Not very important (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"not a very important" |"not be very important" |"not very important" |"not very important" |"not very much important" |"not very serious or important"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, I think this is... Did Lord Caitanya take sannyāsa from a Māyāvādī sannyāsī?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a formality. That is not very important. Because Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they are also Vedic sannyāsīs. They are not outsiders. But their interpretation of Veda is different. But they follow the Vedic rules. So this acceptance of sannyāsa is following a principle of the Vedic rules. So the Māyāvādī sannyāsī may differ in his interpretation, but he's following the Vedic rules. So this acceptance of sannyāsa is following the Vedic rules. So you can accept sannyāsa even from Māyāvādī. It doesn't matter. But you have to transcend the limits of Vedic rules. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

As soon as the soul is out of this body, what is the value of this lump of matter? It will be thrown in the street, and somebody will kick on the face. Nobody will care. Nobody will care. But so long the soul is there, if you touch the hair even—"Why you are touching my hair?" But when the soul is not there, on the same face, if somebody kicks, nobody will care. This is the position of the body. Therefore it is said, aśocyān: "It is garbage. Why you are lamenting on this garbage?" Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam (BG 2.11). "You are talking, very learned man, that 'If I kill my brothers the, my brothers' wives will be widow, and there will be prostitution and then the whole family will go to ruin.' These are all external condition." He...

This is real education, that "You are thinking on terms of the body; therefore it is not very important subject matter." Real subject matter—what will happen to the soul—that is real, important. But whole world, they do not know what is the important platform.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

You can experience, although you cannot see, you cannot touch, you cannot taste. So it is not that, that sometimes things which are beyond the test of our material senses, they are not existing. That is foolishness. We must accept that our senses are imperfect. So how we can understand everything by the test of experimental knowledge? No.

Therefore, things which are beyond your perception, you have to accept it by hearing from the authoritative source. Just like another example: If you want to see who is your actual father, that is not possible to make an experiment who is your father. There may be some experimental. But if you ask your mother, authority, "Mother, who is my father?" the mother says, "This is the man who is your father," you have to accept, that's all. You cannot make any experiment, neither it is possible to understand who is your father by experimental knowledge. Then how you can make experiment the Supreme Father, God? That is not possible. Simply you have to hear from the authoritative sources. But you can make some experiment. But that is not very important thing. The important thing is to hear from the authorized person. That is important. Therefore, Vedas are called śruti. Śruti means aural reception. You have to hear.

Lecture on BG 2.33-35 -- London, September 3, 1973:

To test Arjuna's fighting capacity, sometimes Lord Śiva, when Arjuna was hunting in the forest, so Lord Śiva also, as a hunter, he appeared before him, and when a boar was killed by hunting, Lord Śiva claimed that "I have done this killing." Arjuna said, "No, I have done this." So there was controversy, who will claim that hunt, I mean to say, killed animal. So Arjuna was claiming, and Lord Śiva as a hunter, he was also claiming. Then there was fight between Lord Śiva and Arjuna. So Lord Śiva was defeated. So he then disclosed his identity that "I am very much pleased that you (are) such a nice fighter." So he presented him one arrow which is called pāśupata-astra. Similarly, he sometimes fought with Indra. He gave him some astra, weapon. This was the system, that a kṣatriya is presented with a kind of weapon, a brāhmaṇa is presented with Vedas, and so far vaiśyas and śūdras are concerned, they are not very important.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

A madman will say, "I have no anxiety." But no sane man will say that "I am free of anxiety." This is material life. So if you want to become free of anxieties, then you come to the spiritual life. That is the only remedy. Harim āśrayeta. Accept the lotus feet of God. That is the mission of God. God comes Himself. God sends His son or devotee or servant. The same thing. That religion may be different. That is not very important.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

Temporary problems are not problems. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgama apāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). "Your temporary problems, so-called happiness and distress, these are āgamāpāyinaḥ. They come and go." That is not very important. Just like the seasonal changes. The winter season comes; again goes away. For the time being, you may feel very cold, but it will go. Similarly, summer season also, it comes and goes—any seasonal changes. We should not be disturbed with these seasonal changes of happiness and distress.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

The important thing is that you're working for Kṛṣṇa. That is important. You see? And māyā is calling; that is not very important. If you engage yourself, keep yourself engaged in Kṛṣṇa's activities, then māyā, even calling, she will not be, I mean, able to call you back. She will call. That is quite natural. But you stick to your business.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

So as we have got experience, we can take experience from what we see daily, so as we have got three different vision of the sun, although the sunshine is spread all over the universe, you cannot accept the sunshine as important than the sun disc, localized. Which one is important? The sunshine is important or the localized disc, the planet, is important? The localized planet is important.

Similarly, the impersonal feature of Lord which is known as Brahman, that is not very much important. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of the effulgence of Brahman." So this is one feature. But that is transcendental. When one thinks of Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth, that is also transcendental. When one thinks of the localized aspect of the Supreme Truth, that is also transcendental. And when one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is also transcendental.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Male devotee (2): Was there a Vaiṣṇava calendar which originated in Vedic culture which is different from our calendar that we use today?

