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Plea (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

So the first problem was for Arjuna how to kill the kinsmen, family men. Now, when he was chastised by Kṛṣṇa as a friend that "Why you are so weak? Don't be weak. This is sentiment. This kind of compassion is sentiment. Uttiṣṭha. You better get up and fight." If I do not want to do something, I can offer so many pleas. You see. So next he is presenting gurūn: "All right, Kṛṣṇa, you are talking about my kinsmen. I accept that it is my weakness. But how do You advise me to kill my guru? Droṇācārya is my guru. And Bhīṣmadeva is also my guru. So do you want me to kill my guru? Gurūn hi hatvā. And not only ordinary guru. This is not that they are ordinary men. Mahānubhāvān. Bhīṣma is a great devotee, and similarly, Droṇācārya also, a great personality. Mahānubhāvān. So kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana (BG 2.4). "They are two great personalities. They are not only my gurus, but they are great personalities."

Lecture on BG 2.10 -- London, August 16, 1973:

196 rounds. That was his only business. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... So sometimes somebody wants to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. It is not possible. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura, when it became morning, the prostitute, "Sir, now it is morning." "Yes, next night I shall... Come next night. Today I could not finish my chanting." That was a plea. In this way three days passed. Then the prostitute became converted, fell down on his..., "Sir, I came to pollute you. Now save me, I am so fallen." So Haridāsa Ṭhākura said "Yes, I know that. I could have leaved this place immediately when you came, but I wanted that you have come to me, you may be converted to this Vaisnavism." So the prostitute became a great devotee by the mercy of... Haridāsa Ṭhākura said that "You sit down in this place. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa before this tulasī plant. Now I am leaving this place."

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Arjuna was reputed as a great warrior. So he should remain a great warrior. A warrior's business is not to stop fighting on the plea of becoming kind. If you have gone to the warfield and if you practice nonviolence there, this is useless. Why should you go? There is a Bengali proverb that naste bose guṇṭhanam(?), that... In India, the girls, they cover their head. That is the system of married girl's shyness. So it is said that one girl is on the stage for dancing. Now while she is to dance, she's covering the head. What is the use of covering the head? You have come to dance, you dance. Similarly, in the warfield, you have gone there to fight. Where is the question of becoming nonviolent? So things should be done according to the time and atmosphere. In the warfield, there is no question of nonviolence.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

There is no difficulty to find out a madman. Any man you find out, he's a madman. And that is medical version also. That is medical version. In India, there was a case. A man was murdered, and the criminal lawyer pleaded that he was in madness. So the expert medical practitioner was invited and he was asked to examine whether this man is in madness. So he said that "So far my experience goes, I have studied, every man is a madman, more or less." Every man in the material concept of life is a madman because he does not know his identification. Therefore he's a madman. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchana haya. Just like a ghostly-haunted man. His father is standing before him and he's calling the father by ill names, because he's ghostly-haunted. Similarly, a living entity who is entrapped by this material energy, illusion, he's a madman.

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

There are some particular rules and regulations. Anyway, that is a religious details.

But when India was too much addicted for animal slaughtering under the plea of Vedic sacrifice, the Lord Buddha appeared. Why? They misused the Vedic injunctions. They misused the injunctions of the Vedas. So he, he proclaimed, "No, this animal slaughter should be stopped." He did, he did not agree even with the Vedic injunction. Therefore Lord Buddha's preaching was not accepted. It was... Once it was accepted, whole of India accepted. Under the king, under the Emperor Aśoka, the whole of India became Buddhist. But later on, Śaṅkarācārya appeared and he made against them, Vedantists. So India, Buddhist religion from India was practically banished. So these are historical facts.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: Prabhupāda? Before this question was asked you were talking about the ślokas that Lord Caitanya left for us. I can't understand, on one hand he says that we don't want to be delivered from this material ocean, we just want to serve. Then in one of the other ślokas he pleads with Kṛṣṇa to deliver him from this ocean of death and fix him up as one of the atoms of His lotus feet. This seems to be a contradiction to me, I can't...

Prabhupāda: What is that contradiction. Please explain.

Devotee: Well, it seems like, you explained before that we shouldn't try to pray to be delivered from this material ocean. We should just try to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever we are. ...delivered from the ocean of death. Seems to be a plea to take him out of this material ocean.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

That is not possible. May be possible by Kṛṣṇa's special mercy, but general process is you have to go through the mercy or process of accepting a guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru. And who is guru? Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). There is no difficulty to find out. Sometimes they plead that "Whom I can accept as guru?" That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has cleared: ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. You haven't got any trouble to find out guru. Anyone who knows about Kṛṣṇa, he is guru.

So mad-āśrayaḥ means directly we cannot take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, one who knows what is Kṛṣṇa—you take shelter of that person. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Taking shelter, ādau gurv-āśrayam, that is the process of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

They will not accept it. They will deny immediately. They will say, "Why do you bother us? You do your own business. Let us do our own business." But why we are bothering? Because we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants that these rascals should be informed. These rascals should be raised from this status of ignorance. So that is our mission. Therefore we are going and pleading, "Sir, I am a beggar, I have come to beg from you that you kindly purchase one book and you read it." So sometimes they are doing. After all, human being... So this is our... This is our business. We are stressing on pushing on these books because modern man, if he purchases one book, then at least he will see one line, "What these nonsense have written?" So if he reads one line, if he is intelligent man, he will understand the value. That is sure. That is sure.

Lecture on BG 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974:

This is real business. (?) If you have no bhakti, if you officially make, Kṛṣṇa does not touch it. Kṛṣṇa is not so poor. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam... (Bs. 5.29). So whatever you do, you should always be humble: "Kṛṣṇa, I am quite unfit. So whatever I could collect with my capacity, kindly accept." This is our only plea. Otherwise, don't be proud that "I am doing so much for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be obliged to accept it." It is not like that. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. This is wanted.

