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Common sense (BG Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"common sense" |"commonsense"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

Although the other party is ātatāyinaḥ, aggressor, still, Arjuna is considering whether they should be killed or not. That is the difference between devatā. In every action, they are calculating. But he is considering that "This kind of aggressor, because they are my kinsmen, they are my family men, whether this kind of aggressor should be killed or not?" It is common sense.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

So unless one is advanced in spiritual consciousness, how he can think of universal brotherhood? This is nonsense. There is no possibility. The so-called universal brotherhood is possible when he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, when one knows that Kṛṣṇa is the common father of everyone. The father will not tolerate. Suppose father has got ten sons. Out of them one or two sons are useless. So those who are very capable sons, if they say to the father, "My dear father, these two sons of yours, they are useless. So let us cut their throat and eat." So father will say, "Yes, you do that"? No. Father will never say. The father will say, "Let them be useless, but let them live at my cost. Why...? You have no right to infringe on their rights." This is common sense. But these rascals, they think that animals are to be killed for the satisfaction of the tongue of the human being. No sense. No sense. And still they are passing on as religious heads. Such type of cheating religion is completely kicked out from this Bhāgavata religion. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ vāstavaḥ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). It is meant for, this Bhāgavat-dharma. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ those who are not envious.

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

So here Arjuna also says that narake niyataṁ vāso bhavati iti anuśuśruma: (BG 1.43) "Kṛṣṇa, I have heard it from authorative sources." He never says, "Kṛṣṇa, in my opinion, if it is done like that, then people will go to hell." He does not give his own opinion. He says iti, "Thus," anuśuśruma, "I have heard." This is called paramparā system. Nobody should give his own opinion. He must quote the authoritative statement to support his proposition. So similarly, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked that "What is the aim of life and how to achieve it?" so Rāmānanda Rāya, he did not give his own opinion, that "In my opinion, like this." Here also Arjuna says, ity anuśuśruma, "I have heard it." He heard it means... Śuśruma means "heard from authority." So Rāmānanda Rāya said that "Real purpose of life, goal of life, is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like as we are citizens, what is our duty? We want to satisfy the authority, the government. When one serves the government nicely, in this country he is recognized as knight. He is recognized as earl, as lord, as... So many, they have got titles. Every country, when a person is very exalted citizen, then he is recognized by the government. So if this is the system in our ordinary life, then the aim of life should be to satisfy the supreme governor, or supreme government. It is very common sense. But they have no supreme government. They think, "Whatever government we make, that is final." No. There are so many kingdoms, so many planets. In each planet there is government, there is authority, and above all of them, there is the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is the śāstric injunction. There are many controller. In this planet there is controller. There is another planet, another planet. Even Brahma is the controller of the whole universe.

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

What is the difference between good citizen and outlaws? The difference is a good citizen is always trying to satisfy the government by abiding the laws given by the government. So therefore our ultimate goal is to satisfy the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme. These universes, they are Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. There are many kingdoms. Just like we have got many universes within this material world, similarly, there are many spiritual planets in the spiritual world. These are common-sense affairs. Why people will not understand? Therefore our business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, to become perfect, satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). So how viṣṇur ārādhyate? This is the philosophy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Suppose in an office your immediate boss, some superintendent of the office, you follow his orders, although he is not final. Above the superintendent of the office, there is another secretary. Above the secretary, there is one other director. Above the director, there is managing director. These are common-sense things. Similarly there are many, many controllers, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. So it is common-sense affair that our aim of life is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. This is common sense. Is there any other reasoning that "Why He should be satisfied?"? No. You have to satisfy.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

There is a proverb in Bengal, khābo ki khābo nā yadi khāo tu pauṣe. "When you are perplexed, Whether I shall eat or not eat,' better not eat." Sometimes we come to this point, "I am not very hungry, whether I shall eat or not eat?" The best course is not eat, not that you eat. But if you eat, then you can eat in the month of December, Pauṣa. Why? It is... In Bengal... Bengal is tropical climate, but when it is winter season, it is advised that "If you eat it is not so harmful because it will be digested." The night is very long, or the cold season, the digestive power, is nice. So when we are confused, "to do or not to do," jābo ki jābo nā yadi jāo tu śauce: "When you think, 'Whether I shall go or not?' better don't go. But when it is a question of answering the call of nature, you must go." Jābo ki jābo nā yadi jāu tu śauce, khābo ki khābo nā yadi khāo tu pauṣe. These are very common sense.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

So bhakti means to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti cannot be applied to anyone else. If somebody says that "I am a great devotee of Kālī, goddess Kālī," that is not bhakti; that is business. Because any demigod you worship, there is some purpose behind that. Generally, people take to become a devotee of goddess Kālī for eating meat. That is their purpose. In the Vedic culture, those who are meat-eaters, they have been advised that "Don't eat meat purchased from the slaughterhouse or from the market." Actually, this system was never current anywhere, all over the world, that to maintain slaughterhouse. This is latest invention. We talk with sometimes with Christian gentlemen, and when we inquire that "Lord Christ says 'Thou shalt not kill'; why you are killing?" they give evidence that "Christ also ate meat sometimes." Sometimes Christ ate meat, that's all right, but did Christ say that "You maintain big, big slaughterhouse and go on eating meat?" There is no common sense even. Christ might have eaten. Sometimes he... If there was no, nothing available for eating, what could you do? That is another question. In great necessity, when there is no other food except taking meat...

