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Fiction (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Now, as we are accustomed to think either of this material energy or of the spiritual energy, now, how to transfer the thinking? The thinking of the material energy, how it can be transferred into thinking of the spiritual energy? So for thinking in the spiritual energy the Vedic literatures are there. Just like thinking in the material energies, there are so many literatures—newspapers, magazines, novels, fictions, and so many things. Full of literatures. So our thinkings are absorbed in these literatures. Similarly, if we want to transfer our thinking in the spiritual atmosphere, then we have to transfer our reading capacity to the Vedic literature. The learned sages therefore made so many Vedic literatures, the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not stories. They are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse which reads as follows. anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). That these forgetful living entities, conditioned souls, they have forgotten the relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they are engrossed in thinking of the material activities. And just to transfer their thinking power to the spiritual capacity, the Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, he has made so many Vedic literatures. Vedic literatures means first he divided the Vedas into four. Then he explained them by the Purāṇas. Then for the incapable persons, just like strī, śūdra, vaiśya, he made the Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata he introduced this Bhagavad-gītā. Then again he summarized the whole Vedic literature in the Vedānta-sūtra. And the Vedānta-sūtra for future guidance, he made a natural commentation by himself which is called Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called bhāṣyo 'yaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. It is the natural commentation of Vedānta-sūtra. So all these literatures, if we transfer our thought, tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ, sadā. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). One who is engaged always... Just like the materialist is always engaged in reading some material literature like newspaper, magazines, and fiction, novel, etc., and so many scientific or philosophies, all these things of different degrees of thought. Similarly, if we transfer our, that reading capacity for these Vedic literatures, as presented by, as very kindly presented by Vyāsadeva, then it is quite possible for us to remember at the time of death the Supreme Lord. That is the only way suggested by the Lord Himself. Not suggested, it is the fact.

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

It is the natural commentation of Vedānta-sūtra. So all these literatures, if we transfer our thought, tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ, sadā. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). One who is engaged always... Just like the materialist is always engaged in reading some material literature like newspaper, magazines, and fiction, novel, etc., and so many scientific or philosophies, all these things of different degrees of thought. Similarly, if we transfer our, that reading capacity for these Vedic literatures, as presented by, as very kindly presented by Vyāsadeva, then it is quite possible for us to remember at the time of death the Supreme Lord. That is the only way suggested by the Lord Himself. Not suggested, it is the fact. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5). Undoubtedly. There is no doubt about it. Tasmāt, the Lord suggested therefore, tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mām anusmara yudhya ca (Bg. 8.7). He advises Arjuna that mām anusmara yudhya ca. He does not say that "You simply go on remembering Me and give up your present occupational duty."

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

Dharma-kṣetre means, kuru-kṣetre, that place is a pilgrimage. People still go to observe religious ritualistic performances. And in the Vedas there is injunction, kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret: "If you want to perform some ritualistic ceremonies, religious, then go to Kurukṣetra." So Kurukṣetra is a dharma-kṣetra. It is a not fictitious thing, just like rascal commentators, so-called, they say, "Kurukṣetra means this body." It is not that. As it is. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kurukṣetra, dharma-kṣetra. It is a place of religion. And especially when Kṛṣṇa was present there, it is already. Why this house? Before our occupation, why this house was an ordinary house? Now it is temple. It is dharma-kṣetra, it is a religious place. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is there. So either you take Kurukṣetra, ordinary place. But because in the battlefield Kṛṣṇa was there directing Arjuna. So it is already dharma-kṣetra.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

People go there. Kurukṣetra. Why one should interpret that kuru-kṣetra means this body and Pāṇḍavas means these pañca-indriyas, so many things? There is no question of interpretation. And this Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahābhārata. History, it is history. It is not a fiction. It is history. Mahābhārata. This planet was formerly known as Bhārata-varṣa. This planet. The whole planet. Not that the piece of land, as we are calling now, Bhārata-varṣa. No. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the reign of Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva, this planet became Bhārata-varṣa. So Bhārata-varṣa means the whole planet. But we have lost... Just like we have lost portion of the present Bhārata-varṣa as Pakistan. Everyone knows, twenty years before there was no such thing as Pakistan. But circumstantially we have lost. So..., so the whole Bhārata-varṣa has been partitioned as this portion is called America, this portion is called Europe, this portion is called Asia.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:

Body is the combination of senses, instrument. If I want to touch you I require hand, and through hand I'll feel the pleasure of touching you. So the ghost wants to touch, but he hasn't got the instrument. That is ghost. But there are ghost. It is not fictitious. It is a fact. Ghost means without this material body.

So so long we are materially contaminated, we require this material body for enjoying senses. And the spiritual world, we get our spiritual body developed. So there is no question of becoming ghost or... Individual, there is. The person is always existing. That is the purport of this verse. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param. Ataḥ param, "after this," means after this body is ended the individuality continues; simply we change our body. This is the version, and it is explained in the next verse, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are individual always, but we are changing this body from one type of body to another body according to our karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha-upapatti (SB 3.31.1). By superior examination we get a body, karmaṇā. So at the time of death it is decided what kind of body you are going to have next.

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

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The first benefit of this bhakti-yoga process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is cleansing the mind.

So Vyāsadeva, before writing... He was not an ordinary fiction writer. Anyone can write any nonsense. No. Formerly, no book will be accepted unless it is written by liberated soul. That was the system. No other man will dare to write any book, neither his book will be accepted in society. Only Vedic literature and literature produced out of Vedic knowledge. That is book. Otherwise, what are these books? These fictions and novels and... They are not books; they are rubbish. Actually they are rubbish. Don't you see? The newspaper, it is published after spending so much money. You know. Every day, the newspaper proprietors, they are paying to the news collectors, to the photographers, to the staff, to the establishment huge amount of money and producing newspaper, say, fifty pages or twenty-five pages, and throwing in the street. Nobody cares for it. Because everyone knows what is the value of this news. Nobody is taking care. "Oh, here is a newspaper behind which there is so much expenditure." "Oh, here is one. Let me take it." Everyone kicks it. You see?

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

So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He created. Now, this Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata... You have heard the name of Mahābhārata. It is a history of the fighting between two parties, Kuru-Pāṇḍava. So this Mahābhārata was especially made, I mean the story... Just like expert writer, they will pick up some historical facts and put it into fiction, so, to create more interest. In Bengal there is a famous writer who is compared with (Sir Walter) Scott of England. So Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Oh, all his novels are picked up from some historical facts, historical facts. That makes the fiction very interesting. Similarly, Mahābhārata, this is a history of fighting between two parties, and that was written especially, strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25).

We were just discussing this śloka this morning, that strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnām.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Now, because there should be some doubt of the ordinary man, that "How Kṛṣṇa could say to the sun-god?" that is explained in the next verse. Because Arjuna was taking instruction from Kṛṣṇa, he knew Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Otherwise he would not have accepted him as a spiritual master. But because others would doubt, "This is fictitious that Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god. How it is possible?" so you will find Arjuna said, "The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?" Kṛṣṇa is taking our position, er, Arjuna. Persons who are thinking of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary person, so Arjuna is trying to clear that point, that Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary person. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he has put this question, that "The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to you."