So it is very easy, very sublime, but we have to learn it. And learning is also not very difficult. Here is everything, varieties. You always think of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Teṣāṁ nityābhi... One who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa, here..." Nitya abhiyukta. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Kṛṣṇa... You cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

Generally they treat crazy fellows. Is it not? No sane man goes to a psychiatrist. (laughter) Is it not a fact? So all these crazy men sometimes makes the psychiatrist a crazy also. So more or less, everyone is crazy. That is the... It is not my layman's opinion. It is the opinion of a big medical surgeon. There was a case in the court, murder case. The murderer pleaded that "I became crazy, mad, at that time." That is generally... So the medical man was called to examine. He was great civil surgeon in Calcutta. So he gave his opinion in the court that "So far I have treated many patients, so my opinion is that everyone is more or less a madman. More or less. It is a question of degree." So our opinion is like that, that anyone who is not under the direct connection with God, he's a crazy man. He's a madman. Now you can treat. So we are also psychiatrists. We are pushing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So because anyone who is in this material world—more or less crazy, madman. Because he doesn't care for God, therefore he's crazy.

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

The other day, where? I think in Sydney. Some boy, present, he was..., "We have to supply food to the hungry who are dying without food in starvation. Then when I asked him, "how many men you have seen dying out of starvation?" he could not reply. He said, "No. I have not seen." Still, these are pleas, that "People are dying of starvation, people are dying naked." As soon as I ask, "How many people you have seen dying of starvation or naked?" The reply is "No. I have not seen."

Actually, nobody is dying out of starvation, nobody, not even an animal, not even a bird, dying of starvation, not a beast. God is supplying everyone's food. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying food to the elephant. In Africa there are millions of elephants. They take food, at a time, forty kilos. But they are also being supplied with food. But who is supplying food?

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

So māyā grasta jīvera sei dāsa upajaya. Those who have come to this material world under the influence of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, māyā, they are all madmen.

It is not śāstra, it is the opinion of medical science also. The medical science. In India there was a case, a murderer. So his pleader, lawyer pleaded that "This man, when committed this murder, he was insane." So the judge called for the civil surgeon to examine him whether he has got such tendency, insanity. So he gave evidence, "My lord, so far my knowledge concerned, I have tested so many men, everyone is insane. It is a question of degree. Now if you consider that he was insane, you, that is your business to punish him, or not punish him. But so far my knowledge is concerned, I have studied so many men and I have found they are all insane." Actually that is the position.

What does it mean, insanity? When his brain is not acting nicely. That is insanity.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

He said that "There is no justice. So we shall deny to take any judgement from the British Court." That was his, one of the items. He never... When he was prosecuted, he never defended. He said, "Why shall I defend? There is no justice here. Why shall I spend my money for defending? No, you can do whatever you like. You are in power." Gandhi did always like that. "Here is no justice, so why shall I plead for justice?" That was Gandhi's philosophy, noncooperation. Whenever he was arrested, he will simply stand. That's all. Of course, he was given a seat. Such a big man, the court would offer him a seat. But he will never plead yes or no. "No, whatever you like, you can do. I don't expect justice from you." That was Gandhi's... He'll never plead. And all his followers did that. Therefore they were all sent jail. And by going to jail they got svarāja. And he declared, jail svarāja ke mandira hai: "If you want to get svarāja, independence, you must be prepared to go to jail."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Therefore, there are so many things which is beyond our perception, knowledge, we have to take shelter of the Vedic injunctions. That is called Vedic. Therefore our method, Vedic method, is as soon as we speak something, we immediately give evidence from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. There is no question of arguing. Just like in the law court the lawyer pleading something, but if he gives quotation from previous judgement and section of law, it is accepted. So the forms of the ātma, there are three kinds of forms—one you can see directly, this bodily form, another you can simply perceive, and another you can accept only on the Vedic injunctions. But there are forms. So is that right? Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Su-medhasaḥ means good brain, and alpa-medhas means rascal, less brain substance. Sometimes we say, chastise, that "Your brain, your, this skull, filled up with cow dung. There is no brain substance." So those whose brains are filled up with cow dung, they want to exploit this material world. It is impossible. It is not possible. Under certain pleas only, that "This political party will give you better chance for exploiting." But you cannot do that. It is not possible. This is called māyā. In illusion, I'm thinking, "If I make certain more progress..." We see, in America, they're increasing the number of motorcars and the problem is road. One flyway above another flyway, another another. The flyway construction is going on perpetually. Is it not? And this is called advancement. The rascals do not know that "I am simply laboring, laboring, laboring. Where is the stoppage of laboring? " No. That you cannot stop. Your progress means you simply work hard. And because you are illusioned, that hard-working, you are thinking progress, happiness. That's all. This is called māyā. He is working just like an ass.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

Mādhavī-latā, she revolted. She revolted. She was always trying to plead, "Why this restriction? Why this restriction?" So I had to tell, "If you don't like the restriction, then go away. You don't associate with us." What can be done? So they do not want restriction. That is natural tendency. But these śāstras are meant for restriction. Just like marriage is restriction of sex life. And offering sacrifice before goddess Kālī, that is also a restriction of meat-eating. You cannot eat meat by purchasing from the slaughterhouse. Oh, that is not recommended. If you want to eat meat, then you just sacrifice one goat. Not, I mean to say, cows. No. Goat. Any useless animal. "All right. You take." Goat is recommended to be sacrificed. So you can take. And in India the meat-eating or flesh eating is not restricted. But not the useful animal, cow, the most useful animal, the cow.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

Therefore they have become devotees of goddess Kālī. But actually, these sacrifices were not meant, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for killing the animals. That was to test the power, the strength, of the Vedic mantras. So Lord Buddha's movement was therefore started... When people began to eat meat like anything on the plea of Vedic sacrifice, so Lord Buddha, at that time—Lord Buddha means he's also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa—he appeared to stop this animal killing. That is the prayer of Lord Buddha we sing:

nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ
sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam
keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare

The buddha-śarīra... Just like we offer prayer to Nṛsiṁha-deva,

tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare

Similarly, there is prayer for Lord Buddha also. The, that prayer is: nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam, "Although in the Vedic literature there is recommendation for animal sacrifice, you are forbidding, 'No, this should not be done.' "

