Not Happy (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

Arjuna was insulted. Arjuna was taken away all his belongings. Arjuna was banished for thirteen years. His wife was insulted. So many atrocities was done to him. Still, when the question of killing came, he was not very happy: "No." This is Vaiṣṇava. This is Vaiṣṇava. He is ready to excuse even the greatest enemy.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Kṛṣṇa, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittāni viparītāni. You are misleading me." Nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittāni ca viparītāni paśyāmi. "No, no." Na ca śaknomy avasthātum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ (BG 1.30). "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

The father was not very much attached to the eldest queen. The father was attached to the junior queen. And the junior queen was very proud that "The king is in my hand." So she insulted. The father was not happy. The... Although Dhruva Mahārāja was born of the eldest queen... And it is sometimes liking. So that does not mean he did not like his son. So he wanted to sit down on the lap of his father and the stepmother insulted. So he took it very seriously. And he wanted to have the kingdom. This is arthārthī. He wanted something. And his mother advised that "You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. He can fulfill your desire." So therefore ārtaḥ arthārthī. He was distressed; at the same time, he wanted a kingdom by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That was his purpose. So because he went to worship Kṛṣṇa for some material benefit, he is to be taken as pious.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

This machine has been given by Kṛṣṇa to me because I desired that "If I get a machine like a human body, then I can enjoy like this." So Kṛṣṇa fulfills your desire: "All right." And if I think, "If I get a machine in which I can directly suck blood of other animal," "All right," Kṛṣṇa says, "you take the machine of a tiger's body and use it." So this is going on. Therefore His name is Hṛṣīkeśa. And when we understand properly that "I am not the proprietor of this body. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the body. I wanted a certain type of body to use it for my sense gratification. He has given it and I am not happy. Therefore I shall learn how to use this machine for the proprietor," this is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Because Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the senses—He is the proprietor of this body—so when this body will be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service, that is our perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

At least, he ought to have known. He is friend. And he knows that Kṛṣṇa is accepted... "Although He is acting as my friend, but by great authorities Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That was known to Arjuna. So he said that "I'm so much puzzled that I cannot understand. Even accepting that I shall be victorious in this battle, still I shall not be happy. What to speak of being victorious on this planet, if I become the king of all other planets or if I become a demigod in the higher planetary system, still this distress cannot be mitigated." You see?

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

Prabhupāda: Just like at Vṛndāvana, at Vṛndāvana... That is practical. Now here I am sitting, New York, a very great, the world's greatest city, so magnificent city, but my heart is always hankering after that Vṛndāvana.

Woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I am not happy here.

Woman: Yes, I know.

Prabhupāda: I shall be very happy to return to my Vṛndāvana, that sacred place. "But then why you are...?" Now, because it is my duty. I have brought some message for you people. Because I am ordered by superior, my spiritual master, that "Whatever you have learned, you should go to the Western countries, and you must distribute this knowledge." So in spite of all my difficulties, all my inconveniences, I am here because I am in duty. I, I... That is my personal convenience, if I go and sit down at Vṛndāvana, I shall be very comfortable there. And I'll be, I'll have no anxiety, nothing of the sort. You see? But I have taken all the risk in the old age because I am in duty-bound. I am in duty-bound. So I have to execute my duty in spite of all my inconveniences. That is the idea.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's son, directly. If the son is in difficulty, the father suffers also. Although father directly has no suffering... Suppose a son has become mad, or nowadays hippy. The father is very sorry that "My son is not living like a gentleman. He is living like a," what is called, "wretch." So father is not happy. Similarly, we conditioned souls in this material world, we are suffering so much, living like wretches and rascals. So Kṛṣṇa is not happy. Therefore He comes personally to teach us, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7).

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

If a person is actually executing devotional service, then he must be happy. If he's not happy, then he's not doing properly. So first thing is this. He might be doing something in the name of devotional service. If he's actually rendering devotional service, then he must be feeling. Just like if you are eating actually, then you must feel strength and satisfaction of your hunger. You cannot say, "I'm eating, but I'm not satisfied of my hunger." That is impossible. This is not possible. Then you are not eating.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

So utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt. The first principle is one must be very enthusiastic. He must believe that Kṛṣṇa has said that, na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, "My devotee will never be vanquished." So "Let me becomes Kṛṣṇa's devotee sincerely. I must become Kṛṣṇa's devotee sincerely." This is called enthusiasm. Then dhairyāt. "I have become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, but still I'm not feeling happy. How is that?" So therefore you have to become patient. The enthusiasm must be there, you must be patient also. And niścayāt. Niścayāt means you must be confident. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has said that His devotee will never be vanquished, so surely I shall not be vanquished, even though I don't feel now. Let me do my duty." Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. But you have to do your duties as they are prescribed. Sato vṛtteḥ. You should not... There should be no duplicity. Sato vṛtteḥ means plain dealing, straight dealing. Sato vṛtteḥ, and sādhu-saṅge, and in the company of devotees. So one must be enthusiastic, one must be patient, one must be confident, one must execute the duties, one must associate with devotees, and one must be very honest in dealing. Six things. If these six things are there, sure success.

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

I have got my love. That is a fact. But I do not know where to repose that love. That is my misfortune. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You have got prema. You apply it to Me. Then you'll be benefited." Prema is already there. You are simply misusing it. Therefore you are not happy. This is the process. Prema, you have got. But you are misusing it. But if you take Kṛṣṇa's word, that "Give your prema unto Me..." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the beginning of prema. "Always think of Me." I think of my son. I think of my child. I think of my wife. Because there is prema.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:

The same example, within the cage there is the bird. If you simply wash the cage very nicely and cover it and paint it and the bird within the cage is crying, starving... What is this civilization? Similarly, we spirit soul, we have been encaged within this body, so our natural aspiration is to get freedom from this encagement. As much as the bird is struggling to get freedom from the cage. Similarly, we are also, we are not happy being encaged. Yesterday we learned from Bhagavad-gītā soul's position is sarva-gataḥ. Soul can go anywhere. That is, it has got the freedom. Those who are spiritually advanced by yogic mystic power, they can also move anywhere he likes. Aṇimā, laghimā siddhi. There are still yogis in India who early in the morning takes bath in four dhāmas: Hardwar, Jagannātha Purī, Rāmeśvaram, and Dvārakā.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

It is not possible. But he accepted guru, Nārada, Nārada Muni. When, after compiling all the Vedas, and Purāṇas, even Vedānta-sūtra, Vyāsadeva was not satisfied himself, he was seeming very morose, at that time, his spiritual master, Nārada, came, and he asked that "Why you are morose? You have done so much nice literary work. So why you are not very happy?" So Vyāsadeva replied, "Yes, my lord, I am actually not happy, but I cannot understand why I'm not happy. So you know everything. Kindly describe why I'm not happy." So at that time, Nārada replied him that "All the literatures you have so far made, they are with reference to the body and the mind. You have nothing described very nicely about the Supreme Soul. So now you try to describe something about the Supreme Lord, about the Supreme Soul. That will make you happy." Therefore he described the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the history of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And his last contribution was mature contribution was Vedānta-sūtra. So from the Vedānta-sūtra, he began writing Śrīmad-Bhāgavata: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. He said, in a different language, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

So for these classes of men, Mahābhārata was composed by Vyāsadeva. In this way he compiled so many literatures, but he was not happy. So Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, advised him to describe the activities of the Lord. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that connection he says that some way or other, if somebody becomes in connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, and acts in that spirit, that is never lost. The action of Kṛṣṇa conscious activities will never be lost. That is the purport of this verse. Just like I am doing very large-scale business in my present body. I am earning... Just like Rockefeller, Ford, in your country. In our country also, Birla. There are many big industrialists earning money like anything, hoarding money.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Our present position is that we are not happy. We are always full of anxieties. That is our present position. Now, here just the opposite word is used that yayā ātmā suprasīdati. If you want to actually, if you want actually to make yourself jolly, full of happiness, then you should search out your occupation in such a way that it will lead you to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means the highest, or the transcendent. We are engaged in some, in some sort of activities. Nobody is free from activities. Even a ant, an ant, it is also engaged in activity. And the elephant. Ant is the most, I mean to..., according to our vision, the ant is very small and the elephant is very big.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Therefore our material senses are awarded: "All right, you enjoy. You just have experience of this material world, and when you get experience that 'I am not happy,' then you shall come back again to Me." So senses are actually meant for rendering service to the Lord. Senses. Because I am eternally, eternally... And senses, the senses belong to the Supreme Lord. Just like this is, this is my spectacle. So it should be used for my purpose. Similarly, our senses, they, actually they are not our. Just like this room, this loft. This loft, we are sitting. It is all right. But the loft belongs to the, some lady, some landlady. We should be always conscious of that. There is no harm in using it so long with that consciousness. But if I think, "Oh, this is my loft. I haven't got to pay the rent. I am the proprietor," then whole trouble begins. The whole trouble begins. Otherwise, so long we are conscious that "This, this... I am, I am, I have given, rented out this loft for my use. That's all right, but I am not the proprietor.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

Similarly, by establishing a godless civilization we are not happy. We are not happy, just like the same way, not supplying foodstuff to the stomach, we are thinking of becoming happy. No, that cannot be. If the senses of the body, parts of the body want to become happy, then he, the senses and the parts of the body, they have to supply foodstuff to the stomach. Similarly, if you want to be happy in this world, there is no alternative without, I mean to say, performing sacrifices. That is recommended here.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Actually human life is meant for solving this problem, not this temporary problem. Temporary problem will go on. If you don't solve this problem, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, then any form of life, there will be problems. Even if you are elevated to the heavenly planets, there are also problems. Indra is not very happy there, the king of heavenly planet. Although the higher planets, the duration of life, the standard of civilization, standard of comforts many, many thousand times greater than here, but the same problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi—is there. You cannot avoid it.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

I shall give you very nice fruits. I shall talk with you," and so many things. But the bird says, "No, I want to go away. I want to go away." "No, I shall give you a golden cage. You don't go away." So he says, "No, no. I don't like golden cage. I want freedom." So that was talk. So similarly, if a bird is kept in golden cage and if golden foodstuff is supplied to him, it is not happy. It is not possible. Similarly we are spirit soul. Any amount of material happiness will never make me happy. That is a fact. But due to our ill faith, we do not know what is happiness. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the ultimate aim of life, what is the goal of life. They are trying to be happy with this matter, and the material happiness means sex life, and they are trying to squeeze the sex life in different ways.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Just like Arjuna, he was very much painful to kill his kinsmen, but for Kṛṣṇa's sake he agreed. That is tapasya. It was not very happy for him to kill his grandfather and nephews, but for Kṛṣṇa he accepted. That is tapasya. So people cannot understand, "Oh, he was a fighter. How he was a tapasvī?" But that is... Anything which you do not like, but for Kṛṣṇa's sake if you accept, that is tapasya. Because your, the central point is, you love Kṛṣṇa; therefore you have sacrificed. The point is that for Kṛṣṇa's sake, you are voluntarily accepting this inconvenience. That is tapasya. And as soon as you become tapasvī, your whole existentional condition becomes purified. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1). So there is a link between one Vedic literature to another. There is no contradiction. But different things are there for different classes of men. But this is for the highest class. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3). That is the highest position.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Prabhupāda: So similarly, when he finds that he is suffering on account of his being disobedient to the father, and he rectifies himself, he becomes happy. So you, first of all try to understand why you are suffering, and in human form of life you can rectify, why you are suffering. And then you become again happy. God has not made you unhappy. You became disobedient. You wanted to enjoy life in a certain way. God has given you the chance, all right, you do it. But you are not happy. Huh? God does not want you to become happy, therefore He comes, He instructs you again and again. But you do not hear. You neglect the instruction of God. There are your suffering. You come to your consciousness, become obedient to God, you will be happy. That is our propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Guest (3): I should now request you, Your Divine Grace, if God wills everything? Prabhupāda: Yes. You, without His will you cannot do anything, but first will is yours. You wanted to become like that. God has given you a body like that to enjoy, but you are not happy.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Suppose if you have got a friend, you always give him. Don't you expect something: "Oh, I give so many things to my friend. He does not offer me anything?"? Don't you feel, out of love? Father, mother, they do so many things for the children. If the children do not do anything for the father and mother, are they not happy? Are they happy? No. They are unhappy: "My children are so ungrateful."

Although He does not want—Kṛṣṇa is full in Himself—but if we supply something to Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa's good is to be supplied to Kṛṣṇa. The fruit is not produced by you. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water, and little leaf, oh, I accept." Tad aham aśnāmi, bhakty-upahṛtam: "Because he has brought with the devotion and love, I accept it." If Kṛṣṇa accepts your offering, then your life becomes sublime. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

And what are these miseries? They are called adhyātmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means miseries pertaining to this body and mind. Just like today we are feeling too hot. Why? Due to this body. And next moment I shall feel not very happy. My mind is disturbed. So there are miseries due to this body and due to the mind. This is called adhyātmika. And then again, adhibhautika. Adhibhautika. Some other living entity. Just like here, you are hearing the barking of the dog, "Gow! Gow!" always. So it is sometimes disturbing. So such kind of miseries offered by other living being is called adhibhautika. We have got so many miseries. And then adhidaivika. Daivika means miseries offered by the supernatural power. Just like there is earthquake, famine, pestilence, war. So we are always... There are three headings of miseries, and we are, either we are suffering either from the three all, or at least one. There must be. This is the nature of our life in this material existence. But we are trying to make a solution of it. That is our struggle for existence. But that solution cannot be made by our teeny brain. That solution can be made only when we take to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

That means when people become forgetful, almost forgetful. Because at least some people remember that there is God. But generally, in this age, they are forgetful. That is dharmasya glāniḥ. And by forgetting God the people cannot be happy. That is also another cause. People are thinking that "God is dead. We have no obligation to God. There is no God." This sort of thinking will never make the people happy. And actually, it is happening. They have become atheistic. The modern civilization is Godless, but people are not happy. Therefore God or His representative comes when people forget his relationship with God.

So real religion is to understand what is our relationship with God. And then the relationship is, as it is found in the Bhagavad-gītā and confirmed by great ācāryas like Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974:

Then ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is spiritual understanding. When one understands that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," and when he begins... Devotional service begins there. That will be explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Because we are in darkness, we are not prasannātmā. We are always morose. Although we are serving the country, the community, the family, or anything, but we are not happy because that is not our religion. When the same service will be converted to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then we'll be satisfied.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

So there is a very nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. A brāhmaṇa, he was a family man, just like worldly man, as we are. Now, brāhmaṇas are generally expected to be highly learned, and he was very learned man in Vedic literature. And when he came to his consciousness by reading all this Vedic literature, that "Although I am following the leadership, why I am not happy? Why I am not happy?"... This question should arise in the sane human mind. One should think that "I am following the leadership of somebody, according to my position and according to my circumstances. But still, I am not happy. Why?"