Sun-god, Vivasvān, the sun planet, father of Manu... Manu's age we cannot calculate.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

Because the so-called Vedantists, they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. It is a mystery. Kṛṣṇa, in other place, He says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25), "I cannot be exposed to anyone." Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Therefore, those who are fools, rascals, they consider Kṛṣṇa as fictitious, Kṛṣṇa as a human being, Kṛṣṇa as a historical person. Or "There was no Kṛṣṇa. It is an imaginary writing." Because these rascals, they cannot understand. Unless one is a bona fide devotee and intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, one cannot understand. That is the purport of this verse. One must become a devotee first of all. Because... You'll find in the Eighteenth Chapter: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ, in reality, what Kṛṣṇa is, that can be understood through devotion and service.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

We accept Kṛṣṇa, general people...

Sometimes we do not accept. There are many so-called scholars, they say that: There was no Kṛṣṇa. It is all fictitious. There was no battlefield of Kurukṣetra. It is all fictitious." They imagine their own meaning. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is also historical, at the same time, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These things cannot be understood unless one is a devotee. Therefore in the previous verse it has been said, bhakto 'si. The mystery of Bhagavad-gītā can be opened, disclosed, to the devotees, not to the nondevotees. The nondevotees may speculate in their specific platform of activities, as politician or as mundane philosopher or mundane scientist, but that is not the fact. The fact should be learned from the devotees of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

Vivasvān. In the beginning of this chapter, Fourth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So within the sun globe there is the person, the predominating deity whose name is Vivasvān. So it requires a little qualification, how to go to the sun planet. Sun planet is a fact. It is not fictitious. We are every day seeing. But we have no such power to go to the sun planet. Neither we have got the power to enter into the sun planet. That is inability.

Not that it is illusion. Kṛṣṇa is illusion or Kṛṣṇaloka is illusion. No, it is not illusion; it is fact. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). In the Vedic literature we find description of the planet of Goloka Vṛndāvana, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. It is stated, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. Nija-dhāmni. Nija-dhāmni means the personal abode. Kṛṣṇa is person. God is person.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

We are not supposed to be controlled by material nature so that we are now under the jurisdiction of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit. For the living entity, there is no death, there is no birth. But this is something fictitious. Every one of us experience birth and death. But the real fact is na jāyate mriyate vā. But we are so foolish, we do not inquire that "In the śāstra it is said that we have no birth and no death. Then why I am dying and why I am taking my birth?" This is our punishment.

We are... Actually, our real constitutional position is to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, but because we have revolted against Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are servant of māyā. Servant is my nature. Therefore it is called, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

So how did he understood? How he did understand Kṛṣṇa? He understood Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So you understand like that.

Why do you misinterpret, "Oh there is no Kṛṣṇa, there is no battlefield, it is all fictitious, I can make my own commentary, you can make your own..."? Why all this nonsense? Pūrvataraiḥ. Just Arjuna did, Arjuna accepted, accept like that. Then your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect. Otherwise simply wasting your time and misleading others. "This meaning is, this meaning is, that meaning is that." Why meaning is that? What right you have got to say like that? But these rascals are doing and spoiling the whole country. You see? Misinterpreting. There is no misinterpretation. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Your life will be successful. So try to follow Arjuna. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. (aside:) Take this.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

These are practical difficulties, and therefore we are called conditioned souls. Our activities are conditioned, not free. But you can attain a life of freedom, life of unlimited energy, unlimited happiness, unlimited bliss. There is possibility. This is not story or fiction. We see so many planets within this universe. We have got so many flying vehicles, but we cannot approach even to the nearest. We are so much limited. But if we worship Govinda, then it is possible. You can go anywhere. We have written these statements in our small booklet, Easy Journey to Other Planets. This is possible. Don't think that this planet is all and all. There are many, many millions of other very nice planets. There the standard of happiness, standard of enjoyment is many more times greater than what we are enjoying here. So how this is possible?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

So this Bhagavad-gītā should be read by every individual person to know the science of God. It is a great science. God is not a fiction or an imagination, as people take it. Not always, but in human society, everywhere in civilized human society there is some conception of religion, and the purpose of executing religious faith means to understand God. There is no other purpose of any religion. If in any religion the understanding of God is lacking, that is not first-class religion. So we are preaching not any particular type of religion. Religion is described in the English dictionary as "a kind of faith." Actually, religion does not mean. The Sanskrit word dharma, that dharma means characteristic. It is not a kind of faith—characteristic, or occupational duty. Generally it means characteristic.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

People are so downfallen. But there is only one method: if you can chant the holy name of God it will help you very quickly. So we do not say that, if you think that Kṛṣṇa name is the Hindu name or Indian name, "Why should I chant that?" But if you have got any name, actually must be name of God, not a fiction or an idea. Just like I've already explained this "Kṛṣṇa," Sanskrit word, means "all-attractive." But in the greatest. You say that God is great. Kṛṣṇa means the greatest all-attractive. Unless you become very great, you cannot be attractive. According to our material calculation, if one is very rich, he's attractive. If one is very influential, he's attractive. If one is very wise, he's attractive. If one is very beautiful, he's attractive. In this way, we attract. So God, Kṛṣṇa, has got all the six opulences of attraction; therefore He is called Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

So if you associate with any one of them, either God personally or with His name or with His form or with His quality or with His paraphernalia, immediately you become in contact with God. This is the science. This is not fiction; this is science. Because if you accept God as absolute, there cannot be difference between God and His name and His form. So this is science. You'll realize as you make progress. You'll realize. Just like these boys, they're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they are realizing; otherwise I've not bribed them. They're mad after Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is not due to my bribing them. They're actually realizing that they are in touch with Kṛṣṇa. So anyone can do that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, therefore, that there are many thousands of names of God. Although we say that the only perfect name is Kṛṣṇa, but if you think, "No, we have got another name," that's all right. But it must be the name of God. It must be full with the conception of God. If you have got, you can chant that name also. There is no hindrance. Nāmnām akāri. Because every name being identical with God, every name of God is as powerful as God. As powerful, because identical. Identical; therefore every name has got the same power and potency as the Supreme Person, God, has got.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

This is the advice. If we want to know Kṛṣṇa, then we have to transfer our attachment to Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. The mind should be attached to Kṛṣṇa.

Now, Kṛṣṇa is there. We have got Kṛṣṇa's picture, Kṛṣṇa's photo, Kṛṣṇa's temple, so many Kṛṣṇa's. They are not fictitious. They are not imagination, as the Māyāvādī philosopher thinks, that "You can imagine in your mind." No. God cannot be imagined. That is another foolishness. How you can imagine God? Then God become subject matter of your imagination. He is no substance. That is not God. What is imagined, that is not God. God is present before you, Kṛṣṇa. He comes here on this planet. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, sambhavāmi yuge yuge. So those who have seen God, you take information from them.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), every living entity is part and parcel and He is the supreme father of everyone. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to re-establish the real dharma, not fictitious dharma. That is bhāgavata-dharma. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also the same thing is spoken where Kṛṣṇa ends Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). From the same point Vyāsadeva begins Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1), and he describes about dharma: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All cheating type of religious system are projjhita. Projjhita means to throw away, kick out.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is bhāgavata-dharma, to teach throughout the whole world that God is great and we are small particle part and parcel of God, our duty is to serve God, that is bhakti.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

We are trying to teach this perfection of life—how to become free from these four kinds of miserable conditions: birth, death, old age and disease. But how many are joining with us? Some of them are thinking these are fictitious. No, it is fact. It is scientific. It is scientific. But people have no interest in these things. They are simply interested in sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They have become mad, simply mad, to gratify senses. But they are forgetting that this human life is meant for making a solution for all the problems of life. They are not interested in that. They are thinking, "By increasing the volumes of sense gratification, that is perfection." That is not perfection. You may improve the material condition of life, but you cannot live here. Just like you have constructed very nice city, Stockholm, or any European city. That is very good.

