Actually intelligent (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"actual" |"actually" |"intelligence" |"intelligent"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "actual* intellig*"@5

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Just like there are a section of people in your country, they have seen enough of this material affair, happiness, or they are searching after something wrongly. But actually those who are intelligent, they don't remain confused. Actually they want to see "What is my actual position." They are called jñānī, man of knowledge.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

That's all. That is karmī. And jñānī means that when they are confused. Just like there are a section of people in your country, they have seen enough of this material affair, happiness, or they are searching after something wrongly. But actually those who are intelligent, they don't remain confused. Actually they want to see "What is my actual position." They are called jñānī, man of knowledge.

So jñāna, or knowledge, is on the mental plane and karma is on the bodily plane. So somebody, some section of people, they are engaged in this bodily platform, and some section of people are engaged in the mental platform. Whatever religion and process of elevation of life we have manufactured, they can be grouped in two ways: mental and bodily. That's all. And Bhagavad-gītā is transcendental. Neither on the mental plane nor on the bodily plane. Therefore the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is sarva-dharmān parityajya. Dharma, you have created so many religious principles, so many concocted spiritual ways of life or material ways of life.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

That is preya, śreya. So Arjuna is asking not preya. He's asking instruction from Kṛṣṇa not for the purpose of confirming his śreya. Śreya means immediately he was thinking that: "I shall be happy by not fighting, not by killing my kinsmen." That, he was, like a child, he was thinking. Śreya. But when he came to his consciousness... Not actually consciousness, because he's intelligent. He's asking for preya, uh, śreya. Yac chreyaḥ syāt. "What is the, actually, my ultimate goal of life?" Yac chreyaḥ syāt. Yac chreyaḥ syāt niścitaṁ (BG 2.7). Niścitam means fixed-up, without any mistake. Niścitam. In Bhāgavata, there is, called niścitaṁ. Niścitam means you haven't got to make research. It is already settled up. "This is the decision:" Because we, with our teeny brain, we cannot find out what is the actual niścitaṁ, fixed-up sreya. That we do not know. That you have to ask from Kṛṣṇa. Or his representative. These are the things. Yac chreya syāt niścitaṁ brūhi tan me.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

Dying means giving up and being transmigrated, transferred to another body by the laws of material nature. It is not under my control. You cannot say that "After giving up this German body, I shall accept again another German body." That is not in your hands, sir. It is under the laws of nature. You cannot propose. You cannot force material nature. After this body I can get any other body. That is stated here. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Another form of body. That form of body may be any one of the 8,400,000 forms of body. Therefore, if we are actually intelligent, we should try for being awakened, or placed in our original body, the spiritual body. That will stop this constant change of body.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

And if you try your best to go to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, you'll not come again to accept this material body.

Then the question is that "If I am eternal, why there are so many miserable condition of life? And why I am forced to die?" So this is actually the intelligent question, that "If I am eternal, then why I shall remain in this material body which is subjected to death, birth, old age and disease?" Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructs that this miserable condition of life is due to this material body. Those who are karmīs, means those who are engaged in sense gratification... They are called karmīs. The karmīs do not care for future; they simply want immediate facilities of life. Just like a child without the care of the parents, he plays whole day and doesn't care for future life, do not take any education. But in the human form of life, if we are actually intelligent, we shall try our best how to get that life or body where there is no more death, birth, old age and disease.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

If you are intelligent class, then you have to take to intelligent quality of work, just like you must become a scientist, you must become politician, not politician, philosopher. You must be a religionist or so many intelligent class of work. So you must engage in that way if you are actually intelligent, if you belong to the intelligent class. Now, if you are administrative class, then you must take to the politics or election, be elected the mayor, be elected the president or something like that, and work in that way. And if you belong to the mercantile community, then you must do business and produce agricultural grains and distribute them. That is your business. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that the mercantile class... Who are mercantile class? Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Vaiśya means the mercantile community.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

"Their intelligence, consciousness is not purified." Therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa. "They perform very severe practice." Just like the Buddhists, they have got very... Now, those who are not practicing, that is different thing. But rules and regulations, Lord Buddha himself, he showed. He left his everything and became engaged in simply meditation. Who is doing that? Nobody is doing that. Śaṅkarācārya's first condition is that "First of all you take sannyāsa; then you talk of becoming Nārāyaṇa." Who is taking sannyāsa? So they are simply falsely thinking. Actually, their intelligence is impure, consciousness is impure. Therefore in spite of such endeavors, the result is, āruhya kṛcchreṇa param, although they go very high, say 25,000 miles or millions of miles up, they do not find any shelter, where is moon planet, where is... They come down again to your Moscow city, that's all. Or New York City, that's all. These are the examples. When they're high up, oh, they'll take photograph. "Oh, this planet is so, this earthly planet is so green or so small.

Lecture on BG 3.25 -- Hyderabad, December 17, 1976:

You work little, get your food grains produced and you can sumptuously eat. But it doesn't require a scientific slaughterhouse for bringing big, big cows and live in the city at the cost of the lives of the poor animals. This is misuse of intelligence. This is not intelligence.

Therefore a devotee who is actually intelligent, they should show the way how our intelligence can be utilized. That is explained here, saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁsaḥ. Avidvāṁsaḥ, fools, men with poor fund of knowledge, they have discovered so many lines of activities, simply foolishness.

