Very soon (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"very soon"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

So śravanaṁ kīrtanam, glorifying or describing about Kṛṣṇa... So He has got His form. So nāma means name, and then, rūpa means form. Nāma, rūpa... Līlā means pastimes; guṇa means quality; entourage, his associates; all these... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved (CC Madhya 17.136). Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. By ordinary senses we cannot understand... Either Śrī Kṛṣṇa's name... We are hearing our, through the aural reception, Kṛṣṇa's name, but if we keep our ear without purification... Of course, by hearing, it will be purified. We have to help. Help means to avoid the offenses, ten kinds of offenses. So in this way we shall help the purificatory process. Just like if I want to ignite fire, so I must help the igniting process by drying the wood. It will very soon get fire. Similarly, simply chanting, that will help us also. It will take time. But if we avoid the offenses, then it will be very quickly purified. The action will be there.

So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). So this behavior of Kṛṣṇa, how ordinary men can understand? Because they have got their ordinary senses, therefore they mistake. Why Kṛṣṇa? Even Kṛṣṇa's devotee, Vaiṣṇava. That is also stated. Vaiṣṇavera kriyā mūdra vijñeha nā bujhaya (CC Madhya 23.39). Even a Vaiṣṇava ācārya, what he is doing, even the most expert intelligent man cannot understand why he is doing this. Therefore we should not try to imitate the higher authorities, but we have to follow the order, injunction, given by the higher authorities. It is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is exciting Arjuna to fight. That does not mean we can also do that, excite, no. That will be immoral. For Kṛṣṇa it is not immoral. Whatever He is doing... God is good, He is all-good. We should accept it. Whatever He is doing, that is all-good. This is one side. And whatever I am doing without authority's order, this is all bad. He does not require any order from anyone else. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is the supreme controller. He does not require anyone's instruction. Whatever He does, it is perfect. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. And not that I have to study Kṛṣṇa in my own way. Kṛṣṇa is not subjected to your examination or your test. He is above all. He is transcendent. Therefore those who have not the transcendental vision, they misunderstand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

The knowledge is that "I am not this matter; I am spirit soul." So... But this knowledge is... Although it is very easy thing to say, that "I am not this body, but I am spirit soul," but actually to have perfect knowledge, that is a great job. It is not very easy. For getting that supreme knowledge so many, I mean to say, transcendentalists, they were trying life after life, just to get detached. But the easiest process is that if one is engaged in the devotional service. That is the formula given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeve bhagavati, "in the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Bhakti-yoga means devotional service. If it is applied, if we apply our devotional service unto the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that janayaty āśu vairāgyam, very soon you'll be detached from this material attraction. Very soon. And jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam. And you'll gain also knowledge. You do not know how you have received knowledge. That is the magic. That is the magic. Because how you'll get knowledge? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

This, all these Vedic scriptures, they are interrelated. They are not contradictory. If somebody says that "We find some contradiction from Vedic literature, from this literature to that literature," no. There is nothing at all, any contradiction, even, even in the preachings of the great ācāryas. I am speaking of India. There were many great ācāryas, I mean to say, reformers, came. Lord Buddha also appeared in India. Then, after Lord Buddha, Śaṅkarācārya came. Then, after Śaṅkarācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya came. Then, after Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, and then, lately, Śrī Caitanya, Lord Caitanya. He came. But you will find a link, a link, although superficially we may see that Lord Buddha is speaking something which is contradictory to Lord Śaṅkarācārya's teaching, or Rāmānujācārya is speaking something which is contradiction to Śaṅkara. No. There is no contradiction. It is the question of studying how they are paving way for ultimate spiritual realization. That requires a very, I mean to say, substantial knowledge, how they are paving the way, just step by step.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) All right. If you require, you can get... I'll pay you money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll pay you. Well, we'll get some more.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Madhudviṣa: We have money. We will get one very soon.

Prabhupāda: You ask somebody to give you one mṛdaṅga, contribute. If he asks where it is available, you can give the address and he can send the money there. It is not a very difficult task. What do they charge? Fifty dollars?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So ask somebody to give fifty dollars, send to New York. Yes. We don't want cash. Give us in kind. That is also nice. Yes. (kīrtana begins)

Prabhupāda: What is that? What is that? What is that?

Dayānanda: It's a pie.

Prabhupāda: Pie?

Dayānanda: A pie, yes.

Prabhupāda: It will be offered to the Deity?

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

So if we increase our memory, then we approach godly nature. In this age we are decreasing our memory. Formerly, when this Bhagavad-gītā was written by Vyāsadeva, before that, people were so sharp in their memory that there was no need of publication of books. As soon as one hears from the spiritual master of any instruction, they remember for life. Now, gradually, that memory is decreasing. That means we are not advancing. We are decreasing in our duration of life. We are decreasing in our memory. We are decreasing in our prosperity.

There are eight kinds of decreasing process in this age. Out of that, this memory will be decreased more and more, and the duration of life also will be decreased. Now, you can take history of the past years. Your forefathers were living eighty years, ninety years, hundred years. Now, generally, they live sixty years, seventy years. And gradually it will decrease so much that—these are all statement of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a grand old man. You see? That time also will come very soon. So we are not improving actually. We are not improving. We are decreasing in every respect, and we are proud of advancement of civilization. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

So excuse me." So this is the habit. This is the habit. He does not want. He does not want to commit theft. But he has got the habit of doing that. So similarly, here he has decided not to commit theft anymore, but because he's habituated, sometimes he does.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "In that condition, one who has decided to stop all bad or immoral habits and just to make his progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even by chance, if he does something which is immoral in the face of the society, that should not be taken account of." Of course, that is by chance. And in the next verse, you'll find, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā: "Because he has dovetailed himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is sure that he will become a saintly, I mean to say, a pure saint very soon. Very soon."

The example is... Just like the electric fan is going on, and if you put off the switch, you'll see the fan is still going on. But that going on will stop because the switch is already off. Similarly, if one dovetails himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically he'll become a saintly person, automatically. Because his switch is made off. Just like the fan, when the switch is made off, the current supply is stopped. Now... There was a force of running. You may see that it is running for few minutes. But it will stop. Similarly, anyone, it doesn't matter what he is, if he puts himself, dovetails himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he, all his material contamination will be washed off, washed off.

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

So they have tested all these practical psychologies.

So here the same word is used, that alpa-medhasa. It is very technical. Alpa means "very little" brain substance. Those who have got very little brain substance, they try like this. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. "Why little brain substance? He's getting profit from the demigods." Then brain substance little means he does not know what is his actual aim of life. He does not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Those who are trying to be happy within this material world, worshiping different types of demigods and taking benefit very soon, but he, because his brain substance is very little, he does not consider it that "How long I shall enjoy it? How long I shall enjoy?"

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you, by activities, pious activities, or worshiping different demigods, you go to the Brahmaloka, where the standard of life is very, very great, life is also, duration of life is very, very great, so that is not permanent. But our problem is that we are permanent, eternal, and we are trying to be happy in the nonpermanent condition of life. This is called less brain. My problem is that I am the spirit soul... Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ. I am eternal, śāśvataḥ. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. Then where is my eternal body? This question should be raised by the human form of life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

But instead of athāto... Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya, the only business is "How, what is the aim of life, how I shall be eternally happy, how I shall get my eternal life." That is the problem. But they do not consider the real problem. They think, "Immediately I require some money. So let me worship Lord Śiva or Lord..., this, Goddess Durgā, or Gaṇeśa, or Sūrya..." There are so many, recommended. So that is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā that tad bhavaty alpa, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23).

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

So here Kṛṣṇa is the most authorized personality. Now, anyone who is actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you can accept him as the same as Kṛṣṇa. Because a person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. He's the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. So keeping faith on Kṛṣṇa or to His bona fide representative is the same thing. So that śraddhāvān, if you follow, saṁyatendriya, with controlled senses, then your result is guaranteed. And you'll feel it.

How you'll feel it? Just like you are hungry and if you are given some food, foodstuff and you eat it, and as you eat it, you feel that "Yes, I am feeling satisfaction," so you'll feel it. You won't have to ask anybody that "Whether I am making progress nor not?" You yourself will feel it. Acireṇa. Acireṇa śāntim adhi... He feels full peace acireṇa, very soon. Then ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. And those who are faithless or hesitating, oh, they have no chance. They have no chance. Ajñaś ca. That hesitation is due to also ignorance. Ajñaś ca aśraddadhānaḥ. And ignorant and faithless. Saṁśayātmā, hesitating. Vinaśyati: "He is hopeless." Nāyaṁ lokaḥ asti na paraḥ na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ: (BG 4.40) "Anyone who is hesitating in accepting this principle of knowledge or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for him," nāyaṁ loko 'sti, "not even this material world will be happy. And what to speak of his next life?" If he has no faith, then even in this material world, he'll be unhappy. The material world is unhappy. It is all already miserable. It will be more miserable. He'll feel always disturbed, miserable, faithless. So for a faithless, the situation is very precarious.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

Suppose a family man, he renounces the family connection, but if he has no better connection and better attachment, then he will feel, "Oh, I was better in my family life. I have done mistake." Kṛṣṇa says, sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho duḥkham āptum ayogataḥ. Ayogataḥ means if we have no link with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then simply detachment will be cause of misery. Duḥkham āptum. It will be a cause of misery. Yoga-yukto munir brahma. But one who is in dovetail, one who is dovetailed with the Supreme, yoga-yukto munir brahma na cireṇādhigacchati. Brahma. Yoga-yuktaḥ. If I am dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then acireṇa. Acireṇa means very soon I shall realize myself as Brahman. I am Brahman. It is simply question of realization. By misconception, by illusion, I am thinking that I am matter, but actually I am Brahman. The whole process is to realize that "I am Brahman, I am not this matter." This conception, Brahman conception, or realization, self-realization, is possible, yoga-yuktaḥ, if I am always dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If I am always dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa, doing something in connection with... Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. The other day I tried to explain this verse of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī, he has stated in two ways the attachment and detachment. He says, anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Viṣayān. The things of our enjoyment, that should be accepted, anāsaktasya, without any attachment. I require this for maintenance of my body; therefore I accept this. This is called anāsaktasya. So, in other words, just to make the better use of a bad bargain. I am now materially encaged. So I must make the best use of this body by dovetailing myself with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

If this material world is utilized for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no trouble, there is no disturbance of peace. There is always peace and tranquility and happiness in this world, and at the same time happiness in the next world.

If we consider... When I am taking my food, if I think, "Oh, this nice foodstuff is sent by Kṛṣṇa. He has kindly sent me this foodstuff." So I think of Kṛṣṇa. So that taking of foodstuff in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is yoga-yukta. That is called yoga-yukta. That is yoga. Always thinking in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called yoga-yukta. Yoga-yukto muni. Muni. Muni means one who is thoughtful, he's called muni. So one who is always thoughtful of Kṛṣṇa, such person, yoga-yukta, yoga-yukto munir brahma na cireṇādhigacchati. He, very soon, he becomes situated in his Brahman conception of life. And as soon as you are situated in Brahman conception of life, then immediately your effect will be brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). You'll be joyful. Your material moroseness will go at once. At once. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati. You'll be free from all anxiety. You'll be free from all... And there will be no demand for your sense satisfaction. You'll feel yourself full. "Oh, I am full. I have nothing to demand." Such stage will come.

So yoga-yukto munir brahma acireṇa. If we always dovetail ourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and in that way we prosecute our duties... We don't take that this is false. We take it that because it has connection with Kṛṣṇa, it should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That yoga-yukto muni, he, at once, very nicely, very easily, he realizes Brahman. So many other processes, they're trying to realize Brahman for so many years by meditation, by penance, by going to the forest, Himalaya, and so many things. But if one is intelligent enough, always thinking that everything has got connection with Kṛṣṇa and it should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa, then I am yoga-yukta. And my brahma-bhūtaḥ, my Brahman realization is within my hand. It is such a nice thing. Yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā (BG 5.7). And one who is dovetailed in such a way, he is viśuddhātmā. Viśuddhātmā. Ātmā means self and viśuddha means pure. In pure self. This is... When we think that "I am the enjoyer," that is, my ātmā is covered with dirty things. "I am enjoyer," when I think. But when I think, when I am yoga-yukta, that "Kṛṣṇa, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa," then I am viśuddhātmā. And that is a fact. I am not proprietor, I am not enjoyer. I am allowed to enjoy whatever is allotted to me.

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

You simply think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. You just become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhak... Mad-yājī—you simply worship Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhak... Māṁ namaskuru—"You offer your obeisances unto Me." These four principles. Think of Kṛṣṇa. That thinking of Kṛṣṇa we have introduced. We have not introduced; it is introduced from Vedic literature—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If you chant these sixteen words, it is not very difficult. Anyone, there is no secrecy. There is no charge for it. We don't say that "I shall give you some secret mantra. You give me some money." No. We don't say. We openly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Anyone can chant also. But see the effect of chanting this mantra. That is up to you. If you begin chanting, you'll feel the effect very soon. So this is called man-manāḥ, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. As soon as one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately he remembers Kṛṣṇa. He immediately remembers Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's attributes—everything. That is called to absorb the mind in Kṛṣṇa. That means you become immediately the first-class yogi. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā (BG 6.47). This is the process.

So these boys and girls who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, they are all first-class yogis because they are always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. So adau śraddhā... So if you want to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you kindly associate with these devotees. We are opening so many centers all over the world—we have already 102 centers—just to give opportunity to all classes of men to associate with devotees and develop your love for God. This is the purpose. And we have no other purpose, these centers are being opened.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

And when they are qualified actually in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, at least sixteen rounds daily, when we see, one year at least, that he is doing his duties, following the regulative principles... All these boys and girls who are initiated, they will have to follow the regulative principles. No illicit sex life. Just like one couple is married because we don't allow to live..., to allow the boys and girls to live as friends. No. That is not allowed. All my students who came to me... Because it has become a system in their country, the young boys and girls they live as friends without parents taking care of their being married. That has become a system, regular system in Europe and America. And India also it is going to be introduced very soon. It is already introduced, and it will develop. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is foretelling that in this age there will be no more marriage. Vedic marriage will be stopped. Svīkāra eva ca udvāhe. Simply by agreement, the marriage function will be performed. But as far as we are concerned, we are trying to establish daiva-varṇāśrama, as it is instructed by the Gosvāmīs, by Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, by our spiritual master. May not be very perfect, but we are trying our best to introduce this daiva-varṇāśrama.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), ...means not ordinary men. Those who are situated in this daiva-varṇāśrama, qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... And we should note also that this division of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra, is not that to make artificial competition and to become puffed-up with pride that "I am brāhmaṇa. You are śūdra." No. It is a cooperation. Just like you have got cooperative society, similarly, these four divisions of social orders are cooperative society. The brāhmaṇa is considered to be the mouth of the social body. The kṣatriya is considered to be the army—arm or army, strength of the social body. The vaiśyas are considered to be the productive element of the body.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

So this merit is being misused to improve the process of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. If you improve this process of this eating, sleeping, that does not make you very advanced in civilization. The animal is also eating. Whatever, according to the nature, they are destined to eat, they are eating. Similarly, we are also eating, but we are not eating according to the, I mean to say, indication of nature. Take, for example, our teeth and animal teeth. There is difference. Our teeth... This is scientific. Our teeth is meant for eating vegetables and fruits. It is so made. If you eat continually vegetables and fruits, you'll not be attacked with pyorrhea. But if you eat meat—your teeth is not meant for eating meat—you'll very soon be attacked with pyorrhea because breaking the laws of nature. This is one example. Similarly, in our eating, sleeping, mating and defending we are using so many wrong things. Just like formerly there was also fight. That fight was being conducted with arrows and bows. So if you want to kill your enemy, you'll kill your enemy, not others. Other innocent people will not be killed. But nowadays, for defending, we are using atom bomb. So many thousands of innocent men are being killed. So therefore to manufacture or to invent such weapons, lethal weapons, is requiring very good merit, but duṣkṛtina, for committing sinful activities. Even war, there is dharma. That can be also dharmāviruddha. Just like Arjuna fought. He fought dharmāviruddha, under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. That is not ordinary fighting. That fighting is Kṛṣṇa, because he was fighting under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. Personally he refused to fight, but when he understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted that fighting, under His guidance he fought. That fighting is Kṛṣṇa.

