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Tongue (Lectures, BG ch 4 - 18)

Expressions researched:
"tongue" |"tongue's" |"tongues"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

So in the beginning he was considering, "Whether I shall fight or not." That was also ātma-saṁyama. But actually ātma-saṁyama was when he did not fight for his sense gratification. That is. Similarly, when we engage our senses... Because senses means they want some activity. Just like our eyes. If... The eyes want to see something beautiful. The tongue, tongue wants to taste something very sweet. The ear, it wants to hear something very melodious. In this way we have got our different senses. But the yoga system is trying to stop them. Now, just try to understand.

Now, here, the bhakti-yoga system is that if you stick to the hearing of Hare Kṛṣṇa and the music, melodious music of khol, karatāla, then naturally you become detestful for hearing other songs. So this is practically indriya-saṁyama. The bhakti process is that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). You cannot stop the senses to work. That is the negative process. Because the senses are meant for working. Therefore you have to give better engagement to the senses. That will be explained in the... It is already explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Second Chapter, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. If you force one to stop, it is very difficult. Therefore so many yogis also failed. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. By force, he was trying to control his senses, but as soon as the sense got opportunity, one Menakā, a heavenly society girl, came before him, he became captivated.

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

Therefore it is warned that to "Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear." Why? Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.

Therefore this paramparā system, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). "The Blessed Lord said that 'I said to Vivasvān. Vivasvān said to Ikṣvāku. Ikṣvāku said to Manu. Manu said to his son.' " In this way, rājarṣi. Rājarṣi. Formerly the kings were taken instructions, the head of the state, because they were responsible for the citizens' spiritual life, not only material prosperity but spiritual prosperity. That is the verdict of Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

When one's eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead, by that clear eyes... Just like sometimes we use ointment to the eye to see very clearly, similarly, these eyes, these material eyes, are incompetent to see God. These ears incompetent to hear the holy name of God. This tongue is incompetent to chant the holy name of God. Similarly, all the senses, they are, being material. So constitutionally, they cannot see God, they cannot hear of God, they cannot chant of the holy name of God. But it is possible. The śāstra gives you indication.

Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). If you are in service attitude, then beginning from your tongue... Jihvā, jihvā means tongue. Jihvādau, beginning with tongue. The God realization begins with your tongue and ear. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear the transcendental name, and gradually you shall realize.

Just like an experienced man knows that there is sun in the sky although it is invisible. Similarly, the actual word, here it is stated, bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna. So God or the living entities, they're appearing and disappearing. Just try to understand the same example, sun. Sun is always existing, but it is appearing and disappearing. Similarly, we also appear and disappear.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Simply meditate. This is meditation.

Meditation means as you see the form of Kṛṣṇa, and whenever you go, the impression of the form will be within your eyes, and if you think of Kṛṣṇa, your life is succesful. Therefore the Deity of Kṛṣṇa should be seen. That is the benefit of the eyes. The ears should be engaged hearing about Kṛṣṇa. The tongue should be engaged for eating Kṛṣṇa's remnants of foddstuff, prasādam. The nose should be engaged for smelling the flower which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, or the tulasī. In this way, when you engage all your senses, the legs should be utilized for coming to this temple to see Kṛṣṇa. Not to going to the cinema rascal. Then your life will be successful. You'll understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He says teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10), if you engage all your senses for understanding Kṛṣṇa with devotion and faith, prīti-purvakam, with love, the love is the basic principle of understanding Kṛṣṇa.

But you will develop your love. The love means, just like it is said, dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. You are coming into the temple if you give something, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Little things. "Kṛṣṇa, I have brought You. I could not bring any very costly thing, but I've collected these patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Kṛṣṇa is pleased, tad aham aśnāmi.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

These blunt senses, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, so many things. Janma karma.

So how Kṛṣṇa will be understood then? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you engage your tongue in His service, then that is the recommendation of Vedic literature. That, first of all, you have to engage your tongue. Kṛṣṇa's service begins from the tongue, because tongue has got two functions, namely to vibrate to speak something, and to taste something. So you engage. You simply engage your tongue for chanting and glorifying Kṛṣṇa, and eat prasādam, then the two tongue's business will be finished. Sevonmukhe. You eat Kṛṣṇa's prasādam.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has taught that our tongue is very fastidious, wants to eat this thing, that thing, this thing, that thing. Even after... We have seen. He has eaten sumptuously at home but as soon as he comes out, "Let us go to the restaurant, let us have a cup of tea, a little this or that." The tongue is always dictating. "You eat this, you eat that, you eat that, you like that." That is going on. So if you want to control your tongue, then give him Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That "I'll not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa." Then your tongue becomes controlled. And if you can control your tongue, your other senses will be automatically controlled. And yogic perfection means controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ. So a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is the first-class yogi. That is accepted by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to train people to become the topmost yogi. Topmost yogi. Because they have controlled their senses. No meat eating, no intoxication, not even smoking or drinking tea. This is yoga (indistinct). Not that simply by pressing nose one becomes yogi. Practical life. After performing yoga, "Oh, my tongue is now dry, give me one bidi. (indistinct) one bidi." That is not yoga practice, smoking gañja, bidi, intoxication, tea, and he has become a yogi. These are useless, all bogus. Yoga means he has controlled his senses. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ. The yoga practice means controlling the senses and engaging the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is yoga system.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

That is real meditation. So in this way, if we engage our life, that means bhakti-yoga, then Kṛṣṇa reveals, ataḥ sri-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If you simply speculate, tax your senses to understand Kṛṣṇa by so-called scholarship, that will not help you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. You engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal.

It is a revelation. It is not speculation. The speculators cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible. Those who are actually devotees, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

This is dual, the world of duality. But the absolute world, there is no such difference. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. This name Kṛṣṇa and the personality Kṛṣṇa is the same. Is the same. Hare Kṛṣṇa means when I hear the sound, the transcendental sound vibration Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is on my tongue, on my ear. Therefore, if we chant this vibration of transcendental sound with devotion and with attention, that is the highest type of meditation and yoga. And very easy. The process is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and exactly the same sound you hear. So your mind is concentrated on this Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not different. This sound Kṛṣṇa is not different from person Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when we chant..

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

Always, simply if you think that Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you think simply Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, that is sufficient, even if you do not go into the Bhagavad-gītā, if you do not go in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply as you are chanting. Kṛṣṇa has given us the ear, and Kṛṣṇa has given us the tongue. No expense, no difficulty. You haven't got to go to college and take degrees to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is easy for the rich, for the poor, for the learned, for the fool, for the black, for the white, for the rich, for the poor, everyone. There is no distinction because(?) Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.

Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In the lower nature, everyone thinks, "Oh, I am greater than you." The Hindus think, "Oh, we are greater than Muslim." The Muslim thinks, "We are greater than the Hindus." The Christian thinks that "We are greater than the Jews." The Jews thinks, "We are greater than..." This is material conception. But for Kṛṣṇa there is no lower or higher. Every living being—His part and parcel. He comes here to claim every one of you, "Come on. Come on, My dear sir. Why you are suffering here? It is not for you. Take this chance." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7).

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

So mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ. These brāhmaṇa and the kṣatriya and the vaiśya and the śūdra, it should be taken as the different parts of the body of the virāṭ-puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa. Of the virāṭ-puruṣa.

So the brāhmaṇa's business you can understand—the mouth. You have got the tongue. Brāhmaṇa's business is to eat and to chant Vedic mantras. Therefore to give eatables to the Supreme Lord, according to our Vedic principle, the brāhmaṇas are called and they are given foodstuff, that "You eat. By your eating, Kṛṣṇa will eat." But that has been misused now, but actually that is the meaning. In the Vedic literature they do not say that "For some pious activities you call some poor men." No. Brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa-bhajana. Because the brāhmaṇa is supposed to be the mouth of God. Similarly, kṣatriya is supposed to be the arms of God, the vaiśyas, the waist of God, and the śūdras, the legs of God.

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

That is all right. But we should not try unnecessarily for accumulating more. Suppose if I am satisfied by some grains and vegetables and fruits and milk, if my health is properly kept, why should I eat more than that simply for satisfying the palate, my tongue? Oh, no. We should not do that. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. So atyāhāra, atyāhāra, to accept more than what we need, that is against Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And prayāsa. Prayāsa means we have to acquire something, but if it requires a heavy work, heavy, I mean to say, endeavor, we should avoid it. We should avoid it.

Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpaḥ (NOI 2). Prajalpa means for nothing talking nonsense. People are accustomed to talk so many things unnecessarily just in clubs, amongst friends' circle, which has no benefit either spiritually or materially. So that sort of talking should be avoided.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

So this knowledge, we have to acquire, that "We have got the greatest powerful friend in Kṛṣṇa, and He is with me." This is knowledge.

Just like when you chant Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, actually the fact is Kṛṣṇa is dancing on your tongue by sound vibration. Kṛṣṇa is not away. It is stated in the scriptures, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe. He is addressing Nārada, Nārada, a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He is explaining to Nārada, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu ca. The yogis, the mystic yogis, they try to find out the Supersoul within themself. That is the yoga system. Yoga, actual yoga system, is to concentrate the mind, to focus the mind on the Supersoul. That is yoga system. So Kṛṣṇa says that nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe. In the scriptures we find that kingdom of God, that is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha yatra. Kuṇṭha means anxieties. The place where there is no anxieties, that is called Vaikuṇṭha. So Kṛṣṇa says that nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu ca: "My dear Nārada, do not think that I am staying in the Vaikuṇṭha, in the kingdom of God only, or in the heart of the yogis only. No." Tat tat tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ: "Wherever My devotees sing or chant the glories of Me, I stand there. I go there."

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

You have to eat. These things are eatable: food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar. That's all. Why should we eat nonsense things? This will keep your health very nice. Sāttvikāhāra. And you can prepare so many nice preparations within this jurisdiction. Why should you go and kill animals for the satisfaction of the tongue? That is not allowed. Then you will be again entangled. Otherwise, to keep your body in nice condition, you eat all these things which is meant for the human being. Then you will keep fit and save time for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you become always engaged for sense gratification, go on working, working, working, then go to the restaurant, eat, drink and make your body agitated, then find out liquor and woman, what is this life? This is not life. This is animal life.

Real life is that you keep your health nicely, save time, take ordinary very nutritious food within the jurisdiction of kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So Kṛṣṇa eats all these things. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, vegetables, liquid things, water, milk, and so many other things, grains. So you offer to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is here. Kṛṣṇa, although He is very virāṭ, universal form, but Kṛṣṇa has accepted arcā-vigraha so that you can serve, you can see, you can touch, and your life becomes successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

"Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool? Whole day and night. At night also you'll see. Those who have got experience to pass stool in the villages, you go at dead of night and the hog will immediately come standing. As soon as you leave the place, immediately, "Phas, phas, phas," They will go eat.

So this kind of hard labor simply for satisfying the tongue and the genital, that is hog civilization. That is warned by Ṛṣabhadeva, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate (SB 5.5.1). Why? Kāmān means eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. These are kāmān, bodily necessities of life. As soon as you will get this material body, you will have to eat. In the spiritual body there is no eating. Eating means to sustain this material body. You will find many saintly persons. Practically, they do not eat.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this is perceived through the breathing system. The Patañjali system of yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air within become favorable for purifying the soul of material affection. According to this yoga system, pratyag-ātmā is the ultimate goal. This pratyag-ātmā is a withdrawal from activities in matter. The senses interact with the sense objects, like the ear for hearing, eyes for seeing, nose for smelling, tongue for tasting, hand for touching, and all of them are thus engaged in activities outside the self. They are called the functions of the prāṇa-vāyu. The apāna-vāyu goes downwards, vyāna-vāyu acts to shrink and expand, samāna-vāyu adjusts equilibrium, udāna-vāyu goes upwards—and when one is enlightened, one engages all these in searching for self-realization."

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa will help. If some way or other, you engage your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). then gradually everything will be controlled.

There is another version that sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Jihvādau, to control the jihvā. The jihvā means the tongue. It is very difficult to control the jihvā. People do not know it, but actually this is there. Everyone becomes a servant of the senses just beginning from the tongue. They eat anything and everything. Therefore they cannot control others senses also. This is the experience of big, big yogis. Therefore in the yoga practice, yama-niyama... In the yoga practice also, it is forbidden, not to allow the tongue to eat anything and everything, no. That is not possible. Similarly, we also ask our devotees not to allow your tongue to touch anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Tongue's two business: eating, tasting something, and vibrating sound. So if we can control the tongue not to touch anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and if we do not allow the tongue to talk anything except Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then you become the greatest yogi. The greatest yogi. Simply two things. Of course, we have to eat. That's a fact. Without eating, we cannot exist. So eat. We have got so many nice things, offered to Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa all nice things.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

How to get out of the network? How to get out of the ocean? This is... Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is our position.

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says this body is the network of ignorance, simply sense gratification. "I shall eat this. I shall eat that. I shall hear this. I shall..." The ear is engaged in hearing nice cinema songs, and the tongue is engaged, going to the restaurant, so many so-called palatable dishes. Similarly, other senses, they are engaged. So the... According to bhakti-yoga system, the first control is recommended to the tongue. That is said, that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136).

