Sitting place (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"sit down any place" |"sit in a solitary place" |"sit in one place" |"sitting and place" |"sitting in a solitary place" |"sitting in one place" |"sitting in some place" |"sitting one place" |"sitting place" |"sitting places"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

Kula-striyaḥ. Kula-striyaḥ means... Kula means family, and striyaḥ means woman. So woman must be belonging to a respectable family. Therefore it is said: kula-striyaḥ. Not society-girls. Kula-striyaḥ. Of the family. We have got experience in our school, college days. I was sitting in a friend's house and one sweeper woman, sweeper, with broomstick and with, what is called, covering?

Devotee: Shawl.

Prabhupāda: She was standing, say, about twenty yards distant from our sitting place. So I asked my friend that: "Your, this sweeper woman wants to come in. She's waiting because we are sitting. She is ashamed to come. So let us come here." So we stood separately. That means although she was a sweeper woman, still we had to honor her to enter. We stood up separately. She was feeling that; "How can I go between two men?" This we have seen in our... So this is Vedic culture. Woman should not be allowed to mix with man. Not allowed. In Japan also, the same system. Before marriage, they can mix. But after marriage they cannot mix. In Japan also I have seen. But in India still the system is there. Woman, without husband, cannot talk with any man. That is also psychological. In the Bhāgavata it is stated that man is like ghee, butterpot, and woman is like fire. Therefore, as they, as soon as there is fire and butter pot, the butter pot must melt. Therefore they should be kept aside. These are the statements. And the śāstra says that in a solitary place you should not remain even with your daughter, even with your sister, even with your mother.

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

Similarly, He is considered the strongest. And similarly, He is considered the wisest. And similarly, He is the most beautiful personality. In this way, when you find a person the richest, the most beautiful, the most wise, the strongest—in this way, when you find, that is Bhagavān, or God. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet He proved all these opulences possessed by Him. Take, for example, that everyone marries, but Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Person, He married 16,108 women. But it is not that He remained one husband for sixteen thousand wives. He made arrangement for providing the sixteen thousand wives in different palaces. Each palace, there is described, they were made of first-class marble stone and furniture made of ivory and the sitting place made of very nice, soft cotton. In this way there is description. And the outward compound, there are many flower trees. Not only that, He also expanded Himself into sixteen thousand expansion, personal expansion. And He was living in that way with each and every wife. So it is not very difficult task for God. (devotees offer obeisances) God is said to be situated everywhere. So within our vision, if He is situated in sixteen thousand homes, what is the difficulty for Him?

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

So sat... Our business should be to be engaged in the sat platform, not in the asat platform. Asat platform, nonpermanent, or according to somebody's opinion, false. So false or nonpermanent, whatever it may be, the real human civilization should be based on the purpose of becoming immortal, sat, not asat. That is the distinction between India and other countries. Now I am not speaking of India of today, but India as it is. Big, big ācāryas, just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the original ācārya. Therefore the birthday of guru is called vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa-pūjā means original guru. Guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva. This throne is called vyāsāsana, sitting place of Vyāsadeva. So one who is representative of Vyāsadeva, he can sit on this throne. So guru, by paramparā system, guru is seated on the vyāsāsana because he is the representative. Just like in the high-court, the bench, it is called bench. Actually, the bench is to be used by the head of the executive power, the king or the president. But the high-court judge is the representative of the head executive; therefore, he sits on that bench.

So Vyāsadeva, so learned scholar, everyone knows how great scholar he was. He has written so many books. Four Vedas, eighteen Purāṇas, then Vedānta-sūtra, then Upaniṣads. So many things. Recorded, not written, recorded. So such a big scholar was residing... He was guiding the whole society, but he was living very humbly. Even Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was prime minister, but he was living in a cottage. That is the distinction between Vedic or Indian civilization and the modern civilization. The Indian civilization means they are interested in sat, and others they are interested in asat. Asat means which will not exist. I've already explained. In India, of course, materially, five hundred, five thousand years ago, materially also, India was very opulent. Why five thousand years?

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Yes. They cannot take. Therefore we have to voluntarily accept simple life. Simple life. Just like we are sitting here on the floor. According to your American standard of life, this is not good. Therefore no very rich class of men or high class of men, they do not come to this because we have no sitting place. But actually, what is the difference? If you sit down on the floor or if you sit on a very nice comfortable couch, after all, you are sitting. But to secure a very nice couch, you have to waste your time so much. Your valuable time which you could use for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll have to waste for securing a comfortable seat of couch. This is called material civilization. That's all. You are extending the comforts of life, but you do not know that this life is temporary. How long you shall live in this comfort? Your real thing is spirit soul which is eternal. That is also the instruction of Lord Jesus, that after gaining everything, if you lose your own soul, what is the gain? Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām (BG 2.44). Therefore this is another kind of disqualification for advancing in spiritual consciousness, if one becomes too much attached to these material comforts of life. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, a boy is trained to become brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means complete celibacy. No sex life, no amusement. Because just to train him not to be attracted by this material sense enjoyment. Then he'll be able to grasp what is spiritual life. Therefore restriction. But if from the very childhood, in the school, college, the boys and girls are allowed to enjoy sex life, then it is very difficult to understand or to enter into spiritual life.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

The restriction is given so strictly, that "One should not sit in a solitary place even with his mother, with his sister, with his daughter." Why? Now balavān indriya-grāmo vidvāṁsam api karṣati. The senses are so strong that it may go wrong even though he's a learned man. Here also the same thing is stated that vipaścitaḥ. Even one is learned man, he's trying to restrict... Yatato hy api kaunteya. Indriyāṇi pramāthīni. Pramāthīni means these senses are so mad that it may go out of my control. So the whole idea is that if we want to be spiritually advanced, then we have to minimize our materialistic way of life. Two things cannot go. If we want really spiritual advancement of life, then unrestricted materialistic way of life cannot go. Under regulation, under restriction, under rules, we have to... Because so long we have this body, we have to satisfy the material needs. We... It is not that that I shall not eat, or I shall not sleep, or I shall not defend, or I shall not mate. No. There is allowed. It is allowed but with a view that "I'll have to retire from all these things, these material needs." That is the point of view. Now, that can be very easily attained if we engage our senses, or engage our consciousness. When I engage my consciousness into the transcendental loving service of the supreme consciousness, these things automatically take place so that even there is, I mean to say, there is, I mean to say, cause of my falling, still, I shall not fall down. Even there is enticement, still I shall not fall, because paraṁ dṛṣṭvā, I have seen something which is far, far better enjoyment than this material enjoyment.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

Thirty-nine: "Thus a man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire (BG 3.39)."

