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Everyone has got intelligence

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Everyone is intelligent. That I have already explained. Everyone has got brain and intelligence, but he has to use it properly. That is wanted.
Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Can intelligence be created in an unintelligent person?

Prabhupāda: Everyone is intelligent. That I have already explained. Everyone has got brain and intelligence, but he has to use it properly. That is wanted. That is education. You cannot teach a stone how to manufacture this microphone. That is not possible because he has no intelligence. But even one is dull brained, you can teach him by education how to manufacture this microphone. So intelligence is there, every living entity. Now, to train them how to utilize his intelligence... So one who is fortunate, he becomes trained up in intelligence how to go home, back to home, back to Godhead. And one who is not fortunate, his intelligence is used how to go to hell. That's all. That is duṣkṛtina. To become a member of the hellish condition of life, that also requires intelligence. How to become first-class thief, how to become first-class cheater, first-class drunkard, first-class smuggler—does it not require intelligence? It requires intelligence. But their intelligence is being used for going to hell. Another intelligence is being used to going back to home, back to Godhead. Intelligence is there in both the cases. Now, it is the technique, how to use it. That's all. That requires.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Prāṇa, artha, and everyone has got intelligence, and everyone has got the power to speak. So we have to engage all these four things. Either four or three or two, at least one, we must engage.
Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ dehinām iha dehiṣu. This human form of life can be perfected. How? How it can be perfected? Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. Prāṇa means life. Artha means riches. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā. Dhiyā means intelligence. And vācā, vācā means words. So we have got four things. We have got our life, and everybody has got some riches, either one pound or one million pounds. Everybody has got something. That is called artha. Prāṇa, artha, and everyone has got intelligence, and everyone has got the power to speak. So we have to engage all these four things. Either four or three or two, at least one, we must engage. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā, śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. This is the principle of religion or perfection of life. Etāvaj janma. Then our life will be...

Everyone is intelligent how to make his sense gratification very nice. Even an ant knows how to gratify his senses. So you have to sacrifice that. Don't gratify your senses, but try to gratify Kṛṣṇa's senses.
Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa also says, all śāstra says, that our only obligation is to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we take to that process, then we are no more obliged to anyone. We are free. That is really freedom. How it is done? That is the almighty God's power. He can do that. Just like we have got practical experience. If a man is condemned to death, nobody can save him by law. But if the president or the king excuses him, then he is saved. That we have got practical experience, king's mercy or the president's mercy. So if you actually surrender your everything, your life... Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. We can sacrifice our life, our wealth... Prāṇa, artha... We can sacrifice the intelligence. Everyone is intelligent. If he sacrifices... This is called yajña. If you sacri... You have got some intelligence. Everyone is intelligent how to make his sense gratification very nice. Even an ant knows how to gratify his senses. So you have to sacrifice that. Don't gratify your senses, but try to gratify Kṛṣṇa's senses. Then you are perfect. Then you are perfect.

Everyone has got intelligence, but we cannot see. Similarly, subtle body is invisible.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

Devotee (2): What's the subtle body like?

Prabhupāda: I have already explained. Mind, intelligence, and ego—this is subtle body. Everyone has got his mind, everyone knows. But we cannot see. The intelligence... Everyone has got intelligence, but we cannot see. Similarly, subtle body is invisible. Ghost means when the living entity remains in the subtle body, do not get another gross body—they are very sinful—they create disturbance. But we cannot see. That is ghost. Ghost means that those who are too much sinful, they do not get this gross body. They are punished with the position, to remain in the subtle body, at least for some time. That is ghostly life. Therefore you will see, ghostly-haunted places, something is being done, but how it is being done, you do not see because you cannot see the subtle body. But you will see something is being carried in the air. It is not something being carried. It is being carried by the subtle body. But I have no eyes to see the subtle body. That is practical. I do not see your mind, but you have got your mind. You do not see my mind. You can see my mind by the action. That's all. The subtle body is there. Gross body, subtle body. Death means finishing of this gross body, and liberation means no more association with the subtle body, only spiritual. That is called liberation.

Everyone has got intelligence. But the perfect intelligence is there when one is in bhakti-yoga, in searching of... athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is searching after the Absolute Truth, that is buddhi-yoga.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

So this ordinary buddhi will not... Everyone has got intelligence. Even the ant has got intelligence. We study sometime: the sparrow, he has got intelligence. But the perfect intelligence is there when one is in bhakti-yoga, in searching of... athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is searching after the Absolute Truth, that is buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga. Here is also yoga. Na ārādhanāya. This ordinary material buddhi, material wealth, material beauty, these things are not competent to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Na ārādhanāya. Nārādhanāya bhavanti: "These are useless." So don't be disappointed that "Because I am poor, I cannot become devotee." Everyone can become devotee, ā-bāla-vṛddha-vāṇītaḥ, even the children. Just see how the children, they are dancing, they are chanting, they are offering obeisances. That is bhakti-yoga. Apratihatā. "Because they are children, they cannot become a devotee"—it is not that, the fact. Everyone can become devotee, provided he is properly guided. That is required.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Everyone has got intelligence. But when the intelligence is used for material fortune, that is unfortunate. When intelligence used for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is fortune.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

