Nil (Lect. & Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"Nil"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

So Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master. In the beginning, he was talking like friend. Friend to friend, talking, sometimes it comes to nil, no conclusion, simply waste of time. It is called vitaṇḍā. That sort of argument has no value. Because it will never come into conclusion. But when we talk with authority, the spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, then we cannot argue. We have to accept.

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Anyone who knows that the living entity, soul, is avināśi, indestructible, then where is the question of killing? But that does not mean the Bhagavad-gītā is encouraging killing. No. That is not the purport. Killing is prohibited. But when we see that a brāhmaṇa is killing one animal in the sacrifice, it is not killing. Therefore we have to see with the eyes of Vedic knowledge. Not with these eyes. What is the value of these eyes? It has no value. We are very much proud: "Can you show me?" What is value of your seeing? Even if I show you, the value of your seeing power is nil. It sees only under certain conditions. That's all. If there is a light, you can see. What is the value of your eyes? Therefore the real seeing is through Vedic knowledge. That is seeing. Śāstra-cakṣus. Real knowledge, real seeing power, should be through the śāstras.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

So these are the techniques. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Anartha means... Anartha means that creates my miseries. Material activities will continue to increase my misery. And if you adopt spiritual life, then your material miseries will be gradually decreased, and practically it will be nil. And when we are actually free from material affinity, then your real spiritual life begins. Athāsakti. You become attached. You cannot give up any more. When your anartha-nivṛtti, when your material activities are completely stop, then you cannot give up. Athāsakti. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Niṣṭhā means your faith becomes more firm, fixed up, steady. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci. Ruci means you will simply hanker after spiritual things. You won't like to hear anything except spiritual message. You won't like to do anything except spiritual activities.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

We were just discussing this śloka this morning, that strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnām. Strī means woman class. Woman and śūdra and dvija-bandhu... Śūdra means ordinary people, not intelligent class, ordinary people. And dvija-bandhu? Dvija-bandhu means born in higher caste family, but their qualification is nil, such persons.

Formerly, according to varṇāśrama-dharma, it is not that "Because I am a brāhmaṇa's son, therefore I am a brāhmaṇa," just as the practice is going on now in India, caste system. Oh, that was not the system. The system was different. So this Mahābhārata was written for such persons who are claiming to be a brāhmaṇa because he is born in the brāhmaṇa family. But according to śāstra, scripture, such persons are not called brāhmaṇas. They are called dvija-bandhu, "a friend of a brāhmaṇa."

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

These are the demands.

So tapasya means to reduce these. That is tapasya. Tapasya... This is the general demand of the body, and if you want to be free from this material bondage, then you have to undergo tapasya. Tapasya means these demands of the body voluntarily reducing and coming to the point of nil. That is liberation. That is tapasya. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). But here, very nicely Kṛṣṇa de... It can be, tapasya can be executed very easily if one becomes man-mayā, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Man-mayā.

And mām upāśritāḥ, and taking shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Mām... Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). As soon as you become submitted... Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

It is meant for everyone. But the people must be intelligent enough to take it.

Unfortunately, this system, although India was observing very rigidly, now it is slackened, or practically nil. We have lost our brahminical culture, the cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). This is the, due to the influence of Kali-yuga. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ In the Kali-yuga practically everyone is a śūdra or less than śūdra. Less than śūdra is called caṇḍāla. Śūdras, sometimes śūdras also eat meat, but the less than śūdras, they have no discrimination. They eat even dogs. The dog-eaters, they are described in the śāstra, śva-paca. Śva means dog, and paca means, pacanti, cook.

But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice.

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

There are so many examples. Similarly, if your body is spiritualized, then the material action is no more. Material action means sense gratification. So the more one becomes spiritualized, the material demands become nil. No more material activities.

So how you can do that? The same example: You have to keep the iron constantly with the fire. You have to keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then even your this body, material body, is spiritualized. There is a Sanskrit grammatical law which is called māyātpoktaya (?). Marat(?) means, there is a word, just like svarṇamaya. Svarṇamaya means golden. Golden can be called, when it is made of pure gold, that is also golden. And if it is made of something else but the coating is gold, large quantity of gold, it is also golden.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

That is the purpose. Any religious system. If it teaches you how to love God, then it is first-class. Otherwise it is useless. You may prosecute your religious principles very rigidly and very nicely, but your love of God is nil. Your love of matter is simply enhancing, that is no religion. According to Bhāgavata verdict: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Apratihatā. Ahaituky apratihatā. That religious system has no cause. And without any impediment. If you can reach such system of religious principle, then we'll find that you are happy in all respect. Otherwise there is no possibility.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Prabhupāda: This full of miserable conditional body. Just try to grow your spiritual body. That is possible. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). These things are there. So we have to become very intelligent to understand what is the problem of life, how we should use this valuable human form of life. Unfortunately this education is practically nil all over the world.

Devotee: "There is no void anywhere in the creation of the Lord. Rather the cessation of material existence enables one to enter into the spiritual sky, the abode of the Lord. The abode of the Lord is also clearly described in the Bhagavad-gītā as that place where there is no need of sun or moon nor electricity."

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

And he was offering even bowing down hundreds times and chanting so many times. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma—you have heard it while singing Six Gosvāmīs song. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtau. So there are very nice examples of minimizing. Minimizing all material necessities. Up to the point nil. You see? But that is not possible for everyone. Don't try to imitate Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. But because they were associates of Lord Caitanya, each one of them showed some example, unique example of how Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be advanced. But our business is not to imitate them, but try to follow them. Try to follow as far as possible. Not artificially.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

This is called māyā. Kleśada āsa dehaḥ. So long you'll have a material body you'll have to suffer. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not on the bodily platform. It is on the spiritual platform. To come to the spiritual platform, it is necessary that you reduce or make nil sex life. So if one remains brahmacārī throughout the whole life it becomes very easy for him to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the secret. Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is based on first of all brahmacārī, no sex life. Gṛhastha, that is also very regulated. Only for begetting child one can have sex life, father, mother, man and woman. So dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find Kṛṣṇa says that "Sex life which is prescribed by the religious system, that is, I am."