Forty: "The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him (BG 3.40)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important. "The senses, the mind, and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust." If somebody is lusty, and if one has to search out where that enemy, lust, is there, so Kṛṣṇa is giving you direct information, "Here is your enemy." Where? Senses, mind, intelligence—there is lust. So if you can understand, "Here is the enemy," and if you try to drive out the enemy, you take precaution.

What is that precaution? You engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. The lust will have no more place to attack your senses or sit on your senses. You engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa. Immediately the lust from the mind will go away. Similarly, you apply your intelligence, how to work on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These are the processes.

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is like that. Apply your intelligence, apply your mind, apply your senses only for Kṛṣṇa, and there is no more lust. You are free. There is no sitting place. Just like this glass. There is water. So how you can put in ink? Because there is no sitting place. Similarly, if you place Kṛṣṇa in your mind, so lust will automatically go away. Just like if you place light in this room, the darkness automatically will go away.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

There is nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Now it is up to you. If you want to surrender yourself to the Kṛṣṇa's energy, you can do. If you want to surrender to the Kṛṣṇa's expansion, that also you can do. If you want to surrender to the Brahman effulgence, that is also Kṛṣṇa. If you want to surrender (to the) Paramātmā feature, that is also Kṛṣṇa. And if you want to surrender to Kṛṣṇa directly, that is also Kṛṣṇa.

Now, the Māyāvādī says that whatever you do, you reach to the Supreme. But you reach to the Supreme... That is all right. But Supreme is variety. So one variety...

Suppose if somebody comes into this house, if he enters to the lavatory, that is also house, but that lavatory is not the sitting place. This is variety. Simply by thinking that "Now I have entered the house, my business is finished..." You have entered, any position, you have already entered. Because there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa. But if you be satisfied by entering into the privy that "Now I have entered the house," that is not very good intelligence. That is not very good intelligence. You cannot say that the privy and the Deity room or the sitting room or the kitchen... These are varieties. You cannot say, by entering into the privy, you think that "I have entered the Deity room." This is a common example.

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974:

Therefore it is said that ahaituky apratihatā. In any position of life you can engage yourself in bhakti-yoga system. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). But the prime or the topmost perfection of bhakti-yoga is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, fully absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). This is the simplest process. You have to practice always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is also, Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Mad-yājī. Now, suppose if you have nothing to offer. Still, you can, man-manāḥ, by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, by thinking of all materials for worshiping, testing them, sitting in one place, you can go on. That is called man-manāḥ, thinking, thinking of. You can offer Kṛṣṇa, as I described, so many things.

But Kṛṣṇa wants to see how much you are devoted to Him. Dravya-yajña. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry that you have to offer something, very nice foodstuff. That, you must do that. But if you have no such thing in possession, you can do it within the mind. But not that you have got everything to offer... You can offer Kṛṣṇa very nice foodstuff. In that case if you think that "I can do it in mind," that is cheating. That will not be done. But in case you have nothing to offer materially, but still, you can offer in the mind. That is called vitta-sartha.(?)

Actually we have seen in many places, a rich man has got Deity. The other day we went to a place. The Deity is there, but Deity is not worshiped. Deity is not offered anything. That is not good. That man is very rich man. According to his position, one must offer prepared foodstuff, distribute prasādam, not that... Generally, the impersonalists, they do so. There are many big, big temples, big, big Deities, but the Deity is offered a little elaichianna.(?) That is not good. If you establish Deity, you must worship to the best capacity of your possession. That is Deity worship.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

The yogi has to fix up his sitting place. What is that? Śucau deśe. He should select a place which is very, very pure. Now, that means a place like Hardwar. Our young friend, Mr. Howard, he has been to Hardwar. He has seen how nicely that place is. River Ganges is flowing and very nice, calm, quiet. You'll find three miles after, four miles after, one yogi is sitting nicely there and meditating. That is yoga system. You see? So śucau deśe, in a place where..., the sanctified place. So these places are especially selected, just like Hardwar, Kanchi and Prayāga. They are, from time immemorial, in Vedic age, those places are sanctified. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Dharma-kṣetre, the land of religiosity. Even war was performed. Because this war was not ordinary war. That was religious war. Religious war. This Kurukṣetra battle, that was religious war. Don't you find in the warfield where Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is present, do you think it is ordinary war? No. It is not ordinary war. And it was performed in a place which is called dharma-kṣetra. So sometimes war is also performed in terms of religiosity. That is prescribed. That is required.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

So here, śucau deśe, perfectly sanctified place. Śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya. He must be situated in a very sanctified place. Sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ. And the āsanam, and the sitting place should not be changed. The same āsana. He should perform yoga, meditation, on the same place and the same sitting place. Ātmanaḥ. And how that place, the sitting place, should be selected? Na ati ucchritam. Not too much raised, nor too much low. Nāty-ucchritam. And cailājina-kuśottaram. Caila. Caila means cotton something, cotton sitting place. Then skin. Deerskin means... You know yogis, they sit on the skin of tiger and skin of deer? Why? Because they are in a secluded place. This has got some chemical effect. If you sit on tiger skin and deer skin, then the reptiles, the snakes, they won't disturb you. It has got some, I mean to say, physical effect. There are so many medical effect in so many things. We do not know. But God has created everything for our use. We do not know. Every plant, every herb is a medicine. It is meant for some particular disease, for some particular protection. We do not know that. So cailājina. It is not a fashion. It is... Because they sit down in a secluded place in a jungle, so you are meditating, so some snake may come. There are so many snakes, so many reptiles. So therefore, cailājina-kuśottaram. And straw. The three things: straw, and the skin, and some cotton āsana. These things are required.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

