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There is no question (Lectures, SB canto 5)

Expressions researched:
"no question" |"there can be no question" |"there could be no question" |"there is no question" |"there was no question" |"there will be no question" |"without any question"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

Haṁsadūta: Yes.

Indian Guest: Swamiji, do you believe in reincarnation?

Prabhupāda: I have already explained. Just like you are being incarnated from baby's body to child's body, child's body to boy's body, boy's body to youthhood body, this is reincarnation. There is no question of believing. It is a fact. If you do not know it, it is ignorance. But it is a fact.

English boy: I'm Christian, and lots of what you just said is completely disputed in the Bible. I'd like you to tell me, please, and tell the other people here about how the word "God," as defined in the Holy Bible, of which I, as a personal Christian, hold very sacred... I have witnessed here today more or less blasphemy against God, and you claim to come from God and... Or your disciples claim you come from God. And I'd like you to sort of classify your distinction of God and my distinction of God, please.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

So if we do not become very sober... Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Then, to become sober, dhīra... Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means sober. If we remain restless like animals, then we cannot achieve the goal of our life. We do not know how the laws of nature is working. We can experience how the laws of nature is working in our present life. Present life... Just like a young man, if he thinks that "I shall not become old man. I shall remain young man," will the nature's law allow it? No. You must become old man. There is no question of saying that "I don't want to become old man." So, no, nature's law will not allow you. You must become old man and suffer the old age's disadvantages. That you must. Similarly, if the old man says, "Never mind. I have become old man. I will not die," no. Nature's law will not allow. He must die. Similarly, after death, if you think foolishly that there is no more life, that is also wrong. Nature's law is that you must accept another body. This is nature's law. So we are dependent on nature's law. However foolishly we declare that "We are independent. We don't care for anything," that will not stay. We are under the clutches of material nature's law. In this law, by evolutionary process we have come to this human form of life, and if we don't utilize it properly, then we are missing the chance.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

That is not possible. It is not possible. So if a beggar goes somebody's house, "Mother, give me some alms," so it is not that one is awarding some hundred thousands of rupees or dollars. So naturally, they have minimized their... Only little luxury or, I mean to say, high standard of life is allowed to the gṛhasthas, according to Vedic system, and the three other sections of the society, they should minimize. Why minimize? Because the idea is not to waste time unnecessarily. Unnecessarily.

After all, either you live very high standard of life or low standard of life... There is no question of low standard of life. The proper upkeep of health is cleanliness. If you keep yourself clean, then your, I mean to say, problem of health is solved. Simply cleanliness. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." That is also an English proverb. And in Sanskrit literature also, bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ: "One should be cleansed within and without." So without, you can clean yourself simply by water. By the laws of nature you have got enough water so you can cleanse yourself outside by water. There is no necessity of soap. There is no necessity of anything. Simply if you wash your body with water sufficiently. Of course, in your country it is cold country. In India, common people they go to the river and take bath very nicely because it is a tropical climate. There is no trouble. So you can cleanse your body. There are many saintly persons residing on the bank of the river Ganges. Early in the morning they cleanse the body. They go to evacuate on the field. After evacuating they come to the river, cleanse the body very nicely, and smear the body with the clay received from the river, and they sit down at a place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa—whole day.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. This is the... Action and reaction, there are two things. But under both headings, action and reaction means you become bound up. Yajñārthe karma anyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanam. This is the statement, that if you work if you work for yajña... Yajña means Viṣṇu. Then it is all right. Otherwise you become under the laws of karma, good or bad. You have to suffer or enjoy. There is no question of enjoyment; there is suffering. Therefore one should be taught not to accept the result of karma, but do it for Kṛṣṇa, yajñārthe. Then you are free.

Guest (2): When the fruit comes, should we give it up?

Prabhupāda: No. The fruit you can take as prasādam. Prasāde sarve-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. When you take as prasādam, then you are not bound up. But if you enjoy it as your fruitive result, then you have to suffer or enjoy. That is not good.

Guest (2): We have that difficult with us.

Prabhupāda: No difficulty.

Guest (2): Because when the fruit comes, we cannot distinguish whether it is ripened one or the wrong one. How to distinguish?

Prabhupāda: Yes. So it is said clearly, yajñārthe. You work for yajña. Kṛṣṇārthe. Yajña, another name of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Then it is all right. Otherwise you will have to suffer.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

"Now I have become immortal." But he was also killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, keeping all the promises of Brahmā. He was not killed daytime, neither at night. He was not killed on water, he was not killed in the sky. He was killed on the lap of the Lord. So in this way... Actually even the demons in those days they were thinking that "Why should we be subjected to these laws of birth, death and disease. We must rescue (?)." But the demons cannot. But there is possibility. But who knows? Ask anybody, ask any scientist, philosopher that, "Have you any process by which we can become immortal?" What they will answer? "Up to date we have no such process, but we are trying. In future." They will say like that. But no question of future. Immediately, you can have.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, "Simply if somebody knows what I am, what is my activities, janma, why do I appear in this material world, janma karma." He appears like human being, not exactly, but it is supposed that He accepts one father and mother, and He appears. Devakī-vasudeva. But that is not ordinary thing. Here also it is said that "You undergo tapasya, but not like Hiraṇyakaśipu, for cheating Brahmā. Divyam, for understanding God." Just like Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam, transcendental, yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Simply to understand Kṛṣṇa, His transcendental position. If you try to understand, then Kṛṣṇa says, "What is the result?" Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Where is that verse? Find out. Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Yo jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Find it, yes, yes, read it.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

I may recite, that two brāhmaṇas, one young and one old, went to Vṛndāvana. So the younger brāhmaṇa, young man, he served this old man on the way. It is the duty, still in India, if there is any old man... It is not now decreasing. And if there is young man, the young man is always ready to help the old man. So at Vṛndāvana, after reaching, the young man and the old man, the old man felt very much obliged... (aside:) Why this sound? Huh? Felt obliged to the young man, and he said, "My dear boy, you have served me so nicely; without your help, I could not come. So I have got some obligation to you. I want to reward you." (aside:) Stop that sound. So (the) young man said, "Sir, why you are thinking like that? It is my duty. You are just like my father; whatever service possible, I have given you. There is no question of rewarding me." Actually, that is not service. If we serve somebody and with expectation of some reward, that is not service, that is business.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Then the people of your country, of your society or your family, they'll be all benefited, and because other nations, they are also imitating your procedures, they'll be benefited. And at least if one percent of the whole population becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will be a different world. There will be..., uh... The world itself will become kingdom of God. Of course, we cannot expect that everyone will accept this philosophy, but we are trying. If some percentage of the population takes this movement seriously, the face of the world will be changed.

Thank you very much. Any question? No question? Then I understand that you accept my proposition without any difference of opinion. (laughs) That's nice. Unanimously accepted. That's nice. But if you have got any difficulty to understand, you can make questions. I shall try to convince you. Yes.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes...

Student: ...and that we should try to transcend it. But can we really transcend it by repressing? I mean, wouldn't it be better to transcend, perhaps, by...

Prabhupāda: There is no question of repression.

Student: ...by having your fill of sense gratification first and then seeing that sense gratification is (indistinct) try to find a fuller (indistinct) and then work beyond it, but not trying to repress your sense gratification before you have it?

