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Natural instinct

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 7 - 12

To pray to God when he is in difficulty is a natural instinct in every living being because he is eternally related with God.
BG 7.15, Purport:

We get information from revealed scriptures that when the baby is in the mother's womb (an extremely uncomfortable situation) he prays to God for deliverance and promises to worship Him alone as soon as he gets out. To pray to God when he is in difficulty is a natural instinct in every living being because he is eternally related with God. But after his deliverance, the child forgets the difficulties of birth and forgets his deliverer also, being influenced by māyā, the illusory energy.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Preface and Introduction

To glorify a great man is a natural instinct for living beings, but they have not learned to glorify the Lord.
SB Introduction:

The simple method is that one has to give up the arrogant attitude of declaring oneself to be God Himself. One must be very meek and submissive and try to live peacefully by lending the ear to the speeches of the transcendentally self-realized soul who speaks on the message of Bhāgavata-dharma, or the religion of glorifying the Supreme Lord and His devotees. To glorify a great man is a natural instinct for living beings, but they have not learned to glorify the Lord. Perfection of life is attained simply by glorifying the Lord in association with a self-realized devotee of the Lord.

SB Canto 1

The people in general want to read (that is a natural instinct), but because their minds are polluted they want such literatures.
SB 1.5.11, Purport:

In many countries there are bodies appointed by the state to detect and censor obscene literature. This means that neither the government nor the responsible leaders of the public want such literature, yet it is in the marketplace because the people want it for sense gratification. The people in general want to read (that is a natural instinct), but because their minds are polluted they want such literatures. Under the circumstances, transcendental literature like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will not only diminish the activities of the corrupt mind of the people in general, but also it will supply food for their hankering after reading some interesting literature.

It is a natural psychology in every individual case that a person likes to hear and enjoy his personal glories enumerated by others. That is a natural instinct.
SB 1.6.33, Purport:

As soon as a pure devotee engages himself in the pure devotional service of hearing, chanting and remembering the name, fame and activities of the Lord, at once He becomes visible to the transcendental eyes of the pure devotee by reflecting Himself on the mirror of the heart by spiritual television. Therefore a pure devotee who is related with the Lord in loving transcendental service can experience the presence of the Lord at every moment. It is a natural psychology in every individual case that a person likes to hear and enjoy his personal glories enumerated by others. That is a natural instinct, and the Lord, being also an individual personality like others, is not an exception to this psychology because psychological characteristics visible in the individual souls are but reflections of the same psychology in the Absolute Lord.

SB Canto 2

Activities may be taken up as the natural instinct of each and every living being, or even of the inert objects, and after the manifestation of activities there are varieties of products and by-products of the same nature.
SB 2.5.22, Purport:

Kāla, or time, is the synonym of nature and is the transformed manifestation of the principles of material creation. As such, kāla may be taken as the first cause of all creation, and by transformation of nature different activities of the material world become visible. These activities may be taken up as the natural instinct of each and every living being, or even of the inert objects, and after the manifestation of activities there are varieties of products and by-products of the same nature. Originally these are all due to the Supreme Lord.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.2.2, Purport:

From his very birth, Uddhava was a natural devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, or a nitya-siddha, a liberated soul. From natural instinct he used to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, even in his childhood. He used to play with dolls in the form of Kṛṣṇa, he would serve the dolls by dressing, feeding and worshiping them, and thus he was constantly absorbed in the play of transcendental realization. These are the signs of an eternally liberated soul. An eternally liberated soul is a devotee of the Lord who never forgets Him.

The natural instinct is that the husband wants to post himself as superior to the wife, and this must be observed.
SB 3.23.2, Purport:

The husband is a very intimate friend; therefore, the wife must render service just like an intimate friend, and at the same time she must understand that the husband is superior in position, and thus she must offer him all respect. A man's psychology and woman's psychology are different. As constituted by bodily frame, a man always wants to be superior to his wife, and a woman, as bodily constituted, is naturally inferior to her husband. Thus the natural instinct is that the husband wants to post himself as superior to the wife, and this must be observed. Even if there is some wrong on the part of the husband, the wife must tolerate it, and thus there will be no misunderstanding between husband and wife.

