Expressions researched:
"common sense"
|"commonsense"
Lectures
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
They have no common sense even, and they are passing as big, big philosopher, scientist. Then where is the evidence? Can anyone say? Is there any evidence that matter explodes without a living being's touch? Is there any? No.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.9 -- Mayapur, April 2, 1975: Prabhupāda: Can anyone say what is the theory or..., of creation? Can any one of you say? What do they say about the creation?
Trivikrama: Their one theory is that there's a big chunk, and them from that, everything else came.
Jagadīśa: It exploded.
Rūpānuga: An explosion, a big bang.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Rūpānuga: A big bang. An explosion.
Haṁsadūta: There were some chemicals.
Prabhupāda: So wherefrom the chunk came? That is not... That is their brain fag, that they are simply trying to get everything from matter. That is their material brain. But we see here that the origin is not matter. Origin is Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu. So Mahā-Viṣṇu is the supreme soul, mahā, Mahā-Viṣṇu. So we cannot accept such nonsense theory, that chunk exploded. Where is the evidence that a chunk explodes automatically? How nonsense theory it is. We haven't got experience. There is explosion of big, big mountains when there is dynamite, and the dynamite is given by some person. So how explosion can take place without the hand of somebody else, some living entity? This simple theory they cannot understand, that where is the evidence that matter acts automatically? Where is the evidence? How you can say that there was a chunk? Suppose there was a chunk. First of all, the question will be: "Who made this chunk?" And then again, next question will be: "How explosion took place unless there was some living being to explode, as we have got experience that sometimes we explode, explode the mountain with dynamite, and that is arranged by a living being?" So they have no common sense even, and they are passing as big, big philosopher, scientist. Then where is the evidence? Can anyone say? Is there any evidence that matter explodes without a living being's touch? Is there any? No.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975: Just like it is said,
- yānti deva-vratā devān
- pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
- bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
- mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām
- (BG 9.25)
So you can prepare yourself for better life in the heavenly planets or in a better society in this world or to go to the planets where ghost and other wretches are controlling. Or you can go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is there. Everything is open to you. Yānti bhūtejyā bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Simply you have to prepare yourself. Just like in youth life they are educated—somebody is going to be engineer, somebody is going to be medical man, somebody is going to be lawyer and many other professional man—and they are preparing by education, similarly, you can prepare for your next life. This is not difficult to understand.
But they do not believe in the next life, although it is very common sense. Actually there is next life because Kṛṣṇa says, and we can understand the philosophy by a little intelligence that there is next life.
Do you think such intelligent person is created, manufactured, by bone and blood and skin and urine and stool? It's common sense. It is something else, spirit soul. That they do not understand.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand: Kṛṣṇa, first of all chastised Arjuna. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhasase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned scholar, but you are engaged in such a thing which is not at all lamentable."
- aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ
- prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase
- gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca
- nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ
- (BG 2.11)
"One who is learned, paṇḍita, he has no business to consider about this body." Now see, the whole world is concerned with this body, but this is condemned. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. Anyone who is accepting this body, which is nothing but combination of tri-dhātu... Or you take the material elements: earth, water, air, fire. Or more explicitly: the skin, blood, bone, urine, stool. You'll find these things. But do you think such intelligent person is created, manufactured, by bone and blood and skin and urine and stool? It's common sense. It is something else, spirit soul. That they do not understand.
Actually, I am not paṇḍita, but in village, in ordinary common sense, because I happen to be a brāhmaṇa, they call me paṇḍita.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976: Sanātana Gosvāmī, although he was a minister in Muhammadan government, Nawab Hussain Shah's, but in touch with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he has come to his knowledge that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita: "Actually, I am not paṇḍita, but in village, in ordinary common sense, because I happen to be a brāhmaṇa, they call me paṇḍita. I also accept as paṇḍita. But my real position is that I am such a paṇḍita, such a learned man, that I do not know what is good for me. This is my position." He is submitting to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his guru.
