America (Lectures, Other)

Expressions researched:
"america" |"america's" |"americas"

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Guest (Indian man): There is nothing against marriage.

Prabhupāda: But sometimes my godbrother criticizes that I am sannyāsī, I am taking part in marriage. So I have got very good difficulties. Here, when I come to India, they say that I am spoiling Hindu system of religion. And when I go there, the Christian says that "You are the greatest enemy." (laughter) This is my position. You see. If I go ahead, then... And if I go behind, then... So what can be done? I have to execute my duty. I am not encouraged by the government, by my godbrothers, and still I have to do this duty. What can be done? So, so far I am concerned I know by getting them married I am benefited. They have done so much... He's also married, this boy. He's always... He has got his wife, he has got children, but he doesn't care for his wife and children. He remains with me and he helps me in editing the Sanskrit portion of my books. He has studied Sanskrit. He was not a Sanskrit scholar, but by his endeavor he has studied Sanskrit. So all my books, Sanskrit editing work, is done by...

Guest: I see.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He worked very hard. Now he understands Sanskrit. He can read Sanskrit. So if I get facility for pushing on my missionary work, there is no harm in getting married. Because in Europe, America these boys and girls, they live like friends. So I said that "You cannot live as friends. You must get yourself married" and that is, that has proved... Here is a girl. Where is that Śāradīyā, Śāradīyā there?

Devotee: Here she comes.

Prabhupāda: Eh. When she was young, fifteen years, she very frankly told me that "I want this boy to marry, Vaikuṇṭha." (laughter) So I told Vaikuṇṭha that "You, you are reserved for her. As soon as she's over sixteen years, you have to marry her." Another girl, she is now at Manila. She's Australian. She was a famous actress. So she came to Los Angeles and surrendered to me. And I asked her that "You go to Tokyo. I have got a disciple. And get yourself married with him."

Guest: Oh, wonderful!

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

In this way, there are 8,400,000 species of life and Kṛṣṇa claims: sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4). "All these forms, in different species of life, their mother is this material nature and I am the seed-giving father." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So Kṛṣṇa... (Aside:) What you are doing with this...? This fly is disturbing me, and what you are doing? (break)

...claims everyone His son. Kṛṣṇa says, does not say that "The Indians are My son, or the Hindus are My son." No, Kṛṣṇa does not say. So Kṛṣṇa cannot be a sectarian God. God is one. God is for Hindus. God is for Muslims, God is for any other religious sect. And the definition of religion is that the law given by God. That's all. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law means the code or the order given by the state. You cannot manufacture law at home. When the state gives something to the citizens, that "You must follow this," that is law. It may be very insignificant thing, but it is law. Just like when we go on the street, the law is, in, in this country, the law is "Keep to the left." In other countries the law is "Keep to the right." Yes. Germa... In America it is "Keep to the right."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Oh yes. Why not? The body... Just like in the water, the bodies of the aquatics are different, but you can see them. Why not? If, if, if it is not visible, how you are seeing the Moon planet? You are seeing the Moon planet. So it is visible. Not invisible. Our point is that these people... First of all, whether they are going to the Moon planet, that is doubtful. At least, I am doubtful. Because we get information from the śāstra , that there is a planet which is called Rāhu. That is very near to Moon. And that Rāhu sometimes comes in front of the Moon planet, and that is called candragrahāṇa. Moon, lunar eclipse. So that, that Rāhu planet is dark. So they might be going to this Rāhu planet, not to the Moon planet. Maybe. Because that is very near. Moon planet is heavenly planet. Heavenly planet. There, there demigods, they live. So we get this information. Or just like if somebody comes to the, this earthly planet and drops in the Arabian desert, he may conclude that this, is desert. But there is Europe, America and nice cities, and nice bungalows. But he has no chance to see them. So these people are going. They had no chance. Maybe they are also diverting them to the deserted portion of the Moon. They are also intelligent. That "These people are coming from Earthly planet unauthorized. So let them diverted to the deserted portion." There are so many things. So therefore... Because if Moon planet is heavenly planet, they're more intelligent than you. If you have got some machine to reach there, they have got some machine to divert you. Why not think like that? That "These rascals are coming here without any immigration license. Let them be diverted to the deserted portion and disappointed they'll go back." So many things are there. Therefore they are not successful. Neither they'll be ever successful. Take it. I may die. But you take it rightly. They'll never be successful. I have already written these things in my Easy Journey to Other Planets. This is childish. It is not possible.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Durban. So these two young gosvāmīs, they are preaching very successfully in South Africa. And another news I have got. Where it is from...?

Devotee (1): From Satsvarūpa...

Devotee (2): Midwest.

Prabhupāda: Midwest of America. Another two gosvāmīs, they are having very successful meeting in midwest America. The, in South Africa, they're, boys... What is the age of Ṛṣi Kumāra?

Devotee (1): Twenty.

Devotee (2): Twenty.

Prabhupāda: Yes. His age is only twenty years. Ṛṣi Kumāra Gosvāmī left and Haridāsa brahmacārī. They have come to South Africa to spread the word, "Kṛṣṇa message for S.A." South Africa. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya, the message of His Lordship is going on nicely all over the world. And you are also members of the Society. Try to preach this message. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) And you will get strength. The more you preach.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

So people are very busy for economic development. They think that is the highest goal of life. To get money somehow or other; and then, after getting money, to satisfy the senses. And when they are defeated in satisfying senses, defeated... Defeated means everyone is trying to satisfy his senses to the greatest extent. Unfortunately, māyā will now allow him to do so. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Parābhavaḥ. The karmīs who are trying to satisfy their senses to the highest limit, they are being defeated. It cannot be. Nobody's satisfied with the senses, to the greatest extent. In Europe and America, this can very practically experienced. Many, many, old, very rich men, seventy-five years old, seventy years old, they're still going to the club for satisfying the senses. That means the sense satisfaction business cannot be completely done even to the point of death.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Read it.

Pradyumna: "As far as material necessities are concerned, the human civilization at the present moment is very much advanced in living comfortably, but still we are not happy because we are missing the point. The material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America: the richest nation of the world, having all facilities for material comfort, is producing a class of men completely confused and frustrated in life. I am appealing herewith to such confused men to learn the art of devotional service as directed in The Nectar of Devotion, and I am sure that the fire of material existence burning within their hearts will be immediately extinguished. The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. The Nectar of Devotion will give us practical hints how we can live in this material world perfectly engaged in devotional service and thus fulfill all our desires in this life and in the next."

Prabhupāda: So, people are misled. They are thinking that by material comfort they will be happy. And practically we are seeing, this competition of material comfort... The capitalist and the labor class, worker class, they are fighting—strike. Actually, the propensity is that... That is explained in Marshall's theory of economics. We were student of economics. So in that book Mr. Marshall explained that the family affection is the origin of economic impetus. That's a fact. These hippies, they have no family affection. They are not married, and therefore there is no economic impetus. They can live in any way, any wretched condition of life. And one who is married, responsible man, he has got some responsibility to see that..., provided he has got affection for the family. Otherwise, practically, so-called family life, there is no affection.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Pradyumna: "The material comforts of life are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America."

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is vivid example. In America there is no scarcity of food, there is no scarcity of anything. Here we cannot imagine that how there cannot be any scarcity of food because here everything is scarcity, controlled. So similarly, I have seen Russia. Russia is advertising, "So much comfortable," but the poorest country, in my opinion. They stand in line as here, controlled everything. If you have to purchase your necessities, you have to waste two hours at least. Where is Śyāmasundara? Śyāmasundara has gone, huh? So Śyāmasundara was going to purchase our things. So rice practically not available, nice quality. Dahl also not. The butter is available, milk is available, and meat, as much as you like. And no fruits, no vegetables. It was very difficult for the vegetarians. And still, that is everything. He had to spend two hours for bringing milk and butter and little rice. So everything is controlled. What I was speaking?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Pradyumna: "The material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America."

Prabhupāda: Yes. And America, just the contrary. You can purchase any amount of milk, any amount of wheat, any amount of rice—whatever you want. Everything, everything is complete. So many stores, so many stock. And still, their production is so great that government restricts, "Don't produce crops. Don't produce crops." They bribe the farmer that "Don't produce." And I think the land, America, not even one fourth of the land is utilized. If they utilized the whole land, I do not know how much they can produce. I think they can feed the whole world if they utilize. Similarly, I have seen in Australia. Similarly, I have seen in Africa-enough land is lying without cultivation. So God has given us the capacity to cultivate, to produce food. We can produce food, enough quantity. There is no question of scarcity. The scarcity is due to our godlessness. Otherwise, by God's arrangement, pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). It is pūrṇam. Everything is complete. Just like nature, nature's produces. Sometimes in some season we see there is ample productions of mangoes, and sometimes there is no mango. So after all, it is in the hand of nature, prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Prakṛti is producing, producing; prakṛti is reducing; and behind the prakṛti there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So just become devotee of Kṛṣṇa and do your duty. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṇ-manobhiḥ. Then everything will be complete. There will be no scarcity. This philosophy, they do not know.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Pradyumna: "The vivid example is America: the richest nation of the world, having all facilities for material comfort, is producing a class of men completely confused and frustrated in life. I am appealing herewith to such confused men..." Oh. "The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. The Nectar of Devotion will give us practical hints how we can live in this material world perfectly engaged in devotional service and thus fulfill all our desires in this life and the next. The Nectar of Devotion is not presented to condemn..."

Prabhupāda: If you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, all your desires will be fulfilled. That is also fact.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhiḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

(SB 2.3.10)

It is not that... Sometimes we think like that, that "If we become devotee of God, then I'll become poor." Because Vaiṣṇavas are generally appear to be poor, so those who are after material happiness, they do not like to become Vaiṣṇavas. They become devotee of Lord Śiva, because by the grace of Lord Śiva they get all material facilities. Therefore generally people are very much fond of becoming devotee of Lord Śiva. This question was discussed between Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja..., not, Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Such kind of mahātmā is very rare. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, and confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: koti-mukta-madhye durlabha kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Kṛṣṇa bhakta, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, is very rarely to be found out amongst the muktas, amongst the liberated souls. Others are trying to become liberated, but a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is above liberation. Pañcama-puruṣārtha. People are busy for dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Some of them are busy to become religious. Of course, without religious life, there..., there is no human society. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Unless a society takes to religiosity, it is not human society. Therefore we see any civilized human society, there is a kind of religious system. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Christianism, or Buddhism, or Muhammadanism, but there must be a religious system. Without this system, that human society is not considered as human society. That is animal society. In the... Even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So maybe a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also... Religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system. So in the animal society there is no such conception that "There is God. We have got some relationship with God," what is that relationship.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

If we think that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am American," that is with upādhi. When we purely think that "We are...," or "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. My only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa," that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-mārga. This is upādhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta... Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If one thinks of Vaiṣṇava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Nārakī. That is called nārakī-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ arcye śilādhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye śilā-dhīr; guruṣu, nara-matiḥ, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, and if we take a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to America or Europe or India... No. They are transcendental. Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, neither the spiritual master is ordinary human being, nor the Vaiṣṇava belongs to any caste. This vision is perfect vision.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

So we are trying to convince them in so many ways. There is no need of so many ways. The one, simple method, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, will be sufficient to make them perfect. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). The problems, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mahā-dāvāgni, "great forest fire." Forest fire, we have no experience immediately, but in America, there is occasionally forest fire. They have got very good experience. There are many forests also. So the forest fire takes place automatically. Nobody goes to set fire. Similarly, in this material world the blazing fire is always there—problems, different problems. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. This will be extinguished immediately. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's saying. How? Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by spreading this saṅkīrtana movement, all the problems of the world will be immediately mitigated. So to make people Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, and to spread the saṅkīrtana movement, this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we are trying our best. Actually, it was the duty of the Indians, but fortunately, the Americans have taken up instead of Indians. Therefore I have brought them. The Indians... You are forgetting your duty. The foreigners are doing your duty. So you should welcome them, instead of driving them away by so many pleas. This is not very good. Yes. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the supreme proprietor, Mahā-īśvara." Mahā īśaṁ parameśvaram. So everyone, īśvara, but nobody is Mahā-īśvara or Parameśvara. Mahā-īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Mahā-īśvara. Mahā means the great. So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is unknown to the nondevotees. The karmīs also do not know. The karmīs think that the resources of the world, that is given by nature for our enjoyment. This is the modern theory of economic development. Everyone is thinking like that, that by nature we have got the gold mine, so we shall take it and use it and enjoy. This is karmī's view. And... But there are many karmīs. Everyone is... Just like what is that land where there is too much gold, in South America?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

So every... Stenayor sa ucyate. Everyone in this material world, one who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's a thief, he's a rogue, he's a robber. Everyone. Just like the Americans. They occupied the land of America by killing the Red Indians, and now they are claiming proprietor, and there is immigration department: "Nobody can come here. It is our land." This is going on. The first thing is stolen property, everyone. There is another story. A group of thieves stolen some things, and when they were dividing, one of them: "Kindly, morally divide. Morally divide. Honestly divide." The thing is taken dishonestly, and they are dividing honestly. This is going on, whole world. Everything is taken dishonestly, and when there is question of division, the United Nations honestly divides it. The association of the honest men, United Nations. All plunderers, rogues, thieves, and they have made an association, United Nations. You see. Basically they're all rogues and thieves. As soon as there is opportunity, they'll commit all criminal activities. And they're doing. So this is not philosophy. So here happiness by material possession is the happiness of the rogues and the thieves. One who is happy by possessing some material things, he is no better than rogue and thief.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.11 -- Mayapur, April 4, 1975:

Similarly, our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also meant for the same purpose, punar-janma-jayāya, for conquering over repetition of birth and death. You should always remember this. A little mistake will spoil the whole scheme, little mistake. Nature is very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Very, very strong. So you all, boys and girls, those who have come from America, I am very much thankful to you. But don't be less serious. Be very serious. And another thing I'll request especially to the Americans, that America has got good potentiality to save the world, so if you preach very nicely in your country... And not all of them will be interested, but if a section of men in your country, you can turn them to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, it will be great benefit to the whole world. But the aim is the same, punar-janma-jayāya: to gain victory over this process of birth, death and old age. This is not fiction; this is fact. People are not serious. But you can teach your people; otherwise, the whole human society is at risk. They are like animals, without any... Especially this communist movement is very, very dangerous—to make a big animals. They are already animals, and this movement is making big animals.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.11 -- Mayapur, April 4, 1975:

So I am speaking to America because America is a little serious against this communistic movement. And it can be counteracted because the process is current since a very, very long time. Deva asura, devāsura, the fight between the demigods and the demons. So the same fight is there in different name, "Communists and the capitalists." But the capitalists are also eighty percent, ninety percent demons. Yes. Because they do not know the science of God. That is demonic principle. So there is good chance in your country to make them, or they rectify their demonic principles. And then they will be very, (I) mean, strongly able to fight with the other demons. Because if we become deva... Deva means Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved deva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are called devaḥ, or demigods. And those who are just the opposite number... The opposite number, also, they have got some god. Just like the demons, they worship especially Lord Śiva. Or Rāvaṇa, the example... We are not accusing unnecessarily. Rāvaṇa was a great demon, but he was devotee... Worshiping Lord Śiva means to gain some material profit.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1974:

Nityānanda Prabhu is always... Vrajenda-nandana yei, śaci-suta haila sei, balarāma haila nitāi. Nitāi-Gaura means—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was formerly Kṛṣṇa... He's Kṛṣṇa still. Just for our understanding... As we think that "I had my former life"—actually I had—but that former life is finished; I am now a new life. But in case of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is not like that. It is simultaneously existing. Kṛṣṇa is also existing, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also existing. The example is given in this connection, just like the sun. Now it is not visible in India, the sun. But other part, in America, it is visible. So sun is there, but it is not visible at the present moment in India. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is there. Their pastimes are there, it is going on, but it is now not visible in this part of the universe. There are innumerable universes, so by rotation Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes to a particular universe at a certain period. Just like the sun will rise again, tomorrow morning, at six p.m., at six a.m., similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa and all His incarnation, they are rotating regularly.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.66-76 -- San Francisco, February 6, 1967:

In this way, there is lucid explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Now, if you take Vedānta-sūtra, this janmādy asya aphorism, that Brahman is that Absolute Truth from where everything emanates, or everything is born... Janma means, janma means born, birth. And sthiti, sthiti means maintenance. Janmādi. Janma sthiti and pralaya. Pralaya means dissolution. This material world, it has got a date of its creation. Just like your body, it has got a date of its creation. It stays for some time, and again there is a date of its dissolution. You take the history of everything material, either you take this body, or take this world, or take any empire or any... Just like your American country, oh, it has a date of its beginning. Now it is staying. Now it will be, some day will come, there will be no more America. You should know it. That means, that is nature's law. Everything. Everything is born, it stays for some time, then it is dissolute, dissolved. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. All this thing, whatever material, that manifests, it comes out, it is manifested. It... Just like bubbles in the ocean. There are millions and millions bubbles created one second, and next second, it is finished. So janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). But this is the manifestation of material creation. Behind this, the, this spirit is there.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

So jñānī, there are two kinds of jñānīs. One jñānī is trying to understand what is the Absolute Truth, and one jñānī is trying not only to understand the Absolute Truth, but merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, they are also sukṛtinaḥ. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. The beginning of bhajana, bhagavad-bhajana... If they are, if persons are pious, they can begin bhagavad-bhajana in four ways. Sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛtinaḥ means "whose background is pious activities." They can take to bhagavad-bhajana in four stages in life. Ārtaḥ... Ārtaḥ means those who are distressed; arthārthī, those who are poor, need of money; jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive; and jñānī. So the ārtaḥ and arthārthī, they are lower than the jñānī and the jijñāsuḥ. Because sometimes we go to worship Bhagavān in the temple in distressed condition, but as soon as my distress is over, I forget. Or if I get some money, I forget. There is chance. Not that always we forget. But because māyā is very powerful, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14), sometimes we forget. Very rich men, opulent, they don't care for what is God. Generally, we see at, in Europe and America, they don't talk of anything about God. They are busy only how to acquire money and enjoy sense gratification.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So these things are, I mean to say, creating havoc in the matter of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Instead of taking Bhagavad-gītā as it is, persons who have no knowledge practically, or poor fund of knowledge, they are commenting in different way, and people are misled. As sometimes our, these Europeans, Americans, they say frankly that "For many hundreds of years, the Bhagavad-gītā was known in Europe and America, and many swamis went there. They gave reference to the Bhagavad-gītā, but there was no, not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Not a single devotee." Prior to this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they had not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa, as you are finding. Now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, and they are understanding rightly, and they are becoming devotee. Anyone who will read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malcommentation, he'll become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And when he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, accepting the principle, "Kṛṣṇa is all in all," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That position we have to attain. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching is based on that principle. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is His... He is Kṛṣṇa also. According to Vedic evidence, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇa. He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa, but He is playing the part of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa in order to teach us how to love Kṛṣṇa, how to approach Kṛṣṇa. As such, if we accept the process enunciated by Lord Caitanya, then it is very easy to approach Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So these things are there, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Manda-bhāgyā, also, very poor. In this age, practically everyone is very poor, mostly, the population. You don't think that in America there is no poor man. There is poor man. Although they are getting money, very large sum of money, but they are utilizing in a different way, and they are poor. There are many poor. Intentionally, they have become poor. So therefore it is called manda-bhāgyā, that this... Each word of the Vedic scriptures is so nice. In spite of... In America I have seen. In spite of ample money and resources, some people have voluntarily accepted to remain as very poor and wretched. Voluntarily. They like that. They have no systematic life. Therefore Bhāgavata says, manda-bhāgyā. If we are unfortunate, even despite all facilities, we cannot be able to accept it. That is called misfortune. Not that in the absence of money and other facilities, one becomes unfortunate, but even in the presence of all these things, one is unfortunate. That is the characteristics of this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Why you are..., we have come in contact with māyā? Because artificially we're thinking that "I am the lord." Everyone is trying to be lord here in this material world. And when he's frustrated, he says, "Oh, it is false." Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. Try to understand this fact. Who is not a servant here? Is anyone, that "I am not servant, anyone's servant"? Everyone is servant. If anyone has nothing to serve, he keeps a dog and cat and becomes servant of the dog and cat. I have seen in America. He has no family responsibility; still, he keeps a dog and serves whole day, and he says, "The dog is the best friend." Because you want to serve. That is your attitude. That is your constitutional position. You want to serve; you want to love somebody. And if is misplaced, that is māyā. When it is properly done, that is liberation.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-99 -- Washington, D.C., July 4, 1976:

So they have been described as animals. The śāstra, they say, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). One who is in this bodily concept... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ: "In my country, bhauma... I am born in America or I am born in India, so it is my country." How long you'll remain America? How long you'll remain India? They do not know. But they are mad after this conception of life, bodily conception of life. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit. People in every community, religious community, there is tīrtha. People want (indistinct) holy place. So they go, they take bath. Just like in India they go to Hardwar or Vṛndāvana or Prayag, take bath in the Ganges or Yamunā. Similarly, Christians, they go to take bath in the river Jordan. So everyone has got. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na tad janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). This kind of life is go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. Without understanding the value of life, na tad-janeṣv abhijñeṣu, without associating with abhijñaḥ, learned spiritual master, if he passes his life with this understanding, then he is no better than the cows and ass. This is the verdict.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101 -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So now order me what is my duty." This is devotee. Not that "Now I am free from family life, I have no responsibility. Now I shall take prasādam and sleep." No. That is not. (laughs) You must be hundred times more active than in your family life. That is devotional. Of course, it is not pride, but take from example of my life. I was retired in Vṛndāvana, and at seventy years old I thought that it was to be done: "Nobody did it. Let me try." So I came to America. Today is the tenth anniversary. (devotees cheer) So at least from material calculation, if I had not taken that risk... When I was coming, my friends and others said, "This man is going to die." "Never mind," I thought, "death will come. Let me try." So this activity must be there. That is the begging of Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he said, āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra: "What shall I do?" Doesn't matter what is your age, young man or old man. You must execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paramparā, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and your guru. That is real life of devotional service, to take some responsibility for working and execute it to your best capacity.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.106 -- New York, July 12, 1976:

So śāstra therefore forbids or gives warning, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The same example. With great endeavor, with much expenditure you may go eighty thousand miles per hour, but unless you get shelter, you have to again come back to this, either in America or Russia. They tried, but they could not get shelter. Similarly, the one may understand that he is spirit soul and he may try his best to merge into the spiritual effulgence, Brahman—ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I shall remain in Brahman"—but because he is person, the impersonalism condition will not be helpful to him, and because he has no personal view of the supreme spirit—he cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa—naturally he again comes back to this material world and surrenders to the material subject matter. Sometimes he is engaged in philanthropic work or altruistic work. He thought, "This is the best service. instead of serving myself, let me serve the whole humanity, whole community, whole nation," so on, so on, so on. But they are all asad-dharma. They are not sad-dharma.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

It will never be possible. If you solve one question, then you will have to meet with thousands of other questions. It is not possible. So... Therefore Vedic literature says that "Do not waste your time in that way. Better you utilize your valuable time to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you'll understand everything very nicely. Just like we sometimes challenge the big, big scientists, philosophers, psychologists, but we are not psychologist or scientist. Ten years before, in my Easy Journey to Other Planet, I have written that "This moon-going attempt is childish and waste of time." And still we are challenging that "Mars-going, so-called, it will also fail." Write it: It will fail. Not that process. So how we are saying? How we are challenging these big, big scientists? Because we know from the Vedic literature that it is not possible to go to the moon planet or Mars in that way. It is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. Just like to come to America one has to qualify himself for the proper visa, passport, and so many other things, bank balance, this, that. How you can go to the other? They are higher planetary system. So this is all childish. But if you want to go at all, then it is possible if you follow the proper process.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

That is His prediction, that as many towns and cities are there on the face of the globe, everywhere His name will be advertised or everyone will know His name. So by His grace this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on all over the world and everyone is receiving very nicely, either in Europe or America or Africa or Canada or Australia. So we are very much hopeful. And those who are foreigners present here, take this movement very seriously and preach it all over the world. People will be happy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

So we are seeking after peace, but we do not know that where we are living. We are claiming proprietorship for the time being. We come here under different shapes, in different body, and claim proprietorship for the land where we are born. But we do not know by freaks of nature, any second, we can be driven away from this land and put another land. So where is my proprietorship? If I am staying for some time here, some time there... Bhojanaṁ yatra yatra śayanaṁ haṭṭa-mandire: "I eat wherever eatables are available, and I sleep on the marketplace." Then where is my home? Where is my home? So this is our position. We are circumambulating under, in the cycle of birth and death. Sometimes I am claiming, "America is my land," sometimes claiming, "India is my land," sometimes claiming, "China is my land," sometimes claiming, "Moon planet is my land." No land belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). He is the proprietor. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). That misunderstanding... We are falsely encroaching upon and falsely claiming proprietorship. Therefore there is no peace. You are searching after peace. How can there be peace? You are falsely claiming something which does not belong to you. So here it is said, sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

So in the spiritual sky, in that spiritual light, in that spiritual planets, there are innumerable liberated living entities, and each, each and every planet, there is expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. They are named by different names. (break) Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma. So origin. He is the origin. His planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is the original planet, and from that planet, that brahma-jyotir, light, is coming. And in that light, everything is resting. And in an insignificant portion of that light, this material world is situated. In that place there are innumerable universes as we are seeing one. And one of these universes, there are millions and billions of planets, of which this earth is only a insignificant fragment. And in that earth, the land of America, United States, is still insignificant. And in that state, New York is still insignificant. And in that New York City, this 26 Second Avenue insignificant. And we are sitting here. So just see how much insignificant we are. And we are claiming "God." Do not know... Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. This is called ignorance.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.318-329 -- New York, December 22, 1966:

So the more we will pass this Kali-yuga, the symptoms will be more acute, intolerable. So we should care. We should take care of this so that we may not come back again to this Kali-yuga. (laughter) You see? This life should be utilized. Now we are conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. It should be so utilized that no more coming back to United States of America and no more coming back of this condemned earthly planet. That should be the aim. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). We have to be determined to go back to Godhead, to Kṛṣṇa, where going nobody will come to this condemned place. One should know that this is a condemned place. Unless one is fully convinced that this is a place, condemned, one cannot make progress. If he is satisfied with this condemned condition... Just like these Bowery Street men, they are lying on the footpath. They are satisfied. Condemned condition, but they are satisfied. We should not be satisfied in that way. That is very wretched condition. So we are all in wretched condition under the grip of material nature, always suffering threefold miseries. So we should be conscious. Unless we are conscious about this fact, then our human life is spoiled. They say that you spiritualists, you are very pessimistic. Yes. He should be pessimistic. There is no question of being optimistic. Where is the optimistic view?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.385-394 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So Kṛṣṇa-līlā is always going on like that. Kṛṣṇa's birth, Janmāṣṭamī... We observe Janmāṣṭamī. But that Janmāṣṭamī is going on every moment. Janmāṣṭamī is going on. Kṛṣṇa's nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa-līlā-nitya, jyotiścakra-pramāṇe. Jyotiścakre sūrya yena phire rātri-dine. Now here it is also, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said that here sūrya is also on the orbit. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame. Sapta-dvīpa. Now, according to Vedic calculation, this earth has seven, I mean to say, islands. Just like crossing the sea, we have come to your country from India. The crossing the sea means there are different islands. Now you can calculate the Asia, Europe, America, and, and, how many?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.385-394 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

Devotee: Greenwich, Maine.

Prabhupāda: Greenwich.

Devotee: Uh huh.

Prabhupāda: In your country, America?

Devotee: What is that?

Prabhupāda: Where the sun is first seen?

Devotee: Anybody know?

Prabhupāda?: Oh, you cannot say?

Students: Maine.

Prabhupāda: Maine? Just like Maine is the first place where is seen sun, similarly, Vṛndāvana is the place where Kṛṣṇa is seen first. The example is very nice. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1970:

Yes, that is also. And the most important is that living entity is superior in this sense, that the living entity can control over the material energy. Just like in this temple, all this paraphernalia which you have got, this is made of matter—earth, water, fire, water, and fire, air. But the living entity has molded for this purpose. And it can utilize the material energy, just like modern scientists, they are utilizing... Just like you American people, this land of America, before your coming from European countries, it was vacant land. The people who lived here, they could not utilize. But you have developed by your intelligence a very nice country with industry, with nice roads. So this is superior energy, that the living entity can have some control over the material energy. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The, the importance of this material world is due to the living entities. This Los Angeles City is valuable so long the living entities are there. The body's valuable so long the living entity, soul, is there. Therefore it is superior. But that superiority is being misused. That is conditioned life. We are conditioned because our superior position than the matter, we are misusing. How we are misusing? We have forgotten that, although I am superior energy than the matter, but still, I am subordinate to God. That he is forgetting.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

So I also came for that purpose, because our modern India has rejected spiritual knowledge. They are thinking that if they can imitate Westernized technology, then they will be happy. This is māyā. They do not see that those who are advanced three hundred times more than us in technology, what they have got? They do not see that. India cannot advance in technology like America or Europe at least for three hundred years more, because in these Western countries they have taken this business since a very long time, but Indian culture, beginning from the creation, is spiritual culture. Vyāsadeva... Just see Vyāsadeva. He is the original guru, spiritual master, of Vedic knowledge. How he was living? In a cottage in Badarikāśrama. But just see his knowledge. He has written so many Purāṇas, and Bhāgavata-Purāṇa is one of them. The Vedānta philosophy, Mahābhārata, each and every verse if you study, you can study for the whole life. Similarly, in some book he has written 100,000's of verses, not less than 20,000, 25,000 verses. And each verse is so full of meaning that one has to learn it throughout his whole life. This is Vedic culture.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

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

So the point is that they were calculating especially to accept a girl from a family, they must be equal. But Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that if a girl is well qualified, strī-ratna... Strī-ratna means... Ratna means jewel. If a girl is just like jewel, very qualified, even she is born in low family, accept her. Nīcād apy uttamāṁ vidyāṁ strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Duṣkulād api means born of low family. Never mind. Don't care for her parentage. If she's qualified, accept her. There are many instances. Similarly, if you are serious about understanding God, don't consider that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "Why shall I go this? Why shall I hear from Swamijī?" If you are serious about understanding God, to love God, then here is the nicest process. That is practical. There is no question of grudging, "Oh, why shall I go there? They are following some Hindu, Vedic scripture." No. There is no question of Vedic scripture. We, our business is how to love God. That's all. Just like many students come here to take higher education. As there is no consideration that "Why shall I go to America or Germany? They are different people. Oh, I don't take higher education." No. Everyone goes. Similarly, if there is nice process to understand God, to approach God, you should take it. Don't be grudging. Take it. You'll be benefited. Kevalayā bhaktyā.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

So that division is there all over the world. Either you name differently, but these four classes of men are there, either in India or in America or Hawaii or Japan or anywhere. If you divide all people, they will..., you will find one class of men: they are not interested with this opulence of material happiness. They are seeking-philosophers, learned scholars, scientists, religionists, reformers. Their business is different. So naturally, the brāhmaṇa class of men, they are not very rich. (baby starts crying) Oh. What happened? (break) ...are always, because they do not endeavor for material opulence, apparently they look very poor, but actually, they are rich in knowledge. But people do not care for knowledge, at the present moment at least. They care for material opulence. They think that this life is meant for highest grade of sense gratification. That is the general thinking. In this city, any city you go, they are struggling very hard. Everyone is trying to get very rich, to get monetary power, so that they can satisfy their senses. Just like I hear from my students that this island, Hawaii, is meant for tourists. Tourists means they are all rich class of men.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

Those who have visited Vṛndāvana, that temple is still existing in broken state. It was seven story. The four stories have been broken by Aurangzeb. But whatever three stories are still remaining, if we want to construct such type of temple, it will require at least four crores of rupees, not less than that. So in South India also, there are many big, big temples. It is not possible to construct such temples at the present moment. It is very expensive. But in our country, all the kings and rich men, they were interested in constructing temple. At the present moment, the tendency is practically absent. In big, big cities, development, improvement is going on, but very few people are constructing temple. This tendency of godlessness is increasing all over the world. In European countries also, America, first when I visited one county... It is known as Butler. So Butler County, it is a very small county. Still immediately I saw there are about half a dozen churches, very big, big churches. They were very old churches. In America also and England, there are many churches. But people have lost interest. They are no more going to the churches. And the churches are now for sale. We have purchased one or two of them.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-Viṣṇu. Just like you'll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that... So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, "Diabetes Literature." There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, "Diabetic Society." I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that "You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease." So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He's our ācārya. He's guru. Prahlāda Mahārāja's guru is Nārada, and Nārada is also our guru. Nārada is guru of Vyāsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Nārada, Brahma-sampradāya. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also a disciple of Nārada Muni.

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

We have got idea, atom. Kṛṣṇa can enter into the atom also. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu cayāntara-stham. Paramāṇu means atom. Kṛṣṇa can become so big that many universes can be put into his mouth. Just like Yaśodā-mā, Mother Yaśodā. He (she) wanted to check, "Whether You have eaten dirt? Show me Your face, mouth." As soon as Kṛṣṇa opened mouth, "Oh," Yaśodā-mā said, "all the universes are within." So Yaśodā-mā, out of affection, she thought, "Oh, this is something puzzling. All right, close your..." (laughter) That's all. That is God. He... "Mother, you want to see whether there is some dirt within My mouth? You see the whole universal dirts are within Me." That is called mahato mahīyān. Within that mouth, He exhibited all the universes. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. Just like in the globe we see the whole world. Here is America, here is Russia, here this, here this. That is possible. It is a process only, to understand the process. Similarly, to understand God, it requires a process. You have to know the process, a secret process. That is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa says, only through devotional service you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, to understand God, Kṛṣṇa, is not very difficult. It is very easy. He becomes revealed to the devotees.

Ratha-yatra -- London, July 13, 1972:

So there is no expenditure. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there is no loss on your part, neither we are charging anything. We are distributing this mahā-mantra free of charges, and anyone can chant. There is no difficulty. We are spreading this movement all over the world. Not only in your country—whole of America, whole of Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Everywhere. We have got one hundred branches all over the world. And there is no difficulty. Even in Africa, the Africans are also chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

So our only request is that in whatever condition you may be, it doesn't matter, please try to chant these sixteen words if it is possible, whenever you have got time. You have got enough time. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra when you are walking on the street, when you are traveling in the bus, or when you are sitting alone. There is no loss, but the gain is very great.

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

Ladies and gentlemen, first of all I wish to thank you, the inhabitants of this great city, Philadelphia. You are so kind, enthusiastic, in taking part in this movement. So I am very much obliged to you. I am especially obliged to the American boys and girls who are helping me so much in spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the Western countries. I was ordered by my spiritual master to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western countries. So in 1965 I first came in New York. Then in 1966 this society was regularly registered in New York, and from 1967 this movement is regularly going on in America, Europe, Canada, and south of Pacific Ocean, Australia, and throughout the whole world.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

The politicians, diplomats, philosophers, they have tried so much, but actually nothing has become fruitful. Just like the United Nations. It was organized after the second great war, and they wanted that peacefully we shall settle everything. But there is no such thing. The fighting is going on between Pakistan and India, between Vietnam and America, and this and that. It is not the process. The process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone has to understand this fact, that we are not proprietor. Proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. Just like America. Say two hundred years ago the Americans, the European migrators, they were not proprietor—somebody was proprietor. Before them, somebody was proprietor or it was vacant land. The actual proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. But artificially you are claiming that "It is my property." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is called māyā.

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

That is called struggle for existence. Actually, we cannot control the material energy, but we are trying. That endeavor, to try to control over this material energy, is called struggle for existence. Actually, we shall not be controller. We shall not be able to control. That is explained. Therefore, in the material world, we are trying to solve one problem, but we are getting new problems. In the Western countries we see it very easily. Man manufactured the horseless carriage, motorcar, to go very swiftly, but now it is problem is where to park and how to drive the motorcar. In America we have seen. They are increasing different paths, one after another, one after another, one after another. Still, the problem is not solved. Still somewhere you'll find bottleneck. So many accidents. So we cannot actually solve the material problems. That is not possible. Material energy is so strong. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). You cannot control over. Because real controller is Kṛṣṇa. We are simply trying to control over the material energy. That will be, never be successful. This is knowledge.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- New Vrindaban, September 2, 1972:

Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, while he was touring on his kingdom, he saw that one man was trying to kill a cow. Parīkṣit Mahārāja saw. Immediately he took his sword that "Who are you? You are killing a cow in my kingdom?" Because the king is supposed, or the government is supposed to give everyone protection, not that the government is meant for giving protection to the human being and not to the animals. Because it is Kali-yuga, the government discriminates between two nationals. National means one who has taken birth in the land. That is called national. That is... You know, everyone. So the trees, they are also born in the land, the aquatics also born in the land. The flies, the reptiles, the snakes, the birds, the beasts, human beings—everyone is born in that land. Suppose your land, America, United States... Why the government should give protection to one class of living entities, rejecting others? This means they have lost their sympathy for others. This is Kali-yuga. Formerly, before Kali-yuga, unnecessarily even an ant would not be killed. Even an ant. There are many instances that a hunter who was taking advantage of killing animals, but when he became a devotee he was not prepared to kill even an ant.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 30, 1968:

So this material world is full of anxiety. I have several times explained, asad-grahāt. Because we have accepted something which is not eternal. Anything which is not eternal will always create disturbance. But because the Lord is eternal, therefore He is śāntam. Whenever we'll find the face of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Viṣṇu, you'll find smiling with peace. As soon as you'll see you become also peaceful. His very face is so nice. Śāntam. And śāśvatam. Śāṣvatam means original. It's not that Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, as the Māyāvādī philosophers say, that the impersonal Brahman appears in form. This is rascaldom. Actually, He appears in His own form, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). We are accepting this form not by our own potency. I have accepted this body, you have accepted this body, not by your own will. You have been forced to accept a particular type of body according to your work. You cannot make choice. Otherwise, everyone would have made his choice to take birth in America or some place like that, or heavenly planets. Oh, that is not choice. Just like if the foreigners, they apply for immigration, there is, the choice depends on the highest authority.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1968:

So in his life he was akhaṇḍa brahmacārī. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had many other sons, and he was the fifth son. And some of his other brother also, they did not marry. And my Guru Mahārāja, he also did not marry. From the childhood he is strict brahmacārī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And he underwent very severe penances for starting this movement, worldwide movement. That was his mission. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wanted do this. He, 1896, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wanted to introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by sending this book, Shree Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, His Life and Precepts. Fortunately, that year was my birth year, and by Kṛṣṇa's arrangement, we came in contact. I was born in a different family, my Guru Mahārāja was born in a different family. Who knew that I will come to his protection? Who knew that I would come in America? Who knew that you American boys will come to me? These are all Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. We cannot understand how things are taking place. In 1936... Today is ninth December, 1938(68). That means thirty-two years ago. In Bombay, I was then doing some business. All of a sudden, perhaps on this date, sometimes between 9 or 10 December.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1968:

So this is such a nice movement. Ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). The Bhagavad-gītā says, the Lord says, people's sufferings are due to his sinful activities. Ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of sinful activity. Just like a man does not know. Suppose a foreigner like me comes in America and he does not know... Because in India... Just like in your country, the car is driven from the right side; in India, I've seen in London also, the car is driven from the left side. So suppose he does not know, he drives the car on the left side and incurs some accident, and he is taken by the police custody. And if he says, "Sir, I did not know that here the car is driven from the right side," that does not make him excused. The law will punish him. So ignorance is the cause of breaking the law or sinful activities. And as soon as you commit some sinful activity, you have to suffer the result. So the whole world is in ignorance, and due to ignorance he's complicated in so many actions and reactions, either good or bad.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit—the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker—then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. If we know this, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasam... Kṛṣṇa says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Beyond this material energy," bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4), "these eight kinds of prakṛti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jīva bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho yayedam dhāryate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:

īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ

yat kiñcid jagatyāṁ jagat

tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā

mā gṛdha kasyasvid dhanam

(ISO 1)

This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God—īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam—everything, and tena tyaktena bhuñjithā, whatever He gives you as prasādam... Just like our principle is that we are working for Kṛṣṇa, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering ārati, he is also working for Kṛṣṇa, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Kṛṣṇa. So as worker for Kṛṣṇa there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:

So "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa we are paying heavy, heavy toll, tax, taxation. What is that taxation? The taxation is nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). This human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, but instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, we are understanding the so-called material science for sense gratification. This is our position. The energy which was given by nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is being utilized how to manufacture something for sense gratification. This is going on. This is māyā, illusion. Therefore it is, "Pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Toll tax. That we are paying because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa; therefore now we have manufactured the nuclear weapon—Russia, America—and you will have to pay heavily. They are already paying heavily. The armament preparation is going on. More than fifty percent of the income of the state are now being spent for this arm..., heavily. Instead of other purposes, it is being spent for military strength, every state. So that heavy toll we are paying. And when there is war there is no limit how much we are spending for this devastation. So why? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:

So these people they have made the United Nation, unnecessarily fighting like dogs. So this will not solve the problems. The problem will be solved if they pass a resolution that the whole world, not only this world... Kṛṣṇa says, sarvaloka maheśvaram. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, so why not accept? Actually He is the proprietor. Who has created this planet? We have created or father created? No. Kṛṣṇa has created, but we are claiming, "This portion is American, this portion is Indian, this portion is Pakistani." Unnecessary. What is the value of this claim? We may claim it for fifty or sixty or a hundred years, and after that, one kick: "Get out." Where is your claim? But they do not understand this philosophy. They are fighting. That's all, that "This is mine. This is my land. This is my land." They do not know. Kṛṣṇa said tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). "You are American today. So tomorrow, even within America if you become an American cow or American animal, nobody will care for you. Nobody will care for your politics." But this art they do not know. This science they do not know. They are under illusion. They are thinking that "I shall continue to remain American, so let waste my time for American interest," so-called interest. There cannot be any interest. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done by nature, and we are simply falsely thinking, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. This illusion is going on. "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." We are paying, paying. "Darkness around, all untrace. The only hope, Your Divine Grace." This message. Simply we are in darkness. So we shall discuss later on again.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

Just like here, in our temple, we are also eating, but we are eating the remnants of foodstuff left by Kṛṣṇa. That is real pleasure. It is not that we are stopping eating. We are not stopping eating. We are not dry philosophers. Kṛṣṇa baro doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. All over the world we are eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and we have got good experience. At least ten thousand men and women, they are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, but we have no anxiety. We have no anxiety. A family consists of a few members. They are full of anxiety how to maintain the family. And we are maintaining a family of ten thousand men. We have no anxiety. Just see practically. We have no anxiety. We require thousands and thousands of rupees for maintaining Europe, America, a costly affair. But because we are under the shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu, Balarāma, we have no anxiety. That means material life means anxiety. You cannot avoid anxiety if you lead a material life. Then you will be anxious.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

So after publishing three parts of readings(?), then automatically, Guru Mahārāja gave me indication that "Now you can start for America." So some way or other, in 1965 I went to America, with great difficulty. But I took about two hundred sets of books. The customs clearance was done, I told them that "Oh, I am taking these books for distribution. Not for sale." Anyway, they passed, and with these books I reached America. And I was maintaining myself by selling these books for one year. There was no friend, and I was living in apartment with great difficulty. Still, the whole, I mean to say, stock, and my typewriter, my tape recorder—everything was stolen. In this way, I became very much depressed, and I was going to the shipping company, "When the next ship is going for, going to India?" So they gave me such and such date. Then I thought, "Let me wait for some time more. Then I shall return back." I had return ticket, of course. There was no difficulty.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

So I came back to India, and again I went there in 1968. Practically, this propaganda work began vigorously from 1968. So from 1968, '69, '70, and this, '71. So three, four years, all these branches have grown up, and now practically, throughout the whole continent, Europe and America, they know what is Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Due it to our propaganda. Just like these boys. You have seen they are chanting and dancing. We send street saṅkīrtana even the most busiest quarter of New York, Fifth Avenue. And they go. The American boys, they are very daring. Sometimes police arrest them. And police is not harassing. The public and police, both, they are now sympathetic, that "Here is a movement which is actually genuine and very beneficial to our people." They are sympathetic. And even some of the Christian priests, they are also very sympathetic. They say that "These boys, American boys, they are our boys. They're so nice that they're mad after God, but we could not give them. Swamijī has given them." So they appreciate. Actually, these boys, they come from Christian family, Jewish family. There are many churches in America. I was surprised. When I first went to Butler, that's a small county, but I saw there about dozen of churches. So I thought the American people are very religiously-minded. And actually so. The history of the American people, mostly they came from England for this religious purpose. So they migrated in America for being religiously advanced.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