SB Canto 6

The natural instinct of a woman is to enjoy the material world.
SB 6.18.40, Purport:

The natural instinct of a woman is to enjoy the material world. She induces her husband to enjoy this world by satisfying his tongue, belly and genitals, which are called jihvā, udara and upastha. A woman is expert in cooking palatable dishes so that she can easily satisfy her husband in eating. When one eats nicely, his belly is satisfied, and as soon as the belly is satisfied the genitals become strong. Especially when a man is accustomed to eating meat and drinking wine and similar passionate things, he certainly becomes sexually inclined. It should be understood that sexual inclinations are meant not for spiritual progress but for gliding down to hell.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Mother Yasoda saw the time allotted for the living entities, she saw natural instinct and the reactions of karma, and she saw desires and different varieties of bodies, moving and nonmoving.
SB 10.8.37-39, Translation:

When Kṛṣṇa opened His mouth wide by the order of mother Yaśodā, she saw within His mouth all moving and nonmoving entities, outer space, and all directions, along with mountains, islands, oceans, the surface of the earth, the blowing wind, fire, the moon and the stars. She saw the planetary systems, water, light, air, sky, and creation by transformation of ahaṅkāra. She also saw the senses, the mind, sense perception, and the three qualities goodness, passion and ignorance. She saw the time allotted for the living entities, she saw natural instinct and the reactions of karma, and she saw desires and different varieties of bodies, moving and nonmoving. Seeing all these aspects of the cosmic manifestation, along with herself and Vṛndāvana-dhāma, she became doubtful and fearful of her son's nature.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

He steals as a child not because He is in want but out of a natural instinct.
CC Adi 14.42, Purport:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself. How is He stealing, and how is He fighting? It is not as a thief or an enemy but as a friend in a loving condition. He steals as a child not because He is in want but out of a natural instinct. In this material world also, small children, without enmity or bad will, sometimes go to a neighboring house and steal, and sometimes they fight. Kṛṣṇa also, like other children, did all these things in His childhood.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity.
Nectar of Devotion 2:

For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely. Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

My dear Lord, I am born as a serpent; therefore, by natural instinct I am very angry.
Krsna Book 16:

Kāliya continued, "You are the original creator of the modes of material nature, by which the universe is created. You are the cause of the different kinds of mentality possessed by living creatures, by which they have obtained different varieties of bodies. My dear Lord, I am born as a serpent; therefore, by natural instinct I am very angry. How is it then possible to give up my acquired nature without Your mercy? It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of Your māyā. By Your māyā we remain enslaved. My dear Lord, kindly excuse me for my inevitable material tendencies. I surrender unto You. Now You can punish me or save me, as You desire."

One should be careful to discharge duties according to his natural instinct and not divert attention to the worship of various demigods.
Krsna Book 24:

We can actually see that one becomes busy according to the natural tendency of his work; and according to that natural tendency, all living entities—whether human beings or demigods—achieve their respective results. All living entities achieve higher or lower bodies and create enemies, friends or neutral parties only because of their different kinds of work. One should be careful to discharge duties according to his natural instinct and not divert attention to the worship of various demigods. The demigods will be satisfied by proper execution of all duties, so there is no need to worship them.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Material life means every living entity has got the serviing propensities. That is natural instinct.
Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

Material life means every living entity has got these propensities. But they have to be restricted. Pravṛttiḥ eṣaṁ bhūtānām.(?) That is natural instinct. But if you can stop them, that is your excellence. That is called tapasya. Tapasya means I have got naturally some propensity, but that is not good. Not good in this sense, if we continue that propensity, then we have to accept this material body. This is the law of nature.

Father is so kind to the son that he wants that "If my son comes back, I shall forgive all his misgiving, if he comes back just like a good boy." That is a natural instinct.
Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

As soon as you turn your face towards Him, oh, He will help you in every respect, every respect. He is so kind. He is so merciful. Just like father. However rebellious son he may be, as soon as comes to his father, "Father, forgive me. I shall now obey you," that father at once... He was always ready to forgive him. Father is so kind to the son that he wants that "If my son comes back, I shall forgive all his misgiving, if he comes back just like a good boy." That is a natural instinct.

Even there are hundreds of bags of grains, but the tiger willl pounce upon a person. That is his natural instinct.
Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

A tiger eats meat, but tiger does not come to eat grains and fruits. But you eat meat and grains, fruits, milk, whatever you can get you eat. Why? Is that natural? Tiger will never come to claim on the grains, "Oh, you have got so much grain. Give me." No. Even there are hundreds bags of grains, you don't care, but he'll pounce upon a... That is his natural instinct.

How much the father is anxious to get his son back again, back again. That is the natural instinct.
Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Just like a father and a rebelled child or insane child. Those who have got... Of course, you are all young men here. Those who are elderly persons, they have got experience. If their sons go wrong, how much they are anxious. How much the father is anxious to get his son back again, back again. That is the natural instinct. And wherefrom this instinct comes? This instinct comes from the Supreme, because in the Vedānta-sūtra you will find that everything, whatever you are finding in this material world or spiritual world, everything, that has come from the Supreme. Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "He is the supreme source, fountainhead of everything."