Nobody has any common sense even that Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi bhūtānām.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976: That means they misinterpret and they misguide. So people should be intelligent enough that they are impersonalists but Bhagavad-gītā means Kṛṣṇa, the person, He is teaching. Where is the impersonalist? But nobody has any common sense even that Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi bhūtānām. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). This aham is person, so how He can be imperson? And He's talking personally with Arjuna. So how He is imperson? Can the air talk with you? Air is imperson. Sky is imperson. Can he talk with you? What do you think? No, sometimes talks. (laughter) So we should have common sense
There are many children nowadays who do not know who is father. But that does not mean there is no father. Common sense.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.113 -- London, July 23, 1976: Everything is producing life. So the mother produces children. So many children are coming out of the... Tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma. Yoni, yoni means mother. So the children are there, the mother is there, and where is the father? A commonsense. Is there any mother can produce children without father? Is there any science can prove that a mother without connection with the father has produced child? No. If you say, "I cannot see the father," you do not see your fathers. There are many children nowadays who do not know who is father. But that does not mean there is no father. Common sense. There is father. Similarly, we see so many living entities produced by the mother, material nature—there must be father. And the father personally says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4)—"I am the father." So why these rascals, they say that there is no God?
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
If I am controlled, then how I can become God? This is commonsense affair.
Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1970: They are claiming that "I am God." Is there any meaning? If I am controlled, then how I can become God? This is commonsense affair. Therefore this Māyāvādī philosophy that "Everyone is God. I am God; you are God...," Just like the other, who was speaking, that Meher Baba's... Yes. That he was speaking, "I am God, you are God." So God is never controlled. If somebody is controlled, immediately he is not God. This is simple definition, that God is not controlled. If somebody claims that he is God, then first of all question "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" Common sense. Nobody can say that he's not controlled.
Festival Lectures
If one is God, then how he has become dog? This much common sense.
Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974: The Māyāvādīs, they think that they have become one with God. That is not education. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that they have become liberated, but actually, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), their intelligence is not purified. Therefore falsely claiming. If one is God, then how he has become dog? This much common sense there is not. God is God; dog is dog. This Dvaitavāda philosophy is perfect. Acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. We have got... Because we are spiritual energy, therefore... Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Spirit. Therefore we are in one in quality, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme.
Suppose in the street, common sense, the government law is keep to the right or keep to the left. You cannot say "What is the wrong there if I go to the right or left?"
Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976: Dharma means sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Just like the law. Law means what is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at your home. Suppose in the street, common sense, the government law is keep to the right or keep to the left. You cannot say "What is the wrong there if I go to the right or left?" No, that you cannot. Then you'll be criminal. Similarly nowadays... Not nowadays—from time immemorial there are so many religious systems. So many. But real religious system is what God says or Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
"I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am living within this body," then immediately we become liberated from this material world simply by this understanding. And this can be understood by any sane man without any study of philosophy, simply by common sense.
Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975: If we simply become aware of this fact that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am living within this body," then immediately we become liberated from this material world simply by this understanding. And this can be understood by any sane man without any study of philosophy, simply by common sense. The simple philosophy is that the child is now possessing a small body, then he will possess a big body, then another big body. In this way the child is there, the body is changing, that's a fact. And the body changes so long the soul is there. Therefore, the conclusion should be the body and the soul, they are different. It is very simple truth, but because we have accumulated so much garbage dirty things within our heart, we cannot understand even this simple thing.
Initiation Lectures
If you are great—"God is great" then why you are captured by illusion? Then illusion is great, not God is great. This commonsense philosophy they do not understand.
Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969: The Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that "We are God. Everyone is God." But we say that "Yes, everyone is God, but not that God, the Supreme God." Everyone is American, but not that American like President Nixon. This common sense knowledge the Māyāvādī hasn't got. But they are puffed up: "Oh, I am the same. I am..." So 'ham: "I am the same." How you are the same? If you are the same, why you are fallen in this condition? They will say, "It is māyā. It is illusion." No. Why you are in illusion? If you are great—"God is great"—if you are that great, then why you are captured by illusion? Then illusion is great, not God is great. This commonsense philosophy they do not understand. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Poor fund of knowledge."
