Philanthropy (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"philanthrophy" |"philanthropy"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

What is this philanthropy? Kṛṣṇa is supplying food. If he dies out of starvation, it is Kṛṣṇa's responsibility.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Why you are anxious about the animals being starvation? You take care of yourself. You don't be philanthropic, "Oh, they'll starve. Let me eat." What is this philanthropy? Kṛṣṇa is supplying food. If he dies out of starvation, it is Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. Nobody dies of starvation. That is a false theory. Have you seen any animal dying of starvation? Have you got any experience? Have you seen any bird died of starvation? There is no question of starvation in the kingdom of God. We are manufacturing these theories for our own satisfaction, sense satisfaction.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the topmost philanthropy, welfare activities to the human society.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the topmost philanthropy, welfare activities to the human society. Those who are intelligent, they are understanding. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Others they are associating with different qualities of the material nature, and nature is prepared, "Come on, sir, you take this body." You are not scientist, so-called scientist can save you. When this body is finished, then you are under the control of material nature. Whatever body she will offer you, you have to accept. You cannot say "No, no. I cannot accept this body." "No, no. You are nothing. You are under my grip."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So that kind of philanthropy is not accepted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as very advancement of civilization. The advancement of civilization will be tested, how the nation, individually or collectively, has advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So that kind of philanthropy is not accepted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as very advancement of civilization. The advancement of civilization will be tested, how the nation, individually or collectively, has advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very difficult to understand this, but the fact is this. Bhāgavata says that you cannot rectify the destiny of another man. That is not possible. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. It is not that because one has got good parents, therefore he will be happy. No. Not necessarily. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. So similarly, it is not that a diseased person, because he is being treated by a first-class physician and he is being supplied first-class medicine, therefore he will be cured. No, there is no such guarantee. Because if the supreme authority does not sanction... Suppose a man is diseased; he is going to die or suffering. So his relatives and friends are trying to save him. The śāstra says that "You cannot save him simply by giving him first-class medicine or first-class medical treatment." They, they can also, cannot guarantee. Ask any qualified doctor, that "This man is being treated by you. Can you guarantee that he will be cured?" They will say, "No, that is not possible. We are trying our best."

Mahātmā is not interested with politics or sociology or... They are all material things. Or philanthropy. They are interested with the Supreme: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

Great soul means not crippled souls, those who are anxious to meet the great, or the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are crippled souls, they are entangled with the limited circle of material enjoyment. But mahātmā... Mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmās are not interested within this material world. They are not under the influence of the external energy. Of course, nowadays it is... Sometimes politicians are called "mahātmā." But that is not the purpose of mahātmā. Mahātmā is not interested with politics or sociology or... They are all material things. Or philanthropy. They are interested with the Supreme: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). They're interested. Especially mahātmā is he who is interested with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

That was a philanthropy, to give food to the daridra-nārāyaṇa. These things are going on. Nobody is interested that..., or they know it, that human life is only meant for God realization; there is no other business.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:

So the whole process is how to get out of the affection of this family, community, nationalism. This is the process. This is illusion. But at the present moment, this illusion is being increased. They criticize the..., that "What is this nonsense? So many people, they have been entrapped by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and they are nothing, they are doing nothing for the society, nothing for the nation, nothing for the family. So they are useless parasite." They are thinking like that. Even Subhash Chandra Bose, he was a politician. He came to my Guru Mahārāja that "So many people, you have captured them. They are doing nothing for nationalism." So Guru Mahārāja said, "Well, for your national propaganda you require very strong men, but these people are very weak. You can see. They are very skinny. So don't put your glance upon them. Let them eat something and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He avoided like that.

And then there were many others. That was a philanthropy, to give food to the daridra-nārāyaṇa. These things are going on. Nobody is interested that..., or they know it, that human life is only meant for God realization; there is no other business. Otherwise Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not so fool that at the age of twenty-four years He took sannyāsa and preached this cult:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

He was not such a fool because that is the only business.

We see so many sannyāsīs. They give up, take sannyāsa. If you have left this world as mithyā, as false, why you are again coming to politics, to philanthropy, sociology and so on? Why you are coming again?

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍhā mate. This is very good, to preach renouncement of this world. But side by side we must have attachment for something. Otherwise, it will be..., it will not stay. Therefore we see so many sannyāsīs, they say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up, take sannyāsa, but after taking sannyāsa, after a few days or few years, they come back again to this material world to open hospital, philanthropic work, school. Why? If you have left this world as mithyā, as false, why you are again coming to politics, to philanthropy, sociology and so on? Why you are coming again? That is bound to be. Because we are living entity, we are active. If we simply become inactive out of frustration, then it will be failure. We must engage with activities. That activity is devotional service. This is Brahman activity. The Māyāvādīs, they do not know.

