No education (Lectures, SB)

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "no education" or "not educated" or "no * education" or "not * educated" or "not * * educated" or "no * * education"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

The human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. That is the distinction between human form of life and animal form of life. The animals are not interested, or they do not know what is spiritual life. But the human form of life with developed consciousness is meant for understanding our identification. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about our spiritual identity. That is real business. So in that line of thought we are manda. Manda means very slow. "All right. We shall take it later on. Now I have got strength. Let me enjoy senses. Then we shall see later on." That is called manda. Not serious.

But spiritual life is essential, it is very serious subject matter, that I am covered by this material body, and I am changing one after another. And I do not know what the next change is going to happen, either cat or dog or tree. We are not at all interested. You see? There is no such education in the university, the transmigration of the soul, the eternity of the soul, what is the aim of life. Therefore, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Sumanda-mati. Their philosophy is still more bad. You see? They are simply thinking on the bodily concept of life. Asses' philosophy, dogs' philosophy, frogs' philosophy. This is going on. And they are passing on as philosopher. Frog philosophy we have discussed in our Back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

In India there is regular seasons also. Not like this country that during summer the nights begin at half past ten and in the winter the morning begins at half past ten. Here. But in India regularly the sun rises in the morning round about five, regularly. Either in the winter season or in the summer season. Round about five. Maybe half an hour, one hour difference. Not one hour, half an hour. So the Indian public still, even they are not very educated, because the culture is there in, especially, in the villages, they rise early in the morning and take bath. They go to the field for easing themselves, and after doing that, they take bath either in the river or in the well. In the villages there is no tap water. And by nature, in the morning either the river or the well water is very warm. The... With the advance of day it becomes cooler.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

The first qualification is short span of life, short span of life. As I repeatedly say, now in our India the average age, span of life, is thirty years. The vitality is so reduced. In this country also the vitality is being reduced, strength is being reduced. The more the Kali-yuga will advance the vitality will be reduced, the strength of the.... Therefore the span of life will be reduced. So much so that at the end, almost end, people will live not more than thirty years. Now we are seeing they are living seventy years, eighty years, or sometimes up to ninety years but gradually.... (tape is severely garbled with another recording) ...to thirty years he will be considered as a very old man. You see? Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin kalau. Their first qualification is their life is very short, short span of life. Then the next, mandāḥ, lazy. They do not know, ill-educated. They do not know what is the aim of life. Mandāḥ or slow. Sumanda-matayo, and if one is really, not really, but superficially so-called spiritually they will capture some baba, some god, some yogi, some bluffer, and they will follow them.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

So that is stated here that love of Godhead, not for any purpose. Without any purpose. Ahaituky apratihatā... Apratihatā means without being hampered by any reason. "Oh, I cannot love Kṛṣṇa because I am very poor man." Or "I cannot love Kṛṣṇa because I have no education, I cannot study Vedānta." No. To love Kṛṣṇa, you don't require any material acquisition. No material acquisition will help. So if somebody says, "Oh, I have to bring fruit and flower at least, and incense to the temple, otherwise..." Yes. That is the sign of love. The sign of love is six, six. They are six in number. What is that? You give something to your lover, and you accept something from your lover. If you simply go on giving your lover, and if you don't..., your lover does not give you something, then there is no love. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. Everything is defined in the Vedic literature. Love means one should give and should accept also. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate. One should give the lover eatables and accept eatables from him or her. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca... You should not keep anything secret within your mind, and the lover should not keep anything secret within the mind. If these six kinds of exchanges are there, then there is love. And that love should be without any reason and without being stopped by any material cause.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

So I shall be inclined to ask You again. Just like my father had so many opulences. So kindly do not induce me in that way. I am not a merchant that because I have rendered some service unto You, I expect some return. No. Sa vai vaṇik. It is not business with You. I am your eternal servant." Oh, just see. This is pure devotee. Ahaitukī. No reason. "It is my duty." That is occupational duty. "It is my eternal occupation to serve You." These are the highest ideas of pure devotion. Ahaituky apratihatā. Then "You are poor man. How you can serve Me?" No. "You are illiterate. You have no education. How can you serve Me? You cannot understand Vedānta philosophy. How you can know Me? How you can serve Me? You are poor man. You are poor man, you are woman, or you are śūdra." No. Apratihatā. Whatever you may be, either you are poor man or rich man or black man or white man or woman or man, it doesn't matter. Everyone has right to serve Kṛṣṇa. Apratihatā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Generally we go to temple, to church, or to mosque, anywhere, the place of worship, "O God give us our daily bread." There is a motive. Similarly, others also, they go to the temple, "O God, I am in need of money, I am distressed, kindly mitigate my distress, give me some money." There is motive. But here it is said ahaitukī, without any motive. If you can love God who is beyond your sense perception and without any motive, that activities of love will never be stopped. Ahaituky apratihatā—without being impeded. Without being impeded by any material condition. That means that if you actually love God, there is no condition. Because you are poor man you cannot love God, that is not the fact. Or because you are rich man you cannot love God, no, that is also not fact. Because you are not educated you cannot love God, that is also not acceptable. Because you are very much educated, highly philosophical... So many conditions you can bring but all these conditions are not applicable in the business, in the transaction, of loving God without motive. So this is the description of love of Godhead and if we practically try to cultivate this knowledge of Godhead, that is called, that process is called bhakti. That process is called bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

There was a great meeting and..., meeting means... In those days, there was no political meeting. Political meeting was not necessary because there was no democracy. It was monarchy. The kings, they were so trained up that there was no necessity of democracy. Actually, the modern government, democracy... We are experiencing, especially the great democratic country, America. So the democracy, the president elected by popular vote, is now being condemned. So what is the value of this democracy? You elect somebody by your vote, again condemn. That means the electors, the voters, have also no experience, and neither the man who is voted, he is also very good man. Otherwise, why you should change your opinion once you have elected a person to act as your head executive? So the democracy has proved a farce. It has no meaning, because people are not educated. People are mostly śūdras. There must be four classes of men. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, first class, second class, third class, fourth class. So at the present moment there is no first-class men, neither second-class men. All third class, fourth class. All of them. So on the votes of third-class and fourth-class men, how you can expect good government? That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

Prabhupāda: So a person who has got real education, he cannot be ridiculous. No, why you are saying that?

Indian man (2): It can be explained by ridiculous.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Don't say anything which is contradictory. Education does not mean ridiculous. That means he is not educated.

Indian man (2): I have not said that education is ridiculous. I said that one who has got good education from a teacher...

Prabhupāda: So he cannot act ridiculously. If he acts ridiculously, then he has not good education.

Indian man (2): So if I have well understood...

Prabhupāda: You have not well understood. You say a person who has got education, still, he acts ridiculously. That means you have no knowledge what is education.

Indian man (2): I shall explain myself well, but if you wish to be...

Prabhupāda: So if you cannot explain yourself, how can I continue to hear you?

Indian man (2): If you have got one minute more patience I will explain how.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

Indian man (2): If you have got one minute more patience I will explain how.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. If you speak ridiculously, how can I hear you? You say that one man has got education and he acts ridiculously. This is... Your statement is ridiculous.

Indian man (2): I said if a man who has good education...

Prabhupāda: No, no. He has no good education. You cannot say that. If he acts ridiculously, that, he has no good education.

Indian man (2): Well, let me put it another way. In the Bhagavad-gītā is there a passage, is there a chapter where Arjuna says, "I have heard all Your teachings. Now I have understood the truth," or not?

Prabhupāda: So you have to hear and you have to understand; then you can speak. Otherwise you will speak ridiculously.

Indian man (2): No. Arjuna has said that he has heard God Himself speak to him and that he has understood the truth and that we are all, as you have said, a little bit of a finger in a body and the finger must serve the body.

Prabhupāda: So you have to approach such person who has heard God, just like Arjuna.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

The soul is migrating, transmigrating. There are 8,400,000 species of bodies; and you are transmigrating from one to another, another, another, in this way. They don't care for it. Even if you are Hindu... (break) ...he is informed, that if you are acting like this you are going to be a tree next life, "Oh, it doesn't matter, let me enjoy." You see. They say frankly, "If I become tree what is the harm? I shall forget." The people have become so rubbish that they have lost their self-interest. Just like if you say to a child that "You are always playing, you are not going to school, you are not becoming educated, you will suffer in your future life, you will have no position in the society." But if he says, "I do not care..." He may say that, but the risk is there. Similarly the modern human being, you inform him about the transmigration of the soul, and by his activities he is supposed to become next life very low grade animal, or aquatics, or reptiles. So if they are informed, if they do not care, that is not very good intelligence. This is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So everyone can serve Kṛṣṇa. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. Either with your life, either with your money, either with your intelligence, either with your, with your words. You can serve Kṛṣṇa. Any way. Kṛṣṇa service is not checked. Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked. In any condition of life you can serve Kṛṣṇa. The first thing is that if you can dedicate your life, that is very good. Just like you have done. You have dedicated your life for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is first class, prāṇaiḥ. If you cannot dedicate your life immediately, then spend fifty percent of your income for Kṛṣṇa. Prāṇair arthaiḥ. If you think you have no money, then prāṇair arthair dhiyā, by your intelligence. If you have got some knowledge, write some books and spread it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you have no education, no money and you cannot dedicate your life, then you can spend your vacana. Vācā. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. What is the vācā? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and tell everyone, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Where is the difficulty? You can serve Kṛṣṇa in any condition of life. But don't be miser.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

Parataḥ means by instruction or superior persons. Parataḥ. Svataḥ, by reading himself. Mitho 'bhipadyeta, or holding big, big meeting. They cannot understand. Why? Because gṛha-vrata. Gṛha-vratānām. What is the business of gṛha-vrata? Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). By being unable to control the senses, creating another body. Another body, the sense gratification. Either as god or demigod or as dog or as hog or as human being, as tree or insect. The business is āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaḥ. The same thing he is doing. He does not know the real business is how to get out of this entanglement of pavarga, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. He does not know. There is no science, there is no education. There is only education in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore you have to, if you want to save the world, if you want to save the human civilization, you have to make to this proposition of Bhagavad-gītā, learn it scientifically, and make your life successful.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

So people have no education, unfortunately, that the spirit soul is permanent. It is changing different types of body in order to suffer different types of miserable condition of life. They're thinking, easy-going... "I have got now very nice body, eating, sleeping mating and..." That is the business of the hogs and dogs. That is not the business of human being. Human being must be serious to understand the value of life and prepare himself for the next life. The next life, if you go back to Kṛṣṇa... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Kṛṣṇa says, "You can go back to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa comes here. He takes His incarnation here to canvass, "My dear sons, please come back home. Why you are suffering here?" Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa canvasses. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "Why you have created so many rascaldom, politics and economics and this and that, So many things are encumbered. Please come to Me. You'll be happy." This is the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. He comes. He shows His vṛndāvana-līlā, that "You can dance also with Me. You can play with Me just like cowherds boy. And I shall give you protection. There are so many demons. They're coming to attack us. But I'll give you protection." Jolly life. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

The process will be explained in the next verses very nicely, but the main principle is to hear. To hear and... That is also natural. If we are pure, then we shall be naturally inclined to hear. Just like child. He is not taught, he is not educated, he has no knowledge, but he is also trying to hear. He's trying to get up and join us. It is natural. Because in everyone's heart that kṛṣṇa-bhakti, or devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, is there. But it has been covered by material dirty things. So this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse that dirty things. The more you chant, more you hear, then the dirty things on the heart will be cleansed. And plus, if you engage yourself to carry out the orders, to satisfy a pure devotee... Syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ, puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt... Puṇya, pious. These are pious activities. Tīrtha, tīrtha, a saintly person is called tīrtha. And niṣevaṇāt. In other places also, the same thing is... Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Mahat-sevām, serving the pure devotee, is the path of liberation. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if we become too much sexually inclined, then it is the path of darkness. Two paths are there. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Not only to become personally very much sexually inclined, if you associate with a person who is sexually inclined, then you will fall down in the hell. Yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972:

We cannot do that? Is that very difficult thing? If we hear patiently, with a little attention, and hear Kṛṣṇa's words, what Kṛṣṇa is saying in the Bhagavad-gītā or what is spoken about Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply if we hear. We don't require any qualification, any education, any Ph.D., M.S.T, this, that. No. Simply Kṛṣṇa has given you the ears. So you can hear. What is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is so kind, If you simply become a little inclined to hear about Him... If you hear and do not understand what Kṛṣṇa is speaking and what is spoken about Kṛṣṇa, you do not understand... Suppose you have no education, you do not understand Sanskrit or even English translation. Still, simply by hearing, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17), by simply hearing, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Puṇya means pious. We are all sinful. Life after life, we have committed sins, and this body is the evidence that we are sinful, this material body. It may be degrees different, but anyone who has got a material body, he is sinful. So every one of us is sinful, but simply by hearing...

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

This is the process. Nityam, daily. Or twenty-four hours. By studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or associating with devotees, bhāgavata-sevayā... Bhakti, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavaty uttama-śloke, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, devotional service becomes strong and fixed up. Simply by this process, hearing. There is no necessity of education or Ph.D. degree. Simply God has given you these ears and you hear, śṛṇvatām. Hear about Kṛṣṇa from realized soul. This process will make you to be situated on the platform of goodness, and as soon as you are promoted to the platform of goodness, that means you have already surpassed the other two platforms—means ignorance—and the symptom will be... That is clear here. The symptom is that the two things, lust and greediness, will not disturb you. You haven't got to take certificate from anyone, "Just give me certificate that I have become a Kṛṣṇa conscious." You take your certificate yourself, see yourself, whether you are free from lust and greediness. That's the certificate. If you are confident that "I am free from lust and greediness," then I am making progress. Otherwise, (chuckles) I am again in the same, no progress. This is test.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

So there is no question that a devotee will remain in darkness. Sometimes it is argued that mostly devotees are not very much educated. It doesn't matter. This external, academic education has no value for spiritual advancement. So here it is said, ahaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvasthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone, and if every, anyone is purified, Kṛṣṇa takes charge and He instructs. And who can be greater instructor than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore it is wrong theory that devotees are ignorant. They're full of knowledge. If one is actually a devotee, there is no lack of knowledge. That's a fact. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

You must know perfectly well what is Kṛṣṇa. So that is also possible by devotional service. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). "If one wants to understand Me perfectly..." Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood perfectly, but still, just to drive away our doubts... Because we have got so many doubts. So that doubts can be also dissipated bhaktyā, by bhakti.

