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Affairs (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"affair" |"affairs"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: affair or affairs not "lov* affair*"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Now out of these five subject matter, in the Bhagavad-gītā it establish that the Supreme Godhead or Kṛṣṇa or Brahman or Paramātmā... You may call whatever you like. But the supreme controller. There is a supreme controller. So the supreme controller is the greatest of all. And the living beings, they are in quality like the supreme controller. Just like the supreme controller, the Lord, He has control over the universal affairs, over the material nature, how the... It will be explained in the later chapters of Bhagavad-gītā that this material nature is not independent. She is acting under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "This material nature is working under My direction," mayādhyakṣeṇa, "under My superintendence." So we, we are mistaken. When we see wonderful things happening in the cosmic nature, we should know that behind these wonderful manifestations, there is a controller. Nothing can be manifested without being controlled.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

So the ācāryas give this example as a bad character woman who has got attachment for other's husband, she always thinks, at the same time, shows her husband that she is very much busy in the family affairs so that her husband may not doubt her character. So as she is always remembering the time of meeting with her lover at night, in spite of doing all this household work very nicely, similarly one has to remember the supreme husband, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, always in spite of doing his material duties very nicely. That is possible. It requires a strong sense of love. When you have got a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord, then it is possible that we can go on discharging our duty, at the same time remember the Lord. So we have to develop that sense.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

That is karmī. If they have got very nice apartment, a nice wife and good bank balance and a very nice dress, oh, there is perfection. That's all. That is karmī. And jñānī means that when they are confused. Just like there are a section of people in your country, they have seen enough of this material affair, happiness, or they are searching after something wrongly. But actually those who are intelligent, they don't remain confused. Actually they want to see "What is my actual position." They are called jñānī, man of knowledge.

So jñāna, or knowledge, is on the mental plane and karma is on the bodily plane. So somebody, some section of people, they are engaged in this bodily platform, and some section of people are engaged in the mental platform.

Lecture on BG 1.12 -- London, July 13, 1973:

Vaiśya, they should engage themselves in agricultural production and giving protection to the cows, especially mentioned, go-rakṣya. Go-rakṣya, cow protection, is one of the items of state affairs. And now there is no cow protection. Poor cows, they deliver milk, and later on they become slaughtered. How much sinful the modern society is, and they still want peace and prosperity. That is not possible. The society must be divided—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—and they must execute their proper duty. And the vaiśyas, they should give protection to the cows. And the śūdras, they should work under the direction of the higher three divisions. In this way there will be nice management.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

Everyone should be married and everyone should live. If possible let him live—a brahmacārī. First of all the brahmacārī-āśrama is given there, austerity, under the guidance of the spiritual master. So the idea is not to be entangled. Brahmacārī has no connection with worldly affairs. He's simply interested with the order of the spiritual master. That is called brahmacārī. So one is trained up as a brahmacārī, and he is sufficiently given knowledge, that "Don't be entangled with these material affairs. Don't be entangled. Try to avoid. But if you are still unable, your sex impulse is very strong, all right, then you go and marry." This is the process. First of all he is taught to be vairāgī. Vairāgya. This whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement may be called vairāgya-vidyā. Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he wrote one verse on Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wrote one hundred verses.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

So therefore our ultimate goal is to satisfy the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme. These universes, they are Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. There are many kingdoms. Just like we have got many universes within this material world, similarly, there are many spiritual planets in the spiritual world. These are common-sense affairs. Why people will not understand? Therefore our business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, to become perfect, satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). So how viṣṇur ārādhyate? This is the philosophy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Suppose in an office your immediate boss, some superintendent of the office, you follow his orders, although he is not final. Above the superintendent of the office, there is another secretary. Above the secretary, there is one other director.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

Above the superintendent of the office, there is another secretary. Above the secretary, there is one other director. Above the director, there is managing director. These are common-sense things. Similarly there are many, many controllers, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. So it is common-sense affair that our aim of life is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. This is common sense. Is there any other reasoning that "Why He should be satisfied?"? No. You have to satisfy.

