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Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Pradyumna: "...and Lord Caitanya later on made him the ācārya of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

Lord Caitanya's principle is universal. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa and is engaged in the service of the Lord is accepted as being in a higher position than a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa. That is the original principle accepted by all Vedic literatures, especially by the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The principle of Lord Caitanya's movement in educating and elevating everyone to the exalted post of a gosvāmī is taught in the Nectar of Devotion.

Lord Caitanya met the two brothers, Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika in a village known as Rāmakeli in the district known as Maldah, and after that meeting the brothers decided to retire from government service and join Lord Caitanya. Sakara Mallika, who was later to become Rūpa Gosvāmī, retired from his post and collected all the money he had accumulated during his service. It is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that his accumulated savings in gold coins equaled millions of dollars and filled a large boat. He divided the money in a very exemplary manner, which should be followed by devotees in particular and by humanity in general. Fifty percent of his accumulated wealth was distributed to the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, namely the brāhmaṇas and the Vaiṣṇavas. Twenty-five percent was distributed to relatives. And twenty-five percent was kept against emergency expenditures and personal difficulties. Later on when Dabira Khāsa also proposed to retire, the Nawab was very much agitated and put him into jail. But Dabira Khāsa who was later to become..."

Prabhupāda: In this connection, we may inform that our disciples in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, those who are gṛhasthas, they contribute at least fifty percent of their income. Yes. Most of them, they are full-time engaged. But if one cannot be whole time engaged... Just like we, we have got our disciple, Professor Howard Wheeler. He gives more than fifty percent of his income for developing our New Vrindaban scheme. So we try to follow these principles laid down by Rūpa Gosvāmī, that fifty percent for Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, twenty-five percent for personal emergencies and twenty-five percent for the dependent relatives.

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

Kṛṣṇa is not beggar, that He has come to your place and asking some food from you. No. But Kṛṣṇa accepts your food, provided you are a devotee. That is Kṛṣṇa. You can offer Kṛṣṇa patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. You do not require to become very rich man. The poorest of the poor can offer Kṛṣṇa something. What is that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. A little flower, a little fruit, a little leaf and little water. Everyone can collect a little flower, a little water. And from any part of the world. Not that Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped in India. Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped in Vṛndāvana. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, that is Vṛndāvana.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Atyāhāra, eating or collecting more than necessity. That is atyāhāra. Āhāra means eating and collecting. Āhāraḥ. So we should not collect more than what we need. Kṛṣṇa will give, giving us. Just like we are spending so much money in all our centers. So Kṛṣṇa is sending us the necessary expenditure. How... Otherwise, how we are maintaining? So... But we should not be hankering after collecting more than what is necessity. That is atyāhāra.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. If we utilize the same matter for our sense gratification, viṣaya, then it is material. The same flower, if I collect it for my sense gratification, this flower is material. The same flower, when I pick up for offering on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, this is spiritual. Then how the material thing transformed into spiritual? By the consciousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

On the spiritual platform means to understand the Science of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Spirit. Then if we are conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, then anyone who is such enlightened, he is perfect spiritual master. It doesn't matter what he is. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was born in Muhammadan family. Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were rejected from the brāhmaṇa community and they took the Muslim names, Sākara Mallika, Dabira Khāsa. But it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching that He collected all these exalted personalities. They were associates of Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

Just like we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Everyone is eating. We are also eating. But we don't eat directly. Whatever we prepare, whatever we collect, first of all we offer to Kṛṣṇa. Because we think, we think—and it is a fact—the thing is of Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa has given. You cannot manufacture rice, dhal or wheat in your factory, neither fruit, nor milk. It is given by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's giving. One has to acknowledge, "Yes, it is given by Kṛṣṇa. It is Kṛṣṇa's. So let me offer it first of all to Kṛṣṇa, then take the prasādam." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

You have to collect the ointment of love for Kṛṣṇa. And if you apply that ointment on your eyes, then... Just like we use surma (?) for clear vision, similarly, when the love of Kṛṣṇa surma is applied on the eyes, these eyes, you'll see Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says that "You simply try to serve Me. Offer Me little water, little flower, little leaf." Anyone. Universal. Anyone can collect little water, little flower or little leaf and offer to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to accept your service in that way. What ms the difficulty to serve Kṛṣṇa? But they will not do. This is māyā.

