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Understand God (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"understand God" |"understanding God"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

So this is the mystery. This is the mystery. Without becoming devotee, the mystery of understanding God is not possible. And Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā how one can know Him. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only by devotion, simply. He could have said, "By high, topmost knowledge" or "By yogic process" or "By acting, becoming a very great karmī, worker, one can understand Me." No, he has never said, never said. So the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they are all rascals. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. All rascals. Karmīs are third-class rascals, the jñānīs are second-class rascal, and the yogis are first-class rascal. That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Gītā is just to understand what is God. And then, when you are actually engaged in God's service, these things come. That is higher stage. Gītā is the ABCD of understanding God.

Indian: So it will give you some more reflection... You see...

Prabhupāda: Yes. But if we accept the ABCD, then we come to literature. Then we pass M.A. examination. Yes. So Gītā is the preliminary step, first step of understanding God.

Indian: I am reading Gītā from my childhood. I like it.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Indian: Yes. So I think your Gītā will give me some more reflection.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

This is nature's law. If you want to forget God, then God will put you in such a condition that you can never understand what is God. That is demonic life. That time is also coming. At the present moment, still a few men are interested, what is God. Arto arthārtī jijñāsu jñānī (CC Madhya 24.95). But time is coming ahead when there will be no sense to understand God. That is the last stage of Kali-yuga, and at that time Kalkī avatāra, Kalkī avatāra will come. At that time there is no preaching of God consciousness, simply killing, simply killing. Kalkī avatāra with His sword will simply massacre. Then again Satya-yuga will come. Again golden age will come.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Just like ordinary men, they think that: "We are earning so much money. What is the use of making a guru? I can understand everything in my own way." And another rascal is: "Yes, yata mata tata patha. Whatever their opinion, that's all right. You can make your own opinion." That is going on. You can make your own opinion to understand God. So all foolish rascals, they're making their own opinion. No, that is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna says: avāpya bhūmāv asaptnam ṛddham (BG 2.8). This is a very significant word. Sapatni. Sapatni means "rival wife, co-wife." If a man has got two, three wives... Why two, three? Our Lord had 16,100. So this is God. Sapatnya, but there is no competition.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

It is not that... But so far we know, this movement is the only movement which can get you out of this entanglement. But if you have got any other alternative movement, we do not grudge. Just like our system is sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). We want to teach people to understand himself and to understand God. That is our method.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973:

Anyābhīlaṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). People are working... Somebody is working for knowledge and somebody is working for sense gratification. This is the material world. This is the material world. Somebody is trying to become very big scholar, knowledge, "What is this? What is this? What is this?" Not for understanding God, but for having some superfluous knowledge. So this is called jñāna. And karma means working day and night for sense gratification. So bhakti is transcendental. Anyābhīlāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Not tinted by all these contamination, jñāna and karma. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, sakalī viṣera bhāṇḍa.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

So the, unless one understands himself, he also cannot understand God also. In his, in his misunderstanding position... Now, what Dr. Mishra is teaching is very nice because he is teaching that "Just first of all you know 'What I am, what I...' " That's very good. But that "what I am" can be known from the Bhagavad-gītā also, that "I am not this body. I am not this body." That knowledge, at least theoretically, one must accept, that "I am not this body." Now Kṛṣṇa is describing that what is the position. I am not this body. That's all right. Now, actually, what we are? What we are? I'm not body. That's all right. Then what we are? Now, the next, next version is Kṛṣṇa... We must always know that Kṛṣṇa... Here it is said, bhagavān uvāca.

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

Similarly, God is great, that's all right. But if we simply study ourself, then we can understand what is God. Just like you take a drop of water from the ocean. You can understand what are the chemical composition of the ocean. You can understand. So that is called meditation. To study oneself, "What I am." If one has actually studied himself, then he can understand God also. Now take, for example, "What I am." Even you meditate upon yourself, you can understand that you are an individual person. Individual person means you have got your own opinion, I have got my own opinion. Therefore sometimes we disagree. Because you are individual, I am individual. And because we are all individuals, as part and parcel of God, then God also must be individual. This is study. As I am a person, so God is also person. God cannot be imperson. If we take God as the original father, supreme father... The Christian religion believes. All other religion believes.

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

So therefore this loving affair is there also in God. And when we come in contact with God our dealings will be simply on the basis of love. I love Kṛṣṇa, or God, and Kṛṣṇa loves me. This is our exchange of feelings. So in this way, the science of God, even without reading any Vedic literature—of course, that will help you—if you have deeply studied what is God, you can understand God. Because I am a sample of God, I am minute particle. Just like the particle of gold is gold. The drop of ocean water is also salty. The ocean is also salty, you can understand. Similarly, by studying our individuality, by studying our propensities, we can understand what is God. This is one side. And here, God personally presents Himself, Kṛṣṇa. "Yadā yadā hi dharmas.... (break)... Saintly devotees and to kill the demons, I appear."

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

Or one who is actually anxious to unite with the Supreme Lord, how one gets this consciousness—by associating with devotees. Just like we are holding this class. Even those who are not devotee, outsider, if they come they can also understand, then he becomes, one becomes very seriously anxious how to understand God, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Then Kṛṣṇa immediately helps. This is the process. Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart. As soon as you become little serious, immediately, Kṛṣṇa is ready. Kṛṣṇa is ready, He is sitting with you as a friend. Simply looking for the opportunity when you'll come back to Him. That is Kṛṣṇa. He's always sitting with you. But we are not willing to go back to home, back to Godhead. We want to become God in this material world. This is our position. Instead of going back to home, back to Godhead, live with God, we want to become God here. That is our position. Therefore, we are suffering.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "This science of understanding God, long, long ago I spoke to the sun-god Vivasvān." In the Vedic scripture we understand that every planet is inhabited by living entities. The sun is also one of the planets, and there are living entities. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa could go there and speak the predominating person, Vivasvān? The name of the person is also given, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). And vivasvān manave prāha. Vivasvān, the sun-god... Because in the higher planetary system the sun planet, moon planet, and many, many other planets, they are called the heavenly planets. The inhabitants of those planets are very opulent. The material happiness available in those planets are hundreds and thousand times better than in this planet. So it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that sun planet is also inhabited by living beings.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

So Bhagavad-gītā means to understand what is God, the science of God. And God Himself is speaking about Himself. Otherwise it is not possible to understand what is God. So if we carefully understand the ślokas and the passages mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand what is God. And the human form of life is meant for understanding God. He has no other business. In the lower bodies, less than human form of body... According to Darwin's theory, the human form of body comes from monkey. But the evolution is accepted in the Vedic literature but not like Darwin's. The evolution, again according to Vedic scripture, is that the living entity is different from the body, and the living entity is passing through many forms of body. We shall read that. So the bodies are according to my desire. I am desiring something. Just like here we are sitting, so many ladies and gentlemen, but not one of them is similar to anyone else. They have got different bodies.

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

The human society... Therefore, human society, there is marriage. There is no marriage in the dog society. So therefore, sex life within marriage and regulative principle, that is not prohibited. That means anyone who follows these rules and regulation, he becomes purified and pious. Without becoming purified and pious, you cannot understand God. It is said therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

A person who is completely free from sinful activities, such person can become a devotee, a lover of God. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching to the human society how to become purified. There is no such restriction that "This man can be purified; that man cannot be." No, there is nothing like that. Everyone can be purified if he desires to be so.

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

So immediately we may not be able to purify. As it is prescribed—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—it may not be possible because those who are accustomed, it is difficult to give up. Therefore the process is given very simple: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So purification is absolute. That is necessary. Without purification, you cannot understand God. But the method we are prescribing... Not we are prescribing; it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prescription. We are simply propagating that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Yes.

So I am very glad to see that you Mexican young boys, girls, ladies and gentlemen are coming here and joining the chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So I request you to continue this procedure. Please come here, join this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and take prasādam and go home. And surely you'll be purified and qualified for going back to home, back to Godhead. (break)

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

Hṛdayānanda: (translating from Spanish) So he is asking what type of piety is required to understand God.

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.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

The soul is changing dresses. Sometimes this human form of body, sometimes the cat's form of body, dog's form of body, tree's form of body, beast form of body, demigod form of body, in this way. The same soul. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So try to understand this. This is the basic principle of spiritual knowledge. If you understand yourself, then you understand God very easily. Because we are part and parcel of God. So if I understand myself... Suppose if I am gold, so I am gold part and parcel of the supreme gold. Therefore, if I can understand myself, then I can understand the supreme. The small particle of gold... Just like goldsmith, those who are dealing with gold, you take a lump of gold for evaluating the price. They will simply rub the same gold on a stone which is called... What is that?

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Testing stone. And by seeing the color and by testing it with acid, they will immediately evaluate the big lump of gold, what is the value. Similarly, we are a small fragmental portion of God. God is suppose the lump of gold and we are a little particle of gold. So although we are little particle, by quality we are gold. God is gold, we are gold. So if you can understand your position, then you can understand God also. Just like from a bag of rice you take a few grains and see, then you can understand what is the quality of rice in the bag and you can evaluate it, price. So if you try to understand yourself, then you can understand what is God. Or other way, if you understand God, then you understand everything. One way is ascending process, one process is descending process. Just like on the roof there is some sound.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Bhagavad-gītā means the song sung by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavata. From the word bhagavata, we speak Bhagavān. Bhagavān, here, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find everywhere: śrī bhagavān uvāca. So it is the science of understanding God. Yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Jñānaṁ te pravakṣyāmi yad vijñāna-samanvitam. It is a vijñāna. Vijñāna means science. As everything is understood thoroughly through a scientific process, similarly, if you want to know the science of God, then you have to adopt the process by which one can understand God. That process is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He says, "If anyone wants to understand Me, then he has to take the process of devotional service," not by the speculative process or by fruitive activities, or by yogic process, mystic yogic process. It is clearly stated. Not only in Bhagavad-gītā. In all other Vedic scripture.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

It is not possible because the Lord is unlimited. We have got our senses very limited. Our senses are not only limited, but also imperfect. We commit illusion. We try to cheat. So many defects are there. Therefore simply by exercising our senses it is not possible to understand God.

