That is very good (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"that is very good" |"this is very good"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

Prabhupāda: That we have already said: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication.

Hṛdayānanda: (translates questions from Spanish) He wants to know if within marriage it is possible to achieve perfection.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Human being is meant for marriage, not the cats and dogs. If you can remain without marriage, without sex life, that is very good, but if you cannot, then marry and be gentleman and remain peaceful.

Hṛdayānanda: (translates) If one can achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness outside the temple?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. You have to follow the rules and regulation, that's all.

Hṛdayānanda: He said, "If there is a spiritual world, what is it like, and what are the activities of Kṛṣṇa there?"

Prabhupāda: The same activities. Simply there is no sinful activity, that's all.

Hṛdayānanda: When one breaks the principles, can Kṛṣṇa forgive him?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa can forgive you once, twice, not regularly. (laughter)

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Prabhupāda: General principle is that if you can engage anyone in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is good. That is good. That is also said in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta. Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. If your aim is to engage him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you do something which is not very straight, that is allowed. (laughter) Because you are doing very good to him. Suppose a man is drunkard. So suppose if you say, "Oh, all right. I'll give you a very nice bottle of whiskey at cheap price. Give me fifteen dollars." And if you take fifteen dollars and engage it (in) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that cheating is allowed. (laughter) Because that fifteen dollars he'll take and drink. So you have by some way taken away that fifteen dollars and engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that you have done good to him. So therefore it requires little intelligence and discretion. But that does not mean you shall cheat fifteen dollars from everywhere. But there is no cheating because anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a drunkard. He is drunkard, he is illusioned under material spell. You see? You see? The greatest drunkard, everyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore any way, if you can induce him to spend something of his hard earned money in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is very good to him. Yes. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know, but he is advanced one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anybody who is contributing even a farthing to you, he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so nice thing. Yes.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) When the devotees are chanting their rounds and when they think of their spiritual master they feel a type of ecstasy. So why are they feeling this ecstasy?

Prabhupāda: That means spiritual standard. That feeling of ecstasy is required. That is spiritual standard. If he does not feel ecstasy, then there is still time to come to the point. That is very good qualification. (break) Generally not, but there is chance. Therefore we have said marginal. Marginal, we have got independence. You can fall down, but generally not fall down. (break)

Hanumān: How is that, that this world is unreal? Why do we say that there is good thing and bad thing in the world?

Prabhupāda: We don't say unreal. It is temporary. But "good and bad," that is our creation. There is nothing good here. Because there is death, then where is good? If, after all your attempts, you die, then where is the good? So "good and bad," that is imagination. There is nothing good; everything is bad here. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

If you prepare yourself as the karmīs do, to be elevated to the higher planetary system, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka. That is very good, but Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, there is no guarantee. You have to come back here again. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti.

These are the statements of Bhagavad-gītā. We should study Bhagavad-gītā very nicely. We can understand. But mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If you prepare your life to become a perfect pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you go to Kṛṣṇa. What is the difference between going to the Brahmaloka and Kṛṣṇaloka? If you go to Kṛṣṇaloka, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), then you haven't got to return again to accept another material body. You go to Kṛṣṇa means you go with your spiritual body. No more material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).

So we should cultivate knowledge in that way, that "I am prepared for the next life." So somebody is preparing for the next life to go to the heavenly planet and somebody is going to the Pitṛlokas. Somebody wants to remain within this world as human being or even animals. Because if we contact with the modes of ignorance, then adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). These are the rules of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. As you are associating with the particular type of the modes of material nature, you are preparing your next life.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

And how one can become free? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am neither Indian, I am neither American, I am neither white, I am neither black, I am neither Christian, I am neither Hindu, Muhammadan. Caitanya Mahāprabhu described Himself like that. He said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a householder, I am not a vānaprastha, or I am not a renounced order sannyāsī." Then what You are? Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." This should be my real identification. This is very good identification. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness we address our contemporaries as "prabhu." Prabhu means master. And the real idea is that "You are my master, I am your servant." Just the opposite number. Here, in the material world, everyone wants to place himself as the master. "I am your master, you are my servant." That is the mentality of material existence. And the spiritual existence means "I am the servant, you are the master." Just see. Just the opposite number.

The māyā's attraction, the last snare of māyā is in this material conception of life, that so many identification, "I am this," "I am that," "I am that," "I am big man," "I am rich man," "I am prime minister," then so on, so on. When we are frustrated in all these attempts, then we try to become God. I am God. This is the last snare of māyā. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is just the opposite. What to speak of God? He is to think himself as the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of God (CC Madhya 13.80).

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

This is bhāva. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so great." When one understands greatness of Kṛṣṇa, how great He is. Because people do not understand... They generally speak, "God is great." That is very good. At least, one accepts God is great. But how He is great and what is the extent of His greatness, if we understand, then our regard and reverence for Kṛṣṇa increases. Just like we have got some friend, but if we know the opulence of the friend, how great he is... He may be a very big man, very big business magnate or minister. If we know, then our, "Oh, you have got such a nice friend." Similarly, we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). In the previous verse it has been said, tattvataḥ. Not superficially. If we study Kṛṣṇa superficially, then I shall accept another rascal, competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Because we do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Mūḍhāḥ. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it has been described,

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa

ihā haite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛdha mānasa

(CC Adi 2.117)

Siddhānta, how great Kṛṣṇa is. For example... (sound of children crying in background.) Get them out.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

Kaumāra, from the very beginning of life, kaumāra. Kaumāra means from fifth year to tenth year, five years. Within these five years, education must begin. And especially dharmān bhāgavatān. Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand Kṛṣṇa, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

I know, amongst the Mohammedans, it is a system that small children, they are taught Purāṇa. That is very good system, but we have forgotten. Although India is the land of spiritual culture, our small children, they go to school, colleges, but he has no connection with Bhagavad-gītā. He has no connection with Bhagavad-gītā. They are simply trained up for sense gratification. In Western countries also—for sense gratification. Which is to be suppressed, sense gratification, that education is given. They do not know what is karma and what is vikarma. Now, when the students become disobedient and they create riots and set fire in the buses, then they lament. But why you have educated the students like that? Who is responsible for this? The rascals, they do not know. Here is Kṛṣṇa prescribing. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ. Even learned men, they become bewildered. Tat te karma pravakṣyāmi.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

So if you can execute all the items, that is very good. If not, some of them, at least one.

This chance is being given by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We invite people all over the world, "Please come and join with this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa." Actually, whatever development has been made, it is only by this process. We don't impose any, I mean to say, regulation in the beginning. No. "Please come and sit down and hear about Kṛṣṇa." Śravaṇam. If you simply continue, if you do not do anything, I guarantee that if you simply come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa, you will be liberated. If you do not do anything, if you kindly come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. Here or anywhere, śravaṇam.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation, that sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ: "You remain in your position." It doesn't require to change, because you are gṛhastha, or you are engineer, you are doctor or you are washerman. It doesn't matter. You remain in your position, sthāne sthitāḥ. But lend your ears for aural reception of Kṛṣṇa's message. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. Śruti mean this ear. Allow this much, the message of Kṛṣṇa, to enter your ears. That will help you. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām.

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974:

Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. They always engaged them in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Utkīrtana, very loudly. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana. Utkīrtanam. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartanau-parau, dancing also. Just like here the boys, they are chanting and dancing. This is very good, following the footsteps of the Gosvāmīs.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was also engaged in chanting and dancing. That is a... His dancing description is there in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta during the Ratha-yātrā festival. So chanting, dancing, chanting of the holy name, and in ecstasy dancing, that is also yajña. That is the most perfectional yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ. This is called saṅkīrtana-yajña. Bahubhir militvā gāyantīti saṅkīrtanam.

Saṅkīrtana means when we combine together, many persons, and chant and dance. that is called saṅkīrtana-yajña. So those who are engaged in the saṅkīrtana-yajña, they are also performing yajña. That is better than dravyamaya-yajña, dravya-yajña. Dravya-yajña, charity. Suppose one man has no money. Then his life is spoiled? No. In any condition we can execute this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. There is no need of money. Ahaituky apratihatā. This saṅkīrtana-yajña is so nice that it cannot be checked by any material condition. If one is interested, he can perform saṅkīrtana-yajña or the bhakti-yoga system, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), in any condition of life.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

Suppose you have got some itches in your hand, and you itch it very..., according to your satisfaction. Then, after the effect, the effect of such itching is very horrible. Oh. So similarly, this is a kind of itching sensation. So kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ. So one who wants to cure these itches, he should be a little tolerant. Tolerant. And then he'll be cured of this itching. Itching, if you stop itching, then it automatically cures. Similarly, the sparśajā sukham, the happiness which is enjoyed by sense touch, that is duḥkha-yonayaḥ. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that is, I mean to say, generating, generating distress only, generating distress only. Duḥkha-yonaya eva te, ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ (BG 5.22). "Oh, no," somebody may say, "no, this is very good happiness." But Kṛṣṇa says, "That is distress in the beginning, and that is distress at the end, Kaunteya." Na teṣu ramate budhaḥ: "Therefore those who are intelligent, they refrain from such happiness. Refrain from such happiness." Ādy-a... Ādau antavantaḥ. In the beginning also, for arrangement of sex life, there is so many distress, and at the end also, there is so many distress. So sense gratification, they should be so... So long we are in this material world, there is need, but that should be regulated. That should not be extravagant or unrestricted. Then we call for distress. That is the instruction. That is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. Now if there is any question, you can ask. (end)

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

And mind does not go out because the yogi's principal business is to think of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu always. So yogi cannot allow his mind to go out. That is possible in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally my mind cannot go out besides Kṛṣṇa. Besides Kṛṣṇa. The mind is automatically controlled. Nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. And you shall have no desire for material sense gratification. Sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāma means material desires, and sarva, and all kinds of. That means if you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have no other desires. So your desires... Desireless you cannot be. That is not possible. Desireless means... Here it is clearly said, sarva-kāmebhyaḥ. Kāmebhyaḥ means desire for sense gratification. That is to be purified. But desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is very good, very nice thing.

So we have to transfer the desire. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. Desire we cannot kill. It is not possible. I am a living being. Desire is my constant companion. So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to purify the desire. How is that? Without sarva-kāmebhyaḥ, without desiring for material sense gratification, I can desire so many things for Kṛṣṇa's service. There are so many things. And suppose... Just like take for example eating. Eating, we want palatable dishes. Very good. But you prepare the palatable foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa you prepare hundreds of palatable... Don't think that "It is being prepared for me." Therefore one who prepares foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, he has to take very precaution. You see? That it is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes I therefore ask the students "Don't touch your mouth. Don't... Very cleanly, very sanctifiedly." Because it is being prepared... So now, that desire, that "Kṛṣṇa will eat such nice cake and such nice rice," so the whole thing is prepared in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and when it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, you taste. So your kāma is already sacrificed because from the very beginning you're thinking that "It is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa." You have no desire for that. But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He gives you the foodstuff for your eating; so your desire is already fulfilled. You do not desire it, but Kṛṣṇa's mercy is so that He can fulfill your desire.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Because I sit down for meditation. Of course if meditation is focusing the mind on Viṣṇu, that is very good. But there are so many yoga societies, they educate their student to concentrate their mind on something void, something color. Not exactly to Viṣṇu form. You see. So that is very difficult task. That is also explained in the Bhagavad—kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). One who is trying to concentrate his mind on the imperson or voidness, it is very difficult and troublesome. At least here in this temple, these students, they are trying to concentrate his mind on Kṛṣṇa. But to concentrate one's mind in void, that is very difficult. So naturally my mind is flickering. Instead of finding out something void, my mind is engaged in something else. Because mind must be engaged in something. If it is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa, then it must be engaged in māyā. So if you cannot do that, then this so-called meditation and sitting posture is simply useless waste of time. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

That is bhakti-yoga. Because they accept God. Unless you accept God there is no question of bhakti-yoga. So Christian religion is also Vaiṣṇavism because they accept God. Maybe in the, some stage different from this. There are different stages of God realization also. The Christian religion says "God is great." Accept! That is very good. But just how great God is, that you can understand from Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But there is acceptance that God is great. That is therefore that is beginning of bhakti. You can apply that bhakti. Even the Mohammedan religion. That is also bhakti-yoga. Any religion where God is the target, that is applied in bhakti. But when there is no God or impersonalism, there is no question of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means bhaja jayukti bhaja-sevayā(?). Service. Service means three things: the servitor, the served, and service. One must be present who will accept service. And one must be present to render service. And in the via media, the process of service. So bhakti-yoga means service. If there is nobody to accept the service, then where is the bhakti-yoga? So any philosophy or religious principle where there is no acceptance of God, the Supreme, there is no application of bhakti. Yes.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

Throughout the whole world... Of course, in the human society, advanced human society, Aryan society, there is search after God, the Absolute. And the human life is meant for that purpose. Human life is not meant for wasting like dogs and hogs. The dogs and hogs, they are busy whole day and night to find out, "Where is food? Where is food?" But the human life is not meant for that purpose. The dogs and hogs, they do not know that food is supplied by God, everyone's. That is the Vedic information. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is supplying food to everyone. Therefore in the Christian method it is prayed, "O God, give us our... O Father, give us our daily bread." That is very good idea. But even if you do not ask, the food is there. We should understand, because the animals lower than human being, they do not go to church or to temple to ask for daily bread, but they get their bread. The elephants, they eat at a time 40 kg in this African forest, but they are getting their daily food twice. And the ant, it is satisfied with one grain. It is also supplied food. There are 8,400,000 forms of living entities. They are all getting their food without going to the church or to the mosque or praying to the Lord.

