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President Nixon (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

So Arjuna was a kṣatriya, trained up by Droṇācārya how to kill. This is the... Nonviolence is not the business of the kṣatriya. That is cowardice. They are taught how to become violent. Otherwise, they cannot rule over. Formerly the judgement was given by the king, immediately finished. Not go to the court and wait for the judgement for ten years. In the meantime everything is finished. Not like that. Anything, there was regularly, the king used to sit in his assembly, and all the criminals, culprits, they were judged by the king himself. Sometimes the king had to kill personally with the sword. Even in European countries, the royal orders were trained up. Nowadays it is constitutional, democratic government. The king has no power. But this is not good for the people. The democracy is a farce. At least, I do not like it. Because so many rascals, simply by getting votes, go to the government, and what do they know how to rule over? Therefore, at the present moment, all over the world there is no good government. There is no good government. The America was considered to have very good government. Now we can see the behavior of Mr. Nixon. It is not possible. Formerly the kṣatriyas, they were trained up how to govern. They were trained up by military men, just like Droṇācārya trained Arjuna, Duryodhana. All the royal princes were trained up how to kill. Not only killing, also, according to śāstra, how to rule over.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

Just like now fighting is going on on two political groups, the communist and the capitalist. They are trying to avoid only fight, but the fighting is going on. As soon as America is in some field, immediately Russia is also there. In the last fighting between India and Pakistan, as soon as President Nixon sent their Seventh Fleet on the India Ocean, Bay of Bengal, almost in front of India... This was illegal. But very puffed-up, America. So sent the Seventh Fleet, maybe to show sympathy to the Pakistan. But immediately our Russian friend also appeared there. And therefore, America had to come back. Otherwise, I think, America would have attacked on behalf of Pakistan.

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

In the state, in the family, in the community, in the nation, there is no agreement. Even in the assembly, even in your country. Suppose there is Senate, everyone has got country's interest, but he's thinking in his individual way. One is thinking that "My country's welfare will be in this line." Otherwise, why there is competition during election of president. Everyone is saying that "America needs Nixon." And another person, he also says, "America needs me." So, but why two? If America you, and you are both... No. There is individuality. Mr. Nixon's opinion is something else. Mr. another candidate's opinion is something else. In the assembly, in the Senate, in the Congress, in the United Nations, everyone is fighting with his individual view. Otherwise why there are so many flags in the world? You cannot say anywhere impersonalism. Personality is predominating everywhere. Everywhere, the personality, individuality, is predominant. So we have to accept. We have to apply our reason, arguments, and accept the authority. Then the question is solved. Otherwise it is most difficult.

Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:

So Nārada Muni says, tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means one's prescribed occupational duties. So long we have got this body we have to do something. Without doing something we cannot live. The material world will not allow you, that you cannot do anything and you'll be provided. No. Whatever you may be, you may be President Nixon or ordinary man in the street, everyone has to do something. That is not possible. There is a verse in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, tṛtīya-śaktir iṣyate (CC Madhya 6.154). There the situation, material situation, is so stringent, that without working, you cannot live. You'll die. There is an example in the Hitopadeśa. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Suptasya siṁhasya. Siṁha means lion. If the lion thinks that "I am so powerful animal, king of the forest. Why shall I work?" Therefore, it is said that if he does not work, then he'll have to starve. Even though he's a lion. Because he may be lion, but if he sleeps, that "I am king. Let me sleep and my food will come automatically in my mouth," that is not possible. This is the example. Very good example. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. A lion is sleeping. If he does not work, he'll also starve. He'll also starve. And what to speak of cats and dogs.

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

Here the so-called tiger, so-called big men... Just like in America the president is a big man. But now he is put into such a condition that he is full of anxiety. At any moment he may be kicked out. This is the position. You cannot be happy either as President Nixon or tiger or cats and dogs or human being or Lord Brahmā. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must be full of anxieties because this is unnatural life.

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

If you bring one bird... He is free. You give some grains, he will come to eat, but he will look like this: "Nobody is coming to kill me. Nobody comes to kill me." Similarly, our position is... Even President Nixon, he is also full of anxieties: "When I shall be dethroned? When I shall be dethroned? Let me take protection. Let me take..." Anyone, beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the small ant... You... There is ant is going. You stop it by your finger. He will struggle: "Why you are stopping? Why you are stopping, stopping?" This is the way. You will see the ants. When there is water, they carry their eggs on the head and they go on the wall, up. They have also got the same feeling, affection, and anxiety, everything. And the human being or the best human being is Lord Brahmā in the topmost planet, whose life is millions and millions of years, he is also full of anxiety.

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

So this Bhagavad-gītā, science of Bhagavad-gītā, is not a new presentation. Just from this verse we can understand that it was instructed to the sun-god. Sun-god, apart from what is the duration of age of sun-god, but from the Manu, because the next statement is vivasvān manave prāha... Vivasvān. The sun-god's name is Vivasvān. Just like your, the chief executive head is called the president, similarly, there is a chief executive head also in the sun planet, president. And the present president's name is... Just like your present president's name is Mr. Nixon, similarly, the present predominating deity in the sun planet is known as Vivasvān. So everything is in detail.

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

The mistake of the Māyāvāda philosophy is that "You are the same." You are the same in which way? I am the same in quality, not in quantity. Just like if I say, "You are as good as President Nixon," there is nothing wrong because you are American, he is American. Is there anything wrong? From the point of view, American citizenship, you are as good as President Nixon. But when you go deep into the matter, you will find, oh, you are far, far away from President Nixon. Similarly, we are identifying ourself with this matter, but Vedas says that "You are not matter. You are supreme spirit soul." Not supreme, "You are spirit soul."

