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Cannot be happy (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

We are created for His enjoyment, and if we partake, participate in that eternal enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that makes us happy, not otherwise. Independently, as we have already explained that independently, any part of the body, the hand, the feet, the fingers, or any part of the body, independently, cannot be happy without cooperation with the stomach, similarly, the living entity can never be happy without rendering his transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā the worship of different demigods is not approved, is not approved because... It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.20), the Lord says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ. Those who are directed by lust, only they worship the demigods other than the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. We also may remember that when we speak of "Kṛṣṇa" it is not a sectarian name. The "Kṛṣṇa" name means the highest pleasure.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

They do not understand that there is life, blissful life, by serving Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Kṛṣṇa, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittāni viparītāni. You are misleading me." Nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittāni ca viparītāni paśyāmi. "No, no." Na ca śaknomy avasthātum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ (BG 1.30). "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973:

Similarly, all living entities who are not giving, rendering any service to the Lord, they are simply working for sense gratification, that is diseased condition. And in the diseased condition, nobody can be happy. That is not possible. If you have got some disease, you cannot be happy.

So that is the position. They cannot understand that by serving Kṛṣṇa, we become healthy or in our normal position. This is called ignorance. Somebody is trying to forget Him, somebody is trying to become equal with Him. This business is going on. And nobody is submitting that "My Lord, I forgot my service. From this day, I become again Your servant. Please give me protection." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). This is the teaching of all śāstra, all Vedas. But these people, the other party, they have become blind. They have become blind. Why?

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

Kṛṣṇa's name is also full, complete. Śuddha. It is not material things. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nityaḥ. Eternal. As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His name is also eternal. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nitya-muktaḥ. There is no material conception in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. Nāma, the holy name and the Lord, they are abhinna, identical. So we cannot be happy... Rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam (BG 2.8). Even if we get the kingdom of the demigods, asapatya, without any rival, still we cannot be happy so long we have got material conception of life. It is not possible. That is explained in this verse.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

And he knows that Kṛṣṇa is accepted... "Although He is acting as my friend, but by great authorities Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That was known to Arjuna. So he said that "I'm so much puzzled that I cannot understand. Even accepting that I shall be victorious in this battle, still I shall not be happy. What to speak of being victorious on this planet, if I become the king of all other planets or if I become a demigod in the higher planetary system, still this distress cannot be mitigated." You see?

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

So as in this body our sense enjoyment should begin from the stomach, similarly, as the tree begins developing luxuriantly from the root, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), root. So without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without pleasing Kṛṣṇa, you cannot be happy. This is the system. Therefore how Kṛṣṇa will be pleased? Kṛṣṇa will be pleased that... We are all Kṛṣṇa's sons, God's sons. Everything Kṛṣṇa's property. These are fact. Now, we can enjoy taking prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, because He is the proprietor, bhoktā, enjoyer. So everything should be given first to Kṛṣṇa, and then you take the prasādam. That will make you happy. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpaṁ ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) "Those who are cooking for eating themselves, they are simply eating sin." Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpaṁ ye pacanty ātma... Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko' yaṁ karma...

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

Therefore we see in an opulent country like America, enough food, enough residence, enough material enjoyment, still they are becoming hippies, all over the world. They are not satisfied, because it is spiritual starvation. Materially we may be very opulent, but if you starve spiritually, you cannot be happy. This is the process.

So spiritual rejuvenation required. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body. I am Brahman, spiritual soul." Then you will be happy. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54), samaḥ sarveṣu... Then there will be equality, fraternity, brotherhood. Otherwise it is all bogus, simply high-sounding words. There cannot be all these things. Come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54), samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then you can see equally.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that every living entity is, in his original position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... At the present moment we have got different consciousness. That is māyā. This is mental concoction. I am thinking that "I'll be happy in this way." That is a mental concoction. You cannot be happy unless you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is sanātana-dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). A person, after many, many births, he becomes really wise. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. A brāhmaṇa, he prays to Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, I have become the servant of my senses." Here everyone is servant of his senses. They want to enjoy the senses. Not enjoy—they want to serve the senses. My tongue says, "Please take me to such and such restaurant and give me such and such chicken juice." I immediately go. Not to enjoy, but to abide by the orders of my tongue.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:

So they make all these theories. Not only European philosophers, another philosopher in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is now brain paralyzed.

So they do not understand that there is a controller. We may theorize and so many ways of our happy life. But you cannot be happy, sir, so long you have got this material body. That's a fact. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Therefore intelligent persons, they should be... Kṛṣṇa is making everyone intelligent: "You rascal, you are under the bodily concept of life. Your civilization has no value. It is rascal civilization."

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

And where there is gambling, you can remain there." So he could not find out a place where to remain. That means in those days these things were so much conspicuous by absence that is was difficult for the Kali to find out a place like that. But with the advancement of Kali, now Kali can find out his place anywhere, at any home, anyplace. These things are going on. This is the position.

So this system of human civilization as conceived by the Vedic process is completely different from the rascal civilization at the present moment. Therefore, people cannot be happy. It is not possible. If we... At the same time, it is impossible to go back to that type of civilization, because people are so polluted. It is not possible.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

And I have got their letter, on the Rockefeller Foundation. They have flatly refused: "No, we are not going to contribute anything for religious purpose or for God consciousness. It is not possible."

So people have become so averse to the sense of God. How they can be happy? At least from the Bhagavad-gītā we find it clearly they cannot be happy. However they make progress in material advancement of science and economy and everything, oh, they cannot be happy. They cannot be happy. The whole thing is the wrong process. Here is the process recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, that yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. Yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. Unless you work. No work is condemned. Whatever you do, that doesn't matter. But if that work is done on behalf of the Supreme Lord, that makes you purified. That makes you happy. But that science is lacking altogether all over the world, not only here or there. The whole thing... In Russia they are preaching godless civilization: "There is no God."

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

We are simply satisfied the..., to have a little more of the necessities of our, this present material life. Suppose I have got one, one hundred millions of dollars. I think, "If I get ten thousand millions of daughters, dollars, then I shall be happy." This is our foolishness. You cannot be happy with any millions of dollars, because you are not matter. You are spirit. You think like that, that "I shall be happy." No. Just like... I'll give you one example: A diseased man, a suffering man, suppose he has got severe headache. Now, he sometimes thinks, "Oh, I am suffering. If this, instead of headache, if there would have been some other pain in the hand or feet, then I would have been glad." It is like that. Our thoughts are like that. We don't want to get rid of the pains.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:
That will be helpful for the men of this age. That is recommended in Bhāgavatam.

Now, either you adopt this yajña or that yajña, according to your capacity, but you must have to perform yajña. Without yajña, you cannot be happy.

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
(BG 3.13)

Now, pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt means cooking. The cooking is the most important business of our life. Cooking... Nobody... A human being... We are not cats and dogs, and every human being has to cook things for eating. Now, this eating process... The Lord says that one who takes the eatables after the sacrifice, then he becomes free from all kinds of sinful reactions.

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

"This verse clearly indicates the whole purpose of the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult but that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge his prescribed duties without claims of proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls.

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

That is not possible." Therefore prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarva... (BG 3.27).

Here the so-called tiger, so-called big men... Just like in America the president is a big man. But now he is put into such a condition that he is full of anxiety. At any moment he may be kicked out. This is the position. You cannot be happy either as President Nixon or tiger or cats and dogs or human being or Lord Brahmā. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must be full of anxieties because this is unnatural life.

To understand that "I am this body," this is foolishness. I am not this body. I am the soul within this body. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the second chapter: dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehī, the proprietor of the body. Just like you are the proprietor of your shirt and coat. You are not shirt and coat.

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

So they are searching after knowledge. But unfortunately, the state is also not very enthusiastic, and there are many who are exploiting. But here is the knowledge. And that point comes, when the karmīs become disgusted, confused. Because the spirit soul, he wants spiritual life. He cannot be happy with any amount of materialistic life. In our childhood we read one poetry that a boy has brought one bird, and the bird is talking with the boy. "My dear bird, you live with me. I shall give you very nice fruits. I shall talk with you," and so many things. But the bird says, "No, I want to go away. I want to go away." "No, I shall give you a golden cage. You don't go away." So he says, "No, no. I don't like golden cage. I want freedom." So that was talk. So similarly, if a bird is kept in golden cage and if golden foodstuff is supplied to him, it is not happy. It is not possible. Similarly we are spirit soul. Any amount of material happiness will never make me happy. That is a fact.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

As soon as there is decadence of people's love of Godhead... That means when people become forgetful, almost forgetful. Because at least some people remember that there is God. But generally, in this age, they are forgetful. That is dharmasya glāniḥ. And by forgetting God the people cannot be happy. That is also another cause. People are thinking that "God is dead. We have no obligation to God. There is no God." This sort of thinking will never make the people happy. And actually, it is happening. They have become atheistic. The modern civilization is Godless, but people are not happy. Therefore God or His representative comes when people forget his relationship with God.