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

Who can take sannyāsa, renounced order, unless he has got full knowledge? As Śaṅkarācārya explains, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Unless one understands fully that "Our these material engagements, they are simply waste of time." He can attain perfection knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya (SB 1.2.12). Unless there is perfection of knowledge, jñāna, there cannot be vairāgya. And unless there is vairāgya, unless you become detestful of this material existence, there is no question of liberation. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya.

So this jñāna and vairāgya can be achieved simply by becoming a devotee of Vāsudeva. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Āśu vairāgya, very soon. Just like these boys, these American, these European boys, they are young men. Now they have taken sannyāsa and dedicated their life for service of Kṛṣṇa. They are vairāgya. They are coming from opulent nation, very rich men, rich nation. Their parents are very rich. There is no scarcity of food. There is no scarcity of money. There is no scarcity of women in the western countries. But they have left everything. Simply boys. They are all within thirty. How much a young man may have propensities for enjoying this material way of life! And when there is facilities. But how they have taken to it? This is the proof.

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

If one takes to that line of activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all things, all regulation, will follow just like a servant follows a master. If the master starts, the servant follows. Similarly, these things, rules and regulation, that will follow automatically. In the next śloka the Lord says, kṣipraṁ dharma: "Because he has taken to that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very soon he will be perfect pious man." This process will help him. Don't be too much anxious, "Oh, I am not in such a way. I am not in such way." Whatever way you may be, you just take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very easy thing. If you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare very sincerely and regularly as far as possible by following the rules and regulation, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help you to become a perfect and pious man very soon. Kṣipram. Kṣipram means very soon.

Just like in the material world, suppose if you want to sit on the bench of a high-court judge, you will have to acquire so many qualifications. You have to be a very big lawyer, and government must recognize that you are good lawyer. Then there will be so many recommendation by the Bar Association, by the lawyers. Then you can be recommended. But here the process is just that any way you sit down on the high-court judge, then all education will come to you. Don't you see how nice it is? Any way, if somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally and generally it will be found that he is becoming gradually a perfect pious man, perfect honest man. That is the thing. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati.

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Śaśvac-chānti. Because he will relish. He will relish this Kṛṣṇa consciousness so nicely that he will give up all nonsense automatically: "I don't like it, don't like it." This is the process. He will give up automatically. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. The whole world is after sense gratification, but a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, just very soon he will find that "All these nonsense, oh, there is no happiness." He will give it up. He will give it up. It is so nice thing. Some way or other, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your reluctance for sense gratification will automatically come, automatic... You haven't got to train yourself that "How to stop my sense gratification?" If you simply go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. And what is that process? Chanting and hearing. When you chant, you hear, and you will enjoy. And you will enjoy so nicely that you will give up all that is not wanted in the advancement of his spiritual life. Kṣipram. This is recommendation by Kṛṣṇa Himself, not that I am advertising. Because I am preaching here Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore I am advertising, "The candidate may take it." But Kṛṣṇa Himself says. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Śānti means very soon he attains that perfect eternal happiness. Perfect peaceful life, eternal life, blissful life, he very soon attains.

And why? Kaunteya pratijānīhi. Pratijānīhi: "My dear Arjuna, you can declare this to the world. You declare." Why Kṛṣṇa is not declaring? Kṛṣṇa is declaring through His devotee because Kṛṣṇa has a promise that "I shall protect My devotee." If a promise is there by the devotee, that cannot be violated. Kṛṣṇa can... Because He is God, He can violate His own promise because He is supreme. But He wants to protect His devotee; therefore He is trying to give the declaration through His devotee that "It will be protected."

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Lord Kṛṣṇa surpasses all these formalities. He is giving facility to everyone. Never mind what he is. In the social structure, you may consider that woman is less intelligent or śūdra or less purified, but in spiritual consciousness there is no such bar. Here Kṛṣṇa accepts everyone. Either you become woman or you are śūdra or a vaiśya or whatever you may be, that doesn't matter. If you simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Lord is there. He will give you all protection, all protection, and gradually He will help you. You are already...

One who is in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, he is already in the liberated platform. Simply kṣipram: it will take some time only, kṣipram, but very soon he will be all right. So this is the proposal of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and this is the facility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should take this advantage of being Kṛṣṇa conscious. Never mind what we are. And that will help us in attaining the perfection of life. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). It is very clearly declared here. Never mind what here he is or she is. Just take to this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and your progress and advancement of spiritual life is guaranteed. Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

You can attain the highest perfection, artha-dam. Artha means money, or artha means substance. Artha-dam. So we are utilizing it for money-making. Artha means money also, but there is another meaning of artha. Artha means substance. We are missing the substance. We are attracted by material money only. So mānuṣyam artha-dam anityam apīha dhīraḥ. And anityam. Although artha-dam—it can deliver you the substance—but it is not permanent, anitya. Nitya means eternal, permanent; anitya means just the opposite. So the scriptures, Vedic scripture, advises you mānuṣyam artha-dam apīha dhīraḥ.

But if you are dhīra-dhīra means sober, intelligent—then how you shall utilize it? Tūrṇaṁ yateta anu-mṛtyu na pated yāvat. You should try to utilize your this human form of life to achieve the highest substance very soon. Tūrṇam means very soon. Why very soon? Anu-mṛtyu na pated yāvat. You do not know when your death will come. You do not know. So before death comes just utilize yourself. Don't think that "I am young man. Let me enjoy now. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." No. You should not neglect.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five years' old boy, he was instructed by Nārada Muni. He became a very great devotee. And he was instructing his class fellows when he was a five years' old boy. Because it doesn't matter whether he's a five years' old boy or five hundred years' old tree or a five millions years' stone. There is no utilization. If you become a five years' old boy and if you understand this knowledge your life is perfect. These things are all very nicely discussed. They say, "Oh..." Taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti (SB 2.3.18) . "Oh, you are very much proud of your long duration of life? Because you see that cats and dogs die within ten years or twenty years and you live seventy years or eighty years, therefore you are very much proud?" Oh. The answer is taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti: "Don't you see the tree? It lives five hundred years, thousand years." "Oh, a tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Oh. Bhastrā kiṁ na śvasanti: "Don't you see the bellow, a bag of skin? 'Bhass, bhass, bhass'—it is breathing. So do you think your breathing is very expertness?" "Well, they breathe, but they cannot enjoy sex life." "Oh. What is that? The dogs and hogs, they do not enjoy sex life? Do they not eat?"

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

And that is our aim, jñāna-gamyam, jñeyam. That is jñāna-gamyam.

Therefore the bhakti path has to be accepted—bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā—by knowledge in the Vedic literature, by hearing. Śruta-gṛhītayā means I... You... The Vedic literature is also understood by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Unless you hear from realized soul, it is not possible. Simply by speculation it is useless waste of time. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate. After hearing for many, many years the Vedas from the non-realized soul, simply hearing from this hole of the ear and going out from the other hole—that kind of hearing will not help us.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. In the association of devotees, if you discuss about the message of Kṛṣṇa, then it becomes very relishable, pleasing to the ear and the heart. And if we bring them into practical use of life, taj-joṣaṇād āśu, very soon, apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation, śraddhā, faith, bhakti, devotion, rati, attachment, anukramiṣyati, comes one after another, one after another. So this is the process. So we shall discuss tomorrow again. (end)

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

Jñāna and vairāgya, these two things are required to purify our existence. And that is made possible simply by devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Very soon one becomes vairāgī.

Just like these European, American boys. They are vairāgīs. They were engaged in full material enjoyment. But they have given up for Kṛṣṇa's sake everything. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. They have given up. This is vairāgya. But the energy is utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. They are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. It was the duty of the Indians. Unfortunately, the Indians are callous. They are now after technology. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised all Indians,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

The para-upakāra, to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Everybody is suffering for want of God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is the greatest humanitarian work, welfare activities, is to distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So it was the duty of the Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth as a human being in India, his duty is to perfect his life by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and distribute it all over the world. That is his duty. But they are not doing. Some way or other, I have collected some these young Europeans and Americans. They are helping in this movement. So we have come to Vṛndāvana for this purpose, that those who are actually serious to render service to Kṛṣṇa, they should join this movement, heart and soul, and help broadcasting this movement all over the world. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are dependent on some higher absolute.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is it possible for one person to be part demon and part devotee in the same person?

Prabhupāda: If he's a devotee, he's not demon at all, if he's devotee.

Devotee (2): But he may have some demoniac qualities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, if he is seriously devotee, that demonic qualities will disappear very soon. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Just like electric fan is moving, and you make the switch off. Still you will find, it is moving. But that movement will stop very soon because switch is off. Similarly, a devotee, if it is sometimes found that he is demonic, that demonic, if he is sincerely a devotee, that demonic qualities will go very soon.

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā

śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati

kaunteya pratijānīhi

na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

(BG 9.31)

So if one is strongly a devotee, then, gradually—it may take little time—all good qualities will be manifest in his body. So, any other question?

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, does Kṛṣṇa know that He's sitting in everyone's heart?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

This is the way. And if you want to see God, you can see also. That is prescribed here. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the sunlight and moonlight." So you see the sunlight, moonlight, and you see God. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sunlight. I am this moonlight." Then if you want to see Kṛṣṇa, you see the... Sunlight you can see very easily. Is it very difficult for you? Then Kṛṣṇa says, He personally says, that "I am the sunlight." You see the sunlight. You go on sunlight, seeing the sunlight, and you just take the words of Bhagavad-gītā, "Now here is Kṛṣṇa." Then you will understand, "Here is God." And factually you will see. If you think of only the sunlight, moonlight as instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā—Kṛṣṇa says, "I am sun...,"—then one day very soon you will understand. You will see Kṛṣṇa in sunlight. It is not bogus thing, that Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sunlight." He is. And He asks you to see. You see minutely, and you'll see Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difficulty? You want to see Kṛṣṇa. You see Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa advises. Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "I am the taste of the water or any liquid substance. The taste I am." Now, whenever you drink water or drink any liquid thing or milk, the taste... There is... Everything has got a different taste. And if you think, as Kṛṣṇa advises you, that "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," then on that taste you will find Kṛṣṇa. You begin as Kṛṣṇa says. Then you will see Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. There are so many examples given by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. Find out that chapter.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Śabdaḥ khe... (break) You try to see Kṛṣṇa as advised by Him. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa in your own way. Then you will never find, You try to see Kṛṣṇa... Why they say that "We have not seen God"? The God is represented in so many ways. You take God's advice and try to see Him as He advises. Then you will see God. That's a fact. I do not... Why do they say that "We have not seen God"? You are seeing always God. You are seeing the sunlight. You are seeing the moonlight. You are smelling the good flavor of flower. You are reading, if you are scholar, you are reading Vedas. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ... He says, "This om," praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, "in the Vedic mantra, the oṁkāra is I am." Then, pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Any wonderful work, if somebody has done, that is Kṛṣṇa. So you have to see Kṛṣṇa in this way, as Kṛṣṇa advises. Then very soon you will see Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of not seeing Him. You will see in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38), twenty-four hours. Those who are actually Kṛṣṇa devotees, they are seeing Kṛṣṇa. They are seeing nothing but Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of not seeing Him, but you have to adopt the method how to see Him. And that is given there. You adopt it, and you will see Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? Any other question? This Bhagavad-gītā, if you study minutely—this is the science of God—you will see God, you will see Kṛṣṇa, and you will understand everything. Therefore we are present...

But if you misinterpret, if you pollute it by your own interpretation, then you will not see. These rascals, they are simply polluting. Because they are not coming in paramparā system, everyone is trying to become a very learned scholar, very learned leader, but they are rascals. Actually they are rascals because they cannot see. Recently, what was the Gandhi's statement? That "I do not believe that there was Kṛṣṇa ever lived." That's it, "ever lived. Kṛṣṇa is of my imagination." He said like that. This is going on. All the ācāryas, they accepted. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Person. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Your personality, nobody can understand." There is person before him, and he is such a big man. He says that "It is imagination." This is going on. If... Science should be as other such study. Two plus two, mathematic calculation, that is four. You cannot say it is five or three by interpretation or by imagination.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Do you mean to say to have better knowledge how to eat nicely, how to sleep more nicely or to have sexual intercourse nicely, is that jñāna? No. They are all ajñāna. They are the business of the cats and dogs. Real jñāna is to know ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). That is real jñāna.

So vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you apply bhakti-yoga to Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, then very soon, janayaty āśu... Āśu means very soon. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Just see. These boys and girls of America and Europe, they were too much addicted, because their father, mother, their civilization is to be attached to material enjoyment. Actually, they were. Now see their vairāgyam. Practical. There is no theoretical. As soon as you engage yourself, vāsudeve bhagavati... These young girls... One of my student is, was... She is girl. She was a great artist, dancing girl in Australia. She gave up everything and came to me: "Swamiji, make me your disciple." I saw her father and mother in Australia. A very beautiful girl. Very big, big heading in newspaper that "Such and such girl has left everything." This is vairāgya. Very profitable business she was earning. All of them. They are all qualified. They are not like our Indian boys and girls, uneducated or illiterate. No. They are well qualified. They can earn any amount of money. But vairāgyam. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. This, see practically. And jñānam. Bring any so-called swami and yogis and talk with them about jñāna. They will be, I mean to say, victorious, even they are with me for only four and five years.

So this is practical. This is not story. If you actually want jñānam and vairāgyam, then vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu (SB 1.2.7). Very soon. Ahaitukam. Nobody can give any reason how this man has become... Actually, our Indians are appreciate..., "How these Europeans, Americ..., become so nice devotees." But ahaitukam. Ahaitukam. You cannot ascertain how the reason. It is Kṛṣṇa's favor. It is Kṛṣṇa's favor. So anyone can take advantage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That is stated in the Bhagavad... Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. These boys and girls who are in bhakti-yoga, they are satataṁ kīrtayanto kṛṣṇam. They are going... Sometimes we go to make membership with these books. So we have to speak about Kṛṣṇa. Satataṁ kīrtayantaḥ. They are cooking for Kṛṣṇa. They are dancing for Kṛṣṇa. They are singing for Kṛṣṇa. They are talking for Kṛṣṇa. They are going round the world for Kṛṣṇa. Everything for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and bhakti-yoga. Everyone can adopt these principles. Where is the difficulty? Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). In this way, if you practice bhakti-yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the result will be janayaty āśu, very soon...