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

Real happiness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: atīndriyam, sukham atyantīkaṁ yat tat atīndriyam (BG 6.21). Real happiness, atyantikam, the supreme happiness, is not enjoyed by the senses. Atīndriya, surpassing, transcendental to the senses. That is real happiness. But we have taken happiness as sense enjoyment. So by sense enjoyment, nobody can become happy. Because we are in the material existence. And our senses are false senses. Real senses—spiritual senses. So we have to awaken our spiritual consciousness. Then by spiritual senses we can enjoy. Sukham atyantikaṁ yat atīndriya (BG 6.21). Surpassing these senses. Surpassing these senses means... These senses are, means covering. Just like I am this body. Actually I'm not this body. I'm spirit soul. But this is the covering of my real body, spiritual body. Similarly, spiritual body has spiritual senses. Not that nirākāra. Why nirākāra? It is a common-sense affair. Just like if you have got a hand, a or two, one or two hands, you have got two hands. Therefore when the hand is covered by some cloth, the cloth also gets a hand. Because I have got hand, therefore my dress has got a hand. Because I have got my legs, therefore my covering, dress, has got legs, pant. It is a common-sense affair. Wherefrom this body came? This body's described: vāsāṁsi, garments. So garment means it is cut according to the body. That is garment. Not that my body is made according to the garment. It is a commonsense affair. So when I have got hands of my shirt, this is my subtle body or gross body, therefore originally, spiritually, I have got my hands and legs. Otherwise, how it comes? How do you develop?

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

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He wants to know if the greatest offense is to disobey the guru.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the first offense. Guror avajñā, śruti-śāstra-nindanam. Śruti-śāstra-nindanaṁ guror avajñā. If you accept guru and again disobey him, then what is your position? You are not a gentleman. You promise before guru, before Kṛṣṇa, before fire, that "I shall obey your order; I shall execute this," and again you do not do this. Then you are not even a gentleman, what to speak about devotee. This is common sense.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

So last day we had been discussing that difference between the conditioned soul and liberated soul is that a conditioned soul is imperfect in four ways. A conditioned soul is sure to commit mistake, a conditioned soul is in illusion, a conditioned soul has the tendency for cheating others, and a conditioned soul has got his senses imperfect, imperfect senses. Therefore knowledge should be taken from a liberated soul. Why this Bhagavad-gītā is so honored? Now, this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in India, and it is understood that it is a scripture of the Hindus. But why...? Now, you are Americans. You are also keeping this Bhagavad-gītā, and not only in America, in other countries also, in Germany. In Germany there are great, great scholars, in England, in Japan, in all countries. So why? Because it is spoken by a great personality. Apart from... We may... We Hindus, we accept Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but others, even not accepting Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they accept it as, at least, that He was a great personality. Therefore, besides the Hindu community, others, they are also consulting the knowledge. Now, my point is that when such a great personality, and when a..., we accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then His version is right. What He says, that from our practical experience we can conclude that every individual persons who were in the past individuals, they are also individuals at the present, and they'll continue to be individuals, and this is by our common sense, but it is confirmed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whom we call the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is accepted as a great personality.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, when you say we must be honest in our dealings... If we have an advantage to, to take advantage of somebody else for Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is this permissible? If we have a chance to take advantage of somebody to get money from them, not by stealing but by means... (Prabhupāda chuckles) Is this permissible?

Prabhupāda: Yes, but that is not by your discretion. You have to consult your spiritual master. Just like what Kṛṣṇa says Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, "Yudhiṣṭhira, My dear brother Yudhiṣṭhira, you go and tell," I mean to say, "Droṇācārya, that 'Your son is dead.' " Because this gentleman would not die unless he hears the message of the death of his son. So he was not dying. So Yudhiṣṭhira was commissioned to speak this lie, that "You go and say that 'Your son is dead.' " And he says that "I never spoke lie. I cannot do that." Now here the order is coming from Kṛṣṇa, therefore he should have executed the order immediately. Although speaking lie for common man is sin, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is not sin. So that telling lie should not be taken risk of at one's own discretion. It must be ordered by Kṛṣṇa or by His representative. Telling lie is always sinful. That's all right. But if Kṛṣṇa says "Tell lie," it is not sinful. That is the secret. You can violate the laws only on the direct order of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That's all. That is common sense. Just like a political person is engaged to kill somebody under superior order. And if he can kill, he is rewarded, he is given high post. But the same man, if he kills by his own discretion, he'll be hanged. So serving greater purpose, supreme purpose, absolute purpose, there is no question of such piety or sinful. But in the ordinary field, there must be "This is pious, this is sinful." So that discretion should not be taken by oneself, but it should be consulted.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

Now, this soul, where it will go? Then the whole calculation is taken, what is his asset and liabilities of the life, daiva-netreṇa, by superior judgment. Just like a man in an office, in a business concern, when increment is given or promotion is given, the whole assets and liabilities are taken, anywhere. Anywhere, a man is promoted or degraded when all the liabilities and assets are taken and judged, "Yes, this man has done nice, so give him promotion." And if he has not done nice, "Degrade him." Or "Don't give him promotion." Similarly, we are getting different types of body according to our karma. Karmaṇā... Otherwise why all living entities are not of the same merit, same feature of the body, same position, same edu...? Why there are difference? This is common sense. Varieties of body, varieties of position, is due... Just like the same example: The poor man has got only rickshaw, and the rich man has got a Rolls Royce car because he has paid more. Similarly, if your work is nice, then you are promoted, promoted to higher standard of life, just like in the heaven—ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ—or in the Brahma-loka. But your, if your work is sinful and abominable, then you are degraded to cats and dogs. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are advanced in the... Because here everything is quality, everything. You go to purchase anything in the market; you will see the quality—first quality, second quality, third quality. Similarly, all living entities, all souls, they have got qualitative body. Qualitative body. So the first quality body you can get in the higher planetary system. The second quality of body means you have to remain in the middle planetary system. And the third quality body, you go down. Or... "Go down" means you become animals, trees, insects, birds, beasts, like that. This is going on.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

