All good (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"all good" |"all-good"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

"Whether I shall kill them or not?" Ahiṁsā. It is consideration, not that it is final settlement.

So people are trying to elevate the status of the society by so many things. But they do not know the secret. The secret is that if one is trained only to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, all good qualities automatically will be visible in his person. There is no need of separate endeavor, how to make a man honest, how to make a man religious, how to make a man high-thinking, simple living. These are good... Śamo damas, titikṣa ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam (BG 18.42). All these qualities immediately develop. Because a living entity, spirit soul, he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīvaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says all this. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). "They have come to this material world. I am the seed-giving father. They wanted to enjoy. So I have given them chance.

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

So long you are on the mundane platform, you have to obey all these right and wrong. But in the spiritual platform, when it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa... He is above all this duality. He is Absolute. So even if He says to do something wrong... Because He cannot say anything which is wrong. God is all-good. If you discriminate God's order from the mundane platform, then you will be misguided. Anyone who has got firm and fixed up faith that whatever God does, whatever God orders, even from mundane calculation it may be wrong, that is right... That is absolute understanding. So those who are in the spiritual platform, for them, there is no such consideration, which is right and which is wrong. Their only consideration is whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased. That's all. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased by inducing me to do something wrong, I will not hesitate to do it. I will do it because it is Kṛṣṇa's order. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam.

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

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 2.10 -- London, August 16, 1973:

"My dear Arjuna, you are My friend. Never mind, māyā is very strong. Despite your being My friend, personal, you are so much overwhelmed with false compassion. So just hear Me." Therefore He said, aśocyān: "You are lamenting on a subject matter which is not at all good." Aśocya. Śocya means lamentation, and aśocya means one should not lament. Aśocya. So aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajña-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "But you are talking like very learned scholar." Because he has talked. But those things are right. What Arjuna has said, that varṇa-saṅkara, when the women become polluted, the population is varṇa-saṅkara, that is fact. Whatever Arjuna has said to Kṛṣṇa in order to avoid the fighting, so those things are correct. But from the spiritual platform, those things may be correct or incorrect, but from spiritual platform, they are not to be considered very serious. Therefore aśocyān anvaśocas tvam.

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

Everything sane, as a sane man. So how they are doing? Four years ago, they did not know what is the name of Kṛṣṇa. Perhaps they might have seen in the English dictionary the name of Kṛṣṇa as stated "a Hindu god." But actually, that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is the name of God. Kṛṣṇa means the all-attractive, all-good. All-attractive means He must be good; otherwise, how He can be attractive? A bad, someone who is bad, he cannot be attractive. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, this very word, means all-attractive. He has got all the good qualities, all the opulences so that He is attractive. That is the right description of, or right nomenclature of God. If God has got any name particular which is full in everything, that word is Kṛṣṇa. It is a Sanskrit word, but it indicates... Kṛṣṇa means God. In the śāstra it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ means controller, and paramaḥ, the supreme. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

I mean to say, reaction of their acts. If you do some good thing, then you reap the good result. If you do some bad thing, then you reap the bad result. And because we are defective, therefore we do something good, sometimes bad.

The best thing is, therefore, that God is all-good. If we follow God, then we become good. If we follow God or God's representative, then we also become good. Because God is always good. A good cannot give you bad direction. Therefore devotional service... It is incumbent that everyone should be followers. Everyone should be followers of the instruction of God. That is devotional service. Nobody should be deviated from the service of the Lord. The whole Bhagavad-gītā... This is the beginning, and at the end, Lord will instruct, I mean to say, Arjuna, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66)

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

I mean to say, Arjuna, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender unto Me"; and ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: "And I shall protect you, give you protection from all reactions of sinful life." The best thing is, if we want to be all-good, then we have to follow the instruction of all-good. We have to mold our life in such a way that what is advised by the all-good... That will make our life perfect. Next we shall... (end)

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So our process of acquiring knowledge is from the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). And what is the purpose of the Vedas? Why Vedic knowledge is perfect? Because it is spoken by God. God is perfect, and whatever He speaks, that is perfect. Therefore God is called "God is good." All-good. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, everything is good, perfect.

So we are receiving knowledge of this transmigration of the soul from God, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, it is perfect. He says, dhīras tatra na muhyati. After the death of a person, one should not be bewildered. He should be dhīra, he should be sober to know how things are happening. That is called knowledge. How, after the passing of the soul from this body, how the soul accepts another body? That also you learn from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- London, August 24, 1973:

Therefore, nindasi. Nindasi means he was criticizing. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ sadaya-hṛdaya darśita. Why? He was so kind and compassionate. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. God is very kind, very compassionate. He does not like. But when there is necessity, He can kill. But His killing and our killing is different. He's all good. Anyone killed by Kṛṣṇa, he immediately gets salvation. So these thing are there.

So, immeasurable. You cannot measure what is the soul, but the soul is there, and the body is perishable. "If you, even if you do not fight, you save the bodies of your grandfather and teacher and others as you are so much overwhelmed, so they are perishable. Antavanta means today or tomorrow.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

"My dear sons, don't be misled. These rascal fools, they have become mad after these things, meat-eating, intoxication and sex life." Na sādhu manye, "It is not good at all." Na sādhu manye. "I don't allow, I don't say it is very good. It is not at all good." Na sādhu manye. "Why it is not good? We are enjoying life." Yes, you are enjoying now, but yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). So long you will continue with these things, you'll have to accept body, and when you accept body, there must be birth, there must be death, there must be disease, and there must be, what is called, old age. You'll suffer. You'll suffer. But your actual position is na jāyate. You do not take birth, but you have conditioned yourself to take birth. Actually, your position is no birth, eternal life.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

As long as one is in the material world, there is always the possibility of good and evil because this world is full of duality. But one who is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not affected by good and evil because he is simply concerned with Kṛṣṇa, who is all-good absolute. Such consciousness in Kṛṣṇa situates one in the perfect transcendental position called, technically, samādhi." 58: "One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects as the tortoise draws his limbs within the shell is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge (BG 2.58)." 59: "The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment though the taste for sense objects remains, but ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness (BG 2.59)." 60:

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Just try to understand how much a king was responsible for the happiness of the citizens. They were ideal king, and therefore the citizens also followed. They became Kṛṣṇa conscious, they became all devotees. And if the leader is a sinful man and doing all impious activities, then how you can expect the citizens to be all good and pious? It is not possible. Therefore here, it is a very important subject matter. "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footprints." Therefore good leader wanted. You haven't got to educate individually every citizen. If you have got a good leader, then the citizens automatically become good. And whatever standard he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." Go on.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

It is impossible for any human being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not imitate Him in any way. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam affirms this as follows: 'One should simply follow the instructions of the controllers and should not imitate them in their activities. Their instructions are all good for us and any intelligent person must perform them as instructed. However, one should guard against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the ocean of poison imitating Lord Śiva.' "

We should always remember the position of the īśvaras, or those who actually control the movements of the sun and moon. Without such power, one cannot imitate the īśvara or the superpowerful. The example set herein is very appropriate. Lord Śiva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison he will be killed.

