Discipline (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"disciplinarian" |"disciplinary" |"discipline" |"disciplined" |"disciplines"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

So here Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that... Because he has accepted the leadership of Kṛṣṇa, therefore Kṛṣṇa is chastising him in this way. He is chastising in this way, that Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa as friends. So friends means equal status, but he gave up that status. He took the status of a disciple. A disciple means who voluntarily agrees to be disciplined by the spiritual master. When one becomes disciple, he cannot disobey the order of the spiritual master. Śiṣya. Śiṣya, this word, comes from the root śās-dhātu, means "I accept your ruling."

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Now, so far your grandfather is concerned, Bhīṣmadeva, he is one of the greatest devotees. So as soon as he gives up this body, he's going to Vaikuṇṭha." Same example, as I told you the other day, that muni-putra... Mā jīva mā jīva muni-putraka ciraṁ jīva rāja-putra. "Oh, the son of saintly person, you don't live. And oh, the son of a king, you live forever." Why? Because the son of a saintly person, he is undergoing austerities, penances, disciplinary activities. So his life is, his future is so bright that he's going to Vaikuṇṭha. And this, the son of king, he's simply indulging in sense gratification. So he's going to hell. So the person who is destined to go to kingdom of God, the sooner he dies is better for him. And this person, one who is going to hell, the later he dies it is good for him because as soon as he dies the hell is prepared for him. So similarly, "Why should you lament for your grandfather and teacher? They are so highly elevated, spiritually elevated. Death will take place so long this body is there. Now they have come to fight as a matter of duty. So there is no lamentation." This is the instruction Kṛṣṇa is giving. Yes.

Madhudviṣa: "In either case there was no cause for lamentation. Any man who has perfect knowledge of the constitution of the individual soul, the Supersoul, and nature, both material and spiritual, is called a dhīra or a most sober man."

Prabhupāda: Dhīra. Dhīra means sober, is not disturbed. A person who is not disturbed by paltry causes, he's called dhīra. Another example of dhīra is given by poet Kālidāsa. He was a great poet, mundane poet. So he said that dhīra is one who is not disturbed even in the presence of disturbance. When there is no disturbance, one may not be disturbed, but in the presence of disturbance, one who is not disturbed, he is called dhīra. The cause of disturbance.

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

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

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

So what is the use of having this eyes? So therefore, we have got our imperfect senses.

We have got cheating propensity, we are prone to commit mistake, and we accept illusory things. These four principles of imperfect is in the conditioned soul. But who is liberated soul or who is God, they are not under these conditions. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is considered to be the highest perfectional personality, and Arjuna selected Him as the spiritual master. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are talking on the platform of friendship." That will not make a solution. Because friendly talks, sometimes they are not taken seriously, friendly talks. But when there is talk between the spiritual master and disciple, there is some discipline and there is some gravity. So Arjuna created that gravity and discipline. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master.

And as soon as Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master, so as master, He at once chastised him in these words,

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

(BG 2.11)

"My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as a very great learned man, but I see that you are fool number one. You are fool number one." Why? "Now, because you are lamenting for things which are not to be lamented." This was the first answer of Kṛṣṇa. So a person like Arjuna, he was not an ordinary person; still, in the eyes of the perfect personality, he happened to be a fool. So this material knowledge, if anyone is very proud of his material knowledge.

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

Some of them are too materially attached and therefore do not give attention to spiritual life, some of them want to merge into the supreme spiritual cause, and some of them disbelieve in everything, being angry at all sorts of spiritual speculation out of hopelessness. This last class of men take to the shelter of some kind of intoxication, and their respective hallucinations are sometimes accepted as spiritual visions. One has to get rid of all three stages of attachment to the material world: the negligence of spiritual life, fear of spiritual, personal identity, and the concept of void that underlies the frustration of life. To get free of these three stages in the material concept of life, one has to take complete shelter of the Lord, guided by the bona fide spiritual master, and follow the penances of disciplinary and regulative principles of devotional life. The last stage of such devotional life is called bhāva, or transcendental love of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

So similarly, Lord Caitanya also, He accepted spiritual master. Śaṅkarācārya accepted spiritual master. That is the system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The disciplic succession must be accepted.

Now, just like we are trying to understand from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, Arjuna is trying to understand. Arjuna also said to Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Just I am surrendering unto You. Oh, accept me as Your disciple, śiṣya." Śiṣya means disciple. Śiṣya, this is a grammatical word. Śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu, it is a verb from which this word śiṣya comes. Śiṣya means one who accepts voluntarily the disciplinary measures from the higher authority. He is called a śiṣya. So in order to acquire, in order to be situated in that higher nature, we have to approach a personality like Kṛṣṇa or His representative, and so the best thing is that... Arjuna. Arjuna, he got this instruction from Bhagavad-gītā, and he developed that higher nature. So we have to take from Arjuna as it is. So we have to keep ourself always in the higher nature.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future (BG 5.26)." So first thing is that suppose somebody speaks of me very harshly. Naturally we become angry. Just like somebody calls me, "You are dog," or "you are hog." But if I am self-realized, if I know perfectly well that I am not this body so you call me hog, dog, or king, emperor, majesty, what is that? I am not this body. So either you call me, "Your majesty," or you call me a dog or a pig, what I have got to do? I am neither his majesty nor a dog nor a cat—nothing of the sort. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa.