So real religion is to understand what is our relationship with God. And then the relationship is, as it is found in the Bhagavad-gītā and confirmed by great ācāryas like Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. If you become satisfied by mental happiness, then you'll have to come down again. Asato. Asato mā sad-gamaḥ. Real life is: "Don't stay in this temporary world but go to the real world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). You'll find all these things in Bhagavad-gītā. So either on the bodily plane or on the mental plane you cannot be happy. That is not possible. But if you want to be happy then you have to come to the spiritual platform and engage in spiritual activities, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyam grāhyam (BG 6.21). Atīndriya means above the material platform of sensual and mental activities.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

How you can become happy here? This is illusion. You can never be happy in this material world, but you are trying to become happy in so many politician, social workers, this and that, simply wasting their time. They cannot be. You have to accept the leadership of Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be happy. If you accept the leadership of rascals, fools, you cannot be happy. Demons. They'll put you into difficulties.

Now, just this evening, one gentleman was speaking about Ahmedabad, that the students have burned so many buses, they're now uncontrollable. So this is going on all over the world. People are frustrated, because on account of these rascal leaders. They are taking the position of leadership, but they're all rascals and fools, they cannot lead. If you want to be happy, take actual leadership of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

We are thinking, "If it is become cooler..." And when it is cool, then also we suffering. Then we think, "If there is some heat." When there is winter, we are hankering after heat, and when there is summer, we are hankering after cooling.

So this is going on. We cannot be happy. First of all we must know that. There is no question of happiness here. We are simply hankering. "If, it would have been very nicely cool." And when it is cool, then you'll think, "If it had been nicely hot..." The same thing. Carvita-carvaṇānām. Carvita-carvaṇānām means chewing the chewed. We have tasted heat and cold both, but we are desiring. "If it would have been like this, if it had been like that, if it..." But never come to the conclusion that either heat or cool, we have to suffer. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa. So long you have got this, this material skin, then this heat and cold you'll have to suffer. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14).

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

The Lord says that "Those who are not performing yajña, they cannot be happy even in this world, in this life, and what to speak of next life." This is the con... Therefore we have to perform sacrifice. Nāyaṁ lokaḥ, ayaṁ lokaḥ.

Ayam, in this world, in which we are at present, that is also becoming more miserable. At the present moment people are feeling so much painful in the modern existence because this process of yajña has been... Completely, people are engaged, "Work hard, earn money and be engaged in sense gratification." That's all. This is the whole program, at the present moment is going on. That cannot bring any peace and prosperity to the society. We have to perform yajñas. That is the natural law.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

So instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, they are trying to utilizing, they are trying to utilize the material nature for their sense gratification. This is called struggle for existence. Prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Karṣati means hard struggle. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is going on. And this karṣati means struggling for existence. Because you cannot be happy by this artificial way of life. This is artificial way of life.

Just like both of them have been described as prakṛti. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. And apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. The parā, it is prakṛti. Suppose there are two prakṛtis, two women. One has dressed an man and one has dressed as woman. But how they can enjoy? Because actually they are prakṛtis. Simply by changing the dress, there is no possibility of enjoyment. Prakṛti. Therefore it is simply mental concoction. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is going on.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

If you know that somebody is there who is my patron, who is my savior, are you not very happy? But if you do everything on your own account, at your responseibility, are you happy? Similarly, if you are convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection" and if you are true to Kṛṣṇa, that is the standard of happiness. You cannot be happy otherwise. That is not possible. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

That is the fact. Even in your rebellious condition Kṛṣṇa is giving you protection. Without Kṛṣṇa's protection you cannot live even for a second. He's so kind. But when you admit it, when you recognize it, then you become happy. Now Kṛṣṇa is giving you protection but you do not know it because you have taken your life at your own risk. Therefore He has given you freedom, "All right, do whatever you like. As far as possible I will give you protection."

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

Just like here, without this fan, it was uncomfortable, excessive heat. So, excessive heat, excessive cold, so many things, adhibautic, adhyatmic, adhidaivic. We are actually suffering always. This is the nature of this material world. Stringent laws of the material world. And still we are trying to become happy by some adjustment. This is called struggle for existence. In this way we cannot be happy.

Real happiness is there, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ man-mayā mad ar..., mām upāśritāḥ bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. These are the descriptions in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ. Vīta-rāga. Rāga means attachment. So we are now attached to this material world. So, by practice one becomes vīta-rāga, no more attachment for the material world. That is possible. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca. If you develop your normal bhakti, or devotional life, that kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha sādhya kabhu naya. It has to be awakened.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

What is that? Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. Saṁsiddhim. Samyak siddhi, paramam, paraṁ siddhi. That is paraṁ siddhi, to go back to Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That is siddhi.

So Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that the material bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, they cannot be happy. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They cannot be. The karmīs, they are trying to be materially happy in this world, in this life, in the next life. No. Any life. You can change your life in so many times, but you'll never be happy, because you are aśānta, you want something. You want some benefit, material benefit. Or spiritual benefit. Spiritual benefit. To merge into the Supreme, that is spiritual benefit. And material benefit, to get some material profits within this world, this life or next life. So that is bhukti. Bhukti and mukti.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

So you'll become quietly and happily situated in your eternal life. Don't you think?

Now, suppose if you are placed in some country where you can understand that "In this country I'll have no more death, no more miseries, no more old age, no more disease," will you not be happy? Suppose you are transferred to a country where these things are available... Oh, yes, I shall, I must be happy. If I can get some place where going I'll have not to die again or not to become old and not to have any diseases, oh, certainly I shall accept it. That is my desire, heart's desire. I want. I want that. Why you want that? Because you have got the right to have that prerogative. You have got the right. Therefore you want. You are eternal. You are blissful. You are full of knowledge. Simply you are covered by this material entanglement. Therefore you have forgotten yourself. Now, here is the chance.

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

That is karmī. So they want. They will never be happy. They want this, that, that, that, that, that. There is no end. And jñānīs, when they are baffled, they want to become one with God, mukti. And yogis, they want to show some magic, the magical power. So the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis—everyone is in want. They cannot be happy. And when you come to the position, "My Lord, I do not want anything. Simply I want to serve You. Give me this opportunity," that is perfection.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

"They are our only own men," in this way this misconception of life is being accepted...

Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, this is a civilization of the cows and the asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So in other words, it is an animal civilization. So you cannot be happy in animal civilization, in the societies of animals. Just like in the jungle there are animals. There is no peace. There is always struggle for existence, fight between one animal. Still, they are peaceful. But at the present moment, throughout the whole world, we have become less than the animals because we do not know what is the basic principle of civilization, what is the ultimate goal of life, what is our perfection. These things we are lacking in knowledge.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

In the Western countries, Europe and America, they have made sufficient arrangement for living materially very happy, but that has not been possible. They are also disappointed, confused. So materially you cannot be happy. You must know. You must have full knowledge what you are, what is this body, how you'll be happy. Then your life is successful. If you live like cats and dogs and try to adjust things like cats and dogs, that is a waste of life, waste of time.

Therefore kindly try to understand Bhagavad-gītā. There is full of knowledge. The knowledge is given by the most perfect, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no deficiency. In the knowledge received from imperfect person there are four deficiencies: illusion, mistake, cheating and imperfectness.

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

That is not possible. If the servant remains a faithful servant, that is perfection of his life. Artificially, if the servant wants to become master, that is only botheration. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating everyone to understand this fact, that everyone is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is botheration. You cannot be happy. Artificially, if one wants to become something else which he is not, then it is simply botheration. There is no happiness. An artificial life is not happiness. Natural life is happiness. So naturally we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. If we don't serve Kṛṣṇa then we have to serve māyā.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

And we are trying to imitate him to become enjoyer. That is false. Because if you try to capture something false, then it is simply labor. You will never achieve that thing. Or even if you achieve, you cannot be happy. Because thing is false.

So real bhoktā is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. People are after peace, śānti, but this is the śānti formula, that we must know Kṛṣṇa—the supreme enjoyer of everything. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām.

If tapasya, you undergo severe austerities... Suppose you are doing business; that is also tapasya. You have to work very hard. Money does not come so easily. Then you get some money. So it is also the result of your tapasya. Sometimes we see that a poor man, working very, very hard, he becomes a millionaire.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa has divided the society, human society, in four divisions: the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya, the vaiśya, the śūdras. These divisions of the human society must be there. If there is no intelligent person, brāhmaṇa, simply śūdras, you cannot be happy. That is not possible. Just like to keep your body, there must be head, there must be arms, there must be belly, and there must be legs. Simply if you have got legs, that is dead body. Even simply you have got head, that is also dead body. Four things must be there. How you can violate? "No, no, we don't require head" or "don't require leg." No, no. Kṛṣṇa says, "no." Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). "This is My regulative principle. I give you. Just maintain a first-class, intelligent man. Don't disturb them. Give them all facilities. Let them cultivate Vedic knowledge and help you." That is required.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

"The senses are everything. So let us enjoy the senses. That is our happiness." No, that is not. Therefore we are not happy actually. Although we are trying to gratify our senses profusely, still, we are unhappy because that is not actually happiness. The actual happiness is of the soul. Unless you satisfy the soul, you cannot be happy because my real identity is the soul, not this body.