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

Either chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or read books. And when you are hungry, you take little prasādam. Don't take much. Then you will sleep more. Take as little as possible. Then you will also sleep... Our business is to conquer over the demands of the body. The demands of the body is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So spiritual life means make it almost nil.

Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. All the Gosvāmīs, they did so. They conquered over sleeping, conquered over eating, conquered over sex desire and conquered defense. So in this way we have to minimize nidrāhāra-vihāra and save time for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is a botheration. (break) ...use of industry?

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

And even there are so-called good men, they have their own process of knowledge, speculative process, godless. The main basic principle of speculative process is to avoid Kṛṣṇa, to avoid God. There are so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā to make Kṛṣṇa nil. That is mental speculation. Somebody is saying that in the there is karma only recommended. Somebody says jñāna. Somebody says yoga. Somebody says bhakti.

But actually Bhagavad-gītā is meant for bhaktas. Bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. Bhagavad-gītā was instructed to Arjuna for his only qualification, that he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti. So the whole Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge, and the Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

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

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

It is limited, within the limit of time. But this Vedic religion has no beginning or end. Therefore, Sumanda-matayo, they will theorize, "In our religion it is said this." "Oh, whatever your religion may be, but the real purpose of religion is to understand God. How far you have understood God?" That is practically nil. But the formulas and dogmas and this and that they're full of. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). And almost everyone is unfortunate. They haven't got even means to accommodate the bare necessities of life—eating, sleeping, mating. They're also deficient. mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. And above all these there is always disturbance. Sometimes war, sometimes famine, sometimes earthquake, sometimes this, overflood. Just like recently in New York there was overflood, you know?

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

"All right, you become a hog. You can have sex life without any discrimination." The hog has no discrimination, mother, sister. So nature will give you that facilities. "You want sex life? All right, you get. Un..., without any hindrance, take it."

Therefore the sādhana-bhajana means to come to the point of nil. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. These Gosvāmīs, they conquered over nidrā, āhāra. Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating, and vihāra means sex. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. You have to conquer. The more you conquer over these things, the more you are advanced. Because you have to make it nil altogether. Then you are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we train our students: "No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating"—the nivṛtti-mārga.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Los Angeles, August 23, 1972:

That is also not guaranteed. We thought that in your country... When I was in India, I was contemplating coming to your country. I thought that America is very rich. "There is no problem for eating, sleeping, mating." Actually, there is nil. There is no problem. But the civilization is so made that there is no shelter. They are lying down on the park, on the street. Why? There was no necessity, but they have created such civilization, that a certain section of people are voluntarily, or being obliged, lying down on the street, on the park, no dress, no food, no fixed..., fixed-up sex life. Everything is topsy-turvied. Everything is topsy-turvied. But this is not civilization, this is not civilization. Then how they can understand God? Their mind is always disturbed and full of anxiety.

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

Generally. Sattva-guṇa is very little. Especially in this age, practically there is no sattva-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa also, very little. Tamo-guṇa predominant. For this reason, śāstra says in this age most people are śūdras because there is scarcity of sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇas' activities and kṣatriya, practically nil. There is no protector. Kṣatriya means one who protects from injury kṣata, kṣatriya, trāyate, one who protects people from being injured. Therefore the kṣatriya class, they were royal families, and the brāhmaṇas, they were meant for giving spiritual education. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. And the vaiśyas, they were meant for trading, agriculture and cow protection. As the kṣatriyas were interested, entrusted for protecting the citizens, similarly the vaiśyas were entrusted for protecting the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44).

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

So many things. The whole idea is restriction. Not that "Because I have got a wife it is a machine for sex life." No, no. A marriage mean, that does not mean. Marriage does not mean like that. It is restriction. The whole Vedic civilization is to bring men to the transcendental platform by restricting all his nonsense habits to nil. But not all of a sudden. Gradually, according to the quality. Similarly, those who are addicted to flesh eating, meat-eating: "All right." Vedic literature says, "All right. You can eat meat. But sacrifice an animal before the Deity, goddess Kālī, and you can eat." So that the man who is eating meat, he'll not revolt. If I say... Just like if I say... Just like many men revolts already. That girl? What is called?

Lecture on SB 1.7.9 Excerpt -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1976:

I am not this material body, no more I have to do anything for this material body. Ātmārāma. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). People are anxious, especially the karmīs, how to maintain this body, but when one comes to the conclusion that "I am not this body," naturally his interest for maintaining the body, diminishes. Practically, it becomes nil. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, you will find from the behavior of the Gosvāmīs, they practically conquered over the necessities of this body. But that does not mean he has to cease all activities. The Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that when one becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ, ātmārāma, he has nothing to do any more. No. The śāstra does not say that. Śāstra says that when you become ātmārāma, or brahma-bhūtaḥ, your material anxieties, material activities, they become stopped. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), prasannātmā, he has nothing to do.

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

Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu disregarded this. "This is not achievement of life." Of course, a human being... Human life does not begin unless there is conception of religion, dharma. But at the present moment, in the Kali-yuga, dharma is practically nil. So according to Vedic calculation, the present human civilization, they are not even human being. Because there is no dharma. There is no religion. No morality. No pious activities. Do not care. Everyone can do anything without caring. Formerly there was morality, immorality, irreligious, religious. But with the progress of Kali-yuga, everything is being vanquished. It is stated in the Kali-yuga about eighty per cent people, they are sinful, all sinful. And we can practically see. The sinful list we have given, the four principles, illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

This is don't, but what you want? That is, that they do not know. That point is missing. You say, "I don't want this." But what you want? That you do not know. That want, what you want actually, that is explained by Kuntī. Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate asakṛt: "Unto You... Let my, this family relationship affection be nil, but my relationship with You become conformed, be confirmed." Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā. "No more attraction for anything else. Only attraction for You, Kṛṣṇa."