How? Why not by knowledge? Because there are three ways: karma, jñāna, bhakti. By knowledge, scientific knowledge, Kṛṣṇa cannot be known. Why bhakti? Why Kṛṣṇa is prescribing bhakti? No. By knowledge, so-called knowledge, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the so-called scientists, they are in doubts. It is not possible. If you think that "I shall speculate. Through knowledge, I shall understand God," that is not possible. Because God is unlimited; your knowledge is limited. How you can know God? How the bhaktas—they are not scientists, not educated very much—how they can know? Yes, they can know.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

There are two ways. Our life, they are going in two ways. One way is liberation, and the other way is bondage. Just like you have seen the reel. The reel is rolling. One way it is rolling to roll the thread, and another it is giving way to the thread. Similarly, we can lead in two ways, our life, either towards liberation or towards darkness of bondage. This, our human life, by gradual evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. Now we can move it two ways, either towards liberation or towards bondage. We do not know, modern education. There is no such information what is called bondage and what is called liberation. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. There is no such education, that students may understand what is Viṣṇu, what is God, what he is, what is his relationship with God, Viṣṇu. These things are unknown to the modern educationist.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So at the present moment, the whole civilization is a set of rascals only. That's all. There is no education. They do not know. And because they do not know, Kṛṣṇa comes. Just to make these rascals, to inform that "I am," Kṛṣṇa says, "I am," aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Canvassing. Canvassing, "My dear sons, why you are rotting in this material world? Please come. You are My beloved son. I do not tolerate, or I do not, I cannot see that you are suffering." This is Kṛṣṇa's business. He's more kind. He's more anxious to get us back. Therefore He comes personally. Therefore He comes personally. Then again, when we mistake Him... Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The rascals, they thought, "Oh, why He's demanding so much? Why He's demanding so much? This is sophistry. Why shall I surrender to You?" That is our position. Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender. I take charge of you." Mā śucaḥ, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. "I shall give you relief from all difficulties."

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

So sātvata-tantra means books or literature of devotional service. In the Vedas there are different departments, they are divided into three parts-karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. Therefore the other name of the Vedas is trayī. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā: (SB 1.4.25) for women, for śūdras and for dvija-bandhus, sons of the higher class but not properly educated. Bandhu means friend, a man born by a brāhmaṇa father, but he is not qualified as a brāhmaṇa. He will be called a dvija-bandhu, not dvija. Dvija means twice-born; actually he is twice-born. The birds are also called twice-born: one birth is the egg, and the other birth is from the egg, closed. Similarly every human being is born śūdra, without any knowledge. Either he is born by the brāhmaṇa father or a śūdra father, he is born a śūdra, because there is no knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.3.22 -- Los Angeles, September 27, 1972:

We are reading so many avatāras. The activity of that particular avatāra is also mentioned, that "This avatāra will, incarnation will appear accepting such and such person as father and mother, and His activities will be like this." So how any rascal can come out and say, "I am the avatāra, I am the incarnation"? So that some other rascals may believe, but those who have sense, they will not accept. Here it is clearly mentioned, Lord Rāmacandra. He appeared just like ordinary human being. Nara-devatvam āpannaḥ, accepted. There were many other kings as good as Lord Rāmacandra, but why people are after Rāmacandra? Because He is God. Unfortunately, there are so many rascals. They pose themselves as incarnation of Rāma, incarna..., Kṛṣṇa. And people are all foolish śūdras, no education, no knowledge, and they are accepting.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

Therefore if we want to please Kṛṣṇa, we have to take this risk. Kṛṣṇa, guru. My spiritual master took this risk, preaching work, and he inspired us also to do that preaching work. And we are also imploring you to take this preaching work. So this preaching work, however, I mean to say, I mean to say, poorly we do... Poorly—it is not poor, but suppose I am not very much educated. Just like this boy. If I send him for preaching work, he is not very educated now. He's not a philosopher. He's not a scholar. But he can also preach. He can also preach. Because our preaching is not very difficult thing. If we go from door to door and simply request people, "My dear sir, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And if he's little advanced, "Please try to read Teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is very nice. You'll be benefited." These three four words will make you a preacher. Is it very difficult task? (chuckles) You may not be very learned, very good scholar, very good philosopher. You simply say... Go and door to door: "My dear sir, you are very learned man. For the time being, you stop your learning. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body, dehī, who possesses this body. But there is no information. Nobody knows. There is no education on this point: what is that proprietor of this body. They are simply going on, like cats and dogs. Cats and... If you try to instruct a cat or dog, "My dear dog, you are not these bodies," he'll not understand. He is so grossly in ignorance, it is very difficult for him to understand that he is not this body. But human being, although at the present moment they are grossly ignorant for want of spiritual education, still, because he is human being, he can be educated. He can be revived to his original consciousness, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

So this Nārada Muni's history is very interesting, that he was not educated, a boy, and not coming from cultured family—maidservant's son. The only qualification was that nirūpito bālaka eva yoginām. He was engaged as a boy servant to the yogis. So how he got this opportunity? That is here: śuśrūṣaṇe. Śuśrūṣaṇe means in service; prāvṛṣi, during the rainy season. Because saintly persons, mendicants, sannyāsīs, their business is to travel. Travel. When, of course, something established, then a sannyāsī can rest, paramahaṁsa stage. When there are many disciples, workers, it is going on, then he can take rest. Otherwise it is the business of the sannyāsī to travel.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

So Nārada Muni, he was a small boy. It was not possible for him to study Vedānta or philosophy. He was not even educated. But still, simply by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by the devotees, dvijaiḥ, he became so exalted. The explanation is given there that evaṁ pravṛttasya viśuddha-cetasaḥ. "Because I was engaged in this service, gradually my heart became cleansed." Viśuddha-cetasaḥ. Cetasaḥ means heart. So actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. As it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa... Just like father and son. However there may be misunderstanding, but if the father and son come together and their affectionate dealing is begun, immediately original relationship is revived. It does not take much time. Similarly, we are already related with Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All living entities, they are My part and parcel." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father." So how this relation can be broken? That is not possible. That is already there eternally.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

There is spiritual body. That we do not know. There is no education. We have got spiritual body. That spiritual body is covered by this material layer. Just like your body is covered by shirt and coat, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Everything explained. We are simply giving up. One dress is now old and rotten; we throw it away and accept another dress. Similarly, this body, when it is not workable—it is old enough; the physiological function is not going on nicely—then there is change of body. Arjuna was advised that "Why you are lamenting for your old grandfather? Better kill him. He will get a new body. He will get a new body." Of course, it was spoken jokingly because grandfather... So, but the fact is that. Fact is that, that the, after the old body... Just like we have got several types of body: babyhood to childhood, child to boyhood, youth-hood, old body. Then after this, he is... Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). When we give up this body as dress, old and rotten, we get another. This is going on. But this is anartha. Anartha means unnecessarily we are undergoing this change of body.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:

So everyone should be prepared, everyone should understand Bhagavad-gītā. Of course, it is not possible for everyone to go. Still, if one understands... That is also Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). He says everyone of you become a guru. How can I become guru? I am not very learned scholar, I have no education. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says no. Even though you are not very much educated or not born of a very high family, you simply, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That's all. You become a guru. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Don't adulterate it, but as Kṛṣṇa says, you say. You become guru. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... So I have tried that. I have tried to follow the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, and I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. There is no magic, there is no jugglery and people are taking. If you do that everyone will be happy, the world will be happy and India's glory will be spread all over the world.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the next ācārya, but one has to learn from the original ācārya. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So unless we come to the paramparā system, ācārya after ācārya, there is no right education. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's private secretary, personal secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he advised, bhāgavat para giya bhāgavat sthāne. If you want to learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you go to a person whose life is Bhāgavatam. Grantha bhāgavata and person bhāgavata—both of them bhāgavatas. So bhāgavat para giya bhāgavat sthane. One whose life is Bhāgavatam and nothing else, you should learn Bhāgavatam from him, not from the professional person who are earning livelihood by reading or reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That will not be effective. You have to find out like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Then this study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will be effective.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

This is not a very good policy. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "No. Immediately." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Therefore the children, those who are actually dhīra, Vaiṣṇava, they should give education to the children. What education? Not this so-called technical education or smoking education, drinking education and so many rascal education. This is not education. Education means bhāgavata education: to understand God. That is wanted. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Education should be given in such a way that the student should be very, very inquisitive. Inquisitive what about? Inquisitive about Brahman, not about this body. The body is matter, and the spirit soul is Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is human life. One should be inquisitive to know about spiritual life, what is spirit soul. That is the first education. But where is that education? There is no such education. Prahlāda Mahārāja teaches that immediately, from the beginning of life, as soon as one is four or five years old, he should be educated about Brahman. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Beginning. That is wanted. And for him there is need of guru. One who is inquisitive or serious about inquiring about Brahman, he requires guru. Guru is not a fashion. Guru is necessity.

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

We have seen one very practical example. Even fifty years ago, in Calcutta there was a very big barrister. He was a political leader. He was Mr. C.R. Das. So his father died insolvent. His father was also very respectable man, but later on he became so much debtor that he died insolvent. Declared... This Mr. C. R. Das, he did not get any property from the father, but by his practice as a barrister he became very rich man. In those days his monthly income was fifty thousand rupees. So he called all the creditors of his father and paid paisa to paisa, that "My father died in debtor. Now I have got money, you can take." So this is the duty of the son. But if one is poor man, he cannot pay. So he becomes a subject matter of criticism. Under the circumstances the father becomes the enemy. So therefore the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's enunciation, ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ. And mātā śatrur vyabhicāriṇī. And if the mother, either she becomes prostitute or marries for the second time in the presence of elderly children, she is enemy. Ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatrur mātā śatrur vyabhicāriṇī. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita had very bad experience with his wife. So he says, rūpavatī bhāryā śatruḥ: "If the wife is very beautiful, she is enemy." And putraḥ śatrur apaṇḍitaḥ: "And if the son is a rascal, no education, he is enemy." So these are the family enemies.

Lecture on SB 1.7.49-50 -- Vrndavana, October 7, 1976:

Unless God has got inconceivable energy, He's not God. This has been discussed by Jīva Gosvāmī. If you do not accept inconceivable energy of God, then there is no God. This is inconceivable. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. This is God. How it happens, how it is possible, if you understand properly, then you become liberated simply by understanding this, that Bhagavān, why He shall not appear as the son? Why you shall restrict? God is not under your restriction. That is God. If He becomes under your rules and regulation, then He's not God. That is inconceivable. How ajo 'pi, although unborn, how He takes birth. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi. Bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. He's the Supreme Controller, but He likes to be controlled by Mother Yaśodā. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. He controls everyone, but why He accepts one lady, innocent lady, not very educated, not Vedantist, a village lady, interested in churning curd and butter. Not Vedantist. And He has become just like a very affectionate son of this village lady. "Mother, let me suck your breast."

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

Therefore śāstra says that the Māyāvādīs, rascals, they should not become guru because they do not know how to purify the disciple. The Māyāvādī rascals, they do not know. They think after changing this body, one becomes purified. No. Therefore śāstra says that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A person, vipra, brāhmaṇa, he is expert in six kinds of brahminical business, ṣaṭ-karma. Ṣaṭ means six, and karma means activities. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. Nipuṇa. Nipuṇa, very expert. He knows all the brahminical activities. What is that? Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. He knows, he is educated. Brāhmaṇa means paṇḍita. He's personally educated, and he educates others. That is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa does not keep himself educated. That education, that means he is brāhmaṇa, he makes others also brāhmaṇa. That is brāhmaṇa, not that "I remain brāhmaṇa. I remain Vaiṣṇava, and others may suffer." No. Paṭhana-pāṭhana. He must educate others. That is the business of brāhmaṇa. Para-duḥkha-duhkhī. That is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means who is unhappy by seeing other's unhappy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:

So ataḥ gṛha. As soon as a man and woman or a male-female, either bird, beast or human being or demigods, everyone... Then he requires home, gṛha, then land to produce food, gṛha-kṣetra, then children. Gṛha-kṣetra. Because when a man is married, the social life, if he has no children, that is means vacant home. Putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyam: "One who is not educated, his life is zero." Avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyam. And diśaḥ śūnyā abāndhavāḥ: "And if you want to go to some foreign place, if that place is not a holy place..." Because according to Vedic system, they go on touring to see holy places, tīrtha-sthāna, or to a friend's house. "So if you are going to some foreign countries, if there is no friend and no devatā, then it is useless." Diśaḥ śūnyā abāndhavāḥ. Or putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: "You are married, but you have no children. That is also vacant, zero." Putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam. Sarva-śūnyā daridratā: "But if you are poor, then everything is zero." Your vidyā is zero. Your home is zero. And your friend is zero because nobody will care you.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He is so omnipotent that He can see from anywhere and everywhere what you are doing, what you are willing, what you want to do. You cannot conceal. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, daiva-netreṇa. You can bluff the material police, but you cannot bluff Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. If you are doing anything wrong, then it is being seen by the Supreme Personality. Samaṁ carantam. He's everywhere. Therefore those who are God conscious, as theists... That is the Indian culture. They think, "I am doing this nonsense. Kṛṣṇa, God, will see it." Even a... Even in ordinary person who has no education, still, he will admit, uparala dekhega(?): "God will see." That's a fact. That's a fact. So if everyone is God conscious, that "God is everywhere," then how he can act sinfully? It is not possible. If he is God conscious, if he knows that "God is everywhere, and He will see if I do something sinful by bluffing others..."

