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Enemy (Other Lectures)

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

Prabhupāda: But sometimes my godbrother criticizes that I am sannyāsī, I am taking part in marriage. So I have got very good difficulties. Here, when I come to India, they say that I am spoiling Hindu system of religion. And when I go there, the Christian says that "You are the greatest enemy." (laughter) This is my position. You see. If I go ahead, then... And if I go behind, then... So what can be done? I have to execute my duty. I am not encouraged by the government, by my godbrothers, and still I have to do this duty. What can be done? So, so far I am concerned I know by getting them married I am benefited. They have done so much... He's also married, this boy. He's always... He has got his wife, he has got children, but he doesn't care for his wife and children. He remains with me and he helps me in editing the Sanskrit portion of my books. He has studied Sanskrit. He was not a Sanskrit scholar, but by his endeavor he has studied Sanskrit. So all my books, Sanskrit editing work, is done by...

Guest: I see.

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

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, I may have missed a point about the atheist. He sees God at the time of death. Does he see the form of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death?

Prabhupāda: No. As the form of death. Kṛṣṇa has many forms. So death is also Kṛṣṇa's form. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). One who has become inimical to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa appears as enemy. Just like He appeared as Narasiṁhādeva to Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was very great personality. He was father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Ordinary man, they fear the death. That fearful death, meeting with the fearfulness is their meeting with Kṛṣṇa. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Yes. Rasa. Rasa means mellow. Everything we have, there is a rasa. Without rasa, we do not deal in anything. So this material rasa or mellow, which we relish in our daily dealings... Suppose our dealings with wife, children, friends or others, enemy also. There is a rasa. When we kill our enemy, there is also some pleasure rasa. When we see something ghastly... In European and Western countries, they want to see some ghastly things in the television. So they enjoy rasa. There is some rasa, relishment. Otherwise, how they are all day, practically, they are sitting before the television and seeing?

So there are twelve kinds of rasas. Five kinds of rasa, we generally experience. The dealings between servants and master, dealings between friend and friend, dealings between mother and the child, dealings between lover and the beloved, dealings between the enemy and enemies. So many ways, there are, on the whole, twelve kinds of rasa. And the, all the rasas are there in Kṛṣṇa. Akhila-rasāmṛta. Akhila-rasa.

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

That was his, that was her purpose. But when Pūtanā was killed by sucking her breast and life both, then Pūtanā was given the position of Kṛṣṇa's mother. Because Kṛṣṇa took it the bright side. Kṛṣṇa thought that "Whatever her intention may be, she came to Me just like a mother, and I sucked her breast. Therefore she is My mother." She came as enemy, but Kṛṣṇa did not take the inimical side. The motherly side. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). Similarly, the gopīs, they came to Kṛṣṇa out of lust, but out of lust, they became purified. Just like the sun. The sun soaks the water from urinal, but sun is not polluted, but the urinal becomes sterilized. This is the process. So you try to approach Kṛṣṇa, some way or other. Then your life is successful. It doesn't matter. Kāmāt krodhād bhayād dveṣāt.

And what to speak of those who are constantly engaged in love with Kṛṣṇa. Everything is love. As soon as you divert your attention to Kṛṣṇa, that is love. It may be perverted. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa... He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. But he was thinking in terms of killing Kṛṣṇa, as enemy.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Fear. Suppose if you find a tiger or a something ghostly, you become afraid. That is also rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Chivalry.

Prabhupāda: Chivalry. Suppose you are fighting with an enemy. You are defeating him, you are killing him. That is also another rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Ghastliness.

Prabhupāda: Ghastliness. That means after killing somebody... Just like a butcher. The butcher is enjoying by killing. Ghastly. Just like the hunter was killing every animal. He was also enjoying some rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Wonder.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

"When He will take birth, when He will take birth, when He will take birth?" That was... That was also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but that kind of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not bhakti. The indirect Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is not bhakti. That is attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That will also give benefit. Just like Kaṁsa and other enemies of Kṛṣṇa, who were killed by Kṛṣṇa, they got immediately salvation, immediately got salvation.

So the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī teaches that even if you be attached to Kṛṣṇa in adverse condition, in opposite condition, that is also good, because Kṛṣṇa is there. The example can be given in a different way: just like sandalwood. Sandalwood, you rub it, in any way, standing or horizontal, in this way, the pulp will come out and it will give you comfort, it will give you relief. Similarly, you make your contact with Kṛṣṇa ānukūlyena... Especially it is recommended: ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167), favorably.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

You are thinking that "This thing will give me happiness. That thing will give me happiness." No. And what is that happiness? Happiness, that is explained here: in twelve rasas. So you accept these twelve rasas in exchange of your affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. You may take... You become even enemy of Kṛṣṇa, just like Kaṁsa. If you do not like to become friend of Kṛṣṇa, then you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. If you like... Because you cannot go beyond these twelve rasas. Still. Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt, it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa actually by lusty desires, the kāmāt. Bhayāt: and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa out of fearfulness. Dveśyāt: the Śiśupāla, he was always envious of Kṛṣṇa. He was also thinking of... Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt. Some way or other, be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and you'll be happy. You'll be happy, this life and next life.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

Thank you very much. (break) ...There are five kinds of mukti: sāyujya-mukti, sārūpya-mukti, sālokya-mukti, sāmīpya-mukti. So sāyujya-mukti, the jñānīs, the nirbheda brahmaṇusandhana, they want to become one with the Supreme. You know this. Monism. That is called sāyujya-mukti. So the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, they get sāyujya-mukti. Or, in other words, the sāyujya-mukti is given to the enemies, not to the friends. But the, there are other muktis. Just like this, take example: darkness. Mukti means you come out from darkness to the light. That is real mukti. Now we are in the material world. This is darkness, tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. This is the Vedic interest. "Don't remain in the darkness." That means in the material world. "Come to the world of light," jyoti, brahma-jyotir. So take this example. Suppose you are in a dark room and I take you to the sunlight, come out. So this is also light. And the sun globe, that is also light. And the sun-god, that is also light. But this light, sunshine light, or sunshine temperature, is not as good as the temperature in the sun globe.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 8, 1973:

They'll not accept it. This is the dog's obstinacy, against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they cannot answer. Just suppose, if your stock of grain is finished, then what you will do, if there's no rain. You cannot produce rain in your factory, rain or grain or anything, in your factory or mill. That is not possible.

So people have become so fallen, they cannot understand the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, although they are very much proud that reading Bhagavad-gītā daily. What you have understood? Then they cannot say anything. We have understood Kṛṣṇa means this black spot. This rascal hasn't understood Bhagavad-gītā and he's preaching Bhagavad-gītā. Just see the fault. So this is going on. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a war declared against all these rascals. We have got many enemies, but we don't care for them. Still we shall go on. Johnny Walker is still going strong.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Pradyumna: "For example, great demons like Rāvaṇa, Kaṁsa and Hiraṇyakaśipu were always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but they were thinking of Him as their enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yes. As Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa as enemy, similarly, if we think of Kṛṣṇa that "He'll wash my sinful activities," that means you are thinking like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa should be thought favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Na prātikūlyena. No. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa and commit sinful life at the same time. That is prātikūla. Kṛṣṇa does not want that you shall remain sinful, because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa without being free from sinful activities. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Kṛṣṇa is pavitra, paramam. Apāpa-viddham.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

So tri... Prabodhananda Sarasvatī Mahārāja says that durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī-protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. The senses are our enemies. That's all right. We also admit. The yogis try to control the senses and mind because they think of the senses just like serpent. Serpent, little touch by the lip, I mean, the tongue, immediately it causes death. So it is very dangerous. But Prabodhananda Sarasvatī says that "We are not afraid of these serpents because protkhāta daṁṣṭrāyate, the serpent is so long dangerous as long as it has got the poison teeth." Poison teeth. Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. So if you take away the poison teeth, then, however big serpent it may be, nobody will be afraid. In the Bengali it is said, visnai kulapana cakra (?). If a serpent is known that his poison teeth has been taken away, so his big hood, hans phamsa (?), nobody will be afraid, one who knows that he has no poison teeth.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

So many things. So they like it, to work very hard.