So this is wanted. This is perfection. Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā. Ananya-viṣayā. No more attraction for anything else. Only attraction for You, Kṛṣṇa. So this is wanted. This is perfection. Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā. Ananya-viṣayā means ananya-bhakti, without any deviation. Twenty-four hours simply attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Then your renouncement is perfect. If you think that this attachment and that attachment both may be made—no. That cannot go. That will be nice, not nice.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

"So what for I am working so hard? I don't require so many things. Still why am I accumulating so much money, so much food, so much prestige?" when he becomes jñānī. That is jñānī.

So therefore bhakti is beyond karma and jñāna. Anyābhilāṣitā. The karma, jñāna, if there is another, other desires also, that should be also nil, no desire. That is called desirelessness. But desirelessness can be possible when you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, that is not possible. Therefore, bhakti means we should be desireless in the matter of jñāna, karma, or any other thing. Attach... Without any attachment. But we must have attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then it will stay. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That attachment, anuśīlanam, cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ānukūlyena... Ānukūlyena means favorably: "How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied?" That is favorable Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply always thinking of Kṛṣṇa... Just like the gopīs.

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

Those who have taken, fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-bhājām, karmāṇi nirdahati, their karma, nirdahati, means as far as possible the result is diminished or practically made nil. Even it is there, karma-phala, very slight. Just like the example is just like one is condemned to be murdered by somebody by cutting his head, but by Kṛṣṇa's grace he may be saved from cutting the head. Suppose there is some accident by knife in the hand. They are calculated like that. And generally, a devotee is completely relieved from all karma-phala. So ordinarily, we are indebted to so many persons, not only bāla, dvija, gopa, but ṛṣi, and the devatās. We have to take care of it. But if we become fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, sarvātmanā ye śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundam. Not any other demigods. Mukundam. Mukundam means... Muk means liberation.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

That means seventy-five percent religious principles and twenty-five percent irreligious. And the Dvāpara-yuga, fifty-fifty: fifty percent religious and fifty percent irreligious. And the Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent irreligious and twenty-five percent religious, gradually reducing to nil—no more religion. Then finished. Then there will be devastation. Again Satya-yuga will begin. This is the way of change of Satya-yuga-Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. The duration of Satya-yuga is about eighteen hundred thousand of years. Eighteen hundred thousands of years. Hundred thousand. Eighteen hundred. Similarly, Tretā-yuga, about twelve hundred thousands of years. Similarly, Dvāpara-yuga, eight hundred thousands of years. And Kali-yuga four hundred thousands of years. This is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Out of four hundred thousands of years, we have passed only 5,000 years. Not only 400,000, 432,000's of years.

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

The first symptom he says, tataś ca anu-dinam. With the process of this age, Kali-yuga, dharma, religious principles; satyam, truthfulness; śaucam, cleanliness; kṣamā, forgiveness; dayā, mercifulness; āyuḥ, duration of life; balam, bodily strength; smṛtiḥ, memory... Just count how many. Dharmaḥ, satyam, śaucam, kṣamā, dayā, āyuḥ, balam, smṛti-eight. These things will gradually reduce to nil, almost nil. Now as I told you, the Kali-yuga... In other yugas... Just like Satya-yuga, the duration of Satya-yuga was eighteen hundred thousands of years. And the human being was living in that age for one hundred thousands of years. One hundred thousands of years. The next age, the duration of that age, twelve hundred thousands of years, and the people used to live for one thousand years, not over ten thousand years. Ten times reduced. The next age, Dvāpara-yuga, again ten times reduced. Still, they used to live for one thousand years, and the duration of the age was eight hundred thousands of years.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he made it in his life, during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Even after departure of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, about four hundred years ago. He was a very rich man's son. Very good wife, very good state. He left everything, and ultimately, he made these things, even eating, nil. He was eating every third day a small quantity of butter, nominal, little. Otherwise he gave up eating. So it is possible. It is not that "How one can give up eating and live at the same time?" That is possible. By the life of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī we see.

So actual civilization means to deny material conveniences. That is actual civilization. That is perfection of civilization. Otherwise the cats and dogs, they are also after food, after sleeping, after sexual intercourse, after defense.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

You want to sleep; all right, sleep, ten hours sleep. That is not recommended. Don't sleep more than six hours. But they want to sleep. They want to sleep twenty-four hours. That is their desire in Kali-yuga. But, no. Then you'll be wasting time. Minimize eating, sleeping, mating and defending. When it is nil, that is perfection.

Because these are bodily necessities. Eating, sleeping, mating, defending that is bodily necessities. But I am not this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāram... (BG 2.13). So that realization takes time. But when we are actually advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we must know our duty. Sleeping not more than six hours. Utmost eight hours. Utmost, those who cannot control. But not ten hours, twelve hours, fifteen hours, no. Then what is the use of...? Somebody went to see one advanced devotee, and at nine o'clock he was sleeping. And he's advanced devotee.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

That we shouldn't. Because if I get more money, then immediately māyā will pa... "Why don't you spend for me?" Yes. So don't collect more than ... What you require, you collect. Or similarly, āhāra means eating. Don't eat more than necessity. Actually, we have to come to the point of nil, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And that is not possible because we have got this body. But minimum. So atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, and too much unnecessary spoiling energy.