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

If one goes to that place, he hasn't got to come back again to this miserable world.

So Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is the greatest gift to the human society. Those who are fortunate enough, they'll take advantage of it. It is not a fiction. It is not a bogus propaganda. But it is fact... (break) ...many millions of perfected life, one can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So it is... In one side it is very difficult to understand. But at the same time, it is very easy to prosecute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And because it is very easy, because we are recommending that "Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll get the greatest perfection," they cannot believe it. If I would have prescribed some gymnastic process and if I would have charged fifty dollars for some secret mantra, then your countrymen would have followed me.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

So śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is not some materialistic philosopher's or writer's as you have got... They are called grāmya-vastavaḥ. Grāmya-vastavaḥ means ordinarily these affairs. A man is meeting woman, woman is meeting man—that story, all these novels and fiction and dramas. It is not like that. Therefore it is said mahā-muni-kṛte śrīmad-bhāgavate. It is not ordinary persons writing whimsical, some, manufacturing some story, narration and puzzling the brain. No. Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte: it is beyond all defects of human life. When an ordinary person writes, he writes with defective instruments. First of all, any man within this world, however great he may be, he must commit mistake. That's a fact. There are many instances, simply for little mistake. Just like Hitler. Hitler planned so gorgeously winning over the world. A little mistake, as soon as his attention was diverted toward Russia, he was finished.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

So what Śukadeva Gosvāmī did, that after assimilating the whole Vedic literature, he distributed it. That is another instinct. If you really have learned the essence of Vedic knowledge, automatically you'll be inclined to preach it. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Śravaṇam means to hear, to receive the knowledge. And next, kīrtanam, means to distribute, to describe the knowledge. Yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam adhyātma-dīpam (SB 1.2.3). Dīpam means lamp. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is just like the lamp in the darkness to see Kṛṣṇa, or God. Adhyātma-dīpam. And for whom is it meant? Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not meant for the street boys, or who are accustomed to read so many nonsense literature. They want to waste their time. They have no engagement. They purchase some book, fictitious book, and read it. Not only they, even elderly men, they read it. But this book is different from those books. It is meant for persons, those who are desiring to get out of this world of ignorance. Tamo 'ndham.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So similarly Kṛṣṇa's representative is also abhijñaḥ, naturally. If one associates with Kṛṣṇa, if one talks with Kṛṣṇa, he must be very abhijñaḥ, very learned, because he takes lessons from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's knowledge is perfect, therefore, because he takes knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, his knowledge is also perfect. Abhijñaḥ. And Kṛṣṇa talks. It is not that it is fictitious, no. Kṛṣṇa—I have already said—that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart and He talks with the bona fide person. Just like a big man, he talks with some bona fide person, he doesn't waste his time talking with nonsense. He talks, that's a fact, but he does not talk with nonsense, he talks with the bona fide representative.

How it is known? It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Who is bona fide representative? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṇa says that "I give him intelligence."

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Just like education. I am seeing a motor car but a advanced motor engineer, he sees also the car, the difference of seeing. If there is some defect in the car, I cannot do it. But one engineer, one who knows, a mechanic, he knows, immediately touches and the car runs. Similarly, we should know that by education, by culture, by knowledge we can understand God. Not by fictitious, by concoction, "Oh, I accept this God. I accept that God." So that education can be very quickly done. Otherwise it is very difficult to understand God.

There are so many philosophers in the world, so many scientists, they are declining. Because they could not find what is God, they are denying. Just like, my inefficiency of my eyes, I see that beyond this wall I cannot see. I say, "Oh, there is nothing beyond this wall." (indistinct) That is my lack of education. Not that there is nothing beyond this wall. My imperfect eyes cannot see, my imperfect senses cannot realize, but you can make your senses perfect to see God by a process. What is that?

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:
And those who are materialistic person, they also talk. They talk about this body, how to keep this body nicely. There are politics, sociology, welfare activities, so many things, all concerning to the body. So there are many talks, just like in the newspaper. In your country especially, bunch of newspaper. So many talks, advertisement, fashion, this news, that news, full up. So the materialistic person, they read the newspaper, but we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is the difference. We are also reading. They are also reading. So nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, "My dear king, there are many hundreds and thousands of topics for the materialistic person." Sahasraśaḥ. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands, and that is a fact. So many novels, so many fiction, so many so-called philosophy, newspaper, cinema paper, this paper, that paper, so many. Sahasraśaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Mahābhārata author is Vyāsadeva. Author means it is not an imaginary story. It is historical fact. History anyone can write. So if you mean by author that something original, just like at the present moment there are so many authors of some fiction, novel, and fictitious, it is not like that. The historical incidences were there, and it was put forward by Vyāsadeva. In that sense he is author.

Guest (2): When was it written, the Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Five thousand years before. It was after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought about five thousand years ago, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written after writing Mahābhārata. When Vyāsadeva was not satisfied in his heart even by writing Mahābhārata and Vedānta-sūtra, he was sitting morose, and he was thinking that "I have written so many nice literatures. Why I am not happy?" At that time his spiritual master Nārada came, and he instructed him that "You have written the history of Mahābhārata. It is very nice. But there is some idea of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but not absolute. You write some book in which simply, absolutely about Kṛṣṇa is there." So under his instruction he wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

If you want to satisfy the Supreme Lord, then you have to accept this path of devotional service. There is no second path. There is no second path. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If one wants to know the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in truth, not fictitiously, then bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti means through devotional service. So here also it is said that bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato 'malam (SB 1.5.8), "You have not stated very nicely, in devotion, in love, about the transcendental glories of the Lord." Yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad... And if Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is not satisfied... Yena eva asau na tuṣyeta. Asau bhagavān na tuṣyeta, is not pleased, manye tad darśanaṁ khilam. That is insignificant. That means he hinted that "You are very much proud that you have written Vedānta-sūtra. You don't think by writing your Vedānta-sūtra God is pleased. Don't think so.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

So here Nārada Muni advises that "You have explained..." Dharmādayaś ca artha. "In different literature you have divided the whole Vedas in understandable language, Purāṇas." Purāṇas means supplementary to the Vedas, to explain the Vedic knowledge according to the quality. Every human being is under some quality of the material nature. Some of them are in darkness, or ignorance. Some of them are in passion. And some of them are mixed ignorance and passion. And some of them are in light, or goodness. Not all in the same level. There are different classes of men. Just like in our Hayagrīva's library we find so many philosophical books. But if you go to ordinary man you'll find some nonsensical literature, fiction, and sex psychology, this, that. According to taste. According to taste, different taste. Because there are different classes of men. That will be explained in the next verse.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

The newspaper man throws in everyone's bungalow, and it is lying for three days. So who is going to read? But they are making their business because they get advertisement. In the... Many news. So they have got to hear or understand so many news, but not this Bhāgavatam. They'll devote the whole day for reading this newspaper or some fiction or some novels, for this and that. Some political talks and... But they have no time to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Apaśyatām ātma... Because they have no, no interest in self-realization. There is no interest. People have lost all interest. This is the position. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential at the present moment.

