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Highest perfection (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Then our point is that we should have to receive Godhead from the highest perfectional person. Knowledge, our knowledge, your knowledge or anyone's knowledge—we are defect in four principles. Our, we commit mistake. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting, nobody can say that "I have never committed any mistake." That is not possible. We commit mistake, everyone. We commit mistakes and we are sometimes illusioned. Illusioned. That we can make experiment, that every one of us at the present moment is illusioned. How it is? That I have..., am not this body, but I am accepting this body as "I am." The whole world is—I may say whole world, but at least the majority portion—everyone is under the impression that "I am this body."

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

The whole thing is in my hand. If I want to be degraded, I can prepare myself in this life for such degradation in the next life. And if we want to elevate ourself to the highest perfection of life, as to become one of the associates of God, we can prepare ourself like that. You'll find in the, in the advanced chapters, that yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Now, we are trying to go to the moon planet. Now, here, in this life, if cultivate ourself for the same thought, the moon planet... That means the moon planet, about moon planet, we have to hear, and we have to think that "I shall go in such and such place." Unless you hear, you cannot abide here. Just like our friend, Mr. Cohen, he has left for California. Now, so far I am concerned, I have no idea of California. Now, he has told me that after reaching there, he'll write about the description of the place. Now, suppose if, reading that description of the place, I think of going there, so I prepare myself, "Oh, I must go there." So just like I, I was describing that cintāmaṇi-dhāma (Bs. 5.29), what sort of trees are there. And you were very much pleased that "I must go there." So we have to hear. Unless we hear what sort of God He is, what sort of God's place is, what is the mode of life there, we cannot be attracted. We cannot be attracted.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Yes. To go back to Godhead means you don't get this material body. So long you get this material body, you have to change. That is the material nature. Anything which is material, it has got a date of birth and it has got a date of annihilation. And in the via media there is growth, their existence. So this body, not only this body, even this material world, it has got a date or creation, and it will be annihilated. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It comes into manifestation once, and again it is destroyed. This is material existence. When you go back to home, back to Godhead, you haven't got to accept this material body. Your spiritual body is already there within this material body. And in that spiritual body you shall exist along with God. That is the highest perfection of life.

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

Vedas, Veda. Veda means the book of knowledge. Now, the book of knowledge... According to the climate, according to the population, according to the country, there are different books of knowledge. Just like in India the book of knowledge is accepted as the Vedas, Vedas, Vedic knowledge. In your European, American countries the book of knowledge accepted as the Old Testament, New Testament. Similarly, the book of knowledge amongst the Muhammadans, they have accepted as the Koran. Actually, they are book of knowledge, undoubtedly. There is no doubt about it. But what are these book of knowledge, religious scripture? Religious scripture means they are meant for training you to that conception of life that you are pure soul, nothing more. They restrict your bodily activities under certain conditions, under certain conditions. That is called morality. Just like your Bible has got ten commandments. Ten commandments. What is that commandments? To regulate your life. Because without regulation you cannot... Because we have to control the body to reach to the highest perfection. So if we don't follow any regulative principles, how we can make our life perfect? So that regulative principle may be a little, little different from my country to your country or my Veda to your Bible, but that does not matter. That is made according to the time, condition and the mentality of the population. But there is the regulative control. Regulative control. A human society is not considered civilized unless, unless and until the members of the society are put into some regulative control. The whole state, your American state or any state, the citizens are controlled by regulative principle. Without regulative principle, you cannot make the progressive march of the state or the people or the citizens.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

Now, this is the formula of spiritual realization, that we should not stop our working capacity, the prescribed duties in which we are engaged. That is not to be stopped. If we stop work and spiritual realization, for spiritual realization, we leave this world and go to the jungle or Himalaya and sit down there for meditation for spiritual realization, oh, how many people will be ready to do this thing? No. This is not for mass people. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is prescribing something practical which can be adopted by every one and all, without any distinction. This point we have already discussed in the last day's meeting, that whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. You can realize the highest perfection of life, provided you work under the regulation of yajña. Yajñārthāt karma. There is no harm working, but the work should be done for the Supreme Lord, Yajña. Yajña means Viṣṇu. Because according to laws of nature, any work you do, it has got some reaction and we are bound up by those reactions. The Vedas also says, karmaṇā baddhyate jantuḥ, karmaṇā baddhyate jantuḥ, that "All living entities, they are bound up in the material encagement on account of their different kinds of karma, or work." But here is the point, that you shall not be bound up by the reaction of your karma if you act it on behalf of Yajña, or Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord. That is the secret. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Anyatra.

Lecture on BG 3.8-11 -- Seattle, October 22, 1968:

Now, this is the formula of spiritual realization, that we should not stop our working capacities, the prescribed duties in which we are engaged. That is not to be stopped. If we stop work and spiritual realization, for spiritual realization we leave this world and go to the jungle or Himalaya and sit down there for meditation, for spiritual realization, oh, how many people will be ready to do this thing? No. This is not for mass people. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is prescribing something practical which can be adopted by everyone and all without any distinction. This point we have already discussed in the last day's meeting, that whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. You can realize the highest perfection of life provided you work under the regulation of yajña. Yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ. There is no harm working, but the work should be done for the Supreme Lord, Yajña. Yajña means Viṣṇu. Because according to laws of nature, any work you do, it has got some reaction, and we are bound up by those reactions. Vedas also says, karmaṇā baddhyate jantuḥ. Karmaṇā baddhyate jantuḥ, that "All living entities, they are bound up in this material encagement on account of their different kinds of karma, or work." But here is the point, that you shall not be bound up by the reaction of your karma if you act it on behalf of Yajña or Viṣṇu or the Supreme Lord. That is prescription. Yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra (BG 3.9). Anyatra. If you do not work for that supreme purpose, then you will be bound up and your this encagement of body will continue.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

It is prescribed in śāstra, and it is said, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. Kṛte means in the Satya-yuga or what is generally known as golden age. So in the Satya-yuga people used to realize self or used to elevate themselves to highest perfection of life by meditation. Meditation. You have heard the name of Vālmīki Muni. Vālmīki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years. His whole body was covered by, what is called, worms. And... Because at that time people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So gradually our life is being reduced. Yes. In the Satya-yuga, it is stated, that people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. And then, in the Tretā-yuga, they used to live for one thousands of years. No. In the Dvāpara-yuga for one thousand. And in the Tretā-yuga, ten thousand years. In the Dvāpara-yuga one thousand years. And now it has come down to one hundred years in this Kali-yuga. That also, one hundred years is not completed. Now we are dying within sixty or seventy and gradually it will be reduced to twenty to thirty years. That is also mentioned.

So what was possible in the Satya-yuga by meditation, that is not possible in this age. That is not possible. Therefore the methods have been made easier. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. What was being possible, to attain perfection of life by meditation in the Satya-yuga, that was possible in the Tretā-yuga by offering of big sacrifices. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. Makhaiḥ means big sacrifices.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Just like if you have achieved the quality of a medical practitioner, then your work shall be a medical practitioner. Similarly if one has achieved the quality of a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava, then his activities should be like that. If I become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if I work as a butcher, that will not be. You have to work just like a Vaiṣṇava. So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. You have to acquire the qualities and work like that. Then it is perfect.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people to work for Kṛṣṇa and to qualify himself for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection. Without any consideration of His previous position or qualification or social standard. There is no such thing. Simply if he takes to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and prosecutes nicely according to direction, he becomes the, I mean to say, in transcendental position. Highest position. More than a brāhmaṇa. Yes. Chant. Jaya. (kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

We have got cheating propensity, we are prone to commit mistake, and we accept illusory things. These four principles of imperfect is in the conditioned soul. But who is liberated soul or who is God, they are not under these conditions. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is considered to be the highest perfectional personality, and Arjuna selected Him as the spiritual master. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are talking on the platform of friendship." That will not make a solution. Because friendly talks, sometimes they are not taken seriously, friendly talks. But when there is talk between the spiritual master and disciple, there is some discipline and there is some gravity. So Arjuna created that gravity and discipline. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

So when that perfection of jñāna comes, then he engages his senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When your senses are purified and you engage them in the service of the Supreme Lord, Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. That is the highest perfection. So we have to engage our sense, sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi, by understanding, by coming to the, I mean to say, mature platform of knowledge. If you engage your senses in the Supreme, that is real controlling senses. Artificially if we want to control our senses, it is very difficult.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Indian: (asks question about Bg. 6.47)

Prabhupāda: Perfection? Yes, that is the highest perfection of yoga. Huh?

Indian: (asks question about Bg. 6.46)

Prabhupāda:

tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogī
jñānibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikaḥ
karmibhyaś cādhiko yogī
tasmād yogī bhavārjuna
This yogi means bhakti-yogī. Bhakti-yogī.

Indian: Yoginām api sarveṣām...

Prabhupāda: Then yoginām api sarveṣām. Here He recommends that you become a yogi. And who is the perfect yogi, topmost yogi? That is explained in the next verse:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa descends means sometimes He personally descends, sometimes He descends by His incarnation, sometimes He descends as a sound vibration, sometimes He descends as devotee. There are many different categories of His descendance. And at the present moment this Kṛṣṇa has descended in His holy name. You should understand that. Kṛṣṇa kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra. This is the statement of Lord Caitanya, that in this age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa has descended in the sound vibration form. Sound is also one of the form. Just like oṁkāra is the form of Kṛṣṇa. Akṣarāṇām oṁkāro 'smi. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, now, at the present moment, has descended in the form of His holy name. His name and He, there is no difference. So why? Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). People are now forgetting his relationship with God. Now this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the form of His holy name, this chanting of Kṛṣṇa will deliver all people of the world from this forgetfulness.

This is contributed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says that kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. If you chant or if you associate with the chanting of holy name of Kṛṣṇa, then you will get the highest perfectional stage of life, and we should accept that Kṛṣṇa has descended at the present moment in the form of His holy name. Thank you very much. Any question?

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

So unless you have got sufficient life, the meaning is that meditation process is difficult and you must have sufficient time to practice it and then come to the standard point of meditation. But in this age such kind of perfection in meditation is not possible. Therefore in this age especially recommended that you sit down together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. Anyone and everyone can take part in it. There is no necessity of education, of pre-qualification. And because in this age people are very slow, very unfortunate, badly associated, so many (dis)qualification they have got at the present moment.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has introduced according to śāstra, according to the indication of the śāstras, just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in other Purāṇas, and other Vedic scriptures this is recommended. In Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad, in Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, in Vāyu Purāṇa, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare is recommended. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply introduced it as a great propaganda. That is. Otherwise, this is recommended in every age. There are many devotees, they were chanting. But the process of meditation is not possible. Therefore simply on the basis of this process one can attain the highest perfectional stage.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The impersonalists and the yogis attain liberation only after much trouble and many, many births. Even then the liberation they achieve, merging into the impersonal Brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord, is only partial, and there is a risk of returning again to this material world. But the devotee, simply by understanding the transcendental nature of the body and the activities of the Lord, attains the abode of the Lord after ending this body and does not run the risk of returning again to this material world. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that the Lord has many, many forms and incarnations. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Although there are many transcendental forms of the Lord, they are still one and the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. One has to understand this fact with conviction although it is incomprehensible to mundane scholars and empiric philosophers. As stated in the Vedas: eko devo nitya-līlānurakto bhakta-vyāpī hṛdy antarātmā: 'The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees.' This Vedic version is confirmed in this verse of the Bhagavad-gītā personally by the Lord. Anyone who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculation obtains the highest perfectional stage of liberation."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. The process of understanding knowledge. The modern tendency is to understand by dint of one's sense perception. That is not possible. There are many things, especially spiritual matters; nobody can understand by simple speculation. So one has to accept the authority. So according to Vedic culture, the Vedas are the authority. If there is some information in the Vedas, you accept it, authority. That is very nice system.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

So Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Factually, an intelligent person is he who is trying to achieve that highest perfectional stage of life which cannot be achieved simply by touring different planets. Upary adhaḥ. Now we are trying to go to the moon planet and other planets. It is not new thing. It is very old attempt. Since there are human beings we have got so many instances. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you can go to the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, still, the problems of life cannot be solved. The four problems of life—birth, death, old age and disease—cannot be solved. Therefore our attempt should be that we do not care for these problems. We have taken it, accepted that "All right, we shall take birth. We shall die. We shall become old. We shall become diseased. Doesn't matter. Still we are progressing." Just see. What is the progress? If you cannot solve these problems, then what kind of progress you are making? But we are satisfied, "Yes, we are making progress." So this is called māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They are not making any progress, even an inch, and still, they are proud of their progressive knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

This human form of life is achieved after a evolutionary process, going through different species of life. This is the opportunity to understand your spiritual identity and your relationship with God. If you lose this opportunity and die without understanding God, that is not very good business. We must utilize this human form of life for the highest achievement of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. It is very difficult to surpass the stringent laws of nature, especially birth, death, old age and disease. There has been much advancement in scientific knowledge in the modern age, but they have not been able to make any solution of the problems, namely birth, death, old age and disease. If you really, therefore, want to get out of the clutches of material energy, namely birth, death, and old age and disease, you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is not at all difficult. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, simply by chanting His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you can achieve the best attainment, which can be attainable in this life. This valuable life, human form of life, should not be wasted or misused simply by animal propensities. The animal propensities means the necessity of the body—eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. The animals also know their business, how to eat, how to sleep, how to utilize sex life and how to defend himself. So the human life is not meant for simply animal necessities of life, but there is another necessity, to understand spiritual life and to achieve the highest perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Therefore the best thing will be to get rid of this concocted position and follow the supreme leader. That is the highest perfection. Just try to understand that I cannot avoid following someone's leadership. That is not possible. Can anyone say that "we can avoid this"? No. We cannot avoid. Even if we don't accept the leadership of God, we have to accept some other leader. That is our position. We cannot avoid it.

So there is a very nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. A brāhmaṇa, he was a family man, just like worldly man, as we are. Now, brāhmaṇas are generally expected to be highly learned, and he was very learned man in Vedic literature. And when he came to his consciousness by reading all this Vedic literature, that "Although I am following the leadership, why I am not happy? Why I am not happy?"... This question should arise in the sane human mind. One should think that "I am following the leadership of somebody, according to my position and according to my circumstances. But still, I am not happy. Why?"

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Now, the supreme leader is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That we do not know. Supreme leader, the leadership is accepted, but we do not know that the supreme leader is the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa. So that is informed in the Vedic literature, and in the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing is confirmed, that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: "Now, everyone is under My leadership, everyone. There is no exception." Especially He mentions the manuṣya. Manuṣya means the human being. The human being especially mentioned here because amongst all the human beings in this lower status of our existence, the human being is considered the highest perfectional stage of living condition. And especially human being has the prerogative to understand the supreme leadership of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The animals cannot understand it, or the persons who are in the animal nature...

Just like you will find in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord says,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
(BG 7.15)
Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Such impersonalists do not agree to accept the eternal, blissful Personality of Godhead and consequently they cannot relish the bliss of transcendental personal service to the Lord, having extinguished their individuality. Some of them who are not situated even in the impersonal existence return to this material field to exhibit their dormant desires for activities. They are not admitted into the spiritual planets but they again are given a chance to act on the material planets. For those who are fruitive workers the Lord awards the desired results of their prescribed duties as the yajñeśvara; and those who are yogis seeking mystic powers are awarded such powers. In other words, everyone is dependent for success upon His mercy alone and all kinds of spiritual processes are but different degrees of success on the same path. Unless, therefore, one comes to the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all attempts remain imperfect, as is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 'Whether one is without desire (the condition of the devotees) or is desirous of all fruitive results, or is after liberation, one should with all efforts try to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead for complete perfection culminating in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. This verse refers to the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam wherein it is stated that

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param
(SB 2.3.10)

The idea is that there are three class of men. One class of men they are simply desiring material comforts, desiring. They want nice house, nice wife, nice comfortable life, everything nice for the comfort of this body. They are called sarva-kāma. Sarva-kāma means their desire has no end.

Just like in the modern materialistic world they are trying to improve material comforts but they do not know when does it end. One after another, one after another, one after another. Therefore they are called sarva-kāma, unlimitedly desiring. There is no end of desiring. Such persons, akāma. And akāma means one who has no desire. Just like those who are devotees, Kṛṣṇa conscious, they have no desire.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

Therefore bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Rūpa Gosvāmī says, anyābhilāṣa-śūnyam. Because these are all anya abhilāṣa. Except to serve Kṛṣṇa, any desire is desire. That is material desire. And sometimes they want to negate this desire. Desireless. One of my students just spoken that.... Somebody said that "To become desireless is the highest perfection." So he replied that "Desireless, that is also desire." You are thinking that "I shall become desireless." So this is also a desire.

So how you become desireless? Very nice argument he gave. Our Caitya-guru gave it. I was very much pleased. It is not possible to become desireless. This is foolishness, to give up desire. You cannot give (up) desire. That is not... If you give up desire, then you are a dead man. A stone has no desire. Do you like to become a stone-like? No. Desire cannot be less. That is not possible. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). Abhilāṣitā-śūnyam, anya. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: "Except Kṛṣṇa, any other desires should be given up." That is anyābhilāṣa. Abhilāṣitā-śūnyam, the ācārya, Rūpa Gosvāmī, does not say. That is not possible. I must have desires because I am living entity. I am not a stone. I am not a wood. So this is a false philosophy, to become desireless. That is not possible. To become desireless—other desires. Other means except Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

ake further promotion.

Those who are in the Brahman conception... Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He was in the Brahman conception, but by his further development, he became a devotee. He became a devotee. There are many instances. The Sanaka-Sanātana sages, they were in Brahman conception. So to... As it is stated in totee(?). There are many instances. The Sanaka-Sanātana sages, they were in Brahman conception. So to... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate... (BG 7.19). This mām means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So anyone who comes to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is in the highest perfection of knowledge. (break)

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

Just like you have got your Empire State Building here and a two-story building. So you go up, you go to the twenty-fifth floor, you can go to the fiftieth floor, you go to the seventieth, seventy-five, eighty—in this way, unless you reach that one-hundred-second story, that is not the perfect progress. That is also progress. Suppose if you have gone to the eighty-fifth story, that is also progress from the downwards. That's all right.

But the highest, highest perfection of knowledge is, so far we study from the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Bahūnām means after many, many births of culturing knowledge, when he comes to the real knowledge, real, perfect knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Not the fools, but jñānavān. He especially mentions jñānavān. Jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Jñānavān the sign is that jñānavān surrenders unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest stage of knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

The thing is that we want. That is our nature. We want to travel. People are coming from India to America, from America to India. So we want to travel freely. That is my right because as spirit soul, there is a word... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-ga. Sarva-ga means a spirit soul has the potency of going anywhere he likes, anywhere he likes. There are... Actually, those who have attained perfection in yoga... Of course, that is not the highest perfection. Even persons, those who have attained perfection in yoga, they can travel in any planet. And the perfection of yoga is indicated like this, that a yogi dies according to his own will. He is not, I mean to, pressed to leave this body just like ordinary people. They leave this body under the pressure of nature's law. So they get so much power. When they find that "Now I shall leave this body," they fix up in which planet they will go, and they transfer their soul into that planet. That is the highest yogic perfection. And hardly you'll find such a yogi.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Page?

Revatīnandana: One-hundred-thirty-one. "A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses, quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace (BG 4.39)." Purport: "Such knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by a faithful person who believes firmly in Kṛṣṇa. One is called a faithful man who thinks that simply by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can attain the highest perfection."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Faith. There are different kinds of faith, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness the preliminary condition of faith is to believe that simply by serving Kṛṣṇa, everything will be complete. Kṛṣṇe... There is a verse in... (aside:) It is not working. (taps microphone)

In Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse.
śraddhā śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya
(Cc. Madhya 22.62)

There are different kinds of activities—karma, jñāna, yoga, especially. Everything, all activities are grouped under three headings. One is karma, fruitive activities. People are working to get some desired result for sense gratification. That is generally. Everyone is working to get some money, and money means to satisfy senses, my demands of the senses. This is called karma.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was not a sannyāsī. He, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he did not take up the renounced order of life and dressed himself in orange-colored dress and went away from the battlefield, no. He remained the same man, the same military man, but he became the most perfect Kṛṣṇa conscious man. So same principle was there. Therefore here Lord Kṛṣṇa says, sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaś ca niḥśreyasa-karāv ubhau: "Either you take sannyāsa or you remain in your position, that doesn't matter. You can attain the highest perfection from any position, provided you are Kṛṣṇa conscious." That's all. Jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati (BG 5.3). Hear how nicely Kṛṣṇa says. Jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī. Just try to understand. That person is always a sannyāsī—not by dress but by his actual activities. What? Na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati. "He does not, I mean to say, hate anything, and he does not desire anything." These two qualifications. He does not hate anything, and he does not desire anything.

Suppose I am working. So suppose I am washing dishes. Oh, so that doesn't matter. I do not hate. Of course, in your country it is very laudable that you can accept any kind of work. It is very good. The same thing is confirmed. There is no question of hating any work. Dignity of labor is always nice. So na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati. But after working, the result he does not take. Suppose by doing some lower class of work I get some profit. If that is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then I am sannyāsī—because I don't hate, but I offer the result to Kṛṣṇa. Oh.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

This is real sannyāsa, that he does not act for his own account, for his sense gratification, but he works... Never mind. He does not hate an work. "Any sort of work I am prepared to do, and the result I'll have to offer to Kṛṣṇa"—this is called real sannyāsa. So Kṛṣṇa gives the... Jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī. Nitya means eternally, not for the time being, eternally. Nitya-sann..., yo na dveṣṭi. He does not hate any kind of work, but na kāṅkṣati: he does not desire for his own, se..., viṣaya, enjoying the result. Nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate: Oh, "That sort of sannyāsī is always happy, and he is a liberated person." He's a liberated person.

I think, next we shall talk on, next meeting. If you have got any question, you can ask. (break)

...summary is that if you work Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any hate and only for Kṛṣṇa's service, that is the highest perfectional stage of life. That is highest perfectional stage of life. (end)

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

They said, "Lord Caitanya, You are the most munificent person, personality, because You are distributing kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, love of Kṛṣṇa, and this love of Kṛṣṇa, distribution of love of Kṛṣṇa by You, means that You are Kṛṣṇa Himself." Because Kṛṣṇa, when He appeared, when He spoke Bhagavad-gītā and He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all engagements; just become under My shelter. I give you protection," ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, some people misunderstood. Even in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book, you'll find, he said,"Oh, not to Kṛṣṇa." You see. Even great scholars make mistake. The clear indication is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says that "Just surrender unto Me," and the scholar says, "Oh, this surrender is not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. So the surrender to Kṛṣṇa and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest perfectional stage of life, highest perfectional stage of... One who has tasted it, oh, he cannot be, I mean to say, thinking of anything else.

Nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate. One who has attained such consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes nirdvandva. Nirdvandva means he has no duality because he sees everything in Kṛṣṇa relationship. He sees everything. Actually, everything is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. So highest stage, in the highest stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the person sees everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate. And if we are fortunate enough to come to that stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness then very easily and very happily we'll become liberated from this entanglement of material life. Only we have to develop that stage of ecstasy and love for Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

So self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that I am not this body. This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body, therefore I am now self-realized. So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice. All the yoga practice or philosophical speculation or anything—all practice targets to one point—that I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman. I am not this matter. This is perfection. A man who has made sufficient progress to this realization is more perfect. This is the way of perfection. And assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future. One has simply... If I am realized then this material composition of this body is disbursed and I am the spirit soul, small particle, I am immediately promoted to the spiritual sky. That is the highest perfection. In the spiritual sky either you remain as a small spark of spirit soul, molecules. Just like there are millions of molecules of shining matter in the sunshine. So if I remain as molecule in the brahma-jyotir, that is also possible. The impersonalist wants that. Or if I enter into some spiritual planet and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead that is also another spiritual existence. Although both of them are spiritual existence, this spiritual existence is impersonal.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

Devotee: "But a person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness works for the satisfaction of the whole without self-interest. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no desire for self-satisfaction. His criterion is the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. And thus he is the perfect sannyāsī or perfect yogi. Lord Caitanya, the highest perfectional symbol of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, prays in this way: 'Oh almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Neither do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.' "

Prabhupāda: So a devotee does not want even salvation. Why Lord Caitanya says "birth after birth"? The salvationists, they want to stop, the voidists, they want to stop this material way of life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "birth after birth." That means he is prepared to undergo all kinds of material pangs birth after birth. But what He wants? He simply wants to be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is the perfectional. I think you can stop. Stop here.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa, when He saw that Arjuna, he is (chuckles) declining, then He said, "My dear Arjuna, you are the highest yogi. You are the topmost yogi." Why? "Because you are always thinking of Me." That's all. "You have no other business than to think of Me." So this is the yoga system, this is the sannyāsa system, this is the jñāna system. All perfections of jñāna, yoga, dhyāna, and whatever, sacrifice, charity, and penance, all the recommended activities for spiritual realization ends in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you directly become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you are yogi, sannyāsī, and everything. As it is stated here, sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. "He is sannyāsī, he is yogi, and he is everything." He's everything. So this simple method, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, is the highest perfection of life. Therefore this society is established for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The techniques are there in the Bhagavad-gītā and there are Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just try to accept this principle of life and your, this human form of life will be successful and perfect by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

So he picked up some quarrel with the king, that's a long story, I shall state it some other day, so after all he was defeated. And he was directed by Nārāyaṇa to take shelter of the feet of the king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. These instances we see from authoritative scripture. But he was simply keeping Kṛṣṇa in his mind. And he defeated the greatest yogi. Durvāsā Muni, he was so perfect yogi, that within one year he traveled all over this material space and beyond this material space in the spiritual space, went directly to the abode of God, Vaikuṇṭha, and saw the Personality of Godhead personally. Still he was so weak that he has to come back and fall down on the feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. But Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was ordinary king, he was simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. These instances we'll see.

Therefore the highest perfectional yoga system is to control the mind. And you can control the mind very easily if you keep the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa within you, that's all. Simply think of Kṛṣṇa and you are conqueror. You are victorious. You become topmost yogi. Because after all, the yoga system is, yoga indriya saṁyama. Yoga means to control the senses. And above the sense, the mind. So if you control the mind, the senses are controlled automatically.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

Viṣṇujana: "One who controls the mind, therefore the senses as well, is called gosvāmī or svāmī. One who is controlled by the mind is called go-dāsa or the servant of the senses. A gosvāmī knows the standard of sense happiness. In transcendental sense happiness, the senses are engaged in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa or the supreme owner of the senses—Kṛṣṇa. Serving Kṛṣṇa with purified senses is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the way of bringing the senses under full control. What is more, that is the highest perfection of yoga practice." Verse 27: "The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me verily attains the highest pleasure. By virtue of his identity with Brahman, he is liberated, his mind is peaceful, his passions are quieted, and he is freed from sin (BG 6.27)." Twenty-eight: "Steady in the Self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogi achieves the highest perfectional stage of happiness in touch with the Supreme Consciousness (BG 6.28)."

Prabhupāda: So here is the perfect. "The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me." Me means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. If I am speaking, "Give me a glass of water." It does not mean that the water should be supplied to somebody else. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa and He says "Me." "Me" means Kṛṣṇa. This is clear understanding. But there are many commentators, they deviate from Kṛṣṇa. I do not know why. That is their nefarious motive. No. "Me" means Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness person is always in yoga trance. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

So here it is said that "Whether this attempt, just like serious attempt but at the same time it is broken, whether it is like a broken cloud which has no meaning, no rain? That's all. Is it like that?" Apratiṣṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi. Brāhmaṇaḥ pathi means advancement on spiritual success. "So if he is half-hazardly, half-hazardly, halfway, he finishes, then what is the result?" Etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa: "I am doubtful about these things." Why? Now, because if this yoga system... Now, take for this yoga system, which is prescribed. Now, if somebody thinks, "Oh, it was attempted... It was prescribed to Arjuna, and he rejected it because it is very difficult. Oh. Never... Never try for any spiritual. Let us do." No. Arjuna is putting, therefore, this question so that in future people may not be discouraged, may not be discouraged. Therefore he is asking. What is that? Etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa: "It is some of the doubts in my mind, Kṛṣṇa." Chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ: "You will kindly clear my doubts. What happens to this person who does not achieve the pure, highest perfection of success, but half finished or one-fourth finished...? Then what happens to them?" Tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya chettā na hy upapadyate: "I don't think that anyone can eradicate my doubts except You." Now, bhagavān uvāca. Now, Kṛṣṇa is replying Arjuna what happens to this half-finished, half-finished yogi. Yogi... Always remember, yogi means either this dhyāna-yogī or jñāna-yogī or bhakti-yogī, yogi. Yogi does not mean simply those who are meditators. Yogi means the meditators, they are also yogi, and those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophical, by theosophical way, they are also yogi.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Devotee: "These are transcendental. Beyond both body and mind. Self-realization is sought by the path of knowledge, the practice of eightfold mysticism or by bhakti-yoga. In each of these processes one has to realize the constitutional position of the living entity, his relationship with God and the activities whereby he can reestablish the lost link and achieve the highest perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Following any of the above-mentioned three methods, one is sure to reach the supreme goal sooner or later. This was asserted by the Lord in the Second Chapter. Even a little endeavor on the transcendental path of bhakti-yoga is especially suitable for this age because it is the most direct method of God-realization. To be doubly assured, Arjuna is asking Lord Kṛṣṇa to confirm His former statement. One may sincerely adopt the path of self-realization. But the process of cultivation of knowledge and the practice of eightfold yoga system are generally very difficult for this age. Therefore in spite of one's earnest endeavor one may fail for many reasons. The primary reason is one's not being sufficiently serious about following the process. To pursue the transcendental path is more or less to declare war on the illusory energy."

Prabhupāda: When we accept any self-realization process, it is practically declaring war against the illusory energy, māyā. So when there's a question of māyā or a question of fight or war there will be so many difficulty imposed by māyā, that is certain. Therefore there is a chance of failure. but one has to become very steady. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

So spiritual asset is like that. Of course, that is the highest perfectional stage, Haridāsa Ṭhākura or Lord Jesus Christ. And there are many instances. But that is the idea, that one who is spiritually advanced, he's not disturbed by any material miserable condition. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that a person who is spiritually advanced, for him there is no misery even in this world and what to speak of the other world? Pārtha na eva iha. Iha means in this world. Nāmutra. Amutra means next life. Vināśas tasya vidyate. Na vināśa. Vināśa means annihilation. So he has no annihilation. What is annihilation? We have understood from Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter that soul is never annihilated. Indestructible.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that one who has understood what is Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa takes His birth, how Kṛṣṇa acts, what are His activities, for one who has understood factually the result is, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, he doesn't get any more material birth. Then? Where does he go? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). "He comes to Me." That means in the supreme abode of Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection. But if the highest perfection is...

Therefore we should be very serious. Why should we wait for another birth either in very pious family or rich family or in other planet? That is also condemned in Bhagavad-gītā. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you are elevated to the highest planet of this material world you'll have to come again to prepare yourself. The best thing is that we are now here in this planet and immediately take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and surrender unto Him and become perfect. Why should you wait for another birth or in another planet? Finish. Now, if you are actually serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then finish now. This is the opportunity. Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). This birth is obtained after many, many evolutionary process. Mānuṣyam artha-dam. This human body can give you the highest perfection. So tūrṇaṁ yateta, be very serious and try for that perfection. Anumṛtyu pated yāvat, until next death comes. But we are not serious. We are not very serious. We are serious about how to make our sense gratification very nicely. That is our seriousness. Human advancement, advancement of civilization means how nicely you can gratify your senses. This is going on. Only to give all sorts of comfort to this body. But actually human civilization means that people should be very serious to have perfection of this human body, spiritual perfection. That is perfect human civilization. That is missing at the present moment. (kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: "A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi."

Prabhupāda: Yogi, that is the highest perfectional material condition of life. There are different grades of life within this material world, but if one establishes himself in the yoga principle, especially in this bhakti-yoga principle, that means he's living in the most perfectional stage of life. So Kṛṣṇa is recommending Arjuna, "My dear friend Arjuna, in all circumstances, you be a yogi, remain a yogi." Yes, go on.

Devotee: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."

Prabhupāda: Now, here it is clearly stated that of all yogis, there are different kinds of yogis. Aṣṭāṅga-yogī, haṭha-yogī, jñāna-yogī, karma-yogī, bhakti-yogī. So bhakti-yoga is the highest platform of yoga principles. So Kṛṣṇa says here, "And of all yogis." There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all yogis he who always abides in Me," in Kṛṣṇa. Me means Kṛṣṇa says "in Me." That means one who is keeping always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and is the highest of all." This is the prime instruction of this chapter, Sāṅkhya-yoga, that if you want to become perfect yogi of the highest platform, then keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you become the first-class yogi.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: "Therefore, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is the highest stage of yoga, just as when we speak of the Himalayas, we refer to the world's highest mountains, of which the highest peak, Mount Everest, is considered to be the culmination. It is by great fortune that one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, on the path of bhakti-yoga and is well situated according to the Vedic directions. The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Kṛṣṇa, who is called Śyāmasundara, beautifully colored as a cloud, His lotus-like face effulgent as the sun and His dress brilliant with earrings and His body flower-garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster, which is called the brahma-jyotir. He incarnates in different forms, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He descends like a human being as the son of Mother Yaśodā and is known as Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, and Vāsudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend, master, and He is full of all opulences and transcendental qualities. If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the highest yogi. This stage of highest perfection in yoga can be attained only by bhakti-yoga, as is confirmed in all Vedic literature."

Prabhupāda: Bhakti, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). In the beginning Kṛṣṇa says that out of millions of people, one may understand Me actually, factually. And that same factually word is used in the Eighteenth Chapter, that "If one wants to know Me," Kṛṣṇa or God, "then he has to go through the process of bhakti-yoga." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). That is clearly said. In the Vedas also it is said, simply through bhakti, devotional service, you can attain to the highest perfectional stage. Other yoga system there must be mixture of bhakti. But bhakti-yoga is unadulterated devotion. Therefore this direct process of bhakti-yoga is recommended for this age because they haven't got sufficient time to execute all the paraphernalia any other system of yoga. Thank you very much. (break)

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

So therefore our process is how one can think of Kṛṣṇa always. We have so many departments. The idea is how to think of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the yoga. Even in taking prasādam, you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, it is very nice. Kṛṣṇa has tasted. It is very nice." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is yoga. Is there any yoga system in the world that you can become a yogi simply by eating? Is there any yoga system? Just try to understand. Is there any yoga system simply by digging earth for gardening one can become a yogi? Is there any yoga system? Here the boys, when they dig earth for planting rose flower for Kṛṣṇa, he is thinking, "Oh, the flower will be nice. It will be offered to Kṛṣṇa." There is immediately yoga. Just try to understand how nice it is. Whatever you do, if it is done for Kṛṣṇa, then you are in the highest perfectional stage of yoga. And anyone can do it. If Mr. Darwin or Chandramukhi is asked, "All right, you also dig," oh, she will imitate and become yogi immediately. Immediately yogi. Just try to understand. Is there any process of yoga system which can teach even a small child to practice and become yogi? No. If you ask a child or even the father does, "You sit down like me. Meditate. Press your nose," or this, that, oh, she'll be not, cannot do. Unable. Is there any... If I say a child, "Oh, my dear girl, my dear boy, please do like this. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," he immediately does. You see?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

He detected, "My dear Lord, You are Kṛṣṇa Himself. Now You have taken the form in the disguise of Caitanya, Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Your mission is to distribute Kṛṣṇa-prema, Kṛṣṇa-prema." Kṛṣṇa..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission was to distribute Kṛṣṇa-prema. Premā pum-artho mahān. He distributed love of God, how to love God. That is the highest perfection. What is said here in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu kaścit yatati siddhaye... Siddhaye. Siddhaye means how to obtain the perfection of life. The perfection of life is not dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). That is described in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaḥ projjhita-atra kaitavaḥ. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramaḥ nirmatsarāṇāṁ. In the beginning, introduction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the author, Vyāsadeva, says that all kinds of kaitavaḥ-kaitavaḥ... Śrīdhara Swami has commented upon it, kalaḥ niṣandi rūpa. Any religion which is seeking after some result of action.... Generally we perform religion, dharma-artha. We perform religion for getting some economic benefit, artha. And why artha is required? For kāma, dharma artha kāma.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

That is needed, especially for the gṛhasthas, for the householders... Still in India, there are many respectable families. They are maintaining a small temple. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭa, this yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, this bhakti-yoga, one who could not finish the cent percent bhakti-yoga in one life, at least he's guaranteed to have next life as a human being. Because Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnām. Śucīnām means first-class brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. They are called śuci. The śuci, the, just the opposite word is muci. Muci means most nasty habit, and śuci means most cleansed habit. So one poet said that śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje and muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje: "If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, even though he's born in the family of muci, he becomes śuci. And even though one is born in the family of śuci, brāhmaṇa, if he rejects Kṛṣṇa, he becomes muci." So muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje and śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. This is the...

So the highest perfection of life is to awaken our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Everyone has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant. It is covered by the influence of māyā. By the influence of māyā. That is also stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
(CC Madhya 22.107)
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ. And immediately you'll be relieved from the blazing fire of this material existence. This material existence is compared with a blazing forest fire. Forest fire means... Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes places automatically. Similarly, in this material world, however peacefully you want to live, without God consciousness, you cannot live peacefully. It is not possible. Forget it. Therefore, if you think of Kṛṣṇa or God always, immediately you'll be free from the conflagration of the blazing fire of this material existence. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ. And as soon as this blazing fire of material existence is extinguished, immediately you come to the platform of blissfulness. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā (CC Antya 20.12). Then that blissfulness will increase one after another, one after another. Just like the comparison has been given just like the moon. The after the dark moon, the moon comes out just like a line, and then it increases, increases, and one night it becomes full. Similarly, as your heart becomes cleansed of the material dirty things, your real form, sat-cit-ānanda vigrahaḥ, eternity, blissful life of knowledge, becomes visible, just like the moon is visible. And one day you'll come to the full pleasure, full moon night, and that is your sarvātmā snapanam. And at that time you'll enjoy your life like anything. That is our highest perfection of life. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. The only method is chanting this holy name of God, Kṛṣṇa.

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

Prabhupāda: Not only human body. We are getting... You have got already the spiritual body. Now it is covered by this material body. So if you develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are not going to be covered by material body again. You keep in your spiritual body, so that in spiritual body you go to the spiritual world and live with Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection.

Swedish devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if meeting you here now would make sure that he would get a human form in his next life?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though you cannot finish it properly, still, you get the chance of getting a human, a higher standard human form of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). One who could not finish this yoga system of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he gets his life again as a human being in very rich family or in a very pure family. So at least human body is guaranteed, even one fails to complete the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because he gets another chance. To get birth in a rich family means he has no economic problem. He can completely engage himself to understand what is God. But people are not doing that. As soon as he gets birth in a rich family, he thinks that "For nothing I have got so much money. Let me engage in sense gratification." No guide. Otherwise there is a chance. Similarly, in a pure brāhmaṇa family also, the family is already enlightened. Just like the children of our students. From the very beginning they are getting chance to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is a very good chance.

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

Similarly, in a pure brāhmaṇa family also, the family is already enlightened. Just like the children of our students. From the very beginning they are getting chance to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is a very good chance. From childhood. Fortunately, we got such father and mother. So two alternatives. If a Kṛṣṇa conscious person could not complete the course, then he gets another chance. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Yoga-bhraṣṭa, means one who falls down... But there is no cause of falling down if we are strict. Just like if a student is studying nicely, he will pass his examination. Where is the difficulty there? If he neglects, he may fail. But even if he fails, then he gets the chance of getting a human body. Otherwise there is no guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change this body. But what kind of change? That will depend on your work. You are being educated with the expectation of being situated, posted in some nice occupation, but that occupation will depend on your work in student life. You may become a high-court judge, you can become a great engineer, you can get so many things, or you could not get anything, such post. That will depend on your work. Similarly, this life is preparation for the next life. So best thing is that you prepare, heart and soul, for going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Our students are being taught in that way, highest perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people that "You have no other business than to work for Kṛṣṇa. That's all." This is Kṛṣṇa business. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. That is called the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Siddhi. Here it is, siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means to understand "What is my position? Why I am working so hard day and night for simply for sense gratification, for satisfying the tongue, to fulfill the belly, and satisfy the genital? This is my business. That is being done by the dogs and hog." When one comes to this sense, that "Shall I work like the cats, dogs, and hogs, or I have got any other business?" that is human life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. All of them working like hogs and dogs. They do not know there is something other. This is the position. And the modern civilization means keep him in the darkness, that "Let him work hard like hogs and dogs, and don't give him any knowledge." Neither they know, the so-called leaders, what is the perfection.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

So Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gama. "Don't remain in darkness." This is darkness. Darkness means "I am this body, and the, to fulfill the necessities of the body is the highest perfection of my life." Everyone is trying for that, competition. Everyone is trying to have a skyscraper building and three Rolls Royce cars and so on, so on. They think that this is perfection of life, durāśayā, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31), this material energy's production. But you do not think that "How many years I shall enjoy this skyscraper building? And what is my main business? My main business is how to become perfect." There are many animals within the skyscraper building. There are human being, there are dogs, there are cats, there are worms, rats, so many things. So to live in the skyscraper building, that facility is there even to the worms, cats, rats, everyone. That... Then what is the difference between these animals and me? The difference is how to become perfect, siddhi, svarūpa-siddhi. "What I am? Am I this body?" This should be the question. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

So Kṛṣṇa says here that "Ultimate goal is to understand Me," vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, to understand Kṛṣṇa in fact, in truth, not superficially. That is required. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If you are a great scholar studying all kinds of literature, Vedas, then you must know Kṛṣṇa. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa and simply you study Vedas, it is useless waste of time.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

You are executing your occupational duties very nicely honestly. That is all right. But after executing your duties very honestly and nicely, if you do not awaken your dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then śrama eva hi kevalam. You are simply wasting your time. Useless. When you understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. So nobody is interested. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of persons, one may be interested." Otherwise all are in darkness.

So what is that siddhi? Siddhi, to understand one's constitutional position, "What I am." I am trying to lord if over the material nature in so many ways. Is that my position? But I am failure. I am trying to lord it over the material nature as big man, as the minister or as the zamindar, as the big business magnate, and when I am failure, then I want to become God. That is another ambition. That is another ambition. So this is not self-realization. The self-realization is that "I am trying to lord it over the material nature in so many ways, but it is becoming baffled. Why? Why it is becoming baffled? And with great endeavor, by political movements, I become the head of the political institution of the state, but I do not wish to die. Death comes and he takes away everything, my political position, my wealth, my everything, family and anything." Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). "Who is taking that? That is Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

So this is the Kali-yuga position. So five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa spoke about Bhagavad-gītā, at that time the position was manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). So sahasra. Now, on account of Kali-yuga, manuṣyāṇām "millions," because it has increased. The Kali-yuga has increased. Not sahasreṣu, and the percentage has increased millions and millions. Therefore nobody is interested in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to give the highest perfection of life, but they are not interested. They want to remain like cats and dogs and suffer the consequence. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). This is going on.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very difficult to understand, but by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it has been made very easy. Easy. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. It was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He described the faults of the Kali-yuga, but he encouraged by one verse. "My dear king, there is one very nice opportunity in this Kali-yuga." Kaler doṣa-nidhe. Doṣa-nidhi: "It is the ocean of faults, but there is one very nice gain in this Kali-yuga." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: (SB 12.3.51) "Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one can become free from all the troubles of this yuga, Kali-yuga," and mukta-saṅga, "and he becomes liberated, and he goes back to home, back to Godhead." So take it very seriously and make your life perfect.

Thank you very much. (break)

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

In this way, if you practice, and if you chant also Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and if you hear from realized souls about Kṛṣṇa, then you gradually become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And when you come to perfection... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. This Kṛṣṇa's appearance, disappearance, His activities, will be revealed to you. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest, revelation, then you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His activities, what is His name, what is His pastimes. Everything becomes revealed. Then you can understand perfectly. Not... We cannot understand perfectly, but so far our ability is concerned, we can understand Kṛṣṇa. And if we a little bit understand Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Simply by little understanding Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Now, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar... That is the highest perfection. After giving up this body... Ordinarily, we give up this body and we accept another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That we have to stop. We are trying our best to make solution of all problems of life. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), birth, death, old age and disease. But if you can conquer over birth, no more birth... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more birth. "Then it is finished? I am finished?" No, you are not finished. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti. "You come to Me. You come to Me." Go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very easy. Everyone can adopt. Why should you give up? Take it very seriously and be happy.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Yes. Difficulty is there always. Even you go to a school there are so many difficulties. But if you practice with vow and rigidity, you become successful. Difficulties may be there. In every field of our activities there are difficulties. You cannot say... This world is full of difficulties. So difficulties may be there, but you have to struggle against the difficulties and you have to adopt the process. Then your difficulties will be over. It is not that "Because there is difficulty I shall refrain from it." No. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha... (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These are process. Just like you have come here with some śraddhā, with some faith: "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let me sit down. Let me hear." This is the preliminary stage. If you become little serious, then you come daily and try to understand what is this. This is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Then, gradually, as these boys, they offered themselves, "Swamiji, I want to be your regular student, initiate." Third stage. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And if he follows the rules and regulation, gradually the difficulties are over. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. And when the difficulties are over, then he gets faith—tato niṣṭhā. He gets taste—tato ruciḥ. Athāsaktiḥ, then attachment. Then bhāva, ecstasy, and the highest perfection after that. So difficulty may be there. We are in difficulties, this material life. But we have to come over. That is required. It is not that you cannot come over the difficulties. In every step of our life there are difficulties.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

So this is not the solution. You cannot make a solution of the misery of your life by artificial intoxication. That is not possible. You have to make the solution by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you always remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then gradually you'll develop and you will be able to leave or quit your, this material body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that immediately you'll be transferred to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is. That is the process. So mām upetya. And if you can attain that situation, that is the perfection. That is highest perfection of your life, saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. Paramām means the highest, highest perfection.

Then people may inquire, "Well, you say that to enter into the planet of Kṛṣṇa is the highest perfection, but we are trying to enter into the moon planet. Is it not perfection?" Somebody, you may question. Yes. So in answer, this tendency to enter into the higher planets is always there in human mind. Don't think that we have advanced, and we have invented this sputnik for entering into the moon planet or sun planet. This tendency is always there. A living entity's name is sarva-ga. Sarva-ga. He wants to travel everywhere. That is his nature. Just like you, sometimes, you Americans, you go to India or Europe. You cannot stay stagnant at a place. That is our nature. So this tendency, that we are trying to enter into the moon planet, this is not a new thing. They are trying, maybe by different process, by yoga process, by other process. Everyone is trying to enter into the higher planets.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

So this should be the aim of human life. Human civilization, human society, should be so formed that they should have the opportunity. 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. Therefore we have taken this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Join us. Cooperate with us. You'll... Yourself will be benefited, and the world will be benefited, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. The Lord says, "That superior place, superior nature, if somebody can go there, then he has no more to come back here. He gets the highest perfection of life." Now, if there... What is there? What is the nature and what are the paraphernalia? Now, here it is said, puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā. Now, if we are at all interested to reach that supreme abode, then the process is bhakti. Bhaktyā. Bhaktyā means devotional service, submission, submission to the Supreme Lord. Bhaktyā means bhaja. It is a Sanskrit word. The root meaning is bhaja-dhātūkti. Bhaja. Bhaja means service. So bhaja-dhātūkti bhakti, bhaktyā.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

We have already discussed that we are trying to become happy by transferring ourself to the moon planet. Now the present movement is going there. We are thinking that if we can transfer ourself to the moon planet, we shall be happy. Oh, it is useless. Bhagavad-gītā has already informed you that even if you go to the highest planet, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), even if you go by some way or other... You cannot go. That is a dream only. But still, if you go by your sputnik or by aeronautic means, but still, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age and disease, you cannot avoid. So it is not our business to have our place anywhere within this material world. Either this country or that country or this planet or that planet, you'll never be happy. Here is information. Avyaktaḥ akṣara ity uktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim. If you can reach that highest perfectional stage of life, then only you'll no longer be required to come back again to this nonsense material world. Yes. This is the information you get.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Unfortunate. And upadrutāḥ: "In spite of all this, he's always disturbed with diseases and so many other things." This is disturb. This is the position. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa, He thought that if these people are allowed, if they have to come to the point of liberation under the regulative process, it is impossible. So out of His causeless mercy, He came as Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya, and distributed this highest perfection of life, ecstasy, spiritual ecstasy, by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. This is practical. This is practical. It does not depend whether you are now liberated or non-liberated, what is your position, what is your condition. Doesn't matter. Just come and take part in it, and you'll feel spiritual ecstasy. Therefore it is called rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram. Pavitram: "It is very pure." Anyone who takes to this process, he becomes immediately purified. Or the purification process begins immediately. Immediately. Pavitram.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

This is jñāna, regretting "My dear Lord, I got this very opportune moment to possess this human form of life, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, but my duty was to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." That is the highest perfection of worshiping. Ramya kecid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-vargabhir ya kalpita. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, "The upāsanā, the worship which was invented by the gopīs to worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, ramya kecid upāsanā, there is no more perfect upāsanā." So this rādhā-kṛṣṇa-upāsanā is the perfection of upāsanā. Even it is better than viṣṇu-upāsanā. In the material way of life viṣṇu-upāsanā has been recommended as the highest. Ārādhanānāṁ paraṁ devi viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. It is the statement of Lord Śiva to Pārvatī, that "Of all ārādhana, viṣṇu-ārādhanam is the best."