We should not take great risk so that we have to work for it very seriously. We must accept something which can be easily done. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpa. And prajalpa means talking nonsense. As soon as ... This is the nature of the living entity in conditioned state.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

If one is serious to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then one should be ready to give up all sorts of material enjoyment. That is the fact. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious for your material improvement... You can get it. Kṛṣṇa is all powerful. But that is not the desirable thing. To become Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to make our materialistic way of life nil. That is the... That is the purpose. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). If you want from Kṛṣṇa that "Give me material happiness..."

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

No more love, no more family, no more attraction. So this is going on—ajñāna and attachment. Moha, illusion. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8).

So this ahaṁ mameti, this is ajñāna. So when one is jñānī, then this influence of material nature, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), will be reduced to nil. That is, it is said, prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam. "Now no more prakṛti can disillusion me that I am this body, and in bodily relation everything is mine." This ajñāna, ignorance, is immediately mitigated, and he becomes free. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). "Then I do not belong to all these things. Why I am falsely inclined to all these things? So it will come, how?" This bhakti-yuktena. If you take to bhakti-yoga, these things automatically...

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

So one has to overcome in the beginning, at least, the contamination by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. At the present moment, especially in this age, the contamination of tamo-guṇa is very prominent, and little rajo-guṇa also, but sattva-guṇa is practically nil in this age, Kali-yuga. It is said in the śāstra that sattva-guṇa will be practically nil. Rajas-tamaḥ. And the aim of life is to become free from all the contaminations, even sattva-guṇa contamination. This has been explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely in the Fourteenth Chapter, how to become not contaminated, disinfected.

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

So in order to get out of this fearful situation of life... That is material life. If we take shelter of the lotus feet of abhaya-caraṇāravinda re, Kṛṣṇa, then this bhayam element, fearfulness element, will be completely nil.

So ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham... (BG 3.27). Our identification, false identification... The four subtle senses: mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra, citta, consciousness... So when the consciousness is materially absorbed, then there is fear, and when the consciousness is pure—"consciousness pure" means Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa"—then there is no bhaya. The more we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more we become free from fearfulness. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advises hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). The real position of fearlessness is harim āśrayeta, take shelter of Hari.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

In this way Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī increased, and later on, when after departure of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he went to live in Vṛndāvana with the six gosvāmīs, he is also one of the gosvāmīs, he was taking three times bathing, but not eating. Every alternate day, he will take a little buttermilk. That's all. This is called tapasya, austerity. Coming to the point of nil, no more eating. No more sleeping, no more sex life, no more defense. This is perfection. Who will accept this? (laughter)

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke, to collect for eating, sleeping and mating, whole day and night working, this is not good. Then what is good? Tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1). Sattvam means your existence has to be purified. Our existence, this existence is not purified, therefore we have got this material body. Now what is the decitement (?).

Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:

You get one body and again you die, again get another body. This will go on. Therefore we should not Na sādhu manye. Ṛṣabhadeva, boys, said, "This is not good." Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4).

So this culture, this education, is practically nil. Especially in Kali-yuga, it is very regrettable. But the informations are there, the science is there. If one is intelligent, he can take advantage of this science, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and mold his life accordingly so that he can stop this process of accepting a body which is kleśada. Kleśada. That is the perfection of life. And that can be simply done very easily if you simply study Kṛṣṇa, if you come in this temple and see Kṛṣṇa. Very simple method.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

There is no such thing as bhāgavata-saptāha in authoritative literature. They have manufactured as a business. But bhāgavata should be served nityam. Nityaṁ bhāgavata.

Who can do that? Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. By developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness whose sinful life is almost nil, not completely nil but almost nil, prāyeṣu. How? Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. If you engage yourself to serve, to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and to serve the person bhāgavatam. Nityam bhāgavata-sevayā. Bhaktiḥ, uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Then your bhakti will increase uttama-śloke, to the Supreme. Uttama-śloka means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And when you come to that stage, not that completely pure, almost pure, by nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), and increasing your devotional service, then you immediately be situated in the brāhmaṇa qualification.

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:

So this is called tapasya. And brahmacaryeṇa. Brahmacaryeṇa means completely cessation of sex life. So that is not possible to completely give up eating or completely sex life, but make it regulated. That is tapasya: eating, sleeping, mating, and defense as much as it is required. The aim should be to make it nil. That is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Brahmācārya means, strictly. Brahmācārya means that one should not look upon woman, "Oh, here is a very beautiful girl." That is also sex, subtle sex. And to talk, "Fsh, fsh, fsh, fsh," that is also subtle sex. So these things are to be avoided. There are eight kinds of subtle sex life. This is called brahmācārya. So according to Vedic śāstra, if one lives with one woman, one man, they are also brahmacārī. Not many. This is... If one cannot give up sex life, let him be satisfied with one man and one woman. That is also tapasya, that is also brahmacārī. But not that jumping from here, there, there, there, there, no, like monkey, no. (laughter) This is training. This is training.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

In the spiritual world there is no necessity of maintaining the body. The body is spiritual. As we have got here in this material world, to maintain this body I require to eat, I require to sleep, I require to satisfy my sense, and I require to defend—the four necessities... Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. And spiritual body means these four kinds of bodily demands, nil, no more. That is spiritual life. That means no eating, no sleeping, no sex, and no defense. The six Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, they practiced it. (sic:) Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. They conquered over sleeping, eating, mating, and defending. Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating, vihāra means sex. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. Conquered.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

One side, this is nirvāṇa, finished. And the other side positive. Negative side, no more material, and positive side, Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. How to go back to home, back to Godhead to serve Kṛṣṇa—this is one side. And one side—nil, we don't want any more anything. Niṣkiñcana. For such a person, viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca (CC Madhya 11.8). For such a person, if he has become captivated by the material attraction, means money and material comforts... Woman and material comforts. This is material civilization. Everyone is after woman. Woman or men, the... It is not that woman means the form of woman and man is the form of man. Woman means enjoyable and man means enjoyer. So here in this material world everyone is enjoyer.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Detroit, June 14, 1976:

Everyone was paramahaṁsa. Then, in the next yuga, Tretā-yuga, seventy-five percent paramahaṁsa, first class; twenty-five percent this third class, fourth class. And then in the Dvāpara, half and half. Now in the Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent all rogues and thieves. Maybe twenty-five percent, that is also decreasing. And with the advancement of Kali-yuga, it will be practically nil. This is advancement of Kali-yuga.