So American people, I very much appreciate them. They are religious. They have got very good potency for understanding God consciousness. That is my opinion. And I do not know why I was inclined to go to America. It was also Kṛṣṇa's desire. Because I thought that "If this movement, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement... " Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

That is His prediction, that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere, this message of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and Lord Caitanya's name will be there." So I thought that "I should go to America. If the American people take it seriously, then other people will take it." So actually, that is happening. These boys are so enthusiastic in preaching that on my word, they are going any part of the world. Any part of the world. They are prepared to go any part of the world. And just now I received one letter from my disciple Śrīmān Upendra dāsa. He does not know Hindi, and in the Fiji Island there are many Indians, but still, he is making propaganda. He's simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra door to door. They are also husband and wife. And people are very much appreciating.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

They have got nothing to give. They simply come here to beg." Actually, our ministers go there and, for some begging purpose: "Give us rice, give us wheat, give us money, give us soldiers." That is their business. But this movement, for the first time, India is giving something to them. It is not a begging propaganda; it is giving propaganda. Because they are hankering after this substance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have enjoyed enough of this material consciousness. The material consciousness means to enjoy sex life and drink and have sufficient money. These three items, they have got sufficient, immense. There are... So far material comforts, oh, there is no conception in India how they are materially comfortable. Their roads, their cars, their machines... You cannot imagine how American roads are there. There are freeways. In America, there are freeways: without any stoppage you can run your car in seventy mile speed, and four cars going up and four cars going down. And road just like velvet. (laughter) Our roads... So there is no comparison of their materially advancement. So I always... When I run in some freeway... These boys run our cars. And you'll be very pleased that in each and every temple we have got at least four cars, nice. Especially one car for me and two cars for carrying them for saṅkīrtana movement. Very good arrangement. Better than any temple in India.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977:

In this human form of life, if we still remain a mūḍha, then we are vimūḍhān. Vimūḍhān means, vi means viśeṣa. Here is chance. And Kṛṣṇa personally is giving his instruction to the human being. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the chance. But still, we are not accepting. Therefore vimūḍhān. Mūḍha, the cats and dogs, they cannot understand. If we give instruction to the dog, "My dear dog, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa..." But a human being, either he may be known to Kṛṣṇa or not known to Kṛṣṇa, he can be trained up. Just like in your country, in Europe and America, they did not know even what Kṛṣṇa. But since we have started this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you have become so many devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That is possible because human being. They can be trained up. So in spite of all these facilities for the human being, if he's not trained up to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is vimūḍha. He does not take the advantage. Na mām... This human form of life, he is classified as duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). He's described. He must be either of these categories. So things have degraded so low that India they're asking what is God. This is Kali-yuga. In India, where Kṛṣṇa comes personally, where Lord Rāmacandra comes, where Lord Buddha comes, where Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes, in that country now young men are asking, "What is God?" This is Kali-yuga.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977:

We are busy with this ism, that ism, that ism. So we should remember—I don't wish to take much time—Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he took Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction very seriously, and he wanted his disciple to do. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also wanted that, and Bhaktisiddhānta... This Māyāpur is meant for this purpose, to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world as it was desired by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) So the beginning is there. We are preaching all over the world and you, my dear friends from Europe and America, you have taken this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Again I shall repeat the same logic. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Andha means blind and paṅgu means lame. Both of them are useless. Andha cannot see, he cannot walk, and the lame man cannot walk. Andha can walk but cannot see. And the lame man can see but cannot walk. Now let them both combine together. So the whole world is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or spiritual life. If American money and Indian culture mix together, the whole world will be benefited. That is my ambition. Take Indian culture and help with American money. The whole world will be happy. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. If the andha is taken on the shoulder... If the paṅgu is taken on the shoulder of the andha, then the lame man can give direction.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977:

So actually this logic is coming to be true, there is now agitation. People are feeling the pressure of this movement, and in Europe and America there is opposing party. But don't be afraid. Take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously. It is not a national movement or some social movement. It is the movement to uplift the position of the whole human society. So that was the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Somehow or other we are taking it little seriously. Let all the Americans, Indians, especially young men... Don't misunderstand these Europeans and Americans C.I.A. Don't be mad, crazy fellow. They have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have nothing to do with politics. And you also, young men, you also join on the basis of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and do something philanthropic for the whole human society. (end)

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

You die immediately." Rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva. "Oh, the prince, son of a king, you live forever; and you are a brahmacārī, muni-putra, a son of a saintly person, so you die immediately." Then there was a saintly person, and he said to the saintly... He offered his blessings to the saintly person, jīva vā mara vā sādhoḥ. Sādhoḥ means saintly person, sādhu. "My dear saintly person, either you live or you die as you like." And there was a butcher. He told for the butcher, mā jīva mā mara iti: "You neither live nor die." So what is the significance of these four kinds of blessings? The significance is that he blessed the rāja-putra, royal prince, to live forever because whatever enjoyment he's having, this is for this life. Next life is very horrible for him, next life. Just like generally in the opulent countries like America and other European countries, they are materially very opulent, they do not care for anything. They do anything, whatever they like, because they are very much proud of their material opulence. But they do not care what they are going to be next life, you see. Therefore so long they live, that is good for them. As soon as they die, they are going to the darkest region of the hell. Therefore the prince, the king's son, was blessed, "You live forever," and so far the brahmacārī, brahmacārī or the son of a muni, he is undergoing penance, austerities, fasting, not very comfortable life.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- London, September 11, 1969:

Mukunda: If any of you gentlemen have questions, you can ask them of Prabhupāda.

Reporter: Yes. Can I ask is this is a very special welcome for you, or is this a performance that you go through each day?

Prabhupāda: No. Wherever I go, I have got my disciples. In the Western countries I have got now about twenty centers, especially in America, Canada. So the American boys are very enthusiastic. I think...

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: I think I got in Los Angeles and San Francisco a very great reception. And in Ratha-yātrā festival about ten thousand boys and girls followed me for seven miles.

Devotees: Haribol!

Reporter: What do you try and teach, sir?

Prabhupāda: I am trying to teach what you have forgotten.

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, June 29, 1971:

All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they were thinking, "We are all Kṛṣṇa's." Central point is Kṛṣṇa. That is the beauty of Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the elderly cowherd men, the boys, the girls, the trees, the river, the birds, the beasts—everyone—they are simply thinking, "I am Kṛṣṇa's." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as we think otherwise—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," that is material consciousness. Try to understand the simple fact that as soon as we identify with our designated body, which I am not... I am not this body, so why shall I identify myself with American or Indian? Accidentally I have got this body in America or India or Africa or in hell or heaven. That is accidental. Or by my karma. But actually, I am not this body. And if I am not this body... Generally everything we are accepting in this material world (is) on the bodily concept of life. Because I have got bodily relationship with some man or woman, I am thinking... There are thousands of men and women, but I am thinking, "This woman is mine," "This man is mine." This is a crude example. And similarly, children. Gṛha-kṣetra. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). This bodily concept of life increases our delusion and we become enwrapped, entangled in material world, and we get a different type of body.

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

So I'm very glad that you are so many boys and girls taking interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So please come here. You have got a very nice place. Discuss about Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa through philosophy, through science, through your intelligence—not that blindly—and you will be surely understanding what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa your life is successful. You become happy in this life, and if you execute properly Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then next life you'll go immediately to Kṛṣṇa for eternal blissful life of knowledge, sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ: "Anyone who knows Me in fact, in truth, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That person, after giving up this body, he never comes again to this material world." This material world, so long we have got desire to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṇa will give you different bodies, as you like. You can have your body in America, you can have your body in China, you can have your body in Russia, or in the moon planet—wherever you like. You simply desire, and it will be fulfilled in your next life. Desire means if you strongly desire till the point of your death, then next life your are going to get.

Arrival Lecture -- New Delhi, November 10, 1971:

So my Guru Mahārāja ordered me long, long ago, when I was twenty-five years old, my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to go to the foreign countries and preach Lord Caitanya's message. But somehow or other I could not assimilate his order until I was seventy years old. But it was better late than never. So also I was trying how to make a successful tour for preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message. So by the grace of my Guru Mahārāja and by your blessings, I went to the Western countries and had such a very good response, very good response. I went there empty handed with forty rupees in my pocket and free ticket, return ticket, by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. And for one year I had no place to live, I had no money to eat; still I was going here and there. Then in 1966... I went in America in 1965. After struggling for one year, in 1966 I incorporated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So some of our friends suggested, "Why not make 'God Consciousness Society'?" and "No. 'Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' If I make 'God Consciousness,' that will be a big task." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah (Bs. 5.1). Therefore this distinctly should be the society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Arrival Lecture -- New Delhi, November 10, 1971:

So my request is that young men, as young men from America, Europe, Canada... Now I am coming via Africa. I was in Nairobi, Mombassa. And the black men, they are also dancing. And they are asking the Indian people there, "Why did you not give us this sublime message so long?" Because there are many Indians in Nairobi and Mombassa. Unfortunately, our swamis go there, make some collection, and preach that "I am God, you are God. Why you are searching God? Gods are loitering in the street," and "Make this gymnastic and you will become God in six months." These things are going on. But nobody was interested. Bhagavad-gītā was taught in Europe and America for the last one thousand years, many big, big English edition. But never Kṛṣṇa was presented as He is. But as soon it was presented, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, the people are accepting. Immediately they are accepting. (indistinct) Otherwise, if you interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way, concocted way... Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). By mental concoction, you have to come back to this asat.

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

Lord Caitanya desired that "In all the towns, in as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the globe, My name will be broadcast." He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, svayaṁ kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa caitanya-nāmine, simply changing His name as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So His prediction will never go in vain. That's a fact. So my plan was that "I shall go to America. America is the leading country of the world. If I can convince (the) younger generation of America, they will take up." I am old man. I came here at the age of seventy years; now I am seventy-six. So my warning is already there. In nineteen hundred and seventy-one, I had a severe heart attack. You know, all. So the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is now in your hands. You are American boys and girls, very intelligent and graced by Kṛṣṇa. You are not poverty-stricken. You have enough resources, prestige. Everything materially, you are all well-equipped. If you kindly take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, your country will be saved, and the whole world will be saved.

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

So we have got this message from Kṛṣṇa, from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, from the six Gosvāmīs, later on, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura. And we are trying our bit also to distribute this knowledge. Now, tenth, eleventh, twelfth... My Guru Mahārāja is tenth from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I am eleventh, you are the twelfth. So distribute this knowledge. People are suffering. They are simply fighting on some false thing, māyā. They should be given the real fact of happiness. We have spoiled our life, many lives, coming through the evolutionary process of 8,400,000 species of life. Here is an opportunity, human form of life, and here is the message of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa. Human form of life can understand, and especially in America you can understand. You have got better intelligence, better facility. We are not sentimental, simply chanting and dancing. We have got more than two thousand volumes of books. If you want to learn it through science, philosophy, it is also there. Otherwise, the simple method—simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Hare Hare, and you'll realize the whole thing. The child can take part, the philosopher can take part, the scientist can take part, the politician can take part, the religionist can take part, the public can take part. It is so universal. And it is open; there is no secrecy. It is not that "I shall give you some secret mantra, and give me some money, I go away." It is open.

Arrival Lecture -- Paris, July 20, 1972:

So this movement is very important movement. It is not of course possible to give you all details within a few minutes, but if you are interested you can kindly contact with us either by correspondence or by reading our literature or by personal contact. Any way, your life will be sublime. We have not such distinction that "This is India," "This is England," "This is France," "This is Africa." We think every living entity, not only human being, even animals, birds, beasts, trees, aquatics, insects, reptiles—all are part and parcel of God. But the lower animals, the aquatics, birds, beasts, trees, plants, insect—they are unable to receive this knowledge. The human being has developed consciousness. He can receive this knowledge of spirit soul. So our only request is that do not take this movement as a religious movement. It is the movement of the soul. It is very scientific, based on authority. And practically we are seeing, we are getting good response all over the world. We have got over hundred branches. Even Africa we have got many branches. Canada, Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand—everywhere. So our only request is the leaders of the nation, the scientist, the philosopher, may kindly take some interest in this movement. We can talk with them. We have got many literatures, big, big books, scientifically explained, philosophical explained. So our only request is that you come forward and try to understand this philosophy and spread for the benefit of the whole human society.

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, April 13, 1973:

So I am very glad to see you again, and especially to see Śrīman Rādhā-Mādhava, Gaura-Nitāi is being worshiped nicely. Thank you very much. So my journey was in India, Australia, New Zealand. I was to go to Africa also, but I could not go. Everywhere our International Society members are worshiping very nicely. In Australia-Sydney, Melbourne-Deity worship is going on very nicely. Similarly in New Zealand, Auckland. They have also purchased one house, and worship is going on nicely. New York, they are also doing very nicely, and you are also doing very nicely. Perhaps you are still going ahead. Yes. I am very much thankful to you that Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, came to your country. He wanted to come here, and you have well received and worship Him. Serve Him. He will be happy. Introduce this movement all over your country. America is favored country. Little misguided about spiritual affairs, but if you introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in right way, keeping yourself to the standard, then people will accept it gradually.

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

Guru-gaurāṅga: Speaking about clothes, Monsieur le President says that he has been to India, and he understands that one dresses like this in India. But why would the disciples dress in America or in Europe in this way? Is it necessary?

Prabhupāda: No. It is not necessary. Dress you can have as you like. It doesn't matter, because dress is a dead thing. Real thing is that we want a living being who can understand. That is real the position.

Guru-gaurāṅga: Monsieur le President would like to know, if this movement gets bigger and bigger, won't it create problems in terms of working, the economy? Won't the economy suffer if our movement gets bigger and bigger?

Prabhupāda: No. Economy will not suffer, but economy will be simplified because we have made some artificial economy. Actually, in the Bhagavad-gītā we find the economic problem is solved by producing food grains. It is stated there, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) "By eating food grains, both the animals and the men, they become stout and strong." That's a fact. According to Bhagavad-gītā, economic problem can be solved anywhere. If you get, if you have some land, you produce your food grain and give it to the animals, especially to the cows, and she will give you in return milk. So if you get milk, fruits, vegetable and food grains, the whole economic problem is solved. We have already started this example in New Virginia. A group of men, we have got about five hundred acres of land, and we keep cows, and they work to produce some vegetable and food grain.

Arrival Lecture -- Mayapur, September 27, 1974:

People, unfortunately, they have no sense what is spiritual life. The modern civilization, they do not know that we have to change this body, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), just like animals, cats and dogs, they do not know that they have to change the body or they are not the body, they are beyond, something. This is the modern civilization. They try to make the best use of a bad bargain in this way, that "We have got this body. Let us enjoy senses to the utmost." But that is not the fact. Sense enjoyment means infection of the material modes of nature. That is sense enjoyment. Just like we infect some disease, and that disease will come out some day, will be manifested. They are called kutastha, phalonmukha, and prārabdha. Three stages. Infection... The same example. Infection remains in dormant stage, not manifest immediately. Then phalonmukha, fructifying; and then prārabdha, one gets it and suffers. This is the nature's way, going on. But people do not know it. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious movement, scientific movement, and people are gradually trying to understand the importance of this movement. Because in the foreign countries, especially in America, our books are being accepted by (the) higher circle, big, big universities, colleges, professors. They are so eager to read the books that they have simply heard that this Bhāgavatam will be finished in sixty volumes and Caitanya-caritāmṛta will be finished in twelve volumes... We have got Caitanya-caritāmṛta only one volume published, and they are ordering for twelve volumes, that "As soon as it is published, you send us." This is very encouraging. Similarly, they are ordering for sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although we have published only twelve volumes.

Arrival Lecture -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

We are trying to push this brahminical culture within the demoniac culture. It is very difficult task, but still, by grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are more or less successful. I am very glad to see your temple worship, not only here, everywhere. So you American boys and girls, you are fortunate that this movement is started from America, and some of you are taking seriously, trying to help me. So I am very much obliged to you. So keep this standard as you are now keeping, then things will go automatically, and one day people will understand in the history that this movement was for saving the human society. That day will come.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Twenty-fourth January to 15th March-less than two months—I had the opportunity to go round about the world. From Bombay I went to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Tokyo, Japan; from Tokyo to Honolulu, Honolulu to Mexico City, then Venezuela. Caracas... Caracas?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: I forget name also. (laughs) South America. Then I was to go to Trinidad, West Indies, but there was no time. The West Indies people came to see me. Mostly they are Indians. And then Miami, then from Miami to Atlanta, Atlanta. From Atlanta to Dallas, our Gurukula, then to New York, then to London, and from London to Bombay again.

Śruta-kīrti: Tehran.

Prabhupāda: Tehran. Yes. I forgot. He has come. Here is the Tehran representative. Yes. So there was very nice meeting in Tehran. Many scholar, Muhammadan, came to see me. So everyone is understanding the importance of this movement. So in Tehran I discussed about chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there are many names. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. Kṛṣṇa's name, manyfold. So I pleaded to the Muslim audience that "You can chant the name of Allah also. Not necessarily that you have to chant the Kṛṣṇa name, but any name indicating the Supreme Lord can be chanted." Because in the śāstra it is said, harer nāma, harer nāma, (CC Adi 17.21) the holy name of the Lord. But it must be the name of the Lord.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

So all these children, they are Vaiṣṇavas. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate (BG 6.41). That is the... They are given chance to take birth in the family of Vaiṣṇava father and mother. From the very beginning of life, they are getting encouragement. We had such opportunity. Somehow or other, we have come to this stage. Similarly, these children, they are getting opportunity from the very beginning of their life. So on the whole, it is very hopeful that in the Western countries... Not only Western countries—especially Western countries—we have sown some seed, that a community, Vaiṣṇava community, is now established. That is very hopeful, a Vaiṣṇava community, and they are, in America, they are now addressed, "American Hindus," these American boys and girls. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this much has been done, and they are improving more and more. They are serving Kṛṣṇa. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. This, our Gurukṛpa Mahārāja, has contributed large sum of money for our Vṛndāvana construction, and this time also, I have brought a very large sum of money, about fifty lakhs. So this will be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's business. And these people, Western people, they are serving this cause with life, prāṇair; arthair, by money; dhiyā, by intelligence; and by words.

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Rāmeśvara: Scientific Basis?

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Rāmeśvara: It is being printed now in America.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you wanted to bring it?

Rāmeśvara: We may print it in India also.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: But to get it in the selling right away we printed it in America.

Prabhupāda: You have brought some book? You have brought some books?

Rāmeśvara: Not too many of those, because they're still printing.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Jayatīrtha: We brought some copies of that Ādi-līlā, Chapter Seven. (break)

Prabhupāda: This is conclusion. Because he is Arjuna, devotee, he simply understood, "Yes. Whatever You say, correct. The demons or even the gods, they cannot understand." Why Arjuna understood? That he has explained in that Eighteenth Chapter. Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtiṁ labdhā tvat-prasādād madhusūdana.

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: That is not. These political leaders, they have made it. (reading sign:) Carpeteria. They manufacture carpet? We are already on the Venice road? No?

Jayatīrtha: Yes. This is Venice Boulevard.

Prabhupāda: You have got my passbook?

Jayatīrtha: From the Liberty Bank?

Prabhupāda: Not Liberty. Bank of America?

Jayatīrtha: Passbook.

Prabhupāda: Investment passbook?

Jayatīrtha: Oh, from that savings account.

Prabhupāda: I sent it to be made..., for making it up to date.

Jayatīrtha: You mailed it?

Prabhupāda: No, I gave to Gurukṛpa and he sent through somebody.

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Huh? You have formerly... (break)

Rāmeśvara: If we want to have the books printed very quickly, they have to be printed in America, the new books.

Prabhupāda: And the reprint there.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, we can do that.

Prabhupāda: So why not give them some book also for ordinary?

Rāmeśvara: We are giving them a lot of business this year in Japan.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. We must deal with them very nicely. They have helped in the beginning. Yes. I gave them only $5,000 start, and I gave the order for 52,000, but they supplied. They got money. They were confident that we shall not cheat them. So our relation is very nice. So utilize it. (break) ...girl was, that the Japanese, they like our publication.

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

So sometimes people give me very much credit that I have done wonderful throughout the whole world. But I do not know that I am wonderful man. But I know one thing, that I am speaking what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. I am not making any addition, alteration. Therefore I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This credit I can take, that I don't making any nonsense addition or alteration. And I see practically it has become successful. I have not bribed so many Europeans and Americans. I am poor Indian. I came to America with forty rupees with me, and now I possess forty crores. So there is no magic. (quietly to one devotee:) (aside:) You can go back side. You are sleeping. So this is the secret, that if you want to become guru honestly... If you want to cheat, that is another thing. There are so many cheaters. People also want to be cheated. As soon as we say that "If you want to become my disciple, you will have to give up four things: no illicit sex, no intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, no meat-eating and no gambling," and they criticize me, "Swamijī is very conservative." And if I say that "You can do all nonsense, whatever you like. You simply take this mantra and give me $125," they will like. Because in America, $125 is nothing. Any man can pay immediately. So I would have collected millions of dollars if I would have cheated like that. But I do not want that. I want one student who follows my instruction.

Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

So I am very much pleased to come to this village of France. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma.... Grāma means village. Sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Everywhere the glories of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be spread. So by His grace, we are doing that in America, in Europe, Africa, Australia. Village to village, town to town we are preaching the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So why we are preaching? What is the necessity of preaching? The necessity is to make them happy. If we follow the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, then our life will be successful and we will be happy. And the process is very simple: chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no very hard and fast rule for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In any position, in any place, in any circumstance, you can very easily chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Even small children, they also take part, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance with the elderly father and mother. So there is very good potency if we simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The potency is, the first benefit is, that our dirty heart becomes cleansed. We have accumulated many dirty things within the heart on account of bad association.

Arrival Address -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

So we were talking about this movement. So we explained... They were very much satisfied. Actually, this movement is for cleansing the heart. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is the cleansing the heart. We have simply created misunderstanding on account of material concept of life. We have accepted this body: "I am this body." I am, because I am accepting that I am this body... Accidentally this body was born in India; therefore I am thinking I'm an Indian. Or accidentally the body was born in Canada or in America—I am thinking I'm Canadian or I'm Indian or I'm American. This is created. This is not the actual fact. Actual fact is that I am not this body but I am the spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am the spirit soul." This is actual knowledge.