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

Then gradually rise. When you are accustomed to see, as soon as you close your eyes, immediately see Kṛṣṇa's..., then you go further. Go further. Go further. Go further. And that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Canto, Third Canto, Fourth Canto. In this way, you have to go to the Tenth Canto. Then Tenth Canto means the head. And then, in the Tenth Canto, the chapters, Twenty-nine through Thirty-five chapter, that is smiling. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa smiling immediately. Then you will be baffled. It requires qualification, and it requires time, but if Kṛṣṇa is pleased, He can show His plea..., I mean, smiling immediately. That is a special favor. But the general way is to see, first of all, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and make your endeavor perfectly done by this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, śṛṇvanti gāyanti (SB 7.5.23). This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

Knowingly or unknowingly. Just like fire. A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean that the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation. If you go to the court, and if you say, "My lord, I did not know that the result of this action is this, criminal," that is not pleading that you'll be excused. So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. If we actually want to be free from the reaction of sinful life, that we are doing, knowingly or unknowingly, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Therefore it is recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Always we have to be engaged in chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma..., so that Kṛṣṇa will save us. Knowingly we cannot commit any sinful activities. That is one thing. Unknowingly also we cannot do it. Then we'll be liable.

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

So simply by Kṛṣṇa's glancing, Kuntī is expressing that so many beautiful things are there. "Simply by Your glance." So if you simply plead for Kṛṣṇa's glancing, so there is no question of scarcity, there is no question of need. Everything will be complete. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You depend on nature's gift. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa... They are... Our opinion, that the population has increased. Everywhere they say the population has increased, and they're checking the population by artificial means, by rascal method. Why? The birds and bees, they have no checking. They are increasing their population without any contraceptive. But are they in need of food? Have you seen any bird that is dying for want of food? Never. Any animal? It may be, animal in the city, they may be dying for want of food. That is also not very seen.

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

No." Still they are practiced. To marry for the second time becomes a problem. But nowadays these things are gone.

So the grown-up son, Bhīṣmadeva, he understood that "My father is inclined to marry that girl." So he went to plead, canvass: "So why don't you give your daughter to my father?" "No, no, I cannot give my daughter to your father. You are his son. You will inherit the kingdom, and my daughter's son will not inherit. So how can I give my daughter?" So he said that "I'll not accept the kingdom. I promise that your daughter's son will inherit the kingdom." "No, no, no. Still I cannot." "Why?" "You'll marry. Then your son will be inheritor. My grandson will not be inheritor." He was calculating in that way, pākā businessman. (laughter) So he promised that "You give your daughter to my father, and I promise that I shall not marry. So there will be no son. So naturally my stepmother's son will inherit the kingdom." Then he agreed.

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

So when Kṛṣṇa wanted to depart from this planet, He wanted to take away all others also along with Him. So these are simply material, external causes. Actual fact is Kṛṣṇa, as He went away, He wanted to take all the associates under different pleas.

So it is explained in the Bhāgavatam that queens, the were they not actually... Nobody can touch them. Just like Sītā. Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. How it is possible that Sītā can be kidnapped by a demon? No. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that Lord Caitanya, He was a guest of a brāhmaṇa in South India. So He took His bath and came to the house of that brāhmaṇa, but the brāhmaṇa did not arrange for any cooking even. There was no food. He was very sorry. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Brāhmaṇa, you invited Me, but I don't see even you have cooked. What is the reason?"

Lecture on SB 1.15.32 -- Los Angeles, December 10, 1973:

So what can we do? We are distributing you prasādam, and he will go to eat some rascal thing in the restaurant. Just see. This is misfortune. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Because unfortunate in this age, they will accept something wrong. Therefore our task is very responsible. We have to canvass. We have to plead, solicit, "Please come here. Please come here in this temple and learn something."

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

Otherwise reject. Don't take part. You'll be implicated. There, that, that philosophy, technique: dhari' mācha nā choṅya (?) pāni, that we should fish, but don't touch the water. If on the plea of fishing, you become fall down in the water and you are gone, washed away, then what is this?

So sometimes we say that you take part in politics. Our business is not to take part in politics for acquiring big post like president or secretary or attorney general. What you will do that? We have no meaning for this post. Because for a devotee what are these posts? Even the post of Lord Brahmā or Indra, the heavenly king, it has no meaning. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. That is stated by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam, the monism, to merge into the effulgence, the Absolute Truth, to become one, that is called kaivalyam, only spirit, that's all.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

You know the story of Alexander the Great and the thief. Alexander the Great arrested one thief, and he was going to punish him. The thief pleaded, "Sir, you are going to punish me, but what is the difference between you and me? I am a small thief, you are a great thief. That's all. (laughter) You are by force occupying other's kingdom, and you have no right. But because you are strong, or some way or other, you have got the opportunity, and you are conquering country after country, country after... So I am also doing the same thing. So what is the difference between you and me?" So Alexander considered that "Yes, I am nothing but a big thief, that's all." So he released him, "Yes, I am no better than you." Just like dacoits. Nowadays there are many thieves who steal scientifically, legally. There are many lawyers, many scientists.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

It should not be. Anyone who is weak, he must not be given freedom. That is good for him. Similarly, we are weak. God is great. God is all-powerful. We are very teeny. We have no power. Therefore our normal life is voluntarily accept the controlling power of God. That is human life. And God comes and He pleads, He requests that "My dear boy, why you are struggling here? You will never be happy." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You have manufactured so many plans to be happy, but you will never be happy. Therefore your only business is that you come under My control and you will be happy." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: "I will give you all happiness." This is the sum and substance of Bhagavad-gītā. And anyone who agrees to be controlled, then success of life begins from that point, when he agrees. Unfortunately, at the present moment the whole world population has been taught in such a way that they do not want to be controlled. Therefore there is always chaotic condition.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

"You raise funds for," I mean to say, "giving relief to the poor" or "to the suffering." Is there any instruction in Bhagavad-gītā? You have read. Can you find out? But these people, they have become more learned than Kṛṣṇa. In our country, Vivekananda: daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. The whole Ramakrishna Mission is collecting funds only on this rascal plea. One Swami Nikhilananda, he told me "Now the Americans are questioning that you are raising fund for feeding the poor, but when we go to India we see simply poor men. What you are doing with this money?" Actually they are doing nothing. They are collecting money in the name of feeding the poor, and they are living just like royal style, you see, eating all, everything.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