So modern civilization, the so-called advancement of civilization, is, I mean to say, planned by the avidvāṁsaḥ, men with poor fund of knowledge. They are not advancement of civilization. Therefore they do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. They do not believe, avoid the major issue and they are planning.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

There are... Just like Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His actions, wonderful actions, not that He pretended and cheated some people that "I am God." Actually, from the beginning of His appearance, He played, I mean to say, uncommon activities. Just like at the age of seven years old He lifted the Govardhana Hill. There are so many instances. If you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, life of Kṛṣṇa in the Tenth Canto, there is description. And in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, the Bhagavad-gītā. So by His activities, by His knowledge, by His opulence—everything is there. Nobody is supposed to be cheated by a pretender if he is actually intelligent. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

Then what nuisance you are doing in the name of progress? There is no progress. The real progress is to understand the laws of nature, how it is being conducted under the direction of the Supreme Lord. That is real progress.

So Bhāgavata indicates tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida means one who is actually intelligent, not the mūḍhāḥ, rascals, actually one who is intelligent. He should try to solve the problems which is not possible to be done even if you travel over all the spaces up to the highest planet. Upary adhaḥ. Upary adhaḥ means upside all planets and downside all planets. There are millions of planets. If you travel... But these problems... Just like your fortune will go with you in your head. You may go to moon planet, but this head will go with you. Yadi yao bhaṅge kaphala yabe saṅge.(?) You cannot change. If you have to attempt anything for real progress, then this is real progress. What is that? To know the Supreme Absolute Truth, which is manipulating all activities. That is real progress.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

I cannot distinguish because I will go away. You can distinguish that "Now this real Swamiji's spirit is gone; the Swamiji's material body is here." So it is very plain thing. Therefore we should not only have perfect knowledge of this matter, but we should have perfect knowledge of the spirit also, if we are actually intelligent. Therefore the brāhmaṇas... Why they are called brāhmaṇas? Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brahmin, it is English transcription. But real word is brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa. And wherefrom this brāhmaṇa word comes? Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. That means one who knows the spirit, the spiritual. One who has got complete knowledge of the spiritual world, he is called brāhmaṇa.

How one becomes brāhmaṇa? Now you will find distinctly that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "The four divisions of qualitative divisions is set by Me according to quality and karma." Never says, "according to birth," you will find. "According to birth," it is not said here.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

"Now I have become free by smoking or by gāñjā eating, drinking, or smoking." You see? These things are simply false imagination. Therefore they are less intelligent. They are not intelligent. Bhāgavata says ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are self-complacent that "I have become free, liberated," this and that. But actually their intelligence is very contaminated.

Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are simply thinking like that. Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means actually he is not, but he's thinking. You can think that "I am the proprietor of all the banks of this Los Angeles city." You can think. Who checks you? But are you actually the proprietor of all the banks of this Los Angeles city? Anyone can think intoxication like anything. He has got the liberty. But that is not the fact.

So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Their intelligence is contaminated because they have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

And, in those days, the Hindus were so strict that anyone accepting the service, especially the brāhmaṇas, if he accepts, if a brāhmaṇa accepts the service of anyone, especially who is not a Hindu, he is at once extricated from the society. So these two gentlemen, Sakara Mallika, they almost became... They changed their name also. They were actually brāhmaṇas, very intelligent, learned. They were very good scholars. In Parsee, er, Persian language, and Sanskrit language, they were very good scholars, but because they engaged themselves in the service of the Muhammadan ruler, they were, I mean to say, extricated from the brāhmaṇa society. They also followed Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they were made the best authorities in this science of Kṛṣṇa science. They... Later on, they became Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī.

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

That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). The benefit derived from the demigods, that is temporary. But rascals who have got less substance of brain, they are after that. It is clearly said. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām. Alpa-medhasām means one who has got brain substance very little, they are attracted by all these things. They are meant for third-class, fourth-class men. Because they will not worship God, "All right you worship these demigods. At least, you try to worship something instead of becoming atheist." That is the process. But when one is actually intelligent, after many, many births, he should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

What is this knowledge, devotional, rāja-vidyā? What is the symptom? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the symptom: that one has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That means he is in perfect knowledge. So long he is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or he is posing himself as equal to Kṛṣṇa or sometimes above Kṛṣṇa. There is a very well advertised yogi. They say, at least his disciples say, that he is above Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. Real knowledge, jñānavān, is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is real knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19). If one is actually intelligent, he should not wait for many, many births. If he believes in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, then, immediately after hearing this verse, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he should immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

We were teaching in the morning. He said that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita: "Even the layman, the laymen, they call me a very learned man. I accept it. But actually, I am not learned man." Why? "Because I do not know what I am. If I do not know what I am, then what is the use of other knowledge?" So actually, the intelligent person who knows his real position, his constitutional position, and his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, then he takes directly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā and all scriptures. All scripture. But if you want to go round-about way, you can go, but you have come to this ultimate point. That is the conclusion. Then there are divisions of Vedic knowledge: fruitive activities, worship and knowledge.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

The meaning is, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of everything. Everything is emanating from Him. When one understands this fact, he becomes budha, or intelligent. And when one is actually intelligent, budha, bhāva-samanvitāḥ, this ecstasy. To come to the spiritual platform, this ecstasy required. So one has to come to the platform of bhāva or ecstasy gradually.

The process is ādau śraddhā, first of all, faith. Just like our disciples, they have already accepted. But outsiders, they come out of little faith, "Let us see what these people are doing." This faith is the beginning, ādau śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If one has little faith, the next stage is that he should come and live with us for some days.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:

These are the symptoms of Kali-yuga mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And people will become so much harassed by these three things that they will voluntarily give up their hearth and home and go to the forest.