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

In the practical life also. President Nixon is the head of your state. You can also become. But you must have the capacity. Simply by thinking that "I am President Nixon, Nixon, Nixon...," that will not do. Tat tvam asi means that, "You have got the same quality as God. Now you have to realize and you have to act. Don't misuse your life simply in animal propensity and go to dog." No. Therefore Vedic... Tamasi mā jyotir-gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Come out to the light." Tamasi mā jyotir-gama: "Don't remain in birth and death cycle. Come to the eternal life." So everything is there. You can have eternal life, blissful life, life of knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

The, in the English constitutional law it is said that "The King can no, king can do no wrong." King can order punishment for the criminal, but the king is never criminal. King cannot be punished. Your President Nixon is fighting on this point. Although people wants to impeach him, he's fighting on this point, that "I am not wrong." Actually, that much facilities must be given to the head executive. If he becomes under the laws, then his position is not exalted. The... That is the principle of accepting in the highest order of life.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:
Just like your President Nixon. He's also American gentleman. If she (he) appears here, he will appear just like one of you. But he is not one of you. He is distinct. Similarly, if the president is distinct, if the minister is distinct, then how much God is distinct from you. Try to understand. You are claiming that "I am God." This is all nonsense. We are part and parcel. Part and parcel. Just like a small part of the Pacific Ocean, a small drop. You taste it; it is salty. So you can understand the whole Pacific Ocean is salty. Immediately you understand what is Pacific Ocean.
Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Somebody says, "I am God." I am God in this sense, that God is like me. Just like if you say, "I am American," your president is also American, so exactly you are like president, American. There is no harm. But if say, "I am as powerful as President Nixon," that is not applicable. Similarly, "I am God" means I am qualitatively one with God. It does not mean I am as powerful as God. That does not mean. He is the supreme controller. I have got the controlling capacity or I do control in my limited circle, but He is the supreme controller. In this way, if you understand, it is not very difficult to understand what is God, what you are, what is this material nature, what is time, and what is work. And if you understand these five things, then you are in full knowledge.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

If I want to know how this American government is going on, oh, I will have to study so many things. But somehow or other, if I made friendship with Mr. Nixon, the president, and if I sit down with him a few days, oh, everything is known. Is it not? Yes. He will disclose everything, that "My government is going on like this." You know. So this is a fact. If you try to understand or if you some way or other understand the original person, Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. That will be explained here. Simply by knowing Kṛṣṇa you will understand everything. This wonderful thing is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and you will gradually understand everything. This is the secret of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that's a fact.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

So, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The sun, so powerful god... The sun, you see the sun planet, but within the sun planet, there is the sun-god, whose name is mentioned also in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vivasvān. Just like you know your president's name, Mr. Nixon, similarly, we know who is the predominating deity in the sun planet. How we know? We know from Bhagavad-gītā. Vivasvān manave prāha. Vivasvān, the present president, or the predominating deity in the sun planet, is called Vivasvān. His son is Manu, and from Manu, the manuṣya. Manu... Manuṣya means who is coming from Manu. The human race has come from the Manu. Therefore the Vedic followers, they follow the principles, or codes, of Manu-saṁhitā. Manu-saṁhitā is the law, Hindu law, still accepted, although they have made many amendments. But it is not to be amended.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:

So there are so many different types of next life. Beginning from Brahmaloka down to the... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So why should we try for making a better position within this material world? Why? Why should we waste our time like that? We have seen that to occupy the post of president, Mr. Nixon, how much he had to work in the beginning. I was at that time in America. He was advertising, "America needs now Nixon." So he had to spend millions and millions of dollars, so many cliques and so many intricacies, political... But it is gone, the presidency. Somehow or other. And now he is dragged down. Now he's offered position.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Administrator class. Kṣatriya, kṣatriya means those who are in the governmental power. They should be śauryam, very powerful, and very influential. Śauryaṁ tejaḥ. Nowadays, without seeing these qualifications, a third-class, fourth-class man is voted, and therefore we find out that Mr. Nixon, he's attacked now so many... Because he has no kṣatriya qualification. These are the kṣatriya qualification, administrator. Śaucam, śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtiḥ. He must be determined, dākṣyam, he must very expert, yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam, and he should not flee away from fighting. When there is... Nowadays, when there is... the politicians and diplomats, they sit down very safely in their room and poor people, they are, by force, sent to fight. This is not kṣatriya, this is not administration.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

God cannot be lonely. Just like as soon as you say that President Nixon is coming, it does not mean he's coming alone. Because his position as President means whenever he goes he has got his secretaries, his military commanders, so many things. Similarly, God is never alone. God is always with many paraphernalia. So God is not lonely. Never.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

So our only request is that it is a great science. Don't neglectfully take it. It is the real problem of life. We say that you live peacefully, happily, but don't risk your life. Don't risk your life. Just like a man is living very nicely, very good post, very good money, but if he is doing something criminal, then what is his next life? He is put into jail. Just like in America, Mr. Nixon. He was president, everything. Now everything is at risk. So we say that you become Nixon, you become prime minister, you become everything. We don't say... You make your profit, like that. But don't risk your life. That is our proposition.

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

Just like in U.S.A., President Nixon, he is also under fear, "How these people will drive me away?" So this bhaya must be there. Hard labor for election, then rejection, then bhaya, fearfulness, "Whether my this position will remain or not?" Nobody is free. Even Brahmā, big, big demigods, they are also fearful. Bhayaṁ dvitīya abhiniveśataḥ syāt. Śāstra says when one is attached to the other thing except God, dvitīya... Because God is one. Eka brahma. When one is not Brahman realized—the other realized means illusion realized—then there is bhaya. So apavarga, pa pha ba bha, in this way ma, means mṛtyu, death.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says that "This yoga system, bhakti-yoga system, as they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, it was first explained to the sun-god, Vivasvān." The śāstra gives us the name of the predominating deity of the sun globe. Just like any gentleman can know or give the name of your president, Mr. Nixon. He might not have seen, but he knows that the present president of U.S.A is Mr. Nixon. Similarly, actually, those who are in knowledge, they know who are the predominating deities of the different planets. They know. Not to speak of others, Kṛṣṇa, who can know better than Him? Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Kṛṣṇa knows past, present, and future. So He's saying that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

