Ontology

Expressions researched:
"ontological" |"ontologically" |"ontology"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Indian man (5): Then how come in the locational(?), archaeological and ontological records, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not mentioned by other religions?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always there. You are calculating with reference to your age, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. In the Fourth Chapter, you read, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "I spoke this Kṛṣṇa consciousness science first of all to the sun-god." Then how do you say five thousand years? There is reference to the Manu. And if we take the, all these advanced calculation, then it becomes that forty millions of years ago Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to the sun-god. Have you got forty millions' history? (laughter) You haven't got even five thousand years' even history. Your history is so imperfect. So don't bring it into historical reference. It is eternal. (end)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Professor: If Indian philosophy...

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is no Indian or American. It is the philosophy. It is philosophy. The philosophy is not Indian or American. Truth is truth, not Indian truth or American truth. That is not truth. That is relative truth. The Absolute Truth is absolute. That is neither Indian nor American nor...

Guest (1): But in what sense you use the concept "truth" here? Is it in the ontological sense, or is it in somehow in a more pragmatical human sense, refers to human beings or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is pragmatic, that you cannot see beyond this wall. That is your insufficient knowledge or your senses are insufficient. You cannot go beyond this wall. But that does not mean there is nothing beyond this wall. So if you want to know what is beyond this wall, you have to know from a person who knows it. Yes. Because you cannot see, you cannot know, that is not the end. There must be something.

Guest (1): What?

Prabhupāda: Eh? It is actual fact. That is pragmatic. It is actual fact. There is... So many things there are, but you do not know because your senses are imperfect. Your eyes are imperfect, your touch, imperfect, the gathering senses... The senses which gathers knowledge... Just like eyes... We can see and gather knowledge. We can hear; we gather knowledge. We can taste; we gather knowledge. So, because your senses are imperfect, therefore your knowledge gathered, that is imperfect.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 30 August, 1969:

Regarding publication of BTG No. 29, it is good that you are publishing "Morphology and Ontology of Vedanta" by Guru Maharaja, 4 pages. So far as "Heroine Govinda Dasi" is concerned, if she has stated directly Ram Krishna as nonsense and rascal, that should not be indulged in. We cannot attack anyone directly in writing. There is a proverb in Sanskrit that you can speak something one thousand times, but don't give it in writing. Similarly, we may use some strong words against all this nonsense, but if we write it in black and white, that will not be good. So instead of naming these rascals directly, you change the word to "mental speculators."

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Shekhar Prasad Shrestha -- Bombay 24 April, 1971:

I am so glad that you are appreciating our Back To Godhead magazine. The article mentioned by you, "The Vedanta: Its Morphology and Ontology" is a very difficult article for a new man who is just trying to grasp this Krishna Consciousness philosophy. But continue studying our literatures and Krishna will give you intelligence to understand more and more. And you are chanting Hare Krishna Mantra regularly. Very good. Please chant 16 rounds of japa mala daily and try to observe the regulative principles of no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling and no illicit sex life. These four are the pillars of sinful life, especially in this age of Kali Yuga.