Prabhupāda: Is there any calendar study just now, we? Why do you ask about calendar now? We are not discussing about calendar. When we discuss about calendar, you put that question. It is not very important question now. That means you are not attentively hearing. You are thinking of calendar. You should be very

attentive: "What discussions are going on?" Calendar is not very important discussion in this meeting.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

This material world is important because it is being manipulated by that small spiritual spark, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho.

So we are small particles, part and parcel of the Supreme, and they are distributed all over His creation, brahmajyoti. That is nirākāra. But the brahmajyoti is not the ultimate truth. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The first realization... Just like light in the morning. When you see light, you see the light of the sun. But that is not very important thing, sunlight. Of course, we have no other means to understand beyond the sunlight, but we take it sunlight is very important. Actually very important because through sunlight the whole universe is maintained. It is sunlight. As soon as there is shortage of sunlight, the place becomes immediately condemned.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Human civilization means brahma-jijñāsā, inquiry. These are the inquiry. "Why? Why I am forced to do this?" These things are taught regularly in the varṇāśrama system. One is made brahmacārī, celibacy, spiritual. One is made a very decently, family life, gṛhastha. One is made retired life, sannyāsī. Very systematical. So if we don't follow the varṇāśrama-dharma, then we are not even human beings. They are cats and dogs. So therefore Rāmānanda Rāya proposed this varṇāśrama... Varṇāśramācāravatā. He quoted from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Oh, this is rejected." He immediately rejected. Now, so scientific institution of varṇāśrama-dharma system, coming from very early age, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "This is external. Say something better." So in this way, Rāmānanda Rāya was putting some better proposal than varṇāśrama-dharma. Then varṇāśrama-tyāga. Tyāga means renouncing, renounced order. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's speaking, "No, no. It is ... It is not very important. Go more."

So when Caitanya Mahā..., eh, Rāmānanda Rāya quoted one verse from Bhāgavatam which was spoken by Brahmā, that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, "When one gives up this nonsense speculative process..." Everyone is speculating. The scientist, philosopher, everyone is speculating, just to show himself that he has grown very learned, he can put some theory. So this is first rejected.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

Anye means general public, not very important men. Anye. Anye tu evam ajānantaḥ. They do not know, because they are like animals, what is kṣetra... Kṛṣṇa is discussing in this chapter, what is kṣetra, what is kṣetra-jña, what is knowledge, what is knowable, what is prakṛti, what is puruṣa. Who is studying all these things? There is not institution, no school, college, university, to study these things. They have medical college. Kṣetra means this body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram ity abhidhīyate. So they have little knowledge about this anatomical, physiological, condition of this body, but they do not know the kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña they do not know.

They may know something, but Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ yaj jñānaṁ tad mataṁ mama. Unless you know the kṣetra and kṣetra-jña both, then your knowledge is imperfect.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

The Māyāvādīs, they are aspiring after mukti. Mukti. A devotee does not care for mukti. Mukti's not very important thing for them because, actually, one who is pure devotee, he's already mukta, liberated. He doesn't care for mukti. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā that

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

"Anyone who is engaged in My devotional service without any adulteration, pure..." Pure devotional service means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Brs. 1.1.11) no other desire, no duplicity, pure—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, and it is my duty to serve Kṛṣṇa," not, "I am serving Kṛṣṇa with a motive. As soon as I get the opportunity, I shall utilize." That is not pure devotion. Pure devotion means without any motive: "Kṛṣṇa is my Lord. I am His eternal servant. It is my duty to serve"—no motive. That is pure devotion. So if one is on the platform of devotional service, māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). Anyone who is serving Kṛṣṇa without any motive, without any alloy, pure devotional service, he's already liberated.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

When Lord Caitanya was present, whenever He would go, wherever He would go and..., His attitude was dancing: "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." And He was so beautiful and attractive that people would follow. Thousands and thousands people will follow, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even Lord..., Nawab Hussein Shah... And when He started this movement in Bengal He was a boy of twenty years old. So so many people were following. So Nawab Hussein Shah inquired his minister, "Who is this person, that He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and so many people are following Him?" So the minister was Hindu. He thought that "He is Muhammadan king, so he may not like this movement." Therefore he wanted to hide it: "My Lord, you have misinformed. He is not very important. Some, I mean to say, people are crazy fellows. They are following. Not... A few only, not many." The Nawab replied, "No, I know it certainly, but you don't try to hide the facts. He must be a great personality. Otherwise so many people are following Him?"

Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

The vast universal form which you are seeing, it is nothing but parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ: it is the manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Person. How? The example is given, eka-deśa-sthitasyāgneḥ. Just like fire. Take the example of the sun, the biggest fire within this universe. It is situated in a place. The sun is not distributed. The sunshine is distributed. The sunshine may be covering the whole universe, but that is not very important. The sun globe is important. It is localized. Similarly, as the sun is distributing heat and light, remaining itself in one place, similarly Kṛṣṇa is playing with gopīs in Goloka Vṛndāvana, and His shine is creating the whole universe. Not that Kṛṣṇa is playing there, He is enjoying, therefore He is absent. No. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He is present everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. I am sitting here, you are sitting here. You are not in your apartment. That is my position. But Kṛṣṇa's position is that although He is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is present everywhere.

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

Pradyumna: Did some time lapse between the actual, Vyāsa's conception of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the actual writing down of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Was it passed orally, or was written down by Vyāsa Kṛṣṇa himself?