The same example, as I have already said many times, that within the cage there is the bird. You don't take care of the bird, and you simply cleanse this cage—the bird will not be satisfied. He will cry always, "Give me food. Give me food." The another example I gave the another psychiatrist, that this body is a machine. Actually it is a machine. And it is being driven by two persons. One is God and one is the living entity, individual. The God is giving direction.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

That philosophy will not do. You must know that this prakṛti, this material world, you are not enjoyer. The enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

If you want to become enjoyer, then you are thief. Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). You cannot be happy with stolen property. So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Whatever we are trying to enjoy, it is stolen property. The philosophy is tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. You can enjoy whatever is allotted to you by Kṛṣṇa. Tene tyak... Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Don't try to encroach upon other's property. This is real proposition for peace and prosperity. But we are trying to become the biggest enjoyer, and we are trying to encroach upon others' property, others' life, others' jurisdiction. Therefore there is no peace. There cannot be peace.

Therefore if we want peace at all, this is the formula.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

They are trying to adjust things by so-called material adjustment, and that will not be. Therefore it is said durāśayā. Āśayā means hope, and dur means "never to be fulfilled, far, far away." Durāśayā. Without God consciousness, without stopping the process of birth and death, you cannot be happy. That is not possibility. But they have become so foolish. They are thinking that this duration of life, say fifty or sixty years, that's all. After this...

Big, big leaders, they say like that, that "After death, there is no life. Everything is finished." Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they are of this opinion, that after death there is no life. Everything is finished. And wherefrom all these different forms of life come, they cannot answer. There are eight million four hundred thousand forms of life. Wherefrom they come? What is the purpose of so many forms of life. What is the purpose of life?

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

"Anyone who comes back to Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "then," duḥkhālayam aśāśvataṁ nāpnuvanti, "he does not get again birth in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam." Kṛṣṇa certifies about this world as duḥkhālayam, "the place of miseries," and we are trying to be happy. This is our illusion. You cannot be happy in this material world. Tell me if anyone is happy. Nobody is happy. The problem, only problem, beginning from the womb of mother up to the again, next death, simply problems—this is material life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), nāpnuvanti: "He does not come again." That is the solution. That is saṁsiddhiṁ labhate parām.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

We are also merged into this material world. Just like your body, my body is material. But I am the soul, you are the soul. I am merged into this material... But because I am spirit, although I am merged, I am not getting happiness. Just like if you are put into the Atlantic Ocean, you merge, but because you are not the living entity of the water, you cannot be happy. You cannot be happy. That merging is there. You have to merge into the spiritual existence; then you'll be happy. That is bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

So Nārada Muni replied that—these things will be discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that "You have considered so many things, but if..., you have not written anything absolutely for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without discussing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you cannot be happy."

That is the fact. At the present moment also, there is advancement of education-many universities, many technological institutes, economic development. In your America there is everything sufficient, but still, people are unhappy. They are becoming hippies. Why? Because there is no knowledge about God. This is the only cause. This is the only cause. Every one of us is part and parcel of God, so our real hankering is God. Just like child, baby, is the part and parcel of the mother, and when the child is unhappy, nothing can satisfy the child except when he is put on the lap of his mother.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it cannot be checked. Ahaituky apratihatā. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati. Everyone is wanting peace of mind. Ātmā. Ātmā means body, ātmā means mind, ātmā means the soul. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati. Prasīdati means "becomes satisfied," and su means "very much." So unless you learn this art, how to love God, you cannot be happy. This is the fact. The sooner you make business, finish this business... How to learn? Now this chance is in this human form of life. You can learn. And the method is very plain, especially in this age.

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

It appeared that his father, he has a very nice car also, but the dress was hippie. So there is a protest against the so-called material arrangement, they do not like.

Actually we cannot be happy by material prosperity, that is a fact. That is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja says to his atheistic father... His father was Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇya means gold and kaśipu means soft bed, cushion. That is material civilization. They want very soft bed, and the bed companion, and sufficient bank balance, money. That is another meaning of Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he was not happy also. Hiraṇyakaśipu was not happy—at least he was not happy that his son Prahlāda was becoming a devotee of the Lord, which he did not like. So he inquired from his son that "How you are feeling? You are a small boy, child, how you are feeling so much comfortable despite all my threatening.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

And some of them, they are trying to be happy by the happiness of the mind. Just like arts, poetry, philosophy, speculating on. But both of these kinds of happiness will not give us real happiness. Because real happiness belongs to the soul. Basic principle of happiness missing. Therefore simply by bodily comforts, sense gratification, we cannot be happy. And actually it is so happening. People are endeavoring throughout the whole world for bodily comforts, for sense gratification, but they're not happy. There cannot be happiness. Because... The same example. Suppose you have got a nice coat. If you simply show the coat and iron the coat and keep it very nice, that does not mean you'll be happy. Because you are trying to get happiness from the coat or shirt. That is not happiness, that is not possible. Happiness is possible when you try to make happy the soul. Then happiness is possible. Another example is given—just like a bird within the cage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Our real formation, constitutional position, is to obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa. But we have selected disobeying Kṛṣṇa. We are obeying Lenin. That is the difficulty. We have to obey somebody. But you have selected not to obey Kṛṣṇa but to obey Lenin. In India disobedience is very prominent now. But in that way you shall not be happy. Therefore Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaja (SB 1.2.6). If you learn how to obey the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then you will be happy. Yayātmā suprasīdati. This is fact.

So unless people take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand and learn how to obey Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot, there cannot be any peace. There cannot be any happiness. And there is no condition... Here it is said, ahaituky apratihatā. That obedience should be without any motive.

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

That is ānanda. That is not impersonalism. That is personalism. So unless you enter to the personal activities of Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be ānanda. There cannot be. Unless you are qualified to dance with Kṛṣṇa or to play with Kṛṣṇa, to become father of Kṛṣṇa, mother of Kṛṣṇa, and enjoy the ānandamayam, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37), you cannot be happy. Therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa. The brahma-pada, the Supreme, paraṁ padam, it is called paraṁ padam... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Adhaḥ. They fall down. Therefore we see sometimes, big, big sannyāsīs, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, they give up this world, take sannyāsa, but after some time they come to politics, to sociology. Why? If the jagat is mithyā, why you are interested in politics and sociology an welfare acts? That means anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: He could not get ānanda without being in touch with the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they come this ānanda.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972:

Therefore, as soon as He sees, "Oh, he is hearing about Me. Oh, thank you. I shall help you." Immediately He vidhunoti, He washes all the dirty things.

The dirty thing is that "I shall be happy by material enjoyment." This is the basis of dirty things. The rascal does not know that he cannot be happy in any condition, any material condition. Brahmā is unhappy, Indra is unhappy, what to speak of you, you are teeny creature. Nobody can be happy in this material world. They must be always in anxiety because they have accepted something which will never make him happy. Therefore we have to counteract it, these dirty things, that we are trying to be happy in this material world. These dirty things are accumulated within our heart. Life after life, we have selected so many bodies. "Now I shall become tiger. I am eating flesh, but I cannot attack the animal and eat fresh blood." Kṛṣṇa is so kind: "All right I am giving you the chance to become a tiger.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

"Let me work now very hard, and let me have some bank balance so when I shall get old, I shall enjoy life without any working." That is the inner intention of everyone. Nobody wants to work. As soon as he gets some money he wants to retire from work, and to become happy. But that is not possible. You cannot be happy in that way.

Here it is said: apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The real danger is... She is speaking of apunaḥ. Apunaḥ means... A means not, and punar bhava means repetition of birth and death. The real danger is repetition of birth and death. That has to be stopped. And not this so-called danger. This is all... The material world is full of dangers. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Just like if you are on the ocean. If you are on the ocean, you might have very strong ship, very safe ship, but that is not safety. Because you are on the sea, at any time there can be dangers. Perhaps you remember from your country, there was, what is that, Titanic?

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

We can do with it and without it. When we use it, it is for the advantage of the person. His energy is being... Who has invented this microphone, his energy is being utilized for Kṛṣṇa's purpose.

So dovetail everything dovetailed in Kṛṣṇa's service. So without Kṛṣṇa, we cannot be happy. That is the right conclusion. And that is stated here, that "Everything is flourished on account of Your presence." And as we have repeatedly said, we can keep Kṛṣṇa always present by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be nice; we shall be happy, either in the town or in the forest, everywhere.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

Just like in your country there is welfare department. All these helpless girls are given some donation. He says, "That is not sufficient. That... By that way, I cannot compensate what harm I have done to them." That is... That is his con... "Even if I give some money, donation, they'll not be happy, because they have lost their protection." This is called responsible king. How much they are thinking. And similarly he was thinking for the children.