But our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is transferring that hard working to the business of Kṛṣṇa. That tendency for hard working may be utilized. Just like the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that lust and anger, these are our enemies. Kāma-krodha-lobha-moha-mātsarya. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that the kāma also can be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. Kāmaṁ kṛṣṇa-karmārpane. If one is very much attached to work for Kṛṣṇa, that tendency for the karmīs to work very hard for sense gratification, it can be utilized. It can be... Similarly, krodhaṁ bhakta-dveṣi jane. Krodha, anger, is not good, but anger also can be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. Just like Hanumān, he became angry upon Rāvaṇa for the sake of Lord Rāmacandra, and he set fire in the golden city of Rāvaṇa, Lanka. So that anger was utilized for Lord Rāmacandra's service. He never utilized anger for his personal sense gratification.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

. Just like the hog is eating stool, kadarya, a very abominable thing, but it is eating. Similarly, many other forms of body. You are eating very abominable things on account of your particular type of body, and this is due to ignorance. And this ignorance is our greatest enemy. The human form of life is meant for acquiring knowledge, not to keep one in ignorance. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. That is the Vedic injunction. "Don't keep yourself in darkness," darkness of ignorance. But jyotir gamaḥ: "Go to the light." That is the Vedic injunction.

So the best knowledge, He's giving, Kṛṣṇa Himself: Bhagavad-gītā. He's coming personally to give knowledge. But we are so unfortunate, we are not accepting the knowledge given by Kṛṣṇa. We are hankering after some other knowledge given by some defective human being. A human being cannot give us any perfect knowledge.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Kīrtanīyaḥ, to chant the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are so many impediments. You are experiencing that our only business is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but there are so many enemies also. There are many friends—we have got more friends than enemies; still, there are so many enemies also, criticizing. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that this criticism would be there. Even when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was preaching this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly. Some brāhmaṇas from Navadvīpa, they lodged complaint to the magistrate, Kazi, that "This Nimāi Paṇḍita has discovered a new type of religion, chanting loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the period of, sleeping period of Nārāyaṇa, and He's chanting so loudly. So Nārāyaṇa will be disturbed and there will be so much catastrophe. So kindly stop this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

This is only one-fourth part manifestation of the whole creation. There is no limit of kīrtana. That is unlimited. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is that "Glorify the Lord continuously." Tṛṇād api sunīcena. And as soon as you begin kīrtanīyaḥ, real kīrtana of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll have many enemies. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally had many enemies. You know that in this spot there was persecution, religious persecution, by the then magistrate, Chand Kazi. His samādhi is still there. So, and we are also experiencing. Our only fault is that we are preaching the saṅkīrtana movement, and there are so many enemies. You see? So that is possible. Even the father become enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, and because he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, his father became enemy. So you'll have enemies. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us, warning us, that tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā: "You just become humbler than the grass." Just (as) you trample over the grasses, it does not protest. Not only you, so many people are going on the grasses, but they tolerate. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

So one who has got intelligence, they will try to enter into the pastimes, transcendental pastimes of the Lord, either as a cowherd boy or as a servant or as a flower, as a tree, or the water of Yamunā, or the land, or the father and the mother and the conjugal lover. Or it may be as enemy, as Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Pūtanā. They are also blessed because they are acting with Kṛṣṇa. This is the sum and substance of Vṛndāvana līlā. Kṛṣṇa comes, He exhibits His līlā in Vṛndāvana to attract the conditioned souls, who are engaged in false līlā, temporary līlā, or hellish līlā. Kṛṣṇa wants to save us. The propensity is there. Kṛṣṇa says, "Not here. Not in this material world. This is perverted. You come to Me." But the Māyāvādīs, because they have poor fund of knowledge, they think that "If again there is līlā, there is sporting, there is dancing, so that is here. Then it is māyā." In their poor fund of knowledge, brain cannot accommodate that Kṛṣṇa's līlā and this līlā are not the same.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Buddha philosophy is atheism undoubtedly, but Śaṅkara philosophy is dangerous atheism because he is accepting Vedānta, but he is preaching atheism. He's accepting... Under the shelter of Vedānta, he's preaching atheism. So therefore they are more dangerous. Just like you are fighting with your enemies, that is very clear. "The other party is my enemy." But if somebody's treating as your friend and within he's trying to kill you, enemy, oh, that is very dangerous enemy. So similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Buddhism is atheism. That's all right. But this Śaṅkara's philosophy is more dangerous than atheism. And actually, so-called, so many swamis and sannyāsīs, they came. They come from India. They are this same, dangerous atheists. Nobody has preached in your country this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or... Bhagavad-gītā is widely read, but differently interpreted. So therefore they are dangerous atheists. They are... Under the garb of Bhagavad-gītā, they are preaching atheism. So they are very dangerous.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Therefore we call brāhmaṇa, "paṇḍita, paṇḍitajī." Paṇḍitajī has never seen the pages of Vedas, but still, he is going on under the name of paṇḍitajī. So that kind of paṇḍitajī not wanted. Actually a brāhmaṇa means he is truthful. And one of the greatest commentator of Bhagavad-gītā, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, he says truthful means one should be truthful even to his enemies. Sometimes we have to hide something from the enemies. That is diplomacy. But Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says, "A brāhmaṇa should be so truthful that he will disclose everything to his enemy also." Satyam. Titikṣa ārjavam śuci śama dama—these are the qualifications. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42).

So without this brahminical qualification one cannot understand the Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated sometimes that a śūdra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men. Not that.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

And you think of such Personality of Godhead as impersonal, how it is possible? Without being person, there cannot be ānanda anubhava. Just like we are persons. We can feel pains and pleasure. Unless one is person, there is no question of enjoying ānanda. So that is His challenge, that if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of ānanda, as it is stated in all the Vedic scriptures, especially in Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, then how He can be imperson? There is no possibility. And He gives other Vedic evidences also. Apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā, that He has no hand; still, He accepts whatever is given to Him. So there is no possibility of the Absolute Truth's being imperson. He is person. Hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra.

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahma haya
niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

The impersonalists say that the Brahman has no enemy. The difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy... (aside:) What they are talking? They are not coming here?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Sometimes we are feeling some ailments in the body-mind is not in good order. This is called ādhyātmika. And ādhibhautika. Ādhibhautika means miseries inflicted by other living entities. Just like there are mosquitos, there are flies, there are birds, there are other animals, or other enemies in the human society: my friend has become enemy, so he's trying to give me some displeasure. So this kind of This is called ādhibhautika. Ādhyātmika. Even nobody gives me any distress, my body will give me distress. If I cannot sit comfortably, if there is some pinching, I am feeling pain. So these things are going on, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. And other miseries inflicted by providence. Just like there is no rain, excessive heat, excessive cold, famine, pestilence, earthquake. We have no control over. These are ādhidaivika. So we are suffering. Although we may foolishly say If somebody asks his friend, "How are you?" he says, "Oh, yes, everything is all right." Where is "Everything is all right"? You are suffering and This is called māyā.

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

What are these threefold miseries? They are miseries pertaining to this body and mind; miseries pertaining to the, I mean to say, disturbance of material nature; and miseries pertaining to the other living entities. We are always under threefold miseries. We may accept or not accept; that is our position. I am in miserable condition due to others' arrangement—my enemies, other animals or other enemies. And I am in miserable condition due to material disturbances, nature's disturbances. And I am always under miseries due to my bodily and mental conditions. These called, these are called threefold miseries. So out of these three... We are always under three kinds of miseries, but sometimes one is slackened, other is greater, in this way, but we are always under miserable condition. When a sane man comes to this understanding, he is eligible for spiritual evolution. And one is dull, who cannot understand what are these miseries, then he has no need of approaching a spiritual master or inquiring about transcendental subject. Just like a man who is not, I mean to say, aware of his disease, he does not go to a physician. He thinks, "I'm all right."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110-111 -- Bombay, November 17, 1975:

If one is in bodily concept of life he is no better than animal. It may be... The dogs are fighting that "I am dog, and you are a different dog." If the man also fights on that same principle, then where is the difference between dog and man?

So this can be understood when actually... Prahlāda Mahārāja was surprised when his teacher was teaching him how to deal with enemies. He was surprised: "Who is enemy?" So a Vaiṣṇava has no enemy. Vaiṣṇava is friend. Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.)

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.125 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

That is standard of morality. Example. Example is, just like this State, the State has law that if you commit murder, then you will be hanged. It is immoral. If you commit theft, then you will be punished. But when the State says that you go and become a spy and become a thief and bring out these documents on the enemy's camp, that is morality. If you kill a man, you will be hanged. But when the State order, if you kill an enemy, hundreds of enemy, you will be awarded gold medal. So if you stick to the principle, theft and murder, and do not follow the State order, you will be considered, what is called, tyrant, or what is that? Traitor. Traitor.