So,

yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

This is the verdict of Vedic literature. Anyone who is thinking that "I am this body," and with reference to the body the family members, the society members or the nation members, national members... We are expanded.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Rukmini Dasi -- Montreal, August 15, 1968:

So nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The mission of saintly persons is simply to think how this suffering humanity will become happy by spiritual consciousness. That is their business. They are not for exploiting. The whole material world is trying... One man is trying to exploit another; one nation is trying to exploit another nation; one society is trying to... This is struggle for existence. They have invented this law that "Might is right." You struggle, and if you are powerful... Just like there is now struggle between Russia and America, or China and America. This is going on. So everyone is suffering. The struggle for existence means a condition of suffering. And these saintly persons, devotees of Kṛṣṇa, not only devotees of Kṛṣṇa, any devotee of God, they are, their business is to see how people become happy. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Therefore, tribhuvane mānyau. The devotees are worshiped not only in this planet but in other planets also—wherever they will go.

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

So this age is like that. Not only in India, in other countries the difficulties are in a different way. The problems are different. But there are problems, either in India or in America or in China. Everywhere, they are trying to make so many schemes for world peace. In your country also, in America even, there is no safety of life for big men like Kennedys, you see. Anyone can be killed at any moment, and there is no action. So there is another problem. In Communist country they are, by force, they're ruling on the citizens. So many Russians, so many Chinese, they are going away out of their country. They do not like this Communist idea. So problems are there due to this age. Due to this age of Kali, the problems are there. And what are the problems? The problems are that in this age people are very short-lived, their duration of life. We do not know when we shall die. At any moment. It is said that during Lord Rāmacandra's rule, a brāhmaṇa... (aside:) It's not working? ...he came to the king, "My dear king, my son has died. So please explain why, in the presence of father, a son shall die." Just see how much the king was responsible. An old father came to complain to the king, "What is the reason that in the presence of the father, a son dies? Please explain." So just see how much responsible government was there. The government is responsible if the son dies before the father. Naturally, the father is older than the son, so he must die first. So such responsible government was there. Now in the civilized world anyone can be killed by anyone, but nobody cares for it.

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

"For self-realization simply you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result." No. They'll not accept. Therefore unfortunate. If you are canvassing the best thing, the easiest process, but they'll not accept, they want to be cheated... You see? Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). And harassed by so many things—this Draft Board, this board, that board, this, that, so many things. This is their position. Short life, very slow, no understanding, and if they want to understand, they want to be cheated, they are unfortunate, and disturbed. This is the position of the present days. It doesn't matter whether you are born in America or in India, this is the whole position.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

What is that māyā? Māyā means to plan how to become materially happy. This is māyā. All the people of the world, they are simply making plan how they will be happy within this material world. That's all. This is māyā. The history of the whole world studied, it is experience that the Roman Empire planned, the British Empire planned, the... So many empires, they flourish sometimes. All fail. The Britishers, they were, two hundred years ago, they were planning to rule over this vast land of America. George Washington declared independence; their plan failed. Similarly, in India they were planning to exploit. Now Gandhi's movement made it fail. So this is bigger plan. Similarly smaller plan also. There are many... Individually, we make so many plans that "I shall be happy in this way, in that way, in that way." So this plan-making business is māyā, because that will never be successful. Trace out the history of the whole world. Nobody has become happy. Hitler made a plan, so great a plan. You see? He was frustrated.

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969:

"The highest perfection is that one who comes to Me, reaches the abode of Kṛṣṇa, then he hasn't got to accept this miserable body." We do not understand that this body is miserable. Actually, any body. Either you get a princely body or a dog's body, because you have accepted a material body, therefore you have to suffer. You have to suffer. There is no excuse. Because you have got American beautiful body... Sometimes I meet some American gentlemen. They are under impression that India is a starving country. Accepting that India is starving country, but does it mean that America is a very happy country? No. That is their mistake. They simply think that "Because we have got enough money, therefore we are in happiness." No. If there is happiness, why the young boys and girls become hippies? No. Happiness is different. So long you have got this material body, there is no question of happiness, either this American body or Indian body. That they do not know. They are thinking that "Let me get an American body, or a demigod body or this body, that body, that body." But Bhāgavata says, yāvan na prītir mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. So long one does not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love of Godhead, there is no question of getting out of this entanglement of material body. There is no question. You have to accept some body, either you accept this body or that body. And as soon as you accept this body, material body, you have to go the threefold miseries.

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

Even it is a big mountain or big thing, it has no independence. It will stand still. But a small ant, even a microbe, it has got independence because it is living creature. So God has made you or given you little independence. That independence does not mean that you shall misuse it. You shall use it properly. And what is that proper use? To be engaged in His loving service. Just like you citizens of this German state, what you are meant for? You are meant for rendering service to the state. Similarly, the whole... This is a small state. America is a small... Or this planet is a small state. But there is a huge state which is called the cosmic manifestation. That state belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. So naturally, you have to render service to the supreme state, supreme will. Then it is all right. Your independence is there. So long you are rendering service to the state properly, your independence as citizen is there. But as soon as you rebel against the state, your independence is gone. Similarly, our, this conditional life is due to our rebellious condition towards God. As soon as we agree surrender and be one with Him by transcendental loving service, the whole thing becomes adjusted. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to teach people and to give them practical suggestion and help to... (end)

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1971:

So what you have got to teach us?" That was her challenge. Actually, that has become the mentality of Indians at the present moment, that "One has to go to the foreign countries, take some technological degree, and then impart the knowledge in India. Then we become big... And let us sacrifice our own culture." That is the mentality now. So your example... You have got by the grace of Lord some foreign degrees. If you present this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in India, many persons will follow. So you think in that way and try to understand our philosophy. You are very nice boy. And India's condition is not very satisfactory at the present moment. They are misled. So I came here with that purpose also, that "This movement I cannot start. They will not accept. But if I go to America, if the Americans accept and they preach, then they will be accepted." So that position has somehow or other come, so you together... It is not meant for either for American or Indian; it is meant for the whole human society. They are suffering grievously for want of this consciousness. So every one of us has got a great duty to broadcast this knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhagavad-gītā... Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on Bhagavad-gītā. It is very widely read all over the world. Simply the rascals, they have misinterpreted. Now we have to give the right interpretation and present what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our duty. So I know that you'll soon return to India, so Lord Caitanya and Lord Kṛṣṇa is giving you a great responsibility. Try to serve them to your best capacity. Thank you. So this is your beads? Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Initiation Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

A serpent, you know some serpent has got jewels on the head. Does it mean a serpent with jewel on hood is not ferocious because he has got jewel? He's as ferocious as ordinary serpent. That these things we should know. So I do not know how this man was given shelter in our temple. Nobody could understand that "Here is a serpent," and he was accepted as Sanskrit scholar. So you should be very much careful about this thing in future.

Thank you. (break—followed by lecture excerpt)

You are spirit soul. Woods and stone will not give you any pleasure. That is not possible. You are not wood and stone. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. Therefore, in America especially, despite all material opulences, they..., you are becoming confused and frustrated and disappointed. Because wood and stone will not satisfy you. You must have spiritual food. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Thank you everyone. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

So we shall invite every one of you. We have opened this temple in this country. So we invite all Japanese boys and girls, young men. Especially we invite them because they can understand. Old men, they are sophisticated. They, whatever they have understood, it will take hundred years to forget. (laughter) But young men, they are inquisitive, they are receptive. They can easily... Practically all over the world, all our followers, disciples, students, they are all young men, or teenagers, or some of them, about twenty-five years or thirty years, but no old men. That is the special feature of this movement. In all countries we have got branches, all over America, all over Europe, all over Canada, Australia, and in your country we are now making progress gradually. We have got center here. We are thinking of opening one center in Quoto. What is that?

Lecture and Initiation -- Chicago, July 10, 1975:

That kind of civilization, dog civilization, is failure of human life. Human life is meant for three things: yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. One should know how to perform sacrifices, how to give in charity, and how to practice austerities. This is human life. So yajña-dāna-tapasya, in other ages they were performing according to the means. Just like in the Satya-yuga, Vālmīki Muni, he practiced austerities, meditation, for sixty thousands of years. At that time people were living hundred thousands of years. That is not possible now. Meditation was possible in those ages, but now it is not possible. Therefore the śāstra recommends that yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ: "You perform this yajña, saṅkīrtana." So by performing saṅkīrtana-yajña, you can get the same result. As Vālmīki Muni got the result after meditation of sixty thousands of years, you can have the same result simply by performing saṅkīrtana-yajña maybe a few days. It is so kindness.

So I am very glad that in the Western countries, especially in America, you fortunate boys and girls, you have joined in this saṅkīrtana-yajña. People are appreciating. I am also very much pleased. So this yajña, as you have taken the Deity in buses, going to the interior and performing yajña... Continue this process until your whole country nationally accept this creed.

Lecture and Initiation -- Chicago, July 10, 1975:

So it is not very difficult. You have installed the Deity. Take in different buses and go from city to city, town to town, village to village. And you have got now experience, so expand this movement. As I have repeatedly told you that your country, America, is fortunate, and they require only this, saṅkīrtana... Then they will be perfect. I was discussing so many things yesterday—perhaps you have seen in the paper—that a thorough overhauling required, spiritual overhauling. Now, at the present moment things are going not very nicely. Materially, don't be sorry that this racing will not help us in our spiritual life. Materially be advanced, but don't forget your spiritual duty and spiritual identity. Then it is loss. Then it is śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simply working for nothing, just like your moon expedition, simply a waste of time and unnecessarily expenditure of money. So many billions of dollars you have spoiled, and what you have got? A little dust, that's all. Don't be foolish in that way. Just be practical. If such huge amount of money, dollars, would have been spent in distributing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over your country, then immense benefit would have been achieved. Anyway, we cannot say anything. Your money you can squander away. That is your business. But we request the authorities and the sane men that you take up this saṅkīrtana movement, especially in America, and expand this to other parts of the world, Europe, Asia. You have got already honor as the richest nation of the world. You have got intelligence. You have got everything. Just take up this movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, with patience and with diligence and intelligence. It is very easy. You are already experienced. Do not stop it. Increase more and more. Your country will be happy, and the whole world will be happy.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

Take some practical example. I have traveled all over the world many times. I have seen America from village to village, Africa, Australia. There is so much land vacant that if we properly utilize that, we can produce so much food grains that we can feed ten times as many population as it is now. That's a fact. We do not utilize the land properly. And Kṛṣṇa has given us the formula, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You produce anna." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Then the animals and the human being will be well-fed and they will be happy. If anyone, either animal or man has his belly filled up with sufficient food, he'll never be dissatisfied. That is the nature. So unfortunately we are not following the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. If we follow the whole social system, political system, economic system of the whole world will be very, very nice, and everyone will live very peacefully and there will be no fight, no ism, no schism. Everything will be all right. That is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

Just like in America they produce huge amount of grains. Sometimes they throw it in the sea on account of overproduction. Why overproduction should be given on the sea? It should be utilized. There are so many people starving. But this political situation is there that everyone is thinking "This is my country. This is my home. This is my land." This is called māyā. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti. Everyone is under this impression, "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body, that is mine." or "my nation." This conception should be given up. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing is confirmed.

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

The industries, they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā as ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means ferocious activities. For livelihood, we require our maintenance. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-mai... These are the primary necessities of this body, material body. For that, Kṛṣṇa has said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Anna—means food grains—we require. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. That food grains we can produce very easily by agriculture. In another place, Kṛṣṇa says, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). We can produce sufficient food grains for our maintenance, and the whole world has got sufficient land. I have traveled over the world at least fourteen times. During the last eight years, I have traveled all over the world, even interior. I have seen there is enough land, especially in Africa, in Australia, in America, and we can produce so much food grains that ten times of this present population can be easily maintained. Ten times. There is no scarcity of food. But the difficulty is that we have demarcated, "This is my land." Somebody says, "This is America, my land," "Australia, my land," "The Africa, my land," "India, my land." This "my" and "I." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is called illusion, that "I" and "my." "I am this body, and this is my property." This is called illusion. And this illusion, if we stand on this platform of illusion, then we are no better than the animals.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

We are preparing our next life, next body rather... Life is continuing. I am eternal. Next body—according to my present one. Just like in this meeting we have got two hundred ladies and gentlemen, but you cannot find out any lady or any gentleman exactly like the feature of the other. Differences. That means different consciousness, different work, and we have got different body. According to Bhagavad-gītā, the soul is transmigrating from one body to another, but the soul is eternal and permanent. And there are evolutionary process also. There are nine million species of life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And the trees and plants are two million. Similarly, there are reptiles, birds, then beasts, three million beast life, beastly life. Then at the end, we come to the form of this human being, and there are four hundred thousand species of different kinds of bodies. Just like your body in America and our body in India, there is some difference. Similarly, there are four hundred thousands of human form of life. So this is the process of evolution. And these bodily changes are taking place according to different consciousness. And the highest perfectional consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our life becomes perfect.

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

With my request, you can chant for one week and see the result. We are always prepared to serve you. We have got our temple here. Not only here, we have got our temple in Los Angeles, we have got our temple in New York, in Santa Fe, Montreal, Boston, and recently we're trying to open one temple in Buffalo. And two of my students, they have gone to Florida. They are also trying to open. So it is very nice movement, and it is very easy to chant. Now before me... I am Indian, you are all Americans. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration may be foreign to you, but there is no difficulty to chant. The words may be in Sanskrit, but it is not difficult to chant. And if you simply chant, you get the result because it is transcendental vibration. Just like when television or radio vibration is there, either in India, America, everywhere the vibration is equally beneficial. Similarly, this transcendental vibration is coming down from the transcendental world. It is not material sound. It is not hackneyed. If you chant, if you practice, you'll realize it. So our request is that without any charges, without any fee, without any bluff, we say that you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

"My dear Arjuna, if somebody comes to Me..." "Me" means here the Supreme Personality of Godhead is saying, Kṛṣṇa. "If somebody comes to Me, then he hasn't got to take birth again in this miserable material condition." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Duḥkhālayam means the place of miseries. We are thinking that we have made a paradise, but actually the place is miserable, because the threefold miseries, they are there. Either in America or in India or in any other country, China, or any other planet, the material miseries which are three kinds, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika... Ādhyātmika means miseries pertaining to the body and the mind. Sometimes we are feeling headaches, sometimes we are feeling some other pains. Any things which are pertaining to the body and mind, there is some pain. These are called ādhyātmika. Similarly, there are other pains, inflicted by other living entities. They are called ādhibhautika. Similarly, other pains also, which is offered by the nature, by the laws of nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake, all of a sudden there is famine, or similar other which we have no control over.

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Oh, other planets. All throughout the whole material world.

Student (12): Is there interchange between the planets?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. You can go in another planet also. Because it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-gā. Sarva-gā means the soul can be transferred to any place. It may be in America, it may be India, in moon planet, sun planet, or any..., anywhere.

Student (13): Has the universe existed forever, or does soul have a beginning?

Prabhupāda: No. This material universe is created and dissolved. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Just like this body: it is born for some time, it will stay for some time, it will go for some time, then it will become old, and it will vanish. Similarly, the whole universe is like that. It has its creation, it stays for some time, a long duration of time, and it creates so many other things, by-products, and there will be time when everything will be vanquished.

Student (13): And where were the souls before the universe began?

Prabhupāda: That is called spiritual kingdom. In the spirit.

Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

So the basic principle of mistake... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. According to Vedic literature, this body is prepared in three elements: fire, water, and clay. So I am not the combination of fire, water, and clay. Then I am this house, I am this room. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). So basic principle of my knowledge is false, that I am considering this material body as "I am." And if the basic principle is wrong, then, in relationship with this body, because I am born in this land of America... "I am born" means my body is born. Or because my body is born from another body, my father and mother, so I think that "This body is my kinsman, and this country is mine," and so on. But the basic principle is false, that "I am considering, falsely identifying myself with this body. But I am within this body." That is a fact. And how can I understand how I am within this body? I can understand I am within this body by my feeling. If there is some pain or pleasure on my body, I can feel. I am conscious that I am there. In consciousness, I am there. And what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the reflection of real myself. Myself means soul. So as soon as the soul is within this body, there is perception of pains and pleasure, heat and cold, and so many things. That is consciousness. And as soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no more pain, pleasure, or heat and cold. A dead body, if you cut it into pieces, it will not protest. Therefore the soul, or consciousness, the symptom of soul, consciousness, is my self. My consciousness is the symptom of my real self. Similarly, there is another consciousness.

Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

Actually, God is proprietor of everything. Now, take for example this house. This house is made of wood, stone, clay, sand, and everything, materials. But who is the proprietor of this wood, sand, clay? God is the proprietor. You cannot produce wood. You cannot produce sand. You cannot produce clay. You can simply work as a laborer to bring the clay, to bring the wood, to bring the stone and collect them and stand, make, construct a very big skyscraper house. But actually, the proprietor is God. This land, this land, America, it was lying before you came from Europe, before you colonized. And it may be, some days after, it will be lying here, and you shall have to go. Therefore who is the proprietor of this land? God is the proprietor. In this way, if we study that "Everything belongs to God. I also belong to God, my self, my body, my mind, my activity, my energy, everything..." Just take for example. I am claiming that "This is my hand," but if God withdraws the energy of the hand, your claim for "my hand" at once goes. So we have to develop that God consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is God consciousness. People have become degenerated, forgetting God consciousness. Therefore in the present world there is no peace. Materially, they are very much advanced. They are advanced in so-called education, but they do not know what is "I." The everything, they are claiming, "my and mine," but they do not know what is "I."

Lecture -- Montreal, June 26, 1968:

Anyone who is using Kṛṣṇa's money without acknowledging, he is a thief. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Stena eva sa ucyate: he's a thief. So in this material world, one who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one who is not using things in Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Everyone is using Kṛṣṇa's... Nobody has got any property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That is the version in Īśopaniṣad. Now, in this American land, now divided into Canada, North America, South America, but originally, to whom this land belongs? It belongs to Kṛṣṇa. You have come here and have divided Kṛṣṇa's property and you have named "This is Canada, this is North America, this is South America," and you are claiming proprietorship. But if you are asked, "Are you really proprietor?" No. You have come here, encroached upon others' property. So originally, you are thief. Actually this is the position, that anyone who is unlawfully claiming something, "It is mine," that is illusion. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This ahaṁ mameti, "It is mine, and it is I. This body, I. And in bodily relation, everything mine," these two things are illusion. Ahaṁ mameti. Aham means "I." What "I"? This body. And what "mine"? This, "My wife is mine, my children, my home, my country." Why? Because the bodily relationship is there.

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 20, 1968:

If the body is important, why it becomes nonsense immediately after the departure of the soul? Therefore the soul is important. One who does not know the soul, his all activities are defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jato yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Anyone who has not inquired about the soul, because he is born ignorant, born in darkness, he does not know what is soul, what is this body, what is this world. Therefore born in darkness. So if in that darkness and ignorance he is acting so many things, what is the profit? It is simply defeat. So a person who does not inquire into the existence of soul, his real identity, all his so-called improvement is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply laboring, that's all. The whole world is doing that, beating the bush, laboring for nothing. He does not know that how long he will remain. Suppose you are in America. You are now Mr. Ford. You have constructed a very skyscraper building. But how long you shall remain in this skyscraper building? How long you shall remain American or Mr. Ford? Next life, as soon as your body is changed, then you are Mr. Dog or Mr. Cat or Mr. this or Mr. Chinaman, Mr. Indian. That means if, in my next life, I become Mr. such and such instead of Mr. Ford, then all the activities that I have done as Mr. Ford is simply waste of time. That he does not know. This is ignorance. And one who has conquered this ignorance, he is Arjuna. Is it clear?

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

He entrusted his countrymen—means any Indians. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: "on the land of Bhārata-varṣa." India is known as Bhārata-varṣa. Perhaps most of you know it. This is after the name of King Bhārata. There was a great king, Bhārata, who was the emperor of the world, and this planet was named Bhārata-varṣa after his name. Before that this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after Mahārāja Bhārata, this planet was named as Bhārata-varṣa. But gradually, there was partition. As recently also there has been partition of India—Hindustan and Pakistan—similarly, this planet, known as Bhārata-varṣa, was partitioned gradually, one after another. So then the other names—Europe, Africa, or America, or Germany—these names gradually developed. Actually the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. That we understand from the Vedic history. And there was one king. That king also belonged to Hastināpura, which is called at the present moment New Delhi, near about that.

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

So thousands and thousands of European boys and girls, as well as in America, they flocked together, but later on, they were frustrated. That means while the Indian youths are coming to the Western countries for advancement of technological knowledge, the Western boys and girls, they are hankering after spiritual life. This I have very particularly studied. I am here, not in Canada, in America. I came here in 1965, and I am studying the mind of the younger generation especially. They are hankering after something, spiritual enlightenment, not only in America, also in Europe. And they expect something from India because... It is a fact. I have read one book written by one Chinese gentleman. That book is recommended in the New York University for study. That Chinese gentleman is very learned man. He has given comparative studies of all religion and philosophies, but he recommends that "If you want to study religion as it is, then you have to go to India." So our Indian spiritual culture is still adored and worshiped by the learned section of every part of the world. And especially in America and Germany and England, they are hankering after it. We should be little careful that this knowledge, transcendental knowledge, as distributed by Lord Caitanya, should be seriously taken up by the responsible Indians present here. Unfortunately, I see that Indians are not very much interested, but that is our misfortune. Actually, Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted this mission that anyone who has taken birth as human being on the land of Bhārata-varṣa should learn this spiritual science very seriously, make his life successful, and distribute all over the world so that people of the world may become happy. That was His mission.

