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Learn how to... (Lectures, SB)

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Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So even these are the problems, therefore they must be based on religion. Religion means to become well-behaved, to abide... Just like good citizen means well-behaved, to abide by the state laws. So first thing is religion, to learn how to become God conscious. This is the first business of human society. But they have rejected religion. They have become secular. Secular..., what does it mean secular? It means don't care for any kind of religion; Just work very hard for economic development day and night. This is the modern civilization. No. That is misleading. From the very beginning of life.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

That is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sā... atha bhajana-kriyā. Then, after mixing, after associating with the devotees, naturally one becomes eager to be initiated how to execute devotional service. That is called initiation. Bhajana-kriyā. And if he is properly initiated and if he executes the order of the spiritual master, regulative principles, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then things which are not wanted in our life, that becomes vanquished. Just like nobody will die without sex life. Nobody will die without meat-eating. Nobody will die without intoxication. Nobody will die without playing gambling. These are learned by association only. By bad association we learn how to drink, how to smoke. Similarly, by good association we can give up drinking and smoking. So this is called anartha. Anartha means which there is no gain, simply loss. Practically we can see. So a man who has learned to smoke, he's spending one pound or like that daily for smoking. At least we save that money. We don't smoke. So anartha. There is no necessity, still we have learned.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

The bird, if you attack, they immediately go up. He knows how to defend. The (?) in the (?) Park, the swans, as soon as they pass, immediately jump over the water. They know how to defend. This morning a small mouse he has gone up to collect a small sweetmeat. So these intelligence are there even in the lowest animals, even in the ant. So advancement of civilization, how to make this body comfortable, that is not advancement of civilization. That kind of civilization is there even in the cats and dogs. They know. Nobody has to go to the university to learn how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend. Nobody hasn't got to. It doesn't require education. It is already there, everyone. If you attack me, I shall immediately defend with my hands. You see? Natural. So ekāntataḥ śreyas means don't spoil this human form of life only for satisfying the animal propensities. You try to advance in spiritual consciousness. That is ekāntataḥ śreyas. Hm.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

So when one becomes inquisitive how to go to the light, for him the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is required. Therefore it is said that atititīrṣatām. Titīrṣatām means to surpass, to overcome. Ati, desiring to overcome, atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham, this darkness, the position in darkness. Who are in the darkness? Why these people are in the darkness? Saṁsāriṇām. They are undergoing the punishment. Because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they have defied the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa, they are put into the darkness. Just like one who defies the laws of the government, they are put into the jail, outlaws. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. These rascals who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, God, to serve Him, and wants to remain independent, without serving, they are made servant of the prison house, māyā. Just like the criminal. "We don't care for government's law. We can do anything." "All right, come in here. Force you. Sleep. Remain here." This is our position. Simply defying, "I don't care for God," you may not care, but māyā is there. He will give you kick and put you in the..., That... You will learn how to care. You will learn how to care.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

So when one learns how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, direct service, then that is the ultimate goal of religious principles. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You give up all types of religious principles." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Simply just surrender unto Me," because this is religion. Anything which does not teach how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa of God, that is not religion. Therefore I said in the beginning, there is some difference of meaning between "religion" and dharma. Religion and dharma. Religion is a faith, but dharma is the original characteristic of the living entity. And here Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all types of faiths," because we have created so many faiths within this world, according to time, circumstances, country, atmosphere, everything, we have got different faiths. But Kṛṣṇa says it is not the question of faith; it is the question of actual relationship. Because every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and the duty of part and parcel is to render service to the whole, therefore Kṛṣṇa came to establish this type of religion, this first-class religion. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So any religion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

When there is material transaction, if I want to purchase something, then I must have the requisite money to purchase. It is conditioned. But if you want to render service to God, or Kṛṣṇa, there is no condition. Therefore ahaituky apratihatā: "It cannot be checked." Because I am born in particular type, particular time, or particular country, I cannot render service to Kṛṣṇa—that's not a fact. Anywhere, any part of the world, any part of the universe, any man, in any condition, he can serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no impediment. Ahaituky apratihatā. And when that type of religion is followed, to serve the Supreme Absolute without any motive, and without any impediment, then you will be happy. Yayātmā suprasīdati. You are wanting happiness, peace. So if you try, if you learn how to love Kṛṣṇa without any motive and without any impediment, then you will be happy. This is the program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to make everyone happy. Ātmā, yayātmā suprasīdati. Prasīdati means fully satisfied. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

Therefore we should not approach God with a motive. We should simply approach God to love Him, that's all, without any return. That is pure devotion. That is described here:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

If you want really peace by worshiping God, by rendering service to God, then you should learn how to love Kṛṣṇa without any motive. That kind of love will never be checked. You will never be hampered in executing devotional service. And that is first-class religion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

So to become free from sinful life, there is only simple method: if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Bhakti life begins when you fully surrender unto the lotus feet of God. That is the bhakti life. So here it is said that it does not matter whether you are a Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist. It doesn't matter. Your system of religion is first class if you can develop your general love for Kṛṣṇa or God, Adhokṣaja. That is the test. You may advertise yourself or I may advertise myself, "I am a great religious person," but the test is how much you have learned to love God, how much you have advanced in that process.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

A tiger also loves its cubs. But this love, when it will be applied to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is the perfection of life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). What kind of love? Ahaitukī. To love God not for any other reason, that "God will give me some wealth, God will give me this, God will... I shall take from God this." No. Ahaitukī, no cause, that "Because I am in want of some money, therefore I shall go to church or temple or love God." No. Ahaitukī. Just like people generally go there like that, "O God, give us our daily bread." Well, why you are asking God for daily bread? Daily bread is already given to everyone, even birds and bees. Your bread is also there. But people do not know that "My bread is already there. Why I shall bother God for daily bread? Let me learn how to love God." God is giving us so many things without asking. God is giving us light, God is giving us water, God... Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ... (BG 7.4). Everything He is giving you, without which cannot live. And He will not give us our bread?

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

Therefore if civilization is based on religious life, it doesn't matter what religion he belongs to, he is elevated. Any religion. And therefore I ask the Christians that Lord Christ says that "Thou shall not kill," why you are killing? They give some vague explanation. But actually a real Christian is as good as a real Hindu, as a real Muslim—if he follows. No religion is bad. We don't say. But the first-class religion is that... That is explained here: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Every religion teaches how to love God more or less. Why more or less? That is the only aim. How to learn how to love God. But they are rejecting God, what to speak of love. Rejecting. "What is God, this nonsense? I am God. God is dead. Finished."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

So... But that is not pure devotion. Pure devotion is described here that, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamunā, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on. But the result? "I am simply attached to my family." That's all. (laughter) Finished. (Hindi) "I am doing all things, but my center of gravity is my family." Gṛhamedhī. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhī, those who are attached only to the home life, their happiness is sex. That's all. And in order to protect that sense enjoyment, they take to dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90); everything, whatever you call...

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

Just like we are eating. Somebody is eating, somebody, somebody is eating something, somebody is eating. But the eating process and to derive the benefit by eating is the same everywhere. There is no difference. So you may profess any religion. That doesn't matter. You may become Christian, you may become Hindu, you may become Buddhist, you may become Sikh or anyone. There are hundreds and thousands of types of religion. It doesn't matter. But the test is whether you have learned to love God. That is all right. Then it is all right.

That is explained. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). If you have learned to love God, then it doesn't matter what type of religion you are following. The Bhāgavata is very liberal. It does not say it, "If you follow Hindu religion or if you follow this type of religion, then you will understand God." No. Any religion, it doesn't matter. But the test is whether you have advanced in loving God. But if we see that instead of loving God, you are loving something else which is not God... Of course, God is everything.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

We have to obey somebody. But you have selected not to obey Kṛṣṇa but to obey Lenin. In India disobedience is very prominent now. But in that way you shall not be happy. Therefore Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaja (SB 1.2.6). If you learn how to obey the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then you will be happy. Yayātmā suprasīdati. This is fact.

So unless people take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand and learn how to obey Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot, there cannot be any peace. There cannot be any happiness. And there is no condition... Here it is said, ahaituky apratihatā. That obedience should be without any motive. Just like see here the Europeans and American boys, they are obeying Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative without any condition. They have not come here to obey my order for earning livelihood or for some material purpose. They have not come for that. They have got enough money. They have got enough money. They can purchase hundred times India. But why? This is real paro dharmaḥ.

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

So many rituals and so many other things are there in every religion. But the, we have to test by the result, phalena paricīyate. Everything... Just like we have studied so much, a scientific man, but there is examination. If one passes the examination, then it is understood that he has studied nicely. That is our common sense. In school, colleges, everywhere. If I cannot pass the examination and if I advertise myself, "Oh, I have studied this, I have studied that," then what is the value of that? Suppose a man is doing business. So if we see that by doing business, he has acquired some money, he has become rich, then we can understand that he is successful businessman. But if he, he is a poor man, and he says, "I have done this, I have done that, I have done that," you can say so but we want to know by the result. Phalena paricīyate. That is a Sanskrit version. But we have to understand by the result, phalena, what result you have got. What the value of your examination paper you have, how much mark you have received. Similarly we can declare ourself very religionist, great religionist, follower of great religion, but what is this? What is...? How much you have developed your sense of God consciousness, how much you have learned to love God.

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

So in this way try to understand the philosophy of God, that is bhāgavata. Bhāgavata discourse means to understand the philosophy of God. So this process. The religion means first-class religion means one who has learned to love God. That is first-class religion. And how to love God, how to practice that love? That is bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Vairāgyam, the word, two things required in human life, knowledge and renunciation. Renunciation-try to understand what is renunciation—just like we, the members of the Kṛṣṇa society, we have renounced all material activities. That's all. That is renouncement. Our activities are surrounding only about Kṛṣṇa. We do not do anything except Kṛṣṇa business. We are publishing magazine, that is Kṛṣṇa. We are publishing books, that is Kṛṣṇa. We are going to the press, that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are going to the market, that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are cooking, that is for Kṛṣṇa. We are living, only for Kṛṣṇa. We are dancing for Kṛṣṇa. We are chanting for Kṛṣṇa. So we have renounced... The same things are there in the material life, publishing book or going to the press, typing, or microphone, or dancing, chanting, these are... But they are not for Kṛṣṇa, that is for sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

We have seen so many sannyāsīs. First of all they say, "This is false. The world is false. Let me take sannyāsa." And after remaining a few years of sannyāsa, then he learns how to eat meat, how to drink wine, how to associate with women. Then come. Then he must have some business, that philanthropic work, open some school, open some hospital. Why? If he is full(?) and the whole world is false, why you are interested in opening schools and hospitals and... (break) ...to open hospital and open school. No. They are not very much interested. We are interested to open school if there is education for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as we have opened in Dallas, Texas, small children. That we are interested because that is Kṛṣṇa. There is Kṛṣṇa. But we are not interested in so-called godless education. That is not our business.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

Therefore it is said vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you learn how to practice bhakti-yoga, and that is upon Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa... Vāsudeva... And bhakti-yoga therefore says, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Not śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam of the politician. That will not help you. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, if you chant about Kṛṣṇa, if you think about Kṛṣṇa, if you offer worship to Kṛṣṇa, if you engage yourself with some service to Kṛṣṇa, if you offer everything for Kṛṣṇa, you'll see Kṛṣṇa always, twenty-four hours. This is the process. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). This is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That is stated in the Bhagavad... Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. These boys and girls who are in bhakti-yoga, they are satataṁ kīrtayanto kṛṣṇam. They are going... Sometimes we go to make membership with these books.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

So everyone can bhakti-yoga practice, simply under the guidance of proper spiritual master who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. From him you take lesson. And it is not difficult, this bhakti-yoga practice. Actually, this was the practice in India in every home. There was Deity. At least, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they had Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Sītā-Rāma, or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, or Nārāyaṇa śilā. Every house, it was being worshiped. But we have lost our culture. Vāsudeve bhakti-yogaḥ..., bhakti-prayojitaḥ. We have lost this culture. Revive it. Don't lose this opportunity of human life. Practice bhakti-yoga and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and make your life successful. That is our mission. We are teaching. It is not a business, that "Give me some money; I will teach you." It is open. We are asking everyone, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." What is the difficulty? There is no loss. You haven't got to pay anything. Simply as these boys have learned to chant and dance, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. This is the Gosvāmīs' teachings,"Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." And why should you go to see dancing elsewhere? Dance at home. Make family organization in that way. You will be happy. Then you will understand what is your position.

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

So not that atheist class men have developed at the present moment. It may be the number has increased, but atheist class of men were long, long ago also. There was Carvaka Muni, he was also called muni. Muni means mental speculator, or thoughtful. So this Carvaka Muni, he also presented his philosophy, atheism, that ṛṇāṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So long you live, you live very joyfully by enjoying your senses. This is atheistic principle. And in India the sense enjoyment principle is based on ghee, clarified butter, because if they get butter, they prepare so many nice preparations. You have also learned how to do it. (laughter) In India there are varieties. If you sometimes go to India... In Delhi there are shops, many varieties of foodstuffs, all from grains and fruits, that's all. Grain, fruits, ghee, sugar, and salt. Varieties, hundreds. So eating, sleeping, the basic principle is eating, sleeping, mating. So Carvaka Muni says that "Live very joyfully, and eat very nicely, enjoy your senses, finish your life. That is atheism. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They have no vision that there is soul.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

That is animal life, bodily concept of life. Therefore dharma should be practiced for nullifying. Because we do not want to work very hard, every one of us, but we have to, especially at the present moment. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. In the Kali-yuga the situation will be so much deteriorated that simply for a piece of bread, one has to work just like an ass. Very hard labor. It has come to become so. Gradually, it will deteriorate more and more. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now rice and wheat is selling at a high price, three rupees kilo. But time will come when if you pay 300,000 rupees, still, it will not be available. Especially rice, wheat, sugar and milk and fruits. That means sāttvikāhāra. These things will be finished. Therefore they are learning how to eat beef. This is the beginning. Just like a child learns to eat, little, little. Otherwise there will be no more food. Therefore dharma is required to stop this miserable condition of life. That is real dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

So in this way, try to understand what is dharma, what is God. And we can help you, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got now about fifty books, big, big books like that, to understand Kṛṣṇa, simply to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa through your education, through your scientific knowledge, philosophy, and whatever you like-yes, we can convince you. We have got so many books. But if you say that you have no money to purchase books, you are not so learned to... Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

You should learn how to convince. (laughter) Without learning, how can you do it? First of all you become a disciple of Kṛṣṇa. Then you can teach. Tad-vijñānārtha... What is that?