Why we select one leader? The leader should be such a leader that they shall, he shall make happy and prosperous persons who follow him. That is the question of leadership. But actually, if we think in sober mind and cool head, we can understand that although we are following leadership, may be whatever he may be, still, we are not happy. Now, the brāhmaṇa concluded that "This following leadership is the following leadership of my lust." I select one leader according to my lust.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

At least in India we have got this principle. When a girl is grown up, the father gives her in charity to a boy to protect her, protect her, give her protection. And similarly, when a woman is grown up, old enough, she becomes protected by the grown up boys, children. So this Vedic truth that a woman has no independence... She is always under the protection, either under the protection of the father or under the protection of the husband or under the protection of the grown-up sons. That is position. And woman becomes happy in that way. Those who are not following this principle, I think they are not happy. This Vedic principle is truth.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

"The spirit soul by nature is jubilant." So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is supreme living being, and we are also living being, but we are not the Supreme. Try to find out this difference. But both of us, we are of the same quality. That means jubilant. So our present position being materially contacted... Just like a man in his healthy condition, he is happy, but in his diseased condition he is not happy, similarly, we, being part and parcel of the Supreme, we are naturally jubilant, but on account of being contacted in material nature, we are morose.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Just like a woman. Natural position is to remain dependent on man. That is natural position. But if some woman artificially tries to become man or master, that is suffering. That is suffering. We have given this example that in India the women, they voluntarily surrender to the subjugation of the husband, but there are many families, hundreds and thousands even—they are happy. That's a fact. And in the Western countries they want to remain independent, so they are not happy. This is my study because I have seen the Western world and the Eastern world. Similarly, naturally, a woman is dependent.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

So when one is awakened to the full knowledge, he understands, "Oh, I am not happy. Oh, I want freedom. Oh, there is no freedom. I don't want to die, but there is death. I don't want to become old man. Oh, there is old age. I don't want diseases. Oh, there are diseases." These are the problems, but due to our ignorance we set aside all these big questions of human problems. We take a small problem as very important.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

So one who is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, fully surrendered, and one of the points of surrender is that Kṛṣṇa will protect me. Then you are happy. Just like the child. He's fully surrendered to the parents and he is confident that "My father is there, my mother is there." So he's happy. Kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ. If you know that somebody is there who is my patron, who is my savior, are you not very happy? But if you do everything on your own account, at your responseibility, are you happy? Similarly, if you are convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection" and if you are true to Kṛṣṇa, that is the standard of happiness. You cannot be happy otherwise. That is not possible. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

So because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be disconnection. Therefore it is a stage of forgetfulness. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we have expanded our love for so many things. Somebody's loving his body. Somebody's loving his family. Somebody's loving his society, community, nation, or the human society. We are trying to... We must love. There is no escape. I must love somebody, because the propensity's there. So the original love is for Kṛṣṇa. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, therefore our love is distributed in so many ways. But we are frustrated. We, we are not happy. Neither the person whom we love or the country whom we love or the society which I love, they're also not happy. Because everything is misplaced. Everything is misplaced. Just like if you water on the top of the tree or every leaf, every branch, every twig, you cannot keep the tree very fresh. But if you water on the root of the tree, it keeps fresh, always.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Why the rainy season is there? Can you answer why the rainy season is there? Why it is raining? These are periodical changes. Just like there is summer season, winter season, rainy season. Similarly, this material world is subjected to the seasons or changes. It is called jagat. Jagat means which is changing. But we do not like this changing because we are eternal. We have been put into this condition, changing condition; therefore we are not happy. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to get ourselves out of this changing condition to the eternal condition. It is very, I mean to say, what is called, intelligent question: Why there is Kali-yuga? Kali-yuga means these ages are change. Just like the same way, as there is summer season; after summer season, there is rainy season; after rainy season there is winter season. Similarly, there are four yuga, namely Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

We are in difficulties, this material life. But we have to come over. That is required. It is not that you cannot come over the difficulties. In every step of our life there are difficulties. The material life is like that. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). In every step there is danger. It is a place like that. Even if you are comfortable in a nice car, you are going, oh, there may be any moment accident. Even you are sitting here, there may be accident. So difficulties, this world is full of difficulties. One who does not understand this difficult position, he's a fool. If one thinks that "I am very comfortable," then he's a fool. This is animal life, just as animal thinks, "Oh, I am very comfortable. I am very nice." And dissatisfaction is human life. He's not happy unless he gets the greatest happiness. That is human life. And if he thinks, "Yes, I am well off. I am very happy," then he is animal. Because there is no happiness here. Full of distress. Full of miseries. How he says that "I am happy"? That means he is ignorant. So difficulties are there. You have to work out. That is the problem.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

Now, suppose if you are placed in some country where you can understand that "In this country I'll have no more death, no more miseries, no more old age, no more disease," will you not be happy? Suppose you are transferred to a country where these things are available... Oh, yes, I shall, I must be happy. If I can get some place where going I'll have not to die again or not to become old and not to have any diseases, oh, certainly I shall accept it. That is my desire, heart's desire. I want. I want that. Why you want that? Because you have got the right to have that prerogative. You have got the right. Therefore you want. You are eternal. You are blissful. You are full of knowledge. Simply you are covered by this material entanglement. Therefore you have forgotten yourself. Now, here is the chance. Here is the chance to take advantage and revive my original status of life, original status of life. Here it is clearly said, yaṁ prāpya na nivartante: "If you somehow or other can approach that spiritual atmosphere, then you haven't got to return again in this land of miseries of the atmosphere."

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

Prabhupāda: No. You are not happy. That sometimes is your imagination. Just like a diseased man says, "Oh, yes, I am well." What is that "well"? He's going to die and he's well?

Student: I don't claim any ultimate happiness...

Prabhupāda: No, you do not know what is happiness.

Student: ...(indistinct) but it's greater or lesser...

Prabhupāda: Yes. You do not know what is happiness.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

That is our duty. But if one is not interested, then the result is that aprāpya mām. "He cannot get Me." Aprāpya mām. So if we don't get Kṛṣṇa, then what is the wrong there? Very, very wrong. That Kṛṣṇa says: nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, (BG 9.3) then he remains in the cycle of birth and death. That is not very pleasing job. We are making material efforts to make nice road, nice cars, nice skyscraper building, nice other facilities of life. But why I am doing this? This is practical. If I am called by death. How, we are not very happy, "Oh, I am attempting to build this and now I am dying," this is very painful. Sometimes at the time of death, they cry, that "I could not finish my business."

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

Then there are nine holes, and then the hands and legs and everything becomes complete, and when, if he can sustain, then nature's law push him by the air, and he comes out of the mother's womb, and then again grows in different types of bodies and then he becomes old man. Then, when the body is no more usable, then the body is finished and the soul again enters another mother's body. This is called transmigration of the soul. This is going on, but this is not very happy thing. Today you may have Australian body or American body or Indian body, but when this body is finished, what is the next body you are going to get? You must have information. You are human being. But that education is not there. There is no education throughout the whole world how the soul is being transmigrated from one body to another, what body we are going to get next. This will be happy or distressful?

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

Mogha-karmāṇaḥ. Mogha-karmāṇaḥ means fruitless, baffled. Whatever they are doing, doing something, but at the end they will find it is frustration. They are not happy. Take for example we have practical experience in India. Mahatma Gandhi, he was a great worker for national emancipation. You have heard his name. But at the end he was so much disgusted—that I have seen personally—wherever he used to go, he used to plug his ears like this. Why? Now, wherever he would go, thousands of people would gather and will cry, "Mahatma Gandhi ki jaya!" So the poor fellow could not sleep even.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Because we want material happiness, therefore there is difficulty. So, material happiness, you have got experience, it cannot give us satisfaction. The big, big countries, America, in Europe, and so many, they have advanced in material happiness, but actually they are not happy. Material happiness cannot give us happiness. Happiness, when we actually come to Kṛṣṇa and love Him... Happiness means also love. Either you love your family or your country or your society or your wife, your children, by loving there is happiness. But this loving process is not giving us happiness. We are becoming frustrated. Therefore the real lovable object being Kṛṣṇa, if we make progress to that point, then we shall be happy. This is the point. Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). So if this is concluded, then where is difficulty to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is my point. Now it is concluded that if we come to Kṛṣṇa and love Him, then that is the highest perfection of our

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Everything is said there, we are discussing one point, that, one is, if we are convinced, that requires education. Love, we are being frustrated every point. Now when the perfectional point we shall come, that is by loving the original objective. There are so many examples. Just like a child, he is not happy in another woman's lap, cries. But as soon as he comes to the lap of his own mother, he's immediately happy. So, we are trying to be happy so many ways, but we are not becoming happy. When we come to the real point of loving Kṛṣṇa... Love is there. I want to love somebody, everyone, but that is not being properly utilized. Therefore we are unhappy. So when you come to the stage of loving Kṛṣṇa, then you'll become happy. This is the point. That is being instructed by our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Now to love Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa never says that "In order to love Me, you have to go to the factory or to work somewhere fifty miles away from home." He does not say all this. Simply, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. The question may be raised that if I want to love Kṛṣṇa, then how other things will go on? This question may be raised. Kṛṣṇa never says that "You have to go to the factory, earn money, and then you can love me." He never makes this condition. Is there any condition? (laughter)

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

Of course, in the modern civilization, there is no distinction between pious and impious, but, according to scripture, there are pious activities and impious activities. We are always engaged in some kind of activities, either pious or impious. If we are engaged in pious activities, then we become happy in future, not exactly happy, but a little of the upper stage than others. It is stated in the scripture that by pious activities, you can have your birth in a very good place, in a very good family. You can have, you can become highly educated. You can become very beautiful and, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Janma, just like birth in good place, in good family, good country, and aiśvarya, and wealth and opulence. And śrī means beauty. And education. These things are result of pious activities.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

So this is a great science, spiritual science. Unfortunately, we have no educational system to understand this spiritual science. And especially in this age, everything is godlessness. Therefore people are not happy. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only to make people happy by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, understanding everything in the right ways. That is our mission.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

The problems are created. Just like if I do not give food to the driver, and he is entrusted with a nice car, and he is not happy on account of not being properly taken care of, then he must create disaster. There will be car accident. So that is happening. Nobody is taking care of the driver of this body. No education is there. They are simply trying to rectify the defects in the body.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

Therefore as soon as one man gets some money, he wants to live peacefully in a country place, a nice bungalow, without any working, without any turmoil. That is our natural tendency, peaceful. But we are forced to work, especially in this modern world. So many factories, so many work, so many. Unless we work, we cannot get the so-called comforts of life. So for the comforts of life, the so-called comforts of life I shall be able to enjoy, I am forced to work day and night. And I am thinking I am happy. This is called māyā. He is not happy, but he is distressed, but he is thinking, "I am happy." This is called māyā.

So this knowledge required, that "Why I am forced?" Just like he is fanning me. Why? Because I am feeling unhappy due to warmth of this room. Then again, in winter season, I'll not like this fanning. This fanning will be uncomfortable. So a thing which is now comfortable, a few days after, it will be uncomfortable. So whether that thing is, particular thing, is comfortable or uncomfortable? The fan may be comfortable at the present moment, but if there is cold, severe cold, it will be uncomfortable. So whether the fan is comfortable or uncomfortable? The fan is neither comfortable or uncomfortable. It is the situation of my body that makes me comfortable and uncomfortable.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

Just like a child, if he's given full freedom, "All right, my dear child, whatever you like to do." So he cannot stay in one kind of engagement. Sometimes this, sometimes that, sometimes this, sometimes that. He's not happy. But if he follows the instruction of the parents, "My dear child, you do like this, you eat like," then he's happy. If he takes the freedom in his own hand, it is not possible to become happy.

Similarly Kṛṣṇa has given us a certain type of body. I am the occupier of this body. And I am enjoying.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

Otherwise there be chaos and that is the position at the present moment. People are not happy. Although there is enough money in Western countries. Enough enjoyable things. And we see in other countries like Australia and Africa, there is enough potency of producing food and grains and milk. So this rascal proposition that population has increased, there is scarcity of... These are all rascal proposition. God has enough potency to give you ten times food you want. But because we have created chaos in the world, without following the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is trouble.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

Those who are in the bodily concept of life they are thinking, "The senses are everything. So let us enjoy the senses. That is our happiness." No, that is not. Therefore we are not happy actually. Although we are trying to gratify our senses profusely, still, we are unhappy because that is not actually happiness. The actual happiness is of the soul. Unless you satisfy the soul, you cannot be happy because my real identity is the soul, not this body.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

Now, according to my whims, according to my different desires I am going deep and deep to the hellish condition of life. I am becoming the worms of the stool beginning from Brahmā. Now, if... When we have got this human form of life, we should understand, "How things are happening? How I am getting different types of body? How I am dictated according to the body and I am not happy? Now what is the reason? Then what I am? I do not want distress. Why distress is forced upon me? I do not want to die. Why death is forced upon me? I do not want to become old. I want to remain perpetually young. Why old age is forced upon me?" There are so many things. In this way, when we become intelligent enough and approach Kṛṣṇa or a Kṛṣṇa's representative, then our life becomes reformed.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes, being bothered by these rascals, that "You want from Me so many things, but you are not happy. Please, therefore, give up this business." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). "Just become... Follow Me. You'll be happy." Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Real solution is that, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you don't inquire for any other things." Why should you? All other things required by you, that is already supplied. It will be supplied. Why you bother? You just try to understand the value of your life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your only business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida: "Those who are intelligent," tasyaiva hetoḥ, "for that thing," prayateta, "endeavor." So try to get that thing. For that thing... Na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18).

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

Because the author, Vyāsadeva, after compiling Vedānta-sūtra under the instruction of Nārada Muni, his guru—Vyāsadeva's guru is Nārada Muni—he was not satisfied even after compiling Vedānta-sūtra. He was not very happy. So Nārada Muni advised him that "You should directly describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then you'll be happy. It is indirect. All the Vedic literatures, they are indirect. You directly..." Therefore Vyāsadeva took Vedānta-sūtra and from the very beginning of Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), he commented on the Vedānta-sutra. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayad itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ/ tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ. In this way. Here Kṛṣṇa personally gives the Brahma-sūtra. So Brahma-sūtra's commentary is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

Therefore our duty should be that without trying... That was Indian civilization. Everyone was happy in his position, everyone—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The culture was so nice that nobody was unhappy, even if he is a śūdra or even if he is a vaiśya or a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. It is not that because the kṣatriyas, the royal family, they were happy, and the brāhmaṇas were not happy or the śūdras were not happy. No. Everyone was happy because... Still in India you go to the village. They are happy with their destination. This is the Indian culture. Now we are injecting discontentment, injecting. Otherwise everyone was happy in his position: "God has given this position. So this is all right. Let me do my work." That is satisfaction. Everyone was satisfied.

