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Make it zero (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

So the Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this body, nirvāṇa. Just like this house is made of stone, brick and wood and so many. So you break it, and there is no more stone and no more brick. This is distributed to the earth. Throw it on the earth. Then there is no house. Similarly, if you become zero, no body, then you are free from pains and pleasure. This is their philosophy, nirvāṇa philosophy, śūnyavādi: "Make it zero." But that is not possible. That is not possible. You cannot... Because you are spirit soul... That will be explained. You are eternal. You cannot be zero.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

Tapasya means I have got naturally some propensity, but that is not good. Not good in this sense, if we continue that propensity, then we have to accept this material body. This is the law of nature. There is a verse, pramattaḥ. What is called, that...? Now I'm forgetting that. That everyone is mad, mad after sense gratification. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ. So long we'll continue this propensity of sense enjoyment, you'll have to accept body. That is birth and death. So long. Therefore, the process should be how to make zero all these propensities. That is perfection. Not to enhance it.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You can make zero automatically when you find better engagement. So we have to give better engagement. Then things will be zero. Because you have got better engagement, you are not interested to go to the hotel. There is hotel also, cinema also in Vṛndāvana. But will you go there? So if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hotel, restaurants and, and dancing, and this and that, they'll be zero. Automatically. But if you simply try to make it zero, that is not possible. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

So artificially, the Buddha philosophy or Śaṅkara philosophy, they, artificially if you want to make it nirvāṇa, zero, that is not possible. Avyaktāsakta-cetasām... Te..., kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Avyakta means zero, impersonal. If you become attached to simply making zero, or impersonal, that is not possible. Because we are accustomed. We are... As living beings, we want varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. We cannot remain in the zero position.

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

The vaikuṇṭha-loka, goloka vṛndāvana, is made of houses, there are. Nirviśeṣavādī, śūnyavādī, they cannot understand that in the spiritual world there are also houses, there are also gardens, there are also rivers, there are also cows. They cannot understand, because they are in the tamaḥ, in this darkness of material world. They are disgusted with this material world. They want to make it zero, nirvāṇa. They want to make it zero. No. Why zero? The Bhāgavata said, nirasta-kuhakam. Nirasta-ku... Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, janmādy asya. Actually, this material world is born out of the reflection of the spiritual world.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.3.8 -- Los Angeles, September 14, 1972:

Karma means by working you create another future. But naiṣkarmya means you work, but don't create another future. Everyone has future, but devotional service means end of all future. That does not mean zero. The śūnyavādīs, the voidists, they also want to make it zero, but it is actually not zero. Zero of these material activities. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna: (BG 4.9) "One who has understood about Kṛṣṇa, he, after giving up this body, he does not get another birth."

Lecture on SB 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972:

The more you expand how to satisfy your senses, that is material. And the more we expand how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual. That is the difference between material and spiritual. It does not mean that material stone, material, and spiritual means it becomes zero. They are thinking like that. Śūnyavādi. They think spiritual means just the opposite number of material. "So material, we have got variegated experience, solid experience, so make it zero." That is not spiritual. That is simply negation. That philosophy is the Buddha philosophy, that "You are suffering from some disease painful, so I cut your throat. That's all. Everything finished. No more suffering. Zero. Make it zero." No. The process should be, if you are diseased, if you are suffering, the suffering should be stopped. Not that to kill you to stop the suffering. No. That is our philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

Because this life is so much troublesome, sometimes even one commits suicide to get out of this, I mean to say, troublesome life of material existence. So the philosophy of voidism, impersonalism is like that. Mean they cannot, shudder, to think of another life, again eating, again sleeping, again working. Because he thinks eating, sleeping, means on the bed. That's all. And suffering. He cannot think otherwise. So the negative way, to make it zero. That is void philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

That is Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, that we are trying to take the misled people from illusion to the reality. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they see that there is no more any pleasure in this dancing. "Make it zero. Forget it." No. We don't say that. We say that this dancing is there in the original conception in the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

We also want to enjoy with so-called lover or beloved or girls or boys, but we are trying to enjoy in a false platform—this material world. Therefore we are becoming baffled. The same enjoyment is, Kṛṣṇa is offering, by His descendance, that "If you want to enjoy like this in the society of beautiful young boys and girls, come to Me. Here it is, reality." But that they will not. That they will make impersonal. Being frustrated in this material platform, they want to make it zero, śūnyavādi, śūnyavādi, being disgusted.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to negate. Or the Buddhist philosopher. "Make it zero. Make it zero." Śūnyavādi. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi and śūnyavādi, almost the same. So they are after negation. But that is not possible. Artificially, if you negate, "I shall not eat," you cannot continue it for very many days. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

So therefore the Māyāvādīs, they think that "Make me zero, void. Then there will be no pains and pleasure, no embarrassment." Their philosophy is like that. Impersonal, that is also the same thing. Or void. Voidism, the same thing. "Make it zero." Just like the foolish man, when one is embarrassed, he commits suicide. He commits suicide. He thinks, "If I end this body, then my embarrassment will be finished."