Just like you can become one day President Nixon, like him. That requires your qualification. But you can... But you cannot become Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. That is not possible. God is one. You cannot become God, but you can become part and parcel of God, more powerful. That is possible. Just like you are all Americans, but some of you can become a big officer in the government, the president, the secretary, the governor, but their position is better than ordinary man, similarly, the demigods are like that. They are different officers of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. These things are described in Bhāgavatam, that the sun rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The moon rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The ocean is not disturbing, it is calm and quiet... Not calm and quiet. It is in its position by the order of the Supreme Lord. So everyone is acting under the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Technology means he must get some service. Otherwise, useless. Simple life, teaching, brāhmaṇa; and kṣatriya, give protection; and vaiśya, till the ground. This is... Where is the question of scarcity? The scarcity is that nobody's doing his real duty. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). And people are exploiting. There is competition, dissatisfaction, fight. So many things, sinful activities. The whole society is polluted. Actually, the whole human society is now conducted by the śūdras. But śūdras cannot run on government. That is not possible. Because that śūdra, your Nixon, is a śūdra, he is exalted post, therefore everything is not in order.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Suppose your president is very great. That's all right. Everyone knows, "President is very great." But what shall I derive out of that? When I actually deal with him, I become his friend, I become his servant, I become his secretary, I become... Some way or other, if I am related with that great personality, that is my benefit. Otherwise what is the use knowing, "Oh, President Nixon is very great"? There are so many... What I am deriving from that great? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they simply remain silent, "Oh, God is very great," and they cannot imagine how great He is. But a devotee can understand how great He is. He can see that innumerable universes are within the mouth of God. This is the position of devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Just like your President Nixon. He is controller of your country, but his controlling power is given at a certain date and it will be finished at a certain date. So Kuntī says, "You are not that kind of controller, that Your controlling power begins at a certain date and finishes at a certain date." Therefore, prakṛteḥ param. In the prakṛti, within the material nature, we have got some controlling power. Everyone. But that has the beginning and ending. As our life begins and ends, everything here in this material world, it has a beginning and end. But Kṛṣṇa's controlling power is not like that. He says, she says, namasye puruṣaṁ tu ādyam: "You are the original person. You have created this cosmos. So before the creation of the cosmos, You were controller, and when the cosmos will end, You will remain controller." Therefore prakṛteḥ param. "Within the prakṛti, within the material nature, everything has got beginning and end, limited. You are not that kind of controller." Prakṛteḥ param, eternal.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Just like these children. They also chant, they also dance. It is not at all difficult. While walking, just like our students, they take the beads. They're walking on the sea beach, still chanting. Where is the loss? But the gain is so great, that we are associating with Kṛṣṇa personally. The gain is so much. If you feel very much proud... If you are associating personally with President Nixon, how much proud you feel? "Oh, I am with President Nixon." So will you not feel very much proud if you are associating the supreme Nixon? Who can create millions of Nixons?

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

So if we be, come out of this interruption, then we get similar love affairs as Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. So our business should be how to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. Because going to Kṛṣṇa means, Kṛṣṇa is eternal, we get eternal body. Just like to become a secretary or even a servant of President Nixon, he's also big man. He's also big man. Because unless one has got some special quality, he cannot become personal servant of President Nixon or his secretary. It is not possible. Not ordinary man can become President Nixon's servant or secretary. Similarly to go back to home, back to Godhead means you get the same type of body, as Kṛṣṇa has got. You become aja. Ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam. This is a disease, that we are changing our body. So Kṛṣṇa is Aja.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Mayapura, October 15, 1974:

On account of ignorance, we are thinking that "This will be very nice. This will be very nice. This will be very nice. This will be..." Kāma-karmabhiḥ, creating some kāma, desire, and working in that way. Therefore kliśyanti. To become Brahmā, that is not very easy thing. Brahmā is such a big post, very qualified, highly advanced in austerities, penance. He is given... He's also a living entity. Just like in your America, you are also a citizen, and President Nixon or Ford, he's also citizen. But by dint of his ardent labor and diplomacy, this way, tha..., he has captured that post. But he's an ordinary citizen. Just like President Nixon. Now he's dragged down. He's no more president. Ordinary citizen. Similarly, if you like you can also become Brahmā. Kāma-karmabhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.8.37 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1973:

Although President Nixon is giving protection as president to every citizens, but those who are personally associated with him, giving him the service, they are a special consideration. That is not unnatural. That is natural. That is not partiality. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu: (BG 9.29) "I am equal to everyone." He's God. How He can be partial to somebody and partial to some...? No. Samo 'ham. That is samatā. That is natural. When a gentleman loves all children but he has special love for his own children, that is natural. That is not partiality. Nobody will..., you will say, "Oh, why you are loving your own children more than others?" No, that is natural. This is not partiality. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa loves everyone because everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. But He takes special care of the devotee. Therefore He says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). His bhakta, His devotee, will never be... He's always allowed to see the comforts of the devotees.

Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:

So this is the case not only with the Pāṇḍavas but every one of us. When somebody dies, big man, big scientist, big politician, big philosopher, when he's dead, the big name, "Here is Mr. Nixon, here is Mr, Sir Isaac Newton, or...," this is name. Nāma-rūpābhyām. Nāma means name and rūpa means form. So, so long we are living, our name, our fame, our form, our activities, are glorious, very good. And as soon as the life is gone, nobody cares. It is a lump of matter. That's all. Now at the... When one is living, a big man, nobody can go before him or touch him—there are so many guards. But the same man, when he's dead, if he's lying on the floor, if somebody kicks on his face, nobody cares, finished.

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

The so-called philosophers and scientists, they are trying to see God in their own way. And it is being supported by rascals that "You can find out in your own way to see God." That is not possible. You cannot see God in your own way. You have to see God by God's way. Then you can see Him. It is not possible to see God in you... What you are? Just like if I want to see President Nixon, can I see him in my own way? So how you can expect to see God in your own way? Is it not rascaldom? I cannot see even an ordinary man in big position in my own way. I have to apply, I have to take the sanction of the secretary, appoint some time, and so on, so on, and I am expecting to see God in my own way. And these rascals are supporting this view that "You can see God in your own way. As many ways you invent, they're all bona fide." This is rascaldom.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

That is spiritual world. Pavarga means accompanied by all these things, and apavarga means just the opposite. Just the opposite. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is anapavarga-vīrya. He shows you the path how you become anapavarga. Nāpavarga, anapavarga. Kṛṣṇa says here, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Why this pavarga, why these five kinds of tribulation? Because you have got this material body. As soon as you accept a material body—it doesn't matter whether President Nixon's body or a common man's body—you have to pass through these pavargas: pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. Either you are demigod or a human being or an animal or an insect or Brahmā—whatever you may be—as soon as you have got this material body, you have to go through these tribulations. This is called material existence. And apavarga means just the opposite. That... For that purpose Kṛṣṇa comes, to give you the path of anapavarga. Nāpavarga... Anapavarga is the path.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

So here is a responsible monarch, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. It is not that some rascal gets some votes and some way or other he sits on the president's chair and secretly doing all nonsense. Just like your President Nixon is now detected, so many things. The monarchy was not like that. Here it is clearly said, pravṛtta-vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ. Vijñāna-vidhūta. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was thinking that "For me, so many people have been killed. So I have become very, very much sinful. I am not fit for sitting on the throne, such responsible throne." But his misgivings were dissipated by the words of Bhīṣma.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

Just like in your country, in America, you are American and the president Nixon is also American. Because you are American, therefore you are not President Nixon. That is rascaldom. President Nixon is different. Similarly, because you are Brahman, that does not mean you are Parabrahman. Parabrahman, is Kṛṣṇa. There must be distinction between the Parabrahman and the individual Brahman. This is dvaita-vāda philosophy. And the Māyāvāda philosophy, they say, "Because Parabrahman is Brahman, I am also Brahman; therefore we are one." No. You are one qualitatively, Brahman. As Brahman you are one. But as Parabrahman and Brahman, you are different. This is acintya-bhedābheda, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, simultaneously one and different. As Brahman we are one, but as Parabrahman... Vibhu and aṇu. The Supreme is vibhu, all powerful. I am aṇu, infinitesimal. Infinite and infinitesimal.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