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)

You should learn what is Kṛṣṇa from jñāninaḥ, tattva-darśinaḥ, who has seen Kṛṣṇa. So you can take. You can follow Arjuna. Arjuna has seen Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna has talked with Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna has taken instruction from Kṛṣṇa. What Arjuna says? Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). You learn it. Why don't you learn from Arjuna? Then you will be able to convince others. You learn. That is your duty as Indian.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

So last word of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). If one does not understand Kṛṣṇa and does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is simply uselessly wasting his time. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata it is said, kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. Kāmasya nendriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā (SB 1.2.10). Simply take so much as you will need, not for sense gratification. That is the process. Don't take more, don't take less. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya. Śāstra does not advise you that you starve, unnecessarily you starve. No. Kṛṣṇa has condemned one who unnecessarily starves. You take foodstuffs. But don't take anything which is forbidden. Take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). Don't try to satisfy your senses. The senses will be satisfied. There are so many varieties of food, kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That you will... These Europeans and Americans, they used to take meat. Now if you give them, bribe that "You take again meat..." Because they have learned to cook so many nice foodstuffs. Ask any one of them. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā. When you get better thing, nivartate, then you give up which is not very good.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

So actually we are creating anarthas. Anarthas means unwanted things. So just like practical example: anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If one is engaged in bhakti-yoga practice, devotional service, immediately the anarthas will be diminished. Just like our students. Since they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... They were all Americans, Europeans. They knew how to increase anarthas, unwanted things. It is confirmed. Immediately they have given up the cinema bill, the club bill, the intoxication bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

So we have discussed how to get out of the laws of nature—mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Mukta-saṅga means one who has become freed from the three modes of material nature. After being freed from the laws of material nature or by the three modes of material nature, then we can talk of vāsudeva-bhakti. But one can become free from this bondage of material nature simply by devotional service to Vāsudeva. That is being stressed in this chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning.

vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
(SB 1.2.7)

If we simply learn how to render devotional service to Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ. This is actually translated into English as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything for Kṛṣṇa. So that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Āśu, very soon, one becomes detached from this material bondage. Janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca. And jñāna, knowledge, real knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

There are many, I mean, Puranic, Pauranic indences(?). That is long story, that by karma, we take birth in different forms of life, and if we have got too much attachment... Sometimes a person, the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as serpent, sometimes as dog, sometimes as tree. Being too much attached to the possession, they cannot get better life. And sometimes we can get the body of a hog and monkey in Vṛndāvana also.

That is a great science one has to learn: how the transformation of the body takes place, how our attachment acts in that way. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke (BG 8.6). This is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no educational system. Neither do they know the process of transmigration of the soul. So everyone is in ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Neither they're interested to take knowledge from the Vedic scripture. Everything is described there. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is the end of knowledge. Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi. If one wants to be educated, he has to come to the limit of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and all the sublime informations are there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Someone is associating with sattva-guṇa, one is associating with tamo-guṇa, one is associating with rajo-guṇa. So this is the reason. This is the reason that one is getting low-grade form of body or high-grade form of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu.

Now... In another place it is also clearly stated: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Therefore the first-class civilization is that which associates with the modes of goodness. That is, means, brahminical civilization. Truthful, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjava..., jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is first-class civilization. People must be truthful, they must be equipoised, not disturbed, not being disturbed by different situations. They must learn how to control the senses. They must learn how to control the mind. Śamo damas ti... They must be tolerant, titikṣā. Ārjava: they must be very simple, no duplicity. Ārjava. Jñānam: they must know everything in full knowledge. Vijñānam: apply the knowledge in practical life. Āstikyam: they must believe in the Vedic injunctions. Āstikya. That is called āstikya. The atheist and, and theist. The theist believes in the Vedic injunction. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is theist. Not that "I believe in God." They must believe in the injunction of the Vedas; what is said in the Vedas, one must believe. That is called theist.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

By executing religion one should be satisfied, but unless he comes to the point of Vāsudeva, he'll never be satisfied. That is not... Yayātmā suprasīdati. If we learn to love Vāsudeva, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, then we'll be satisfied by executing religion. Otherwise it is superficial. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim (SB 1.2.8). If one is not interested to hear the kathā, vāsudeva-kathā, śrama eva hi kevalam. Similarly, only formalities will not help. We must enlighten ourself. We must enhance our propensity to hear about Vāsudeva. Śravaṇam. That is wanted. Simply formalities will help us very slowly. One, one who is interested in hearing about Vāsudeva, his progress is very quick. Otherwise, it will be simply formalities. Vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ. The ultimate goal: go back to home, back to Godhead. Vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ.

So this verse is very nice, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Essence of knowledge. Vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ. We should take advantage of the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the direction; then our life will be successful, our aim of human life, mission, will be fulfilled. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

As I have several times explained to you that law is meant for human beings. What is law? Law means restrictions. You cannot have sense gratification unrestricted; that is law. Otherwise, what is the meaning of law? Just like when we are driving car, the law is red light, we have to stop. That is law. Because if you unrestrictedly drive your car, there will be accident. Either you will die or somebody will die.

Therefore law is required. How can you say that "Unrestrictedly I will enjoy my senses"? That is chaotic condition of life. The so-called civilization, so-called unrestricted sense gratification allowed in the name of freedom, that is disastrous. One must learn how to control. Controlling the senses, this is civilization. To become cats and dogs, that is not civilization. Dog civilization, cat civilization, hog civilization, camel civilization, this is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

You have no experience. I have got experience. Or some of the Indians who are present... In 1942, the government created artificial famine, artificial famine. The government began to purchase. The poli... That time, the war was going on. So Mr. Churchill's policy was that "Keep the people in scarcity, and they will, they'll voluntarily come and become soldiers." That was the policy. "You have no money. So..., and the another venue is opened. Yes, you become a soldier. You get so much money." People, out of poverty, would go there. That was the policy. So this policy was executed that government began to purchase rice and, I mean to say, commodities which are daily necessities. And... Any price, any price they can offer. Because the currency in their hand. They can print the so-called papers, hundred dollars, and pay you. And you becomes satisfied: "Oh, I have got hundred dollars." But it is a piece of paper. The cheating is from the government. Why the people will not learn how to cheat?

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

So he does not deny anybody. He has made books in such a way that any person reading books... Just like in a school there are different classes and different books are recommended for different classes. Similarly, Vyāsadeva has given the whole Vedic literature in such a nice way in the form of Purāṇas that any man can be elevated to the highest position, reading books like this. Take for example that one who is addicted to take intoxication, eating flesh, and sex life—because these are natural instincts. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā. Nobody is required to give lesson, to teach. Nobody required to be taught how he has to make sexual intercourse. Nobody has to be taken, I mean, given lesson how he can become intoxicated. Don't you see that the intoxicants, intoxicated person, they have become automatically? There is no university. There is no educational system that "You become... Take LSD like this." No. That is a natural tendency. To become intoxicated, to take liquor, LSD, gāñjā, pān, oh, very easily you can learn. To use sex life...

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

So many. There are different terms. So this is the process. We are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti, and we're eternally very affectionate and obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. Somehow or other, it is covered. So that garbage that's covering has to be moved. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it is covered by dust you cannot see your face nicely. But as soon as it is nicely brushed and cleansed, you see exactly what you are. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means cleansing the heart of all the dirty things that is accumulated life after life. It is not an artificial thing, we are learning to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. We are already devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but we have forgotten, or the consciousness is covered. Now, by this process, devotional process, especially by kīrtana, by chanting, glorifying the holy name of the Lord, the cleansing process is accelerated. Very soon it takes place.

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

So the... Here it is said that sākṣād bhagavatoditam, uditam. That... What is Bhāgavata, Bhāgavata? Kṛṣṇa never says that "First of all you hear My līlā with the gopīs." He never says that. He first of all says that "You surrender unto Me." First of all learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. First of all learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then you can taste what is Kṛṣṇa's līlā with the gopīs. It is just like mukhāravinda. Just like... Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the Daśama-skandha with the gopīs is compared with Kṛṣṇa's face, smiling face. But we have to worship Kṛṣṇa beginning with the feet. Not immediately we shall look to the face of Kṛṣṇa. We shall misunderstand. First of all try to be Kṛṣṇa's devotee by offering your worshipable things at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The First Canto or Second Canto of Bhagavad-gītā are the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So from the very beginning we should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Gradually, we shall come to the face. That is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa. And without understanding of the other nine cantos of Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if we simply jump over the Tenth Canto, and especially to the Thirty-fifth Chapter, the five chapters, Rāsa-pañcādhyāya, this is not very favorable. Of course, it is favorable.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Therefore it is said, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. So you may be staying in any āśrama or any varṇa, it does not matter. But you should see whether your life is perfect. If you don't see... Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam. If you don't see, "How my life is being perfected," then... Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayet... (SB 1.2.8). If he does not awaken his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply. Simply waste of time. But if he develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he learns how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to please Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. That he understood... Etat saṁsūcitaṁ brahmaṁs tāpa-traya-cikitsitam. This is the cikitsā, treatment, of tāpa... If you want to get relief from this material condition of life, then you should learn how to please Kṛṣṇa, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is called bhakti. Without bhakti, you cannot be relieved. Jñāna, karma, yoga will not get you released from this tāpa-traya. And if you execute devotional service, then immediately, immediately you become free from this tāpa-traya.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

Then at last the fighting was between Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Bhīma. This vṛkodara... Vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa. Both of them, Duryodhana and Bhīma, they were very expert in fighting with gadā. So when they were fighting, Balarāma... Balarāma... Kṛṣṇa was neutral, but He was taking the side of Arjuna. He was driving the chariot. That means He was on the side of the Pāṇḍavas. But actually He was not fighting. So Balarāma also did not fight, and in order to avoid any parties, He went to holy places at that time. He was traveling all over India from different holy places, one place to another. So when He returned, He had some sympathy with Duryodhana. Because Duryodhana was His disciple to learn how to fight with this gadā, club, naturally He was sympathetic, Balarāma was sympathetic. So when He came, they were..., fighting was going on. So just to show Him respect, they stopped fighting and everyone was silent. Because the Pāṇḍavas knew that Balarāma was sympathetic with Duryodhana, and if He takes the side of Duryodhana, then everything will be spoiled, because He is the Supreme Person. But He did not do so. He advised them, "My dear Duryodhana, I know you are a great fighter. You have got strength. You have learned, you know the art of fighting. But you are not so strong as Bhīma." And He advised Bhīma, "My dear Bhīma, you have got the strength of ten thousand elephants. Naturally you are superiorally stronger. So he knows the art better than you, and you are bodily stronger than him. So there will be no decision. The fighting will go on. Can you not stop? Because there will not be decision. The fighting will go on. Unless one is dead, the fighting will go on. So what is the use? Nobody will be victorious. The fighting will go on. Better stop."

Lecture on SB 1.7.19 -- Vrndavana, September 16, 1976:

Therefore ordinary person must be physically engaged. That is not physical, that is also transcendental. Always busy in some business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. Not that, "Oh, I have become a great scholar and I have now learned how to become a great Vaiṣṇava. I chant sixty-four rounds, and think of my wife somewhere, and then good-bye to Govindajī and leave Vṛndāvana." These rascaldom do not follow. Govindajī drives such rascals away from Vṛndāvana. So Vṛndāvana, one who is living in Vṛndāvana, he must be very anxious how to spread the glories of Vṛndāvana-candra all over the world. That is wanted. Not that Vṛndāvana-candra is my private property and I sit down in a place and lick up. No, that is not wanted. That is not wanted. That is condemned by my Guru Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa said, "There is no second one beyond Me, so I shall become your son." So He became son. So He must play perfectly, that Yaśodāmāyi may not understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then the feelings of mother and son will disappear. Kṛṣṇa is playing exactly like a little child. So that is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Similarly, to us. We are not so elevated like Nanda Mahārāja or Yaśodā Mahārāja (māyi). We're just beginners. So we do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot see Kṛṣṇa, either His virāḍ-mūrti or this mūrti. So what we can see? We can see stone, wood, or material things. So when Kṛṣṇa appears to be seen by you and He appears like a stone statue, He's not stone statue. Don't think. Therefore we must learn how to see Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think that "Here is a stone statue." As soon as we think of stone statue, then our, this feeling, bhāva, will be lost.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

So these are rare instances. But don't think that because you are very clever and..., you'll be untouched by Yamarāja. No, no, no. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu asatsu (SB 2.1.4). Asat. Nobody will stay. Asat. This material world is like that. Asat means temporary, everything. This body is temporary. Your body is temporary, this life is temporary. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), Kṛṣṇa says you'll have to change this body. It may be for fifty years, sixty years, utmost hundred years. But still, you have to change this body. Therefore asat. Asato mā sad gama. This is Vedic instruction. Don't be attached to this asat, temporary things. That is called vairāgya. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam (CC Madhya 6.254). If one wants to learn how to become vairāgī, no attachment for this material world, then he must take to devotional service.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

Therefore śāstra says that alakṣya... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: (Nārada Pañcarātra) "If one has come to the point of worshiping the Supreme Lord, there is no more necessity of undergoing severe austerities and penances." Because others, karmīs and yogis, for their sense gratification, karmīs, jñānīs, and yogis, they have to undergo severe austerities. But the bhakta, somehow or other, he can, if he simply learns how to love Kṛṣṇa, then he hasn't got to undergo severe austerities and penance. Immediately he is released. Because that is the perfectional stage. If you live in Kṛṣṇa, always loving... Just like the gopīs. The gopīs, they learned how to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all. They never underwent any severe austerities like the great saintly persons going to Himalaya and pressing their nose and something like that. No, never did. Their only business was how to love Kṛṣṇa. Automatically. Without any... Of course, that stage is not easily obtained, but the śāstra says if you come to that stage, simply to love Kṛṣṇa, then you are on the highest platform of blissful life. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu (Bs. 5.38). Santaḥ, those who are devotees, they are twenty-four hours seeing God. That is to be... That is the highest stage of perfection. And by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, one can be brought to the platform, how to love Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours without any cessation.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

And uttama-adhikārī, they have no such distinction. They see: "Everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is all right." But madhyama-adhikārī has to make distinction. Kṛpā upekṣā. He is very kind to the innocent, but those who are envious, he does not care for them. Those who are envious, he does not care for them. He rejects them: "Let them become envious," these madhyama-adhikārī. And īśvare, unto the Supreme Lord-prema. They learn how to love Kṛṣṇa and how to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa's devotee. So this is madhyama-adhikārī and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, uttama-adhikārī. There are different types of devotees, not all the same, according to the stages.