So this is the process. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, if we are sincere and serious, then Kṛṣṇa becomes kind upon us and gives direction: buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. "I give them buddhi-yogam." Buddhi means intelligence. So here, everyone has got intelligence. At least, he thinks that he is very intelligent. Everyone thinks. Although he's fool number one, he thinks himself as very intelligent. Because intelligence is there. But when the intelligence is used for material fortune, that is unfortunate. When intelligence used for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is fortune. So we can set up our own fortune or misfortune. The fortune means that we must be serious after hearing about Kṛṣṇa. One must be serious. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So if we are intelligent, we should seriously think over this proposal. Why Kṛṣṇa said, "Give up everything and surrender unto Me"? There is sufficient reason. If one has seriously studied Bhagavad-gītā, there is sufficient reason to surrender unto God, unto Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Don't think that dog has no mind. Everyone has got mind. Everyone has intelligence. A dog knows intelligently how to secure his food, as we know. There is no scarcity of these things, material things.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavāmi mūrtayo yaḥ, tāsāṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā aham (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father. So a devotee knows that the dog is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, living entity, but he is in a different dress, dog's dress, and a learned paṇḍita, he is also the same spirit soul, but he is dressed as a learned scholar. Similarly,

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

That is oneness, one who can see. Even from material point of view, a paṇḍita, a learned man knows that "What is this material form, your body or my body?" Superficially it may look black, white or colored, but if you chemically analyze—the same ingredients: the same blood, the same muscle, the same stool, the same urine. When doctor examines the urine and stool, they do not examine differently a black man's urine and a white man's urine different, because they know the chemical composition is the same. So from material point of view you are also one. Even though you have got this material body, differently formed, the ingredients are the same: kṣitir ap tejo marud vyoma, mind, intelligence. Everyone has got these things. This body, gross body, is made of earth, water, air, fire, ether, and the mind. Don't think that dog has no mind. Everyone has got mind. Everyone has intelligence. A dog know(s) intelligently how to secure his food, as we know. There is no scarcity of these things, material things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4).

General Lectures

Can you see the mind? But everyone has got mind. Can you see intelligence? But everyone has got intelligence. So what is the power of your seeing? Why you are so much proud of your seeing, nonsense seeing?
Lecture -- Delhi, December 13, 1971:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What they will argue perhaps, materialists may argue that "We can see that Sarasvatī is changing from the time she was a little girl and now she is a little older, we have seen her both times, but at the time of death we have not seen the next body of anyone.

Prabhupāda: But why do you believe so much your rascal eyes? That is the answer. Do you think that your eyes are perfect? There are many types of seeing. Not that simply with glaring eyesight you can see. You can see what is Sarasvatī , you are seeing the body. What is Sarasvatī, do you know? So what you are seeing? You are seeing the body. So what is the power of your seeing? There is another body, sukavādī (?), subtle body. Can you see the mind? But everyone has got mind. Can you see intelligence? But everyone has got intelligence. So what is the power of your seeing? Why you are so much proud of your seeing, nonsense seeing?

Philosophy Discussions

Intelligence... Everyone has got mind, but the mind acts under intelligence. But the intelligence of different living entities are different.
Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: This, this is the last point. It's actually very crucial. For Augustine, the mind, reason and soul are one and the same, and he writes...

Prabhupāda: Mind, reason?

Hayagrīva: Mind, reason and the soul are all wrapped up together.

Prabhupāda: Wrapped up. But there are different identities. Intelligence... Everyone has got mind, but the mind acts under intelligence. But the intelligence of different living entities are different. Similarly mind is also different. A dog's intelligence is not equal to the intelligence of the human being. A dog's mind is not equal to the human being's mind. So actually the soul, being put under different types of body using different types of intelligence, and different some mental, psychic action, thinking, feeling, willing. So according to the body, the mind and intelligence are different.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

If you are less intelligent, then you'll be cheated by this false God. So everyone has got intelligence, individuality, power of understanding, so you should try to use them, and then you can understand.
Room Conversation -- May 4, 1972, Mexico:

Martin: But there are many spiritual masters in the world. Each says...

Prabhupāda: Each says, but you have to judge. Just like when you go to purchase two shillings' worth goods, you go to different stores. Everyone says, "Oh, my thing is very nice." But you have to judge which one is best. That depends on you. If you are a fool, then somebody will cheat you. And if you are not a fool, then you will know... Just like these rascals, they call themselves God. Such a fool can cheat another fool only. But one who knows what is God, he'll not accept it. One who knows Kṛṣṇa, he'll not accept him as God. He'll immediately compare, "What you have done like Kṛṣṇa or better than Kṛṣṇa that I shall accept you God? We have already our God, Kṛṣṇa. Now you prove that you are better than Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa." That he cannot, so why I shall accept him as God? Why shall I accept him as spiritual master? That depends on your intelligence. If you are less intelligent, then you'll be cheated by this false God. So everyone has got intelligence, individuality, power of understanding, so you should try to use them, and then you can understand.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Everyone is intelligent enough where to find out food, where to lie down. The only special significance of human being is that he has got special intelligence to understand what is Absolute Truth.
Morning Walk -- April 20, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So many birds...