So actually, to approach God does not mean that we shall ask him for our bread. Bread He is supplying. You ask or do not ask, the arrangement is there. Therefore the Bhāgavata says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ: "Anyone who is expert, he should try to achieve that thing..." Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18).

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

So people are trying to be like tiger. In India, a certain section of people, the Muhammadans, they say that "We want to be like śera." Śera means tiger. And more or less in the Western countries also, everyone is trying to become a tiger, very powerful. But one should be very cool-headed. A tiger is very powerful; a tiger can attack anyone and kill him. That is very good, but what is the use of tiger? Nobody is interested in tiger. Rather, if the tiger comes within the city, immediately it will be shot down. Because it has no use. But a humble, meek cow... Of course, here there is no protection of cow, but in India the cow is protected. It is the duty of the human being to give protection to the cow.

Just like we offer Kṛṣṇa our obeisances: namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "Kṛṣṇa, You are worshipable by the brahminical culture, brahmaṇya-devāya," not by others, "because You are go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, You are well-wisher of the cows and the brāhmaṇas." Why Kṛṣṇa is not said tiger? Why this prayer is devoid of tiger? Hitāya ca, Kṛṣṇa is always, I mean to say, thinking how to protect the cows and the brāhmaṇas. When Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet He became a cowherd boy to give protection to the cows. He was tending cows by His personal example. You will read in the Kṛṣṇa book how He was taking care of the cows. Therefore go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. The first prayer is that "You are protector of the cows and the brāhmaṇas." Jagad-dhitāya. "You are well-wisher of the whole universe, but Your special interest is to give protection to the cows and the brāhmaṇas." Why that special interest? Because if the human society does not give protection to the cows and does not cultivate the brahminical culture, then it is cats and dogs society. Therefore it is given. And as soon as the whole society becomes full of cats and dogs, how can you expect peace and prosperity? The dog's business is "Gow gow gow gow! Why you have come here? Why you have entered in our neighborhood? Please get out. Please get out."

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

No, it is fact. It is scientific. It is scientific. But people have no interest in these things. They are simply interested in sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They have become mad, simply mad, to gratify senses. But they are forgetting that this human life is meant for making a solution for all the problems of life. They are not interested in that. They are thinking, "By increasing the volumes of sense gratification, that is perfection." That is not perfection. You may improve the material condition of life, but you cannot live here. Just like you have constructed very nice city, Stockholm, or any European city. That is very good. But you'll not be allowed to stay here. You'll be kicked out at any moment. What is the solution for that? You construct a nice place. That's all right, very good. But you stay here. But you cannot stay. That is your problem. If you can solve that problem... "Yes, I have constructed nice place, nice city, nice country, and everything is nice, but I will stay and enjoy," but that is not allowed. Then where is your perfection? This is the problem.

So Kṛṣṇa says therefore, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). There are many persons, they are trying to attain that perfectional stage of life by jñāna-yoga, dhyāna yoga or haṭha-yoga. There are many processes. But there is no system... Or there is system, but people are not interested. What is that system? Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). Nobody is trying to understand what is God. They are trying to understand so many things, but that will not solve their problems. But nobody is trying to understand God. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Out of many thousands, millions of persons, one may try to attain perfection of life. And out of such persons who are trying to attain perfection of life, some may understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is trying to speak about Himself in the Seventh Chapter especially.

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

Now, every human being, he has got a philanthropic view. Now, the other day I met one gentleman. So I did not know that he is not a family man because in India we are supposed to accept anyone, any gentleman, as family man. So he said, "Yes, I am not family man." Then what he is doing? He is earning nicely, but he is helping one orphanage. That's nice. He said that "I have got many sons in this orphanage." That is very good. So this natural inclination for loving an orphanage is there, is there. So this give and take, this inclination, is there in the human being.

So the Lord says that yat karoṣi... And we have to work. It is not that without working, we can have our body and soul maintained. This is not possible. This material world, we have to work. Everyone is working. Yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi. And we have to eat also. That is a fact. And yaj juhoṣi. And for our salvation or advancement we do something, religious rituals or attending church and temple or mosque. Something there is in human society. And dadāsi yat, and charity. Everyone is more or less charitably disposed, and he makes some charities according to his capacity. Dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi. And everyone accepts some penance, voluntary penance in his life. Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam. Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "All these activities—your work, your charity, your eating, your penance, and your rituals—everything should be done for me." That's all. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything should be done for...

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

So they're talking about what is knowledge. Yes. This is very good question, what is knowledge. So Arjuna wanted to know this knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Knowledge means to understand this body and the soul. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra means this body, and kṣetra-jña means the owner of the body. Just like if you study your body... "What is this?" Just like we ask any child. Sometimes we play with the child. We ask, "What is this?" He'll say, "My hand," or "My head." So even the child can say that the hand is different from him. We also say, "This is my hand," "This is my leg," "This is my head." We never say, "I head," or "I hand." No. "My hand." It is very simple thing.

So Kṛṣṇa, being asked by Arjuna, He's giving the knowledge that this body is called kṣetra. Kṣetra means field of activities. Just like in agricultural land. You get a piece of land, and you produce your own food grain, or as you like. The government gives you a piece of land, and you have to pay a little tax, and you can grow your food grains as you like. Similarly, as we wanted, Kṛṣṇa has given us this body. Now we can work with this body as we like. If you want, you can utilize this body for higher elevation, or you can utilize this body for your nonsense purpose and go to hell. That is your choice.

Just like somebody is using this body, undergoing austerities, penance, according to the spiritual, regulative life, and one man is using this body only for sense gratification, drinking and sex. So it is my choice, to utilize this body as I like, and I also reap the result. The same example: You are given a field, a piece of land. You can grow twice, thrice in a year very nice foodstuff, sometimes pulses, sometimes paddy, sometimes the mustard seed. Any land... In India, we have seen that a cultivator produces three, four kind of food grains in a year. That is the system... (aside:) Not this...

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Just like the monkey. It is active fool. In your country, in the Western country, you don't see many monkeys. But in India, there are many monkeys. As soon as a monkey will come, he will create some mischief. He's very busy, jumping here, there, here, here, there, but always creating mischief. So modern civilization... And the Darwin's theory is that they have come from monkey. (laughter) So they are also doing like that, jumping like monkey, this way, that way, this way, that way, but always creating mischief.

So this is very good example, that idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram. He has given, God has given you a piece of land, this body. Now you work. You make your future with this body. Karmaṇā... Because the body is produced according to my karma. Otherwise, why there are so many varieties of body? We are all human beings. Everyone, we are, we possess two hands, two legs. Still, the bodies are different. We don't find anybody's body is exactly equal to the other. No. Because we have got different mentality. Every one of us, we are individual soul; we have got different mentality, different propensities, different ideas. So in this way we have got different bodies. This is the science.

Science, they are searching out so many things, but they do... Why they cannot explain that why there are varieties of body. Why not exactly equal human being exactly of the same feature, same...? Just like we do some... In mold, the, all the dolls come out of the same body. It is not like that. For each and every living entity, Kṛṣṇa has to prepare a different type of body. Therefore we have got different types of body according to karma.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

This jagat, akhilaṁ jagat, is nothing but manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. We may be Brahman... Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are Brahman. Now we are identifying with this matter. So mukti means when we stop identifying with this matter and we learn how to realize ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Simply realization not. To act as Brahman, Brahman, that is perfection of knowledge. Not to simply realize. Just like for example a person he feels that "I am Indian." That is very good. But Mahatma Gandhi, he also was Indian, but he acted as a first-class Indian. Therefore Mahatma Gandhi is so much adored.

So simply to realize that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is not perfection. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, uncleansed intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi will not help us because it is stated in the śāstra that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32), even by severe austerities and penances one comes to the stage of merging into Brahman, sāyujya mukti, still, there is chance of falling down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Why? Now anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. One who has not realized the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, he falls down.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Adambhitvam. In the Ninth Chapter. Just the opposite. Why I shall be proud? What I have got? I am humble servant of Kṛṣṇa. Let me discharge my duties. But if one is proud after becoming a pure servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is very good. That dambhaḥ, that pride, is very glorious. "I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is very nice. So one become... One has got the tendency to become proud. So if one is proud to become a cats and dog or a tiger or a so-called big man of this material world, that is for his bondage. Āsurī. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). And that is daivī... If you become proud in daivī sampad, if you become proud by becoming the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the same pride is for your liberation. And if you become proud that "I am minister," or "I am this big dog or big...," that is for nibandhāya, your bondage, you will continue material life. By your spiritual pride... Of course, we must be proud after being situated in the spiritual platform. Otherwise that is also ignorance. So two things are there, daivī sampad and āsurī sampad. Āsurī sampad means more and more entanglement and bondage within this material world. And daivī sampad means your freedom from material world.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Let him come and sit down. No, no... (Hindi) So you cannot violate the laws of God. Any one of us, we know. Just like we, we eat... (Hindi) Eating is the law of God. Everyone should eat. But if you eat more, if you violate the law... You can eat whatever you require, little. But if you eat more, if you violate this law, then you'll be diseased, immediately. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). As soon as you violate the laws of God, you'll be punished.

Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī says, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam (SB 1.2.5). "You have inquired about Kṛṣṇa. It is a very noble question." Sādhu. Sādhu means pious, noble. So if people simply inquire about Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa... Just like we are preaching all over the world to arouse this inquisitiveness about Kṛṣṇa. And actually, that is happening. Our Kṛṣṇa books, wherever we present... Because this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is now spread all over the world, they are very much inquisitive to know about Kṛṣṇa. Our this Kṛṣṇa Trilogy is selling anywhere like hotcakes. They're inquisitive now to know about Kṛṣṇa. So this is very good sign. If you... If simply people try to inquire about Kṛṣṇa, day will come he will be liberated. Just like in Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Viśvāsa śabde...

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

You are Para-brahman." This is the study of Bhagavad-gītā.

So God is explaining Himself personally, and He is accepted by authorities, not only in days of yore, formerly, but recently within five hundred, seven hundred years, big, big ācāryas-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī-big, big ācār..., stalwart, latest within five hundred years. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And these rascals are searching out what is God. Just see their rascaldom! God is here, and he is searching. So those who are searching after God, and they are, if they are making some proposition, thesis, these are all nonsense, cheating. You do not know God. You admit. That is very good. But why you are making thesis? God is not subjected to your mental speculation.

That is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.34)

Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. We have got experience of flying by the airplane. It goes five hundred, six hundred, thousand miles per hour. But here it is said panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi. On the airplane of the speed of air or on the speed of mind... You can understand the speed of mind. You are sitting here; immediately you can go to London, ten thousand miles away. The speed of mind you can understand. So here it is... Even on the speed of mind, not this one-thousand-mile speed or five-hundred-mile speed. On the speed of mind.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So he advised him, "All right, if you have got money, you spend it for constructing a nice temple for Govindajī." So he constructed so nice temple, seven stories. It is impossible now to construct such a temple, such nice work. But he spent, he utilized his money in that way.

So everyone can serve Kṛṣṇa. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. Either with your life, either with your money, either with your intelligence, either with your, with your words. You can serve Kṛṣṇa. Any way. Kṛṣṇa service is not checked. Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked. In any condition of life you can serve Kṛṣṇa. The first thing is that if you can dedicate your life, that is very good. Just like you have done. You have dedicated your life for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is first class, prāṇaiḥ. If you cannot dedicate your life immediately, then spend fifty percent of your income for Kṛṣṇa. Prāṇair arthaiḥ. If you think you have no money, then prāṇair arthair dhiyā, by your intelligence. If you have got some knowledge, write some books and spread it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you have no education, no money and you cannot dedicate your life, then you can spend your vacana. Vācā. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. What is the vācā? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and tell everyone, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Where is the difficulty? You can serve Kṛṣṇa in any condition of life. But don't be miser. If you think that you have got one crores of rupees, so Kṛṣṇa says, vācā. "Let the bank balance remain for my children, and I go to Vṛndāvana and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. That is called vitta-sārtha. If you have got money, you must spend money. Not that "Money is for my children and wife, and I come to Vṛndāvana and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." There are many such retired persons here. They leave the money for their relatives, and come here with a... Of course, that is good. But Kṛṣṇa is very intelligent. Kṛṣṇa wants to know where you have kept your money. (laughter) He inquires, "You kept your money for your children and you have come to love Me with your beads?" No. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa is very intelligent. Kṛṣṇa wants that "Whatever you have got, you have to utilize for Me."

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Los Angeles, August 16, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He sees that you are serious, He will send you the help of a spiritual master.