Therefore the living entities, means human beings, they have been described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as manda. Manda means all bad. Manda, there are two meanings, "slow" or "bad." Slow means bad. Slow, if you take the meaning of slow, that will be like this, that this human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. That is the advantage. In the cycle of birth and death, we are rotating.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

No. Actually mind carries you to the next body. So mind goes with you. The material mind, material ego, material intelligence become nil when you are completely liberated. But at that time your spiritual mind acts. It is not very difficult to understand. Somebody is acting under the impression... Just like one of our students, he was acting under the impression that he is Frenchman and doing something subversive, and now he is thinking that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." (chuckles) He has stopped all those nonsense. (break) When he was thinking that he's a Frenchman, that mind was there. And now he's thinking that "I am Kṛṣṇa's," the mind is there. So where is the chance of losing the mind? You want to question anything? (break) This boy?

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

We are under the control of the material nature. Everyone can realize it. Nobody can be free. But the process of freedom is also stated there: Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā, mām eva ye prapadyante (BG 7.14). If anyone takes to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, surrenders there, and be engaged in His service, then these laws of nature will be slackened, or almost nil. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). These are the statements of the śāstras. Laws of material nature means karma. You act in a certain way and you get the result, good or bad; that is called karma. Sat-karma or asat-karma. Actually everything is asat-karma. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). So even taking, accepting that good work is nice, but it is also bondage. Suppose you give in charity. So the laws of nature is that if you give one by charity, you get four. So now to accept that four, you have to take birth again.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.80-95 -- San Francisco, February 10, 1966:

You'll be in better position, far better position than them. So this is one perfection, to become a man of religiosity.

Then, if you become a man of religiosity, then your economic wants will be almost nil. Dharma, artha and kāma. And, if your economic wants are fulfilled, then you can fulfill your sense enjoyment very nicely. We want economic development—why? Because we want to... Ordinary man, who is in the material world, he wants to fulfill his sense... He has got so many demands of his senses, either in this world or in the other world. Suppose a man is trying by his, following the religious principle to go to other planets. What is the purpose of going to other planets, heavenly planets? It is for having a better facility for sense enjoyment.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

One should not sleep more than five to six hours. Minimize as far as possible. The Gosvāmīs used to sleep not more than one and a half hour, or two hours. Sleeping is not very important thing. Even big politicians, they used to sleep for two hours. So especially in spiritual line, they should minimize as far as possible eating, sleeping, mating, defending. Minimize. Gradually it comes to nil. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was eating only a little piece of butter every alternate days, not daily. So this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, regularly he was coming from his office, and after taking his supper immediately he goes to bed, and wake up at twelve o'clock, and he used to write books. He wrote, he left behind him about one hundred books. And he excavated the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, organized how to develop that birth site, Māyāpur. He had so many business.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Rukmini Dasi -- Montreal, August 15, 1968:

So they always worked very hard, day and night. Their business was writing books or chanting and dancing. And other necessities, eating, sleeping, mating and fearing, they practically abolished. There was no question of mating, there was no question of fearing. And sleeping, they used to sleep utmost one and a half hour daily in twenty-four hours. And eating, that is also practically nil. When they felt hungry they would go to some householder's home and beg one capati or two capatis. That's all. Finished. So nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The mission of saintly persons is simply to think how this suffering humanity will become happy by spiritual consciousness. That is their business. They are not for exploiting. The whole material world is trying...

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

Now this initiation, from this day your account, past life, all sinful activities, is now what is called, adjusted. Closed. It is finished. Now because by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can finish your sinful activities' reaction, that does not mean that you will repeat: "Oh, I shall commit sinful activities and I shall chant. It will be adjusted. The balance will be nil." No. Not like that. Don't commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that "Oh, I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let me go to the hotel and take some meat." No. Then it will be a great sin. Don't do that. Then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will not fructify if you commit offense. Next?

Initiations -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1969:

When there will be no more demand, that is peace. And that is only for Kṛṣṇa bhakta, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149), because he has no demand. Ataeva śānta: "Therefore he is peaceful." All others, they have got some demand. So this is the process. By making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means your demands will be nil. That's all. When you find in that position, that "I have no more any demand," svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi, "I am fully satisfied, Kṛṣṇa," then that is your perfection. So try to achieve that position.

Now you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, first of all is marriage. Now you offer this girl. What is name? Where is garland? All these groups, give them garland. Who is in charge? All right. This garland was first touched there in Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple?

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Foundation Stone Ceremony Speech -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

So in this age practically there is nil who is a dhīra. Everyone is adhīra. But the saṅkīrtana movement is so nice, as it is spoken by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya on behalf of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. This movement is so nice that it will be pleasing to the dhīras and the adhīras.

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

So the disease is there, but the remedy is also there. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). We are misunderstanding. The human society, they are trying to adjust things by the United Nations, but it is not possible. United Nations cannot do.