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter. If you know something, if you write after some years, what is the difference? That is not very important thing. It was written for the persons... Formerly there was no written literatures. Simply by hearing from the spiritual master, their memory was so sharp that they would grasp. But in this age, the memory is not such sharp. Therefore written records are... So these written records were made by Vyāsadeva. All Vedic literatures. Formerly, before Vyāsadeva, there was no written literatures. Simply... This is called śruti. Śruti means simply by hearing. The student should learn simply by hearing. Their memory was so sharp.

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

Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note that if you become a rigid religious person, that does not mean (chuckling) God will be satisfied with you. That is preliminary stage. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). If one religious man... But that is not the qualification. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, He, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, inquired what is the aim of life and what is the procedure of achieving that aim. He prescribed this varṇāśrama-dharma. Because that is the beginning of actual human life, accepting four varṇas and four āśramas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately rejected, eho bāhya āge kaha āra. These are not very important things. Just see. The whole Vedic civilization is resting on the varṇāśrama-dharma.

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

(CC Madhya 8.58)

That is the statement, that one who is rigidly performing the rules and regulation of these four varṇas and āśramas... Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate. Simply by following the rules and regulation, varṇāśrama system, one can worship Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhya... Nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam. There is no alternative to satisfy Him. That... This is an authorized statement. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya āge kaha āra, "This is external. This is not very important thing. If you know something more, that you can say."

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

If one is not in awareness of the conclusion of Vedas, conclusion of the smṛti, conclusion of the Purāṇas, and pañcarātra-vidhi. Nārada-pañcarātra, aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ, without reference to this Vedic literature, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has said utpāta, simply disturbance. Simply a disturbance. Manufacturing. They'll manufacture some ways. There are so many anarthas. If we come to detail it will take long, long time.

Anyway, if we want to, I mean to say, abolish all kinds of anarthas, unwanted things, then we must take to bhakti-yoga. Then everything will be clear. Everything will be clear, very clear. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. This śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ, just like you are so kind enough to come here to hear about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by this process. This has been recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your place. You don't require to become a sannyāsī, mendicant, or brahmacārī, or change your place. No. When Rāmānanda Rāya quoted this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was discussing about the aim of life and the process of reaching the aim of life. He mentioned so many things—karma, jñāna, yoga, etc., so many things. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya, āge kaha āra: "Yes, this statement is not very important. If you know still further more, you can say." So in this way, step by step... When Rāmānanda Rāya came to this conclusion, that

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir

ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām

This is the statement, that remain in your place, but hear from the authorities about Kṛṣṇa, then everything will be clear. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Even if you do not understand a word, but if you hear from the realized soul about Kṛṣṇa, then, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). If we become sincere to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will help us. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogam (BG 10.10). He'll give intelligence. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

Abhīkṣṇaśaḥ means twenty-four hours, without any stop, always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore recommends: kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. One should be engaged twenty-four hours in chanting. That is the business of Kṛṣṇa conscious men. Hearing, chanting, śravaṇam kīrtanam. Either all the items or take to one item. Simply hearing. Just like Parikṣit Mahārāja did. Parikṣit Mahārāja did not do any other things. He sat down tight before Śukadeva Gosvāmī and went on hearing, hearing, hearing for seven days. And then his life is finished. So anyone or all of them. If you simply hear, without doing anything. Simply sit down in the temple and whenever there is talk of Bhagavad-gītā, Bhaga..., you go on hearing. Bas. Even if you do not understand, please hear. That's all. That vibration, that mantra vibration will help you. Understanding is not very important thing.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1973:

The topmost bhakta is Rādhārāṇī. So although Kṛṣṇa is the īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme controller, He is controlled by Rādhārāṇī, because She is bhakta. Nobody can excel Her devotion, Her service. In sixty-four ways... These are described in the Bhakti-rasa..., Nectar of Devotion, how Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī excels in Her devotional service, everyone, everyone. There are stages, different. Just like the Pāṇḍavas, they are also bhaktas. But the gopīs excel them. And the gopīs are also bhaktas, but Rādhārāṇī excels all of them. So there are stages of bhaktas. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very cautious to endow one with this devotional service. He can give mukti very easily. Mukti, to achieve mukti, liberation, that is not very difficult job. But if one becomes a bhakta, devotee, mukti will stand before him with folded hands. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān.

For a devotee, mukti is not very important. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that mukti, kaivalyam, one with the supreme, kaivalyam, kevalam, narakāyate: "What is this? It is as good as the hell." That is the opinion of the bhakta. They don't want mukti.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

In the Calcutta Botanical Garden there is a banyan tree said to be older than five hundred years, and there are many such trees all over the world. Svāmī Śaṅkarācārya lived only thirty-two years, and Lord Caitanya lived forty-eight years. Does it mean that the prolonged lives of the abovementioned trees are more important than Śaṅkara or Caitanya? Prolonged life without spiritual value is not very important. One may doubt that trees have life because they do not breathe. But modern scientists like Bose have already proved that there is life in plants, so breathing is no sign of actual life. The Bhāgavatam says that the bellows of the blacksmith breathes very soundly, but that does not mean that the bellows has life. The materialist will argue that life in the tree and life in the man cannot be compared because the tree cannot enjoy life by eating palatable dishes or by enjoying sexual intercourse. In reply to this, the Bhāgavatam asks whether other animals like the dogs and hogs, living in the same village with human beings, do not eat and enjoy sexual life. The specific utterance of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in regard to "other animals" means that persons who are simply engaged in planning a better type of animal life consisting of eating, breathing and mating are also animals in the shape of human beings. A society of such polished animals cannot benefit suffering humanity, for an animal can easily harm another animal but rarely do good.

