Life... The consciousness may be there. That is another... Consciousness... Sometimes, if I am surcharged with anesthetics, if I am chloroformed, my consciousness is not there. That does not mean I am not there. Consciousness sometimes may be absent. One man fainted; there is no consciousness. That does not mean there is no life. There is life. The consciousness has not developed.
Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:
So there is no necessity of giving up egotism or egoism, but it must be real. At the present moment we are falsely thinking, "I am this body," every one of us. There is no argument. The whole material world is going on on the basis of this false conception that "I am this body." And because I am this body, therefore "I am American," "I am Indian." So this is false ego.
So from this false ego, when we come to real ego... What is that real ego? That "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). That is real ego. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to come to the real ego, real constitutional position. The Māyāvādī philosophy, they are also trying to do that, but they're another false ego: ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi—"I am Brahman"—that is a fact, but I am not Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman. The Māyāvādī, they take it: "Because I am Brahman, I am Supreme Brahman." No. Suppose you are all coming from America. You can claim that you are American, but that does not mean you are Mr. Ford, the President. So similarly, this is false ego. If somebody thinks, "Because I am American, therefore I am equal to Mr. Ford," that is false. That is not... So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to bring back these, I mean to say, insane, crazy fellows to their real consciousness. These crazy fellows, they are thinking, "I am God," "I am master," "I am this," "I am that," "I am prime minister," "I am president." This false ego. The real ego is, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is the beginning of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching.
Lecture on SB 7.9.34 -- Mayapur, March 12, 1976:
This is success. This body should be the last acceptance of material body. That is success. Otherwise, if you continue, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ... (BG 2.13). These foolish people, they do not know that dehāntara, there is change of body. Change of body is there already. You are experiencing, but they do not believe that after death there is body. Why not? If you have got experience in the life—"I have passed through so many changes of body, from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, then middle age and old body"—then what is next? Why do you finish here? It is common logic. Why should you finish here? There must be body. This is real reasoning. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it. Not only your contemplation. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "In this way you'll have another body." The Kṛṣṇa, the great authority, He says, from whom Brahmā, the first creature, he learned. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva... Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He taught this Vedic literature to the heart of Brahmā. He can teach you through the heart also because He is sitting there. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61).
A particularly mention, hṛd-deśe, "within the core of the heart." He doesn't say that "Īśvara is situated on your finger." No. Within the heart. The particular place is mentioned. Therefore the yogis' practice, real yoga practice, means to find out Kṛṣṇa within the heart. That is real yoga. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is yogi. Yogis meditate. What for meditation? To find out Kṛṣṇa within the heart. That is yoga, not to show magic and gymnastic. No, that is not.
Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:
Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always yaśodā-nandana. He is always ready to be chastised by Mother Yaśodā, by the gopīs, and sometimes by His friends. That is Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa. That is real Kṛṣṇa; that is real God. And this form of God as Brahmā saw, virāṭ-rūpa, that is māyāmayam. Because Brahmā, such exalted person, he was meant for creating this universe, he becomes bewildered, seeing Kṛṣṇa as a cowherd boy. That was also exhibited. When Brahmā understood that "A cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana is said to be the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, my master," so he also examined whether Kṛṣṇa, that boy, was his master. He took away His calves and cowherd boys for a second, and he saw that Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself to so many cows and calves and cowherd boys. Then he submitted. Similarly, Indra also wanted to examine Him. So everyone... Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Yatra muhyanti sūrayaḥ. So even Lord Brahmā, Lord Indra, and others, big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Brahmā saw the virāṭ-rūpa. Māyāmayaṁ sad-upalakṣita-sanniveśaṁ dṛṣṭvā mahā-puruṣam āpa mudaṁ viriñcaḥ. But when he saw the Lord, he was very, very happy.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
So this is going on not only in this life, before this life also, anādi, anādi. So once we get the chance to understand what is the problem of life, and this human life is given a chance. By evolution, by nature's way, 8,400,000 species of life we are coming through. Then the nature has given one chance, this human form of life. Now it is for understanding what is our position. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But if we do not take care of this questioning... Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Sanātana Gosvāmī placed this inquiry before Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To approach guru means to inquire about himself, "What I am?" That is intelligence. Sanātana Gosvāmī was the minister. He was very opulent. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. But when he came to his senses after meeting Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he wanted to know, "What I am?" This is real inquiry. He could be very satisfied to get answer himself that "I am minister. I have got so big salary. I get so much respect." No, he was not satisfied. He went to guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Vedic injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Everyone is conscious of the struggle for existence, but they are not serious enough that "Why this struggle for existence?" That "Why?" required. That is human life. The dog is suffering. He is hungry, he's going to a place for some food, and instead of food, he's getting a stroke by the stick. He barks very... He's disappointed that "I wanted food, but I got the stick." (laughter) "I wanted bread; I got stone." This is going on. This is going on. And therefore, in the human society also, they are also struggling and making plans for economic development so that instead of stone, they can get bread. But the struggle is going on. There is no settlement. That is not possible. That is not possible. Either you go to this country or that country, you accept this "ism" or that "ism," unless you come to Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of peace. That is stated, very simple words, in the Bhagavad-gītā, that how to stop this struggle for existence.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
