Improper (Lectures, Conv and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"improper" |"improper" |"improperly" |"improperly"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973:

A saintly person, a devotee, should consider all these things, before acting, "Whether I am doing it property or improperly?" This is Arjuna. The other party, lobha-upahata-cetasaḥ. Upahata-cetasaḥ. They have lost their sense. But we cannot. A devotee must be very responsible. He must act in such a way that nobody can blame him. Otherwise everyone say, "What kind of devotee he is?" So this is the duty. They should be very cautious.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

If you want the definition of bhakti, the bhakti means to use the things for the proprietor. That is right use. If somebody use for another purpose, that is misuse. So bhakti means, when things are used properly, that is called bhakti. Now we are thinking that this machine, this body, "I am born in India, so it is Indian machine. It should be utilized for India's profit." Another person is thinking, "This machine, it is gotten from America, so it should be used for America." That is going on in the name of nationality or communism, or society or friendship and this and so on. We have invented so many "isms," but they are all misuse because actually the machine does not belong to the American or the Indian or the African. The machine belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So this is misuse. So when we understand that we are misusing this machine improperly, that is called pure machine. That is called pure understanding, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

So take it, this body or the country or the nation or the world or the universe, nothing belongs to you. The owner is Kṛṣṇa. The owner is sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the owner." So mistake is that we do not know the owner, and we are, although we have occupied, improperly using our occupation. That is material condition. Improper. Otherwise, the direction is there, the director is sitting there. He's always helping you. But the disease is that we are claiming to be owner and want to act according to my whims, and that is material condition.

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

Suppose if you have got a big tree and there are thousands and millions of leaves, you are not supposed to supply water in millions of leaves. You are supposed to water, pour water, on the root. That will be distributed. Just like you supply foodstuff to the stomach. That will be distributed. Suppose I have got very good cake. Now, the fingers holding the cake. Now, if the fingers think, "All right, it is a good cake. Why shall I supply to the stomach? Let us eat it." Oh, the fingers cannot eat. That is improper.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

So we have got also freedom in minute quantity. That is our position. That freedom, if we use properly, then we are happy, and if we misuse improperly, then we are unhappy. But freedom is there. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He is requesting Arjuna that "You just surrender unto Me." He is all-powerful. He can force anyone and everyone to be surrendered to Him, but that He does not do. That is not Kṛṣṇa's business. He gives freedom. Because Kṛṣṇa has given you little freedom, so He does not want to interfere with your freedom. Then what is the meaning of giving freedom? That is Kṛṣṇa's business. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63).

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So two classes of men, demonic and divine. So divine nature has been explained in various ways from the very beginning. Now Kṛṣṇa is explaining about the demonic nature. The first characteristic of demonic nature is they do not know what should be the pravṛtti and what should be nivṛtti, proper and improper action. Improper action is mentioned here, beginning, that na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ (BG 16.7), not cleanliness. Cleanliness is essential. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Mayapura, October 15, 1974:

After sex, the woman is pregnant, and she has to suffer for ten months. And at the time of delivery it is very dangerous sometimes. And the man also, after he gets the child, he has to take care of the child. He has to work hard to give education. This is proper, proper sex. The proper sex there are so many difficulties. And what is the..., what to speak of the improper sex? You kill the child. You take contraceptive. You make this; you make that. Therefore śāstra says, bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. After sex life, oh, there are so many troubles, bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ, simply trouble, either legitimate or illegitimate, simply trouble. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā. But because he is a rascal, ignorant, he's not satisfied, again does the same thing. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Again. This is called bhava-roga. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham, kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). Iva duḥkha-duḥkham. Simply trouble.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Actually, if you love somebody, out of love you cannot use anything, means any word, which is not very much appreciated. So... And they are all applicable. It is not like the logic, kāṇa-chelera nāma padma-locana(?): one man has got a child who is blind, but he has given the name Padma-locana, "lotus-eyed." Not like that. The selected words which Kuntī has used, it is not improper. They are properly used. Just like here is one word used, Vaikuṇṭha. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vaikuṇṭha, or God's another name is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha hy asmāt. Therefore spiritual world is called Vaikuṇṭha. And the material world is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is not Vaikuṇṭha. You cannot even walk without anxiety.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