They sit down on any tree. Oh, there are enough fruits. Little eating, finish their business. Or take the elephants also. They are eating so much. They have got also food. Therefore śāstra says that "Food is already there." So many people say, "Oh, so many people are dying, starving." And where is the man? Show me who is dying for starvation. These are all pleas. They won't take any tapasya for understanding, but they will work hard like asses, like hogs and dogs, for two meals. But we should consider that we are taking so much penances for simply filling our this hungry belly, appetite. Why not little tapasya for Kṛṣṇa, chanting sixteen rounds? But will... That is also very difficult. Then? Tapasya, penance in pure bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

"Oh, I am brāhmaṇa because I have got this thread." That's all. Vipratve sūtra-dhāraṇam. Avṛttyā nyāya-rahitam(?): "If you have no money, then you cannot get justice." If you are poor man, then you will never get justice. You see? First of all, if you want to get some money... Somebody, he is not paying. You have to go to court. So first of all the pleader will charge, "Give me so much money." Then stamp charges, then percentage of stamp charges. Suppose you are claiming $5,000. Then you have to five percent... So so many thousand dollars you have to pay for stamp charges to claim, to push good money after bad money. The money which is not being realized, that is bad money. Now you have to push further good money to realize that bad money. So if you have no good money to push, then you cannot get even that bad money. And that also will be pending for years together. Unless you bribe the clerks and the bench clerk and others, "Please get my case swiftly in..." So he will ask money, bribe.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

How? Now, sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: "I am present in everyone's body." I am not present in your body. You are not present in my body. I am present in my body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). But Kṛṣṇa is present, everyone's body. That is the distinction between Kṛṣṇa and me. You don't make one. How? You cannot understand what is going on pains and plea..., in my body. I can understand. Then how you are present in me? How you have become Kṛṣṇa? How you have become God? This is the God's qualification. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu (BG 13.3). If you can understand everyone's pains and pleasure, then you are God. If you cannot say what is my pains and pleasure and you come as God, then I am not going to accept. What kind of God you are? God must be present everywhere. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That is God. That is one of the God's feature. Māṁ ca kaścit... There is another verse, that "I know everyone's position, but nobody knows Me." That is the distinction between living entity and God.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

If we become godless, the prakṛti will restrict supply—so much so there will be anāvṛṣṭi. How can control? Because you may be very great scientist, you may deny the existence of God, but when there is anāvṛṣṭi you are looking up in the sky, "When there will be cloud? When there will be rain?" Then taking this plea, our government will tax for relief fund. That is all mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anāvṛṣṭi karo-pīḍita. People will be so much harassed. And ācchina-dāra-draviṇā giri-kānanam. They will be so much harassed by these three principles—no rainfall, scarcity of grains, and taxed heavily by the government... They will be so much harassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā giri-kānanam, they will be forced to leave home, that "Now it is hopeless. I cannot manage. Let me go to the forest." And there will be... Now we are getting rice or wheat or sugar. But these things will be completely stopped. Now we are getting milk powder, but there will be no milk.

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

Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). He has no other business except worshiping Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Mām ekam. In this way if we find the opportunity, then there is possibility of mukti. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). And if we associate with the yoṣi saṅgi, those who are desirous of enjoying this material world under different pleas, you, if you associate with them, then you glide down to the darkest region of hellish condition of life.

In the next verses it is said, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ. Then what is the symptoms of mahātmā? He says, Ṛṣabhādeva says, sama-cittāḥ. Equilibrium, not disturbed by material conditions. Sama-cittāḥ, sama sarveṣu bhūteṣu. The same thing. Sama-cittāḥ praśāntā. Peaceful. Praśāntā. Pra means prakṛsta rūpena, fully blissful. And when one can become fully praśāntā, fully peaceful? When he has no more desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no more desire. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Everything is described.

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

If I do it, immediately... But that, I am not willing. We have seen so many persons. Kṛṣṇa says directly that "You surrender unto Me," sarva-dharmān parityajya. Still, he says, "When Kṛṣṇa will be merciful, then I shall do." What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa is directly asking you. Again He has to become merciful? What kind of mercy? These are all pleas, different pleas. Actually He doesn't want that "I shall not surrender unto You, sir. I shall place some pleas. That's all." In that way... When we become actually niṣkiñcana or akiñcana, then, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukha means niṣkiñcana. Param... What is that bhagavad-bhajana? Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. Bhava-sāgara. This ocean. Sāgara means ocean, and bhava means take birth, again die. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). That is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, Kṛṣṇa says. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. This is bhagavad-bhajana. We do not know how many times we have taken birth and again died. That's a fact.

Lecture on SB 5.5.26 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1976:

This sama-darśinaḥ, equal vision, should not be mistaken to mean that the individual is the same as the Supreme Lord. They are always distinct. Every individual person is different from the Supreme Lord. It is a mistake to equate the individual living entity with the Supreme Lord on the plea of vivikta-dṛk, sama-dṛk. The Lord is always in an exalted position, even though He agrees to live everywhere. Śrīla Madhvācārya, quoting Padma Purāṇa, states, vivikta-dṛṣṭi-jīvānāṁ dhiṣṇyatayā parameśvarasya bheda-dṛṣṭiḥ: "One who has clear vision and who is devoid of envy can see that the Supreme Lord is separate from all living entities, although He is sitauted in every living entity."

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

Duty. When there is fight, there is killing. You cannot avoid it. Just like the soldier. What is the duty of the soldier? Kill as many as possible the enemies. But the same soldier, if he comes back home and kills some of his men or countrymen and he is arrested and in the court, he is ordered to be hanged, and if he pleads that "I am a soldier. In the battlefield I have killed so many persons, and now I have killed one man. Why you are ordering me to be hanged?" What will be the answer of the court? The answer that "You cannot kill on principle. But you can kill on the superior order. You cannot kill by your whims." In the battlefield the commander-in-chief orders, "Yes, you kill and get gold medal." But if you think the, "I have killed so many persons in the battlefield. Here is my enemy. I kill him." No. That you cannot do. That you cannot do. This is the principle. When there is duty, that is another thing. But not whimsically. We cannot kill. Therefore Lord Jesus Christ ordered, "Thou shall not kill." This is the order. "Thou shall not kill."

