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Insist (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

When Arjuna was faced, then he became kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt (BG 1.27). "How it is possible, Kṛṣṇa, that I have to kill the other side, my fathers, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my sons, my grandsons, my brother, my so many friends?" So it is natural. Kṛpayā parayā āviṣṭaḥ. He becomes overwhelmed with compassion. Kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdan. Very morosely. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I will have to fight with them. I will have to kill them." Why this consciousness came? The other side also, Duryodhana, why he did not think in that way? Why Arjuna is thinking? Because he is devotee. That is the difference. A devotee thinks like that. A devotee does not like to kill anyone, even an ant. Why he should be encouraged to kill his friends? A devotee is like that. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the result of devotional life. Arjuna was insulted. Arjuna was taken away all his belongings. Arjuna was banished for thirteen years. His wife was insulted. So many atrocities was done to him. Still, when the question of killing came, he was not very happy: "No." This is Vaiṣṇava. This is Vaiṣṇava. He is ready to excuse even the greatest enemy. But Kṛṣṇa does not want. If you insult His devotee, the devotee may excuse, but Kṛṣṇa will not excuse. This is Kṛṣṇa's position. Therefore be careful to insult a devotee. A devotee may excuse you. But Kṛṣṇa will not excuse you. Kṛṣṇa is so strict. He cannot tolerate any insult to His devotee. Therefore this arrangement of fighting. Arjuna wanted, "No, let them be excused." Kṛṣṇa wanted, "No, you must fight. You must kill them." This is the position. So he is within the dilemma. Kṛṣṇa is insisting that "You must fight and kill them," but he is thinking, "How shall I kill my kinsmen?" This is the problem. Therefore, tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān (BG 1.27). All friends are there. Kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt. So this is one side, that if you want to please Kṛṣṇa, then you have to be prepared for killing your so-called relatives. If you want Kṛṣṇa. If you want to please Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

It is not that the husband and wife mix without any restriction and have sex life at any time. No. You know that, that mother of Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaśyapa Muni, I think, father. So she, the woman became very much sexually excited and the husband replied that: "This is not time. This is very bad time, evening. Why you are insisting?" But she was too much lusty, and because the husband was obliged, Hiraṇyakaśipu was born, a demon was born. Therefore there is Garbhādhāna saṁskāra, to find out when the husband and wife should mix and give birth to a child. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll see that sex life which is according to the principle of religious ideas, that is "I am." So sex life is not bad, provided it is executed according to the religious principles. So Garbhādhāna saṁskāra... Just, what is the idea? The idea is the child born must be first class. He'll be able to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. He'll be able to understand the śāstras, the Vedas. He must have the good brain. These were the ideas.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you want to do something, first of all He says, "No." Just like a thief, he's praying to God: "My dear Lord, give me some opportunity. I can steal that thing." Kṛṣṇa first of all says, "No, no. Don't do it." But he insists. Then Kṛṣṇa says, "All right. Do it." But as soon as you do it, you become entangled. Why you are doing against the will of Kṛṣṇa? That is your entanglement. Kṛṣṇa says: "Don't do this." Why you are doing that? So Kṛṣṇa is giving you facility to steal others' property, but you become entangled. That is not Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. Your responsibility. Suppose a high-court judge gives sanction that "This man should be condemned to death. He should be hanged," Does it mean the high-court judge is your enemy and hanging you? He has nothing to do to become your enemy or friend. You have committed situation that you should be hanged. He's giving order: "Be hanged." That's all.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Yes. You forced Kṛṣṇa to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, "My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there." But he insists, "Oh, I must go. I must go." "All right, you go at your risk. That's all. And you suffer. What can be done?" Because you are son of God—God has got independence, full independence, almighty—therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little independence. If you persist that "I must go and enjoy independently," so God says, "All right, you can go." This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

What is that eye? Just like a small child. If I say to the small child, so "Sun is there in the sky, and the child will say, "Show me where is the sun." And if somebody says, "Yes, come on, I shall show you sun. Come on the roof. I have got a torch-light." As it is not possible to show the sun at night, although the child is insisting, similarly, the so-called scientists who are claiming that there is no God, they're just like the child. You have to understand. Just like a man who is advanced in knowledge, he knows that sun is there. Although I cannot see at night, but sun is there. He's convinced. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they can see God in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38).