So this requires little training. Actually this is the fact. Suppose I have got some dress, black dress. Somebody calls, "You black dress," is that cause of anger? Somebody calls you black dress. So this is simply my false identification with the dress that I become angry. Actually if I am self-realized, self-disciplined... Self-discipline means not to identify with this body. That is self-discipline. It requires training of course. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches therefore, tṛṇād api sunīcena. That a smaller than the smallest grass. Actually if I realized what is the spiritual dimension, actually my dimension, length and breadth you cannot measure because I am actually a very small spiritual particle. You cannot measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

So let him insult. Let me tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that taror api sahiṣṇunā. Toleration like the tree. Best example. You cannot find any tolerant living entity than a tree because it is standing day and night in scorching heat, in severe cold, there is wind, there is rainfall, it does not not make any protest—standing tolerant. People are taking leaves, flowers, fruits, cutting, and never protests. This is a symbol of toleration. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that you become tolerant than the tree and smaller than the small grass on the street and you give all honor to others and don't expect any honor. Because people do not know how to honor me. Real honor is that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor. And if I say, "Your majesty, your honor, your lordship," they are all false. Real honor is when I call you that you are servant of God or servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor.

So self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that I am not this body. This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body, therefore I am now self-realized. So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice.

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

Devotee: Verse number eighteen: "When the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence, devoid of all material desires, he is said to have attained yoga (BG 6.18)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. To keep the mind in equilibrium. That is yoga perfection. To keep the mind, that how you can do if you, in the material field you cannot keep your mind in equilibrium. That is not possible. Take for example this Bhagavad-gītā. If you read daily four times you'll not get tired. But take any other book, after reading one hour you'll get tired. This chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa. You chant whole day and night, and dance, you'll never get tired. But take another name. Just after half an hour, finished. It is botheration. You see? Therefore to fix up the mind means to keep your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then finished, all yoga. You are perfect yogi. You haven't got to do anything. Simply fix up your mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha (SB 9.4.18)—if you talk, talk of Kṛṣṇa. If you eat, eat of Kṛṣṇa. If you think, think of Kṛṣṇa. If you work, work for Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, this yoga practice will be perfect. Not otherwise. And that is the perfection of yoga. Devoid of all material desires. If you are simply desiring for Kṛṣṇa where is the scope of material desire? Finished, all material desire finished. You haven't got to try for it artificially. "Oh, I shall not see any nice girl. I shall close my eyes." That you cannot do. But if you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you are dancing with so many beautiful girls.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Actually, these discussions of scripture is not to be acted unless there is relationship between the speaker and the audience. So audience means the disciples. Disciple means who accepts the discipline. Śiṣya. Śiṣya. The exact Sanskrit word is śiṣya. A śiṣya means... There is a verb, Sanskrit verb, which is called śās. Śās means controlling. From śās, the "śāstra" comes. Śāstra means controlling books. And from śas, śastra. Śastra means weapons. When argument fails, reason fails... Just like the state controls. First of all they give you the laws. If you break the laws, if you don't follow the regulation books, means śāstra, then next step is śastra. Śastra means weapons. If you don't follow the regulation of the government, keep to the right, then there is police batons—śastra. You have to be controlled. If you are gentleman, then you be controlled under the instruction of the śāstras. And if you are defying, then there is trident of Durgādevī. You have seen Durgādevī, the picture, trident, threefold miseries. You cannot, I mean to say, violate any rules and regulations; as of the state, similarly of the supreme state Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Just take for example there are some health rules. If we eat more, then you will be controlled by some disease. You'll have indigestion and the doctor will advise you not to eat three days. So there is control—by nature. Nature means God's law. Automatically working. Foolish people do not see God's law, but there is God's law. The sun is rising just exactly in the time, the moon is rising exactly in the time. The first year, first January, has come exactly in time.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

We should not go simply by sentiment. Religious sentiment is good for persons who follow blindly. But at the present moment, people are advanced in so-called education. So Bhagavad-gītā gives you full information so that you can accept God with your reason, with your argument, with your knowledge. It is not blind following. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sentiment. It is backed by knowledge and practical knowledge. Vijñānam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna sahitam. So without vijñāna sahitam... And the process is to understand this knowledge is to be a surrendered soul. Therefore we disciple... Disciple means one who accepts the discipline. Without accepting discipline, we cannot make any progress. It is not possible. Any field of knowledge, any field of activities, if you want to be aware, scientifically and factually, then you should accept the controlling principle. Samagreṇa vakṣ ya svarūpaṁ sarvokaraṁ yatra dhiyaṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum.