So if in our practical experience we see to obey the order of the Supreme is morality, standard of morality, don't you think to obey the supermost supreme, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to obey Him, that is morality. That is morality. So if you stick to the mundane principle, then it will not be.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966:

And when Bilvamaṅgala came inside before the woman, he said, "My dear mother, will you kindly give your hairpins?" "Yes. Why?" "I have got some business." Then he took the hairpin and at once pierced his eyes: "Oh, this eye is my enemy." And he became blind. He became blind. Then all of them... "That's all right. Now no more I shall be disturbed."

So in that blindness he was penancing, austerity in Vṛndāvana. So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa came like a boy. "Oh, my dear sir, why you are starving? Why don't you take some milk?" "Oh, who are You, my dear boy?" "Oh, I am a boy of this village. I am a cowherd boy. If you like, I can give you daily some milk." "All right." So Kṛṣṇa supplied him milk. So there was friendship. And he has written that bhakti is such a thing that muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Mukti, mukti is nothing for me." So this is his verse, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "So we have no desire for mukti. When Kṛṣṇa comes to supply milk, oh, then what is the use of my mukti?" You see?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

He's the original God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: (SB 1.3.28) "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa." That has been particularly pointed out in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although there are list of many. So that, that Kṛṣṇa, although He is original, still, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. Indrāri. Indra. Indra is the king of heaven. And ari, ari means enemy. Just like the heavenly king and the Satan, conception of Satan. So when there is satanic influence over the kingdom of God, or the devotees, or the appointed demigods, they are disturbed by satanic influence, then Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi... That is stated, confirmed, in Bhagavad-gītā.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
(BG 4.7)

Whenever there is discrepancies in the discharge of natural laws of God, then God incarnates. Either He incarnates Himself, or He sends His bona fide representative, or He sends His powerful representative, like that.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

The three Viṣṇu incarnation description is finished. Now He is trying to explain līlāvatāra, pastimes. God has got all propensities. So if He wants to fulfill some propensity, then He comes here to exhibit, to manifest that. Just like God comes here, just Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra. And what was the main function of Lord Rāmacandra? He fought with Rāvaṇa, His enemy. So this is called līlā. What is that līlā, līlā pastime? When God wants to have some desire to fulfill, that "I should fight..." Sometimes you sometimes feel mock fighting with friends or with your children. Similarly, wherefrom this desire comes unless the desire is in God? Because He is the origin of all, everything. So don't you feel sometimes, mock fighting? That is enjoyment, fighting with friends, boxing. That is not fighting. That is enjoyment. Similarly, God wants to enjoy by fighting. So Vaikuṇṭha, there is no fighting because nobody can be found there enemy. Everyone is obedient servant. Therefore He comes here to find out some enemy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

So Vaikuṇṭha, there is no fighting because nobody can be found there enemy. Everyone is obedient servant. Therefore He comes here to find out some enemy. The two functions are served. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He satisfies His fighting spirit; at the same time, He protects the devotees and protects that enemy also by killing him. Because when a demon is killed by the Supreme Lord, he is at once liberated. The liberation which he had to achieve after many, many births, he at once achieves. That is the advantage. So He saves the enemy and saves the devotee, and at the same time, He satisfies His fighting desire. So God is good. So any fight, that is also good. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is inducing, inciting Arjuna, fight. There is a plan, big plan. So foolish people who criticize, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is inciting war. We are very good men, nonviolence." So this "good man" has no value. That fighting has much value. But there is a plan, good plan. So this is called pastime, līlā, līlāvatāra.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Even the father will be prepared to kill you. You see? The mother will be prepared to kill you. And what to speak of others, complaining, "O Swamijī, you are disturbing our sleep."

So although we have made our friendship with Kṛṣṇa and He will always protect us, but at the same time this devotional line is risky also, that we create so many enemies. There are many examples in the history of this devotional service that unnecessarily people become enemy to these innocent devotees. Even a innocent boy like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old. But a devotee cannot give up his profession. You see? He was being chastised so many times by his atheistic father, but what Prahlāda Mahārāja was doing? Oh, because he was king, he ordered the teachers that "This boy is coming home and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense?" Teachers were asked. Teachers said, "My dear sir, we do not teach Hare Kṛṣṇa. According to your regulation, we are secular. (laughter) There is no possibility of teaching God or God's name.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

"Where you have got your Hare Kṛṣṇa?" "Father, from where you have got your anger, I have got that Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) He is the supplier. You want to be angry; He supplies anger. And I want to chant." Oh, he becomes more angry. So, but that boy, what he was doing? That teacher was forbidden, secular, and the father was enemy. Still, he was taking some opportunity as soon as the teacher is out: "O my dear friends, come on. I shall speak to you Hare Kṛṣṇa and the science." So this should be our, your policy. Whenever there is some chance, just preach this, whenever there is chance. But you should always know that you will find enemies, but you don't be afraid. Go on with your work.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was such a nice devotee. And to protect him when he was just going to be killed by his father... And his father was very good politician. He took benediction from Brahmā that he will not be killed by anyone. Means by policy he took benediction from Brahmā that "I shall not be killed by man."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

This Mahārāja Bali was grandson of this Mahārāja Prahlāda. So these are līlāvatāra pastimes. Pastimes means exchange of dealing between the devotees and the Lord, between the living entities and the Lord, exchange. Either there are twelve kinds of humor, rasas... Sometimes He deals as enemy; sometimes He deals as friend; sometimes He deals as so many things. There are twelve. So we are all related with God in some humor out of these twelve, either as enemy or as friend or servitor or lover or as son or father, as the master and servant. In so many ways we are related. And when these relationship is exchanged between God and the living entity, that is called līlā, līlā, pastimes. So līlāvatāra.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

They are simply meant for creating disturbances. So when the atheist class, the number of atheist class, increases, at that time it becomes intolerable for the devas and the gods to remain here because the asuras can create much disturbances. So at that time, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge (SB 1.3.28). Indrāri. Indra means the head of the demigods. When his enemies are increased and create disturbance, these līlāvatāras, they come. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) "Just to deliver the faithful and to annihilate the unfaithful," yuge yuge sambhavāmi, "I come in every millennium."

līlāvatārera kailuṅ dig-daraśana
guṇāvatārera ebe śuna vivaraṇa

Now Lord Caitanya says, "I have mentioned some of the līlāvatāra. Now, Sanātana, you just hear from Me about guṇāvatāra." Guṇāvatāra means the incarnation of the material qualities. There are three qualities in the material world: goodness, passion and ignorance. So each quality is controlled by the Supreme Lord Himself by His expansion of different incarnation. Brahmā, viṣṇu, śiva—tina guṇa avatāra.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:

"What is God? Huh! God. The foolish people are assembled speaking of God." Nitya. They are... Naturally, they are haters of God in this conditioned life. Just the opposite. In the spiritual world, they are by nature... By nature, we are lover of God, but here, being illusioned, we think God as our enemy and we don't like God. We like this māyā. So

'nitya-bandha'—kṛṣṇa haite nitya-bahirmukha
nitya-saṁsāra', bhuñje narakādi duḥkha

Therefore because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and they are averse to Kṛṣṇa, therefore the result is that perpetually they are entangled in this material world, in the pangs... Material world means threefold miseries. Plus... So long... What is word? Principally we have got fourfold changing: birth, death, old age and disease. And these fourfold changes are always mixed with threefold miseries.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:

There is something wrong." The body is all right, but the mind is not all right. This is called ādhyātmika. Then adhibhautika. Adhibhautika means miseries offered by other living entities. Just like at night, bedbugs. (laughter) (laughs) So, very nice situation, whole night there is no sleep. Why? Now there is adhibhautika. Adhibhautika. Or some enemy. This is... There are... These are all miseries, but we forget. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika. Just like heavy snowfall, severe cold, severe heat, earthquake, famine, war. These are adhidaivika, forced by you by superior power. Nobody wants war, but it is forced. These are called adhidaivika miseries. So three kinds. Here it is stated, ādhyātmikādi tapa-traya tāre. So we are under the control of this material nature, and that trident is pierced on my chest. How can I understand? Now this trident I am experiencing every moment. These three kinds of miseries are there. Either this or that or three or two or one—must be there. Must be there. So those who are, I mean to say, enlightened, they can understand that we are miserable. We are in a miserable condition.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.40-50 -- San Francisco, January 24, 1967:

An approved literature. Just like Gandhi. Gandhi wanted to establish nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā. He was a... He is known to be a great student of Bhagavad-gītā, but he was not at all. His political theory was that he wanted to conquer over the enemies by nonviolence method. Nonviolent noncooperation, that was his, I mean to say, theory. He wanted to get away all kinds of nonviolence from the world, all kinds of violence from the world. So he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. But how you can prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken in the violent battlefield. But because he wanted to prove nonviolence, therefore he says, "Oh, these Pāṇḍavas means this. This Kṛṣṇa means this. This chariot means this. These Kurus means this. Dharmakṣetra means this. Kurukṣetra means this." He has invented and manufactured so many rascal meaning that it is very difficult... He said that dharmakṣetre... In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā there is the verse, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1).