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

They will put so many theories that there is no God, and none of the theories are practical, neither they can prove it by experimental knowledge. Still, they will insist on. That is their business. And when we say... When somebody says, "You prove it," the answer is, "Well, we are advancing. Some day will come; we shall prove it." That's all. "Some day will come." They do not understand that "Trust no future however pleasant."

Why you are expecting that some day will come when science will be perfect? Throughout the whole history of the human society, never it has been possible that one can give life. There is no such instance in the history.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Calcutta, September 23, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says, "I am sitting in everyone's heart." And because the living entity wanted to do something for his sense enjoyment, He gives the chance, "All right, here is the chance. You can do it." But actually, Kṛṣṇa does not want it. But we want it. We want it. Just like a father says, "My dear boy, you do not do this. You do this." But the son insists, "No, I'll do this." So therefore father also says, "All right, do it at your risk."

Similarly, this material enjoyment is not required because we are spiritual entity. We have nothing to do with this... Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. We have no connection with this material world. But somehow or other, we are attached to this material enjoyment and we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten our home, we have forgotten our real identity. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says here, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10).

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

He insisted... (aside:) Why you are sitting like that? Sleeping? If you feel sleepy don't sit like that.

So the conclusion is:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
(BG 6.47)

This is conclusion, that of all yogis, who is always thinking of Me, śraddhāvān... Without being śraddhāvān... Śraddhā is the beginning of everything. Faith, śraddhā, respect. If you have no respect for Kṛṣṇa, if you have no faith in Kṛṣṇa, there is no advancement of spiritual life or yoga life. Therefore it is said śraddhāvān. Ādau śraddhā. The beginning of spiritual life is śraddhā, faith. Ādau śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). First of all, faith, and faith has been described by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī as, faith means: viśvāsa.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Yes. God sanctions, but you desire. "Man proposes, God disposes." Whatever you desire, if you insist, God will sanction. And without His sanction you cannot do. Therefore your doing something is dependent on God's sanction. But you desire something out of your own will. You are not a stone. You are a living entity. So you can desire anything. Kṛṣṇa conscious, they do not do anything without Kṛṣṇa's sanction.

Guest (3): The Kṛṣṇa consciousness say, you cannot do anything unless the Lord desires it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not God desires. God sanctions. Don't say like that. Desire is yours, but sanction is God's. Just like you want to do some business. You must take sanction from the government. You take license. You cannot do out of your own will. Similarly, you can desire and propose, "God, I want to do this," and God will sanction. So those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they want. "I want this. I want this. I want this. I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "All right.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

By mental concoction he's creating a situation and he's getting that type of body. Otherwise, why there are so many varieties of body? These are the creation of our mental concoction: "I shall do that, I shall do that, I shall do this, I shall do this." So this is daiva-netreṇa. He gets daiva-netreṇa, by superior... Just like a child insists upon doing something. The father says, "All right, do it. I don't mind." He says, "Don't do it," but he persists, "I must do." "All right, do it." There are many examples.

So there is soul and there is the gross material body and there is the subtle material body. The soul is the basic principle, but to get a body, as I have already explained, the secretion discharged by the father and the mother, they mix up, they are emulsified and forms in the body of a pea. And the soul comes through the semina of the father and he's situated there.

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

They're given there. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is a great authority in the devotional service. A five-years-old boy, he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. His only fault was that. His father became enemy. His father insistently wanted, "You stop this nonsense, Hare Kṛṣṇa." He would not. So the father wanted to kill him—put him into so many tortures. At last he came out successful, and he was blissful. So therefore he is mahājana. In spite of so much tortures by his father, he did not give it up. Similarly, if we stick to the principle, as it was done by great personalities, Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Nārada, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja... Their stories, their life history is there everywhere in the Purāṇas.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:

Conscience says, "No, don't do this." But still we do it. Still we do... That is our avidyā. Because we do not know, in ignorance, in spite of the Supreme Soul, Supersoul is forbidding, "Don't do this," still, we shall do it. That is called anumantā. We cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul, but when we insist that "I must do it," then He says, "All right, you do it, but you'll suffer your sequence. My word is, Supersoul order is, that 'You give up all this nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me. I will give you all protection.' " But no, that he'll not do.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk. Yādṛk means "as it is." We have got different kṣetram. I have got this body; you have got another body. No two bodies you'll find equal in every respect. You'll find two bodies... We have got two hands, two legs, two eyes. These are all right, but your eyes are different from my eyes, your arms are different from my arms. This is human society.