Now here, in this chapter, this is explicitly explained, that who is the supreme worshipable object. We are worshiping. According to our capacity, we are worshiping somebody. At least we are worshiping our boss. Suppose I work in an office or in a factory, I have to worship the boss, I have to abide by his orders. So everyone is worshiping. Now who is the supreme worshipable object, Kṛṣṇa, how He is supreme worshipable object, that is explained in this chapter. Ya svarūpaṁ sarva karaṁ ca yac ca dhiyāṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum atra bhakti-pratijñānam. Therefore if we understand that here is the supreme controller, here is the supreme worshipable object, then the problems of our life is solved at once. We are searching after. Just the other day I told you one story that one Muhammadan devotee, he wanted to serve the greatest. He was serving the Nawab, then he went to the emperor, Barsa(?), then from emperor to Haridāsa, a saintly person, and from Haridāsa he was promoted to worship Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Even in this material world one is situated in sattva-guṇa, or the brahminical qualification—śamaḥ damaḥ, titikṣaḥ, ārjava, jñānam vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). These are the natural symptoms of a qualified brāhmaṇa—śamaḥ, damaḥ, titikṣaḥ, ārjava. These are described all in the Bhagavad-gītā. But still that is material. Even one is śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣaḥ jñānam vijñānam āstikyam, he's possessing, still that is material. But spiritual position is another position, transcendental position, brahma-bhuyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). So bhakti-yoga is so nice that soon as you come to the discipline of bhakti-yoga, you become situated in brahma-bhūta platform. Brahma-bhūta, he doesn't require to make separate effort for becoming brahma-bhūta. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, this is a theory for the māyāvādī philosopher, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Actually we are brahma, because we are part and parcel of parambrahma. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). So Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna realized Kṛṣṇa like this. So we are brahma, that's a fact. The Veda stresses on this point, that you realize yourself that "You are not this body. You are brahma, spirit soul." That is wanted. That is brahma bhūta (SB 4.30.20) state, when one understands that "I am not this body. So long I am thinking in bodily concept of life, I am no better than the asses, animal." That is stated.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 7, 1971:

Just the scientists, they are trying to understand the laws of God, but because they are imperfect, therefore they cannot understand what is God, in spite of their scientific improvement. They do not know. Ask any scientist, "You are great scientist. Can you say what is God?" The reply will be, "No. We don't believe in God. We don't believe." Why? You believe in the laws of God? "Yes, that we are studying." But the laws means somebody has made that law. That is our experience. Just like when we understand government laws, we understand also the government has enacted this law. We understand that. Just like on the street when you go, it is written there, "Keep to the left." It is the order of the government. You have abide by that. That is obedience to the government. Discipline. Discipline is the first law of obedience. If people do not care for the government laws, then there will be chaos.

So the present situation is the so-called modern civilization, they have no knowledge of God, although they are trying to study the laws of God. But they should accept at least theoretically there must be God. How I can say God is dead? Because if God is the law-giver, by His order everything is moving nicely. The sun is rising exactly at the time, the moon is rising exactly at the time, the seasonal changes are taking place exactly in due course of time. Everything is going on. Foods are grown for our feeding, for animals. Everything is going on nicely. So how I can say the manager who is managing all these things, He is dead? How we can accept? These are imperfect knowledge or demonic knowledge or rascaldom.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

For example, another example can be given: just like the drunkard. The drunkards are given concession. There are liquor shops. The government gives some license to a person, that "You can sell liquor to the drunkards." But this liquor is not available in every shop. There is a particular shop. One has to purchase liquor from that particular shop. That means government is discouraging, but one who is obstinate, to give him some facility, this particular shop is established. Similarly, when there is allowance for sex life or drinking or meat-eating or even gambling, that is not encouraging; that is minimizing the tendency under discipline.

But so far we are concerned, we are above this discipline. A Vaiṣṇava is transcendental. He hasn't got to train under this discipline. Because he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa directly, he's given immediately all protection. Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "I shall give you all protection from sinful life." Therefore, it is practical experience in USA the government is spending millions of dollars for stopping this intoxication habit amongst the younger generation. But the wonderful thing is they inquire also from us that as soon as they come to our movement, immediately gives up. Why? That is the special prerogative of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then all the good qualities of the demigods will automatically manifest in Him.

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

So the vedānta-vādīs initiated the boy even before he became self-controlled and was detached from the childish sporting, etc. But before the initiation, he (the boy) became more and more advanced in discipline, which is very essential for one who wishes to make progress in the line. In the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, which is the beginning of actual life, small boys, five years of age, are sent to become brahmacārī at the guru's āśrama just to learn discipline."