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

Just like there are first-class prisoner, second-class prisoner and third-class prisoner. So after all, they are prisoners, maybe first-class, second-class or third-class. That doesn't matter. Similarly, within this material world somebody may be very learned, rich, beautiful, all good qualifications, in the modes of goodness. So they... Or somebody is passion and somebody in lower degree, even animal life. But they are all prisoners within this material world.

One has to transcend this position. One has to transcend even the so-called goodness of the material world. Just like Arjuna was trying to be so-called good man of this material world. He was trying to avoid the injunction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted him that "You should fight this Kurukṣetra battle," but he wanted to be good man.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

And this is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, as we'll find it in the Seventh Chapter, that apareyam. Aparā. Aparā means inferior or lower nature, lower nature. So He has got higher nature.

One may question that "Why? The Supreme Lord is all-good. Why He has got higher nature and lower nature?" Yes, He has got because He says. You cannot say that there is no higher nature and lower nature. There is also higher nature. Now, here the Lord says that "When I come as incarnation, when I appear..." Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. Svām means His higher nature. He does not accept this material nature. He does not accept this material nature.

Just like the example...

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

That Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him to be the best man in the world. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. And there are other confirmation in the Bhāgavata, that yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ: (SB 5.18.12) "Anyone who has attained the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he attains all good qualities automatically." And harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ: "Anyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness..." When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you can take it as God.

So in... So a person who is devoid of God consciousness, however he may be qualified from the material point of view, the scripture says that his qualification will not help him in doing things which are not desirable. He'll, he'll, he'll not be prohibited to do things which are not desirable. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ: (SB 5.18.12)

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

Question: If Kṛṣṇa is all-good, why does He send us to this world full of miseries?

Prabhupāda: Just like the government is good, but why do you go to prison house? When you go to the prison house, it is not the government who puts you in the prison house. You have committed sinful activities. Therefore you are put into the prison house. It is the government's duty to manage whether a man should be put into prison house, whether a man should go to the university. But the difference of individual activities. Similarly, God does not want you to put into miserable condition. You put yourself in miserable condition, but God comes and He sends His representative, to give you relief, how to get out of that miserable condition. The conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa does put you in miserable condition, but He helps you get out from the miserable condition.

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

We don't want to discuss that. But the effect of sense enjoyment is suffering. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Illicit sex or legal sex, it is followed by so many miserable conditions. That, everyone, we can understand. Simply we have to become sober. Then we'll understand this material existence is not at all good, not at all.

Then, as human being, as we are trying to solve our problems... The real problem we have to solve. And why we are in material condition and miserable condition? Because we have got this material body. This is the problem, real problem. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). This body is temporary. It will not exist forever. But so long it will exist, it will give trouble. This is a fact. So long we'll continue in this material body, you'll have to suffer.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

That is wanted. If you are acting for Kṛṣṇa, then you are not becoming entangled by the resultant action, pious or impious. It is above. Pious and impious, they are consideration of this material platform. In the spiritual platform there is no such thing, absolute. Whatever you are doing, it is all-good, all-spiritual. That is called absolute. In the Absolute there is no such distinction, "This is pious, this is impious." Everything is spiritual.

So we have to act like that. If you act spiritually for satisfying Kṛṣṇa, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ... Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa by your activities... It doesn't matter whether it is śūdra activity or brāhmaṇa activity. But the aim is whether you are satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Then it is akarma.

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

I'm Kṛṣṇa conscious yogi, but I am still addicted to so many nonsense habits—that means you are not advancing. That is the test. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). He hasn't got to learn how to become good. Simply by executing this devotional service, he'll be all good. That is the test.

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

Therefore you have seen that the brahmacārīs, they go there. It becomes very easy to enter into the spiritual kingdom. So that you can do here also. If you increase your attraction for Kṛṣṇa, then naturally you lose attraction for sex. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Madana-mohana. Madana means sex life. He can enchant even madana. So these are things which the devotee will learn by studying the literature. But even without studying, if you sincerely chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra under regulation, everything, all good qualification will come.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

We are working whole day and night like cats and dogs, the hogs. The hog is also working day and night. Hog, what is his business? "Where is stool?" That's all. "Where is stool? Where is stool?" And as soon as he gets stool, he eats it, become fatty because stool contains all the vitamins. That is the essence of all good food that you take, and the essence is rejected. But it is scientifically true. Perhaps doctor will admit. Stool contains all hydrophosphates. Is it not? Then who is going to eat stool? Hydrophosphates is very good for brain, but now eat. Therefore these hogs very easily become fat. You see? So does it mean that we shall work very hard where to find out where is stool and then become fat and somebody will eat me? This is not civilization. Civilization is that you must know what is your real position and act accordingly, and then you become liberated. Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ.

Lecture on BG 7.9-10 -- Bombay, February 24, 1974:

There must be brain behind the nature. Otherwise, how a rose, so nicely it is coming? Even from artistic point of view, if you want to paint one flower, you have to take so much labor, so many colors, reflection, and so many instruments, then hardly you can paint one nice rose flower. Still, it is not as good. And not at all good in comparison to the original flower. So if this third-class flower, you have to apply so much brain, and this first-class flower has no brain behind it? Is that very good logic? What is this logic? There must be brain. And that is stated here: puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau, aham. "It is My, under My superintendence."

So Kṛṣṇa is giving us intelligence that "If you do not go to the temple or do not hear to the ācārya, you can at least try to understand My presence when you see a flower or smell a flower." Is that very difficult job?

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

It was known... I think it was named Titanic. So it was guaranteed that it will never be drowned; it is so well-looking. And all the important men of America started in that ship for the first time, and after few miles immediately it was drowned. So in spite of all scientific protection, in spite of all good brains behind the manufacture of this Titanic ship, it was drowned. So in this way we have to study that this ārta and arthārthī, because they are, their background is sukṛtina, pious activities, they know that without God's help we cannot mitigate any of our distressed condition or needy condition. Therefore the ārta and arthārthī whose background is pious life, they approach God: "Kṛṣṇa, please help me," although it is not pure devotion.

Pure devotion is without any desire for material benefits. Just like it is enjoined in the śāstras, samyak śubha-kriyā matiḥ pramāṇam.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

That is the position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not heartless. They are very submissive.

There are six, twenty-six qualifications of a factual devotee of the Lord. They are very kind. They are very obedient. They are sober, economic, everything, all good qualifications. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). One, if he becomes the devotee of the Lord, all good qualities automatically will develop because he is good. By nature a living entity is the perfect good, but due to the contamination of the lust, he has become vicious. He has become vicious. By nature he's not vicious; he's perfect. Because he's part and parcel of the gold, he's gold. By outward covering he has become something nonsense.

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

The same man who was taking pleasure by killing one animal half-dead, he is not prepared to kill even an ant. This is called bhakti. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one becomes a devotee of the Lord, akiñcana-bhakti, then sarvair guṇaiḥ, all good qualities will come out automatically. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God. God is all-good. Therefore every living entity, potentially, constitutionally, he is also good. As God is good, we are also good. But due to our material association, we have become bad. So if we revive our old position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically we shall become all-good. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended therefore, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12).