Prabhupāda: There is no question of repression. We don't stop sense gratification. But we regulate. That is human life. Regulative principle is human life. What is the difference between animal and you? Because a man can follow the regulative principles. Just like in your streets there is regulative principle that "Keep to the right." That is not meant for the animals. They cannot keep it. But if you do not keep, then you are criminal. Why this? Because you are human being. You are expected. If a dog goes to the left, he's not prosecuted. But you will be prosecuted. Why? Why this law for you?

Student: (indistinct) artificial laws for mankind...

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Guest (1): Brahma-sūtra, as propounded by Vyāsa is one. It is only one. But after reading Brahma-sūtra, the bhāṣyas, Śaṅkara-bhāṣya, Madhva-bhāṣya, and Śrī-bhāṣya as written by Rāmānujācārya, all these things differ in many ways, and they leave us confused to know what is actually existing. Am I to follow this or that or this? Because "Jagat is mithyā," it is said by Śaṅkarācārya. Madhvācārya says, "It's not mithyā. It is realistic." It's contradiction. And Rāmānuja used another way of explanation, that he says, "It is that, and it is this." And in that way, tava dāsaḥ aham, Madhvācārya says, "I am your slave." Tava dāsaḥ aham, tava dāso 'ham. But Śaṅkarācārya says, "No. Ātmā itself is Paramātmā. There is no question of his saying, tava dāso 'ham." Like that, jagan mithyā, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. And then we see, as propounded by Śaṅkarācārya, as explained by Śaṅkarācārya, the same it is said by Madhvācārya as jagat satyam and brahma satyam: "Both are satya." And when Śaṅkarācārya says that jagan mithyā brahma satyam, the same Brahma-sūtra it is taken up by Madhvācārya in a different way. He says jagan mithyā, er, I'm sorry, jagat satyam and brahma satyam. And Rāmānuja says in a different way again, most confusing, he says at some stage, "It is realistic, and at a different stage it becomes unrealistic." So, in so many factors, I find that there are so many contradictions there. If you kindly clarify the matter in a very clear and straightforward manner, I will be and people will be much obliged to you. So Swamiji will have to say something about this, whether the world is temporary, or whether the world is unrealistic or not, or is it realistic. And if it is realistic, why Śaṅkarācārya has said that it is mithyā, and Rāmānujācārya says, "At one stage it is realistic, and after some stage it becomes unrealistic"? And therefore I want clarification so that I can understand.

Prabhupāda: The Śaṅkarācārya is accepted as Māyāvādī because these Māyāvādī philosophers, they think everything is māyā; even Kṛṣṇa is māyā. So, our Caitanya Mahāprabhu... We belong to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu belongs to Madhvācārya-sampradāya. As I have already explained, there are mahājanas. So all mahājanas, they have got different sampradāyas. Just like Lord Brahmā, he has got his sampradāya; it is called Brahma-sampradāya. Similarly, Lord Śiva has his sampradāya; it is called Rudra-sampradāya. Lakṣmījī has got his (her) sampradāya; it is called Śrī-sampradāya. So śāstra says that śrutayo vibhinnaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

Why this interpretation? Eh? The dharmakṣetra, Kurukṣetra, is still existing, the station is there, people are going as dharmakṣetra. Kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret, this is the Vedic instruction, that everyone should go to Kurukṣetra and perform ritualistic duties. That is being done, and it is written dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre, why interpretation? (exchange with a guest in Hindi) You are more than Kṛṣṇa? You are so... You have got capacity to speak more than Kṛṣṇa? (exchange in Hindi) Interpretation... (exchange in Hindi) We are discussing the same thing. We go or not go. (everyone laughs) You are a young man. Therefore I'm requesting you, "Don't be misled by these blind leaders. Take Bhagavad-gītā as it is and you'll be happy." (exchange in Hindi) The meaning is clear, very clear. No question of interpretation. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, because he was a good governor, good king, so during his time, it is said that kāmaṁ parjanya vavarṣa. There is word I am just forgetting, that all the necessities of life were supplied through rain. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dugha-mahī: (SB 1.10.4) that we derive all necessities of life through the earth. Sarva-kāma-dugha-mahī. So if the king is pious, then the earth will give you production enough for your satisfaction. Now I've seen in your country so much land is lying vacant. Why it is not being produced? Because you do not know how to derive all benefits from earth. That you do not know. Therefore people are in scarcity. There is no question of scarcity. Kṛṣṇa has given everything. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam.. (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). There cannot be anything imperfect which is created by God. Everything is perfect. But if we become godless, the supply will be crippled. That is the secret we do not know. These things we have to learn from śāstra. As soon as people will become demonic, nature will restrict supply. "Now you become demonic. That's all right."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

Otherwise how many form... All these forms, wherefrom it is coming? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja pradaḥ pitā. He is the father. If the sons have form, why the father will not have form? What is this logic? This is not logical conclusion. The real idea is... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "My dear Arjuna, you, Me, and all these kings and soldiers who have assembled here, they were in the past like this," that means they have forms, "and they're existing like this. And they'll continue to exist." Where is formless? You see the (indistinct) Bhagavad-gītā. He says in the past all of them existed like this, and we're existing now like this, past present, and in the future they'll continue. So where is formlessness? There is no question of formlessness. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). When there is such question, formlessness means that is not material form. But there is form. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), vigraha means form. But that is sat-cid-ānanda, eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. This is not this form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ, paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto: (BG 9.11) "These rascals, they do not know what I am. Therefore he's thinking that My form and his form is the same." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, unless one is mūḍha, he cannot say that God is formless. God has form. But His form is different from our form, this material form. Sat-cit-ānanda-vigraha. So therefore, we have to learn all these things by mahat-sevā dvāraṁ vimukteḥ. We can get out of all this ignorance when we are engaged in mahat-sevā. Otherwise we shall remain in the darkness. Kṛṣṇa has form, but His form is different from our, this material form. That is (indistinct).

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

So therefore māyā's name is guṇamayī. Guṇa, guṇa means also rope, guṇa. Guṇamayī, tri-guṇa-mayī, three ropes you bound together become very strong. Similarly, this māyā, the stringent laws of material nature, prakṛti, is very, very strong. You cannot declare independence. That is not possible. If you really want independence, then you mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. Then you have to take shelter of mahājana, mahat-sevā. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). First thing is that this... Mukti means you have to become surrendered either to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Otherwise there is no question of mukti. And if you do not do this, if you think that eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life, that is called yoṣi saṅga, yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. What is that? Tamo-dvāram. That means you are making progress towards darkness, tamo-dvāram, hellish condition of life.

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

"Prahlāda, how you have developed this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So Prahlāda began to smile and said to his father, matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. He did not address his father "My dear father." He used to address him as "the best of the asuras," asura-varya. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya. So he said, "My dear father," matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā, "to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not so easy." Parataḥ svato vā, "Even if you hear instruction from others or if you speculate yourself, it is not possible." Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhi,"or making by assembly, conference." Why? Na gṛha-vratānām. "If you have this intention, that 'I shall live in this material world. I shall become happy in this material world,' then there is no question of becoming advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Why they are so much attached? Adānta-gobhiḥ, because they are not gosvāmīs. Adānta. Adānta means uncontrolled, go means senses. They have given freedom to the senses: "Whatever you like, you do." So the result is that if you let loose your horses—"Whatever you like, you can do"—then it will go and cause you to fall down in a ditch, adānta-gobhiḥ. Similarly, if we give freedom to the senses, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram, we go to the darkest region of hellish condition of life. And what is that? Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), again and again the same disease: birth, death, old age and disease. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), this life or that life, the birth, death, old age, disease will continue.