Now, we receive knowledge through the indriyas, but if the indriyas are impure—senses, they are impure—they cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, na... Beginning. Because beginning is śravaṇam. Bhakti-mārga begins by hearing.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

Because hearing and seeing and smelling and tasting and touching... We have got so many senses. So These senses being materially contaminated, it cannot hear what is Kṛṣṇa's holy name. Ataḥ (śrī) kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Then how to understand Kṛṣṇa? That is recommended. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. You have to engage your tongue first of all in the service of the Lord. The Kṛṣṇa realization begins from the tongue.

How? Now you simply make it a vow that "I shall not talk anything except glorifying the Lord." Then you become perfect. Very simple method. Simply you have to make this determination, that "I shall not talk anything which is not about Kṛṣṇa, and I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa." So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching these two things specifically. We are distributing little prasādam. If we get opportunity, we can give sumptuous prasādam. We are doing that in all other centers throughout the whole world. By eating, simply by eating, one can be beloved. It doesn't require if he simply eats Kṛṣṇa prasādam. It is so nice method. So jihvādau. And hearing. This is recommended here, that ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Ātmā, you have to make a determination, ātma-saṁyama, that "I shall not allow this tongue to take anything in the restaurant. But I can simply allow the tongue... "If you do this, then you become gosvāmī. That is called gosvāmī. Because we are all godāsa. Go means senses.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

So that can be begun with sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Because we meet together and talk so many nonsense in political conference, social conference, scientific conference, tongue going on. Day and night, conference is going on. And another business, eating process, sense gratification. If people are asked, "Please come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they are not at all interested. And invite him in some political meeting and talk all nonsense. He is very much interested. Yes. This is called māyā. So we have to convert this. Instead of engaging senses for talking nonsense, we have got so many books, so many talks about Kṛṣṇa. Why not take this? You can go on on, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, about Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā. Go on talking, and go on eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Then self-realization is guaranteed.

There is no difficulty, not at all. And that is also described, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Simply says, sudurlabhaḥ. But what is the symptom?

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

"In a lonely place don't sit down even with your mother, even with your sister, or even with your daughter." Because generally our senses are not very much agitated in the present of mother, sister and daughter. But śāstra says, "Even though it is so, but don't sit down with your mother, sister and daughter in a lonely place." "Why? I am not a fool." But you are not a fool. But balavān indriya-grāmo vidvāṁsam api karṣati. The senses are so strong, even one is very, very learned, he is also agitated. We have got many instances. Old men, sixty, seventy years, he is agitated by seeing one young girl. You see? So senses are so strong. So therefore we have to engage all our senses in the service of the supreme senses. That is perfection of life. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).

So the beginning is that the first number, one, number one sense, the tongue, you try to control by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Subdue means if you apply your senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then your senses are subdued automatically.

Just like if you make your promise that "I shall take only kṛṣṇa-prasādam," then your nonsense eating or satisfying the tongue by nonsense eating—immediately stopped. That is subdued. God does not say that "You starve." God does not say. Or "You do not eat nice things." But God says, "You eat really nice things; don't eat nonsense nice things." Instead of eating nonsense meat, you eat sweetballs. You see? It is not stoppage, but giving better.

So better food, better consciousness, better knowledge, better, life, better association—what you want more? Better philosophy. What do you want more? Naturally "attains the supreme spiritual peace." His everything is better; there must be... The result must be the better, the supreme peace. All right. (devotees offer obeisances) (break) Any question?

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

That is all right. There is no question of stopping the senses. It is not possible. If you want to stop the work of the senses, that is not possible. Simply we have to purify the senses.

Just like when you are diseased, your senses are under certain symptoms of the disease. Just like I am feeling the tongue. Whatever I am eating, the tongue is tasting bitter. Bitter. That is the symptom of my disease. So we haven't got to cut the tongue altogether, but we have to make treatment so that we can taste properly. There is practical example. One who is suffering from jaundice, if you give him something sweet, sugar candy, he'll taste it bitter. Although sugar candy is not bitter, but due to his illness, due to his jaundice disease... You'll... You can make a practical test of it. But at the same time, that sugar candy is the medicine for jaundice. If a man is suffering from jaundice, if you simply give him water and sugar candy... You just moisten sugar candy at night, and just early in the morning you get a glass of sweet sugar candy water. Oh, within very short time you'll be cured from jaundice disease.

Similarly, this restriction, do-not... When we make spiritual life progressive, there are certain restriction, and they may seem at the present stage very bitter. Very bitter. But that is the way. We have to accept. Therefore it is called saṁyatendriyaḥ. And if we can make progress in that way, restrained sense gratification and following the rules and regulations, then we are sure to acquire the knowledge.

Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:

And in this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends, kalau—kalau means in this age of Kali—nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva: there is no other process feasible, no other process. Any process of self-realization will be very, very difficult. But here is a process; even if you have nothing, you can simply... God has given you this tongue, and God has given you this ear. Simply sit down. If you cannot, I mean to say, utilize your tongue in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you simply sit down and let others chant and you hear. You get the benefit.

Who can give you more feasible program of self-realization than this? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation, "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative," is a fact. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Simply chant and you get the result. And those who are chanting, those who have joined this movement, those who are seriously engaged, ask them how they are advancing, how they are realizing. The method is very simple. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

This expansion in the material world is being done in contact with matter. And in the spiritual world, that expansion can be done in spirit. Here in the material world I am spirit soul. I am different from this body because this body is matter and I am living. I am living force, but this material body is not living force. And in the spiritual world there is everything living force. There is no dead matter. Therefore the body is also spiritual. Just like water with water, water, that's all. But water and oil—distinction. Similarly, I am spirit soul, I am the oil. So I am in the water, so there is distinction. But if I am put into the oil, then everything's all right. So the impersonalists, they do not develop body. They simply remain as spirit particle. That is their idea. But we Vaiṣṇava, we want to serve Kṛṣṇa, therefore we require hands, legs and mouth and tongue, everything. So we are giving such body. As you are getting this body from the womb of the mother, similarly we get body in the spiritual world. Not from the womb of the mother, but there is process to get, you can get.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

You are victorious. You become topmost yogi. Because after all, the yoga system is, yoga indriya saṁyama. Yoga means to control the senses. And above the sense, the mind. So if you control the mind, the senses are controlled automatically. Your tongue wants to eat something nonsense, but if your mind is strong, mind says, "No. You cannot eat. You cannot eat anything except kṛṣṇa-prasāda." Then tongue is controlled. So senses are controlled by the mind. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). My body means senses, my activities means sensual activities, that's all. But above the senses is the mind. Above the mind is the intelligence. And above the intelligence is the spirit soul. If one is on the spiritual platform, on the soul platform, then his intelligence is spiritualized, his mind is spiritualized, his senses are spiritualized, he is spiritualized. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because actually the spirit soul is working but he has given his power of attorney to this nonsense mind. He is sleeping. But when he's awakened, the master is awakened, the servant cannot do anything nonsense. Similarly if you are awakened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your intelligence, your mind, or your senses cannot act nonsensically. They must according to that. That is spiritualization. That is called purification.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

