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Unfortunately (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"Unfortunately"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

In the Brahmā-saṁhitā it is very nicely described, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). The Lord, although resides eternally in His abode, Goloka, still He is akhilātma-bhūtaḥ, He can be approached from here also. And the Lord therefore comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), so that we may not have to imagine. There is no question of imagination. The Lord's presence, by His causeless mercy He presents Himself in His Śyāmasundara-rūpa. Unfortunately, people with less intelligence deride at Him. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). Because the Lord comes as one of us and just like plays with us as a human being, therefore we need not consider that Lord is one of us. It is His omnipotency that He presents Himself with His real form before us and displays His pastimes, just the prototype of His abode.

Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973:

God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture.

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:

Unfortunately, everyone is killing for his sense gratification in the name of religion. In the name of religion, although it is prohibited, still they are killing. Just imagine how much sinful activities they are doing. And how they can be happy?

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Because they were the neighbors, they knew that this brāhmaṇa was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gītā. So they were joking. But the brāhmaṇa did not care them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading. Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brāhmaṇa. So He asked the brāhmaṇa, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he could understand "This persons is not joking with me; He is serious." So he explained, "My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets." "Why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" So he said that, "My spiritual master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā. What can I do?

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

The Vedānta philosophy says that this human form of life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. One must be... Human being must be interested to know the Absolute Truth. That is perfection of human life. Because in the cats' and dogs' life... Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not know what is the distinction between cats and dogs and a human being. That is another defect of the modern education.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

So here in this Bhagavad-gītā, that Bhagavān is giving you knowledge. So how much perfect it is, you have to consider. Vyāsadeva could have said, "śrī-vyāsadeva uvāca." No. Bhagavān uvāca, so authoritative. So whatever He says, there cannot be any change. It is all perfect. Unfortunately, we rascals, we do not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We want to change it according to our whims.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

Because Kṛṣṇa comes down as human being, we, due to our lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge, we think Kṛṣṇa is as good as we are. But actually it is not. Kṛṣṇa is God. We are ordinary living entities. His knowledge, His power of remembrance, His power of knowing everything perfectly is different from our knowing. But unfortunately we think, "God may be little greater than me." That is that Dr. Frog philosophy.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

Similarly, acceptance of spiritual master means representative of God. Of course, he, he must be representative of God. If unfortunately I accept a bogus man as representative of..., that is my misfortune.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

Girl devotee: Is Jesus in the paramparā?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He says, "There is God. I am son of God." That is paramparā. Yes. Unfortunately nobody cares to follow Jesus Christ. That I must say. Jesus Christ says, "Thou shall not kill," and Christians are very expert to kill. (laughter) They take pride in bullfighting. This is the position. So it is very difficult to find out a real Christian.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

Unfortunately, the people at the present moment, they do not know, neither they can imagine even that there is possibility of becoming immortal. This is very important point. There is no possibility, that is fact.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

Nobody can kill. Nobody can kill consciousness, nobody can kill the soul. Therefore it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "The consciousness, or the spirit soul, is never killed, never annihilated, on the destruction of this body." So this is a great science. Unfortunately, the so-called scientist, he has no idea. He does not know. They simply say that "We do not know, but we are trying to know." That's all right. But here is the knowledge, perfect knowledge, in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

There is immense field for introducing this Hare Kṛṣṇa cult all over the world. That is practical. Unfortunately, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted the matter to every Indian... Not that to the Bengalis, because He appeared in Bengal. He never said for the Bengalis. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). "On this holy land of Bhāratavarṣa, anyone who has taken his birth as a human being, he should make his life perfect."

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

So actually, the ultimate, the last word of the Absolute Truth is person. But unfortunately, those who are mūḍhas, or less intelligent, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11), "Oh, Kṛṣṇa? He may be God, but He has become a person, taking the help of māyā." This is Māyāvāda philosophy. They are studying māyā; they put God also within māyā. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. But God is not māyā. God is never covered by māyā.

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

We have to hear. Therefore the Vedic literature is called śruti. You cannot make experiment. That is not possible. But unfortunately, there is a section of people who think that they can make experiment, they can know the Absolute by mental speculation.