Lecture on BG 13.23 -- Bombay, October 22, 1973:

He can give you permission, but the enjoyment and suffering will have to be taken by you. You insist permission, "I want to do this." And without permission, you cannot do it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa gives you per..., "All right, you do it, but at your risk." Kṛṣṇa does not want that you should do it, but you want to do it. Therefore He gives permission.

He wants sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). That is His demand. But your demand is different, that "I shall not surrender, Sir. I want to do this." "All right, you do it at your own risk." But if you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then He takes charge of you. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

Yes, this is very important. Therefore we are insisting everyone to rise early in the morning. Even though sometimes we rise early in the morning, we compensate in other time. (laughter) This should be practiced, you see. Reducing eating, sleeping, mating, that is spiritual advancement. This is the test. The more you reduce... The idea is to bring it to nil. Just like Gosvāmīs, they did it. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, they conquered over sleeping and eating and mating. Conquered over. So our ideal is... We are fighting with māyā. So the fighting... We will conquer over māyā when we see that we are not disturbed by these four processes; eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is the test. Nobody has to take certificate from anyone else how he is spiritually advancing. He can test himself: "How far I have conquered over these four things, eating, sleeping, mating, and..." That's all. That is the test.

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

Is it not a process of cheating? Yes. So this process of cheating is not exactly cheating; it is for the welfare of the so-called atheistic persons. Just like sometimes father cheats the son. The son is insisting to get one thousand-dollar note, and the father asking, "My dear son, please deliver it." "No, I shall not." So father gives him one lozenges: "My dear son, will you like to take this lozenges?" "Yes, give me." "But you must have to give me that paper." "All right, take." So this kind... (break) ...is not actually cheating, but father knows that "This boy will destroy this one thousand dollars, so it is necessary to give him that two-cent-worth lozenges and take out that one hundred-or thousand-dollar-worth paper." Similarly, when people become too much atheistic, so, in order to bring them back to the understanding of God, there is sometimes necessity like this.

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

"This is the name of God," just like in Jewish scripture they say Jehovah... Similarly, in Christian scripture, if you have got name... Just like Buddhists, they have got God or the Supreme—they accept Lord Buddha. Similarly, if you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant. We are not insisting that you chant Kṛṣṇa. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant Kṛṣṇa? This is not very bad proposal. Any intelligent man... If you have, you chant. Our Lord Caitanya says that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ, bahudhā nija-sarva-śak..., tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe. There are many names. As there are many potencies, there are many names also. Just like take for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not understood simply by uttering this word "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is understood if you call "Govinda." That is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Mādhava," He is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Vaṁśī-vadana," He's also Kṛṣṇa. So the aim should be that it is God's name or the Supreme Lord's name.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

"My dear father..." He did not say "father." He said, "My dear the best of the demons..." His father was a demon, and he was not afraid of his father, although his father was always insisting him, "You give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, learn like me, become a very big king, politician." But he would say, "No. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). This is best thing." So that was the fight between the father and the son. So sometimes, after all, he was father, sometimes patting the son. So he replied, "My dear the best of the demons, asura-varya..." Asura means demon, and varya means the best. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. "I think for any living entity who has accepted this material body..."

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

One is eating the fruit; the other is simply observing, witnessing. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. Anumantā means "giving order." Just like a child wants to take something, but he also depends on the order of the father. The child is insisting: "Father, I want this." Father says, "No, you don't take it." "I shall touch it. I shall touch the fire." Father says, "No, don't touch it." But he's insisting and crying, so father says, "All right, you touch." Similarly, we create our own fortune and misfortune. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So the father wants us to do something else, but we want to do something else against the wish of the father. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa wants that everyone of us should surrender unto Him and work according to His direction, but we want to do against His will. Therefore we create our own fortune and misfortune. That is the way.