Now, these European and Americans, they have enough heard about all these nonsense. Therefore they are anxious to hear about self-realization.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mahā-purāṇam, it is called mahā-purāṇam. Mahad ākhyānam. Ākhyānam, narration, history. It is not fictitious; it is history. The activities of the Kauravas, Pāṇḍavas, many other activities mentioned here. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja... Many, many devotees and their activities, their history. It is not mythology. The rascals, they say mythology. No. It is history. Mahābhārata. Mahā means greater and bhārata means this planet. So Mahābhārata means the history of this planet. Now it is minimized, "India." India is given the name given by the Britishers or the Europeans. Real name is Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa, according to the name of Mahārāja Bharata. So this greater India, Mahābhārata, this is also history. Itihāsa. Itihāsa-purāṇa. Purāṇa means old history. Purāṇa means old. It is not mythology. Purāṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.49-50 -- Vrndavana, October 7, 1976:

And those who are not devotees, they cannot understand that "How it is possible?" They say it is, what is called? Mythology. It is mythology. It is not mythology, it is fact. Vyāsadeva, such a learned person, vidvān. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). He is vidvān. He has written this sātvata-saṁhitā with some mythology, some fiction, some imagination? It is rascaldom to consider it like that. It is not mythology; it is fact. That is Bhagavān. He has wasted his time to describe some mythology? But they have no common sense. And not only that, Vyāsadeva has written. Later on all big, big commentators like Śrīdhara Svāmī, Vijayadhvaja, Vīrarāghavācārya, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Sanātana Gosvāmī, many. They have never said that this is mythology. Never said. Never said. You'll not find in any of the comments of these big, big stalwart ācārya. Vīrarāghavācārya, he is very learned scholar belonging to the Rāmānujācārya Sampradāya.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

Just like Kṛṣṇa's another name is Madana-mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone. Cupid. And Kṛṣṇa enchants Cupid. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. He's so beautiful that even Cupid is enchanted by Him. But again on the other side, Kṛṣṇa, although He's so beautiful that He enchants the Cupid, still He is enchanted by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's name is Madana-mohana-mohinī. Kṛṣṇa is the enchanter of the Cupid, and Rādhārāṇī is the enchanter of that enchanter. So these are very high-grade spiritual understanding in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not fiction or imagination, concoction. They are facts. They are facts. And every devotee can have such privileges if he is actually advanced. If you...

Don't think that the privilege which was given to Mother Yaśodā... If not exactly like that, everyone can have that privilege. If you love Kṛṣṇa as your child, then you'll have such privilege. Because the mother has got.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So unfortunately, these professional reciters, they do not begin Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning, where Vedānta-sūtra is discussed. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So Bhāgavata begins with this word of Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. So it is the, in the beginning, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has recommended, therefore, one should learn Bhāgavatam from a person who knows Vedānta-sūtra. Śruti-gṛhītayā, bhaktyā śruti-gṛhītayā. Bhakti should be generated, śruti-gṛhītayā, by studying Vedānta-sūtra. Bhakti is not sentiment. Bhakti is the transcendental science. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, jñānī viśiṣyate(?). You should be in full knowledge what is Kṛṣṇa, not that accepting Kṛṣṇa as something fictitious. Even big, big scholars—Dr. Radhakrishnan, Gandhi—they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. How they can understand? It is not understandable by the fools and rascals.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

So simply if you read and hear the activities, either read or hear, both of them are śravaṇam. Activities of the Lord, you get liberation, simply by reading. You have got a tendency for reading book or hearing about somebody, but, generally, for our sense gratification we hear some man and woman making love affairs, and that is the subject matter of a drama or a fiction or a story. The same tendency, if you transfer for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you get liberation. It is so nice thing. And you'll find so attractive to read about the activities of the Lord that they will... Cannot leave the book. The Nectar of Devotion and Kṛṣṇa. It is practically. If you go on reading, you'll find at times some philosophical topics, but the story is so attractive. Because God, Kṛṣṇa is so attractive, His activities are also attractive.

That is recommended here: śrotavyaḥ bhagavān hariḥ. Bhagavān hariḥ. Śrotavyaḥ and kīrtitavyaś ca. And He should be glorified, smartavyaś ca, and memorized. If you read, if you are serious, then... Actually, these are our.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

They have created a life of material enjoyment, and therefore they have many things to hear, śrotavyādīni. So many newspaper, magazines, books, fictions, simply for wasting time. There is no discussion in those literatures about future life. None of these literatures. Take any literature of the modern world. There is no discussion about the future life. But the future life is there. You cannot deny it. The future life is there. But there is no discussion. Therefore these rascals have been described as apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). These rascal, they do not see what is the future. They do not believe in future. Big, big professors, big, big politicians, they do not believe even that there is life after death. And why there is no life after death? We are experiencing that life after life... Just like this child's activities at the present moment will not be the same when she will get another body as young woman. That will be different activity. So according to our change of body we have got different engagements.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

Just like shirt and coat. You have got your coat, and within the coat there is shirt, and within the shirt, you are. This is gross example. Similarly, we have got this gross body and when the gross body is finished, then I keep myself in this mental body. That is called ghostly body. The ghostly body means one who is living in the subtle body. Ghost is a fact; it is not fictitious. So the subtle body carries me to another gross body. That is called transmigration of the soul. I must have some vehicle. The subtle body... Gross body is finished. That is gone. Now, the subtle body is there; therefore my mentality will create another gross body. If I am dog mentality, then I'll create another body, dog's body. And if I am God mentality, then I'll create another body like God.

This is the process. So, everyone has got full liberty how, what kind of body he's going to get next.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:

Thus He plays exactly like the social, political or religious leaders. Because such roles ultimately culminate in the discussion of topics of the Lord, all such preliminary topics are also transcendental. That is the way of spiritualizing the civic activities of human society. Men have inclinations for studying history and many other mundane literatures—stories, fiction, dramas, magazines, newspapers, etc.—so let them be dovetailed with the transcendental service of the Lord, and all of them will turn to the topics relished by all devotees. The propaganda that the Lord is impersonal, that He has no activity and that He is a dumb stone without any name and form has encouraged people to become godless, faithless demons, and the more they deviate from the transcendental activities of the Lord, the more they become accustomed to mundane activities that only clear their path to hell instead of return them home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:

So what is the difference between hell and this, what is called, mine? They were silent. But when the priest said, "There is no newspaper," "Oh, horrible!" (laughter) There is no newspaper. Therefore, in your country, so many big, big, I mean to say, bunch of newspapers, they are distributed. So if for Los Angeles City, which is nothing but a point in this world...

There are so many cities, but there are so many newspapers. Not only one edition; two, three editions. If they can give so many news from this one point, now, how much news we have got? That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from spiritual world. But there is no customer. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, so valuable instruction, so much information, all fact, dhruvam. Dhruvam means fact, not fictitious. So there would have been many, many customers. And because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no culture, these literatures, they are not appreciated. So what is next?

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Other medicines, they are very bitter. If you practice yoga, oh, you have to take so much labor. And that, you do not know whether you'll be successful or not, haṭha-yoga. And if you take to jñāna, that also requires much education, much understanding of philosophy. So they actually, although they are medicine, but they are bitter medicine.

Not very palatable. Neither everyone can take it. A child cannot become a jñānī. A child cannot become a yogi. But a child can become a bhakta. Therefore this is the easiest process. Pleasing. Everyone is pleased to execute this process. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). Mano-'bhirāmāt. Even for ordinary men who wants to hear about conjugal love... They read therefore so many novels, fiction, dramas. What is that? The love affairs between one young man, one young girl. But that is also there, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In that sense also, it is pleasing.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:

And the day of their anniversary the municipal washing brush, street , they brush over the..., in the morning. (laughter) They brush over the... Because the gene..., gentlemen will go, they have to call some sweeper. So he will brush the face of Sir Asutosh Mukherjee and wash, and then in the evening-big garland. In the morning it was washed with municipal brush, and in the evening there is big garland. So people have become so... So therefore they are compared with these dogs, asses, camels. They have no intelligence. We are worshiping Deity. Shall we allow like that? That is worship. But this is a fictitious thing, and they are thinking "We are honoring Sir Asutosh Mukherjee or president Jawaharlal Nehru," like that. Such foolish persons. If I know that "This is Sir Asutosh Mukherjee," how I can allow his mouth to be washed by the municipal brush?