" Na ati aśnatas yogo 'sti na ca ekāntam anaśnataḥ (BG 6.16). "A person," I mean to say, "willfully trying to keep himself in starvation, he cannot perform yoga. Neither the person who eats more than he requires, he also cannot perform yoga." The eating process should be moderate, only for keeping the body and soul together. Not for enjoyment of the tongue. So that is the real yogic process, that you cannot eat very palatable things. Because as soon as palatable things comes before us, naturally if I take one, I must take two, three, four. You see? So so far yogis are concerned, they cannot take any palatable desirable things. They have to simply take only the necessities. Some of the yogis, I have seen, there was one yogi in Calcutta... Of course, in a temple, in a sanctified place. He was taking once only a little quantity of rice boiled with water, at three o'clock in the afternoon he was taking. That was his food and nothing more. Nothing more.

So nātyaśnatas tu yogo 'sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ na cāti svapna-śīlasya. "If anyone dreams very much, he cannot also execute." Now, here Śrī Kṛṣṇa does not say that there is dreamless sleep. Dreamless sleep cannot be possible. It is not possible. If somebody says, "dreamless sleep," it is also another lunacy. No. Dream there must be, more or less. As soon as you go asleep, oh, dream there must be. That may be good dream, bad dream, or for long time or for little time. But dream there must be. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that na ca ati svapna-śīlasya.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Therefore the conclusion is if you want peace without anxiety, then you have to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other alternative. It is practical. Just try to understand.

Therefore here it is said, "By meditating in this manner, meditating upon Me, Kṛṣṇa, always controlling the body." The first control is tongue. And the next control is the genital. Then you control everything. You give your tongue engagement for chanting and eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda, it is controlled, finished. And as soon as your tongue is controlled, immediately your stomach is controlled, immediately next your genital is controlled. Simple thing. Controlling the body, mind. Mind being fixed on Kṛṣṇa, no other engagement, controlled. Activities always doing Kṛṣṇa's work. Gardening, typing, cooking, working, everything for Kṛṣṇa—activities. "The mystic transcendentalist then—immediately they become mystic transcendentalist—attains to peace, the supreme nirvāṇa, which abides in Me." It is all in Kṛṣṇa. You cannot find out peace outside Kṛṣṇa activities. Outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

Our purpose for inviting you in the love feast is that: replace Kṛṣṇa prasāda with your all nonsense foodstuff. They are not healthy. These are healthy food. Healthy food. Palatable, healthy food. So, eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda, nice prasāda. If your tongue wants some nice palatable dishes we can supply you hundreds, thousands, offered to Kṛṣṇa. Samosā and this sweet ball, rasagullā, so many things we can supply. You are not prohibited. But don't take too much. "Oh, it is very palatable, let me take one dozen of rasagullā." No, don't take that. (laughs) Then that is not good. That is greediness. You should simply take so much as will keep your body fit, that's all. You should sleep so much as will keep your body fit, that's all. Nothing more. Yuktāhāra vihārasya yogo bhavati siddha. This is called yukta. We should eat simply for keeping healthy condition. We shall sleep simply for keeping healthy condition. But if you can reduce, that's nice. But not at the risk of becoming sick.

Because in the beginning, because we are accustomed to eat voraciously, so don't try to eat less artificially. You eat. But try to minimize. Therefore there are prescription of fasting. At least two compulsory fastings in a month.

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

If I am very much angry I cannot check myself. I do something which I ought not to do. Sometimes in anger kills his own men. This is called vegam, pushing. So pushing of the talking, pushing of the anger. Similarly pushing of the mind. Mind dictates, "You must go at once there." Immediately. Pushing of the talking, pushing of the mind, pushing of the anger. Then jihvā-vegam. Jihvā-vegam means tongue. I want to taste such nice things. Some sweetballs or something else which I like very much. So one has to control this. One has to control his talking unnecessarily. One has to control his mind, dictation of mind. The yoga practice only on the mind. But our Kṛṣṇa conscious practice ... except mind there are so many other things.

Just like anger, tongue. then jihvā-vegam. Then udara-vegam. From tongue come little down. Udara means belly. The belly is already filled up, still I want to fill it more. That is called vegam, pushing of the belly. And when there is so much pushing of the tongue and pushing of the belly, the next underneath the genital, there is force of the genital. Then I require some sex. If I eat more, if I use my tongue unnecessarily, if I allow my mind to do anything and everything, then I cannot check my genital also. There will be sex urge which I cannot check. In this way there are so many pushing. Rūpa Gosvāmī says one who has control over all this pushing machine, he can become spiritual master. Not that spiritual master is manufactured. One has to learn this. How to check the pushing of these things. Etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ (NOI 1). One who can control over these pushing and remain dhīraḥ, steady, pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt: He can make disciples all over the world. Open. Yes.

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

That instrument you have got. This mṛdaṅga and the cymbal. Just vibrate. It is very simple instrument. The instrument is your tongue. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have got the, everyone has got, you haven't got to purchase. The instrument is your ear. Simply hear vibration. You have got all the instruments with you. You haven't got to purchase or hire from anywhere. You have got the tongue and you have got the ear. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and use this instrument to hear. Finished. All perfection is there. It doesn't require to be educated scientist and philosopher, this or that, nothing. Simply you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear. Everything is there. Everyone has got these instruments. You haven't got to pay any tax. You use electrical energy you have to pay for it. But here you have got everything complete. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything created by God is complete. Don't you see this earth? Take the aggregate existence of this earth. It is complete. There is sufficient water stock in the sea and oceans. The sunlight is acting, evaporating the water and it is turned into ocean. Then it is overcast all over the land and there is production. And there is river flowing down.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

These imperfect senses cannot realize Kṛṣṇa as He is. Then the process is sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you become submissive, if you develop the spirit of service to Kṛṣṇa, either as servant or as friend or as parent or as lover, if you begin to give service to the Supreme Lord... The beginning of service is chanting. Therefore it is said, jihvādau. Jihvādau means, jihva means tongue. Tongue. Your service begins by the tongue. How? By the tongue you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and by the tongue you can taste Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. So the beginning process is very nice. You chant Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and whatever little prasādam is offered to you by Kṛṣṇa by His kindness, you accept it. Then the result will be that sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you become submissive and if you begin this service, chanting and eating prasādam, then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ, simply by these two kinds of practices, Kṛṣṇa will Himself reveal Himself before you, "I am like this." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by speculation. No, that is not possible, because your senses are imperfect. But if you begin this process of service, then it will be possible that one day Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you, "I am like this."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

