A living being serves other living beings in various capacities. By doing so, the living entity enjoys life. The lower animals serve human beings as servants serve their master. A serves B master, B serves C master, and C serves D master and so on. Under these circumstances, we can see that one friend serves another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of living beings to the activity of service. The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes, thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist serves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being.
Exception
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Preface and Introduction
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the essence of all Vedic wisdom and therefore is eternally true without exception. As the Vedas are eternal, so this truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also eternal. One should have firm faith in this injunction, without envying the Lord. There are many philosophers who write comments on the Bhagavad-gītā but have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. They will never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive action. But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with determination and faith and not be deviated from the path. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of mental speculation and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind.
BG Chapters 7 - 12
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you (the Pāṇḍavas), all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Only the pure devotees can know the transcendental name, form and activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa due to their being completely freed from the reactions of fruitive work and mental speculation. The pure devotees have nothing to derive as personal profit from their unalloyed service to the Lord. They render favorable service to the Lord incessantly and spontaneously, without any reservation. Everyone within the creation of the Lord is rendering service to the Lord indirectly or directly. No one is an exception to this law of the Lord. Those who are rendering service indirectly, being forced by the illusory agent of the Lord, are rendering service unto Him unfavorably. But those who are rendering service unto Him directly under the direction of His beloved agent are rendering service unto Him favorably. Such favorable servitors are devotees of the Lord, and by the grace of the Lord they can enter into the mysterious region of transcendence by the mercy of the Lord. But the mental speculators remain in darkness all the time. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord Himself guides the pure devotees toward the path of realization due to their constant engagement in the loving service of the Lord in spontaneous affection. That is the secret of entering into the kingdom of God. Fruitive activities and speculation are no qualifications for entering.
It is a qualification of the great thinkers to pick up the best even from the worst. It is said that the intelligent man should pick up nectar from a stock of poison, should accept gold even from a filthy place, should accept a good and qualified wife even from an obscure family and should accept a good lesson even from a man or from a teacher who comes from the untouchables. These are some of the ethical instructions for everyone in every place without exception. But a saint is far above the level of an ordinary man. He is always absorbed in glorifying the Supreme Lord because by broadcasting the holy name and fame of the Supreme Lord, the polluted atmosphere of the world will change, and as a result of propagating the transcendental literatures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, people will become sane in their transactions.
Therefore a pure devotee who is related with the Lord in loving transcendental service can experience the presence of the Lord at every moment. It is a natural psychology in every individual case that a person likes to hear and enjoy his personal glories enumerated by others. That is a natural instinct, and the Lord, being also an individual personality like others, is not an exception to this psychology because psychological characteristics visible in the individual souls are but reflections of the same psychology in the Absolute Lord. The only difference is that the Lord is the greatest personality of all and absolute in all His affairs. If, therefore, the Lord is attracted by the pure devotee's chanting of His glories, there is nothing astonishing. Since He is absolute, He can appear Himself in the picture of His glorification, the two things being identical. Śrīla Nārada chants the glorification of the Lord not for his personal benefit but because the glorifications are identical with the Lord. Nārada Muni penetrates into the presence of the Lord by the transcendental chanting.
The wisest man in the world is a devotee of the Lord. The sages are called wise men, and there are different types of wise men for different branches of knowledge. Unless, therefore, the king or the head of the state is the wisest man, he cannot control all types of wise men in the state. In the line of royal succession in the family of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all the kings, without exception, were the wisest men of their times, and so also it is foretold about Mahārāja Parīkṣit and his son Mahārāja Janamejaya, who was yet to be born. Such wise kings can become chastisers of upstarts and uprooters of Kali, or quarrelsome elements. As will be clear in the chapters ahead, Mahārāja Parīkṣit wanted to kill the personified Kali, who was attempting to kill a cow, the emblem of peace and religion.
SB Canto 2
Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked many questions, some of them very curiously, to know things as they are, but it is not necessary for the master to answer them in the order of the disciple's inquiries, one after the other. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī, experienced teacher that he was, answered all the questions in a systematic way as they were received from the chain of disciplic succession. And he answered all of them without exception.
The varieties of living entities are mentioned in this list, and, with no exception from the topmost planet down to the lowest planet of the universe, all of them in different species of life are created by the Almighty Father, Viṣṇu. Therefore no one is independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā (14.4) the Lord therefore claims all living entities as His offspring in the following verse:
- sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
- mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
- tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
- ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
The material nature is compared to the mother. Although every living being is seen to come out of the mother's body, it is still a fact that the mother is not the ultimate cause of such a birth.
Let us all obey the Supreme Lord, whose hand is in everything, without exception.
SB Canto 4
Influenced by his personal bodily luster, all the fire-gods and other participants in that great assembly, with the exceptions of Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, gave up their own sitting places and stood in respect for Dakṣa.
The materialist is benefited by association with devotees because his life then becomes regulated so that his chance of becoming a devotee or making the present life successful for understanding the real position of the living entity is increased. When one takes advantage of this opportunity, he is assured of a human form of life in the next birth, or he may be liberated completely and go back home, back to Godhead. The conclusion is that if one participates in a discussion of devotees, he is both materially and spiritually benefited. The speaker and the audience are both benefited, and the karmīs and jñānīs are benefited. The discussion of spiritual matters amongst devotees is beneficial for everyone, without exception. Consequently the Kumāras admitted that not only was the King benefited by such a meeting, but the Kumāras were as well.
SB Canto 5
Mahārāja Nābhi was inclined to performing great sacrifices for begetting a son. The son might be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but such a material desire—be it great or insignificant—is brought about by the influence of māyā. A devotee does not at all desire anything for sense gratification. Devotion is therefore explained as devoid of material desires (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya). Everyone is subjected to the influence of māyā and entangled in all kinds of material desire, and Mahārāja Nābhi was no exception. Freedom from māyā's influence is possible when one engages in the service of the great devotees (mahac-caraṇa-sevā). Without worshiping the lotus feet of a great devotee, one cannot be freed from māyā's influence. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: "Who has been freed from māyā's clutches without serving the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava?" Māyā is aparājita, and her influence is also aparājita.