So this is Vaiṣṇavism. One who wants to satisfy Viṣṇu, he is called Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇavism. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord. So everything is arranged to satisfy the Lord Viṣṇu. So where from it begins? The cats and dogs, they can be trained up for satisfying Viṣṇu? No, there is no possibility.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

In spite of all the property of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa doesn't care for this material world. He is busy in the spiritual world. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He's busy in Vṛndāvana. He has many servants. Just big man has got many secretaries, servants, they look after, similarly, in this material world. His representatives—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara—they are managing the affairs of this whole universe. But He's enjoying in Vṛndāvana. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He has no concern. He doesn't care what is happening here. But it, it does not mean that He doesn't care, but He has no anxiety how the things are being managed. When it is mismanaged, then sometimes Kṛṣṇa comes in His Vāsudeva form. Not the original Kṛṣṇa. Original Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana. Padam ekaṁ na gacchati. He's always in His abode.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

Therefore he is thinking that "I have become kṛpaṇa, miser. Although I have got strength, I am denying to fight." "Although I have got money, I do not spend." These are called kṛpaṇa. So kārpaṇya-doṣopahata: "Now I am infected with kārpaṇya-doṣa." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ.

So when we become puzzled with these material affairs, what to do—to do or not to do, this is the example—at that time we must approach a guru. That is the instruction here, we see. Pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ. When we are bewildered, we do not distinguish what is religious and what is not religious, do not use our position properly. That is kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ (BG 2.7). At that time there is need of guru. That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). This is the duty.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Surpassing these senses. Surpassing these senses means... These senses are, means covering. Just like I am this body. Actually I'm not this body. I'm spirit soul. But this is the covering of my real body, spiritual body. Similarly, spiritual body has spiritual senses. Not that nirākāra. Why nirākāra? It is a common-sense affair. Just like if you have got a hand, a or two, one or two hands, you have got two hands. Therefore when the hand is covered by some cloth, the cloth also gets a hand. Because I have got hand, therefore my dress has got a hand. Because I have got my legs, therefore my covering, dress, has got legs, pant. It is a common-sense affair. Wherefrom this body came? This body's described: vāsāṁsi, garments. So garment means it is cut according to the body. That is garment. Not that my body is made according to the garment. It is a commonsense affair. So when I have got hands of my shirt, this is my subtle body or gross body, therefore originally, spiritually, I have got my hands and legs.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

Devotee: I read somewhere in your writings that in order to understand the confidential affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa one must serve the gopīs who are servants of the gopīs, and I assumed that you were a servant of the gopīs. Is that correct? Or... How do I serve the servants of the gopīs?

Prabhupāda: Gopīs, they are not conditioned souls. They are liberated spirits. So first of all you have to come out from this conditioned life. Then the question of serving gopī will come. Don't be at the present moment, very eager to serve gopī. Just try to get out of your conditional life. Then time will come when you'll be able to serve gopī. In this conditional stage we cannot serve anything. Kṛṣṇa is performing it (everything?). But Kṛṣṇa gives us opportunities to accept service in this arcā-mārga. Just like we keep the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, offer prasāda under regulation, under principle. So we have to make advance in this way, this chanting, hearing, and worshiping in the temple, ārati, offering prasāda.

Lecture on BG 2.10 -- London, August 16, 1973:

These pictures they will not, artists. They will simply paint the picture, His confidential dealings with the gopīs. One who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, which Vyāsadeva has described what is Kṛṣṇa in nine cantos, to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then in the Tenth Canto he begins the birth advent of Kṛṣṇa... But these rascals, they jump over immediately to the rāsa-līlā. First of all understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you become a friend of some very big man, so first of all try to understand him. Then you'll try to understand his family affairs or confidential things. But these people jump over to the rāsa-līlā. And misunderstand. And therefore they sometimes say, "Kṛṣṇa is immoral." How Kṛṣṇa can be immoral? By accepting, by chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, the immoral persons are becoming moral, and Kṛṣṇa is immoral. Just see the foolishness. Simply by chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, all immoral persons are becoming moral. And Kṛṣṇa is immoral. And it is spoken by a rascal professor.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

That means in future any intelligent man, accepting a so-called God, may also ask him, "Just show something, that you are God." Without showing something, simply by false advertisement, one cannot be God. So whole mistake is that we do not know what is God. We consider God may be just like one of us. No. The God who is controlling such a huge affairs of universal administration, He cannot be, He is superconscious. That is superconsciousness.

