Fighting like cats and dogs

Expressions researched:
"quarreling like cats and dogs" |"fighting like cats and dogs" |"fighting, like cats and dogs"

BG Preface and Introduction

In this world men are not meant for quarreling like cats and dogs.

BG Introduction: In this world men are not meant for quarreling like cats and dogs. Men must be intelligent to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like ordinary animals. A human being should realize the aim of his life, and this direction is given in all Vedic literatures, and the essence is given in Bhagavad-gītā. Vedic literature is meant for human beings, not for animals. Animals can kill other living animals, and there is no question of sin on their part, but if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws of nature.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Similarly, if a man also becomes similarly proud that "I am big American," "big German," "big," what is the difference? But that is actually going on, and therefore they are fighting like cats and dogs.

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974: Gatāsūn means this body. When it is dead or when it is alive, bodily conception of life is foolishness. So no learned man takes serious consideration of the body. Therefore in the Vedic literature it is said that "One who is in the bodily concept of life, he is nothing more than an animal." Therefore at the present moment, without knowledge of the self, the whole world is going on under the bodily concept of life. The bodily concept of life is there amongst the animals. The cats and dogs, they are very proud of becoming a big cat or big dog. Similarly, if a man also becomes similarly proud that "I am big American," "big German," "big," what is the difference? But that is actually going on, and therefore they are fighting like cats and dogs.

They are fighting like cats and dogs, because cats and dogs have been produced and they have not been trained up.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972: If one's father and mother is not able to coach and teach his children like that, how to get out of this entanglement of birth and death, he should not become father and mother. That is real contraceptive method, that "I should not produce cats and dogs. I should produce a child who will never come back again to another mother. He will be liberated. He will go back to home, back to Godhead." That is the duty of the father and mother. Not that produce cats and dogs. And therefore, the world is in trouble. They are fighting like cats and dogs, because cats and dogs have been produced and they have not been trained up. No brahmacārī system, no gṛhastha system, no vānaprastha system. Therefore, the Vedic conception of civilization is the perfect for human society.

Therefore we are living like animal also, fighting like cats and dogs and suffering like cats and dogs also.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974: Vedic civilization means four varṇas and four āśramas. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. We have begin. We have began our lecture on the basis, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. So this is civilization. Unless one comes to this standard of civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma, that is animal civilization. So we prefer animal civilization. Therefore we are living like animal also, fighting like cats and dogs and suffering like cats and dogs also. This is the position. Nirāśīr yata-cittātmā. Control. I shall accept as much as I require, not more than that, not less than that. Controlling the citta, intelligence, and ātmā, mind or self, self-control.

Simply have some eating and sleeping and mating and some defense and quarreling like cats and dogs—this is not civilization.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966: The human form of life is the opportunity to get this boon. So it is the duty of the state, duty of the parents, duty of the guardians, duty of the husband, duty of the father—everyone's duty is how to elevate a living creature who has got this fortunate human form of life to understand this paramāṁ gatim, highest perfection of life. That should be the mode of thing. Simply have some eating and sleeping and mating and some defense and quarreling like cats and dogs—this is not civilization. The human civilization is this, that he should properly utilize this human form of life and take advantage of this knowledge and prepare himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that always, twenty-four hours, cent percent, he will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa and at the time of death at once transferred there. This should be the process of life.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

When there will be shortage of food, shortage of everything, then there will be naturally fighting like cats and dogs, killing.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973: So these things are coming gradually. But still pramatta, people are mad after that. The same thing. What is that? Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu [SB 2.1.4]. They are mad. "We have to maintain the society, friendship, family, country, community." And there is fighting. There is rivalryism. Because when there will be shortage of food, shortage of everything, then there will be naturally fighting like cats and dogs, killing. People are indulging in killing even his own son, abortion. Because people are degrading, they are killing live thing. So that will be reacted. In the womb the man, the person, will be killed. Reaction. Why so many abortions are taking place nowadays? Because the child which has come into the womb of the mother, he is sinful. He has done previous life so many killings. Now he has to be killed so many times. He has to be killed so many times. As many times he has killed other poor animals. This is the law of nature. Just like in the state laws, if you kill somebody, the state law will kill him. Life for life. Similarly, God's law, how even if you kill one ant even, you will be responsible for this, and it will have to be punished. They do not know this. They do not know this. They think that "I am very well situated. I have got very good balance. I am born in a nice nation or community or society. I have got wife, my children. They will give me protection." They will not give you protection. Nobody will give you protection. You have to protect yourself. Everyone is responsible for his own work. Nobody will be responsible for your work.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Both of them learned men, lawyers, but they are fighting like cats and dogs.

Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 4.13.48 to SB 4.14.11 -- January 18, 1972, Jaipur: Prabhupāda: Just like recently there was fight between two political parties, and represented by two big men, Viśvanātha Dās and Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahatattva. Both of them learned men, lawyers, but they are fighting like cats and dogs. So formerly therefore, there was no such thing as democracy. A king, there must be one king responsible. But he was guided by the ministers and learned brāhmaṇas, sages. There was a body to guide him, to train him. Therefore, the monarchical government was perfect.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

They're simply fighting like cats and dogs. This is not perfect society.

Morning Walk -- December 6, 1973, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Confusion is not... Chaotic condition, confusion is not proper stage. That is a state of suffering. That is the position at the present moment. Otherwise, why they are fighting, nation to nation, man to man, group to group, community to community, diplomat to dip...? They're simply fighting like cats and dogs. This is not perfect society. Simply ca... They can say dogs. They can simply make barking, "Whowf! Whowf! Whowf! Whowf!" That is not perfect society. Human society should be sober. That is Vedic civilization.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is going on. We are fighting like cats and dogs.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne: Prabhupāda: These books are meant for the human being. If I give to the dogs that "Read this book; you'll understand God," who cares for it? All these school, college, institution, university, they are meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs. So if we do not take advantage of this human form of life and try to understand ourself and God, then we are simply cats and dogs. That is going on. We are fighting like cats and dogs. And before the Englishman came in Australia, Australia was property of somebody else. And now you have captured Australia, you are barking, "Why you have come, Indian, here?" What is this civilization? Hm? You have taken illegally from others, and now you have become proprietor. You are barking like dog, "Why you have come here?" What is this civilization? The civilization is.... All land belongs to God. We are sons of God. We can go anywhere, everywhere. It is father's property. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Simply we are fighting, like cats and dogs, they fight. So that is ajñāna.

Garden Conversation -- October 14, 1976, Chandigarh: Prabhupāda: Yes, that is ajñāna. So long you are identifying with the body, you are no better than the animal. So we are doing that. We are fighting. "I am Indian. You are Englishman. You are this. You are that. You are..." Simply we are fighting, like cats and dogs, they fight. So that is ajñāna. How you can be prasannātmā? So when one becomes actually situated in spiritual life, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. That is the... In this way when you make further progress, when you actually understand that you are eternal servant of God, then you surrender. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This situation takes many, many births to cultivate. And when he actually understands, jñānavān—not fools, rascals—then māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. That mahātmā is very rare to be found. So bhakti is not so easy.