SB Canto 7
Śrī Yamarāja said: Alas, how amazing it is! These persons, who are older than me, have full experience that hundreds and thousands of living entities have taken birth and died. Thus they should understand that they also are apt to die, yet still they are bewildered. The conditioned soul comes from an unknown place and returns after death to that same unknown place. There is no exception to this rule, which is conducted by material nature. Knowing this, why do they uselessly lament?
SB Canto 8
If one is victorious on the battlefield, he becomes famous; and if one is not victorious but is defeated, he may die. Both victory and defeat are possible, whether on such a battlefield as this or on the battlefield of the struggle for existence. Everything takes place according to the laws of nature (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)). Since everyone, without exception, is subject to the modes of material nature, whether one is victorious or defeated he is not independent, but is under the control of material nature. Bali Mahārāja, therefore, was very sensible. He knew that the fighting was arranged by eternal time and that under time's influence one must accept the results of one's own activities. Therefore even though Indra threatened that he would now kill Bali Mahārāja by releasing the thunderbolt, Bali Mahārāja was not at all afraid. This is the spirit of a kṣatriya: yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam (BG 18.43). A kṣatriya must be tolerant in all circumstances, especially on the battlefield. Thus Bali Mahārāja asserted that he was not at all afraid of death, although he was threatened by such a great personality as the King of heaven.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, according to what I have heard from you, all the assembled kings, sages and demigods were delighted to see the wonderful festivities of King Ajātaśatru's Rājasūya sacrifice, with the sole exception of Duryodhana. Please tell me why this was so, my lord.
O best of human beings, all states of material being are related to the interaction of the enjoying soul and material nature. Whether seen, heard of or only conceived within the mind, they are without exception constituted of the modes of nature.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
“Alas, has Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu incarnated to deliver all kinds of sinners with the exception of a king named Mahārāja Pratāparudra?
""Alas, has Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made His advent deciding that He will deliver all others with the exception of me? He bestows His merciful glance upon many lower-class men who are usually not even to be seen.""
With the exception of Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and Paramānanda Purī, everyone was engaged in filling the waterpots and bringing them there.
“With the exception of devotional service, all the methods of self-realization are like the nipples on the neck of a goat. Therefore an intelligent person adopts only devotional service, giving up all other processes of self-realization.
CC Antya-lila
Beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, everyone, without exception, is attracted by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods, human beings, animals, birds, beasts, trees and plants are all attracted by sexual desire. That is the illusion of māyā. Everyone, whether man or woman, thinks that he is the enjoyer of the illusory energy. In this way, everyone is captivated and engaged in material activities. However, because Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was always busy satisfying the senses of the Lord, this process alone saved him from the captivation of māyā. This is practical proof of the strength of devotional service.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
“My dear Lord, everyone within this material world is conditioned by Your illusory energy. Under the impression of false identification and false possession, everyone is transmigrating from one body to another on the path of fruitive activities and their reactions. My dear Lord, I am no exception among these conditioned souls. I am falsely thinking myself happy in possessing my home, wife, children, estate, property and friends. In this way I am acting as if in a dreamland, because none of these are permanent. I am a fool to be always absorbed in thoughts of such things, accepting them as permanent truths. My dear Lord, due to my false identification, I have accepted as permanent everything which is nonpermanent, such as this material body, which is not spiritual and is the source of all kinds of miserable conditions.
“My dear Lord, I am not an exception to this universal law of material nature. I am also a foolish person who has wasted his time for nothing. And my position is especially difficult. On account of my being situated in the royal order, I was more puffed up than ordinary persons. An ordinary man thinks he is the proprietor of his body or his family, but I began to think in that way on a larger scale. I wanted to be the master of the whole world, and as I became puffed up with ideas of sense gratification, my bodily concept of life became stronger and stronger. My attachment for home, wife and children, for money and supremacy over the world, became more and more acute; in fact, it was limitless. So I remained always attached to thoughts of my material living conditions.
When Vasudeva was addressing his divine sons in that way, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were smiling. Because They are very affectionate to Their devotees, They accepted all the appreciation of Vasudeva with a kindly, smiling attitude. Kṛṣṇa then confirmed all of Vasudeva's statements as follows: "My dear Father, whatever you may say, We are, after all, your sons. What you have said about Us is certainly a highly philosophical understanding of spiritual knowledge. I accept it in toto, without exception."
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
But if we analyze this part of the statement of Lord Caitanya, we can very well see that every living being is constantly engaged in the business of rendering service to another living being. A living being serves another living being in different capacities, and by doing so, the living entity enjoys life. A lower animal serves a human being, a servant serves his master, A serves B master, B serves C master, and C serves D master, and so on. Under the circumstances, we can see that a friend serves another friend, and the mother serves the son, or the wife serves the husband, or husband serves the wife. If we go on searching in that spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of the living being where we do not find the activity of service. The politician present his manifesto before the public and convinces voters about his service capacity. The voter also gives the politician his valuable vote on expectation that the politician will give service to the society.
Not created, expanded. Kṛṣṇa expanded. Created means that it comes to the historical point. But na jāyate. Expanded. The actual word is expanded. Eko bahu syāt. He expanded Himself in so many. Not created. Expand means the things are there, now it is expanded. Just like the sun and sunshine. Sunshine is not created. Wherever there is sun, there is sunshine. But if you get sunshine in the morning, if you say, "Now the sunshine is created," that is a mistake. It is our misconception. The sun and the sunshine are always there. It is a question of appearance and disappearance, that's all. Everything expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Without any exception. Some of them are expansion of His material energy, some of them are expansion of His spiritual energy, some of them are expansion of His marginal energy. So everything expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So because everything expansion of Kṛṣṇa's, therefore nothing but Kṛṣṇa. But still they are different. This is the whole basic principle of philosophy. Simultaneously one and different.
His specific propaganda was to stop animal killing. So animal killing is recommended in the Vedic literature. Therefore people wanted to give him Vedic evidences that "In the Vedic literature animal sacrifice is recommended under certain condition. So how do you preach? You are Hindu and you are followers of Vedas. Why you are preaching nonviolence?" Therefore he had to give up Hindu religion. He said that "I do not care for your Vedas. It is my propaganda to stop animal killing. So if you follow me, then you must stop animal killing." Ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ. So later on, of course, Lord Buddha was patronized by a great emperor, Aśoka, and therefore practically all Indian population turned to be Buddhist, with few exceptions.