There are three kinds of distresses: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means distresses pertaining to this body and the mind. And adhidaivika means distresses offered by material nature. Nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake. All of a sudden there is famine, there is scarcity of food, there is over rain, no rain, extreme heat, extreme winter, extreme cold. We have to go under these distresses, threefold. At least one, two, must be there. Still, we do not realize that "This place is full of distress because I have got this material body."

Therefore a sane man's duty is how to stop the process of accepting this material body. This is intelligence. He should realize that "I am always in distresses, and I am not this body, but I am put into this body. Therefore right conclusion is that I am not this body. If, somehow or other, I can live without this body, then my distresses are over. This is common sense. That is possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore God comes, to give you the information that "You are not this body. You are the soul, spirit soul. And because you are within this body, you are suffering so many distresses." Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises that "These distresses are due to this body." Try to understand. Why you are feeling pains and pleasure? It is due to the body.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: "The Supreme Soul is infinite and the atomic soul is infinitesimal. Therefore the infinitesimal soul being unchangeable can never become equal to the infinite soul."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is a common sense argument. How it can be? If it is equal to the infinite, how he has become finite? They cannot answer. The impersonalists cannot answer. How he has become finite? They'll simply answer, "It is māyā." Then māyā is greater than the infinite? Then māyā becomes greater than the infinite. Then that God is no more infinite because māyā covers the Supreme, so how He is infinite? He becomes finite? The common sense is that finite Brahman is covered by māyā. Not the infinite. Therefore duality. Finite and infinite living entities. Kṛṣṇa is infinite, and the ordinary living entities are finite.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

As our garments, coats and shirts, when they are old, rotten, no more usable, so we throw it away and get a new garment, shirt, coat. Similarly, the soul is changing garment from childhood, from babyhood. Just like a baby has got a shoe, but when he gets the child's body the shoe does not fit. You have to take another shoe. Similarly, when the same child grows or changes body, he requires another shoe. Similarly, the soul is changing his body exactly as we change our garments. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni. Jīrṇāni means when it is old enough, not fit for use, yathā vihāya, as we give it up... Vihāya means give it up. Navāni, new garment. Naraḥ aparāṇi gṛhṇāti. Now the body has been compared herein as the garment. Just like coat and shirt. The tailor cuts the coat according to the body. Similarly, this material body, if it is shirt and coat, then this is cut according to the spiritual body. The spiritual body is not nirākāra, without form. If it is without form, then how the garment, the coat and shirt, has got hands and legs? It is common sense. The coat has got hand or the pant has got legs because the person who is using the coat, he has got hands and legs.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

Now rascals will think that "How there is a god or there is a person in the sun planet?" They'll think like that. Everything from his own angle of vision. This is modern science. "I cannot think of such thing. Therefore, there cannot be any such thing." Just like everything should be within my experience. This is going on. They never admit that "What is your experience?" You are imperfect, your senses are imperfect, how you can be perfectly experienced? It is not possible. Acintya. There are so many inconceivable powers acting on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. What are you? You may cheat some people that you have become God. That is another thing. But the inconceivable potency of Kṛṣṇa, they are working differently. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that unless we accept this principle that Kṛṣṇa or God has got inconceivable power, acintya-śakti, we cannot understand. If we put Kṛṣṇa within the jurisdiction of my limited understanding, that is not understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). That inconceivable power is also within us. We do not know. So many things are happening. The example, as I gave many times, that the one nail was taken off. Still, it grew exactly to the size of the nail. In my personal body, in the nails. So the doctors cannot make exactly fitting nail, but it is growing exactly to the size. Even it is inconceivable to me how it is growing. Even my hair grows inconceivable, I do not know. I cut every week, and it still grows. There are so many little inconceivable power within me. I am part and parcel of God. Just imagine how much inconceivable power is there in Kṛṣṇa. It is common sense.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

So the human history has spread. Not only in this planet, in many other planets. So Manu is the father of mankind. From the word man... This is Latin? Latin word? Man? Sanskrit word is manuṣya, from Manu, that is "man." So Manu is accepted as the father of the mankind in Sanskrit literature. And in Bible it is said the man is made after God. So actually Brahmā is the son of Viṣṇu, and Manu is the son of Brahmā, and we are also son of Manu in different aspect. So gradually, if you go up, God comes to be our original father. And we say also, God is the original father. And the history, Vedic history, also says like that. So God... Because we have got form, therefore God has form, must be. Just like my father had form; so I have got this form. This is commonsense knowledge. How my father can be impersonal? Unless my father was a person, how I am a person? If God is the original father, He must be a person. Otherwise how we are persons? These are common sense, knowledge. There is no need of very great knowledge. A child can understand. How you can say God is impersonal? If God is the father, original, then how He can be impersonal? What do you say? Can anybody say, "Yes, He can be impersonal in this way"? God cannot be impersonal. He is person. And we get so many information. Kṛṣṇa says Himself that "In the past I was a person, you were a person, and all these men who have assembled here in the battlefield, they are also persons. We existed in the past as persons, and we shall continue to exist as individual persons. So at least we cannot, we Vaiṣṇava followers of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we cannot accept, neither there is any reason behind it.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: The world has never had anything like Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not know. Less intelligent. Ajānata. This very word is used in the Śrīmad... Ajānata. Jānata means with knowledge. A-jāna, "a" is negative. Without any knowledge. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll see that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). These less intelligent class of men, they are searching after the Absolute Truth. That is also creditable. They are searching. But they have not come to the right point. The right point is here, as Kṛṣṇa says, that "After many, many births of research work, when he actually becomes a wise man, he surrenders unto Me." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), that "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So ultimate knowledge means to understand the Supreme Person. What is the value if somebody has studied very elaborately the sunshine, but he has no access to enter into the sun planet or to understand the sun-god within? Is it a very enlightenment? Suppose the sunshine is all-pervading the universe. One has studied the sunshine very nicely. That man, and one has entered the sun planet and seen the sun-god, who is better? Who is better?

