Risk of life (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"life" |"lives" |"risk" |"risked" |"risking" |"risks"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "risk* life"/5 or "risk lives"/5 not "risky life"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.16-19 -- London, July 16, 1973:

That is also another responsibility of kṣatriya. If a girl proposes, "I want to marry you," a kṣatriya cannot refuse, he cannot refuse. He must marry that girl, even at the risk of life. This is kṣatriya spirit. One rākṣasī, she wanted to marry Bhīma. So Bhīma refused, she was a rākṣasī. So she complained to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that I wanted to marry Bhīma but he has refused. And Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja compelled Bhīma, "You must marry. Even though she is rākṣasī, you are kṣatriya you cannot refuse."

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious but he was not satisfied in himself. If he would have continued his God consciousness alone, he would not have met crucification. But, no. He wanted to take care of others also, the others should be God conscious. Others should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was forbidden by the king not to do that. So at the risk of his life he did it. That is the nature of devotee.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

Now, suppose if you live at the risk of your life and next life you become a tree, stand up for five thousand years in the snow, scorching heat, scorching, blasting and so many disturbances, and you cannot move an inch, and people may cut down you, your leaves, your trunk, or you, they are cutting so many... What is that life? And if you think, "No, I am living for five thousand years," what is the use of living such five thousand years? No.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

My Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, he did not like that his disciples would be easy-going, cheap Vaiṣṇava. Cheap Vaiṣṇava. Duṣṭa mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava. He sang a song, "My dear mind, oh, you are going to be a Vaiṣṇava. And what kind of Vaiṣṇava you are?" Duṣṭa mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava, pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. "You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura or Rūpa Gosvāmī, in a solitary place... Not solitary place. You are thinking of woman and money. That's all. Mind is filled with dirty things. So this kind of bhajana is simply cheating, cheating." He was after preaching. First of all, go door to door. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu did it at the risk of life.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

The same thing, Arjuna. He was thinking that "Killing of my family members, it is sinful." He argued with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā is there. He was simply arguing that "I'll not fight. I'll not kill my grandfather, my teacher, my brother, my nephews, my brother-in-laws. No, no, I am not going to... It is sinful." But at the end he did it, because he understood, "Oh, it is for Kṛṣṇa. All right. I shall all, take all the risk. That's all right." So as Kṛṣṇa..., the devotee takes all the risk of life, similarly, Kṛṣṇa gives all the protection to the devotee. Don't be afraid.

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

Even a, a thief, he is risking his life not to work hard, but he's risking his life. Especially in the Western countries, the burglars, they risk their life because there the law is that anyone trespassing within your house, even ordinarily, you can kill him. Is it not? The law is so hard that even if you, if you enter anyone's gate, anyone's property, without permission, he can kill you. Is it not I am right? Yes. Here in India we don't take it so seriously. So many people are passing here and there. But in your country... I know that one of our boy went to pick up some flowers in Los Angeles, and he was fired. Of course he did not like to kill him, but the firing was there. So just see. For sense gratification the thief taking the risk of his life... The working... Not only working hard. Those who are not thief, they are working very hard to get some money, honestly or dishonestly, and those who are not very honest, to steal they make so many plans, so many devices to steal at the risk of life.

Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:

Within the ear of the animal it is said that, "You are sacrificing your life before the deity; so next life, immediately, you get a human form of life. And when you get a human form of life, you'll have the right to kill this man also." This is the mantra. Now, if you are a sane man, understand that "I am killing this goat at the risk of my life in next birth.

So why I am going to take such responsibility? Better stop it." So, it is for discouraging.

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

They take risk, so much risk, for earning money and sense enjoyment. The thief, the burglars, they risk their life. They go to steal to a man's house, and it is known that as soon as he is known, "He has come," the man, the proprietor of the house, may immediately shoot him. That risk he takes. So not only the burglar and thieves, every one of us. It is stated padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). In every step there is danger. Every step. We are running our motorcars very fast, seventy miles, one hundred miles speed, but any moment there can be great danger. So actually there cannot be any peace in material life. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

What we are gaining here by attachment? What we shall get here? The all rascaldom. There is nothing substantial. Therefore one should little risk, that "If there is some chance of entering such a immortal, eternal kingdom of God, why should I not take chance?" You should take chance at all risk in this life to enter into the nitya-līlā, nitya-līlā, eternal pastimes of the Lord.

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

That sense gratification is also not very easy. People are working so hard. They are stealing even, risking life. So many things they are... This is not very easygoing life. Kaṣṭān kāmān. Everything is studied by śāstra. Arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. This kind of life is meant for the hogs.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

People, just to get money they are doing so many unlawful activities, vikarma. That is vikarma. They know that "If I do this, it is punishable by law," but still, for getting money they do that. That is the nature of this material world. For sense gratification one can do anything, risking life also. The thief is stealing stealthily, hiding and risking life to get some money. Why money? The money will supply his sense gratification.