Now, the supreme leader is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That we do not know. Supreme leader, the leadership is accepted, but we do not know that the supreme leader is the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa. So that is informed in the Vedic literature, and in the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing is confirmed, that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: "Now, everyone is under My leadership, everyone. There is no exception." Especially He mentions the manuṣya. Manuṣya means the human being. The human being especially mentioned here because amongst all the human beings in this lower status of our existence, the human being is considered the highest perfectional stage of living condition. And especially human being has the prerogative to understand the supreme leadership of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee: "This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact. This yoga is to be practiced with determination and an undaunted heart. Twenty-four: One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon without exception, all material desires born of ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind (BG 6.24). Purport: The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation."
Prabhupāda: Now, this determination can be actually practiced or can be actually attained by one who does not indulge in sex life. His determination is strong. Therefore in the beginning it was said, that "without sex life," the determination. Or controlled sex life. If you indulge in sex life then this determination will not come. Flickering determination. You see. Therefore sex life should be controlled or given up. If it is possible to give up altogether, if not, controlled. Then you'll get determination. Because after all this determination is bodily affair. So these are the methods how to get determination.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
You cannot levy tax. So there are living means of everyone. For brāhmaṇa, the living means: paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Brāhmaṇa is meant for teaching others and become himself a learned scholar. That is brāhmaṇa business. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He should be a great worshiper of Viṣṇu, and he should teach others also. Just like we are not only worshiping Kṛṣṇa in our temple, but we are making propaganda. This is brāhmaṇa's business. But if the government calls all our students to the draft board, "Come on, fight," that is nonsense. Of course, they have got clauses not to disturb the ministerial class. That exception is there. Many of our students was excused from being called by the draft board on the ground that they have adopted the religious, ministerial order. That rule is prevalent everywhere, at all times.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities..." Kṛṣṇa does not say that "I am for the Hindu living entities or the Indian living entities." Where it is in Bhagavad-gītā? Why the foolish men take it that Kṛṣṇa Hindu, Kṛṣṇa Indian? Kṛṣṇa says that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I am friend of all living entities," sarva-bhūtānām. Not only human society, but animal society, the plant society, the aquatic society, there are so many living entities. Ananta-koṭi. Sa anantyāya kalpate. The living entities, there is no limit. There are so many quantities. And Kṛṣṇa says that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati: "When one understands that I, Kṛṣṇa, is the friend of everyone..." Kṛṣṇa, when says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), He does not say to Arjuna. He says to all living entities, without any exception. Sarva-bhūtānām. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. This is position of Kṛṣṇa.
This is the difference between devotees and nondevotees. But both the devotees and nondevotees, they must obey the laws of Kṛṣṇa. There is no exception. There is no exception. This is māyā. He is being forced, the nondevotee is being forced to act. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). He's under the spell of the modes of material nature, and he's being forced to act under the spell of material nature, but he is thinking, "I am free. I don't care for God." This is called māyā. He is being kicked by māyā, but he'll not agree to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. He'll agree to be kicked by māyā. That is his business. That he will agree. "Yes, let me be kicked by māyā." So nobody is free. By constitutional position nobody is free from the laws of God. But those who are voluntarily accepting, they are devotees. And those who are not accepting, falsely declaring themselves independent, they are nondevotees. This is the difference.
Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), that "First of all I said this principle of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, or Bhagavad-gītā yoga, to the sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham: "I spoke." Proktavān. Vivasvān manave prahuḥ: "And the sun-god said to his son, Manu." Manur ikṣvākave bravīt. Just see. That means the principles of Bhagavad-gītā is being accepted by the process of hearing from authority. That is the process. You cannot comment in your own way. That is not authorized. You have to hear from the authority. Therefore Kathopanisad says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If anyone wants to learn the transcendental science, he has to accept." Gacchet. This is vidhiliṅ, "must." There is no exception. You cannot say that "Without going to a spiritual master, I shall learn the transcendental science." No, that is not possible. Therefore, in our Vaiṣṇava principles, it is said, ādau gurv-āśrayam. In the very beginning of understanding spiritual knowledge, one has to take shelter of a guru. Ādau gurv-āśrayam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchati: "The next stage is inquiring from the spiritual master about real spiritual life." These are the processes.
So dvija-bandhu means who has not perfected his knowledge by hearing from the bona fide source. He is called dvija-bandhu. And the śūdras have no facility, neither the woman has got the facility to go to the gurukula and become a brahmacārī and remain there and learn the Vedic literature. Because women were not allowed, neither could follow. It is not discrimination. It is actual fact by nature. There may be some exception, but by nature it is so fixed up.
Whenever there is discrepancy in the discharge of religious principles, then there is incarnation of God. Whenever there is... Because this is... Everything, God is the supreme proprietor. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Now, the kingdom of God is everywhere, but this material world is also kingdom of God, but here the people are 99.9 %, they are forgetful. They have forgotten God. Therefore in this material world, there are religious principles. In every civilized society, there is some form of religion, without any exception. Either you be Christian or be Muhammadan or Buddhist or Hindu, that doesn't matter, because the whole idea is this is the process. Human civilization, to make progress means self-realization. So as soon as there is discrepancy in the matter of self-realization—they become too much materialistic—then the incarnation of Godhead comes and He instructs. Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa came in five thousand years before, and He has left His instruction. So why? Because we shall get the opportunity of hearing His activities. By hearing His activities means we shall be associating Him because His activities, because He is Absolute, there is no difference between He and His activities. There is no difference.
