Repetition of birth and death (Lectures, Other)

Expressions researched:
"mrtyu-samsara-vartmani" |"mrtyu-samsara-vartmani" |"repeat birth and death" |"repeated birth and death" |"repeated cycle of birth and death" |"repeated cycle of birth and death" |"repeating birth and death" |"repetition of birth and death" |"repetition of birth death" |"repetition of birth old age disease and death" |"repetition of birth, death" |"repetition, cycle of birth and death"

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

A living entity is wandering in this way, sometimes on the higher level, sometimes on the lower level, but he's changing one chapter, another, one chapter, another. That is not very good, to repetition of birth and death. So a living entity if he's very fortunately, fortunately he meets some good association, good devotees, then his life changes.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

After giving up this body, tyaktvā de..., punar janma naiti. No more birth in this material world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the best service to the humanity, to stop this repetition of birth and death and go to home, back to home, back to Godhead. This is the special benediction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is giving assurance. There are so many things that, by understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you, your life is successful. The life, success of life is to stop this repetition of birth and death. That we also do not know. There is repetition of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning, asmin dehe dehi. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Those who are actually educated, sober, they can understand that, that "Here is a man who's supposed to be dead, but he's not dead. He has transferred this body. That's all." Tathā dehāntara-prāptir.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

The aim of human life is to get out of the clutches of māyā, repetition of birth and death and transmigration from body to another. That is the real aim of life. That is real freedom. So if we neglect this opportunity, then we are called ātma-hā. Ātma-hā means committing suicide. Just like a person, knowingly, knowingly committing suicide, cutting his throat, similarly, a human being, getting so much opportunity, especially in India... We have got so many books of knowledge, especially the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra means Śrīmad-Bhāgavata.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.11 -- Mayapur, April 4, 1975:

So the first reception Viśvāmitra Muni got from Mahārāja Daśaratha, that aihiṣṭhaṁ yat punar-janma-jayāya: "You are... You great sages, saintly persons, you have given up the society. You are living alone in the forest. What is the purpose? The purpose is punar-janma-jayāya, to conquer over repetition of birth." This is the purpose. Similarly, our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also meant for the same purpose, punar-janma-jayāya, for conquering over repetition of birth and death. You should always remember this. A little mistake will spoil the whole scheme, little mistake. Nature is very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

"A person in the conditional stage of material existence is in an atmosphere of helplessness. But the conditioned soul, under the illusion of māyā or the external energy, thinks that he is completely protected by his country, society, friendship and love, not knowing that at the time of death none of these can save him." This is called māyā. But he does not believe. Under the illusion of māyā, he does not also believe that what is the meaning of saving. Saving. Saving means saving oneself from this repetition, cycle of birth and death. That is real saving. But they do not know.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

You accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme, you follow instruction, you become a great mahātmā. And if you don't accept,

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā

dharmasyāsya parantapa

aprāpya māṁ nivartante

mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani

(BG 9.3)

If you don't accept aśraddadhānāḥ, then you'll never understand what is God, and you'll be rotating in the cycle of birth and death. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. You have to accept this path. There are two paths. Either you accept Kṛṣṇa, go back to home, back to Godhead, or you accept the path of repetition of birth and death. Two alternatives in this human life. Now it is up to you to make your choice which way you want to go.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9-10 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1970:

You cannot relieve this body from repeated birth and death, and while manifested, disease and old age. So people are very much busy for culturing knowledge of this body, although they are seeing every moment that this body is decaying. The death of the body was registered when it was born. That's a fact. So you cannot stop the natural course of this body. You must meet the process of the body, namely, birth, death, old age, and disease. So Bhāgavata says, therefore, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This body is made of three primary elements: mucus, bile, and air. That is the Vedic version and Āyurvedic treatment.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9-10 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1970:

Everyone does not know. But it is the duty of the father, duty of the state, duty of the teachers to educate from the very beginning. Bhāgavata says that one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a teacher, one should not become a king unless they are able to elevate their dependents to this spiritual knowledge, which can save him from repeated birth and death.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

"Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality." (ISO 11) So people do not understand what is immortality. They think that it is a vague idea, because no knowledge... So many things... We are very proud of our advancement of knowledge. So many things we do not know, and it is not possible to know even, by our modern experimental knowledge. It is not possible. Therefore, if you want real knowledge, then you go to knowledge. Vedas means knowledge.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- London, July 13, 1972:

Melbourne, Tokyo, and many other places. And India also, in Calcutta also. So this festival, taking part in these festivals means a step forward for our self-realization. Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate. Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death. So I am very glad that you have taken so much trouble to come here. Now will you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra along with the devotees and take part in honoring the prasādam? The prasādam is also one of the programs.

