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Cinema (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

You'll find in the statements of all the queens in Kṛṣṇa book, when they were talking with Kuntī, er, Draupadī, every wife was giving description that how much she was anxious to become maidservant of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is rival. In the material world, if a man has got more than one wife, there is rivalry. Rivalry. This example is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that just like we have got our senses, similarly, if somebody has got different wife, so one wife is snatching him that: "You come to my room," another wife is snatching: "You come to my room." So he's perplexed. Similarly we have got these wives, the senses. The eyes are dragging: "Please come to the cinema." The tongue is dragging: "Please come to the restaurant." The hand is driving somewhere else. The leg is driving somewhere. So our position is like that. The same man, who has got different wives and dragging him different room. This is our position. So why this position? Because these wives are rivals. Here: sapatnyam ṛddham. If there are many kings to claim one property, there is difficulty.

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

But the father-mother does not see that he has grown so big. Because he is always seeing, and the change is taking place very imperceptibly, every moment.

Just like cinema spool. The picture is changing, but it is changing in such a way, we are seeing that one man is dancing only. But he is dancing means he is changing his body. He is changing his picture. Similarly our body is also changing. But I am not changing, you are not changing. My body is changing. That is to be understood.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

He wants to enjoy this material enjoyment. Just like everyone is going to the restaurant for eating something palatable, but we are not going, and somebody is going to cinema, but we are not going to the cinema. Similarly, there are two kinds of men: one is attracted; one is not attracted. Those who are not attracted, they are called nitya-siddha, eternally liberated. And those who are being attracted, they are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. So you'll find always two classes of men. So one is attracted; one is not attracted. In the spiritual world the number of liberated person—many, many times greater than these conditioned soul. Just like the prison house and outside the prison house. The population outside the prison house, their number is very great, but within the prison house there are small number, criminals. So there are innumerable living entities. Out of them, some of them become attracted to this material enjoyment; others not. So one who does not want to serve Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve his senses, he's put into this material world. And he's given all facilities to enjoy, but he becomes entangled. This is the position.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Now, last, in our last meeting, we were discussing this verse, that karma-jam, every action, every activities that we are engaged in, it has got a reaction. Any activity, it has got reaction. And that reaction is another bondage for me. Now I am engaged in one action, and I am producing another reaction. Now, at the present moment, I am bounded by one kind of activities, and I am producing another kind of activities. Just like in the cinematographic spool, there are hundreds and thousands of pictures. One picture passed, another picture present, and another picture is ahead. The whole picture, when put into the machine, it represents some activity. So we are bound up by nature's law in such a way... Why nature's law? Even in your state laws, we are bound up by so many laws.

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

So that will be done. That will be done. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Spiritual life begins, first of all, śraddhā, some faith. Just like you are coming here kindly to hear me. You have got little faith. This is the beginning. Without faith, you could not spare your time here because here there is no cinema playing, there is no political talks, nothing of the... It may be, to some it is very dry subject. Very dry subject. (chuckles) But still, you come. Why? Because you have got some little faith, "Oh, here is Bhagavad-gītā. Let us hear it." So the faith is the beginning. The faithless cannot have any spiritual life. Faith is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. Śraddhā. And this faith, faithfulness, as much as it is intensified, you make your progress far. So this faith has to be intensified. The beginning is the faith.

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

So ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. The Vedic version says, Vedānta, that "A spirit soul is by nature joyful." Therefore—we are spirit soul—we are hankering after joy, where there is dance, where there is cinema, where there is nice food, where there is nice song, nice picture, nice beautiful woman or man. Everyone is searching after joy. Therefore the Supreme must be joyful. But I am conditioned. Therefore my joy is being checked up. But He is not conditioned. His joy is unlimited. He is everlastingly in enjoyment in Vṛndāvana, dancing with gopī.

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

Meditation means as you see the form of Kṛṣṇa, and whenever you go, the impression of the form will be within your eyes, and if you think of Kṛṣṇa, your life is succesful. Therefore the Deity of Kṛṣṇa should be seen. That is the benefit of the eyes. The ears should be engaged hearing about Kṛṣṇa. The tongue should be engaged for eating Kṛṣṇa's remnants of foddstuff, prasādam. The nose should be engaged for smelling the flower which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, or the tulasī. In this way, when you engage all your senses, the legs should be utilized for coming to this temple to see Kṛṣṇa. Not to going to the cinema rascal. Then your life will be successful. You'll understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He says teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10), if you engage all your senses for understanding Kṛṣṇa with devotion and faith, prīti-purvakam, with love, the love is the basic principle of understanding Kṛṣṇa.

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You can make zero automatically when you find better engagement. So we have to give better engagement. Then things will be zero. Because you have got better engagement, you are not interested to go to the hotel. There is hotel also, cinema also in Vṛndāvana. But will you go there? So if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hotel, restaurants and, and dancing, and this and that, they'll be zero. Automatically. But if you simply try to make it zero, that is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). If you get better engagement, to try to engage yourself always in the better engagement, then these material activities will be zero. But zero is not our philosophy. Positive, not negative. They simply make negative. Negative will not help us. Negative, there is of requisition negativeness.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Just like something extraordinary happening in India, and if there is some photograph, cinematograph, and you see in the picture by a scope, cinema, you see the actually, what is happening. But Kṛṣṇa's pastimes is not like that. Just like originally, the incidence which is happening in India, you have got a photograph. You see in cinema. This cinema picture is a shadow of that actual picture. But when Kṛṣṇa comes, because He is absolute, the same picture, which is in the spiritual world, the same picture is represented here. There is no difference. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33).

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says this body is the network of ignorance, simply sense gratification. "I shall eat this. I shall eat that. I shall hear this. I shall..." The ear is engaged in hearing nice cinema songs, and the tongue is engaged, going to the restaurant, so many so-called palatable dishes. Similarly, other senses, they are engaged. So the... According to bhakti-yoga system, the first control is recommended to the tongue. That is said, that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136).

Now, we receive knowledge through the indriyas, but if the indriyas are impure—senses, they are impure—they cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, na... Beginning. Because beginning is śravaṇam. Bhakti-mārga begins by hearing.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

This is the process. This is yoga system. Suppose you are trying to concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, and your mind is diverted, going somewhere, in some cinema house. So you should withdraw, "Not there, please, here." This is practice of yoga. Not to allow the mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa. If you can practice this simply. Don't allow the mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa and because we cannot fix up our mind sitting in one place in Kṛṣṇa, that requires very high training. To sit down in a place and always fix up in Kṛṣṇa the mind, that is not very easy job. One who is not practiced to it, if he simply imitates, then he will be confused. We have to engage ourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything we do must be dovetailed in Kṛṣṇa.