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

So if you have got determination that "We shall continue this life of birth, death, old age and disease and let loose our senses, do whatever you like," then there is no question of liberation. There is no lib... Therefore it is said, tamo-dvāram yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam, yoṣit means woman, generally. Woman is supposed to be the representative of māyā. So either you directly keep relation or you keep relation with persons who are very much fond of yoṣit, in both ways you have to go directly to the darkest region of hellish conditions. Tamo-dvāram. Therefore our Vedic civilization is... The first teaching is brahmacārī. First teaching, how to become brahmacārī. There are many saintly persons, they are akhanda brahmacārī, or avala (?) brahmacārī. They avoid. It is not only for men; it is meant for woman also, because here we are dressed like men and women. Otherwise the mentality is manly, to enjoy, puruṣa. Puruṣa means who wants to enjoy, and yoṣit means enjoy. So our relationship in this material world, that either in the dress of woman or man, the mentality is puruṣa, how to enjoy. The mentality is puruṣa.

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

In the next verses it is said, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ. Then what is the symptoms of mahātmā? He says, Ṛṣabhādeva says, sama-cittāḥ. Equilibrium, not disturbed by material conditions. Sama-cittāḥ, sama sarveṣu bhūteṣu. The same thing. Sama-cittāḥ praśāntā. Peaceful. Praśāntā. Pra means prakṛsta rūpena, fully blissful. And when one can become fully praśāntā, fully peaceful? When he has no more desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no more desire. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Everything is described. So praśāntātmā. It is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, so long you will want something there is no question of praśāntā. So therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says bhukti mukti siddhi kāmi-sakali aśānta. Bhukti means karmis. Karmis means those who are working very hard to get some material benefit. They are called karmīs, either in this world or the next world or heavenly planet, there are different types of karmīs. So the bhukti... Bhukti means bhoga, sense enjoyment. They are called karmīs. So bhukti or mukti. Mukti means liberation to get out of this material contamination. That is called mukti, sva-rūpena vyavasthitiḥ. But just like the jñānīs, they want mukti, sāyujya mukti, to become one with the Supreme. So mukti, bhukti, mukti and siddhi. Siddhi means yogic perfection. Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, eight kinds of yoga-siddhi. So the yogis, the jñānīs, and the karmis, they want something. They want something. Therefore they are not praśāntā. As soon as, so long you'll want, you... There cannot be peacefulness. There is no question of peacefulness. Caitanya-caritam... Bhukti mukti siddhi kāmi-sakali aśānta, they are not praśāntā. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa bhakta, he does not want anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching that.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

That is mukti. Mukti means when you are situated in your original position. That is mukti. My original position is that I am Brahman, I am spirit soul. I'm not Para-brahman. That is another māyā. I am Brahman, every one of us. But I am working not as Brahman, but I am working as this body. My responsibility..., I am thinking "I'm Indian," so I'm working for nationalism, for Indian welfare and so on, so on. You are working for America or another is working for England. So this is all bodily conception. So body, I'm not body. So therefore mukti means when I shall give up this bodily conception of life, that is mukti. And so long I shall be absorbed or captivated or conditioned by the bodily concept of life, there is no question of mukti. Mukti hitvānyathā rūpam. Anyathā rūpam means I'm acting at the present moment on the bodily conception of life.

So Kṛṣṇa in the very beginning of Bhagavad-gītā suggesting mukti. So, "Arjuna, you are lamenting for things which no paṇḍita, no learned man, laments." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). "You are talking very high high words, ideas, that 'If my brothers are killed, my sister-in-laws will be widows and their character will be polluted, the varṇa-saṅkara...' These are all bodily conception of life. You come to the spiritual platform." And what is that spirit? That is dehi. Dehi means "one who has got this body, " not "this body." This is the first instruction. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). So deha and dehi. Dehi, in Sanskrit it is said if you possess something, then there is grammatical "in" pratyaya. Deha, dehin. Guṇa, guṇin. So when you possess something, then this in pratyaya is used. So I'm not deha, I'm dehin. Therefore this word is used, dehi. Dehi means "the possessor of the body."

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Prabhupāda: No. Renunciation, that depends on your understanding. If you understand that "This thing is not good," you can renounce it immediately.

Guest (2): Then in order to reach the level at which you can understand that...

Prabhupāda: No, no. There is no question. It is no question of understanding. If you understand in a minute... That depends on the student to understand. Something, "This is bad; this is good." Now if you understand it properly, that "This is not good, bad," so you can renounce it immediately. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). So that depends on your capacity to understand what is good, what is bad. If you think that this material existence, repeated birth and death and changing this body, is not good, then you can immediately renounce and you can prepare yourself for spiritual life. But if you think that "Oh, it doesn't matter I am repeating my birth and death. It is good," then you cannot renounce.

Guest (2): Well, let's take the situation of an individual who is very deeply addicted to the senses, such as sexual...

Prabhupāda: That is only practice. There are processes by which you can give up so much addiction to sex life. There are processes.

Guest (2): Processes which would not fall into the category of what a psychiatrist would call repression? Something that would cripple the mind in some other way?

Prabhupāda: No. Why? Therefore I say if you think it is good... First of all you have to decide whether sex life is good or bad. First of all you have to understand this. If you think that sex life is very nice, then how can you give it up? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Prabhupāda: No. Just like amongst our students there are many married couples also, and there are brahmacārīs also. That I barred from this? He is not barred. Nobody is barred. Simply following some regulation. That will gradually train him. And the main principle is that as you go on hearing about this transcendental message, then you gradually become attached to these transcendental things. And the more you become attached to these transcendental things, the more you forget these material things.

Guest (2): So it's an evolutionary process, and one need not force.

Prabhupāda: No. There is no question of force. There is no question of force. We don't force. There is no question of force. Force cannot act. If I force you, then it will not act. You have to evolve yourself, from this platform to this platform. That is possible for everyone.

Guest (2): So if someone feels he has an overwhelming need, he shouldn't try to hold back to the point at which he suffers pain, but he should also chant or do something that will elevate him. And gradually he will...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. First thing is... Suppose a man is too much sexually addicted. If he hears that "This is impediment to my spiritual advancement," if he hears repeatedly, then he thinks of his weakness, that "This should not have been done, but I am so weak." So with this knowledge he can advance. You see. At least, he must know that "This is not good for my spiritual advancement." Then it will be... Then Kṛṣṇa, or God, will help him. There is an English proverb, "One who helps himself, God helps." Yes. God's help will come. So there is no question of despair. Anyone can begin, and the simple beginning is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So all our students, they were also addicted to such things, but by following this process they are also now free. So it is not impossible. There is no such program which is impossible to be performed. No. Practically this program is the simplest and the easiest process, and it can be adopted by anyone in any condition of life. That is the beauty of this process.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

So what they have got? They have got some fruits and leaves. That's all. So the arrangement may be that "Tomorrow, we are going to have this festival." But the festival means some leaves and some water. That's all. No utensils, no gold, no jewels, nothing of the sort. So this is another bahvārambhe laghu kriyā. Arrangement is very big, but fact is nothing. And dāmpatya kalahe caiva. And fight between or quarrel between husband and wife. In India, there is no question of divorce. So nobody takes very serious care when there is fight between husband and wife. So there also: "I'm going to immediately leave you, going to kill you..." and so many things. But after an hour, everything is finished. No more quarrel. Dāmpatya kalahe caiva prabhāte megha-garjane. And in the morning, if you see big cloud assembly and thundering sound, but you rest assured. There will be no rain in the morning. So these things are bahvārambhe laghu kriyā. Ārambha, beginning is very gorgeous. But end is nothing. So that is not good, bahvārambhe laghu kriyā.