Because big, big jñānīs, yogis, they are trying to become detached from the attachment of this material world. Yoga system means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. They are practicing yama niyama āsana dhyāna dhāraṇā prāṇāyāma, all these, pratyāhāra. This yogic system, mystic yoga system, what is the meaning? Meaning: detachment, not other. Nowadays it has been taken, yoga practice means to become healthy. But actually, yoga practice is not for that purpose. Yoga means to connect with the Supreme. That is yoga. So there are different types of yoga, but in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

The first-class yogi, who is? Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: "Who is always thinking of Me, Hare Kṛṣṇa." Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you always think if Kṛṣṇa. Smaraṇam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam (SB 7.5.23). This is bhakti-yoga, the simple practice, that if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, tongue, your tongue is locked up and your hearing process is locked up. That is samādhi, immediately, absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. Samādhi.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

These things are required, jñāna and vairāgya. That is very easily achieved. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ. If bhakti-yoga is adopted unto the Supreme Personality of God, Vāsudeva, then very soon janayaty āśu... Āśu means very soon. Jñāna-va irāgyam ahaitukam.

The example you can see. These European and American boys and girls, how they have become vairāgī? They have got immense opportunity for material enjoyment. Material enjoyment means money and woman. That is the standard of material enjoyment. So these boys, these girls, they have got enough. The money is thrown on the street. And woman is loitering on the street. You can pick up as many as you like. You see. That is the Western countries. But they have left everything. That is vairāgya Why? Jñānam. They have obtained the real knowledge. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). As Bhavānanda Mahārāja said. They are firmly fixed up. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, "Let us sacrifice our life for Kṛṣṇa." That is real jñāna and vairāgya. Bhaktyā. This is to be understood, bhaktyā. Because without bhakti, there is no admission in the kingdom of God. That is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), bhaktir bhavati, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Now, as soon as, not cent percent clearance... It is not possible to clear our, I mean to say, rubbish things within our mind all of a sudden or very soon, all things. Even some percentage of the rubbish are cleared off, then at once it happens that our, the influence of the material nature becomes slackened.

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

(SB 1.2.19)

The material nature is working in three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Now, ignorance is hopeless life. Passion is too much materialistic. Passion means, one who is influenced by the modes of passion, he wants, he wants this false enjoyment. Although... Because he does not know, he wants to squeeze out the energy of the body to enjoy this matter. That is called modes of passion. And modes of ignorance, they have neither passion nor goodness in the modes of darkness of life. And mode of, modes of goodness is that in that position we can understand, at least theoretically, "What I am, what is this world, what is God, what is our interrelation?" This is the, I mean, stage of the modes of goodness. So by hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā, you will be freed from the two stages of ignorance and passion. You'll be situated in the modes of goodness. At least, you'll have the real knowledge, "What I am." Because in the ignorance... Just like animals... Animals, you see, the animal's life is full of suffering. But still, the animal does not know that he's suffering. Or take the case of a hog. Of course, here in your New York City, no hog is seen, but in village, in India, not only villages, sometimes in towns, we see the hog. Oh, how much miserable life they are, living in a filthy place, eating stools, and always unclean, and anyone sees hog and "Unhh! Nasty." But he, the hog, does not know that he's nasty condition. He's very jolly. (laughs) He's very jolly. The person who's in the upper status of life, he can see that "Oh, this is very nasty life!" The hog is very happy by eating stools and having sex intercourse with the she-hog constantly. Oh, it is getting fat, getting... The hog gets very... Too soon, they become very fatty. Because that spirit of enjoyment is there although the nasty enjoyment... (break)

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

So in the beginning we must be sincere, very sincere, to follow the rules and regulations. But due to our past habits, if there is some flaw, that is excused. Not intentionally. Because I am habituated to something, and I am, although engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, my past habits sometimes becomes manifest. So Kṛṣṇa says, "All right, you try your best. It will be rectified." Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Kṣipram means "Very soon, you'll be dharmātmā, perfect, religious." Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati: "And you'll be elevated to the eternal platform of peace and tranquillity." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: (BG 9.31) "If one is sincere devotee, he'll be not lost. He'll make progress." But if there is any ulterior motive, then he'll be lost. Māyā is there. The māyā, just like shadow and light, they're side by side. A little crossing the marginal line between shadow and light, you are in the darkness. Similarly, a little crossing of the marginal line from the darkness to light, you are in light.

So Kṛṣṇa and māyā are side by side. As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa, or as soon as you want to utilize Kṛṣṇa for your sense gratification, it is immediately māyā, darkness. And as soon as you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, immediately it is light. So if we keep ourself on this side, light side, always serving Kṛṣṇa, then there is no possibility of our being in contact with māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

If he sticks to the devotional service sincerely, but due to his past habit, if he's seen that he has committed something wrong, so Kṛṣṇa said, "Still, he's sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, samyag vyavasito hi... (BG 9.30). Because his faith in Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore he is sādhu.

Now one may say that "He's not following strictly the rules." But intentionally, if he's doing so, then it is very risky. He'll fall down. But by chance, if he does so, the next line says, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Because he's sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be again reformed. Kṣipram. Very soon, he'll be reformed. These are, the things are there. Therefore it is said, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu. Not that completely one becomes perfect. Even prāyeṣu, almost perfect, still, almost, not that completely, abhadreṣu, he has, he's trying to give up all bad habits, unwanted things. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. How it is possible? Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Not saptāhaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, officially. This is karma-kāṇḍīya. "I sit down for one saptāha in a year, and then 357 days I do all nonsense." No. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. One has to serve bhāgavata.

Bhāgavata means this, one who is related with Bhagavān. Bhāgavata. From bhagavat-śabda, from the word bhāgavata, bhāgavata. So bhāgavata means the grantha-bhāgavata, the book Bhāgavata, and the devotee bhāgavata. So either you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be relished, understood through person bhāgavatam. It is recommendation. Svarūpa Dāmodara, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, personal secretary, he chastised one brāhmaṇa. He wrote something wrong, and after all, he gave him advice that "If you want to study Bhāgavata, then bhāgavata paro giya bhāgavata sthāne(?), try to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a devotee, not from a professional man who is earning his livelihood by reading Bhāgavata." He must be practical bhāgavata. Then you will gain. Sanātana Gosvāmī has also said that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, amṛta, nectar, but still, although it is amṛta, it is not to be received from the mouth of a nondevotee.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

If we simply learn how to render devotional service to Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ. This is actually translated into English as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything for Kṛṣṇa. So that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Āśu, very soon, one becomes detached from this material bondage. Janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca. And jñāna, knowledge, real knowledge.

In the material knowledge, that is the cause of bondage. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said,

anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā

jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava

Material knowledge, advancement of material knowledge, means more and more bondage. And advancement of spiritual knowledge means more and more liberation. But our problem is how to liberate ourselves from this material bondage. We are bound up. Just like I am a spirit soul, you are spirit soul, but we are put into this material bondage. Because we are in material bondage, therefore we have no freedom. People do not understand this. Just like spirit soul is described as sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means the spirit soul can go anywhere he likes. But due to this material bondage, because we have this material body, we are checked. Even we cannot go to the other planet. But we have got instances... Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni is traveling all over the universes, not only within the material world, but in the spiritual world, because he has got spiritual body. There is no material bondage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

What is that cultivation of knowledge? To understand Vāsudeva. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). So-called knowledge, speculation, philosophical speculation, without understanding of Vāsudeva, means he has to continue such speculation for life after life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Jñānam, jñānam means knowledge. So if you immediately take to Vāsudeva... Bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Vāsudeve bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca. The ultimate goal of knowledge is to know Vāsudeva, but if you take to Vāsudeva directly, then vairāgya and jñāna... Janayaty āśu vairāgyam jñānam. Immediately, very soon, automatically, ahaitukam, without any cause, you understand what is knowledge and what is vairāgya.

So vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānam. All scientific research should be to know Vāsudeva. In Boston I was invited in the Massachusetts Technological Institute? Yes. So I, first of all I questioned the students that "You have got technological department. So where is the technology where we can understand the difference between a dead man and a living man? What is the thing is lost that a body's called dead body? What is that technology." So I talked on this point. The students appreciated very much. Actually, there is no technology why a man is dead. What is the machine, what is the component part of the machine is missing? You can replace it. But where is that technology? There is no technology. Because there is no knowledge with reference to Vāsudeva. Simply superficial. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They do not know what is the purpose of knowledge. They're taking interest, taking care of this bahir-artha, external things. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). This is knowledge, svārtha-gatim, to approach Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu. But without that knowledge, they are simply taking outward. Just like Darwin's theory. He has no knowledge. He's simply studying this body. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it is covered by dust you cannot see your face nicely. But as soon as it is nicely brushed and cleansed, you see exactly what you are. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means cleansing the heart of all the dirty things that is accumulated life after life. It is not an artificial thing, we are learning to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. We are already devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but we have forgotten, or the consciousness is covered. Now, by this process, devotional process, especially by kīrtana, by chanting, glorifying the holy name of the Lord, the cleansing process is accelerated. Very soon it takes place.

Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). This is the facility of this age, Kali-yuga. This is the only facility. In Kali-yuga you cannot perform meditation or perform big, big sacrifices, as they are mentioned in the Vedas. Or you cannot perform even Deity worship very nicely. There are so many flaws. Everything is very difficult. And charity... And there are so many. Śamena damena dānena tyāgena. So where is the money I shall...? There is no money even to feed me. I am eating... This morning I do not know what shall I eat in the evening. This is the position at the present moment. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ, kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. The life is also very short duration, and so many disturbances. Not only disturbance of the Kali-yuga, but the disturbance by the government also, by the demigods. There is scorching heat, there is severe cold. And ati-vṛṣṭi, sometimes more than we want, there is rainfall. Sometimes there is no rainfall. And in this way there is scarcity of foodstuff. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa, and taxation. These are the disturbances. So many. One side, taxation by the government, another side, by nature there is scarcity of food and there is scarcity of rain.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:

The bhārata-bhūmi is meant for doing good to others. Bhārata-bhūmi is not meant for exploiting others. This is not bhāratīya mission. Para-upakāra. So every Indian...That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Because every Indian is born Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally he has got instinct. Don't destroy it. Don't destroy it. That is our request. You have got already. We have seen practically, whenever we hold some festival in Calcutta, Bombay and other big cities, thousands of people, twenty thousand, fifteen thousand, thirty thousand people come. They are hankering. So if we simply introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll very soon see that the face of India is different. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. We have captured so many anartha. Anartha means meaningless life. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānataḥ (SB 1.7.6). The foolish people, they do not know it. Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. The sātvata-saṁhitā is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So let us combinedly preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā.

Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavad-gītā ends sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekāṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the end of Bhagavad-gītā's instruction, that "Give up all nonsense, just take shelter under My lotus feet." If you hesitate that "If I give up everything..." You haven't got to give up everything, but you have to understand the meaning of life. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he did not give up his profession as a military man. But what was the change? The change is Kṛṣṇa inquired from Arjuna: "What is now your decision? I have spoken to you everything about jñāna and guhya-guhyatamam. Now you consider upon it and whatever you like you do." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63).

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

That's all." But no feeling, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. We must give fresh flower." Just like I'm a living man, if you give me a fresh flower, and if you bring some garbage, and if you give me, shall I be pleased? Do you think? So this feeling is losing even in the beginning, that "We shall satisfy this statue with some rubbish, garbage flowers. He's not going to protest." Yes, He'll not protest. But your life will be finished. The protest will come like that. As soon as you lost the feeling, bhāva, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). Who can worship Kṛṣṇa? When there is bhāva. Sthāyi-bhāva. This has been discussed in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, what is bhāva. But if you have no bhāva, then you are on the material, kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Simply show. A show cannot go on many days. Show will be finished very soon.

So if you do not keep the bhāva... Bhāva means... That is on the liberation side. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). First of all, you come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Some of you, not all. Śraddhā: "Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is very good. Let us see how it is," or "Let us join." So first of all śraddhā. Many people come out of śraddhā. Śraddhā means little faith. But according to our Gosvāmī literature, that faith is not little faith. That faith is also very strong. Then the beginning is there. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā has described about this faith. He describes... Faith means śraddhā. English word "faith," and Sanskrit word is śraddhā, "respectful." Śraddadhānā. So this śraddhā, ādau śraddhā... The beginning is śraddhā, faith.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

Kṣipram, very soon. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30).

Don't think that these Europeans or Americans, they are mlecchas and yavanas. That is aparādha. Offense. Because they are sādhu. They do not know... They have accepted Kṛṣṇa without any hodgepodge understanding, that "This is also good, this is also good, this is also good." They are strictly following the instruction of their spiritual master. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Even a small child in our association, Śyāmasundara's daughter, she would go to somebody, she was only five years old. She would ask, "Do you know Kṛṣṇa?" So somebody said, "No, I do not know." "Oh, Supreme Personality of Godhead." She would preach like that. So they are convinced, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. This conviction is the foremost quality. Then other things will follow. Sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ. So if one is simply convinced on this point, that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, and he does like that, follows the principle, kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇam. Varṇāśrama-dharma. Kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇam. That is wanted. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So do that. Stick to this principle, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva, the Absolute Truth, and Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. This avyakta. The Kṛṣṇa's potency is everywhere. Therefore those who are advanced devotee, they do not see anything else than Kṛṣṇa. Everywhere he sees Kṛṣṇa. And that is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974:

"You are taking care of the children of your brother. What about your own children?" "Yes, why not my children?"

So attempt was being made how to kill these boys. The first attempt was to administer poison. They... Dhṛtarāṣṭra constructed a house of shellac. So they were transferred: "My dear boys, for some days you can live in that house. That is very nice." So Vidura gave him hint, so, that "You are being sent there. Be careful for being killed. The house will be set fire." So Vidura was very favorable to the Pāṇḍavas. So they made a subway in that house, and when the house was set fire, they escaped through the subway. In this way, it is said, viṣān mahāgneḥ, set fire in shellac house... Just like nowadays this, what is called, plastic. It gets set fire very soon. Then puruṣāda, they took shelter in a house where there was a rākṣasa, cannibal. He was disturbing the whole village. So the settlement was that every day one family should hand over one man to him for eating, then he will not create disturbance. So the Pāṇḍavas were taking shelter in a house after escaping from the fire, and the... One day the turn came to that family that they would have to hand over one member of the family to that cannibal. So the Pāṇḍavas were present. They thought, "We are guest here, and they are in danger, so we must save them." This is obligation. If you become guest in a house, he's receiving you well, he's supplying you your necessities, so you are considered to be very intimate friend. So when they are danger, you must help. This consideration... Then it was decided that "This man should be hand over. Bhīma shall go." So when Bhīma was handed over to that cannibals, so he was killed. So... But it was a great danger.

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

You take contraceptive. You make this; you make that. Therefore śāstra says, bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. After sex life, oh, there are so many troubles, bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ, simply trouble, either legitimate or illegitimate, simply trouble. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā. But because he is a rascal, ignorant, he's not satisfied, again does the same thing. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Again. This is called bhava-roga. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham, kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). Iva duḥkha-duḥkham. Simply trouble. Therefore Vedic civilization is to train these small boys to remain brahmacārī, not to take trouble. But if one is unable, he's allowed. So on being trained up in the beginning as brahmacārī, he does not stay for many years in the family life. He retires very soon and becomes vānaprastha, then sannyāsa. That is the training.

So here it is said, kliśyamānānām. They are... Everyone is suffering—birds, beasts, animals and trees, plants, and even Brahmā, even Indra. Indra is also not safe. He is always anxious: "Nobody, competitor, may come." So here in this material world everyone is kliśyamāna, suffering, at least with anxiety. Sadā samudvigna, asad-grahāt. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Everyone in this material world—always anxiety. Kliśyamānānām. Therefore it is called... Asmin bhave kliśyamānānām. Why kliśyamānānām? Why they are always suffering in anxiety? Avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. Because they are rascals. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is giving so much stress: "You rascal, give up all this business. You surrender unto Me," because everyone is rascal. That is Kṛṣṇa's very good mercy. He's the supreme father. Therefore directly He says that sarva-guhyatama: "This is the most confidential knowledge I am giving you: rascal, you give up everything and simply surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Yes. That is required.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Mayapura, October 16, 1974:

That is not possible, because with these eyes, these senses, we cannot understand. We cannot understand even that why they are chan... Just like yesterday this man was asking, "Why this chanting?" Because blunt senses, they cannot understand what is the meaning of chanting and why chanting. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. It is not possible. But sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When we take to the service spirit... Here we are training people how to render service. Then, gradually, he will be able to understand what is this name of Kṛṣṇa, what is the form of Kṛṣṇa, what is the activities of Kṛṣṇa. And that is explained here.