Everything is complete; therefore Kṛṣṇa is God. Everything, whatever we require... We require money, aiśvarya. We require strength. We require influence. We require education. So many things we require. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ. Nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. Another definition of Kṛṣṇa is He's full with six kinds of opulences. So He's sufficient to fulfill His desire. He doesn't require anyone's service. Just like we are in need of so many things; therefore we require others' help. But Kṛṣṇa does not require anyone's help. Then why He accepts worship? That is the... That is for the benefit of the devotee, not for His personal benefit. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He... His one wife Sītādeva was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. Of course, Rāvaṇa cannot kidnap. It was externally, Māyā Sītā. Still, taking for exception Sītā was kidnapped, so Lord Rāmacandra could have possessed many millions of Sītā by His will, but for one Sītā He had to fight with Rāvaṇa and finish the whole dynasty, because Rāmacandra is the ideal king. It is the king's business to chastise such rogues and ruffians. That is king's business.
Does it mean that those who are saintly persons, they take pleasure in other's killing? They try to stop killing. Even animal killing they want to stop. How it is that, they take pleasure in another's killing? Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta tatra ha vṛścikādeḥ. Not all. A... Persons, living creatures like the scorpion and serpents. Not all. Everything has got exception. So a sādhu, a saintly person, a righteous person, a religious person, will never be happy by other's killing. But killing of persons like scorpion and serpent... And the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that a person who has envious nature, he's more dangerous than the serpent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has enunciated that sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. There are two envious creatures: one is the snake, and another, a man envious, unnecessarily envious of others. So sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. That man, envious, he's dangerous, more dangerous than the snake.
Engage this tongue for these two business. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam. He will forget dog-eating. (laughter) There is no exception. Everyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious if he follows, beginning, these two rules: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam. That's all. Test it. Make a trial. The temple is here. We are inviting. Come here. Do these two business. And our Madhudviṣa Mahārāja is ready to give you prasādam and chance for dancing and singing. That's all. Where is the difficulty? You haven't got to pay for it. No loss. If there is any gain, why don't you try it?
Initiation Lectures
According to Vedic scriptures, there are four classes of men: brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Out of these four classes of social order, the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are considered higher caste. Brāhmaṇas means the most intelligent class of men in the society, and kṣatriya means the administrative class of men, and vaiśyas means the mercantile class of men, and śūdras means the laborer class of men. That division is everywhere, not only in India. These four classes of men are present in every country, every society. It may be in different names only, but the four divisions are already there everywhere. It cannot be without it. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). These four classes of divisions are there according to different qualities, and Kṛṣṇa says, or God says, "That is My creation." So there cannot be any exception of His creation.
General Lectures
Actually, there is no two levels. There is only one level. Just like there is one sky, but when the sky is overcast with cloud, you divide the sky: "This is friendly sky, and this is nonfriendly sky." Just like the airlines, they advertise, "Fly in friendly sky." Wherefrom this "friendly sky" comes? The sky is one. But the part of the sky which is covered with cloud, that is unfriendly sky. Similarly, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. There is... Without exception, everything is spirit. But the portion of spirit which is covered by ignorance, the cloud of ignorance, that is matter. Just like what is material civilization? All activities minus God. This is material. And as soon as all activities plus God, it is spiritual. So all activities minus God means trouble, and all activities plus God is wholesome, is pleasing. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means all activities plus God. That's all.
In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, I am the Supreme. There is no better, no more anyone superior than Me." That's all right. We accept that. Now, you can say "How we accept?" I accept because it is Vedic injunction. That is the process of Vedic injunction: you have to accept without argument. Just like for practical life I will say some examples, that cow dung. In India cow dung is accepted as very pure. So in one place of the Vedic injunction you will find that "Any stool of animal is impure." That's a fact. Everyone knows. Even your own stool, what to speak of other animals'—impure. But in another place says, "Exception is given to the cow's stool, cow dung. That is pure." It is so pure that if you apply on some impure place, it becomes pure. That's a fact. In India still, especially in villages, they mop the floor with cow dung, and it is so nice and so fresh. You can try. Here also there are cows. You take cow dung and you can see how it is antiseptic. We are actually doing in America in our New Vrindaban. We are maintaining cows there, protecting cows, because cow protection is one of the items for Kṛṣṇa consciousness people.
Out of three kinds of evidences, the śabda-pramāṇas, or the evidences received from the Vedas, that is accepted. So for spiritual advancement especially we have to accept the Veda-pramāṇa, or evidences given in Vedic literature. So this disciplic succession, as Gosvāmī Hanumān Prasād said, that is essential. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This word abhigacchet, it is a form of verb which is used where the sense is "You must! You must!" There is no exception. You cannot say that "I may go to a spiritual master or I may not go. I can study at home." No. You must go. Just like in modern age also, if you (are) actually interested to be recognized as educated, you must get your admission in a recognized school or college and take degree. Then you will... If you study at home, you may be very great scholar, and if you say that you have passed M.A. examination, nobody will care for you. Similarly, if you actually want to be advanced in spiritual knowledge, then this is the injunction: tad-vijñānārtham.
In the material world everyone is suffering. There is no exception, either rich man or poor man, learned or fool—everyone. This is the place for suffering. And if we take this place of suffering as comfortable, that is our ignorance. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, biṣāya biṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jwale taribare nā koinu upāy golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma saṅkīrtana rati nā jaṅmilo kene tāy. (aside:) Explain. (break) So Narottama says that we should take advantage of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's and Nityānanda Prabhu's presence. Pāpī tāpī jata chilo harināme uddhārilo tāra śākṣī jagāi and mādhāi, brajendra nandana jei śacī-suta hoilo sei balarāma hoilo nitāi, that "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Formerly He was Brajendranandana." Brajendranandana. Brajendra is Mahārāja, Nanda Mahārāja.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: With the exception of...
Prabhupāda: Ghost, he is already in the body.
Hayagrīva: Oh, uh huh, the subtle body.
Prabhupāda: The subtle body.
Hayagrīva: He further writes, "God alone is wholly without body."
Prabhupāda: Yes. He has no material body. He does not transmigrate.
Śyāmasundara: He says that thoughts without content are empty, meaning that the mind must have senses in order to fill its thoughts with content; and perceptions without exceptions are blind. In other words, sense impressions without thought are blind.