General Lectures

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

He said to Arjuna, "Because you are My very dear friend, I am giving you the most confidential information, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja." This is dharma. Dharma, satyam, truthfulness. That is also reduced, being reduce. Dharma means to become devotee of the Lord. That is practically not reduced. It is practically nil. And people have manufactured so many dharmas, dharma without the principle of God consciousness. So, according to Vedic principle, that is not dharma. Vedic principle says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion which teaches people how to become devotee of the Supreme Lord. Paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: The reconcile is the body is nothing and the spirit is something. This is synthesis. This is our proposal. The body is nothing, false, but I am real. But those who have no knowledge, they are taking one side. But we are taking two sides: this body is there, this is false, but it is temporary. Although I say I'm not this body, if somebody knocks me I feel pain. So this is temporary. Mātrā sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Due to this body, I am feeling pains and pleasures. So the Buddha philosophy is you make this body nil, then there is no pains and pleasures. But that is imperfect. Because I am there, I will accept another body. So that, death does not mean liberation. Death does not mean liberation. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. You have to accept another body. Liberation means when you are no more in this material world, you go back to spiritual world, that is liberation.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: Those who are ignorant and materially covered, they sleep more. Those who are spiritually enlightened, they sleep less. Sleep is the necessity of the body, not of the soul. So those who are advanced in the platform of spiritual identity, they do not require sleeping, as we find from the life of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **: they conquered over sleeping, eating, mating. That is spiritual life. To sleep is waste of time, so those who are actually interested in spiritual life, they adjust life in such a way that almost they sleep nil.

Hayagrīva: Arjuna was praised as Gudakesa?

Prabhupāda: Guḍākeśa, who has conquered over sleeping.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: Not natural. The child forgets... Our formula is bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. This fearfulness is created when one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is a quality of the conditioned soul. Īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. So as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, these things become almost nil. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). One who is God conscious doesn't fear anything. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Such a giant, his giant father, is threatening him. He is calm and (indistinct). He doesn't care for his father's (indistinct). His father is asking, "Prahlāda, how is it that you are so proud and fearless when I am trying to chastise you?" But he replied, "The person who has given me this power is protecting me." That was his answer. "You have power because it is gifted by Kṛṣṇa. So that same personality is giving me protection." He replied that.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: That is the Gosvāmīs, nidrāhāra-vihāra-vijitau, conquered over sleeping, eating, and mating. Because these three, four things āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithun..., these are material life. The spiritual life means reduction of these things. When it is nil, no more sleeping, no more eating, that is spiritual..., perfection of spiritual life. So we cannot make it nil so long this body is there, but our policy should be like that. Policy should be like that. We shall not eat more, we shall not sleep more, we shall not mate more. Those who are gṛhasthas, they can have sex life only for producing children, that's all, no more. And those who are sannyāsī, brahmacārī, they have no sex life, there is no question of sex life. Sex life is prohibited. But it is a concession for them who cannot live without sex life. That is married life. Otherwise, sex life is not very important thing. Just like there are brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, they have no sex life.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Man and woman. So if you want to get liberation from this material world, then that attachment should be reduced to nil. Otherwise, simply for that attachment, you'll have to take birth and rebirth, either as human being or as demigod or as an animal, as a serpent, as a bird, as a beast. You have to take birth. So this basic principle of attachment, increasing, is not our business. It is decreasing. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalam. This is the general tendency, but if one can reduce and stop it, that is first class. Therefore our Vedic system is that first of all a boy is trained as a brahmacārī, no sex life. Brahmacārī. He goes to the teacher's home. (pause—a devotee chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa over loudspeaker is very loud.)

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And when Kṛṣṇa became his spiritual master He chastised him in the beginning. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11), that "You are talking like learned man, but you are a fool number one because you are talking on the bodily concept of life." So this sex life increases the bodily concept of life. Therefore the whole process is to reduce it to nil.

Bob: To reduce it over the stages of your life?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Reduce it, just like a boy is trained up as a student up to twenty-five years, restricting sex life. Brahmacārī. So, some of the boys they remain naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. He, because he's given education, so if he becomes fully conversant he doesn't like to marry. But one who has not such restraint, he's allowed to marry. That is also restricted, that he cannot have sex life without being married. Therefore in the human society there is marriage, not in the animal society.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 17, 1973, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, 1944. I think you were at that time at my house. Yes. So, somehow or other, this intention for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu increased and the other side decreased. Viraktir anyatra syāt. But I was not disinclined, but Kṛṣṇa forced me that you must give up. (chuckles) And these thing is known better to Śrīdhara Mahārāja, how it decreased, decreased, decreased, then almost it become nil, and then I left home in 1950. Whatever was there, "All right, you do whatever you like." In 1954, four years I remained as vānaprastha, (indistinct) four years, from 1950 to 1959.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: In the mean time, Bombay. Bombay light.

Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Very good theologician. A rascal number one. You are trying for becoming happy, and his theory is that man will accept suffering. You see? The very proposition is rascaldom. Everyone is trying for to become happy. That is progress. Ātyantika. In Sanskrit it is called ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. There is suffering, and our struggle for existence means to, I mean to say, mitigate the suffering, to minimize or to make it nil. That is our struggle. We are not submitting to suffering. Then what is the civilization? What is human civilization: We don't want suffering. That is our position. Why this rascal says that "We shall suffer"? Just see. The theologician is a rascal. Therefore we say everyone rascal.

Prajāpati: The same theologician, Prabhupāda, he calls himself an atheist theist.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The income was nil.

Dr. Kapoor: Nil. How much money did you carry with you?

Prabhupāda: Forty rupees.