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

"Without deviating his attention to any other demigod or any other business, if one is simply cent percent engaged in My service, but his character is, general activities are not so to the point, still," the Lord says, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Sādhu means a pious man or a religious man. Sādhu means the honest man and all good qualities. Still, although he is found that he is not to the standard, but his only qualification is that he is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness sincerely... It may be...

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

Bhāva means state of being. Bhūtānām, "of all living entities;" mattaḥ, "from Me;" eva, certainly; pṛthag-vidhāḥ, differently. Because Kṛṣṇa has declared already, aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). Maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarva. He is the original cause of everything.

Now... Then He must be the cause of all good qualification and bad qualification also. Whatever we see in this material world, we consider, "This is bad, and this is good." We have divided that, according to our calculation. But actually there are... They are varied manifestation of the qualities of Kṛṣṇa. Here in the material world, those qualities, transcendental qualities, they are in Kṛṣṇa and they are in living entities. Just like we have all these qualities.

Take for example buddhi. Buddhi means intelligence.

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

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?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Everyone is struggling for existence for the ultimate happiness. But in this material world, although they are thinking by possessing material wealth they will be satisfied, but that is not the fact. For example in your country, you have got sufficient material opulence than other countries but still there is no satisfaction. So in spite of all good arrangement for material enjoyment, enough food, enough..., nice apartment, motor cars, roads, and very good arrangement for freedom in sex, and good arrangement for defence also—everything is complete—but still, people are dissatisfied, confused, and younger generation, they are turning to hippies, protest, or dissatisfied because they are not happy. I have several times cited the example that in Los Angeles, when I was taking my morning walk in Beverly Hills, many hippies were coming out from a very respectable house. It appeared that his father, he has a very nice car also, but the dress was hippie.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

"If thousand dollars I get..." In this way, everyone is trying to approach a position where he will be happy. That is

The Vedānta-sūtra says that ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Because we are spirit soul, our position is ānandamāyā. Ānandamāyā means always blissful. Because we are part and parcel of God... God is blissful, all-good, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His form... He has got form. He is not formless. But His form is different. That form is sat-cit-ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. So we are part and parcel of God. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So if Kṛṣṇa is sat-cit-ānanda, then we are also sat-cit-ānanda, because we are part. Just like gold and a gold, small particle. That is also gold.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

This is the symptom how one is advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means all the good qualities will be visible in his character. That is practical. Anyone can test. Just like these boys, these girls, European, American boys and girls who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just see how their bad habits have been altogether stopped. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. All good qualities will develop. You see practically. You see practically. These young boys and girls, they never asked me that "Give me some money. I shall go to cinema," or "I shall purchase a packet of cigarettes. I shall drink." No. This is practical. And everyone knows that from the very their birth, they are accustomed to eat meat, and... I do not know from the very beginning whether they are accustomed to take intoxicants. But actually they were habituated to these things, but they have altogether given up. They don't drink tea even, coffee, cigarettes, anything. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate... This is the test.

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

There are many mahātmās, many yogis, jñānīs, karmīs. They're all good. But if they do not approach the ultimate goal of life—means approaching Vāsudeva—then śrama eva hi kevalam.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed yadi ratiṁ

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

You can execute your religious principles, you can execute dharma-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ. Charity. Dharma, dāna. You can execute severe austerities, penances. But if you do not approach Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, then the śāstra says, śrama eva hi kevalam. In another place it is said, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). If you can approach Vāsudeva, Hari... Vāsudeva, Hari, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu—the same. Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33).

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

Kṛṣṇa's stealing and my stealing is different. Because I am materially contaminated, therefore my stealing is abominable. Whereas the same stealing in the spiritual absolute platform is so nice that enjoyable. Mother Yaśodā enjoying the activities of stealing by Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Material and spiritual. Any activities spiritual, that is all good, and any activity, material, that is all bad. This is the difference. Here, the so-called morality, goodness, they're all bad. And in the spiritual world, so-called immorality is also good. That you have to understand.

Just like to dance with others' wives at dead of night, this is immoral. Everyone knows. At least in the Vedic civilization, it is not allowed. A young woman is going to another young man at dead of night to dance with him. This will never be allowed in India. Still it is prohibited. But we find that all the gopīs as soon as they heard the flute immediately they came.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

For the good. For the good of the devotees. He's always after seeing good of the devotees. Therefore from this instruction of Kuntī, our business should be always how to become devotee. Then all good qualities will come upon us. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If you simply develop your devotion, dormant devotion, natural devotion... We have got natural devotion.

Just like father and son, there is natural affection. And the son has got natural devotion to the father, for father, for mother. Similarly, we have got our natural devotion. When we are actually in danger, even the scientists, they also pray to God. But when they are not in danger, they defy God. So therefore danger is required in order to teach these rascals that there is God.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

So Cai... Jagāi-Mādhāi in those days were taken as very, very sinful, although they were born of brāhmaṇa family. But by bad association, they became thieves, rogues, guṇḍā and drunkards, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. These are all good qualification now, very good qualification. If one is woman-hunter and drunkard and meat-eater, oh, his social position is very nice, up-to-date. Up-to-date. This is modern civilization. But formerly, especially a gentleman-gentleman means born of high caste: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—if they would be woman-hunter, drunkards, meat-eaters, immediately they'll be rejected from the position. Immediately. That was Hindu society. No gentleman could... Still now, in some provinces, the high caste men, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, they'll never take, touch these things. This is sinful. So Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were zamindars, very rich men, and brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

Because if they would have followed... We don't say follow this religion, that religion. If actually they would have followed, then the symptom would have been they had become devotee of God, lover of God. And as soon as he becomes lover of God, he becomes fully qualified with all good qualifications. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the test. He hasn't got to be trained up how to become honest, how to become clean, how to become this, how to become that. If he becomes a lover of God, Kṛṣṇa, then all the good qualities automatically reveal. Just like when you are out of diseased condition, all your healthy symptoms are revealed, manifest. It doesn't require to bring them separately, to bring them separately.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

Because every living entity is part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, he has got all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa, very minute quantity. The Gosvāmīs have analyzed: seventy-eight percent. Not in full, but in minute quantity. It is not joke. Seventy-eight percent of the qualities of Kṛṣṇa is there in living entity. And Kṛṣṇa means all-good; they're all good qualities.

So actually when one becomes a devotee, he is qualitatively one with Kṛṣṇa. Because one cannot become devotee without acquiring the Kṛṣṇa qualities. You cannot go into the fire without being fire. Without being Brahman, you cannot approach Brahman. Just like if you want to be secretary of a very big man, so you must have necessary qualification. Not that any, any man can become secretary of a big man. So when one becomes devotee, it is the statement of śāstra: yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā... Akiñcanā-bhakti (SB 5.18.12).