So there are different types of body, and each one is acting in a different way.

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

That is the action of the individual soul. The Supersoul is there, simply sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Because he's insisting. And He's sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Therefore nāneva bhāti viśvātmā. Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appears to be acting differently. He's not acting differently. Just like the magistrate. Magistrate is giving different judgment: "This man should be treated like this. This man should be treated..." The man, the magistrate, is the same, but because the culprit is different, therefore he has got to give different judgment. Culprit is different; he's not different. He's one. This is the proof that Paramātmā and jīvātmā are two different personalities. They're not one. This is the proof. Why? Nāneva bhāti viśvātmā. He's Viśvātmā, the Supersoul.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

There are many stories about it, that when Rāvaṇa was on the actual battlefield, he was praying Lord Śiva. Generally, one who worships some demigod or somebody, he remembers. And Pārvatī, the wife of Lord Śiva, was insisting that "Your devotee is in so great danger, and he is repeatedly calling you to help him. And why you are not going? You are sitting?" The Lord Śiva said, "Now he is destined to die. Lord Rāmacandra has come to kill him. Nobody can save him." That is the fact. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke. If Kṛṣṇa gives protection to somebody, nobody can kill him. And if Kṛṣṇa kills somebody, nobody can give him protection, whatever he may be.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

So after consulting the books, he said, "I don't find any item that I gave loan to your father." "No, sir, I know, my father said at the time of death that 'I owe so much money to that gentleman, I could not pay; you pay it.'" So the trouble was the man says "I don't find any debit to your father's name. How can I take your money?" And he is insisting, "Yes, my father took money from you, kindly take." This was India. This was India. They knew that "I cannot cheat you." Karmī, in the karma-kāṇḍa, if I cheat you, then I will have to pay you four times this life or next life. That is the law of karma. Therefore, we are collecting money, we should not cheat. Every paisa should be spent for Kṛṣṇa; otherwise we shall be liable to pay. If we use one farthing for our sense gratification, then we will have to pay for it. This is the law of karma. The charity is given, why?

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

That is cheating. Everyone in this material world, they're born foolish and still they're manufacturing knowledge. That is cheating. That is going on. The so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, their basic principle is wrong, and they're presenting some theories and that is being accepted by people. That is cheating. For example, just like the insistence of the scientists that "Life is production of matter." They have no experience, neither they can make any experiment in the laboratory that from matter one can produce life. But every child knows that "My father is life and my mother is life, so I am produced from that combination. I am also life." So life comes from life. The dead body of father, the dead body of mother cannot produce. Any man can understand. Very simple. But these rascals, so-called scientists, they're insisting that life is produced from matter. Insisting, simply. Their only idea is to prove that there is no God.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

So He immediately informed him, asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra: (CC Madhya 22.87) "A Vaiṣṇava's behavior should be that he should give up the company of asat, nondevotee." That is his first business. He should give up the company of nondevotee. This is first business. Because he will be infected. Therefore we insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down. So if there is inconvenience, little... That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). These, just like extreme cold or extreme heat, they are troublesome to the body, mātrā-sparśāḥ. On account of this material body, we feel extreme cold, extreme heat. But Kṛṣṇa says, "They come and go." It is not that winter season will remain forever or the summer season also remain. They will come and go. If it is intolerable, please tolerate, please tolerate.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

One irregular sex life produced the Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu's mother became very sexually agitated, and she wanted to sex, with her husband (have) intercourse. And just in the evening. Kaśyapa Muni, he said, "No, no, this is not the time, proper time." But she was insistent. So the result was two demons were born.

So everything should be regulated. But in this age there is no regulation, there is no knowledge. Less than animals also. They have sex life at a certain period of the year, not always. But human being has become so low-graded that... And that is due to Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. Everything is topsy-turvied. It's no regular. It is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy that we are reforming the whole society very simple way-chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see. It is so nice. You see?

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

The more you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the more you become fit to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the process. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234).