When you are in the jungle, you are a tiger, you can eat animals. But when you are civilized, when you can produce nice foodstuff, so many nice grains, fruits, and milk, why should you eat meat? That means you are misusing your advanced intelligence improperly. Therefore you must suffer. You are using your intelligence... Your intelligence was given to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, why you are rotting in this material world under shadow illusion of so-called happiness. These things are to be known in human form of body. Not like working very hard like cats and dogs and asses and eat little food and do all sinful activities. This is not human intelligence.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So this Kapila, Devahūti, son of Devahūti Kapila, His sāṅkhya-yoga means bhakti-vitāna-yogam, how bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, is expanded. That is sāṅkhya-yoga. And how it is received, that is also stated here, tattva āmnāyaṁ yad pravadanti sāṅkhyam. Āmnāyam, by disciplic succession. No philosophical speculation, but as it is received by predecessor, by tradition, āmnāyam. Tattva āmnāyam. We cannot manufacture tattva. That is improper way of understanding the truth. Generally, the Western philosophers, they try to understand the Absolute Truth by the ascending process. There are two processes of understanding the Absolute Truth. One is called ascending process, or inductive logic, and another process is descending process, or deductive logic. So ascending process is based on speculation, and descending process is based on fact.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.16 -- Mayapur, April 9, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa family does not mean starvation. Kṛṣṇa family means to enjoy simply. Simply minus this material contamination. Chāḍi anācāra. Anācāra. Anācāra means not proper behavior. Proper behavior means to remain always pious, and improper behavior means to become impious, sinful. If you become sinful, then you cannot enter into the family of Kṛṣṇa; that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna—paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra. Pavitra means pure, completely pure, without any material contamination. So if you want to enter into Kṛṣṇa's family, then you have to become also completely pure.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971:

One big scholar in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he gives comments on a verse where is direct order of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), that "You become My devotee, always think of Me, offer your obeisances unto Me." But Rādhā..., Radhakrishnan comments in a different way. "This obeisances is not to the person Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Such a big scholar, he is misinterpreting, "Not to the person Kṛṣṇa." In this way, Bhagavad-gītā, although widely read all over the world, in all countries, they are being mislead by improper commentary. So we are therefore trying to present Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa as He is. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it is coming out successful.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation Including Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.1-34 Recitation & Explanation -- April 1, 1969, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: As soon as you are sincere, then God will send you to somebody who is His bona fide spiritual representative. And if you take help from him, and help within and without... Just like a person going, or a boy going to a school, he's getting training in the school as well as home, both sides. Then his chance is very good. So we have to take both wise: from inside, from outside. You are doing some things in the service of the Lord. How you'll know that you are doing it properly or improperly? This you will know from the spiritual master. If he says, "It is all right," then it is all right. If he says, "It is not good," then it is not good. Just like the same way. The officer in charge, if he is satisfied (with) your work, that means you have satisfied the government or the supreme company, arranger, with whom you have no direct connection. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Therefore it is said that if you satisfy your spiritual master, that means you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: That's all. (break) ...condemn running by car, but utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. That we want. If the purpose is same, like dog, then what is the use of running by car? (break) ...by car to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (break) ...not after that philosophy, that jagan mithyā brahma satya, no. We say jagat is also satya because brahma satya, the jagat is also satya. It is mithyā because it is improperly utilized. Let it be utilized properly, it is also truth. It is truth actually. You cannot say, "This is a false tree." This is the ignorance. How it is false? But it is being misused. That is false. You cannot misuse anything which is given by God. You should properly utilize it. Then it is truth. And as soon as you misuse it, it is untruth.

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Chanting means the holy name of the Lord. The Lord is absolute. His name is not different from Him. So if you chant properly or improperly even, then immediately you be in touch with God. And as you become in touch with God, you become purified. So as you become purified, you know, actually you can see perfectly what is the aim of your life, how the human form of life should be utilized. These thing will be revealed. This is the process of chanting. Try to understand. Chanting the holy name of the Lord means the name of the Lord and the Lord, God, is not different. Just like the sun and the sunshine is not different.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: And if you spend for your benefit, that is material. Where is the difficulty to understand? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām (BG 5.29). Repeatedly says. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor. So when everything is used for the fulfillment of the will of the proprietor, that is proper use. Otherwise improper use. Just like we have given several times this example, "Keep to the right," "Keep to the left." So you are driving your car. The will is, government will is, "Keep to the right." As soon as you keep to the left, immediately you are criminal. You cannot put this argument, "What is the wrong? I am driving." "No, because you have violated my will, therefore you are..." The government will see. That is criminal. So everything.... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasā... He is the proprietor. He is the enjoyer. So because you have enjoyed without His permission, therefore you become criminal. You are punishable.