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

Just like great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say that "I have simply collected a few grains of sand in the ocean of knowledge." Yes. He used to say. And actually, that is the fact. Everything is unlimited. So nobody should be proud falsely that he has become a great devotee. Everyone should be very humble.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you. You have picked up. You'll always think, "Oh, I am taking somebody's money. Whose money it was? I'm doing some sinful." In this way, your mind will disturb. So that is the taking. And similarly, if you don't take, if you leave it there, then you'll also be disturbed. You'll think, "Somebody has left this money here. So I did not collect it. Somebody will collect it, and he'll take it away. This is not nice." The best thing is that you pick it up and, if you deliver to the person who has lost the money or who has left that money. Three things. The one thing is bhoga, if you take yourself. And if you don't take, that is tyāga. And if you pick it up and deliver to the right person, that is devotion.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

The guru, the spiritual master, he's also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. In all the śāstras, guru is accepted as Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena. Sākṣād means directly. Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Guru also does not think himself that he is Kṛṣṇa, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Mayapur, April 8, 1975:

Vyāsadeva compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by collecting the most important news from history. Purāṇa means old history. It is not mythology. The foolish people, they say like that, "Mythology means something created." No. Don't take it that way. It is the essence of important historical incidences, record.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.66-96 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

And when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard it that Sanātana Gosvāmī, after renouncement, he's not going to accept any new clothing... So for a really renounced person is that whatever clothing is thrown in the street, he'll collect and he'll wear it. He would not purchase any new clothing. That is the order of strictly one who follows... Cīrāṇi. Sanātana... Svarūpa... Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in the Bhāgavata, he says that "Whether old clothings and torn clothings cannot be had on the street? Whether trees are not giving fruit? Whether the rivers are dried up? Whether the caves of the mountains, they are closed? Then why the renounced order of persons go to the viṣayi?" Viṣayi means those, those who are materialistic.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.66-96 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

Mādhukarī is a principle introduced by these Gosvāmīs. Mādh, mādhu. Mādhu means honey. And the bees who collect honey from flower—a drop from this flower, a drop from that flower, a drop from that flower—in this way, he subsists. So this mādhukarī system means a renounced order of sannyāsī or a vairāgī, he should not accept in one place sumptuously. He should go to every householder and take a bit of capātī from this house, a bit of capātī from that house, a bit of capātī from that house, so that the householders also may not be disturbed and they may be benefited. When a real sannyāsī or vairāgi accepts something from the householder, it is a great benefit for him.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.66-96 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

So he did not accept that invitation, that "I shall beg from door to door, and collect my capātī and live on that way."

sanātanera vairāgye prabhura ānanda apāra
bhoṭa-kambala pāne prabhu cāhe bāre bāra

Sanātana, he was so strict in renounced order of life, so that gave Caitanya Mahāprabhu too much pleasure: "Oh, it is very nice." But while he was coming, his brother-in-law gave him a nice blanket. That was on the body of Sanātana. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu several times overlooked about that blanket.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

A sādhu, a sage or a devotee, although he knows everything, still, he always places himself as he does not know anything. He never says that "I know everything." But actually, it is not possible to know everything. That is not possible. But one... Just like Sir Isaac Newton, he agrees that people say, "I am very much learned, but I do not know how much I have learned. I am simply collecting some pebbles on the sea shore." So that is the position. If a man who is actually learned, he'll never say that "I am learned." He'll simply say, "I am the fool number one. I do not know."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.49-61 -- New York, January 5, 1967:

The Brahma-saṁhitā, this Brahma-saṁhitā was compiled by Brahmā. It is very old book. It was picked up by Lord Caitanya from South India. When He was traveling in South India, in a temple He found this book, handwritten, very old. Formerly there was no press. If anyone wanted some book, he would have to copy it from others. That was the system. The books were not available just like nowadays we have got printed, thousands and thousands copies. That was not available. So two books were collected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu from South India.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.49-61 -- New York, January 5, 1967:

Even if we do not perform the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever we do, that remains in asset. That is never lost. So this Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, from that prostitute's house he became a saintly man. So he wrote a very nice book, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta means "pleasing to the ear." Anything about Kṛṣṇa is pleasing to the ear. So he wrote a voluminous book, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. That book was collected by Lord Caitanya. And along with that book, this Brahma-saṁhitā was collected.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

Vivekananda came here to preach Hindu religion. Before that he had no idea of philanthropic work. And when he came back to India, "Oh, this is your religion. Oh, so many Indians they are suffering. So many Indians they have no shelter. Oh, give them shelter. Give them hospital." Now he became... And collected fund. Vivekananda started new religion, daridra-nārāyaṇa. Daridra-nārāyaṇa means the poor, poverty-stricken Bowery men, they should be served, not Kṛṣṇa. That is their mission. The Ramakrishna Mission means to serve daridra-nārāyaṇa. "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." He has invented some words, "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." You see Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, so opulent. According to Vivekananda, He has become poor now.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Suppose you have got millions of dollars. Don't keep it. So long it is within your jurisdiction, spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Yes. That is the proper utilization. Because actually the money is not yours, because you cannot carry this money with your death. As soon as you quit this body, or death, so your money and everything, what you collected with this body, with the finishing of this body, everything is finished. But you go. You are spirit soul. You transmigrate to another body. So your money which you earned previously, in your previous body, that you do not know where it is kept, or how it is being spent up.

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

From God's side, there is no scarcity. Sufficient supply—more than what you need. But how this man can be checked from this evil propensity, to gather money and stock unnecessarily? In India, in 1942, they created artificial famine by this process. Big men, they collected rice. The rice was selling at six rupees per mound. All of a sudden, within a week, it came to fifty rupees per mound.

Festival Lectures

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

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.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973:

A sannyāsī, in the beginning, he's supposed to make a small cottage, just on the border of the village, does not go home, but the, his necessities are supplied by his home, but he does not go home. This is called kuṭicaka. Then gradually, when he is practiced, he begs from home to home. He does not anymore depend on his own home. (aside:) Stop this. That is called bahudaka. Bahudaka means collecting his necessity from many places. And then as he becomes practiced, he becomes parivrājakācārya. He goes from place to place, village to village, preaching the message of Kṛṣṇa.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

And those who are kṣatriyas, they should stick to their protecting the citizen." The kingly order, royal order, their duty is to give protection to the... They should not simply collect tax. The kṣatriyas, this king is allowed to collect tax because he is supposed to give all protection to the people. So therefore it is said, rājanya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ. Rājanya means the royal order stick to his principle, how to give protection to the people.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

Guru Mahārāja told me personally. Others... Because, by his grace, when I used to meet alone, he used to talk so many things. He was so kind that he used to talk so many things with me. So he personally told me that "These people, they wanted to kill me. They collected 25,000 rupees and went to the police officer in charge of that area, that 'You take this 25,000 rupees. We shall do something against Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. You don't take any step.' " He could understand that they want to kill him.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

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

As soon as we say that "If you want to become my disciple, you will have to give up four things: no illicit sex, no intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, no meat-eating and no gambling," and they criticize me, "Swamijī is very conservative." And if I say that "You can do all nonsense, whatever you like. You simply take this mantra and give me $125," they will like. Because in America, $125 is nothing. Any man can pay immediately. So I would have collected millions of dollars if I would have cheated like that. But I do not want that. I want one student who follows my instruction. I don't want millions.