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

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 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

So Brahman realization without activity of Brahman will not allow you to stay in the Brahman position. You'll fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Patanty adhaḥ. By great austerities and penance, they can rise up to the paraṁ padam, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, brahma-pada. But āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ, from that place, patanty adhaḥ, again falls down in this material world. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they did not learn how to honor Your lotus feet." Because they are impersonalists, they are—"God, or the Brahman, has no leg." So how they will take shelter of the leg or lotus feet? Impersonal. Therefore the very word is used, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Aṅghrayaḥ means this leg, or lotus feet. So because they have no information, or they, even they have got information, they are not inclined to render service, therefore they fall down. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

Similarly another current, janma mṛtyu, birth, death, old age. These are all currents. These are different currents of the material nature. We become hungry, we become thirsty. We become overwhelmed with regret, śoka moha, illusion, then birth, death, so many currents. We are being carried away. I am spirit soul. I am put into the material ocean, and the currents, currents are carried away. So here, if you be engaged, śṛṇvanti gāyanti abhīkṣṇaśaḥ, twenty-four hours, then the current, upāsanam, uparamam, the current will stop. No more you'll be carried away by these material current. Bhava pravāha uparamam. Where? Padāmbujam. "Your lotus feet. Your lotus feet." One how has learned how to see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and offer a little tulasī and sandalwood pulp, his, this current will stop. This current of material life will stop.

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

I am safe. Because I am confident that this ocean, however powerful it may be, however its waves are very fearful, I am sure it will not come up to this." How it is happening? Now yasyājñayā. By the order of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has ordered: "My dear Pacific Ocean, you may be very big and powerful, but you cannot come beyond this line." You can remember immediately Kṛṣṇa, God. God is so powerful that even this Pacific Ocean is abiding the order, obeying the order of Kṛṣṇa. In this way you can think of Kṛṣṇa.

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You see the sunrise, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa. If you have read Bhagavad-gītā, it is stated there, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the shining of the sun. I am the shining of the moon." So if you have learned how to see Kṛṣṇa, you can see in the sunshine Kṛṣṇa. You have not created the sunshine. You have not created the sun, you so-called scientists. You can talk all jugglery of words only. But it is beyond your capacity to know what is the sun. It is beyond your capacity. You cannot know. But you can know śāstra-yonitvāt.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

This is wanted. Simply try to understand what Kṛṣṇa desires and try to satisfy Him. This is perfection of life.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
(SB 1.2.13)

If you want perfection, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said this perfection. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra, janma sārthaka kari (CC Adi 9.41)'. What is that janma sārthaka? This is janma sārthaka. What is that? When you learn how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If you learn this simple art, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then your life is perfect. Bas.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

So how these people, during the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, were free from all kinds of anxieties and diseases? Nādhayo vyādhayaḥ kleśāḥ. If you are in anxiety, then that will create a disease. Our this psychological condition, physiological condition, is working in so subtle way-little shocking, little disturbance will create another disturbance. The Ayurvedic medicine, they treat patients on this principle, how things are disturbed. They have got their calculation: kapha, pitta, vāyu. Tri-dhātu. This body is a composition of these three dhātus. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Kuṇape. This is a bag created by the interaction of the three elements, namely, kapha, pitta, vāyu, bile, mucus and air. This is kavirāja treatment. They can understand the position of these three elements by feeling the pulse. This is Ayurvedic science. If one kavirāja can learn to feel the pulse, he can say everything. He can say when this man will die, today or tomorrow or... Accurately he will say. The pulse beating is so scientifically described in Ayurvedic science. As soon as he fixes up the pulse beating, immediately the formulas are there: "Such kind of pulse beating will create such and such symptoms."

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Now read the purport also. (SB 1.15.24)

Pradyumna: "According to the anthropologists, there is nature's law of struggle for existence and survival of the fittest. But they do not know that behind the law of nature, there is the supreme direction of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that the law of nature is executed under the direction of the Lord. Whenever therefore there is peace in the world, it must be known that it is due to the good will of the Lord, and whenever there is upheaval in the world, it is also due to the supreme will of the Lord. Not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord. Whenever, therefore, there is disobedience of the established rules enacted by the Lord, there is war between men and nations. The surest way to the path of peace is, therefore, dovetailing everything to the established rule of the Lord. The established rule is that whatever we do, whatever we eat, whatever we sacrifice, whatever we give in charity, must be done to the full satisfaction of the Lord. No one should do anything, eat anything, sacrifice anything, or give anything in charity against the will of the Lord. Discretion is the better part of valor, and one must learn how to discriminate between actions which may be pleasing to the Lord and those which may not be pleasing to the Lord. An action is thus judged by the Lord's pleasure or displeasure. There is no room for personal whims. We must always be guided by the pleasure of the Lord. Such action is called yoga-karmasu kauśalam, or actions performed which are linked with the Supreme Lord. That is the art of doing a thing perfectly."

Prabhupāda: (aside:) That child... So the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, the statement is there by Kṛṣṇa,

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham
(BG 15.15)

Actually, everyone is suffering or enjoying. There is no enjoyment, only suffering. But the struggle for existence, to counteract the suffering, we take it as enjoying. Actually there is no enjoying.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

Human civilization is meant for tapasya, tapasya. You should know what is my responsibility. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca (SB 6.1.13). One should learn how to practice tapasya. Tapasya. This is tapasya, little tapasya. No illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication, this is tapasya, little tapasya. Who is dying without meat-eating? We have got so many students. There are so many Vaiṣṇavas, they do not eat meat. Are they dying? This is only bad habit. But if you practice little... In the beginning it may be little troublesome. It is not troublesome. I am thinking... Just like one gentleman came, "We cannot give up meat-eating. I want, but I cannot." Practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā (BG 8.8). Anything you practice, habit is the second nature. So in association of the devotee, if you try to practice this tapasya... Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13), not to have sex life without any purpose, that is called brahmacārī. Brahmacārī does not mean celibacy. Brahmacārī means who does not use sex life for any other purpose than begetting nice children. He is brahmacārī.

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

So we are born without any perfect knowledge. That is natural. We have to sent..., we have to be sent to school for learning. Therefore these books are there. Why for these books are being written? Just for the learning of the human society. So they can learn it. Cats and dogs cannot read these Bhāgavata or Bhagavad-gītā. It is meant for human society. So they should take advantage of this knowledge. But if they remain in the darkness of ignorance, then what is the meaning of their advancement? It has no meaning. So that is going on. They too do not accept knowledge from the authority. They manufacture. How you can manufacture? You are a fool, so whatever you manufacture, so-called knowledge, that is also foolish. How can we depend on your foolish knowledge? Abodha-jāta. Everyone is fool. He cannot manufacture. He has to learn to take knowledge from a person who knows. The he's perfect. That is our system. We are taking knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. We are taking knowledge is perfect. We are taking authority. As we are, we are defective. Our position is sometimes we do mistake—"two plus two equals five." But it is not fact. So two plus two must be four. But if we make "five" or "three," that means the whole background becomes wrong. That is... we are liable to do that mistake. And illusion. Illusion means two plus two equal to four; I have written "five," but I am seeing it is all right. I'm seeing it is all right: "two." Therefore one should not correct himself. Another person should take the editorial correction work, because the man who has written he sees that it is right. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa worship is so easy, universal. Other worshiping method you have to collect so many things, then you can worship. Or you must have temple, you must have church, you must have worshiping place. But Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. And you can collect this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam anywhere. You can worship Kṛṣṇa anywhere, but you have to learn how to worship. What is that learning? Bhaktyā, that is the method. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). This patraṁ puṣpam is not important thing. The important thing is bhakti, devotion. That is wanted. Without bhakti, if you offer Kṛṣṇa very big plate, Kṛṣṇa is not hungry to take your food. He'll not accept it. He'll not accept anything if you do not offer with your love, bhaktyā, love and serving spirit: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are so opulent. I have nothing to offer You because You have got everything. But I have tried to collect these things to my best power, so I am offering You. Kindly take it." This is mantra. This is mantra. Don't require much mantra. That meekness, that humbleness, "Kṛṣṇa, I am most insignificant. I have nothing to give You, neither You are very much hungry or You... You have got many, many..." Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). Kṛṣṇa is served by the goddess of fortune, not one, many millions. Here we are praying to goddess of fortune, "My dear goddess of fortune, kindly give me little fortune. I am very poor." That is our position.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

So that is recommended for everyone. Up to twenty-five years' age, nobody should have any connection with woman. That is brahmacārī. Strictly. That brahmacārī rules and regulation are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that he would go door to door for collecting alms for his spiritual master, and address every woman as mother, from the very beginning. From five years old, if a child is trained to call all woman as "Mother," naturally his culture is different. Because he has learned to call all woman as "Mother." He has no other idea. A small child, any woman comes before him, he knows "(S)He is my mother." So this was the practice. That is not only religiously, but morally, it is so good, to look upon all woman as mother. That is the system still in India, any unknown woman who has no introduction with you, (s)he is addressed "Mātājī." Address her. She may be just like daughter or granddaughter, but one would address, as a respect to the woman, as "Mother, Mātājī." This is Indian system. Now some rascals have introduced "Bhaginījī, sister." But that is not shastric. In the śāstra, all the woman, except one's wife, should be addressed as "Mother."

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So what is that religion? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). This is religion, to surrender to God. It doesn't matter what religion you profess. It doesn't matter. But you must learn how to obey the Supreme Lord. That is religion. Religion does not mean that you stamp some stereotype religion, "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Buddhist," and then fight. That is not religion. That is fanaticism. Religion means how one has become devoted to God. That is religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). You claim to be religious, or you claim to be Hindu or Christian or Buddhist. That's all right. But do you know what is God? Oh, everyone silent. Everyone, all nonsense rascals, silent. He does not know what is God. And what is his religion? If you do not know what is God, a vague idea, that is not religion. You must know what is God. Just like to become American citizen, it requires to know something of the history of America. So if American citizen, if you ask him, "What you are?" "Now I am American." "Who is your president?" "I do not know." What is this nonsense, American? Would you like to hear from him that "I do not know who is president"? Similarly, a human being professing some certain type of religion, but you ask him, "What is God?" Religion must be in relationship with God, any religion.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So this is called purification, to learn how to sit down before the Deity, how to talk before the Deity. So everything should be learned. There are sevā-aparādha, sixty-four kinds of offenses in the service. So we have to become offenseless. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept your service. Not by making a show. Kṛṣṇa will accept your service when you are sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). Automatically there will be. As soon as you're purified, automatically Kṛṣṇa will appear, immediately. Kṛṣṇa will ap... Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti: (Bs. 5.38) "Those who are purified, santaḥ, saintly persons, they can see Kṛṣṇa in every second, every moment." Because they have been purified. After purification, there will be prema, love. The symptoms of purification is that when you do not love anything except Kṛṣṇa, that is purification. We have got our love. So instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we are loving dog, cats and this and that—my country, community, family, nation, so many ways distributed.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

So śāstra says that "Everyone, every living entity, has got a general tendency for these things: sex life, meat-eating and drinking." Then where is the need of shastric injunction? That shastric injunction is there not to encourage them, but to restrict them. In the human life, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. You have got a tendency for sex life, take for example. This is your tendency. But if you can check it, that is your success. Not that because you have got tendency, you have to increase it. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means we have got so many animal propensities, and if we can control them, that is advancement of human civilization. Just try to understand. Not that "Because I have got this tendency, let me increase it without any restriction." That is not human civilization. Human civilization... That is the distinction between animal and human being. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa jñānena (SB 6.1.13).

Therefore first beginning of human life... (aside:) That child... The first beginning of human life is brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means to learn how to restrict himself from sense gratification. That is brahmacārī life—the student, student life. Nowadays, in every college, university, the students are allowed to mix, intermingle, both sex.

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

This is completely in the hands of the material nature. So therefore it is the duty of the human being how to get out of the control of the material nature. That is the greatest science. But they do not know it. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ. The rascals have become mad. Pramattaḥ means mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Simply acting sinfully. If they are advised that "Don't do this. This is very dangerous. You will be involved again in the birth and death cycle..." They have no knowledge what is birth, what is death, what is this body, what is the aim of... No. Simply blind animals. Simply blind animals. And still, they are going under the name of scientist, philosopher, politician. This is the misfortune of the present age. So nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4). The same thing is explained here: vyavāyonmukha-jīva. Indriya-prītaye. Simply for sense gratification they are doing anything nonsense, as madman. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute yad indriya-prītaye. What is the aim? Aim is not self-realization. Aim is how to satisfy. "Never mind. Risk everything. Satisfy your senses." Therefore real civilization is to teach the children from the very beginning of life how to control senses. That is called brahmacārī. That is called brahmacārī life. To learn how to control the senses.

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.

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

So that love is deserved for Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the more we learn how to love the Supreme Lord, that is perfection of life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. And what kind of love? Ahaituky apratihatā: that love is not motivated, that "I want this thing; therefore I shall love." Here in this material world the so-called love, lust, is motivated. "I'll get so much sense gratification; therefore I love a boy or a girl." That is not love; that is lust. Love means without any motive. Without any motive. Ahaitukī. And that, that love cannot be checked by any material impediments. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. If you can reach that love of Godhead, then you'll feel, "Oh, I am so fortunate." Otherwise we remain unfortunate. So love is there everywhere. Even in cats' and dogs' love there is love. But the perfection is when you actually find the person to love and you actually do it, that is perfection.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

So many Christian gentlemen I meet. They cannot understand even Christianity that Lord Jesus Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill," and they are very busy simply in killing business. And still, they're Christians. First of all, let us see who is a Christian. Similarly, every religion, simply by rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," but they do not know what is religion. They do not know. Therefore (in) the Bhāgavatam you'll find religion, religious person, who is a religious person first-class religion? Religious person means who has learned to love God. That is religious person. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaituky aprati... (SB 1.2.6). And this religion is universal. To love God, you don't require any education, don't require any rubber stamp. God is one, and you are part and parcel of God. You try to love. You have got the loving propensity. You love God, and you'll be satisfied, you'll be happy. Everyone is trying to love God, somebody else. Love is not alone. Love must be two. So that two, Kṛṣṇa and myself, that is called love.

