There are sufferings both for the animals and for the man, but man is conscious. If a man is not awakened to his suffering, then he is in animal consciousness

Expressions researched:
"There are sufferings both for the animals and for the man, but man is conscious. If a man is not awakened to his suffering, then he is in animal consciousness"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So the distinction between animal and man is that that animal is not aware of the sufferings he is undergoing. There are sufferings both for the animals and for the man, but man is conscious. If a man is not awakened to his suffering, then he is in animal consciousness.

660302 - Lecture BG 02.07-11 - New York

So according to Hindu system, if anyone wants to eat meat, he should take a goat. According to Hindu system, only goats and lambs can be killed for meat-eating, no other animal. No other animal. Cow is not . . . forbidden. Just like in, in, the Hindus, they do not eat cow's flesh. And the Muslims, they do not eat, I mean to say, hogs. Hog's flesh they do not eat. They have got some sentiment. But meat-eating is also there in the Hindu society, but that is only by goat's meat or lamb's meat. Generally goat. Generally goat.

Now, these goats are sacrificed before a goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī. So I have seen it, that one animal is being killed, slaughtered, and the another animal, which will be slaughtered next, he's . . . it has been given some grass, and it is standing there. You see? It has no knowledge that, "My next turn is mine," so it is not going away. So this is animal. This is animal. A human, human being, is not so fool. If there is sign that, "Next time my killing is to be taken up," then he . . . at least he will protest or try to go away, something like that. You see? But there is no such thing.

So the distinction between animal and man is that that animal is not aware of the sufferings he is undergoing. There are sufferings both for the animals and for the man, but man is conscious. If a man is not awakened to his suffering, then he is in animal consciousness.

So we are . . . we should not forget that we are always under suffering. There are three kinds of sufferings. I don't say about this economic problem or . . . that is also another suffering. But according to Vedic knowledge—or it is a fact—there are three kinds of sufferings. One kind of suffering belonging to the body and the mind. Now, suppose I am getting some headache. Now I am feeling very warm, I am feeling very cold, and so many bodily sufferings there are. Similarly, we have got sufferings of the mind. My mind is not well today. I have been . . . somebody has called me something, so I am suffering. Or I have lost something or some friend, so many things.