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

First servant Brahmā, next servant, his servant, Nārada, his servant, Vyāsa, his servant, Madhvācārya, his servant, the servant's servant's servant, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. In this way, when we think that we are servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfection. Otherwise, even if we think that "I am not brāhmaṇa. I have got sacred thread. I am very clean. I am taking bath." That is required, of course, because if you are actually servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa, then these qualities will be there as subordinate.

Just like when you have earned 100,000's of dollars, it is not that the ten dollar is not there. Ten dollar is there, but it is not very important. Similarly, to become a servant of the servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa means that the brahminical qualification which is worth ten dollars, that must be also there. But even at that stage, if your ten dollar quality is lacking, then you cannot become proud of becoming the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). You cannot become proud of possessing 100,000's of dollars if you cannot pay ten dollars. Do you follow? If you say, "Now I am in possession of 100,000's of dollars," and if I ask, "Give me ten dollars." "No. I haven't got." So similarly, if you actually have become transcendental servant of Kṛṣṇa, if the qualities of brāhmaṇa is lacking, then you are not perfect. The brahminical qualification must be there. Then you are falsely possessing. If you falsely say that "I possess 100,000 dollars," and if I ask, "Give me ten dollars." "No. I..." This is false prestige. So these ten dollars will not serve my purpose. I will have to acquire 100,000 dollars. That is Vaiṣṇava qualification.

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

Bhakti is transcendental even to mukti. People generally consider dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). In the beginning dharma, artha, economic development, kāma, sense gratification, then mokṣa, merging into the supreme one. But bhakti is above that. Siddher garīyasī. It is above mukti. Mukti is not very much important thing for a bhakta.

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

ch fond of seeing beauty of woman, so he thought, "These eyes are my enemies." So he personally plucked out his eyes. When he was going to Vṛndāvana, still he became attracted by a woman, and therefore... That woman, of course, was a very rich merchant's wife. So she told her husband that "This man is coming after me. What to do?" So that merchant received him. "Oh, he's saintly person. All right, you serve him." So Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura came to his senses. He said, "Mother, you give me the pins of your hair. So I am so much after the beauty of woman, so let me pluck out the eyes." So he made voluntarily blind. So he could not see, but still, Kṛṣṇa was coming in Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa is always in Vṛndāvana. So He was supplying milk. So divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ, he practically realized through bhakti. Therefore he wrote by his personal experience, bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā bhagavan yadi syād daivena naḥ phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ. And so far dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41), mokṣa, muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Mukti is not very important thing. She is always standing at my service," mukulitāñjali, "with folded hands, Mukti: 'My dear sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti's position.

So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta.

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

There are so many devotees. But all of them are the same, Vaiṣṇava. All of them are the... But not demigods. Viṣṇu. So chanting, bhakti-yoga means to chant Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). And Viṣṇu has got so many forms. So either you chant Hare Rāma or you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is the same. There is no difference. Sometimes they first of all place "Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare." And sometimes they place "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." There is no difference. Sometimes they say, "No, it should be Hare Rāma first." Sometimes they..., "No, Hare Kṛṣṇa." But that is not very important, childish. Any, either you say Hare Rāma or Hare Kṛṣṇa, the same.

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

So dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam indriyāṇām anugrahaḥ. So our senses follow, and we enjoy these false senses, and that is material existence. So the endeavor should be how to become free from this material existence and come to our spiritual platform. That should be the endeavor of human life. The cats and dogs, they have no such advanced consciousness. They cannot try for it. They are satisfied with this material body and material senses. But in the human-form body there is chance to understand that these senses, this physical formation of the body, is false or temporary. Or false in this sense that it is not my original body. Original body is within this material body. That is spiritual body. Asmin dehe dehinaḥ. Dehino 'smin, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), asmin dehinaḥ. So the spiritual body is actually the body, and this material body is covering. It is explained in different way in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This material body is just like dress. The dress... I am putting on the shirt, you are putting on the shirt and coat. That is not very important thing. The important thing is the body within the shirt. Similarly, this material body is simply outward covering of the spiritual body by physical atmosphere, but real body is within.

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

Guest (1): Does the swami, once he has been installed in office, does he every..., wear a white long coat with a white hat?

Prabhupāda: Of course, the real meaning of swami is one who has got control over his senses. It does not mean that by wearing a different colored garments one becomes master of senses. Neither it does mean that one, a man in gentleman's dress with hat and coat, he cannot control his senses. Dress has nothing to do. But according to the Vedic system... Just like there is a particular uniform that this class of men, who have renounced this world, his robe or garment should be like this. That is simply... Just like policeman has got a particular type of uniform, but that does not mean that... That may be imitated even by a thief. So that is not very important thing, to dress. You can become a swami even with your this hats and coats. That doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

Dharma means religion. Real religion, sad-dharma. So the sad-dharma... As soon as we become addicted to sinful activities, then our real, constitutional position we forget, and we become mad after it and the disease increases.