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1970:

The exact Sanskrit word is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You have seen, those who have read: sammohāya, for bewildering sura-dviṣām. Sura-dviṣām means persons who are envious of the Vaiṣṇavas. The atheist class, demons, they are always envious of the devotees. That is the law of nature. You see this father. Father became an enemy of a five-years-old son. What was his fault? He was a devotee. That's all. Innocent boy. Simply he was, I mean to say, attracted with chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The father himself, he became a staunch enemy: "Kill this boy." So if a father can become enemy, what to speak of others. So you should always expect that as soon as you become a devotee, the whole world becomes your enemy. That's all. But you have to deal with them, because you are appointed servants of God. Your mission is to enlighten them. So you cannot be. Just like Lord Nityānanda, He was injured, but still He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. That should be your principle. Sometimes we have to cheat, sometimes we have to be injured—so many things. The only device is how people can become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 13-15 -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1970:

Those who are not devotees, simply jñānīs or demons... The jñānīs and demons, they are offered the same place. The jñānīs... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They practice severe austerities, penances, to enter into the Brahman effulgence. But the demons, simply by becoming enemy of Kṛṣṇa, they immediately get that place. The demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are immediately transferred to this Brahman effulgence. So just imagine, the place which is given to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, is that very covetable thing? Suppose if somebody comes who is my enemy, I give him some place, and somebody, my intimate friend, I give him some other place. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is not at all covetable. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda, he has composed a verse, that Brahman... Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalya means the Brahman effulgence, simply spiritual light. So kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. He says that this Brahman effulgence is just like hell.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

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

Our propaganda is not that. Our propaganda is that "You are human being. Your business is to understand your relationship with God." That's all. You learn it. Anywhere you learn it, but you learn it. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time by animal propensities.

So you are nobody's enemy; you are everyone's friend, because you are showing the right way. Try to love Kṛṣṇa, or God. That's all. If you have got any own process, do it. Otherwise, please come to us. Learn it. Why one should grudge? Nīcād apy uttamāṁ strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that you have to catch up the right thing from any source. It doesn't matter. He gives example: viṣād api amṛtaṁ grāhyam. If there is a pitcher of poison, but if there is some nectarine over the pitcher, you catch it, take it out. Don't take the poison, but take the nectarine. Amedhyād api kāñcana. If you find that in a filthy place there is some gold, take it out. You are not to take the filthy stool, but you take the gold. Nīcād apy uttamāṁ vidyām. Nīcā.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

This is material calculation, because he was giving more importance to the material body, what is his brother, what is his grandfather or teacher? He was seeing the material. Just like what is our calculation? I am thinking somebody my friend and another body as my enemy. Why? Because I make distinction on the bodily platform. I say, "American? Oh, they are my friends. Russians? They are my enemies." Why? What is the platform of this distinction? The platform is body. Because one has got the Russian body by some way or other, another bod..., has got American body, I am making distinction. So this distinction is on the material platform. And the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction because it is simply spirit.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva (śvapāke ca)
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
(BG 5.18)

One who is paṇḍita-paṇḍita means learned—he does not make any distinction between a learned brāhmaṇa or a dog or a cat or a cow, because he sees the spirit.

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

That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, "Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civili... So you'll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So the demons are always against this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that's all. This society is so cruel. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today's picture, how Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured.

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

Hiraṇyakaśipu became bitterest enemy of Viṣṇu because his brother Hiranyakṣa, he was killed by Viṣṇu taking the shape of Varāha. You know the story. Since then, Hiraṇyakaśipu was bitterest enemy. "Oh, He has, Viṣṇu has killed my brother. So He is my greatest enemy." So he won't hear anything about Viṣṇu. Any Viṣṇu devotee, he will punish him, even his own son. That was his policy. So he immediately called him, the teachers, and addressed him,

brahma-bandho kim etat te
vipakṣam śrayatāsatā
asāraṁ grāhito bālo
mām anādṛtya durmate

So here... Teachers are generally brāhmaṇas. Not generally. To become teacher is the business of the brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa means they have got six kinds of... Everyone must have livelihood. This material world is that you must work; otherwise you cannot get your livelihood. That is the law, whatever you may be.

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

"Because you are untrustworthy. I gave you, I entrusted you with my son to be taught, and you have taught him this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So against my will..." He says practically, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā: "I entrusted my child for being educated by you, and you have instigated him to speak in favor of my enemy, Viṣṇu? Viṣṇu is my enemy. How is that?" Asāraṁ grāhito bālo mām anādṛtya durmate. "This rascal boy, he does not care for me, and he has learned this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you have taught him. How is that?"

santi hy asādhavo loke
durmaitrāś chadma-veśiṇaḥ
teṣāṁ udety aghaṁ kāle
rogaḥ pātakinām iva

"So I think these demigods who are followers of Viṣṇu, they are coming in disguise and poisoning my son by teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you did not take care of him. So what is this?"

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

They said, "My dear King, don't think we have taught him like this. It is not... I know, it is not our duty to teach him against your will. But his Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not due to our teaching; neither somebody is coming in disguise and teaching him." Na mat-praṇītaṁ na para-praṇītam. "He is neither taught by us, nor by anyone else." Suto vadaty eṣa tavendra-śatro. Indra-śatro. The enemy... The Hiraṇyakaśipu is the enemy of the demigods; therefore he is addressed as Indra-śatro. As he addressed the brāhmaṇa, brahma-bandho, so they retaliated also, that "You are enemy of the demigods." Naisargikīyam, "By nature he is doing that. We try to forbid him. We try to stop him chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but still he's doing." Matir asya rājan niyaccha manyuṁ kad adāḥ sma mā. "You don't be angry upon us. We never did it." So... "He is, by his own nature he chants, he preaches, he's doing all this."

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

Then he again asked his son, "Now I understand that your teacher has not taught you all these things. You rascal, where you have learned all this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" (laughter) Abhadra. Kuto abhadrāsatī matiḥ: "Wherefrom you got this rascal wisdom? Tell me." So this is the position, you see. Even father becomes enemy.

Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja is replying. Prahlāda Mahārāja is replying,

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām
(SB 7.5.30)

"My dear father, don't be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught." Matir na kṛṣṇe. "Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious," matir na kṛṣṇe parato, "being taught by others," matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā, "or by mental speculation or thinking oneself," mitho 'bhipadyeta, "or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference." No. Three things. One thing is to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness by speculative method, self-realization. Just like so many people are very much interested that "Why shall I go to a guru?

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Bombay, May 5, 1974:

So this is very instructive struggle between the atheist and the theist. This story of Prahlāda Mahārāja is eternally true. There is always a struggle between the atheist and the theist. If a person becomes God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, so he will find many enemies. Because the world is full of demons. What to speak of the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, even Kṛṣṇa, when He personally came, He had to kill so many demons. There was His maternal uncle, His mother's brother, very keenly related. Still, he wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. As soon as any son was born to Devakī, immediately he killed, because he did not know who will be Kṛṣṇa. The prediction was that the eighth child of his sister will kill Kaṁsa. So he began to kill all the children. At last, Kṛṣṇa came. But he could not kill Kṛṣṇa. He was killed by Kṛṣṇa.

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

If you approach a person with a grass in your mouth, he'll immediately know that you are coming there with very, very great humbleness. Therefore dante nidhāya. This was the system. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam, and touching his feet. Immediately, touch his feet. Immediately, even if he's enemy, he'll be a friend. Even if he's your enemy, it is so nice process. Take a grass on your mouth and immediately fall on his feet, padayor nipetya, and with folded hands, much flattering. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kaku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca. All flattering words. Ahaṁ bravīmi. So immediately he will agree, "Yes, what you say I'll hear. I'll hear." Immediately, convert to hear you at least. Just see how perfect process is. "Then what is your purpose, sir? Why you are becoming so humble, meek? And now say." "Yes sir, I'll say." What is that? He sādhavaḥ, "You are a great sādhu." Although he may be rascal number one. Still, you call him, he sādhavaḥ. "Yes, I am sādhu, yes. What is your proposal?" "Now kindly forget all nonsense, whatever you have learned. That's all.