Naturally... I have sometimes told you that we have got one Godbrother, German. He said that in the last war, in the first war, which started in 1914, so all the men were killed everywhere. And the women, they went to the church, either as wife or as sister or as daughter or as mother. Naturally, they prayed for their relatives to come back. But who is coming back? They were all dead.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

This liberty was given to Arjuna: "I have explained to you everything. Now whatever you like, you can do."

So Kṛṣṇa does not force anyone to become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, but He gives the chance. He explains everything, that "If you become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, or surrendered soul, then you will be happy. Otherwise you will not be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa. Kuru. He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He does not force. Now it is our choice, whether we shall surrender to Kṛṣṇa or not. These are the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that one's ultimate goal of life is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate goal of life. But they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. They think for some worldly happiness and go to some demigods... That is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20).

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they are enjoying. So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentimental movement. It takes care of all-round social organization. It is not something like religious sentiment. Everything should be take care of. Therefore we say cow protection, cow protection. Here it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā mahī (SB 1.10.4). Mahī means land, bhūmi. Agnir mahī gaganam ambu marud-diśaḥ... Mahī. This is mahī. In another, Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said, mahī.

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

So actually who has associated with sādhu, he cannot make any more association with asādhu. Therefore it is said that sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. Mukta-duḥsaṅga. Mukta means completely liberated. Such person, hātuṁ notsahate budhaḥ, such person cannot give up the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Kīrtyamānam. He may try to go away, but he'll not be happy. He'll not be happy. We have seen practically. Some of our boys who have left, they come occasionally. Even he protests externally, internally he understands that he has committed a mistake by associating. Kīrtyamānam. Kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. The saṅkīrtana, chanting of this holy name, is so pleasing that one cannot avoid it if once he has associated with devotees. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

The same enjoyment is, Kṛṣṇa is offering, by His descendance, that "If you want to enjoy like this in the society of beautiful young boys and girls, come to Me. Here it is, reality." But that they will not. That they will make impersonal. Being frustrated in this material platform, they want to make it zero, śūnyavādi, śūnyavādi, being disgusted... Because you cannot be happy in this material enjoyment. So at time it will be disgusting. That is jñāna-bhumika.(?) "So we have tried our best. What is the use of this enjoyment? Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. This is all false. Now let us become Brahman, become one with Brahman." But that is also false. That idea, to become one with the Brahman, that is also false.

So real reality is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore these sages, big, big great sages, they are hearing Sūta Gosvāmī. So they ask the reason "Why the king Mahārāja Parīkṣit punished that Kali in the dress of a king?

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that discipline means, one who observes discipline, he is called disciple. Everyone knows it. Disciple means one who observes discipline. If one does not observe discipline, then he is not a disciple. And one who is not a disciple, his life is chaotic. He cannot be happy. Therefore Vedas say that "You must accept a bona fide guru and become disciplined under his instruction." Then you'll know the higher system of knowledge, the necessity of life, and thus you become happy.

So here it is said that caturbhir yena pādair loka-sukhāvahaiḥ. Without discipline, without proper understanding of the four principles of life, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), nobody can become happy. Therefore, it is said there that "You know..."

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

So either you are put in the golden cage or iron cage or wooden cage or any cage-cage is cage. And so... So long you are not free... Just like the bird is kept into the cage. He's unhappy. He's unhappy. It may be golden cage. It doesn't matter. Similarly, we cannot be happy with this encagement. We must be free from the encagement. Freedom. That is called liberty, mukti. That is required. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do no know that "Suppose, even I get free, so where shall I go?" He thinks, "I shall be free in the sky." Just like impersonalism. Sky is impersonal. So if suppose a bird is given freedom, but he flies in the sky, will he be happy? No. That also he'll not be happy. Then he'll again think of that "It was better to remain in the cage. Now what is the value of my, this freedom? I'm not happy." And again go back to the cage. You will see in India. There is a bird, fiftil.(?)

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

He is always full of jubilation. So you also, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you also want jubilation. But how you can get jubilation, how you can be jubilant in the sky, in the zero? This is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy. Therefore you cannot be happy even by getting free from this encagement, material world, and if you place yourself in impersonalism and voidism, that will not help you. Try to understand it. That will not help you.

So therefore you have to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa, where there is everything variety, spiritual varieties. You can play with Kṛṣṇa. You can dance with Kṛṣṇa. You can talk with Kṛṣṇa. You can fight with Kṛṣṇa. That is also... Cowherd boys, they fight. They enjoy. That is also enjoyment. Everything enjoyment.

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

Throughout the whole month of December you'll observe nice festivals, festivities. Why? Where it began? God consciousness. Lord Christ he came to give you God consciousness, and in his relationship these festivities are going on. It may be degraded in another form. The beginning is God consciousness, but we have lost it. So people cannot be happy without reviving God consciousness. It may be named in a different way—"Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That means God consciousness. That is the necessity. He's trying to love somebody. That somebody's love will be perfected when he loves Kṛṣṇa or God. We are teaching that. Try to love God, and if you love God, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then automatically you love everybody. That is the perfection of love. The example is just like if you love your stomach, if you supply nice food to your stomach, that means you love all the parts of your body. If you supply foodstuff in the stomach, the energy is distributed in all parts of the body.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

Exactly like the man who is put into certain cell, he cannot change at his will without the superior authority. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that don't try to change this cell, from this cell to that cell. That will not make you happy. If you think, if a prisoner thinks that "I am in this cell. Let me request the superintendent of the jail to change my cell and I'll be happy," that is a mistaken idea. One cannot be happy so long he is under the prison walls. One should become free. That should be the aim of our life. So we are trying to be happy by changing the cell, by this "ism" to that "ism," by capitalism to communism, from communism to this "ism," that "ism." That will not make us happy. You'll have to completely change from this "ism," this materialism. That's all. Then you'll be happy.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

That is called parāṁ gatim. Parā means transcendental; gati means aim of life. Parāṁ gatim.

So those who are not following the authorized instructions, they are simply creating disturbance, and by such process one cannot be happy, neither perfect, and what to speak of going back to home, back to Godhead? We do not therefore accept anything which is not authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There is example that in India there is a tree, sāgu, sāgu(?) tree. I do not know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little jerking. Sāgu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sāgu tree.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

Therefore it is said that pitari prasthite araṇyaṁ mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. Now it is the duty of the son. Women should be under the protection. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that woman should not be given freedom. Na strī svātantryam arhati. They cannot properly utilize freedom. It is better to remain dependent. That is very good. Independent woman cannot be happy. That's a fact. We have seen in the Western countries, on, in the name of independence, so many women are unhappy. So that is not recommended in the Vedic civilization and on the varṇāśrama-dharma. So therefore the mother, Devahūti, was given under the charge of his (her) grown-up son, Kapiladeva. And Kapiladeva was fully cognizant that He has to take care of His mother. Therefore mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. It is the duty of the father to protect the girl very nicely. Women are very delicate. They should be given...

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

If one is situated on the mental platform, speculating, he will simply go to the asat. Asat means this material world. Asato mā sad gama. Vedic says, "Don't remain in this asat. Come to the sat. Oṁ tat sat."

So if one is on the mental speculation, manufacturing something for the welfare of the human society, that is not possible. Human society cannot be happy without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

Ānanda means you have to enter into the spiritual planet, where Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is there. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). You have entered to that eternal planet. You must get some residence. The impersonalists, they do not get that. They remain... Just like you remain in the sky. You cannot be happy. You want some planet, but if you cannot get planet, then again you come back in this planet. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Again in this material world. Therefore we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real self-realization. And what is that? Very simple thing. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If you simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, why does He come, what is His business, what is His form...

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). I have explained many times. So as soon as we deny to render service to Kṛṣṇa, immediately the māyā is there, captures, "All right. You come here. You serve me." This is the position. Artificially you cannot become master. That is not our nature, and that will not be happy service for us-artificial. Artificial... I have given this example. Suppose with this finger I capture some very nice foodstuff, rasagullā, and if the finger thinks that "I have captured the rasagullā. I shall eat." No. You cannot eat. You must put here. And then you get the benefit. And if you spoil the rasagullā in your hand and don't put into the mouth, then everything is spoiled. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Ekaṁ bahu syām. The Vedas, we understand God has become many. Many... In many ways we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. There are two kinds of manys. One many is called svāṁśa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

Still, I have to die." This is common sense. So in order to... On account of this puruṣa mentality... Just like I have already explained the strī can enjoy happy life along with the husband, not independently, similarly, we, being prakṛti, our business is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then we will be happy. Otherwise we will not be happy. It is not possible.