So here, it is suggested that in this human form of life, you have got two choices. Either you again go to hell or you go back to home, back to Godhead. Two choices, that in, by evolutionary process, you come to the human form of life after going through eight million forms of lower-grade life. Then you come to this human form of life, when your consciousness is developed. You are not exactly like animals. The animal propensities are there, but it is decent. Because you have got good, advanced consciousness. The animals eat; we also eat. But our eating process is more decent than the animals. We have got nice kitchen. We can prepare varieties of foodstuff by mixing so many eatables. Because we have got intelligence, we can do. The animals cannot do. So similarly, sleeping. There are animals. There are animals. They also sleep. We also sleep, but our apartment is very nice, we have got nice bed—in a improved way.

So this life is, human life is the sum total of developed consciousness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

"Yes, yes, it is all right. Yes, it is all right. What you say it is all right, but I am not interested." This is called disinterested. People are generally very much interested in these things.

So if you want to find out a mahātmā within the society, not as a renounced sannyāsī, then these are the symptoms. There are other symptoms. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4), that we shall describe later on. These are the general symptoms of a mahātmā gṛhastha. He is not interested in this bodily concept of life, or maintaining very opulently his family members, or talking very seriously with persons who are simply materially interested, dehambhara, just to maintain this body. Of course we require to maintain this body. He is not neglectful. There is no question of negligence. He takes care of his children, of his wife, everything, but without any attachment. That is recommended by the Gosvāmīs. That, anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. You give education to your children, that is required. You maintain your wife, that is also required, no negligence, but no attachment at the same time. No attachment, that I shall sacrifice everything for my wife, and children, and home. That is not a mahātmā's business, because he knows that he cannot improve the destiny. Everybody has got his body with certain destiny already settled up. That you cannot change. Otherwise everyone is trying to become very rich, very important, there is no scarcity of endeavor, but not that everyone is becoming like that. That is called destiny.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Vrndavana, October 25, 1976:

Here is nationalism, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) everything belongs to God. And Kṛṣṇa says bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor. He's the proprietor; everyone is His subject. Everyone requires protection. That is nationalism. Not that crippled ideas: "I am good, my brother is good, and everyone is bad." That is not nationalism. This is going on. My nation, a few people Russia is thinking, "A few people in this area, they are our men." And America is thinking like that. India is thinking like that. But what is this nonsense nationalism? Because it is not perfect. Simply taking care of some human being. Otherwise there is no question of nationalism. Even according to their definition of nationalism, there are so many discriminations. Nowadays in your country, now the white and the black have been given the equal rights. But formerly, although the blacks were born, they were treated like animals. But one of your president has given them the right. But there are so many defects. Unless you become mahātmā. So unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this so-called nationalism, philanthropism, altruism, this "ism"—that is all rascaldom. It has no value. Real value is here. Mahātmā vimanyavaḥ sādhavaḥ suhṛdaḥ.

So these mahātmās, tyāgīs. Generally, they are sannyāsīs. And so far other mahātmās also, it does not mean only the sannyāsī can be mahātmā. No. Gṛhasthas also can be mahātmā. How gṛhasthas can be mahātmās, that is explained in the next verse: ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā. His only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is... Otherwise, here it is said, jāyātmaja-rātimatsu gṛheṣu. He has no interest in so-called family life, wife, children, friends, and nationality. No. Ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā. Only interest is how to please Kṛṣṇa. Such person, he is also mahātmā. Not that only the mahātmās who are renounced order. There are gṛhasthas also.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

Similarly, our devotion to Kṛṣṇa continues. It is simply covered. Avidyayātmāny upādhiyamāne. Avidya. This is avidya. We forget Kṛṣṇa, that is avidya. And as soon as we take Kṛṣṇa as our life and soul, that is vidya. You can do. Anyone can do very easily. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, sarva dharmān parityajya mam ekam śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). Why? Any other so-called religious system, that is avidya—will keep you in ignorance. There is no light. And the Vedic injunction is that "Don't keep yourself in the darkness of ignorance." Tamasi mā jyoti gamaḥ.

That jyotiḥ means to love Kṛṣṇa. And loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa is in the spiritual world. That is jyotiḥ, jyotirmāyā dhāma, self-effulgent. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). There is no darkness. Just like in the sun there is no question of darkness. The examples are here. We can understand what is jyotiḥ. We can see that there is no darkness in the sun planet. It is all glowing effulgence. Similarly, in the spiritual world there is no ignorance. Everyone is śuddha-sattva. Not only sattva-guṇa, but śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva-śabditaḥ. Here, in this material world, there are three qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So none of these guṇas are pure. There is a mixture. And because there is mixture, therefore we see so many varieties. But we have to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa. And that process is hearing. This is the best process. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you hear regularly Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... We are therefore stressing: "Always hear, always read, always hear." Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nitya. If you can constantly, twenty-four hours, if you hear and chant Hear means somebody chants or you chant yourself or hear, or some of your colleague may chant, you hear. Or he may hear, you may chant. This process must go on. This is śrāvaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). That is Bhāgavata. Not any other nonsense talks, gossiping. Simply hear and chant. Then śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇa. If you seriously hear and chant, seriously—"Yes, this life I shall engage only for increasing my love of Vāsudeva"—if you are determined, it can be done. There is no difficulty. And as soon as you do this, you increase fully your love for Vasudeva, then there is no more chance of contacting material body.

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

Then it will be perfect. But that they do not know, because they have no idea that there is Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. They think that I have extended my self-interest to my country, to my family, I have become a big man. And people also give him honor. This we have practical experience but that is extended self-interest. That is not actually philanthropy.

Philanthropy is when one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa's interest, that is real philanthropy. Otherwise it is all kāma. There is no question of prema. It is going on as prema, deśa-bhakti (?), love for humanity. Hm? The whole world is going on, but these are all imperfect things. The so-called philanthropism, altruism, humanitarianism, they are all, means imperfect, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That is not self-interest. Self-interest... Just like this finger, pick up some nice cake, rasagullā, but if the fingers think that, "We have got it, we shall use it," all the fingers together, it will be spoiled. But if the fingers think that, "Give it to the stomach," then it will be everyone's interest. As soon as the rasagullā goes to the stomach the energy is distributed not only to these fingers of right hand, but left hand fingers also. This law they do not know. This law they do not know. Therefore it is yadā na paśyanti, paśyaty ayathā guṇehām. Everyone is trying communally, nationally, individually, for his or their interest, so that is not good svārthe pramattaḥ. They do not know what is real self-interest.