So here it is suggested that "According to the disease..." Diseases, there are different types of disease. Some disease is very acute; some disease is not very important. So he suggests that tasmāt purā eva ca iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyor avipadya ātmanā. You have to die. That is a fact. Nobody will live here. "As sure as death." So before death we must finish the atonement of our sinful activities. This is recommended.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Chicago, July 5, 1975:

Long, long ago there was a brāhmaṇa, dvija. Dvija means twice-born: first birth by the father and mother... That kind of birth is obtainable by any person, man or animal. As soon as you take birth, there must be father and mother. Without father-mother, there is no question of birth. Therefore, in the human society they do not take this birth as very important. We are very much proud of becoming American or Indian on account of birth, but according to the Vedic civilization, simply the birth by father-mother is not very important. There must be second birth, dvija. Dvi means second, and ja means birth. So according to the Vedic civilization, a human being must be trained up to become dvija, or take his birth second time. This is human civilization. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Simply by ordinary birth by father and mother, it is śūdra. But the civilization is how a śūdra or less than śūdra can be elevated to the position of a brāhmaṇa. That is civilization.

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Raya, how to cultivate spiritual knowledge, how to know the ultimate goal of life, sādhya sādhana, what is the aim of life and what is the process to approach the aim of life... This was the talk between Rāmānanda Rāya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Rāmānanda Raya began with varṇāśrama dharma, the institution of four orders of social and four orders of spiritual life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya, "It is not very important nowadays." Yes, eho bāhya, āge kahe āra, "If you know something more, better than this..." Then he... Karma-tyāga, sannyāsa, so many, step by step, he said, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied, "Yes, it is right, but it is not very important." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said..., uh, Rāmānanda Rāya said, quoting from the Vedas, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ (sthāne sthitāḥ) śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṇ-manobhir (ye) prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām. "If you want to know who is God, what is God, then give up your, this speculative endeavor." Jñāne prayāsam. Prayāsa means endeavor: "May be like this," "Perhaps like this." No. You give up this habit. Jñane prayāsam udapāsya, give up this bad habit. Then? How? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva: "Just become humble and meek. Don't declare yourself a great philosopher or great learned scholar and..." No. That is not the process. "Now I am a learned scholar, I can discover God, I can manufacture God." No. Give up this bad habit. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya—be humble. If you know to know God, then be humble.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

The materialistic attraction means, the first attraction is sex. This whole world, not only human society, in animal society also... There are 8,400,000's of different kinds of societies according to different kinds of species of life. "Birds of the same feather flock together." As it is said, that a species, a particular type of species of life... Not only that, we human beings, we have flocked together. Birds of the same feather. This is not very important thing. If you combine together as American or Indian or Chinese or many other names, oh, same thing in there in the lower animals also. Therefore this saying is very nice, that "Birds of the same feather flock together." So this propensity of combination of society, community, amongst the human being, is not very important improvement. So in this way, our attachment increases. So when we are old enough, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that ko gṛheṣu pumān saktam. The older we are, our attachment for home—home, society, society, friendship, love—increases.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so nice, transcendental literature that anywhere you sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, as the Gosvāmīs used to do it... Nāma-gana-naṭibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtau. They were passing their time chanting, dancing, and reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, writing on it. So far the bodily necessities are concerned, they were not very important things for them. They forgot. Spiritual life is so nice.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

As soon as one understands that "I am not this body. I am different from this body," then his interest becomes different. Because he is under ignorance that "I am this body," therefore he's acting, working for this body. And as soon as he comes to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ, he is no more interested in bodily comforts. That is the Vedic civilization, that one is educated to become introspective. He is educated to become introspective. The brāhmaṇas, just like they are happy in any condition of life. That is our Vedic civilization. They accept poverty... Not accept poverty. They are not very much interested. Either lie down on the ground or lie down on the sofa—they don't find any difference, because they are not interested with these bodily comforts. People may say, "Oh, this is very uncivilized way, the primitive way of life, that he is lying down on the ground just like animal." But he does not know that he is not interested either lying down..., because when we sleep he forgets whether he lying down on the ground or lying on... (laughter) So that is not very important thing. But at the present moment they have taken that lying down on a very nice bedstead, cot, and silken bed, that is advancement of civilization. But that is not advancement of civilization—yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13)—because he is under the bodily concept of life.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 8, 1973:

Mukti means kaivalya. Simply ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that's all. Kaivalya. This perception, Brahman perception, brāhmaṇanda. But for a devotee, he says kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). So for devotee, these things are not very much alluring, mukti, bhukti, siddhi. It is so sublime, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so sublime, that other things very insignificant in the front of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa samaya-pratīkṣāḥ. People are after dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), but this bhakti is above these four kinds of principles. Dharma. Actually, human life begins when he is religious, dharma. And artha, when he is economically developed, and when he can satisfy the senses very nicely. And then becomes mukta, liberated. But for a devotee, these four things are not very important. Bhukti, mukti, siddhi. Now siddhi means mukti. Siddhi means yogic siddhi.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

There are so-called pseudo devotees. They say, "What we have to do with Bhagavad-gītā?" They think that they are so advanced that they will jump over immediately to the Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā. That means Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the Kurukṣetra is not very much important for them. But no. Kṛṣṇa's līlā, either in the Kurukṣetra or in Vṛndāvana, the same thing. We should know. Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. So better, first of all, read Bhagavad-gītā, the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to read, or try to learn. Of course, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is everything. But for ordinary persons, because Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD of spiritual knowledge... People even commit mistakes in studying the ABCD of spiritual knowledge. People have become so much degraded that they cannot understand even ABCD of spiritual knowledge. They'll make their own interpretation.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

Bhavānanda: "To pure devotees, therefore, liberation and spiritual emancipation are not very important things."

