Twenty-three (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"twenty-three"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So our yoga system is not like that, that we whole day, twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes, I engage myself in all nonsensical activities, and fifteen minutes I concentrate my mind, the meditation. That kind of yoga system is not here. Here, twenty-four-hours' meditation.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

So our yoga system is not like that, that we whole day, twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes, I engage myself in all nonsensical activities, and fifteen minutes I concentrate my mind, the meditation. That kind of yoga system is not here. Here, twenty-four-hours' meditation. Even during sleeping. Twenty-four hours means during sleeping also. Life should be melded, molded in such a way that twenty-four hours you'll be able to think of Kṛṣṇa. So we are engaging our students in so many Kṛṣṇa activities. They are going to the park, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, or distributing literature. All these activities, remembering Kṛṣṇa. They have no other, I mean to say, thought except Kṛṣṇa. So this fifteen minutes, twenty-minutes, sitting, is all right. But one who is twenty-four hours thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, how far he is advanced, that can be imagined. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says personally, yoginām api sarveṣām: (BG 6.47) "Of all the yogis..."

There are different types of yogis. It is, it is not that... Just like we do some other business, twenty-three hours, forty-five minutes, and fifteen minutes we sit down for meditation. No. Twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Sadā means twenty-four hours. That is recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Anyone who is twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa service, satata-yuktānām, not sporadic, that two minutes I meditate upon Kṛṣṇa and twenty-three hours, fifty-eight minutes I remain to satisfy my senses. That is not kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti means satata-yuktānām, twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

We have to carry out the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. So you must be qualified to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must be qualified, or automatically you become qualified how to receive His order. This is the way. So unless you understand from where the order is coming, how the order-giver is speaking, if you do not know the science, how you can talk with Kṛṣṇa and receive His order? That is also not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Anyone who is twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa service, satata-yuktānām, not sporadic, that two minutes I meditate upon Kṛṣṇa and twenty-three hours sixty-eight minutes, ah, fifty-eight minutes I remain to satisfy my senses. That is not kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti means satata-yuktānām, twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like these boys are being trained up. They have not come to me for some monetary benefit. What monetary benefit I can give to them? They are rather bringing money, and I am constructing big, big temples, their money. So still they are engaged in carrying out my order. There is no payment, no monetary benefit, because they have understood me, that he is representative of Kṛṣṇa.

These boys and girls, they are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Twenty-four hours they are simply hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Twenty-four hours. Not that fifteen minutes' meditation and twenty-three hours doing all nonsense. It is twenty-four hours meditation. Even in sleeping, meditation, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

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

Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa helps him. If he comes forward one step, Kṛṣṇa comes forward ten steps. But if you do not want Kṛṣṇa, that is a different business. But one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt-satām

(SB 1.2.17)

These boys and girls, they are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Twenty-four hours they are simply hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Twenty-four hours. Not that fifteen minutes' meditation and twenty-three hours doing all nonsense. It is twenty-four hours meditation. Even in sleeping, meditation, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Ten sense organs, five subject matter of sense perception, fifteen, and these eight elements, material elements, fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and avyakta, or the living entity. And then God. In this way the whole philosophy is described. That is called sāṅkhya philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So there are eight elements, namely... They are described in Bhagavad-gītā also. Five gross elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. These are gross elements. And the subtle or finer elements are the mind, intelligence, ego. These are eight elements. And the subjects of sense perception, and ten sense organs. Ten sense organs, five subject matter of sense perception, fifteen, and these eight elements, material elements, fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and avyakta, or the living entity. And then God. In this way the whole philosophy is described. That is called sāṅkhya philosophy.

This is the process. Twenty-four hours we shall be engaged. Not that five minutes' meditation and then twenty-three hours, forty minutes engaged in other business. No. Twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

Here is the chance. You come to the temple, engage in the temple service. Naturally your mind will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. This temple is open not for making a force; just to make this process, niveśita-ātmā, always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa though. That is the process. Always, twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). This is the process. Twenty-four hours we shall be engaged. Not that five minutes' meditation and then twenty-three hours, forty minutes engaged in other business. No. Twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business. That is called niveśita-ātmā.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for engaging the people twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, twenty-four hours. Not that partial: "Twenty-three hours and sixty minutes I spoil myself in this nidrayā hriyate naktam, and for fifteen minutes I make some Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

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

One should be very serious, serious to understand the teachings of Bhāgavatam. Then he will actually make profit and make a successful life. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. This... Nityābhiyuktānām. Nityābhiyuktānām. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for engaging the people twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, twenty-four hours. Not that partial: "Twenty-three hours and sixty minutes I spoil myself in this nidrayā hriyate naktam, and for fifteen minutes I make some Kṛṣṇa consciousness." No, not like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

Sadā means twenty-four hours. You should have to mold your life in such a way that twenty-four hours you will be thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. That will make your life perfect.

Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmātra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sāṅkhya philosophy, how these twenty-four different items are combined together and work.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So the perfection of these activities, of the soul, that he has got already indriyas... We are acting with our hands, legs, ears, eyes, nose, everything, karmendriya. Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmātra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sāṅkhya philosophy, how these twenty-four different items are combined together and work. This is the study of Sāṅkhya philosophy. Yesterday we talked about sāṅkhyam. Tattvāmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyam. So there is material Sāṅkhya philosophers. They (they're) simply satisfied, simply studying these twenty-four types of elements. But the real Sāṅkhya philosophy, as propounded by Kapiladeva, that is bhakti. That is... He has said, bhakti-vitāna-yogam. The activities of the spiritual field, that is Sāṅkhya philosophy, not of the material fields. In the material field you will find these twenty-four kinds of elements analyzed, but beyond these twenty-four there is soul, and the soul is acting. That is called spiritual activities, or bhakti-yoga.

The so-called meditation for fifteen minutes and twenty-three hours all kinds of nonsense activities will never help you. Therefore meditation is out of question at the present age. I am not speaking from my own whims. It is stated in the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is direct engagement of spiritual activities. This is the concession, this is the concession of this age. We have got very little opportunity in the present age to meditate. It is very difficult. The so-called meditation for fifteen minutes and twenty-three hours all kinds of nonsense activities will never help you. Therefore meditation is out of question at the present age. I am not speaking from my own whims. It is stated in the śāstra. In the śāstra it is said that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum (SB 12.3.52). Meditation on Viṣṇu was possible in the golden age, or in the Satya-yuga. Satya-yuga means at that time the people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. And they were all perfect in religious life.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Page twenty-three. Open.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

Mādhavānanda: Thirty-two.

Prabhupāda: Not thirty-two. Twenty-three.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-three.

Prabhupāda: Page twenty-three. Open.

Mādhavānanda: Here, twenty-five, page twenty-five.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Page twenty-five?

Mādhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: Page twenty-five. I ended...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Read. Begin reading, Mādhavānanda.

Mādhavānanda: I ended on the second paragraph. Right here. "The vaiśyas are meant for pro..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Read.

Mādhavānanda: "The vaiśyas are meant for producing agricultural products, trading them and distributing them. And the working class, or śūdras, are those who haven't the intelligence of the brāhmaṇas or the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas, and therefore they are meant to help these higher classes by bodily labor. In this way, there is full cooperation and spiritual advancement amongst all the different orders of society. And when there is no such cooperation, the members of society will fall down. That is the present position..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is everywhere. Even in, in our society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society, if there is no mutual cooperation, then it will fall down immediately. So as Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, the first thing is enthusiasm, utsāhān.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Twenty-three, I think. Five gross elements, five senses, five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses, fifteen. The mind, ego, and mahat-tattva, eighteen. And then five sense objects, the rūpa, rasa, form, taste, like that. Then twenty-three.

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

Prabhupāda: It is like that. Twenty-four elements. Five material elements, three subtle elements, then five working senses and five all knowledge gathering senses—how many?

Jayatīrtha: Eighteen.

Prabhupāda: Eighteen? No.

Jayatīrtha: So far.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-three, I think. Five gross elements, five senses..., five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses, fifteen,...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then the objects...

Jayatīrtha: Three subtle...

Prabhupāda: The mind, ego, and mahat-tattva, eighteen, yes. And then five sense objects, the rūpa, rasa, form, taste, like that. Then twenty-three.

Jayatīrtha: The aggregate, pradhāna.

Prabhupāda: Pradhāna, and then the soul, twenty-five. Twenty-four and three guṇas. Three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Twenty-seven. So twenty-seven layers of garbage. Underneath, the soul is. What he will do? He is a small particle, soul, and he is covered with so many material elements. To come out of it is very very difficult. But if one is engaged in devotional service he can come out immediately. Just like when one is spiritually perfect, he goes immediately to Kṛṣṇa, penetrating these material coverings of the universe. Immediately.