And the whole material world, whole Vedic śāstra, whole Vedic culture is meant for rectifying this mentality, that "I am not independent. I am dependent on Kṛṣṇa. So I have forgotten Kṛṣṇa somehow or other, and I have taken this mentality of puruṣa, enjoying this material world. I have to rectify this." So if I rectify that, then I become free from the clutches of māyā. Otherwise, since I have put myself under the clutches of this material energy, she is giving me different types of body, different types of situation, to fulfill my desire.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

Otherwise you cannot. Here it is a great struggle. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Karṣati, great hard struggle going on. We are trying to be happy, but that is not possible. Just like if you are put into the ocean, you may be very good swimmer, you may struggle very nicely, but you are under the control of the prakṛti. You cannot be happy in the water. But if somebody helps you to get out of the water, then you will be happy.

So our business is to pray to Kṛṣṇa to get me out of this struggling, hard struggle for existence in this material world. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaching us this prayer, no other prayer. Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. "O Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa is very pleased when we address Him with His devotee. Nanda Mahārāja is devotee playing as the father of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

I have somehow or other fallen." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Kindly fix me again as one of the dust particle in Your lotus feet." This prayer has been tak...

So we cannot be happy in this puruṣa mentality to enjoy this material world. We can never be happy. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Even if you are... Now, just like they are trying to go to the moon planet... But what this moon planet? It is very near. Even if you go to the topmost planet, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), the struggle will go on. You cannot be happy. Either you go to the heavenly planet or the moon planet or the Brahmā planet, anywhere in this material world, the four things—birth, death, old age, and disease—will go on. You cannot stop it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't try to be elevated to the higher planetary system, to the moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

Because they are thinking so, tied up by the rules and regulation of the stringent laws of material nature. But they are thinking... They are called karmīs.

So they cannot be śānta. By material activities you cannot be happy or peaceful. That is not possible. That is being explained here, that yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svacchaṁ śāntam. Sattva-guṇa. You have to come to the platform of the mode of goodness, and still it is to be purified. That is called vasudeva platform, or transcendental platform. As it is explained in the Bhagava..., vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That time, when you come to that platform, you will see everything godly. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything God conscious. That is the platform of śānti. Beyond that or before that, you cannot have.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

This place is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is meant for miseries." Do not try to become happy here. That is foolishness, mūḍha. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. "The mūḍhas, these rascals, they do not know that here he cannot be..., one cannot be happy, because real happiness is when he comes back to Me." Mām ebhyaḥ param... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is real happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So everyone is very, working very hard, struggling for existence, but they do not know how they can actually become happy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That they do not know. So it is our humble attempt only, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. At least, we inform people that "This is the way of happiness." Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat (BG 6.21).

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

We are not annihilated after the annihilation or destruction of this body. Therefore we have to take shelter of the eternal. Then we'll be happy. And so long we shall take shelter of the temporary thing, asat, this material world, material society, friendship, love, state, community, nation—anything you take, they are not permanent—so you cannot be happy. But if you take shelter for security at the lotus feet of the Supreme, then you are actually secure.

Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt. Asad-grahāt. Asad means this material world. It will not stay. Just like this material body. It will not stay—everyone knows; it has a beginning, birth—it stays for some time, it transforms some other bodies as children, then it becomes old, dwindling, and then finished. These are six different transformation of the material world. But it is temporary, asat. But there is another life, where there is no transformation: eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

"A person who gives up obedience to the ruling of the scriptures," vartate kāma-kārataḥ, "and he acts in his own way, by his whims," na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, "he cannot attain perfection." These are the versions of Bhagavad-gītā. Na siddhiṁ sāvāp..., na sukham: "And at the same time, he cannot be happy." Na parāṁ gatim: "And what to speak of liberation?"

So therefore this tapasya means voluntarily accepting the rulings of scriptures, spiritual master, saintly person, and mold your life in that way. So He is instructing His sons, "My dear sons, don't spoil your life, living like cats and dogs and hogs. Utilize your life by tapasya, by voluntarily accepting the rulings of śāstra, spiritual master, saintly person." The question may be that "Why this injunction? Why I shall not live like an animal? And why I have to live under the regulative principles of scriptures and saintly person and spiritual master?"

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

The brain means... First-class brain means to realize self, to understand God, and do accordingly. This is required. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. So unless one takes to the varṇāśrama-dharma as they are prescribed, it is not human society. It is cats' and dogs' society, and you cannot be happy, however you may adjust, in a society who is filled up with cats and dogs. That is not possible.

So this Vedic instruction, it is not meant for any particular person, any community or any country. It is meant for everyone. So we should take advantage. We are therefore publishing in English so many books so that people may understand. English language is spoken practically all over the world, and we are selling also. These books are being appreciated by the professors in university and highly learned circles, and common men also.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

So long we are in the bodily concept, that is going on all over the world. If we say people may not be happy... Now India, in your city it is going on, Andhra conference. How long you shall remain Andhra? You may remain Andhra for say twenty years or fifty years, utmost hundred years, then what you are doing? Andhra or something else? Where is the account for that? Because Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme authority, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So if you perpetually remain as Andhra, that is very good. "But that is not allowed, sir." You'll be kicked out of your, this Andhra concept of life by nature's law. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34), Kṛṣṇa says, "When death will come, 'Oh, my dear death, you cannot touch me. I am Andhra, I am Indian, I am American.' " No. "No, sir. Get out!" So where is that knowledge? Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

Unless we control the base qualities, namely the modes of ignorance and passion, you cannot be happy. It is not possible. Tato rājas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Rājas tamo-bhāvāḥ means kāma and lobhā. So long I have lusty desire and so long I have greediness to acquire more and more and more, to enjoy senses more and more That is greediness. One should be satisfied, the minimum possible.

Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. Āhāra means eating. Āhāra, nidrā, sleeping, and fearing, and sense enjoyment. These are required, but not for increasing but decreasing. Just like when a person is diseased he should not eat as he likes. Because he is diseased, doctor prescribes that "You take little barley water or glucose, no solid food, if you want to be cured." Similarly, these things are necessity so long this body is there. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. But this should be decreased, not increased. That is human civilization, not to increase. Just like the Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana. They did not come here to increase āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. No. They came here to decrease.

Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976:

Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This is illusory, or māyā sukha. Prahlāda Mahārāja regrets, tato vimukha-cetasā māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Any moment everything will be crushed. This is called māyā-sukha. And still they are wasting time, that for māyā-sukhāya, illusion. They'll not be happy. Any moment everything can be crushed, and they are busy.

Therefore this modern civilization is most dangerous civilization, soul-killing civilization. The human being got the chance of understanding God, but they are being refused by the authorities to understand God. Rather, if somebody wants to understand, he is checked, he is harassed by the name of brain-washing and mind control. This is Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

There is no much expenditure. And this vegetarian diet, if you take a few grains of this chick pea and little milk, you don't require anything to eat. Everything, facility, is there still. But they have... The people are being trained up to imitate Western civilization. That is the government policy, that, "Unless you become Westernized, technologist, you'll not be happy." But they can become happy even in this condition. This artificial partition has caused some trouble by the Britishers because the Pakistan has taken away all the wheat and rice. Their purpose was that. The Punjab side, they are producing wheat in very large quantity. In Bengal, that is the, perhaps the biggest rice producing country in the world, Bengal. So rice is in Pakistan and wheat is in Pakistan. Even cows, they were maintained by the Punjabis, big, big cows, milk-producing. They are now in the Punjab. So there is no milk, there is no rice, there is no wheat. And they have no sugar. The sugar is produced this side. In this way, always.

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

He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I quite understand that soul is eternal. Even my teacher and grandfather is killed, he is bodily killed, but he is eternal. I can understand. But do You think that if my brother or if my grandfather or if my teacher with whom I am so thickly connected, if they die, shall I be happy?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes. You'll not be happy. Although you know that your son is eternal, he is not dying, he is changing his body... By theoretical knowledge or by understanding, you know it. But who is there in this world who will not cry when the son is dead? He will cry. But that crying is not crying like a layman. He knows that 'My...,' this is habitual. This is habitual."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

"I shall be big merchant," "I shall be very big leader." "How I can be bigger?" When he fails everything, then he thinks, "Now I shall become God." This is going on. So up to the understanding to become God is materialism. All endeavors up to the point of becoming God is materialism. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You cannot be happy by all these religious systems." Religious system, there are two kinds of religious systems. Some of them are pravṛtti-mārga, increasing the path of enjoyment, sense enjoyment. That dictates that "You come to the heavenly planet. You'll have ten thousands of years duration of life and very beautiful women to enjoy. Very nice garden, and drinking soma-rasa." So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. And nivṛtti-mārga means a little more advanced, when one understands that there is no actual happiness in this way, then he says, "This is all false." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The world is false.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

No. At home, you produce your food grain and stock it. In India still, they work for three months during this rainy season, and they get their food grains for the whole year. You can save time so nicely. So these things are required for happy home. There must be food grains. You cannot be happy without eating. That is not possible. Annād bhavanti. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). If you have got sufficient anna, eatables, foodstuff, then you become happy.