So unless one is disciplined... This is the only qualification, that Nārada Muni was disciplined. So much disciplined that he's a small boy, still, he would not talk anything nonsense. He was so disciplined. So the more we become disciplined... As it is stated in the śāstras, utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. These are disciplines. The more we become advanced... And naturally we get the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Through the mercy of spiritual... Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. There must be mercy both of them, guru and Kṛṣṇa. Without guru's kṛpā, one cannot reach Kṛṣṇa, and without Kṛṣṇa's kṛpā, one cannot get a bona fide spiritual master. This is correlative terms. So we should follow the disciplinary methods sincerely under the guidance of spiritual master. Then it will be very, very easy to go back to home, back to Godhead. Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni, next life became... Nārada means he went back to home, back to Godhead. He was promoted in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So bhagnoru-daṇḍe. Bhagna uru. Uru-daṇḍa was broken. Bhagnoru-daṇḍe dhṛtarāṣṭra-putre. Dhṛtarāṣṭra-putra, Duryodhana was dhṛtarāṣṭra-putra. At that time, Drauṇi, his master was Duryodhana. A brāhmaṇa became a servant of kṣatriya, that is degradation. A brāhmaṇa cannot become servant. Nobody can become servant. Only the śūdras can become servant. Brāhmaṇa never becomes servant. They are instructed, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is brāhmaṇa's qualification. They will train the brahmacārīs and the gṛhasthas how to become perfect, discipline. First discipline is truthfulness. A brāhmaṇa will never speak lies. That is the first qualification. So who is going to take training in that way? Nobody is interested. This is Kali-yuga. We are trying to train people "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." Still, there are some failures. And if we teach in our institution, "Please do not speak lies," people will laugh: "What is this nonsense? Nowadays is it possible to remain in this society without speaking lies?" This is the position. This is called Kali-yuga. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a kṣatriya, neither as a vaiśya. They are all śūdras. Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. There is no training. It is very very difficult to train them to become purified by training. These statuses of life were different status of training so that ultimately one can become brāhmaṇa, and when he's fully trained up as a brāhmaṇa then he transcends the brāhmaṇa's position, and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

So you think over of the sun. Then what is the sun? Now it is the king of all planets, rāja. Rāja means king. Samasta-sura-mūrtiḥ. And what is the nature? Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Unlimitedly hot. Unlimitedly. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Then what is his function? Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. Sun has got his orbit. So God has ordered that "You just travel within this orbit. Not here, not there." The scientists says that if the sun is moved a little this side the whole universe will be ablaze, and if it moves this side the whole universe will be frozen. But by the order of the Supreme, it is neither going even, even one ten-thousandth part of an inch, this side or this side. Exactly in the line. Exactly during, in the time, fixed time, at 5:30 it must rise. So there must be some discipline. There must be some obedience. There is some order. In this way the śāstra says: yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. By whose order the sun is moving in the orbit? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **: "I worship that original person who is giving direction even to the sun, even to the ocean, even to the moon. Everything is going on under His order."

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

So to remain steadily on the platform of dharma, these four legs required: dharma, artha, kāma... If I simply remain engaged in religious principles and nobody is engaged where to get food... Because food also is required. So therefore not only religious principle, there must be economic development attempt also. But not one-man show. We should divide our society in such a way that somebody, some group of men is engaged in studying the dharma principle and spreading it. Just like we have taken the principle, generally, to spread what is meant by real dharma. That is the business of the brāhmaṇa. And similarly, some group of men should be kṣatriya for ruling over. Unless there is discipline, ruling, everything will be chaos. The government must be there. The principle of directors must be there. So dharma, artha, kāma. And we must live peacefully. Our senses should not disturb us. Because we have got senses, they want satisfaction. So we must give food them also, senses. Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. But ultimate goal is how to get out of this material existence. This is four principles: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. And mokṣa, by the impersonalists, their mokṣa and real mokṣa... Real mokṣa... Mokṣa means liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material existence.

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

So if we actually want to be happy, then we should not live like animals, without any restriction, without any... Even in your state, just to keep proper management of the state, there are so many laws. Even you... As soon as you go on the street, you see there is state law immediately, "Keep to the right." Discipline must be there. That is dharma, discipline, to abide by the state laws. There must be some discipline. Similarly, to make yourself advanced in spiritual life, you must have to observe the discipline. Without discipline, it is not possible. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that discipline means, one who observes discipline, he is called disciple. Everyone knows it. Disciple means one who observes discipline. If one does not observe discipline, then he is not a disciple. And one who is not a disciple, his life is chaotic. He cannot be happy. Therefore Vedas say that "You must accept a bona fide guru and become disciplined under his instruction." Then you'll know the higher system of knowledge, the necessity of life, and thus you become happy.