So you American people, you have become tiger now, Nixon tiger. But if you don't behave obligely, if you don't feel obliged, if the tiger feels obliged that "By the grace of the saintly person, I have come to the stage of becoming a tiger, I must be very much obliged to him..." But instead of becoming obliged, if you want to eat, then again become a mouse. If the saintly person has got the power to make you from mouse to tiger, then he can convert you again from tiger to mouse. You must always remember this. So by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, you have become so powerful nation, rich, beautiful, educated. By grace of Kṛṣṇa you have become, but if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then you are again going to be mouse. Remember that.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:
And even Mr. Nixon is in such exalted post, he's also full of anxiety, when he'll be kicked out. You see. So find out any man who is not in anxiety. Not only human being but also animals, birds, beasts—everyone. That is the symptom of material existence, anxieties. So spiritual life means anxiety-less. This is the difference between material life and spiritual life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), in the Bhagavad-gītā it is described what is spiritual life. As soon as you are identified with the Absolute Truth, Brahman, then symptoms will be prasannātmā, jubilation: "Oh, I do not belong to this material world. I belong to the spiritual world. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why should I suffer so many things?" That is jubilation.
Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

One should be thoroughly learned what is God and teach others how to trust Him. That is brāhmaṇa. Simply slogan, "We Trust In God," and all rascals and fools, that is not good. Now we should take up this point, that "You write, 'In God We trust.' What is God? Do you know what is God?" Ask the President Nixon rascal. He will not be able to. Then who will know? If the president does not know, how the people will know? Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). Śreṣṭha, the chief man, the leader Just like I am leading this society, so what I shall do, naturally it will be followed: "Prabhupāda does it." So that is applicable everywhere. So if the president knows what is God, how to trust Him... Why shall I trust unless I know you properly? It is natural. If somebody says, "Trust this man," so my next question, "I must first of all know this man; then I shall trust." Similarly, if you do not know what is God, what is the meaning of your trust? It is all childish, slogan.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:
Just like if you infect some disease, nature must punish you. You must suffer from the disease. You cannot get out. It is not possible. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Why there are so many varieties of life? Why not one class of men, all President Nixon? (laughter) Why not? Why there is bum in the Bowery Street? In your country I am saying. Why there are arrangement of first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class, fifth-class men? Or animals, or trees? Everything is there. Why? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As you have infected yourself with a particular type of modes of nature, you will get a body. That's all. If you have infected to get the body of a dog, you must be infected. People who are keeping dog, that means he is being infected by the germs of dog.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Prajalpa means talking all nonsense. Suppose politics. "What Mr. Nixon did yesterday, or what did he say?" So what interest we have got in Mr. Nixon? We shall not waste our time talking this politics, that politics, this sociology, this cinema, this affair, no. We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessary making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

Just like father. Father is the leader of the family. And why father is the leader? Because he earns, he maintains the children, wife, servant, and establishment; therefore naturally, he's accepted the leader of the family. Similarly, you accept the President Nixon as the leader of your country because in dangerous time he gives direction, in peace time he gives direction. He's always busy how to make you happy, how to make without any cares, anxiety. This is duty of the President. Otherwise, why you select one President? Any man can live without any President, but no, it is required.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ: "If you surrender to Me... Because you have rebelled against Me. Rebelling against Me, you have come to this material world to enjoy. So I have given you all chances. I have given you chance to become Brahmā, to become Indra or become Candra, to become Nixon, to become Gandhi, to become Jawaharlal Nehru, to become ant, to become cat, to become dog. I have given you all chances, and you have enjoyed. But you are not satisfied. Now, if you have got sense, just surrender to Me."

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

They are simply thinking in negative way: "This life is very troublesome." That they have realized, that even in highest stage of life of the material relation, your country, President Nixon, he's the president of the most rich country, but there is no happiness. He is now embarrassed, so many attacks are upon him. And he does not know how to defend him, how to keep his position. He's embarrassed. So in this way, everyone is missing the point. Nobody sees that "Why I am embarrassed? I have become now President of USA, and still I am embarrassed. And when I was a, a nonsignificant man, ordinary man or ordinary lawyer, nobody cared for me. That time I was also embarrassed. I was trying to improve my position. And now I have come to the highest point of success in the material world. Still I am embarrassed." Is it not a question?

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

So who does not want abhayam? Abhayam means fearlessness. Everyone wants. Because by material nature, we have got four positions. One position is always fearful, "What will happen next?" Even the big man, President Nixon, he is also fearful, "What will happen next?" Because so many charges are being brought against him, although he is on the very exalted position, President of USA, but he has, he is also always fearful. This is the nature, material nature. Can anyone say that he is not fearful? Is it possible? Then what to speak of us. As we require to eat something... This is material existence, eating. Then after eating, rest, sleeping. Then after rest, sex indulgence. Similarly, fearfulness.

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

Just like President Nixon, he is controlling the United States. So all of us, more or less, we are īśvara, controller. Everyone. Just like this mother, she is controlling the small child. So she is also īśvara, means she is controlling. So anyone who has controlling power... So God has given everyone a little controlling power. In that sense every one of us, īśvara. But here it is said, bhagavān īśvaraḥ: "the supreme controller." Supreme controller means we are controllers, but we are controlled by somebody else. But the Bhagavān Īśvara means He is no more controlled by anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is described. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ: "The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

So this process of hearing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, must be continued. That is our life. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇam means hearing. Kīrtanam means chanting about Lord Viṣṇu. Not for others. "Now I am hearing and chanting about Nixon." (chuckles) That will not help. Because everyone is busy in newspaper, "What Nixon said, what he is doing..." Everywhere. The politicians, they have made the minds of general people, general public, that they're very much interested what the politician says. Every day he says that he's simply speaking all nonsense; still, he's interested. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). They are called, "chewing the chewed again and again." Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

Tejas-kāmo vibhāvasum. Vibhāvasum. There are Vasus, eight kinds of Vasus. So you can worship one of the Vasus. If you want to be very influential person, like Mr. Nixon, then you worship Vibhāvasum. Vasu-kāmo vasūn rudrān. Vasu means "wealth." If you want wealth, riches. So list is there, but Kṛṣṇa says, "This will not make you happy, My dear friend. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You kick off all this nonsense! You just surrender unto Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Because He's the Supreme, He's giving supreme advice. But there are other persons. To regulate them... Because... These they are called yajñas. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā. There is little touch of devotion, indirectly.