Now, here, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). Now, the whole living existence is a very subtle thing. Now, this body, this body made of earth, water, fire, air, sky, this gross body; and behind this, there is another subtle body. That is mind, intelligence and ego. So when we give up this gross body, that subtle body carries me to another gross body. So when this, this body is lifeless, that body, subtle body, is not lifeless. Just like at night, when this gross body is asleep, the subtle body works.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

First of all, who requires a guru? That is the question. Because guru is not a fashion... The... It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta: (SB 11.3.21) "On account of this, you should go to a guru." What is that account? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: "One who is very much inquisitive to know about spiritual affair, he requires a guru." Spiritual affair means that... We are in this material world. We are suffering. When the question will come in one's mind, "Why I am suffering?" that is spiritual. Just like an animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse. He cannot inquire, "Why I am being taken to the slaughterhouse?" But if a man is being taken forcibly, he'll protest; he will cry; he'll call crowd. Therefore human being can inquire about spiritual affair. So when there is spiritual inquiry, then one requires a guru. And by going to guru, as it is stated, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

Without a supreme person nothing can be managed, order-giving person. This is everlastingly existing, and you cannot avoid this. Even in Communist country they also have the supreme person, dictator. So taking the whole universal affair, the nature, how things are going on... The sun is rising early in the morning. It is setting exactly in due time. Then the moon is coming. Everyone in big, big planetary system, they are working very systematically. The astronomical calculation is so perfect that, they say, one ten-thousandth part of a second is also calculated. So accurately things are moving.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

So urukramāṅghrim, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be understood. And if it is understood, spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. If one understands what is urukramāṅghrim, God the great, then immediately all his ignorance, illusion, is over. Anartha-upaśama. Anartha means just like we are unnecessarily entangled in these material affairs. So if one understands the urukramāṅghrim, God, then immediately his entanglement in these unnecessary activities of the material world becomes stopped. But how it is possible? Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. Mahīyasāṁ niṣkiñcanānām.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

Why 16,000? If He married sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the real husband. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

So one who does not know Kṛṣṇa, rascals, they accuse Kṛṣṇa as immoral of woman-hunter, like that. And they take pleasure in this. Therefore, they paint pictures of Kṛṣṇa, His affairs with the gopīs. But they do not paint picture how He is killing Kaṁsa, how He is killing the demons. They do not like this. This is sahajiyā. They, for their debauchery, for their business of debauchery, they like to be supported by Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa has done this." "Kṛṣṇa has become immoral. So therefore we are also immoral. We are great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, because we are immoral." This is going on. Therefore, to understand Kṛṣṇa, it requires a little better intelligence. Better intelligence. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Jñānavān means the first-class intelligent wise. Māṁ prapadyate.

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

You sit cross-legged, not like that. All of you. So a small industry, there are so many motor parts, so many other parts. About 200, 300 items, government is ready to help a small industry. But the government does not know or the leaders do not know that to engage people in such industrial affair means to bring them to the śūdra platform. Śūdra platform. Every government is encouraging people how to become śūdra. But actually, the human society must be divided into four parts. Four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. Just like in our body there is division. The head department, the arms department, the belly department and the leg department. You cannot say, "Let there be only leg department. There is no use of head and arms and belly." Will that go on nicely? If your body, you cut off all other parts and simply keep the legs, will that be very nice proposal? Leg is required. But if you keep the body only by the legs, then this kind of body is dead body. Any part of the body.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. They were saintly. Rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Sometimes we are accused that we go to preach amongst the richer section. The richer section, of course there is no king, but actually this Bhagavad-gītā was meant for the richer section who used to control—the kings. Because if the king is educated nicely in spiritual affair, if he knows what is the purpose of kingdom, what is the purpose of ruling, then all the citizens automatically become religious, purposeful. And if the king is a rascal, the leader is a rascal, naturally all others will follow, and they will become rascals. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Fourth Chapter, you'll find that Kṛṣṇa was teaching, first-off, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

A child can understand it, that I am speaking, you are hearing because your consciousness is present, my consciousness is present. As soon as my consciousness is deducted from this body, then this same mouth will not speak, the same hand will not move, the same your ear will not hear. The whole thing will be stopped. So it is very common sense affair, that consciousness, that is the main thing in this body. So any intelligent man with common sense can understand this. Now, what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Just like wherever there is some fire, there is heat or there is smoke. When you see something... Suppose you are sitting here. If you find somewhere smoking, then you are afraid, "Oh, there must be some fire. Otherwise why smoke is coming?" Or wherever you feel some heat, although you do not see the fire directly, still, you can understand that there is fire. Because there is smoke... Because there is heat, therefore there is fire.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

In a higher section of the social order, just like the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, the system is that in every household they establish the Deity, I mean to..., the form of the Supreme Lord. Either in picture or in idol, they establish that. Now, what is the function in your household affairs? You have got wife, you have got children, and you require some money. And the activities in householder affair is that you have to get some store from the market, and they are brought in your house, and they are stocked, and in due time they are cooked, and you take your foodstuff and then go to your work. This is generally the whole system of household work.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