You are excused and again come back and again do the same sinful activities, criminal activities, and if you are again arrested, then you'll be very, very severely punished. It is a common sense.
Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971: But if you are excused and again come back and again do the same sinful activities, criminal activities, and if you are again arrested, then you'll be very, very severely punished. It is a common sense. How people think that "Because I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or I take the holy name of God or I go to church, therefore I can commit so much sins, never mind. It will be counteracted next week or next moment when I shall chant." This is one of the gravest offense in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You should always remember.
General Lectures
Just like it is very commonsense affair that I, the soul, is eternal.
Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 20, 1968: Anyone who knows all these things, he is out of darkness. So try to be like Arjuna, to become out of darkness. That is the Vedic injunction. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in darkness. Just try to go to the light." This is light. Just like it is very commonsense affair that I, the soul, is eternal. I am changing my body from the very inception in the womb of my mother. And because I am changing this body, therefore I am nowhere? I am gone forever? Ask the greatest scientist. He will say like that. It is a commonsense affair. Just like a child. Because he cannot see the sun at night, he may say, "Oh, sun is gone, dead and gone." But no scientist, no intelligent man will say. "My dear child, the sun is not gone. The sun is there. I cannot see now." That is the fact. Similarly, these foolish persons, because they cannot see the soul and because the body is left there and it is destroyed, he says that there is no soul. Just see how childish and how much darkness is there. It is commonsense affair.
It is common sense affair. If saintly persons are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as scripture, you cannot deny it.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968: Just like... It is common sense affair. If the lawyers accept some book, then it is to be understood that this is lawbook. You cannot say that "How can I accept this is law?" The evidence is the lawyers are accepting. Medical... If the medical practitioners accept, then that is authoritative medical. Similarly, if saintly persons are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as scripture, you cannot deny it. Sādhu śāstra: saintly persons and scriptures, two things, and with spiritual master, three, three parallel lines, who accept the sādhu and the scripture. Sādhu confirms the scriptures and spiritual master accept the scripture. Simple process. So they are not in disagreement. What is spoken in the scripture is accepted by saintly person, and what is spoken in the scripture, the spiritual master explains only that thing. That's all.
We are spirit soul. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely in a very common sense words.
Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969: Do you mean to say scientific advancement of education is simply for this purpose—how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate, and how to defend? No. That is not human civilization. These are bodily needs undoubtedly, but we are not body. That we do not know. We are spirit soul. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely in a very common sense words:
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
You must have such common sense where to go and ask for God.
Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968: One who accepts the authority, then it is not hopeless for him. It is very simple. Just like one is asking, "Swamijī, what is this?" I say, "It is rose flower." Then the knowledge of rose flower is there. Then, if somebody says, "I don't accept it," then he may not know. So you have to accept authority. There is no other alternative. Now you have to find out who is authority. That requires intelligence. If you go to a bogus man and ask him about God, you may be misled. That is a fact. That is your duty—to find out a man who knows God. Then you'll get. This is commonsense affair. Suppose if you want to purchase something in the market, some milk. So you have to know that "I'll have to go to some store." You don't go to a hardware man, hardware dealer's. If you go to a hardware dealer and ask him, "Give me one bottle of milk," he'll say, "You are crazy. This is hardware shop." So you must have such common sense where to go and ask for God. That common sense must be there. And that is also very easily understood. Those who have devoted their life for God and they have no other business than God, to serve God, he is the right man.
It is a common sense. I must eat what I need and you must eat what you need.
Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973: 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. (break) It is a common sense. You eat; I eat. It is a common philosophy. So I must eat what I need and you must eat what you need. That's not a very big philosophical problem. Everyone knows what you eat. But don't eat more. Suppose I can eat so much. And if I eat more, then I get indigestion. That is the punishment of the laws of nature. I get dysentery. Then I'll have to starve for three days because I've eaten more.
