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Animal life means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So animal life means sinful life. Animal life. Even this human form of life is also sinful unless we come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

So animal life means sinful life. Animal life. Even this human form of life is also sinful unless we come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform. We come to the... Animal life means sinful life. If I act as sinful, like hogs and dogs... Just like if I don't discriminate of eating. Just like the hogs, they have no discrimination. They accept even stool. "Come on. I shall eat." You get the body of hogs or dogs.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The animal life means full of darkness, and the human life, although full of darkness, it can be dissipated.
Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

The guru means he gives light to the persons who are living in darkness. So that is the motto in our Back to Godhead paper, that "Godhead is light, and nescience is darkness. Where there is God, there is no nescience." So Kṛṣṇa or God or light, the same thing. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be no more ignorance. Just like here there is light, electric light. There is no darkness. The darkness is there, but when there is light, darkness automatically goes away. Similarly, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then darkness of life immediately goes away. And that is required in human life. The animal life means full of darkness, and the human life, although full of darkness, it can be dissipated. So our request is—we are pushing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement everywhere all over the world—just to drive away the darkness of ignorance and come to the light of knowledge. So this center is open for this purpose. I request you, all of you, to take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be enlightened and be happy in your life. Thank you very much.

But these persons who are indulging unnecessary sex life in Vṛndāvana, they'll have to take birth as monkeys in Vṛndāvana, and then next life they'll be liberated. So otherwise, why in Vṛndāvana the monkeys? They are also devotees, but they could not proceed nicely. So animal life means stopping sinful activities, and whatever sinful reaction is there in one life finished.
Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

So madness there is. So one madness you have to give up—this material madness—and you have to become mad after Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. That madness is exhibited by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa
cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
govinda-viraheṇa me

That madness wanted. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa: one moment appears to be one yuga. One yuga means twelve years. So yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Crying. There is tears in the eyes like the torrents of rain. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā... Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam. "I feel the whole world is vacant." Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me. This madness is wanted. Without Govinda, that madness. So that madness (was) fully exhibited in Vṛndāvana by the gopīs. They were mad after Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, went to Mathurā, they became so mad that they had no other business than cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, simply crying torrents of rain. That is wanted. That is Vṛndāvana life. Not that seeking after sex in Vṛndāvana. That is... That means such person will have to take birth as monkey next life. Monkey. Because they have taken shelter of Vṛndāvana, and still they're indulging, monkey's business, so they have to... It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). In Vṛndāvana the land, transcendental land, that will not go in vain. But these persons who are indulging unnecessary sex life in Vṛndāvana, they'll have to take birth as monkeys in Vṛndāvana, and then next life they'll be liberated. So otherwise, why in Vṛndāvana the monkeys? They are also devotees, but they could not proceed nicely. So animal life means stopping sinful activities, and whatever sinful reaction is there in one life finished. We should be very, very careful. Dhāma, dhāma-aparādha. In the dhāma... In other places if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the result of such chanting will be increased thousand times if you chant in Vṛndāvana. Similarly, in other place, the sinful activities, if you commit that sinful activity in Vṛndāvana, then it will be thousand times increased. So we have to be very careful.

The animal life means do..., "For my good, I will do harm to many others." That is animal life.
Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving this benefit to the human society. It is very easy, not difficult. Without any condition. You simply chant and remember Kṛṣṇa. It is not at all difficult. Everyone can... Here you are seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṇa. So while chanting, if you remember this Deity, is it very difficult? We are opening these centers, giving this education, and from śāstras, all information we are giving. So you take advantage of it. Don't spoil life. Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). This human form of life is obtained after many, many millions of years. We have to come through the evolutionary process from aquatics to plants, trees, insects, serpents, birds, beasts. In this way we have come to this human form of life. And in this life we can hear about Kṛṣṇa, think about Kṛṣṇa, see Kṛṣṇa's Deity, so many opportunities. And if you take this opportunity, be accustomed to think of Kṛṣṇa... When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, means God. Kṛṣṇa is the God, Supreme. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa has very kindly agreed to come to your city, Denver city, this temple. Take advantage of it. Come daily, see Kṛṣṇa, think of Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, and be happy. This is our movement. We want to see that everyone is happy. That is the Vedic vision. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is human life. Human life means paropakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, to do others something auspicious. That is human life. The animal life means do..., "For my good, I will do harm to many others." That is animal life. So this is not life, the human life, that for our sense gratification, we are killing so many animals, we are doing so many mischievous things, we are cheating others. We can do that, but we are becoming more and more implicated. At the time of death the Yamarāja will come and take us to the hellish condition. Therefore foolish people they want to forget that there is next life. No, there is next life. We are discussing every day. Next life is there. We are every moment getting a different body. This is the scientific study. I do not know why they cannot understand. This is biology. Biology means we are, every moment we are getting a new body. This is biology.