We sometimes love the body or sometimes love the mind or sometimes love the soul or in this way, but the ultimate aim is to love Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural instinct.
Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

"Then why one should love the spirit soul?" The spirit soul is loved because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa. We do not know that. Therefore we sometimes love the body or sometimes love the mind or sometimes love the soul or in this way, but the ultimate aim is to love Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural instinct.

So long we are in the bodily concept of life, there are different natural instincts, and when we come to the platform of spiritual understanding, that natural instinct is different.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

So human life is not to be carried away by the so-called natural instinct. Natural instinct, material life... There are two kinds of natural instinct. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, there are different natural instincts, and when we come to the platform of spiritual understanding, that natural instinct is different. That is real natural instinct. So that natural instinct, spiritual natural instinct, can be attained by tapasya. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). That is the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva.

Everyone has got natural, natural instinct for sex life, for meat-eating and for drinking.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

For example, just like in the Vedas there, everything is there. The propensity of sense enjoyment is sex life, eating meat and drinking. This is the propensity. Material life, these are the propensities. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā. Everyone has got natural, natural instinct for sex life, for meat-eating and for drinking. This is natural instinct. But they are restrained. They are co-ordinated by the Vedic injunctions: "Yes, you'll have sex life, but you get yourself married." So there are so many paraphernalia for marry. The subject matter is sex life, everyone knows.

"Why the father is inclined to some sons and other sons, indifferent?" That is natural. As we have got this natural instinct, similarly, God has also the same instinct.
Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

Just like if a gentleman has got five sons, and out of the five sons, those who are very obedient to the father or one of them, two of them, naturally the father is inclined to them. That is not partiality, that "Why the father is inclined to some sons and other sons, indifferent?" That is natural. As we have got this natural instinct, similarly, God has also the same instinct.

A living entity has got natural inclination for vyavāya, sex life; and madya sevāḥ, intoxication; āmiṣa sevāḥ, and meat-eating. A natural instinct is there.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

A living entity has got natural inclination for vyavāya, sex life; and madya sevāḥ, intoxication; āmiṣa sevāḥ, and meat-eating. A natural instinct there is. But asuras, they do not try to stop it. They want to increase it. That is asura life. I have got some disease. If I want to cure it, then doctor gives me some prescription that "You don't take." Just like diabetic patient. He is forbidden that "Don't take sugar, don't take starch." Nivṛtti. Similarly, the śāstra gives us direction that you should be accepting these things and you should be not accepting these things, śāstra.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The natural instinct is to obey the superior person.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

You have to execute your occupational duty, but, as Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is real dharma. "I am this. I am following this dharma, that dharma"—that is not dharma. Dharma means the natural instinct. The natural instinct is to obey the superior person. Every one of us, we are meant for obeying the Supreme. Is anyone... Who can say that "I haven't got to obey any superior person"? Is there anyone? That cannot be. You have to obey.

The natural instinct is already there. When the boy and the girl are grown up, naturally the attraction is there, spontaneous.
Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

The natural instinct is already there. When the boy and the girl are grown up, naturally the attraction is there, spontaneous. Similarly, he has to be, they have to be brought up in the proper situation. In India, therefore, early marriage is recommended, according to śāstra. According to Vedic civilization, a girl, before attaining puberty, must be married. There are so many injunctions about that. And the responsibility is of the father, or, in the absence of father, the elderly members or brothers. It is called kanyā-dāya. Kanyā-dāya means it is the obligation. You cannot avoid it. You can avoid the marriage of your son, but you cannot avoid the marriage of your daughter. That is Vedic injunction.

Kṛṣṇa says, don't try to waste your time to elevate yourself or to transfer yourself from this planet to that planet.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

In the Brahmaloka the duration of life is very, very long. It is beyond your arithmatical calculation. But even there is death. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, don't try to waste your time to elevate yourself or to transfer yourself from this planet to that planet. That is natural instinct. Especially I see in your country that people are so restless, they cannot stay in one place.

Arjuna did not like to kill, to fight. That is Vaiṣṇava's natural instinct.
Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

Just like Arjuna had to kill. That is by the order of Kṛṣṇa, not by his own will. By his own will, Kṛṣṇa did..., Arjuna did not like to kill, to fight. That is Vaiṣṇava's natural instinct. He does not wish to do harm or to kill anybody. But when a Vaiṣṇava knows that Kṛṣṇa wants it, he doesn't care for his own consideration. "Never mind." That is practical example, Kṛṣṇa.

We want ānanda, happiness, blissfulness. That is our natural instinct.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

Therefore, those who are yogis, they are also enjoying. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is real happiness which increases. Which decreases, that is not real happiness. That is illusion. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cit, that is spiritual, spiritual ānanda. Really we want ānanda, happiness, blissfulness. That is our natural instinct. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So... But we are searching after ānanda in this material world, and that is described here that saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantrya, under material condition and changing this body one after another.