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

So sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam. He has no... This is understood very easily. It is very easy. Just like a fish can live within the water. He has got also his senses. He has got his organs and everything is there, but it is specially made for living in the water. You cannot live in the water with these hands and legs. That is not possible. It is practical. But the fish can live. Because he has got special hands and legs, he is very happy there. He is not happy... As soon as you take it from the water and put on the land, he dies. Similarly, if you are taken from land and put into the water, you'll die. So everything requires special hands, legs. Why don't you understand it? Similarly, to live in the spiritual world, you require spiritual hands and legs.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

So there is no question of happy life within this material world. This is to be understood first. Very pessimistic. Those who are intelligent, they are very pessimistic. Even materially they are pessimistic. They are living some standard of life. "This is not good." There are many houses very low and cottage, so people think that "This is not very good life. Let us have very nice building." So this struggle is going on. That is human nature, that unless, until he approaches the final post or platform of happiness, he is not happy. That is called struggle for existence and survival of the fittest. So sura and devatā means those who are trying to reach the ultimate goal of life where happiness is guaranteed, one who is trying for that, he is called sura, devatā. And one who is satisfied with this temporary so-called happiness, he is called asura. That is the difference.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 14, 1976:

When his father was killed and Nṛsiṁha-deva was still angry, so he pacified Lord Nṛsiṁha, "Sir, now you can give up your anger because nobody is unhappy on account of my father being killed," means "I am also not unhappy. I am also happy because my father was just like a snake and a scorpion. So even a great saintly person is happy when a scorpion or a snake is killed." They are not happy if somebody is killed. Even an ant is killed, a saintly person is unhappy. But a saintly person, when he sees that a snake is killed, he is happy. He is happy.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

He has taken shelter of principally the lusty desire, kāmam āśritya. Our constitutional position is we have to take shelter of somebody. Just like the dog. The dog, if he has no shelter, a good master, he has no position. Street dog. They say, "street dog." He has no food. He has no shelter. He is lean and thin and do not know where to go, in this way. So the constitutional position of the dog is that it must have a good master. Then he is happy. Then he's happy. Otherwise it is not happy. Is it not? Otherwise it is street dog. Sometimes it is killed by the municipality.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

The description of mukti is given in the Bhagavad..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: muktir hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). That is mukti. Mukti means if you give up the artificial endeavor to become predominator and become situated in your original position, being predominated. Artificially... Suppose a woman is trying to become man artificially, how long it will go on? How she can be happy? That is not possible. Actually, in the Western countries at least we see that the woman class, they want equal rights with men. And there is. There is no distinction. But it is my experience, the woman class, they are not happy in the Western countries. And still in our country, although we are so fallen, still our woman class remains satisfied. Being predominated, they are happy. They are happy. That is my practical experience

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

So teṣām, those who are always, twenty-four hours, engaged in loving service of the Lord, to him only He gives instruction, "You do like this." And what is that instruction? Yena mām upayānti te. The instruction is meant for giving him facilities to come back to home, back to Godhead. Here in this material world we are struggling for existence, and therefore we are not happy here. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all these rascal engagement; you simply just surrender unto Me." And when we are surrendered, that surrender is oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. That means "Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, I accept Your proposal.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

First of all, there was only one Veda, Atharva-veda. Then he divided according to the subject matter into four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Atharva, Ṛg. Then he explained the Vedas by the Purāṇas, and he compiled Mahābhārata also for same purpose, how one can understand the Vedic literature. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Those who are less intelligent, woman, śūdra, and dvija-bandhu... Dvija-bandhu means those who are born in brāhmaṇa family but are not just to the quality. They are called dvija-bandhu. For them this Mahābhārata. And at the end he compiled, he summarized the whole thing by writing Vedānta-sūtra. Still, he was not happy, and under the direction of his spiritual master Nārada he wrote himself the commentary of the Vedānta-sūtra, and that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

So his spiritual master, Nārada, appeared before his disciple Vyāsadeva. So Nārada could understand that Vyāsadeva was not happy even after compiling so many big, big volumes of literature, Vedic literature. So he questioned, "Pārāśara..." Vyāsadeva's father was Parāśara Muni. So he addressed him, "Pārāśara." "So why you are unhappy? You have studied everything. You have undergone all kinds of penances. You have performed all Vedic rituals. You have written so many books. Why you are unhappy?" He answered, "My dear lord, what you say, it is all right, that I am not happy. But you can find out the cause. Because you know everyone's heart, you can find out the cause." So Nārada Muni replied that—these things will be discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that "You have considered so many things, but if..., you have not written anything absolutely for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without discussing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you cannot be happy."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So in spite of all good arrangement for material enjoyment, enough food, enough..., nice apartment, motor cars, roads, and very good arrangement for freedom in sex, and good arrangement for defence also—everything is complete—but still, people are dissatisfied, confused, and younger generation, they are turning to hippies, protest, or dissatisfied because they are not happy. I have several times cited the example that in Los Angeles, when I was taking my morning walk in Beverly Hills, many hippies were coming out from a very respectable house. It appeared that his father, he has a very nice car also, but the dress was hippie. So there is a protest against the so-called material arrangement, they do not like.

Actually we cannot be happy by material prosperity, that is a fact. That is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja says to his atheistic father... His father was Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇya means gold and kaśipu means soft bed, cushion. That is material civilization. They want very soft bed, and the bed companion, and sufficient bank balance, money. That is another meaning of Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he was not happy also. Hiraṇyakaśipu was not happy—at least he was not happy that his son Prahlāda was becoming a devotee of the Lord, which he did not like.

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

Basic principle of happiness missing. Therefore simply by bodily comforts, sense gratification, we cannot be happy. And actually it is so happening. People are endeavoring throughout the whole world for bodily comforts, for sense gratification, but they're not happy. There cannot be happiness. Because... The same example. Suppose you have got a nice coat. If you simply show the coat and iron the coat and keep it very nice, that does not mean you'll be happy. Because you are trying to get happiness from the coat or shirt. That is not happiness, that is not possible. Happiness is possible when you try to make happy the soul. Then happiness is possible. Another example is given—just like a bird within the cage. If you simply wash the cage and keep it very nice and don't give any food to the bird, then the bird will never be happy simply by polishing the cage. So this is the cage, this material body is the cage of the soul. Therefore material living being is called conditioned or encaged.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:

Similarly, here also in this material world, we are always under troublesome condition. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Our real formation, constitutional position, is to obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa. But we have selected disobeying Kṛṣṇa. We are obeying Lenin. That is the difficulty. We have to obey somebody. But you have selected not to obey Kṛṣṇa but to obey Lenin. In India disobedience is very prominent now. But in that way you shall not be happy. Therefore Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaja (SB 1.2.6). If you learn how to obey the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then you will be happy. Yayātmā suprasīdati. This is fact.

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

The first intelligent question was put forward by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "Sir, please let me know what is my identification, why I am put into this miserable condition of material life." People do not know it. Just like cats and dogs. The cat or the dog does not know that his life is very abominable. No, he is happy. This is māyā. Even the hog, he is also thinking, "I am very happy." This is called māyā, moha. Jīvasya moha, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So when human life is there, at least, one must be awakened to this consciousness, that actually "I am not happy." That is the beginning of human life, not to remain in darkness like cats and dog. He is unhappy in every respect, in every step, and still, he is thinking, "I am happy." Cats, dogs, hogs, their whole day working, day and night, and for some food, and sense gratification. This is the modern life. And that is happiness, become very busy whole day and night for getting some food for eating and something for sense gratification. This is happiness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Human civilization does not mean to improve the method of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, as it is going on now. The quality or..., the quality has been polished, but actually the human civilization has not improved, because the quality... Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is given special stress, but not to the point of, goal of life, reaching Viṣṇu, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paranaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayo. That we have neglected.

Therefore, at the present moment we are not happy. This social system, observing the varṇāśrama-dharma, was so perfectly made as the king would see that they are actually being executed. In that way people were very, very happy, even in this material life, because everyone was confident that he was making progress to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is human civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So that we have forgotten. We wanted to be happy. Just like there are many examples: A very rich man's son, he wants to become happy without his father. He becomes independent, comes out of home and goes here and there, but he does not become happy. There are many instances. Again he comes back home. Similarly, our position in this material world is like that. Our position is very jubilant and happy, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), sac-cid-ānanda. Sat-cit-ānan... We have got our eternal life, sat; cit, and full of knowledge; and blissful, as Kṛṣṇa has got. Therefore because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7), so Kṛṣṇa, if Kṛṣṇa is good, so I am also good. If Kṛṣṇa is happy, then I must be happy. If Kṛṣṇa is jubilant, then I must be jubilant. Wherefrom we get this idea of happiness? Because we are part of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa dances with the gopīs, we also want to dance with young girls here, in this material world, Why? Wherefrom this idea we have got? The idea is already there, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have got this propensity. So ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:

We are being harassed by getting these different types of body and engagement according to the body. That we can understand. We are not happy. One after another. Because our main business is sense gratification. So we cannot enjoy all these senses fully in one kind of body. There is some defect. Just like we are trying to gratify our senses by flying to another planet, moon planet. This is another sense gratification. We are meant for this planet. We are bound up by conditions. Artificially we are trying to go there. And making plans, so many plans: "There will be intermediate station, and the petrol will be carried from here," and this and that. So many things. Simply spending money. Just like childish. The child, they spoil their time and energy in certain playing. Similarly, this is going on. Because it is a sense gratification. That's all. Simply mere sense gratification: "Let us go, how it is, moon planet." You have no business there. You cannot do there anything. You cannot live there, but still, "Let us go, let us go. And spend all the money, taxpayers' money, spend like water." This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:

So they do not know. They do not know what is actual happiness. Therefore the struggle is going on. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These rascals, they do not know that real happiness is Viṣṇu, God, Lord Viṣṇu. When we approach Viṣṇu Just like we are. Our happiness is here, Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa, we are working day and night. The karmīs are also working day and night, but they are not happy. We are happy. That they do not know. We are also doing the same thing. We are not lazy. We are not sleeping. Everybody is busy. Somebody is going to write, somebody is going to type, somebody is going to sell books, somebody is preparing prasādam, somebody is cleansing, somebody is going to saṅkīrtana. Not a single moment we are lazy. But because we are working for Kṛṣṇa, there is happiness. Nobody is paid here a single farthing. Rather, he brings money. But still, he is happy. But the karmīs, they are getting money, salary; still, they are not happy.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

Five thousand years before. It was after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought about five thousand years ago, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written after writing Mahābhārata. When Vyāsadeva was not satisfied in his heart even by writing Mahābhārata and Vedānta-sūtra, he was sitting morose, and he was thinking that "I have written so many nice literatures. Why I am not happy?" At that time his spiritual master Nārada came, and he instructed him that "You have written the history of Mahābhārata. It is very nice. But there is some idea of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but not absolute. You write some book in which simply, absolutely about Kṛṣṇa is there." So under his instruction he wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

This word is very significant, atha. Why "therefore"? Especially in your America—you are all American boys and girls—you should take note of this atha, "therefore." What is that "therefore"? "Therefore" means that "You have enjoyed your material life as luxuriantly as possible, but you are confused. You are not happy. You have produced hippies, frustration. Therefore." You can take this word, "therefore." Because we have failed, the Americans have failed to achieve the highest pleasure of life even by arranging all kinds of material facilities, therefore they should be eager to understand. At least, they should inquire what is the cause. (aside:) Don't bother about that. Here.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So Vyāsadeva, he also worked very hard, wrote so many books, unlimited. But he was not happy. So if you work for māyā, then you'll never be happy. You'll get tired and you'll simply be confused. But if you work for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. Just like... There are so many examples. Arjuna. Arjuna also, he remained a military man. He was in the beginning military man, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he remained a military man. But that military man was for Kṛṣṇa. And in the beginning he was a military man for acquiring some kingdom for sense gratification. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to change the consciousness, to change the account. The activities may be the same, but when the account is changed, then you'll get the highest profit.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

So sage Nārada is trying to enliven Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva was learned. Not ordinarily learned. He is the incarnation of God, Nārāyaṇa. He appeared for spreading Vedic knowledge. Therefore Nāradajī, it is stated here, smayann iva. Smayann iva means, smayan means smiling, that "Such a great personality also becomes morose." After giving so many contribution, literary contribution, still he was not happy. So it is wonderful... So therefore he was smiling. Smayann iva. Devarṣiḥ prāha viprarṣiṁ vīṇā-pāṇiḥ smayann iva. He said,

jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca

brahma yat tat sanātanam

tathāpi śocasy ātmānam

akṛtārtha iva prabho

(SB 1.5.4)

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

"So you are a devotee of such Personality of Godhead. You are recognized devotee. Therefore I request you to find out what is the defect in me that after inquiring, after doing so many books and literatures, I am not happy. So you..." The same thing, as Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, that "The disturbance which I am feeling in this battlefield, that can be solved by You only. Therefore I am surrendering unto You as my spiritual master. No more friendly talks. And You just teach me." So this is the, I mean to say, eternal process. Even Vyāsadeva is surrendering to Nārada. Such a great scholar. Even Arjuna is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. So why? Either you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then there is solution. Otherwise there is no solution.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

Our question by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva, asking that "My dear Vyāsadeva, the author of all Vedic literature, you are such a learned scholar. You have produced such vastly, scholarly, and philosophical theses, books, and still you are not happy. So did you try to find out what is the cause?" The similar position is of the present world. There is so much advancement of scientific research, result, economic. Of course, in India there may be poverty-stricken, but in your country, you have got ample, everything ample. But still, a section is confused and frustrated. Why? The same position as Vyāsadeva, who was not satisfied even after producing so many variety of literatures in material science and philosophy and religion and... Everything was complete. So therefore Nārada Muni is asking, "My dear Vyāsadeva, you are great personality, but do you think as long as one is situated in the bodily plane or in the mental plane, does he derive any pleasure?" This is the question.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

So here Nārada is asking Vyāsadeva, jijñāsitam. "You are a very perfect scholar." Now the first word is used here, jijñāsitam. A scholar is he who has perfectly inquired from his spiritual master. Inquiry. Just like in the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. One must be very inquisitive. That... I have explained already several times, that first inquisitiveness should be "What I am? Am I this body? Oh, the bodily comforts are so many. I have got my car, I have got good apartment, I have got good wife, and... Why I am not happy? Why I am not happy? Everything is there. So am I this body?" No. Vyāsadeva here is asked this question, jijñāsitam. So jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. Jijñāsitaṁ susampannam api: "And after inquiry, you have very nicely written all kinds of literature, authoritative literature."

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

There are so many planets higher and higher, bigger and bigger. That is not your goal of life. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Your goal of life is that which you cannot achieve even by traveling the whole space. What is that? That goal of life is to search out God and your relationship with God. Because you are part and parcel of God, and somehow or other, you have been entrapped by this material atmosphere, and you are not happy. Nobody is happy. If one says that "I am happy," he must be a crazy man or he must be speaking lie. Nobody is happy. How you can be happy? Because we are always full of anxiety. That is our condition. Even if you are sitting here in the classroom of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, still, I am thinking, "What will happen tomorrow? This business I have got to do." Some anxiety.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Therefore he's asking, jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca brahma: "You have inquired very elaborately about Brahman, and you have studied about the subject matter Brahman, sanātanam, eternal, athāpi śocasi, but still, I see that you are morose. You are not happy." Śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho. Akṛtārtha means "Of this you have done nothing." Just like a foolish man sometimes, in very grave thought that "What is the ultimate goal of my life? I do not know what to do," so "You are thinking like that."

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Similarly, Brahman's light... As soon as you realize Brahman realization, Brahman, then you can see things as they are—what you are, what is this world, why you are unhappy, how you can be happy. So many things are there, the light. Therefore the Vedic sūtras, mantras, advises that tamasi mā jyotir gama. Don't keep yourself in darkness. Try to come out of the darkness and see the light. See the light. So... Now, here Vyāsadeva says that "I have seen the light, but still I am not happy." So that means even one who has realized Brahman but has not ultimately realized what is the ultimate end of Brahman, still there is no happiness. Still there is (no) happiness.

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

So, Vyāsadeva is submitting himself to his spiritual master Nārada Muni, that "Yes, what you say is right, that I have tried to understand the Absolute Truth through your grace, and I have tried to explain also the Absolute Truth in so many books, Vedas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, but still I am not happy. So what is the defect in me?" So Nārada uvāca, Nārada replied,

bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ

yaśo bhagavato 'malam

yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta

manye tad darśanaṁ khilam

(SB 1.5.8)

The whole scheme should be to satisfy the Lord. This is the secret of success. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. If God, or Kṛṣṇa, is satisfied, then whole world is satisfied. The modern civilization is lacking this knowledge. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization, what to speak of satisfying God, they are denying the existence of God. And they want peace and happiness.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

Śrīdhara Svāmī comments, vipakṣe. Vipakṣe means if you do not understand this philosophy, that simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness can save the human race, then you are faulty. If you do not understand... If you understand it nicely, it is very good. But if you do not understand it, if you direct your activities in a, in a different way, then it is faulty. You'll never be happy. Because the whole thing has begun-Vyāsadeva was unhappy. Even after producing a literature like Vedānta-sūtra, he was not happy, and Nārada is giving him instruction how to become happy. Here is the answer, that "If you do not accept this proposition, that you have simply to be in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then vipakṣe, it is just against your welfare." Vipakṣe doṣāntaram ahaḥ tataḥ urukramasya viceṣṭitam pṛthag dṛśaḥ, athaiva anyathā prakarantrena yat kiñcit athāntaram vipakṣyatha taya vibaksaya itaiḥ sphuritaiḥ nāmabhis ca bhaktabhya:(?) "So whatever little activities of Kṛṣṇa you have described..."