It is very common sense affair to understand where there is soul.
Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975: Why do you say, "My father has gone away"? This is ignorance. We do not know what is soul. We see the body. So long I have seen the body of my father. Now the soul has gone. I am crying, "My father has gone away." But did you see your father? "Yes, that body." The body is there. Why you are crying? So it is very common sense affair to understand where there is soul. A big stone, a big mountain, it cannot move although it is so big. And a small ant is moving. Why? There is soul. So how can you say the animals have no soul? This is ignorance.
Philosophy Discussions
This modern so-called civilization, they have lost their common sense.
Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz: Prabhupāda: If anyone abides by the order of God and everything produced is divided among the sons of God, then where is the question of scarcity? There is..., there cannot be any scarcity. But they have no reason. They are denying the actual fact that everything belongs to God. It is common sense. Such a vast ocean, who has created this? Has any nation has created, or any individual person has created? So to whom belongs this ocean? What will be the answer? Huh? What will be the answer? If I question that "Shall we dig a little ditch and there is water. We fill up." So such a big ditch, who has done it? Where is the question that there is no God? Somebody has done. That is common sense. And who has done it not only this one ocean-millions of oceans are floating in the sky—who has done it? Who has created? Huh? What will be the answer? So they, this modern so-called civilization, they have lost their common sense. They want to remain in animal consciousness; therefore they are suffering.
It is common sense affair. It is a fact. Where is the question of belief or not belief?
Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill: Prabhupāda: It is not belief. It is not the question of belief. It is the question of fact. Just like a man if he says, "I don't believe that I shall become old," then that is his ignorance or foolishness. He must become old man, or the body must become old. So if a man thinks that, when I shall become old, that is immortality of soul, that when I shall become old means when my body will become old. He will continue. It is common sense affair. It is a fact. Where is the question of belief or not belief?
It is common sense. If I existed as this child, I existed as a baby, I existed as a boy, I existed as a young man, and I am existing as old man, so why not I shall exist when this body is finished?
Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger: Prabhupāda: Real philosophy is, "I exist forever." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like I existed as a small baby, I existed as a boy, I existed as a young man. I remember all those existences, although the body is finished. Therefore the conclusion is that I shall exist when this body is finished. That is real knowledge. And it is common sense. If I existed as this child, I existed as a baby, I existed as a boy, I existed as a young man, and I am existing as old man, so why not I shall exist when this body is finished? In this life I experience so many bodies, they have left, they are no longer existing, but I see that I am existing; therefore why shall I not see that I will exist after the death. What do you think?
This is common sense. When a man talks we say he is intelligent man, but we do not see what is intelligent.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung: Prabhupāda: We can perceive that this man is intelligent, but you have not seen what is intelligent. When he talks, you understand, you perceive, that he has got intelligence. So this gross body, when it is no more talking, so why that intelligence will be finished? This is common sense. When a man talks we say he is intelligent man, but we do not see what is intelligent. So the talking instrument is this body. So this body is finished, gross body is finished, does it mean that his consciousness, intelligence finished? No. That continues. Just like you dream. This body is not working—this is practical—but his consciousness is working, his mind is working. So similarly, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). After the destruction of this gross body, the mind, intelligence continues, and because to work the mind and intelligence he requires a body, so he develops body. That is transmigration of the soul. It is very clear to understand.
The man is the same, but he exchanges dress, and the dress is supplied according to the price he can pay. This is common sense.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung: Prabhupāda: The soul is continuing, changing. The example is given, just like a man changes his dress. The man is the same; the dress may be different. That is going on. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This very word is there. Just when the dress is old it cannot be used any more, he has to change another, to another dress. It is very common sense. So now that next dress you have to purchase or you have to prepare according to your money. Your dress is something now; the next dress you will purchase according to your money. So the exact example is very nice—to change the dress. The man is the same, but he exchanges dress, and the dress is supplied according to the price he can pay. This is common sense. So the price means karma. According to karma he has done, he gets a particular type of body.