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

So our movement is that "Why not stop this material, conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?" This is intelligence. "Why should we remain in this material body and undergo repetition change of body? Let us have our original, spiritual body." That is wanted. That is intelligence.

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

These four principles are common to the human being and to the animal. The special advantage of human being is that if he likes, he can stop this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate people about this science, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not a so-called religious movement. Of course, anything which has connection with God, you can take it as religious movement.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivṛtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivṛtti? Yena śuddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, yad gatvā na nirvartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mūḍhā janmani janmani (BG 16.20), birth after birth we suffer. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Mahārāja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo vidhuḥ (BG 4.2). So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Kṛṣṇa spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:

So "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa we are paying heavy, heavy toll, tax, taxation. What is that taxation? The taxation is nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). This human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, but instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, we are understanding the so-called material science for sense gratification. This is our position. The energy which was given by nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is being utilized how to manufacture something for sense gratification. This is going on.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977:

So Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. They are simple thinking...There are so many politicians and humanitarians and so many. But nobody knows how to do good to others. Nobody knows. They do not know. The real fact is, as Kṛṣṇa explains Himself, that

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā

dharmasyāsya parantapa

mām aprāpya nivartante

mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (sic:)

(BG 9.3)

This is the real suffering of the humanity. I especially speak humanity because in the human form of life one can actually understand what is the position, what is the value of life. The value of life one should understand that we are in the cycle of birth and death.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977:

Kṛṣṇa is saying, "If you do not become devotee, if you do not think of Kṛṣṇa, then you will not get Kṛṣṇa." Remain continuously, birth after birth, forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, that is very dangerous. What is that danger? Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani: again you'll be in the cycle of birth and death, birth and death, birth and death. Not that today you are Indian; you shall get the birth again as Indian. No. Today you may be Indian, prime minister; tomorrow you may be a dog in some other country. They do not know these laws.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

I shall exist eternally in full knowledge and in blissfulness. That is the idea. But so long we accept this material body, it is just the opposite. It is miserable, without any knowledge and without eternity. Philosophy should be to save our time from complicated economic problems. We should make our life simple and save time for spiritual cultivation so that we can be relieved from repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

Economic condition means we improve the standard of sense gratification. This is called going on economic condition. But we require a little sense gratification. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). This is the gradual process of evolution. Real purpose is mokṣa, how to become free from this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the real aim of life. But because we are coming from the lowest grade of living condition, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati-like that, 8,400,000 different species of life—our tendency is only for sense gratification. Because in the lower grade of life there is no other pleasure except sense gratification. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca.

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, February 4, 1977:

Kṛṣṇa is guiding personally. So there are two ways of accepting Kṛṣṇa's guidance. You accept the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, then you'll be happy. If you don't accept, then you will go back again to the cycle of birth and death. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). So mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani is not good life. Mṛtyu, mṛtyu... Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. If you take birth, then you'll have to die, and if you have to die, you have to take birth again. This is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartma. So this is not very good business. That intelligence is lacking. We are simply trying to adjust things for a few years, but we are not taking account of our real life. Our real life is na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

Just now today I have received one telegram, Hanla (?). "Oh, it is horrible condition." And Bhāgavata says that "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, if he cannot prepare his child, a brāhmaṇa, a Vaiṣṇava, so that will protect him from the cycle of repeated birth and death." "No, we don't want this thing. We want our boy a karmī, a demon. Let him earn and send the money. I eat very nicely." This is going on.

Detroit Initiations -- Detroit, July 18, 1971:

Bhavauṣadhi śrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are described as the medicine of the disease bhava. Bhava means repeated birth and death. This is a disease. So bhavauṣadhi. The medicine, panacea, for curing this disease, bhavauṣadhi. At the same time, śrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt: it is very pleasing to hear, and very enlightening to the heart. Kṛṣṇa's name is so nice, Kṛṣṇa's pastime is so nice, that it is very pleasing, very satisfying, at the same time, it is the medicine for the disease of repeated birth and death.