Therefore, when one is after sense gratification, he is mad, he becomes mad.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

Illegal—now they are giving opportunity, abortion, killing the child, and so on, go to the hospital. That is also. And behind that, the killing the child, a very sinful, he has to suffer. He does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He's taking the risk of suffering life after life. Those who are killing the child within the womb, they will be punished. They will also enter within the womb of the mother, and somebody will kill, and again he will enter another mother's womb; again he'll be killed. So as many child he has killed, he has to go to the womb of the mother to another womb, another. He will never see the light of the world. He'll be killed. This is the punishment. This is the punishment. But he does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He does not know how the laws of nature is working, life for life. You have no right to kill any life. Even an ant you cannot kill even. You cannot kill even. If you kill, then you have to suffer.

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

So this morning I was talking with one gentleman. He is in charge of the social welfare. So when I proposed that "Our nivṛtti-mārga..., we recommend these processes: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling, beginning," so he was not satisfied. He said that "Why you stop illicit sex? We get pleasure." So this is the understanding of the modern civilization. He is risking his life by all these processes, but if we request that "Stop this process. Come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness," they will not agree. That is the difficulty. Therefore this line of action, nivṛtti-mārga, it is little difficult. But it is very easy. If one understands the philosophy, what is the meaning of pravṛtti-mārga and what is the meaning of nivṛtti-mārga, and if he is sane man, then he will accept, "Yes."

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976:

Therefore we must be very cautious and, I mean to say, with sense we must act, and if we act according to the direction of the śāstra, then our position is safe. Otherwise, we are risking life. Risking life means this human life, human life. The dog has got ear; we have got also ear. But a dog cannot understand śāstra; that is not possible. Or the elephant has got ear, very big ear. (laughter) Does it mean that he can hear more? No. This is rascaldom. One must be quite able to hear to understand śāstra. Therefore śāstra is meant for the human society.

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

Suffering means there are so many dirty things within our heart. That is the cause of suffering. Just like a criminal: he has got the dirty things within the mind, that "If I get such and such things, I'll be happy." And he takes the risk of criminality at the risk of life. A burglar, a thief goes, he knows that "If I am captured, I'll be killed, I'll be punished, I'll be handed over to the police," and so on, so on, and still he goes and steals. Why? That is śāstra, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ: he has become mad after sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was... Before his birth he was taught by Nārada Muni. Therefore naturally he was in devotional service. So he was executing, the boy. Devotional service... If one is devotee, he cannot sit down silently. He wants to preach God's glories to others, even at the risk of life, like Lord Jesus Christ did it. Even at the risk of life, he preached God consciousness. That is the duty of a devotee. Lord Nityānanda did it, Haridāsa Ṭhākura did it. There are many instances; a devotee risked even life for preaching glories of God. So Prahlāda Mahārāja also did that. He knew that "My father is nothing but a ferocious animal, Hiraṇyakaśipu." Even big, big demigods would be threatened by his red eyes. He was so powerful. Still, he was executing devotional service at the risk of life. And he was put to so many dangerous condition of life. Still, he did not give up.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:

This is human life. You have got the human life only for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are doing anything else except Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you are risking your life to become a cat and dog or anything else. This is the fact.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

So it is very difficult to convince the people of the modern days how they are wasting their time, how they are risking their life by this way of irresponsible life of material existence. They are thinking that "The more I enjoy sex, the more I enjoy sleeping, that is perfect. That is my profit." And to convince them, "No, it is simply loss, you are simply risking your life," it is very difficult. But this is the fact. This is the fact, in this way, because in this duration of life, human, if I do not make my life perfect, stop the materialistic miserable condition, namely janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—birth, death, old age and disease—then I am missing the opportunity.

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

Now, when one is grown up, the attraction for money, attraction of, I mean to say, paraphernalia, attraction for bank balance, everything increases, and, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, at that time it is very difficult to give up all this attraction voluntarily. So better begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness immediately. He is giving very nicely a nice example that "Money is very dear to the mercantile people, money is very dear to the thieves, rogues, money is dear to everyone. And sometimes they risk life for money. Money is so pleasant and so dear that sometimes we risk our life for getting money. So how we can give up the monetary attraction when we are too much, I mean to say, attracted to this materialistic way of life?"