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

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

When a person comes at your home, never mind even if he's enemy... Friend is welcome, that's all right. But even an enemy comes, they are not forbidden. Not that in the gate there is, oh, "Beware of dog," "No trespasser allowed." No. There was no restriction. Even enemy was admitted, "Come on." So gṛhaṁ śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto 'bhayam. Even an enemy enters your house, you'll receive him in such a friendly way that he will forget that you are his enemy. That was the system. So because Mahārāja Parīkṣit was king, he saw that there is negligence of this disciplinary action. "I became... I was king, and I was thirsty. I became his guest, I came..." Athiti. This guest is called athiti. Athiti means there are some guests who give notice before, prior to coming there, and some guests come without any notice. So the guest who comes without any notice, he's called athiti. So according to Hindu custom, the householder is to keep always some foodstuff for athiti guest. Somebody may come without notice, so some foodstuff is already in the stock. That is called athiti food. And a gṛhastha, the householder, is ordered that before eating, a householder was to see in the members of the family, first the children must be fed, then diseased person must be fed, then elderly, old person must be fed. In this way, when everything is finished, then the proprietor of the household, he will take his meals, and before taking his meals, he will stand outdoors and call loudly, "If somebody is hungry, please come. Still there is food here." And if there is no response, then he'll take. This is the system of Vedic civilization.

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

So this is instruction we get from Bhagavad-gītā, everyone reads Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the guru, or Kṛṣṇa's representative as guru. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), and we have to give service to such guru and we have to surrender ourself. Not that I accept you guru just to know how much you are learned, how much you can talk with me, not with that spirit. (indistinct) ...that I surrender to you sir, śiṣyas te 'ham, I have become śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting his ruling. Whatever guru will say he will accept, that is called śiṣya. Śiṣya means ruling, who accept disciple, means disciplinary measure. Whatever guru says, one who accepts he becomes disciple. He, I don't care for my guru's order and still I am disciple, that is not accepting guru. Of course it has become a fashion like that, to have a guru but don't care for guru.

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

So this is the beginning of life, and these strictures are followed even if he is son of a king or even if he is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also undergone this disciplinary action when He was a brahmacārī for some time. So this is the system. In the beginning of life one should become brahmacārī, and then he marries and lives with wife and children, at most twenty-five years. Then he retires. The husband and wife goes from one pilgrimage to another, in this way travels. Because the children are grown up. And when the husband is completely free from all family attachment, he takes sannyāsa. This is the process. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So this Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, before retirement it is the duty of the father to give instructions how to look after family affairs, their personal affair, their spiritual advancement, everything, so here Ṛṣabhadeva is instructing, "My dear sons, do not think that this particular body, human body, is equal to the body of the cats and dogs and hogs. Don't consider like that." He has particularly mentioned viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the stool-eater. As in the human society, the dog-eater human being is considered the lowest of the human society, similarly, in the animal society, the animal which eats stool is considered the lowest.

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

So if he gives up smoking, he feels some inconvenience, some uncomfortable position. But because the spiritual master has ordered, he gives it up. This is called tapasya. Even at his inconvenience, he abides by the order of the spiritual master, regulative principle. That is called tapasya. He feels some inconvenience, but what can be done? He has accepted one spiritual master. A spiritual master means voluntarily accepting a great personality whose rules and regulations he must abide by. This is accepting of spiritual master, voluntarily accepting somebody, "Yes, sir. Whatever you say, I'll accept." Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who abides by the rules. That is called śiṣya. Or English, "discipline." From discipline, disciplic, disciplic succession. From the discipline. So either you take English or Sanskrit, the same meaning. Śiṣya means who accepts the ruling of his spiritual master; and disciple means also the same thing, who becomes disciplined by the spiritual master.

So tapasya means even at the inconvenience of my personal comforts, I must abide by the orders of my spiritual master. This is called tapasya. And who is spiritual master? He does not manufacture any rules and regulation. He refers to the śāstra. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. If you want to know who is a spiritual master, if you know who is a saintly person, then you should keep in the middle the śāstra, the scriptures, and you will corroborate.

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

We have become so rascal: "There is no God," "There is no...," "These are all," what is called, "mythology." "These are mythology ideas—there is God and there is sin, there is pious activities." Big, big sannyāsīs, they are asking that "Don't care for all this, 'There is God, there is sinful, there is pious.' You can do whatever you like because you are yourself God. This is... There is no pāpa-puṇya. You are immune from pāpa-puṇya because you are God."

So this is going on. But that is not the fact. Fact is different. Therefore, putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca. Śiṣya... The citizen, they are also śiṣya. Śiṣya means one who is controlled. That is called śiṣya, who is disciplined, disciple. The same meaning. Disciple means one who is controlled, one who is disciplined. So controller is the teacher or spiritual master and the government. So the government rules and regulation, teacher's rules and regulations should be in such a way that the dependent, either the śiṣya or the citizen, they must know that this is not life. This material life is not life. Real life is in the spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

No more I am the dūta or the follower of the dictation of my senses. And one who is bhagavad-dūta, he is called gosvāmī, just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Whose life is dedicated to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, they are gosvāmī. Gosvāmī is not a caste title, just like it has become in India. Gosvāmī... Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him gosvāmī. He is the original gosvāmī. Why? Because he gave up the dictation of Nawab Shah but he followed the dictation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore he became gosvāmī, prabhupāda. He became prabhupāda. Prabhupāda means the title or the respect which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called... Prabhu means master and pāda means maryādā, or the respect or the distinction. So bhagavad-dūta, those who are strictly following the dictation of Kṛṣṇa under strict disciplinary chain of disciplic succession, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative and he should be given all the respect. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. That is the verdict of all śāstras.