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ā-bhrama-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, within this material world, that process will go on, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Because this material body, wherever you get it, either you are American or Englishman or Indian or moon planet or sun planet or Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka planet, anywhere you go, you'll get a certain type of body, but that material body is subjected to these four principles: birth, death, disease, and old age.

Lecture at Sannyasa Initiation -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

There are so many species of life we have to enter, in any one of them, and this human form of life is the opportunity to get out of the clutches of māyā, this repetition of birth and death, and anyone can go back to home, back to Godhead, and become eternal associate of the Lord in blissful life. That opportunity is there.

Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

The living entities, they are transmigrating from one form of life to another and wandering from one planet to another, sometimes low-grade life, sometimes high-grade life. This is going on. This is called saṁsāra-cakra-vartmani. Last night we were explaining, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. This very word is used, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Very difficult ways of life, to die. Everyone is afraid of dying because after death nobody knows what is going to happen.

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, June 29, 1968:

So we are being contaminated by certain type of quality, and the nature is supplying me a type of body. And there are 8,400,000's of bodies, and we are going through them in a cycle. And as soon as we become, I mean to say, devotee, or we look forward to the Paramātmā, then we can be free from the cycle of repeated birth and death. This yoga system is..., meditation means to find out the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā is described in the śāstras: His feature, His body, His hand, Supersoul.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969:

"Anyone who comes to Me, he has no more to go back to the miserable material existence." Therefore it is the duty of a spiritual master, it is the duty of the parents, that they should enlighten their dependents to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, the simple factor, then he is saved from this material existence, or accepting repeated birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Here, everything in the material world, everything is born, it remains for some time, it grows then dwindles then vanishes. So this is not very desirable. But unfortunately, the modern civilization, they do not know.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969:

However he may be very expert in driving motorcar day and night, this way and that way, very busy man, but if he does not inquire about his self—"What I am? Wherefrom I have come? Where I have to go to? Why I am suffering? Why I am put to this disadvantageous position?"—when one does not inquire for all these things, then his activities are defeat, only defeat. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will save not only humanity but the living entities from this disastrous position of repeated birth and death. The Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, they stress on this point. Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: (BG 13.9) "You are very much proud of your knowledge, but if you want to be at all a man of knowledge, a man of wisdom, then you should first of all keep before you the problems of birth, death, old age and disease, because your so-called advancement of knowledge cannot make a solution of this birth, death, old age and disease."

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

So long one does not inquire, "What I am? What is God? What is this material nature? What are these activities? What are our relationships?"—if these inquiries are not there, then all our activities are simply defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Yāvan na prītir mayī vāsudeve: "So long one does not develop his dormant love of God," na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat, "so long he will not be able to get out of this repeated birth and death and transmigration of the soul." This transmigration of soul, repeated birth and death, is a diseased condition of the spirit soul. That we do not know. Neither in our education system there is any department of knowledge teaching what is the soul, what is after death, what was before birth. There is no science.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Now here is the chance, that human form of body. Now you have got discrimination, you can understand because your consciousness is advanced. Now you can make your choice whether you want to continue this repeated birth and death in different species of life or you want to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is your discretion.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

It is the duty of the father and the mother to stop the repetition of birth and death of his son. The mother should consider that "My son came to my womb, and he has suffered so much while he was remaining within the womb. Now I shall teach my son in such a way that no more he is going in the womb of a material mother." That is the duty of father, that is the duty of mother, that is the duty of friend, that is the duty of guru. Gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. So save your children from the danger of repetition of birth and death, that is the real discharge of father and mother's duty.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

In the material world people want these three things: dhanam, janam, and sundarīṁ kavitām. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "Then mukti, You take mukti?" "No." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I don't want to finish My repetition of birth and death also." That is called mukti. Mukti means stopping the repetition of birth and death. So those who are hankering after... The jñānīs, the jñānī-sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. But that merging is possible in the brahmajyoti. Brahmajyoti.