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

You cannot make any permanent settlement. That is not possible. And That is also your fault. Because... Suppose you are posted now in a high post, Mr. Nixon, but you cannot keep the standard. You'll commit some sins. Next life, you'll have to become something else. This is going on. Kabhu svarge kabhu naya. Therefore the karmīs, they are all non-intelligence. Their intelligence is not... The only intelligent person is he who has completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and engaged in his service. He's the only intelligent. And all are rascals. That's all. This is our conclusion. Anyone, let come. We shall prove it. Let anyone come, either the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, anyone. We shall prove that "You are rascal #1." This is our challenge. If he's a sane man, he'll understand that he's a rascal. Otherwise, he will fight, unnecessarily. Therefore we do not say directly such harsh words, that "You are rascal." But we should know at least that they are all rascals.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

To realize Kṛṣṇa and go back to Him, that should be our main business. But these karmīs, they do not know what is the mission of this human form of life. They are busy working hard, day and night, for a morsel of grass. That's all. Yan maithunādi-gṛha... There are many other verses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So śāstra, intelligence, knowledge, means one should study everything very critically, "What is my position? What is my duty?" We should not be like the animals. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. Now we have got our great personalities, leaders. They are praised, eulogized, our, these political leaders. "Our Hitler," "Our Gandhi," "Our Churchill," "Our Nixon." But śāstra says these leaders, those who are not spiritual leaders, those who cannot give our life, they are worshiped by these classes of animals, animals.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

Just like you see, we have God here, Kṛṣṇa. He's not serving, He's enjoying. That is God. You'll always find God enjoying. God is not servant. Master. Kṛṣṇa says bhoktā. Bhoktā means enjoyer. Everyone should be engaged for His service, and He's the only enjoyer. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa (CC Adi 5.142). The only enjoyer, only master, is Kṛṣṇa, and all others, they are servants. Now, there may be gradation of servant, just like in your country, President Nixon is also a servant. And ordinary constable, he is also a servant. Everyone is servant; nobody is master. So there is gradation of service. That's all. Somebody is serving as President, somebody is serving as constable, somebody is serving as dog, somebody is serving as cat. And similarly, somebody is loving reciprocally.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

So here, as Brahmā saw God, His abode, His associates, so anyone can see also. Brahmā is also living being. Just like if Mr. Nixon can become president, you can also become president. But not that you can become God. You can become president, but you cannot become God. That is not possible. A foolish conclusion is that "If I can become president, then I can become also God." But these associates of God, they are equally... We have already heard how their bodily features are. They are also of the same color. They are also same color.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

Otherwise what is the meaning of king? "God is imperson. God is zero"—what is this nonsense God? If our great conception, king or president, we understand is a great personality, if in this tiny material world in one corner of this planet there is a big president like Nixon and he has got secretary, his staff, his this and that, so many things, and why God should be without any associates, nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, zero? What kind of God? He must be associated with so many associates.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

If one is fortunate, he can get the information of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. He gets this information. So this assembly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is an attempt to make people fortunate. From the unfortunate position, to become fortunate. Everyone is unfortunate, at least in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Now see everyone. Everywhere, there is simply problems. There is simply problem. One problem in one country, another problem in another country. There is strife, there is government... There is... Even the president, and he is also, has to meet so many problems. At the end he has to be dragged down. Now he's going to die in the hospital. What to speak of others. The problem, only problem. Therefore everyone is unfortunate. This is the conclusion. You may think that "I am very fortunate." President Nixon was thinking, "I am very fortunate. I have become the President of United States." But now he's realizing, "I am the most unfortunate."

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

So this is for everyone. Don't think that "Only the culprit is President Nixon, and we are, I am very safe." There is a Bengali proverb: ghuṇṭe pore gobar hase.(?) Gobar means cow dung, and ghuṇṭe means... What is called in English? The dried cow dung. So dried cow dung is used for fuel. So when the dry cow dung is being burned into the oven, the safe oven is laughing, "Oh, you are being burned. I am in safe side." (laughter) He does not know that when he'll be dry, he'll be put into the fire also. So we are laughing that "President Nixon is in trouble. I am very safe. I have got so much bank balance." No, nobody's safe. They... As like the same, cow dung soft. When it will be dried up, it will be put into the fire. And that dryness will come to everyone. That is a fact. What is that? Death. You may be safe at the present, for a few years, but you cannot avoid death. "As sure as death." And what is the result of death? The same. As the president is taken out from his position, everything, all honor, all money all..., even life, similarly, at the time of death Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham: "I come as death and plunder everything, whatever you have got."

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

So then you will understand ya bhagavān. Ya bhagavān puṁsām īśvaraḥ. Bhagavān means Īśvara, controller. You are not independent. Everyone is dependent. Somebody is dependent of somebody, somebody... But you are dependent. Nobody can say, "I am independent." Even President Nixon, he's not independent. He was dragged down from the post. So you cannot say that "I am independent." That is a foolish proposal. You must always think that you are dependent. That is said, stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ, and there is said, te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Īśa-tan... We are bound up by the laws of nature, hands and legs, tightly, and you still think that you are independent? You don't care for God? This is the mūḍha. The mūḍha says like that. No intelligent man will say like that.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

Just like Nixon was president; now he's not president. So this is an upādhi. You are Indian, American, this, that—they are all upādhis. Therefore if we are attached, if we are attached to the upādhi, that is called avagraha. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). And according to the upādhi, I become attached to "me" and "mine"—"I am this," "I am that," and "It is mine, it is..." But actually, they are all illusion. Fact it is. If you suppose... Just like the president was five years very powerful. Now he's dragged down. Then what is the value? What is the value? So it may be for five years or fifty years or utmost hundred years. Or a million years. Just like Brahmā. But they are all temporary. In the eternal time, five years or ten years or hundred years or five million years, they are all limited. They are not eternal. But we are eternal. We living entities, we are eternal. So why we should be illusioned by the noneternal?

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

Just like recently in America they had to dethrone Mr. Nixon because they were not free from anxiety. So you cannot become free from anxiety by taking shelter of anything material. That is not possible. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Asat and sat. Sat means eternal, and asat means temporary. So we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not annihilated after the annihilation or destruction of this body. Therefore we have to take shelter of the eternal. Then we'll be happy. And so long we shall take shelter of the temporary thing, asat, this material world, material society, friendship, love, state, community, nation—anything you take, they are not permanent—so you cannot be happy. But if you take shelter for security at the lotus feet of the Supreme, then you are actually secure.