Arrival Lecture -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

The materialistic, they are trying to dress themselves very gorgeously, and gradually their dress is being taken away by māyā, and voluntarily they are becoming hippies. Because they did not try to dress Kṛṣṇa, therefore māyā is taking their dresses. So the secret of success is that if you give nice... Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have to collect them and offer for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi tapasyasi yat yad aśnāsi, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). This is the secret of success, that whatever you do... It doesn't matter what you are doing. You are businessman, you are a lawyer, you are engineer or... Something must be done for earning one's livelihood. That is a fact.

Arrival Address -- New Zealand, April 27, 1976:

Āhāra means eating and āhāra means collection-too much collection unnecessarily. Of course, for our preaching we require, but we shall collect as much as we require, not that keep money in the bank and spend for some other purposes. That kind of collection is dangerous. And too much eating is also dangerous.

Initiation Lectures

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

There was war between Pakistan and India. So all the rich men had to contribute fifty lakhs, fifty hundred thousand, according to everyone's capacity. Many millions of rupees were collected, and it was put into the gun powder, "Svāhā!" (laughter) So if you don't execute this svāhā, then you will have to execute that svāhā. (laughter) (sings out the word "svāhā!") That's all. The Vietnam is going on—svāhā! So many young men—svāhā! So much money—svāhā! You have to do that. Therefore better learn how to make svāhā for Kṛṣṇa.

Initiation Lecture -- Caracas, February 22, 1975:

Just like without high temperature, nobody can enter into the fire, similarly, God is the topmost temperature. We must acquire that temperature; then we can enter into the kingdom of God. So if you want to increase the temperature, you cannot pour water again on it. Just like if you have got wet wood, you cannot burn it very nicely, but if you collect dry wood, you can ignite very easily. So our material life is now saturated with all kinds of sins.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Bombay, November 18, 1975:

There are āśramas, four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So sannyāsa means everything sacrificed for Kṛṣṇa's sake. Anāśrita-karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī. Anyone who is working without any aspiration for resultant action.... Our sannyāsīs, they work very hard, preach, they collect money—but not a single farthing for himself. The first of all, the brahmacārī is trained up. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). Brahmacārī is trained up to live at the place of guru for the benefit of guru. The same principle, when it is matured and when one dedicates his life for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa... Benefit of Kṛṣṇa means benefit of the whole world.

Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976:

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, the son of Jagannātha Miśra, His grandfather, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, very respectful, respectable persons. He took birth in that family. Personally He was very beautiful; therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. And He was very learned scholar also; therefore His another name is Nimāi Paṇḍita. So, and in His family life He had very nice, beautiful young wife, Viṣṇupriyā, and very affectionate mother, and He was very influential. You know that. In one day He collected about one hundred thousand followers to protest against the Kazi's order. So in this way His social position was very favorable. Personal position was very favorable. Still, He took sannyāsa, left home.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did personally. He was twenty-four years old. He had beautiful wife, young wife, sixteen years old, at home, very, very affectionate mother, and His position was very great. Not as a brāhmaṇa, but still, as young man He could collect 100,000's of men by His order only, to make civil disobedience movement upon the Kazi, in this land. So the civil disobedience movement was started by Caitanya Mahāprabhu for a good cause.

General Lectures

Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

Actually, God is proprietor of everything. Now, take for example this house. This house is made of wood, stone, clay, sand, and everything, materials. But who is the proprietor of this wood, sand, clay? God is the proprietor. You cannot produce wood. You cannot produce sand. You cannot produce clay. You can simply work as a laborer to bring the clay, to bring the wood, to bring the stone and collect them and stand, make, construct a very big skyscraper house. But actually, the proprietor is God.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So let us cooperate in this movement very nicely, and here in this spot, New Vrindaban, the woman's business will be to take care of the children, cooking cleansing, and churning butter. (laughter) And those who have the knowledge of typing can help in typing also. No other hard work. That's all. This is for woman. And for men, hard work, field work, taking care of the cows, of the animals, to go to collect wood, to construct building. In this way cooperate. The girls who are here, they should prepare nice prasādam so that the boys, in time they can get their prasādam, timely. This is the duty. And they must be given timely breakfast, lunch prasādam. They will work hard. And the churning business is for the girls. That will keep your health very nice. Ma Yaśodā, the mother of Kṛṣṇa, just see how exalted she was. Materially, she was rich also. She had many maidservants. Still, she took pleasure in churning. You have seen the picture. Recently in Los Angeles they had the festival, dadhi-maṇḍa... What is called? Butter, butter ceremony. So people took part in churning, and there were twelve pounds of butter churned in the meeting. Yes. And they collected good amount by churning.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