So anyone who will stop chanting, he will be a victim of māyā. Always remember it. Therefore we insist, "Please do not forget to chant at least sixteen rounds." That is minimum. The maximum is 300,000. (laughter) As Haridāsa Ṭhākura used to do, three hundred..., not impractical. But you, we cannot do that. Even we cannot complete sixteen rounds. We are so unfortunate. But that does not mean because we are unfortunate, we shall give it up. Try, try, try your best. Then life will become perfect.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1970:

So one learned scholar, he composed some poetries and he wanted the poetries to be heard by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Svarūpa Dāmodara, he knew that "This man is mundane. What he will write?" So he was avoiding him: "All right, we shall see later on." But when he insisted... And one of his uncle, he was amongst the associates of Lord Caitanya, so he also requested Svarūpa Dāmodara that "This boy has come so long. If you kindly hear..." So because he requested, a Vaiṣṇava, so Svarūpa Dāmodara agreed to hear, but he pointed out his all faults, and he chastised him that "You don't write poetry in this way. You first of all read Bhāgavata from the bhāgavata. Then try to write." So that you will find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He advised that "Go and read Bhāgavatam from bhāgavatam. Then try to write."

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

That is stated in the Bhag... Upadraṣṭā anumantā. Anumantā. Anumantā means you cannot touch any fruit of this world without the sanction of the Supersoul. Therefore He is anumantā. If you say, "Then if He is giving me sanction for any action, then how I am responsible?" No. He is not giving. Because you are insisting, therefore He says, "All right, do it, at your risk." He is insisting, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Simply surrender." He is insisting that. But you are insisting in a different way: "I want to steal, I want to this, I want to this." But Kṛṣṇa knows everything, that "This rascal will do. All right, do it at your risk." Anumantā upadraṣṭā. And He remains witness: "Because you have done this, now you suffer. Now you suffer."

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

Simply you have to become sober to hear from Him. He talks with devotee. Nondevotee, He gives sanction indirectly, through the nature. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna... (BG 18.61). He is sitting, but He is giving sanction through māyā. Because directly, He is not giving sanction. He doesn't want. What you are doing, He doesn't want. Just like a son is insisting father, "Father, give me two hundred rupees, ten rupees." And the father knows as soon as he gets two hundred rupees, he will go to wine shop and spoil his life. He doesn't want to give. But when he is insisting, he says his mother, "Give him two hundred rupees. Let him go to hell." This is like (that). It is like that. "Let this rascal go to hell. What can I do?"

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

All children should go, and the advanced girls, they should go there and take care. Just produce a new generation, just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Produce a new generation. Bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ, from the very childhood, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, playing of Kṛṣṇa, eating of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa... Then he cannot become otherwise. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was child, five-years-old child, he was teaching his class fellows. So they refused that "Prahlāda, why you are bothering with this? When we shall get old, we shall think of this Kṛṣṇa." "No," he insisted. "No. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma... (SB 7.6.1). You cannot get again such opportunity. So you immediately begin. Immediately you try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious." All right, kīrtana. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

There are two kinds. So Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up, pious and impious, both." That is sarva-dharmān. Because we are acting piously and impiously. So you can give up both pious activities and impious activities. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was thinking that "Fighting with my brother, it is impious." So Kṛṣṇa was insisting that "You must fight." So how Arjuna could take impious activities? Because Kṛṣṇa's service is above these pious and impious activities. That is called sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Just like the gopīs. The gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa at mid..., midnight, by simply hearing the flute of Kṛṣṇa. So young girl, going to Kṛṣṇa at midnight, this is impious activities. According to śāstra, according to moral, it is impious activities. But because it was done for Kṛṣṇa, it is understood as the most pious. Recommends. Who recommends? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Even the father. Hiraṇyakaśipu is the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. The boy, five-years-old boy. What is his fault? He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that "Why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept. Prahlāda Mahārāja, even the father insisting that "I am God. Why you are talking of any other God? I am God," and Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept that. He will accept the father as asura. Sometimes it was quarrel between father and son. Sometimes the father would call, "My dear Prahlāda, all right, let me know what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers."