You may be a very religious person—never mind you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian or anyone—or according to your religious principles, ritualistic ceremonies, you execute very nicely. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. But after doing all these things, if you do not become God consciousness, God conscious, or you do not understand what is God, then the Bhāgavata says that it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
So human life is meant for understanding the Supreme, our connection with the Supreme Being. That is real human life. Therefore the Vedas are there. So as soon as Brahmā was born... Because he is in charge of this universe... There are innumerable universes and innumerable Brahmās also. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So Brahmā is jagad-aṇḍa-nātha. He's the chief person within this material world, in this universe. So he is in charge; therefore he was given the Vedic knowledge. And he got the Vedic knowledge, but at the same time, two demons known as Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they wanted to snatch away, take away the Vedic mantras from Brahmā. This is the attempt from the very beginning. The devotees following the disciplic succession of Brahmā... Just like we are. We belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Several times I have explained. So our original guru is Brahmā, Svayambhū. Therefore he is one of the great personality, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāro manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). These are twelve mahājanas, men of authority. So Brahmā is man of authority, the demigod, the supreme demigod, the best of the demigods.
Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:
It is a very good example. In the previous verse Prahlāda Mahārāja explained, naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram. So Kṛṣṇa-kathā is not palatable. This is māyā's influence. So we cannot engage our senses for Kṛṣṇa. This is the disturbing condition of material world. Senses are there, I am there, and how the senses should be utilized, the subject matter is also there, but it is misled. This is called māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the business of the servant? The business of the servant is to carry out the order of the master. So the senses are... I am the body—taking for the time being—and my senses, hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue, genital, so many, ten senses, they are working senses and knowledge-gathering senses. There are so many senses. So if I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, then my senses should be always ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is real position. But we are not doing that. We shall wait, that "If I serve Kṛṣṇa, then where is the opportunity for my living condition?" No. There is good opportunity. Just like we want to eat. That is the first problem. So if we say, "Don't eat this," so that does not mean you don't eat. The eating is not prohibited, but eating independently, whimsically, that is prohibited. Just like to keep your health in good order, sometimes it is said, "You don't eat it." That does not mean eating is prohibited. The some particular thing is prohibited. But we are accustomed to satisfy our senses; therefore we are misled.
Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:
We go to the market and prepare food for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's simply playing on His flute. And if you, with devotion, offer Him food, He will eat. He has nothing to go. So similarly, those who are servants of Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world, they also haven't got to do anything, what to speak of hard work. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Everything automatically is there. We haven't got that idea; therefore sometimes people accuse that I am poisoning so many young men; they are doing nothing. We are practicing that prema, that we haven't got to do anything; still, it will come, everything. That is real practice. We haven't got to do business, we haven't got to go to the office, but still, things will come. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate.
So how it is possible? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- satataṁ kirtayanto māṁ
- yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
- nitya-yuktā upāsate
- (BG 9.14)
Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. That word, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. If you simply take this vow, determination, that "I shall do nothing except serving Kṛṣṇa..." Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ.
Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:
So actually only Kṛṣṇa is there, Para-brahman. He is only. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Expansion in different varieties of multimanifestation. But if we analyze all these things, ultimately we come to the point that Kṛṣṇa is everything. That requires intelligence, how to analyze. Therefore here it is said this manifestation, this material manifestation, is guṇa guṇino mahad-ādayo, manaḥ, mind, intelligence, the five gross elements, three subtle elements, and all, and manufactured, these demigods, animals, men, martyāḥ, 8,400,000 species. So all these varieties, actually it is simply, they are simply manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's different manifestation of energy, nothing else. The real center point is Kṛṣṇa. This can be understood by advanced students, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), after studying, studying, studying, not only in one life but for many, many lives. Bahūnāṁ janmanām, jñānavān. If he actually becomes wise, jñānavān, then he understands that only Kṛṣṇa is everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is real understanding.