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: His argument is that "I should never be allowed to misuse my independence."

Hari-śauri: There's no question of independence then.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is not independence. Independence means you can use properly or improperly.

Rāmeśvara: He cannot understand that.

Prabhupāda: He wants to become a machine.

Garden Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Arnold Weiss: Isn't it within the nature of our souls to have...

Prabhupāda: That is the nature, little independence. That is the nature. You can properly use independence, and you can improperly use. That is the meaning of independence. That you can use it improperly. Then you suffer. That is the meaning of independence. If it is that I have got independence—I cannot use it otherwise—that is not independence.

Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Advancement of devotional service means always be alert whether a moment is misused. Because you cannot get back even a moment of your life if you pay millions of dollars. Not possible. 1967, 10th June, 5 o'clock, you had to do something, and if you have missed, then that 5 o'clock, 10th June, 1960, ah, '76, will never come back, even you pay millions of dollars. So if that moment is improperly passed, then what is more loss than that? So avyartha-kālatvam. We should not let even a moment of our life misused. Avyartha-kālatvam. Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. This is advanced life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Prītis tad vasati sthāle (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). Attachment for living at places where Kṛṣṇa had His pastimes, like Vṛndāvana, Mathurā, Dvārakā. Prītis tad vasati sthāle. And avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). These are advanced spiritual consciousness.

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: When there is war between America and other nation, then you black and white people forget the small interest for national interest. You advance to fight, to lay down your life. So in this way we can make progress, but such progress is not perfection. Such progress is not perfection. The example is given, just like there is tree, and the whole tree is full of branches, twigs and leaves and flowers and fruits. So somebody is watering the fruit, somebody is watering the leaf, somebody is watering the branches, somebody the twigs, but everyone is improper. One who is watering the root, he's perfect. He knows how to do things. If you water the root of the tree, it will go to the twigs, it will go to the leaves, it will go to the fruit, it will go to the flower. One who does not know the root, however he might be working very diligently for the poor humanity or community or society, they will never be successful to gain the result, peace and prosperity. They are forgetting the root. And root is God. So they must put water in the root. Then it will be all right. Otherwise, it will be all failure. The history of the world is like that. They are trying for the nation, for the society, for the community, and for the family, but everything has become unsuccessful.

Morning Walk -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Bhakta Gene: But so much of the tradition within the Roman Church has no reference to any scripture.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that has not been properly done. Otherwise, just like here, we have got temple, regulative principle. If it is done properly, the result will be there. If it is improperly done, then there is no result. How these boys, European, American, they never knew what is Kṛṣṇa. But on account of this following the traditionalism, they are becoming devotees. It is practical, you can see. Simply theoretical knowledge will not do. Must be practical. That is traditionalism. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. That is the Nectar of Instruction. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. This is traditional. One has to follow the traditional rules and regulations. Utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3). First of all one must be enthusiastic: "I shall become devotee." Then, utsāhān dhairyāt, with patience. Then niścayāt, with conviction: "Yes, I am following the rules and it will be successful." And tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. You have to follow the traditional rules and regulations. Sato vṛtteḥ, you must be honest. Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). And these things in the association of devotees. Ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. Then your bhakti, devotional life, will be successful.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: (break) (in car) So whenever the Congress tries to pass a law to control the purchasing of guns, it is always defeated. They want the people to be able to have guns. They make a lot of money, also, selling guns.

Prabhupāda: The best thing is they should be educated to become gentlemen. Keep guns, but they may not improperly use them.

Rāmeśvara: When New York City had to start borrowing money from the banks, the banks became very powerful. They were able to control the city government and get many favors.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa incarnation appears according to the particular planet and climate, er, planet. Just like churning. That is in higher planetary system. There are persons like that. It is not improper. And we are comparing with us, that "We cannot churn. Therefore there is no churning." That is our disease, to simply compare with our position.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Gita Mandir Trust -- Calcutta 1 September, 1949:

The whole arrangement is just a family unit, and we should wonder as to why there is so much anomaly in this great universal family unit. The answer for this is also given in the Bhagavad-gita. It is said that there are two classes of men in the creation. One class is called the devas (godly) and the other class is called the asura (demonic or godless). As sons of the almighty Father Supreme Godhead, all individual living individuals have their respective independence. One can utilize this god-gifted independence properly or improperly.