No. They know it is stone. It is stone. Therefore it has been forbidden, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

And there is the predominating deity also, the president. You may call. There is a state. Just like you have got here, United State, there is state also. And there is also president, and the president's name is Vivasvān. Everything is there in the śāstra. We read from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa said, "I spoke to Vivasvān, the president or the predominating deity in the sun globe." So this is all fact. It is not fiction. You are seeing the sun globe, and you are seeing that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. So it is a globe; therefore there must be inhabitants. But their body is different. That is... Just like this earthly planet is made of earth or dirt—that is made of fire. This is within these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. So the mixture of these things are there also, but the fire element is there prominent. As here, in this earth, all the mixtures are there, but here the earthly element is prominent. So this is also one of the material worlds.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

And multiply it by one thousand. That means forty-three lakhs plus three zeros, how much it comes to? Huh? Some crores of years. That is Brahmā's twelve hours. Sahasra...

If you take Bhagavad-gītā, if you believe, if you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you can understand. And if you say, "It is fictitious, something imaginary," that is another thing. But unless you believe it, you have no authority to touch Bhagavad-gītā! That is nonsense. We are creating so many nonsense who do not believe in the Bhagavad-gītā, and they become commentator and scholar and so many things. Mūḍha. We are not in favor of this business. We are preaching all over the world that if you read Bhagavad-gītā, you read it as it is and accept it as it is. Otherwise don't create foolish anymore. We have produced many foolish person but misguiding them by misinterpreting this Bhagavad-gītā. Stop this business. And if you believe, you have to believe like this. You cannot interpret, that is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

You have to serve Kṛṣṇa as He says. If I want a glass of water, you must give me a glass of water. You cannot say, "Prabhupāda, milk is better than water. Why don't you take one glass of milk?" That is not anukūla. You must supply me what I want. That is anukūla. That is favorable. I want to drink water. Why should you give me milk? That is anukūla. That is bhakti. That is ananyayā... You don't manufacture your own trademark of bhakti. No, that is not bhakti. It is not that...

Sometimes people say, some so-called bhaktas, they say that "I can worship the Lord in my own way." No, that you cannot do. You have to... But because you have no connection with the Supreme Lord, you simply think a fiction, an idea, imagination, kalpana. The Māyāvādīs, they say kalpana. Brahma-rūpa-kalpanaḥ: "Brahma has no rūpa, but you imagine some rūpa, or form." That is Māyāvāda. That is not. Kṛṣṇa has got rūpa. Kṛṣṇa is present here with His original rūpa, as it is described in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

Then I understood that it is very difficult to maintain wife here. And actually it is difficult to... So even from material point of view, Kṛṣṇa, as far as we can calculate, we cannot conceive even at the present moment to maintain more than one wife or two wife. But He was maintaining sixteen thousand wives, 16,108.

But, because we have no conception of God, we take it, "This is all fictitious. God..." When God gives His reality, identification, and it is recorded in the śāstra, not by any loafer class writer but like Vyāsadeva, and we take it fictitious. Just see our position-Vyāsadeva has bothered his brain to write something fictitious! Just see how low-grade persons we are! We don't believe writing of Vyāsadeva. Or sometimes we say, "No, no, this was not written by Vyāsadeva. It is interpretation." If it is interpretation, then why the ācāryas have accepted? They're also fools-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī... They have made commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they mention, they have accepted, "Yes. Kṛṣṇa has sixteen thousand wives."

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

They're also fools-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī... They have made commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they mention, they have accepted, "Yes. Kṛṣṇa has sixteen thousand wives." So Vyāsadeva has written and the ācāryas have accepted. Then I have become such a great scholar that I say it is fictitious. And we have to believe these rascals.

So don't go to rascal. If you want real knowledge, take it from Bhagavān. bhagavān uvāca. Then your knowledge is perfect. That is our process. We, we have taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and we are preaching. We don't preach anything else which Bhagavān does not say. Bhagavān says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... (BG 18.65). We are canvassing, "My dear sir, you just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You always think of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. We say, "You just think of Kṛṣṇa." The same thing. There is no change.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

Meditation means to concentrate the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, not something fictitious, but this is tangible. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). That is the yoga practice of meditation, but not that he, the yogi, does not know what he is thinking. That is not yoga. This is simply show. Real yoga is to meditate upon the lotus feel of Kṛṣṇa. That is real yoga. Dhyānāvasthita. Dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation. So they sit down in dhyāna. What is the subject matter of dhyāna? The subject matter of dhyāna is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That is dhyāna, dhyāna-yoga. That is... Then you get yogic perfection. And Kṛṣṇa recommends in the Bhagavad-gītā how first-class yoga is thinking of Kṛṣṇa:

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Now the question may be raised that both ways I have to accept some painful situation, so why shall I accept painful situation for realizing God? For material sense gratification, although I am working very hard, I am getting, immediately, some pleasure, sense pleasure. So why shall I work hard or accept some painful situation for realizing God which is unknown and fictitious to me? So the reply is, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1), "My dear boys, if you accept a little trouble for realizing God, then your existential condition will be purified."

What is the use of purifying? There is need. If you purify, purify yourself, existentional condition, then you will be saved from the four kinds of troubles or miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. So God realization means spiritual realization. So Ṛṣabhadeva says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1), by purification of your existentional condition you enjoy brahma-saukhyam. After all, we are searching after happiness, pleasure. So on account of our impure existential condition, our so-called happiness is temporary.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

It is something like that. They cannot do anything. Actually, they have got attachment for these material activities, and they put forward different types of manifesto. But if one is serious about going back to home, back to Godhead... First of all, they have no such information that there is a place where God lives. They think it is all fictitious. (So) why it is fictitious? If you accept there is God, why, what is the objection to accept a place for Him? We have got our place, we have got our residential quarter, and God has provided us all these facilities, and He has no facility? He is impersonal? He has no place? Just see.

So, these things cannot be understood by the materialistic person. Therefore, one has to practice vairāgya, renunciation. That is pointed out here. Bhāgavata upāsanam upadekṣyamāna vairāgyaṁ vinā upadiṣṭo 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyag pratitiṣṭhati iti. Side by side we have to practice, voluntarily, to be detached from material activities.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:

Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving an example from the history. Now it is explicitly stated here, itihāsaṁ purāṇam. All the Purāṇas that we have got, they are not legends; they are all history. They are all histories. Just like there is no chronological history one after another, but any incident which has taken actually place, they are reciting. They are not fiction or imaginary stories, all the Purāṇas. Itihāsa, yes. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving an instance from the history which is very instructive. Atra codāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam. Purāṇa means old history, actually Purāṇa. Purāṇa means old. So purātaṇam itihāsam. Now he gives that,

kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid
dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ
nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāro
dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ

He says, "In the city of Kānyakubja..." Kānyakubja is still existing. That is also historical place. That place is now known as Kanauj. Yes. (some discussion in Hindi) "In the city of Kānyakubja, formerly there was a brāhmaṇa." Kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścit. "There was a brāhmaṇa." Āsīd dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Dāsī-pati means one who keeps woman; it is not married. He kept one woman, dāsī; therefore he was the husband of a dāsī. He was living with a woman who was not married wife.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