So Nārada came to him, "My dear boy, you are child, why you are affected by the insult? What is insult to you? You are a child, you play." Actually, if you insult a child, they do not take it, actually. A small boy if you insult, what does he care for it? Insult or honor, a child has no knowledge of it. "So why you are so much affected? You are king's son, so much delicate body. It is very difficult to search out God here in this forest. It requires great austerity. Better go home now, and when you are mature, old age, you can come."

"Sir, I am sorry. I am born of a kṣatriya father, so I cannot accept your instruction. This is very good instruction, but I am born in such a family. I am sorry, I cannot take your instruction," he frankly said. "If you can give me anything, any clue how I can find God, please tell me. Otherwise, please excuse me. Don't tell me, don't give me instructions." This is eagerness, a five-year-old boy, "I must see God. If you can give me some clue how I find out God then talk. Otherwise excuse." This is seriousness. Then this mantra was given to Dhruva Mahārāja: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So he, by that eagerness, within six months he saw Kṛṣṇa.

So it is possible. One has to accept the proper person who can let him know what is God. And if he is determined, then it is not difficult. But when you see God, what is your next business? Suppose you see God, what you will do? The business is to ask God, "Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service." That is wanted. When Nṛsiṁha-deva was seen by Prahlāda Mahārāja, He wanted to give him. Actually his father was dead, he was to be king, so Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered, "Anything you want. You have suffered for Me so much. Now you take what you want." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "Sir, what shall I require from You? I have seen all these material opulences. My father was so strong that even the demigods would not dare to challenge him. He was so powerful, and all this power and strength You have finished in a second. So what is the use of these powers? Please do not allure me by this material power. All this material power can be finished immediately, within a second, if You like."

Lecture on SB 1.5.36 -- Vrndavana, August 17, 1974:

While acting, doing something, at the same time, we can remember Kṛṣṇa. Anusmaranti. Anusmaranti. Anu means follow. You cannot remember, memorize Kṛṣṇa, by your whims. No. Therefore this word is used, anusmaranti. Anusmaranti bhagavac-chikṣayā. As Kṛṣṇa has personally taught you. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that... What is that? Ap... The water, taste? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So Kṛṣṇa is teaching that "You try to understand Me in this way." Not whimsically, "I am meditating something." No. You meditate, but according to the will of Kṛṣṇa, bhagavac-chikṣayā, as He has taught. He says that you can meditate. This is very good subject matter of meditation. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Very easy. Everyone is drinking water, and as soon as you get water and drink, if you meditate little what Kṛṣṇa has said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, "I am the taste of the water," where is the difficulty? Bhagavac-chikṣayā. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. As soon as you see light, sunlight, moonlight, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa: "This light is Kṛṣṇa."

So you can utter "Kṛṣṇa," and you can remember Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, then you become the topmost yogi. As soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa within your heart, you become the topmost yogi, immediately. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān... (BG 6.47). (break) This practice is required. (break) You work... Because without working you can not live. This is the work. Śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Śarīra-yātrā, we have to keep this body fit; therefore we have to work. Kṛṣṇa does not say, never said to Arjuna, that "I am your friend, Kṛṣṇa. I'll do everything. You can sleep. You don't require to fight." Kṛṣṇa never said. "You have to fight. But you have to fight, at the same time, yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7)."

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

Simply engage yourself... Not immediately. First of all, you must ready: "Kṛṣṇa, from this day, I am now ready. Whatever You'll say, I'll do." That's... Immediately you become liberated. Liberated. How liberated? Liberation is achieved after so many years tapasya? No. Immediately. As soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. How? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. If we are sincerely surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, immediately... Our, this material sufferings, why? Due to our sinful activities. Sinful activities mean anything you do without any purpose to serve to Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. That is sinful. Not that "In the material calculation this is very good work, the opening of hospital or this or that, very good work. And Deity worship and going to the temple is bogus." You may think like that. But that, your opening of hospital is sinful. That is going on nowadays. One becomes very great philanthropist, rejecting... They say, "What is the use of this temple worship?" The daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. Nārāyaṇa has now become daridra. Formerly Nārāyaṇa was husband of the goddess of fortune. And now he has become daridra. So serve this Nārāyaṇa. This, they're manufacturing, concoction. This is not... That means sinful activities. Because he has manufactured something, that is sinful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says plainly that "You rascal, you give up any other engagement, even if you think it is very pious activity, very philanthropic. You give up." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva means whatever you think pious and whatever you think impious, both of them should be given up. Because there are two kinds of activities: pious or impious. And sarva includes pious and impious.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

Therefore it is said ādyam, the original person. Namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, ādyam. What kind of ādyam? Īśvaram. Īśvaram means controller. Ādyam īśvaram, the original controller.

Now, we have got experience about controlling. Suppose I am controlling this institution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But that does not mean I am the original controller. Similarly, there are many, many big men, business magnates, controlling his factories, office, but he is not original controller. He is controlled by the government, and the government is controlled by somebody, the people. In this way you will see in this world there is one controller. Everyone is controller. If you..., one has nothing to control, he keeps a dog to control. That is very good experience in your country. He has no children to control, no wife to control-keep a dog. So the controlling propensity is there, everywhere, but he is not Supreme Controller. So if you study, that here is a controller, controlling a dog, but he is controlled by his master, he is controlled by somebody, somebody, somebody, in this way you will find that Brahmā is the original controller of this universe, but he is also controlled by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the original controller, and the original controller means God, who is not controlled by anyone. Within our experience we see that one is controller, but he is controlled by somebody else. But in this way, when you, if you can, you approach a person who is controller, but never controlled by others, that is God. Therefore here it is said, namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, ādyam īśvaram.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

So that is very interesting verse that vipada, calamities, danger, that is very good if such danger and calamities remind me of Kṛṣṇa. That is very good. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). A devotee, how he receives dangerous position? Danger must be there. Danger... Because this place, this material world is full of dangers. These foolish persons, they do not know that. They are trying to avoid the dangers. That is struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become happy and avoid danger. This is the material business. Ātyantika-sukham. Ātyantika-sukham. Ultimate happiness. A man is working and thinking: "Let me work now very hard, and let me have some bank balance so when I shall get old, I shall enjoy life without any working." That is the inner intention of everyone. Nobody wants to work. As soon as he gets some money he wants to retire from work, and to become happy. But that is not possible. You cannot be happy in that way.

Here it is said: apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The real danger is... She is speaking of apunaḥ. Apunaḥ means... A means not, and punar bhava means repetition of birth and death. The real danger is repetition of birth and death. That has to be stopped. And not this so-called danger. This is all... The material world is full of dangers. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Just like if you are on the ocean. If you are on the ocean, you might have very strong ship, very safe ship, but that is not safety. Because you are on the sea, at any time there can be dangers. Perhaps you remember from your country, there was, what is that, Titanic?

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

The example is... Just like you have discovered nice medicine, very qualified physician. That's all right. But when a man is sick, ask the physician: "Can you guarantee the life of this patient?" He'll never say: "No, I can do so. I cannot do that. I try my best. That's all." That means the sanction is in the hand of God. "I am simply instrument. If God does not like that you should live, then all my medicines, all my scientific knowledge, medical knowledge, will fail." The ultimate sanction is Kṛṣṇa's. They, the foolish persons, they do not know. They are, they are, therefore they are called mūḍha, rascals. That whatever you are doing, that is very good, but, ultimately, if it is not sanctioned by God, by Kṛṣṇa, this will be all failure. They do not know that. Therefore they are mūḍhas. And a devotee knows that: "Whatever intelligence, I have got, I may try to become happy, if Kṛṣṇa does not sanction, I'll never be happy." This is the distinction between devotee and nondevotee.

So Kṛṣṇa says that: "Anyone who is trying to approach Me, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time, he wants to become materially happy, he's not very intelligent." That means he's wasting his time. Our main business is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the main business of human life. But if we waste our time for material improvement, and forget chanting, then that is loss, great loss. So such mentality, Kṛṣṇa says: āmi vijña ei mūrkhe viṣaya kene diba. "So this rascal is asking some material prosperity from Me by discharging devotional service. Why shall I give him material prosperity? Rather, whatever he has got, I shall take it away." Yes. (laughter) It is not laughing. When it is taken away, we become very morose. But that is the test. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja: yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8).

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

To give this chance to everyone. Please come here. Chant, join Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, take prasādam and do your best, whatever talent you have got, easily, not very overburdened. If you know something to do, do it for Kṛṣṇa. Everyone knows. Everyone has got some talent. So that talent should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. And if you think that "No, I shall chant simply," all right, you chant. But don't sleep in the name of chanting. That... Don't cheat. That cheating is not good. If you think that you can chant like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, then you simply chant. We shall supply you food. There is no anxiety. But don't try to cheat. You must be engaged. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). Of course, if we can chant twenty-four hours, that is very good. But that is not possible. We are not so highly elevated. We must do something for Kṛṣṇa.

So this is... This institution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is giving chance to everyone. And we are opening centers all over the world for this purpose, that you come, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, hear about Kṛṣṇa, Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and whatever you can do, just do it for Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Mayapura, October 15, 1974:

"Oh, what is this, Deity worship? Idol worship. Idol worship." They will worship Gandhi's statue and this statue, that statue, but when they are asked that "Come here and see the Deity worship nicely," "No, this is idol worship." We... I have seen in Calcutta that Sir Asutosh Mukherjee's statue there is in the Chowrangi square. So in the morning, these ordinary sweepers, they'll cleanse the statue with their brush, because the whole year, the crows have passed stool on the face. So it has become a very solid stool, fixed up. So... I have seen it, brushing like this. This is their arcanam. This is allowed. And if you worship the Deity, bathe the Deity, this is idol worship. And that municipal brush, sweeping brush, and on the face of Sir Asutosh Mukharjee, brushing, that is very good. Just see how much rascal they are! In the morning this business is done. And in the evening all big, big men will come and flower him, garland him, full of garlands. And after evening, they'll go away, and again, next morning, the crows will pass stool. That kind of worship is accepted. And if we install Deity of Kṛṣṇa and worship Him nicely—"These are for the fools and rascals, less intelligent." And he's very intelligent. This is going on all over the world. They are worshiping Napoleon. They are worshiping... I have seen in Paris, Napoleon's statue. "France and Napoleon, one." I asked them, "Where is your Napoleon? France is there, but where is your Napoleon?"

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

So instead of eating on metal dishes, the civilized men should eat on, what is that called, plastic. That's all. Now plastic utensils, not even metal. Still, according to Vedic civilization, these Hindus, they would not touch this china, clay utensils, or this plastic utensils. Never they'll... Or glass utensils, they'll never touch. Especially in South India they are very strict. A poor man would prefer to eat on the plantain leaf. And the rich men, they eat on silver utensils. They do not even like to, I mean to say, brass or other base metals.

So this is very good economy also. If you... If you have got metal utensils, if you are in need of money, you can get immediately in exchange some money. There are pawn shops. So they will keep anything, a gold Banarsi sari, or metal utensils or ornaments, if you are need of... Village bankers. Immediately. Poor man... Suppose if you require five rupees, ten rupees. You haven't got, but what..., how to get the money? You take something from your household paraphernalia and go to the pawn-maker. You get money. You are now relieved from the present anxiety. Then again you get back. But what is this china, clay, the china pots and this plastic pot will bring? No, nothing. From economic point of view, this is also very good. So depend on nature.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

This is perfection. Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā. Ananya-viṣayā means ananya-bhakti, without any deviation. Twenty-four hours simply attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Then your renouncement is perfect. If you think that this attachment and that attachment both may be made—no. That cannot go. That will be nice, not nice. Just like you ignite fire, at the same time pour water on it. Then what will be the result? The fire will not act. Similarly, if you want to renounce... Just like the Māyāvādī sannyāsī says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "Renounce this world." They take a luṅgi,(?) a loincloth, and preach, "Who is your wife? Who is your children? Who is your country?" So many things, negative way. Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍhā mate. This is very good, to preach renouncement of this world. But side by side we must have attachment for something. Otherwise, it will be..., it will not stay. Therefore we see so many sannyāsīs, they say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up, take sannyāsa, but after taking sannyāsa, after a few days or few years, they come back again to this material world to open hospital, philanthropic work, school. Why? If you have left this world as mithyā, as false, why you are again coming to politics, to philanthropy, sociology and so on? Why you are coming again? That is bound to be. Because we are living entity, we are active. If we simply become inactive out of frustration, then it will be failure. We must engage with activities. That activity is devotional service. This is Brahman activity. The Māyāvādīs, they do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

Anyone can do it. In India they do it. It is called dheno-mada. Dheno-mada means... Mada means liquor, and dheno means from rice. Just like we cook rice, so you cook rice and keep it in water for a few days or for a month, it becomes liquor. It becomes liquor. So why government has restricted, "No, you cannot manufacture liquor; you have to purchase from the licensed shop." Why? That is restriction. If the government would have allowed that "You can distill liquor and drink it," then there was no limit. Everyone would have. There is no restriction.