Prabhupāda: That thought comes from transcendental knowledge. Thought comes from higher authorities. That is called parokṣa. Then with your senses, when you try to understand, that is called aparokṣa. Then adhokṣaja. As I told you, there are five stages of acquiring knowledge: direct perception, pratyakṣa; parokṣa, receiving knowledge from higher authorities; then apply your senses, come to some conclusion, that is aparokṣa; then transcendental knowledge, adhokṣaja; then aprakṛta, spiritual knowledge.
Śyāmasundara: So his third antimony is the causal, or relation (?) of the world. He says, first of all, thesis: "Causality in conformity with laws of nature is not the only causality from which all the phenomena of the world can be derived. To explain these phenomena it is necessary to suppose that there is also a free causality." And the antithesis is, "There is no freedom, but all that comes to be in the world takes place entirely in accordance with laws of nature." So on the one hand he is saying that sometimes we observe an exception to the laws of causality, that something happens which is completely uncaused or unexplainable, so that there must be no such thing as a strict law of cause and effect.
Prabhupāda: No. There is, strictly. He cannot explain—you do not know—but there must be some cause. Therefore ultimate cause is Kṛṣṇa, or God.
Śyāmasundara: After Kant finished this analysis of the pure reason, then he began his Critique of Practical Reason, of reason applied to practical living, to try to find out what were the limits of that study. This is his idea: moral laws are necessary and universal objects of the human will, which must be accepted as valid for everyone. He calls this his categorical imperative. That means that there are certain moral commandments which are universal, and which must be applied to everyone, and which everyone must obey without exception. Now, he says that we know these moral laws a priori, by intuition, and that the individual fact and the situations have no bearing, and there is no consideration of what I want or what I desire, but what I must do, what I ought to do.
Prabhupāda: No. Morality varies according to the development of the particular society. There are so many immoral things going on in the particular type of society which are very, very immoral, but they do not care for it; they do it.
Śyāmasundara: There is no universal morality?
Prabhupāda: Universal morality is to obey God, that's all. This is universal morality.
Śyāmasundara: He says that these moral imperatives or these moral commands must be obeyed without exception.
Prabhupāda: That is nice, but it is not possible.
Śyāmasundara: Individual circumstances should not have any bearing.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then the basic principles of civilization should be that those who are unable to do it, they should be trained up. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are elevating persons from the lowest level to the highest level. That we are actually doing. So these four classes of men exist, but by education, by training, the lowest class of men can be elevated to the highest class. That is our movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: It is true that if there are certain laws, moral commandments, that I should follow them regardless of individual exception? There are no exceptions, regardless...
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: I'm using it as an example of an exception.
Prabhupāda: No, no. What, you are scientist, what you have never seen, why you are thinking of like that? That is my point.
Śyāmasundara: I'm using it as an example of an exception...
Prabhupāda: Why example? Why you give a fictitious example which you have no experience?
Śyāmasundara: All right. So let's say no one has ever seen a...
Prabhupāda: No, no. That is another thing. You cannot say which you have never seen, at least. Because yours is experimental, I may say, but you at least, cannot say like that.
Hayagrīva: Now this is the last point, and I want to just for the record to correct this on Śyāmasundara's presentation because you took exception to this, and I believe that it was..., you wouldn't take exception to it. I don't know. It says Bergson refers to the "essential function of the universe as being that of a machine for the making of gods."
Prabhupāda: That is his misconception. That I have explained, the wheel. The wheel is going on. The wheel has got different parts but it is resting on the axle.
Hayagrīva: No, but is the universe a machine for the making of gods in the sense that it's a vehicle to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious?
Prabhupāda: No, this is wrong. The machine, the wheel is already depending on the axle. Axle is already there. Without axle, the wheel cannot move.
Śyāmasundara: He says that moral laws are not absolute rules which never permit exceptions. He says that moral laws are flexible; that they're not absolute.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Real moral law means the law of the Supreme. Just like Kṛṣṇa has preached dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, so many yoga systems. Then He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). These principles have not less moral, dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, but ultimately He says, "Give up all of them." Then what is moral? His word is moral. Whatever He says, that is moral. Not this dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga. No. Whatever He says, that is morality. So it is changed. Nobody can argue: "Sir, you have prescribed so many kinds of yogas. Now You say to give up all these things. It is contradictory." No. It is not contradictory. Whatever He says, that is morality. That is Vaiṣṇava principle. We don't consider anything moral or immoral. Whatever is ordered by Kṛṣṇa or His representative, that is moral. That is our position.
Śyāmasundara: He says that matter is simply a series of events in which energy and not force as the real motive power, that what we call the material world, rather than being described as solid and understood in terms of force, that actually it is energy performing different events.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. It is forced by the energy. Matter has no form, but by the superior energy, the living entity (indistinct) mixed up (indistinct) matter and make the form. Just like a (indistinct) plate, clay, water, and fire. So the potter makes a form from the clay. Clay means earth and water, mixed up, and it makes a pot and then puts it with fire and it becomes a glass and so on. So tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. It is simply exchange of earth, water, and fire. But this mixture is being made by the potter. And the instrument is the potter's wheel. So similarly, God is the potter, and the material nature is the wheel, and so many things are coming out. But if there is no potter to turn the wheel or make the clay into pots, this is not (indistinct). There is already water, there is already earth, there is already fire, but unless a spirit, a being, a living being, comes into it, there is no question of (indistinct). Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, (indistinct). Because the living entities are there, the formation is taking place. A (indistinct), it is a combination of matter. But because we see that the living entity is there, it is taking a certain type of shape. Matter does not out of itself take the shape. That is wrong theory. We have no such experience where matter is taking automatically shape. (indistinct). Is there any exception?
Dr. Rao: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: How matter can take shape? That is not philosophy, that is childish. That is the defect of the modern civilization. A man has got childish knowledge and he is becoming philosopher.
Hayagrīva: I think in the history of the West all the monarchs have been ogres except maybe with the exception of Constantine, who was a Christian monarch, and I think that was the only one.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: But it was not...