So three things: one thing, that at home no rascal should be received or given credit... According to Vedic system, at home a sannyāsī is welcome, a brāhmaṇa is welcome. Because they will give good instruction, so they are welcome. Just like when Gargamuni came to Mahārāja Nanda, Nanda Mahārāja's house, how nice reception he gave him. That is the... Especially... Of course, any guest is welcome, but especially a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī, is very well received.

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

So the commissioner entrusted the inquiry to Kedāranātha Datta at that time. So Kedāranātha Datta, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, took the matter and went to inquire at that, in the village of Orissa, with some constables in plain dress. So when he went there... He had some yogic power, so immediately he could say, "Oh, your name is Kedarnatha Datta. I know you are very good man, but don't be after me. You will not be happy. And I shall elevate you to become the king of this country. Don't be after me." Now, if anyone... He was Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a strong devotee. If any other person would have been addressed like that, he would be immediately puzzled: "How this man is talking about me, that I am Kedāranātha Datta, I am magistrate and...?" So he would not do anything. But Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was so strong, he said, "Yes. Thank you very much, that I shall become king. So why don't you go to Jagannātha Purī and stay there? That is a nice pilgrimage, and you can stay there. Many holy men go there. Why you are in this village?" He wanted to drive him away from that village. "Oh, what is that Jagannātha?

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

All kinds of political, philanthropical, humanitarian activities are going on. For what purpose? To make material life happy and prosperous. That's all. Which is not possible. One should understand it defintely that in the material world, however you may try to make adjustments, you cannot be happy. It is not possible.

So that we must first of all understand that we cannot be happy. The example I have given many times. Just like if you take out a fish from water, you can give it very comfortable, velvet lying down bedstead. The fish cannot be happy. It will die. Because the fish is the animal of water, it cannot be happy without water. Similarly, we are all spirit souls. Unless we are in spiritual life or in the spiritual world, we cannot be happy. That is our position. Everyone is trying for that spiritual realization, but he does not know.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

That is not possible.

So here we have taken this... Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. We want to be happy by adjustment of this external energy. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. That cannot be. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. You must have spiritual life. Then you can be happy. Simply as you cannot be happy by having nice shirt and coat, similarly, simply by materialistic way of life, I mean a gross and fine... Gross means this high skyscraper building, machines, factories, nice road goes motorcar. These are gross. And subtle: nice song, poetry, philosophy. That is subtle, subtle matter. So people are trying to be happy with this gross and subtle material existence. That cannot be. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Why they have accepted this sort of civilization?

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

Nobody will take care. Is it not? "Let him be killed. I am going in my own way." So this is not civilization. There is no brāhmaṇa. There is no kṣatriya. There is no vaiśya. Simply all śūdras. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. So you cannot be happy under the government of the śūdras. That is not possible. Must be tejaḥ. Government must be very, very powerful. Even, say, not more than hundred years ago, the Kashmir king was so powerful that there was no stealing in the state, on the whole state. There was no stealing. There was no thief. That is government. In the, at night I have to become concerned that thief may come, a burglar may come, so... That is not the government. One should lie down very freely: "The government is there." That is called tejaḥ, kṣatriya. Tejaḥ, then prabhāva, influence, and bala, bodily strength. Pauruṣa. Pauruṣa means one who has achieved many wonderful things. They are called pauruṣa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.44 -- Delhi, March 26, 1976:

Otherwise they are so dull and miserly, they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very important for them. They have no sense even to understand. But the preacher who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he knows that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness these people are condemned. They cannot be happy. They cannot be liberated. They will simply remain within this material world, accepting one body after another. And whichever material body we accept, it is meant for suffering. It is not meant for any happiness. Tri-tāpa-yātana. The three kinds of material miseries-adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika—he has to undergo.

So only the devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee, he can deliver them. He goes from town to town, village to village, house to house, to bring this message of Kṛṣṇa and deliver him. Prahlāda Mahārāja is promising, naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumuksa eko: "I do not wish to go alone.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Pradyumna: (reading) "...cannot steadily remain either in sense enjoyment or in renunciation. Change is going on perpetually, and we cannot be happy in either state because of our eternal constitutional position. Sense gratification does not endure for long and it is therefore called capala-sukha, or flickering happiness. For example, an ordinary family man who works very hard day and night and it successful in giving comforts to the members of his family thereby relishes a kind of mellow, but his whole advancement of material happiness immediately terminates along with his body as soon as his life is over. Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death. At death, everything is finished, and one has to begin a new chapter of life in a new situation, perhaps higher or lower than the last one."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. The atheist class men, they say, "Can you show me God?" There are statements of atheist class, or sannyāsī even, that he demanded his spiritual master "Whether you can show me God?" So God cannot be seen by such demand. In the śāstras it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is present by His name, by His form, by His pastimes, by His paraphernalia, by His qualities. Anything about Kṛṣṇa is non-different.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

No mystic power, no elevation to the heavenly planet, no merging into the exi... Never mind. What Kṛṣṇa desires, that's all right. He does not dictate anything, or he desires anything. That is pure devotional service. So there are many śāstric injunctions. Evaṁ prasanna-mana... So long you have got demand, you cannot be happy. That is one thing. Either you demand to be elevated to the heavenly planet, or you demand to be one with the Brahman, these are demands. Or if you want some mystic power, these are all demands. So, so long you'll have demand, you'll never be happy. You'll never be happy. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Aśānta. Bhukti means the karmīs, those who are demanding to, to be elevated in the heavenly planets, or higher planetary system for more, more elevated material happiness, they are called bhukti. Bhukti-kāmī-bhoga, enjoyment of the bodily concept of life. They are called bhukti-kāmī. Bhukti and mukti.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

Will you enjoy? But the same flour, you make kacoris, luci, puri, and this and... Oh, you'll enjoy. The ingredient is the same, but when it variety, it is enjoyable. Similarly, spiritual varieties... The impersonalists, they being fed up with this material varieties, they want to make it zero. But that will not help us. In zero we cannot be happy, because we are by nature, we want to enjoy. Enjoy means there must be varieties. The same flour, but you pick up some different varieties of flour and keep it, oh, you'll enjoy. "Oh, it is very nice." Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given so many varieties.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

Poverty for the last two thousand years or one, little above, one thousand years, India was foreign-subjugated. So they are now thinking that some way or other, if we can become like Americans, skyscraper buildings, our life will be successful. So they have... Artificially, now... They're killing their own culture and trying to imitate. This is artificial. But this artificial way, one cannot be happy. They'll be frustrated. Just (like) the Americans have become frustrated. They have got enough. What is the skyscraper buildings in Bombay? They have got hundred times skyscraper buildings in New York. Hundred times. And what is this skyscraper? Say, twenty stories? There are hundred and four,-five stories. When I first went to New York I saw one building, Empire, Empire State?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 10, 1973:

And if he's feeling enthused, more and more, that is his, he's working spiritually. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. That is the spiritual test. Rāmante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani (CC Madhya 9.29). That is cid-ātmani, that is spiritual, not material. So here, we are trying to enjoy material. So how we can be happy? That is not possible. Materially we cannot be happy, therefore Bhagavad-gītā gives us indication, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya grāhyam (BG 6.21). If you want happiness, happiness is our prerogative. Every individual soul, happiness. Because Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, eternal, blissful, ānanda. Ānanda, blissful. Cit, knowledge and sat, eternal. That is Kṛṣṇa. Sat-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

That is not our business. Our aim is to make all people happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is the Vedic mission. Everyone should be happy. But they are trying to be happy, but they do not know how to, how to become... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They are misguided. They cannot be happy without becoming Vaiṣṇava. This is open declaration in the śāstra. They cannot become happy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). If they are trying to become happy otherwise, that is durāśayā, hopeless thing. It will never be fructified. It will never be successful. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Therefore our business is to make them know that "This is the way of perfection. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Make your life perfect. Be happy, and go back to home, back to Godhead." This is our mission. They do not know.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Enjoy to your best capacity." But He is witnessing. Witnessing means you want something, Kṛṣṇa is supplying. The material agent, Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti, or the material nature is supplying you ingredients. But Kṛṣṇa is sanctioning, and you are desiring. You are desiring, "I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "No, you will not be happy," but you insist: "No. I want this." "All right. You take this." Kṛṣṇa's material energy is there; He is supplying the ingredients. "All right. Take these ingredients. What do you want?" "I want a three-hundred-story skyscraper building." "All right. Take it. Take it." The ingredients... The sky... You cannot create the ingredients. The ingredients is kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). You take earth, water, fire, air, and combine it and make a skyscraper building. But the ingredients does not belong to you. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. "They are My property. That is Mine. Actually it is Mine." You cannot create water, you cannot create fire, you cannot create earth.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

That is more dangerous expectation. So that is jñānī. So they also cannot get peace, because there is demand. Karmīs, they want something material, and the jñānīs, they tries to become one with the Supreme. Ekatvam. Ekatvam meaning we make differently, but the jñānīs-sāyujya-mukti, to become one with God. So they cannot be happy also, because there is want. The karmīs, they have got want. They want something. And here also there is want, a different type of want. Karmī wants some material result, immediate sense gratification, and here is also sense gratification. He is expecting something impossible—"I want to become one with God." So they cannot also get peace. That is not possible. And yogi, they also wanting to be something, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, garimā, prāpti, siddhi, īśitva, vaśitva. There are eight kinds of siddhis. The yogis want to get these siddhis and declare that he has become God, the same, like the jñānī. People are hankering after.