So to know God, "God is very good, God is great," that is another thing. The science of God... Just like Bhagavad-gītā, by studying Bhagavad-gītā, we know not only "God is great," but we see what kind of God He is, what is His form. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He appeared just like a human being, so mūḍhas... Mūḍhas means less intelligent, or, in plain word, asses. Mūḍha means ass. So this class of men could not understand Kṛṣṇa, that He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the defect of the mūḍhas. They may be very great scholars, academic scholar, but in the matter of understanding God, they're mūḍhas, asses. Why? Māyayā apahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). At the present moment, people are mostly āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuri, āsuri bhāva means to defy God: "There is no God. God is dead. I am God. You are God. So many Gods are loitering in the street. Why you are finding out God?" These are so many statements. So God has become so cheap. There are so many incarnations of God, especially in India. It is a breeding ground of Gods, so many. So that is, means they do not know what is God. Mūḍha.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:

So again, within the sun globe there is the predominating deity, sun-god. Actually the heat and light is coming from the body of the sun-god. So those who are expert in studying the sun, the sun-god, the sun globe and the sunshine—this is an example—similarly, there is possibility of understanding God, His Paramātmā feature, all-pervading feature, as well as His Brahman feature.

So here it is said that na asataḥ vidyate bhāvaḥ. Asataḥ means that which does not exist forever. Just like our this body. It will not exist forever. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows that this body will be finished. And to finish the body... Suppose if somebody comes immediately with some weapon and if he says, "I shall finish your body," so immediately we shall be facing some danger. But it is known to us that this body will be finished. That means the danger is ahead. I may meet the danger... Today or tomorrow or hundred years after, the danger is awaiting.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, "beyond the limit." He can simply be presented by Himself, revealed. Just like Kṛṣṇa is revealing Himself to Arjuna. Arjuna is not understanding Kṛṣṇa by his philosophical speculation. Directly Kṛṣṇa revealing. This is the process of understanding God. You cannot create your imagination, imaginative God. No. God reveals unto you being pleased upon you by your devotional activities. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Just like Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3). "You are My very dear friend, you are My devotee. Therefore I'll reveal unto you. Not to others." This is the qualification of understanding God, to become devotee.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

So our movement is to make people in general devotee. Then he'll understand God. Then his life will be successful. That's all. You be yourself devotee and try to make others devotee. Then both your life and the person who is under your instruction, he, everyone is successful. And without being devotee, you cannot make others devotee. That is also a secret. If you remain nondevotee, you cannot convince others. That is not in your power. Therefore the nondevotee class of men, they cannot understand God, they cannot convince others about God. That's a fact. They'll simply present hodge-podge thing, they do not understand clearly, and they present hodge-podge. That's all. Without being... Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). "If anyone wants to understand Me as I am..." Of course, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is, still, as far as possible.

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

Or one foot greater than me." That is mental speculation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of men, one may try to make his life successful, understanding the Absolute Truth." And yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3).

So we cannot understand God by our mental speculation. Neither we can understand what is the measurement of the soul. That is not possible. Therefore we have to take information from the highest authority, Kṛṣṇa, what is the nature of God, what is the nature of Absolute Truth, what is the nature of the soul. We have to hear. We have to hear. Therefore the Vedic literature is called śruti. You cannot make experiment. That is not possible. But unfortunately, there is a section of people who think that they can make experiment, they can know the Absolute by mental speculation.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

His indication He's coming is that people are becoming degraded, forgetting God. That is their degradation. So at the end of this Kali-yuga they will be so much degraded that it will be impossible for them to understand God. At the present moment, although it is Kali-yuga, there are some persons who are trying to understand God. At least, there is attempt. But, at the end of Kali-yuga, say, about 400,000's of years, then people... Because they're becoming animals, more and more. The more we become animals, we cannot understand God. So our modern civilization is to make the people animal. That is advancement of civilization. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. The modern civilization is how we can eat very nicely, how we can sleep nicely, how we can have sexual intercourse nicely, how we can defend nicely. Only these four principles are being taught.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

You have got this facility of life, comfortable life. Do not misuse it for becoming next life a dog. Utilize it to become next life God. That is success. You have got advanced intelligence, but this intelligence is given to you for understanding God and your position that by forgetting God you are in this material world, and in this material world you are changing one body to another. Sometimes American body, sometimes demigod's body, sometimes celestial body, sometimes dog's body, cat's body, tiger's body. This science is unknown. But this is the science. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra (BG 3.27). We have got this body, that body, this body, under the direction of the prakṛti, material nature. So therefore intelligence is that "If I am eternal..." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You are not dying. Hanyamāne śarīre.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

So in our present experience we see this flesh or mental concoction. But spiritual understanding is different. That you have to do when you are spiritualized. Therefore it is said, ataḥ śri-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Indriya means senses. You cannot understand God by your present senses, or godly, kingdom of God. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ: "But if you engage your service beginning with the tongue, then God reveals." "God reveals" means He reveals His kingdom, He Himself. That...

These boys are after God. It is not that I have shown him God, but they are realizing, understanding. Otherwise they are not so fool, they'll waste time. They are understanding. But it is not a subject matter to be seen like this. Neither you have got the eyes to see, neither God or His kingdom is visible in that way. It is to be realized, revelation. That is called revelation.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Then if you continue, then as the drunkard becomes big drunkard, you become a big devotee. The beginning is that you must be little anxious that how I can understand God. This is the qualification, that's all. And if you are serious, then God is within you, He will give you intelligence. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakaṁ buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. When God sees that you are sincere, He is within you, He will dictate you do like this, you do like this, and you will make advance.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

So that you can have if you perform tapasya. Tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena ca (SB 6.1.13). That is life. Human life is meant for tapasya, a little tapasya. Little tapasya. Not very difficult. We are asking these boys, European, others, that "You simply give up these four principles of sinful life because if you remain sinful, you cannot understand God. That is not possible." Therefore Kṛṣṇa is saying, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). One who are engaged in sinful activities, they cannot. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

So we should take advantage. We have got now this consciousness, God consciousness. Therefore in every human society there is some sort of religious propaganda: "Try to understand God." So we should take advantage of this. But instead of taking advantage of this opportunity, we have declared, "God is dead. I am God. This God, that God." You see? So we are not fanning. We are, rather, going more and more away from God. This should not be done. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

I mean to say, challenging. You see? He will not reveal His name. You cannot understand. If you want to know God by your challenge, that "I can understand, I can see; therefore I shall see God, then I'll...," you'll never see Him. You'll never see. God is not under your challenge. Therefore the qualification of understanding God is surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And the process of understanding God is from God, not from others. He's so great, how can you understand by your mental speculation?

So here in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is revealing Himself by His causeless mercy.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

So you can imagine this man is so big, so big merchant, he has got so much money. Imagination, by discussion amongst your friends, but that is not perfect knowledge. But somehow or other, if you make friendship with that big man, and if he tells you that "My position is like this," then you understand very easily. You cannot speculate. By speculating, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. He's so great, our speculating power is very poor.

In Sanskrit there is a logical conclusion, Dr. Frog. A frog within the well. You know, well, a three-feet circumference, and there is a frog. Another frog friend comes and informs the frog in the well, "My dear friend, today I have seen a very big span of water, Pacific Ocean." So the frog in the well, he considers that Pacific Ocean may be four feet. "My water is three feet, so Pacific Ocean may be four feet." So, he replied to his friend, "Is that Pacific Ocean four feet?" "No, no it is very big." "All right, five feet?"

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

We are going to accept another body, not that after death, everything is finished. This conception is going on very strong, but this is a great mistake. That is being explained here by Kṛṣṇa. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir (BG 2.13). This is the first state to understand God. What is the nature of God. This is the first state. That I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. If I study myself as sample of God, a little sample of God, then you can understand God. Just like you take a drop of Pacific Ocean water, and you chemically analyze the constituents of that drop of water, then you can understand what is the constituent ingredients in the Pacific Ocean. You can understand. The difference is, as I have already explained, God and we, individual souls, are of the same quality. The quality is not different.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Actually this is exhibited when Kṛṣṇa came. Kṛṣṇa comes here, God in His original form, in one day of Brahmā. These are very long, long narration, but first of all try to understand yourself. What is your nature? Then you will understand God automatically. Or if you are so advanced that you can understand God, then you can understand your nature also. Just like God is gold mine, and I am a gold ring. So the chemical composition of the gold ring and the chemical composition of the gold mine, the same. This is the position. Qualitatively we are one. Quantitatively we are different. Quantity, God's quantity, God's power, God's opulence, God's riches, God's beauty, God's wisdom, they are very, very, very, very great than ours. That is the difference between God and us. Now try to understand your constitutional position.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ veda-pathād bhaved vipro, and when by studying the Vedic literature, he understands Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15), because the purpose of studying Vedas means to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you understand God. So when one understands what is God, what is Brahman, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Paramātmā, then he is a brāhmaṇa. This is the process.