Prabhupāda: That's not very important. They are, they think that mokṣa is very exalted position. Therefore Śrīdhara Swami says mokṣa, mokṣa-vāñchā paryantaṁ nirastam. Mokṣa-vāñchā paryantaṁ nirastam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstava vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). So in Bhāgavata says that "This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant by the, meant for the paramahaṁsas, not for ordinary man." Ordinary man, they are after dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. First of all, nowadays, even they do not care for dharma. They're animals. Really human life begins when they take to religious principles. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, gradually improvement, and devotional service is above mokṣa. Therefore dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitavo, cheating. As soon as there is some motive, that is cheating religion. But bhakti, there is no such thing, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. It is above, transcendental.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

We must approach a bona fide guru for enlightenment. And samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam: one who has received knowledge by hearing, not by speculating. Nowadays it has become a fashion to speculate. The Vedic injunction is, "No. By hearing." You have to approach the right person and hear. Therefore the whole Vedic literature is called śruti. One has to learn very intelligently by hearing from the authority. The same example we find in Bhagavad-gītā. In the battlefield, where time is very valuable, still, Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is instructing, and Arjuna is hearing. So this hearing process is our Vedic process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, according to, of course, Vedic injunction: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You haven't got to change your position. It is not necessary that you have to take sannyāsa from gṛhastha life, you have to give up your occupation. No. That is not very important thing.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

One should not sleep more than five to six hours. Minimize as far as possible. The Gosvāmīs used to sleep not more than one and a half hour, or two hours. Sleeping is not very important thing. Even big politicians, they used to sleep for two hours. So especially in spiritual line, they should minimize as far as possible eating, sleeping, mating, defending. Minimize. Gradually it comes to nil.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Paris, July 20, 1972:

In the spiritual platform we can see that every living entity is part and parcel of God, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām evāṁśa jīva-bhūta. Every living entity. It doesn't matter what he is. There are 8,400,000 species of forms, but all of them, they're covered only by different dresses. Just like you Frenchmen, you may be differently dressed, and Englishman may be differently dressed. But dress is not very important. The man within the dress, he's important. Similarly, this body is not very important thing. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18), this body is perishable. But the soul within the body, he's not perishable. Therefore this human form of life is meant for cultivating the knowledge of the nonperishable.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

God is equal to everyone. That is a fact. So far eating, sleeping, mating, these four principles are concerned, God is giving everyone. Just like government provides maintenance, provision, even in the prison life. That is not very important thing for government. But education department or other higher cultural department, that is not for all. Similarly, although God is equal to everyone, he's especially inclined to the devotees. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā teṣu te mayi. Those who are engaged in devotional service, He's specially inclined to him. And to him he gives instruction from within.

Gayatri Mantra Initiation -- Boston, May 9, 1968:

Student: The first mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's for, you say, that's to clean the mind of the material contam...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the basic, that is the first principle. Lord Caitanya says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: (CC Antya 20.12) "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes cleansed of the dirty things, material contamination."

Student: And this mantra. What's the purpose?

Prabhupāda: This mantra is secondary. Of course, one who has purified himself by Hare Kṛṣṇa, this mantra is not very important. But, according to the tradition of Vaiṣṇava smṛti, it is offered better, better, to make the position still confirmed and better. But even this mantra is not given, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everything is done.

Wedding Ceremonies

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

Our relationship is eternal. There is no separation. And this marriage is primarily for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bodily relationship is secondary. That is not a very important thing. Our first engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in this happy ceremony, I have got my heartfelt blessings upon you.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

When I met my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, so as a gentleman meets as a gentleman, so he was sitting in a couch like that. So, and I also sat down on that very couch. So I did not know that what are the rules and regulations. Now, when I saw that his other disciples are coming, and they are sitting down, (laughs) so I thought myself, "Oh, I have done this wrong. I should not have sat with His Divine Grace." So of course, I did not get down immediately, but I took it, and from next day I did not sit. So rules and regulations automatically was taught. So that rules and regulations is not very important. The important is... The thing is that we must take up. The first rules and regulation is that we must have some attachment for this. Attachment for this. Then, automatically, rules and regulation we shall learn. There will be no difficulty.

