Unity and purpose

Expressions researched:
"purpose" |"unit" |"unite" |"united" |"unity"

Notes from the compiler: Vedabase query: "unit* purpose"@20

SB Canto 4

When a girl and boy are united, both are trained for a life dedicated to a higher purpose. The boy is trained to execute his duty in accordance with the higher purpose of life, and the girl is trained to follow him.

SB 4.23.20, Purport:

The words bhartur vrata-dharma-niṣṭhayā indicate that a woman's duty, or religious principle, is to serve her husband in all conditions. In Vedic civilization a man is taught from the beginning of his life to become a brahmacārī, then an ideal gṛhastha, then vānaprastha, then sannyāsī, and the wife is taught just to follow the husband strictly in all conditions of life. After the period of brahmacarya, a man accepts a householder's life, and the woman is also taught by her parents to be a chaste wife. Thus when a girl and boy are united, both are trained for a life dedicated to a higher purpose. The boy is trained to execute his duty in accordance with the higher purpose of life, and the girl is trained to follow him. The chaste wife's duty is to keep her husband pleased in householder life in all respects, and when the husband retires from family life, she is to go to the forest and adopt the life of vānaprastha, or vana-vāsī. At that time the wife is to follow her husband and take care of him, just as she took care of him in householder life. But when the husband takes the renounced order of life, namely sannyāsa, the wife is to return home and become a saintly woman, setting an example for her children and daughters-in-law and showing them how to live a life of austerity.

SB Canto 7

"Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." The actual purpose of mystic yoga is to concentrate one's attention fully on the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and always think of Him.

SB 7.10.59, Purport:

The asuras are generally extremely powerful because of their mystic yogic power. However, as Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (6.47):

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

"Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." The actual purpose of mystic yoga is to concentrate one's attention fully on the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and always think of Him (mad-gatenāntarātmanā).

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Mahatma Gandhi 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.

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

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.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

And when they are united for this purpose, a man and woman, they... We are already attached to the material activities. Then our attachment becomes more and more strong.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

So why so much restriction on the sex life? The people do not understand throughout the whole world. They are captivated by sex life, especially in the Western countries. Puṁsāṁ-striyaṁ-mithunī-bhavam etat. Material existence means a desire of sex life, both man and woman. Puṁsāṁ-striyaṁ-mithunī-bhavam etat. Not only in human society, in animal society, in bird society, everywhere, that is material life. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. And when they are united for this purpose, a man and woman, they... We are already attached to the material activities. Then our attachment becomes more and more strong. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ. Then, out of this attachment, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.8)|SB 5.5.8]). In this way, being united, then they want gṛha, apartment, to live together. Then they want some land. Formerly there was no service. The gṛhastha used to produce the food grains from the land. Neither there was factories or big, big offices to get job. One had to produce his own food from the land. So simply apartment will not help. I must require some land for eating. Gṛha-kṣetra-sūta. Then we desire for some children. Sūta, āpta, then friends. Sūta, āpta. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittaiḥ. But all these establishment can be maintained by money only. Then money. Then, in this way, gradually, janasya moho 'ham. We are already bewildered. We are attached to this material world, but when we are united, man and woman together, our attachment for this material world becomes increased.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Just like a man and woman accidentally unite and there is a child, similarly, there is no purpose. Somehow or other, the material energy came into existence, and therefore there is creation. This is their argument.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam. Just like a man and woman accidentally unite and there is a child, similarly, there is no purpose. Somehow or other, the material energy came into existence, and therefore there is creation. This is their argument. This is asuric argument, or the demoniac argument. But the Vedas says, "No." Vedas says that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). There is original. Absolute Truth, or God, is He from (whom) everything emanates. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). And that God must be sentient. He's not zero. Not zero. The śūnyavādi. He has got brain. He's person. That is explained.

Initiation Lectures

Simply by coming to the sunlight your purpose is fulfilled. So the sunlight and the sun is not different; they are one unit. But sunlight is not sun. That is knowledge.