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

Therefore our movement is to revive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). So it is very important movement. Those who are very intelligent, they can take to it. Or you become intelligent or not intelligent, but know, at least, unless one is pious, he cannot take to this movement. But somehow or other, if you take this movement, then your this valuable life is successful. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. It is not cats' and dogs' life. It is human form of... Utilize it properly. Properly means to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not dog conscious, cat conscious or this conscious or... No. These will not help you. Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then you will be able to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death and your this valuable life is properly utilized. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. You have got very nice valuable body, but it will be properly utilized if you learn how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death.

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 you try to love God and you'll see that you're loving even an ant. There are many examples I can cite in the history, how a man became universal lover. I have told you many times the story of a hunter. The hunter was taking pleasure by killing animals half, and when the same hunter became a devotee, he was not prepared to kill even an ant. So this is love of Godhead. This is the science. The same hunter who was killing every day so many animals, when he became a great devotee of Lord, he was not willing—because he becomes vastly learned. To become lover of God means fully enlightened in consciousness. He sees that "Here is an ant. This living entity, a small living entity, is also part and parcel. By his own work, he has got this insignificant body as an ant. I have got this human form of body, but that does not make any difference between the soul and the soul." Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). When it becomes actually... When a man becomes actually learned, he's sama-darśī. He sees everyone on the equal level. I was seeing just this evening the Ten Commandments. Now, in the Ten Commandments, the one commandment is that "Thou shall not kill."

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

So one who does not listen to the glories of the Lord... Because the human life... This life is meant for learning how to engage our senses in the service of the Lord. That is the mission of human life. In other lives the senses are engaged for sense gratification. And in the human life, when we have got developed consciousness, at that time the senses are meant for being engaged in the service of the Lord. So ear is the most important sense because our spiritual enlightenment begins from this sense. Hearing. Na yat-karṇa-pathopetaḥ. Karṇa-patha means aural reception. So one has to go to hear from the realized person, guru, spiritual master. That is the meaning. Śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). One has to approach a spiritual master, śrotriyam, who has also heard from a spiritual master. This... Our knowledge is by hearing, śruti.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

So we have to learn how to purify our senses. Then we can see God everywhere. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Brahma-saṁhitā. Premāñjana-cchurita. When we develop love of God, prema añjana, that ointment... Just like we apply some ointment to the eyes to make it clear—our vision becomes clearer—similarly, there is ointment which is called love of Godhead. If we develop that love of Godhead, so by that ointment, when our imperfect eyes will be cleansed, then we can see God. This is the process. Ātma-tattva. So ātma-tattva viśuddhy-artham. Ātma-tattva. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So the beginning of purification is first of all to understand "what I am. Am I this body or something else?" Ātma-tattva. If we can understand "myself, what I am," then I can understand God also. Or if I can understand God, then I can understand me also. Just like if you see the sun, you can see yourself also. In the darkness you cannot see yourself, neither the sun.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

So one has to learn how to describe the Absolute Truth, Bhagavān, how He's acting, how He's merciful, how He is so kind to the living beings that He comes personally. He's more anxious to give us education, enlightenment what is the goal of life. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). And He leaves the literature, He leaves His devotee, He leaves His follower, the paramparā system. Take advantage of this. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving the whole human society this advantage of understanding what is the Absolute Truth. It is not a bogus thing. It is actually this anukīrtaya. Anukīrtaya. We are not manufacturing our philosophy. There is no business. Why shall I try for..., unnecessarily waste our energy for manufacturing? There are so many things to be learned which is already there in the Vedic literature. Just try to learn and distribute it. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

In England, the Queen has bodyguards. So similarly, when we... Yoga ādhyātmikaḥ. Yoga means connection, and ātmā, ātmā means this soul, actually, but sometimes ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the body also. So body has nothing to do with the Supreme Being, because Supreme Being is complete spirit. He has no material covering. One who thinks that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Being, has got a material covering, covered by māyā, as we are, covered by māyā, this material energy... Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Kṛṣṇa does not say that "I come here as ordinary living being." Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). One has to learn how Kṛṣṇa takes birth. It is not ordinary birth. Had it been ordinary birth, then why we should observe the Janmāṣṭamī ceremony? It is divyam, divine, transcendental. Everything of Kṛṣṇa is divine. And if we think Kṛṣṇa as like us, then according to the statement of the Bhagavad-gītā, immediately we become a mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11).

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

So we are in such darkness, and the whole world is in such darkness. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri... They are taking this body as themselves. There are so many things... So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we therefore request everyone to take advantage. Now, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means... The simple thing is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But if you think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have got books. Learn it. Two ways. We have got three dozen books for you. You cannot finish it even in your whole life. Come on. Otherwise, if you are not so learned to read all these books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Two things are there. Take advantage, any one of them, and be liberated.

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

So we are trying to enjoy. Enjoyment is our business. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānanda, Kṛṣṇa is ānandamaya, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are also ānandamaya. But we are seeking ānanda in different atmosphere. Just like any man can become very honest citizen, do business honestly, earn money and live very honorably. But no, somebody has learned how to steal. The government does not say that you becomes thief and go to the prison house. The government does not say. But you have selected to become a thief. That is it because we have got little independence, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent; therefore we have got the quality of independence. But because we are very small, minute particle we have got minute particle of independence. Minute... Just like you take a drop of water from the sea. That is also salt, but very minute particle.

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

So this is the philosophy to understand. That asevayāyaṁ prakṛter guṇānām. We have to learn how to forget to serve this material nature. That is bhakti-mārga. It is forced because we have kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. Somehow or other we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and trying to enjoy this material world under different position. That we have to forget. This is not my business. When we understand this position, that is called self-realization, that "I am not servant of anyone. I am not servant of my country, of my society, of my friend, of my dress, of my cat, of my dog. I am nobody's servant. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is self-realization. That is self-realization. Asevayāyaṁ prakṛter guṇānāṁ jñānena. When one comes to this understanding, not by sentiment, but by real knowledge, jñānena.

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

So why should we not take this opportunity of human life, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become devotee of Kṛṣṇa and make our life? Therefore it is said here, pratyag-ātmānam ihāvarundhe. In this life you can get this opportunity simply by following the bhakti-yoga process. Yogena mayy arpitayā ca bhaktyā (SB 3.25.27). That is required. You learn how to become a bhakta. Simply practicing śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanam... (SB 7.5.23) any of them. Either this nine processes or eight or seven or six or five or four. Take at least one and make your life successful. Everyone can... Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore prescribes the most important one-śravaṇam, simply hear. That's all. That will make your life successful.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

So this is instruction we get from Bhagavad-gītā, everyone reads Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the guru, or Kṛṣṇa's representative as guru. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), and we have to give service to such guru and we have to surrender ourself. Not that I accept you guru just to know how much you are learned, how much you can talk with me, not with that spirit. (indistinct) ...that I surrender to you sir, śiṣyas te 'ham, I have become śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting his ruling. Whatever guru will say he will accept, that is called śiṣya. Śiṣya means ruling, who accept disciple, means disciplinary measure. Whatever guru says, one who accepts he becomes disciple. He, I don't care for my guru's order and still I am disciple, that is not accepting guru. Of course it has become a fashion like that, to have a guru but don't care for guru. That is not, that will not help.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

So in this way, one has to learn how to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our Vaiṣṇava system is ādau gurv-āśrayam. If we want to approach Kṛṣṇa, then in the beginning, ādau, the beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is being shown by Devahūti. Although He is son, (s)he is begging the mercy of Kapiladeva so that by His mercy she could understand what is devotional service and how to approach Kṛṣṇa. Tad etan me vijānīhi yathāhaṁ manda-dhīḥ. So this is very good qualification. Manda-dhīḥ: "My intelligence is not very sharp, manda." That is especially in this age. Of course, Kapiladeva and Devahūti was not in this age. Still, she is submitting because she happens to be woman, and although she is such exalted woman that she could give birth to the Personality of Godhead Kapiladeva—she was not ordinary woman—still, she thinks manda-dhīḥ: "I am less intelligence." Manda-dhīr hare: "My dear Kapila, You are Supreme Personality of Godhead, but I am manda-dhīḥ. My intelligence is not very sharp. Still, I want to understand the sublime subject matter, transcendental subject matter, from You. So it is possible." Bhavad-anugrahāt: "If You become merciful, then it is possible." This is the process.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Brāhmaṇa, he is supposed to know six kind of activities, ṣaṭ-karma. Ṣaṭ means six. What is that six kinds of? Paṭhana pāṭhana. Brāhmaṇa must be very learned, very expert, expertly learned in Vedic knowledge. That is called paṭhana. And pāṭhana: and he must teach others. He must be teacher, not that "I know and keep all the knowledge in my belly." No. Therefore formerly all the brāhmaṇas they had catuṣpāṭhī. The brāhmaṇa will sit down anywhere and begin teaching others. The student will come. That is brāhmaṇa's business. Paṭhana... But unless he is himself learned, how he can teach? So therefore, first of all he must be learned, paṭhana, and then pāṭhana, then he can teach others. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He must worship the Supreme Lord, and he must teach others how to worship the Supreme.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

There is some haunting of ghost, and when a man is ghostly haunted, he speaks so many nonsense. Māyā-grasta. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya. Similarly, under the spell of māyā we defy everything, "Where is God? Can you show me God?" He is seeing every step God. God is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, how you can see God in every step, if you learn how to see God. That is taught in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). God is teaching that "You try to see Me in this way." What is that? "When you taste the water of, the taste of the liquid, water or anything," raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, "that taste is I am." So you want to see God, but you are tasting so many liquid thing. Why don't you think that "Here is God. The taste is God"? God is teaching. You learn how to see God. Your this blunt eyes, how you can see God now? You try to see God in this way, as God says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8).

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

So why we should be other than Kṛṣṇa? We are exactly of the same quality. If Kṛṣṇa is spirit, then we are spirit. He is complete spirit; we are partial spirit. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Kṛṣṇa is living force; we are also living force. Kṛṣṇa has got creative power; we have got also creative power. Exactly all the qualities. Kṛṣṇa has got loving propensity; we have got loving propensity. Wherefrom this love has come? Because Kṛṣṇa loves Rādhārāṇī, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore we have learned how to love. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Vedānta-sūtra: "Everything is born out of the Supreme Person, everything, what we see." We are sample Kṛṣṇa, sample Kṛṣṇa. All the propensities, that we have inherited from our supreme father. Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa has got the same propensities. So why Kṛṣṇa should be imperson? That is not complete knowledge.

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

Just like in India these young men from America and Europe... They are surprised, "How they have become so much aloof from material activities?" It is surprising. That is... It is not surprising, because bhaja vāsudevam: they have taken to the shelter of Vāsudeva. If you do also, you shall become. But we are not inclined. In India, "Oh, Vāsudeva, we have... We know everything of Vāsudeva. Hare Kṛṣṇa, oh, this is... What you can teach? We know everything." This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vāsudeva, with the name of Hare Kṛṣṇa, they think... Just like in European and American cities these boys and girls, they go for saṅkīrtana, and the Indian people, they say, "Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine." You see? This is the condition. Bhaja vāsudevam—this is not very much appealing. But this is the only way to become out of entanglement. Otherwise, this śānta-ghora-vimūḍhatvam iti vā syād ahaṅkṛteḥ. We shall always remain in this false ego that "I am this body. I am of this material world," no information of the spiritual world.

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

So this is bhakti-mārga. It is very nice. Simply you have to learn how to engage your senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Your senses are property of Hṛṣīkeśa. As it is said here, hṛṣīkeśa adhīśvaram. Hṛṣīkeśa adhīśvaram. He is adhīśvaram. He is the proprietor. So you must use it. It is not that you stop your senses. That is not required. That is not bhakti. Bhakti means you must engage your senses fully with more enthusiasm, but it should be for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If you want to do business, do it very nicely, but give the profit to Kṛṣṇa. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). Kṛṣṇa says, "Give it to Me." That is bhakti. Nothing is stopped, but you cannot do any unlawful. Bhakti does not mean you can do anything unlawful. But ultimate issue: whatever you do, if it is for Kṛṣṇa, that is rightful. Just like materially, Arjuna was trying to become very gentleman, nonviolent, Arjuna: "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." People very much appreciate, "Just see, Arjuna is so gentle, he is trying to become nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to become violent." This is the vision of the demons. They do not know, whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, that is rightful. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful.

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

Those who are actually learned, actually advanced, such persons-budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, bhajante mām. That is perfection of life. So take this opportunity, human life. Don't miss. You may be very proud of your intelligence, but this intelligence is not very good intelligence if you are devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are a mūḍha. If, by your intelligence, you learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him with bhāva, that is real intelligence. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). And if you try to become intelligent, some tricks, material trick, to get some money or cheat others, that is not very good intelligence. These cats and dogs that... They have also such intelligence. How to steal food from the room, the cat knows very well. So that is not intelligence. That intelligence can be found, even birds, beasts, everywhere. Real intelligence is how to regain your Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be promoted to the stage of bhāva, and at the time of death maintain that bhāva, and then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9).

Lecture on SB 3.26.40 -- Bombay, January 15, 1975:

The yogic process is to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. That is real yoga. That is real yoga system. Try to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. Then you first-class yogi. That is the perfection of topmost yogic process.

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

If you can learn how to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart always, twenty-four hours, then your life is successful. That is perfection of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how you can learn to see Kṛṣṇa within your heart, within other's heart, and everywhere. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). This is wanted.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

So from the very beginning of our life we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love Kṛṣṇa. Then automatically it becomes manifest. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Kaumāra. Kaumāra means up to tenth year, five to tenth year. According to somebody, even up to fifteenth year. Anyway, during this period of life one should learn how to develop this devotional cult, dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma means the laws and the instruction given by God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). And when that is actually executed directly between, transaction between God and the devotee, that is real dharma. Dharmān bhāgavatān. They have different types of dharmas, but real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, what we learn from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to deal with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. That is called bhāgavatān.