General Lectures

It comes to eight. Ten. Ten knowledge-acquiring, and working senses, five. Ten. So eight, ten; eighteen. Then sense objects. Just like I have got eye, but I have to see something, dṛśya. So there are five sense objects. Eighteen and five; twenty-three. And mahat-tattva, the original stock of all material. In this way, they are called twenty-four elements.

Lecture Excerpt on Twenty-four Elements -- Los Angeles, November 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So what are these twenty-four elements? Can anyone say? If somebody asks you, "What are these twenty-four elements?" Yes? Go on, tell.

Viṣṇujana: I think I am only giving the gross ones: earth, air, fire, water, ether and intelligence, mind, intelligence and ego.

Prabhupāda: Eight, it comes to eight. Then?

Viṣṇujana: Then there's the senses, which are...

Prabhupāda: Ten. Ten knowledge-acquiring, five, and working senses, five. Ten. So eight, ten-eighteen. Then sense objects. Just like I have got eye, but I have to see something, dṛśya. So there are five sense objects. Eighteen and five-twenty-three. And mahat-tattva, the original stock of all material... In this way, they are called twenty-four elements. So this whole creation, whatever material creation we have got, they are made of these twenty-four el... Just like colors. Varieties of color means three colors: yellow, red and blue. Those who are expert in color mixing, they'll mix these three colors into eighty-one colors. Three into three equals nine; nine into nine equals eighty one. So expert colorists, they can display these three colors into eighty-one. Similarly, the material nature, of course, this is one, one energy, but within this energy there are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. By interaction of these three qualities, the manaḥ, buddhi, ahaṅkāra—the subtle elements—are manufactured, and then from the subtle elements, the grosser elements are manufactured. Then their objectives. In this way, the creation is going on. But it requires so much time to create such huge cosmic manifestation, but God is so perfect, as soon as He desires, He says, "Let there be creation." Immediately the creation. That is God.

Philosophy Discussions

Sir Isaac Newton, he died at the age of twenty-three. His picture is there in Westminster Abbey.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Atreya Ṛṣi: But there are some great scientists like Newton who studied many, many, many years and made many, many theories and then they gave it up when they realized that they couldn't go further. Newton, at a very early age, like forty-three I think, went to a monastery.

Śyāmasundara: We discussed Newton's philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Sir Isaac Newton?

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Long ago, in Africa.

Prabhupāda: No, he was Englishman.

Śyāmasundara: No, but in Africa we discussed his philosophy.

Prabhupāda: He died at the age of twenty-three. His picture is there in Westminster Abbey.

Śyāmasundara: His tomb, his grave. He is buried there.

Prabhupāda: Westminster Abbey has become now a museum.

Śyāmasundara: Graveyard and museum.

Prabhupāda: People go to see, tourist.

And women, about women, this idea that she should be married at sixteen years old, that is good, but it is not that women stops child breeding by the twenty-two years age. No. There are many women and they can beget children in advanced age.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Hayagrīva: In Walden II he advised women to get married at about the age of sixteen so that by the time she's twenty-two or twenty-three a girl will be finished with bearing children, and then she can be on an equal par with men, or her role can then be equal and she can devote her time to other interesting prospects.

Prabhupāda: What is that interesting prospects? That he doesn't know.

Hayagrīva: Well, uh, he mentions, oh, working together, types of work, all, all types of work are shared equally. Family ties are discouraged. Children are generally held in common. People can live the good life, and he defines, "The good life means the chance to exercise talents and abilities. And we have let it be so. We have time for sports, hobbies, arts and crafts, and, most important of all, the expression of that interest in the world which is science in the deepest sense, an exploration of nature. Last of all, the good life means relaxation and rest." So the, the woman would be able to participate in the good life when she's finished bearing children at the age of twenty-three or whatever.

Prabhupāda: They are, difficulty, that is missing, that what is their ideal life, what is the aim of life. So he is prescribing so many things. That will not help the human society. And women, about women, this idea that (s)he should be married at sixteen years old, that is good, but it is not that women stops child breeding by the twenty-two years age. No. There are many women and they can beget children in, in advanced age. I, so far personally I know, my mother was the youngest daughter, and she was born when my grandmother was fifty years old. So it is not that the woman stops child begetting at the age of twenty-two years age. Nowadays up to thirty years, twenty-five years, woman, woman is married, so how he, she can stop?