Prabhupāda: Monarch, that is the idea, rājarṣi. Rāja and ṛṣi. He is in the position of rāja, but he is actually a great sage. That is required. Then everything will be perfect. Rājarṣayo viduḥ, Kṛṣṇa says. And if the monarch, the chief man in the state, he understands Bhagavad-gītā, then everything will be immediately perfect. Everything, immediate. Formerly the kings were (indistinct). Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2), it clearly stated. But the, there is no monarchy, and all loafer class they are taking charge of government. They do not know. Why they will know it? They have gone there for getting some money. "I am now in position, get that much money (indistinct)." They know, "After five years I will be nowhere, so let me accumulate some money while I am on the ministerial post." This is going on. Who cares for the good of the citizen? If we discuss these things, it will be great criticism, but this is the position.
Hayagrīva: His most famous book was Walden II, which was... Thoreau lived in Walden, Henry Thoreau. He lived alone. It was a solitary experiment of plain living and high thinking. He writes, "We practice the Thoreauvian principle of avoiding unnecessary possessions." Thoreau pointed out that the average Concord laborer worked ten or fifteen hours of his..., fifteen years of his life just to have a roof over his head. We could say ten weeks and be on the safe side. Food is plentiful and healthful but not expensive." So he goes on to say that "We strike for economic freedom, we do not believe in unnecessary consumption, we consume less than the average American." So it's an attempt to construct a society somewhat similar to New Vrindaban, with the exception of no spiritual basis as such.
Prabhupāda: That is primitive life, jungle life. Monkey civilization. Of course they claim to be descendant of monkey, that they will go on like that. But that is not human civilization, to keep the monkey in the jungle. We want life, very peaceful life without any unnecessary, what is called, necessities. That is all right. But the aim should be spiritual perfection. Therefore the first thing is what is the aim of life, that should be ascertained. Without aim, if you lounge on this ocean, where you are going? That is useless attempt. We must first of all know what is the aim of life. These people, they do not know what is the aim of life. Simply, superficially they are trying to adjust, "This will be done, this will be done." No. These are all mental speculation. First of all you must know what is the aim of life, and to this, to that direction, we have to adjust things. That is perfection.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prof. Kotovsky: But maybe...
Prabhupāda: There may be some exceptions, but, I mean to say, just like the cow dung is stool—this is an exception—but why this exception is accepted, that if you scientifically examine, analyze, you find it is correct?
Prof. Kotovsky: That is due to analyze. That's right. That's from common sense point of view.
Prabhupāda: Similarly, another, another instance is there. Just like conchshell. Conchshell is the bone of an animal. So according to Vedic instruction, if you touch the bone of an animal, you become impure. You have to take bath. You become impure. But this conchshell is kept in the deity room because it's accepted as pure by the Vedas. So my point is that we accept Vedic laws in such a way, without argument, accept because it is stated in the Vedas, and that is the principle followed by scholars. If you can substantiate your statement by quoting from the Vedas, then it is accepted. You do not require to substantiate in other ways if you prove by Vedic quotation. Śruti-pramāṇa. It is called śruti-pramāṇa. There are different kinds of pramāṇa, evidences. Just like in the legal court if you can give quotation from the law books, your statement is accepted, similarly, all statements which you give, if they are supported by śruti-pramāṇa... I think you know. The Vedas are known as Śrutis.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Karandhara: But because in all material examples there are exceptions, they say. In all material examples there are exceptions, so they try to find that exception.
Prabhupāda: Many exceptions are there, mām eva ye prapadyante. Those who are devotee, they are not under māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you do not violate the laws of God... (break) ...there is no question of being... (break)...by māyā. If you surrender... (break) ...ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). (break) ...if the government protects everyone who is surrendered to the laws of the God, government. The government will give all protection. If he is a law-abiding citizen, he must be given protection, all protection.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hṛdayānanda: So just to clarify, Prabhupāda, I want to make sure I have it very clear, that if someone comes to our varṇāśrama college, even though this may be preliminary help, in general—you've made some exceptions—but in general, when they come to our college, they have to follow the four regulative principles, also learn something about Bhagavad-gītā and then, side by side, they learn a...
Prabhupāda: Four regulative principles compulsory.
Hṛdayānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: But if some of the kṣatriya or the śūdras, they want, so that is our prescription: "Go to the forest and kill some animal and eat that." That's all. You can kill one boar. Some disturbing elements, you can kill. You can kill some tiger. Like that. Learn to kill. No nonviolence. Learn to kill. Here also, as soon as you'll find, the kṣatriya, a thief, a rogue, unwanted element in the society, kill him. That's all. Finish. Kill him. Bās. Finished. So other will see, "Oh, the ruler is very strong." And others will... One killing will be lesson for many hundreds and thousands. No mercy. "Kill him." That's all. That was the system. In Kashmir about hundred years ago. If somebody has stolen, cut his hand. Bās. He cannot steal any more. So one cutting hand means finish. In that part of the world, no more stealing.
Girirāja: (reads synonyms for following verse:) "Translation: The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you, the Pāṇḍavas, all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain."
Dr. Patel: Shall I read further, sir, or you want to comment?
Prabhupāda: Yes. The process is going on. Although we have got so many plans to save, nobody can be saved. The destination, the bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), that will go on. Simply vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10), they will be saved. Otherwise all finished.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: He talks nonsense. Suppose his father comes before him, he calls him by ill names, like that. He talks nonsense. So anyone who is too much materially affected, he also talks nonsense. Anartha upāsamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The treatment is bhakti-yoga. That we are teaching. Without any exception, we accept everyone a patient for psychiatric treatment. He has this book?
Paramahaṁsa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then all other books we can show him.
Guest (1): It becomes a belief rather than a logic now, then, for when we think about the God. You were saying everybody has father, so why God, in exception, He hasn't got a father?
Prabhupāda: Therefore He is God, that He can exist without father. But you cannot exist without father. That is the difference between you and God.
Guest (2): Is God in the form of male or female or anything?
Prabhupāda: He is male. Otherwise how He can beget? Female cannot beget without man's contact. The prakṛti, the nature, is female, and God is male.
Prabhupāda: Make the best use of a bad bargain. (laughter) It is a bad bargain. But we have to utilize it.
Dr. Pore: When you say, then, that everything is a part of God you make an exception of the body, the body is not...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: No, he's saying that when we say everything is part of God the body is an exception. The body is not part of God?
