They do not know that there is escape. They think this is all. This is their education. They have no knowledge. Although they are suffering in every step, they are making plan in their own way within this material world. Just like the UNESCO and so many others, all nation attempts are there. They are planning within this... That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as carvita-carvaṇānām. Carvita means chewing the chewed. They see that our previous leaders, they also did like this; it was not successful. Still they are going on in different way. That is not the way. Actually, if you are really anxious to become free from the conditional life, then you have to take to adhyātma-śāstra. You have to take knowledge from spiritual sources.
Different ways (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:
As you cannot manufacture law at home The law is enunciated in the legislative assembly of the government. Not that you can manufacture law in your home or in your office or in a big conference by the public. No. Similarly, the word dharma, religion, is explained in the English dictionary, "a sect of faith." And people have interpreted in a different way, that "I can manufacture my own way of religion." It is going on very strong nowadays by some missionary sect, yata mat tata pat. As many ways there are, they are all perfect. That somebody said that to cut throat is my religion. That is also accepted. But that is not religion. Religion means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). What is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead or what is ordained by the supreme authority, that is dharma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:
Just like every night we die. The gross body remains inactive on the bed, and the subtle body takes me away. I dream, I go in the dreamland. I have gone to some friend, I am talking with somebody, I am working in a different way. That is our daily experience. This means that we have got two kinds of body. One body is this gross body, and the other body is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence, and ego. So foolish person, they do not see the subtle body, but the subtle body is there. Everyone will accept. I am working with my mind, intelligence and ego. Everyone knows. So although we cannot see the subtle body, it is there. So death means this gross body, this overcoat is left, and I am carried away by the subtle body, and I enter into another overcoat, or gross body. So practically this is called death. Because we have no vision of the subtle body, how the soul is being transferred or transmigrating from one gross body to another gross body, keeping the subtle body intact. And the subtle body is given up when one is liberated. And at that time he goes, when he is liberated, freed from this subtle body also, at that time he is promoted to the spiritual kingdom in spiritual body. Therefore while living in this gross body, we have to educate our subtle body in such a way that it becomes spiritualized completely.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:
So the Absolute Truth is one. There is no doubt about it. But according to our angle of vision, we appreciate the Absolute Truth in different ways, although the Absolute Truth is one. Somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the last word, Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the matter of understanding the Absolute Truth.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:
So actually the Vedānta-sūtra, everything is bhakti. But unfortunately, people have taken Vedānta in a different way, after the Śārīraka-bhāṣya. But all the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, they have all, they have commentated on the Vedānta-sūtra. So Vedantist does not mean simply the Māyāvādīs. Actually Vedantists are the devotees. Because veda anta. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the last word. The last word is bhagavān. That is Vedānta. Here it is said, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). If you understand by studying Vedānta simply Brahman realization, that is not perfect. If you understand Paramātmā realization by studying Vedānta, that is also not perfect. When you come to understand Bhagavān, that is perfect. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). By studying Vedānta or all Vedic literatures, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8).
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:
Abhadra means dirty things, inauspicious things. What is that inauspicious thing? Inauspicious things means the heart disease for sense enjoyment; this is inauspicious, Different varieties, abhadreṣu. There are three modes of material nature. And multiply it three, mix it again, it becomes nine, and again multiplied, nine by nine, it becomes eighty-one. So these, this... Originally the three... Just like three colors, yellow, red and blue. These three colors, you mix... Those who are artists, those who know the color display... Simply you mix three colors in different way, and it becomes varieties of color. So our heart disease, dirty thing, varieties of sense enjoyment, varieties. So heart is full with varieties of sense enjoyment. Therefore by nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), by daily, regular worshiping Bhāgavatam, we become free from the dirty things.
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:
So these are the process. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Here it is also, the same thing. The same thing is said in a different way. That is śāstra. Actually, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā... What is Veda? There are four Vedas and 108 Upaniṣads, then Vedānta-sūtra, then so, so many books. All of them are Vedas. And what is the purpose? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). You read all the Vedas, all the Purāṇas, Brahma-sūtra, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. What is the purpose? To understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is useless. Your so-called study of Vedas are useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is the confirmation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:
In the Vedic literature the same thing is spoken in a different way, in different circumstances. But the ultimate goal is how to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). So if we follow this principle, hear Bhāgavatam... Bhāgavatam means the words or the activities of Bhagavān. But the impersonalists, they think the ultimate goal, ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is not a person. So there is no activity. If one is person, he has got activities. But if one is not person, void, just like a sky... In the sky, there is no activity. The only activity is the sky is covered with cloud, and you cannot see the sun. That is the only activity.
Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:
Generally, human form of life, rajo-guṇa, activity for creation, we can very well see. Animals, cats, dogs cows, asses... And a little civilized, engaged in sense gratification in a different way, very active, passion... So these two stages of life will not help us. Because our aim is to come to the point of brahma-darśanam, self-realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. To remain karmīs or remain animallike life, no knowledge, simply eating, sleeping, mating, that's all... And little advancement means the same eating, sleeping, mating, but in a polished way... Mostly we find in the Western countries, the aim is animal propensities, but in a polished way. Suppose they live in very, very high skyscraper buildings, and the animals live in some cave, in some hole, in some nest.
Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:
Just like why you are reading this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? This is the beginning of understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The professional readers, they immediately jump to the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. They think that Bhāgavatam means that rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. Because it appears like ordinary boys and girls, so they like it. No. This is the foundation of Bhāgavata. The nine cantos must be thoroughly read, then one can understand what is rāsa-līlā and what is Kṛṣṇa. If one jumps at once to the platform of understanding Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā or vṛndāvana-līlā, he'll be misled. He'll be misled. Just like so many rascals are interpreting Kṛṣṇa in so many different ways. They are thinking Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. So when He acts like ordinary human being, they take Him as ordinary human being—avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11).
Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:
So we have to take instruction from Kṛṣṇa to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the supreme." You have to accept that, in the Bhāgavata. You cannot interpret in a different way: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is supreme, all right. But..." Not like that. Take it as it is. Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), "I am the original source of everything." Because our inquiries, every scientist, every philosopher is trying to find out the ultimate source. That is called progressive science or philosophy. But here we get the information. Why should we take so much trouble? Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām: (Bg 10.2) "I am the original of all demigods." Just like Brahmā. Brahmā is the first demigod within this universe, but he is not original. Original is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇām. So He says that He is the ādi, ādi-puruṣam. Brahmā says ādi-puruṣam, the original person.
Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:
People in general, they do not know it. That is ignorance. This material world is full of ignorance. Therefore it is called tamas. Tamas means darkness. We do not know. The human civilization, at the present moment at least, it is always... At the present moment, it is completely in darkness that they do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Everyone is very intelligent. At least, he thinks like that, that "I am attaining my interest of life in different ways." But actually one does not know what is his actual interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Svārtha-gatim, satisfaction of our interest. Everyone is interested, but they do not know what is actual interest.
Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:
So there are different types of body, and each one is acting in a different way. Different way means the... Why they are working different way? If the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā, is the same in the..., in each and every body—īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61)—why one is acting different from the other? One is acting different... That is the action of the individual soul. The Supersoul is there, simply sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Because he's insisting. And He's sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Therefore nāneva bhāti viśvātmā. Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appears to be acting differently. He's not acting differently. Just like the magistrate. Magistrate is giving different judgment: "This man should be treated like this. This man should be treated..." The man, the magistrate, is the same, but because the culprit is different, therefore he has got to give different judgment. Culprit is different; he's not different. He's one. This is the proof that Paramātmā and jīvātmā are two different personalities. They're not one.
Lecture on SB 1.3.18 -- Los Angeles, September 23, 1972:
This is Kṛṣṇa's māyā. We are very intelligent to surpass the law of the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa is so much more intelligent that you cannot surpass. You can conceive in different ways, that "I shall get out of the laws in this way or that way." But you cannot do so; you will forget something. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:
So anyone who will recite these incarnations of God, Kṛṣṇa, regularly, in the morning and evening, that is the phala-śruti...(?) Janma guhyaṁ bhagavataḥ. Bhagavataḥ. He is the original source of everything, and He is taking birth. Therefore it is called guhyam. It is very mysterious. Just like Kuntī, when offered prayer to Kṛṣṇa, she said that "You are inside and You are outside. You are all-pervading. You are present everywhere. Still, people cannot see You." This is the mystery. God is everywhere, but we cannot see. How it is? That is explained by Kuntī. Just like somebody's father is playing on the stage dressed in a different way like a king or something. But the son cannot recognize him, although the father is playing just before him. The father is playing in his front, but he cannot understand. He's seeing some king is playing. Similarly, God is everywhere. God is everywhere. Simply you require to purify your eyes to see God. Otherwise God is everywhere. It is not that God has to be searched out some long, long... He's in... Of course, His real abode is long, long distant, but still, He is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).
Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:
Just like in your country I see bunch of newspaper. Just after one second, turning this page, that page, thrown away. Why? There is no pleasure. There is no pleasure. Simply the old story. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. In your country we don't find such things. In our country, India, the sugar cane is chewed, the juice is sucked, and it is thrown in the street. Now, if somebody goes and chews the chewed sugar cane, what relish, what taste he will get? Similarly, because we have no information of spiritual life, we are simply chewing the chewed. That's all. In a different way. This way or that way, this way or that way. And that is sex life. That's all.
Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:
Dharma means you exist by some natural symptom. That is called dharma. Everyone has got some natural symptom. That is dharma. According to Sanskrit meaning, that is dharma. Just like this light is a substance. What is his dharma, religion? To give light, to illuminate. So without illumination, there is no meaning of light. Similarly, your dharma, what is your religion? Your religion is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your religion. Now you serve in a different way according to time, circumstances, country. That is a different thing. But your religion is to serve God. That is your religion. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately gives you the definition of religion, or your occupation, natural duty, natural function. Always mind that. Just like the light's natural function is to give illumination. Prakāśa.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
Akhila-bandha-muktaye... Vipakṣe doṣam anta, that "If you do not do this..." Śrīdhara Svāmī comments, vipakṣe. Vipakṣe means if you do not understand this philosophy, that simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness can save the human race, then you are faulty. If you do not understand... If you understand it nicely, it is very good. But if you do not understand it, if you direct your activities in a, in a different way, then it is faulty. You'll never be happy. Because the whole thing has begun-Vyāsadeva was unhappy. Even after producing a literature like Vedānta-sūtra, he was not happy, and Nārada is giving him instruction how to become happy. Here is the answer, that "If you do not accept this proposition, that you have simply to be in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then vipakṣe, it is just against your welfare." Vipakṣe doṣāntaram ahaḥ tataḥ urukramasya viceṣṭitam pṛthag dṛśaḥ, athaiva anyathā prakarantrena yat kiñcit athāntaram vipakṣyatha taya vibaksaya itaiḥ sphuritaiḥ nāmabhis ca bhaktabhya:(?) "So whatever little activities of Kṛṣṇa you have described..."