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

So amongst the persons who worship the Absolute Truth not directly as the Personality of Godhead but as ahaṅgrahopāsanam... Ahaṅgrahopāsanam means taking himself as the Supreme. This we have already explained, that taking himself as the Supreme means, as the part and parcel of the Supreme, if we study myself, then I can understand also what is God. The only difference is: quantitatively, God is great and I am small. Otherwise, so far quality is concerned, that is one. So this ahaṅgrahopāsanam, that is number one. Then next upāsanā, next worship, is ekatvena pṛthaktvena (BG 9.15). Pṛthaktvena means pantheism. Just like there are persons who are worship any demigod as God. Their opinion is that there are different forms of God. So any form we accept as God and worship, we shall be benefited. We shall approach the highest perfection. That is another section. So this can be adjusted that God is everywhere. That... There is no denying this fact because by His energy, He is everywhere.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

That is wrong conception, but actually, because I am living within this body, I want to give protection. This is the fact. Just like one protects his country because he lives there. Protects his house, protects his property because he has utilization. Similarly, because we have got utility for this body, we give protection. But when the living entity is no longer there within this body, there is no question of protection. It is thrown away. Even his father, mother or relatives, they take the body and throw away. In a different way, the body is thrown away. It has no more importance. So, then ultimately it comes that you love yourself. And you love yourself, but the self is the part and parcel of the Supreme Self. Therefore you love yourself because you love the Supreme Self. So therefore, ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ. Actually, everyone has got the loving propensity because he loves Kṛṣṇa. That is natural. So Kṛṣṇa says that simply by following this process, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Mām evaiṣyasi, you are trying to find out the supreme loveable object. So mām evaiṣyasi, come and let us live, loving one another. This is the goal of life.

Every one of us, we love Kṛṣṇa, but we are missing Him. Therefore we are placing our loving propensity wrongly, here, there, here, there, here, there, and we are becoming frustrated. Kṛṣṇa says that "If you simply follow this process, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, you come to Me, come to your original lover." So where is the difficulty? To attain the highest perfection of life, where is the difficulty? Anyone can say that "Here is the difficulty"?

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Because we want material happiness, therefore there is difficulty. So, material happiness, you have got experience, it cannot give us satisfaction. The big, big countries, America, in Europe, and so many, they have advanced in material happiness, but actually they are not happy. Material happiness cannot give us happiness. Happiness, when we actually come to Kṛṣṇa and love Him... Happiness means also love. Either you love your family or your country or your society or your wife, your children, by loving there is happiness. But this loving process is not giving us happiness. We are becoming frustrated. Therefore the real lovable object being Kṛṣṇa, if we make progress to that point, then we shall be happy. This is the point. Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). So if this is concluded, then where is difficulty to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is my point. Now it is concluded that if we come to Kṛṣṇa and love Him, then that is the highest perfection of our life. Now to attain that highest perfection of life, where is the difficulty? That is the point I am asking.

Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

But if we don't utilize these things, simply we follow the animal propensity... Just like a dog is after a lady dog, similarly, if we are like that, just like hog is after a female hog, so this is not civilization. We must be sober. We must be sober. We must be distinct from animal life. That is called utilization of human form of life. Labdhvā su-durlabham idam. It is stated in the Vedic literature that labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte: "This body is achieved after many, many, many, many births, after millions and trillions of years." Because... You don't think that all of a sudden, by accident, we have got this body. There are other bodies, cats, dogs and so many bodies. Why in this civilized form of? There must have been some process. So this is said in the Vedic literature, labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte, mānuṣyam artha-dam: "This human form of life is achieved after many, many millions of other forms of birth."

And what is this form? Mānuṣyam, human form, man. This mānuṣya is Sanskrit word and English word, "man," there is similarity, Latin. Originally, this mānuṣyam, or "man" comes from the word Manu. Manu is the father of humankind. Mānuṣyam. So why it is so rare? Artha-dam. You can attain the highest perfection, artha-dam. Artha means money, or artha means substance. Artha-dam. So we are utilizing it for money-making. Artha means money also, but there is another meaning of artha. Artha means substance. We are missing the substance. We are attracted by material money only. So mānuṣyam artha-dam anityam apīha dhīraḥ. And anityam. Although artha-dam—it can deliver you the substance—but it is not permanent, anitya. Nitya means eternal, permanent; anitya means just the opposite. So the scriptures, Vedic scripture, advises you mānuṣyam artha-dam apīha dhīraḥ.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

Iti matvā bhajante mām. Bhajante means one engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord in complete emotion. That is wanted. How that emotion is attained, that is also described by Rūpa Gosvāmī, how one can attain that stage one after another. The first stage is śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith. Faith. Ādau śraddhā. If one has got this faith, then he can develop that faith to the highest perfectional stage of transcendental emotion, bhāva, and then love of God.

So there is nothing to be depressed? All boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen who are in this meeting, they have got this faith, śraddhā. It is understood. Otherwise why you have come here? Unless you have got little faith, you would not have come. And you are sparing your valuable time. This is the sign of faith. This is the first background. If one increases this faith, it can be developed to the highest perfectional stage, love of God.

So ādau śraddhā, how to increase. That is given direction by Rūpa Gosvāmī. This faith, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). If you have little faith don't try to demolish it. Try to increase it. Just like if there is little spark of fire, if you fan it, it increases. Increases. And you have several times... In this temple, when there is yajña performance we ignite fire. So we take a little small piece of wood and ignite it.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is Vedic instruction. If you at all interested in the understanding of spiritual subject matter, then you must approach a bona fide spiritual master. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. Abhigacchet means must. It is not that if you like, you can go; if you do not like, you do not. No, you must. Abhigacchet. Samit-pāṇi śrotrīyaṁ brahma-niṣṭam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijṇāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). It is not a fashion to accept one guru. If you are actually interested, śreya uttamam, the highest perfection of life—tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta—then you have to accept a guru. This is called ācāryopāsanam.

Even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He accepted Sāndīpani Muni as teacher, master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, but He accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. They do not require guru, but just to keep pace with the official program, even God personally, He accepted spiritual master. So this is essential. Ācāryopāsanam.

To become humble, meek, ahiṁsā, non-violence, śānti, tolerance. In this way you have to make progress. The other items will be described by and by. We have to... Yes. Tomorrow we shall describe. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Not ordinary jijñāsuḥ. Just like we go to the market, "What is the rate of this share? What is the rate of rice? What is the rate of dahl?" Not that kind of jij... Brahma jijñāsuḥ. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, not this rice, dahl, share market. No.

So jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, what is the highest perfection of life, he requires to approach a guru. It is not a fashion. It is not a fashion that "I have made my guru, such and such Swami." But what you have learned? You cannot learn because you are not at all jijñāsuḥ. You do not know how to inquire, neither the guru you have met, he does know how to reply. Such kind of guru and disciple will not help. The disciple must be also serious to understand about the spiritual subject matter. That is knowledge, brahma-jijñāsā. One who is inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth, he requires to approach a guru. That is jñāna. Jnana means brahma-jñāna. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is jñāna. And if I am American, that is not jñāna. That is ajñāna. "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this," "I am that," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin." These are all ajñāna, ignorance. You are neither fat nor thin nor black nor white nor American, but you are spirit soul. You have to know that. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is knowledge. And for this knowledge you must approach, ācāryopāsanam.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

So the same tattva, in truth, not superficially, if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). After giving up this body, you'll not have to accept another material body. That is saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. That is highest perfection of life. If you don't accept anymore the material form of body...

There are eight million four hundred thousand species of body. Any type of body we accept, it is troublesome. It is miserable. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). The bodily pains and pleasures are perceivable, mātrā-sparśa, because we have got this material skin, mātrā, and when it is touched, in touch with the influence of this material world, mātrā-sparśāḥ, you become subject of pains and pleasures.

But if you don't have this material body, then you are untouched by the material qualities, you are completely in spiritual body, so there is no question of pains and pleasure. It is simply blissful life.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

That is the highest perfection of life. If you come back, if you go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, there you get sac-cid-ānanda body, eternal, blissful body of knowledge. And that is our aim, jñāna-gamyam, jñeyam. That is jñāna-gamyam.

Therefore the bhakti path has to be accepted—bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā—by knowledge in the Vedic literature, by hearing. Śruta-gṛhītayā means I... You... The Vedic literature is also understood by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Unless you hear from realized soul, it is not possible. Simply by speculation it is useless waste of time. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate. After hearing for many, many years the Vedas from the non-realized soul, simply hearing from this hole of the ear and going out from the other hole—that kind of hearing will not help us.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. In the association of devotees, if you discuss about the message of Kṛṣṇa, then it becomes very relishable, pleasing to the ear and the heart. And if we bring them into practical use of life, taj-joṣaṇād āśu, very soon, apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation, śraddhā, faith, bhakti, devotion, rati, attachment, anukramiṣyati, comes one after another, one after another. So this is the process. So we shall discuss tomorrow again. (end)

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a humble attempt to awaken the whole human society to this spiritual knowledge and act according to the instruction of spiritual life and be happy and be prepared for the next life. The perfection of next life is to become free from the laws of material nature. That is the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. That can be possible when you go back home back to Godhead. That is not very difficult at the same time. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Very simple thing. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Why Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). What is dharmasya glāniḥ? What is dharma? Why does He come? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Who is sādhu, who is duṣkṛta? These things are to be studied.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

When one has attained this stage, then he can execute devotional service. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). So to become a bhakta is the highest position, highest perfection of life, beyond this material existence. That is possible. Kṛṣṇa says

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
(BG 9.32)

Everyone is eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So this movement is to execute this Kṛṣṇa's mission. He wants it. Why He says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ? Pāpa-yonayaḥ means suffering. Here in this material world either you are in pāpa-yoni or ucca-yoni, there is suffering. So Kṛṣṇa is... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). Even the pāpa-yonis, they can be relieved, what to speak of those who are born in good family, brāhmaṇa, puṇya, rājarṣaya, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Of course, in this age it is very difficult to find out the qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, everyone is almost śūdra. And still, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. They can be elevated. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

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

But we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, Krishnites, we do not think in that terms. Suppose in next life I become some demigod like Lord Brahmā or the Moon or the Sun. They are all demigods. Or Vāyu, Varuṇa. The Vaiṣṇava says, "No, we don't want this." Because either you become Rockefeller or Ford in this life and next life the king of Moon planet or Sun planet or in any way, up to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, by your endeavor, even you become promoted to the highest position of this material world, still, you have to die, and again—either come down or remain there—there will be change of body." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "So why should you be implicated in these material activities? Try to come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

That is the highest perfection. And therefore here it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). So if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You have to adopt this means, bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, cannot be understood by karma, jñāna, yoga. No process will be sufficient to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you have to take to this process as recommended by Kṛṣṇa, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaśs cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Therefore we do not indulge in Kṛṣṇa's līlā unless it is performed or it is executed by the devotees. Not professional men. That is forbidden. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never indulged in. Because the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by the process of bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Without bhakti, it is not possible. The bhakti process one has to adopt if he actually wants to go back home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

"It doesn't matter whether one is woman or a mercantile class of man or a śūdra. It doesn't matter." Because these classes are understood less intelligent. But Kṛṣṇa is opening the path for everyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya. If one accepts Kṛṣṇa very seriously, vyapāśritya... Vi-pūrvaka... Vi means... Vi means specifically, vi, viśeṣaṇam, viśeṣaṇam, particularly. Āśritya, if he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa specifically, then either he may be woman or he may be śūdra, or laborer class, or may be mercantile class. It doesn't matter. He or she can go to the highest perfection.

Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). Puṇya. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. And what to speak of the intelligent class? Even this class also elevated to the highest position. So there is no such question. But here the word used, su-medhasaḥ, in the particular sense that for worship of God there are different methods, different religious systems, different methods, different churches, different mosques, different temples. Even accepting that this is Hindu philosophy, so Hindus, they have got many different processes. I think the Hindus have got so many different processes that it can outnumber all the different processes of the world. They have got so many processes.

So su-medhasaḥ means for executing religious life, for achieving the highest perfection of life, one must be very intelligent. A fool cannot achieve the highest perfection of life. Just like a fool cannot be very prosperous even in this material world, similarly, a fool also cannot make any progress in the spiritual world. So su-medhasaḥ means one should be little intelligent. What is that intelligence? Now, if I have got the easiest path to achieve the highest perfection of life, why shall I take a path which is not very sure? This intelligence required.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

Just like, in my, this life, I can experience. In each stage of my life, I have my past, present and future. You are all young boys. You had your past, as a child, as a boy. Now you are young, and your future is also there as old, as I have become old. So in any stage of life, there is past, present, and future. So why not, I am old man, so when I shall die, why there is no future? There must be future. I had my past, I am at present, and there must be future also. The future is that I must get another body. That body may be of animal or trees or demigod or God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). You can prepare yourself for your next body. So ultimate goal is to get a body in the kingdom of God. That is—saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ—that is highest perfection. You can get a body next in, as a human being in the rich man's family, or as a king, or as a leader, or as a cat, as a dog, as a tree. That will depend on your work. Similarly you can get your next body as associates of God, Kṛṣṇa. That is stated, that you can have, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). "Those who are My devotees, they come to Me," Kṛṣṇa says.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

So tattva, the Absolute Truth, is one. Absolute Truth is not two. Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. Absolute Truth is one, but it is realized from different angles of vision. There are transcendentalists, just like... Karmīs are not transcendentalists. Fruitive worker. Those who are simply working for betterment of life or standard of life or economic development-dharma, artha, kāma. Kāma means sense gratification. That is already explained. Kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. But they are thinking that indriya-prīti, sense gratification, is the highest perfection of life. But Bhāgavata says, or our Vedic authority says, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. So karmīs, they are rejected. They are not fit for spiritual life, at least, so long they remain karmīs. Muḍḥa. That I have explained last night. Then, out of many thousands of karmīs, one becomes jñānī, jñānī, in true knowledge. They are called jñānī. When one is fed up with this karmī, he comes to the stage of jñānī, knowledge, that "I am not this body. Why I am working so hard for this body like cats and dogs?" He comes to the platform of jñānī. Then above the jñānī, the yogi. Those who are trying to connect, link with the Supreme, they are called yogi. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. In the yoga stage, there is control of the senses. So yogis, and then bhaktas. Karmī, jñānī, yogi, and bhakta. Bhakta means devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Pradyumna: Translation: "O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties, or dharma, according to caste divisions and order of life, is to please the Lord Hari." (SB 1.2.13)

Prabhupāda: Ataḥ pumbhir-dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṇa and āśrama. This varṇāśrama is very important thing in the human society. Unless one accepts these principles of varṇa and āśrama, they're animal society. That is not human society. Four varṇas—the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra, four divisions of the society; and āśrama, spiritual order—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. This is Vedic culture, varṇa and āśrama. Any society which is devoid of this vedic culture varna and asrama. That is not accepted as human society.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the highest perfection of life. Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, impersonal effulgence. Just like the sunshine. Then localized sun, the sun globe. Then further, if you able to enter the sun globe, you'll find there is a predominating deity. There are also cities and palaces—everything, just like this planet. But this planet is made prominently of earth, and that planet is one of the elements, material elements, earth, water, fire, air. So if this planet is made of earth, why not other planet made of fire? What is the scientific reason to deny it? Because I cannot live in the fire, it does not mean other living entities cannot live there. There are different kinds of living entities. Just like you cannot live within the water, within the ocean, but there are other living entities... Just like fish. They live very comfortably within the water. So why should we conclude that there is no life in the sun planet or moon planet? This is not perfect knowledge. From Vedic books we can understand that this moon planet is one of the heavenly planets and people live there. They are demigods.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

So that is the standard of highest perfection. If you do not die, if you do not take birth... If you know what are the miserable conditions of birth, to remain within the womb of the mother... Not only to remain. Nowadays, modern advanced civilization, they are being killed by the mother. Not only abortion, but they are being killed. Now the Western world is very familiar with these things. So just imagine. First of all, you have to remain within the mother's womb, head down, packed-up condition. You cannot move, ten months. And that is also not secure. Even within the... Now this is the... Within the mother's womb you are not secure. At any moment the doctor may advise that "Kill the child." So these are the miserable condition of birth, but we do not remember them. We have to know it from the śāstra. So similarly, at the time of death, coma and... Nowadays it is a very common disease. For seven days or fifteen days he's unconscious, crying.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

So here it is said, mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān hitvā bhūta-patīn atha. Bhūta-patīn atha. So those who are actually desiring liberation from this entanglement of material life, transmigration from one body to another... We can get different types of sense pleasure in different bodies. That's all right. But this is not a very good business. Sometimes I become a demigod, and sometimes I become a eucalyptus tree, standing for three hundred years. So why should we waste our time in that way? That is intelligence. But they do not know that "This time I am very nice American. I have got my skyscraper building and motorcar and very good bank balance. I am very happy." They don't care. But he does not know that next life he may become a cats or dog. That he does not know. There is risk. This science is not taught in any university. They are so fools and rascals. It is a great science, transmigration of the soul, immortality of the soul, how to elevate the soul to the highest perfection; these things are... They do not know, the rascals, they do not know. Neither do they teach. Mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān. A so unfortunate time it is.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

My dear King Parīkṣit, you have put very nice question. And to hear about Kṛṣṇa is the topmost subject of hearing." Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means topmost, the highest. "So your question, whether to hear about Kṛṣṇa, is welcome." Varīyan eṣa te praśnah kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa: (SB 2.1.1) "This praśna, this question, is very much beneficial to the people in general," loka-hitaṁ. Because Parīkṣit Mahārāja was questioning, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī was answering, but there were many other persons. Although the questions and answers were only for Parīkṣit Mahārāja, not for others, but everyone expected that because Śukadeva Gosvāmī was speaking to the king, that speaking must be very important to everyone. So all the great sages... Even the father of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Vyāsadeva, who is the compiler of so many Vedic literatures, he also came there to hear his sixteen-years-old boy. He was so elevated. It does not matter whether a man is old or young; it is the question of knowledge. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was so elevated that so many persons assembled there. And the Sūta Gosvāmī, who spoke the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the second time amongst the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, he was also present in that meeting, and he heard from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he repeated to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya. So śrī-kṛṣṇa-śravaṇādhi-prāyeṇa parama-praśna kṛta eṣa tu varīyan. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is congratulating Mahārāja Parīkṣit, that "You have raised the question of Kṛṣṇa, understanding Kṛṣṇa. It is very welcome." Yaḥ praśno 'pi śrotavyādiṣu paraṁ: "Such kind of question is the topmost question, topmost question. There is no more better question than this." In other words, when you become inquisitive to understand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that very questions will elevate you to the highest perfectional stage.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So one has to work because his business is to become servant. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). So if he does not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then he will have to become servant of māyā. Just like same thing we are doing in this New Vrindaban or anywhere. The same thing. We are also cooking, we are also cleansing. So this is for Kṛṣṇa. So even if we get tired by cleansing for Kṛṣṇa, but that is an asset. Yes. And if we work the same thing for sense gratification, that is simply spoiling time. This is the technology of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we can achieve the highest perfection of life by doing the same thing. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.

So Vyāsadeva, he also worked very hard, wrote so many books, unlimited. But he was not happy. So if you work for māyā, then you'll never be happy. You'll get tired and you'll simply be confused. But if you work for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. Just like... There are so many examples. Arjuna. Arjuna also, he remained a military man. He was in the beginning military man, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he remained a military man. But that military man was for Kṛṣṇa. And in the beginning he was a military man for acquiring some kingdom for sense gratification. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to change the consciousness, to change the account. The activities may be the same, but when the account is changed, then you'll get the highest profit.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So every word has volumes of meanings. Udga... Therefore sometimes right commentary required. So uttamam means udgataṁ tamam. Tama means this material world. When one is inquisitive to understand about the spiritual life, then he should accept a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no need. A spiritual master is not a fashion, that "Oh, I should have a spiritual master." People after fashion. No. One must be very much inquisitive to know. What about, inquisitive? Uttamam. Śreya uttamam, what is the highest perfection of life. If one is actually inquisitive to understand about the highest perfectional stage of our life, then he should search after a spiritual master. That is the direction.

So here Nārada says that "You, jijñāsitam, you have inquired. You have inquired. And after inquiry you have done also very nicely." Because Vyāsadeva has written so many books. Just like we are trying to write so many books. What is that book? That means whatever we have understood from our spiritual master. That's all. So one should be inquisitive, assimilate them, and susampannam, and... This is called śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). The inquiry means śravaṇam. Inquiry means to get the answer; that is hearing. And then assimilate. Then kīrtanam, then distribute the knowledge to the world. That is the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of India, Bhāratavarṣa... Just see how Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives power to every Indian.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

So Nārada Muni advises that "Induce everyone to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind if he, even if he falls down. There is no loss." This is the principle. If he becomes successful, oh, the greatest boon. That greatest boon is described in Bhagavad-gītā, saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, highest perfection. Highest... Saṁsiddhim. Saṁsiddhim means perfection. Paramām, the supreme.

mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

So if we become successful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we achieve the greatest success of life, but even if we fall down, oh, there is no loss. Because we are going to get birth in śucīnām, in nice brāhmaṇa family, or rich mercantile family where it is supposed...

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

This is real life, to go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Mām upetya. If you go back to home, back to Godhead, that is saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. That is the highest perfection of life. But generally... Generally, almost... Why generally? Almost everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent people, they want to become happy within this material world. Therefore they are poor, very, very poor. And the mahātmās, they give the knowledge that "This is not life. This is a temporary platform." Aśāśvatam, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This is confidential knowledge. You are trying to be happy... Suppose Brahmā. He lives for many millions of years. Still, it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That life is also temporary. What is millions of years' duration of life in comparison to the eternal life? So beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant, whoever is within this material world, it is to be understood their understanding is very poor. And the mahātmā, being kind upon these poor souls, they deliver the same knowledge as Kṛṣṇa gives. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam.. (BG 18.66). This is guru's business. Do not manufacture anything. There is no question of... There is no need of manufacturing anything. Simply you speak to the suffering humanity the same thing which Kṛṣṇa says. Sākṣād bhagavatā uditam. This is the business of guru. It is clearly said.

Lecture on SB 1.5.31 -- Vrndavana, August 12, 1974:

Viṣaya chāṛiyā, "so long I have got the propensity for sense gratification there is no possibility for understanding Vṛndāvana. There is no possibility." It is the statement of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He says viṣaya chāṛiyā kabe śuddha. Viṣaya means this āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. If you are still inclined for eating, sleeping and sex life, there is no possibility of understanding what is Vṛndāvana.