When you... First of all you begin, how to try to learn how to love God. And when you are actually on the platform of love, prema, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti, you will see God always in His form. He becomes revealed. You haven't got to try to see, but He will reveal. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When you engage your tongue... That beginning is tongue. Jihvādau sevonmukhe. If you begin your service... God cannot be understood by our challenging mood. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "First of all surrender. Then try to understand." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). When you surrender, and by that surrendering process, when you are free from the resultant action of sinful activities, then you can appreciate God, not that God is my order-supplier: "Please come. I will see You." No. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya. You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You know all these things.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are... Why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārīs, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now. Therefore the śāstra says,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra with your tongue. Take prasādam of Kṛṣṇa. You will gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you will understand what is God. That is the process.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

This is the idea. We have to understand. It is a science. Just like the holy name of the Lord. It is as good as the Lord Himself. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). When we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this means Kṛṣṇa is dancing on my tongue. Otherwise why these people are chanting twenty-four hours, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa"? If you ask them to chant some other name, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," it will be not possible. He will be tired: "No more." But you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. You'll never feel tired. That is the proof that the holy name of God and God is nondifferent.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

What is their business? Simply describing Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's activities. So similarly, if we engage our mind unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and we describe about His pastimes and see His form... Mind, we have got senses. So eyes engaged in seeing the form, nose engaged in smelling the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa, tongue engaged in tasting caraṇāmṛta and prasādam, hands engaged in cleansing this temple or touching the feet of the devotees. In this way, when all your senses will be engaged, your life will be successful. This is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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

So do anything. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, that is yajña. That is yajña. And one should live for that purpose. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yam. Work very hard, but yajñārthe. And if you work so hard like ass and cats and dog simply for satisfying your tongue or belly or the genital, a straight line, then you are going to hell. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Then you are becoming bound up by the laws of nature. If you eat and sleep and act like dog, then become dog next life. And if you act like god, then you'll get god, very easy thing. So whatever you like, you can do. But the śāstra gives you direction, yajñārthe. "Act, work, work hard for pleasing the Supreme Lord." Yajñārthe. Otherwise you will be bound up in the cycle of birth and death. Don't do it.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If we simply speculate, our senses, it is not possible to understand. But if we take to this process, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau... Jihvā, this tongue, can be engaged in two processes. You can glorify Lord Kṛṣṇa. Simply glorify Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so great, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, Kṛṣṇa is so opulent, Kṛṣṇa is so powerful. Why you make Kṛṣṇa as imperson? He has got so many qualities, transcendental qualities. What would you gain simply by saying that Kṛṣṇa is nirākāra, finish all business? No. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa, how much powerful He is, how much strong He is, how beautiful he is, how learned, wise He is, and hear from Him. The śāstras are there. Why you stop your business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness simply by saying that Kṛṣṇa is nirākāra? Kṛṣṇa is not nirākāra. How He can be nirākāra? Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means He has got transcendental form. If He hasn't got transcendental form, how these great ācāryas are worshiping Him—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Lord Caitanya, and all the great ācāryas? Does it mean they are making a farce?

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

Enjoyment means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. To eat very nicely and to sleep very nicely, to enjoy sex life very nicely and to make defense force, this is called enjoyment, material enjoyment. If I am secure by defense force and if I have got good bank balance, if I have got a very nice, beautiful wife and if I eat sumptuously to the satisfaction of my tongue, I think I am very much successful. But that is not success. Success is different thing. This is called bhukti, material enjoyment. So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. When one is fed up with this hard working for material enjoyment and get little sense above material enjoyment, gets little sense for spiritual understanding... That we have discussed yesterday. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). That is knowledge. To work hard like an ass for sense gratification, that is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing. Siddhi means to understand the spiritual identification and work for it. That is called siddhi. So the attempt for such thing is called mukti, to get rid of the material entanglement. So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. There are three stages. So siddhi means when one understands his spiritual identity and tries to make his life perfect on that platform, that is called siddhi. Otherwise, bhukti mukti.

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

That's all." This is Kṛṣṇa business. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. That is called the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Siddhi. Here it is, siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means to understand "What is my position? Why I am working so hard day and night for simply for sense gratification, for satisfying the tongue, to fulfill the belly, and satisfy the genital? This is my business. That is being done by the dogs and hog." When one comes to this sense, that "Shall I work like the cats, dogs, and hogs, or I have got any other business?" that is human life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. All of them working like hogs and dogs. They do not know there is something other. This is the position. And the modern civilization means keep him in the darkness, that "Let him work hard like hogs and dogs, and don't give him any knowledge." Neither they know, the so-called leaders, what is the perfection. They think, "This is life: work like hog and dog, and then die like hog and dog, finish all business." This is not human life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They do not know what is perfection of life. Therefore we sometimes... We do not say. Kṛṣṇa says. And if we repeat Kṛṣṇa's words, the rascals, they become angry. Actually they are rascals. We plainly say. Because he does not know. If I ask him, "What is your next life?" he cannot answer.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered the Jagannātha temple, as soon as He saw Kṛṣṇa, immediately He fainted because His eyes were prepared to see Kṛṣṇa.

So we have to prepare our eyes to see. We have to prepare our ears to hear about Kṛṣṇa. In this way we can see Kṛṣṇa. And this is the process, how to... Just like we use our tongue. That is one of our senses. So Kṛṣṇa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Everyone drinks water. So he tastes it, relishes the taste of the water. So as soon as he relishes the taste of the water, according to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā, he can see Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, by the tongue you can eat bhagavat-prasādam, the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you taste the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, you immediately remember Kṛṣṇa, how nicely Kṛṣṇa has taken this foodstuff. So by the tongue you can begin. Simply by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, without reading any Vedic literature, without reading even Bhagavad-gītā, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, "How nicely Kṛṣṇa has tasted this foodstuff," you become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

Nāma, the holy name of the Lord, is completely spiritual. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇa. He is... Nāma is, name is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ. Those who are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without any offense, they are tasting spiritual nectarine. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has written a śloka that "If I could possess millions of ears and millions of tongues, then I could enjoy what is the transcendental mellow in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. But that is not possible for ordinary human being in the beginning. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These impurified senses cannot appreciate the value of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Nāma-ādi, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His form, His activities... There are so many things, beginning with nāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. As we go on chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma ,Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and as we become purified... The more we chant, we become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

Seeing means directly perception. When I say, "Let me see what is this mango," you are seeing already. Here seeing means tasting. "Let me see the mango." That means seeing means tasting.