The animal life means the animals are also eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we are simply engaged in four principles of bodily demand and do not inquire about the Brahman—athāto brahma jijñāsā, that is the Vedānta-sūtra—then we are no better than animals.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

So this is also another feature, that why one becomes devotee, why the other does not become? That means in his former life he was a devotee. It could not be finished in one life, but in this life automatically he is trying to become devotee. Therefore devotional service is so nice that even if you cannot finish the whole course in one life, next life you are guaranteed to get a very nice birth so that you can develop further. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭoḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa that "A yogi, he cannot finish his duty or yogic process in one life. Then what happens? He becomes neither this way or that way." Kṛṣṇa said, "No. Whatever he has finished, that is his permanent asset. Next life he begins from that point and he gets the opportunity of take birth—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. He is given birth in very nice family, either in very nice brāhmaṇa family or very rich family." In these two places one gets the opportunity to increase his Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. If he gets his birth in a nice brāhmaṇa family, automatically he is trained in that way. And if he gets his birth in a rich family, he has no economic demand. He hasn't got to earn. He can save the time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So those who are born in rich family, they should know that "By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the grace of Lord, we are born with silver spoon, but we should utilize this opportunity." Not only rich man; every human being should be conscious to utilize this human form of life to understand God. That is the highest perfection of life. Otherwise it is animal life. The animal life means the animals are also eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we are simply engaged in four principles of bodily demand and do not inquire about the Brahman—athāto brahma jijñāsā, that is the Vedānta-sūtra—then we are no better than animals.

General Lectures

So suffering without knowledge, without remedy, means animal life, means animal life, one who cannot understand his suffering and he thinks, "Oh, I am very well off. I am very well situated." But that is animal consciousness.
Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

There are three kinds of sufferings. Many times I have explained. They are called ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. Ādhyātmika sufferings means pertaining to this body and mind. Suppose I have got some pain here today. This is bodily suffering. Or my mind is not in... (break) They do not mind it. Just like animals. Animals, they are always in suffering, but they do not mind it. Recently I was in Hawaii. So in front of my house there was a man who was keeping some animals and birds for slaughtering. Not there, but he was dragging for selling the animals and birds for slaughtering. Now, I was giving example to my students. Now, these animals are standing here, and tell them, "Oh, my dear animals, why you are standing here? You go away. You are meant for being slaughtered." But he has no intelligence. He cannot go. Even in the slaughterhouse also, he cannot go. So suffering without knowledge, without remedy, means animal life, means animal life, one who cannot understand his suffering and he thinks, "Oh, I am very well off. I am very well situated." But that is animal consciousness. One should be cognizant of the suffering, threefold miseries of his life. One should know there is suffering in birth, there is suffering in death, there is suffering in old age, and there is suffering in disease. And one should be inquisitive. That is the real research work, how to avoid death, how to avoid birth. We have suffered during our birth. We have suffered as a child, as a baby. We remained within the abdomen of our mother, tightly placed in a airtight bag for ten months, and I could not move even, and there are insects biting me. I could not protest. But we have forgotten. After coming out, we had... Our sufferings are there. Mother is taking so much care undoubtedly; still, the child is crying. Why it cries? It has got some suffering, but he cannot express. There are some bugs biting or some pains within somewhere. The child is crying, crying. The mother does not know how to pacify it. So in this way our suffering has begun from the womb of our mother. And then I do not wish to go to school. I am forced to go to a school. I do not wish to study. The teachers give me tasks. If you just study, analyze your life, it is full of suffering, full of suffering. But we have no inquiry. We have no inquiry. This is not education.