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

That's all right. Never mind, so many people have been killed." But personally he was not happy, but Kṛṣṇa was satisfied. Kṛṣṇa wanted. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So He has finished all the duṣkṛtām. But finishing duṣkṛtām, everyone got svarūpa. They were all liberated. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is all-good. Either He delivers the devotees and kills the nondevotees, the action, resultant action is the same—both of them become liberated. Svarūpa. That is also stated. Everyone... Because died seeing Kṛṣṇa in presence in the battlefield. Either this party or that party, it doesn't matter. Everyone died seeing Kṛṣṇa. so they were all liberated. It is not an ordinary thing, that in the presence of... We have to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He's personally present. Anyone is dying, he's seeing Kṛṣṇa. So what is the question of liberation? Everyone is liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So why don't you try to understand before that moment comes? Live so very nicely, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity, and eat nicely, live nicely. "No, that is not possible. We shall see at the time of death when everything will be finished. All intelligence, all good food, everything will be finished." So therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje se baḍa catura. Unless one is first-class intelligent, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The last class fools and rogues, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you have first-class intelligence, those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now try to continue it. Don't give it up. Don't be foolish, mūḍha. Continue. Then you will be happy, and all problems of life will be solved.

Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

Sometimes when the business is simply troublesome, he liquidates. Similarly, we should come into the understanding that our material business is always troublesome. Is it not troublesome? Practical, material business. Suppose in this life you have got all good facilities. You have got a skyscraper building, nice... Suppose you are Mr. Ford. He was a very rich man in your country. So where is Mr. Ford now? That they do not see. That they have no eyes. In Paris I saw some statue of Napoleon. There is written, "Napoleon is France; France is Napoleon." But I inquired that "Where is Mr. Napoleon? The France is there, but where is Napoleon?" Just see. This is called ignorance, māyā. When Napoleon was very victorious, he might think that "I am making my France very strong, very powerful," but that's all right. But you are not powerful. You have to go away. By one kick of nature, go away.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

This is practical. And there cannot be any comparison of the qualities of our students with any religious institution or any school, college. You cannot have. Because they are devotee. As soon as you become devotee, all good qualities... Therefore if the government takes this movement seriously, they make everyone a devotee, then everything will be solved. There will be no need of criminal court or jail or... Everything will be finished. Or, what is called, liquor house and slaughterhouse and manufacturing cigarette and advertising them two sides of the road. Although (chuckles) it is written there it is dangerous, still it is highly advertised and people smoke. These contradiction things are going on on account of godlessness.

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

"She acted as My mother; therefore she should be elevated to the position, as Mother Yaśodā is also be elevated." This is God's mercy.

So God is all-good, always. Even if He kills one or even if He protects one, the ultimate result is the same. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja is advised that tasmād bhārata sarvātmā (SB 2.1.5). Sarvātmā means He is all-pervasive. He is living in everyone's heart. He knows everyone in particular details, and, at the same time, He is personally present also, personally present. How He is personally present? Just like in this temple, He's personally present. This arcā-mūrti, it is not idol worship. You practically try to understand.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

That is the difference. Aṇu and vibhu. Vibhu means unlimited, and aṇu means limited. So we have got opulence, fame, beauty, strength, influence, knowledge, all good qualities that God has. But God has got in full, we have got in minute quantity.

So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Kṛṣṇa, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body.

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

In other words, all such persons who aspire after gaining some or all of the material objects of enjoyment, or the gross materialistic persons, are on the whole less intelligent, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20). It is said there that those who are bereft of all good sense, or those whose intelligence is withdrawn by the deluding energy of māyā, aspire to achieve all sorts of material enjoyment in life by pleasing the various demigods, or by advancing in material civilization under the heading of scientific progress. The real problem of life in the material world is to solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease. No one wants to change his birthright, no one wants to meet death, no one wants to be old or invalid, and no one wants diseases.

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

In the Bhagavad-gītā, as well as in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such less intelligent persons have been described as devoid of all good sense. Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that out of the 8,400,000 species of living entities, the human form of life is rare and valuable, and out of those rare human beings those who are conscious of the material problems are rarer still, and the still more rare persons are those who are conscious of the value of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which contains the messages of the Lord and His pure devotees. Death is inevitable for everyone, intelligent or foolish. But Parīkṣit Mahārāja has been addressed by the Gosvāmī as the manīṣī, or the man of highly developed mind, because at the time of death he left all material enjoyment and completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord by hearing His messages from the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

No, Caṇḍīdāsa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. So a Vaiṣṇava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of māyā will come out. Good qualities are already there. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got sixty-four good qualities in full, and we are minute particles of Kṛṣṇa; therefore we have got also those good qualities in minute particles. But these good qualities are now covered. Just like fire is covered by the ashes. So it does not act. Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act. So we are fire. Kṛṣṇa is fire; we are also fire, in quality.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

āyur harati vai puṁsām

udyann astaṁ ca yann asau

tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta

uttama-śloka-vārtayā

(SB 2.3.17)

Translation: "Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: So you read purport.

Pradyumna: "This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by acceleration of devotional service. Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values. Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. Human life is simply awarded to a living entity, jīva, so he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

This is the injunction, moral injunction. So, so far we are concerned, when our spiritual master used to chastise, we took it as blessing. That was very nice. And he would chastise like anything. "Damn rascal, foolish, stupid," anything, all good words. (laughter)

One day it so happened... That was not my fault. My, another old godbrother, was... Prabhupāda was speaking. So I was very much fond of hearing. That gentleman, he was a retired doctor. So he wanted to speak something. He should not have done so, but... Just like... So naturally I also... And Prabhupāda saw it, and he became so angry. So he knew that my attention was drawn by him. He chastised him like anything. He was old man. Actually almost like his age. So he was paying sixty rupees in those days per month.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

It is not story. It is fact. If He is all-powerful, what is the difficulty for Him to lift a mountain? If He is all-strong, then where is the difficulty to maintain sixteen thousand wives? Why sixteen thousand? If He maintains sixteen millions of wives, still, it is insufficient. Because if we say "All potency, all-powerful, all-good," then to maintain sixteen thousand wives with sixteen thousand palaces and all the palaces made of first-class marble and gold and jewels, and the furnitures are made of ivory... These are description. That is God. Why we shall accept a nonsense God simply having a big beard or some...? You see? No. We don't accept. We accept real God. What is the purport?

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

Therefore śāstra says, "Don't lead a hog's life." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Vid-bhujām means the stool-eater. They are also working so hard day and night simply for eating stool. And as soon as there is some strength, hypophosphate... Because stool contains all good chemicals. Hypophosphate, they say, who have tested... Of course, I do not know. They say that it is full of hypophosphates, and if you take hypophosphate... Sometimes doctor prescribes sera of hypophosphate for the weak people. So actually the hogs are very fatty. Therefore those who are meat-eaters, they like hog's flesh very nicely.

So anyway, this human life is not meant for imitating the hog's life. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1).

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

The yoga practice... Formerly, everyone was practicing this yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, dhyāna dhāraṇā asana praṇāyāma, just to become very stout and strong in the matter of sense gratification. Sense gratification is not at all good without any restriction. That is tapasya—tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). And the first-class tapasya is to cease from sex life, either man or woman. Then tapasya begins.

So the real purpose is tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1), to purify our existence. Therefore tapasya we have explained already. Now how this tapasya can be practiced? Tapasya can be practiced in the association of mahat, mahat-sevā. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. People do not know what is vimukti. They do not know it. The first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is suggesting that "You are not this body. You are within this body."