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:

Now this human form of body is a chance to understand what is our real inconvenience—birth, death, old age, and disease—and to think of whether there is any way out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are educating people how to get out of the clutches of illusion that continually, one after another, we have to take birth. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Real problem is this. So if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that means if we understand, "What is God? What I am? What is our relationship? What is the ultimate goal of our life?" If these things we understand, then we can get out of the clutches of illusion, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, sum and substance.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

If we want to stop this repetition of birth and death under different obligation and different circumstances, we should take instruction from Kṛṣṇa, try to understand Kṛṣṇa—that is Bhagavad-gītā—and make our life successful so that... Understanding Kṛṣṇa means, as it is stated, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). We have come from God; we again go back to God if we simply understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. This is the whole instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 29, 1977, (with Oriyan translator):

The different types of body we are getting on account of association with the material qualities. So if we want to stop this business of repetition of birth and death in this cycle, we must understand. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. We must understand. It is compulsory. We must understand "What is God, what is my relations with Him." Then we can get release from this repetition of birth and death. That process is being described by Bhagavān Himself, that mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. You have to increase your attachment for Bhagavān. Āsakta. Āsakta means attachment. You have to increase your attachment for Bhagavān.

Lecture -- Bombay, April 1, 1977:

This human form of life is an opportunity to awaken that divya-jñāna hṛde prakāśito. And if he's kept in darkness about that divya-jñāna, simply if he is trained up how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex and to defend, then life will be lost. That is a great loss. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Very risky life if we do not awaken our divya-jñāna. We should always remember this. Very risky life—once again thrown into the waves of birth and death, we do not know where I am going. Very serious. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is divya-jñāna. It is not ordinary knowledge. Everyone should try to understand this divya-jñāna.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

What is the use of becoming one with the water? Go within the water and live there like a whale fish, perpetually. That is our philosophy. So that is secure philosophy, because as soon as actually you become a big fish within the water, there is no question of evaporation. But if you live, remain superficially on the water, then you will be evaporated again and again thrown outside, then again come as river. So your coming and going, repetition of birth and death, will not stop. But one should become a big fish, there is no evaporation. These things are explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by Rūpa Gosvāmī. So don't be misled by this Māyāvāda philosophy, that you fall into the water.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: That is now, democracy, constitutional king. He is simply show-bottle. But if the king has got complete power and if he is trained, he is God conscious king, rājarṣi... Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ, the Bhagavad-gītā, the Fourth Chapter it is said, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The saintly king understood it. Not ordinary man. Therefore a king, monarch is supposed to be saintly. He must understand the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā and he should introduce educational system so that people may understand Bhagavad-gītā, or the science of God. That is the first duty of the state, of the king. And in another place the Bhāgavata says that one should not become father, one should not become the head of the state, one should not become guru, if he cannot save persons from the imminent danger of death. So we are, we are now in entanglement, repeated birth and death, it is the state duty to stop the citizens' repeated birth and death.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: We have come to this material world to enjoy, giving up the company of God. So God has allowed him, "All right, you enjoy and experience. When you will experience that this material enjoyment is not good, then you will again come back." So He is guiding the enjoyment of the living being, especially of the human being so that he may again come back to home, back to Godhead. And nature is the via media agent, under the instruction of God. So if he (is) too much addicted to misuse the freedom, then he is punished, and that is also according to his desire. It is not God's desire that a human being become a pig, but he develops such mentality to eat everything. So God allows him to do everything, to eat everything up to stool in the body of a pig. That is God's concession. But he wanted to eat all this nonsense abominable thing so God gives him the chance that, you take this body of a pig, you can eat up to steel, up to stool. You will not find any difficulty to eat stool. In this way, God is seated in everyone's heart, He is noting down his desires, and to fulfill his different types of desire, God is ordering material nature to give a particular body and his repetition of birth and death in different species...

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: The intelligent man is always pessimistic, that "First of all let us become secure," that we are trying to adjust this material position to become happy. But who is going to allow us to become happy here? This is pessimistic view. And then further advancement of knowledge is there, and when he understands the orders the orders of Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and after surrendering and understanding Him fully, then we go to the world which is full of bliss, knowledge and eternal life, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya. That is perfection of life. So unless we take a pessimistic view of this material world, we shall remain attached to it, and there will be repetition of birth and death—sometimes high-grade life, sometimes low-grade life, but this business is very, very disturbing. We make some arrangement to live here permanently, but nature will not allow us. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15).