So, the Garga Upaniṣad says that anyone who dies after becoming a brāhmaṇa, his life is successful. And anyone who dies without becoming a brāhmaṇa, he dies like a cat and dog. That is the difference. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that don't die like cats and dog, die like a brāhmaṇa. That is our request. Don't think it is any sectarian religion. It is a science. It is a culture.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

The brāhmaṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, after giving up this body, he does not enter another material body. Then what happens to him? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), he comes back to Me. So try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Your life will be successful. Your life will be successful. We are giving a great contribution to the human society, to understand God or Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So you can understand God by becoming a devotee. That is not very difficult task. You can become devotee in two ways. It is not difficult. You can study all these Vedic literatures, scientific Vedic literature, you can understand. But, another method is open for everyone. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that's all. If you simply chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, if you don't study... (break)

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: "He is advaita, which means there is no distinction between His body and Himself. Everything is spirit, whereas the conditioned soul is different from His material body. And because the Lord is identical in His body and self, His position is always different from the ordinary living entities, even when He descends to the material platform. The demons cannot adjust themselves to this transcendental nature of the Lord, as the Lord explains in the following verse."

Prabhupāda: Therefore, if we try to understand God by our limited knowledge, it will be a failure. We have to understand God from God. Then that will be perfect knowledge. So this Bhagavad-gītā is the science of God where God is speaking about Himself. And it is accepted by all great scholars, philosophers, and, I mean to say, religionists, everyone. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

A child sees: he sees that it is automatically going, without any horse. He's amazed. But one who can see, he knows that there is machine, there is brain. So this is our position. Even to understand material things we are not perfect. Our senses are not perfect. How we can understand God? That is not possible, because we have got defects. Our senses are not perfect: I cannot see perfectly. I cannot smell perfectly. I cannot touch perfectly. I cannot hear perfectly. So many defects. I commit mistake. I become illusioned. I accept something for something. In this way, our position is very imperfect.

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

So one has to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very carefully. It is very nice and very scientific. And if we simply try to understand my position, try to understand God and what is my relation with God, janma karma me divyam, simply by understanding this, I become qualified to enter into the spiritual kingdom. And as soon as I enter into the spiritual kingdom, then, as it is stated in this verse, that tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Punar janma means again taking birth in this material world. Na eti, na, no more. This continued repetition of accepting different kinds of body is finished simply by understanding what is God, how He appears, how He disappears, what are His activities.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

You can try to read this book. They are available in our center. And try to understand what is the science of God. This human form of life is achieved after a evolutionary process, going through different species of life. This is the opportunity to understand your spiritual identity and your relationship with God. If you lose this opportunity and die without understanding God, that is not very good business. We must utilize this human form of life for the highest achievement of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. It is very difficult to surpass the stringent laws of nature, especially birth, death, old age and disease. There has been much advancement in scientific knowledge in the modern age, but they have not been able to make any solution of the problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease. If you really, therefore, want to get out of the clutches of material energy, namely birth, death, and old age and disease, you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is not at all difficult.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

You cannot manufacture religion. And what is actual religion? If you follow, then you are religious. The actual religion is the God's order. That is... everyone follows some principle of religion to understand God. And in our Vedic system the only purpose of life is to understand God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the human form of life we have no other business. No other. Other business, that, cats and dogs are also doing, and we are also doing. That is automatic. It is not that other animals, they are starving. They are also eating and we are also eating. But the facility is, the other animals lower than the human being, they haven't got to do any business or any profession or go from one country to another to earn livelihood. That is their advantage.

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

What is your knowledge? You do not accept so many authorities? You are so proud? That is our misfortune. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ, and disturbed condition of life. That is our misfortune.

This is the position. Otherwise where is the difficulty of understanding God? "God is dead. There is no God. I am God, you are God." So many theories. Why? Here is God. God personally comes to show you what is the position of God, and He has shown what is the meaning of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya balasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. What is the meaning of Bhagavān, He has shown. Still, we are so unfortunate, we cannot accept. Because we are not free from the contamination. Yeṣām. One can understand. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

You taste it; it is salty. So you can understand the whole Pacific Ocean is salty. Immediately you understand what is Pacific Ocean.

Similarly, if you study yourself, "What I am?"—that is called meditation—then you can understand God, that "God is like me also. But He is profuse, unlimited. I am limited. But the same qualities are there." Same qualities. Otherwise how can you get it? The part and parcel of gold is gold, but that is not whole gold. The quality is gold. You cannot say it is iron. Even a small particle of gold, no chemist will say, "No, it is iron." It is gold, but not that whole gold. This is understanding.

So one who approaches a bona fide spiritual master, then he can understand what is God and what is he. He does not make a conglomeration, what is called? A mixing up.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Why did you not take advantage? That is your fault.

Sinful life means our fault, to remain in ignorance. You take knowledge. There is book of knowledge. There is spiritual master. They are canvassing. We are canvassing, "Come here. Try to understand God consciousness." Nobody is coming. Who is responsible? They are responsible. God is not responsible. For your sinful activities God is not responsible. You are responsible. God is canvassing you, "Please come to Me. I will give you all protection." Oh, I am stubborn: "No. I shall not go to You." Then you suffer. What can be done?

Therefore knowledge, when one understands by the grace of spiritual master—"Oh, I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why not go to Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore, "even if you are considered to be the most sinful, all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge..."

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

So if I am part and parcel of God, therefore the qualities which I have got, then God has got the same quality. Now you study yourself. Then you can understand what is God. The same qualities are there, but it is unlimited; ours are limited. It is not difficult to understand God. Why they are bewildered to understand God? God is also... And it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā and all Vedic literature. God is just like us, a person, an individual person, but very powerful. That is the difference. My power... There are different kinds of power. Your power is different from another man. Another man's is different from another man, another man, go on, go on, go on. When you find the supreme man or Supreme Personality, He is God.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

Na māṁ duṣkṛtinaḥ—actually he should have engaged, when he earns millions of dollars daily, he should have engaged himself, his time and energy, how to understand God, what is the purpose of life. Because he has no economic problem. So he has got enough time, he can utilize in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. But he does not take part in that way. Therefore he is mūḍha. Mūḍha means, actually mūḍha means ass. So his intelligence is not very nice. A person is said to have attained yoga, when having renounced all material desires. If one is in perfection of yoga, then he's satisfied. He has no more any material desire. That is perfection. He neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities. Fruitive activities are also, fruitive activities means you earn something for sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

So these people are being cheated, accepting so many rascals as God. Because they do not know what is God. Anyone comes, "Oh, I am God," and the rascal—he is rascal, and the man who says that "I am God," he's also rascal. So rascal society and one rascal is accepted God. God is not like that. One has to qualify himself to see God, to understand God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). If you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then you'll be qualified to see God. Otherwise it is not possible. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

Of course, according to, as I have told you, that there are three qualities in the material world. So according to the quality, the religious conception is also created. But the purpose of religion is to understand God. And to learn how to love God. That is the purpose. Any religious system. If it teaches you how to love God, then it is first-class. Otherwise it is useless. You may prosecute your religious principles very rigidly and very nicely, but your love of God is nil. Your love of matter is simply enhancing, that is no religion. According to Bhāgavata verdict: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Apratihatā. Ahaituky apratihatā. That religious system has no cause. And without any impediment. If you can reach such system of religious principle, then we'll find that you are happy in all respect. Otherwise there is no possibility.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Adhokṣaje. God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means that conquers all materialistic attempt to see God. Adhokṣaja. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge. You cannot understand God by experimental knowledge, no. You have to learn in a different way. That means by submissive auraloral (aural) reception and rendering transcendental loving service. Then you can understand God. So any religious principle which teaches and helps you to develop your love of Godhead. Without any cause. "I love God because He supplies me very nice things for my sense gratification." That is not love. Ahaituki. Without any... God is great. God is my father. It is my duty to love Him. That's all. No exchange. "Oh, God gives me daily bread, therefore I love God." No. Daily bread God gives even to the animals, cats, and dogs. God is father of everyone. He supplies food to everyone.

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

That is not bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is simply in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti-yoga cannot be applied to anyone, anything else. How Buddha philosophy can be dovetailed with bhakti-yoga? Bhakti-yoga means to understand God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, Eighteenth Chapter. By bhakti-yoga you can understand Lord, the Supreme Lord, God. But in Buddha philosophy there is no God? That you know? So where is bhakti-yoga?

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

Well, there is only one form, bhakti. There is no other form. It is not a particular. It is the only. Just like there are nine holes in your body. The only one hole will be used for eating. Not other holes. If you pushed your foodstuff in other holes, it will be useless. Similarly God is one, and to understand God the only process is bhakti. That's all. There is no other process.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

So this yoga system, as described herein, bhakti-yoga, it can be practiced by such persons who have developed such attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Others cannot. And if anyone is able to develop such attachment, then the result will be that he will understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, perfectly. However we may try to understand what is God by our different theories or speculation, it is a very difficult job to understand what is God. We may say that I have..., we have understood what is God, but it is not possible to understand God as He is, because we have got our limited senses and He is unlimited. How you can capture the Unlimited with your limited sense? But it is possible.

It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our senses are imperfect always.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

One who has developed the service spirit with love and devotion, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. Nobody else. Nobody... Not Dr. Radhakrishnan or similar person. No. But a child can understand Kṛṣṇa if he has full faith in Him.

So it is the faith and devotion that makes one qualified to understand God. Mad-āśrayaḥ. This is called mad-āśrayaḥ. Now by simply that faith and service, you'll understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now just like we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not wasting your time or our time without having full faith that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, theoretically or practically. Theoretically, if you take that "How Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" theoretically, from the revealed scriptures, we understand from the Vedic literature that great authorities in the past and in the present...

Take for the present Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

Nobody can speak better than Kṛṣṇa about God, because God Himself is speaking about Himself. If you speak about yourself personally, who can speak more than you? So if we have faith, if we believe theoretically and practically Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then by the speeches which is being delivered by Kṛṣṇa in this chapter, you can understand God. There is no difficulty.