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the grace of the Supreme Personality, guru-kṛṣṇa, by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṇa, then he understands that this place, this material world, is full of miseries. Then brahma-jijñāsā. But foolishly people do not understand that it is a miserable condition. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister. By contact with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he could understand that "Although I am minister, although I am holding very high, exalted position, I am learned scholar in Sanskrit, Urdu, Parsi, but I am not happy." Therefore he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa... He understands that "I am in the suffering." Suffering, everyone can understand. Why you are moving the fan? I am in suffering. But foolish people cannot understand. They think that I am enjoying. (laughter) Just see the example. Why I am moving the fan? Because I am suffering. Every step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Every step danger, every step suffering.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

Perfect society is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as the center... Just like in a family if you accept the head of the family, your father, as the guiding principle, the family's happy. And if you disrupt with the opinion of the father, somebody goes away, somebody's not happy, the family is disturbed. Similarly, if you agree with the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and God, the whole human society will be peace and prosperity. If you don't agree, disagree, don't agree, disagree, then it is disruption. The instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You take it, you agree to it, and you become happy in this world and next world.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

So he was unhappy even after compiling Vedānta-sūtra. He was not very happy. So under the instruction of his guru, Nārada Muni, he wanted to compile the last contribution to the human society, a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam. This, in every chapter, at the end, it is said, brahma-sūtra-bhāṣye: "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary on the Brahma-sūtra or Vedānta-sūtra." Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. Veda means knowledge; anta means the last contribution. So under the instruction of Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva first of all made his life perfect. Yes. How he made his life perfect? Because if you write books without any perfection, that will not be effective. One has to become perfect before he writes some books. Just like nowadays especially in the western countries they write any rascal ideas under the name of philosophy or science, "Perhaps," "It may be." That is not the system in the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization, people, those who are advanced in Vedic knowledge, they'll write. Vedic knowledge is called śruti, and if you write following the principles of śruti, then it is smṛti.

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

When you speak three times anything, it means I am giving stress, "You do this, you do this, you do this." So it is like that, that in order to stop so many inconveniences of the present day life, Kali-yuga... Kali means quarrel, simply creating quarrel, misunderstanding. This is Kali. So śāstra has given us... Kali-yuga is very dangerous to... One cannot make his life's mission fulfilled. One is not very happy. There are so many obstacles in the peaceful way of life. Even in the family, in the society, politically, nationally, internationally—so many difficulties. Everyone has got the experience. Therefore the recommendation of the śāstra, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Kevalam. You cannot rectify all these difficulties, because this is the age for all these difficulties.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

These European, American boys, they are coming from rich family. They have, even nationally, they have got big, big skyscraper buildings, motor car, and why they have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because they were not happy. It is a fact. They were not happy. So a Vaiṣṇava can understand this, that outwardly, externally, they may have nice dress or nice building or nice motor car, but internally they are so unhappy that they rise up to the top of the skyscraper building and fall down to commit suicide. This is his position. The Vaiṣṇava can understand that bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. They are making skyscraper building, but there is no happiness. It is simply a, what is called? A Gorgeous arrangement only. Otherwise, there is not a drop of happiness. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ.

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

You may be very expert swimmer, but that does not mean that you are happy. You can go on struggling, swimming, very expert swimming, but that does not mean happiness. Similarly, here, in the ocean of nescience, all these rascals are swimming. They are making plans to become happy, but they are not happy. That's a fact. They can try to become happy. That is natural. Everyone unhappy, he wants to become happy. That is called struggle for existence. But they do not know except this. The Darwin's theory, because he's a rascal, he thinks that the struggle is the only business. His only observation is that the struggle is the only business: "Survival of the fittest." But he does not know how to become fit. He does not know. That is mentioned here, apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). That is fitness, no more struggling, struggling stopped. So that process is not known.

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

So they have no even sense. They are so animalistic. Just like animal. He does not know that death can be avoided. So the animal civilization. This very question... In the Bhagavad-gītā, jagad-guru is teaching that try to understand this fact first of all. This is beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So there is no death, but you change your body just like you change your garment, you change your shirt and coat. Similarly, you change your body, but the thing is that this changing of body is not very happy task.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

Just the same example... It is very easy, that, if you simply understand you have got much money... Just like we are trying to purchase land, but purchase land means I must have money. So money is there. So why I am not happy? Why I am trying to purchase land? To utilize the money. That is required. Every businessman has got money, enough money. But why they are active in the business circle? They are going to the market, share market, this market. Utilize the money. The same thing, simply to understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi... Therefore they fail. All these so-called sannyāsīs, simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I have become now Nārāyaṇa," not giving them satisfaction, but because they have no information about rendering service to the Para-brahman, they come to again to this material field to render service, to open hospital, to open school, to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa, and in this way they imagine because they want activities.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Los Angeles, May 2, 1973:

So it is not to be done. It is not to be done. Therefore people are not happy. They are committing simply sinful activities. How they can become happy? But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, simply depend on Kṛṣṇa's glancing, tava vīkṣitaiḥ, if you depend on Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will supply you everything. There is no question of scarcity. It is a question of production. And sometimes we find that the grains and fruits are produced in huge quantity. One cannot finish. So it is a question of Kṛṣṇa's glance. If Kṛṣṇa likes, He can produce huge quantity of grains and fruits and vegetables. And if He, Kṛṣṇa controls, then what your meat will do? You can eat me, I shall eat you. That will go on, but that will not solve the problem. Therefore for real peace of life, tranquillity and everything, sufficient supply of foodstuffs, sufficient supply of milk and water, everything, arrangement is there. Simply we have to depend on Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

This gigantic enterprise, industrial, they are called ugra-karma. Ugra-karma. Just like now, New Delhi, there is industry. Every town has got industrial area, and big, big industries are flourishing. Especially when you go from Vṛndāvana side to New Delhi, the first big industry we see—that Goodyear Tire, very big factory. So people are being dragged there that "Come here. You'll get good salary. Why you are working in the field so hard? Come here. You'll get good salary, and..." So they go. But the result is that they are not happy. And when they are not happy, they are, I mean, induced to take wine and meat. In this way, whole world... India, it was not there. Gandhi's movement was to stop this wine, flesh, and as we are prohibiting. But at the present moment, the government is encouraging. It is very regrettable.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:

So they are manufacturing their own ways of understanding Bible and ethical principles. Therefore it is becoming valueless. It is becoming valueless. No value. One cannot change the words of the authority. If you believe in Lord Jesus Christ, you cannot make any change to your convenience. This is rascaldom. You cannot be a Christian if you violate the orders of Lord Jesus Christ. But they are doing so. Now the Christian priests... We had a meeting in Sydney. One priest asked me, "What we have done that they are not anymore caring for us?" I told him that "You are always violating the ten commandments, and you say what you have done? Lord Jesus Christ says, 'Thou shalt not kill,' and you are killing, expert in killing. And you are still Christian? So you cannot understand what you have done? You have always misguided people." I told him. So he was not very happy to hear this straight answer. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

Just imagine how much responsible king. And he is thinking in this way, that "The sinful activity which I have done in this connection by killing their husbands or sons or father, even if I give some donation as welfare..." Just like in your country there is welfare department. All these helpless girls are given some donation. He says, "That is not sufficient. That... By that way, I cannot compensate what harm I have done to them." That is... That is his con... "Even if I give some money, donation, they'll not be happy, because they have lost their protection." This is called responsible king. How much they are thinking. And similarly he was thinking for the children.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So here the most important word is yudhiṣṭhiro dharma-bhṛtāṁ variṣṭhaḥ. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was known as Dharmarāja, very strictly following religious principles. So he killed... For his sake, sixty-four crores of men were killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So he was not happy although the battle, the fight, was religious fight. It is not whimsical. Just like in the modern days the politicians, they fight unnecessarily to fulfill their desire... Just like in our country, unnecessarily they divided Pakistan, and to fulfill the whims of the leaders, they are fighting with nobody's gain, neither there is any religious principles.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So the Pāṇḍavas or the Kurus, they were the rulers of the world. As such, when there was fight between the two section of cousin-brothers, from all parts of the world, somebody joined this side, somebody joined that side. So I think in the Mahābhārata it is stated that sixty-four crores of men were killed, and many disappeared. Nobody knows about their whereabouts. So actually, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, dharma-bhṛtāṁ variṣṭhaḥ, he was so great, stalwart, foremost followers of religious principle. He was very, very sorry that "For my sake so many people let down their life." So he was not happy.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa does not force anyone to become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, but He gives the chance. He explains everything, that "If you become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, or surrendered soul, then you will be happy. Otherwise you will not be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa. Kuru. He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He does not force. Now it is our choice, whether we shall surrender to Kṛṣṇa or not. These are the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that one's ultimate goal of life is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate goal of life. But they do not know it.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was always prepared to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. He was sorry that so many people were killed in the battle, but he was happy: "Kṛṣṇa wanted. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, that's all right. That's all right. Never mind, so many people have been killed." But personally he was not happy, but Kṛṣṇa was satisfied. Kṛṣṇa wanted. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So He has finished all the duṣkṛtām. But finishing duṣkṛtām, everyone got svarūpa. They were all liberated. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is all-good. Either He delivers the devotees and kills the nondevotees, the action, resultant action is the same—both of them become liberated. Svarūpa. That is also stated. Everyone... Because died seeing Kṛṣṇa in presence in the battlefield. Either this party or that party, it doesn't matter. Everyone died seeing Kṛṣṇa. so they were all liberated. It is not an ordinary thing, that in the presence of... We have to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He's personally present. Anyone is dying, he's seeing Kṛṣṇa. So what is the question of liberation? Everyone is liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

So if the cows are not happy, if they are always afraid, that "This rascal will kill us at any moment," then how they can be happy? There was no such thing. Therefore it is said: mudā. Mudā. Happy. And as soon as the cows are happy, you not only get sufficient milk, but the pasturing ground, I mean to say, ground, becomes moist with milk. So much milk supplied. Here it is stated, payasā udhasvatīr mudā. Yes. There is another description. Formerly, Kṛṣṇa's cows, when they were passing on, the whole road will be moistened with milk. Milk supply was so sufficient. Simply manufacture butter, milk products, dahi... Distribute. Kṛṣṇa was distributing amongst the monkeys even: "Take," the monkey, "come on."

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So actually who has associated with sādhu, he cannot make any more association with asādhu. Therefore it is said that sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. Mukta-duḥsaṅga. Mukta means completely liberated. Such person, hātuṁ notsahate budhaḥ, such person cannot give up the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Kīrtyamānam. He may try to go away, but he'll not be happy. He'll not be happy. We have seen practically. Some of our boys who have left, they come occasionally. Even he protests externally, internally he understands that he has committed a mistake by associating. Kīrtyamānam. Kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. The saṅkīrtana, chanting of this holy name, is so pleasing that one cannot avoid it if once he has associated with devotees. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

So we are creating our situation and serving a different type of desire. That's all. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na... And sometimes we are doing something which we should not do. Still, we are doing. But doing so, teṣāṁ karuṇa jāta. Although we have done so much for to serve the lust, greediness, but they are not merciful. They are still dictating, "Go on doing this, go on doing this, go on doing." He is suffering; still, he is following the dictation of lust and desire. We are creating our own karma. Therefore any sane man will see that "I have served so long, so much, our desires, but I am not happy. I am not happy, neither the desire is happy." The desire is never satiated that "You have killed so many animals. Now you don't..." No, he will go on, go on killing, killing, killing, killing, killing, killing. He is never satisfied, "Now I have killed so many. No more, stop." No, there is no stoppage. That will go on. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā. The injunction is "Thou shalt not kill," but he will kill and kill and kill and kill, and still, he want to be satisfied. Just see.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

So we therefore must submit to Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya... (BG 18.66). Because we cannot become free. We cannot go out of the laws of God. That is not possible. Therefore we must surrender that "Kṛṣṇa, God, I have acted freely so many births. I did not become happy. Neither I am happy at the present moment. So now I surrender unto You. You say that 'I give you protection.' So kindly give me protection." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

So that is our aim. Our aim is not to produce cats and dogs. There are so many cats and dogs, the world is not happy. Now there is need of producing nice children, sober, gentle, devotee of Kṛṣṇa, good brain, good character. These things are required. So they were not unwanted children, these Yadus. This is a make-show (indistinct) other. They came, they are all demigods, they descended just to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's mission. Kṛṣṇa's mission, Kṛṣṇa came down so all the confidential servants of Kṛṣṇa, they also appeared to help Him in different... So when Kṛṣṇa wanted to go, He wanted to go with the descendants also, who came to help Him. So this is a make-show that the Yadus fought amongst themselves. The real purpose is, Kṛṣṇa wanted to take them away. Otherwise, superficially, when one becomes unnecessarily powerful, disturbs the world situation, he's a burden. He's a burden. That kind of burden is vanquished by Kṛṣṇa's desire, will. There must be some catastrophe like war, pestilence, famine, and everything will be finished.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

So in this way we are related with Kṛṣṇa somehow or other. In veneration, in servitude, as friend, as paternal affection, or as conjugal lover You see. So we have to revive that. And as soon as you revive any one of them, intimacy, then we become happy, because that is eternal. The same example... The finger, so long is separated, it is not happy. As soon as it is joined it is happy. Similarly, we have got our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now we are separated, but as soon as we join with him again we become yenātmā suprasīdati.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

So people are voluntarily accepting some nonsense method, and they are not happy. That is their misfortune. Misfortune. Narādhama. The, everything is there, but because they do not know... Duṣkṛtina, narādhama. Duṣkṛtina, duṣkṛtina means misfortunate, or always engaged in sinful activities. They'll not meditate upon Vāsudeva; they'll meditate on something, some color, some zero, or something like that. We do not know what kind of meditation there is. But real meditation, recommended in the Vedas, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yogi. Yogis see the Supreme Personality of Godhead by meditation. Meditation, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā, mind is absorbed in the Supreme Personality. That is the real process of yoga system and meditation—to see the form of Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

By nature, one who is śūdra, he cannot work very freely. That is not... Better..., his better life is to remain subordinate. Just like women, children. It is better for them to remain subordinate, to remain subordinate. It is practical. I have seen in our country and the Western countries, the woman are given freedom. By such freedom they are not happy. It is a fact. It is a fact. Therefore Vedic system is that it is the father's duty when a girl is mature, before attaining puberty, she is handed over to a suitable boy, "Please take charge of her. This girl..." Our marriage system is that "So long she was under my charge. Now I..." This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura suggests that the ṛṣis like Śaunaka and others who were hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Sūta Gosvāmī at Naimiṣāraṇya were not happy to hear about the Yadus' dying in the madness of intoxication."

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Don't move the leg, not... Ah.

Pradyumna: "To give them relief from this mental agony, Sūta Gosvāmī assured them that the Lord caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies."

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone will be sorry, that "How Kṛṣṇa's descendants could fight amongst themselves and die like this?" It was not very happy to think by other devotees. Therefore the explanation is given.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

They have written, "Beware of dog." And if you pass, you are not entering the house, still, unnecessarily, the dog will bark. Even if he is on the top of veranda corridor, by seeing another unknown person, he will bark. That is offensive. So that is dog's business. And at the present moment the dog is happy only when he has got a good master. Otherwise dog is not happy. A street dog, he cannot eat. He has no eating. He has no place. He is lean and thin. You have seen. But he has got a good master, he is very stout, fatty, and very expert in barking. (laughter) So this is dog's qualification. He is very faithful.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So long we are with designations, we are not happy. To become designationless means feeling complete happiness. That is the test. If you simply artificially say that "I am not identifying with this body," that is fact. But real identification with..., identification with the body will be realized when you don't feel pains and pleasure. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam, hṛṣīkeṇa. When your senses will be purified in that way, without any designation, then you can begin devotional service.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Vyāsadeva, after writing so many books, he could not find any peace of mind. So he was sitting, morose, and his spiritual master Nārada came there, asked him, "My dear Vyāsa, you have done so much in writing for the welfare of the society. Why you are not happy?" Vyāsadeva replied, "Yes, my lord, I think I have done so much things, but I am not happy." So he was instructed that "You have written so many books, but not about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I admit that you have written so many books. So because you have not described about the superiority or glories of the Lord, therefore you are unhappy." So after that instruction... That means after his writing of the Vedānta philosophy, he was also not happy. But when he wrote Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under the instruction of Nārada, he became happy.