And those who are actually Vaiṣṇava, they follow this instruction.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

So, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, rūpa-raghunātha, beginning from Rūpa to Raghunātha dāsa. Rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti kabe hāma bujhabo, don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love without going through the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, (indistinct) Gosvāmī, like, that is the instruction.

So we see practically how Prahlāda Mahārāja immediately attained the state of prema. Here it is said, prema-gadgadayā vaca. Prema, that prema is not this prema. The lusty desire, that is not prema. Prema, one has to learn, one has to go through the disciplic or discipline to attain the state of prema. As Prahlāda Mahārāja, so he first of all followed the instruction of Brahmā, then immediately he got the favor of Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, and after getting that he got the prema state. You cannot go immediately to the prema state.

Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:

When he comes to see guru he must offer obeisances, and when he leaves that place he must offer obeisances. And in the in-between, coming and going, he should learn from the guru Vedic understanding. This is the principle of living in gurukula.

So upakrame avasāne ca caraṇau śirasā namet. Just at the lotus feet of guru the brahmacārī... So our students, they are very obedient. And if our students see the guru hundred times, he practices this process, offering obeisances while meeting and while going. These things are to be practiced. Then dānta. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānta (SB 7.12.1). Then he'll be controlled, self-controlled. Obedience is the first law of discipline. If there is no obedience, there cannot be any discipline. And if there is no discipline you cannot manage anything. That is not possible. Therefore this is very essential, that the students should be very disciplined. Disciple means one who follows discipline. This is disciple, śiṣya. The Sanskrit word is also the same, śiṣya. I have several times explained. Śiṣya, it comes from the verb śās, śāsana, ruling. So śiṣya means one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of the spiritual master. He is called śiṣya. Śiṣya, śāsana, śāstra, śāstra, śāsana—these things are the same, from the same root. So this is the instruction.

Lecture on SB 7.12.5 -- Bombay, April 16, 1976:

Here it is said, bhuñjīta yady anujñāto. Everything is there, prasādam is ready, but you can eat if you are ordered by the spiritual master. This is called tapasya. Not that "Guru is not here and so much foodstuff... Let me eat sumptuously and sleep twenty-four hours." This is not brahmacārī. We should be very careful. Without order of guru... Of course, our students are trained up. They ask permission. But here it is said that he should not ask permission even. If guru calls him, then he can take; otherwise guru has forgotten to call him somehow or other, so he should starve, or he should fast on that day.

So this is discipline and hardship, voluntary hardship. The brahmacārī may come from the royal house... Just like our Kṛṣṇa is actually son of Vasudeva, and He was brahmacārī. And when Sudāmā Vipra... Kṛṣṇa was supposed to be kṣatriya and Sudāmā Vipra was brāhmaṇa, so brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are especially meant for going to the gurukula and live very strictly according to the principle of gurukula. So Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Vipra went to collect dry fuel from the woods. When Sudāmā Vipra came to Kṛṣṇa's house, He reminded, "My dear Sudāmā, do you remember that day that both of us, we went to the forest and there was cyclone and rain, we could not come out?" So that means so much painstaking for the matter of guru.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.124-125 -- New York, November 26, 1966:

So I have to revive my relationship. Relationship is there; simply I have forgotten. So I have to revive it, or remember it, that "Oh, I am such and such." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). I have to become a great soul by surrendering unto God. So that surrendering process is bhakti, or devotional service. My relationship is eternal with the Supreme. I have forgotten it. Now, that relationship is that He is the original father of everything, and we are all sons. So we have to become... We have... So long we have been disobedient. Now we have to become obedient. That's all. This obedience means that... What is called? Obedience, the first law of discipline. So as soon as the people of this world, so-called advanced world, they become obedient to God, then there will be discipline and there will be peace. There is no discipline now. They are not agreeable to follow any rules and regulation. Everyone is God. Everyone is dog. Everyone can do anything, whatever he likes. So there is no discipline. So bhakti, bhakti, devotional service, means to undergo a, a disciplinary system of our life so that automatically we can revive our lost relationship with Lord, God, and we become happy. This is called bhakti. Abhidheya-nāma 'bhakti', 'prema'-prayojana. And why? What is the use? Suppose we don't revive our relationship? Then you'll be disturbed. You are after peace and prosperity.