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

Just like President Nixon. He was elected the master, president, but actually he was the servant of the popular vote. As soon as he became unpopular, he was immediately dismissed. So the president of a big state is the position that he is a servant. How you are not a servant? That is our nature. So people are engaged in service generally. "Generally" not. That is the law. If one hasn't got to serve anybody, no family, no children, no wife, then he keeps a dog, to serve him. Is it not a fact? I have seen in the Western countries, old man who has no family, his whole day he is keeping a dog and seeing the television. That's all. (laughter) Because nature is to serve. That you cannot... Therefore pravṛtti-mārga means that we are trying to become false master, sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

So we have got picture in our Bhagavad-gītā. The sun-god is listening. The sun-god, there is sun-god. Just like here we have got a god, Ford or Nixon, similarly, in every planet there is a god. Therefore it is described, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). All these gods, they are demigods. They are not God. God is one. So deva. That... If you try to go to the sun planet, moon planet, or any other planet, millions and trillions of planet, you can go. Higher planetary system, lower planetary system, that you can go. That is... The description is there in the śāstras. They are going to the moon. Of course, I have several times... They have never gone, but anyway... You can go to the moon planet. How you can go, the description is there. So moon planet is not vacant. That is counted amongst the heavenly planets. If anyone can go there, he can live there for ten thousands of years. Ten thousand of years means according to the demigods' years.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

So this father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he defied God: "Who is God? I am God. Take my (indistinct)." The child said, "My dear father, you are not God." He would never address his father as "father." He addressed him "the best of the asuras." "My dear best of the asuras," tat sādhu manye asura-vārya dehinām. After all, the relationship is father and son. So one day the father took him, "My dear son, what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers? Tell me." "Yes, I'll tell you." "What is that?" Tat sādhu manye asura-varya. He never addressed "father." "O the best of the asuras." Asura-vārya means "the best of the asura." Tad sādhu manye: "I think that is very good thing." "What is that?" Tad sādhu manye asura-vārya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). "All these people, they're simply full of anxieties." That's a fact. Who's not full of anxieties? Those who are in this material world, who can say, "No, I have no anxiety"? That is not possible. Either you become President Nixon or in the street beggar, there is anxiety. At any moment danger will come. But they are busy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

The politician or, what is called, leaders, andha, they will promise you that "You will be happy in this way. You give me vote, and I shall bring heaven for you, and let me become minister. That is... You simply wait, and as soon as I become a minister and president, I will give you such and such benefit." So you select Mr. Nixon, and again you become disappointed. Then we request, "Mr. Nixon, you get out." And we accept another fool. This is going on. This is going... But śāstra says you will not be getting right information in that way. These foolish men, they will promise you something, and he is unable to make you happy. You will be again disappointed, again regret. Then what is..., wherefrom I shall get the right information? That Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If you want right information, then go to the guru." And who is guru? That Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). He says, "You just become on My order." Guru means who carries the order of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Or who is Kṛṣṇa's servant, that is guru.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

So śāstra says that you are already suffering, in any form of body. Either you are President Nixon or a man in the street, you are already suffering. That's a fact. Now you are suffering on account of this body. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And still you are doing something which will cause to accept another material body. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. And you are suffering because you indulged in your past life sense gratification, and you have got this body according to karma, and again, if you are engaged in sense gratification, do not try to elevate yourself from this platform of sense gratification, then you'll again suffer. You'll get, by nature's way, you'll get another body according to the desire.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

Sometimes we are questioned that "How a living entity fallen in this material world?" Yes, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Icchā-dveṣa. Actually, we are servants of God. That is our real position. But we sometimes become envious, that "Why shall I become servant of God? This is slave mentality." Sometimes we are accused, the Vaiṣṇavas are, of slave mentality because they want to serve God. And the Māyāvādīs, they think that "We are so exalted that I am as good as God. I am God." That is their position. But actually, nobody is God here. Everyone is servant. He's simply falsely thinking that he's God, he's master, he's this or that. You have got very nice example in the life of Mr. Nixon. He was thinking that he's everything: "I am the President." But now what is his position, you can understand.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

There is an English poetry. Everyone is thinking. Why this is so much struggle in this New York City? Because now there is Presidential election, so everyone is thinking, "If I could become the President." That is everyone's desire. But those who are not so fit, they do not stand for election, but those who are little fit, so they stand, make competition, "I am the President." If you are President, why you require election? The simple truth. If you are actually President, then why do you depend on other's vote? You become President. No. Artificial President. Simply by votes he is President. Actually he is not; he is the servant of the voters, but he's thinking, "I am President." This is called māyā. Everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. He's servant. Every one of us, we are servant. So take this example. Actually the President means the servant of the voters, and as soon as the voters do not like him... Just like Nixon is drawn back.

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Boston, May 1, 1969:

So in the material condition of our life, our eyes are blunt. Not only eyes, every sense. Especially eyes. Because we are very proud of our eyes, and we say, "Can you show me God?" You see. But he does not think that whether his eyes are competent to see God. That is atheism. He does not consider his position, "In what position I am." Even one cannot see a big man like President Nixon, and he wants to see God without qualification. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am not exposed to everyone. There is a curtain of yogamāyā." The yogamāyā will not allow to see God. Just like we have our condition that if anyone wants to see here in the temple, we ask him that "First of all take your shoes." Just like a little condition. Similarly, to see God, there must be some condition. That condition is that unless you become a lover of God, God is not exposed to you. Otherwise God is there, always.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

So many empires failed. The Roman Empire failed, the British Empire failed. Still, somebody is trying to create another empire, another, different empire. Just like your President Nixon, he's trying to influence all other nations under his control. Why? Of course, I should not speak all these things. There may be criticism. But that is the way, going on. That is the way. We can understand. We can understand politics, economics, everything, but we do not bother about. But our aim is that this way of life, to increase materially happiness, it will never be successful. That is our conclusion. We are not fools that we have given up everything for advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because we know that this, this way we shall never be happy. It is not possible.