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

Therefore we find a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is always satisfied because he has no demand.

In other place Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kṛṣṇa bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149). So long you have got demands to fulfill your desires, you cannot be happy. Kṛṣṇa bhakta, kṛṣṇa bhakta has no demand. They do not demand that "Kṛṣṇa, favor me in this way or that way." No. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). They are completely free from demanding anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa, pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta. Therefore they are pacified, they are peaceful. And bhukti mukti siddhi kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti means these karmīs, they want elevated life of sense gratification, bhukti. That is called bhukti. From bhoga, bhukti. Bhukti or mukti, liberation. They are also not, I mean to say, peaceful because they are making sādhana, austerities, penances, to get liberation. There is demand, that "I shall be liberated." So there is demand.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

So māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommending that happiness, material happiness also, is due to pious activities. Unless you are pious, you cannot be happy, even materially. And if you simply commit sins, Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed—you will read in the Nectar of Devotion—that distress is due to ignorance, simply ignorance. The distress and happiness... Actually you can see those who are not educated fairly, they cannot get any good job. Therefore it is, his distress is due to less, poor fund of knowledge. So actually our distress is due to ignorance and in ignorance only, we commit sinful activities. Therefore our topics began that, prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. We are trying to remove the ignorance of the people, therefore we are giving the best service to the human society. We are simply trying to remove the ignorance.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- New York, July 18, 1976:

This is our mission, because without relationship with God, without reviving our eternal affinity with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we cannot be happy. The Vedic injunction is sarve sukhino bhavantu: "Everyone become happy." We are actually struggling for existence to become happy, but we do not know how to become happy.

So this science was taught five thousand years ago by God Himself. He advented in India. That does not mean He advented for India's benefit. He claims... Actually that is God's claim, that He is the father of all living entities.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

We must have personal realization, personal contact with Lord Kṛṣṇa. So long as we are enjoying these objects of our senses and thinking that these objects belong to us, and so long as we don't know to whom all these objects belong, to whom belongs the land, the money, the foods that we eat, the clothes that we wear, our families—so long as we do not know to whom all these belong, then we are enjoying in a state of ignorance. Factually we are being thieves. We cannot be happy in such a condition. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He provides us with all these objects of enjoyment, as we like them. But we can achieve a far happier state, not only for ourselves but for the whole human kind, if we realize that Kṛṣṇa, who is the supreme source of all the attractive objects that we are enjoying, is a person who is ready to receive as His loving servants the moment we want to surrender all our false ideas of ownership and come back to the spiritual platform.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original father, God is the original father. We are all His sons. Somehow or other we have left home. We have tried to enjoy material sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa has given us full facility. But we are not happy. That is not possible. Because we are separated from our original position, therefore we can not be happy. I give you one example. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of your body or my body, your body. If this finger is separated from this body it has no value, but if it is attached with this body, it has value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, if we're detached from God then we cannot be happy. That is a fact. There are many examples. Just like a baby, the part and parcel of the mother, crying, so many people trying to pacify the baby, taking on the lap, but still it is crying. But as soon as the baby is on the breast of the mother, immediately happy. Naturally.

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

"I am Kṛṣṇa's." That is self-realization. Just like the same child, crying. "I am now on the lap of my mother," it is happy. Similarly, when you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you can become happy. Otherwise, go on crying for millions of years on different laps or different bodies. You cannot be happy.

So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means making people directly in contact with the Supreme. Therefore immediately they're happy. I have got thousands of letters from my disciples. They're feeling so much obliged that "We have got our life. We were hopeless." Actually, that is the position. Without Kṛṣṇa, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are all hopeless, confused. So I am very happy to see so many nice boys and girls assembled here. So take to this process. We have got sufficient literature-books, magazines.

Arrival Speech -- Stockholm, September 5, 1973:

So we are trying to satisfy the senses in so many ways, repeating the same thing in different way, but there is no happiness. It cannot be, because we are not this matter. We are spirit soul.

I can give you one example. Just (as) a man, if he is thrown into the ocean, he may be very expert swimmer, but simply by swimming over the ocean, he cannot be happy there. Because he is put in a different condition of life. It is not possible. So the best thing is that if we can pick up that man from the ocean, then he will be happy. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we do not wish to swim over the ocean foolishly and to become happy there. That is not our program. Because you cannot be happy. When you are put into the ocean, however expertly you may swim, you will never be happy there. That is not possible. The only remedy is to pick you. If somebody can pick up from the ocean and give you shelter on the land, then you will feel happy.

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

Not only sectarian people in India or the so-called Hindus or Muslims or Christians. Everyone. Because everyone is spirit soul, and as soon as he understands that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," then he becomes completely happy. Yenātmā samprasīdati. So people will not be happy, will not be satisfied, unless and until he comes to that spiritual understanding. So our humble method is on this principle, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." And the spirit soul is eternal; therefore he has got to come to the platform of eternal happiness, eternal life and full knowledge. That is the perfection of life. And any type of religion—it doesn't matter what it is—which teaches this philosophy of life, that is first-class religious system. That is our conclusion.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Hrsikesa Dasa and Marriage of Satsvarupa and Jadurani -- New York, September 5, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Bring that. Mix it. Mix it. Yes, mix it. (oṁ apavitraḥ recitation-fire sacrifice) Offer. Svāhā. Take. Everyone, you also take, little, little, some. Vande aham... (recites maṅgalācaraṇa and prayers again, with devotees repeating) Now take one banana. Give him one. Yes, you take one. He'll give. Hayagrīva. Give Hayagrīva one. Give me one. Yes. Now turn(?) down. Yes. (chants namo brahmaṇya-devāya prayer three times) Just put slowly. (chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra responsively with devotees two times) Now bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees offer obeisances) Chant govinda jaya jaya, gopāla jaya jaya. (kīrtana-Prabhupāda recites Gāyatrī to Hayagrīva during kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī by Śrīla Prabhupāda) All glories to the married couples. Now distribute prasāda. (break) ...in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness every function is happy?

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is there, reservoir of all pleasure. Why it should not be happy? Everything should be happy. Where is your spot, black?

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

Completely pure means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire. Here in the material world, we manufacture so many plans to be happy, material desires. Somebody's thinking, "I shall be happy in this way." Somebody's thinking... There is no question of happiness here. The place is contaminated. In a contaminated... Just like in an infected place you cannot be happy. The medical officer will ask you to leave that place, that "This quarter has been infected by the disease. Better you leave, you go somewhere else." That is the treatment. Infected place must be left immediately. So similarly, this world, this material world of three modes of different qualities, you have to keep yourself always antiseptic, pure, by remembering Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa, immediately the infection, māyā, immediately affects you. Kṛṣṇa bhūliya jīva bhoga-vāñchā kare.

General Lectures

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

It is social convention that if you want to speak truth, you speak truth very palatable, flattering. Don't speak unpalatable truth. But we are not meant for that purpose, social convention. We are preacher, we are servant of God. We must speak the real truth. You may like it or may not like it, that a godless civilization cannot be happy in any stage. That is a fact. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to awaken this godless civilization, that you try to love God. This is the simple fact. You have got love within you. You want to love somebody. A young boy tries to love a young girl, young girl tries to love another young boy. This is natural, because the love is there. But we have created certain circumstances that love is being frustrated. Why? Everyone is frustrated. Husband, wife, boys, girls, man to man, states to states, everywhere, the love is not being utilized properly. Why? The missing point is that we have forgotten to love the Supreme Person. That is the disease.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

You're hankering after. Your business is to come to that platform of joyfulness. But you are somehow or other put into this material platform. You are not having fulfilled your joy. Just like you belong to this land, and if you are put into the ocean, Atlantic Ocean, however expert swimmer you may be, you cannot be happy. You have to come back to the land. Then you can be happy. Similarly, we are all spiritual souls, spiritual sparks. Just like the sunshine. Sunshine means there are molecular parts of shining principles. Similarly, we are also molecular parts and parcel of God, who is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra... He is full of joy. So we, as part and parcel also, we are full of joy. So unless we come in contact with the Supreme, our joyfulness will never be fulfilled. Therefore we have to come to the spiritual platform if we want to have that full spiritual or full joyfulness, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. (end)

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

And when you develop love of God without any motive and without any impediment, then you find, "Oh," svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42), "I have no more any demand. I am completely satisfied." Try to come to this platform, transcendental stage. You cannot be happy simply by material advancement. That is not possible.