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

Therefore here it is said asevayāyaṁ prakṛter guṇānām. That you have to learn. That you can learn very easily if you turn your attention to the service... Therefore this bhakti-yoga service. We are simply insisting get up early in the morning, do this service. In this way, if we engage ourselves in the service of Kṛṣṇa, gradually we shall forget the service of māyā. The service of māyā means sinful activities. That's all. So, so long we are in the service of māyā, duṣkṛtinām, engaged in sinful activities, it is not possible. But if you engage the positive and the negative... The Māyāvādī, they are simply trying to be negative. There is no positive engagement. But here in the bhakti-yoga the negative is there and positive is there. Therefore there is electric light bulb, negative and positive. Therefore there is enlightenment. Simply negative will not help you.

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

"You just do..., try to achieve that thing which achieving you will be no more aspiring for achieving anything more." That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, he did it very conscientiously. Kṛṣṇa said that "This war, your fight, is family. I am connected with both the families. So I cannot take part in this war." But they insisted that "At least You take some part as You like." Then He said that "I divide Myself into two. So one side, all My soldiers, eighteen akṣauhiṇī soldiers, and one side, I am alone. Now you select. Which one you want?" So Duryodhana's thought that "What shall I do with Kṛṣṇa? He's one man. Let me take His soldiers." So he took all the soldiers. And Arjuna said, "No, Kṛṣṇa, I want You." Then Kṛṣṇa said, "No, I'll not fight." "No, You simply remain in my side." "All right, I shall become your chariot driver, that's all."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Now the wife is asking, "My dear husband, I am trying to satisfy you in so many ways, working myself and cooking for you, giving you foodstuff, and I am getting you bathed and everything. Why you are so morose?"

So he was hesitating to disclose his mind. When she insisted that "You disclose. Why you are so sorry? Then I shall try to satisfy you..." (aside:) Come on. ...so he disclosed his mind. What is that? "I want to visit that prostitute." Just see. He is poor man and (chuckling) he is diseased. Just see how much this lust and sense gratification is strong. He was thinking of going to that prostitute, and he disclosed his mind to his wife. Wife was very faithful. She wanted to satisfy her husband. So she promised, "My dear husband, I shall try my best to take you to that prostitute." "Oh, where you'll get one hundred thousand pieces of diamond?" "All right.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

The young man said that "Why you are promising like this? You do not know you are talking before the Deity. You should not talk like that. Because it will not be possible. Even though you agree, your sons, your wife will not agree. So it will be failure and you are talking before the Deity, you should be careful." So the old insisted, "No, maybe they protest, but it is my daughter, I shall give you. Who can protest? I promise." So the young man said, "Now, it is up to you, but you are promising before the Deity. Mind that."

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:

Naturally he does not like to fight or pick up quarrel with others or do some harm to others. Vaiṣṇava is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He knows very well that "If something harmful is done to me, I am unhappy, so why should I commit the same thing to others?" So But in spite of his conviction that he should not fight, still, when Kṛṣṇa insisted up to the point that "Your this mercy upon them will not act because it is already My plan that they will have to die. So you have become very kind, but you cannot surpass My plan. That is not possible. I have come here..." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). "That is My true mission: to save the devotees and to annihilate the nondevotees. So here I have brought them all together in this battlefield, and it will be finished."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

He is witnessing. Witnessing means you want something, Kṛṣṇa is supplying. The material agent, Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti, or the material nature is supplying you ingredients. But Kṛṣṇa is sanctioning, and you are desiring. You are desiring, "I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "No, you will not be happy," but you insist: "No. I want this." "All right. You take this." Kṛṣṇa's material energy is there; He is supplying the ingredients. "All right. Take these ingredients. What do you want?" "I want a three-hundred-story skyscraper building." "All right. Take it. Take it." The ingredients... The sky... You cannot create the ingredients. The ingredients is kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). You take earth, water, fire, air, and combine it and make a skyscraper building. But the ingredients does not belong to you. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. "They are My property. That is Mine. Actually it is Mine." You cannot create water, you cannot create fire, you cannot create earth. It is God's property.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja's Disappearance Day Lecture, (Srila Prabhupada's Sannyasa Guru) -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