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

This is the principle. When there is duty, that is another thing. But not whimsically. We cannot kill. Therefore Lord Jesus Christ ordered, "Thou shall not kill." This is the order. "Thou shall not kill." But we are violating the order. We are killing so many animals. So this is not good. On the plea that "Lord Christ sometimes took some fish somewhere; therefore we will have to maintain a big slaughterhouse," this is not very good logic.

So anyway, we have to act according to the superior order. And so far the spirit soul is concerned, that is the first lesson of spiritual knowledge. Unless you understand what is spirit... We are present here. The body is there and the spirit is there. Now we must analyze according to the direction given in authoritative books. That is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says that within this body there is the spirit soul.

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

And even a child who is innocent, if the child touches the fire, it will burn. There is no excuse. You cannot say that "The child is innocent. It does not know the effect of touching fire, so he should be excused." No. Ignorance is no excuse. Especially... That is the state laws. You cannot say... Suppose you have committed some criminal act. If you plead, "My lord, I did not know that the, after doing this act, I had to suffer imprisonment. So you excuse me," no, that will be no excuse. You know or not know the law, if you have acted like that, you must suffer. This is going on.

So we don't believe in the next life just to avoid this consequence. But that will not excuse us. We have to accept a type of body. Otherwise how there are so many different types of bodies? What is the explanation? Why different forms of body, different stages of body, different standard of body? That is nature's law.

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

So how can you avoid the punishment by God's law?

So this kind of sympathy, just like this Rāmakrishna Mission daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā, under the plea of accepting this suffering humanity as Nārāyaṇa and appealing to the compassion of the people... Although they cannot do anything. Actually they are not doing anything but this philosophy is a rubbish philosophy. You cannot do. If you can do anything good to the people, then you can simply awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best service. Other service you cannot do. Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ. Just like by any means you cannot get released a man who is condemned in the prison. Against law. However sympathetic you may be to your friend, but you cannot release him. That is against law. Similarly, people are suffering, undoubtedly, but they have to undergo the prāyaścitta process.

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

I know so many cases. The judges are bribed and they give favorable judgment. You bribe any judge, then he accepts. One big judge and a big man's brother, P.R. Das. He was a very famous judge in high-court and, in Patna high-court, and he is the brother of a great pleader, C.R. Das. So he was taking bribe. He was taking bribe. And this was known to the other judges and the chief justice also. Complaint was there by other judges that "He takes bribe." So in one case... Because there are rivals in everywhere. You see? So in one case he was to just deliver the judgment and everyone knew that he has taken already bribe, some thousands of rupees. So chief justice called him in his room, that "Mr. Das, I have heard that you do this business, and you have done this also today. All reports are with me. You immediately resign and go. Otherwise I shall take action. You immediately resign and go away. Otherwise I'll take action. I have got all evidence." So when he saw that "There is now no way out."

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976:

Therefore human life must be very responsible. Yes. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "My dear king, if before one's next death whatever impious acts one has performed in this life with his mind, words, and body are not counteracted through proper atonement according to the description of the Manu-saṁhitā and other dharma-śāstras, one will certainly enter into the hellish planets after death and undergo terrible sufferings as I have previously described." So just like in our ordinary life if we commit some sinful activity and if we plead in the court, "My dear judge, I did not know the law," so this kind of pleading will not help him. Ignorance is no excuse. Therefore human life is distinct from animal life. If we live in human life without caring for the supreme laws, then we are destined to suffer.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:

This is the beginning of human life, that unless you come to this knowledge... athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. So that is possible in the human form of life. A dog cannot. A dog comes within your room, and you drive him away, you punish him, and still, with some plea he will come. So therefore Parīkṣit... Śukadeva Gosvāmī suggests that we have to make him free from the avidyā, ignorance. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone is under the spell of māyā. Punaḥ punaḥ. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is going on, but we do not inquire that "Why I am repeatedly accepting the cycle of birth and death?" That is avidyā. They are, rather, supporting, "Suppose if I become dog, what is the wrong there?" They say like that: "What is the wrong there?" So this means avidyā, ignorance.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

Just like a child, ignorant, he touches blazing fire, and it burns the hand, and he suffers. You cannot say that "Child is innocent, and the fire has burned." No. This is nature's law. Ignorance. So sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Therefore one should be in knowledge. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If you go to the court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know that I have to suffer, I have to go to imprisonment for six months because I have stolen. This was unknown to me..." No. Known or unknown, you must go to the jail.

Therefore the greatest contribution to the human society is knowledge. To keep them in ignorance, in darkness, that is not human society, that is cats' and dogs'... Because they are in ignorance, nobody can give them knowledge, neither they can take. Therefore in the human society there is institution for giving knowledge. That is the greatest contribution. And that knowledge, the supreme knowledge, is there in the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. And all the Vedas ascertain that one should know what is God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So downtrodden, this Kali-yuga. So mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. All other living entities think like yourself. That means your pains and pleasure that you feel, you should take others pains and pleasure. Not that you protect yourself from all danger and you cut the throat of the poor animals on the plea that it has no soul. This is not education. This is education, that whether the animal has soul or not soul, we shall consider later on. But when knife is on my throat I cry, and he also cries. Why shall I say that it has no soul and let me kill it? So that means he does not know how to see other living entity like himself. Buddha philosophy is based on this, that whatever you feel pain you should not inflict to others. This is education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

This is unclean method, aśuci. And yatayām āsa dehinaḥ. And as soon as one takes all this profession, it means his business will be to give trouble to the all living entities. Yatayām āsa dehinaḥ. Dehinaḥ means one who has accepted this material body. So he will not hesitate to kill anyone because he is practiced to give pains and misery to other living entities, and what to speak of killing animals under the plea, "The animal has no soul"? This rascaldom will go on.