So if you follow this process, śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ smaranti nandanti, then ta eva paśyanti. When? Acireṇa: "Very soon." Not that after millions of years, no. Acireṇa: "Immediately." If he is actually serious, if he has no offense, then acireṇa. Śṛṇvan... Acireṇa, ta eva paśyanty acireṇa tāvakam. "Your..." What is that? "Your..." Padāmbujam: "He can see Your lotus feet." Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). Padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśā... If one can see... Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā sa... (BG 7.25). Nobody can see. But if one is fortunate, if he can see... That is possible by this process. Śṛṇvanti gāyanti. That is possible. Then what will be the result? The result is bhava-pravāha uparamam, finish this business. What is that business? Working hard, day and night, without any aim of life. This will be finished. As soon as one is able to see the padāmbujam, lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then immediately bhava-pravāha.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Mayapura, October 16, 1974:

This Māyāvādī philosophy... (aside:) What is that? Crows? No.

So here the devotees, they are not impersonalists. They first of all see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, not that "No hand, no leg, no head." They means... Just like Upaniṣad, the Brahma Samaj, Rabindranath Tagore. So he addresses, "Ohe, tumi..." No, "Ohe tumi..." Who is that "Ohe," they do not know. Ohe. Impersonalist. Ohe tumi. In the Brahma Samaj, they pray, "Ohe." "Ohe." Why "Ohe"? If you know God, then you address Him by His name. Just like we say, he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho... We know what is God. We don't say, "Ohe." Ohe. Why...? No. We know, "He Kṛṣṇa," directly address Kṛṣṇa, he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate. So that is the benefit of the devotee. By this process, śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti, you immediately, acireṇa, very soon, the more you are sincere, you'll be able to see first of all the lotus feet of the Lord. Padāmbujam, the lotus feet of the Lord, you'll be able to see.

And that is the way of seeing. First of all, you have to see the lotus feet. Then, gradually, the thighs. And then, then... At last, the beautiful face. Therefore the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the First Canto, Second Canto, are two lotus feet of the Lord. We have to read very carefully, because we have to see, first of all, padāmbujam. Don't go all of a sudden to see the face of the Lord, just like the sahajiyās did. Their reading of Bhāgavata means rāsa-līlā. Rāsa-līlā is the smiling of Kṛṣṇa, where Kṛṣṇa is personally enjoying very sweet smiling. So you don't try to see the smiling of Kṛṣṇa immediately. First of all see, try to see, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, padāmbujam. Then gradually rise. When you are accustomed to see, as soon as you close your eyes, immediately see Kṛṣṇa's..., then you go further. Go further. Go further. Go further. And that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Canto, Third Canto, Fourth Canto. In this way, you have to go to the Tenth Canto. Then Tenth Canto means the head. And then, in the Tenth Canto, the chapters, Twenty-nine through Thirty-five chapter, that is smiling. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa smiling immediately. Then you will be baffled. It requires qualification, and it requires time, but if Kṛṣṇa is pleased, He can show His plea..., I mean, smiling immediately. That is a special favor. But the general way is to see, first of all, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and make your endeavor perfectly done by this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, śṛṇvanti gāyanti (SB 7.5.23). This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

It is not iron or something low-grade metal. The same. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said Kṛṣṇa is aja. He never takes birth. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He is the Lord of all living entities, still, by His desire, He appears. Our appearance in this material world is also the same desire, but that is not independent. Our desire... (aside:) Who is talking there? He must stop. That portion is simply talking-camp. Just like these frogs or toads, they're talking whole day and night, ca-ca ca, ca-ca ca. Actually we have got tongue, and these frogs, they have got also tongue. So they are using their tongue, ca-ca ca, inviting snakes: "Please come here and eat me." That is their business. Nature's way. So if we simply talk like the frogs without any kṛṣṇa-kathā, then we are inviting death very soon. So don't waste your time, ca-ca ca. That is my request. It is our habit because we are no better than frogs also. We are also living entity. But we have got the chance to stop this ca-ca ca and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This chance we have got. The frogs, they haven't got that chance. They cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the frog and myself. So similarly, if we waste our time in that ca-ca ca, then we are no better than the frogs. We are no better than the frogs.

So don't make ca-ca ca when you assemble together. That is my request. If you have got time, spare time, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... That should be your business. This is tapasya. Tendency is to crow, to make vibration like these frogs. That is our tendency. Because we are also conditioned souls, and the frogs, or any animal, they are also conditioned souls, conditioned by the material nature. Therefore tapasya, austerity, is required to nullify, to counteract this conditional state of living. Now we are conditioned. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are conditioned by these four principles: birth, death, old age and disease. This is our condition. The scientist rascals, they are trying to improve the condition of living, but what is the improvement? There is death, there is birth, there is old age, and there is disease. No improvement. If you want to improve your condition, if you want to come back to original constitutional position, then tapasya, then you require to undergo austerity.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

I am secure. I am in safety position." This is the most wonderful thing. And the same thing is repeated here: teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati, the closing the eyes. They cannot give you any protection. Suppose you are now very happily situated, say, for some years, utmost hundred years. Not that, more than that. Because your this body in this material world, especially in this age, cannot live more than hundred years or (all?) within. And people are dying nowadays sixty, seventy. Oh, eighty years old? Very old. But time will come in this age... That is stated in the Śrīmad-SB.. If one lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a very grand old man. Yes. That time is coming very soon. Of course, it will take time. Because as the Kali-yuga is increasing, people are becoming more and more pramatta, more and more animal-like. So their duration of life naturally will reduce. They are not human being. They will be mlecchas and yavanas.

So Kṛṣṇa will come at the end,

mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ

dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam

keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare

At that time Kṛṣṇa will not preach, because who will understand? All mlecchas and... Just like nowadays even also. Such a nice quarter, nobody is interested. Nobody is interested. If you ask them, "Please come here. We are discussing Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just try to understand the self-realization, "Oh, these nonsense, what is this? We are... I shall die and everything is finished. That's all." This is the modern civilization. Even up to this time... The Kali-yuga has passed only five thousand years, and when... If the duration of the whole Kali-yuga is four lakhs, thirty-two thousands of years... Out of that, we have only passed five thousand years, since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Now, still the balance is four lakhs and twenty-seven thousands of years. So just imagine, after five thousand years we have become so much deteriorated, and what will happen even four lakhs of years? The people will reduce to such small stature because they will not be properly fed. Just like at the present moment the stature of the body is reducing. It is reducing.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

We also offer prayer, and that is also recommended in the list: vandanam. Vandanam means offering prayers. Muslim also, they offer prayers in the mosque.

So generally prayers offered in every religious institution. But so far we are concerned, we not only offer prayers, but also hear about Him. And what we shall hear about Him unless He has got activities? Just like you hear in the newspaper the activities of the general people. Similarly, if we have to hear something, there must some activities. That activities we find in the Vedic literatures-immense, unlimited activities. There are eighteen Purāṇas, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Mahābhārata, you'll find activities of the Lord. There is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have published. It will come very soon. Kṛṣṇa... The... Full of activities of the Lord, in two volumes of four hundred pages. So simply if you read and hear the activities, either read or hear, both of them are śravaṇam. Activities of the Lord, you get liberation, simply by reading. You have got a tendency for reading book or hearing about somebody, but, generally, for our sense gratification we hear some man and woman making love affairs, and that is the subject matter of a drama or a fiction or a story. The same tendency, if you transfer for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you get liberation. It is so nice thing. And you'll find so attractive to read about the activities of the Lord that they will... Cannot leave the book. The Nectar of Devotion and Kṛṣṇa. It is practically. If you go on reading, you'll find at times some philosophical topics, but the story is so attractive. Because God, Kṛṣṇa is so attractive, His activities are also attractive.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-4 -- Los Angeles, May 24, 1972:

That is the conclusion. Here Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is recommending different demigods for different purposes because there are all classes of men. So to take immediate effect, they worship demigods. Kṣipram, very soon. Generally, people do not go to worship Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, because you cannot ask from Kṛṣṇa anything which is not good for you. Suppose you pray to Kṛṣṇa on the seaside, "Kṛṣṇa, give me a good fish. I want to catch." Kṛṣṇa will never fulfill your desire. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Because Kṛṣṇa will not give you facility for possessing anything which will ultimately cause your falldown. Kṛṣṇa knows that "If he catches a fish, then he will have to become a fish again to be caught by the same fish. So why shall I give the facility?" So therefore our policy is not to ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. He knows what is good for me; simply I have to surrender unto Him. That's all. Why shall I bother Him, "Give me this, give me that, give me that"? Na dhanaṁ na janam.

Here, strī-kāma, beautiful wife, kāma, one who wants, devīm, he should worship Goddess Durgā. This is recommended here. But it is kāma. But those who are devotees, they have no kāma. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Anya. Anya means other than Kṛṣṇa's service. They have made all, everything zero. We don't want all these things. We simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Jñāna means knowledge. Karma means fruitive activities. Uncovered by or untouched by fruitive activities and jñāna. Just like in Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they never tried to know Kṛṣṇa, whether He is God. That was not their business. Jñānam, the jñānīs, they want to know. Just like Brahmā wanted to test whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. Indra wanted to test whether... The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they never did it.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

So bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam. A silk turban with pearl, what is called, decoration, bedecked with pearls, these are the signs of king. Just like we decorate Kṛṣṇa with turban, bedecked with jewels. So this turban is good so long we bow down before the Deity. Otherwise it is a great burden. Although it is made of silk, still, it will be a great burden. The idea is that if we bow down or surrender unto the lotus feet of Mukunda-Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, one who gives liberation—then we can enjoy princely order or richness. There is no harm. But if we are lacking in that capacity to surrender unto the Supreme Lord, and simply we become puffed up with these riches, then it will be a burden. Burden means very soon everything will be lost. Just like you cannot keep the burden, heavy burden, on your head for a long time, similarly, this nice turban, silk turban, will be felt as great burden. This is the law of nature. If you misuse the power and do not feel obliged to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has given you the power, then you'll be finished very soon.

That is the history. Any nation, any empire, any man, as soon as one begins to defy the authority of the Supreme Lord, like Rāvaṇa, he'll be finished. Sooner or later, he's going to be finished. Just like Rāvaṇa, he was very much puffed up by his material opulence. And he did not care for Rāma. And he wanted the potency, energy of Rāma, spiritual energy, Sītā. And he kidnapped. He wanted that "I..." that he did not like Rāma, but he liked Sītā. Sītā is energy. Woman and money, these are energies of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, and all other things are prakṛti. Prakṛti is enjoyed by the puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's bhoktā. He's the enjoyer. This... In the, in the material world, or spiritual world, the same thing is there. The woman is there, the money is there, and the puruṣa is there, enjoyer is there. But here the puruṣa is imitation. Imitation. Because one who is playing the part of puruṣa, enjoyer, he's not actually puruṣa, but he's prakṛti.

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

Although we find in the neophyte devotee some bad behavior due to his past experience, so we should not take him as nondevotee. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He is sādhu—if he sticks to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the bad habits which are visible now, it will disappear. It will disappear. So we have to give chance because we see some bad habits of a devotee, we should not reject. We should give another chance. We should give another chance because he has taken the right thing, but to past behavior he appears to be again going to the māyā's clutches. So we should not reject, but we should give chance. One may take little more time to come to the standard, but we should give him chance. If he sticks to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very soon all these defects will be disappearing. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. He will be completely a dharmātmā, a mahātmā. Why? Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: (BG 9.31) "Anyone who has taken seriously My lotus feet, seriously surrendered to Me, he will never be anxious. He will never be anxious, although sometimes it appears that he is coming down." So this should be our principle. We stick to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then everything will be all right in due course of time. So the varieties of life there is. That variety is actual variety.

Here it is only perverted reflection. Here the beauty... Just like the beauty is described there, bhrājiṣṇu. Bhrājiṣṇu, all glowing. Lasad-vimāna. Lasat, brilliant. There is also aeroplane, but not this tin aeroplane. You see? There the airplanes are made of jewels and gold, brilliant. And their beauty. There also men, women there are, not that simply men devotees, no. But the men and women, they are creation. The both sexes are there, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So nothing is different from here, but they are permanent, real. Here everything are temporary and false. This is the difference. Everything, there is also tree, there is also flower, there are also palaces, there are aeroplanes, there are chariots, men, women, but they are real, and here it is unreal.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

So some of the verses are available. Because when the verses were offered to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He torn it and... Because He was a sannyāsī. That was His another vairāgya. Anyway... So this verse is that "You are, Sir, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, You are the same Kṛṣṇa. You formerly came to teach people this vairāgya." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). This parityajya means vairāgya. "Don't care for all this material world. Surrender unto Me." This is vairāgya. Jñāna and vairāgya. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ. If you apply bhakti-yoga to Vāsudeva-vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—on this platform, then janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Āśu, "very soon." This is the sign of bhakti-yoga. Janayaty āśu. If a person is advancing in bhakti-yoga, the result will be that he is detached from material attraction. That is the sign.

Just like these European, American boys. They are born to enjoy material happiness. They are, in their country, the affluence of material happiness, money and women, they are thrown in the street. You pick up as much as you like. But they are now vairāgya, because they are devotees of Vāsudeva. They have no more attachment. This is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means vairāgya, detachment for material enjoyment. That is the sign. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Not that "I am a big, big devotee, but I have got very great attachment for material enjoyment." That is not bhakti. This is the sign. If you have got bhakti, then you will have no attachment for material enjoyment. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktiḥ. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is... Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā. Param means better, superior things; dṛṣṭvā, by seeing, these lower inferior things is rejected. That is... Two things cannot go on.

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

"The Science of Bhakti." So there is everything. If we want to cultivate bhakti, it is not sentiment. Sentiment, of course, that may remain for some time. But it is a great science. We have to learn it scientifically. That is The Nectar of Devotion, the science of devotional life. So those who are interested, they may kindly read this book, Nectar of Devotion, cultivation. Taj-joṣaṇāt. And practical cultivation—if you live with the devotees, in the association, then there will be practical cultivation: to rise early in the morning, to offer maṅgala-ārātrika to the Deity, then study some Vedic literature, then take prasādam, then do this, do that. They go for preaching. Actually, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, practically showing how to cultivate the devotional life, taj-joṣaṇāt. And if we do so, then āśu. Āśu means very soon, without delay, even in this life. Even in this life, not that we have to wait for another life. If we practice devotional service in this life, even for few days, still, it will be a permanent asset.

Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). If one takes to devotional service, tyaktvā sva-dharmam, giving up his routine duty... Sva-dharma means the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. They have got the all..., or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. They have got their particular duties. But nobody is following any duty. They are creating their own duty. So anyway, somehow or other, if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, and practices for some time regularly, then again, due to bad association or by something, he falls down, so śāstra says that "What is the loss? There is no loss. On the other hand, if a person is executing his occupational duties very nicely, but he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then what is the gain? There is no gain." No gain. Even if you become very pious by acting as a strict brāhmaṇa or a sannyāsī, but if you do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then there is no gain. It is simply waste of time.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So this is a fact, that they are defying the authority of God. They say that "What is the use of accepting God?" because foolish. They...