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Finish your business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness perfectly. Whatever little duration of life you have got... That is stated here: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye (SB 5.5.4). In this way, to waste time, is not at all good. Na sādhu manye. Why it is not good? Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ: Because we have got this miserable condition of life, this body... This is due to our past action. Now if you create again the same action, then you'll have to accept another body. Then your, this miserable condition of life will continue. Will continue. Just finish it.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

Here is our prime minister. But what is he? He is elected by the śūdras, so he is a big śūdra, that's all. How you can expect nice things? If you say, "Now he is elected President, he is so much honored and he's exalted post, His Excellency," so Bhāgavata says, "Yes. This is all good, but by whom he is praised?" Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. Just like lion. Lion is very strong animal. He is considered to be the king of the forest. So all other small animals, they are very much afraid of, very respectful. But does it mean because he is lion he is not an animal? He is animal. He may be lion, very powerful, very strong, he can subdue others. But that does not mean he is any advanced intelligent person like brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. This is going on.

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

"I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa; my only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," that is sannyāsa.

So better we should try to stay in this determination than to accept the sannyāsa order by changing the dress and then again we fall down. That is not very good. There are instances like that, but it is not at all good. We should not trust the mind. And even we take, we should be very, very vigilant on the mind. Viśvāso naiva kartavyam. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, (chuckles) viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca. "Never trust woman and politician." He was a politician, and his wife was kidnapped. He had very bad experience of these two things, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Therefore he gave this injunction, viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca: "Never trust woman and politician." So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita was not inexperienced; he was very experienced. All the ślokas of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita—very useful for daily affairs.

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

If one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa, he's immediately released from these resultant actions of sinful activities. So mahā-bhāga means those who have no sufferings, they're always possessed of all good fortune, he is called mahā-bhāga. Bhagavān. The Sanskrit word is used, bhagavān, fortunate.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja addressed Śukadeva Goswāmī as mahā-bhāga, the most fortunate. Because he's perfect Vaiṣṇava, therefore he addresses, "My dear, the most fortunate," mahā-bhāga. Adhunā, "Now," yathaiva narakān naraḥ, "these people are suffering in the hellish condition of life. How they can be rescued?" Nānā ugra-yātanān. Very severe punishment they are undergoing. People cannot see. They have no eyes to see, you see? They suffer in great calamities, and still they cannot see that "I am suffering."

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

These are all public sympathetic activities. But they are not... They are, of course, good to some extent. If a man is suffering from the bodily ailments, if he is given some relief in the hospital, or if the society is not educated, give him education, this is all good work undoubtedly. But the ultimate good work is not known to them. They are taking care of the external symptoms. Why a person, a living entity, is put into that condition? And if that condition is ended, that is real sympathy. A person is suffering from some disease. He goes to the doctor, physician. He gives some medicine—immediate some relief from the pain. This is one sympathy. And there is another sympathy, that "Why the man is getting such disease and suffering? Why not stop the cause of the disease?" That is real sympathy.

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

So why I become iron? I am not iron, but I am covered with dirty things. I look like iron. This is the position. Actually I am not iron; I am gold, because I am part and parcel of God. If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.

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

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.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

Suśīlāḥ sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ, character like ideal. You have got ideal, Lord Jesus Christ. Suśīlāḥ sādhavaḥ nārāyaṇa... Why? Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ: because they are devotee of Nārāyaṇa. If you become simply nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, devotee of Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, all good qualities will come to you automatically. All good qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Take practical example. These boys, these girls, how they have become so nice? They are known as "bright-faced." Why? Because nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ: they have taken seriously Kṛṣṇa as the object of worship. So actually if you want happiness within this world, peace, and prosperity, just become Kṛṣṇa conscious. All problems will be solved and you will be happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

Because why? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you become surrendered unto Me and if you keep yourself under My instruction, then I'll give you protection." Therefore it is said, akuto-bhayam. Then your character will be formed, you'll become... You'll manifest your all good qualities simply by becoming nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. And so far atonement... We began this atonement. So atonement is concerned, here it is said, prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. You can have some atonement, but if you are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so this purification will not be complete. How? Rājendra surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. According to Vedic civilization, a pot in which wine was kept, it is impure forever. It is impure forever. You cannot use for any other purpose. It is so abominable. If you think that "This bottle contained wine. Now wine is finished.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:

He was living with a woman who was not married wife. So a brāhmaṇa of the name Ajāmila who was husband of a kept woman, kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ, nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāraḥ. But he lost all good qualification of a brāhmaṇa. That is the result of illegitimate connection with woman.

So this point is very important, that if one is addicted to illicit sex life, if one is addicted to meat-eating and if one is addicted in intoxicants, then he is immediately fallen from the standard of human society. (Hindi) The present state of Hindu society is so fallen because a brāhmaṇa, in spite of his kad-ācāra, he claims to become a brāhmaṇa. Do you follow? The śāstra says that as soon as you give up your good habits, the behavior of a brāhmaṇa...

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Chicago, July 5, 1975:

Not the married wife, but dāsī-pati, a maidservant. And his name was Ajāmila. Dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ nāmnā. So what was his condition? Naṣṭa-sadācāraḥ. He had no..., he lost all the sadācāra. Sadācāra, these are the sadācāra: to rise early in the morning, to take bath, attend maṅgala-ārātrika, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, read books, Vedic literature, and then prasādam—always some prescribed duty for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called sadācāra. So Ajāmila, on account of this association of this prostitute, he lost all good qualities, sadācāra, and then he took all abominable professional for earning money. That will be described next verse.

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

So this is very important point, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says. This is authority, that naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. As soon as there will be contamination of illicit sex life, he will be bereft of all good character, this basic principle. And the whole world is now encouraged in that way. So how we can expect good character from the modern man? There is no possibility, if we accept this statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. So Ajāmila, being contaminated by that illicit sex life with a prostitute, he lost all his brahminical qualifications and gradually he was in need of money. Just like the other day I gave you the instance of a big high-court judge, because he was also of that type. I know his private character.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

Those who are addicted to these bad habits, in their hundreds and thousands of life they will never be able to understand what is God. The door is locked for them. So naṣṭa-sadācāra. As soon as you become illicit sex hunter, prostitute-hunter, addicted, then you will lose your sadācāra. All good behavior finished. Naṣṭa-sadācāra. Why? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-duṣitaḥ. On account of association with the prostitute, one will lose all his good qualities.

In this way the next stage is, as soon as he lost all sadācāra, then his profession became bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryair garhitāṁ vṛttim āsthitaḥ. Bandy-akṣaiḥ. Just like it is very common thing, nowadays especially, that as soon as you find somebody solitary: "Yes, what you have got? Give me. Otherwise I shall kill you. Here is knife." This is called bandy-akṣaiḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Prabhupāda: So therefore this is the duty. This is duty of this society, to make everyone a devotee, a sincere, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you make the people all good, you will have good society, you will have good government. You will have everything good. And if you create rascals and fools, how you can expect good government? That is not possible. Therefore all serious, thoughtful men should take it that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very essential in this world.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Devotee (1): A devotee becomes more surrendered because the influence of the modes, the three modes, becomes diminished, or is the influence just changed from ignorance and passion to goodness?

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Prabhupāda: What is that? If you know bhakti... That's a very big task. If you know actually bhakti, then it is all good. But do you know what is bhakti? First thing is that.