Dr. Kapoor: Forty rupees?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But I could not spend because there was no exchange for Indian currency, no (laughter). So it was kept as it is. When I came back in 1967, that was spent as my taxi fare (laughter). At that time it was spent. From Palam airport to Delhi, that Chippiwada. So they charged me thirty-five rupees or forty rupees. So at that time it was spent, and 1967 there was heart attack.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then? You have to engage laborer and spend two hundred rupees per head at least, including salary and food, and the production is nil. In this way, there must be ten thousand, twenty thousand expenditure. Am I right or not, that "You bring money some way from anywhere, and let us spend lavishly?" What kind of management this is? We should consider the money, after all, is earned with hard labor. So somebody will bring money with hard labor, and another body will spend like irresponsible prince; that should be stopped. That is management. (break) ...especially is that the religion means to make a class of men, simply idle... What is? Opiate...? What is called?

Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: That is the benefit they do not understand. Here the philosophy is to make nil material benefit. And that is sometimes havoc for others. Niṣkiñcanasya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... (aside:) Don't bring near. Niṣkiñcanasya. Niṣkiñcana means... Kiñcana means something and niṣkiñcana means even no something. Kiñcana means something, to possess something, and niṣkiñcana means to possess nothing. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana... So go back to home back to Godhead, is meant for such persons who has nothing to possess here. That is very difficult. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. The real aim, real benefit, is how to be transferred to the other nature, spiritual nature. Pāraṁ param.

Room Conversation with Prof. Regamay, Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Lausanne -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Well, I... That is the process of India to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. Every Indian has got initial propensity, but actually Gandhi did not know anything about spiritual science. He was politician, that's all. That one Bengal governor, he was from Australia, Mr. Keziar (?). So he, I remember. "Gandhi is a politician amongst the saintly person or a saintly person amongst the politicians." This study was made. His moral principle, character, is very good. That is to be taken by the politicians. But so far his spiritual knowledge is concerned, that is nil.

Prof. Regamay: But nonviolence is not well in every case?

Prabhupāda: No, nonviolence... Actually that is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā. What do you mean by nonviolence. Because you are not this body. Suppose if I tear away your coat, does it mean that you are killed?

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Anyway. So vāsaḥ anna. Food. Vāsaḥ anna. Vāsa means residence. Anna means food. Pāna means drinking, milk or water or whatever. You require something drinking. And śayana, sleeping or lying down on bed. Vāsa, anna, pāna, śayana, and vyavāya, sex. Sex also required. Vyavāya, snāna. I have seen in New York. They have no... In a humbug, they have no place for taking bath. They have to go elsewhere. Sometimes some friends come to take bath. The, our students, they were coming to take bath in my bathroom. So snāna. So these things, nil. "When these things will be nil," vāsa, anna, pāna, śayana, vyavāya, snāna, bhūṣaṇaiḥ, "and dress," hīnāḥ, "being devoid of all these things," piśāca-sandarśā bhaviṣyanti, "they will be just like, what is called, urchins."

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: There is a verse. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). If one is God realized soul, he is not afraid of anything. Svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. So actually, if one is self-realized, he is no more fearful or concerned with the bodily necessities of life. That is liberation. Just like as you mentioned sleeping. Sleeping also, a bodily necessity. When you are tired, you sleep. That is bodily necessity. But it is not spiritually necessary. About the Gosvāmīs it is said, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau: ** "Conquered over sleeping, eating, mating." That is also one of the symptoms of self-realization. These things are necessities of the body. So the more one is advanced in self-realization, these things will be minimized: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And gradually it will come to nil because this is bodily necessities. Self, the active principle, that is different.

Room Conversation -- June 20, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: That is stated by Yāmunācārya. (Sanskrit). Yāmunācārya, a great saintly person, he was formerly big king, so he said, "Since I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious and enjoying, since that time, as soon as I remember even sex life, I spite (spit) on it and my mouth becomes turned." (laughter) This is the test. Not that you become very advanced spiritualist and at the same time advance in sex life. That is not. (Sanskrit) That is the test that as soon as you are advanced in spiritual life, all these materialistic habits will be rejected automatically. This is the test. Four things are material demands-eating, satisfaction of the tongue or belly and satisfaction of the genital, āhāra, and sleeping and to become a good defender, defense measure. These are material necessity. And the one who is spiritually advanced, these things will be reduced, almost nil. What Christ says, Jesus Christ about sex life? What does he say?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is my program. You get money: you spend money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Make one million and the next day be with nil.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Brahminical qualification. Whatever he gets, he spends. That's all.

Jayapatāka: Those in ISKCON who (?) haven't spent money, they got in trouble. Like, in Germany they stored money.

Prabhupāda: No, storing is not good. Some money may be, few lakhs, stored for emergency. Otherwise the principle should be to get money and spend money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually in Tirupati, one of the reasons the government took over is that the trustees themselves were squandering the money.

Morning Walk -- February 12, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: It is less than demonic. Demonic qualities, they have some activity and laziness is ignorance, darkness. Therefore too much sleeping is very, very bad. That is another part of laziness. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, one has to conquer over this sleeping and laziness. Eating, nidrā, ahāra, vihāra, sense gratification, vihāra means sense gratification. One has to minimize these things up to the point of nil, that is perfect. When there is no more sleeping, no more eating, no more mating, and no more fearing, that is perfection of spiritual life. And that is not possible, but as much as possible. (break) ...they cannot sleep more that the culture (?) is very great gain, profit.