Prabhupāda: No, why? Body is also part. Yes, that I have explained.
Prabhupāda: Just see. For picking up the paper they have to pay so much. (break) (walking:) ...is we want to distribute books vigorously because general public, they have not yet understood what is the importance of this movement; neither they have any knowledge. The general public, maybe with some exception in India, they are simply like cats and dogs. They have no knowledge, that what is the purpose of this life (indistinct) and... Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsurāḥ janā. That is stated. Pravṛtti means what we should accept, what kind of life we should accept and what kind of life we shall reject. This is their first ignorance. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na viduḥ āsurāḥ janā (BG 16.7). And what is the next line? Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8).
Prabhupāda: No, no, you...
Dr. Patel: Do you call me an exception?
Prabhupāda: I know that. I know. I know you.
Indian man (1): (Hindi)
Dr. Patel: No, no, but I am one of the scientists. He is one of the scientists. He has put on these clothes and...
Prabhupāda: But you are supporting the rascal. (laughter)
Dr. Patel: No, but, I don't support a rascal. My explanations are... I strongly...
Prabhupāda: No, no, you say that "He is trying to understand in his own way."
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Therefore we call them all rascals. That is our confirmation of our statement. Mūḍhas, you all rascals, without any exception. Hm? The other day the high-court judge, he's supposed to be the most intelligent person within this state, high-court judge, and he was talking so many nonsense.
Prabhupāda: Somebody is reading.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. I made a study. I asked the men in our party, when they were all gathered, to raise their hand if they had received a book before joining our party, and every single one of them had gotten a book before joining the movement—without exception. They were attracted through reading a book or a magazine.
Prabhupāda: I talked with that police officer. He has published. In Chicago.
Hari-śauri: Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that when one instance...
Prabhupāda: No, no. There is exception with everything.
Hari-śauri: Oh.
Prabhupāda: The thing is, father and mother is always kind. That is natural. Extraordinarily, the mother may kill. That is another thing. Crazy. But if somebody's coming to kill his child, mother gives protection: "First of all kill me." (break) So artistic competition, subject matter was that a child is being killed before the mother, and the artist has to give expression of the face. So different artists gave expression of the face of the mother when the child is being killed before her. So one artist made a picture like this. (holding hands over his eyes) He got the first prize.
Prabhupāda: He has taken photograph of it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughter) Yes. "...which is lathered up and shaved with a safety razor (right side). Even more striking than their saffron dhotis and shawls is the ISKCON men's practice of shaving their heads with the exception of one long lock in the rear, known as the śikhā. The first reaction of the layman is "Why do they do it?" The next is "How do they do it?" The Hare Kṛṣṇaś themselves advance three different answers to the first question. Some say that in countries that have hot climates, the religious have always shaved their heads to insure cleanliness. A clean body reflects a pure spirit."
Prabhupāda: One letter should be written to him that "You have taken so much trouble to describe Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, so thank you for your patience. Now we shall request you to read our books and review it. That will be real presentation of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. Now you have studied superficially, and if you seriously study our books, you'll get more knowledge and you'll be able to give description of the movement more definitely."
Nandarāṇī: Kṛṣṇa was speaking to Arjuna, and Arjuna had real intelligence, but nowadays if someone tries to consider Kṛṣṇa's instructions and deliberate fully and make some decision, he always makes the wrong decision.
Prabhupāda: No, therefore he has to accept spiritual master to guide him. Just like simply by reading books you do not become educated. You go to school and read before the teacher. Then you'll understand. You cannot become a medical man by purchasing books from the market and reading at home. You must go to the medical college. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Not only reading, but you go to the person who is actually realized. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Everything is there. You cannot understand individually. That is not possible. If you are extraordinarily intelligent, you can do that. That is exception. But ordinarily it is not possible. Therefore the spiritual master is there. He'll guide you.
Prabhupāda: He's a Māyāvādī.
Mahākṣa: Yes, he's a Māyāvādī. He did not like it when the other people take an interest in us.
Akṣayānanda: And they see that people are giving us money too. (Prabhupāda laughs) Actually wherever we go, with a few exceptions, wherever we go, after the third day we just suddenly become unwelcome even though we behave all right. The third day is about the limit.
Mahākṣa: The one exception is this Gita Bhavan in Indore.
Akṣayānanda: There are a few exceptions.
Mahākṣa: They were nice to us there.
Prabhupāda: They are nice. Once I had been there.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is a politics. You must be worried. You must be worried. That is material world. So so long you are in the material platform, you must be worried. There is no exception. And I have seen in that time, how much worried she was at that time. Yes. So it does not mean because she is Prime Minister, there is no worry. It is not possible.
winter, there is summer.
Rāmeśvara: But this is extraordinary. Lord Caitanya's movement, the ten thousand years of His movement, that is a special exception for the Kali-yuga.
Prabhupāda: Special for this millennium. But the thing is going on like that, rotating.
Rāmeśvara: But in general, first it gets more and more degraded. Then it's all finished.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless there is degradation, there is no question of improvement. So this is going on. This is nature's way, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), appearance and disappearance.
Prabhupāda: So you cannot deny, "There is no God." That is not possible. The earth is the mother. They say "mother country," "mother earth." And everything is coming out from the earth. Beginning from the aquatic animals, grass, they are coming from material elements, either from water or from earth. That we can see. And they are coming from fire also, but we cannot see. But they are. It is common sense. If life can come from water, fire... Fire is also one of the elements, five elements. So from fire also... Therefore it is said, nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ. Because it is coming from fire, therefore fire cannot harm the living entity. So mother is there, children are there. Where is the father? This is the logic. And the father is coming personally, "Yes, I am father." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Then where is the chance for denying the existence of father? No. There is no chance, there is no logic. And the father is so rich, so powerful, so kind. And you are not taking shelter of your father. Your actual father, so great, so rich, so intelligent, so opulent. He promises, "My dear son, you surrender, I will give you all protection." He is giving protection. Still, He is assuring, and, still you will not take shelter? That is intelligent? That is envy. Everyone can take. Everyone is suffering for misuse of their intelligence, denying the authority of God. And everyone can take advantage. We are giving them knowledge. Without any exception, everyone can take. This is our line. Accept the father, the bona fide father.