Sometimes it is recommended that yoga system is meditation in the void. But we do not find in the Vedic literature that yoga system meditation on void. No. It is meditation on Viṣṇu. That will be explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now, after sitting in a secluded place, in a sanctified place, and according to the sitting arrangement, with tigerskin or deerskin and straw, as it is recommended, then one should sit down there. He should not change his āsana, sitting place. Then after sitting, what he has to do? He says, samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ (Bg. 6.13-14). Now, one has to sit down straight. One has to sit down straight so that his skull, this head, and the body, and everything should be straight like that. Samaṁ kāya-grīvam. Grīva means this neck. The neck and the skull and the body should be in one straight line. Samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalam. And should not move. Sit down like this. Samprekṣya nāsikāgram. And one has to see the top portion of the nose. Not that one has to close his eyes completely. No. Then you cannot see. Samprekṣya nāsikā agram. You have to see the upper portion of the nose. That means if you... I have seen in some of the yogic societies, they close the eyes completely, and some of them, about fifty percent of them are snoozing, or sleeping, regularly. Because as soon as you close your eyes, and if you have no subject matter to think, and you have been posted to meditate, you do not know to what to meditate, then the next result is sleeping and nothing more. That is practical. So one has to sleep very hard. Somebody was inquiring here... (chuckles) Of course, some of the students, they were sleeping so he was sarcastically (asking) that "Are they sleeping or meditating?" So I (said), "Yes, they are meditating by lying down." Yes. So sometimes meditation goes on in sleeping. No. That is not the process. You cannot close your eyes completely. Then you will invite the queen. Sleep and she will capture you. Whole process will be like that.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

Yuñjann evam. By prosecuting the process of yoga in such a way, the sitting place, the, I mean to say, bodily requisition, brahmacārī, celibacy, secluded place, and sitting straight, and looking on the uppermost part of the nose. These are the sitting process. And mind should be concentrated on Viṣṇu. This is the meditation process. Evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyata-mānasaḥ. Niyata-mānasaḥ means "one who has thus controlled his mind." The whole process is, yogic process is simply to control the mind. Yoga indriya-saṁyamya. Not only mind, but all the senses, all the senses, they should be under control. And controlling the senses, the mind should be engaged in Viṣṇu within. Viṣṇu we have got, Paramātmā, the Supersoul, Viṣṇu, and we have to concentrate in that way. Then śāntiṁ nirvāṇa-paramām mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati. Then he becomes peaceful after extinguishing this material life. The material life is just like fire. It has been compared with the forest fire. As the forest fire automatically takes place, nobody goes to set fire, similarly, in this material world, even if you try to live very peacefully and without quarreling with any other man, the place is such nuisance that you'll not be able to live in peace anywhere, anywhere within this universe. That is the process.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

This is the process. This is yoga system. Suppose you are trying to concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, and your mind is diverted, going somewhere, in some cinema house. So you should withdraw, "Not there, please, here." This is practice of yoga. Not to allow the mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa. If you can practice this simply. Don't allow the mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa and because we cannot fix up our mind sitting in one place in Kṛṣṇa, that requires very high training. To sit down in a place and always fix up in Kṛṣṇa the mind, that is not very easy job. One who is not practiced to it, if he simply imitates, then he will be confused. We have to engage ourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything we do must be dovetailed in Kṛṣṇa. Our usual activities should be molded that it has to do everything for Kṛṣṇa. Then your mind will be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. Artificially when you are not advanced if you try to fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, that yoga practice as it is recommended here, that you have to sit down in this way, straight, you have to concentrate your eyesight on the tip of the nose in a secluded sacred place. But where are these chances? At the present moment, where is the chance of all these facilities?

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give you direction. He's there for direction. But unfortunately we do not obey Him. That is our material disease. If we obey Kṛṣṇa, if we act according to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no problem. Because Kṛṣṇa cannot be mistaken. I am imperfect, I can be mistaken. But Kṛṣṇa cannot be mistaken. Therefore, if we act according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. And to give you direction, Kṛṣṇa is sitting within your heart, side by side. As I am sitting, you are sitting within this heart, the soul is within the heart.

Therefore when the soul goes away, these rascals says, "heart failure." Not heart failure, the soul has gone from the heart. Heart is also mechanical thing, but the sitting place of the soul is there. So heart failure means the soul has gone from the heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi—hṛdi means heart. The location also being specified—here is soul and Supersoul. Find out, if you have got such scientific method. But they cannot find it out. Therefore, the rascals say there is no God, there is no soul, simply this lump of matter, that's all.

Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:

So we who are propaganding, making propaganda for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... It is not very difficult. And it is not meant for any particular class of men or community or country. It is meant for all living entities, if he can. And where is the difficulty? So it may be difficult in other forms of life, but in the human form of life it is not at all difficult. So we should fully utilize this human form of life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the process is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Instead of thinking women and money, if we... That is much more difficult also. The māyā is so strong that as soon as I am sitting in a solitary place, then I'll think of money and women. Therefore we should live always in assembly and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and save ourself from the danger of material falldown. Thank you very much. (end)

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

So you can imagine how intelligent at that time people were that Mahābhārata was... Mahābhārata is even at the present moment they can(not) understand rightly Mahābhārata. Say, for Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. But the philosophy is not understood properly even by the greatest philosophers. They commit mistake. So that means as the days are going, we are becoming less, less intelligent. Less, less intelligent.