Just like the communist class men, they say, "The religion is the cause of all falldown of the human society, religion." Therefore they are very much against religion. When I was in Moscow, in the airport, my custom checking was being done. So they found out one Bhagavad-gītā. So immediately the custom officer called police. So I thought, "Now my destiny is finished, because... (laughter) Because I know that these people send anyone to some unknown place. You cannot question." In our country that is also coming very soon. Anyone government can send anywhere. So the policeman, two policemen came. So they saw the Bhagavad-gītā. Of course, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, they said, "Oh, no, there is nothing dangerous. They can go." This is the country, Moscow. I have got practical experience in going there. And always suspicious. And the people in general, they are very unhappy, very unhappy, because they have no freedom. A young man cannot go out of the country. So they may advertise so much, but so far I have got experience—the most wretched country. Everyone is fearful. And they are not very prosperous, not rich or... Comparing to the other cities of Europe or America, Moscow is a very poor city.

Anyway, this defying the authority of God, this is the our main material disease. That is explained, evaṁ parābhidhyānena kartṛtvam. It is foolishness. Kartṛtvam. He is completely under the control of material nature; still, he is thinking, "I am free. I am the master. I can do anything, whatever I like. There is no need of accepting the authority of God." This is called māyā. Māyā-mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). These rascals, they are bewildered by the three kinds of material modes of nature. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param. They cannot understand that in the background of everything there is the supreme authority of God. This is called atheism.

Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:

So with his son's behavior, he became so much disgusted that he left home without any notice. So the king's son, Vena, Mahārāja Vena, he was installed on the throne, but he behaved very badly, and the prajā, or the citizens, were very much unhappy. So the great sages and saintly persons approached the king, because the king is supposed to be directed by saintly persons. And they are advising, nṛpa-varya nibodha etad yat te vijñāpayāma bhoḥ. "My dear King, whatever we are speaking to you, kindly hear it with attention." Āyuḥ-śrī-bala-kīrtīnāṁ tava tāta vivardhanam: "If you kindly hear our advice, then you will live long." A pious man lives long. Impious man dies very soon. Even one who is pure devotee, he can prolong his duration of life more than what is destined for him. Everyone has got a destination that "This person will live for so many years, this person will live for so many years." But a pure devotee as a yogi can increase the duration of his life. Similarly, a pure devotee, although he does not artificially try to increase the duration of life, by God's grace his duration of life is increased. He is... A pure devotee is no longer within the rules and regulation of material nature. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who engages himself in pure devotional service, avyabhicāreṇa, he is no longer under the rules and regulation of this material nature. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.

So the sages address the king that "Kindly hear our instruction and your duration of life will be increased." Not only duration of life, śrī-bala-kīrtīnāṁ. Śrī means beauty. Unless you are healthy, there will be no beauty of your body. So duration of life increased means he is healthy and, therefore, he should look bright and beautiful. Śrī-bala, strength, and kīrtīnāṁ. And if one is actually advanced in spiritual life or if one is actually religious, then his fame also increases. He doesn't require to advertise himself, but if he is pious, if he is devotee, automatically his fame will be expanded. Just like there is one very nice example, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī. Mādhavendra Purī was going to..., from this Vṛndāvana. Mādhavendra Purī. Perhaps you do not know the story of Mādhavendra Purī.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

The rascals, they think it is mythology. It is not mythology, it is fact. But it is mythology or imagination for the non-devotees. For the devotees, it is practical. So this is the muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum. That bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ. Bhaktiṁ parāṁ pratilabhya. That is conclusion of when Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired about Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. Kṛṣ... Parīkṣit... Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied that "If one is actually qualified to hear about rasa, vikrīḍitam idaṁ ca vraja-vadhūbhir viṣṇoḥ. These activities with Lord Kṛṣṇa and the vraja-vadhūbhiḥ, if it is properly spoken and heard, then the result will be that hṛd-rogaṁ kāmam apahinoti. The material disease, kāma, lusty desire, will be finished, no more. And bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ. Very soon he will be dhīra. No more kāma. This is the result. Not that after hearing rāsa-līlā, "Oh, let me imitate. Let me also dance with young girls and enjoy." This is going on. Rascal. Māyāvādīs they do that. Perhaps you know. There are so many instances. But actually, the result will be this hṛd-rogaṁ kāmam acireṇa dhīraḥ. No more desire. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 5.6.2 -- Vrndavana, November 24, 1976:

Sādhu's concern is to think of the misled materialistic persons. They are always thinking, making plan how to elevate them, they are suffering. This is sādhu. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, sādhu, not that "I have changed my dress in such a way, and people out of sentiment will give me roti, and I shall eat and sleep." That is not sādhu. Sādhu... Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says who is sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). That is sādhu. Who has fully dedicated his life for Kṛṣṇa, he is sādhu. Even he has got some bad habits... Bad habits? A sādhu cannot have bad habits because if one is sādhu, if in the beginning he has got some bad habit, that will be rectified. Śaṣvad bhavati dharmātmā. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. If he's actually sādhu, his bad habits will be rectified very soon, very soon, not that he's continuing his bad habits and also a sādhu. That cannot be. That is not sādhu. Maybe due to his past habits, he might have committed some mistake. That can be excused. But if he, in the name of sādhu and become a liberated person, he continues to do all nonsense, he's a cheater. He's not sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro. Cet, yadi, if, by chance, it is possible. But if he sticks to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. In the beginning there may be some mistake, but we must see that "Whether my mistakes are now correct?" That should be vigilance. Never trust the mind. That is the instruction here. Mind should not be trusted. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "After getting up from your sleep, you take your shoes and beat your mind hundred times. This is your first business. And while going to bed, you take a broomstick and beat your mind hundred times. Then you can control your mind. Otherwise it is very difficult."

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

We can die at any moment. Anyway, the recommendation is nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. We should read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam daily. Simply you go on reading. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). We have no taste for reading and hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but the taste will be created if we even by force sit down and attend Bhāgavata class. The taste will be created. How it will be created? Just like a person suffering from jaundice, if you give him sugar candy, it will be tasted by him as bitter. This is very practical example. He will say, the patient suffering from jaundice, he will say it is bitter. But sugar candy is not bitter. And at the same time, for jaundice-diseased man the sugar candy is the only medicine. If you give him sugar candy, water, sugarcane, then it will..., he will be cured very soon. And papaya. These things are recommended for jaundice patient. Similarly, the discussion on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam may not be liked by me in the beginning, but if we hear... Just like child does not want to go to school, but if you force him to go, gradually he will go automatically. This is the process.

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is speaking Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and his disciple, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, was hearing. So at the end... This is the Sixth Canto. There are twelve Cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and this is Sixth Canto. So at the end of the Fifth Canto the Parīkṣit Mahārāja was informed about the hellish planets. This universe, there are different types of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). This universe is one of the universes. There are millions of universes. We do not know. We do not know even one universe.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

Just like in diseased condition of life there are some restraints. Doctor says that "You are suffering from diabetes. You should not take sugar. You should not take sugar, you should not eat this thing, that thing," so many restriction. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that niyama-kṛd, if you follow the regulation and rules of life, then śanaiḥ ksemāya kalpate, then very soon that dirty things of the heart can be cured. Just like we prescribe. Not prescribe—it is already there in the śāstras. Our students, those who are initiated specially, we say that "Don't have illicit sex life, don't take part in gambling, don't take foodstuff except vegetables, and don't take intoxicants." Four rules. So if these four rules are followed, gradually, gradually, one becomes free from the dirty things of the heart.

So one has to follow. Simply I am diseased and I take some immediate medicine, it may give me some temporary benefit, but that is not cure. If you have to cure yourself, then you have to follow the rules and regulation prescribed by the physician. And what are the rules and regulation? He says,

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena ca damena ca

tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

(SB 6.1.13)

Tapasā. Tapasā means austerity. Austerity. Suppose if you are habituated to some bad habits. Suppose you smoke, and the prescription is, "Don't take intoxicants." Smoking is intoxication. Now if you have to follow the rules, you cannot smoke, it will be troublesome for you. Because you are habituated to smoke, and I say "You don't smoke," it will be very difficult for you. You are habituated to unrestricted sex life, and if I say that "Don't have illicit sex life," it will be troublesome for you. Similarly, so many things are there, we are habituated, and if they are restricted there will be some trouble. So voluntarily accepting some trouble is called tapasya, or austerity. Just like a patient, if he wants to be cured, he has to follow the restriction imposed by the physician. And he follows it. Just like doctor says it, "Oh, you cannot get up. You must lie down twenty-four hours." He doesn't like it, but he has to do it. This is called tapasya, austerity. Penance. Austerity.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So that does not mean because we in the summer we feel warm, therefore we shall not go to the fire and cook our foodstuff. Everyone does his duty. That is tolerance. Even it is very warm in the kitchen and if it is summer season, perspiration, nobody, I mean to say, stay away from cooking. One has to do his duty. So Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. "My dear Arjuna, even there is some pain due to the miserable condition of this material world, so we have to tolerate that." Just like a patient, he is suffering in so many symptoms of the disease. Doctor is giving him medicine. He is also being treated nicely, but his suffering is there. And then? What the patient will think? He has to tolerate, tolerate, because he knows that "I am going to be cured very soon. The treatment is there. So let me suffer little.'

Similarly, our aim should be how to get out of this miserable condition of this material existence. And we should prepare ourself for that purpose. And the best and easiest method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance in ecstasy, you become in the process of purification. You chant, you dance nicely, enjoy. Just see how nice and easiest process has been endowed to us by Lord Caitanya. He's teaching Himself. And immediately you can take part. There is no prerequisite qualification. You haven't got to educate yourself. Just like if one studies Vedānta, he has to tax his brain so much, he has to learn Sanskrit, he has to learn the intricacies of logic and philosophy and so many things. Here, there is no need of anything. You come here as you are, whatever you may be, and join this chanting and dancing. Your purification method immediately begins. Immediately. And if you continue, then you become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as you are purified... Purification means purification of your heart, that's all. All the dirty things are within our heart. The bodily dirty things, if you wash once, it is all gone. But it is very difficult to remove the dirty things within the heart. That requires purification. So this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, begins from the purification of your heart.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

So therefore the diseased condition of our present life has to be treated. What is that treatment? To become detached. On account of attachment we are suffering. But... (aside:) You should... Outside. Detachment. So the detachment, there are many different processes of becoming detached: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, and many other processes. But the most perfect process is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga. That is stated, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. If one is trained up to become devotee of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa... Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva is the Supreme Personality, Bhagavān. Bhagavati. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaṁ prayojitaḥ. If we engage ourself in the bhakti-yoga process to Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then what happens? Janaty āśu vairāgyam. Then very soon one becomes detached. Vairāgya. The bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā, how to become detached. That is the test. "Whether I am making progress in the bhakti-yoga?"—the test is within yourself. You haven't got to take a certificate from others. How much you are becoming detached to this material world, that is the test. If you are still attached to the material pleasures, that means you are not making progress in bhakti-yoga. It is a test.

Just like bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Vairāgya-vidyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by His example of life, He was twenty-four years, young boy, and He had a very beautiful sixteen-years-old wife, very affectionate mother. In the family, two persons, the mother and the wife, if they are very, very good, then the happy life...

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

They were not ordinary men, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Practically they were governing the whole affairs of government at that time, a very exalted post. So about them also, it is written by Śrīnivāsācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Aśeṣa-maṇḍala. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big leaders, big, big leaders of the society. He was minister, so he was associating with big, big men, not ordinary men. But he gave up. He's such a position, minister, drawing high salary, and association, all the big, big men of the country or the society. But he gave them up—sadā tuccha-vat, that "What is the use of this?" This is called vairāgya. Tyaktvā tūrṇam... Very soon. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Not only one, many, many big men were flattering them. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Then what he became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. They are so affectionate for the poor, suffering souls. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā. So Vaiṣṇava is very, very merciful. They are merciful to the fallen souls. Their only concern is how to deliver these fallen souls. They are under the clutches of māyā, suffering. So various means adopting, just try to save them. This is Vaiṣṇava business. Nānā-śāstra-vicā raṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. These Gosvāmīs, they were studying so many books, Vedic literature and found out the cream, how to establish... Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthā... Sad-dharma, not cheating dharma. Dharma means religion. Real religion, sad-dharma. So the sad-dharma... As soon as we become addicted to sinful activities, then our real, constitutional position we forget, and we become mad after it and the disease increases.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:

That "One who has got unflinching faith, devotion to the Lord," yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā, "without any motive, then all the good qualities of God will manifest in him very soon."

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā

śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati

kaunteya pratijānīhi

na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

(BG 9.31)

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ...

(BG 9.30)

These things are there. The devotional service is so nice. If you simply take to devotional service, then all good qualities will come. You don't have to educate him, to send some reformatory school or this or that. That will be explained. In devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. If you simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all your... Because originally you are good. You have become bad on account of the material association. Therefore devotion means to be purified. This is a purificatory process from material contamination. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). If you think... Vimarśanam. If we think little soberly, that "I am thinking I am American or Indian. Am I American or Indian? This is upādhi, designation. By accident or somehow or other, I have got this body in America. Therefore I am American. But next time I may not take the American body. I may take another, Chinese body or something else." So one has to understand that "I am neither American, neither Chinese, nor Indian, nor white, nor black." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God." That is knowledge. We have to come to that. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

If by mistake, if by forgetfulness I do that, that is excused. But not that because it is excused we shall follow..., we shall neglect the rules and regulations. But Kṛṣṇa says that even he is suḍurācāro, his behavior is not up to the standards, still he is sādhu. Still sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He should be taken, accepted as sādhu. Because why? Because he has taken Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without any deviation he is engaged in his service. That qualification makes him sādhu. It is not that by mistake, he commits some mistake in his behavior.

So if the question is, then, "With misbehavior, how he can be sādhu?" Kṛṣṇa answers that, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati: because he has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa as the absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore very soon he'll be reformed, although in the, at the present moment he is not completely in sadācara platform. Still he should be accepted as sādhu because very soon he'll be completely reformed. The same thing Śukadeva Gosvāmī says: sakṛn manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgi yair iha. Anyone who has taken the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, sakṛn, manaḥ kṛṣṇa, and has dedicated his mind unto Kṛṣṇa, and one who is attracted by the transcendental qualities, na te yamaṁ pāśa bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān. You are assured that they will never be touched by Yamaraja or his assistants, tad-bhaṭān. Na te yamaṁ pāśa bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne 'pi paśyanti. Not even dream they can see that "The Yamaraja's assistants are coming to take me." It is so much assured. All right. So have little kīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1975:

Those who have become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ and engages himself in the service, for them, janayaty āśu vairāgyam, very soon they become detestful to all this material way of life.

That is the test. How much one has advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can test himself that "How much I have become detestful, all this material way of life?" Everyone can test himself. If he has got still some inclination, then he is not fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. He has to work very hard, how to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible. So that is called vāsudeva-parā. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ is not so easy. Therefore it is said, kecit. Kecit means "maybe somebody." It is not for all. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā... Who is vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ? Who knows Vāsudeva, who knows Kṛṣṇa. So He says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: (BG 7.3) "Out of millions of persons," manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, "somebody is trying to make his life perfect." Everyone is being carried away by the waves of this material nature: "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." But that is not siddhi. That is imperfection. If you are carried away by the waves of these material necessities, then it is not siddhi. One has to become siddha. Siddha means one who understand that "What I am and what is my duty." That is siddha, perfect. Not... That is the beginning of perfection. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhate (BG 7.3). That siddha, perfection of life, is also not for everyone. Somebody out of millions. And Kṛṣṇa said, yatatām api siddhānām: (BG 7.3) "Those who are siddhas, those who have attained perfection, if they are trying to understand Me, maybe one or two may understand." Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). Therefore it is said that to become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ that is very very rare. Therefore it is said kecit, "somebody out of many millions."