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

In our Delhi program... There was lecture of a big scientist in Delhi, I forgot his name. He gave very good example, that if a man learns how to bark like dog and if he makes a show, many thousands of people will purchase ticket and go and see how he is barking. But by nature's arrangement, so many dogs are barking; nobody takes care. You see? So similarly, in the laboratory, if a scientist can produce a life some way or other, so they will go and see and give him clap. Just like this airplane is flying in the air. Little discrepancy is immediately crash down. So he is getting so much credit, and the scientists also saying, "There is no need of God. Now we have solved all the questions." But nobody is giving credit to Kṛṣṇa who is floating millions and trillions of stars and planets in the air. So by taking Kṛṣṇa's stock, the petroleum or gas, we become scientist and fly the airplane, and Kṛṣṇa has given the petrol, and He has no credit. He has no credit. That is the difference between demons and bhakta. A bhakta sees in everything presence of Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa's energy is there. Here is nice taste. Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Just like these European, American or African boys. They have joined this Kṛṣṇa con... They have not come here for some material progress. No. They have not come here. Others may come. You can say, "The Africans are poor. They have come." No. Nobody has come for material profit. What about the Europeans, Americans? They are not poor. They have got enough money. Why they are after Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after me? I am not rich man. No. That is called ahaituki, without any motive. Nobody. "Kṛṣṇa is my lovable, worshipable. I shall worship Kṛṣṇa." This is wanted. Ahaituky apratihatā. And if you have got this intention, that "Kṛṣṇa is my Lord. I must love Kṛṣṇa. I must learn how to love Him," then apratihatā—no material condition can check it. Either you become American or African, black and white or this or that, nothing can check you. You can go on—if it is motiveless. This is wanted.

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

The meditation which was possible in the kṛte, in the Satya-yuga... Satya-yuga continued for twelve lakhs of years; then Treta-yuga, eight lakhs of years... No, Satya-yuga, eighteen lakhs; then Treta-yuga, twelve lakhs; then Dvāpara-yuga, eight lakhs; and Kali-yuga, four lakhs. Altogether forty-three. So bhakti-yoga includes everything. So this process, this arcanā process. If we... Everyone alternately they should learn how to worship. That will give the impression of the Lord within the heart, and then, either you are walking or you are sitting or you are lying or you are eating or you are talking, you'll always think of Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. It will be automatically done. Sthitaṁ vrajantam āsīnaṁ śayānaṁ vā guhāśayam. Generally the yogis, they try to find out the Viṣṇu mūrti within the core of the heart, but this is as good. When you are walking on the street, then, if you are thinking, there will be no hindrance to your activities, but you can think of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Just like Mahārāja Ambarish. He was emperor. He had many responsibilities, but he practiced how to think of Kṛṣṇa always.

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

Guest: ...serve God for our own religion besides chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, besides becoming a devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes, religion means to serve God. We are preaching that anyone who has learned how to serve God, how to love God, he belongs to first class religion. (break) ...care what is the name of that religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mohammedanism, it doesn't matter. We see, we want to see the follower, whether he has learned to serve God, and to love God. That's it.

Jyotirmayī: So the question is that there was, a man was working a house yesterday, and he was killed doing his work, and he left his wife and two children, and this man was praying God every day. So what is going to happen now to them?

Prabhupāda: His children will not die for want of her. (break) ...maintaining millions and millions of children, why not her?

Jyotirmayī: We saw that in India the people are not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, now very poor, now dying of anger, oh, hunger, but there is those who are very rich, they are not religious at all. They do not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but are very rich and they enjoy very much.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but those who are chanting, they are not dying (laughter). I am Indian. I am not dying.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Why shall I agree, God is only concept?

Guest (4): Because I want it logically.

Prabhupāda: You do not know logic. You have to learn logic.

Guest (4): But I still would like you to explain it logically.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but you have to learn how to know it. There is master. There is master. Just like you cannot prove logically that without father there is a child. This is no logic.

Guest (4): Not without logic.

Prabhupāda: This is no logic. There cannot be any child without father. Therefore if anyone thinks that without father there can be child, he is animal. He has no logic.

Guest (4): But still the question is unanswered. Would you agree that God is just a concept?

Prabhupāda: No, no. There must be father. Just like you see everything is growing out of this earth. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya saṁbhavanti mūrtayaḥ yaḥ (BG 14.4). So there is mother, there is child. Where is the father? This is logic. Unless you come to this point, that there is mother, there is child, there must be father, then there is no logic. Without father there cannot be child. Simply mother cannot give birth to a child. This is logic.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So, of course, we cannot introduce that system in your country. It is not possible. But it is up to you, that if you want to utilize your, this very favorable situation of life, get yourself married, live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what is the difficulty there? There is no difficulty. There are so many boys and girls who are married and living very peacefully and executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (pause)

So far intoxication is concerned, oh, you can give up with the association of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not smoking even. So you learn it, as you have learned from childhood, from your, from your birth. You never learned how to smoke. But you have learned it later on. Similarly, you can forget it also by good association. Everything is possible. Simply you have to agree to accept. Then... And, if you prosecute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is very easy, simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and follow the rules and regulations, your life is sublime. But at least come here and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with these boys. Then later on, gradually, you'll also understand the value of this austerity, austerity life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, when your consciousness will be absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Student: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: That you have to learn. Yes. That you have to learn, how they are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, what is the process, how they're executing. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, as generally the consciousness is absorbed in a particular type of thought, similarly, when your consciousness will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's thought, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is your perfect consciousness. Yes.

Student: How do you...? Why do you have to reduce to the animal if the animal is, I mean, you made reference to the absorption that comes in sleep.

Prabhupāda: Yes...

Student: ...and that we should try to transcend it. But can we really transcend it by repressing? I mean, wouldn't it be better to transcend, perhaps, by...

Prabhupāda: There is no question of repression.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

So before the next step comes, complete your Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is the business. Kaumāra ācaret prajño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Where is that education now? This is misleading civilization. They do not know the value of life. They are simply wasting time for sense gratification. That's all. No. This is not. The Bhāgavata-dharma means children should be taught from the very beginning of life. That is Vedic civilization. The children should go... Even Kṛṣṇa, although He's God, He was also sent to gurukula, and He was collecting dry wood from the forest for guru, learning how to serve guru. The guru must be also bona fide. Therefore it is recommended, mahat-sevā. mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). That is the Vedic civilization. One must approach a mahānta. Mahānta. This whole world is illusion and one who is above this illusion is called mahānta, one who has ended the illusion. Samit-pāniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), one should approach a guru who is brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma-niṣṭham means fully fixed up in Brahman understanding because life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life, this human form of life, is meant for inquiring about Brahman, not for anything else. Anything else—Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is sex? Anybody's different?—this is animal life. Above this, when we, in human life, our main business is brahma-jijñāsā. Not that "Where is food?" "Where is shelter?" "Where is sex?" and "Where is difference?" These are animal propensities, animal inquiries.

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

The same thing. If you do not know how to love, then your love may produce bad result. Just like the same example. The boy, the younger boy thought that "I am loving my elder brother," and he supplied some biscuit, which was forbidden by the physician. And as soon as the mother heard that he has supplied him biscuit, he began to beat him like anything. Punishment. He thought, "It is very good service. He's in want of, in need of biscuit. So I am supplying him, stealing from the store. Mother will not know. So I am doing very good service." But the result was beating. Similarly, we may think something that it is divine, but who is judging that this is divine or not divine? Therefore you have to learn how to serve divinely, then you can serve. Without knowing, you cannot. That will be disastrous. Everything requires expert knowledge; otherwise it will be disastrous.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

So without knowing, without sufficient knowledge, they are declaring themselves as civilized. That is mentioned here, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And why they are doing that? Yad indriya-prītaye, simply for the satisfaction of the tongue. That is also false. If you have got enough milk production, you can take, break the milk, and you get cheese. And from cheese, if you... We are daily doing that. You can make nice preparation, chānā. That is very nutritious, full of protein. And you can make rasagullā, sandeśa, so many other preparations from the casein of the cheese. But they do not know. Crude civilization, and take a lump of flesh and boil it and give little salt and black pepper and eat like animal. This is civilization. This is civilization. Just try to understand. You have to convince your countrymen that what is this civilization, nonsense civilization? Stop this kind of civilization. Learn how to become civilized. Don't claim yourself as civilized man and eating like tigers and dogs and cats. Is that civilization? But they are doing. That is stated here. It is not new. Always, there is a certain class of men, demons, who are not civilized, but declaring themselves as civilized. Otherwise, how it has come into Bhāgavata? There were also in that time. Now the number has increased on account of this age. But these two classes of men are always there.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:
Nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. What is the value of your tapasya? Real thing you do not understand. So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, antar bahir yadi haris tataḥ kim. If you have learned these four principles as instructed by Bhagavān, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). Very simple thing. Antar bahir, within and without, if you have learned to think of Kṛṣṇa, antar bahir yadi haris tapasā, then where is the use of tapasya? It is already achieved. Because you are thinking always, externally and internally, Kṛṣṇa. And nārādhito yadi haris. Antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you have not learned the art of thinking Kṛṣṇa externally and internally, then what is the use of your so-called tapasya?
Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

There are two kinds of strong avidyā, ignorance, unawareness. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is covering. Tamo-guṇa is very densely covering, and rajo-guṇa little open, and sattva-guṇa means prakāśa, there is illumination, brahminical qualifications. When one is in the sattva-guṇa then he can understand that "I am not this body. I am different from this body." For them, those who are in the sattva-guṇa, for them it is easier. So therefore the process is Human civilization means not to drag somebody who is already in the sattva-guṇa or in the family of sattva-guṇa, to drag him down to the tamo-guṇa. The modern civilization is like that. The allurement of material civilization is so strong and so bad that those who are by pious activities born in brāhmaṇa family, they are being dragged to the tamo-guṇa behavior like śūdras. They are learning how to drink, how to eat meat, how to have illicit sex. These are the symptoms of tamo-guṇa, lowest type of tamo-guṇa. There are different degrees of guṇa. The degrees are so mixed up. Therefore three guṇas is manifested into 8,400,000 different forms of life, mixture. You can calculate. We have several times calculated. Three multiplied by three equals nine. Nine multiplied by nine, eighty-one. So therefore there are so many varieties.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

So, one has to be vipaścit, learned, to understand the interest of life, self-interest. Everyone is working, especially the karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, and mixed devotees, they are working for self-interest. The devotees also, so long there is self, there is self-interest also. So there is little difference, that the devotees, they work for Super-self-interest. There is self, but it is Super-self-interest. And the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis they work for individual self-interest. Self-interest there must be. That is the difference between lust and prema, or love. It has been defined in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, what is the difference between lust and love. It appears almost the same but Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has given a definition very clear, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā-tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165). When one is interested for his personal sense gratification, that is called kāma or lust, and kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma, and when one is interested for satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is prema. And the concrete example is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that in the beginning Arjuna was thinking of interest of the family. How can I kill my brother, my nephews, my master, teacher, my grandfather, in terms of his family interest.

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to learn how to be predominated, not to become predominator. Just the opposite. And Kṛṣṇa comes personally, and He says that "I am the predominator." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I am predominator. Why you are trying to be predominator? That is not possible." So as soon as artificially we want to be predominator, immediately the māyā is there.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

Everybody is: "All right, come here." This is the human civilization, to learn that "Because I wanted to become predominator, 'I am the monarch of all I survey. Whatever I survey, that is my property...' " So this inclination, this false inclination, is the cause of our bondage within this material world. We should know that we are ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul."

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

Therefore our Vedic civilization is that people are satisfied in his own position, a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Whatever by God's grace he got, he was satisfied. The real energy was utilized how to become eligible to receive mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted, how to learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Then ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). That was the end. In India we find not that... The great sages, ṛṣis, they wrote so many books, but they used to live in a cottage. Only the kings, the kṣatriya, because they had to rule over, they used to construct big, big palaces. No one else. They lived very simple life, very simple life. Not waste time for so-called economic development, skyscraper building, subways and so on, so on. This was not Vedic civilization. This is asuric civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

So this is knowledge. Otherwise artificially if I think the same thing, that because I have gone very high in the sky, I have become mixed up with the sky... There is no question of mixing up. Therefore because it is not the question of mixing up, amalgamation, separate identity, but it is light, that is all right. But not that they have lost their individuality. Sanātana. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are individual parts sanātana, eternally." Not that now they are separated, and after liberation they will mix up. No. This is wrong conception. Therefore mixing up means... Just like we are here, mixed together. We have got individuality, but for a certain purpose we are sitting together very peacefully, and the real purpose is to learn how to serve Kṛṣṇa. So when we agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is mixing up of the devotees. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa, that is mixing up. When you assemble together with the same purpose... That's why we can understand nation.

Lecture on SB 5.6.2 -- Vrndavana, November 24, 1976:

This is bhakti-yoga, no more any necessity for material things. Niṣkiñcinasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. There are so many. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were liberated persons. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's God Himself, but still, to teach us, He was observing the regulative principles of a sannyāsī very, very strictly. These things, to teach us... Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he's called Brahma-Haridāsa. Sometimes he is called Yavana-Haridāsa. Yavana means Muslim or those who are not in the Vedic principles, yavana, mleccha. Just like we have seen some temples. Our foreign devotees are not allowed because they have got the rules that mlecchas and yavanas, because they are very unclean, they should not be allowed. But that should not be applicable to the devotees of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they have learned how to remain clean, how to follow the... At least, they are expected. They promised at the time of initiation, "Yes, I shall not do this. I shall not do this." So if he's actually following the rules and regulations, he is no more unclean—simply by chanting.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

We have to teach the brahmacārī... Brahmācāri gurukule vasan dānto guror hitam. This is brahmacārī, not for his personal benefit, but guror hitam. Then he is brahmacārī. Not that a brahmacārī has to become a very learned scholar in grammar and turīya... These are secondary things. First thing, he has to learn how to control the senses, dānta, how to control the mind. Śamo damaḥ. This is the beginning of brahminical life. If you cannot control your mind, if you cannot control your senses, there is no question of becoming brahmacārī. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati iti brahmacārī. And brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. So these are the beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacari means who is always in Brahman activities. That is brahmacārī. Or brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Supreme, Supreme Brahman, Parambrahman. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are liberated. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are both brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ. These words are there in the śāstra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore the real life is to inquire about Brahman. Inquiring, inquiring, when the conditioned soul... Now it is jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are conditioned by the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān—then we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise when we come to our real position, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

So desire must be there. But is should be proper desire. The proper desire is... Because we are part and parcel of God, so our desire should be how to meet Him again and work with Him conjointly. That should be the only desire. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa comes, He orders, or He commands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other desires. Simply desire how to surrender unto Me." This is required. And that can be understood by the human being. And because we have got different desires... I have already explained. Different qualities of the material nature, that mixed up, it comes to eighty-one. So therefore we have got... According to desires, we have got so many varieties of bodies. So we have to learn how to stop all these material desires and simply concentrate our desires how to serve Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is required. That is the training. Just like these boys, these girls, who are in the Kṛṣṇa conscious..., they have no other desire. Their only desire is how to push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That's all. It is possible. They had many desires. They are also coming from your country. They had many desires. But they have no other desire now. Their simply desire is how to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is perfection. When you stick to this one desire, that "I shall serve Kṛṣṇa," then you are free from all desires; otherwise not. Otherwise it is impossible. Then desires will drag you to different types of body. Then your suffering will increase. Then we have to come to the body of a pig. Because nature's law is very strict. According to your desire, he will give you body. So you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. You will get a body like Kṛṣṇa, That's all.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

So this little fruit, little flower and little water can be secured any part of the world by any man, poor or rich. And can be offered. Simply we have to try, we have to learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. And love begins with this give and take. You give something to your lover; he gives you, something to you. In this way love develops. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. The development takes place, loving affairs, by giving and taking. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva. When you create loving transaction with any boy or girl or any man, any friend, the give and take. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching us give and take. "You give something," Kṛṣṇa is begging. "You try to love Me. You learn how to love Me. Give Me." "Sir, I have nothing to give You." "Oh, you cannot collect a little fruit and flower and leaf and little water?" "Oh, yes. Why not? Anyone can collect." So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice. You can make direct friendship with Kṛṣṇa. You can become direct servant of Kṛṣṇa. Or, in higher stages, you can become father, mother of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

Guest: I (indistinct) something. How does one learn to control the senses, overwhelming?