Hṛdayānanda: Consider a rich man. A rich man can sleep, a poor man must work.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: But for us there is nothing material. We have no such vision as "material" and "spiritual." Material means when we forget Kṛṣṇa's right. That is material. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor; He is the enjoyer. So, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything Kṛṣṇa's. So when we forget Kṛṣṇa's right on everything, that is material. Otherwise there is nothing material; everything spiritual. Everything is generated by Kṛṣṇa's energies, and there are two energies, material energy and spiritual energy. So in the material energy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is less or nil. And in spiritual energy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prominent and very acute. I think I give this example somewhere. Just like this nail, and just little below, there is skin. Both of them are my body, but in the skin there is sensation; in the nail there is no sensation. But both of them are coming from the same source, the body.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Germany is little recouped, but England is finished. Therefore I say India got independence not due to Gandhi. It is due to Hitler. That is my opinion. I have got reason. The Hitler fighting with England made them smashed, so their political power became nil almost, and on this opportunity, Hitler helped Subash Chandra Bose, one of the leaders of India, to organize Indian National Army. This Indian National Army, when attacked, at least made a show of attack from Imphala(?), especially on Calcutta dropped bombs, and the whole Calcutta became vacant. Perhaps myself and a few others remained. I sent my sons.... Of course, daughter was married, but they sent to Navadvīpa, Śrīdhara Mahārāja's āśrama. My wife refused to go out of Calcutta. She said, "I'll be bombed maybe, but I'll not go out."

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: That cannot be. Maybe in the beginning due to past habits, but that must be nil very soon. Otherwise he's not following. Just like fan switched off may move for a little, but not that it will go on moving. Must stop. Switch is off. And if it is going on, then the switch is not yet off. (break)

Devotee (2): A devotee is sometimes subject to hankering or lamentation. That is material though, isn't it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): In other words, if, at that moment, if he desires something other than Kṛṣṇa, that's a material desire.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Kīrtanānanda: Everywhere now is nasty government.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dasyu-dharma, rogues and thieves, they'll... Government means people in general, they are losing their independence. Personal independence, nil. Russia, cent percent, no personal independence. Simply like animals who live.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. Higher studies, nobody comes. Only technology. The higher class, higher studies class, they are being closed. The professors are getting no job. We have a friend, Dr. Henderson, he is a doctor in higher mathematics, he is not getting job. No students, nobody is interested in higher... Similarly, many other things, and literatures.

Dr. Patel: Here also the same thing, nobody. And Sanskrit practically nil.

Prabhupāda: And philosophy class, closed. Here I think also. Nobody... They think "What is the use of speculation?"

Indian: At Kurukṣetra, one Sanskrit university they are planning.

Prabhupāda: Vedic university. So that is our plan. We have asked government to give us land.

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Akhila-rasāmṛta, yes. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So you can have all the rasas. That is the origin of bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. In bhakti, that rasa, you become in the ocean of rasa. You're hankering after rasas. There is a Vedic injunction, raso vai saḥ labdhvānandi ānandī.(?) One who has got the rasa, labdhvānandi, then he gets the real ānanda. That ānanda-cinmaya-rasa expansion is Kṛṣṇa's calves, cows, gopī friends, cowherd boy friends, Nanda, Yaśodāmāyi, so many. So to be Kṛṣṇa conscious means to participate with these rasas. It is not dry. It is not dry like, simply so 'ham, so'ham. So 'ham, they do not know the meaning. So 'ham means I belong to the same rasa. I also eligible to enjoy the same rasa. But Kṛṣṇa is... (break) ...and the calves, the cows are enjoying the rasa as predominated. Just like husband and wife, they are enjoying, both. But one is enjoying as the husband, predominator. The husband is forcefully dragging the wife. She's also... While she is dragged by force, she enjoys. That is another rasa. But there is rasa. Combined together it becomes rasa. Similarly Kṛṣṇa does not enjoy this material. This material rasa is the perverted reflection of that cinmaya-rasa. So we have to get ourselves nil of all these material rasas and we have to be situated in the cinmaya. Then our, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Oh, maybe. No, they are very happy. All the boys and girls are very happy. Sit down. So that I want, that I live happily and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. We don't want unnecessary luxury. Anartha. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha should be reduced, nil, bare necessities. Anartha... Just like this material thing we require for preaching. That is not anartha. But when it is used for sense gratification, that is anartha. Anything for sense gratification, that is unwanted, anartha. And anything for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is spiritual.

Jayapatākā: Anukūla.

Prabhupāda: Anukūla. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). So whatever we are using, that is not material. It is all spiritual. So what are these? So... Mahābhārata Sunday? (?)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They take it trifle. Husband and wife who are fighting, dam-pate kalahe caiva bambharambhe laghu kriya.(?) If there is fight between husband and..., it will be... The show will be very big, and the result will be nil. Bambharambhe laghu-kriya. "Never come to me! I shall not see your face! If you come, I shall kill you!" So on, so on. Then next moment they are talking. Bambharambhe laghu-kriya. These are taken very lightly, no seriously. Now they are going... Nowadays, in the court case, fifty percent of cases are divorce in India.

Hari-śauri: Same in the West.

Prabhupāda: And that is also younger age, no old. Old age, they are never... There is no such case. Only younger generation, within thirties, twenty to thirty, they are fighting.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: I have got diabetes also.

Gargamuni: He was getting swelling in his legs and hands. But he had to take this insulin, and this kept the swelling nil by taking insulin. Every morning he would give himself a shot. But he had no more swelling.

Hari-śauri: He'd just stick a needle in his arm every morning.

Prabhupāda: There are many gentlemen who take insulin twice, at least once.

Rāmeśvara: The diabetics. They have diabetes. Very common. We have a devotee who does that. This boy in New York whose parents have kidnapped him many times. He is actually... That's their charge against us, that "Oh, my son is diabetic, and you are not spending $25,000 on doctors. You are not taking care of him."

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Prabhupāda: Yes, to make their choice: "You can join either Pakistan or India."

Guest (1): Or remain independent also.

Prabhupāda: They wanted to make nil India. The Hyderabad state was given choice. Kashmir was given choice, whichever, Hindustan or Pakistan. That is still going on, the Kashmir.

Guest (1): Even in Orissa, small states just like Mariwan(?) and Venkana(?), they were independent before that time, till Sardar Patel(?) came in and asked them to...

Prabhupāda: Simply divide, divide, divide. Divide and rule, and divide and break. They have done always like that.