Viṣṇujana: That man who has the knowledge.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Who has entered the sun planet and seen the sun-god, he is better. This is common sense. So, you will have more kīrtana?

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

So this theory, that separating the material elements by which this material body is formed, if they are broken or they are sent back to their original position, then we are free from all distresses, material... But we, at least those who are following this Bhagavad-gītā, this philosophy does not say that the material body is all in all. Beyond this material body, there is spirit, and the symptom of that spirit is understood by consciousness. Consciousness. That is the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā. Now, you cannot deny consciousness. You cannot deny consciousness. And consciousness minus... Body minus consciousness is dead body. Everyone knows it. A child can understand it, that I am speaking, you are hearing because your consciousness is present, my consciousness is present. As soon as my consciousness is deducted from this body, then this same mouth will not speak, the same hand will not move, the same your ear will not hear. The whole thing will be stopped. So it is very common sense affair, that consciousness, that is the main thing in this body. So any intelligent man with common sense can understand this. Now, what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Just like wherever there is some fire, there is heat or there is smoke. When you see something... Suppose you are sitting here. If you find somewhere smoking, then you are afraid, "Oh, there must be some fire. Otherwise why smoke is coming?" Or wherever you feel some heat, although you do not see the fire directly, still, you can understand that there is fire. Because there is smoke... Because there is heat, therefore there is fire. Similarly, this consciousness, nobody can deny this consciousness. Now, this consciousness, because this consciousness is, therefore I am, my, I mean to say, identification or my energy is being produced in the shape of consciousness. So this consciousness proves that I am the soul, present here. That is Gītā's philosophy, and that is the whole Vedic philosophy.

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

In the Vedic literature you will find that God has expanded Himself into many, just like the father expands himself into many children. The children is nothing but expansions of the body of the father. Similarly, we, all living entities, spiritual parts or living souls, we are also expansion of the supreme spirit. Now, the reason is, why the supreme spirit soul expanded himself into so many? What is the purpose? We have to understand. Now you can take the example. What is the purpose of father's expanding himself into children? A father takes the responsibility of maintaining the children. Why? Why he takes such, I mean, a grave responsibility, a family man. That "why" is answered—just to have happy and enjoyable life. That's all.

Similarly, God has expanded into so many living entities because He wants enjoyment. He wants enjoyment. Because you will find in the Vedic literature that the nature of God is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12)"By nature He is enjoying." So we must understand that God has expanded Himself into so many living entities just for His enjoyment. Now, we are meant for... Just like sons, children are meant for satisfying the father, similarly this is a common sense affair, that we living entities, we are meant for satisfying the Supreme. That satisfaction of the Supreme can be done by performance of yajña. That is the beginning.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

So leaving aside the black side, you take the bright side that you are trying to go to the higher planetary system, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka. So you have to prepare yourself. They are going to, trying to go to the moon planet but according to our calculation they have never gone to the moon planet. They have never gone because, we find in the śāstras, the moon planet is situated 1,600,000 miles above the sun. And they calculate that 93,000,000's of miles the sun is situated. So 93,000,000 plus another 1,600,000 it becomes 95,000,000 miles. How one can go ninety-five millions of miles in four days? So according to our śāstra, we cannot believe this statement.

So apart from this discussion, you can go to the moon planet. That is also one of the heavenly planet. But you have to prepare for that, sir. That is karma-kāṇḍīya. You have to perform such and such yajñas. It is not that by force you can go any other planet. By force you cannot go even any other parts of the world here. If you want to go to America you have to take passport, visa, and so many things. And you'll be allowed to go to the moon planet without any visa or passport? How it is possible? It is common sense. They are so fools that some rascal will take some machine and go there? That is not possible. So we have to prepare.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

You have to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am not matter." Our disease is that I am identifying with this matter, "I am this material body," which is foreign to me. This is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā instruction, that "You are not this body."Tat tvam asi: "You are spirit soul." So we also have to accept. We are accepting that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." But my constitutional position is part and parcel of the supreme whole. So just like the gold mine and a small particle of gold. That small particle of gold is also gold. But that does not mean it has the same value as the gold mine. Tat tvam asi. Just like a drop of sea water. Chemical composition is the same. Salty taste is the same.

Similarly, if you can understand yourself, then you can understand even God. If you study yourself, that "Although I am very small..." What to speak of myself? Even a small ant, it has got individuality. A ant is going on. You stop it. It will struggle. That means it wants to keep its individuality. Therefore, if you are the same, then God is also individual. He is not impersonal. Immediately you can understand. How you can...? I have got so much... I am so small, tiny; still, I have got my individuality, personality, and how God can be impersonal? Even a common sense man can understand.