If you perform sāttvika charity, then you get good result; rājasika charity, you get some profit; and tāmasika charity, you go to hell. So one must be very careful even for this sneha, or charity, or philanthropy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

If you say that "So many things, it has no value?" it has value—temporary, puṇya. Puṇya... There is also pāpa also. Suppose if you give charity... Charity is pious activities, but if you give charity to a brāhmaṇa, then it is—proper brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava—then your charity is properly utilized. And if you give the same charity to a drunkard, then you commit sinful activity. If you do not know what kind of charities we shall perform, if you blindly give charity, then sometimes you may be doing pious activities, but sometimes you are clearing the way for going to hell. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated there are three kinds of charities: sāttvika, rājasika, tāmasika. If you perform sāttvika charity, then you get good result; rājasika charity, you get some profit; and tāmasika charity, you go to hell. So one must be very careful even for this sneha, or charity, or philanthropy.

This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Akāmaḥ is one who has no material desire. A living being, naturally being the part and parcel of the supreme whole puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, has as his natural function to serve the Supreme Being, just as the parts and parcels of the body, or the limbs of the body, are naturally meant to serve the complete body. Desireless means, therefore, not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one's actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained this desirelessness as bhajanīya parama-puruṣa-sukha-mātra-sva-sukhatvam in his Sandarbha. This means that one should feel happy only by experiencing the happiness of the Supreme Lord. This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons.

Philanthropy is when one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa's interest, that is real philanthropy.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

They think that I have extended my self-interest to my country, to my family, I have become a big man. And people also give him honor. This we have practical experience but that is extended self-interest. That is not actually philanthropy. Philanthropy is when one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa's interest, that is real philanthropy.

Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropy work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization.

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

Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropy work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization. So this is coming and going, coming and going, coming and going. So real status of perfection is that you have to transcend even this position of mokṣa. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). The Śrīdhara Swami, a great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa, mokṣābhisandhy api nirastam: "Oh, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is above the idea of liberation." So unless we come to that point, pañcama puruṣārtha, fifth dimension... The dharma, first, the artha, second, kāma, third, mokṣa, fourth, and devotion is the fifth, fifth platform. Adhokṣaja, adhokṣaja. There are different stages of understanding: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparakṣa, adhokṣaja, aprakṛta. The ordinary understanding, direct perception, is called pratyakṣa. Now, higher than the pratyakṣa understanding is parokṣa, means to gather knowledge from the higher authorities. And above that, aparokṣa, realization. And above that, adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond the understanding of these material senses. And above that, there is aprakṛta, completely transcendental. So the bhakti is on the transcendental platform, beyond the adhokṣaja.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

We are, of course, making arrangements to feed the poor on account of scarcity of rain. That's all right, you are doing, but if there is no rain, how long you will go on with this philanthropy work?

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

The rain comes from the sun, and the sun is taking the water, reserving, and when you deserve, it gives it. There is some control. So, we are suffering for want of rain, but you do not know how to get rain. We are, of course, making arrangements to feed the poor on account of scarcity of rain. That's all right, you are doing, but if there is no rain, how long you will go on with this philanthropy work? That is our question. How long? What stock you have got in your store, so that you can continually, you can go on? What you, what is the answer? You must have rain, and produce grain. Now you have got some stock of grain, you are distributing. That's all right, you have got money, that's all right. But when there will be all stock finished, and still there is no rain, what you will do? Because rain is not in your hand. Rain is not in your hand. It is in higher authorities. So what you will do? But the process is given there in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Yajña, but they will not take the yajña. They have made a vow, (indistinct). No, we are not going to make any yajña. We are requesting, that you are distributing, at the same time perform yajña. Yajña, not that you have to expend so much money. Simply this saṅkīrtana-yajña.

We have practically seen many sannyāsīs, they renounce this world as mithyā and take to Brahman realization path, but after some days, they come down to politics, sociology, philanthropy. Why?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

In our Eastern countries, the Māyāvādī philosophy is very prominent, and their basic principle is: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "The world is false, and Brahman, that is truth." But we have practically seen many sannyāsīs, they renounce this world as mithyā and take to Brahman realization path, but after some days, they come down to politics, sociology, philanthropy. Why? If Brahman is satya, jagat is mithyā, false, then why they, from the platform of satya, they fall down again in the mithyā? This is our question. To open hospital or to open a school or similar philanthropic activities are generally being done by persons who are embarrassed with this mithyā world. Why the sannyāsīs, who left this world as mithyā and went to the platform of Brahman realization, and why they come to this platform again for opening school, hospitals? What is the answer? Is there any answer?