So the civilization is how to make human being elevated to the standard of becoming a brāhmaṇa, dvija. And if one dvija falls down by bad association, especially by prostitution, then he comes to this. This is the Ajāmila's life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

So mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu: "All other living entities think like yourself." That means your pains and pleasure, as you feel, you should take up others' pains and pleasure, not that you protect yourself from all danger and you cut the throat of the poor animals on the plea that it has no soul. This is not education. This is education, that whether the animal has soul or not soul we shall consider later on. But when knife is on my throat I cry, and he also cries. Why shall I say that "It has no soul, and let me kill it"? So that means he does not know how to see other living entities like himself. Buddha philosophy is based on this, that "Whatever you feel, pain, you should not inflict to others." This is education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat ātmavat. So this is moral education, and in the śāstra it is also said that there are seven mothers.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Everyone commits sin or criminal activities simply by ignorance. Ignorance. Just like by ignorance a child touches a fire. The fire will not excuse. Because it is a child, he does not know, therefore the fire excuses? It does not burn his hand? No. Even it is child, the fire must act. It burns. Similarly, ignorance is no excuse of law. If you commit some sin and go to the law court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know this law," that is no excuse. You have committed this criminal activity; even though you did not know the law, that does not mean you will be excused.

Therefore all sinful activities are done in ignorance or in mixed-up passion and ignorance. Therefore one has to raise himself to the quality of goodness. He must be good, very good man. And if you want to become very good man, then you have to follow these regulative principles: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. If you indulge in these four principles of sinful life, you cannot become a good man.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

Therefore he has been addressed as Bhagavān. Anumīmāṁsati. Just like the judge. He is hearing the case. That is everyone. Anyone who is hearing something, so he makes a conclusion, "This should be done like that." The judgment...

There was one story. It is not story; it is fact, that two pleaders were talking about the activities of a criminal, and the judge was dozing. So his clerk said, "Sir, you are dozing. The two big lawyers, they are arguing, and what they will say?" That means he warned. The judge said, "I have already made my judgment. Let them go on talking." So actually, it is done. A very important judge, he, by hearing the preliminary points of the case, he makes his judgment. But because the two lawyers want to fight, because they are paid for that, so they go on fighting. But the judge, he has already concluded what judgment should be given. Similarly, Yamarāja is judge. He has got everything recorded in his mind of a sinful man's activities in the past.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

That has become the practice in the Kali-yuga. Anardhyena nyāya-rahitam.(?) In Kali-yuga, if you have no money, then you will not be able to get justice. Anardhyena nyāya-rahitam. As soon as you go to the court, immediately you'll have to appoint a pleader and pay him at least seventy-five rupees and then stamp duty, this and that, so many things—then bribe. Then bribe. You give bribe to this man, you give bribe to that man. Suppose you actually want some money from somebody. He has taken money, he is not paying, or something else. So you have to push good money after bad money. So money which is due from others—he is not paying—that has become a bad money. Good money means which is in your hand. That is good money. And if you are simply speculating that "I shall get this money from that person. I shall get this money from...," that is bad money. So there is an English proverb, perhaps you know all, "To push good money after bad money."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

Just like our Mr. Chief Justice gives judgment on the law, so the law cannot be manufactured by any common man or any businessman, no. Law can be manufactured only by the state, by the government. Nobody can manufacture. That will not give us... If in the high-court, if somebody pleads, "Sir, I have got my own law," Mr. Justice will not accept. (laughs) So similarly, dharma you cannot manufacture. Either you are a very big man... Even Chief Justice, he cannot make a law. The law is given by state. Similarly, dharma means bhāgavata-dharma and other so-called dharmas, they are not dharmas. They will not be accepted. Exactly in the same way, law manufactured at your home is not accepted. Therefore dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ (SB 6.3.19).

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

The pramattaḥ word is used in Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction also: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ: everyone is madman. That's a fact. Some years ago one man was condemned to death, and he pleaded that "While I committed this murder I was mad." So he was examined. He was to be examined by the civil servant, and the civil servant, when he came to the court, he said, "My lord, so far my experience goes, everyone is mad. So why do you ask me to examine this man? If to become madman and be excused for being hanged, then you can do so, but my opinion is everyone is mad, more or less." So this statement is also confirmed by the Bhāgavatam and all the śāstras.

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

There are many examples in the history, in the scriptures, that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious, they are not fearful. Prahlāda Mahārāja himself. He was five-years-old boy, and his father was teasing him, "Oh, you cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Who is Kṛṣṇa?" Atheistic: "You cannot do that. It is my order." He several times pleaded, "My dear father, why you are talking like this? You are also servant of Kṛṣṇa." So he never cared for it. Ultimately he wanted to kill his five-years-old boy, and Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared. And this prayer is in connection with that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:

No. That is not possible." So actually, if the child is destined to suffer, the good father-mother cannot give him shelter. That is not possible. Suppose one is condemned by the court to be punished, capital punishment, to be hanged. The father-mother may be very big man or rich man. If he pleads in the court, "Sir, whatever you want, I'll give. Kindly do not condemn my son to be hanged," that cannot be checked. This is not possible. Nobody can show favor against the will of the Supreme.

So best thing is to ask favor... Śuddha, śuddha-bhakta, those who are... (aside:) He's sleeping. You don't sleep and sit front. So therefore we should not ask favor. We can ask favor from anyone, but we must know that nobody can favor us unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme Person. We must always know. Not that because one is very, in a superior position, he can favor me. No, he cannot favor you unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

So anyone under this protection of the material energy—more or less, crazy. More or less. It is not only our words. It is scientifically true. I know, there was one case, a man was condemned to death and his pleader presented that "This man was in, in insanity condition. Therefore he committed this act. He may be excused." So the, a civil surgeon was invited to examine him, whether he's, actually he was in sanity condition. The civil surgeon gave evidence that so far he had treated so many patients, he saw everyone is more or less crazy." Under the circumstances, if this man is crazy, that depends on your judgement, what to do. But in my opinion, every man is a crazy man." So this is a fact. This is a fact. Anyone who is under the control of the material energy, he's a crazy man. He's thinking "I am this, I am that, I am this," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am a Muslim," "I am so on, so on, so many things." But he's nothing of all this. These are all creation of māyā.

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

These things have been explained by great commentators, how this is also very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Bhīṣma was piercing His body; the blood was coming out. Still how it is pleasing? So that has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī that when a lover is kissing and biting, that is also pleasure. The biting also pleas... Although blood is coming out, that biting is also plea..., very pleasing. This has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī. These things are possible.