Therefore in this age of less-intelligence class of men, this, the yoga system as it is... Not bluff yoga, real yoga. Yoga indriya saṁyama. Oh, that is not possible, real yoga system. Controlling the senses, sit in a solitary place, and alone, with celibatic life, no sense enjoyment. There are so many rules and regulations. Not that... If I say that "Whatever you like you can do. You just meditate," what meditation you'll do? That is not possible in this age. Next stage of elevation is sacrifice. These are statement of the Vedic literature. (break)

...kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. Meditation means meditating on Viṣṇu, on the Supreme Lord, this Viṣṇu form, as you have got in my front. Meditation. That is called yoga. By meditating on Viṣṇu, one realizes everything and gets some power, wonderful power. So Bhāgavata says that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. The perfection of life (is) attained in the Satya-yuga, or golden age, by meditating on Viṣṇu. That is meditation.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

That is not material nature. But Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. That is the Vedic instruction. That is akartuḥ. He has nothing to do. Why He has nothing to do? Now, because He has got many energies. Just like nowadays, by electronics, one man is sitting... We have seen the pilot. He's sitting in his place. He's simply pushing on the button, and the whole, big gigantic 747 is flying in the sky. We see the pilot is sitting there. He's doing nothing, but he's doing everything. But the electronic arrangement is so perfect. But sitting in one place he is working the big gigantic machine. As it is possible for a small material man, how much it is possible for Kṛṣṇa. Although He does not do anything, still, He's viśvātman: He is controlling the whole universe, viśvātman. He's the vital force, viśvāt... This is Kṛṣṇa.

So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kuntī is helping us. Every devotee, Vaiṣṇava, they voluntarily takes this business just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, to explain Kṛṣṇa, just like Kuntī is explaining, because if we understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly, then we are liberated. Therefore Kṛṣṇa..., Kuntī's trying that "Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is helping Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it is His duty." No, it is not His duty. He's doing it voluntarily, but He has nothing to do with it. That is Kṛṣṇa. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. He has nothing to do. We are forced to do. According to our karma-phala, we are forced to do. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Here we have to, we are forced to accept happiness or distress according to destiny. You cannot deny, that "I'll not take this distressed condition of life. I'll simply take the happiness portion." That you cannot do. You must. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. That is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. (aside:)

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

So you should have such program for worshiping the Deity that you may be engaged twenty-four hours, twenty-four hours. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya, nitya-nānā, nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra, dressing, decorating. Daily, new dress, or twice new dress, or four times new dress. As much as you can. Śṛṅgāra. This is called śṛṅgāra. Kṛṣṇa is opulent, the most opulent enjoyer. And we should supply. We should supply by which He can enjoy. Just like if somebody gives me a new dress, so I say: "Oh, it is a new dress. Very nice." So that is my enjoyment. Similarly if you satisfy Kṛṣṇa daily a very gorgeous dress. Just like today I see it is very nice. This kind of dress should be supplied to Kṛṣṇa. First-class clothing, first-class. Everything first-class. No third-class thing for Kṛṣṇa. All first-class. The gopīs must be first class, the dress must be first-class, the eating foodstuff must be first-class, the sitting place must be first-class, more than first-class. That is called: śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. Cleansing the temple as clean as glass, always. Everyone remarks this that our temples are very clean. Yes. Temple means must be very clean. The more you cleanse the temple, the more your heart becomes cleansed. This is the process. The more you dress Kṛṣṇa, you become satisfied. At the present moment, we are accustomed to see my dress. "How costly dress I have got, I become satisfied..." No. When by dressing Kṛṣṇa you'll feel satisfied, that is spiritual satisfaction. That is spiritual satisfaction.

Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:

Renunciation does not mean give up this world. That I was explaining. Our philosophy is not the jagat is mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? We don't say that. Jagat is fact. It may be temporary, but it is a fact. Now, so long we have got this jagat, let us utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. That is renunciation. We cannot say this microphone is mithyā. So long the microphone is in my possession, let it be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. This is renunciation. Everyone using this microphone, these modern machines, for his personal gain. But we are not using for personal gain. We are traveling all over the world, spending so much money, jet plane, and this plane, just to push Kṛṣṇa consciousness as much as possible. This is renunciation, not that sitting one place doing nothing and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then there will be fall down. Don't imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is not possible. You must work.

So to such person, Kṛṣṇa is suhṛt. Suhṛt. Here it is said, api naḥ suhṛdas tāta, uncle, bāndhavāḥ kṛṣṇa-devatāḥ. Kṛṣṇa-devatāḥ means one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the worshipable Deity. He is called kṛṣṇa-devatāḥ. There are so many demigods. They have taken to worship. The Roman were worshiping demigods. The India, in India they also worship demigods. That will not make you happy. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). To take some benediction from the demigods, although people go there, kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. People are very much attached to enjoy this material world.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:

"You cannot manufacture at home. You must purchase from the licensed shop"? The meaning is to restrict. Otherwise everyone will do that.

So when there is śāstra sanctioning for this eating, sleeping, mating, that means to restrict. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalā. This inclination is natural, but when there is regulative principle, that means to restrict. Because the whole human society is supposed to be advanced in the art of detachment, jñāna-vairāgyam. That is perfection. First of all knowledge, perfect knowledge, that "I am not this body. I am simply wasting my time taking care of this body, but I am different from the body." That is natural. Suppose you are sitting in some place. If you know that place does not belong to you, then why should you take so much care? You are sitting there for some business. Finish, and go. Similarly, if one is in knowledge, full knowledge, that "I am not this body," that is called jñāna. Then why he should be bothering so much for this body which is going to be, as I explained yesterday, either ash, or stool or earth? This is the last stage of this body.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

. So does it mean to become a family man is bad? No. It does not mean. But if you become gṛhamedhī, that is particularly said, gṛheṣu gṛhamedhī. Gṛheṣu, living in family life, but in family life there are also two classes of men: gṛhastha and these gṛhamedhī. Therefore I say that each and every word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will have new enlightening, new. Difference, there is difference between gṛhastha and gṛhamedhī. Gṛhamedhī, just like ordinary persons, their household life means they have made the home as the center of their existence. Just like I was seeing just now the rooms of our gṛhastha, householder, boys and girls. Things are scattered. (laughter) But if you go to another person's, gṛhastha (gṛhamedhī), you will find their apartment nicely decorated, chairs, cushions, and sitting place, but they have no vision about self. And here, although we see that household affairs, their resting place, is not so nicely decorated, but their aim is Kṛṣṇa. So that is the difference between gṛhamedhī and gṛhastha. Gṛhamedhī means they simply want to decorate their apartment and children and wife. That is their end of life. That is all. They have no other business. Apaśyatām, blind of the value of life. Whereas the gṛhastha, he is not blind about the value of his life. He is simply looking forward, how to become successful, Kṛṣṇa conscious. So those who are blind of the point of self-realization, such householders, they have got many subject matter of hearing in the newspapers. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Sahasraśaḥ means thousands of subject matters. For whom? Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Such householders who made their aim of life to decorate the apartment. That's all. Work whole day and night, and have good dress, good apartment. That's all. They think this is success. These things are, were before also.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