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

Because he has got bad experience of eating in sick condition, he thinks that eating in healthy condition is also the same. This is Māyāvāda. He has no experience what is healthy eating. Therefore his bad experience of this diseased condition, he wants to make it zero. He is thinking that "When my, this drinking of medicine and lying down will be zero, oh, that will be my real healthy condition." This is their philosophy.

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

But our position is transcendental, above. Karmīs ... Karmīs, they are on the material field. They are trying to enjoy on the material platform. Jñānīs, they are trying to make it varietyless, and the Buddhists, they are trying to make it zero. Our philosophy is substance. This is difference, substance, reality. Vāstava-vastu, real reality, not the false thing. So these people, the voidists and impersonalists, because they have no information of the Supreme Lord and His activities .

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

So try to engage yourself always in Kṛṣṇa's service, and māyā will not be able to touch you. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you engage your tongue for talking about Kṛṣṇa, to taste kṛṣṇa-prasādam, then there will be no scope of your tongue for being engaged in nonsense talking, for going to restaurant and take nonsense food. You may... The Māyāvādī philosophy is to stop by force, to make it zero. "My senses are giving me trouble. To... So put out, pluck out the eyeballs."

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

The impersonalists cannot understand. They're afraid of... As soon as they hear "love," "Oh, love? Here is love, frustrated. Then it is māyā. Then Kṛṣṇa's love is also māyā." Therefore they are called Māyāvādī. They are carrying this material idea to the spiritual idea. And when they cannot accommodate, they make it zero or impersonal. Śūnyavādi. That is their position. They cannot understand that these very things are existing in the spiritual world in a blissful way.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

So don't take this so-called material civilization has got any value. Reject it. You see? And be prepared for going back to home, back to Godhead. That should be aim. Don't be allured by these rascal leaders. And the another rascal, the Māyāvādī, they cannot believe all these things—"Make it zero." Śūnyavāda. They also do not like the modern ways of life, disgusted, but they have no adjustment, and therefore "Make it impersonal, zero, finished." Here is not zero. Here is substance.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

But I accepted You as my spiritual master. I know You can deliver me from this darkness of ignorance." So atha deva sammoham apākraṣṭum: "I am attached to this material world. That is illusion." Sammoham apākraṣṭum: "Now You dissipate this sammoham." So guru means repeatedly his business is to enlighten the disciple how to become detached to this material world. Simply detachment will not help you. The other philosophy, Śūnyavādi, that you make zero this material detachment... No. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

Their example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound: "bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud." And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled up, there is no, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and other..., they're only means. So when one is completely Brahman realized, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns. Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Māyāvāda theory is almost practically the same. They are saying, "Make it zero," and they are saying, "It is mithyā, false. Stop it."

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

So how to give up this material attachment and become attached to Kṛṣṇa, developing Kṛṣṇa attachment? The process is sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). That is... Sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam. We have got so many attachment for so many things in the material world, and if you simply... You cannot make it zero; that is not possible. You have to purify.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are afraid of having such relationship again. Because they have got bitter experience of this material world, they want to make it zero—no more relationship, no more son, no more daughter, no more lover, no more master. "Because we have got very bitter experience of these things, I am disgusted with these things. I will make it zero." But that is not the fact. The fact is that if you make the same relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it will never become zero; it will be enthusiastic more and more.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

The Buddha philosophy gives little hint only, nirvāṇa: "You just finish this colorful life." But it does not give further enlightenment. Simply it gives the hint that "You finish, nirvāṇa." Nirvāṇa means "Finish this colorful life. Become zero." He said zero, śūnyavādi. But actually, we cannot be zero. Because we are eternal, how we can be zero? We have to enter another colorful life. That is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. Simply if you make zero, that is not... That is little better, that you understand that this colorful life of material existence is not good. But what is your positive engagement? Unless you are positively engaged in another superior colorful life, you cannot give up this base colorful life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