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

Somebody has got very high grade body—very intelligent, very rich, very beautiful, very wealthy—and somebody has low-grade body. So dehān uccāvacāñ jantuḥ prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā: "Now, these high-grade and low-grade bodies are obtained according to the work he has done." Śatrur mitram udāsīnaḥ karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ: "And one is the leader or one is a teacher or one is enemy or one is friend—everything is judged by this karma, by work." Just see how much he is giving stress on work. Karmaiva. Karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ.

tasmāt sampūjayet karma
svabhāva-sthaḥ sva-karma-kṛt
añjasā yena varteta
tad evāsya hi daivatam

"Therefore you don't bother yourself about worshiping this god or that god, demigod. You just be faithful to your work, and then that will give you good result." Añjasā yena varteta tad evāsya hi daivatam.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, June 29, 1971:

Anyone, any intelligent man can understand that as soon as we identify our activities with the body, then we are fool number one. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who is identifying himself with this body... Sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu. "And family members, wife, children, they are our own men. All others are enemies." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. "And the land in which we have taken birth, that is worshipable." People are sacrificing their life in so many ways. The leaders are enthusing them, "Oh, you are national of this, national of that." Falsely they are working so hard. This is the basic principle, mistake, of the modern civilization—identifying oneself with this body, which he's not. So by Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, this bodily concept of life is..., in the beginning it becomes vanquished. A tacit example: you are all boys. You have forgotten that this body is Indian or American. You are Kṛṣṇa's. This is the first installment. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12).

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Rukmini Dasi -- Montreal, August 15, 1968:

And these Gosvāmīs were dear both to the devotees and nondevotees. Not that they were simply liked by the devotees, but nondevotees also liked them. That was their position. A devotee's position is ajāta-śatru, he has no enemy. He has no enemy. Ajāta-śatru. Nirmatsara, nirmatsara means because they are not envious. A devotee is always open to everyone. There is no question of discrimination, that "This person should be allowed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and this person should not be allowed." No. In the material platform there is difference, high, low, man, woman, this or that. But in the spiritual platform there is no such difference. Therefore they were nonenvious, nirmatsara, and because they were nonenvious, pūjitau, pūjitau means they are worshipable. A person should be worshipable because he's nonenvious. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau, such kind of position can be attained by one who has acquired the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantāra.

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

And if you are actually self-realized soul, in the light of God, then your treatment will be equal to all living entities. Not that "He is animal, he is man, he is black, he is white, he's this, he's Indian, he's American, he's Chinese." No. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Everyone is spirit soul, son of God, part and parcel of God. This realization. Prasannātmā. He has no enemy. He becomes enemyless immediately, because he sees everyone part and parcel of God, everything energy of God, everything belongs to God, everything enjoyable by God, by Kṛṣṇa. In this way he sees in everything Kṛṣṇa, and nothing else. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu... (BG 18.54). That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. Parām. That is transcendental situation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to take one from the material concept of life, material consciousness, to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he will be joyful. He will be no more hankering for anything material, neither he'll be sorry for any so-called material loss.

Initiation of Mrga-netri Dasi -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1970:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So sevonmukhe jihvādau. Jihvā. Jihvā means the tongue. The tongue has got two business: to articulate, vibrate, and to taste, taste Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and articulate, chant, vibrate Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then as soon as your tongue is controlled, become purified, all other senses becomes automatically purified. Tongue is the greatest enemy. If you cannot control your tongue, then you cannot control your other senses. And therefore we prohibit, "Not these..." They are all concerned to the tongue: intoxication-tongue; and meat-eating-tongue. So, intoxicant... Tongue dictates, "Oh, my tongue is becoming dry. Let me drink something or smoke something." So if you can control, if you become controller of your tongue—"No"—then you become swāmī or goswāmī. That means the senses do not become your master. You become the master of your senses. Then perfection, gosvāmī. That is... Go means senses; svāmī means master. So svāmī or gosvāmī, the same thing. So we have to become the master of our senses. That we can become only... Ourself, we cannot control our senses.

Initiations -- New York, July 21-22, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Cedirāja. Cedirāja was Kṛṣṇa's aunt's(?) husband. In connection with Kṛṣṇa. He was a great king. His son, Cedirāja's son was Kṛṣṇa's cousin-brother but greatest enemy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa killed him. Yes. (laughter) Come on. (japa)

Devotee: Kuśakratha dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Kuśakratha. Kuśakratha. You know the rules and regulations? What are they?

Kuśakratha: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, uh, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Which you like best? (laughter) Which of them?

Kuśakratha: You are reading my mind, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) All right. Don't do that again.

Deity Installation and Initiation -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

The first-class example of toleration in the Western country: Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified; still, he did not take any steps. If he wanted, he could take steps, but he was tolerating. So this is the sign of brahminical symptom. Titikṣa ārjava. Ārjava means simplicity. A brāhmaṇa is not supposed to be crooked and duplicity. No. Simple. It is said even the enemy wants to know something from him, he will clearly say, "It is this." That is called simplicity. Then jñānam. Jñānam means knowledge, full knowledge. And vijñānam means scientific knowledge, practical application in life. That is called vijñānam. Āstikyam. Āstikyam means to have full faith in Vedic literature. That is called āstikyam. These are the signs of brāhmaṇa. So those who are going to be initiated with the sacred thread, they must always remember to follow all these rules and regulations. We should always remember that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying the human society. Unless the human society is purified, there will be so many problems and disturbances in the human society.

Wedding Ceremonies

Initiation of Sri-Caitanya dasa and Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhati -- Columbus, May 14, 1969:

If you are situated in that position, then if you are put into the test of severe difficulties, you will not be moved. You will be steady. Na vicālyate. Just like we have got many instances. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a little boy, five years old, and his only difficulty was that he became a devotee of the Lord. His father became enemy, atheistic father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He tortured him like anything, but he was not to be moved. He was stuck, sticking to his own position. This is... And you have many instances in your, this part of the world. Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified, but still, he remained steady in his position. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was Muhammadan. When he took up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Muhammadan government chastised him like anything. He remained steady. So these religious persecution, this and that, that is the history of the whole world. But if one sticks to the position of becoming pure devotee of the Lord, he has nothing to be afraid of. He will be steady, and he will prosecute his business steadily. Kṛṣṇa will help him. There is no doubt about it.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

Brahminical qualities means if you speak truth, you are very clean and you are self-controlled, your mind is in equilibrium, you are tolerant, and so many qual... You believe in God, you know scriptures practically. These qualities are for the higher class, brāhmaṇa. The first qualification of a brāhmaṇa is that he's truthful. He'll disclose everything even to his enemy. He'll never, I mean to say, hide anything. Satyam. Śaucam, very clean. A brāhmaṇa is expected to take bath daily thrice and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bahyābhyantara, clean outside, clean inside. These are qualities. So when these opportunities are there, then the Vedānta-sūtra, Vedānta advises, "Now you begin to inquire about Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one has reached to the material perfection, then the next business is to inquire. If we do not inquire, if we do not try to understand what is Brahman, then we must be frustrated. Because the hankering is there, advancement, advancement of knowledge. The theory of advancement of knowledge is that nobody should be satisfied by the knowledge, what he already knows.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

If you want to love Kṛṣṇa as child, that chance is also there. Any capacity you try to love Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). "Anyone who worships Me or loves Me in any way, I am prepared to answer." He can answer... Just like Nṛsiṁha-deva. Because Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to love Kṛṣṇa by becoming enemy, so He also answered as enemy. So there are twelve kinds of reciprocal exchange—seven secondary and five primary. So all these rasas... Rasa means rasa. Rasa means humor. All these humors are present even in this material world in different way, as perverted reflection of the spiritual rasa. Nothing can be new here, but here it is a reflection only. Reality is there. So the five primary principles of loving affairs is there in the Vaikuṇṭha world. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness while we are in this material body, and after giving up this body, we enter into the spiritual realm for factually participating with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So if you want to enter into the rasa-līlā, if you desire like that, so you love Kṛṣṇa in that way, as the gopīs.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

You are also criminal; he is also criminal. But he is also son of God; you are also son of God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), as soon as he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he becomes joyful because he has no more enemy. "Everyone is my brothers." Therefore he has no fear. If I become enemy to you, you become my enemy. If I am friendly to you, you are my friend. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not see anyone as something other than son of God. He sees not that only this, this person, is son of God and that person is not son of God. This is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every living entity's son of God; therefore one can love, one can actually have the idea of universal brotherhood, only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not otherwise. Otherwise, they are simply false propaganda.