Akṣayānanda: No, there is one. At the back side there is one lady with child, because that room is not favored by the guests. She is the wife of one of the senior men, and there's no other place. That is just one exception.
Prabhupāda: If they're paying guest, then it's all right.
Akṣayānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, guestroom should not be misused by the unnecessary women and children. That should be allowed. If one cannot pay, she may go the mass.
Girirāja: He's very good. So he's eager to get that in print. Then they'll be able to distribute literature to everyone without exception.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Do you remember when Prabhaviṣṇu was here you told him to go with "the courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother"? He remembers those words.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother."
Prabhupāda: This is the word of a great poet.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
I am sorry that many of the important verses in Bhagavad-gita As It Is were left without purport explanations, but the MacMillan Company wanted to minimize the volume of the book. I am not satisfied with this, so my next attempt will be to publish the same with explanations for all the verses without any exception. Actually, our Krishna Consciousness Movement means to propagate in the human society the transcendental understanding of Krishna. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that out of many men, only one is interested in self-realization, and out of many thousands of self-realized persons, only one may understand Krishna. But if one understands Krishna as to what He is, what are His transcendental activities, then such person immediately is eligible to enter into the Kingdom of God, and not to come again in this miserable world. People in general do not even understand that this world is miserable for the conditioned soul. Neither are they very interested in the Kingdom of God. They want to make this miserable world as the Kingdom of God without God. So there is a great necessity of propagating the Krishna Consciousness Movement. As you appear to be very intelligent and interested in this connection, I shall request you to help this movement as far as possible.
1970 Correspondence
I am happy to hear that your campus engagements are very well received especially on the Catholic campus. That is a good sign that the students are still intelligent to find what is the best information about God and how to approach him. It is unfortunate that they are without proper guidance, but that is the condition of all persons in the world without exception.
1972 Correspondence
Even Lord Caitanya Himself said that sometimes when I see a wooden form of a woman, my mind becomes agitated but that does not mean that we should give it practical shape, that is intelligence. One must be convinced that sex-life without exception means trouble, therefore he is able to stop it at the thinking stage by not allowing it to be felt, much less willed and acted. I am so much disgusted by this troublesome business of marriage, because nearly every day I receive some complaint from husband or wife, and practically this is not my business as sannyasi to be marriage counsellor, so henceforward I am not sanctioning any more marriages, and those who want to marry must know in advance and be prepared to make outside income to support wife and home separately from the temple, and in the temple husband and wife shall live separately, that must be or what is the meaning of spiritual society like ours? I made a concession, but how can I encourage something which has proven to be so much trouble?
Karandhara says that New York is an "outstanding exception" to the regular payments of literature bills, and Bali Mardan has told me that you have "no inclination to supervise or check regularly on these financial matters, and thus it is left to a Treasurer who is also not very competent." He has suggested that you make weekly inventories and pay weekly for the books sold. That is a good idea. You can take his help, how to do it. You must organize these things in such a way that things will go on automatically and increase more and more. Now I do not know what is the real situation, they are saying one thing and you are saying another thing, but I want that this situation be immediately finished, and from now on all literature bills must be paid immediately by you.
Yes, if anyone agrees to live with us in the temple he must without any exception follow the four rules and regulations, plus the other regulative principles, otherwise he may be asked kindly to leave the temple and live outside. Or he may not be invited to live in the temple until he has agreed and has proven his ability to obey the regulative idea. The point is that we should not be over anxious just to recruit men if they will not be of the best quality. If someone wants to become devotee but he is little weak, never mind he is living outside, he may come regularly to the temple, chant at home and at his work, and offer his foodstuffs always to Krsna, like that, and gradually he will develop the surrendering attitude and accept voluntarily the life of austerity or tapasya which must be practiced in the temple living.
If new students are coming and they want to live with us in the temple, they must agree before living with us to follow these principles without any exception. Otherwise, it is better for them to live outside and attend the class, aratrika, prasadam, like that, and gradually as they become convinced by their intelligence, they will voluntarily agree to perform the austerity or tapasya of living in the temple. But anyone who lives in the temple must follow all these principles without exception, otherwise they may be asked to live outside.
So you should think like this, that I have promised my spiritual master this, now I must obey him without any exception, otherwise I have no business calling myself his disciple. That will be your austerity or tapasya for forcing you to make very rapid advancement in Krsna conscious understanding. Without tapasya there is no question of making advancement. So if still the material nature is so much attractive to you that you are unable to sacrifice things in this way, then better you give up the whole thing and do as you like outside. But if you want to call yourself devotee and serve Krsna in that capacity, then you must avoid these four basic principle restrictions under all circumstances, without any exceptions. Of course once, twice, Krsna may excuse, that is not very difficult, but more than that it will become very difficult for Krsna to excuse you and there is great risk that everything will be lost despite all of your time and effort spent.
1974 Correspondence
Our activities are arati, kirtana, classes, just as we do here in Los Angeles. Everything is done in conformity to a regular standard. For example, all the temple members, without exception must rise by 4:AM and attend mangala arati. Everyone living in the temple must agree to the standard by proper understanding of the philosophy of tapasya. We cannot expect our guests to follow all our principles, but whoever lives in the temple must follow. That means all must sit down together and hear the Bhagavatam class just as I held it day after day when I was at the Manor. There should be a regular daily schedule of events and it should be followed closely. After the class and breakfast everyone should go to their respective duties, deity worship, sankirtana, clean-up and so throughout the day this atmosphere of constant engagement will produce the truly happy result of transcendental life. So you should set the example and also see that the others are following.
1976 Correspondence
So far Calcutta branch is concerned, it cannot be closed. It must be maintained. You have got permits for five men, and all of these men must go to Mayapur immediately and perform Sankirtan day and night. If Calcutta cannot supply your maintenance food, then Bombay will supply. So with great difficulty we have of the permits for permission, so with the exception of Bhanu who is going to Tokyo others may go to live there.
| Page Title: | Exception |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 25 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=4, SB=14, CC=5, OB=3, Lec=30, Con=21, Let=9 |
| No. of Quotes: | 86 |