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

Bhagavān says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ is there. As we are getting dehāntara. We have got experience every day. Just like in daytime we have got this body. At night, when we dream, we have got a different body. We go elsewhere; we're working differently, forgetting this body, and again, daytime, we forget our body which was seen in the dream. That is also dream; this is also dream. This is daydream, and that is night dream. But the seer, the soul, is permanent. He is in the daytime and he is also nighttime. So this is our position. We are changing our body.

Just like I was a child, you were a child, but that we have forgotten. But that does not mean I did not have. Similarly, in the past I had a body, in the present I have got a body, so why not in the future? This is common sense. In future you must have a body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says, authority. I may say, "There is no body," but Kṛṣṇa says, "There is body." And how this body is manufactured? Karmaṇā, by your work. If you work foolishly in the tamo-guṇa, then you get the body of ignorance, ugly body, abominable body, poor body, without any education, without any knowledge. These things are there. And if you work sattva-guṇa, then you get better body. And rajo-guṇa, then in the middle-class body. These are stated in the śāstra. You have to accept it.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

Viśvāsa pālana. This is called faith. One should know, "If Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to the elephants in the jungle and to the ants in the hole of my room, what we have done that He will not supply food?" This is common sense. That is called yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. But he must be satisfied, whatever Kṛṣṇa gives. If Kṛṣṇa gives luci, puri, that is also all right, and if he gives śuṣka cāpāṭi, that is also all right. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. Because we are depending on Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives, we should be satisfied. We should never be dissatisfied, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, today is giving only śuṣka canna." No, whatever Kṛṣṇa gives.... That is devotee. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

Associating means even unknowingly. Just like infection. In medical science there is the word "infection." You may not know, but if you have infected typhoid disease, it will fructify at one moment. So similarly, even if we do not know, if we associate with the material modes of nature, it will be effective. Sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Therefore we must have full knowledge how to save oneself from the association, from the infection of this material disease. That is called jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ. Just like a man who knows hygienic rules and regulation, he does not infect disease. But a man in ignorance, he infects disease and suffers. It is not God's creation. Your creation. If you do not know how to live, then you will infect the infection of the different modes of material nature, and you will have to suffer or enjoy.

Therefore common sense instruction given by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, a great politician, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. This is his first instruction, that "Don't associate with bad character." We are also doing that, that "Don't associate with the four principles of sinful life illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. To tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: "You associate with sādhus."

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

Madhudviṣa: Thirty-four: "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth (BG 4.34)." Purport.

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

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

Madhudviṣa: Thirty-six: "Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of material miseries (BG 4.36)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This material world, conditioned life, because... The other day was explained. Our sinful life means ignorance, due to ignorance. Just like if I touch this flame, it will burn. Somebody may say, "Oh, you are burned. You are sinful." This is common sense. "You are burned. You are sinful. Therefore you are burned." That is, one sense, it is right. "I am sinful" means I do not know that if I touch this flame, I will be burned. This ignorance is my sin. Sinful life means the life of ignorance. Therefore, in this thirty-fourth verse, "Just try to learn the truth. Don't remain ignorant. Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master." Why should you remain in ignorance if there is way and means? That is my foolishness. Therefore I am suffering.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

Devotee: "It says in the Padma Purāṇa, 'No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, qualities and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord, are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is very important. Now, Kṛṣṇa, we are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. Now how we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. Because it is stated in the Vedic literature, just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Imagination, those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, they are imagining the form of God. And when they are confused, they say, "Oh, there is no personal God. It is all impersonal or void." That is frustration. But actually, God has got form. Why not? The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) the Supreme Absolute Truth is that from whom or from which everything emanates. Now we have got forms. so we have also must have been, not only we, there are different kinds of forms of the living entities. Wherefrom they come? Wherefrom this form is originated? This is very common sense question. If God is not a person, then how His sons become persons? If your father is not a person, how you can become a person? This is very common question. If my father has not a form, wherefrom I get this form?But people imagine, because when they are frustrated, when they see that this form is troublesome, therefore God must be formless. That is an opposite conception of this form. But Brahma-saṁhitā says no. God has form, but He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge and ānanda means pleasure. So God has form, but He has got a form which is full of pleasure, full of knowledge, and eternal.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

This material nature is not permanent. It is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Everything here, in the material world, everything comes into existence, takes birth, janma, then stays for sometimes, grows the body, then produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then finished. This is the material nature. Just like your body, my body, it has taken birth at a certain date, it is growing, and it is producing some children, by-products. Then, as we are growing old, then one day the body will be finished. This is the material nature. Either you take it personally, individually, your body, or this gigantic body of the universe, in whichever way you may take it, the nature is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Here the material nature is you take your birth or appearance and again disappear and again appear. This is the instruction of spiritual life. The spirit soul is there, but it is not getting a permanent settlement. This is material world. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As the body is changing, there are so many children, they will also become old like me. But the spirit soul is there. In the presence of mother, although the body is changing, the mother knows that "My son is there." Although from babyhood the son has grown to boyhood, the body, original body, child's body, baby's body, is not existing, the mother knows that "My boy is there."