Even Lord Kṛṣṇa, He accepted this brahmacārī āśrama. When Sudāmā Vipra met Him when He was king in Dvārakā, so friendly talks, Kṛṣṇa reminded Sudāmā Vipra, "My dear Sudāmā, do you remember that one day we went to the forest to collect fuels, and there was heavy rain and we could not come out. And then we stayed the overnight on the top of the tree. Then next day Guru Mahārāja came and he took our..., rescued us. Do you remember that?" Sudāmā Vipra said, "Yes, I remember." So even Lord Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of others. This was the system, to teach from the very beginning of life this Bhāgavatam.

Lecture -- Tokyo, April 29, 1972, (with interpreter):

The forest fire can be extinguished when there is rainfall from the sky. Similarly, this misunderstanding of the world—although we are one, but we have divided ourselves in so many groups—this will create forest fire, and this forest fire can be extinguished. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just like falling of rain from the cloud. Yes. The cloud means a process which collects water from the sea and distributes all over the surface. And the same water again glides down through the river unto the sea. Similarly, this movement means taking mercy from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and distribute it all over the world, so that again the merciful water goes down to the sea.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

But the name we find here as Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Svayam. He is the original Personality of Godhead. Similarly, we get information from other Vedic literatures. Just like Brahma-saṁhitā. It is written by Lord Brahmā. And when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was present on this planet, He collected the copy of this book from South India, Ādi-Keśava Mandira, and presented it to His devotees, that "This is authorized book."

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

Those who are aware of the history, the two big wars in your Europe was started by German people because they are very much envious of the English people. The Germans, they could not do business throughout the whole British Empire. We know, Indians. So they are very much envious of these British people, and therefore they started two big wars, world war. So if we collect more... Now the British Empire is finished. So if we collect more, if you want to acquire more, then other becomes jealous. And in this way, our jealousies increase, and that is the cause of war, that is the cause of fight. But if you are satisfied with your minimum or maximum needs, nobody will be jealous. Just like an elephant is eating forty kilos of foodstuff at a time. We cannot eat even one-fourth kilo, but we are not envious of the elephant because we know he needs to eat so much. Neither the elephant is envious to us. So whatever you need you can collect, you can eat—but don't take more. Then according to the God's law, you become criminal, you are punishable. That is God's law.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

We are thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are offering obeisances to the Deity and at least trying to become bhaktas. Man-manā bhava mad..., mad-yājī, and worshiping. What is the worshiping? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). It is not difficult. Little flower, little fruit, little water, anyone can collect. But the thing is a dog obstinacy: "I shall not do it." That is the thing. Otherwise it is very easy thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if we adopt it, our life becomes successful. That is the perfection of life. That we are teaching.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

Just like these boys, they are collecting money, but not a single farthing they are spending for themselves, not a single farthing. Everything collected is being utilized for God's book publication, for propaganda, for distribution. They are not earning less. We collect some day one thousand dollars, and we are collecting all over the world about thirty thousand dollars. Yes. But not a single paisa for personal use. Everything is utilized for propagating God consciousness. So in this way everything can be utilized. After all, it is God's property.