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: The human need is to get out of the clutches of māyā. That is the actual need. Janma-maraṇa-mokṣaya, that is the need. But the modern society, they do not know what is needed. They are making simply plans, uselessly. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply laboring hard, they do not know the need. The real need is to get out of the clutches of repetition of birth and death in different forms. But people do not know this. They are simply concocting ideas. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-maninaḥ. Durāśayā, hopeless, or they are trying to educate something which is impossible. They are making plans to be happy in this material world. And by the United Nations it is impossible. That is not intelligence. He says... We can say in the United Nations clearly that "Your, this attempt will be failure." It is already failure. (aside in Hindi) Hariṁ vinā naiva mṛtiṁ taranti. What is the solution? You cannot make any solution of this repetition of birth and death, disease and old age. What do you mean by solution? The real problems are there. So they do not know what are the problems, how to solve them. So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). Some blind leaders, so-called leaders, they are leading other blind men. This is going on. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to make solutions of the problems. They do not know.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) our solution is this: Your materialistic life is painful. That's a fact. This materialistic life is painful. (indistinct). As soon as you have this material body, then you must suffer these three kinds of miserable condition of life. So our whole program is to stop. Everyone is looking after happiness. We say that unless you stop your materialistic way of life, repeated birth and death, there is no question of happiness. So the whole Vedic civilization is based on this, how one can get out of this disease. This is a disease, the repetition of birth and death. We are trying to cure this disease. Then all other symptoms will automatically vanquish. If you are a diseased fellow, you are getting sometimes a headache, sometimes leg ache, sometimes some pain in the stomach. But if your disease is cured, then that there are no more symptoms. That is our position.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Devotee: That is their whole thing. All their philosophy tries to have good sex life so that they don't have to think that they will be punished. So if I can have this freedom then I am right.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The real point is sense gratification. Freedom of sense gratification. That is their point. But these fools, they do not know that by sense gratification you are entangling yourself in repetition of birth and death.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: Everyone has soul. That is real. We get it from Kṛṣṇa: sarva-yoniṣu. In different forms of life the soul is there, undoubtedly. That is real conception of soul. Evolution means he is evolving from one lower grade of body to another, higher grade of body, and in this way by evolution he comes to the human form of life. And in this human form of life he can understand the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, that if he likes, he can surrender to the Supreme Lord and go back to home, back to Godhead, and if he does not, then he remains in this material world, undergoing the tribulations of the repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Corporal body.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Hayagrīva: Concerning the fall of the soul, Plotinus believes that the human soul never entirely leaves the spiritual realm.

Prabhupāda: Because he is constitutionally spiritual being, he is not any product of this material world. He is part and parcel of the Supreme One. But he is embodied by the material elements, and the material elements requires change. It becomes old. Just like our shoes, our dress, it becomes old. I can have one shirt and coat, but as soon as I change the body, the shirt and coat is no more fitting the body, so I have to change. So material life means to change. It is called jagat. Jagat means changing. But we are eternal, the same spirit soul. That this material life is not very happy, because it will change. Even if we are in the very comfortable condition of life or in miserable condition of life, it will change to better or lower grade of life. That is going on. So in order to save ourselves from the repetition of changing body, if we want to remain in our original, eternal, spiritual form, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then we are relieved from this rotten business of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: We suffer. Just like the silkworm, he creates a cocoon and becomes entrapped and dies. He is creating this fiber, silk fiber, and becomes entrapped. That is his creation.

Hayagrīva: A co...

Prabhupāda: What is called? Cocoon?

Hayagrīva: Yes, a cocoon.

Prabhupāda: He becomes entrapped. So similarly, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Because he is acting independently without caring for God's instruction, then he is entangled; he suffers. That is the position. God has not created this suffering; he has created his suffering.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- New York, March 30, 1966:

Bhava-sindhu means this cosmic situation where birth and death is going on continually, one after another. "So you stop this business of repeated birth and death. You make your this human form of life successful and get release from this disease of birth and death." Birth and death is a sort of disease for the living entities. It is not the normal condition. Due to our this abnormal encagement in the material body, we are put into the birth and death. Otherwise, I am not subjected to birth and death. I am eternal. I am eternal. So he is requested that "Don't waste your time, my dear mind." Because mind is taking me here and there. So he's requesting mind. It is very philosophical. This is concentration, requesting the mind, "Don't put me into the ocean of birth and death. Please save me, and just make your life successful in the association of saints and sages. That is my request." Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana.

Purport Excerpt to Sri Sri Siksastakam -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1968:

Glories to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years together. Thus the fire of conditioned life, of repeated birth and death is extinguished. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge, it increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it helps to have a taste of the full nectar for which we are always anxious.