So this is commonsense understanding. People do not understand it, very nice common sense, that the body is changing but the soul is there. Exactly the same example: the mother knows that "My boy, my child, although he has changed body, now he has grown-up, say, fifty years old, but my child he is. He is my child." Where is the difficulty to understand? Anyone can understand. But people do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This kind of education, what is the value? The real knowledge begins when we understand that we are not this body, material body. I am different from body.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

We gather knowledge by the sense, five knowledge-gathering senses and five working senses and mind. So if the senses are imperfect, then how can I gather real knowledge? And without getting real knowledge, if I preach, that is cheating. If you have no knowledge, then... Just like so many scientists, philosophers, they are cheating. Actually they have no knowledge that life cannot be produced by chemical combination; still, they are cheating people throughout the whole world that life can be produced by chemical combination. And this cheating is accepted. So there are so many other things. They are claiming they have gone to moon planet, this, that. But according to śāstra, they are all cheaters. All cheaters. They cannot go. It is not so easy thing. Just like to enter your African city, African country, there are so many rules and regulations, immigration. And you want to go to the Candraloka without any restriction. Just see. Candraloka is the planet of the demigods. There the people live for ten thousands of years, they are so advanced. Their comforts are many thousands better than this standard of comfort. And you want to go there without any passport and without any visa. From common sense, can you enter anyone's country simply because you have got aeroplane? But these things are going on.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

So manuṣyāṇām, out of the, there are many kinds of men also. Just like kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). The Africans, the Mongolians, the Huns... There are so many. We know so many types of human beings. Out of that, a few who are known as Aryans, they are the best type of human being. And out of the Aryans, those who are followers of the Vedic principles, they are the best. But those who are following the Vedic principles, they say that "We are Vedic, or followers of the varṇāśrama-dharma"—in common sense they call "Hindu"—but actually, they say so, they do not follow the principles. They do not follow them. They act against the Vedic principles. Therefore it is said that even though one gets this human form of life after many, many millions of years, the living soul, still, there are so many divisions in the human form of life; therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of human beings," kaścid yatati siddhaye. Siddhaye. Siddhaye means to get the spiritual power, or spiritual rejuvenation. That is called siddhi.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

So in India especially—not only India; everywhere—we have been especially encouraged to go on with these sinful activities. They do not like. In the American countries we see, while passing on the street, two sides of the road they're hoarding, advertising these things, either wine or cigarette or gambling or this or that, or some sinful activity. So our first propaganda is to not only give one Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but also to stop this sinful activity. Just like when you are treated by physician, he gives you some medicine and also ask you some restriction: "Do not do this," "Do not eat this, eat this." So if you are actually interested to get out of this entanglement of transmigration from one body to another, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa brahmite kono bhāgyavān jīva, Lord Caitanya says. We are wandering throughout the whole universe. That we do not know. We think that after finishing this body, everything is finished. But that is not the fact. Otherwise, why there are so many varieties of life? The varieties of life are because there are varieties of sinful activities. Because there are varieties of sinful activity, therefore we have got varieties of karma. Otherwise, if there would have been one class of activity, why there are different varieties of body? This is common sense. Who is giving us these different...? My body is different from your body, your body, so now we are sitting here, say fifty or hundred men—everyone's body is different from another body, you'll find. Then you go to other species of life, that is also different from other and other. So why this difference? Because we are differently situated according to our karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1).

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

How God is expanded everywhere, you can take this example. The sun is away from us, according to the scientists calculation, 93,000,000 miles away. And immediately, within a second, his sunshine is expanded all over the universe. Immediately. At least 93,000,000's of miles. Within a second.

So if it is possible by ordinary material thing—Kṛṣṇa, God, is full spiritual—how much spiritually powerful He is, that He can expand Himself all over the universes? This is called thoughtful consideration. So Kṛṣṇa... When Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam, "I am expanded everywhere," where is the difficulty to understand? There is no difficulty—if we are sane person. If we can see that "In one universe there is one sun and the sun is so powerful, it is a material thing, and there are innumerable universes and there are innumerable suns. One who has created these suns, how much powerful He is, "this is the calculation, common sense. If one sun, which is material, if it is so powerful that for millions and millions of years it is giving its energy, heat and light—still, it is so bright and powerful and temperature is so high—how much powerful temperature is of God, you can just imagine.

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

Now it is the question of limited and unlimited. We are limited. We are producing a little quantity of water by perspiration which contains salt, salty water. If I am able to produce unlimited quantity of water, salty, that is sea and ocean. That is sea and ocean. What is the (this) sea and ocean? That is perspiration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has got such potency, unlimited. Unlimited potency. So where is the difficulty to understand that when Kṛṣṇa says: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), "I produce everything..." The chemists, the scientists, they're beginning from chemical, but wherefrom the chemical came? That came from Kṛṣṇa. If some chemicals come, come from an insignificant lemon tree, how much chemicals can come from Kṛṣṇa?

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

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa said in the previous verse that, idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate (BG 13.2). Idaṁ śarīram, this body is called kṣetra, field of activities. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate etad yo vetti: anyone who understands. (Tam) sa prāhuḥ kṣetrajñaḥ iti tad-vidaḥ. He is kṣetrajñaḥ or the knower of the... Just like we are sitting in this room. It is very easy. Still the rascals, they cannot understand. We are sitting in this room. So the room, the floor is called kṣetra, field. It is also field, a small field. And everyone of us, we know that we are sitting on this floor. Nobody will says that "I am the floor." Will any sane man say that "I am the floor"? Nobody will say. It is common sense. So if you try to understand from this simple example, that I am one identity and this field, that is another identity. So I know that I am sitting on this floor.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). You just take the top of the hair and divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is your identity. So in these material ideas, we cannot understand that such a small particle, smaller than the atom, has got so power. Therefore, because it is so small, these so-called rascal scientists, they cannot find it, where it is; therefore say, "There is no soul." The rascals will not admit their inefficiency to know and still they will say, "no soul." And if there is no soul, then how it is working? They have no even common sense.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

As you are, you young boys and girls, why you are after me? The natural sequence is that "Now we have to inquire what is the next because this material happiness has not given us any happiness actually." So when a man becomes civilized, when a man has enjoyed enough of this so-called material, the next inquiry is about the Absolute Truth. That is natural. That is natural because every living entity is spiritual spark. He's not this body.