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.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's saying. How? Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by spreading this saṅkīrtana movement, all the problems of the world will be immediately mitigated. So to make people Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, and to spread the saṅkīrtana movement, this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we are trying our best. Actually, it was the duty of the Indians, but fortunately, the Americans have taken up instead of Indians. Therefore I have brought them. The Indians... You are forgetting your duty. The foreigners are doing your duty. So you should welcome them, instead of driving them away by so many pleas. This is not very good. Yes. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

He said, "Yes, why not?" Now, he explained that this universe is only one of the millions universes. This small universe is one of the many, many. Many, many... We get information from the śāstra, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiḥ (Bs. 5.40). Jagadānda means this universe. And there are koṭis, unlimited. In Caitanya Mahāprabhu's dealing, one devotee, Vāsudeva Datta, he pleaded to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come, You take away all the inhabitants of this earth, or within this universe, and if You think that they are so much sinful that they cannot be delivered, so You can transfer their sinful resultant action, sinful activities, unto me. I shall suffer." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that "Let others be delivered, and if they are unfit, sinful, all their sins may be transferred to me." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You do not require to take their sinful reaction, but even without your transferring they can be delivered. But this is only one universe." And He compared that this universe is just like a grain of mustard in the mustard bag.

Festival Lectures

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture Dasavatara-stotra Purport -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1970:

Just like one who does not believe in the Bible, they are called heathens, similarly, those who do not accept the Vedic principles, they are called atheists. So Lord Buddha although incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He said that "I do not believe in Vedas." What was the reason? The reason was to save the poor animals. At that time people were sacrificing the poor animals under the plea of Vedic sacrifice. So demonic persons, they want to do something under the protection of authority. Just like a big lawyer takes the protection of the lawbook and he makes the law unlawful. Similarly, the demons are so intelligent that they take advantage of scriptural injunction and do all nonsense. So these things were going on. In the name of Vedic sacrifice, they were killing animals like anything. So Lord became very much compassionate these poor animals, and He appeared as Lord Buddha, and His philosophy was nonviolence. His philosophy was atheist because He said that "There is no God.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

So there was very nice meeting in Tehran. Many scholar, Muhammadan, came to see me. So everyone is understanding the importance of this movement. So in Tehran I discussed about chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there are many names. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. Kṛṣṇa's name, manyfold. So I pleaded to the Muslim audience that "You can chant the name of Allah also. Not necessarily that you have to chant the Kṛṣṇa name, but any name indicating the Supreme Lord can be chanted." Because in the śāstra it is said, harer nāma, harer nāma, (CC Adi 17.21) the holy name of the Lord. But it must be the name of the Lord. Actually, Kṛṣṇa has thousands of names, and His names are enumerated by His activities. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted to become the son of Mother Yaśodā; therefore He is called Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa accepted Vasudeva as His father, or Nanda Mahārāja; therefore He is called Nanda-nandana, Vāsudeva, or Devakī-nandana. Kṛṣṇa acted as the charioteer of Arjuna; He is called Partha-sarathi.

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

Recently I have been in Kurukṣetra. You were... Yes. So I have decided to do something there. Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa personally spoke there. Our two movements—we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and we are holding Ratha-yātrā—all these two incidences took place at Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is so important. Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and His sister, on some occasion of lunar eclipse, they came from Dvārakā in a chariot, ratha, two brothers and sister, and that is the occasion of Ratha-yātrā. And the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, especially Rādhārāṇī, they came from Vṛndāvana to see Kṛṣṇa after long time. And she pleaded that "Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rādhārāṇī..." (Prabhupāda is coughing) Is there any water? No. "But this place is not the proper place. Let Us go to Vṛndāvana." That is Mahāprabhu's feeling.

General Lectures

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

Girl: "In other words, as we see by this plea, liberation is not the final word in perfection."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is one point. He says that "You have liberated me. Now let me know what is my duty." This is very important point. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they think that liberation is the ultimate goal. Just like in Buddha philosophy, the nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means annihilation of material existence. Nirvāṇa. They think that as soon as there is annihilation of this material existence, that is the final goal. The Māyāvādī philosopher or the impersonalist, they think that not only to get freedom from this material existence, but to remain in spiritual status, jñānam, simply in the knowledge that "I am spirit soul. I am merged into the spirit soul," that is their goal. But here, the Sanātana Gosvāmī, he belongs to the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. He says, "Now what is my duty?" That means after liberation it is not that everything is void or activity is stopped. No. Actually activity begins after liberation.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

So devotional service begins from the stage of liberation, when one is freed from the concept of bodily life, from this wrong concept that "I am this body." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Teachings of Bhagavad-gītā begins from that. Kṛṣṇa wanted to teach Arjuna in the beginning, first of all, that "You are not this body." He was talking with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was asking him to fight, and he was placing so many pleas that "If I fight, my family will die and the women will be widows. They will be polluted." So many arguments he placed. That means Arjuna was identifying himself with this body. And Kṛṣṇa, when Arjuna submitted to Kṛṣṇa that "I am now puzzled, bewildered. I cannot understand what is my duty at the present moment; therefore I am submitting unto You," śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "I become Your disciple." Śādhi māṁ prapannam: "I am surrendered unto You. You please instruct me." So because they were talking like friends in the beginning, so argument like friends, talking, that cannot give any conclusion.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

The purpose of the hospital is to bring a crazy fellow to his original consciousness. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring all crazy men to his original consciousness. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is to be understood—more or less crazy. There was a case in India, a murder case, and the murderer pleaded that he became mad. He was mad; therefore he, he did not know what did he do. So in order to test him, whether actually he, at that time, was lunatic or turned mad, the expert civil servant, psychiatrist, was brought to examine him. So the doctor gave his opinion that "So far I have studied cases, all patients I've come in contact, they are more or less all crazy. So in that sense, if your lordship wants to excuse him, that is another thing." So that is the fact.