The whole idea is that "The proprietor of this house is the Supreme Lord, and we are all workers." The whole idea is "The proprietor is the Supreme Lord, and we are all workers." Now, I am going to my office, to my work, to earn some money, because without money my household affairs cannot be run. So I am thinking that "This money is required; otherwise God's service will be stopped." So in earning that money in my office or in my workshop, my God consciousness is there. Therefore, even in earning, whatever may be the process, you are yoga-sthaḥ; you are situated in yoga. Now, you get your money. Then you go to the market. You are thinking, "Oh, this is a very nice thing. Oh, it can be offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa. It can be offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa." Just like sometimes you bring some fruits for me, thinking, out of your love, "Oh, Swamiji will take this and he will like it." So the consciousness is love. Out of love, you think of Swamiji.

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

Here it is very difficult even to meditate for sixty minutes at a time. You see? Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. That process was recommended in the Satya-yuga.

And the next process is tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. The next stage, by performing great sacrifices. That is very costly affair. Nobody has money. Suppose if I prescribe performance of some sacrifice, and if I order that "You have to secure one hundred tons of butter or ghee," can you secure? Oh... You see? So therefore that is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyām (SB 12.3.52).

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

Just you can imagine that if for management of a city like New York you have got so many departments... As soon as we go to this chambers, we get so many departments: criminal department, civil department, and so many departments. So for management of these universal affairs, there are different departments also, so far we can get information from the Vedic literature. And each department there is a particular director. And Brahmā is considered to be supreme director of this universe. So this yajña, sacrifice, by Vedic rituals, they are indicated to pay different taxes to different demigods. But the Supreme Lord is above all. Therefore if one performs sacrifice for the Supreme Lord, he is immune from other obligations. That is also mentioned.

Lecture on BG 3.8-11 -- Seattle, October 22, 1968:

Just you can imagine that if for management of a city like New York, you have got so many departments. As soon as we go to these chambers, we get so many departments: criminal department, civil department, and so many departments. So for management of these universal affairs, there are different departments also, so far we can get information from the Vedic literature. And each department, there is a particular director. And Brahmā is considered to be supreme director of this universe. So this yajña, sacrifice, Vedic rituals, they are indicated to pay different taxes to different demigods. But the Supreme Lord is above all. Therefore, if one performs sacrifice for the Supreme Lord, he is immune from other obligations. That is also mentioned.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

They are all appointed servants by the Supreme Lord. It is simply foolishness that nature is working automatically. This is rascaldom. They do not know. The so-called scientists who are thinking that everything is going on automatically.

Yes, it is going on automat... Just like the government affairs are going on automatically. A child can say that everything is going on automatically, but a person who knows the government, the constitution, he knows how departmental managements are going on. That is the difference between the so-called foolish person and one who knows the things. One who knows the things, he knows that everything is controlled by a person. That person is called demigod.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. "The demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs." How can you deny the existence of demigod? Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The supply of air, light, water, and all other benedictions for maintenance of the body and soul of every living entity are entrusted to the demigods who are innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: Just like my body. Different limbs are working and helping me. I want to go somewhere. The limbs, or the part which is called leg, they will carry me. Similarly, by the supreme order of Kṛṣṇa, all these demigods are acting just like my different parts of the body are acting. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because we are so fallen in this age, the simple chanting of glorification of the Lord will be equal to performances of all kinds of sacrifices. That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who are...

Because each kind of sacrifice, they are very costly affairs. It is not possible in this age. Tons of butter or ghee wanted to arrange for a sacrifice. It is very difficult to find out a pound of butter in a house. And where is the question of tons? Of course, in your country still, butter is available, but in India practically butter is finished. So in one day the whole world will not see any more butter or rice or wheat. Everything will be finished because with the advancement of the age of Kali everything will deteriorate so badly that all supplies will be stopped practically. At that time people will live just like animals.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12)"By nature He is enjoying." So we must understand that God has expanded Himself into so many living entities just for His enjoyment. Now, we are meant for... Just like sons, children are meant for satisfying the father, similarly this is a common sense affair, that we living entities, we are meant for satisfying the Supreme. That satisfaction of the Supreme can be done by performance of yajña. That is the beginning.