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

Because however nicely you have made all these material facilities, amenities, you cannot stay here. You cannot... You have got a certain amount of energy. So that energy is meant for some other purpose. So your energy not being utilized for the real purpose of life, if you utilize it for increasing your so-called material happiness... Actually, they have not become happy. Otherwise, why so many young boys and girls, they are disappointed? Because this kind of advancement will not make us happy. That is a fact. Therefore, if you waste your energy for things which are not wanted, then you are not advancing, you are being defeated. That they do not know.

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

So Kṛṣṇa comes, His avatāra comes, His incarnation, to... Because we are very thickly, intimately, related, we are sons, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore He... Just like your father is always anxious to see you happy. If you are doing something wrong, he's more anxious than yourself. He knows that you are... A child is going to capture fire. The father, parents says, "No, my dear child, don't touch it. It is harmful." That is the duty, natural. So this, in this material world, we have come here, we are sons of God, part and parcel of God, and doing all nonsense. So Kṛṣṇa is not happy; therefore He comes, avatāra, avatāra. He comes, "My dear child, why you are doing this?" And He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense business. Come to Me. I shall give you protection." But we are so foolish rascal that we are prepared to become servant of the most abominable activities of our senses, but we are not prepared to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and become His servant.

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 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do no know that "Suppose, even I get free, so where shall I go?" He thinks, "I shall be free in the sky." Just like impersonalism. Sky is impersonal. So if suppose a bird is given freedom, but he flies in the sky, will he be happy? No. That also he'll not be happy. Then he'll again think of that "It was better to remain in the cage. Now what is the value of my, this freedom? I'm not happy." And again go back to the cage. You will see in India. There is a bird, fiftil.(?) Fiftil. The man who keeps that bird in the cage, sometimes he takes it to the open field, and he opens the door, opens the door, and the bird walks, sometimes flies. He is given freedom. Then again the man: (makes coaxing sound:) ts-ts-ts-ts. He says like that, and the bird comes again within the cage. You'll see. If you have seen, those who are Indian. But he thinks that "I have been given freedom now. But where shall I go? Where shall I go? I have to eat." So he again comes back: "Better to live within this cage. Better to live within this cage."

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

That outlaw is put into the prison house and he's captivated and give all sorts of trouble. That... The outlaw's gain is to put himself into trouble. That's all. The government does not lose anything by the so-called declaration of the outlaws, that "I don't care for the government." That is the idea. Similarly, those who are declaring, "What is God? We don't care for God. I am God. I am everything," so they are creating their own hell. That's all. God has nothing to lose, nothing to gain. "You go to hell, according to your..." But because we are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, He's not very happy because these rascals are going to hell. Therefore He comes: "My dear boys, why you are going to hell in this way? Please surrender and come home." (laughter) But these rascals will not hear. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). "Eh! Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa? He's an ordinary man. I am also as good as Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Therefore they're less intelligent.

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

Just like one married couple. As soon as they're married or united, ataḥ gṛha. Gṛha. Gṛha means apartment, home. They must live very nicely. Then kṣetra. Kṣetra means field. Formerly there was no industry. The earning, means of livelihood, was agriculture. Everyone must have some land to produce grains, fruits. That's all. Milk. First of all, apartment; then, to maintain the expenditure, now we have invented industry or trade and so many things. Pickpocketing, killing. So many things. Formerly the means of livelihood was very simple. Take some land and work little, produce your grains, and the cows are there. You take milk. So milk, vegetables, grains, your economic question is solved. So first of all, gṛha, home, then kṣetra. Kṣetra means "field." I must produce my food. Ato gṛha-kṣetra, then child. Because married life without any issue, that is not very happy.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

"What you are writing, all these nonsense books? You..." What is called? Jugupsitam. Jugupsitam. He instructed Vyāsadeva that "Whatever literatures you have produced..." Means up to that time he produced Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote up to Vedānta-sūtra, which is considered to be the topmost philosophical thesis in the world, Vedānta-sūtra, all over the world, the Vedānta philosophy. So he finished that Vedānta-sūtra. Still, he was not happy. And his spiritual master Nārada chastised him, "What nonsense books you have written?" First of all he was not happy, so Nārada came, and he asked him that "Why you are not happy? You know everything, but why you are not happy?" So he submitted, "Yes, my master, I know everything, and I think I have done everything, writing all these books. But still, I am not happy. So why I am not happy, that you can tell because you are my master."

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

There is no cares and anxiety. Just like if we organize a business or some management, we have got so many anxieties. Even he's a managing director or proprietor or the supreme person in some establishment, he has got so many anxieties. He's not very happy. Although he's sitting in his room without any disturbance, but because he has to manage, the brain is working, "How to do this? How to do that? How to manage that affair?" He's always full of anxiety. This is material nature. In the material world you cannot be without any anxiety. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). I have explained many times. So as soon as we deny to render service to Kṛṣṇa, immediately the māyā is there, captures, "All right. You come here. You serve me." This is the position. Artificially you cannot become master. That is not our nature, and that will not be happy service for us-artificial. Artificial... I have given this example. Suppose with this finger I capture some very nice foodstuff, rasagullā, and if the finger thinks that "I have captured the rasagullā. I shall eat." No. You cannot eat. You must put here. And then you get the benefit.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

But one who is actually wise, intelligent, he can understand that "Actually, I am not happy. I am suffering." That is intelligence. That is intelligence, when one comes to the understanding that "I am not happy actually. I am simply suffering." The Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was the finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. So he is our guru in the disciplic succession. He inquired this question from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I have come to You to ask that people call me, I am very learned man." Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "By this ordinary relationship, they call me, I am very learned man. But I am such a learned man that I do not know what I am..., why I am suffering." This is intelligence. So we should know how to... Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Everyone is suffering. Temporary, superficially, one may think that he is very happy, or I may think that "He is happy; I am not happy," but nobody is happy in this material world, because the four things is inevitable for everyone, the prime minister or the man in the street, everyone: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). And there is so much trouble in the matter of birth and death and old age and disease. We are forgetting. That is called tīvraṁ bhayam.

So if one is intelligent enough, he will understand by association of sādhus that this material life is not happy at all, but we want happiness. That is a fact. Every one of us, we are searching after happiness.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

The ultimate, mṛtyuś carati mad-bhayāt . So bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. In the previous verse the Lord Kapiladeva said that "If anyone wants to get out of this fearful situation..." Bhayaṁ tīvraṁ nivartate. Ātmanaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ bhayaṁ tīvraṁ nivartate. We are always fearful. Material life is not very happy life because we are always fearful. That's a fact. Nobody can say, "No, I am not afraid of anything." That is false. Everyone is afraid of something, everyone—bird, beast, human being, everyone, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt—because we have got absorption in the second category of life. Second category means this bodily conception of life, dvitīya abhiniveśa. I am thinking at the present moment that "I am this body." Everyone is thinking. Therefore, when there is fear of destruction of this body, we become very much afraid, perplexed. We have seen in Los Angeles. There was earthquake, and all the neighborhood, women especially, began to scream, fearful, "Now death is coming."

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

These are the two causes for which we are put into this material world. So we have to rectify this mentality, that "I am independent. I am God. I can do whatever we like." This mentality has to be rectified. For that rectification we are in this material world, and we are undergoing different types of miserable condition of life to become rectified so that we may come to the senses, that "I want to be happy. I want to enjoy life. Why I am put into this unfavorable circumstances? The most unfavorable circumstance is that I do not want to die. Still, I have to die." This is common sense. So in order to... On account of this puruṣa mentality... Just like I have already explained the strī can enjoy happy life along with the husband, not independently, similarly, we, being prakṛti, our business is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then we will be happy. Otherwise we will not be happy. It is not possible.

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

One who commits suicide, he becomes a ghost. Ghost means he does not get this material body. He remains in the subtle body, mind, intelligence. Therefore ghost can go because he is in the mind. Mind speed is very strong. If you have got this material body, you cannot go immediately hundred miles off. But if you are in the mental body, you can go immediately, thousand miles immediately, within a second. So the ghost, they can play something wonderful because... But they are not happy because they have no gross body. They want to enjoy. He's materialist. He has committed suicide for some material want. So he is want of material..., fulfilling material desire. He could not fulfill in this body; therefore commits suicide, but the desire is there. The desire is there, and he cannot fulfill it. He becomes perplexed. Therefore the ghost create disturbance sometimes.

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

Andha, the leaders of this class of man, they are also blind. We are blind, and the leaders, so-called leaders, he also does not know what is the aim of life. And they are misleading us in so many ways by so-called political emancipation, this party, that party, but they do not know actually what is the aim of life. Therefore they are andhas. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And we are also andhas. So andha leading andha. So how there can be any peace and prosperity? Therefore the whole world is unhappy, chaotic condition, and everyone is manufacturing his own way of life to become happy. But they are not becoming happy because they do not know what is the aim of life. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

Therefore the king, Ṛṣabhadeva, is advising, instructing His sons... He was retiring. Why He was retiring? He could enjoy His kingdom. Just like at the present moment, either a king or a family man does not retire. Even a poor man living in with family with great difficulties, but if you ask him to retire, he'll not be agreeable. We have asked many old men. He's suffering, he's not happy within his family members, but if I say, "Why you are taking so much trouble with the family? Why not come and live with us in Kṛṣṇa consciousness society?" he'll not agree. Because he has no Vedic training.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

Just see how nasty they are. They were lying down on the street, and as soon as get some money, immediately go to the wine shop, purchase one bottle, and not eating nicely, no dress, nothing of the... Many of them. The Bowery Street is famous for that purpose. So they are not happy, but they are thinking they are happy. This is māyā. (laughter) This is māyā. The materialistic persons, by engaging themselves in sinful activities, they are not happy, but they are thinking that "We are happy." In this European portion of the world, they are... We have experienced two big wars, and still, the war cloud is always there. Not only here, everywhere. So this materialistic civilization, actually people are not very happy. And as I have told you that people are going to live underground next hundred years. That means they'll lose this freedom of living in the free air for fear of this atomic attack. That is predicted in the World Almanac. We have seen, that people are going to live under. They'll... Sometimes they will come out to have fresh air in the surface. Otherwise, they will have to live underground.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

So long we are in the bodily concept, that is going on all over the world. If we say people may not be happy... Now India, in your city it is going on, Andhra conference. How long you shall remain Andhra? You may remain Andhra for say twenty years or fifty years, utmost hundred years, then what you are doing? Andhra or something else? Where is the account for that? Because Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme authority, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So if you perpetually remain as Andhra, that is very good. "But that is not allowed, sir." You'll be kicked out of your, this Andhra concept of life by nature's law. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34), Kṛṣṇa says, "When death will come, 'Oh, my dear death, you cannot touch me. I am Andhra, I am Indian, I am American.'

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

So from this taxi affair, I could understand that these people are not happy. And another incident I saw that... Śyāmasundara was there. Even... He could not collect even nice rice, nice ḍāl, only milk was available. Milk and yogurt, that is very sufficiently available. No vegetable, no fruit, no grain, at least, men like us cannot live there happily. (indistinct) But they'll not get any food. Unless he's meat-eater, he'll have to starve. The whole world is coming to like that. And it is said in the śāstra, gradually this condition of human civilization will deteriorate to such extent that no more rice will be available, no more wheat will be available, no more sugar will be available. Everything will be... No more milk will be available. Finished. Simply you have to eat the seeds of the... There is not fruit, only seed. Just like in the mango, there is one seed and pulp. The pulp will not be available, only seed will be available. These are already foretold. No fruits will be available, no grains will be available, no milk will be available.

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

So this ugra-karma, they have introduced, but they are not happy. Because they are fools, they do not know their happiness is different. It cannot be had from the ugra-karma. Therefore here it is said, sarvatra vyasana? What is that? Jantor vyasanāvagatyā, sarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā. Your material civilization, wherever you advance materially, there is trouble. Not only on this planet, but in other planets also, I mean higher planets, where they live for many millions of years and their standard of happiness... Of course, these rascals, they are finding only stones and rocks in other planets.

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

Unless we become ātmārāma, there is no possibility of happiness. Just like these Gosvāmīs. They were very opulent ministers, but they were not happy. They resigned from the post. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Because there was no happiness. And what they adopted? They adopted the life of a mendicant. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. For doing good to the others they accepted kaupīna-kanthāśritau. So it is not a business of imitation, that "I am following the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī." That is not so easy to become a Rūpa Gosvāmī, ātmārāma. They were busy, very busy in transcendental activities. Simply to give up the family life or big post and come to Vṛndāvana and live cheaply by begging some capati and become Rūpa Gosvāmī, that is not ideal. You should follow Rūpa Gosvāmī, their footprints. Tyaktvā tūrṇam-aśeṣa-maṇḍala. First of all, Rūpa Gosvāmī, their giving up family life was meaningful. But if somebody, out of poverty, he comes to Vṛndāvana to solve the capati problem, (laughter) that is not Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976:

So this kind of material adjustment will not help us. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This is illusory, or māyā sukha. Prahlāda Mahārāja regrets, tato vimukha-cetasā māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Any moment everything will be crushed. This is called māyā-sukha. And still they are wasting time, that for māyā-sukhāya, illusion. They'll not be happy. Any moment everything can be crushed, and they are busy.

Therefore this modern civilization is most dangerous civilization, soul-killing civilization. The human being got the chance of understanding God, but they are being refused by the authorities to understand God. Rather, if somebody wants to understand, he is checked, he is harassed by the name of brain-washing and mind control. This is Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

So by good association, by saintly man's association... That is recommended: mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā. This human life is meant for rectification. We are serving somebody, and we are not happy. We have got very good example in our country, in many other countries. Just like our Mahātmā Gandhi, he served his country very well, but the result was that his countrymen killed him. This is the result of our service. Nobody will appreciate. We are serving our family. The wife is not satisfied; (s)he divorces the husband. The son is not satisfied; he goes out of home. So just analyze that we are serving to our best capacity, but nobody is satisfied. This is our position. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā pālitā durnideśā. Actually we are serving our senses. I love my wife because she satisfies my senses. I love my husband because he satisfies my senses. Actually, we are servant of our senses. As soon as the sense gratification is disturbed, then "No, no, I am not going to serve you." Or "I am not satisfied with your service. You go away. I go away." This is our position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

So if this dheki, this machine, is sent to heavenly planet, what he will do? The same business: "Dag! Dag! Dag!" That's all. So either you go to the heavenly planet or you remain here or you remain in animal kingdom, your... Even the trees, they are standing—they are giving service. They are giving you fruits, they are giving you flowers, and if you want his service, by the wood, by the body, you cut; it will not protest. "All right, you take my body." So that is the way to understand that we must render service to somebody higher. So why not go to the Supreme, the great—"God is great"—and render service? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we'll be happy. You can go on giving service in this material world under so many designation, but you will never be happy, and the person to whom you are giving service, he will be not happy. This is material world. Try to understand.