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

These are the general process. But to overcome this general process if one... That is already explained, that kārtsnyena. Just like fog is immediately driven away if there is sunrise, bhakti is so strong. Then he is again saying that pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ. If we practice tapa, especially in this age, it is very, very difficult. Tapaḥ. Tapasya, austerities. But if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness it becomes very soon available. Yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇaḥ. Prāṇa means life and arpita means dedicated. Kṛṣṇārpita. If one dedicates his life for Kṛṣṇa, yathā kṛṣṇārpita prāṇas tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. Tat-puruṣa, you... It is impossible to dedicate our life to Kṛṣṇa unless we serve the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. You have to go through His devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa sends His devotee, "Go and deliver them." Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He did not know how to achieve the favor of Supreme Personality of Godhead, but on account of his eagerness... He wanted to see God. Because he was kṣatriya... His mother said that "God can only help you, my dear son. If you want to become king on the throne of your father, better position, then only God can help you. I cannot help you. It is not..." So he was determined, "I must see God." So he went to the forest but he did not know how to approach God. A boy of five years old only, he has got the determination. So Kṛṣṇa saw that "This boy is very determined." Therefore He sent His representative, Nārada: "Go and train him. He is very eager."

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). You can enter into the devotional service by double mercy. One mercy is Kṛṣṇa; another mercy is the spiritual master. Therefore here it is said, the same thing, kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇas tat-puruṣa niṣevayā. One cannot be kṛṣṇārpita prāṇaḥ, one cannot dedicate his life to Kṛṣṇa, unless he has gotten the mercy of spiritual master. This is the way. You cannot get directly. That is not possible. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said in many of his songs, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā: "Without serving Vaiṣṇava, who has got liberation?" Nobody has.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Honolulu, May 27, 1976:

So in the previous verse also it has been described, bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho, and here is also, sa evaṁ vartamāno ajñā. Ajñā means one who has no sufficient knowledge. He is called ajñā. And mūḍha means ass, rascal. So in both the verses the Ajāmila is described as fool, rascal, and without sufficient knowledge. Why? Because he's attached to the child and he does not know that death is coming now. Death is there. This is our position. We say that "God is dead." God is not dead. God is coming very soon. Wait a few years, he'll be dead. This is the position. You rascal, God is not dead. God is coming to kick you, to kill you. Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). What is death? Just like in your previous life you had been something. Death means you have forgotten everything. Suppose I was a very big king or prime minister or president. But that is all finished. Now I've got another life, another chapter of life. Tathā dehāntara-prāpti. You have to change your body. It may be lower degree or higher degree, but you have to change your body. There are 8,400,000 species of life, forms of life. You have to accept one of them. That is our real problem. If we forget the real problem and blindly or foolishly say that "God is dead..." God may be dead, but God's law is not dead. Suppose a king dies, a president dies; does it mean the government dies? Huh? The government will go on. You can say, "God is dead." God is not dead, neither you are dead. But if you foolishly say that God is dead, that does not mean His law is also dead. The law will go on. One king may be dead. The next, his son or somebody will become king, and the government law will go on. So what is the use of talking foolishly like "God is dead"? God is never dead. This is going on. This morning we're talking.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

Devotee: Very soon.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: Very soon.

Prabhupāda: Just see. It is practical. Because his... The life is finished there is no sex life. Actually that is the fact here. Birds, beast, you will find the pigeons, the dogs, they are enjoying sex at least four times in a hour. There are men also like that. So here in this material world the sex life is the top pleasure. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. It is very abominable. Just imagine what kind of happiness it is, but we are forced to act like that. So tuccham, very insignificant. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). What kind of pleasure? Kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. It is just like itching between the two hands. And tṛpyanti neha kṛpanā bahu dūḥkha-bhājaḥ. The aftereffects of sex life is very, very bad.

So in that interview I gave that information that woman's freedom? I gave this reply, that "Where is the woman's freedom? The boy and the girl intermingle, and the girl becomes pregnant, and the boy goes away without any responsibility, and the burden..., the child is a burden for the woman. Either she should kill or beg from the government. Is that independence?" They are trying to be independent. This is not civilization. There is no question of independence. The woman must be given protection in childhood by the father unless she is married, and in youthhood by the husband, and in old age by grown up sons. This is Vedic civilization. Na striyaṁ svatantram arhati. Just like children, they must be always protected. It is not dependence, it is protection. So there should be responsible father, responsible husband, responsible sons to keep woman very happy. In India still it is going on.

So the point is that here the sex life is the highest pleasure, and in the spiritual world there is no sex. So what is that pleasure? That pleasure is this chanting and dancing, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That is stated in the śāstra. They are so much absorbed in this chanting and dancing, they are no more interested in sex. That is the only way. If you want to stop the pleasure of sex, then you have to take this pleasure, this transcendental pleasure. You'll forget everything. That is said by Yamunacārya:

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

So we are under the control of the modes of material nature. Now, the next verse says, eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena. Eṣa means all these living entities. In this way, on account of association with this material nature... Prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ. Puruṣasya means the living entities; viparyayaḥ, entanglement. Āsīt: "In this way he is involved." Sa eva na cirād īśa-saṅgād vilīyate. So he is involved in this way, but if he associates with Īśa, the Supreme Lord, then na cirād, very soon, all these things, entanglement, can be finished. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). One who is entangled with these modes of material nature, it is very difficult to come out of it. But mām eva ye prapadyante: "Anyone who takes My shelter, he can get out." And practically you have got all experience that our regulative principle is very difficult to give it up, but those who have become devotee, they have easily given up. That is also confirmed in another place, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ. If we engage ourself in devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, janaty āśu vairāgyam, then very soon he become detached to these material activities. Vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). These two things required: knowledge and detachment. Knowledge means that "I am not this body," and detachment means "I am not this body; therefore I have nothing to do with this material world." (break)

...of Yamarāja, came to take him to Yamarāja. In the meantime, because he uttered the name of Nārāyaṇa, the order-carriers of Nārāyaṇa also came there. So while the Yamadūtas were dragging this Ajāmila to take him to Yamarāja, the Nārāyaṇa-dūtas warned, "Don't touch him." So Yamadūtas complained that "This man was very sinful. We must take him to Yamarāja." But the Nārāyaṇa-dūtas said, "No, you cannot take because he has uttered the holy name of Nārāyaṇa." So the discussion was going on, "Now who will take him." In the meantime the Nārāyaṇa-dutas challenged the Yamadūtas that "Do you know the principles of religion?" And so they were explaining.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

They will be promoted to transcendental devotional platform, and the result will be that hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti.

Actually, by hearing about rāsa-līlā the result will be that one will be raised to the platform of transcendental service, and the disease of lust within the heart—that is material disease—that will be completely vanquished. Hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti aciram. Aciram, very soon, they will be able to eradicate the deep-rooted lusty desires in the heart of material existence. Material existence means lusty life. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. Material life means simply to desire to enjoy. Of course, there is no enjoyment. That is... So if one hears rāsa-līlā from authoritative source, the result will be that he will be promoted to the transcendental platform of loving service to Kṛṣṇa. And the material disease, lusty desires, will be vanquished. But they do not hear from the authoritative source. Some professional reciters they hear; therefore they remain in the material existence of lusty affairs and sometimes they turn to be sahajiyā. When Kṛṣṇa had connection with so many women... You know that in Vṛndāvana, the "yugala-bhajana"—one becomes Kṛṣṇa and one becomes Rādhā. That is their theory. And so many things are going on. Therefore we instruct that first of all read the nine chapters very carefully, and then... There are so many nice instructions, but they do not hear about this nice instruction, ajāmila-śraddhā caritra. At least, picked up, some incidences, they should hear.

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

So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one becomes free from sinful reaction. Not only that, he becomes very soon a devotee. Yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ. Yataḥ means simply by chanting. Here it is clearly stated, nāma-vyāharaṇam, chanting of the holy name. Vyāharaṇam means chanting. Nāma-vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇoḥ, "of Lord Viṣṇu." So not only he becomes free from all sinful reaction of his life, but yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ: his mind becomes fixed up in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So try to understand what is the result of chanting, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). So without offense, without committing offense, if we regularly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we remain freed from all sinful reaction of life and our attachment for the Supreme Lord in devotional service increases. Yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ. Brahma-vādibhiḥ. Brahma-vādī means those who are very much fond of Vedic rituals, performances, yajñas. There was an argument, conversation with Haridāsa Ṭhākura and a brāhmaṇa. The Haridāsa Ṭhākura says that offenseless chanting of the holy name of Lord, one not only becomes free, not only he becomes brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), but his love of Godhead manifests. The dormant love of Godhead manifests and automatically he is liberated. So that brāhmaṇa protested that "Don't exaggerate your chanting in this way. One becomes liberated after performing so much austerities, penances, and you say simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? This is too much exaggeration." So there was argument, and the argument increased, and there was cursing also, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura was a little bit agitated, and the brāhmaṇa became offender and he suffered. That incidence is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

"In this way, when a man is too much addicted to the materialistic way of life, cannot give up the family life..." You'll find many old men, almost going to die, but still, there is family attachment. It is very difficult to get out of family attachment. Although the other members, his wife, his son, disgusted with the old man, and all of them want that "This old man may die very soon. He is simply bothering us," but the old man tries to live: "Oh, let me live for some time. Don't drive me away." I understand that in Russia they intentionally try to kill these old men (laughter). And in Africa, I have heard, there are still cannibals. They make a feast by killing the grandfather. (laughter) So old man is always neglected in the society, and therefore I have come out of my home. I have taken your shelter. You see? (laughter) It is actually a fact. You see? So in this way we are wasting our time. Śaṅkarācārya, he was walking on the street and he was lamenting because he has got the eyes to see. What he said? He said, "Oh," bālas tāvad kridāsaktaḥ, "oh, all the boys I see in the street, they are very nicely playing. They do not know anything except play." Bālas tāvad kridāsaktas taruṇas tāvad taruṇī raktaḥ: "And the young, youngsters, they are after young girls, embracing, kissing. That's all." So taruṇas tāvad taruṇī raktaḥ. And vṛddhas tāvad cintā-magnaḥ: "And the old men, they are thinking, 'How to pull on? What to do? How to adjust family affairs?' " Parame brāhmaṇe ko 'pi lagnaḥ: "Oh, it is very lamentable. Nobody is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." He is lamenting because he has got to... He was seeing practically. A sannyāsī is supposed to wander from one country, one village to another. So he is lamenting, bālas tāvad kridāsaktaḥ: "Oh, boys are playing. They are not being trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The youths, they are very much enjoying. So the old men, they are thinking, deep, thoughtful, the same thing. But nobody is interested."

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

So actually we should not increase our foolishness. Human life is meant for utilizing our intelligence. That is human life. Instead of utilizing intelligence, if we increase our foolishness, that's the wrong type of civilization. That is not actual civilization. Caitanya Mahāprabhu very kindly inaugurated this civilization, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same thing as it is confirmed in the Vedas: vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ projitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyam Āśu: "very soon." The examples are here. You are Europeans and Americans; you were attached to so many things. But because you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogam. This, you have come to Vṛndāvana to worship Vāsudeva or Kṛṣṇa, or in your country you have established so many temples. In account of being engaged in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, although you are young boys and girls, you have given up so many nonsense things. This is called vairāgya. This is called vairāgya, detachment. Meat-eating is the general life of Europeans and Americans, but at the present moment if someone offers you millions of dollars and he requests you that "You take some meat with me," I think you will deny. This is called vairāgya. This is called vairāgya. I've actually seen our Gargamuni was sent to his father. I advised him that "Your father has big business. Just take it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So father was very glad, his father, but he offered meat, and when he said, "Father, Daddy, I cannot take meat," then the father became angry. He drove him away. (indistinct) So he came back. The young man, father's property, he refused to take it.

Lecture on SB 7.6.11-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 27, 1976:

Here is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu who is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He has come to teach us vairāgya-vidyā. It is little difficult. It is very difficult for ordinary persons to understand this vairāgya-vidyā. Their business is how to increase attachment for this body, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to increase detachment for this material life. Therefore it is called vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā can be very easily achieved, just like it is recommended, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayati āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7), very soon, very soon. Janayati āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca. Two things required in human life. One thing is jñānam, jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma sva-bhāva-jam. This jñānam means, beginning of jñāna means "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." That is jñāna. And as soon as one is situated in that platform of jñānam, it is easy. People are engaged everywhere for the benefit of this body. But if one understands, he come to the platform jñānam, then naturally he becomes detached, that "I am not this body. Why I am working so hard for this body?" Jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). Automatically... Two things are required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has in many places, He has stressed on this, and by His life He is teaching jñānam and vairāgyam. One side jñānam, in His teaching to Rūpa Gosvāmī, teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī, teaching to, talking with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, talking with Rāmānanda Rāya. We have given all these things in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So that is jñānam. And by His example in His own life, taking sannyāsa, He is teaching vairāgya. Jñāna and vairāgya, these two things are required.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

So very soon, if you try to meditate what you are and what you are not, by this analytical self-study, you can understand that you are not this body, you are this consciousness. And this consciousness, what is that consciousness? It is the effulgence of the soul. Consciousness is also not you are. It is just like this lamp has got some effulgence and illumination. Similarly, the soul has got illumination. That illumination is this consciousness. So this illumination, this consciousness is also limited. Your consciousness, my consciousness, they are limited. You cannot perceive or understand what I am thinking; I cannot perceive or understand what you are thinking. If you are feeling, I mean to say, uncomfortable, I do not understand it. And if I am feeling happy, you do not understand it. In this way, if you make analytical study, you'll know that every one of us is individual and we have got individual consciousness, limited consciousness, not extensive. The Māyāvādī philosophers who mistake that "I am unlimited consciousness," no. If you deliberate, if you think wisely, then you are not unlimited consciousness. Your consciousness cannot approach my perception. Therefore I am limited consciousness. But because I have got consciousness, you have got consciousness, we are living soul, therefore the Supreme Soul, He has got His consciousness, and that is unlimited consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

That is initiation. Initiation means the beginning of becoming a sādhu, not that after initiation immediately he becomes a sādhu. If he follows, just like we instruct that you chant at least sixteen rounds, you have no illicit sex, you cannot take any meat, fish, eggs, or you cannot have any intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking, and we say no gambling. This is the process of becoming a sādhu. So ādau śraddhā. This is called bhajana-kriyā.

Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ. Anartha, these are anartha. There is no need of smoking. It is useless, but we have practiced it. Therefore they are anartha. But if you follow the devotional process, then anartha will be finished very soon. That is the test. Test means, bhakti pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt, if you are actually advancing in bhakti, devotional service, then automatically you don't like these nonsense practices. No illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication, automatically. That is the test how far you are. Anartha-nivṛtti syāt, these are anartha. Then if he is niṣṭhā, firm faith, then ruci, taste then asakti, attraction then bhava, then prema. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is on the stage of prema, prema-gadgadayā vācā tan-nyasta-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ. when you attain the stage of prema, then your core of heart is cleansed for welcoming, He is there, for seeing.

Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). You can see God within your heart. He is sitting there, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). You get ready, Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart, but you cannot see because you have no prema. You cannot see. Kṛṣṇa does not expose Himself to the non-devotees. He does not, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). He'll not expose Himself, but if you attain the stage of prema, as Prahlāda Mahārāja attained, then you will see Him. How you will see? Sadaiva, always. Not that for two minutes I see and Kṛṣṇa is no more there. No, not like that. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva. Sadaiva means constant, incessantly. You can see.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

"What is that paper?" "No, your uncle has written frankly that he is not learned. I am learned." "All right, talk with me." Then he defeated him.

So sometimes devotees are so gentle. If such foolish person comes to talk, unnecessarily waste of time, "All right, you take in writing that I am not a learned. Go away." You see? This is another bhadra. Instead of wasting time with a rascal, better give him a paper: "Go away, sir." (laughter) And therefore Lord Śiva is called Āśutoṣa. So many demons go to bother him: "Give me this. Give me that." And his name is Āśutoṣa.. He gives him immediately: "All right, you take it. Go away. Don't bother." (laughter) Therefore his name is Āśutoṣa.. Very soon he becomes... Somebody prayed, "Sir, give me this benediction, that I shall... On anyone's head I shall touch, immediately head will go away." So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you go away. You take this benediction and go away." Then he wanted to touch the head of Lord Śiva, that "Let me test whether it is good or not." Then he was in danger. So sometimes Lord Śiva is put into danger because he... People, therefore, go to worship Lord Śiva to take anything he wants. Rāvaṇa also was a very great devotee of Śiva. Asuras, they are very great devotees of Lord Śiva to take material facilities. But if you... Of course, it is said, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). But anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he does not want anything like this, that "I shall put my hand to anyone's head, and it will go."

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

Why they have taken to this ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. It is increasing their transcendental pleasure. So anyone who takes to this process, he will increase his ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Prati-padam pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanam. And he will be able to taste what is the meaning of life, what is the meaning of pleasure. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: "All glories to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." So this is the process. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading this knowledge as far as possible, and by Kṛṣṇa's grace we have got this temple in Melbourne, and it is all very creditful to our disciple, Śrīman Madhudviṣa Svami. And you take advantage of it. That is my only request. If you do not do anything, simply come and join chanting, you will gradually know very soon.

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His activities, His qualities, we cannot understand with these blunt material senses. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. "Then? We have got this only possession, indriyas. How we shall understand?" Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you engage your senses in the service of the Lord, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you that "Here I am." This is the process. Now this word is very significant. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvā means tongue. If you simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, you will gradually develop. So how to engage the tongue? It is not said that "If you see, or if you touch, if you smell," no. "If you taste." So what is the business of the tongue? The business of the tongue—that we can taste nice foodstuff and we can vibrate. Do these two jobs. Vibrate with your tongue Hare Kṛṣṇa, and take as much as possible prasādam. (laughter) And you become a devotee. Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) (break)

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

So similarly, although Kṛṣṇa is far, far away from us... Goloka eva nivasati. He's residing in His abode, Goloka, Vṛndāvana. This is the replica of that Vṛndāvana. So akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. How He's akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37)? How He's all-pervading? By His energy. By His energy. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). That energy is avyakta, impersonal. But Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. Kṛṣṇa is person. Just like the sun-god, he's a person, but his energy, sunshine and heat, that is impersonal. To reach impersonal feature of the sun or the sunshine is not approaching the sun. It is approaching and not approaching. It is approaching in the sense that directly in touch with his energy, but still, the sun globe and the sun-god is far away. Similarly, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). To approach the impersonal feature of Brahman is not sufficient. We have to approach Kṛṣṇa. So the Rādhārāṇī, the personal,... His energy's also personal. So mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). If we take shelter of His external energy, where forgetfulness, Kṛṣṇa, is very prominent, then we become far and far away from Kṛṣṇa. But if we take shelter of the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī, because She's directly serving Kṛṣṇa... Just like in Vṛndāvana, they always speak of Rādhārāṇī because they have taken shelter of Rādhārāṇī to approach Kṛṣṇa very easily. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. The facility of Vṛndāvana is that you take shelter of Rādhārāṇī directly and She will help you to approach Kṛṣṇa very soon. This is the idea of coming to Vṛndāvana. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.106 -- New York, July 12, 1976:

So sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya. If one is actually serious, nirbandhinī matiḥ... Nirbandhinī matiḥ means with firm conviction that "In this life I shall be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, I shall understand fully Kṛṣṇa." In this way if we have got firm determination, then Kṛṣṇa will help. That is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ. If one is actually eager to understand his position and his goal of life, then Kṛṣṇa will help. We require determination. That is wanted. Laulyam ekaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam, to advance in spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the value is only strong eagerness, laulyam, that "I must finish this business in this life, to understand Kṛṣṇa." There are many śāstric references. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te. Simply we should be very seriously eager. Then very soon, acirād eva sidhyaty abhīpsitaḥ, immediately... If not immediately... We should patiently. Simply we should be very, very eager. Tatra laulyam ekaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam means very greediness or... We can say, "How I shall approach Kṛṣṇa?" This greediness required, not greediness for sense gratification. Then we shall be implicated more and more.

The greediness... Greediness is very good. Kāmaṁ kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe. Strong desire, that is called lust. So, but this strong desire... Just like gopīs. The gopīs, they were village girls. They had no understanding of what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. But they became very much lusty for Kṛṣṇa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhūbir yā kalpitā: "There is no better type of worship than what was conceived by the gopīs." Their strong desire, "How we shall get Kṛṣṇa?" that was their day and night thought. That's all. Somebody is thinking in some way... The central point was Kṛṣṇa. I have already explained that, that Kṛṣṇa was going to the pasturing ground, and the gopīs at home, they were thinking that "Kṛṣṇa's foot is so soft and so delicate," and that "We dare not to take His feet on our breast, but He is now walking in the fields, pasturing ground, naked without any... And the stones pricking. How much He is feeling pain." Thinking this, they became fainted.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

So there Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was chanting and dancing, He sometimes fainted. So in the course of His chanting and dancing, when He fainted, then His personal assistants, they were treating Him. So one batch of soldiers, Moghul, Pathan soldiers, were passing that way. So the chief of the soldiers, of the army, they were surprised that "How is that? One man is lying unconscious, and others are treating him. This must have been, this man must have been poisoned by these men." So they came down, because they were government men, they came down and challenged all these men that "You have given this man some drug so that he's fainted, and you wanted to plunder him. So we arrest you." Then they said, "No, sir. We have not done anything such. He faints like that while chanting. Now He'll be... Very soon He'll get up, because we are also chanting. Hearing, hearing, He will get up." So in this way, when He came to His consciousness, the Muslims, these Pathan soldiers, they were very happy to see Him. So there was a Mullah. So he talked with Him. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu... I am summarizing the story; this story is very big. He talked with that Mullah, and He proved from the Koran that there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. He proved from the Koran that there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti, there is hint of kṛṣṇa-bhakti. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says here also that indirectly... When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you should know, Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You may call Him by any other name; that is a different thing. But Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti kiṁvā anvaya vyatireke

vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake

You take any literature, any Vedic literature, religious literature, you'll find that the whole literature, whole knowledge is aiming at Kṛṣṇa. That is the purport of all Vedas and religious scripture.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

If you apply your devotional service to Vasudeva, vāsudeve bhagavati... Vasudeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavati. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you apply, if you engage yourself in devotional service to Vasudeva, then the result will be janayaty āśu. Āśu means very soon, without delay; janayaty, generated. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Vairāgyam means knowledge by which one becomes detached from this material allurement. That is called vairāgya. Simply by employing yourself in devotional service you get the highest knowledge. That is vairāgya. Without vairāgyam... Jñānaṁ ca. Jñāna and vairāgya. Jñāna means knowledge, and vairāgya means detachment. This is required in this human form of life. As soon as you get right knowledge, that "I am spirit soul. I am not anything of this material world. Somehow or other I have been in contact with this material world, and because I have desired to enjoy this material world in different capacities, therefore I am transmigrating from one type of body to another type, and I do now know since when this system began. But is still going on," this is called knowledge. To understand one's constitutional position and how he's suffering in this material world, that is called knowledge. Now that perfection of knowledge comes when one becomes vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ.

Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, sufferings and cultivation of knowledge, when one comes to the right point, at that time he becomes vāsudeva parāyaṇāḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. One who understands "Vasudeva is everything; He is the cause of everything," sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, that kind of mahātmā... You were asking yesterday about some mahātmā's instruction. But we are talking of this mahātmā who is vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. He is perfect mahātmā.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

People generally did not know that Kṛṣṇa is Vasudeva's son, but later on it was disclosed by talkings one after another. Then, when the fact was disclosed, then Kamsa arranged for a wrestling match, and Kṛṣṇa was called to fight. That you will read in our Kṛṣṇa book. It's a long story. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa went to His father's house, and He came to Kurukṣetra in the chariot. This is Ratha-yātrā. And Rādhārāṇī and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, their only business was... After Kṛṣṇa departed from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā and He never returned... Once He returned. So Mother Yaśodā, the cowherd boys and the gopīs, they lost their life and vital force. So they were simply crying and weeping. That was their business. So Kṛṣṇa sent sometimes Uddhava to pacify them, that "I am coming very soon after finishing My business." So when they got this opportunity that "Kṛṣṇa has come to Kurukṣetra with His brother, sister, father. So let us go and see..." So they went to Kurukṣetra to see Kṛṣṇa. Whenever they got some opportunity, they wanted to see. Just like these cowherds boys, when there was Battle of Kurukṣetra near Delhi... Vṛndāvana is not far away from Delhi. It is about ninety miles. So they went to see Kṛṣṇa in the charioteer fighting dress. They were astonished. They thought that "Kṛṣṇa is our friend, cowherd boy. How is that, He is in the chariot fighting?" So they became astonished. So this is the pastimes of Vṛndāvana. So similarly, when the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana went to see Lord Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha... Kṛṣṇa means Jagannātha. Jagat. Jagat means this world, and nātha means master, or proprietor. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor of all the planets." Therefore He is Jagannātha. Jagannātha means the proprietor of all the world, all the planets. So the Vṛndāvana inhabitants went to see Kṛṣṇa because their life was Kṛṣṇa. They did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. So that was the opportunity. So it was the request of Rādhārāṇī to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa; I am the same Rādhārāṇī. We are meeting, but We are not meeting in the same place. Here You are, just like a royal king with chariots, with soldiers, with Your ministers, secretaries. And there in Vṛndāvana You were a cowherd boy, and We used to meet in the jungles, in the bushes. So I want to take You there. Then I will be happy."

Ratha-yatra and Press Conference -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

Of course, how far it is true, that is to be judged by you, but I have read this information in a Christian book, Aquarian Gospel. So if we take this incidence that Lord Jesus Christ also went to Jagannātha temple, then from historical point of view it is two thousand years old. But it is, according to our calculation, it is more than three thousand years old. So this Indradyumna king, he asked Viśvakarma to carve the deity of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadra. And there was a time limit. Viśvakarma made an agreement that "Unless I finish the deity's carving very nicely, you cannot see me." So door was closed, and the king was very much anxious to see the temple is established very soon. So he forcibly opened the door, and he saw that the deities were half finished. The Deity Jagannātha as you see, it appears half finished. The king decided, "Never mind it is half finished. I shall install these deities in the temple." Since then, the three deities Jagannātha, Balarāma and Subhadra are being worshiped in India, Jagannātha Purī. Perhaps you know. And the car festival takes place every year, and millions of people go there to participate in that cart, car festival.

So because we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in your country, this car festival and Lord Caitanya's taking part in this is one of the paraphernalia of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And because it revives our consciousness about Kṛṣṇa, it is an easy process for reviving mass Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore if you participate in these car festivals, as it is stated in the scriptures, rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate... If you kindly see these Jagannātha deities riding on these cars and in procession, and as Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in front of this car, then according to our Vedic scripture, if you participate in this festival, in your next life you'll go to back, back to home, back to Godhead.

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 31, 1977:

We are mistaking, here, karma-phala-vadya (?). But here is no inebrieties, in the spiritual world. Here it is full of inebrieties. You'll see that Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with the gopīs but there is no inebriety. There is no pregnancy, there is no abortion. That is the beauty. And the material world the love turns into lusty desires and it entails so many difficulties. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). Here sex life means entailed with so many sufferings. But there is no sex life in the spiritual world but the pleasure is there. That is the difference between material and spiritual. Therefore there is restriction. Just like sex life is there, but a tuberculosis patient, if he enjoys sex life, he'll die very soon. Without sex life he could live for some years. Everyone will die. So for tuberculosis patient sex life is strictly prohibited. So when there is prohibition... Just like in the material world there is prohibition, "No sex life," because we are patient here, tuberculosis patient. If we enjoy sex life then we'll die. Die means... We are already dead because we have to accept this dead body. This body is dead. But so long I am within this body, simply it is moving. Just like motor car. Motor car is a lump of matter, but when the driver is acting, it is moving. Similarly this body... By māyā we are thinking that this body is living. It is not living. It is dead. From the very beginning it is dead. And when the soul will go away, it will appear its real identity-dead. Otherwise it is dead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You are lamenting on this body? Oh, you are such a rascal." Nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Those who are learned, they do not care for this body, either dead or alive. It is dead matter. So why should you lament for the dead matter?

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

It is the fact. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. The author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, he says, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, our love for Kṛṣṇa, is eternal fact. Everyone has got love for Kṛṣṇa. Now, somehow or other it is covered. But that has to be awakened. Just like covered fire. Sometimes fire is covered by the ashes, and if you'll fan over the fire and put some new charcoal, again the fire will awaken, very bright. So similarly, somehow or other, our love for Kṛṣṇa is covered by these material designations: "I am American," "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." These are all ashes. The fire is the spirit soul. So if you rightly fan it over, and you'll see very soon, the fire will come out again. So how fanning? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. You kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa śuddha-citta, without any embarrassment, without being biased to something else. Śuddha-citte. If you... then Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, will automatically awaken, simply by hearing. That is happening. What we are doing? We are chanting everywhere "Hare Kṛṣṇa," and people are coming for hearing. We're not bribing them that "You take some money and become a member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." Rather they are paying. So how it is happening, unless that Kṛṣṇa consciousness (is) within him? Try to understand that. Everyone, it doesn't matter when he is born, what he is, what profession he's not—whatever he may be. Simply if he hears about Kṛṣṇa. Just like after very, very long time, if you hear something which was very intimately known to you, you immediately become attracted: "Oh, that sound is again coming." You see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is our original father. As soon as we hear about Kṛṣṇa, naturally we shall be inclined to hear about Him more and more. So the more you hear, the more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and more our life becomes successful. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation and Brahma-samhita Lecture -- New York, July 26, 1971:

"Those who are twenty-four hours, constantly engaged in My service." Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām: engaged. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours, bhajatām. How engaged? Bhajatām: in devotional service. How devotional service can be done? Prīti-pūrvakam, in love. They must enjoy. Here is an opportunity of serving Kṛṣṇa. The more they engage in service, the more they become pleased. That is spiritual service. There is no retirement. Material service, you'll get tired, fatigued: "Oh, I have worked so much now." In the spiritual service you'll get more energy: "Let me serve more, serve more." To such devotees, the Lord, sitting in the heart, gives instruction: "Do like this," so that he'll very soon come to Him. "Do like this." And to the others? Yes, others also He gives instruction. What instruction? "You wanted to do this. Do it now. Here is opportunity. You wanted to steal. All right. Here is the opportunity. Steal." Because everyone's heart, Kṛṣṇa is there. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). In the Fifteenth Chapter: "I am situated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Forgetfulness is also coming from Him.