Therefore those who are actually intelligent, they should not neglect this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is the greatest welfare movement for the whole human society to make people God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, without which there will be so many troubles. It is already there. So everyone is trying to enjoy the prakṛti, the material nature. Therefore the question is prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetrajñaṁ eva ca. This is material nature and anyone who is trying to enjoy this material nature, he is called puruṣa. Purusa means enjoyer and prakṛti means enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

That is also going on. Servant he must remain, but if he does not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, he has to become servant of so many things. He cannot give up his position as a servant. That is not possible. He may change the name in different way, but he remains a servant. That's a fact.

So therefore one who is intelligent, one who is actually intelligent, he thinks that "If my position is to become a servant, why not become the servant of the Supreme?" This is intelligence. Kāmādināṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. We are servant of our senses, kāmādināṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās. And our senses are dictating so many nonsense things and we are serving. So therefore one who is not servant of the senses, but one who becomes servant of Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes master of the senses. That is called svāmī or gosvāmī. One side you have to become servant of Kṛṣṇa; then you become master of the senses.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

Those who are actually budhāḥ, intelligent, and bhāva, with ecstatic love, they worship Kṛṣṇa. Bhajante mām. Catur-vidhā... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Sarvam means... Because in the beginning of creation, there were three Deities: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. So they are also emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ sarvam. Sarvam includes Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Iti matvā: "One who knows it very well." Iti matvā bhajante mām: "Those who know, in the knowledge, they worship Me," budhāḥ, "because they are expert, they are actually in knowledge." Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ: "with ecstasy of love."

Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:

This is the injunction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "First of all, make your life perfect. Just try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā and make your life practical in understanding Bhagavān and the bhakti." Janma sārthaka kari'. "Then go and preach all over the world." Paropakāra. Because the whole world is in darkness. They are too much materially congested. Their brain... Big, big professors, they say, "After death, there is no life." And they are going as teachers and professors. So especially in the western world, they are so much engrossed. So our request is, those who are actually intelligent: "Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, especially Indians, and try to preach all over the world." They are also hankering after it. And Kṛṣṇa says that simply by trying to preach the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then he become a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktiṁ mayi parām. Parā-bhakti. That parā-bhakti, already explained:

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

Has he manufactured in the factory wheat, rice, grains? Then unless God has given you grain, wheat, rice and other grains, how you can make bread? So far they cannot go. Actually, God gives us bread. If there is famine, if there is no production of grains, where is the politician, father, will (be) who able to give you bread? This requires little intelligence, that "Actually God is giving us bread, not this politician." But people have no such intelligence, and there is regular propaganda against God; so people are becoming godless. The whole civilization is now godless, and therefore there are so many sufferings. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

These are the symptoms. And how to worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in this age? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: (SB 11.5.32) "This form of the Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the intelligent class of men." Su-medhasaḥ. Su means very good, and medhasaḥ means brain, brain substance. One who has got very good brain substance, they will understand this saṅkīrtana movement nicely. Just like in our India, especially in Bengal, sometimes they say a dull-brained man, "Oh, you have got cow dung within your brain. You have no brain substance." Actually a man becomes intelligent by the greater amount of brain substance. It is a psychological fact. It is called celebrum... Doctor knows. What is called?

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

"Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. I am not enjoyer. Why I am struggling so hard? Whatever prasāda will Kṛṣṇa give me, that's all." That is mukti. So one can become liberated in one second. In one second. It doesn't take many lives or... But because we are fools and rascals, therefore it takes many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, when one actually becomes jñānavān, wise, intelligent, he surrenders immediately. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Immediately accepts Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. That person is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā. But such kind of mahātmā is very rare. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.

So just try to understand. Actually, there is no condition. It is a dream. By conditioned stage we are differentiating. Bheda-buddhi. Bheda-buddhi, that "Kṛṣṇa is different from me. Who is Kṛṣṇa? I am Kṛṣṇa." The bheda-buddhi. So... What is that?

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

They do not care for us: "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" Their street... They are thinking they are beggars. But they are the most intelligent class, brāhmaṇas. They do not honor. So this Kali-yuga, actual intelligent class of men has no honor. A third-class man, fourth-class man, fifth-class man has got honor if he gets some money. That is the system of Kali-yuga. Somehow or other, you gather money and you are fifth-class, tenth-class man—you will be honored. This is Kali-yuga. Not for your qualification, but because you have got money, you are honored. This is going on.

So kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. At the present moment, 99.9%, they are śūdras. Therefore the society is chaotic condition. Therefore in your country, you are the richest country in the world, you are producing hippies, frustration, confusion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

"What is this nonsense advertisement? He's smoking, and it is cool?" So contradiction. You'll find contradiction everywhere. Because they are not intelligent, they are thinking intelligent. But anyone who is intelligent, they can understand what is the trick.

So when actually one becomes intelligent, then the enquiry is: "Why? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? I do not want this, and it is forced upon me. I do not want to die; death is there. I do not want disease; the disease is there. I do not want this; it is forced upon me. I don't want war, but they, the draft board drags me to the war. Why these are?" This "why" question must be there. That is intelligence. That is Kenopaniṣad, Kena. There is Upaniṣad, Kena. And Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he also inquired this "Why?" Ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. "Who am I? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life?"