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

"Oh, I am so unfortunate that I did not get any attachment for chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." Saṁsāra-dāvānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. The saṁsāra, this material world, is very uncomfortable place. Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be, but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your president Nixon, how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down. So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn't matter. It is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart. So if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety, then you must take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is our request. You can try for it and you will see the practical result. It will not cost you anything; there is no loss about it.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

So therefore God is actually the friend of everybody. That is a fact. But we rascals, we are claiming, "I shall be your friend. I shall be your leader." Therefore the leader, so-called leader, is not in peace. How it can be? All leaders are trying to keep his position some way or other, and that is very difficult job, no peace. That is not possible. You know. Your president, Mr. Nixon, wanted to keep himself in the position. How much restless he was. These are to be studied, that don't claim yourself as friend of somebody or the people or the nation. No. Teach them that "God is your friend. I am God's servant. I am bringing this message to you. And I can teach you how God can become your friend and you derive friendship result from God." That is guru. A guru does not say, "I am God." That is not guru. Guru will never say.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:

The Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that "We are God. Everyone is God." But we say that "Yes, everyone is God, but not that God, the Supreme God." Everyone is American, but not that American like President Nixon. This common sense knowledge the Māyāvādī hasn't got. But they are puffed up: "Oh, I am the same. I am..." So 'ham: "I am the same." How you are the same? If you are the same, why you are fallen in this condition? They will say, "It is māyā. It is illusion." No. Why you are in illusion? If you are great—"God is great"—if you are that great, then why you are captured by illusion? Then illusion is great, not God is great. This commonsense philosophy they do not understand. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Poor fund of knowledge." Whenever he used to designate these Māyāvādī philosophers, he would say, "Poor fund of knowledge."

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:

Just like the same example: If you want to be the greatest man in your country, just like President Nixon, so you have to work very hard. And that is also for temporary. It will be finished within five years. Then you are ordinary man again. So better remain and in your own capacity, and try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends this process, that you don't try artificially to become God the great. It is not possible. Simply waste of time. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. It is not the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu; it is the statement of Bhāgavata, but He quoted this. His disciple, Rāmānanda Rāya, quoted this while discussing what is the objective of human life. So He recommends this objective.

General Lectures

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

Just like there is advertisement, "America Needs Nixon Now." (laughter) People are thinking, "Now, instead of Johnson, when Mr. Nixon will be President, we shall be happy." But they do not know from which stock either this Mr. Johnson or Nixon is coming. The source of supply is the same. If the source of supply is the same, then what is there, replacing Mr. Johnson by Nixon or Nixon by Johnson? The leader(s) themselves, they are blind. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Therefore our position is that we are blind and our leaders are blind, so what will be the result? If a blind man leads other hundred men to cross over the street, certainly there will be some accident because all of them are blind men. If one man is with eyes, open eyes, he can lead hundreds and thousands of men behind him. But if the leader and the led, both of them are blind, then the result will be that all of them will fall into the ditch. So, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They're promising, "My dear citizens, my dear countrymen, if you give me vote, because the country needs me at the present moment, then I shall give you all comforts, all solutions." But he is īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. By the laws of God, by the laws of nature, he is tightly packed up. You see? If your hands are tightly knotted, if your legs are tightly, then how you can work? So these leaders, they do not know that they are under the control of the stringent laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 12, 1969:

Just like in your country the chief man is the president, Mr. Nixon, similarly, in this universe the chief man is Lord Brahmā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, Brahmā's age you cannot calculate even one day. He's living so long a duration of life. But he's not independent. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). His life, his duration life, although so long, still, it is said that that life is only a breathing period of Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu. Niśvasita-kālam. Just like we are breathing, exhaling and inhaling, coming out and again taking. So when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales, all the universes coming, and when He inhales, it goes again within. And the duration of Brahma's life you can calculate.

Lecture -- Boston, April 25, 1969:

Just like we find, every one of us sitting here, you will find some difference. You may be a greater personality than me. Another gentleman may be a greater personality than you, and somebody may be greater than him, somebody may be greater than him. Similarly, if you go up to the post of your president, Mr. Nixon, he is supposed to be the greatest personality in your country. But you will find a greater personality than him also. Go on searching. So these greater personalities... You may be greater than me, but you are also person, I am also person. President Nixon is also a person. All this greatness may be different, but so far we are personally concerned, the personal propensities, the personal needs, personal necessities, everything, they are equal. Come on. There is no difference. So God is also a person, but His personality is different from us because we know that God is great. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. There are so many qualifications we qualify God.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969:

Nixon. Yes. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So similarly, in every planet there is a president, and this president is called Vivasvān. Vivasvān manave prāha. And Vivasvān spoke this yoga system to his son Manu, the present Manu. He is present, the... The father of the mankind is called Manu. From Manu this word has come, "man," or manuṣya. So vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt: "And Manu spoke to his son, Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). In this way, by disciplic succession, either from the father to the son or from the spiritual master to the disciple, this knowledge is coming.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

You, me—every one of us—is encaged within this body. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. That is the Vedic injunction. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." That means spirit. Not Parabrahman. Don't mistake. Parabrahman is God. We are Brahman, part and parcel of God, fragments, but not the Supreme. Supreme is different. Just like you are American, but the supreme American is your president, Mr. Nixon. But you cannot say that "Because I am American, therefore I am Mr. Nixon." That you cannot say. Similarly, you, me, every one of us, Brahman, but that does not mean we are Parabrahman. Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Īśvara means controller. So every one of us is controller to some extent. Somebody is controlling his family, controlling his office, business, controlling his disciples. At last, he is controlling a dog. If he hasn't got to control anything, he keeps a dog to control, a pet dog, a pet cat. So everyone wants to be controller. That's a fact.

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

We living entities... We are all souls, living entities; similarly, God is also a living entity. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the supreme living entity. Just like we have got leader—in every society, in every country. Just like in our country we have got the president, the chief Indian. Or in America, Mr. Nixon, the chief Indian, uh, chief American. Similarly, there must be one chief, leader of the whole creation, and that is Kṛṣṇa. There must be. By logical conclusion, there must be a leader. That is... That indication we get from Bhagavad, yes, Vedas, Kaṭhopaniṣad: nityo nityānām. Who is God? God means the chief of all living entities. It is not very difficult to understand. Just like in order to manage the whole government, we require a chief man. In order to manage a big establishment, we require a chief man. So why not this cosmic manifestation, the whole cosmic, cosmology. Why not a chief person? That we do not know. Still, we are passing on as advancement of education.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Everyone has blazing fire within the heart. That is the proof of material existence. Nobody is without anxieties. That blazing fire means anxieties, always. Everyone has got anxieties. Even the small bird, he has got anxiety. You give the small bird some grains to eat, he'll eat it. But he's not very peacefully eating. He'll see this way, that way, "If somebody's coming to kill me?" Yes. This is material existence. Everyone... Even President Nixon, he's also full of anxieties, what to speak of others. Even Gandhi, in our country, he was full of anxieties. All politicians, they're full of anxiety; although they hold very exalted post, still the material disease, anxiety, is there. So if you want to be anxiety-less, without any anxiety, then you must take shelter of the guru, or the spiritual master, and the test is that by the instruction of guru, by following the instruction of guru, you will be anxiety-less. This is the test.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Devotee (2): If one is fortunate enough to revive his natural position in the spiritual sky, how can he keep from falling down again? Like, if an entity is fortunate enough to revive his natural constitutional position in the spiritual sky, how can he keep from falling...