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

If there is a brāhmaṇa, if there is a sannyāsī, one should accept, give preference to him, to accept guru. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "That is not the criterion. One must be well expert, experienced, well aware of the science of Kṛṣṇa. He shall be guru." Not that particularly because one is born in a brāhmaṇa family or one has taken sannyāsa, he is immediately by the dress, or by birth, one can become guru. No. That is going on. Now it is diminishing. Formerly, in India it was the practice. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It doesn't matter." Kibā vipra, kibā śūdra. Vipra means brāhmaṇa, and śūdra means the fourth class, less than the vaiśyas. So kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya. Nyāsī means sannyāsī. Never mind nyāsī, or without nyāsī, because śūdra cannot be sannyāsī. Without becoming brāhmaṇa, there is no question of becoming sannyāsa. In the Śaṅkara-sampradāya they are very strict. Unless one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is not awarded the sannyāsa. That is the stricture. But according to our Vaiṣṇava, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, pāñcarātrikī-viddhi, if there is little tendency of the person to become devotee, he is given the chance. Never mind he's born in a śūdra family, a caṇḍāla family. That is sanctioned in the śāstra: kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). Anyone. Kṛṣṇa also says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). So Nārada Muni, he is a great devotee, he has given allowance to everyone to become a brāhmaṇa, to become a sannyāsī. First of all he must be trained up to become a brāhmaṇa, then sannyāsī. This is a fact. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, there is no question of sannyāsa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

So, the bhakti-yoga process is described in the previous verses. Real purport is, karmāśayam, how to be free from karmāśayam. So long our mind will be absorbed in karmāśayam, then there is no question of becoming free from this material body. Karmānubandhaṁ na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. This is already advised, the whole purpose is how to make the spirit soul from the bondage of contamination of repetition of birth and death. That is the purpose of human life. Karmāśayam, everyone is trying to become happy by working hard and getting the result. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ, not only here, but also in other planets up to the Brahmaloka, this process is going on. And to counteract this process, in the previous three verses it has been explained how one can gradually become relieved. The first process is recommended, haṁse gurau mayi bhaktyānuvṛtyā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

"This is my socialism." "I am brāhmaṇa, I belong to the brāhmaṇas," "I belong to the kṣatriyas." "I belong to America." "I belong to India." This is deha-gehātma-buddheḥ, and yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who is thinking like that, deha-gehātmā, sa eva go-kharaḥ, he is no better than the cows and the asses, animal. Deha-gehātma-buddheḥ is animal conception. One has to come to understand that "I am not this body, I am not this mind or intelligence." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁ Brahman. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).

So, in this way if we practice according to the prescription, śāstra-vidhi, that is wanted. Not that without śāstra-vidhi, you can become liberated. That is not possible. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23), Kṛṣṇa says. And if you give up, śāstra-vidhim, and act according to your whims, then there is no question of perfection. Na sa siddhim avāp..., na sukham, like that. The śāstra-vidhim (indistinct). Rūpa Gosvāmī also advised like that,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate
(Brs. 1.2.101)

There are so many they have invented. Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is prescribed in the śāstras, and they have invented so many. Although there is the name of the Supreme Lord, still you have to follow the śāstra. If you say Rāma Rāma Rāma, Rādhe Rādhe Rādhe, Kṛṣṇa, there are so many mentioned.

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

He did not like to kill his kinsmen for his hitam. "Oh, if I kill my kinsmen I'll go to hell, I'll be responsible, this, that..." So many arguments he put forward. That means he was considering his hitam, not Kṛṣṇa's hitam. But Kṛṣṇa wanted that fight, and when Arjuna agreed, "No, no more my hitam. Your hitam," oh, that is wanted. That is wanted. Guror-hitam.

So there are two different, I mean to say, controller. One is guru and the other is the king or the government. When the... Now it is government. Government or the king, the same thing. Whatever government orders, you have to accept. There is no question of disobedience. So the aim... What is the... Why he should order and why one should accept the order? What is the purpose? The purpose is mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ. This is the ideal life. One should seek the benediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is the aim of life. Mad-anugrahārthaḥ. And what is the benefit of pleasing Kṛṣṇa? Now, mal-loka-kāmo. He comes back. He is suffering in this material world. The same thing is there in every book of Vedic knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing stated, aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Two things are there: either you get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or go to hell. Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Two things are there. Aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa. Kṛṣṇa comes. Here is also Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, Ṛṣabhadeva. He is instructing. So Kṛṣṇa comes to instruct us. He becomes guru.

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

The whole purpose is therefore how to get out of this suffering. Vindate tāpān mūḍha. So the aim of life is how to stop this suffering. The guru or the government should rule over the dependents with this point, with this aim in view. Mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ. These two things required: how to get the pleasure or the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and how to go back home, back to Godhead. This is the aim, not that we are making plan to be happy. Unless we go back home, back to Godhead, there is no question of peace or happiness. This place... We are trying to be happy within this material world by material adjustment. That is not possible. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. These things they do not... They say it is brainwash, brainwash. We are enforcing something by controlling the mind, some ideas, "There is God, and we have to go to back home, back to Godhead." They are accusing us of brainwash, "mental control." But this is the fact. We are not brainwashing; we are clearing the brain. The rascal brain is full with cow dung. We are clearing. You see? That is our movement. But these rascals are understanding that we are enforcing some idea. What to speak of others, even in our country they do not believe that there is God. Nowadays, not formerly. We have become so rascal: "There is no God," "There is no...," "These are all," what is called, "mythology." "These are mythology ideas—there is God and there is sin, there is pious activities." Big, big sannyāsīs, they are asking that "Don't care for all this, 'There is God, there is sinful, there is pious.' You can do whatever you like because you are yourself God. This is... There is no pāpa-puṇya. You are immune from pāpa-puṇya because you are God."

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

They have been described sometimes as kāla-sarpa. Kāla-sarpa indriya-paṭalī durdānta-indriya-kāla-sarpa paṭalī. So therefore yoga system is recommended to control this kāla-sarpa, the indriyas. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Real yoga, ordinary yoga Nobody is getting that yoga-siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Generally the so-called yogis, they show some āsana, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, praṇāyāma, but that is meant for controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Without sense control nobody can make any progress in human life. Tapasya. That is called tapasya. The yoga is also another tapasya. Tapo. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13).

So any path you take, the brahmacarya first thing. Without brahmacarya there is no question of tapasya.

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa
śamena damena vā
tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ
yamena niyamena vā
(SB 6.1.13)

This is human life. This is human life, not that upstart, foolish, rascals, śūdras, that is human society. That is dog society. That is not human society. Human society must be intelligent class of men. They will train the other people. Everything is required. The kṣatriya is required, the vaiśya is required, the śūdra is also required. Just like it is given in the śāstra that to keep a fully equipped body there must be head, there must be arm, there must be belly, and there must be leg. Leg is also required, not that simply brain is required. Brain is required to direct the way: "Go this way; go that way." In that sense śūdra is also... Brain cannot walk; the leg will walk.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

t "You are worshiping Goddess Kali, or Durga, or this, or that, that's all right." But these rascals said, "Oh, this is all right." And he has become guru. He does not know what is the path of salvation, how one can get out, can get rid of this problem of birth, death—and still they preach.