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So we have to accept one incarnation with reference to the description given in the śāstra. Not that any rascal comes and he becomes incarnation and we accept. No. There are incarnations. That is a fact. As it is said: deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu, hundreds and thousands of incarnations. But if we are intelligent, if we are actually well versed in the śāstras, then we should corroborate. Not that anyone comes to become incarnation, we have to accept. No. That is not our business. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya. We have to test sādhu, whether sādhus are accepting. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus as Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even Śaṅkarācārya, who's an impersonalist, he says, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ devakī-nandanaḥ. He accepts. And what to speak of other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya. They all accept. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts. Formerly, Vyāsadeva accepted. Nārada accepted. Everyone... Vedas. The other day, when we met Gaṅgeśvarānanda, he quoted so many Vedic passages Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

So anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. If we want to stop this unwanted business... If you don't want, go on with your business: bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Now take this life, this body, of human being or Indian and then American, then cat, then dog, then hog, then tree—so many, eight million—you go on if you like. But if you are actually intelligent, if you are disgusted, that "This is not very good business. This is anartha, unwanted business. I have been forced, yayā sammohitaḥ... Being bewildered, being illusioned, misdirected by this material energy, I am trying to be happy here in this material..., and it is not my business." If one comes to this sense... That is stated in the Bhagavad..., bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births. After many, many births, jñānavān, one who is actually in knowledge, wise..." Then what does he do? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: He surrenders to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

You may be talented in so many ways. You may be very big man, politician or philosopher or chemist or physicist. So many we are; we are occupied. So why you should become big man? What is the purpose? The purpose is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Intelligent. So whatever talent you have got, it doesn't matter. Whatever you may be. You may be engineer. But if you are intelligent actually, through engineering, you'll describe Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is the greatest engineer so that He's keeping all the planets floating in the air. That is engineer. You cannot do it. He is keeping... Gām āviśya (BG 15.13). He has said. Aham ojasā dhārayāmi, Kṛṣṇa says. So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa like that. Kṛṣṇa says like that, "I am keeping all these planets floating." Now, if you are a physicist, then you try to understand how Kṛṣṇa is keeping them floating. That is your perfection. That is your perfection. If you remain a physicist or chemist and don't understand Kṛṣṇa, it is a waste of time. It is waste of time.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So this rascal civilization, they do not understand what is bhava-sāgara, what is bhava. Nothing. They are so rascal. And they're passing on as civilized men. No knowledge. So when one is intelligent, actually, then he considers that "If I am eternal, why should I accept repetition of birth and death?" That is intelligence. But they have given (in) to birth and death—"Never mind." Even university students, they say, "If next life, if I become animal, what is the wrong?" Just see. How much degraded. In Hawaii University, one student said that "Even if I become an animal, what is the wrong there?" Just see how much degraded the human society has become. They are prepared to become animal, cats and dogs, trees, anything.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

Real intelligence is that we are advancing in science, in education, in motorcars and motorcars everything. But where is our peace? Where is śānti? That is intelligence.

That intelligence must be utilized to find out where is really śānti, peace. That is intelligence. That is described, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, yayātmā suprasīdati (SB 1.2.6). If you want actually peace, then your intelligence should be utilized for searching out the Supreme and your relation with Him. As soon as you find out... Just like you have lost your father, if you find out your father, immediately your relationship with father is revived. There is no question. "Here's my father." And father says, "Here is my son." Because the relationship is very intimate. Son may go out for years together, but as soon as he comes back home he sees his father, mother, and that original intimacy immediately revived.

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

And the fourth class: busy fool. Busy fool is very dangerous. So all these people, they're busy. Even in this country, everywhere, all over the world, not this country or that country. They have discovered this horseless carriage—very busy. "Ons, ons," (imitates cars' noise) this way this way, this way. But actually, they are not intelligent. Busy fool. Therefore they are creating problems after problems. That's a fact. They are so busy, but because they are fools, therefore they are creating problems. This is fact. Even the animals, lower than the human beings, they have no problem.

What is the problem? First of all, we have got some physical necessities. So āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Our physical necessity is that we want to eat. That is necessary to maintain this body, āhāra. Nidrā, rest. We must have some rest also. So āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. Bhaya means being, to become afraid of. That is material nature.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-2 -- New York, April 19, 1973:

Their condition is very... Actually this is the position of the whole world. They are not ātma-vit. They do not enquire ātma-tattvam; therefore they are less intelligent. Therefore I say that we, our propaganda is to make people more intelligent. They might not have taken it very nicely. They thought that "This poor swami has come to make us intelligent." But actually that is the fact. That is the fact. This is not intelligence, that, bodily concept of life, "I spoil my whole life for bodily comforts, and then after giving up this body, I become a cat and dog." Then what is that intelligence? Is that very good intelligence? Actually it has happened. I do not wish to discuss. Our Godbrother, Śrīdhara Mahārāja, says... He was speaking from a paper that one of our great politician, very, in India, he has now become a dog in Sweden. It is published. There were enquiries about some prominent men in India, and he has answered, and one of the answer is, "Such-and-such politician, he is now one of the two dogs of a gentleman in Sweden."