Animal life means one who does not know who is the proprietor of the body. Those who are under the concept of this material body as self, they are as good as animal.
Lecture -- Paris, June 26, 1971:

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your (indistinct) in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This movement is especially meant for human society who are serious about fulfillment of the mission of this life. There is a distinction between human life and animal life. Animal life means one who does not know who is the proprietor of the body. Those who are under the concept of this material body as self, they are as good as animal. But the..., in the human form of life one can distinguish that one is not this material body but he is a separate identity, spiritual in value. We can understand this fact if we give little attention to it, that we are changing our different body since the beginning of our life.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So the animal life means reaction of sinful life, and upper class of life, demigods, means result of pious life.
Room Conversation -- February 6, 1974, Vrndavana:

So destiny is that we should devote our life for awakening Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This human life is meant for that purpose. By nature's way, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), nature is bringing us. As soon as we become sinful, we are dropped down to suffer the sequence of sinful life in different varieties. Again, just like a man, criminal, is put into the jail, but when his time is finished, again he is made free. Similarly, the cycle of birth and death, dehāntara-prāptiḥ, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), one after another, is going on. So the animal life means reaction of sinful life, and upper class of life, demigods, means result of pious life. Two kinds of things are there, sinful and pious, through the cycle of birth is going on. But this human form of life or above human form of life, it is a chance for understanding the real value of life, and therefore for human beings there are guidances, these Vedas, Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra. It is meant for the human beings, not for the cats and dogs. Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kaila (CC Madhya 20.117). So it is recommended in the human form of life, first of all training as a brahmacārī, then he may remain as gṛhastha for sometime. The life is divided into four parts, twenty-five years. Suppose I live a hundred years: twenty-five years to become brahmacārī, remain as brahmacārī, and twenty-five years to remain as gṛhastha, family man, and twenty-five years as vānaprastha and twenty-five years as sannyāsa. This is system, Vedic system. Sannyāsa means vānaprastha is the prepāration for sannyāsa, and sannyāsa means completely dedicated to the service of Kṛṣṇa. This is our system. Just like you are spirit soul. Our business is not here. Our business in the spiritual world. Here, by circumstances you have fallen into the material condition, but if you take "This is all-in-all our duty," that is not advised in the śāstra. It is circumstances. We have fallen into, under certain circumstances, so we have to take care of. The real duty is to how to save myself from this material entanglement.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Yes, that is, ultimate success is, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, when you can conquer over nidrā, sleeping, āhāra, eating, because animal life means āhāra nidrā bhaya maithuna. And spiritual life means you have to conquer over this.
Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One night Prabhupāda rang the buzzer; it was twelve-thirty.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda was translating.

Prabhupāda: Yes, sometimes earlier.

Dr. Patel: I get up at three-thirty. It is not possible to get up at one o'clock. You must not be sleeping...

Prabhupāda: Not more than three hours. I go to sleep at ten and I get up at one.

Dr. Patel: (Hindi) You get less sleep when... (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is, ultimate success is, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, when you can conquer over nidrā, sleeping, āhāra, eating, because animal life means āhāra nidrā bhaya maithuna. And spiritual life means you have to conquer over this. That is spiritual life. (Hindi) In spiritual life...

Dr. Patel: You'll have me drinking tea.

Prabhupāda: No, everyone, not you.

Dr. Patel: I don't.

Prabhupāda: Spiritual life means... (Hindi) And Dhruva Mahārāja starved six months, a boy of five years old. It is possible. He did not eat. Simply tapasya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi)

Animal life means there is no sin. It is promotion. Because they are animal, their consciousness is not developed.
Morning Walk -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, when a living entity is in an animal body, and when he quits his body, there's no karma, he's just automatically promoted to a higher body?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: So then...

Prabhupāda: Animal life means there is no sin. It is promotion. Because they are animal, their consciousness is not developed. Just like a child—a child, if he steals, that is not sin. He will not be criminally charged. He is child. A dog goes left to the right or right to the.... He is not criminal. But if you do, you are criminal.

Rāmeśvara: So Yamarāja does not direct the movements of the living entities as they are going automatically from animal body to higher body.