Sometimes you will find Arjuna is also addressed as Bhārata, Vidura is addressed as Bhārata, because they belongs to the same family, Bhārata family. So tasmād bhārata: "My dear king, Parīkṣit Mahārāja..." Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā, sarvātmā. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is only in Goloka Vṛndāvana. No. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhutaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is God. As you are sitting here, you are not sitting at home. That is finished. Means you are limited. But Kṛṣṇa, He is sitting everyone's heart; still, He is in Goloka. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they, another kind of fools, they think Kṛṣṇa like us. They consider that "If I am sitting here, how can I sit everywhere?" They think that "Kṛṣṇa is like me." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). These rascals, they think Kṛṣṇa like himself. Because he is sitting one place, he cannot be anywhere else, similarly, Kṛṣṇa also, if He is in India, He is not in Europe. That is their idea. Therefore Europe and America, they say sometimes that "Kṛṣṇa is Hindus' God." Why Hindus' God? He says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4), ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am the seed-giving father of all different forms of life." Kṛṣṇa claims that He is... Therefore, because He is the father of all living beings, therefore there is response from Europe and America. Otherwise what connection they have got? They have got their Jesus Christ or something else. But why they are attracted to Kṛṣṇa?

Because actually the father is the... Kṛṣṇa is the father not only of the human society—of the bird society, the beast society, dog society, cat society, everyone's father, sarva-yoniṣu. That is Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you simply try to understand and little understand, then your life is successful. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding even little, your life is successful. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Mahato bhayāt. This is bhaya. They do not know what is bhaya, fearfulness. They are very proud of becoming this and that, but they are not afraid of death, how much painful it is. And if you are sinful, then you will be allowed to enter in the womb of your mother and your mother will kill you. They are not afraid. They are so rascal. These risks are there. So make your life in such a way, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9)— don't enter into the mother's womb. Punar janma naiti.

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

This is meditation. These haṭha-yogis, they meditate in their impersonal feature, but our meditation, Vaiṣṇava, devotees' meditation is very easy. For the haṭha-yogis, they have to select place, āsana. Dhyāna, dhāraṅā, āsana... Āsana is also one of the activities. But here, in Vaiṣṇava philosophy, you are seeing the Deity always, at least daily, so you have got some impression that "Our temple Deity is like this." That impression, either you are sitting in one place without any activities, sthitaṁ vrajantam... While walking on the street also, you can think of this Deity. There is no difficulty, either you are sitting or you are walking or you are standing, any way. Because the mind is there in Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa's form. Therefore Deity worship is so essential for the neophyte. He can have always the opportunity to think of the Supreme Lord by the impression of the Deity within the mind. Śayānam. Even in lying down, even talking.

So this is our process. This is the perfect process. You don't require any artificial method to think of God. It is natural. If you simply come to the temple daily, chant in the front of the Deity, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, then you become advanced immediately. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18).

Lecture on SB 5.5.26 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1976:

This is Kṛṣṇa's influence. He can do that. If you take shelter, upāśrayāśrayāḥ, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is pleased to reveal Himself. That is Kṛṣṇa's special power, Viṣṇu's special power. He can be seen even by the kirāta-hūṇāndhra andhra, and He cannot be seen even by the most purified brāhmaṇa. That is His option. He is not exposed to be seen by everyone. That is not possible.

So we have to learn through bhakti-yoga how to see Kṛṣṇa, how to understand Him. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). These are required. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa and see Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. So everything is sitting place of Kṛṣṇa. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). He is even within the atom, so why not within yourself? He is everywhere. This vision should be developed. And vivikta-dṛgbhis tad ahārhaṇam. If you see in that way, that Kṛṣṇa is everywhere present But that presence can be experienced by love and devotion. There is no other way.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

Yarhi vāva sa bhagavān lokam imaṁ yogasyāddhā. (SB 5.5.32) So this is another process of yoga-siddhi, ājagara-vṛtti, ājagara, python, lying down in one place, eating and passing urine, stool, everything. Ājagara-vṛtti. Ājagara, the python, it lies down in one place, big, big python, sometimes covered by the earth, but still, he gets his food. Big, big animals enter into the home of the python. And the python can eat even a full horse, what to speak of other animals. But still, Kṛṣṇa supplies him food. He hasn't got to go anywhere. So sometimes saintly persons, they sit down in one place. If Kṛṣṇa sends him food he will eat; otherwise he will starve. In our ācārya-sampradāya, Mādhavendra Purī, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, they were doing that. In Vṛndāvana Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he was blind. He was sitting in one place, and Kṛṣṇa used to come and supply him milk.

So there is no anxiety for maintenance of the body. There is no anxiety. Śāstra therefore says that "Don't spoil your energy for the matter of maintenance of the body. That is already settled up." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is nitya as we are nitya. Nitya means there is no birth and death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is our constitutional position. And what is the difference between the two nityas? One is plural number and the other is singular number. The singular number nitya, or Kṛṣṇa, He supplies food to everyone. Oh, whatever we require, that is already settled up. Therefore we should not spend our energy for maintenance of the body. That is not required. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad brahmatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Our human energy should be utilized only for that purpose which was not fulfilled in other lives, in the 8,400,000 different species of life, and you are changing, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), by nature's law, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27).

