Category:Elevation to Krsna Consciousness Chapters 01 to 06
Pages in category "Elevation to Krsna Consciousness Chapters 01 to 06"
The following 614 pages are in this category, out of 614 total.
A
- A brahmana is one who is truthful and pure, tolerant and simple, full of knowledge and faith in God. He can control his mind and his senses also
- A child is born into ignorance, and if as he grows older he remains under the bodily conception of life, he lives in darkness. His position is that of a sudra
- A fish that is taken out of the water cannot be happy by any arrangement on land. He must be supplied with water. In the same way, the minute sac-cid-ananda living entity cannot be really happy through any amount of planning in this material universe
- A part of the body cannot in itself be independently happy. It can only derive its happiness and pleasure out of serving the entire body. The Supreme Lord is the whole, and we are the parts, but we are all busily engaged in activities of self-interest
- A part of the spiritual pleasure experienced in the Vaikunthas is the pleasure of dancing. There are also young girls and young boys there. Indeed, there is no such thing as old age, or disease, or death, or the pains of birth
- A sane man must look to eliminate these miseries (three categories, namely miseries arising from the body and mind, miseries arising from other living entities, and miseries arising due to natural calamities) and thereby become happy in life
- Above and beyond this material nature there is a superior spiritual nature, as Sri Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita - 7.4-5
- According to Srimad-Bhagavatam there are different processes for different ages, but the principle of each process remains valid in all ages
- According to the Vedic principles, sex should not be indulged in outside of marriage. In human society there is therefore a system of marriage which distinguishes us from the cats and dogs
- According to the Vedic system, intoxication is also discouraged; nor is meat-eating advocated, for human beings should be nonviolent. We have been given sufficient grains, fruits, milk, and vegetables, and there is no necessity to kill poor animals
- Actually it is all illegal, for to work for one's self-interest is both unlawful and destructive. Even the cultivation of spiritual realization for one's own self-interest is unlawful and destructive
- Actually our nature is that of spirit, Brahman, and that nature has to be invoked. This material life is a diseased condition; when we are situated in Brahman, we are in our healthy condition
- Actually these miseries (of mankind) are only the enforced punishments of Maya devi inflicted upon the misguided conditioned souls
- Actually we are all spirit souls and are intended to associate with God in the spiritual sky where there are innumerable spiritual planets and innumerable spiritual living entities
- After birth, suffering continues; although a mother may take much care for her child, the baby still cries. Why? Because he is suffering
- All beings in the material world are subject to the three modes of material nature - goodness, passion and ignorance - but the Supreme Lord is above these modes - BG 7.13
- All of these living entities are subject to the threefold miseries, including those miseries pertaining to the body and mind
- All of us are controllers to some limited extent. If we have nothing to control, sometimes we keep a dog or cat so we can say, "My dear dog, please come here." In this way we can think - I am the controller
- All schemes (of material world) are only useless scraps of paper in the face of war, famine, earthquakes & other disasters. All these disasters are warnings from Mother Durga, & by them she confirms her eternal superiority over the illusioned planmakers
- All that is required is that we seek refuge in the lotus feet of Krsna and render service unto Him by chanting His glories and pushing this Krsna consciousness movement in every town and village of the world
- All this is going on (worshiping hogs) in a country where the young people have good looking bodies, a great deal of money and so many other advantages over the young people of other nations
- All this strife amongst the classes is due to lack of Krsna consciousness. Indeed, there is not even a possibility of cooperation unless there is Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is absolutely essential for harmonizing all facets of human society
- Although brahminical cultural life is enunciated in the scriptures of India, it is not for Indians alone, but for all human beings
- Although Krsna has established the four divisions of human society, He is not in any one of them - tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam
- Although spirit soul, we have voluntarily accepted this material body and by accepting it have also accepted the threefold miseries of material nature. Exactly when we accepted it and how we accepted it cannot be traced out
- Although there is no lack of money in the world, there is a scarcity of peace
- Although we are very anxious to get good positions in the government service, we do not stop to think of getting a position in God's service. God is the government of all governments
- Animals cannot understand that they are suffering, but human beings can. One who does not know that he is suffering is in animal consciousness. Animals may be standing behind a fence to be slaughtered, but they do not understand this
- Another characteristic of God is that He has nothing to do. In the material world, when a man is considered very important, he always has a great number of things to do
- Another imperfection of the conditioned soul is that he is sure to be illusioned. Being illusioned means accepting something which is not, phantasmagoria to be factual
- Any sane man with properly discriminating senses can understand that life in the material world is full of miseries and that no one is free from the actions and reactions of such miseries
- Anyone can collect any amount of salt from the natural storehouse, but constitutionally we cannot take more salt than what we need. If we take more salt, we spoil the broth, and if we take less salt our food becomes tasteless
- Arjuna says that he accepts all that Krsna has said to him because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead - BG 18.73
- Arjuna was Krsna's constant friend, so when Krsna went to His abode, Arjuna was overwhelmed, but just by remembering His teachings he got relief from the pains of separation. Thus whenever we feel separation, it is best to remember the teachings
- As a cloud collects water from the ocean, similarly the spiritual master collects water from Krsna's ocean of mercy and pours it over the blazing fire of material existence
- As Arjuna, we should accept Krsna as the SP of Godhead and do as He says (BG 9.27): O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me
- As human beings, we should be cognizant that we are suffering the pains of birth, old age, disease and death and should be inquisitive to know how to avoid these miseries
- As living entities, we are amsa, but we are very fragmental amsa. All others are either amsa or kalah, but Krsna is bhagavan svayam - the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- As living entities, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, we actually belong to His superior energy
- As long as the conditioned souls, who are themselves bound up by the laws of nature, manufacture plans to get rid of the three miseries, there will be no solution
- As long as there is the slightest tinge of sense gratification or desire for sense gratification, peace will remain far, far away. This is because by nature we're all eternal servants of the SG & therefore cannot enjoy anything for our personal interests
- As long as we are in ignorance of how the laws of nature are working under the supreme direction of Krsna, we will continue to be defeated in our activities
- As long as we are in the material world, it is not possible to classify everyone in the same category because each and every person is working under the influence of the modes of material nature
- As long as we are not awakened to our pure eternal relation with God, we are certainly bewildered in our actions. Our actions, in respect to right and wrong, are all performed on the platform of ignorance
- As long as we are operating under the bodily conception of life, our activities are material, but as soon as we understand, "I do not belong to this body, aham brahmasmi, I am spirit soul," our activities will be in accordance to that realization
- As pointed out before, human life is not meant for sense gratification, but for understanding God, the universe and our own identity
- As soon as the spirit soul leaves, the body immediately becomes useless: when Kṛṣṇa enters into matter, matter has value. This is true for the minute individual atom and the great universe as well
- As soon as there is some personal interpretation (in the carried message of authority), the message is lost and the instructions become offensive. A person who interprets the scriptures according to his own whims should be immediately rejected
- As soon as we become situated in Krsna consciousness, we become transcendental to the modes of material nature - BG 14.26
- As soon as we understand that although Krsna was born into a ksatriya family, He is not a ksatriya, we actually become liberated
- As stated before, the Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), joyful by nature, and therefore He expands Himself by His different energies, parts, and differentiated and plenary portions
- As Vasudeva, He (Krsna) acts in Mathura and Dvaraka, but as Krsna, in His original feature, He remains in Vrndavana. This may seem to be confusing
- At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master
- At night, after supper, the jubilant party got aboard a boat, made themselves comfortable and instructed the boatmen to start
- At one time that (spiritual advancement) was India's principle of life, and there was a class of people, the brahmanas, who engaged themselves exclusively in spiritual culture
- At present Darwin's theory of the evolution of organic matter is very prominent in institutions of higher learning
- At present everyone is giving stress to Darwin's theory, but in Vedic literature there is immense information about the different species
- At present we are existing in these material bodies, but if we take to the process of KC, our consciousness will be purified. Although American and European, the young students who are voluntarily practicing KC are very pleased to practice it
- At that time (when the Vedas were written), the whole planet was called Bharatavarsa, after Emperor Bharata Maharaja, the son of Rsabhadeva
- At the present moment there is a great necessity for brahmanas, because almost everyone is a sudra, for almost everyone is wholly engaged in maintaining the body, eating, sleeping, mating and defending - all symptoms of animals and sudras
- At this stage of our material existence, we are conditioned by many laws of nature. All conditioned souls are subject to four defects due to the imperfection of their senses. One defect is that the conditioned soul is certain to commit mistakes
B
- Because He (the Supreme Lord) is joyful by nature, He expands Himself in diverse ways, and the activities of these expansions are called His transcendental pastimes or His lila. These pastimes, however, are not blind and inert
- Because He (the Supreme Lord) is the Absolute Truth, His name, fame, form, qualities and pastimes are all identical with Him. His pastimes, therefore, cannot be equated with the sufferings of humanity as the so-called swami contends
- Bhagavad-gita clearly explains that this catur-varnyam system was established by Krsna, but He is outside of this system. When Krsna comes as an incarnation, He does not come as a member of any social order, not as a brahmana or anything else
- Bhagavad-gita clearly points to the absolute necessity of Krsna consciousness, and Bhagavad-gita is accepted as the essence of the Upanisads. Even from the historical point of view, it has no comparison
- Bhagavad-gita itself gives some information about the succession of spiritual masters. (Which) Lord Sri Krsna says - in BG 4.1-3
- Bharata Maharaja ruled the whole planet (it was called Bharatavarsa and the Vedas were also written that time), but gradually the planet was divided up. So the dharma of Vedic culture should not simply be considered Indian or Hindu in a sectarian sense
- By accepting Krsna in this spirit (as said in BG 9.27), we can attain complete knowledge. If, however, we do not accept Krsna and interpret Bhagavad-gita in our own way, then everything will be spoiled
- By hearing the words of Lord Krsna and following them carefully, we will attain not only peace in the world, but the supreme peace - param santim
- By rendering such (constant) devotional service (to Krsna with love) only, and not by merely acquiring a bulk of discriminative knowledge, can we know the Supreme Lord as He is
- By seeing Krsna, we will not understand Him, but by listening carefully to His teachings, we can come to the platform of understanding
- By the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, there is an ocean of salt because salt is so necessary for the living being. God has, in the same manner, arranged for sufficient air and light, which are also essential
- By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master no one can make any advancement. Therefore I should always remember the spiritual master
- By vicious actions, we are put into more and more distressful conditions, whereas by pious actions we place ourselves on the path of happiness. Thus man is the architect of his own material distress or happiness
C
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, but He is Krsna accepting the propensities of Radharani. Radharani is always feeling separation from Krsna, and similarly, in the position of Radharani. Lord Caitanya was always feeling that separation
- Criminals may think that the police department is an inferior governmental department, but the law-abiding citizens do not think that this is so. It simply functions in a particular way
D
- Darwin expresses the opinion that the species are evolving from lower forms of life, but this is not the whole truth. The soul may progress from lower forms to higher forms, but in the beginning of creation all species were created by Sri Krsna