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

If anyone engages himself fully and seriously in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa... Yo mām avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena. Avyabhicāriṇi means without any deviation, firmly fixed up. And bhakti-yogena, in devotional service, if one is engaged, sa, that person, guṇān... Guṇān means these three qualities: passion, ignorance, and goodness. Sa guṇān samatītya. Samatītya means completely transcending. He transcends completely. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). He becomes situated on the platform of Brahman, and that is the highest perfection of knowledge. Now we are identifying ourself that "I am part of this material world. I am part of this land or that land." "I am Indian because I am born in India." "I am American because I am born in America." Everyone is thinking like that. That means "I am part and parcel of this material world." But by this transcendental elevation to the platform of Brahman, when one becomes self-realized or understands himself as part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), "All these living entities are My part and parcels," similarly, when the living entities in highest perfection understand that he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Brahman, his life is on the transcendental platform.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Suppose you are very nice carpenter. Can you say, "Let there be a chair," and at once there is a chair? Is it possible? Suppose you are manufacturer of this watch. Can you say that "I say, let there be watch," and there is immediately watch? That is not possible. Therefore God's name is satya-saṅkalpa. Satya-saṅkalpa. Satya-saṅkalpa means whatever He thinks, immediately it is present. Not only God, but those who have attained yogic perfection, they cannot desire like God, but almost. Wonderful things... A yogi, if he has got perfection, if he desires something, that "I want this," immediately it is there. This is called satya-saṅkalpa. In this way, there are many examples. That is greatness. What I... Just like the modern scientists, they are trying to fly some space machine in the good speed so that they can go to the moon planet. So many scientists of America, Russia, and other countries, they are trying. But they cannot. Their sputnik is coming back. But just see God's power. Millions of planets are floating just like swabs. This is greatness. So any nonsense, if he says that "I am God," he's a rascal. God is great. You cannot compare yourself with God. There is no comparison. But the rascaldom is going on.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Woman: Doesn't Rāma refer to a man that was born..., I'm not..., in India or somewhere, and Christ was born in Europe? Two different men, but still the same, the same...

Prabhupāda: Yes. The sun is every day born in India, born in Europe, born in America. Does it mean that he's Indian or American or Chinese?

Woman: No, that's not what I mean.

Prabhupāda: Then? Therefore it is like that. When... This is our limited knowledge. We have been taught in that way, that God is great. Just like the sun is great; therefore even the sun is seen in India or in America or China, anywhere, any part of the world, any part of the universe, the sun is one. Nobody can say, "Oh, it is American sun" or "It is Indian sun." So either Jesus Christ or Rāma or Kṛṣṇa, whoever comes from the kingdom of God, they are the same. There is no difference. But the difference is... Just like in your country temperature of sun is less, and in a tropical country the temperature of the sun is very great. Does it mean the sun's temperature is changed? It is according to the reception. The atmosphere of this country is so surcharged that you cannot receive the sunshine properly, but the sunshine distributes its shining everywhere the same. Similarly, according to the country, according to the circumstances, according to the planet, God is manifested differently, but He is not different. You are wrapping your body with some winter clothes.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

So sthāvarā and jaṅgama. Jaṅgama means those who can move, and sthāvarā means those who cannot move. The hills, the mountains, they are also amongst the sthāvarās. They are also living entities. There are many hills, they are growing. That means there is life, but in the lowest stage of: stone. So in this way we are making progress. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Reptiles and worms. Rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ means eleven hundred thousands. Then from reptiles, worms, the wings grow-birds. From wings grow... Then it comes to the bird's life. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam: ten hundred thousands of birds. And then paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi, four-legged animals, there are thirty hundred thousand. So nine and twenty, twenty-nine, then eleven, forty, then birds, ten, fifty, beasts, thirty, eighty-eighty hundred thousands. And then... Eight millions—and four hundred thousand species of human life. Human life is not in large quantity. Out of that, mostly they are uncivilized, and very few Aryan families. The Aryan family—the Indo-European family, they are also Aryan—they are very few. The Europeans, they belong to the Indo-European group. The Americans, they also come from Europe. So this group of human society is very few. There are other, many uncivilized groups. Therefore Vedānta says, atha ataḥ: now you have got developed human form of life, civilized life, you have got nice arrangement for your comfortable life. Especially in America you have got all material comforts. You have got cars, you have got good road, nice food, nice building, nice dress, nice feature of your body. Everything God has given you very nice. The Vedānta advises, "Now you take to about the inquiry of Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

People are not interested in this thing. Had I been an expert in certain technology, electronics, improvement in electronics, then thousands of students and people would come and hear me. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Because a person is dealing with the ingredients of the external energy, people are thinking, "This technological knowledge will give me happiness." Durāśayā. That is durāśayā. That is useless hope. Bhāgavata says this kind of hope, that this kind of material advancement, this kind of material adjustment... After all, it is material. That will not give you happiness. But they are thinking like that. They are hoping like that. Durāśayā. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). Andhā. This means that we are blind, we do not know what is the goal of our life. (child making noise) (aside:) Stop. We do not know what is the goal of our life, and the leaders, they also do not know what is the goal of our life. Our Back to Godhead editorial, they have written very nicely that with the change of some politician we are thinking that something new will be done and we shall be happy. Just like there is advertisement, "America Needs Nixon Now." (laughter) People are thinking, "Now, instead of Johnson, when Mr. Nixon will be President, we shall be happy." But they do not know from which stock either this Mr. Johnson or Nixon is coming. The source of supply is the same. If the source of supply is the same, then what is there, replacing Mr. Johnson by Nixon or Nixon by Johnson? The leader(s) themselves, they are blind.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Just like in family life we have got a certain kind of consciousness, "He's my father. He's my child." Similarly, if we develop our original consciousness, that "God is our father; we are all children," then the whole trouble ceases. If God is the proprietor of everything and every children has got right to enjoy the God's property, then where is the trouble? For want of this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is claiming, "This is my property. This is my state. This is my country." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Aham means "I," and mama means "mine." This is nonsense. Nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everyone has got right to live on God's property. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If everyone is taught this God consciousness, there is no need of this artificial United Nations. We are united by nature. God is the center. Why artificial spending so much money? We are united not only in the human society, but we are united in all living societies, all living entities. Why we should treat the animals as different? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have got my consciousness that "The human beings in America are my brothers, or my countrymen. They should be given all protection." And why not cows? They are also born in America. Why they are being sent to slaughterhouse? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this partiality, that "Only human being is my brother, and the cows and the other animals, they are not my brother," this is lack of knowledge.

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

So we should be very careful about our time. Don't spoil time. That is our request. Don't spoil time like animals. They have no responsibility because there is gradation. After this life, they get another life. After this life, they get another life. From aquatics they are promoted to the plant life. From plant life they are promoted to the insect life. From insect life they are promoted to the birds' life. Gradual evolution. They are coming by nature's way. Nature is helping. And nature has helped you to come to this life, to civilized form of life, where you can have education, where you can have nice compartment, apartment, nice food, nice association, nice car, nice city. Because... What is the difference between this nice and, I mean to say, not nice? Because you have got nice intelligence. In this land of America, when the Europeans did not come here to colonize, the Red Indians were there. They could not develop this American land so nicely, nice cities, because they were less intelligent. Now you are intelligent, you have developed it. That means if you have got nice intelligence, you can live nicely. Now what is the limit of that nice intelligence? That limit of nice intelligence is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After developing, going through many species of life, many intelligent human forms of life by cultivating knowledge, education, when one comes to the limit of education and knowledge, he understands what is God. What is God. That is the limit of.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

Meat-eating, and if you believe in Bhagavad-gītā, is not the..., against the, our purificatory process. You cannot kindle fire, at the same time add water on it. If you want to kindle fire, then you have to keep that place very dry and fan it. Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America... You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live... Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Lecture Excerpt -- Boston, May 5, 1969:

That food is already given also in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness move... That is not very difficult job. That is being given also. But we are giving some food which will make him satisfied for good. No more hunger. That is the best service. Just try to understand what sort of service is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness: no more hunger, no more demand. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi: "Oh, I am fully satisfied." Varaṁ na yāce: "I have no more demand. Finish." And if you go materially, satisfy your hunger, this, that, this, that, this, that, oh, it is simply illusion. It will never be finished. Just like you are advanced in material prosperity than other country. Does it mean that you are satisfied? Why there are hippies? Why there are so many frustrated youngsters? The richest country in the world. That, this richness of material world, the rascals, they are following that "If we become like America and some industrial, we shall become happy." That is rascaldom. Actual happiness is how you learn to love God. Then you get happy. That can be achieved without any material advancement. Anywhere you can have, without any expenditure, without any effort, without any education, without any knowledge. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you develop that love. This is the highest service to the human society. Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat? Why shall I cheat?" Everything will be complete, fully satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati, this very word, Sanskrit word, is there. You have to make yourself fully satisfied. Then there will be no more want. You see?

Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:

Another thing I may inform you in this connection, that when I first came to New York, one big man in India, mean rich man, Sir Padampat Singhania of Kanpur, I had correspondence that "Singhaniajī, if you give me some money, I can construct a temple here of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." So he was ready. He said that "Swamijī, whatever amount you want, I can give, provided the government gives sanction." So I had many correspondence with the government, but they did not give me sanction. But here the embassy, they have given me sanction that "You can raise funds from the residents in America and construct temple." So you are so many Indians. If you help me, I can construct temples everywhere. We have got many assistants. Of course, the American rich men, they are not coming. The boys and girls who have joined me, they are very not rich but very sincere. They are working and maintaining these twenty centers. We have got good expenditure. You know. It is America. Sometimes we have to spend two thousand dollars in every center. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us opportunity. Although there is no temple, but we are, I mean to say, our own temple, but temples we have got everywhere. We have got our Deity, Jagannātha, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. They are being worshiped nicely, and we are offering prasādam. Every Sunday we are distributing prasādam. So the system is going on. Especially if you go to Los Angeles, we have got the biggest temple there. At least, daily, fifty, sixty persons are taking prasādam. On Sunday there are guests, more than one hundred. They are taking part. It is going on nicely. Similarly, we'll have in every place. So that foretellng, prediction of Lord Caitanya, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) that time has come. Let us cooperate and distribute this nice thing, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. People will be happy.

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

In other words, the indigenous, the importation of a very strange oriental form, almost a hard-shelled Baptist oriental form, in the sense of its traditionality and its fundamentalism, its reliance on ancient texts and interpretation of ancient texts by long tradition of teachers—it's strange it's so far-out and ritualized an Indian form should take root in the United States a little more naturally than the more Protestant Vedānta Society or the extremely rigorous Zen groups that have taken root. I think partly it's due to the magnanimity or generosity or the old-age charm, wisdom, cheerfulness of Swami Bhaktivedanta, his openness of heart, his willingness to come down on to the street, and his sense of his own divinity and the divinity of others around that it's been possible for the bhakti-yoga cult of India to be planted very firmly here in America so that now there are communes, or ashrams, functioning on the basis of the Kṛṣṇa rituals, which are, in some respect, a model for all those anarchists and political people who are interested in establishing indigenous American communes. The regulations on food, on sexual relations, which generally cause much confusion in mutual-living health pads, the regulations on sleep and thinking process, are like an interesting model to study for those who are interested in forming affinity groups or large family communes. I will have my turn at language tomorrow because I'm giving a poetry reading at the student union somewhere—I'm not sure where—which is my regular thing, which is why I was invited here by the student activities committee. So I will cut myself off now and be brief and leave the rest of the evening to Swami Bhaktivedanta, who will give a language explanation, or whatever he wants to say, of the cultural, or metaphysical or religious roots in... Pardon me?

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

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. They are neither Hindus nor Indian. How they are accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? In our society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps it is fact. But why, how they are taking it? Because it is there, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, within you, within me, everyone. Simply we have to invoke it. That's all. And that invoking process is the saṅkīrtana movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). If you chant this simple process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you'll very quickly clear up your heart and you will understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). You'll understand that Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, is everything.

Speech to Maharaja and Maharani and Conversations Before and After -- Indore, December 11, 1970:

Now, at the present moment we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement from the Western world so that people may become again happy and come to their original consciousness. And that is being accepted by the Western world. I have got within four years forty-two branches all over the world. In America especially, practically in every principal city I have got a branch. Especially in Los Angeles, and New York we have got the biggest temple. And in England also, London, we have got our temple, 7 Bury Place. When your Highnesses may visit London or New York or Los Angeles—most probably you visit London occasionally—I invite you to our temple at 7 Bury Place near the British Museum. It is very prominent place. And this girl in front of you, Śrīmatī Yamunā devī, she and her husband Gurudāsa is in charge of the temple. But because I have come to India, they are assisting me. She has seen the Prime Minister also, Indira Gandhi. She is very much impressed with the saṅkīrtana movement. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and patronization by the royal family is very old relationship.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awaken the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness which is lying within everyone's heart. It is not artificial. It is not that I have spoken to these boys and girls in America and all over the world (and) with my speeches they have been enticed and they are Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. Nobody has such power that simply by artificial, by speaking, one can convert. That is not possible. The real, real mystery is, as it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is in everyone's heart, dormant. Every living entity. Because every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a father and son, there is natural affection; it is not artificial. Even there is misunderstanding between father and the son, and if they meet at a time after many years' misunderstanding, immediately the affection of father and son will act, immediately. Similarly, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our affection for Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's affection for us is eternal. Kṛṣṇa is more anxious to reclaim us from this miserable condition of life than we are, because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yaḥ (BG 14.4). He is the father of all living entities. We are part and parcel. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very anxious.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

Yes, Bhagavad-gītā, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Fourth Chapter, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa says that "This system of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga was spoken first by Me to the sun-god." Vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. "And Vivasvān, the sun-god, said this philosophy to his son Manu, and Manu said to his son Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So from this formula, if we study Bhagavad-gītā, then taking the age of Manu, Vivasvān, Ikṣvāku, it becomes not less than forty millions of years. So Bhagavad-gītā is not a new thing. It is coming down from an age forty millions of years back. (break) And besides that, we are represented in Tokyo, in Canada, in Europe, in America, like that. We have got fifty centers all over the world.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Bombay, March 17, 1971:

There are many sat-saṅga society, but in Europe and America, western countries, this is the only, and they have very kindly joined us. So to serve them is our first business. So, we are talking of teachings of Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was one of the very responsible minister in the (indistinct) government of Bengal. And as minister, he was a learned scholar both in Sanskrit and Arabic. So, he resigned his post as minister and wanted to join Lord Caitanya in his saṅkīrtana movement. He had some difficulties to get out of the responsible position. The Nawab, Hussain Shah was very much counting upon his assistance. Generally the Muhammadan kings, they were dependent on Hindu ministers. I have heard that in your this Bombay city, Aga Khan (?), his establishment for management were all Hindu officers. I do not know whether it is a fact. Is it a fact?

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

Of course, some of them knew Bhagavad-gītā, because Bhagavad-gītā is very widely read. But because Bhagavad-gītā was not properly presented, although for the last hundred or two hundred or more than that years, Bhagavad-gītā is widely read all over the world, there was not a single Kṛṣṇa-bhakta. But since Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, within four years there are hundreds and thousands of Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. That is our point, that you present the thing as it is, without any adulteration. Just like milk, pure milk, if you supply, automatically there will be many customers. But if you sell milk adulteration, adulterating with water, you can cheat somebody for some time, but you cannot cheat all for all the time. That is not possible. So it is now necessary. It is India's culture. People are hankering after this culture, Kṛṣṇa culture. So you should prepare yourself to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then India will conquer all over the world by this Kṛṣṇa culture. Be... Rest assured. We are hankering after help from others. Our government men go there in America: "Please give us wheat. Please give us money. Please give us soldiers." Simply begging business. But here is a thing which (you) can give to them. Simply begging does not glorify your country. Try to give something to the others, to other countries. That is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (applause)

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

So by performing this yajña, you become purified. Yajña-dāna. And so far dāna is concerned, that is, of course, different way. You can give in charity. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. You can make charity. Not that because you have no money, you cannot make charity. You can make charity. What is that? You can dedicate your life, prāṇaiḥ. Just like these boys and girls. They have not brought any huge amount of money for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has not attracted the richer class of America. Now they are little, little coming. But I have attracted the middle class. So they have not brought any money, huge amount of money, but they have dedicated their life, prāṇaiḥ. And those who have got money, they can contribute. Just like we are begging from door to door, "Please become a life member and contribute something so that this movement can be pushed on." Prāṇair arthaiḥ. So if somebody says, "Sir, I have no money, neither I can dedicate my life," then how he will perform the yajña? Prāṇair arthair dhiyā. You can give your intelligence: "So your movement, I appreciate your movement. So please do like this. I will take you to some friend who can help you." That is dhiyā, intelligence.

Lecture at Boys' School -- Sydney, May 12, 1971:

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sectarian movement. We are trying to bring back people to God consciousness. Because unless one comes to God consciousness, he cannot be happy. That's a fact. He becomes careless, and without abiding by the laws of God, he becomes criminal, subjected to so many troubles inflicted by the laws of nature. So these things should be taught from the beginning. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. In every schools and colleges these codes of God should be taught to the children. Then in future they will be godly or God conscious and their life will be peaceful. And because this is not taught in the schools and colleges... I have got experience by traveling in the Western countries. Especially in America, they have got so many nice arrangements of big, big universities. Unfortunately, nowadays they are producing hippies. So this is not very encouraging. In every schools and colleges the God consciousness should be taught. Never mind whether through Bible or Koran or through Bhagavad-gītā. Everywhere there is knowledge of God consciousness. That teaching should be introduced in every schools and colleges so that children, from the very beginning, may understand what is God, how great he is, how we are related with God, and how we have to live.

Lecture at Wayside Chapel -- Sydney, May 13, 1971:

So our method is very simple, and it is very sublime. And it is not that we are dreaming. Practically it is happening in every part of the world. We have got so many branches all over the world, and each and every branch you will find devotees like this. At least twenty-four devotees up to one hundred devotees we have got. In America, my students, these boys and girls, they have been known as "Hare Kṛṣṇa People," "bright-faced people." You can compare their face with others, how they are feeling happy and blissful. That's a fact. It is not a story. So method is simple: simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So why don't you accept this formula? You have nothing to lose, and there is no loss, but the gain is very great. So our request is that here is a nice place. You assemble here. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and see the result. That is our request. And if you want to know more, if you don't believe that Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is powerful, if you want to know about this movement through science, philosophy, logic, we have got ample books. We have got already published at least twelve books, four hundred pages. You try to understand. If you want to understand this movement through science and philosophy, we are ready. But if you take it as a simple method, without any expenditure, without any loss, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Two sides. Any side you can accept. You will be benefited. That is our request. I don't wish to take much of your time, but our method is very simple, and your life will be sublime. There is no loss. The gain is very great. So if you like, you can take it.

Lecture -- San Francisco, June 28, 1971:

So nothing is bad; everything is good, if it is for developing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nothing is bad, because everything is creation of Kṛṣṇa. How it can be bad? It cannot be bad; it is good, provided we follow the rules and regulations. Everything is good. Therefore we are consult various śāstras. Nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau, vicāra. Vicāra means to study them with careful attention. Vicāra. Nana-śās... So these Gosvāmīs were studying many kinds of Vedic literatures. There are hundreds and thousands of Vedic literature—primarily four Vedas, Sama, Yajur, Atharva, Ṛg, Atharva. Then from the Vedas, there are supplementary Vedas, which are called Purāṇas, eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one of the Purāṇas, Mahā-Purāṇa. Then there is, there are Mahābhārata, "The Great History of India." Bhārata means India, and Mahā means greater, greater India. The greater India was the whole planet. The whole planet was Bhārata-varṣa. Now it is crippled. It has become a small tract of land. But originally everywhere, this portion of the world, America, it was also Bhārata-varṣa. Sapta-dvīpa, seven islands. Seven islands. Actually the whole planet is full of water—Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean. Full of water. And these are islands only—Asia, Europe, America. There are seven islands, sapta-dvīpa. The planet is sapta-dvīpa, seven full, comprising of seven islands. That is Bhārata-varṣa.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

Just like when you go to your office but you find the bus too much crowded. But you are not happy. Because the bus is too crowded, you have to stand, or very..., with difficulty you have to stand. You don't like that. But because you have to go to the office, you tolerate. You tolerate. "First my business is to go to office, attend at the time. What can be done? Let me suffer this." Similarly, if you are serious about your business, that seriousness can be understood in this human form of life. The animals cannot understand. The animals, they are taken to slaughterhouse, and one said... If one animal enters, all the animals will enter. They do not know. Even they know that "We are going to be slaughtered," they have no means to protest or to go out. If a human being is slaughtered in the street, then his relatives, his kinsmen, file suit and brings the man into law. So many facilities are there for a human being. But an animal, because it is animal, it has no facility. A cow is born in America, and a gentleman is born in America, but the state takes care of the gentleman, not of the cows. They say "national," "nationality." Why nationality is refused to the animals? Just like few days or few years ago the nationality was also awarded to the black man. This is nice. Why one section of humanity should be denied nationality? That was very nice. So similarly, if national means the living entity born in that land... That is natural. If a child, even of an Indian, if a child is born in your country he gets immediately the citizenship. That is the law. So the conclusion is that anyone who is born in this land, he gets nationality. But why we should refuse nationality to the poor animals? This is called ignorance. He is also... But we have made concoction, law, that "Animal has no soul." Why it is, it has no soul? What is the difference between you and animal? You eat; the animal eats. You sleep; the animal sleeps. You have sex life; the animal has sex life. You also try to defend yourself and the animal also tries to defend himself.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

That mahātmā which are..., who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, su-durlabhaḥ, it is very rare. To become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, koṭi (indistinct). Muktānām api siddhānām, koṭi (indistinct). That is the verdict of the śāstra. And Kṛṣṇa also said it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa Himself as Lord Sri Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is distributing Kṛṣṇa. He is distributing Himself. Therefore, it has become so easy that these foreigners, these Europeans and American boys, they are not very advanced in age, all young men. All my students and followers in Europe and America, they are ninety-nine percent all young men, young girls. They are not old, rejected persons. They are the flowers of the country. They have joined this movement, and they have taken it seriously. Seriously in this sense that whenever a body comes to me for becoming my disciple, my first principle is that you must give up illicit sex life. You must give up meat eating, fish eating, egg eating, all this nonsense. You must give up gambling. You must give up all kinds of intoxication up to the point of drinking coffee, tea, and smoking. They give up. Therefore, they have taken seriously. Why seriously? These young boys, they have got so many desires in their heart, still they are taking to it, it is Lord Caitanya's mercy.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are not manufacturing anything. We simply place it that here is Kṛṣṇa, you are searching after God.