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Mayapura, October 16, 1974:

So the life in this material world is not very easy-going. Therefore this very word is used, bhave 'smin, bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām. Everyone is working very, very hard. But they do not know what is the aim. Why they are working so hard, that they do not know. Generally, as I have already explained, that a man works very hard to get some money, some good bank balance, so that in old age he can live very peacefully, without any disturbance. Of course, that is not possible because at that time he may have money, but he is full of anxieties. A family man, old man, is always cintā-magna, cintā-magna, as "This boy is not well-situated. That boy has not educated... His education is not yet finished. And that girl has lost his husband. Husbands are rejected." Where is the peace? There cannot be peace. Kliśyanti. Again he tries to adjust that boy, that girl, that grandchildren, that..., going on. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya, he has said, bālas tāvat kriyāsaktaḥ.(?) The children, they are very working hard for playing. They're also getting perspiration, but they are taking pleasure in jumping and this way and that way.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

So how they would grow healthy because they go outside and play and work and very happily, they enjoy the company. So there is no question of becoming contaminated. Yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī. Yāmuna-tīra, on the bank of the Yamunā... Just like we go to the seaside, the beach, similarly, there is bank of Yamunā, very nice river, and there are trees. So these boys, Kṛṣṇa and His friends, with their cows they will go and loiter on the bank of the Yamunā and sport and frivolities, everything, so nicely. So there was no question of education at that time. After the child is grown up, healthy, nice, then he goes to school. Otherwise first of all eat sumptuously milk, butter and yogurt, and play sufficiently in open air with friends, take care of the cows. This is labor. But it is sporting, very nice. So these things were taught by Kṛṣṇa Himself, although He was the son of king. Then when He was also grown-up, His real father took Him charge, Vasudeva. Then He was... As kṣatriya... He belonged to the kṣatriya family. All other education was given, how to fight, how to rule, everything.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

So whenever a medical practitioner gives you a prescription along with his name, he gives his title, M.D., B.S. and registered number. That means he is approved. Then he can practice. This is common sense affairs in the every state, a lawyer is given certificate by the government. Then he is allowed. Similarly, it is the duty of the state or of the monarch to see that one who is claiming as a brāhmaṇa, whether he is qualified, whether he is acting as a brāhmaṇa. Similarly, a man claiming kṣatriya, whether he is qualified as a kṣatriya and he is acting as a kṣatriya. Similarly, the vaiśya. And śūdra is general. Śūdra means one who has no education, no culture. That is called śūdra. So that is the remnants. First of all, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas, and others, those who have no sufficient brain, they are counted as śūdra. Still, śūdras have also prescribed duties. If there are others, those who are less than śūdras, or even the śūdra qualities are wanting, they are doing anything and everything without any control, they are called mleccha-yavana. Mleccha-yavana. This is the pañcama, fifth-grade. First grade, brāhmaṇa; second grade, kṣatriya; third grade, vaiśyas; fourth grade, śūdras; and all others, rejected, fifth grade, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍāla.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

So this is the instance, that we may be very powerful so long Kṛṣṇa keeps us powerful. We are not independently powerful, even in the case of Arjuna. We are very much proud of our janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). The material world, everyone is very much proud of his birth, riches, education and beauty. Beauty. These four things are obtained as result of pious activities. And as a result of impious activities, the opposite number. Not birth in a very nice family or nation, no wealth, poverty, no education and no beauty. But one should know that these assets, material assets... Just like you American people. You have got nice assets. You are born of a very respectful nation-American nations are still honored all over the world. So that's a good opportunity for you, janma. You are born in... Every American is... In comparison to India, every American is rich man, because any ordinary man earns here at least four thousand, five thousand rupees. And in India, even the high-court judge, he cannot earn so. Utmost four thousand. So you should be conscious that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you have got all these things. There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful, everything. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ. But if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you misuse these assets, then again punar mūṣiko bhava.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

So everyone's duty is to stop this birth and death problem by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the only duty. And this should be taught from the very beginning of life. Just like these pious children, those who are dancing here, taking part in this meeting. You see? And one side you can see that this is the only path of Kṛṣṇa realization that even a child can take part in it. He has no education, he has no knowledge, but the method is so nice that they can also take part. They can enjoy with their father and mother. There is no other yoga system... There are many yoga system, but this bhakti-yoga system is so perfect that the great-grandfather of the child and the child himself—anyone can take part in it. That is practical. They are dancing here. Sometimes they are chanting. These things are going to their credit of spiritual advancement. The Deity worship is introduced for the general public, that anyone who will come, who will see the Deity, who will chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance little or play the karatāla, some way or other, if somebody is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that will be credited to his account. "Yes. This living entity has advanced so much." Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even you do very little of this process of bhakti-yoga, it can save you from the greatest danger of life. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

That education begins in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning: dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehī means the possessor of the deha is within the body, not the body is the person. But no education. Throughout the whole scientific world, university education, there is no concern that "I am not this body; I am soul." Such a foolish, rascal civilization is going on in the name of advancement. No protection for woman, no protection of children, no respect for brahminical culture. So it is the animal civilization. Polished animal, that's all. Otherwise it is not civili... That is Vedic culture.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhava. Parābhava means defeat. Tāvat, "so long." All activities of the materialistic person are simply defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha. Abodha means fools, rascals, ignorant, born foolish rascals, ignorant. We are all born foolish. So if we are not properly educated, then we remain fools and rascals, and the activities of fools and rascals, this is simply waste of time. Because... What is called? Busy rascals, busy rascal. If a rascal is busy, that means he's simply spoiling the energy. Just like monkey. Monkey is very busy. Of course, according to Mr. Darwin, they are coming from monkey. So monkey's business is simply waste of time. He's very busy. You'll find always busy. So the busy fool is dangerous. There are four classes of men: lazy intelligent, busy intelligent, lazy fool and busy fool. (laughter) So first-class man is lazy intelligent. Just like you'll see the high-court judges. They're very lazy and most intelligent.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

So āmiṣa. Āmiṣa means these things. Sevā, eating. And vyavāya. Vyavāya means sex life. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya, intoxication. It is not that Vedic civilization did not know how to eat meat and how to drink liquor. It is all known. But they are prohibited, "Don't eat." It is not that then they were unknown, now it is discovered by scientific advancement. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi, nityāsti, asti, it is there. It is not that because one is not educated now to use sex life... Nobody requires education. It is automatical. But people are now very much advanced in understanding sex life. So many books, Freud philosophy, this philosophy. And after all, this is already there. What is the need of philosophy? Without your rascal philosophy, everyone knows how to use sex life. But they are thinking this is advancement. Nityā hi. It is already there. Who was speaking yesterday? Jayatīrtha. That his niece, seven years old, she is also dating. So this is already there.

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

People do not understand what is mokṣa, what is economic development, what is religious principle. There is no education. So unless there is sufficient education on these principles—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90)—you cannot have peaceful life in human society. That is not... That is animal society. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If there is no principles of life, that is animal society. Unfortunately, at the present moment, the education is simply for sense gratification. That is animalistic education. Therefore, in spite of advancement of so many things, people are not happy. People are not happy. So here it is said, caturbhir vartase yena pādair loka-sukhāvahaiḥ. Sukhāvahaiḥ. Sukha means happiness. If you want to increase happiness... Everyone wants to become happy. That is the highest principle. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. The whole struggle is going on to minimize our miseries and to increase our happiness. That is our attempt.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

So one who is not interested to know about the other nature of light, how that nature is, how there are planets, how living entities are living there, who is predominating, so many things we have to learn, that is called ātma-tattvam. But people are blind, they do not know. In the university, there is no such education. They are simply satisfied with the knowledge that they are going to moon planet, that's all. (Sanskrit) What is this moon planet? There are living(?) within this material world, there are millions and trillions of other planets, how you can go there? Just try to understand how much limited we are, how much our freedom is (indistinct) in this material world. You are trying to go the nearest planet, Candra, moon planet, still you are unsuccessful. What to speak of other. There is sun planet. I think they cannot dream of going to the sun planet. It is not possible. But there is a planet in your front.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Gṛheṣu means within the bound up impact of life. This bodily concept of life, the social concept of life, the national concept of life. No, there is unlimited field of activities, and you should try to know. But because we are not interested, we are not educated to become interested to understand the light(?) and field(?) of spiritual life, we are compact, gṛheṣu. Gṛheṣu means at home. Gṛheṣu, at home. Just like I remember when the Russians put sputnik for flying in the sky, the man, he was trying to see from that sputnik where is Russia, Moscow. So this is called gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Our attachment is in this body or in the society or in this country. This is called gṛha-medhī. Gṛha-medhī means one who has made his center of activities only home or nation or community. He has no other aim. Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. They are called gṛheṣu. A cultured man, he is also remaining in the house, but his field of activities is different. That is spiritual knowledge. But here, those who are gṛha-medhī, those who are compact within this body, society, and nation, their field of activities is very limited, gṛha-medhinām. Just like a cow. In your country, I do not know, I think you have, in Hawaii I have seen a cow is stuck up with a rope and it is roaming around that rope, and he is thinking this is the world, that's all. This is the world.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Haṁsadūta: How is it that people who have done some pious activity, they get a nice birth in this statement, but usually people who are not wealthy or not so educated, sometimes they more or less take to worshiping Kṛṣṇa or God.

Prabhupāda: That is the grace of the devotees. The devotees offer their service, and they get the opportunity. Never mind what he is. It is the grace. Therefore, when Bhāgavata says, yad-apāśrayāśrayam... Apāśrayāśrayam means a devotee is already under the protection of God, and if one takes protection of a devotee, he also becomes a devotee and becomes purified. Therefore a devotee is more merciful than God. Even in God there is consideration-pious, impious. For a devotee there is no such consideration. "Everyone come." What is the purpose of opening so many centers? Just to give people opportunity to take advantage, without any consideration of his position. But if one does not take the advantage, it is up to him. That independence has everyone. We are inviting everyone to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but nobody is coming. What can we do? Those who are fortunate, they are taking advantage. That's all.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... (BG 4.9). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. This is the solution. Janma karma me divyam. Kṛṣṇa says, God says, that "If you try to understand Me, what is My position, why I descend, what is My activities, what is..." That is described here, śrotavya. You have to understand. How you will understand? By hearing. God has given you the ear. If you simply hear, if you simply hear... There is no question of education. It is not that one who is not educated, he will not understand what is God. He will understand, because the ear is there. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ: (SB 7.5.23) Viṣṇu, of Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you hear. Therefore we are opening so many branches, just to give people the chance of hearing. And as soon as you perfectly hear, the next position will be to glorify. Just like these European, American boys. First of all they heard. Now they are preaching. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Because they have perfectly heard, therefore they are very enthusiastic. They are going all over the world. They are preaching. And so śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. If one has actually heard, known about God, then next stage will be he will be very much enthusiastic to speak to others. That is preaching. Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyaḥ. Smartavya means remembering. Unless you remember what is God, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His pastimes, what are His activities, what are His entourage, everything about God, if you hear... Just like if you hear Bhagavad-gītā, you understand everything, what is God. And that is our only duty.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

That is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So every one of you follow the instruction, as you have received. Chant sixteen rounds regularly, without fail, and follow the regulative principles, and hear about Kṛṣṇa, and preach about Kṛṣṇa. Every one of you become a spiritual master. Simple thing. No education required. Because we are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, so we can speak the same thing. What is the difficulty? If I hear from my spiritual master or from any learned man that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," so if I say by hearing that "Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead," so I haven't got to search out whether Kṛṣṇa is Personality of Godhead or not, but if I accept the authority, then I speak the real truth. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore sometimes, when people say in India, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." And yes, I do not know. I'm not a magician. But, so far I am confident that I did not adulterate the words of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

And everyone can worship in the temple. Where is the difficulty? By prosecuting these four principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become immortal. No austerity. No austerity, no penance, no education, no riches. Simply by following these four principles, you become immortal. So this verse is very important. Āyur harati vai puṁsām udyann astaṁ ca yann asau, tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nītaḥ. Tasya ṛte, one who is passing time in this way, simply with kṛṣṇa-kathā, chanting also... If you have no time... If you have spare time, don't sit idly. If there is no facility for reading books or talking about Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. If you have got... Next moment, you can interchange, read something. Always be busy with Kṛṣṇa. Then sun will not be able to kill you. You are going to live forever. This is the process. What is the time? Kīrtana. Where is Śyāmasundara? Where is Śyāmasundara? (end)

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:

How they can select? These animals, any animal, they do not know which person is perfect and should be selected as leader. They do not know. Śūdras. Śūdras, animals, the same thing. So people are being educated like dogs, hogs, camels and asses. So how they can expect any real happiness? That is not possible. The test should be... Public, general public, they may be like cats, dogs, hogs naturally because they have no sufficient education. Not they are expected to be highly educated, general mass of people. But if arrangement is made to give them chance of hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then they will be very big men, perfect men. That should be the policy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We should accept the general mass of people no matter than dogs, hogs. It is in your country, "Dog is best friend." Because he is a dog. Therefore he has chosen a best friend dog. And cow, mother, giving milk and actually drinking—"Send her to the slaughterhouse." Just see. Is it not an animal, who is making friendship with dogs and sending mother to the slaughterhouse? What is your answer? This is my charge against your country. What is your answer?

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

Varāka means fools or childish. We are thinking that "I am this body." Such fools cannot understand how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, tad apy abhalatāṁ jātaḥ teṣām ātmābhimāninām, varākāṇām anāśritya, without taking shelter, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, the lotus feet of Govinda. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We get this chance, and if we are not educated by our teachers, by our fathers, by our leaders, by our government men, by our gurus, by our relatives, how to accept the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is canvassing... Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense engagement, trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or God. Give up this. Surrender unto Me." This is education. This is education. The father should give education at home. The leaders should give education in institution. The politicians should give education in their assemblies, congress. The guru should give education how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The father should educate, the mother should educate.

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

Then how you can run on the first class? That is not possible. If you want to run on the first class compartment, you must purchase a ticket. Similarly, we have already purchased a ticket according to our body. Therefore, śāstra says that don't bother about this so-called distress and happiness. They are already fixed up. If you have got some energy, please utilize it how to develop in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't spoil your energy for so-called distress and happiness. That is mistake. But the modern civilization is so foolish. They are simply trying for bodily distress and happiness and spoiling the energy which he could utilize for understanding God. This is the defect of modern civilization. Actually, foolish civilization... They do not know what is the value of life, how we can realize our ultimate goal of life, what is this body, what is God. There is no education. There is no enlightenment. Simply, just like animals. The animals... trying, animal also trying to become comfortable.

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

So altogether, it is a city of fifty thousand population, but there are five thousand temples, Kṛṣṇa. All Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So this is a chance, that "Come to Vṛndāvana, and wherever you go, you see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful." By seeing, seeing, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, seeing, seeing, you'll get an impression. And if you continue... The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, you'll find if, when you go there, that in the morning and evening, all of them, they are going different temples and seeing the Deity Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophy, there is no need of science. Simply if you visit temples of Viṣṇu, then your life is successful. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness process. Simply if you move to the temple and see with your eyes; very simple process. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness program is so simple, at the same time sublime, that you become liberated at the end. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you simply think of Kṛṣṇa in that way.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

We are thinking we are very much happy. This is called māyā. He's suffering, he's kicked by the shoes of māyā every moment, and still, he's thinking "I am very happy. Why shall I go back to home? I shall remain in America." But you cannot be allowed to remain in America. You are thinking, "All right... You are born of a very rich family, a rich nation, you have got opulence. You have... Your roads and your houses are very nice, but who is going to allow you to live here? Why don't you think like that? You may live for fifty years, or sixty years, or utmost 100 years; then you'll be kicked out. But they do not know that life is eternal.