That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Every one of us are rascals, born ignorant. But we have got the capacity to take the message of God from authorized information. That we have got. So Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ: "All living entities who are born ignorant, whatever they are doing for advancement of society, culture, education, civilization, all such activities are defeat only if he does not inquire what he is." Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattvam. So long one does not inquire, "What I am? What is God? What is this material nature?

Lecture -- London, September 14, 1969:

"We shall be happy in this way, in that way." So this will not help us, this manufacturing. I may be satisfied by some manufactured ideas. Just like in U.S.A. especially, the frustrated, confused younger generation, they are manufacturing ideas that "We shall be happy in this way." But that is not possible. You cannot be happy. So long you manufacture ideas, you may be pacified for some time, but it will not exist. Therefore you have to stop this manufacturing process, that "I shall be happy in this way." No. That is called free of anxieties. If you want to manufacture, that "I shall be happy in this way," that will also create another anxiety. That will create another anxiety. Therefore Yamunācārya says, praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Mano-rathāntaraḥ, this particular word, is used: "mind, on the chariot of mind." In the material stage of life, we are being driven by the chariot of mind.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

When I went to Western countries, they said that "God is dead." Here also, in our country so many people says that "Kṛṣṇa came. He is dead and gone. Now I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." So many rascal incarnations: "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." You see. So this is going on.

So by this way you cannot be happy. You must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you act like that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We have to understand Bhagavad-gītā through the paramparā system, not whimsically: "I think," "It is my opinion." What you are, nonsense? Throw your opinion. This process should be given up.

Lecture at Boys' School -- Sydney, May 12, 1971:

And if one disobeys the commandments of God, he will be unhappy.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sectarian movement. We are trying to bring back people to God consciousness. Because unless one comes to God consciousness, he cannot be happy. That's a fact. He becomes careless, and without abiding by the laws of God, he becomes criminal, subjected to so many troubles inflicted by the laws of nature. So these things should be taught from the beginning. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. In every schools and colleges these codes of God should be taught to the children. Then in future they will be godly or God conscious and their life will be peaceful. And because this is not taught in the schools and colleges... I have got experience by traveling in the Western countries. Especially in America, they have got so many nice arrangements of big, big universities.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

That lost consciousness. We have lost this consciousness that "I am the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the supreme blissful enjoyer, but somehow or other, being complicated within this matter, I am suffering. I am trying to become happy with this material atmosphere, which is not possible." Just like if you are put into the water you may be very nice swimmer, but you cannot be happy there because the water is not your place. You are a living entity of the land. Similarly, a fish, if you take out of the water and give it a velvet bedding, "My dear fish, you lie down here, on the velvet," he'll die because the condition is different. Similarly, we are spirit soul, Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. So unless we go back to Kṛṣṇa, just like the gopīs or the cowherds boy, we cannot be happy. There is no possibility.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

Sixty thousand a year. So in this way you cannot be happy, because the more you advance in material civilization, the more you become complicated. The real purpose is to go back to home, back to Godhead. We are missing the point. There is no guarantee. We have been given this chance of human form of body by nature's way, by the evolutionary process, coming through, transmigrating through 8,400,000 species of life. We have got this human form of life, developed consciousness to understand God, not increasing the comfort from bullock cart to motorcar. No. Not for this purpose. The so-called scientists, they are thinking that we are advancing in civilization from the primitive form, transport by bullock cart to motorcar. But that is not actually advancement. We are missing the point that this human form of life was meant for realizing God, realizing self. But we are misusing that higher intelligence and consciousness for manufacturing motorcar. And they are very much proud of advancement.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

Tribhir guṇa-māyāir bhāvair. We are now illusioned by the influence of māyā, material energy, in three ways: by goodness, by passion, and by ignorance. But instead of serving God, we are now serving māyā. And so long we shall be going on serving māyā, or serving in the prison house, we cannot be happy.

So this material world is the prison house of God. Anyone who is living in this prison house, they are all prisoners. It may be demigod, as it is said, deva. Na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ na siddha-mukhyā asurā manuṣyāḥ. We are human being. There are other beings. They are called asuras. They are very powerful, asuras, but godless. Just like nowadays some portion of the world is occupied by the asuras. They are materially very powerful, but they are asuras because they do not believe in God. Take, for example, Russia. Of course, the mass of people, they are not like that. A fragmental portion of Russian people, they are godless.

Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:

You cannot manufacture dharma. That will not be applicable. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that "I descend." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). What is that glāniḥ? When one forgets Kṛṣṇa, or God, and manufacture his own religion, paśu-dharma, he cannot be happy. That is not possible. Just like if you make your own laws, you cannot be happy. You must obey the laws of the state. Similarly, what is the law of God? That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣāt bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma cannot be manufactured by any man or any demigod or any saintly person or... No. The dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which He says as the last instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And actually it is happening all over the world. Since we have presented this dharma, to serve Kṛṣṇa, it is working very wonderfully.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Every animal. Every animal should be given protection. That is also the Vedic idea. Why these poor animals should be killed? By killing, killing, killing, you become sinful and entangled. Therefore now it has begun—one is killing his own child.

So this is going on. So in this way we cannot be happy. We shall become more and more entangled in sinful resultant action. And we have to take different types of body. So perpetually it will go on. Therefore this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to awaken every man to God consciousness and just to stop his activities in sinful life, so that he will be purified and he will understand God. Without being purified, nobody can understand what is God. That is not possible.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Just like a small child, the nature's way is the parent has got affection to take care. At that time, if the parents do not take care, the child cannot live. But the parents' taking care is not all. If the child is condemned by the Supreme Lord, in spite of the parents taking care, it will not be happy, or it will not exist. Parents' care is natural. Generally it so happens by the parents' care the child is happy, but in spite of parents' care the child is unhappy, then you have to go to the Lord. Is it not? Just like when a man is diseased, the counteraction is physician, medicine. Generally it is expected by attendance of good physician or using good medicine, diet, the patient becomes cured. But it is also seen that in spite of all careful attention, scientific medicine, he dies. Then what is that?

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: No, no. First thing is, people are desiring happiness. Whatever one may desire, the ultimate end is happiness. Nobody can deny this. But a diseased fellow, if he thinks that "I am happy," that is false happiness. A diseased man cannot be happy unless the disease is cured. Sometimes we go to a diseased person and ask, "How are you?" "Yes, I am all right." If he is all right, why is he lying down? He is not all right. He is artificially saying that "I am all right." What is this "all right"? Similarly, these foolish people, they are thinking, "I am happy." What is their happiness? If you have to die, then where is your happiness? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. A real intelligent person will see that these are the things which are giving me distress: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. So where is the happiness? Foolishly if we accept something as happiness, that is not happiness. Real happiness is when you are free from these four principles of distress: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Otherwise, where is your happiness? But if you think that "Although I am dying, I am happy," that is another thing, a fool's paradise.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Śyāmasundara: His conclusion was that it was impossible to be happy in this material world, but we can alleviate some of the conflicts through this psychoanalysis. You can try and make the path as smooth as possible, but it is always...

Prabhupāda: That is one (indistinct) that you cannot be happy in this material world, but if you are spiritually elevated, spiritually trained up, then you will be happy. The same example. Just like iron is not fire, but you put it in the fire, it will act like fire. Similarly, although there is no possibility of happiness in this material world, if you are spiritually trained up, if your consciousness is changed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will be happy. (end)

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Prabhupāda: Nobody is happy. How you can be happy? No one in this material world can be happy. How you can be, you are also one of them. Why you are claiming a better position? Nobody can be happy. We say nobody can be happy. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Anyone who is living in this material world cannot be happy.

Śyāmasundara: It seems that Skinner should be very ripe(?), or he is very ripe, because he wants it to be a society where it is controlled and it is...

Prabhupāda: So let him come and study the society. He is a philosopher and intelligent. Invite him.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: That it works socially. That people are becoming happy under this philosophy.

Prabhupāda: But shall not be happy. If I am given under the control of Communist government, I shall not be happy. We were there for a week in Moscow. We were not at all happy. That boy who came to us, he is not happy. So where is your perfection? You make everyone happy; then it is all right. If you think that "I am happy, my brother is happy. That's all right. Let others go to hell," that is another thing.

Revatīnandana: But Mao will say that the Russian Communism is religionism, that it is not real Communism. Therefore they are unhappy.

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

Śyāmasundara: This urge to become something more is bad.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is māyā. That is māyā. He cannot be happy in any position. He cannot be happy. But he thinks that "I'll be happy. If I go to that place, or that position." Just like the modern scientists, they have finished their all happiness here. Now they are, they are trying, "If we go to Candraloka, then we shall be happy."

Śyāmasundara: But isn't this urge to advance... He says this urge to advance is the desire to become godly.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Page Title:Cannot be happy (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:12 of Jun, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=116, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:116