Lecture -- Montreal, June 26, 1968:

"The paṇḍitāḥ, the learned man, he does not lament over the body, either living or dead." Because bodily platform is not the subject matter for understanding of philosophical research. Bodily platform is not very important. The spiritual platform is important, but nobody is discussing about spiritual platform. Everyone is, all the education centers, the universities, they are, I mean to say, busy studying chemistry, physics, and biology, mathematics. At most, little philosophy. That is also on mental speculation, theory. Somebody is giving some theory; somebody's giving (another) theory. But nobody discussing about the eternal spirit soul. That is the defect of this modern civilization.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

The significance of our food: not exactly vegetarian or nonvegetarian. Don't mistake. We simply take what is offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So Kṛṣṇa can be offered anything? No. Just like if some guest comes to your house, you ask, "How can I serve you? What foodstuff you'll like to eat?" He says, "I like this." "All right." Similarly, we are order-carrier of Kṛṣṇa. We ask Kṛṣṇa, "What do You want to eat?" And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Give me vegetable, fruits, liquids. I shall be very much pleased." So we offer Kṛṣṇa fruits, grains, milk, and their preparation. They're very nice. If you come here and eat with us, you'll forget meat-eating. You see? It is so nice. So our proposition is not that vegetarian-nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it is not very important thing. Vegetable has got also life. It does not mean that one man is eating meat; therefore he is killing. But even vegetarians, they are also killing. But our process is... We... Killing is not very important or nonimportant for us. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Kill," we can kill. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't kill," we don't kill. Because we are simply order-carrier. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was posing himself by his family relationship that he's very perfect, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa induced him to fight, to kill the other party. So for us, killing or nonkilling is not very important thing because everyone is killing, knowingly or unknowingly. So our point is we take foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, and whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, that is our foodstuff.

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

So anyway, this hog worship was anticipated long, long ago. Otherwise how they could be described in the Bhāgavatam, which was compiled at least five thousand years ago? Anyway, the idea is that beautiful life, beautiful education, beautiful situation, should be utilized for beautiful end, not degrade to the platform of hog worship. That is not very palatable thing at least. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, the sense gratification process after hard work day and night is available in the hog's life. That is not a very important thing. This human form of life is meant for a different purpose." And that purpose he explains, that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattva śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam: (SB 5.5.1) "This human form of life is meant for austerity and penance." You will find in the history of Vedic literature, there were many, many exalted emperors and kings. They also gave to the, led to the practice of austerity and penance. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja—they were all kings. They were called rājarṣi. Rājarṣi means although they were king, most opulent, still, they were great sages. So the same thing is advised, that those persons who have got this opportunity of the spiritual, human form of life, with facility for economic welfare, with facility for giving very nicely everything—the opportunity should be used for better life.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

Prabhupāda: So if you don't accept this dress, that does not mean you cannot be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved in any condition of life. It doesn't matter whether you are dressed in this way or in your American way or any way. That doesn't matter. It has nothing to do.

Woman (3): But I would think, sir, that that does make a little bit difference that you feel that way.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it makes a psychological condition if you dress. Just like if you dress yourself just like a queen, sometimes you feel, "I am queen." You see? Just like an actor in a theatrical stage, or if you sit down on a car, you think that you are much elevated. These are temporary, but they are not very important. If you have no objection to accept this dress, that's nice. But if you have got objection, then we have no objection. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different from this dress or that dress. Just like a policeman, police constable, he is dressed in a different type than ordinary gentleman. But that does not mean simply by dressing, he is a perfect policeman. Even without dress, he can become a perfect policeman.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

I have come here to execute some business. I have got my temple here. There are devotees. They want to see me. I want to see them. They want to take something, spiritual knowledge, from me, and my duty is to impart. This is the business. But if I simply become engaged how to decorate the apartment where I shall live and forget my business, does it mean that I am very intelligent? No. Therefore that is called ignorance. I forget my real business; I become engaged in some business which is very temporary. I am here for two days. I shall live in an apartment. It may be very nice or not very nice—that is not very important thing. For two days I can live anywhere, even underneath a tree. That does not hamper my business. But I must be very serious about my business. That is intelligence.

Lecture -- Delhi, December 13, 1971:

Nara-Nārāyaṇa: The materialistic man will think, "Well, I am voluntarily giving up my clothing, but I'm involuntarily giving up my body."

Prabhupāda: Voluntarily, involuntarily, that is another thing. Just like a child does not know that his coat is useless, but mother comes and changes the garment. So it is changing, that's a fact. It doesn't matter whether you are changing voluntarily or involuntarily, that is not very important thing. You are changing, that's a fact.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

So our becoming the representative of Kṛṣṇa is not very difficult job because we do not misinterpret the readings of Bhagavad-gītā. We accept them as it is. If there is some doubt... There cannot be any doubt. It may be due to my poor fund of knowledge I cannot understand it—that we should admit. The lines, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, they are as perfect as anything. But if I cannot understand it, that is my lack of knowledge, my poor fund of knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has suggested or ordered in this Bhagavad-gītā,

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Because there may be some difficulty. Just like here Kṛṣṇa says that gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). He is ordering completely that the subject matter of this body is not very important thing. The most important thing is to understand about the spirit soul which is within the body. But at the present moment the whole world is giving simply stress on the body.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

You have been already informed that we have got ninety-five centers and we are spending seventy to eighty thousand dollars per month. But we have no fixed-up income. We are traveling all over the world with party. You can imagine. This is very expensive job. But Kṛṣṇa is supplying us all our necessities. Why not? If you are serving for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He will not supply you? Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to everyone, those who are not devotees, and why not to the devotees? What we have done? Those who have denied the existence of God, they are also being fed by Kṛṣṇa, or God. And we are preaching the glories of God. Why we shall be in want? That is not possible. And actually we are not. So this is not very important subject matter. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, automatically, if you take care of the spiritual side of your existence, the material side of your existence will be automatically taken care, automatically.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