So if you change your colorful life of this material existence and if you take to the colorful life... If you simply make zero, then it will not be fruitful, because we cannot become zero. It is not possible. People say that you become desireless. That is impossible. How we can become desireless? That is the life, to desire. The desire has to be purified. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

So this zero, void philosophy, when one becomes very much disgusted, they want to make it zero, finish everything. So this nirviśeṣa or zero is undeveloped stage. Just like a girl, unmarried girl, is undeveloped stage. But when she comes in contact with a puruṣa, then she develops with so many children. So that beginning of motherly life is called time. The time is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruṣa. Now, prakṛti herself cannot produce anything.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Honolulu, May 5, 1976:

Then, if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to follow the nivṛtti-mārga. Pravrtti is there, my inclination is there, but if you practice nivṛtti-mārga, then you overcome the cycle of birth and death, saṁsṛtiḥ. So this human form of life is meant for nivṛtti-mārga, not to indulge the sense gratification but minimize sense gratification as far as possible. Try to make it zero. Then that is called nivṛtti-mārga.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

So we are manufacturing so many religious system on these two platforms. One platform is how to enjoy to the fullest extent, and another platform is how to become zero, voidism. But actually, neither you are enjoyer, nor you are zero. Both of them are false. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that any religious system on the basis of this renunciation or enjoyment... When we take this material world as fact, that means we want to enjoy it. And when are frustrated then we want to make zero. So actually, it is neither zero, nor there is any cause of frustration. You have to simply to take to the right knowledge. The right knowledge is given in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

So this is the summarization of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that the path followed by pure devotees. Pure devotees means who has no material desire. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnya means zero, one who has made all material desires zero. That is the way. In the Buddha philosophy it is called nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means make zero, śūnyavādi. But we cannot remain in the śūnya. That is not possible. Śūnyavādī-nirvāṇa means to give up material desires. It is not possible to give up desires. That is not possible. To give up desires means I am dead body, a stone.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

Sometimes they commit suicide out of frustration, that "This desire is not fulfilled. Let me commit suicide." No. That is ignorance. Desires continue in the subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego. And to fulfill the desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you another body. If we make a desire, it must be fulfilled and Kṛṣṇa will give you facilities. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). Desire is so strong. So how to make it zero? That is not possible. To make it zero means no more material desire. That is to make zero material desires. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170).

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

They are so much atheistic that it was impossible for them to understand what is God, what is devotion. So therefore Lord Buddha propounded the philosophy, "Make all your nonsense activities zero, so much. First of all make zero, then positive we shall say." That is zero movement, śūnyavādī. At least, if a rascal children is always doing something nonsense, then first of all stop him. Make him zero.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

And the other movement, nirviśeṣa-vādī, are giving little hint, Śaṅkarācārya, Māyāvāda, that "Yes, this zero is not sufficient. There is positive." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. His movement was that "This material world is false; make it zero. But there is a positive thing which is Brahman." What is that Brahman, he did not disclose.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). You have to make zero all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam means zero. So zero, that is Buddhist philosophy to make zero, śūnyavādī, to make everything void. No. That cannot be. I cannot make my desires zero. That is not possible because I am living being.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

Suppose you are a gentleman, and if I say, "You are blind. You are lame. You are handless. You are armless. You have no head. You are...," will you be sat..., happy? Will anybody be happy? Similarly, those persons who are describing the Absolute Personality of Godhead, "He has no eyes..." In other words, he is blind. "He has no hand" mean armless. "He has no leg," then he is lame man. "He has no tongue." In this way it is the definition by negation, and after all, make it zero. If you cut my hand, leg, my head, my eyes, ears, then what I remain?

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1977:

So these bad habits, kāma krodha-kāma means lust; krodha means anger—so if they are also coming from God, then how we can neglect it? How we can reject it? So there is no need of rejecting. That is the Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's... You cannot reject. That is not possible. As you are a living being, there must be kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. You cannot reject it. You cannot make it zero. That is impersonalism. But it has its proper use. That you have to know.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

And if we hanker after temporary things, that is not very good intelligence. Therefore bhakti means when one is convinced that "Anything of this material world cannot make me happy." That is... That conviction is the beginning of pure devotion. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). You have to make zero everything material. That can be possible as we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa can see within our mind how much we are surrendered and how much we are after material enjoyment. Therefore the best thing is we have to make zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnyam means zero. Unless we make everything zero, simply Kṛṣṇa fact... Kṛṣṇa is only fact, and everything zero. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything zero.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 27, 1972:

Bed pan. He's thinking like that. He has no idea there is better activities, better sleeping, better eating. That he cannot understand. Therefore śūnyavādi. They want to make zero. "These activities are giving me so much trouble. Make it zero." Just like sometimes one cannot tolerate the pains of diseased condition. Sometimes they commit suicide—stop these activities. So the śūnyavādi, they are like that—committing suicide; stop these activities.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Because on account of this combination of matter, earth, water, fire, air, ether, this body's made, and the body is subjected to pains and pleasure on account of this mixture. So Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this mixture. Let earth go to the earth portion and water portion to the water portion. Then there is no existence of the body, and there is no pains and pleasure. Make it zero. This is called śūnyavādī.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

Variety is the mother of enjoyment. Without variety, you cannot feel enjoyment. That is not possible. Suppose if I simply give you a lump of flour. Will you enjoy? But the same flour, you make kacoris, luci, puri, and this and... Oh, you'll enjoy. The ingredient is the same, but when it variety, it is enjoyable. Similarly, spiritual varieties... The impersonalists, they being fed up with this material varieties, they want to make it zero. But that will not help us. In zero we cannot be happy, because we are by nature, we want to enjoy.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

Unless the loving propensity is there in the Supreme, how it can be reflected? Because this is perverted reflection only, so there must be the origin. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand this. Because they have got bitter experience of this material world, they try to make zero or without any varieties the ultimate goal. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

The Buddhist philosopher, they say, "Ultimately, everything is zero." And the Māyāvādī philosopher says not zero, but impersonal. But actually that is not fact. There is everything, variety and personal. But because the philosophers with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand, they make it zero or varietyless, nirviśeṣavāda. That, to clean, that to clear the idea, our Kavirāja Gosvāmī says that this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa prema, loving affairs between Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, it is a fact. It is not imagination. It is a fact. But this fact is different from the fact we have got experience in this world. That is to be understood.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

You practically see that all over the world, these boys, how they're advancing simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So this is fact. It is not imagination. How they're advancing, how they're becoming... Now, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, to make zero (CC Madhya 19.170). They've made everything zero. They don't consider that Americans. Yes. They don't consider that "I am this body. I have to eat flesh, meat and wine; therefore my body will be maintained." They never think like that. This is mukti.

General Lectures

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

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it is activities of liberated stage. Everyone is trying to get liberation from these material pangs, every philosophy. Buddha philosophy, they are also trying-nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means extinguish this. So they want to make void. All these material varieties, they want to make it zero. That is Buddha philosophy. Māyāvāda philosophy is more or less like that. It is a second edition of Buddha philosophy. Zero, but that zero is without life.

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

Sometimes they say like that: "Give me some poison, kill me. I cannot tolerate." A physician says, "Yes, there is no need of killing. I shall give you good, healthy life." He's so much impatient, "No. I cannot tolerate. Please kill me." So this Buddha philosophy, Māyāvāda philosophy is like that. Kill him "Kill me, please. Make me zero, void." So much frustration. So much disturbance that they want to make it zero. But our philosophy is life, real life.

Public Lecture -- Konigstein, Germany, June 19, 1974:

Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, how does one develop his desire, then, to get out of this body?

Prabhupāda: No desire. No material desire. Simply think of how to push on this movement. That desire and no other desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). No material desire. Śūnyam. Make zero all material desires. Simply desire, "How shall I push on? How shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? How shall I decorate this?" Therefore we have given so many engagements, to divert the desire. Desire cannot be stopped.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: Because he does not get any information of the soul, he takes account of the body. Analyze the body and it is composition of earth, water, air, fire, like that. So when it is dismantled, then where is pains and pleasure? That is his philosophy, śūnyavāda, make it zero.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: Then he is able to really mold his nature.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But he is dismissing. Being confused and disappointed, he is dismissing the whole case, that "There is nothing. Make it zero." That is poor fund of knowledge.

Śyāmasundara: He says that as we make our life continually, but it all ends at death. Everything is finished.

Prabhupāda: Death means change, another body. But the active principle on which the body is standing, he does not die. The changing is accepted as death, changing.

Page Title:Make it zero (Lectures)
Compiler:Labangalatika, ChandrasekharaAcarya, Alakananda
Created:17 of Feb, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=46, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:46