So here it is prescribed that yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra (BG 3.9). That is... We have discussed. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ (BG 3.13). If we perform sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Supreme, then the result will be that we shall be free from all reaction of our sinful life. And if we do not do that, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt. Ātma-kāraṇāt means simply for his own sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

In a bookshop you go, if you ask them, "Supply me one copy of Bhagavad-gītā," he will have to find out. But if you ask a bookseller, "Give me some novels," oh, he will present so many things. Because our inclination is like that. We are always anxious to learn these mundane affairs. We have no taste for spiritual upliftment. That taste we have lost.

That is the stage of our present existence—forgetfulness. We do not know how our taste should be created, how our taste should be converted from material to spiritual. That we do not know. Therefore Lord is so kind, Kṛṣṇa, that He creates a battlefield for you so that you may be anxious to know, "Who is fighting with whom? Who is fighting with whom." Because we are always very much anxious to learn stories, so all these Purāṇas...

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

Now, the first chapter... I'm just making a summary of the three chapters which we have already finished... Now, today we are going to begin the fourth chapter.

In the first chapter the situation is created... Just like we are ordinarily entangled in family affairs. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). The bondage of accepting this material body as myself, and the extension of bodily relation is accepted as my kinsmen and the land in which the body is got, that land is supposed to be worshipable. These are analytical study of our material existence. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). We have taken up the land as worshipable, the land of birth, which is, I mean to say, extended in the form of nationalism. This is material bondage.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

He comes in His original, superior, or higher, nature. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves. Here it is clearly said, prakṛtiṁ svām. Svām means own, personal, internal nature.

Just like everybody has got some personal affair and some public affair. Everybody. A man, high-court judge, he may be, as a public man, he may be a different personality in the high-court bench. But at home he's a different person, a different person. In the high-court bench one has to address that person, "My Lord," but at home his wife addressing him by his own name, "Mr. Harry! Harry! Why don't you do it?" Oh, there is no question of "My Lord."

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

Durāśayā means by hoping something which is impossible to fulfill. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. The modern civilization, they are trying to adjust things by material activities.

Just like the greatest example is the United Nations. The United Nations is trying to adjust things, the whole worldly affairs, by a United Nations organization, UNO. But they could not do anything. Because they do not know that how the nation should be united. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. They do not know. All their activities are without God, without God consciousness. Therefore they have failed. Everyone will fail, because they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the mistake.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

This is the Vedic injunction. Śakti, śakti means energy, and śaktimat, śaktimat means the person who has got the energy. So abheda, they are nondifferential. You cannot differentiate between the energy and the energetic. Just like electric powerhouse. The energy is electricity. Now, from the electricity energy we are working so many things. So far our household affairs are concerned, by the same electric energy we are getting heat and we are getting also cold. In the refrigerator we see everything is cold. In the heater we find everything is hot, warm. But the same energy is working. So one who knows that this is the electrical energy that is working in a different way, for him, there is no superior or inferior. That is called jñāna. If we are on the platform of knowledge, then there is no distinction between matter and spirit.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

Those who have achieved the stage of nirmatsaratā, without any jealousy. Because the material disease is jealousy. I am jealous of you; you are jealous of me. This is the business here. Here however I may be very great personality, but in the material affairs—there are many instances—they become very very jealous. That is material disease. Material disease means we are all jealous. Therefore this bhāgavata-dharma, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is meant for paramo nirmatsarāṇām, who is not jealous. For him it is meant for. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra. These are described there.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Similarly, we are also like that, shining spiritual molecules. So sanātanaḥ, these particles are sanātanaḥ.

So they must have engagement. Because we small particles of the Supreme, we are also engaged... Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā (Prema-vivarta). We are engaged in material affairs. So our business is to finish this material affair or not to be attracted by the material affairs, but to be attracted by the spiritual affairs. That is required. Not that finishing. It cannot be finished. Therefore in the śāstra (it) says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Those who are thinking that 'Now we have brahma-jñāna, knowledge, and we have become one with Brahman, therefore we are now liberated,' vimukta-māninaḥ, that is not liberation."

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

This is the process of understanding spiritual knowledge. "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master." So if you want to learn, this is a common sense affair. Whatever subject matter you want to learn, you have to find out an expert.