Guest: Means worshiping God. By understanding this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you do not know any scriptures, you do not know śrutis, mantras, anything, then has any effect at all?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, because this is a special advantage for the people in this age, that if he chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, purely, then... There are three stages of chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In the beginning there are full of offenses. Then it is almost offenseless. And then, when it is pure, that is perfectional stage. So by chanting, if you practice chanting, even though in the beginning it is full of offenses, but if you continue chanting... Therefore we say that "You must chant so many times." So even there are offenses, by chanting, chanting, chanting, chanting, he will be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Dallas, July 29, 1975:

Jaghanya, they do not know how to live, just like animal, less than animal. Animal has got also sense. The modern civilization is less than animal. Animal does not kill its own son. The human being is killing his own son.

So this is the position. And this is not at all good. It is suffering. We are purchasing suffering more and more. The laws of God or laws of nature, they are very strict. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot avoid the stringent laws of the material nature. If you violate, then you will suffer. If you follow, then you will be elevated. That is stated, vartamānaḥ anyayoḥ kālaḥ. This suffering or enjoying—there is no enjoyment-suffering, so this is past, present and future. I am suffering or enjoying in this body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:

Then take to maṅgala-āratika. In this he was also trained up. Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṇālayaḥ. Guṇa means sad-guṇa, this śamo damo titikṣa ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. These are guṇālayaḥ, reservoir of all good qualities. Dhṛta-vrata. These things not occasionally but regularly, dhṛta-vrata. "I must rise early in the morning"—that is called dhṛta-vrata, vow. "I must do it." Dhṛta-vrato mṛduḥ, mild, gentleness. This is human life, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human life. Real human life, the picture is here. One must be trained up to all these qualifications. Just like nowadays we send our boys to school, college, for being trained up as a technician, formerly the boys were sent for education... These are the effects of education.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:

Every sinful reaction becomes washed away if one becomes vāsudeva-parāyanāḥ, kevalayā bhaktyā. All these qualities can be attained by a devotee automatically. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇair tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Sarvair guṇaiḥ, all good qualities As it said, guṇālayaḥ, the reservoir of all good qualities. This can be attained, this stage can be attained, only by training in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So about Ajāmila, the Yamadūtas, they said, "We know that this man Ajāmila was fully qualified before." Dhṛta-vrato mṛdur dāntaḥ satya-vāṅ: truthful, never speaks untruth. Satya śama dama, satya. Or satya-vāṅ means paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Paraṁ satyam is Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Who is only speaking about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Truth, he is called satya-vāṅ. He does not speak anything... Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). He is simply glorifying.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

This kind of study of Vedas is useless. Now, we have seen so many sannyāsīs, so-called sannyāsīs, talking on Vedānta and smoking at the same time. You see? So Ajāmila was not like that. He was a scholar in the Vedic literature. Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṇālayaḥ. And he was very well behaved and reservoir of all good qualities. Guṇālayaḥ. Dhṛta-vrataḥ, and avowed to follow the regulative principles.

This point we have already discussed, that the most important point is that even one is such qualified, there is chance of falldown as Ajāmila.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

He was qualified brāhmaṇa, not simply born of a brāhmaṇa father, but qualified brāhmaṇa, with full knowledge of Vedic instruction, nice character, very gentle and silent and offering respects to elderly persons, spiritual master, father. In this way he was perfect brāhmaṇa. But due to his contact with a prostitute he lost his all good qualification. And later on, he had to earn money by hook and crook, and thus he degraded more and more, and therefore his sinful activities are now responsible for his punishment, and we shall take him to the court of Yamarāja." That was the summary of the speech of the Yamadūta. Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

"Lowest class of men." He is bold enough to declare like that. One of my, our students, he has written an article in which he has said that "At the present moment, everywhere, the government is ruled by lowest class of men." And he's right in this sense because this is the verdict of the Vedas. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad guṇā (SB 5.18.12). Unless one is a devotee of the Personality of Godhead, he cannot have any good qualification. That's a fact. And one who is a devotee, all good qualifications automatically develop. (noise) What is this? Hm?

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

"What is the use of killing my family members? Let them enjoy the kingdom. I shall better beg and live." He was thinking in that way because a devotee, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). A devotee, a pure devotee, is naturally qualified with all good qualities. Automatically it comes as he becomes... Just like as a man suffering from fever decreases the degree of fever—he becomes healthy—similarly, with the increase of our degree of devotional service, naturally all the good qualities that is constitutionally existing in the pure soul... Pure soul, being part and parcel, it is naturally very pure. And Vedas says even when the soul is within the material existence, it is not mixed up. It remains always separate. Just like if you put a drop of oil in the water it does not mix—although it is in the water, it does not mix—similarly the spirit soul, part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, although in the material world, he does not mix.

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

Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means rascals. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. They are priya, dear, both the rascals and good men because they were distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just you saw in Benares. Not that all the men who joined the procession, they were all good men. From materialist's point of view... But this Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, thousand of men joined Caitanya and they danced. Dhīrādhīra. Not that in the crowd only selected devotees were there. No. Most of them, ninety-nine percent all nondevotees. Similarly, in your country you have seen. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu statue attracted so many people in Berkeley.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

Nobody can be religious unless he is situated in the modes of goodness. A passionate person or a person in ignorance, they cannot be elevated to the religious platform. Religious platform means in goodness. Then you can understand. On the platform of goodness, you can understand the All-good. If you are in ignorance platform, if you are in the passionate platform, how you can understand the All-good? That is not possible. So one has to keep himself in goodness, and that goodness means one should follow the prohibitions. Either you follow the Ten Commandments or these four commandments, the same thing. That means you have to keep yourself in goodness. The balance must be in goodness. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

This feature, this form, is just in imitation of Kṛṣṇa's form. Because Kṛṣṇa has got two hands, because Kṛṣṇa has got two legs, one head, so we are imitation. We are sample God. So just imagine how the original person, the original Personality of Godhead, is opulent, rich, beautiful, famous, so many. All good qualifications, all opulences, are present there.

So with our material acquisition it is not possible to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How, then, He can be pleased? Now, bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja yūtha pāya. You can simply please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by your transcendental loving service. That's all. If you try, if you learn the art of loving, then you can... He will be just like a playmate with you. Kṛṣṇa is so nice.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

So therefore, aravinda-nābha, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose navel has the lotus flower," aravinda-nābha. And pādāravinda: "And His feet is also just like lotus, aravinda." Aravinda-nābha aravinda-pāda. That means Supreme Personality of Godhead. So a vipra, a qualified person with all good qualities, material qualities, if he is lacking the simple quality that he is not conversant with the science of God, vimukhāt, he is not very serious to understand what is God... That is the position.