So these are the instructions. These are the confidential message given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers. That is yena. If you follow this yena gacchanti tat-padam, then you are sure going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. And that is the highest perfection of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

The same process. Do not think that it is some ritualistic external. No. It has got meaning. If you can chant the mantra properly, if you follow the rules and... You must be expert in chanting mantra. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we are chanting, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura is also chanting. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura, how advanced he was just imagine. He was a young man, and a very nice, beautiful prostitute came there at dead of night, wanted to enjoy his company, and he said simply, "Very good idea. Please sit down. Let me finish my Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." Is it possible for ordinary man? No. It is not possible. That means he was expert, he was advanced. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, "Simply by chanting you'll get all success of life." Sarva-siddhi. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessing. Ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. By simply chanting one gets the highest perfection. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessing and gift. So we should be very careful and follow the regulative principles. Then automatically you'll be perfect. There is no doubt about it. Mantra... Just like sometimes the snake-charming mantra can be purchased in the market. But if you do not make yourself perfect about chanting the mantra, it will not be effective.

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

So when we come to that stage, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching, the gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ. He's also bringing the reference of the gopīs because Kṛṣṇa is completely under gopīs. He's so much indebted to the gopīs that He said that "I cannot repay your debts. It is not possible." Kṛṣṇa, the all-powerful, all-opulences, but He had no means to repay the debts of the gopīs. This is the position of the gopīs. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no other better shape of worshiping Kṛṣṇa than it was planned by the gopīs. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. This is the highest. In the same say, He says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa... Gopī-jana-vallabha. Gopī-jana-vallabha is Kṛṣṇa; pada-kamalayoḥ, one who has taken shelter. Don't try to become gopīs. No. Rather try to become the dust of the lotus feet of the gopīs. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Just like Uddhava. Uddhava wanted to become one grass in Vṛndāvana because the gopīs will trample over it. This is the highest perfection. So liberation... Liberation means gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. The more you become servant of the servant, servant of Vaiṣṇava, then your perfection is there (CC Madhya 13.80). That is perfection. Our, the Vedic injunction is just try to understand yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

These boys, cowherd boys, now who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, they're also not ordinary. They have got now the highest perfection, that they have been able to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How they have achieved this position? Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Many, many lives pious activities. Because these boys for many, many lives underwent austerities, penances to achieve the highest perfection of life. Now they have got the opportunity-playing with Kṛṣṇa personally on equal level. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is vṛndāvana-līlā. The cowherd boys, they simply love Kṛṣṇa. Their love is unending. Everyone in Vṛndāvana.

Just like Yaśodā-mātā or Nanda Mahārāja. They are in paternal affection with Kṛṣṇa. So the father and mother love Kṛṣṇa, the friends love Kṛṣṇa, the girl friends, they love Kṛṣṇa, the trees love Kṛṣṇa, the water love Kṛṣṇa, the flower, the cows, the calves, everyone loves Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So if we simply learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, then we can create immediately this world as Vṛndāvana. This is the only central point. How to love Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa can be felt, Kṛṣṇa can be present more acutely in separation. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching: to love Kṛṣṇa in separation. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu in separation: govinda-viraheṇa me. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. He was thinking that "Everything is vacant without Govinda, without Kṛṣṇa." So everything is vacant, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. That is the highest perfectional... When we'll see everything is nothing, simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, that is the highest. That is the gopīs. Therefore gopīs are so exalted. Not for a single moment they could forget Kṛṣṇa. Not for a single moment. Kṛṣṇa was going in the forest with His cows and calves, and gopīs at home, they were disturbed in the mind, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is walking bare-footed. There are so many stones and nails. There is pricking Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, which is so soft that we think our breast as hard when Kṛṣṇa puts His lotus feet. Still He's walking." They are absorbed in this thought. And they are crying. So they are so anxious to see Kṛṣṇa back home in the evening that they are standing on the way, on the roof, "Now Kṛṣṇa is coming back with His..." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is... Kṛṣṇa cannot be absent from a devotee when he's too much absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1973:

So a girl is advised to worship śiva-liṅga. Just like we will find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the neighboring girls of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were going to the Ganges. In our childhood we have seen, our sisters; they were also worshiping. Mother taught them. Now these things are gone. Nobody is worshiping śiva-liṅga because there are so many liṅgas. So this custom (laughs) is now gone. Anyway, this girl, Pārvatī, was engaged to worship the liṅga, or the genital, of Lord Śiva, but Lord Śiva was not disturbed. So that is called example of dhīra. Dhīra means very sober, not disturbed. That soberness can be had... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13), and how one can become dhīra? Now,

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ
manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ
yasmin sthito na duḥkhena
guruṇāpi vicālyate
(Bg. 6.20-23)

There is a stage of highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness when one is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he doesn't want anything, what to speak of the sense gratification. He is no more in need of anything. If one gets Kṛṣṇa, if he is confident about Kṛṣṇa, and if he is confident that "Now I have got the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, I don't want anything..."

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

That is for the lower class, not for the higher class. If anyone gives up meat-eating or the bad habits of lower class, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and if he's trained how to become a qualified brāhmaṇa, then he can be accepted. That is sanctioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals, they say that these mlecchas and yavanas cannot become brāhmaṇa. Because we are making brāhmaṇas from the mlecchas' and yavanas' section, they are protesting. Some of them are protesting that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is ruining Hindu religion." The rascals, they do not know that I am acting strictly according to śāstra. The śāstras says... Kṛṣṇa says Himself, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ: (BG 9.32) "Anyone born in low-grade family.' Pāpa-yoni, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, "if he takes to Me according to regulative principles," vyapāśritya, "according to the principle," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "he is immediately becomes eligible to be promoted," parāṁ gatim, "the highest perfection of life." One thing is pāpa-yoni. So there is no restriction that pāpa-yoni shall remain always pāpa-yoni. Why? They should be given enlightenment. That is brāhmaṇa-ism. Brāhmaṇa means liberal, and just the opposite word of brāhmaṇa is kṛpaṇa, miser. A brāhmaṇa should give chance to everyone, even to the pāpa-yoni, how to become brāhmaṇa. That is real brāhmaṇa. And the rascal who thinks that "I shall remain simply brāhmaṇa; others shall remain mlecchas and yavanas," he is not brāhmaṇa; he is śūdra, because his mind is so crippled. He does not want to see others to become brāhmaṇa. He is miser, kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇaḥ phala-hetavaḥ.

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

So to understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Out of many millions of persons, all rascals and fools, animals, what they will understand Kṛṣṇa? Therefore Kṛṣṇa personally says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. All over the world we are touring, all full of rascals and fools. Nobody is trying to make his life perfect. What is that perfection? Paramāṁ siddhim. That perfection is,

mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

To go back to home, back to Godhead, that is the highest perfection of life. Nobody knows what is Godhead. Nobody knows how to go back to Him. So to understand Kṛṣṇa and to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is not very easy thing. Very, very difficult. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, mahā-vadānyāvatāra, He has distributed this Kṛṣṇa science and love of Kṛṣṇa in such an easy way that by His mercy even a most rude person can also understand, if He takes the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So anyone who is interested in this highest perfection of life, punar janma naiti mām eti, not to take birth again in this material world, but to go back home, back to Godhead, such person... Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks for such person: niṣkiñcanasya jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣoḥ. Just like we are on this side of the sea. We want to go the other side of the sea. Similarly this bhava-samudra, we are on this part of the sea, material world. If we want to go to the other side, spiritual world, so we have to become niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means no more possessing anything material. That is called niṣkiñcana. If we hanker after possessing material... Therefore sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means simply possess Kṛṣṇa and no other possessions. That is niṣkiñcana. You have to possess something. Suppose you have got something, one copper coin or silver coin. So if you dispossess, if you throw it away, then what is the gain. Whatever you had, gone. But if you throw the copper coin, or the silver coin, and if you accept a gold coin, then you are profited. Then it is profit. So niṣkiñcana, to simply become niṣkiñcana, renounced of everything... Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They do... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Yes. But brahma satyam, they do not understand what is the actual satya-vastu. That satya-vastu is Bhagavān. They do not search after Bhagavān; simply the light, effulgence of Bhagavān, brahma-jyotir. They are satisfied. (yelling in background) (aside:) What is that, trouble? Stop them.

Lecture on SB 1.10.14 -- Mayapura, June 27, 1973:

So these are all symptoms of love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life, to shed tears for Kṛṣṇa. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this method of worship in separation, vipralambha-sevā. Not that "Oh, I have seen yesterday. Last night, I have seen Kṛṣṇa. He was snatching my cloth." These are sahajiyās. Actually, our worship should be in separation. The Gosvāmīs also taught us like that. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. They in the Vṛndāvana remained authorized persons. They were also searching after Kṛṣṇa. They never said that "We have got Kṛṣṇa," never said. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ, ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Simply khedair mahā-vihvalau. They were lamenting in separation. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

Te sādhu-kṛta-sarvārthā. Artha means interest. Everyone has some interest. The animals have got also interest. The man has got some interest. The big politician, he has also interest. Everyone has got interest. But nobody knows what is real interest. That is missing. Everyone has created his interest and he is working in that way. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Real interest is, for the human being, to know what is God, what is my relationship with Him, and how I shall achieve the highest perfection of life. That is real interest.

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Svārtha. Svārtha or artha. Svārtha means own interest, and artha means general interest. The general interest is, for the human being, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Because human life is not dog's life, cat's life, so there must be dharma, religion. And religion means no dog. That is first interest. This is first interest. Otherwise how shall I distinguish my life with the cats and dogs life? They are also eating, sleeping, mating and dying. And if I also, like the cats and dogs, eat, sleep and have sex life and die, then where is the difference? The difference is religion. The dog society, cat society, there cannot be any religion, but in the human society, there is necessity of religion. Otherwise it is cats' and dogs' society. So they do not understand it. They are avoiding religion. Nowadays the so-called advanced civilization, they are avoiding religion. That means they are coming to the platform of cats and dogs. And actually, they have come.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The subject of the departure of the sons of Paṇḍu for the ultimate goal of life, back to Godhead, is fully auspicious and is perfectly pure. Therefore anyone who hears this narration with devotional faith certainly gains the devotional service of the Lord, the highest perfection of life." (SB 1.15.51)

Prabhupāda: Yaḥ śraddhayaitad bhagavat-priyāṇām. Bhagavat-priyāṇām. There is a common word in English, "If you love me, love my dog." That is very important. So bhagavat-priyāṇām, one who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, if you love such person, then Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Bhagavat-priyāṇām.

There is a version in the Purāṇas, Devī Purāṇa. Pārvatī was asking questions to Lord Śiva, and Lord Śiva was replying. This is the process at home. The wife is supposed to inquire from the husband about spiritual advancement of life, and the husband must be competent to reply all the questions of wife. That will keep relation very nice. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). That is bhakti. So Pārvatī was asking... Because according to Vedas, there are so many demigods. Viṣṇu is sometimes taken, but Viṣṇu is not... Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. They are the principal deities. So the inquiry was "Which worship is the best? Viṣṇu, or Lord Śiva, or Brahmā or Candra?" There are so many demigods. Sometimes they are misunderstood that all of them are Gods. No. They are called demigods. God is one. That is... Originally, God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

So to become priya, very dear to Kṛṣṇa, is very easy. That is siddhi, perfection. Labdhvā harau bhaktim upaiti siddhim. Perfection, highest perfection: to become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That is your perfection, highest perfection, supreme perfection. So such easy thing, and such highest perfection. Why people should not accept this? And it is practical. It is... Just last night I was talking with Śrutakīrti that this church, nobody was coming. Therefore they were obliged to sell it off, and we purchased. So the church is the same, building is the same, and you are all Americans. But you did not come before, so that it was to be sold. Now everywhere it is packed up. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. This is practical. This is practical. There is no question of enviousness. It is practical. In Boston one Christian priest said frankly that "These boys, girls, they are our boys, our girls. Either coming from Christian group or Jew's group, they are, after all, Americans. So they did not care for anything about God. Now they are mad after God. What is this?" This is practical. There is no question of competition. It is practical. Because they are trying. They are trying. Our only business is, "Just become dear to Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means "You are trying to be dear to so many things." Somebody is trying to be dear to his father, to his mother, or to his family, children, or country, community, society, nation. Everyone is trying to be dear. "I will do such and such thing for you. Please give me vote. Please make me president." They are trying. And after all, the president also is not dear, neither people is not dear. The real fact becomes disclosed after a few days when the, what is called, face covering, aḥ, mask, is over. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

So this kind of trying to become dear is no use. It is simply waste of time. So if you try to become dear to Kṛṣṇa, that is siddhi. That is perfection. You are trying to become dear to so many objectives. At last, to become dear to a dog, ferocious dog. He does not say anything to the master. That means the master has become dear to him. So we are trying to become dear to somebody. That is our desire, dormant desire. But that is being misplaced. We do not know where to become dear. That we do not know. That is Kṛṣṇa. If you become dear to Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest perfection. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhi, this siddhi, perfection. Out of millions and millions of persons, one is interested to become perfect. Because this world is imperfect. So everyone is imperfect, all of us. So neither they do know what is perfection.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

So ultimate success is... That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "The highest perfection is that when you understand God and you are in love with God." That is success. You are in love in God. It doesn't matter how we have learned to love God, either Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muhammadan, but if you have got that success, that you have learned how to love God, then your life is successful. Then there are different stages of loving platform, and when you love Kṛṣṇa as Rādhārāṇī did... That is not possible, but that is the aim, and that is the highest perfection. But the beginning is love, how you are in love with God. Śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. So unless you come to that... If you love these material things, then you should know that you are not in love with God. If you are in love with God, then you'll forget material love. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, love of Godhead, the symptom is that he's no more in love with material things. That is the test. You cannot... Just like you cannot love two persons. That is divided. One love concentrated, that is perfect love. Similarly, another example is given that we are all hankering after love. Because we do not find whom to love, therefore we place our love even cats and dogs. We love a dog. Anyone who has no other object to love, no children, no family, no wife—all right, keep a cat, keep a dog. But love is there.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

So our present condition is diseased. Why you are dying? Because you are diseased. Why you are becoming old? Because you are diseased. That is due to this body. But actually I am spirit soul. I am neither old nor diseased, but I have fallen into the condition of material contamination. Therefore I am thinking that I am diseased. This is called māyā. Just like in the dream I am feeling that a tiger is eating me, and I am crying, "Here is a tiger eating me, eating me. Save me." But there is no tiger. This is called illusion, or māyā. But so long we'll have this body just like so long we shall dream, we shall have to suffer the effect, even it is illusion. A man is crying, "There is a tiger." Actually, there is no tiger; neither tiger is eating. But because he is in hallucination, he is feeling the pain. That is actual fact. So the whole process is to stop this illusion, bodily contamination. Then we are in real life. And then we can understand what is love, what is reciprocation of love, everything. That is real, healthy life. So this human form of life is meant for getting out of this illusion to the spiritual life. That we have been discussing. But instead of taking advantage of this human life, if we simply treat ourself just like animals and be engaged with eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating, then we are missing the chance. So long we have got this human intelligence, we should utilize it for the highest perfectional stage of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is open to all. Just like we are calling everyone, "Come and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." It is open to all. There is no question of becoming poor or rich. But if he takes the advantage, that is up to him. We are not restricting here that only the rich persons or brāhmaṇas or pious family or rich family can come here, no. Everyone. Everyone is welcome. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Poor family or uneducated family, uncultured family, they are called pāpa-yoni, sinful family. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Never mind. Even if he is in sinful family, whatever he may be, if he comes to Me, he also can enter into the spiritual kingdom." So there is no such restriction.

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
(BG 9.32)

Parāṁ gatim means the highest perfectional life. And that is practical. Here, when people come here, we don't inquire whether he is poor or rich or this or that. "Come on. Sit down. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The opportunity is equal for everyone.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Nitāi: "The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life."

Prabhupāda: Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death, if you can remember Nārāyaṇa-Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, the same thing—then your life is successful, whatever you do. In Bengal there is a proverb, it is called bhajana kara sādhana kara murte janle hoya.(?) Means you may be very big stalwart spiritualist or yogis, or there are so many big, big things, so whatever you do, that is all right. Because they say that "Everything is leading to the Supreme, this way or that way." That has been described here, sāṅkhya-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga. So many things they have manufactured, that's all right. And you say that "Whatever path we may follow, ultimately we go to the same goal." That is very nice, provided if you actually go to the same goal. Otherwise, it is misleading. That is describe here, that never mind. You say that "Whatever path one may take, it leads to the same goal." We accept it. That is described here. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Whatever you have done may be very good, but at the time of death, if you forget Nārāyaṇa, then it's all useless, all useless.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So the service mood is going on everywhere. But the highest perfection of service is when we learn to serve the Supreme Absolute Lord. That is called bhakti. And that bhakti execution of service to the Lord is ahaitukī. Just like we have got some little examples. This mother is serving the child not with any expectation. She loves to serve the child. She wants to see the child is in comfort, the child does not feel any discomfiture. That is her pleasure. There is no reason why she is loving. That is natural. Similarly, when we invoke our natural love for God, that is the highest perfection of religious principle. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means it cannot be checked by any material condition. Just like we want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; this is service. This is the beginning of service, chanting the glories of the Lord, or praying the Lord, "Hare, O the energy of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, O Lord, please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, repeatedly, "Please engage me. Please engage me." But God can give you many things. Whatever you want, He is giving. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). He can give you even salvation, but very rarely He gives you the chance of serving Him.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So there is no problem for executing devotional service to the Lord. And that is the highest perfection of all religious principles. But we have to practice. And that is not possible in this age. This age is called Kali. It is very difficult age. People are not very much interested to the most important problem of life. They are alpāyuṣa. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. People are short-living and manda. Manda means very slow for ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to search out or is to reestablish your lost relationship with God. That is the mission of human life. Otherwise what is the difference between animal life and human life? The animal life, they are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we human beings, we are also similarly busy, then what is the difference? So this sort of civilization, simply making nice arrangement for eating and sleeping and mating and defending, that is not practically human civilization. The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduḥ. They do not know, unfortunately. They have forgotten. But by good association, they can remember. Therefore this meeting of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. That is the missionary activities of this Society.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Kṛṣṇa, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body. Not only we are changing or transmigrating from one body to another, but we are transmigrating from one planet to another. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. How we are changing our planets also, that is explained:

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
(BG 14.18)

Those who are developing the modes of good qualities, they are gradually being promoted to the higher planetary system, heavenly planet-Satyaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka. In those planets the duration of life is very long, the possibilities of sense enjoyment is very nice.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

So in the material world there cannot be prema. Prema means love. The prema is only possible in the spiritual world. Here, what is going on as love, that is not love, that is lust. A boy loves a girl, a girl loves a boy. That is not love, that is lust. As soon as there is some disturbance in lusty affair, they divorce. So therefore that is not love. So we should note it, that so-called love is bogus in this material world. Love cannot be possible. This very word love, prema, is specially reserved for Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching, that the highest perfection of life is to evoke one's dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

The love is there. It is reserved for Kṛṣṇa, but due to our foolishness, we are distributing that love in so many ways, up to the dog. This is called illusion. We do not know where to apply love. If you see, all these words is touched with the word kāma, kāma. Kāma means lust. There is no question of love. And love ... Prema and kāma is described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. What is prema and what is... prema and kāma. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāra bali kāma (CC Adi 4.165). Kāma. What is lust? Ātmendriya-prīti, to satisfy one's own senses. That is kāma. Here, a boy and girl love. They say "love," but no, it is not love. The boy wants to satisfy his senses, and the girl wants to satisfy her senses. That's all. Therefore, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā. Everyone is trying to satisfy her own senses. That is kāma. Lust. And then, what is prema? Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare prema nāma. When the same propensity is transferred for satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses... just like gopīs.

Lecture on SB 2.3.8, and Initiations -- Los Angeles, May 25, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Pradyumna: "The path of religion entails making progress on the path of spiritual advancement, ultimately reviving the eternal relation with Lord Viṣṇu in His impersonal effulgence, localized Paramātmā feature, and ultimately in His personal feature by spiritual advancement of knowledge. And one who wants to establish a good dynasty and be happy in the progress of temporary bodily relations should take shelter of the pitās and the demigods in other pious planets. Such different classes of worshipers of different demigods may ultimately reach the respective planets within the universe, but he who reaches the spiritual planets in the brahma-jyotir achieves the highest perfection."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So, now. (devotees chant japa) (break in tape)... the word is abhyantaram, the word is abhyantaram... Antara means internal. (break in tape)

Jayahari: So the translation to this mantra: "Unpurified or purified, or even having passed through all situations, one who remembers the lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead is cleansed without and within." So speaking from our own situation, we can understand that we've been brought up in a very degrading culture that right from the beginning is teaching propaganda how one must forget God. So Prabhupāda has so kindly given us a process to cleanse the mind. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). We want to clear our mind again so we can see things as they are. So this human form of life is very rare opportunity, and it is rare because out of so many species of life we have been given the opportunity to again remember God. (break) (CB interference is heard coming through the speaker.) (japa)

Prabhupāda: Where is found, this name?

Devotee: List of names.

Prabhupāda: So you know the rules and regulations? The regulations?

Lāla Kṛṣṇa: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Lāla Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

Prabhupāda: This is the important factor. Now, translation?

Pradyumna: "All the different kinds of worshipers of multi-demigods can attain the highest perfectional benediction, which is spontaneous attraction unflinchingly fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by the association of the pure devotee of the Lord."

Prabhupāda: This is the secret, association of the pure devotee of the Lord. Without association of pure devotee of Lord, nobody can come to the stage, unflinching faith and devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I think last purport we did not read? Read it.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

As others are being... They are also eating; we are also eating. But in our eating, we have got full satisfaction. And they have no satisfaction. They are eating sometimes here, sometimes there, this restaurant, that restaurant, this place... So many advertisements. So as soon as we dovetail our activities with Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is perfection. Jñānaṁ yadā apratihatā ahaituky apratihatā. That is real activity. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The activities which... yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, which is meant for rendering service to the Lord, apratihatā, without being checked. Here (it) is said yadā... Apratihatā. Or apratihatā. Both ways, you can take. That is kaivalyam. Kaivalya means oneness. When I forget myself... The same example: the screw is no longer a screw; it is the whole machine. It is the whole machine. So similarly, kaivalya means oneness. There is no other anything. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, everything Brahman.

This stage can be achieved when one is engaged, dovetailed in the service of the Lord. Therefore the last line says, ko nirvṛto hari-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt. This is the highest perfectional stage of life. So anyone, one who, anyone who wants blissful life... What is nirvṛtaḥ? Hm? What is the meaning of nirvṛtaḥ?

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The marginal line between the material manifestation and the spiritual manifestation is the Virajā River. And beyond the Virajā, which is a transcendental current flowing from the perspiration of the body of the Lord, there is the three-fourths part manifestation of God's creation. This part is eternal, everlasting, without any deterioration, and unlimited, and contains the highest perfectional stage of living conditions. In the Sāṅkhya-kaumudī it is stated that unalloyed goodness or transcendence is just opposite to the material modes. All living entities are eternally associated without any break, and the Lord is the chief and prime entity there. In the Āgama Purāṇas also the transcendental abode is described as follows. The associated members there are free to go everywhere within the creation of the Lord, and there is no limit to such creation, particularly in the region of the three-fourths magnitude. Since the nature of that region is unlimited, there is no history of such association, nor is there end of it. The conclusion may be drawn that because of the complete absence of the mundane qualities of ignorance and passion, there is no question of creation nor of annihilation. In the material world everything is created and everything is annihilated, and the duration of life between the creation and annihilation is temporary. In the transcendental realm, there is no creation and no destruction, and thus the duration of life is eternal unlimitedly. In other words, everything in the transcendental world is everlasting, full of knowledge and bliss without any deterioration. Since there is no deterioration, there is no past, present and future in the estimation of time. It is clearly stated in this verse that the influence of time is conspicuous by its absence. The whole material existence is manifested by actions and reactions of elements which make up the influence of time prominent in the matter of past, present and future. There are no such actions and reactions of cause and effects there. So the cycle of birth, growth, existence, transformations, deterioration and annihilation or the six material changes are nonexistent there. It is the unalloyed manifestation of the energy of the Lord without any illusion as experienced here in the material world. The whole Vaikuṇṭha existence proclaims that everyone there is a follower of the Lord. The Lord is the chief leader there without any competition of leadership, and the people in general are all followers of the Lord. It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him."

Prabhupāda: Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Pradyumna: "It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him as only the Lord..."