So yesterday Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "In this connection I shall cite the example, historical example, of Ajāmila." So historical reference. It is not fiction because Kānyakubja is still there. The city of Kānyakubja is still existing there, and the Bhāgavata was written five thousand years ago. So that means the city existed before five thousand... Kānyakubje. Kānyakubje dvijaḥ. Dvija means twice-born. First-born by the father and mother, and the next birth is dvijaḥ, means by the father, spiritual master, and the mother, Vedic knowledge. This is called second birth. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Saṁkāra means purificatory process. So that is human life, not that to beget a child. That begetting is going on by the cats and dogs. That is not... That is first birth. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. So that kind of birth is accepted as śūdra. Then he can be trained up.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So gradually the history of Ajāmila. We have already narrated, he was inhabitant of Kānyakubja. It is historical incidence. It is not a fiction, manufactured something. No. History, itihāsa. So in the Vedic literature they are... Everything is itihāsa, history. Just like in the park we were talking of the Milk Ocean. The Milk Ocean is there in some part of the universe, top, near Brahmaloka. So it is not fiction; it is itihāsa, means history. We do not know the universal history. We may know some history of our country or this planet, that's all. But there are millions and trillions of planets.

So that history is recorded in the Vedic literature. There are different varieties of planets, there are different standard of comfort, different standard... It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā that yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). The brahma-jyotir, the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's body... Just like effulgence of the sun-god's body is the sunshine. We can very easily understand. This is a material thing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

And Kṛṣṇa says, above all—this is also Kṛṣṇa's statement—imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). There is kingdom. There is city. There is population. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa went there long, long ago, forty millions of years, and He instructed this Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god? Vivasvān, his name, is also there. Not fictitious. This is the paramparā system. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

So we have got picture in our Bhagavad-gītā. The sun-god is listening. The sun-god, there is sun-god. Just like here we have got a god, Ford or Nixon, similarly, in every planet there is a god. Therefore it is described, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). All these gods, they are demigods. They are not God. God is one. So deva. That... If you try to go to the sun planet, moon planet, or any other planet, millions and trillions of planet, you can go. Higher planetary system, lower planetary system, that you can go.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

He is called dvija-bandhu. He is not called a brāhmaṇa. Strī, śūdra. And they are classified along with strī and śūdra. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocaraḥ. For these persons it is very difficult to understand the Vedic injunctions. Therefore the Vedic injunctions are sometimes made into historical stories. The stories, they are not fiction; they are fact. But some of the... Just like the Battle of Kurukṣetra between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, this is a fact. But the incidences are so nice that you can derive Vedic knowledge from them. And Bhagavad-gītā is within Mahābhārata.

So this is a fact, that veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. Dharma... It is to be settled up that dharma means the injunction of the Supreme Nārāyaṇa. And adharma means that you manufacture something out of your own fertile brain. That is adharma. And dharma means the injunction. Dharmāṁ (tu) sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: (SB 6.3.19)

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- San Diego, July 27, 1975:

Just like one man cannot maintain one wife: He married sixteen thousand wife. And He maintained them how? Sixteen thousand palaces. And will the women will be satisfied simply having very good palaces? No, she must have husband. So Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into sixteen thousand husband. This is Kṛṣṇa. But because I cannot do it, we say, "Oh, this is all allegory, fiction. It is not fact." That is our defect. If God comes, explains, then we do not believe Him. Then how we will be convinced about God? God is omnipotent, and when He shows His omnipotency and it is recorded in the śāstra, we don't believe. So therefore, why we do not believe? Now, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. Yeṣām... Kṛṣṇa says everything.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇāṁ
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

One who is completely free from the reaction of sinful life, anta-gataṁ pāpam, and only engaged in pious activities, that such person can be engaged in His devotional service.

So you engage yourself in the routine devotional service of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:

The whole propaganda is like that. Even big, big political leaders, they'll say, "We don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, there was a person as Kṛṣṇa living ever." So people are being misled. Lokas tad anuvartate. He has taken the position of śreyān, big leader, big scholar, and he is decrying Kṛṣṇa. So what people will do? They are helpless. They will give, "Oh, Mr. such and such said it is fiction. Kṛṣṇa is imagination." This is going on. In Vṛndāvana you'll find so many big, big Māyāvādīs. They're explaining that this Kṛṣṇa concept is an imagination, and people are thronged together to hear him, in Vṛndāvana, and what to speak of other places. So this is the position of the world, and they are suffering and they will continue to suffer. Nature will punish them. Yamarāja will take them. That is their next life. So you try to save them. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 7.7.40-44 -- San Francisco, March 20, 1967:

So why not transfer yourself to that permanent sky, permanent association, permanent life, permanent supreme knowledge? What we are seeking here in imperfectness? But people have no information. Some of them, they do not believe in it. Some of them are callous. This is our unfortunate condition. But it is neither false nor it is fiction. It is actual fact, truth, real truth, Absolute Truth. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata presents the objective as the Supreme Truth, paraṁ satyam. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi: "I offer my obeisances to the Absolute Truth, paraṁ satyam." And what is that paraṁ satyam? Nirasta-kuhakam. Nirasta-kuhakam means "which is devoid of all illusion." Here everything is full of illusion. I am thinking, planning something, and at any moment, oh, it is all vanished, all finished.

So we do not understand that this is illusion, and there is a permanent life.

Lecture on SB 7.9.39 -- Mayapur, March 17, 1976:

So the verdict of the śāstra is the same everywhere in a different way. The perfection of life is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, that tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha. One should be interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are interested in so many kathās. Because we purchase newspaper in the morning, so big volume, so many kathās are there. And we read many material dramas and novels and fictitious stories and killing stories. We are very much attached to these. All these kathās, means stories, we are interested, but we are not interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Means I am interested in kathā, that is my nature, but it has become perverted on account of being contaminated by this material world. This is our position. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram. Because it is so polluted, asādhu, dishonest and bad, everything, whatever... The mind is dirty, full of dirty things.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

He gets the benefit. But they, they will not allow. These rascal leaders, they'll not allow. They will be represent Kṛṣṇa as something else. The, the only business is to kill Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Not to accept Kṛṣṇa is fact. All the big commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā, you'll see. They're simply trying to make Kṛṣṇa is not a fact. It is some fictitious. It is some story, mental speculation. This is their business. Demonic. So the condition is very, I mean to say, dangerous. People are being misled.

We are only... It is not our pride. It is a fact. We are the only institution. We are trying to give the greatest benefit to the human society, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Anyone who understands, if he understands... It is not possible to understand fully Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. But as, as He represents Himself, Kṛṣṇa, as He says Himself, if you understand... Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the origin of everything." You take it. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. He has proved. Kṛṣṇa is origin of everything.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

We are trying to convince people that "Your original position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. You have now forgotten that. You revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll become happy." That is our propaganda.

Do not misunderstand that we are trying to spread Hinduism. Hinduism is a fictitious term. Because there is no fixed-up conclusion. Somebody's accepting this, somebody... Even the Jains and the Sikhs and many other sub-religions, they are also ruled by the Hindu rules, Hindu law. So actually this word Hindu is given by the Muhammadans. We don't find this word in the Vedic literature, Hindu. It is later, I mean to say, prakṛta. Or in Bhagavad-gītā you won't find the word Hindu. Or in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Or any other Vedic literature. This is the convention of latest age. Actually, we, the followers or Vedic principles, our system is varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. This is, this can be applicable.