Now, at the present moment, everyone is highly educated to the material standard, but they have no knowledge what is God. So even they become vipra, because they are lacking this knowledge, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person, a dog-eater who has God consciousness is better than him. Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Śvapaca means a person who is born in the family of dog-eaters.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

His mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya... (BG 4.8). Just to keep balance of the demonic activities and to favor the devotees, both of them are benefited. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, those who are devotees, they are also benefited, and the demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are also benefited. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is all good. "God is good" means when He's favoring somebody and when He's killing somebody, both of them are benefited. Therefore God is always good, both ways. Nija-lābha. He has no business to kill anybody as His enemy. Nobody can become His enemy. It is simply childish—just to knock one's head on the mountain to break the mountain. If one thinks that "I shall knock my head to the mountain, and the mountain will break," that is foolishness. Your head will be broken. That's all. Similarly, as friend, nobody can give any service to Kṛṣṇa, or as enemy, nobody can give any trouble to Kṛṣṇa. Nija-lābha-pūrṇa. This is nija-lābha-pūrṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976:

Ari means enemy, and these nails are meant for piercing the chest of the enemy, not of the devotee. Ari-bhit nakhāgrāt. Everything is fierceful to the enemy, to the demons, but to the devotees they're all beautiful. They are pleasing. That is the difference between the Personality of Godhead and material personality. Everything... God is all-good. Even God appears in such fierceful attitude, it is beautiful to the devotees. God's stealing... This is abominable, stealing, in this material world. But in the spiritual world, that stealing by Kṛṣṇa is worshipable. Makhana-chora, butter thief. The devotees like that "Kṛṣṇa should come to my house and steal my things, butter." That is the pastime of Vṛndāvana-līlā. Kṛṣṇa would go to every house and steal butter, and they would be very much pleased that "Kṛṣṇa has come to steal here."

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

Bhadra means a perfect gentleman, bhadraloka. That is the general etiquette, to address somebody as bhadraloka. Especially in Bengal it is very common word, bhadra. And the other parts also. So bhadra means perfect gentleman. Just see. Prahlāda was perfect gentleman. A devotee is perfect gentleman. Why? Now, because he has developed all good qualities. That is bhadra. A devotee cannot be abhadra. He must be bhadra. That is perfection. Therefore a devotee is never rude to anyone. When Rūpa Gosvāmī was here, some very learned scholar to talk with him śāstrārtha, talking on śāstra. So when he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, he asked that "I want to talk with you about śāstra." And he said, "I am not a very learned man. How can I talk with you? You are so learned man." So he said, "If you think that you are not learned, then you give me in writing that "I am not learned."

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

So here it is said that janma, birth in a good family or high family, or good behavior. Janmācāra. Janmācāra, and guṇa, quality. Suppose a man is a great philosopher, a great learned scholar. That is a very good qualification. So these things will not be considered. If a man is very learned scholar or coming of a very respectable family and has got all good qualities, that will be neglected. Another man, if he has all the bad qualities but he has got money, he's respected. He'll be respected. This is the symptom of this age. And dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi. Dharma. Dharma means suppose you have acted something irreligious. In every religion, in every scripture, there are many things, you do it, and do not do it. So that is called following the religious principle. In every religion, either Hindu or Christian or Muhammadan, there are some rules and regulations.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

So many defects. Bhrama-pramāda-vipralipsā-kara-ṇāpāṭava, we want to cheat others. So therefore we cannot give perfect knowledge. We have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And who is better perfect than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore whatever Kṛṣṇa says, whatever Kṛṣṇa does, that is all good. There is nothing criticizing. You cannot criticize Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. You cannot say, "Why Kṛṣṇa took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" Yes, He had business to do it. Because He appeared, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He had to kill all the demons. That was His another business. Not only to dance with the gopīs in Vṛndāvana, but He had other business to kill the demons. In Vṛndāvana also, so many demons were appearing daily, and Kṛṣṇa was killing them. So that is another side of Kṛṣṇa's business. But if you study Kṛṣṇa from your materialistic angle of vision, you'll misunderstand.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1974:

So now the whole world is full of Jagāi-Mādhāis. That is a fact. Now, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they can be delivered. How they can be delivered? That is being instructed by the author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, by personally behaving. Agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā hīnārthādhika-sādhakam (CC Adi 7.1). Hīnārtha, those who are dispossessed of all good qualities. Hīnārtha. Artha. Artha means possession, money. Artha, anartha, and paramārtha. So paramārtha, there is no question of paramārtha. Even they have no artha, ordinary riches, all poor men. You see in the street, not only... Here, of course, we are poor country, but in your country also, they are also hippies. Unnecessarily they have become poor. Here, by circumstantially they have become poor like wretched person, loitering in the street. Now, while I was coming and I was thinking that formerly when we used to go through the street we could see so many nice confectioners shop. But at the time here there is a tea shop.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.97-99 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

If he keeps his personality, "I believe..., I cannot...," there is no necessity. With such nonsense things, nobody should approach a spiritual master. One should become a blank slate. That is the instruction here, that "I am fallen, I am the lowest, and I am lower born. So many things, all good qualification, this is my position." Nīca jāti. And kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama: "I have now wasted my time simply by sense gratification." Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are called viṣaya, objects of sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. These are called viṣaya, and we are engaged only how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to give me protection and how to have nice mating. This is our business. So Sanātana Gosvāmī says that "I have simply wasted my time in this way, and my position is this."

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

So similarly, if Kṛṣṇa has created this external energy, that is for His satisfaction. That's all. But why should you take? If we are confident about Kṛṣṇa's goodness, why should we bother about Kṛṣṇa's stool and urine? Why not directly Kṛṣṇa? Let Kṛṣṇa pass any amount of stool and urine. We have nothing to do with that. You cannot say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is all good. Therefore His urine and stool..." I am... Just try to understand. His urine is also good. That is a different thing. I mean to say, if this is an argument, that "Because Kṛṣṇa is good, He should not pass urine and stool," that is no argument. It is not... External energy is not affecting Kṛṣṇa. The urine and stool is affecting... There are some worms, they are very much attracted with the stool. You see? They are also creatures of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, this material nature, external energy of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa's. There is... Undoubtedly, it is Kṛṣṇa's.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

This is the system, caste system or varṇāśrama system. Everyone was trained. Because these four classes of men are required in a society. For proper upkeep of society, one class of men must be very intelligent, highly qualified, with all good qualities. They must be trained in that way, ideal character so that people can see and follow them. Therefore brāhmaṇas were taken to so much respect because they're ideal character, learned, and godly, knows the science, spiritual science. Therefore they're held in high estimation and topmost of the society. The next, the administrator, administrative class, kṣatriyas. They are trained how to kill. The kṣatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest to learn the art of killing because that was necessity for the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriya, if he... If the king, if he finds somebody is doing wrong, he can immediately chop off his head if he likes.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- London, September 11, 1969:

These boys and girls who are following me, they are very elevated. They are not ordinary boys and girls. They have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their quality is greater than any mundane erudite scholar. It is a challenge. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Anyone who has developed God consciousness, love of God, all good qualities will automatically develop in him. All good qualities. Test any of our students, how they are good, how they are advanced. Test it. Bring anyone in this world and test any one of our boys. You'll find how much difference there is in their character, in their feeling, in their consciousness. So this is the only thing. If you want peaceful society, then you must make them God conscious, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything will be automatically solved. Otherwise your so-called United Nations will not help.

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

And if you keep yourself in front, sun, there is no darkness. So it is my business; I create darkness. As soon as I change my position—instead of remaining in front of God, I keep God back side—then there is darkness. Otherwise there is no question of darkness. But in the sun as it is, there is no such darkness. Therefore God is all good. And for us, when we forget God, that is evil. And when we are in God consciousness always, everything good. Is that example all right?