So restriction is required. Why? It is because it is bad. Nobody restricts that "You don't manufacture cāpāṭi." No. Because it is not bad thing. There is no such law, that "You don't manufacture nice foodstuff." No. That is very good. But when it is bad, then there is restriction. Therefore there is restriction of sex life, there is restriction of drinking wine, there is restriction of meat-eating, and there is restriction of gambling. Because these things are bad. You cannot become good by indulging in bad things. That is not possible. The same thing. Just like you cannot clear muddy water by putting another mud. That is not possible.

So the human life is meant for purification. Sattva-śuddhi. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is, abhayam... What is that? Can anyone... Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. Sattva-saṁśuddhi, it is very important thing. Sattva means my existence. I am eternal. So I am existing, but I am suffering. I am suffering. Just like I have got now cold affection (infection). This is not my natural state, but I have been affected by chilly cold or something like that. Therefore I am suffering. So it is my duty to cure it, to take some medicine, to go to the physician. That is called sattva-saṁśuddhi, purifying your existence. By nature, by constitutional position, every living entity is as pure as God. But God does not become impure. We become impure. Therefore we are suffering. That is the... So this impurity can be rectified in this life, this human form of life. Therefore human form of life is meant for purification. Therefore so many scriptures are there, so many teachers are there, so many rules and regulations are there. They are not meant for the animals, because they cannot be purified. They must have to come to this position by evolution of human being. Then there is chance of purification.

Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:

That is a great qualification. Tyāga. Renunciation is opulence also. Kṛṣṇa, six opulences. One of the opulence is renunciation. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), jñāna-vairāgya. Vairāgya means renunciation. You have enough of this material enjoyment. You have enjoyed. Or you have seen that there is no actually profit. Therefore you are in a spirit... That is natural. That is natural. If one has enjoyed very much, the next stage will be renunciation. This is natural. So because you have got a renouncing spirit, you are understanding or taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely, at least, very eagerly. Jñāna-vairāgya. That is required. This vairāgya then... I therefore sometimes like these hippies because they have a spirit of renunciation. That is very good position. Simply they require jñāna, or knowledge. Then their life will be successful. To bring one to the platform of renunciation, that is a very difficult job. Especially when one has got nice wife, nice home, nice bank balance, it is very, very difficult.

So there is a version by Kṛṣṇa that one who is anxious to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he is entrapped by this binding-nice wife, nice children, nice home, nice bank balance—so Kṛṣṇa, in order to give them, give such devotee, facility, He takes away. Hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). Just like he did with the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas were devotees, but at the same time, they were king. There was attachment. So therefore Kṛṣṇa took away their everything—their kingdom, their wife, their position, their honor—test him, and still, they did not give up Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they came out victorious. So Kṛṣṇa sometimes tests His..., that how much one devotee is. He forcibly makes him renounced in order. That is Kṛṣṇa's special favor.

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

So in the beginning, when many gentleman... I was one of them, was introduced to my Guru Mahārāja, that "They are to be initiated. They want to be initiated, to become your disciple." So when my turn came, he immediately said, "Yes, I will accept this boy as disciple because he is very inquisitive to hear." That was my recommendation. And actually, I was very inquisitive. I could not follow what Guru Mahārāja was speaking, but still, I was asking others, that "When Guru Mahārāja will speak? I will hear." I could not follow. He was speaking in a very high philosophical term. So at that time I had no capacity to under... Still, I wanted to hear him, I understand or not understand.

So this is very good qualification. So those who are coming here to listen about God, they are very fortunate. Kṛṣṇa will help them. Śravaṇam. The beginning of bhakti-yoga is started from the practice of śravaṇam, aural reception, ear. Therefore the mantra is given through the ear, initiation mantra. Then kīrtanam.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's grace, that you have no anything to do. You have to do it. (Laughter) That's a grace of Kṛṣṇa. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). Kṛṣṇa has taken away everything. You have no other alternative than to remain here. (laughter) That is Kṛṣṇa's special grace. And those who are thinking that "We can do something else besides Kṛṣṇa," they are foolish. They are lost. Yes. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind upon you that He has placed in a certain circumstances that you cannot go out. That is very good fortune. Yes.

Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, how can one know whether he'll be going back home to Godhead in this life?

Prabhupāda: Yes, believe in Kṛṣṇa. He gives His word. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who understands Me in truth," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), "he doesn't accept any more material body; he comes to Me." That's it. The guarantee is there. So you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you do not understand anything more, if you simply accept it without any hypocrisy, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He'll protect me. Let me serve His lotus feet as far as possible," this much qualification is sufficient. But if you have got still doubt about Kṛṣṇa, then you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Be without any doubt that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then your everything is guaranteed. Tattvataḥ. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Here? Eh? You should keep all these books ready for reference.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

What is the difficulty? In the temple we get direct contact, and if I go out from the temple and lie down on the station, is that very good, do you think? (laughter) Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. So will it help me to think of Him twenty-four hours by going to the railway station or in the temple? This is common sense. Any sensible man can understand that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Rādhārāṇī, worship is going on, the devotees are offering prasādam, always they are constantly engaged—that is man-manā bhaktaḥ." Or "I give up the association of the devotees and temple and go to hell, that will help me?" This is common sense thing. I manufacture my own way by the advice of some, another rascal. This will not be good. This, this is very good, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "Always think of Me." Here is the chance. As soon as I see... As I advance in my spiritual life, I'll see, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." It is not the doll Kṛṣṇa. Doll Kṛṣṇa is for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. But one who is advanced, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Just like you have read the story of, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, two brāhmaṇas went to Vṛndāvana. So the devotee is seeing, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." When the older brāhmaṇa said that "I promise," the younger said, "Sir, you are talking before Kṛṣṇa. If you regret from this promise, it will be great offense." Because he was seeing Kṛṣṇa. And when he was asked, "Who was your witness?" he said, "Kṛṣṇa is witness." And his eldest son took the opportunity, "All right, if your Kṛṣṇa comes and gives witness, then my sister will be married with you." Because he is atheist. He was thinking, "Kṛṣṇa is not coming. Kṛṣṇa is not coming. It is made of marble statue, how Kṛṣṇa will come?" So he thought that "I have given him some chance which he will never be fulfilled." But to fulfill the words of the devotee, Kṛṣṇa came. Therefore He is called Sākṣi-Gopāla, witness Gopāla. So we must have faith. We must have faith and discharge duties according to the śāstra, guru, sādhu, then our spiritual life is guaranteed. If we manufacture something out of whims, that will not help us. This is the point.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

Because they have perfectly heard, therefore they are very enthusiastic. They are going all over the world. They are preaching. And so śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. If one has actually heard, known about God, then next stage will be he will be very much enthusiastic to speak to others. That is preaching. Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyaḥ. Smartavya means remembering. Unless you remember what is God, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His pastimes, what are His activities, what are His entourage, everything about God, if you hear... Just like if you hear Bhagavad-gītā, you understand everything, what is God. And that is our only duty.

I have seen in this Delhi near Jawarmal Street the small Muhammadan boys, they are reading Koran. That is very good. From childhood they should learn, learn about God. And that is recommendation in Bhāgavata. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān (SB 7.6.1). Kaumāra, from the beginning of life, children should be engaged. Therefore we have opened the Gurukula, Dallas. The small children, four years, five years old, they are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, about God. They are chanting about Kṛṣṇa, they are rising early in the morning, attending maṅgala-ārātrika. Anyone goes there... Even the education superintendent came to visit our temple. He was astonished that "How these children are happy. How children, they are being educated." So this is to be introduced. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavat..., durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This human form of life is durlabham. Durlabham, very rare to achieve. It is not so easily obtained. We have to pass through evolutionary process, 8,400,000 species of life, aquatics... Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. We have to pass through aquatics, animals in the water, then trees, plants, then insects, birds, beasts.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

You do not know anything." Then after some time, "You know the geology, how this earth, water, they are working?" "No, sir, I am poor man. What can I know?" "Oh, your fifty percent of your life is lost." Then all of a sudden there was a cloud, black cloud on the sky, and there was storm. Then at that time the boatman asked, "Sir, do you know how to swim?" "No, I do not know." "Then one hundred percent you have lost.(laughter) You are going to be drowned." He jumped and he drowned.

So this is the point. So you are trying to understand the whole analytical study of the material world. That is very good. But if you do not know how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death, then you are going to be cats and dogs. That's all. Because you are very fond of dog. Especially in the Western countries, every gentleman, every lady has a dog. So what will you think at the time of death? Dog. So that is nature's law. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā. At the time of death, the mental condition which you have created, that will carry you to the next body. Therefore don't create your mind doggish. Make it Kṛṣṇa conscious. And that is very nice. Then at the time of death you remember Kṛṣṇa and you will be transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka. That is described: etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām. Therefore it is advised, "Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will save you." Otherwise... Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām ante.

Lecture on SB 2.9.16 -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Because you cannot approach God in challenging mood. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender first of all." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is bhakti. If you surrender, then, Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. We suffer on account of our sinful activities. So here everything is sinful. Anything you do in this material world, that is sin. Even your so-called service to the society, country, they are also sinful. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna. This material world is so polluted, everything is polluted here. So here we have divided that "This is nice, and this is bad." This is simply mental concoction. There is nothing good here; everything is bad. That should be the conclusion. But we have divided: "This is very good, and this is very bad." Everything is very bad. There is no question of good because there is no connection of God.

So here is the picture of God, bhṛtya-prasādābhimukhaṁ dṛg-āsavam. Bhṛtya-prasāda. He is always ready to bless the servants, just like a father. Here you have got some little examples, father and mother. Without any service from the child, he is always ready to bless, always ready. He does not take any offense. Simply father-mother is ready. That is the natural... But nowadays father and mother is also killing, killing in the womb. Just see. Killing in the womb. A child has taken shelter in the womb of a mother, and mother is going to the doctor—how to kill it. Just see. This is the position of the world. And here the supreme father, prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanānanam, always ready... So why not take this master? Why not accept this father? Why you are after all this nonsense? That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Take the right thing. Don't be misled by the nonsense and rascals.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

So this Kardama Muni did it. Because he was a yogi, he strictly followed the principle. So as soon as Kapiladeva was grown up, the mother, Devahūti, was given in His charge and Kardama Muni left home. Therefore it is said that pitari prasthite araṇyaṁ mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. Now it is the duty of the son. Women should be under the protection. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that woman should not be given freedom. Na strī svātantryam arhati. They cannot properly utilize freedom. It is better to remain dependent. That is very good. Independent woman cannot be happy. That's a fact. We have seen in the Western countries, on, in the name of independence, so many women are unhappy. So that is not recommended in the Vedic civilization and on the varṇāśrama-dharma. So therefore the mother, Devahūti, was given under the charge of his (her) grown-up son, Kapiladeva. And Kapiladeva was fully cognizant that He has to take care of His mother. Therefore mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. It is the duty of the father to protect the girl very nicely. Women are very delicate. They should be given... So during childhood, until she attains, I mean to say, youthhood, puberty, the girl is under the protection of the father. Still, in India, the father takes care of the girl until she is married to a suitable boy, the father takes. And then the young husband takes care of the young girl, wife, and then some children are born, and then grown up. Suppose a man marries at the age of twenty... That is, I mean, the highest. A boy is married not later than twenty-five years. And the girl is not, married not later than sixteen years. That is the system. So a sixteen-year girl and twenty-five-year boy, if the child is born, then when the man if fifty years old, the child becomes twenty-five years old. So he can take charge.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

Tattva-darśī means who has actually seen the truth. Oṁ tat sat. One who has seen the Supreme Truth. That Supreme Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You are searching after the truth. You are studying the Vedic literature, Vedānta-darśana. That is very good. But what is the goal of Vedānta-darśana?" Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end, Vedānta, the ultimate knowledge. What is that? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says that "If you are actually studying Vedānta, then ultimately you have to understand Me." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I understand. I am the knower of Vedānta." So if you hear from Kṛṣṇa what is Kṛṣṇa, that is actually understanding Vedānta. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa and if you simply advertise yourself Vedāntī, that will not help you.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paramparā. Guru, he offers the same respect to his guru, his guru. It goes. In this way, it goes to Kṛṣṇa, paramparā system. Therefore it is stated, bhavad-anugrahāt. Bhavad-anugrahāt: "Please kindly become merciful upon me."

So in this way, one has to learn how to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our Vaiṣṇava system is ādau gurv-āśrayam. If we want to approach Kṛṣṇa, then in the beginning, ādau, the beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is being shown by Devahūti. Although He is son, (s)he is begging the mercy of Kapiladeva so that by His mercy she could understand what is devotional service and how to approach Kṛṣṇa. Tad etan me vijānīhi yathāhaṁ manda-dhīḥ. So this is very good qualification. Manda-dhīḥ: "My intelligence is not very sharp, manda." That is especially in this age. Of course, Kapiladeva and Devahūti was not in this age. Still, she is submitting because she happens to be woman, and although she is such exalted woman that she could give birth to the Personality of Godhead Kapiladeva—she was not ordinary woman—still, she thinks manda-dhīḥ: "I am less intelligence." Manda-dhīr hare: "My dear Kapila, You are Supreme Personality of Godhead, but I am manda-dhīḥ. My intelligence is not very sharp. Still, I want to understand the sublime subject matter, transcendental subject matter, from You. So it is possible." Bhavad-anugrahāt: "If You become merciful, then it is possible." This is the process.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

It is simply imagination. In the material world there cannot be any pious activities—because the result is suffering birth and death and old age. Then where is your pious activities? So it is simply concoction.