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

Because they have no conception of Godhead. Nirākāra. So nirākāra, where is the loving affairs with nirākāra? I cannot love the air. If I want to love, if somebody says, "You love this air, nirākāra," oh, where is my love? Love must be there. Just like here we have got Kṛṣṇa. We can love. We cannot love this sky. So they have no conception of God; therefore their love of God is all fictitious. Just like Rabindranath Tagore, he has written Gītāñjali, "Tumi." Who is that tumi, he does not know. All the poetry's "tumi, tomāra," and who is that rascal, tumi or tomāra? But that he does not know. This is going on. Now if I say, "My husband, tumi," I know, he's my husband. Or his form is like that. Then I can say. But he does not know who is that tumi. Everyone... The impersonalists will pray, tam eva mātā tam eva pitā. But who is that mātā, who is that pitā? That he does not know. We say, "Here is your mātā, pitā, Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa." That is tangible. Fact. Not fictitious.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

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

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.

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."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

So those who are surrendered, they believe and therefore they receive the desired result. Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. And the activities of God and His representative are described where? In scriptures, book of authority. Vyāsadeva had no business, or Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no business to describe some fiction, some allegory. Just like fools, they interpret śāstras, "This means this. This means that," according to their own..., as if God left for commentary of that fool, left everything for commentation for that fool. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning it is stated, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Now, this dharma-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra, is described by some eminent politician as this body. Now, there is no dictionary in the world where it is stated that kuru-kṣetra means this body, but still, he is interpreting in that way, as if Kṛṣṇa left for him that "In future kuru-kṣetra meaning will be disclosed by that fool."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.80-95 -- San Francisco, February 10, 1966:

So opulence, life, enjoyment, far, far greater than this; therefore they want to go to the heavenly planets. Similarly... These are facts. These are not, I mean to say, stories, or fiction. These are facts. Similarly, in the Koran also there is such injunction that if one follows the principles of Koran, in the next life they'll go to Hur(?), the land of the Hu(?), the same beautiful woman. Because we have got this material idea, sense gratification, and the last word in the sense gratification is sex life. That's all. So if we think that "Going to that place, I will have free sex life and beautiful man, beautiful woman, and nice drinking, nice eating," oh, so materialists, they think, "This is perfection of life. This is perfection of life." So dharma, artha, kāma, and the last stage is salvation. Salvationists. What are the salvationists?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

So if you are a good writer, if you are a good thinker, then just think of Kṛṣṇa and write. Then it will please you and it will please all others. Our Back to Godhead is for that purpose. And if you write some fiction, you can please some men and create some noise for some time in the world, but it will be useless after some time. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Five thousand years before it was written; it is still giving light. It is because it is Kṛṣṇa-kathā. And within your experience, so many nice novelists and poets came and gone. Nobody cares for them. So you can create noise. Very nice word she has used—I'm very pleased—that by writing such things you can create a noise in the world for some time, but it will mix in the..., it will go in the oblivion. So everything should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of everything.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1970:

So we do not teach such cheap things. That is our program. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not to present something nonsense and present something cheap. If you want to see God just face to face, not fiction, then you must follow the rules and regulation, you must chant, you must purify yourself. Then gradually, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. You must wait. The time will come. When you are purified, you'll see God. Not that immediately, in your present position. But God is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, even in your present position He is present, arcā-vigraha. He's open to be seen by everyone, whether he knows and whether he does not know what is God. This arcā-vigraha is not idol; it is not imagination. They are... The knowledge is received from the superior ācāryas. Brahma-saṁhitā: veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam (Bs. 5.30). The description is there. So God realization, if you follow that... Immediately, by your blunt senses, either God, His form, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia cannot be perceived. The present senses are blunt. Therefore in the present situation or the civilization they have become godless, because naturally they have no power to understand God, neither they are guided by some persons who can make them understand what is God.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

This is Kṛṣṇa's kindness.

So try to understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy very nicely, what is God. There are so many fictitious rogues, rascals, they are presenting themselves God. Try to understand what is God. Don't be misled. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is no other God except Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām ekam, "Only unto Me surrender." And He has proved Himself that He is God. There are many so-called Gods, but they have not proved that they are God. No. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was called by His father... People generally did not know that Kṛṣṇa is Vasudeva's son, but later on it was disclosed by talkings one after another. Then, when the fact was disclosed, then Kamsa arranged for a wrestling match, and Kṛṣṇa was called to fight.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

When Kṛṣṇa kills the demons He's Vasudeva Kṛṣṇa; He's not original Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. First expansion is Baladeva. From Baladeva-Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vāsudeva. So by the Vāsudeva feature He acts in Mathurā and Dvārakā. But Kṛṣṇa in His original feature, He remains in Vṛndāvana. One of the greatest fiction writers in Bengal, Bankimchandra Chatterjee, he misunderstood Kṛṣṇa that Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa of Dvārakā, and Kṛṣṇa of Mathurā, They're different persons. Kṛṣṇa (is) the same, one, but He can expand Himself in millions and trillions of forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita. Although ananta-rūpam, still, He's ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam, advaita. There is no such distinction.

Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976:

It is compulsory. You cannot avoid kṛṣṇa-kathā. If you avoid, then you are putting yourself in dangerous cycle of birth and death. It is not fiction or whims; it is compulsory, imperative. Everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he does not become, then he's risking his life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for saving all members of the human society without any distinction. There is no such question, Hindus, Muslim, Christian, or... no. Everyone can join. Even one is born in low grade family. That is Kṛṣṇa's order. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇaḥ punyā bhaktā rājarśayas tathā (BG 9.33). Even one is born in low grade family, he has got the facility of joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and everyone has the capability to understand it, every human being. Otherwise how in the western world, all these boys and girls who have joined, in number, so they are coming from different family. But they have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously. So if you yourself become serious and distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge, the inhabitants of this island, Fiji Island, they will be also benefited and they will be also delivered. We have no such distinction. But everything must be done under proper direction and under the rules and regulation.

General Lectures

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

He doesn't require. Immediately He desires... Just like in Bible it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation,'—immediately there was creation." So His energy is so perfect that He wanted to see this material cosmic manifestation—immediately there was. But because we haven't got such energy we think this is all illusion or fictitious or something like that. Because if you want something immediately, you have no such energy that, immediately, the same thing is done. That is not possible. That is possible also when you are also in spiritual life. But now you are conditioned by the matter; therefore that is not being perfected. But when you are also in pure spiritual life, you can do like that, like God. Immediately, whatever you want, you can do. Immediately, wherever you want to go, you can go. That is the... That perfection is there.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

The meaning is very clear. Dharma-kṣetre: the land of pilgrimage, the holy land of pilgrimage; kuru-kṣetre: the land which is known as Kurukṣetra. It is not fictitious. It is actual fact. Still there is Kurukṣetra, and people go there to perform religious ritualistic ceremonies. And in the Vedas it is written clearly, kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret. That is the statement of the Vedas. So from time immemorial this Kurukṣetra, land of Kurukṣetra is known as dharma-kṣetra. So what is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1)? There is no difficulty. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous commentator says that "Kurukṣetra means this body." Where is the chance of interpreting like that, "Kuru-kṣetre is meaning body"? In no dictionary you will find that kuru-kṣetra is meant by body.