Suppose if you want to learn engineering, so you cannot go to a butcher. You must find out an engineer. You must admit yourself into the engineering college, learn how to practice engineering. Suppose if you want to become a medical practitioner, so you have to admit yourself in some medical college. Similarly, if you want to know about spiritual matter, then you must approach a spiritual master who knows the things. How you can learn it from anywhere and everywhere? One must be expert in spiritual knowledge.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

That demon was creating some disturbance, so he approached the king. King is the lord of both the city and the forest. So he prayed that "Please send your son and help me." Now, at that time this king inquired from that sage, aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya.(?) Now, just like in our worldly affairs we, for gentleman's etiquette we ask, "How are you? How things are going on?" now, here the king was asking the sage, aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya: "You are... You have... You have become mendicant. You have become sage just to conquer over death, conquer over death." Aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya.(?) So that is this highest knowledge. Highest knowledge is to conquer over the death. This sort of idea... Of course, now it has become a story, but to conquer over the death, that was the main problem in, at least in the former Vedic civilization days. Everyone, any highest, I mean to say, highly situated person in knowledge, his main business was how to conquer death.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

"Nobody is nobody's friend, nobody is nobody's enemy. But it is only the behavior by which one can understand who is his friend and who is his enemy." Nobody is born enemy, nobody is born friend. But by our mutual behavior, somebody is my friend and somebody is my enemy. Similarly, as we have this dealing in the ordinary daily affairs, similarly, I have my dealing with my self. My self. If I deal with me, myself, as friend, then I am my friend. And if I deal with myself inimically... Then what is that friendship and inimical? The friendship is that I am soul.Somehow or other, I have been in contact with this material nature. So I have to get myself out of the entanglement of this material nature. If I act in that way, then I am my friend. But even after getting this opportunity, if I do not act in that way, then I am my enemy. So ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ātmano ripuḥ. So I am myself friend, my friend, and I am my enemy.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

Unless it cannot be saṁsthām. So here it is clearly said that mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati. One attains to the kingdom of God where spiritual varieties are there. They are not variety-less. Otherwise, the Lord would not have said that saṁsthām. There is a regular establishment. Just like you have got a regular establishment in your household affairs, similarly, the Lord has a regular household establishment in the spiritual world. Mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati. If... These processes are simply to qualify himself to enter into that establishment. That's all. We are all belong to that establishment, but being forgetful, we are now in this material world.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

"No. I shall go to a store, Sir, I can pay you ten cents, you give me the best thing for it." How can you expect for ten cent? If you want to purchase some valuable, if you want to purchase gold, then you have to pay for it. Similarly if you want perfection in yoga practice, then you have to pay for it like this. Don't make it childish affair. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. If you make it childish affair then you'll be cheated. And so many cheaters are waiting to cheat you and take your money and go away. That's all. Here is the statement, authoritative statement. Free from sex life. One should meditate upon Me. And ultimately, where is the meditation. Not in void. Just on Viṣṇu, this Viṣṇu form. That is sāṅkhya-yoga.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

Therefore in the beginning it was said, that "without sex life," the determination. Or controlled sex life. If you indulge in sex life then this determination will not come. Flickering determination. You see. Therefore sex life should be controlled or given up. If it is possible to give up altogether, if not, controlled. Then you'll get determination. Because after all this determination is bodily affair. So these are the methods how to get determination. Go on.

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

He is asking, "Let me know how much water this is?" You see? So similarly, if what was impossible for Arjuna, such a stalwart, such an advanced and, I mean to say, in every respect, and directly a friend of Kṛṣṇa, he is admitting that "Kṛṣṇa, this process is not possible for me. Oh, I am a military man. I have to look after the administrative affairs. So how can I concentrate my mind in that way which you have prescribed? So it is not possible for me." He flatly denied. He flatly denied.

And he never attempted it also because from the history of Mahābhārata we don't find that Arjuna ever went for meditation of the yoga system. No, never. But still, he was certified by Kṛṣṇa that "You are the only man to understand Bhagavad-gītā. You are the only man." Why? Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." Priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "You are My very dear friend." So with such a nice certificate and such favorable condition, still, he refused.

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

Avajānanti means neglecting. "What is God? I am God? What is God? Why shall I serve God? This is avajānanti. Just like criminal, "Ah, what is government? I can manage my own affairs. I don't care for government." This is called avajānanti. But you cannot. If I say "I don't care for government," all right, you can say that, but the police department is there. It will give you pains, it will punish you. The material nature will punish you with threefold miseries. Go on.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Therefore, at the end of the Sixth Chapter Kṛṣṇa says, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: "Of all the yogis..." The Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking. Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to become a yogi, but Arjuna said that "Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me. Because I am a politician, I am a soldier, I cannot sit down to practice yoga superficially. My mind will be disturbed in political affairs, in state affairs." So, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham: (BG 6.34) "My mind is so restless, it is not possible."