Prabhupāda: They have got their food. Everyone is intelligent enough where to find out food, where to lie down. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. How to have sex. Everyone is intelligent. Even a small insect, the flies. I see, at night, they have sex. One fly after another. Everyone knows it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's the inborn quality of the living entities.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. The only special significance of human being is that he has got special intelligence to understand what is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So therefore his first duty is to know the Absolute Truth. Not waste time for eating, sleeping, mating.

You are very much proud of your intelligence. Just see their intelligence. Everyone is intelligent. Therefore actual intelligence is he who knows Kṛṣṇa.
Morning Walk -- December 30, 1973, Los Angeles:

Nara-nārāyaṇa: The food and the sand looks exactly the same. So how they are immediately able to tell which is which?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just see their intelligence. You are very much proud of your intelligence. Just see their intelligence. Everyone is intelligent. Therefore actual intelligence is he who knows Kṛṣṇa. He does not know Kṛṣṇa. He has got intelligence. You cannot deny that. But he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the defect. You have got intelligence; you can understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you don't use your intelligence for understanding Kṛṣṇa, you are nothing but cats and dogs. Kṛpaṇa. They are called kṛpaṇas. Kṛpaṇa means miser. One has got money, but he does not know how to utilize it. He is called kṛpaṇa, miser. They are so rascal that they cannot conceive that there is something as God and He can be known. Hopeless. That is the real point.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

They're all fools, then where is fool? Everyone is intelligent. There's no question of fool. If everyone, all of us are fool, then where is the question of intelligent?
Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Yadubara: It's all based on that. Because if you don't speculate mentally, you don't get a degree.

Prabhupāda: That's another thing. A fool is accepted by another fool. That is another thing. They're getting Nobel Prize and so on and so on. That is different thing. Fool's paradise. All of them are fools. And they have created their own paradise. Do you know that story? That one was drinking, so his friend said, "Oh, you are drinking, you'll go to hell." "No, why? My father drinks." "Well, he'll also go to hell." "Oh, by brother drinks." "So he'll also go to hell." "My brother..." In this way, the whole list was (indistinct). Then he said, everyone will go to hell. Then where is hell? It is paradise! If father is going, then mother is going, then I am going, then brother is going, then where is hell?" It is like that. They're all fools, then where is fool? Everyone is intelligent. That is (indistinct). There's no question of fool. If everyone, all of us are fool, then where is the question of intelligent? "Hey, we are intelligent." (indistinct) This is their conclusion. We can give credit to something, just like I can see up to this wall. But if I say, "Now I am seeing beyond this world, everything, the forest and everything, I know everything." That is going on. Cheating.

So we don't expect that everyone is intelligent. Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because it is a different subject matter.
Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: Do you think that some day the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will spread to all the people in the world?

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. It is more for the most intelligent class of men. So it, this movement, is for the most intelligent class of men.

Interviewer: But amongst the most intelligent classes.

Prabhupāda: Unless one is intelligent class, belonging to the in..., he cannot understand. So we don't expect that everyone is intelligent. Kṛṣṇa ye bhaja se baḍa catura. Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because it is a different subject matter. People are engrossed with the bodily concept of life. It is beyond that. So dull brain cannot understand what is beyond this body. So you cannot expect that everyone will understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

You take these scientists and other intelligent... Everyone is intelligent, but especially to convince them...
Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They were very thankful for the lecture. They actually made comment, saying that this is the strongest statement that they ever heard in the department, that, such a scientific comparative study. 'Cause I showed the charts that we have.

Prabhupāda: That is very encouraging. So pursue this method with your assistants. That is our challenge. That will enhance the importance of our movement.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They even suggested that in the future, if we had any plan like that, we should just let them know about two or three weeks ahead so they can arrange others also in the other departments.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Do immediately. Your business is that. You take these scientists and other intelligent... Everyone is intelligent, but especially to convince them... "Birds of the same feather..." Otherwise they'll not mix. We are already haṁsas, but to mix with the crow, we shall dress ourself like a crow. (laughter)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just like I went with pant...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Otherwise the crows will make a noise, "Kaw, kaw, kaw, kaw, kaw." (laughter) Because this whole society is full of crows. They are not even nice birds. So what can be done?

Everyone has got intelligence—more or less, that's all.
Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā: "Life, money, intelligence, and words." So I am old man. My life has no value. You young men, utilize your...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We may have life, but you have all intelligence, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So life without intelligence...

Prabhupāda: Everyone has got intelligence—more or less, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, you have complete, and we have practically none.

Prabhupāda: No...

Bhavānanda: We have no spiritual intelligence.

Page Title:Everyone has got intelligence
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:21 of Nov, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=9, Con=7, Let=0
No. of Quotes:16