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

So it is the duty of the kṣatriya... Unfortunately, the so-called government men, they are also śūdras. The so-called priests, they are also śūdras. The so-called vaiśyas, they are śūdras. The whole world is now full of śūdras. So you cannot expect anything very nice in this situation because everything is being conducted by śūdras.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

A lower animal, he has also got the consciousness. He has got also a soul. But unfortunately he hasn't got the facility, the bodily facility or developed intelligence by which he can understand that, what he is. So that is the difference between animal and human being.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

Every country has state religion. Even Pakistan, it has divided. It is now a part of India. But they have also their state religion. But unfortunately India has no state religion. That means deliberately they are trying to disconnect with God relation, godly relation. But in the same India... You just read the history, five thousand years before, how much profusely the nature was supplying.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

As spiritual beings, we are free, free to act, free to have anything, pure, no contamination, no disease, no birth, no death, no old age, and besides that, we have got many, many other qualifications in our spiritual life. So unfortunately, because we are in contact with this matter, we are hampered in so many ways. This we should understand, and this is the opportunity; this human life is the only opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, then it may be that in our next life we may not have again this nice, civilized human form of life according to our karma.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path. Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father."

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

You'll find that on the material platform, on the bodily conception of life, if you work for eight hours, you'll feel fatigued. But spiritual purpose, if you work more than twenty-four hours... Unfortunately, you haven't got more than twenty-four hours at your disposal. Still, you won't feel fatigued. I tell you. This is my practical experience. This is my practical experience.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

In some yoga institute, I have seen the members, they come. They hear, and they are hearing and coming for the last ten years. But unfortunately, they have not learned even the preliminary instruction of yoga.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

And if somebody is at all interested for some spiritual enlightenment, then, unfortunately, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ, they adopt some spiritual method which is not recognized. Spiritual realization with relationship with God is spiritual realization. The whole spiritual realization means one must understand his relationship with the Supreme Lord. But generally in this age they want to avoid the conception of God, and at the same time, they want to be spiritually advanced. Therefore they are called sumanda-matayaḥ, a, I mean to say, a very degraded form of spiritual realization, without conception of God.

Lecture on BG 3.14 -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

Lord Śiva said that "Of all different types of worship, the worship of Viṣṇu is topmost." So human life is specially meant for worshiping Viṣṇu. Unfortunately, the blind leaders, they are not teaching people how to execute viṣṇu-ārādhana. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started just to educate people how to worship Lord Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

But this Jaḍa Bharata, he left his kingdom and family and everything, and went for spiritual realization, self-realization. Unfortunately, he was again in affection with a cub of deer and he got next life.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Why Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life? Just to show that the human society must be God conscious. But unfortunately, people do not take care. They are following, they are calling themselves as Christian, but they're not following the example of Lord Jesus Christ. But they should follow, everyone. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they also should follow what Kṛṣṇa's devotee and Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gītā like this. So Bhagavad-gītā was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gītā class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gītā class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in his own way.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Rūpānuga: He was killed by violence?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

A sādhu is friend of all living entities. He is not only friend of the human kind. He is friend of the animals. He is friend of the trees. He is friend of the ants, worms, reptiles, serpents—everyone. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. And ajāta-śatru. And because he is friend of everyone, he has no enemy. But unfortunately the world is so infidel, even to such a sādhu there is enemy. Just like Lord Jesus Christ had some enemies, and Mahatma Gandhi had also some enemies who killed him. So the world is such treacherous.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

This human life is meant for getting out of this encagement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is human form of life. It is meant for. Unfortunately there is no education that "Why? I do not want death, but why death is compulsory? I do not want old age; why old age is compulsory? I do not want to take birth; why birth is compulsory?" These are the actual questions or problems of life. And our whole Vedic literature is meant for solving this problem. That is whole purpose.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

What do they know, the botanists and the biologists? So it is very serious. People should take it very seriously, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a humbug thing. It is based on authorized scriptures, Vedic literatures. Unfortunately, we have no customer for this knowledge.