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

So this is the beginning: arcā, arcanam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam (SB 7.5.23). Arcanam. Therefore for every gṛhastha... Because gṛhasthas are busy in so many ways, they have no opportunity to preach. But they must take to arcana. Every house, every householder, they must... What is the difficulty? Just like we have got in this platform, Deity of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, everyone can install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity at home and under the instruction of spiritual master and shastric regulations. Then, if we engage ourselves in arcana-vidhi, then automatically, all the anomalies of life will stop. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). This arcana-vidhi is one of the items of bhajana, bhajana-kriyā. So anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If every house engages in this arcana-vidhi, so many unwanted things will vanish. You'll have no more interest for seeing cinema or going to the restaurant or smoking biḍi and wasting time by unnecessary talks. So many things. And your life will be perfect. So many nonsense things will go automatically. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. So therefore to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, every house, everywhere, every person, every human being should adopt this arcana-vidhi. Then at least he will save so many unnecessary.

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

If you spiritually qualify yourself, then after giving up this body you get a spiritual body and you enter in the spiritual world. That's all. Very easy. You make yourself spiritualized in this life. That example is... Just like you put one iron rod in the fire; it becomes warmer, warmer, warmer, and at the end it becomes red hot. At that time it is no longer iron rod. It is fire. You touch that iron rod anywhere; it will burn. Similarly, by spiritual activities you can make this body spiritual so that there will be no more material activities. That is spiritual body. Just like in this body we are training our boys and girls... They are young boys and girls, but they are no more interested to go to the restaurant, hotel or cinema or dancing party. They are simply interested to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How they have given up all these young men's demand? How it is possible? You can see. So when your material activities are stopped, that is spiritual body.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

So there are many volumes of knowledge of this material sky and spiritual sky. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, you will find description of the spiritual sky, what nature it is, what kind of people remain there, what is their feature—everything. Even we get information that in spiritual sky there is aeroplane, spiritual aeroplane in the spiritual sky. And the living entities, they are liberated. They travel on the spiritual sky on that plane, and it is so nice, just like lightning. The description is... They travel just like lightning. So everything is there. This is only imitation. This material sky and everything, whatever you see—all imitation, shadow. It is shadow. Just like in cinematographic picture you see the shadow of the real thing behind, similarly, this is only shadow. And in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ, yatra tri-sargo 'mṛṣā (SB 1.1.1). This material world is a combination of matter. Just like you have seen a nice girl's doll in the showcase of the shopkeeper's exactly just like a nice, beautiful girl. But that is imitation. Imitation. Every sane man knows, "Oh, this is imitation."

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Just like ordinary man, worldly man, he purchases huge volumes of newspaper, and he is interested. But he is not interested to understand Bhagavad-gītā where ātma-tattvam is described. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). They are not interested. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja śrotavyādi, subject matter for hearing. Nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ: "For ordinary man there are thousands and thousands of news." We can see so many magazines—technical, musical and cinema and ordinary news and so many editions of every newspaper in every city. So this is a fact. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Sahasraśaḥ means thousands and thousands and thousands. Why they are busy with so many newspapers, and why they are not interested in hearing Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Because apaśyatām ātma-tattvam; (SB 2.1.2) "They do not know that the real purpose of life is to understand ātma-tattva." Apaśyatām. Why you are forget? Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. They have made it vow, that, to maintain the family and to have some enjoyment from family life. Family life means society, friendship and love.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

So at the end of his work, half of the beam was cut into two, so he put one block between the two pieces and he went away. And then one monkey came, and he pulled out the block, and his tail was captured in that, between the two, and it was cut. So he went to his society, and he said that "This is the fashion. This is the fashion." Langulim segar(?). He advertised, "To cut one's tail, this is the latest fashion." Similarly, I saw one cinema in my childhood, a similar story. One Mr. Maxlin or something like that, he played that. He was sitting in park, and some naughty boy nailed his tail, that tail coat, when ball dancing. So when he got up that half part of that tail was taken away. So when he was dancing in the ball, everyone is looking to his back side: "What is this? His tail is cut." So he saw in the mirror that "My tail is cut." So he began to dance more nicely, and everyone asked him, "What is...?" "Oh, this is the latest fashion. This is the latest fashion." So everyone began to cut his tail. You see? (chuckles) So this is...

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Therefore Bhāgavata instructs you that you just try to offer your respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Truth. That is your perfection of life. Satyaṁ damaḥ. Anartha-viṣaya-śrotrāder niyamānam.(?) Damaḥ. Damaḥ means to control the senses. Anartha. Now you are sitting here. It is very kind of you. But you could go to a cinema house or hear from, I mean to, world noise by television or, say, something like... It is simply waste of time. So you have to control your senses in such a way that every moment should be utilized for your spiritual cultivation of life. You should not allow the senses to enjoy anything which is against the cultivation of spiritual life. That is called damaḥ, control.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:

So dry grass means although he has fallen, he has no material desire. That is sattva-guṇa. There are men, who... Just like devotees. The devotees are also wandering, moving in Bombay, but they have no such desire to enjoy Bombay. That desire is dried up. They're not walking in the Bombay street for going to the cinema or to the restaurant or to the meathouse or that or that, no. Don't consider they are on the same position like others. There are many persons loitering in the street, but they are different person. They are not in touch with anything of Bombay, material facilities.

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

Even if you execute your varṇāśrama-dharma... Nobody is executing nowadays. Everyone is śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. But even if you execute your dharma, brāhmaṇa-dharma, kṣatriya-dharma, vaiśya-dharma, but even after doing so very perfectly, very orderly, if you do not develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, na ratim, if you do not feel attraction... Just like here, viṣvaksena-kathā, kṛṣṇa-kathā, is going on, but nobody is interested. Nobody is interested. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu ratiṁ na utpādayet. There are so many educated persons, but they are not interested. They'll be interested to go to cinema, to the drinking house, to the meat-eating hotel. They are interested.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Renunciation means you must first stop your sense gratification. That is renunciation. If you engage in your sense gratification, how you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses? So you have to stop this nonsense sense gratification, you have to adopt the real sense gratification. That is renunciation. Renunciation does not mean you become idle. Renunciation means you have to stop nonsense things and then begin real thing. That is renunciation. The Māyāvādī philosophy is stop everything. Stop everything, what is the gain? Stop nonsense, do something sensible, that is wanted. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), give up everything. Does He say, "And then stop"? No. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, "Come here." That is wanted. Just like the dictaphone. Stop recording cinema songs, record kṛṣṇa-kathā, discussion of Kṛṣṇa. That is utilization properly. So everything has got utility. When it is used for Kṛṣṇa, that is proper utility. When it is used for other purpose, that is māyā.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

We are also reading. They are also reading. So nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, "My dear king, there are many hundreds and thousands of topics for the materialistic person." Sahasraśaḥ. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands, and that is a fact. So many novels, so many fiction, so many so-called philosophy, newspaper, cinema paper, this paper, that paper, so many. Sahasraśaḥ.