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

So many varieties. In New Vrindaban we are keeping cows. That is an example. And the cows are giving milk, delivering milk, double than other farmers. Why? Because the cows know that "These people will not kill me." They are not in anxiety. Suppose you are engaged in some work, and if you know that "After seven days, I will be killed," can you do the work very nicely? No. Similarly, the cows know in the Western countries that "These people giving me very nice grains and grass, but after all, they will kill me." So they are not happy. But if they are assured that "You'll not be killed," then they will give double milk, double milk. That is stated in the śāstra. During Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, the cows milk bag was so filled up that in the pasturing ground they were dropping, and the whole pasturing ground became moist, muddy with milk. The land used to be muddy with milk, not with water. That was the position. Therefore cow is so important that we can get nice food, the milk. Milk is required every morning. But what is this justice, that after taking milk from the animal and kill it? Is that very good justice? So it is very, very sinful, and we have to suffer for that. And they are stated in the śāstras that "If you do this sinful act, you will go to this kind of hell." There are description in the Fifth Canto.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

This is called māyā. Just like I am in distressed condition, puzzled, I take some intoxication. This is called happiness. I remain in the same condition. After my intoxication is over, I come back again into the same condition, but I am thinking (I am) happy. This is called māyā. Māyā means... Ma means "not," yā means "this." "You are thinking like this, but it is not this." This is called māyā. You are thinking that you are happy, but you are not happy. So we are seeing that a criminal is arrested by the police and he is put into the prisonhouse. We know that he is put into trouble, but still, in spite of seeing that "This kind of criminality will put me also into such kind of distress," but still, I commit that thing. This is the influence of māyā. This is the influence of māyā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

So with one cloth or two cloths you can go on for six months. There is no much expenditure. And this vegetarian diet, if you take a few grains of this chick pea and little milk, you don't require anything to eat. Everything, facility, is there still. But they have... The people are being trained up to imitate Western civilization. That is the government policy, that, "Unless you become Westernized, technologist, you'll not be happy." But they can become happy even in this condition. This artificial partition has caused some trouble by the Britishers because the Pakistan has taken away all the wheat and rice. Their purpose was that. The Punjab side, they are producing wheat in very large quantity. In Bengal, that is the, perhaps the biggest rice producing country in the world, Bengal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So you have to become tolerant. When Kṛṣṇa was instructed about the eternity of the soul to Arjuna, Arjuna understood it. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I quite understand that soul is eternal. Even my teacher and grandfather is killed, he is bodily killed, but he is eternal. I can understand. But do You think that if my brother or if my grandfather or if my teacher with whom I am so thickly connected, if they die, shall I be happy?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes. You'll not be happy. Although you know that your son is eternal, he is not dying, he is changing his body... By theoretical knowledge or by understanding, you know it. But who is there in this world who will not cry when the son is dead? He will cry. But that crying is not crying like a layman. He knows that 'My...,' this is habitual. This is habitual."

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

So you are all initiated to become brāhmaṇa. You have become brāhmaṇa. Don't become false brāhmaṇa. Real brāhmaṇa. It is not by birth; it is by education, by practice, by knowledge. So we are offering the sacred thread to the Americans and Europeans in the Western countries, and some of our Indian contemporaries, they are not very happy with my action. They are under contemplation that a brāhmaṇa can be, I mean to say, seen by birthright. No. No. Brāhmaṇa is by qualification. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. That is the verdict of Kṛṣṇa.

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

We are propagating this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement just to make everyone Kṛṣṇa conscious. Never mind what is his past background. If one takes to this process, he becomes purified. That is our propaganda. We are not taking account of his past deeds. In the Kali-yuga everyone's past deeds is not very happy. Therefore we don't consider about the past deeds. We simply request that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa also says that,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣ...

(BG 18.66)

It might be I was very sinful in my past life, but when I surrender to Kṛṣṇa He gives me shelter and I am free. That is our proposal. We don't consider about the past deeds. Everyone may be sinful in his past deeds. That doesn't matter. But if he takes to Kṛṣṇa's shelter as Kṛṣṇa says, then Kṛṣṇa will give us protection. That is our propaganda.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

So we have to work. If we want happiness, then we have to work. There is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa says that yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Somebody is working to become happy within this material atmosphere by becoming very big man within this world, or a little more intelligent, they are not happy in this life, but they want to become happy in the next life. Sometimes they go to the higher planetary system. So yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So as you work, you get the desired result. But at the last line, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino'pi yānti mām: "If you work or if you worship Me, then you come to Me." Then where is the difference between going to Kṛṣṇa and keeping within this material world? The difference is ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). In this material world even if you go to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, still, there is birth, death, old age and disease.

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

So this Ajāmila, he was dāsī-pati. He was a husband of a prostitute. So he was not happy. He was attached. Another thing is... That is also Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. He says, duṣṭā-bhāryā. Duṣṭā-bhāryā means this prostitute. Duṣṭā, who is polluted by another man, he is called duṣṭā. Strīṣu duṣṭāsu varṇa-saṅkaraḥ abhibhavāt. Therefore human civilization must be very careful that the women may not become polluted. Strīṣu duṣṭāsu. Duṣṭā means she is not satisfied with husband. She wants new, new. That is called duṣṭā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

But unfortunately, being misguided, instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, we are serving so many other things. Somebody is serving his family. Somebody is serving his country. Somebody is serving his dog. In this way, service is there—but the service is misplaced. Therefore we are not satisfied. Why in the material world people are not satisfied? Because his position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. He is serving māyā; therefore he is not happy. Plain thing. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "Jīva, the living entity, they are My part and parcel." So each one of us, we are part and parcel of God. So we have got some duty. Just like the part and parcel of my body has got some duty. The eyes, his duty is to see. The ear, his duty is to hear. So every part of duty, even within, without. So we, being servant, eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. And because we are not doing that, therefore we are unhappy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

So there is no question of the living entity's being independent. That is not possible. He is dependent. But if he becomes dependent on Kṛṣṇa, then life is successful. Exactly the position, the dog. The dog is loitering without being controlled by somebody, he is seeking, "Somebody may control me." He's seeking position. But if he does not get anybody to control him, his life is very precarious; he is not happy. Therefore, if you want to be happy, then we must return to our own original position: to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. This is perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- San Diego, July 27, 1975:

If you unnecessarily becomes too much intelligent and theorize, then he is never successful, he is never sukhi. Na sukhaṁ na... Na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. Such a rascal, who does not consult the śāstras and thinks whimsically according to his mad conception, such person, na siddhim avāpnoti. That is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. He will never get success. He will simply speculate. There is no, definite knowledge. Na sukham, and he is not happy. And what to speak of going back to home, back to Godhead. He is a rascal. There is no hope. So do not conclude in your foolish way anything. Just refer to the śāstra, authority, śruti. Therefore it is called śruti. We cannot imagine that there is possibility of living entity in the sun planet or moon planet, but śruti... Just like Kṛṣṇa says that "I spoke to sun-god." So by hearing this śruti, we understand that there is also life and there is also system, the government, the chief executive. Everything is there. And that is by śruti anumīyate. Anumīyate means you can imagine it is a fact.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

So the commissioner entrusted the inquiry to Kedāranātha Datta at that time. So Kedāranātha Datta, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, took the matter and went to inquire at that, in the village of Orissa, with some constables in plain dress. So when he went there... He had some yogic power, so immediately he could say, "Oh, your name is Kedarnatha Datta. I know you are very good man, but don't be after me. You will not be happy. And I shall elevate you to become the king of this country. Don't be after me." Now, if anyone... He was Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a strong devotee. If any other person would have been addressed like that, he would be immediately puzzled: "How this man is talking about me, that I am Kedāranātha Datta, I am magistrate and...?" So he would not do anything. But Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was so strong, he said, "Yes. Thank you very much, that I shall become king.

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

So Vyāsadeva was not very happy, even he wrote so many books. Even Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote Mahābhārata, he wrote all the Purāṇas, and he wrote the philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra, and still, he was feeling unhappy. So at that time Nārada Muni came and instructed him, and he asked that "Why I'm not feeling happy? In spite of working so hard about writing all these different kinds of Vedic literature, why I am not feeling happy?" So Nārada Muni instructed him, "Because you have not very elaborately discussed about the science of God. You have simply superficially given some moral instruction to the society, some social instruction, but Some political instruction, Mahābhārata." Just like Mahābhārata, you'll find first-class political discussion, first-class social, economics, everything is there. But still, there is Bhagavad-gītā. So Vyāsadeva has done, but still he was not feeling. So at that time Nārada Muni instructed him that "You simply describe about God, about Kṛṣṇa." Then he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that connection he said, tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17).

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

So this artificial way of life, forgetting our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, is condemned therefore. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ... (SB 7.5.31). Here in this material world it is struggle for existence. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply struggle to become happy. Why this struggle? Because they have forgotten that Viṣṇu is, or Kṛṣṇa is very, very dear to him. He, instead of accepting Viṣṇu as very dear to him, he is accepting the māyā as very dear to him. This is the fault. Therefore he is not happy. Therefore struggle for existence.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that yad esa sarva-bhūtānām. Sarva-bhūtānām. Not that Kṛṣṇa is very dear only to the human beings. No. Sarva-bhūtānām. Because the relationship is very thick and thin, so Kṛṣṇa is also very dear to every living entity. We have forgotten that. Just like the master and the servant, the crude example, the dog: The dog loves the master because he knows, "The master gives me to eat." He feels obliged. The master takes care of the dog, and the dog is very much anxious to serve the master.

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

This is the symptom of this age. So our program is that they are trying to adjust things. Things cannot be adjusted unless we stand on the spiritual platform, because the actual necessity is spiritual demand. The best example is your country. Materially, you are so much advanced. No other country can be compared. But a section of younger generation, they feel frustrated, confused. Why? They are brought up very nicely. The government system is very nice. They can get education. Everything is complete. But still, they are not happy. They are finding something else which will make them happy. Why? This is spiritual demand. Just like this child cannot express what is the trouble. May be some ant is there within the bedding, and it is cutting on his delicate body, but he cannot express what is the actual trouble. Cries, expression of difficulty.

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

Going underneath the mine, at any moment the mine may collapse, and we risk life. Especially, here it is given that taskaraḥ sevako vaṇik. Taskaraḥ means thieves, they risk their life, enter into the house of another rich man, and he can shoot him immediately. There is dog, so many, but he risks his life for money. Taskaraḥ. Taskaraḥ means thieves, burglars, they risk their life. And sevaka. Sevaka, as soon as we become servant of some materialistic person, he'll extract, as much as possible, service in the factory. That is also very risky. We are not happy, sevaka. And vaṇik. Vaṇik means merchants. Sa vai vaṇik. They also risk their life. In European colonization, how much they risked life.

Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967:

Well, unless you have got enjoyment, how can you continue your activities? Do you think that in any activity which you, in which you do not feel happy or enjoy, can you continue that activity? No. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the more you become active in Kṛṣṇa conscious, the more you become joyful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That means your real life becomes revealed, joyful life. And as you become joyful, so you are more energetic to work for Kṛṣṇa. That will give you impetus.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

So the torturing business of the demons is going on, going on. As soon as the demons finds somebody little weak, they will torture, weak, in their way. A devotee is not weak, but they think that "These devotees, they are weak. They cannot do any materialistic work. They cannot build skyscrapers. They cannot build a subtle machine. So they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see? They think like that. But actually, they know, the devotees know, what is this value of this materialistic advancement. People are not happy actually. Now, so far materialistic happiness is concerned, your country, America, is number one. You are all qualified boys and girls, I see. But still, if we calculate impartially, what is the advantage? The advantage: hand to mouth. You earn in the morning and eat in the evening—finished. You see? Such qualified boys that... I take, for example, Gaurasundara. He is thoughtful. He is educated.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

Nobody is unhappy for killing my father. Be sure. So there is no cause of anguish. These all these demigods, Lord Brahmā and others, they are all Your servants. I am also Your servant's servant. So now the envious snake is killed. Everyone is happy." So he gave this example that modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā. A sādhu, a saintly person, never likes killing of any living being. They are not happy... Even a small ant is killed, they are not happy: "Why ant should be killed?" What to speak of others, even a small ant. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. It may be an ant, insignificant, but at the time of death he has suffered. A Vaiṣṇava is unhappy: "Why an ant should be killed?" This is para duḥkha-duhkhi. But such Vaiṣṇava is happy when a snake and a scorpion is killed. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatya. So everyone is happy when a snake or scorpion is killed because they are very, very dangerous. Without any fault they bite and create havoc.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa is bluish. Kṛṣṇa's color is the sky. When you see the clear sky, bluish sky, are you not very happy? "Oh, today is very nice day, blue sky." Especially in this country, when the sky is always overcast with cloud. So why you appreciate the color of the sky so much? That is Kṛṣṇa's color. Kṛṣṇa's body, there is a ray, brahma-jyotir. That brahma-jyotir is reflected in the sky. That brahma-jyotir is outside this material sky, but that is being reflected. Therefore the sky's color, it appears bluish. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudādhi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, "On account of distribution of the rays of His body, the brahma-jyotir, there are generation of innumerable universes.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So business is finished." So the question may be that... Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva may ask that "I have killed your father, so your relative may be unhappy? Therefore I'm angry. Why they are angry upon...? They're unhappy. I have killed a demon." So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "No, no, no. That is not the case. Nobody is unhappy. Nobody is unhappy. By killing my father Hiraṇyakaśipu, I am not unhappy and nobody is unhappy." Tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayā dayā: "By You, by Your grace..." "So if you are not happy, why?" Now, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: "Why they should be unhappy? Because the sādhu, a saintly person does not like that anyone should be killed, even an ant." That is sādhu. A sādhu does not want to kill even an ant. But in the case of vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā, they are happy. They are happy.

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

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is realizing that anything, material possession, it has no value. It may have some value, temporary, but there is risk also. For some temporary enjoyment, there is so many risk. The enjoyment... The highest enjoyment in the material world is sex. So for some temporary happiness we may enjoy sex, but there are many, what is called, after results. That is not very happy. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). After result is very bad. Either illicit sex or legal sex, the after result is not good. There are so many aftereffects. Even if you live... Of course, that is the Vedic training, that dharmāviruddha-kāmaḥ, sex life not against Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is that "Do not waste your semina unnecessarily. Only you have sex life for begetting nice children, good population," that much order. So even it is done according to the Vedic principle, still, there are so many sufferings—you have to take care of the children; you have to educate them; you have to see that they are well raised. So many. So that is also botheration. But if you can remain brahmacārī, oh, you avoid this botheration.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So everyone is full of anxiety. That is also explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja that sadā samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). When his father... After all, father and son, the relationship is very affectionate. So even though father was not happy that his son was growing to be a great devotee, still one day he called his son, "My dear son, what best thing you have learned from your teachers?" So Prahlāda Mahārāja is answering. He knew that his father was a demon, so he is addressing directly. Tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. Asura-varya. "My dear father, you are the best of the asuras." Asura-varya. Varya means the best.

Lecture on SB 11.3.21 -- New York, April 13, 1969:

Everyone is experienced that "I'm not feeling today well due to some sickness of my body or some mental disturbance." This is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries inflicted by other living entities, my enemies, some animal, some mosquito or some bug. There are so many living entities, they are also try to give me some trouble. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another type of misery, which is called adhidaivika. That is natural disturbance—severe cold, severe heat, some famine, some earthquake, some disaster, some hurricanes. There are so many things, natural disturbance. So in either of these three types of miserable condition we are. But those who are foolish, they do not see to it. Under illusion of māyā they think, "Oh, we are very happy." This is called māyā. One is not happy, but he's thinking, "I am happy." And they are trying to become happy in so many other ways.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

So actually he was going to be a pir. They renounced the family life and became gosvāmīs. "So I am sacrificing my life for God, and you just help me in this service. And not only that, you get some material profit also. I have got this, that, about..." First of all, he offered five thousand, five thousand gold mudras (?). But when he was not very happy, then he offered ten thousand. In this way, it was settled and the superintendent of jail let him go. And he inquired from Sanātana Gosvāmī, "What I shall explain to the Nawab when he'll ask me explanation, call for explanation? You are going." So he gave him a trick that... Formerly, people used to evacuate on the field. So he was imprisoned. So he wanted to evacuate in the field. And the superintendent of jail was accompanying him. In this way, he fabricated story and he told that "When he was evacuating, immediately he jumped over the river and the river's waves were so strong, he was carried away. I could not find him." So in this way, Sanātana Gosvāmī escaped after bribing.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

When Vyāsadeva finished his all scripture writing, all the Vedas, Purāṇas, even Brahma-sūtra, he was not happy. He was not happy, and his spiritual master, Nārada, came, inquired: "Why you are not happy? You have done so much work." So he could not explain. He said, "I, I do not find why I am unhappy. But because you are my spiritual master, you can say." So he indicated that "Because you did not describe about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore you are not happy. Now you try to describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead, particularly." And therefore he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You'll find this in the Third Chapter of the First Canto.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Pradyumna: "As far as material necessities are concerned, the human civilization at the present moment is very much advanced in living comfortably, but still we are not happy because we are missing the point. The material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America: the richest nation of the world, having all facilities for material comfort, is producing a class of men completely confused and frustrated in life. I am appealing herewith to such confused men to learn the art of devotional service as directed in The Nectar of Devotion, and I am sure that the fire of material existence burning within their hearts will be immediately extinguished. The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. The Nectar of Devotion will give us practical hints how we can live in this material world perfectly engaged in devotional service and thus fulfill all our desires in this life and in the next."