So when Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), sarva means "all." What is that "all"? Because we have created something pious and impious, something good, something bad, so Kṛṣṇa says, "You rascal, give up all this bad and good. Your so-called bad and good has no value. The only value is that you surrender unto Me." And then that is value. Otherwise you concoct, "This is very good; this is very bad." In the prison house, if you think a first-class prison is very nice, but after all, it is prison house. Your independence is cut down. So you may think that if it is actually first-class prison... Politicians, they are given first-class classification of prison house. Does it mean the politician want to remain there for good? Why they want to come out? So similarly, here in this material world it is simply vicitra, varieties. We call, "This is first class. This is second class. This is third class." It is simply varieties. Actually, it is all third class. There is no first class, second class. Guṇair vicitrāḥ. Just like you like some color. Somebody likes red color, somebody likes blue color, sometimes yellow color. But after all, it is color, you like this or that. Similarly, sattva-guṇa is yellow color, and tamo-guṇa is blue color, and rajo-guṇa is red color. So you may like this color or that color—after all, it is material color.

So you should become free from all this colorful life of material existence and you become pure. But how you can become pure? That is also given in the Bhagavad... Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Guṇān. Here it is said, guṇair vicitrāḥ: "By the colorful mixture of these modes of material nature, there are so many varieties, varieties of the modes of nature." But if you want to be out of this colorful material life and you realize yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am Brahman, and I am the same quality as God," then you have to engage yourself in devotional service.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

So the modern psychologists, they have divided the function of the mind: thinking, feeling, willing, and then other subdivisions. That is known as the science of psychology. But intelligence... Above mind there is intelligence. I don't think in the modern science there is any analytical study of the intelligence function. But in the Vedic literature there is analysis of the intelligence. They are described here: saṁśaya, doubtfulness. The saṁśaya, saṁśayātmā vinaśyati.

In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a statement: "Those who are doubtful about the existence of God," vinaśyati, "they are finished." Their progress is finished. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. That niścayātmā, that is very good, to believe, to have faith, niścaya, by full assertion. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So if by your intelligence you become doubtful, "Whether Kṛṣṇa is able to give me protection?" then you are finished. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. But if you have faith in Kṛṣṇa's words, niścaya, "When Kṛṣṇa says that if I surrender unto Him, He will give me protection, there is no doubt about it," that is called faith. Niścayātmikā. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Buddhi, intelligence, vyavasāyātmikā, niścayātmikā, that is very good.

Lecture on SB 3.26.35-36 -- Bombay, January 12, 1975:

In this age it is very difficult. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave us the example that He was lying down on the floor. His devotee wanted to give Him a quilt, a soft bedding, but He refused. He did not take it.

So He is teaching us. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the teacher. Āpani ācari' prabhu jīvere śikhaila. But still, it is very difficult to strictly follow. But we must try to follow as far as possible. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore taught us, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. We must be tolerant like the trees or more than the tree. The trees, they are standing in the open air, and there are so many disturbances, storms, scorching heat, and somebody is taking the leaf, somebody cutting. It doesn't protest. Tolerance. This is very good example of tolerance. So in order to execute our spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we shall learn tolerance. Tolerance, that is advised in Bhagavad-gītā, that tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "Don't be disturbed." Just like a brāhmaṇa or a sannyāsī has to take three times bath. And if it is very chilly cold, it does not mean that he will give up that taking bath three times, early in the morning. He must take. That is called tolerance. This is one of the example of tolerance. There is severe cold, chilly cold, but my duty is to take bath in the morning. So we must tolerate. I must tolerate that chilly cold, and still, I take my bath. This is called tapasya, not that "It is very chilly cold. I will not take my bath." No, that is not allowed. Then you are lagging behind. You must take. Of course, if it is very serious, somebody is seriously ill, that is different thing. Generally, Kṛṣṇa advises, tāṁs titikṣa... Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ, anityāḥ (BG 2.14). Anitya. Anitya means they are not permanent. Āgamāpāyino 'nityāḥ. They are seasonal changes. They will come, and they will go. Simply ethereal arrangement only, we must know, external arrangement. It is, rather, illusion.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Prabhupāda: No, you should not approach for exploiting God. That is not good. But even if you go to God to exploit Him, that is also good. (laughter) Stop, stop. Because after all you are approaching God. Even with the purpose of exploitation, that is not good, but because you are reaching God that is very good. Just like in Christian religion we know that the prayer is "God, give us our daily bread." So God is supplying bread to everyone. It doesn't require to ask Him. But, he, because he is going to the church, and praying to the God, he is very good.

Jyotirmayī: She says that to ask like the Christian asking for their daily bread, it is something very difficult, very painful, so it is very tragical.

Prabhupāda: No, these things are done by innocent person. One who does not know that God, without asking, He's supplying. There is no need of asking from God. Simply we have to render our service. The definition of devotional service is given in the Vedic literature, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), without any material desire. Serve God as a matter of duty. We serve our father as a matter of duty and the father takes care of the son, automatically. (break) ...does not serve father, he gives all necessities of life and what to speak of that son who is rendering service. (break)

Guest: ...serve God for our own religion besides chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, besides becoming a devotee?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

So Dr. Jyestish(?) gave stress on bhakti. That is very good idea. So simply by becoming bhakta... Kevalayā... Kecid kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parayaṇaḥ. Kevalayā bhakta. Simply if you take to the process of bhakti... That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhaktyā mām abhijānanti. If you want to know God, if you want to know the relationship with God, if you know what is your business after understanding God, then bhakti. Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa, no... Although there are different ways of self-realization—karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti, these are the principles. But Kṛṣṇa recommends that "If you want to know Me actually, then bhaktyā." Kṛṣṇa teaches Arjuna Bhagavad-gītā because Arjuna was a devotee. Bhakto 'si me priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "Because you are My dear friend and bhakta, therefore I am teaching you."

So bhakti-mārga is not very difficult. Very easy. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Any child can do it. Any child, if he sees the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the temple, he remembers, and he continues to think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. And if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, automatically you become devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. And then mad-yājī, little offering. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Where is the difficulty? Little flower, little fruit, little water. Kṛṣṇa is not poor person, (that) He wants something from you. But yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He wants to revive your original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). So in India we have got this opportunity. Why should we miss this opportunity? It is a suicidal policy. Don't do it. Take to it very seriously.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

So long we are in the bodily concept, that is going on all over the world. If we say people may not be happy... Now India, in your city it is going on, Andhra conference. How long you shall remain Andhra? You may remain Andhra for say twenty years or fifty years, utmost hundred years, then what you are doing? Andhra or something else? Where is the account for that? Because Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme authority, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So if you perpetually remain as Andhra, that is very good. "But that is not allowed, sir." You'll be kicked out of your, this Andhra concept of life by nature's law. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34), Kṛṣṇa says, "When death will come, 'Oh, my dear death, you cannot touch me. I am Andhra, I am Indian, I am American.' " No. "No, sir. Get out!" So where is that knowledge? Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). This kind of civilization is the civilization of the cows and asses, go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. So we must understand what we are. Kṛṣṇa... Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught this. He said, "I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not kṣatriya. I am not vaiśya. I am not śūdra. I am not brahmacārī. I am not sannyāsī." "Not, not," neti, neti. "Then what you are?" Gopī-bhartuḥ pāda-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is self-realization. When we shall deny all this designation and we shall realize that I'm part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is self-realization. And so long we identify with this body and mind and do not know what I am, that is go-kharaḥ civilization, cows and asses civilization.

So especially in India we should be very careful not to follow the go-kharaḥ civilization. We must follow real civilization, Brahman civilization. This is the land of brahma-jñāna. This is the land of brāhmaṇas, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

There is no need of changing your position. You remain wherever you are. Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhiḥ. Just lend your, this aural reception and try to hear about God from the self-realized person, from mahātmā. Then one day it will become so, that although God is unconquerable, you will conquer Him. Prāyena ajita jito 'py asi. You'll conquer over God. You cannot conquer God, but God agrees to be conquered by His devotee. This is the indirect meaning, to become devotee. This is the way.

And what is the devotional way? śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Just try to hear about Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. śravanam. The first is that you have kindly come here; you are trying to hear. This is very good. This is the beginning of process. Then kīrtanam, śravanaṁ kīrtanam. Whatever you hear, you discuss amongst yourselves. That is called kīrtana. Śravanaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam. Remember about the topics of God. śravanaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanam. There are nine methods. Arcanam, temple worship. So any one of these methods will help you. If you take the nine methods, that is very good. If not, take eight. If not, take seven. If not, take six. Take five, four, three, two. Take at least one. That one is very easy—śravanam. We are opening several centers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Not only we are... There are many other centers also to hear about God. That is very essential. śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. So this process can be practiced even at home. There is no necessity that you have to change your place, you have to give up your business, you have to..., occupation, or you have to give up your family relationship. No. You remain in your... But practice this śravanam. Just like you are hearing here in this hall, you can do it at home. These books are there. I am speaking from the book. You can speak also from the book, and sit down amongst your family members and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. If anyone accepts this body... This body is made of three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyuḥ: mucus, bile, and air. So if we accept this body, combination of bones and flesh and blood and urines and stool and kapha and mucus and so many things, if we consider this body as "I am, the soul," do you mean to say that is very good knowledge? No. That is go-kharaḥ. Go-kharaḥ means animal. Go means cow and kharaḥ means ass. So these animal think like that, "I am this body." And if a man thinks like that, he is no better than the animal. That is not possible. Do you mean to say by combination of this blood, flesh, bones, urine, and stool and so many other things, you can, by combination, make a person like big scientist, philosopher, mathematician, by combination of these ingredients? Is it possible? Then there are much quantity of blood and flesh and this in the slaughterhouse. You bring and mix with them stool and urine and make a Professor Einstein. (laughter) You are advanced scientist. You bring this ingredient and make a very intelligent man. So this is all foolishness. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who thinks this body as the self, then he is in the animal kingdom. One, if anyone wants spiritual knowledge, he first of all know what is spirit, then spiritual knowledge. If you have no idea of spirit, what is the value of your spiritual knowledge? There is no value. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

Suppose if you become servant of a very, very big man, then what is the question of your want? This is intelligence. Any servant of any big man, he is bigger than his master. Because he is given Master is given so many varieties of food. Master takes little, and the balance the servants eat. (laughs) So where is his want? There is no question of want. Just try to become servant of God, and all your necessities will be sufficiently fulfilled. This is intelligence. Just like a rich man's child, does he want anything from father? No, he simply wants father, mother. The father-mother knows what does he want, how he will be happy. That is the duty of the father and mother. Similarly, this is very good intelligence: just to try to become the sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. All your necessities of life will be sufficiently supplied. There is no question of asking.

Therefore intelligent devotee they do not ask like the unintelligent devotee go to the church and pray to God, "Give us our daily bread." He's God's servant, and He will not get your bread? You have to ask from God? No. God is giving bread to the eight million other living entities. Birds, beast, tigers, elephants, they are not going to the church for asking bread. But they are getting it. So if God is supplying everyone's food, why He shall not supply you? He is supplying you. So we should not go to God for begging some material benefit. That is not actual devotion. We shall go to God for begging how one can be engaged in His service. That should be the begging: "Hare Kṛṣṇa," means... Hare means "O the energy of God and Kṛṣṇa. O Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service." This is Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is simply praying, "O my Lord Kṛṣṇa, O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa's energy, kindly engage me in Your service." That's all. Finished all business. This is Vaiṣṇava. So Vaiṣṇava has no necessity. He knows that "I have no necessity. My only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he is happy in all conditions.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:

That is first-class bhakti, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlana, just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. He was not willing to fight or to kill the other party. That is very good. He is a Vaiṣṇava. Naturally he does not like to fight or pick up quarrel with others or do some harm to others. Vaiṣṇava is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He knows very well that "If something harmful is done to me, I am unhappy, so why should I commit the same thing to others?" So But in spite of his conviction that he should not fight, still, when Kṛṣṇa insisted up to the point that "Your this mercy upon them will not act because it is already My plan that they will have to die. So you have become very kind, but you cannot surpass My plan. That is not possible. I have come here..." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). "That is My true mission: to save the devotees and to annihilate the nondevotees. So here I have brought them all together in this battlefield, and it will be finished."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Then they should stop speculation. That is their first duty. Devotional life means stop speculation.

Madhudviṣa: Well, what is inspiration then?

Prabhupāda: Inspiration? That inspiration is there. That is very good, that "I shall do something for Kṛṣṇa." So whatever duty is assorted to you or allotted to you, you first execute that duty.

Devotee (2): How important is formal initiation?