Letter to Gita Mandir Trust -- Calcutta 1 September, 1949:

When a living entity improperly uses god-gifted independence and apply such independence for sense-gratification without fulfilling the will or the plan of Godhead, he at once develops the demonic qualities in contact with the illusory Energy of Godhead and becomes a full-fledged asura. But one who do not misuse the God gifted independence and does not engage himself in the act of sense-gratification but fulfills the plan of the Godhead, continues to be a deva or godly.

Letter to Ved Prakash -- Bombay 7 July, 1958:

India's vedic knowledge is above all the conditional defects mentioned above but we Indians at the present moment have neglected such wonderful vedic knowledge. It is due to its improper handling now. The whole vedic literatures namely Vedas and Upanisads are summarized in the Vedanta Sutra which includes the purport of the six Indian philosophical thesises of Kanda, Gautama, Kapila, Patanjali, Astavedya and Vedic Rsis.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Aniruddha -- San Francisco 9 April, 1968:

For dishes, best thing is everyone who is eating Prasadam should wash his plate. Otherwise, one man has to do so many dishes. So even the guests should also wash their dishes, that is the system in the Temple; not leave one man to do it.

Milk and salt should never be mixed, it is improper, and will cause leprosy. But salt can be mixed with yogurt.

Letter to Mukunda -- Allston, Mass 6 May, 1968:

It is very nice that you are keeping the Radha Krishna Murti so nicely there with you. No, it is not improper to keep Them at your home, but it must be kept with due veneration and respect. If we keep the Statue of Krishna in our room, we must know that Krishna is present, and as such we must be careful in our dealings, talkings and behavior, as we are present before Krishna directly. The altar should be so made, with curtain, that it may be closed when Krishna and Radha are taking rest. Dress them as nicely as possible, we have so many Radha Krishna pictures, you can take idea from them.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 22 November, 1968:

We do not hate maya because we know maya is also a faithful agent of Krishna, but her task is very thankless. Our mission is to dovetail everything in the service of Krishna because everything belongs to Krishna. Your father or any other businessman may think it improperly that the business belongs to him, and he is entitled to enjoy the profit, but we think everything belongs to Krishna, and Krishna is entitled to enjoy the property. That is the version of Bhagavad-gita. When the Lord says, I am the Supreme Enjoyer of all the results of sacrifices, austerities, fruitive actions, etc. People try to be a renouncer of this material world, but we do not see the material world in that angle of vision. We see everything is the product of Krishna's energy and how everything can be dovetailed for serving the purpose of Krishna.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Gargamuni -- Tittenhurst 18 October, 1969:

Materialistic people take everything for sense gratification and Krishna Conscious people take everything for Krishna's satisfaction. There is no fault in the thing as it is; namely women and money, but it becomes faulty by improper use. The improper use is to accept them for sense gratification. As it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, we can remain very strong from this by taking a firm shelter under the Lotus Feet of Krishna, by chanting His Holy Name incessantly, and praying always for being engaged in His service. In this way He will protect us from our weakness.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 22 May, 1970:

The Vedic education means one has to understand his real identity as brahman or the spirit soul. Unfortunately the modern educational system is so defective that everyone is educated to accept this body as self. At the present moment they have no clear idea of identification, so much so that even a person who is partially advanced about the importance of the soul does also improperly identify himself with the Supreme Brahma.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 31 July, 1970:

Regarding Bhagavad-gita, enlarged edition, the picture approved by me to Jadurani is all right. I am glad to learn that it is being serialized. Regarding Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, I am glad that manuscript is also being composed. Srimad-Bhagavatam, Second Canto, improper title pages being rectified is good news. Please keep me informed about the progress of those manuscripts.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Gupta -- Mayapur 8 April, 1975:

Regarding your idea for writing articles for different legal journals, that will be very nice. I think it will be best if you take a little help from the editors who will be in Los Angeles soon. They can help you to make sure that nothing is stated improperly. They are experienced, so consult with them. Jayadvaita and the others are now here in India, but they will be back by the first of May, so take their advice in this matter. Please continue your work, and most of all try to rigidly follow all of the rules and regulations and chant at least 16 good rounds daily without fail.