Prabhupāda: So, people are misled. They are thinking that by material comfort they will be happy. And practically we are seeing, this competition of material comfort... The capitalist and the labor class, worker class, they are fighting—strike. Actually, the propensity is that... That is explained in Marshall's theory of economics. We were student of economics. So in that book Mr. Marshall explained that the family affection is the origin of economic impetus. That's a fact. These hippies, they have no family affection. They are not married, and therefore there is no economic impetus. They can live in any way, any wretched condition of life. And one who is married, responsible man, he has got some responsibility to see that..., provided he has got affection for the family. Otherwise, practically, so-called family life, there is no affection.

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

So try to establish your relationship with Kṛṣṇa in any way, and that is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So any way you es... Because you cannot enjoy life beyond these twelve rasas. The, all the twelve rasas you can find. Raso vai saḥ. This is the Vedic instruction. Raso vai saḥ labdhānandi bhagavān. So you just contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead in exchange of any kind of rasa; you'll feel pleasure. That is only... You want pleasure. You want pleasure. The whole life, everyone is working so hard. Why? He wants some pleasure of life. But that pleasure you cannot have like dacoit, damn dogs and hogs. Don't try to take pleasure in the material world. Just as the hog is also enjoying pleasure by eating stool, that kind of pleasure will not make happy. It may be happy for the particular body, but actually it is not happiness. If you want happiness, then you have to establish your relationship with Kṛṣṇa in, by any of these rasas. Then you'll be, feel happy.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Actually, we cannot accept various paths for self-realization. That is not impossible. Sometimes, because we give stress directly to accept this devotional service, people are not very happy that we do not give any importance to the process of jñāna and karma and yoga. We do not condemn, but they're very difficult. The yogic process... Especially in Western countries, they are very much fond of the word yoga. We are therefore publishing this book, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is the Topmost Yoga. Actually it is so. So the yoga system or the jñāna system or the karma-kāṇḍa system, we do not make them null and void, but it will be very much slow form of progress. It will take long, long time. Neither it is possible to execute yoga system or karma system very properly in this age. Therefore the best contribution to the people of this age is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Immediately take to... Directly take to Kṛṣṇa and your life will be successful. Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). The yoga system, karma system, jñāna system, they may be taken as different types of religious path, but Kṛṣṇa recommends—not only at the present moment, but eternally He recommends—five thousand years ago, He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I'll give you protection," ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975:

So don't try to repeat your birth again and again in this Kali-yuga. It will be not very happy life. Better sacrifice everything in this life and be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don't wait for the next life. This is very seriously repeated, that "This life I shall finish my Kṛṣṇa consciousness business," and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa consciousness business means to understand Kṛṣṇa rightly. And He's explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business? If Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is sending His representative ācārya to teach you, and Kṛṣṇa is within yourself trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge—He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

But He is giving the facilities. Because kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, we wanted to enjoy, to lord it over this material world, He has given us chance, "All right, enjoy. Enjoy to your best capacity." But He is witnessing. Witnessing means you want something, Kṛṣṇa is supplying. The material agent, Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti, or the material nature is supplying you ingredients. But Kṛṣṇa is sanctioning, and you are desiring. You are desiring, "I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "No, you will not be happy," but you insist: "No. I want this." "All right. You take this." Kṛṣṇa's material energy is there; He is supplying the ingredients. "All right. Take these ingredients. What do you want?" "I want a three-hundred-story skyscraper building." "All right. Take it. Take it."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

So it is kindness of Kṛṣṇa that He is giving you all facilities. If you want to be a thief, He'll give you all facilities to be a first-class thief. And if you want to be a devotee, He'll give you all facilities to be a first-class devotee. Now it is your choice. Therefore we are suffering in our own choice. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). We wish something, we desire something, to have, and we hate something, to leave. Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility, but we are not happy. By acting in our own way we are misguided. Otherwise we are, would have been happy. Suppose if somebody wanted that "Let me have one crores of rupees." "All right, you have it. Here is one crore of rupees." But after one crore of rupees you are not happy. These Americans, they wanted to be the richest nation in the world. They have become. But their children—not happy. They are becoming hippies. Their father is also not happy, because his boy has gone astray. The government is perturbed, bewildered, "What to do with these boys?"

Therefore, so long we shall want something for our sense gratification, without serving Kṛṣṇa we shall suffer. That is the proposition.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:

This was also written by Vyāsadeva. But at last, he was not satisfied. Or even after writing so many big literatures, he was not satisfied. So one day he was sitting very morose, and in the same time, his spiritual master, Nārada, came to see him. Because Nārada is not an ordinary spiritual master. He could understand that "My disciple is sitting morose. So I must go there and give him some encouragement because he's a great personality. He is giving human society so many nice things, but he's not very happy in his mood. So I shall go and give him some encouragement."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:

"My dear Vyāsadeva, I see that you are not very happy. But I am asking you question, whether a person becomes ever-happy who has accepted this body as self or the mind as self?" There are two classes of men in the material world—I mean to say intelligent class. I am not speaking of the ordinary class of men. Those who are interested in knowledge, in higher thoughts, in philosophy, in religion, ethics, morality... So many things there are. In science, in literature... So Vyāsadeva is everything in one person. And he has written so many books, as I have described. Now Nārada is asking him, "My dear Pārāśarya...," Pārāśarya means Vyāsadeva was the son of Parāśara. His father's name was Parāśara; therefore he's addressing him, pārāśarya mahā-bhāga. Mahā-bhāga: "You are very fortunate. You have got the opportunity of doing the best service to the humanity by presenting such important literatures. Therefore you are mahā-bhāga."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.103 -- Washington, D.C., July 8, 1976:

" So I had to go back. So, so many disadvantages. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). In this material world, you cannot live very peacefully. Not very; not peacefully at all. There are so many impediments. The śāstra says, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: every step there is danger. Not only from these lower animals, but from the human society, by nature, on which we have no control. So in this way, our life is not very happy in this material world, and we should be advanced in inquiring about it, that why there are so many impediments. That is human life.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

So you cannot stop it. You cannot stop it. That is not possible. Therefore those who are advanced in knowledge, they do not try for all these nonsense, improving material condition. It will not make happy; it will increase problems. The so-called happiness will increase problems, and you have to deal with that problem, then again another problem, another problem. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like they are trying to control over the laws of material nature. That is impossible. It will never be possible. If you solve one question, then you will have to meet with thousands of other questions. It is not possible. So... Therefore Vedic literature says that "Do not waste your time in that way. Better you utilize your valuable time to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

So here we are careless. Nobody is taking... The materialistic persons, they are working in their own capacity, that "I shall become happy in this way, I shall become happy in this way," and therefore entangling, committing so many sinful activities. And he's not becoming happy; more and more unhappy. Karma-bandha. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sata sanga chadi khainu, asate vilāsa, te karane lagile mora karma bandha phansa. So if we don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we act independently, then the result will be that we shall be entangled in the laws of karma. Laws of karma means karmana daiva-netrena jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). By karma we are creating another body, next body. That we do not know.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.334-341 -- New York, December 24, 1966:

So this ignorance has to be removed if we actually want to be happy and peaceful. Nobody in ignorance can be happy. We have got experience here. Those who are advanced in knowledge, they are comparatively happy in this world, and those who are ignorance, they are not happy. Of course, by the spell of this illusory energy, although he is not happy, he thinks, "I am happy." Just like in the Bowery Row, street, you will see, so many drunkards, they are lying. They are thinking happy, but others, those are passing on the street, they are seeing they are not happy. So this is going on. So this mode of ignorance and passion has to be removed. Unless we remove that, the modes of passion and ignorance, there is no chance of become peaceful and happy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.36-40 -- San Francisco, January 23, 1967:

So they are dviṣataḥ. Dviṣataḥ means envious. They cannot even tolerate the name of God. "Don't talk of God." So it is not now individually infection; it is now worldwide. And therefore, the result is that the Communist party is developing all over the world due to this godlessness. And we have got experience, personal experience, in our selling our books, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I have seen many gentlemen, as teachers and educationists. As soon as he sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase." Such is the mentality. So that, by that such mentality, godless mentality, atheistic mentality, the people of the world, they are not happy. But still, they are fools. Because they are fools, they'll not take to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is our duty to canvass, to request.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original father, God is the original father. We are all His sons. Somehow or other we have left home. We have tried to enjoy material sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa has given us full facility. But we are not happy. That is not possible. Because we are separated from our original position, therefore we can not be happy. I give you one example. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of your body or my body, your body. If this finger is separated from this body it has no value, but if it is attached with this body, it has value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, if we're detached from God then we cannot be happy. That is a fact. There are many examples. Just like a baby, the part and parcel of the mother, crying, so many people trying to pacify the baby, taking on the lap, but still it is crying. But as soon as the baby is on the breast of the mother, immediately happy. Naturally. The baby knows, "Now I have come to the right place." Although it cannot speak, it cannot express, but the natural position, as soon as realized.

Arrival Speech -- Stockholm, September 5, 1973:

Then real awakening will come. Because at the present moment, every one of us is working on the bodily concept of life, which I am not. This is the fact. I am acting for something which I am not; therefore it is called māyā, or illusion. Phantasmagoria. I am working for something, and because I am working for something which I am not, therefore there is confusion. People are not happy. He is working day and night for this body; still, he is not happy. He is trying to make the senses... Body means the senses. So we are trying to satisfy the senses in so many ways, repeating the same thing in different way, but there is no happiness. It cannot be, because we are not this matter. We are spirit soul.

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

One who is actually paṇḍita... Paṇḍita means learned, and in spiritually learned (life), he sees that a very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, and a dog, an elephant, a cow, or a low-born man, creature—all on the same platform of spiritual life. So unless we come to that point, this so-called fighting and sectarianism will go on. So we want to teach people... Not only sectarian people in India or the so-called Hindus or Muslims or Christians. Everyone. Because everyone is spirit soul, and as soon as he understands that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," then he becomes completely happy. Yenātmā samprasīdati. So people will not be happy, will not be satisfied, unless and until he comes to that spiritual understanding. So our humble method is on this principle, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." And the spirit soul is eternal; therefore he has got to come to the platform of eternal happiness, eternal life and full knowledge. That is the perfection of life. And any type of religion—it doesn't matter what it is—which teaches this philosophy of life, that is first-class religious system. That is our conclusion.

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Brahmānanda: Well, I haven't read the letters yet, but she was saying that on the whole Mr. Matri now is diminishing. They have met with his superior in the party, and the superior is very much, he's not happy with Mr. Matri's activities and his reputation, and he says that in the forthcoming election he may not even put him on the election ballot.

Prabhupāda: That will be right punishment for him. Then he will understand. That will be more than death. Yes. Politicians, if they are refused political seat, that is more than death. Just like Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna that "You are known as a great hero, and if you don't fight then they will blaspheme you like anything. So that will be more than death. Better die. When they will say nindanti, 'Oh, the Arjuna has become a coward. He could not fight. He will die.' So that blaspheme will be more than death."

Arrival Lecture -- Philadelphia, July 11, 1975:

You see Kṛṣṇa's picture anywhere, how they are happy. The gopīs are happy, the cowherd boys are happy, Kṛṣṇa is happy. Simply happiness. Where is disappointment? So you come to that platform. Then you will be also happy. You come to Kṛṣṇa. Dance with Kṛṣṇa. Eat with Kṛṣṇa. And that is information we are giving. Where is the question of disappointment? Come with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa therefore comes personally to show how He is happy in Vṛndāvana, and He is inviting, "Come to Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just come to Me. I shall give you all pleasure." But we are not going. So that is not Kṛṣṇa's fault or Kṛṣṇa's servant's fault. One who will not come to that platform, that is his fault. We are canvassing everywhere that "Come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. And see whether you are not..." Otherwise, if they are not happy, how the man, woman, the boy, the child, the father, the mother, the black and white, everyone is dancing. Why? This is the platform of happiness. So we are inviting, "Come to this platform. Why you should remain disappointed?" That is our mission. It is equally good for the skeptics, for the atheist, for the agnostic, for the theist, for everyone.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Hrsikesa Dasa and Marriage of Satsvarupa and Jadurani -- New York, September 5, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is there, reservoir of all pleasure. Why it should not be happy? Everything should be happy. Where is your spot, black?

Hṛṣīkeśa: Oh, he didn't give it to me yet.

Prabhupāda: Somebody may take these bananas, cut into pieces and distribute.

Initiations -- Sydney, April 2, 1972:

That is difference between material life and spiritual life. We are serving. There is no doubt. We cannot be master. Any one of you who are present in this meeting, none of you can say that "I am the master." Every one of you, servant to somebody. That is our position. But that service is being rendered to mistaken places; therefore we are not happy, neither the person whom we are serving, they are happy. This is the position. But as soon as you serve Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundara, then you become happy, the whole world becomes happy. This is a great science. Try to understand. Go on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding of Syama dasi and Hayagriva -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1968:

"Anyone who comes back to Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "anyone who goes back to Godhead, then he does not require to come back again to this place, which is full of miseries." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Duḥkhālayam means it is a place of misery, this material world. And aśāśvatam. Aśāśvatam means temporary. Even if I agree, "All right, it is a miserable place. Let me live here perpetually," no. That also will not be allowed. As soon as there will be order, "Please get out," you have no power to remain. Suppose... We are Indian. We are poverty-stricken or we are not very happy materially. You American people, you are very happy. But the nature of law is stringent both for the Indians and Americans equally. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is particularly to go back to Godhead, giving up this material world, which is full of miserable life. It is actually full of miseries, but those who are thinking that "I am happy," or "We are happy," they are under illusion, māyā. That is called māyā. Actually, there is no happiness, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead says it is a place of misery.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

If you kindly, of course, see to these literatures, you'll find the solution of the problems of life. But we are not interested. That is the difficulty. We are thinking that we are happy, we have no problem, although there are so many problems and we are not happy. This is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Mā means not. Yā means this. This is called māyā. We are thinking that we are happy, but actually we are not happy. And even if we are happy, how long we are happy? Suppose, taking for example you Americans, you are the richest nation of the world. Your material comforts and everything is greater than other countries, standard of living. But just try to think how long you can remain as American. Say, for fifty years or hundred years, at most. Then... But we do not know what is going to happen in my next life because we do not believe in the next life. But actually there is next life.

Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna:

That is the universal form of religion. You have to apply your natural characteristic in a certain place, where you will be satisfied. Your service spirit is (indistinct). You have to apply your natural characteristic in a certain place, where you will be satisfied. Your service spirit is there, your loving spirit is there, but because it is misplaced, you are not happy, you are frustrated, you are confused. The Bhāgavata gives you indication, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is the first-class system of religion, which trains you to love God.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

Then there will be a new growth of population, not like cats and dogs, but actually demigods, devatā. Demigods means devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. And asura means nondevotee. So there is enough population of asura in this world. And the people are not happy because āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. This demonic civilization is killing the human race. So it is the responsibility of the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to save so many ignorant, innocent people. They have got this human form of life to end all miserable condition of material existence. They are being misguided simply just like animals. It is not a good civilization. So this place is out of contact. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire that here no man of ordinary interest will come here. It is in a very nice location. It is beyond the reach of the ordinary class of men. (laughter) Just like Howard's father said that "I'll never come here." (laughter)

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

Student (7): Are you happy always in reflection?(?)

Prabhupāda: What do you think? What do you think? I'm happy or not happy? What is your opinion? And if I say false, why do you believe? If I say falsely, "I am happy," will you believe it? If I say falsely, "I am happy," will you take it?

Student (7): That I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Student (6): If I can rephrase that, if you were American, how would you say the chant? In other words, I know it has many translations, but what would it mean to you? How would you say it in English?

Prabhupāda: English, the translation... What is that?

Jadurāṇī: These words are Sanskrit. He wants to know if they were English what would they be?

Prabhupāda: Well, proper names cannot be translated. You know that. Suppose if your name is John, and if I come from India I cannot translate into Indian language. I have to speak "John." You see? Just like people say "Swami Bhaktivedanta." Is there any translation, Bhaktivedanta Swami? Proper noun is never translated. That everyone knows. But the meaning can be translated. So we have got translation of the meaning, what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means. But so far chanting is concerned, that if I call you, you are American boy, Mr. John, so I'll have to call you Mr. John. I cannot translate into Sanskrit and call you

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

Just like when you go to your office but you find the bus too much crowded. But you are not happy. Because the bus is too crowded, you have to stand, or very..., with difficulty you have to stand. You don't like that. But because you have to go to the office, you tolerate. You tolerate. "First my business is to go to office, attend at the time. What can be done? Let me suffer this." Similarly, if you are serious about your business, that seriousness can be understood in this human form of life. The animals cannot understand. The animals, they are taken to slaughterhouse, and one said... If one animal enters, all the animals will enter. They do not know. Even they know that "We are going to be slaughtered," they have no means to protest or to go out. If a human being is slaughtered in the street, then his relatives, his kinsmen, file suit and brings the man into law. So many facilities are there for a human being.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam therefore begins with the first aphorism of the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Absolute Truth. Vyāsadeva has given you Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after his mature experience. He wrote all the Vedic literatures but he was not happy. So when he was not in his mood, he was deeply thinking that "What is the defect in my writings that after writing so many Vedic literatures I am not feeling very happy," at that time his spiritual master happened to appear before him, and he explained that why he was not happy. He explained that "You have touched many subject matters about dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa-religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—but you have not explained about the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore you are feeling unhappy.'

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

Actually who is in knowledge, he should know, "Where is happiness? I do not wish to die; I am dying. I do not wish to be diseased; I am diseased. I do not wish to become old; I am becoming old. So where is my happiness?" This is called māyā. There is no happiness, but still, he's thinking that he is in happiness. This is called illusion. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So this is... Just like the animal is in illusion. A hog is eating stool, but he's thinking that "I am enjoying, very nice." He's becoming fat. This is called illusion. You are not happy. Nobody's happy in this material world. Therefore the inquiry should be... That is the Brahma-sūtra. That is the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athāto brahma-jijñāsā. This human life is for understanding Brahman.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

So dharma means, the conclusion is, dharma means that our constitutional position is to serve. But our service being misplaced, we are not happy. Actually, we are serving not any person, but we are serving our different types of desires—kāma krodha lobha moha mātsarya—like that. That dharma, when it is reverted, transferred to the service of the Lord, that is called real dharma.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaitukyapratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

That service to the Lord should be without any desire, material desire. Spontaneous. "God is great. He is my supporter, maintainer." We should always remember that. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Actually, God is supporting. Now, at the present moment in India, especially in this part, there is scarcity water.

Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

Because Lord and His energy, they are, they are always existing. Just like sun and the sunshine, they're always existing. Sunshine is the energy, but sun is the energetic. Similarly, the Lord is there and His energy's also there. So we are praying both to the energy and to the Lord: "Please engage me in Your service. I am serving māyā. I am not happy. Therefore, please engage me in Your..." My, my constitutional position is to serve. Just like you're all sitting here. Every one of you are servant. If you consider that you are master, that is a mistake. That is māyā. Every one of you are servant. So "I am serving, but now I am serving māyā. I'm not happy. Let me serve You." This is the meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So if it means that, there is no objection. It is a question of language. It does mean (indistinct). Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the, the person whose name we chant, holy name, in each, in each holy Allah, or something like that, that is not objected if it is actually meaning the Supreme. If it is meaning something else, that is another thing. This question... Just like water or jala. It (is) the same thing. It is simply a different name. If I ask water, you'll give me the water actually, and if I say, jala, you'll give me the same. So if the meaning is all right, then there is no objection. If the meaning is different, then there is objection. We are not fighting with the language. We are not concerned with the language.

Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:

Service is there. Nobody can say that "I don't serve anyone." Is there anybody who can say boldly that "I do not serve anyone?" You must serve. That is your dharma. Either you become a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or this or that, your real characteristic is that you have to serve. That service attitude, when it is misunderstood, it is applied to māyā, and we are not happy. When it is applied to Kṛṣṇa, then we are happy. Service you must render. That is your position. You cannot become master. Even the politicians, they promise, "I shall give you such and such service. Please give me vote." So the service is promised, because we have to serve.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, that the soul is in this material world, and he is influenced by the three modes of material nature. So according to his position under the influence of three different kinds of modes, he is getting this body. It is on account of his free will. Just like if he wants to eat anything and everything up to stool, then he is given the body of a pig. If he wants to eat direct blood, sucking, then he gets the body of a tiger. And if he wants to eat first-class nutritious food, then he is given the body of a brāhmaṇa. In this way we are getting different types of bodies according to our desire. We are creating different types of desires, that "We shall be happy in this way, we shall be happy in this way." Just like we see practically, somebody is going to the restaurant, he thinks, "By eating here in restaurant I shall be happy." And somebody is going to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple, he is thinking that "I shall be happy by eating here." So Kṛṣṇa has given everyone the chance, but he is trying to be happy but he is not becoming happy, because he is misusing his intelligence, cent percent abiding by the orders of God; therefore he is suffering. As such, Kṛṣṇa comes personally and induces him that "You don't desire in this way. You give up all this material desire. You simply desire to act according My order, you surrender unto Me, and I will give you all happiness."

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Prabhupāda: Two things: that this world is experienced, nobody is happy, unless he is an animal. Animal, they do not know what is happiness or distress. In any condition they remain satisfied. But a man, he feels pain. Just like our Hari-śauri was speaking that there were reports that because the children cry, sometimes parents kill them. This is the world. And actually there have been many cases. So from practical point of view, this world is not happy. That is a fact. Now if there is a happy world, why one should not try for that?

Hayagrīva: He says the sooner we arrive at that divine being—the sooner we arrive at God—so much the better.

Prabhupāda: We become God?

Hayagrīva: No. In the search for God...

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: We make counteractivities for adjusting things, but unless it is approved by the Supreme Lord, that adjustment also will not be very much helpful. Bālasya neha pitarau nṛsiṁha. Just like a small child, the nature's way is the parent has got affection to take care. At that time, if the parents do not take care, the child cannot live. But the parents' taking care is not all. If the child is condemned by the Supreme Lord, in spite of the parents taking care, it will not be happy, or it will not exist. Parents' care is natural. Generally it so happens by the parents' care the child is happy, but in spite of parents' care the child is unhappy, then you have to go to the Lord. Is it not? Just like when a man is diseased, the counteraction is physician, medicine. Generally it is expected by attendance of good physician or using good medicine, diet, the patient becomes cured. But it is also seen that in spite of all careful attention, scientific medicine, he dies.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is there, but still they do not work, and these rascals, they work the whole day and night, and still they are not happy. What more cash value we can expect than Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Śyāmasundara: He says theories must become instruments, and not just answers to questions which we rest upon. They must become instruments.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Theory is instrument. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śyāmasundara: He says that, about the nature of truth, that truth is more than just an agreement of idea with reality, but it also has a practical significance, that whatever is practical is true.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Practical we can see from the verse of Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, that anyone who has got a slight merciful glance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he thinks that Brahman liberation is as good as hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And the heavenly planets, they are phantasmagoria, and yoga-siddhi, that is not a very important thing. And people are suffering on this material condition. (But) for a devotee it is simply pleasing. Everywhere he goes he feels pleased, while others seeing full of anxiety. Devotees, they are seeing everything pleasing. So these things happen simply by a fragment of the merciful glance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu upon His devotees. Viśvaṁ pūrṇam, they do not care for any big scholar or many exalted personalities, just like we challenge anyone, even we don't care for Dr. Radhakrishnan, who is so much exalted. So this is practical. Because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, therefore these things happen.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: They are suffering from want of knowledge. In ignorance they are suffering. Therefore this is sympathy, to the suffering. They are thinking, "Oh, because I have got a nice car I am happy." But actually he is not happy. You see? So he may think, out of ignorance he may think, "I have got a nice car, I have got a nice apartment, I have got a nice girlfriend, so I am happy." But actually he is not happy. He is suffering. So this is sympathy. You have taken sannyāsa, you are going to preach, (indistinct), being compassionate with the suffering. That is utilizing. Because you love Kṛṣṇa and they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so you know that they are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore you are going to preach. This is the position.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: The thing is that these people, they do not understand what is religion. Religion you cannot avoid. That is characteristic. Just like we gave several times this example, that everything has got a particular characteristic. Just like salt, salt is never sweet, and sweet is never salt. It has got a characteristic. A chile is pungent. Similarly, living entity, we are..., what is our characteristic? Our characteristic is to render service. Either you take Communism or this "ism" or that "ism," your real characteristic to render service, that will not change. The, in the capitalist country they are asking people that "You work in the factory and work for me, and whatever I say, you do," and the same thing is being dictated by the Communist leaders. Where is the difference? There is no difference, but it is only difference of nonsensical idea. Therefore a mass of people, they have to render service, either to Mr. Lenin or Mr. Roosevelt, it doesn't matter. He has to render service. But both the services are not being profitable to the mass of people. Therefore we suggest following the footprints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that you serve Kṛṣṇa. Service is your essential duty, but because your service is wrongly being executed, you are not happy.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It has nothing to do with materialistic "isms." It is directly connect, connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God demands that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām (BG 18.66). So we are teaching that "You, you are servant, but your service is wrongly placed; therefore you are not happy. You place or render the service to Kṛṣṇa, you will be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are neither for capitalism nor for so-called Communism, or not for so-called religion also. We are only for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Prabhupāda: So who he accepts as perfect?

Devotee: He says "I am not happy."

Prabhupāda: Nobody is happy. How you can be happy? No one in this material world can be happy. How you can be, you are also one of them. Why you are claiming a better position? Nobody can be happy. We say nobody can be happy. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Anyone who is living in this material world cannot be happy.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct), we have seen Russia is not happy. Russia is not happy and they are simply waiting for another opportunity, another revolution. (indistinct) this boy (indistinct), he is not happy. Similarly we can study. Just like when there is rice boiling you take one grain of rice and press it in your finger. If it is soft, then you can understand the whole rice is boiled. So we can understand the position of Russia from the sample, that boy. We haven't got to study more. And we could get some idea by talking with that professor that, how much foolish he is. He says that after death everything is finished. And he is passing on as a big professor, Indian department, Indology or something. So, if his knowledge is like that, if the sample of the citizen is like that boy, then what is their position? They may theorize so many things. So far as we are concerned, foreigners, we could not get even food to our satisfaction. There is no (indistinct) vegetables, no fruits, milk was (indistinct), no rice. That Madrasi gentleman, if he would not have contributed some dahl and rice and the..., then practically we would have starved.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: That cannot be, that is our philosophy. Because he has got the basic disease. He is saying that I am working so hard, but the profit is not coming to me, he will be immediately slackened. Just like there is a proverb, proprietorship turns sand into gold. But as soon there is lacking of the sense that I am not proprietor, the gold becomes sand. That is position of Russia. They are not happy, they are not rich, in comparison to other European countries. Of course, no European country is as good, or as rich as America, that is a fact. That I have practically seen. But still, in Russia, they are poorer than other countries.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: And they are directing can you go this side, can you go this side, so as soon as he finds that where he is, from that place the taxi is nearer; he says, "Yes, I can go." So immediately his number is (indistinct) and he'll immediately inform the taxi stand. This is the system. So, where is that system? (indistinct) European country, they are so proud of their philosophy and people are not getting their goods, nice (indistinct). There are lines, big lines for purchasing things and for foreigners you are asked, "What is your citizenship." There is fight, which foreigner is here. (indistinct) that boy related that he cannot go out (indistinct). People are not happy, that's a fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: No, even the young men, in Russia I have seen, they are after also God. They are unhappy because they are not allowed to go out of Russia. They want to see the world, but they are not allowed. Their independence is suppressed. So they are not happy.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: But shall not be happy. If I am given under the control of Communist government, I shall not be happy. We were there for a week in Moscow. We were not at all happy. That boy who came to us, he is not happy. So where is your perfection? You make everyone happy; then it is all right. If you think that "I am happy, my brother is happy. That's all right. Let others go to hell," that is another thing.

Revatīnandana: But Mao will say that the Russian Communism is religionism, that it is not real Communism. Therefore they are unhappy.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. The Russian Communism is failing; similarly, some days after, his communism also will fail. Because they are all imperfect. To criticize another man does not mean you are perfect. That is a different thing. You have to prove that you are perfect. "Judge not others lest you may be judged."

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: Because he is constitutionally spiritual being, he is not any product of this material world. He is part and parcel of the Supreme One. But he is embodied by the material elements, and the material elements requires change. It becomes old. Just like our shoes, our dress, it becomes old. I can have one shirt and coat, but as soon as I change the body, the shirt and coat is no more fitting the body, so I have to change. So material life means to change. It is called jagat. Jagat means changing. But we are eternal, the same spirit soul. That this material life is not very happy, because it will change. Even if we are in the very comfortable condition of life or in miserable condition of life, it will change to better or lower grade of life. That is going on. So in order to save ourselves from the repetition of changing body, if we want to remain in our original, eternal, spiritual form, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then we are relieved from this rotten business of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: That is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, kṛṣṇa ye bhaje sevā (indistinct): anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is the first-class intelligent man. Without being first-class intelligent man, nobody can come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this training, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means those who are fortunate, they have come to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This movement is training them how to know perfectly well that he is..., he will be or he is always very, very happy in Kṛṣṇa, not without Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. When practically we see anyone who has given up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are not happy. I don't find anyone. That's fact. They are not happy. They are rotting in degradation. That is their misfortune, less intelligent.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: Mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva (BG 16.20). Because he does not get under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, so life after life he is trying to be happy and he is becoming baffled. He is manufacturing new way of sporting—sometimes diving in the water, sometimes flying in the air. So this sporting, as soon as, according to his desire, God is supplying, "All right, you want to fly, you become a bird. You want to dive in the water, all right, you become a fish, big fish." So God is giving you and trying to see whether giving up all this nonsense plan he comes to God and surrenders unto Him: "Sir, I have, I have tried all my plan; I could not become happy. Now, my Lord, you say that 'You give up all this nonsense business, you surrender unto Me, I will make you happy.' " Then he becomes happy. For this message, God comes. Because this rascal will not do according to the desire of God; therefore God comes personally and teaches him—as Lord Rāmacandra, as Lord Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He, They, He gives the same instruction, that "You surrender unto Me and act according to My instruction; you will be happy." But he will not do that.

Page Title:	Not Happy (Lectures)
Compiler:	Rishab, Mayapur
Created:	26 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=204, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:	204