śrotavyādīni rājendra
nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ
apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ
gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām
(SB 2.1.2)

Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam. Because they do not know, they have no information of the soul, they are talking about this body. Or sometimes about this mind. Philosophical speculation, concoction.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Then we require artha. Without artha, without money, how we can live? That is also explained here, nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. You require money, that's all right, but not for sense gratification, not for going to the cinema. Here in Bombay city, people are earning money, lots of money, but we see there are lots of cinemas advertised, and people go there—there are hundreds and thousands of cinema houses—and spend their money. They're standing for three hours, four hours to take a ticket for going to the cinema. Therefore actually those who are going to be religious for getting relief from this hard struggle for existence, for them arthasya, you require some artha, money... Nārthasya dharmaikāntasya. If you are actually religious, then your artha should not be spent for sense gratification. Na tasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāyo hi smṛtaḥ. Kāmaḥ means sense gratification. It should be properly utilized, if you have got money, that you should be properly utilized, not for sense gratification-wine, women, and hotel, and cinema. No. Then by your artha you are going to hell. Artha, everything.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Then kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ lābhaḥ jīveta yāvatā. You must have sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating—but as far as you can maintain your body very nicely. Not that voluntarily you shall starve. No. Just like these boys, these girls, are we..., we are not starving, but our eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam means just to live nicely for executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not meant for going to the cinema or for other sense gratification purposes, but because we have got this body, there is no question that we shall stop eating. We eat prasādam, kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and that is very palatable. Kṛṣṇa-prasādam..., Kṛṣṇa should be offered all first class preparation because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. But if we haven't money to supply Him nice thing, the Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, as Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ pusaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa wants that you offer Him something with devotional love, that's all.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

Just like everyone is earning money simply for sense gratification. And there are so many advertisement for sense gratification. If you go to the city, you will find all the shops, cinema, hotel and wine shop and this shop or that shop. What are these, big, big, nice sāri, displayed, demonstrated? Everything is for sense gratification. So this is not meant for... You require money. People are hankering after money. "How I shall get money to purchase this nice sāri for my wife or for my beloved, for my...?" Then "How I shall purchase wine? How I shall purchase this car, this?" Everything is that. Everything is meant for kāma, for sense gratification. Naturally, one should be inclined to earn money, more money, more money, and more sense gratification. That means he is becoming implicated.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

"My dear boys, people are so mad after sense gratification that they are simply..." (break) ...increasing. So why they are increasing? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye, simply for sense gratification, no other business. If they go to the cinema or to the wine shop or to so many other things... There are varieties. Simply sense gratification. There is no other profit. But the śāstra says, na sādhu, na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). The people do not understand that this material body means suffering. They do not understand. They think very nice body. The cats and dogs may think like that. Just like hog. Hog is thinking, "I am very happy," and he is getting fatty. You will find. They think, "I am very happy." What is that happiness? "Now, I am eating stool." "Oh, that's very good. Then where you are living?" "Now, in the most unsanitary condition." But he is also thinking that "I am happy."

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

If one develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, then naturally, without any separate endeavor, all the good qualities will develop. This is the symptom how one is advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means all the good qualities will be visible in his character. That is practical. Anyone can test. Just like these boys, these girls, European, American boys and girls who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just see how their bad habits have been altogether stopped. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. All good qualities will develop. You see practically. You see practically. These young boys and girls, they never asked me that "Give me some money. I shall go to cinema," or "I shall purchase a packet of cigarettes. I shall drink." No. This is practical. And everyone knows that from the very their birth, they are accustomed to eat meat, and... I do not know from the very beginning whether they are accustomed to take intoxicants. But actually they were habituated to these things, but they have altogether given up. They don't drink tea even, coffee, cigarettes, anything. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate... This is the test. A man has become devotee, at the same time smoking—this is ludicrous. This is ludicrous. A devotee cannot smoke, cannot indulge in intoxication, nor illicit sex or meat... They cannot. That is disqualification. That means he's not on the platform. This is the practical.

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

So actually we are creating anarthas. Anarthas means unwanted things. So just like practical example: anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If one is engaged in bhakti-yoga practice, devotional service, immediately the anarthas will be diminished. Just like our students. Since they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... They were all Americans, Europeans. They knew how to increase anarthas, unwanted things. It is confirmed. Immediately they have given up the cinema bill, the club bill, the intoxication bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

Those who are rascals, not for them. The brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha sarvāśrama, āśrama, this is meant for the gentle class, not for the rascals. First of all, training period as brahmacārī. This brahmacārī, he is taught. He is taught to address all women as "mother." The brahmacārī goes to collect alms from door to door. Small boys. So how do they address? "Mother, kindly give us some alms." So immediately the household wife should come and give them. They will collect like that, for spiritual master. So if a boy is taught... Just like our these children are being taught chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are chanting. They cannot forget throughout life. Similarly, if a brahmacārī is taught from childhood, from boyhood address all woman as "mother," he cannot see otherwise. "S(he) is my mother." I remember, it is an example. Long ago, say, in 1925, long ago, so we were in a cinema house. So my eldest son, as soon as he would see one woman in the picture, "Here is another mother! Here is another mother!" (laughter) he would cry. Because a small child, he does not know any woman except mother. He knows everyone as "my mother." So if we train from the childhood that "You should treat all woman as mother," then where is the question of anomalies? No. There is no question.

Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:

So these rascals, they do not understand the simple truth, that this body is different from my..., from the body of a youth or boy. They are different bodies. They are thinking the body is growing. The body's not growing. Body is changing. Just like in cinema, photograph, you see some body is moving, but that is not moving. That is different body changing, the photographs. But because it is shown so swiftly, we see that one body. As soon as the machine is stopped, the body is stopped. Immediately. We have experience. So these bodies are different bodies. Otherwise, a child does so many things foolishly and the elderly boy or a youth, he does not do so. Because the body is different. Why do they not understand? This is called ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

So, so many subtle laws are going on. But the basic principle is that small particle of soul. Then the body develops. That we can see. Not that a pregnancy, on the day of pregnancy, immediately the body develops. No. It develops gradually, gradually. First it is just like a small pea, then gradually develops. As we see, the child born, he also develops. That is also not developed. That is transmigration from one body to another. Just like in a film, in cinema film, there are so many pictures, but when they are moved very swiftly, we see the picture is moving. But there are hundreds of picture. They are combined together. Similarly, the process of our change of body is so swift that we cannot perceive it. We think that it is growing. No. It is not growing. It is different bodies.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand the spiritual varieties. As soon as they think of varieties they think of material things. But actually, that is not. There is variety in the spiritual... Unless there is variety... Because Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Unless there are varieties, how in the shadow the varieties are there? Just like in a cinematographic picture, unless in the original photograph or the subject matter from which photograph is taken, unless there were varieties, how the picture can be variety? So in the material world the varieties are reflection of the spiritual world. Here is also father, but this is imitation father. But there is also father, but that is not father, that is real father. It is imitation father. A friend is imitation friend. Real friend is Kṛṣṇa. Real father is Kṛṣṇa. Here husband, imitation husband. Real husband is Kṛṣṇa. Master, imitation master. Real master is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, if we establish our relationship with Kṛṣṇa as..., either as husband or lover or master or friend or son or father, it is perfect. It is perfect. We have to go to that stage.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