(Sanskrit commentary) Mat-parataṁ yanis cayāvanityārthaḥ, samagraṁ sādhiṣṭhānaṁ sāvibhūtiṁ sāparikaram. And if you believe Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that you can understand God, how He is working, how His energies are acting, how He is manifested, what is this material world, what is the spiritual world, what are these living creatures, what is their relationship. So many things in God's creation. The whole Vedic literature are dealing in three things.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

Therefore son's business is to ask from father whatever we need. But that is very minor relationship. If you understand God perfectly well... And there is intricate relationship also. That relationship will be revealed when you are perfectly liberated. Each and every living creature has got a particular relationship with God. We have forgotten that. So when that relationship will be revealed in the process of devotional activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you should know that is the perfection of your life. That is the perfection of our life.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

They are means to the end. But here is the end. If you can concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, then you come to the ultimate point. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, "Simply by concentrating your mind on Me, you will understand Me perfectly. And as soon as you understand Me perfectly..." Of course, we cannot understand God perfectly. That is not possible. He is unlimited. We are not... Still, so far our capacity is concerned, if we can understand Kṛṣṇa, then everything is known to us.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. One who has developed love of God, or Kṛṣṇa... When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you should understand "God." Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Another name of Kṛṣṇa is Śyāmasundara. He is blackish like the cloud, but very beautiful; therefore His name is Śyāmasundara. So in this verse of Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that the santaḥ, saintly person, who has developed love for Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa... Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means always, constantly. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu. Hṛdayeṣu means within the heart. Actually, when one comes to the point of samādhi in yoga system, he thinks of Viṣṇu form of the Lord within the heart without any stopping.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

They are working whole day and night. So perfection of human life is not (to) increase our industrial enterprise or economic development or so many things we are now planning. The perfection of human life is to understand Kṛṣṇa, to understand God. If you have got any objection to speak "Kṛṣṇa" as the name of God—you may have—but actually, if there can be any name of God, that is "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. All-attractive. That is defined in the śāstra. So Kṛṣṇa, when He was present as a historical person... Kṛṣṇa is also a historical person, because five thousand years ago He appeared on this planet and He took His birth in Mathurā, and He was raised as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana, then He went to Dvārakā. In this way His life is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Because your aim is self-realization. So self means Superself. The Supreme Lord, He's the Supreme Self. We are part and parcel. So by this process, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, God, Ajita, one who is never conquered... If you... By challenge, if you want to know God, you'll never understand. God never accepts challenge. Because God is great. Why should He accept your challenge. If you say, "Oh, my dear God, please come here. I shall see You," so God is not like that, that He will carry your order. You must carry His order. Then God realization. God says: "You surrender," sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That process, you'll learn God. Not that "Oh, I shall know God. I have got good intelligence, speculate." No.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, śrī-bhagavān uvāca.

We should always remember that this Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So no more better authority. And God is speaking about Himself. Otherwise, by speculation you cannot understand God. That is not possible. You have to hear from God Himself about God.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

So attachment is there. Now this attachment has to be employed on Kṛṣṇa. That yoga system, kṛṣṇa-yoga system, is described in this Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." In any other process, you cannot understand what is God in full sense. That is not possible. By speculating process... There are so many speculators, theosophist, theologist, philosopher, Māyāvādī. They are speculating about God by... But that, by that process, by speculative process, you cannot understand God. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

So in this way, when one is situated, then mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54), then he comes to the devotional platform. And when he comes to the devotional platform, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55), then he's able.

So this Kṛṣṇa yoga is the only process to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhāgavata also it is said: evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One can become jolly by practice of this bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Kṛṣṇa-tattva-jñānaṁ jāyate, mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Unless you are liberated, you cannot understand what is God. In the nonliberated condition, you cannot understand what is God or what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

God is not a fiction or an imagination, as people take it. Not always, but in human society, everywhere in civilized human society there is some conception of religion, and the purpose of executing religious faith means to understand God. There is no other purpose of any religion. If in any religion the understanding of God is lacking, that is not first-class religion. So we are preaching not any particular type of religion. Religion is described in the English dictionary as "a kind of faith." Actually, religion does not mean. The Sanskrit word dharma, that dharma means characteristic. It is not a kind of faith—characteristic, or occupational duty. Generally it means characteristic. The characteristic is that every living being, whether it is animal or human being or tree or plants or insect... (loud noise from speaker system) (aside:) What is it? Every living being has a particular characteristic that is visible in all kinds of forms of living being. That is service.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

These descriptions are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of Kṛṣṇa's palace, Kṛṣṇa's sixteen thousand wives, Kṛṣṇa's expansion into sixteen thousand forms. This is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means unlimitedly potential. That is Bhagavān.

So here in this chapter, we are trying to understand what is Bhagavān. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to try to understand what is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our endeavor. It is very difficult to understand Bhagavān, but there is process, you can understand God, or Bhagavān. That process is being described by the Supreme Lord Himself, Bhagavān. Bhagavān uvāca. What is that process?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

"You have to increase your attachment for Me." Mayy āsakta. Mayi āsakta. Mayi means "unto Me," and āsakti means "attachment." Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be trained up in such a way that you increase your attachment for God, or Kṛṣṇa.

When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, you understand "God." Kṛṣṇa is one of the names of God. There are many millions of names, of which "Kṛṣṇa" is the chief. Because this word, Kṛṣṇa, means all attractive, because He's fully opulent. Just like if, in this material world, if one man is very rich, he's attractive. He draws attention of the people in general. If he's very powerful, he draws attention. If he's very reputed, famous, he draws attention. If he's very wise, learned, he draws attention. But Kṛṣṇa has got all these things in fullness. Therefore, He draws attention of everyone. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. This "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive. He has got all the attractive features.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

You see yourself, you see your neighbor, you see the city, you see the house, you see... Everything you can see when there is sunlight. Similarly, if you can see God, then you can see everything. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you can understand what is God, then you understand everything. Then why don't you take this process to understand God? That is the prerogative of human life, to understand God. Why you deny the existence of God? How you can deny? You cannot deny. There is a controller, supreme controller. That we have to accept. We are not free. We are being controlled. However we are trying to become independent of any controller, that is not possible. Prakṛteḥ... You are under the control of the prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

So therefore it is our duty to understand Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is personally..., God is personally explaining Himself, what He is, and if we accept that, then where is the difficulty to understand God? Why you are making so much research work to find out God? God is canvassing at your door, "Here I am. You try to understand Me. Here I am explaining Myself." "No, no, no. We shall find out God somewhere else." This is called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Narādhama means not even ordinary knowledge of a human being. Lowest of the mankind. We are searching out what is God, and God is canvassing here. We do not accept. Therefore narādhama. Why? Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, because their knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy. But one who is, whose knowledge has not been taken away... Just like Arjuna.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

We have to take the path of mahājana, and the purpose is how to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This is the business. And this business, you can occupy yourself in this human form of life. In other form of life...

We are changing our form of life from one body to another, but if we want to understand God... That is essential. So long we do not understand God, so long we do not go back to home, back to Godhead, our struggle for existence will continue. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). They struggle. Everyone struggles hard to become happy, but that is not possible. Simply searching after, searching after happiness, our time comes: "Finished. Your business is finished. Now get out." That is called death. So death is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Mṛtyu, Kṛṣṇa, comes as death. During your lifetime, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this Kṛṣṇa will come as death and take away everything what you have got. Sarva-haraḥ.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

The Sanskrit word, when the meaning is to possess, then one affix is added which is called vat, bhaga-vat. And the first word of the bhagavat-śabda is bhagavān.

So we are trying to understand Bhagavān, which is explained by Bhagavān Himself, Bhagavān, God. You cannot understand God, or Bhagavān, by your speculation. Any one of us, our senses are defective. Just like we are very much proud of our eyes to see. Sometimes some rascal says, "Can you show me God?" He does not think that how far his eyes are capable to see, but he wants to see God. Our senses are conditional. So long the electric light is there, we can see. If it is immediately dark, we cannot see. Then what is the value of this seeing? But we are very much proud of seeing. Similarly, we have our defective senses and we accept something which is not fact. That is called illusion. And we commit mistake, every one of us. There is no man in the world who can say, "I did not commit any mistake in my life." That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

Now everyone has got some doubt, whether there is God or not, whether God is person or imperson, whether He is something... He has no idea. In any religion you take, ask him, "What do you know about God?" That he cannot explain. Because he is not in the platform, how he can be understand God? That is not possible. It is not... But we are confident what is God, what is His father's name, what is His name, what is His address, everything. No saṁśaya, no doubt. Everything complete. Asaṁśayam. We are confident that we are going to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt, asaṁśayam and samagram. Sama means full. What is God meant? Asaṁśayam... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

Therefore it is said, bhagavān uvāca. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking Himself.

So He was speaking to Arjuna. So He says the process, how to understand God. The process is, means:

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
(BG 7.1)

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says that "If you want to know Me, then you have to increase your attachment for Me." This is the first condition. Mayy āsakta. Mayi āsakta-manāḥ. Our mind is attracted by so many things, especially in the material world. When yoga system was advised to Arjuna that "You concentrate your mind upon Me," Arjuna flatly declined, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I cannot concentrate my mind in any particular thing." But he said that "I have got my mind on You." That is different thing. "But if you ask me to concentrate, it is very difficult for me."

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

They must have desires. But bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti is so nice that now they hate any other engagement. This illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication and gambling, they hate. You bribe them lakhs of rupees; they will not agree. Viraktir anyatra. This is the test of bhakti: virakti, detachment from all these nonsense things. And unless you are purified, you cannot understand God.

So if you... That is our only business in the human life, to understand God. We have no other business. And if you want to understand God, then you have to become purified. Without being purified...