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

You needn't become God. You, simply if you become in the light of God, you become joyful. Just like from the darkness of night, if you simply come to the sunshine, immediately your position is changed. It does not require that you have to become the sun. Simply by coming to the sunlight your purpose is fulfilled. So the sunlight and the sun is not different; they are one unit. But sunlight is not sun. That is knowledge. If we, if simply by coming you can come into the sunlight, if I think that I have become identical with the sun, that is nonsense. Sun, you cannot become identical with the sun. It is so powerful, the temperature is so high and great, that you cannot approach even sun. The scientists say even from so many millions of miles away, if a planet or somebody goes near the sun, immediately he will be burned into ashes. So this is false claim that brahma-bhūtaḥ means one becomes God. No. That means that you come to the light of God. That is also nice, to come to the light of God.

Philosophy Discussions

The demons, they everything take as accidental. Just like a man and woman unite accidentally and a child is born. It is like that. There is no actually purpose. The Śaṅkara philosophy, atheistic Śaṅkara philosophy is also like that.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: Well, there is no meaning to anything. It's just here. There is no tracing out. It's not created; it's just here.

Prabhupāda: This kind of philosophy is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā as asuric philosophy, demonic philosophy, because the demons, they do not believe in any superior cause. They everything take as accidental. Just like a man and woman unite accidentally and a child is born. It is like that. There is no actually purpose. The Śaṅkara philosophy, atheistic Śaṅkara philosophy is also like that. Prakṛti and puruṣa meets. All of a sudden there is lust and they meet, and there is some product; otherwise there is no other cause. This sort of theory is called asuric.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Don't say that Kṛṣṇa has only one purpose, that only purpose is that you surrender. Now, when you surrender, whatever Kṛṣṇa says you do it.

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Śyāmasundara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I have a question.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Śyāmasundara: If unity means to agree in purpose.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Then what is that purpose? What is Kṛṣṇa's purpose?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is living force. He has got different purpose.

Śyāmasundara: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Don't say that Kṛṣṇa has only one purpose, that only purpose is that you surrender. Now, when you surrender, whatever Kṛṣṇa says you do it.

Śyāmasundara: Oh. So His purpose is individual for everyone.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Varieties of purposes. Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna to fight with the Kurus, or He's asking me to preach. I am not fighting. So Kṛṣṇa, (indistinct), He has got varieties of order, and your duty is to carry out the order of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. What kind of order He'll give, you accept, just like you are doing, all my disciples. It is not that you are all doing the same thing. Somebody is pūjārī, somebody is preaching, somebody is collector, somebody is (indistinct), somebody is this, somebody is that. So there are different varieties, but your duty is to carry out my order.

Actually the United Nations should now think how the whole human society can live peacefully for a purpose of life, not whimsically, without any purpose of life.

Room Conversation with Mr. C. Hennis of the International Labor Organization of the U.N. -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Actually the United Nations should now think how the whole human society can live peacefully for a purpose of life, not whimsically, without any purpose of life. Now, anywhere... We are preaching. We are going everywhere. If I ask any gentleman, any philosopher, any scientist , if I ask him that "What is the purpose of life?" he cannot explain. That means there is lack of intelligent class of men. Nobody knows what is the purpose of life.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is unity. Combine together, working differently but for the same purpose, for pleasing Kṛṣṇa, then you will become happy. That is equality. Unity in variety.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1975, New Orleans:

Nature's law will go on. Best thing is, let the hand... the hand can typewrite, but if you say "No, the leg will typewrite," that is not possible. Take hand's business, take leg's business, and combine them cooperatively. Then the body will be nice. If the leg says "Why hand will type? I shall type," that's not possible. "Legs, all right, you walk, and hands that you type." Then combine together. Then it will be nice. You cannot change the different capacities. There is God's law, nature's law. Let the man and woman combine together, live peacefully. The woman takes charge of the household affairs, the man may take charge of bringing money, and they meet together, have Deity at home, together chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? That is unity. Combine together, working differently but for the same purpose, for pleasing Kṛṣṇa, then you will become happy. That is equality. Unity in variety. That is wanted.

If we agree that this kind of civilization is wrong, then society, what does it mean? They have made the United Nations. What is that? For this purpose, that "Why we are fighting unnecessarily?" So make their settlement, how to live.

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Devotee (1): We need defense so we have to work hard to keep defense, economy. The common man has to contribute to the state to keep its defense.

Prabhupāda: Defense, that means...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That's today... Unless there is very complex society...

Devotee (1): Otherwise we will be exploited.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Unless there is a very complex...

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say change the society. Society means you and me. If we agree that this kind of civilization is wrong, then society, what does it mean? They have made the United Nations. What is that? For this purpose, that "Why we are fighting unnecessarily?" So make their settlement, how to live. What is the standard of civilization? What is the aim of life? What they are doing in the United Nation for the last thirty years? What they have done? They simply fighting, the same cats and dogs. What is the value?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

The purpose of United Nation was to stop war. Has war stopped? Then what is the use of barking? You could not achieve.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

All land belongs to God. We are sons of God. We can go anywhere, everywhere. It is father's property. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If we take it like that—the United Nation passed a resolution, "The whole world belongs to the whole human society"—then there is no fight, immediately. But that they'll not do. The dog's quality. And they are fighting always. What benefit you have derived from the United Nation except this big, big barking? That's all. What benefit you have got? The purpose of United Nation was to stop war. Has war stopped? Then what is the use of barking? You could not achieve.

Real, basic principle is how to unite a man and woman. It goes on as friend or husband and wife or this or that. The real purpose is they want to unite. And that unity is for sex.

Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Dr. Wolfe: Prabhupāda, is it not so that so-called marital love and parental love is possessive?

Prabhupāda: You call it any love, the real idea is how to unite man and woman, that's all. That is the idea. Real, basic principle is how to unite a man and woman. It goes on as friend or husband and wife or this or that. The real purpose is they want to unite. And that unity is for sex. And then both of them become entangled. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8)). This is moha, illusion.

1968 Correspondence

All living entities being eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord they are engaged in His service for some particular purpose. So there are varieties of engagements but they are all united with the central Figure, Lord Krishna.

Letter to Purusottama -- Montreal 14 June, 1968:

In the transcendental world there is no influence of maya or time. So there is full freedom of activities but because there is no maya, therefore everyone is engaged in his natural activities or spontaneously serving Krishna in different relationships. Just like hand is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, the leg is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, the ear is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, and so on. Similarly all living entities being eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord they are engaged in His service for some particular purpose. So there are varieties of engagements but they are all united with the central Figure, Lord Krishna. So this is in answer to your question; "On Krishna loka are all of Krishna's pastimes with the living entities controlled by Krishna, or do the living entities have choice in this matter? In other words, is one's rasa governed by strict laws determined by Krishna or is there free choice aside from the free choice of choosing Krishna or maya?

1973 Correspondence

We must avoid the risk of a separatist movement; unity is our purpose.

Letter to Hariprasada Badruka -- Calcutta 5 March, 1973:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 27th February. I just arrived here the day before yesterday and I am glad to receive your Hyderabad progress report. The Deities mentioned are too expensive. Of course, we cannot collect money without Deity worship. Without Deity worship there is no life, and there must be preaching also.

But the thing is, without Indian devotees rural preaching cannot be effective. They are mostly illiterate, how they will understand? We must avoid the risk of a separatist movement, unity is our purpose; just like in London where the Indians are starting their own Hindu Radha-Krsna Temple. We want to avoid skin disease and the Indian people are like the tannery expert. Such a cobbler is expert at skin disease. They will see our Sankirtana Party and think it is a white dance. Anyway, how to gather Indian devotees, that program is wanting.