We think that we shall be loser by accepting Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is loser. I say from my practical experience. I was thinking that "How can I accept this renounced order of life? I cannot accept so much trouble." So... But I retired from my family life. I was sitting alone in Vṛndāvana, writing books. So this, my Godbrother, he insisted me, "Bhaktivedanta prabhu..." This title was given in my family life. It was offered to me by the Vaiṣṇava society. So he insisted me. Not he insisted me. Practically my spiritual master insisted me through him, that "You accept." Because without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher. So he wanted me to become a preacher. So he forced me through this Godbrother, "You accept." So unwillingly I accepted. And then I remembered that he wanted me to go to the Western country. So I am feeling now very much obliged to my, this Godbrother, that he carried out the wish of my spiritual master and enforced me to accept this sannyāsa order.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

So I consulted some of my Godbrothers, senior Godbrothers, "Guru Mahārāja has told me like this. What can I do?" So you have heard the name of Professor Sanyal, and there were other Godbrothers. They asked me to write on the Vaiṣṇava-siddhānta in English. So perhaps in 1935 I wrote one poetry. The part of it, somebody, you have got. He was very pleased. Since then he was insisting me that "You write on, preach on in English." At that time I was thinking, "What can I do?" So anyway, after his passing away, this Back to Godhead paper was started, as late in 1944, I think, because the expenditure was three hundred, four hundred rupees per month.

Initiation Lectures

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

Others, instruction He's giving, but other is not obeying the instruction. Just like a man is ready to commit some sinful activities. He thinks, "Shall I do it?" From within, "No, no. Don't do it." Again he says, "Why not? Let me do it." In this way, when he insists, oh, then He says, "All right, do it. Do it." So the word that "Nothing can happen without the sanction of God," that is a fact. Nobody can act anything... Then the question is why a man acts sinfully? Why...? Does God give sanction for sinful action? Yes. When one insists that "I shall do it." "All right, do it. And suffer the consequences."

Initiation Lecture and Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

"All right, you take." That is father's mercy. "Oh, why this child is crying? Let him have it. That's all." We have got practical experience. So, I may recite that in my younger days when my eldest son was only two years and half, so, he was trying to catch the table fan—the table fan was moving—so I was resisting(?), "No, don't touch." But he insisted, a child. So, one of my friends was sitting, he said that, "Make it slow and allow him to touch it." So I did it and the child touched it; then there was, in the finger, "Tunnng!" And, then I asked him if, "Again touch?"

"No, no! (devotee chuckles) No."

General Lectures

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Bombay, March 17, 1971:

I'm unfortunate, you are born of my womb. So, so you cannot." Then, "I must have." The boy was very insistent, kṣatriya boy. "Then Kṛṣṇa helps you, then you can. Otherwise how, you cannot." Then he went to search out Kṛṣṇa in the jungle and he searched out. When he saw Kṛṣṇa he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42), no more I want it, no more I want it." This is the process. So, pure bhakti is without any desire, but even if you are filled up with desires, you go to Kṛṣṇa. Don't go to other demigods.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

Because the friends were born of atheist family. Prahlāda Mahārāja also, his father was atheist. So they were not agreeable to their friend's advice, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja canvassing to his friends, little friends, "My dear friends, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And they were replying, "Prahlāda, why you are insisting us to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Let us play. We shall see Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death." But he was insisting, "My dear friends, no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño. "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be studied, should be understood from the very beginning of boyhood, kaumāra." Kaumāra means boyhood. From... Boyhood means from the age of five years. As education begins at the age of five years, similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or bhāgavata-dharma, should be taught to the children as soon as the child is five years old. That is his instruction. "Why so early? We can understand about God later on." No. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Durlabham, "very rarely."