Real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one achieves, he becomes prasannātmā, joyful. That is the first symptom of becoming full, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Prasannātmā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no hankering.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969:

Then your life becomes successful. You'll not be confused. You will understand what is real life. Simply by the spell of the material qualities you have become covered. But if you come here, if you hear and chant, then gradually... Kṛṣṇa is within you. He is sitting within your heart as a friend, not as an enemy. Kṛṣṇa is always your friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). You are searching out friends to talk with, to joke with, to love. Kṛṣṇa is sitting there for that purpose. If you love Kṛṣṇa, if you make friendship with Kṛṣṇa, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then your life will be successful. You haven't got to search out any other friend. The friend is already there. Either you are a boy or a girl, you will find a nice friend within yourself. That is yoga system, when you realize this friend.

So this friend is so nice, as soon as you become little inclined to hear about Him, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ—about Kṛṣṇa, not any other nonsense talks, simply about Kṛṣṇa—then Kṛṣṇa will be so pleased. He is within you. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ sthaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Hṛt means heart. Antaḥ stho.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

"Don't spoil this opportunity of human form of life. Don't spoil it." Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these things are common to the animals and the human being. You eat; the animals eat. You sleep; the animals sleep. You mate; the animals mate. You are also afraid of your enemy; they are also afraid of their enemy. So by discovering very palatable dishes to eat, or fashionable dresses for sex life, or atom bomb for defending... Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these four principles, if you advance in these four principles only, that does not mean that you are better than animals. You are as good as animals. Then how we can utilize this human form of life? That is stated: dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Dharma, dharma means not a religious faith. According to Sanskrit, dharma means constitutional position, which you cannot change. That is dharma. Just like sugar, sugar is sweet. Similarly, whenever there is sugar, it must be sweet. If you say, "Oh, this sugar is salty," that is not sugar. So sweetness is the dharma of sugar. That is real dharma.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

This is due to the body, gross body. And sometimes you feel morose. This is due to the mind; the mind is not in quite order. Similarly... This is called adhyātmika. Then adhibhautika-misery inflicted by others, other living entities, some of your enemies. Just like somebody murders somebody. This is misery inflicted by other living entity. The mosquito bite, the bug bite, or the tiger attacks you. So many living entities there are, they're always busy to inflict misery. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another misery, which is called adhidaivika, nature's disturbance. All of a sudden there is earthquake, there is famine, there is pestilence. So many, in which you have to control. In every misery, there is no control. Ultimately, all the miseries are summarized in four things: the misery of birth... We do not... We have forgotten how much miserable condition we passed during our stay in the womb of mother, in a suffocated condition.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

Just like water, when it falls from the cloud directly, it is clear and without any dirty things, but as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes muddy. Again, if you decant the muddy portion of the water, it becomes again clear. Similarly, our consciousness, being polluted by the three modes of material nature, we are thinking one another as enemy or friend. But as soon as you come on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you feel that "We are one. The center is Kṛṣṇa." And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). There are 8,400,000 species of life in different forms. The father, the seed-giving father, is Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, the Supreme Lord. By misunderstanding, we are thinking that "I am Indian, you are American," or "You are brāhmaṇa, I am śūdra," or "You are Hindu, I am Muslim."

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Bombay, March 17, 1971:

Even if you have desires, not that anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), without any material desires. Generally we go to temple, to God, for some, for fulfilling some material desires. So, śāstra says even if you have got material desires, even if you are not śuddha bhakta... What to speak of śuddha bhakta, even if you are an enemy of Kṛṣṇa, somehow or other go to Kṛṣṇa. Go to the fire and you'll get warm. That is our propaganda. The Gosvāmīs recommend therefore, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. Somehow or other you just try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be successful. That is our propaganda. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, sādhu, śāstra, kṛpāya. A sādhu means devotee. That I was going to explain. A sādhu, there are different kinds of sādhus, but only the devotee, he is sādhu. It is explained by Kṛṣṇa himself, api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30).

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 6, 1971:

Similarly, any person who is not giving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is diseased, materially diseased. He has to be cured. Therefore the śāstra says, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Just suppose I am a great patriot. I am giving service to my country. That's very good. But I am creating many enemies at the same time because there are other persons who are also interested in their country or community. Therefore that kind of service is not perfect. That is service with designation because I am thinking... I am spirit soul, I am Brahman, I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but I am thinking that "I am servant of this country, this community, this society, this..." so many things. So one has to become free from the designation. Then his senses will be purified. At that time, with that purified senses, when he renders service to the Lord, that is called bhakti. That is called bhakti.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

Tri means three and tapa means miserable condition of life. Tri-tāpa. Adhyātmic, pertaining to this body and mind. Sometimes I am feeling some pain on my body, there is fever or some other ailment, the mind is not in order, this is called adhyātmic. Similarly, adhibhautic. Just like Pakistan is ready to attack us. If not Pakistan, then there are many other enemies. Even there are many other living entities, just like mosquito, fly, bugs. So adhibhautic: another living entity giving us trouble. And adhidaivic. Just like this famine, flood, pestilence, so many things which you cannot control.

So this is the position of this material world. Tri-tāpa yantraṇā trisura. You have seen the picture of Goddess Durgā, she is piercing the trisura on the chest of the asura, and he is suffering, his struggle for existence, fighting with the lion, rajo-guṇa. So this is the position of the material world, and the certificate is given by Kṛṣṇa, the Lord Himself, that this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15).

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

So it is not very difficult business, simply we'll have to agree, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa. So long I did not surrender unto You. Now I immediately surrender unto You." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he sang a very nice song, that arpiluṅ tuyā pade nanda-kiśora. Mānasa deho geho jo kichu mora. He says that "Whatever I possess." First thing his mind, mānasa. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. First of all we have to give our mind to Kṛṣṇa because mind is the creative force by which we become entangled. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that mind is the enemy or mind is the friend. If you can create your mind your friend, then there is immense profit Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if you create your mind enemy, the mind will drag you in so many things, you will forget your duty and responsibility of human life. Therefore yoga system, practicing yoga means controlling the mind. Controlling the mind. But the easiest process of yoga system is that you simply think of Kṛṣṇa always, then the perfection of yoga.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

The so-called universal brotherhood is not possible on this material condition of life. Therefore you can see that materially there are so many attempts to find out a platform of universal brotherhood. But there is no universal brotherhood. There is simply platform of enemy. The United Nation is trying to come to the platform of universal brotherhood. When I go to New York, I see the great institution. There are hundreds and thousands of flags. Instead of being united, the flags are increasing, because this universal brotherhood, this equality, fraternity, cannot be established on this material platform. It is not possible. You have to come to the point, to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or brahma bhūta stage, then it is possible.

Lecture -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Māyā etāṁ... Māyā, she is the most sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. She wants to chastise. Just like police. Police want to chastise a person unless he comes to his consciousness that he must abide by the laws of the state. That is police business. Otherwise police is not enemy. Similarly, māyā is not our enemy, but she has got a thankless task with that trident. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us the knowledge that "You surrender unto Me, and māyā will not trouble you." Māyām etāṁ taranti te. So we are giving this information, that "You rascal, you are trying to be happy by your material plan. You will never be happy. Don't be fooled. You have been befooled so many lifetimes. Now just make an experiment in this life. Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and see whether you are becoming happy or not. Why not make...?" This is our method. That's all. It is very simple thing. You have tasted your life for so many years. Now why not taste this also?

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

That is not very difficult. If you want to become, merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. God is all-powerful. You are emanation from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So if you want to... Sāyujya mukti. If you want to finish your individuality and merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. Even the enemies of Kṛṣṇa—Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, Dantavakra, Śiśupāla, and many demons—they also merged into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. The enemies also given the liberation to merge into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult job. But to keep your individuality and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is your actual position, constitutional position. That mukti... The Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they want that mukti. They want to keep... Nitya-yukta upāsate. Nitya-yukta. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, nitya-yukta upāsata. The upāsana, the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—this is not stopped after liberation.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

It is not that we are manufacturing in some way. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself, that "You simply surrender unto Me, and immediately you are out of the clutches of māyā." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te.

So I do not wish to take much of your time, but the thing is that the whole world is struggling hard. They are not in peace. One man is enemy of another man. One nation is enemy of another nation. This is going on. This is... All these things are going on simply due to our forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. The same formula:

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

As soon as you forget your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, immediately there is māyā, and she will capture you. And the counterprocess is: as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the māyā is gone. Just like it is said, kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama māyā andhakāra (CC Madhya 22.31). "Māyā is considered as darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is the sunlight, or sun."

