Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Fall down from (Lectures)

Revision as of 19:26, 16 May 2018 by Vanibot (talk | contribs) (Vanibot #0019: LinkReviser - Revised links and redirected them to the de facto address when redirect exists)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

Fallen means when the living entities are under the clutches of this material energy. That is called fallen. Just like a man, when he is under police custody, it is to be understood that he is a criminal, he is fallen. He has fallen down from good citizenship. Similarly, we are all parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhuta (BG 15.7). So as part and parcel, our position is to live with Kṛṣṇa. Just like this is my finger, part and parcel of my body. The finger must remain attached with this body. When this finger is cut off and fallen, although it is finger, it is no longer as important as it was formerly when it was attached with this body. So anyone who is not attached with the service of the Supreme Lord, he is fallen. This is the conclusion.

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

So you cannot create God by imagination. That is not possible. God is God, always. You have to know simply what is God. He is never cyuta.

God never becomes fallen down from His original position. The original position is, God describes Himself, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." That is God. One, if he is controlled, how he can be God? The supreme controller is God, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ means controller, and paramaḥ means supreme. And who is that? Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So He is acyuta. He keeps His position. He never falls down. We are all fallen souls. Because our position, our Acyuta position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

That means the defeated enemy should be given all opportunities so he may not think that unnecessarily, in weak position, he has been killed. No. So Arjuna says... Arjuna, of course, did later on. When he killed Karṇa. Karṇa was without weapon, and he fell down from the chariot. Karṇa, after falling down from the chariot, and he was trying to raise the wheel of the chariot from the mud, so Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna "That this is the opportunity to kill him. You kill him immediately." So at that time he had no weapons and he fell down from the chariot, and in that position he was killed by Arjuna by the order of Kṛṣṇa. This is violating the laws.

So you can violate the laws on the order of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot do. This is surrender. When Kṛṣṇa says that "You do this," although it is wrong, you have to do it. There is no consideration. Just like in fight, the commander says to the soldiers, "Do this." His duty is to do that.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

Because he's associating with a particular guṇa. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.

So these things are described very vividly in Upaniṣad, how guṇa-sanga acts. Just like a fire. There are sparks. The sometimes the sparks fall down from the fire. Now there are three conditions of the fire spark falling down. If the spark falls down on dry grass, then it can immediately ignite the grass, the dry grass. If the spark falls down on ordinary grass, then it burns for some time, then again it becomes extinguished. But if the spark falls down on the water, immediately extinguished, the fiery quality. So those who are captured by the sattva-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, they are intelligent. They have got knowledge. Just like brāhmaṇa. And those who are captured by the rajo-guṇa, they are busy in material activities. And those who have captured tamo-guṇa, they are lazy and sleepy. That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

Now, this janma, and mṛtyu... The living entities, they are compared with the sparks, and the Supreme Lord as the big fire. So the big fire, that is the comparison. And the small sparks, both of them are fire. But sometimes the sparks fall down from the big fire. That is our falldown. Falldown means we come into the material world. Why? Just to enjoy, to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. So we are servants. Sometimes... It is natural. The servant desires that "If I could enjoy like the master..." So when this sentiment or proposition comes, that is called māyā. Because we cannot be enjoyer. This is false. If I think that I can become enjoyer, even in this material world, so-called... They're, everyone is trying to become enjoyer. And the last snare of enjoyer means that one thinks that "Now I shall become God." This is a last snare. First of all, I want to become manager, or proprietor. Then prime minister.

Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:

Fifty percent you could not do. You fall down again. In another place it is also said, yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭa: falling down from devotional service, he gets next chance again. He gets birth in very good family, rich family, and pure family, brāhmaṇa family, so that again he'll be given chance. "Now, you begin again." These are explained, you'll find. Therefore, Nārada Muni says that even if he is, for the time being, failure, then there is no loss. But on the other hand, ko vā artha āptaḥ abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. Suppose one is very nicely executing his occupational duty, he's a businessman, very routine work, doing business, making profit and everyone appreciates his routine work. Even if he does so, or he is a very nice brāhmaṇa, nice kṣatriya, so he has done his duty very nicely, but he has not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śāstra says, what he has gained?

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

The yoga sys... Yoga system I have already explained. Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path. Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father." Śucīnāṁ śrīmatām. Śucīnām means... I have explained to you the, the life of a brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Śuci means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows spiritual life, how to conduct. And he has got other qualifications. Then he's called śuci. And the, the, the opposite word of śuci is called muci.

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

I tell you the that impression will never go. It is such a thing. But if we take it up very seriously and go on molding our life in that way, then it becomes quickly successful.

Now, suppose even there is no loss by falling down from this path, that does not mean that we should neglect it. No. Formerly, in Medical College of Calcutta the students who failed in the final examination, they were given some title, L.M.S., "License in Medical, Medicine and Surgery," L.M.S. And those who passed, they were given the title M.D. or M.D., just like that way. So even by failure, they would get some title and allowed to practice as medical man. But that does not mean that we may try to fail also. No. The aim should be to become successful, not to fail, not to fail.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam affirms this. If somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the śāstras or execute the devotional service properly, or even if he falls down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. And even though he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the śāstras, what does it avail him if he is not Kṛṣṇa conscious? So the purifying process is necessary for reaching this point. Sannyāsa or any purifying process is meant for helping one to reach the ultimate goal of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious without which everything is considered a failure."

Prabhupāda: That's all. So any question? (devotees offer obeisances) Any question?

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

"I have become liberated," but it is not. Why? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). After so much trouble and austerity, penances, you may acquire the position in the impersonal Brahman, but there is chance of falling down from there. Patanty adhaḥ.

Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they could not find out how to worship Your lotus feet." So unless you come to the personal form of the Absolute Truth, there is difficulty and there is chance of falling down. (break)

He never said, "My avatāra." Mām ekaṁ śaraṇam. Otherwise he'll be misguided. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). This is the most confidential information. Guhyatamam. Sarva-guhyatamam. So if you want to take the most confidential instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. That is wanted.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Because in the in touch with the material three qualities. Some of them are goodness, some of them are passion and some of them are ignorance. The example is given: Just like fire, big fire, and the sparks are coming out from the fire. That is natural. Similarly, the big fire is Kṛṣṇa, and we are small sparks. So the sparks sometimes fall down from the original fire, "phut! phut!" falls down. So falls down... When the fire sparks falls down on the dry grass, it creates fire. And if it is fallen down on the land, it keeps the fiery element for some time. But if it falls down on the water, immediately it is extinguished.

Similarly, when we fall down from Kṛṣṇa's association, the fire, big fire and the sparks, if we be in touch with the modes of goodness, then we keep some Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like the brāhmaṇas. The quality of satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. And if we fall down on the ground, then we keep sometimes the fiery quality. That is passion.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

So God understanding is not so easy.

So therefore he said, Arjuna said, that ayatiḥ śraddhayopetaḥ: "One has got some faith for spiritual advancement of life," yogāc calita-mānasaḥ, "but some way or other, he finishes halfway and then falls down from the process." Aprāpya yoga-saṁsiddhim: "He could not achieve the perfection." Kāṁ gatiṁ kṛṣṇa gacchati: "Then what happens to him?" Because half finished... Just like a person was studying for medical certificate or medical qualification, and out of six years, he simply performed two years. Oh, neither he is a doctor, neither he is a clerk. He is useless. He becomes useless. So Kṛṣṇa is being asked by Arjuna whether a person who is trying for perfection of life in spiritual advancement, if he finishes only a portion or half, so what happens to him? Does he become useless or worthless? Simply wasted time? Kaccin na ubhaya-vibhraṣṭaḥ chinnābhram iva naśyati: "Is it not like that, that a cloud assembles..."

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Sympathy not only for human being, even for the animals the sympathy comes. God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Without God consciousness, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the sympathy for other living entities is very limited. But with God consciousness, with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the sympathy for other living entities is full. That is the system. Go on.

Devotee: "Failing to do this, he falls down. The Bhāgavatam confirms this as follows: 'Anyone who does not render service and neglects his duty unto the Primeval Lord, who is the source of all living entities, will certainly fall down from his constitutional position.' "

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

This is also very nice example. The Bhāgavata says that we are all parts and parcels of the Supreme. If we do not serve the Supreme, then we fall down from our specified place. What is that? The same example can be given, that this finger, if it becomes diseased and cannot render service to the whole body, it simply gives pain. The other aspect of the part and parcel, try to understand. If the part and parcel cannot render service regularly, that means it is painful. So any person who is not rendering service to the Supreme Lord, he's simply giving pain to the Supreme Lord. He's simply giving trouble. Therefore he has to suffer. Just like any man who is not abiding by the laws of the state, he's simply giving pain to the government and he's liable to become criminal. He may think that "I'm very good man" but because he's violating the laws of the state, he's simply torturing the government. This is simple.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

"You live here, you are nonsense, you criminals. Live here. Don't disturb in the open state." Similarly all these criminals who have violated the laws of God, who have simply given pain to the Lord, they are put in this material world. All these. And, sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ, he falls down from the specified place. Just like the same example, if your finger is painful only, the doctor advises, "Oh, Mr. your finger has to be now amputated. Otherwise it will pollute the whole body." So sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ, it is fallen down from the specified place.

So we have fallen down. Being rebelled against the principles of God consciousness, we are all fallen down. So if we want to revive our original position, we must be placed again into that service attitude. That is the perfect cure. Otherwise we shall suffer pain and God will be suffering pain on account of us. Just like if your son is not good, you suffer and the son suffers. Similarly, we are all sons of God. So when we are painful, God is also painful. The best thing is to revive our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is natural life and that is possible in the spiritual sky or the Goloka Vṛndāvana. Go on.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

Is it guaranteed that because one is son of high-court judge, he'll also become a high-court judge? There is no such guarantee. Everyone is individual. We are sons of God, that's all right, but we have got little independence. If we misuse our independence, then we become lower. Kṛṣṇa is perfect, there is no doubt, but we are part and parcel of. Just like another example. There is a fire and there are sparks of fire. The sparks are very little, small fire particle. Sometimes they fall down from the fire and becomes extinguished. The fiery quality is lost. Similarly, we are all parts and parcels of God, but when, by misusing our intelligence, our independence, we come here in this material world to enjoy, our godly qualities becomes lost. Again if you revive, then you go back to home, back to Godhead.

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to help people how to revive his God consciousness. Again goes back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). It is clearly said. If simply one tries to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, or God, and if he actually understands, then after giving up this body he is no more going to accept any material body. He goes back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

It will immediately make a black spot. We have got this experience. Because although it is small, but it is fire. Therefore it burns. Similarly, we are a small particle, part and parcel of God. Just like the spark, it falls down from the fire. There may be three conditions. The spark may fall down on the ground, the spark may fall down on the water and the spark may fall down on some dry grass. So if the spark falls down on the dry grass, then it may, again, makes another fire. And if the spark falls down on the water, then it is completely finished. And if it falls down on the ground, then it may continue as fire for some time, then it becomes extinguished.

Anyway, in these three conditions... So when we fall down in this material world... The material world is of three modes of material nature, goodness, passion and ignorance.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

There is the... People do not know it. They are writing commentaries on Kṛṣṇa's book, but they are speaking nonsense because they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Tattvenātaś cyavanti te: "They fall down from the truth."

This is... So therefore we should try to know Kṛṣṇa by paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa is delivering His instruction to Arjuna, and if we understand as Arjuna understood... That is mentioned in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa to some extent. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa in full. That is not possible because He's unlimited, and we are limited. So our power will fail to understand Kṛṣṇa fully. But if we understand something, something about Him... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find,

janma karma me divyaṁ
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
(BG 4.9)

"My dear Arjuna, anyone who simply knows how I take My birth and how I am working," janma karma me divyam, "transcendentally, that person becomes immediately liberated." How is that?

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:

Just like the example is given that there is fire and the sparks are dancing, but some of the sparks fall down, from the fire falls down on the ground. So one spark falls on the water, one spark falls on the dry grass, and one spark falls on the wet grass. These are three conditions. So when we fall down from the spiritual world... As part and parcel we are in the spiritual, our position in the spiritual world. But when we fall down within this material world, we fall down in such way; some is fallen down on the water, some is fallen down on the dry grass, some is fallen on the wet grass.

So dry grass means although he has fallen, he has no material desire. That is sattva-guṇa. There are men, who... Just like devotees. The devotees are also wandering, moving in Bombay, but they have no such desire to enjoy Bombay. That desire is dried up. They're not walking in the Bombay street for going to the cinema or to the restaurant or to the meathouse or that or that, no. Don't consider they are on the same position like others.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: There is, that possibility is always. Just like the fire spark. Because it is spark, some way or other, if he falls down from the fire it is extinguished. That possibility is always there. Because it is small, there is possibility of being extinguished.

Devotee: He's asking can we stop mental speculation immediately.

Prabhupāda: You must stop immediately. (laughter) Mental speculation is simply nonsense. That's all right.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

That is śāstra. So you do it, but follow the shastric injunction. So the shastric injunction, so far is concerned, as it is said here, that is sāttvikī, rājasī, tāmasī.

The example is: just like the same fire spark is falling down from the blazing fire... You have seen the sparks. There are sparks, fire sparks, with the blazing fire. Now, the sparks sometimes fall down outside the fire. So take the fire as spiritual world, and the spark is in the spiritual world, within the fire, but sometimes it falls down. Now, when it falls down it comes in the material world and... Now what kind of falldown it is? Now, the spark may fall down in dry grass. As soon as it falls down in dry grass, there is chance of igniting fire in the dry grass—sattva-guṇa. That is sattva-guṇa. And if the fire spark falls down on the ground, then for some time it looks like fiery, but again it becomes extinguished. That is rajo-guṇa. And if the fire sparks falls down in water—immediately finished, no more fire. So that is the distinction, the tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and sattva-guṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

On the other hand, Nārada Muni gives his opinion, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17), "If one gives up his occupational duty and takes shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa," caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, "so even he is not mature and falls down from the devotional service on account of so many reasons, still, he is not loser, whereas a person who is executing his occupational duties very nicely, but he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he doesn't get anything. He's loser." Ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. Sva-dharmataḥ, keeping in his own position as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, if he is executing his duties very nicely, but has not developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is to be understood that he has lost everything. This is the verdict of śāstra.

Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:

There is no distress. But that happiness can be attained in cooperation with the Supreme. We are sparks of fire. So with the fire, if the sparks are "fut-put"... You see sometimes, the sparks; it looks very beautiful. The same spark, as soon as falls down from the fire, extinguished. The fiery quality immediately extinguished. So our material condition is like that. We have given up the company of Kṛṣṇa, and we wanted to be happy in this material world; therefore we are suffering. So same spark, particle of carbon, if you put again to the fire, it will again become red hot and fire. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are trying the sparks, which by chance has fallen down from the fire, to pick it up again and put it in the fire. That is real happiness.

So here it is said that rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti. God appeared as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. There are some foolish persons who are misled by another imitation Ramakrishna. You see? But those who are intelligent... This rascal Ramakrishna said that "I am the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

The people do not understand that how we are stationed. Any little difference, we may fall down. As there is chance of falldown from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is chance of falldown from any position. This human life, human form of life, should be very carefully and cautiously utilized. This verse I was explaining yesterday, labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29).

So Nārada Muni advises that "Induce everyone to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind if he, even if he falls down. There is no loss." This is the principle. If he becomes successful, oh, the greatest boon. That greatest boon is described in Bhagavad-gītā, saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, highest perfection. Highest... Saṁsiddhim. Saṁsiddhim means perfection. Paramām, the supreme.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

Take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, and if you stick to this and if you follow the regulative principles, your success is sure. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. And that is confirmed here by Nārada Muni, that "There is no loss even one falls down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform." That does not mean we shall fall down. We must be very steady and rigid and with vow, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. How we can become fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam: "Anyone who is completely free from all sinful reaction..." Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. And who can be completely free from all sinful reaction? They are always engaged in pious activities. Such persons... Because if you engage yourself in pious activities, there is no chance of your being engaged in sinful activities.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

You can create a teeny 747, that's all. Therefore your power is there, the similarly, but very, very small quantity. So we have to take care of our teeny power. Just like the spark. The spark, put, put... But if it somehow or other falls down from the fire it is extinguished. It is extinguished. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, the spark. If we remain with the fire, it is beautiful. And if, by chance, we fall down, then you are extinguished. Your brilliancy, the fiery quality, becomes extinguished. So our present position is like that. We have forgotten or fallen from God, so our that little burning power, that is also extinguished. Now we have to revive it, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll become happy.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

And that is the fact. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that "I remember when I spoke to sun-god. You have forgotten." So there are two. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Acyuta. He never falls down from His position. And if we fall down from the position... Therefore we are not on the same level. We may have some power, and we can claim that "I am God"—that you can claim—but not that God, like Kṛṣṇa. Therefore two words are there: īśvara, parameśvara. In the Brahma-saṁhitā therefore it is described that īśvaras, there may be many, but not parameśvara. Parameśvara is one. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So these Māyāvādīs, they forget this, that īśvara, parameśvara, there are two words. Ātmā and paramātmā, there are two words. So they are not equal. And Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). He is the supermost īśvara. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Although both of us are nitya, eternal, and living entities, still, there is difference. He is supreme living entity, we are subordinate. Prabhu and aṇu. Vibhu and aṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

In another place we find Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that both Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa was present when the Bhagavad-gītā instruction was given to sun-god millions of years ago. Kṛṣṇa said that "You have forgotten. I did not." So this is Acyuta. He never falls down from any standard. He is always perfect, complete.

So one who is not complete, he's jīva. Aṇu and vibhu. Vibhu, there are many examples. Just like fire, blazing fire, you have got experience. And there are sparks. The sparks fall down sometimes and become extinguished, without any illumination, without any burning power. When..., so long the spark is within the fire, it has got the same quality, illumination and burning quality. But as soon as falls down-extinguished, no more illumination, no more burning power. So our position is like that. Although we are part and parcel of God, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), because we have cyuta, fallen down from our spiritual atmosphere... Just like spiritual atmosphere, Kṛṣṇa's friends, cowherd boys, they're playing with Kṛṣṇa. That is also playing.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

And when the spark falls down on the ground, it is extinguished. And when the fire, spark, falls down on the water, then it is not only extinguished; it becomes no more inflammable. Very difficult to inflame. Similarly, when we fall down from the fire, spiritual world, we associate with three qualities. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti 'stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. Prakṛti-jān guṇān. In the prakṛti, in this material world, there are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So there is chance... When you fall down, you can fall down anywhere. This example, the same example. A spark falls down from the original fire, so it can fall down on the dry grass, it can fall down on the water, it can fall down on the ground. There are three chances. Similarly, when the living entity, originally part and parcel of God, the same quality... Not the same quantity. Just like spark and fire, they are same quality but not same quantity.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

Then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins. So don't jump over the kṛṣṇa-līlā or jump over Rādhā-kuṇḍa unless you are a liberated person. This is the instruction. Acyuta. You must be also acyuta—not falling down from the standard of pure devotional service. Acyuta-gotra.

A Vaiṣṇava, when he's asked about his identification, he gives acyuta-gotra. "Now I belong to the Acyuta, not to my original family." Therefore for a sannyāsī, when he's asked "What is your identification?" it is said, pūrvāśrama. Pūrvāśrama means "Formerly I belonged to such and such family. Now I belong to the family of Kṛṣṇa, acyuta-gotra." This is the etiquette. One should not... Sannyāsī should not be inquired about his identification because he has given up the family relationship. So he should not be bothered. That is not etiquette. Even somebody inquires, he should inquire like that, pūrvāśrama: "What was your pūrvāśrama? Before taking sannyāsa, what was your identification?" So to take sannyāsa means to become in the family of Acyuta. Acyuta-gotra. Gotra means family.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974:

So the quality is the same. But when it falls down, it's burning quality becomes extinguished. We have got practical experience. Burning quality becomes extinguished. So when we fall down from the spiritual world, we come to the material world, our spiritual quality becomes extinguished. That we have to revive. That we have to revive.

That is stated by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagava...,

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā
man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ
bahavo jñāna-tapasā
pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ
(BG 4.10)

When we become purified, again we revive our spiritual quality, then mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ: "Then he comes back to My nature." That is back to home. This is the process. It is not very difficult because Kṛṣṇa says, bahavaḥ: "many." "Many" means it is not difficult. Not that... Because we, by nature, we are spiritual, simply extinguished... Just like a lamp is extinguished.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974:

The woman, who is respected as mother, and this, in this assembly, Draupadī was to be naked by the order of Karṇa? It is uncivilized, unlawful. So Kṛṣṇa remembered this. When Karṇa was killed, it was not... He was not killed lawfully because he fell down from his chariot, and he was trying to repair the chariot, and Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, "This is the opportunity to kill him. Otherwise you cannot kill him. Kill him immediately." So when Karṇa protested, "Arjuna, what you are doing? I am not fighting. I am repairing my chariot and you..." So Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, you did unlawful action by making Draupadī naked. So you should be unlawfully killed. This is justice. This is justice to you." So everything has got so much history in the episode of Mahābhārata. Therefore it is called Mahābhārata, "Greater India." Mahābhārata.

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

So devotional service so nice, that even if you fall down, there is not very great loss. Great loss means you get human body, not an animal body. That is stated in the Bhag... Yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ (BG 6.41). One who has fallen down from the bhakti-yoga, where does he go? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: in the house of very rich man and in the house of nice, Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. This is the opportunity. This is first-class opportunity. If you take your birth in the house of Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa, just like these children are taking birth, father and mother Vaiṣṇava... They are very fortunate. They are not ordinary children. Otherwise they would not have gotten this chance of chanting and dancing before Deity and Vaiṣṇava. They are not ordinary children. The parent must take care, very good care, that they may not fall down. They have got the chance. Now train them to complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

Therefore we are fallible, but Kṛṣṇa is not fallible.

Another example: big fire and the spark. The spark is also fire, but it has got the potency to become extinguished. Suppose a spark falls down from the original fire, down. It is extinguished. But the big fire does not extinguish. Therefore the big fire, or Kṛṣṇa, is infallible. His name is Acyuta, infallible. The Māyāvāda philosopher says that "We are in māyā, and as soon as the māyā is taken away, we are God." So we are not God, but we manifest our godly qualities when māyā is taken away. So long we are covered by māyā, our godly qualities are not manifest, but we are not God. Or you are God, but not that God, that big God, but you are a particle of. You can say, "I am God," but you are not that original, chief God. That you are not. This is our philosophy. And that is very genuine. How can I be God? If I am God, then why I have lost my godly qualities?

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

This is very common sense. The godly qualities are there. Just like a small particle of the spark, it is carbon. When it comes out of the fire, then it is extinguished. But if you put again to the fire, it is carbon, again bright, brightened. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, but if we fall down from the association of God, then we become..., appearing like material. But we are not material. It appears that extinguished. This is simultaneously... Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. We are simultaneously one and different. As part and parcel in quality, we are one; but in quantity God is great, we are small particle.

So originally, we have got all these qualities:

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis
tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam
śamo damas tapaḥ sāmyaṁ
titikṣoparatiḥ śrutam

Everything is there. But due to material contamination, especially in this age, Kali-yuga... The Kali-yuga is very strong. Time is very strong, that even in contact, coming in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are falling. They are falling. That is due to Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

There is no second, I mean to say, counterpart. But He expands. Advaitam acyutam. Acyuta. Acyuta means which does not fall down. Acyuta. Cyuta means "fall down." So God's another name is Acyuta, never falls down. Just like we living entities, we fall down. From spiritual world, we fall down. Because we have fallen down, therefore we have got this material body. But Kṛṣṇa, or God, never falls down. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta, endless. You cannot count how many forms are there of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have been compared with the incessant waves of the river. Just like, in the river you stand, on a flowing river, you will find the waves are day and night flowing, flowing, flowing, flowing.

Similarly, God, Kṛṣṇa, from Him, ananta-koṭi, innumerable incarnations are coming out, coming out. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Then next question may be that "If all the forms are coming from Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa also must have come from some other form." Because we see ... Suppose I have got hundred children, so I was also born by some father. No. Kṛṣṇa is not like that.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

From the very beginning of his life, he was given the chance of worshiping Kṛṣṇa Deity. Not only that. He was king. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭa means one who falls down from the path of spiritual advancement. For them, the facility is that they are given another chance to take birth in the human society. Not only in human society... Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, in very rich family and very pure family. Śucīnām means pure, brāhmaṇa. So in India still, if one is born in a very nice, rich and pure family, he is considered to be very pious in his past life. That's a fact. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). These four things, janma, high grade birth; aiśvarya, riches. Janmaiśvarya... śruta, education; and śrī, means beauty.

These four things are obtained by pious activities in one's past life. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja had all these assets. That means in his previous life he was also a great devotee. So now, in this life, he's bereft of everything. After executing spiritual life so strenuously, life after life, in this life we see that he's bereft of his kingdom, he's going to die within seven days, and he had to leave his beautiful wife, children, home, kingdom, his animals.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

Nārada says "It is all right." Bhajann apakvo. While you are discharging your devotional service even being immature you fall down, it doesn't matter even if you fall down. Bhajann apakvo 'tha. Apakva means nonmature. Patet tato yadi. He falls down from the path of devotional service. Yatra kva vā abhadram abhūd amuṣya kim: "What is the loss there?" And those who are sticking to their occupational duty... Ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ, "If one, one sticks to his occupational duty, but he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, does not take to devo..., what does he gain?"

Here one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and falls down, for him, he says, "What is inauspicity there?" That means there is auspicity still, although he has fallen. And one who is sticking to his original occupational duty but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does he gain?

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

There is the Supreme Soul, or Supreme Being. Amongst... There are many living beings. We are many. We living beings, or living entities, we are many. But the principal living being is Kṛṣṇa. The fire and the sparks: the sparks are illuminated when it is with the original fire. If the sparks fall down from the association of the original fire, it is extinguished, no more light. Similarly, our real happiness is when we enjoy with the Supreme Being. Supreme Being.

Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Kṛṣṇa is always with His friends, either gopīs or the cowherd boys, or with His father, with His mother. You'll never find Kṛṣṇa alone. Just like here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Kṛṣṇa is with His Rādhārāṇī and with His devotees. Just like a king. When we say that "The king is coming here," or "The president is coming here," so it means that president is not coming alone, but he's coming with his secretaries, with his ministers, with so many others. In England, the Queen has bodyguards. So similarly, when we... Yoga ādhyātmikaḥ. Yoga means connection, and ātmā, ātmā means this soul, actually, but sometimes ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the body also.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

You can see. This fireworks is going on. The fire is there, and there are small sparks. So long the fire and the small sparks are together, they are illumination. Similarly, if we connect with Kṛṣṇa, then we are illuminated. As Kṛṣṇa is illuminated, we are also illuminated, although we are small. But if we fall down from Kṛṣṇa, the original fire, we become extinguished. Our spiritual power, our spiritual illumination, becomes extinguished. Therefore yoga system means again connecting the link. That is called yoga. Yoga, the Sanskrit word, means connect, and viyoga means disconnect.

So here it is... Kapiladeva... Kapiladeva is Bhagavān. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavān has no mistake. Bhagavān... Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Even Śaṅkarācārya says that Bhagavān, Nārāyaṇa, He does not belong to this material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ avyaktāt paraḥ. So when we speak of Bhagavān, or the śāstra says Bhagavān, Bhagavān means above material understanding, divyam, above material understanding, paraḥ, above material understanding.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

Therefore he is not interested. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the Brahmaloka, or the planet where Brahmā lives, where the duration of life already I have explained, and opulence, and very, very great powerful, but still you have to fall down from there."

So why a devotee should be interested in such thing? No. A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa, the supreme eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic version. The Supreme Lord is the supreme leader of the nityas. We are all nityas, eternal. He guides. Therefore Kṛṣṇa plays with the living entities, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual world. There Kṛṣṇa and the devotees become His friend, cowherd boy. They play with Kṛṣṇa. They want that thing. They do not want to go to the Brahmaloka or the Candraloka or this loka or that loka, because that will be finished. That will be finished. Because that is māyāvinas tām.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

Therefore ātma-darśana, one must know what he is. He is spiritual being. Spiritual being, he has nothing to do with this material world, but somehow or other, we have fallen in this material world. Anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. It is just like ocean. So just like if you fall down from the boat or the ship, then it is struggle for existence. You may be very nice swimmer, but that does not mean in the water you will be comfortable. That is not possible. Similarly, we living entities, part and parcel of God, we are as pure as God. Kṛṣṇa, God, is pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra. So similarly... Pavitra means without material contamination. That is pavitra.

So the...
apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ

This is the process, that you may be pure or impure. Material condition means impure, contaminated, conditioned. So to get out of this contaminated condition, the śāstra says, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam: "If you always constantly think of Puṇḍarīkākṣa, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu," yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ, "he becomes externally and internally śuci, purified."

Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:

Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), no material motive. Generally, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, people go to the temple and the churches or any religious..., synagogue, with a material motive. Ārto arthārthī. Generally they are in need of money or they are unhappy somehow or other, and they go to God, Kṛṣṇa, or according to their religious principle, and pray for material benefit. But that is also accepted as good, because they are approaching Kṛṣṇa, or God. But that is not pure devotion. If such material motive continues, then he will fall down from that devotional service. Because as soon as his distress is mitigated, he will think that there is no more need of worshiping. Naturally he forgets. Just like rich man. A rich man becomes rich not very easily, with great austerity either in this life or in the past. But when he gets money, he becomes extravagant and again falls down. Similarly, we may go to Kṛṣṇa in times of distress, but as soon as the distress is gone, we forget Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

Then gradually they are elevated by the evolutionary process to the rajo-guṇa, and then we are elevated to the sattva-guṇa. That is the brahminical qualification. And we have to surpass the sattva-guṇa also. Not that coming to the platform of sattva-guṇa we become perfect. No. There is chance of falling down from the sattva-guṇa. We have got practical experience in this age, Kali-yuga, many persons have fallen down from the platform of brahminical qualification. The brahminical qualification is the platform of sattva-guṇa: śamo damo titikṣava ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is the brahminical culture.

So if by coming to the platform of brahminical culture, one is sure, that is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sometimes sattva-guṇa is overpowered by rajo-guṇa or rajo-guṇa is overpowered by tamo-guṇa or sattva-guṇa is overpowered by tamo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

So in those days all the families were very pure. Therefore born of a brāhmaṇa father is understood that he has got the training of a brāhmaṇa. That is a facility. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). By pious activities or by practice of bhakti-yoga, if one has not completed, yoga-bhraṣṭa, one who falls down from the yoga practice, such person is given another chance to take birth in a nice family, a brāhmaṇa family or a rich mercantile family. The brāhmaṇa family is rich in knowledge, and the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they are rich in opulence, wealth, material riches. And śūdras, they are not rich either in material wealth or in knowledge. Therefore they are called śūdras.

So this bhakti-yoga or any yoga... Real yoga, or the first-class class yoga, is bhakti-yoga. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. There are many yogis. Out of them, the bhakta-yogi... Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā (BG 6.47).

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

Similarly, we are also pavitram, pure, but that small can fall down sometimes and becomes apavitra. So we are just like sparks of fire, so so long we are in the fire, this quality of the spark is also fire. It is also illuminating. It is also has got the quality of burning power, small quantity. But when the spark falls down from the fire it becomes extinguished, the fiery quality. That is our position. We have fallen down from the quality, and we have to revive it. Just like a person becomes diseased. Diseased is not his permanent position. That is a temporary infection. But it can be cured. If one likes, he can cure his disease and again he can become healthy. Similarly, we are fallen somehow or other. "Somehow or other" means the reason is as soon as we become independent, we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, but we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa—we want to become independent. Then immediately we are forced by the illusory energy to come under her and work under her direction. We are born servant, jīvera svarūpa haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

Pradyumna: "All the learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless, and one should not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat us at any moment. Even Lord Śiva became agitated upon seeing the Mohinī form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Saubhari Muni also fell down from the mature stage of yogic perfection."

Prabhupāda:

tathā coktam-
na kuryāt karhicit sākhyam
manasi hy anavasthite
yad-viśrambhāc cirāc cīrṇaṁ
caskanda tapa aiśvaram
(SB 5.6.3)

So it is advised herewith, tathā ca uktam. Although definitely from where it is quoted, it is not described, but it is heard by the paramparā system. That is also authority, not necessarily to know wherefrom it is quoted, but if it is current, it is also evidence. So it is is said by paramparā system, we can understand, that "Do not make any friendship or," what is called, "compromise with mind. Do not do this." As I was saying yesterday, my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "When you get up you beat your mind with shoes hundred times, and when you go to the bed you beat your mind with broomstick hundred times." Then there will be no compromise. If you simply beat your mind... That is required. This is Vedic system. Now, if you want to bring somebody under your control, then you must always chastise him; otherwise it is impossible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

And if you fall from the instruction, how you can remain eternal? You have to stay on the platform. Then eternally you are safe. If you fall down from the platform, then it is your fault. Just like we are all in the Vaikuṇṭha planet. Now, we wanted to enjoy this material world. We have fallen down, just like Jaya-Vijaya. Now we are trying to go back again. Therefore we say, "Go back to home, back to Godhead." So everything is... There is process. If you follow the process, then you go back. If you fall down, that is our fault. Therefore the life is meant for tapasya, that Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction, that our life should not be wasted like dogs and hogs and pigs. It should be utilized for tapasya, for understanding our position. Tapo putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva. This is the aim of life. We have to purify our existence. At the present moment our existence is impurified. Therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And as soon as we purify ourself, then we are not subjected to these four material laws. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

So only bhakti-mārga is not risky. Bhakti-mārga means the devotional..., path of devotional service. Because this material life means contamination of the three modes of material nature. Either you are on the goodness or in the passion or in ignorance, there is chance of falling down from one platform to another, so long you are on the material platform. But if you remain on the spiritual platform... Just like we are trying to keep you on the spiritual platform. That is bhakti-yoga—always engaged in devotional service. Then you are above all these material qualities.

That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi
bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(BG 14.26)

Anyone who is fully, constantly, twenty-four hours engaged, avyabhicāriṇi... Avyabhicāriṇi, without any stoppage. Therefore I want that in our temple there should be program that we are always engaged in devotional service, twenty-four hours.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

Not that he has got a university degrees, no. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu.

So this is gentleman; this is educated, culture. So this man, Ajāmila, as soon as he became fallen down from the sadācāra, gentleman's behavior, the next stage is this, bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryaiḥ. One must earn his livelihood. But he has fallen down to the sixth grade. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or lower than that, everyone must have his means of livelihood. So what is the means of livelihood of the first-class man? That is said, paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. First-class man means brahminical class. Their occupational duty is first of all he must become a very learned scholar in the Vedic literature. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. He must become a learned scholar. And after becoming a scholar, it is not that that he will enjoy himself the knowledge. No. He will distribute the knowledge. This is one, that first-class man, or the brāhmaṇa, first of all he must become a learned scholar... If he is not scholar, what he will, nonsense he will teach? So the first position is that he must become a learned scholar. And the next business is to teach others, to make disciple.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

As you reap so you..., as you sow, so you reap. Therefore this movement is specially meant for making first-class, second-class men at least. Or even third class, fourth class. But what is this? You are producing sixth-class, seventh-class, tenth-class men, and you expect that there will be no crime, people will be happy, it will be peaceful? That is not possible. If you want to be happy, peaceful, then you must take this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and try to create at least a group of men first class. Just like we are doing that. People will see their behavior, their character, their mode of life, and at least they will be attracted.

So this man, Ajāmila, on account of his association with a prostitute... That is illicit sex. Sex means with married wife. That's all. So this is the first falldown. Then he lost his all gentle behavior, and then he came to this platform, bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryaiḥ. So as soon as one become fallen down from the standard of gentle life, they must take to this profession. There is no other alternative. You cannot check it. This is natural falldown, one after another. So, bandy-akṣaiḥ... What time up to? Up to 7:30? It is finished. Eh?

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

This body is also... This body is not permanent, that's a fact. But tyaktvā dehaṁ, after giving up this body, no more material body—spiritual body. Sat-cit-ānanda-vigraha.

So we should be very serious. We should not fall down from the standard of Vedic culture. If you are actually serious about stopping this, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. This is struggle for existence. In this material world everyone is struggling to survive. But who is surviving? That way, materialistic way of life will not help you to survive. That is prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Nature is so strong that you must die. "I am very strong." You may be very strong, that's all right. There is a, I mean to say, joking story that one man thought how to avoid death—Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he thought that the Yamarāja is the superintendent of death, he comes to take. So I shall make such policy that he may not come to me. What is that policy? "Bring some stool. I shall smear over my body, and out of bad smell he will not come." So he began to smear stool on his body at the time of death. So this is going on. They are making body very stout and strong so they will survive.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

That's a fact. But tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body no more material body; spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

So we should be very serious. We should not fall down from the standard of Vedic culture. If you are actually serious about stopping this... Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is struggle for existence. In this material world everyone is struggling to survive. But who is surviving? That way, materialistic way of life, will not help you to survive. That is... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Nature is so strong that you must die. "I am very strong." You may be very strong, that's all right, but you must. There is a, I mean to say, joking story that one man thought, "How to avoid death?" Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he thought that "Yamarāja is the superintendent of death. He comes to take, so I shall make such policy that he may not come to me." What is that policy? "So bring some stool. I shall smear over my body, and out of bad smell, he'll not come." So he began to smear stool on his body at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

He's asking his son, Nārāyaṇa, "My dear son, Nārāyaṇa, please come here, take your food, sit down here, play here, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa." This was practice. This opportunity was given to Ajāmila that, although he fell down from his standard of devotional service, but he got the opportunity of chanting "Nārāyaṇa." Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). And when we are afraid of something, so we chant, we call somebody who is very dear. This is very psychological.

So when he was too much afraid of this Yamadūta, unconsciously he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. So somehow or other he remembered Nārāyaṇa. Some commentator says that when he chanted "Nārāyaṇa," then all his reaction of sinful life immediately disappeared and he remembered real Nārāyaṇa. Because he, in his boyhood, was trained up as a Vaiṣṇava by his father, so some... There is big comments on this incidence. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has written three or four pages about this. So his opinion is that as soon as he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, immediately he remembered real Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975:

So without obeying the instruction of the śāstra, he has fallen down. Although he was born in the brāhmaṇa family and educated nicely, but on account of bad association he fell down from the standard of human ideal life. Therefore he is punishable. Not only he, every one of us. The human fom of life is specially meant for going back to home, back to Godhead. The animal life... By progressive evolution, they come to the human form of life, and when one is, the living entity is on the platform of human form of life, he has got his responsibility. Therefore śāstra says,

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujām ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet
sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam
(SB 5.5.1)

This is the responsibility of human life. This human life is not meant for working day and night like the dogs and hogs for sense gratification. At the present moment it is going on all over the world. Simply for sense gratification, they are working so hard.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

These are the, some of the practical examples. There are persons who criticize chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Nāmnād artha-vāda. Because the glories of the holy name are described here, that one can become free from the sinful reaction of life simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord, so sometimes those who are not in the line, they think, "It is too much. It is too much." So the next verse, the... It is advised... Not it is too much. You can test it. Test it. What is that test? Patita. When you fall down from a high place... Suppose from the roof you may fall down, patitaṁ. Skhalita: you may slip and fall down. Bhagnaḥ: by falling down you may break your bones. Then sandaṣṭaḥ: you may be bitten by some animal—cats, dogs, a snake. There are so many, domestic. Then tapta: you may be burned. And āhataḥ: you may be injured from others. Then during this time you can test, practical. What is that test? Harir ity avaśena aha. Try to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Pumān. If anyone does so, na arhati yātanāḥ. You'll immediately feel that from the injuries you are not feeling pain. This is practical seen. Even a snake bite... You may be saved. The author says, never says, that you may be saved from death, but the suggestion is that you may not feel much pain.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

That you also, you have to get. That's all right. He was once God, he was once rich. That's all right. But how he has become poor? He was at sometimes God, accepted. But how he has become dog instead of God? But God is susceptible to such falldown? Then what kind of God he is? If God is subjected sometimes to fall down, then he is not all-powerful. Then the cause which has made him fall down, that is powerful. Therefore he is not God. God is all-powerful. So why other power will make him to come down from the position of God? Then that power is powerful. But God is all-powerful; therefore he is not God. This is common reasoning. God cannot be subjected to any other external... Just like according to Biblical philosophy, "God and Satan." God is never under the influence of Satan. Is there any statement in the Bible that "God has become under the influence of Satan"? Then Satan become great. God is not great. Similarly, if by some cause, by Satanic cause, one has fallen down from the position of God to the position of dog, then that Satan is greater than God. But God is great. Therefore he is not God. Gaursundara? How do you think this argument?

Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:

So spiritual kingdom is beyond this material world made of three modes of material nature, sattva-rajas-tamaḥ. So when incarnation of the Supreme Lord comes... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Kṛṣṇa has given us. We are fallen down from the spiritual kingdom to this material world on account of desiring to fulfill our material senses. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has given us the Vedic literatures. Anādi bahir mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. This is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa anadi... Anadi means before the beginning of this creation. The beginning of this creation is called ādi, beginning, but our forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is anādi. Anādi. Anādi bahir mukha. We are working in this life, in this material world, struggling for existence to get happiness. That is the aim of life. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we do not know the source of happiness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The ānandamaya-vigraha, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

Acyutānanda: "Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal, but the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is only temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived from identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Happiness, it is our experience that happiness derived from material enjoyment, that is not permanent. That we can understand. But happiness of identifying oneself with Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana, that happiness is also not permanent. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇ... By great austerity, auspici..., and penance, one may rise up to the platform of Brahman realization, paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Again he falls down.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

Pradyumna: "There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: Every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness. That spiritual happiness, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. Nirbheda, without any distinction. That is not real Brahman happiness. Brahman happiness means that there must be a distinction. The distinction means Kṛṣṇa is predominator and everyone is predominated. Just like the gopīs. Kṛṣṇa is the predominator, and the gopīs and all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana-Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā and the cowherd boys, servant, trees, plants, flowers, water, animals, cows—everyone is predominated. Kṛṣṇa is only predominator. That is real happiness. Whenever there is any trouble in Vṛndāvana, they approach the predominator and immediately the predominator takes care and they're happy. This is Vṛndāvana life. As soon as there was torrents of rain, the, all the inhabitants, inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they approached Kṛṣṇa to give them protection. And Kṛṣṇa immediately gave them protection by lifting Govardhana Hill. So they were confident that Kṛṣṇa's there.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The injunction herein is that one is to act according to his position, and by such activities one must either satisfy the Supreme Personality or else fall down from his position."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The position may be... That is also recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ means position. You keep your position as brāhmaṇa, you keep your position as kṣatriya, or you keep your position as śūdra or vaiśya or brahmacārī. It doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Simply hear about the glories. Just like we are sitting here. There are brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśya, or śūdra. It doesn't matter. Everyone has got the privilege to hear about the glories of the Lord. And if we take up this business, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ, prāyaśo 'jito 'pi jito asi tais tri-lokyām. Kṛṣṇa is known as Ajita, but... Ajita means who cannot be conquered. So He can be conquered by this process. When Rāmānanda Raya quoted this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it. Ya ihā haya: "It is very nice."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

Our objective, of life should be to understand God. If we, in this life, if we simply understand what is God and what is my relationship with, and begin to act like that, then also our life is successful. Even if we cannot finish the whole job or we fall down from the platform of devotional service, still, we are not loser. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvaḥ atha (SB 1.5.17). This devotional service is the process. Requires some time to fulfill the whole job and become perfect. But even becoming..., before becoming perfect, one falls down, he is not loser. The service is so transcendental that whatever you have done, that is your asset. And if you stop, so that is not good, but even if you stop, whatever you have done already, that is your permanent asset. This is the benefit of devotional service. Material thing, if you cannot do it perfectly well, whatever you have done, that is all lost. But in spiritual, whatever you have done, one percent, two percent, three percent, as you have done, that is not lost. Therefore the śāstra says that those who are not devotees, what is their profit? Even they are doing their duties very nicely, what is the profit? Because he remains under the stringent laws of nature. Suppose this life I have done my duty as a politician very nicely, but the next life I become a dog. Then what is the benefit? What is the benefit?

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

The Parameśvara, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, that is Kṛṣṇa. Not we are. We are very fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Very, very small, spiritual spark. So as the sparks from the fire falls down, it loses its original sparking capacity or fire elements. We have seen it. When the spark falls down from the big fire, then it is extinguished. No more fire. It is carbon. Similarly, when we are detached from Kṛṣṇa, we are jīva-bhūta. Then, gradually, if by good association, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master, we gradually come to the spiritual position, then we become brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20).

At the present moment, being materially absorbed, accepting ourself as one of the products of this matter... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). I am thinking that "I am product of this material world." "I am product of India," "I am product of brāhmaṇa," "I am product of this family, that family." So this is called jīva-bhūta. And when one understands that "I am not product of this material world. I am not American. I am not Indian.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.97-99 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

They also belonged to the brāhmaṇa community. So therefore he is presenting himself that nīca jāti. Nīca jāti: "I am lower caste." Why? Nīca-saṅgī: "Because my association nīca, my association Muhammadan. They are not brāhmaṇas. They are not highly qualified. Because my association lower, so I am lower also." And patita: "I have fallen down from the standard of my paternal position." Patita: "I am fallen." Adhama. Adhama means "I am the lowest of the human beings."

So of course, because Sanātana Gosvāmī was under certain condition, it is not simply, particularly for this Sanātana Gosvāmī. Everyone, unless he is conscious of his position, that he is the lowest, he cannot become the highest. One should not think... While approaching a spiritual master, one should not be puffed up with his so-called qualification. He should be a blank slate. That is the... That is the requirement. He should forget. That, whatever nonsense he has learned, he should forget.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

You can get that liberty immediately, simply by engaging yourself in some service of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little service you give, it is your permanent asset. Even if you fall down from that service platform, still, whatever you have done, it will never go in vain. As soon as there is opportunity, again you shall begin from that point where you left. Therefore everyone... Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). There is a verse spoken by Nārada Muni, that even by sentiment, not understanding properly the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even by sentiment—"All right, let me also dance and chant like these people, the saffron-colored, shaved-head people are doing. Let me do that"—so once dancing with them will never go in vain. It will (be) immediately accounted, "Ah, he has danced." It is so nice. It will never go in vain. Then these children are dancing. Don't think it is spoiling time.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.6 -- New York, January 8, 1967:

So Brahman and Para-brahman, both of them are by nature joyful. They want joy, enjoyment. So our joyfulness is in connection with Kṛṣṇa, just like fire and the sparks of fire. The sparks of fire, so long manifested with the fire, it is beautiful. And as soon as the sparks of fire falls down from the original fire, oh, it is extinguished, no more beautiful. So we are in the same relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He is the complete whole; we are parts and parcels. Just like the complete whole fire and the sparks of fire. When the fire and the sparks are displayed, it looks very nice. Both of them enjoy. And when the spark... Of course, fire has unlimited potency to produce sparks. But the sparks, when is out of the fire, fireplace, then it loses its identity, and this is called conditioned life. We are in that conditioned life. We are fire, sparks of fire. But because we are in material contamination, therefore we have become conditioned.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

So this comparison means that just like our head, our arms, our waist and legs, they're all important, being constitutional parts of the body, similarly, every one of us are important in consideration, being the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. But the conclusion is that ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-ātma-prabhavam īśvaram, na bhajanti. Now some of us are the arms of the Supreme Lord, some of us the mouth of the Supreme Lord—any part of the body we are situated—but if we don't work according to our positive situation, then the result is ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-ātma-prabhavam īśvaram. One who does not serve according to his position, then sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ, he falls down from that position, and this falldown is this material body. It is very nice example. We have got a particular position in the body of the Supreme Lord. Just consider the viśva-mūrti, the gigantic universal form of the Lord. And we are situated in different parts of the body of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.27-31 -- New York, January 15, 1967:

"Oh, it tastes very nice, so let me take this, reject this." Similarly, material attraction is so long..., as long as we are not in touch with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result will be that we shall lose our material attraction. Those who are falling down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness again to the material attraction, that means they are not serious about advancing in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not ordinary thing. It is very easy. At the same time very, I mean, difficult also. Those who are not attracted by the Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, there is every chance of falling down again in the... Because he has no other alternative. Either he has to serve this way or serve that way. If he is not attracted to serve in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he has to serve in material consciousness. So those who are not fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, however he may be advanced in spiritual realization, that, there is falldown. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Again falls down.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

How the grass is coming? The grass is coming because the water penetrates within the crack, and as soon as it gets in touch with the earth, it sprouts. That means within water there are seeds of living entities. Some of them fall down from the higher planetary system. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kṣine puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). As soon as their period of enjoyment is finished, they are again brought down on this earthly planet. Just like in your country the immigration—every country—the immigration department, if somebody has come, he has got a visa for six months or one year, or something like that. As soon as it is finished, immediately the immigration department notifies: "Please get out. Please get out." Similarly, in other planets also, there are higher planetary systems where material comforts are many thousand times better than in your USA. Your United States is considered to have the best facilities, comfortable materialistic way of life. That is the calculation outside. So supposing that you have got the best facilities for material enjoyment.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

The Lord is one without a second, advaita. Acyuta, the Lord never falls down—the distinction between Lord and ourself. We are also eternal living entities, and the Lord is also eternal. He is also a living entity, a person, just like us. But His name is Acyuta. He never falls down from His position. But we living entities, sometimes we fall down. That's our material condition of life. This is our falldown. Therefore He is called advaitam acyutam aṇadim. And He has no beginning. He is the beginning of everything. The creation is from Him, but He has no creator. So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). And He has got multiforms. He can expand Himself. The one expansion is that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He has expanded Himself to live with you, within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Not only that: another place it is described, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim (Bs. 5.35). One portion of the Lord... That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42).

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

This relationship with Kṛṣṇa is perfect. If we had been actually God, then why we are fallen? This is not possible. God is God. He's never... God's name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But jīva-bhūta, jīva, living entities, they are cyuta. They falls down from the spiritual platform to the material platform.

So they may... Although we have fallen in the material platform, but because we are spiritual energy, therefore Kṛṣṇa is describing this living entity as para prakṛti. It is prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled by the puruṣa. This is to be understood. Prakṛti is never controller. The puruṣa is controller. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. So jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). It is parā-prakṛti, superior energy, because it is trying to control over the material energy. Every one of us, we are trying to control over the material energy. The big stone, big hill, they, that is material energy, but the spiritual energy, a human being, is breaking the hill by dynamite.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

"You are not this body. You are soul." Antavanta ime dehaḥ nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So real welfare activity means to see to the interest of the soul. So what is the interest of the soul? The interest of the soul is that the soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. Just like small spark of fire is part and parcel of the big fire, similarly, we living entities, we are very minute, small spark of the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman, or Kṛṣṇa. So as the spark within the fire looks very beautiful, the fire also looks beautiful, and the spark also looks beautiful, but as soon as the sparks fall down from the fire, it becomes extinguished.

So our condition is that the... Our present position is that we are fallen down from the whole fire, Kṛṣṇa. This is explained in a simple Bengali language:

kṛṣṇa bhūliyā jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

Māyā means darkness, ignorance. So this example is very nice. The sparks of the fire dancing very nicely with fire, it is also illuminating.

General Lectures

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968:

Ladies and gentlemen, this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is reviving our original consciousness. At the present moment, due to our long association with matter, the consciousness has become contaminated, just like when the rain water falls down from the cloud, the water is uncontaminated, distilled water, pure, but as soon as the water falls down on this earth, it becomes mixed up with so many dirty things. When the water falls it is not salty, but when it is touched with the matter or earth, it becomes salty, or tasty, or something like that. Similarly, originally, as spirit soul, our consciousness is uncontaminated, but due to our association with the matter at the present moment, our consciousness is contaminated. Therefore we have got so many varieties of consciousness. Disagreements between one person to another is due to this contaminated consciousness. I think some way; you think otherwise. Therefore we do not agree. But originally, your consciousness and my consciousness were one. And what is that one? That conscious, pure consciousness, is "God is great, and I am His eternal servant." That is pure consciousness. As soon as we want to imitate or artificially want to become one with God, immediately the contamination begins.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So the example is set by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that human civilization will advance only on the basis of brahminical culture and cow protection. As soon as there is falldown from brahminical culture, and as soon as there is discrepancy in the protection of cows, there will be no more peace in the world. Therefore He specifically said, go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for the protection of brahminical culture and cows. Then automatically the peace of the world will come, if two things are done. This is Vedic literature. They pick up the essence of the things, and all other things follows. Just like meditation. Meditation means... Not meditation, the yoga system. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Yoga system means to control the senses. This is the primary factor of practicing yoga. Now the senses, we have got five senses acquiring knowledge and five working senses.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

So this is our position. We are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. There are many examples I can give you. Just like a machine part, a screw. If it is fallen down from the machine, it has no value. But if the machine is in trouble for want of that screw, you'll purchase that screw to set in and spend many dollars. Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. If we remain attached with the Supreme Lord, then we have got value. Otherwise we have no value. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66): "You just be attached to Me. Then your all problems are solved."

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is... Just like you are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. You are now detached. We are trying to dovetail you. That's all. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa). This is not an artificial imposition on you. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. The living example you can see, that I have got now branches, twenty branches in Europe and America.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 11, 1971:

So apart from this historical point of view, try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means pure consciousness. Just like water, when it falls down from the cloud, it is pure, and as soon as it drops or mixes with the muddy earth, it becomes muddy. It is not more clear. Similarly, we, as spirit soul, our consciousness is as pure as Kṛṣṇa is pure. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Gradually, as we contact the material contamination, we become different conscious. Just like we are sitting, so many ladies and gentleman here. Some of us thinking that "I am American," some of them are thinking that "We are Indian," some of them are thinking "German," or this or that—"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am white," "I am black." In so many way we are. Our consciousness are polluted. Actually, my position is, as it is said in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman, or spirit soul." In the Bhagavad-gītā we find that when a person becomes realized as Brahman, means spirit soul... Now I am identifying not with Brahman, but I am identifying with this body: "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian." Because by accident I have got this Indian body, I may think, "I am Indian."

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

So our this movement is to bring man to his original consciousness, which is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, clear consciousness. I have several times mentioned this. Just like water, when it falls down from the cloud, it is distilled water. You catch water before falling down to the ground, it is distilled water. The chem... As distilled water is without any contamination, similarly, the rainwater is also distilled water. But as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes muddy-colored, so many things. Similarly, we spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa... Therefore our original constitutional position is as pure as God, because we are part and parcel of God. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "The living entities are my part and parcel." So fragmental part of gold is gold; it may be fragmental. Similarly, we are minute particles of God's body; therefore, qualitatively, we are as good as God. The chemical composition of God's body and our body... Not this body. This is material. I am speaking of our spiritual identification, that body. That is as good as God. The chemical composition is one. But similarly, as the rainwater falls down on the ground, similarly, as we come in contact with this material world,... Material world means it is being manipulated by the material energy of Kṛṣṇa, prakṛti, nature. Nature means whose nature?

Lecture at Caitanya Matha -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

This living entity, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, how he has got this condition of material life? That can be explained in this way. Just like this fire spark. As long as it is in the fire, it is also just like fire, glowing, glowing. Only it is spark, it is glowing. But, if it falls down from the fire, then immediately it becomes extinguished. The glowing quality becomes extinguished, and there are three kinds of different position of the living entity according to the quality of this material nature he associates. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. The living entity is the same, but when he comes into this material world, he associates with three kinds of material qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So one who is in sattva-guṇa, brahminical qualification, actually, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). One who has got the brahminical qualities by work and actually in life, satya, śama, dama, titikṣa, ārjavam, jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So he can understand. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ, he can understand, so how, what is my relationship with the Supreme Lord. So similarly, one who is in the rajo-guṇa, the example is given. There is a spark.

Lecture -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So Vaiṣṇava is the patitānāṁ pāvana... Fallen. Fallen means when one falls down from his actual position. That is called fallen. So every conditioned soul is fallen because he has fallen down from his actual position. What is his actual position? The position is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the constitutional position of living entity. But he has fallen means he has given up the service of Kṛṣṇa and he has taken the service of māyā, means so many things. Somebody is serving country, society, friendship, love, and so many things. They have created service. At last dog service, cat service. But because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa's service, therefore they are called fallen. These fallen conditioned soul are claimed by the Vaiṣṇavas. Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ. That is Vaiṣṇava's duty.

So you are doing your best to do this service, Vaiṣṇava, in this remote village. Our Sudāmā Prabhu is trying to give service to Kṛṣṇa. Our position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. We can give service from anywhere, from any position. It doesn't matter where we are.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes. You can find out that verse.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gata āntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate (yo māṁ)
sa me yuktatama...
(BG 6.47)

He is first-class yogi who does not cease to think of Kṛṣṇa, or God. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we keep always in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. Then we do not fall down from the yogic principle. That is our...

Hayagrīva: Such mystical states, as James points out, have been also experienced momentarily and artificially through drugs such as ether. William James himself took ether...

Prabhupāda: These are all artificial thing. This is not sustained.

Hayagrīva: LSD and these...

Prabhupāda: Another artificial names. Artificial things cannot sustain, but if you engage yourself in the devotional process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevā (SB 7.5.23), always hearing a about Kṛṣṇa, always talking about Kṛṣṇa, always remembering about Kṛṣṇa, always engage in some service in the temple—there are so many services—or distributing literature about Kṛṣṇa, in this way, if you keep always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business, that is perfection of life.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So to become completely pure, then he is the necessity of morality and ethics. Just like we prescribe, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." These are the four pillars of sinful life. If we avoid these thing, then we can stay on the platform of purity. And God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is based on this morality. One who cannot follow the principles, he falls down from the spiritual platform, and he cannot make any progress. So purity is the basic principle of God consciousness.

Hayagrīva: Jung sees atheistic Communism as the greatest threat in the world today. He writes that "The Communist revolution has debased man, because it robs him of his freedom, not only in the social but in the moral and spiritual sense. The state has taken the place of God. That is why, seen from this angle, the socialist dictatorships are religions, and state slavery is a form of worship."

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

That's right. There are souls, innumerable souls. Anantāya kalpate. Nobody can count how many souls are there. So all the souls are as described above. They have got the same qualities of the One, in minute quantity, but some of them are fallen. Just like in the fire there are so many sparks, but one or two may fall down from the fire. Others remains in the fire. Those who are not falling down, they are called nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. They are never conditioned. And those who have fallen within this material world for sense gratification, they are baddha. They are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. And eternally means that nobody can estimate how long one conditioned soul within this material world is existing here, because the creation is going on perpetually—sometimes manifest, sometimes nonmanifest. But the conditioned soul without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is continuing to exist in this material world. Before the creation he was there in dormant condition. Again with the manifestation he comes out.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Yes. That is, he is prone to fall down because he is very minute quantity, he is small, so there is tendency of falldown. The same example: the small spark of the fire, because it is very small, sometimes it falls down from the fire. So we become, being very small, minute particle of God, we become entangled by this material, external energy. Just like the example: a less intelligent person, in ignorance, commits criminal activities and he goes to jail. He is not supposed to go to the jail, but on account of his little intelligence or ignorance, he commits something which is criminal. This criminality is done by less intelligent class of men. Similarly, persons who are coming into this material world, they are less intelligent. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. They think that they will be able to enjoy life independently, without Kṛṣṇa. This is less intelligence. Just like a very rich man's son, if he thinks that "If I live independently, without being dependent on father," that is his foolishness. How he can become happy independently, living aside from the father?

Page Title:Fall down from (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari
Created:02 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=83, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:83