Prabhupāda: This is very easy. If you apply your senses for the service of Kṛṣṇa, then your senses cannot act independently. That is controlling. Just like if you absorb your mind in something you forget everything. Similarly, if you practice how to make yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious, then automatically the senses and mind become controlled. It is not very difficult. Therefore we say that for solution of all problems you come and join with us. Here is a big temple. You live here. You learn how to do it. All right, thank you. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Honolulu, May 13, 1976:

These are the different steps, how one person can become civilized. So first thing is tapasā. Tapasā brahmacaryena (SB 6.1.13), austerities. Therefore in the Vedic civilization the children, they are taught from the very beginning brahmacarya. Tapasā brahmacarya. A small boy, five-years-old boy... That is gurukula. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). This is a way of life, to teach the brahmācārya, brahmacarya, celibacy, to restrain from sex life. That is brahmacarya. So this is the beginning of civilization. The unlimited, unrestricted sex life like hogs and dogs, that is not civilization. Civilization, the first of all, to learn how to observe celibacy, to come to the point, no sex life. That is perfect civilization: no sex life. Therefore in the Vedic civilization you'll find the human society is divided into four orders and four spiritual or..., material and spiritual, varṇāśrama. Varṇa and āśrama. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

So if you accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then life of ignorance will finish and you come to the light and become liberated. If you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the light is there. Therefore the darkness of life is dissipated. Therefore it is said, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: (Nārada Pañcarātra) "If you have learned how to worship Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then there is no more use of your tapasya." (break) ...ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "And if you cannot understand Hari, then what is the use of your tapasya?" Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "If you can see Hari, Kṛṣṇa, within yourself and outside yourself, then what is the use of tapasya?" Nantar-bahir, antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "And if you have not learned to see Kṛṣṇa, Hari, within yourself and outside, then what is the use of your tapasya?"

So this movement is giving the chance to everyone. It doesn't mean for any particular nation, particular country, or particular person. For everyone. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "All over the world." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All over the world, in every village and every town, this message will be spread," and that is being done now. So it is a great movement. I request you all to join wholeheartedly.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

One scientist in Delhi, our Delhi festival, he said very nicely that "We scientists, we are just like learning how to bark like dog." Yes. He said very plainly. Because a dog is barking, everyone knows. But if there is a tent and advertisement, yes, that "Mr. such and such will bark like a dog," and people will come and pay ten dollars' fee: "A man is barking. Very wonderful. Let us see." So these rascals, the chemists, they are trying to manufacture living being within test tube, and they are becoming very famous: "Oh, now they are making life in the..." Rascal, there are so many hundreds and millions of life are there, every day being created. What credit you'll get if you manufacture a life within test tube? But the rascals, they are: "Oh, scientists. He is now going to manufacture life." "No, show me how made..." "Yes, we are trying. It will be in future." Yes. Our Svarūpa Dāmodara... There was one professor. He came to California. He was speaking how from matter life can be there. He has written one volume, book, and he has got Nobel Prize, and the book's name is Evolution of Chemicals and Life. So he is also doctor in chemistry, our Svarūpa Dāmodara. He was also present there. As soon as he asked, "Sir, if I give you the chemicals, can you manufacture life?" at that time he said, "That I cannot say." "Why you cannot say? You are speaking that 'Combination of chemical brings in life.' " We are writing one book that life is from life, not from matter. That is not possible. These rascals are simply bluffing that "From chemicals life can be manufactured." No. We challenge.

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

That is the Vedic system. Brāhmaṇa is the teacher because they are trained up—satya śama damo titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma-svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Therefore in India still, not in the city but in the village, the brāhmaṇa is accepted as teacher, natural teacher. And there was... (aside:) You sit down properly. Yes. Brāhmaṇa, they are teachers, natural teachers, and there is no fees. No fees. Just like we started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, teaching, but there was no fees. This is the teaching, real teaching. So brāhmaṇa should not charge anything, but they can take charity. So the students, they would bring charities naturally. This was brāhmaṇa's profession. They would not charge anything, but his disciples, students, would beg from door to door and bring. That is gurukula. Gurukula. Gurukula means every student should go to gurukula and learn to become very simple and obedient and self-controlled and learn how to address every woman as mother. This is guru..., from the very beginning. They would go every home. Small children or big children, they will address, "Mother, give us some alms." So every woman will give, and they would bring it to guru. And that is guru's property, not because he has begged this thing from somebody, it has become his property. No. It is guru's property. This is called brahmacārī gurukula, to gives one the training.

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

So he does not say that one who has passed M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C. No, he doesn't say that. He says any person who has learned to see like this. What is that? Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Everyone's wife should be considered, para-dāra, para means other's wife, mātṛvat, mother. Therefore the Vedic system is when we address another woman, "Mother." No other address. "Mother, can I do this? Would you like this?" The address should be "mother." Practice, this is practice. A brahmacārī is practiced. He goes to every householder's wife, "Mother, give me some..." Just like this child, if he is taught from the very beginning of his life that "Address all woman as mother," that training and intermingling with anyone, that is a different way. That is brahmacārī.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

The nutshell of education is defined by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that "Who is paṇḍita, learned?" So he does not say that one who has passed MA, PhD, DAC, no. He doesn't say that. He says, "Any person who has learned to see like this." What is that? Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: "Everyone's wife should be considered..." Para-dāra. Para means others' wife. Mātṛvat, mother. Therefore the Vedic system is, when we address another woman, "Mother," no other address. "Mother, can I do this? Would you like this?" The address should be "Mother." Practice. This is practice, the brahmacārī's practice. He goes to every householder's wife: "Mother, give me some..." Just like this child. If he is taught from the very beginning of his life that "Address all women as mother..." That training and intermingling with anyone, then it is a different training. That is brahmacārī. So brahmacārī is taught that how he should behave in society, what is the aim of life. That is brahmacārī. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Chicago, July 9, 1975:

So the kingdom of God is not devoid of varieties. There are the real varieties. Therefore ordinary man cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. They do not understand, because they have been described in the śāstra as aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: their core of heart is not yet cleansed. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). It is said in the śāstra, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. These jñānīs, they are thinking that "Now we have become liberated because we have learned to distinguish between the shadow and reality." So... But they cannot enjoy reality because they are śūnyavādī, nirviśeṣa. They cannot believe that here there is ball dance and there is Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs—it is the same thing. So how it is reality? This is their misfortune. They cannot judge that unless in Kṛṣṇa there is ball dance, how this ball dance can be shadow? The variety is there. But unless there is reality, how the shadow... We are after shadow. Shadow is not reality. But there must be reality. And if in the shadow there are so many varieties, so why not reality also full of varieties? The poor fund of knowledge of the Māyāvādī... They cannot understand even that unless in the shadow there are so much varieties, unless there is reality... And in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) "The living entities and the Supreme Being, they are full of enjoyment." Why we are seeking enjoyment here in this mater...? Everyone is seeking after enjoyment. But they are seeking after false enjoyment.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:

So this is very important things to understand. You are thinking very free but no, there is: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Exactly. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Just like if you contaminate some disease, you must suffer from it. That is natural law. You cannot avoid. There is no escape. So similarly, this spiritual life, this human life is a chance that you learn how to purify yourself. That is human life. And if you don't purify yourself, you remain impure without any endeavor, then what is the difference between you and cats and dogs? There's no difference.

So, kuṭumbam aśucir yāyatām āsa. So in that aśuci bhṛta āsa, the sneha is there. This Ajāmila, although became the rogue number one, but the affection, natural, that is there. Affection is there. Sa baddha-hṛdayas tasminn arbhake kala-bhāṣiṇi. Attract. The child is talking in broken language—that is very pleasing, pleasing to everyone, especially the parents. So nirīkṣamāṇas tal-līlām. And he's walking, or he's crawling, he's coming to the father, coming to the mother... These things are very attractive, and we become more and more attracted, and we forget our real business. The real business we should always remember. These things are natural. It is very good, be affectionate to your children. But don't forget your real business.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

So this man married a prostitute, duṣṭā-bhāryā, and he learned how to cheat, how to become fraud, so many. We have already discussed. That was his business. And he was very nicely... He was thinking, "I am very nicely situated." In this way he was little attached to the youngest child. That was his fortune, that he was named Nārāyaṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's kindness. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so merciful to His devotee, that Uddhava says that "Kṛṣṇa is so kind that Pūtanā came to poison Kṛṣṇa..." She smeared poison on her breast. She made a policy that "I shall take this child very affectionately and push the nipple in His mouth, and as soon as the child will drink the poison, He will die." And Kṛṣṇa is so kind that although her motive was to kill Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa took the bright side. What is that? "Oh, I have sucked her breast, so she is My mother." Kṛṣṇa has taken that. And therefore, after death, Pūtanā got the same position as Mother Yaśodā. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Who can kill Kṛṣṇa? So for Kṛṣṇa there is no black side or bright side. Kṛṣṇa can drink oceans of poison. So that He did not take very seriously, that "This witches have come to poison Me, but she has agreed to give Me milk from her breast. Then she is My mother." This is Kṛṣṇa's conclusion. Therefore Uddhava says, "Such a kind Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, that the enemy, the poison-giver was accepted as mother. So whom I shall worship except Kṛṣṇa?" This should be the conclusion, that "Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Little service..."

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

So this... Real religion is love, how to love God. That is real religion Dharma, what is that? Yato bhaktir... Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). There are different kinds of dharma, or religious system. But real religious system means how we have learned to love God. That's all. Nothing more. No ritualistic ceremony, no formula, nothing. If your heart is always crying for God, that is perfect religion. That is perfect religion. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "Oh, without Kṛṣṇa, I am feeling the whole world is vacant." Vacant, yes. So we have to come to that stage. Of course, it is not possible for all of us, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed us how to become highest religious person. That is to feel always, "Oh, without Kṛṣṇa, everything is vacant." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda viraheṇa me. That is dharma, that is dharma. So the Viṣṇudūta is testing these Yamadūtas, whether he understands what is the meaning of dharma. Dharma, we cannot create. Dharma is neither Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, this dharma, that dharma. They may be some sectarian understanding, but real dharma means how we have learned to love God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

So any highest principle of religion in any religion of the world you take, this is the summarization of all religions, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is accepted by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which teaches how to love God, how to learn to love God." That is first class, not the rituals, not the formulas. That is another thing. Just like when a man is diseased, the physicians prescribes so many, that "You don't do this. You do this. You take this medicine. You just..." That is according to the particular disease. But the real aim is to be cured from the disease. So any religion which teaches to be cured from the material disease of sense gratification and teaches love of Godhead, that is perfect religion.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

That is called śravaṇam. And then kīrtanam, then distribute the knowledge. Whatever you have learned from your spiritual master, you must distribute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. So paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana. Yajana means worshiping the Lord, the Deity. And yājana, and inducing others to engage in that worshiping. This is going on. You kindly mark in this society, we are allowing the students, giving them volumes of books for reading, paṭhana. Then pāṭhana, then teach others. And they are worshiping the Lord, and they are inviting others to come here and learn how to worship Lord. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. They are exacting money: "Give us some money. Become our member." But what is that membership fee? That is not being used for their sense gratification. For dāna, for distributing knowledge. "You give us some money as membership fee. We give you whatever we have got. We have got this book. Take it." Dāna-pratigraha.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You cannot see anywhere where there is no Kṛṣṇa. This is for the devotee. For the ordinary person these are the description, that the sūrya, the sun is also Kṛṣṇa, the fire is also Kṛṣṇa, the sky is also Kṛṣṇa, the air is also Kṛṣṇa, the moon is also Kṛṣṇa, the evening is Kṛṣṇa, daytime is Kṛṣṇa. Then how you can avoid Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says that "I am..." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. You cannot avoid Kṛṣṇa. Simply on account of your foolishness, māyā is covering your eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. So mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then māyā's curtain will be taken away and you will see Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is required. Then you become perfect as soon as you learn how to see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. This is the art, transcendental art, spiritual art, how to see Kṛṣṇa. Then you become perfect. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied; therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vāsudeva. So I do not know how they will be able to understand it." Actually that is the fact. Everyone, so many swamis and yogis, come in this country. So they advertise in India that they went out of India for preaching Vedānta. But being influenced, what Vedānta they learned? When they returned to India, they have learned how to entice women and how to eat meat. This is their Vedānta. Because kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. If you are not strong enough, then association will induce or influence. If you are not a Vaiṣṇava, then if you go in a brothel or a liquor house, then you will be influenced by the drunkards and prostitute-hunters. But if you are strong enough, then you will... The effect you will give your effect of association; they will be Vaiṣṇavas. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Dallas, July 29, 1975:

If it is possible, so much advantage of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if you constantly keep yourself engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, there is no possibility of your being touched by māyā. This is the position. Vartamānaḥ anyayoḥ kālaḥ guṇābhijñāpakaḥ. Guṇābhijñāpakaḥ. Anyone who is intelligent, who can understand what this man is, which quality he belongs to... This is education. This is learning, to understand what is the position of this particular... The general definition is given, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gac... (BG 14.18). You can... Any person who has studied śāstra, and he is in the sattva-guṇa, to him it is..., everything is there. He can understand what is this man, what he is going to be and what he was, past, present, future, everything. Why? How one can understand past, present, future? Through the śāstra. Śāstra-cakṣuśaḥ. There are still astrological calculation in India called Bṛghu-saṁhitā. If you consult Bṛghu-saṁhitā, immediately they will give you your past, present and future. Immediately they will give. The astrology science is so perfect. What you were in the past life, what you are at the present and what you are going to be, these three things they can be known.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:

If the father is tilling the field, the son can learn it by seeing it. If the father... Just like in Vṛndāvana, we... Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was going to tend the cows and calves of Nanda Mahārāja. There was no education. It can be learned simply by seeing others doing that. So at the present moment education means many Indians are coming to America to learn how to polish motorcar parts or how to create technology. So this is not education. This is not ed... But the Europeans and Americans, they are going to India for learning brahma-vidya. That is education. The Europeans and Americans, when they go to Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur, they do not go there to see how we have manufacturd cycle and machine for sewing. They have seen enough of this. We may be very proud in India: "Now we are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine or some motor parts, advanced." This is not advanced. Education means how to make one brāhmaṇa, how to teach him how he become sense controlled, śama, dama, mind control, how to become truthful, how to become clean, how to become simple, how to become full of knowledge, how to apply knowledge in practical life, how to know God. This is education. This is education.

Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:

So this is the social condition. If in society we have no restriction, then naturally those young boys and girls, they will be inclined. And as soon as one is sexually inclined, he forgets all other culture and gradually becomes down fallen, as you will see from the life of Ajāmila. Although he was trained up... So similarly, this is a warning to our students that they are learning how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is very difficult job. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very easy thing. But by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are trying to teach that, and it is becoming effective. Otherwise how you all European and Americans can give up these four sinful activities? So try to preserve. And it can be preserved only by remaining in the devotional service. It can be. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).

Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:

This is the test. Yadavadhi kṛṣṇa-padāravinde. "Since I have learned how to take transcendental bliss from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa..." He is explaining. He was an emperor. He had ample opportunity of enjoyment, material enjoyment. He was enjoying it. But he said, "Since I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious and I am taking pleasure in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, from that time," bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne, "whenever I think of enjoying with woman, I spite on it." This is the test. This is the test, how I am becoming advanced. You do not require any certificate from anyone. You can learn yourself. Just like when you are eating, you do not require any certificate from others, "Whether I am feeling all right?" Eating means you are hungry, so if you eat, you will feel satisfied. Your hunger will be satisfied. You will be getting strength. These are the symptoms that have eaten. Similarly, when you'll no longer be attracted by this sex desire, then you should understand that "I am now making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is the test.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

They cannot manage. They cannot make them sane and normal condition. They have no such policy, neither they do know it. So what to do? "Blow him. We cannot manage them." Therefore they are continuing. That's all. This is the policy. Do you think? Eh? What do you think? This is my suggestion. "Unwanted persons, let them be finished." Just like this Marshall Fox did. "Unwanted refugees? Blow them." And killing and blowing, oh, this is very easy thing for the animal-eaters, for the maintainers of slaughterhouse. I hear that these Naxalites have taken to slaughterhouse to learn how to kill. Do you know that? Somebody was telling. Yes. Your husband was telling. So these Naxalites, they are taken to the slaughterhouse and they are taught how to kill. Therefore they do not care. Immediately beating by rocks, and as soon as he falls down, they go away, just like slaughterhouse. They are taught. And the military men, they are also taught like that, to become cruel. A very horrible position in this Kali-yuga. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa-nāma koro bhāi āra saba mithyā. You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa; otherwise so many things will happen. (re: tape recorder:) So stop it. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:

That is the position at the present moment, that people are not educated to distinguish or to become pious. They are not educated. They are being... Now, at the present moment, education means you learn technology and learn how to earn money, and then, after earning money, you spend it for sense gratification: eating meat, eating wine, going to the brothel, prostitute. This is modern civilization. So therefore it is the civilization of paśu, animal civilization, polished animal. It is not civilization. It is the duty of the guardian, father, guru, government or elderly relative. Everyone should be compassionate with the dependent. The father should be compassionate to the children, that "My children, they have come to me. They are now innocent. If I do not train them nicely..." What kind of training? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. That is the duty of the father, of the guru, how to save the dependent from the clutches of death. This is the duty. The government also. Because death is sure. As soon as we get this material body, the death is sure.

Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the technique, is that you may be engaged in various types of work, but the mind must be always fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That art you have to learn. How it is possible? It is possible. Perhaps you have not seen—in India the women, they go to draw water from the well and they keep on the head. They are going, but the head is so balanced that the waterpot will never fall down. There are many instances that if you learn how to keep the balance, in spite of your movement the waterpot on the head will not fall. Similarly, if you mold your life in such a way that Kṛṣṇa should always be remembered, then, in spite of your mind being very agitated, your mind will be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That is required. Therefore in the devotional service we have got so many engagements.

Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

It was questioned by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa that "How one man is forced to commit sinful activities." So Kṛṣṇa replied, kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇa-samudbhavam. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So those who are in tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, they are forced to commit sinful activities, forced. There is no alternative. Therefore we have to come. Just like we go to school, college for education. What is the purpose? That "We are ignorant. We are illiterate, uneducated. Therefore I must go to school to learn, to become enlightened." Similarly, from the lower animal status we are coming by evolution, and in the human form of life, especially in the civilized human form of life, the enlightenment is that one should come from this tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa to sattva-guṇa. That is required. Therefore the brahminical culture is so much adored in India to make one from the lower status of life to the higher status of life. And that is very easily done simply by devotional service.

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

Envious persons, automatically... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, Śrīvāsa. Śrīvāsa was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and his neighborers became enemies. They wanted to insult him in so many ways. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So that is natural. But we should always remember that "Let there be enemies. Let there be envious persons. I will be protected by Kṛṣṇa and His associates." And even I am not so accustomed, so I should learn to tolerate.

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā...

Kīrtanīyaḥ. If you want to make advancement in the chanting process, then you should be tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass. And anyone who hasn't got any respect, give him all respect: "Oh, you are so wonderful," and go on with your business, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma..." (chuckles)

Lecture on SB 7.5.23-24 -- Vrndavana, March 31, 1976:

Generally they take Sanskrit education, first grammar, and it is recommended that one should read at least for twelve years grammar. Actually this is the fact. Sanskrit grammar is very difficult, and unless one reads regularly for twelve years... But that is another thing. If one is well versed in grammar he can read all the Sanskrit literatures. That is another thing. But our aim is not that, to read Sanskrit literature. No. Our aim is how to mold the life to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Those who are contemplating to organize our, this gurukula, they should stress on this point as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tan manye adhītam uttamam: "He is first-class educated." Who? Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam (SB 7.5.23). We want to teach that. There is no question of economic problem, that one has to become learned to get some service in some big school or college and get some big salary. This is not our aim. Our only aim is how to mold the life of the children to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So this is the summary given by Caitanya..., Prahlāda Mahārāja. We should follow this instruction.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

So what is the necessity of this Coca-cola? You don't find all these things in our society. We don't drink Coca-cola. We don't drink Pepsi-cola. We don't smoke. So many things which are selling in the market in huge quantity by advertisement, by victimizing the poor customer... But they are called unnecessary things. There is no need of such things. But adānta-gobhiḥ, because the senses cannot be controlled, they are making business. They are making business, unnecessary thing. So we have to control the senses. If we really want spiritual life, if we really want to be free from these material clutches, then we have to learn how to control the senses. That is wanted. That is the purpose of human life. Now... That is the purpose of human life. Human life is not meant for imitating the life of cats and dogs and hogs. That is not human life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

And God is one. There cannot be different Gods. If God has got competitors, then He is not God. There cannot be Hindu God, Muslim God, Christian God, or other conception of God. God is one. God cannot be Hindu, Muslim, Christian. So... And His order is also one. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, God says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Real dharma is to surrender unto God. And surrender and to follow His instruction and become a lover of God. Then it is dharma. It is perfectly clear. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). In another place it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion. What is that? By which one can learn how to love God. This is the definition. How to love God. We have learned to love so many things, but when we love God, that is real religion. And that is first-class religion. It does not matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or this or that. There are so many dharmas. But the thing is whether you have learned how to love God. Then it is perfect.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

So ultimately I love God. But there are so many impediments. I have forgotten. I am thinking sometimes to love my body, my mind, like that. But real love is because I am spirit soul, therefore I love myself. And why I love myself? Because it is part and parcel of Viṣṇu. Therefore ultimately you love Viṣṇu. But we have forgotten it. In relationship with Viṣṇu we have learned to love... Not love. That is our lust. Real love is with Viṣṇu. Because by nature there is love. Just like the child. It loves the mother. And in the absence of the mother he cries, and when the mother comes he becomes satisfied. So our real love is for Kṛṣṇa but that we have forgotten. And you are offered, "Why you are crying? You take this. You take this. You take this." No. Nothing will satisfy us unless we again come back to love our original source of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

So he says, yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṇoḥ padopasarpaṇam yadā eṣa sarva-bhūtānām. Why one should seek after Viṣṇu? Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Because yadā eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Everyone's dearmost. That we have forgotten. Actually Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, He's dearmost. He's also friend of everyone. When we understand this secret, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaraṁ suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Suhṛdam: He's actual friend. We go to friends for some help, but if we accept the natural friend, Kṛṣṇa, then there is no scarcity. Suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānām. Therefore we should learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. That is the aim of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:

The whole Bhagavad-gītā teaching ultimately ends with this order, mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the ultimate. But because people have become deviated, fallen, they do not know what is the aim of life, what is the goal of life. They are simply wasting time. Vimara-cetaḥ (?). Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, I am not very much anxious for me because I have no trouble. As I have learned to chant Your glories, so anywhere I am happy simply by glorifying Your activities. But I am unhappy for this reason: when I see that these rascals simply for little material happiness, they are working so hard." Tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "They have forgotten You." Vimukha cetasam. They think that "What is the use of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Vimukha. And what is required? Māyā-sukhāya. For few years to live in material comforts, bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, they are manufacturing so many big, big skyscraper building, nice road, nice car. Māyā-sukhāya. In Western countries there is very... We are also imitating in India like Bombay city and others, bharam udvahato, gorgeous arrangement. And what for? For living for a few years. Then he is going to cats and dogs. He doesn't know that. Therefore māyā-sukhāya. If somebody says that "You come here at my place. I shall give you very good food, nice shelter, all comforts, and after few days I shall drive you away and I shall beat you with my shoes," will anybody agree? No. So we are doing that. Forgetting our real business, we are busy in māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43).

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

In the Vedas it is said that the soul is unaffected with this material condition. I have several times given this example, that a person has got a good car, and it is somehow or another broken, and he becomes upset, because his car Although he knows that "I am not this car," but his thoughts being absorbed by the attraction of the car, when the car is broken somehow or other he becomes almost unconscious. So this is due to our attachment. So spiritual life means how to get out of this attachment. This is spiritual life. We are "No, what is the wrong if we are attached?" The wrong is that so long we remain attached to these temporary illusory things, you'll not be able to get out of it. That is the whole program. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. These pains and pleasure is due to this skin; it is not real. But because you are attached to the skin and bone, therefore you feel sometimes pain and pleasure. But that will not endure. Better tolerate it. Tolerate. That is spiritual, tapasya. That is called tapasya. When one can learn how to tolerate these temporary so-called pains and pleasure, then he is advanced.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So actually, if one becomes too much attached to family life and one has to become—this is the way—then has to earn money by risking life. He has to earn money. Similarly, the vaṇik, mercantile community, they also risk imprisonment by so many illegal activities. So formerly, these classes of men were after money. The higher class, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, they were very, I mean to say, pious. They did not do anything for risking life for earning money. The brāhmaṇa, they were trained up not to earn money, but to learn how to become self-controlled, śama damas satyam, how to speak truth, or how to understand the Absolute Truth. Then cleanliness, śama dama satyaṁ śaucam. Titikṣa, how to become tolerant. Ārjava, simple. Jñānam, fully aware of all kinds of knowledge. Vijñānam, practical application of knowledge. So then āstikyam. Āstikyam means to accept the authority of the śāstra. That is called āstik. That is theism. Theism means just like Veda, one who accepts the authority of Vedas, he is called āstik. And one who does not accept the authority of the Vedas, he is called nāstik. Āstik and nāstik.

Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1977:

This is the instruction. Prahlāda Mahārāja wanted to show this by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Hiraṇyakaśipu also came—how to become enemy of Kṛṣṇa—and Prahlāda Mahārāja came, show, to show how to become a devotee of... This is going on. So mahā-bhāgavata... Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and mahā-bhāgavata or uttama-adhikārī. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī is in the beginning they have to be taught how to worship the Deity very perfectly. According to the instruction of the śāstra, according instruction of the guru, one must learn how to worship Deity.

arcāyām eva haraye yaḥ
pūjāṁ śraddhāyehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

But one must make advance. This is advancement of devotional service. By simply we remain stuck up in Deity worship, we do not feel for others—na cānyeṣu na tad-bhakta—you do not know who is devotee, how to worship him, then we remain kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. And madhyama-adhikārī means he must know his position, others' position, devotee's position, God's position, and that is madhyma-adhikārī.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

Clear? Your question is clear? And your question? Yes. So you learn how to answer. We have got answers for everyone. The major question is that the demons, they want to become God. So let them explain what the demon means by the word God. If he comes under that definition, then we shall accept him God. But if there is no idea of God, then his claim is false. Just like I am in your country. If I falsely claim, "I am citizens of America," how can I be accepted? You can be accepted as citizen of America because there is a definition of the word "citizen of America." So your position comply with that definition—you can be accepted as citizens of America. And my position does not comply with that definition; therefore I am not citizen. So in this way. "All right, I accept you God, but what is your definition of God?" Just ask him to explain. What do they say God means? What does he mean, "God"? What do they explain? Did you not ask? What do they say?