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

So by advancing in the modes of eating, that does not mean advancement of civilization. Advancement in the modes of sleeping, that does not mean advancement of civilization. Similarly, advancement in the modes of sexual intercourse, it does not mean the advancement of civilization. Or advancement in defending, discovering atomic bombs for killing my enemy, that is also not advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means how much you have advanced to know the soul and the ultimate goal of the soul, how the soul is transmigrating from one body to another.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 27, 1973:

Just like in our, this movement, there are so many (indistinct). Somebody is preaching that this movement is the hippie movement. The hippie movement is discussed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Just see the foolish propaganda. In India they manufactured a film, so much propaganda against this movement. We have to meet such enemies. What can be done? This is the nature of this world. As soon as you have become a sādhu, a devotee of the Lord, you create so many enemies—Communists, materialists—but we don't care. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja didn't care, even his father was so (indistinct). Haridāsa Ṭhākura did not care.

So therefore those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like all kinds of impediments. They are (indistinct) sādhus. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Kṛṣṇa says, "Nobody is dearer than him who is preaching," because he has to face so many impediments, so many obstructions.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

The same thing, that I cannot digest but I eat more, so there must be dysentery. You must suffer. This is due to my body and mind. That is another one kind of suffering. Another suffering is imposed by other living entities. Just like your enemy or an animal—or there are ants, mosquitos, flies, they are all causing suffering. You are killing them, and they are trying to give you suffering. This is called struggle. This is called ādhibautic, suffering given by other living entities. Suffering caused by myself, this is called ādhyātmic. And suffering caused by other living... And there are other sufferings, caused by the nature, superior power, ādhidaivic. All of a sudden, there is no rain, no rainfall, and now for want of rainfall, there is no food grain. Excessive heat, excessive chilly cold; earthquake, famine... So many, by natures, imposed by the natures. Flood. So there are three kinds of sufferings in the material world, and everyone is suffering either by one, two or three or..., but nobody can say that "I am completely free from suffering." That is not possible.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

This is called dāvānala, forest fire. Forest fire means in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but automatically, by the clash, friction of the dried bamboo, there is electricity and it catches fire. Similarly, although we do not want unhappiness, still, by our dealings we create enemies and friends, and there is fight, there is war. This will continue. This is called saṁsāra-dāvānala. Try to understand.

So guru means spiritual master means who can deliver one from this forest fire. Just like when there is forest fire, the animals are very much disturbed, and they die mostly. The snakes, they die immediately. So this forest fire, saṁsāra-dāvānala, is going on perpetually, and the person or the authorized person who can deliver you from this forest fire of material existence, he's called guru, or the spiritual master. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. How he delivers? What is his means? The same example. Where there is fire in the forest, you cannot send fire brigade, or you cannot go there with bucketful of waters to extinguish the fire.

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

Why fighting is going on? The living entity is part and parcel of God. He is spiritual spark. He is covered by this material body. Just like we are all human beings. Now we are covered by different dresses. That does not mean we are different. We are one as human being, as inhabitants of this earth, but on account of this dress, I am thinking you are my enemy, you are thinking I am your enemy. So Bhāgavata conclusion is,

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣu abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
(SB 10.84.13)

Anyone who is identifying himself with this body and the land of his bodily growing there in the country, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ... Everyone is thinking, "God is not worshipable.

Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975:

So he doesn't require to learn the art of magic to cheat the people. That is not. When magic is required, Kṛṣṇa plays. Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. Yoga is mystic power, and He is the Yogeśvara, master of yoga, mystic power. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. Just like Kṛṣṇa was on the chariot of the Kurukṣetra battle, Arjuna. Arjuna was facing enemies, big, big enemies like Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya, and many other who were very very powerful. Arjuna was nothing before them. They are compared with timiṅgila, timiṅgila, a big fish which swallows up the whale fishes. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit said that "Although they were timiṅgila-like, they could kill thousands of Arjuna, but still, because You were protecting him, sitting on his chariot, they were killed; Arjuna was not killed."

So the devotee, he doesn't require to acquire any mystic power. What mystic power Prahlāda could attain? He was only five years old. So there was no opportunity of acquiring any mystic power. But he was being protected by the supreme mystic, Kṛṣṇa.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

On the other side they are my brothers, they are my nephews, they are my gurus, Dronācārya, and they are my grandfather, Bhīṣmadeva. So what kind of fight this is that I have to fight with my friends and relatives and family members?" So he hesitated, that "Kṛṣṇa, what kind of fight this is? They are not my enemies; they are all family members. So I am not interested in this fight." So he practically decided not to fight. And Kṛṣṇa said that "What is this nonsense? You are a military man, and you have come to fight here, and you are My friend and My relative also, and if you decide not to fight, what people will say?" This is the beginning. Then, after some arguments, Arjuna thought it wise that "Actually, I am a military man and I have come to fight a decision that we shall fight. Now what I am trying to do, to avoid this fighting? Actually it is not my business. I am deviating from my duty." Therefore... (aside:) Find out this, kārpaṇya-doṣa. Find out.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Prabhupāda: "No meat-eating." If we go on eating meat, then we revolt against the will of God, because God is the father of all living entities; He does not like that one of His son unnecessarily killed by another son on the plea that he is advanced son. The father cannot agree that the advanced son kill the ignorant or foolish son, the father will not agree. Therefore we say no meat-eating. When other foods are available, why one should eat meat? When there is wife, why there should be illicit sex? So religion means one should be good character. That is religion. This is one of the qualification becoming, that one who is actually religious, God conscious, that all the good qualities, either socially, politically, everything, even politician religious. Just like Arjuna, he was on the battlefield. This is politics. But because he was devotee he was hesitating to kill his enemies all. So this is the character of a devotee, that he can sacrifice his own interest because he has become a devotee. Others cannot do.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: That is brahminical qualification. A brāhmaṇa shall be truthful in all circumstances. Even before his enemy, he will disclose everything, what is truth. That is brahminical qualification, whereas kṣatriya, he is a diplomat. Although he is truthful, but he will not be truthful before his enemy.

Śyāmasundara: Because his function is different.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Śyāmasundara: He says that duty is one's individual obligation to obey the categorical imperative by choosing the morally right action. In other words, duty means it is my duty to choose the morally right action, free from emotion.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: That is not improvement. No. Now human society has become very complex. I don't trust you, you don't trust me. I keep my dog so that you may not come in my house—"Beware of Dogs"—and if you enter I can fire you, there is law. So what is this (indistinct)? Therefore we get from our śāstra that even you will receive your enemy at home, you will receive him so friendly way that he'll forget that you are his enemy. Gṛhaṁ satram api prāptaṁ visvastham akuto 'bhayam. He should feel himself so confidential that he's not near his enemy. His dealing and behavior are so nice. The morality is that "Whatever you may be, you have come to my house, you are my guest, so I must offer you all kinds of hospitality, never mind you are my enemy. Now you are my guest." So how much ethically improved the society was. "Yes. We are enemy, so when we fight we shall fight like enemies. But now we have come to my home, you are my guest, honorary guest, I must receive you with honor." That was being done Mahābhārata time.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Hayagrīva: The Christian, there's a Christian conception of God as being at war with Satan, and it appears also that Kṛṣṇa was at war on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and there were wars between the demigods and the demons, but in the Vedic literatures these wars do not seem to be taken as serious confrontation between God and God's enemies, but Kṛṣṇa seems to fight the demons in a playful mood. This isn't the case in Christianity.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. So His fighting with the demons is, actually it is play. It doesn't affect His energy. Just like a small child is fighting with his strong father. So one slap by the strong father is sufficient to the small child. Similarly the fighting of the demons with God is like that. He gives some chance to play fighting but one strong slap to the demon is sufficient.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: "Killing is immorality." But when he understood by the instruction of Kṛṣṇa that this fight is necessary as it is designed by Kṛṣṇa, so this is morality. Ultimately, morality means to carry out the desire of Kṛṣṇa or God. He knows what is morality. This, another example can be given, that in the warfield the soldier is there and the commander is there. The commander is asking, kill the enemy, and if he considers that "Killing is bad, why shall I kill the enemy?" That is immorality. He should be immediately killed by martial law. He is disobeying the order of commander. So similarly, what you get, orders from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, if you carry it that is morality. Any other things manufactured by you, that (is) immorality.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because you see how Arjuna was perfectly good man, because he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was not willing to kill his enemy. He was hesitating, "What is the use of taking this kingdom?" This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because the other side, they were not thinking, but Arjuna, because he is Kṛṣṇa's devotee, he was considering, "What is the use of taking this kingdom, by killing (indistinct)?" In other words, nobody can be perfect without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No philosopher, no scientist, no sociologist can be perfect without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śyāmasundara: But in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy the ideas are not to be re-evaluated. Aren't they absolute, the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: That we have already talked; there is conflict. Conflict is going on.