As the lusty man finds pleasure in the vagina, similarly, this sort of literature, nonsense literature, are enjoyed by persons who are just like crows. Not, what is called, swan. Swan will not go to that place. They will search out some place where there is nice transparent water and lotus flower, lilies, and nice trees and good birds. They are taking enjoyment. So even if you see among the animal society, in the bird society there is discrimination, and if in the human society there is no such discrimination, what kind of civilization that is? A crows' civilization. Black crows' civilization. Simply trying to take pleasure in nonsensical clubs, in liquor shop, in so-called cinema. They are trying to take pleasure there.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

So Śrīdhara Svāmī says, haṁsa jatayo.(?) Jatayo means great sages, saintly persons. Haṁsa jatayo yatra na niramanti karhicid api na nitaram ramante.(?) Just like our students, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if he is invited, "Come on, there is a nice picture in the cinema," no. He'll never go. He'll never go. (chuckles) Because he has become haṁsa. He is not a crow, that he'll go such places. Why? What is there? So haṁsa, here it is said, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasāḥ. They reject, reject. Uśanti mānasā na yatra haṁsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ (SB 1.5.10). There was an incidence in my life. I was, of course, at that time householder. So one my friend, he was going to cinema with his family, and he saw me. I was in the street, and he immediately stopped his car and he asked me that "You come. We are going to cinema." So I refused, that "If you give me one thousand dollars, still I shall not go to cinema." So he dragged me. He took me to the cinema house, but I never entered. I came back. You see? Because it was detestful.

Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:

These are the qualifications how to receive favor of the devotee. He was, Nārada Muni, in his previous birth, a boy servant. But boys are generally restless. But Nārada Muni was not restless. Cāpale. What is given there? Proclivities. Generally, boys are attached to so many different types of playful things. This also becomes possible by association. Just like you are all young men, you have got so many desires, naturally, especially in the Western countries. But you have voluntarily given up not to go to the restaurant, not to go to the club or theater or cinema. These are good qualifications.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

Just like we see here that, that they do not grow food grains. They are growing jute because they will get some money, more money. But the rascal does not know that "I will get more money, and it will be taken away next by the food grain seller." So similarly, we are interested in industry, in plan-making, this, that, so many things. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You open slaughterhouse and industries and brothels and cinema." No. Kṛṣṇa does not say. Kṛṣṇa says, "Grow more food, rascal! You'll eat and become strong." And nobody is obeying Kṛṣṇa. Is it not? Practically try to understand Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Not by sentiment. And preach this philosophy all over the world.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

But it is practicing; therefore it is work. We should not take this work, bhakti, is not actually the fruitive activities. It appears like that. It is also working. But the difference is when you are engaged in devotional service you will not feel tired. And the material work, you will feel tired. That is the difference, practical. Materially, you take one cinema song and chant, and so after half an hour you will be tired. And Hare Kṛṣṇa, go on chanting twenty-five hours, (laughter) you will never be tired. Is it not? Just see practically. You take one's material name, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," how many times you will chant? (laughter) Ten times, twenty times, finished. But Kṛṣṇa,"Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa," go on chanting you will get more energy. That is the difference. But the foolish persons they think they are also working like us, they are also doing like us. No, that is not.

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

So we should be happy with these things. Cities and towns does not mean big, big slaughterhouse, cinema, brothel, and factories and all dirty things. Here it is not mentioned. Here Kuntīdevī says, ime jana-padāḥ svṛddhāḥ supakvauṣadhi-vīrudhaḥ (SB 1.8.40). He never... She never said that "These towns and cities are flourishing on account of having so many industries, slaughterhouse, brothels, cinema, clubs, nightclubs." Not like that. There was no such thing in those days. These are modern inventions to make the whole world hellish. Otherwise people would be... If you want to be rich, then you can get riches... Wherefrom? Vanādri-nady-udanvantaḥ. From seas, from river, from hills. You can get valuable jewels, gems, pearls, from these natural sources. So India's wealth, formerly, it was depending on these things: gold, silver, jewels, pearls, silk—not industry. And from the forest, from the herbs, from food grains—all natural products.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

So the next question will be, "Then whom shall I select, guru?" Now, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. A guru means one who is fully conversant in Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare. Śabda-brahman. Veda is known as śabda-brahman. In the material world all these books are material sound vibration, but Vedic knowledge is transcendental sound vibration. Hare Kṛṣṇa is transcendental sound vibration. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not a cinema song. No. It is golokera prema-dhana. This sound is coming... Just like we catch sound in the radios and television, similarly, you can catch sound also which is transmitted from Goloka Vṛndāvana. But you must have the particular machine to catch it. Then you can get message from Goloka Vṛndāvana.

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

Where there is connection of Kṛṣṇa, if you can utilize it for Kṛṣṇa... Just like we are utilizing everything. This building we are utilizing, the chandelier(?) we are utilizing. We are using this microphone and using paper and press. We are using everything. But why? For Kṛṣṇa. We are not engaged here for singing cinema songs or like that. No. We can utilize these instruments for singing the glory of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have taken advantage. Otherwise... But people..., there are so-called tyāgīs: "Oh, these people are using material things. This man is taking material advantage; at the same time, he's condemning material advancement." We don't condemn. We simply teach people that utilize for Kṛṣṇa. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. We don't condemn. We don't say that don't manufacture this microphone. Yes. Microphone-use. But use it for declaring glories of the Lord. Then it is fully utilized. That is our process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

That is prayāsa, unnecessarily endeavor. Which is within your control, you should act. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ. And prajalpa. Prajalpa means talking all nonsense. Suppose politics. "What Mr. Nixon did yesterday, or what did he say?" So what interest we have got in Mr. Nixon? We shall not waste our time talking this politics, that politics, this sociology, this cinema, this affair, no. We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessary making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

Those who are impious, sinful, they cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind, always engaged in sinful activities, and rascals, may be very educated-māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ, their educational value has been taken away by māyā... As, just like nowadays it has become. The more one is educated, the more one is atheist. We have received one report just now, Bombay. They are... That singing, Hare Kṛṣṇa singing, nuisance, they say. You see. How degraded human being has become: "Hare Kṛṣṇa singing is nuisance. And cinema singing is very good." Just see. They have become simply rascals, dogs and hogs. Simply.