Devotee: They can't remain there.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

If one is intelligent enough, if he has got actually the bitter taste of this material world, he'll never agree. But those who have not advanced to such knowledge, oh, they think, "Oh, this material enjoyment is very nice. Let me taste it and let me do business in my sannyāsī life, and stealthily and privately, let me enjoy." These things are going on. That means they have no taste. They come to hospital-making or this philanthropy.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Devotee: Well, I believe you once said that once a conditioned soul becomes perfected and gets out of the material world and he goes to Kṛṣṇaloka, there's no possibility of falling back.

Prabhupāda: No! There is possibility, but he does not come. Just like after putting your hand in the fire, you never put it again if you are really intelligent. So those who are going back to Godhead, they become intelligent. Why going back to Godhead? Just like we are in renounced order of life. So we have renounced our family life after thinking something. Now, if somebody comes, "Swamijī, you take thousand millions of dollars and marry again and become a family man," I'll never become, because I have got my bad experience. I'll never become. So if one is intelligent enough, if he has got actually the bitter taste of this material world, he'll never agree. He'll never agree. But those who have not advanced to such knowledge, oh, they think, "Oh, this material enjoyment is very nice. Let me taste it and let me do business in my sannyāsī life, and stealthily and privately, let me enjoy." These things are going on. That means they have no taste. They come to hospital-making or this philanthropy. This come again.

General Lectures

The impersonalist, for the time being they may think that they have Brahman realization, but because by nature he wants association, without getting association of the Supreme Lord he has to come back to make association with this nonsense. They come down again to politics, hospitals, philanthropy, welfare work.

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 18, 1968:

There is no question of māyā. That's all right. But if you go continually, if you do not get shelter in any other planet, then the next stage will be you have to come back. You cannot remain in that impersonal sunshine. You have to take shelter. If you don't get shelter, then you come back. Similarly, the impersonalist, for the time being they may think that they have Brahman realization, but because by nature he wants association, without getting association of the Supreme Lord he has to come back to make association with this nonsense. And this is practically we have seen. Many sannyāsīs, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "Brahman is truth and the world is false." They take sannyāsa, and after some time they come to the hospital opening business. They come down again to politics, hospitals, philanthropy, welfare work. Why? If brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if this whole world is false, why you are taking this hospital business? Because there is no place. He has no engagement and he wants association. He wants to render some service, but there is no service to Kṛṣṇa. He comes to give service to the nonsense māyā.

When I think, "I am Englishman" or "I am Indian," this is my designation. Because as soon as I change this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indian—immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished. Now we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

There are so many theories how to become liberated, how to become mahātmā, how to become religionist, how to become philosopher. There are many thoughts and theories, but real success of life is to become a mahātmā, broader, broad-minded. Mahātmā means broader-minded. They are not, I mean to say, short-minded, that "I am this," "I am that"—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am Englishman"—no. Mahātmā is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). He is freed from all designation. These are all our designations. When I think, "I am Englishman" or "I am Indian," this is my designation. Because as soon as I change this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indian—immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished. Now we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing. But he has got a body. That's a fact. That I have already explained. But neither you know, neither he knows that "I was President," or "I was this or that." Therefore this is called illusion, māyā.

There is no question of separate attempt-philanthropy, philosophy and nationalism, this "ism," that "ism." We have discovered so many things and diversion of the real duty. That we shall have to concentrate. That is siddhānta.

Morning Lecture -- Allahabad, January 15, 1977:

There are many forms of Viṣṇu-tattva. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). He's expanded in many forms: Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha... There are so many incarnation of Viṣṇu-tattva. They're all one. Advaitam acyutam anādi ananta-rūpam. So Viṣṇu-tattva, worshipable, or Kṛṣṇa-tattva, worshipable. And to pin our staunch faith in Viṣṇu, we should discuss about Viṣṇu-tattva and not Viṣṇu-tattva (?). That is called siddhānta. Siddhānta boliyā citte nā kara alasa: "Don't be lazy to discuss about siddhānta." Ihā haite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa: "The more you discuss the thesis—not thesis; the factual presentation of Viṣṇu-tattva, māyā, and jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva—then it will be clear what is Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). We should try to understand this fact, that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, and if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your all other duties automatically... The same example, as we have given: If you pour water on the root of the tree, then all other duties are automatically done. There is no question of separate attempt-philanthropy, philosophy and nationalism, this "ism," that "ism." We have discovered so many things and diversion of the real duty. That we shall have to concentrate. That is siddhānta.