So we have got so many senses. And we taste different senses. We can see by eyes. We can taste by the tongue. We can hear by the ear. We can smell by the nose. We can touch by the hand. So we have got all senses. And by senses we get experience. So if you try to experience Kṛṣṇa by this process, that whenever you drink something liquid and taste it very nicely, you consider "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa realization? And because you'll remember Kṛṣṇa... Actually that taste is Kṛṣṇa. Because that water is also Kṛṣṇa. Water is Kṛṣṇa in this sense: the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like fire and the heat. Heat is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. So heat and fire is not distinct. They are the same. Still, the heat is not fire. This is called acintya-bhedābheda philosophy, simultaneously one and different. Simultaneously. Everything. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. It requires only realization that "Whole universe is Kṛṣṇa." Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān. But it appears different from Bhagavān. Actually, it is not different. You have to understand by purified senses. That is required. Unless you have got purified senses, you cannot understand. But this is the beginning: raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). You just try to understand. This rasa... It is said by Kṛṣṇa. It is not our manufacture.

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

The purification... That is bhakti. Bhakti-mārga, devotional service means purifying the senses. That's all. The, at the present moment, our senses are covered by māyā, and this māyā can be moved away simply by remembering in every step Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That, that sevonmukha, that is the devotional service. Jihvādau. You simply engage your jihvā. Jihvā means tongue. The tasting is also tongue. Without tongue, you cannot taste. Therefore it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: "The beginning, beginning of purification, is to use your tongue in this devotional service." So our prescription is therefore that you use your tongue for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and employ your tongue for tasting Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. It is not at all difficult. There is no need of studying, mean, higher knowledge in the Vedic principle. That will auto, automatically will be revealed.

Therefore it is said: sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you apply your ear only... As it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, or hearing of Kṛṣṇa's word... Just like you are hearing the words of Bhagavad-gītā. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. This is His own word. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Either you hear or you chant. Because śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam... (SB 7.5.23).

Lecture on BG 7.9-10 -- Bombay, February 24, 1974:

These are forbidden in the śāstras, and they are doing that. Why? Because they are mad. Why they are so mad? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Now, yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti: "Simply for sense gratification." That's all. Simply for sense gratification. Not for any big but to satisfy the senses. "Oh, oh, my tongue is asking for a cigarette, asking for wine. All right, give the tongue wine." Why? Without cigarette, without wine, you shall die? "No, I want to satisfy my tongue." Indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. "So why it is sinful?" It is sinful in this way, that... Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti, na sādhu manye (SB 5.5.4). "Oh, it is not good." Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada. Ātmā, ātmā is eternal, but he is covered by this material body. Asann api. You can say, "All these material bodies, they are for a few years." But it is kleśada, it is so much miserable. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9). People have lost their brain. They do not know what is actually unhappiness, miserable condition. They have no... "All right..." That is all... Animals, the animals do not know. He's going to the slaughterhouse. "All right, let me go." That's all.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

Yes. It can be manifested. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which we are preaching. In the Vedic literature it is said that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Indriya means the senses. We perceive or we get knowledge through the instruments of different senses—eyes, ear, or smelling, tongue, touch. These are our five sense for gathering knowledge. And there are five senses for working. So we have got ten senses. And the ten senses are being conducted by the mind. So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ.

Now, because Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is complete spirit and He's absolute, therefore His name is also spirit; His name, His form, His quality, His, I mean to say, opulence, His paraphernalia—everything is spiritual. But at the present moment, due to our material bondage or condition, we cannot understand what is spiritual. But this ignorance can be moved by this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. How it is? I'll give you example. Just like a man is sleeping. A man is sleeping. How you can awake him? By vibration of sound. "Mr. such-and-such, just get up. Get up! The time is up." Although he is now practically unconscious, he cannot see, he cannot, er, still, that hearing process is so prominent that a sleeping man can be awakened by vibration of sound.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

If you engage your talking simply on the matter of describing Kṛṣṇa, if you engage your mind always on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, if you engage your legs for going to the temple of Kṛṣṇa, if you engage your hand for cleansing the temple of Kṛṣṇa, if you engage your nose for smelling the flower offered to Kṛṣṇa, if you engage your tongue for tasting prasādam which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, in this way, if your all senses are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become the topmost yogi. Because yoga perfection means yoga indriya-saṁyamya. The practice of yoga means to control the mind and the senses. This is the purpose of yoga, not for playing any juggling. But sometimes the yogis become so powerful, they get some perfection, aṇimā, laghimā-siddhi, they get. But that is not the prime object of yoga. Yoga, yoga practice means that one becomes controller of the senses and the mind, and then they can perfectly meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. This is yogis' business: dhyānāvasthita, by meditation, tad-gata-manasā, spiritualized mind, or completely absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yam..., they can see, they can see God, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, within the heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paramātmā, He is situated in everyone's heart. You haven't got to search out. He is there within your heart.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

"These living entities," Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My part and parcels. But foolish rascals, they're creating concoction, mental speculation, to become happy." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi. And according to their mentality they are getting a different type of body, indriyāṇi. Indriyāṇi, the... As I was explaining in one morning, the pig has got also tongue, that is indriya, sense, and I have got also tongue, but his tongue will like to eat stool. We won't like. Because the different body, the tongue is also tasteful in different way. So indriyāṇi. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi. First of all with subtle mind we create a different type of indriya. If we live like dogs and hogs, then that mentality will give me similar senses, the body of a dog and hog. And we change our taste according to dog and hog. Similarly, we can change our taste according to the body of demigods. But the subject matter of tasting or enjoyment is the same. Eating, sleeping, sex and defense. That will continue. But the quality of eating may be different. Not the quality, but the form may be different.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

They'll predominate me. The senses will predominate me. Actually, we are, at the present moment, we are servants of the senses. My senses dictate something. I am obliged to do it. I cannot avoid it.

A simple thing: as soon as my tongue dictates, "Please smoke," oh, immediately I have to take one cigarette. Immediately. If somebody does not smoke, then he asks permission. Sometimes... We do not smoke. Sometimes some gentleman comes and he becomes too much agitated by not smoking, say, for five minutes or ten minutes. He asks permission, "Swamiji, can I smoke?" He's being predominated. He does not know. He's thinking that "I am smoking," but he does not know that smoking is eating him. He's thinking that "I am enjoying LSD," but LSD is killing him. This is the position. It's killing him. So because he does not know that who is the predominator, therefore cyavanti, he's falling down. He's falling down. So best thing is intelligence. Best intelligence is to accept Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, as the predominator and be predominated by Him. That is our natural life. One who does not know, he falls down. Na tu mām abhijānanti tattvena... Tattvena, by truth. Simply to know Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa was somebody born in India, and He was very powerful and He was very intelligent. He has written Bhagavad-gītā..." But we do not know actually what Kṛṣṇa is. And this society especially meant to broadcast the knowledge about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have named particularly this society the Society for Krishna Consciousness. There is the... People do not know it.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So He can be known how? That is also described—sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ: when you become in a submissive attitude and you chant. Jihvādau. Jihvādau means the realization begins from the tongue. God realization begins from the tongue. Therefore the tongue's function is to eat and to vibrate sound. So these two processes, vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare and eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda... You cannot allow your tongue to taste anything and everything. If you can control your tongue for eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda and if you engage your tongue in vibrating the transcendental sound Hare Kṛṣṇa, then sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234).