When I am kicked out, then what life I am going to accept? They are in oblivion. There is no education in the university. This is going on. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a boon to the human society. You should take it very seriously and utilize your human form of life to understand it and be happy. Thank you very much. (pause) Why not begin immediately?

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: "Family life without a child is zero." It is zero. There are... He has calculated some zeros. First zero is: avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyam: "One who is not educated, his life is zero." Avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyaṁ diśaḥ śūnyā abāndhavāḥ. You are going to some touring, visiting, but if where you are going, if there is no temple or friend, then your touring will be zero. Therefore Indian system is when they are tourist, they go to different pilgrimages, or some friends' house. Avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyaṁ diśaḥ śūnyā abāndhavāḥ putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam. And you have married, but if there is no issue, then it is zero.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

But your existence is not for few years. You are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You'll not die after your destruction of this body. Death means sleeping for 7 months. That's all. Then again you get another body. As soon as I give up this body, I enter in the womb of another mother to get another body. The mother creates the body, and as soon as the body's fit, it comes out. So the period when I give up this body, enter into the womb of mother and manufacture another body and come out, it takes about seven months. So during that seven months, we do not know what is happening. That is death. Death means that. Otherwise, there is no death. The spirit soul is eternal. So we do not know what is our eternal need. We do not know. There is no such education, neither these rascals know that they're eternal. They think that "By chance, we have got this body, some way or other, and as soon as the body's finished, everything's finished. So long this body is there, the senses are there, let us enjoy sense enjoyment."

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

So madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. So there is hetu. Hetu means cause. Not without cause. Nobody has taken birth in this material world without any cause. And according to the cause, the particular type of body is built up. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). A big science there is. Unfortunately there is no education for this science. Maybe in future they will take interest. As we are publishing the books and going to the universities and to the professors, there may be. There is possibility now. Otherwise these rascals did not know what is this science. They did not care. Big, big professors, big, big scientists, they are putting the theories that life has come from chemicals, chemical evolution, and they are getting Nobel Prize. And if they are offered that "Take these chemicals. Produce a life," they'll deny.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

In this way everything will be reduced. Now we do not find very strong men, very strong memory, living for a long time, bodily strength. No. These are reducing. Now people are not merciful. One man is being killed before you in the street; nobody takes care. This is the sign of Kali-yuga. Everything will be reduced. Memory also being reduced. There are eight kinds of things reducing. One of them, these four, five, I have already mentioned. Important things. The duration of life is reducing, no sympathy, no sympathy. One is suffering from some disease; nobody is taking care. This is the sign of Kali-yuga. "Oh, let him die. Let me live." These are the signs of Kali-yuga: no memory, no sympathy, no long duration of life, no bodily strength, no education. This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Therefore the only means is harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). They cannot in the ordinary way it is impossible to make advancement.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

The world is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That was His mission. He wanted that from India everyone should become a guru and preach outside, because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' sarva-deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Or tāra' ei deśa. "You become a guru on My order, and you deliver your country or other countries." "So I have no so qualification, I have no education. How I can become guru?" Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya: "By My order." "Then what is Your order, Sir?" "Now, My order is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is My order. You simply explain what Kṛṣṇa has said. Or what has been said about Kṛṣṇa." That is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa means what Kṛṣṇa is instructing. The Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, He is instructing. That is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is speaking about Kṛṣṇa. That is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Kṛṣṇasya upadeśa iti kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, and Kṛṣṇa, subject matter Kṛṣṇa and upadeśa, that is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You simply preach kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Then you become guru.'

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

This life is meant for simply how to understand the Absolute Truth. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya... But that is missing now. Nobody is inquiring, neither there is any institution throughout the whole world where there is tattva-jijñāsā, what is the Absolute Truth. Simply technical knowledge—how to become this, how to become that, to fill up this belly. But we cannot see even that the birds, beasts, they do not become technologists. How they are getting food? There are 8,400,000 forms of body. The human form of body are 400,000. Out of many bodies that live in jungle, they have also no technology, no education, no systematic government, nothing—but they are also eating. The birds and beasts are eating. Everyone is eating. The ants within your home, within the hole of your room, they're also eating. So who is not eating? Everyone is eating. Why you have made a civilization to work hard like an ass for your eating? What is this civilization? If everyone is, without working, they're getting their food, then what is your advancement of civilization that you have to work like an ass to get your food? That is not advancement of civilization. Therefore, because we are becoming animal, less than animal, therefore they are decreasing the personal God. This is the idea.

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

They are seeking, and as soon as they are joined together to satisfy the sex desire, their the, I mean to say, attraction becomes more and more tight. Then ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So as soon as they are combined, they require one house or apartment or cottage or nest. Something must be private. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra. Then to work, to earn livelihood, one must have some land. Either you construct skyscraper building or till it for get some food grain. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra, suta. Then without children, married life is frustrated. Putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam. Married life without children is void. Avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyam. If one is not educated, his life is vacate, or vacant. Avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyaṁ diśaḥ śūnyā abāndhavāḥ. And if you go to some foreign country, if there is no deva, temple, God's temple, or friend, that is also useless. And putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam. And if you have no children, the so-called married life is also void.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

They do not know what is meaning of apavarga or liberation. They do not know. But time was there when people understood that this human life is meant for apavarga. Apavarga, to cease from the business of pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. That is called apavarga-vardhanam. So the questions made by Devahūti and the answers, which will be given by Kapiladeva, that is apavarga-vardhanam. That is wanted. This is the instruction of the whole Vedas. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. For apavarga everyone would try. Everyone should try his best. "And what about my maintenance?" To maintenance the śāstra never gives any stress, that "You try for maintenance." The śāstra says, "It will come. It is already there. It will come." But we have no such faith that "God is given..., giving food to the animals, to the birds, to the beasts, to the trees, everyone, and why He shall not give me? Let me engage my time for apavarga." They have no faith. They have no such education. Therefore good association required, not the crow's association, but swan's association. Then this sense comes.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

"There is no more superior authority than Me." And if you take it as it is, and if you speak to the people that "There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa," then you become guru. You become guru. You don't change. Then you become guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed this. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). His, He was preaching. So He was preaching everyone, from country to country. Of course, He did not go outside India. Within India. And He was instructing that "You learn from Me and teach your people within this village, within this country." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Ei deśa means "this country, or this place where you are living." Then? Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā. You become guru. So one may think that "I am illiterate. I have no education. I am not born in very high family. How I can become guru?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It is not very difficult." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. You become guru. You simply speak whatever Kṛṣṇa speaks. Then you become guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

So the human life is meant for understanding that how we are undergoing this tribulation of birth and death, old age and disease. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. That is not possible. Therefore for human life so many Vedic literatures are there, not for the cats and dogs. If you don't take advantage of this Vedic literature,... There is no need of education. It is not needed that one has to become very learned scholar. No. Sat-saṅga. Hear. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your position, but go to a person who is speaking kṛṣṇa-kathā. Hear him. That's all. Everyone can do that. Where is the difficulty? So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that. We give chance to the people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our men... Therefore we have specifically mentioned: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't talk any other nonsense things. We don't talk. We have no other business. Simply we talk of Kṛṣṇa. That will purify. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you, even if you do not understand a single word, if you simply hear, then you become pious. It is so nice.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

That can be done simply by hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. No education required. Simply come and hear. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Because you will be purified. As you hear and repeat, chant, you become purified.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi...

(SB 1.2.17)

These dirty things, mala... Here it is said, kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ. Mala, mala means dirty things. And what are these? Kāma and lobha, lusty desires, lobha, greediness and lusty desires. These are mala. So one has to become free from these two things, kāma and lobha. The whole world is going on kāma and lobha. One is getting money. When he has got one thousand, he wants one lakh. If he gets one lakh, he wants more and more and more. This is called kāma. And why? Lobha. They are making profit. They have got enough money, still, they will hold stock, will not sell, so that people may not get stock and they will be hankering, they will pay any price demanded. These are going on, kāma and lobha. Kāma-lobhādibhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

Anyone can be delivered. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Low-born, pāpa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni and pāpa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni... Yoni means the source of birth. So there are two kinds of yonis, pious and impious. Those who are pious, they are getting chance of birth, in very aristocratic, high family, educated, learned brāhmaṇa family. Jñāna. Then aiśvarya, opulence, riches; education, śruta; śrī, beauty. These are the symptoms of pious life. And just the opposite, ugly-looking, born in very low-grade family, almost animal, then no education, no character, these are impious life. So... But the sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), even by, one is born in low-grade family, pāpa-yoni, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, if one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says, "If one takes shelter of Me..." Kṛṣṇa never denies anyone. Socially, we may deny a caṇḍāla to enter into my house, but Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee does not deny. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They never, they'll never deny. "Yes, you are welcome. You take also education in the spiritual life. You also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." Sometimes we are criticized. But Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). He is giving, offering shelter. "Come on. Never mind you are born in low family or impious family. It doesn't matter." Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33).

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

So at the present moment, especially in Kali-yuga, they are not very much educated, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhā... (SB 1.1.10). They are simply busy how to earn some money and fill up the belly, that's all. They are not no more interested in Vedānta-sutra. Mandāḥ, mandāḥ means very slow, or very bad. They are so badly infected with the influence of māyā, they do not care to understand that there is life after death, and that life may be anything of these 8,400,000 forms of life. And if I become one of them, if I become tree, if I become cat, if I become dog, or insect or even human being, then, if I am in a very inconvenient condition then they do not care to know. Sometimes they say, "Never mind if I become a dog, what is the wrong there? I will forget everything." People say, in western country, even the university student, they say they don't, so ignorance. Therefore they have been described as mandāḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:

They are the same. Spiritually they are the same, spiritually absolute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Either you hear or you chant or you memorize or you offer worship, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam, or you simply work under the direction of your spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa. Just like Hanumān: he dāsyam. He simply carried out Lord Rāmacandra's order. He was supposed to be animal. He's not animal. But he was looking like a monkey animal. But having no education, no. He had everything. But superficially he..., he is not teaching Vedānta. He is simply carrying order of Lord Rāmacandra, that's all. He appears to be very foolish. Not foolish, but superficially animal. He was simply carrying out, dāsyam. Arjuna, simply he took Kṛṣṇa as his most intimate friend, that's all. He was not a Vedantist; he was a fighter, he was a kṣatriya. He had to deal with politics. No time to become Vedantist. But still he's the greatest devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3). Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, you are My very dear friend and devotee." So people may say, "Oh, he is not a Vedantist, he is not even brāhmaṇa, he is not a sannyāsī. How Kṛṣṇa accepts him as bhakto 'si?" That is called bhakti. Bhakti is ahaituky apratihatā. If you become a devotee there is no impediment. No material condition can check your progress of bhakti, if you are a bhakta.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So Kapiladeva could understand the desire of His mother. The mother was submissive because to understand the sāṅkhya-yoga, bhakti-yoga, it requires... The first condition is submission. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). You cannot understand the sāṅkhya-yoga system or bhakti-yoga system by falsely being proud that you are very learned scholar or speculator. These things will not help. You have to hear about Kṛṣṇa very submissively and accepting, not challenging. Then you will be able to understand. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your position. It doesn't matter what you are, simply you hear about Kṛṣṇa. There are so many things about Kṛṣṇa we can hear. Even if we are not educated, we can hear from a person who can speak rightly. But that person must be selected, not ordinary person, not professional person, but here it is said, tattva āmnāyam. Āmnāyam means by disciplic succession. We have to accept a positive party.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Kṛṣṇa or His representative. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He is ordering, āmāra ājñāya, "By My order," guru hañā, "you become guru." "Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low." A devotee always thinks like that. He never thinks that "I have become very great man." Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta, author of, he says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha (CC Adi 5.205). Purīṣa, purīṣa means stool, and there are worms in the stool. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta author is saying that "I am lower than the worms in the stool." That is Vaiṣṇava conception. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. He is very humble. He never says, "Oh, I am the Supreme. I have become God." A most rascal, foolish. So that is not... Therefore we have to follow. If we actually want to become guru, there is necessity of many thousands of gurus to teach this cheated public. But how to become guru? That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya: "By My order." "What is Your order, Sir?" Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Then you become guru. You simply advise people to follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Then you become guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

So if you simply... At the present moment in this Kali-yuga, if you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, śravaṇam, you don't require any education. You don't require to be a Ph.D. and M.S.C. God has given you the ear. You go to a person, realized soul, and hear from him. Simply hear from him. That is recommended in this age, because people are very, very fallen. They have no education. They have no inclination how to make perfect life. They do not know what is perfection of life. They think, "If I can eat sumptuously, that is perfection of life." Udaraṁ bharita. Svārtham udaraṁ bharita. In this age, if one man can eat very voraciously, he thinks, "My all interest are finished." He thinks. Because people are so, I mean, hungry, that they think, "If I can get a sumptuous food, that is perfection of life." This is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga. Svārtham udaraṁ bharita. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One will feel that "My all interest is now fulfilled because I am voraciously eating."

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So that is our business, immediately. But we do not know. There is no such education. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what should be the aim of education, aim of life. They do not know it. They..., because they are bewildered. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakaṁ manute (SB 1.7.5). Ātmānaṁ sammohito jīvaḥ, being bewildered, being captivated, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ, with the māyā, the material nature, being captured and bewildered by her, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam, he is thinking that "I am identified with the three guṇas." Somebody is thinking that "I am brāhmaṇa. I am brāhmaṇa, the most pure, most exalted person in the human society." This is sattva-guṇa. Tri-guṇātmakam. Somebody is think..., identifying himself with the sattva-guṇa, somebody is identifying himself with the rajo-guṇa, somebody is identifying himself in the tamo-guṇa, or somebody is identifying with the mixed up. So in this way going on. Yayā sammohito jīvaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

So this position is going on, beginning from one date of creation, millennium, and goes up to the end, kalpānta. The asuric determination is kalpānta. Up to the end of the creation they have no sense that "Again I am going to in the oblivion. Again I am to remain for millions of years in darkness. Then again there will be creation. And again I shall get body." And in one millennium we are changing so many bodies. This is our problem. But there is no education; there is no knowledge. But we find this education, this knowledge, from Vedic literature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, He teaches Himself Bhagavad-gītā personally, and He asks, mūḍha, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), but still, we are so dull, we cannot take His words, take His instruction, and bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), and going on, one after another, birth and death. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing when the cowherd boys were playing with Kṛṣṇa, that description. He says that "These cowherd boys, they are not ordinary human being." Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: "They have accumulated many, many births' pious activities, as the result of which, they are now playing with Kṛṣṇa." And who is Kṛṣṇa? Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: "Big, big ṛṣis and yogis, those who are interested in brahma-sukha or to merge in the Brahman effulgence—the source of Brahman effulgence is here playing: Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa (Bs. 5.40).