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

They have sacrificed their life. Unless there is some profit... They are not fools. They are not coming of foolish parents or foolish nation. Unless there is some profit, how they are doing? There must be some profit. So without any investment of your money, without losing your time, if you get some spiritual profit, why don't you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? That is our plea. We are imploring everyone. If you think that there are many objection, "If I keep one picture of Kṛṣṇa or I offer Him something, fruits and flowers," all right, don't do that. But what is the objection if you chant? You have got freedom, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all right, simply Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

We have created so many dharmas or duties, so-called duties, social duty, political duty, humanitarian duty, so many. But we are violating God. So many humanitarians, philanthropists, they are thinking of good welfare for the human being, but they are not thinking any welfare for the poor animals. They are being sent to the slaughterhouse under some plea. So they are all punishable because every living being is the son of the Supreme Person. Bhagavad-gītā says. We also address the Supreme Being, God, as "Father." Father means every one of us, we are sons. But we are disobedient son. One who is obedient son, he is perfect. One who is disobedient son, he is imperfect. Therefore we have to ask. Father is giving food even to the disobedient son. He is so kind. So God is always kind upon us. But we are suffering because we have forgotten God. This is our position. Therefore God comes, Kṛṣṇa comes, and teaches us Bhagavad-gītā, how to become God conscious, how to become obedient to God.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

Therefore our request is... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is specially meant for this purpose, that do not try to be overlord of Kṛṣṇa. Don't speak anything manufactured by you on the plea of Kṛṣṇa speaking. If you want to speak something, good or nonsense, you can speak. Everyone has got the freedom to speak about his philosophy, about his thesis. But why through Kṛṣṇa? Why through Bhagavad-gītā? This is our protest. Let Kṛṣṇa speak Himself as He is and as He wants. Why should you speak by malinterpretation? That is the practice now, that everyone can interpret Bhagavad-gītā as he likes. Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? Can you interpret the law given by the government in your own way? That is not possible. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is accepted, He's accepted actually. (aside:) Find out this verse, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Tenth Chapter.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our system. We say, the social service, that "No illicit sex." If people indulge in illicit sex, society will be in chaotic condition. "No meat-eating." If we go on eating meat, then we revolt against the will of God, because God is the father of all living entities; He does not like that one of His son unnecessarily killed by another son on the plea that he is advanced son. The father cannot agree that the advanced son kill the ignorant or foolish son, the father will not agree. Therefore we say no meat-eating. When other foods are available, why one should eat meat? When there is wife, why there should be illicit sex? So religion means one should be good character. That is religion. This is one of the qualification becoming, that one who is actually religious, God conscious, that all the good qualities, either socially, politically, everything, even politician religious. Just like Arjuna, he was on the battlefield. This is politics. But because he was devotee he was hesitating to kill his enemies all.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: But that is not the fact. He analyzed some sane people also. But one psychiatrist's opinion is that (indistinct) was a civil servant, he was called to give evidence in a case where the criminal was pleading (indistinct) became insane while he committed the murder. So the civil servant was called to test him, whether actually he was insane or (indistinct) insanity. So he gave evidence that "I have tested so many persons, so I have seen that more or less everyone is insane. More or less. They are bewildered. So in that case, if insanity is the only plea that he should be excused, he can be excused. But so far as I know, everyone is more or less insane." And that is our conclusion. We say (indistinct), anyone who is infected with this material nature is more or less insane, crazy. He is crazy, not more or less. Anyone who has got this material body must be crazy. And therefore everyone is speaking in a different way.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Now here is the perfection. Kṛṣṇa is speaking; individual soul, Arjuna, is hearing. So hearing, hearing, when he comes to the conclusion that "My all illusion is now over by Your mercy. Now I am fixed up in my original position." And what is that original position? Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "Whatever You say, I shall do. The Bhagavad-gītā began from the point that Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, "You fight," and he denied to fight. He put so many pleas, that "How can I fight with them?" and so on, so on, so on, so on, so on. This whole discussion was made. Now at the end he says, "Now my mohaḥ, illusion, is over. I am situated in my own original constitutional position." What is that? Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "Whatever You say, I shall do, that's all. That's my position." That conclusive platform, that we shall simply execute the orders of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. (break)

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Hayagrīva: Well he felt that if man, if man is going to worship God, if man must worship God, he should do so privately, individually, and not communally.

Prabhupāda: No, if God is a fact, and man must worship God, then why not communally? That he, he is pleading that every individual man shall manufacture his own God and worship.

Hayagrīva: Well he would rather do..., do away with the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: No, that is impossible. God means, as I have explained, the supreme father. He is the father of every man or every living entity. So how the father can be different? If man manufactures a different... There are ten sons in the family; the father is one. It is not that one son say, "No, I shall select my own father." So what kind of father he is? So that is imperfectness of understanding the father. Nobody can say that "I can select my own father." How it is possible? Father is one. Similarly God is one, and if one is actually religious and obeying the same one father's order, then where is dissension? That the difficulty is nobody knows who is that supreme father, neither they are prepared to obey the orders of the father. That is the difficulty. In one family there cannot be two father. The one father. Similarly, when you speak of the supreme father, "O father, give us our daily bread," He is father of everyone. So why one should select one father, another man will select another father? That means he does not know who is father. That is the defect.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: This faith is not so easy. After many, many births, when one actually becomes a wise man, this faith comes in. Therefore it is said, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Such kind of mahātmā is very rare to be seen, for this faith is not so easy. Na janma-koṭibhir labhyate, Rūpa Gosvāmī has said. This faith, sukṛtibhiḥ na janma-koṭibhir labhyate. Those who are pious, they are candidate, that also requires many, many births to come to this faith. Tatra laulyam eka mūlyaṁ na janma-koṭibhir sukṛtibhiḥ labhyate. So the faith is not so easy thing. Kṛṣṇa is, from the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, five thousand years ago, the Bhagavad-gītā is being studied by so many scholars like Gandhi, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vivekananda, Aurobindo. Where is that faith, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām (BG 18.66)? They are taking advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and pleading their own philosophy. And where is that faith? They never taught that "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Perhaps this is the first time. Of course, the Vaiṣṇava teaching us like that, but we, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are teaching this, that "You catch up Kṛṣṇa." They have no faith and they are teaching Bhagavad-gītā. This is their only... They have no faith in Kṛṣṇa and they are preaching about Kṛṣṇa, they are studying Bhagavad-gītā.

Page Title:Plea (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:10 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=70, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:70