- Dharma indicates the natural occupation of the living entity. For example, wherever there is fire, there is heat and light, so it may be said that heat and light are the dharma of fire. Fire cannot change its dharma
E
- Either a bug is biting, or there is a pain in the stomach or some other malady. Whatever the case, the suffering goes on
- Essentially what Rsabhadeva is saying is that a life of sense gratification is meant for stool eaters like hogs, and now that we have a higher form of life, we should not try to imitate the lower forms
- Ete camsa-kalah pumsah (SB 1.3.28). All other names of God are either parts of God or portions of parts. The parts are called amsa, and the portions of parts are called kalah
- Even at the present moment those who do not accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord are accepting the knowledge given by Krsna to Arjuna. So in this way they are accepting Krsna indirectly
- Even he (the President of the United States) is required to do so many things. If he does not do anything, he is no longer the supreme man. In Vedic literatures, however, we find that God has nothing to do - na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate
- Even in the highest planet in this material world, where the duration of life and standard of enjoyment are thousands and thousands of times greater than those on earth, there is still old age, disease and death
- Even Krsna cannot understand Radharani's qualities. He fails to understand Her because She is so great. In order to understand Radharani, Krsna actually accepted Her position
- Even one of the greatest fiction writers in Bengal misunderstood and thought that Krsna of Vrndavana, Krsna of Dvaraka, and Krsna of Mathura were three different persons. But this is not difficult to understand if we know the nature of Krsna's expansions
- Even the so-called philosophers of modern society are captivated by material name and fame, and so they do not lead the general populace in the proper direction
- Every intelligent human being should become interested in this transcendental science; indeed, according to the opinions of the sages, human life is only meant for learning this science
- Every intelligent man should at least experiment with Krsna consciousness. He should say - All right. I have been enjoying this eating and sleeping for so many lives. These things were available for me to enjoy in my bird and animal bodies
- Every living being desires the topmost level of enjoyment in this material world, and yet everyone is unhappy here
- Every one of us is under the impression that we are these bodies, but actually we are not. Accepting the body to be the self is called illusion, or maya. The third imperfection is that conditioned souls have a tendency to cheat
- Everyone is praying to God with some interest, but even if we pray to God, "Give me some money, give me some relief, a nice house, a nice wife, or nice food," that is also good. Yet this is not to the standard of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prayer
- Everyone is trying to become supreme controllers, but it is not possible by individual, communal or national effort. Because everyone is trying to be supreme, there is great competition in the world
- Everyone knows that God is great, and we can conclude from this (EKC 5) that His enjoyment is great also
- Everyone wants to live here (in this material world) peacefully, but situations develop in such a way that this is not possible for anyone
- Everyone who ordinarily engages in material affairs can derive the highest benefit from this Krsna consciousness movement. All kinds of spiritual endeavors are more or less tinged with material contamination
F
- Feeling separation from Krsna, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would throw Himself into the sea. Sometimes He would leave His room in the dead of night and disappear. No one would know where He had gone, but all the while He was searching after Krsna
- Finally, after inquiring, they (bridegroom's party) found that despite the boatmen's rowing, the boat had not moved because they had failed to raise the anchor. The marriage ceremony was thus spoiled because of a foolish mistake
- Five minutes before he (Mahatma Gandhi) came to the meeting at which he was killed, he was warned by confidential associates not to go, but he persisted
- For Krsna there is no difference between material and spiritual energy. For Him, it is all the same
- For those who do not want to understand Krsna as He is but want to understand by dint of their own imperfect vision, Krsna, God, remains unknown
- Form (of God) is there, and that also has been explained in the Brahma-samhita. Lord Brahma describes His form in this way (in) - Bs. 5.30-32
- From Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that when Krsna departed from this world, Arjuna was overwhelmed with sorrow, but when he began to remember the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, he became pacified
- From the highest executive in his skyscraper office down to the coolie in the street - all are working with the thought of accumulating wealth, legally or illegally
- From Vedic literatures we can understand that this material world is only a partial manifestation of the complete creation of God. The larger portion of God's creation is found in the spiritual world of the Vaikunthas
- From Vedic literatures we can understand that we don't have to work hard all day simply to maintain this body. We are working very hard because we are trying to control material nature for the purposes of sense gratification
G
- Generally speaking, conditioned souls are not very intelligent, and therefore they go on suffering without ever inquiring why. We should understand, however, that this suffering is there, and if there is a remedy we must take advantage of it
- Generally they (so-called swamis) are not attracted by the natural beauty of the woods, although they may assume the dress of a man who is meant to live in the woods
- Generally, according to Buddhist philosophy, there is no individual soul and no supreme soul, but actually since Lord Buddha is accepted by Vedic literatures as an incarnation of God, by obeying Lord Buddha one is actually following God
- God (Krsna) is asamordhva, which means that no one is equal to or superior to Him. If we find someone who has no superior, we can accept him as God. God can be defined as one who has no superior and who has no equal. This is the Vedic version
- God is very kind, and if someone wants something from Him, He allows it. "All right," He says. "Take this." His relationship to us is just like the relationship of a father to a son
- God's position is not like this - as once we think that we are supreme, we'll immediately find someone superior. This is our position
- God's service is dharma. This dharma may be described differently in different countries according to different cultural and climatic conditions or situations, but in every religious scripture obedience to God is instructed
- Gold is natural, and similarly God is natural. In His childhood pastimes, in the lap of His mother, He is God; while He is playing with His boyfriends, He is God; while He is dancing, He is God; while He is fighting at Kuruksetra
H
- Hankering after material happiness is called lust, and lusty activities are sure to meet with frustration in the long run
- Hare Krsna can be chanted by any man in any social position, in any country and in any age, for Krsna is the Supreme Lord of all people in all social positions, in all countries, in all ages
- He (a representative of Krsna or spiritual master) simply has to carry the message from the authority as it is without any personal interpretation
- He (Krsna) concluded a long detailed account of these manifestations by saying (BG 10.42): But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support these entire universes
- He (Krsna) is God; while He is married to His queens, He is God; and while He is speaking, He is God. There is no difficulty in understanding God. All that is required of us is that we listen to Krsna
- He (Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu) does not manufacture the term (Jagadisa), for it is found in many different Vedic mantras
- He (the foolish man who had no experience with sugar cane, & asked his friend & got imperfectly informed that sugar cane resembles the shape of a bamboo stick) began trying to extract juice from bamboo sticks, but naturally he was baffled in his attempts
- He (the Supreme Lord) is eternally joyful, and His transcendental pastimes are not different from Him
- He may be an Indian or American, Hindu, Muslim or Christian, man, woman, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra or whatever - in any case he is meant to do some sort of work, and that work is his occupational duty
- Healthy Brahman condition is immediately attained as soon as we engage ourselves one hundred percent in Krsna consciousness
- Here (in Bs 5.29) Krsna is called the original person (adi-purusam). We are all persons. Our father is a person, and therefore we are persons
- Hiranyakasipu was an atheist who denied the existence of God, but God came as Lord Nrsimha-deva, a half-man, half-lion incarnation, and killed him. Therefore praise is given to the Lord as supreme controller of the universe and all living entities
- How a person is driven by the lust for material happiness is also described in Bhagavad-gita (16.13): idam adya maya labdham, imam prapsye manorathamm, idam astidam api me, bhavisyati punar dhanam
- How can we describe God or understand His glories? It is not possible. God is unlimited. Regardless of our finite limitations, however, we can express our own feelings and say, "My God, my Lord." This will be accepted
- How is it to be understood that the Supreme Lord is satisfied by our service and labor? It is actually possible to perfect our service or occupational duty. Everyone has some service to perform according to his designations
- Huge sums of money are being thrown into the sea by way of experiments with dreadful weapons. Such experiments are being carried out not only at huge costs but also at the cost of many lives. In this way the nations are being bound by the laws of karma
- Human life by nature is full of suffering, and lower life forms are even more miserable
I
- If He (God) were subject to the laws of the material world, how could He have created it? That the Lord is simultaneously identical with His creation and yet exists in His completeness apart from it is stated in Bhagavad-gita - 9.4-5
- If he (spiritual master) is satisfied, then we should know that the Supreme Lord is also satisfied. That is explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - Sri Gurvastakam, Verse 8
- If land is to be cultivated, there must be some cultivator, and if this body, which is likened unto a field, is to be cultivated, there must be a proprietor who can cultivate it
- If one accepts Bhagavad-gita as a great book of knowledge, he is also accepting Krsna. There is no doubt that the Supreme Absolute Truth is Krsna and that we have our eternal relationship with Him
- If one attempts suicide but does not succeed, or is somehow revived, he is subject to being punished under state law. Similarly, the laws of nature treat suicides as criminal acts
- If one claims that he can become God by worshiping such and such a deity or by meditating, we should immediately take it that he is not a god, but a dog
- If one says that such and such an object is a pair of spectacles, and if he teaches his disciple in that way, there is no mistake as to the identity of the object. The spiritual master is he who has captured the words of a particular disciplic succession
- If out of the frustration of material existence we commit suicide, we do not end our miseries. We simply create other miseries
- If people try to understand this Krsna consciousness movement scientifically and philosophically, with their best knowledge and judgement, and try to cooperate, there will be peace all over the world
- If we accept the words of Arjuna and Krsna, it may be possible for us to understand Bhagavad-gita, but if we want to interpret it in our own way, the results will be nonsensical
- If we are sincere, we will get a sincere spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. If, however, we want to be cheated, Krsna will send us a cheater, and we will be cheated throughout our lives. That is actually going on
- If we are to have knowledge, it must come from a superior source which is not conditioned by these four imperfections. That source is Krsna. He is the supreme authority of BG, and He is accepted as the perfect authority by so many saints and sages
- If we ask people who they are, they reply, "I am Hindu, I am Moslem, I am Swedish, I am American, I am Christian, etc." These are various identifications or designations of the body, but the fact is that we are not these bodies
- If we can advertise that simply by reading this book (Bhagavad-gita) and meditating for fifteen minutes anyone can immediately get power, become successful in business and pass his examination, many people would be attracted to the book
- If we living entities want to actually associate with Radharani, that may be possible, although She is not an ordinary woman. We can become associates of Radharani by qualifying ourselves in advanced devotional service
- If we meditate upon this body and study whether or not we are actually the body, we will come to the conclusion that we are ksetrajna, the knower of the body but not the body
- If we purify our existence and attain spiritual existence, we will experience unlimited peace and happiness
- If we purify our existence simply by following the basic regulations of KC, which involve abstaining from illicit sexual connection, meat-eating, intoxication & gambling, we will gradually rise to attain our spiritual existence, which is completely pure
- If we remain satisfied with our birth by our father and mother, we will remain in our condition as sudra. We have to rise to the brahminical platform by following the purificatory processes
- If we serve Krsna with purified senses, we will begin to relish the pleasure of that supreme reservoir
- If we study Bhagavad-gita according to academic knowledge or according to our own mental speculation, we are certain to commit mistakes. It is not possible to understand Bhagavad-gita in this way
- If we study our finger and consider whether or not we are the finger, we will come to the conclusion that we are not the finger or any other part of the body, but that the finger, the arms, the legs, the head, etc. are our fingers, arms, legs, etc