So this little, little accumulation of puṇya, very easy. No expenditure, no experience, no education, nothing. Simply come here and join this chanting and dancing. Even a child. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Little, little, little—one day he will be able to play with Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

A brāhmaṇa must be very, very learned scholar by reading Vedic literature, and pāṭhana, and teach others of the Vedic literature. Therefore it was the custom of the brāhmaṇas—they would not accept anyone's service. They will sit down anywhere and open a school for teaching Vedic literature. Paṭhana pāṭhana. He will personally become learned, and he will teach others. And the students, they will go from door to..., brahmacārī, door to door for begging, "Mother, give me some alms," and they will give because their students are there in the gurukula or catuṣpāṭhī. So whatever they will bring, that will be cooked and offered to Kṛṣṇa, and the prasādam will be distributed amongst themselves. This was the process, not twenty rupees' fee and give some bribe to enter into the school, and that is also all rascal education, no. First-class education, without any fee, from the realized soul—that was educational system, varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

So every senses you can engage in Kṛṣṇa's service. Just we have got senses, ten senses, and the mind. So mind engaged in Kṛṣṇa, legs engaged for going to the temple, hands engaged for cleansing the temple, nose engaged for smelling the flower offered to Kṛṣṇa or tulasī offered to Kṛṣṇa, tongue to taste Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—in this way, you can engage all the senses. There is no need of education. There is no need of passing M.A., Ph.D. You practice this simple yoga system. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Ambarīṣa Mahārāja used to do that. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. You have to talk, but don't talk nonsense. But you engage your talking about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means without any kuṇṭha, without any anxiety. Other talking, you will have so many anxieties because that is not vaikuṇṭha talking.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

Just like one stick falls straight on the ground, similarly, if we fall straight before the Deity, that is called daṇḍavat, "like the stick." Daṇḍavat-praṇāma. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa namratā. Namratā is required. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta. Be submissive. So this daṇḍavat is the symbolic presentation of submission. And Kṛṣṇa wants that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), submission. The bhakti process is simply submission. So mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If you do not study or if you have no education to study Vedic literatures, you simply... The temple is installed for this purpose, that if somebody comes, simply offers his obeisances before the Deity, before the spiritual master, simply by doing that, he will become perfect. Just like these children. A small child is offering obeisances. It may be said that they are imitating, but not all child imitates. There are many children. So there are fortunate children who comes here, offers obeisances, dances with kīrtana, and... So these are not in vain. They are taken into account, and he also becomes developed in spiritual consciousness. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Just like cats and dogs, they do not know what is liberation. Liberation means to get out of this false conditional life. I'm thinking I'm this body, which I'm not, and therefore I'm acting on the bodily concept of life and becoming entangled more and more so that I have to accept another body, another body, another body. This is my conditional state of life, and there is so much risk to accept another body. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. You have to accept another body. And what kind of body I'm going to get, that I do not know. Now suppose if I get another body in the plant life, a tree. A tree can stand for thousands of years. And if we get that sort of life, how much risky it is to accept another body. It is also possible. Those who are performing big, big yajñas, charity, they can expect to be transferred to the heavenly planet. But those who are not doing anything, living like cats and dogs, oh, their life is very risky. Very risky. But they do not know. There is no such education. But here it is recommended, that, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur. If you associate with saintly persons then there is possibility of your door being opened for liberation. Dvāram āhur vimuktes.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

So this is a very elaborate scientific subject matter, and we are trying to present all over the world. Why not our Indian brothers take it very seriously? Why we should be carried away by the waves of material nature? This is not very good idea. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1). Sattva, my existence. At the present moment... Just like I am coughing. So because I am, for the present moment, I am diseased. So this is the symptom of coughing. Similarly, why I am dying? This should be the question. Ke āmi kena more jāpaṭiyā traya. I hear from Bhagavad-gītā that I am eternal: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Then why I am dying? This is intelligence. Why I am dying? This "why." Kena Upaniṣad. But this is not being educated. We are carried away by the temporary problems and missing the chance of human life. This is not very good, and Ṛṣabhadeva especially instructs that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. If you actually want liberation from these clutches of māyā, vimukti, vimukti... Vimukti means liberation. What is liberation? Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. We are living in a different way. This is not mukti. This is conditioned. I am living as Indian condition, I am living as European condition. This is not mukti. You must live in your original form. That is called mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam. Now we are living anyathā rūpam. Somebody is living as Indian, somebody is living as European, somebody as cat, somebody as dog, somebody... This is anyathā rūpam.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

So in this way, when they returned home, one day the old man, before his wife and son, said, "My dear son, my dear wife, this girl should be offered to that young man." He was same village. "What is this? How this daughter can be offered to such poor man? He's not very educated." The old man said: "No, it doesn't matter. I have promised." The boy, his eldest son, said, "No, no, it cannot be." And the wife said that "If you give my daughter to that boy, then I shall commit suicide." He was perplexed. Now what to do? So he was thinking and praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Sir, I have promised before You. You kindly help me so that they may not commit suicide and I may also offer my daughter to that boy. You have to arrange for that." And Kṛṣṇa has got such contradictory duties. He has to protect the thief, as well as the man where theft is being done. You see. Because everyone is praying, "Sir, my things may not be stolen." And the thief is also praying, "Please give me some opportunity so that I can steal." And Kṛṣṇa has to satisfy both.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Then this process of opening the path of liberation will be very, I mean to say, favorable. You can open your path of liberation even without marriage, remaining brahmacārī, but for girls brahmacārī system is not recommended. Therefore girls are advised to get a husband. Or the parents take the responsibility, according to Vedic rites and according... Still, in India, the father, not the, I mean to say, modernized, educated Indians. In villages they are not very much educated. Oh, they must get their girl, I mean to say, daughter, married before fifteen years. Otherwise, it will be a social scandal. The father is responsible for that. So, of course, we cannot introduce that system in your country. It is not possible. But it is up to you, that if you want to utilize your, this very favorable situation of life, get yourself married, live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what is the difficulty there? There is no difficulty. There are so many boys and girls who are married and living very peacefully and executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

But we are now busy with designation and fighting. That means we are not yet completely educated. Kṛṣṇa also chastised Arjuna in the beginning, (sic:) asatyam anvaśocas tvam prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase, "You are talking like a very learned scholar, but you are lamenting only the body, bodily concept of life." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). "So far the body is concerned, either it is dead or alive, a learned man does not care for it." That is svarūpa. Now we are simply concerned with this body; therefore we are missing our svarūpa, therefore missing mukti. I have already explained, mukti means to be situated in his own original, spiritual life. That is called svarūpa. Svarūpanu bhuti (?). Svarūpa. There is, I think there is the word used in Bhagavad-gītā that all the persons assembled in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, after death they attained svarūpa. Means liberated, all liberated and situated in spiritual life because they gave up their life in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. While dying they saw Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all of them after death attained svarūpa. So the mukti means sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ mukti hitva anyathā rūpam sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ. This is the meaning of mukti. So if we want that mukti, liberation, no more conditioned by the material nature, unconditional life, sa-guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is svarūpa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Prabhupāda: General idea is very good, but the one who is going to bestow divine service, he must know what is divine service and how to become divine. Lord Caitanya says, āpani ācari prabhu jīvera śikhāya. One has to first of all exhibit himself that he is divine, then he can, I mean to say, serve others divinely. "Physician heal thyself." If a physician is diseased, a patient does not like to go to him. "Well, he is himself diseased." So divine love is very good, but one should understand what is divine love. One should not misunderstand what is divine love. Just like in the material world, lust is accepted as love. A boy is loving a girl, a girl is loving... But it is lust. That is not love. But is going on in the name of love. The boy wants to enjoy the girl, the girl wants to enjoy the boy, and that is going on in love. Love is not like that. Love means, "I enjoy or not enjoy, I love you." That is love. Just like Cowper said, "England, with all thy faults, I love you." That is love. There is no return. Just like Rādhārāṇī's love to Kṛṣṇa. She does not require any return. You see? Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, Rādhārāṇī, and their whole life remained simply crying for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa never returned. But still, they loved Kṛṣṇa. That is love. That love is being shown by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" That's Rādhārāṇī's separation, love in separation. So love means without any return, without any sense gratification, without any consideration. That is love. Āśliṣya. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). The lover is saying to the beloved, "Either You embrace me with love or you kick me, trample me down under Your feet. And if You make me brokenhearted without meeting me, so whatever You like, You can do. Still I love You." That is love. That is only possible to love Kṛṣṇa. That is not materially possible. Here the so-called love means he or she wants some return for sense gratification. So there the so-called love is lust. It is going in the market in the name of love. There is no love.

Guest (4): Is this Kṛṣṇa in this painting here? Right here. No, no, the next one.

Prabhupāda: He is Kṛṣṇa. Yes. He's loving the calf.

Guest (4): It is a calf?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The calf has come to Kṛṣṇa like this, and He is embracing: "Yes, come on." You... Just see. The calf has no education, no knowledge... (end)

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- London, September 3, 1971:

Now, why human society has created this problem? If 8,000,000 living entities can have no problem, why the 400,000 group, the human society, they will have problem? That is māyā. Actually, there is no problem. They have created problem. By their advanced intelligence they have created problem. Why? Because (the) advanced intelligence is not being properly used. They are being used for these lower-grade activities: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. The human being, being advanced in consciousness, they should have used the advanced intelligence for self-realization. But that, they are... There is no such education in the universities. That... I raised this question in the Massachusetts Technical Institution when I was asked to speak, that "Where is your technical department where a man after death can be alive again, injecting some...?" Just like motor stops, so a mechanical technologist go and makes the, I mean to say, machine correctly. Then it again runs. That I understand that there is technology. But when a man stops running, where is the technology to give him again the energy to go on? Because it is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this technology must be there. So I asked the university, "Where is your that department?" The rascal could not answer. (laughter) Yes. And they appreciated, the students. Later on, they surrounded me and they appreciated: "Actually, where is that technology in the university?" That is called parābhava.

This verse is there: parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. These rascals, they are born fools and rascals, and they are working in rascaldom. Therefore, whatever they are doing, it is defeat. Therefore this crisis has come. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. They are rascals and fools, and there is no proper education to understand "What I am? What is my necessity?" That education is wanting. These rascals are accepting this body, "I am this body." And they are working for the bodily necessities of life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

It is very quite natural, whatever you do, your mind will be absorbed in that business. Karmātmakam. Therefore our mind should be engaged always in Kṛṣṇa: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padaravindayor (SB 9.4.18). Then we can be relieved from this śarīra-bandhaḥ. Unfortunately, there is no education that it is a great hamper, impediment, to our progress of life, this material body. And in the Vedic civilization, this material body is condemned everywhere—material, śarīra-bandhaḥ. They do not understand.

So in the bondage state, whatever you are doing in so-called material progress, it is not progress. It is parābhavas, defeat. People are so busily engaged throughout day and night. They are making material progress, but it is not progress. It is regress. But they do not know it. Why? Abodha-jātaḥ, born rascal. Born rascal. If we say that "You are all born rascals," they'll fight. But actually that is the fact. Born rascals: abodha-jātaḥ. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. That ātma-tattvam, brahma-jijñāsa. Where is that inquiry? Nobody inquires because they have no information. The cats and dogs, big, big professors, they are thinking so long this body is there, by chance, by accident, we have got this body, and as soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. That means they do not know ātma-tattvam. On this misconception of life they are inventing so many "isms."

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

Even these birds and beasts, they know how to gratify senses. There is no need of university or teacher. Say for sex life, nobody requires to go to the university. They know. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. These four things, there is no need of university education. But at the present moment to go to university means how to gratify the senses very scientifically. Scientifically. How to steal scientifically. Does it require any scientific knowledge how to cut throat and how to steal? No. They require education for spiritual understanding, tad-vijñānārtham, not this vijñānārtham, this material knowledge. It doesn't require. It is simply a waste of time. This modern university education is simply a waste of time.

There was no education for even the vaiśyas. There are four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But vaiśya and śūdra, there is no need of education. The brāhmaṇas, because they will guide the society, they require education. And the kṣatriya, they will give protection to the society; therefore there was education guided by the brāhmaṇa. And for the vaiśyas, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma... (Bg 18.44). Where is the education? He can see, learn from his father how the field is to be cultivated with a plow. He doesn't require. He can see. And fifty years ago we have seen that those who were in the lower status of life, they never sent their children to school. I have seen it.

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

We don't require it now. Now running of the fan is suffering. But in the summer season it is required. It is pleasing. That means either in the summer or in the winter we are always suffering, this way or that way. The same water, it is pleasing during summer and it is suffering during winter. The water is the same, but it is sometimes suffering, sometimes pleasing. So these things will go on. You cannot stop. That means suffering will go on. You cannot stop it. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). So long we have got this body, we must suffer. This is the truth. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are getting different types of bodies, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Each body is for a short period. It will not last forever. But so long it will last, it will be cause of suffering. That we do not understand. This is the ignorance, mūḍha. And this suffering can be ended only by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). The suffering is inflicted by māyā. Bhuṇkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. But there is no education, the people are so dull, rascal, they cannot understand that they are suffering, and the suffering they are accepting as enjoyment. In this way they are rotting in this material world.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he has no problem. A Vaiṣṇava has no problem. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "I have no problem, my Lord," to Nṛsiṁha-deva. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). A devotee will be simply satisfied if he has got the opportunity of reading, reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam anywhere, any part of the world, sitting down underneath a tree. One who has got education, he can read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But even one has no education—he cannot read—still he has no problem. He can chant: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So he can enjoy anywhere. There is a practical example in this connection. While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was touring in the southern India, in the Ranganātha temple He saw one brāhmaṇa. He was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So many persons were coming and criticizing him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" So he did not reply.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

So He asked him that "What you are reading?" He said frankly, "Sir, I cannot read. I have no education. Illiterate." "Then? It appears that you are reading something. And if you are illiterate, why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" "No, my Guru Mahārāja said. He knew that I am illiterate, but still, my Guru Mahārāja said that 'You read every day the ślokas of Bhagavad-gītā.' So on account of his order, although I do not know anything what is written there, I am trying to read." "Oh, that's very nice. You are carrying the order of your Guru Mahārāja. But it appears that you are crying also. How you are crying if you cannot read?" "Yes, Sir, that's... Because as soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā in my hand I see the picture that Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa to place his chariot in the warfield, and Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot by his order. So this is creating some feeling in me: 'Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so nice, that although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is carrying the order of His devotee as servant.' When I feel this, I cry: 'Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is kind. How Kṛṣṇa is merciful.' " So immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him: "You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. It is not the literacy or education or knowing grammar and putting jugglery of words. That is not reading. If one feels what is the purport of Bhagavad-gītā, that is reading Bhagavad-gītā."