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

So "I am not this body," that is the whole scheme of Vedic knowledge. Apaśya... This is the important point. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Because they do not know what is the necessity of life, therefore they have created so many news. Just like big, big newspaper, bunch of papers, full of rubbish news only, advertisement, cinema. But you won't find anything talking about the necessity of the... (break) So to become a gṛhastha is not bad. But to become unaware of the necessity of the soul, oh, that is bad. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they are sannyāsīs. They have also renounced gṛhastha life. But they have no idea what is the goal of life. They are simply thinking in negative way: "This life is very troublesome." That they have realized, that even in highest stage of life of the material relation, your country, President Nixon, he's the president of the most rich country, but there is no happiness.

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

So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should verify "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If we are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our detachment for material things will, attachment for material things will decrease. This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualifications.

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

Only attention engaged in the service of the Lord, especially in dressing and decorating the temple, accompanied by musical kīrtana and spiritual instructions from scriptures, can save the common man from the hellish cinema attractions and rubbish sex-songs broadcast everywhere by radios. If one is unable to maintain a temple at home, he should go to another's temple where all the above performances are regularly executed. Visiting the temple of a devotee and looking at the profusely decorated forms of the Lord well dressed in a well-decorated, sanctified temple naturally infuse the mundane mind with spiritual inspiration. People should visit holy places like Vṛndāvana where such temples and worship of the Deity are specifically maintained.

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

Therefore it is advised here that saṁsthāṁ vijñāya, one who is actually intelligent, he should know that he will die. But the karmīs, the rascals, he knows also that he will die—at least, theoretically accept—but he wants to enjoy, since the death does not come, to the fullest extent. That is the present condition of the society. He knows that will he die. "So, so long my senses are there, let me gratify." Now, yesterday, when I went to the bank, there was a cinema signboard, what is that?

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

Now here, these boys, these girls, they are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, and they are becoming devotee. What is the sign of devotee? The sign of devotee is that the devotees are no more interested with material enjoyment. That is devotee. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). So these young boys and girls, they do not go to cinema. They do not smoke. They do not go any restaurant or club. Why? Virakti! Don't want this! What to speak of here, poor country, but in the European, American countries, everything is available very cheap. But they are not interested. They are interested to sit down on the floor without any chair and follow me, whatever I say. They have no sufficient eating even. I cannot give them to their standard. Still... Why? Because they don't want this material happiness. That is the test. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). When one will become detestful to material enjoyment, you will know, or he'll know. Personally one can understand how much he is advanced in spiritual life. Spiritual life does not mean that a sannyāsī is smoking and drinking tea, one gallon of tea. That is not spiritual life. He must be detestful. So this dharma, or spiritual life, means to have no more interest in material activities but only in the understanding of God, the Supreme, and His service. That is spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that even a child can be on the highest position of jñāna and vairāgya—if he takes the word of Kṛṣṇa by association, good association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving chance to people to take the advantage of association of jñānī and vairāgī. Not fools and rascals, but jñānī and vairāgī. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12) Bhakti-yuktena ca ātmanā (SB 3.25.18). Then, what is the result? Paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ prakṛtim, prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam. Now prakṛti has no more any influence. No more attraction for cinema. No. No more attraction for cigarette. You see practically. These are young men from Europe and America. Because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have no more any attraction for meat-eating, cigarette or cinema. No. This is called vairāgya. How they attained this vairāgya? Only for this bhakti. Bhakti-yuktena.

So the real purpose of life is to attain jñāna and vairāgya. This is the meant for human life. Because we are suffering in this material condition on account of ignorance, no jñāna. I am not this body, but I am thinking "I am this body," "I am American." I am not actually so. I am thinking "American," "I am Engli...," "Pakistani," "I am Hindustani." And fighting. This whole world is going on on this ajñāna.

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

Everyone is very busy how to dress himself very nicely so that he may be attractive, but if you try to dress Kṛṣṇa nicely, then you will forget yourself how to dress nicely. Is it not practical? Anyone will agree. These Vaiṣṇavas, these boys, they are young boys. The girls, they are... They don't care for their dress because they are dressing Kṛṣṇa. This is the way. You dress Kṛṣṇa nicely. You give Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff. Then you will forget, "Oh, I will have to satisfy my tongue in this way and that way, by chop, by cutlet, by going to restaurant." You will forget. Therefore it is called bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyāt. The materialistic persons, they are simply busy for satisfying the senses. Go to the hotel; satisfy the tongue. Go to the cinema; hear the cinema song, see nice girls, and so on, so on. But these devotees, they are not interested at all. The cinema is here, a few steps away, but you will never see a student or a disciple of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will go to that nonsense place. Practical you can see. Why it has become possible? Bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyāt. It is practical. The more you engage yourself in devotional service, the more you will forget your sense gratification process. And as soon as you become completely detestful for sense gratification, then you are liberated person, fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

Formerly, especially in India, the cātur-varṇyaṁ, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, so at least the most intelligent class of men, the brāhmaṇas, they were interested to understand brahma-jijñāsa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But at the present moment they are all śūdras. They are not interested about brahma-jijñāsā. They are interested how to get more money, where is the cinema, where, what picture is going, they are interested in that, not about brahma-jijñāsā. But the human life is meant for that purpose. Therefore we learn from Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna is personally teaching us. He is accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7), "Kṛṣṇa now I become Your servant, not that I remain as Your friend." Friend to friend talk is not very serious. Now I want to talk with serious. You become my spiritual master, you teach me, and I will take your lesson. This should be the It is not meant for only Arjuna.

Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:

You take any other word, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," how long you will chant? After chanting for half an hour you will be fed up. But this is ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. The more you chant the more you become spiritually advanced. This is called ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Otherwise how one can be satisfied simply by chanting, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? They are not mad, they are not foolish. They are human being. And how they have given up everything simply by chanting if it is not ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam, if it is not increasing in spiritual blissfulness. Practical. They have forgotten everything, they are also young men. They don't go to cinema. Just one block after there is cinema, they will never go, giving up this chanting and go to the cinema. Don't you see practically?