Lecture on SB 1.7.9 Excerpt -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1976:
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he is ātmārāma, he... This śloka will be explained in the next verse, ātmārāmāś ca munayo. Ātmārāma, there are many varieties of meaning of ātmārāma. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained in sixty-four different ways in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So how Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a great scholar—He is great in everything—but to make a show at least, He showed His scholarship in explaining this ātmārāma verse. Sa vai nivṛtti-nirataḥ sarvatropekṣako muniḥ. Nivṛtti means one who has ceased all material activities. He has practically nothing to do with this material world and still it is said, kasya vā bṛhatīm etām. And still, he went out and preached Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when Parikṣit Mahārāja was going to die. So this is the question: how the ātmārāma becomes interested in other activities? He is ātmārāma, he is already satisfied. So these activities are not material activities. Nivṛtti-nirataḥ, we have to stop this material world, material activities.
Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:
This rascal, he wants to wander within this material world in different capacities. Sometime he's demigod, sometime he's dog, sometime he's tree, sometime he's fish, sometime he is president, sometime he's a nonsense. In this way, in different ways, he is suffering in this material world, and Kṛṣṇa is with him, trying to get him back. And whenever there is opportunity, He's asking, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, why you are suffering in this way? You give up all this nonsense business. You simply surrender to Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's ambition, that "This rascal is suffering, so better give him good instruction."
Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:
That is first-class bhakti. And bhakti means there is activity. Ānukūlyena: favorably. Kṛṣṇānuśīlanam: to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Anuśīlanam means culture. The culture means there is activity. Bhakti does not mean zero. That is another thing. Zero, nirvāṇa, means make these material activities zero. That hint is given by Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Buddha said that everything is zero, and Śaṅkarācārya gave further improvement that "It is not zero. Brahman is fact. Brahma satyam. Not zero. Jagan mithyā. This world is mithyā, zero. Not Brahman." Because those who understood this zero philosophy, they're rascals, atheists. They cannot understand more. Therefore further improvement was given by Śaṅkara because he was preaching. The whole world became Buddhist, and he wanted to establish Vedic principles. So they have already made zero. So how Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya can say, "No, it is not zero. It is fact." They'll not understand. He said in a different way, that "Zero is this material world." Brahma satyam. But brahma is fact. This is zero.
Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:
Even in the family, in the society, politically, nationally, internationally—so many difficulties. Everyone has got the experience. Therefore the recommendation of the śāstra, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Kevalam. You cannot rectify all these difficulties, because this is the age for all these difficulties. You must know it. They are trying to mitigate all these difficulties in different ways, but śāstra says that it is not possible. Only, it is possible only by chanting the harer nāma, the holy name of the Lord. The holy name of the Lord is Kṛṣṇa, Rāma. Other names are there, but they are subordinate. Not subordinate. There is no question of "superior" or "inferior" in the holy name of the Lord. But we have to pick up the order of the śāstras. Tasmād śāstra-vidhānokta As the śāstra gives regulative, we have to accept that. And if we do not accept that, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23), if we do whimsically, then na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, you cannot get any perfection of life, na sukham, neither you'll be happy.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:
Mūḍha-dṛśā. Mūḍha. Mūḍha means the same ass, those who are seeing like ignorant or ass. What is the example? Just like an actor, theatrical actor playing on the stage. A child, he is seeing somebody acting, but the child has forgotten that his father acting. Because the father has dressed in a different way and he's a different posture, playing on the stage, although the child is sitting amongst the audience, he cannot understand that "He's my father playing." Because he hasn't got the understanding. It may be that who is elderly than me, that means one who is advanced his knowledge, he can see. Or the mother can say, "Oh, don't you see your father is playing there?" So although the child and the mother is there, one cannot see, other can see. That means one who has got knowledge, he can see. One who hasn't got knowledge, he cannot see, although God is everywhere. God is everywhere. Everywhere. Na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā (SB 1.8.19). Naṭo. Naṭo means the theatrical actor. When he is dressed just like an actor, the foolish man cannot see him. Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:
Everyone wants very comfortable life with good bank balance, good house, good wife, good children. That is their ambition. That is karmī. They have no other ambition. Similarly, jñānī. When the jñānī sees that his good wife, good family, good money, and good house is nonsense... "It will not stay, but for some years I can enjoy. Then it will be all vanquished." They are jñānīs. They know how things are happening. Therefore they want mukti. But there is still want, that "Now I have given up all this. I don't want this material happiness. Now I shall merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Because Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, so if I become one with Him, then I shall enjoy, supreme." The same enjoyment spirit is there, to merge into the Supreme. In a different way only. The karmīs are directly trying to enjoy sense enjoyment. They are indirectly wanting another kind, another higher status of sense enjoyment.
Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :
Although he is in your front, the father or the brother whom you see every day, this man, being, has dressed himself in such a way, he is playing the part of a king or something else, you can not understand. Somebody says, "Did you see your father is playing?" "Where is my father? Where is my father?" This is the position. Because Kṛṣṇa is playing His part in a different way. He has ot so much business because He is directing the whole universal affair. You can understand, if one man becomes busy in so many things, his brain becomes puzzled. But Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart—not only the human being; the animals, the trees, plants, everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ.
Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974:
So we have to understand the activities of Kṛṣṇa. He's not dull-headed, nirākāra. Why nirākāra? He is acting in so many ways, and who acts in different ways unless he's a person? This is the conclusion. Unless He's a person, how He can act in so many different ways, according to circumstances? Just like we are receiving so many letters from different centers. So unless I am a person, how can I give direction? It is not a dull stone. So Kṛṣṇa is not dull stone. Therefore we have to study Kṛṣṇa's activities. And if we can study Kṛṣṇa's activities, if we can understand Kṛṣṇa's birth and activities, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), immediately we become liberated.
Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:
Just like in Vṛndāvana, there is jñāna, but there is varieties. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as servant. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as friend. Somebody wants to appreciate Kṛṣṇa's opulence. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as father and mother. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as conjugal lover, as paramour—never mind. So somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as enemy, just like Kaṁsa. That is also vṛndāvana-līlā. He is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa in a different way, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Pūtanā, she also apparently came as lover of Kṛṣṇa, to offer her breast for sucking; but the internal desire was how to kill Kṛṣṇa. But that is also taken indirect love, indirect love. Anvayāt.
Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:
Just like we have got this nice, grand building in this district. If we think, "This is my building" or "My building," then there will be mishap. My Guru Mahārāja said. Personally he said that "When we were living in a rented house, if we could collect two hundred, three hundred rupees... We were living very nicely at Ultadanga. And since then—Jayavidatta has given us this marble palace, Gauḍīya-Maṭha—there is friction between our men. 'Who will occupy this room? Who will occupy that room? Who will be proprietor of room?' " Tīrtha Mahārāja... Kuñjabābā was giving one tablet, that "This is..." Everyone is planning in different way. So Guru Mahārāja said... He was personally instructing me that "If I could sell this marble of this temple, and secure some money, and if I could print some books, that would have been better. That would have been better."
Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:
So that attitude should be maintained because here it is said, tvām akiñcana-gocaram (SB 1.8.26). And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, he said that niṣkiñcanasya. Here it is called akiñcana. And the same thing in different way, niṣkiñcana. Akiñcana."A" means negation, and "na" means negation. Niṣkiñcana. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana, to advance in spiritual life, to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's devotional service, that is the aim of life. That is the purpose of human form of life. So for him, he should always remain niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. So therefore Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī, he remained niṣkiñcana. And his disciple, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, he also remained niṣkiñcana although he possessed so many temples, because nothing was for his personal..., but for Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:
Vaiṣṇava who is preaching, it may be in a different way, according to time and place and the party—they have to change something, deśa-kāla-pātra—but we have to see the essence. Wherever there is God consciousness, wherever is there understanding... Just like we sometime consult dictionary, a small dictionary, pocket dictionary, and a big international dictionary. Both of them are dictionaries. But according to time, deśa-kāla-pātra, for small child, that small dictionary is sufficient. Higher mathematics: higher mathematics and lower class ma... But the two plus two is always the same, in higher mathematics or lower mathematics. It is not that in the higher mathematics two plus two equal to five, no.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:
So when Kṛṣṇa was present, who could compete Him with His opulence? He had 16,108 wives, not loitering in the street, but each and every wife had big, big marble palaces, all marble palaces. Furniture with ivory, ivory and silk, and frames, all golden, garden with pārijāta, so many things. The... And not one palace, two palace. Sixteen thousand palaces. And Nārada was surprised: "What Kṛṣṇa is doing with sixteen thousand wives?" In each and every palace he entered, and he saw Kṛṣṇa is engaged in different way. Somebody is taking care of the children; somebody... Somewhere He is arranging for the marriage of His son and daughter. Somewhere He is engaged in other sixteen thousand..., in the sixteen thousand palaces, in sixteen thousand engagements, and queens. So this is called opulence, aiśvarya. Who can show this? And Kṛṣṇa showed it personally.
Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked to hear Vedānta. You know. And He was hearing. And Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was going on speaking, reciting Vedānta-sūtra. But He was simply hearing and then He was not asking any questions. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked that: "My dear boy, You are hearing, but You are not asking anything. What is this? You cannot understand? Or what is the reason that You are silent?" He said: "Yes, I'm understanding. But I am silent because you are explaining in a different way. Therefore I am simply hearing the verses of Vedānta-sūtra. I am not hearing you." Indirectly ... Of course, He was offering respect. Indirectly, he said that: "You are explaining the meaning foolishly." He said later on that: "I see, I hear the verses just like sunshine. But you are explaining just like covering cloud. This is your explanation." Sun is ... Nobody requires any lamp to see the sun. Everyone can see. But if it is covered by the cloud, it is very difficult to see. So this Māyāvāda interpretation is, explanation, means covering the real meaning. That's all. They do so like that. They'll never accept the direct meaning. Kurukṣetra dharmakṣetra... Even big, big political leaders. They will cover: "Kurukṣetra means this, dharmakṣetra means this." No. Hearing should be ... Our policy is hearing the original, as it is. Then it will be effective.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
Two things are there: maintenance and law and order. So similarly, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also the same thing. But so far we are concerned, because we are not in political power... Otherwise we have, would have followed the principles of Kṛṣṇa. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown us the way, that we kill the demons in a different way. We kill the demons in this way: By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we purify him so that his demonic activities are stopped. That is also another way of killing. He stops his demonic activities. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, that He did not kill Jagāi-Mādhāi. Although He wanted to kill them because they insulted Vaiṣṇava, but still, Nityānanda Prabhu reminded Him that "In this incarnation, You promised that You'll not kill. So have mercy upon them." So their demonic activities were killed.
Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:
Prajā means one who taken birth in the kingdom. That is called prajā. So animal is also American, man is also American, but there is no protection for the animal by the government. So that kind of government, rascal government, was not there. Equal right. Your country says equality given. Why not equality to the animals? That is defect. It is due to, I mean to say, absence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person will not distinguish like that. For eating animal, they will philosophize that animal has no soul; therefore it can be killed. No. This is nonsense. Everyone has got soul. Even a small ant has got soul. But they have to kill. They have to eat. They are philosophizing different way. Lord Jesus Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill," and now they are interpreting, "Killing means murdering human being." But that is not in the Bible.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
Sometimes in the year 1931 or '32 I had a very severe tooth pain. So I was taken by my servant in the jungle to some, this vaidya. They cured me, and the dentist could not. I attended so many times to the dentist. I have got my practical experience. And in the Ayurvedic literature there is mention some drug, the root only if you touch here, the germs collected in the teeth, they will come out in the corner of the teeth some germs—sometimes it is itching; there is all germs—so they will come out. Sometimes pains in the toe. All they are germs. The germ theory is all right, but they want to cure these germs in different way. But by nature's way there are so many drugs and roots and creepers that can cure all the diseases.
Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:
There are two kinds of association with women, vaidha and avaidha. Vaidha means according to śāstra, and avaidha means without any restriction, without any restriction of the śāstra. So asat, eka strī-saṅgī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. And the sahajiyās, rascals, they interpret: asat eka strī-saṅgī. One who has got only one wife, he's asat. One must have many wives. The sahajiyās, you know. They keep so many women, like monkeys, in their company. You see, they have interpreted in this way. Asat eka strī-saṅgī. So we, we, śāstra restricts, but rascals, they interpret in a different way, and they enjoy.
Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:
So God or demigod, everyone can be akṣi-gocarāḥ, within the purview of your vision, provided you are qualified. This is the process. These rascals say, "Can you show me God?" But what power you have got to see? First of all gain that qualification. Then you will see. God is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān... Even He is within the atom. Therefore one who is not competent to see God, he is advised to see God in different way in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: (BG 7.8) "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." So you try to see God there in the taste of water. At the present moment, we have got many senses. You want to see God with the eyes. So begin with your tongue. This is also another sense.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:
Everything is there. We know that this body is asat, antavanta. Antavanta means "which has got an end." Antavanta ime dehāḥ. This body has got an end at a certain date. Everyone knows. But the, the other is... Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. But within the body, which is the living force of this body, which is moving this body, that is nitya. Two things are there: my body and the force within the body. Everyone knows as soon as the force is withdrawn or gone away that this body has no more movement, it has no value. That everyone knows. But they will explain in different way. But according to our Vedic knowledge, that which is moving this body, that is eternal. That is not finished. "After the end of this body, the body is burnt into ashes or into, buried into the earth, and still?" Yes. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:
So you hear about Kṛṣṇa, you chant about Kṛṣṇa, you memorize or remember about Kṛṣṇa. You worship Kṛṣṇa, the Deity, arcanam. You offer prayers to Kṛṣṇa. There are nine different ways. So you just try to understand Kṛṣṇa in nine processes or either of, some of the processes, or one process only, Kṛṣṇa will agree. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, His nature, then, actually, you become liberated. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is the process. Real problem is how to get out of this material existence. If we remain attached to this material existence, either in this body or in the society or in the nationalism or in the greater, greater, greater—you make greater—but that is your bondage.
Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:
Everyone is trying to get some taste. So this is the beginning of taste. So we have got attraction, natural attraction. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam. This material world is simply attraction of this sex life. So when they are actually unite(d) in different ways... But they must unite. Either in a legal way or illegal way, they must unite. Because attraction is there. But human civilization, they have given some law, not like cats and dogs. Just like in the morning, in the street we saw, the dogs were enjoying sex life. So in the human society, that kind of sex enjoyment, although it is now actually being done in the Western countries... I have seen it. You see? In some public parks or in beach. They don't care, becoming just like cats and dogs, no human civilization. So for human civilization, there is some restriction: the allowance, marriage. That is a civilized way. And the fact is the same, but in a civilized way there is.
Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:
This is confirmed in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting on the same tree as friends. One is eating the fruit, one is simply observing. Anumantā. That is stated in the Bhag... Upadraṣṭā anumantā. Anumantā. Anumantā means you cannot touch any fruit of this world without the sanction of the Supersoul. Therefore He is anumantā. If you say, "Then if He is giving me sanction for any action, then how I am responsible?" No. He is not giving. Because you are insisting, therefore He says, "All right, do it, at your risk." He is insisting, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Simply surrender." He is insisting that. But you are insisting in a different way: "I want to steal, I want to this, I want to this." But Kṛṣṇa knows everything, that "This rascal will do. All right, do it at your risk." Anumantā upadraṣṭā. And He remains witness: "Because you have done this, now you suffer. Now you suffer."
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:
So this is the business of God, thankless task. Everyone wants to enjoy life in a different way, and he has to find out a particular type of body. In the human form of body you cannot eat stool. Your mouth, your hands, your legs are differently made. So for eating stool, you must have a particular type of body, mouth, taste, tongue, everything different. Then you will enjoy stool. A tiger, his body is different because he wants to enjoy fresh blood from another animal. So he has got a different type of body. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, nānā joni sadā phire kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. We get different types of body and we eat different types of all nasty things. Nasty things. Because we have got a particular type of body. But actual human body is that, Kṛṣṇa conscious body.
Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
He does not give anything material opulence. Of course, if one is advanced in spiritual consciousness, material happiness is not very rare for him. That is automatically there. But the gift of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master is to inject him. Not inject him... The devotional service, love of Godhead is there, but to invoke it. This devotional service is not artificial. In every one of you there is dormant devotional service, as I have already explained, but they are exhibited in a different way. Instead of loving God, that devotional service is diverted in loving a dog. But the love is there. Love is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is said that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not an artificial thing that we have manufactured something, ideal thing, concocted, and we are preaching to the world that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." No. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. What is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness? To love God. That is there. We are simply helping that "You try to love God; then you'll be happy." That is our mission.
Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
Throughout the whole month of December you'll observe nice festivals, festivities. Why? Where it began? God consciousness. Lord Christ he came to give you God consciousness, and in his relationship these festivities are going on. It may be degraded in another form. The beginning is God consciousness, but we have lost it. So people cannot be happy without reviving God consciousness. It may be named in a different way—"Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That means God consciousness. That is the necessity. He's trying to love somebody. That somebody's love will be perfected when he loves Kṛṣṇa or God. We are teaching that. Try to love God, and if you love God, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then automatically you love everybody. That is the perfection of love.
Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:
Because you are a living entity, you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so actually you are trying to go to Kṛṣṇa. Just like a child is crying. The idea is that the child wants mother. Or mother's breast milk. That is his demand. But sometimes we do not know. We try to make the child comfortable in different ways. Similarly, all of us are searching after Kṛṣṇa. That is the fact. Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme, we are all, being parts and parcels, our natural tendency is to approach Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this. Mama vartmānu... "They are all trying to come to Me." But they are being hampered by different types of māyā. So the spiritual advancement means ultimately to approach Kṛṣṇa. This is very nicely explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The bhakti-latā, the creeper of bhakti, is growing, but it will go on growing, growing, growing, until the bhakti-latā, I mean to say, catches the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:
Actually the moon is not moving. It is a māyā, illusion. It appears that the moon is moving. But similarly, the living entity, because he is spiritual spark of the Supreme, it has not fallen. It has not fallen. But he is thinking, "I am fallen. I am material." That is the reason. He is thinking, "I am this body." Actually the body has no connection with me. That is experienced, that the body has no connection with the soul. The body is changing, dying. But I am the same. The same example, the moon: The cloud is passing over in different way. The moon is far away from the cloud, and it has nothing to do with the cloud, but it appears the moon is moving. (break) Try to understand. Have questions and answer. It is very important thing. Ātma-māyām ṛte rājan. Except ātma-māyā, the illusory energy... It is the maneuver or handling of the illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa. This illusory energy develops when we forget Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is... In other words, this illusory identification of me with the body is simply due to my forgetfulness. We wanted to forget, we wanted to give up Kṛṣṇa and wanted to enjoy this material world.
Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:
According to the association with the modes of material nature, we are getting different types of body. And according to different types of body, we are developing different types of consciousness. Is it very difficult to understand? But when we transcend this bodily concept of life, then we come to the one standard consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand. If there is any difficulty, ask. It is very important. Why there are different consciousness? Everyone could take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they cannot take it because they have got bodily concept of life. And body means association with the modes of material nature in a different way. Try to understand. Is there any question on this point? Say it clearly. If you have understood, explain. It is very important point.
Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:
Just like here is now electric light. If the, some way or other, the current is off, it will be dark. Everyone knows it. We require artificial light because it is darkness. So Kṛṣṇa has given this artificial light both day and night. In the day there is sunshine, and there is moonshine at night. Because without light you cannot work. Without... You are very much proud of your eyes: "Can you show me God?" So the answer will be, "Have you got the eyes to see God? You rascal, you want to see God. Have you got the eyes to see God?" "No, sir." "Then why you want to see God?" God can be seen in a different way. God can be seen... Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). When you will be devotee, lover of God, then, by that ointment, your eyes will be cleared and you will be seeing God. Now, here is God. Kṛṣṇa. Here is God. Why the people in Bombay, those (who are) challenging, "Can you show me God?" they do not come here? Because they have no love. A few devotees here, they understand that here is God. They can see here is God. But the rascals, they cannot see God. So even though he has got eyes, he cannot see God. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25).
Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:
Now, Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He says that "I worship the original person, Govinda." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Everywhere you'll find. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat... (BG 7.7). "I..." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). He has no ādi. Somebody will say, "Why not? Kṛṣṇa is born of Vasudeva. Vasudeva is His father." That is His acceptance, a devotee as father. There are dealings of the devotee and the Bhagavān in different ways: śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. We can have relation... We have that relation. Now it is covered. We can revive it again. Simply appreciation of the Supreme, that is called śānta-rasa. When one appreciates fully, then he wants to give some service. That is called dāsya. And giving service, when he becomes more intimate, then he becomes friend. That is called sākhya. And then, more advanced, the devotee wants to give service to Kṛṣṇa as father. Father-mother means to give service to the son. From the very beginning, even as a sweeper, all taking care.
Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:
Sattva-guṇa means execute... The symbolic presentation is perfect brāhmaṇa. So even if we are very perfect brāhmaṇa, so I think that "I am so..., such a learned person. I understand the Vedic principles. So I..." The same, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). The same principle, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). But if you are raised in the sattva-guṇa, then there is chance of understanding your position. In the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa you cannot. Tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, you remain like animal, like cats and dogs. But when you come to the platform of sattva-guṇa... That you can come by following the principles, and then the attachment... Guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. Then your conditioned life on account of being attached to the material qualities will be finished. How? Simple thing. Everyone can attain to the platform of sattva-guṇa if he follows the instruction. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is said in different way, these languages and Vedic scriptures.
Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:
So this devotional service, this line of action, is so nice that if we practice, if we make advance, then even in this material world, staying, there will be no more suffering. That is called jīvan mukta. Jīvan mukta means although he is in this body, but he is not suffering the bodily miserable condition. It is a question of absorption of thought. I have read in some paper that Mr. Stalin, the communist leader, he had to undergo a surgical operation of operating on the belly. But doctor wanted to, what is called, chloroform, but he said, "No, there is no need. You can go on with your operation." So even in ordinary life it is possible. Because the mind is absorbed in a different way, even a surgical operation does not disturb a man. Similarly, what to speak of spiritual life, if your mind is always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is stated mad-gata-cetasaḥ, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa advises also. What is His advice? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "You always think of Me."
Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:
So Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was also a rājarṣi. He gave example: although he was busy in his administration work, still, he was talking only of Kṛṣṇa, only. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Whenever he would talk, he will talk about Kṛṣṇa. This required practice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised all His devotees, grāmya-kathā nā kahibe. This requires... This is called advancement. Don't talk nonsense of these material talks. What is the use? What you will gain? Just like you open the newspaper. What do you find? The same thing. The same plane crash, the same politician condemn another politician, and something lost, something gained, something... It is punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The same thing are being repeated in different way. So what is the use of talking such thing? Better, if you want to talk, talk on Kṛṣṇa, talk on Bhagavad-gītā, talk on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and enjoy life. That is required.
Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:
So the sādhus have been described in different way:
- titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
- suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
- ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
- sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ
- (SB 3.25.21)
We have discussed these verses. A sādhu... Because everything you want to learn, you have to take some penance voluntarily, so we have to give up something in the beginning. Just like we advise, "No illicit sex, no intoxication, even up to smoking biḍi and taking tea." So one who is accustomed to these habits, for him to give up immediately these things, it becomes a little painful. Therefore one has to become tolerant, "Never mind. I will have to become free." Just like to become cured from some disease, we agree to undergo surgical operation although it is very painful, tolerate; similarly, we have to learn toleration although there will be some pain. That is called titikṣavaḥ.
Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:
We have several times discussed this point that the so-called scholars, politicians, and philosophers, they read Bhagavad-gītā and comment in a different way. This is their foolishness. They cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "It is just licking the bottle of honey." Now you want honey. I give you one bottle, but you do not know how to taste it. You begin to lick up the bottle. Then what you will taste? If you think, "Here is the bottle of honey. Let me lick," you will not get any taste. It must be opened. But the opening key is with the devotee. You do not know how to open it. Therefore it is said, satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ (SB 3.25.25). The devotees know how to open it, the bottle. And then they can taste. Therefore, sabhājayante mama pauruṣāṇi.
Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:
So who can be better guru than Kṛṣṇa? He is the original guru. Here it is stated, guruḥ. In the previous verse, yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ. Guruḥ. So you don't accept anyone guru, but accept guru, Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is instructing Bhagavad-gītā as guru. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Arjuna says, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am accepting as my guru. I am Your śiṣya." So everyone should become like that, accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. Or Kṛṣṇa's representative. You can say, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I don't find." But Kṛṣṇa's representative is there. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
So one who knows Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative. And to know Kṛṣṇa is very difficult task? No. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. But if you, like a rascal, interpret in a different way, then you are not a guru. You are a goru, then you are animal. You are guru so long you take Bhagavad-gītā as it is.
Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:
Sometimes foolish people question us that "You are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Why you do not worship Rāma?" Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. But anyone has got his liking. Just like Hanumān has liking to worship Lord Rāmacandra, and the gopīs had the liking to worship Kṛṣṇa. That does not make any difference. It is like... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, appears in different way. Sometimes the gopīs... The Kṛṣṇa went away from the gopīs, and the gopīs were searching out Kṛṣṇa. So in some place Kṛṣṇa was sitting in the Viṣṇu form. So the gopīs passed through that Deity, and they did not offer much respect. "Oh, He is Viṣṇu. All right, namaskāra." Because they wanted to see Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, but every devotee has got some inclination, love Kṛṣṇa. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). So therefore Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading in different mūrtis. Therefore in the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya some of them, they worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and some of them worship Sītā-Rāma. And some of them worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Some of them worship Rukmiṇī-Kṛṣṇa. There are so many devotees. But all of them are the same, Vaiṣṇava.
Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:
So the ānanda, the spiritual happiness is not without varieties, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Spirit, Brahman, Parabrahman, is full of happiness, and how happiness can be possible without varieties? Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So therefore this nirviśeṣa, nirākāra, or without any varieties, or voidness, this is not perfect knowledge. That is not self-realization. Self-realization is to understand that I am spirit soul. I do not belong to this material world. I am Brahman, not matter, that is called so 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But they have misinterpreted in a different way. So 'ham means, "I am the Supreme Lord." That is craziness. You are not Supreme Lord, but you are of the same quality. As Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He is also seeking enjoyment and because you are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you are also seeking enjoyment. But you are seeking enjoyment in a field which is just opposite, in the material world.
Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:
So condemned to death, we are acting in such a way. That is nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). We have got one life, and there is... According to the body, the dog is working in a certain way, the cat is working in a certain way, the man is working in a certain way, the brāhmaṇa is working in a certain way, the śūdra is working in certain way, according to the body. The child is working in a certain way. The grown-up young man is doing in certain way. So according to body, we are working in different way, vicitrāḥ, but they are all contaminated activities. Therefore we have go take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mām: "I understand that I am Your eternal servant. My position is Your servant. But I prefer to become the servant of māyā. Therefore this is my fallen position. If You kindly take me again." And He is ready. Kṛṣṇa is ready. Therefore He comes personally to canvass, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).
Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:
There is Bhagavān, and there is bhakta, just like master and the servant. And the relationship between the master and servant, the transaction, is service. So service we have to... That is our natural, natural instinct. We are giving service. But being contaminated, that consciousness, citta, being contaminated by these material elements, we are trying to give service in different way. Somebody is interested in giving service to the family, to the community, to the society, to the nation, to the humanity, to the more and more, but all these services, they are contaminated. But when you begin your service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is perfect service. That is perfect life. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to raise the human society to the perfect platform of rendering service.
Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:
Original body is within this material body. That is spiritual body. Asmin dehe dehinaḥ. Dehino 'smin, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), asmin dehinaḥ. So the spiritual body is actually the body, and this material body is covering. It is explained in different way in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This material body is just like dress. The dress... I am putting on the shirt, you are putting on the shirt and coat. That is not very important thing. The important thing is the body within the shirt. Similarly, this material body is simply outward covering of the spiritual body by physical atmosphere, but real body is within. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). This external, physical body is called deha, and the owner of this deha is called dehī, "one who possesses this deha." That you have to und... This is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:
So mind, it is expansion of the mind, different way. Mānasa-vṛtti. This is called the characteristic of the mind. Then subtle action of mind: thinking, feeling, willing. And the mind is expanding in hundreds, thousands, millions of ideas. In this way I am becoming entangled. So when this mind is controlled... The yoga system is for that purpose. Those who are too much bodily concept of life, bodily consciousness, they should practice this yoga, haṭha-yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, so that the mind can be purified. As soon as the mind is purified, then all this expansion into thousands and millions of ideas will be controlled, and the only idea will be Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga system, concentrating. Dhyānāvasthita yogena paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. Dhyānāvasthita-manasā: "The mind is controlled, and the focus of the mind is on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu." Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Then we can see the effulgence, and the localized, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:
Just like when our body becomes too much heated, there is perspiration, the water comes out, similarly, the same process we get the water, ambu. And as soon as there is water there is jihvā, the sense of touch, rasa-graha, which can taste. Jihvā is meant for tasting. So this is the way of physical manifestation of different ways. But on the background there is daiva-codita. Everything is coming into existence on account of superior management or superior impelling. That is the main proposition, that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). These things we..., physical transformation, different ways, we experience. That is the phenomenal world. But these things are taking place not automatically but daiva-coditāt, by superior intervention, impelled by the superior Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa or if anyone wants to understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly, tattvataḥ, in truth, then he has to understand it through bhakti, not any other process, although there are many other processes, different ways. Some so-called philosophers, they say that "We can adopt any process. It leads to the same goal." That's all right, provided you make progress. Then you'll reach to the same goal. But if you become stuck up with the process only, you do not make progress, then it does not lead to the same goal. Just like one staircase going to the fourth floor. So you cross, say, twenty-five steps. You are in a certain position. If you cross fifty steps, you are in a certain position. If you cross sixty steps... In this way, the final may be hundred steps.
Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:
So Kaṁsa was always thinking how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was thinking in a different way, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. A devotee thinks how to... (break) One is favorable, and the other is unfavorable. One is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him, and the other is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him. So this thinking, how to serve Him, is called bhakti, not the otherwise. As Kaṁsa was thinking how to kill Him, that is not bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Anukūla. Anukūla means favorable. If you think of Kṛṣṇa in various ways favorably—how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to decorate Kṛṣṇa, how to give Kṛṣṇa a nice place for residential quarter, temple, how to preach Kṛṣṇa's glories—in this way, if you think, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. That is first-class bhakti, how to serve Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to turn the consciousness. Everyone is thinking in a different way, consciousness. We are just trying to transfer their consciousness into Kṛṣṇa. Then he will be happy. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If we practice like that, then we become eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. We have to give up this body. But if we give up this body, at the time of death, if we can think of Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult, but if we practice it... Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Sadā means always. If we practice this simple method: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma..., then it is possible. So where is the difficulty? Where is the loss? If we ask you to do something, if you think there will be loss, you may reject it. But if there is no loss and the gain is that you get Kṛṣṇa, then why don't you do it? Such is our, what is called, bigotry, "No, we shall not chant. We shall not do this." This is our misfortune. Therefore, those who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they are the most fortunate persons in the world.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:
So the same principle is explained throughout all the Vedic literature in different way just to understand one's identity, that he is not this matter; he is spirit soul. And when he understands, then the next stage will be: "Then what is my duty?" Because at the present moment we are acting on the bodily concept of life, how this body shall be kept in comfort, how the bodily relationship—wife, children, family, community, society, nation... They are all expanded bodily concept of life. So in any conception of this material world, if we live, then you are living like cats and dogs. You are not living as human being. Otherwise where is the difference? When we see on the street two dogs are fighting, one dog is thinking, "This neighborhood is my jurisdiction, and why you have come from other jurisdiction in this neighborhood?" The fighting with the bodily concept of life. Or he is thinking, "This neighborhood belongs to me. Why you have come from other neighborhood here?" I say sometimes to my student, "This is immigration department. One dog is barking on other dog, 'Why you have come here?' " It is dog conception of life.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:
Just like I am coughing. So because I am, for the present moment, I am diseased. So this is the symptom of coughing. Similarly, why I am dying? This should be the question. Ke āmi kena more jāpaṭiyā traya. I hear from Bhagavad-gītā that I am eternal: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Then why I am dying? This is intelligence. Why I am dying? This "why." Kena Upaniṣad. But this is not being educated. We are carried away by the temporary problems and missing the chance of human life. This is not very good, and Ṛṣabhadeva especially instructs that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. If you actually want liberation from these clutches of māyā, vimukti, vimukti... Vimukti means liberation. What is liberation? Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. We are living in a different way. This is not mukti. This is conditioned. I am living as Indian condition, I am living as European condition. This is not mukti. You must live in your original form. That is called mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:
So Dr. Jyestish(?) gave stress on bhakti. That is very good idea. So simply by becoming bhakta... Kevalayā... Kecid kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parayaṇaḥ. Kevalayā bhakta. Simply if you take to the process of bhakti... That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhaktyā mām abhijānanti. If you want to know God, if you want to know the relationship with God, if you know what is your business after understanding God, then bhakti. Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa, no... Although there are different ways of self-realization—karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti, these are the principles. But Kṛṣṇa recommends that "If you want to know Me actually, then bhaktyā." Kṛṣṇa teaches Arjuna Bhagavad-gītā because Arjuna was a devotee. Bhakto 'si me priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "Because you are My dear friend and bhakta, therefore I am teaching you."
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
Here, in your America, Canada, if the temperature is ten degrees below zero, you suffer so much. How you can live there? So you have to purify yourself before entering moon planet. Similarly, you have, if you want to enter into the sun planet, you have to purify a different way. Similarly, there are different heavenly planets. What do they know? There are millions and millions of high-grade planets, and they are... There is Siddhaloka, perfectional, according to this material conception. They are called Siddhaloka. Siddhaloka means the residents of that planet can fly in the space without any mechanical or any support, aeroplane or anything like that. They can, automatically can, travel in the space. Just like Nārada Muni, he can travel in the space. There are different grades of purificatory processes and purified life. And the highest purified life is Kṛṣṇaloka. So these are not imagination. We get all this knowledge from Vedic, I..., literature.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:
Tattva-jijñāsā, that is the main business. Now, what is that tattva? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam: (SB 1.2.11) "Those who are aware of the tattva, they say that tattva means the Supreme Absolute Truth." Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Jñānam, that knowledge, is advaya. Advaya means without any duality. But they are expressed in three different ways—Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān—brahmeti paramātmeti, according to the stage of understanding. Those who are in the lower stage—we cannot say lower—in the beginning stage, that is Brahman realization. And one who has made further progress, that is Paramātmā realized. And one who has made further progress, that is Bhagavān realization. This is the verdict. So if you realize Bhagavān, then vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Then you'll understand that Vāsudeva, Bhagavān, He is Paramātmā. He's also Brahman. Rather, He is Parabrahman.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:
It is very great shackle, repetition of birth and death, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). One should understand this implication, how we are implicated. We are thinking, "Now I am very happy." No, next moment you can become a low-graded body because karmaṇā daiva... If we are acting in a different way, the nature's way is to give you... Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Guṇa-saṅga. As we are associating, infecting the different types of material modes of nature, the body is ready immediately. Everything is explained. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death everything will be, I mean to say, the atmosphere of our death. So, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. If you have acted like devas or bhaktas, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) you can immediately transfer to the spiritual world, go to Kṛṣṇa, go to Vaikuṇṭha. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you are thinking of some demigods whom you are worshiping, you can go there. Bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, then you go immediately. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Everything is there.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:
Every living entity will multiply. That is another thing. I mean to say from cow you get milk. From milk you get butter and so many milk products. And from the fields you get sufficient grains and fruits. So your economic question is solved immediately. If you have got some land, the land is..., immense land is still lying vacant all over the world. Yes. But they have diverted their energy in a different way. That is the miscalculation of the present civilization. They have forgotten that the aim of human life is to advance oneself in spiritual realization. So time should be saved as much as possible, and that time should be utilized for spiritual realization. But we have encumbered our civilization in such a way that we have lost all simple living thing. We have manufactured in so many ways encumbered ways of life. Therefore we have neglected spiritual life. And because we have neglected spiritual life there is no peace. If you want really peaceful life, then you have to make your material necessities simplified and engage your time for spiritual cultivation. Then you will have peace.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:
He is first-class yogi. So everything is there ending in bhakti. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, the only talk is about bhakti, in a different way, either through karma-yoga, or jñāna-yoga, or haṭha-yoga. The point is how to become a devotee, and at the end He concludes, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the conclusion of, so these things cannot be understood by anyone who is not a devotee. Without being devotee, you cannot understand. Therefore there are so many, the politicians, the scholars, they are commenting Bhagavad-gītā in so many ways, but they are misled. Because they are not devotee of Kṛṣṇa. They cannot poke their nose in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. So Arjuna was bhakta, therefore Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to him. Not to a yogi, not to a karmī, not to a jñānī. This is the answer.
Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:
So the same thing is repeated in different way in different places. Here also it is said, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). These rascals have become so mad, pramattaḥ. Prakṛṣṭha rūpena mattaḥ. Mattaḥ means mad, intoxicated. And one, another, pra. Pra means prakiṣṭha, sufficiently mad. So these materialistic persons, you will see everywhere. They're running here and there. Especially in the Western countries, from the early morning, from five o'clock or still earlier, the whole street is full of motorcars. They are going to their work. Those who have gone to foreign countries, you have seen. In every big, big city of the Western countries they are always busy. They work. Now we are also imitating them.
Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:
Those who are trying to be happy in this material world, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ... (BG 7.20). They, people generally, they are kāma, this kāma, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī, this is kāma. This kāma is manifested in different ways. The actually the central point is kāma. So that when that kāma is fulfilled Because a man is searching after woman and woman is searching after man, when they unite, then the kāma becomes hard knot, very tightly. When they are separated, there is chance of not being tied, but as soon as they are tied by marriage or by some way or other, then tayor mitha hṛdaya-granthim āhur. Hṛdaya-granthim. We are already attracted to these things, and when it is united, then we see practically in our Indian families that when the boy is grown up and the girl is grown up, the father-mother unite them by marriage system. Everywhere. But India still going on. Why? Because unless he is married, he'll not get attracted to this material life.
Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:
This bhakti-latā-bīja can be obtained through the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. Here Ṛṣabhadeva, who is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, therefore He says mayi, haṁse gurau mayi. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa. "Well, I know Kṛṣṇa. I shall go to Kṛṣṇa directly, without guru." There are many rascals, they say like that. No, that is not possible. First of all guru, then Kṛṣṇa. Haṁse gurau mayi, bhaktyānuvṛtyā. So these are description, this is the beginning. If we actually practice the description of the prescription given in the śāstra, then it will be possible that, as it is said, karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta. Then our strong desire to enjoy this material world in different way, that will be slackened. That is wanted.
Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:
We have several times explained this, who is bona fide spiritual master, confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā, "You become a guru on My instruction." So those who are affiliated with Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, he is guru. Not anyone else. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Then one may argue that if Caitanya Mahāprabhu is ordering, so anyone can order? No, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not ordering something new. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Under My instruction you become guru." But the instruction is Kṛṣṇa's, the same instruction, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also does not deviate from kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, what to speak of others. And those rascals who are deviating from the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, how he can become guru? They are interpreting in a different way, how they can become guru? That is not guru. We should simply remember this fact, whether this person is speaking the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, as Rāmānujācārya says, even Śaṅkarācārya.
Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:
Therefore avoid this rascal process, to read something and interpret in a different way. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to do that. Guru more mūrkha dekhi karila śāsana. So we should not try to become very learned scholar by misreading the Vedic literature. Take the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Not Caitanya Mahāprabhu—the śāstra, the Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya. Sādhu will not speak anything which is not in the śāstra. That is sādhu. Sādhu cannot manufacture anything. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that,
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir...
- (CC Adi 17.21)
Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa as many times as possible and be liberated.
Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:
Just surrender. Surrender means to surrender... Mayy āsakta manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is surrender. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, we cannot take shelter directly, mad-āśrayaḥ. But you can take shelter of a person who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. If one is surcharged with electricity, if you touch him, then you will be also electrified. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo (BG 4.2). Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago He spoke Bhagavad-gītā. How we can hear Him? Yes, you can hear Him by paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa says repeatedly that "I am this, I am this," and Arjuna understands Him, "Yes, You are this." Sarvam etān ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava. Then he understands. He is directly understanding. And you take the version of Arjuna. Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Why you, rascal, interpret in a different way, rascal? What right you have got? "My Kṛṣṇa is like that. My Kṛṣṇa..." What right you hve got? Kṛṣṇa says like this; one who listen to Kṛṣṇa about Kṛṣṇa, he says like that. You rascal, why do you interpret in a different way? This is going on.