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

This is the best welfare service to the people, to awaken his lost consciousness. He is foolishly thinking that "I am of the material product, and I have to adjust my things in this material world." This is the foolishness. Actual intelligence is that is Brahma-bhūta, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Bhāgavata.: "I am part and parcel of God. God is supreme Brahman. I am, being part and parcel..." Just like part and parcel of the gold, gold mine, it may be small earring, it is also gold. Similarly, the small particle of sea water is also the same quality, salty. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we have got the same qualities. Qualitatively, we are one. Why we are hankering after loving? Because there is love in Kṛṣṇa. We are worshiping here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Originally there is love. Therefore we, being part and parcel of God, we are also trying to love. A man is trying to love another woman, woman is trying to love another man. This is natural. This is not artificial.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

So here is the solution, that if you want to be saved from this chaotic condition of life, if you want to be free from all anxieties, then your business is śrotavyaḥ: "You hear about the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa." And for hearing about the supreme controller we have got eighty books like that. Not one, two, three, four-eighty books. So if you are actual intelligent, if you are actually scientist, if you are actually philosopher, read these books. That is called śrotavyaḥ. Hear about the supreme controller. Not that simply God is there. Just try to understand how God is there. That you will find in this literature. There is no other literature throughout the whole world. You will find here. Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. Not only hearing like dull. As soon as hear, if you are... Then you spread this knowledge. Kīrtitavyaḥ: "My dear sir, there is God. God is like this. I have heard from the authority." That is called kīrtitavyaś ca, preaching. First of all hearing. Without hearing, how you will preach? So this is called śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), another name. Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. And smartavyaḥ.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

That is called māyā. He's seeing that everyone is dying; still, he's thinking that "I shall not die" or "I shall live for millions of years. There is no question of death." But it is a fact. You may be advanced in science, but he, this death is sure. That's a fact. Therefore it is advised here that saṁsthāṁ vijñāya, one who is actually intelligent, he should know that he will die. But the karmīs, the rascals, he knows also that he will die—at least, theoretically accept—but he wants to enjoy, since the death does not come, to the fullest extent. That is the present condition of the society. He knows that will he die. "So, so long my senses are there, let me gratify." Now, yesterday, when I went to the bank, there was a cinema signboard, what is that?

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

So this is called māyā. Even in hog's life, dog's life, germ's life, stool's life, everyone is thinking, "I am very happy." But he does not know that there is tīvraṁ bhayam, very fierceful condition. But he forgets.

But one who is actually wise, intelligent, he can understand that "Actually, I am not happy. I am suffering." That is intelligence. That is intelligence, when one comes to the understanding that "I am not happy actually. I am simply suffering." The Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was the finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. So he is our guru in the disciplic succession. He inquired this question from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I have come to You to ask that people call me, I am very learned man." Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "By this ordinary relationship, they call me, I am very learned man. But I am such a learned man that I do not know what I am..., why I am suffering." This is intelligence.

Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:

You haven't got to make research anymore. Nirūpita means it is already concluded. What is that? Yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam. If you can explain the activities of Kṛṣṇa, Uttamaśloka, how He is acting, how is the chemical process is going on under His direction, if you can write a thesis on this subject matter, that ultimately Kṛṣṇa is behind that, then your this study of chemistry is perfect. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Nirūpita means it is concluded. No more argument. That is the purpose. That means if you are intelligent enough actually, then through any source of knowledge you come ultimately to Kṛṣṇa. That mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The Kṛṣṇa says. But if by your education, if you come to the same point, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. He is in the background, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), cause of all causes," then that education is perfect. Otherwise it is śrama eva hi kevalam. Otherwise it is simply laboring for nothing, waste of time. This is the purpose. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

"Yes, my dear King, you are right. Your question is very intelligent. Actually, by committing something wrong and reacting it by something else, that is not very beneficial. The real prāyaścitta is knowledge." Real prāyaścitta is knowledge. A thief is committing theft and going to the prison, suffers for six months, again he comes out, and again he commits theft, and within four days again he is put into the prison. We have seen many such cases. He..., the thief comes out of the jail, and exactly after four days he's again put into the jail. So this action and reaction... One has committed theft, and the reaction is that he is put into the jail. This is not exactly beneficial. Real is that thief must be given knowledge. Knowledge... For want of knowledge, the whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving actual knowledge of the living entity, mīmāṁsā. Mīmāṁsā means that think over the matter, that "Why I am doing this?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

"Oh, here is... How He can be God?" Brahmā became bewildered: "How this boy can be the Supreme Lord? Let me test." So... Indra became bewildered. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ, the Bhāgavatam says. Even big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand. So when Kṛṣṇa was present, Indra, he wanted to test Him, and Brahmā wanted to test Him, whether He is actually God. So that is intelligence. If anyone declares... People are... Sometimes a so-called incarnations are, they are declaring that "I am God." Then one should test whether actually God. That is intelligence. Simply by declaring, if somebody declares falsely that "I am God..." Just like this Ramakrishna. He declared that "I am the same Kṛṣṇa and Rāma." Is it not? You do not know?

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

This is not." And bhaya. So there are 8,400,000 species of forms of life, and by this process we are entering into different types of atmosphere and subjected to sometimes harṣa, jubilation, sometimes lamentation, sometimes fear. Even in this life we are undergoing such changes.

So if one is actually intelligent, then he should consider that "I don't want this lamentation. Why it is forced upon me?" It is forced upon me—on my desire, on my desire. It is not forced by any external thing. It is my desire. I wanted this position, and I got it by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, but when I got it, then again... Because the nature is like that, material nature... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). You can place yourself in any position—the whole thing is duḥkhālayam; it is miserable. We are simply changing, that "If I am posted in this position, then I will be happy. If I am posted in this position, then I will..." And we are changing different positions. Harṣa-śoka-bhayāpaha.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

You are loitering in this way, but you could not get Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now here is the chance, human form of life, and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. Take it seriously. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovidaḥ. If you are actually intelligent—kovido means very intelligent—then you take. You must. Kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura: "Anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's first-class intelligent person." All other: fools, rascals. You can call them. There is no harm. They are actually fools and rascal, who has not taken. And it is not our manufactured word. Kṛṣṇa said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Anyone who is not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is rascal, he's sinful, he's lowest of the mankind, he has no knowledge, he's gone to hell. This is our conclusion. Sometimes they come to fight us tlat "Sir, you said such a great man, 'rascal.' " But we must say, "Yes, he is a rascal. Where is his greatness?" Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12).