When I first went to America, they were speaking that God is dead. Even church, in the church, the priest in the church, they were sermoning that God is dead. But when I began chanting in the Tompkinson Square alone underneath a tree, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, these boys and girls began to assemble. So next day there was a big publicity in a paper with my picture and all this crowd that they say that "We thought God is dead, but here we see the Swamiji has brought God again in his kīrtana, in his chanting." They admitted. The New York published in all their papers. So God cannot be dead. Not that everyone can be God. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

I thank you very much for your coming here and participating in this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is already there in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So in the morning we shall speak on the Bhagavad-gītā in Hindi, and in the evening we shall speak on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in English. Of course, in India there was no necessity of speaking in English, but at least once if I do not speak in English, all my disciples who have come from Europe and America, they will be bereft of hearing me. Therefore we have made this program: morning I shall speak in Hindi, and in the evening I shall speak in English.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

So the śāstra, especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, says that the human form of life is not meant for working so hard like the hogs and dogs simply for sense gratification. The modern civilization, the so-called economic development, what is the ultimate aim of life? The ultimate aim of life is sense gratification, that's all. I have traveled all over the world. Especially in the Western countries, they are simply after sense gratification. They have no other objective. In America, some rich man goes to Florida and spends $50,000 a week simply for seeing naked dance. That means they have no other information than sense gratification. Wine and woman, that's all. That is gradually being spread all over the world. In our country also, working day and night, whole day and night, but the objective is sense gratification.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Now, it is a question of believe or not believe. That is a different thing. We believe. We take it. Because it is said by Kṛṣṇa, we take it, accept it. And we apply our reason also, not blindly take it, that if I see that in every planet, in our this planet there is a president... Formerly, in this planet also, there was only one king, and he was ruling over all the planets. Gradually, people have divided their interests and become different nations. From Vedic history we can see... I understand... Somebody was telling me that in Australia also there is some Śiva temple here. Who was telling me that? He was telling me. So the archaeological investigation has found so many relics, and in the Vedic literature we also find the mention of all the island, sapta-dvīpa, seven islands. Seven islands means Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. These are mentioned already in the Vedic literature. So it is not that the world was not known to Vedic culture. It was fully known. And one king—he was that Mahārāja Pṛthu—he was the only one ruler all over the world, and he was ruling over these seven islands—that is mentioned-although his residential quarter was in the Brahmāvarta, the piece of land between the rivers Yamunā and Ganges. That tract of land is still considered a very sanctified land. Practically all the Vedic culture is there still. So the example is that as there is a chief man or king... He is also supposed to be God's representative. God gives power to somebody to look after the interest of the inhabitants of that particular planet. Similarly, there is a king in the sun planet. We may call him sun-god or something like, but there is a predominating personality. He has got his personal effulgence, body. Just like fire has got effulgence, heat and light, similarly, he is the fiery god or fiery person, and his effulgence is spread all over the universe.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

So it doesn't matter whether you are Christian or Hindu. People must be raised to God consciousness scientifically. Otherwise it is doomed. It is not progress. It is already doom. They are simply inviting war after few years. In America, in New York, there is United Nations. They are spending millions of dollars every month, but they cannot stop war. Simply the flag is increasing. That's all. Because it is godless. They may talk all big, big words in the assembly, but at heart they are all dishonest, politicians. And God consciousness means cleansed heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). "I am servant of God." That is wanted. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the definition given in Vedic literature, that "If anyone develops God consciousness, then all the good qualities will develop automatically. And you give him all kinds of education, but if he is godless, it is all useless." That is compared with decorating the dead body. Just like dead body. A dead body is decorated. So it may be a satisfaction for the relatives, but what is the use of it, decorating a dead body? Bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ japas tapaḥ kriyaḥ: "Great nationality, great work, great achievement, minus bhagavad-bhakti, God consciousness, is just like decorating the dead body." That's all.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Guest (8): Swamijī, something you said was the connection between the necessity for obedience to the state and necessity for their obedience to God. To take an example that occurs to many young man in this country, and I suppose in America, the question of military service arises where the state demands their absolute obedience, and many young people feels this clashes with their obedience to God. How do you advise people to resolve this sort of conflict?

Śyāmasundara: About the draft. If one has to obey the state and go to war, how is that the same as obeying God?

Prabhupāda: Well, God consciousness does not prohibit war, but it must be for the right cause. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā we see that the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā was given to Arjuna in the battlefield. And in the beginning Arjuna did not like to fight. He was a good, good man, religious man, devotee. Naturally, he was not inclined to fight with his relatives, kinsmen. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, the opposite side, they are all my brothers and nephews and fathers and grandfathers. So there is no use of fighting like this, to kill them and take the... Let... Let them enjoy." That was his conclusion. But Kṛṣṇa induced them, induced Arjuna, "No. This is the right cause. You must fight." So similarly, war is not always bad. Nothing is bad, nothing is good, unless it is used for God. That's it. Our philosophy is everything is good. God is all-good. So if He advises to fight, that is also good. But we shall depend on the discretion of God. If God wants us to fight, then we shall fight. If God wants us to stop fight, then we shall not fight. Because we are surrendered to God, so whatever God orders, we have to do. That's all. We don't say, "This is good; this is bad." Whatever God says, that is good. What God does not say, prohibit, that is bad. This is our conclusion.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

So it is not difficult. Anyone can deliver a letter to you. It does not require any educational qualification. Simply he must be honest not to alter the text of the letter according to the peon's whims. That much we are doing. Therefore I am representative. Try to under... And anyone can do this. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, I am the Supreme. There is no better, no more anyone superior than Me." That's all right. We accept that. Now, you can say "How we accept?" I accept because it is Vedic injunction. That is the process of Vedic injunction: you have to accept without argument. Just like for practical life I will say some examples, that cow dung. In India cow dung is accepted as very pure. So in one place of the Vedic injunction you will find that "Any stool of animal is impure." That's a fact. Everyone knows. Even your own stool, what to speak of other animals'—impure. But in another place says, "Exception is given to the cow's stool, cow dung. That is pure." It is so pure that if you apply on some impure place, it becomes pure. That's a fact. In India still, especially in villages, they mop the floor with cow dung, and it is so nice and so fresh. You can try. Here also there are cows. You take cow dung and you can see how it is antiseptic. We are actually doing in America in our New Vrindaban. We are maintaining cows there, protecting cows, because cow protection is one of the items for Kṛṣṇa consciousness people.

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

The blazing fire of material existence, I was just talking this morning our Swami Hanumān Goswāmī. He was speaking that at the present moment there is a movement amongst the younger section to commit suicide. Why? Why younger section are feeling such frustration and confused in spite of so much educational institution? In your Western country there is no question of poverty. You are all well-to-do, especially... I have extensively traveled over America and Europe, especially America. They are very opulent. I have traveled in Australia and come to your country, New Zealand. So far material necessities are concerned, you are all well-to-do. So why this question of frustration as Swami Goswami Hanuman Prasāda was thinking? Now the younger generation are after suicide. I do not know if this is fact. There is some dearth. So many things are. So actually, there is no cause of frustration. There is very good news for jubilation. That is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't be frustrated. Try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how it is scientific, how it is authorized, how it is old, and how it is accepted by great ācāryas, great stalwart learned scholars, and how it is treated by the learned section of all over the world. So our request is that younger section may not feel confused and frustration. There is very nice hope. Those who are taking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mostly they are younger section. Now ask them how much hopeful they are, how much jubilant they are.

Lecture -- Tokyo, April 29, 1972, (with interpreter):

So I am very glad that you are joining with this movement, and the more you come to us and chant with us and dance with us, your spiritual life will be invoked. That spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there in everyone's heart, dormant. It has simply to be awakened. Just like the European and American boys who have come to your country, four years ago they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. So now they are dancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that we have bribed them to dance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness has been awakened. Similarly, this same Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there within your heart. It doesn't matter whether you are Indian or Japanese or European. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart. By this process it can be awakened. And as soon as it is awakened... It is practically proved. When you are here, you are dancing in ecstasy. That means it is being awakened. So simply by trying to understand, or simply by coming here and joining this chanting and dancing and taking little prasādam, gradually your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, also will be awakened. So chanting, dancing, and taking prasādam are universal formula, and we have experienced everywhere in the world. In Europe, America, Australia, Africa, Canada, in Japan—everywhere it is being proved that simply by chanting, dancing, and taking prasādam, everyone is coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there is a great need of awakening this Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world because people, being lost of this consciousness, are creating only problems of life. So I thank you very much for your coming here and taking part with this festival.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement—important in this sense, that we are educating people without any discrimination about Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. And actually, as we understand from the Bhagavad-gītā, if we simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa says, that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām... (BG 7.3). It is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, Kṛṣṇa is understandable if we simply follow the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. Actually there are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world, about six hundred, seven hundred in America, in Japan, in England. I have seen so many editions, English editions, what to speak of other language editions. So anyway, the malinterpretation is going on. We have, therefore, published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any malinterpretation. Our business is to present Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We say that, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What Kṛṣṇa says Himself, we simply carry the message. That's all. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just always think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "just become My devotee," and man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, "just worship Me and offer your respectful obeisances unto Me. In this way you shall come back to Me." So we are teaching that, that... We are teaching our students that "Always think of Kṛṣṇa." Smārtavyaṁ satato viṣṇuḥ. Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, the same category.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

You cannot lord it over. The Lord is Kṛṣṇa, but we are trying to be lord. And the endeavor, the labor which we are giving incessantly, that we are thinking happiness. The nature, the material nature, is putting stumbling block every time. That, to overcome the impediments offered by the material nature and our trial for overcoming that stumbling block, that is our endeavor. And we are thinking this is happiness. Just like you are making one high road and there is, material nature is offering a big hill, a big mountain before you. Now you have to make tunnel. You have to call for dynamite and try to penetrate through the hill. That struggle is known as advancement of material condition. That you cannot. In America and other materialistic countries we see—here also, in Japan—they are laying down one kind of road for plying their motorcars. After some years it becomes a problem—another flyway, another flyway. So this is going on. This is called struggle for existence. We are trying to conquer over the stringent laws of material nature, and that labor, that useless spoiling our life, we are thinking that we are..., this is happiness. This is called māyā. We are actually giving service to the māyā instead of giving service to Kṛṣṇa. This is illusion.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

In this material world, those who are pious—that means whose past background is pious life—they get these opportunities, birth in good family, in good nation. Therefore I say so many times that you American people, your birth in a rich nation, your beauty, these are the result of your past pious activities. Attractive. These are attractiveness. You are attractive, the American nation. All over the world. Why? Due to this. You are advanced in scientific knowledge. You are advanced in riches. You are advanced in beauty. So these are the opulences. So this planet is an insignificant planet within this universe and within this planet, say, America is one country. And in that country, if there are so many attractive features, just imagine how much attractive feature must be there in God, who is the creator of the whole cosmic manifestation. How much He must be beautiful, who has created all beauties. Then aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śriyaḥ means beauty. Jñāna, and knowledge. If one man is perfectly advanced in knowledge, he's attractive. Some scientist, some philosophers, because they give nice knowledge, they're attractive. And Kṛṣṇa's knowledge, they're described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. You can study. You are studying. Now we are presenting in English translation sublime knowledge. There is no comparison in the world. And at the same time, vairāgya, renouncement.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1972:

This is the secret. People are trying to bring in peace and prosperity in the world by so many activities—philanthropism, altruism, nationalism, socialism. And so-called religion also, they are trying to bring in. The whole idea is the human society should remain in peace and prosperity. And the vivid example is the United Nations in your country. America invited all nations that "Let us form a community of United Nations," but the America herself is fighting. You see? Because the idea was there to unite, but they do not know the basic principle, how to unite. That is the defect. There is a church in the United Nations, and we tried to get a room there for making our propaganda. The church unity denied to give us. So their crippled mind is not expanded. Sa mahātmā... Mahātmā means broad-minded. Su-durlabhaḥ. So mahātmā, unless one becomes nonenvious, mahātmā, there is no question of so-called unity or fraternity. These are all false propaganda. It is not possible. But they will stick to that proposition, that "We have got this..." For the last twenty years... Why twenty years? More than twenty years. When this United Nations was started?

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

So I came to your country. Your country is very nice country, America. I heard it from India. So I decided to come here because I heard that your country's very nice. And when I came here, I saw actually your country is very nice. Your cities, your buildings, your men also... Because mostly my students, they are Americans, and they help me very kindly to push on this movement. So I have studied the American life, very nice. They have good heart. So only thing is wanted—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For want of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, despite your all opulences, you are becoming confused and frustrated. I hear that out of three, one man is a patient of a psychiatrist. Why? Why you are unhappy? Why you should be unhappy? You have got everything—enough food, enough land, enough money, enough intelligence. Why you should be unhappy? The cause you should try to find out. The cause is that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without God consciousness, nobody can be happy. That is the cause. So my request is that this movement is started from America, from New York. In 1966 I registered this movement, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, and since then, we are spreading. In your country, we have got about fifty branches, all over the country, America. And we have got other branches also, about fifty, in Europe, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, in Japan. In India also. India, of course, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is known since a very, very long time. At least, everyone in India knows what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he may not be seriously engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but even a street man, a street boy, knows what is Kṛṣṇa. In your country, this, this movement is started since 1966, but in '67 I was sick.

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

We have divided God's land: "This is America. This is India. This is Germany. This is England." But after all, this is our given name. This planet especially... Not only this planet, all other planets, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-loka-maheśvaram: He's the proprietor. Formerly, five thousand years ago, this planet was being governed by Kṛṣṇa's representative, Mahārāja Parīkṣit. That is actually life. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all planets, and one should be Kṛṣṇa's representative to rule over the planet. That is Vedic system. There cannot be any king or emperor who is not representative of God. It is the duty of the representative of God to take charge of a planet and educate the persons, the citizens, into God consciousness. That is Vedic way of life. Not that the chief executive or the government simply levies taxes from the citizens and let them go to hell. This is not good government. The government must be responsible for the uplift of the citizens to the spiritual life. That is real government.

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

So "Who are you, that you are killing cow in my kingdom?" So formerly, when the whole world was under the one king of the Pāṇḍavas, just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, there was equal protection for the animals and the man. Not that man should be given protection by law, and not the animals. The animals, they're also national. What is the meaning of "national"? One who is born in that land. Suppose you are American. You are born in this land of America; therefore you are American national. Why not the cats and the dogs and the cows? They are also national. So this is injustice, that to give protection to the human kind and to send the animals to the slaughterhouse. This, this inequality, discrimination between man and animal is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one becomes actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, he does not make such distinction that a man should be given protection and the animal should be killed. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a, a spiritual movement. It is reformatory movement, inclusive all sides of life. Don't think that we are simply chanting and dancing. Our philosophy includes all different activities of humankind, either it may be religious or political or social or cultural. Anything. Industrial—everything. So my request is that this movement was started in your country, and these American boys and girls, they have taken it seriously. So kindly cooperate with this movement, and you'll be happy. That is my request.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (pause) Kīrtana. (end)

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

So there are different kinds of dharmas, faith. But what is real dharma, real religion? Real religion is, as described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Real religion is the codes which is given by God. Just like you may have some by-laws in your office or in your home, but there is state law. That you cannot, I mean to say, disobey, state law. Just like in your country the state law is that "Keep to the left." In America the state law is "Keep to the right." So here we have to obey. If you drive your car, keep to the left. You cannot disobey. You cannot say, "I am American. I go in my country on the right. Why shall I drive on the left?" No. Because it is the state law you must obey. Similarly, dharma is such a thing that you cannot disobey. You must obey because it is the codes given by God. If you are so much respectful to the laws of the state, how much respectful you should be to obey the laws given by God.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

Just like if you are in touch with fire you will get yourself warmer and warmer and warmer, and at last you'll get red fire. Similarly, if we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, then we advance spiritually, and then we become completely spiritualized, our original Brahman. This is the process. Simple process. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll gradually develop your spiritual consciousness. That is actually happening. It is not story. You can see practically how they are spiritually advancing. So why not experiment yourself? What is the loss? If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, is there any loss? Tell me, is there any loss? But why don't you do it? Why not make a try? Instead of arguing, you see practically what is happening. They are of different civilization, different culture. How they are developing their Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How it is possible? Simply by chanting. This is practical. Throughout the whole world—in Africa, in America, in Canada, everywhere. So this is very simple process. But people will waste their time by arguing. Why not make an experiment and see what is the result? That is our propaganda. (end)

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

So there are so many things, problems of our life; we are neglecting. And everything is very clearly described in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is being, explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. We should take advantage of these lessons in the Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, in the foreign countries, before me, many other swamis went, tried to explain Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is very well known book of knowledge. In America and Europe and other countries there are many translations. But the Bhagavad-gītā, such translation is taken as a mental speculation. They do not take it seriously that this, "This is the statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it cannot be commented with my poor knowledge. What I am in comparison to Kṛṣṇa? He is tri-kāla-jña. He knows present, past, future, everything. What do I know? So my interpretation..." Just like "Kurukṣetra means this body," or "The five Pāṇḍavas means the five senses." If we interpret in that way, Bhagavad-gītā, according to our whims, we'll never understand what is the purport of Bhagavad-gītā. We have to learn Bhagavad-gītā as it is; otherwise, we'll miss the opportunity. Just like Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is still there, existing. Everyone, you know. While passing through Delhi to Punjab side you find the Kurukṣetra. The, the field is also there.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

So if we try to follow the already perfect statements in the śāstras, and if we apply in the, our practical life, then the whole human society will be perfect. Otherwise, if we do not follow the instruction which is perfect, already there in the śāstras—we manufacture or concoction—the social order will never be perfect and there will be always a confusion. And that is going on. I have seen. I have traveled all over the world, especially in America. They're the richest country, but there is a confusion now. The younger section, they do not like to live like their father or grandfather. They want a different body, different life. They, they are joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because they are in search of such thing, perfect thing. They are fed up with this materialistic way of life. Therefore... It is not that I am playing something magic; it is the need of the present-day situation, present-day civilization, that people want Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual advancement. So if we can administer the spiritual advancement of life in the proper way, as they are in our Vedic literatures, so we can contribute greatest contribution to the world, and that will glorify India's name. If we simply imitate them, or beg from them, then India's position is always remain as beggar. Because we are already known: "The nation of beggars." Because our ministers go there to ask, "Please give me this. Please give me this. Please give me." Nothing to contribute. Here is a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We can contribute to the whole world. Please help this movement.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

We are all souls, living entities; similarly, God is also a living entity. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the supreme living entity. Just like we have got leader—in every society, in every country. Just like in our country we have got the president, the chief Indian. Or in America, Mr. Nixon, the chief Indian, uh, chief American. Similarly, there must be one chief, leader of the whole creation, and that is Kṛṣṇa. There must be. By logical conclusion, there must be a leader. That is... That indication we get from Bhagavad, yes, Vedas, Kaṭhopaniṣad: nityo nityānām. Who is God? God means the chief of all living entities. It is not very difficult to understand. Just like in order to manage the whole government, we require a chief man. In order to manage a big establishment, we require a chief man. So why not this cosmic manifestation, the whole cosmic, cosmology. Why not a chief person? That we do not know. Still, we are passing on as advancement of education. That we do not know, who is the chief.

University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

So our task is very easy. Everything is there. Our Vedic literature is so full, so treasure of knowledge, great treasure of knowledge, we haven't got to make research, search out where is the truth. Truth is there and is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Why don't you take it? The whole world is suffering for want of this knowledge. Before me, many swamis went in the Western countries, but they did not give the actual pure Vedic culture. They invented their own ways. Therefore it was not very fruitive. It was not very satisfactory. People did not accept. Still there are so many yogis, the so-called yogis, are going there, exploiting the people, and coming back. But our Kṛṣṇa philosophy is taken very seriously in the Western countries. We have got now hundred and two branches all over the world. Only in America, we have got fifty branches. And other countries they have got fifty-two branches—in America, in Canada, in England, in France, in Germany, in Switzerland, in Japan, in Australia, in New Zealand. All over the world. So now we want some of the young men to come forward to become really brāhmaṇas, Vaiṣṇavas. Our Vedic culture is divided into four varṇas: brāhmaṇa kṣatriya vaiśya śūdra. Unfortunately we are simply manufacturing śūdras, not brāhmaṇas. That is the defect of modern education.

University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

So I have come to this university with a hope that some of you become really brāhmaṇa. The Sanskrit department is meant for brāhmaṇas. Paṭhan pāṭhan yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. A brāhmaṇa is called paṇḍita. Why? Because a brāhmaṇa must be learned. Brāhmaṇa is not called a fool. So this department, Sanskrit department, is meant for the brāhmaṇas. So I wish that some of you must join this movement, go to the foreign countries, preach this sublime cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) There is great need. We have, of course, established so many temples, but still we require to establish temples, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temples, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's temple, in every village, every town of the world. Now from each and every of our centers, we are sending devotees in buses. They are going interior, into the villages of Europe and America, and they are very much well received. England especially, they are going village to village. They are very much well received. This cult is so nice. Even Christian priests, they are surprised. They are surprised. One of the priest in Boston, he issued pamphlet that "These boys, they're our boys, from Christian and Jews. Before this movement, they did not care to come to the churches even. Now they are mad after God." They are admitting.

Lecture Excerpt -- Jakarta, February 25, 1973:

...all politicians, let them come, study. (break) ...this is not a movement sentimental. No. It is scientific. (indistinct) ...Christian, anyone, because it is science. Automatic, "Two plus two equal to four." It is four for everyone. Not that because one is Muhammadan it will be five, or because one is Christian it will be three. No. "Two plus two equal to four." Just like (indistinct). Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will be efficient for everyone if he studies impartially. Otherwise, how in the Western world the Americans—they are not foolish people, all these young men; they are qualified, educated—they're accepting this movement very seriously? I have got many branches almost in every city in America now. Similarly, in Europe. Why not here? Simply I invite all the intelligent class of men to understand. Take one of our books. We have given not only one Bhagavad-gītā... (indistinct) means (indistinct). Anyone can take part (indistinct) illiterate, literate, rich, poor—anyone. But if anyone is proud of his education, let him come and study our books, understand this philosophy, and I'm sure he'll find (indistinct) satisfying. Don't take it as something sentimental, religious (indistinct). It is a scientific, educational movement. Take it in that (indistinct), and you'll be profited.