By this submissive process that "I surrender my tongue to the Supreme Personality of Godhead," then by controlling the tongue, you controlling all other senses. You go to a straight line from the tongue to the down, all senses will be controlled. And if you cannot control your tongue, then you cannot control your senses.

So the first and foremost thing is that you control your tongue. Don't allow your tongue to taste everything and anything. Kṛṣṇa has given us so many nice preparations. Day before yesterday we were present here.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

We had feasting. Everybody had tasted. So many nice things we have got. Kṛṣṇa baṛo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. Our tongue is very fastidious. He wants to taste this, taste this, taste this. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives us varieties of prasādam so you can taste them, you can satisfy your desire at the same time you become spiritually advanced. This is a nice process.

It is not that in this association you have to do this. You can learn this art, and you can have it in your home. You can also prepare such preparation, nice preparation, at your home, offer to Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult. We every day prepare and offer to Kṛṣṇa and chant the mantra,

namo brahmaṇya-devāya
go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
govindāya namo namaḥ

That's all. It is not very hard. Everyone can prepare the foodstuff and offer to Kṛṣṇa and then take it, and then with family members or with friends you can sit down and chant before the picture of Kṛṣṇa,

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

and live a pure life. Just see the result. If every home, every person, takes to this principle of understanding Kṛṣṇa, it will become... The whole world will become Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means where there is no anxiety. Vaikuṇṭha. Vai means without, and kuṇṭha means anxiety. This world is full of anxiety. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5).

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Then you become master. You become master. That is swami. In similar way, if you can control your all your senses... Now, the sense gratification... The most important task for controlling the sense is the tongue. I have several times explained that the tongue is the beginning of all senses. So if you can control the tongue, then you can control other senses also. And if you cannot control the tongue, then you cannot control other senses. So you should begin controlling the senses.

The tongue has two functions: to taste and to vibrate. Vibrate

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

and taste kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Just see how you are making advancement. This is called damaḥ. So as soon as you are able to control your senses, naturally you shall be able to control your mind. That is called śamaḥ. So these are the processes. So we have to practice this process and learn this process from reliable sources and assimilate them in our life. That is the real utilization of this human form of life. We should learn it, we should practice it, and make our life successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

Body means the senses. The senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42). So we have to transcend this bodily concept of life. Bodily concept of life means sense gratification. That's all. The, the bodily... I am, because I'm thinking I am this body, therefore I must satisfy my eyes by seeing something beautiful. I must satisfy my tongue by eating so many things which are even forbidden in the śāstras. But my tongue wants it. I must take it. So bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life. But gradually, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by training ourself, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our business will be how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Now we are satisfying our senses. That is bodily concept of material existence. And when we train ourself how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, oh, then, that is our perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The process is there. Either you satisfy your senses or you satisfy the proprietor of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means "the senses." And Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21). Hṛṣīkeśa. Tvayā hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣṭitena.(?) So Hṛṣīkeśa. So bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Now hṛṣīka means indriya. At the present moment, we are satisfying the senses. For the sense only.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

At the present moment, we are satisfying the senses. For the sense only. We have no other higher objective. Sense wants to eat something palatable. Although it is not good for me, either from health point of view, or spiritual point of view...

Just like eating meat or drinking intoxication. This is not good, either for health or for my spiritual advancement. But because my tongue wants it, I have become my servant of my tongue. I want should be satisfied. This is the material condition. Because I, I don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, I want to serve my tongue. Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre. We have got different senses. Out of all the senses, this tongue is very strong. Tongue is very strong. Therefore śāstra says: ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By these blunt senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. What is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's fame, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality... We cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

So śāstra says that it can be made easy. It can be made easy. How? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). If you simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. This one method. Simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. God will be revealed. (aside:) Come on. God will reveal Himself. You cannot see God. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa. But when He reveals Himself... Just like at night you cannot see the sun. But when the sun reveals himself, it is not by your effort. In due course of time, sun will arise in the morning. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, you can see the whole world. So try to reveal Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa. Because with your eyes. with your senses, these material blunt senses we cannot see. It is not... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi... (end)

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

So people do not understand these things. Kṛṣṇa therefore explaining that "This body..." Mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro buddhir avyaktaṁ eva ca indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca. Indriyāṇi, these ten senses, five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for acting, ten, and the mind, ten and one, eleven... Indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca pañca cendriya-gocaraḥ. Indriya-gocaraḥ, the object of sense gratification, tan-mātra. Just like rūpa-rasa-gandha-śabda-sparśa. Beauty. Rūpa-rasa, taste. Rūpa-rasa-gandha, smell; śabda, sound; sparśa, touch. These are the objects of enjoyment. Our eyes are there. We are hankering after seeing very beautiful things. Rūpa-rasa. The tongue is there. We are always trying to taste very nice eatables. Gandha. Nose is there. We want to smell very flavorable flowers and other things. In this way we have got indriyas, senses, and this body made of gross elements, and the ahaṅkāra and buddhi, buddhi. Mano buddhir ahaṅkāraḥ. These are the subtle body. In this way this kṣetra, this body, is combination of all these things. Combination of all these things. Now it is very...

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

You cannot allow the mind to do anything and everything, but it must be controlled. Sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ. Indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam. Indriyārtheṣu.

For the matter of sense gratification you have to practice vairāgya. Indriya. Our all the indriyas—eyes, tongue, nose—they are very much, I mean to say, affected or attracted. Eyes, always attracted by beauty. "I want to see very beautiful thing." But you can control the eyes when you practice to see the beautiful feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. Therefore the Deity should be very nicely decorated so layman like us may be attracted by the beauty of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Gradually, he will forget to see any other beauty. This is the practice of indriyārtheṣu. Indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam.

Actually the whole life is meant for understanding vairāgya, renouncement. Human life is not meant for becoming more and more attached to the material enjoyment. Human life is meant for tapasya, vairāgya. Here it is said, vairāgyam, anahaṅkāra, and false prestige, false identification. "Oh, am this. I must do this." That is... In the beginning it is taught, amānitvam, anahaṅkāram.