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

If you want to manage things, there must be two classes of men, and two classes can be divided into so many other classes. Therefore the intelligent way of civilization is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā-sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be four classes. In order to manage things very nicely, you cannot make classless society. Four classes. The most intelligent class, brāhmaṇa, and then next intelligent, the kṣatriyas, and the next intelligent, the vaiśyas, and the last one, who has no intelligence, śūdra. These four classes must be there. Without this division of classes, society, who will guide them? At the present moment, without any class the government has made adult vote. Anyone who is above certain age, say eighteen years or twenty years, he can vote. But there is no class, that "This class can vote; this class cannot vote." There is no such thing. Anyone who is above eighteen years old, he is competent to cast his vote. And people are not educated in this division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. They are all classless.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

Even if one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is to be accepted as śūdra, janmanā, by birth. Otherwise why, even a person is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he requires to be educated, he requires to be initiated, sacred thread? Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. There must be saṁskāra. If he is born brāhmaṇa, then where..., there is no need of saṁskāra. There is no need of education. Suppose a person is born the son of high-court judge. Does it mean that he is high-court judge? No. He requires education, he requires training. But he has a good chance to become a high-court judge. Because his father is high-court judge, he knows how to train his sons, how to educate him how to become a lawyer, and he has got influence in government society. He can recommend him. He has got the chance to become a high-court judge. But not that because he is born of a father who is high-court judge, therefore he is high-court judge. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

Because before starting this movement I wanted some boys from respectable family, that "Give me your one son. I shall train him how to become brāhmaṇa, how to become preacher." Nobody gave me. They said, "Swamiji, what they will be by becom..." Because they have seen the so-called brāhmaṇa begging, no education, and if there is no begging, then stealing, then cheating. So a gentleman sees that "This is brāhmaṇa in the society." You will find in Vṛndāvana so-called brāhmaṇa, paṇḍita, paṇḍas—no education, and they do everything. It is known to everyone. So because there is no training... Paṇḍas, they were guiding the tourists or the visitors. They were trained up brāhmaṇa, paṇḍitas. Now practically higher section of the society, they do not come. One gentleman asked me in Delhi in the beginning that "Swamiji, why you have made Vṛndāvana as your headquarters?" Because they have got a very bad experience. So even the Vṛndāvana city, you see how they are neglected. We are a little far off from the city. You go. How they are neglected city, no up-to-date gentlemen can go there because the culture is lost. And from big, big Gosvāmīs' family they are becoming rogues and thieves because training is not there, training, the first-class man to train them.

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:

Therefore one who sticks to this body only, gross body, atheist class... Just like in our country the Carvaka, he says, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar-āgamano bhavet: "Why you are thinking of next birth? It is not possible. We see this gross body is burnt into ashes. And where is the soul? Who is coming back again? Don't care for all these things. Live happily. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." Yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. This philosophy is going on: "There is no mind, there is no intelligence, there is no soul, only this gross body, and so long we possess this gross body, let us enjoy the senses." But this is called, it is described, mahā-vimoha. This is the greatest bewilderment, mahā-vimoha. So because people have no education how we are existing in this material world, vimohana, vimūḍha, prakṛti, how nature is working Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). Vimūḍhātmā. Mahā-vimoha. This rascal is thinking that there is no other life. That is not the fact. It is very great entanglement.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

So there may be different types of sources of knowledge, but the means are justified by the end. What is the end of life? The end of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't like to say "Kṛṣṇa"—God. That is end of life. But these rascals, they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The general population, they do not know because they are not educated in that way. At the present moment, Kali-yuga... (break) We are educating people atheism, no God, "God is dead." In Europe, America, when I went there, the education was "God is dead." Here also, so many rascals, they have appeared as God. They are also saying, "Now, Kṛṣṇa was God, but He is now dead. I am now God." Yes. They are saying publicly. And they are being accepted.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

So here are the examples in the śāstras, that Bharata Mahārāja, elected or selected, nominated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ṛṣabhadeva... And He retired, avadhūta-veṣa. Avadhūta-veṣa means He is no more within the social community. Just like the word nirgranthā... Kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained this word nirgranthā. Nirgranthā means one who has no granthi, no tight knot with this material world. And the another meaning, one who has no connection with granthā, nirgranthā. So there are two classes of men. One is foolish rascal, no education. He is called also nirgranthā, and another person who has no connection with this material world, he is also nirgranthā. So here the sign of Ṛṣabhadeva, He became just like a madman, a deaf and dumb, a rascal, a fool, a ghost. But He is not madman. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is... Apparently it may look like that, but He is Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has no connection, either you call Him deaf and dumb, fool, rascal, whatever you call. You can call. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. He has no connection with this body. This is avadhūta-veṣa. When one, no more he has got any connection with this material body, he is avadhūta-veṣa.

Lecture on SB 5.6.4 -- Vrndavana, November 26, 1976:

So these things are there. The purpose is that our mind is like that, puṁścalī, unchaste wife. Not that everyone is unchaste. We have got many example, the character of woman. It is not that. It is not generalization. But there is chance. If they are not controlled, not properly educated, there is chance of becoming puṁścalī, and there have been many instances that woman, for being attracted by paramour, has killed even one's own son. There are cases. So Bhīṣmadeva also advised that the shyness of woman, lajja, is the control. If you break that shy, what is called, shyness, then there will be disaster. That is the control valve naturally given. And woman's shyness is one beauty, beauty. We have got practical experience. And command also. We have practical experience in our life. You have seen that my friend came, Dinanath Mishra. They were our neighbor. So one day we were sitting on the corridor of the house. One sweeper woman, she wanted to come within, but very shyful, and with a covering of the head, although with broomstick and bucket, she was waiting because we were sitting both side. So she was feeling little shy not to enter the house. So we decided to move so that she may come.

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

So who will read Vedānta at the present moment? There is no education. But if we follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that Vedānta philosophy is not for ordinary person, simply if we chant—harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam—then you get the same result. What we get by studying Vedānta and Vedic literature, if we understand that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), and we sacrifice everything for achieving the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, then our Vedānta study is complete. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

So in this way we should utilize our intelligence, life, not simply for these bodily comforts of life, no. That bodily comforts of life even the dogs and hogs they are also seeking. They are also seeking. Then what is the difference between dogs, hogs, and myself? Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the warning given by Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons. "My dear sons, don't spoil your life working very hard like the dogs and hogs just to satisfy your senses." This is the instruction. We are being taught at the modern age that "Work very hard and enjoy your senses." This is the modern civilization. "Get money some way or other, and spend it for sense gratification." That is the goal. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They are not taught, they are not educated, that what is the end of life, goal of life. That is God realization. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ. "They do not know it." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Everyone is self-interested. Everyone is looking after his self-interest. That's good, very good. But do you know what is your self-interest? That they do not know.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

So last week we discussed Parīkṣit Mahārāja's sympathy with the suffering humanity. This is Vaiṣṇava. The Vaiṣṇava, or devotee, he is the perfect sympathizer for all suffering humanity. Others' sympathy is not perfect. They are planning so many things—opening hospitals or charitable dispensaries, schools, lunatic asylum. These are all public sympathetic activities. But they are not... They are, of course, good to some extent. If a man is suffering from the bodily ailments, if he is given some relief in the hospital, or if the society is not educated, give him education, this is all good work undoubtedly. But the ultimate good work is not known to them. They are taking care of the external symptoms. Why a person, a living entity, is put into that condition? And if that condition is ended, that is real sympathy. A person is suffering from some disease. He goes to the doctor, physician. He gives some medicine—immediate some relief from the pain. This is one sympathy. And there is another sympathy, that "Why the man is getting such disease and suffering? Why not stop the cause of the disease?" That is real sympathy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

So this is going on, but unfortunately modern universities, educational systems, they do not know anything about this. And still, they are very much proud of advancement of education. Actually, there is no education. Without this knowledge, spiritual knowledge, this education for earning bread, eating, sleeping, mating... That can be done without education. The animals, they are not educated—they are not technologists, or they have no education in the universities, degrees—they're also eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if our education is meant for simply eating sleeping, mating and defending, then what is the difference? That is not education. Real education is to understand what you are. That is real education. Ātma-jñāna. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long a man does not develop consciousness to understand his self, ātma-tattvam, the truth of the self, then whatever he's doing in ignorance, it is all defeat for his life. This human life is meant for victorious, to become victorious over the laws of material nature. Actually we are trying for that purpose. The whole struggle is how to counteract the onslaught of material nature. The whole activities are going on. But what is the ultimate victory? The ultimate victory is how to conquer over birth, death, disease and old age. That is the outcome, victory.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

So Sūta Go..., Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that we should atone immediately, so long this body's there. Otherwise, we'll have to carry the effect and suffer next life. Unfortunately, at the present moment, people are educated in such a way that they do not believe in next life. They are so befooled. The education means to make people befooled. He has no knowledge actually. This is the education. The more you are educated, you don't believe in God, you don't believe in God's law. You don't believe your next life. You don't believe in sinful and pious activities. You become animal. That's all. More or less, you become animal. The modern education is like that, preparing so many animals. Therefore you don't mind if I tell you frankly that in spite of so many education and universities arrangement in your country, so much nice arrangement, you're producing hippies. Because that is no education. If the... A human being does not know what I am... I am this body? If this education is there, then he's no better than an ass. The ass also thinks that "I'm this body." The cow also thinks that "I'm this body." The dog also thinks that "I am this body." So if a human being thinks like that, cats, dogs and..., then what is the difference?

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:

Sanātana Gosvāmī also, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he also said the same thing. He was in the sense. He was prime minister. He was very learned scholar in Sanskrit and Urdu—in those days Urdu because it was Muhammadan government. But he thought it wise that "They call me learned scholar, but what kind of scholar I am?" He put this question before Caitanya. Grāmya vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita satya kari māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nāhi jāni: "My dear Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these common men, they say that I am M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C. and so on, so on. I am very learned scholar. But I am so big scholar that I do not know what I am and what is my aim of life. Just see." Ask any so-called scholar that "What is the aim of life?" He cannot say. The aim of life is the same like the dog: eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, and die. That's all.

So where is education? There is no education. Real education is different, that one must know his own position and act accordingly. That you can get from Vedic knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:

"Oh, we shall see later on. Now let me enjoy." This is going on. The modern civilization means they do not care for next life or hellish condition of life. They do not care. They do not believe. It is great relief: "If I think that there is next life and I will have to suffer for my sinful activities, then life becomes very difficult, extravagance. Better don't accept this 'There is no life,' and then go on doing whatever we like." This is modern civilization. But that is very irresponsible life, because from the śāstra we understand—by practical experience also—just if the boy does not go to school and he is not educated, then his future life is very dark. And a boy has to become a young man. A boy who says, "No, no, I am not going to be young man. I will remain a boy and go on playing whole day. I don't go to school, don't take education...,"that is not the fact. The fact is tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says, and we practically experience.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

So a man does not run after such false water, but animal runs, and they lost in the running after. Similarly, this material world is reflection of the spiritual world. There is no happiness. Happiness is there in the spiritual world, but we are running after it, being ignorant. But that does not mean... Although we are running after false water, it does not mean there is no water. Water is there, but not in the desert. That is intelligence. So happiness is there, but not in this material world. It is in the spiritual world.