Prabhupāda: So we have accepted the original leader, Kṛṣṇa. Why should we follow the nonsense leader who has no perfect knowledge? We have accepted the supreme leader. That is our advantage.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

This is the beginning of sādhu. Because to come to this stage, ananya-bhāvena bhakti-yogena, you have to tolerate so many things. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Ananya-bhāvena yogena. He was simply thinking of Nārāyaṇa. How much trouble he had to undergo, even by, offered by his father. So we should be very much... Titikṣavaḥ. The matter... This material nature will not give you freedom so easily. It will not give so much freedom... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama... mām eva ye prapadyante (BG 7.14). If you become strong enough to capture the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām... Then māyā will give you, "No, he's very strong. I cannot any more keep him under my clutches." So that is ananya-bhāvena. That is described. Ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām, mat-kṛte. For the sake of Kṛṣṇa, one can give up everything. That is ananya-bhāva. The first-class example is the gopīs. They gave up everything. Their family, their relatives, their husband, their sons, their father, their prestige, their honor—everything sacrificed, simply for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection. That is not possible for ordinary... But we can, if we follow the gopīs' way of loving Kṛṣṇa, then...

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

So this Māyāvādī philosophy, to become one with the supreme father, is like that. They are suffering here. Kṛṣṇa has created. Kṛṣṇa created him to enjoy with his company, but he did not like that. He suffered in this material world. Now he's thinking of becoming one with the father. What is this? So this is... Therefore here it is said, naikātmatāṁ me spṛhayanti kecit. No pure devotee will desire like that. It is foolish proposal. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. They are called aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, whose intelligence is not yet clear or purified. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now we have become spiritually realized, vimukta, liberated from material bondage." Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Patanty adhaḥ. Now, they are thinking, "Now we are liberated. We have become Nārāyaṇa." Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking like that. Actually, they are not liberated. That is another, the last snare of māyā, that "You are God." Māyā is still talking that to bewilder him. Māyā's business is to bewilder the living entity. So this is the last snare, that to become one with the Supreme. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-mā...tvayy asta-bhāvāt. Because they have no information that they can go back to home, back to Godhead, and enjoy the company of the Supreme Lord, they think that to become one with the Supreme, that is the highest perfection.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Bhāgavata Dāsa. So they might be very advanced in scientific knowledge but the ultimate aim is how to eat. That's all, nothing more. How to eat, how to sleep, that's all. Tranquilizer pills, in USA, a large selling line. That means how to sleep. This is the advancement, scientific advancement. There is no sleeping? Without scientific knowledge, he was sleeping very nice. But with advancement, advancement of scientific knowledge he has lost his sleep, insomnia. So they are taking the advancement of knowledge in this way, but the Vedic scripture says that, jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya, to achieve the highest perfection. That we are discussing in so many ways. And what is that highest perfection? Highest perfection is there, mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Highest perfection, saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. Param means the supreme, and saṁsiddhim means perfection.

mām upetya kaunteya
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramam gataḥ
(BG 8.15)

This is highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa says. All śāstra, it says like that, and the whole Vedic literature is meant for achieving the highest perfection of life. Vedic literature, you will get all kinds of knowledge. Veda means knowledge, and the Vedic literature is full of knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama means Vedic knowledge and kalpa-taru means the tree from where you can get anything you desire.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

Prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya nirviśeṣasya. Guṇa-sāmya. When the three modes of material nature is not agitated, it is in the neutral stage, guṇa-sāmya. The guṇa-sāmya... The Buddha philosophy is... The highest goal is guṇa-sāmya, where there is no manifestation by the agitation of the guṇas. That is their ultimate goal, guṇa-sāmya, nirvāṇa. On account of agitation of the three guṇas, these manifestations are there, and that is called viśeṣa. Viśeṣa means varieties. And nirviśeṣa or nirvāṇa-practically the same thing: "Finish these varieties and again become nirviśeṣa, no variety, neutral stage." That is the highest perfection of Buddha philosophy, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. There are two kinds of atheistic philosophers. One is nirviśeṣa, and the other is śūnyavādi. So my students, therefore, they address, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. So whole world is nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Some of them are advocates of zero. There are many big, big philosophers writing on zero. They believe in zero, but they write volumes of books. Why you are wasting time writing volumes of books on zero? After all, if you are going to be zero, remain zero. So zero means disgust. Even Mahatma Gandhi, we have also heard in the paper, in the morning, the day when he was killed, the morning, he was disgusted with so many different opposing elements, letters, and news. So he said that "I don't want to live anymore. It is too much disgusting to me." And the same evening he was killed.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

This is perfection: "I am fully satisfied." Svaccha, śānta, no demand. No demand. That is position, no demand. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce. This is the highest perfection. That is called svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. And this śāntatvam cannot be attained unless you become pure devotee and fully dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the standard of śāntatvam or vasudeva-śabditam. Svacchatvam śāntatvam. Everyone is hankering after śāntatvam, the whole world, because in the material world you cannot be on the platform of śāntatvam. Only on the spiritual platform and when you are engaged in the service of the Lord, then you will get this position, svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. Iti cetasaḥ vṛttibhir lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. How one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there are, these are the symptoms, the brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). We have to understand by the symptoms. If somebody says, "I am very rich man," so generally we want to see the symptoms: "Oh, he is very rich man. Oh, he has got this car. He has got this house. He has got this..." Then we can understand he is rich man. But if these symptoms are not there, how we can understand that he is rich man? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means these are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. When you attain these three stages, these symptom, then you are perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

Then you are criminal. Similarly, everything... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God, and you can use it for the service of God. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. This is the instruction, Vedic instruction. You can use it as prasādam, but everything should be offered to the Supreme. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do not do that, if you engage yourself always in good activities, as the karmīs they do, and earn money and use it for your own sense gratification, that is pāpa activity.

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
(BG 3.13)

"Those who are cooking in the kitchen very palatable dishes for satisfying the tongue, they are simply eating sinful things." Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt.

So therefore, if we become sinful every moment, how we can become happy? It is not possible. If you want to become happy, you have to become pious. And the standard of piety is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

Because here, even if you transfer yourself to the Brahmaloka, the topmost planet, where duration of life is millions and millions of years... You can transfer in that planet, but that is not very good bargain. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "Even if you transfer yourself to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is very, very long, still, you have to come back again." Kṣīṇe puṇye punaḥ martya-lokaṁ viśanti. So long your pious balance is there, you can stay there. But after that, you have to come back again in this material world. So śāstra says, "So if you have to prepare yourself, then why don't you prepare for going back to home, back to Godhead?" Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Kṛṣṇa says, "If you go to the spiritual planet, Vaikuṇṭhaloka or Goloka Vṛndāvana, then you haven't got to return. That is eternal." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Mām eti. If you go to Kṛṣṇa, then your complete success is...

mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

Saṁsiddhim, that is the highest perfection, paramam. Therefore we should try, we should endeavor, for that purpose, how to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

Now, recently I have received one letter. One boy, he was engaged in worshiping the Deity in our Hyderabad center, and he was transferred to Madras. So he became madlike. He has come back. He could not stay there without serving. He has written me letter. So that is bhāva. He cannot stay without worshiping the Deity. That stage comes. You have to simply adopt it. Tato bhāvaḥ. Tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha. Anartha means we are accustomed to this material condition of life, so many anarthas. Just like there are so many people, they are going to the cinema in the evening. But those who have attained bhāva, his anartha nivṛtti is already done. He is not attracted any more by the cinema. He is attracted, bhāva, in the worship of the Deity. That is called bhāva. That bhāva means prema. Only thinking of Kṛṣṇa, serving Kṛṣṇa, simply busy in Kṛṣṇa's service—that is the perfection of life. And if we can maintain that bhāva, that situation, mentality, then yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), and at the time of death, if that bhāva is maintained, that is saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. That is the highest perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are trying to... We are not trying to give others. We are trying ourself also, how to get that bhāva. That is the perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that "You have already attachment for sound. Now just transfer this attachment for spiritual sound. Then your life will be successful." This is Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, teaching people how to transfer the attachment from material sound to the spiritual sound. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy. This sound coming from the spiritual world, golokera prema-dhana, by chanting, by hearing this sound, we shall develop our original dormant love for God. That is wanted. Premā pum-artho mahān. In the material world we are accepting dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41) as very important. Puruṣārtha. Dharma, to become religious, and by becoming religious, we develop our economic development. Dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, yaśo dehi, dehi dehi. Kāma. Why dehi dehi? Now, kāma, to fulfill our desires, lusty desires. Dharmārtha-kāma, and when we are disgusted or unable to fulfill desires, then we want mokṣa, to become one with God. This is the four kinds of material business. But spiritual business is premā pum-artho mahān. To achieve love of Godhead, that is the highest perfection. Premā pum-artho mahān.

Lecture on SB 3.28.19 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). You engage your senses. So this is practice. First of all think of the Deity. First of all think of the lotus feet, then the knees, then the eyes, then the belly, then the chest. In this way, as you become practiced, then go further, advance. In this way, when you become fully practiced, then automatically, in whatever condition you are, you will be able to meditate upon Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Satataṁ cintayanto mām. If you always think of Kṛṣṇa, always chant... Chanting is also meditation. As soon as you chant, you immediately remember Kṛṣṇa, His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes. So where is difficulty? The Gosvāmīs practiced it.

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī
dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau
śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

The six Gosvāmīs, they were always engaged, kṛṣṇotkīrtana, loudly chanting. The same process we are following: loudly chant always; be engaged in arcanā. Always there is possibility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The facilities are there. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Then prekṣanīya, "He is worth seeing." We are accustomed to see so many things. That is our bondage. Akṣnoḥ phalaṁ. If by the eyes you see the Deity, the Vaiṣṇavas... The Vaiṣṇavas, with tilaka, with kunti, with chanting beads, as soon as you see... And practically you know. As soon as they see these Hare Kṛṣṇa movement people, they also chant, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," giving a chance to the others. The dress is also required. You should be always equipped with tilaka, kunti, and śikhā, sūtra. Then, as soon as a common man sees, "Oh, here is a Hare Kṛṣṇa man. Hare Kṛṣṇa," he'll chant. Automatically you give a chance to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:

So these sixty-four qualities, they have analyzed that we living entities, we have got in minute quantities. And amongst the living entities, the highest perfection is to be seen in the life of Brahmā, who is the chief living entity within this universe. So similarly, Lord Śiva has got fifty-five. Lord Nārāyaṇa has got sixty. But Kṛṣṇa has got in full sixty-four. Cent percent, hundred percent all the qualities. Therefore either Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or the living entities, nobody can be equal to Him. This is the conception of God. Asamordhva. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, My dear Arjuna, there is nobody superior to Me." So just like some heating agent. You have got several heating agent. You have got heater in your apartment, oven in your apartment. There are so many different varieties of heater. But the heat of the sun cannot be compared with any other heat. You cannot say that "Because I have got little heat, I have become sun." (laughs) This is ludicrous; it is not possible. So those who are claiming that "I am God," "Everyone is God," they are simply, what can I say? Less intelligent persons. (laughter) They have no conception what is God.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. All right. Now have saṅkīrtana. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jāhnavā(?): Chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya?

Prabhupāda: Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda. Oh, yes. Chant. (kīrtana) (prema-dhvani) Distribute prasādam. The whole process is that we are aiming at the highest perfection of life. If there is little inconvenience by following the rules and regulation, we should accept it because aim is very high.

Guest (4): One of the big ideas is the idea of "All life is divine, and divine compassion for all life."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Guest (4): It's one of these big ideas, that all life is divine, and therefore we should have divine compassion for all forms of life.

Prabhupāda: First of all you know what is divine life, then you will have...

Guest (4): Oh. But when we find out...

Prabhupāda: If you do not know what is divine life, then how you can distribute divine life to everyone? First of all you have to understand what is divine life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to bring the human society into the proper platform of civilization. It is a very scientific movement. How it is done? Here it is said, prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve. Prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. This is the problem. So by gradual process, to bring one to the platform of vāsudeve prītir, that is bhakti. Prītir means love, how to love Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. That is civilization—to bring one to the platform of loving Kṛṣṇa, prītir to Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva sarvam iti. Just like if you love somebody, the intense love is that your lover or beloved is everything. That is love. Just like a mother loves her child. So she is always anxious to take care of the child. Whole attention is on the child. These are examples. These are not actually love, but a perverted reflection of love. We can understand what is love. This love does not stand, but nature dictates that you love your child like this, you love your husband like this, your wife like this, your country like this, your society like this. There are different grades of loving demonstration. That loving demonstration, when it will be concentrated on Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

So..., but the ultimate aim is vāsudeve. Prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve. This is the ultimate goal. You have to come to this stage, vāsudeva sarvam iti, fully, firmly convinced that "Vāsudeva is my life. Vāsudeva is everything. Kṛṣṇa is my life." And the highest perfection is visible in the Vṛndāvana atmosphere, especially by the gopīs. Everyone in Vṛndāvana, even the trees and plants, even the grains of sand, everyone is attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So not all of a sudden we can get that highest stage of life of Vṛndāvana attachment, but still, wherever we stay, if we practice this bhakti-yoga, as we are preaching... It is becoming successful. People are taking. Those who were so-called mlecchas and yavanas, they are also taking to Vāsudeva. Their love for Kṛṣṇa is increasing. That is natural. It is said in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti. Nitya siddha. Just like I am, or you are, we are eternal. Nityo śāśvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not destroyed by the destruction of the body. We remain, continue to remain. Similarly, our devotion to Kṛṣṇa continues. It is simply covered. Avidyayātmāny upādhiyamāne. Avidya. This is avidya. We forget Kṛṣṇa, that is avidya. And as soon as we take Kṛṣṇa as our life and soul, that is vidya. You can do. Anyone can do very easily. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, sarva dharmān parityajya mam ekam śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). Why? Any other so-called religious system, that is avidya—will keep you in ignorance. There is no light. And the Vedic injunction is that "Don't keep yourself in the darkness of ignorance." Tamasi mā jyoti gamaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

So the human life is meant for this purification. We are working very hard for getting our daily bread. People are not getting their bread sitting idly. That is not possible. They are working very hard. This nice city of Denver is there. It has not sprung up from the jungle or desert. One had to work very hard to make this city so nicely, perfectly standing. So we have to work. If we want happiness, then we have to work. There is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa says that yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Somebody is working to become happy within this material atmosphere by becoming very big man within this world, or a little more intelligent, they are not happy in this life, but they want to become happy in the next life. Sometimes they go to the higher planetary system. So yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So as you work, you get the desired result. But at the last line, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino'pi yānti mām: "If you work or if you worship Me, then you come to Me." Then where is the difference between going to Kṛṣṇa and keeping within this material world? The difference is ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). In this material world even if you go to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, still, there is birth, death, old age and disease. Or you have to return back again. Just like these people are going to the moon planet and again coming back here. So this kind of going and coming back here is not good. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). If you go to such planet wherefrom you haven't got to come back again to this material world, that is highest perfection. That is Kṛṣṇaloka.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:

So it is not possible for human being. But at least, not mahā-bhāva but bhāva, that we can... Bhāva. Tato bhāvaḥ. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). One can increase gradually to the stage of bhāva. This bhāva stage, that separation... Just like the Gosvāmīs, when they were in Vṛndāvana, they were feeling this bhāva. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. And they were simply searching after in the Vṛndāvana forest. He rādhe, "Rādhārāṇī," vraja-devīke, "all the gopīs," he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno: "O the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa." Kutaḥ, "Where you are all?" This is bhāva. "Where you are all?" Śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ: "Where you are? Are you near the Govardhana Hill or some forest on the bank of the Yamunā? Please let me know." Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. In this way they were searching after Kṛṣṇa, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" and crying, ghoṣantāv iti mahā-vihvalau, just like madmen. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one will be mad after Kṛṣṇa, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu also showed us that way. The Gosvāmīs also showed us that way.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

So we must know what is our constitutional position. That we do not know. We are sat, eternal; therefore we shall act in such a way that will benefit my eternal life. That is sat. Therefore the Vedas instruct, asato mā sad gamaḥ: "Don't be engaged in temporary activities, bodily..." Bodily necessities means temporary. If I am child, my body is of a child's body, then my necessities are different from my father's necessities. So everyone is engaged in bodily necessities. Therefore it is said, dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt. And kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti. Infection. We have got this practical understanding. If your body infects some disease, then you have to suffer. And if your body remains uninfected, unaffected by any poisonous..., then you remain healthy. Therefore it is said, sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi viparītāni cānaghaḥ. Viparītāni. Viparī means just opposite. Sambhavanti bhadrāṇi. One is acting in auspicity, and one is acting viparītāni, just the opposite, inauspicity. In this way we are becoming entangled, life after life. Karinam guṇa-sango 'sti. In other place it is said, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa: (SB 3.31.1) "As we are acting auspicious or inauspicious, by higher supervision, higher consideration, judgment, we are getting different body." Otherwise why there are so many varieties of body? This is the cause. One is getting auspicious body, one is getting inauspicious body, but there is one opportunity that... If you want to change materially your auspicious or inauspicious position, that cannot be done. It is fixed up. It cannot be done otherwise. Suppose a man has got a nice body; a dog has got inferior body. You cannot change the... Bodily, you cannot make a man dog or a dog man. That is not possible. But spiritually, you can make. Spiritually, a bad man or bad dog even can be elevated to the highest perfection.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

When Prahlāda Mahārāja, offered all benediction, but he declined: "My dear Lord, I have tried to worship Your lotus feet not for any material benediction. And we are born of a father too much materialistic. Naturally I have got the tendency for enjoy material prosperity. And you are so able, Supreme Personality of God... You can give me any kind of material prosperity. So if You induce me in that way, 'Take benediction, whatever you like,' naturally I will be inclined. But do not put me into such illusion." That was the reply. He could ask any benefit... (aside:) On the side. He could ask any material benediction from Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, but this is not pure devotee. They were pure devotees. By worshiping Lord, one should not ask for any material benediction. Why they should? That is not the proper... That is not pure devotion. Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), without any coverage of fruitive activities and speculative knowledge. Because the real purpose of successful life is to invoke your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Premā pum-artho mahān. That is the highest perfection. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion, pursuing which one can develop his dormant love for God. That is first-class religion.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

So any yoga system means an endeavor to connect our relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called yoga. So someone is trying to make the connection—karma-yoga. Someone is trying by jñāna-yoga. Someone is trying haṭha-yoga. But the real aim is bhakti-yoga. Just like different steps. You are on the first step, and other is on the second step, and other is on the third step, and other is on the fourth step. But the ultimate goal is bhakti-yoga. You cannot understand God or Kṛṣṇa by any other yoga. It may be a step forward, but ultimately you have to come to the bhakti-yoga. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births' endeavor to execute the yoga system," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, "one who is actually practicing jñāna-yoga or mystic yoga, he comes to the bhakti-yoga." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Prapadyate. This is bhakti-yoga. And still clearly explained. What is that prapatti? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "When one comes to this understanding that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. I surrender to Kṛṣṇa.' " Kṛṣṇa is canvassing personally. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That we'll not take. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is claiming too much." But that is the ultimate goal, that you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection.

So this conclusion, that "Let me surrender... Kṛṣṇa is asking me. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate Absolute Truth, He is asking me to surrender. Why shall I delay? Let me surrender," this is intelligence. Jñānavān. So those who are intelligent, they will take immediately.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Guest (2): Kṛṣṇa consciousness leads to the Supreme.

Prabhupāda: That is the highest perfection.

Guest (2): That is... When your Divine Grace asked, I told that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the beginning. That leads to Kṛṣṇa-prema." Then, naturally, Kṛṣṇa-prema should be superior to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: No superior.

Guest (2): Because that is means, and that is the end.

Prabhupāda: Just like the mango has got a different feature when it is not ripened, and the same mango, when it is ripened, it has got a different feature. That's all. The process is to the ripened stage. It is... But all the same, it is a mango. It's a mango.

Guest (2): That is what I thought of the...

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is no other thing than mango. Bhakti is always there, either in the perfectional stage or in the beginning stage. The same example: mango is mango, but unripened stage, it has got a different feature, and ripened stage has a different feature.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So this child, Prahlāda Mahārāja, from, in the womb of his mother he learned spiritual instruction and he became Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore from his birth he was chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and his father was very, very much unhappy: "What kind of child is born? He is Kṛṣṇa conscious." Because he is, he was very much against Viṣṇu. Because Lord Viṣṇu killed his brother Hiraṇyākṣa, so Hiraṇyakaśipu always considered Viṣṇu as the enemy. So he did not like that his son Prahlāda Mahārāja should become a Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava. One who has taken, accepted Lord Viṣṇu... That is the Vedic instruction, to take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Ṛg mantra, Ṛg-veda mantra. Viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Those who are sūraya, sūri or devatā, they are always aiming at the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the highest perfection of life. Other demigods, they are not our goal of life. That is also condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ. Who are the worshipers of the anya-devatā, other demigods? Those who are lost of their senses. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ. These are the statements. In the Bhāgavata also it is said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). People generally, they do not know that their goal of life should be to take shelter of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu-tattva and Kṛṣṇa-tattva the same thing.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

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

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. When we have got this human form of body, then we shall live more than the cats and dogs? No. Adhruvam. Adhruvam means this body also will not exist. Adhruvam. It is not eternal. This soul is eternal, but the body is not eternal. But although it is not eternal, the distinction between this body and the animal body is that although it will not exist... As a dog's body will not exist or a cat's body will not exist or the bird's body will not exist, similarly, this body also will not exist. That's a fact. But arthadam: but if you like, you can attain the highest perfection of life in this body. That is the opportunity. Therefore, from the very beginning, a child should be given opportunity how to make his life perfect. That is Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

Vedic mantra says that tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Paramaṁ padam, the highest perfection of life, is to understand Viṣṇu or God. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. In order to reach that goal, they are always looking after that. Just like in darkness you are walking on the road. The cynosure of the neighboring eyes. You see the stars. Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the Pole Star, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster. The same example we can give. If you do not know that the Pole Star, then you may be misdirected. Just like Columbus, he came to America, or many, there are many navigators. If they miss that, misses that Pole Star, then they will be misdirected. Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

The body of man is not exactly body of God. There is no difference between the body and soul of God because it is spiritual. The soul is spiritual, the body is spiritual. Just like if you have got your golden body and golden soul, there is no difference between the soul and body. But in our case, we, as we are, we are spirit soul but this body is material, therefore I am different from this body. But when you are liberated, we get spiritual body, similar, at that time, as Kṛṣṇa has no difference between His body and soul, similarly, we also have no difference between body and soul. But at the present moment we have got difference with the body and soul. Therefore as soon as the soul goes away from this body, the body being matter, "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." It mixes with the matter. The soul takes another body. The whole problem is that we have to stop this repetition of migration from one material body to another material body. That is the highest perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
The samādhi, the meditation which is going on, some rascaldom, that is not meditation. Meditation means always thinking of Viṣṇu. That is meditation. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect meditation. Always thinking. And it is certified in Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā (BG 6.47). Mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. So Kṛṣṇa said, he is first-class yogi who is constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām. With faith and devotion, always remembering Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. Yoginām api sarveṣām, of all the yogis They have opened so many classes of yoga class, somebody is advertising that you can remain young, you can have better sex power or you can reduce your bodily fat. So that is also possible. That you can do by ordinary exercise. But real purpose of yoga is to concentrate the mind on Viṣṇu always. That is yoga. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest perfectional stage of yoga practice.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

That is highest perfection. Na te vidhuḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Practically, the so-called civilized men at the present moment, they do not know what is the actual goal of life. The Prahlāda Mahārāja advising, although he's a child, but he has heard from authority, from Nārada Muni, therefore he's instructing his class friend. Because his father was a great atheist, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He was very angry. When Prahlāda Mahārāja used to talk of God consciousness, he was very much disturbed, he used to chastise him, "Wherefrom this nonsense boy has learned this God, God, God?" He was very much disturbed. So he was very afraid of his father at home. But in the school, as soon as the teachers were away, tiffin hour, he would take the opportunity and preach something about God. That is the statement here. So he says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ: "My dear friends, this human form of life is very rarely obtained." Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. Adhruvam means it will also not stay. "Because I have got this human form of body, therefore, I'll live forever." No. I'll have to die like cats and dog. But because I have got this human form of life, I can understand what is the truth. That is my opportunity. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. It will not stay.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

The animals, cats and dogs, they cannot understand. Therefore human form of life should not be wasted like the animals. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kasṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. This should be, there should be responsibility, and the state, the father, the elderly persons, the guru, they must be very responsible. And what is that responsibility? Every person under one's control should be trained up in such a way, because he has got this human life, he can be elevated to the highest position. That, how it can be done? By bhāgavata dharma. Not otherwise. Not by karma or jñāna or yoga. No. You cannot change. Simply by acting in devotional service, bhāgavata dharma, anyone can be raised to the highest position. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). Pāpā, these are pāpā. Pāpā means very abominable life. Even they can be raised to the highest perfection. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). The pāpa-yoni. Pāpā-yoni, there are different types of pāpa-yoni. Except civilized human being, advanced human being, those who are called āryan. Āryan means those who are advanced. Below that position they are all pāpa-yoni. In the Aryan civilization there is a system of four divisions of social order and four division of spiritual order. Social order is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. And spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Therefore what is going on at the present moment as Hindu... This word you won't find in the Vedic literature. Varnāśrama. This is real Vedic system, varṇāśrama. And human life begins when one observes the varṇāśrama regulations. Varnāśrama. Human life means to elevate oneself to spiritual consciousness or God consciousness. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim... (break)

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

This is perfection. Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all these nonsense engagement. Simply surrender unto Me, and I shall give you relief." Our continuation of material life means full of sinful activities. We act some way, and we get a similar body. And again the life continues and again we get another body, another body, another body. But in the human form of body, you can get the highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that will stop your continuation of this material life. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi karṣati.

mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ
jīva-loke sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
(BG 15.7)

By mental concoction and sense gratification he is continuing this material existence.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:

So the training should be how to give up this idea, and it is possible. If training is there, then it is possible. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja: kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning, children should be trained up in this line. That is the responsibility actually, father's, mother's affection. But the father-mother do not know what is the aim of life. Neither they are trained up. How they can train up their children? But here is the prescription how to train up. So in this age, although it is a very difficult task, at least if we teach our children to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then everything is possible. That is the facility of this age. He'll be gradually trained up to the highest perfection. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's benediction is there: yaha haite sarva siddhi haibe tomara. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll get all perfection of life. So either... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, "hā gaurāṅga" bole dāke. So don't be afraid that because we are in this age we cannot be trained up, it is very difficult. But we can very easily chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That is a special concession of this age. Just like these children were dancing and chanting. And it is the duty of the parents to train the children in such a way they get liberty in this very life. Father, mother, they should think of their innocent children, that "This boy, this child has come to us. Now let us train him in such a way that he will get liberty, no more birth and death." This is real responsibility of father and mother. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt, guru... Everyone's duty should be how to give relief to the living entities from these clutches of birth and death. That is ideal civilization.

Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:

So our business is how to become yogi, bhakta-yogi. That is the mission of life. Unfortunately, we are not given the opportunity. It is the duty of the guardians, family, natural guardian, father and mother, and political guardian, the government, the teacher, the guru; it is the duty to give facility, facility for achievement of the highest goal of life. Unfortunately, it is always... But at the present moment, on account of Kali-yuga, they do not know what is the aim of life, how the dependents should be trained up. It is the duty of the king to train up the citizens. This is... Everything is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the first business is how to lead men to the highest perfection of life. That is called siddhi. Siddhi means highest perfection of life. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. There are different kinds of siddhis. (noise in background) (aside:) What is that? Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. There are different kinds of siddhis. The yogis, the mystic yogis, they also try to possess some siddhi-animā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā. Eight kinds of siddhis. But such siddhis, all material.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

So this bhakti is open for everyone. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). It doesn't matter whether he is born a Hindu or brāhmaṇa or nonsense or heathen. Doesn't matter. Simply if he takes the path seriously, then te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: he attains the highest perfection of life. Simply one has to follow. The same thing is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Prahlāda Mahārāja also is confirming here, viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham: "My dear Lord, I think a śvapacam, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham..." Śvapaca means... Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Śvapaca. Śva means dog, and pacati, one who cooks dog. That means for eating purpose. They are called caṇḍālas, dog-eaters. In India still, in the Assam side, there are still dog-eaters. They enjoy kukurrpita. Kukurrpita. They make a kind of cake by burning a dog. So they are called śvapaca. Śvapaca means dog-eaters. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutāt. Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt. A brāhmaṇa who has got full qualification, twelve qualification, satya-śamo-damas-titikṣa ārjavaṁ kṣanti, jñāna-vijñānam āstikyam... Brāhmaṇa means very qualified, a first-class man, all qualified. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "If a brāhmaṇa, even though he is qualified with all the twelve qualities, but if he is not a devotee, then I think a caṇḍāla who is born of a family of dog-eaters, if he is devotee, he is variṣṭham. He is glorious. He is glorious." Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. That is the opinion of all great sages. There are many such passages. Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭhā hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, traiguṇya-viṣaya-veda nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna: "My dear Arjuna, so far the Vedic injunctions are concerned, they are material, traiguṇya." Somebody is in goodness, somebody is in passion, somebody is in ignorance. Therefore the division is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. "But," He advised him, nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna, "just transcend to the three qualities of this material nature." That transcendental position is this bhakti. So unless one comes to the platform of bhakti, simply by dharma artha kāma mokṣa will not give him the highest perfection. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, begins with this understanding: dharma projjhita-kaitavo 'tra. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating. So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the so-called religiosity, which is more or less cheating, is projjhita, prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita, is completely swept over. So dharma artha kāma mokṣa is not the highest perfection. Generally, people, they take to religiosity for material gain, artha, dharma, artha. And material gain means to satisfy the senses, kāma. And when they are frustrated in satisfying the senses, they then want mokṣa. So after keeping in mokṣa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā... Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropy work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

So saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By reformation, by following the regulative principle of how to elevate oneself to the knowledge of Brahman... That is called saṁskāra. There are ten kinds of saṁskāras, reformatory. This Vedic system is very scientific system to elevate the humankind to the highest perfection of life. So saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Then, when the saṁskāra is given, when his, the spiritual master sees that "This boy is now competent to study Vedas..." That requires a qualification. A śūdra is not allowed to study Vedas. There is restriction. Sometimes they think injustice, that "Why śūdras?" That is modern convention. Actually that is very nice. What a śūdra can understand Vedas? To the śūdras, a different type of knowledge... Just like the same thing, that the two plus two in the lower class is different from the two plus two in the higher mathematics. So śūdra cannot understand. So one has to become brāhmaṇa, vipra at least, dvija, twice—birth by initiation.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

They are demonic family. So amongst the demons, many devotees came out. So to become devotee does not depend on that particular family, this or that. No. Anyone can become devotee. (sound of child running in background) Now she is feeling freedom, expressing freedom. Don't express. Then you'll be again put into. No more. Oh! All right. (running continues) Everyone wants freedom. Yes. Don't touch. Don't touch, please. Any other question? Hm. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). That is declared in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he can attain the highest perfection of life. It does not depend that what family, what heritage, what country, what nation, what color, what education. No, nothing. Simply one has to become willing devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Just like the, yesterday, they came? So they did not come. They're not willing to become devotee. They want to become God—by intoxication. You see? This nonsense theory is killing so many persons. Artificially intoxication, forgetting his present ex... Just like sleeping, one forgets, and he becomes a God. Oh, it is very dangerous theory. This is going on. And as soon as one is said that "You become God's servant," "Oh, again servant?" But he's actually servant of intoxication. That will continue. But as soon as he's requested that "You become servant of Kṛṣṇa," "Oh, this is nonsense. They are old-type people. We have invented something new, to become servant of sex and intoxication." And if somebody says, "Yes, it is all right. You go on with this. Simply meditate for fifteen minutes daily and you'll actually realize that you are God..." This is asuric. This is asura. Asuras will never accept that there is separate... (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

So this bhakti process is to acknowledge the supremacy of God. He is the maintainer of everyone, as it is stated in the Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Eko. Eko. That one, He's also living entity like you and me. Man is made after God. Therefore God has got two hands, two legs; therefore you have got two hands, two legs. Imitation. So that eko, that one, is the maintainer of these many so-called gods. We are also gods in this sense because we are part and parcel of God. Just like a particle of gold is also gold, but that does not mean that the particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is the real understanding of philosophy. We are gods undoubtedly. In which way? Qualitatively. God is gold. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are also gold. But He is big gold. He is the greatest gold. God is great. We are smallest gold. And if we understand this philosophy, then we become naturally submissive and our constitutional position... And then our prayer as subordinate, submissive, it is very nicely placed, and God accepts, and then our lost friendship is reestablished. That is the highest perfection of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this philosophy, prema pumārtho mahān, that if you want success of your life, then try to achieve your lost loving relationship with God. Then your life is successful. If you want to have success otherwise, that is your defeat.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

Gopīs' surrender is the perfection of life. That is the highest perfectional stage of surrender. So that stage is very far, far away. First of all, learn to surrender; then you... Just like let us first of all enter into the school; then talk of M.A. examination. The gopīs' love is just like M.A. examination. So people are not even schooling. So first we have to surrender by the regulative principle, by the order of the spiritual master: "You do this, you do that, you do this, you do that." Then gradually, ādau śraddhā, if you have got faith, then ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Sādhu-saṅga means to associate with the bona fide spiritual master and abide by his order. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga 'tha bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as you intimately associate with the spiritual master, he teaches you how to develop devotional service. Bhajana-kriyā. And if you are perfectly executing devotional service, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all your misgivings and misunderstanding will be cleared. Then niṣṭha, then you get firm faith. Beginning is the faith, but when your misgivings are all, I mean to say, eradicated, then the firm..., faith becomes firm. Tato niṣṭha tataḥ rucis. Then after firm faith, you come to the stage of taste. It is very nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tato niṣṭha tataḥ rucis tathāsakti, then attachment. Then you cannot leave. Then ecstasy. Then you come to the stage of gopī love. Don't try to come to the stage of gopī immediately. First of all, follow the rules and regulation. Gradually, when misgivings are all gone, you have got firm faith, attachment, ecstasy, then come to this stage.(?) But the ideal is to come to that stage. Just like a student's ideal is to pass the M.A. examination. But that requires time and endeavor, patience. Not immediately. Yes?

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

So we should not imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. But we should... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, man tumi kisera vaiṣṇava. It is mental speculation that "I shall do like that. Raha, I shall... In a secluded place, I shall chant." You cannot do that because your mind is not yet trained up. It is for the highest perfection stage that anywhere one can sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and remain happy. That is not possible for the ordinary stages. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja criticized, man tumi kisera vaisnava. Because it is all mental speculation, therefore he's chastising his mind, "My dear mind, you have become a Vaiṣṇava?" Man tumi kisera vaiṣṇava, pratiṣṭhara tāre nijanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "In a secluded place, sitting down, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, for you it is simply to get some material adoration and cheating the people." He has said like that. Don't try to do that. Always be engaged actively in Kṛṣṇa's activities.

Lecture on SB 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ (BG 9.11). When Kṛṣṇa comes just like ordinary human being and keeps with the Pāṇḍavas, people take Him as ordinary human being. That is mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. In everything there is Kṛṣṇa. Simply we have to purify our vision to see Kṛṣṇa in every atom, everywhere, whatever we... That is the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhi nā dekhe tāra mūrti, sarvatra sphūraya tāra iṣṭa deva mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). When one is fully advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees this world... The world is full of sthāvara-jaṅgama. Some things, some articles, are moving; some articles are not moving. Just like tree—it is not moving, but an animal is moving. This is sthāvara-jaṅgama. So he is seeing the tree or the animals or the hill or the water or the river or the ground. So because he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees nothing but Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhi nā dekhe tāra mūrti. He does not see anything else except Kṛṣṇa. And actually that is the fact. Simply we have to purify our eyes, then we can see in everything. He is in the atom even. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. But because we are not qualified, therefore we cannot see. One who is qualified, he can see. There is no question of seeing Kṛṣṇa in a particular place.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

So vāsudeve bhagavati... To full... Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means to become spiritually active. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when we become Brahman realized, we become one with the Supreme; then all our activities stop. No, that is (not) the fact. The fact is we are now materially active, and when we finish our material activities, then our spiritual activity begins. You cannot make the living entity as inactive. That is not possible, because we are living; we are not stone. How I can be inactive? That is not possible. Inactivity is for the stones and irons. But we are not stones and irons. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These Māyāvādī philosophers, they think to stop activity is the highest perfection. No. Our philosophy is stop foolish activities and begin real activities. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not stopping activity. Therefore we are engaging our devotees in so many activities. They are all spiritual activities. Spiritual activity is known as bhakti.

Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

So this is the ideal devotion. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhūbhir yā kalpitā: "There is no more better, sublime upāsana, worship, than it was conceived by the gopīs." They did not want anything. They simply wanted to see Kṛṣṇa, how He is satisfied. Kṛṣṇa is away from home in the forest, and they are thinking, "In the forest there are so many crags, so many stone chipped, and Kṛṣṇa's feet is so soft. How He is walking in the forest?" In this way they are crying. This is gopī, always Kṛṣṇa conscious, and how Kṛṣṇa is happy or not, that is their business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, "There is no better form of worship than it was done by the gopīs." So Prahlāda Mahārāja... There are stages of devotees. So gopīs are the topmost, and amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the topmost. Therefore there is no comparison of Rādhārāṇī's love for Kṛṣṇa. There is no comparison. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu took the part of Rādhārāṇī to understand Kṛṣṇa. So these are very confidential subject matter, but they are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in the beginning. So that is the highest perfection, that don't ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. Try to make such arrangement that Kṛṣṇa may not give you anything; you give to Him.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973:

So you can prepare. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can worship demigods. The Candra, the Moon planet, you are trying to go there. In this way you cannot go. But if you prepare in this life how to be promoted in the Moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet, then you prepare yourself. Yānti... Not by force. You cannot go by your teeny sputnik and enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. You have to prepare yourself in this life. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). This is the injunction. But Kṛṣṇa also says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet of this universe, still you have to come back again. Mad dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Therefore a, a sane person should try in this life how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the highest perfection of life. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

That is pure devotional service. But that is very difficult to achieve. People will not accept the simple thing. You give them big, big formulas, yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, they'll like it: "It is something." Just like in homeopathic medicine, because it has no taste, there is no trouble to drink, people do not believe in it. But if you give them some very bitter, pungent medicine, "Oh, it is something." Similarly, if you give the simple process, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā (CC Adi 17.21), they'll not take it very seriously. "Oh, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one will be liberated, and he'll go back...? Oh, this is exaggeration." They will say. But if you give them some difficult job, that "You press your nose in this way, you make your head downwards, and you exercise in this way, do...," they'll think, "Yes, it is something." So things are very easy, and one can achieve very easily, but they are reluctant to take the easiest process given by Kṛṣṇa, given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa is giving the easiest process, that "You surrender unto Me. I give you all possible help." We are not prepared to do that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll achieve the highest perfection." Not we are prepared. Therefore it is said, "Pure devotional service is rarely achieved." People will not accept the simple thing. They want to make something very difficult, then it is all right.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

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

Because if we become deva... Deva means Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved deva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are called devaḥ, or demigods. And those who are just the opposite number... The opposite number, also, they have got some god. Just like the demons, they worship especially Lord Śiva. Or Rāvaṇa, the example... We are not accusing unnecessarily. Rāvaṇa was a great demon, but he was devotee... Worshiping Lord Śiva means to gain some material profit. And in the worshiping Viṣṇu there is material profit. That is given by Viṣṇu. That is not karma. But Vaiṣṇava, they are not aspiring after any material profit. The material profit automatically comes. But they, they do not desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Material profit is not their aim of life. Their aim of life—how to satisfy Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. That is Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devataḥ. Na te... And the demons, they do not know that to become Vaiṣṇava, that is the highest perfection of life. They do not know it.

So anyway, our request is that you all young men who have taken to this path of Vaiṣṇavism, and there is very good chance to preach this cult in your country, so even if you are not very much successful in other countries, in your country you'll be very successful. There is good potency. And try to make them stronger to fight with the demonic principles.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.14 -- Mayapur, April 7, 1975:

So to get a material body is not at all pleasure. It is always miserable condition, from the very beginning and up to the point of death, simply miserable condition. This is intelligence, that the miserable condition means we accept this material body. Therefore, to be out of miserable condition means not to accept again this misery. That should be the aim and objective of life—not to accept. That we have repeatedly said. That can be achieved very easily, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). After giving up this body, we do not accept anymore material body, provided we become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. At the time of death, if we simply remember Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). That is the highest perfection of life, simply to remember Kṛṣṇa. That is also the statement in the... If we can consciously remember Kṛṣṇa: "Whatever was possible for me, I have tried to execute. Now this is the last day; You do whatever You like. That's all." But Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He will at once take you back to home, back to Godhead. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛti. This is the highest perfection of life. Therefore we have to practice Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By practicing sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6), this is required. Always think, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Kṛṣṇa advises "Always think of Me." Where is the difficulty? We have to think of something. We cannot keep our mind vacant. That is not possible. So make it a point, that think of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Think of Kṛṣṇa, and if you chant, if you engage your tongue, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," and if you hear, then everything is compact in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized, scientific, and accepted by the all people all over the world. So why not accept it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was spread from this country? Why you are forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? What is your reason? Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33). Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). "The pāpa-yoni, whom we consider as pāpa-yoni, mleccha, yavana, caṇḍālas," Kṛṣṇa says, "if the mlecchas, yavanas, and caṇḍālas accept," māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "they also become elevated to the highest perfectional stage of life." Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33). If the mlecchas, yavanas, and caṇḍālas are accepting, and they are making progress to the highest perfectional stage of life, why not the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas of India? Why they should lag behind? So join this movement and be happy. That is our request.

Thank you very much. (break) Now why don't you join? (break) You are going to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or not? There is still hesitation?

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

So we can discuss about the greatness of God, but next stage is that "God is so great, why not let me render some service unto the Supreme, the great?" That is one step forward. Simply to know "God is great and I am engaged in my own occupational duty," there is no symptom of love. Symptom of love means when one is eager to render some service to the beloved. That is love. Simply I love you and you love me, formality, but there is no service, that is not real love. Real love begins as it is stated in the śāstra, dadāti pratigṛhṇāti: to give something to the lover, to the beloved, and to take something. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate: to accept some eatables from your beloved, and offer him something for eating. Bhuṅkte bhojayate. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. And you disclose your mind; there is no secrecy between the lover and the beloved. And the other party also discloses. In this way, love becomes manifest. And our business in this human life, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, premā pumartho mahān. The highest achievement of life is to be situated on the loving platform with God. That is the highest perfection.

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

So the intelligent person, they will try to attempt for this, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "Let me become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa so that next life I go directly to Kṛṣṇaloka."

mām upetya kaunteya
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

That is the highest perfection of life.

So if we accept... If we little understand this philosophy, that "There is another life, which is eternal, blissful life of knowledge," if we simply become serious to go to that life, then the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only method. But if we want to live in this rotten life of material existence, then we can continue. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Whatever you like, you can do. But if you have got little inclination, then there is process. Therefore in the previous verse we have read, sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ. Sad-dharma means eternal life. Dharma means occupational duty. Here we are engaged in temporary occupational duty.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.124-125 -- New York, November 26, 1966:

Of course, nowadays people are different. Formerly... It is Vedic version, dharma, to make them religious. Therefore every civilized nation has some sort of religion. Religious... Because without becoming religious, there is no possibility of peace and prosperity. So this is one of the aim of human society, religious. And why religious? Dharma-artha. Then the economic condition will be better. If all people are religious, then economic condition will be better. Dharma-artha. And why economic condition better wanted? Kāma. Kāma means then the necessities of your life will be fulfilled nicely. Dharma, artha, kāma, and moksa. Then what is the end? That if you are peacefully in the society, then you can culture for your liberation. So dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41), so generally these four principles are the aim of human society. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Yes, these are all right." But premā pumartho mahān: "With all these things, if you have no love of Godhead, it is all nonsense. All nonsense. Therefore try to love God and everything will be all right." This is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, premā pumartho mahān. So prema. Here, also, Lord Caitanya says that we should understand our relationship with God. We should act in that way. That means in devotion. Then we shall have the highest perfection of life, love of God, and our mission of human life will be fulfilled.

Thank you. (end)

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

So that is not the ultimate goal of a devotee's life. A devotee's ultimate goal of life: how he becomes, I mean to say, a lover of the Supreme Lord. The example are the gopīs, or the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. They had no other desire. They simply wanted to love Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to see Kṛṣṇa very happy. That feeling of happiness, that thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest perfection of life. Always, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That was their happiness. They did not try to derive any material happiness by loving Kṛṣṇa. There was no such thing. That is pure love.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.391-405 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

Sun is so powerful that sunshine is touching all contaminated place, but sun is not contaminated. Rather, by the sunshine it is sterilized. Contaminated place becomes sterilized. As a crude example in the material world. Similarly, in God's association there is no question of irreligiosity. If there is ecstasy, intense love for God, there is no question of contamination. So contamination is considered within the material world. In the spiritual world, there is no contamination. And actually, when the gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa, they approached there in their spiritual bodies, not with material bodies. Because it is stated in the Bhāgavata that when the gopīs left their house, their husbands saw that the wife is sleeping on the same bed. So Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, danced with the gopīs, not with their, in their material bodies, but in their spiritual bodies. These are the descriptions are there. So Kṛṣṇa is always pure, always pure, perfect. So sarvaiśvarya-prakāśe. There is pūrṇatama, the fullest expression of God. Now this connection of Kṛṣṇa and with the gopīs, apparently it is abominable, but in the spiritual sense, it is the highest, highest perfectional stage of love of Godhead. So this world is perverted reflection. There... There is such psychological things that a married woman wants to mix with his, with her friend, or a married man wants to mix with another. Wherefrom this idea comes, this psychological...? It comes from God. In God there is. But there, it is in perfect order. Here it is contaminated. Here, it is contaminated. So we should not imitate the perfect thing in the contaminated place.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.391-405 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

So we have to rectify ourself. Unless we approach to the spiritual stage... That is the process. Just like a diseased man, he cannot imitate the healthy man. A healthy man eats as he likes, but a diseased man, if he eats as he likes, he'll die. Death is sure. So he has to be restricted, not the healthy man. So if you want really happiness, if you want really freedom, and if you really want everything is reality, then you have to transfer yourself to the spiritual world, in association with Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And for that purpose, just like a student for getting a degree in the university, he, I mean to say, tolerates all kinds of inconveniences—"Never mind. Let me pass and go away"—similarly, we have to make use, the best use of this bad bargain, this material body, and continue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to achieve the highest perfection of life, freedom, love. This is the process. And if we imitate... The same example. If we, in diseased state, if we imitate a healthy man's activities, then death is sure. Death is sure. Nobody can say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with so many girls. Oh, let me enjoy also." You cannot, because you are in diseased condition. If you do that, then you continue your diseased life and you'll die.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

"To come back to Me, that is the highest perfection of life. He does not come to this miserable world." So we should be careful not to eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, prasādam. That should be determination. We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. No. That is not possible. We cannot eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ. Even if we have committed some sin, by eating this prasādam we counteract it. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña-śiṣṭa. Aśiṣṭa means the remnants of foodstuff after offering yajña. If one eats, then mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because our life is sinful, so we become, I mean to say, freed from the sinful activities. How it is? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you surrender unto Me, then I'll give you protection from all sinful reactions." So if you make it a vow that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that means it is a surrender. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that "My dear Lord, I shall not eat anything which is not offered to You." That's vow. That vow is surrender. And because there is surrender, you are protected from the sinful reaction.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- San Francisco, June 27, 1971:

So if we want to have eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest welfare activities in the human society. We are giving information to every man, without any discrimination of cast, creed, or color, that every human being especially, not only human being, all living entities, including the animals, beasts, birds, trees, aquatics—everyone—they can achieve to the highest perfection of life by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But especially the extra intelligence of the human being can be utilized to realize Kṛṣṇa. If we don't do that, we are missing a great opportunity. So our request to everyone is to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If anyone wants to understand this philosophy through philosophical angle of vision or scientific angle of vision, we have got immense volumes of books. You can read and try to understand what is this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you can also, without reading books, without taking any trouble, if you simply agree to chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you get the same result.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

So that process is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvan yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So this bhakti, devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, is so nice. And under that bhakti category, this Janmāṣṭamī... Of course, this Janmāṣṭamī ceremony is observed by all Hindus. Irrespective of becoming Vaiṣṇava or not, this ceremony is observed in India every home. Just like in your Western countries the Christmas is observed in every home, similarly Janmāṣṭamī is observed in every home. Today is a great ceremonial day. So our program is, at twelve o'clock night the Lord will take birth and we shall receive Him. And just now it is ten o'clock. For two hours our program will continue in kīrtana. Kīrtana means sometimes chanting with music, and sometimes speaking. Both of them are kīrtana. Kīrtayati iti kīrtanam. Whenever we glorify the Lord, that is called kīrtana. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam reading is also kīrtana. Abhavad vaiyāsakī kīrtane. Vaiyāsakī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he achieved the highest perfection, liberation, simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravane parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he simply heard. There are nine processes of devotional service. Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Chanting, hearing. First hearing, then chanting. Without hearing, nobody can chant. Śravanaṁ kīrtanam. And what sort of śravanaṁ kīrtanam? Viṣṇoḥ, of Viṣṇu. Not anything else.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

So śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. Vandanam, offering prayer. We also offer prayer. The other religious sect, just like the Christians, they offer prayer; the Muhammadans, they offer prayer. So prayer, offering prayer is also one of the items of bhakti. Chanting, hearing, meditating, offering prayers, arcanam, worshiping the Deity in the temple, all of them are together devotional service. So out of the nine... If you can execute all the nine, it is very good. But it is not possible. So even if you can execute one item, you become perfect. It is so nice. Śrī viṣṇu śravane parīkṣit. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he simply executed the function of hearing, he got perfection. Similarly, abhavad vaiyāsakī kīrtane. Vaiyāsakī means Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply glorified the Lord. Prahlādaḥ smarane. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was simply meditating. There are many examples. Simply by following one principle of this devotional service, they got the highest perfectional life, liberation, back to home, back to Godhead.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is receiving the message of the spiritual world through the exigency of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is there. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there. If you study scrutinizingly Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, then you also get the machine. There is no difficulty. And as soon as you get the machine, and if you know how to handle it properly, then you get all the information. It is not difficult. And how to handle properly the machine, that is being taught by example, personal example by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu very humbly. He's not proud of his past position that he was a minister, he was a moneyed man, rich man, born of a brāhmaṇa family and so on, so on. He's humbly presenting him that "I am the most fallen. I am the most fallen." So "I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me." That is the position of everyone. Nobody knows what is the ultimate goal of life. They think that "We have got this body, and let us enjoy the senses to the fullest extent. That is the highest perfection of life." Get some material education-technologist, or something else, material education-get some good post, get good salary, and eat nicely, drink nicely, and enjoy your senses. This is perfection of life. This is going on all over the world. But that is not the goal of life. Therefore, because that is not the goal of life, and we know that this is goal of life, therefore we require the enlightenment from a bona fide spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakanatha Deity Installation -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, it opens the door of highest perfectional platform for everyone provided he follows the rules and regulations. That's all. That is the only condition. Otherwise, if simply by imitating, if somebody thinks, "Oh, I can become a..." like that. "If such and such person can become, I can do..." No. That is warned by Rūpa Gosvāmī,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pāñcarātrikī-vidhīṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
(Brs. 1.2.101)

If we simply imitate, oh, that will not do. So do not try to imitate, follow the simple rules and regulations, it is very nice, and above all, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll become purified. Without being purified you cannot touch Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas it is stated, "Without becoming Brahman you cannot approach Brahman." Just like without becoming fire you cannot approach fire. Because the inconsistency of temperature. It will burn. Just like here is fire, and I am feeling temperature, but the fire flames within the fire, they do not feel because the temperature is the same.