Prabhupāda: How your Nixon is dragged down? How your President Nixon is dragged down? He was in the exalted post, and why he was dragged down?

Devotee (3): They dragged him down.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was forced to come down. Why?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He broke the rules.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the dominant nation in any epoch represents the dominant phase of the absolute idea during that time. Just like now America is the dominant nation in the world so that the dominant phase of the truth is being expressed through America.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Mr. Nixon supported Pakistan. (laughter) Everyone knew, all other nations knew that this Pakistan is creating havoc, genocide, they're killing innocent men in Bangladesh, and Nixon, Mr. Nixon publicly supported. And still he is angry about India because India is the richest country. He has withdrawn all help. So he is supporter of mischievous activities.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: America is dominant now. Actually most of you don't support Mr. Nixon. But he is on the head. So how he has become head, that is mysterious. Because people, when you study the people, they do not support him. There are so many, I mean to say, procession against, protesting against Mr. Nixon's policy and so many things. But still he is on the head, of the executive power. So there is something mysterious. Actually, the present government does not represent the others. That is everywhere. So, how we can understand that this nation is good or bad by the state behavior. Just like we issued that statement that these Americans not... These Americans were following the Nixon philosophy. There was a cartoon, that in our temple nobody is coming.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: No, he says that whatever is, is right, and that this good and this reason in its most concrete form is God. God governs the world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That also we admit because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam, mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam, whenever there is some extraordinary power, it should be understood that it is derived partially from God's power. That we accept. So the dominance of American nation is God's favor. We can accept that. Now, if you put on the head representative like Mr. Nixon or some other, then it will deteriorate. If you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if you make your president Kṛṣṇa conscious, then actually you will be God's empowered nation. Let the president become Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Why not? You are American, you can also capture the post. You can become senator, you can be congressman. So educate the American public (in) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, elect Kṛṣṇa conscious president and actually you will be God's favored nation is there. You have got the opportunity and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also in your hand, now it is up to you to utilize it and become actually the leaders of the world. That was my mission: "I shall go to America, and educate them, and they, if they follow, the whole world will follow." And that is coming to be true. You are all young men, it is in your hand. Now you make policy in that way. Just like the communists. A few communists, Stalin, Lenin, they formed a big communist party, now it is predominating all over the world. Similarly, you are so many nice, young, flowers, intelligent young Americans you have understood the philosophy, and now it is up to you to spread this "ism". You don't become stagnant—"Now I have understood Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I shall sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Devotee: (indistinct) I am God.

Prabhupāda: That is also fact. Because you are part and parcel of God. Gold is gold, gold particle is also gold. If you say, "I am God," that means if you are particle of gold you can say, "I am gold." Just like you can say, "I am American," and President Nixon also can say, "I am American." That does not mean you are President Nixon.

Śyāmasundara: What if I think I am President Nixon? I can conceive...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, you can hold the post of President Nixon somehow, somebody.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Let us say, "I am now president of the United States."

Prabhupāda: That is madness. (laughter) You can say, "I am President Nixon," this will be taken you are, President Nixon as American. Because he is also American. So you are also American. In that way you can say, "I am President Nixon." In the American understanding.

Devotee: So that madness is coming from the spiritual world.

Prabhupāda: That is not madness. You can say like that that I am... It is not clearly said. You can say, "I am as good as President Nixon, as American." That is the explanation.

Śyāmasundara: Anyway whatever I can conceive must exist.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:
Prabhupāda: Just like we have got our own land in Māyāpur, so we can go and live there. There is no question of Bhatiwalla. But we won't go there. We have accepted this apartment. Therefore we must change it. Is it not? We are paying three thousand rupees—still anxiety, because we know at any moment he can be a trouble and kick out. So asad-grahāt. It is not your place you have accepted. Similarly, because you have accepted this material body, then there must be anxiety. Anyone, he may be Mr. Nixon, or he may be Mr. Ayub Khan, or a man in the street, or an ant, or Brahma, or anyone, because he has accepted asad-grahāt, this body, it is not exist; he must be in anxiety. This is knowledge. Therefore you have to learn knowledge from authorities-Prahlāda Mahārāja. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, recommends, that you should give up this, this way of life. Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. This acceptance of body is just like to fall down in a dark well, blind well. So one should give it up. How give it up? How it can go? Harim āśrayeta: just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. So that is the meaning. That means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You give up this material consciousness.
Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: His idea is that all lower forms of life strive to emulate the higher forms of life.

Prabhupāda: That is natural. Everyone wants to become higher than what he is. Because he is trying to become master. He is trying to... His whole problems is that he is trying to be master. So he comes to master to some extent. Suppose he is working in an office, he is a head clerk, master of several clerks. So he is not satisfied. He wants to become a superintendent. When he becomes a superintendent, he wants to be under-secretary. When he is under-secretary, he wants to become secretary. When he becomes a secretary, he wants to become minister. When he is made minister, then he wants to be the president. And when he becomes a president, he wants to control all over the world, just like your Nixon. So this progressive ambition is there in the material world because any materialistic man is implanted with the idea that "I shall become like Kṛṣṇa." So when he fails everything, then he wants to merge into the Kṛṣṇa. Māyāvāda philosophy. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. He does not know that... He is already Brahman, but he thinks that "I am the Supreme Brahman. I am moving the sun. I am moving the..." Meditating. He is moving the sun. He is moving... Just another imitate. That is the last snare of māyā. Māyā is giving him allurement that "You become a minister, you become secretary, you become a big merchant, you become a Birla. You..." "Become become become." (S)he is always dictating, and he is working under the dictation of māyā. The last dictation is, "Then you have failed all these things. Better you become God." (laughter) So he thinks, "I am God." And māyā is still kicking. As soon as God gets some toothache, he'll have to, another... So he goes... "After all, what kind of God you are? You come here for toothache cure." This is another man.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:
Prabhupāda: Just like President Nixon. He thought himself, "I am the master of America." But actually he is not. The master is the public. As soon as the public wanted "You come down immediately," he had to do that. So if the president of big state, he is under the false impression that although he is serving he is thinking master, then what to speak of others? Everyone is serving, but he is thinking master. So perfect knowledge is there that when he comes to the platform that "God is the supreme master, He is great, and we are servant." That is perfection of life.
Page Title:President Nixon (Lectures)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Serene
Created:11 of Jan, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=84, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:84