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

We try to dovetail everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, because it is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like one's property must be enjoyed by the proprietor. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor of this world. Therefore everything dovetailed in His service for His satisfaction, that is devotional service. That is the professional (perfectional?) stage of serving Kṛṣṇa. So we don't take the world as mithyā.

Therefore those who are impersonalists, they think that they have become liberated. Actually, they are not liberated. The Bhāgavata says, vimukta-māninaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking like that. Actually, their intelligence is not yet completely purified. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). So even Brahma-sukha, the happiness derived from realization of Brahman, is not perfect. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Their fortune is that their brain is not congested with hodgepodge ideas. That is the idea. They actually... Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). They have given up all other occupation and have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So India also, we can do that. What is the difficulty? We must do this We must accept this... Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān (SB 1.3.28), janmanām ante jñānavān mām prapadyate. We are cultivating knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, "After cultivation of knowledge for many, many births..." Not in one life, but many, many births. "One, when actually intelligent, jñānavān, actually wise, he surrenders unto Me." Why should you wait for many, many births? Supposing that you are very intelligent, you are very wise, you are speculating, but according to Bhagavad-gītā, why should you waste your time in that way, speculating? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34). Speculating process will not help you. Ciraṁ vicinvan.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.111 -- New York, July 19, 1976:

The fact is, the electric energy is coming from the background, the powerhouse, then about the bulb is giving light.

So whatever intelligence we have got, that is not our intelligence; that is God's intelligence. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. That intelligence is coming, but the intelligence, why you'll find different? So just like the bulb. There are fifteen-candle-power, there is fifty-candle-power, hundred-candle-power—according to the bulb, the energy is exhibited. Similarly, according to our power of reception, we can exhibit our intelligence, merit. But actually it is coming from God. Anything... The same principle. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Vedānta philosophy, "Absolute Truth means the original source of everything." Everything may be of different varieties, but the original source is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

So one should try to be situated in his positive position, and being freed from this diseased condition of sense enjoyment. Just like the paralyzed hand. It is simply... It is called a hand, but it has no function to act as hand. Similarly, without transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, a so-called intelligent class is simply in name intelligent class. But it is not... He's actually not intelligent, because there is no function. So this is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari' māne

vastutaḥ buddhi 'śuddha' nahe kṛṣṇa-bhakti vine

Now, there are many speculators. After some philosophical speculation, they think, "Now I have realized that 'I am the same. I am same God. I am God.' " So this process is called jñāna system. So Lord Caitanya says that these jñānīs, they artificially think that "Now I have realized myself," but actually that is not self-realization.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

"Therefore, although he has advanced in, to some extent in the spiritual realization path, but because he has not reached up to You, Kṛṣṇa, therefore his intelligence is not yet fully purified. He's still contaminated." In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, one who is actually intelligent, actually in..., wise, in knowledge, he surrenders unto Him. So those who are thinking that "I am now liberated simply by some volumes of philosophical speculation," so Bhāgavata says, "No, your intelligence is not yet purified because you have not yet approached Kṛṣṇa."

So what is the result for such persons? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They might come to the highest position, because Brahman realization is also very high position. It is not ordinary thing, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman."

Festival Lectures

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

Where is money?" Artha ihāya. Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. And as soon as one gets money, then how to purchase things for family, that's all. Shopping, storing. This is the engagement of materialistic life. Out of that, one who is actually intelligent... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many such foolish persons engaged in sleeping, mating, earning money, and providing family with nice apartment and food... This is the general occupation. So out of many thousands of men like that, one is inquisitive how to make perfect this human form of life. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- New York, April 5, 1973:

Everything wanted for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, for upkeep of the society, human society, there must be intelligent class of men, there must be administrator class of men, there must be productive class of men and there must be worker class of men. At the present moment, the human society is giving stress on the mercantile class of men and worker class of men. Actually, there is no intelligent class of men or administrative class of men. So our movement is creating some intelligent class of men. According to our Vedic knowledge, the first-class intelligent man is he who knows what is God. He's first-class intelligent man. Otherwise cats and dogs, they also eat, sleep, have sexual intercourse, and die.

So this life is not very congenial to the human society. The chaotic situation of the present human society is due to that there is no intelligent class of men. This is our challenge. The so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, they have no intelligence. Therefore the whole society (is) in the chaotic condition.