Thank you very much. (applause) (break) (kīrtana) (end)

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

So we are opening centers all over the world. In America we have got about fifty centers, and in your Europe we have got about half a dozen or more than, dozen centers, including France, Germany, Amsterdam, England, and Ireland, Scotland. So this is a new center opened by us. This house has been very kindly given to us by George Harrison. He is a nice boy. He is taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So you have got good facilities now to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So we shall simply request you to take advantage of this center. We are not charging anything. You haven't got to pay anything. If you come in the morning and take part with us, we hold class. We are engaged twenty-four hours in this temple, but especially we hold class in the morning from seven to eight, and other classes, ārātrika also. We perform six times ārātrika, bhoga. We have got twenty-four hours engagement. So at any time you can come. We have got books. Our program is for publishing sixty books. Now we have already published about twenty books, big, big books, four hundred pages. So if you understand, if you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science, and good logic, argument, we have got sufficient stock to convince you how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is important. But suppose you are not interested in reading or you cannot read, cannot understand philosophy, we have got a very simple method: chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

The spiritual master's duty is to engage the disciples in Deity worship, śrī-vigraha. Śrī-vigraha. In our centers, all centers... We have got about..., more than one hundred centers all over the world. We have got the method of Deity worship. Here we have not yet established, but we worship the picture of Lord Caitanya and guru. But in other centers... In London, we have got two centers, two temples. In America we have got about forty centers. In this way, in each and every center, there is Deity worship. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā: to worship the Deity, to dress the Deity very nicely; to cleanse the temple very nicely; to offer nice foodstuff to the Deity and accept the remnants of the foodstuff as our eating. In this way, there is method of Deity worship. The Deity worship is done by guru himself, and he engages the disciple also in that business. This is the third symptom. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mār janādau, yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi. Not that he is not engaged. He is also engaged. His disciples are engaged. He's always showing, "Do like that. Do like that. Do like that." Or sometimes, if he cannot, the guru shows how to do it. That is the business of guru.

Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:

So actually, if we are interested in mānava-dharma, we should take instruction from the authorities. Don't try to manufacture dharma. That is not possible. You cannot manufacture. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣāt bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma means the codes given by God. That is dharma. Just like law means given by the state. You cannot manufacture law at your home. That is not possible. Nobody will care for that. Nobody will care for that. Just like on the street we have got the law, "Keep to the left." So if you say, "Why not go to the right?" you will be immediately arrested. You are criminal, because it is law by the state. By your consideration, where is the difference between going... In some countries, in England... England is "Keep to the left," India. America is "Keep to the right." So this may be changed in different countries and different laws, but law means which is given by the state. Similarly, dharma means which is given by God. You cannot manufacture dharma. That will not be applicable. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that "I descend." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). What is that glāniḥ? When one forgets Kṛṣṇa, or God, and manufacture his own religion, paśu-dharma, he cannot be happy. That is not possible.

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

So we are all very fortunate that different nations, from different parts of the world, are now combined together in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Some of you, you have come from Europe: England, France, Germany, Holland, Rome. Similarly, you have come from America: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco; Canada: Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver; Africa: Nairobi, South Africa. So it is very good example that you have come from different parts of the world to join in the Saṅkīrtana movement. That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagāradi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

He said that all over the world, as many towns and villages are there, the name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be known. So His prediction was never to be foiled. So by His grace it is now becoming fulfilled. This is the real platform of United Nations. They are trying for United Nations, working for the last thirty years, but they have not been successful, neither they will ever be successful. That is our prediction. Yes. They'll never be successful.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

If we actually follow the Vedic injunction, it is very simple thing. The whole idea is that everything belongs to God. Actually, that's a fact. This is the... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything be... Now this United Nations, they're trying to be united, but actually, in the heart, they have got this, "This is my land," "This is my land." The American thinking, "This is my land." The German thinking, "Oh, it is my land." Indians thinking, "My land." Actually, there is no knowledge. Every land belongs to God. But they cannot come to this conclusion because they are godless, without any God consciousness. Actually, that's a fact. Just as the America, two hundred years ago, this land did not belong to the Americans. It was there already. So to whom it belonged? Similarly, everything... This is the statement of the Vedas: īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). If we accept this, if the United Nations makes this resolution, that "From this date, let us dissolve this so-called nationality, accept this whole planet belonging to us, all the human beings, all the animals, all the birds, beasts, trees, as they are on this planet," if we accept this philosophy, there is no question of chaotic condition of the society. Actually, that is the fact. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that whatever there is, property, on the land, on the sky, or on the water, anywhere, everything belongs to God.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Yes. I think it will bring revolution because the American and European young men, they have taken into hand. I have introduced to them. So I hope the European and American boys, they're very intelligent, and they take anything very seriously. So that... Now we are working for a few years, five, six years. Still, we have spread the movement all over the world. So I am requesting... I am old man. I will die. If they take it seriously, it will go on, and there will be revolution. Because we are not working whimsically, capriciously. We are taking authoritative version from the śāstra. And we are... Our program is to publish at least one hundred books of this size. There are so many information. They can read all these books and take information. And we are now being received. In America especially, the higher circle, in colleges and universities, they are reading now these books, and they are appreciating. So we are trying our best, introducing the literature, practically working, instructing, as far as possible. But I think if the, these boys, young boys, take it very seriously, it will bring revolution.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

The facility of this life, of this form of life, is given to us just to understand God. Other forms of life, cats and dogs, trees and so many other things... There are 8,400,000 forms of life. So in other forms of life it is not possible to understand what is God. If we call all the dogs of your country, "Come here. We shall talk about God," no, there is no possibility of understanding. But in the human form of life there is possibility. It doesn't matter whether it is in India or America or Australia. Any human being, if he tries and if he reads the scriptures—never mind, Bible, Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata—then he will understand God. Therefore this life, human form of life, is only meant for understanding God. If we divert our attention to any other business, that means we are spoiling our energy. Because what are the activities? That... Everyone is active for sleeping, eating, having sexual intercourse and defending. So these things are present even cats and dogs. They also eat, they also sleep, they also have propensity for sex intercourse and they also defend, in their own way. So if human life is also spoiled only on these activities, then you are missing the chance. Human activities should be to understand God or the Absolute Truth. That is the philosophy of Vedānta philosophy. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Vedānta. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching was to distribute love of God. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Because this human life is specially meant for understanding what is God and loving Him. That's all. This is the only business. The cats and dogs or other lower animals, if you preach to them Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not possible. They will not understand. But human being... Just like our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being spread all over the world, and you can see here also in your country, in America, in Europe, they are all understanding. That is the special advantage of human life. One Christian priest in Boston, he was astonished by seeing our devotees. He issued one leaflet that "These boys are our boys, and before this movement they did not care to see us or come to the church, and now they are mad after God." This is the certificate of a Christian priest. And actually you can see. These boys... I am poor Indian. I came with forty rupees. And I have not bribed them; neither I have got that money. (laughter) But how they are mad after God. It is practical. Now you bribe them and take away—they will not go. They will not go. Many fathers, mothers came to induce them to take home, but they are not going. So what is the intoxication? This is the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

And Kṛṣṇa said, God says, "One who is completely freed from sinful life, he can take to devotional service." So therefore we have prescribed four principles, regulative principles: No illicit sex. We don't say "No sex." No illicit sex. No meat-eating. There are so many things, nice things, especially in your country, America, so many nice fruits, so many nice grains, milk. Why should you kill? We are not. We have got hundreds of centers. We are strictly following. And you have taken our prasādam feast. How delicious they are. So why they should kill? The argument is sometimes offered: "The vegetable has got life." Yes, we admit also. But our process is to take the prasādam. Prasādam means we offer foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa and after eating, whatever He left, we take that. This is our principle. We don't take directly. What is the meaning of this temple? We don't use anything directly unless it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. So the vegetable has got life, but Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). We have invited Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as our guest, and He has consented to come here. So we must offer foodstuff, what He wants, not that according to my whims. That is not etiquette. If some respectable guest comes to your house, you ask him, "What shall you eat, sir? What kind of food I can give you?" So whatever he orders, you have to supply. That is real receiving the guest.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 20, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important, and there is practical result, that you introduce this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, not with offense, then the world situation will improve very much. That's a fact. And it is being actually enacted in the present position. We are sending our men from village to village in Europe and America. We have introduced. We are taking advantage of the modern facilities. We are using this microphone for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we are using nice buses, cars and wagons to go to village to village and distribute book and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. One of the leaders is present here, Śrīman Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī. He is going. He is controlling about one dozen buses. And here is Haṁsadūta also. He is doing the same in Germany. So we have introduced this as Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Throughout the whole world, as many villages and towns are there, this saṅkīrtana movement should be introduced. And especially in India, because if in India the people are generally Kṛṣṇa conscious. By artificial means they are trying to forget. This is the position. This should be stopped. They have got natural tendency for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 20, 1975:

I invite you to come to our different centers in Europe and America, how they are chanting, dancing before the Deity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Recently I had been to Atlanta for the first time. But the boys and the girls there, they have taken three big, big houses. The middle house has been transformed into temple. How nicely they are chanting and dancing. You will be surprised if you go. So this movement is undoubtedly increasing in the foreign countries, and why not in our country? So the government, the leaders and the guardians, they should deeply contemplate on the serious nature of this movement and help us. Now we are bringing men from the foreign countries to preach. How long I shall bring? If we want to spread this movement all over India very seriously, then we invite educated, intellectual young men to come forward to study this movement. It is not blind; we have got books. We have already published about fifty books on this movement.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975:

There is authoritative statements in all the śāstras, but if we do not care for śāstra and sādhu and devotees, we manufacture our own way of life, that is different things. We have nothing to speak about that. On the whole, I am very much thankful to Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī that he has come, taking so much trouble. He is old man. And he has advised you that you stick to bhakti principle, and that will make your life successful. You have come so far, distant place, in Vṛndāvana, from America, Australia, Africa, spending so much money. So... Of course, there is no consideration of material profit and loss. But your anxiety, laulyam, that will make you successful in receiving the mercy, unalloyed mercy of Kṛṣṇa. So you have nothing to be disappointed. You go on with your prescribed duties, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and observe the rules and regulations as they have been given to you. Chant your numerical strength of beads and your life will be successful.

Speech to Devotees -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

We don't make any compromise. Therefore we have especially meant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to follow what Kṛṣṇa says. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Ei deśa. Wherever you are, it doesn't matter. Either you are in India or in America or France or anywhere, any deśa, or any country, wherever you are, just try to deliver them. Because guru's business is to deliver the fallen souls.

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka

trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam

prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Guru's business is not to exploit the śiṣya. It is the business, how to deliver. So who can deliver? Who is actually guru in the paramparā system? Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So we have to take the authority of become guru from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. Within five hundred years His order is that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You cannot become guru all of a sudden. You must take order from Me." He is jagad-guru. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says you, all of you, to become guru and deliver. Because there are so many innumerable fallen souls in this age-mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10)—we require hundreds and thousands of gurus. But not cheaters. This is the time when requires hundreds and thousands of gurus. But who will become guru? That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's injunction, āmāra ājñāya: "By My order you become guru. Don't be all of a sudden guru. Become guru on My order."

Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

Indian man (1): The method may be, they may think maybe that it is too strong for people here to accept.

Prabhupāda: No, strong, (Hindi) Jaya, Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (2): Many of them think we're fanatical Western countries.

Prabhupāda: Many? (Hindi)

Devotee (2): I don't speak Hindi. I'm from South America, British Guinea.

Prabhupāda: So what is the reason the Indians are not coming in large numbers? They are coming, some.

Indian man (1): I think they are too much in māyā. (laughter)

Indian man (2): They want to be Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (1): Everybody wants to be Kṛṣṇa themselves.

Prabhupāda: Rascal. (laughter) Everyone wants to become a rascal. Don't be that.

Indian man (1): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) This is not good. Everyone wants to become Kṛṣṇa.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So we can see that actually Śrīla Prabhupāda has in almost a hundred centers and āśramas throughout the world, this has been established in less than ten years. One gentleman recently was saying, one respectable gentleman was saying, "I do not see how this society has spread all over the world (indistinct)." And I explained to him what we have done already has been in ten years. Just imagine twenty, thirty, forty years, like that. He was so surprised to see that actually in ten years alone all this has been accomplished. And revealing Kṛṣṇa's (indistinct) Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda's books are now printed in almost fifteen languages around the world and distributed in millions every year. The United States and Europe, South America and Africa, the Mediterranean, every country in the world is now benedicted by Śrīla Prabhupāda's translations. So that purpose he has kept. "To bring the members of the Society closer together in (indistinct) ...society based on love and trust." (indistinct) ...past bad activities and bad habits we have actually become more and more trusting between ourselves because we have banded together to help Śrīla Prabhupāda push this movement. We have to base our relationships with each other on love and trust; otherwise this would never happen. I've seen personally so many people gathered together under one roof who would never speak to each other in the material world, who would never even see each other, who would never (indistinct). But in Kṛṣṇa consciousness all these things are forgotten because there's a common denominator, Kṛṣṇa, and everyone's (indistinct) together in love and trust.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa conscious person are no more interested. Why not interested? They are disgusted. Why disgusted? No, because it is full of danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Here everything appears to be very nice, but every step there is danger. So the Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows it, that although it is decorated very nicely. The New York is a big city. Twenty-four hours, "dungdungdungdungdungdung-guggugguggugguggug"—fire, always fire. Every minute there is a fire case. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's description of this material world as blazing fire... We see big, big cities in America, always in blazing fire. Still, they like this kind of life. But one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are no more interested, no more interested. They are interested back home, back to Godhead. Back to Godhead. Therefore our magazine is Back to Godhead. They are no more interested in front. They are going back to... (laughter) Therefore this name was given, Back to Godhead. They are trying: "No more we are so foolish. To go forward, material civilization..." And where you'll go? You are packed up within this universal atmosphere. Just like they are running for the moon planet, for the Mars planet. And where the rascals running, they'll come back.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- London, July 25, 1976:

Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Therefore we have to become very, very careful. This life I maybe born in big nation, America, or English nation or some other nation or family, but if I create a mentality of cats and dogs or if I do not take advantage of this human form of life—I remain dull as the trees or the animals—then next life we have to accept a similar body. This is the law of nature. You can say or I can say that "I do not believe in the next life," but that is not the fact. The fact is... Just like if a child says, "I do not believe the next stage or next life, to become a boy," or if a boy says that "I don't believe next stage, to become a young man," so a young man says, "I do not believe that I shall become an old man," that is concoction. The nature's law will drag him, one after another. Similarly, the old man's body, when it is finished, you'll have to accept another body according to your mentality at the time of death. This is the law of nature.

Excerpt of Speech at Fire Yajna with South Indian Brahmanas -- Hyderabad, August 16, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa wants welfare of the whole universe. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He comes personally. So we are trying to establish this brahminical culture, go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. You'll be very much pleased that in a country where go-hatyā is so prominent, now we have established so many farms in Europe and America. We shall show the pictures how we are giving protection to the cows and how we are trying to revive this brahminical culture all over the world. And they are accepting. It is not that they are rejecting. You can see the presence of so many European and American devotees here. And they are very sincere. They are not superficial. They are very sincere. Their countrymen, the priests, the Christian priests, the Jewish priests, priests, they become surprised that "These young boys, they never cared for any religion or they never cared to come to the church or the synagogue. How they have become so much interested in understanding God as to become a devotee?"

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

This Bhagavad-gītā is recorded in the greater Indian history, Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means greater India or greater Bhārata. Greater Bhārata means the whole planet was formerly Bhāratavarṣa. Now it is cut into pieces. Recently we have got experience that Pakistan was also India. Now it is cut out. Similarly, this Bhārata... Bhārata means... Bhāratavarṣa means the sapta-samudra, sapta-dvīpa. This sapta-dvīpa still accepted—the North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia. In this way there are sapta-dvīpa, islands. So that is Bhārata. Now it is cut off under different circumstances. And the capital was this New Delhi or Hastināpura, and the kings, emperors, were the Pāṇḍavas family. So this is the history of greater India. That is called Mahābhārata. So Mahābhārata... In the Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā is set up, and the writer of Mahābhārata is Vyāsadeva himself, and therefore the recorder of the speech, what Kṛṣṇa said in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, is also Vyāsadeva. So Vyāsadeva, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, he says everywhere, bhagavān uvāca. He never says that "I am writing." He says, bhagavān uvāca. That you'll mark, those who have read Bhagavad-gītā. (break) ...tac chṛṇu. Then you'll understand Bhagavān without any doubt and in completeness.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 19, 1977:

You say yes. (laughter) So, of course, English is international language, and because we are speaking in English, publishing in English, it has been possible to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the whole world. (Bengali) (Gaura-Govinda translates) So we have first of all presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is in English. Now it is being translated practically in all the languages of the world. (translated throughout) Our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is has been translated in all the European languages, namely French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, in this way, in Europe. Whole America speaks in English. Whole Australia speaks in English. Besides that, in Asia, Chinese language and Japanese language, they have all translated.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Pradyumna: You write in Bhagavad-gītā that by using something in Kṛṣṇa's service it regains it's spiritual qualities.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it. We have to see how you can becomes Ganges water. Why you give importance to the Ganges water? Because it is flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. So anything comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, it will be Ganges water. Just like we are offering water, generally in India the Ganges water is used for worshiping. Then the worshiping of Kṛṣṇa will stop here in America? Does it mean so? We create Ganges water. As soon as it is touched with Kṛṣṇa, it is Ganges water.

Pradyumna: Yes, but someone, still who doesn't know, if he comes...

Prabhupāda: If someone does not know, one who does not know we are not talking about. This is the issue, that, why Ganges water is important. Because it is flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa. That means touching the toe of Kṛṣṇa makes Ganges water important. So, any water when it touches Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet it becomes Ganges water. This is logic. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another. Is it not?

Pradyumna: So you use something material in Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

Prabhupāda: If you have got material idea, then it will... (break) ...so the fire makes it warm, warm, hot, red hot. When it is red hot, you cannot say it is iron, it is actually burning. You touch that red hot iron, you know it is iron rod but it is acting as fire. Similarly, when everything is acting for Kṛṣṇa's (indistinct). It has no other business. Just like in this dictaphone and all these things, you don't use for any other purpose, therefore it is spiritual. Prachurja(?), it is called prachurja. Prachurja means this original function is stopped. That gold. Just like this is wooden, but if you cover it with gold plate, everyone will say, "Golden." (indistinct). It is called prachurja. That means his wooden quality is covered. Therefore it is gold. And another is that when it is completely made of gold. So both ways it is gold. Both ways. Prachurja te and (indistinct), you transform gold into table or you cover it with only gold, they are both ways (indistinct) golden.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: So Hegel glorifies this war, he says, "There is an ethical element in war."

Prabhupāda: No, war, we also say dharma-yuddha, dharma-yuddha. Just like battle of Kurukṣetra is concluded by Sañjaya that, what is that? Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78). Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ, he said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, "My dear sir, I think the side on which Kṛṣṇa is there, he'll be victorious." So actually even there is war, the party who is God conscious, they"ll be victorious. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ. What is that verse? Eh?

Śyāmasundara: What about between America and Germany, for instance? Neither one of them were God conscious.

Prabhupāda: Then it is demonic. This is not justified war, this is where two demons, we fight, just like cats and dogs fight. That's all. But there is, according to Vedic literature, yuddha, dharma-yuddha.

Kīrtanānanda: What does that mean?

Prabhupāda: Dharma-yuddha, on behalf of supreme God, that is called dharma-yuddha. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, they are not for fighting, but Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I am on your side, you fight." That is dharma-yuddha. And therefore Arjuna became victorious because God was on his side. That is dharma-yuddha. So if you declare war on the principle of God consciousness, that war is justified and you will become victorious. This is the conclusion.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the dominant nation in any epoch represents the dominant phase of the absolute idea during that time. Just like now America is the dominant nation in the world so that the dominant phase of the truth is being expressed through America.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Mr. Nixon supported Pakistan. (laughter) Everyone knew, all other nations knew that this Pakistan is creating havoc, genocide, they're killing innocent men in Bangladesh, and Nixon, Mr. Nixon publicly supported. And still he is angry about India because India is the richest country. He has withdrawn all help. So he is supporter of mischievous activities.

Śyāmasundara: Just like before, the British were the dominant nation and then again some other country would be the dominant nation, he says that this dominant nation expresses at the time what the, the absolute truth expressing itself in time.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the dominant nation is, it is connected with the absolute truth that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago, the king of Hastināpur, they were dominating the whole world. Because Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira were actually representing God, therefore their domination was possible. Now, that being lost, there are so many small states, they are not God conscious, therefore fighting each other, that's all, like cats and dogs. But it is a fact that the Vedic culture kings like Mahārāja Rāmacandra, Mahārāja Prthu, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and later on some other kings also, they were actually representative of God, so there was no trouble. One king was ruling all over the world.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Is the fact that America is now the dominant nation also God's will?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I say, because some of the Americans are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Śyāmasundara: So what is the meaning, then, that America is the dominant nation?

Prabhupāda: America is dominant now. Actually most of you don't support Mr. Nixon. But he is on the head. So how he has become head, that is mysterious. Because people, when you study the people, they do not support him. There are so many, I mean to say, procession against, protesting against Mr. Nixon's policy and so many things. But still he is on the head, of the executive power. So there is something mysterious. Actually, the present government does not represent the others. That is everywhere. So, how we can understand that this nation is good or bad by the state behavior. Just like we issued that statement that these Americans not... These Americans were following the Nixon philosophy. There was a cartoon, that in our temple nobody is coming.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: In India. Because there was a feeling against the Americans. People are going to the ambassadors and place, the consulate, they are protesting, the police was there, very good. Eh? Against, against killing, counter feelings against the Americans doing the work. So I issued one statement that these Americans, they are devotees, they have nothing to do with politics. So at the present moment (indistinct), actually what is the American nation, simply by seeing the state we cannot give our judgment that this is the American nation, because there are many who are not in agreement with the state power. But they are posing themselves, that we represent America.

Śyāmasundara: He says that it is God's will that a certain nation will be dominant at a certain time, so I'm just wondering what is the reason that God has made America dominant.

Prabhupāda: That is his philosophy. He says. God does not say. He has no connection with God that he can speak on behalf of God, "It is God's will, God's..." (indistinct), like this?