Lecture at Caitanya Matha -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

If one tries to understand Kṛṣṇa, as He is, not by fiction, not by speculation, not by so-called scholarly, foolish commentation, but Kṛṣṇa should be understood as He is. Then, that is right Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then one will be able to understand how Kṛṣṇa is working, how the whole world, material atmosphere, and material, cosmic manifestation is working. Then you will understand. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), under my supervision. To understand Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa, scientifically, then he, Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Not the foolish man, the intelligent man, who knows Kṛṣṇa actually, then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Immediately he becomes liberated. So after giving up this body, he never, no more comes back to accept another, this material body.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

That's all. Because (the) ultimate knowledge is God. If one cannot understand what is God after so much education, then Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: (SB 1.2.8) "It is simply labor, labor, waste of time." Simply waste of time. There is no education. Education, knowledge, means ultimately to understand, to know what is God. Actually; not fictitiously, vaguely. So there are many classes of men who have no understanding of God. Some of them are saying, "God is dead," or "God is impersonal," "There is no God," "Zero," "I am God," "You are God," so many things. All these people do not know what is God; therefore there are different theories. Therefore, somehow or other, if you can understand God, then your life is successful. Somehow or other. Because this human life is especially meant for understanding God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra... You have heard the name of Vedānta. Vedānta means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. The ultimate knowledge.

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

There is no necessity. Interpretation is required when the meaning is not clear. But if the meaning is clear, why should you interpret it unnecessarily? That is malinterpretation, and that is going on. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but somebody says, "He is fictitious. There was no fight like Kurukṣetra. There was no such person as Kṛṣṇa," and "Kṛṣṇa is a person from the black aborigines," so on, so on, so many interpretation. What is the benefit? The benefit is that we have lost our Vedic culture. This is the benefit.

Therefore our request is... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is specially meant for this purpose, that do not try to be overlord of Kṛṣṇa. Don't speak anything manufactured by you on the plea of Kṛṣṇa speaking. If you want to speak something, good or nonsense, you can speak. Everyone has got the freedom to speak about his philosophy, about his thesis. But why through Kṛṣṇa? Why through Bhagavad-gītā? This is our protest. Let Kṛṣṇa speak Himself as He is and as He wants.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

He says, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa You can hear about Kṛṣṇa in so many ways. Kṛṣṇa has got so many activities. The whole Mahābhārata, the whole Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all the Purāṇas, and especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. So it is very relishing also. Just like we try to read stories and fiction ordinarily—people take pleasure in it—similarly, if you simply read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will relish that fiction reading; at the same time, you will be transcendentally realized. The Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he said that nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). He admitted that "This kṛṣṇa-katha, narrations about Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa's activities, it is relished, it is discussed, by nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ (CC Madhya 19.170). Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ means liberated person. Nivṛtti means finished, and tṛṣṇa, tṛṣṇa, hankering.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: So he says that man tends to create ideas about the universe which transcend the bounds of experience, and this is what he calls the third stage, or the transcendental dialectic. He says these ideas which transcend the bounds of experience are the realm of pure reason. He calls it pure reason, or transcendental reason. And these are not fictions, but these spring from the very nature of reason itself, these transcendental ideas.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I already explained: transcendental. We are seeking eternity. I find myself as a soul; I am eternal; so I must seek an eternal world. This is not my place. I am eternal. The same example: just like fish taken from the water, he is not finding comfortable life. So when the fish is thrown in the water, then it is comfortable. Similarly, I am spirit soul. I am not feeling comfortable with this material body. Therefore the right conclusion is how to go to the spiritual world or attain a spiritual body. That information we are getting from Bhagavad-gītā, that one who understands Kṛṣṇa or develops his love for Kṛṣṇa, how to see Kṛṣṇa, then he gets a spiritual body to see Kṛṣṇa. Because if one is very much anxious, these thoughts will continue, and at the time of his death, ending this body, if he is filled up with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is immediately transferred. That is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā by Kṛṣṇa. So our business should be: Kṛṣṇa is eternal; Kṛṣṇa says, "I have spoken to sun-god, forty millions of years ago." Arjuna says, "How is that?"

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: No, no. What, you are scientist, what you have never seen, why you are thinking of like that? That is my point.

Śyāmasundara: I'm using it as an example of an exception...

Prabhupāda: Why example? Why you give a fictitious example which you have no experience?

Śyāmasundara: All right. So let's say no one has ever seen a...

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is another thing. You cannot say which you have never seen, at least. Because yours is experimental, I may say, but you at least, cannot say like that.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: No barbarian could have ever conceived...

Prabhupāda: They have presented all these books as—what is called—allegory.

Śyāmasundara: Fiction, allegory.

Prabhupāda: Story. And the so-called swamis, they have also accepted like this. Therefore you can interpret in your own way. If it is a fact, how you can interpret it? But we are presenting as it is, fact. That is our business.

Śyāmasundara: They present so many newspapers every day and say this is fact, but it's lies, so many lies.

Prabhupāda: Even Dr. Radhakrishnan has said mental speculation is a big thing, of the Western propaganda.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: This is, this worship and the concept of worship, if actually one believes or knows, so the real worship is that which pleases God. If you manufacture... Just like I want a glass of water, and if my servant gives me a glass of hot milk, is that worship? Worship means what I want, if you give me, then I am satisfied. But if I want a cold glass of water, you give me..., if you think, "No. Milk is better than water," so that, will that satisfy me? So these concocted ideas of worshiping will actually satisfy God, that is wrong theory, that one can worship God according to his own dictation. That means his God is fictitious. He has no idea of God. And he can concoct ideas. But actually if there is God, one should worship according to the dictation of God. But if he does not know what is God, what is the dictation of God, then he is a rascal. What is the use of his so-called worship? It may be to some extent a sentiment, but that is not worship. If you want to worship God, you must worship God according to His dictation. That is real worship. How he can manufacture the way of worship?

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: No. It is neither hope nor belief. It is fact. To us at least, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, it is fact because Kṛṣṇa is coming and giving instruction to Arjuna, and that is recorded, and we are reading that. So where is it is belief or fiction or something? It is fact.

Hayagrīva: He believed that if man could not, by the exercise of his own energies, improve both himself and his outward circumstances, that is if man could not improve the world to do more good for his, to do good for himself and other creatures, vastly more than God had in the first instance done, the being who called him into existence would deserve something very different from thanks at his hands. In other words that if man couldn't improve the world, then.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: First of all, he does not know what is religion. That is the defect in him. We say religion means the order given by God. Simple thing. But he has no conception of God. How he can get orders from God? Therefore how he can understand what is religion? He has got some ideas of fictitious religion, which is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kaitava, cheating. Cheating religion. That is not religion. Religion means, just like law. Law means the order given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at your home. That is not... Similarly, if somebody manufactures law at home and says that "I have manufactured one law. You take it," so who, what sane man will accept that law? "Sir, you keep your law in your pocket." Similarly, this so-called religious system, which is not given by God, that is just like outlaws. They are not religion. He has simply studied which is not religion. That is his defect. Real religion is the law given by God. So he has no conception of God, how he can understand what is religion? He has studied only pseudoreligion, cheating religion; therefore he is dissatisfied.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Devotee: No, no. I'll tell you what he says about God. He says that the belief in God arose due to man's inability to understand his world, but that man no longer needs such a fiction.

Prabhupāda: Then one has to believe him?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Devotee: He also says that we have the capacity to take matters into our own hands. We don't have to ruin it by some controller far away who we have no control over.

Prabhupāda: But that you cannot do. You cannot take the question of birth, death, old age in your hands. How he says that you shall be able to take matters into your own hands?

Page Title:Fiction (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:25 of Jun, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=82, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:82