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Prabhupāda: That is rasa. He likes this form. Just like Hanumān said that "Although I know Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are the same, still, I want to see Rāma." We also. Although we know Rāma and Kṛṣṇa the same but we want to see Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Tulasi dāsa said that he wanted to see Rāma.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is devotee's inclination. That we must have. Just like the gopīs were searching Kṛṣṇa and they saw that Kṛṣṇa sitting in one place as four-handed Nārāyaṇa. They offered respect, "Oh, He is Nārāyaṇa. We don't care for Him." (laughter) "We don't care for Him." But they offered respect, "Oh, Nārāyaṇa, namaskara. But we want Kṛṣṇa." And when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa wanted to remain Nārāyaṇa, He could not. Rādhārāṇī's desire is so strong that Kṛṣṇa could not remain as Nārāyaṇa. He became Kṛṣṇa. You see? So somebody is offering us a little piece of land. Sak... Saket.(?)

Guest: Saket.(?) It is good quarter.

Prabhupāda: Saket(?). It is good quarter. So why not accept that land and immediately have our building.

Guest: (indistinct) say about four o'clock. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yesterday there was a meeting. There is a hope of getting 87 life members. So if you get some life members, say 50, then we can have immediately one center.

Guest: But anyhow...

Prabhupāda: No, either we purchase or we invest (indistinct) but we require some life members.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:

So after one has got this unflinching faith, that "Simply by serving Lord Kṛṣṇa, all religious activities or all pious activities are done," that faith is the last word of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is explained to Arjuna in so many ways. But ultimately, he comes to the point through Him Himself. When He explains the yoga system, He explains nicely the process, how to execute yoga performances, the sitting posture, the breathing posture and eating and sitting and place. Everything explained nicely. But at the end He says that,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

"Of all the yogis, one who is always thinking of Me, Kṛṣṇa, within his heart, he is first-class yogi." Similarly, when He explains about jñāna system, or philosophical speculation, He summarizes at the end, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births of philosophical speculation, when the learned scholar or philosopher comes to this point..." What is that point? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births' philosophical speculation, when one actually becomes scholar or wise, he surrenders unto Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Lecture on SB 7.12.6 -- Bombay, April 17, 1976:

Therefore next line, it is said, yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet strīṣu. With woman you should be very, very cautious and careful, as much as required, not free mingling. No. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, there is always a separation between woman and men. Here in India we find that whenever there is some meeting, the woman are sitting separately; men are sitting separately. This is required. Not only that, you cannot talk even with woman unnecessarily, even with your wife. This is restriction. Therefore it is said, yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet: "as much as it is required." Don't talk unnecessarily, "Phish, phish, phish." That is very dangerous. Dangerous means in spiritual life. Yāvad-artham. Even with your mother, with your daughter, with your sister, you cannot sit in a solitary place and talk. This is restricted. What to speak of others, even with your mother.

mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā

nāviviktāsane vaset

balavān indriya-grāmo

vidvāṁsam api karṣati

(SB 9.19.17)

So according to Vedic civilization there is very, very strict stricture to mix with women. And in our childhood, we have seen in Calcutta that those who are aristocratic family, there are two section of the house, male section and female section. During daytime even the husband cannot meet wife. That is their restriction, even the husband. There was no chance because the women were in different house and men in a different house. So so many restriction. So here it is said, yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet strīṣu... (end)

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is also another symptom, restlessness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person can sit down in one place. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sitting one place, day and night. There is not a single example in the world that one can sit down, I mean to say, ordinary persons. They cannot. They must be restless. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that one can sit down in one place. Of course, it is not to be imitated. It is to be attained. Anywhere. Just like Gosvāmīs. They used to live underneath a tree one night. So these things are possible when one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "The yoga system teaches that if you become silent, you will realize that you are God. This system may be all right for materialistic persons, but how long will they be able to keep themselves silent? Artificially, they may sit down for so-called meditation, but immediately after their yogic performance, they will engage themselves again in such activities as illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and many other nonsensical things. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person gradually elevates himself without endeavoring for this so-called silent meditation."

Prabhupāda: Actually, yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. The whole yogic process, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, is meant for controlling the senses. Durdanta indriya-kāla-paṭalī. Indriya, the senses, are just like snakes. As it is very difficult to enchant the snakes, similarly, it is very difficult to control the senses. And the yoga system (is) especially meant for controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and then concentrate on the form of Viṣṇu.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.7 -- Mayapur, March 31, 1975:

So the Mahā-Viṣṇu, first of all He enters in each universe as Garbhodakaśāyī. Then, within the universe, He creates His Vaikuṇṭha and lies down there—Kṣīrodakaśāyī. This Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is approached by the demigods when there is need of maintenance or for subsiding the disturbance by the demons. Then Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others, they go on the beach of this milk ocean and submit their appeal. Then the answer is given to Brahmā, and he informs to other demigods. This is the process. You'll find this later on. So payobdhi-śāyī and śeṣaś ca, Sesa, that is also incarnation of Viṣṇu. He is sustaining the body of Viṣṇu in different oceans, and He is serving the Lord Viṣṇu in so many ways. Śayyā, āsana, sitting place, bed, and upavīta, and clothes, garments—so many ways He is serving. Now, all these different incarnation of Viṣṇu is summarized here by Kavirāja Gosvāmī that "All of them are partial expansion of Nityānanda," to understand what is Nityānanda Prabhu. The prakāśa-vigraha... Kṛṣṇa first. Then His prakāśa-vigraha, manifested form, a little difference in bodily feature, but the same powerful, that is Balarāma. And then, from Balarāma, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, in this way, quadruple expansion... Then Nārāyaṇa, then another quadruple expansion, then from that quadruple, second manifestation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, all these different Viṣṇus, Kāraṇa-toyāśāyī, Garbhodakaśayī, Kṣīrodhi-śāyī—in this way, expanding. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya (Bs. 5.46). Just like you take one candle, then you lit up another candle, another candle, another candle. All these candles are equally powerful, but still, the calculation is, Kṛṣṇa is the first candle, Balarāma is the second candle. In this way, viṣṇutayā vibhāti—the expansion of Viṣṇu, innumerable.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110-111 -- Bombay, November 17, 1975:

This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Kṛṣṇa... Here He is playing on His flute, but His energies are working. Just like a big man, a big business magnate: he is sitting in his room, but his energy is working—big, big factory is going on; large amount of profit is coming automatically. So if it is possible for ordinary human being that he is sitting in one place, and still, things are going on by management of his energy, so why not Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord? He is sitting in one place. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He is situated in His planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana; still His energies are going on. The material energy is working, this material world. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Under His vigilance all the laws of material nature is going on. Exactly in time the sun is rising, the moon is rising. Everything is going on minutely, very nicely. Parāsya śaktiḥ. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It is going so nicely that Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to learn how to do it. The machine is so perfect, it is going on perfectly. The flower is coming by His energy. Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. The special seed you sow on the ground and a particular type of plant will come out, then rose will come out, a particular flavor will come out. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We do not see how Kṛṣṇa's energies are working, but it is working. Don't think that "It is automatically... There was a chunk and there was..." No. Not like that. Everything. But His energy is so perfect. Just like if you want to paint one nice flower, you have to arrange so many things—color, and the brush, and the painting cloth—and you have to apply your energies and... But still, it will not come so perfect. But Kṛṣṇa's energies are so perfect that we see automatically, but there is supervision of Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of accident. Everything is supervised. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, mahātmānas tu mām, daivī prakṛtim āśritāḥ. Daivī prakṛti means the superior energy, divine energy. This is also divine energy, but that is directly. This is indirectly. This is temporary. Nothing, without, nothing can exist without being divine because everything is coming out from the Lord. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Therefore the impersonalists, they have taken everything as Brahman. That is their... That is also true. Everything is Brahman. That's right. That's all right. Just like in this store. This whole thing is store. That's all right. But we have to take advantage of the store, not sitting in this, I mean to say, lighted(?)... You have to sit here. If you say, "That is also sitting place. Why not go there? And deliver the lecture from there?" No. We have to utilize here. So you have to take advantage of the best. Everything is energy of Kṛṣṇa. That's all right. But we have to take the advantage of the better energy, superior energy. So na te viduḥ, they do not know how to take advantage of that superior energy. So there are two energies, the superior and inferior, or the spiritual and material. The material energy... This is the definition and the sum and substance of the definition and activities of the supreme summum bonum, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Supreme Source of everything.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Prabhupāda: K-a-m-a-l-a, Kamala, s-a-n-a, āsana. Kamalāsana dāsa. Kamalāsana. Kamalāsana means Viṣṇu or Brahmā. Brahmā is also seated on the lotus sitting place. Āsana means sitting place, and kamala means lotus. You have seen Brahmā is sitting on kamala? Similarly, Viṣṇu is also sitting on kamala. So Kamalāsana dāsa means you are Viṣṇu dāsa. That is the meaning. Kamalāsana means Viṣṇu. This Viṣṇu picture, you see? This is Viṣṇu. So now we shall perform... Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (someone breaks stick for fire) Yes. Chant.

Govinda dāsī: Prabhupāda? Could you spell it so that I can...

Prabhupāda: K-a-m-a-l-a-s-a-n-a. Kamalāsana.

Govinda dāsī: K-a-m-a-l-a-s-a-n-a. Kamalāsana.

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (sticks breaking, devotees chanting) Why so much? Least. Give me least. Not so much required. All right. When I shall say svāhā you'll take all, little, little. Oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarva... (chants prayers, devotees respond) Now bow down.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious. And impious means just the opposite: birth in abominable species of life, just like cats, dogs, hogs, or uncivilized people, ugly feature, no education. These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age. So we are educating our students to practice how to revive his old, the eternal constitutional position to serve the Lord. This is our practice. Just like here you can see the boys have decorated the sitting place of the Lord, how nice, with flowers and candles. It is not very expensive, but it is so beautiful that immediately it attracts. You see? So everyone can practice at home. Is it very difficult task, to gather some flowers and some leaves and decorate and have some picture or statue of the Lord, offer Him some fruits, flower? Everyone can do this. And by doing this, he gets the highest perfection of life: no more coming into this material world and suffer all these nonsense. This is our practice.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

Bhagavad-gītā says that yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. Rahasi sthitaḥ means in a secluded place. Ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Ekākī yata-cittātmā, "controlling the senses and mind." Nirāśīḥ, "without any material desire," aparigrahaḥ, "or taking some help from others." Not that "I shall teach you yoga system by some monetary exchange." This is not yoga system. Aparigrahaḥ. Aparigrahaḥ means one should not expect something from others for learning or manifesting or exhibiting yoga system. Then not only he has to remain alone in a secluded place, but śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means a very sacred place. Pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmānaḥ. One should have his own sitting place. Not that... That means he cannot change his sitting place. The same sitting place he should continue yoga system. Nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ cailājina-kuśottaram. There are skin, deerskins, and then straw mat, and then some soft clothing. In this way there is system of making your āsana, seat.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

"One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me," the Lord says. Before that, the primary prescriptions, how one should practice this transcendental meditation, that one has to restrict especially sex life... One has to select a very solitary place and a sacred place, and he should sit down alone. This meditation process is not practiced in a place like this, where many men are gathering. It is recommended, it must be a solitary place, sacred place, and alone. And then you have to sit, or you have to select your sitting place. There are so many things. Of course, those things cannot be explained within few minutes. If you are very much interested, you'll find in this book, "Sāṅkhya-yoga" chapter.

So one has to, from the bodily concept of life, one has to transcend himself to the spiritual platform. That is the whole, meaning of whole process. Just like I began to say that in the beginning our self-realization means we are thinking this body. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur (BG 3.42). Then one who has transcended this bodily concept of life, he comes to the platform of mind. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. Manaḥ means mind. Somebody, some people, some of..., practically the whole population of the world, they are under the bodily concept of life, and, above them, there are some people who are on the mental concept of life. They are thinking mind. And somebody is on the intellectual platform of life.

