Intellectual persons

Expressions researched:
"intellectual person" |"intellectual personality" |"intellectual persons" |"most intellectual, most intelligent person" |"persons who want to be highly intellectual"

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

An intellectual person can believe in the assurances of the great sage Vyāsadeva and patiently hear the messages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in order to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:

Professional readers of the Bhāgavatam indulge in reading the confidential portions dealing with the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. These portions appear to read like sex literature. However, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant to be heard from the beginning, and those who are fit to assimilate the messages of Bhāgavatam are mentioned in the very beginning (SB 1.1.2): A bona fide audience fit to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is generated after many pious deeds. An intellectual person can believe in the assurances of the great sage Vyāsadeva and patiently hear the messages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in order to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. One need not struggle through the different Vedic stages of realization, for one can be lifted to the position of paramahaṁsa simply by agreeing to hear the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with patience.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Brāhmaṇa means the most intellectual, most intelligent person. Intelligent means one who knows, who has got sufficient knowledge.

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

Brāhmaṇa means the most intellectual, most intelligent person. Intelligent means one who knows, who has got sufficient knowledge. So brāhmaṇa means he has got sufficient knowledge even up to the understanding of the Absolute Truth. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. So that is first-class men, brāhmaṇa. So intellectuals or very intelligent class of men, these are everywhere, all over the world. You may call them brāhmaṇa or not, but a class of men, very intelligent, that is available in every part of the world. So brāhmaṇa means the intelligent class of men. And kṣatriya means they are less than the brāhmaṇas. And vaiśyas means less than the kṣatriyas. And śūdras less than all of them. It is a question of intelligence.

The activities for the most intellectual person, that should be a division. That is called brāhmaṇa division.

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

Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are divisions. In the human society there should be divisions of work. The activities for the most intellectual person, that should be a division. That is called brāhmaṇa division. The activities of the politicians and administrators, that is called kṣatriya division. The activities of the mercantile people, that is called vaiśya division. And ordinary worker, they get some salary for serving the master, they are called śūdras. So in this way everybody has got his duty. The brāhmaṇa has got his duty, the kṣatriya has got his duty, the vaiśya has got his duty, and the śūdras also, they have got also duty.

These boys are being trained as complete brähmaëa, the highest intellectual person, purified person in the society.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:

Now, we are training boys who are spiritually inclined, and now unnecessarily we are being called for military service. Just see, how discrepancy! The foolish person has no knowledge that "This boy is being trained up in higher science. Why he should be disturbed?" But they have no idea. Therefore imperfect. The intellectual persons, those who have got brahminical qualification... These boys are being restrained for being trained up as brähmaëa, brahmacäré. They don't take, I mean to say, meat-eating; they don't take part in intoxication; they don't take part in gambling; they don't take part in illicit sex life. So they are being trained as complete brähmaëa, the highest intellectual person, purified person in the society. If there is one brähmaëa in a family, or one society, the whole family, whole society becomes sanctified.

Any society where there is no intellectual persons or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is a rascal society because there is no head.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:

So there is derangement of the social order in the present-day world. Why? There is no head. They are all rascals. I frankly say it. Anybody may come. Any society where there is no intellectual persons or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is a rascal society because there is no head. Either it is madman or a headless man, or dead body. If there is no brain, there is no head. If the brain is not working properly, then he's a madman. And if there is no head at all, then he's a dead man. So do you think in a dead society or in a mad society there can be any peace? No. What is peace? If the dead..., society is already dead, what do you mean by peace? And if the society is all full of madmen, then where is the question of peace?

It is found that the brain substance in man is found up to 64 ounce. They are very highly intellectual persons.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Physiologically, within the brain there are brain substance. It is found that the brain substance in man is found up to 64 ounce. They are very highly intellectual persons. And in woman the brain substance is not found more than 34 ounce. You'll find, therefore, that there is no very great scientist, mathematician, philosopher, among women. You'll never find because their brain substance cannot go. Artificially do not try to become equal with men. That is not allowed in the Vedic śāstra. Na striyaṁ svatantratām arhati. That is called śāstra.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Brahmā is supposed to be the most intellectual personality within this universe.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

From Vedic history we understand that in the creation, when everything was all water, at that time, a lotus flower grew out of the abdomen of Viṣṇu and there was creation of Brahmā. So Brahmā is supposed to be the most intellectual personality within this universe. My point is that in the beginning the creation was the most intelligent personality, not that in the creation there was lower animals, no. Lower animals were there.

The science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness is not meant for the rascals. It is meant for the intellectual person.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

Verse:

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

(SB 7.6.1)

This verse we have been discussing for the last three days. So Prahlāda Mahārāja's argument is that everyone, if he is intelligent... If he's a rascal, that is a different thing. Because the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness is not meant for the rascals. It is meant for the intellectual person. Kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa caturā. Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot be God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore this word is used, prājñā. Prājñā means... Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpena, specifically. Jñā, jñā means a man of intellect. So Bhāgavata-dharma, what is that Bhāgavata-dharma? That I have already explained. Again we can repeat. Bhāgavata-dharma means to reestablish our lost relationship with God. This is Bhāga-vata.

A person who is very highly learned, very gentle, civilized, and a brāhmaṇa, still higher, intellectual personality, a cow, hasti, an elephant, the dog, and the dog-eaters, all these—there are different varieties of living condition—but still, one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees everyone on the same level.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

A person who is very highly learned, very gentle, civilized, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe, and a brāhmaṇa, still higher, intellectual personality, gavi, a cow, hasti, means an elephant, śuni, the dog, śva-pāke ca, and the dog-eaters, śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama, all these—there are different varieties of living condition—but still, one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees everyone on the same level. How it is, that? Has he become a madman, that a highly intellectual person and the dog, he sees on the equal level? Yes. Because he is not seeing on the material platform; he is seeing on the spiritual platform. In the spiritual platform, there is no distinction. The all distinction is due to our material conception of life. Varieties, the bodies, there are 8,400,000 varieties of bodies, and because we are under the concept of this bodily, I mean to say, identification, therefore we see so many varieties.

In this material world the brāhmaṇa, the most intellectual person with twelve good qualifications Satya, sama, dama.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

"One who has dedicated these three things, mind, body, and words, to the service of the Lord, I think he is best." How best? Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād. He's better or the best than anyone. In this material world the brāhmaṇa, the most intellectual person with twelve good qualifications Satya, sama, dama. He's truthful, he's controller of the senses, controller of the mind, he is simple, he is tolerant, he is full of knowledge, he is full of scientific knowledge, he knows everything of Vedas.

If one is averse to the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, even though he's a qualified brāhmaṇa, even though he's the most intellectual person, he is rejected.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

These are the qualities of a brāhmaṇa. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that in spite of having all these qualities, if one is aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt, if one is averse to the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, even though he's a qualified brāhmaṇa, even though he's the most intellectual person, he is rejected. And better than him is he who even born of a very low family, śvapacam. Śvapacam means the dog-eaters. The dog-eaters. There are different kinds of flesh eaters. So there are dog-eaters also. That I have already explained, that dog-eaters are considered the lowest of the mankind.

God is worshiped by intellectual persons, offering Vedic hymns, and brāhmaṇas, highly cultured.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

If you want to love Kṛṣṇa, there is no check. There is no check. The road is open. Simply you have to become sincere. That's all. Then Kṛṣṇa will clear the way. And if there is no sincerity, then Kṛṣṇa's māyā is there. He'll always, she'll always put some stumbling block: "Not this, not this, not this." So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided that "Although I am a child, I have no education, I have no studies of the Vedas, and born of atheistic father, lowborn, so all bad qualification... So God is worshiped by intellectual persons, offering Vedic hymns, and brāhmaṇas, highly cultured. So I have no such qualification. But still, all these demigods who are so highly elevated in their position, they have requested me. That means God can be pacified even by me.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

The highly intellectual class of men, they are situated on the mouth of the Supreme Lord. The intellectual persons are considered the mouth of the Supreme Lord.

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

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto. It is very nicely compared with the body of the Supreme Lord and our situation in that partic..., body, in different positions. Now, this verse says that the highly intellectual class of men, they are situated on the mouth of the Supreme Lord. The intellectual persons are considered the mouth of the Supreme Lord. And the next, the administrators, or the protector class of men... Not administrators; practically protector... Kṣatriya means protector. Protector class of men, they are considered to be the arms of the Supreme Lord. And the productive class of men, they are considered as the waist of the Supreme Lord. And the laborer class of men, they are considered to be the legs of the Supreme Lord. So anyone in this society, or in this human society or material world, they must have some situation. There is some positive position of everyone in the body of the Supreme Lord.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

According to Vedic system, education has to be taken from high class, intellectual person like the brāhmaṇas.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

If you find that in a filthy place there is some gold, take it out. You are not to take the filthy stool, but you take the gold. Nīcād apy uttamāṁ vidyām. Nīcā. According to Vedic system, education has to be taken from high class, intellectual person like the brāhmaṇas. But if you find that a person who is not a brāhmaṇa—he's less than a brāhmaṇa, or even lower caste—but if he has got some nice education, just accept him as your teacher and learn. Not that "Because he's lowborn or not brāhmaṇa, I shall not take the education from him." The point is that you have to take the education. And strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api.

General Lectures

The most intellectual person can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not ordinary man.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Lord Caitanya, he very intellectually asked Lord Caitanya, 'ke āmi' kene more jāpe tāpa-traya: "Who am I? Why I am suffering these three kinds of material miserable condition of life?" This is intellectual platform. This is intellectual path. And when we exercise this intellectual path of our life, that is called buddhi-yogam. Buddhi-yogam. Therefore, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa ye bhaje se baḍa catura. The most intellectual person can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not ordinary man. Why? Kṛṣṇa also confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

He is most intellectual, mahātmā, whose intelligence has been broadened so that he has understood Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, as everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Very rare.

Philosophy Discussions

Our Vedic information is that the first creation is the most intellect, that is the most intellectual personality within this universe, Brahmā.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: And your knowledge says that millions of years ago there were higher forms of living entities on this planet.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Because our Vedic information is that the first creation is the most intellect, that is the most intellectual personality within this universe, Brahmā. So how we can say..., how we can accept your theory that intellect develops? We are receiving Vedic knowledge from Brahmā, so perfect. So that is the evidence. The first creature was so perfect.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

As we see at the present moment, there is the most intellectual person and the most foolish ass also.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That life started from matter and is evolving from the uni-cellular organisms to the multi-cellular organisms. So that means they are saying that there was no higher species at the beginning of creation.

Prabhupāda: Nonsense. So why there is now higher species? And the lower species also. As we see at the present moment, there is the most intellectual person and the most foolish ass also... So why do we see all the things simultaneously? Why ass is not abolished? What is their answer? So similarly, formerly also there was.

Bhagavad-gītā recommends that the whole society should be divided into four divisions: the brāhmaṇa, or the most intellectual persons, the kṣatriyas, the administrators, the vaiśyas, the mercantile agriculturists, and the śūdras, ordinary men, laborer or worker.

Room Conversation with Dr. Arnold Toynbee, Famous Historian, at his home or office -- July 22, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: The aim of human society should be God realization. That is the distinction between an animal and a human being.

Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So Bhagavad-gītā recommends that the whole society should be divided into four divisions: the brāhmaṇa, or the most intellectual persons, the kṣatriyas, the administrators, the vaiśyas, the mercantile agriculturists, and the śūdras, ordinary men, laborer or worker. Because this material world is conducted by three modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance, so according to the quality of the person, he should be listed in different categories. And it is the duty of the state to see that all these categories, divisions, they are working nicely.

1968 Correspondence

We want to train students for becoming the first class intellectual person, and instruct the whole human society about the aim of life, and Krishna Consciousness or God consciousness.

Letter to Rayarama -- Seattle 17 October, 1968:

So this Krishna Consciousness movement is trying to help the human society on these two points, which they are lacking. So we have therefore taken a large tract of land to begin with, in W. Virginia, the place is called New Vrindaban. So we want to train students for becoming the first class intellectual person, and instruct the whole human society about the aim of life, and Krishna Consciousness or God consciousness. So we are inviting the desiring or intending students to join in our institution and we invite the public and government to cooperate with our movement.

1969 Correspondence

According to Vedic civilization, these four principles must be followed by persons desiring spiritual advancement of life, persons who want to be public leaders and persons who want to be highly intellectual for understanding God and His creation.

Letter to Vibhavati -- New Vrindaban 12 June, 1969:

The leaders of the peace movement must be all men of character, and to raise such men of character there must be the four regulative principles; namely, no illicit sex-life, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no intoxication. According to Vedic civilization, these four principles must be followed by persons desiring spiritual advancement of life, persons who want to be public leaders and persons who want to be highly intellectual for understanding God and His creation. So I am very much hopeful of Mr. John Lennon because he has several times chanted the word, Krishna.