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

If you perform saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is saṅkīrtana-yajña, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tīvraṁ bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools. We are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth—there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

This is the preliminary condition of becoming a devotee, when one has attained this stage, prasanna-manasaḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). This stage can be attained by bhakti-yoga, the simple method. Bhakti-yoga means hearing and chanting: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That's all. Sit down together, all the family members, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and read some passages from Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is bhakti-yoga. If possible, install Deity, worship it properly. There is no need of going to cinema, restaurant, eating all nonsense. This will be automatically finished. Anartha. These are anartha, unwanted things. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you take to this devotional service, bhakti-yoga, the anarthas, unnecessarily nonsense things—smoking biḍi, cigarette, drinking tea, going to the cinema, restaurant, and so many other—they are not required. What is the necessity of these things? If you say there is some ānanda, that is not ānanda. Ānanda is here, to hear about the Supreme Lord. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23)—that is ānanda. This is not ānanda. This is false ānanda. But we are accustomed to this. That is our misfortune. Anartha. So (to) come to the bhakti platform, one has to become free form the anarthas. Otherwise bhakti will not be substantial.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was the emperor of the world. He had to manage many political affairs. But he was one of the topmost devotees at the same time. Why? Because... About him it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that he practiced this yoga system, the topmost yoga system. What is that? Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ: "He kept always his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." And his legs engaged for going... He was king, emperor. He had no business to go. But still, he was using his legs to go to the temple. This is this yoga system. You employ your senses. Instead of going to the cinema and standing there for three hours for a ticket, if you engage your legs to come to this temple, it is yoga system, so simple thing. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. Instead of thinking some beautiful woman or beautiful man, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the most beautiful person, then it is yoga system, so simple.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

Now, recently I have received one letter. One boy, he was engaged in worshiping the Deity in our Hyderabad center, and he was transferred to Madras. So he became madlike. He has come back. He could not stay there without serving. He has written me letter. So that is bhāva. He cannot stay without worshiping the Deity. That stage comes. You have to simply adopt it. Tato bhāvaḥ. Tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha. Anartha means we are accustomed to this material condition of life, so many anarthas. Just like there are so many people, they are going to the cinema in the evening. But those who have attained bhāva, his anartha nivṛtti is already done. He is not attracted any more by the cinema. He is attracted, bhāva, in the worship of the Deity. That is called bhāva. That bhāva means prema. Only thinking of Kṛṣṇa, serving Kṛṣṇa, simply busy in Kṛṣṇa's service—that is the perfection of life. And if we can maintain that bhāva, that situation, mentality, then yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), and at the time of death, if that bhāva is maintained, that is saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. That is the highest perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to... We are not trying to give others. We are trying ourself also, how to get that bhāva. That is the perfection of life.

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

Some immediate convenience we can offer, and people, being less intelligent, they are after immediate profit. It is called preyas. Just like if you say to a small child, "Don't go to school. Please come and play with me," he would like to play with his friend. That is immediate profit. But if you ask him to go to the school, that is remote profit. That is called śreyas. And preyas. Preyas me ans immediate profit. Two young men, if one friend says to the other friend, "Oh, let us go to the cinema," that is very palatable. And if he says, "Let us go to this meeting in Hare Kṛṣṇa Land," that is not very palatable. This is the distinction between śreyas and preyas. Niḥśreyasāya. Niḥśreyasāya means ultimate goal of life, ultimate profit of life.

So ultimate profit of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Because we are suffering on account of separation from God. This is our cause of suffering. Instead of becoming servant of God we have become the servant of senses. That is the cause of our suffering.

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

Kṛṣṇa accepts something from you, then your life becomes successful. So... "But I have no money. What can I offer to Kṛṣṇa?" Oh, that is not the fact. We have got money for going to cinema, and you have no money to bring one flower for Kṛṣṇa. This is denial. This is denial. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You bring one thousand dollars." No. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati.

So anywhere within this universe, you can get all these things, however poor man you may be. Patram, a little leaf, better tulasī leaf, or any leaf. Patraṁ puṣpam a little flower. Phalam, little fruit, and little water, that's all. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa, He is the bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka... (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor of the all universes. So why He is asking this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam? He is so poor? He is not poor. He is the most opulent. But if you begin to give something to Kṛṣṇa, you become opulent.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

The sound is the cause of our bondage in this material world. Just like in big, big cities they are attached to the sound vibrated by the cinema artist. And not only that, so many other things we are hearing through the radio message. Attachment for the sound. And because it is material sound, we are becoming materially entangled, entangled more and more. Some actress, some cinema artist, singing, and people are so fond of hearing that singing that the artist is paid fifteen thousand rupees for one song. There are many here in Bombay. So just see how much attraction we have got for the material sound vibration. Similarly, the same attachment, if we turn to hear about Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then we become liberated, the same sound. One is material; one is spiritual. So you practice to be attached by this spiritual sound vibration. Then your life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Any palatable foodstuff which attracts my tongue, that is also enjoyment.(?) Mahat-sevāṁ tamo-dvāram yoṣitā... These are yoṣit. A nice beautiful woman or man which attracts, a nice foodstuff which attracts my tongue, rūpa, rasa, śabda, nice singing which attracts my ear... Rūpa, rasa, śabda, gandha, smelling, which attracts my nostril. Rūpa, rasa, gandha, śabda, sparśa, touching. So these are all subject matter for my enjoyment, objectives. So tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Those who are attached only, the general public, they are attached to all these things. They are going to cinema, they are drinking wine, they are going to restaurant for satisfaction of the tongue, clubs, and talking, so many things. So those who are attached to all these things for sense gratification, if we associate with such persons, then our door for going to hell is open.

Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976:

Those who are gṛhamedhis, they have got many, many things to learn. Just like you see the newspaper, so many subject matter. You'll find different stock exchange report, and this municipal report, and the advertisement, wine advertisement, and meat advertisement. What is that? "Beefeater's" advertisement, and cigarette advertisement, and cinema advertisement, restaurant advertisement even. Gṛheṣu. Nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ. Thousands and thousands subject matter you'll find. Here we don't have such newspaper in the Western country. Such a big bunch, at least ten kilos' weight. Is it not? Big, big bunch, throwing. Who will read? But they have the subject matter.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

I have seen one ad in a paper that in America there is a hospital where especially the priestly class drunkard, they are treated. (laughter) And five thousand patients are there. (laughter) So if the physician says, "No, no, you give up your drinking habit," then he will be angry. Then how he will be treated? That is the only medicine, that "You give up." It is not very difficult thing. Nobody learns drinking from the birth. Now, even one has learned drinking, now, all our students, you see practically. They are young men. They are not old men. Their senses are still strong. But they have given up. They have given up. They have given up illicit sex. They have given up intoxication. They do not take even tea, do not smoke cigarette. Neither they go to cinema, what to speak of going to other places. It is possible. But if we give up all these things, then our beginning to the nivṛtti-mārga, our progress towards back to home, back to Godhead, that is beginning.

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

That, this, we may describe later on and how degradation begins even to exalted person, as described, Ajāmila. So the degradation began—dadarśa, he saw on the way... Kāminaṁ kañcic chūdram. Chūdram, these male-female behavior... Nowadays, not so much in India, but in the Western countries it is very usual thing—a young man is embracing another young woman or kissing. So there is no fault. But according to Vedic civilization, this is fault because it will give chance to others. Nowadays in picture they are also shown to enthuse others to become lusty, and that is the beginning of his falldown. But there is no restriction. The young men, they are seeing daily in the cinema, on the road, in their school, college. But this Ajāmila, although he was so exalted a brāhmaṇa, simply by seeing one śūdra... Śūdra means who has no training, fools, rascals. So he was embracing another woman, and that became attractive to this Ajāmila, and then he wanted to do the same thing and he became degraded. This will be described later on.