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

So God is all good. There is no good or evil. Apāpa-viddham. In the Īśopaniṣad you will find description, apāpa-viddham. Whatever God does, that is all good. But if we imitate God, then it is evil. That is the disease of material disease. Their other question was—the pilot was very intelligent man—that "How one can become peaceful?" So I gave him the reply from Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

(aside:) Your name is Śānti dāsa?

Initiation Lectures

Initiations -- Sydney, April 2, 1972:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness marriage does not mean sense gratification. No. The marriage is for producing nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Because at the present moment the population is not being produced very nicely; therefore there is disturbance of peace all over the world. But if there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children, they'll grow up and they will possess all good qualities. So peace automatically will come if people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because they become highly qualified, without committing any sinful activities. If such population is there in the world, there is no question of disturbance. Everyone will be peace, peaceful and happy. So our marriage, Kṛṣṇa consciousness institution encouraging marriage, on this ground: not to produce cats and dogs, but to produce highly qualified devotees.

Initiation Ceremony -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974 :

Prabhupāda: How many rounds will you chant?

Bhaktin Sue: Minimum sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. What is her name?

Devotee (2): Bhaktin Sue's name is Guṇavati dāsī.

Devotees: Hari bol!

Prabhupāda: Full of good qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Anyone who is pure devotee of the Lord, all good qualities...(break ) (end)

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

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.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

That is the sign. Just like my heart is now thirsty. I am quenching with drinking water and putting here. So as soon as put this water here, immediately the energy distributed all over the body. So a God conscious person cannot be neglectful or envious to anyone. That is the test. This is test. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. All good qualities. So this is a good quality, love your neighbor, to give them service. So if actually one person is God conscious, he must be sympathetic with the troubles of his neighbor, or anyone, not only human being. Animals also. They are also living entities. A God conscious person has no discrimination between human being and animal or trees or plants because they are also living entities.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

So there is no use of fighting like this, to kill them and take the... Let... Let them enjoy." That was his conclusion. But Kṛṣṇa induced them, induced Arjuna, "No. This is the right cause. You must fight." So similarly, war is not always bad. Nothing is bad, nothing is good, unless it is used for God. That's it. Our philosophy is everything is good. God is all-good. So if He advises to fight, that is also good. But we shall depend on the discretion of God. If God wants us to fight, then we shall fight. If God wants us to stop fight, then we shall not fight. Because we are surrendered to God, so whatever God orders, we have to do. That's all. We don't say, "This is good; this is bad." Whatever God says, that is good. What God does not say, prohibit, that is bad. This is our conclusion.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: So real truth is that God has got a plan, and one who knows it, that is real truth. One who hasn't got to be taught by another man but by nature, he knows it; that by nature he knows it, that is a symptom of his life, true life. And one who does not know it, that is not. That is explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakta. That truth is there already, but he has forgotten it. Therefore by this propaganda of devotional service, chanting and hearing, he simply revives the truth. The truth is there, that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion should be anyone who is cognizant of this truth that I am eternal servant, that is symptom of this truth. There is no other symptom. That is the symptom of truth, that is the symptom of goodness, all good qualities, everything good. He is good by nature. The living entity, he is part and parcel of the supreme good. But by his material association he has become bad. So again he has to draw it to goodness by this propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our business.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. You are thinking that this man is, so how he is good? He is limited in his power. He may think of his brother, of his nation, of his society but what does he do of other living beings? So how he can be good? A good man, speaking even a man like Gandhi, he is a good man, but when he was approached that stop cow killing, he could not do anything. Although he is advocating non-violence but he, the violence committing in the slaughterhouse, thousands and thousands of animals being killed, violence, what did he do? So how he is good man? Nobody can be good man.

Hayagrīva: Only a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he abides by the order of the Supreme Good, that's all. If Gandhi could not become a good man, so that as he was killed by enemy, so how the man can be good man? There is no good man, unless he is a devotee of the Supreme Lord, all good. It is physically impossible to become good man, even if he has got the desire. That is not possible. This is our mental concoction. This is good man or bad man. Anyone who is not God conscious, he is bad man, and anyone who is God conscious he is good man. This should be the question. (end)

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

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?

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: His final statement was that philosophy must describe the actual uses of language, never interfere with it, in order to achieve clarification. In other words...

Prabhupāda: This is clear clarification, that God is the Supreme, God is all-good; therefore what satisfies God, that is good. What will satisfy God, that is nice.

Śyāmasundara: So our philosophy describes the actual uses of words. There may be the word good and several...

Prabhupāda: Otherwise why you are chanting the words Hare Kṛṣṇa? There are also words.

Śyāmasundara: There may be ten philosophies, and each one will purport this same word good differently. But real philosophy is (indistinct).

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: I haven't made this very clear, but because we have freedom, we become susceptible to bad faith. Bad faith means that we avoid making any decisions at all, good or bad. We simply drift. He calls it drift. We go day to day without entering and becoming involved with any responsible decision-making.

Prabhupāda: That drift means that is decision. Yes. That is decision. When you drift, that is decision.

Śyāmasundara: People, especially these days, they want to avoid making any kind of decisions, especially hippies.

Prabhupāda: Therefore you must take others' decisions, superiors' decisions.

Śyāmasundara: So he says that this condition...

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: Now if you do not know what is God, then how you will verify your duty is nice, all-good? What is the order of God, who is God, then where is your duty? You simply manufacture your duty. So everyone can do that. So what do you mean by duty? Duty means the order given by some superior and you follow, you do it. That is duty. But if you have no superior order, if you have no conception who is the superior, what is his order, then where is your duty? Simply by mental imagination. Is it? Does he say it like that?

Hayagrīva: Well, for him, outside of one's duty...

Prabhupāda: So what is one's duty?

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Hayagrīva: Insofar as man resembles God, he is ethical. Evil forces within man combat his efforts to attain this ultimate goal. Plato is not a determinist. He emphasized freedom of the will and insisted that evil acts are due to man's failure to live up to his responsibility. They do not come from God, who is all-good.

Prabhupāda: Everything comes from God, but we have to make our choice. This ideal example: that the university comes from the government and the prison house also comes from the government, but the prison house is meant for the criminal and the university is meant for the highly learned scholar. The government spends money in both the departments to maintain it; therefore, so far government's recognition is concerned, it has to be maintained. But it is we, we make our selection whether go to the prison house or go to the university. That is, that little independence is there in every human being. We have to make our choice.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Prabhupāda: The cosmic process cannot be checked, but the cosmic process is continuing in different modes. That is called tri-guṇa. One process is the process of goodness, another process is the process of passion, another process is process of ignorance. So in the process of goodness, real advancement goes on, and ultimately one has to transcend the process of goodness also and come to the platform which is all-good. In the material world, whichever process you accept, it is mixed, both goodness, passion and ignorance. It is very difficult in the material way of life to keep the process pure. Therefore the real process is gradually bring the being or the soul to the platform of goodness and then transcend also goodness and keep him or let him remain in the actual platform of pure goodness. That is wanted. That is really progress.