The conception of God, there is always some superior, and there are many other things, common sense, we discuss daily that the, as the nature, things are going on so nicely, they are not accidentally.
Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx: Prabhupāda: Reality must be there. That we... Just like Mr. Marx, he certainly did not like to die, but he was forced to die. Why it takes place unless there is some superior force? We do not wish to have some accident but there is accident; so how you can check it? So in this way, the conception of God, there is always some superior, and there are many other things, common sense, we discuss daily that the, as the nature, things are going on so nicely, they are not accidentally. There are so many planets in the sky. Accidentally they are not colliding but they are remaining in their position. The sun is rising in due course of time, in the morning exactly in time. So there is nothing accidental. And because things are going on very systematically, so there must be some brain behind it, and that supreme brain is God. How you can deny it?
If he has got elevation, he has degradation. This is common sense affairs.
Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander: Prabhupāda: If he has got elevation, he has degradation. This is common sense affairs. If you become rich, you can become poor also. Why that once you become rich and there is no question of becoming poor? Is that guaranteed? These nonsense questions are asked even by so-called theosophist and so many there are. You see. They have no common sense even.
If you follow that principle, then you are doing duty. But if you have no standing, then what is your duty? That is very common sense.
Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte: Prabhupāda: So what is that, I am asking, what is your duty? We have got definite duty. We divide the whole human society into division. That is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Socially, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and spiritually, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Now the..., it is so that whatever you are doing, you must do it in one of these eight principles. So there are eight principles; there are duties. So if you act accordingly to the position, say gṛhastha, you have got a position, or a sannyāsa, you have got a position So sannyāsī means this; gṛhastha means this. So if you follow that principle, then you are doing duty. But if you have no standing, then what is your duty? That is very common sense.
If the land is the property of somebody, so whose property is the sea? But there must be somebody. That is faith. Common sense.
Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte: Prabhupāda: That is faith, that as everything has got some proprietor or some manufacturer, so why not this whole cosmic manifestation a proprietor? But you cannot say that "I am proprietor." There is some proprietor. That is faith. Just like we go, strolling in the morning, by the path. The (indistinct) park is part of high government. You know it is the property of the government. That just three yards after there is sea, now who is the proprietor of this sea? If this land is..., proprietor is the high government, now who is the proprietor of the water? There must be somebody. I may not know. That is faith. It is common sense. If the land is the property of somebody, so whose property is the sea? But there must be somebody. That is faith. Common sense. But they have no common sense even.
This common sense also, that every citizen has got the freedom to live as free citizen or to go to the jail, but one who goes to the jail, where is freedom?
Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: Prabhupāda: Christian religion is that the man either goes to heaven or goes to hell. So he has got the freedom either go to hell or go to heaven. This freedom he has got. But who gives him hell or heaven? He has got the freedom to make choice, but when he is going to hell, then where is his freedom? That where is the distinction between hell and heaven? These are... If he is Christian he should answer that the man is given chance, once, either to go to hell or go to heaven. So all right, if he goes to heaven it is all right. Then if he goes to hell, where is freedom? This common sense also, that every citizen has got the freedom to live as free citizen or to go to the jail, but one who goes to the jail, where is freedom? And who gives him the chance of free citizenship or prisoner's life? Therefore his freedom is dependent on somebody, higher principle, who gives him chance to remain free or go to prison. That God is the supreme controller. He gives the living entity freedom to make his choice, either go to hell or go to heaven, but he is not completely free as God is free.
By our present experience we can guess the experience which you have not actually experienced. This is common sense.
Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander: Prabhupāda: By our present experience we can guess the experience which you have not actually experienced. As we see that everything has got I... I am the proprietor of this body, he is the proprietor of this house, he is the proprietor of that land, he is the proprietor..., that there must be a proprietor of the sea. This is common sense. And that is God. The proprietor of the sun, the proprietor of the moon, the sky, that is God. That is described in the Vedic literature. It is said that the moon is the mind of God, the sun is the eyes of God, the land is the foot of God, the water is the semina of God. Everything is described.