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Just like here the nature is working in that way. You build a very nice house. Gradually, the nature's course is it will become old and you'll fall down. This is the way of nature here. You cannot keep anything fresh always. So, so long Kṛṣṇa or God is present, or His representative is present, the affairs of the world go very nicely. But as soon as they disappear again the same system begins, dwindling. Begins... By the power... Just like so long the sun is there, there is no darkness, but as soon as the sun is away from your sight, at once the darkness comes. Because the whole atmosphere is darkness. It is by artificial means or by arrangement of God we are keeping it light. This room, if at once the electric fails, oh, it will be dark, because its nature is darkness. Its nature is darkness. Therefore Vedas say, "Don't keep yourself in this darkness. Just get out of this. Come to the light." Tamasi ma jyotir gama. Just come to the light.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Let me stay here," oh, the immigration department will not allow me to stay. Similarly, if you think that "This material world is very nice. Let me stay here," oh, the higher authorities... There are higher authori... Just like there are authorities in the immigration department, similarly there are higher authorities in the management of these worldly affairs. Yamaraja, oh, he'll not allow you to stay. You have to change your body.

Actually a living entity is eternal, but the problem is that he is changing body. Just like either I may live at Canada or USA or India, I shall live somewhere, but nobody will allow me to stay. Except in my own country, nobody will allow me to stay for long time. Similarly, this is not your place. This material world is foreign country for you, this material world. We belong to the spiritual world.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

This is their advancement. Therefore they refuse to believe that there is next life. That is one solace: "Oh, there is no next..." Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet: "Oh, this body will be burned into ashes, and who is coming back again?" They don't believe. Because if they believe the śāstra, then it will be horrible affair for them. But therefore they do not believe. But you believe or not believe, things are going to happen. That's all. That is laws of nature. If you don't believe that you are going to die, it doesn't matter. You have to die. If you don't believe, that "I am not going to become an old man," no, you believe or not believe, you must become old man. This is nature's law. So you believe or not believe in the next life, you have to accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So your believe or not believe doesn't matter. Nature's work will go on.

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

You must be satisfied by the authoritative statement of the spiritual master. You cannot argue. That is the principle of authority. Adhidaivam, the demigods. The demigods, they are controlling the universal affairs. Just like for rain, water supply, Indradeva, the demigod known as Indra, he is in charge. For heat and light, the demigod Sūryadeva, he's in charge. Similarly, the moon, Candradeva... They are all devas, demigods. He's in charge of, what is called, activating the vegetables, the moon, activating the vegetables. In this way, all these demigods have got different power invested upon them by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are agents. They are called demigods, Indra, Candra... There are thirty-three crores of demigods, and they are controlling our activities also. The astronomy means the astral influence upon us. And according to the astral influence, we act. Therefore horoscope is made.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

The chemists, the scientists, they're beginning from chemical, but wherefrom the chemical came? That came from Kṛṣṇa. If some chemicals come, come from an insignificant lemon tree, how much chemicals can come from Kṛṣṇa?

Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. It is a simple common sense affair to understand that matter comes from life. And the Supreme Life is Kṛṣṇa. The Supreme Life is Kṛṣṇa. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are the versions of the Upaniṣads. Kṛṣṇa, or God... What is God? God means the Supreme Person. That's all. Just like I am person. You are also person. You may be bigger in quality, in opulence, than me. And somebody else may bigger, may be bigger than you. Somebody else bigger than him. So similarly you go on, searching after who is the biggest? Then you come to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

Whatever you like, you do, but He gives instruction at the same time that "These things will not satisfy you, My dear boy." Sarva-dharmān... "You give up all this nonsense. Come to Me. I shall give you all protection." But we don't want to take protection. What God will go? Poor God, what can He...? He can do everything, but He doesn't interfere with your affair. If you want to forget, He will give you so many facilities by the illusory energy that you'll forget, forget, forget. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. Now you have got this beautiful body of human, civilized human being. Or you can get the body of more and more developed body, just like Brahmā, just like the sun, moon, and so many there are. And if you forget, you go down to the cats and dogs and ants and germs and so many things, become a worm of the stool. He will give you all facilities. This is called karma-cakra, cycle of work. As you desire, so God gives you facility. Therefore our desire should be revived: "What kind of desire we should at all make?"

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

That is hogs. You see from nature's example. Dogs and hogs. The dog has no, I mean to say, courtesy or shame. At, in the street, they're having sex life.