Initiation Lectures

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

So this plan-making business is māyā, because that will never be successful. Trace out the history of the whole world. Nobody has become happy. Hitler made a plan, so great a plan. You see? He was frustrated. So the sane man, intelligent man... Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says that a person who is actually intelligent, wise... How a man becomes wise? After being baffled or frustrated many, many times, he can understand this is not the process. And the Vedānta-sūtra also places the first, athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is frustrated in all plan-making business, for him, the Vedānta-sūtra gives him the opportunity, "Now your all plans have failed. Come here." Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now try to understand what is Brahman." This is the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra. Just try to understand Brahman. So in this way... This initiation also. Initiation means the first beginning, how to become purified. This is initiation. Because this devotional service means the process of purification. Now every one of you, individually you can understand how you are becoming purified from your past life. That is practical. Yes.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

So any intelligent man, if he's actually has got sense, he should try for this. And especially in this human form of life, it is possible to achieve this benediction, that I can become immortal, I can become blissful, I can become full of knowledge-sac-cid-ānanda. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then ultimately you also become exactly like Him, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Vigraha means form, body, and sat means eternal, and cit means knowledge. Sat, cit, ānanda. Ānanda means blissfulness. So this body, however you may be... You may be American, you may be Englishman, you may be very rich man, you may be very poor man, you may be white man, you may be black man, whatever you may be, but this body is not sac-cid-ānanda. It is not eternal; it will end.

General Lectures

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

These question do not arise. Actually, when people will come to the understanding, when they will inquire that "Why I am suffering from the threefold miseries...?" The threefold miseries is summarized in Bhagavad-gītā by four principles: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If a man is actually learned and intelligent, he should always see before him that there are four kinds of distresses. What is that? The distress of taking birth, the distress of dying procedure, janma-mṛtyu, and distress of old age, and distress of diseases. So we are very much proud of our advancement of knowledge, but actually there is no solution for these four principles of miseries. There is no remedy. They are trying to control birth rate, janma, but still, every minute there are increasing, the population of the world is increasing. Similarly, they are trying to save people from death, but still, people are dying in hundreds and thousands. And they are trying to get out of this old age. So many medicines, so many cosmetics, but old age is taking place.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

So these are the definition of intelligent person. So if we want to be intelligent, we can adopt the process how to become intelligent. But on the other hand, if we are actually intelligent, why not take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness immediately and become intelligent? Without, without going to the process, you take... It is offered to you by the most magnanimous incarnation, Lord Caitanya. He's offering you, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). He's giving you love of Kṛṣṇa. Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his obeisances to Lord Caitanya, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "O my dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most charitable, magnanimous of all incarnations. Why? Because You are directly giving love of Kṛṣṇa. The love of Kṛṣṇa which cannot be achieved after many, many births, You are delivering cheaply, 'Take it immediately.' " Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya. They could understand that "You are Kṛṣṇa"; otherwise it was not possible by anyone to offer Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, so cheaply. "You are Kṛṣṇa, You have got that power." And actually He is so. Kṛṣṇa failed to give Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, when He came personally and taught Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

So the duration of age is reduced, and people are not very intelligent. Of course, it is very revolutionary that I am speaking that people are not very intelligent, but actually it is. Why they are not intelligent? Because they do not know what is the destination of life; therefore they are not very intelligent. The Bhāgavata says that destination of life is God realization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. God-realization. In this human form of life we can realize what is God. It is not possible in other form of life. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. You have seen it. There are trees, there are aquatics, there are germs, reptiles, then birds, then beasts, then human beings. Out of this human form of life, more than fifty percent, they are uncivilized, and maybe twenty-five percent of the human beings, they are civilized. And out of them, maybe ten percent are believing in God, following religious principles.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

We are changing body every moment. And the final change is called death. But actually, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You accept another body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), "After many, many births," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, "when a man or a living entity becomes actually wise and intelligent..." Not fools. Fools cannot understand. One has to become very intelligent. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Jñānavān means very intelligent, wise man. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Kṛṣṇa says that "After many, many births of struggle, or attempt for acquiring knowledge, when one comes to the summit point of understanding, he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), the origin of everything is Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa." Vāsudeva. Origin of everything is Kṛṣṇa.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

To surrender unto the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is real religion, and all other things are simply ritualistic or to lead one to that point. Real religion is when you surrender unto the Supreme Lord. That is your religion, real religion. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19): after many, many births, when he is actually intelligent, he surrenders unto the Supreme Lord, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). This mahātmā. I began the topic "Who is mahatma?" So here is mahātmā. Who is mahātmā? Who has surrendered himself fully unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is mahātmā. And what are the symptoms of mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. (BG 9.13). Those who are mahātmā, they are not under the control of this material nature. They are under the control of the spiritual nature. Daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom of such person, that he is under the control of spiritual nature?

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

"This is old age, and in old age everyone has to become like this." So he at once left home and sat down in Gayapradesh, a province in Bihar in India. And he began to meditate how to make solution of this old age.

So there are four problems. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is mentioned that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you are actually intelligent, then you must keep these four problems before you. Do not think that the problems of life are solved by material advancement. Do not think that by building, constructing skyscraper houses, the problems of life are solved. No. The problems of life are these four principles: birth, death, old age and disease. If you cannot solve these problems, then your problems of life remain the same. The solution of the problems... Just like our bodily demands, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca samānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

So the Vedic literatures, the Vedic civilization, is pointing out to Viṣṇu. As you know in the Ṛg mantra, Ṛg Veda: tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are actually intelligent, brāhmaṇas, they are looking after self-realization, making the target on the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. That is the missing point. In the Bhagavad-gītā we are taught by the Lord Himself to give us enlightenment, what is the aim of life. That aim of life the Lord Kṛṣṇa says Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The ultimate target of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavad-gītā's teaching. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

"You catch up this. Why should you wait for many, many births?" If it is a fact that after many, many births of intellectual exercises you have come to the point of surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says the most confidential part of knowledge is that "You surrender immediately unto Me."