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

So this loud kīrtana was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya. So this disturbance, this complaint, was current even in His own time. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was introducing this kīrtana system, so many brāhmaṇas of Navadvīpa, they complained to the Muhammadan magistrate—at that time the government was Muhammadan government, Pathan—to the Kazi that "This boy..." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was that time seventeen years, eighteen-years-old boy, but He was very popular by introducing this saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting and dancing. And He said that simply by chanting and dancing, as we are saying, one will achieve the highest perfectional stage. So the brāhmaṇas were working as priest, they thought that their business will not go on. They prescribed so many ritualistic performances, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was saying simply by chanting one can achieve the highest perfection. So they were disturbed, and they lodged complaint to the then magistrate, Kazi. Maulana Chand Kazi, his name was Maulana Chand Kazi. You know, when a Muhammadan is learned and religious he gets the title Maulana. So that magistrate, Chand Kazi, was very learned scholar, not only in Muhammadan scriptures, but he was a great scholar Hindu scripture also. Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high-court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit. One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high-court, oh, he was a very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric śāstras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter. They do not belong to any class of men. Scholars are scholars, saintly persons are saintly persons.

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

So in every human society there is such inquiry and there is some answer also. So cultivating this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, is essential. If we do not take to these inquiries, simply if we engage ourself in the animal propensities... Because this material body is animal body, but the consciousness is developed. In the animal body or in the lower than animal body—just like trees and plants, they are also living entities—the consciousness is not developed. If you cut a tree, because the consciousness is not developed, it does not protest. But it feels the pain. That is scientifically proved by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It feels. But the feeling is not so strong. But if you kill one animal, it protests because the consciousness is developed. Similarly if you kill a man, that protest is still vehement because the consciousness is still more advanced. So in this way, in different forms of life, we are developing different types of consciousness. Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness also will be different. Not will be, it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that is the ultimate development. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body. And Vedic perfectional stage also achieves the highest goal when it is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: All glories for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So this is the verdict of Vedic literature also. When Parīkṣit Mahārāja was talking with Śukadeva Goswāmī, he described the varieties of follies in this age of kali-yuga. But he pointed out that there is one great benediction in this age. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. The faulty kali-yuga is just like an ocean of miserable condition, but there is one great opportunity. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa one becomes liberated, and he is elevated to the highest perfection of life. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. So Lord Caitanya preached this Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana, and He ordered every Indian. It is the duty of every Indian. We should be very much proud of becoming Indian to take our birth on the holy land of India. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of Bharata-varṣa, janma sārthaka kari': just make your life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world. Janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra. Para-upakāra. India is meant for doing welfare activities to the world, but we have forgotten that. We are trying to imitate the Western country and technology, and we have thrown out our Vedic treasure-house, our transcendental knowledge treasure-house. So my Guru Mahārāja ordered me long, long ago, when I was twenty-five years old, my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to go to the foreign countries and preach Lord Caitanya's message. But somehow or other I could not assimilate his order until I was seventy years old. But it was better late than never.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is transcendental, paro dharmaḥ. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means above, above the so-called religious system. So this is not our manufactured thing. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the beginning, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "Any kind of kaitavaḥ, pretentious or false, illusory...," kaitavaḥ. Kaitavaḥ means cheating. "Cheating type of religion is rejected, thrown away," projjhita. Prākṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita. Just like we sweep over the floor, we take the last particle of dust and throw it away, similarly, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means we have to give up all these so-called or cheating type of religious system. Because experience has shown that following the so many different designated religious systems, nobody has attained the platform of how to love God. Nobody has attained. This is practical experience. It is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He introduced. But Lord Kṛṣṇa gave hint that "This is real religion, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is religion." Any other religion, system of religion, which does not train the followers, how to love God, that is cheating type of religion. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, premā pum-artho mahān. And Bhāgavata says also. Real achievement of success in life is how to love God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

So this purification process, according to Vaiṣṇava smṛti, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ tato sad-dharma-pṛcchāt sādhu mārgāṇugamanam. In the beginning one has to accept a spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master. And who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also described in several Vedic scriptures. In the Upaniṣad it is said, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). One who has come down in disciplic succession and as a result of such authorized succession one has become fully, firmly convinced in Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān, the same thing. Brahma-niṣṭham. He is transcendentally situated. So these things are there. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said that who requires a spiritual master? That is also said. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One, let one surrender himself unto the spiritual master. Who is that one? Jijñāsuḥ. One who is inquisitive. What about inquisitiveness? Jijñā... śreya uttamam. The highest perfectional stage of life. If one is inclined what is transcendental life, what is spiritual life, what is perfection of life, if one is inclined to this subject matter, for him there is necessity of approaching a bona fide spiritual master.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

If you remain in the temple you will get Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and if not, outside you prepare your capati, dahl, offer to Kṛṣṇa and take. Don't take anything except Kṛṣṇa prasāda. The third... And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. Next life means directly going back to Kṛṣṇa, highest perfection. As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). There are innumerable varieties of planet. The higher planetary system, they are resided by demigods, very powerful. They are also human beings, but they are very beautiful; they are very powerful. So you can go there. The moon planet, sun planet—that is clearly stated—if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that "If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this," then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet. Similarly, you can go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with..., any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet. So we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association. You have got all information from the Bhagavad-gītā. So the opportunity is there. Now if you don't utilize it, then you can commit your suicide. Nobody can check you. Otherwise you can utilize all these facilities and go directly to Kṛṣṇa.

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

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

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

This evening we are going to hold a marriage ceremony for three couples of our students. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to understand to always bear in mind or always be in consciousness that we are eternally related with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the process is to utilize this human form of life for elevating oneself to the highest perfectional stage. There is evolution of life from lowest animal in the water and up to the highest platform or highest planetary life, where the duration of life is many, many millions of years. The highest planetary system is called Brahmaloka, or where the first created being, Brahmā, lives. The duration of Brahmā's life is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand makes one twelve hours of that Brahmaloka. Just like there is distinction of the duration of life between the microbes and the human being, similarly, there are different grades of different duration of life in different stage of planetary system. So the life is evolving. Now after evolutionary process from the lower animals, from the aquatics to plant life, vegetable life, then microbes, reptiles, birds, beasts, then we come to the human form of life, this civilized form of life. Now here it is just like crossing.

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

So we want such pairs in our society. We are not dry. Everything is there. The hedonists, they want eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. These four things for the hedonists, they are going to hell. But our, the same things are there. We are dancing, we are chanting, we are eating, and we have love also between husband and wife, between boys and girls. We allow everything. But everything is targeted to achieve to the highest goal of life, Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. That is the significance of this life. We don't stop anything, but we regulate everything to achieve the highest perfection of life. That is our aim. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram (SB 7.5.30). One who does not know this technique... Everyone, every living entity, is by nature hankering after joy, joyful life. That is his nature. Because... Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, you see. They are also transcendental unity. Kṛṣṇa is representing as a young boy, sixteen years. Similarly, Rādhārāṇī is also a young girl. They are chanting and They are playing on flute and They're enjoying life. They have got Their associates. So it is not dry, but it is highest perfectional stage, in purity. Not in the material modes of passion and ignorance. So everyone is hankering after that pure, joyful life, but he does not know where to get it. That is the defect. That information we are giving. Here is the life. You just try to approach Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and you'll have full life of enjoyment. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is stated that the Supreme Person, the Supreme Lord, is full of enjoyment.

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

So in order to give them facility for acquiring this highest goal of life, we have introduced the marriage... The marriage system is there also according to our Vaiṣṇava smṛti. Smṛti means regulative, the law book, the statute book. Married life is there. We are preaching the cult of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He also married. All the five associates of Lord Caitanya, they also married. Kṛṣṇa also married. So marriage is not bad. Marriage is... It is not that unless one becomes a sannyāsī or a strict brahmacārī, he cannot attain the highest perfection of life. No. Even in married life. But one has to adjust it. Married life means not sex enjoyment. It is not a license for sex enjoyment. Although it is some sort of license, but it can be utilized. It can be utilized for producing children of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And at least, one should be satisfied. The husband will help the wife, the wife will help the husband advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of their country, for the benefit of the total human society.

Thank you very much.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

So the ultimate change, when this body cannot be worked any more, just like a dress, when it is torn, when it is too old, you have to change it. Similarly, when this body becomes useless, no more, it cannot be pulled on any more, you take another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. As we are, in our practical life, we are changing our body every moment, similarly, the last stage of changing this body is called death. Death means, according to Vedic literature, sleeping for seven months. Just as I give up this body, I have to enter into the womb of some kind of mother. These things are explained in the Vedic literatures. I am not manufacturing. That karmaṇā dehopapattaye. We are preparing our next life, next body rather... Life is continuing. I am eternal. Next body—according to my present one. Just like in this meeting we have got two hundred ladies and gentlemen, but you cannot find out any lady or any gentleman exactly like the feature of the other. Differences. That means different consciousness, different work, and we have got different body. According to Bhagavad-gītā, the soul is transmigrating from one body to another, but the soul is eternal and permanent. And there are evolutionary process also. There are nine million species of life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And the trees and plants are two million. Similarly, there are reptiles, birds, then beasts, three million beast life, beastly life. Then at the end, we come to the form of this human being, and there are four hundred thousand species of different kinds of bodies. Just like your body in America and our body in India, there is some difference. Similarly, there are four hundred thousands of human form of life. So this is the process of evolution. And these bodily changes are taking place according to different consciousness. And the highest perfectional consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our life becomes perfect.

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

So this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to achieve that highest perfection of life. If we do not make progress with that vision of life, then we are simply spoiling our, this opportunity of human civilized life. Especially I mean this civilized form of life with developed consciousness, developed education. If you do not take care "What I am? Why I am meeting death? I do not wish to die. Why calamities are enforced upon me?" Nobody wants to meet calamities. In your country, especially I see in every city, the fire brigade, ambulance car is always wandering in the street. That means who wants that his house should be set in fire? Who wants that he should meet an accident? But these things are being enforced, but there is no question that "Why these things are enforced? I do not want this. Why this...?" This is self-realization. As soon as we become inquisitive that "I do not want all these miserable condition of life. Why they are enforced...?" They are trying to solve these problems by so-called scientific research or so-called philosophical research, but actually the solution is to reform or to purify your consciousness. If you purify your consciousness, as by impure consciousness we are transmigrating from... Now this time, you may be very happy that you have got a very nice body, American body, or you are enjoying life. But do you know what is the next life? That you do not know. Either you do not believe in the next life or you do not know. But you should know that life is continuity. This platform is a flash only. Why there are so many species of life if it is not a flash? You are changing. So these questions are there.

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

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

Lecture Excerpt -- San Francisco, September 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So we have to continue this chanting, either imperfectional stage or in the perfectional stage. Satatām kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). In the Bhagavad-gītā, you will see that this kīrtana is recommended continuously. Satatam. Satatam means always. Either in the imperfect stage or in the perfect stage, the process is one. It is not like the Māyāvādīs, that first of all you chant, and by chanting, when you become yourself God, then there is no chanting—stop. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. This is not real, the position. Chanting will continue even in your highest perfectional stage. But that chanting and at the present moment chanting, there is little difference. Yes.

Upendra: Swamijī, if our rasa with Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and we want to have the rasa of lover with Kṛṣṇa, is it possible to change? If our rasa is like father to son, we can never become lover?

Prabhupāda: No. You have got eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That cannot be changed. You're constitutionally in position, in a certain position. Either you have got... But every relationship is spiritual and nice. If you have got that inclination that you want to be Kṛṣṇa's lover, then that means originally you are already in relationship with Kṛṣṇa in that stage. That will be revealed when you are in perfectional devotional stage.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that you become a subordinate of Kṛṣṇa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. If you want to worship, worship Kṛṣṇa. And next, tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. If you want to worship somebody, then love Kṛṣṇa or worship Kṛṣṇa, or His place Vṛndāvana. Because everyone wants to love some place. That is now nationalism—some country. Somebody says, "I love this American land." Somebody says, "I love this Chinese land." Somebody says, "I love the Russian land." So everyone wants to love some land. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. People are naturally inclined to love some material land. Generally, where he is born he tries to love. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Because you are inclined to love some person, you love Kṛṣṇa. Because you want to love some land, you love Vṛndāvana." Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. But if somebody says, "How to love Kṛṣṇa? I cannot see Kṛṣṇa. How to love Kṛṣṇa?" then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. If you want to know the process of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, or loving Kṛṣṇa, just try to follow the footprints of the gopīs. Gopīs. The gopīs, their love, the highest perfectional love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā. There are different kinds of love or worship in the world. The beginning is, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is beginning. When we are, I mean to say, taught to love God, we are instructed that "You go to temple, go to church, and pray to God for your necessities, for your grievances." That is the beginning. But that is not pure love. Pure love, perfection of pure love, can be found amongst the gopīs. That is the example.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

The particles of stones are pricking His sole. So He must be feeling some pain." In this way thinking, they used to cry. Just see. Kṛṣṇa is miles away, and what Kṛṣṇa is feeling, they are simply thinking of that feeling: "Kṛṣṇa may be feeling like that." This is love. This is love. They are not asking Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, what You have brought from Your pasturing ground? How is Your pocket? Let me see." No. Simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. They used to dress themselves because..., and go before Kṛṣṇa with nice dress, "Oh, He'll be happy to see." Generally, a boy or a man becomes happy to see his lover or wife nicely dressed. That is... Therefore it is the nature of the woman to dress nice. And according to Vedic system, a woman should dress very nicely just to satisfy her husband. That is the Vedic system. If her husband is not at home, then she should not dress nicely. There are injunctions. Proṣita bhartṛkā. There are different dresses of woman. By seeing the dress one will understand what she is. One can understand by seeing the dress that she is unmarried girl. One can see simply by the dress that she is married wife. One can see by the dress that she is widow. One can see by the dress that she is prostitute. So dress is so important. So proṣita bhartṛkā. So we are not going to discuss about the social. We are discussing about love affairs of Kṛṣṇa. So gopīs... Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, the relationship was so intimate and so unalloyed that Kṛṣṇa Himself admitted, "My dear gopīs, it is not in My power to repay you about your loving affairs." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He became bankrupt, that "My dear gopīs, it is not possible for Me to repay your debts which you have created by loving Me." So that is the highest perfection of love.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness acts by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, and so Arjuna agreed to fight the battle of Kurukṣetra. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness this dictation of the Lord is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts with submissive faith and love for Kṛṣṇa under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. At this stage (Kṛṣṇa) dictates from within. From without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, and from within the Lord helps the devotee as caitya-guru, being seated within the heart of everyone. To simply understand that God is seated in everyone's heart is not perfection. One has to be acquainted with God from within and without, and thus to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage for the human form of life, and the topmost stage in all yoga systems.

"For a perfect yogi there are eight kinds of superachievements. One can become smaller than an atom, one can become bigger than a mountain, one can become lighter than air, one can become heavier than any metal, one can achieve any material effect he likes—create a planet for example. One can control others like the Lord, one can travel anywhere within or without the universe freely, one can choose his own time and place of death and take rebirth wherever he may desire. But when one rises to the perfectional stage of receiving dictation from the Lord, that is more than the stage of the material achievements above mentioned. The breathing exercise of the yoga system which is generally practiced is just the beginning of the system. Meditation on the Supersoul is just a step forward. Achievement of wonderful material success is also only a step forward. But to attain direct contact with the Supersoul and to take dictation from Him is the highest perfectional stage.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

The breathing exercise and meditation practices of yoga are very difficult in this age. It was difficult even five thousand years ago, or else Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Kṛṣṇa. This age of Kali is called the fallen age. At the present moment people in general are short-living, are very slow in understanding self-realization or spiritual life. They are most unfortunate, and as such, if somebody is a little bit interested in self-realization, he is misguided by so many frauds. The only actual way to realization of the perfect stage of yoga is to follow the principles of the Bhagavad-gītā as they were practiced by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice. Lord Caitanya practically demonstrated Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga simply by chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa as they were mentioned in the Vedānta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and many important Purāṇas. The largest number of Indians follow this yoga practice, and in the USA also it is gradually growing in many cities. It is very easy and practical for this age, especially for those who are serious about success in yoga. No other process can be successful in this age. The meditation process in right earnest was possible in the golden age of Satya-yuga, because the people at that time lived for a hundred thousand years on the average. If you want success in practical yoga, take to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and feel for yourself how you are making progress.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

Before that, you have to pass. Just like before entering law college you have to become graduate, similarly, before entering the realm of devotional service you have to realize that all living entities are on the same platform. That is realization. You cannot make any distinction that "This is lower," "This is higher." No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). When a person is fully learned, he does not make any distinction that "He is human being, he is cow, he is dog." He sees that he is spirit soul covered in different dress. That's all. That is his vision, universal equality vision. You cannot say that dog has no life, the cow has no life. How can you say that there is no life? That is lack of your knowledge. What is the symptom of life? You will find the symptom of life is there in human being, in ant also. How you can say that small creatures, lower animals have no life? That is lack of your knowledge. Even trees, plants, they have got life. So perfect knowledge required. So love of Godhead on the basis of perfect knowledge is real love of God. Otherwise it is fanaticism. So the fanatics, they may fight. That is not love of Godhead. (pause) Of course, it is very difficult to come to that stage, but one should try. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are all student. We are trying. But there are degrees also. Just like in a educational institution there is tenth class, eighth class, fifth class, sixth class. And with the yoga, it is just like a staircase or a lift. So there are different stages of perfection. The highest perfection is who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate... (BG 6.47). The highest perfectional is Kṛṣṇa, thinking always Kṛṣṇa, and Rādhārāṇī. That is the highest perfectional stage. She has no other business: simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

Just like father and son. The son may forget his father. That does not mean the relationship of father and son is no more there. So our relationship is there with God, but we have forgotten. So we have to revive our consciousness. It is not that it has to be manufactured something new. The relationship is there. Just like a son, he has forgotten his father. He is very rich man's son, but he's loitering in the street, and he does not know. Just like there is a story of Tarzan. So we are all Tarzans. So we have forgotten, you see? So the whole process is to revive. That is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi. "Oh, I am the son of God. Then where is my distress?" So revival, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to free, make free the consciousness from all contamination of material existence. You call it Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, the same thing. So this is purificatory process, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's, I am God's." Everyone is God's, but he has forgotten. In the animal species of life, they cannot revive, they haven't got that chance, but here is the chance, human form of life. If you miss this chance, then you again go to the cycle of so many species of life. Then our human form is spoiled. So we should try for it. That is the perfection of life. Premā pumartho mahān. Lord Caitanya preaches the highest perfection of life, to revive our natural love for God. And any religion which preaches love of God, that is perfect religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christianity or Buddhism or Hinduism or anything. That is Bhāgavata religion. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religious system. What is that? Which trains the followers to love God. That is first-class religion. And religion without God, that is not religion. That is not religion. Because Bhāgavata says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣāt bhagavat-praṇītam. Bhagavad-gītā also says that: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Religion means re-establish relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is religion. What is your question?

Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1969:

So our point is, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, we mean with all His different forms, Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). So bhakti-yoga can be applicable to any one of these form, either Kṛṣṇa or Rāma or Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa, so many forms. Generally, Vaiṣṇavas worship the form of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. In our conditional stage, we cannot worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-sevā is for them who has developed spontaneous love for God. For them. Spontaneous. The spontaneous love... The example is given: just like a young man, young girl, without any acquaintance, when they see each other, there is some loving propensity. That is called spontaneous. Not that one has to learn how to love. Simply very sight will invoke some loving propensity. That is called spontaneous. When we are advanced in the matter of loving God, so much so that as soon as you see or remember anything about God, immediately you become ecstatic, that is spontaneous. Just like Lord Caitanya, when He entered the temple of Jagannātha, as soon as He saw Jagannātha, immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." So this spontaneous love, those who have developed this spontaneous love, there is a stage. By practice, one will come to that stage. Because that spontaneous love is eternal. It is not artificial. We have got, but it is now covered by our material association. So it has to be uncovered. And when you come to that stage, spontaneous, without any paraphernalia... Here we are trying to love Kṛṣṇa with so many paraphernalia. We must have a nice temple, nice dress, everything very favorable. Then we have some spiritual, ecstatic love. We have to create the groundwork. But spontaneous, there is no necessity of groundwork. Immediately one remembers of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes ecstatic. So that is the highest perfection of love of Godhead, spontaneous, without any external influence.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

So we are trying to bring them into practice, how to serve Lord, how to, how to serve the Supreme Lord. That is our movement. It is not patchwork. Other humanitarian societies or welfare societies, they are trying to give some patchwork. They cannot give relief to the stringent laws of nature: birth, death, old age and disease. But we are giving the final cure of the disease of condition of material existence. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities. By pious activities one gets very good family, birth in very good family, and nice education, beautiful body, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious. And impious means just the opposite: birth in abominable species of life, just like cats, dogs, hogs, or uncivilized people, ugly feature, no education. These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age. So we are educating our students to practice how to revive his old, the eternal constitutional position to serve the Lord. This is our practice. Just like here you can see the boys have decorated the sitting place of the Lord, how nice, with flowers and candles. It is not very expensive, but it is so beautiful that immediately it attracts. You see? So everyone can practice at home. Is it very difficult task, to gather some flowers and some leaves and decorate and have some picture or statue of the Lord, offer Him some fruits, flower? Everyone can do this. And by doing this, he gets the highest perfection of life: no more coming into this material world and suffer all these nonsense. This is our practice.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Only one and a half years... She's also learning how to bow down, how to eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, how to clap during kīrtana. There is no question of waiting for sixteen years. That is artificial. That is artificial. Why one should...? Who knows? Who will live up to sixteen years? Begin immediately. Begin immediately. You have got this chance of human form of life. That is the duty of the father and mother. All right, here is a child. Let him take a little prasādam. All right. Little beginning. And it is simple. Why one should wait for sixteen years or sixteen or thirty-two years? No, there is no waiting. Immediately. (reading:) "Will ISKCON accept people this young?" Oh, yes, we, younger, even younger. Even one child is within the womb of his mother, we can teach. It is so nice thing. The instance is Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was in his womb of his mother, one saintly sage taught his mother about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the child became Kṛṣṇa conscious from the womb of his mother. So we can teach even in the womb of the mother because it is spiritual. It is not material. No material condition can check this teaching. Ahaituky apratihatā. That is the highest perfectional system of religion which is unchecked and develops love of Godhead. That is first-class religion, not under any condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means without being checked. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not such thing that because one is child, he cannot learn; because one is blind, he cannot learn; because one is poor, therefore he cannot... Because one is rich... No condition, anyone, simply he must be a living entity, that's all. He must not be a dead stone. If he has got life, he can learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so simple and so nice.