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

"This is... I am like this." Just like a very big man. If you speculate upon him, "He may be possessing so much wealth, he may be like this. He may be..." No. That "may be" may be or may not be. But if that person explains himself, "My dear Mr. such and such, my position is like this. I am like this," then it is very easy.

So take instruction from God to understand God. Then your life will be perfect. And if you understand God, then your all problems solved. Our real problem is repetition of birth and death. That is real problem. That we do not know. We are callous. We do not know what is the position of my real self. That we do not know. This is called ignorance. That instruction is given in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This living spirit... Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This, I mean to say, spirit soul is never born. Then what is this birth? The birth is of this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāram (BG 2.13). This change of body We are changing body. But I am the eternal.

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

So, what is the purpose of reading Vedas? Can you say me? Who can say what is the purpose of reading Vedas? That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). By reading Vedas, any Vedas, you have to understand God. Then it is perfect reading of Vedas. If you do not understand what is God, then what is the use of reading Vedas? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply waste of time. If you have read Vedas, then give me full information of God. Then I can understand that you have read Vedas. If you have no idea of God, then it is useless advertisement that "I have read Vedas."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Everyone says, "There is no God." Somebody says, "God is there, but He has no form," and somebody says, "He has any form you like. Imagine any form." In this way speculation is going on all over the world. Actually they are not interested in God. That is the plain simple thing. They do not want to know God, and they think there is no need of understanding. But that is the only need, to understand God. That they do not know. Therefore they are called fools and rascals, mūḍha. Mūḍho nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. So Kṛṣṇa therefore left His instruction behind Him that "These mūḍhas, rascals, after studying Bhagavad-gītā they may understand Me. I am keeping behind Me."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

We are not preaching to Christian or Hindu or Muslim. We are preaching to human being. We do not see, "Here is a Christian. Here is a Muslim. Here is a Hindu. Here is a white man. Here is a black man." No. Every living being, his duty is to understand God. This is our preaching. This is our preaching, that "You are living being. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. This designation, that 'You are Hindu,' 'You are Muslim,' 'You are Christian,' 'You are this'—these are all designations. Actually you are living being, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore your main duty is to understand Kṛṣṇa." This is our preaching. We are not going to convert Hindu into Muslim, Muslim into Christian. No, that is not our... That is not our business. He may think that he is Christian, he is Hindu, he is Muslim, but we think that he is a spirit soul, part and parcel of God. That is stated in the...

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

That we have explained, what is God. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). You have to become God conscious. Then you will understand what is God. It is not a so trifle thing you ask me and, one minute, you understand God. That is foolishness. You have to study the science of God. God is not so cheap.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
(BG 7.3)

Out of many thousands of men, one wants to become perfect, and out of many millions of perfect men, one can understand God. So God is not so cheap thing.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

Jñānī generally means one who wants liberation, mukti, by merging into the existence. Bhakti is above this jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). If you want to become a bhakta then you have to disregard the process of fruitive activities and the speculative method of understanding God, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Then what I have to do? Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. Simply you have to be ready to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. Ānukūlyena, what Kṛṣṇa says, you have to do that, just like a servant. Servant faithfulness is, as soon as the master orders something, he is ready. You have to become.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

That is first class. If you practice this yoga—very easy. Simply you come daily. If you can, offer patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), and offer obeisances. You'll increase your attachment. And that attachment, mayy āsakta-manāḥ—this yoga, if you practice, then what will... Asaṁśayaṁ samagram. Gradually, God, Kṛṣṇa, will reveal. You cannot understand God without revelation. So on account of your attachment He reveals Himself. So sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If you want to see by your blunt material eyes, that is not possible. We have to purify. You'll see God with these eyes when it is purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When the eyes will be nirmalam, without any designation, then you'll see Him.

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

So these are saṁśayam, or doubts: whether there is actually God or not, whether God is dead or alive. But here Kṛṣṇa says that if we develop our attachment for Kṛṣṇa... Take Kṛṣṇa as a historical personality. Still, if you develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa by the prescribed methods, then you will understand God without any doubt. Asaṁśayam. And samagram. Samagram, "in fullness." Not partially. The Absolute Truth, samagram Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
(SB 1.2.11)

The Absolute Truth is understood in three features, although all of Them are one. The first feature appreciated by the philosophers as Brahman, impersonal Brahman.

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

Everyone is seeing God, but he does not know that he's seeing God. That is māyā. There are so many examples. Just like you can... Although you are in this room, you can know that sun is not yet set because you can see your watch and you can understand the sunset time is not yet there. So you can understand perfectly that there is sun in the sky. It is a method. Similarly, you can understand God is there. You have to accept the method. If you accept... That method is recommended here: yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. "You have to practice this yoga system under the shelter of Me." "Me" means... Just like the same example, a business firm signs "We." "We agree to this point." The manager signs, the proprietor signs, he says "We," means "We, the company, any one of us." Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says mad-āśrayaḥ, "under My shelter," it means that taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa or anyone in the disciplic succession of Kṛṣṇa. The same example: anyone attached to that business transaction, he's as good as the proprietor or the manager.

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions of human beings, one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. When I speak "Kṛṣṇa," you should understand "God." So Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Sahasreṣu is plural number, means among thousands and thousands of men, millions and thousands of men, one become interested. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Siddhaye means perfection. Perfection of life. One should be very cool-headed. The distinction—the human being and animal—the animal does not know what is perfection of life. They are simply interested with four principles of bodily necessities: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. They have no other inquiries, "What is the perfection?"

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So this knowledge, this process of knowledge, is received by submissive mood. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. One has to give up the false prestigious position that "I can understand God and everything by my speculative, experimental knowledge." This is called jñāne prayāsam. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. One should be submissive, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, and try to hear the message of the Lord from san-mukharitām, sādhu, devotees, san-mukha..., not professional. Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī has strictly forbidden: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Avaiṣṇava, those who are not practically Vaiṣṇava, devotee, in practical life, professional person, there is no use. Avaiṣṇava. There must be heart and soul Vaiṣṇava.

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

Of all the yogis, the yogi who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa with love and faith... It is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says, "He is first-class yogi." So how to become the first-class yogi, that is described in this Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says personally. If you want to understand God, it is better to understand from God Himself. Instead of speculating what is God, better to understand God from the words of God.

So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by the... Just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the compiler of all Vedic knowledge. He accepts Kṛṣṇa, (as) the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Later on, all the ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya—they have all accepted Kṛṣṇa. So far our Vedic culture is concerned, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here it is also said, śrī bhagavān uvāca. So He is teaching how to become first-class yogi in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

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 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

We are speaking from Bhagavad-gītā. I think most of you know this book, Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is sometimes translated in foreign languages: "The Song of God." In other words, God Himself speaking. So far we are concerned, we cannot understand God by mental speculation. Even in this material world, we cannot understand what is there in the planetary systems. So our knowledge is very, very limited. Besides that, we have got four deficiencies.

The one deficiency is that we commit mistake. Anyone, any big man of this material world, he commits mistake. Besides that, he is illusioned. Illusioned means to accept something what is not fact. Just like... (coughs) (aside:) Water.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

Just like man is sleeping, and some enemy has come to attack him or to kill him. So still he's nicely sleeping. But if some friend cries, "Mr. such and such, wake up, wake up! Here is enemy. He'll kill you, kill you!" He can rise up. So when all other senses are useless, the ear can work. Therefore, to understand God, we have to use this ear. And we have to receive the sound vibration and it will act.

So as you are all ladies and gentleman interested in the yoga system, so the first-class yoga system is bhakti-yoga. In this Bhagavad-gītā, just now I am trying to explain the first verse of the Seventh Chapter. The Seventh Chapter begins after concluding the Sixth Chapter. In the Sixth Chapter, the yoga system has been explained. It is said that one has to select a very sacred, secluded place. He has to sit down there in a posture just like a perpendicular, a straight line, the neck and the body. And then he has to think of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

There is one religion. One who knows God, he is religious. One who does not know God, that religion has no meaning. Religion means to understand the order of God. That is religion. But if you do not know what is God, and how you can hear His order? So religion without understanding God philosophically and logically is sentiment. And philosophy without understanding of God is mental speculation. So when philosophy and religious sentiments combine, that is called religion. Otherwise, it is not religion.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

The father is always looking forward when the son would come back at home and enjoy. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme father, He is always looking forwad when we shall go back to Him. Therefore, He comes personally, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. The general opportunity for human being is to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, and go back to Him again. We have come from Him, but we are attracted by this material enjoyment, which is not very pleasurable. It is suffering. Just like here, without this fan, it was uncomfortable, excessive heat. So, excessive heat, excessive cold, so many things, adhibautic, adhyatmic, adhidaivic. We are actually suffering always. This is the nature of this material world. Stringent laws of the material world. And still we are trying to become happy by some adjustment. This is called struggle for existence. In this way we cannot be happy.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Now, why this jñānam required? Because our mission of life is to... You can not understand with your foolish brain what is God. That is not possible. They are trying to understand God by the limited senses. How you can understand? We are defective in so many ways. First of all we commit mistakes, and we are illusioned, we try to cheat others, and our senses are imperfect. So, how you can understand with your limited senses, with so many defects? That is not possible. Therefore you have to understand God from God Himself, or from His representative. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ: "directly under My direction, or under the direction of My representative." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa if you remain under your personal intelligence. Everyone says that "I shall understand this by my own dint of knowledge, by speculation."