There are so many, you will find, rascal gurus, they are preaching like that, that "Whatever you do, it is all right." There is a big mission, they say also that yata mat tata patha. "Whatever you have manufactured, the way of salvation, that's all right." But Kṛṣṇa does not say, or the śāstra does not say. Śāstra says hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: unless you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, Hari, there is no question of salvation. There is no question of salvation. Therefore bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). One who is bewildered, he thinks that "Whatever I do, it is all right." That is mistake. That is mistake. The jñānīs, they think that they will merge into the existence of the Supreme, that you can merge. That does not mean that you are delivered, you are liberated. Just like you will find one aeroplane is going up and up, up, up, and at a time you will find the aeroplane is no more seen (indistinct). That does not mean he has merged in the sky. He has got a separate existence, but you cannot see. Even one has got so high, it does not mean that he has merged into the sky. If he does not get another shelter, he will come back again. He will come back again. He has not merged. There is no question of merging. Brahmajyoti means the..., it is the combination of millions and trillions of sparks of living entities. That is brahma-jyotir.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

Similarly, every individual soul is individual. Kṛṣṇa says, "Arjuna, you, Me, and all these soldiers and kings, they were existing before, they are now existing now, and they will continue to exist in the future." So where is mixture? You, me, and all of you, we are different individuals, and Kṛṣṇa says—not ordinary person—that "They were individuals in the past, they are individual now, and they will continue to become individual." So where is this question of merging? There is no question of merging. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loka sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7), eternally they are individuals, and eternally they will keep individual.

So this is knowledge. Otherwise artificially if I think the same thing, that because I have gone very high in the sky, I have become mixed up with the sky... There is no question of mixing up. Therefore because it is not the question of mixing up, amalgamation, separate identity, but it is light, that is all right. But not that they have lost their individuality. Sanātana. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are individual parts sanātana, eternally." Not that now they are separated, and after liberation they will mix up. No. This is wrong conception. Therefore mixing up means... Just like we are here, mixed together. We have got individuality, but for a certain purpose we are sitting together very peacefully, and the real purpose is to learn how to serve Kṛṣṇa. So when we agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is mixing up of the devotees. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa, that is mixing up. When you assemble together with the same purpose... That's why we can understand nation. What is that nation? Everyone is individual, but the purpose is how to improve the condition of the politics, or the combination of men. Similarly when you agree... Here in the material world we are individual, and in spiritual world we are also individual, but what is the difference between material world and spiritual world? In the material world we are individual to serve my own senses.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

Now, it is inconceivable. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti. Now, we have got this understanding, that we can see with our eyes, but God can not only see with His eyes; He can eat with His eyes. This is inconceivable. We shall think, "How it is possible that one can eat with His eyes?" Therefore śāstra says, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). Just like we offer foodstuff to the Deity. The atheist will say, "Oh, you have offered this, so many nice foodstuff, but He has not eaten. It is there, lying there." But he does not know that God has His indriyas, sakalendriya vṛtti-manti. As soon as sees the foodstuff is offered, He has eaten. That they do not know. This is inconceivable. Unless we accept the inconceivable energy of the Lord, there is no question of God. So He can eat by seeing. Aggāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He can offer you blessing, everything, by one aṅga. By one part of the body He can do everything. This is inconceivable. Adhokṣaja. Therefore another name of God is called adhokṣaja. Akṣaja jñānam adhaḥ kṛta.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

Therefore we have to hear from the authorities, from Kṛṣṇa, that there is soul; there is ātmā; there is transmigration. And everything, what is spoken in the śāstra, they are fact, but we do not consult śāstra. We become scientists. We become philosophers. With gross understanding, dull understanding, poor understanding, how you can understand yourself and God? So there is no question of self-realization by your gross understanding. You have to understand by hearing. Therefore to get real knowledge is not by the eyes and senses but by the ear. Therefore Vedic knowledge is called śruti. You have to receive knowledge—śruti. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Why? The guru means who is fully aware of the śruti, śrotriyam, one who has perfectly listened to his guru. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And by hearing only, he has become brahma-niṣṭham, without any doubt: "Yes, there is God. Yes." We have to approach such person who has perfectly listened to his... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So by śruti, by hearing oral reception. Just like there is practical example. Suppose you are sleeping, and somebody is coming to do you some harm, to kill you. But another person is warning you, "Please get up! Get up! Somebody is coming to kill you." But it will act, because while other senses are practically dead, the ear is working. By hearing, you can get up. This is practical.

Lecture on SB 5.5.20 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1976:

And if you are really advanced in knowledge, then paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Then you are actually paṇḍita, not falsely to be called paṇḍita and number one fool. That is not paṇḍita. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. The defect of the modern civilization is that there is no paṇḍita. All rascals. All rascals. Therefore they have demarcated, "This is India," "This is America." No. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then there will be peace. If in the United Nation they simply pass one resolution with determination, that "The whole planet belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are all His sons," there is no trouble.

There is no scarcity. Kṛṣṇa has created this world in such a way that there is no question of starvation in any part of the world. There is no question. Sufficient. Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). There is no question of starvation. But because we have rebelled against the principle of universal brotherhood we are all suffering. I have several times said that there are ample space. There is no question of scarcity. Ample space. I am traveling all over the world. So much space lying vacant in America, in Africa, Australia. Why the Chinese or the Indians should be congested, overpopulation? But they will not allow. "It is my country." "Have you got visa?" immigration. "Yes, I have got." "All right, three months. Then get out." This is going on. Because they are rascals, they are falsely claiming, "This is my country. This is my property. Nobody can come here." This is a dog's philosophy. Just like the dogs. They have selected one neighborhood, and three, four dogs, they live peacefully. Not peacefully—they also fight amongst them. But if another dog comes, immediately the four, five dogs will attack: "Why you have come here? Why you have come here? Gow! Gow! Gow!"

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahma-jyotir. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is full consciousness. Without this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of full-fledged. Just like a small bud of a flower. First of all the seed. The seed grows, then the buds come out, then gradually the buds develop, it becomes flower, then full-fledged flower, then fragrance, beauty. Everything is developed. That is real development. Similarly, this is the process of development. When one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is full-fledged flower with fragrance, beauty, and everything. That is the perfection.

So there are so many description of different types of living entities within this material world. But these so-called scientists, on account of their being mūḍha or rascals, they are studying that "Except in this planet, everywhere there is dust and rocks." This is their foolishness. No. Here it is stated that siddha Tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi gandharva-siddhā. So see development. Siddha. Siddha means those who have got yogic mystic power, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, these are called siddhis. Nowadays so-called yogis, they show some gymnastic. That is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing. One can become smaller than the smallest. That is called aṇimā. One can become bigger than the biggest, just like Hanumānji. He jumped over the sea. Jumped over sea... This is mahimā-siddhi. One can become as big as required. Just like there is water.