Therefore... Kṛṣṇa has already explained. To understand what the kṣetrajña, the knower of the body, and to understand what is this body, kṣetra-kṣetrajñayoḥ, and who is the another, real proprietor of the body, Kṛṣṇa—kṣetrajñaṁ ca api māṁ viddhi—so if one can understand these three things—kṣetra, kṣetrajna, and the supreme kṣetrajna—he... It is...

Even by common sense we can understand. It requires little cool brain. But that cool brain cannot act without giving us, giving up these four things, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. If your brain is congested always with all these four rubbish things, you cannot think of higher, finer things. That is not possible. Therefore we restrict, to make the brain clear to understand about Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that "Out of many, many thousands of men, one may be interested how to make perfect this human form of life. And out of many, many thousands of perfect persons, one may know actually what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa." So God is unconquerable, cannot be conquered, or He cannot be understood by your puffed-up mentality that "I can know Him." No. God can be known by the meek and humble who is submissive and who takes the shelter of a God-realized person and tries to hear from him. Then Rāmānanda Rāya... Not Rāmānanda Rāya, it is a quotation from Bhāgavata. Then the result is, although God is unapproachable by our limited knowledge, He becomes jita. Jita means He becomes conquered—simply by this position.

So we are following that system. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this system, that one may remain in his position, never mind what he is. It doesn't matter, either he is Indian or American or a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or white or black. But a human being with common sense, if he simply gives up his false, puffed-up knowledge that "I am God," and becomes humble and meek, and tries to understand the science of God from a realized soul, then one day it will so happen that God has become within his hand. Prāyaśo 'jita jito 'pi. God cannot be conquered, God cannot be understood, but jito 'py asi, by following this process, God becomes conquered, or one can understand actually the nature of God by this process.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

The material nature and the spiritual nature... There are two natures. So spiritual nature, the living entities, although they are to be enjoyed... Enjoyed by whom? Enjoyed by God, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktā, bhoktā aham, "I am the enjoyer." Just like in this temple, who is the enjoyer? Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. We are helping to Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment. Kṛṣṇa will eat something very nice. Our business is to prepare it nicely and offer to Kṛṣṇa. He is enjoyer. He is enjoying His flute in the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. So His very position is enjoyer. And we are servants. We don't claim that we are on the equal level of Kṛṣṇa. That is not our philosophy. We claim to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80). This is our position. We don't say that...

Just like Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that he is God. Their self-realization means when one realizes by their philosophy so 'ham, "I am God, I am the same." That is their philosophy. And our philosophy is so 'ham, "I am the same quality. I am not the same person. But I am the same quality." We are the samples of Kṛṣṇa. Very small particle. Just like if you take a drop of ocean water and you taste it, you can understand what is that ocean, what is the taste of the ocean. But you, as a drop of the ocean, you are not equal to the ocean. You are in quality the same, but in quantity we are different.

Therefore it is common sense, one who is smaller or weak, he is enjoyed by the stronger. That is the nature. You will find. In our daily dealings, what we are doing? That... Ahastāni sahastānām. Ahastāni. There are animals who have no hands. They have got legs. So ahastāni sahastānām. Both of we are animal. The great, the cows and there are many others. They are animals. We are also animals or living entity.

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

Prabhupāda: So when the question of order is there, then there must be one order-giver, and there must be one order-carrier. Otherwise, what is the meaning, order? Yasya ājñayā, by whose order. Whose means this whose, somebody bigger who is giving order, and the sun planet is carrying out the order. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. So there is order-giver. There is controller, the Supreme Lord, and there is order-carrier, the sun-god. Otherwise who is carrying the order? If it is only a lump of matter, then who will carry out the order? Now, this Tokyo city if it is a lump of matter only, then how the systematic order of traffic rules and regulation is... It is not only lump of matter, but there is somebody, the government or the king or the president, who is maintaining the order. This is conclusion. This is analogy. Then how you say that there is no controller? Where is your logic? Can anybody give any logic that there is no...

These rākṣasas, they say there is no God, there is no controller, but where is the logic? How you can say so? What is your analogy? What is your logic, that you say there is no God? Let us discuss. Can anybody say here? What is the idea? If things are going on systematically, the planets are moving in the orbit systematically, everything is going on... Just like same example. Always remember. I may be foreigner, but because I see that on the street the cars are moving in order, the police is standing, there must be government. That is... I may know or not, but this is common sense affair. There must be government, and there is government. Similarly, when I see that the cosmic order is working so nicely, systematically and reasonably, then how I can say there is no controller? Where is my logic? Tell me, anyone. Can you say, anyone, why they say there is no controller? Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). What is their logic? You tell. You are sometimes on their side. (laughter) What is their logic?

Nitāi: Well, that no controller is ever seen.