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

Just like the American young men, they are now disgusted with this material civilization. So they are searching after knowledge. But unfortunately, the state is also not very enthusiastic, and there are many who are exploiting. But here is the knowledge. And that point comes, when the karmīs become disgusted, confused. Because the spirit soul, he wants spiritual life. He cannot be happy with any amount of materialistic life.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

So these are the instructions of the śāstras. And this is very scientific and very important thing. But unfortunately, we are not taking care of these things. We are very busy with the temporary problems. Temporary problems are not problems. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgama apāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). "Your temporary problems, so-called happiness and distress, these are āgamāpāyinaḥ. They come and go." That is not very important.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

So when I took incarnation in the sun planet and I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, you were also present with Me, but unfortunately, you have forgotten. Because you are a living being and I am the Supreme Lord." That is the difference between the Supreme Lord... I cannot remember. Forgetfulness is my nature.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

Although the Vedas means, Vedānta means, to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). But unfortunately, because we do not take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee, we cannot understand what is the purpose of Vedas.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

Simply if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood it, then you also become self-realized. So it is not a very difficult job. Unfortunately, people apply their own scholastic ideas in a different way and they murder the whole thing. You see? The simple thing is that if we understand it as it is, then it is as simple as anything.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

So this human body is the only opportunity to understand all these things and make your life successful so that you may not come again for standing up for seven thousand years or ten thousand years. Yes. But the miscreants will not believe this. They think, "A tree, it is another thing. I am perfect." He does not know that every chance there is that you also become a tree.

These are practical examples. You can study. By nature's study you can understand how the miscreants are punished. But unfortunately we have become so dull that even by seeing or by hearing we do not believe them.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

Because in Bhārata-varṣa it is easier to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because by nature, because they have taken birth in this land of Bhārata-varṣa, in the blood there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But unfortunately, the leaders are inducing them to forget Kṛṣṇa. This is the misfortune of present-day Bhārata-varṣa.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Ordinary men, they have to seek how to earn the bread. Problem of bread is there. And for a rich man there is no such problem. He can advance in culture. He has the opportunity. But unfortunately, a rich man's sons are misguided. They get some money without earning and they spend like anything for sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

So brahminical culture also, similarly, it is just like sunshine. It is meant for everyone. But the people must be intelligent enough to take it. Unfortunately, this system, although India was observing very rigidly, now it is slackened, or practically nil. We have lost our brahminical culture, the cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). This is the, due to the influence of Kali-yuga.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

When you read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll, if you read very seriously, you will feel Kṛṣṇa is present before you and He is instructing. But unfortunately, although Kṛṣṇa personally appeared and He left behind Him this Bhagavad-gītā to be read by the human society and make his life progressive and be liberated from this material condition of life, we did not care for it. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu five hundred years ago, again He appeared as a devotee, not as Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore asking,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

Indians are meant for para-upakāra, because outside India they are in darkness. But unfortunately, Indians are now imitating the western kind of life. It is very regrettable.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Delhi, November 3, 1973:

You have got this human form of body. Now you get up and get out of these clutches of cycle of birth and death." Unfortunately they have become so dull that they cannot understand. So people should be trained up how to live conscientiously, especially in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will solve the problems of life. Otherwise he is committing suicide. That is the verdict of the śāstra.

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

We are training very nicely all these children, and they are very learned. Children, as you teach them, they learn. They are innocent. Unfortunately, we do not give them training about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We give them education for sense gratification, how you can earn money, economic development.

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

Just like a faithful servant and a rich master, the reciprocation is service. The master is also satisfied by the service of the servant, and the servant is also satisfied, giving service to the master. This is our relation. Jīvera svarūpa haya—nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Unfortunately we are trying to become master. Instead of submitting ourself to become the eternal.... We are eternal servant. We cannot be master. If we do not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then we have to become the servant of our senses.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

Vyāsadeva was very kind. He knew that in the Kali-yuga there will be no sharpened brain. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are made by nature; by the influence of Kali-yuga, they are all mandaḥ, very slow or very bad, mandaḥ. Sumanda-matayaḥ, and they have manufactured some ideas, sumanda-matayaḥ, which is not standard to the Vedic ideas. Manda-bhāgyāḥ, and unfortunately, they cannot accept.

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

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, before starting, I wrote one letter to Mahatma Gandhi: "Mahatma Gandhi, you have got position. People accept you as a very pious man. Now you have got your sva-rājya, and you are very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. Let us preach Bhagavad-gītā." I wrote this letter. Unfortunately, a few days after, he was killed. So this is the position. All big, big leaders, they do not want to take relief from this sense gratification business.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:
So
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
(BG 7.19)

This is the definition of mahātmā. When one engages his senses for the satisfaction of the supreme senses... But unfortunately, we define the Supreme as having no senses. Nirākāra. No hands, no legs, no eyes, nothing, no senses. Simply I have got my senses. And who manufactured me, he has no senses. But that is not fact.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