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

So such persons... He aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed," āruhya kṛcchreṇa, "to become one with You, they perform severe austerity." That requires, of course... Śaṅkarācārya recommended monism. Oh, nobody can follow his strict principle. So we simply say that "We are follower of Śaṅkarācārya." You cannot approach even the shadow of Śaṅkarācārya. He was so strict and so disciplinary. He would... They are... According to Śaṅkara-sampradāya, everyone must take first of all sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means this renounced order of life. There is no question, those who are enjoying this material life, for them to understand Śaṅkara philosophy. It is another foolishness. Śaṅkara does not recognize anybody who has not accepted sannyāsa. That is his first principle. So Śaṅkara-sampradāya, they perform very austere penance and principles. They take three times bath at least, three times. And no clothing; simply one loincloth, one... And their possession is one loincloth and one wooden waterpot. That's all. Nothing more. And they will lie down on the floor. So their strict, I mean to say, renounced order is very strict. So they perform austerity. So Bhāgavata accepts their austerity. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). By their severe penances and austerity they come to the supreme position.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

Prabhupāda: He has to do everything under the instruction of the spiritual master. That is his duty. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts disciplinary measures from the spiritual master. He's ruled by the spiritual master.

Indian lady: Can the death of a spiritual master take to us, or I can get... Is that spiritual master still guiding after the death? (?)

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is guiding us, similarly, spiritual master will guide. We are being guided by Kṛṣṇa, by the Bhagavad-gītā. Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, so-called... Kṛṣṇa is present always. But even if we say that Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's... Here form, the same. It is not that we are making show of offering Kṛṣṇa some food. No, we are offering directly to Kṛṣṇa and He's eating. Kṛṣṇa being absolute, He can perform through anything provided we are sincere and serious.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1968:

So these words are very significant. That I have already explained, still I am explaining. A prince, he's enjoying sense, that's all. He has got enough facility for sense enjoyment. So his next life is hellish. Because if you indulge in sex life, then Kṛṣṇa will give you facility to have sex life three times in an hour, just like the pigeons, the monkeys, the sparrows, they are very sexually strong. You have seen it. So the facility is given. So princely order, they are after sense enjoyment. So he's blessed that "Better you live forever, because after your death, you do not know what is going to happen to you. You are going to get a hellish life. Better you live for some time. Go on with your enjoyment." And muni-putra mā jīva. Brahmacārī, working under the guidance under strict disciplinary guidance, of a spiritual master, he is blessed, mā jīva, "You better die. Because you are so trained to enter into the kingdom of God, so why should you take so much trouble? Better you die and go back to Godhead." Ma jīva. And a devotee he blessed, jīva va maro va: "My dear devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." And the butcher, he blessed him, ma jīva ma mara: "You don't live, don't die." What he's to do? His living condition is so abominable. From the morning, he has to slaughter so many animals, see the bloodstain, the ghastly scene. That is his livelihood.

Initiation Lectures

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

One function is initiation of a brahmacārī, and another function is marriage ceremony of our one disciple Satsvarūpa brahmacārī and Jadurāṇī brahmacāriṇī. (break) ...Caitanya-bhāgavata there is a verse which says, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke. The purport is that either if you remain in household life or you remain as mendicant in the forest, in either case, you just become a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So although we have four divisions of the social orders, namely the brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa... Brahmacārī means student, strictly observing life of celibacy, following the rules and regulations enunciated by the spiritual master under strict discipline. That is called brahmacārī. And next is that if a brahmacārī wants to get himself married, that is allowed. So when a brahmacārī is married, he is called gṛhastha, or householder. But because a brahmacārī is trained from the very beginning of his life renunciation of material enjoyment, he cannot be absorbed like ordinary man in family life. Ordinary man, they cannot give up the family life or association of woman even up to the end of life. But according to Vedic system, association of woman is allowed only for a certain period, during the youthful days only, just to beget nice children.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Oh, you are playing in the battle? No, you should not manufacture anything. You should be directed by the spiritual master. Don't manufacture anything. That is not good. You'll manufacture today something; next day you'll manufacture something; then you'll go astray. Don't do that. To be under disciplinary activities means to be directed by the authorities. Don't manufacture anything. There are so many activities. Why should we manufacture some other thing? Manufacturing means Māyāvāda, mental concoction. That is not the process of bhakti. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: If he plays...

Prabhupāda: Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You have to simply follow the footprints. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: If we were in plays and we are playing such great personalities, how should we be thinking?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Jaya-gopāla: In plays if we would be...

Prabhupāda: Play is play. Suppose you are playing the part of Cromwell, are you Cromwell? So similarly, why do you think like that you have become Cromwell?

