Practical means

Expressions researched:
"Practical means"

Philosophy Discussions

Practical means which is beyond your knowledge, beyond your capacity, that is impractical.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: This experimental knowledge is always imperfect. Because they are experimenting with imperfect senses, therefore they must be imperfect. Our source of knowledge is different. We do not depend on experimental knowledge.

Śyāmasundara: Let us say that the remains of every animal, every living entity that has ever been found in the ground...

Prabhupāda: That is also a limited space. You cannot say you have excavated a portion of the earth and that is all. You cannot say.

Śyāmasundara: So far, anyway.

Prabhupāda: So far means that is not all. That is, so far, as soon as it is so far, that is not all.

Śyāmasundara: But, so surely we must be practical and say that every...

Prabhupāda: Practical means...

Karandhara: We can only operate on things that we have...

Prabhupāda: Practical means which is beyond your knowledge, beyond your capacity, that is impractical. So nothing is practical.

Śyāmasundara: How can I theorize there were other or higher forms...

Prabhupāda: You theorize partially, as far as. That is not perfect(?).

Śyāmasundara: If I accept your knowledge, how can I theorize that there were higher forms of life millions of years ago if I have never found any evidence and I have searched...

Prabhupāda: This is the evidence. This is the evidence. You have to see through the evidence, because there are, in the evolution there are so many species of life, say 8,400,000, they are all existing now. They are all existing now. Therefore why should I conclude that millions of years they did not exist?

Śyāmasundara: You say they are all existing now, but I don't see the dinosaur. There are no dinosaurs on this planet.

Prabhupāda: That is not the denied. Dinosaur you may not have seen, it may be existing some other... Neither I have seen the 8,400,000 different species of, different forms of life. But my source of knowledge is different. Your source of knowledge is different. You are experimenter with imperfect senses. I am taking from the perfect who has seen, who knows things. Therefore my knowledge is perfect. Just the same example: I am receiving knowledge from my mother, "Here is your father," and you are trying to search out where is your father. You don't go to the mother, but you are searching out. So therefore, however you may search, your knowledge always will be imperfect.

Practical means according to the aim and object.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: Well, he says that the criterion for truth is man's social practice, that it has proven over...

Prabhupāda: But what is that social practice? What is the standard of social practice? You manufacture...

Śyāmasundara: Whatever is practical for the most people's happiness, that is truth.

Prabhupāda: So practical happiness, that differs between persons. Just like ordinarily in your country boys and girls meet very intimately, without any restriction. But we say, "No mixing." So which is practical? That is according to circumstance? For our purpose, if we allow illegitimate sex, then there is no spiritual progress. Therefore this stoppage is practical. And because others, they have no spiritual idea, they think, "Oh, why not? Why the sex urges should be restricted? Let us enjoy it. It is enjoyment." They're animals. So which one ms practical? This one is practical or... That practical means according to the aim and object.

Śyāmasundara: Relative.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But if one understands what is spiritual progress, what is his need, then he'll understand that these are all practical.

Śyāmasundara: Their idea of what was practical would mean that which gives the most material benefit to the most people.

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. Therefore they are suffering. The whole world is suffering. They do not know what is real progress or what the human life is meant for. They are taking human life is as good as hogs' life or animals' life. We don't take it. We say the human life has got a special importance for spiritual realization. But these people, they have no such idea. So their practical purpose, our practical purpose is different. They are ignorant. What is the aim of life, they do not know. They take animal life and human life is the same. Simply it should be a little polished. That's all.

Practical means he will require guidance.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: His idea is that by observing the material energy that we can get an idea of what is the real duty of the universe. You can perceive it in the ongoing fluctuations of material nature, the duty or reality of the universe.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. If he is ignorant, how he can understand? There must be direction, guidance. Śyāmasundara: He says that the pure speculative reasoning... Prabhupāda: No, that is (indistinct). Śyāmasundara: But this pure speculative reason must be unified with practical reason also. Prabhupāda: Yes. But practical means he will require guidance. (laughter) Śyāmasundara: He says the institutions such as laws can participate in this unfolding of the reason of the universe, duty of the universe for instance by controlling conflicts between personalities and so on. Law, the laws of the state, the laws of (indistinct) can participate in the unfolding of the universe, the purpose of the universe. Prabhupāda: Yes. We accept that personality may be (indistinct), not that we pick up any man from the street and we accept guru. That will not (indistinct). Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), one who has heard properly from his spiritual master and as a result of such hearing he is perfectly in God consciousness (indistinct).

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Practical means it will be done by Kṛṣṇa. Your only business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You cannot do anything. And as soon as you think that "I shall be able to do it," then you are a rascal. Immediately you are rascal.

Morning Walk -- December 3, 1975, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: You can't stop the cheaters.

Prabhupāda: No. Yes, it is not possible. But you can do everything by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). You cannot get out of sinful action, but Kṛṣṇa can do it. Therefore He says, "I'll get you released." You cannot get released; therefore He says, "I'll do that."

Harikeśa: So bringing it to a practical platform...

Prabhupāda: Practical means it will be done by Kṛṣṇa. Your only business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You cannot do anything. And as soon as you think that "I shall be able to do it," then you are a rascal. Immediately you are rascal.

Harikeśa: So only a fully surrendered soul can do everything perfectly.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Harikeśa: A fully surrendered soul is the only one who can do things perfectly.

Prabhupāda: He cannot do anything, even in his... Everything is to be done by Kṛṣṇa. But he has to apply his intelligence by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if he is intelligent, he cannot do anything.

Harikeśa: Except surrender.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He can surrender, and Kṛṣṇa will do everything. You have to act very sincerely under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, and then the war will be successful, as Arjuna did.