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

This is bhakti process. So anywhere, in Africa also, in the village of Africa, when our Brahmānanda goes there, the big, big Africans with earrings, big, big earrings, very tall, almost naked, they also dance, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." So this is practical. Nitya-yukta kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given this opportunity that simply by chanting... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has not manufactured it. It is mentioned in the śāstra. No other... Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not introduce anything by manufacturing, just like nowadays these rascals do. There is no question of manufacturing. Whatever is there already in the śāstra, indication, we have to follow. Yaḥ śāstra-viddhim utsṛjya vartate... Otherwise there is no success. Kṛṣṇa also said śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is also the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He refers to the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitam. So we cannot go beyond the śāstra. We must follow. So in the śāstra it is said, in the Kali-yuga people are so fallen, they cannot be persuaded to so many rules and regulation, but kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply that is special facility for these fallen... You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly and you become liberated from the material contamination. And as soon as you become liberated, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). We have no distinction that "Here is American," "There is European," "Here is Indian," "Here is African." No. Samaḥ sarveṣu, even animals. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then bhakti begins. That is practical.

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

So wherever Supreme Personality of Godhead is there, that is Vaikuṇṭha. Just like īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is there in every living entity's heart. So the hog, dog, they have got also heart. There is also Kṛṣṇa. So does it mean that He is living with hog and dog? He is living in Vaikuṇṭha. Etad īśanam īśasya. This is called īśasya īśanam. Wherever He may live, He lives in Vaikuṇṭha. Similarly, the devotee, he lives with Nārāyaṇa, so there is no question of hell and heaven. He is in Vaikuṇṭha. If Kṛṣṇa is living in Vaikuṇṭha, the devotee is also living in Vai... He is concerned with Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. Therefore they are not afraid. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Nārada Muni, he is traveling everywhere. He is going to hell; he is going to heaven. He is going to Vaikuṇṭha to see Nārāyaṇa. And he's chanting, nārada muni bhājāy vīṇā rādhikā ramaṇa, that's all. Because he is chanting for... His business is to enlighten. If he goes to naraka, hell, he will advise them, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And if he goes to Indraloka he will advise the same thing. And if he goes to Svargaloka, or any loka, that is Nārada Muni's business. Similarly, those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should not be afraid of this hell and heaven. Wherever they should go, they will simply preach, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is their business.

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

This is akiñcana, akiñcana, "no other thing except Your So how You can throw me away? Give me shelter." This is akiñcana bhakti-bhājām. If I think that "I have got another shelter except Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet," then I am not akiñcana. Kiñcana—I have got some other hope. No. Akiñcana means only hope: Kṛṣṇa. That is full surrender. Akiñcanānāṁ bhakti-bhājām. Akiñcana-gocara. Kuntidevī in her prayer she has addressed Kṛṣṇa, akiñcana-gocara: "You are realized by such person who has no other thing to possess." Akiñcana-gocara. This very word is very And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, niṣkiñcanānām. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana means niṣkiñcana. If we want to enjoy something material, oh, there is no question of bhagavad-bhajana, because even if you have little pinch of desire to enjoy material comforts, you'll not be admitted. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Fully. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Then Śūnya means zero. Unless you make material, ara nare bapa(?): "No more. Enough of this mateial enjoyment," then bhakti-yoga begins. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Even brahma-bhūtaḥ, Brahman realization, that is also not akiñcana. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am in brahma-jyotir. I have become something important." No. Even brahma-jyotir also neglected. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. This is the position of the devotee, akiñcanānām. Akiñcanānāṁ mayi bhakti-bhājām.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

So in this way, here is... Ṛṣabhadeva is teaching us how we should select. Now it is the time for democracy. So Lord Ṛṣabhadeva is teaching us that how you shall select the president or the king, Bharata Mahārāja, the ideal king, parama-bhāgavatam. And vairāgya-lakṣaṇaṁ pāramahaṁsya-dharmam, and bhagavaj-jana-parāyaṇam. These are. So democracy Sometimes I say to my American students that "Your country is opulent in every respect." Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26), four kinds of opulences, everyone is trying for. Now everyone is trying for money, because if you get money, then, although you are born in the lowest family, chamar, bhangi, if you have got money, you'll be respectful, everything. Now there is no question of caste because everyone is lost. Kalau śūdra-sambhavāḥ. So you cannot find out who is brāhmaṇa, who is kṣatriya, who is vaiśya, who is śūdra. Everyone is the same. Now they are trying for classless society. Classless society means śūdra. So how a śūdra can be equal to the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya? But if you earn money, then you are more than brāhmaṇa, you are more than a sannyāsī. This is Kali-yuga. So therefore people are after money only.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

Destiny means that so long we are under the laws of nature, that is to happen. You cannot change it. That is not possible. Only... Such law can be changed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). You cannot. That is not possible. Nobody can do it. If you have done something wrong, sinful, you must suffer. There is no escape. But He can do that. Just like if you are condemned by the law court to be hanged, nobody can change it. Even the judge who has given you the punishment, even if you appeal to him, "Sir, excuse me," no, he cannot excuse you by law. But if you file petition to the president or the king—that is called king's mercy—he can change. Similarly, whatever we are doing, we must enjoy or suffer. There is no question of enjoyment. When there is birth, death, old age and disease, where is enjoyment? There is no enjoyment. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This is a world of suffering. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. You cannot There is no question of enjoyment. But because we are in māyā, suffering we are accepting as enjoyment. Suffering is accepted as enjoyment. This is called māyā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

That is natural. So for the bāliśa, innocent, it is our duty to show them mercy, give them food, give them shelter, give them instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that he may understand why he is here in this material world, why he is suffering. Ke āmi kene amaya jape tāpa traya. Everyone is suffering threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for showing mercy to the innocent who are suffering in this material world. That is wanted. It is not daridra-nārāyaṇa seva, that "I am very rich man. I am rich Nārāyaṇa, and therefore I can serve the daridra-nārāyaṇa." There is no question of serving. That is not. No. The fact is everyone is suffering. There is nobody... Because asad-grahāt. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Anyone within this material..., he is suffering, full of anxieties. Even the birds and beasts, you'll find, they are full of anxiety. Why? Asad-grahāt. Because he accepted this material body, which is asat, which is temporary. Asato mā sad gamaḥ. Therefore Vedic injunction is, "Don't stay in this material existence. Come to the spiritual existence, sat." Oṁ tat sat. This is the civilization, not to keep the people in ignorance and flatter them that "You are making very good advance." There is no advance unless one is interested in spiritual life. There is no... Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). In this way we are wandering within this universe in different forms of life, in different planets, in different social positions, in so many varieties.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

So immediately Kṛṣṇa's promise... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Immediately sudarśana-cakra came and killed that demon immediately, and then he pursued Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni first of all approached Lord Śiva because he was devotee of Śiva: "Please give me protection." He said, "Oh, it is not possible for me. If sudarśana-cakra is after you, I cannot do anything." Then similarly, he approached Brahmā. So he also said, "No, this is not possible." Then he was so powerful that he approached Lord Viṣṇu even, personally, in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. He refused to help him. He said, "Durvāsā Muni, unless you beg pardon from Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, there is no question of excusing you. The sudarśana-cakra will not excuse." Therefore Vaiṣṇava aparādha is very, very offensive. You should be very careful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned vaiṣṇava aparādha, hātī mata. Vaiṣṇava aparādha, offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava, is exactly like mad elephant. If a mad elephant enters your garden, then he spoils everything. This has been given. Vaiṣṇava aparādha means hātī mātā. Mātā means mad, and hātī means elephant. So we should be very, very careful not to commit any offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava does not take any offense. He does not care who is offender, but Kṛṣṇa takes care. Kṛṣṇa will never tolerate if a person is Vaiṣṇava aparādha. Mind that. Just like a big man. You can offend him, he doesn't mind. But if he does something harmful to his child, so he becomes very angry.