So we have forgotten. There is no education. So anyway, nature gives us the chance. So either you take the Biblical truth or Vedic truth... So this is... The human form is given to us. Now you make your choice: whether you are going to hell or you are going to heaven. That's a fact. If you want, you can go to back to home, back to Godhead, or if you want to remain in this material world and go under the rules and regulation of birth and death, then make your choice. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

He must become a learned scholar. And after becoming a scholar, it is not that that he will enjoy himself the knowledge. No. He will distribute the knowledge. This is one, that first-class man, or the brāhmaṇa, first of all he must become a learned scholar... If he is not scholar, what he will, nonsense he will teach? So the first position is that he must become a learned scholar. And the next business is to teach others, to make disciple. Formerly even fifty year or sixty years ago in India a brāhmaṇa would not accept anyone's service. Because whatever he has knowledge, he would sit down anywhere, underneath a tree or in the corridor of somebody, and he will invite the village small children, and they will go, and he will teach little grammar, little mathematics, gradually. And the children will bring from their father and mother. Somebody will bring rice. Somebody will bring ḍāl. Somebody will bring something. So he had no necessity of making any contract, that "You give me so many dollars. Then I shall teach you." No. Free. Free education. In this way India was free education. So paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:

But without cleaning, your life is spoiled. If you don't clean your life, then you'll have to accept another body according to karma. We have to accept that the whole human mission is to stop this repetition of birth... They do not know. There is no science, there is no philosophy, there is no education throughout the whole world. But the aim of life is to stop these four things: birth, death, old age and disease. They cannot think of. How it can be stopped? They cannot think of. They're trying the different way—contraceptive method of killing the child. That is not how to stop this. No. Nature's law is so strong that if you kill the child in the womb then you'll be also killed. You'll be also killed. Tit for tat. There is no escape. "Life for life," just like in the law. You cannot do that. So this is very important things to understand. You are thinking very free but no, there is: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Exactly. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Just like if you contaminate some disease, you must suffer from it. That is natural law. You cannot avoid. There is no escape. So similarly, this spiritual life, this human life is a chance that you learn how to purify yourself. That is human life. And if you don't purify yourself, you remain impure without any endeavor, then what is the difference between you and cats and dogs? There's no difference.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

So this dāsī-pati, this is also significant word, "the prostitute's husband." Prostitute means... They are, in Sanskrit, called puṁścalī. Puṁścalī means they are moved by other men, puṁścalī. There are three kinds of women: sairindhrī, puṁścalī... In this way there are divisions. So some women, they are very easily carried by men. So that is not very good. Therefore I am instructing our GBC's that "Let our little girls be educated to become faithful and chaste." That is their qualification. No education required. And the boys should be trained up to become first-class men, śamo damas titikṣā, like that. And literary, Sanskrit and English, that will make them perfect. If the husband is first class and the wife is chaste and faithful, then the home is heaven. This is the formula. Dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti tatra śrīḥ svayam āgatāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:

We have got very simple test in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement how to distinguish between an intelligent man a rascal. As soon as we understand that he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a rascal. Bās. There is no need of testing. Even though he's M.A., Ph.D, D.H.C. and so on, so on, still we shall call him a rascal. This is open challenge; it is not secret. How? Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ vidyayā 'pi alaṅkṛto san. He very nicely says that rascals and fools, must give up their company. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. "No, I have got many friends, they are university educated." But he says, vidyayālaṅkṛto 'pi san. Even they are with degrees of M.A. Ph.D., tyaja durjana saṁsargaṁ vidyayālaṅkṛto 'pi san. Even he is educated, so-called educated, he's not educated. Anyone who does not know God, he's not educated, he's a rascal. This is our conclusion. Not our conclusions, this is śāstra's conclusion. So "He has got so many degrees and he's rascal and he's durjana, a bad man?" "Yes." "Why?" Now maṇinā bhuṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayāṅkaraḥ. Suppose a serpent, he has got a gem on his head. Is it not fearful? Very good example. Suppose a snake comes here and he, it has a jewel on the head. So you'll be all safe? (laughter) No. He's dangerous.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

Therefore the challenge was that "Now explain what is dharma." So they're explaining. Mind that. They are not educated themselves, but their education is by hearing from the authority. Iti śuśruma. This is real education. Therefore Vedas' another name is śruti. Śruti means the knowledge which you receive by hearing, not by your so-called eyes or tongue. No. The tongue, you can chant what you hear. Therefore our beginning of knowledge is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Not that go to some technical college and learn it. This is also technical, transcendental technical, but the technique is first of all hear. This is technique. Not take a hammer and understand. This is hearing. This technology begins by hearing. Just like you have come here kindly and hearing. This is the technology, beginning of transcendental knowledge or spiritual knowledge. So here also these Yamadūtas said, "We have heard it from the authority." That is perfection.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

Therefore the conclusion is if you act spiritually, then it is bhadrāṇi, or auspicious. If you act materially, on the bodily concept of life, that is inauspicious. This is the conclusion. And that is being watched by the authorities, as we have already explained, the witnesses. God is the original chastiser or awarder, but there are so many witnesses. That we have already discussed. Sūryaḥ agniḥ khaṁ marud devaḥ somaḥ. Everywhere it is thoroughly watched. So we must be very careful that we have got this human form of body—how to act? The act means first of all you know what is your position. That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "Your position is that you are not this body. Your position is that you are the proprietor of the body, you are spirit soul." So if people are not educated on this understanding, that the soul is different from body, that is... The beginning of education is wrong. Therefore whatever further advancement of so-called education is wrong, because the basic principle is wrong.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:

It is called śilpa. Śilpa-vidyā, brahma-vidyā. Vidyā means brahma-vidyā. Therefore, in the Vedic society, education was meant for the brāhmaṇas. Education was not meant for the śūdras. Education was meant for the brāhmaṇas, and partially of the kṣatriyas, neither of the vaiśyas nor of the śūdras. What education? Vaiśyas livelihood is, or his occupational duty is, how to produce food, how to give protection to the cows, and if there is excess stock, how to trade with it. So anyone can learn by seeing only. It doesn't require any high education. If the father is tilling the field, the son can learn it by seeing it. If the father... Just like in Vṛndāvana, we... Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was going to tend the cows and calves of Nanda Mahārāja. There was no education. It can be learned simply by seeing others doing that. So at the present moment education means many Indians are coming to America to learn how to polish motorcar parts or how to create technology. So this is not education. This is not ed... But the Europeans and Americans, they are going to India for learning brahma-vidya. That is education.

Lecture on SB 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975:

So this is possible. Therefore the government, the father, the guru and the guardian—the everyone should try to make his dependent how he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the duty. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important, because the human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This is the only process. You cannot stop... But they do not know that this birth and death can be stopped. They are so rascal, they are so foolish, that they do not believe, neither they believe in the next birth, neither they have any idea how to stop death or stop next birth. No education. Throughout the whole world there is no education, there is no science. They are callous. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mūḍha.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:

That is the position at the present moment, that people are not educated to distinguish or to become pious. They are not educated. They are being... Now, at the present moment, education means you learn technology and learn how to earn money, and then, after earning money, you spend it for sense gratification: eating meat, eating wine, going to the brothel, prostitute. This is modern civilization. So therefore it is the civilization of paśu, animal civilization, polished animal. It is not civilization. It is the duty of the guardian, father, guru, government or elderly relative. Everyone should be compassionate with the dependent. The father should be compassionate to the children, that "My children, they have come to me. They are now innocent. If I do not train them nicely..." What kind of training? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. That is the duty of the father, of the guru, how to save the dependent from the clutches of death. This is the duty. The government also. Because death is sure. As soon as we get this material body, the death is sure.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

Reading is also smaraṇam. That śravaṇam, kīrtanam, smaraṇam. It is clear? Śravaṇam means hearing, kīrtanam means chanting, and smaraṇam. When you read, you remember God's activities, Kṛṣṇa's activities, His devotee's activities. Therefore it is smaraṇam. This is also one of the prescribed methods. But if anyone cannot read even... Suppose if he is not educated, illiterate. Does it mean that he will not get Kṛṣṇa consciousness? He will get, simply by hearing. The process is so perfect and nice, there is no need of education even. Illiterate person, simply if he gives aural reception submissively, he will get the benefit. Therefore it is universal. It is good for everyone—educated, noneducated, learned, fool, rich, poor, everyone. Man, woman, child, adult—everyone can take part and take benefit out of it. It is so nice.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

Vedic mantra says that tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Paramaṁ padam, the highest perfection of life, is to understand Viṣṇu or God. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. In order to reach that goal, they are always looking after that. Just like in darkness you are walking on the road. The cynosure of the neighboring eyes. You see the stars. Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the Pole Star, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster. The same example we can give. If you do not know that the Pole Star, then you may be misdirected. Just like Columbus, he came to America, or many, there are many navigators. If they miss that, misses that Pole Star, then they will be misdirected. Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

As I have explained, that, there are 8,400,000 species of life. But unfortunately, there is no proper education how the living entity, what is that living entity and how it is transmigrating from one body to another? Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says, the authoritative knowledge, that, as the soul, dehi, the proprietor of the body. We do not know whether I am this body or I am the proprietor of this body. That knowledge is also lacking. Big, big professors, they do not know. I was talking in Moscow, one big professor, Professor Kotofsky, he said: "Swamijī, after this body's finished, everything is finished." This is their knowledge. Blunt knowledge. No, it is not finished. We get from the Vedic literature, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Nityo śāśvato yaṁ na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. The soul is eternal. Soul is eternal and soul does not take birth. The body, we get a new body, that is called birth. And when this body is annihilated, that is called death. So birth and death is in reference with the body, not with the soul.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

So we have to take advantage. That is explained in the first verse by... Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "This human form of body, it is very rarely obtained. It is not to be misused." That is the first knowledge. But people are not educated in that way. They are encouraged that go on, sense enjoyment: "Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy." Some rascal comes, so he also says, "All right, go on. Enjoy. Simply meditate for fifteen minutes." But actually, this body is not meant for aggravating sense enjoyment. We require sense enjoyment because that is a demand of the body. If we want to keep body in healthy condition, then the demands of the body—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—must be provided. But it should not be aggravated. Therefore in the human form of life, tapasya. Tapasya means austerity, penance, vows. These are the teachings of all scriptures. Either you take Hindu scripture or Christian scripture or Muhammadan scripture, in every scripture human form of life is meant for training. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Lord Ṛṣabha, He instructed His boys. He had one hundred children, boys. So He instructed them, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear boys, this form, human form of life, although it is a body, but this body is in human society." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means Nṛ means man. "So when the body is obtained in the human society, not in the dog society, not in the cat society, that body is not meant for simply working very hard and ultimate sense gratification." That's all.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

This word you won't find in the Vedic literature. Varnāśrama. This is real Vedic system, varṇāśrama. And human life begins when one observes the varṇāśrama regulations. Varnāśrama. Human life means to elevate oneself to spiritual consciousness or God consciousness. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim... (break)

...is the life. Because there is no education, there is no Bhāgavata-dharma preaching, people are kept completely in darkness. This is modern civilization. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. In this age, first of all, the duration of life is very small. Although in Kali-yuga one is destined to live up to hundred years, but they, with the progress of Kali-yuga, the duration of age will be decreased. Nowadays, nobody lives for hundred years. If one is eighty years old he is supposed to be very old man.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

The so-called economic development may be temporary. Actually, you cannot improve. We can see practically, so many people, in big, big cities, they are trying to develop their economic condition to improve their status of life, but do you think that everyone is successful? In big, big cities, in our country India, Calcutta, Bombay, at least, we have seen it that everyone, there are so many millions of people, they are trying, but still you'll find somebody is living in palace building and somebody is living in slum. "Everyone has got equal chance in big, big cities. They can improve." No. That is not possible. In Western countries, when I did not come to your country I thought USA or in Europe, there is no poor man. I was thinking like that. But when I came, I actually saw there are so many poor men. Why they could not take advantage of the facilities in the Western countries and be equal? No, that is not possible. According to the nature's arrangement, there are three modes of condition: sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So every one of us is under either of these sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So always you'll find three classes of men, first-class, second-class, third-class. Also fourth-class, fifth-class. But we are taking the first three. Or, in other words, some class richer, some class middle class men, and poor men. Everywhere you'll find, all over the world. Either in USA or in Europe or in India. You cannot change that. That is not possible. But because we are not educated in the aim, understanding what is the aim of life, we are misled.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Toronto, June 21, 1976:

Vinā paśughnāt. Paśughnāt means the slayer (indistinct), killer of animals. Or killer of himself. Paśughnāt. So paśu means life. So they are killing. So this civilization is a killing civilization. Because the human being has got the opportunity for get out of this bhavam-āśritaḥ, this material world where he has to take birth and death, accept birth and death again and again. So this is an opportunity to get out of it. But they are not being properly educated. They are being forced to accept this chronic disease and suffer perpetually. This is the modern civilization.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Toronto, June 21, 1976:

So now, we find from the Bhagavad-gītā, there are three words. Sanātanaḥ, eternal, is used there. First thing is this jīva, these living entities, they have been described as sanātanaḥ. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). We are living entities, sanātanaḥ. It is not that we have become jīva-bhūtaḥ by the influence of māyā. We have put ourself in the influence of māyā; therefore we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Actually we are sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. Nityo śāśvata. Jivātmā is described: nityo śāśvato yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That is sanātana. So we are so less intelligent that if I am eternal, sanātana, I have no birth and death, why I have been put into this tribulation of birth and death? This is called brahma-jijñāsā. But we are not educated. But we should be educated. At least we should take advantage of this instruction. We are sanātana. And another world is there, mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). This material world is manifested, and background of this is the total material energy, mahāt-tattva. That is not manifested. So vyakto 'vyaktāt. Beyond this there is another nature, a spiritual nature, sanātana. That is called sanātana.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- Vrndavana, December 8, 1975:

So those who are ajitātmanaḥ, although they have got one hundred years' age, still, fifty years they are wasting at least because they will sleep at night twelve hours. So fifty years wasted. And the other fifty years? That will be described in the next verse: twenty years by sporting, because a man, a boy, up to... It is natural, every country. They are students. Instead of becoming brahmacārī... Brahmacārī guru-gṛhe vasan dāntaḥ. Instead of becoming śānta, dānta, very peaceful, they are indulging in sporting. This is introduced in India also. I have seen in Calcutta many young men. At twelve o'clock, no, they are playing football. Why? There is no engagement. What he'll do? Unemployment. There is no employment. Because education means to become servant, to write one application and go office to office: "Sir, give me some service." "No, no, no. No vacancy. Get out." This is education. After taking the M.A., B.A. degrees, they have no employment.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

The balance ten years, because the whole life we have spoiled in material activities, in the balance, ten years are wasted: "What I have done, and how to pull on? Oh, this was not successful. How I have to make successful? This boy was not educated. That boy was not properly brought up. He has gone out home...," so many anxieties. That means if we do not practice from childhood, then in the advanced age it is not possible. That is the proposal of Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

So fifty years out of one hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping. And then balance fifty years, twenty years in childhood and youthhood, sporting, playing; another twenty years in old age... Jarayā grasta. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). These are inevitable. As birth is inevitable, death is inevitable, similarly, old age is inevitable. So in this way our time is wasted because we do not know how valuable this human form of life is. There is no such education. They think human life is as cheap as dog's life, but factually it is not. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). One gets this human form of life, 8,400,000 species of life, especially advanced life, the Aryan civilization... Aryan means advanced, advanced in spiritual knowledge. The materialists, they claim Aryan only from the bodily conception, but that is not the fact. Anyone who is advanced in spiritual life, they are called Aryans. Anārya-juṣṭam. Arjuna was chastised by Kṛṣṇa that "You are talking like non-Aryan." Anārya-juṣṭam.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:

So this is human civilization. Gṛhastha. That also allowed only for a few years. Not few years. Formerly, as we have calculated that people used to live for hundred years, so twenty-four years, twenty-five years, brahmacārī; twenty-five years, gṛhastha; twenty-five years, vānaprastha; and last twenty-five years, sannyāsa. Ultimately sannyāsī, training. So in these four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa, in three āśramas, there is no sex life. Brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Only gṛhastha allowed sex life. That is also restricted only for begetting children. So in the Vedic civilization sex life is actually denied. Only in gṛhastha life with the restriction. Not that whenever I like. No. That is bondage. So long we'll be attached to sex life, then we'll have to accept this material body. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). We should remember this. But what will be the effect unless we are trained up? People are not educated what is the value of life, how life should be conducted, what is the aim of life. But everything can be done. It is no difficulty.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

But unfortunately, there is no such education. So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are trying to give this education, a standard education, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasyājānato vidvāṁś

cakre satvata-saṁhitām

(SB 1.7.6)

Poor people, they do not know what is their self-interest, what is the aim of life. Therefore Vyāsadeva he is called vidvāṁs. Vidvāṁs means very learned. He has compiled the śāstra. Anartha, unnecessarily want. Wants we have increased. Now we, instead of wasting our time for increasing our unnecessary needs of life, we shall be satisfied with the bare necessities of life. Eating, sleeping, mating, we can minimize it. But don't, we don't say that you starve, you keep your body uncomfortably, and then fall sick, and then your Kṛṣṇa conscious business is hampered.