General Lectures

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

So many arguments he placed. That means Arjuna was identifying himself with this body. And Kṛṣṇa, when Arjuna submitted to Kṛṣṇa that "I am now puzzled, bewildered. I cannot understand what is my duty at the present moment; therefore I am submitting unto You," śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "I become Your disciple." Śādhi māṁ prapannam: "I am surrendered unto You. You please instruct me." So because they were talking like friends in the beginning, so argument like friends, talking, that cannot give any conclusion. Here is the Vedic process. Just like Arjuna said that śādhi māṁ prapannam, śiṣyas te 'ham: "I become your śiṣya." Śiṣya means disciple. That means "Whatever disciplinary action You will ask me to follow, I shall do it." This is called śiṣya. The word śiṣya comes from the word, Sanskrit word, sas-dhātu, means to rule over, sas-dhātu. So ruling by instruction, ruling by laws, and ruling by force, weapon. There are three kinds of ruling. If instruction fails, then evidences from lawbooks. And when that also fails, then force. That is the whole arrangement everywhere. The instruction is that you should not kill. But if you violate, then according to law you are arrested. If you still violate, then you are punished in so many ways by force. As this is going on in our ordinary life, the same thing is going on by God's will also. The kingdom of God... Here is also kingdom of God, and there is another, spiritual sky. That is also kingdom of God.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Guest (7): Swamijī, an old guest has been wandering around. He's called Fred Robinson. He's been forecasting doom to happen very shortly for the human race and says that it is far too hopeless to try and grab for the spiritual plane until one goes back to the land, back to simple living and where one just makes one's task to supply food for the children, the new children of the new age. And then yoga and the spiritual disciplines will flow much easier. What would you say to that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are also distributing food. Yes. In our Māyāpur daily we are distributing food to two thousand, three thousand. So that is one of our program, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and distributing prasādam. We are distributing... When I started this movement I was cooking myself and distributing prasāda. But we do not discriminate that "He is needy..." Everyone is needy. So actually, everyone is in need of spiritual understanding. So by distributing food, the spiritual food, simply by eating, he will be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he does not do anything. But actually, we are inviting persons to come, sit down, chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and take prasādam and go home. That's all. This is our program. So prasādam is already included. And there is the question of needy men. So we invite any needy man to come and join with us, and we shall feed him. That's all. We invite anyone. But they do not like to come to us to chant. That is the difficulty. "Oh, we'll have to go there and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So they are afraid. So what can I do? We invite everyone, "Please come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance with us, and when you are hungry, take some food.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: Typical of the latter part of the nineteenth century, James' only acquaintance with Hinduism was through the impersonalists, and he spoke of samādhi and the mystical experience in this way. He says, "The Vedantists say that one may stumble into superconsciousness sporadically without the previous discipline, but it is then impure. The test of its purity, like our test of religious value, is empirical. Its fruits must be good for life. When a man comes out of samādhi they assure us that he remains enlightened—a sage, a prophet, a saint, his whole character changed, his life changed, illumined." What is this samādhi or...

Prabhupāda: Samādhi means ecstasy, always in God consciousness. That is samādhi. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā (BG 6.47). The yogis means they are always remaining in meditation of the Supreme Lord. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. Mind is always absorbed in God. That is samādhi. He has no other thought than God. So if we can continue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is samādhi.

Hayagrīva: Now James equates this mystical union, or samādhi, to be a union in which the individual has lost contact with the external world.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: That is also his foolishness, because a child can be trained up to become a brahmacārī so that he will have no inclination for sex. It depends on the child's training. The unscrupulous father and mother, they enjoy sex life before the child, and they imitate. I have seen it. I have seen it in Agra. There are two small children. In life, what do they know? The female child laid down, and the man child, just like they have seen father and mother-sex. He does not know anything, but he is imitating. So imitating, imitating, the sex life is there, it becomes prominent. Similarly, you train the children not to have any sense of sex life, he will become brahmacārī. So he has not studied. He has seen some abominable family's children. So they learn these things. Whatever you teach, they imitate. So if you keep the children aloof from this sex-life society, he will remain a brahmacārī. There is many instances. That is the Vedic civilization. The children are immediately, as soon as four, five years old, he is sent to the gurukula, and under the discipline he forgets sex life, practically. But still if he has little, that is natural when he is young man, so a guru sees that still tendency for sex life, he is allowed, "Go on, marry and become a gṛhastha." Otherwise, if he is perfectly controlled over sex life, he becomes a sannyāsī, vānaprastha, the whole life. Just like my Guru Mahārāja, he was never married. So he could..., that can be trained. Why he is saying the child is? Child can be trained. Even without sex he can live throughout whole life without any disturbance. That can be trained up. It is a question of education.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Hayagrīva: "...and destroying every bond which ties him to it by ascetic discipline he seeks salvation in absolute renunciation."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: He says..., but he says, "This attempt to escape from evil has ended in flight from the battlefield." He doesn't advocate this for an Englishman. In a typically British manner he quotes Alfred Lord Tennyson. He says, "We are grown men and must play the man strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."

Prabhupāda: Rascal, at last you die. (laughter) You do not like to yield, but the nature kicks on your face and says you must die. That he does not like.

Hayagrīva: Well, at any rate he's dead now, so...

Prabhupāda: So therefore he is..., he is not surviving. He was...

Hayagrīva: He admits, he says, "This seems..."

Prabhupāda: Either you be Englishman or Frenchman or this man, you cannot survive. You have to succumb under the dictation of the superior nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that—I think Huxley read Bhagavad-gītā; he does not know-that.