Lecture on SB 5.6.11 -- Bombay, December 29, 1976:
Those who have come to the stage of seeing everyone on the equal terms... Equal terms means spiritually. That we invite everyone. There is no discrimination. We don't care for the designations. We invite everyone to leave aside the designation and come in your original form and be Kṛṣṇa conscious and be happy, for which we are prepared to take all kinds of incon... There is no inconvenience, but suppose in the old age I am traveling all over the world. People think that I have taken some hardship. But for Kṛṣṇa's sake, even it is hardship... Actually, there is no hardship. But even it is hardship, we should take it. Para-upakāra. People are in ignorance, they are suffering, and it is especially India's business to release them from this material suffering and give them information about the Vaikuṇṭha world, the world of no anxiety. And try to train them in different ways. That is the real welfare activity in the human society.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:
Sarva upādhi-vinirmuktam. Upādhi means designation. I am spirit soul, but because I have accidentally..., or my result action, resultant action of my past karma, I am thinking, "I am Indian," somebody is thinking "I am American." So this is the designation of the soul. I am neither Indian, nor somebody is American, somebody is Australian. We are living soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is my position. But being designated in a different way, I have become a servant of that designation. So bhakti... Bhakti means nivṛtti-mārga, to become free from all these designations. That is called bhakti. The definition of mukti, or liberation, or becoming free from the designation, is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: Mukti means when we give up the service in designation and we are situated in our original constitutional position. That is called mukti, liberation, or salvation, whatever you like. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa. What is my own constitutional position? I am eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. This is my position. So when we give up all these designation service and engage myself in the real service of the real master, that is called mukti, liberation.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:
So we should be prepared like that, that we have served our propensities, different propensities, lusty desire, greediness, anger, kāma, krodha, lobha, mohaḥ... Mohaḥ means illusion. I am doing something wrong, and I am thinking it is all right. This is called illusion, mohaḥ. Mātsarya. Mātsarya means envious, to become envious. Every one of us, either individually or socially or community-wise or nationally, we are all envious. The Russians, they are envious of the Americans, and the Americans, they are envious of the Russians. Similarly, everyone. That is the nature. So we are serving all these propensities. Now, this is called pravṛtti-mārga, progress towards sense gratification in different ways. And if we stop that and make progress to our real self-realization, real happiness, that is called nivṛtti-mārga.
Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "Whatever punishment I have described in the Fifth Canto on account of different sinful activities, one has to suffer that unless he commits..., unless he performs atonement." This is the... Na ced ihaivāpacitiṁ yathāṁhasaḥ kṛtasya kuryān mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. We can commit sinful activities in different ways. Mana, even by mind, we can commit sinful activities. If I contemplate something sinful by my mind, then we become affected. Therefore we must keep always sinless. Kaya-mana-vākya. This sannyāsa tridaṇḍa... There are three rods within the stick or the cover, three daṇḍas. Not three, four. Three is kaya—body, mind, kaya, mana, and words, and one he is personally. Therefore there are four sticks within the daṇḍa. Those who have taken sannyāsa, they know it. The idea is that "I surrender to my spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa." Spiritual master is identical with Kṛṣṇa because he gives true knowledge. Therefore he is as good as God. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata **.
Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:
We have to associate either with the modes of goodness or with the modes of passion or with the modes of ignorance. Now, three into three, it becomes nine, and nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. So mixture. Just like color. There are three colors: blue, red and yellow. Now, those who are expert in manufacturing color, artists, they mix these three colors in different way and they display. Similarly, according to the guṇas or mixture, association—kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya—we get different types of bodies. Therefore we see so many varieties of bodies. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). So the person who is taking very much pleasure, dancing in the sea like fish, so he is contaminating that modes of nature so that in next life he will become a fish. He'll be very free to dance with the ocean. (laughter) Now it will take again millions of years to come to the stage of human being. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. He has to pass through the fish life.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:
Prabhupāda: That struggle for existence is explained by different scholars and philosophers in different way. But actually there is struggle for existence and they are trying to be happy manufacturing different types of struggle for existence. The other day who was saying that they have now discovered another way of happiness. Flying in the air? Yes. Now the sufferers, or what is called?
Devotee: Surfers. Prabhupāda: That is not sufficient. Now they want to fly. You see. Another discovery. This is going on. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Actually they are manufacturing different ways of suffering. And there is no happiness. Simply the business is going on, manufacturing different ways of suffering. So therefore that is disease. This is our material disease, and it is recommended here that before the next death, if we come to the right conclusion how we shall become happy, then this process of continuously dying and again taking birth and again disease and again old age, then it is not very good.
Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:
Punar-janma-jayāya: "To stop next birth." Punar-janma-jayāya, the Buddhist philosophy, punar-janma-jayāya means they take it that no more birth, but finish this business in the different way. They do not believe that there is next life, but dismantle this material condition of life. That is their nirvāṇa theory. Because Buddha philosophy was taught not amongst very intelligent person, atheist class of men. So that is punar... They are also trying for punar-janma-jayāya. The Christians, the Lord Christ, he also said that "Come to kingdom of God," not repetition of birth here again and again. That is the principle of all religious system. Punar-janma-jayāya. So it is not for the Hindus, Muslim, or Christian. Every human being should try his best, how to avoid to get another material body. This is the basic principle of civilization.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:
We are discussing this verse, that "Somebody," kecit, "not all." Kecit, "Somebody, simply by acting devotional service, devotional service to Vāsudeva, he immediately finishes all reaction of sinful life." Simply by devotional service unto the Vāsudeva, one can become free from all sinful reaction of life. Bhaktyā means "by devotional service." So bhaktyā, there are nine different processes. (break) ...and the same, but according to our capacity they are divided into nine processes. So it begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma... (SB 7.5.23). Beginning with śravaṇam, hearing. (break) ...nine processes are hearing, chanting, then worshiping, serving, offering everything. In this way there are nine different ways. The beginning is hearing. Hearing, just you all ladies, gentlemen, you have come here to hear. Then hearing, if your hearing is perfect, then kīrtanam, means describing or preaching.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:
Just see. And he was persecuted, and still, he was kind. He was kind. Still, he was praying to God that "These rascals are doing. They cannot kill me, but they are thinking that I will be killed. So they are committing offense." So this is toleration, and kāruṇikāḥ. Similarly, there are many examples. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ, and suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: (SB 3.25.21) friend of all living entities. Lord Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." He never said that... Now they are interpreting in a different way: "The animal has no soul, and you can kill animals and keep slaughterhouse." So who is a Christian? I do not know who is a Christian. They profess to be Christian. It is very difficult to find out a true Christian who is strictly following the words of Lord Jesus Christ. So he is a good example of sādhu. We therefore adore and offer our obeisances to Lord Christ.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:
So it is intelligence. You are drinking the blood in a different way, produced by nature with more vitamin values and more taste and more gentleman. Why should you kill one cow and try to drink the blood? The blood is there already, but in a different form, without any violence. And we have seen it. It is practical experience that if the cows are assured they would not be killed, they will give you double milk. That we have experience. And it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that siṣicuḥ... We have not got here the verse. The purport is that during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, the cows were so happy and jubilant that from their milk bag always drop milk, so that the pasturing ground became muddy with milk.
Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:
So we have to understand that what is the aim of life. Aim of life is go back to home, back to Godhead. Unless we understand this, our life is in darkness. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are trying to be happy in this place of miserable condition, manufacturing so many ways of life. In the modern age they are thinking that "If we have got a very nice car and nice residential quarter and nice wife..." Oh, people also do not care now for wife and children. They want car, of course. (laughter) That is essential, although at any moment he can meet accident and finish. So this is not the aim of life. The aim of life is described that how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be. So if that is our aim of life, then we must engage ourself in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Otherwise we shall continue and drag the miserable condition of life, means we shall change in different ways, but it will never be successful.
Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:
Vyāsadeva is the writer of Vedānta philosophy, and he has written a comment personally so that in future, rascals may not misrepresent Vedānta. There are so many bhāṣyas, but that is not commentary. Real commentary... The author knows what he wants to speak. So Vedānta is the compilation by Vyāsadeva. So he knows what he wants to speak. What others have got the right? Just like Bhagavad-gītā. The purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is known by Kṛṣṇa. Why the rascals comment in different way? They may write their rascal philosophy other... Why they touch Bhagavad-gītā and give different interpretation? They have no right. I have written a book; I have got my purpose. Why you should poke your nose and make it a different purpose? This is very mischievous rascaldom. So we want to stop this. We present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as Kṛṣṇa says. We don't allow any rascal to comment upon Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is very natural.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
In the Govardhana chapter He stressed: simply the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be satisfied. That is stated everywhere, in Bhagavad-gītā also, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). So Indra, when his yajña was stopped, so he tried to punish the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by torrents of, incessant torrents of rain for seven days—havoc. The whole Vṛndāvana was to be drowned under water, and Kṛṣṇa immediately lifted the whole Govardhana Hill. And He stood seven days without taking any food and protected all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Now God is displaying as God. When these things are there, the rascals will say, "Oh, these are all legends." When God displays Himself as God, the rascals take it as legend. Just see. They do not believe in the śāstras. They interpret in a different way. Is it not? Yes. And this is going on. And they are supposed to be... What is their interpretation about this Govardhana Hill? Do you know? Kṛṣṇa's lifting the Govardhana Hill, what, how they interpret it? I know, the Māyāvādīs, they do not accept. Or "Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being." The Ārya-samājīs and others, they take it as legend. But the ācāryas, they do not take it as legend. Therefore we have to follow the ācāryas.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:
So he does not say that one who has passed M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C. No, he doesn't say that. He says any person who has learned to see like this. What is that? Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Everyone's wife should be considered, para-dāra, para means other's wife, mātṛvat, mother. Therefore the Vedic system is when we address another woman, "Mother." No other address. "Mother, can I do this? Would you like this?" The address should be "mother." Practice, this is practice. A brahmacārī is practiced. He goes to every householder's wife, "Mother, give me some..." Just like this child, if he is taught from the very beginning of his life that "Address all woman as mother," that training and intermingling with anyone, that is a different way. That is brahmacārī.
Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:
If you don't clean your life, then you'll have to accept another body according to karma. We have to accept that the whole human mission is to stop this repetition of birth... They do not know. There is no science, there is no philosophy, there is no education throughout the whole world. But the aim of life is to stop these four things: birth, death, old age and disease. They cannot think of. How it can be stopped? They cannot think of. They're trying the different way—contraceptive method of killing the child. That is not how to stop this. No. Nature's law is so strong that if you kill the child in the womb then you'll be also killed. You'll be also killed. Tit for tat. There is no escape. "Life for life," just like in the law. You cannot do that. So this is very important things to understand. You are thinking very free but no, there is: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Exactly. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22).
Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:
"You are so beautiful-looking that all of your eyes are just like lotus petals." Sarve padma-palāśākṣāḥ pīta-kauśeya-vāsasaḥ: "And you are very nicely dressed with yellow colored garments and ornaments," and kirīṭinaḥ, "with helmet," kirīṭinaḥ kuṇḍalinaḥ, "earrings, nice earrings, nice jewels, helmets," kirīṭinaḥ kuṇḍalino lasat-puṣkara..., "and with nice flower garlands." This is the description of the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭhaloka. There is no hat-coat-pant. They are dressed in a different way.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is Vedic movement, authorized. Veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he knows what is dharma and what is adharma. He knows who is punishable, who is not punishable. In this way, if you follow the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... It is in a different way. Not different way; Kṛṣṇa name is there. When I registered this association, many friends requested me that "Why you are, nomenclature, this 'Kṛṣṇa'? Make it 'God consciousness.' " And "No." As soon as I give "God consciousness," all the rascals will bring so many false God. Therefore it must be definitely stated, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So try to follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then you will be situated in the Vedic civilization, and you will know everything properly. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:
The Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything, whatever we see, it has got a source of generation, and that is Brahman, Absolute Truth. So these guṇas, these material guṇas, they are also generated from the Absolute Truth. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā also. But here everything is perverted reflection. Therefore we see in a different way it is represented. Guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham. And those qualities, guṇa-nāma, guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpaiḥ, when the qualities begin to act, they are represented in different varieties, these qualities. These qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance, when they are interacted, they represent in different varieties of representation. Just like when there is quality of goodness, then it is brahmanism. That is the representation of the quality of goodness. And when the quality of passion is represented, that is the quality of kṣatriya. And when the quality of ignorance is represented, that is the presentation of the śūdras. And mixed-up quality of ignorance and passion, that is vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "These four qualitative representation, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya..."
Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:
Just like Jarāsandha. Jarāsandha was a kṣatriya, and he was... At the same time, a kṣatriya's quality is charitable. Formerly the kings, they would distribute! money like anything. They would collect money by taxing, but at the same time, they would distribute. The example is given in the case of Mahārāja Daśaratha, that he was exacting taxes just like the sunshine exacts water from the sea, and it turns into cloud and it distributes all over the planet. Similarly, the kṣatriya's duty is to collect... Government's duty is to collect tax, heavily tax. But the money should be distributed to all the citizens by different way. That is the way, dāna-bhāva-jam, not that I collect tax and I engage it in my sense gratification; I employ three hundred prostitutes for dancing before me. These are... This is the cause of falling down of monarchy system. Therefore people are in democracy. And the democracy is also failure. Every democratic member has become another debauchee. So therefore it is coming down to Communism, dictatorship. You see? So in this way things are changing. But actually, if they follow the symptoms of a kṣatriya, then it is good for the kṣatriya king and the citizens.
Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:
In another place, in the Third Canto, I think, it is described, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We are acting in different way. We are not independent. This is foolishness. Just like an outlaw. He is thinking that he is free from the jurisdiction of state laws, and he is working irresponsibly, but when he is arrested, then he has no independence. He has to undergo the punishment. Similarly, in this life we may think very independent, "Whatever we like, we can do." That is foolishness. You cannot do that. If you do it wilfully, then you will be punished. That they do not know.
Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:
So all catastrophes are happening on account of this rascal mind. Mind is not rascal; I am rascal. I am using my mind in a different way. So this can be stopped. You can control the mind if you place your mind always at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he practiced it. He was very responsible emperor of the world. He had many responsible duties, but he was a great devotee. How? This is the process, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18), always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. When the mind is controlled, if you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then this māyā cannot touch your mind. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, nāhi tāhāṅ māyāra adhikāra. Māyā andhakāra.
Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:
So this embracing of young man and young woman on the public street was strictly prohibited, especially for the higher castes. But the śūdras, the lower class, fourth-class men, they used to do such things sometimes, not always. And what was their position? Pitvā ca madhu maireyaṁ madāghūrṇita-netrayā. They were not only embracing but they were drunken. And their eyes were rolling in a different way. Mattayā, and being mad, almost mad, mattayā, or intoxicated, viślathan nīvyā vyapetaṁ nirapatrapam, the dress of both of them were loose and they did not care for it. So in this posture—krīḍantam, doing their own business; anugāyantam, singing; hasantam, laughing, cheering, hasantam; anayāntike, in a place in the forest—so he saw, this young man. So after seeing that, he also become inclined, lusty, and that will be explained next, that he became a victim of this lusty woman and then he lost his good character and left home and his young wife, coming of very respectable family. He forgot everything. Then, in association with this prostitute, he gradually became degenerated, degraded. He became a thief. He became a rogue. He became a cheater. That will be explained later on.
Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:
Sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they say that any name, either of Hari or any other demigod, is equal. No. That is not. That is nāmāparadha. If one thinks that the holy name of Hari is as good as the name of other demigods, then it is nāmāparadha. That is not śuddha-nāma. So people are being misguided in that way. But the śāstra does not say that. The śāstra says, harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21), the holy name of Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu-tattva. Hari means Viṣṇu-tattva. There are... Tattva is manifested in different ways: Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva, like that. So śāstra says that harer nāma, Viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu... Of course, Lord Viṣṇu has several thousands of names according to His different activities: Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Govinda, Mādhava, many names. So any name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari... Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma. The śāstra reminding us three times.
Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:
So the first stage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is full of offenses. But if one sticks to the principle... Therefore we have to chant regularly sixteen rounds at least. So even there are offenses, by simply chanting and being repentant that "I have committed this offense unnecessarily or without knowledge," so simply be repentant and go on chanting. Then the stage will come. It is called nāmābhāsa. That is offenseless, when there is no more offenses. That is called nāmābhāsa. At nāmābhāsa stage one becomes liberated immediately. And when one is liberated, if he goes on chanting—naturally he will go on chanting—then his love of Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest. These are the three stages of chanting: chanting with offense, chanting as a liberated person and chanting in love of God. There are three stage of chanting. The same thing, the example is just like a mango, unripe mango, going on, changes. It is not that chanting brings another thing as a result. No. The same thing becomes manifest in different feature. Just like unripe mango, you taste in a different way; it is very sour. But when it is ripened and it is fully ripened, the taste is changed. The taste is now sweet.
Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:
Kṛṣṇa does not say everyone that sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), only to a selected devotee. Because unless one is very highly elevated devotee, he cannot accept this proposition. He is puffed up with his material, contaminated life. That's all. "I am this. I am that. I am this. I am that. Why shall I surrender?" Actually they forgot. Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "This is sophistry, that Kṛṣṇa is demanding like that." He is proud of his becoming a great philosophy, but he does not know he is a fool number one. He comments on the Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. That he does not know. Therefore he is surprised: "How this gentleman, Kṛṣṇa, is asking to surrender? I am so proud. I am so learned." But this is the only process.
Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:
Suppose a blind man leads some other blind men. What will be the result? Both of them will meet danger. That is the result because... "Why? They are doing very nicely, with great cautiousness." No. But they do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature. Te 'pīśa-tantryā uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They cannot divert their attention or deviate from the laws of nature. That is not possible. So they are under the laws of nature. They do not now why the laws of nature acting in a different way, against their will. Suppose I do not wish to die. Why laws of nature enforcing, forcing me to die? Nobody wants to die. So you cannot surpass the laws of nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You are trying to solve the problems of life, but here are the real problems of life: janma-mṛtyu-jarā vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9)." The real problem is that there is death, there is birth, there is old age and there is disease. This is real problem.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:
Death can take place at any moment. Therefore a sane man will understand that we are always old enough because there is no guarantee. Durlabhaṁ. And this mānuṣaṁ janma, this human form of life is called durlabha. Durlabha means very rarely obtained, after many, many evolutionary process, either you take the anthropologists' theory how human body has developed or you take from Vedic literature. But the difference is that anthropologists, they say, "There is no soul. The organic matter is developing in different ways." But Vedic literature says it is not the organic matter, but it is the soul. The soul is a person, is individual, and he is transforming different types of bodies from one body to another, transmigrating. This we have explained several times.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:
Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the Pole Star, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster. The same example we can give. If you do not know that the Pole Star, then you may be misdirected. Just like Columbus, he came to America, or many, there are many navigators. If they miss that, misses that Pole Star, then they will be misdirected. Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. So here also, the same thing, viṣṇu pādopasarpaṇam yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Sarva-bhūtānām means all living entities. Priya, that is real dear object. Sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. He is the proprietor of my self. He is Superself.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
So if somebody thinks that "Now I am young man, let me enjoy my senses." At the present moment, youth, the senses are very, I mean to say, in order. So let us enjoy it. And when we get old age, when their senses will not be so expert for enjoyment, then we shall think of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. That is the general tendency. Or the children they think, "Let us play." So Śaṅkarācārya says, bālasya tāvat kriyāsakta. "Oh, what I am seeing? All the children in the street I see they're all engaged in playing," taruṇas tāvat taruṇī-raktaḥ. "And the young boys and girls, they are after sex." So tarunas tavat taruṇī-raktaḥ, vṛddhas tāvat cinta-magnaḥ. And the old men, they are very thoughtful how to adjust the so big family. "This son is not yet posted in a nice post, the daughter is not married." So many things. So old man is thoughtful, thinking, and the young men, they are after boys and girls, and the children, they are playing. So Śaṅkarācārya is lamenting, bālasya tāvad kriyāsaktas taruṇas tāvat taruṇī-raktaḥ, vṛddhas tāvat cinta-magnaḥ parame brahmaṇi ko 'pi na lagnaḥ. "I do not see anybody searching after God consciousness." Every one is engaged in a different way.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
However, how much he may try, that body will not allow him. Similarly, we have got a particular type of body to enjoy a particular type of sense gratification. If we try to go beyond that, it is not possible. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't try foolishly in that way. If you have got any energy, try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will make you happy." Don't misuse your energy in that way, that "I shall become this, I shall become that." That you cannot become. (break) ...the example, yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ. You are trying to be happy in a different way. That is not the way of happiness. But you are thinking that "I shall be happy in this way." But that also you cannot do. Your happiness, whatever is destined to you, that will come automatically. How? He gives the example, yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ. Just like a misery of your life, you do not try for it, but it comes upon you automatically. Similarly, the happiness of your life will also come upon you automatically. So do not try to waste your time for so-called happiness or to drive away so-called distress. Just push yourself under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. He will manage everything and you'll be happy.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
God is one. Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. But He expands in different way. That is explained in the Varāha Purāṇa, svāṁśa vibhinnāṁśa. He expands as Viṣṇu-tattva. That is svāṁśa. And he expands as jīva-tattva. That is vibhinnāṁśa. So we are also expansions of God, vibhinnāṁśa, a small fragmental portion. The qualities are there, very, very small quantity. But the whole potency is there in Kṛṣṇa. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So there is one supreme living being, a supreme eternal, and that is Kṛṣṇa. This is... And to cultivate this knowledge is called bhāgavata-dharma. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he learned this bhāgavata-dharma when he was a baby within the womb of his mother he learned this bhāgavata-dharma. So the devotees—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ—they are engaged with these nine different phases of bhakti.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tathā vindate kṣemam. Kṣemam means auspicity. The highest auspicity of life is to reconnect his lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga. Real yoga means this, that we are, at the present moment we have lost our consciousness. Not actually we have lost our consciousness; we have lost our memory. Consciousness is there, but consciousness may be differently contaminated. Different person, your consciousness may be different from my consciousness. You are thinking in a different way; I am thinking in different way. Similarly, consciousness is there. That is a symptom of life, symptom of spirit soul. But the difference is due to material contamination. Just like superficially your blood and my blood, the same, red. But if we analyze, oh, there may be so many chemicals present in your blood, and so many chemicals may be present which is not exactly equal. Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there. I am present in this body—how I can understand? Because this consciousness. You pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:
You dance with Kṛṣṇa, you eat with Kṛṣṇa, talk with Kṛṣṇa, you enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will kiss you also. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa is very kind to everyone, either you love Him as a lover, either you love Him as your son, either you love Him as your friend, or you love Him as your master. In whichever way you like you can love, and Kṛṣṇa will respond. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). In the Bhagavad-gītā you will see Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who loves Me in different ways or different type," so Kṛṣṇa also loves reciprocating that way. If somebody Kṛṣṇa..., loves Kṛṣṇa as enemy, Kṛṣṇa also gives him salvation in that way also. Kṛṣṇa is so kind.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:
Dreaming is practically interaction of the activities, mental interaction of the activities in which you are engaged. You dream in different way; I dream in different way. So when the body is tired, it cannot work. It stops functioning. The mind works. So dreaming is the function of the mind. That's all.
Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:
Everything is explained. So if you simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā and don't play rascaldom by interpreting in a different way, then your life is successful. Simply. Kṛṣṇa has left, therefore, before His leaving this world. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi (BG 4.7). He comes when you forget all these things. He comes again. He establishes dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. What is that dharma? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "All this rascaldom, cheating dharma, give up. Simply surrender unto Me."
Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:
Devotional service are discharged in nine different ways: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23), to hear about the Lord from proper source, and kīrtanam, and to glorify the Lord; smaraṇam, meditating upon the Lord; pāda-sevanam, to engage oneself in the service; arcanam, worshiping; prayer... There are nine different ways of devotional services. So you can accept nine all together or eight or seven or six or five or four or three or two. So even you accept one, you will advance. If you simply come here and hear this chanting, your devotional service will be perfected one day. So although there are nine different processes, but if you can accept even one, you will be advanced in devotional service.
Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:
There are many nāstik. Vasu bhūta sa dehasya kuta pūrna... bhavet: "The body, I see it is burnt into ashes. Where is life? There is no life. There is no soul." So this is bauddhya-vāda, śūnyavāda—everything becomes zero. And the vedāśraya nāstikya-vāda, the Māyāvādīs, they do not say there is no God, because in the Vedas there is God. So they do not say directly, but they say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no head, no leg, no hand. He cannot talk, He cannot eat." Then what remains? He is making zero, God, zero, by negative definition—"He has no head, He has no... And he has no leg." So both of them are zero, advocate of zero. But one directly says, "No, there is no God. Everything is zero." And these Māyāvādīs, nirviśeṣa-vādi, they say the same thing—zero—but in a different way. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that these Māyāvādīs, zero-vādis, they are more dangerous than the bauddha. Vedāśraya nāstikya-vāda. All these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they are very learned, but they'll never accept that God has form. They say it is kalpanā, it is imagination. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has designated them very, very dangerous, these Māyāvādīs.
Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:
So he's explaining in different ways. Kuṭumba-poṣāya viyan nijāyur na budhyate 'rthaṁ vihataṁ pramattaḥ. So without fulfillment of our life's mission, generally we become involved in maintaining the family, and all of a sudden death appears, then finished all our attempts. According to karma, we have to accept another body, maybe human body or not human body. In this way we become entrapped, and sarvatra tāpa-traya-duḥkhitātmā. Tāpa-traya, traya means three and tāpa means tribulation, suffering. So tāpa-traya, three kinds of tribulations: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Pertaining to the body, we feel so many troubles due to the body, due to the mind. Then adhibhautika, troubles offered by other living entities, and adhidaivika, troubles offered by nature or the demigods. In this way, sarvatra. It is not that in India there is tāpa-traya and in America there is no tāpa-traya. No, in America there is tāpa-traya. "All right, I shall go to the heavenly planets." No, there is also tāpa-traya. Anywhere you go within this material world, as soon as you get this material body, then tāpa-traya will be there.
Lecture on SB 7.6.16 -- New Vrindaban, June 30, 1976:
So the father's property everyone can enjoy, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Just like these children, father, mother, whatever gives, "My dear child, you eat it." Similarly if we think in that philosophy, our process, this Deity worship, the father or the supreme maintainer gives us prasādam, we take it. Actually fruits, flowers or grains, it is given by Kṛṣṇa. We cannot produce it. So how nice system it is, that "Kṛṣṇa, it is Yours, You have given us. So first of all You eat." This is love. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa can have sumptuous food. He is the maintainer of everyone. So this is how good feeling, very reasonable. Any man with some sense, he'll take it very seriously, "Yes, everything given by God, Kṛṣṇa. So let us offer it first of all to Kṛṣṇa." And there is no fear that Kṛṣṇa will eat everything and then we shall have nothing to eat. It is not like that. Kṛṣṇa's eating is a different way. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti.
Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:
Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that as the expert gold miner, when he sees there are gold particles in the field, naturally he concludes.... Still, in India there is a river, in that river gold particles, in the water gold particles can be found. Gold particles. Many poor men they whole day work and strain the water in different way and get some little gold, still. So, by the symptoms, by the symptoms the expert gold miner finds out that here is gold, gold mine. Because within the soil, or with the soil you find some gold particles. That is the way, here it is said. Similarly, one can find out Kṛṣṇa by the symptoms, the characteristics, of this world. That is common sense. Just in everything there is a controller. There is a life.
Lecture on SB 7.7.46 -- San Francisco, March 22, 1967, (incomplete lecture):
The energy of the Lord are differently manifested. Just like this light. Take the same example, fire. Fire is placed in one place, but it is manifesting in different way. It is illuminating, it is distributing its heat from one place. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, He may be far, far away. He's not far, far away, because He is present by His energy. Just like sunshine. Sun is far, far away from us, but he is present just before us by his shining. We can understand what is sun. Similarly, if you study the energy of the Supreme Lord, then you are in conscious, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you engage yourself in the energy of Kṛṣṇa, then you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become nonseparated. You become nonseparated from Him.
Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:
So after reading Bhagavad-gītā, if one does not get this faith in Kṛṣṇa, then it is useless waste of time. There are many so-called scholars, politicians, they declare that "I read Bhagavad-gītā daily, three times," but the result is no faith in Kṛṣṇa. This is called useless waste of time. If you do not get the faith which is required by studying Bhagavad... Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD reading for understanding God. That is ABC. So if you do not understand even the ABCD, how he'll advance in higher studies? That is not possible. So, even we cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā, the ABCD, Kṛṣṇa says one thing and they make, I mean to say, interpretation in a different way. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. They do not believe it.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says the same thing in a different way, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be worshiped or satisfied by a devotee, not by others. In other place also the Lord says,
- patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
- yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
- tad ahaṁ bhaktyā upahṛtam
- aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
- (BG 9.26)
He said that "Anyone who offers Me a little flower, a little fruit, a little water, with devotion..." This is the real thing. Because God is so great, He is supplying foodstuff. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. "He is supplying all necessities of life to millions and trillions of living creatures, and He is asking me a little flower and little fruit and little water? He is begging? Is He a beggar?" No. The real thing is yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "One who gives Me in devotional love." So God is always anxious of your love, not your material things. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described that as somebody offers you very nice, palatable dishes, varieties of foodstuff, but unfortunately, if you have no appetite, these are all useless because you cannot eat, there is no appetite, similarly, you can make a show of offering so many things to God, but if you have no devotional love, that is not accepted. That is not accepted because God is not poor. He is not begging from you.
Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:
Those who are actually devotee, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, such devotee can understand it is only Kṛṣṇa. He is, by His unlimited power, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ, He is exhibiting in different ways. Ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam ādyam. The same thing you'll find. Vedic literature means there is no contradiction. Either you read this Veda or that Veda, it is not... People who are foolish, who cannot understand, they sometimes see contradiction. No. There is no contradiction. Same one law. Therefore, because we are limited, or our knowledge is limited, imperfect, therefore we should not argue. We shall accept what is stated in the Veda. And if we argue, then we'll find unnecessarily contradiction and we'll be misled. Don't argue. There is no question of... Veda-vācana. Veda-vācana means veda-pramāṇa, śruti-pramāṇa. This is the way of Vedic civilization. If you can prove something quoting from the Vedas, then you are victorious. Veda-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa. There are many evidences, but the first-class evidence is śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā (Brs. 1.2.101).
Lecture on SB 7.9.39 -- Mayapur, March 17, 1976:
So the verdict of the śāstra is the same everywhere in a different way. The perfection of life is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, that tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha. One should be interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are interested in so many kathās. Because we purchase newspaper in the morning, so big volume, so many kathās are there. And we read many material dramas and novels and fictitious stories and killing stories. We are very much attached to these. All these kathās, means stories, we are interested, but we are not interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Means I am interested in kathā, that is my nature, but it has become perverted on account of being contaminated by this material world. This is our position. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram. Because it is so polluted, asādhu, dishonest and bad, everything, whatever... The mind is dirty, full of dirty things.
Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:
In the śāstra it is said that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These present indriyas, senses, they're misled. They are misled in different way. Although I am serving, but I am serving my senses. My position is not master but servant. I am trying to become master, but I have already become servant of my senses. So instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, I have become the servant of my senses. So my position as servant is there. Is it not? I am maintaining because I cannot change it. Suppose... Just like a woman. If a woman dresses like a man, does it mean that he (she) has become a man? No. Woman is woman; man is man. Simply by changing dress we cannot do that. Similarly, our constitutional position is to serve. And to serve whom? Kṛṣṇa. That is our constitutional position. But falsely we are trying to become master. Therefore, instead of becoming master, I have become the servant of my senses. This is our position. So the master is sense. The jihvā is my master.
Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:
This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is also astra of Kṛṣṇa for killing the demons, but it is not like a... Like a sword it is not active. But it is astra. It is killing the demons but in a different way. The demonic habits are being killed, demonic habits. Everyone, we can understand it, how our demonic activities are being killed by this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra. This is astra, but it is being used in a different way, because in this age they are so fallen. So... Manda manda-bhāgyā. This real astra weapon cannot be used upon them. It is already dead. So therefore another type of astra to awaken them to life, that is Hare Kṛṣṇa, mahā-mantra astra. Otherwise they are already dead. A dead horse... "Beating the dead horse." A horse is dead; what you will get by beating with whips? It is already dead. So there are big, big demons. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was required to be killed by the nails of the Lord. He appeared as a ferocious lion. But here, the tiny demons, there is no need of nails or any sword. They are to be awakened simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.
| Page Title: | Different ways (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 26 of May, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=126, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 126 |