That is our natural instinct. We are giving service.
Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

That is our natural, natural instinct. We are giving service. But being contaminated, that consciousness, citta, being contaminated by these material elements, we are trying to give service in different way. Somebody is interested in giving service to the family, to the community, to the society, to the nation, to the humanity, to the more and more, but all these services, they are contaminated. But when you begin your service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is perfect service. That is perfect life. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to raise the human society to the perfect platform of rendering service.

So attachment, that is my natural instinct. I cannot be free from attachment.
Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

"If anyone prosecutes his devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, then gradually he develops ratiḥ." Ratiḥ means affection, affinity, attachment for the Lord. Now we have got attachment for the matter. So as we make progress, we gradually become freed from material attachment and come to the platform, complete attachment for God. So attachment, that is my natural instinct. I cannot be free from attachment. I shall be either attached to this matter or I shall be attached to spirit. If I am not attached to spirit, then I must be attached to matter.

Philosophy Discussions

That is checking the natural instinct and to become rightly rational, what to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, how to defend.
Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: So this way they have developed their consciousness. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, nānā yoni brahman kare kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare, this cycle of birth and death is that, that he comes to a species of life, he eats the most abominable food. So that, that is to be prohibited in human life. That is checking the natural instinct and to become rightly rational, what to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, how to defend. This is also animal propensity. Above that he should search out about the Absolute Truth, then his rationality is properly used. Otherwise he remains animal.

When we are actually in God relationship, we have got natural instinct to accept any one of them. So our friendly relationship with God can be chosen.
Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: Oh, the second point again? "A sense of the friendly continuity."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Friendly continuity means the, there are so many relationship, five relationship. First relationship is the master and the servant, and then friend to friend, then son and father, and then beloved and the lover. So these are all friendly relationship. We can, when we are actually in God relationship, we have got natural instinct to accept any one of them. So our friendly relationship with God can be chosen. Somebody likes sometime as friend to friend, father and son, or beloved and the lover, master and the servant, and the Supreme and the subordinate. They are five relationship.

It is the natural instinct of people to forget painful experiences.
Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Śyāmasundara: What he is talking about is the natural instinct of people to forget painful experiences.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) forget. Just like you were in the womb of your mother. It was a very painful situation. But you have forgotten. That is natural.

Śyāmasundara: So it's not artificial?

Prabhupāda: No. But when you were in the womb of your mother, that's a fact. Now when you think of it you can understand how horrible condition was that. Therefore śāstra says that even if you have forgotten, it does not mean that you have escaped the incidents. It is that you are waiting for another painful situation like that.

If somebody comes to attack me, I try to fight with him, trying to save me. So I may not be successful, but that is my natural instinct.
Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: His idea of a hero would be someone who meets the tiger face-to-face and courageously deals with him instead of running away. Whenever the challenge in life is there, the hero is the one who takes it up.

Prabhupāda: That is natural. It may be hero or not hero, it doesn't matter. If somebody comes to attack me, I try to fight with him, trying to save me. So I may not be successful, but that is my natural instinct. So everyone is hero.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

We therefore do not try even to earn our livelihood. That is the natural instinct of every animal.
Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes. So you have to preach all over the world that "You are simply wasting time by so many department of knowledge. You are so foolish, rascal." Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply wasting time. I think I explained that to that gentleman last morning? He said in one hour, two hour you should devote... Not two hour. Twenty-four hour. Did I not say? Yes. Because that is the only business. We have no other business. Our Society is practically demonstrating that this is the only business and no other business. We therefore do not try even to earn our livelihood. That is the natural instinct of every animal. But we do not try even for that. Is it not?

The natural instinct is to want to enjoy varieties.
Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: :But the natural instinct is to want to enjoy varieties...

Prabhupāda: That is material life. The material life means falsely he's thinking that he'll be happy by material adjustment. That is material life. Falsely he's thinking. He'll never be happy, but they are thinking like that. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā means this hope will never be fulfilled. That is called durāśayā, a hope which is not going to be successful at any time.

You have got born inquisitiveness, that is especially manifested in human form of life. That is our natural instinct
Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is your inquisiti... You have got born inquisitiveness, jijñāsu, that is especially manifested in human form of life. So for jijñāsu it is recommended, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). You have to go to the proper person. So that we are not doing. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). These are the Vedic injunctions. Jijñāsu is our natural instinct, but we go to who has no knowledge. That is the difficulty. We are misled. But the knowledge is there already, the Vedic knowledge is there. There are so many Vedas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, and Bhagavad-gītā, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, but there is no systematic study of this literature. We are neglecting.

Page Title:Natural instinct
Compiler:Laksmipriya, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:30 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=8, CC=1, OB=3, Lec=20, Con=3, Let=0
No. of Quotes:36