We are all fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Therefore, because He is ānandamaya, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so we are also ānandamaya, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Unfortunately, we have been put in the contact of this material energy. Therefore we are just experiencing the opposite. What is that opposite? That... Sat, sac-cit ānanda. Sat means eternity. So we have got just the opposite, asat. Asat means non-eternity. This body will not exist. We are put into such a condition that however scientifically we may try to keep an youthfulness by so many medicines, injection, and so many things which we have, I mean to say, invented by our advancement material science, but death is sure.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

I am very small, and He is very great. "God is great." That is definition of every theistic man. So I cannot be equal with God. This is transcendental knowledge. But unfortunately, we are declaring, "I am God." This is insanity. How you can be God? Do you know what is God? Because you do not know what is God, therefore you are claiming that "I am God."

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

In every life, either in this human form of life, in other, so many species of life everyone is engaged for sense gratification. Now we have to change the process. Instead to satisfying my senses, we have to agree to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately we make the Supreme Lord senseless. "God is impersonal; He has no sense. He has no hands. He has no mouth. He has no legs." Then what it is? So we are creating imaginary God in that way.

Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:

There are many persons, if they have associated, they... Unfortunately they do not associate with spiritually advanced men. That is their defect. They think the spiritual advancement is poor man's business: "They have no sufficient to eat; therefore they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What they can do? We have got this factory. We have to go to the factory." That is their mentality.

Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:

Unfortunately, due to bad association, they think, "I have..., we have go so much money, father's money, for nothing, without any labor. So either let me become a great sense enjoyer or a hippy." That's all. It is due to bad association.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes here, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). That is a fact. He comes in one day of Brahma after millions of years. These have been described in the śāstra. But unfortunately, although Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains Himself, we unfortunate creature, we take Him as ordinary person. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). That we should know.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is existing since the creation, but at least for the last five thousand years, when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He personally instructed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the instruction is left behind Him, this is Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, this Bhagavad-gītā has been misused in so many ways by the so-called scholars and swamis. The impersonalist class, or atheist class of men, they have interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in their own way.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Everyone is trying to become happy, peaceful. That peacefulness, that happiness can be attained only when you increase your attachment or love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not teaching any kind of faith. There are many different types of faith, so, but unfortunately, maybe due to the slackness of this movement or religious movement, people have lost all faith in religious movement.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Unfortunately, the impersonalists, they have no idea of the form, form of the Lord. Because they're impersonalist, they do not accept any form of the Lord. But there is the form of the Lord. Form of the Lord, there must be. God is accepted as the supreme father. In Christianity also it is accepted, the supreme father. In every religion He's accepted the supreme person, supreme father, supreme master. So how He can be accepted as imperson?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

The nine different types of methods, that is called bhajana-kriyā. And ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then anartha, all unwanted things which you have learned unfortunately, that will be finished. If you mix with, intermingle with sādhu, then you will be purified, and things which are not required at all—artificially you have learned by bad association.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

The Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand tad-vijñāna, brahma-vijñāna, one must approach the proper guru or spiritual master. Unfortunately we have rejected at the present moment the persons who are actually brāhmaṇa. On the other hand, in the name of brāhmaṇa, some persons claiming as brāhmaṇa, they are ruling over the society. But that is not the way. The brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya, śūdra, they are ascertained by the symptom.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

Woman, śūdra and brahma-bandhu or dvija-bandhu, they cannot understand Vedic knowledge. Unfortunately we are creating, trying to create real brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra means everyone. One who cannot become a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or vaiśya, simply they are satisfied by serving a suitable master, vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). A person who is satisfied only getting some salary from a suitable master, that is śūdra.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Christ. We offer our all respect to Jesus Christ. Yes. We call "Lord." We offer our sincere respects to him. That is all right. His teaching is all right. He gives you the message of God. We are doing the same thing. So therefore he is bona fide. Anyone who is spreading the knowledge of God, he is bona fide representative of God. That we admit. But unfortunately, his instructions are not being followed. That is our lamentation. Otherwise it is very nice.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). "This material world, where in every step there is danger, this place is not for them." For whom? "One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." But unfortunately we take this ocean of nescience as very pleasant place. This is the spell of māyā. Where there is danger in every step, but we are thinking we are very happy, we are advancing in material civilization, and, as far as we can imagine, that we are very prosperous and everything. This is called māyā.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