So those who are actually intelligent, they take this opportunity and surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy if one accepts easily, but it is very difficult if one does not accept it easily. Otherwise it is very easy. Kṛṣṇa is canvassing that "You surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). That is Kṛṣṇa is giving us the intelligence, buddhi-yogam. And if you surrender, then Kṛṣṇa says, assures,

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Satata means twenty-four hours. Not that I meditate for fifteen minutes and do all nonsense twenty-four hours. No. Satata-yuktānām.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

The living entity, the soul, is never born; it never dies. It is the oldest. Nityaḥ śāśvataṁ purāṇa. Purāṇa means very old; nitya, eternal; na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre, does not die after the destruction of this body. The death and birth is of the body, not of the soul. Therefore when we are actually intelligent, cultured, advanced, then we should be inquisitive that "If I am eternal, then why I am subject to these tribulations of birth, death, old age, and disease?" That is intelligence. It is not intelligence that "The cats and dogs are eating on the footpath; I am eating (in) a very nice plate, nice hotel or nice table." You are eating, that's all. It is not advancement of civilization when you think that you have got good apartment, good house, and sleeping in a nice bedstead, and the cat and dog is lying on the floor or in the street. No. She sleeping; when you sleep, the enjoyment is as good as of the cats and dogs. Similarly, sex life also. They also enjoy, you also enjoy.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 26, 1973:

When Para-brahman enjoys, He... But the difficulty is that this Māyāvādī philosopher, they cannot understand that in the spiritual world there is also pleasure. Their foolish brain cannot accommodate. Because here in this material world they have got very bad experience of this material... They want to make the spiritual world as zero or imperson due to less intelligence. But actually, real life, real pleasure, eternal pleasure is there in the spiritual world, not in this material world.

So from Bhagavad-gītā, if you study scrutinizingly each word and each śloka—not by man interpretation, but actually as it is—then we can understand what is our eternal life, what is our eternal pleasure, how we can return and sport there. Everything is explained there. Everyone can go. Everyone can transfer himself in that spiritual world—simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. That's all. And the Kṛṣṇa understanding is there. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. He, if you do not introduce your so-called foolish scholarship, then you get actually back to home, back to Godhead, by simply studying Bhagavad-gītā.

Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

That is not in your hands, sir. It is under the laws of nature. You cannot propose. You cannot force material nature. After this body, I can get any other body. That is stated here: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Another form of a body. That form of body may be any one of the 8,400,000 forms of body. Therefore, if we are actually intelligent, we should try for being awakened or placed in our original body, the spiritual body. That will stop this constant change of body.

So the simple process is, as we are preaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that if you try to understand only what is Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa or Christ, the same thing—then you get your original, spiritual body. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the holy name of God. So keep yourself aloof from four kinds of sinful life, and keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa and God. Then you will go back to home back to Godhead. This advantage is possible in this human form of life; otherwise, we are missing the chance. We may be again put in the cycle of that 8,400,000 forms of body.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

"Those who are after other demigods, they are hṛta-jñānāḥ." Hṛta-jñānāḥ means they have got little knowledge—that is taken away by māyā. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. These words are there. So this demigod worship is for the less intelligent class of men, not the actual intellectuals. Actual intellectual is he-bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So he's actual intelligent, when he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So the demigod worship is recommended for the less intelligent class of men. Otherwise, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa is the highest stage of perfection.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Jeremy Bentham:

Prabhupāda: If the distresses are present, then where is your happiness? This is another ignorance. This is a... Nobody wants to die but death is there. Then where is your happiness? Nobody wants to become old but the old age is there. You must become old. Then where is your happiness? Nobody wants diseases but disease is there. You cannot avoid it. Then where is your happiness? This is less intelligence. That actually you are not in happiness but by your so-called philosophizing theories, you are trying to be happy, means another illusion and we take it as happiness. Actually it is not happiness. Where is your happiness?

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: But why these schools are there? Every day we see, actually, from the most intelligent persons, scientist, he has to go to a school. Not that at home, by speculating and talking nonsense, they have become a scientist. They will never become.

Śyāmasundara: But if evidence from that leaf—that it is the color green, for instance...

Prabhupāda: Still, you have to learn how the color green comes in.

Śyāmasundara: Well, he calls that kind of knowledge—how the color green comes in—you must exclude that kind of consideration; only...

Prabhupāda: That I am saying. Then he doesn't require to ask anybody. He has to speculate himself and think any kind of way he likes. He wants (indistinct).

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: My nation is independent." Nobody is independent. Everyone is dependent under the laws of material nature. When death comes, nobody is independent. Either American, Indian, or There is no question of independence. But when we think that "I am independent," although I am dependent in so many respects, that is māyā. That is māyā. Māyā means what he is thinking, that is not fact. That is called māyā. Mā-yā. What you are thinking, that is not a fact. So daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So he is continually serving the māyā, life after life, but still he is thinking, "I am independent." So the right intelligence is, actual independence is, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. When you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that is your real independence.

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ tyajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). They worship other demigods, being too much lusty. Because the demigod is worshiped for some material benefit. So they have been described as hṛta-jñānāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ means one who has lost his intelligence. Actually it is so. Suppose by worshiping a demigod, Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, so you get the opportunity of being a, becoming a very nice scholar. But how long you shall remain scholar? As soon as the body is finished, your whole scholarship is finished. Then you have to accept another body, and you have to act according to that body. So how you have..., this scholarship will help you? But if you worship God, as Kṛṣṇa says, that janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ... (BG 4.9). To worship God means to know God, actually what is God, more perfect—how He is managing, how material nature is working under Him. People cannot even imagine that God can be person, but here is everything person.