Lecture Excerpt -- Boston, May 5, 1969:

Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat? Why shall I cheat?" Everything will be complete, fully satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati, this very word, Sanskrit word, is there. You have to make yourself fully satisfied. Then there will be no more want. You see?

Just like there is a story, "Alexander and the Cynic." Perhaps most of you know. There was a cynic. He was saintly person. He was sitting in a solitary place, almost naked body. Alexander the Great went there and asked him, "If I can do something for you? You are a great man." He said, "Oh, please don't obstruct sunshine. Please be aside, That's all. (laughter) You may do this. Don't obstruct the sunshine. I am quite pleased. You please set aside." Because he was fully satisfied, why this Alexander Great will, can do him?

Lecture -- Jakarta, March 1, 1973:

It is not possible. I cannot control my mind and practice this haṭha-yoga system." Now just try to understand. He is such a personality, great personality, and five thousand years ago, when things were so nice. So at that time a person like Arjuna felt that he's unable to practice this yoga system. And nowadays a (indistinct) people with teeny knowledge, they are trying to practice yoga system as if they're..., he has become more than Arjuna. It is very difficult subject matter. It is not possible for ordinary man. The first principle is that he has to sit down alone in a sacred place, alone. Yoga practice is not possible in a big city, with friends and smoking habit and drinking habit. This all first. One has to become very strong in controlling the mind, controlling the senses, sitting in a solitary place, sacred place like Himalaya or Hardwar, like that. And who is going there, and who is practicing? It is not possible. Not only that, he has to sit down straight, and not bending, and looking on the tip of the nose, and not closing the eyes completely, half closed—so many rules and regulations—and always thinking of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā pra... It is not possible. This yoga system, Arjuna denied five thousand years ago. And what we are? This is going on, all farce.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Yes. One class of human being...

Śyāmasundara: But everyone is looking for money. You said the field worker is not the same as, or is the same as the carpenter, because they're both looking for money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But one who knows how to earn money very easily, and one may not know. That is culture. That is culture. One man is sitting in one place earning daily one lakhs of rupees.

Śyāmasundara: So big industrialists and field workers are two different species of men.

Prabhupāda: Not species, class. Jāti.

Śyāmasundara: Jāti. So when you say 400,000 species of human life...

Prabhupāda: It is difference of culture.

Śyāmasundara: It's different from what we think of as species.

Prabhupāda: Culture.

Devotee: It's not species in the bodily...

Karandhara: So the angle of vision is not from the bodily, it's from the closeness of the soul to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as far as they're able...

Prabhupāda: Unless you accept soul and consciousness, there cannot be question of culture.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, in case of God, it is discovery. It is not invention. It is discovery.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Just like the idea of a chair is already there in nature. Nature provides a chair.

Prabhupāda: Nature provides a sitting place. Just like when there is a slab of stone anywhere, I wish to sit down on it. Psychology. Then the next proposal is, "Why not invent something at my home? It is here in a... I cannot take it." You can say the idea was there already, to sit down on a high place comfortably. So I come home and make a chair according to that idea.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the mind is an emergent, that is, it creates a new organization out of existing things. It emerges new things out of old things. This comes from the idea of evolution.

Prabhupāda: Just like there is gold and there is mountain. So I make a golden mountain. Gold is there, mountain is there. I combine together and make an imagination, golden mountain. Is that like that?

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Similar to that.

Prabhupāda: The things are there. We mix up. So many things. The things are there and I mix up with something else and it can be called an invention.

Śyāmasundara: So then he tries to describe what is this mind. The mind is emergent. It can rearrange things and create new things, arrange new things.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: That is struggle for existence you can say. They are simply trying to live. They have no other ambition. That's all. But if a man..., if the living soul, after having come to the stage of human being, if he also simply tries for these four things, eating, sleeping, mating and defending, then he is no better than animal. So nowadays in the modern civilization, simply these things are taught: how you can live comfortably with a car, with a bungalow...

Śyāmasundara: So the urge, the urge to improve or to advance...

Prabhupāda: (aside, Hindi:) Aiye aiye. Give them something, sitting place. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: The urge to advance is there in the human more developed. How does that...?

Prabhupāda: You can give this side. This side. Yes. Why not this fan is running? What is that? All right. Let them sit.

Śyāmasundara: In the human beings, we can see that everyone has the urge to become something better or something more.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. They can understand English. Ah, yes.

Śyāmasundara: We notice that in all human entities there is an urge to advance or improve oneself, to become something more.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That I have already explained. Because all living entities have come into this material world, their propensity is to enjoy. Enjoy. So he is enjoying one standard of life in one stage of life. But he wants more, better standard. Better standard. The spirit is enjoyment. That is the disease of material science.

Philosophy Discussion on John Locke:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like when the, a dog, cat, is born it has no eyes, and it searches out the nipples of the mother. So although his eyes are all closed—you have seen the dogs—but because in his previous life as dog he had the experience where to find out the food, so even though it cannot see, it traces out where is the food. That is past experience and that is the proof of the continuation of the soul eternally. Just like I am living in this room and, say, for ten years I am absent from this room, but after ten years when I come here, immediately I remember where is the toilet, where is my sitting place, everything. So that remembrance comes from the last visit. So a living entity is passing through different species of form. That is his material life. So in some previous life, millions of years, when he was a dog, he knew where to find out his food, so immediately in the dog's body again, he remembers. (break)

Hayagrīva: This is the continuation of John Locke. Now you said that from your very birth you knew that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now does this mean that from your very birth you were acquainted with the name Kṛṣṇa, or didn't your father have to at least say the word once? Now Locke would argue that the idea of Kṛṣṇa is not an innate idea because it is not universally assented to.

Prabhupāda: Universally...?

Hayagrīva: Universally, not everyone acknowledges that Kṛṣṇa is God, so he would say that idea is not inborn in the mind.

Prabhupāda: No. In the material world they have got different ideas. That undeveloped mind has got different ideas, but developed, what is called, idea or conception, perfect conception is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if one remembers Kṛṣṇa consciousness after his birth, that means he had previously cultivated. There is a verse, you can find out: ataḥ. Find that.