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

Naxalite-ism. So all over the world. It is not only in India—all over the world. There cannot be peace unless you reform the whole social structure, and that can be done only by this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Only by this movement. That's a fact, and it is being done.

So how this man fell down, it is said, that ekadāsau... Dadarśa kāminam. Kāmina, kāminam. Kāminam means lusty. The lusty people, they do like that. They do not care for society, do not care for elderly persons, do not care that "People will not like this." In the road, in the street, in the sea beach—anywhere—in the cinema. These things are very advertised in cinema nowadays to attract people. You see? Formerly in India this was not, but they are gradually introducing all this nonsense to make people more lusty. And to become lusty means that he is going to hell. He is going to hell. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam (SB 5.5.2). If you want to open the door of your liberation, then you should engage yourself in serving the mahat, the devotees, a pure devotee.

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

Although he was so much trained up, still, vimohita, forcibly he was attracted to this thing, forcibly. Because young man.

So these things are being shown regularly in the cinema. What character will be formed of the young men? By seeing once, this Ajāmila, he fell down so much, and our boys and girls are seeing these things every day in the cinema. So what kind of character you can expect from them? These are the instruction to be taken from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But generally people go to hear Bhāgavatam to the professional reciters when the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa is described, because they think, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is doing this, embracing a nice girl. So this is very nice." Not this part of Bhāgavata is interesting. That part of Bhāgavata is very interesting, and people gather in ten thousands to hear rāsa-līlā. And the reciter will make very monetary profit. This is going on, Bhāgavatam. Nobody is interested to hear the incidences of Ajāmila.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

When he was only five years old... He was devotee from the womb of his mother. His mother was under the shelter of... (break) When her husband was defeated and he was exiled, rather, from his kingdom by the demigods, so he left his kingdom, wife, and children, and was exiled, and in that condition of exile, he made severe penances, austerities, to gain over the demigods, and he was empowered by Lord Brahmā that he would not be killed, indirectly. This story you know. In our Los Angeles temple they have made very nice puppet show, and people are appreciating very much. Even they are selling ticket at the rate of one dollar fifty cent, still, people are coming. Last Sunday I was present, and they invited, distributed pamphlets, and more than a hundred people came, and they participated with the kīrtana very nicely, they heard the lecture, and the function was for two hours. Still, they kept very busy themselves in eating prasādam, in seeing the puppet show and the cinema of Ratha-yātrā. So many things. It was very successful. And they collected about more than $150.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

The crows come there. Where all rotten things are there, all the crows will come. But when there is lotus, the crows will not go there; the haṁsa, swan, they'll go there. Even in the bird society there are classes: crow society, swan society, pigeon society, sparrow society. Everyone has got society. But one society is different from another society. Similarly, where there is kṛṣṇa-kathā, the crowslike men will not come. Where there is cinema, where there is prostitute dance, where there is drinking, the crowslike men will gather. Tad vāyasa-tīrtham. Tad vāyasa... Vāyasa means crows. So, na tad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Any literature, very nicely written, just like Shakespeare writing or some other, big, big mundane writers, their writing, it is very nicely written, grammatically very correct, and metaphorically very nicely meant... Na tad vacaś citra-padam. Citra-padam means very artistically written. There are literatures very artistical. Na tad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo pragṛṇīta karhicit. But there is no glorification of the Lord; simply literary presentation.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

This is the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said:

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
(SB 1.5.17)

Just like sometimes they say that the, in this movement, just like the cinema, the hippies are joining. Accepting that hippies are... Hippies means they're useless. They are joining. Bhāgavata says that those who are very dutiful, they are called sva-dharma niṣṭhā. Sva-dharma niṣṭhā. According to Vedic culture, there are different divisions of the society. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. So these are called sva-dharma, means, engaged in one's occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Or, in the modern sense, somebody's engaged in business, somebody's engaged in other occupation, profession.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

We are simply setting example that how we can execute our daily affairs in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. So every gṛhastha, every house, where is the difficulty? Everyone can install the Deity. All the family members can gather together, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and read śāstras, as we are doing in this temple. But the present tendency is that we have..., they have got sufficient time to smoke, they have got sufficient time for playing cards, they have sufficient time for drinking, going to the cinema, going to the sports. But they have no time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the difficulty. As soon as you talk of them, talk to them about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll immediately say, "Sir, we have no time." And for other things, the paraphernalia of Kali-yuga, they have got enough time. They'll read newspapers, all full of rascal news. "One man has stolen, one man has kidnapped, one man has stabbed." These news, he'll very, with great interest he'll read. And as soon as we present Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "Oh, this is not good." This is the position.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.14 -- Mayapur, April 7, 1975:

Bhakta-śakti, everything requires strength, so we can derive strength by chanting Caitanya Mahāprabhu's name, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You don't require very high education, neither you require to take your birth in very high family. Ahaitukī. Execution of devotional service is independent, completely. It has nothing to do with material condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. No material condition can check. Who can check it? If all the world over they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, who can check? No government can check, no communist party can check. Go on chanting; that is the principle. So ahaituky apratihatā yenātmā suprasīdati, and you will get individually and collectively Where is he? Haridāsa, he went to Moscow? He has gone (indistinct). He was chanting in Moscow. So people could not understand, they were asking, "What you are doing?" "I am singing some cinema song." (laughter) He was telling like that. Very clever. (laughter) "I am singing because the Muscovites, they are after Indian culture." So he said that "This is Hare Kṛṣṇa cinema song."

So somehow or other, you can chant even in Moscow.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.14 -- Mayapur, April 7, 1975:

Ahaituky apratihatā. That is the point. They are after... Anyone seeking after God, they are very much severely punished. This is their kingdom. But you can take this policy, that you are chanting cinema song, and they will not object. So ahaituky apratihatā. If some black-market means has to be taken for chanting, we have to accept that. What can be done? Our business is to chant, so if there is restriction, śaṭhe śāṭhyam ācaret, we should be also very clever. So, anyway, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Tan manye 'dhītam uttamam: one who is engaged in the matter of hearing about Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ. We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-Viṣṇu. Just like you'll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that... So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, "Diabetes Literature." There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, "Diabetic Society." I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that "You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease." So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He's our ācārya. He's guru. Prahlāda Mahārāja's guru is Nārada, and Nārada is also our guru. Nārada is guru of Vyāsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Nārada, Brahma-sampradāya. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also a disciple of Nārada Muni.