So this is going on. Therefore the ādi-puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa is ādi-puruṣa; He's a person. But because He's not a person like us, therefore ordinary person cannot understand God can be person. He thinks that "God must be a person like me." His limited knowledge, speculator, poor fund of knowledge, he thinks that "God must be like me." Therefore in some of the scriptures He's denied personality, because this rascal thinks that "God is a person like me." Therefore it is said: not person. When it is said God is not person, that means He's not a person like you. He's not a rascal like you. That is description. When it is negatively described that He's not a person, that means He's not a person like you. But He's a person, a different person. Sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His person is eternal. He does not die. We die. He's full of bliss. Our, this body, is not full of bliss; full of miseries. So how God can be a person like you? Therefore sometimes He is described as impersonal.

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

That is the proper use of our talking. Otherwise, there are frogs also, they are vibrating, "kakaka, kakaka, kakaka, kakaka." That kind of vibration is simply inviting death. You know in every country there are frogs, especially in rainy season they enjoy. They think, "We are now enjoying life," by "kakaka kakaka." So the result is that the snake, in the darkness they cannot see where is the frog, but by the sound he can understand, "Here is a frog," and he comes and swallows it. So our, this talking, nonsense talking whole day and night—in the assembly, in the conference, in the business, in so many ways we are talking, "kakaka, kakaka"—the result is that we are inviting death very soon. But if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or engage our talking for glorifying the Lord, then death cannot touch. Death cannot touch means we are making our way to become immune from death. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Those who are talking nonsense, they will have to accept some sort of body, either human body or animal body or tree body or demigod's body. He has to take any body. But those who are talking of Kṛṣṇa always, to understand Kṛṣṇa and to make others to understand Kṛṣṇa, they are not going to do that. For them, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Who will preach unless one knows Kṛṣṇa, why He appears, janma, why He disappears, janma karma, why He works in the warfield of battle, battlefield of Kurukṣetra, karma? Or so many karmas, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present. So unless one understands why Kṛṣṇa comes and work like that, why He comes... Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). But they are all transcendental. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Anyone who knows perfectly well, he can preach. Otherwise what he will talk? We'll have to talk about Kṛṣṇa. If we do not know about the activities of Kṛṣṇa, then what we shall talk? So this talking of Kṛṣṇa, vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, will make him immortal. It is not the frog's crowing. The frog's crowing will gradually lead him to death. But this kind of transcendental, glorifying vibration will make him immune from death, will elevate to the eternal life, blissful life.

General Lectures

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

Prabhupāda: This is another point. Even one thinks that he knows everything, still, he, before the spiritual master, he should be blank slate, that "I do not know anything." That is the qualification of the disciple. He should approach the spiritual master as if he does not know anything. Go on.

Girl: "These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, it is said that one who is very serious about developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the grace of the Lord has his desire for understanding Kṛṣṇa fulfilled very soon. The Lord said, 'You are a suitable person for protecting the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God.' "

Prabhupāda: Here is another point, that one should not accept somebody as spiritual master all of a sudden. At the same time, the spiritual master also should not accept anybody as his disciple immediately. Now Sanātana Gosvāmī is proving himself that he's qualified disciple, and Lord Caitanya is accepting him, that "You are just the suitable person; therefore I shall accept you as My disciple and teach you the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Yes.

Girl: " 'And I will explain to you everything, step by step.' It is the duty of the disciple approaching the spiritual master to inquire about his constitutional position. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanātana has already asked, 'What am I and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?' The threefold miseries are called ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, and ādhidaivika. Ādhyātmika means caused by the body and mind. Sometimes the living entity suffers bodily and sometimes he is distressed mentality. Both are ādhyātmika miseries. We experience these miseries even in the womb of our mother. There are many forms of miseries that take advantage of our delicate body and give us pain. Miseries inflicted by other living entities are called ādhibhautika. There are many living entities such as bugs born of eggs that cause us miseries while we are sleeping in bed. There are many living entities like cockroaches that sometimes give us pain. And there are other living entities born on different kinds of planets, and they also cause us miseries. So far as ādhidaivic miseries are concerned, they originate with the demigods from the higher planets. For instance, sometimes we suffer from serious cold weather, sometimes we suffer from the thunderbolt, sometimes from earthquake, tornadoes, droughts, and other natural disasters. So we are always suffering one or another of three kinds of miseries.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

How they have avoided all these things, within very short time? None of them are associating with me more than one year, and just see their character. It is so practical. You cannot induce them even to smoke. We don't say that you go on with all nonsense, at the same time you become spiritually advanced. We don't talk all this nonsense. There must be practical exhibition that one is advanced in spiritual consciousness. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). All good qualities will develop. That is spiritual advancement. That is the test. But it may be due to my past habit I may sometimes commit mistake, I may fall down. But Kṛṣṇa says, śaśvad bhavati dharmātmā. Even if he falls down sometimes out of ignorance, still, he'll very soon become purified. The process is so nice. Just like a fan is moving and make the switch off. Still you will see the fan is moving, but rest assured it will stop because the switch is off. Similarly, a person taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his material life's switch is off immediately. And even though it is seen it is moving, it will stop very soon. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to put off the switch of material existence immediately. It is so nice. Yes.

Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna:

"I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in that way." But mantra means when you are delivered from that concoction, speculative way of your mind, and you come to the transcendental platform. That is the effect of mantra. So this mantra, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is called the mahā-mantra. Mahā-mantra means the greatest of all mantras. And this is the only suitable mantra for this age. This age is called Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means the age of disagreement. Nobody agrees. Even husband, wife does not agree, what to speak of others. The father, son does not agree. Nobody agrees with anyone. This is the age like that. So in this age of disagreement you cannot say that this type of religion is nice, that type of religion is nice. That is finished now. You have to take this mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And you'll find it that very soon you are coming to the light.

So I do not wish to take much of your time, but simply I want to impress upon you that this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is so nice that if you give in an experimental way... You can see. You chant for at least one week and you see how much you have changed. So these boys, they are chanting in the street. We have got many branches in your country, one in London, one in Germany, and everyone is taking part. It is increasing. So we don't charge anything, neither you have got any loss. If there is any profit, you can try it, but there is no loss. That is guaranteed. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

These examples are given in Vedic literature. Similarly, if you actually love Kṛṣṇa, then, in spite of your being engaged in so many works, you can think of Kṛṣṇa, full meditation. That is possible, practical. If you have got, I mean to say, very eager attraction for a certain thing, in spite of your acting differently, you are thinking of that. There are many examples. Suppose somebody beloved, your son, is ill at home. You have come to office to work. You are working but you are thinking, "How is the boy? How the child is there? How the child is there?" It is a question of love only. So there are certain processes, regulative processes. If you follow those processes, then automatically you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Just like one process: this chanting. You go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll find very soon you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the boy. Here is our Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. He says that "I was attached to drug habit, to intoxication habit, meat-eating. Now my attachment is now changed. I am now for Kṛṣṇa." So automatically he has become pure. It is so nice. Therefore I asked him to read that paper because that is practical experience. No more, no more they feels any inconvenience, those who have given up even smoking, tea-taking, coffee-taking, meat-eating. Because these practices are very common thing in your country. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so wonderful that for years together they are no more taking tea, coffee, smoking, meat, everything; they don't feel any inconvenience. They are happy, quite happy, in taking simple Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Similarly, in so many ways you'll be freed, and that is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: (BG 18.54) no more anxiety. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, even if he does not eat for three days, he'll not feel unhappy. These are practical.

Lecture -- Bombay, November 2, 1970:

It is very easy to understand. Although you are proprietor of the business, you cannot do anything without being permitted by the government. Similarly, although this body is yours, you are the proprietor of this body, you have been given freedom to utilize the body to your best interest, still, you cannot do anything without the permission of Kṛṣṇa.

That is the subject matter to understand spiritual life. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi... Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: (BG 15.15) "I am entered in everyone's body." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "Through Me, one remembers and one forgets." Because our capacity is very limited. We forget very soon. Even we do not know two hours before, what we were doing. That is our nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa helps us from within. Even though we forget, Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is also there in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, You say that You gave instruction on Bhagavad-gītā long, long ago, some forty thousands of millions of years ago to sun-god. How can I believe it, because we are contemporary?" so Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, at that time, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." That is the distinction between ordinary living being and the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is also nitya. The Supreme Being is also conscious, as we are eternal, nitya, and conscious. That is the statement of the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the supreme conscious, He's the Supreme Living Being. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the basis of Brahman, but the original Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁ Brahma, as Arjuna accepted—paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Ladies and gentlemen, (applause) we thank you very much for your kindly coming here and participating in this noble movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or saṅkīrtana movement. You'll be very glad to know that today I have received one letter from my disciple, Śrīman Kṛṣṇadāsa adhikārī, the in-charge-of, commander, maṭha-command, or temple command, of West Berlin. He was negotiating with Russian Cultural Society, and one very important professor, he has invited us to lecture in Russia. (applause) So very soon I shall be going to Russia with some of my disciples. (applause)

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: So gradually it will be realized that Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Don't take Kṛṣṇa as Indian or Hindu. Don't limit Kṛṣṇa's activities. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, Kṛṣṇa's activities are unlimited, Kṛṣṇa's devotees are unlimited, and Kṛṣṇa's field of activities, unlimited. So Kṛṣṇa says, yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. (aside:) Why it is not working? Huh?

Devotee: The power is dead.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 14, 1973:

Actually, under His instruction we are taking permission. Just like you do business in your business office, establishment, but you have to take permission, license from the government. It is very easy to understand. Although you are proprietor of the business, you cannot do anything without being permitted by the government. Similarly, although this body is yours—you are the proprietor of this body, you have been given freedom to utilize the body to your best interest—still, you cannot do anything without the permission of Kṛṣṇa. That is the subject matter to understand spiritual life. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi... Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: (BG 15.15) "I am entered in everyone's body." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "Through Me, one remembers and one forgets." Because our capacity is very limited. We forget very soon. Even we do not know two lours before what we were doing. So that is our nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa helps us from within. Even though we forget, Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is also there in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, You say that You gave instruction on Bhagavad-gītā long, long ago, some forty thousands of millions of years ago, to sun-god. How can I believe it, because we are contemporary?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, at that time you were also present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." That is the distinction between ordinary living being and the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is also nitya. The Supreme Being is also conscious. As we are eternal, nitya, and conscious... That is the statement of the Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme conscious. He is the supreme living being. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the basis of Brahmā. But the original Brahmā is Kṛṣṇa, Para-brahman, as Arjuna accepted: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

If one has actually taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will never be lost, even though you find for the present he is not well-behaved. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a thief, even a rogue, even a sinful man takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follows the rules and regulation, for the time being you may find there are some faults, but it will vanish very soon. Just like the electric fan, it is moving. You make the switch off, you will find still moving. But it will stop moving very soon, because the switch is off. Similarly, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, if you find that still he is not well-behaved, that is not very important thing. He has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is important thing. Because this superficial external misbehavior will stop. There are many śāstras' example.

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer

patet tato yadi, bhajann apakva

yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ

ko vārtha āpto abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ

(SB 1.5.17)

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, even one takes by sentiment, still he is profited. And person who are very honest in executing his duty but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, śāstra says ko vārtha āpto abhajatām: "What does he gain?" He does not gain anything, because he is bound up by the resultant action of his karma. So it is a great science. One has to understand. Then... But for the present... Of course, a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta never takes the profession of a dacoitry. We have no such evidence. Rather, dacoits were made very great devotees. There are instances. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Even if he is dacoit, but Kṛṣṇa-bhakta," sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), "he is to be considered sādhu." So it is the certificate of Kṛṣṇa. What can I do? (laughter) (break) Ārati. (end)

Departure Talks

Departure Address -- Los Angeles, July 15, 1974:

So to think of Kṛṣṇa and to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa is not at all difficult task. Then... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "Worship Me." So here is the chance for worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Ārā..., bhoga-ārātrika. Temple. Keep the temple very cleansed. Dress Kṛṣṇa daily. You also dress nicely, take your bath, be pure. So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "And just offer obeisances to Me." Even the child can do. They are doing it. It is not at all difficult. But simply by executing these four principles, Kṛṣṇa says, gives assurance, mām evaiṣyasi: "You come to Me." So our program is how to go back to home, back to Godhead, and the program is very simple. Some way or other, we have introduced this program in the Western countries, and you are so intelligent, you have very soon captured it. So stick to the standard; then your life is successful. It is not at all difficult. But don't deviate. Then you are pakka. Yes. Pakka means solid. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. If you remain solid in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the māyā cannot touch you. So that is my request.

So I am traveling all over the world. I am going to see how things are going in Dallas or New Vrindaban and another... So my touring is natural. I have started this movement. I want to see that it is going on nicely. So you kindly help me. Don't deviate. That is my only request. (starts to cry) Then you will remain solid.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. The devotee, even in the beginning he is found not in order, doing something wrong, still, because he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is accepted as sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Where one may say that there are so many discrepancies in his life and yet he is doing all right in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he has not corrected his habits, the reply is, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śāśvac chāntiṁ nigacchati. Because he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all his bad habits will be corrected very soon.

Śyāmasundara: So that as long as one is improving in his moral nature...

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is ultimate moral nature—take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and gradually all moral things will come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). All good qualifications will come automatically if he sticks to these four principles—these regulative principles and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and abiding by the orders of the spiritual master. Then everything will come automatically.

Śyāmasundara: Moral qualities will follow?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Śyāmasundara: It's not that one has to develop them independently?

Prabhupāda: No. Automatically it will come. Because the good qualities are already there in the spirit soul, and it is being purified, uncovered by the material contamination. The original cult is coming out. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śyāmasundara: What does the word "cult" mean?

Prabhupāda: Cult means... What do you mean by cult? Cult is an ordinary word.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: He sees that everything in the world, all nonego objects, all the objects of the world are seeking to realize themselves. Everything is seeking to realize itself.

Prabhupāda: Yes, seeking, therefore if you take advantage of a perfect person, then that seeking will be (indistinct) very soon understand. Otherwise he'll hover in the oblivion. That's all. Our process is we are seeking but we are going to the Absolute Person, Kṛṣṇa, and you are taking the knowledge, immediately. That saves our time. If you are seeking, considering your (indistinct) very great scholar, research scholar, then you are misled. Our process is very nice. Therefore tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), the injunction is you must approach a bona fide spiritual master to make a short cut of the searching.

Śyāmasundara: Because everything is seeking to realize itself, that that means there is a moral order to...

Prabhupāda: Certainly.

Śyāmasundara: So that each individual must act according to his duty and his conscience in this world.

Prabhupāda: No. Conscience, an entity is Kṛṣṇa conscience, it is useless.

Śyāmasundara: Conscience.

Prabhupāda: Conscience, yes. A thief, he also prepares his conscience. When he goes to steal he says, "I must, because I have to maintain my family. I do not know any other business, I must." This is his conscience. The other conscious is, "No, no, no I cannot steal. It is sin." So where is the conscience? Conscience is not standard. You make your, manufacture your own conscience. Therefore you have to take advice from Kṛṣṇa conscience. That is real conscience. Whether it is (indistinct) with Kṛṣṇa conscience, that is (indistinct). Otherwise he created own conscience.

Śyāmasundara: It is that the supreme principle of world order is freedom.

Prabhupāda: Yes, freedom. Our present condition is not freedom. We are completely under the laws, te 'pi svatantra rudhāṇī vardhya (?). They are tied up by the ropes of material nature, hands and legs, and still they are thinking, "I am free." That is illusion. Nobody is free. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). We are seeking freedom but nobody is free. Nobody is free. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27), they are pulled by the ear, "Do this." Prakṛteḥ. You have to do this.