If one has actually taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will never be lost, even though you find for the present he is not well-behaved. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a thief, even a rogue, even a sinful man takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follows the rules and regulation, for the time being you may find there are some faults, but it will vanish very soon. Just like the electric fan, it is moving. You make the switch off, you will find still moving. But it will stop moving very soon, because the switch is off. Similarly, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, if you find that still he is not well-behaved, that is not very important thing. He has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is important thing. Because this superficial external misbehavior will stop.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He would like to know whether it is necessary for one to be a vegetarian or not in order to respond or understand the teachings.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because if you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious—that is the whole teaching—you have to act according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. So vegetarian or not vegetarian, it is not a very important thing. Either you eat meat or vegetable, both of them have got life. That is the nature's way. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life has to eat another life. That is nature's law. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means he does not anymore eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We take prasādam. Whatever is offered to Kṛṣṇa, we take that.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: But he says when you see an action, the act itself cannot be judged as good or bad, but the will behind the act may be good or bad. That's how we have to judge good or bad, by the will behind the act.

Prabhupāda: That is not very important subject, unless there is willing. So that good or bad also has to be trained. The conditioned soul, anyone in this material world, he is in ignorance. It is called darkness. This material world is called darkness. Everyone, more or less, they are in darkness. The Vedas therefore say, "Don't remain in darkness. Go to the light." And the spiritual world is light. Just like day and night. Side by side there is day and night, or sunlight and darkness. So the Vedas say "Don't remain in darkness. Go to the light." So willingness in darkness is imperfect. So this willingness has to be dragged to the light. That requires superior help.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Wherefrom the genes came?

Śyāmasundara: Well these can be altered by cosmic radiation. Supposing a cosmic ray hits the gene, it may change it slightly so that maybe it comes out with...

Prabhupāda: That is not the question. Suppose if you have got life, I can kill you with a knife. But the question is, "Wherefrom this life came?" I can change, merely with a knife, your life. That is not very important thing, changing. The thing is to find out the origin, wherefrom the genes came.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: By use of, what is this radio, what do they call it? By radio waves they try to listen to messages from outer space.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but what benefit we will get? Suppose it is not very important thing. If you hear how the persons in other plant are talking, so what benefit we will get?

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

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 William James:

Prabhupāda: When a businessman goes to please somebody, he wants the money for himself. That is the difference. But when we go to please somebody, to get some money, our ultimate aim is to please Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth. Therefore the means adopted, even if it is relative truth, that becomes Absolute Truth. The end justifies the means. Because the means is adopted, just like Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna, "Just go and tell Droṇācārya that his son is dead," although his son was not dead. So this is not truth. But because by that action Kṛṣṇa will be pleased—Kṛṣṇa is Absolute Truth-therefore even that lying is also absolute.

Śyāmasundara: So practicality has to be judged on the result, what is the result of that action?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is that the end justifies the means. Means is not very important. What is the end, we have to see.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: In the Vedānta-sūtra it is called brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring about brahma. That is the prerogative of human life. In the human life one can make inquiries what is the ultimate source, cause. And in animal life it is not sought. So if such inquisitive is not there, then it is animal. Just like at the present moment the newspaper is full of fighting news. But these things are animal news. Such kind of fighting was there also in the animal life—dogs and dogs fighting. They are not very important. Real important thing is what I am. That is real important. Just like Sanātana Goswami inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "So what I am? I do not want to suffer, but I have to suffer." These (indistinct), they are busy with the suffering, how they, this party or that party, but we are busy, "Why you are suffering?" That is human life, athāto brahma jijñāsā, why you are suffering. Not that superficially you see people are suffering and giving some relief, and then again suffering, again relief. (Sanskrit) But they don't inquire, "Why suffering?" That is intelligent. That is human life.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Śyāmasundara: One of Jung's favorite techniques for improving a person's personality is to force that person to bring up the demonic force in himself and treat it as another person. If the demon within me is not really me, it's another personality which causes...

Prabhupāda: That is not very important, how one becomes affected by some disease. But when the disease is there, the treatment must be there. That is natural. Instead of tracing out the history, what is the use? That the disease is there, make treatment and be cured, that's all.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: If you are changing, I am changing, then the changing is existence. But I am different from that existence because I am changing. I am changing. Suppose I have just now changed my dress. So I am the same. Actually, I am existing the same, but I am changing different dress or different body. So this changing is not very important because it will be changed. I am important. I am changing.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Atlanta, February 28, 1975:

Śravaṇam means hearing, kīrtanam means glorifying. Of whom? About Viṣṇu, not for anything else. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this point. When He was talking with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, Rāmānanda Rāya suggested various methods of self-realization. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not reject them. He said, "Yes, it is also nice, but you go farther above. Go forward still." So in this way, when Rāmānanda Rāya quoted this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya, He said... No, in the beginning He had, eho bāhya, āge kaha: "This process is not very important; it is external. If you know better than this, say." So in this way, after many rejections, when Rāmānanda Rāya came to this version, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not say that it is useless. Eho haya: "Yes, it is nice." Eho haya: "It can be accepted." That is the beginning, that don't try to speculate. Just become humble and meek and hear from the realized soul. Namanta. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Just become submissive. Do not think that you know by everything. That is your illusion, māyā. Because you cannot know everything.