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When I went to America, I went by ship. So it stopped at the Commonwealth Pier in Boston. So I was thinking that if "I say that 'No illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling,' so these people will immediately say, 'Please go home' "

Expressions researched:
"When I went to America, I went by ship. So it stopped at the, what is that, Commonwealth Pier in Boston. So I was thinking that if"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We have to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness with great difficulty. When I went to America, I went by ship. So it stopped at the, what is that, Commonwealth Pier in Boston. So I was thinking that if "I say that 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, and no intoxication, and no gambling,' so these people will immediately say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Yes. That is the position. It is... These are their daily affairs. These are their daily affairs in Western countries.
Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

So this is the position. Because he does not know who is guru and how to learn Bhagavad-gītā, therefore he is frustrated. Kṛṣṇa says,

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)

Even Kṛṣṇa, He is friend of Arjuna; still, Arjuna says, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Kṛṣṇa says..., Arjuna says that "Kṛṣṇa, no more friendly talking. I agree to become Your disciple." So when he agreed to become disciple of Kṛṣṇa, then He explained Bhagavad-gītā. Actually, one should not explain Bhagavad-gītā or any Vedic śāstra unless one has agreed to become a disciple. But devotees are so kind that they preach even amongst the nondisciples just to take them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, according to law, one should not speak beyond the jurisdiction of his disciple because they will not understand. They will not follow the rules and regulations. How they will understand? Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who is completely free from all kinds of sinful activities." That is the primary qualification to understand Kṛṣṇa or understand Bhagavad-gītā.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

Unless one comes to this position, there is no possibility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So how outsiders will accept? If the outsider is requested, "Sir, you do not smoke," very small thing, then "Swamiji is not very good. He puts so many restriction." And if somebody says, "No, no, you can drink, you can eat anything. It does not...," then he is very liberal. He is very liberal. So we are first of all putting these restriction: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, you have to give up. Anyone who comes to become my disciple, this is my first proposal, that "If you agree, then you come." It is not that you can do anything nonsense you like, and you become my disciple. No. Because one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless he is restricted from the sinful activities. And these are the basic principle of sinful activities: illicit sex, and meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. These are the four pillars of sinful life. And the whole world is addicted to these four things.

So we have to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness with great difficulty. When I went to America, I went by ship. So it stopped at the, what is that, Commonwealth Pier in Boston. So I was thinking that if "I say that 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, and no intoxication, and no gambling,' so these people will immediately say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Yes. That is the position. It is... These are their daily affairs. These are their daily affairs in Western countries. And if you want to make them stop these things, they will think that "This man is lunatic." But by Kṛṣṇa's grace these boys, these girls, they agreed. That is Kṛṣṇa's grace. I did not expect that they will agree. In India they do not agree, and they are accustomed from childhood, from boyhood. So how they will... But Kṛṣṇa's grace is so nice, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is so great, that they agreed, and they are pushing on this movement on this principle.

So why? This is due to the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Patita-pāvana. He can deliver the Jagāi-Mādhāi. And what is the process? The process is:

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

If people are simply induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Just see. Even a child, he is taking part. It is natural. There is no distinction between black and white, no question of language, nothing. You see practically. There is white child, black child. They do not know how to speak, tut they are dancing and chanting. So this movement is so important. Somehow or other if you can engage them in chanting and dancing, the whole world will be united. What the United Nations has failed, this movement can do—if it is not checked by the rascals. But the rascals are ready to check this movement. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, God, Kṛṣṇa, is always ready to help us. How? Here it is said, antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa kāla-rūpeṇa yo bahiḥ. He is inside and outside. Antaḥ, antaryāmī. Caitya-guru. He is acting as caitya-guru.

Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious because we are suffering and we are sons of Kṛṣṇa. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is unhappy to see that you are suffering. That is natural. If the son is suffering from ailment, the father also suffers: "How the son will be cured?" The son may not know it, but the father is suffering without having that ailment. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the..., He is the father of all living entities. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Kṛṣṇa says. It is not my word, but Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: (BG 14.4) "All different forms of life." Sambhavanti, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone, and He is very much anxious for us, to get us back. Therefore He is ordering, "You rascal, why you have created so many isms? Just surrender to Me. I will give you protection. Just surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). For this purpose He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharma-glāni, discrepancies in the matter of religious principle, glāni... What is that glāni? The glāni is forgetfulness of God: "No God. I am God. You are God." This is glāni. But this is going on as dharma. This is Kali-yuga. What is not dharma, that is going on as dharma. Dharma means to understand God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). What is dharma? Dharma means the laws and instruction given by God. But at the present moment, what is God? "There is no God." Then where is dharma? Where is dharma?

So there is no dharma in the Kali-yuga. They are simply cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra, atra śrīmad bhāgavate: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all cheating type of religious system is kicked out." What is that cheating type? "There is no God." Then where is dharma? "Dharma means you become honest." But they do not know that nobody can become honest without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Anyone who is devoid of God consciousness, he cannot be gentleman. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad...
(SB 5.18.12)

This is the test. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
(BG 7.15)

So this is the test. Na māṁ prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa says, "Who does not surrender to Me? They are these classes of men." What is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ:"Always engaged in sinful activities." Kṛti means meritorious. But they are engaged in manufacturing atom bomb, duṣkṛtinaḥ. Atom bomb means killing. But discover something by which man will not die. That they are dying—so you have discovered some instrument to die quickly. So that is duṣkṛtinaḥ. Merit, he has got merit, but misuse the merit. The death is there. He would have lived for, say, sixty years, and you drop atom bomb—in ten years or twenty years finished. You cannot increase the duration of life. Therefore the so-called scientific advancement, what is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ,no benefit for the human society.

Page Title:When I went to America, I went by ship. So it stopped at the Commonwealth Pier in Boston. So I was thinking that if "I say that 'No illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling,' so these people will immediately say, 'Please go home' "
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Matea
Created:08 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1