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

Simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. You love here, there so many. You just try to love Kṛṣṇa and stay in transcendental state. Love is there, but we are misplacing our love. That is our folly. Place that love to Kṛṣṇa. You haven't got to learn how to love. You know. Everyone knows. So you place that love to Kṛṣṇa, and you are always... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi-
bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(BG 14.26)

"Anyone who is always engaged in unalloyed devotional service," sa guṇān samatītyaitān, "he has already transcended all the material qualities." Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate: "He is on the path of becoming Brahman." Brahman means transcendental stage. So simply by engaging yourself in devotional service, immediately you come to the Brahman platform. Immediately. All these boys who are engaged in the..., they are on the Brahman platform. They are not on the platform dharma artha kāma mokṣa. They have already transcended.

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

So this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, if we do it very nicely... Nicely does not mean that we have to become a very nice musician or very artistic singer. No. Very nicely means sincerely and with great attention. The process is the highest yoga system. This transcendental vibration, if you simply concentrate your mind on the vibration "Hare Kṛṣṇa..." Other kinds of yoga system is not possible in this age. You cannot meditate on a particular subject matter because mind is so agitating and changing that you try to fix up your mind on a particular subject matter, but mind flickers from one subject to another, another, to another. Then it becomes something else. But this vibration is so nice that even if your mind is flickering, the sound will force you to, I mean to say, draw your attention. "Hare Kṛṣṇa." So therefore... And it is very easy. For other sort of meditation, you have to learn how to sit down, how to fix up your body. You have to select a nice place, a solitary place, a purified place. You have to sit down in a certain posture. So many things. Those things are not possible at the present age because we are so much disturbed by the present atmosphere, everyone. Just like this morning you have news that the Russians have captured Czechoslovakia.

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.

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

Rukmiṇī: When we learn to love Kṛṣṇa, do we transcend goodness?

Prabhupāda: Transcend? What is that?

Haṁsadūta: When we learn to love Kṛṣṇa, do we transcend goodness?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Goodness is very good in this material world, but that is also a bondage. If I think, "Oh, I am very learned man. I am very good man," that is also bondage. We have to go far above even goodness, which is called śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means pure goodness. Now here the sense of goodness, "I am very good," this is mixed with the quality of passion. I am feeling proud of my goodness; therefore as soon as there is pride, it is mixed up with the quality of passion. So therefore you'll find all the Vaiṣṇavas, they never think that he's very good. He thinks, "Oh, I am the lowest. I am the most fallen." Caitanya-caritāmṛta kar says, "If anyone recites my name, then all his pious activities immediately becomes vanquished." You see. This is the platform. Tṛṇād api sunīcena. Always thinking very humble and meek. That is above goodness. If I think that I am very good, that is also material. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). To think very poor or think very rich or think very bad or think very good, they are all material qualifications. Simply think, "I am the humble servant of the Supreme Lord." That is the, mean, unalloyed goodness. Janārdana? You can chant. And you can take khol. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

Just like in India, nonvegetarian diet, according to Vedic system it is condemned. Nobody can eat any meat. But now they have learned how to eat meat. They are doing that. So somebody is saying, "Yes, today I have cooked meat, but in the Ganges water." Ganges water is considered to be pious. So he thinks by cooking meat in the Ganges water, it has become purified. You see? This is our mentality. We are bent upon doing all nonsense, and we want to get it supported by religious cover. Just like recently, the Christian world, they wanted support from the Pope of contraceptive method. That contraceptive method is condemned, but they want to be supported by the religious head. "If you don't support, then you are not good man. And if you support my nonsense, then you are very good man." Just like that Maharishi came here, and he supported that "Whatever nonsense you like, you do. You simply pay me thirty-five dollars and I give you one mantra, and within six months you become God." Oh, he looted your country. And after looting, he said, "Oh, my mission is failure." Because he has got his money, now he'll go. This is going on because we want to be cheated. Therefore cheaters come and cheat us. And as soon as say, "No. Everything belongs to God, my dear friend. You don't claim anything as yours. Because it belongs to God or Kṛṣṇa, you employ everything for His service"—"Swamijī is very conservative." You see. So actually, it is the fact.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

They are simply chanting, dancing. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that useless education—after some years they will learn how to smoke bidi. It is not like that. They'll never touch bidi. This is education. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. Even they are not literary person, they will have character and they'll become Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is real education. Don't think that "These boys are brought here. They're not giving any education, academic. They do not know what is history, what is geography." They know little, little, not very much. We don't require to know very much, neither we are very much concerned, learning A-B-C-D. Even without A-B-C-D, they will be advanced in education. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. One who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, he is actually advanced in education.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

Who is a paṇḍita? Paṇḍita means one who has learned how to see other women, means except one's wife, anyone, any woman-mother. He's paṇḍita. Where is that education? Where is that education? No. But these children will be educated in that way, to see all woman as mother. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. Para-dravyeṣu: other's property as garbage in the street. Nobody touches. That is paṇḍita. He'll not touch even anything. Even valuable jewel is lying on the street, a paṇḍita will say, "I shall not touch it." This is a moral education. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. Ātmavat. If you feel some pain by pinching, why should you pinch others? And that is paṇḍita. If you cry when your throat is cut with a knife, why you should slaughter other animals? Therefore Lord Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." But these people are so uneducated. In spite of their Ph.D.s, they have no, this simple education, that "I suffer when I am killed. Why I shall kill others?" This is the modern education, all nonsense rascals' education. This is not education.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

This is the constitution of this place. And the whole world, this foolish world, they are struggling to stop suffering and to remain here, permanent. Just see their foolishness. Everyone is trying to remain permanently. Just like we are constructing temples very sound, very strong, but they are constructing skyscraper building, strong, permanent. But he does not know, "Whether I shall be able to live here permanently?" So they can put the argument to us also, that "This is the case with you also." But our case is different. We are constructing this temple not for our living but for Kṛṣṇa's. That is the difference. That is the difference. We do not make any temple or house for ourself. We try to give chance to the devotees, and Kṛṣṇa shall live here. Kṛṣṇa's devotees will learn how to worship Him. That is our purpose. Here it is not a free hotel for learning how to gratify senses. No. This is not our aim and object. That is the difference. Therefore nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. The same energy is being enacted here for constructing big house, but it is nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandha.

Lecture on SB 7.9.24 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1976:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, nija bhṛtya-pārśvam: (SB 7.9.24) "Engage me as the servant of Your servant." The same thing Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-anudāsaḥ. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we have to give up this nonsense idea of becoming master. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to learn how to become servant. Not only servant, servant of the servant, servant of the... That is cure (CC Madhya 13.80). Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "So I have understood all this nonsense of becoming master. My father also tried to become master. So this knowledge, now I am perfect. There is no use of becoming master. Better, if You kindly want to give me some benediction, kindly make me the servant of Your servant." This is benediction. So one who has learned to become the servant of Kṛṣṇa's servant, he is perfect. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. A servant has to tolerate. Tolerate. Servant, sometimes master orders so many things, so he becomes disturbed. But still, he has to execute and tolerate. That is perfection. Here in India still, when a person goes to marry, so his... This is a custom. His mothers ask the bridegroom, "My dear son, where you are going?" He replies, "Mother, I am going to bring one maidservant for you." This is the system. "Mother, I am going to bring one maidservant for you." That means "My wife, your daughter-in-law, will serve you as your maidservant." This is Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 7.9.24 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1976:

So that disease is going on beginning from Brahmā down to the ant. Prahlāda Mahārāja has understood this so-called false prestigious position of becoming a master. He says that "I am quite aware of this false thing. Kindly engage me..." Nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam. Nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam means just like apprentice. Apprentice, one apprentice is engaged to one expert man. By and by, the apprentice learns how to do the things. Therefore he says, nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam. "Not that immediately I become very expert servant, but let me..." Our this institution is for that purpose. If somebody comes here, the free hotel and free sleeping accommodation, then his coming to this association is useless. He must learn how to serve. Nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam. Those who are serving, the... One should learn from him how he's serving twenty-four hours; then our joining this institution will be successful. And if we take it that "Here is an institution where we can have free hotel, free living and free sense gratification," then the whole institution will be spoiled. Be careful. All the GBC's, they should be careful that this mentality may not increase. Everyone should be very eager to serve, to learn how to serve. Nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam, Then life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:

You'll never be satisfied. But you add this zero by the side of Kṛṣṇa—you enjoy like anything, ten times. Ten times. With zero, it is zero, But when it is added with Kṛṣṇa, it is ten times. Just see practically. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started with forty rupees. Now that forty rupees or something added with Kṛṣṇa, it has become forty crores. You see practically. When I started for your country, I came to Māyāpur. I offered my obeisances to my spiritual master, then I went. At that time I had no money even to purchase the ticket. And after that, I have come with forty crores. This is the secret. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is there. You have to learn how to take from Kṛṣṇa. Of course, a devotee is never desirous to take anything from Kṛṣṇa. He wants to give only. This is pure devotee. A pure devotee wants, "Kṛṣṇa, whatever little I have got, You take it, everything." And Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, because you have given your everything, even up to your life, I'll also give you My everything to you." This is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:

Therefore it is said that sevānurūpa. If you learn how to give service to Kṛṣṇa cent percent, then you get everything, everything, without asking. Kṛṣṇa knows everything, what is required for you. Just like a father knows what is the necessity of the child. The child never begs, "Father, give me this, give me that." No. He's simply dependent on parents. The parent knows. Similarly, if we become cent percent dependent and serve Him faithfully under His order or His representative's order, then the success is sure. Sevānurūpa. Sevānurūpam udayo. Udayo: "It becomes manifest." Just like the sun is rising in the sky. It is not by your order. It is rising by his own way. You cannot say that "My dear sun, please immediately come to the medium (meridian?) and make it noon." "No, I am not your servant. I shall rise according to my principle."

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

A devotee who is always absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa and His activities... We are therefore presenting Kṛṣṇa and His activities. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All these books which we are distributing and publishing, what is this? This is Kṛṣṇa and His activities, that's all. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna. So if you simply read our books very carefully, then immediately this disease of heart palpitation, anxiety, will cease because on account of the dirty things, product of this tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa... That is disturbing us. We are covered by the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, rajas-tamaḥ. So rajas-tamaḥ means greediness and lusty desires. This is rajas-tamaḥ. So we have to... If we actually want to become free from anxieties, then we have to learn how to kill this, or how to avoid this anxiety due to rajas-tamo bhāvaḥ (SB 1.2.19).

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So we are passing through, but we are not aware how to avoid it, how to become free from this life of anxiety. That is being described by Prahlāda Mahārāja. He says that "For me, my Lord, I am not at all anxious. I am completely free from all these calamities." Just see. He was a boy of five years old only, but he is confident that he is not subjected to the calamities. Duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ. Why? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43), "Because I have learned to fulfill my heart by glorifying Your wonderful activities." Kīrtanam. Kīrtanam means to describe or to sing the glorious activities of the Lord, that is called kīrtanam. Kīrtanam does not mean always that we have to chant or sing with musical instrument. I am speaking to you Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this is also kīrtanam. So we have to accept this principle, kīrtanam, always. This kīrtanam is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Every one of us, never mind, this happiness is already fixed up. When you are born in this family, your standard of happiness is already fixed up. Don't bother. The time which you have got, valuable time, save it for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is required.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

So as it is stated that human life is meant for tapasya, austerity... Tapasa. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1), that this human form of life is meant for tapasya, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human life. And tapasya, austerity, begins from brahmācārya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). This is tapasya. Brahmācārya means restraining sex life, celibacy. That is brahmācārya. So when one is serious about advancement of spiritual consciousness, he must live under the control of the guru to learn how to become brahmacārī. This is main purpose.

The whole Vedic civilization is on the basis of controlling the senses. The yoga practice, it is also meant for controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. By some artificial bodily exercise one can control the senses. That is called yoga. But one who becomes directly a devotee, his sense control is automatically done, if he is devotee. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If one is devotee, then he does not like anything material. And the sex enjoyment is the topmost pleasure in this material world. So naturally one who is devotee, he doesn't require to practice brahmācārya separately-paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59)—because sex pleasure may be very nice in this material world, but when one gets a sense of spiritual pleasure, then this pleasure becomes abominable.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

This human form of life is meant for tapasya, to learn how to become detached from this material world. And the beginning is this brahmacārī life. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dāntaḥ. Dānta means self-controlled. That is real teaching. Either a gṛhastha lives... If a gṛhastha lives, even he has got wife, he does not... One side, according to Vedic civilization, there is no sex life except for begetting a nice child, and that also with garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In other words, whimsically sex life is completely stopped in Vedic civilization. There everything under regulation. Therefore brahmacārī means how to control the senses, to keep under his own control, not that "I am now sexually inclined. I must have immediately sex." No. Dānta. That is taught. Just like in our society, even gṛhastha, he is also under restriction, and what to speak of brahmacārī. But we should always remember that this human life is meant for controlling the senses. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. It is simply meant for inquiring about our spiritual life. That is perfect civilization.

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

That is automatically brahmacārī. Eh? Sāyaṁ prātar upāsita. And what is the upāsana? The first guru. Guru, agni, arka—means sun—and then God. Therefore you see in our Deity room there is picture of guru first of all. First of all your guru, then his guru, then his guru—at least four, five generation, because the spiritual knowledge is received through the paramparā. I have received from my guru; you are receiving from your guru; and my guru received from his guru; he received his guru. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Ādau gurvāśrayam. You cannot learn to become a perfect human being without accepting guru. Then you remain a rascal.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

First decreasing-religiosity. People will become irreligious, and they will forget what is telling truth. They will be accustomed to speak lie. And śaucam, no cleanliness. And kṣamā. Kṣamā means forgiveness. Suppose I have done some wrong... (break) ...but there is no forgiveness. Kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinaḥ, people is advised, especially those who are following penance and austerity, yogic principle or devotional life, they should learn to excuse. In our dealings, there are so many faulty dealings between ourselves. So if we take everything very seriously, then it is very difficult to live. So kṣamā. But that kṣamā—kṣamā means forgiveness—will reduce. Nobody will forgive. Retaliation, vengeance, that will increase. So four items: religiosity, truthfulness, cleanliness, and forgiveness. Four. Then dayā. Dayā means mercy. What is dayā? Who is, I mean to say, less strong. Just like animals, birds, beast, you should be very merciful. Just like children: you should be very merciful to children. According to Vedic injunctions, children, woman, brāhmaṇas, old men, and cows. How many? Children, women, brāhmaṇa, cow, and what else?

Page Title:Learn how to... (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:01 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=151, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:151