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Everyone says that "I shall understand this by my own dint of knowledge, by speculation." That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says that you have to understand. Here also it is the same thing said, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam vakṣyāmy aham, "I shall speak to you." So this is the secret of success, if you want to understand God, what is God. Everyone, there are many philosophers, scientists, they are trying to understand God by research, but that research will not help you. You have to understand directly from God, or from God's representative. That is the way.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Similarly, there are many men, but if you want to search out some man who is trying to make perfection of his life, at once the number will be reduced. And out of them Just like so many transcendentalists, swamis, yogis there are. If you count amongst them who wants to understand God, who has got the knowledge of God, at once the number will be reduced. Again.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that out of many, many thousands of people, somebody is interested for making perfection of his life. And out of many, many thousands of men who are actually trying to make perfection of their life, you'll find somebody—or you may not find out—who knows God or Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He comes Himself to be known by everyone. And He's so kind also that before His departure from this material world, He leaves behind Him this Bhagavad-gītā so that you can know from His personal talks what is God.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

If you simply speculate to understand God, He'll remain inconceivable. Even if you endeavor for millions and billions of years, that's not possible. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Not only billions of..., but after many billions and millions of births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. When one is actually on the platform of knowledge, māṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because he understands at that time vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is mahātmā. "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." That will be explained, how Kṛṣṇa is everything, in this chapter. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). How Kṛṣṇa is everything, that will be explained in this chapter.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

So this is the variety of creation. So out of all these living entities, the human form of living entity is very important. So that is the life wherein we can understand what is God. Therefore in the human society there is some process of understanding God which is called religion. Religion means a process by which we can understand what is God, what is our relationship with Him, and what is our duty towards Him. So therefore it is said, these human beings who are actually trying to fulfill the mission of human life... To fulfill the mission of human life means that we living being, spirit soul, we are now entangled within this material body. This is our problem. Really the... To understand the position of the living being is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā does not begin with some utopian ideas of humanitarian work. No.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

Living entity, that is already explained. Still further it is said in the Fifteenth Chapter that these spiritual energies, jīva-bhūta, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "These jīva-bhūta, living entities, they are My part and parcel." That means if you try to understand what are these living entities, then it is, being part and parcel, you can understand God. Just like a big volume of rice boiling. You take one rice and you press it in the hand; you can understand the whole rice pot is now ready. Similarly, if you thoroughly understand this spiritual entity, you can understand what is God. Just like you take a drop of ocean water and analyze it chemically, the combination. Then you can understand what is the whole sea water. It is very easy. At least you can understand composition.

So if you study human nature, whatever there is, that is also there in God. But that is perfect and unlimited, and we have got all these chemicals qualities—very minute quantity. And in the material contact it is imperfect.

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

They have not come to any conclusion. So you go on speculating, which you have no experience. You go on speculating, but the real nature of that thing will never come to you.

So jñāne prayāsam. Especially for understanding God, or God consciousness, speculation is useless. So Lord Caitanya, I mean to say the Bhāgavata, says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya, that that sort of endeavor, speculating, should be given up. Namanta eva: "You just become submissive." Just become submissive, that "What I am? I am insignificant creature in this universe." This world, this earth, is an insignificant point in the universe. And within this earth, the America is a small spot. And within America, this New York City is another small spot. And in this New York City, I am there. So what is my importance? So we should understand that we are very insignificant in comparison to the creation of the whole cosmic situation and God.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

When he will be asked, "What is your father's name?" he has to name your..., that "I am son of such and such gentleman." That relation cannot be broken. Similarly, we are all sons of God, Kṛṣṇa.

So our relationship is eternal, but we have forgotten. Just you understand, God is all-powerful, all-famous, He possesses all wealth, He possesses all beauty, He possesses all knowledge and He possesses all renunciation. So we are sons of such a great personality. We have forgotten. Just as a rich man's son forgets his father and becomes mad and lying on the street and begging—oḥ, that is due to his forgetfulness. If somebody gives him information that "Why you are suffering in this way? You have got your father's riches. You go home and enjoy your father's property. Your father is very much anxious to have you. Why you are rotting in this condition?" And if he comes to his senses that "Oh, I have suffered so much. Now I shall go back to my father and enjoy life..."

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

Your senses, your means, are so insufficient that you cannot approach. What to speak of other planets, you cannot approach even the moon planet, which is the nearest. So just try to understand how much incapable you are. So being incapable, don't try to understand God and God's kingdom by experimental knowledge. This is foolishness. It is not possible. You have to understand by hearing Bhagavad-gītā. And there is no other way. Just the same example: you cannot understand who is your father by experimental knowledge. You have to simply believe your mother. Similarly, you have to believe this Bhagavad-gītā. Then you can get all this information. There is no possibility of experimental knowledge. But if you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll realize. You'll realize. Just like whatever we are speaking, we are firmly convinced. We are not blindly speaking. So you'll also be... Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If... This knowledge will be revealed to you.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

Lord Caitanya says who are realized soul, who is considered to be the authority and incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Himself is saying that "You have been... The Lord, You have become so kind to these people of this material world or of this age especially that they cannot have any facility for understanding God." But God has descended in the form, in the sound, in the sound form, transcendental sound form. Simply by vibrating, you associate with God. Simply by vibrating, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is so much kindness of the Supreme Lord, that He wants to associate with you. So you should receive Him.

This is... It is not expensive, no loss on your part. Why don't you take this advantage? If there is any profit, why do you not care for it? Take this. Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna: (BG 8.7) "

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

"After many, many births' mental speculation, philosophical speculation, when one understands what is actually God, God, then he surrenders there. He surrenders there." So long we do not surrender, we cannot understand God. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. The Lord says, "One who is actually in knowledge, that knowledge is achieved after many, many births, not all of a sudden."

Of course, if we accept that "God is great. Let me surrender," then we can accept in a second. But our present position is to become envious of any greatness. So we are also envious of God: "Why shall I surrender unto God? I am independent. I shall work independently." These things are there. Therefore for rectifying these misgivings we have to wait many births. And Lord says, "After many, many births, one who is actually in knowledge, he surrenders unto Me. He surrenders."

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

"After many, many births, one who is actually in knowledge, he surrenders unto Me. He surrenders." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).

How? How does he show? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "Because after many, many births' philosophical research, he can understand, 'God is everything. God is everything.' " The whole Bhagavad-gītā teaches this very science. God is everything. We are also part and parcel of God. So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: (BG 7.19) "One who understands that 'Vāsudeva, God, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa...' " Śrī Kṛṣṇa means God. If there is any perfect name of God, that is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Why?

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning it is said that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Nirmatsara. Matsaratā means to become envious. So that is one of the qualification to understand God, not to become envious. But our enviousness is beginning from God. As soon as we present Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so many persons will protest, "Why Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Why not? First of all answer why not. if you think Kṛṣṇa is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you present who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Either you do not know or you cannot present. If you do not know who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then take it from me, Kṛṣṇa. And if you know, then you present more than, more efficient, more expert, more powerful, more rich than Kṛṣṇa. This is practically a challenge.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

So this is the fourth verse of the subject matter, the confidential and the king of knowledge, to understand God. This is the subject matter. So yesterday we discussed that

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā
dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māṁ nivartante
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani
(BG 9.3)

There are two ways. One destination is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Another destination is to be involved in the cycle of birth and death. So this human form of life is the junction to decide where you make your way. You are going to back to home, back to Godhead, or again you are going back to the cycle of birth and death, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani? Vartmani means path. That you have to decide in this human form of life because you are not animal. Animal, they have no intelligence. Their first duty is where to get money, or not money, food. Money is required for purchasing food, but the animals, they do not know that food can be purchased. They are searching after food. But we are civilized; we are searching after money. Money is required for purchasing food. Why don't you produce food directly? That is intelligence. You are getting money, very good. What is that money? A paper. You are being cheated. It is written there, "hundred dollars." But what is that hundred dollars? It is cheap of..., piece of paper only. But because we are so fool, we are accepting a piece of paper, hundred dollars, and the struggle for existence for a piece of paper.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

This is material, everything. Your body is like that, my body is like that. The whole universe is like that.

So here it is explained, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. This is God's impersonal expansion. When we cannot understand God, then we come first to the impersonal feature, everywhere, pantheism, which is known as, in philosophical terms, pantheism. There are different, I mean to say, ideas, and philosophical proposition. So this mayā tatam idam. But the pantheists, because the materialist think of limited... (coughs) They think that "God is everywhere. Therefore there is no personal God." No, that is foolish, foolishness. He is everywhere, it is explained here. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "By Me..." Mayā means, "by me." "By Me, or by My energy, I am expanded everywhere." Mayā, this word, it is causative. Causative means I have caused.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

There are leaves. When there is no sunshine the leaf falls down. As soon as the sunshine is there the colorful fruits and flowers and leaves come out. Everything is due to the sunshine.

Similarly, the supreme sun is Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). He has got... Just like the sun has shining, similarly—try to understand—God has got His effulgence, bodily shining. That is called brahma-jyotir. When the brahma-jyotir is there innumerable universes are generated. Therefore he is cause of all creation. It doesn't require to manufacture each and every universe. He is so powerful that in His effulgence, in His shining, innumerable universes are created. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In each universe there are many millions and millions of stars and planets.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

The spiritual world is permanent, and we are also permanent, jīva-bhūta. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer oneself from this external energy to the internal energy. That is the purpose of all Vedic literature. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To understand God and go back to home, back to Godhead, that is perfection of life. So here we are in the God's energy. There is no doubt. Mayā tatam, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Everything. Bhūtāni means all living entities, anything which has grown. The trees, the plants, the hills, the ocean, the sky—everything is resting in God's energy. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. But it is not that... The pantheists, they think that "If God has expanded in everything, then whatever I worship, that is God's worship." No. That is the... Kṛṣṇa said, "No, that you cannot take."