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

Yoginām, "all kinds of yogis." There are many yogis: karma-yogī, jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī, hatha-yogī, bhakti-yogī. Yoga system is just like a staircase. Just like in New York, that Empire State Building, that 102-story building. So there is a staircase or a lift. So yoga system is just like a lift to go to the highest perfection of life. (break) ...I mean to say flat (indistinct). Just like karma-yoga. You can approach, you can make progress to the first or second floor. Similarly, by jñāna-yoga, you can make progress to the fiftieth floor. And similarly, by dhyāna-yoga, you can make progress up to the eightieth floor. But by bhakti-yoga, you can go to the highest platform. This is also very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "If you want to know Me cent percent, then come to the bhakti-yoga." And the bhakti-yoga means this śravaṇam. The first thing is śravaṇa and kīrtana. You simply chant and hear, simple process. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear. Immediately you become benefited, immediately, and you get ecstasy. So our humble request is that this is very simple process, recommended process, approved process, and experimental process. If you try it without any loss, but with a prospect of a great gain, then you are requested that you can accept it.

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

They have got also life. It is not that those who are vegetarians, or eating grains and fruit, they are not eating life. They are also eating life. But the bhakti-yoga process is that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that the devotees, they take prasādam. We have got arrangement of distributing prasādam in every Sunday. Prasādam means the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa and then you take. So what Kṛṣṇa wants, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Therefore we are not propagating the philosophy of ahiṁsā, or nonviolence, because in some way or other, there is violence, either you take fruit or grain or animal. But the principle is that you have to take prasādam, the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, and then eat. So these things, fruits, grains, are accepted by Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa and then eat them. This is the philosophy. Not that because we are eating fruits, therefore we are getting pious, and because... (break) Yes. When you become cent percent purified, then you go to the spiritual world. You haven't got to come back. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante yad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So purificatory means that we are changing our bodies life after life, transmigrating. Now this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to purify ourself so that next life we can get complete spiritual life, full of bliss, knowledge, and eternity. This is the process. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to get the highest perfection of life. And that opportunity is offered to the human society. The animal society, they cannot take advantage. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the human society.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

imply they are busy with process of sense gratification, and if somebody comes, "All right, you go on with your sense gratification. You simply meditate for fifteen minutes, and within six months you become God," these bluffs like this will be accepted very easily. But we are not meant for giving people false information. We are trying to give you information from authoritative scriptures, Vedas. And if you are fortunate enough, you will take this information, try to understand by your reasoning, by your logic, and adopt it, and your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful. Otherwise you will be put into the cycle of birth and death and going on, and sufferings will continue. In the Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, it is said,

mām upetya kaunteya
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

"One who has attained the highest perfectional stage of life, he comes to Me. He comes. Then he hasn't got to come back again in this miserable condition of material existence." These things are there.

Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

"The highest perfection of life is to come back to Me, and you get this spiritual body, eternal body, blissful life, full of pleasure." Dance with Kṛṣṇa, mām upetya duḥkha, without any miserable condition. That is the highest... Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. That is the highest perfection of life. You are trying to go to the moon planet, you are trying to go to the sun planet or you can go any other planet. There are millions of planets. And the highest planet is called Brahmaloka. And modern scientists say that to reach to the highest planet in this universe it will take forty thousands of years. So even if you go there, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Anywhere you go, in any planet you go, these four conditions of material existence—birth, death, old age and disease—they are existing everywhere. Yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: but if one goes to that planet, Kṛṣṇa planet, then he hasn't got to come back again. He gets eternal life, blissful life, simply joyful life.

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

It may be in the future, the spaceships are perfect and you can go to the moon planet. But even if you go to the moon planet, that is not your highest perfection, because within this material world, if you go to any planet, moon or the highest planet, Brahmaloka... Moon planet is very near to us. It is only few hundreds thousands miles away. But there are many planets very, very high. The Brahmaloka, they are also described. Even in the Bhagavad-gītā there is description. So ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). You can go there. Just like I came to your country—very nice, comfortable apartment, all things are available; everything all right. But now my visa period is finished. I'll have to go to Canada. You see? Similarly, if you have got so much restriction in, in a ordinary state that people from other parts of the world may come but they can stay here for six months or one year, or as limited by the visa, then go back, similarly, anywhere you go within this material world, you have to come back. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). You have to come back. And besides that, any planet you go within this material world, the four principles of material sufferings are there. What are those? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death, old age and disease. Everywhere there is. Your period of life may be very long, but these four things are there. You have to take your birth. Suppose you prepare yourself for going to the moon planet.

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

So it is the bodily impediments that is hampering my real happiness. So problem is how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of taking one body after another, one body after another, as we are taking in this life also. That is the solution. That solution is yad gatvā na nivartante. Kṛṣṇa says, tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "If you go to My planet, you have no more (to) come back again." You get your eternal life, eternal, blissful life, full of knowledge and remain, enjoy like Kṛṣṇa with Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection.

So we are giving the information of the highest perfectional stage of living entity. It is nothing bluff or artificial; it is fact, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are volumes of books, volumes of understanding. If you have got time, read them. Just like if you want to be a scholar, there are facilities. But, if you want to simply waste your time some by thinking artificially that you are God and do nothing, you can do that. You are at liberty. That will not bring any benefit. Maybe some benefit, temporarily, but real solution is there. If you believe in the Vedic scriptures, then real solution is yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). So everything is there. You can take advantage of these facilities. Therefore we have opened this center. You come. You try to understand and be benefited. We are not asking you that "Give us thousand dollars. Then we shall open our secret." Our secret is all open secret. You simply take advantage of it. Try to understand with your reason, with your sense, everything. We are prepared to convince you because we have got every equipment(?). We are not manufacturing anything bogus. We have got everything complete. So what was your question? Your question? Yes?

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

So that perfection is recommended, hari-toṣaṇam: whether by your duty, by your action, the Supreme Lord is satisfied. Just like we want to satisfy... In the schools, colleges, we want to satisfy our professor, teachers, principal. Or as good citizen we want to satisfy our government or... Similarly, you have to satisfy somebody. That is the perfection. The highest perfection is to satisfy hari-toṣaṇam. Hari means the Supreme Lord, and toṣaṇam means satisfaction. Whether by your work and duties, discharging your duty, the Supreme Lord is satisfied—that is your perfection. But this is very rare thing. At the present moment practically nobody has any information what is his relationship with God or what is God. Practically, they are declaring "God is dead," and "I am God, you are God, everyone is God." These things are all... "There is void." "There is no God," "There is no control." So, so many things are going on. That is the disease of this present age. And this movement is practically against this idea of godlessness, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The whole idea of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to fight against the idea of godlessness. So the Bhagavad-gītā is there. We are fighting in two ways. One way is that this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very simple thing. Everyone can join: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā. "Now You can kill me or You can give me protection, whatever You like. That's all right." Nitya-dāsa prati tuyā adhikārā. "You have got all rights upon me because I am Your eternal servant." This is called surrender. And Kṛṣṇa wants that because that is my constitutional position, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. If we do that, it does not take much time but we attain the highest perfection of this Bhāgavata-dharma. That is wanted.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

People are hankering after śānti, peace, but they do not know the way. The way is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ: "I am the supreme enjoyer of everything." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka maheśvaram: "I am the proprietor of everything." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "God is the proprietor of all planets." But we are claiming that "I am proprietor. We are proprietor, nationally." That is our mistake. Actually, everything belongs to God. Now, the Japanese claiming that "Japan is our country." Indians are claiming, "India is our country." But nothing belongs either to the Japanese or to the Indians or to the Americans. Everything belongs to God. This consciousness is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we understand three things only, that God is the only proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the only proprietor, He is the only enjoyer, and we are simply servant to help Him in His enjoyment... The highest perfection is found in Vṛndāvana. Everyone is trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is real life. That is real mukti. In the Bhāgavata it is said, mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means you have to give up your artificial ways of life and you have to situate yourself in your normal constitutional position. That is called mukti. Mukti hasn't got any other definition.

Speech -- New Vrindaban, August 31, 1972:

So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest benediction for the human society because it is trying to bring the human being to the platform of spiritual body—transcending the gross and subtle material body. That is the highest perfection. Human life is meant for coming to that platform, the spiritual platform, transcending the gross and material bodily concept of life. That is possible. It is made easy in this age. This age called Kali, it is not very good time. Simply disagreement, fighting, quarreling, misunderstanding. This age is full of that, all these happenings. Therefore to come to the spiritual platform is very difficult in this age. Formerly, it was not so difficult. People were very easily trained up by the Vedic process. But now the people are not interested. They're simply interested with the gross body or, a little more, who is a little advanced, the subtle body. But they have no information of the spiritual body. Although there is advancement of education, there is no education about the spiritual body. They're simply concerned with the gross material and subtle body. Therefore this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is very important movement. Those who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they're very, very fortunate.

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

"My Lord, You are the most munificent incarnation, because people cannot understand even Kṛṣṇa, but You are distributing freely the love of Kṛṣṇa, the highest perfection of life, love of Kṛṣṇa." One may know Kṛṣṇa, but it is very difficult to know the love of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau sadā. Rūpa Gosvāmī... About the Gosvāmīs... They knew what is Kṛṣṇa, what is love of Kṛṣṇa. They wrote many books—Vidagdha-mādhava, Lalita-mādhava, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Actually... Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So actually to understand Kṛṣṇa, one has to follow the footprints of the six Gosvāmīs:

śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha,

śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha
ei chaya gosāñi yāra tāra mui dāsa
tāṅ sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grāsa

You have to accept the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, who came here, who discovered Vṛndāvana. This Vṛndāvana is the discovery of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were first deputed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise, it was a big field only.

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu discovered the Rādhā-kuṇḍa. In this way, the Gosvāmīs were deputed, and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all established this Madana-mohana temple, then Govindajī. In this way all the city of Vṛndāvana... It is transcendental city, but it was begun by the inspiration, by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu because He appeared to distribute Kṛṣṇa-prema. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). That is the highest perfection of life. Premā pum-artho mahān. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is premā pum-artho mahān, to achieve love of Godhead. That is the verdict of all śāstras.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yenātmā samprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

If you want really peace, then you develop your dormant love of God, Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. Otherwise you'll never be happy. Because we want to love somebody. That is natural. So we have placed our loving propensity in so many things, even to cats and dogs, but that will not satisfy us, because that is sense gratification. That is not real love. Real love is to love Kṛṣṇa, love of Kṛṣṇa. So this is the highest philosophy of life, highest perfection of life, how to learn to love Kṛṣṇa. The Vṛndāvana means simply loving Kṛṣṇa. The cowherds boy, the gopīs, the Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodāmayī, Rādhārāṇī—the only focus is to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana does not mean a city or town or this or that. Vṛndāvana means where everyone is in love, in intense love with Kṛṣṇa. So you have come to Vṛndāvana. Try to learn how to love, intensified love, Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of life. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's contribution. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53).

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

So this is my request, that you have come to Vṛndāvana; try to understand what is Vṛndāvana-dhāma, what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, but very cautiously, very, I mean to say, carefully. Then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. And Kṛṣṇa Himself, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, He is present here. Go through śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsadi gaura..., so in this way, gradually, you'll be able to understand. But that is the highest perfection. Some way or other, if you can understand Kṛṣṇa and His Vṛndāvana... Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. If you... Kṛṣṇa and Vṛndāvana is nondifferent. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's place, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's everything, they are not different. They are one. So this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, that ārādhya-vastu, the worshipable Lord, is Kṛṣṇa. And as He is worshipable, His dhāma is also worshipable. We should not commit any offense in the dhāma, and follow the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then we'll be favored by the grace of Kṛṣṇa to understand Him and His pastimes with Rādhārāṇī.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on Manipur Dancing -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is gopīka-kānta. Rādhā-kānta. That is Kṛṣṇa's real identification. He is gopīka-kānta, and He is Rādhā-kānta. This relationship with Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, that is the highest perfectional realization of the Absolute Truth.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.37)

Kṛṣṇa's real identification means ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. He is ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and His expansion of ānanda are these gopīs, ānanda-cinmaya. But that is not this material thing. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, that mellow, that taste, that humor, that is completely spiritual. We should not misunderstand this līlā, or pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, that material lusty affairs. Then we'll be misled. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ. The activities of the Vraja-vadhu, the damsels of Vṛndāvana, vikrīḍitam, activities, vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ, bhaktiṁ parāṁ pratilabhya hṛd-roga-kāma apahinoti.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: Within the world Bergson sees nothing but constant, unceasing change. He even sees ego change. He says, "If our existence were composed of separate states with an impassive ego to unite them, for us there would be no duration, for an ego which does not change does not endure, and a psychic state which remains the same so long as it is not replaced by the following state does not endure either." So he sees the psychic state of the individual in the ego and all that the ego contains as cognitively changing.

Prabhupāda: This is false ego, that "I am this body." So it has to be changed by education, that "You are not this body." Then when he understands that he is spirit soul, then the activities of the spirit soul begin, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is stated in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, that first of all he has to understand that he is not this material body; he is spirit soul. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Within this body the soul is there, and that soul is Brahman, spiritual. People, if they do not understand this, so they are in the animal status of life. But if he understands that he is not this body, then his struggle for existence, to maintain the body, stops. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). That it is, when he understands that he is not this body, then his unnecessary endeavor to keep the body in comfortable position without the, without executing the business of spiritual life, then he is kept in darkness. So when one understands that he is spirit soul, so how to elevate the spirit soul to the highest perfection, that will be the main business. So that is wanted. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Then he understands that "Not only I am spirit soul, but everyone is spirit soul," then equal, equipoised. Every spirit soul should be given the chance of perfect understanding, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then activities of devotional service. If everyone is engaged in devotional service, then he gradually comes to the state of loving God, prema. Premā pumartho mahān. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended perfection of human life is how to raise oneself to the platform of loving God. That is perfection. Otherwise it is not perfect society.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: ...it's like a gift to life.

Prabhupāda: ...already explained. We have got five relationships. To realize the creation of God with awe and veneration, appreciation, that is one relationship. This is called śānta rasa. Then further progress is that to offer himself to serve God. That is called dāsya rasa. And further advancement, to treat God as friend, that is sākhya rasa. Then accept God as son, that is vātsalya rasa. And accept God as the most beloved, that is mādhurya rasa. So in this mādhurya rasa, to accept God as the most beloved includes other relationships; therefore here is the highest perfection of relationship. Although all other relationships they are as good, but it depends on the devotee's choice whichever relationship we like. The result is the same, but by comparative study it has been decided by the saintly persons that our relationship with God as the lover and beloved, that is the highest position.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the greatest good is the elimination of the greatest evil or the fulfillment of man's greatest needs.

Prabhupāda: That's it. We follow that, that the highest objective, the ultimate objective is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. So becoming a Vaiṣṇava, the highest perfection of human life is achieved.

Śyāmasundara: So that greatest need is...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The greatest need is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (Hindi with guest) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the supreme consciousness. Yes. That is pure consciousness, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Every living entity is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. He always remembers that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. It is my duty to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śyāmasundara: He says that...

Prabhupāda: Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). If he remembers always this.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: That means the supreme will. He does not know that. Satisfy the supreme will. Just like father wants to do something, his son, his spiritual master or the teacher want. So yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Our philosophy is to please the supreme, the spiritual master, the representative of God or God. That means supreme will. Not my will, but the supreme will. That is highest perfection. That is salvation. Just like a person who is working under the guidance of a superior man, actually they do so. Just like in factories there is a foreman. So ordinary workers, they are working, but the foreman is giving direction. Similarly, that means he is fulfilling the desires of the superior. He is not doing whimsically. He is doing according to the direction of the superior man present there. So this is the philosophy, that if you can satisfy the supreme will, then you are liberated. Just like Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is supreme will, order. If you can fulfill this, then your salvation.

Śyāmasundara: He says that immorality comes about through egoism, so that I...

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you think, that "Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is also a person, I am also a person. Why He is demanding?" Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan said, sophistry: "It is too much that one person is demanding that 'You give up everything and surrender unto Me.' " So these rascals, they cannot understand that to surrender to the supreme will, to satisfy the supreme will, that is salvation. That is salvation.

Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain:

Prabhupāda: That's right.

Śyāmasundara: Then he becomes purely...

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, premā pumartho pumān: the highest perfection of life is to attain love of Godhead. And Bhāgavata also says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religious system, (indistinct) develops his dormant love of God. That is religion. That is first-class, transcendental religion. And Bhāgavata, in other place it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita kaitava atra: all cheating religious system is rejected here. Because Bhāgavata does not accept a religious system as genuine unless the followers develop love of Godhead. This is the test. And dharma means, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all types of religious system." That means they are not religious, they are not religious. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa will ask that you give it up?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the human being has the material aspect of individuality plus the spiritual aspect of personality.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, that personality understanding is the perfect understanding. The Absolute Truth, as it is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is realized in three phases: impersonal Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Bhagavān is person. So to..., when one comes to Bhagavān understanding, that is the highest perfection. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) after many, many births of cultivating knowledge, one actually is wise, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection.

Śyāmasundara: He says that this is..., because of this spiritual personality that he can know and love God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Without person how there can be love? There is no question of love. You cannot love air or sky; you must find out a man or woman in the, under the sky. So therefore if you want to love God then you must accept God is a person; otherwise there is no question of love. Therefore for the Māyāvādī philosopher there is no question of love. They merge. They want sāyujya-mukti, to become one. They have no other conception, because they cannot conceive personal God. So there is no love.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: "The salvation of the world consists in the salvation of the individual soul. Man's individual relation to God would be an effective shield against these pernicious influences," that is, atheistic Marxism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least those who have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, they never be converted either by Marxism or this "ism" or that "ism." That is not possible. They can convert the Marxist into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but a Kṛṣṇa conscious person can never be turned into Marxism. That is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because they have seen the highest perfection of life, they cannot be misled by all these third-class, fourth-class philosophies.

Hayagrīva: He also felt that materialistic progress is a possible hindrance.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very good idea. That is confirmed by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā. Material progress means expansion of the external energy, māyā, illusion. So we are already in illusion, and therefore we practically see the so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, because they are materially advanced, they cannot understand even what is God and what is our relationship. So this is hindrance, the so-called advancement of material science, of material knowledge, is undoubtedly hindrance. Tomāra bhajane bādhā. They are all hindrances to the progressive march of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we minimize our necessities, that is saintly life—the bare necessities of life. We are not after very luxurious way of life. We are satisfied only with the bare necessities of life. So it is not an attempt for material progress. It is simply an attempt to make spiritual progress, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: He wants this, he wants that. Is that right?

Prabhupāda: Next step... No. Up to human form of life, by nature one is making progress automatically. One after this, one after this. That evolution. Jalajā nava... Just like from aquatics, you become trees, plants. (aside:) Telephone. Telephone. Somebody go. From trees, you become insect. From insect, you become birds or reptiles. From birds, you become beast. From beast, you become a human being. This is going on by nature's way. Just like a goat. A goat has to live in this body for certain years. Then he becomes something, other animal, and he has to live in that body for some years. Then he becomes another body. This is change . In this way he comes to the human form of life when his consciousness is developed. Now, when... Amongst the human form of life, there are many species of human form of life. So when one comes to..., I may say, in India, when he's born in India, that is the highest perfectional point because there is Vedic knowledge. So he can take advantage of the Vedic knowledge. And by taking advantage of Vedic knowledge, he understands that "I am part and parcel of God. Therefore my real business is to go back to God. Why I am suffering in this material world?" That is perfectional stage.

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Hayagrīva: Origen believed that it is through divine grace and man's free will working together that the individual soul attains perfection, and perfection consists of attaining a personal relationship with the Infinite Person.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is called Bhakti-mārga. The Absolute Truth is manifested in three features: Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the personal feature, and Paramātmā feature may be compared with the Holy Ghost when situated in everyone's heart. And Brahman feature, everywhere. By His energy He is present everywhere. So the perfection, highest perfection of spiritual life, is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the person, personal feature of the Lord, and engages himself, the living entity engages himself in His service. Then he is situated in his original, constitutional position, and he is eternally happy and blissful.

Hayagrīva: Just as man's free will brought about his fall, man's free will can also bring about his salvation. By becoming detached from matter, man can return to God, but this detachment from matter is brought about by the assistance of the Christ.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our conception also, that the fallen soul is rotating within this material world, within this universe, up and down in different forms of life, and in his developed condition of understanding he is enlightened by God as it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā, and the spiritual master gives him full enlightenment. Then what he says, the perfection?

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:
Prabhupāda: So up to the animal bodily concept of life, one is unable to understand his spiritual identity. But in the civilized form of life, when the society is divided into eight divisions, varṇa and āśrama-four varṇas and four āśramas-brahman, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, four varṇas, brahmacārī, and gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī... So a brāhmaṇa from the social status, when he becomes elevated to the position of a sannyāsī, that is the highest perfectional stage in this material world, and at that stage only he can realize his original constitutional position and he acts accordingly, and thus he becomes delivered, which is called mukti. Mukti means to understand his own constitutional position and act accordingly, and conditional life means to identify with the body and act accordingly. So in the mukti state the activities are different from the conditional state. Therefore the devotional service is the activity of the liberated stage. So anyone who is engaged in devotional service, he maintains his spiritual identity, and therefore he is called liberated even though in this conditional material body.

Hayagrīva: Origen believed that the interior man, or the spiritual body, also has spiritual senses which enable the soul to taste, see, touch and contemplate the things of God.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1969:

So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is giving us the direction, how one can reach the highest perfectional stage of associating with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The first thing is that one should be very much attached to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That will lead us. Because He came to deliver the understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore one should first of all surrender to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By surrendering to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu will be pleased, and by His pleasing, we shall be freed from material desires. And when material desires are no more, then we shall be able to enter Vṛndāvana. And after entering Vṛndāvana, when we are eager to serve the six Gosvāmīs, then we can reach the platform to understand the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Yes. (end)

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1969:

Bhajahū re mana, śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. This is a song composed by Govinda dāsa, a great poet and Vaiṣṇava. He says, addressing his own mind Because mind is the center of all elevation. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if you have your mind controlled, then your mind is the best friend. But if your mind is uncontrolled, then he is your greatest enemy. So we are seeking after friend or enemy. So both of them are sitting with me. If we can utilize the friendship of the mind, then we are elevated to the highest perfectional stage. But if we create mind as my enemy, then my path to hell is clear. Therefore Govinda dāsa Ṭhākura, he is addressing his mind. The yogis try to control the mind by different gymnastic process. That is also approved. But it takes a long time, and sometimes there are failures. In most cases they are failures. Even a big yogi like Viśvāmitra, he also failed, what to speak of these teeny and nonsensical yogis.

Page Title:Highest perfection (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:06 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=213, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:213