So as soon as one understands vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), then Vasudeva is there, and I am there. So what is my relationship with Vāsudeva? He is the greatest, greater than the greatest, and I am the smaller than the..., although the quality is the same. I am also cit, and Kṛṣṇa is also cit, sat-cit-ānanda, and I am also sat-cit-ānanda in small part. And because I am a very small particle, I forget my real nature. I identify with this material mahad-ādayaḥ. This is fallen down. This is fallen.
Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:
Now, after being brahma-bhūtaḥ, realizing oneself that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," he becomes relieved from all these anxieties. Because here in the material world it is full of anxieties because we are identifying with this body. This is the cause of anxiety. But as soon as I realize myself that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," then all my anxiety is gone. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I am always very much anxious to give protection to my body. But we understand that na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even your body is annihilated, you are not annihilated. That understanding is lacking. One who understands-na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then there is no fight between one nation to one nation, one animal to one animal, one man to one... There is no more. Samaḥ sarveṣu. Because that is the realization that "We are not this body." "I am neither dog, I am not man, I am not this, I am not that. This is all superficial. I am spirit soul. A dog is also spirit soul; the snake is also spirit soul; the tree is also spirit soul." Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). That is real knowledge, sama-darśinaḥ.
Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:
So if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, divyam, divine nature... Simply you understand that Kṛṣṇa is not like us: Kṛṣṇa has no material body, Kṛṣṇa is not unhappy, Kṛṣṇa is always happy—simply a few things, if you become convinced that Kṛṣṇa's nature..., immediately you become eligible to be transferred back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so nice. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, and if you become convinced, "Yes, what Kṛṣṇa says, it is all right..." Just like Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Whatever you have said I accept in total. No reduction, no..." Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "Whatever You have said, I believe. I have taken. I have..." That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says something, and I understand something. That you go on with your millions of years; it will never be possible. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa as He says. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. That is real understanding. Arjuna says, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye. Ṛtam means fact. "Everything, whatever You have said..." Not that "I cut this side and that side..."
There is a nonsense swamijī in India. He says, "We can take up what is beneficial, verses. Otherwise I reject." This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176). Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya means... I have several times explained, one man had one chicken. So, and he was getting one egg daily. So he thought that "The rear side of the chicken is very nice. It is giving one egg daily, and the front side it is eating, expensive, so cut it. Cut the mouth and simply take the egg." The rascal does not know that if he cuts the mouth, there will be no egg. Similarly, if you make cut short of Bhagavad-gītā according to your whims, you'll never understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. You have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Arjuna understood. Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "Whatever You have said, I understand. I have accepted it." So you accept it blindly even; then you are benefited. We may not understand.
Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:
So when one is advanced devotee, he says, "My Lord..." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: "I have got these assets: my mind, my body, and my wife and children, and maybe something else." Yo kichu mora, arpilūn tuwā pade, nanda-kiśora: "Nanda-kiśora, Kṛṣṇa, everything is offered to You. Now whatever You like, You can do." Marobhi rākhobi: "Now I have given to You everything. I am now zero. Now, if You like, You can give me protection, or if You like, You can kill me. I don't mind." This is ekāntitva, simply depending on Kṛṣṇa. Ekānitvād bhagavati. Depending on whom? Kṛṣṇa. Not these demigods. Demigods cannot give you protection. Kṛṣṇa can give you. Demigod... Just like a very, very big person, Rāvaṇa. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, but Lord Śiva could not give him protection when Rāma was determined to kill him. So any other protection will not save you. It is false protection. When Kṛṣṇa gives you protection, that is real protection. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). That is real protection. So ekāntitvāt. Simply depend on Kṛṣṇa, bhagavati.
So one who is such devotee, simply depending on Kṛṣṇa, naicchat, he doesn't require, neither he desires all those material profits. Tān asurottamaḥ. Asurottamaḥ. Although he was born in the asura family, materialistic family, still, he is uttama; he is no more in the material world. Uttama. Udgata-tama hy asmād. Tama means this material world. So those who are devotees, they are not living in this material world. They are in the spiritual world, uttama. It doesn't matter in which family he is born. Everyone can become a devotee. There is no hindrance, and there is no check in any material condition to become a devotee. Simply one has to desire how to become a devotee. Then it is fulfilled.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:
This human form of life is meant for tapasya, to learn how to become detached from this material world. And the beginning is this brahmacārī life. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dāntaḥ. Dānta means self-controlled. That is real teaching. Either a gṛhastha lives... If a gṛhastha lives, even he has got wife, he does not... One side, according to Vedic civilization, there is no sex life except for begetting a nice child, and that also with garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In other words, whimsically sex life is completely stopped in Vedic civilization. There everything under regulation. Therefore brahmacārī means how to control the senses, to keep under his own control, not that "I am now sexually inclined. I must have immediately sex." No. Dānta. That is taught. Just like in our society, even gṛhastha, he is also under restriction, and what to speak of brahmacārī. But we should always remember that this human life is meant for controlling the senses. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. It is simply meant for inquiring about our spiritual life. That is perfect civilization.
Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:
So especially in this age Bhagavad-gītā is essence of Vedic literatures, and it is based on the Vedānta-sūtra. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, hetumadbhir viniścita. Brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścita. This Bhagavad-gītā is based on Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra is very important. It is the summary of Vedic study, sūtra. The janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), this is a sūtra, a synopsis. And you can explain very nicely from the Vedas. So there are small sūtras, aphorism. From that aphorism you can expand. The Vedānta is the summary of all the Vedic literatures, anta, the supplement of the Vedic literatures. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sutrāṇām. In every chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya: "This is real commentary on the Brahma-sūtra." So one should read daily at least one, two hours. That is human life. They are going to the libraries for reading newspaper and nonsense literature, but they will not come to hear Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of Vedic literature. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nigama. Nigama means Vedas. Agama, nigama. So nigama-kalpa-taru. Vedas just like desire tree. Whatever knowledge you want to get, there is perfectly there, without any mistake, without any illusion, without any cheating. All other literatures, man-made literatures, you will find these things: cheating, imperfectness, mistake, and illusion. In the Vedic literature you won't find these four defects. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you give evidence from the Vedic literature, it is to be accepted. No more argument. Anything which is accepted in the Vedas, vedavatā, there is no more argument. This is Indian civilization. All our literatures you'll find, therefore, full of quotation from Vedic literature to prove it. That is the actual. It is not imaginary.
Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:
This is plural number, yogāḥ, all these kind including. Nārādhanāya hi bhavanti. They are not qualification for worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Na ārādhanāya hi bhavanti. Nārādhanāya hi bhavanti parasya puṁsaḥ. Parasya. Parasya puṁsaḥ. Puṁsaḥ means enjoyer. Puruṣa. The Lord is puruṣa, the male. The Lord, the Supreme Truth, absolute cannot be female. Just like so many others, Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that the Supreme Absolute Truth can be female. No. He can be female, but the real form is puṁsaḥ. Just like Arjuna accepts the Absolute, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ (BG 10.12). The Lord is puruṣa, He is not female. Here also puṁsaḥ. Another meaning of puruṣa means "enjoyer." Just like we have got experience that the male is considered to be the enjoyer and the female is considered to be the enjoyed; although in this material world everyone is under illusion, everyone is thinking that he is the enjoyer or she is the enjoyer. So long we have got this false identification that "I am enjoyer," that is māyā. We are not enjoyer. We are enjoyed. That is real philosophy. Therefore, it is said parasya puṁsaḥ, predominated. We are not predominator. That is liberation.
Lecture on SB Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1972:
Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here puruṣa because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. And that is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life. Let me enter that life, that life, that life, that." In this way he falls down. He is fallen already. From Vaikuṇṭha planet he is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress. Prāptaṁ mānuṣam. In this way, after many, many births, he gets this human form of life, prāptaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma-paryāyāt, by the graduation, gradual evolution process. This is real evolution, not the body is changing. Body is already there. Jīva-jātiṣu, the jīva-jāti, species, are already there. That is the defect of Darwin's theory. He does not want... He does not know that the living entity is passing through different types of bodies, not that the body is changing. The bodies are already there. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣair prāptaṁ mānuṣam janma-jātiṣu, janma-paryāyāt. Paryāya means chronological... What is called, one after another?
Lecture on SB Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1972:
The father should educate. The mother should educate. Therefore Bhāgavata says, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta. Guru na sa syāt jananī na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. There are some negative definition, that there are so-called gurus, so-called swamis, but Bhāgavata says that "You should not become a swami or guru. Kindly don't become if you cannot save your disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death." Guru na sa syāt. This is the injunction. "No rascal should become a guru unless he can save his disciples from the cycle of birth and death." In other words, anyone who wants to become guru, if he cannot teach his disciples how to surrender, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, anāśritya, how to take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda, he should not become guru. That is cheating. That is cheating. Similarly, one should not become father. The father and mother should have determination that "The child I produce, I give birth, if I cannot teach him Kṛṣṇa conscious, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, I shall not beget any child." This is real contraceptive method, not to beget child like cats and dogs. Sva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. So Bhāgavata says, "One should not become father, one should not become mother, one should not become relative, one should not become king, one should not become guru if they cannot save their dependents from this cycle of birth and death." This is the meaning of this verse. Anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayaṁ varākhānām ātma-vimāninaḥ.
| Page Title: | That is real... (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 23 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=291, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 291 |