Prabhupāda: An animal is not jurisdiction of Yamarāja. The man is in the jurisdiction of.... Just like law is meant for man, not for the cats and dogs.

. So tapasya means to follow the regulative principles strictly by the higher order and that is human life. And animal life means you can do whatever you like. They keep to the right, keep to the left, it doesn't matter. But their offense is not taken because they are animals.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

To advance in spiritual life these things are essential, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something which may be painful. Just like we are recommending no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating. So those who are accustomed to these bad habits, for them, in he beginning it may be a little difficult. But in spite of becoming difficult, one has to do it. That is called tapasya. To rise early in the morning, those who are not practiced, it is a little painful, but one has to do it. So this is called tapasya. So according to the Vedic injunction, there are some tapasyas that must be done. It is not, "I may do it or not do it." It must be done. Just like in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad it is ordered that one must go to the spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So there is no question of voluntarily, but it must be. And one must carry out by the order of a spiritual master and the order of the śāstra. That is called tapasya. Just like in our line ekādaśī is compulsory. One may feel some inconvenience fasting or simply eating fruits. No. It must be done. There are so many rules and regulations which is essential. It must be done. That is called tapasya. Without consideration whether it is convenient or inconvenient for you, which is, must be done, that is called tapasya. Tapaḥ, divyam... Just like Rsabhādeva orders that this human life is meant for tapasya. Therefore in our Vedic civilization we find so many rules and regulations. This is tapasya. From the very beginning of life, brahmacārī, to go to the spiritual master's place and act like menial servant. Nicavat. It is said. If the spiritual master says that "You go and pick up some wood from the forest," and one may be a king's son, but he cannot deny it, the spiritual master's order, "You must go." As Kṛṣṇa, He was ordered to go and pick up some dry wood from the forest. So He had to go. Although He was, His father was Nanda Mahārāja, a village vaiśya king, and Kṛṣṇa was Personality of Godhead, but He could not deny. He had to go. Nicavat. Just like menial servant. That is called brahmacārī. This is tapasya. So tapasya is so essential that one has to do it. There is no question of alternative. Then brahmacārī, then.... If he marries, then gṛhastha. That is also tapasya. He cannot have sex life whenever he likes. No. The śāstra says, "You must have sex life like this: once in a month and only for begetting children." So that is also tapasya. They do not follow, people do not follow any tapasya at the present moment. But human life is meant for tapasya, regulative principles. Even in ordinary life.... Just like you are driving your car, you are going to some urgent business, and you saw the red light. You have to stop. You cannot say, "I have to leave by this time. I must go." No. You must. That is tapasya. So tapasya means to follow the regulative principles strictly by the higher order and that is human life. And animal life means you can do whatever you like. They keep to the right, keep to the left, it doesn't matter. But their offense is not taken because they are animals. But a human being, if he does not follow the regulative principles, it is sinful. He'll be punished. The same principle. Just like when there is red light, if you do not stop, you'll be punished. But a cat and dog, if he transgresses, "Never mind red light, I shall go," he's not punished. So tapasya is meant for the human being. He must do it if he wants at all progress of life. That is essential.

Animal life means there is suffering—go on suffering. Human life means there is suffering—how to get, how to counteract.
Evening Darsana -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Devotee: Sometimes they say it's just a dream and they say if you are bothering me, and you are just my dream; I don't have to worry about it, I'll have another dream and you'll go away.

Prabhupāda: No but dream is... It may be, but when there is fire, you call it dream, but why do you call fire brigade? When you are diseased why you go to physician? Dream it. (laughter) The major problem is birth, death, and old age, and disease. You do not want that. You must seek the measures. That is human life. Whether birth, death, old age, disease can be stopped? If there is any such life that there is no more birth, death, that is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is the Vedānta philosophy: "Now the human life is meant for enquiring about these things." If you don't enquire, then you remain animal. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to save the human society from this animal life. To bring him to the real human life. Animal life means there is suffering—go on suffering. Human life means there is suffering—how to get, how to counteract. That is human life. Suffering—so long you have got this body, there must be suffering.

Page Title:Animal life means
Compiler:Rishab
Created:25 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=7, Con=5, Let=0
No. of Quotes:12