Prabhupāda: But you have not seen who is Japanese government, president. How do you conclude there is government? You have not seen the president or the supreme head. So how do you say there is government? We have not seen who is the president, who is the prime minister. Then how do we conclude that "There must be government. Otherwise how it is going on so nicely." You may see, you may not see, so many things, but does it mean... That is not a good logic, that "I have not seen." I have not seen, but the sound is coming. The car is there. There must be somebody there. Even if we do not see, you have to conclude like that. Just like there is sound. The sound is of car, and the car, there must be one driver. You have not seen. So how do you conclude there is a driver? How do you conclude? And why do you give stress on your seeing power? What is the power of your seeing? You cannot see. Now you cannot see the car. It is beyond your seeing range or beyond the wall. Then how you conclude that there is a car? And if there is a car, there is a driver. If there is driver, there are passengers. So how do you conclude all this? Why do you give this... This is childish reason, "I cannot see." You cannot see; therefore there is no existence. That is not good logic.

Trivikrama: They say that it all happened by chance,

Prabhupāda: Then that is another foolishness, "chance."

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

So these foolish, these atheistic persons, mūḍhas, they cannot see. There must be a spiritual touch. In spite of all electronic arrangement, unless there is a spiritual... The pilot is spiritual being. Unless he touches his finger, it is not moving. So how this gigantic material manifestation can work independently? They have no sense. Therefore they say, jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). Anīśvaram: "There is no pilot. It is moving automatically." This is asuric conclusion. How it can move? Where is your experience that simply combination of material thing can move the machine? Where is your experience? How do you say like that? It is very common sense. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said these rascals, these demons, they say, jagad āhur anīśvaram: (BG 16.8) "There is no controller." He's thinking. The scientist thinking. He's practically doing in the laboratory, that he is a spiritual soul. He is mixing the chemicals, hydrogen, oxygen, acid and alkaline. He's mixing, and there is reaction. Then something is coming out. He's doing that. Still, he says, "There is no God." What is this foolishness? Why do they say like that? Therefore they are asuras. They do not admit the existence.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

The material power is very gigantic, undoubtedly. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). This material energy is called Durgā. Durgā means... Duḥ means very difficult. When we are in this material world it is very, very difficult to get out of it. The sky is covering the whole material universe, and there are different layers. It is not so... You cannot go even to the nearest planet. Durgā, very difficult. You cannot... You are conditioned soul. You cannot go. You are thinking, "I have got now, discovered this." It is not discovered. The aeroplane was long, long ago. So you cannot go. That is our conditional life. They are trying to go to the moon planet, unsuccessful. They cannot go. Therefore we are conditioned. I am conditioned to live on this planet. I cannot go to other planet without permission. It is common sense. Just like India. One cannot come to America without proper visa. So how you can go to the other planet without proper visa. So they do not think. That is, therefore, asuras, demons. They are simply thinking that they are perfect, they can do everything. That is not possible. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

So in the animal life they are, after seeking where is food. Then, as soon as the body is strong, then "Where is sex? Find out the opposite sex." You'll find in the hogs' life very prominent, all these things. For sex they have no discrimination whether it is mother or sister or anyone. You'll find that. These are... We have to take lessons from nature's study. The hog is sometimes trying to drink the milk from the breast of the mother and sometimes trying to have sex. You'll find it. This is hog life. This is dog life: no sex discrimination, no food discrimination, no shelter discrimination, no defense discrimination. But all these things—"Discrimination, the best part of valor"—that is in human civilization. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra said, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now... In your previous lives as cats and dogs and hogs, you simply were busy for inquiring 'Where is stool?' 'Where is food?' 'Where is sex?' 'Where is this?' 'Where is that?' Now, because you have got human body, better consciousness, advanced consciousness, discrimination, now you inquire about Brahman."

This is Vedānta, beginning. So therefore human life is meant for understanding the absolute truth, God, the background of everything. Immediately answer is there: "The Brahman means janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the origin of everything." That is Brahman, origin of everything. There must be something origin. That is consciousness. Not that asatyam: "There is no origin." What is the nonsense? This is not human consciousness. This is animal consciousness, "There is no origin." There must be origin. I am... Because my origin is the father, my father, cause... I am born by my father. Common sense. Then his father, then his father, his father, go on, go on, go on... Although you do not know, but this is a fact that father is born by his father, and his father is born by his father. How can you deny it? He may not know the grandfather, great grandfather or more than that, but there must have been some person. Similarly, we may be foolish—we do not know; we cannot understand who is the original father—but there must have been the original father. That is God. That is God. Where is the deficiency to understand this fact?

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

First of all we are very minute part and parcel of Bhagavān. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. So, according to our position, we have got our knowledge, we have got our understanding, proportionately. Just like fire, big fire and a small spot fire. Both of them are fire, but you cannot compare the small fragment of fire with the big fire. That is not possible. The big ocean and a small drop of water from the ocean. Because the taste of the small drop of ocean is the same, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they conclude that "I am the same." But they have no common sense that the small drop of water, although the quality is the same, it is very small. So our knowledge is therefore imperfect. Although we are qualitatively one with God, still, being very small quantity, our power, our knowledge, our understanding—everything is proportionately small. You must first of all understand that, that we are simultaneously one and different. One means qualitatively one. A small particle of gold, you can call it gold, but it is not the gold mine, This is called dvaita-vāda, advaita-vāda. The rascals they think "Because I am gold, I am as good as the gold mine." No, That is not. Gold mine is very big, powerful, immense value. So we should not forget this.

Page Title:Common sense (BG Lectures)
Compiler:Sahadeva, MadhuGopaldas, Visnu Murti
Created:07 of Mar, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=43, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:43