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Another place Arjuna has addressed Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkeśa. No, I mean to say Sañjaya said "Hṛṣīkeśa." So Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. So hṛṣīka means indriya, senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. We have got our hands and legs, we have got our mouth, we have got our tongue, everything we have got. That's all right, but the real knowledge means to realize that these hands, legs, tongue, eyes, ears—everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That is knowledge.

Therefore bhakti means to become liberated from the false understanding that "This is my leg, my head." No. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When we become purified... Purified means at the present moment we have got this false knowledge, "This is my hand, this is my leg." When we become purified, we understand that "This is Kṛṣṇa's leg, Kṛṣṇa's hand, Kṛṣṇa's eyes." That is wanted. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

My hands should be engaged for cleansing this temple. My hands should be engaged for cooking Kṛṣṇa's food." In this way. "My hands should be utilized for writing for Kṛṣṇa, glorifying Kṛṣṇa. My legs should be used for going to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. My eyes should be used for seeing beauty of Kṛṣṇa. My ears should be used for hearing glories of Kṛṣṇa. My tongue should be used for chanting Kṛṣṇa's holy name." That is mukti.

Mukti is not a very difficult thing. You can attain mukti in a second simply if you agree, as Kṛṣṇa says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi (mā śucaḥ)
(BG 18.66)

That ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, this is mukti, mokṣayiṣyāmi. So Kṛṣṇa is offering you this mukti. Muktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt. Viraktir anyatra syāt. When you understand that "These hands and legs belong to Kṛṣṇa, so I am misusing them. So long I have misused them. I use for my personal sense gratification or expanded sense gratification." The so-called socialism, nationalism, this ism, that..., that is also sense gratification but it is expanded sense gratification. First of all... (break)

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

He's simply exposed, He can reveal Himself, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234), when one engages himself in the devotional service beginning with the tongue. The devotional service begins with the tongue. Now, it is also another astonishment. Service with the tongue. Yes. Service with the tongue means if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that requires tongue. And if you simply take kṛṣṇa-prasāda, that requires tongue. With these two business of the tongue you can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take kṛṣṇa-prasāda, and gradually you'll understand what is God. Therefore this word is used, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Because by using the tongue you develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And Kṛṣṇa being satisfied with you love... Because real thing is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Here we are offering a little food, little leaf, little flower. But what is the essence? What is the value of flower? Value, there is practically no value. But yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. The real value is that the flower is offered with devotion, the food is offered with devotion.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

There must be bhakti. And what kind of bhakti? Not sentiment but śruta-gṛhītayā, taking, accepting bhakti, the devotional path, after being completely aware of the spiritual science. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā.

Śruta. The specific meaning of śruta means this knowledge has to be received through the ear, through the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Śruta-gṛhītayā. It is never explained in the Vedic literature that the science of God can be understood by the eyes. No. It has been mentioned, the tongue and the ear. These are the sources. Śruta-gṛhītayā. One must hear the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is called, therefore, śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Śrotriyam. Formerly there was no book. The students used to hear from the spiritual master. Śruta, śrotriyam. That was perfect. There was no need of literacy. That ear is sufficient. Śruta-gṛhītayā. Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya...(SB 1.2.12). And hearing, hearing, hearing, one becomes enlightened with knowledge, and the effect of knowledge is vairāgya. Vairāgya, detachment. Otherwise, we, hearing or studying... But there is no vairāgya.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

Just like these boys, these American, European boys, Indian boys, who are working for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. They are simply engaging their senses in the service of the master of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are making progress. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When you engage your tongue in the loving service of the Lord, He becomes revealed. He manifests Himself. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna... (BG 18.61). He is already there within your heart, and if you become purified... Tat-paratvena nirmalam, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), if you become nirmala, if you become purified...

How you can become purified? Tat-paratvena. Just being absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. If you simply remain always in fire, then you remain always warm. There is no possibility of being caught by the chilly coldness. That is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā mama māyā duratyayā.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Just like Bhagavad-gītā is scripture. So firm faith... Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "You simply always think of Me, Hare Kṛṣṇa." Not difficult. Bhava Kṛṣṇa has given you the tongue. Every one of you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the... You have no expenditure but great gain. You become highly elevated gradually by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now, Kṛṣṇa says personally man-manāḥ: "Always think of Me." Not only that, anyone who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, twenty-four hours, Kṛṣṇa gives him the certificate—the topmost yogi.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
(BG 6.47)

So Kṛṣṇa says... This is called theism, believing in the śāstra. Any śāstra. It doesn't mean that simply... All śāstras, according to time, circumstances, people, there're different śāstras. The Bible is also śāstra. Koran is also śāstra as much as... They are spoken according to the time, according to the circumstances.

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

If you want to train the first-class men then they should be qualified like this. Śamaḥ, śamaḥ means controlling the senses. Controlling the senses, śamaḥ. Damaḥ, controlling the mind. These are very disturbing elements, our senses are very disturbing elements. My eye is dictating, "Please take me to see that naked dance," Yes. "Yes, come on, I'm going." So, the eyes are dictating some way, the tongue is dictating some way, the ear is dictating some way. Therefore, one should be trained up not to be dictated by the senses, but he must be master of the senses. That is called śamaḥ. And damaḥ, mind is dictating something. You should not be carried away by the dictation of the mind, but mind should be carried by your dictation. That is called damaḥ. These are the qualities of the first-class man. Not that because I have got some degrees and I'm dictated by my mind and senses. He is not first-class man. He's not first-class man. Because he's the servant of the senses. How he can be first-class man? One must be the master of the senses. Then he is first-class man.

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

This is instruction. So here is the lakṣaṇam, symptom, who is brāhmaṇa: śamaḥ. Śamaḥ means controlling the sense, controlling the mind. In every circumstances mind is steady; that is called śamaḥ. And damaḥ means senses, controlling the senses. My tongue is dried up, asking for a cigarette. Now, if I am brāhmaṇa, then I shall say, "No, you cannot smoke." That is damaḥ. That is damaḥ. A senses may dictate me... We are... Now, at the present moment, we are all servants of senses. I have already explained that our real occupational duty is to become servant. So instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, we are now servant of our senses. This is our material life. So if you, instead of becoming servant of the senses, if you become master of the senses, then you are a brāhmaṇa. Then you are a brāhmaṇa. Not that you remain a servant of the senses and because you are born in a brāhmaṇa family you remain a brāhmaṇa. This is miscalculation. This is not allowed.

Page Title:Tongue (Lectures, BG ch 4 - 18)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:23 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=65, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:65