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: For Kant, the true religion is the divine ethical state. He is..., he was fond of quoting the Christian Bible. When Christ was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say, 'Lo here' or 'Lo there,' for behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Now Kant footnotes this passage by saying, "Here a kingdom of God is represented not according to a particular covenant, but moral, knowable through assisted reason." So again he insists on the priority of God within, on the priority of ethical action and the freedom to accept ethical action. And this is epitomized in his famous line, "The starry sky above and the moral law within." The starry sky above is the abode of God, is very far away, but the moral law within is very close. Thus he emphasizes that the kingdom of God is within you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If one is actually aware of God and His instructions, then the kingdom of God is within himself.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I have already said, that there are two authorities, one God the master authority and God's representative is the master author..., is the servant authority. So it is the duty of the servant authority to preach the instruction of God. That will make the human society happy, and this instruction should be taught from the very beginning of life. That is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was teaching God consciousness when he was five years old only and he was teaching amongst the class friend. The class friends wanted to play in the tiffin hour and Prahlāda Mahārāja asked them to sit down and to learn God consciousness. So the class friend protested, "My dear friend, why you are insisting now? We are now children, let us play." That Prahlāda Mahārāja protested, "No, no, you should not waste your time playing because this God consciousness should be learned from the very beginning of life."

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: And intuition is also wrong way. You cannot come to the perfect knowledge by speculation or intuition. You must approach a person who knows (indistinct). The same example repeated: you cannot understand who is your father by speculation and intuition. You must approach your mother and ask her, "Who is my father?" That will be perfect knowledge. That is the process. But when..., if you insist on that "Without asking my mother I will understand my father by speculation or intuition," that is nonsense. That is stupidity. That stupid he is.

Śyāmasundara: If you are still so primitive and juvenile in your understanding that you don't even know there's such thing as a father, first you have to find out that there is such thing as father, then you can ask who is father. These Western philosophers...

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

Prabhupāda: No. The Vṛndāvana, they did not know Kṛṣṇa, even Yaśodā-mayī did not know that He is God. Otherwise, how the transaction of pleasure will be done, if they knew that He is God? Then they could not show, I mean to say, freely mix with Kṛṣṇa. They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. "Kṛṣṇa is our friend, boy friend." They're all neighborhood children. From childhood they are grown up, and the girls, when they are twelve, thirteen years old, they're married. So Kṛṣṇa was not married. (indistinct) wait up to twenty years. But the girl friends, so they are coming to Kṛṣṇa, they could not forget Kṛṣṇa. And they wanted to serve their husbands, but it was not possible. Because in our India, twelve-years-old boy, they got married. But a girl, twelve years, thirteen years, she is (indistinct) young. But the girls had love for Kṛṣṇa, but they are married—some of them had children—but still, they used to come to Kṛṣṇa due to old friendship. That is a fact. But this kind of friendship is not allowed in the society. Therefore it appears like immorality. And Kṛṣṇa also instructed them, when the gopīs came at midnight. He said that "What you have done?" He (indistinct) immediately. That instruction is there. But still they insisted. Their love for Kṛṣṇa is so intense that He must dance with them. They have come and they are not going back. So Kṛṣṇa is always servant to His devotees.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Prabhupāda: Godly, yes.

Hayagrīva: Insofar as man resembles God, he is ethical. Evil forces within man combat his efforts to attain this ultimate goal. Plato is not a determinist. He emphasized freedom of the will and insisted that evil acts are due to man's failure to live up to his responsibility. They do not come from God, who is all-good.

Prabhupāda: Everything comes from God, but we have to make our choice. This ideal example: that the university comes from the government and the prison house also comes from the government, but the prison house is meant for the criminal and the university is meant for the highly learned scholar. The government spends money in both the departments to maintain it; therefore, so far government's recognition is concerned, it has to be maintained. But it is we, we make our selection whether go to the prison house or go to the university. That is, that little independence is there in every human being. We have to make our choice.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Prabhupāda: Yes. When he, we remain in contact with God, the sin cannot touch. That is the explanation given in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). According to our desires we are associating with the different qualities of material nature, and we are getting different types of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Nature is the agent of Kṛṣṇa, God, so as we desire, Kṛṣṇa gives us the facility by giving us a body which is a machine. Just like father and the son. The son insists, "Father, give me a cycle." So the affectionate father gives him a cycle. And he says, "Father, give me a motorcar." So affectionate father gives him a motorcar. So this is the relationship between the father and the son.

Page Title:Insist (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:25 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=49, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:49