Śyāmasundara: No, he says that whatever is, is right, and that this good and this reason in its most concrete form is God. God governs the world.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That also we admit because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam, mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam, whenever there is some extraordinary power, it should be understood that it is derived partially from God's power. That we accept. So the dominance of American nation is God's favor. We can accept that. Now, if you put on the head representative like Mr. Nixon or some other, then it will deteriorate. If you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if you make your president Kṛṣṇa conscious, then actually you will be God's empowered nation. Let the president become Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Why not? You are American, you can also capture the post. You can become senator, you can be congressman. So educate the American public (in) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, elect Kṛṣṇa conscious president and actually you will be God's favored nation is there. You have got the opportunity and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also in your hand, now it is up to you to utilize it and become actually the leaders of the world. That was my mission: "I shall go to America, and educate them, and they, if they follow, the whole world will follow." And that is coming to be true. You are all young men, it is in your hand. Now you make policy in that way. Just like the communists. A few communists, Stalin, Lenin, they formed a big communist party, now it is predominating all over the world. Similarly, you are so many nice, young, flowers, intelligent young Americans you have understood the philosophy, and now it is up to you to spread this "ism". You don't become stagnant—"Now I have understood Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I shall sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Śyāmasundara: Peace.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Karandhara: That's not evolution of the species, it's evolution of the soul through the existing species.

Prabhupāda: Transmigration from one body to another. The bodies are already existing.

Śyāmasundara: For instance, they say that during the Ice Age, when there were..., the earth became very cold, and there were great ice formations in Europe and America, that this animal they call the mammoth-it's an elephantlike animal but it had long, very long hair for warmth-suddenly this species appears. Does it mean that that body existed always somewhere else, but it just suddenly appeared in order...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Śyāmasundara: ...to live here in that environment?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Karandhara: What if it is indeed a different species? What do they qualify as a difference in species? I mean, like one man has lots of hair on his body and one man doesn't. That doesn't make him a different species necessarily.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. But in this case, elephants always lived in tropical. They were living in hot climates, and suddenly they had to adapt to the cold.

Prabhupāda: No. Again, just like we have got experience with the change of season, different animals are also produced, with the change of season. But it is not that they are coming new. They are already existing.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: So instead of a machine for the making of gods, it's more like a hospital for the curing of souls.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, it is hospital. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means curing the disease. That is described in Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), nirmalam. Nirmalam means purified. So when he becomes free from all this designation... The designation begins with this body, and the body accidentally born in Europe, he thinks, "I am a European." Born in America, "I am an American." Born in a Christian family, "I am Christian." He is born in Hindu family, "I am that." That is all misconception. His real position is that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, eternal servant." Then he is free from all. That is, that is beginning of..., that is brahma-bhūtaḥ, beginning of spiritual life. So nothing, not that a man can be made to God. He is not God; he is part and parcel of God. He has to simply understand his position. That is mukti. He is working under different impression, that "I am this body." Just like the other day with, concerning the philosopher Huxley. He is a philosopher but he is proud of becoming Englishman. Did you not say?

Hayagrīva: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Jeremy Bentham:

Śyāmasundara: He sees this happiness in a communal aspect. It must be for the greatest number. So he advocates a democracy where everyone is given unlimited individual freedom.

Prabhupāda: That is also another nonsense. In democracy nobody is happy. The so-called democracy does not give anyone any happiness. Otherwise in America, the greatest democratic country, why there are so many unhappy people? That also another nonsense. It is not possible.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the interest of the community would be the sum of the interests of the individuals in the community.

Prabhupāda: That is a compromise. That is not happiness, that "You don't harm me, I don't harm you, and we remain happy." That does not mean you are happy, I am happy. These are simply speculate.

Śyāmasundara: He says we can determine what is happiness for the whole by examining what is happy for the individual.

Prabhupāda: Happiness, happiness is... What is happiness, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Happiness means absence of distress. That is happiness. So Bhagavad-gītā recommends that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may think that you are very happy but this is not happiness. You have to see to your distressed condition because you have to take birth, you have to die, you have to suffer diseases and you have to suffer, janma-mṛtyu-jarā, old age. So where is your happiness. If the distresses are present, then where is your happiness? This is another ignorance. This is a... Nobody wants to die but death is there. Then where is your happiness? Nobody wants to become old but the old age is there. You must become old. Then where is your happiness? Nobody wants diseases but disease is there. You cannot avoid it. Then where is your happiness? This is less intelligence. That actually you are not in happiness but by your so-called philosophizing theories, you are trying to be happy, means another illusion and we take it as happiness. Actually it is not happiness. Where is your happiness?

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Śyāmasundara: So if you are thinking of something, then it is already there.

Kṛṣṇa Kanti: The scientists say they haven't created something. They have..., we've discovered something.

Prabhupāda: That's it. That I also said the other day. We can say we have discovered. We cannot invent. America was discovered, not invented. The land was already there.

Bhavānanda: We want to claim credit.

Prabhupāda: Anyone does something new, he takes credit. (break) ...so sun is taking away life. Why you were not present when we were discussing this verse?

Śyāmasundara: The sun is taking our life?

Devānanda: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. I came in about halfway through.

Prabhupāda: Why? You should have come.

Śyāmasundara: I was typing. I should have come.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you hear, how you will be able to preach? Hearing is very important.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Śyāmasundara: So when we use the word "God," it has cash value?

Prabhupāda: Cash value. We are going to everyone, we are simply showing some book and taking (indistinct). You can say, somebody may say, you are giving books worth $200 and taking $1,100...

Śyāmasundara: I think this may be one reason why Kṛṣṇa consciousness is thriving in America, because this is a typically American idea, that everything must have a cash value or it is useless.

Prabhupāda: So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has cash value. Even in Los Angeles, outsiders, they are surprised: "How these people live in such a nice house, eat such nicely, and have so many cars, and they have no anxieties, although they do not work, they have no business?" So what can be more cash value than this?

Devotee: And no bills for psychoanalysis.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is there, but still they do not work, and these rascals, they work the whole day and night, and still they are not happy. What more cash value we can expect than Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Śyāmasundara: He says theories must become instruments, and not just answers to questions which we rest upon. They must become instruments.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Theory is instrument. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Śyāmasundara: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I can measure it is about 3000 miles by 3000 miles. And whereas India is 1000 miles. What is the area of India? Maybe 1000 miles by 800 miles, whereas in America 3000 miles by 3000 miles. And the population is one quarter of India's. The land is four times than India, but the population is one quarter of India. So they can produce enough. Actually they are producing enough. And that can be distributed to the portion where the food is a scarcity. And that is arrangement of God. The land and the water given by God is sufficient for the whole population. Not only human beings—all beasts, birds... Sufficient food. But we are, I mean to say, mismanaging the whole thing. Therefore we find that India is poverty-stricken and America is throwing grains in the water. So actually, if we take the perfection made by God, that "This planet belongs to us, we human beings, and it is God's property, so let us live peacefully..." But..., but no. That is māyā. So therefore the whole solution of the problem is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If people will understand that "We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa's. This land belongs to Kṛṣṇa, so let us enjoy our father's property without fighting..." That they will not do. And they will accuse that God has made incomplete. That is māyā. Otherwise from God's side everything is complete.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Śyāmasundara: I think that we have discussed this before under the categories of acquired knowledge and intuitive knowledge, that some knowledge is acquired, experienced; some knowledge is intuitive.

Prabhupāda: So the pigeons or the sparrows or the doves are doing the same thing in India as in America. It does not mean these pigeons have gone to America from India.

Śyāmasundara: So it's intuitive.

Prabhupāda: But because they are Kṛṣṇa's... As Paramātmā is there, within the heart of the pigeon in India and America, they are acting similarly. Therefore original experience comes from God. And He says that "I know everything past, present, and future." That is real experience.

Śyāmasundara: So his definition of reality is pure experience, or...

Prabhupāda: He cannot give any definition of reality because he has not experienced. He has not perfectly experienced, so how he can give the definition of reality? What definition he is giving, that is not reality. He has no experience. He is developing experience. So how he can give a definition of reality?

Śyāmasundara: Actually, he is defining the process.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: How does worship of Viṣṇu solve social problems? Just like in Calcutta there are more social problems than practically anywhere.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Viṣṇu... In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, it is said that varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān (CC Madhya 8.58). Any man who executes this varṇāśrama-dharma, he satisfies Viṣṇu. The varṇāśrama-dharma is there, and the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras. So according as they are prescribed, how the brāhmaṇas should live, how the kṣatriyas should live, how the..., then there is no trouble. The whole problem is solved. But they have killed the varṇāśrama-dharma. They are now all śūdras. The śūdras, how they can make solutions? Śūdras means nonintelligent persons. So what they can do? They are running on democratic government voted by the śūdras. So what these rascal śūdras will do? They require... Śūdras are meant for serving the higher sections—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. And if the śūdras are given government... Just like we are seeing, in Africa they have been given independence, but they have not improved. The Englishman is still controlling, the Indians are still controlling. And what is the meaning of their so-called self-ruling? We have seen it, still they are poor, because they are śūdras. Śūdras have no brain. In America also, the whole America once belonged to the Red Indians. Why they could not improve? The land was there. Why these foreigners, the Europeans, came and improved? So śūdras cannot do this. They cannot make any correction. Now people are becoming śūdras by so-called education. So they cannot make any solution of the problems.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Śyāmasundara: So he says that this anxiety and uncertainty is displaced or replaced by the passion of truth or faith.

Prabhupāda: Yes. These modern economic concept, they think that this anxiety is the impetus for economic development. They also say like that. Just like in America especially, they are never satisfied. They are manufacturing another machine, another machine, another machine. That hankering after another, another, they think it is really progress. In one sense it is all right, all right, but the attempt should be made, when there is goal. Just like you know how to rise up to the 102nd story that Empire Building. Now they're going step by step, and you know that "I have not completed the step, that I will go further, further, all right," but you know that "I have to go to 102nd story." But if you do not know, this is simply waste of energy. Or you should take the path of mahājana, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Even you do not know where to go, you have seen somebody is going up, so you follow him. You follow him. That is also nice. Even you do not know what is the goal, you see that this man, who is first-class, he has followed this path. So if you follow him, mahājano yena gataḥ sa, that is all right. That is also firm, fixed up. Unless you know the goal, the fixed-up point, then your energy may be misused, misguided. The passion, the energy, will be misguided.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Śyāmasundara: That Archbishop of Canterbury, he is a good friend of Mr. (indistinct). They went to school together, and he says that in college they used to jog together. That was their favorite pastime. (laughter) Now he is archbishop.

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: And Brahmānanda sent me that picture, Africa, five thousand priests in that hospital, on account of their drinking habits.

Devotee: Five thousand!

Prabhupāda: Five thousand. In America. (break) ...as soon as I cut with knife, the same blood is coming. Here also the same blood is coming. He is also crying, he is also crying. All these things are (indistinct). Then how do you say that this man has got soul and this animal has not got soul? Where is analogy? And points of similarities are there. Analogy means points of similarity. So the points of similarity, while killing either a man or animal, are all the same, then how are you bringing this analogy that he has got soul, he hasn't got soul? Where is his logic?

Devotee: (indistinct) illogic is the fact that they'll go out and (indistinct) (end)

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Hayagrīva: Material life is a projection of the will.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he has read it. It is taken from Indian... It is called vāsanā. Vāsanā means desire. So that desire, material desire, but the living entity cannot be desireless. Desireless..., nirvāṇa means material desires finished. But because living entity is eternal spiritual being, he is, he has got spiritual desire. Now it is covered. The desire is there, desire is constant companion, but because it is materially covered, we are thinking this temporary world as reality, and it is not reality; therefore it is changing. We are having different types of desires according to the body we get, and the soul is transmigrating in this material world from one body to another, and he is creating a certain type of desires, will. And to fulfill that will he is getting a different type of body by the Supreme Will. He is willing, and the Supreme Will, God, Kṛṣṇa, understanding his will, giving him facility to accept a certain pattern of circumstances, body, to fulfill his particular desire. That is going on. Therefore this vāsanā, or will, is the cause of his material existence, constantly changing, and on account of changing will he is changing body. This is the complication of material existence. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to teach the living entity that as living being you must have desires. If your desires are stopped, then you become like stone. So you have to cleanse this desire, diseased form of desire. That is bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Now the desires are according to the upādhi, according to the body. A man gets the body of American, he thinks, "America is my home. American nation, they are my brother. American upliftment is my business," so on, so on. And as soon as it is changed, you are Chinese man, again he thinks, "I am Chinese." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). He has to change. He has got the material body of a dog, he is barking, "I am dog. This is my business, to bark." So this is all desires.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: ...composed of the conscious and the subconscious, the sub..., can never be fully known by the individual, but it does have individuality.

Prabhupāda: That individual, I, I know that I am individual person, I have got my own ideas, my own activities. Where is the difficulty? Simply it has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). I am identifying with America or India or Hindu or Muslim or this or that. This should be purified. I should identify with Kṛṣṇa, that "I am only servant of Kṛṣṇa and devotees." Then I am purified.

Hayagrīva: He did... He speaks of the soul in this way. He says, "If the human soul is anything, it must be of unimaginable complexity and diversity, so that it cannot possibly be approached through a mere psychology of instinct."

Prabhupāda: That he does not know. As soon as we train ourself, that just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not brahmacārī." By negation. "I am not, I am not, I am not." Then what is your actual? That gopī-bhartuḥ kamalayor dāsa-dāsānu: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the maintainer of gopīs." That means Kṛṣṇa. "That is my real identification." So I have, so long we do not identify as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, there will be so many varieties of identification, and bhakti, devotional service, means to become purified from all this false identification.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: The life sequence is interrupted by different reincarnations, but it's not certain whether or not personality survives. There may only continuity of karma.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Personal, personality is there. Suppose a man rebukes a dog. So the dog also responses. Even a small ant, it is going to certain direction, if you check it, it will protest. So personality is there always, either in the body of human being, cats, dogs, even an ant. So the bodily changes do not affect the personality, but one identifies himself according to the body. When a soul is within the, a body of a dog, he thinks in that bodily conception, "I am dog, I have my duty." In the human society also. When one is born in America, he thinks, "I am American, and my duty is like this, my duty is like this, I am..." So this, according to the body the personality manifests, but personality is there.

Hayagrīva: Personality is there certainly, but is it continued? Is there a continuity of personality from the dead body to the new body?

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly.

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

yāmasundara: He comes in the tradition of the British empiricists, which believes that nothing outside of our senses can give us any knowledge. But still, he was never able to believe that simple mathematical principles like "Two plus equals four" are merely generalizations which we derive from our experience. He says that these things must be eternal principles, such as "Two plus two equals four."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So mathematical calculations, if it is perfect, then it is all right. Just like a child is born: father plus mother equal to child. So this is all right. But if one says that without father, through mother only, child, then how this is mathematical calculation? Whenever there is a child, it is to be understood that there is father and mother. If somebody says "No. Without father, simply mother gives birth to a child," then what kind of calculation is this? Similarly, these so-called philosophers, they simply think the nature is all-in-all, but that's not the fact. Nature is prakṛti, just like mother. There must be father. But they do not believe in father. So what kind of mathematical calculation? That is not mathematical calculation; that is concoction. Mathematical calculation—"Two plus two equal to four"—is a fact everywhere. Either you go to Europe or America or anywhere you go, that mathematical calculation—"Two plus two equal to four"—it can be understood. Similarly, it is very easy to understand that without father, mother cannot give birth to a child. Similarly, this nature, without the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa, she cannot give any birth. But these modern philosophers, scientists, they are struck with wonder simply by observing the natural activities. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Background of these natural activities is I." Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "Under My supervision."

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Śyāmasundara: This is their dilemma now, that they cannot find any standard of behavior. Formerly people's behavior was motivated by deprivation. They wanted more economic gain because there was hunger. But now we have everything, so no one wants to work anymore. So now there is nothing that satisfies people enough to make them behave.

Prabhupāda: Therefore the Vedānta gives for him: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now we have got enough to eat, enough to enjoy. Now we inquire about Brahman. This is the business we should (indistinct). So this is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are giving knowledge about Brahman, or the Supreme. We are not concerned about giving you some scientific invention, some this invention, that invention. We are giving the ultimate benefit. Now, just like I have come to America with this hope, that "Americans are not properly (indistinct), they have no (indistinct) problems. If I go there, if I speak to them about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be able to take." So if we, the human society, has come to such standard, then the next point is, now they should eat peacefully, sleep peacefully and sense gratification peacefully and, making the mind peaceful, inquire about the Supreme Absolute. This is ideal life.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: That cannot be, that is our philosophy. Because he has got the basic disease. He is saying that I am working so hard, but the profit is not coming to me, he will be immediately slackened. Just like there is a proverb, proprietorship turns sand into gold. But as soon there is lacking of the sense that I am not proprietor, the gold becomes sand. That is position of Russia. They are not happy, they are not rich, in comparison to other European countries. Of course, no European country is as good, or as rich as America, that is a fact. That I have practically seen. But still, in Russia, they are poorer than other countries.

Śyāmasundara: One of their methods is to constantly whip the people with the idea that there may be war at any moment so the people are always thinking, "We must protect our country, we must protect our country," so they work.

Prabhupāda: But when they lose interest in the country on the basis of this basical idea, that I cannot make any profit, I have no proprietorship, then what interest I have got in this country?

Śyāmasundara: So only the negative, the negative stress forces them to work.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: This Mao Tse Tung...

Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad..., yah śāstra-vidhim. Śāstra from that śas-dhātu. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya, giving it up, decides by his whims, na siddhim avāpnoti, they'll never get any siddhi, perfection. Therefore the śāstra should be mediator. But these people have no śāstras. They have got simply that barrel of gun. That's all. And that is very rude. And it will never come to perfection. For the temporary time, this party may win or that party may win. That will never... That is the position in the modern world. They have no authoritative śāstra. They manufacture their own way, and therefore there is no peace. First World War, Second World War, Third World War, and there cannot be any peace. As soon as you become strong, you declare war. Hitler thought, "I am now strong. Let me declare war." And another strong party, America came, Russia came. He was killed. So this is no conclusion. And even after Hitler's being killed, there is no conclusion. So this sort of conflict will never bring any peace. That will go on. That is struggle for existence. That is fighting like animals. Two dogs fighting, two hogs fighting, but that is not conclusion. That fighting will go on so long people will remain as dogs and hogs. That will go on. There is no question of peace.

Śyāmasundara: So real progress only comes through...

Prabhupāda: Authoritative decision. If we accept that, then that is real conclusion.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: Now they are making friends with the capitalist materialists. The capitalist materialists were flown to Peking recently to save Mao Tse Tung's life because he was dying of a major heart attack. So they called a major scientist from America to help save his life. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Revatīnandana: Now they have invited the American president to come there for talks. The imperfect one, they are inviting to talk with him now for some compromise.

Prabhupāda: This is described in Bhāgavata: punah punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), "chewing the chewed." Once it is chewed, it is thrown away, and then again, "Let me see if there is any juice." (laughter) Chewing the chewed. Or in plain words, mental concoction. The mind's business is acceptance and rejection. First of all, reject American capitalists; then again accept for consulting. That means they are hovering on the mental plane. They have no intelligence. In big scale, accepting and rejecting. That's all. It is the business of the mind. As in your personal mind you see, you accept something immediately and again reject, "No, no, it is not good." The same thing is going on in a bigger scale. That's all. They are not... Just like a pickpocket and a big scientific thief. Huh? They are trying to... Modern, scientifically, they want to rob the bank. They set the bomb. And pickpocket is satisfied by taking one paisa from your pocket. But the principle is stealing. Because you are very organized thief, it does not mean from the eyes of the law you are honest. You cannot say in the court that "I am organized thief. I am scientific thief, and he is a pickpocket." In the eyes of the law you are also punishable, he is also punishable. That's all. So they are, I mean to say, large-scale speculators. That's all. But it is, after all, speculation. It has no fact.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Hayagrīva: Well, one last point is that neither Socrates, Plato or Aristotle ever mentions service to God; rather, they always speak of contemplation of God's reality or the Supreme Splendor. It's always contemplation, meditation. Is this typical of the jñānī? Or... There's no mention of service.

Prabhupāda: No, this is the process of knowing God. They are partially helpful to know God as He is, but when he actually comes to know God, he sees that "He is the great and I am the small." So the business of the small is to serve the great. That is nature's way. We practically see in our daily life, because you are small you are going to serve a big factory. Otherwise you have no other way. So everyone is serving, but when he realizes that "I am serving. I am not the master," that is the position actually. Ask anybody in this world whether he is master or serving, the conclusion will be that he is serving. His natural position is to serve. So if one hasn't got a family to serve, he keeps a dozen of dog to serve. That is going on, and especially in the Western countries we see that at the old age, when he has no children, so he keeps a dog or two or three pets to serve. So the serving position is already there, and when the servant wants to become master, that is māyā. Because this word māyā means actually he is serving and he is thinking that he is master. That is māyā. Māyā means what is not fact. So by meditation, when he actually becomes a realized soul, he will understand that "Oh, I am servant. So why I am serving māyā? Let me serve Kṛṣṇa." That is perfection. So if his guide, spiritual master, engages him from the very beginning to serve God, then he becomes quickly perfect, because he is servant and he has to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is his perfection. He is falsely thinking that he is master. That is māyā. Here also they are simply serving. Just like President Nixon. He thought himself, "I am the master of America." But actually he is not. The master is the public. As soon as the public wanted "You come down immediately," he had to do that. So if the president of big state, he is under the false impression that although he is serving he is thinking master, then what to speak of others? Everyone is serving, but he is thinking master. So perfect knowledge is there that when he comes to the platform that "God is the supreme master, He is great, and we are servant." That is perfection of life.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Hayagrīva: Spiritual realm, the spiritual kingdom.

Prabhupāda: Kingdom. Yes. That is his falldown. When he decides to give up the spiritual life, he falls down in the material life, and that is the beginning of his material tribulations. And so long he will maintain a tinge of material happiness, the nature's life, that he has to accept, a type of material body, and there are varieties. So in all condition the spirit soul remains the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but according to the different body he gets different circumstances. A dog is thinking, on account of the dog's body, that he is a dog. A man is thinking that he is a man on account of the human body. The same thing—an American is thinking, because the body has been gotten from America, he is thinking "American." That similarly an Indian, a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, all these designations, due to the body. So when he understands that "I am not this body," this is spiritual education. That "I am different, I am part and parcel of God," then he becomes liberated, impersonally. And when he makes further advancement, and he comes to the platform of understanding the Supreme Truth as the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, and he engages himself in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is his actual life. Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual world, in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planets, so they can be promoted to any one of them—in the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. Then he is happy as associate of Kṛṣṇa. He can enjoy life eternally.