Lecture on SB 7.6.11-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 27, 1976:

The basic principle of instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja began that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning of life, the children should be educated about bhāgavata-dharma. If they are not educated from the very beginning of life, these are the chances of forgetting. Forgetting means to be subjected to the waves of māyā. There are different phases of māyā. One is attached to the family or he's attached to the animals, one is attached to the country, society, so on, so on. The attachment of this material world, it may be in different names. But the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means detachment. Therefore they are so nicely described here by Prahlāda. The real business is detachment of this material world. So long we'll have a pinch of attachment with this material world enjoyment, there is no possibility of perfection. For that pinch of little attachment, and we have to accept a body. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And as soon as we get body we become involved with so many things that we are preparing another next life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:

Go into the room and you'll find." So they found a bunch of pomegranate just fresh taken from the tree. This is called prāpti. The yogis, they can get all these facilities. Prāpti siddhi. Īśitā, they can keep anyone under his control. Īśitā, vaśitā... There are eight kinds of aṣṭa-siddhi. But that is not perfection of life. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmi-sakali "aśānta" kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva "śānta" (CC Madhya 19.149). Bhukti means karmis, they are also wanting something, material success. Mukti, the jñānīs, they want liberation, to merge into the existence of Brahman. And siddhi, the yogis... So everyone wants something. Therefore they then you have to struggle for it. But kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. They simply want to be en-gaged in the service of the Lord. That is their satisfaction. That is the aim of life. Unfortunately we are not educated, we are not given training. Prahlāda Mahārāja's subject matter is kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning of life, the children should be educated in bhāgavata-dharma. That is the subject matter.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

He was first-class devotee, maha-bhāgavata. That is possible. The devotional service is nothing material. It is spiritual. So there is nothing impossible, impossible. That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlāda Mahārāja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. Bhakti does not depend on the age. Bhakti depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. Ahaituky apratihatā. First of all, bhakti must be without any motive, without any motive of personal sense gratification. That is real bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). We have to make all our desires zero. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. People are trying to understand the whole creation by knowledge, but bhakti does not depend on knowledge. Jñāna-karma... Or karma. Karma means fruitive action. Not that because you are a very big businessman, you are very successful, therefore it will be easy for you to understand Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not possible. Or if you think one is very poor in knowledge, lowborn, no education, still he can understand bhakti and Lord, provided he is pure devotee.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:

So these little boys who are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja mahā-bhāgavata, he is also playing the part of a child, immediately falling down, so these children who are here, even imitation, it will not go in vain. Kṛṣṇa is so kind as it is said here, sva-pāda-mūle-patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ. Although they are innocent children, but when they're offering obeisances to Rādhā-Mādhava it is of value, "Yes, very good." It is going to their credit. It is not bad. Some may think that these boys are brought here and their life is being spoiled. They are not being educated in the modern way, they're simply chanting, dancing and offering, but that is the real education, tan manye adhitam uttamam, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Śravaṇām kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyām (SB 7.5.23), the devotional service. Tan manye adhītam uttamam, they are being first-class educated, these boys, they, simply by chanting and dance. Don't be disturbed that "My child is not being educated." What is this education? This education, this bodily concept of life, it is not education. That "I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am white," "I am black." This education, the whole world this education is going on, nationalism. In the name of nationalism, communism, socialism. They are all bodily concept of life. That is not education.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

So bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha pāya. Yathā kevala-bhaktyaiva gajendrāya tuṣṭuyavaḥ (?). The example is Gajendra, the elephant. It was not even a human being. Now, how he satisfied? You have seen that picture of, that... Here I don't find that picture in my apartment, that a calf is by the side of Kṛṣṇa, and it is trying to lick up the body of Kṛṣṇa like this, and Kṛṣṇa is embracing immediately. What this animal has got? No education, no strength, no beauty—nothing of the sort. Simply he has got the feeling: "My Lord, I love You." That's all. Bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya. So this is the universal form of spiritualism, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone... It is practical. All my students here in the Western world, America and Canada and other parts, none of them are either Hindus or Indians. I think I have... I have got only one or two Indian disciples in these parts. And all of them, they are foreigners. They belong to foreign religion. They belong to foreign country. How they are understanding? Do you mean to say these educated boys are dancing and chanting without understanding? Are they fools? No. They are realizing bhaktyā, because they have adopted the means of bhakti. Bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

This is education. Where is that education? Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu? All women mother. Where is that education? There is no education. Therefore in this age practically everyone is a mūḍha, not educated. He does not know how to look upon woman. Woman should be looked as mother. Still in India, a unknown woman should be addressed, "Mother." They have introduced now in the northern India, bahinjī (?). No, this was not the etiquette. "Mātājī." This is Indian culture, not bahinjī (?). This has been introduced now. No. Mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā (SB 9.19.17). Woman's connection with man is as mother, as sister or as daughter. No other relationship. This is Indian culture.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

The fact is that these fools, these rascals who are thinking that this world is for their enjoyment, this money belongs to him... It is stated here, aviduṣaḥ. Aviduṣaḥ means rascal, without any education. Without any education. They have got all these university degrees and without education? Yes. Why? Because they have no spiritual education. So aviduṣaḥ. So mānaṁ janam aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. When Kṛṣṇa says or God says that "Give Me this...," Just like He is begging from Bali Mahārāja, Vāmanadeva, "My dear King, will you give Me a little land?" So his spiritual master, he was a demon. He forbade Bali Mahārāja not to promise, because He is Viṣṇu. "He'll take everything from you." That's a nice story. Some of you know how Bali Mahārāja became a great devotee of the Lord. Now here it is stated that mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. Whatever He wants from any person, provided he is a devotee... The Lord does not accept anything from nondevotee. That is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says—we have already discussed about this—that it doesn't require any qualification. To pacify, to please, to satisfy the Lord, you don't require any pre-qualification: oh, you have to pass your examination in the university, or you have to become a rich man like Rockefeller or Ford, or you have to become this or that... No condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa, there is no check. There is no check. The road is open. Simply you have to become sincere. That's all. Then Kṛṣṇa will clear the way. And if there is no sincerity, then Kṛṣṇa's māyā is there. He'll always, she'll always put some stumbling block: "Not this, not this, not this." So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided that "Although I am a child, I have no education, I have no studies of the Vedas, and born of atheistic father, lowborn, so all bad qualification... So God is worshiped by highest intellectual persons, offering Vedic hymns, and brāhmaṇas, highly cultured. So I have no such qualification. But still, all these demigods who are so highly elevated in their position, they have requested me. That means God can be pacified even by me. Otherwise how they recommend? So whatever qualification I have got, whatever intelligence I have got, I may offer Kṛṣṇa." Therefore our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is like this, that whatever qualification you have got, that is sufficient.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

So he says, mahi gṛṇāmi: "I shall simply..." You can pray. Anyone can pray. It does not require any education. If you simply feel, "Oh, God is so great. Oh, He has created the sun. He has created this moon. Oh, He has created the ocean. He has created this air. He has created so many fruits, so many flowers." Go on. You don't require any education. Simply try to understand how great God is. There is no other education required. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. He says that "I am the taste in the water." Who does not take water? Water is our life. So when you take water, quench your thirst, you can immediately thank God because that taste is God. So immediately you can remember, "O my dear Lord, You have created so nice thing, water. Oh, I am so thirsty. It is quenching my thirst. Thank You." Is it very difficult? But the nonsense, they will not do even this. They'll say, "Oh, God is dead." Therefore we are suffering. We are so ungrateful that we even do not give thanks. In the ordinary way, if somebody gives me a glass of water when I am thirsty—it is etiquette—I say, "Thank you.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

Who is a paṇḍita? Paṇḍita means one who has learned how to see other women, means except one's wife, anyone, any woman-mother. He's paṇḍita. Where is that education? Where is that education? No. But these children will be educated in that way, to see all woman as mother. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. Para-dravyeṣu: other's property as garbage in the street. Nobody touches. That is paṇḍita. He'll not touch even anything. Even valuable jewel is lying on the street, a paṇḍita will say, "I shall not touch it." This is a moral education. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. Ātmavat. If you feel some pain by pinching, why should you pinch others? And that is paṇḍita. If you cry when your throat is cut with a knife, why you should slaughter other animals? Therefore Lord Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." But these people are so uneducated. In spite of their Ph.D.s, they have no, this simple education, that "I suffer when I am killed. Why I shall kill others?" This is the modern education, all nonsense rascals' education. This is not education.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

So one has to learn this. But they cannot learn because they do not undergo austerity. That is the defect. No education is there how to perform austerity. Therefore Vedic civilization is how to teach small children austerities. That is brahmacārī. So we want to start this brahmacārī āśrama, or gurukula, to learn austerity from the beginning of life. Then their life will be successful. They'll understand. Not to become a grammarian. That is not our... So we should take lesson from Brahmājī, our grandfather, that pariśuddha-bhāvāḥ tīvra-tapasā. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, mercy, that we haven't got to undergo tīvra-tapasā. But we are thinking, "This is also very difficult." What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. But they are taking it very, very severe. What is the severity? We don't say "No sex," but "No illicit sex." This much tapasya, austerity, you cannot follow? Tapasya must be there. Unless you undergo tapasya, there is no rescue. Even Brahmā had to perform tapasya, what to speak of us. You cannot avoid it. Tapasā brahmacaryena (SB 6.1.13). Tapasya begins from brahmacarya: no illicit sex, no sex. But that is not possible. At least stop illicit sex. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). This is very important thing.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

Then next stage is that "I am spirit soul, and I am fallen down in this condition. Now I have realized. But wherefrom I am coming?" That is next research work. And then, when he understands by studying ourself and when he understands from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa said, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), "I am a jīva, living entity. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," this realization... Brahman realization, Para-brahman realization. Then "I am living force. Then what is my duty?" The duty is the small must render service to the great. This is bhakti. This is bhakti. You analyze simply. It is the most perfect science, bhakti-yoga. That is natural, bhakti-yoga. It is not artificial. Jñāna, karma or yoga, they are all artificial. Simply Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from this point, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).

So if you understand and you begin to serve Kṛṣṇa, then there is no need of studying Vedas or this or that. Here it is said, vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt. "No more education. Bās. First-class education I have got. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

So similarly, we in this material world, without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are all mad, forgetful. This disease has to be cured. The best medicine is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nature's way, we have got this human form of life, but because on account of lack of proper education, we remain in forgetful condition from the animal life. But there is chance. That is said in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. These rascals, from time immemorial they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. And just to remind him, these Vedas, the Purāṇas, they are there.

But there is no education of these Vedas and Purāṇas. They are interested in Freud philosophy, Darwin's theory, all this nonsense. The Vedas, Purāṇas, are there; they are neglectful. But the rascal philosophy, they are interested. Their life is spoiled. This is spoiling civilization. One has got the opportunity of understanding himself. He has forgotten himself, and there is bona fide literature how to understand himself. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta is there: "Now you inquire what you are." The inquiry must be there. Unless you inquire, automatically it will not be, because God has given you independence. Very little independence, but we are misusing. We are misusing. Therefore unless by using properly our little independence we accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, and surrender unto Him, there is no liberation. Kṛṣṇa can force you, but He does not do that. Because you have misused your independence—you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa—again you have to use properly your independence and accept Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. That is wanted. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Prahlāda Mahārāja also says that, viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād. Even though he is qualified, but he is not a devotee. Generally, those who are very highly qualified brāhmaṇa, they are very proud, and they do not become a devotee, generally. "Oh, devotion, this is for poor man. This is for those who are not highly educated, for them. They are chanting, dancing." They criticize like that. But actually that is not the fact. Jīva Gosvāmī was the most learned scholar. Rūpa Gosvāmī was most learned scholar. All the... Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, the most learned scholars. His one description of the Bhāgavata śloka. What is that śloka? Ātmārāmāś ca munayo. He explained in sixty-four ways to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was very proud of his knowledge. He was a great scholar, Bṛhaspati. He is considered to be incarnation of Bṛhaspati, the learned scholar of heaven. And still, when he argued with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu about Vedānta-sūtra, he was defeated. He was defeated and then he became His disciple. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had talks with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, another Māyāvādī sannyāsī scholar. So He also explained Vedānta-sūtra.

Lecture on SB Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1972:

So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We get this chance, and if we are not educated by our teachers, by our fathers, by our leaders, by our government men, by our gurus, by our relatives, how to accept the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense engagement, trying to become Kṛṣṇa or God. Give up this. Surrender unto Me"... This is education. This is education. The father should give education at home. The leaders should give education in institution. The politician should give education in their assemblies, congress. The guru should give education how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The father should educate. The mother should educate. Therefore Bhāgavata says, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta. Guru na sa syāt jananī na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. There are some negative definition, that there are so-called gurus, so-called swamis, but Bhāgavata says that "You should not become a swami or guru. Kindly don't become if you cannot save your disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death." Guru na sa syāt. This is the injunction.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

But India still, although it is so fallen, you go to a remote village. A common man, he has no education. He believes. He believes. And here in the western countries, I saw many many big, big professors. They have no idea. I met one big professor, Kotovsky, in Moscow. He said, "Swamijī, after finishing this body, everything is finished." Just see. He is a big professor and in charge of a very big department, Indology. He has no idea. But this is not the fact. The fact is that we are all sparks, spiritual spark, part and parcel of God. Somehow or other, we have come into this material world for sense enjoyment. In the spiritual world there is no sense enjoyment. There is sense purification. In the material world the senses are impure. They simply want to enjoy material things. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you have to purify your senses. That is the way.

Page Title:	No education (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:	Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:	13 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=143, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:	143