The great sages of India, especially Vyāsadeva, he labored so hard and delivered so valuable literatures to us. There is opportunity. It was the duty of India to distribute this knowledge all over the world, this immense treasure of knowledge. Unfortunately... And as so far we have studied that persons who are great thinkers, they were expecting. They have still some respect for India's great treasurehouse of the spiritual knowledge. But unfortunately there is no arrangement for distributing this spiritual knowledge all over the world.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

So Kurukṣetra is a place of pilgrimage; that is a fact. But unfortunately even a great man like Mahatma Gandhi, he comments that "Kurukṣetra means this body. Kurukṣetra means this body." Now, wherefrom he got this meaning, "Kurukṣetra means this body," which is that dictionary, I do not know.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

So gradually, by understanding the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and practicing it in life, we shall very easily understand the ātma-tattvam. That is the real business of human life. Unfortunately, we are not interested in the matter of understanding ātma-tattvam.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa is there, and Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, "I am like this." But unfortunately we'll not understand Kṛṣṇa, but we'll try to speculate what is God. This is our disease. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself; God is explaining Himself. We shall not take that statement, but either we shall deny or we shall accept God without any head and leg and so on, so many things. This is our disease.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

The necessities of the body is material, and the necessities of the soul is spiritual. But unfortunately, although the spirit is there, we are so much absorbed in material consciousness, we do not understand what is spirit soul. We are simply busy in taking care of the body. So this is not very good condition. This is material condition.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

They do not know what is God. Although God is appearing before them. We have got the name of God, the fame of God, the pastimes of God, the demonstration of His different energies of God. Everything is there. Still, we are searching after God, and unfortunately we are manufacturing a man-god. Therefore we are mūḍhas.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

The destination of life is to reestablish his lost relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is his destination. Unfortunately, people do not know what is the destination. They are simply thinking, destination of life, to have the greatest amounts of sense gratification. This is illusion.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- New York, December 26, 1966, 'Who is Crazy?':

There are eight million, four hundred thousands of bodies, and, by the laws of nature, by the tricks of nature, you can be put into any kind of body according to your work. So you are completely under the grip of nature. This time, fortunately or unfortunately, I have got this human form of life, but next time I may get the body of a dog or the body of a god. That will depend on my work.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:

Unfortunately, in this age, which is called Kali-yuga, the people are so low-grade that they do not like to hear all these instructions of great sages, saintly persons or even of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the defect of this age. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said mandaḥ. Mandaḥ means slow, at the same time, very bad.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give you direction. He's there for direction. But unfortunately we do not obey Him. That is our material disease. If we obey Kṛṣṇa, if we act according to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no problem. Because Kṛṣṇa cannot be mistaken. I am imperfect, I can be mistaken. But Kṛṣṇa cannot be mistaken.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:
If God has supplied these four things to the animals, beasts, birds, is He very miserly that He'll not supply to the human being? No. There is food, You have got your particular type of teeth for eating fruits, flowers, grains. You haven't got canine teeth. Why you should eat meat? This is not your food. So in this way we have to acquire knowledge. Not like blind men. But unfortunately we prefer to become a servant of a blind leader instead of Kṛṣṇa. This is our disease.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Even tiger is also afraid. Do you know that? Tiger is also. Tiger has become very powerful animal. Everyone is afraid of. He can catch anyone and kill him and eat him. Unfortunately he does not get the opportunity of catching anyone. The tiger cannot eat every day very nicely. He gets once in a week a chance or once in a fortnight a chance to capture an animal. Therefore he kills and keeps it for eating daily.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

Unfortunately, people are so foolish at the present moment that they do not believe even in the next life. Mūḍha. What to speak of understanding God and Kṛṣṇa, they have no even the basic principle of spiritual knowledge.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:
Human life is meant for achieving knowledge and vairāgya, not that to increase the animal propensities even up to the point of death. That is not human life. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Unfortunately, the modern civilization does not care for all these things, and... It is very risky civilization. Because nature's process is that as you create your mentality, you get next life a similar body.
Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor of all the lokas, all the brahmāṇḍas, but unfortunately, we are dismissing Kṛṣṇa. We are trying to be the enjoyer of this material world. That is māyā. The world is not māyā, but the intention of the living entities to enjoy this material world, to satisfy his senses, that is māyā. He is becoming entangled.

Page Title:Unfortunately (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:11 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=76, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:76