Śyāmasundara: So he says that there are two types of conflict in social structure. One is between communists and their enemies, such as the U.S. imperialists; and those within the Communist party itself.

Prabhupāda: So... There... In communism... That means there are enemies. However perfect you may be, you have got enemies. Outside, inside both. Then what is your perfection?

Śyāmasundara: Well, he says that through the Communist system we can...

Prabhupāda: That enemy, everyone is... That you are enemy of the capitalists. Similarly, your enemy is capitalist.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: That enemy, everyone is... That you are enemy of the capitalists. Similarly, your enemy is capitalist.

Śyāmasundara: So the whole idea is to make the whole world Communist and there won't be any more enemies.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why the world... First of all, why the whole world will accept this Communism unless it is perfect? If it is imperfect, how do you expect that the whole world will accept it?

Śyāmasundara: He says that it is perfect, but there may be some conflict within the party because someone has not understood the philosophy perfectly.

Prabhupāda: Or perhaps you have not understood your philosophy; therefore you are so much optimistic.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Just see. What is the symptom of life? First of all settle up, how do you know? We can distinguish that this table has no life, that a small ant on the table there is life. How you distinguish, that here is life, there is no life? Then what is the symptom of life? If the symptom of life is there in animal, there is life. Why they will say there is no life? What is the philosophy? There is life. He is eating; you are eating. He is sleeping; you are sleeping. He is having sex; you are having sex. He is also afraid of enemy; you are also afraid. Then why do you say that you have life, he has no life? What is the symptom of life? This is the primary symptom of life. So if he has got these primary symptoms of life, how do you say he has no life? That means you have no intelligence even.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- New York, March 30, 1966:

"All these, what I am doing, all these body ultimately become either ash or animal stool or turn into earth. So why I am taking so much trouble?" Therefore the revealed scripture advises that "You have to maintain your body. That's all right. But for simply material comforts, you should not devote time more than it is absolutely required." That means don't increase your bodily necessities. Don't increase your bodily necessities. That was the standard of Indian civilization. They did not, the sages and saints, they did not advise to increase the necessities of the body. They, I mean to say, planned the social system in such a way that people should be satisfied only for, by the bare necessities of life. We require some eating, we require some sleeping, or shelter place, and we require some sense gratification, and we require some protection from enemies. Yes? Come. Ah hah! Ah ah haha, ah hah! Come in. Come in.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- San Francisco, March 16, 1967:

Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. Bhaja, bhaja means worship; hu, hello; mana, mind. The poet Govinda dāsa, a great philosopher and devotee of the Lord, he is praying. He is requesting his mind, because mind is the friend and mind is the enemy of everyone. If one can train his mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is successful. If he cannot train his mind, then life is failure. Therefore Govinda dāsa, a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa... His very name suggests, Govinda dāsa. Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, and dāsa means servant. This is the attitude of all devotees. They always put, affix this dāsa, means servant. So Govinda dāsa ms praying, "My dear mind, please you try to worship the son of Nanda, who is abhaya-caraṇa, whose lotus feet is secure. There is no fear." Abhaya. Abhaya means there is no fear, and caraṇa, caraṇa means lotus feet. So he is advising his mind, "My dear mind, please you engage yourself in worshiping the fearless lotus feet of the son of Nanda."

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1969:

Bhajahū re mana, śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. This is a song composed by Govinda dāsa, a great poet and Vaiṣṇava. He says, addressing his own mind Because mind is the center of all elevation. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if you have your mind controlled, then your mind is the best friend. But if your mind is uncontrolled, then he is your greatest enemy. So we are seeking after friend or enemy. So both of them are sitting with me. If we can utilize the friendship of the mind, then we are elevated to the highest perfectional stage. But if we create mind as my enemy, then my path to hell is clear. Therefore Govinda dāsa Ṭhākura, he is addressing his mind. The yogis try to control the mind by different gymnastic process. That is also approved. But it takes a long time, and sometimes there are failures. In most cases they are failures. Even a big yogi like Viśvāmitra, he also failed, what to speak of these teeny and nonsensical yogis.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1969:

So Govinda dāsa advises that "You just engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then mind becomes automatically controlled." If the mind has no chance of being engaged in any other business except Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he cannot become my enemy. It is automatically my friend. That is the instruction in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Lord, King Ambarīṣa, he first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So similarly, here also, Govinda dāsa Ṭhākura, he is asking his mind: "My dear mind, you just engage yourself to the lotus feet of abhaya-caraṇāravinda." Abhaya-caraṇāravinda. That is the name of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Abhaya means fearless. If you take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa then you immediately become fearless. So he advises "My dear mind, you just engage yourself on the service of the lotus feet of Govinda." Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana. He does not say "Govinda." He addresses Kṛṣṇa as "the son of Nanda Mahārāja."

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Los Angeles, January 16, 1969:

They would be... Of course, anyone who is killed by incarnation he also gets salvation. But not to the spiritual planets, but they merge into the Brahman effulgence as the impersonalists desire. In other words, the impersonalist's goal of salvation is as good as the goal of salvation of the enemies of God. That is not a very difficult job. So Lord Caitanya is very merciful because He is embracing everyone by bestowing love of Kṛṣṇa. Rūpa Gosvāmī has described Lord Caitanya as the most munificent of all the incarnations because He is giving Kṛṣṇa to everyone, without any qualification. So Locana dāsa Ṭhākura says that parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra, that They are essence of all incarnation. Kevala ānanda-kanda. And Their preaching process is very pleasing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance nicely, and when you feel tired, just take rest and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam." So His formula is very pleasing. Kevala ānanda-kanda. While He was present in Jagannātha Purī, every day in the evening, dancing was, chanting and dancing continued.

Purport to Jiv Jago -- Columbus, May 20, 1969:

There is one instance of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. When he was in the womb of his mother, their paternal, I mean to say, enemy, Droṇa..., son of Droṇācārya, Aśvatthāmā, he released a weapon called brahmāstra. The brahmāstra could kill even within the womb. So at that time Lord Kṛṣṇa entered and saved the child. The child saw the form of Kṛṣṇa and was remembering. And when the child came out, he was trying to find out where is that form. He was searching after Kṛṣṇa. So the astrologers who were present there, they could understand that this child is seeking something. Therefore his name was given, Parīkṣit. Parīkṣit means one who is trying to test. Parikṣa. Parikṣa means test, examination. So there are many examples, of course, very rare, the child remembers. Generally forgets. So Lord Caitanya is trying to wake up all children of māyā, nature's son, to wake up.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

So this song was sung by Govinda dasa. Govinda-dāsa-abhilāsa re. What is his desire? Abhilāsa means desire. Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana: "My dear mind..." Because mind is our friend and enemy. If you train the mind, then mind is your best friend. And if you cannot train your mind, then will be your bitterest enemy. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Therefore mind has always to be engaged on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then mind automatically will be controlled and will become friend. So Govinda dasa is expressing his desire: "My dear mind, you just be engaged in devotional service of Nanda-nandana." His..., he does not say Kṛṣṇa. He says Nanda-nandana. If we address Kṛṣṇa directly, that is not very pleasing, but if we say Kṛṣṇa: Nanda-nandana, Yaśodā-nandana, Devakī-nandana, Pārtha-sārathi—in relationship with His devotee—then He becomes more pleased. So bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana. Why Śrī-Nanda-nandana? Now, abhaya-caraṇāravinda re.

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975:

That is brāhmaṇa. Satya śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣa ārjavaḥ, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). These are the brāhmaṇa's qualification. He must be truthful, so much so truthful that even to his enemy he will not keep any secret. That is called truthfulness. And śamaḥ. Śamaḥ means controlling the senses. Damaḥ. Śamaḥ means controlling the mind. Mind is our enemy; mind is our friend. So if we can control the mind, the mind can act as very good friend. And if we do not control the mind, then he acts as enemy. Therefore the yoga system means controlling the mind, controlling the senses so they can act as my friend. Otherwise they will act as my enemy. Kāma krodha lobha moha.

So there is necessity of a class of men who will act as the brain of the society. That is called brāhmaṇa. That is real human society, where there are four classes of men: one acting as brain, one acting as arms or armies or protection, one acting as belly, or the food digesting machine... Unless you eat and digest food, how your body will be maintained? So everything is very scientifically designed in the Vedic civilization.

Page Title:Enemy (Other Lectures)
Compiler:SunitaS, RupaManjari, Mayapur
Created:26 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=92, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:92