- If we study this picture (of a demon struggling with a lion, and the Goddess Durga is pulling the demon's hair) we can determine that we are the demon and that the trident is the threefold miseries of material existence from which we are always suffering
- If we take only what we require, our food is tasty and we are healthy
- If we think that because Krsna acts in a particular way - as on the battlefield He gave instructions to Arjuna to fight - He is bound by the reactions of His activities, we are mistaken. "Works do not defile Me," Sri Krsna says - na mam karmani limpanti
- If we think upon seeing a fish that it belongs to Krsna's family, we are mistaken. Of course, from another point of view, everything is Krsna, but Krsna is aloof from everything
- If we trace our father's father back, we will find that he was also a person, and that his father was a person, and so on all the way back to Lord Brahma, who was the first created person in this universe
- If we try to understand Krsna by the speculative process, we will have to spend many lifetimes of speculation; but if we take to devotional service and just try to please Radharani, then Krsna can be very easily realized
- If we utilize whatever we have in our possession to understand God, Krsna will prove that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we but accept this one fact, then all of our education is complete
- If we want to be happy, we must learn how to make Krsna happy. This is the process of Krsna consciousness
- If we want to participate in the unlimited happiness, knowledge and eternal life which constitute our actual heritage in the spiritual world, we should not waste this life by working hard for sense gratification and worshiping hogs
- If we want to purchase a mango from the market, we must at least know what type of food a mango is and what it looks like. Similarly, we must have some preliminary knowledge of the qualifications for a bona fide spiritual master
- If we wish to trace it (Bhagavad-gita) even further back, we find that Krsna spoke it earlier to the sun-god. Krsna is eternal, and consciousness of Krsna is also eternal. In this way KC should be approached. It should not simply be considered a theory
- If, after many, many births one has to come to this point of surrender (to Krsna), then why not immediately
- Impersonalists and monists have misguided their followers because they incorrectly think that the Supreme Lord and the individual souls are equal in all respects
- In a town there may be a department of welfare and a department of police. In the eyes of the government both are the same, for both are subsidiary parts of the government, but for the individual they render different services
- In all religions, temple worship and acceptance of authority are present. We may accept Krsna, or Lord Jesus Christ, or Jehovah, or Lord Buddha, or Sankaracarya, or Guru Nanak, but in any case acceptance of authority is required
- In Bhagavad-gita (10.8) Krsna tells Arjuna: I am the source of everything; from Me the entire creation flows. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with all their hearts
- In Bhagavad-gita (7.7) Krsna asserts His superiority Himself in this way: O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread
- In Bhagavad-gita (8.16) the material world is described as being full of miseries
- In Bhagavad-gita Lord Sri Krsna is accepted as the supreme authority. Sometimes Krsna descends personally, and sometimes He descends by His incarnations
- In conclusion, we must accept the fact that when Krsna comes as one of us, He is not in actuality "one of us." He is transcendental
- In devotional service there is no frustration; even if we perform only a small amount, it will grow. Devotional service is never lost. As far as material things are concerned, whatever we gain in the world will be lost when the body is finished
- In essence, the method (of Krsna consciousness) is very simple. We need only chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and follow the regulative principles mentioned before
- In every field of activity we find some finite controller, so how can we deny the existence of an infinite controller in this creation? It is not without reason therefore that Caitanya Mahaprabhu particularly uses this word Jagadisa, Lord of the universe
- In every temple I (the European) saw that the deity was doing something, but here (in the Radha-Krsna temple) I see that God is simply playing a flute & enjoying Himself. He obviously has nothing to do. - This is a very intelligent conclusion
- In India all scriptures and great spiritual teachers, including Sankaracarya, an impersonalist, accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord
- In order to find this source (of happiness), however, we need some knowledge of what that happiness is
- In other temples he (the European gentleman) saw the deity engaged in similar activities (as he saw in the previous temple of Goddess Kali), but when he came to the Radha-Krsna temple, he said - I find that in this temple there is God
- In proportion to the people's unlawful desires, their accumulated money is taken away by the agents of illusory energy in the shape of medical practitioners, lawyers, tax collectors, societies, constitutions, so-called holy men, famines and earthquakes
- In relation to Krsna there is no distinction between the energies, but for our understanding we discriminate and say that sometimes the energy is working in a material way and sometimes in a spiritual way
- In Satya-yuga meditation was the main process, and great munis meditated for periods extending upwards of 60,000 years. In this age, however, perfection by that means of meditation is not possible because we are so short-lived
- In Seattle there was a demonstration with hogs in which the boys and girls undressed themselves and got in the mud and played with the hogs, and in this way they were associating with the hogs and pigs which they worshiped
- In the beginning of his commentary on the BG, Sankaracarya says that Narayana is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested creation, and in the same commentary he says that the SPG, Narayana, is Krsna appearing as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva
- In the Bhagavad-gita as well as in Brahma-samhita it is said that Durga or Maya is acting under Krsna's direction, so how can she be considered inferior
- In the Brahma-samhita Lord Brahma explains that if we are looking for God, here is God (Bs. 5.38): premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena, santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti, yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
- In the Brahma-samhita Radharani is described as Krsna's expansion of His spiritual potency. In this way, She is nondifferent from Krsna. The gopis, who tend Radha and Krsna, are not ordinary women or girls; they are expansions of Krsna's pleasure potency
- In the Brahma-samhita, it is confirmed that Krsna's energy is always spiritual, but it is acting in different ways in different fields of activities
- In the divisions of human society, no one division is important to the exclusion of the others. Of these divisions, the brahmanas are considered to be the intellectual class, the class of teachers
- In the divisions of human society, no one division is important to the exclusion of the others. Of these divisions, the ksatriyas are the administrative and military class; the vaisyas are the mercantile and agricultural class
- In the higher sense, everything is serving Krsna, and those who are highly elevated understand this
- In the human body, the most important part is the head, then the arms, the belly and the legs. Although the head is considered to be the most important part, there is no question of neglecting the legs or any other part
- In the morning they (the bridegroom's party who were sleeping in the boat) all got up early, but to their astonishment they saw that the boat had not moved an inch toward the destination, even though the boatmen had rowed vigorously all night long
- In the present social status, we find that we are existing in these four divisions (brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras), but there is no cooperation. Everyone is dissatisfied
- In the revealed scriptures the Supreme Lord is described as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternal, cit means fully cognizant, ananda means joyful, and vigraha means that He is a person
- In the same way (just like heat and light are the dharma of fire. Fire cannot change its dharma), liquidity is an intrinsic quality of water, and this quality cannot be changed. If it is, it can no longer be considered water
- In the scriptures it is said that as long as we are in this bodily conception of life, all our activities will be defeated
- In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of incarnations, and Lord Buddha is accepted as one of them
- In the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna explains His different manifestations to Arjuna in this way - (describe in) BG 10.27-28
- In the universe there are many isvaras, or controllers, but Krsna is the supreme among all of them. Krsna consciousness gives us this knowledge. Without it, we will remain ignorant of our real self-interest
- In the Upanisads it is said, na tat samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate: no one is found equal to or greater than Him - Krsna
- In the Vedanta-sutra the Absolute Truth is said to be always enjoying the pleasure potency
- In the Vedas it is stated that the learned advanced people, the demigods of the creation, simply look to the lotus feet of Krsna. The aim should be the same with human civilization
- In the Vedic histories we find that there were many, many exalted emperors and kings who practiced austerities and penances. Dhruva Maharaja, Ambarisa & Yudhisthira were all great kings and were most opulent, but at the same time they were great sages
- In the Vedic literatures we find that in this age (of Kali-yuga) everyone is born a sudra; therefore everyone requires to be educated as to his real identity
- In the Vedic process the research work is already done; it is complete, and it is simply handed down by disciplic succession from teacher to student
- In their mature stage of love of Godhead, when they were living in Vrndavana, the gosvamis would also cry - Radharani, where are You? Where are Your associates? Where are You, O son of Nanda? Where are you all. In this way they were searching after Krsna
- In this age especially there is a general decay in the consciousness of the masses of people. A few people remember that there is a God, but for the most part people are forgetting Him. Therefore they cannot be happy
- In this age it is especially recommended that we all sit down together and chant Hare Krsna. It is very easy, and everyone can take part in it. There is no necessity of education, nor are any previous qualifications required
- In this age people are also very slow and unfortunate, and they are contaminated with bad association. Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the chanting of Hare Krsna (mantra) as a great means of propaganda for spreading love of God
- In this century, for instance, we have attempted to put out the fire of war, but it has not been possible. There was a First World War, and then a League of Nations was formed to try to prevent a second, but despite their attempts a second took place
- In this material world, the mother, prakrti, which is material nature, supplies us with the body, and the Supreme Father impregnates this matter with living souls
- In this prayer (of CC Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4) the word jagadisa means "Lord of the universe." Jagat means universe, and isa means Lord
- In this verse (BG 14.4) Sri Krsna claims that all living entities, regardless of the forms they take in this material world, are his sons, and that they are related to Him as a son is related to his father
- In this way (by searching after & crying, "Where are You? Where are You Radharani? Where are You Krsna? Are You there by Govardhana Hill?"), throughout the whole tract of Vrndavana, the gosvamis were crying and searching after Radha & Krsna like madmen
- In understanding God, we must be careful to accept the Vedic conclusion only: na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: God has nothing to do. Why would God have to do something to become God? If we manufacture gold, that is artificial gold, not real gold
- In Vedic literatures it is said that in order to understand the transcendental science of Krsna consciousness, we must try to acquire knowledge of how to extinguish this blazing fire of problems
- In Vrndavana we find that devotees chant Radharani's name more often than Krsna's. Wherever we go in India we will find devotees calling - Jaya Radhe
- Indeed, that is the law of nature; if money isn't devoted to the service of God, it must be spent as spoiled energy in the form of legal problems or diseases. Foolish people do not have the eyes to see such facts; therefore the laws of the SG befool them
- Inert matter, in association with dynamic spirit, manifests a false representation or a perverted reflection of that very spiritual variegatedness which is so adamantly denied by the monist class of so-called swamis
- Interest in Krsna consciousness is not commonplace. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that out of many millions and billions of persons, only one is interested in achieving perfection
- It (Bhagavad-gita) is perfect knowledge that was taught by Lord Krsna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, and we receive information from it that in previous ages Sri Krsna also taught it to the sun-god Vivasvan
- It (constructing the prison house) is not done for the pleasure of the government, which has to spend a great deal of money in constructing and maintaining it
- It (Krsna consciousness movement) is not simply for one age, or for one country, or for one class of people
- It (Krsna's material energy) is as important as spiritual energy, but it is engaged to punish the conditioned soul, just as the police department is engaged in punishing criminals
- It (the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita which is given by Krsna to sun-god Vivasvan) was handed down from time immemorial from Vivasvan by disciplic succession
- It (the real evolutionary process) is indicated in BG in this way (BG 7.19): After many births & deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me (Krsna), knowing Me to be the cause of all causes, and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare
- It has been calculated on the basis of archeological evidence that Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra more than five thousand years ago. So this KC movement, even from the historical point of view, is five thousand years old
- It is customary with this verse (om ajnana-timirandhasya, jnananjana-salakaya, caksur unmilitam yena, tasmai sri-gurave namah) to offer obeisances to the spiritual master who enlightens his disciples in the matter of transcendental knowledge
- It is fashionable to research to try to find out who is God, but this is not necessary. God is present, and He Himself says - (this verse) BG 7.7
- It is Krsna's promise that by surrender peace and eternal life will come automatically (BG 18.62): O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him in all respects, so that by His mercy you can have transcendental peace and the eternal abode
- It is necessary for us to learn how to employ our senses in the transcendental service of the Lord, and to utilize everything to serve His interest. This alone can bring about much desired peace
- It is necessary to follow carefully in the footsteps of Arjuna. In previous ages, due to interpretation and mental speculation, the real purport of Bhagavad-gita was lost; therefore Krsna re-established the teachings by giving them to Arjuna - BG 4.2-3
- It is not possible to send a fire brigade, a few men with buckets of water, to extinguish a great fire in the forest
- It is not that it (chanting Hare Krsna) is recommended only for Kali-yuga. Actually, it is recommended for every age. There have always been many devotees who have chanted and reached perfection in all ages. That is the beauty of this KC movement
- It is not that the chanting of Hare Krsna is effective in this age and not in Satya-yuga. Nor is it that people were not chanting the holy names of Krsna in Satya-yuga
- It is not that we are to enjoy the loving exchanges between Krsna and Radha like spectators at some sports show. We must feel separation from Them. The more we feel separation, the more we should understand that we are advancing
- It is not that we have coined this term "Krsna consciousness." Krsna consciousness is the oldest phrase in the history of the world - BG 18.65, BG 9.34
- It is variegatedness which attracts people both to the country and the city. This is the proper explanation of the verse of the Vedanta-sutra
- Its (Bhagavad-gita's) philosophy is the oldest in the history of the world
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- Just as a student is elevated from a lower class to a post-graduate class, the divisions of labor (catur-varnyam) are created to elevate us from the lowest stages of consciousness to the highest stage of KC. This process is a process of cooperation
- Just as the cloud pours water on the forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master
K
- Knowledge of our proper identity as separate from the body is real knowledge, but this knowledge is denied as long as we cling to bodily identification
- Krsna cannot distribute inferior energy because He is not inferior. He is always superior, spiritual, and therefore His energy is always spiritual
- Krsna certainly has form, but His form, as stated before, is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. The attributes of His transcendental body are summarized by Lord Brahma in this way - Bs. 5.1
- Krsna consciousness is the utmost necessity for all divisions of society. Every chapter and every conclusion of Bhagavad-gita aim toward Krsna consciousness. Sri Krsna, who is speaking Bhagavad-gita, is always stressing devotion to His personal Self
- Krsna has no work to perform. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He simply engages in enjoying Himself with the gopis (cowherd girls) and His consort Radharani. Krsna, as Krsna, does not really engage in killing demons
- Krsna is the same, and He is the one without a second, but He can expand Himself in billions and trillions of forms. This is all for the purpose of His enjoyment
- Krsna may act in so many ways in the world, but it is not because He is required to do so. This is indicated in Bhagavad-gita - 3.22
- Krsna says that as soon as there is a discrepancy in the discharge of the dharmas of the living entities, when there is an upsurge of unnatural activities, He descends. One of the principal purposes of His descent is to reestablish religious principles
- Krsna says, "I am the Supreme," and the spiritual master says, "Krsna is the Supreme." It is not that to be a representative of Krsna or to be a spiritual master one has to have any extraordinary qualification
- Krsna thought, "Although I am full and complete in every respect, I still don't understand Radharani. Why is that?" This obliged Krsna to accept the propensities of Radharani, and this accounts for His manifestation as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- Krsna was so kind to Putana that He allowed her to nurse Him, but when He sucked her breasts He not only sucked out the poison but her life as well. Putana fell to the ground dead and was immediately transformed into her original demonic form
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- Life outside of a prison is certainly free from prison activities, but is not devoid of activity. The soul is by nature eternally active, but the impersonalists try to negate the activities of the soul in the spiritual realm
- Living entities are naturally attracted by variety, by attractive streets, buildings, cinemas, parks, businesses, foodstuffs, etc. Despite all this variety, the English poet Cowper once said - The city is made by man, but the country is made by God
- Lord Buddha preached that there is no God and no soul, that this body is a combination of matter, and that when we dissolve this material combination, sensations of misery and happiness will no longer exist
- Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also confirmed that in this age of Kali, Krsna has descended in the form of sound vibration. Sound is one of the forms which the Lord takes. Therefore it is stated that there is no difference between Krsna and His name
- Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also confirms that Krsna is the Supreme Godhead, and the Srimad-Bhagavatam says, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
- Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that if we chant or associate with the chanting of the holy names of Krsna, we will reach the highest perfectional stage of life
- Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us to pray in this way (CC Antya 20.32, Siksastaka 5): ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram, patitam mam visame bhavambudhau, krpaya tava pada-pankaja-sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya
- Lord Krsna further enumerated the many great manifestations of the material creation and explained how each was representative of Himself
- Loving service to the Supreme Lord in different relationships makes even the enjoyment of impersonal Brahman as insignificant as a drop of water in comparison to the ocean
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- Man is suffering due to his insatiable desires and lusts. Not only is man suffering, but the planet on which he resides, his mother earth, represented in Srimad-Bhagavatam by mother cow, is also suffering
- Many so-called swamis who are so frequently attracted by the cities often seek a kind of pleasure in society and feminine friendship
- Material nature is subordinate to the will of the Supreme Lord, and therefore He cannot be subjected to the laws of material nature. It is contradictory for the Lord to be subjected to the laws of His own inferior energy - BG 7.7
- Modern society is in dire need of intellectual persons or brahmanas who can broadcast real spiritual knowledge all over the world. That is an absolute necessity for a society which is working hard simply to exploit nature
- Money is sought after by everyone because that is the medium of exchange for objects for sense gratification. Obviously the expectation of peace in such an atmosphere of gold rush pandemonium is a utopian dream
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- No government wants its citizens to act in such a way that they must go to prison and suffer tribulations
- No one can trace out the history of when the conditioned soul first began accepting these material bodies
- No one in the material creation can say that he is free from them (threefold miseries). The trident of this material nature is pressed against everyone's chest, and because of this, pure happiness within this material world is not possible
- No one individual can say, "I am the supreme. No one is above me." Nor can anyone say, - I am the most inferior. No one is below me
- No one is prepared to serve the Lord. This is the basic cause for our conditioning in material existence and for our resultant unhappiness
- No one wants a forest fire, but there is often lightning, or carelessness, or friction, or whatever, and the fire immediately takes place. Similarly, this material world is beset with a blazing fire of problems
- No scripture says that there is no God or that we as living entities are independent - not the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas or even the Buddhist literatures
- Nor does He (the Supreme Lord) directly manage universal affairs, for He has many assistants who can conduct affairs while He remains in His abode. This is confirmed in Sri Isopanisad 4
- Now a United Nations has been constructed to help end war, but war is going on in Vietnam, in Egypt, in Pakistan and other places. No one wants a Third World War, but it seems imminent
- Now in this life let me restrict the four principles of animalistic life - eating, sleeping, defending & mating - and let me devote my time to developing Krsna consciousness. In this way my life will be successful - every intelligent man should say this
- Now we have these material bodies, and it is our duty to cultivate them properly. That cultivation is called karma, or work
- Nowadays it is becoming fashionable for people to claim that they are becoming God by meditation. This means that by meditation it is possible to transform oneself into God; in other words, God meditates, and by His meditation He becomes God
O
- O my Lord, Your hands are very beautiful, like the lotus flower, but with Your long nails You have ripped apart the wasp Hiranyakasipu. Unto You, Lord of the universe, do I offer my humble obeisances
- O son of Nanda, I (Caitanya) am Your (Krsna's) eternal servitor, and although I am so, somehow or other I have fallen in the ocean of birth & death. please, therefore, pick me up from this ocean of death and fix me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet
- Often the word dharma is translated to mean religion, but to conceive of dharma as a religion is to misconceive the word. In general usage, the word religion refers to a particular type of faith. The word dharma does not
- On the one hand they (so-called swamis) enjoy variegatedness in matter, and on the other they deny spiritual variegatedness to the Absolute. Because they are pledged to the theory of monism and impersonalism
- Once a well-known swami in India was asked whether God or providence is responsible for the sufferings of humanity. The swami replied that these sufferings were all God's pastimes or lila
- Once Caitanya said, "You must at least have enough sense to test to find out who is a spiritual master and who is not." For instance, if we want to purchase something, we must at least have some idea of what that thing is, otherwise we will be cheated
- Once we think that we are the most inferior, we'll immediately find that someone is inferior to us; and once we think that we are supreme, we'll immediately find someone superior. This is our position
- One European gentleman, who went to Calcutta and visited several temples, noted that in the temple of the goddess Kali, the deity had a very ferocious figure, with a chopper in hand, and was cutting off the heads of demons and wearing them as garland
- One may progress from one stage to another, coming from the stage of karmi or fruitive laborer, to the stage of jnani or philosopher, to the stage of yogi or meditator, but in any case one finally has to come to the platform of bhakti, or DS
- One miser who hesitated to purchase a copy of BTG spent $2,000 for a week's supply of medicine and then died. Another man who refused to spend a cent for the service of the Lord wasted thousands of dollars in a legal suit between the members of his home
- One who bestows or distributes the merciful rain of Krsna is called a spiritual master or guru
- One who can come to understand that Krsna is the root of everything, the origin of everything, can understand the meaning of isvarah paramah krsnah (Bs. 5.1) - Krsna is the supreme controller
- One who is engaged in Krsna conscious activity is at once elevated to the transcendental position. By nature we are not matter but Brahman - aham brahmasmi
- Only Lord Jagadisa is in control; everyone else is controlled. The atheists, however, do not like this term because they like to think that they are in control, but actually this is not the case
- Otherwise they would not be able to develop and grow - if 8,400,000 species of bodies, including plants and trees, would not have souls
- Our activities will be in accordance to that realization (I am spirt soul), that is to say that they will cease to be motivated from the material or bodily platform
- Our ambition should be aimed at enjoying spiritual bliss and not this temporary happiness. Some philosophers claim that spiritual bliss is attained by negating material happiness and material existence
- Our consciousness is eternally Krsna consciousness because we are part and parcel of Krsna eternally. This is asserted in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita - 15.7
- Our conviction should be that our Supreme Father is Jagadisa, or Lord of the entire universe
- Our eternal relationship with God is sabhajana: God is great, and we are subordinate. He is the predominator, and we are the predominated. The duty of the subordinate is to please the predominator
- Our only prayer should be that the Lord enable us to serve Him birth after birth
- Our position is that we want to continue in our sinful activities, and therefore we deny the existence of a controller. This is the basic principle of godlessness
- Our prayer should be, "Dear Lord, You are so great that I want to engage in Your service. I have been serving all these rascals, and I am not satisfied. Now I have come to You, please engage me in Your service." This is the last word in prayer
- Our prayers should be directed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Krsna) and none else. Therefore we pray with Brahma - Bs. 5.29
- Our present civilization is a mistaken civilization because the mistaken leaders have forgotten to raise the anchor of attachment
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- People are always trying to get some government post or some position in a reputed business firm because the service rendered in such positions earns great profits
- People are not attracted to Krsna consciousness because they prefer to be cheated by maya
- People are thinking that God is dead, or that we have no obligation to God, or that there is no God. This sort of thinking will never make for happiness
- People who are eating meat are still, despite their meat-eating, subject to so many diseases and unhealthy conditions. Gambling is also discouraged because it simply agitates the mind
- Perfection of duty can be tested by seeing whether the Supreme Lord is satisfied by its execution
- Person may come to our place with a hoe to cultivate land, or he may come to simply drink coffee or tea. We've been given this particular type of body to cultivate & to attain required sense objects according to our desires. This body is a gift from God
- Pleasure means that there must be others, and therefore Krsna, the Absolute Truth, who is always engaged in enjoying Himself, has become many
- Poets like Cowper are attracted to the variegatedness of the country, and prosaic people who live in the city are attracted by the colorful varieties manufactured by man
- Presently there is a great deal of concern over the fact that our natural resources are becoming polluted and exhausted. Actually there is ample supply, but due to misuse and greed everything is being spoiled
- Pure devotional service is transcendental to all pollution. We need not artificially adopt principles of materialism; we need only fix our minds on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna
R
- Radharani and the gopis should never be accepted as ordinary women; indeed, to understand their position we need the guidance of a spiritual master
- Radharani is such a great devotee that She can deliver Krsna
- Radharani is very dear to Krsna, and if we approach Krsna through the mercy of Radharani, we can easily attain Him. If Radharani recommends a devotee, Krsna immediately accepts him, however foolish he may be
- Recently we were surprised to see, while walking in Central park in New York City, that a group of young American boys and girls were engaged in worshiping hogs
- Regardless of what class we belong to, if we cooperate in Krsna consciousness, there will be peace in the world
S
- Sankaracarya appeared to preach that the external feature of Brahman, the body, is merely an illusion
- Scientists, philosophers and other educated men are trying very hard to extinguish it, but the result seems to be bigger and bigger bombs
- She (Goddess Durga) wields the different weapons to chastise the demons. There is one famous picture of a demon struggling with a lion, and the Goddess Durga is pulling the demon's hair and pushing her trident against his chest
- Since all the members of the party (of bridegroom) were seated comfortably, and since the river breeze was very pleasant, they slept soundly that night
- Since the manifestations of Krsna are so great, we should know that His enjoyment is far greater than ours. We have to try to understand what kind of enjoyment Krsna likes
- Since we are eternal spiritual sparks, our spiritual assets go with us, gradually fructifying. In this way those who have previously cultivated transcendental consciousness come in contact with Krsna consciousness through this movement
- So much human energy is being diverted to making money, for the general population has increased its capacity to make more and more dollars, but in the long run the result is that this unrestricted & unlawful monetary inflation has created a bad economy
- So this is God; in the lap of His mother He is God. He does not have to become God by meditation, penance, austerity or by following rules or regulations. He is substantially and eternally God, and He has nothing to do
- Society cannot be peaceful unless there are four divisions of human beings functioning in harmony with one another. These four divisions are comprised of brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras
- Some miseries are inflicted by other living entities, some are inflicted by natural disasters, and some are inflicted by the mind and body themselves. In one way or another we are always struggling against these three types of miseries
- Some people argue that if we do not eat meat we will be undernourished, but we can see that the students of this Krsna consciousness movement have given up meat and are very healthy
- Some people complain that when they pray to God they do not feel His presence. We should know that this is due to our incapacities, not God's
- Some people think that Radha and Krsna are so cheap that They may be seen every night, but this is not the teaching of the gosvamis who were always searching after Krsna crying - Where are You Krsna? Are You on the bank of the Yamuna
- Some people think that Radha and Krsna are so cheap that They may be seen every night, but this is not the teaching of the gosvamis who were always searching after Krsna crying - Where are You Krsna? Are You there by Govardhana Hill
- Some people think that Radha and Krsna are so cheap that They may be seen every night, but this is not the teaching of the gosvamis who were always searching after Krsna crying - Where are You? Where are You Radharani? Where are You Krsna
- Some philosophies maintain that after liberation from material life, after the nirvana of this material body, we become zero, void. That is a dangerous theory. By nature the living entity is not attracted to zero
- Somehow or other we have come in contact with material nature, and because of the mind and the six senses, we are struggling hard to exist. That is Darwin's theory - the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest
- Sometimes electricity works for cooling purposes, and sometimes it works for heating purposes, but the energy generated from the electric powerhouse is all the same. Similarly, Krsna's energy is always spiritual, but it is acting in different ways
- Sometimes He (Krsna) descends as sound vibration, and sometimes He descends as a devotee. There are many different categories of avataras. In this present age Krsna has descended in His holy name, Hare Krsna - maha-mantra
- Sometimes the tables turn, and we find that the dog controls the master. This happens because actually no one is the controller, and everyone is controlled. Unfortunately we are forgetful of this situation, and this forgetfulness is called maya
- Sri Krsna is the fountainhead of Lord Siva and the origin of Visnu and of Brahma, and, of course, of all other demigods and other living creatures
- Sri Krsna states (BG 7.13): Deluded by the three modes (goodness, passion, and ignorance), the whole world does not know Me who am above them and inexhaustible
- Sri Krsna, using the example of a strongly rooted banyan tree, advises us in Bhagavad-gita how to get rid of this (material) attachment once and for all - BG 15.3-4
- Srimad-Bhagavatam does not recommend that we give up our present religion, but it does hint at the purpose of religion. That purpose is love of Godhead, and that religion which teaches us best how to love the Supreme Lord is the best religion
- Srimad-Bhagavatam gives a list of all incarnations of God, and at last concludes that the name Krsna, which appears on this list, indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas all other names represent manifestations or incarnations
- Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled by Vyasadeva five thousand years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,600 years ago, so Srimad-Bhagavatam actually foretold the event of his incarnation
- Subhadra is in the spiritual world and is eternally related to Krsna as His energy, but when Durga conducts her activities here in the material world, it is not that she is to be considered inferior
- Subhadra is the sister of Krsna, and from her comes the incarnation of Durga, the personification of material energy
- Such (so-called) swamis (who are so frequently attracted by the cities often seek a kind of pleasure in society and feminine friendship) are seeking varieties of enjoyment in matter because they have no information of the variegatedness of spiritual life
- Such association (by remembering Krsna and spiritual master's words of instructions) with Krsna and the spiritual master should be association by vibration, not physical presence. That is real association
- Surrender to Krsna is the point; that is the aim of life, and the bhaktas, the intelligent men of the world, take to this stage immediately. Therefore Krsna says that they are wise men
- Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has written a verse which says that although the loving affairs of Radha and Krsna may appear like ordinary material affairs, this is not actually the case. Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krsna
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- That original spiritual disciplic succession (coming from Krsna to the sun-god) was broken, but now we can receive the same message by studying Bhagavad-gita. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna speaks to Arjuna just as in a far distant time He spoke to the sun-god
- That superior nature which is beyond this material nature is eternal. There is no history of its ever having begun; it has neither beginning nor end - 8.20-21
- That the Lord has various energies is confirmed in Vedic literatures
- The activities of this (illusory) energy function according to principles and regulations, and they act consciously under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Everything is done by nature in full consciousness; nothing is blind or accidental
- The actual fact is that our constitutional position is not one of struggle. Struggle is the position of animal life. Human life should be blissful and should have as its goal spiritual advancement
- The affectionate father gives the son just what he wants. Similarly, the Supreme Father gives His sons and daughters just what they want. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that all beings, in all species of life, are His children - BG 14.4
- The ambition for happiness is natural and good, but the attempt to derive it from inert matter by so-called scientific arrangements is an illusory attempt doomed to frustration. Those who are befooled cannot understand this
- The anchor (of attachment) is being more and more firmly fixed because they (the mistaken leaders of our present civilization) have structured the social order on the basis of sense gratification
- The anchor of life remains deeply fixed in the waters of nescience for the purpose of sense gratification, and thus our so-called civilization rots in a stagnant pool. Because we are not moving, we are always in the same port of problematic life
- The best system of religion is that which best trains us to surrender unto the Supreme Lord. This is the basic principle underlying Bhagavad-gita
- The best way to understand Bhagavad-gita is to accept a bona fide spiritual master. This is not very difficult
- The Bhagavad-gita is the ABC or primary book of knowledge for students interested in that (the transcendental) science - of God
- The blazing fire of material nature is supervised by Durga. Often she is portrayed with weapons in her hands. She has ten hands, and each holds a different type of weapon. This indicates that she is ruling all ten directions of this universe
- The body is simply the field of our activities. We are no more the body than the cultivator of a field is the field
- The body of a snake is very cool, but if a man, wanting to enjoy this coolness, garlands himself with a venomous snake, he will surely be killed by the snake's venomous bite
- The Brahma-samhita also gives us information regarding Jagadisa, the Supreme. In that work, Lord Brahma says that the supreme controller is Lord Krsna Himself - isvarah paramah krsnah - Bs. 5.1
- The chief pleasure potency (of Krsna) is Radharani, and so Radha-Krsna are always together. Whereas the material energy is conducted by the external potency, Maya, the spiritual world is conducted by the internal potency, Radharani
- The child also suffers when he is forced to go to school when he does not want to. The child does not want to study, but the teacher gives him tasks anyway. If we carefully analyze our lives, we will find that they are full of suffering
- The Christian religion has a history of 2,000 years, and the Mohammedan religion has a history of 1,300 years, but if we try to trace out the origins of Vedic religion, we will not be able to find a beginning
- The citizens are no longer satisfied with just enough money to maintain a family nicely and cultivate spiritual knowledge, both of which are essential in human life. Now everyone wants money unlimitedly to satisfy insatiable desires
- The complexities of the actions and the reactions of the diverse energies of the Absolute Truth constitute the subject matter of a vast science called the transcendental science of God
- The conclusion is that the Vedic process does not encourage us to endeavor to learn the Absolute Truth by employing our present senses, which are conditioned in so many ways
- The conclusion that we are not these bodies but that the bodies belong to us. Therefore we say - This is my body
- The countryside is also full of natural variegatedness in a crude form, whereas in the city this variegatedness is displayed in a modernized scientific manner
- The current propaganda that "God is dead" is spread because people want to continue being rascals without restriction. This is the basic principle underlying the denial of God's existence. But however much we deny His existence, He will not die
- The dharma of the individual soul can never be changed, and that dharma is the occupational duty of rendering service unto the Supreme Lord. Faiths and religions can be changed
- The different weights on the anchor which keep us grounded in material life are our attachment to kinsmen due to bodily relations - all these anchor the boat of the human body in the material universe
- The different weights on the anchor which keep us grounded in material life are our attachment to material science - all these anchor the boat of the human body in the material universe
- The different weights on the anchor which keep us grounded in material life are our attachment to our land of birth and our material possessions - all these anchor the boat of the human body in the material universe
- The different weights on the anchor which keep us grounded in material life are our attachment to religious forms and rituals without knowing their true purpose - all these anchor the boat of the human body in the material universe
- The different weights on the anchor which keep us grounded in material life are our attachments to the material body due to our ignorance of spiritual facts - all these anchor the boat of the human body in the material universe
- The energy of the human race is thus (by the impulse for sense gratification) wasted by the laws of nature because of man's aversion to the Lord, who is actually the proprietor of all energies
- The eye can see only under certain conditions, and therefore it is understood that our vision is limited. Similarly, all our other senses are also limited. It is not possible to understand the unlimited by these imperfect, limited senses
- The four divisions of human society were created by Sri Krsna in order to facilitate this process of elevation
- The fourth imperfection is that the senses of the living entity are not perfect. Our vision is so limited that we cannot see very far away nor very near
- The fraudulent swamis or mental speculators, in order to remain consistent with the theory of monism, must pass off the miseries of mankind as the pastimes of God, but actually these miseries are only the enforced punishments of Maya devi
- The gosvamis, disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the most perfect and highly elevated beings, never said, "I have seen Krsna." Instead, they constantly cried - Where is Radharani? Where are Lalita and Visakha and the other damsels of Vrndavana
- The government would be very glad to demolish prisons altogether provided that there are no disobedient citizens in the state
- The great sage Rsabhadeva instructed his sons in this way: In this life you have acquired these beautiful bodies. Now you should know that they are not meant for sense gratification like the bodies of hogs and dogs but for spiritual realization
- The illusioned living entity who, in his search for eternal happiness, tries to extract happiness from this material world, which is not only full of miseries but is also transient and flickering
- The impersonal monists have no information of full-fledged independent life in the eternal spiritual realm. According to them, the spiritual realm is simply void. This is like prisoners thinking that there is no life outside the prison
- The impersonalist monists only misguide people by contending that the threefold miseries are a part of the Lord's pastimes
- The impersonalists' understanding of God is called nirakara. Nih means "negative" and akara means "form," so nirakara means "negative form." The impersonalists are mistaken when they think that God has no form at all
- The individual souls, who are put into the miseries of the material world, are suffering the resultant reactions of their unsanctioned activities. This is the verdict of Bhagavad-gita - BG 16.19
- The jnanis or philosophers are also trying (to diminish the miserable condition), but they have become disgusted & so proclaim, "This world is false." Thinking this, they try to merge into the existence of the Supreme and in this way extinguish the fire
- The karmis or fruitive laborers are working with heart and soul, day and night, to extinguish this fire or to diminish the miserable condition of material existence by dint of hard labor
- The law of karma, or the result of all actions and reactions in the material world, is controlled by this all-powerful illusory energy
- The laws of nature do not allow us to accept more money than is required for proper maintenance
- The leaders of the big money-making countries are not really enjoying peace but are making plans to save themselves from imminent destruction by nuclear weapons
- The level of enjoyment (even in the highest planet) is insignificant in comparison to the eternal bliss enjoyed in the company of the Supreme Lord
- The life of a citizen outside the prison and the life of a citizen within the prison are not the same
- The living entities (jivas) are minute samples of the Supreme Lord, and being so they therefore find in their activities the desire for eternal existence, for complete knowledge, and for happiness
- The living entity is a minute particle of the superior spiritual energy of the Lord, which is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and therefore he has the necessary propensity for joy which is spiritual in quality
- The Lord does not want the living entity to become entangled in the reactions of activities, be they good or bad. He simply wants everyone to go back home, back to Godhead
- The Lord is described in all scriptures as lila-purusottama, or the Personality of Godhead, who is by His own nature always engaged in transcendental pastimes. In the Vedanta-sutra He is also described as anandamayo 'bhyasat - Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12
- The Lord, or the Supreme Godhead, who is one without a second, is a fully cognizant and eternally joyful personality with a full sense of His identity. No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. This is a concise description of the Supreme Lord
- The material energy has to act to bewilder the living entity who is under the direction of Krsna
- The material energy may be working in different ways that may not be very pleasant to the living entity, but that does not mean that material energy is not liked by Krsna
- The material senses are compared to snakes; indulgence in material happiness will surely kill our spiritual identity. Therefore a sane man should be ambitious to find the real source of happiness
- The minute sac-cid-ananda living entity cannot be really happy through any amount of planning conceived by his illusioned brain in this material universe. He must therefore be given a different type of happiness which is spiritual in essence
- The miseries of life are divided into three categories, namely miseries arising from the body and mind, miseries arising from other living entities, and miseries arising due to natural calamities
- The monists and impersonalists try with great difficulty to explain this sutra in diverse ways in order to support their imperfect theory of oneness and impersonality. However, the fact remains that ananda, pleasure, cannot be enjoyed alone
- The monists and impersonalists who think only in terms of the oneness of the living entities with the Supreme Lord cannot give satisfactory answers to such questions. Such an imperfect reply can hardly satisfy the heart of a living entity
- The naras are also meant to serve Narayana under the guidance of the goddess of fortune. The living being cannot enjoy the goddess of fortune without serving Narayana, & therefore whoever desires to enjoy her wrongly will be punished by the law of nature
- The only effective solutions (of the three miseries) are those mentioned in Bhagavad-gita, and we have to adopt them in our practical lives for our own benefit. The three miseries of material nature are not found in the pastimes of the Supreme Lord
- The opening words of the Vedanta-sutra proclaim: Now is the time to inquire about Brahman
- The parts and parcels are meant to serve the whole, and when they misuse their independence they are subject to the miseries of the laws of matter, just as criminals are subject to police action
- The pastimes of the Supreme Lord are transcendental to the actual miseries and sufferings of human beings
- The Personality of Godhead, who is fully cognizant of everything in His creation, informs us in our best interest that we must desire to get rid of this material existence. We must detach ourselves from everything material
- The philosophy of Sankaracarya is mainly based on the principle that we should not think that we are products of this material nature. It is by some unfortunate accident that we are in contact with material nature
- The phrase man-mana bhava mad-bhakto (in BG 18.65) means "just be always conscious of Me." This then is Krsna consciousness. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna is repeatedly saying that we should worship Him, offer obeisances unto Him and then come to Him
- The point is that a beautiful situation in life should be utilized for a beautiful end, not for degraded forms of worship
- The point is that all activities must be directed to the satisfaction of Krsna and His service
- The power that baffles all the plans and designs of even the most intelligent person is the power of Maya devi, or the illusory energy
- The President of the US, is considered to be the supreme man in the country, but as soon as there is some disturbance in Central Europe, he immediately has to call a meeting of his cabinet to consider how to deal with the situation
- The prison house is undoubtedly constructed by the state government, but this does not mean that the government is anxious for its citizens to be put into it. Indirectly, the disobedient citizens force the government to construct the prison house
- The process (of KC) is not troublesome but pleasing. Now they (American and European, the young students who are voluntarily practicing this KC) are realizing that purified existence constitutes the difference between animal life and human life
- The questioner continued to ask why a living entity should be put under the dictations of the law of karma. The swami could not answer these questions to the satisfaction of his inquirers
- The real pleasure of variety exists in spirit without deluding relativity. On the other hand, inert matter, in association with dynamic spirit, manifests a false representation or a perverted reflection of that very spiritual variegatedness
- The reason for this (after increasing the standard of life to the highest capacity, yet we will be unhappy) is that the quality of happiness which is suitable for our constitution is different from the happiness which is derived from material activities
- The residents of this material world are different from those who are eternally engaged in the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord
- The result of gaining all these advantages (of having good looking bodies) is that they have simply taken to hog worship. Such hog worship was anticipated long, long ago and was described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, which was compiled at least 5,000 years ago
- The sage Rsabhadeva told his sons that once they purified their existence they would have unlimited happiness. We are all intended to attain peace and happiness, but whatever peace and happiness we find in this material world is limited
- The SG personally has nothing to do. How is this? He has not to strive for wealth, for all wealth is His; nor for knowledge, for all knowledge is His; nor for power, for all power is His; nor for beauty, fame or renunciation, for they are all His in full
- The son may insist upon getting something from the father, and the father may try to convince him that what he wants is not for his good, saying, - My dear son, don't touch this. This is not good for you
- The spiritual master does not have to say anything beyond that (the spiritual master is he who has captured the words of a particular disciplic succession whatever he has been taught). This is the qualification
- The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy
- The spiritual master is the representative of the Supreme Lord. How does he become the representative
- The spiritual world is not dry or abstract; as pointed out before, there is variegatedness there
- The state considers its citizens to be its parts and parcels, and when a citizen misuses his relative independence, the state puts him under police authority
- The sudras are the common laborer class. In a properly run society, all of these classes (brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras) are required. If they cooperate in their progress toward Krsna consciousness, there is no strife amongst them
- The sufferings of humanity are caused by the misuse of the discriminative power or the little independence which is given to individual souls
- The sufferings of humanity are not to be equated with the pastimes of the Supreme Being, nor is the Supreme Being responsible for them. The Lord is never responsible for anyone's vices or virtues
- The sufferings of the living entities within the prison of material nature cannot be equated with the pastimes of the Supreme Lord which exist in the absolute freedom of sac-cid-ananda
- The Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, and we are qualitatively one with Him. Although very small, a drop of seawater is as salty as the sea, and although we are but spiritual atoms, we have the same properties as the supreme spirit whole
- The Supreme Lord is the Absolute Truth, and He is one without a second, but He also includes His diverse energies, parts, and plenary portions which are simultaneously one with and different from Him
- The Supreme Lord never creates the actions and reactions of an individual soul
- The Supreme Lord said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field
- The Supreme Lord's satisfaction can be tested by the Lord's representative, the spiritual master. Therefore it is important to seek out a real representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and work under him
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is instructing Arjuna about the knowledge of ksetra and ksetrajna. Ksetra refers to the field, which is the body, and ksetrajna refers to the knower of the field, who is the individual soul
- The teachings of Bhagavad-gita were imparted to Arjuna for his happiness and for the happiness of all men. This is indicated by Krsna, at the beginning of the Tenth Chapter - of Bhagavad-gita
- The tongue must be utilized to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and take Krsna prasadam. Thus the tongue has a dual function, and by utilizing it in this way, we will realize Krsna
- The Vedas were written for all mankind, but it so happened that when the Vedas were written, what is now known as the Indian culture was the only one extant
- The Vedic process does not involve research work. In mundane scholarship, we have to show our academic learning by some research, but the Vedic process is different
- The Vedic religion, or varnasrama-dharma, is also called eternal because no one can trace out its beginning
- The very word "Krsna" means all-attractive, but Radharani is so great that She attracts Krsna. If Krsna is always attractive to everyone, and Radharani is attractive to Krsna, how can we imagine the position of Srimati Radharani
- The vulture curses the cow, wishing him to die. But this does not mean that the cow will die just to oblige the vulture
- The whole process is to accept Krsna and His instructions and therefore to render devotional service unto Him. It is Srimati Radharani who is the very embodiment of perfect devotional service
- The word Govinda means "He who gives pleasure to the senses." We perceive pleasure through our senses, and therefore Krsna, who is the reservoir of pleasure, is called Govinda
- The word isvarah means controller, and the word paramah means supreme
- The word nirakara does not indicate that He (God) has no form, but that He has no material form as we do. Form is there, but it is not material; it is spiritual form
- The world is created in such a way, that no one can become supreme. Regardless of what position we place ourselves in, we will find that someone is inferior to us and that someone is superior
- The yogis or meditators try to gain superior mystic power by becoming greater than the greatest, smaller than the smallest, lighter than the lightest, and heavier than the heaviest, but this is just so much child's play
- Theoretical negation of material activities as propounded by Sankaracarya may be effective for an insignificant section of mankind, but the best and surest way for everyone to attain spiritual bliss was propounded by Caitanya by means of DS
- There are also many examples of (cheating) of teachers who actually know nothing but put forth theories in words like "perhaps" or "it may be," while in actuality they are simply cheating their students
- There are different kinds of bodies and different activities in accordance to the different types of bodies. A dog enjoys one kind of activity, a cat enjoys another, and a human enjoys another. There are differences of activity due to differences of body
- There are four basic characteristics of an impure life - illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling
- There are four Vedas-Sama, Rg, Yajur and Atharva, and there are 108 Upanisads, including the Isopanisad, Katha Upanisad and Taittiriya Upanisad, as well as the Vedanta-sutra, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita
- There are many incarnations of Krsna in many forms of life. In one incarnation He appeared as a fish, as a member of the community of fishes, but this does not mean that He is a fish
- There are many material universes clustered together, and all these universes constitute the material creation. Beyond these clusters of countless material universes is the spiritual sky, which is also mentioned in Bhagavad-gita - 15.6
- There are similar descriptions (as Bs. 5.38) everywhere in Vedic literature, but rascals and demons are so obstinate that even though Krsna is confirmed to be the Supreme God by the twelve standard acaryas they still refuse to accept Him
- There are similar descriptions (as Bs. 5.38) everywhere in Vedic literature, but rascals and demons are so obstinate that even though Krsna is confirmed to be the Supreme God by Vyasa, Devala and many other devotees, they still refuse to accept Him
- There are two conceptions of presence - the physical conception and the vibrational conception. The physical conception is temporary, whereas the vibrational conception is eternal
- There is a Bengali proverb that says: sakuni sape gorumarana. The word sakuni means vulture. Vultures enjoy dead animal carcasses, especially the carcass of the cow. Sometimes a vulture may go for days without a carcass
- There is a story of a bridegroom's party who had to go to the bride's house down the river. It was settled that they would start at night by boat and reach the destination early in the morning
- There is also another prayer: jagannatha-svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me: "O Lord of the universe, please be visible unto me." In all these prayers, and in many others, the supreme controller of the universe is acknowledged
- There is ample arrangement by the law of nature to provide every living being with his due share of food and shelter, but the insatiable lusts of human beings have disturbed the arrangement set forth by the Almighty Father of all species of life
- There is an erroneous theory current that only human beings have souls and that other living entities do not, but we understand from Vedic authority that there are 8,400,000 species of bodies, including plants and trees, and that they all have souls
- There is information given in the Padma Purana and other authoritative scriptures of the living entities' spiritual evolution from one bodily form to another
- There is no man who does not commit mistakes. In India, for instance, Mahatma Gandhi was supposed to be a very great personality, but he also committed mistakes
- There is no question of being void, for as living entities our spiritual properties are all there in infinite variegatedness
- There is no question of research work because the instruments and the means with which one conducts such research work are blunt and imperfect
- There is the story of the foolish man who had no experience with sugar cane. When he asked his friend about the characteristics of sugar cane, he was imperfectly informed that sugar cane resembles the shape of a bamboo stick
- These 4 divisions (brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas & sudras) of men in human society are natural, not artificial, because in the material world everything is operating under the influence of the 3 modes of material nature - goodness, passion & ignorance
- These atheistic vultures want to see God dead so they can take pleasure in thinking - Now God is dead, and I can do anything I like
- These desires (for eternal existence) are evident in human society, & in the upper planetary systems (Svargaloka, Janaloka, etc.) the living entities enjoy a longer duration of life, an increased amount of knowledge, & a generally more blissful existence
- These devotional activities can change the very face of material nature
- These laws (of of nature) will make certain that the money itself will bring about destruction instead of peace and prosperity
- These literatures (such as Vedas, Upanisads, Purananas) are not meant for any particular class of men but for the totality of human society. All societies can take advantage of Vedic knowledge to perfect human life
- They (exalted kings who practiced austerities & penances namely Dhruva, Ambarisa and so on) set the example for those who have acquired this good opportunity of a beautiful human form of life with all the facilities for economic development & good living
- They (groups of youngsters in Central park in New York City) actually wanted one hog to become president, and they wanted the hogs to lead them
- They (people) think that the perfection of life is in eating a great supply of food, or in sleeping twenty hours, or in having a new mate every night or every day. People are interested in these things, but not in the perfection of life
- They (so-called swamis) deny that whatever pertains to matter can pertain also to spirit. According to them, spirit is the denial of matter. The fact is, however, that spirit is not a negation of matter, but matter is a perverted reflection of spirit
- They (the gosvamis) never at any time said, "Last night I saw Krsna dancing with the gopis." Such claims are not made by a mature devotee, but by one who takes things very cheaply
- They (the impersonalists) misunderstand the miseries of prison life to be the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. This is due to their poor fund of knowledge
- They (the mistaken leaders) mislead us into taking some temporary benefit, but how long can their plans and schemes go on? If they persist until they die of heart failure or are killed by assassins, then another just like them takes their place
- They (the transcendental pastimes or lila of the Supreme Lord) exhibit full sense, independence, and freedom of action and reaction
- This (following the Vedic principles of no intoxication, gambling, meat-eating, or illicit Sex) then is the purificatory process by which one can become a brahmana. This path is open to everyone
- This (life in the material world is full of miseries and that no one is free from the actions and reactions of such miseries) is not a pessimistic view of life but is an actual fact which we should not be blind to
- This (Padma) Purana informs us that there are 8,400,000 forms of living entities, 900,000 of which live within the water. There are 2,000,000 species amongst plants and vegetables alone
- This (the jnanis are also trying to diminish the miseries, but they have become disgusted and so proclaim, "This world is false") is like the jackal who tries to pick some grapes from a vine, and when he fails, says - Oh, these grapes are sour anyway
- This atheistic or godless civilization is a huge affair contrived for the gratification of our senses, and now we are all mad after money in order to maintain this empty shell
- This chanting of Hare Krsna extinguishes the blazing fire of material nature. This is also the purport to the following prayer to the spiritual master - Sri Gurvastakam, Verse 1
- This fact (when Krsna comes as one of us, He is not in actuality "one of us") we must learn by submissive inquiry from authoritative sources, such as Bhagavad-gita or a spiritual master who is fully realized in Krsna consciousness
- This form (of God) has nothing whatsoever to do with material forms. Impersonalists say - Oh, you say Krsna has a form. If so, how can you say that He is the Supreme? The impersonal Brahman is the Supreme, and the impersonal Brahman is formless
- This information (of BG 7.7) is not only given in BG but in other scriptures as well, and it has been accepted from the very beginning by great acaryas (teachers) like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Caitanya and many other stalwart authorities
- This is all nonsense (to claim that God meditates, and by His meditation He becomes God). God is God, & He was always God and will always be God. Even as an infant on the lap of His mother Krsna is God. No meditation was required, no austerity or penance
- This is the demonic spirit; demons are always wanting to kill Krsna so they can say - God is dead. There is no God. God is impersonal
- This is the transcendental nature of Krsna (that everything is Krsna, but Krsna is aloof from everything), and if we understand it, we will be liberated from birth and death
- This Krsna consciousness is especially meant for understanding the position of the soul and its relationship with God - BG 13.3
- This material energy is also called Durga, which indicates that it is a force which is very difficult to surpass. No one can surpass the laws of Durga by any amount of childish plans
- This material world is created by the Supreme Lord, but the Supreme Lord does not will that living entities be put in it. The living entities themselves make that decision
- This material world is existing on one plenary portion of Krsna. If Krsna didn't enter this universe, it could not exist. Similarly, unless the spirit soul, which is a fragmental portion of Krsna, enters this body, this body cannot exist
- This material world is often compared to a forest fire which takes place automatically
- This opportunity (of a beautiful human form of life) should be used to attain an even better life, and this can be actualized by practice of penance
- This sense gratifying social and political set-up, maintained by various plans and schemes, has been described in Bhagavad-gita as follows - BG 16.10-11
- This should be the standard of prayer; we should only want to be placed as one of the atoms at Krsna's lotus feet to render service unto Him
- This unhappiness is present on all the higher planets, despite a longer life span, higher standards of enjoyment and comfort. That is due to the law of material nature
- Those who are authorities, be they personalists or impersonalists, are in agreement that Krsna is the Supreme Lord
- Those who are not engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord wrongfully think that they are accumulating so much money day after day - BG 16.12
- Those who are not fit to live in that spiritual world are sent to this material world. This very idea is expressed by Milton in Paradise Lost
- Those who are serious students of Vedic literature accept authority. Bhagavad-gita, for example, is not a scholarly presentation which arose out of so much research work
- Those who follow the teachings of Lord Caitanya should experience and relish the feelings of separation (from Krsna), not of meeting
- Throughout Bhagavad-gita we find this word mam stressed. Mam means "unto Me," meaning unto Krsna. But there are many miscreants who are interpreting this mam to mean - everyone
- Thus (commentary of BG, Sankaracarya says that Narayana is transcendental to this manifested & unmanifested creation, and in the same commentary he says that the SPG, Narayana, is Krsna) in this respect there is little difference of opinion about Krsna
- To commit mistakes is very natural in the conditioned state of life. Indeed, the popular saying has arisen: To err is human
- To extinguish a roaring forest fire there must be volumes of water; in other words, there must be an arrangement that is beyond human endeavor
- To get rid of the sufferings of humanity is simultaneously a very difficult and also a very easy affair
- To make the best use of a bad bargain, our material existence should be 100% spiritualized by constant association with Krsna's message, His devotees and His names
- Today all facets of human society are thinking that their self-interest is in maintaining this body. Consequently today's society is simply a society of cats, dogs and hogs
- Today I may be a Hindu, but tomorrow I may become a Christian or Moslem. In this way faiths can be changed, but dharma is a natural sequence, a natural occupation or connection
- Today people have forgotten their relationship with God, but this incarnation of Krsna in the form of His holy names, this chanting of Hare Krsna, will deliver all the people of the world from their forgetfulness
- Today there is great strife between the capitalist class and laborer class because between them there is no compromise. There is only friction
- Transcendental knowledge is only attainable by transcendental devotional service, as described in Bhagavad-gita (10.10): To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me (Krsna) with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me
- True, the individual souls are equal in quality with the Supreme Lord, but not in quantity. If the individual soul were quantitatively equal to the Supreme Lord, he would have never been subjected to the laws of material nature
U
- Unfortunately for him (the living entity), he is trying vainly to attain his enjoyment from the foreign atmosphere of material nature
- Unfortunately people in this modern civilization never stop to inquire what they are or who they are. They are simply laboring hard, working hard all day in an office or factory, under the impression that - I am this body
- Unlawfully accumulated money is now being snatched from miserly citizens by various methods of state taxation for the future civil and international war fund, which is spending money in a wasteful and destructive manner
- Unrestricted and unlawful monetary inflation has created a bad economy all over the world and has provoked us to manufacture huge and costly weapons to destroy the very result of such cheap money-making
V
- Variety is the mother of enjoyment is a well-known fact. Cities, for instance, are known to be attractive if they contain a variety of things
- Varnasrama-dharma is accepted as the eternal religion of the living entity
- Vrndavana is in our hearts, and we must search for Him (Krsna) there. This is the process recommended by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the process of worship in separation
W
- We are all trying to achieve peace and freedom from these (three categories) miseries, at least unconsciously, and in the higher intellectual circles there are attempts to get rid of these miseries by ingenious plans and designs
- We are Krsna's parts and parcels and have been created to give pleasure to Krsna
- We are sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and part and parcel of the Supreme
- We are the living entities within the material energy, and we are in this position because we wanted to dominate material nature. Krsna has given us the facility, saying - All right, you may try, but you cannot be successful
- We are thinking that the energy is hot or cold, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, but in fact the energy is the same
- We are to end this material life only after finding out the true blissful life of eternity
- We can increase the duration of life and standard to the highest capacity, and yet by the law of material nature we will be unhappy
- We can select our own religion and be Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist, Christian or whatever, as long as we know the real purpose of religion
- We can touch Krsna immediately by sound vibration; therefore we should give more stress to the sound vibration of Krsna and of the spiritual master - then we'll feel happy and won't feel separation
- We can understand that on the higher platform whatever we are experiencing are the actions and reactions of the different energies of the Supreme Lord
- We cannot see Krsna with our material eyes, nor hear about Him with material ears, nor touch Him with our hands; but if we engage our tongue in His service, He will reveal Himself, saying - Here I am
- We do not have to be very learned or very scholarly, nor do we have to present our prayers in nicely selected words that are poetical, rhetorical or metaphorical. None of this is required, although if it is there it is very nice
- We do not need any high qualifications to offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever our social or intellectual position may be, we can offer prayers
- We do not want to be killed just to end our miseries. Thus the theory that after material life there is void is not at all attractive. Nor is it a fact
- We have been suffering from the beginning of our birth when as a baby we were tightly placed for nine months in the womb of a mother
- We have information from Bhagavad-gita that Krsna is the source of the impersonal Brahman - BG 14.27
- We have often heard a storekeeper say, "Because you are my friend, I won't make any profit off you." But in actuality we know that he is making at least 50% profit. There are so many instances of this cheating propensity
- We have to follow in the footprints of the gosvamis and search out Radha and Krsna in this way - by crying after Them
- We may be diseased and suffering from so many elements, but if our doctor comes and says, "Let me finish your ailments by killing you," we will immediately say, - No, no! Better let me suffer from the disease
- We may join God's transcendental pastimes in our unconditioned state of life, but as long as we're conditioned by the laws of karma, in contact with the inferior energy, sufferings are our own creations, born of a gross misuse of our little independence
- We may try to satisfy Mother Durga by worshiping her or by giving her some bribe, but Durga is not so easily bribed
- We must know then for certain that there is a controller; that is the beginning of knowledge. Why should we deny this truth
- We must rise to the platform of pure knowledge, which is the pure realization that we are the eternal servitors of the SG & enjoyers of His transcendental pastimes. The Supreme Lord is the master-enjoyer of those pastimes, & we are the servitor-enjoyers
- We often pray to Radharani because She is the pleasure potency of Krsna
- We often say that God created this material world, and this means that God existed before the world. Since the Lord was existing before this material manifestation, He is not subject to this creation
- We put so much stress on seeing, but when Krsna was present on this earth, so many people saw Him and did not realize that He is God; so what is the advantage of seeing
- We refuse to accept any controller of this universe because if we accept a controller we have to account for our sinful activities, just as when we accept the government we have to account for our unlawful activities
- We should accept a life devoted to the cultivation of Krsna consciousness, and then we will get unlimited happiness and unlimited pleasure. This is the sum and substance of the Krsna consciousness movement
- We should be more interested in worshiping Radharani, for however fallen we may be, if somehow or other we can please Her, we can very easily understand Krsna
- We should know that our aim of life should be to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should make every arrangement - social, political, philosophical or religious - but the aim should be to approach the Supreme person
- We should not simply be trying to end the miseries of this life simply out of frustration, but we should engage ourselves in activities that will raise us to spiritual life
- We should not understand the word "servant" in the sense of materialistic servant. To become a servant of God is a great position
- We should try humbly to understand and offer Her our obeisances, saying - Radharani, You are so dear to Krsna. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are Krsna's beloved. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You
- We simply have to express our feelings (in front of God while offering prayers), but in order to be able to do this we have to be aware of our position. Once we are aware of our position, our feelings can be expressed sincerely and automatically
- We struggle very hard to adjust things in so many ways, but nature's laws are so cruel and dangerous that in spite of our hopes and plans the blazing fire of the problems of material existence continues
- We will also find that Lord Brahma's father, Visnu, is also a person. Everyone is a person, and Krsna is the supreme person
- Wealth is worshiped and is referred to as Mother Laksmi, or the goddess of fortune. It is her position to serve Lord Narayana, the source of all the naras, or living beings
- What conservationists and ecologists do not understand is that everything will continue to be spoiled by the insatiable lusts of mankind unless this KC process is taken up. It is impossible to have peace on any platform of existence without KC
- What is our position? This has been taught by Lord Caitanya, who teaches us how to pray in his prayer (CC Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4): na dhanam na janam na sundarim, kavitam va jagadisa kamaye, mama janmani janmanisvare, bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
- What is the value of our form? This form will be changed after a few years, as soon as we give up the body. Our forms are changed just as we change our suits and dresses, but God doesn't have a form like this; therefore He is sometimes called nirakara
- When civilization is godless or atheistic, as it is today, God or His representative comes to remind people of their relationship with the supreme consciousness
- When I say, "Bring me a glass of water," does it mean that I want you to bring everyone a glass of water? The individuality is there, but by jugglery of words they interpret "me" or "I" to mean - everyone
- When Krsna came, He came as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Vasudeva belonged to the royal family and was therefore a ksatriya. As such, Krsna played the part of a ksatriya, but this does not mean that Krsna belonged to the ksatriya class
- When Krsna consciousness is covered by any other consciousness, we experience our contaminated conditional life
- When Krsna kills demons, He is known as Vasudeva Krsna, not the original Krsna. When Krsna expands Himself, He first expands as Balarama, then Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Vasudeva
- When Krsna says "I," the miscreants identify this "I" with themselves. This is a gross misinterpretation. Although Bhagavad-gita is very popular in the world, due to this misinterpretation by mundane scholars, it has not been properly understood
- When Krsna was present on this planet, He proved by His activities and opulence that He is the Supreme Lord. If we are actually anxious to understand who and what the Supreme Lord is, all of the information is given in Vedic literatures
- When men are motivated by the impulse for sense gratification, whatever money is earned is spoiled, being spent for the destruction of the human race
- When Putana, the demonic witch, came to poison Baby Krsna, she came as a beautiful young girl and asked Mother Yasoda - Oh, Yasodamayi, you have a very nice baby. Will you kindly give Him to me so I can nurse Him
- When Sanatana Gosvami inquired from Lord Caitanya, "What am I? Why am I always in a miserable condition? What is the position of all living entities?" Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately answered that the real identity is that of servant of God
- When the boy insists upon it (to get something from father), the father will allow him to have it
- When the sky is clear, we can see the sun's brilliant effulgence, but when it is covered by clouds, we cannot see it. We may be able to perceive the sunlight, but we cannot see the sun disc itself. When the sky is clear, it is in its natural condition
- When there is a merciful cloud over the forest fire, the cloud bursts, rain pours down in torrents, and the blazing fire is immediately extinguished
- When we come to the platform of truth, however, and understand that we are not these bodies, then our activities change from material activities to spiritual activities
- When we enjoy or relish the vibration of Krsna's teachings in BG, or when we chant HK, we should know that by those vibrations He is immediately present. He is absolute, and because of this His vibration is just as important as His physical presence
- When we feel separation from Krsna or the spiritual master, we should just try to remember their words of instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation
- When we know the Personality of Godhead in reality, we can then enter into His pastimes. That is the verdict of all revealed scriptures
- When we transcend material nature through the rendering of service unto Krsna, what is our status? Do we become zero
- When we transcend the material plane, there is oneness. At that time, all the divisions fall apart. The question is therefore how to transcend the modes of material nature, and that transcendence is the very process of Krsna consciousness
- When we understand Krsna in perfection, we can understand that there is in actuality no inferior or material energy, but that everything is spiritual
- When we understand Krsna in perfection, we will automatically know the laws of nature and how they are acting. Vaisnavas are concerned with the background of the laws of material nature
- When we understand Krsna perfectly, then these distinctions of superior and inferior energies will disappear. Whatever is engaged in the service of Krsna is superior energy
- When we want pleasure, we cannot have it alone. We feel pleasure in the company of friends or family. I may speak in a room alone, but if I speak in a room before other people, the pleasure is increased
- Whether we are Hindu, Moslem or Christian or whatever, we must acknowledge that there is a supreme controller of this universe. This cannot be denied by anyone who has faith in God
- Whether we are Hindu, Moslem, or Christian, we acknowledge the system of marriage. The purpose of this system is to avoid illicit sex
- While we were chanting Hare Krsna, these groups of youngsters were chanting, "Hog! Hog! Hog!" They were actually parading with hogs in Central park and bowing down before them and worshiping them
- Whoever follows in the footsteps of Arjuna, approaching Krsna in a spirit of devotion, can understand the purpose of Bhagavad-gita as well as all other Vedic literatures
- With our material senses, we cannot see Krsna, nor can we even hear His name. We can begin to perceive Him when we advance in devotional service. That devotional service begins with the tongue, not the legs, eyes or ears
- Without looking to Krsna's lotus feet, all religious, social or political endeavors will fail. It is not possible to make progress as long as our desires are anchored in the material world