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

That is not one with God. I cannot see you. The example is given: just like a green bird enters into a green tree. So it appears that the tree has become, the bird has become one with the tree, no more separate existence. No. It appears like that. Actually that is not the fact. The fact is that the bird, green bird, existing with the green tree, but due to my defect in the eyes I am seeing it has become one.

Actually it is not so. Every individual living entity is always individual. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, we are individuals. In the past we were individuals, at the present we are individuals, and in the future we shall continue to be individuals." There is no question of oneness. Oneness means to agree to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is oneness. There is no disobedience, "Whatever You say, I accept"—that is oneness. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is oneness. At the present moment we differ. We make differences. "Here is the opinion of the American. Here is the opinion of Indian. Here is the opinion of the German. Here is the opinion of the śūdra, and so on, so on. So here means disagreement, always disagreement. Because I am envious of you, you are envious of me, so how there can be agreement? So wherefrom this enviousness has begun? Because we are envious of Kṛṣṇa. Because we are envious of Kṛṣṇa—"Why Kṛṣṇa become God? I am also God." This is the beginning of enviousness, this rascaldom, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall become alone God?" He said, māṁ ekaṁ śaraṇam. "Why Kṛṣṇa alone?" They say, the rascal philosophers say, 'This is sophistry. It is demanding too much. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Why? Why shall I accept You as the Supreme?" This enviousness begins. This is the beginning of envy.

So we become envious, each other. I am envious of you, you are envious of me. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not meant for the envious persons. It is meant for very liberal, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

As soon as he forgets his position—he wants to imitate—that is the beginning of māyā, falldown. You should be very careful.

Therefore the brahmacārī... We have to teach the brahmacārī... Brahmācāri gurukule vasan dānto guror hitam. This is brahmacārī, not for his personal benefit, but guror hitam. Then he is brahmacārī. Not that a brahmacārī has to become a very learned scholar in grammar and turīya... These are secondary things. First thing, he has to learn how to control the senses, dānta, how to control the mind. Śamo damaḥ. This is the beginning of brahminical life. If you cannot control your mind, if you cannot control your senses, there is no question of becoming brahmacārī. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati iti brahmacārī. And brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. So these are the beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacari means who is always in Brahman activities. That is brahmacārī. Or brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Supreme, Supreme Brahman, Parambrahman. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are liberated. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are both brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ. These words are there in the śāstra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore the real life is to inquire about Brahman. Inquiring, inquiring, when the conditioned soul... Now it is jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are conditioned by the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān—then we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise when we come to our real position, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

Practically we can see richer class, a middle class, and a poorer class. That is always existing. I thought before going to your country, USA, I thought that "The Americans, they are all rich." That's a fact. I don't say that you are poor. You are rich in comparison to India. But still, when I saw that on the Bowery Street so many drunkards are lying down on the footpath, then I thought, "Here is also third class." So either by drinking they are lying on footpath, or by becoming hippies they are lying in the park, and the police is kicking on their face. That means that three classes are always there, either you go to America, or hell or heaven—anywhere—because there are three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Prakṛtijān guṇān. You cannot escape it. There is no question of becoming poor. In the Western countries the government arrangement is so nice. And still, voluntarily they will become poor. That is hippies. Because nature is working. Most of these hippies, they are coming from very respectable family, rich family. I have seen. In Beverly Hills when I was walking in the morning I saw nice boy, there is car, he is coming from a very nice house, but he's a hippie. I have seen it. Why he has become hippie? Prakṛtijān guṇān. He might have taken his birth in a very rich family, respectable family. Because the mode of nature is working, voluntarily he has become hippie. This is going on all over the world. Therefore we have to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, brāhmaṇa platform. Brāhmaṇa platform.

So one endeavor is gradually to come to the brāhmaṇa platform. But if we take bhakti-yogam, immediately you become on the brāhmaṇa platform. This is the advantage. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena... (SB 6.1.15). What is that?

Lecture on SB 5.6.4 -- Vrndavana, November 26, 1976:

"If the wife is not chaste and friend is cheater, or śaṭham..." Śaṭham means duplicity, not very sincere friend. Outwardly he's showing he's very good friend, but inwardly he has got some intention. Such friend, duplicity, and unchaste wife, duṣṭā bhāryā śaṭhaṁ mitraṁ and bhṛtyaś cottara-dāyakaḥ, and servant giving reply, and sa-sarpe ca grhe vasaḥ, and in your room if there is a snake... Of course in this big, big concrete building there is no question of snake, but in cottages, huts, made with mud, earth, there are sometimes snakes. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, "If you live with a duṣṭā bhāryā and a duplicity friend and an answer-giving servant and a snake, then you are sure to die sometime. You'll be cheated."

So these things are there. The purpose is that our mind is like that, puṁścalī, unchaste wife. Not that everyone is unchaste. We have got many example, the character of woman. It is not that. It is not generalization. But there is chance. If they are not controlled, not properly educated, there is chance of becoming puṁścalī, and there have been many instances that woman, for being attracted by paramour, has killed even one's own son. There are cases. So Bhīṣmadeva also advised that the shyness of woman, lajja, is the control. If you break that shy, what is called, shyness, then there will be disaster. That is the control valve naturally given. And woman's shyness is one beauty, beauty. We have got practical experience. And command also. We have practical experience in our life. You have seen that my friend came, Dinanath Mishra. They were our neighbor. So one day we were sitting on the corridor of the house. One sweeper woman, she wanted to come within, but very shyful, and with a covering of the head, although with broomstick and bucket, she was waiting because we were sitting both side. So she was feeling little shy not to enter the house. So we decided to move so that she may come. This example is given. She is a sweeper, not very respectable, maidservant or sweeper, but on account of her shyness we had to welcome, "Yes, we are moving. You come in." Just see.

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

So anyone who has accepted this material world as very comfortable... It is not comfortable; it is simply suffering. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And still, if we want to be happy in this material world, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These fools, they are trying to be happy within this material world. Material means external energy. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). This is durāśayā, the hope which will never be fulfilled. But this we do not... Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). So unless there is vairāgya, there is no question of happiness. But we cannot attain vairāgya immediately; therefore the vidhi-mārga, vidhi-mārga-bhakti, to rise early in the morning, to attend maṅgala ārati, to offer Deity flowers, fruits, and in this way we shall be engaged twenty-four hours. Then vairāgya-vidyā will gradually develop. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Then the anartha... This material life is simply anartha, has no meaning, because we are creating another life. Without any spiritual knowledge, if we simply give ourself to the action and reaction of material nature, then we are making progress on the path of mṛtyu-saṁsāra vartmani (BG 9.3). And if we attain Kṛṣṇa, then mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti (BG 8.15). The two ways.

Page Title:There is no question (Lectures, SB canto 5)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:17 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=48, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:48