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

Nitya, nitya means eternal. We are eternal form. We change our body. We don't die. As we are changing daily, every moment changing body, so the final change means accept another body. This is also accepting another body, but imperceptibly. The change is so quick. Just like in the cinema spool there are so many pictures changing, but it is changing so quickly that we are seeing one picture moving. So that is our ignorance. But actually there are thousands of pictures changing in a moment, and you see that one picture is moving. Why do you not study in this way? Similarly, every second, our body is changing, just like spool, one after another, one after another, one after another. But I am... The spirit soul is there, just like the cinema spool is changing, but the seer is there. That is one, although the pictures are changing. Similarly, we are nitya. Nitya means eternal. And we are nitya. Then why God should be dead? They say, "God is dead." And what is foolishness? You are part and parcel of God, you are living, you are existing, and why the original soul should be dead?

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

So we're very shocked and astonished that so many people are coming to the West, to the United States, and posing as holy men and simply making business, charging money, and giving somebody some magical formula whereby they can become God in half of a year. And so many people who are sincere seekers are being deluded, and this is very unfortunate. There is said to be two classes of men. One class of men is satisfied with his existence. He goes from one pleasure to another. From the cinema to the restaurant to sports, from one to the other. "I can't wait to finish one to go to the next," and still he's saying, "I'm happy. I'm satisfied." And there's another class of men that is not satisfied. These men are searching, that there is always something on his mind. He is thinking, "There must be something behind all of this. That I can look at all of this as a unified whole." So this first class of men will not want to take to spiritual knowledge, but the person who is inquisitive and is not satisfied with this material life, he can hear this knowledge submissively and derive great benefit from it.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

So sometimes I am very much criticized that I am making foreigners a brāhmaṇa. The caste brāhmaṇas in India, they are very much against me. But this is not fact. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that all over the world His message will be broadcast, does it mean that it will be simply a cinema show? No. He wanted that everyone should become perfect Vaiṣṇava. That is His purpose. It is not to make a farce, some lecturing and..., or some mutual praising society. No. It is Krishna Society. Everyone who will join this Krishna Society movement, he is more than a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa, what is brāhmaṇa? Brāhmaṇa is also material. A devotee is more than brāhmaṇa. The brahminical culture is included already. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ: "Brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Absolute Truth, Brahman." He is brāhmaṇa. But that is not very fixed up. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Brahman is impersonal effulgence, and then further progress, realization of the localized aspect, Paramātmā, Antaryāmī, and finally, understanding the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Person, that is the final understanding.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

Everything materially, you are all well-equipped. If you kindly take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, your country will be saved, and the whole world will be saved.

The modern... The present human civilization is not in right order. I was coming here, and I was seeing one film, cinema, "The Boyfriend." Of course, young boy, young girl, making friendship, enjoying life—that is not condemned. Actually, that is life. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is young boy and young girl.

Initiation Lectures

Detroit Initiations -- Detroit, July 18, 1971:

That verse is not quoted there? Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Leg should be engaged to go to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. Hand should be engaged for cleansing the temple. Nose should be engaged for smelling tulasī which is offered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Ear should be engaged for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Eyes should be engaged for seeing Kṛṣṇa beautifully dressed. These things are... In this way the temple worship means all these senses being engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mind and senses. Then they can, cannot do any harm. They're already engaged. They cannot have any other engagement. And if you keep vacant the mind and the senses, then māyā will capture. Then eye will go to see the cinema and tongue will go to the restaurant, for rooster(?) (cocktails?), what is called? These things will be engaged. Yes. (continues japa)

Initiations -- New York, July 23, 1971:

Puru dāsa. There was a very powerful king. His name was Puru. He was a devotee. The same thing, to become ruler of the senses. Come on. We are all ruled by the senses. Senses dictate and we follow. This is the general condition, and we have to become ruler of the senses. Then it is successful. Generally people are ruled by the senses. My sense says, "Please take me to the cinema," the eyes. I immediately go and stand there three hours for the ticket. You see? So I am ruled by the senses. And when you will be strong enough, the eyes will say, "Please take me to the cinema," and you will say, "No, you cannot go to the cinema." Then you are ruler. So one is go-dāsa. Go-dāsa means servant of the senses. And one is gosvāmī, master of the senses. That is the difference between gosvāmī and go-dāsa. Go means senses. When we are servant of the senses, then we are in the material world. And when we are master of the senses, then we are in the spiritual world. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have got. All right.

General Lectures

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

That is the defect of modern civilization. They do not know what is life. They take it very easily, this life, just like animals. "If I can eat nicely, if I can sleep nicely, if I can have sex life nicely, and if I can defend my country or my home nicely, then my business is finished." This is the modern way of civilization. They take account of the small portion of our life. Just like in the cinema film spool, there are hundreds and thousands of pictures, and that makes one complete picture. Similarly, we are passing through the different phases of life. So out of many thousands of pictures within the film spool, if I simply take care of one picture, that is not very intelligent. That is foolishness. If we take, "Oh, this picture is very nice," that's all—no. So we are passing through many phases of life, different dresses. Vāsāṁsi. Bhagavad-gītā says, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just like I am putting on this dress. If it is dirty or if it is very old, then I change; I accept another dress. Similarly, this body is also like that. When it is dirty or when it is old enough, not to be used, then we change to another body, and this body we leave. This is the whole instruction of all Vedic literature.

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

This is our ignorance. But we are changing body. Every moment we are changing body. The spool is going on. The exact example is that, like that, the film. Every second, changing one picture, one picture, one picture, one picture. And it appears that it is only one picture. One who does not know how the machine, cinematographic machine is working—the foolish persons—they say, they think that the picture is one and it is moving. No. It is changing. Similarly, the body is also changing. The exact example is changing of dress. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni. That is the exact word used in the Bhagavad-gītā. So even for an ordinary living being, we cannot see how the body is changing, how the living entity is changing from body to another. It is so swiftly, every moment, every second, it is taking place. How you can see? So there is no death; it is simply changing.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

Because we followers of the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, beginning from Rūpa Gosvāmī, who is giving us direction that nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Prāpañcikatayā... Anāsaktasya viṣayān. There are two use, two kinds of uses of everything. Just like this microphone is being used for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same microphone can be used for singing a cinema song. So microphone is not bad, but as you use it for different purposes it is bad or good. Similarly, this world, or things which we accept for our maintenance of the soul, body and soul together, they are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is viṣaya. So anāsaktasya viṣayān. We should not be attached to the viṣayas. Just like eating. Everyone is eating. You are eating, I am also eating. So what is the difference between you and me? The difference is that we who are engaged in the service of the Lord, we are eating for maintaining the body just to keep ourselves fit for working for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Another person, he is also eating. He is eating to satisfy his palate or with the aim simply to make the body stout and strong.

Page Title:Cinema (Lectures)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Mayapur, Rishab
Created:31 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=79, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:79