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

So everything belongs to God. We also belong to God. So we should feel obliged to God that He has given so much for our maintenance. (break) ...fruits, flowers, vegetables, land, ocean, mine, jewels. So we can use it as much as we require. We cannot collect it and keep it in stock for my future son, grandson, this son, that son. No. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

And who can concentrate on Kṛṣṇa unless he is a devotee? So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." Māṁ namaskuru. "By executing these four principles of life you will come back to Me"—mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.65)—"without any doubt." So it is not at all difficult. Had it been difficult... I am collecting my disciples throughout the whole world, and we condemn them according to our... "They are mlecchas, yavanas." Maybe they are mlecchas, yavanas, but Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that even mlecchas-yavanas, they can be purified.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- Caracas, February 25, 1975:

Atyāhāraḥ means eating too much or unnecessarily collecting too much. And prayāsaḥ. Prayāsaḥ means too much endeavoring for a thing, mean unnecessarily taking some anxiety. Don't do that. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsas prajalpaḥ, and talking nonsense, gossiping some subject matter which has no concern with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are accustomed to do that. We should avoid it.

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

The real dharma is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is real dharma. And any religion which does not teach this principle, to surrender to God, Kṛṣṇa, and love Him... hat is real religion. Therefore Bhāgavata teaches that real religion, Bhāgavata-dharma. And Bhāgavata declares in the beginning that "All cheating type of religious system is rejected, kicked out." Projjhita. Projjhita means just like you wash your floor or sweep your floor and collect the dust and throw it away, similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the unwanted so-called religious system, they have been collected and thrown away. Here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is only one religious system, which is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā in the last chapter, Eighteenth Chapter, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If we accept this principle, then we enter into the Bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise there is no entrance in the Bhāgavata-dharma.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Miracles means you cannot conceive how it is being done. The same example, as I said, that if you want to paint one rose flower you require so many things, but that also is not real rose flower. But imitation, it may be perfect, but you have to take so much trouble in collecting the paint, the colors, and your energy, then duration of work, and some day it may come out perfect. But the same energy is working so swiftly that you see automatically a rose flower is coming out. The same example again: just like this airplane, there are thousands of complicated electronic machinery arrangements, but you see that the pilot is simply pushing a button. That's all. But layman is seeing that "Simply by pushing a button, a miraculous thing is happening." But no, with the pushing of the button there are so many complicated machineries, they work one after another, one after another. So similarly, God's energy is so subtle that simply by His willing, the process takes place, but it takes place so swiftly and quickly, we see it as miracle.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

And what is that Absolute Truth? Janmādy asya yataḥ, itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ: (SB 1.1.1) that there is a principal, Brahman, from whom everything has come. So unless you find out what is the ultimate source of emanation, the knowledge is perfect, hum, imperfect. But you must have to admit, from your experience, that everything has a source of emanation. Anything has. You cannot go beyond your experience. You see this table. This table has got a history. Somebody has collected the wood and he has made into a shape. So everything that you see, it has got a history. So similarly the whole creation, it has got a history, and to know who has created, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), that is perfect knowledge. If you do not know, if you cannot reach, that is your inability. Don't think that it is imaginary, mythological. That is your imperfect of knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Hayagrīva: Descartes, Rene Descartes, the French... Descartes writes, "The power of forming a good judgment and of distinguishing the true from the false, which is, properly speaking, what is called good sense or reason, is by nature equal in all men. God has given to each of us some light with which to distinguish truth from error." Now in the West this has been called conscience, and Descartes uses the term "reason." Now is this simply a form of mental speculation, or is the...

Prabhupāda: No. Mental speculation should be there. It is not actually speculation but it is reasoning. Just like if we study our own body, whether I am this lump of matter, namely this skin, bone and stool, urine and muscle and blood... If we analyze this body we find practically these things. So the reasoning is that whether combination of these things can give life. So externally we have got all these things. Blood we can get from slaughterhouse, and bone we can collect, or you can manufacture and set up an instrument with these things. Will it be, bring life? So the reasoning is life is different from this lump of matter. That is reasoning.

Page Title:Collect (Lectures, Other)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:21 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=48, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:48