Prabhupāda: Formal initiation means to accept, officially, to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative. That is formal initiation. Officially accept, "Yes, sir, I shall accept. I shall do whatever you say." This is initiation, official acceptance of the job. That's all. Now, you formally accept, and if you do not do the duties, then where is the question of other function? There is no question. Initiation means this is the beginning of accepting the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative to carry out. This is the beginning. That is initiation. Just like if you enter in an office establishment, so you accept the terms of service. That is initiation. Then you go on serving, you become promoted, you get salary increase. You become recognized. You become officer. You become big officer, like that. That very word initiation suggests, "This is the beginning." Dīkṣā, dīkṣā. Di... Divya. There are two words, divya-jñāna. Divya-jñāna means transcendental, spiritual knowledge. So divya is dī, and jñānam, kṣapayati, explaining, that is kṣa, dī-kṣā. This is called dīkṣā, dīkṣā, the combination. So dīkṣā means the initiation to begin transcendental activities. That is called initiation. Therefore we take promise from the disciple that "You chant so many times," "Yes, sir." "You observe these rules and regulations," "Yes, sir." That is initiation. He has to observe; he has to chant. Then everything comes automatically. In the beginning he is faulty; then how he can make progress? There is no question of in..., what is called? What you were asking?

Madhudviṣa: Inspiration.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

So this Ajāmila, on account of bad association with prostitute, he lost his character and he became thief, cheater, somehow or other being punished. So in this way, while he was maintaining his children and family, then the time of death came. That will not wait, that "I have not finished my duty, family duty. Please wait few years more." "Oh, that is not possible." So kālo... Atyagāt. Kālo atyagāt mahān rājan aṣṭāśīti āyuṣaḥ samāḥ. He became very old, eighty-eight years old, aṣṭaśīti. Aṣṭa means eight, aśīti means eighty-eight. In this way, aṣṭāśītyā āyuṣaḥ samāḥ. So at that time he had ten sons. Tasya pravayasaḥ putrāḥ. He begot so many children, number is ten. So putra, how many? Daśa, ten, ten children he had. Teṣāṁ tu yaḥ avamaḥ. Out of the ten sons, the youngest son, teṣāṁ tu yaḥ avamaḥ bālaḥ, the child, nārāyaṇaḥ nāmnā, he kept the name Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa dāsa, just like we give name to an initiate. So this is his great fortune. He gave the youngest son the name Nārāyaṇa. Naturally father, mother becomes affectionate to the youngest baby. So by way of calling the young child, he was chanting "Nārāyaṇa." This is very good system, that if you keep the name of your children Nārāyaṇa, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, then you will get some chance to chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in India still the system is they keep some name which is with reference to Kṛṣṇa. He has got thousands of names, so you can keep one name so that you have the opportunity of repeating, chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

So this father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he defied God: "Who is God? I am God. Take my (indistinct)." The child said, "My dear father, you are not God." He would never address his father as "father." He addressed him "the best of the asuras." "My dear best of the asuras," tat sādhu manye asura-vārya dehinām. After all, the relationship is father and son. So one day the father took him, "My dear son, what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers? Tell me." "Yes, I'll tell you." "What is that?" Tat sādhu manye asura-varya. He never addressed "father." "O the best of the asuras." Asura-vārya means "the best of the asura." Tad sādhu manye: "I think that is very good thing." "What is that?" Tad sādhu manye asura-vārya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). "All these people, they're simply full of anxieties." That's a fact. Who's not full of anxieties? Those who are in this material world, who can say, "No, I have no anxiety"? That is not possible. Either you become President Nixon or in the street beggar, there is anxiety. At any moment danger will come. But they are busy.

So the child said, "My dear best of the asuras, I think that is the best thing for the persons who have accepted this material body, asad grahā..." Why anxiety? The anxiety is because this material body. I am thinking of "I may be hot." Oh, what's that hot? The hot means body. The soul is never hot. The soul is eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That they do not know. They think this body, "I'm this body. I'll be hot, I'll die, I'll this," and so on and so many. Simply anxiety: "How I shall protect my body? How I shall protect my bodily relationship?" everything in connection with the body. Everything asat. The body's asat, perishable, temporary. So whatever you have got in relationship with this body—my country, my society, my bank balance, my money, my wife, children—everything in the body, they're also temporary. So they are very, very anxiety. Tat sādhu manye. So "I want to relieve them from this anxiety."

Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Chicago, July 11, 1975:

So similar plan is always there, that we are struggling for existence and accumulating so many things. Just like you have got this nice city, Chicago. Not only Chicago; there are many others in America. But the people are not thinking that "How long I shall remain American and enjoy this? Maybe fifty years, twenty-five years or utmost hundred years. But everything will be taken—my American citizenship, my body, my wealth—everything will be taken by death. So what insurance I am doing for that purpose, that it will not be taken, I shall enjoy it?" Therefore mūḍha. There is reason why they are called mūḍhas, rascals. They do not know their actual interest. Everyone, not only you, everyone, the whole material world, they do not know what is is actual interest. Everyone should be self-interested. That is very good. But the fools, rascals, do not know what is his actual self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Svārtha-gatim means the self-interest. Svārtha. Sva means own, and artha means interest. He does not know. Therefore he is mūḍha. He does not know his self-interest. It is very good that you become self-interested, but if you do not know what is your self-interest, then you are a mūḍha.

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.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

Everyone is trying to become fortunate. Now, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita gives three things, formula, "If you want to be fortunate, then do these three things." What is that? Mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante: "Do not give any credit to the rascal." That is first qualification. Don't be carried away by the rascal. Mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante. If you worship a rascal, then your life is spoiled. You must worship a really learned representative of God. That is very good. And dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam: "Food grains, they are properly stocked." Not that for your foodstuff, getting your food grain or earning your livelihood, you have to go hundred miles, fifty miles. No. At home, you produce your food grain and stock it. In India still, they work for three months during this rainy season, and they get their food grains for the whole year. You can save time so nicely. So these things are required for happy home. There must be food grains. You cannot be happy without eating. That is not possible. Annād bhavanti. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). If you have got sufficient anna, eatables, foodstuff, then you become happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

The last one, devotee. Therefore devotee's business is to know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa; it must be used for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's neither tyāgī or bhogī. Bhogī means takes the thing and utilizes for his own sense gratification. That is called bhogī, sense gratification: "Oh, I have got this bag. Very nice. It will help me in going to the restaurant for (indistinct)." That is bhogī. And tyāgī means "Oh, this is all material. Why shall I touch? Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I'm Brahman. I am nothing."(laughter) He's better than the rascal who takes the money and uses his own purpose, karmī. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, (Bengali). The jñānī, he does not touch anyone's property. That is very good. Then the karmī, because karmī takes other's property and utilizes it for his own purpose. But bhakta is neither karmī nor jñānī.

So there are two kinds of religious systems. The karmīs... Karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa. The Vedas, there are three kāṇḍas; therefore Vedas' name is trayi. Trayi means there are three different phases of activities—karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsana-kāṇḍa. That is the teaching of the Vedic literature. So when Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrāja... (BG 18.66). Because there are two kinds of men in this world. One is karmī, and one is jñānī. Karmīs are trying to use all the money of the world and utilize it for sense gratification. They are karmīs, sarva-kāmo... They're described in the śāstra-sarva-kāmo. Akāmaḥ sarvo-kāma, mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ. So when Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān patityajya, sarva means "all." So generally, in the material world two things are going on. The karmīs are busy try to earn money for their sense gratification, and the jñānīs, they've given up the world as mithyā. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "Brahman is truth, and this is all mithyā." So Kṛṣṇa said, "You give up all this business." Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrāja:

Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:

Somehow or other, he has committed this sin. So You kindly excuse him." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so much stern in this respect that He immediately replied that "If you like Choṭa Haridāsa, better you remain with him. Let Me go away." So from that moment nobody ventured to request again Caitanya Mahāprabhu to excuse him. So when he was hopeless not to be excused by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he came here in this place, Prayāga, and in the confluence of river Yamunā and Gaṅgā he committed suicide. He drowned himself. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew also this incident. So after some time, when he died, say after some months, He simply inquired, "Where is Choṭa Haridāsa now?" So his other associates replied, "Sir, You did not accept him, so he has committed suicide." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Yes, this is very good. This is very good." So vajrād api kaṭhora. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sometimes harder than the stone, and sometimes He was softer than the flower.

So that is the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes He becomes very strong. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu: (BG 16.19) "Those who are envious, I keep them constantly in the darkest region of hellish life." So Kṛṣṇa is very kind, but if He is angry, He is very hard also. Now, one may say, "Why God should be angry?" No, God is angry also; otherwise wherefrom this anger comes if God is not angry? Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) everything is coming from the Absolute Truth. If God is not angry, then wherefrom this anger comes? Because He is the original source of everything. So everything is there, but His activity and our activity is different. If Kṛṣṇa is angry... Just like He becomes angry and He kills so many demons.

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

So that is also, "No. There is no question of time factor for them." Such are the facilities. Now, Yamarāja is a mahājana. We have to take his statement, how devotees are stated. Kṛṣṇa says summarily that "I'll give you protection." And how they are protected you have to learn from the mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Then next question will be: "Then what is our business? Where to go? Suppose they're all devotee?" Sometimes a rascal question is there, that "If everyone becomes devotee, how this world will go on?" That is their concern. If everyone becomes honest, how the prison house will go on? What is the use of prison house? If it is closed, that is good. Similarly, if the whole world becomes devotee and the business of the material world is closed for good, that is very good. But that will not happen. That is not possible.

So Yamarāja says, tān ānayadhvam. Tān ānayadhvam asato vimukhān mukunda-pādāravinda-makaranda-rasād ajasram (SB 6.3.28). "You simply approach to persons who are averse to the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. One who does not relish the honey in the lotus feet..." Because in the lotus there is honey. So devotees, they take the honey at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa... But how? What they are tasting? They are tasting: niṣkiñcanaiḥ paramahaṁsa-kulair asaṅgair juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. Those who are not associating with pure devotees, niṣkiñcanaiḥ. One who has no other business than to taste the honey at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa... The persons who are not associating, that means those who are not becoming life members of Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. (chuckles) Yamarāja is advising, "Go there." (laughter) "Go there." Why? Why? Juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān. They are staying at home, which is the path to hell, and they are absorbed in unlimited desires. Gṛhe. Gṛhe. Gṛhe means staying at home, not going out for canvassing for Kṛṣṇa. Gṛhe niraya-vartmani. What is this gṛhe? Niraya means hell, and vartmani means path. Gṛhe means "the path of going to hell." That was also advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Gṛham andha-kūpam. Tyaktvā gṛham andha-kūpam. Andha-kūpam means blind well. I saw one blind well in Ascot when I was at... What is his name?

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- New Vrindaban, June 24, 1976:

When the hog is taken from the flock for being killed, he screams very loudly, "Don't want. I don't want to be killed." Although the life is very abominable, still he's attached to the body. The old man is attached to the body. So this is called moha. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Atheists... In our Los Angeles temple we have seen, there are so many karmīs, and when there was earthquake they screamed like anything. So no one wants to die. They say, "No, I can die." No. At the time of death they scream, they do not like. Nobody wants to die. That's a fact. So gṛheṣu saktasya. Generally, people become too much attached to family life. I sometimes say that in the Western countries the young boys, they come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their only one great asset is they are not family-wise attached. That is very good qualification. Someway or other, they have become. Therefore their attachment to Kṛṣṇa becoming staunch. In India they have got organized family attachment. They are not interested. They are after money now. That I have experienced. Yes.

So family attachment is the greatest impediment in the matter of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but if the whole family is Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is very nice. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He was a family man, but all of the, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his wife, his children—and the best children is our Guru Mahārāja, best child... So he has sung by his experience, ye dina gṛhe bhajana dekhi gṛhete goloka bhaya. If family-wise, everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is very nice. That is not ordinary family. That attachment is not ordinary attachment. But generally people are attached materially. That is condemned here. Śeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya pramattasya apayāti hi. They are called pramatta. Everyone is thinking that "My family, my wife, my children, my nation, my community, that is everything. What is Kṛṣṇa?" This is the greatest illusion imposed by māyā. But nobody will able to give you protection.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- Vrndavana, December 11, 1975:

And the whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means vairāgya-vidyā, the education of vairāgya, detachment. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam (CC Madhya 6.254). Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, and He wanted to teach the people this vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam. As Kṛṣṇa He commanded, "Just give up all this nonsense engagement." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Just surrender unto Me. That is good for you. I shall save you from the reactions of your sinful activities." Material life means simply sinful activities. Simply. Even though there is some covering of pious activities, that is also sinful. You are in this world It is said in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dvaite bhadrābhadra jñāna. Dvaite means "in this world of duality," bhadra and abhadra. We have manufactured so many things. We say "This is very good" and "This is bad." Bhadra abhadra. Bhadra means good, and abhadra means bad. But Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kav, Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Goswami, he says that this good and bad-concocted. They are neither good nor bad. They are the same thing—material quality. Dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali saṅg... Then how things are going on, "This is good; this is bad"? Ei bhāla ei manda saba manodharma. This is mental concoction. In the material world there cannot be anything good. It is bad. If there is real goodness, that is spiritual world, śuddha-sattva. Sattva-guṇa. In the material world there are three guṇas. Of these, sattva-guṇa is accepted as very good—the modes of goodness. But above this mode of goodness there is śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. "Goodness is goodness"—no. This goodness is polluted with ignorance and passion. Therefore we see in the material world a person very good But yesterday morning we were discussing about Brahmā: very good, but sometimes he is also polluted. Therefore it is not pure goodness in this material world. Even there is goodness, it is not pure. There is always chance of becoming polluted by the other base qualities, ignorance and passion.