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

No, everything First of all we have to understand that everything is expansion of God's energy. So if you understand God, then the energies are automatically understood. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is the Vedic injunction. If you try to understand God, then His energies also will be understood by you. If you know the root, if you water on the root of the tree, then the tree, whole tree, becomes luxuriantly flourished. So our proposition is: you take the root, Kṛṣṇa, and you will understand everything properly from the root. If you want to understand the tree, whole tree, you try to understand it from the root, not from the top. So disease, any disease, if you understand the root cause of the disease you can give proper medicine and he's cured.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

So he was shot dead. This is our position. All politicians, all big big men, they are not going to retire, stuck up. This is not civilization. When one is young, he can remain with family, wife, children, twenty-five to fifty years. That's all. No more. Give up. Then take vānaprastha. Train up yourself for becoming sannyāsī. Then take sannyāsa simply for understanding God. That is sannyāsa. You can take sannyāsa from the very beginning, but if it is not possible, at least at the fag end of your life everyone should take sannyāsa and completely devote in understanding the science of God. That is called sannyāsa.

This is Vedic system, varṇāśrama-dharma. Now it is foolishly going as Hindu dharma. What is the Hindu dharma? Hindu is not found even in the scriptures. This is a name given by the Mohammedans. Sindu. There is a river, Sindu. From Sindu it has come, "Hindu." Actually the Vedic culture is varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

Animal does not know what is God and what is the attraction of God. He does not know. But human being, in the human society, at least in the civilized human society there is a certain idea of God. Either you follow Christianity or Vedic principle of Mohammedan religion or even Buddha religion, there is conception of God. There is an attempt to understand God. That is human society. Therefore, according to the capability or country and the people, the conception of God may be a little different from one another. But the attraction for God is there. There is no doubt about it. So God appears in three fundamental features: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

Two things, that is explained. Aśraddadhānāḥ. What Kṛṣṇa is speaking, the instruction, if we have no faith to believe Him, and if we don't accept it, then the result is that he is losing the chance. He got this human form of life to understand God, but if he is missing this opportunity, then the result will be aprāpya māṁ nivartante. We have come from God. Either you go back to home, back to Godhead, or again we go back to the cycle of birth and death. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. The cycle of birth and death, it is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra. Saṁsāra means tribulation, tribulation, sufferings. Suffering... The ultimate suffering is mṛtyu, death. So death, again birth. That is also suffering. Although we forget, but to take birth is a great suffering. Great suffering means you have to enter the womb of the mother and you have to grow your body and there is risk of being killed also.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

We are ourself also energy of the Supreme Lord, marginal energy. So although we are situated in God's energy, we are forgetful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everyone is existing on My energy; still, I am not there." "I am not there" means the living entity has forgotten or cannot understand God, that he is within the God's energy, God's material power or energy. Still, he cannot understand.

And another person, na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam, bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-sthaḥ. Bhūta-bhṛt, He is maintaining everyone. But that does not mean that He is one of them. He is also being maintained. That is mistake. This is explained in the Vedic literature, that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Two kinds of living entities, nityo nityānām. He, the Supreme Lord, is also eternal; we are also eternal. We are plural number, and He is singular number. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

So we can supply. Why you are searching? Here is God. Not only I am speaking, but all the great ācāryas, they also speak. India is guided. Now we have lost our culture, but our Vedic culture is maintained and guided by big, big ācāryas like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya. But we have given ācārya pat. We are inventing our own ways. Now it is. We are inventing our own ways of understanding God. Yato mata tato patha. That is foolishness. No scientific knowledge can be attained by whimsical ways. No. You must accept the prescribed method. Two plus two equal to four always. You cannot make it five or three. That is not science. Similarly, if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then as Kṛṣṇa says, you have to understand.

Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any interpretation. Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the Supreme Person," we say: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person." Kṛṣṇa says that He's the background of this cosmic manifestation. We present: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all material cosmic manifestation."

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who is ācāryavān, one who is following ācārya, he knows things as they are." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda.

So unless we become ācāryavān... That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We cannot understand God, what is God. We cannot make research (because) we do not know what are the symptoms of God, although everything is described in the śāstras. Here also, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the indications are there. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is nobody superior than Me." So this is the shortcut definition of God. Just try to find out a person... God is also a person, but He is the most superior person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the chief amongst the living beings. Nityo nityānām. He is the wisest of all wise men. Cetanaś cetanānām. What is the difference between God and us? The difference is that He is the maintainer and we are not maintainer.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

One can say that "I am God," but nobody can say that "I am maintaining everyone." No, that is not possible. These are the simple definition of God given in the Vedic literature. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We have necessities of life, but who is supplying the necessities of life? That eka, that one person, eka. So it is a great science, to understand God. It is not an ordinary thing simply by speculation or by so-called meditation you become God. God is God always. You cannot become God if you are not God. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was God when He was three months old on the lap of His mother. Kṛṣṇa was God when He was four months old. Kṛṣṇa was God when He was seven years old. Now we are chanting, jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī gopī-jana-ballabha giri-bara-dhārī. Kṛṣṇa was gopī-jana-ballabha. He was always meant for pleasing the gopīs, but that does not mean that he was not God. Giri-bara-dhārī.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

So paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśvaram (BG 9.11). People, they do not know what is the inconceivable power and potencies of God. Therefore they think, "God might be somebody like me." They cannot understand God.

moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ
(BG 9.12)

So why they cannot understand? Moghāśā. Moghāśā means whatever they are aspiring, whatever they are desiring, that will be baffled. Moghāśā. Just the karmī... Karmī means the fruitive actor. They are always hoping, "Something better, something better, something better." There is no limit where they will stop. So much money, so much bank balance, so much money, so much... Still... So moghāśā. Mogha means they are hoping to be very happy at a certain point, but that point never comes. That point never comes. Moghāśā. This means moghāśā. Because he does not know "what is the ultimate point of my satiation."

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

Why they are? Now, they are very much enamored by this material beauty. Not beauty. The material civilization. So they cannot. They cannot understand. It is very difficult for them. They cannot understand. And they'll never try to understand because they are rākṣasas.

Then who will understand God? Mahātmā.

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
(BG 9.13)

And here it... "Those who are mahātmā..." Mahātmā means one who has enlarged his heart, enlarged his heart: "Oh, everything belongs to God, and I also belong to God." He's mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha: (BG 9.13) "My dear Arjuna, these mahātmās, they are not in, under the control of this material nature." One who can think that "Everything belongs to God, and I also belong to God.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Then you make your transaction, "How many pounds you have got in your stock? I can take." So quantity is different. But quality, from quality, you can select. You can make your selection, what sort of rice you shall purchase. So you are qualitatively one with God. Therefore, if you study yourself that "I am God," and if you study your all propensities, all qualities, then you can understand God. So that is a process. But you cannot preach that "I am God." Because if you preach yourself as God, then people may ask you, "If you God, if you are God, then show me your all-powerfulness." That you cannot show. So you cannot preach that "I am God."

So far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He proved that He is God. How? In this Bhagavad-gītā. Now we are reading Ninth Chapter. In the Eleventh Chapter Arjuna requested, "O Kṛṣṇa, that will You kindly show me Your universal form?" So Kṛṣṇa showed him, "Yes." So that... This was Arjuna's teaching to world that in future so many fools will represent himself as God. So don't be befooled by them.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Śiva-viriñci. Śiva means the Lord Śiva, and viriñci means Lord Brahmā. They are considered to be the topmost demigods in this material world. So they also offer their respectful obeisances to Viṣṇu, or God.

So nobody can be equal to God. Therefore we should be, instead of becoming God or instead of understanding God personally by our teeny knowledge and imperfect senses, better to become submissive. Give up this habit. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Just give up this habit, foolish habit, that "I can know God." Just become submissive and try to hear from authorities. San-mukharitām. Who is authority? Authority is Kṛṣṇa and, or God, or His representative. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he's representative of God. So he's authority. Similarly, any authorized incarnation. But that incarnation will never say that "I am God." "I am servant of God"—that is his representation. He'll never say, "I am God." That makes confirmation that he's representative of God.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Do not be puffed up with false knowledge. Everyone, we should think that we are ignorant. We should have to receive knowledge. That should be the first step by me(?). And receive knowledge, and try to assimilate it, and try to apply it, apply it with your body, with your mind, with your intelligence. Then the, you'll understand God so nicely that although God is unconquerable, you'll conquer Him. You'll conquer Him, by this simple process. So therefore śravaṇam, hearing, is so important. So in the devotional service the first step is hearing, hearing submissively from the authoritative source and just to assimilate it and grasp it with our body, mind and intelligence. In this way you shall be able to conquer the unconquerable. And when you are able to do such, then you can make kīrtana, kīrtana. That is, that is the... But another process is... Not another process, same process. Whatever you learn, if you describe it, then that will help you to elevate yourself in this path of knowledge.

Lecture on BG 9.24-26 -- New York, December 12, 1966:

"Oh, there is God," and little more advanced, "God is our order-supplier," that is not sufficient. You must know God, I mean to say, tat, tattvena, in truth, tattvena. That tattvena, in truth, as it is explained by Lord Caitanya, that is the highest explanation. He has given the fullest information. Of course, it is not possible to understand God to the fullest extension, but as far as possible as a human being can understand, that has been explained in the..., by Lord Caitanya about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself. That is more than sufficient. And still more Lord Caitanya has explained about Him. Kṛṣṇa has explained Himself that you require to surrender unto Him. Just like here also He says that, ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā: "I am the beneficiary of all the activities of living entities." And bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca: "I am enjoyer, and I am the master."