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So on account of this deep affection for maintaining family, everyone is risking life. The example is given here that taskaraḥ. There are many professional thieves, any country, India also. They are family men—not they are loafers—but their business is to steal. Their business is to steal. Why? They steal, they know it is risky,. He has heard it that "If you steal you'll be arrested, you'll be put into jail." Knowledge is gathered by hearing and by seeing. Hm? In Hindi it is called 'dekha śuna'-dekhavyair śunavyair, that "Have you seen or heard it?" That is experience. So thief knows he has heard it from lawbooks that stealing is not good, and from religious scripture also, that "It is sinful. Do not commit theft. Do not become criminal." But still he does, at the risk of ad At night he goes in the house of rich man and risk his life. Especially in Western countries, there is fire gun, and trespassers, even without permission, if anyone enters anyone's house, he can kill him. Is it not the law in your country? Trespassing? So there is risk of life, but he has entered the house for stealing. And why stealing? The family affection. That is the impetus for economic development.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So this earning money, there are so many smugglers, so many illicit businessmen, black market, they are risking their lives to get money. The purpose is when one becomes too much attached to family life and too much devoted to maintain it, he doesn't care. He has to earn money, some how or other, even risking life. Even risking life.

So taskaraḥ. Who risks his life? First of all taskaraḥ, thieves. And the next? Taskaraḥ sevakaḥ. Sevakaḥ, servant.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So actually, if one becomes too much attached to family life and one has to become—this is the way—then has to earn money by risking life. He has to earn money. Similarly, the vaṇik, mercantile community, they also risk imprisonment by so many illegal activities. So formerly, these classes of men were after money. The higher class, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, they were very, I mean to say, pious. They did not do anything for risking life for earning money.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

So, otherwise our propensity for sense gratification will increase, and for satisfying our sense gratification we require money, and for money they are risking their life. Yesterday our Pradyumna was speaking about the description of the factory. For some money they are going to the factory, hellish life. But money required, never mind hellish life. Going underneath the mine, at any moment the mine may collapse, and we risk life. Especially, here it is given that taskaraḥ sevako vaṇik. Taskaraḥ means thieves, they risk their life, enter into the house of another rich man, and he can shoot him immediately. There is dog, so many, but he risks his life for money. Taskaraḥ. Taskaraḥ means thieves, burglars, they risk their life. And sevaka. Sevaka, as soon as we become servant of some materialistic person, he'll extract, as much as possible, service in the factory. That is also very risky. We are not happy, sevaka. And vaṇik. Vaṇik means merchants. Sa vai vaṇik. They also risk their life. In European colonization, how much they risked life. When the Americans came here, how much they risked their life. So because you require money, we have to risk our life in so many ways. So the best thing is that we have to minimize our wants. We should be satisfied with the yāvad artha-prayojana, as little as possible. Not that we shall starve. That is not recommended. But don't increase.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977:

As the dog, by the indication of the master, does everything very obedient, we have to learn this lesson from the dog, how to become faithful to the master. That is the instruction. In everything you can learn something. Everyone Therefore mahā-bhāgavata, they accept everyone as guru, to learn something. Actually, from the dog we can learn this art, how to become faithful at the risk of life even. There are many instances, dog have given the life for the master. So, and we should be dog to the Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:

So this is India's mentality at the present moment, that they are not very much interested in the spiritual advancement of life. It is very risky, very risky, because these foolish persons, they do not know how much risky it is to spoil the human life simply for eating, sleeping, mating, and gambling. This is very risky life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. It is trying to save the human society from risky life. Risky life means that if we are not cultured, if we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and properly trained up, there is every chance to become again cats and dogs next life. This is the understanding.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

One who has developed love of Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa within his heart twenty-four hours. So it is very nice proposition, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please take to it. We are canvassing. We are sending our devotees to the street, begging, "Please come to our temple, be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is our business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it. Go door to door, even at the risk of life, and ask these rascals to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Festival Lectures

Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976:

You cannot avoid kṛṣṇa-kathā. If you avoid, then you are putting yourself in dangerous cycle of birth and death. It is not fiction or whims; it is compulsory, imperative. Everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he does not become, then he's risking his life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for saving all members of the human society without any distinction.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

Nature gives you the opportunity: get a nice human form of body, nice brain, try to understand what is God. But if you misuse it, then again go to become cats and dogs and hogs. This is nature's law. Don't risk your life. Always think of Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

You have to change this dress. You have to change this body. And next body is depending on your activities. If you act sinfully, then you have to take the body, by force of nature, as cats and dogs. That is certain. Don't risk your life. Take the opportunity of human life and be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So māyā is there. Māyā does not want to lead (leave?) the culprits. Because one who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a culprit, so māyā wants to give such person more and more trouble. But Vaiṣṇava risks his life to snatch him from the hands of māyā. So māyā, of course, when he sees that "This man, this living entity, is now corrected; he is now taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness," then she will not disturb.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Prabhupāda: So any, any person who does not follow the instruction of the Supreme Controller, he is a blind person. He cannot lead. As we are concerned, we therefore don't accept the so-called scientist's or philosopher's belief. They say, "We believe," "Perhaps it may be like this." These are all doubtful declaration. There is no truth in it. If there is any truth, that is also doubtful. Why should we risk our life by following such blind man who is thinking, who is believing, but he has no clear knowledge? Therefore we have decided to take lesson from the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, who knows everything perfectly well.