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

Otherwise, we shall be very much attached. Because we are ajitendriya, we cannot control our senses. Very difficult. But if you take Kṛṣṇa prasādam, although apparently we are greedy, but on account of taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, it is neutralized. Our greediness, by taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, it is neutralized.

Sneha-pāśair. 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 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

The purpose of dharma artha kāma is to come to the platform of bhakti. If one does not come to that platform, simply as a matter of formula and rituals, the Bhāgavata says, it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Why Prahlāda Mahārāja says that viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt? That is very good, to be in the platform of goodness, but you have to make further progress. Goodness is not perfection, because this world is so that even in the platform of goodness there is passion and ignorance. It is not unmixed. Sattva, sattva-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa is the goodness. So one has to transcend the platform of goodness. That is called śuddha-sattva. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, traiguṇya-viṣaya-veda nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna: "My dear Arjuna, so far the Vedic injunctions are concerned, they are material, traiguṇya." Somebody is in goodness, somebody is in passion, somebody is in ignorance. Therefore the division is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. "But," He advised him, nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna, "just transcend to the three qualities of this material nature." That transcendental position is this bhakti. So unless one comes to the platform of bhakti, simply by dharma artha kāma mokṣa will not give him the highest perfection. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, begins with this understanding: dharma projjhita-kaitavo 'tra. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating. So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the so-called religiosity, which is more or less cheating, is projjhita, prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita, is completely swept over.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

So anyone who takes up this endeavor on behalf of God to reclaim these conditioned souls back to Godhead, back to home, he is considered the most intimate devotee, dear devotee of the Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. If you want to become very dear to Kṛṣṇa or God, then try to take up these missionary activities. What is that? Spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased. If you want to live in a solitary place and perform yoga system for your personal elevation of self-realization, that is very good, undoubtedly. But if you try to convert others to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, it is far better. Prahlāda Mahārāja, you'll find in his prayer, he'll say to the Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord," naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās, "this world is full of anxieties. That I know. And it is full of miserable condition. But I am not afraid. I am not afraid." Why you are not afraid? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I have taken to chanting of Your glorious activities. So when I chant Your glorious activities or Your glories, I become merged into the ocean of nectar. Therefore these worldly anxieties or miseries does not..., do not disturb me. I am quite safe." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "Then why you are...? You appear to be very anxious. Why you are anxious?" "Yes. I have got anxiety." What is that anxiety? Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa: "I am simply disturbed for those rascals who are bereft of Your consciousness. Who have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am simply anxious for them." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa. "Why you are anxious for them?" Because indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "These foolish rascals, they have created a very troublesome civilization simply for sense gratification. That's all. Their so-called advancement of civilization, machine and machinery and so many things, they've complicated. But what is their purpose?

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

Then I will take." So Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. This is Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, acknowledgement. So we are not prepared even to do that, neither we are prepared to follow the rules and regulation. We must follow the rules and regulation, what is allotted for us or what should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. If we want to offer Kṛṣṇa something, then we must offer such things which Kṛṣṇa wants to eat. So we do not know, neither we care to know. We simply ask, "Oh, give me my bread or grains. Then my business is finished." No. That is the difference. But this man who is going to church or temple to ask for food is better than that man who has no connection with God, so much better that he has some relationship with God: "My dear father, You give me." At least, he accepts—"The father sends the bread." That is very good. But when the son will be intelligent, he will know, "The father sends the bread even without my prayer. Therefore I must offer my gratitude." That is intelligence. That is pure devotion. (break) Father is not only my father; He is father of all living entities. So He is supplying other living entities. They cannot offer any gratitude. The beast, the birds, they cannot offer any gratitude. But I am human being, I have got developed consciousness. I must feel grateful for God's mercy and offer my gratitude. That is my duty.

Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:

"All right, you take a good wife and be satisfied and have family life up to fifty years. Then you give it up." Not that it is essential; one has to marry. This is a concession for sex life, that's all.

So in order to... Dharmasya. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. Kama is also required for whom? Ajitendriyāṇām, one who cannot control. But one who can control... If one is trained up properly, he can control. He doesn't require anything. Because any activities of this material world, they may be utilized for systematic proper peace, peaceful condition of the social, political. But after all, they are material. Material means unwanted. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has said, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali saman. In this material word we sometimes say, "This is very good, and this is very bad." Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, "This 'bad' or 'good,' it has no meaning. They are simply mental concoction." Because in the material world everything is bad. The so-called good is bad, and bad is bad. Therefore we have to search out how to get out, āpavarga. This is there, how to make these material activities null and void. They are useless. That is the recommendation of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and that can be done directly simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is not Prahlāda Mahārāja's own word, but Kṛṣṇa says.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976:

Finished, that's all. "No, I am learned, and you are nothing. You have not... You have no degrees of university. I have got degrees." "Yes, that is all right, but your degrees and knowledge have been taken away by māyā. You remain in darkness. Ye timire jeti (?). You remain in the darkness." That's all.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us... Kṛṣṇa-śakti dhara tumi, jāna tattva-bhāva (CC Madhya 20.105). Caitanya Mahāprabhu is affirming that "You are authorized by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you have come for My help. My mission is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness..." So He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He posing as a devotee. Therefore He is saying that "By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you are empowered, so you have come to Me to help Me. You are asking. That is very good on your part because," jāni, "you know everything." Dārḍhya lāgi' puche sādhura svabhāva. A sādhu, a saintly person, although he knows everything, still he remains very humble and tries to confirm from the higher authorities, "I think this is right. Is it not right?" He knows it is all right, but still, he waits for the higher authority to confirm it. So this is the relationship, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Study all of them very nicely and be advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

So they do not know these things, the rascal civilization. Just like dancing like dog, that's all. This is rascal civilization. They have no responsibility of life, and dancing like dog. No. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. Everyone should try to understand. If he wants to understand through science, through philosophy, through logic—in any way—through religion, through culture—anyway he wants to understand, we have got volumes of books. Try to understand. It is not a bluff. It is all scientific. So either you accept as Kṛṣṇa, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa... (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). If you immediately accept the words of, accept the words of Kṛṣṇa-sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66)—that is very good. But if you are very learned philosopher, scientist, then read books. Both ways we have prepared to convince you.

So,

jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa

kṛṣṇera taṭasthā-śakti bhedābheda-prakāśa

(CC Madhya 20.108)

Bhedābheda-prakāśa. Bheda means difference, and abheda means one. Two philosophies are going on. The Māyāvādīs, they say, "We are the same." So 'ham: "I am the same." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am the Supreme Brahman." But the Vedic literature says, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, but Kṛṣṇa, or God, is Param Brahman. In the Vedas there is no such thing as ahaṁ paraṁ brahmāsmi. No. They are misusing. The... Instead of understanding... Brahman, every one of us, we are Brahman. There is no doubt about it. But unfortunately, by mistake, by illusion, I am thinking, "I am this body." So spiritual education means first of all one has to understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am not this body." That is the beginning of spiritual education.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:

It is not that you have become a student and you'll remain student. No. One day you shall become also guru and make more students, more students, more. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, not that perpetually... Yes, one should remain perpetually a student, but he has to act as guru. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is not that because I am acting as guru, I am no longer student. No, I am still student. Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Mahārāja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāśana (CC Adi 7.71). We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Āra nā kariha mane āśā **. So we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.

So recently... I am very pleased to say that our Harikeśa, I ordered him to go immediately to Poland, and he thought that he was being punished. That was... No. I was thinking that "Here is a very very intelligent boy. If he is given chance to preach he'll come out very successful." So I see the glimpses that he has got now post. He's a very good organizer. That's a chance. At that time he might have thought that I was separating him. No. My good will was there that he should be given chance for better opportunity. So I am very much happy that he is doing there very nice. So this should be the attitude. My Guru Mahārāja wanted me to preach in the Western countries, although I was at that time a ordinary manager in a chemical firm. I never thought, but I took it seriously. So from that 1922, in 1965 it was fruitful. How many years?

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

I am so pleased and obliged to you that you have adopted. I never expected. When I came first in Boston, I was thinking, "Oh, who will accept these Vaiṣṇava rules and regulations? These people are after meat and wine and illicit sex, and how they will accept it?" I was hopeless: "How they will chant?" You see? So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least, I am hopeful that this movement can be accepted by anyone. It is not so hopeless as I thought. But apart from my calculation, you are realizing. This movement should be pushed on. Just like great souls always think of the poor souls, similarly, you should also feel. That is the way. Lord Jesus Christ, he also prayed for the sinful persons. So this is very good. If we struggle hard to push this movement, then, even we, you don't get any follower, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. And our business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means one has to engage his all senses for the satisfaction. Material life means sense satisfaction for his self: "I like this. I like this. I want to do something. I want to sing something or chant something, eat something, or touch something, or taste something. This is something..." That means using the senses. That is the material life. "I want to touch such soft skin. I want to taste such, what is called, nice food. I want to smell like this. I want to walk like this." The same thing—walking, tasting, touching, or anything—should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Instead of touching something else, if we touch the sanctified lotus feet of a devotee, that touch will be utilized. Instead of eating nonsense, if we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, it will be all right. Instead of smelling something else, if we smell the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa... So nothing is stopped. If you want to use your sex life, yes, you can use for producing Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Nothing is stopped. Simply it is purified. That's all. This is the whole program. There is no question of "Stop this." Stop cannot be. How it can be stopped? Suppose I am a human being. If somebody says, "Oh, you cannot eat," is it possible? I must eat. So there is no question of stopping. The question is purifying it. So... And the other philosophy is to, I mean to say, snub down forcibly, make it void, just like they say, "Just become desireless." They advocate. So how can I be desireless? Desire must be there. But I shall desire for Kṛṣṇa.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Denver, June 27, 1975:

If we are endowed with all these blessings, janma aiśvarya śruta śrī—means birth in high family or great nation, to be very opulent, rich, and very highly educated, or very beautiful—these things are very good material possessions. But if we have got them, it is all right. Even if we have not got, there is no impediment. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is without any check by any material condition. Anyone can execute this devotional service, provided he wants to do it. And especially when one is endowed with other blessings, it is just like good scent in gold. Gold is appreciated by everyone. It is valuable, but there is no good flavor. Similarly, janma aiśvarya, to... You American boys and girls, you are born of a very big nation. That is very good. You are all educated, you are beautiful, and janma aiś..., śruta śrī, four things. These things are just like gold. But if you add Kṛṣṇa consciousness along with these qualification, then gold with flavor. Gold is valuable, and if there is flavor, it is more valuable. Of course, in the material world there is no gold which has got good scent. But in the spiritual world that is possible. So with your intelligence, with your opulence, add Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then nationally, individually, collectively you will be glorified. I am very glad that you have opened this center. It is nice place. And execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple, not difficult, if we want to execute. But I am glad that you are doing that. Our Satsvarūpa Mahārāja is guiding you, and I thank you very much for your kind reception. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

If we want to study Vedic literature, that is very good. That is sound footing. So we have already got fifty books. You study. Become very great scholar in philosophy, in religion, is sociology. Everything is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, politics also. And you become perfect man, with full knowledge. And if you think that you have no time, you are not so good scholar, you cannot read all these books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Either way you will become perfect, either both or at least one. If you cannot read books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You will (become) perfect. And if you read books and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is very good. But there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra but you cannot read books, there is no harm. There is no loss. That chanting is sufficient. But if you read, then you will be able to defend yourself from the opposing parties. That will help you preaching work. Because in the preaching work you have to answer so many question, you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you are strong in your position by reading books, Vedic literature, then you become very, very favorite to Kṛṣṇa.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

Therefore sometimes in Vedic literature it is stated, "formless." Formless does not mean has no form. Not this form. That is formless. But people with less intelligence, they think formless means there's no form. Formless means not this form. This is anyathā rūpam. This is different from our real form. So mukti means to give up this unreal form and accept your real form. Just like freedom from disease. Get free from the diseased condition and come to real healthy life.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for bringing men to the real life. Always remember this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). It takes... Just like to cure a disease it takes little time. But if you take to the process of cure, then that is very good. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead says,

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

(BG 9.30)

Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, even there are some faults, still, they are saintly persons. That is the recommendation of Kṛṣṇa. Because that fault may be due to his past habits, but that is being stopped. Just like you make the switch off, no more electric current will act, but the fan still gives some rounds due to the past force. Similarly, a Kṛṣṇa consciousness person, even if he's found in fault, Kṛṣṇa says, "No." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). "He's saintly person, sādhu." Why? Now, the process he has taken up, that will cure him in due course of time. Śaṣvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. So these who have fortunately come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by association, by practice, this is the way. So stick to it. Don't go away. Even if you find some fault, don't go away from the association. Struggle, and Kṛṣṇa will help you.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: That is the simple thing. You are chanting. I am very much pleased. That's all. I came to your country to chant, that "You chant also along with me." So you are helping me by chanting. So I am pleased. But this tendency is very nice, that you want to please me. That is very good. And to please me is not very difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Under My order, every one of you go and preach and become spiritual master." And what is that order? The order is that "Whomever you meet, you talk to him about Kṛṣṇa."