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

Brahmā was created. Brahmā. So millions and millions and years before Brahmā was created. So what do we know about Brahmā and the demigods? So practically we do not know anything about God. It is not possible. Our teeny brain cannot approach such extensive, I mean to say, foremost platform where we can understand God.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Indriya means these material senses. We gather knowledge by sense. But these material senses are very limited. So it is not possible to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, by speculating our mind. Mind is the center of all senses. So senses help mind gathers knowledge. So it is not possible. Because our senses are all imperfect. By imperfect senses we cannot reach to the perfect or to the unlimited. Therefore we cannot know. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). It is not possible by manipulating your different senses and knowledge and mind you can understand God.

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

The possibility is sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. The, if you engage your senses in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal to your senses. The same thing. We have to acquire knowledge of God through these senses. But, in our conditional life, the senses are all impure. Therefore these senses cannot understand God simply by speculating. It is not possible. Therefore Lord says, na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ (BG 10.2). Now we have got developed senses. Suppose a child. A child, his understanding and his father's understanding, there is difference because his senses are not so developed. Father's senses are developed. Similarly, as we are here in this earthly planet, there are many, many other superior planets. Their senses are far, far improved. But still they cannot understand God. Still they cannot understand.

Similarly ṛṣayaḥ. Ṛṣayaḥ means great philosophers, saintly persons, sages; they also cannot understand God.

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

Now people can say that, "What is the use of understanding God? Let God remain in His place. And let me remain in my place. What is the use?" Suppose... We cannot understand God. Now argument may be, "Yes, you don't understand God. There is no necessity of bothering for understanding God." But Kṛṣṇa says, "No." If you don't take that botheration, then you'll never be happy. Neither you'll be liberated. So it is your interest to understand God. Not that God will be profited if you understand Him. No. You'll be profited if you understand Him.

Therefore He says that yo mām ajam anādiṁ ca vetti loka-maheśvaram. "Anyone who can understand Me as the origin of everything and loka-maheśvaram, and the, I mean to, the proprietor or the master of everything, yo mām ajam anādiṁ ca vetti loka-maheśvaram."

Lecture on BG 10.3 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

You are changing dress always. You are changing your country, you are changing your form, and still you are claiming, "This is mine." And you are too much engrossed in this conception of life.

So one has to be disillusioned, means out of illusion. So whatever we are doing in this material conception of life, that is illusion. Therefore we cannot understand God. One who is not under the spell of illusion he can understand, asammūḍha. He can understand God. So first of all we have to understand whether we are not illusioned. Asammūḍhaḥ sa martyeṣu. Martyeṣu, in the, among, in the human society or in the society... Not only... Martyeṣu means all living entities who are conditioned, or, rather, conditioned souls. Asammūḍhaḥ. Sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate. He becomes at once freed from all... So if we want to become freed from all encumbrances of this material world, then we have to understand God. There is no question of neglecting. It is the prime duty.

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

Those background is impious activities, sinful activities. Such persons, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15), the lowest of the mankind, full of sinful activities. Narādhama. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because mankind means those who are interested to understand God. That is mankind. Otherwise "dog-kind." The dogs and asses, they are not interested to know what is God. It is the prerogative of the human being to understand what is God. Therefore a man who has got this human form of body does not inquire about God, he is narādhama, the lowest of the mankind. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. And rascal, ass. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15).

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Sadananda, yes. His real name is Souyle(?), German. So when he came to India, in a meeting he said that "So far mystic power is concerned, that we have solved by science. So we have nothing to learn about the mystic power. I have come to India to learn how to understand God and His service, loving service." So actually that is the position. Forty years ago he said. So the Europe and America, they have enough of material enjoyment. Meat-eating, wine, woman—they have got sufficient. So they are not very much interested with all these things, although, because they have no other alternative for enjoyment, so they are enjoying or trying to satisfy them. But that is not giving them real satisfaction. That's a fact. This wine, woman and meat-eating, that is not giving them any more satisfaction.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

Unfortunately, people are so foolish at the present moment that they do not believe even in the next life. Mūḍha. What to speak of understanding God and Kṛṣṇa, they have no even the basic principle of spiritual knowledge.

Basic principle of spiritual knowledge is to understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am now fallen in this material condition, and therefore, according to my different desires, I am accepting different types of bodies and wandering throughout the whole universe, sometimes this body, sometimes that body, sometimes in this planet, sometimes in other planet. This has become my unfortunate condition of life."

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151).

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

If you want to make progress in the matter of chanting the holy name of the Lord, then you have to learn also toleration. So many people will criticize. So many people will be prepared to unnecessarily put hindrances in your path. So one has to learn if one is serious to make progress in knowledge. Actual knowledge is to understand God, that is actual knowledge. Therefore it is called Vedānta. Vedānta. Veda means knowledge and anta means the ultimate. The ultimate knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).

Everyone, there is a class of men, they say that we only believe in the Vedas. What you believe? Do you know Kṛṣṇa? "No sir. We accept Kṛṣṇa as a big man, that's all, not as God." That means he does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So what is the use of Vedānta? There are so-called Vedantists, they avoid Kṛṣṇa. They'll write comments on Bhagavad-gītā, avoid Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. This is going on.

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

Therefore all over the world, either he's a European or American or Indian or Canadian or Russian, everyone has got some religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Muslimism or Christianism. Because human society without religious conception—religious conception means to understand God—he's animal. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So gradually, the whole world is becoming animal because they are rejecting religion. They are rejecting religion. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. Because these rascals, they give up religion and become animals and fight between themselves and make the whole world a confusion and chaos, therefore it is required that Kṛṣṇa comes. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. This is His duty. He has no duty, but it is His mercy that He comes. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya.

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This much austerity. If you simply accept these four principles.

Now these Europeans and Americans, they are accepting. You see how they are advancing. You cannot understand the supreme pure, Absolute Truth, keeping yourself impure. It is not possible. You can understand God when you are pure. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot understand God if you are sinful.

Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not purified, sinful acting, sinful, acting only sinfully, such person is called duṣkṛtina. Kṛtina, they are... Kṛti means meritorious. But these rascals are meritorious in doing all sinful activities. Sinful activities also require merit. Even if you become a very expert thief, this stealing is sinful activity, but it requires some brain. It requires some brain.

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

That is... One minus one equal to one. And one plus one equal to one. That is Absolute idea. But we calculate from materialistic point of view. As we with our tiny brain, we think like that.

Therefore Jīva Gosvāmī says, "Unless you accept inconceivable power of the Supreme Lord, you cannot understand God. That is not possible." If your compare with your conceivable power, that "God may be like this..." That Dr. Frog's calculation of the Atlantic Ocean. That story you know, frog, frog philosophy. Kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. A frog lives within the well, and he's calculating the length and breadth of the Atlantic Ocean. How it is possible? It is not possible. So we are the frogs in the well. We have got limited capacity to understand. Our senses are limited. We are thinking Kṛṣṇa, or God, also, He is also limited. This is our fault. This is called poor fund of knowledge. You cannot compare with God. But the Māyāvādī philosophers speculate like that and spoil their own time as spoils others'. But that is not possible.

Lecture on BG 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973:

This is the qualification. Without becoming devotee no rascal can understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Again the same thing is spoken to Arjuna. Mad-bhakta etad vijñāya (BG 13.19). "I have explained everything in summary, but only My devotee can understand. Not others." That is also concluded in the eighteenth chapter. One can understand God or Kṛṣṇa: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, then you have to become a devotee. Kṛṣṇa does not say the jñānī, karmī, yogi, they can understand. No.

Jñānī, what is that jñānī? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is jñāna. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, what is the value of your so-called knowledge? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). It is simply waste of time. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa you are studying Vedic literature, you are very good student of Vedas. That's all right.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bluff sentiment. It is a great science. Those who are actually studious, they can understand the science perfectly if they study all our books. We have got twenty volumes books like this already published. And we propose to publish seventy-two volumes, how to understand God. So God is not so cheap thing, that "I have become God; you have become God." It is a great science. So those who want to understand God scientifically, philosophically, let them read these books. That is our presentation, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And those who are unable to read all these books for any reason it may be, then it is a very simple method: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so sublime. If you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you understand clearly what you are, what is God, what is your relationship with Him, what is this world. Everything will be clear. That is the advantage of this fallen age. This age is very, very fallen.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Formerly, our forefathers, they used to construct churches, temples, mosque, synagogue, but nowadays, nobody is preparing. In the modern history you won't find. They are constructing big, big skyscraper buildings. That we can see. But you don't see anywhere a magnificent church or temple or mosque is being constructed. That means people are going down in the matter of understanding God. They are thinking these buildings are waste of money, unproductive creation. "If we manufacture a skyscraper building, immediately there will be some income. But if I construct a gigantic temple, it will be simply waste of money." They are thinking like that. That means the standard of understanding God is finished. Not to speak of constructing new churches, but... We are practically purchasing many churches. They are vacant. I have seen in London. Hundreds of churches are vacant. Nobody goes there. Nobody goes there.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

"What is the aim of your life?" They'll say, "Sense gratification. I shall earn money, eat nicely, drink nicely, enjoy nicely. That is the aim of life." They do not know. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Their vision is so polluted. Naṣṭātmānaḥ: they have lost their spiritual ideas, spiritual sense or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The highest principle of spiritual sense means Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to understand God. That is mahātmā, mahātmā.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
(BG 7.19)

So without becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, everyone's life is baffled; he's demon. So demons, they are trying only to adjust things materially, which is impossible. So they are busy, prabhavanti, flourishing, prabhavanti. Prabhavanti means flourishing. Ugra-karmāṇaḥ. Karma... We have to do some work. That's a fact. Kṛṣṇa says that "Without doing something, you cannot maintain your body and soul together." Karmaṇo jyāyo... What is that? No. That... Karma is better then vikarma. The... Kṛṣṇa says that "You must be engaged in some work. You cannot sit idle. That is not good."

Page Title:Understand God (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari
Created:01 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=135, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:135