So human civilization is coming to that. Already it has come. In Western countries, at least, in our country, it has not come still. And Western, it is common affair. Young man, young woman is embracing, kissing, and everything. And sometimes sexually also engaged on the sea beach. In the garden. We have seen it. So practically you are coming to the hogs and dogs life. This is our advancement of civilization. Why? On account of this bodily concept of life. "I am this body. I am this body." Therefore this should be first of all understood. As Kṛṣṇa says: idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity... (BG 13.2). It has been awarded to you for utilizing it for different purposes as you like. You can utilize it like cats and dogs and hogs and you can utilize it as devatā, as demigod. That is up to you.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

And Kṛṣṇa confirms it: "Yes, I know, past, present, future, everything." That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God. Therefore His order is supreme. So we have to follow His order. That is real religion. Puruṣa. Puruṣa is giving order.

Just like in, in ordinary dealings, in our family affairs. The husband gives order, wife: "You should manage like this. You should do like this." Similarly prakṛti, we are all prakṛtis, we are abide by the orders of the Supreme. Therefore Arjuna is asking the... (aside:) What is that sound?

Arjuna is asking the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "You teach me." That is perfect teaching. If you learn something from Kṛṣṇa, or from His representative, that is perfect. That is perfect knowledge. All other knowledge that you gather, that cannot be perfect.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

He is supplying the necessities of life to everyone." These are the Vedic injunctions. That is the difference between God and ourself.

I think, last night there was a question, "So what is the difference between God and myself" I replied that on this verse, that... Just like you are the proprietor of your body. I am the proprietor of my body. I know the business and affairs of my body. You know the business and affairs of your body. You do not know the business and affairs of my body. I do not know the business and affairs of your body. This is living entity. But God, He knows your business, your affairs of the body, and he knows my business and affairs of the body. That is God. That is the difference between. That will be explained in the next verse. So God is omnipotent in this way. I do not know what is pains and pleasure is going on within your body. That is not possible for me to understand. Neither you can understand what pains and pleasure I am feeling. But God knows.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

That is not knowledge.

Therefore sometimes we find that although they say it is mithyā, jagan mithyā, and take sannyāsa and for some days they remain meditation or aloof from any worldly affairs, but later on, when they do not find Brahman, they come again to this māyā to open hospitals, schools, as sannyāsī. Just like in our country there are many. The beginning we see that... Vivekananda Swami, he took sannyāsa and meditation. Later on, after his touring in the Western countries, he came to India to open hospitals, schools, like that. But if the world is false, then why you are coming to open school and hospitals? Because they could not get... And some other sannyāsī also, he is now taking part in politics. If jagat is mithyā, why you are taking part in politics? These question are there.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

The dog is also defending with his claws and teeth. The tiger is also defending. The man is also defending. And man is also have sex life, or the tiger has also sex life. The dog has also sex life. The dog is eating. The man is eating. In these affairs they offer, "Give me this facility, my Lord. I want to eat without everything with any dis..." "All right. You take the body of a hog and you eat stool." This direction. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So as you want...

So these different types of want is different type of people. A demon's want is different and a demigod's want is different. But Kṛṣṇa in both cases is the director. If he wants to prosper in this line, "All right, take My direction. Do it. You become a first-class demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa, and become very powerful and create a situation by which both you and your whole family will be killed."

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

And early in the morning, even in chilly cold, they will take bath, taking water from the well. And nature's arrangement is, if you take well water, it is hot early in the morning. Early in the morning it is very, not very hot, but is warm. You can take very easily your bath. They, do that. This is called naimitti. Nitya, naimitti. Nitya, this is daily affair, taking bath and go early in the morning to evacuate, then wash your hand. Not required, soap. You can take the dirt from the earth and wash your hand nicely. Then take your bath and change your cloth, wash cloth. Then go to some temple.

Still this system is current. And see ārati, maṅgala-ārati. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Ring the bells. In every temple such arrangement is there. Then come at home and do your duty, the businessman. In the shop also, they'll cleanse everything very nicely. Even the scale, weighing scale, they will wash every day.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Always remember. I may be foreigner, but because I see that on the street the cars are moving in order, the police is standing, there must be government. That is... I may know or not, but this is common sense affair. There must be government, and there is government. Similarly, when I see that the cosmic order is working so nicely, systematically and reasonably, then how I can say there is no controller? Where is my logic? Tell me, anyone. Can you say, anyone, why they say there is no controller? Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). What is their logic? You tell. You are sometimes on their side. (laughter) What is their logic?

Page Title:Affairs (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:22 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=58, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:58