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

He says that "Under My order, you become a spiritual master." To become a spiritual master under the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not very difficult. Unless we adulterate, mix in something nonsense in His teachings, if we simply present, as it is, then every one of us can become a spiritual master. But the difficulty is that they mix up something. Just like you have tasted sweet rice, paramānna. And if somebody mixes some sand with it... The paramānna is very good, but because it is mixed with some sand particles it is spoiled. You cannot take. This is practical. Similarly, the teachings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa, is very simple. But the rascals put some sand particles. That is the difficulty. Spoils the broth, spoils the everything. "Kṛṣṇa means this, and Pāṇḍava means this." Why "Pāṇḍava means this"? Why not as it is in the Bhagavad-gītā? So this process should be avoided, mixing sand with the sweet rice. This rascaldom should be avoided. Then you can, everyone can distribute nicely. So many people say, "Oh, Swamijī, you have done wonderful." So I say, the secret of my wonderful activities is that I have not tried to adulterate it. I am simply presenting as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So I have told you that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I say that "You simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." So what is the difficulty? Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, and I am simply reproducing it: "Do this." And it is acting. Because I am not adulterating the sweet rice with sand, people are tasting it very nice. So you also follow the same principle. Don't try to adulterate. Present it as it is. And people will like it. There is no difficulty.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

Priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt, viṣṇoḥ, viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam. Our self-interest must reach up to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. That is perfection. Otherwise whatever interest we create, that is temporary interest and it will be finished and I shall create another interest. That knowledge is lacking in the modern civilization. We are interested in nationalism. That is very good. But we do not know what nationalism was in my past life and what nationalism will be there in my next life. That we do not. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that interest should be to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu as it is indicated, directed by the Vedas, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Unfortunately, somehow or other we have forgotten that interest. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela ataeva māyā tāra golay badhila(?). We do not know when we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, our self-interest. And because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, therefore māyā, the illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa, has caught up us. Ataeva māyā tāra golay badhila(?).

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

That's all. Now you can exchange in different ways—it becomes different number. But actually it is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. So simply to know one, two, three, four, five, six, just like your daughter chants one, two, three, four, five, six, nineteen, eighteen, so that is not sufficient. You must know higher mathematics, how to adjust this one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. That is higher mathematics. Higher mathematics does not mean that some other figures are brought in. The same one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. But you must know how to adjust these nine figures—one, two, three—and that is science of God. Simply to know, that is very good. Those who are atheists, they are declining to accept the existence of God. They are less than animals. Less than animals. The animals also, they are afraid of some higher authority. But these atheists, they are not afraid of higher authorities. Although they are being kicked by the laws of material nature in every moment, still, they are proud, "No, there is no God. There is no God."

So that is a very abominable condition of life, less than animals. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The atheist class men are described as the lowest of the mankind, duṣkṛtinaḥ. Why? Narādhamāḥ, na duṣkṛtinaḥ: always engaged in sinful activities. That na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, and rascals. Prapadyante narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. So "They are very educated." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: "Their knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy." Why? Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ: "Because they have taken to the philosophy of atheism." So their position... Of course, we approach everyone to preach this science of God consciousness, but it is very difficult. Those who have taken to this atheistic view, āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ... Āsuri... Just like we have got examples in our Vedic science, Vedic knowledge. There were many atheistic persons like Kaṁsa, Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Dantavakra, they never accepted existence of God. But they had to accept the existence of God at the time of death.

Arrival -- Dallas, May 19, 1973:

Now everything has deteriorated. So we find from the history of this conversion, from the śūdra class, lower than the śūdra class, not very many from the higher class. So still, that was based on bribing, giving some social help, political help, financial help. But our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement I started in 1966. I came here with seven dollars and a few books. So it was not possible for me to bribe these educated young boys and girls. That was not possible. But they accepted the philosophy very seriously and gradually it is growing. Now there are many Indians, they are not here, but other than the Indians, they are here. So the thing is I am very glad that you take something very seriously. That is very good. So for the children also, kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Prājñaḥ means one who is intelligent. He should begin learning Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the child life. That is our basic principle of this Gurukula. We are trying to generate some population fully Kṛṣṇa conscious so that they may preach in future very nicely.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, dharmān: "People, children should be taught from the very beginning of their life about dharma, religion." What is that religion? Religion means to accept God as the supreme authority. That's all. The sum and substance. And try to love Him. Just like very, if you have got a very wealthy friend or very learned friend or beautiful friend, you try to love him. You want to make friendship with him. So God means He is the most richest, most powerful, most learned, most beautiful. In this way, there is no comparison of God's opulence. So why should we not be attracted with God? If some rich man in your quarter attracts the attention of the neighbor, neighborers... If God is the richest man... He is not man; He is God. But He looks like man. He... Just like we see Kṛṣṇa here, He has got also two hands and two legs. That is His original form. If He likes, He can expand thousands of hands and thousands of legs, as it was exhibited to Arjuna in His virāṭ-puruṣa form. But the original form is Kṛṣṇa, ādi-puruṣam. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta... Although He can expand Himself in many millions of forms, but His original form is Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Hayagrīva: He writes, "God is certainly personal, but whether He wishes to be so in relation to the individual depends on whether it pleases God."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: "It is the grace of God that He wishes to be personal in relation to you. If you throw away His grace, He punishes you by behaving objectively, or impersonally, towards you."

Prabhupāda: (laughing) That's right. That is very good. Impersonal conception of God is a troublesome business. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyakta āsakta cetasām. Find out this verse.

Hari-śauri:

kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām

avyaktāsakta-cetasām

avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ

dehavadbhir avāpyate

(BG 12.5)

"For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied."

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least those who have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, they never be converted either by Marxism or this "ism" or that "ism." That is not possible. They can convert the Marxist into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but a Kṛṣṇa conscious person can never be turned into Marxism. That is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because they have seen the highest perfection of life, they cannot be misled by all these third-class, fourth-class philosophies.

Hayagrīva: He also felt that materialistic progress is a possible hindrance.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very good idea. That is confirmed by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā. Material progress means expansion of the external energy, māyā, illusion. So we are already in illusion, and therefore we practically see the so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, because they are materially advanced, they cannot understand even what is God and what is our relationship. So this is hindrance, the so-called advancement of material science, of material knowledge, is undoubtedly hindrance. Tomāra bhajane bādhā. They are all hindrances to the progressive march of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we minimize our necessities, that is saintly life—the bare necessities of life. We are not after very luxurious way of life. We are satisfied only with the bare necessities of life. So it is not an attempt for material progress. It is simply an attempt to make spiritual progress, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Hayagrīva: Because a favorable environment merely strengthens the dangerous tendency to expect everything to originate from outside,...

Prabhupāda: No, everything originates from inside, from the soul.

Hayagrīva: He says, "There must be a deep-seated change in the inner man." He also sees that modern man needs a guru, or someone, he says, "to explain religion to man. Whereas the man of today can easily think and understand all the 'so-called truths' dished out to him by the State, his understanding of religion is made considerably more difficult owing to the lack of explanations. Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?"

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, that's a fact, very good. But the best thing is monarchy, because if the monarch is rājarṣi, he is not only king... That is necessary. Kṛṣṇa wants that, that the government should be ruled; therefore we praise, offer so much respect to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Lord Rāmacandra, how to become an ideal king. He is Personality of Godhead. He showed how to become Rāma-rājya. So this is very good because it is not expensive. One man is maintained by the state very nicely, and nowadays these democracies' mob rule means instead of one king there are 300,000 kings in a state, and they are looting the hard-earned money by income tax, and everything is so polluted. So the condemnation of democracy is supported by us. It is mob rule. It has no value.

Hayagrīva: Socrates and Plato.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Hayagrīva: They had city states that were, uh...

Prabhupāda: Mini-states.

Hayagrīva: ...democracy. They were, they were so small that everyone could get together.

Prabhupāda: Pañcayat, in India it was pañcayat. So each man of the village, it is to reduce the responsibility of the state if that small cases, the pañcayat, some of the important men of the village they would sit together, and whatever they will decide, that the state will accept, court will accept. So minimize the responsibility of the court in deciding several cases. So in the India the Pañcayat system is there.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Prabhupāda: Meditation, when you are active, the meditation is already there. Unless you think of God, how you can be active in the service of God? So meditation about whom? Meditation about the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the Supersoul within the core of heart, that is real meditation, and activities more important than meditation. If I simply sit down and think of God, that is very good, but if I factually work for God as God desires, that is more important than meditation. If you love me and simply think of me, that may be taken as meditation, but if you love me, if you carry out my orders, that is more important.

Hayagrīva: Augustine says...

Prabhupāda: You can call this (indistinct) here. Now.

Devotee: It's ten to, ten minutes to six.

Prabhupāda: So we shall finish up.

Hayagrīva: We will finish, we can finish Augustine.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Hayagrīva: He conceived of the spiritual world as a place where the bodies are very beautiful, are very happy, they move with, with grace. The... God is the source of every satisfaction and is the consummation of all desires. The people in the spiritual sky never cease praising God, never tire of praising Him. There is no envy, and bliss is all-pervasive. Sin has no power of temptation.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: ...instruments of violence.

Prabhupāda: This is very good. First of all they must know what is the welfare of the human being. Unfortunately, with advancement of so-called material education, the human society is missing the aim of life. The aim of life is declared openly in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the aim of human life. In the Bhāgavata it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is the aim of human life. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle. But on account of deviating from the original Vedic civilization, they have dedicated the human form of life in so many unnecessary scientific discoveries, that discovery, which will not give him any relief to the human society. The real tribulation of life is birth, death and disease and old age. So the so-called advancement of material civilization has not solved the real problem of life, and the aim of human life is to solve the real problem of human life. The real problem of life, that we are eternal, as eternal as God, but we are subjected to birth and death. So with the poor fund of knowledge in the Kali-yuga, people being very bad, or slow for self-realization, and they create their own way of life, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10), and they are unfortunate and, and disturbed. Disturbance is always there, but they are not mindful about the real disturbances of life. Now, on the whole in this age, practically the human being has become like animal. The animal, although always in disturbed condition, cannot understand the aim of life, what is his position. So this type of civilization is very, very dangerous to the human society, that they have no aim of life.

Hayagrīva: So he concludes we must obey God rather than men, in terms of laws.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Hari-śauri: "Śrīmatī Kuntī said: O Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all. Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy, You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized. You Yourself descend to propagate the transcen..."

Prabhupāda: That is very good example. His father is playing on the stage, and the son is seeing, and another, another friend is seeing, saying, "Do you see your father?" Then "Where is my father?" He, he, he does not recognize his father. Very good example.

Hari-śauri: Then, uh, third verse, "You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit."

Prabhupāda: Advanced transcendentalists, they can understand. Not these speculators with limited sense perception. Finished?

Hari-śauri: Hm.

Prabhupāda: The speculators have no knowledge. (laughs)

Hayagrīva: Yes. He says, "It is not so much that God is in everything but rather that everything is in God."

Prabhupāda: That's another foolishness.

Hayagrīva: What is this position?

Purports to Songs

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to save us from all these illusions. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya means living, not dead. If we have no spiritual consciousness, if we have not Kṛṣṇa's consciousness, then we are dead. This, what is this body? This body is dead. Alive or dead, so-called dead, it is already dead because it is matter. But because there is spirit soul, it is moving. The same example: the motor car, what is this? A lump of matter, some iron, some other metals or some rubbers and combination. And so long the driver is there—it is moving—it is important so long it is moving. And as soon as the movement stops, you throw it away. That is very good experience in your country. So many useless motor cars are heaped together. So similarly, the brāhmaṇa means one must know that who is the driver of this body, brahma-jñāna. So at the present moment nobody knows who is driving this body. So therefore all śūdras, fourth-class men. There is no first-class man. But in the human society there must be four classes of men: first class, second class, third class... Fourth class also required for assisting the higher, third class. Everything is very nicely described in the Bhagavad-gītā, and Bhagavad-gītā was taught by Kṛṣṇa Himself. But people could not follow Him, misunderstood Him. Therefore Kṛṣṇa again came as Kṛṣṇa-caitanya to teach personally the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not teach anything else than what was taught by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam śikṣārtham, purāṇah puruṣaḥ. That Supreme Personality of Godhead... Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogaṁ śikṣārtham ekaḥ purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254), śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī: "Now You have assumed the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa-caitanya, but You are Kṛṣṇa." That is also..., Rūpa Gosvāmī said. We have to follow the mahājanas, great personality, authorities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We cannot manufacture a way of life. We have to follow the footprints of mahājana, great personalities. That is the way. Here, at the present moment, everyone is speculating. What is the use of speculation? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect.