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Whether it be moist or dry, stool is stool

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Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

Whether it be moist or dry, stool is stool. Similarly, material activities may be either pious or impious, but because they are all material, they are compared to stool.
CC Madhya 1.198, Purport:

On the platform of jñāna-kāṇḍa, one may give up the objects of ku-viṣaya and su-viṣaya. But that is not the perfection of life. Perfection is transcendental to both jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇḍa; it is on the platform of devotional service. If we do not take to devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have to remain within this material world and endure the repetition of birth and death due to the effects of jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇḍa. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says:

nānā yoni sadā phire, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare
tāra janma adhaḥ-pāte yāya

"One travels throughout various species of life and eats all kinds of nonsense. Thus he spoils his existence." A man in material existence and attached to ku-viṣaya or su-viṣaya is in the same position as that of a worm in stool. After all, whether it be moist or dry, stool is stool. Similarly, material activities may be either pious or impious, but because they are all material, they are compared to stool. Worms cannot get out of stool by their own endeavor; similarly, those who are overly attached to material existence cannot get out of materialism and suddenly become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Stool, upside, little dry, and the downside, it is moist. If you say, "This side is better than the downside," it is, after all, stool.
Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

Indian man (8): The Westerns are more unsure than the Easterns, or...?

Prabhupāda: No, Eastern are more at the present moment. This is the world. Material world is andha, all blind. There is no question of Eastern or Western. This is our manufacture, that Eastern is better than the Western. Just like stool. Stool, upside, little dry, and the downside, it is moist. If you say, "This side is better than the downside," (laughter) it is, after all, stool. So what is better side or...? (laughter) We don't make such things as Eastern or Western. We test whether he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Why do you forget that the dry side is good and moist side is bad, but it is stool, this side or that side?
Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

So if by chance somebody becomes attracted by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and gives up his profession, good profession or bad profession... There is no good profession in this material world. Everything is bad. That is... Here we have divided, "This is good, this is bad." This is mental concoction. It has no value, because material world is bad. I have given this example many times. Just like stool, the upside and downside. Downside is moist and upside is dry. If somebody says, "This side is very nice," what is this nonsense? It is stool. Why do you forget that the dry side is good and moist side is bad, but it is stool, this side or that side? Similarly, Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has said,

'dvaite' bhadrābhadra-jñāna, saba—'manodharma'
'ei bhāla, ei manda'—ei saba 'bhrama'

Dvaite... In the material world, dvaite bhadrābhadra, "This is good, this is bad," it is all mental concoction. After all, it is material world. Either you become very expert in handling these material affairs, very big businessman, Mr. Ford, Mr. this and that, or so many things.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

For a devotee, this is stool. Either it may be dried up or moist, it doesn't matter.
Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, October 30, 1968:

Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that in this material world, the divisions that "This is good, and this is bad," they are simply mental concoction. The same example: the stool dried up is good, and the wet is not good. Stool is stool. That's all. For a devotee, this is stool. Either it may be dried up or moist, it doesn't matter. So those who are in ignorance and passion, they're little moist, and those who are in goodness, they're dried up. But after all, it is stool. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). There is no consideration of this goodness or badness. You have to give up all material attachment. And abhorrence. Abhorrence is also another negative attachment. "I don't like this." That means I have attachment for this "don't like." You see? (break) A devotee is simply attached to the service of the Lord.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

He forgets that, after all, it is stool. So what is the dry or moist?
Morning Walk -- January 9, 1974, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: How is bad and good the same thing, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Just like we are walking on this street. Sometimes we say, "This is very good." And sometimes, "It is very bad." But the street is the same. So how it is good and bad? This is simply mental speculation.

Bahulāśva: Sense perception?

Prabhupāda: Eh? Mental speculation. When it is dry... So dryness also, sometimes it is, "Oh, it is very dry, bad." And again, say dry, we shall say, "Oh, today is very good." It is simply mental speculation.

Devotee: It is like wet stool and dry stool. It is still stool.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes. (Chuckles) Yes, that is the example. The dry part of the stool, they say, "Oh, this part is very nice." He forgets that, after all, it is stool. So what is the dry or moist? Just like they are making scientific advancement. But the death is there. So what is the use of your advancement or no advancement? One who has not advanced in science, he'll also die. And you'll also die, advanced. Then what is the good? You cannot protect yourself from death. Then what is the meaning of this "good"? "This is good. This is advancement, and this is not advancement."

That philosophy, that the dry side of stool is better than the wet side, this will not help.
Morning Walk -- March 7, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, no. The thing is, unless the people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, either this board or that board, that will not help. First of all, people should know what is the aim of life, what is culture, how the human activity should be directed. The people should know first of all this. Otherwise, changing from frying pan to the fire, it is useless. That is going on. That change, revolution, is going on. Just like the Russian people, they changed the Czarist government into communist government, revolution, but still, they're unhappy. They're trying to change by another revolution. This is going on. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). This is described in the śāstra as "chewing the chewed." Or the same simple philosophy: "This side of stool is better than that side." So he keeps the whole thing, stool. "This side, the dry side, is better and the moist side, wet side, is bad." This is no philosophy. It, it must not be stool. It must be gold. Then it is all right, this side or that side. That philosophy, that the dry side of stool is better than the wet side, this will not help. So first, first of all, human society must know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). We are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. We are suffering on account of our relationship with God. This is the cause of our suffering. Then we have to make plan how to revive our lost relationship with God. Then the... Everything is there in the Vedic literature. All directions are there. So we have to... Just like when we are in danger, we consult some learned man or physician or a lawyer, similarly we have to consult the Vedic culture, how perfect it is.

One has passed stool, during daytime, due to the sunshine, the upper side is dry. So if somebody says, "This side is better than the other side."
Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Others also, followers. These ordinary, so-called Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, in the outwardly, in religious dress, and inwardly they are committing so many sinful activities, they will become the dogs and hogs and monkeys in Vṛndāvana. So one Gosvāmī, he has taken very much objection to this writing, and he is making propaganda against me like anything. There was arrangement of reception. He stopped it. (break) That I have also written, that now, after finishing the sinful reaction, these monkeys and dogs will be liberated. That I have also written. (break) ...one has passed stool, during daytime, due to the sunshine, the upper side is dry. So if somebody says, "This side is better than the other side. The moist side is not so good. The dry side is good." (break) ...nation, you'll find (indistinct) gentlemen, but they do not know that these things are criminals. They think it is ordinary thing, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Stool is stool, but they are thinking, "This side is very good because it is dried up."
Morning Walk -- November 13, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No science is perfect. Asato dhavato bahiḥ.

Dr. Patel: In imperfection also there can be gradations.

Prabhupāda: Gradations, that I give the example: stool, this side and that side, the dry side and the moist side. Somebody says, "Oh, this side is very good. It is dry stool." (laughter)

Dr. Patel: You have to examine in a different way.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is very good example. Stool is stool, but they are thinking, "This side is very good because it is dried up.

Dr. Patel: We see a thing from any angle, sir.

Prabhupāda: Now, this is also one of the angle.

Dr. Patel: Scientists have got different angle.

Prabhupāda: No, no, there is no different angle. It is foolishness. Stool is stool, this side or... If you say, "This angle is very..." The same thing.

Dr. Patel: The human stool is a stool for the human being. Does it not become a food for a stray dog?

Prabhupāda: That is human stool.

Correspondence

1976 Correspondence

The material world is stool, and it must be given up.
Letter to Dr. Wolf -- Honolulu 20 May, 1976:

In this material world, to say this is good and this is bad has no value. To us, everything material is bad as it is lacking Krsna Consciousness. Just like wet stool and dry stool. Stool is stool, but somebody is saying that wet stool is better than dry stool. What is this good and bad? The top side of some stool is dry and the bottom side is wet, but anyway that you take it, the material world is stool, and it must be given up. Therefore, we are trying to get out of the material world and go back to Home, Back to Godhead.

Page Title:Whether it be moist or dry, stool is stool
Compiler:Labangalatika, Madhavananda, Archana
Created:22 of Nov, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=4, Let=1
No. of Quotes:9